asked the Minister of Shipping for what reason his Department has indicated to the International Federation of Bunkering Depot Proprietors that Durham coal should be avoided as far as possible by ships steaming in convoys; and whether, as such coal has given satisfaction to shipowners for many decades, he will take steps to change the policy which is unnecessarily harmful to Durham coalfields?

There has been some misunderstanding with regard to the requirements of the Ministry of Shipping in this matter. While it is essential that under war conditions vessels should be supplied with coal of the required quality and grade to enable them to maintain their speed, there is no policy of avoiding the use of any coal which fully satisfies their requirements. Representatives of Durham coal interests are visiting the Ministry shortly to discuss what qualities of coal can be accepted for this purpose, and I hope that a satisfactory arrangement will be arrived at.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will consider increasing the grant paid to the Air Defence Cadet Corps, in view of the undesirability that this organisation, which has been responsible for supplying so many recruits for the Royal Air Force, should have to raise funds for the purchase of uniforms, etc., by public subscription?

New proposals to make extensive use of the resources of the Air Defence Cadet Corps in the preliminary training of recruits for the Royal Air Force are at present under discussion. The support hitherto afforded to the corps is necessarily being reviewed in this connection. My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many officers of the Royal Air Force have been seconded to the Ministry of Information; what are their ranks; and what duties do they perform?

No Royal Air Force officers have been seconded to the Ministry of Information. Four officers of the staff of the Air Ministry who are engaged on censorship duties are for reasons of convenience, accommodated at the Ministry of Information. One is a group captain, two are squadron leaders and the fourth is a flight lieutenant. Two more officers, a squadron leader and a flight lieutenant, will join this staff shortly.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will make arrangements for the issue of an extra ration of sugar to small manufacturers of sweetmeats for the making of extra sweetmeats for the Christmas season?

I regret it would not be practicable to adopt this suggestion; but I hope that the increase in the domestic ration of sugar to 12 ounces for one week will serve to meet the end in view.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware of the shortage of certain foodstuffs in the city of Oxford as a result of the increased population of that city; and what arrangements he proposes to make to deal with this situation?

I understand that there have been occasional late deliveries of bacon in Oxford but the situation is being rectified as quickly as possible. I am not aware of any shortage of other rationed foods. As regards unrationed foods I would refer to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool (Mr. R. Robinson) on 3rd December. I have no information to suggest that the conditions in Oxford differ from those in other areas where the population has increased

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the embargo on the importation of bananas is estimated in Scotland alone to involve an increase of not less than 5,000 people to the unemployed last and the practical ruin of at least 50 wholesale handlers of bananas who have spent large capital sums on the installation of special ripening, plant; and whether he will give consideration to a proposal that some quota should be established for the banana trade, or, alternatively, give an assurance that the embargo will not last longer than two months?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to my answer to a similar Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Normanton (Mr. Tom Smith).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food to what extent the existing shortage of milk is partly due to abuses under the free and cheap milk schemes; what reports he has received on the subject; and whether he is aware that persons earning £10 a week, or more, are obtaining milk at half price?

The existing shortage of liquid milk is the result of a material fall in production occasioned by climatic conditions and reduced supplies of concentrates accompanied by a substantial increase in consumption which is attributable to air raid conditions, the demands of the Services, the shortage of condensed milk and the introduction of the National Milk Scheme. As regards the second part of the Question the National Milk Scheme provides for the supply of milk at two-pence per pint for expectant and nursing mothers and for children under five years of age without regard to means.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the fact that an abundance of first-rate potatoes is available in Northern Ireland, he will make arrangements for their purchase at a remunerative price, as the growers were encouraged to plant potatoes as a crop that was required and would find a ready market which is not being found at present?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to a Question on this subject by my hon. Friend the Member for the Evesham Division (Mr. De la Bere) on 7th November.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will ration condensed milk, golden syrup, matches and eggs, in order to ensure a fairer distribution of these commodities?

The rationing to individual consumers of the goods to which my hon. Friend refers would present very great difficulties, one being the extremely wide variations in consumption as between individuals. Control in various forms with a view to securing the most effective distribution has long been in force for condensed milk and eggs and matches, and discussions with the same object are taking place with manufacturers of golden syrup and treacle.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the serious position regarding coal supplies to the City of Oxford, due to transport difficulties, has been accentuated by the recent increase in population; and what immediate steps he proposes to take to deal with the situation?

I am advised by my hon. Friend, the Secretary for Mines, that there is a shortage of coal in Oxford and at his request arrangements are being made to run special coal trains to the city.

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware of the serious position which exists in Kidderminster owing to the present lack of coal; and, as these conditions appear to arise owing to difficulties between the London Midland and Scottish and the Great Western Railway Companies, will he take urgent steps to ensure that the latter company accept wagons from Cannock Chase at once to relieve the shortage?

I am aware that deliveries for the time being are below normal; the second part of the Question is a matter for my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister of Transport, whose attention I have drawn to the position.

asked the Minister of Transport why the London passenger Transport Board has not increased the time of its blackout schedules sufficiently to allow for the reduced maximum speed of 20 miles per hour instead of 30 miles per hour

I am informed by the London Passenger Transport Board that their schedules do not require buses to exceed 20 miles per hour at any time during the black-out.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will favourably consider the suggestion that all ordinary passenger transport should be completely stopped on one Sunday in order to free the present congested coal traffic?

Such a step as envisaged is constantly receiving consideration.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the number of men who have been transferred from England or who have voluntarily removed and taken up employment in South Wales during the present year;

(2) the number of unemployed men that have left the Exchanges of Ferndale, Porth, Tonypandy and Treorchy during this year for work in England?

I regret that the information asked for in these Questions is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed men registered at the Ferndale, Porth, Tonypandy and Treorchy Exchanges on the latest available date giving, separately, the figures for temporary and permanent unemployed?

I am having the desired figures extracted and will send them to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the measures he has taken to prevent loss of working hours on vital production of munitions, in cases where the alert may not be observed until the danger signal has been given?

The precise nature of the arrangements to be made for working after the alert must depend on local circumstances and should be settled by agreement between employers and representatives of their workpeople in individual establishments. With a view to promoting such arrangements on the widest practicable scale my Department, together with the Ministry of Home Security and with the full co-operation and assistance of the British Employers' Confederation and the Trades Union Congress, arranged a series of conferences on working after the alert in a number of important munition centres. These conferences, all of which were well attended by employers and representatives of the trade unions, were addressed by Ministers of the Crown, by representatives of the British Employers' Confederation, the Trade Union Congress and a senior officer of the Royal Air Force. At the conferences the policy of working after the "alert" and the measures which the Government and industry are taking to facilitate it were explained, and local representatives of industry were afforded an opportunity of expressing their views and putting forward their suggestions. A leaflet, a copy of which I am sending my hon. Friend, on working after the "alert" was distributed at the conferences and large numbers have also been distributed to both sides of industry by the Trades Union Congress and the British Employers' Confederation.

Following these conferences, Local Production Defence Committees are being set up, both in the areas where the conferences were held and in certain other areas, to survey the position as regards working after the "alert" and to promote where necessary joint works conferences for the purpose of explaining the "raid spotter" and other systems for securing that work should be continued to the fullest possible extent. These com- mittees consist of representatives of the local employers and trade unions, together with representatives of the Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence, and the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Eight of these committees have already 1been established and five of them have met; others are being rapidly set up.

Very substantial results have been achieved by these methods and my information is that very many hours of production have been saved by the "raid spotter" system, and that an increasing proportion of firms engaged on war production are operating schemes whereby production is continued until danger is imminent. My right hon. Friend is confident that the local committees working in co-operation with the Civil Defence authorities will be successful in re3ucing to a minimum the loss of time and production due to air-raid "alerts." My right hon. Friend would like to take this opportunity of expressing his indebtedness to the Trades Union Congress and the British Employers' Confederation for their whole-hearted assistance in this matter

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will now control, and where necessary prohibit, advertisements for labour?

The Undertakings (Restriction on Engagement) Order already controls advertising for workers by employers in the building, civil engineering contracting, and general engineering industries from advertising for workers. The extension of this control to other industries will be considered as and when the need arises.

asked the Secretary of State for War why 1697670 Gunner Langton, W. E., is being retained in the Army without adequate medical attention in spite of the fact that immediately prior to joining the Army he suffered injury involving the loss of four fingers of his left hand?

Inquiries are being made, and I will write to my hon. and gallant Friend as soon as I have the necessary information.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware that in the recent final Bachelor of Science examination (subsidiary) of London University, external candidates from Exeter University College were required to come to London for the examinations, whereas the internal candidates of internal colleges evacuated from London were not so required; and whether he will consult with London University with a view to avoiding unnecessary travel by candidates, in view of the various handicaps of being examined in London at the present time?

The Board of Education have no jurisdiction over the University of London, but the University Grants Committee have been in communication with the University authorities on this question. The examinations referred to concerned only a small number of students. Last year arrangements were made for these examinations to be held at Reading, but accommodation there was not available this year. In view of the great difficulty of making fresh arrangements at short notice owing to delays in communications, and of the small number of candidates involved, the University decided to hold the examinations in air-raid shelters in London. The University's Lodgings Bureau undertook to give students addresses of lodgings where they could get basement accommodation. As regards future arrangements, I am informed that the University has no intention of bringing considerable numbers of students to London, and that every effort will be made for candidates to be examined in places of comparative safety so far as is compatible with difficulties of transport and of accommodation in provincial areas.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will indicate the result of salvage work for each Metropolitan borough and for the large cities outside London, respectively, for the months of September and October, 1940, showing respective populations?

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 13th November, 1940; cols. 1731–2, Vol. 365], supplies the following information:

The following table which shows for the Metropolitan boroughs and the larger cities outside London, the population and value of the sales of salvaged material for the month of October, 1940. These figures do not include material collected and sold by voluntary organisations or merchants.

The corresponding totals for previous months were:

The corresponding totals for previous months were:

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered a communication from the Solihull Urban District Council, dated 2nd December, 1940, concerning the insistence by the timber control on the completion by the council of certain vexatious formalities before the release could be obtained of a number of laths for nailing up felt on broken windows, notwithstanding that the Ministry of Health had requested the control to release the material, which was urgently needed; and whether he will make a statement?

In July last, arrangements were made by agreement with the Ministry of Health for the immediate release, in advance of the usual licensing formalities, of timber urgently required for first-aid repairs to buildings damaged by enemy action. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that in general these arrangements work smoothly and efficaciously, but in the particular case referred to I regret that the urgency of the service was not fully appreciated by the Timber Control Area Officer, and three days elapsed before the timber was released. Steps have been taken to prevent the occurrence of any similar lapses in the future.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Whether he is aware that an unemployed man, Mr. P. Martin, of 9, Trinity Street, St. Helens, Lancashire, has been requested by the Foreign Office to refund a sum of £3 10s. 1d., expended in securing his repatriation from Spain; and whether this or any demands for further repayments may be cancelled?

On the disbandment of the International Brigade towards the end of 1938, Mr. P. Martin was repatriated from Spain with about 440 other British members of the Brigade. The cost of their journey from the Spanish frontier to the United Kingdom was defrayed by His Majesty's consular officers concerned against undertakings to repay signed by each man. This was in accordance with the practice usually followed in the repatriation of British subjects at public expense. While in such cases every effort is naturally made to recover sums advanced from public funds, no pressure is brought to bear on those who are genuinely not in a position to repay. Mr. Williams sent no reply to the circular notice asking for a refund in accordance with his written undertaking. Had he replied stating that he was unemployed and not therefore in a position to pay, the claim against him would certainly not have been pressed. In view of the information furnished by the hon. Member the claim will now be abandoned.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will arrange that the surplus of £100,000 on the Kenya budget, instead of being offered as a free gift to the Imperial Government, shall be held in Kenya as a reserve for developing medical, educational, soil conservation and other necessary services in Kenya?

No, Sir. Apart from a statement in a recent Press report my Noble Friend has no information that a sum of £100,000 is to be offered to His Majesty's Government by the Government of Kenya, but a report from the Governor will no doubt foe received in the near future. In August last, however, in response to a widespread demand from all sections of the community in Kenya that the Colony should make a greater contribution to the Empire's war effort than had hitherto been possible, additional taxation was imposed with the express purpose of converting the estimated deficit on the 1940 budget into a surplus which could foe given to His Majesty's Government as a contribution towards the cost of the war. I can assure my hon. Friend that medical, educational and special agricultural services have been and will be maintained to the fullest extent possible under war conditions.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the serious loss in trade and employment to Jamaica by the prohibition of the banana imports to this country and also the existing unsatisfactory trade balance and menace to the economic life of that Colony, he is taking any immediate steps to remedy this situation?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 4th December to the hon. Member for Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any further statement to make respecting the West Indian banana crop; whether any successful steps have been taken to market the crop; and whether he is satisfied that everything possible is being done to dispose of the crop and to compensate the growers?

My Noble Friend is in close communication with the Governor of Jamaica on this question, and active steps are being taken to dispose of as much as possible of the banana crop during the coming season. Arrangements have, indeed, already been made for the marketing of an increased proportion in the United States of America and Canada. With regard to the question of compensation to growers, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on the 4th December to the hon. Member for Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is able to make a statement on the recent visit of Lord Hailey to the West African territories and Northern Rhodesia?

Lord Hailey, at the invitation of His Majesty's Government, left for the Belgian Congo, on an economic mission before he was able to bring to an issue his earlier investigations in Africa. It is hoped that the interruption will only be temporary; but in the meantime I am not in a position to make a statement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings, whether he will have elevations of the building to be erected on the site of the old Westminster Hospital, opposite the Abbey, exhibited in the Tea Room?

Yes, Sir. Arrangements have now been made for a perspective drawing and a general description of the proposed building to be exhibited in the Members' Smoking Room.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is satisfied with the allocation of the West African cocoa crap between various shippers and with the composition of the new Cocoa Board; whether he is aware that neither the producers nor the Gold Coast Government have representatives on that Board although it has two representatives formerly associated with the two largest cocoa exporters; and whether he will arrange for representatives to be appointed to this Board by the producers and the Gold Coast Government?

My Noble Friend is satisfied with the allocation of the West African cocoa crop between the various shippers, which is based on average pre-war shipments with some adjustments to meet the special cases of small shippers. As regards the West Africa Cocoa Control Board, my Noble Friend considers its composition satisfactory. It would not be practicable for the Board, which meets in London, to include effective representatives of the producers. The producers are in any event not affected by the Board's marketing operation since they are guaranteed a fixed price. Native interests, go far as they arise, are looked after by the three Colonial Office members and the member nominated by the Nigerian Government at my Noble Friend's invitation, a former Chief Provincial Commissioner in Nigeria. The Gold Coast Government received a similar invitation to nominate a representative, but has not taken advantage of it.

asked the, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken since the Orde-Brown Report on labour problems in Northern Rhodesia, to give effect to any of his recommendations; and what further action does the Government propose to take?

I would invite my hon Friend's attention to the reply given to the hon. Member for the English Universities (Mr. E. Harvey) on 21st August on this subject. I am sending a copy of the reply to my hon Friend. Since that reply was given, one Labour Officer has been appointed for duty in the Copperbelt, and provision for a second appoint meat has been included in the 1941 Estimates The cost of the Labour Department will be in creased by £1,960 in 1941. It has further been decided, within war time limits of manpower and materials, to proceed in 1941 with the full programme envisaged under the Five-Year Plan. Financial provision will be made for the construction of African housing at a cost of £31,000; African schools in the Copperbelt at a cost of £14,000; African hospitals and dispensaries costing £10,000; and loans to local authorities, principally for African housing, £50,000. It is proposed also to provide in the 1941 Estimates the sum of £5,000 for medical welfare work in the Copperbelt in addition to the sum of £9,500 already being expended there by the Mining Companies, Government and the Mines Canteen Fund.