:asked the Minister of Health whether any inspectors are available to pay visits to reception areas or homes where there is reason to believe evacuated children are in unsatisfactory conditions?

The local authorities in the reception areas are primarily responsible for ensuring through their billeting officers and local welfare committees that children are not billeted in unsatisfactory conditions. Local authorities have been asked from the inception of the evacuation scheme to arrange for a visit to be made to each house in which unaccompanied children have been received during the first week following reception and thereafter as often as may be necessary. The officers of the regional staffs of my Department are in constant personal touch with the different local authorities. If anyone has good reason at any time to bring to the notice of my Department conditions which call for inquiry an immediate investigation will be made.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will reimburse local authorities the cost of transferring bodies of deceased persons, who had been evacuated, back to the deceased's home district, when the relatives are too poor to pay for the transfer?

If the hon. Member would wish to bring to my attention any particular cases which he has in mind I should be prepared to give them careful consideration.

asked the Home Secretary the numbers of paid personnel connected with air-raid precautions work who have been retrenched since Christmas in each of the different regional areas; whether efforts are still being made to reduce the numbers in question; and what steps are being taken to increase the numbers of voluntary personnel?

Returns called for from local authorities giving the number of paid personnel as at the end of January are not yet complete. In the meantime, however, reductions are being made systematically wherever the detailed surveys that have been for some time in progress show that these are justified, according to the revised standards laid down. It rests with local authorities to take the necessary steps to make up any deficiencies in part-time personnel whether due to reduction in whole-time establishments or to other causes.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the heavy responsibility devolving on medical officers of health should air attacks take place, he will free such officers who are on the Reserve of the Royal Army Medical Corps from their obligation to serve with His Majesty's Forces; and, in particular, will he free Dr. Thompson, the medical officer of health for the borough of Lambeth, from this obligation?

At the request of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, a number of medical officers of health were, at the beginning of the war, either released from their military obligations or granted a temporary postponement of their liability to recall to Army service. Among the latter was Major Thompson, and in his case a further period of postponement is now under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the increases in national and local taxation, he will now consider the advisability of calling a representative conference to reach ways and means of securing the stabilisation and subsequent reduction of local rates?

It is a matter for each local authority itself to decide what expenditure must be incurred and what can properly be avoided or postponed. I do not think that I could usefully adopt my hon. and learned Friend's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will grant medical benefit to the dependants of all insured men serving in the Forces?

As I have stated in reply to previous Questions, this matter is under discussion between the several Ministers concerned. I hope that it will be possible to announce a decision at an early date.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether the special allowance of petrol granted to members of the British Expeditionary Force on leave is restricted to those who possess motor cars registered in their own names; and whether he will take steps to make this special allowance available when the motor car which the soldier intends to use is registered in the name of a parent, or his wife, or other near relative?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. The conditions governing special allowance of petrol to members of His Majesty's Forces on leave from overseas are at present under review in conjunction with the three Service Departments.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of agricultural workers who have been called up to the Navy, Army and Air Services, respectively; how many applications for exemption have been made; how many in each Service have been granted; and what proportion of the grants are of a temporary character?

It would not be in the public interest to give the information asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend in the first part of his Question. Up to 1st March, 1940, 2,750 applications were received for the release of agricultural workers from the Armed Forces. The number of men released up to approximately the beginning of March is as follows:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of retired and/or pensioned civil servants who have been re-engaged since 1st September last?

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the rise in the cost of living, he proposes to increase the wages of temporary clerks employed in provincial Employment Exchanges?

The rates of pay of temporary clerks in the Employment Exchanges are those generally applicable to the Civil Service, except that they are more favourable in that increments can be granted after three years' service. The question whether general Service rates should be revised is not one for me but for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Financial. Secretary to the Treasury under what powers the Bank of England are requiring all currency loans secured by registered security to be repaid forthwith, out of the proceeds of the sale of securities not covered by the current vesting order?

The Bank of England, in full accord with the Treasury, have made this request to the market in the exercise of their normal functions, and in the national interest.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether the attention of the Board has been drawn to various schemes now operating to provide adequate and systematic training for youths who wish to work on the land; and whether he is yet in a position to announce what support he is prepared to give to encourage the work of such organisations as the Young Men's Christian Association, Boys' Brigade, etc.;(2) whether his attention has been drawn to the various schemes now operating to provide adequate and systematic training for youths who wish to work on the land; and whether he is yet in a position to announce what support he is prepared to give to encourage the work of such organisations as the Young Men's Christian Association, Wallingford Farm Training Colony, Boys' Brigade, etc.?

The Government are aware of the schemes referred to, and substantial financial assistance is already given by the Ministry of Labour to the Y.M.C.A. Scheme. This grant, however, has been justified hitherto on unemployment grounds; its future, together with the general question of Exchequer assistance for training schemes in the interests of agriculture, is now under review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is now able to give any estimate of what proportion of the 1939 British apple crop was wasted by inadequate gas storage facilities; and what steps are being taken to remedy this deficiency during the current year?

I am afraid no reliable estimate can be given of the surplus apple crop in 1939 for which methods of economic disposal could not be found. The markets were unable to absorb the abnormally large crops of early maturing varieties of cooking apples and losses occurred. These are, however, not usually place in stores but sent direct from the orchard to the market. Later maturing varieties also produced a record crop and were placed in gas stores, in barns and other farm premises to await sales in the markets during later periods of the year. Where the stores were not frost proof some loss was incurred by the abnormally severe weather. As regards the second part of the Question, I would point out that over 100 gas stores have been built either on the farms or at the co-operative packing stations and these stores have a capacity for over 1,000,000 bushels. I am satisfied with the progress made by the industry in providing these stores and I do not feel that action on the part of the Government is called for at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now make any statement as to the policy of the Government relative to the introduction of legislation in connection with the rates of wages for agricultural workers?

As a result of the discussions which have been taking place recently, I hope to be able to introduce in the near future a short Bill to modify the machinery for fixing minimum wages in agriculture which was set up by the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Act, 1924.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, with a view to securing a comprehensive plan for obtaining a maximum amount of food production in this country, he will consider transferring the sloughing-up policy which now comes under the war agricultural executive committees to the county council agricultural committees, or, alternatively, whether he would consider handing over the county council agricultural committees in their entirety to the new war agricultural executive committees, in view of the desirability of having one controlling committee only in each county in charge of food production and for the purpose of giving them extended and comprehensive powers to deal with these matters?

:No, Sir. The present organisation was established after full consideration and I am satisfied from the experience of the last six months that it is the form of organisation best suited to attain the object of increasing home food production in the present emergency.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is now able to state the results of his examination of the position consequent upon the decision of the House of Lords in the recent case of Pratt versus Cook, Son and Company (St. Paul's), Limited, concerning the operation of the Truck Acts?

I cannot at present add anything to the reply which I gave on 14th February to my hon. Friend's previous Question on this subject.

asked the Home Secretary how many local education authorities in England and Wales have, by their by-laws, prohibited all employment of schoolchildren on school days under the age of 13; and how many have extended this prohibition to the school holiday periods?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave today to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Glenvil Hall).

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the German anti-British propaganda organisations make use of the activities of the Peace Pledge Union and certain other similar societies of insignificant membership to misrepresent the determination of all classes in Great Britain and the Empire to prosecute the war to a victorious conclusion, and suggest by quotations from the literature of such societies that large numbers of persons in Great Britain desire to end the war at once on whatever peace terms are available; and whether, as the misleading of opinion in Germany and neutral countries in this way is most likely to prolong the war, he will take action to deal with this matter?

My right hon. Friend fully appreciates the importance of the point to which my hon. Friend calls attention. There is at the present time a special responsibility on all writers and speakers to think of the effect which their words may have not only in this country but abroad, and of the use which may be made of them by the enemy. But, as my hon. Friend will realise, any policy of penalising expressions of opinion by dissident individuals, on the ground that they may give a false impression of British public opinion, would involve a far-reaching interference with those liberties which we are all anxious to maintain.

asked the Minister of Labour whether immediate steps will now be taken to bring into use the new basis for the calculation of the cost-of-living index, especially in view of the fact

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number of insurable workers unemployed in the borough of Merthyr Tydfil, and the numbers in receipt of unemployment insurance benefit and unemployment assistance, respectively?

I am having the available figures extracted and will forward them to the hon. Member in due course.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given on 25th January to the hon. Member for Stoke (Mr. E. Smith).

asked the Minister of Labour what was the course of unemployment by trades and industries in the Greenock area, expressed in numbers and percentages, at the last available date in February, 1940, and for the preceding month, respectively?

The table below shows the numbers of insured persons, aged 16–64, in the principal industries, recorded as unemployed at the Greenock Employment Exchange on 12th February, 1940, and 15th January, 1940, and these numbers expressed as percentages of the estimated numbers insured at July, 1939:

asked the Minister of Labour and National Service whether he will state the number of men skilled in general engineering, shipbuilding and ship repairing now registered at the Employment Exchanges in the county boroughs of Sunderland and South Shields, respectively?

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 25th January, 1940; col. 749, Vol. 356], supplied the following:The table below shows the number of wholly unemployed men aged 18 and over registered for employment in certain occupations at Employment Exchanges in Sunderland (including Pallion) and South Shields on 12th February, 1940. It is not possible to

asked the Minister of Labour what decision has now been arrived at with regard to bringing members of the Building Industries National Council into consultation with the Works and Building Priority Sub-Committee of the Government's Priority Organisation?

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and National Service, who is chairman of the Works and Building Priority Sub-Committee, has the advantage of being advised by a panel representing the building industry and by a panel representing the civil engineering industry. He is in touch with the presigive

asked the Minister of Labour whether the report by the investigator appointed by the Government on the condition of the building industry in relation to Government and other needs is now ready and will be published?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 23rd January to my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Sir W. Edge).

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to a pronouncement by the chairman of the Bristol Conscientious Objectors 'Tribunal, on the 29th February, that the tribunal would recognise a political objection provided it was made with sufficient intensity; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent such divergences from the general practice of these tribunals?

I have seen a reference to this matter in the Press. The question of the interpretation of the term "conscientious objection" is a matter for the local tribunals who will no doubt be guided by the decisions of the appellate tribunal.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that there are wide variations in the decisions of hardship tribunals in respect of applications for postponement of service by students at university and other colleges; that some of the decisions cause severe hardships to students nearing the completion of their degree course, or preparing for examinations; and whether he will reconsider this matter with a view to mitigating these hardships?

The final authority in the matter of postponement is the umpire. The circulation of his recent decisions laying down the general principles to be applied will, I have no doubt, secure uniformity in the determinations of the hardship committees in individual cases.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in order that an employer and an employé may make some plans ahead, he will make arrangements, in the case of further Militia to be called up for service, for a medical examination to take place at intervals prior to registration, as the present uncertainty is causing much inconvenience?

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 6th February. It would be impracticable to arrange for medical examination to take place prior to registration.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is still issuing permits for German women, who have satisfied the tribunals, to gets jobs in Britain; and how many such permits have been issued since the 1st January, 1940?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative, provided that no suitably qualified British national is available for the employment in question, and that the special permission of the Auxiliary War Service Department of the Home Office has been given in certain cases. As regards the last part of the Question the latest available information shows that permits were granted during January in respect of 1,381 women and girls of German nationality.

asked the First Commissioner of Works whether, in view of their possible destruction or damage, he is satisfied that proper photographic and other records are in existence of the main historic buildings throughout the country; and whether he will have such records made with a view to subsequent restoration or at least historic record?

It is not possible to estimate with any degree of accuracy the extent to which adequate records exist of our historic buildings, though I should expect that photographic records, at least, exist of the principal ones. So far as historic buildings in the charge of my Department are concerned, reasonably adequate records are available. I am afraid that the task of making a survey of the enormous number of historic buildings throughout the country with the view to finding out what kinds of records exist and, where they do not exist, of arranging for proper records to be made, is not one which can be undertaken at the present time.

asked the Home Secretary the number of occasions during the war when articles by, or reports of speeches by, Members of this House have been censored in the British Press by the Government?

:Apart from the exceptional case dealt with in the reply which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to a Question by the hon. Member on 21st February, I know of no occasion on which any question has arisen about a speech or article by a Member of Parliament, but no complete record is kept of the action taken from day to day by the censors in dealing with the multifarious documents which are voluntarily submitted to them, and it is impossible to say with certainty that the censors have never had occasion to take action on something said or written by a Member of Parliament.

asked the Home Secretary the number of enemy aliens now certified as residing in Oxford and Cambridge, respectively; and whether he is satisfied that the police supervision is effective?

The numbers of Germans and Austrians registered as resident in the city of Oxford and the borough of Cambridge is 641 and 505 respectively. As I have already indicated, I do not think it should be assumed that every person possessing German or Austrian nationality is a potential menace; but there are individuals—who are not necessarily persons possessing German or Austrian nationality—whose activities require watching, and constant vigilance is being exercised for this purpose.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will issue instructions that all cinemas may open on Sundays where they wish to do so despite opposition from local authorities?

I have no power to issue any such instructions.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the provision allowance of the Navy was increased in November last by 8½ per cent.; whether this indicates an increase in the cost of living of Navy personnel; and whether the naval rates of billeting allowance for meals will be increased proportionately from the date of such increase of provision allowance?

I am aware of the increase referred to by my hon. Friend. The conditions governing the payment of provision allowance and billeting allowance are not the same but I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on this subject to the hon. Member for Central Hull (Mr. Windsor) on 30th January.

asked the Minister of Supply whether, in view of the undesirability of officers of his Department employing enemy aliens as servants, he will issue an order to the effect that such practice must cease?

In the case of the small proportion of the military officers employed in the Ministry who are accommodated in military quarters, King's Regulations require that special authority be obtained before an alien is employed. As regards civilian officers in the Ministry, such an instruction as my hon. Friend has in mind would raise a general question of policy and could not be confined to the Ministry of Supply.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will encourage local authorities to instal apparatus for sterilising and drying waste suitable for feeding-stuffs without waiting until the hot months makes the accumulation of such waste unmanageable?

Local authorities are being encouraged to collect kitchen waste for pig feeding, and as and when it becomes necessary, to dry this material. My right hon. Friend will be prepared, in suitable cases, to support an application made by a local authority for consent to borrow money for the purpose of installing the necessary plant.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, when contracts for hutments are entered into with large contractors, any conditions are imposed to ensure that sub-contractors tendering to the main contractor should have equal and fair treatment; and what action he will take in cases brought before him where the figures tendered are disclosed to certain firms and opportunity given for revision of prices so that special firms get advantages?

Contracts for hutted camps are now being placed at lump sum prices after competitive tendering, and, except in cases of complaints under the Fair Wages Clause, it is clearly not practicable for the War Office to intervene in the transactions between the contractor and sub-contractors.

asked the Secretary of State for War under whose instructions the huts were erected on the plot of land at the Anchor, Darwen; who ordered the construction of the sewers; and on whose advice are they now being dismantled for the purpose of re-erection on another plot of land 300 yards away?

I am making inquiries, and will communicate with the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Mr. James McGinty, North Queensferry, was employed from the outbreak of war as a shoemaker, repairing Army boots; that the work has now been taken away from him and given to a contractor; and will he take steps to restore the employment of which this elderly shoemaker is in great need?

I am making inquiries, and will communicate with the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Messrs. John Moncrieff, Limited, of the North British Glass Works, Perth, have received a letter, dated 21st February, from the Ministry of Supply informing them that the delay in the delivery by them of glass tubing is causing them serious inconvenience and holding up the manufacture of instruments urgently required to meet War Office demands; whether he is aware that this delay is caused by the inability of the firm to obtain the release from military service of certain essential scientific glassware workers; and whether, in these circumstances, he can expedite the release of the men in question, some of whom, as a result of delays in this respect hitherto, have now been sent to France?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. As regards the rest of the Question, I am making inquiries in collaboration with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply, and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend in due course.

asked the Minister of Food whether he can now state the exact position of the Lancashire poultry industry both as regard feeding-stuffs and production?

I am not in a position to add anything to the statements I have already made about the supply of feeding-stuffs for poultry. Statistics of the number of poultry in this country at the present time are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Food whether in view of the imminent introduction of meat rationing, he will provide diabetics with an extra allowance?

Yes, Sir. I have now been advised by the Food Rations (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the Medical Research Council that diabetic patients both children and adults should be allowed one extra ration of butchers' meat in exchange for their sugar ration, this exchange to be made on presentation of a doctor's certificate stating that the patient suffers from diabetes mellitus. The necessary arrangements will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that many fish and chip shops in Wolverhampton and district have been compelled to close owing to the high price of fish and cooking materials, and that the price of fish is still twice as high as the pre-war price; and whether he will make it clear that the owners of such shops are entitled to purchase their potatoes at wholesale prices as in the past?

I am aware that the reduction in the supplies of white fish, and its inevitable effect upon prices, have rendered the position of many of the smaller fish frying shops extremely difficult and that some have temporarily closed down. In regard to the latter part of the hon. Member's question, the owners of this class of shop are entitled now, as heretofore, to purchase potatoes at the prices prescribed for sales to retail establishments generally.

asked the Minister of Food whether the factories to be set up for dealing with potatoes will be capable of producing farina and other by-products; and whether, in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, the feeding-stuffs committees in each county could be associated with the management of the factories in order to ensure proper distribution of the resultant feeding-stuffs for livestock?

It is not intended that any of the new factories which are now being set up for the manufacture of potato meal shall be equipped for the manufacture of farina, but I have received a number of proposals for providing or adapting other factories for that purpose and they are being considered. With regard to the last part of the Question, I will bear the suggestion in mind.