asked the Postmaster-General whether he can yet state the outcome of his investigation, announced on 28th June, into the policy of the Post Office in regard to advertisements in stamp booklets of proprietary medicines promising immediate results to sufferers from affections of the kidney, bladder and prostate gland, rheumatism, backache and painful joints; and whether he is aware that such an advertisement still appears in all 5s. booklets?

The Postmaster-General has come to the conclusion that he cannot in present circumstances modify the long-standing policy of confining exclusion of advertisements on medical grounds to those relating to medicines covered by paragraph 58 (2) of the Report of the Select Committee on Patent Medicines, 1914, owing to the loss of revenue which would be entailed.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the frequent and substantial delays in obtaining long-distance telephone calls between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., caused by the popularity of the 1s. rate, he will introduce a higher preferential rate for urgent calls.

About 60 per cent. of the total number of night calls are completed on demand, and I do not consider that the circumstances call for such a measure as my hon. Friend suggests. The cheap night call arrangement was reintroduced largely to meet the needs of men and women in the Services and of people affected by evacuation. I am not prepared to take any step which might place them at a disadvantage in the treatment of their calls, by introducing preference calls at a higher charge.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction among Scottish knitwear manufacturers over the inadequate ration of wool and the unemployment likely to result in Clackmannanshire and other counties in Scotland; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the productive capacity of this industry is made use of, especially in view of its high value in export trade?

Some restriction in the issue of wool for manufacture for civilian purposes has been found necessary, but the supplies which can be made available are distributed equitably among the firms in the industry, including the Scottish knit-wear manufacturers, under a rationing scheme. As regards exports,an undertaking has been given to make available 125 lbs. of wool in replacement of each 100 lbs. of wool used in the production of materials, including knitted goods, which are exported before the end of April next.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that hardship is being suffered by manufacturers holding contracts which were placed at fixed prices before or immediately after the commencement of the war owing to increases in prime costs; and whether any action can be taken to mitigate it?

I have given careful consideration to representations received both from individual contractors and from trade societies regarding hardship suffered by manufacturers holding contracts which were placed at fixed prices quoted before the outbreak of war and during the following three months. I recognise that in many cases contractors have incurred unavoidable extra expense in the execution of these contracts by reason of rises in prime costs and that to refuse to make any contribution to such extra expense would often cause hardship. It has therefore been decided as an ex gratia measure to give sympathetic consideration to claims from contractors who seek enhanced payments to mitigate the hardship they would otherwise suffer. By reason of the ex gratia nature of such payments, the individual cases will generally be considered on satisfactory completion of the contracts concerned; the amount of the extra payment will be based on the extra costs unavoidably incurred owing to rises in the prices of important materials and in the rates of wages, so long as the contractor is not left with more than a strictly limited profit.

asked the Minister of Food the names and number of persons engaged in the administration of his department in Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire, their salaries and duties?

Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire are in the area of the Divisional Food Officer of the Northern Division, whose headquarters are at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The following officers are stationed in Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire:

—	Number.	Salary.
Food Executive Officers.*	15	£100–600 p.a. according to population.
Chief Assistants and Assistants.	31	Up to £500 p.a. according to population.
Clerical, etc.	409	Standard rates.
* There are also 57 receiving honoraria of £50 to £150 p.a.

The North Eastern Area of the Meat and Livestock Control has the following staff stationed in Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire:

—	Number.	Salary.
County Slaughter-house Agent.	1	£600 p.a. (Mr. T.A. Jackson.)
District Livestock Inspector.	1	£450 p.a.
Deputy Meat Agents.	19	£275 p.a.
Slaughterhouse Staffs:
Managers	20	Up to £500 p.a.
Deputy Managers.	9	Up to £400 p.a.
Checkweighmen.	60	Up to £5 p.w.
Clerical	22	Standard rates.

There are also a few area officers of other commodity controls whose duties extend over Durham and the North Riding of Yorkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he proposes in connection with increased production for extended credit facilities for farmers in Scotland?

I am assured that the Scottish banks are in close and sympathetic touch with the Scottish farmers and that, in general, there will be no difficulty in farmers, whose financial position is reasonably satisfactorily, obtaining adequate credit to enable them to play their full part in the programme of increased food production. I recognise, however, that there may be a minority of farmers who find themselves in some particular difficulty in regard to the supply of materials and services for increased production, and I have been in consultation with the banks and have arranged with them that they will, on application, make special arrangements for dealing with such cases, and wherever possible will make the necessary advances. Farmers who require such special facilities in order to enable them to carry out the instructions of the Agricultural Executive Committees should accordingly apply to a bank, which in the case of farmers having a banking connection should be the bank with which they have been in the habit of dealing. I should like to say that I am very much indebted to the Scottish banks for their ready co-operation in this arrangement which will ensure that the necessary credits will be made available to farmers who need them with a minimum of delay.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in the case of the city of Coventry, the full proportion of grant towards expenditure incurred on air-raid precautions work, including that spent by the city on the protection of schools, has been paid; and, if not, when the liability entered upon under the Schedule to the Air-Raid Precautions Act, 1937, will be discharged?

The final claim for the year 1938–9 has recently been received from the district auditor and is under examination. During the course of that year advances on account of the grant estimated to be due were made on the basis approved by the Treasury. Payments of grant in respect of the current year's expenditure have been, or are being, made on the same basis. As regards expenditure on air raid precautions work at schools, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 29th February to Questions by the hon. Members for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson), Stratford (Mr. Groves) and Mr. Sorensen (West Leyton). This expenditure is not a matter for air raid precautions grant.

asked the Minister of Food the reason for the delay of 10 to 14 days from the time M.A.P. forms are sent to slaughter-houses from collecting centres with consignments of pigs and the time the forms are returned to the centres, a delay which is causing hardship to pig producers who cannot be paid for their pigs until these forms are received?

:The delay has been due to a misunderstanding regarding the necessity for certain counter-signatures on the forms. This has now been removed and the forms should, in future, be returned within two or three days.