asked the Secretary of State for War whether measures have been taken to protect the electric grid system?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider withdrawing the provision that a member of the Local Defence Volunteers, by giving a fortnight's notice, can obtain his discharge?

I have considered this question, and I do not think it is either desirable or necessary at present to make the change suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in dealing with the detection of parachute troops in remote areas, he will consider providing crofters, farmers and game keepers with Verey light pistols for discharge when parachute troops are first seen, with the result that the light in the sky would be seen by the Observer Corps who would in turn communicate by telephone with the proper quarter?

My hon. Friend's suggestion has been noted.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will arrange that his Department, in placing contracts for supplies, will ensure that contractors are given their orders in such a way as will enable them to employ their staffs continuously instead of having to disband trained personnel in consequence of the present system under which rush orders are given from time to time, with intervals between the orders during which it is impossible for firms to keep their trained staffs fully employed, thus penalising those firms who are most expeditious in the handling of contracts?

The desirability of placing orders for supplies on the principle which my hon. Friend advocates is fully appreciated by my Department, and every endeavour is made to proceed in this way. But it is sometimes inevitable, in existing circumstances, that rush orders should be placed, or that a continuous flow of orders should be interrupted.

asked the Minister of Health whether a municipal authority who have had in their employ enemy aliens who are now no longer in their employment should withhold repayments of any contributions made under the Corporations' Superannuation Fund by such enemy aliens?

The cases in which a local authority is liable to return superannuation contributions are set out in Section 10 of the Local Government Superannuation Act, 1937, and these provisions are applicable to all superannuable employés of a local authority under that Act.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can make any statement as to the political, financial and economic situation at Hong Kong?

While the evacuation of women and children and other measures taken in Hong Kong have caused some feeling of disturbance, the population of the colony is in excellent heart. Trade statistics and revenue figures according to the latest information are buoyant, although there are at present some difficulties in finding cargo space for shipment of the colony's miscellaneous exports. The Government has also improved the position of its liquid reserves by a recent flotation of the balance of a loan authorised in 1934. The cost of living still shows an upward trend caused by circumstances beyond our control and in particular by the uncertainty of the situation in neighbouring territories.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how the 2,000 acres of land, taken over in Scotland as not being adequately cultivated, are distributed between the counties concerned?

Possession has been taken by Agricultural Executive Committes in Scotland of 2,021 acres of land that was not being adequately cultivated. The distribution of this total acreage is as follows:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the action of the assistant censor in Jamaica in issuing an order prohibiting editors and newspapers in Jamaica making any references to the legislative measures passed in this country empowering the Government to conscript wealth and control industry in the United Kingdom?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the Question asked by the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker) on 9th July.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any information regarding the great decrease in the export of goods from Jamaica to other countries, said to amount to 33⅓ per cent. since the outbreak of war; is he aware that such decrease is causing serious concern in the island, lack of employment, increased taxation, and consequent labour agitation; and what measures are being taken to ameliorate the situation?

My Noble Friend is advised that the decrease to which the hon. Member refers is mainly due to the decrease of 56 per cent. in the value of the export of bananas. This crop suffered severely from a hurricane which occurred in November last and certain losses have also been caused by the leaf spot disease. Spraying for disease control has been organised and the Governor has estimated that production is expected to increase materially during the later months of the year.

asked the Minister of Information whether, in view of the rapid increase of power and authority which has been acquired by the civil servants in all Government Departments since the outbreak of war, he will consider issuing some pamphlet of information setting out the additional responsibility which the Government has approved in this connection since the outbreak of war?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that his Department is employing many young accountants to investigate the costs of companies supplying materials to his orders, and that this is waste of manpower in view of the 100 per cent. Excess Profits Tax; and whether he will see that these young men are employed better elsewhere?

None of the accountants employed in investigating the costs of firms contracting with the Ministry is under the reserved age for members of that profession under the Schedule of Reserved Occupations. As regards the need for the work having regard to the Excess Profits Tax, I would refer to the reply given on 13th June by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to a Question by the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes).

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will take steps to bring to the notice of subscribers their right under the Post Office and Telegraph Act, 1940, to terminate their telephone contracts by notice in writing within one month after the commencement of the Act?

I regret that under present war conditions I cannot agree to take any special steps on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend; these would involve individual notification to some 400,000 subscribers. The publicity which my hon. Friend's Question and this answer will receive will possibly serve the purpose he has in mind.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is satisfied that arrangements are being made for the regular and efficient collection of salvage and scrap in all rural districts; and whether he intends to instruct county councils to utilise the services of their roads and bridges departments to ensure this being done without delay?

I am not satisfied that arrangements for the regular and efficient collection of salvage and scrap have yet been made in all rural districts. Compulsory directions to provide an efficient collection service have been issued to all district councils with a population of over 10,000 and, if necessary, the population limit will be reduced later. The Iron and Steel Control have also invited every parish council in the country to organise a village dump under the Village Dump Scheme; over 2,000 dumps are already in operation, and the number is increasing daily. This will have the effect of bringing out much of the metal from rural districts. Meantime, I do not propose to instruct county councils specifically to utilise the services of their roads and bridges departments.

asked the Minister of Supply whether, in addition to purchasing submachine guns from the Thompson Automatic Gun Company, he will take steps to purchase the large quantity of secondhand supplies of these weapons existing in the United States of America?

This matter is already in hand.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he has recently taken to facilitate the supply by a local authority of iron castings to a firm in its area in order to assist the latter in the execution of contracts with his Department; and whether he is prepared, if similar cases arise, to deal with them in the same way?

The firm in question needed the castings and the local authority was prepared to supply them, subject to the question of the legality of using its foundry for other than municipal purposes. In order to remove any doubt as to this I issued a direction under Regulation 54 (b) of the Defence (General) Regulations requiring the corporation to supply iron castings to the firm in question in order to assist it in the execution of contracts with Government Departments. In answer to the second part of the Question, I can assure my hon. Friend that I shall be prepared to take similar action in other cases where such action is justified. Moreover, the power to give directions to local authorities under the Defence Regulation referred to is possessed by a number of Ministers and authorities besides the Minister of Supply.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will give an assurance that adequate steps have been taken to ensure that there will be no shortage of overcoats next winter in the Armed Forces?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Supply whether his attention has been drawn to the new product maycrete, which has been tested and proved to be a very good substitute for timber; and, in view of the possibility of a shortage of timber, whether he will take steps to develop the output of this product?

My attention has been called to this and other possible substitutes for timber for building purposes. It has already been under investigation by the Building Research Station, and I understand that a new specification of the product is to be examined at an early date.

asked the Home Secretary whether he proposes to issue any orders as to what is to be done with horses in urban areas from which the population, under instructions, may be evacuated?

Yes, Sir. All necessary instructions will be issued if and when occasion arises.

asked the Home Secretary what facilities are afforded to persons detained under Regulation 18B for obtaining legal advice and assistance in preparing their case for presentation to the Advisory Committee; and what facilities are given to the legal advisers of such persons to appear and present their case before the advisory committee?

Facilities are given to persons detained under this Regulation to be visited by legal advisers so that they may have advice and assistance in preparing any case they wish to present to the Advisory Committee. The question whether in any case a legal representative shall be allowed to appear before the committee is one for the committee to determine, and I understand that no case has yet arisen in which the committee has felt that for the purpose of enabling an objector to present his case to them properly, it has been necessary that he should have the assistance of a legal representative at the hearing. The committee is careful to see that the case which objectors desire to present is fully before them.

asked the Home Secretary whether all first-aid parties for the county of Dumbarton have now been supplied with the combination uniform suit and helmet?

Sufficient steel helmets have been issued to the County Council for the equipment of their authorised establishment of first-aid parties. These parties were included in the services for which the council have ordered uniforms and those orders are in process of being met. I cannot however say whether uniforms have actually been issued to the first-aid parties.

asked the Home Secretary whether, with a view to providing a more adequate deterrent, he will consider introducing legislation to put offences of a treasonable character on the same footing as murder, to the extent that sentence of death automatically follows conviction?

Provision for this purpose has already been made by Section of the Treachery Act, 1940.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has informed local authorities that he will not approve, for the purposes of grant, any expenditure by local authorities on lighting, sanitary arrangements and seats in public shelters?

No, Sir.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, considering the dissatisfaction that exists among farmers and cattle raisers in Northern Ireland with the grading of their animals by a single grader, he will appoint a second grader to whom cases in which the vendors, believing that they have just cause for complaint against the prices offered, may appeal for his decision?

The question of granting farmers in Northern Ireland the right of appeal against the grading of fat animals presented for sale for slaughter to the Government has already been given careful consideration in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland who act as agents for the Ministry of Food in operating the control scheme in Northern Ireland. Owing to the administrative difficulties involved, however, it would be quite impracticable to provide for any form of appeal against the decision of the official graders. Grading of livestock in Northern Ireland has in fact been carried out with remarkable accuracy and no evidence has been received either by the Ministry of Food or by the Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland that there is any widespread dissatisfaction with the present system in Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Labour in what occupations increases of wages have taken place since the war; what are the approximate amounts of such increases in the respective occupations; the approximate total amount now paid in wages per week; and the average total amount of wages per week for 1938?

The available information relates mainly to industries in which rates of wages are determined either by statutory orders or by collective agreements between employers and workpeople. Since the outbreak of the war, rates of wages have been increased in the great majority of these industries. For particulars of the increases in the respective industries and occupations, which are too numerous to be detailed within the limits of a reply to a Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the tabular statements published under the heading "Changes in Rates of Wages and Hours of Labour" in each of the monthly issues of the Ministry of Labour Gazette. I will arrange, however, that a statement giving particulars of the increases in wages granted in some of the principal industries shall be prepared and supplied to the hon. Member. I regret that figures are not available showing the approximate total weekly amount now paid in wages or the average total amount of weekly wages in 1938.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is able to state the effect of the proposed 100 per cent. Excess Profits Tax on the terms of the White Paper, Cmd. 6168?

The arrangements in the White Paper in no way affect any liability of the controlled undertakings to Excess Profits Tax.