asked the Minister of Labour the total benefit allowances paid by the Unemployment Assistance Board in the calendar year 1939?

The approximate expenditure on unemployment allowances in the calendar year 1939 was £30,000,000.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of carpenters, joiners, and general woodworkers, registering at the Swansea Employment Exchange to the last convenient date?

The following table shows the numbers of wholly unemployed men, aged 18 years and over, registered at the Swansea Employment Exchange at 12th February, 1940, for employment in woodworking occupations:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether promotion to the ranks of commander and above during the war will be curtailed because of officers who would normally retire being retained in the service, in the same way that the advancement of active service ratings is being curtailed in corresponding circumstances?

With regard to the first part of the hon. Member's Question, the answer is in the negative. With regard to the second part of the Question, the number of higher rates in the lower deck will be governed during the war by the actual extent to which higher duties have to be performed. All advancements to higher rates will in the first place be temporary, but men in the permanent naval service will be eligible to have these temporary advancements converted to permanent advancements in vacancies occuring in complement numbers after the war.

asked the First Commissioner of Works the number and names of the hotels in Lytham St. Annes which he has been able to release?

Following on representations by my hon. Friend and after consultation with the local authority, it is proposed by means of rearrangements and adjustments, to surrender the following hotels and boarding houses in Lytham St. Annes: The Grand; Westmorland; St. Annes; Leicester; Devonia; Dalmeny; Nelsonia; Pier; Claughton.

asked the Minister of Pensions how much overtime stenographers in his department are required to work in any week before qualifying for overtime payment; and what is the practice adopted in the case of members of the staff who arrive a few minutes late for duty?

Established shorthand-typists employed in London are engaged for a 42-hour week, and must complete that number of hours' attendance before qualifying for overtime payment. Subject to a five minutes allowance which is not reckoned, officers arriving late for duty are expected to make up the time lost at the end of the day, unless the circumstances justify the unpunctuality being excused.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the present unemployment situation, he will cause civilians to be employed on clerical, typing and teleprinter duties in War Office establishments in preference to military personnel; and whether he will give an assurance that civilian clerical staff will not be discharged where military personnel are employed on such duties?

asked the Minister of Pensions what arrangements have been, or will be, made for the appointment of medical boards; whether the personnel has been fixed; and what qualifications and conditions are, or will be, imposed, such as effective war service or experience in a similar capacity?

The arrangements which have been in existence since the Great War for the boarding of disabled men will be modified and extended as necessary, to meet the requirements of the present war. Additional medical officers with suitable qualifications and experience have been and are being recruited and trained for this work.

asked the Minister of Information the names and salaries of those engaged in each of the regional offices of his Department, including the regional information officer?

The following is a list of the officers employed in the regional offices of the Ministry of Information, with the range of salary appropriate to each grade. In addition a small clerical and typing staff is employed in each office.

Military personnel are employed in War Office establishments generally for special reasons, and where those reasons exist, I am unable to agree to their replacement by civilians. Since the outbreak of war, the number of civilians employed on clerical duties has increased by many thousands and many of them are occupying posts that would normally be filled by soldiers. I am prepared to repeat the assurance already given that these civilians will not be discharged to make way for members of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, but I am unable to give any other general assurance regarding the employment of military personnel, which must be governed by circumstances.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will give immediate reconsideration to the case of Mr. A. E. Nutkins, of 31, Loftus Road, W.12, who, after upwards of 20 years 'service in the Royal Navy, was discharged on the 20th January, 1940, suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, with the advice to take plenty of nourishing food, to go to a sanatorium for at least six months and to avoid worry, and who has been refused all disablement grant and left to maintain himself, his wife and child on 18s. per week sick benefit?

It has not been possible in the time available to obtain the papers regarding this case. I will, however, look into the facts and communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will place in the Library from time to time a list of the types of specialists for whom the Royal Air Force has vacancies, both in commissioned and other ranks, with an indication of the qualifications required and the method of application in each case?

Yes, Sir. I shall be glad to arrange for information on these points to be made available in the Library.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that large numbers of sheep are being refused sale at markets by graders on the ground that the sheep are not finished enough for human consumption, resulting in the sheep having to be taken back to farms already short of feed; and what further steps is he taking to help such farmers?

The Government has reserved the right to refuse to purchase any animal which, in the opinion of the certifying authority at the collecting centre at which the animal is presented, is in store condition and should be fed on. The local knowledge of the certifying authority, on which there is a farmers' representative, should enable them to exercise this right with discretion in the light of the local feeding stuffs situation, and the demand for store animals.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that, owing to the uncertainty of the feeding-stuff and labour position, many farmers are not rearing their heifers for future milk production; and can he give these farmers some assurance as to their future position?

The Government is fully alive to the importance of maintaining milk supplies and farmers may rest assured that all practicable steps will be taken to ensure that labour and feeding-stuffs are adequate for this purpose. For their part, dairy farmers should make every effort, including the improvement of their pastures, to grow, this season, as much as possible of the feeding-stuffs they will need.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether a record is being kept of the number of in-pig and empty sows delivered to the bacon factories and markets, and, if not, whether a special census can be taken to ascertain the present pig population on the farms as was done during the operation of the late pig scheme?

Records are being kept of the number of sows passing through collecting centres and delivered to bacon factories, but the number of in-pig and empty sows is not separately returned. Particulars of the pig population on farms are being obtained quarterly.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he has any further information to give the House respecting conversations with Mr. Gandhi and Congress leaders; what proposals the Aga Khan has made to the Viceroy concerning the present political situation; and whether the Aga Khan is acting on behalf of the Moslem League?

There have been no further conversations with Mr. Gandhi or other Congress leaders. With regard to the latter part of the hon. Member's Question I am not aware of any proposals made by the Aga Khan to the Viceroy regarding the present political situation.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is satisfied with the arrangements that are at present being made by local authorities for the collection of waste paper and of waste fats and bones in their districts?

The arrangements at present being made by local authorities for the collection of waste paper and other salvage material are in some districts satisfactory, but the majority of districts leave room for considerable improvement and in a number of cases no collection has yet been made. As explained in reply to previous Questions, I have, in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health already taken steps to bring further pressure to bear on such local authorities, and I am glad to say that the position is rapidly improving.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he has considered the representations which have been made by the London Chamber of Commerce to the Export Credits Guarantee Department pointing out that the limited cover, 75 per cent., afforded by the Department in respect of the transfer risk is a deterrent to traders carrying on business with Scandinavia and those countries contiguous to Germany; whether he will increase the percentage covered to 100 per cent.; and whether the Government will hold traders who take out this insurance covered against the risk of non-payment through the invasion of neutral countries, as was done when Czecho-Slovakia and Poland were invaded by Germany?

The matters to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers are constantly under consideration, but I would point out that it is the policy of the Department to require traders to carry some proportion of the risk involved in exporting goods to countries overseas. With regard to the last part of the Question, the Department's transfer guarantee covers the buyer's inability to transfer payments into sterling, whether the transfer is prevented by war conditions or otherwise.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the heavy war-time demand for wool and the necessity to conserve supplies, he will consider inaugurating a scheme under which woollen comforts supplied to the Forces overseas could be voluntarily surrendered and collected at the end of the cold season in order to be sterilised and stored for reissue next winter?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for North Croydon (Lieut.-Colonel Mason) on 28th February.

asked the Secretary of State for War what arrangements have been made to enable relatives to communicate with those serving with the Forces overseas?

Letters or telegrams from relatives to those serving with the Forces overseas are sent through the normal postal channels to the Army Post Office which is responsible for delivery. Details of these services have been issued in General Post Office pamphlets available to the public at any post office, and extracts have been broadcast and published in the Press on several occasions.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether naturalised British subjects, who were previously refugees from Germany, will, when called up for military service, be asked to undertake foreign service?

Such personnel will not be employed in fighting units directly opposed to the German forces, unless they have expressed in writing their willingness to be so employed. They will be liable for any other form of service abroad.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that he is prepared to give sympathetic consideration to the proposals for the provision of a certain number of houses urgently required, and, in particular, houses for workers in factories and on the land, he can state, by counties, how many applications he has had since war broke out for housing construction of any sort to be subsidised by the State under existing legislation?

The information asked for as to the number of applications is not readily available. I have approved, or indicated my willingness to approve, of the erection under the Housing Acts of nearly 3,000 new houses since the war, but the bulk of these, being for munition workers, would be unsubsidised. The number of houses approved for subsidy is 704, of which 333 are houses for agricultural workers. I am sending my hon. Friend a statement showing the counties to which the approvals for subsidy relate.

asked the Minister of Health of what actual materials used for housing there is a shortage at the present time?

The principal building material in short supply at the moment is timber, but steel is also in short supply for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Health what provision is being made for the evacuation of children under school age?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker) on 21st February.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how the arrangement concluded between him and the British Medical Association for the treatment of air-raid casualties at 16s. per annum is in any way binding upon general medical practitioners, and by what authority any voluntary association seeks to bind persons who are not members of such association, and who do not recognise it or any of the arrangements it purports to make;(2) whether those members of the medical profession who dissent from the inadequate remuneration of 16s. per annum for treatment of certain air-raid casualties are compelled to work under any such scheme or is the scheme optional?

The arrangement does not purport to be binding on any individual practitioner, but it has been devised in the interests of all concerned and I have no reason to believe that it will not be generally adopted. The scheme provides for complete freedom in the choice of doctor and it is therefore open to the patient, when presenting the order for treatment, to select a doctor who is prepared to give his services under the scheme.

asked the Minister of Health under what authority the Halifax Insurance Committee, at its meeting on 13th February, 1940, decided that doctors who failed to sign the agreement for the protection of practices of absentee practitioners should not be allowed to accept medical cards of insured persons to be placed on their provisional list?

I have no knowledge of the decision to which the hon. Member refers, but I am making inquiry and I will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health whether, having regard to the increased cost of living, including the additional expenses in relation to motor cars and the danger to which medical practitioners are necessarily exposed in the course of their professional work during the black-out, consideration is being given to increasing the capitation fee or to granting a war bonus on a capitation basis to insurance practitioners?

I am not proposing at present to make any alteration in the rate of capitation fee payable to insurance practitioners.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty under what authority the Admiralty has issued a Fleet Order to the effect that certain officers called out for war service, who were voluntary contributors, or in the excepted or exempt classes, are compulsorily deprived of their civil status in national insurance and of certain national insurance benefits for which they have already paid; and whether this action was taken in consultation with the Minister of Health?

I have been asked to reply. The Fleet Order to which the hon. Member refers was issued after consultation with me and is in accordance with regulations governing the insurance of officers of all three services, made under Section 134 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1936.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can supply lists of public assistance committees whose scales of relief for supplementing old age pensions are less and more favourable, respectively, than the scales of the Unemployment Assistance Board?

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind a comparison between the whole body of a local authority's practice in regard to the grant of outdoor relief to old age pensioners and the Board's regulations. When two sets of rules are compared on this basis it is frequently found that one is more favourable than the other in some respects and less favourable in other respects. In the circumstances I regret that it is not possible to compile specific lists of authorities on the lines asked for by the hon. Member.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can now state the result of the inquiry addressed to His Majesty's Minister at Helsingfors, on 1st February, asking for particulars of the recent legislation in Finland providing for a complete scheme of war risks insurance?

No, Sir; a report has not yet been received from His Majesty's Minister at Helsingfors.

asked the Minister of Food what arrangements have been made to ensure that the slaughtering centres recently established are adequately supervised by veterinary surgeons; what is the present constitution of the veterinary staff attached to his Department; and whether it is proposed to enlarge it at an early date in order to overcome deficiencies?

The arrangements made to ensure that the selected slaughterhouses are adequately supervised as regards meat inspection by competent officials were indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for St. Rollox (Mr. Leonard) on 21st February. There is at present one technical officer with veterinary qualifications attached to my Department to advise on matters concerned with health inspection of meat. The question of the enlargement of this staff is under active consideration.