asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that officers joining the Indian Army are obliged to pay about £3 15s. for their webbing equipment which would be issued to them free in the British Army at home; and whether he will give an undertaking that British officers will, in future, in India be given their initial issue of necessary military equipment free?

I have asked the Government of India to let me know by telegraph the reason for this difference in treatment, and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend when I receive their reply.

Is the Minister aware that these charges are being imposed upon British N.C.O's as well as upon officers?

I will look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will try to arrange for a contingent of officers and Men of the 4th Indian Division to be brought to this country so that a fitting tribute may be paid by the British people to them and to the Indian Army?

I am in full sympathy with the proposal made by the hon. and gallant Member and will certainly consider the matter in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War. It must, however, be realised that the question of bringing a contingent from an overseas theatre of operations to this country is dependent upon operational necessities.

Would it be possible to send a few of these men to America in order to show that country that there are other people in India besides Congress supporters?

I should be delighted.

asked the Secretary of State for India the approximate present number of prisoners for offences arising out of or in connection with political agitation; the total number of arrests or detentions during the past 12 months; the number discharged or released; the number of women arrested and now in detention; how many punishments by whipping have now been inflicted and how many of these were on youths under 18 years of age?

According to my latest information, which does not cover the North-West Frontier Province, the number of persons convicted of offences in connection with the Congress rebellion and undergoing imprisonment on 1st March was 23,071, and the number undergoing detention for an indefinite period was a little in excess of 8,000. The total numbers in either category for all Provinces from August until 15th March last were respectively 34,895 and 11,623. I have no reason to suppose there has been any substantial increase in the number of sentences of whippings which I gave in reply to the hon. Member's Question on 18th February. Separate statistics for the arrests of women and the whipping of youths under 18 are not available.

Will the right hon. Gentleman not inquire regarding the last matter? Can he say whether any steps are now being taken to stop this deplorable and medieval practice of whipping in India?

I do not accept the hon. Member's description Of this penalty, and I certainly could not get the information which he wants, involving different Provincial authorities, without a great deal of unnecessary trouble.

In view of the fact that the British Government are the one stabilising influence in India which enables many millions of our humble subjects to live in peace, does not the Minister think that the constant questions of the hon. Member are completely mischievous?

Has it been brought to the notice of the right hon. Gentleman that psychiatrists are of the opinion that whipping makes an individual anti-social?

I cannot answer that question.

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that a similar penalty in this country for a similar offence would be tolerated by any decent person in this House?

I believe that there are similar penalties in this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the "pay-as-you-earn" Income Tax scheme operated by Mr. Francis J. Ferrie, of a Merseyside ship-repairing firm; whether he is aware that the scheme works smoothly to the satisfaction of the management and the workers; and whether he will press its general application in other establishments which at present deduct Income Tax during the low wage period of the year?

The scheme to which my hon. Friend refers is a domestic arrangement between the firm and its employees, and my right hon. Friend is not prepared to adopt the suggestion for its wider application. I may point out that the scheme in question is not founded on what is known as the "pay-as-you-earn" or current earnings basis, the possibility of introducing which is at present under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Fond whether the examination of the alternative proposals for the distribution of poultry and rabbits, referred to in the notice issued by the Ministry on 5th February last, has been completed; and, if so, with what result?

The examination of the proposals referred to is nearing comple- tion and consultations with the interests concerned will shortly commence.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Report on afforestation and timber planting for amenity purposes after the war, can be made available to Members of the House?

Yes, Sir; my right hon. Friend is arranging for the publication of this Report.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether he can give any information in connection with the tops of scrap metal lying about Hackney Marshes and in Plaistow; and why those dumps of metal have not been collected?

When my attention was first drawn to the London County Council dump of debris or filling at Hackney Marsh, about which I have seen articles in the Press, I had an immediate inspection made. From reports which I have now received I am unable to substantiate in any way the allegations which have been made of the large quantities of metal salvage lying there. The face of the tipping dump is nearly a mile long. The dump itself contains roughly 1,250,000 cubic yards of debris representing over one-third of a million lorry loads. My officers report that, over the whole of the surface of the tip, no copper, brass or tram lines could be seen, the metal articles generally being small tins or old dustbins and other metal of very poor value as scrap metal. All reasonable steps are taken to segregate any appreciable amounts of useful scrap when the lorries are emptied. As a mater of cold fact, the galvanised tanks and pots shown in the Press photograph had been pulled clear of the shoot by the foreman in charge of the site to be put aside for salvage. I have no knowledge of any considerable dumps of scrap metal in Plaistow, but if the hon. Member will be more precise in regard to their situations I will cause further inquiries to be made.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the scrap in question in Plaistow is on a piece of waste land close to the L.C.C. main sewer embankment, Balaam Street?

Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the ornamental railings surrounding Crown property in Regent's Park, which could with advantage be taken away, and will he take steps to remove them?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether anyone from Wales and Monmouthshire has been appointed on the Committee to consider the type and layout of roads in built-up areas; and, if not, will he consider such an appointment?

No, Sir. The members of the Committee were chosen for their expert knowledge, and not as territorial representatives. The Committee is, however, admirably qualified to consider and report on road planning in built-up areas in all parts of the United Kingdom, and my right hon. Friend may be sure that the interests of Wales and Monmouthshire in that matter will be fully safeguarded.

Is there no informed knowledge of road building in Wales, and is my hon. Friend aware that in our narrow and winding valleys road making is more difficult than in most parts of the country, and does he not think that because of that Wales should be represented on that Committee?

The problem is purely a technical one, and I think the problems are common to the whole country. The Committee is already rather large and I should hesitate to add to its numbers.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the problems in places such as South Wales are peculiar to that district, that questions of subsidence and other things have to be taken into consideration, and that there is a great deal of expert knowledge in South Wales which I am sure he would be only too pleased to make good use of?

If my hon. Friends will submit a memorandum in writing, I will consider it.