asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware of discontent on the subject of inadequate rations on H.M. minesweepers in Antwerp docks; and whether he will arrange for permission to be given for the purchase of fresh vegetables ashore.

No representations on this subject have been received in the Admiralty. Inquiries are being made and my right hon. Friend will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member as soon as these inquiries are complete.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that members of the W.R.N.S. who were invalided out of the Service are not receiving gratuities proportionate to their length of service and clothing coupons in the same way as others discharged under the group system; and whether he will make early arrangements to rectify this anomaly.

Members of the W.R.N.S. who were invalided out of the Service before 8th May will receive gratuities proportionate to their length of service. As, however, they have left the Service the method of payment must necessarily be different. An announcement as to the method of payment will be made shortly on the wireless and in the Press. Officers and ratings were required to apply to their local Customs Office for civilian clothing coupons. So far as I am aware this system has worked well, but if the hon. and gallant Member knows of any cases in which there has been difficulty and will let me have details, I shall be glad to have them investigated.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware of the continued overcrowding at the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham; and if he will take steps to mitigate this.

Yes, Sir. Steps have already been taken to mitigate the overcrowding.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will abolish the censorship of letters written by officers and men from His Majesty's ships.

Instructions have already been given that censorship of naval correspondence, including telegrams, may now be withdrawn from all His Majesty's Ships and shore establishments. Token censorship of mail from Naval personnel on shore in liberated and occupied countries in Europe still continues, and it may be necessary to apply similar arrangements in the Eastern Theatre.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what steps are being taken to remedy the serious shortage of cigarettes for Marines serving in the Far East.

Supplies of cigarettes are allocated for sale in canteens to personnel serving in His Majesty's Ships and naval establishments abroad on the basis of 400 a head a month. In addition, the men can purchase, from Service stocks, pipe or cigarette tobacco up to 2 lb. (equivalent to 800 cigarettes) a month. There is no differentiation in this respect between naval ratings and Royal Marines. The world-wide shortage of cigarettes makes it impracticable to get an increased allocation for sale in naval canteens in the Far East.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will see that the Argentine market is given a quota of British cotton exports, in view of the fact that, in the absence of this quota the Argentine home industries may be stimulated to the permanent disadvantage of British economy.

The end of the war has not removed the necessity of providing essential supplies of cotton textiles in this country and in Empire and certain other oversea territories dependent on the United Kingdom for supplies. The early liberation of the Far Eastern territories greatly increases the demands upon us. Nevertheless, we are anxious that exports to the Argentine and other countries should be resumed as soon as practicable, and while it is not possible to promise that this can be done at once, the earliest opportunity will be taken to make the necessary provisions, consistent with our other obligations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take early steps to increase the production of pipes.

Yes, Sir, but there are considerable difficulties in getting briarwood in sufficient quantities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can facilitate the manufacture in Britain of Nylon stockings.

During the war all nylon has been used for essential war purposes. Consideration is being given to the extent to which nylon yarn production in this country can be released for the manufacture of stockings.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in paying claims for compensation on the loss of furniture through enemy action, he will take into account the disparity between money values at the time of loss and the time of replacement.

As regards those cases in which payment of compensation under the private chattels scheme is deferred, I can at present add nothing to the general assurance given by the then Parliamentary Secretary on 3rd June, 1942, during the Debate on the War Damage (Amendment) Bill. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of that assurance. Where, however, for special reasons earlier payment is made, the amount assessed may be increased to enable essential goods to be repaired or replaced immediately.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date payment will be commenced, under the War Damage (Chattels) Act, to claimants who were insured there under but who have not yet received any sum for the damage suffered through enemy action.

This date cannot yet be fixed. It will depend not only on financial considerations but on the availability of supplies, particularly of furniture and clothing.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the policy of the U.S.A. defined in the announcement by Mr. Clayton, the American Assistant Secretary of State, at the U.N.R.R.A. Conference, that no reparations will be demanded from Austria, has also been adopted as the policy of His Majesty's Government.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Poles, Czechs, Austrians and other nationals are still in concentration camps in various parts of the Continent while their homes are still being occupied by Germans; and what steps are being taken to remedy this.

I presume that my hon. Friend is referring mainly to United Nations displaced persons, chiefly to be found in Germany and Austria, where, for practical reasons they have to be grouped in assembly centres. His Majesty's Government are directly responsible for the British military zones only, where the military authorities and U.N.R.R.A. are making every effort in the face of great difficulties to repatriate displaced persons as rapidly as possible and at the same time to assist in the return of so-called "intruded" Germans from liberated countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that, owing to transport difficulties, many British girls, married to members of the U.S.A. fighting services, are unable to travel to America for some time and will be without adequate allowances in the interval, particularly if the husband has been discharged from the U.S. Forces in the U.S.A. in the meanwhile; what representations he has made to the U.S.A. authorities in regard to this matter; and what is the present state of the negotiations.

This matter has already been discussed with the United States authorities, who explain that the available shipping space is being allotted in the first instance to sick and wounded, ex-prisoners of war, and high-point men who are entitled to demobilisation upon return. All these categories include persons who have been long separated from their families and it cannot, I think, be expected that wives of American soldiers married in this country should be given precedence over them. I am, however, assured that the matter is constantly under review by the competent American authorities, who are fully alive to the hardships involved and are anxious as far as is consistent with their obligations, to provide transport.

asked the Prime Minister whether it is the intention, in co-operation with the Government of France, to rehabilitate the coalmines in the Rhineland and the Rhur and to import coal in order to increase in some measure the supplies available for domestic consumption in the United Kingdom and France during the coming winter.

It is the policy of His Majesty's Government, as of the United States and French Governments, to increase the production of coal in Germany to the maximum extent possible, in order to provide for the needs of the liberated territories of Europe. There is, however, such a shortage of coal in Western Europe and the needs of our Allies are so acute, that it is not proposed to export German coal to the United Kingdom in the near future.

asked the Attorney-General if he will state the result of inquiries by the Director of Public Prosecutions concerning letters sent by the Manchester and Salford Co-operative Society to members of the Forces.

The attention of the Society has been drawn to the provisions of the Corrupt Practices Act, 1854, but after a full consideration of all the circumstances of this case it was decided that no further action was called for.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many persons resident in the City of Cardiff receive the full supplementary pension added to their normal old age pension; how many applications were rejected in 1943 and 1944;and how many applicants were declared disqualified during the last financial year from receiving any old age pension at all.

As supplementary pensions are adjusted to the needs of the individual there is no particular amount which can be said to be "the full supplementary pension." In the Board's administrative area, which is nearly coterminous with the County Borough of Cardiff, there were current at the end of July 4,865 supplementary pensions of varying amounts covering the needs of about 5,940 old age pensioners and widows over the age of 60 in receipt of contributory widows' pensions. In the same area approximately 90 applications were rejected in each of the years 1943 and 1944 on the ground of failure to prove need. I regret that figures as regards unsuccessful claims for pensions are not available for particular areas.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware that out of 76 cases of presumed silicosis or pneumoconiosis from Nottinghamshire dealt with by the Silicosis Medical Board at Sheffield during the last five years only four certificates have been granted; and, in view of the dissatisfaction caused by these decisions, whether he will make inquiries into the methods and principles followed by this Board in coming to their conclusions.

I am advised that the position to which my hon. Friend refers is not attributable to the methods of examination and principles of diagnosis adopted by the panel of the Medical Board in this area. They are uniform with those followed by other panels, and I do not consider that a special inquiry would be warranted.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware of the anxiety that is prevalent among old age pensioners on account of their present precarious position, and of the time that must elapse before a Government Bill could be implemented; and if he can make a public announcement concerning the Government's attitude towards a monetary measure and the means test.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for King's Norton (Mr. Blackburn).

asked the Minister of National Insurance what would be the cost of raising the basic rate of old age pensions from 10s. to 30s. per week; and what would be the saving in supplementary payments as a consequence.

Assuming that the means scale for non-contributory old age pensions remained unaltered, and that widows over 60 in receipt of contributory widows' pensions are included, the additional cost at the present time of paying old age pensions to the classes of persons now eligible for pensions at the basic rate of 30s. a week would, it is estimated, be about £210,000,000 a year, and would rise rapidly with the growth in the aged population. The consequential savings in supplementary pensions are estimated to be about £60,000,000 a year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give the number of persons who quali- fied for non-contributory old age pensions, and the number of applications for such pensions that were rejected, in each of the past 10 years.

The figures asked for are set out below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present state of the proposed return of the N.F.S. to the control of local authorities; and whether he will first consult the local authorities before making any further changes of personnel among those who originally served under the authority in question

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Abertillery (Mr. Daggar). As regards the second part of the Question, N.F.S. officers are instructed to maintain liaison with local authorities regarding the organisation and operation of the Fire Service in their areas, but I cannot undertake that there should be prior consultation before any and every change which is made in the posting of N.F.S. officers, many of whom are now serving at a distance from the areas of their former fire brigades.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present state of the proposed return of the N.F.S. to the control of local authorities; and whether he will first consult the local authorities before making any further changes of personnel among those who originally served under the authority in question.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Abertillery (Mr. Daggar). As regards the second part of the Question, N.F.S. officers are instructed to maintain liaison with local authorities regarding the organisation and operation of the Fire Service in their areas, but I cannot undertake that there should be prior consultation before any and every change which is made in the posting of N.F.S. officers, many of whom are now serving at a distance from the areas of their former fire brigades.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the hardship which frequently arises with jurors who are called upon to give their time, he will consider jurors in criminal cases being paid and refunded their expenses.

I appreciate that the obligation of jury service may sometimes involve hardship, but legislation would be necessary to provide for the payment from public funds of travelling and other expenses incurred by jurors, and I regret that I can hold out no hope of finding time for legislation on this subject in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, owing to the deterioration of the land through intensive cultivation during the war years, he will considerably lessen the area to be cultivated next year in Northern Ireland.

The powers of the Secretary of State under Defence Regulations on this subject are exercised through the Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, and the Ministry will, I am confident, consider this matter giving appropriate weight to both the short and long term needs of the community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what the policy of the Government is in regard to the future of county war agricultural executive committees.

I would refer the hon. Member to the outline of the Government's intentions regarding the organisation of food production contained in the Gracious Speech, to which at present I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make provision to qualify Members of Parliament to sign or witness documents, not connected with legal proceedings, which under various statutes have at present to be signed or witnessed by justices of the peace, in order to avoid inconvenience to constituents who apply to hon. Members for such signatures.

My hon. and learned Friend's suggestion would necessitate fresh legislation, and in view of the present heavy programme I can hold out no hope of such legislation being possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the ribbon of the Defence Medal will be issued to the police.

The issue of the ribbon to eligible members of the civilian services, including the police, cannot begin until the arrangements, including those for the certification of the award, are completed. I am not yet able to say when this will be, but a public announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to inform the public of the opportunity afforded them of ascertaining whether their name is on the new Parliamentary register in time for errors and omissions to be rectified

The following steps have been taken to give publicity to the publication of the electors' lists: Home Office advertisements have been inserted in the national Press and the chief provincial daily papers. Electoral Registration Officers have also advertised in the local Press and at their discretion have issued suitable posters. There has in addition been general publicity in the news columns of the daily and weekly Press throughout the country, based on material issued by the Home Office and Electoral Registration Officers. The B.B.C. have also given publicity in news bulletins, special anouncements and talks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the list of electors in the Basingstoke division, and elsewhere, due to be published on 15th August, is still in the hands of the printers; and whether he will extend the period beyond 29th August in which claims can be made in order to ensure that the new register, when it comes into force, will be more accurate than its predecessor.

The hon. and gallant Member appears to be under a misapprehension in regard to the time for making claims and objections. Under the Regulations the time allowed for making claims and objections is fourteen days from the actual date of the publication of the lists in the constituency concerned, and the last date for publication of the lists is 29th August. Thus in cases where lists are not published until 29th August, claims and objections can be made up to 12th September. It is, I understand, anticipated that the lists for all Registration Units in the Basingstoke division will be published by 29th August.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of building operatives who have been released under the B scheme up to the end of July.

The Class B scheme came into operation on 16th July, and the number of building operatives reported as released in Class B between that date and the end of July was about 800. By 14th August, some 1,200 building operatives were reported as released in Class B from the Army and the Royal Air Force. The Royal Navy has nominated 1,475 men for release in Class B but the numbers actually released are not yet available. The number of building operatives and building materials workers in the three Services who have been offered release in Class B up to 14th August is about 24,000, but it is not yet known how many of these have accepted the offer.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many building operatives have been released by his Department from the Royal Navy under Release Scheme B up to the last convenient date.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to-day by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. S. Shephard), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many building operatives have been released by his Department from the Royal Air Force under Release Scheme B up to the last convenient date.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service to the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. S. Shephard).

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will see that when bricklayers and other building operatives are released from the Forces under Class B, they will be directed to building work in their own home locality.

Building operatives released from the Forces under Class B will normally be directed to work on housing contracts near their homes, but it may be necessary in certain cases to direct them to work away from home in order to meet special circumstances or if suitable local vacancies are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the Class W.T. Reserve men who were released for work in the mines and elsewhere are to be released from the reserve, and under what conditions; and if they will receive allowances and coupons equal to others now being released from the Services.

These men will be liable to recall and will remain on Class W/T. Army Reserve until the end of the emergency. They received such benefits as were admissible at the time of their release to Class W/T., and at the end of the emergency the further benefits due to them will be issued. In total, the benefits are the same as those granted to men who are being released in the ordinary way, except as regards leave.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the procedure by which men and women whose training for teaching duties have been interrupted by enlistment in His Majesty's Forces are to be permitted to resume their university studies and training for future duties as teachers.

Such persons will be released in Class B if. they satisfy the conditions for the release of university arts students already announced. Those released under the normal procedure in Class A will be free to make their own arrangements.

asked the Minister of Education if she will state the grounds on which discharge of ex-teachers from the Services under Class B has been arranged; to what extent it is decided on information already in the hands of the authorities; and where that information came from and from whom.

The decision to include teachers in the special releases from the Forces under Class B was taken on the ground of the urgent needs of the schools. The information necessary for their identification has been obtained from the local education authorities, governing bodies of schools and colleges and from training colleges and university training departments. Release will be offered in order of age and length of service.

asked the Minister of Education, having regard to the serious shortage of qualified teachers, what arrangements have been made for their early demobilisation from the Armed Forces.

In view of the serious shortage of teachers, arrangements have been made for a number of teachers now serving in the Forces to be granted release under Class B of the Re-allocation of Man-power Scheme. Such releases have already begun.

asked the Minister of Education if she will make arrangements with the Minister of Labour for students, who volunteered for service with the Armed Forces before completion of their education, to be released to complete their university courses as soon as possible.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to-day by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service, to the hon. Member for the Scottish Universities (Sir J. Orr).

asked the Minister of Health whether he will apply for the release from the Forces of draughts men and surveyors employed before the war by all municipalities so that the housing programme may not be held up by a lack of technical personnel.

Measures are being taken to expedite the release of technical and other officers of local authorities required for the preparation and execution of housing programmes.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that building operations in this country are being impeded by the lack of architects, surveyors and other building specialists; and whether he will expedite their release from the Forces in Class B.

I am aware of the need for architects, surveyors and other building specialists to assist in housing work, and arrangements have been made to release from the Forces in Class B as many as possible who possess the requisite qualifications and for whom application is made by the appropriate Government Departments.

asked the Minister of Food whether having regard to the increasing number of queues outside shops all over the country due to the shortage of staffs, he will reconsider his present policy of only recommending releases from the Army under Class B in exceptional cases.

The policy for releases in Class B is an agreed policy applicable to all classes of cases and any departure from the common standard would endanger the general demobilisation scheme as a whole. Within these limits my right hon. Friend is doing all he can to meet the pressing needs of food distribution.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will arrange that those university students in the faculties of medicine, science and engineering, who gave up their reservation to join the Armed Forces at a time when the rapid expansion of these Services was urgent, will be given the same facilities to resume their interrupted studies as arts students and students for the Ministry under Class B of the Scheme for the Reallocation of Man-power.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) and East Fife (Mr. Henderson Stewart) on similar Questions to-day.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will allow periods spent by members of the Army in the Police War Reserve to count towards length of service under the demobilisation scheme.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 21st August.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the composition of the various groups of specialists in the Forces now released in Class B.

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to men selected for release in Class B as belonging to particular occupational classes and not to those released as individual specialists who are not confined to any particular occupation. The occupational classes are building and civil engineering operatives, building materials workers, underground coalminers, school teachers, regular policemen, and workers in the cotton, wool, food and pottery industries.

asked the Minister of Food if, in the interests of inshore fishermen, he will consider, at as early a date as possible, measures to bring about stable prices for fish.

My right hon. Friend is carefully examining the whole matter of fish prices in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now make a statement on the policy of the Government on the results of the issue of White Paper, Cmd. 6454, for improvement in the quality of the nation's milk supply; in how many areas has Defence Regulation 55G been operative; and if active measures are being introduced to prevent the sale of milk which may cause death or disease.

Progress towards the enforcement of the White Paper standards of milk at time of sale to the consumer has been disappointing, and no areas have yet been specified under Regulation 55G. The difficulties in the way of providing necessary additional plant and equipment, and in many cases buildings, have been greater than was thought when the White Paper was issued, and until this deficiency can be made good the imposition of heat treatment of milk upon all dairymen will not be practicable. Considerable progress, however, has been made in this direction, the introduction of a special heat treatment allowance as a supplement to the ordinary retail margin provided in consumer prices, being, no doubt, a contributory factor. The output of new plant is now improving, and I hope that it will soon be possible greatly to accelerate the arrangements for the full implementation of the White Paper policy for heat treatment. Certain changes of procedure may be necessary, but on that subject I cannot say more at present than that it is receiving my right hon. Friend's active consideration in consultation with the Departments concerned.

asked the Minister of Food when he proposes to allow housewives again to have the right to select their own milk supplier.

I am aware of the desire among housewives to obtain freedom to select their own dairymen. My right hon. Friend intends as soon as circumstances permit to consider, in consultation with the trade, whether some relaxation of the present restrictions could be made, without a substantial reduction in the economies at present being secured by retail rationalisation.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he can make a statement as to the present position of the application of the London Power Company, Limited, to the Electricity Commissioners for consent to the further extension of the Battersea Power Station by the installation of 65,000 kilowatts of generating plant and associated boiler plant.

My right hon. Friends, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Works, and the Minister of Town and Country Planning concur with me that there is no objection to the proposed further extension of the Battersea Power Station, subject to the observance of the same conditions in regard to gas washing as were imposed in connection with previous extensions, and I have informed the Electricity Commissioners accordingly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how far the arrangements for granting British or Imperial nationality to certain Polish Forces have proceeded; how far the Dominions have accepted the idea; and what procedure has been adopted to inform Polish Forces released from enemy prison camps of the impending offer.

My information is that, following on the establishment of the Polish Provisional Government in Warsaw and the development of the situation in Poland, large numbers of Polish nationals who were formerly reluctant to be repatriated are now ready to return home. It is clearly of primary importance, and in the best interests of the Polish nationals concerned, that as many as possible should be encouraged to return to Poland in the light of full information as to the conditions which they are likely to find on arrival, and it is on this aspect of the situation that the Governments concerned, among them His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, in co operation with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, are at present concentrating.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will reconsider the position of those Servicemen or their dependants who have been refused pensions upon the ground that disability or death was due to a disease of unknown causation.

The conditions necessary to enable an award of pension to be made have been reviewed on more than one occasion, and perhaps my hon. Friend would let me have a note indicating in what particular respects he feels that the present instruments require amendment.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will set up a Commission of Inquiry upon which representatives of ex-Servicemen's organisations will be eligible to serve to investigate the present system of pensions and allowances.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the Prime Minister's reply to a similar Question yesterday by the hon. and gallant Member for East Renfrew (Major Lloyd).

asked the Minister of Pensions if the Government will set up a Select Committee to consider war pensions.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the Prime Minister's reply to a similar Question yesterday by the hon. and gallant Member for East Renfrew (Major Lloyd).

asked the Minister of Pensions if he proposes to bring in a new Royal Warrant to provide pensions for men and their dependants discharged from the Services suffering from cancer and tuberculosis and to make the pensions payable to the widows and children of men killed in the war of the same amount as the allowances paid for wives and children of Servicemen.

The conditions for the award of pension in the Royal Warrant are common to all disabilities and I could not accept the hon. Member's suggestion that particular disabilities should be singled out for special treatment. I would remind the hon. Member that, as my predecessor informed him on 17th May last, the great majority of claims in respect of tuberculosis are in fact admitted. When the pensions payable to widows and children were increased some 15 months ago the revised rates were regarded as reasonable in relation to the new allowances then introduced for serving men. I am, however, keeping in mind the view expressed by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is now in a position to report any further progress in relation to attachments to wheel chairs for legless men; and whether, in the future, full payments for these will be made from State funds and not charity.

Trials have been proceeding with a new motor unit, but it will be same time before this will be in production. The question of the responsibility for the future provision of motor units is also under review but I am not yet in a position to make an announcement. Meanwhile the existing arrangements will continue.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he is aware that, in cases of even the most seriously disabled, there is great delay in the fitting and supply of artificial limbs; and what steps he proposes to take to reorganise this supply.

I am aware of the time taken under present conditions to fit and supply artificial limbs, but I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the statement on this matter contained in the recent report of the Departmental Committee on Artificial Limbs. Steps have already been taken to secure further factory accommodation for the Ministry's contractors and the provision of this and the increased man power which will be available following the cessation of hostilities should speed up the fitting and supply of artificial limbs generally.

asked the Minister of Pensions what delay takes place between the time when a man initiates am appeal to an Independent Appeal Tribunal and the hearing of his case.

The period which elapses between the lodging of an appeal and its hearing by the Tribunal varies according to the type of case. Preference is given to cases in which an early decision is specially desirable, such as appeals by widows or by seriously disabled members of the Forces. Where the disablement is comparatively slight or a pension is already in payment a longer period is necesarily involved in view of the difficulties of man power. As the position in this respect eases the hon. and gallant Member may be assured that every endeavour will be made to speed up the submission of oases to the Tribunals.

asked the Minister of Works when it is proposed that work shall be started on the building trades' training centre to be established at Plymouth, operations on which were to have commenced on 13th August; and whether, in view of the urgent problems created by demobilisation, both in respect of the training of building operatives and the housing of the people, he will expedite this matter with the greatest possible speed.

Every effort is being made to expedite the work on the new Building Trades Training Centre at Plymouth. It was never contemplated that work on this centre would begin on the 13th August. Plans have now been agreed with the Ministry of Labour and it is hoped to go to tender in the next few days.

asked the Minister of Health whether, under the new Order giving further powers to local authorities to requisition empty houses, he will see that every consideration is given to houses belonging to Servicemen; and whether he can give an assurance that, when these men are released from their Service, houses which may belong to them will be given up without the need for taking the matter to the court.

The reply to the first part of the Question is "Yes, Sir." Every effort is being made to release houses from requisitioning for the personal occupation of the persons who owned them at the time of requisitioning. The matter referred to in the second part of the Question is dealt with in the report of the Ridley Committee on Rent Control which is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health whether his regulation still holds good that unoccupied houses may be requisitioned for letting; what is his definition of unoccupied; and, in particular, whether it covers a house inhabited only by one or two caretakers or only containing furniture without living inhabitants.

Yes, Sir. The powers already extend to houses containing only furniture, and I shall be ready to consider, on merits, any application which may be made for delegation of special powers in regard to houses occupied only by caretakers.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will direct the attention of local authorities to the many unoccupied domestic premises located over shops, with a view to their being requisitioned for housing purposes.

I have no reason to think that local authorities are not fully aware of the powers for requisitioning such premises, but this Question and answer will I hope draw their attention further to the point.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take action in the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of a trooper in the Tank Regiment discharged from the Army with total disablement who wishes to obtain immediate possession of his house in Croydon requisitioned for refugees by the local council in 1940, but is unable to do so and is thereby separated from his wife and two children.

I will make inquiries and inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses to be built by local authorities under their immediate post-war plans which are actually in course of erection.

The number of houses to be built by local authorities for which prices have been approved is 1,899. I am unable to state how many of these houses have been started.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state, as near as can be ascertained at present, the number of dwelling-houses without baths, lavatories, direct water supply, gas and/or electricity, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered a letter from a firm of builders of Stoke-on-Trent, referring to a tender accepted by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council in July, for 78 houses at a total cost of £86,230; whether he is aware that the decision of the builders who separately tendered for this contract, to raise the lowest tender as submitted by the writers of the letter, resulted in the price being increased by £1,400 as compared with the original lowest tender and therefore permanently increased the cost of building houses in Stoke-on-Trent by a further £450,000 for 25,000 houses; and whether he will refuse to sanction this contract.

No application for approval to acceptance of a tender has yet been made to me by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council. I will bear in mind the points which my hon. Friend has brought to my notice when considering the application as soon as it is submitted.

asked the Minister of Health if he intends, in connection with the Government's plans for housing, to give priority to the use of slate, and in particular Welsh slate, as a roofing material in the erection of new houses.

I do not think any assignment of priority is necessary, but I will be ready to consider any measures to ensure that slates are available and used to the fullest practicable extent.

asked the Minister of Health whether local authorities which have adopted the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act can now be permitted to loan money to house purchasers under the Act; and can they now borrow for that purpose from the Public Works Loan Board.

I am looking into this question in connection with a general review of housing policy.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the urgent need for houses, he will allocate 1,000 prefabricated houses to the local authorities of County Down.

It is for the Government of Northern Ireland, with whom my predecessor has been in touch on the subject, to decide whether they wish to discuss the possibility of obtaining temporary houses for erection in Northern Ireland, but I should explain that the temporary houses now on order from manufacturers are no more than sufficient to meet the allocations already made to local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health whether, where there is a shortage of available land for temporary and/or permanent housing schemes, he will take the necessary steps to enable local authorities to enter into and take possession, by permanent acquisition or otherwise, of land owned by statutory undertakers but which is not required for the essential purposes of their undertaking.

This point, which would require legislation, will be considered in connection with the general proposals for the acquisition of land which the Government will in due course place before Parliament.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that local authorities are being pressed by his Ministry to take leases of 10 to 12 years duration rather than the freehold of land for temporary dwellings, and if, as expenditure of public funds on roads, sewers, gas, electricity and water services would be lost and handed over to the lessor upon the expiry of the lease, he will take steps to secure that land for temporary dwellings be per- manently acquired and after use as such, be utilised for permanent housing or other purposes in accordance with the needs of the local authority concerned.

Yes, Sir. Local authorities are encouraged to take this course where the land to be used for temporary dwellings is unsuitable for permanent housing or other municipal purposes and no substantial expenditure is involved on roads or public services. I therefore see no reason to alter the practice.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that some local authorities have housing sites which will necessitate building on concrete rafts owing to mining subsidence; and, in such cases, if he will consider bearing the additional cost nationally.

Yes, Sir. I am aware of the fact stated. I am not yet in a position to make any statement in regard to the terms and conditions of post-war housing subsidy, but this is one of the considerations which will have to be borne in mind.

asked the Minister of Health if he will arrange with the Service Departments for Nissen huts, as they become redundant, to be offered, in situ, to local authorities for incorporation in their temporary housing schemes.

I shall be ready to consider, in consultation with my hon. Friend the Minister of Works, any proposals submitted by local authorities for the conversion of suitable surplus hostels and camps into temporary dwellings. The use of Nissen huts for this purpose would, however, generally lead to uneconomical use of labour and materials which could be more profitably employed on other housing projects.

asked the Minister of Health for how many temporary houses the Uxbridge Urban District Council have applied; how many have been allotted; and how many have been erected or are in the course of erection.

The Uxbridge Urban District Council applied for 250 temporary houses and have been allotted 150. None are yet erected or in course of erection. Tenders have been invited for the preparation of roads and sewers on sites for 50 houses.

asked the Minister of Works why the 3,000 concrete houses being made at the works of Messrs. Caxton Floors, Limited, at Greenhithe, Kent, are being sent to Castle Bromwich for storage, when they are urgently needed within 10 miles of the factory site in an area which, has suffered badly from enemy action.

Complete Tarran houses are not made at the Greenhithe works of Messrs. Caxton Floors, Limited, but precast concrete wall units only. These units are not stored at Castle Bromwich, Tarran Distribution Centre, but taken there for assembly with other house parts and fitments into complete house sets, and then sent to sites. Tarran houses have been allocated to the Midlands, as the general policy followed in the distribution of temporary houses is to allocate them to, or near, the area in which they are being produced, and to establish a Distribution Centre to assemble the house parts in the same area. All the capacity for the production of wall units required was not available in the Midlands and an order for them was, therefore, given to Messrs. Caxton Moors, Limited, who had the necessary capacity at Greenhithe. Temporary houses allocated to the London Region are assembled and distributed through centres in the Region.

asked the Minister of Health if he intends to introduce legislation to amend the Housing (Rural Workers) Acts.

asked the Minister of Health when the Housing (Rural Workers) Amendment Bill will be reintroduced.

asked the Minister of Health how the Government propose to encourage the reconditioning of rural houses.

It is not proposed to re-introduce the Housing (Rural Workers) Amendment Bill in the immediate future, but further consideration will be given to the whole question when the shortage of skilled building labour is eased.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the advisability of setting up a commission on rural housing.

The field of rural housing was exhaustively investigated by the Central Housing Advisory Committee as recently as last year, and their findings were published in a report, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. I do not think that a further inquiry is necessary at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many of the houses recently built for agricultural workers are unoccupied because of the reluctance of such workers to pay the rent required; and what steps he proposes to overcome this difficulty.

Twenty-six of these houses, most of which have only recently been completed, were unoccupied at the end of last month. In only a few districts has there been any difficulty in finding agricultural workers who wished to become tenants.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the complicated and insufficient nature of the present Acts relating to rent controls and the protection of tenants against dispossession, he will take appropriate steps to deal with the position at an early date.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in examining the recommendations in the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rent Control; and whether, in view of the importance of the recommendations to so many people, there will will be an early declaration of policy.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has come to any decision on the maintenance of rent restrictions.

The Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rent Control, which included recommendations for consolidation of the law, is under examination and I hope shortly to be in a position to indicate the conclusions of the Government on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet received the Report of the Morris Committee on the Control of the Selling Price of Houses; and when the Report will be published.

Yes, Sir. The report is being published to-day and copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet made any arrangements for discussion with the medical profession, the voluntary hospitals and the local authorities on the Government's proposals for a National Health Service.

No, Sir. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have the whole question at present under review.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to circularise local authorities who are planning water supply schemes in their districts which appear to be incompatible with the terms of the Water Act, 1945.

Guidance on rural water supply schemes has already been given to local authorities in a circular issued by the Ministry in September, 1944, of which I am sending a copy to the hon. and gallant Member. The Act of 1945 does not come into operation until 1st October next, and a further circular dealing specifically with its provisions will be issued shortly.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an estimate of the average number of civilians, per doctor, in the United Kingdom; and of the average number of officers and other ranks, per doctor, in the B.L.A.

According to the best information at my disposal the average number of civilians per general practitioner in the United Kingdom is 2,576. The corresponding number in relation to medical practitioners of all kinds is 1,359. With regard to the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War informs me that the number of Army personnel per medical officer in the B.L.A. is about 409, but that, as stated previously, these officers have considerable additional commitments to displaced persons and others.

asked the Minister of Health, approximately, how many male nurses are working in hospitals under public authorities; how many are in training; and whether steps are being taken to encourage application for such training, particularly in view of the shortage of women nurses and the suitability of male nurses for male patients.

About 2,000 male nurses are employed in hospitals other than mental hospitals. In mental hospitals and mental deficiency institutions, the number employed is about 10,000. I cannot say without special inquiry how many out of these totals are employed by public authorities and voluntary bodies respectively, or how many are in training. I propose to ask the National Advisory Council on Nurses and Midwives to advise on the best means of encouraging more men to train as nurses.

asked the Minister of Health whether in view of the shortage of midwives, he will consider recalling ex-midwives who left the profession on compensation terms in 1939.

Since Regulation 33 of the Defence (General) Regulations, 1939, came into operation in September, 1939, local supervising authorities have had the power to enable, by Order, qualified midwives who surrendered their certificates under the compensation terms of the Act of 1936 to resume practice for a. specified time. My information is that 72 such Orders are now operative, affecting 131 midwives. The Regulation will remain in force for the present.

asked the Minister of Health as there is a shortage of dental surgeons in the country what steps he intends to take to encourage young people to enter this profession.

I am well aware of the importance of securing an adequate number of entrants to the dental profession. This is one of the matters on which the Inter-departmental Committee on Dentistry now sitting under the chairmanship of Lord Teviot has been specially asked to report. The Committee is, I understand, at present engaged on the preparation of its final Report, and as soon as this is received I will go fully into the matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider providing, through the local authorities, as a permanent feature of post-war local government services, day and residential nurseries, which shall be eligible, in part or in full, for Government grants.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider the advisability of circularising all local authorities on the necessity of providing adequate parking places for bicycles at once as far as this can be arranged, and particularly in all housing and town planning schemes that may be adopted in the future.

I have no doubt that local authorities will bear in mind the desirability of providing parking places for bicycles, when they are settling their housing schemes, and otherwise so far as practicable at present. The inclusion of provisions in planning schemes is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Town and Country Planning. I doubt whether it is necessary to send a circular specially to local authorities, who will no doubt take notice of my hon. Friend's Question and give consideration to the matter.

asked the Minister of Health if, having regard to the urgency of an improved and extended water system, as being fundamental to town and country planning, it is the intention of the Government to attempt national organisation under Sections 1 to 4 of the Water Act, 1945, in the immediate future, and, mean while, to suspend water planning by county councils and district councils whose boundaries rarely correspond with those appropriate to the water areas envisaged by the Act, and whose plans, if approved, would prevent economical water organisation for the country as a whole.

The Government intend to make full use of the powers of the Water Act, 1945, which comes into force next October, and will take all necessary steps to that end. Water supply schemes will be judged by the Ministry on their merits—machinery is provided by the Act for overcoming any difficulties caused by the administrative boundaries of local authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give relief in the matter of Entertainments Tax, particularly so far as cinemas are concerned in regard to the cheaper seats.

I cannot anticipate the next Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, although the war is over, war damage contribution is still being collected.

Section 80 of the Act of 1943 enables the Treasury, if net receipts fall short of half the expected payments, to increase the number of instalments. Such a shortage will certainly occur, but I have decided not to take action under Section 80. The instalment which fell due on the 1st July will therefore be the last to be exacted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to assist in the equipment of new houses with full electricity services, he will exempt electrical apparatus from Purchase Tax.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave yesterday to his Question regarding gas equipment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is in a position to make a statement on the policy of His Majesty's Government on the Final Act of the Bretton Woods Conference; and if the House will have an opportunity of a full debate on the implications of the Act as affecting British industry and the programme of full employment in this country.

This matter is engaging my close attention, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement; as regards the second part of the Question, I would refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Aberdeen (Mr. Boothby) on 21st August.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the agreement with the U.S.A. on the double taxation of authors' royalties is to come into effect in Great Britain and the U.S.A. respectively.

I hope to deal with this matter in the autumn Finance Bill.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the need to raise without delay industrial production, he will now name the day on which it is proposed to bring into force the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1945.

The "appointed day" on which the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1945, come into force is defined in Section 68 (1) of that Act as such day as Parliament may determine. Further legislation is therefore necessary for the determination of the appointed day, and the matter is one with which I hope to deal in my Budget statement in the autumn.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will include in the next Finance Bill a Clause similar to Clause 17 which appeared in the last Finance Bill, but was not included in the last Finance Act because of the abbreviation of the Act, as this Clause is one desired by all municipal authorities.

I will give careful consideration to my hon. Friend's suggestion when framing the next Finance Bill.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether post-war credits may be paid out to persons who have now become old age pensioners.

No, Sir. I am afraid that I cannot adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the aggregate amount of the standard profits for Excess Profits Tax of every company employing a capital as computed for Excess Profits Tax, of £1,000,000 or over; what is the aggregate amount of the profits of such companies allowed free of Excess Profits Tax for the latest known, chargeable year; and what is the aggregate amount of Excess Profits Tax paid by, or due from such companies, from the start of Excess Profits Tax to the end of 1944 or 1943.

I am afraid that the information for which the hon. and learned Member asks is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if individual loans to the State for the duration of the war, free of interest, are now to be repaid; and what procedure is to be adopted by the lenders.

The terms of these loans vary, but the majority of the lenders expressed their intention of leaving the money with the Treasury for the duration of the war, and the certificate in the form normally issued entitles the lender to receive repayments three months after the conclusion of a treaty of peace. In this context most lenders probably intended the expression "duration of the war" to refer to the war with Germany. Any holder of an interest-free loan certificate will be repaid if he makes application to the Treasury. I trust, however, that all who can do so will continue this praiseworthy form of public service by postponing application for the present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the difficulties caused by the lack of information as to the continuance of the Purchase Tax on motor cars; and whether he will make an early announcement as to its continuance after the end of the present financial year and on all types of motor cars.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Hackney (Mr. H. Hynd) on 21st August.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, taking the purchasing power of the £ in 1900 as 100, he will state the corresponding figure at the latest available date; and the figure calculated for the whole field of personal expenditure.

According to the best calculations available, the figure for July, 1945, is 44. Calculated over the whole field of personal expenditure, the figure for July, 1945, would probably be about 39.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is in a position to announce the intentions of the Government with regard to the payment of higher war gratuities at a flat rate, and of gratuities to men discharged on medical grounds prior to the end of the war.

War gratuity is only one item of a comprehensive scheme of benefits, including release furlough, foreign service leave, provision of civilian clothing, resettlement grants and training schemes, designed to meet the needs of members of the Forces on release to civil life. I do not propose to make any change in these arrangements. With regard to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for War to the hon. Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Brown) on Tuesday last.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that arrangements have already been made to pay war gratuities to a number of Group 9 ex-Servicemen he can give any indication when gratuities will be made available to those who have been invalided out of the various fighting Services during the course of the war.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for War to the hon. Member for West Harrow (Mr. Bower) on Tuesday last.

asked the Minister of War Transport whether he has given further consideration to the claim for equal treatment in regard to post-war gratuities to all men serving in H.M. Coastguard; and whether, in view of their devotion to duty by all ranks, he will express his appreciation to all men in the Coastguard services by awarding an all-in scheme of gratuities to men on regular and temporary duties during the war.

Yes, Sir, but I am unable to modify the decision already announced. I can assure my hon. Friend that the services rendered by all ranks of H.M. Coastguard during the war are fully appreciated. The Regular Coastguard, however, is a peacetime Force which it is not proposed to disband and is thus not analogous to the temporary organisations, including the Auxiliary Coastguard, to whose members war gratuities are payable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the interests of general efficiency and the health of the people, he will arrange for an additional annual bank holiday between August and Christmas.

My hon. and gallant Frinend's proposal will be borne in mind, but I am not prepared to adopt it at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the words in the Gracious Speech "the effective planning of investment," extend to the planning and control of the spending by limited companies and others of their own cash resources and to the control of their power to borrow from their banks; and whether he can make any further statement on this and cognate matters.

As I explained in the Debate on the Address, I cannot anticipate in any detail the contents of the legislation which the Government propose to introduce on this subject. The planning of investment has two aspects, the physical and the financial. On the physical side the Government's policy is to secure that the available labour and materials are used in accordance with whatever plans may from time to time be required for the purposes of employment policy and national development. On the financial side the control of demands on the capital market will, as I stated on Tuesday, be exercised according to the same principles. But there is no intention of compelling anyone to invest his resources in one way rather than another. In particular, the proposed legislation will not provide for the exercise of financial control over the use by business undertakings of their own cash or other existing resources. As regards relations between banks and their customers, I do not contemplate any substantial change in the present arrangements. Borrowing from banks is, in certain circumstances, already subject to the capital issues control; and the banks have already been asked by my predecessor to observe the same principles in regard to the granting of advances as apply to the grant of Treasury consent to new issues.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the position of British subjects who invested their money in German sterling loan; and will he take steps to ensure that the claims of these pre-war bondholders will not be subordinated to reparations.

I am not in a position to make any statement on this matter at the present time.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if temporary clerks in the Civil Service of three years' service and over will be given the annual leave of 24 days now allowed to temporary officers.

Temporary clerks are entitled to 18 days' annual leave. In the light of our present shortage of manpower I regret that it is impossible to consider the suggestion made by my hon. Friend.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether temporary civil servants are debarred from standing in the next municipal elections, especially as some of them are councillors at the present time.

It has been left to each Government Department to settle whether members of its staff may become candidates for local councils or serve upon such councils. Departments whose functions are closely connected with local government naturally find it necessary to be more restrictive than those whose functions are not so connected; but in any event a civil servant should not become a candidate in a local government election without first seeking the permission of his Department.