asked the Prime Minister whether he will cause to be circulated to all administrative, technical and manual workers employed in war production in Great Britain an urgent call to supreme production effort during the immediate months ahead, the call to be signed by the Members of the War Cabinet and production Ministers, printed in a suitable form for distribution to men and women workers individually, and newspaper and poster display?

No, Sir: but every effort will be made to stimulate production in this crisis of the war.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether, taking the pay-roll of any six leading aircraft factories, he will state in each case the average normal percentage of attendance?

My hon. Friend will, I think, appreciate that the disclosure of information such as is asked for regarding the aircraft factories would give information about production which would be of value to the enemy.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now move to set up a Parliamentary Committee, on the lines of the Select Committee on National Expenditure, to which should be referred the requisitioning of premises, now exercised without adequate inquiry or coordination by various authorities, which has given rise to public complaints that these powers are being exercised without due consideration and causing unnecessary hardship; and whether he will delay the execution of the threatened requisitioning of Holloway College by the War Office in order to refer this proposition to such a Committee?

No, Sir. I could not adopt this procedure. I have recently drawn the attention of requisitioning departments to the need for care and consideration and for avoiding unnecessary hardship in the exercise of their powers.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what are the rates of pay for juveniles employed in depots and establishments under his control; what is the greatest sum that a boy of 16 years of age, with overtime, can earn per week for unskilled work; and how frequently is this maximum attained?

The rates of pay of juvenile industrial employés at Air Ministry establishments vary according to the nature and place of employment. They also vary according to the wages paid for comparable adult work and these, in turn, conform to fair wages principles. The wages paid range between the following limits:

• Unskilled—14 years of age—44-hour week—14s. 6d.
• Skilled—20 years of age—48-hour week—86s. 6d.

The above figures relate to male juveniles only. The greatest sum a boy of 16 years of age can earn with overtime for unskilled work is 49s. Information is not readily available to show how frequently this maximum is attained, but it is probably not often reached.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the approximate number of persons engaged in connection with Government rationing schemes of all kinds in London and the country; and the approximate annual cost of such employment?

The number of persons employed in the Ministry of Food on 1st June was 5,434 headquarters staff, 2,959 Area Commodity staff, and 26,586 staff in Divisional and Local Food Offices, making a total of 34,979. The approximate total cost of salaries is £6,084,000. It is not possible to give separate figures for staff specifically employed in connection with rationing schemes as distinct from those employed in connection with food supplies and distribution, etc. The number of staff employed in the Petroleum Department in connection with rationing schemes is 2,076 at an approximate cost of £375,000. The number of staff employed full-time at the Board of Trade in connection with the rationing schemes administered by the Board is approximately 240 at an annual salary cost of approximately £46,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Mexican oil dispute has now been settled; and whether diplomatic relations have been resumed?

The answer to both parts of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps have been taken to associate the Emperor of Abyssinia with the work of the recent meeting of Allies in London; and whether he will be invited to send a representative to future meetings?

The text of the resolution passed at the meeting of Allied representatives, held in London on 12th June, has been forwarded to the Emperor of Ethiopia, and His Majesty has been invited to associate himself with its prin- ciples. I shall be glad to bear in mind the point raised in the second part of my hon. Friend's Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he desires to make any statement on our relations with Sweden?

No, Sir; not to-day.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Mr. Joseph Martin is still suffering from blindness resulting from his wrongful imprisonment in Moscow; and will he, seeing that it is now impossible to obtain compensation from the Soviet Government, consider whether anything can be done for Mr. Martin from funds at the disposal of His Majesty's Government?

I would invite my hon. Friend's attention to the remarks which I made on this subject in the course of the Debate on the Adjournment on 9th May, 1940, and of which, for convenience of reference, I am sending him a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how quickly claims made under Part II of the War Damage Act, 1941, in respect of business equipment worth £1,000 or less are being dealt with; and what should be the maximum time of any delay?

Payment of claims arising under the business scheme will be deferred until after the war unless the Board of Trade are satisfied that the repair or replacement of the goods is expedient in the public interest or unless the claim does not exceed £100. My right hon. Friend has given instructions that the claims in these categories shall be dealt with as speedily as possible but the time taken must obviously depend on the circumstances of each case. I can however assure my hon. Friend that the Board of Trade are very much alive to the importance of expediting settlement in every possible way and to secure this object they have, with the co-operation of the insurance companies and Lloyds, strengthened and decentralised the claims organisation by creating a large additional number of insurance districts.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many children under the age of five were in attendance at public elementary and nursery schools under the following authorities, in May, 1939, and in May, 1941, respectively, namely, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield and Stretford, respectively?

The figures for May, 1941, are not in my possession but I have asked the local education authorities in question to supply them, and I will forward them to my hon. and gallant Friend together with the other figures for which he asks.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can now make any further statement with regard to the non-application of clothing coupons to women's light summer coats and footwear?

As was stated in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Mr. Gledhill) on 17th June, the question of the release of stocks of clothing and footwear whose sale has been rendered specially difficult by the introduction of rationing is being considered in consultation with the trade. My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make an announcement very shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the intention that coupons should be collected for gifts of new clothing and footwear issued by voluntary and charitable organisations?

Yes, Sir, it would be unfair if persons receiving gifts were given an advantage in the matter of coupons over those who had to buy them in shops. Consequently, all organisations which have approached the Board of Trade have been asked to collect coupons for new clothes. An Order enabling my right hon. Friend to direct all such organisations to adopt this procedure is being made to-day.

asked the Minister of Supply why the steel for the framework of indoor steel shelters was ordered 4 feet by 1 foot 6 inches too long, with the result that there are 140,000 pieces of steel of that size, each weighing 32 pounds per piece, making nearly 2,000 tons of waste: and what action he is taking to prevent such waste in future?

Owing to other demands on the productive capacity for sheets at that time, the requirements of the Ministry of Home Security could not be met except by using sheets of American manufacture, which were in stock in this country. These sheets were 18 inches too long, but arrangements were made to utilise the extra materialfor other esssential purposes. For the second order it has been arranged to supply British sheets of the required size.

asked the Home Secretary whether, owing to vexatious restrictions which are causing much worry and annoyance, he will give instructions to passport officials to issue to all persons from Northern Ireland, engaged in. work of national importance in Britain, travel permits to enable them to visit their friends in Ulster once every six months in accordance with the regulations made some time ago?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the Question which he asked on 22nd May. I should not feel justified in authorising any further relaxation of the restrictions on travel between this country and Ireland at the present time.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will have all difficulties removed which have arisen regarding the spending of their entire summer holidays by teachers and students from Northern Ireland located in Britain at their homes in Ulster and make it clear to passport officials that they are entitled to this privilege?

Teachers and students over the age of 21 years who have not made a temporary journey to their homes in Northern Ireland within the last six months are eligible for the grant of both-way permits to enable them to travel to their homes for the summer holidays. Students under the age of 21 years are granted permits to enable them to spend all their holidays at their homes and are not restricted to one visit in any period of six months. Permits for temporary visits to Ireland are normally made valid for a period of one month but are granted for longer periods if the applicant satisfies the permit authorities that he is returning home for school vacations covering a longer period.

asked the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he will call the attention of the appropriate authorities to the fact that passengers on some Green Line omnibuses must often stand for over an hour on the journey in and out of London; and will he request them to issue a printed appeal in each vehicle to those who have secured seating accommodation to change places with passengers who are standing, at any rate, for short periods on the journey?

I am in communication with the London Passenger Transport Board and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware of the numbers of paid air-raid precautions workers, telephonists, etc., who stay, day in and day out, in report centres, etc., with nothing to do; and whether he will consider recognising that the Royal Air Force can rule the air by day, and take such extensive and expensive full-time precautions by night only?

The present freedom from air attack by day does not necessarily imply that there is no need for nucleus staffs to be maintained for civil defence services, which must be able to come into operation at very short notice; and during the hours of standing-by much useful training and work of a routine character can be done. This nucleus strength is reinforced as required by part-time volunteers, many of whom are, except in an emergency, available only outside their normal working hours. In this way the object in view is largely achieved. Such staffing will, of course, continue to be the subject of review from time to time.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the present cost of Manitoba wheat per ton, and the cost of purchasing the number of imported eggs which would occupy the same bulk area on board ship?

The present cost of Manitoba wheat is approximately £11 per ton cost insurance and freight. The total c.i.f. cost of that quantity of imported eggs which would occupy the same cargo space is £19 9s.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the number of successful prosecutions for excessive prices of food and say in how many instances the local food committees have exercised their power to withdraw licences from offending traders?

The number of successful prosecutions for selling food in excess of the maximum price from the beginning of the war up to 1he end of May, 1941, was 5,710. In one instance, in which a retailer's licence was cancelled, overcharges among other factors were taken into consideration. Nine other licences were withdrawn for reasons other than overcharging.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware of the anxiety felt by members of the London Wholesale Meat Supply Association because they continue to sell their goods at a certain stated price, which must not be raised, whilst the Ministry of Food can, and does, raise prices to the manufacturers without giving time for them to go into their costs; and whether he will inquire into the circumstances of the lack of notice to the wholesalers for the increase in the price of pork and sheep and lamb tongues operating from 29th April?

The London Wholesale Meat Supply Association is not the owner of any meat. It distributes and invoices the Ministry's meat to retailers and manufacturers at the respective prices prescribed by the Ministry. I am not aware of any dissatisfaction by the members of the London Wholesale Meat Supply Association at this procedure. In regard to the last part of my hon. Friend's Question the Association received notice in an instruction dated 25th April, of an increase in the price of pork, sheep and lamb tongues. There was some delay in applying the new prices to manufacturers and this is at present under inquiry.