asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that the arrangements for co-operation between the Army Cadets and the Boy Scouts Association are working satisfactorily; and will he consider the scope for the further development of this co-operation?

An agreement was made in April, 1942, which laid down the policy for co-operation between the Army Cadet Force and the Boy Scouts Association. I have no evidence to show that the agreement is not working satisfactorily and in fact a spirit of friendly co-operation exists between the Headquarters of the two Organisations. Close contact is maintained between representatives of the Boy Scouts Association and the Army Cadet Force and I shall always be pleased to consider any proposals for further development of this co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will issue instructions to stop the practice which is at present in force in some of the mechanised transport units of the Army throughout the country of washing motor-lorries with petrol?

Units are strictly forbidden to use petrol for this purpose and if my hon. Friend will send me particulars of any cases which have come to his notice I will have them investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for War on what basis War Office gratuities are being issued to officers who cease to serve further in this war on account of ill-health; and how the present practice compares with that operating during the last war?

Officers invalided for attributable disabilities are dealt with by the Ministry of Pensions whether by way of disability retired pay or gratuity. The arrangements in the last war were similar.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will reconsider the present arrangement and allow the bells to be rung on Sundays for church purposes and tolled for invasion warning?

I have nothing to add to the answers previously given on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has fully considered the position of soldiers who have now served a considerable number of years in India and Burma without any home leave and has any system been devised to ease or modify such continuity of service in those theatres of war?

The Commander-in-Chief, India, is arranging for the transfer to the home establishment of military personnel who have served overseas for six years or more. He can only do this in so far as there is shipping available and these transfers will take a considerable time.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the regulations applicable to British troops exercising over arable land is effective so far as United States forces are concerned; what steps occupiers and owners can take to prevent damage; and whether the Claims Commission procedure is applied in such cases?

The United States authorities are responsible for the orders given in respect of the actual training over an area allocated to them for that purpose, but the British Claims Commission has furnished the United States Claims Commission with particulars of the steps which are normally taken to minimise damage during training. Arrangements have been made whereby owners and occupiers can submit claims for damage caused by training of United States forces to the British Claims Commission in the normal way. Claims should be submitted to the British district claims officer.

asked the Secretary of State for War under what circumstances a large number of Army vehicles were employed in conveying members of the Polish armed forces to and from a football match at Tynecastle, Edinburgh, on the 10th March; who was the authority responsible for sanctioning the use of petrol for this purpose, and whether he will take steps to prevent a similar wastage of fuel in the future?

This matter has been fully investigated by the Polish authorities, and appropriate steps have been taken to prevent any repetition of such an incident.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what are the names of his 10 regional planning officers; what are their office addresses; how much are they paid; and what experience have they had to enable them to give guidance to local authorities in the intricate post-war planning problems?

The names and office addresses of my regional planning officers are given in the statement below. Each receives a salary of £900 per annum. They have professional qualifications as members of the Town Planning Institute, architects, engineers or surveyors, and had, before appointment, experience either as consultants in planning, planning officers to local authorities or planning inspectors of the Ministry of Health.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what is the reason for scheduling chewing gum as one of the articles to be handled by retail traders under specified conditions; and what is the normal demand for this commodity?

Chewing gum is sugar confectionery both for the purposes of price control and rationing and is therefore included among the foods for the retail sale of which a licence is required. As however it is sold by many retailers who do not sell any other form of confectionery it was considered unnecessary to require such traders to apply to the local food offices for individual licences A general licence was accordingly granted authorising retail sale of chewing gum by all retailers who regularly sold this commodity before the 27th July, 1942. If by "normal demand" my hon. Friend means pre-war demand, I regret I am unable to say: present demand is mainly for the Armed Forces, and in particular bomber and submarine crews, and the United States Army.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is prepared to take any action for the prohibition of the use of grain in Scotland for the manufacture of whisky?

No cereals from the next harvest will be allocated to whisky manufacture.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware of the complaints among Scottish potato-growers that ware potatoes have been brought from England to Scotland while Scottish supplies are being allowed to lie in pits, many of which are showing signs of deterioration, which unless the potatoes are moved at an early date will cause serious loss; and whether he will consider disposing each month of a proportion of the Scottish supplies held by the Ministry, bringing only the balance required from England?

I am not aware of any general complaint by Scottish potato growers that ware potatoes are being brought from England to Scotland to the detriment of the marketing of Scottish stocks. Ware stocks in Scotland are short of estimated requirements to the end of the season and a part of the total weekly requirements is, therefore, being supplied from England. The directions prohibiting the sale by growers in Scotland of certain long-keeping varieties have now been withdrawn, and growers may resume the marketing of any stocks of these varieties which have not been sold to my Department. This will facilitate the removal of stocks remaining in the hands of growers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food how many British Restaurants have been closed; in how many of these cases have losses been incurred on capital and on trading account, respectively; what are the total amounts of such losses; and what portion of each total will ultimately be borne by the Exchequer?

The information desired by my hon. Friend will take a little time to prepare. I will send him particulars so far as they are available as soon as possible.

asked the Minister without Portfolio how many of the seven experts who are to form the central staff under his direction for dealing with the Beveridge proposals are men, and how many are women?

Under present arrangements one will be a woman.

asked the Minister of Health the names of those persons appointed to serve on any consultative committee in his Department dealing with matters arising out of the Beveridge Report; and what are the terms of reference?

There is no such consultative committee in my Department. As I have already indicated, however, I am discussing with groups representing the local authorities, the medical profession, and voluntary hospitals, proposals for the setting up of a National Health Service. I have also the benefit of the advice of my medical advisory committee whose composition and terms of reference were set out in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Sir F. Fremantle) on 26th November last.

asked the Prime Minister, in what way the services of Lord Reith are being utilised at the present time?

As a Peer of the Realm the whole field of Parliamentary duties and activities is open to Lord Reith. I understand also that he has undertaken work under the Admiralty with the rank of temporary lieutenant-commander. I should be very glad if opportunity arose of making use of his services in a wider sphere but these are not matters which can suitably be ventilated at Question time.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will calculate the net reproduction rate for England and Wales for the years 1939 to 1942, inclusive, and will he publish the figures?

The net reproduction rate representing the fertility experience of England and Wales in 1939 is 0.807. The detailed analyses of the births and deaths necessary for the computation of the rates for later years are not yet completed but it may be stated that calculations on the accepted conventional basis would be of little service since they involve the assumption that exceptional mortality due to war causes (e.g. air raids, black out, etc.) will continue to be experienced by female children and young women throughout the next 45 years or so. On the preferable assumption that the mortality likely to be experienced will be more akin to that referred to in the recent White Paper dealing with the current Trend of Population (Cmd. 6358), the net reproduction rate corresponding to the fertility of 1942 is estimated provisionally and approximately at 0.84. The children born in 1940 and 1941 have already been subject to considerable war mortality and its accrued effect on their chances of survival cannot be assessed until full analyses of the deaths are available. Over a short period of time, however, normal net reproduction rates might be expected to fall or rise in correspondence with the crude birth rate per 1,000 population; and from the crude birth rate 1939–1942 (namely 14.9, 14.6, 14.2, 15.8) the inference that the net reproduction rates of 1940 and 1941 were somewhat below the rate given above for 1939 will probably be a sufficient guide for practical purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances sums paid to directors and others as compensation for loss of office are exempt from Income Tax and Surtax?

Generally speaking compensation for loss of office, as such, is not income for the purposes of the Income Tax. There may however be cases in which the circumstances are such that a payment described as compensation for loss of office is assessable to tax as emoluments of the office. The question of liability would depend, in each instance, on the facts of the particular case.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether copies of regulations issued by the Treasury to the War Damage Commission are available to the public?

Yes, Sir. Section 93 (1) of the War Damage Act, 1941, requires such regulations to be laid before Parliament, and they are obtainable from the Stationery Office in the ordinary way.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether we used any dive-bombers, for which there was sufficiency of air protection, in the first attack on the Mareth Line or in the subsequent retreat?

No, Sir. The air support afforded to the Eighth Army in this phase of the battle, as in the later phase referred to by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his statement to the House on 30th March last, was maintained by fighters, fighter-bombers and twin-engined light bombers.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the usual period of waiting before the acceptance of personnel for air service as members of air crews and the commencement of elementary flying training; and whether he is aware of the disappointment at the long delays entailed?

The period of waiting, which I regret is at present considerable, varies according to a number of factors but I am unable to give details as these might be of value to the enemy. I have every sympathy with the desire of aircrew volunteers to commence their flying training with as little delay as possible, but since the rate of intake for training necessarily varies for operational and other reasons, it is essential to maintain a substantial reserve of men to ensure that the maximum use is made at all times of available facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will take immediate steps to remove from especially vulnerable coastal areas training stations for the Royal Air Force, in view of information privately furnished to him?

This is a matter to which we have long given consideration, but there are great difficulties owing to lack of suitable accommodation. The particular unit which the hon. Member has in mind is, however, to be transferred elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that his recent proposal to transfer from British Overseas Airways certain main trunk routes has caused ill-feeling among the pilots of British Overseas Airways; and whether he is completely satisfied that the civil pilots were capable of continuing to run these trunk routes as in the past?

The routes to be operated by the Corporation and Transport Command respectively have not, in fact, been finally determined. They may, of course, vary from time to time and while it may be expedient to transfer the operation of some routes from the Corporation to the Royal Air Force, the reverse may also apply. The governing considerations are explained in the recent White Paper. These should make it clear that the transfer of a service from the Corporation to the Royal Air Force, if it occurs, will in no way reflect on the capabilities of the Corporation's pilots, for whose courage and efficiency I have nothing but the highest praise.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will afford the same facilities to hon. Members of this House as the Public Relations branch of his Ministry afford to journalists of seeing air-raid damage and other Royal Air Force photographs by having them placed at the first opportunity in the Tea Room?

I will certainly consult my Noble Friend the Minister of Works with a view to securing the consent of Mr. Speaker to afford the facilities referred to.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has yet appointed any committee to determine the best sites for aerodromes for civil aviation after the war?

No, Sir. Such determination must await decisions on major issues of policy to some of which I referred in my statement in the Debate on the Air Estimates. Meanwhile, preliminary consideration is being given to this in common with other aspects of the post-war problem of air transport.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, the proportion of hard and soft wood trees, respectively, that have been planted by the Forestry Commission during the past 12 months?

The proportion of hard and soft wood trees planted by the Forestry Commission during the past 12 months is 12 per cent. and 88 per cent. respectively.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, whether the increased estimate of £970,000 for 1943, as against £892,000 for 1942, for forestry operations, represents actual reafforestation; and, if so, where this extra afforestation is being carried out?

The increase in the estimate for forestry operations for 1943 is not due to planting and replanting programmes which are in fact on a reduced scale, but to the preparation of larger quantities of forest produce for war purposes, to more intensive measures of forest protection, to maintenance of larger areas of young plantations and to increased nursery work in preparation for post-war planting.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he will investigate and redress certain cases of hardship suffered by railway employees receiving less than £500 per annum, details of which have been submitted to him?

I am making inquiries and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as they are complete.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport when he expects to be able to report progress towards the construction of complementary Tay and Forth road bridges as necessary parts of a national road to the North of Scotland; and if it is intended that the financial basis of construction will contain adequate financial relief for the county of Fife from the additional burden that would fall on it compared with other areas?

When the time comes to consider the place of new crossings over the Forth or the Tay in any scheme of highway development in Scotland, my right hon. Friend may be assured that the financial position of the county of Fife will not be left out of account.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the representations now made to him by the Scottish Farmers' Union on the subject of sugar-beet prices; and what steps he is taking thereupon?

I have gone fully into this question in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food, but it is regretted that it is impracticable to amend the Scottish price without reopening the whole question of sugar-beet prices in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the resolution of the Advisory Committee for Scottish Institutions for the Blind asking for the setting up of legal standards for the maintenance of public health, and investigation of the present inadequate standards and scope of the Rag Flock Acts and Regulations as they affect the release of filling materials for mattresses and upholstery; and if any administrative or legislative action is contemplated?

This and other representations I have received on this subject are being examined in consultation with other Departments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is proposed to introduce a Nurses Bill for Scotland?

The main purpose of such a Bill would be to establish a roll of assistant nurses, a proposal which the Alness Committee reported against in 1938, but in view of the altered conditions since that date I am having discussions with the Scottish nursing and other organisations concerned and hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can make arrangements for the rationing of razor blades for civilians, in view of the continued shortage?

No, Sir. There would be great practical difficulties about any rationing scheme. As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesend (Sir I. Albery) on 23rd March, I am looking very carefully into the question of supplies of razor blades.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the rule allowing only 5 per cent. on the cost of repairs to a perambulator retailer, out of which he has to defray all carriage charges, makes it necessary for the dealer to do this work at a loss; and whether he will reconsider the Order with a view to fixing a fair margin of profit?

This provision was revoked as from 22nd March, in view of representations which were made to me.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will grant additional coupons to householders who have evacuees and war workers billeted on them to enable them to obtain the extra household linen, namely, sheets and towels, that are required?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for King's Norton (Captain Peto) on 2nd March, a copy of which I am sending him. Sheets are not rationed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that hairdressers are extremely short of towels and overalls; and whether he can see his way to allow any extra coupons to this trade?

As regards towels, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the replies which I gave on 2nd March to my hon. Friends the Members for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander) and Clayton (Mr. Thorneycroft). As regards overalls, utility overalls are available for those who require them at a specially low coupon-rate.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is satisfied with the present operation of the Essential Work Order, as applied to coalmining; and, if not, whether he will arrange for its modification at an early date in order to ensure increased efficiency?

The Essential Work (Coalmining Industry) Order has been modified in its provisions from time to time since it was first brought into operation in May, 1941. The experience gained by the regional organisation of my Ministry during the past nine months has pointed to the desirability of further modifications in the operation of the Order and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service, after consultation with me and after discussions had taken place between officials of my Department and representatives of the industry, has made a new consolidated Order which came into force to-day.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will provide a list of the pits which are now operating under the control of his Department; and what has been the increase in output per man per shift in each case since it was taken over?

So far as the first part of the Question is concerned I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 9th February to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker); there are at present no further pits to be added to the list I gave at that time. With regard to the second part of the Question, it is not the practice to give such figures in respect of individual pits.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether his attention has been directed to the remarks of Mr. Justice Singleton regarding the Point of Ayr Colliery, Flintshire; and whether, as no inquiry had been made before taking drastic action and no letter was sent to the firm giving the reasons for the order made, he will agree to bring in an amended regulation to permit a right of appeal against orders made to safeguard the private rights of individuals or firms?

On the first part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I have given to-day to a Question by the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Sir S. Reed) from which he will see that I did not take control of this undertaking without a full examination of the position. As regards the latter part of the Question, the Government are not prepared to recommend to Parliament an alteration of the law but I would point out that individuals or firms can obtain relief from the courts if any competent authority has exercised the powers conferred on them under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Acts, 1939 in bad faith.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that decisions of the Labour Advisory Board of Sierra Leone have, in certain cases, been ignored or repeatedly broken by employers, against which the worker has no redress owing to lack of coercive legislation; and whether he will cause this to be enacted?

As explained in my answer to the immediately following Question the functions of the Board are advisory and not executive. I have no knowledge of any breaches by employers of directions which may have been given by the Sierra Leone government to give effect to recommendations made by the Labour Advisory Board, but if my hon. Friend is in a position to supply me with specific instances of this I will make inquiry of the governor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Labour Advisory Board of Sierra Leone is composed of nine employers and five trade union officials appointed by the Government; and whether, as there is no appeal against its findings, he will recommend a board of workers and employers of equal numbers whose labour representatives are recommended by the trade unions and thus remove a source of discontent?

The Labour Advisory Board of Sierra Leone has recently been reconstituted and now consists of the following persons:

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that the old iron dump at Carter's Dump near Dun-stable now spreads over neighbouring agricultural land; and will he take steps to have it cleared in the near future?

The dump in question belongs to an iron and steel scrap merchant, the scrap being in course of preparation for delivery to the furnaces. The stock has increased during the winter months owing to black-out conditions, but the rate of clearance will now be accelerated.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that two firms, Messrs. Spear and Jackson and Messrs. William Hunt and Sons, The Brades, Limited, both of Sheffield, have replied to a retail supplier in a Berkshire town that there is no priority for small tools for agriculture and that there are no stocks; that consequently orders having the backing of county war agricultural executive committees cannot be met, thus preventing farm labour being effectively employed; and what steps he proposes to take in view of the urgency of the position?

I have no knowledge of the letters referred to in the first part of the Question, but if my hon. Friend will give me further particulars, including the name and address of the retailer, I shall be glad to make inquiries. A scheme for reporting shortages of agricultural hand tools in the various districts is in operation and supplies of such tools are made available, district by district, in accordance with the returns received and in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture. Returns from Berkshire disclose a shortage of certain agricultural tools in that area and directions have been issued to manufacturers to give the necessary priority to the supply of such tools.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, at the conference in Ottawa for the purpose of co-ordinating the war and post-war policies of the United Nations, the British representative has a free hand and is not limited, particularly with regard to post-war policy, by the restrictive influences in the sphere of finance?

I presume my hon. Friend is referring to the visit of the Foreign Secretary to Ottawa, My right hon. Friend will be engaged in purely informal exchanges of view with the Canadian Government, and no question of restrictive influences arises.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the loss of running the National Stud in 1942; and what is the result expected in the coming year?

The trading and profit and loss account of the National Stud for 1942 is not yet available, but it is likely that it will show a small loss. As regards the current year, I anticipate that there will be a small profit if present expectations are realised.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now make a further statement on the position and welfare of men of His Majesty's Forces taken prisoner by the Japanese, including the Red Cross and correspondence position?

Yes, Sir. Telegrams have arrived from Geneva which show that the delegate of the International Red Cross Committee in Tokyo has recently visited six prisoner of war camps near Osaka and seven near Fukuoaka. The telegrams from Geneva specially mention the good morale in the latter group of camps but there is little further information. Considerable details are, however, given about conditions at the former group.

Two of the six prisoner of war camps near Osaka contain Dutch from Java and the other four contain British and American prisoners of war. The British prisoners in these camps have come from Hong Kong. The Japanese officer in charge of these camps is said to be correct and understanding in his attitude to the prisoners.

In five camps the prisoners of war are housed in wooden framed one-storey barrack-huts. The sixth camp, which contains a number of officers, is in a four-storied brick building (a former warehouse) in the business quarter of Kobe. The sleeping arrangements appear to be adequate and the quarters are clean and tidy. There is a prisoner of war doctor in each camp and the sick are also visited by Japanese doctors. Each camp has its own infirmary but the more serious cases are sent to local military hospitals. The men are employed on various types of work for which they receive working pay. Officer prisoners of war receive pay according to the corresponding ranks in the Japanese Army.

The Japanese have provided a certain amount of clothing; but more is needed. The food rations are reported to be satisfactory in quality but they are not very substantial and are naturally of a Japanese type. There are canteens in the camps from which sweets and some tobacco can be purchased, but stocks are very limited. Each man is allowed between 150 and 200 cigarettes a month. There are only a few books in the camps. Some of the British prisoners had already received, while in Hong Kong, Red Cross relief supplies sent through the Diplomatic Exchange ships. The Red Cross delegate is taking action to obtain more clothing, medical supplies, games and literature. Some thousands of letters have been delivered to prisoners of war in Japan and Japanese occupied territory. The International Red Cross Committee who forwarded this report added that a further distribution was in prospect as sorting proceeds.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state, to the latest available date, the number of men who have been directed by employment exchanges in the London area to building work in other parts of the country and the number who have been subsequently released by the local National Service officers on production of medical certifi- cates showing their physical inability to perform the work to which they had been sent?

I regret that the statistics desired by my hon. Friend are not available, but I have no reason to believe that there is any substantial number of men directed from London to contracts elsewhere, who have subsequently been released on medical grounds.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to prevent married women with children going into industry where, in the opinion of his Department, it results in neglect of the children?

I could not undertake the general responsibility of deciding whether women voluntarily engaged in industry are thereby neglecting the care of their children. A large number of war-time nurseries have been provided through the Maternity and Child Welfare Authorities. Women who have young children to care for are neither summoned for interview by my Department nor directed into any form of employment. If a young woman with young children who is in employment covered by an Essential Work Order seeks to leave in order to look after her children permission would normally be given by the National Service Officer.

asked the Minister of Labour the names of the Man-Power Board operating for the city of Leicester?

The names of the members of the District Man-Power Board for Leicester are:

• Mr. G. I. H. Parkes (Chairman).
• Mr. J. M. Lowry.
• Mr. C. A. Vlieland.
• Mr. G. F. C. Matthews.
• Miss R. Tomlinson.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the capital cost of the hostels for munition workers built by the Government and managed by the National Service Hostels Corporation; what is their total capacity; and what is the total weekly cost per head, divided as follows: food, hostel staff, fuel and lighting, rates, taxes and insurance, maintenance of buildings and equipment, laundry, loan charges, administration and sundries?

The capital cost of industrial hostels built by various Government Departments and managed by the National Service Hostels Corporation and its agents is estimated to range from £170 to £230 per head of capacity, according to various factors such as size and standards of construction. The following over-all running costs per head are based on experience in January, 1943, but, owing to the various stages of development of these hostels, the figures must not be taken as stabilised. Some of them will be reduced, no doubt, when the hostels accommodation is more fully occupied. In this connection it should be mentioned that the hostels are opened when the Supply Departments, in consultation with my officers, are satisfied that a sufficient demand exists; it follows that there is frequently an intervening period before a hostel is full and this adds to the administrative cost per resident-week.

	Total Cost per Resident-week.
	s.	d.
Food	9	4
Hostels Staffs (Wages and Board)	14	11
Fuel and Lighting	4	1
Rates		10
Insurance		3
Maintenance of buildings and equipment		2
Laundry		9
Administration and sundries	2	3
	£1 12	7

No charge is payable by the Hostels Corporation in respect of taxes or loan charges. The effective capacity of the 29 hostels managed by, or on behalf of, the Hostels Corporation at the end of January was 14,098 (with an eventual capacity in these hostels of 17,423) and 11,442 persons were in residence.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in connection with the fullest and most efficient supply of material available for war effort, he will consider the better utilisation of the Stratford, railway workshops?

I will make inquiries and will communicate with my hon. Friend when they are complete.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mr. A. A. Vickery, an osteopathic physician, of 18, Derwent Road, Aldermans Hill, Palmers Green, N.13, has been sentenced to imprisonment for refusing to submit for medical examination, and that he has taken this step to bring to public notice the repeated refusals of the Ministry to acknowledge the healing work of osteopaths or accept offers of service to our troops by osteopaths; whether he will make a statement of his intentions with regard to skilled osteopaths and what part they should take in any general scheme for medical services, to safeguard the rights of individual sufferers to choose whatever treatment they prefer?

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service has informed me of the facts of this case, and I understand that Mr. Vickery has now applied to the appellate tribunal for reconsideration of his position as a conscientious objector. With regard to the last part of the Question, I am not yet in a position to add to what has already been announced on the subject of a comprehensive medical service, which is under consideration with representatives of the professional and other interests concerned.