asked the Prime Minister whether he will introduce a measure to give to air-raid precautions workers the same pensions, or, if killed, to their dependants, as are given to members of the fighting services?

Provision is already made in the Personal Injuries (Civilians) Scheme (S.R. & O. 1940, No. 1307) for the award of pension in respect of death or disablement sustained by air-raid precautions workers as a result of war service injuries. As the hon. Member will see from that scheme the rates of pension are those applicable to a private soldier in the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what offers have been made by the Government of Eire, being a neutral country, to receive women and children refugees from war-stricken areas; and what response has been made to any such offer by His Majesty's Government?

In response to a suggestion from the Government of Eire, which we greatly appreciate, discussions have been taking place between the two Governments with a view to facilitating the reception in Eire of mothers and children from evacuation areas in this country who are able to make arrangements for permanent accommodation for themselves and their children. Detailed arrangements for giving effect to these proposals are now under discussion between the two Governments.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider extending Category 11 of the Government White Paper, No. 6223, so that internees who have shown their loyalty to the British cause by trying to join the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps before their internment, but who have been rejected solely on grounds of ill-health, should be released from internment?

My right hon. Friend will consider this suggestion in consultation with the Advisory Committee.

asked the Home Secretary whether the Governments of Australia and Canada, respectively, have been pressed not to use the term "prisoner-of-war" in connection with internees who were refugees from Nazi oppression; whether those Governments have been asked why they have refused to make the distinction operative; and whether he will make representations to those Governments, with a view to securing similar standards for internees as obtain in this country?

I have been asked to reply. The use of the term "prisoners-of-war" in connection with internees in Canada and Australia does not imply that the Governments of these Dominions are not fully aware of the distinction between prisoners-of-war and internees. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that they are, and has no reason to believe that the treatment accorded to internees sent to the Dominions is substantially different from that accorded to them in this country. I may add that a representative of the United Kingdom Government is being specially sent to Canada, at the request of the Canadian Government, to assist them in dealing with internees transferred from this country. In the case of those sent to Australia, where there are at present no prisoners of war, our information shows that Nazi sympathisers and refugees are interned in separate and widely distant camps, and that the internees have made no complaint with regard to the conditions of their internment.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will authorise local authorities to provide lighting in communal domestic shelters; and whether he intends to provide bunks for these shelters?

In London and other areas where similar conditions obtain that is, where the shelters are likely to be in use all night, the lighting of these shelters has been authorised; and over the same range it is intended to instal bunks as supplies become available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has given the local authorities in reception areas power to provide a hot meal for evacuees on arrival in the reception areas; and whether a standard of treatment has been laid down by his Department?

Yes, Sir. No specific standards have, however, been laid down, in view of the wide variety in the facilities available at or near detraining stations, the number of evacuees arriving at any one time, and other factors.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the formation by the Government of the United Kingdom Corporation is only a war-time measure; and will he give assurance that the corporation will be wound up immediately after hostilities cease, so that the export trade may flow through its normal peace-time channels?

The corporation was formed with a view to meeting difficulties in overseas trade which are due to conditions arising out of the war. It is impossible to foresee the conditions that will obtain when hostilities cease and, therefore, I cannot say whether at that date it will be desirable to terminate the activities of the corporation. These activities do not, I think, disturb the normal channels of trade but I can assure my hon. Friend that His Majesty's Government have every desire that trade should be freed from war-time restrictions and be conducted in a normal manner at the earliest possible date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the National Check Trades Federation has advised its members that, with the advent of the Purchase Tax, they may add a 50 per cent. profit to the wholesalers' invoice, thereby making a profit on the 33⅓ per cent. and charging their customers, who represent the poorest classes, £2 for an article costing only £1 from the wholesaler; and will he take steps to stop this exploitation?

Yes, Sir. I have seen the circular to which my hon. Friend refers, and the Central Price Regulation Committee are in communication with the Federation on the subject. The circular is a misleading and mischievous document which retailers will be well advised not to heed.

asked the Minister of Information whether it is possible for soldiers in this country to send gift parcels on birthdays and other anniversaries, provided such parcels contain no rationed commodity, to their wives and children without a censor's permit; and, if not, will he consider making arrangements through the soldiers commanding officer or officer appointed to inspect and pass such parcels for carriage by post; and will he make arrangements that parcels to serving soldiers can be sent from Northern Ireland to this country without difficulty to the sender?

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative, provided the soldiers wives and children are not living in countries specified in Control of Communications Order (No. 5), 1940. With regard to the second part of the Question, there are no restrictions on the sending of parcels to serving soldiers from Northern Ireland to this country. They may be posted in the ordinary way.

asked the Minister of Information whether photographs of churches, hospitals, schools and ancient monuments damaged by enemy bombing are being freely circulated to newspapers and film companies in neutral countries?

Reasons of security sometimes prevent publication of photographs identifying places damaged, but in all other cases photographs of such objects as the hon. and gallant Member refers to are immediately distributed by commercial news agencies or by the appropriate departments of the Ministry of Information.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the threatened stoppage of a large number of miners employed by the Amalgamated Anthracite Combine who reside in the Pontardawe Rural District Council area and the Neath Rural District Council area; will he cause immediate inquiries to be made, with a view to keeping the industries going, or making use of all the facilities available in the area for opening up new industries, where all local authority requirements are in existence; and will he consult local experts from the principality upon any new schemes to maintain the population?

I have been asked to reply to the first part of the Question. I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Secretary for Mines on 15th October. For the rest, I am making inquiries both centrally and locally as to the possibility of establishing new industries in the district in present circumstances.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will take further steps to popularise the knowledge that persons with low incomes can secure replacement of furniture and household effects up to too per cent., in view of the fact that many people are unaware of the exact state of affairs in this respect?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 13th August to my hon. Friend the Member for the Drake Division of Plymouth (Lieut.-Colonel Guest).

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, when farmers have their milch cattle killed owing to enemy action, they will receive further compensation over and above the price obtained for the dead meat, in order to enable them to purchase other animals and so to continue their business?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Howdenshire (Colonel Carver) on 16th October.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total sums to which the Bank of England became entitled in respect of interest and other services for the financial years of 1938–39 and 1939–40, respectively?

The following sums were paid to the Bank of England in respect of the years 1938–39 and 1939–40:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why firms trading with countries overrun by Germany, and who have handed over to the Exchequer all moneys due from them to enemy traders, cannot get from the Government's pooling arrangements any contributions towards the debts due to them from the overrun countries?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the scheme for advances to exporters in respect of enemy debts, which I announced on 6th August; but this does not rest on any pooling arrangement. Pooling arrangements of the kind suggested would involve a number of difficulties and none have at present been made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the event of landlords reducing the rent of tenants whose premises have been damaged by enemy action or whose business has been adversely affected by war conditions, he will arrange that a proportionate reduction be made in the amount of the property tax payable by the landlord in respect of the said premises?

Where a reduction of rent is allowed by reference to difficulties arising out of the war, claims for relief from Income Tax, Schedule A, will be considered on their merits: but the extent of such relief will depend upon the circumstances of each individual case. Application should be made in such cases to the Inspector of Taxes for the district in which the property is situated.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that many private employers are continuing to pay to their employés, now on service, the same allowance as before the recent rise of 6d. per day; and whether he will consider the advisability of making arrangements that this shall apply to Government servants also, if only for a time, and even if it involves a technical increase in civil pay?

No, Sir, and as regards the second part of the Question, I regret that I am unable to accept the hon. Member's suggestion. The Government's scheme is to pay to civil servants serving with the Forces, subject to certain conditions, the balance of their civil pay. It follows that any increase in service pay involves a corresponding decrease in the balance payable. This is clearly set out in the circular on the subject, the terms of which are accepted by all civil servants who draw balance of civil pay. I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, when taking over buildings for Army purposes, he is prepared, as a general policy, to take empty or unoccupied houses, the surplus mansions of those owning more than one and those houses beyond the reasonable needs of the owners before he takes over houses converted for public purposes or overcrowds smaller houses by compulsory billeting?

Yes, Sir. It is not the practice to take premises equipped for public services, and billeting, which is the least acceptable form of quartering from a military point of view, is used only for short periods or when other accommodation is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now review the scale of pay and allowances of junior officers, bearing in mind the fact that many articles of equipment will be subject to the Purchase Tax and that, whereas both pay and family allowances for other ranks have been increased, officers remain on scales laid down at the beginning of the war?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a somewhat similar Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson) on 20th August last, when my right hon. Friend stated that he was not satisfied that the position of junior officers, in relation to that of the rest of the community, was such as to justify an increase of pay and allowances at the present time, and pointed out that these officers already enjoyed certain advantages in the matter of taxation. The new tax will affect all sections of the community.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has yet received any part or interim report from the Business Advisory Committee; and whether he proposes to make any publication thereof?

No formal reports have yet been rendered but I understand that a number of changes recommended by the committee have been put into operation. As my hon. and learned Friend is aware, the committee is a standing committee and I conceive that, whenever it agrees upon the desirability of particular administrative changes and they involve no vital questions of principle, these will be adopted without waiting for the submission of formal reports. They have also conducted, and are conducting, examinations or inspections of particular sections of the War Office work. In addition to matters of the purely administrative order, the committee is actively pursuing, both in the War Office and in the Commands, a wide range of inquiries on major matters of organisation and structure. They are, however, not yet in a position to report on these.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that the war organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John has an adequate staff to deal with the present volume of work entrusted to it in connection with the welfare of British prisoners of war in enemy hands?

I understand from the war organisation of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John that their staff is adequate for the work they have undertaken and that they are keeping the question under review in order to expand and strengthen their staff as the situation may demand.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that Mrs. Robina Dewar, of Seventeenth Street, Bowhill, was deprived of a blind persons' pension previously granted her on the appeal of the pension officer against the pensions sub-committee, on the grounds that she is not so blind as to be unable to perform any work for which eyesight is essential; and whether, as a private doctor certifies her as incapable of work through blindness and although she has had an operation on her eyes she registers no improvement, he will cause the claim to be reinvestigated?

An appeal by the pension officer against the decision of the local pension committee allowing Mrs. Dewar a blind pension was forwarded to my Department on 28th July. Mrs. Dewar had been examined by an experienced ophthalmic surgeon and certified not blind. After careful consideration of this surgeon's report and consultation with my medical advisers I saw no reason to take exception to the conclusion reached in the report. Accordingly I had no alternative but to sustain the pension officer's appeal and refuse the pension. Unless and until a new claim is made I regret that no further action can be taken in the matter.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make arrangements to provide time for a discussion on the Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for East Wolverhampton on the subject of the establishment of a Joint Allied Council?[

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies which were given to his previous Questions on this subject on 6th August and 13th August. As was then explained, in view of the presence in London of the various Allied Governments and organisations, the closest collaboration is already maintained between them and His Majesty's Government. The existing methods for co-operation and consultation are fully adequate to deal with all questions of common interest which arise. His Majesty's Government therefore see no advantage at the present juncture in devising additional machinery of the nature suggested. They consider it preferable to allow the methods of inter-Allied co-operation to develop naturally to meet current needs, rather than to impose some purely formal machinery upon an already flourishing growth. In these circumstances it would not seem necessary to provide time for discussion of the Motion.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether there has been any increase in the number of conscientious objectors employed as teachers in State-aided schools during the past 12 months; and what safeguards there are against an increase in the future?

I have no information as regards the first part of the Question. As regards the second part, the appointment of teachers is the responsibility of the local education authorities or governing bodies of schools, as the case may be.

asked the Prime Minister if he is able to announce a decision as to whether officers of the three fighting Services, whether discharged on account of wounds, physical disability, or medical grounds, will be allowed to retain the highest temporary rank held, provided they have held such rank for a period exceeding three months and that their services have been satisfactory?

So far as the Admiralty is concerned the matter raised in my hon. and gallant Friend's Question is still under consideration. My right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty will communicate with him as soon as a decision has been reached. In the case of the War Office and the Air Ministry regulations are being prepared and will be issued shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state without prejudice to the national interests, the reasons for retaining German airmen as prisoners of war in this country in preference to sending them to Canada or some other Dominion, together with the numbers of such prisoners here at the present time?

My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. Prisoners of war are sent overseas as opportunity offers.