asked the Minister of Labour, whether he is aware that unemployed men have been sent by the employment exchange, Blaina, Monmouthshire, to Usk and Pontymister, distances of 16 and 25 miles, respectively, with the promise of employment or to be interviewed for that purpose and, after waiting on the factory premises from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., return home, in some instances without being interviewed, and having to defray the cost of travel themselves; and will he take steps to end this practice, especially as upon occasions in the adjoining exchange area prospective employers of labour have visited the employment exchange to select the men whose services are required?

I am making inquiries and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether he is aware that persons evacuated from the London area, whose homes have been bombed and whose works are closed down, and who are in insurable occupations and whose stamps are fully paid up, are being refused statutory benefits by the Employment exchanges for six weeks on the grounds that they have left work voluntarily; that they are also being denied financial aid by the Unemployment Assistance Board on the grounds that they did not come within the scope of assistance according to the regulations; and what steps he is taking to put an end to this grievance?

I am not aware of such cases. If my hon. Friend will give me particulars of any specific cases he has in mind I will have immediate inquiry made.

asked the Minister of Labour, whether he is aware that, arising from the earlier hour of darkness, workers in war industries are increasingly unwilling to work overtime on the day-shift; and how it is intended that this problem should be solved in the national interests?

I am not prepared to accept the view that workers in war industries are increasingly unwilling to work overtime on the day shifts. There have been difficulties, not attributable to the work-people, in connection with transport and other matters and the nature of the problem varies from area to area and from factory to factory. The Government must rely in the main on the ingenuity and practical knowledge of trade unions, employers' associations, the workpeople and the management for devising arrangements in each case which will secure the object of maintaining maximum production. I am constantly stimulating consideration of these problems by all concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what steps are taken by his Department to collate, for future use, all data concerning the complete war effort of Scotland?

The records of the Departments for which I am responsible will include material in convenient form relating to their war activities.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is in a position to make a statement regarding improved street-lighting in the coming winter.

No, Sir.

asked the Home Secretary the number of C refugees now interned; and whether he is prepared to issue instructions for the immediate release of all anti-Nazi internees providing satisfactory arrangements are available for their reception or employment?

I regret that figures are not available showing how many of the persons belonging to the C category and still in internment are refugees. As regards the remainder of the question, some extensions have been made on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee to the categories of persons eligible for release, and these extensions are shown in the new White Paper which is being published to-day. The Advisory Committee are continuing their examination of the problem and I hope soon to receive their final recommendations. Meanwhile I would point out that it is open to internees under 55 years of age to volunteer for the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has now reached a decision in the case about which he received a communication, on the 6th August, from the hon. Member for Abertillery concerning Mrs. D. A. Zerbino, an Englishwoman, whose husband, an Italian, had been interned, who had lived all her life in Bristol, received on 16th June three days' notice from the chief constable of that city to leave her home, since when she has resided with a lady friend at Abertillery, whereas, were she permitted to return to Bristol, she could probably obtain employment so as to meet rent arrears that have accumulated during her absence; and will he enquire into the delay that has taken place in this case and ensure that honourable Members dealing direct with his department are promptly answered?

Bristol is in an aliens protected area and the policy, settled in consultation with the Service Departments and the Security Services, is not to allow persons of enemy nationality to reside in these areas: I fully appreciate the hardship caused to individuals, but this case cannot be treated as if it stood alone. If this lady were allowed to reside in the protected area, similar concessions would have to be made in numerous other cases. I regret the delay in replying to my hon. Friend's letter. This was due to the fact that two other applications were received, one from the husband for release and one from the wife for naturalisation, and until both these questions had been settled it was not possible to reply to my hon. Friend's inquiry.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that letters to and from internees in Huyton Camp are still taking 10 days, and frequently more; and whether he can do anything to expedite the arrangements?

A great deal has been done to remove the delays which previously existed with regard to the correspondence of internees. The hon. Member is no doubt aware that these letters are subject to censorship, which may cause delay in individual cases, but there is no such delay as the Question suggests with regard to the bulk of the correspondence reaching or leaving Huyton Camp.

asked the Home Secretary whether there is anything in the regulations for the control of alien internment camps which prevents an alien, below the age for enlistment in the Pioneer Corps, receiving the books which are necessary to continue the course of study in which he was engaged prior to internment?

I am anxious that internees, whatever their age, should have all reasonable facilities for continuing or engaging in courses of study, and various steps have been taken to arrange for the supply of the requisite books. An individual internee can have new books sent to him direct from a publisher, bookseller or printer, but, for security reasons, cannot be allowed to receive used copies of books from private individuals whose bona fides the camp authorities have no means of verifying.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has considered the resolution from the Rugby Trades Council protesting against the dismissal from his post of unpaid air-raid precautions warden, Mr. E. C. Griffiths, of 6, Pennington Street, Rugby, and calling for his reinstatement; and whether he will inquire into the circumstances of the dismissal, with a view to reinstating Mr. Griffiths?

I am unable to trace having received the resolution to which the hon. Member refers. The appointment of individual volunteers is, how- ever, a matter for the local authority and not one in which I am prepared to intervene.

asked the Home Secretary what definite winter arrangements have been made, up to date, regarding Glasgow's air-raid shelters?

I am not clear as to the nature of the arrangements to which my hon. Friend refers. Whilst executive responsibility rests with the Glasgow Corporation, every effort will be made to see that shelters in Glasgow are properly equipped and that in particular the fitting of doors and the installation of sanitary accommodation are pressed forward. If my hon. Friend has other aspects in mind, perhaps he will communicate with me.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will call for weekly reports on the health of the people using crowded air-raid shelters; and whether there are, as yet, indications of any number of ascribable maladies?

I am arranging, with the collaboration of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Home Security and the local authorities, for a system of medical inspection, central and local, of public health conditions in shelters which will include reports by the officers concerned. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Home Secretary whether his Department has at any time prevented British subjects detained under the Defence of the Realm Order 18B from communicating with their Members of Parliament?

The practice has been to tell detained persons that representations about their detention should be made to the Secretary of State and not to other persons holding public positions: and that the facilities for correspondence are only intended to enable the detained person to keep in touch with his relatives or personal acquaintances. I have, however, reviewed this question and given directions that in future letters to Members of Parliament shall be allowed within the number permitted by the rules regardless of the consideration whether the writer has or has not any personal acquaintance with the Member.

asked the Home Secretary what progress has been made in reviewing the position of those detained on security grounds; how many are still detained and how many have been released; and whether these detenues now endure long periods of solitary confinement?

Two new committees have recently been appointed to deal with cases of Italian origin and this has considerably relieved the pressure on the original committees. All the committees are disposing of cases as rapidly as possible and I hope it will not be long before all outstanding appeals have been heard. The number under detention on 30th September was 1,381 and up to that date 248 persons had been released. It is not practicable in prisons to avoid keeping these persons in their cells for a great part of the day but more than a third of the number are now detained in a camp and arrangements are being made in the near future to transfer a further large number to another camp which is being provided.

asked the Home Secretary when the case of Mrs. Kathleen Bidie, of Church Hill House, Haslemere, arrested under Section 18B, on 6th June, and against whom no charge has been preferred, will be heard by the Advisory Committee; and what has been the reason for such a long delay.

I am informed that the Advisory Committee heard this case on 9th October.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give the reason for the detention of Mr. G. H. Stock in Walton Prison, Liverpool, and when his case will be heard and by whom.

Mr. Stock was detained on 23rd September under Defence Regulation 18B as having been recently concerned in the preparation or instigation of acts prejudicial to the public safety or the defence of the realm. He has made objections to the Advisory Committee, which will hear his case as soon as practicable, but there are a considerable number of cases awaiting hearing where the detention orders were made before that of Mr. Stock.

asked the Home Secretary in view of the varying practice in different parts of the country and the uncertainty which exists, to indicate whether justices, who also act as special constables, should sit when police prosecutions are being considered; and whether justices who are air-raid wardens should sit when lighting and similar offences are being tried.

The question whether a magistrate is disqualified to act in any particular case is a matter of law which I have no authority to determine. The general principle is that a magistrate should avoid adjudicating on a case in which he may be thought to have a bias. A magistrate who is a special ccnstable is not, I am advised, disqualified merely by reason of his being a special constable from acting as a magistrate; but if he is actively engaged in the duties of a special constable there may be cases in which he should abstain from adjudicating because the police (including the special constabulary) are directly or indirectly concerned. As regards the second point, while I am aware that different opinions have been expressed, it seems to me that the case of a magistrate who is also an air-raid warden stands on a rather different footing, and that such a magistrate need not, in general, regard himself as precluded from sitting in the circumstances described; although he should no doubt, in order to avoid any suggestion of bias, refrain from taking part as a magistrate in any proceedings in which he, or any air-raid warden closely associated with him, had been personally concerned.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider making a grant for clothing and boots to all voluntary, air-raid precautions workers to meet the needs for inclement weather; and will he give local authorities power to provide the necessary clothing for the winter months?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to similar Questions on the subject on 8th October.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that large numbers of air-raid wardens in Renfrewshire, who have now been serving for more than 12 months and taking regular turns on duty, still have no prospects of obtaining any equipment, owing to the fact that they are said to be surplus to war establishment; and what action he proposes to take to remedy this grievance?

Local authorities have already been informed that as supplies become available steel helmets and civilian duty respirators will be provided for wardens up to 25 per cent. in excess of establishment.

asked the Home Secretary whether any provisions are made to protect prisoners in Brixton prison and in Walton prison against air-raids; if so, what is their general nature; if not, will he make such provisions; and whether any prisoners are locked in their cells during air-raids?

Prisoners at Brixton and Walton are allocated in buildings of the cellular type, which is in itself an exceptionally strong form of construction and appears to afford a high degree of protection against blast and against fire risks. Moreover, the staff at these and other establishments are equipped and trained for fire-fighting and other A.R.P. duties. To allow the prisoners to come out of their cells at night would, I am advised, increase rather than decrease any risk to which they may be exposed by air raids and would, of course, create other serious difficulties.

asked the Home Secretary whether an adequate supply of building materials is now available to construct the required number of surface shelters in London and to complete the large number practically erected?

While I am sorry I am unable to answer this Question with a complete affirmative, I can say that the position has now greatly improved.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the difficulty of finding the names and addresses of the next-of-kin of air-raid casualties; and whether he will order all civilians to write this information on the backs of their registration cards or take other steps to overcome this difficulty.

In an official statement which was broadcast by the B.B.C. and reproduced in the Press some time ago, members of the public were advised to carry with them, written on a piece of paper carried inside their identity card, the name and address of their next-of-kin or of some other person whom they would wish to be notified in the event of their becoming an air-raid casualty. It is more than ever desirable that this advice should be followed, but I do not think that I should be justified in making it a matter of compulsion.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in arranging mobile labour corps to expedite the work of demolition and clearance in London, he will consider placing the groups of workers under a Royal Engineers officer, seconded for the purpose.

The Army Council have been good enough to lend Pioneers for the purpose of an immediate start upon the accumulated arrears of the work in question. It is hoped that the work will eventually be carried out entirely on a civilian basis. Towards this end the Ministry of Labour is enrolling a civilian labour reserve to supply the contractors operating under the scheme with the additional labour which they will require. No question therefore arises of permanently allocating military officers for this work.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a distinguished dental surgeon, appointed under the Emergency Medical Service as senior oral surgeon to the East Grinstead Maxillo facial centre and, having held that position for the past year, has resigned as a protest against the unsatisfactory conditions in the centre, resulting from faulty organisation and unwise interference with the senior officers by the adviser to the Ministry in Maxillo facial surgery; and whether he will institute an immediate inquiry into these circumstances.

I have now got this matter under consideration, but am not at the moment in a position to make a statement about it.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that it has been not unusual for doctors attached to first-aid posts to report at those posts even on a preliminary warning of an air-raid, as well as on occasions when a public warning has been given which did not result in bombing or casualties; whether, as each such attendance involves the State in a payment of 1½ guineas in addition to a retaining fee of £70 in an A area, and 21 guineas in other areas, he will state the cost involved in the first six months of the year 1940; and whether he will consider some reduction in this cost, in view of the fact that so many aid-raid-precautions volunteers render services who are called out for duty, and do so without any remuneration?

I am not aware that doctors have usually reported at first-aid posts as stated in the first part of the question. I am sending the hon. Member copies of two circulars in which local authorities have been informed of the procedure to be followed in the matter. Doctors should not receive payments in addition to any retaining fees, except for attendance at first-aid posts when summoned from the control centre, and at mobile units whenever a public warning is sounded. The position in regard to mobile units is under reconsideration. The figure of cost involved in the chargeable attendances is not available as a separate item for the period mentioned. As to the third part of the Question, the circulars aim at securing economy of cost as well as avoiding unnecessary demands on medical personnel.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will define the powers and duties of local authorities with regard to the removal and storage of furniture for people whose homes are so damaged as to be uninhabitable?

I have asked my right hon. Friend the Minister of Home Security to let the hon. Member have copies of circulars which have been issued by his Department to local authorities on this subject.

asked the Minister of Pensions what arrangements have been made for the rehabilitation of civilians who receive injuries through the war; and what arrangements have been made to enable people who require training to enable them to earn a livelihood?

I have been asked to reply. Under the Emergency Hospital Scheme special centres, including remedial therapy departments and workshops, have been established for the treatment of orthopaedic and other types of injury which require rehabilitation. I have these arrangements under review at the present moment and I have appointed to assist me an adviser in rehabilitation, Mr. Rhaiadr Jones, manager of the Derwen Cripples' Training College, Oswestry. As regards training to enable people to earn a livelihood, an inter-departmental committee on vocational training has been appointed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and as soon as their recommendations are available I will consult with my right hon. Friend as to the measures to be taken.

asked the Home Secretary whether the scheme for the more frequent sounding of the public air-raid warning signal announced by him on 10th September, is now in operation?

The statement of 10th September indicated that the public warning by siren should be treated as an alert and that this interpretation of the warning would remove the main practical disadvantages of sounding the siren freely. It must take some time to secure the general recognition of the siren as an alert and not an alarm and to make arrangements for local alarms to be sounded in industrial establishments and elsewhere. Active steps are, however, being taken to achieve these purposes.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can make any statement on the shortage of stirrup pumps; how many manufacturers produce these articles; and whether these have sufficient raw material for the purpose?

A very considerable number of pumps is in existence throughout the country. Many more would be desirable and for that reason the Government has placed large orders for pumps of approved design with some 30 manufacturers. Adequate supplies of raw materials have been ensured for manu- facturers of the approved pumps ordered by the Government.

asked the Home Secretary when the hon. Member for Ipswich may expect replies, respectively, to his letters of 30th September concerning a certain explosion in a certain town, of 25th September concerning smoke protection in towns, and of 20th August concerning the detention of Mr. Charles Pretzlik; and when the advisory committee will hear this case?

Inquiries into the first matter referred to by my hon. Friend have not been completed, but I hope to be in a position to write to him shortly; I have communicated with him with regard to the second matter to which he refers; and as regards the case of Mr. Charles Pretzlik I am informed that the Advisory Committee heard this appeal on 8th October and will shortly be submitting a report to me. I will inform my hon. Friend of the decision I come to in this case.

asked the President of the Board of Education (1) whether he will now consider the case of those teachers who went away on evacuation duty on the 1st September, 1939, and who, under the present legislation, have received nothing towards the cost of keeping two homes going from the 1st September, 1939, to the 29th January, 1940;(2) whether he will now consider the plight of the evacuated schoolmaster whose salary is between £250 and £400 per annum, who now finds himself burdened with the upkeep of two houses, in view of the fact that the Treasury allowance which has now been granted to these teachers does not adequately meet the additional cost of their increased commitments; and, as these allowances have to be claimed, can he do something to expedite the payment of these claims in view of the many cases of claims being unpaid and outstanding over a period of months?

The arrangements for granting allowances to evacuated teachers were drawn up after consultation with representatives of the teachers so as to correspond generally with those applicable to evacuated civil servants, and the date from which the allowances became payable was an integral part of such arrangements. All circumstances were taken into account and I cannot undertake to reopen the matter. The payments to the teachers are made, on the Government's behalf, by local education authorities and governing bodies who have in the first place to assess the sums payable, sometimes in conditions of considerable difficulty. I have no reason to think that in general avoidable delays are occurring, but if any particular cases of delay are brought to my notice I will see whether it is possible to do anything to expedite them.

asked the Minister of Health what is the exact position with regard to each of the evacuation camps constructed at the commencement of the war; whether all have been completed, and, if not, which remain unfinished; who are the people occupying them at the present time, and the numbers of such people?

The last of these camps, 31 in number, was completed several months ago. With two exceptions, one being that of a camp which has been let to an orphanage, the occupying bodies are the Local Education Authorities of vulnerable areas, and the camps are used for the accommodation of school children together with the necessary teachers and staff. The number of children occupying the camps is at present about 6,000.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is prepared to introduce legislation whereby superannuated employés in receipt of a small pension can have their pensions increased to meet the increased cost of living?

No, Sir. I am not prepared to introduce such legislation in respect of the superannuation schemes of local authorities, as it would imperil the stability of the schemes affected by it. The scheme for the prevention and relief of distress administered by the Assistance Board is available for pensioners who are in need as a result of the war.

asked the Minister of Information whether stronger measures will be taken at once to prevent all information useful to the enemy from reaching the neutral country of Eire where representatives of Germany and Italy reside and are doing everything in their power to advance the interests of the enemy?

The matter is under constant review and while full measures are being taken it would not be in the public interest to make a detailed statement regarding them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps have been taken to secure agreement with the Government of the United States of America so that duty will not be chargeable there on imported British goods on a basis which includes the purchase tax value; and whether he is aware of the information reaching this country to the effect that, without this concession, serious loss of orders will result to British exporters of manufactured goods?

I have been asked to reply. I have nothing to add to the replies which the Secretary to the Department of Overseas Trade gave on 15th October to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Wedgwood) and the then President of the Board of Trade gave on 21st August to the hon. Member for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the investigation in Case No. T. 1193/6/38, Inland Revenue, involving charges of fraud against the Crown and which was commenced in June, 1938, is yet completed; whether a person against whom charges are made still holds a position as financial adviser to one of the control boards; what is the salary attached to the post; what part of it has been drawn by the person concerned; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?

The investigation in the case to which the hon. Member refers is not yet complete but is being pressed to a conclusion as quickly as possible. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative. The answer to the third part is that the salary attaching to the post in question is £1,200 a year, none of which is being drawn.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in framing his war risks insurance proposals, he will take into account the fact that a ground landlord will stand to gain proportionately more advantage from the rebuilding of damaged property if the lease has only a short period unexpired; and whether he will, accordingly, arrange that the shorter the unexpired period the larger will be the proportion of the premium that the ground landlord will be required to pay?

While I cannot anticipate details of the proposals which I shall lay before the House, I can assure my hon. Friend that considerations such as those he mentions are being borne in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now take steps to effect the most drastic economy in salaries and wages; what justification exists under present war conditions to pay a special rate of danger pay to contractors' labourers working in certain areas; whether the double rate of pay for Sunday work in Government establishments employing civilian labour is to be continued when service ratings and other ranks have no such increase for doing, in many cases, the same work; how far the Trades Union Council are agreeable to the revision of such rates and conditions; and, if not agreeable, whether the matter will be considered by an appropriate Treasury Committee?

I have been asked to reply. The wages paid in Government establishments and on Government contracts are settled in accordance with the Fair Wages Resolution of this House and are based generally on those agreed upon between organisations of employers and employed in the industries concerned. In accordance with the advice of the National Joint Advisory Council, which is constituted of representatives of the British Employers' Confederation and of the Trades Union Congress the policy of the Government is to continue the settlement of wages and working conditions by the joint machinery in the various industries subject, under the Conditions of Employment and National Arbitration Order, to the reference of disputes to arbitration.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number of men in His Majesty's services who lost the sight of one or two eyes, respectively, during the great war; and the total amount of pensions paid, to date, in each case?

Precise figures are, I am afraid, not available but it is estimated that the aggregate number of cases of total blindness accepted during the past 20 years as caused by war service has amounted to about 2,000, and the number of cases of loss of one eye to about 9,000. The information asked for in the last part of the Question cannot be given.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether British prisoners of war in Germany are receiving from the German Government the rations prescribed by the Geneva Convention?

As my hon. and gallant Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for War stated in the House on 15th October, reports received from International Red Cross delegates who visited prisoner-of-war camps in Germany in August indicated that British prisoners of war were then being rationed in accordance with the terms of the Geneva Convention of 1929 on the same scale as German depot troops. The United States authorities have, however, been asked to verify this, as it has appeared from other reports that some British prisoners of war were being rationed on the German civilian scale, which is lower than the scale for German depot troops.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, what was the number of deaths from tuberculosis in all its forms in each quarterly period in Scotland from 1st July, 1938 to 30th June, 1940; and whether he has any statement to make regarding the variation in the figures.

The following table gives the figures requested:—

Deaths in Scotland.
Tuberculosis.
1938–3rd Quarter	766
4th Quarter	769
1939–1st Quarter	995
2nd Quarter	943
3rd Quarter	782
4th Quarter	806
1940–1st Quarter	1,180
2nd Quarter	1,069

It is too early yet to say whether the recent rise in the tuberculosis death-rate has been simply due to the exceptionally trying weather conditions last winter in Scotland, which bore with particular severity on persons suffering from chest weaknesses. I am, however, having the position kept under close review.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention had been drawn to the many ambiguities contained in the Compensation (Defence) Act, 1939, and the injustice inflicted on tenants and landlords by many of its provisions particularly to the absence of specific reference to premises which are let on lease at a fixed rent, which the Government have taken over, and for which they do not pay the full rent to the lessee; and whether it is the intention of the Government to rectify this inequitable treatment.

I am unable to accept the contention of my hon. and Gallant Friend. The Act provides that the rent payable for requisitioned premises shall be a sum equal to the rent which might be payable by a tenant in occupation of the premises, during the period for which possession of the premises is retained, under a lease granted immediately before that period. In a few cases the rent may be less, but in other cases may also be more, than the rent which was actually being paid at the date of requi- sition, but the basis laid down by the Act seems to be reasonable, in principle. It is of course the case that the amount of the rent which is in fact paid, is an element to be taken into account in assessing the compensation rent. Any ambiguities arising on the interpretation of the Act, if they cannot be settled by agreement, may be referred to the independent tribunal constituted under the Act.

asked the Minister of Heath whether he has now issued instructions that supplementary pensions to old age pensioners shall continue to be paid if and when the circumstances of the pensioner changes by reason of evacuation?

The Assistance Board inform me that in view of the many changes that occur in the circumstances of old age pensioners as the result of evacuation, some of which may have the effect of increasing and others of reducing their need of assistance, it would not be practicable or in the interests of the pensioners themselves to issue an instruction on the lines suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the expressed desire that compassionate leave should not interfere with ordinary leave, he proposes that Army Council Instruction 1091, paragraph 4 (b), dated 11th September, 1940, shall now be amended in order that, subject to exigencies of the service, a grant of compassionate leave shall not count against the weekly percentage entitlement to privilege leave of the unit or against the ultimate entitlement of the individual?

This question is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in order better to sustain and direct the Home Guard, he will consider the appointment of a council at the War Office, including members of this House, with functions analogous to those of the Army Council?

I would ask my right hon. Friend to await the general statement on the Home Guard which I have promised at an early date.

asked the Home Secretary whether he approves of the holding of directorships by stipendiary magistrates?

Generally speaking, I do not regard it as desirable that stipendiary magistrates should hold directorships in public companies; but I could not undertake to express a final opinion in relation to any particular case without full knowledge of the circumstances.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, what steps he is taking to make available to poultry, pig and dairy farmers in this country the 7,000,000 tons of maize authoritatively reported surplus to Argentine domestic requirements; and if he is aware that this maize surplus amounted to only about 1,500,000 tons a year ago?

I am aware that there is an abnormal exportable surplus of maize in the Argentine. The quantity that can be imported into this country depends on the shipping situation, and our requirements of maize are under constant review in relation to our other requirements.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether the new orders affecting milk policy and giving uncontrolled powers to the Milk Marketing Board will in any way affect the activities of established firms engaged in the manufacture of various milk products; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the latter, in any event, have a right of appeal against what they may consider unfair treatment?

The powers which my noble Friend has recently conferred upon the Milk Marketing Board are not uncontrolled and will be exercised under his general supervision and subject to his direction where necessary. The Boards are responsible to my noble Friend for their use of these powers.