asked the Home Secretary whether, since men are to be conscripted for the air-raid precautions services as well as for the Fighting Services, he will now be able to arrange that air-raid precautions workers injured in action or on duty will be treated on the same basis as soldiers, sailors or airmen and paid so long as there is any chance of their becoming fit for service again, instead of being paid as now for 13 weeks only before discharge?

I must point out that there are fundamental differences in the conditions of service of the Armed Forces of the Crown and persons who may hereafter be called up for service in Civil Defence instead of to the Armed Forces. One of these is that men in the former class may have to serve abroad and thus be unable to avail themselves of the National Health Insurance benefits or other social insurance provisions when sick. I am, however, examining whether any changes will be called for in the existing sick pay arrangements for volunteers as a result of the introduction of a new class of compulsorily enrolled Civil Defence worker.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that nearly every practising veterinary surgeon in the country has for some months been giving his services free to the National Air-Raid Precautions Animals Committee in order to assist in the development of an air-raid precautions service for animals throughout the country to make available professional advice to all animal lovers in emergency; and whether he will officially recognise these veterinary surgeons as members of the official Civil Defence organisation and facilitate in every way the development of the organisations for which they' are responsible in their own localities?

As regards the attitude of the Government towards air-raid precautions for animals, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Stourbridge (Mr. R. Morgan) on 2nd April. While greatly appreciating the work which has been done voluntarily by veterinary surgeons, I can see no advantage in adding to the labours of the local authorities or diminishing the responsibility of the veterinary surgeons by putting them under the supervision of the former, as would be necessary if they were formally included in the local authorities' Civil Defence organisation.

asked the Home Secretary what new Regulations are in force or proposed governing the detention of British subjects in this country; and whether he will make them available to Members of Parliament?

Every Regulation made under the Emergency Powers Act is laid before Parliament as soon as may be after it is made in accordance with the requirement of that Act. The Regulations on the subject mentioned are those numbered 18B, 18BA, 18BB and 18D. All of them date from last year or earlier, and I do not know what my hon. Friend has in mind by his reference to new or proposed Regulations.

asked the Attorney-General to what extent there has been experienced on any of the circuits a shortage of barristers, and how many cases have had to be adjourned in any instance because of the absence of defending barristers; and what action he proposes to take to deal with this problem?

It is of course true that many members of the Bar previously practising on circuit are now serving in the Forces or doing war work. Some difficulty due to this cause is inevitable in war time. I have no information as to cases having to be adjourned because of the shortage of barristers but I am making inquiries on the matter.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the committee, proposed under the chairmanship of the Earl of Lytton, with the object of inquiring into hardship cases of keymen in industry, has met; and, if not, when is it intended that it shall meet?

The purpose of this committee is to consider applications for deferment of call up for military service in respect of musicians, artists, and other persons engaged in the theatrical industry and the production of films. The Committee has not yet met, pending further consultations with the interests concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that local authorities are not satisfied that due attention has been given to their claims for consideration in seeking to retain the services of essential key-men, or that sufficient regard has been given to the increased responsibilities imposed upon them by the Government, necessitating an adequate staff in order to discharge those responsibilities efficiently; and what further steps he is taking to satisfy them?

I am not certain what my hon. Friend has in mind, but I can assure him that the importance of ensuring that local authorities have adequate staff to enable them to discharge their heavy responsibility is constantly borne in mind.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the system of canteens for workers, though admirable for ordinary trades, is not suitable for shift workers in the heavy steel industries, who cannot leave their posts; and whether he will take further steps to provide extra rations for this type of worker?

I cannot agree that canteens are not of value in these industries. I will, however, make inquiry into the arrangements by which steel workers obtain their food and will make representations on the subject to my Noble Friend, the Minister of Food, if I find this necessary.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement to the House on the closing of mills in Lancashire and the number thereof; whether it is his intention to make arrangements for the operatives who are displaced to be absorbed in work of national importance; what training period will be necessary for same; what will be conditions as to wages during that period; and when operatives are compelled to remove from one district to another will financial assistance be given them for removing, and will they, in the intervening period between employment, get any assistance in addition to the ordinary unemployment benefit?

The plans for concentration of the cotton industry in Lancashire are under discussion between the Cotton Board, the Cotton Controller, my Depart- ment and the representatives of the industry, and will be submitted to the Board of Trade shortly. Some steps have already been taken toward the concentration of cotton spinning, but I am not yet in a position to state the number of mills which will be closed. It is my intention to arrange for the workers who are displaced to be absorbed in work of national importance, and I hope that the arrangements will enable transfer to be effected without intervening periods of unemment. Workers who are removed from one district to another to work of national importance will be given financial assistance in accordance with my Department's usual arrangements. In many cases I anticipate that no formal training for the new employment will be necessary, and that workers will be absorbed immediately into work of national importance on the usual wage scales. In some cases it may be desirable for workers to take a course of training under one of my Department's training schemes; if so, they will receive wages or allowances according to their age and according to the new basis of payment to persons under training, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Labour what decision has now been reached with reference to the continuance of Sunday work in factories, and on outdoor constructional works, respectively?

The Government consider that in the interests of production, as well as on other grounds, workers should have a periodical day off each week, except where the urgent requirements of production make such a break impracticable on some special occasion. The day off should usually be Sunday, but under some shift systems or where seven-day working of machine tools or other machinery is necessary some corresponding break should be arranged by rota. Where women and persons under 18 are concerned, the hours provisions of the Factory Acts must be observed, and authority for working hours other than those normally prescribed by the Acts sought from the Factory Inspectorate.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that, under the new Regulations, trouble is caused by the fact that bricklayers who, when work was scarce obtained employment in munition factories, are now, when bricklayers are needed for repair and rebuilding work owing to enemy action, not allowed to leave their present occupation although the work they are now doing could very well be done by women; and will he take the necessary steps to remove this difficulty?

No, Sir; but if my hon. Friend will send me particulars of actual cases, I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the scheme which is being instituted for the control of labour will be made applicable to Northern Ireland?

The Essential Work Orders and the Registration for Employment Order do not apply to Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, having regard to recent court proceedings, full particulars were obtained with regard to Mr. Fox, the regional petroleum officer for the Northwest, before he was recommended by the Central Register for appointment to the Petroleum Department?

I presume that the hon. Member refers to Mr. Arthur Fox, chief petroleum inspector for the North-Western Division. Mr. Fox obtained an appointment as petroleum inspector through the Supplementary Register in August, 1940. It is not the practice to take up references in respect of persons enrolled in the Register, as this is done by the employing Departments. I understand that references obtained by the Department concerned in the case of Mr. Fox appeared to be satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has completed his consideration of the effect of the Determination of Needs Act upon the existing scheme for allowances for soldiers' dependants; and can he now make a statement?

Yes, Sir. It is proposed to amend the regulations governing the issue of dependants' allowance to the dependants of members of the Fighting Services in the light of the principles underlying the Determination of Needs Act. The essential change which will be introduced is that, whereas under existing rules the resources of the whole household in which the dependant lives have been investigated, it is now proposed, in accordance with the principles laid down by the Determination of Needs Act, to inquire into the resources of certain members only. A White Paper giving details of this and other changes which will be made will be published on the First Sitting Day after 6th April.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider granting members of the Home Guard two free travelling passes per year to enable them to visit their families who have been evacuated, or consider granting cheap fares covering a period up to 14 days?

I do not think that there would be any good reason for treating members of the Home Guard differently in this respect from civilians, who may under existing arrangements obtain cheap travel facilities for visits to evacuated families once a month. Members of the Home Guard are not, of course, required by the nature of their duties to live away from home in the same way as other members of the Armed Forces.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the cost of a typical static 4-anti-aircraft gun site, including accommodation for the men, in the London area?

The cost of a typical static four-gun A.A. site in the London area was approximately £20,000.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that great inconvenience has been caused to London Passenger Transport Board passengers by the recent withdrawal of certain express omnibus services, especially those cover- ing routes 59 and 159; and whether he will have these services reviewed?

Express bus services were instituted by the Board to cover the period when darkness set in at an early hour. Now that it is daylight when people leavè their work the need has passed. The position on each route has been examined and additions made, where necessary, to the ordinary services. On routes 59 and 159, six additional buses an hour are operated during peak periods between Streatham and Charing Cross. The position will be reviewed before next winter.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of accidents on the road that have occurred in the months of December, January and February; how many took place in daylight and how many during the hours of darkness; and whether, with a view to reducing the number of road accidents, he will consider the question of restricting the use of private motor-cars for private purposes during the: hours of darkness?

The information for which my hon. Friend asks is not available, but the figures of persons reported to have died in Great Britain during the months of December, 1940, and January and February, 1941, as a result of road accidents are as follows:

—	During hours of darkness.	During other hours.	Total.
December, 1940	874	442	1,316
January, 1941	432	309	741
February, 1941	353	336	689

It would not be practicable to restrict the use of private motor-cars during the hours of darkness according to the purpose for which they were used, nor am I satisfied that such a course is in the public interest.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is yet in a position to supply an approximate estimate of the reduction brought about in the sales of the white loaf of ordinary consumption by the demand for the national wheatmeal loaf; and whether the information at his disposal gives him any reason to believe that the demand for national wheatmeal has led to any substantial decline in the sales of wheat to feeding-stuff merchants and patent food manufacturers which he recently agreed to be at the rate of about 1,500,000 tons a year?

No recent figures of bread output are available but consumption of all descriptions of flour has tended to increase during recent months, the percentage increase in deliveries of national wheatmeal and other high extraction flours being slightly higher than that of white flour. It is too soon, however, to estimate the demand for the national wheatmeal loaf. As regards the latter part of the Question no millable wheat may now be fed to livestock. Sales of milling offals have increased of late as a result of the increase in the output of flour but- are as yet little affected by the slight rise in consumption of high extraction flour.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will include among those entitled to the extra cheese ration, small-working farmers, smallholders, and their sons, if employed by them on the land?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given on 2nd April to several Questions on this subject by the hon. Members for Devizes (Sir P. Hurd), Denbigh (Sir H. Morris-Jones), and Forest of Dean (Mr. Price).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether, in fixing the composition of menus sardines are to be regarded as fish or not?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what articles of food are now being subsidised; and what is the annual cost of the subsidy given to each?

The foodstuffs at present subsidised are bread and flour, meat, milk, tea and oatmeal, the annual rate of subsidy being approximately £80,000,000 of which the greater part is represented by the subsidy on bread and flour and on meat. I regret that I am not able to give the amount of the subsidy commodity by commodity.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether he is aware that retailers who have always sold tinned vegetables, soups, sardines and tomatoes, are restricted in the prices they may charge customers for those commodities, but that other shopkeepers who have recently entered into this business are charging higher prices for the same brands; and will he take steps to remove this anomaly?

Under the Food (Current Prices) Order, 1941, which follows closely to provisions, approved by Parliament in the Prices of Goods Act,1939, retailers are forbidden in respect of certain specified foods to exceed the prices at which those goods were being offered for sale on 2nd December, 1940. It follows that under this Order as under the Prices of Goods Act, one trader may be legitimately in a position to charge a higher price for a certain article than an other trader can charge for the same article, irrespective of whether the retailer did or did not engage in the sale of the particular article on 2nd December, 1940. In the case of the retailer who did not sell or offer to sell any specified food on 2nd December, 1940, the Order provides that such retailer must not exceed the price at which the article in question was being offered for sale by a retailer carrying on a similar business. The anomaly involved is unavoidable unless separate maximum prices can be fixed for the many goods comprised under the Order. Steps are being taken gradually to fix specific prices for articles covered by the Order, and as this is done these articles are moved from the scope of the Food (Current Prices) Order.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has taken steps to ensure that the air cadet training units will be enabled to use school premises for their classes instead of, in many cases, paying rent for premises less suitable?

Close contact in matters concerning the Air Training Corps is maintained between the Air Ministry and the Board of, Education, and between units of the corps and local education authorities. This has ensured that school premises are utilised by both local units and school units so far as practicable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the minimum standard of £1,500, provided by Section 31 of the Finance Act, 1940, will be allowed in respect of each working proprietor in cases where such working proprietors have not been paid remuneration amounting to £1,500?

Yes, Sir. The figure of £1,500 for each working proprietor (up to a maximum of four), provided by the Section, is intended to provide a minimum standard of profit for the trade or business.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consider the issue of a victory stamp, the design of which should be thought out now, and the preparation of which would have an excellent psychological effect, also a commemoration stamp in celebration of the cooperation between the British Empire and the United States of America, since the sale of these stamps, both in England and America, would furnish a considerable revenue from a source not yet touched.

My right lion. Friend will consider both these suggestions.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that people merely wanting employment cards have to wait long hours at some Employment Exchanges owing to crowds of people waiting for jobs; and whether he will institute a different system for handling these inquiries?

The staffs of Employment Exchanges have been strengthened to deal with the increased volume of work, and I am not aware that cases of delay such as those referred to in this Question arise save in exceptional cases. I shall be pleased to make inquiries if my hon. Friend will let me have particulars.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what is the amount paid to date, whether for salaries, rent, expenses or otherwise, to or in respect of the Central Medical War Committee; on what basis is the payment computed; and is the expenditure of the committee subject to checking by the Exchequer and Audit Department;(2) how local medical war committees are financed to enable them to perform their duties; the total amount paid to date from Government funds to such committees; whether their expenditure is subject to Government audit; to what extent such committees have been assisted by staffs of local authorities or insurance committees; is any sum paid to these bodies for such assistance; and how is it computed?

The total amount paid to date in respect of the salaries and expenses of the Central Medical War Committee is £9,754 13s. 2d. This amount includes £2,112 7s. 9d. for the maintenance and use of the Emergency Register up to the outbreak of war, and £7,000 in respect of expenses incurred during the year commencing 1st September, 1939. The remainder consists of the reimbursement of travelling expenses of members attending meetings of the Central Committee. All these payments are subject to examination by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The sum of £7,000 was determined after a full investigation by an officer of the Department into the work of the committee and the expenditure incurred by them on behalf of the Government. No separate contribution has been made towards the cost of local medical war committees. These committees are financed by the Central Committee, and as the payment of £7,000 referred to above was related to the ex- penditure incurred by the Central Committee, including any reimbursement of the expenses of the local committees, the Department is not directly concerned with the staffing of the local committees. No payment is made to local authorities or insurance committees in respect of this work.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will state, in the form of a table, the number of aliens now in the United Kingdom who are known to the police, giving in each case the nationality and sexes, how many are in detention, either civil or military, and how many of each nationality are there who were granted landing permits during the six years preceding the outbreak of war, and who are assumed to be still resident in the United Kingdom?

The number of aliens registered with the police on the 25th May, 1940, when the last census was taken, was 228,072. I do not think that it would be in the national interest to issue a return dividing this figure according to nationalities and sexes. About 14,000 aliens of enemy nationality are interned under the Prerogative; 412 aliens of non-enemy nationality are detained under the Aliens Order and 22 under the Defence Regulations. As regards the last part of the Question, the information could not be compiled without the expenditure of much labour, which I should be reluctant to divert from other more urgent needs.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total number of qualified medical men and women employed, permanently or temporarily, by his Department; how many are working in London; are such appointments made by recommendation, or by selection from applications duly advertised in the Press or in medical journals; who deals with, and interviews, candidates, whether recommended or being applicants through advertisements; and in what newspapers and medical journals do the advertisements appear?

The number of medical officers employed by my Department, excluding hospital staff under the Emergency Medical Service, and officers on loan to other Departments or serving with the Forces, is 147, of whom 52 are serving in a temporary capacity. Sixty-three are employed in London. Normal recruitment to the permanent staff is made through advertisements in the Press and medical journals, selected candidates being interviewed by a Selection Committee consisting of officials of my Department with a representative of the Civil Service Commissioners as chairman. Temporary appointments are made both from recommended candidates and from applications received in response to advertisement, and candidates are interviewed by appropriate officers of my Department. Advertisements appear in the "British Medical Journal," the "Lancet," the "Medical Officer," the "Times" and the "Daily Telegraph."

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the basic rate of salaries for assistant land agents employed by the War Office; how many are so employed; and, in view of the fact that a' motor car is necessary for their work and the present allowances are based on pre-war expenses and that many of the assistant land agents, owing to the nature of their duties, are compelled to live away from their homes, will he review the scale of pay and allowances at present in operation?

If, as I assume, my hon. Friend is referring to the junior grade of temporary assistant land agent employed in commands, the salary is £350 per annum, but a. higher rate of £400 may be paid in certain cases. The total establishment for this grade is 297, and all but a few have been appointed. As regards the last part of the Question, it is not possible to vary the rate of remuneration, which is based on the responsibilities of the post, to meet the case of those who live away from their homes, but the question of placing a larger proportion of the staff on the £400 rate is at present under cansideration.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make an inquiry into the causes of explosions in oil-cake works, and take whatever measures are necessary to prevent their recurrence?

Such explosions are inquired into by the Factory Inspectorate and the practicability of additional precautions for the future is considered in the light of the circumstances. This course is being followed in connection with the recent explosion in the North-West.