asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has considered the communications from Allied Governments in London on the subject of simplified writing and spelling as a means of extending proficiency on the part of allied nationals who desire to learn and to use the English language for fuller co-operation in war and peace; whether he has consulted the President of the Board of Education on the matter; and how far he is in agreement with the proposal?

I have made careful inquiries, but I find that neither my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Education nor I have any record of such a communication.

Has the right hon. Gentleman received a communication asking that English should be used as an auxiliary language for international intercourse?

I cannot find the communication, but I should be heartily in sympathy with that expression of opinion.

If the right hon. Gentleman is heartily in sympathy with the use of English, would he express his sympathy with those who desire to make English a little easier for those who wish to use it as an auxiliary language?

That seems to me almost to enter into the domain of the President of the Board of Education.

As foreigners learn our language so much more easily than we seem to learn theirs, does not that suggest that the Question is based on a false assumption?

Can the right hon. Gentleman see that the Labour Party issue some of their pronouncements in simplified English?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, at the Hot Springs Conference, the fact that Great Britain had parted with most of her foreign investments, that her purchasing power through invisible exports was disseminated, that Great Britain was far from being self-supporting in food and raw materials and that we stood alone for a year, was made plain?

These questions were not within the scope of the Food Conference, which was concerned with methods of improving nutrition and producing foodstuffs and other agricultural products adequate to world requirements.

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that under the Atlantic Charter and at further meetings of the Hot Springs Conference the Government will do all in their power to see that we have a fair share in world trade after the war, which is so vital to this country and the world?

Certainly, but this Conference was not primarily concerned with that problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the political prisoner Prince Paul of Yugoslavia has been allowed to leave Kenya and live in South Africa?

Prince Paul was, with the agreement of the Union Government, removed to South Africa on medical grounds. His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Union Government were advised by the doctors attending him that his health would suffer serious and permanent injury if he remained in Kenya.

At whose original request did this man go from Kenya to South Africa, and if it was at the request of this man himself, since when have political prisoners, especially such traitorous ones as this, been allowed at their own request to go to another country?

I wish to protest against this abuse of Parliamentary time.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Vice-Consuls and Consuls, filling posts as Consuls and Consuls-General, respectively, receive any extra pay or allowances above the emoluments of their substantive rank; if so, what, and with effect from what date?

Yes, Sir. A consular officer acting at a post above his rank draws, for the whole period during which he is in charge, an acting allowance additional to his salary of £225 a year at a Consulate or £337 10s. at a Consulate-General, provided that he does not receive in salary and acting allowance more than the minimum salary of the rank of the post in question. These acting allowances are not, however, payable in cases where the titular officer is on leave and a member of his own staff takes charge. In addition, in all cases acting officers draw the representation allowance appropriate to the post they fill, except on rare occasions when the allowance is required by the titular officer if he is absent on public duty.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Allied Commission on War Crimes is now fully constituted; whether a British representative has been appointed; and what steps this Commission is taking to declare specifically the crimes committed and the names of the persons who have committed them?

As I stated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for East Wolverhampton (Mr. Mander) on 30th June, detailed discussions with a view to the early establishment of the Commission are proceeding. Sir Cecil Hurst has agreed to serve as the British representative on the Commission.

Is there not sufficient evidence against some of the perpetrators of some of the worst crimes now, and if steps are not taken before the end of the war to declare them as criminals may not there be difficulty in securing their extradition from neutral countries?

The question of extradition is a different one from the one I am dealing with now.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the cession by the Prime Minister of Japan of four Malay States and two of the Shan States to Siam in gratitude for that country's aid to Japan; and whether he has any statement to make?

Yes, Sir. I need hardly say that His Majesty's Government do not recognise these transfers of territories, which form part of the British Commonwealth and Empire. Nor do they regard them as in any way permanent, since it is the fixed intention of ourselves and our Allies to drive the Japanese from these regions.

Have our Government ever recognised Mussolini's annexation of British Somaliland?

No, Sir; so far as I am aware he has not got it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that all newspaper correspondents, other than war correspondents, have been instructed to leave French North Africa after one month's stay; and whether, in view of the importance of Parliament and the public having up-to-date independent news regarding political conditions and developments in that region, he will endeavour to get this decision reconsidered?

Allied Force Headquarters in North Africa agreed at the end of May to receive a number of additional Press correspondents in the North African theatre to cover political as distinct from military matters. It was stipulated at the time that this agreement was subject to certain conditions being observed by the correspondents, one of which was that they should not stay in the North African theatre for longer than a month. In regard to the second part of the Question, I fear that as long as. North Africa is an important base for military operations certain restrictions are unavoidable. I am, however, in communication with the Resident Minister at Allied Force Headquarters on the subject.

If a Question is put down in a week's time, does my right hon. Friend think he can give a favourable answer, because the gravest misgiving has been caused by this time limit, as so many people in the country are under the impression that something is happening which people want to hide?

This time limit, as the hon. Member calls it, was fixed when the correspondents went out. Everybody knew all about it. I am in communication with my right hon. Friend, but I cannot tell when I shall get a reply.

Has this been attributable in any sense to representations made by the French political authorities?

I am afraid I do not know; I should not have thought so. I think this was an arrangement made when the correspondents first went out. It might very easily, be revised.

Is it not a fact that the best accounts that we have had of the Sicilian operations have come from the German broadcasts, and cannot we be as well served?

These are not military correspondents. They are political correspondents.

Is the Foreign Secretary aware that by the time Frank Pitcairn, the "Daily Worker" representative, got there he was one day in North Africa when he was told that his month was up?

This is the first I have heard of this. I was not aware that the calendar had thus been arranged.

As political events of first-class importance are taking place in North Africa, if one or two Members wished to see the right hon. Gentleman about this matter, would he see them?

I am ready to see Members on this or any other matter at this or any other time.

Is it not necessary to separate the true from the false and the real from the unreal?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether recognition of the French Committee of National Liberation by His Majesty's Government has now taken place; and whether the services of the Government are always available to the Committee for the purpose of avoiding the development of friction amongst Frenchmen allied to the United Nations and securing recognition by all our Allies of this Committee?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Prime Minister's statements in the House of 8th June and 1st July in which he welcomed the establishment of the French Committee of National Liberation as the single and sole authority over all Frenchmen seeking to free France from the German yoke and said that our dealings, financial and otherwise, would henceforward be with this Committee as a whole. In practice, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are now treating with this Committee on all matters of common concern relating to French territories which acknowledge its authority and affecting French forces maintained in British territory. No decision has yet been taken as to the precise degree of formal recognition which His Majesty's Government may accord to the Committee. In regard to the second part of the Question, His Majesty's Government have consistently encouraged the union of all Frenchmen in the fight against the Axis and for the liberation of France, and their services are always available to the Committee for this purpose.

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask whether His Majesty's Government look with sympathy and good will on this Committee, and, if so, will they speed up recognition as much as they can; and, further, have these conversations with M. Massigli on this subject been fruitful and useful?

As regards the first part of the question, I can say that certainly His Majesty's Government look with sympathy and good will on this Committee and would like to see its authority steadily grow and become stronger. As regards the conversations with M. Massigli, I have been glad to welcome this tried friend of Anglo-French understanding to this country. Our conversations have been mainly concerned up to date with French affairs in this country and certain problems in Syria.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether a Court of Inquiry is being held into the air- craft accident at Gibraltar in which the Polish Prime Minister, two hon. Member's of this House and others lost their lives?

asked the Secretary of State for Air the cause of the accident which led to the death of General Sikorski and two hon. Members?

A court of inquiry is being held into this accident, and I hope to make a statement in due course.

Is it proposed that the Polish Government should be represented on that inquiry, and will the report be made public?

The answer to the second part of the Question is, "No, Sir," and to the first part, "Yes."

Is the right hon. Gentleman able to say at this stage that the accident was not caused by sabotage?

I would say nothing whatever about the causes of the accident until the report of the inquiry is received.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether he has now had an opportunity to investigate the complaints made against the management of Short Brothers, R. and B., Limited, by the Swindon branch of the Clerical and Administrative Workers' Union, in a letter dated 3rd July, 1943; and whether he will make a statement?

The majority of the matters referred to in the Question concern terms and conditions of employment. Under an agreement between the trade union concerned and the employers' federation, of which Short Brother's is a member, such matters are settled between the particular firm and its employees, and, failing agreement, are referred to the federation and the union. It is not the policy of my Department to interfere with established industrial agreements, and accordingly the matters raised will be dealt with through the machinery provided under the agreement in question. Two other matters were raised in the letter in question, namely, the issue of a notice which appeared to conflict with the terms of the Essential Work Order and the failure to receive a reply to a letter addressed to the secretary of the company. The first of these matters, which arose out of a misunderstanding, has been adjusted, and my right hon. Friend is informed that the secretary is unable to trace the receipt of the letter in question.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether his attention has been called to correspondence from the borough engineer and surveyor's department of Gravesend, dating from February, 1942, concerning the condition of certain premises requisitioned by his Department; and what action is being taken?

My right hon. Friend's attention has been drawn to this correspondence. The main point now outstanding concerns the conditions at the premises regarding means of escape in case of fire. Since the premises were requisitioned under the Defence Regulations, statutory restrictions in this respect are inoperative and the matter falls to my department to deal with. It is being investigated and my right hon. Friend will see that action is taken quickly.

Can my hon. Friend explain the apparent reluctance of his Department to give adequate attention to this matter of correspondence?

I may say, on behalf of my Department, that there is no reluctance to deal with it, but as soon as the matter was brought clearly to our notice investigation started, it is continuing and will be carried out quickly.

Can my hon. Friend say whether the first time it was brought clearly to his notice was due to my putting this Question on the Order Paper?

No, Sir. There has been correspondence with the town clerk for some long period, but there were difficulties, of which I cannot very well inform the House, in the way of replying. Nevertheless, the inquiry is taking place and will be pursued.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has given further consideration to the requisitioning of two cottages near Donibristle; and what steps he proposes to take to see that, in view of the serious housing shortage, these cottages remain available for domestic occupation?

It has been definitely decided not to proceed with the proposed requisitioning of one of the two cottages near Donibristle, and the possibility of leaving the other cottage free for domestic occupation is still under consideration.

While thanking the Minister for his reply, may I ask him whether consideration will be favourable?

I will let the hon. Member know.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give the respective rates of pay for Colonial troops and the scale of dependants' allowances and pensions for Service disability and death?

The rates of pay for Colonial troops and the scale of dependants' allowances and pensions for Service disability and death vary according to the Colony in which the troops are raised. The position is too complicated to set out within the scope of a Parliamentary answer, but I am having a memorandum on the subject prepared and will send it to my hon. Friend as soon as it is ready.

Will the Minister be good enough to circulate the document for the benefit of other Members who are interested?

I was hoping to have some talk with my hon. Friend as to the scope of the inquiry. In the present form it will entail a very great deal of labour. Perhaps when I have had a talk with him as to the actual facts he wants, we can make them available to anyone else who wants them.

Would not these figures be extremely valuable to all Members of the House and indeed might be useful to the Minister's Department?

asked the Secretary of State far the Colonies what further progress has been made respecting trade unionism in Jamaica; what stabilised trade unions now exist and their approximate membership; how far certain trade unions overlap or are in conflict; and what is the cause of dispute and the settlement arrived at in the bakery industry?

I am in communication with the Governor regarding all these matters, and as soon as I receive his reply I will send my hon. Friend full information. For the moment I can only say that no impediment stands in the way of the formation of further trade unions, that about twenty registered unions now exist of which only a few have any substantial membership; that the most important is a union of a general character whereas the remaining unions relate to specified occupations or trades.

Would the Minister reply to the last part of my Question, which deals with the unfortunate dispute, as a result of which a certain amount of damage was done?

That is one of the matters on which I would prefer to defer a reply until I have full particulars from the Government.

Are not many of the troubles in the Island due to the activities of Bustamente and his henchmen? Will my right hon. and gallant Friend look into the activities of this man?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to ensure that education in the third dimension and the implications of the air age is being given to youth and their teachers in the Colonies?

My hon. Friend may be assured that the implications of the air age are being brought home to the youth of the Colonies and their teachers in all forms of visual and written propaganda. The interest of youth in flying is evident from the response of the Colonies to requests for volunteers for aircrews and ground staffs; and Air Training Corps units are already in existence in certain dependencies. I am now considering the question of the establishment of similar units in other dependencies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can provide information on the cost of living, and prices of essential foodstuffs, in Aden, over two comparable periods since 1939?

The cost-of-living index figures on 1st July, 1942 and 1943, were 129 per cent. and 254 per cent. respectively over the pre-war figure. I have no complete information of actual prices, but the Governor has reported the percentage increase in the principal foodstuffs, and these show that the rises in food prices are generally less than the rise in the general index. I am in correspondence with the Governor regarding the measures which it is practical to take to deal with the situation.

Can the Minister say whether the Government's policy of pegging down prices which obtains in this country obtains in Aden? If not, why not?

I am consulting on that very point regarding subsidisation. The hon. Gentleman will realise the great difficulty in Aden, which is a demand Colony. Prices, therefore, depend largely on the prices of the imported material.

Have wages of Government employees been raised to a corresponding degree?

Perhaps the hon. Member will put that Question on the Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can make any statement concerning the Aden settlement and the apparent food shortage; and what arrangements have been made to provide adequate emergency supplies for the needs of the citizens of Aden?

I do not think that I can usefully add at present to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne) on 1st July concerning this matter.

Are the remedies which the Gentlemen referred to at that time considered satisfactory by the Department?

My latest information was that the stock position was satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what information he can give the House about the present position of the Cypriot Archbishopric?

There have been no recent developments over this matter, and I do not think there is any new information which I can usefully give the House at this stage.

Could not the Minister consider the appointment of the hon. Member for Bilston (Mr. Hannah) to this office?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any recent researches have been made as to the suitability of any part of British Guiana as a permanent home for refugees from the mainland of Europe?

There have been no inquiries into this matter since the report of the Anglo-American Commission in April, 1939.

Have the Government constantly in mind the difficulties which will arise immediately after the war in connection with large numbers of homeless refugees?

My hon. Friend will recollect that when that report was made it was pointed out that the only possible place of settlement was in the interior and that a great amount of preparatory work would have to be done before there could be any settlement at all.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of moving to appoint a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into such measures of electoral reform as age qualification for ex-Service men and women, reduction of cost of elections, further restriction on the activities of outside agencies, variation in amount of deposit, use of conveyances for taking voters to the poll, the use of loud-speakers and the methods of voting, so as to obtain a fairer representation of political opinion in the House?

The first point raised in this Question has been carefully considered, and it has been decided not to reduce the age qualification below 21 for the next General Election in respect of Service or ex-Service men and women, since any such step would operate harshly on those other young persons who, by virtue of their essential war work, have been unable to join the Forces. Since the other points raised will be open for discussion during the opportunity to be afforded to Parliament to discuss questions of electoral reform in good time before the next General Election, I do not consider it necessary for these matters to be investigated at this time by a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry.

Would not such a discussion by Parliament be much more profitable if there could be a preliminary inquiry such as is suggested in the Question?

Most people have been inquiring into these matters during the whole of their Parliamentary lives.

asked the Prime Minister whether, considering the fact that the Atlantic Charter has not been ratified by the American Congress and of the apprehension which exists in this and Allied countries, that some of its clauses will gravely hamper the freedom of action of the United Nations in settling terms of peace, he will start negotiations for its amendment?

No, Sir.

In view of the fact that the Atlantic Charter has not been ratified by the United States, and perhaps does not fall to be ratified, has it any binding force on the United States or Great Britain in view of the dangers to the peace treaties which may follow the war?

The so-called Atlantic Charter, indeed, the well called Atlantic Charter, was not a treaty requiring ratification or any formal endorsement of a constitutional character on the other side of the Atlantic. It was a statement of certain broad views and principles which are our common guide in our forward march.

Has not the Atlantic Charter the good will of the world?

May we take it that the Governments of the associated countries were associated with the signatories?

Naturally, I should not take the responsibility for agreeing with the head of a foreign State on a subject like this without being supported by the Cabinet.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that the first two clauses of the Atlantic Charter bind the Allied Powers in a way that may be highly perilous for them when peace falls to be discussed?

We have lots of worse troubles than that ahead.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can assure the House that the General Staff are fully alive to the potentialities of large capacity transport and cargo aeroplanes for speeding up operational tempo both in the field and behind the fighting zones; and whether he will consider setting up a cooperative field organisation for the use of this new form of transportation in modern warfare?

Yes, Sir. My hon. Friend can be assured that co-operation between the Staffs and Services is such as to ensure that our resources of transport aircraft are used to the best advantage.

asked the Prime Minister which Department is charged with the responsibility of planning the disposal of surplus material after the war?

Future policy in regard to the disposal of surplus stocks is being considered through the machinery for the study of reconstruction problems under the guidance of my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister without Portfolio. Meanwhile, the responsibility in this matter lies with the Supply Departments, the Board of Trade and the Minister of Works, according to the kind of goods or material concerned.

asked the Minister of Production whether taking the loss through labour troubles of one hour per worker per year, he will express this total loss in terms of battleship or aircraft construction?

Any figures which I could give my hon. Friend must be taken with the greatest reserve. They are misleading since, as he will realise, only a proportion of the total labour force is or could be employed in producing battleships or aircraft. With these reservations, however, I can say as a rough guide that the loss would be considerably under half a battleship or 200 aircraft in the 12 months.

How much additional effort would be required to make good the deficiency?

I calculate that if every worker worked for 12 seconds a day more in the next 12 months the loss would be made up.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that if employers ceased doing stupid things, there might be less labour trouble?

Is it not stated in a circular issued by the Ministry of Information that the time lost by the workers in the last 12 months was only half-an-hour per head?

asked the Minister of Production (1) whether he will give an assurance that his plans for the rearrangement of production so that Scottish factories, workshops and plants may be as fully utilised as possible in the future were made in consultation with the Secretary of State for Scotland;

(2) whether he is aware that large numbers of Scottish women are receiving directions to proceed to work in England; and what steps are being taken in the rearrangement of production to see that Scotland is obtaining its fair share of industry, so as to prevent the depopulation of Scotland?

As the hon. Member is aware, it is sometimes necessary in the interests of vital war production to transfer mobile labour to other areas, and it is the case that limited numbers of women are being transferred from Scotland as from other areas. Nevertheless it is the policy of all Departments, both in placing new production and in rearranging production to allocate as many orders as possible to areas where labour and facilities exist. Accordingly a considerable volume of additional production has been, and is being placed in Scotland. I am in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland regarding the application of this policy to Scotland, and the Scottish Council on Industry are in close touch with the Regional organisation of my Department.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is great discontent in Scotland at the number of Scottish women who have been taken to England, and that something ought to be done so that they might be allowed to work in their own country?

I am very sympathetic to the hon. Member's remarks. We have succeeded in the last 12 months in placing projects for new industrial buildings in Scotland in a ratio very much higher than the insured population bears to the total.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, while progress is recognised, there is still the grievance of girls who are training in Scotland working alongside others who are provided for within reach of their own homes, while those who come from outside that particular area are sent to far districts in England?

We are doing our best to limit this evil.