asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what members of His Majesty's Government are in receipt of service pensions and also in receipt of Parliamentary salaries?

I presume that by Parliamentary salaries the hon. Member means Ministerial salaries: Ministers who receive such salaries do not also receive any salary as Members of Parliament. No member of His Majesty's Government is receiving, in addition to his Ministerial salary, any pension or any half-pay in respect of service with His Majesty's Forces. Two Ministers, namely, the Minister without Portfolio and the Secretary of State for the Home Department, are in receipt of Civil Service pensions, earned in respect of their past service under the Crown.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what conditions financial assistance can be given during the war to make possible the restoration of some building or undertaking which it is considered desirable in the public interest to restore; and whether there is any possibility that such assistance can be given during the war to proprietors of piers which are severely damaged and rendered unusable by the explosion of enemy mines?

The Essential Buildings and Plant (Repair of War Damage) Act, 1939, provides that, subject to various conditions, the appropriate Minister may in certain circumstances furnish, by way of loan, financial aid for restoration of war damage. A condition precedent of any such aid is that the Minister shall be satisfied that the building to be repaired is used for purposes which in his opinion are essential to the welfare of the civil population. In the case of piers, the appropriate Minister would normally be the Minister of Transport, though in certain circumstances—for example, that of a fishing harbour in England or Wales whose pier had suffered war damage—the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries might be the appropriate Minister. In Scotland the Secretary of State or the Minister of Transport would be the appropriate Minister, according to circumstances. As regards the last part of his Question, my hon. Friend will see that the possibility of financial aid during the war will depend on the circumstances of each particular case, and I would ask him to submit details of the case he may have in mind to the Minister of Transport.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to reduce national expenditure, he will exercise the Treasury control of credit-rates by not accepting from the discount market in future, tenders at the rate of less than £100 1s. for 90 days Treasury Bills per cent., instead of the recently accepted tenders at the slightly more expensive rate of £99 14s. 11d. for 89 days Treasury Bills?

No, Sir. The problem of attracting the very large sums of money which the Government now have to raise by the issue of Treasury Bills for the prosecution of the war cannot be solved by suggestions of this kind, even if they are not carried to the extreme length of requiring those who tender for Treasury Bills to pay for the privilege of lending their money to the Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what exact powers he has taken under the emergency legislation to require the Bank of England to change the bank rate; and whether he is satisfied that such powers are sufficient in view of the fact that the London clearing banks have decided not to reduce their call-money rate unless the bank rate is reduced, with the consequent heavy charge for high Treasury Bills rates?

The Government have taken no such powers as those referred to in the first part of the Question, and the second part therefore does not arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many motor vehicles, in categories and according to horse-power, were licensed as at 31st January, 1939; what was the total revenue derived from each group; and what are the corresponding figures for 31st January, 1940?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the numbers of

Categories of vehicles.					Licences.		Gross Receipts.
					December, 1938 and January, 1939.	Approximate December, 1939 and January, 1940.	December, 1938 and January, 1939.	Approximate December, 1939 and January, 1940.
					Numbers.	Numbers.	£	£
Cars …	…	…	…	(A)	921,371	549,824	8,504,304	8,081,421
				(Q)	754,380	600,099	1,631,343	2,074,083
					1,675,751*	1,149,923*	10,135,647	10,155,504
Motor Cycles		…	…	(A)	70,924	44,36o	132,149	116,495
				(Q)	195,317	119,302	108,049	99,592
					266,241	163,662	240,198	216,087
Hackneys	…	…	…	(A)	60,613	56,550	2,943,562	2,777,360
				(Q)	22,633	24,818	107,829	109,342
					83,246	81,368	3,051,391	2,886,702
Tractors, etc.		…	…	(A)	20,671	28,616	61,562	63,928
				(Q)	342	359	3,191	3,055
					21,013	28,975	64,753	66,983
Goods	…	…	…	(A)	331,472	306,288	9,010,434	8,396,813
				(Q)	137,915	134,641	816,949	802,512
					469,387	440,929	9,827,383	9,199,325
Miscellaneous		…	…		616,246 †	513,765‡	345,895	249,397
					3,131,884	2,378,622	23,665,267	22,773,998
* Excludes exempt vehicles.
†Includes 588,351 Driving Licences.
‡Includes 493,332 (approximate) Driving Licences.
A. Annual. Q. Quarterly.
Part-year licences are not issued in January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of motor licences issued for the months of December, 1939, December, 1938, January, 1940, and January, 1939, giving the numbers of private motor cars, motor cycles, goods vehicles, and hackney carriages, separately?

The particulars asked for are furnished below. I regret that no information is available as to the number of vehicles licensed, or the revenue derived there from, in categories according to horse-power. It will be understood that licences taken out in December are for the year or quarter commencing 1st January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any prosecutions have taken place in respect of breaches of the existing exchange regulations; whether, in fact, any serious leakages in the embargo on the export of British capital have been disclosed; and whether he is satisfied that all practical steps are being taken to prevent the transfer of sterling to foreign countries by private individuals?

My hon. Friend will have seen in the Press particulars of a recent prosecution. The reply to the second part of the Question is in the negative. In reply to the third part of the Question, the prevention of evasion of the provisions of the Regulations is kept under constant review.

asked the Minister of Health whether Circular D 17/1939–40 issued by the British Medical Association Central Emergency Committee was issued with his approval; and is it intended that an absentee doctor has a claim for damages against the Local Emergency Committee or the British Medical Association, or both, if, on return to his practice, it is found that the practice has depreciated, and that any other scheme, including that of a certain insurance committee in the North, is disapproved?

As regards the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a Question on the same subject by him on 30th January. As regards the second part, I could not undertake to interpret the agreements entered into by practitioners under the voluntary schemes for the protection of practices. As regards the third part, I have approved a number of schemes submitted to me jointly by insurance committees and panel committees; in pursuance of the Medical Benefit Regulations.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of persons registering for unemployment benefit at each of the exchanges in the county of Lanark, separately, with the numbers ineligible for standard benefit in each area?

An analysis of the unemployed showing the numbers applying for unemployment benefit is not available. The table below shows the number of payments of unemployment insurance benefit and unemployment assistance allowances, respectively, in the week ended 2nd February, 1940, at each Employment Exchange in the County of Lanark

Employment Exchange.	Number of Payments of
	Insurance Benefit	Unemployment Allowances.
Airdrie	2,117	1,487
Bridgeton	3,103	5,208
Cambuslang	560	509
Carluke	478	159
Coatbridge	2,120	1,688
East Kilbridge	123	35
Finnieston	1,211	1,003
Glasgow Central	2,925	4,375
Glasgow South Side.	4,456	5,213
Govan	1,559	1,785
Hamilton	1,825	1,931
Kinning Park	1,348	1,367
Lanark	539	102
Larkhall	688	579
Lesmahagow	362	173
Maryhill	2,003	2,077
Motherwell	1,712	2,313
Parkhead	2,749	2,775
Partick	1,545	1,207
Rutherglen	569	469
Shotts	614	309
Springburn	2,949	2,628
Strathaven	123	83
Uddingston	475	416
Wishaw	1,146	1,079
Total	37,299	38,970

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that the varied types of employment in widely-distributed areas required by demobilised men at the end of the war are known from the experience of 1919, analyses are being initiated of each type and area for the purpose of putting applicable schemes now on a prepared agenda of employment plans so that hurried investigations at the last moment may be unnecessary and that the industrial confusions of 1919 and 1920 may thereby be avoided?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr. Liddall) on 1st February last.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers signing the unemployment register in the Pontypridd exchange area, also Tonyrefail and Llanharan, on the days on which statistics were taken in each quarter during 1939 and to the nearest convenient date, and giving the numbers receiving statutory

Date.				Pontypridd.			Tonyrefail.
				Unemployed on Register.	Claims admitted for benefit.	Applications authorised for assistance allowances.	Unemployed on Register.	Claims admitted for benefit.	Applications authorised for assistance allowances.
1939
16th January			…	4,393	925	2,855	1,192	397	690
13th February			…	5,951	2,043	2,873	1,128	317	706
13th March		…	…	4,064	859	2,708	944	248	606
17th April		…	…	4,235	1,122	2,599	983	290	584
15th May		…	…	3,904	833	2,483	929	220	597
12th June		…	…	3,639	705	2,419	920	239	566
10th July		…	…	3,488	667	2,341	913	233	583
14th August			…	3,188	609	2,189	901	250	555
11th September			…	3,408	Figures not available (see below).		868	Figures not available (see below).
16th October			…	3,325			779
13th November			…	3,188			762
11th December			…	3,095			781
1940.
15th January			…	3,021			818

Figures showing the numbers on the registers with claims admitted for benefit and allowances respectively, are not available for dates subsequent to 14th August, 1939. The following table, however, shows the numbers of payments of

Date (Week ended).				Pontypridd.		Tonyrefail.
				Insurance Benefit.	Assistance Allowances.	Insurance Benefit.	Assistance Allowances.
1939.
15th September	…	…	…	673	2,129	226	542
13th October	…	…	…	766	2,082	203	511
17th November	…	…	…	813	1,988	165	473
15th December	…	…	…	781	1,922	193	493
1940.
19th January	…	…	…	836	1,894	233	482

The table below shows the numbers of unemployed persons, aged 14 and over, on the registers of the Pontypridd and Tonyrefail Employment Exchanges on one date in each month since January, 1939, and, so far as available, the numbers aged 16–64 with claims admitted for unemployment insurance benefit and applications authorised for unemployment assistance allowances. There is no separate Employment Exchange at Llanharan, and figures for that area are therefore not available.insurance benefit and assistance allowances, respectively, made at these Employment Exchanges during one week of each month from September, 1939, to January, 1940:

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many awards of the Air Force Cross and Air Force Medal have been made, since these decorations were inaugurated in 1918, to individuals not belonging to the Royal Air Force who have rendered distinguished service to aviation in actual flying?

Since the amendment of the Royal Warrant in 1932, only members of the Royal Air Force and the Dominion Air Forces have been eligible for the award of the decorations referred to. Prior to that date, six awards of the Air Force Cross and three of the Air Force Medal were made to civilians.

asked the Postmaster-General why telephone operators are forbidden to give the numbers of military hospitals to soldiers taken ill while on leave?

The telephone number of a military hospital is withheld only where the responsible military authority has expressly asked that it shall not be published in the telephone directory. Even so, in the event of an urgent call, the hospital would be called by the operator and asked whether it desired to take the call. The question of more general publication of the telephone numbers of Service units has recently been taken up with the Departments concerned, and the numbers of all units, other than those of a confidential nature, will be published in future issues of the directories.

asked the Minister of Labour whether every medical board concerned with examining recruits includes a doctor with special experience of psychological medicine?

No, Sir. I am advised that it would be impracticable to include a doctor with such experience on every medical board. The instructions issued to medical boards with regard to the estimation of a man's nervous stability provide that in cases of doubt a specialist's opinion should be obtained.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will review the whole question of appointments of medical men to recruiting medical boards made by his Department, which now are not made effective owing to the chairmen of some boards alleging that the lists of appointees are too large, who, at the same time, allow a few of their professional friends to undertake all the work which should properly be distributed impartially amongst the Department's appointees?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of recruiting medical boards set up under the Military Training Act, 1939, and later under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939; the total number of medical men employed thereon; the total amount paid to such medical men; the maximum sum received in totality by any medical examiner to date; and the minimum sum received in totality of any medical examiner?

The number of medical boards set up under the Military Training Act and the National Service (Armed Forces) Act is 163. The total number of medical practitioners at present serving, either as chairmen or as members of the panels of medical boards is 2,790. The total amount of fees paid to such medical practitioners up to 31st January, 1940, is about £260,600. Voluntary recruits are also examined by these boards, and the fees paid in respect of such recruits are included in this total. I cannot state, without making a detailed inquiry, the maximum and minimum total sums respectively paid to individual medical practitioners.

asked the Minister of Labour what assurance there is that men who appear before hardship committees for postponement of military service are given a fair hearing in accordance with the National Service (Armed Forces) (Postponement Certificates) Regulations, 1939, in view of the exclusion of the Press and public from the proceedings of these committees and the denial of legal representation?

The personnel and procedure of the hardship committees are the same as for Courts of Referees under the Unemployment Insurance Acts, and I am satisfied that applicants will obtain the same fair hearing before the hardship committees as they have obtained for so many years before the Courts of Referees.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can make a full statement on the working of the Section in the Military Training Act referring to the employment of conscientious objectors in non-combatant units on work of national importance; and how many conscientious objectors are still working in their old jobs, and how many have been given work of national importance in open-air camps?

Section 5 (6) (b) of the National Service (Armed Forces) Act empowers tribunals, if satisfied that the ground upon which an application was made to them is established, to direct by order that the applicant shall be registered as a conscientious objector on condition that he undertakes work specified by the tribunal, of a civil character and under civilian control. Up to 10th February, 3,422 men, or 45 per cent. of those whose applications came before the tribunals, were so registered. Where tribunals consider that the national interest so requires, they specify the applicant's existing work, and in other cases they specify such work as agriculture, forestry, or work of a humanitarian nature in connection with civil defence, e.g., ambulance work. Statistics showing the various types of work specified by tribunals are not available. The power of the Minister to order training for the work specified by the tribunal has not yet been exercised.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether steps can be taken to protect British piers from drifting mines; and, if so, to what extent the Admiralty will co-operate with local authorities and other pier-owning interests with regard to this matter before the forthcoming holiday season?

While patrol vessels do all in their power to prevent mines reaching our shores, this cannot always be prevented. The danger referred to by my hon. Friend is realised, and the Admiralty will gladly co-operate with local authorities. Arrangements will be made to enable local authorities to be instructed in the safest methods of towing mines clear of piers to sheltered waters where they can be beached and made innocuous by naval personnel.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the men on the "Pretoria Castle" and the "Queen of Bermuda" have to provide their own boots, buttons, badges, topcoats, and all tropical clothing, at the cost of £5 in some cases; and whether, as this is a violation of Article 142 of the Admiralty Code, he can say what action he intends taking about the matter?

If the inquiry relates to men of the merchant service entered on the special terms of agreement contained in Admiralty Form T.124 for service in the ships in question, I have no reason to believe that they have not received the uniform clothing and allowances (including the allowance for white clothing) to which they are entitled under the terms of their agreement.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the serious discontent among the employés in the cinema industry of South Wales, he will consider investigating the possibilities of applying the Trade Boards Act to this industry?

As I have stated on previous occasions, I am of opinion that in general the regulation of wages and other conditions of employment can best be dealt with by the ordinary method of negotiation between employers and workpeople, a method by means of which good progress has been made in the case of cinema employés in recent years. With regard to the position in South Wales, I am informed that collective agreements relating to the wages and conditions of employment are in operation in a number of districts, and that in certain other centres standards of wages and conditions have been agreed with individual cinema proprietors. In addition, the Industrial Relations Office for Wales is in constant touch with the parties with a view to rendering such assistance in negotiation as may be possible.

asked the Prime Minister what honours or decorations may be posthumously conferred?

The military honours and decorations which may be posthumously conferred are, in addition to campaign medals, the Victoria Cross, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire, for Gallantry, and the Indian Order of Merit. There are civil divisions of these last two honours. Other awards which may be given posthumously are the Albert Medal, the Medal for saving life at sea, the Edward Medal and the King's Police Medal. Very rarely a Peerage or Baronetcy has been conferred on a son in respect of services rendered by a deceased parent, and, in exceptional circumstances, rank may be granted to a widow as though she were the relict of a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will protect the public against attempts to charge excessive law costs by introducing legislation to secure that taxing masters of the High Court report to the Law Society for disciplinary action any solicitor's bill of costs that the court has reduced by 10 per cent. or more, and that a solicitor who has been reported three times will have his solicitor's certificate suspended for six months and cancelled when further cases are reported against the same firm of solicitors?

I cannot accept the suggestion made by my hon. Friend. I would, however, remind the hon. Member that the costs of the taxation of a solicitor's bill fall upon the solicitor if the bill is found, on taxation, to have been reduced by one-sixth, and this, together with the fact that a solicitor is liable to be brought before the Disciplinary Committee for excessive charges, would appear to provide sufficient protection.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many married women in possession of court orders for maintenance because of the desertion of their husbands who are now in the Armed Forces have received monetary grants from the War Service Grants Advisory Committee?

I regret that the records kept by my Department do not enable me to furnish the particulars desired by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered the appeal of the Auchter-muchty Co-operative Society to have their premises, now occupied. by military authorities, restored for the use of the society; and what decision he has reached in the matter?

I regret that it is not possible to vacate these premises entirely, but the board room is being given up by the military authorities. The hall and one other room will continue to be required, as no other suitable accommodation is available locally.

asked the Secretary of State for War in how many cases the accounts of civilian practitioners called to attend acute illnesses of soldiers on leave have been refused payment on the ground that such soldiers should have sought admission to the nearest military hospital, if within two miles of their residence?

I am not aware of any such cases.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether military medical officers are employed to visit and treat sick soldiers residing at distances of 10 miles and more from the headquarters of such officers, even when there are many civilian medical practitioners living within a mile of the sick soldiers' residence; whether such military medical officers are provided with Government motor cars for the purpose of such journeys; and what arrangements are made for the supply of the necessary medicines to such soldiers?

Medical officers visit outlying detachments for the purpose of attending men reporting sick or of supervising other matters relating to the health of the troops, and in certain cases they are provided with a motor car and driver. In an urgent case, a civilian medical practitioner may be called in. Medicines ordered by the medical officer are provided from Army sources.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction which exists amongst civilian medical practitioners engaged by his Department; whether he will explain the precise difference in the duties for which the maximum is payable in the case of civilian medical practitioners engaged on full-time Royal Army Medical Corps duties and civilian medical practitioners engaged on whole-time duties; and whether he will state, approximately, the number of civilian medical practitioners in each of the classes referred to not actually in receipt of the maximum rates payable?

There was some misunderstanding as to the conditions which has now, I hope, been removed. The distinction drawn between full-time and whole-time duties is that, in the former case, the civilian medical practitioner is responsible for the full duties which would be carried out, for example, in a military hospital, by a Royal Army Medical Corps officer if one were available, and is therefore left with no time available for private practice, while, in the latter case, although he is liable to be called out at any time and his actual duties occupy, on the average, several hours a day, they do not take up all his time and he has, in fact, opportunities for private practice. There are fixed rates for full-time and whole-time duties as follow: Full-time 30s. a day (33s. 6d. a day where there is no service medical officer at the station), and whole-time, 25s. a day. The last part of the Question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether soldiers who chance to be injured or attacked by sudden illness while on leave, are required to get into touch with any military hospital within two miles of their place of residence, and may not obtain the services of a neighbouring civilian practitioner, except at their own expense; and whether he will consider the difficulty of discovering and making contact with the smaller military hospitals in cases of acute illness with a view to remedying the hardship inflicted on soldiers by this condition?

The general rule is as stated, but, where it is clear that it was impracticable for the soldier to avail himself of official medical facilities, the cost of the services of a civilian medical practitioner would be met from Army funds.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has now considered the advisability of granting, in cases where the two yearly free warrants have already been used, a free travelling warrant on compassionate grounds to soldiers permitted to visit a sick relative?

I have considered this again, but I regret that I am unable to extend the existing concessions.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that his predecessor wrote to the right hon. and gallant Member for Armagh County, in November of 1938, that the report of the Departmental Committee on Courts-Martial Procedure had been received at the War Office and that it would be published shortly, and, as this report has not been published, will he see that it is published forthwith to allay the anxiety of the officers of His Majesty's Forces; and will he cause inquiry to be made as to the delays in its publication?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Ayr Burghs (Sir T. Moore) on 19th October last.

asked the Secretary of State for War why cases of psycho-neurosis have been evacuated to England and been sent to general hospitals; and whether it is his intention to follow the recommendations of the 1922 report for the treatment and prevention of such cases?

It is inevitable that a number of cases of psycho-neurosis must be evacuated to England, and the necessity for this was recognised in the report referred to. The recommendations of the report for the treatment and prevention of such cases are being followed in the present organisation, which provides for psychiatric centres and for convalescent depots overseas. At these centres, patients are under the care of experts in nervous disorders.

asked the Secretary of State for War what reply he has made to the representations of Scottish burgh authorities, including the council of the burgh of Buckhaven and Methil, asking that an allowance in respect of rent should be approved in the case of all serving men who are householders?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered representations from the Buckhaven Town Council requesting the payment of a definite rent allowance for all men serving in the Forces who are householders; and what reply has been made?

I would refer the right hon. Member and the hon. Member to the answer given yesterday to the hon. and learned Member for Greenock (Mr. R. Gibson).

asked the Secretary of State for War how many retired military officers are employed, respectively, in the War Office, and in the outstations; what duties they perform; whether the method of entry is by examination; and what are their rates of pay?

On the assumption that the Question refers to retired military officers employed as such, and not to those recalled to service from the Reserve or otherwise, the numbers are approximately 70 in the War Office and 500 at outstations. The posts assigned to these officers are those in military branches of the War Office, or similar posts elsewhere, for work for which an officer is required but not necessarily a serving officer. They are not required to pass any examination on entry, and they draw salaries ranging from £260 to £600 a year in addition to retired pay.

asked the Minister of Economic Warfare to what extent concessions granted to various neutral countries to import goods in excess of their own requirements interfere with the effective enforcement of the blockade; and whether, in view of the supreme importance of the success of the blockade, he will in future adopt a firmer attitude towards the demands of neutral countries for such concessions?

In so far as we have agreed that neutral countries may import specific commodities in excess of their current requirements, we have done so only because we are satisfied that there are adequate safeguards to ensure that the stocks which will be accumulated in this way will not interfere with the effective enforcement of the blockade. The second part of the Question therefore does not arise.

asked the Lord Advocate the reason for the absence at Pleading Diet of the Sheriff Court in Glasgow, on 17th February, of Midshipman William Donald Heath Eves, who is charged with culpable homicide in connection with the death of the honourable John Llewellyn Lloyd Mostyn, at the Beresford Hotel, in Glasgow, on 10th January, 1940; why the police at the time of the tragedy declared it an accident; whether any persons concerned are to be charged with perjury, and whether Midshipman Eves will be required to be present at his trial in the High Court on 27th February?

I understand that the accused was unable on account of his naval duties to be present on 17th February, and the Pleading Diet was therefore continued until to-day. The trial is now actually in progress, and I can therefore make no further statement with regard to the case.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in any new scheme of evacuation, he will see that Glasgow children are not sent to huts erected for berrypickers in Blairgowrie, as these huts have been condemned by sanitary authorities?

Under the new evacuation arrangements, no account has been taken of the accommodation available in the berrypickers' huts at Blairgowrie.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the date on which the special school, Greenock, will be restored for its normal function?

I am informed that, with the co-operation of the Town Council, arrangements are being made for the immediate release for educational purposes of most of the classrooms and part of the administrative building of the school. The Education Committee are to consider, on 29th February, the question of re-opening, and the air-raid precautions to be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why, in spite of strong medical certificates by two doctors to the effect that she was blind, Miss Berryman, Greenock, was ordered to be re-examined by the Ministry; whether he is aware that she was summoned to appear before a tribunal in Greenock on 13th February, 1940, and had her claim for a blind person's pension disallowed as not fulfilling the statutory conditions as to blindness; that no re-examination of Miss Berryman, as ordered by him, was made; how this irregularity arose, and through whom; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that Miss Berryman's case will be properly dealt with, and that no similar irregularity will take place in future?

I am afraid the hon. and learned Member is under a misapprehension in stating that the local pension committee in Greenock have refused the application for a blind pension by Miss Berryman. I have ascertained that the committee have adjourned consideration of the case in order that further medical examination may be made. Until the committee give their decision, I cannot take any action in the case.

asked the Minister of Shipping why James Morgan, fireman of Steamship "Penstone," has been refused the extra payment allowed to those engaged in ammunition carrying; is he aware that entitlement is secured to deckhands and not to firemen; and will he see deck and lower deck are paid at same rates, as well as any arrears owing to firemen, due to this ruling?

The extra payments are for handling ammunition and are payable to all members of the crew actually engaged in the operation. I understand that, at the time in question, James Morgan was not so employed. It appears that owing to an oversight payment was in fact made to him; in the circumstances the Ministry will not attempt to recover this payment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is satisfied that all undertakings producing goods for the purposes of defence or for essential civilian requirements, can obtain the credit facilities necessary to ensure maximum output without difficulty?

Such credit facilities are, of course, matters for arrangement between the undertakings and their bankers in the light of the circumstances of individual cases; but I have no reason to suppose that the banks are not fully alive to the need for the special consideration of undertakings of the nature referred to in my hon. Friend's Question.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that farmers and cattle-breeders in Scotland are experiencing great difficulty in obtaining straight feeding-cakes such as linseed, ground-nut, and cotton-cakes, and that instead all they can obtain are compound cakes at considerably greater cost; and whether any steps are being taken to supply farmers direct with ingredients for feeding mixtures which they would be able to prepare themselves?

Every effort is being made to ensure that the various kinds of cattle cake will be available in their pre-war proportions, but owing to war conditions it is not possible to guarantee that these proportions will always be maintained. The seed crushers who manufacture compound cakes are producing approximately the same proportion of straight cakes as before the war. Imported cakes are being released in fixed proportions for straight feeding and for sale for compounding. I am aware that there is a temporary shortage of the cakes mentioned in the Question, but the supplies of copra and palm kernel cakes are greater than normal.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that since the introduction of rationing, there is an increased demand or potential demand for a type of bread containing more nourishment than the white bread generally available at the present time in this country; and whether he proposes to take any steps to ensure that arrangements shall be made at an early opportunity to meet this demand?

From inquiries I have made, I have been unable to learn of any recent change in the character of the public demand for bread; whole meal bread of the type available before the war is still being manufactured for those who prefer it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can assure the House that, where county agricultural wages committees have been working smoothly and wages have been steadily increased as conditions in the industry permitted, their function will not be superseded by any increased powers which may be given to the Central Wages Board; and whether he will announce, rather, that only those county committees which have, in his opinion, failed to keep abreast of changing conditions shall be superseded, thereby stimulating backward county committees without penalising the enterprising ones?

It would obviously be difficult to differentiate between counties in any legislation to amend the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, 1924, but I shall be glad to bear the point in mind in the consideration of any legislative proposals.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether staffs employed in local fuel overseers' offices are eligible for membership of those Civil Service organisations to whom a certificate of approval has been issued in pursuance of the regulations under Section 5 of the Trades Disputes and Trades Union Act, 1927?

These staffs are employed by local authorities and would not be eligible for membership of associations confined to persons employed by or under the Crown.