asked the Minister of Supply whether he will consider the desirability of requisitioning all suitable private motor cars that are not required for essential purposes and adapt them for use by the defence services, thus enabling those factories which are at present engaged on manufacturing purely transport vehicles for these services to divert some of their energy to more useful purposes?

Converted car chassis are not suitable for general purposes in the Army, although a certain number of them can be used for training purposes at home. If such chassis are required for Army purposes they are either impressed or requisitioned by the War Office, the Ministry of Supply being only concerned with meeting the Army's demands for new vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now state the exact type of uniform which is ultimately to be issued to the Local Defence Volunteer force?

The uniform is to consist of one suit of overalls of design similar to that of battle dress, a field service cap, and an armlet bearing the letters "L.D.V."

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are taken to acquaint men joining the Army for the duration of the war with the fact that they are entitled to refuse vaccination and inoculation?

The fact that vaccination and inoculation are on a voluntary basis has been published in instructions dealing with this subject?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it has yet been decided to grant promotion to Territorial quartermasters who have been embodied, and so are full-time soldiers, after the same periods of service as Regular Army quartermasters; and whether he is aware that the nine months' delay in coming to a decision on this point is causing great hardship to a class of officer whose means are never great in relation to the expenses they have to meet?

The Territorial quartermaster differs from the Regular in that the greater part of his service has not been full time, and the conditions are not altogether comparable. I propose, however, in future, that promotion to captain shall in the case of the Territorial quartermaster be at six years and to major at twelve years as in the case of the Regular. It should, however, be made plain that the pay of quartermasters does not depend on rank and the grant of this earlier promotion will not, therefore, affect pay. It will, however, affect the marriage allowances given to officers over 30 and certain non-effective benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the medical examination of doctors for admission to the Royal Army Medical Corps requires approximately the same standard of physical fitness irrespective of the age of the examinee; and whether he will consider instituting a series of grades and utilising medical men according to both health and experience for service either at home or overseas?

The standard physical qualification for a commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps is that the candidate should be fit for general service and under the age of 55. Candidates of lower physical fitness have been accepted to meet particular requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the hon. Member for Ipswich may expect a reply to those questions asked in his letter of 15th May, 1940, on the subject of extravagance in Militia camp construction, in relation to the re-employment of Major Reid-Kellett, D.S.O., M.G., with the exception of paragraph 3 which has now been answered?

My hon. Friend the Financial Secretary has been in touch with my hon. Friend in this matter, and understood that, in present circumstances, a written answer to the many detailed questions contained in the letter of 15th May would not be required.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether officers of all ranks of the Dominions armies are being attached to staffs and units of our Army with a view to a greater fusing of the Empire military effort?

The peace-time arrangements for the interchange of officers with the Dominions is still in force, and, since the outbreak of war, the Dominions have been encouraged to send officers to be attached to units of our Army, and many of them have been and are undergoing attachments and attending courses of instruction. A scheme for the interchange of staff officers is under discussion.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in the light of recent occurrences, he will reconsider the desirability of furnishing the inhabitants in certain reception areas with Anderson shelters, and air-raid precautions workers in the same areas with tin helmets?

My hon. Friend will appreciate that shelter policy must follow a general plan and that it would be undesirable to alter it because of particular incidents. Steel helmets are provided for the authorised establishment of the appropriate A.R.P. services in all areas.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the Government will consider issuing free passages to the Dominions to all mothers and children who have friends overseas who are willing to receive them and guarantee their maintenance?

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 19th June regarding the setting up of the Children's Overseas Reception Board. The scheme (which is set out in Cmd. 6213) includes an arrangement whereby individuals in the Dominions are able to nominate the children of friends and relatives in this country to be received by them in their homes, and these children, if attending grant-aided schools and otherwise eligible under the scheme would receive free passages. The scheme does not apply to mothers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why, in Circular No. 115/1940 issued by the Department of Health for Scotland, it is stated that the sums in respect of unaccompanied evacuated children are to be paid into a pool administered by the British Medical Association through local medical war committees; will he have this statement corrected; and what administrative offices, staff and facilities the Scottish Central Medical War Committee have in order to enable it satisfactorily to disburse Government funds for the purpose indicated?

I regret that the circular mentioned by my hon. Friend was not accurate on the point to which he refers, and I welcome this opportunity of correcting it. The fund for the provision of medical treatment for unaccompanied evacuated children is administered by the Scottish Central Medical War Committee through the corresponding local committees. The Scottish Secretary of the British Medical Association acts as Secretary to the Central Committee, and the office and staff of the Association are available for the purpose of the Committee's work.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has considered the resolution adopted by the National Council of the Scottish National Party on 1st June regarding the proposed co-ordination of the various control schemes in Scotland under the aegis of the Regional Commissioner for Scotland, a copy of which was sent to him by the secretary of that body; and whether he has any statement to make on the subject?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. Gallacher) on 18th June.

asked the Minister of Health when and how all general medical practitioners in London over the age of 35 years were given an opportunity of applying for an appointment to conduct medical examinations at time of evacuation; and who determined, and what constituted the national commitment which precluded certain, doctors from being permitted to apply?

At the request of the London County Council the Central Medical War Committee issued a circular on the 21st March to all general practitioners in the administrative county of London, excluding practitioners attached to first-aid posts, appointed to medical boards, or rendering service under the emergency medical service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many members of His Majesty's forces are still compelled by law to pay ground rent and other charges arising out of leasehold property which they have quitted and cannot sell; and will he consider taking steps to relieve the said members of His Majesty's Forces from this financial burden?

I have been asked to reply. The Courts (Emergency Powers) Act affords a very large, and I think a sufficient, measure of protection in the cases to which the hon. Member refers, but the position is being watched by the Government, and if necessary further powers will be taken.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will allow men of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, at present stationed in the Orkneys, leave at the rate of seven days every three months instead of 15 days every six months as at present?

The detailed arrangements for leave in Admiralty establishments are made by the naval officers in charge. The present system in the Orkneys is preferable, since it reduces time spent in travelling to a minimum and enables the men to make the best use of the two free railway warrants which they are allowed each year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (1) whether he will state the types of work which are regarded as furnishing tradesmen for the Army; and how many men are registered as such tradesmen of military age who have not yet been called up and who are waiting for their services to be utilised;(2) why it is proposed not to call up, until the Army needs such tradesmen, young men of 21 years of age and thereabouts who have registered but have not yet been called up and who are regarded as tradesmen even though they are unemployed; and, as older married men are being called up and the idleness of these younger men in many districts of the country is causing a bad impression, will he investigate the whole matter?

The civilian occupations which furnish tradesmen for these Service trades are given in the new edition of the Schedule of Reserved Occupations, which was put on sale by His Majesty's Stationery Office on 18th June. They are the occupations which appear in Part III of this document with an entry in the column headed "age of reservation from service in trade capacity." These occupations are in general those which are of such importance for munitions work that men can only be called up from them to the extent to which they are required by the Forces as tradesmen. In view of changing circumstances the Schedule is constantly under revision and if and when it appears that a larger number of young tradesmen are reserved than will be required, appropriate amendments are made; this has been done recently, in particular, in the case of certain classes of woodworkers. It would not be in the national interest to give the number concerned.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the number of civil servants of military age exempted from service on grounds of conscientious objection; the number placed on work of national importance, and on what basis of pay; the number who have been allowed to resume their ordinary departmental duty; and the number of conscientious objectors of this, or the 1914–18 Great War, who have been promoted since the 3rd September, 1939?

Up to 6th June, 619 civil servants had appeared before tribunals as conscientious objectors under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act. Of these, 39 were allowed unconditionally to register as conscientious objectors, 30 were directed to undertake work of national importance, principally in forestry or agriculture, and 198 to remain in their Civil Service employment. The remainder, 352, were posted to the Forces, either for combatant or non-combatant duties. Those who undertake work of national importance outside the Civil Service are paid the current rates for such work, and those who remain in the Civil Service receive the emoluments appropriate to their office. No information is available as to the number, if any, of conscientious objectors of the war of 1914–18 who have been promoted since 3rd September, 1939. I am not aware of any case of the promotion of a civil servant who has registered as a conscientious objector since the outbreak of war.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what are the functions of the 20 district officers recently appointed in connection with the food publicity campaign and what qualifications are needed for such posts; and whether he is aware that these functions could be adequately discharged by local authorities in conjunction with voluntary and commercial concerns?

The functions of the district officers are to assist in the promotion in local areas of the campaign for care in the use of food and sound nutrition. As regards the second part of the Question, my Noble Friend has sought the assistance of all existing organisations concerned with the subject. In view of the number of organisations and the need for securing rapid progress over the whole field, I feel sure that the appointments have been justified.