asked the Minister of Food whether, now that the number of animals slaughtered in the central abattoirs has so greatly increased, due to the closing of private slaughter-houses, this work is operating under satisfactory conditions; and how Birmingham and other large centres of population are affected?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part of the Question, I can assure my hon. Friend that the supplies of home-killed meat in Birmingham and other large centres have been supplemented by imported meat whenever this has proved necessary to provide a reasonable quantity for the population concerned. Where temporary shortages have occurred during the recent severe weather these have been caused, not by the inadequacy of the slaughtering arrangements, but by the difficulties of moving livestock from the farms to the collecting centres or imported meat from the docks or cold stores to the distributing depots.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the serious discontent among retail butchers in the County Borough of West Ham as a result of the serious shortage of meat; and will he consider some change in the local arrangements in order that more adequate supplies are made available?

I have made inquiries and find that the officials of my Department responsible for the area have received no complaints as to shortages of meat by West Ham butchers. The quantity of meat available at the wholesale depot serving this area has been suffi- cient for all registered customers of the butchers linked to the depot. If the hon. Member has information respecting any specific complaints, I shall be glad if he will furnish me with particulars.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been called to the representations made by Scottish farmers as to the necessity for altering the present grading system of the Fat Stock Control Scheme; and whether steps can be taken to prevent the present discrepancy which often arises between the estimated dead-weight of stock and the actual weight of the carcase as finally dressed?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Ayr and Bute (Mr. Sloan) on 15th February. I would add that the Ministry has a staff of qualified inspectors whose duty it is to see that the work of certifying authorities is carried out fairly and uniformly throughout the country. I am satisfied that the grading procedure is operating fairly to producers as a whole and that this will be appreciated by farmers generally in the light of further experience of the scheme.

asked the Minister of Food whether arrangements can be made authorising the farmer to be supplied on demand with the actual killing-out weights of his cattle, or, alternatively, to enable the farmer to be present at the slaughter-house when the animals are killed?

I regret that the administrative difficulties involved by both the alternatives suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend render their adoption impracticable.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in order to maintain a fair price in the spring and avoid excessive prices during the winter, he will take steps to urge housewives to preserve the maximum number of eggs at home during the coming weeks?

Yes, Sir. The steps necessary for this purpose are already under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education how many children in reception, neutral, and evacuation areas are receiving, respectively, full-time, part-time, and no education?

Type of Area			Full-time education.		Part-time education (including Home Service Classes).		No education.
			Elementary.	Secondary.	Elementary.	Secondary.	Elementary.	Secondary.
Evacuation*		…	353,193	64,077	723,263	15,861	417,511	12,481
Neutral	…	…	808,143	90.733	237,103	8,189	24,699	332
* Includes certain children in neutral parts of county areas containing both neutral and evacuation zones, the figures for which were not given separately.

It will be understood that nearly two months has elapsed since the information on which these statistics are based was received, and that the number of children receiving part-time education or no education is decreasing rapidly. Figures for the evacuation areas are now being obtained fortnightly until all the children are in school. The number of children in neutral areas who are not getting full-time education is largely made up of children in the areas of a few local education authorities, with whom the Board are continually in touch. In the reception areas the position has hitherto been too fluid to make it possible to compile accurate statistics. Returns from reception areas are now being prepared by local education authorities and will be available shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with a view to increasing the national output and reducing the volume of unemployment, he will take immediate steps to secure a further expansion of bank credit?

No, Sir; I do not think a further extension of bank credit would ensure those results.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the reason why individuals are limited to a holding of

A summary of the returns relating to school attendance of elementary and secondary school children in evacuation and neutral areas in England and Wales which were received from local education authorities at the beginning of January, 1940, is given in the following table:£1,000 in 2½per cent. National Defence Bonds; whether he is aware that in the United States individual investors are allowed to invest up to £2,500 each year in a similar security; and whether he will allow an increase of the maximum for individual investors in National Defence Bonds in this country?

I assume that the hon. Member intends to refer, in the first part of his Question, to the 3 per cent. Defence Bonds issued since November last. Individual holdings of these bonds are limited because their special privileges—particularly the right to repayment at par on six months'notice—were designed for the small investor and would make borrowing in this form unduly expensive to the Government if they were extended to larger holdings. Those who have purchased their full quota of Defence Bonds can also hold 500 National Savings Certificates and will, of course, have other opportunities of lending further sums to the Government. The United States security to which the hon. Member refers is no doubt the United States Savings Bond, in which no person is allowed to invest more than $7,500 in any one year. In reply to the last part of the Question, I am satisfied that for the reasons I have given it would be inappropriate to increase the limit of £1,000 to holdings of 3 per cent. Defence Bonds.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the effect on the revenue and hardship caused to the trade, he will consider a reduction in the horse-power tax on motor vehicles in the forthcoming Budget?

While I cannot anticipate my Budget statement, I would refer to the reply given on 14th December to my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Sir J. Wardlaw-Milne).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the desirability of restricting expenditure at the present time, he will ascertain to what extent it would be possible to meet claims for increases of wages in various branches of the Civil Service, particularly the industrial Civil Service, by introducing pension schemes and other schemes for deferred payment under which the financial position of those concerned would be improved without enabling them to spend more during the war period?

The institution of a superannuation scheme for Government employés, including industrial employés, who are not eligible for pension under the Superannuation Acts does not, I fear, afford a practical means of encouraging the reduction of consumption, which is so desirable at the present time for all classes of the community.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that unemployed shorthand typists are being asked to pay a fee for obtaining work in Government Departments and whether it is the policy of the Government to use private fee-charging employment agencies for the purpose of filling temporary vacancies in Government Departments?

No, Sir. I am not aware of any such practice. It is the policy of the Government that vacancies for temporary staff in Government Departments shall be filled through the machinery of the Ministry of Labour.

asked the Minister of Economic Warfare whether he is aware that some of his officers requiring motorcars for their duties paste notices on the windscreen for the purpose of securing traffic advantages over other road-users; and will he call the attention of such officers to the Ministry of Transport's condemnation of this practice?

I have already adopted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the amount loaned to each of the undertakings concerned under the Railways (Agreement) Act, 1935; at what rate of interest; and what amounts, if any, have been repaid?

The amount raised by the Railway Finance Corporation, Limited, under the Railways (Agreement) Act, 1935, was £26,190,000 by the issue of £27,000,000 2½per cent. Guaranteed Debenture Stock 1951/52 at a price of 97 per cent. The approximate rate to the Corporation (allowing for redemption at par in 1952) was £2 14s. 8d. per cent, per annum.Under the Agreement between the Finance Corporation and the railway companies, the sum raised was available to the railway companies (at the same rate) in the following proportions:—Great Western Railway Company, 11/53rd parts (£5,435,660).London Midland and Scottish Railway Company, 18/53rd parts (£8,894,717).London and North Eastern Railway Company, 12/53rd parts (£5,929,811).Southern Railway Company, 12/53rd parts (£5,929,811).The expenses of management of the Corporation are borne by the railway companies in the same proportions. No amounts have been repaid; the stock is not finally repayable until 1st February, 1952, but it may be repaid on or after 1st February, 1951.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the amount loaned to each of the undertakings concerned under the London Passenger Transport (Agreement) Act, 1935; at what rate of interest; and what amounts, if any, have been repaid?

The amount raised by the London Electric Transport Finance Corporation, Limited, under the London Passenger Transport (Agreement) Act, 1935, was £39,966,250 by the issue of 2½ per cent. Guaranteed Debenture Stock 1950/55 as follows:—£32,000,000 Stock at 97 per cent.£9,650,000 Stock at 92½ per cent.The approximate rate to the Corporation (allowing for redemption at par in 1955) on the larger issue was £2 13s. 11d. per cent. per annum and on the smaller issue £3 0s. 8d. per cent. per annum.Under the Agreement between the Finance Corporation and the transport undertakers the sum raised was available to the transport undertakers (at the same rates) in the following proportions:—London Passenger Transport Board, 70 per cent. (£27,976,375)Great Western Railway Company, 5 per cent. (£1, 998,312).London and North Eastern Railway Company, 25 per cent. (£9,991,563)The expenses of management of the Corporation are borne by the transport undertakers in the same proportions. No amounts have been repaid; the stock is not finally repayable until 1st August, 1955, but it may be repaid on or after 1st August, 1950.

asked the Minister of Transport what amounts each of the four

Nominal capital of Four Amalgamated Railway Companies.
Company.								1923.	Increase as at 31st December, 1938.
								£	£
Southern.	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	149,467,772	12,322,231
Great Western		…	…	…	…	…	…	136,917,317	12,913,496
London Midland and Scottish					…	…	…	398,929,175	14,849,682
London and North Eastern				…	…	…	…	361,688,399	15,450,944
Total			…	…	…	…	…	£1,047,002,663	£55,536,353

Standard Revenue.
Company.								Standard Revenue fixed by Railway Rates Tribunal on 6th July, 1927.	Subsequent allowances in respect of additional capital raised or provided.
								£	£
Southern	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	6,631,479	464,391
Great Western		…	…	…	…	…	…	8,312,013	154,547
London Midland and Scottish					…	…	…	20,326,622	253,308
London and North Eastern				…	…	…	…	14,787,733	429,002
Total			…	…	…	…	…	£50,057,847	£1,301,248

This information is not yet available for 1939, but the figures for the year 1938 are:

	£
Southern Railway	173,556
Great Western Railway	246,049
London Midland and Scottish Railway	384,694
London and North Eastern Railway	377,147
	£1,181,446

asked the Minister of Transport whether the undertakings now under the control of the Railway Executive Committee will still be required to publish their annual accounts?

The undertakings will still be required to publish annual accounts, but as a result of the financial arrangements covering the control period they will necessarily be in an abridged form.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the original capital and standard revenue of the four group railway companies; and by what amounts they have been increased?

The following are the figures:

asked the Minister of Transport what arrangements have been made to ensure co-operation between the railways of Great Britain and the Northern Ireland Transport Board during the war period?

I am not aware of the need for any special arrangements between the railways of Great Britain and the Northern Ireland Transport Board. If my hon. Friend has any particular suggestion to make and will communicate it to me, I shall be glad to consider it.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether it is intended to introduce legislation to extend the provisions of the Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1939, to dwelling-houses owned by the freeholder or leaseholder of which he is in actual possession?

I have been asked to reply. I do not know the precise circumstances which the hon. Member has in mind, and can only reply that, in general, the Rent Restriction Acts are concerned with the duties and obligations of landlord and tenants, and do not apply to a house so long as no tenancy exists. Houses which were in the actual possession of their owners at the date of the passing of the Rent Restrictions Act, 1939, will, if within the relevant limits of rateable value, become controlled as soon as they are let after that date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the urgent need for knitted comforts for the members of His Majesty's Forces at home and abroad and of the fact that a large number of people who are eager to give their services voluntarily in this respect are debarred from doing so owing to the private expenses entailed in the purchase of wool, he will consider making a grant from the Exchequer to enable the wool to be supplied free of charge in all such cases?

I regret that I cannot see my way to adopting my hon. Friend's proposal.

asked the Home Secretary how many applications he has received from individuals for exit permits to proceed to Finland to fight for Finnish independence; and whether any organisations have applied on behalf of their members?

I understand that applications for exit permits will be made by the Finnish Aid Bureau in respect of volunteers accepted by the bureau, but I am not in a position to give figures.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the serious shortage of tractors in Scotland; and whether he will take steps to facilitate the import of tractors until this shortage has been overcome?

I am not aware that there is a serious shortage of tractors in Scotland. There have been some complaints of delay in obtaining delivery, but I am informed that delivery is now being expedited and that an ample supply will be available in the near future. In the meantime, licences to import tractors from abroad are being issued to the extent which is considered necessary, and the position is being kept constantly under review in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Agriculture.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many pairs of boots were produced in the month of November, 1939, in the United Kingdom, and the corresponding figure for November, 1938;(2) the output of woollen cloth in the United Kingdom during the month of November, 1939, and the corresponding figure for November, 1938?

I regret that the information desired is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the policy of the Government to issue import licences only to those firms which were trading before the war either with neutral or allied countries; what is the attitude of the Government to those British firms whose imports before the war were largely confined to Germany; are such firms now entitled to have licences and quotas allotted to them for imports from the neutral and allied countries, as otherwise they would be unable to continue their businesses?

Where the total amount of imports of a particular class of goods to be allowed from any country is small, licences are, as a rule, confined to firms which have previously imported those goods from that country. But there are many classes of goods for which licences to import from Empire countries or from France are granted to firms whose previous imports were wholly or mainly from enemy territory.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether any milling offals have been exported or re-exported from this country since the commencement of hostilities; if so, to which countries and in what quantities; and whether and to what extent the export or re-export of milling offals is at present permissible;(2) whether he will give an undertaking on behalf of the Government that the export or re-export of milling offals will be prohibited so long as there is a shortage of such offals for feeding-stuff purposes and until adequate reserves for all purposes have been accumulated?

The hon. Member will find particulars of the value of total exports and re-exports of feeding-stuffs for animals in the published Trade Accounts, on pages 4–6 for January and pages 5–7 in the case of other months. Publication of particulars of our trade with individual countries has been suspended since the outbreak of war. The export and re-export of milling offals is prohibited except under licence granted by the Board of Trade. Licences are granted only in exceptional cases after consultation with me Ministry of Agriculture and other interested Departments.

asked the Secretary for Mines the cost of imported petroleum and refined petroleum products, respectively, during 1939, and the value of re-exports?

I have been asked to reply. Publication of particulars of our trade in individual commodities has been suspended since the outbreak of war.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made with the investigation into the affairs of the Commonwealth, Australia, mining concerns, and when a report will be issued?

Investigations under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 1929, are being made into the affairs of Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mines and its seven associated companies. In view of the complexity of these investigations and the possibility that inquiries may have to be pursued in Australia, a considerable time must elapse before they can be concluded.

asked the Minister of Supply whether a large part of the Australian wool clip, unsuitable for military requirements, will be disposed of for direct shipment to countries which normally so purchase in Australia other than Allied countries and Dominions; and whether he will give the names of the committee dealing with this, and what is the procedure of disposal?

A considerable part of the Australian wool clip will be sold to countries which normally purchase wool in Australia. Lord Essendon, who has associated with him Mr. E. H. Murrant and Mr. W. E. Keville and who acts in collaboration with the Central Wool Committee in Australia, is responsible under the Ministry of Supply for the disposal of the wool. Purchases are made through the ordinary channels.

asked the Minister of Supply whether his attention has been drawn to the continued use of excessive tinfoil and paper on many commodities; and whether he proposes to limit the supplies available for this purpose?

An announcement in the Press on 9th February called attention to the restrictions placed on the supply of paper by the Control of Paper (No. 8) Order and to the need for economy in the use of paper for packing. It has not so far been found necessary to restrict the use of tinfoil for wrapping purposes.

asked the Postmaster-General what has been the average transit time for mails sent from London to New York each week since 1st January by the air-mail service, and vice versa; and whether the accumulation of such air mail at Lisbon and elsewhere has now been cleared up?

The Pan-American air service from Lisbon to New York is scheduled to operate twice each week, but I understand that owing to unfavourable weather conditions only seven flights were made during the period from 1st January to 8th February and that there have been intervals between flights of as much as 12 days. Consequently the times of transmission between London and New York have varied within wide limits, but the average time of transmission of correspondence conveyed by the flights actually made, excluding time occupied in collection and delivery, was about 14 days; the average in the reverse direction was about 12 days. I am informed that no westward flight from Lisbon has been possible since 8th February, but I am assured that mails which have accumulated at Lisbon in the meantime will be cleared as rapidly as possible when flights are resumed.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that there is a shortage of postal orders of some amounts, which renders necessary the purchase of two orders in order to cover normal business transactions; and, in such cases, will he make provision for a rebate on the frankage necessary until such time as the shortage complained of is remedied?

If the hon. Member will give me particulars of any cases in which difficulty has been experienced in purchasing orders of a particular value, I will have inquiry made, for there should be no shortage of any denomination. If a postal order of any denomination is temporarily out of stock at a post office, and two or more orders have to be issued to make up the required sum, counter clerks have definite instructions to charge only the poundage which would have been payable for the single order asked for.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any arrangements are in hand for the purpose of enabling non-manual workers with incomes up to £400 per annum to be included in the scheme of unemployment insurance?

The Government cannot see their way, in present circumstances, to propose an extension of the social services by such a measure as that suggested.

asked the Minister of Labour the total amount paid in standard benefit, and the amount paid by the Unemployment Assistance Board in County Durham during the year 1939?

This information is not at present available and could only be obtained by extracting details of the amounts paid at each of the Department's local offices in County Durham, week by week throughout the year. Having regard to the great pressure of work in my Department and the urgent need for economy, I do not feel justified, in present circumstances, in asking that these figures should be extracted. I shall be glad, however, to discuss with the hon. Member whether the purposes for which he requires the information could be served by the provision of other figures, more readily available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many appeals for postponement of service have been made to hardship committees on the ground that the applicant is the only son of a widow, and how many of such appeals have been granted?

The statistics of applications for postponement on the ground of exceptional hardship do not enable me to distinguish between those in which the hardship arises from the specific cause mentioned by the hon. Member and those in which it arises from other causes.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the following grades of workers who are employed in the publishing departments of newspapers come within the definition "warehousemen, who are responsible for the receipt and despatch of the publications of newspaper firms": circulation traveller, elevator hand, returns clerk, publisher's clerk, label hand, publisher, section charge hand, checker, station despatchers and commission workers on evening newspapers; and, in view of the fact that packers are performing one of the most responsible and one of the most arduous of the services in a newspaper publishing department, why they are not on the list of reserved occupations?

A publisher in charge of the publishing department is regarded as a "department manager (works, factory, etc.)," and is accordingly reserved at the age of 25. None of the other grades mentioned in the Question is reserved. Packers are not reserved in any branch of industry. The position of packers employed in the publishing departments of newspapers has been carefully considered on more than one occasion, and I am satisfied that their reservation would not be justified.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that medical men, who were members of medical boards during the last war, and in some cases have been on pensions medical boards subsequently, have been refused work on recruiting medical boards, although other medical men without such experience, and not necessarily resident in the district where the boards are assembled, have been appointed and allowed to attend every session; and whether he will remedy this unsatisfactory state of things, which is causing grave dissatisfaction amongst the medical profession?

As stated in reply to a Question put by the hon. Member on 27th July, 1939, members of medical boards are drawn from panels consisting of practitioners whose names are supplied by the British Medical Association. The work of the boards is distributed as evenly as practicable amongst the members of the panels. I am not aware of any grave dissatisfaction with these arrangements amongst the medical profession, and I do not think that it would be in the public interest to alter them.

asked the Prime Minister whether, with a view to counteracting in some measure the vigorous propaganda conducted in Holland by Germany, he will direct that in the near future there shall be a broadcast from this country in the Dutch language?

I have been asked to reply. A service in Dutch has been decided upon and will be started as soon as the necessary arrangements are completed.

asked the Prime Minister whether, since the American and Russian Embassies in China enjoy more favourable geographical proximity to the headquarters of the Chinese Government and so have easy access for commercial discussions and negotiations, he will consider moving the British Embassy to an equally favourable geographical position?

While his headquarters are at Shanghai, His Majesty's Ambassador pays frequent visits to Chungking and is in fact now there. When he is not at Chungking, contact is maintained with the National Government through the offices of His Majesty's Embassy, which are in charge of a senior member of the Embassy staff. These arrangements have been found to be most convenient in practice for the maintenance of touch with the British interests in different parts of China, and my Noble Friend does not consider that any modification is at present called for.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs how many natives in Southern Rhodesia were convicted under pass laws during the years 1938 and, if available, 1939?

The number of convictions in 1938 for contraventions of the Southern Rhodesia native pass laws, including offences under the Natives' Registration Act, was 13,273. I have not yet received the figure for the year 1939.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he can give an outline of the amounts and conditions of the Acts regarding old age pensions in operation in Canada, Australia and New Zealand?

In Canada non-contributory old age pensions are payable to British subjects from age 70, subject to certain conditions as to the means of the recipient. The maximum rate of pension is approximately $240. In Australia non-contributory old age pensions to an amount not exceeding £52 per annum are payable, in normal cases, to men at the age of 65, and to women at the age of 60. The pension is so graduated that the total income of the pensioner shall not exceed £84 10s. per annum. In both these cases pensions are payable only after continuous residence of 20 years.In New Zealand old age pensions have been on a contributory basis since the passing of the Social Security Act, 1938. Men and women receive £78 per annum on reaching age 60, provided that their income from other sources does not exceed £52 per annum and that their accumulated property does not exceed £500 in value. Such pensions are payable to persons who on the 15th March, 1938, had resided continuously for 10 years in New Zealand. For persons who were not so resident on that date, a period of continuous residence of 20 years is necessary. Under the same New Zealand Act superannuation allowances will be come payable from the 1st April, 1940, to all persons who reach the age of 65, without any restriction as to property and income, at the rate of £10 per annum for the first year, increasing by £2 10s. per annum in succeeding years until the maximum of £78 per annum is reach in 1968. Persons receiving "age benefit"(old age pension) on reaching the age of 65 may elect either to continue the age benefit or to receive a superannuation allowance.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the arrangement between the War Office and the National By-Products, Limited, for dealing with the waste food from military and other cookhouses; how far does the scheme cover the whole country; and at what prices is this swill bought by the company and sold to farmers?

The contract with National By-Products, Limited, covers the Aldershot Command and part of the Southern Command. It would be contrary to practice to disclose the terms of the contract. The prices charged by the contractor to farmers are not known to the War Office.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction existing among parents of serving soldiers who were granted a dependants' allowance in peace-time while the son was serving in the Militia which allowance has now been terminated owing to the clause in the regulations referring to the incapacity of the father of self-support, and, in view of the fact that these parents were granted an allowance in peace-time and receive nothing in wartime, causing considerable hardship, he will consider an alteration of the regulations?

Awards of dependants' allowance in respect of men called up for training in the Militia under the Military Training Act, 1939, were made under regulations drawn up with special reference to the particular conditions of the training in question, and the form of application on which they were entertained specifically stated that

"any allowance which may be authorised in respect of this application will be applicable only to the period of continuous initial training under peace-time conditions."

On general mobilisation, these payments should strictly have been discontinued and fresh awards made under the war-time regulations where the conditions prescribed by these are fulfilled, but it was decided to allow existing payments to continue until the current allowance books expired at the end of the present month, after which only cases which are covered by the war-time regulations will receive allowances.I undertook, at the close of the Debate on the Adjournment of the House on 18th January last, to review generally the provisions of the war-time scheme for the grant of dependants' allowances, and the particular provision referred to in the Question is one of the points covered by this undertaking. Until my review is completed, I am afraid I cannot give any assurance as to what, if any, changes will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for War what preparations are made in each military camp in Wales for medical attendance to the troops; and will he state the number of camps, number of men in training, and the number of medical men allotted for each camp?

Medical reception stations are provided in each camp with beds and medical personnel proportionate to the strength of troops in each case. I do not think it would be desirable to publish the numbers asked for.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the difficulty of obtaining supplies of domestic coal from the South Wales and other collieries owing to the breakdown of electric cables, he will secure that electricians at present undergoing military training should be drafted temporarily to pits to assist in getting cables into order again quickly?

Should the responsible civil authorities find themselves unable to deal with the situation and make a request to the Army for temporary assistance in this connection, the matter will be sympathetically dealt with.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will con- sider giving permission for members of His Majesty's Forces, home and overseas, to wear on the right breast the ribbons of the medals awarded to their fathers in the war of 1914–18?

My hon. Friend's suggestion has been examined, but it is not considered desirable to adopt it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, before putting in hand plans for the erection of factories for converting potatoes into cattle food, he will indicate what arrangements are to be made to provide that sufficient potatoes will be grown in this country to ensure that a surplus does materialise after full allowance for wastage of various kinds; and whether he will indicate to what extent a surplus, or deficiency, of potatoes may be said to have existed in this country during each of the past 10 years?

As stated by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food, on 13th December last, it is part of the Government's home food production campaign to secure a substantial increase in the acreage planted to potatoes this year, and for that purpose the arrangements with regard to minimum prices are designed to secure a fair and remunerative return to growers. It is not possible at the present juncture to give any indication of the acreage which will be planted to potatoes this year, much less to estimate the probable yield of the crop, which will depend largely on weather conditions.As regards the last part of the Question, I have no precise information as to the quantity of potatoes in any year which has been used for stock feeding, and manufacture, after the requirements of the market for human consumption have been met, but I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a statement of the annual supply of potatoes during the last 10 years, from which he will see that production has varied appreciably from one year to another.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the total sum which has been paid out to farmers who have ploughed up their land under the bonus scheme of £2 per acre?

Approximately 82,000 applications in England and Wales have been received covering approximately 1,000,000 acres. The number of applications paid and authorised for payment total 16,156. A further 3,000 are under examination. In the remaining cases the necessary certificates have not yet been received from the county war agricultural executive committees. The total amount paid or in process of payment to date in England and Wales is approximately £450,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that it has been estimated, after careful calculation, that unless conditions in connection with feeding-stuffs for poultry are remedied the country will be faced with an egg famine; and whether he is taking any steps to avert such a condition?

Although I have seen references to the matter, I am not aware of the estimates to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. The Government recognise that those producers who have relied in the past upon purchased cereals and cereal products, and are unable to substitute food of their own growing, may have to face some reduction in their poultry stocks. A close watch is being kept on the production situation, but a reduction in egg supplies on the

—					Bellshill District Library.	Larkhall District Library.	Cambuslang District Library-.
Number of Books issued:—
In January, 1940	…	…	…	…	29,515	13,599	14,280
Average for 12* months to January, 1940					27,850	11,729	14,773
Population served	…	…	…	…	32,000	18,000	25,000
* 10 months in the case of Bellshill District Library, which was opened at the end of March, 1939.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many partly-completed houses there were in Scotland at the last available date; on how many of these work had been stopped, and in the scale implied in my hon. and gallant Friend's Question is not expected.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been done by the Sutherland War Agricultural Committee to utilise the deer forests for grazing; and how many deer have been killed?

I understand that the committee have communicated with all owners of deer forests in the county on the subject of the utilisation of their forests for grazing cattle and sheep and that they have received a very favourable response to all inquiries. With regard to the second part of the Question, I have received returns for 11 forests where 375 hinds have been killed so far this winter. Two or three forests have yet to report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many books are issued monthly in the libraries of Bellshill, Larkhall, and Cambuslang, respectively; and what the respective population is in each of the districts served by these libraries?

The district libraries at the places mentioned serve county areas where the Public Libraries Acts have not been adopted. The following figures have been furnished by the county council. It is impossible to define exactly the area served by a county district library, and the population figures are accordingly estimated. case of how many was the stoppage due solely to want of timber; what suggestions he has made to local authorities to complete houses with substitute materials in place of timber; and whether he has any statement to make regarding the success attending such suggestions?

At 31st December, 1939, 24,605 houses in Scotland being built under the Housing (Scotland) Acts were partly completed. Apart from temporary stoppage due to the weather, work was proceeding on rather more than half of these at that date. Information of the number of stoppages due solely to lack of timber is not available. The possibility of completing houses with substitutes for timber has been under active consideration by the technical staff of the Department of Health for Scotland, and they are now in process of discussing the matter in detail with the advisers of a number of local authorities who have also been examining the problem.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Maghull, Lancashire, is scheduled as a reception area; and whether, in view of the numerous military objectives in the neighbourhood, he will reconsider this decision?

The rural district in which the parish of Maghull is situated is considered suitable as a reception area under the Government scheme in view of the opportunities for dispersal within the area. It has been left to the local authority to distribute between the various villages in any local government area the number of persons evacuated to the district as a whole.

asked the Minister of Health the arrangement which has been made for billeting allowances for evacuated teachers; and whether, in view of the delay which has been caused by the prolonged consideration of the scale to be adopted, the application of the scale will be made retrospective?

The billeting allowances and the date of their application are both under close consideration with the teachers' representatives, with a view to a satisfactory and agreed arrangement.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can make it clear that parents who have withdrawn their child, or children, from a certain home in a reception area have no right to expect or demand that the householders shall, at any time convenient to the parents, again receive the child, or children, who were removed, in many cases in spite of protests by the reception area hosts?

Local authorities have been instructed to withdraw the billeting forms when children are removed from their billets. No householder can be required again to receive such a child unless a fresh billeting form has been issued. This could be done only by the billeting officer in the receiving area.

asked the Minister of Health what is the policy of his Department regarding children of school-leaving age who occupy billets in reception areas; whether, in consultation with the Board of Education, special instruction in technical training on work on the land or at domestic economy centres is being arranged; and under what authority or control are such children who have left school and have not been provided with further occupations?

It is intended that the billeting of the children who were evacuated in school parties with their teachers should be continued so long as they are in attendance at school. As to the character of the instruction being given, either before or after the children reach the school-leaving age I understand that this is a matter for the education authority concerned and for the Board of Education. As to the last part of the Question any such children who have left school are in the same position as children elsewhere, that is to say they are under the control of their parents whether they have or have not obtained employment.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the financial hardship caused to poor people, he will order the withdrawal of Circular 1941, which states that his Department will not reimburse expenses incurred in bringing back deceased evacuees to their original homes?

I am not aware that the procedure to which the hon. Member refers has involved hardship, but if he has any particular cases in mind, I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is able to form an estimate of the number of persons over 65 years of age in Great Britain who have fallen out of insurance, or from other reasons are disqualified for the receipt of contributory old age pensions?

I regret that I am not in a position to furnish the hon. Member with such an estimate.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can now make a statement on the question of what immediate and effective steps are to be taken to increase the production of oil from coal?

I am not yet in a position to do so, but I shall be glad to discuss the matter with the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that Shettleston Co-operative Society, Limited, require 600 tons of coal weekly in order to supply their registered customers, and this past week received no tons, and other traders are in a similar position; and what does he intend to do in order to prevent suffering and loss of employment?

I am aware of the coal requirements of the Shettleston Co-operative Society. I am advised that last week the society received 250 tons and that arrangements have been made for future daily deliveries to the equivalent of 600 tons weekly.

asked the Secretary for Mines why, during the middle of January, the Ministry of Mines augmented the supplies of coal to the railways; to what extent this led to a reduction of the cheaper coal that should have been delivered to Glasgow for domestic use; and how many tons were so diverted to the railways?

Owing to a threatened shortage of coal for the maintenance of essential railway services, 350 tons of coal were diverted to the railways on each of three days. Some of this coal might otherwise have been used as house coal