asked the Minister of Labour whether the Government proposes to issue a statement for the information of all concerned as to whether firms engaged on munitions should cease work on Christmas Day; and what arrangements should be made by other firms to carry on during the Christmas period?

The Government has called on war industry to maintain production over the forthcoming holiday period with not more than one day's break, either Christmas Day or New Year's Day. It is not desired to interfere with the usual arrangements of other services and trades except to the extent that may be necessary to meet the requirements of those continuing at work.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make it clear to employers and workmen in the baking trade that, notwithstanding any curtailment of the Christmas holidays, all work performed on Boxing Day must be paid for, as laid down under the trade board regulations governing the baking trade, or as in agreement negotiated between the trade union and employers' associations.

It is proposed to provide by Order in Council that the cancellation of the Boxing Day Bank Holiday for various purposes shall not affect such of the provisions of any enactment or other instrument or of any agreement as relate to the payment of wages for work done on a Bank Holiday. I am sending to my hon. Friend a copy of a Government Announcement on this subject issued at the end of last week.

asked the Minister of Labour whether it will be possible to include in his industrial rehabilitation scheme workers who have suffered from any classes of industrial disease and extuberculosis patients.

The provisions of the interim scheme extend to persons who are prevented by industrial disease, or tuberculosis, from following their normal occupation and who are suitable for training and employment in the occupations covered by the scheme.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in order to give the thousands of disabled ex-service men of the war 1914–18 in Northern Ireland with no facilities now for training the same opportunity now granted to ex-service men in Great Britain, he will consider establishing a training centre in Northern Ireland for this and other war purposes, thereby making facilities available to both men and women now resident there and to meet the new demands for increased man-power?

It is not my present intention to establish a training centre such as my hon. and gallant Friend suggests, but the matter is being kept under review in consultation with the authorities in Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that in some small towns one or more branches are maintained by each of the joint-stock banks; and whether he is taking steps to concentrate these activities with a view to releasing men and women for work of national importance?

I am in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on this subject.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of country hostels which have been established, or are in process of organisation, for the accommodation of workers in munitions production; whether the National Services Hostels Corporation is actively in operation; and the names of its responsible officers representative of the Government, employers and trade unions?

About 150 hostels have been set up, or are in process of being set up, at Government expense for the accommodation of transferred war workers other than constructional and agricultural workers. The National Ser-vice Hostels Corporation Limited has been actively engaged in organising its staff and other preparatory steps; the first of the hostels which it is to manage will be ready for occupation next week. I am circulating a list of the members of the board of directors and also of the Hostels Advisory Committee which I have set up under the chairmanship of the additional Parliamentary Secretary, on which sit representatives of the Government, employers and trade unions.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can give any indication of the conditions and restrictions referred to in the proviso to Regulation 60AA of the Defence (General) Regulations, 1939; and whether the general effect thereof will be to limit the opening of canteens to the present law as to permitted hours on week-days and Sundays and to the special provisions under Section 3 of the Licensing Act, 1921?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to-day to the Question by the hon. Member for Morpeth (Mr. R. J. Taylor).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware of the great inconvenience being caused to a large number of war workers by the fact that whilst cheap workmen's tickets are issued on trains and trams, they are not issued on omnibuses; and whether he will take steps to see that cheap fares are extended to all forms of road transport within the London Transport Board area?

I am looking into this matter and will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the troops in Palestine are able to obtain tobacco; and, if not, what remedial action is being taken?

Troops in Palestine receive a field service ration which includes a weekly issue to each man of two ounces of tobacco or cigarettes. There are also ample supplies of tobacco and cigarettes for sale in the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes in Palestine.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now make a statement concerning the formation of an Irish Brigade?

This matter is under consideration but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether he is aware that honey jars and manufactured appliances for honey extraction are almost impossible to obtain and that wood-pulp may no longer be released for making honey cartons; and whether he will rescind the recent Order that sections may only be supplied for use in the production of heather honey;(2) whether he intends to eliminate the producer of clover honey; and, if not, how he would recommend bee-keepers who do not possess extractors, and who cannot obtain jars, to preserve and market their honey in view of the Order that honey sections may only be supplied in future for heather honey?

I am aware that there is a shortage of glass preserving jars and that substitutes cannot always be readily obtained but limited quantities of wood-pulp are still being released for the manufacture of honey cartons. I understand from my Noble Friend the Minister of Food that there is scope for greater cooperation with the traders in the use of returnable jars and the supply of honey in bulk. As regards honey extractors, materials are being released for the manufacture of these appliances, but where demand for new appliances cannot be met I suggest that the difficulty might be largely overcome by the co-operative use of extractors by members of bee-keeping associations. There has been no Order prohibiting the sale of honey sections to producers of clover honey, but I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to a decision of my Department to release timber for the manufacture of sections on the understanding that they would be supplied only to makers of heather honey. I am advised that the use of sections in the production of clover honey is extravagant, and I cannot see my way to rescind the decision referred to.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) the objects of the present farm survey; and whether they include an investigation into the system of land tenure?(2) whether he is aware that the farm survey form now in use makes no specific reference to the shortage of cottages on farms, and that no questions are being asked in regard to water supply of existing cottages and sanitation arrangements for farm-houses and cottages; and whether he will request war agriculture committees to report on these points;(3) what progress has been made with the completion and investigation of the present farm survey; and whether farmers on whom these reports are made are at liberty to see the opinions formed of their farms and their capacity as farmers?

The main objects of the farm survey were briefly stated in my speech during the Debate on the Address on 19th November. An investigation into the system of land tenure is not one of the chief objects, although questions bearing on that subject have been included in the survey. In view of the need to keep the work down to reasonable proportions, it was not possible to incorporate specific questions on a number of subjects, including those referred to by my hon. and gallant Friend, some of which have been covered in part by previous inquiries; but provision is made in the survey form for supplementary observations by field investigators on any shortages that may affect the productivity of farms. The survey is making satisfactory progress in most counties and the majority of the field work should be completed by next spring. The individual reports are made in confidence to county war agricultural executive committees, and their contents are not disclosed to the farmers concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now make a short statement defining the duties and explaining the functions of the Land Commissioners; and, further, whether it is intended to fill these appointments by obtaining the release of Army officers?

The duties and functions of the Ministry's Land Commissioners under war conditions may be summarised by stating that they are the local representatives of the Ministry in their districts for work in connection with the county war agricultural executive committee organisation and the home food production campaign. They are technical officers and maintain day to day contact with the executive committees and deal on behalf of the Ministry with all technical matters arising between the Ministry and the committees. They carry out all necessary inspections of land in cases of proposed acquisitions by other Departments with a view of enabling the Ministry to safeguard the interests of food production so far as possible. There are no vacancies at present and the last part of the hon. Member's Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the coming termination of the ploughing-up effort in the country, what steps are proposed to improve the crop-bearing quality of the land which has been ploughed up; and, especially, what steps are proposed to eradicate weeds more effectively than is at present the case?

It is the task of county war agricultural executive committees, by the giving of technical advice, by the provision if necessary of financial assistance, by facilitating the supply of fertilisers and other requirements, by the promotion of schemes of land drainage, and, if need be, by the exercise of their power to give directions to occupiers of land under Defence Regulation 62, to bring about the utmost possible improvement in the standard of fanning in their respective counties. The eradication of weeds is one of the matters which can be dealt with, if necessary, by the giving of directions. I should perhaps add that the increased ploughing up tables assigned to the various counties for the 1942 harvest have not been withdrawn as the hon. and gallant Member's Question might be taken to suggest.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many canteens for women, serving under the control of the Admiralty, are there in which intoxicants are supplied; and whether any regulations concerning such supply, made by the Home Secretary or the Scottish Secretary, apply to these canteens?

No canteens provided specially for use by women serving under the control of the Admiralty, whether members of the W.R.N.S. or otherwise, supply intoxicants, but women in Admiralty establishment may use the canteens provided for employees in general. As far as the W.R.N.S. is concerned, however, it is not the practice for personnel to use men's canteens and they are expected not to do so. The second part of the Question does not, therefore, apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in connection with the four years' short-service commission of officers in the Royal Air Force who extend their period for a further two years, making the period six years in all, he is aware of the hardship caused to the widows in such cases where these officers lose their lives on active service; and, since they would have been entitled to £300 as a gratuity after four years' service, will he take steps to ensure that their widows should receive this amount or more?

The gratuity referred to by my hon. Friend is apart from the entitlement under the regulations to pension and allowances of widows and dependants of deceased officers, and is intended primarily to assist the resettlement of officers in civil life. Entitlement to this gratuity, therefore, ceases on death, and an extension of service to six years does not alter this condition. Similar conditions apply in the Army and Navy.

asked the Home Secretary on what date are the present Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Wales due to retire; is it proposed that the term of office shall be extended; what are the total expenses incurred by the Commissioners in the task of carrying the Act into effect; and what are the principal items making up that amount?

The dissolution of the Commission was suspended by Order in Council in 1935 for seven years to the end of 1942, at which time the question will be reviewed. The total expenses and the principal items making up that amount are set out on page 5 of the published accounts of the Commissioners for 1939. It is expected that the accounts for the year 1940 will be presented by the Comptroller and Auditor-General at an early date.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that no attempt has been made by the Commissioners of the Church Temporalities in Wales to make any payments to the county councils who are beneficiaries under the Act; can he state the cause of the delay and why no interim payments have been made?

In annual reports which are laid before Parliament and sent to the beneficiaries concerned and also at a special meeting called in January, 1940, at which representatives of the Welsh county and county borough councils and of the Welsh University were present, the difficulties which have delayed payments have been fully explained. I understand that the Commissioners are now prepared to transfer land and buildings and the net income from them which has accrued since 29th September, 1939, without waiting for the completion of the valuation, to any of the councils prepared to accept them. With regard to the invested funds, when the Commissioners' accounts for the year 1941 have been completed and the valuations of the lands and buildings have made further progress, figures will be drawn up with a view to obtaining an approximate estimate of the value of the invested funds, lands and buildings due to each beneficiary, and it is hoped that the Commissioners will then be able to make an interim distribution of invested funds.

asked the Home Secretary in how many cases have sentences of imprisonment been passed upon men for refusing to undergo medical examination when called upon to register for National Service?

In reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Shettleston (Mr. McGovern) on 16th October I gave full particulars about the sentences of imprisonment passed for this offence up to that date. To extract from the records from time to time figures for particular periods imposes much labour on a depleted clerical staff and I hope the figures already published will serve the purpose of my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the evidence of the disturbing effect of exceptionally high wages on the character and conduct of adolescents, he is considering taking any action in the matter?

Representations have been made to me by some juvenile court justices and probation officers that cases have occurred in which boys in receipt of abnormally high wages have been brought up on charges of theft. There are, of course, many other factors affecting the incidence of juvenile delinquency and it would be unwise to draw too general an inference from the cases which have attracted public attention; but, no doubt, if boys in their teens before their characters are formed are suddenly put in a position of relative affluence, this is likely to have a bad effect on some of them. As was stated last Tuesday by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, an agreement has recently been concluded in the building industry, which has been mentioned in this connection, which will have the effect of bringing the wages of youths under 18 within stricter limits. I am considering the whole problem in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, having regard to the unsatisfactory conditions of a large number of elementary schools in Wales and to the fact that 89 black-listed schools remain from the last survey made by the Board of Education in 1925, he will take immediate action to order an up-to-date survey to be made so that local authorities may take the necessary steps to make provision for post-war reconstruction in each county in Wales; whether he will consider the advisability of suggesting a different type of building for rural areas and industrial areas and give a lead to expedite any necessary action?

Local education authorities are aware, through His Majesty's Inspectors' reports, of defects in schools other than those on the existing black list. Under present conditions it will not prove possible to find the staff necessary for the survey proposed. The hon. Member may, however, rest assured that the need to plan schools to meet the requirements of the areas which they are to serve is well in the minds both of local authorities and of my Department.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is now satisfied that, so far as possible, provision is being made for religious instruction of evacuated children in Wales and the West Midlands; and whether his Department has received the co-operation of the local education committees in the provision of the necessary facilities?

I think that local education authorities in Wales and the West Midlands are co-operating as fully as possible in this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the resentment among personnel of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service that they should be asked to give up 18 coupons for a uniform which is being supplied, especially in view of the fact that, had the uniforms been provided when promised, they would have been issued before coupons were introduced; and will he give this matter his consideration with a view to allowing these uniforms to be issued coupon free?

I understand that full-time personnel of the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service will receive a greatcoat, serge uniform and footwear. Failure to collect coupons from the wearers would result in their being substantially better off in the matter of clothing than the rest of the community. Such a result could not be justified in equity or on supply grounds. The system and rate of collecting coupons applied to the L.A.A.S. is identical with that for other wearers of essential uniform.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give an assurance that if concentration of retail trade becomes necessary, he will consider suspending preferentially the activities of large firms on the ground that they can be most easily compensated and revived after the war?

No, Sir. My right hon. Friend does not wish in any way to anticipate the conclusions of the Retail Trade Committee, but it is essential that any further measures which may be taken to deal with the present problems of the retail trade should aim at securing an equitable balance between the different trading interests concerned. As has already been stated, there can be no question of compensation from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been drawn to the dangerously high still-birth and neo-natal death rate in Scotland; and whether, in view of the fact that this high mortality and falling birth rate indicates need of an all-round improvement in medical nursing and the general economic conditions of expectant mothers and growing children, including a widespread extension of communal dinners, he can indicate the prospect of legislation to deal with the problem?

Still-births are not increasing, but a slight rise in neo-natal deaths has occurred in 1941. It is too early to say whether the rise is temporary or not, but everything possible is being done by the Ministry of Food and the health authorities, central and local, to ensure that the nutritional needs of expectant mothers are met. Free and cheap milk schemes are in full operation, and communal feeding arrangements are being vigorously pursued.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what is the estimated percentage of the total supply of liquid milk which will be absorbed by increased allowances under medical certificates?

I regret that it is not possible to give a figure pending the receipt of information on this matter which local food offices have been asked to supply.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is a definite instruction to Assistance Boards when assessing income for the purposes of supplementary pensions, that they shall disregard the first 7s. 6d. of any allotment from a son serving with the forces of the Crown or in the Merchant Navy, also of any pension that may be payable in respect of a son lost in the four years' war, or whether this is a matter left to the discretion of the local Assistance Board?

None of the payments to which my hon. Friend refers falls within the classes of income which are required by statute to be disregarded. The Assistance Board in the exercise of their discretion have however decided that in general the first 7s. 6d. a week of an allotment shall be disregarded in assessing the normal rate of supplementary pension. The appropriate treatment of cases where there are more than two allotments or the pensioner has, in addition to his main pension, other income not subject to a statutory disregard is decided in the light of the facts of the individual case, but in all such cases a minimum of 15s., or, in a household case, 20s. a week is disregarded. As regards pensions payable in respect of sons lost in the four years' war the question whether they are to be disregarded or not depends on the circumstances of the case and in particular whether the pension was awarded on a needs basis. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions informed my hon. Friend the Member for Wallsend (Miss Ward) on 20th November the nature of the arrangements to be made in connection with grants based on need is under discussion between his Department and the Board.

asked the Minister of Health what increase is given to a pensioner in receipt of a supplementary pension in respect of the increase in the cost of living; and whether this increase and the fuel allowance is granted to all pensioners in receipt of a supplementary pension; or whether the cost-of-living allowance and the fuel allowance is only issued at the discretion of the local Assistance Boards.

The Supplementary Pensions Regulations provide for the addition to the basic rates set out therein of 1s. 6d. a week for each person of the age of 16 years or over and of 9d. a week for each person under that age whose needs are included with those of the applicant. These additions, which are related to the general level of prices, are included automatically in every assessment. As regards fuel allowances I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers to his other questions on the Paper on that topic.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether, seeing that the price of coal is from 3s. to 4s. a hundredweight, he will arrange that the winter fuel allowance granted to persons in receipt of supplementary pensions shall vary according to the price of coal in the area in which the pensioner resides, and that in all cases the allowance should not be less than the sum necessary to purchase one hundredweight of coal weekly during the 22 weeks, from November to March inclusive;(2) whether he can give particulars of the instruction to local Assistance Boards authorising them to withhold a fuel allowance if part of the income of a couple has been disregarded under the general regulations; whether he will cause instructions to be issued that any sum disregarded, whether war disability pension, friendly societies' sick pay, National Health Insurance benefit, workmen's compensation, sickness payments under the Old Age and Widows' Pension Act, 1940, parent's pension for son lost in the four years war, or allotment from a son serving in the Forces or Merchant Navy, shall not again be taken into consideration when a case is before the Assistance Board for additional grant?

The Supplementary Pensions Regulations confer on the Assistance Board a discretionary power to increase a supplementary pension, by such amount as is reasonable in all the circumstances of the case, where special needs due to winter conditions exist. The ordinary rates of supplementary pension include provision for a certain amount of fuel and the additions made during the winter months are intended to provide extra fuel in those cases where the pensioner has to provide it and where, if no such addition were made, the pensioner would suffer hardship. The Board do not think that hardship can be said to exist in any case where the pensioner has substantial resources in addition to his main and supplementary pensions and the instruction to the officers is on this basis. A winter addition is however made where such additional resources are less than 5s. a week or are regarded as meeting special needs and in any case where other special circumstances justify it. As regards the amount of the addition the Board do not feel that it would be practicable to relate this so closely as my hon. Friend suggests to the precise cost of fuel in a particular locality, but where the cost is exceptionally high the addition may be increased. The Board's view is that in general the quantity of fuel which can be provided out of the special allowance together with that which is provided for in the ordinary allowance is sufficient in all normal cases. Exceptional cases are of course dealt with on their merits.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider increasing the supplementary pensions in cases where it is desired to forward parcels to sons or grandsons serving in the Armed Forces?

The Assistance Board inform me that they do not think they would be justified in increasing a supplementary pension for the purpose indicated by my hon. Friend. He will of course appreciate that where a son or grandson is making an allotment the first 7s. 6d. a week of that allotment is ignored in assessing the supplementary pension and can therefore be used for the purpose mentioned if the pensioner so desires.

asked the Minister of Health whether an increase can be made in the payments of supplementary pensions to persons living as one of a house- hold, from 3s. 6d. for a male and 2s. 6d. for a female, to a 5s. maximum rate, plus rent, cost of living and fuel allowances?

The rates to which my hon. Friend refers were approved by Parliament as recently as May last and the Assistance Board inform me that they see no reason to propose any alterations in them. In the view of the Board the difference between these rates and the rate for a pensioner living alone no more than reflects the difference in the expenses incurred by a person who has to bear the full burden of providing fuel, light and other overheads for himself and those incurred by one who has the advantage of the economies derived from sharing such expenses with others.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of applications made, up to date, for supplementary pensions; the number granted; the average amount; and can he make a general statement regarding the administration of the supplementary pensions?

I regret that information in the form asked for by my hon. Friend is not available and could not be obtained without the expenditure of considerable amount of staff time. During October fresh or repeat applications were received at the rate of about 7,000 cases a week, on which on the average about 6,000 supplementary pensions were granted, the remainder being rejected or withdrawn. The average weekly payment in supplementary pension cases at that time was about 9s. 6d. As regards the latter part of the Question, as my hon. Friend is aware, the Assistance Board has undertaken to make a report after the end of the year on the working of the Determination of Needs Act.

asked the Minister of Health whether, considering the difficulty young persons on 20s. a week wages have of maintaining themselves, even if living as one of a household, arrangements can be made that persons earning 20s. a week shall not be imputed as contributing 2S. 6d. a week to parents applying for a supplementary pension, but that no Government imputation of contribution should be made unless the earnings of a son or daughter exceeds 30s. a week in all cases where an application is being made for a supplementary old age or widow's pension and there are children above school age living at home?

No contribution is assumed to be made by a member of a household earning 20s. a week or less. As regards the contribution of 2s. 6d. a week which is assumed to be made by persons earning more than 20s. and not more than 30s. a week (which was approved by Parliament as recently as May last) the Assistance Board point out that it represents no more than a reasonable contribution towards the cost of the accommodation and other overhead expenses which the wage earner shares with the pensioner and for which provision is made in the supplementary pension.

asked the Minister of Health the number of applications made for supplementary pensions in the Stoke-on-Trent area; the number granted and the average amount; the number of appeals against the determination and the number of successful appeals?

The information available is as follows: In the Assistance Board's administrative area of Stoke-on-Trent at the end of October, 1941, supplementary pensions were being paid to or in respect of approximately 3,500 old-age pensioners, including widow pensioners who have attained the age of 60. During October, fresh or repeat applications were received at the rate of about 20 a week, on which on the average about 18 supplementary pensions were granted, the remainder being rejected or withdrawn. During October, four appeals against the determinations made by the Board's officers were lodged and four were brought forward from September. The determination was confirmed in two cases, a substituted determination was made in two cases, one case was withdrawn, and the remainder were awaiting hearing at the end of the month. Information regarding the weekly amounts payable at particular offices is not available.

asked the Minister of Health the number of applications for each administrative area, respectively, made for supplementary pensions; the number granted and the average amount granted; the number of appeals made against determinations and the number of successful appeals?

I regret that the information necessary to enable the Assistance Board to compile a statement on the lines indicated is not available and could only be obtained by the expenditure of a large amount of staff time which could not in the present circumstances be justified.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will make arrangements to enable Members serving with the Armed Forces to use travel warrants, issued by the Fees Office, for journeys between their military stations in the United Kingdom and their constituencies, seeing that these travel warrants are already available for journeys between Members' military stations and London?

The travel warrants issued by the Fees Office in respect of journeys between military stations and London are intended to be used for the purpose of enabling a Member to travel to London to attend Parliament. I am ready to arrange for warrants to be made available by the Fees Office for Members serving with the Armed Forces in respect of journeys between their military stations and their constituencies for which they obtain leave in order to attend to their Parliamentary duties. It would facilitate work in the Fees Office if Members would in such circumstances mark the warrant with the word "mobilised."

asked the Attorney-General the number of justices who have resigned from the magistrates bench as a result of his recent communication; and whether it is proposed to take further action?

I am not clear to what recent communication my hon. Friend refers. On 1st January, 1938, my Noble Friend Lord Hailsham, then Lord Chancellor, by a circular letter invited those justices who had become ineffective either by reason of absence, old age or infirmity to resign their office or to place their names upon a supplemental list. This circular was reinforced by a further circular issued by my Noble Friend the Lord Chancellor on 22nd November of last year. Since the issue of Lord Hail-sham's circular, the names of 1,488 magistrates have been removed from the Commission, of whom almost all have been so removed at their own request, and presumably in consequence of the circular. In addition the names of many magistrates have been placed on the supplemental lists, but as these lists are kept locally by the official who has charge of the Commission, the number is unknown to my Noble Friend. The scrutiny of the lists of existing magistrates proceeds constantly with a view to seeing whether they contain the names of those who should be invited to resign or to place themselves upon the supplemental lists.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why it is essential for victims of enemy action who have already sent in accepted statements of claims certified by builders who have carried out the work, again to submit additional forms embodying the same information?

So far as I am aware, this situation does not arise. The War Damage Commission requires a notification of damage with which no detailed accounts are furnished, followed by a claim on the appropriate form which, in the case of a cost of works payment, is certified by a builder or architect. Possibly my hon. Friend refers to the claims made on Form V.O.W. 1 to the Inland Revenue Department before the War Damage Act was in operation. These have been accepted by the Commission as notifications of damage but do not contain all the particulars required to establish a claim under the War Damage Act. Every effort is made by the Commission to avoid referring claims back to claimants unnecessarily.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are taken to deal with taxable workers often receiving a high rate of pay who can, and do, avoid payment of Income Tax by not remaining in any one place for a complete year?

I may remind my hon. Friend that Section 22 of the Finance Act, 1941, requires employers to make returns of remuneration paid to employees who have been in their service for less than the full year if the employee's rate of pay exceeds £110 a year, the point at which liability to Income Tax begins. Furthermore, under Regulation 10A of the deduction of Income Tax (Schedule E) Regulations the Inland Revenue authorities have power to require any employer to furnish particulars of all manual wage-earners who enter or leave his employment, the particulars to be furnished within 10 days of the date on which the employment commences or ceases, as the case may be.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the new Civil Defence uniform for personnel in the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service, promised nearly a year ago, has not yet been issued, and, as the cold winter weather is now on its way, will he see that these are now provided without delay?

The decision to provide greatcoats and serve uniforms for Civil Defence Services generally, including the ambulance service, was only taken immediately before I announced it in the House on 22nd May last. As regards the particular supply to the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 20th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich (Mr. H. Strauss). Since that date the supplies referred to have been continued satisfactorily.