asked the Secretary of State for War for what reasons pay attached to acting rank is withheld for three months from officers who have been called up from the Emergency Reserve?

It is not the case that pay of acting rank is withheld for three months, but only for 21 days. If the officer continues to hold the acting rank after that period, the higher rate of pay is issued with retrospective effect.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the disappointment caused to numbers of ex-officers who, at the outbreak of war, volunteered for service in the Army Officers Emergency Reserve and who have since been informed that they are released from the undertaking which they gave; and whether, in the case of those who are anxious to remain on the Reserve in any event, he can give an assurance that if they notify the War Office to that effect a record will be kept of the fact so that they can be called upon if circumstances should ultimately necessitate calling them up for service?

I naturally recognise the disappointment felt by the ex-officers referred to, but, when it is clear that, either on medical or other grounds, there is no prospect of employment, it is thought better to release members of the Reserve and leave them free for any other service which they may be able to render. Their retention in the Reserve would serve no useful purpose, and would add to the considerable labour necessarily involved in the maintenance of records. Their desire to serve in the Army is, I need hardly say, fully appreciated, and I much regret that it is not possible to accede to their wishes.

asked the Secretary of State for War what proportion of Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps men serving with the British Expeditionary Force have to carry rifles and bayonets and are available for guard or similar duties?

25 per cent, of the personnel of the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps are armed, but bayonets are not issued. The personnel should not normally be called on to perform guard duties,

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the present cost of cabling the sum of £20 by money order to New Zealand is £2 3s. 6d., and that not more than £10 can be sent on any one day, thus necessitating an additional cable for every £10; and whether he can arrange with the appropriate Government Departments for a change of the regulations which would enable sums of money to be sent more cheaply to service personnel abroad?

My hon. and gallant Friend appears to be under a misapprehension. There is no war-time restriction on the transmission of money to New Zealand by means of money orders, and a single`remittance up to the ordinary maximum of £40 per order may be sent to New Zealand by telegraph money order. The cost of telegraphing a money order for £20 to New Zealand is £1 1s. 9d. at the full ordinary rate, and 14s.10½d. at the deferred rate.

asked the Postmaster-General how long it now takes a letter to travel from London to Shanghai and vice versa; what steps he is taking to accelerate the mail service to the Far East; and whether advantage has been taken of the fast service of Italian vessels from Trieste to Shanghai?

Mails for Shanghai are normally forwarded either via North America or via Suez; but correspondence specially superscribed for transmission by way of Siberia is forwarded by that route. The times of transmission have varied within somewhat wide limits and in the most favourable`conditions are about six weeks, five weeks and four weeks by these routes respectively. The times of transmission in the homeward direction are substantially similar. It is hoped that a better service via Suez may shortly be available. The intermittent sailings of the Italian Line to which my hon. Friend refers, rob it of the advantage of its speed for the conveyance of mails. Any possibility of improving the service will, however, most certainly be examined.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reconsider the question of providing telephone kiosks without first seeking financial assurances from local authorities, who, in most cases, could not bind the ratepayers to their decision?

Public telephone call offices have been provided in mainland villages where there are post offices. These call offices are un-remunerative and my right hon. Friend regrets that he would not be justified in imposing a further serious loss on the Post Office by providing a public telephone in all villages and hamlets throughout the country without a contribution from the inhabitants. A considerable number of local authorities in rural areas have given the required undertaking to pay a rental of £4 a year for five years and I am not aware of any case in which this payment has been disallowed.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the danger to public health arising from overcrowded conditions in the town of Marlborough, as disclosed in the report of the medical officer of health, he will send down an inspector to confer with the town council and the military authorities, so that a remedy may be effected speedily?

I am making inquiries into the matter and will communicate further with my hon. Friend in due course.

asked the Financial Secretary to the. Treasury whether Members serving in the British Expeditionary Force are to use Parliamentary travelling warrants for the purpose of attending Parliament; and whether G.R.O. 223, of 9th November, 1939, will be amended to make the position clear?

The concession, with regard to free transport facilities for Members of Parliament who are serving in the fighting Services, which was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War on 26th September last, was confined to travelling facilities within the United Kingdom. I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War is considering whether any amendment to G.R.O. 223 of 9th November, 1939, is necessary in order to make the position clear.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the films now being shown by the Gaumont-British and Paramount news services, dealing with agriculture and the food supply, in which films he is featured, were made under the auspices of his Department; and, in particular, whether the call for the stoppage of hunting in war-time was included in those films with his authority?

In view of the urgent need for ploughing up in time for cropping this year, the News Reel Companies very generously accepted my suggestion that they should cover the food production campaign, but they acted entirely on their own responsibility in dealing with the agricultural subjects which they featured.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Builth and Radnorshire Shire Horse Society will probably be unable to continue its activities during the 1940 season without the assistance which it has received during the past years from the grants made by his Department; and whether, in view of the desirability of maintaining so far as possible the breeding of heavy horses by farmers in Wales, he will examine the financial circumstances of the horse societies at an early date with a view to ascertaining what is the minimum financial support necessary to enable them to continue their useful activities?

I have received representations in the sense indicated by the hon. Member in the first part of the Question. With regard to the latter part, I would refer him to the replies given on 14th March to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for South Portsmouth (Sir J. Lucas) and my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Sir R. Gower).

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the war agricultural executive committee of the East Riding of Yorkshire is supporting the protests of the Shire Horse Society against his recent decision to discontinue the grants for heavy-horse breeding; and whether, in view of the widespread protests which this decision has caused in all agricultural circles, he can arrange for the whole matter to be reinvestigated at an early date?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the replies given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for South Portsmouth (Sir J. Lucas) and my hon Friend the Member for Gillingham (Sir R. Gower) on 14th March.