asked the Home Secretary when the hon. Member for Ipswich may expect a reply to his letter of 23rd July, concerning the movement of alien specialists in a firm at Ipswich?

I regret that it has not been possible to send the hon. Member an earlier reply, but an answer will be sent as soon as possible.

asked the Home Secretary whether the provision of Haldanetype shelters ranks for grant; whether the same amount of grant is given for any type of shelter approved by him; and whether a borough council in London is permitted to determine the type of shelter which is provided for the safety of its inhabitants?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 20th August to a Question by the hon. Member for Consett (Mr. David Adams). As then stated, shelters of the type to which my hon. Friend refers may in suitable cases be approved for use as public shelters. As regards the percentage rate of grant payable, no distinction is drawn between one approved type of public shelter and another. As regards the last part of the Question, local authorities in providing air-raid shelter are expected to act in accordance with the general policy of the Government and in consultation with my Department's Regional staffs.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the continuous enemy action in South Wales, he will consider making the whole of the affected areas specified areas; and will he attend a meeting in South Wales to hear the views of the local authorities upon these matters at an early date?

Instructions were issued to local authorities at the beginning of July which had the effect of removing to a considerable extent the previous distinction between specified and non-specified areas, so far as concerns the provision of protection for householders eligible to be provided with shelter free of charge. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of those instructions. The actual provision of shelter in accordance with these instructions continues to be limited by the present shortage of labour and materials. I fear that my present engagements would not admit of my complying with the suggestion in the last part of the Question, but there are representatives of my Department in South Wales who can always be approached in such matters and I would of course give careful consideration to any written representations that might be made to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the local Medical War Committee drew up the circular issued to medical practitioners in Glasgow headed "Duties of Doctors in Air-Raids," and when consultation took place with the Department of Health?

The circular referred to was issued by the Glasgow Local Medical War Committee on 30th July, 1940, after consultation with the Department of Health's Hospital Officer.

asked the Minister of Health whether instructions have been or will he given that air-raid casualties should not be left in the open and should be protected from anti-aircraft fire, rain, coal, &c., until the arrival of ambulances; and what arrangements have been made for taking casualties under cover where the distance of the nearest ambulance centre makes delay inevitable?

I am advised that the need for affording casualties protection and shelter in the circumstances indicated by the hon. Member is well understood by those operating the casualty services, and that no special instructions by my Department are called for.

asked the Minister of Health, who is responsible for seeing that in every village some suitable site or premises have been marked down for use in connection with a mobile medical unit; and, where this has not been done, whether he will now give instructions to that end so that those responsible for such premises may be prepared for all contingencies?

It is the function of medical officers of health in charge of casualty services to arrange for the noting of premises in their area suitable for use by mobile first aid posts if the need should arise. Instructions to this effect have been issued through my hospital officers, who are in touch with medical officers of health on the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether arrangements will be made for girls between 16 and 20 years of age, whose parents had intended them for professional courses at a university, to proceed overseas to enable them to undertake study at a Dominion university, and for the payment by the parents of the educational fees as well as subsistence allowance into a central fund here to be disbursed under the supervision of his Department?

I am not aware of the existence of any demand for the institution of such arrangements as the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will investigate the contention of infant food manufacturers that they are faced with the total destruction of their business unless steps are taken to see either that they have an adequate return on the supplies of national milk powder which they are packing for the Government or a similar subsidy given them to enable them to keep their products in the market and sell at the same price as the State article?

National dried milk will be available only to infants not more than 12 months old for whom a doctor certifies that dried milk is necessary, and it will be issued only in lieu of the one pint of liquid milk per day to which they would otherwise be entitled under the national milk scheme. Proprietary infant foods, I am informed, are sold to a very much wider section of the population. National dried milk will be issued either free or at 1s. 2d. per packet containing a quantity equal to seven pints of liquid milk. These terms are equivalent to the terms (i.e., free or at 2d. per pint according to the means of the parents) on which liquid milk would be supplied were the child able to consume liquid milk. The price to be paid to manufacturers for national dried milk is at present under negotiation, but I cannot hold out any hope of a subsidy on proprietary foods.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he can now give any estimate of the amount of early plums which will remain unpicked through lack of demand; and whether, as an emergency measure, he will insist upon the placing of some part of this crop in cold storage?

No machinery exists for providing the figures asked for by my hon. Friend but reliable information received in my Department indicates that no considerable proportion of the early plum crop is likely to remain unpicked. My Noble Friend sees no ground for

NUMBERS EMPLOYED AS AT 22ND AUGUST, 1940.
Grade.						Headquarters.			Outstations (approximate).
						Male.	Female.	Total.	Male.	Female.	Total.
Clerical Officers		…	…	…	…	1,094	692	1,786	—	—	—
Clerical Assistant		…	…	…	…	—	584	584	—	1	1
"S" Class Clerks (Established)				…	…	68	—	68	—	—	—
"S" Class Clerks (Unestablished)					…	22	—	22	—	—	—
Temporary Clerks:—
Grade I	…	…	…	…	…	2	—	2	—	—	—
Grade II	…	…	…	…	…	84	4	88	—	—	—
Grade III		…	…	…	…	1,051	650	1,701	2,847	1,170	4,017
Air Service Clerks, Grade II				…	…	—	—	—	9	—	9
Air Service Clerks, Grade III				…	…	6	—	6	538	1	539
Air Service Assistant Clerks (Established)						11	—	11	465	—	465
Air Service Assistant Clerks (Temporary)						14	—	14	761	—	761
Chief Superintendents of Typists					…	—	3	3	—	—	—
Superintendents of Typists (Established)						—	25	25	—	4	4
Superintendents of Typists (Temporary)						—	1	1	—	—	—
Shorthand Typists (Established)					…	—	158	158	—	49	49
Shorthand Typists (Temporary)				…	…	—	118	118	—	358	358
Typists (Established)			…	…	…	—	175	175	—	41	41
Typists (Temporary)			…	…	…	—	224	224	—	232	232
Totals			…	…	…	2,352	2,634	4,986	4,620	1,856	6,476

The above numbers do not include staff now serving with His Majesty's Forces, nor, in the case of oversea stations, staff entered locally.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that there is great disappointment among young wireless telegraphy officers, newly certificated, who have been promised jobs in the mercantile marine by the training authority and now find such jobs are not available,

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can state, men and women, respectively, the numbers of C.O's., chief superintendents of typists, superintendents of typists, shorthand writers, established and temporary, typists, clerks in each grade employed in headquarters establishments in his Department; and similar figures regarding the outstations as at the most recent convenient date?

The numbers of staff employed in the grades referred to as at 22nd August, 1940, were as followafter their parents have paid large sums for their training and equipment; and can he take steps to see that their services are made use of?

I am aware of the circumstances to which the hon. Member refers and I have already arranged, after consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Shipping, that qualified trainees from the wireless colleges who have registered under the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939, and were born on or after 1st January, 1913, shall be accepted by the Royal Air Force as wireless operators. Other suitably qualified trainees may volunteer for service in the Royal Air Force. As regards expenditure on training fees, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 21st August to the hon. Members for West Fife (Mr. Gallacher) and Stretford (Mr. Etherton).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has any information as to the number of bombs and other instruments of war found in the German bomber which crashed recently on the Kerry Mountains, in Eire?

It is understood that there were no bombs in the machine when it crashed, but that machine-guns, revolvers and an axe were surrendered by the crew.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many State pensioners, who were granted their pensions many years ago, and many of whom are debarred from old age pensions owing to the means test, are suffering hardship owing to the increased cost of living; and will he undertake to introduce legislation granting an increase of pension owing to that increased cost of living?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Evesham (Mr. De la Bère) on 6th August last.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will send a representative to Northern Ireland to take stock of the men and resources available with a view to the establishment of a war factory, or factories, there, and the placing of largely increased orders for the materials required for the successful prosecution of the war?

My right hon. Friend is anxious to make the maximum use of the man power and resources of Northern Ireland wherever this is practicable, and he is fully informed of the position there through the Area. Officer of the Ministry in Belfast. Moreover arrangements have recently been made for a representative of the Director of Gun and Carriage Production to be stationed in Northern Ireland, to ensure that full use is made of the engineering capacity available for the production of these weapons. In addition, I have recently held a conference with representatives of the Government of Northern Ireland. As a result, my right hon. Friend is now engaged on a re-examination of the whole question.

asked the Attorney-General whether any arrangements have been made for a partial moratorium with regard to rent and rates payable by seaside boarding-house keepers whose business has been ruined by the refusal of the military authorities to allow visitors to come into the area for their holidays; and whether any scheme has yet been formulated for enabling these people to live in the meanwhile?

Yes, Sir. A limited moratorium applying inter alia to rent and rates is in force in areas declared to be evacuation areas under the Defence (Evacuation Areas) Regulations, 1940. State assistance is also available for the prevention and relief of distress under the scheme administered by the Assistance Board. The question whether any further steps are desirable and practicable is now under active consideration by the Government.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government has yet considered as a whole the numerous problems raised in connection with the hardships and liabilities of the population of those areas of the country which have been partially evacuated in connection with defence measures; and what remedial action it is proposed to take?

A full investigation is being made into this matter, but I regret that it is not yet complete. The problems involved are, as my hon. Friend recognises, numerous and difficult.

asked the Prime Minister whether he can now make any statement as to the position of persons who have invested their savings in seaside property or businesses in defence areas which are now valueless since visitors are no longer allowed by the military; and whether any means has now been devised to enable these people to live and to meet their obligations?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I have given to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle).

asked the Minister of Information whether, as letters from Northern Ireland to Great Britain have been unnecessarily interferred with by certain of the censors, he will give instructions to the Censorship Department that it is not permissible to excise any part of these letters?

Excisions which may have been found in the inward letters from Northern Ireland have been made contrary to the instructions given to the Postal Censorship staff. Steps have been taken to ensure that such excisions shall not recur.

asked the Minister of Health the number of applications for supplementary pensions received from the City of Leicester; how many have been approved; and the average amount allowed?

Information with regard to the City of Leicester is not available, but in the Board's administrative area of Leicester, 10,532 applications for supplementary pensions had been received up to and including the 16th August, 1940, and of this number 6,433 had been granted at that date. Information with regard to the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Shipping why ships' surgeons, whose duties and risks have increased by reason of the war, do not receive a monthly bonus for risk money to bring them into line with other officers in the Mercantile Marine; and, if not within the relative agreements of the National Maritime Board, will he make representations to the shipping companies concerned?

I am informed that although ships' surgeons are not covered by National Maritime Board agreements they are, as a general rule, receiving the same monthly War Risk Money as other officers. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind and will give me details I will make inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps have now been taken to reinstate the Gorell scheme for the British Army at home and abroad; and what additions have been made to the staff of the Army Educational Corps as a result?

The committee appointed by my predecessor to prepare a scheme of education for the Army in war-time has reported and its report has been generally accepted by the Army Council. A Director of Education has been appointed, and has now taken up his duties. The question of the establishment necessary to carry out the scheme is under active consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the hon. Member for Ipswich may expect an answer to his letter of 2nd August concerning the death, following vaccination, of No. 95302 Gunner W. Barnes?

I will send my hon. Friend a reply to his letter in the course of the next few days.