asked the Minister of Labour whether he will set up a special register for small shopkeepers, commercial travellers, and others having experience in the distributive trades, and not hitherto within the scope of unemployment insurance, but now liable to be displaced by war causes and economic readjustments, with a view to placing them in positions where their special knowledge can be best used?

The Employment Exchange service is available for use by all persons seeking employment whether or not they have been insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts. Account would be taken of any special capacity for war requirements possessed by the persons whom the hon. Member has in mind; there is no need to set up a special register for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will allow friendly women enemy aliens now interned in the Isle of Man to volunteer for munition work and secure such priority for examination of their loyalty before the tribunals?

Arrangements are being made in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to register and submit for employment in munitions or other forms of work of national importance, women of enemy nationality who are now interned but whose release on security grounds my right hon. Friend is prepared to authorise. Questions concerning the work of the tribunals should be addressed to my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health what action he intends to take in view of the failure of certain local authorities to provide day nurseries for the children of women war workers, thereby preventing women from offering their services in areas where there is an urgent demand for labour?

If my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars of the places in which it is alleged that large numbers of women are prevented from offering their services for war work for the reasons indicated in the Question, I shall be glad to have inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Labour, when the Report of the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee for 1940 will be in the Vote Office.

The Report of the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee for 1940 appeared in the Votes last Tuesday.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that whereas police, Army and Civil Service pensioners who are doing full time air-raid precautions work in a paid capacity do not suffer any diminution in their pensions in consequence, yet recipients of superannuation allowances under the Asylums Officers Superannuation Act, who are doing similar work, are having the payments deducted from their superannuation allowances under the terms of Section 7, Asylums Officers Superannuation Act, 1909; and whether he will take steps to correct this anomaly?

The differences between the Asylums Officers Superannuation Act, 1909, and other enactments governing superannuation are not confined to the point mentioned—which also arises in relation to other forms of public employment undertaken by pensioners. My hon. Friend will appreciate that the point does not arise except where the Civil Defence pay in addition to the pension exceeds the amount on which the employé was pensioned. In the circumstances I do not contemplate the introduction of amending legislation in this matter.

asked the Home Secretary how many cases have been reported to him of refusal by porters attached to a building to allow firemen to enter to tackle incendiary bombs; and whether prosecutions have been or will be instituted in all such cases.

One such case has come to my notice. There, I am informed, the admission of firemen was delayed for only a few minutes while the attendant sought permission to open gates which had been closed to prevent the incursion of unauthorised members of the public. On the facts as reported to me no question arises of instituting legal proceedings against the attendant concerned.

asked the Home Secretary (1) when specifications were sent out to the authorities responsible for the construction of air-raid shelters which included the use of lime-mortar for brick surface shelters; and what is the total accommodation of shelters constructed to this specification;(2) what is the number and accommodation of brick surface shelters found to require treatment, other than entire reconstruction, as detailed in the Ministry of Home Security Circular 290/1940, under the heading Defective Mortar; what is the number of, and accommodation in, shelters requiring complete reconstruction; and what is the value of the recommended measure of scraping out the joints and grouting them with cement mortar?

The specification to which my hon. Friend refers appeared in the A.R.P. Memorandum No. 14 which was issued on the 29th April, 1940. It was unfortunately not too clearly worded and was read by some 1ocal authorities as authorising the use of mortar ungauged with cement. Any possible misapprehension was removed by a circular issued on the 17th July. While I have been able, in consultation with the regional authorities, to gain some rough picture of the position as regards defective construction of brick surface shelters, and to issue detailed instructions as to the course to be followed by local authorities in regard to them, I am not in a position to give specific answers to my hon. Friend's requests for statistics. As regards the last part of his second Question, the object aimed at by the recommendation was to prevent the entry of water and frost into the joints of the brickwork.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that a number of individuals, with incomes over £250 but under £350 per annum, bought their own indoor air-raid shelters and now see, under the Government's increased income limit, other persons with similar incomes receiving their equipment at public expense; and if he will arrange that some allowance is made to those who have already supplied themselves with indoor shelters at their own expense?

I am aware that there are some persons in this position but I regret that I am not prepared to entertain claims by them for an allowance.

asked the Home Secretary when uniforms of a more substantial type will be issued to first-aid and rescue parties?

Arrangements have been completed for providing new uniforms of battle-dress design for first-aid parties and rescue parties. The uniforms are of durable material suited to the special working conditions of these parties. Local authorities are now placing their orders, and it is expected that the first supplies of the new uniforms will begin to be available at the end of the present month.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that Government Departments are still the worst offenders in regard to black-out regulations; and whether he intends to prosecute responsible persons in Departments for breaches of the regulations?

:I am aware that a number of offences against the Lighting Order have occurred in premises occupied by Government Departments, but 1 have no evidence that the offences are more frequent than in other classes of premises. All Departments have standing instructions about the necessity for ensuring that their black-out arrangements are adequate and proceedings have been taken by the police in a number of cases against members of the staff who have been responsible for a breach of the Order.

asked the Home Secretary what is the reason for the delay in the examination by the Advisory Committee, now sitting at Douglas, Isle of Man, in the case of Lucy Isaack, of Rusher internment camp, women, Port Erin, Isle of Man, whose loyalty to this country is vouched for by well-known citizens in Worcestershire?

No application has hitherto been made by or on behalf of this woman, and it was not known that there were any reasons for giving priority to her case. I am, however, having the case considered in the light of the information given by my hon. Friend.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give an asurance that no action will be taken under Defence Regulations 18a, 18b or 18bb against a subject of His Majesty in consequence of such subject having made a statement or expressed a view in an article in the Press or in a wireless broadcast if such article or broadcast has previously been passed by the censor or by an official of the British Broadcasting Corporation?

As has been frequently stated the Government are anxious that the principle of freedom for the expression of minority opinions shall be maintained so far as possible and that the minimum use shall be made, even in time of war, of powers of repression. In the circumstances contemplated in the Question it is unlikely that any action would be called for under the Regulations, but I could not properly fetter my discretion by giving an assurance that I will refrain from using my powers in certain hypothetical circumstances. If in any case it becomes my duty to consider whether action under the Regulations is necessary for purposes of national security I must be free to exercise the responsibility placed upon me after taking account of all the facts and circumstances of the particular case.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that thousands of people are unable to shop at all owing to being employed all day and not leaving work until the shops are closed; and whether some better arrangement can be made for their convenience?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will examine the details of costs of retail distribution of

As I said in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth (Sir L. Lyle) on 6th March, the information which I have does not suggest that the difficulty referred to is widespread, but if my hon. Friend will let me have particulars of the complaints which have been made to him I shall be ready to inquire into them.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give for the year 1940 for England and Wales the names and ages of all persons condemned to death for murder; the names, dates and prisons of execution of all persons executed for murder; and the names of those reprieved?

The particulars are as follow:consumers' goods in order to segregate avoidable causes of differences in retail prices of similar goods in different areas, and to reduce waste traceable to redundancy of supply or to overlapping in distribution?

:The Prices of Goods Act lays down the method which retailers must adopt in calculating their prices for most consumption goods apart from food. As my hon. and learned friend was informed in answer to a Question on 5th February, the provisions of the Act are being reviewed in the light of experience of its working, and it is hoped that a further statement will be made at an early date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement as to the position of the small manufacturer in relation to the scheme for the concentration of production?

As my hon. Friend will see from the Explanatory Memorandum on Concentration of Production, which was issued yesterday as Command Paper No. 6258, arrangements for concentration of production may and should be made among small firms as well as among larger organisations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the difficulties being experienced in securing batteries for use with electrical hearing apparatus; and whether, as this is a matter of serious concern to many deaf people, he will take early steps to have the matter remedied?

I am aware that there have been difficulties, which are due to increasingly heavy service demands for miniature cells. The problem of arranging for the use of other types of cell in hearing aids is being examined in consultation with the manufacturers, and meanwhile supplies of miniature cells are being released.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction existing amongst the farmers in Cumberland at the lack of cooperation by the Cumberland County Agricultural Committee with the work of the County War Agricultural Committee, the absence of which is retarding the efforts to increase the production of food in the county; and will he therefore institute inquiries into the matter with a view of evolving machinery designed to secure the necessary co-ordination in the activities of both committees concerned?

I have no evidence that there is any lack of such co-operation as is necessary between the committees referred to in connection with the increased food production campaign. In any case I would remind the hon. Member that the county war agricultural executive committees are charged as my agents with the exercise of all necessary powers in this connection.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the number of stallions licensed last year under the Horse Breeding Act, 1918, dividing the number, respectively, for heavy horses, light horses, cobs and ponies?

1,479 heavy horses, 166 light horses and 49 cobs and ponies were licensed under the Horse Breeding Act, 1918, to travel for service in the 1940 season.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether he can give an assurance that everything possible is being done at the present time to encourage the production of heavy agricultural horses, with a view to ensuring a steady supply of horse-transport for agricultural operations, which are likely continually to increase in this country over the next decade;(2) whether he has considered the representations of the National Farmers' Union that the grants to heavy horse societies should be reintroduced at an early date; and whether, in view of the decline in horse-breeding which has occurred since the withdrawal of this grant, he will reconsider this matter as one of urgency?

No financial assistance is at present being given for heavy horse breeding. I have considered the representations of the National Farmers' Union with regard to the restoration of the grants to heavy horse societies, but I regret that I cannot see my way to rescind their suspension. I am aware that here has been a decline in horse breeding over the last two years, but the evidence available does not suggest that this decline is attributable except in a minor degree to the withdrawal of the grant. Seeing that breeding at the present juncture is not likely to affect the supply of horses during the war, I cannot agree that the matter is one of urgency. Equally the view that the demand for agricultural horses is likely to increase over the next decade is, to say the least, a matter of opinion.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the ban against the employment of German, Austrian or Italian women by military personnel applies to members of the Home Guard employing in their household a refugee of one of these nationalities as a domestic servant or nurse?

:Instructions have been issued that Home Guard officers may not employ in their households persons of German, Austrian or Italian nationality. This restriction does not, however, apply to other ranks of the Home Guard.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the medical services for the Home Guard are in an unsatisfactory state depending upon an arrangement for treatment to be gratuitously rendered by civilian doctors, and that, consequently, the Home Guard in many areas is setting up its own medical service; and will he reconsider this arrangement?

The arrangements for the medical care of the Home Guard are at present under review.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can give any information in connection with a number of London schoolboys evacuated to Devonshire learning to be cobblers at Dartington Hall, Totnes, their ages, who is supplying them with leather, and if they receive wages for their work?

Classes in boot repairing are being given to 29 London schoolboys by a London teacher at Dartington Hall. The boys are 12 and 13 years of age. The initial cost of the leather scrap was met by a grant from the London County Council. The boys do not receive wages.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number of men accepted into the Forces since the outbreak of war and since discharged on medical grounds who have been refused pensions on the grounds that their ailments are in no way due to, nor have been aggravated by, their service in the Forces?

The records of the Ministry do not classify cases according as they were enlisted on the outbreak of war, or were already in the Forces, or were territorials or reservists. But in all some 27,000 claims have been rejected on the ground that they were neither attributable to nor materially aggravated by service. I am advised that it would not be in the public interest to state the total number of discharges.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to make a statement with regard to the negotiations for the repatriation of medical officers and other members of the Royal Army Medical Corps still held captive in Germany in spite of the Geneva Convention?

I am afraid that I am not in a position to add to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend on 28th January last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will favourably consider increasing by 10s. per week the amount which non-contributory old age pensioners are allowed to earn in casual employment without interfering with pension rights?

I do not think the proposal of my hon. Friend is called for under present conditions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that complaints are growing in connection with the delays in final settlement of Government contracts, especially in the cases of those concerned with building and engineering industries, where delays involve large interest payments in bank overdrafts and the retention of costly staffs; and whether he will issue instructions which, with due regard to the public interest, will permit of definite settlement and payment at the earliest time?

I am not aware that the instructions to Departments on progress and final payments are inadequate or that there is a growing volume of complaint about delays in settlement. If my hon. Friend has any particular contracts in mind and will give particulars of them to the Ministers responsible I have no doubt they will look into them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the amount of residential property in London and elsewhere which is empty, or partially empty, owing to war conditions, he will alter the Income Tax rule to follow the example of many of the rating authorities and apportion Schedule A tax so that it is only levied in respect of that part of any house which is actually used by the owner, either for storing furniture or similar purposes?

The question of relief from Income Tax, Schedule A, in cases such as those referred to by my hon. Friend will depend on the particular circumstances of each individual case. Thus if a house is left empty and wholly unfurnished full relief would be given for the period of non-occupation provided that no rent is payable for that period. If a house is used solely for storing furniture, and no rent is payable, a relief would be allowed from Income Tax, Schedule A, corresponding to any relief allowed for rating purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that adjustments of civil pay of civil servants serving with the Forces in India are being held up through the delay of the Government of India in replying to a communication from the India Office of 9th October, 1940, asking for particulars of the rate of military pay in issue; and whether he will take the necessary steps to see that the required information is forthcoming?

:I regret the delay which has, no doubt, been in part due to the slowness of the mails. I have asked the Government of India by telegram to supply the necessary information as soon as possible.