asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any I proposals have been made with regard to the future settlement of Africa which would entail interference with the independence or territorial integrity of Abyssinia;and whether the Government will support the policy of placing the independence and territorial integrity of this State under the guarantee of the League of Nations?

:As questions concerning Abyssinia may, in connection with other African problems, occupy the attention of the Peace Conference, I regret that I am unable to make any statement on the subject.

Is there any evidence that the independent State of Abyssinia desire the interference of the League of Nations?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he is aware that in Southern Dobrudja all Bulgar school teachers and priests are being turned out by the Roumanian authorities, and Bulgar libraries and books burnt; and will he state the form of local autonomy, if any, which the population is to be allowed to enjoy by its conquerors;(2) whether he will say to what nationality and to what religious faith the mass of the inhabitants of Southern Dobrudja belong; is he aware that the town of Kavarna consists of 4,000 inhabitants, of whom the Bulgars number 2,500, Turks 1,350, Greeks 150, and no Roumanians; and will he say why Southern Dobrudja has been handed over to Roumania without the knowledge or consent of the Peace Conference, and against the wish of its population?

The district referred to by the hon. and gallant Member is in the occupation of British troops, and I cannot accept as correct his description of the situation prevailing there. The Peace Conference is now concerned with the settlement of the problems of South-Eastern Europe, and I therefore regret that I am unable to make any further statement on this subject at present.

Will the Foreign Office ask for a special report to be made at once on what has actually happened?

Can the hon. Gentleman tell us at the same time what British troops are doing in this part of the world?

:I cannot make any further statement in regard to the latter question, but I will consider the point raised by my hon. and gallant Friend.

Is he aware that there are large numbers of Roumanians at present in the Southern Dobrudja who were there before the War?

:Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that in the recent War Roumania was our Ally and Bulgaria was our enemy?

asked the Prime Minister if he can, without detriment to the public interest, give an approximate date when the preliminaries of peace will be signed?

I regret that I am not yet in a position to give even an approximate date.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some dissatisfaction does exist at the delay in imposing peace terms upon Germany?

I am not aware that dissatisfaction exists, but I am aware that every one, including our delegates, is most anxious to get peace at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is preparedto consider an improvement in the conditions under which senior officers are thrown out of employment in order to facilitate the promotion of junior officers; and whether it is proposed that such senior officers, instead of being put on half-pay, shall be granted the full amount of retired pay?

This question is under consideration.

Will my hon. Friend give me some idea, as this is a very urgent question and officers of senior ranks are being compelled to retire and thus are losing several hundreds a year, when a decision will be come to?

The question is receiving urgent consideration.

asked the Prime Minister when the SelectCommittee to examine the whole question of pensions, promised by the Leader of the House on 20th November, 1918, will be appointed?

I am in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions on this subject, and I hope to be ina position to make an early statement.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Financial Secretary to the Treasury about ten days ago said that this Committee would be appointed immediately?

No, I was not aware of that fact.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state to what financial benefit is a soldier who joined the Army in October, 1914, entitled on now taking his discharge; for what period of time is he entitled to out-of-work pay; and, if he stays on in the Army of Occupation but declines to sign on for a year, will he receive the enhanced rates of pay under the now scheme from the 1st February last?

A soldier who joined the Army in October, 1914, and is now demobilised, receives twenty-eight days'furlough with full Army pay and allowances, a suit of plain clothes or an allowance of 52s. 6d. in lieu, and a war gratuity of £25 or £15, according as he has, or has not, given service overseas, with higher rates for non-commissioned officers. Out-of-work donation is payable during the year following his demobilisation for a maximum of twenty-six weeks. If he does not re-engage voluntarily for a further period of service in the Army, but is definitely retained for service in the Army of Occupation, he draws the bonus under the new scheme as from the 1st February.

Is the gratuity which is given on a man's leaving the Army reduced in the case of his having received certain moneys from the Post Office during his period of service in the Army?

I should like to have notice of that.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether gratuities for war service are to be based on acting rank providing the acting rank was held on active service for six or twelve months prior to the signing of the Armistice?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider the advisability of granting the gratuity based on the acting rank held by an officer when an officer has held such acting rank, with pay and allowances, for a period of not less than six months?

As already stated, the whole question of acting rank as affecting gratuity, is under consideration.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what is the cause of the delay in this matter?

The cause of the delay, if delay can be alleged, is the great congestion and pressure of business,and the complexity of the problems which have to be settled.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say why the War Office are not following the practice of the Ministry of Pensions?

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this is causing a great deal of dissatisfaction?

:Yes, Sir, and I have asked that the subject shall be reconsidered immediately by the financial authorities at the War Office.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, considering that soldiers who attested prior to the 1st January, 1916, were told at the time of attestation by the recruiting officer that they were soldiers as soon as they attested and drew one day's pay and ration allowance, and that, although not called up to join the Colours till a later date to suit the convenience of the War Office, these men consider that the authorities are not keeping faith with them in refusing to take their attestation into account for demobilisation under Army Order No. 55, of1919, and thus specially penalising them for their voluntary action in attesting, he will reconsider the question and permit these men to reckon their service from the date of attestation?

The men referred to did not join the Colours until after the 1st January, 1916. The test adopted by the Government to determine whether a man shall be retained for the Armies of Occupation is length of service actually given to the State and not the liability to serve. Although the men in question mayhave attested prior to the 1st January, 1916, nevertheless they did not join the Colours for immediate or continuous service until a later date, and I regret that, in view of the requirements of the Armies of Occupation, special treatment cannot be granted to this very numerous class. I regret it is not possible to depart from a system which is recognised in the Army to be based on principles of fairness.

May I ask whether my right hon. Friend realises the feeling that this breach of faith occasions amongst those men;and if this is not a question for settlement by the War Cabinet, but for a personal Order by himself, will he kindly reconsider this matter, and see if these men can be given priority?

I could only give these men release by finding other men to take their place. In whatever direction we advance, it is necessary to inflict hardship, and we have taken as a broad, simple line the men who joined for continuous service with the Colours after 1st January, 1916. If I had exempted this class who attested before, although they were not called up before, I would have had to put the date of the men retained back to an earlier period than 1st January, 1916, and that again would have caused other forms of hardship. I think, broadly speaking, the actual time spent with the Colours is the best test.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say the approximate number of men involved?

I could not say offhand. Several hundreds of thousands of men.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of men not liable for service in the Armies of Occupation, priority of release is being granted to men who have been applied for by their pre-war or other employers in preference to proprietors of one-man businesses; and whether this state of affairs can be put right?

F I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Walsall on this subject yesterday. Proprietors of one-man businesses, for whom recommendations for special release were received by the War Office from the Ministry of Labour before the 1st February, 1919, receive the same priority as pivotal men registered by the War Office before that date; those not so recommended, but for whom release slips have been forwarded by the Ministry of Labour, receive the same priority as "slip" or "contact" men provided they are not liable for retention in the Armies of Occupation.

asked the Secretary of State for War if it is intended that Army Order XIV., of 29th January, 1919, shall supersede all previous understandings and announcements with regard to the prompt release of students who were called up for service during their university or professional training, and whose future depends upon their immediate release?

:I would refer my right hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Twickenham an this subject on Wednesday last, to the effect that the answer is in the affirmative, unless the men referred to are otherwise eligible for demobilisation under the provision of the Army Orders in question.

:Is the right hon. Gentleman still prepared to give these privileges to students whose education has been interrupted and who were going to be released previous to the Order of 29th January?

:No, Sir. I regret I am not in a position to do that. If students were released apprentices would have to be released—[HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear!"]—and perhaps it is very desirable that these should be released. They could only be released by retaining men who are fathers of families and old enough to be their fathers.

Is it not the case that arrangements were absolutely made, and that to some of the men release was granted, which now has been suddenly stopped after all arrangements had been made?

I think it is very probable that that is so. But owing to the War we are having to impose hardships on all sections of the community, andin the imposition of these it is desirable to draw the line where the hardships will be least.

:Having regard to the fact that a certain number of the students of institutions who joined the forces after January, 1916, have been allowed to return in order to continue their studies, may not the same facilities be granted to other similarly situated students?

:No, Sir. The practice of bringing out men irrespective of age or period of service at the front has seriously affected the discipline of the whole Army, and caused a feeling of general unrest, forcing us, at whatever hardship to individuals, to draw a hard-and-fast line, and to proceed in accordance with those considerations of age and service which can so readily be recognised by men of every rank in the Army.

As a result of the War Office so dealing with their contracts these men have been punished?

I do not think that it is a question of anybody being punished. Men who are under thirty-sevenyears of age and who have joined the Colours since 1st January, 1916, are being retained;those who have not that qualification are being demobilised as fast as they possibly can be.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that dispersal officers are, in many cases, discharging non-commissioned officers and men from overseas serving in Imperial units under Group 45 A without satisfying themselves that such non-commissioned officers and men have sufficient means on which to live pending repatriation;whether, in view of the danger of such non-commissioned officers and men being stranded, he will give instructions that they may be given the opportunity of being transferred from Group 45 A to Group 45 B for immediate repatriation; whether he is aware that dissatisfaction exists in the West Indian Colonies at the delay in repatriating non-commissioned officers and men who gave up their work to join His Majesty's Forces, and are now urgently needed for the development of the trade and industries of those Colonies; and whether he will give instructions for the repatriation of such non-commissioned officers and men to be expedited?

:Non-commissioned officers and men who came from overseasand enlisted in the British Army are entitled under Army Order 300 of 1915, and Army Demobilisation Regulations, to elect to take a deferred passage on discharge or demobilisation provided that such passage is claimed within six months from the termination of their Army service. Those electing a deferred passage, i.e., Group 45 A, are notified before leaving their unit that they must be in a position to maintain themselves and their families and dependants (if any) after dispersal whilst awaiting embarkation, and even if they do elect for a deferred passage they are nevertheless given the option of transferring, if they so desire, to Group 45 B, i.e., to remain in the Service until passage is provided. On arrival at the dispersal station the personnel of Group 45 A are again asked and notified that their pay and allowances will cease at the expiration of the twenty-eight days' furlough, and areagain given the option of transferring to Group 45 B if they so desire. The majority of the battalions of the British West India Regiment are now concentrated at Taranto, and the remainder will be sent as soon as accommodation is available. Preparations are being completed for their return journey, and it is hoped that the embarkation will commence early next month. The shipping problem is a difficult one owing to the number of different islands in which the men are domiciled, which necessitates the sorting and regrouping of the men to suit the various ports at which they will be disembarked.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that these non-commissioned officers and men are unable, of themselves, to determine whether they have sufficient means to keep them pending the period of repatriation, and what I ask is that some special inquiry should be made into their cases by the dispersal officers in order to ascertain whether they have means at their disposal?

I will take notice of that suggestion.

Will the six months cover the men discharged twelve months ago?

No, Sir; this deals only with the demobilisation scheme at present in force.

asked the Secretary for War whether he will give immediate attention to the applications for the release of pivotal men from the Army in the interests of the boot and shoe industry; and whether he will release all men for whom application is made with the promise of immediate employment?

Men who have been certified by the Ministry of Labour and registered by the War Office as pivotal men before the 1st February, 1919, are being demobilised as quickly as possible. With regard to the second part of the question, I cannot undertake to entertain this proposal, unless these men are eligible for demobilisation under the recentArmy Orders making provision for the composition of the Armies of Occupation.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that 40 per cent. of the pivotal men cannot be traced owing to the Army people not having their proper addresses?

:Very nearly two-fifths of the Army have been demobilised, and it is, therefore, fair to assume that two-fifths of the pivotal men must have been demobilised, and it is probably a much larger proportion. I think it would be very dangerous to reintroduce this pivotal system of demobilisation.

asked whether a man is regarded as fit for demobilisation providing his papers were through satisfactorily by 15th January, 1919; if so, whether he is aware that the same man is still being retained under an order issued on 7th February, 1919; if he will investigate the case, and, if proved correct, guarantee this man immediate release from the Army;and whether he is aware of the discontent prevalent owing to a distinction being drawn between the Air Force and the Army by the application of Army Order No. 14, of last January?

:It is not quite clear to what class of man the hon. Member is referring in the first part of his question. Unless the man has been certified by the Ministry of Labour as a civil demobiliser or pivotal man and registered as such by the War Office before the 1st February, 1919, his demobilisation would depend on his being eligible under the recent Army Orders making provisionfor the Armies of Occupation. As the hon. Member has not given particulars of the soldier referred to, it is impossible to investigate the case. The Army Order mentioned in the last part of the question does not apply to the Royal Air Force, members of which are subject to Air Force Regulations.

:Will the right hon. Gentleman take this case into immediate and earnest consideration if I send him all the particulars, and can he state the reason why the Air Force Regulations are so vastly different to the Army Regulations?

:I shall be much obliged if the hon. Member will send me particulars of the case and I will have them looked into. Every effort is being made to make the Air Force Regulations to march in step with the War Office Regulations with regard to demobilisation. Certain diversities of practice had grown up before the two offices were made into one, and it is not possible to sweep away all the arrangements made under these diverse practices.

asked whether it is a fact that among the medical officers now serving with the Armies of Occupation there are a number of obstetric surgeons and recognised specialists in infant welfare; and, if so, whether he will give instructions that these officers should be speedily demobilised so that their special knowledge shall find wider scope than is likely in their present employment?

Individual medical officers are demobilised at the request of the Ministry of National Service and the selection does not rest with the military authorities. I may add, however, that the rate at which doctors of all kinds are being demobilised is by no means satisfactory, and I have given directions which I trust will result in a substantial acceleration.

asked the Secretary for War whether he will make immediate inquiry into the tipping which is rife at the Crystal Palace dispersal camp, and by which soldiers who refuse such illegal exactions are being penalised?

:Instructions were issued some time ago that on no account are any tips or gratuities to be given to the personnel of a dispersal unit, and severe disciplinary action will be taken in any case which is proved of men givingor receiving tips or gratuities. Notices to this effect have been displayed in conspicuous places at all dispersal stations and military collecting places.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that soldiers who have been in hospital for twenty-eight consecutive days are discharged from the Army, he will order the discharge of men who have been in military hospitals for a considerably longer period but who were under arrest when they fell ill?

:In view of the provisions of Section 46 of the Army Act, the demobilisation of soldiers in arrest awaiting disposal would not be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there are men now serving in Italy who have not had leave for eighteen months and more; whether our men are now being brought back from Italy and in what numbers; and whether they will be granted home leave as soon as possible?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply given on Tuesday last to a question on this subject asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Great Yarmouth, to the effect that, with the exception of one brigade the troops are being brought away at the rate of 600 a day.

:What arrangements are being made for giving home leave to men who have been serving for a considerable time in Italy without leave?

They are being brought home for demobilisation as far as I understand it.

asked the Secretary of State for War, whether he has given personal consideration to the claim of medical men who, without holding commissions in the Army, have been and are engaged under the War office in service in Army hospitals to the special service rate of Income Tax; whether that claim is to be conceded; and,if not, on what specific ground is it refused?

So far as the War Office is concerned, this is a question of complying with the law, and the action taken has been based on legal advice.

Will the Government pay the reasonable costs of a test case?

The matter will be more for the Treasury than for the War Office to decide.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the salary of the Lord Chancellor and the pensions of ex-Lord Chancellors are entirely exempt from Income Tax or from Super-tax; and, if so, under what authority?

:Neither the salary of the Lord Chancellor nor the pensions of the ex-Lord Chancellors are exempt from Income Tax.

From the Super-tax?

Certainly not!

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a married woman can claim repayment of the additional Income Tax she pays over that of an unmarried woman with the same income?

The income of a married woman is required by law to be aggregated with that of her husband for Income Tax purposes, and a married woman is not entitled to repayment of tax on the ground that the Income Tax payable in respect of her separate income is greater in amount than that paid by an unmarried woman with the same income.

:Will my hon. Friend see that the grievance is remedied in the new Finance Bill?

asked theChancellor of the Exchequer if he will simplify the present method of obtaining repayment of Income Tax for persons with limited incomes?

:The machinery of repayment of Income Tax will be one of the subjects into which the forthcoming Royal Commission on the Income Tax will inquire.

Is my hon. Friend going to wait before remedying these grievances until the Royal Commission has been appointed and has reported?

It is not for me to anticipate the verdict of the Royal Commission.

Is it to be a Royal Commission or a Departmental Committee?

A Royal Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to make the fuller statement promised last week, as to the return of soldiers who have served for long periods in the Eastern theatres of war?

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are being taken to release those Territorial battalions, including the Brecknocks, which were sent to India and other Eastern stations over four years ago, and which consequently have been more hardly treated as regards home leave than any other units?

The withdrawal of the personnel of the Territorial units from India and the Far East is a matter which has been receiving the earnest attention of the Army Council for some time past. Certain difficulties exist which are not present in the case of other overseas garrisons and Expeditionary Forces. The chief of these are:—

1. The large proportion of personnel due for relief would result in the garrisons being reduced below a reasonable minimum of safety if the whole of such personnel were withdrawn without replacement.

2. The danger to health which would result in moving troops in the tropics during the hot weather.

In India it is of vital importance that a sufficiently strong garrison shall be maintained to ensure the preservation of internal order and to provide for the defence of the frontier. The British garrison is now being reduced to what is considered to be a bare sufficiency for these purposes. This will enable some thousands ofmen to be withdrawn at once to the United Kingdom and priority in this respect is being given to those who have suffered in health from the climate. The remainder must await relief by troops who are eligible for duty in the permanent garrisons overseas. These reliefs are being collected as rapidly as circumstances permit, but some time must necessarily elapse, since the personnel to form the drafts is mainly composed of those who re-enlist under conditions which entitle them to two or three months furloughbefore proceeding abroad. There is, therefore, no pros- pect in dispatching them before the hot weather commences in May. If all goes well it should be possible to complete all reliefs during the course of next autumn, but not before.

With regard to Mesopotamia, the Territorial troops who were moved from India to that country will not return to India. They will be sent home direct as soon as transport can be made available, provided always that they are eligible for release under the terms of the ArmyOrders which have been published recently regarding the formation of the Armies of Occupation. Attention has been drawn to a promise given in 1914 to Territorial units then proceeding to India, when it was stated by Major-General Donald, on behalf of thelate Lord Kitchener, that these troops would be brought home before the end of the War. When the late Field-Marshal sent this message he could not possibly forsee a War of such long duration with the development of such conditions as now obtain. As has been stated, however, every endeavour is being made to bring home at the earliest possible date these Territorial troops who so willingly volunteered for duty overseas during the first critical period of the War.

Are we to understand that all men who have suffered in health through passing several hot summers in India will be brought home at once?

:Yes, Sir. About 20,000 men are being brought home, and it is hoped to bring them through the Red Sea before the hot weather sets in.

May I ask whether what the right hon. Gentleman has stated refers to the garrisons in Egypt and Palestine?

:I covered Mesopotamia, and what applies to Mesopotamia applies, with certain modifications, to the garrisons in Palestine and Egypt.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take into consideration the possibility of replacing British Indian troops now in Palestine and Egypt by units of the Egyptian Army?

That is a policy which could be pursued up to a certain point, but, obviously, only to a certain point.

Cannot you recruit the Egyptian Army further?

Have arrangements been made to send home the families of these Territorial officers returned from India who, otherwise, would be exposed to the expense of keeping their wives and children in India?

Yes, Sir; I should say that any scheme which brings home the father of the family would bring the family home as well.

Will the right hon. Gentleman state the number of white troops which it is considered necessary to retain in India as a garrison?

Approximately the same number that was considered necessary before the War will be required there during this present period of the Armies of Occupation. It is possible that at a later date, when the world has settled down, a general review of the military situation may enable some alteration to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Warin what way the discharge papers of conscientious objectors are marked in order to state faithfully the particular part they elected to play in the War?

In view of the fact that the men mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend in his question are soldiers, their discharge certificates are completed in accordance with the King's Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether George Thetford, No. 1790, No. 11th Eastern Non-Combatant Corps, has been seriously ill in hospital for thirteen weeks, and is at present at the Buffs'depot, Canterbury, awaiting court-martial; and whether, in view of the fact that the man has not yet recovered from pleurisy, he will release him from arrest?

As it appears from the hon. Member's question that the soldier concerned has been discharged from hospital, the statement that he has not yet recovered from pleurisy is not understood. I would remind the hon. Member that no soldier can be tried by court-martial unless in the opinion of the medical authorities he is fit to take his trial. In view of this fact, and of the provisions of Section 46 of the Army Act, the question of his release from arrest is not one in which I can properly intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for War under what terms and conditions Civil servants can or must re-enlist for a further period of military service?

A Civil servant who is compulsorily retained with His Majesty's Forces will continue to enjoy the same benefits as before in regard to the payment of balance, counting of service for increment and pension, and return to the Civil Service on demobilisation. A Civil servant who, being otherwise eligible for demobilisation, prefers eitherto remain as a volunteer in the Army of Occupation or to re-enlist for a definite term of two, three, or four years under the Milner bounty scheme, will be regarded as on leave of absence from his Department without pay, the period counting neither for increment nor pension, but with a promise of reinstatement in the Civil Service at the end of his term of voluntary service with the same pay as at the date when he volunteered.

asked the Secretary of State for War if men who have been prisoners of war and suffered much as a consequence are being forced into the Army of Occupation; and, if so, will he take steps to stop such a practice?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether repatriated prisoners of war are to be retained in the Army; if so will they be sent overseas again; and whether in view of the sufferings of these men he will make an order that they shall be demobilised?

It would not be right to confer a privilege upon repatriated prisoners of war as against their comrades in the fighting line. It is not possible to appraise the relative suffering and hazards endured. If men are fit in bodily health they must be treated alike, according to the age and categories prescribed.

Can the right hon. Gentleman, on behalf of the War Office, give a denial to a statement that has appeared publicly that repatriated prisoners of war are entitled to demobilisation on expiry of their two-months'leave; and when will he be in a position to make the statement he promised the other day on the whole question of demobilisation as applied to repatriated prisoners?

I think my hon. Friend will see that what I have said covers the statement. We do propose, if the man is within the category retained—assuming Parliament approves of the retention of such categories—to utilise his services during the period of the Armies of Occupation, whether he is a fighting soldier at the present time, or whether he is a returned repatriated prisoner of war. I take this opportunity, amongst others, of making that fact public.

Can my right hon. Friend say definitely that the statement on the subject that has appeared in a great many papers is entirely wrong; it is to the effect that these repatriated prisoners have no special privileges as repatriated prisoners?

Yes, Sir; that is the fact. Of course, their health must be most carefully examined here, for many of them have suffered much; but so have the men who have been fighting all the time in the lines.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the necessity of obtaining a pure milk supply; and whether he proposes to introduce legislation with that object?

I have been asked to reply to this question. I am fully aware of the importance of the matter to which the hon. Member refers. The whole question of the milk supply is receiving careful consideration.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Food Controller's Department refuse to sell maize to anyone wishing to purchase it unless the purchaser will take in addition 10 per cent. of the quantity in foreign beans; whether this action is taken in consequence of an unfortunate transaction in beans by the Food Controller; and whether a practice which has been made a criminal offence in the case of a private trader will cease to have a place in the dealings of a public Department?

I have been asked to reply. The present position was fully stated in the answer given on 17th February to the hon. Member for East Sussex. I may add, however, that I anticipate that it may be possible for the arrangement of which the hon. Member complains to be withdrawn at an early date, and I hope to be able to make an announcement very shortly on the subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the inefficient organisation of the staff of the Food Ministry, as disclosed by Sir John Bradbury's Committee, has been remedied; and is the cost of this staff borne by the Vote of Credit or on the food controlled by the Department?

I have been asked to reply. If the hon. Member will refer to the Report in question, he will find it stated that the inspectors appointed by the Committee "gave it as their deliberate opinion that the Ministry of Food did not, so far as overhead charges were concerned, in regard to the commodities with which it deals, compare unfavourably with a large commercial firm," and that "viewing the Department as a whole, it appeared to them that it was conducted in a fair and businesslike way, having regard to the difficulties of the subject-matter and of getting together an efficient staff."As regards the last part of the question, selling prices are so arranged as to provide a margin sufficient to cover the estimated costs of the administration of the Ministry of Food.