asked the Minister of Labour when it is intended to publish the usual up-to-date Annual Reports covering the work of his Department and the factory inspectorate?

In accordance with the general practice in this respect, the publication of the Annual Reports on the Work of the Ministry has been suspended since the beginning of the war. This does not apply to the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories, but I cannot yet say when his Report for 1942 will be ready.

Can my right hon. Friend explain why the Ministry of Labour have not issued their Report when other Government Departments have issued theirs?

I think our work speaks for itself.

asked the Minister of Health when he intends to publish the usual up-to-date Annual Report covering the work of his Department?

I hope to publish a summary Report in three months' time.

Would it not be much better if the Report was published to Parliament before the Chief Medical Officer makes pronouncements upon the statistics?

Not at all. I am sure the pronouncements have evoked general interest.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning the present number of his staff; the number before it was transferred from the Ministry of Works and Planning; the estimated annual cost of his Department; and the annual cost when it was attached to the Ministry of Works and Planning?

The number of the staff is at present 183, of whom 145 were transferred from the Ministry of Works and Planning. The estimated cost of my Department for the current financial year is £172,430. Since certain services were common to the Planning Department and other Departments of the Ministry of Works and Planning, it is impossible to give a separate figure of the annual cost of the Planning Department of that Ministry.