asked the Home Secretary whether members of the National Fire Service, stationed away from home, are entitled to the billeting allowance when granted leave apart from their annual holiday?

Lodging allowance is not withheld if a fireman is absent for a week-end or for an equivalent mid-week break, but it has not hitherto been payable in respect of longer periods of absence. I have, however, recently reviewed the application of this rule to the cases of men and women on the 48/24 duty system who are not in a position to take weekend leave but may be given a break of four days every six weeks, and have decided that in the case of the lower ranks, whose allowance is at the minimum rate of 24s. 6d. a week, there will in future be no abatement of the allowance if the man's absence from the area where he is serving does not exceed three nights, and that three nights' allowance will be paid if the absence extends to four nights. The provision to be made for members of the National Fire Service in higher ranks, whose allowances are at higher rates, is still under consideration.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state up to the last available date, the number of per sons prosecuted and imprisoned, male and female, respectively, for refusing to carry out orders relating to air-raid precautions, Civil Defence, fire-watching and kindred duties?

The answer which I gave last Thursday to a somewhat similar Question by my hon. Friend applies also to this Question.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the fact that, whereas a policeman who is injured on his way to duty has a claim for compensation, a member of the Police War Reserve injured in precisely similar circumstances has no such claim unless the injury arises from a civil emergency, he will take steps to remove this apparent anomaly?

The distinction to which my hon. Friend refers is due to the fact that the pension conditions of the regular police are governed by the Police Pensions Act, 1921, and those of the Police War Reserve, like the Civil Defence Services, by the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme. Even if it were practicable to assimilate the pension conditions of the Police War Reserve to those of the regular police, to do so would only create new anomalies in this respect as between the Police War Reserve and other war-time services.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that members of the Police War Reserve are told by the inspectors that a policeman has to consider himself on duty from the moment he leaves his lodgings or his house to the moment when he returns to it and that if a member of the Police War Reserve falls off a bicycle and meets with serious injury he gets no compensation, whereas a policeman does? Is my right hon. Friend aware that this difference causes very great resentment?

That is hardly the Question on the Paper. Perhaps my hon. Friend would be good enough to put his Question down.

Is it the policy of my right hon. Friend that justice must not be done in case somebody else might require it?

asked the Home Secretary what thefts there have been of new type identity cards; and under what circumstances have they been stolen?

Such cases are not reported to me in the ordinary course. I am informed that there have been two cases in which theft of these cards on a considerable scale has occurred in London. In one case, proceedings are pending before the court, while the other is still the subject of investigation. In the circumstances, it would not be in the public interest that I should make any statement about them.

Would my right hon. Friend consider the possibility of taking disciplinary action against the people who are responsible for the safe custody of these things, since they are the people at fault?

Certainly, Sir, I will keep that suggestion in mind, but it would be a matter for another Minister.

asked the Home Secretary whether wardens who are injured while undergoing recommended training with the Home Guard are entitled to compensation, either by the Home Guard or Civil Defence?

Part-time members of the Civil Defence Wardens' Service, who enrol also for service in the Home Guard, are covered by the prevailing conditions of Home Guard service, including compensation for personal injury, on all occasions when they are engaged on that service, including Home Guard training.

asked the Home Secretary the number and description of the appropriate authorities whose duties include the inspection of warehouses together with their contents and fire-fighting and prevention appliances?

The appropriate authorities for warehouses and other business premises are set out in Article 14 of the Fire Prevention (Business Premises) (No. 2) Order, 1941, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. In the case of Government premises, the appropriate Department is the Department by which, or for whose purposes, the premises are occupied.

Would the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to have the existing procedure looked at to see whether considerable saving of time and labour is not possible on the part of the inspecting authorities and the people who have to undergo these visits? Can he avoid authorities giving contradictory instructions to the same people?

That matter has been very carefully considered, and while I should be perfectly willing to consider any further information which my hon. Friend may let me have, it is the case, generally speaking, that there is only one inspecting authority for one set of premises. If we tried to centralise the whole of this, work, we should have different Departments inspecting the same premises for different purposes. On balance, I think the present system is more convenient.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is, now in a position to make any further statement in regard to the removal of the restrictions on the use of the Norfolk Broads?

Yes, Sir. I am glad to be able to inform my hon. and gallant Friend that an Order is being made by the Regional Commissioner, after consultation with the appropriate authorities, revoking the restrictions on the mooring, anchoring or keeping of boats on certain waters, rivers or broads which were imposed by his directions in 1941. I should, however, make it clear that the navigation of boats on tidal waters in this areas will be subject to the requirements of the Admiralty Orders which restrict navigation on tidal waters to those vessels in respect of which permits are issued by the naval authority concerned. I should also point out that vessels in this part of the country are still required to be immobilised when left unattended, whether on tidal or other waters.

asked the Home Secretary whether there have been any prosecutions under the Vessels on Inland Waters (Immobilisation) Order, 1940 (A) which is now being revoked in respect of certain areas under Statutory Rules and Orders, 1943, No. 772, of 20th May?

Yes, Sir. There have been a number of successful prosecutions.

Can my right hon. Friend say how many?

No, Sir, I am afraid I cannot. There are no complete statistics on the matter, and the labour of collecting them would be out of proportion in existing circumstances.