Written Answers
British Army
Recruits (Height Standard)
asked the Secretary of State for War what is the present minimum height for recruits entering the Regular Army; what number of recruits were rejected during 1937 and 1938, respectively, on account of not attaining this minimum; and whether he is satisfied that it is still in the best interests of the country to maintain such a limit?
Apart from Household Troops, which have special standards, and Corps in which men have to drive heavy vehicles, the minimum height standard is 5 feet 2 inches. Men below this height could not properly handle their arms and equipment. The number of recruits rejected by examining medical officers on account of defective height was 83 during the 12 months ended 30th September, 1937, and no for the corresponding period 1937 –38. Men below the minimum height who are likely to develop to standard are accepted.
Meat Ration
asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether there is any difference in the weight of frozen beef and mutton, and home-killed beef and mutton when issued as rations to the troops; and, if so, what is the difference in weight of these rations per man?
The scale of meat included in the standard ration at home stations is the same whether fresh or frozen meat is in issue.
Air-Raid Precautions
asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he has yet completed the list of regional directors to be appointed and when their names will be made public; and what is to be their relation in times of emergency to the local authorities in their areas?
I am not yet in a position to announce the names of the persons nominated as Regional Commissioners, but I hope to be able to do so very shortly. I am in consultation with the representative Associations of the local authorities regarding the war-time organisation of local authority services and their relationship with the Regional Commissioner.
asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will inform the House as to the number of air-raid shelters that have been provided by the Government to the borough of Rotherham, the price of same, the proportion of the inhabitants who have been supplied with these shelters, the number delivered free, and the cost per head of those for which a charge was levied?
The borough of Rotherham is not yet included in the list of towns to which the distribution of air-raid shelters is being made. It is expected that, as larger supplies of shelters become available, Rotherham will be included in the wider area of distribution.
asked the Lord Privy Seal whether it is his intention to furnish steel shelters to the families living in houses in the vicinity of the Rolls Royce works in Derby?
The county borough of Derby will very shortly be offered supplies of steel shelters. It will be for the borough authorities to determine the allocation within the borough of the shelters delivered to them. I am informed that the houses in the vicinity of the Rolls Royce works are generally of a type to which the shelter is well suited.
Agriculture
Milk
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the minimum price of buttermilk milk powder manufactured by the roller process was fixed at 24s. per cwt. in July, 1937, increased to 25s. in April, 1938, reduced to 16s. in August, 1938, increased to 24s. in October of that year, and reduced to 18s. this January; and whether he will take steps to accelerate the introduction of some system for the better stabilisation of prices for this and other milk products?
I am aware of the fluctuations in the price of buttermilk powder, to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. As regards the second part of the question, I would refer him to the reply which I gave to him on 9th March.
Land Drainage, Glamorgan
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the River Tawe and the River Neath are causing a good deal of damage through flooding the agricultural land, and causing considerable loss to farmers and property owners; and whether he will take steps to clean up the silting of the rivers during the summer months, which would find employment for a large number of unemployed in these districts?
I have no recent information regarding conditions on either of the two rivers mentioned. As regards the second part of the question, I have no power to carry out drainage works, but the River Neath is under the jurisdiction for land drainage purposes of the Mid-Glamorgan Rivers Catchment Board, to whose notice I will bring the hon. Member' s suggestion.
Unemployment
Telephone Service Personnel, South Wales
asked the Postmaster-General whether, in connection with the new organisation for telephone service set up at Swansea for West Wales, he will consider the young men and women who have been through the universities and technical colleges and are unemployed; and whether he will consult the authorities so that they can fill the available posts in this scheme, and so help the Special Areas?
The setting up of the Swansea Telephone Area, which opens to-day, Monday, the 13th March, is, essentially, the bringing together of separated units of Post Office organisation at present located partly in Swansea and partly in Cardiff. The work to be transferred from Cardiff will be accompanied by the staff now employed on it and, while the establishment of the new organisation has resulted in the creation of some new posts, these posts have been filled by the promotion of existing personnel with the necessary experience and qualifications or through the normal machinery of the Civil Service Commission.
Evacuation Camp, Cheshire
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will take steps to encourage and facilitate the establishment of a holiday and evacuation camp for unemployed men, women, and others in the Longdendale Valley in Cheshire?
I am not clear what the hon. Member has in mind. If the question refers to the establishment of a camp under the scheme for school camps recently announced it should be addressed to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.
Lancashire Site Company
asked the Minister of Labour to what extent the Lancashire Site Company has been able to attract and establish new industries in the county; and to what extent this has absorbed the local unemployed?
I have been asked to reply. I regret that I cannot add anything to the reply which I gave on this subject to the hon. Member for West-houghton (Mr. Rhys Davies) on 16th February.
National Voluntary Service
asked the Minister of Labour whether, in taking the returns from Oxfordshire to his appeal for workers under National Service, he can analyse them according to local government areas; and whether in that case he can give details?
No, Sir. I regret that statistics on this basis are not available.
Industrial Diseases (Workmen' S Compensation)
asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that coal miners are subject to chronic pulmonary disease of a disabling nature which does not come within the accepted definition of silicosis; and whether the inclusion of this disease in the schedule of industrial diseases for the purpose of workmen' s compensation is contemplated?
The Industrial Pulmonary Diseases Committee of the Medical Research Council, which is investigating the problem, has not yet reported that there is a specific pulmonary disease, other than silicosis, which can be distinguished as due to employment in coal mines and made the subject of a right to compensation under the Workmen' s Compensation Act. Until the existence of such a specific disease is established, my right hon. Friend is afraid he is not in a position to propose an extension of the Act in the direction suggested.
Royal Air Force
Directorate Of Works
asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the Directorate of Works at the Air Ministry comprises an architect' s department under the control of, and organised by, a chief architect, or how the architectural work of the Air Ministry is organised, and by whom it is controlled?
The architectural work of the Directorate of Works is carried out in a branch which is under the control of, and organised by, a qualified architect.
Invalided Men (Pensions)
asked the Secretary of State for Air, how many men were invalided out of the Royal Air Force in 1937 and 1938; in how many cases was the disability attributed to the service; and to what final appeal has an aggrieved man the right of recourse?
Two hundred and eighty-one men were invalided during 1937 and 316 during 1938: the disability was attributed to service in 53 and 35 cases respectively. An invalided airman who feels himself aggrieved either at the refusal of a pension or at its amount has a right of appeal to the Air Council, and such appeals are always sympathetically considered.
Housing
Liverpool
asked the Minister of Health whether he can state the number of houses built to let and to sell, respectively, in the city of Liverpool during the year 1938, stating in each category the numbers built by the Liverpool Corporation, and by private enterprise?
The Corporation last year built 2,462 houses, all for letting. As regards houses built by private enterprise, my latest information is up to the 30th September last. In the 12 months ending on that date private enterprise built 2,528 houses—about half of them for letting.
Timber Houses
asked the Minister of Health what local authorities in England have applied for authority to build timber houses during 1938; how many timber houses were authorised in each case, and of these how many were built in 1938; and what were the corresponding figures for 1937?
No local authority applied for authority to build timber houses either during 1938 or during 1937.
Diphtheria
asked the Minister of Health whether he will supply the information on which the statement is based in the report of the Medical Research Council for the year 1937 –38 that in the City of Quebec prophylaxis by inoculation of diphtheria toxoid was not used?
I have been asked to reply. The statement in question, which refers explicitly to the year 1936 and relates to the use of immunisation as a general measure, was based particularly on information published in "Health," the organ of the Health League of Canada, in December, 1937.
Surtax Payers
asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the large increase in the wealth of a number of persons with incomes exceeding£2,000 per annum, as is disclosed in the recent report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, he will appoint a Royal Commission to inquire as to what proportion of this wealth is derived from the manufacture of arms?
No, Sir. I may point out that the Surtax assessments dealt with in the report to which the hon. Member refers are those for the five years to 1936 –37 and therefore relate to incomes earned before the commencement of the defence programme. The growth indicated by the Surtax assessments for those years is but one among many indications of the gradual return of prosperity to this country after the disasters of 1931.
Development Schemes (Subsidies And Grants)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the approximate total of expenditure from national funds during 1937 –38, and the proposed estimated total for 1938 –39, in respect of development works and all subsidies and financial assistance to all branches of industry, agriculture, slum clearance, telephone development, and Special Areas, including and indicating the amount of financial aid, other than insurance, for unemployed?
| Statement of expenditure from national funds on development work, etc., as specified below. | |||
| Service. | Expenditure,1937–38 (actual). | Expenditure 1938 –39 (estimated).. | |
| £ | £ | ||
| 1 | Grants to Public Utility Companies under Part 1 of the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929. | 821,600 | 750,000 |
| 2 | Slum Clearance | 2,584,000 | 3.210,000 |
| 3 | Other Housing grants | 14,489,000 | 14,391,000 |
| 4 | Commissioners for the Special Areas | 4,467,000 | 7,942,000 |
| 5 | Financial Assistance in Special and other Areas | 8,000 | 800,000 |
| 6 | Grants in respect of Employment Schemes (Part 11 of Development, etc., Act, 1929). | 3,668,000 | 3,520,000 |
| 7 | Rural Water Supply Grants | 232,000 | 216,000 |
| 8 | Expenditure by Office of Works, on New Works, etc. | 985,300 | 1.495.500 |
| 9 | Transference, Training, etc. | 1,557.000 | 1,592,000 |
| 10. | Agricultural Development and Subsidies including Land Settlement. | 8,422,800 | 11,497,000 |
| 11. | Forestry | 750,000 | 800,000 |
| 12. | Fishery Development, including the Herring Industry | 153,600 | 134,900 |
| 13. | Grants by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to Research Associations. | 144.300 | 164,100 |
| 14. | Grants by Board of Trade to British Standards Institution | 3,100 | 3,500 |
| 15. | Grant by Board of Trade to National Register of Industrial Art Designers. | 2,200 | 2,000 |
| 16. | Civil Aviation Subsidies | 614,000 | 1,084,000. |
| 17. | Light Horse Breeding | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| 18. | Mechanical Transport Subsidy | 60 | — |
| 19. | Unemployment Assistance Allowances | 39,748,000 | 42,510,000 |
| 20. | Grants to Public Assistance Authorities | 382,000 | — |
| 21. | Road Fund Grants | 18,990,000 | 23,615,000 |
| 22. | Postal and Telephone Loan Expenditure | 17,153,000 | 21,343,000 |
| 23. | Advances to Cunard-White Star Company | 500,000 | 2,630,000 |
| 115,679,960 | 137,705,000 | ||
| Of the above items 1 to 21 are met out of moneys provided by Parliament. With the exception of a proportion of the expenditure under items 8 and 9 which is recovered from the Unemployment Fund and other Funds, the cost of items 1 to 21 falls directly upon the Budget in both years. The amount recoverable from Funds in respect of the two items mentioned may be estimated at£673,000 in 1937–38 and£647,000 in 1938–39. The net total charge on voted moneys for the items specified therefore is£97,353,960 in 1937–38 and£113,085,000 in 1938–39. | |||
China And Japan
asked the Prime Minister what are the terms of the reply to the recent Note to the Japanese Government on the subject of the open door in China; and, if the reply has not been received, when it is expected?
The British Note placed on record the attitude of His Majesty' s Government towards the Far Eastern situation in the light of Japanese official statements of policy. No reply has been received and the question of sending one must be a matter for the Japanese Government to decide.
asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware of the bombing of the
The total as shown in the following table is approximately£138,000,000 in 1938–39 as compared with£116,000,000 in 1937–38:Jenkin Robertson Hospital of the English Baptist Mission by 14 Japanese aeroplanes, when a Chinese nurse was killed and the X-ray department destroyed; whether he has any statement to make; and what action he has taken?
This hospital at Sian suffered three direct hits resulting in the total destruction of the operating-theatre, the X-ray department machine-room and two private wards. In addition, much damage was caused to adjoining buildings. These premises were clearly marked with two Union Jacks, one placed on the roof of one of the buildings and one spread out on the ground. One Chinese nurse was killed, but the foreign members of the hospital staff are reported to have escaped unharmed. A strong protest is being made to the Japanese Government. The Japanese Government are being reminded that the location of this Mission' s buildings was notified to the Japanese authorities and clear marks affixed in response to their request. The right to claim compensation is being reserved.
asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the Japanese are demanding 32 places in the Canton customs, including the positions of administrative deputy-commissioner, harbour master, and chief appraiser; whether these demands have been acceded to and, if so, what guarantees have been obtained that British shipping and British merchandise will secure fair treatment?
Yes, Sir. My Noble Friend is aware that these suggestions were put forward by the Japanese authorities, but he has at present no indication as to the exact extent to which they have been accepted. In any case, His Majesty' s Government have throughout made it clear that in their view changes now made in the numerical strength of the China Maritime Customs personnel are among the measures of a temporary nature which must be subject to re-consideration on the termination of the present hostilities.