asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that no promotions of writing assistants or typists to the clerical class have taken place in his Department since 1922, although many, of the former have been doing work of a higher level than that proposed for the class under the Re-organisation Report, and although under a Whitley agreement such promotions should have proceeded pari passu with the placing of limited competition entrants; and whether he will give instructions for the position of these women to be discussed with the organisations representing the grades involved in the promotion issue, with a view to bringing their prospects more into line with those of similar staffs in other Departments?

:It is the case that no promotion of writing assistants to the clerical class has taken place in my Department since 1922, but one typist has been so promoted. I have no reason to think, on the information before me, that many of the writing assistants in my Department, as suggested by the hon. Member, are doing work of a higher level than that proposed for the class under the Re-organisation Report, but, as the hon. Member is no doubt aware, Departmental Whitley machinery exists in my Department under which it is always open for the staff side to raise any question of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether medals or badges can be issued to all those who served in a military capacity in the Straits Settlements and took the place of regular troops during the War, and were informed by the general officer commanding that the Government could not allow them to return to England a they were rendering the greatest service to their country by remaining at their posts out East?

:The general rule is that war medals are only issuable to those who left their places of residence and served overseas in recognised theatres of war. This decision was reached after careful and prolonged consideration, and I cannot hold out the prospect that it will now be varied.

asked the Secretary of State for Air on what basis broken periods of years' service are dealt with in the calculation of pension; and, if they are ignored, whether he would consider altering the practice so as to remove any injustice?

:The answer to the first part of the question is that, in calculating an airman's pension for service, any broken period of qualifying service of less than a year is counted proportionately towards the rate of pension. The second part, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the views unanimously expressed at two recent conferences of Metropolitan assessment authorities convened by the London County Council and the City of Westminster, respectively, as to the necessity for amending the third Schedule of the Valuation (Metropolis) Act, 1869, prior to the forthcoming quinquennial reassessment of property in London for the purpose of Income Tax and local rates; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with the matter?

:My attention has been drawn to this matter, but I am not at present in a position to make any statement upon it.