asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Government of India has introduced a Bill to impose an Excess Profits Tax; whether, in these circumstances, he can give an assurance that legislation will be introduced in this country to enable arrangements to be made for reciprocal relief in respect of double Excess Profits Tax as between this country and other parts of the Empire; and whether, under any such arrangements, relief will be given in cases where National Defence Contribution is payable in the United Kingdom to the extent that the National Defence Contribution can be said to cover Excess Profits Tax which would otherwise have been payable if there had been no National Defence Contribution?

Yes, Sir. I propose to include a provision to this effect in the forthcoming Finance Bill. It will cover the point as to National Defence Contri- bution to which my hon. Friend draws attention.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the basis of liability to Income Tax of an employéfor the year in which he joins His Majesty's Forces?

In general, the ordinary full-time employéwould be regarded as ceasing his civil employment on joining the Forces, and his liability to Income Tax for the year of enlistment or mobilisation in respect of pay from his civil employer would then be based on his actual pay for that year, including any pay received from the civil employer during service with the Forces. Where a case is so dealt with, it is not proposed to take any steps to apply the special provision contained in Sub-section (5) of Section 45 of the Finance Act, 1927, under which in certain circumstances an additional assessment may be raised for the year preceding the year in which a cessation of employment takes place. The liability in respect of pay from the Forces would also be based on the actual pay for the year except in cases where pay had been received in respect of service with the Auxiliary Forces which was of sufficient length to bring the preceding year basis into operation.There will be cases, however, especially where pay is received from the civil employer during service with the Forces, in which it would be more advantageous to an employé whose assessments in respect of civil pay have been on a preceding year basis, to have that basis continued instead of changing to the actual year basis. In such cases no objection will be offered to assessment on the footing that the pay from the civil employer and from the Forces arise from continuous employment so that the preceding yearbasis will not be disturbed, and the inclusive liability for the year of enlistment or mobilisation will then be on the amount of the earnings for the preceding year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many ex-Cabinet Ministers, excluding ex-Prime Ministers and ex-Lord Chancellors, are in receipt of any pensions from State funds; and will he give the names and annual amounts?

No pension is at present being paid to any ex-Cabinet Minister under the Political Offices Pension Act, 1869.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can report any progress in the use of gas-producer plant for mechanical transport; and whether there is any official at the Mines Department who has any practical experience of the subject?

Yes, Sir. The report of the committee on the Emergency Conversion of Motor Vehicles to Producer Gas, to which I referred in my reply to a Question on 8th November last by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Limehouse (Mr. Attlee) was published three weeks ago. The design of conversion equipment evolved by the committee has been made available to a number of firms, and I understand that in some cases manufacture has already begun. As regards the last part of the Question, I would remind the hon. Member that Sir Harold Hartley is now Honorary Adviser to the Mines Department on the development of home-produced fuels.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that delay in the issue of licences for mechanically-propelled vehicles has arisen recently due to applicants sending the amounts stated on Form R.F.1a; whether he will state the reason why those forms have not been withdrawn from circulation; and whether he will have them replaced by forms with the new tables of amounts due for licences?

I am aware that difficulty arose in January because some applicants for licences sent amounts of duty calculated in accordance with last year's rates for private vehicles. Amended application forms showing the new rates of duty had been prepared and were made available in good time before 1st January, and I hope that there will be no further difficulty.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the change made in the issue of licences for mechanically-propelled vehicles at post offices for less than the full year was advertised to any great extent; and whether he will state the reason for such an alteration?

I assume that the hon. Member refers to the fact that licences for private cars and motor-cycles have not been obtainable at post offices during the first quarter of this year, and I am glad to have this opportunity of clearing up any misapprehension. There has been no change in procedure. Post offices have never done more than issue renewal licences for the same period and the same amount of duty as for the expiring licences, that is "like for like." As the rates of duty were changed this year, the licences could not be renewed at post offices, but next month it will be possible for the motorist or the motor-cyclist who holds a licence for the first quarter of this year to renew it at a post office.The fact that licences for private cars and cycles would not be obtainable at post offices in January last owing to the change in the rate of duty was duly announced in the Press, and I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Press notice issued by my Department. An announcement about the position for the Easter quarter is being made to-day, and notices are being displayed in all licence-issuing post offices.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the recent congestion on the railways north of London, which would have been much intensified in the event of increased war traffic, he will revive consideration of the Gatti system for railway traffic clearance in the London district and provide accommodation for increased road traffic to deal with this and other problems?

The recent congestion on the railways was due primarily to the quite abnormal weather conditions, and would not have been avoided had the system to which my hon. Friend refers been in operation. The Gatti scheme was the subject of a report by a Departmental Committee in 1920, which did not recommend its adoption. In any case however the dislocation which would inevitably result from an attempt to adopt such a system in war-time as well as its cost, estimated at the prices prevailing before 1914 at about £300,000,000, preclude its adoption in present circumstances.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the seriously overcrowded condition of the passenger trains this week running between Newcastle and Kings Cross, compelling soldiers, unable to obtain seats, to stand in the corridors; and will he say how long this condition is to continue?

As I foreshadowed in the statement which I made on 21st February, the programme of additional trains of coal from Durham and Northumberland necessitates a considerable reduction of passenger services on the main lines between Newcastle and London. This has resulted in some over-crowding of the remaining services. To mitigate the inconvenience as far as possible trains are being lengthened to full engine capacity and ordinary coaches are being substituted for sleeping cars on the night trains. In view of the importance of building up stocks of coal the reduction of passenger services will, I regret, have to continue until adequate reserves have been accumulated.

asked the Minister of Transport how many trains of coal ran from the North of England to London or the South, on Monday last, 26th February?

As was indicated by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary on 26th February, the special trains from Northumberland and Durham to London and the South will not begin to run until to-day. During the early days of this week it was necessary to work empty wagons to the collieries. I have no precise information as to the amount of coal brought from Northumberland and Durham to London and the South in the course of normal working on the date in question, and I hope the hon. Member will not press me to undertake this extra research.

asked the Minister of Transport why the third class sleeper service on night trains to Scotland is to be withdrawn from 4th March next; whether he is aware that this will cause passengers great inconvenience; and whether the decision can be reconsidered?

The withdrawal of certain passenger services on the London and North-Eastern Railway in order to enable the conveyance of a greatly increased tonnage of coal by rail has made it necessary to substitute ordinary coaches for third class sleeping cars on the night trains from Kings Cross to Scotland so as to provide a greater amount of accommodation on the trains.The existing sleeping car accommodation on the London Midland and Scottish services between London and Scotland is being supplemented by an additional service between Euston and Edinburgh on which three first class and two third class sleeping cars will be provided.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider the advisability of transferring to home service all men aged 40 years and upwards who, as members of the Supplementary Reserve, are serving overseas, and should be replaced by drafts of younger soldiers from this country?

The men referred to are all tradesmen and specialists in technical corps. Any particular application for transfer to home service on compassionate grounds would be considered as in the case of any other soldier.

asked the Secretary of Stale for War whether he can give any information in connection with the four German merchant seamen who escaped from a northern prison camp on Saturday last?

The four merchant seamen escaped during the evening of Saturday, 24th February. They were recaptured next morning 12 miles southwest of York.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether a decision has been taken on the extent to which any liability is to be accepted by his Department in respect of accidental and incidental damage to property alleged to be due to low flying; and whether a reply can now be given to the claim of occupiers of marshes at Cliffe and Cooling, Kent, submitted on the 1st June, 1939.

The answer to the first part of the Question is that no decision of general application has been taken and cases are being considered individually. It is hoped that a decision on the claim referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend will be communicated to the persons concerned at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that the authorities are withdrawing allowance pay books of the dependants of service men, no reason being given; that in many cases such books are kept for as long as two months, no money being paid to the dependants in question; that in some cases the Unemployment Assistance Board refuses help, with the result that dependants have to apply to private benefit societies for assistance; and whether, in view of the great hardship entitled, he will consider making inquiries into this practice, with a view to stopping it at the earliest possible moment?

It is the practice of my Department always to give reasons when it becomes necessary for allowance books to be withdrawn. Under the procedure in force up to 31st January, no allowance was payable when allowance books were withdrawn until the new books were issued. Since 1st February, a revised procedure has been in force whereby new allowance books are issued, except in special cases, simultaneously with the request for the return of the old books. The cases where this is not possible are those that call for investigation and I am assured that there is no avoidable delay in dealing with these.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has now decided to adopt and recommend the designs for communal air-raid shelters supplied to him, at his request, by the Air-Raid Precautions Coordinating Committee on the 14th December last?

The designs to which the hon. and learned Member refers have been carefully considered by my departmental advisers and also by eminent consulting engineers, and I shall be in a position to convey my conclusions to the Committee very shortly.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that there is a growing discontent among the Metropolitan police war reserve at the lowness of their weekly wages which, after deductions, insurance, and boot allowance, amounts to £2 19s. 5d.; and whether he will consider some revision, in view of the increase in the cost of living?

The rate of pay for the police auxiliary service is that laid down for the civil defence services generally. While this rate may require reconsideration in the light of any substantial change of circumstances, I have no reason to think that under present conditions it calls for review.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that obstructions on the forecourts of shop premises, such as cigarette and sweet machines, constitute a great danger during the black-out; and whether he will consider taking suitable steps to compel the removal of such obstructions from pavements used as public footways?

I have not received any representations which would suggest that these machines constitute a dangerous obstruction or that it is necessary to consider their removal.

asked the Home Secretary the total cost of air-raid precautions personnel, and the cost, in each month of the war, as divided between regional areas, showing the increase or decrease in the cost?

The total monthly cost of the pay of whole-time volunteers enrolled for air-raid precautions services (including the auxiliary fire service) from September onwards is as shown below:

1939.	£
September	2,901,300
October	3,151,400
November	3,242,200
December	3,413,900
1940.
January (Estimated)	3,247,200

It is not possible without an undue amount of labour to state for each month how the total cost of the pay of whole-time volunteers was divided between the various regions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the increasing evidence of demoralisation and mental and physical loss amongst school children in London, he will take steps to get more school buildings liberated from war uses after Easter and to see that all children of school age then attend daily sessions?

Yes, Sir; active steps are being taken in this matter. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Home Security, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, has urged local A.R.P. authorities to release school buildings used for Civil Defence purposes and arrangements are being made in London accordingly. Similar arrangements are being made in respect of the much smaller number of schools occupied by other services. I understand that the London County Council hope to have all elementary school children of eight years of age and upwards in school by Easter and the rest of the younger children by the middle of May.

asked the Minister of Health the reasons for defining Altrincham as a reception area under the Government's evacuation scheme; and whether this matter can be reconsidered?

The main purpose of the Government's evacuation scheme is to secure; dispersal of children who would otherwise be exposed to air attack in the crowded areas of the large cities. Altrincham has been included as a reception area from the inception of the scheme as there is a large margin of available accommodation in the borough and a much greater measure of dispersal of children can be obtained in billets there than in the crowded areas of Manchester. It is not possible under the evacuation scheme to rely for accommodation only on rural areas.

asked the Home Secretary how many forensic science laboratories have been established in the provinces; to what extent they have justified their establishment; what is the present number of persons employed in them; and whether it is proposed to increase their number in the near future?

Four laboratories have so far been established, and it is proposed to establish a fifth in the near future. Twenty-eight persons are employed in the existing laboratories, including 13 scientific officers. The laboratory system has proved of great value to the police service and to the courts and has amply justified its establishment.

asked the Home Secretary the number of proceedings and convictions for drunkenness in the county and city of London, respectively, during the calendar year 1939?

The following table gives the provisional figures for 1939, to which those for 1938 have been added for convenience of comparison:

—	County of London.		City of London.
	1938.	1939.	1938.	1939.
Proceedings for drunkenness.	17,155	15,488	195	187
Charges proved	17,102	I5,052	191	186
Convictions	14,882	13,166	154	137

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the death of a 13-year old boy, Kenneth Bond, of Gosport, Hampshire, who was killed when a shell which he found in a creek exploded in his arms; and what steps are taken to ensure that civilians are not brought into contact with unexploded ammunition?

Yes, Sir. This tragic accident was due to the boy finding an old type of shell, presumed to be a relic of the last war, and striking it several times against a railing, with the result that it exploded. No special precautions by the authorities could have prevented this tragedy; but my hon. and gallant Friend may rest assured that all practicable steps are being taken to minimise the dangers to the public of contact with unexploded ammunition.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the descruction of deer in Ashdown Forest; whether any supervision is exercised over the methods of killing these animals; and whether he will inquire into the right of individuals to slaughter them?

My attention has not previously been drawn to this matter. I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend when they are completed.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the increased cost of living, any change is contemplated in the Unemployment Assistance Board assessment of ex-servicemen's pensions when application is made for benefit?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will analyse, by sex and age-groups, the persons employed in factories on the Team Valley Trading Estate, and the Pallions and St. Helens Trading Sites, respectively?

Estate.				Men.	Women.	Boys (under age 18).	Girls (under age 18).	Total.
Team Valley		…	…	1,451	1,053	323	1,583	4,410
Pallion	…	…	…	45	105	11	208	369
St. Helens Auckland			…	73	149	61	558	841
Totals		…	…	1,569	1,307	395	2,349	5,620
No information is available regarding the age-groups of the men and women employed.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the practice of supplying lists of contracts to trade unions is to be continued during war-time?

I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply given to the hon. Member for St. Rollox (Mr. Leonard) on 8th February, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the comments implying contempt uttered by Judge Stewart, the chairman of a conscientious objectors tribunal, at Leeds, when considering the case of Ernest Milton Myers, a 20-year old typographer of Halifax; and, as these comments are not in accordance with the fair hearing and sympathetic treatment promised, whether he will take steps to investigate the operations of these tribunals, and in the meantime remove Judge Stewart from this work?

I have seen a newspaper report of this case, but my information does not lead me to suppose that the Chairman referred to is not carrying out his duties in an impartial manner. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made in the House on 22nd February in the Debate on the Supplementary Estimate.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, with a view to avoiding economic waste in training for mili-

The number of persons employed in the factories on 15th January, 1940, was as follows:tary service men who are temperamentally unsuited and the needless sacrifice which is involved by the imposition of severe penalties on such men for succumbing to fright and deserting in face of the enemy, he will consider the desirability of instituting for all recruits to the Army a system of examination by qualified psychologists analogous to the physical examination by qualified physicians which is already in vogue for the purpose of excluding from the forces men who are physically unfit for military service?

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave on Tuesday last to the hon. Lady the Member for West Fulham (Dr. Summerskill) and to the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes (Rear-Admiral Beamish) to-day, copies of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Pensions what steps have been taken to give the widest publicity to the report of the conference under Lord Horder, in order that medical boards appointed by the Ministry of Labour and the military authorities concerned with training conscripts and others, may take the necessary steps to avoid the mistakes and misunderstandings of the past; and whether he will have the report printed and placed in the hands of Members of this House?

I am glad to be able to inform my hon. and gallant Friend that it has now been arranged to place on sale at the small price of 2d. the important pamphlet dealing with "Neuroses in Wartime" which was the main product of the conference referred to that I had the privilege of summoning. Copies will be available to Members of the House in the usual way. I may add that the substance of this pamphlet has already been printed in the "British Medical Journal" and in the "Lancet" of the 16th December last, and, further, that copies have been furnished to the three Fighting Services for issue to all their medical officers and to all Government Departments concerned.

asked the Postmaster-General what foreign and Empire air-mail services are now available; how frequently each operates; what is the average time of transit; and what arrangements are made for the rapid censoring of such air-mail when posted a few hours before the time of despatch?

There are air mail services to most countries in the world by direct air services or by a combination of air and surface routes. Air mail correspondence for European countries (other than enemy and enemy occupied territory) is despatched daily by direct air services to France, Belgium and Holland, and correspondence for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and the U.S.S.R. receives onward air transmission from Holland. Air mail correspondence for most other European countries is conveyed by air to Paris and thence by surface route. Many of the air services have been subject to interruptions during the present winter and it is not possible on the basis of recent working to quote average transit times which could be regarded as representative under normal conditions.The normal time of transit, excluding time occupied in collection, censorship (where applicable) and delivery, varies in the case of the European services, from a few hours for the service to Paris to 1 day, 3 days and 4 days for Stockholm, Moscow and Rome respectively. There are two services each week on the Empire air routes to India, Malaya, Hong Kong, Australia and East Africa and one service weekly to West and South Africa; the scheduled times of transmission are 6 days to India, 5–7 days to East Africa, 7 days to West Africa and South Africa, 8 days to Malaya and Hong Kong and 12 days to Australia. There is a twice weekly air mail service to North America by the Pan-American air service from Lisbon to New York; in the most favourable conditions transmission from London to New York should occupy only 3–4 days, but the service has been subject to interruption on account of weather conditions and the average transit time has recently been 14 days. There is a weekly air mail service to South America by a French air service from Marseilles, the correspondence being conveyed from Paris to Marseilles by surface route, and if no delay takes place at any stage of the journey the time of transmission from London to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago should be 4, 5 and 6 days respectively. Air correspondence for South America may also be sent by surface route, or by air from Lisbon to New York for onward air conveyance to South America.Air mail receives priority of treatment over other mail by the censorship and I understand that arrangements are now in progress which will, it is hoped, reduce to a minimum any delay which may be due to censorship.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the importance of Iraq to Great Britain as a friendly State, he will, as in the case of the United States, reduce the present postage rate of 2½d. per ounce to the rate existing prior to the war, namely, 1½d. per half ounce?

The postal administration of Iraq has recently agreed to the Imperial rate of postage being applied to letters posted in this country and addressed to British troops in Iraq; and I regret that I cannot see my way to extend this concession to letters for civilians in Iraq.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the necessity to increase the home production of cereal and pastoral foods, potatoes and flax, why he is not making roads in parts of the Fens, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk, hard enough to restore to productive use districts which have fallen out of use, owing to bad roads?

My hon. Friend will realise that the suggestion that hard roads should be constructed at the ex- pense of the State in the districts referred to, in order to bring into cultivation derelict land in private ownership, raises difficult questions of policy and procedure. I am, however, consulting the War Agricultural Executive Committees concerned in regard to the matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the widespread dissatisfaction among the potato growers at the prices fixed under the new Order; whether he is satisfied that, in computing the rates of payment, sufficient allowance has been made for the increase in the cost of production; can he allay the apprehensions of growers as to their ability to obtain labour to gather such crops as they may sow; and whether he can give any information as to the possible lack of expansion of acreage owing to the inability of growers to obtain a remunerative price for their present stocks?

Representatives of potato growers were consulted before the Order prescribing revised prices for sales of potatoes of the 1939 crop was made by the Government, and due consideration was given to the views expressed by them in regard to increased costs. The schedule of prices was designed to secure a fair and remunerative return to growers and the prescribed minima show a general advance in the prices previously realised. I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that the course of prices is being carefully watched. It is not possible at the present stage to give any indication of the acreage which will be planted to potatoes this year.As regards labour for lifting I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the assurance given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his address to chairmen of County War Agricultural Executive Committees, when he said that the Government would take whatever steps were necessary to see that the crops when grown were harvested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will cause applications for the £2 subsidy for ploughing up grass-land to be sent direct to county war agricultural committees instead of having them passed through his Department, thereby saving considerable time and expense?

I am obliged to my hon. and gallant Friend for his suggestion. I will gladly arrange for this procedure to be adopted in any county where the war agricultural executive committee desires to adopt it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that there is more land employment awaiting women than trained applicants; whether he is taking the initiative to increase facilities for training and providing a supply of women for service under the Women's Land Army committees; and how many unemployed women he is now training for work with cow-keepers to meet the shortage of dairy workers?

I am advised that, except for dairy workers, the supply of trained women volunteers is in advance of the present demand and that in the case of dairy workers, apart from the difficulty that individual requirements cannot always be met at very short notice, demand and supply are about equal. With a view to meeting an increased demand, steps are being taken to increase the number of volunteers trained in dairy work, and as a result about two-thirds of those now at the various training centres are being given extensive milking practice while others are receiving similar training on approved dairy farms. Any farmer who needs a dairy worker may himself train an unskilled volunteer, at public expense, provided his training arrangements can be approved by his Women's Land Army County Committee.

asked the Minister of Food whether he can give any information in connection with the abandonment of the Government experiment in pickling and smoking mutton as a substitute for bacon?

The experiment to which the hon. Member refers was completed and not abandoned as he suggests.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that poultry keepers are not now able to obtain any of the usual poultry-food which they bought in the past, namely, weatings, bran, maize meal, Sussex ground oats, barley meal, etc., because supplies have all been bought up by big milling combines who are issuing a compound mash at prices which they fix themselves; that those commodities are controlled at prices from £7 10s. a ton upwards but are no longer obtainable, and that these compound mashes are being charged for at about £10 15s. a ton; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?

The problem of ensuring that straight foods are sold by millers in the pre-war proportions is at present under investigation, but it must not be inferred that I accept the statement in the first part of the Question. The charges that may be made in respect of the sale of feeding-stuffs mixtures are prescribed by the Feeding Stuffs (Maximum Prices) Order dated 6th January. I am advised that the charge referred to in the Question does not appear to be unreasonable for a compound poultry mash.

asked the Minister of Food what expressions of dissatisfaction he has received from Welsh farmers and stockbreeders with the present system of recording the weights of killed cattle which prevents them ascertaining what the weights actually are; and whether he still proposes to continue the regulation prohibiting the disclosure of weight?

I have not received any formal expressions of dissatisfaction from Welsh farmers and stockbreeders with the present system of recording the weights of killed cattle but I am aware that some farmers desire to know these figures. I am unable to accede to this wish for the reasons given in the reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chatham (Captain Plugge) on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Food whether he can make any statement as to the system under which vendors of cattle are informed of the actual slaughterhouse weights of their animals when killed for food?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which was given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chatham (Captain Plugge) on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Supply how many of the regional advisory committees, comprising representatives of employers and trade unions in industry for conferring with and making representations to the Ministry for speeding-up essential war services, equipment, munitions, etc., have now been formed; how many had held meetings before the end of December; and how many further ones had held meetings before the end of January?

As I explained in answer to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Preston (Captain Cobb) on 25th January, it was intended to set up 23 area advisory committees, of which 11 were to be formed immediately. Of these 11, the committee at Birmingham was inaugurated and held its first meeting on 19th January. The committees at Lincoln, Leicester, Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Bristol have been formed and the Lincoln committee held its first meeting yesterday. The Nottingham committee is meeting to-day, the Bristol committee to-morrow, the Sheffield committee on 6th March, and the Leeds and Leicester committees on 7th March. The Manchester committee will hold its first meeting on 8th March and I hope the committees at Glasgow, Newcastle and Belfast will be able to start work very shortly.So far as the remaining 12 committees are concerned, nominations of employers and employés are being obtained from the Engineering Employers' Federation and the Trades Union Congress General Council respectively. I hope that it will be possible for these committees to start work in the near future.

asked the Minister of Health what authority is responsible for looking after the welfare of shipwrecked crews when they are landed in this country after enemy attack; what grants are made by the Government towards such welfare; and what instructions have been issued defining the assistance to be provided?

Any medical treatment which such persons may require will be provided at the cost of the Exchequer through the Emergency Medical Service. The responsibility for seeing that such necessities as clothing, food and shelter are provided will rest in the first instance with the county or county borough council of the area in which the shipwrecked persons are landed, but they may in practice be provided from other sources. In the great majority of cases expenditure so incurred by local authorities will be recoverable out of public funds. With regard to the last part of the Question, I propose to issue a circular on this subject to county and county borough councils in the near future.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that coal dealers in Blackburn have not sufficient capital to stock coal in reserve, and also there is difficulty about finding available space, he will empower the Blackburn Corporation to accumulate reserve stocks of coal during this summer to prevent another shortage of coal in Blackburn next winter?

I have no authority to grant the suggested power but I am in consultation with my hon. Friend the Secretary for Mines on the general question involved.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the case of Petty Officer Dark, R.N., of Haywards Heath, who served in the Royal Navy for 24 years, was then retired to the Royal Naval Reserve and became a postman, who was called up at the outbreak of war and lost his life on His Majesty's ship "Courageous," and whose widow has been granted a naval pension of 25s. 6d. for herself, and 5s. for her child; whether he is aware that Petty Officer Dark's widow has been informed that, as he was drawing an Admiralty pension, he was not entitled to a civil pension towards which he became a voluntary subscribed under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act; and whether he will look into this case and remedy the hardship involved?

I am afraid that by express provision in the Contributory Pensions Acts a widow's pension under those Acts is not payable in such circumstances as those of the case to which my hon. Friend refers. The contribution payable under the Acts does not cover deaths arising from hostilities in time of war.

asked the Minister of Health the constitution of the Mental Health Emergency Committee; by whom, when, it was formed and what its precise powers and functions are; and what are the medical organisations with which it co-operates?

I understand that the committee referred to was formed early in 1939 by a number of voluntary organisations concerned with mental welfare and allied matters, with the object of addressing itself to problems of mental health, mental deficiency, and community care in time of war. As it is a voluntary committee I would refer the hon. Member for further information respecting its functions to the committee itself. Its address is 24, Buckingham Palace Road.

asked the Minister of Health whether local authorities preferring to supply powdered milk instead of liquid milk for babies and very young children are in any way enabled to benefit under the terms of Circular 1840; and, if not, whether arrangements can be made to enable them to do so?

The scheme to which my hon. Friend refers is limited to liquid milk, and special arrangements for financial assistance to local authorities for the supply of dried milk are not at present contemplated.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the very large increases in the death rate from tuberculosis in certain parts of Durham during the last war, of more than 60 per cent., he is now taking special steps to reinforce the anti-tuberculosis service in these areas; and what proportion of the beds available for tuberculosis patients is now being occupied in the country as a whole and in county Durham, respectively?

On 31st December last there were in the geographical county of Durham 948 beds provided by councils for the treatment of tuberculosis. Seven hundred and ninety-three patients were being maintained by them in tuberculosis institutions and there was a waiting list of 12 persons. The apparent discrepancy between a surplus of unoccupied beds and a waiting list is, of course, due to the necessity for particular types of accommodation for particular types of case. For England and Wales as a whole the corresponding figures were 26,433, 20,952 and 1,072, respectively. A new sanatorium is in process of construction by the Poole Joint Sanatorium Board at Middlesbrough. This will add 315 beds to the accommodation available for the area. Continuation of this building scheme was approved by the Ministry in September; questions of priority of materials are now being dealt with, and the sanatorium is expected to be completed within 12 months.