asked the Secretary of State for Air whether any officer or airman has applied for anti-catarrh vaccine on an aerodrome, of which he has been informed, since 1st June, 1941; whether the medical officer applied for this vaccine; and whether the vaccine was available?

The answer to the first part of the Question is that one officer at the station in question applied for anti-catarrh vaccine. As regards the second part, the medical officer asked for a supply of the vaccine but, owing to a misunderstanding, was informed that no more issues would be made. The answer to the last part is that no stocks were held at the time but supplies could have been made available.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the percentage of all married flying instructors over the age of 35 years at each of the three stations, of which he has been informed, who were below the rank of flight-lieutenant on 1st October, 1941; and whether, in view of the numbers, he will reconsider the advisability of granting all married officers over the age of 35 years, who are on flying duties at elementary flying training schools, squadron-leaders' allowances, or alternatively promote them to flight-lieutenant forthwith?

The answer to the first part of the Question is 100 per cent., 22 per cent. and 50 per cent., respectively. As regards the second part, no special concession either in respect of allowances or promotion can be granted to officers in the category referred to.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will extend the scheme of the King's National Roll so as to include the disabled ex-Service men of the present war?

Any proposal to amend the King's Roll Scheme raises questions such as the inclusion of women from the three fighting Services and the extension of the scheme to men and women from the Merchant Navy and the various Civil Defence Services, both whole-time and part-time, and also the position of civilian air raid victims. At the present stage of the war it is not possible to reach a decision as to the future scope of the scheme. My right hon. Friend has therefore come to the conclusion that the King's Roll Scheme should continue on its present lines and in this he is supported by the views expressed by the National Council at its meeting on 27th May. I may add, however, that local King's Roll Committees have been given discretion to reduce the percentage required for enrolment in cases where employers are willing to engage ex-Service men disabled in the present war.

asked the Minister of Information whether special intensified effort is being made by his Ministry for recognition of war-time economy and saving; and whether any particular educational programme is in preparation for warship weeks' savings campaign?

I have been asked to reply. I am not quite clear what the hon. Member has in mind in the first part of his Question, but if he is referring specifically to propaganda for monetary savings, the responsibilily lies with the National Savings Committee and its fellow committees in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their efforts to increase the rate of savings by all possible means of publicity will be intensified during the Warship Weeks Campaign.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the increasing deposits in the hands of the joint stock banks; and whether, with a view to securing the maximum investment in the various war savings issues, he will direct the banks to make a charge for the custody of such funds?

My right hon. Friend is aware of the increase in bank deposits. It is most desirable that all who have money on deposit should, when they can, invest it in war savings issues. But money held on deposit may be needed to meet short-term commitments and not be available for investment, and for this and other reasons my right hon. Friend does not think that it would be desirable the introduce the procedure suggested in the Question. So far as there is for any reason an increase in bank deposits at any time, the Treasury deposit: receipt arrangement allows the Treasury to adjust its borrowings to the weekly variations in Government revenue and expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider introducing war-time legislation enforcing payment through a bank only for the purchase of any single commodity exceeding the value of £50?

No, Sir. It would be impossible to make such legislation effective.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Income Tax payers for the last recorded period are enjoying increases of £1,000 a year or more on their pre-war incomes?

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the protest of the National Association of Women Civil Servants against the discrimination made on the basis of sex in the recent new bonus granted; that the members of this association were not a party to the arbitration proceedings which resulted in this award; and whether it is possible to reopen the question to meet the claim of these women to equality of payment in this particular case?

The reply to the first two parts of the Question is in the affirmative. General questions affecting the Civil Service are dealt with, by negotiation, and if necessary by reference to arbitration, through the Civil Service National Whitley Council, in accordance with the normal Whitley machinery. The National Association of Women Civil Servants is not now affiliated to the Staff side of the National Council, and accordingly have not been associated with either the negotiations or the arbitration proceedings on the Civil Service War Bonus. The claim recently presented to the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal by the Staff side of the National Council included a claim for equal rates of bonus for women and men, but on this point the tribunal derided against the claim. The Government are implementing the Award of the tribunal and I see no justification for reopening the matter.

asked the Minister of Information whether his attention has been called to the work done at Leith in collecting hundreds of old wireless sets. repairing them and distributing them to Army and other units serving in lonely spots; and whether he will cause an appeal to be made, that this example might be emulated by others qualified to help in this way?

My right hon. Friend is grateful to the hon. Member for bringing this activity to his notice: but will await representations from the military authorities before considering any public appeal on the subject.

asked the Minister of Information how far recent reports indicate satisfaction in Wales with the British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts in Welsh?

Reports indicate a considerable measure of satisfaction with the B.B.C.'s broadcasts in Welsh, though it is understood that Welsh listeners would like more time to be allotted for this purpose. I am informed by the B.B.C. that while they appreciate and sympathise with this desire it is not possible, on account of the pressure on broadcasting time, to increase the time now devoted to programmes in Welsh.

asked the Minister of Health whether rating authorities have discretion to apply the principles laid down in Circular 2215, of 22nd November, 1940, to properties which are the subject of a compounding agreement entered into voluntarily under Section 11 (2) of the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, and, if not, is he prepared to take such action as will confer discretionary powers upon rating authorities in this respect; and is he aware that there is not uniformity of practice amongst rating authorities in this matter?

The suggestions in Circular 2215 are applicable to an owner who has undertaken to pay the rates chargeable so long as the property is occupied. In cases in which the owner has undertaken to pay the rates whether the property is occupied or not, it is open to the owner to give notice to terminate the agreement and, though my right hon. Friend realises that there may be some divergence in practice between rating authorities, he does not consider that legislation to deal with this aspect of the matter is necessary.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that certain easily-handled commodities such as coffee, cocoa, custard powder, etc., in handy packages are now being sold by the chain stores who did not sell such commodities before the war; that the division into the prescribed ration of commodities difficult to handle such as butter, lard, bacon, etc., is being performed by the customary supplier; and whether he will direct that permission to trade in non-rationed commodities is withdrawn from the chain store so as to enable the established trader in groceries to spread his overhead charges over the widest possible range of allied commodities so keeping them to the lowest possible limits?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for West Edinburgh (Lieut.-Colonel Hutchison) on 30th July to which I have only to add that instructions will shortly be issued adding custard powder, and certain other foodstuffs, to the list of commodities which can only be retailed under licence from the local food control committees. Coffee and cocoa have been in the list since 9th October, 1939.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether it is the intention of his Department to reinforce flour sold for home baking with calcium as some slight compensation for the big increase in the price of Hour to home bakers announced recently?

In regard to the addition of calcium it is not proposed to differentiate between flour used for home baking and that supplied for other purposes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food why the maximum price of white pepper fixed by the Pepper (Maximum Prices) Order, No. 1298, sold in an authorised container, is the same for such containers whether they hold one, two, three or any quantity up to four ounces of white pepper, the maximum retail price of which is to be 2d. per ounce?

The provision of the Order to which my hon. Friend refers was decided upon with the object of avoiding a complicated scale of prices which would be confusing to retailers and to the public and difficult to enforce.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is satisfied that the fruit crop this year will be sufficient to maintain the jam ration at its present level; and whether, in the case of such shortage as has occurred in the plum crop, vegetables, such as marrows, are being used to make up the supply?

The maintenance of the jam ration at its present level depends upon supplies of fruit not only from the home crops but also from many overseas sources. The usefulness of marrows as a substitute for fruit is necessarily limited by the fact that a satisfactory jam can only be made from them if other ingredients are used, for which the industry is partly dependent upon imports.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what measures the Government propose to mitigate the hardship caused to bakers in rural areas who are unable to bake and distribute tread at a profit at the now standard price of 8d. per four-lb. loaf?

My Noble Friend has already announced that licences may be granted enabling bakers distributing bread in remote areas to charge a price of 8½d. a quartern, 4¼d. a 2 lb. loaf, and 2½d. a 1 lb. loaf. Substantial agreement has also been reached with the trade in respect of the financial arrangements which shall be made consequent upon the new Bread Order and a statement will be made shortly.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the extent to which the Government wholemeal bread is now being made use of by the public; and what steps are being taken to make it available and give it publicity?

It is estimated that national wheatmeal bread is now used to the extent of seven per cent. of all bread. Certain provisions of the Bread (Control and Maximum Prices) Order, 1941, may make national wheatmeal bread more generally available, and steps continue to be taken to secure the co-operation of the services, the public and the trade. National wheatmeal bread is brought to the attention of the public through the Press, broadcasts, posters, local intensive propaganda and other means and further publicity will be given to it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the provision of meals for children in schools remains part of the policy of His Majesty's Government; and what steps are being taken by his Department to implement it?

Yes, Sir. My Department is in close touch with the Board of Education. To overcome certain difficulties and delays which local education authorities have experienced in obtaining equipment, arrangements have been made for them to draw on supplies of equipment at the disposal of my Department. Arrangements are also being made whereby emergency cooking depots now being set up by my Department will be put into daily use for the supply of meals to schools. Measures for improving the supply of food to the existing school canteens and feeding centres are also tinder active consideration.

asked the Minister of Health how many medical officers of health are members of the six committees which are advising him on medical matters; how many meetings have been held of each committee during the year ending on the 30th September, 1941; and on how many occasions has each medical officer of health been present?

Of the six committees, particulars of which were given in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for London University (Sir E. Graham-Little) on 2nd October, the Central Medical War Committee includes one Medical Officer of Health who has attended each of the two meetings held in the year ended 30th September, and the Advisory Emergency Hospital Medical Service Committee also includes one Medical Officer of Health, who has attended two out of the four meetings held in the year. No such officers are members of the other four Committees.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, on 30th September, 1941, a sum of £3,300 was owing to the Uckfield Rural District Council for the evacuation scheme; that £2,900 has now been paid, of which £1,500 has been outstanding since 31st March, 1941; and whether the remaining sum will now be paid, and a system of imprest arranged, so as to relieve the local ratepayers from the burden of paying for bank overdrafts incurred by the authority in question?

In the particular case cited by my hon. and gallant Friend a sum due to be paid on account was by an oversight delayed in payment. The system in operation provides for the payment of substantial sums in advance based on estimates, final payments being made after audit. While this system must in essence remain, I have always in mind the desirability of making the interim advances in such a way as to assist the financial arrangements of local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, how many British subjects living in the United States of America are at present registered with the British Consulate?

The 1941 returns from His Majesty's Consular Officers in the United States are not yet complete, but from the figures available it seems likely that the number of British subjects registered at His Majesty's Consulates in the United States of America is approximately 4,000.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies what trades are covered by wage ordinances in British Guiana and Jamaica, respectively?

So far as my Noble Friend is aware, no minimum wage rates have been prescribed in respect of any trade or occupation under the powers conferred by the Jamaica Minimum Wage Law, 1938. No minimum wage-fixing legislation has as yet been enacted in British Guiana, but it is understood that the new Labour Code, which is in course of preparation, will contain such provision.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether the Report on Native Policies in the Rhodesias by Lord Hailey has been received; whether any action will be taken on it; and whether it will be published?

Lord Hailey's Report has been received and it is being printed with a view to copies being sent to the Governments of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. The question of publication of the report will be discussed with the three Governments concerned as soon as they have received copies.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies what persons have been detained without trial, under any special or emergency powers enjoyed by local governors or governments in the Colonial dependencies since 1st August, 1939; who are detained as aliens; whether in all cases regulations conform with those most recently approved by the British Parliament; whether all persons have been given the right of appeal; and if all have been informed of the detailed reasons for their detention?

As regards the first two parts of the Question, the collection of the information asked for in respect of about 40 Colonial administrations would involve considerable research and require communication with the Governors of each administration, and in present circumstances my Noble Friend would not feel justified in incurring the expenditure of time and labour involved in such inquiries. But if my hon. Friend will specify any particular territory or territories for which he desires this information, my Noble Friend will consider whether the information can be supplied. As regards the remainder of the Question, my Noble Friend is anxious that the regulations in respect of detention should in general be on the same lines as those in operation in the United Kingdom. In certain Colonies, however, special powers are necessary, for example in fortress Colonies such as Gibraltar. In all cases in which persons are detained under Colonial Defence Regulations equivalent to United Kingdom Regulation 18B, they may make an objection to an Advisory Committee constituted in accordance with the regulation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that Part II of the War Risks Insurance Act does not cover losses arising from the looting of retailers' stocks of goods, even though in one case at Bristol goods were moved from a building into the street on the orders of the Civil Defence authorities; and whether he will introduce legislation to deal with the matter?

Loss by looting is not Covered under Part II of the War Risks Insurance Act, 1939. With regard to the second part of the Question, I am afraid that it would not be possible to contemplate legislation to cover this class of risk. For the reasons which necessitate the limitation of the Government Insurance schemes to direct forms of war damage. I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on 5th September, 1940.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total value of British and Dominion exports to Japan for the eight months January to August, 1940,and also 1941; and what proportion of these exports came within the category of material mainly required for war purposes?

I regret I cannot give this information. As has been previously stated, the publication of statistics relating to the trade of the United Kingdom with individual countries has been suspended since the outbreak of war.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is satisfied that the actual profits allowed in the First Schedule in Statutory Rules and Orders, 1941,No. 1386, do not conflict with the regulations made under the Control of Prices Act, 1941?

No regulations have been made under the Goods and Services (Price Control) Act, 1941, but if the hon. Member will let me have the particulars he has in mind I shall be glad to go into the matter with him.

asked the Lord President of the Council if, in view of the general charges made at the recent conference of the British Association for the Advancement of Science that the fullest use is not being made of scientific methods in our war production, he will take suitable action with a view to remedying this failure?

While I cannot admit the inference which may well be drawn from my hon. Friend's Question, that the generally held view at the recent conference of the British Association was that scientific methods are not as fully employed as possible by His Majesty's Government in organising production for war, I can assure him that co-operation between Government Departments engaged on all forms of war production was never closer than at present, and is constantly increasing. Further, in order to ensure the fullest possible employment of scientific methods and discoveries in every field of the war effort, the Government, in addition to the pre-war Scientific Departments connected with industrial, medical and agricultural research, and the scientific directorates already established in each of the Service Departments, have since the war set up two independent committees—the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Engineering Advisory Committee, under the chairmanship of my right hon. and Noble Friend the Paymaster-General, by whom the whole position of the employment of science in the war effort is kept under constant review.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War-Transport whether, in view of the responsibility of pedestrians in his efforts to reduce road accidents, he will issue effective publicity for the need, implied in the Highway Code, for pedestrians to "Keep to the Left" on the pathway, "Keep to the Right'' on the road?

It is important in the interests of their own safety that pedestrians should observe the rules in the Highway Code to which my hon. Friend refers. I am, however, sorry that I cannot undertake to make this a main issue in the publicity designed to reduce accidents.