asked the Minister of Labour whether having regard to the labour requirements of agriculture during the expansion period ahead, he will take steps to see that farmers' sons and farm workers between the ages of 18 and 20 will have their military duty postponed?

No agricultural workers between the ages of 18 and 20 are being called up under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, as persons between those ages are not at present liable to be called up for service.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider issuing a statement to explain exactly what is meant by asking for an extra 10 per cent. of grassland to be ploughed, as considerable confusion exists in the minds of farmers as to the amount of land which they are individually expected to plough?

The Government desire that at least 10 per cent. of the total acreage of permanent and temporary grassland recorded in the annual Agricultural Returns in june last should be ploughed up and sown to cereals or other suitable arable crops for next year's harvest. If any individual farmer is in doubt as to the amount of land which he should himself plough in view of any special circumstances obtaining on his farm, he should consult his County War Agricultural Executive Committee, who are generally responsible for the ploughing up campaign in their area.I hope that the publicity given to this reply will remove any confusion that may exist.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he has taken to ensure that the centralisation of meat control, which he is proposing to establish at various centres, will not result in a confusion similar to that created by the attempt to control the sale of fish?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for East Fife (Mr. Henderson Stewart).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information whether he will state the Departments from which Civil servants were drawn from service upon their appointments to the Ministry of Information, and the occupation of all other persons, excluding clerical staff, prior to their ministerial appointments, in London and the provinces, respectively?

Following is the list of Departments from which the Civil servants now employed at the headquarters of the Ministry have been drawn:

• Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
• Air Ministry.
• British Museum.
• Civil Service Commission.
• Colonial and Dominions Offices.
• Customs and Excise.
• Board of Education (including National Fitness Council and Victoria and Albert Museum).
• Food (Defence Plans) Department.
• Foreign Office.
• India Office.
• Ministry of Health.
• Home Office.
• Ministry of Labour.
• Land Registry.
• Lord Chamberlain's Office.
• National Savings Committee.
• Ministry of Pensions.
• Post Office.
• Office of the Public Trustee.
• Scottish Office.
• H.M. Stationery Office.
• Board of Trade.
• Ministry of Transport.
• H.M. Treasury.
• Unemployment Assistance Board.
• University Grants Committee.

The Civil servants employed in the Regional offices of the Ministry have been drawn from the Board of Education, the Board of Inland Revenue and the Unemployment Assistance Board. It will involve too much time and labour to ascertain the previous occupations of the non-Civil servants employed by the Ministry, but if my hon. and learned Friend wishes to press this part of the question, and will be content with a reply in general terms, I will endeavour to satisfy him if he will repeat his Question later.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Information whether he can make any statement with reference to the release to the Press on 26th September by the Ministry of Information, about 9 o'clock a.m., of a certain piece of information, its cancellation about 10 a.m., and its subsequent further release about 10.30 a.m.; and whether, in view of the difficulties involved in such changes of plan, he can take steps to see that, so far as is possible, in the future a matter of this nature is not subject to such alteration of decision?

An error on the part of an officer of the Censorship Division led to the premature release of the information to the Press and the circumstances made it essential to correct this error immediately upon its discovery. The information was again released as soon as it was possible to do so. My noble Friend greatly regrets this error and the inconvenience which it caused to the Press. It is hoped that such errors will not be repeated as the Censorship staff gain in experience and my hon. Friend can rest assured that everything possible is being done to prevent any repetition.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider introducing legislation in the near future with a view to reducing the facilities for drinking, particularly in those towns in which soldiers are billeted?

Such further information as my right hon. Friend has been able to obtain since he answered Questions on this subject last week confirms the view that it would be premature to come to a conclusion on the question whether further legislation on this subject may be necessary.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take some early opportunity, either by a statement in this House or by a White Paper, to indicate the revised policy of his Department in regard to evacuation, in view of the many grave reports from the clerks to local authorities in reception areas in all parts of the country, in order to assure rural areas that the errors of the existing scheme have been appreciated and will now be adjusted, and thus allay the increasing feeling of distress and unrest in many districts?

My Department, both at Headquarters and through the regional organisations in the country, is constantly engaged in seeking to adjust the difficulties and hardships to which so large a movement, carried through of necessity in so short a time, have inevitably given rise. In this connection full account is being taken of the many reports, both official and unofficial, from the receiving areas, for which my Department is most grateful. Improvements and developments, and revision of policy where called for, are being indicated in communications to the local authorities, such as Circular 1871, recently issued. A circular on medical arrangements will shortly be sent out.I should like to pay a tribute to the vigour and good will with which the receiving areas are tackling the problem, and to assure them that, both in administration and in the development of policy, their representations, notably on the difficulties of the reception of adults and the necessity of adequate medical examination of evacuated school children, are receiving, and will receive, full weight.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the representations now being made by householders as to the difficulty of feeding growing children over 16 years of age billeted on them for the payment of 8s. 6d. a week, he proposes to publish any official menus, prepared by his Department, showing how this can be successfully done?

I am advised that it is not practicable to prescribe standard menus in view of the variety of individual and local circumstances and tastes: but helpful suggestions may be obtained from a leaflet entitled "Information on Evacuation for Householders" issued by the Women's Voluntary Services. The specimen meals there suggested for children of school age may, I am advised, be taken as applicable to older children.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can now state the number of schoolchildren who are understood to have returned from evacuation areas, and the number of mothers who have equally returned?

Full information is not at present available on the point raised by my hon. Friend but I have asked local authorities for a return.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether county education authorities in the reception areas of the evacuation scheme have been asked to submit reports as to what steps must at once be taken to provide adequate educational facilities for the evacuated children and their teachers without imposing a charge on the local rates, in order that the present unsatisfactory position can be rectified before the wintry weather further complicates matters?

In many of the reception areas the problem of accommodation for the evacuated children and their teachers is being solved by working double shifts in the existing schools. In other cases it is being dealt with by the hiring of temporary premises. His Majesty's Inspectors are in close touch with the Authorities of these areas and are giving advice, where necessary, as to the securing of temporary premises. If my hon. Friend knows of cases in which the present position is unsatisfactory, perhaps he would be good enough to let me know.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the cost per head incurred by the London County Council in its White City housing scheme?

I am informed that the cost per head of the portion of this scheme which has been completed or is in process of completion is estimated at £139. This figure includes the cost of land and of the necessary roads and sewers as well as of the building.

asked the Home Secretary how many applications for naturalisation were refused during 1938; how many persons granted naturalisation during the last five years have been convicted of offences; and how many certificates of naturalisation have been revoked during that period?

The number of applications for naturalisation refused in 1938 was 136. No notification is ordinarily received in my Department when a naturalised person has been convicted of an offence, unless the conviction renders the holder of the certificate liable to loss of his British nationality, i.e. when he has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than 12 months, or to a term of penal servitude, or to a fine of not less than £100. During the five years ending December 31st, 1938, a total of six certificates have been revoked. Only one of these was revoked as a result of a conviction.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he has considered the representations from the miners trade union with regard to the effect of mine atmosphere on civilian gas-masks; and whether he proposes to issue a special mask for use in the coal-mines?

Representations with regard to the gas masks provided for use by miners have been made to me this week by the Mineworkers' Federation. The matters raised are being investigated and I hope to be in a position to deal with them in the course of the next few days.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that many of the joinery manufacturers in the country are likely to close down owing to the fact that they are only working to about one-third capacity; and whether Government orders are likely to be placed with the industry at an early date or is the Government itself contemplating establishing a joinery factory or factories?

As far as the Ministry of Supply is concerned joinery is a class of work for which the capacity available in the country is far in excess of the Ministry's requirements. In the circumstances my right hon. Friend does not contemplate the establishment of a factory.

asked the Minister of Supply whether the controllers appointed by his Department are required to resign any directorships they may hold in companies engaged in the production of the materials or goods which they are appointed to control?

My right hon. Friend has made it clear to all controllers of raw materials whom he has appointed that they must cease for the time being from any active participation in business enterprises in any way connected with the industry, the raw materials of which they are controlling. The same rule applies to members of their staff. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that this rule is being observed in the letter and in the spirit.