asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is satisfied with the present grading of cattle, sheep and pigs; and what guarantee has the public that they are not being exploited by the inclusion of second and third-rate qualities as top grade?

The machinery for grading livestock at the collecting centres and pigs at the slaughterhouses is working in quite a satisfactory manner. Occasional mistakes in grading are inevitable under any system, but provision exists for their rectification prior to the issue of meat to the butchers. I am satisfied that these arrangements are fully adequate to prevent any exploitation of the public by the inclusion of lower grade meat as top quality.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will introduce a fairer method of distributing the available egg supply?

The present schemes for distribution of eggs were drawn up in consultation with all sections of the trade with a view to securing a fair distribution of eggs over the country. My Noble Friend believes that, on the whole, this is being obtained, but he will be glad to consider any suggestions for improvements.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the fact that two of the most eminent members of the Scientific Food Committee, including its chairman, are in conflict with the advice of that committee upon which the Minister chiefly relied, in his statement of 18th July, in supporting the reinforced loaf, he will now publish the report of that committee or, alternatively, lay it upon the Table?

My Noble Friend has no grounds for supposing that the report of the Scientific Food Committee to which my hon. Friend refers was not unanimous.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the; Ministry of Food whether he has any progress to report on the planning by milk distributors of their expenditure on a lower level preparatory to the introduction of the margin of 8d. per gallon as recommended by the Perry Report?

My Noble Friend is awaiting the comments of milk distributors on the recommendations contained in the report of the committee referred to. Those of the Scottish distributors have just been received. Those of the English distributors will be available before the end of November. My Noble Friend hopes to be in a position to make a statement on the subject after he has had an opportunity of considering the distributors' comments.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether steps are being taken to import dried milk from Australia and elsewhere to help make up the present shortage of produced milk?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that, notwithstanding that the supply of all milk for evaporated milk for the fighting Service is no longer available, the liquid milk market is already 70,000 gallons a day short and is expected still further to decline; and what steps he is taking to deal with the shortage?

I am aware that there is at the present time some shortage of milk for liquid consumption, occasioned by a fall in production coincident with a substantially increased demand. The Agricultural Departments are at present in consultation with representatives of the milk producers discussing the possibilities of increasing the output. The Milk Marketing Boards, under the general directions of my Noble Friend, are responsible for the equalisation of bulk supplies, so far as is practicable, as between the various consuming areas. By means of voluntary pooling arrangements, the dairymen in those areas in which a shortage exists are giving priority to invalids, mothers and children, and equalising the remaining supplies to individual consumers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (1) whether he is aware, that although the liquid milk market is short by approximately 70,000 gallons a day and all milk in addition used for evaporated milk for the Fighting Services has ceased, a well-known malted milk manufacturing firm has been allowed to use 5,000 gallons of milk daily for this product; and why such differential treatment in comparison with other British firms is sanctioned;

(2) why he has, despite the milk shortage, agreed to sanction special manufacture of butter so that evaporated milk may be available for a firm marketing a luxury tonic beverage; why other creameries throughout the country have been compulsorily obliged to cease manufacture in order to endeavour to correct the shortage in question and to provide extra supplies of evaporated milk for the Fighting Services; and what steps are to be taken in future to insure equality of sacrifice on the part of all trades?

The allocation of milk for the manufacture of the products referred to has recently been reduced by 50 per cent. The quantity of milk used in their manufacture is extremely small in relation to the total requirements of the liquid market, but the position is under constant review and if the occasion demands a further reduction will be made.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the back-cover section of the new ration book entitled "How to choose your food," he will give the current retail prices of the various articles thereon recommended?

I presume that my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion is that the retail prices of the foodstuffs referred to should be printed on the new ration book. Lack of space would prevent this, and the prices would become out of date between the time when the book is sent to Press and the time when it expires. For these reasons my Noble Friend cannot see his way to adopt the suggestion.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, having regard to representations made on behalf of doctors concerning allergic and other patients to whom no cream is made available, although medically important, he will reconsider the decision that cream is not necessary for the well-being and treatment of patients and invalids?

My Noble Friend has been advised by the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the Medical Research Council that cream is not a necessary item in the diet of any invalid. He, therefore, sees no ground for reconsidering his decision.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that, since the controlled price of onions has been instituted, the public have been almost denuded of supplies, and of the exorbitant prices which are being asked for leeks, which may be used as a substitute for onions; and, in view of the plentiful supplies of leeks which exist in this country, what steps he proposes to take to equitably adjust these matters?

In reply to the first part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Croydon (Sir H. Williams) on 6th November. As regards the price of leeks, I would refer to the reply which I gave yesterday to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne).

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of an announcement by the Great Western Railway Company that a new train, leaving Paddington at 3.55 p.m., will call at Badminton to set down first-class passengers; why such convenience is to be restricted to one class of passenger; whether it applies to first-class ticket-holders travelling for personal convenience or only to those travelling on business; and whether there is any reason why this class distinction should continue in view of the fact that many persons travelling third-class are now making journeys on work of national importance?

Since this train was first run in July, 1896, there has been no application for it to stop at Badminton to set down third-class passengers. Arrangements have been made to set down either first or third-class passengers on application being made to the guard.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider launching a publicity campaign directed to draw the attention of rail transport users to the need for speedy off-loading of railway wagons?

As I have indicated on more than one occasion, the question of the delays that take place in the off-loading of railway wagons is engaging my close attention, and in this connection I will not overlook my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion of a publicity campaign.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to secure the co-ordination of the rail transport demands of the various Service Departments?

Major movements are arranged centrally by the Departments concerned with the railway companies' headquarters operating staffs. If more than one Department is concerned the arrangements are made jointly. Any necessary co-ordination is undertaken by the Railway Executive Committee and my Railway Control Officer. Local and minor movements are arranged, as they must be, by local movement officers with their railway liaison officers. In regard to these movements, steps are being taken to secure a greater measure of co-ordination and, beginning with the ports, it is the intention to set up machinery which is designed to ensure full co-operation between the Service Departments and other Departments, such as the Ministry of Supply and Ministry of Food, which are large users of transport.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the time lost and other difficulties caused to men engaged on important and urgent work at a works of which he has been informed; that local representations have been made without avail; and will he see that adequate transport facilities are provided as soon as possible?

Representations on this subject have been investigated recently in my Department and I am satisfied that the transport arrangements made are reasonably good. The transport company has been asked to watch the position closely so that any additional vehicles required may be provided.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps are being taken to avoid unnecessary mileage in transporta- tion of imports from port of arrival to destination; and whether he is aware that present serious delays can be avoided if companies with long experience in handling such traffic are taken more freely into consultation?

My Department do not directly control the routes followed by individual consignments of goods. Unnecessary mileage should obviously be avoided, and if my hon. Friend will give me particulars of any cases which he has in mind I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that there are adequate stocks of vegetable and other seed in the country at the present time for the next planting season; and, if not, that adequate arrangements are being made to secure such supplies in time?

The supply position regarding vegetable and other seeds is kept under continuous review by the Seeds Advisory Committee, and all possible steps are being taken to make available adequate supplies of these seeds for the next planting season. It may be, however, that growers will not in all cases be able to obtain the varieties to which they are accustomed.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of people engaged under him as liaison officers?

If my hon. Friend would specify the type of liaison officer he has in mind, my' inquiries would be greatly simplified, and I should be glad to communicate with him at an early date.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that, by an Admiralty Order soon after the outbreak of war, dockyard pensioners were instructed to draw their pensions at certain banks instead of at the dockyards as heretofore, and that these banks charge the pensioners a commission for this service; and whether the Admiralty will defray these charges or make some arrangements with the banks, whereby the dockyard pensioners will not have to pay for a change of procedure ordered by the Admiralty?

The arrangements to which the hon. and gallant Member alludes were made in the interests of the pensioners themselves. I am re-examining the scheme of payment in collaboration with the Treasury and the Paymaster-General with a view to relieving pensioners of bank charges, and I will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member as soon as possible.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that sailors in some of the Admiralty vessels are appealing for books to read; and what steps are taken to see that books are systematically furnished to ships which do not often call at home ports?

In addition to the service, library sets supplied to His Majesty's ships, over a quarter of a million books have been sent by the public to warships and auxiliary craft through the R.N. War Libraries. Severeal ships also have subscription libraries run by the N.A.A.F.I. by private arrangement with ships' companies or messes. I am aware that some of the many small vessels in the Admiralty Service may at times be short of books, and an officer is at present inquiring into the amenities for crews of Fleet auxiliaries at northern bases. If my hon. Friend will let me know what particular vessels he has in mind I will have immediate inquiries made.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether full consideration has been given to the utilisation on moonlit nights of night-fighter patrols at various heights, who should patrol inland on the air paths regularly used by the enemy and thus prevent the enemy having a large uncontested passage after crossing the coast until reaching the anti-aircraft defences of the town to be attacked?

It would not be in the public interest to give the information asked for by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of people engaged under him as liaison officers?

There are several kinds of liaison officer in the Royal Air Force. If the hon. Member will let me know the category he has in mind I shall subject to public interest, be glad to furnish the information he requires.

asked the Minister of Information whether he will arrange with the British Broadcasting Corporation to give news flashes whenever there is any highly significant item of news, or, alternatively, to give a few minutes for fresh news each hour of the day, and cut down the bulletin both in length and frequency?

There is a standing arrangement for the B.B.C. to interrupt the Home Service programme to give news of outstanding importance. The reading of news every hour has been tried and proved unsatisfactory.

asked the Minister of Information what amount has been spent up to date by his Department on the subsidising of films; whether he will consider the desirability of subsidising the production of plays for propaganda purposes; and, in particular, of offering substantial prizes for plays which would dramatise the real meaning of the struggle in which this country is engaged?

In the one case where the Ministry have agreed to participate in financing the production of a film the amount advanced to date is £25,508. I am always willing to consider any suggested methods of propaganda but the production of stage plays is not one that recommends itself at the present time.

asked the Minister of Information the names of the scientific advisers attached to his Department.

There are no scientific advisers specifically attached to my Ministry. When such advice is required, it is sought from the most competent available authority.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Aircraft Production what steps have been taken to investigate the claims for a new type of bomber capable of carrying five tons of bombs 5,000 miles at a speed of 400 miles per hour?

I can assure my hon. Friend that we are continuously investigating the possibilities of building a bomber which will go further, faster and carry a greater load of bombs, but it would not be in the public interest to disclose our plans or the result of our investigations.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether there is now an adequate supply of cement available for all purposes; and why there is difficulty in obtaining local supplies?

My Noble Friend has, since his appointment, had under active consideration the problems connected with the production, supply and distribution of cement, and these problems are still under investigation. For this purpose, he has appointed a controller. There have been difficulties of supply occasioned by the demands for war construction work and more especially for coastal defence works and air-raid shelters. But, owing mainly to the reduced consumption under winter conditions, the position is now easier. Local difficulties which are being experienced are being investigated and dealt with as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can give an assurance that the position of coal-storage in the city of Leicester is satisfactory?

During the summer months consumers in the area with available accommodation laid in considerable stocks. More recently, with the fall in the demand from this quarter, merchants have themselves been adding to their reserves. I have no reason to think that in an area so close as this is to the sources of supply the position is other than satisfactory.

asked the Secretary for Petroleum whether, in view of reliable estimates that some 400,000 tons of lubricating oil have been drained out of crank cases and engines each year and thrown away as waste, he will consider giving encouragement and assisting in the formulation of a process by which waste oil can be cleansed and used again?

The figures mentioned by my hon. Friend are greatly in excess of the quantities of used lubricating oil obtainable from the sources stated. Considerable quantities of lubricating oil are already being reclaimed and arrangements are being made to increase the quantity to the highest practicable level.

asked the Minister of Supply whether facilities exist for speedy examination of proposals made by junior officials and workmen for improvements in design and production of machinery and munitions; whether he will make an early announcement encouraging such cooperation; and will he give an assurance that ideas put forward by such people will not be credited to higher officials?

Under long-standing practice, workpeople of the Royal Ordnance Factories are encouraged to submit suggestions for improvements in such matters as design of machinery and methods of production, and there is a system of Awards Committees, on which the workpeople are represented, to consider the ideas put forward and in appropriate cases to make cash awards. I have no reason to think that under this system higher officials secure credit which is not theirs. As regards firms contracting to the Ministry of Supply, a circular letter was issued to a large number of firms in July last, in which my predecessor brought to their notice the scheme prevailing in the Royal Ordnance Factories in the hope that they would institute similar schemes where they had not already done so.

asked the Home Secretary what steps have been taken to utilize the scientific talent of friendly Germans in this country; and whether he is aware that failure to improve on such opportunities in the past has lessened the enthusiasm of many capable people who have offered their services?

The importance of making the best use of all the scientific talent available, including that of friendly aliens, is fully realised, and the question what further steps can be taken for this purpose is being explored. My right hon. Friend is most anxious that none of the restrictions imposed for the control of aliens shall hinder the work of scientists who are willing to help this country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will exempt from the Purchase Tax uniforms required by members of St. John Ambulance Brigade, seeing that they are unpaid and are performing a great national service?

I would refer to the answer given to the Question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Denbigh (Sir H. Morris-Jones) on 20th November regarding the possibility of exempting from Purchase Tax certain materials purchased by the British Red Cross Society.

asked the Postmaster-General why an urgent letter from Professor Enrico Volterra, interned in the Isle of Man, asking the advice of the Royal Society in respect of an offer he has received of the Chair of Engineering in the University of Rosario, required 20 days for delivery?

In the absence of the envelope of this letter I regret that I am unable to offer any explanation for this delay.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will take steps to mitigate the effect of the Landlord and Tenant (War Damage) Act, 1939, in the case of tenants holding premises which are controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts, in view of the fact that a large num- ber of tenants are vacating controlled premises without leaving an address and without removing their furniture, so that the landlord is unaware of his position and unable to relet the premises, whereby large numbers of suitable tenants who are without homes have to be refused tenancies?

The Landlord and Tenant (War Damage) Act, 1939, enables a tenancy of a dwelling house to be determined by a disclaimer only where war damage has rendered the premises unfit for habitation, and, therefore, does not appear to have a direct bearing on the class of case with which the hon. Member is concerned.

asked the Attorney-General for what persons applications for a writ of habeas corpus are now pending or granted; and whether, in view of the fact that Parliament has given powers to the Secretary of State to detain the said persons, and no questions can arise in the courts as to the merits of the cases against them or the illegality of their detention, he will so inform the applicants and save them from false hopes of success and waste of their money and effort, and the judges from unnecessary labour?

In answer to the first part of the Question, no application has been granted. One application is pending, namely, that of Admiral Sir Barry Domville, the hearing of which was postponed at the request of his solicitors. With regard to the suggestion in the second part, judgments have been given by the Court of Appeal and the Divisional Court on applications for writs of habeas corpus by persons arrested under Defence Regulations. These judgments lay down the principles applicable in this class of case, and it would be contrary to the duties and practice of the office of Attorney-General for him to inform or advise possible litigants as to their legal position.

asked the Attorney-General whether arrangements can be made for one or more Chancery judges to go on circuit to hear Chancery cases that cannot conveniently be brought to London?

My Noble Friend does not think that the amount of purely Chancery business which could be dealt with more conveniently on circuit would justify the adoption of the hon. Member's proposal.

asked the Attorney-General whether his attention has been called to the fact that a printed paper entitled "London's Awake," which does not bear upon it the name and address of the printer, is being publicly distributed; and, as the attention of the distributors has been repeatedly called by him to the number of similar offences committed by them in the recent past and they have expressed their regret and promised not to commit any further such offences, whether, since they seem incapable of mending their ways, he will no longer refuse to prosecute but will take proceedings at once?

I have seen a copy of "London's Awake." This bears reference numbers and initials of the printer which is in accordance with the usual practice for Government publications which are not on sale. Having regard to the provisions of the relevant statutes dealing with papers published by the authority of any public board or public officer no question of prosecution arises.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether a decision has been reached as to the withdrawal of His Majesty's representative from Rumania, or from Hungary?

No, Sir.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what distinc- tion is drawn by His Majesty's Government between a declaration of neutrality and one of non-belligerency?

"Non-belligerency" is a term which so far as I am aware has been used for the first time during the present war and does not as yet possess any definite meaning in international law. A declaration of non-belligerency has presumably to be regarded, amongst other things, as an indication of the political attitude which the State concerned desires to adopt towards the war. The question whether it also implies a legal status distinct from that of neutrality and involving certain legal consequences is not at present clear and may have to be decided in the light of the circumstances of a particular case.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information regarding the strength of the German military forces which have been concentrated near the frontiers of Soviet Russia?

I regret that this is not a matter on which I can make a statement.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether, in view of the fact that there appears to be no likelihood of an early resumption of the television service in this country, he will arrange for the sale in the United States of America or other overseas market of the large number of television sets which are still in the possession of the public in this country and are never used?

Effect could not be given to this proposal because television sets manufactured in this country incorporate certain U.S.A. patents, and United Kingdom manufacturers have not acquired the right to exploit the use of such patents in the U.S.A.