asked the Prime Minister (1) whether, in view of the gravity of the international situation and the necessity for quick action, His Majesty's Government will give favourable consideration to the proposal for summoning immediately a conference of the Powers whose interests lie in the preservation of peace in Eastern Europe;

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made yesterday, to which I have nothing at present to add.

Can my right hon. Friend give the House an assurance that whatever form of pact may emerge, if a pact does emerge, His Majesty's Government will maintain the closest touch and co-operation with the Government of the Soviet Union?

Before the Prime Minister replies—

Answer.

The Government are in touch with the Government of the Soviet Union.

I was only going to ask whether it would not be better to leave this matter in the hands of the Prime Minister?

asked the Prime Minister whether, in relation to a long-term policy for securing permanent inter national co-operation, the recognition and observance of international law, and the removal of unnecessary rivalry between peace-loving Powers, His Majesty's Government will consider the possibility of an approach towards a form of federal relationship between those Powers?

I fear that in present circumstances there is little prospect of progress being possible on the lines suggested by the hon. Member.

Seeing that some kind of federal agreement is a probability in the days or the years to come, will not the hon. Gentleman give some indication of movement towards that end?

I have told the hon. Member that circumstances make this very difficult, but we will certainly bear his desire in mind.

asked the Prime Minister whether consideration is being given to the desirability of summoning a special meeting of the Council of the League of Nations in view of the gravity of the international situation?

asked the Prime Minister whether he is prepared to bring the present international situation formally before the Council of the League of Nations?

As I informed the hon. Member for Central Southwark (Mr. Day) on 13th March, His Majesty's Government are fully aware of the value of the League's organisation for the furtherance of international consultation and collaboration, but under the present circumstances they do not propose to take the initiative of summoning a special Council meeting to consider the international situation.

Will the Government bear in mind the moral value of having the backing of the Covenant of the League for any action that might have to be taken in the situation?

I will certainly bear that in mind.

Has there been a moment since the League was founded when it was more necessary to call the Council together?

I have informed the House of the Government's attitude towards the League, and I have said that in present circumstances we do not intend to call the Council together.

Is it the case that if some other Government were to take the initiative the British Government would wholeheartedly co-operate?

I should want to examine the situation afresh in the light of the circumstances.

asked the Prime Minister the dates and terms of all proposals for a conference of Powers made by the Russian Government within the last 15 months and the respective replies given by His Majesty's Government thereto?

There appear to have been two such proposals. The first was made on 17th March, 1938, and I would refer the hon. Member in this connection to the Prime Minister's statement on 24th March of last year. The second was a proposal put forward by the Soviet Government on 18th March of this year for a conference of certain States to discuss the possibilities of common action. It has been made clear in recent statements that His Majesty's Government are in active consultation with other interested Governments upon the issues arising from recent events, and it would in our view be preferable at the present time to conduct consultations through the ordinary diplomatic channels.

May I take it that the matter of a conference is not excluded from the Government's mind?

The attitude of the Government has been expressed in the answer which I have just given.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that if the ordinary diplomatic channels are very slow we may once again find ourselves forestalled by speedier and more resolute action on the part of the Chancellor of the Reich?

I do not think any action is excluded, but I have stated the attitude of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the advisability of this country adhering to the Franco-Soviet Pact?

No, Sir. The Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance is a bilateral agreement which contains no provision for the accession of other Powers.

In view of the fact that this is a purely defensive pact within the collective machinery of the League of Nations and is open to any nations for signature, will not the Government very carefuly study the possibilities in the present circumstances?

The Treaty of Mutual Assistance is a bilateral agreement which contains no provision for the accession of other Powers.

Can my right hon. Friend tell the House what is the French view of the Franco-Soviet Pact?

Does not that pact allow for the signature of other countries such as Germany and Poland?

It is a bilateral agreement which contains no provision for the accession of other Powers.

Is the possibility of a pact excluded—not necessarily this pact—between this country and the Soviet Union?

I must refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Prime Minister.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of German propaganda alleging ill-treatment of German residents in Poland and its effect on the present state of tension between the two countries, His Majesty's Government will be willing to send neutral observers to Poland, if the Polish Government approved?

The initiative in a matter of this kind must rest with the Polish Government, who have not approached us.

May I ask whether, in view of recent developments, it is still expected that the Polish Foreign Minister will come to London next week, and whether these matters will be discussed with him, bearing in mind that the same technique is being applied to Poland as was applied to Czecho-Slovakia?

Yes, Sir, we are expecting the Polish Foreign Minister, and I have no doubt that many matters will be discussed with him.

asked the Prime Minister whether any conversations took place between British Ministers and French representatives during the visit of the French President in regard to the inauguration of compulsory National Service in Great Britain?

This question was discussed, but I cannot divulge what passed in the course of these conversations.

Has not the right hon. Gentleman seen the widely quoted statement attributing to him the assurance that some form of compulsory service would be introduced into this country at an early date, and is he in a position to give a categorical denial to this statement?

I do not think it is right to ask me to state what passed in a private conversation. I would ask hon. Members not to pay attention to entirely unauthorised statements.

Is that entirely in accord with the reference which the Prime Minister made yesterday to a speech at Birmingham, which was also of a semi-private nature?

Did the Prime Minister take the initiative in these discussions with the French Ministers regarding compulsory service?

I did not say that the French Ministers had asked for such discussions. All I said was that I could not divulge what took place.

Will the Prime Minister divulge this next Monday?

asked the Prime Minister whether he can make a statement as to the present position in Inner Mongolia; and, according to the information in his possession, will be state approximately the number of Japanese troops reported to be in that district?

The present form of government in Inner Mongolia consists of a loose federation known as the Mongolian Frontier Joint Commission, composed of the Autonomous Government of the United Leagues of Mongolia and the two smaller autonomous governments of South Chahar and North Shansi. The former controls the greater part of the area in question and maintains its own army. These governments have not yet been formally recognised by the Japanese Government. Japanese troops are reported to be stationed at various points along the Peking-Suiyuan railway, but my Noble Friend has no accurate information as to the actual numbers in question.

How does the occupation of this territory by Japanese troops affect the pledge given by them in the Nine-Power Treaty?

I should have to have that investigated.

asked the Prime Minister particulars of any settlement and/or payment that has been arrived at between the Japanese Government and the British authorities in respect of compensation or damages for loss of life and/or property caused by the Japanese aeroplane raid carried out over the border of British-leased territory near Shamchun in the Hong Kong territory?

Yes, Sir. The sum of $20,000 has been paid by the Japanese authorities to the Government of Hong Kong to cover all these claims, the exact amount of which is not yet known.

Can the Minister say how many British subjects were wounded in addition to those killed?

I was asked a question about the amount of the compensation for damage. If the hon. Member will put down a question about the number of wounded, I will answer it.

asked the Prime Minister whether any response has been received from General Franco to the inquiries made by His Majesty's Government with regard to the possible evacuation of refugees from the territories of Republican Spain; and whether any further steps can be taken to facilitate the evacuation of such refugees?

No, Sir. I regret I have at present nothing further to add to previous replies on this subject. The Exchange Commission are in touch with both parties with a view to furthering some agreement whereby an orderly evacuation of a limited number of refugees can take place.

In view of the fact that more than a fortnight has elapsed since the British Government made inquiries of General Franco, and in view of the urgency of the matter, is it not possible to take some further steps?

As I informed the House last week, we have made a further inquiry, and I regret that we have nothing more to report.

In the meantime have not the Foreign Office warned British ships that were going to take refugees away of the danger of doing so?

I should want to make inquiries before replying.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not well aware of the correspondence that has taken place with some of these ships, notably one from Manchester, of the danger if they attempted to take refugees off?

In order to give the right hon. Gentleman an accurate answer I should prefer to investigate the point.

Having regard to the new position in Spain, will the Government give an assurance that they will use their influence with General Franco's Government to safeguard the position of the refugees?

We will certainly do our best for them.

Is it not a fact that ships are waiting at this moment in Valencia harbour ready to take off refugees and that all that is required is one word from the British Government and these persons lives could be saved?

I appreciate the importance of the hon. Member's point, and I believe that he is bringing a deputation to see me immediately upon this matter.

What instructions have been given to the British Navy to help to evacuate these Republicans?

Those instructions have been communicated to the House and I will take steps to inform the hon. Member of them.

What reason is there to believe that the lives of these people are in danger?

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any statement to make concerning the presence of German troops or material in Libya?

No, Sir. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton East (Mr. Mander) on 1st March, to which I have nothing to add.

Have the Government no confirmation whatever of the very circumstantial statements which have appeared concerning the presence of these men in the area of Libya?

We do not believe that there are many men according to our information.

Has the right hon. Gentleman made further inquiries since 1st March?

Yes, Sir, we have made inquiries, and the information is that which I have given to the House.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman believe that there are some men and material there?

I would not exclude the fact that there was a German man or men in Libya.

Is it not a fact that Field-Marshal Goering is going to Libya to see Marshal Balbo?

asked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government were kept informed by the Rumanian Government of the progress of the German-Rumanian trade negotiations prior to their conclusion; and whether any advice was sought by the Rumanian Government in respect of them?

No, Sir.

asked the Prime Minister whether His Majesty's Government have been informed by the French Government of the contents of the Italian Note of 17th December, 1938; and whether, in view of the importance of this document, he will communicate its contents to the House?

The text of the note referred to was communicated confidentially to His Majesty's Government at the time by both the French and Italian Governments. This note has not as yet been published either in France or in Italy, and in these circumstances I am not at present in a position to communicate its contents to the House. I understand, however, that it may be published in the near future.

asked the Prime Minister whether the recent consultation with the Egyptian Government regarding the adjustment of the boundary between Italian East Africa and the Sudan has terminated; whether the memorandum bodying the joint proposals of His Majesty's Government and the Egyptian Government for the adjustment of the boundaries between Italian East Africa and the Sudan and the memorandum of His Majesty's Government with regard to Kenya and British Somaliland have been submitted to the Italian Government; and what further discussions are to take place?

The answers to the first two parts are in the affirmative. Further discussions are expected to take place on the receipt of such suggestions as the Italian Government on their side may wish to offer for the rectification of the frontiers between Italian East Africa on the one hand and Kenya, Somaliland and the Sudan on the other, in order to facilitate the administration of those territories and to improve the position of the tribes in the areas adjoining the frontiers.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what action is being taken with regard to the recommendations of the committee under the chairmanship of Lord Gorell which has recently reported on certain matters connected with civil aviation in this country?

The recommendations are now being examined in detail by my Department in consultation with the other Departments concerned. I hope to be in a position to make a full statement shortly and to indicate the steps that will be taken to give effect to the approved proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will have inquiries made into the treatment, at the hands of the police and military, of Mr. George Pratt, general secretary of the War Department Amalgamated Workers Union of Sierra Leone, while he was imprisoned; and what action has now been taken in this case?

Mr. Pratt has been committed to the Supreme Court for trial on a charge of false imprisonment, and on 7th March he was admitted to bail. I am informed that while on remand he was never approached or spoken to by any military or police officer and that he had made no complaint, either whilst in prison or since admission to bail. He was seen in prison by two Members of this House who happened to be in Sierra Leone and to them he said that he had received every consideration and that he was well treated. The Acting-Governor is entirely satisfied that the allegations of ill-treatment are without the least foundation, and indeed that they are a deliberate misrepresentation.

Would the Minister inform us who were the two Members of this House?

They were the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. C. Davies) and the hon. and gallant Member for West Birkenhead (Colonel Sandeman Allen).

In view of the fact that the Government are liable to get no information or wrong information, is it not possible that my information is more correct?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made in Nigeria in respect to a reasonable workmen's compensation law?

The question has been under consideration by a committee set up by the Government of Nigeria, and a draft Bill, which is in course of preparation, is forming the subject of correspondence between that Government and the Governments of the other West African territories. I hope that it will be found possible for the legislation to be enacted at an early date.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consult his colleague on this matter, because this question has been raised so many times in the past and has been similarly treated, and in view of the urgency of the matter I would like something to be done soon.

I will certainly call the attention of my right hon. Friend to what the hon. Member has to say, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the matter has not been lost sight of, either in Nigeria or in London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will take steps to enable foreigners who have resided in Mandated Territories for at least five years to apply for and receive British naturalisation?

His Majesty's Government are considering the introduction of legislation which, if passed, would enable residents in Mandated Territories to become eligible for naturalisation as British subjects. It is not yet possible to say when such legislation is likely to be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total area of the Gold Coast, including Togoland; the extent of the land owned by the Crown, and the area legally granted to non-natives; the area of Nigeria; and its distribution as between non-natives and natives, respectively?

The total area of the Gold Coast, including Togoland under British Mandate, is 91,843 square miles, and the extent of the land owned by the Crown is 185 square miles. The areas legally granted to non-natives under the Northern Territories Land and Native Rights Ordinance total approximately 0 34 square miles. For other parts of the Gold Coast no record is kept of lands held by non-native owners. Of the 372,599 square miles which comprise the total area of Nigeria, including Cameroons under British Mandate, 371,448 (or 99.6 per cent.) are held by natives and 1,151 (or 0.4 percent.) by non-natives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the section of the Orde-Browne Report dealing with the treatment of juvenile delinquencies and young prisoners; and whether steps are being taken to deal with the social problem described on pages 70 and 71 of that report?

Yes, Sir. I am aware of the importance of dealing with this problem, and further examination is being made in Northern Rhodesia into the incidence of juvenile delinquency, with a view to a definite scheme being formulated for the care and education of such delinquents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the appointment of an administrative officer from Northern Rhodesia to travel about Southern Rhodesia to supervise the conditions in which the natives from the North Colony are employed, recommended by the International Colonial Agreement of 1936, has yet been made; and whether action in this matter is being considered?

The Government of Northern Rhodesia appointed a Labour Officer in July, 1938, to reside in Southern Rhodesia and carry out the functions indicated in Clause 13 of the Agreement referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the emergency regulations now operating in Hong Kong empower the police to arrest and expel anyone who appears to have no regular employment in the Colony; and whether, to avoid unjustactions, he will ensure that such cases are submitted to a court of law?

I am aware of this emergency regulation, and, while emergency conditions in and around Hong Kong persist, I consider that the regulations are fully justified and that no injustice need be apprehended.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that under the existing regulations arbitrary and unjust action might be taken, and that that is not a very good advertisement for our government of Hong Kong?

I think that perhaps the hon. Member does not sufficiently realise the conditions in Hong Kong. At the present time many thousands of refugees are coming into Hong Kong under extraordinary conditions, and extraordinary methods are required.

Is there any redress for entirely innocent persons against what appears to be the arbitrary manner in which the police are acting?

These are special regulations to enable the police, in almost impossibly difficult circumstances, to deal with these thousands of refugees.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether energetic measures are being taken to secure the arrest and prosecution of the persons who recently assaulted Canon Fitzpatrick in Mauritius?

I have so far received no report from the Governor of Mauritius on this subject. I have no doubt that all proper police measures will have been taken should any such assault have occurred.

Could my right hon. Friend make representations to that effect to the Governor of Mauritius?

If my hon. Friend has any reason to suppose that the ordinary process of law would not be pursued, I would ask for an inquiry, but it is impossible, as my hon. Friend will realise, to make inquiries about every incident.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now consider the setting up of a Ministry of Information, which would be responsible for all national propaganda at home and abroad and also generally supervise all Ministerial publicity departments?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for the Kingswinford Division of Staffordshire (Mr. A. Henderson) on 29th November last.

asked the Paymaster-General, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he can give an assurance that in allocating money to the Medical Research Council for the formation of a cancer research unit he will make it a condition that no such grant shall be used for experiments on animals?

No, Sir. My Noble Friend would not be prepared to make any such condition.

Is the Noble Lord aware that these experiments for the purpose of finding a cure for cancer have been going on for well over 30 years without the slightest results, and that thousands of animals have been sacrificed and tortured?

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he can make a statement on the progress of the organisation of air-raid wardens in London under the police?

I have been asked to reply. After careful consideration of the representations made by the Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee and by representatives of the local authorities in the remainder of the Metropolitan Police District my right hon. Friend has decided that the recruitment and preliminary training of wardens in this area should remain a function of the local authorities, but that their organisation and practical training in time of peace and operations in time of war should be under the control of the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, acting through a principal warden. The local authorities concerned were informed of this decision on Friday last. Mr. Arthur Howard, chief warden of the Westminster Air-Raid Wardens' service, has accepted the post of principal warden, and he will shortly be getting into touch with the local authorities with a view to arranging the details and time of the transfer. In the meantime, in accordance with the request made to them on 24th February, the Metropolitan boroughs have been submitting to Sir Philip Game their proposals for the number and siting of wardens' posts. A number of such proposals has been dealt with and authority given to bring the posts approved to such a stage of preparation as will enable them to be used for exercises and immediately upon the occurrence of an emergency.

Is a grant available for the equipment of wardens' posts?

In general, I understand that this new arrangement will not affect the incidence of cost as between the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the local authorities.

Will Mr. Howard give the whole of his services to the work of organisation, or is it a part-time job?

I would like notice of that, but I understand Mr. Howard gives his services without remuneration.

Is the Minister not aware that the Metropolitan Police area extends beyond the London County Council area, and, that being so, does he not think it would be advisable to consult all the authorities within the Metropolitan Police area?

I understand that further consultation is taking place, but I will put the point to my right hon. Friend.

Is my right hon. Friend's statement that Mr. Howard would serve without remuneration intended to convey the impression that this is a voluntary appointment?

I do not mean it to convey anything more than it says.