asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the numbers of communal feeding centres open in the cities of London, and Westminster, and the County of London?

The numbers of communal feeding centres (i.e. Londoners' meals service centres and centres set up by voluntary organisations) are as follow:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the persons responsible for the selection and the purchase of food for the communal feeding centres, known as British Restaurants, are restricted or limited in regard to the quantity or quality of the food so supplied?

As regards quantity, British Restaurants, like hotels, restaurants, works canteens and all other catering establishments are granted allowances of rationed food on the basis of the number of meals they serve. As regards quality, British Restaurants must have regard, when buying supplies, to the charges which they make for the meals they provide, as these establishments are conducted on a self-supporting basis.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will consult with the licensed trade to obtain full details of staffs and premises which could be used as communal centres in time of emergency; and whether he will further consider the conversion of many of these premises into official feeding centres?

Local authorities are already empowered under Statutory Rule and Order 1941, No. 298, to require persons carrying on the business of catering establishments to provide meals, as directed under the Order, to the general public in an emergency. Local authorities have particulars of all catering establishments in their respective areas, including those on licensed premises. With regard to day-to-day feeding facilities, the policy of my Noble Friend is that British Restaurants should not be established where existing catering facilities arc adequate in both capacity and price. It would not be in accordance with that policy to convert into British Restaurants establishments already meeting a demand from the public for meals.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he is aware that in August, 1940, the Medical Research Council reported that flour for bread should contain the wheat-germ and that chemical bleaching of flour should be prohibited, but that up to the present 95 per cent, of the flour issued has been deprived of all of its wheat-germ and been chemically bleached; and whether he will, in conjunction with the Ministry of Food, ensure that effect is given to the recommendations of the Medical Research Council?

I am aware of the recommendations which the Medical Research Council have made on this sub ject. As regards the prohibition of chemical bleaching and "improving," the recommendation has been qualified by the statement that further investigation is necessary. In answer to the second part of the Question, I may explain that the function of the Council is to give scientific advice on the basis of existing knowledge and to promote research where that knowledge is inadequate. The action to be taken is primarily a responsibility of the Ministry of Food.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will take steps to ensure that shopkeepers who now open their shops for an hour or so each day are made to open for a more reasonable length of time each day so as to reduce queues in number, prevent undue congestion on footwalks and facilitate shopping by the general public, a large percentage of whom are engaged on war work during the greater portion, or all, of the shopping hours?

The information before the Home Office does not support the suggestion that shopkeepers are causing unnecessary inconvenience to the public by compressing their trades into unreasonably short periods; but the Home Secretary is in constant touch with the Minister of Labour on the making of suitable local arrangements to meet shopping difficulties experienced in any district by industrial workers, and if my hon. Friend will send me particulars of the cases which he has in mind, inquiry shall be made.

asked the Chanceller of the Exchequer whether he can now make any statement with regard to the grant he proposes to allocate in the coming financial year to the universities; and whether He will give consideration to their special need occasioned by the destruction and damage to many of their schools and central buildings?

Yes, Sir. A year ago I informed the House that in view of the vital part played by the universities in the life of the community, the importance of maintaining so far as possible standards of university education, and the essential contribution of the universities towards the national effort, the provision for 1941 would be maintained at the same level as that for 1939 and 1940, namely, £2,149,000. The impact of the war on university finance has so far been less severe than was expected. On the other hand, while the repair of physical damage resulting from enemy action can be dealt with under the existing War Damage legislation, the repair of war damage is by no means the only problem, involving large demands on university funds, which will arise on the conclusion of hostilities. With these considerations in mind the Government, after considering a report from the University Grants Committee which reviewed the whole situation, have decided to maintain the provision for 1942 at its existing level.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that many retired Army officers are suffering considerable hardship by reason of their pensions remaining static while the cost of living has increased, he will consider giving them some relief of Income Tax on their pensions; and what would be the estimated annual loss to the revenue in respect of each 1s. of relief granted?

My hon. and gallant Friend is, I have no doubt, aware that wounds and disability pensions are not liable to tax. I am afraid I cannot see my way to propose relief from tax in favour of other pensions. I regret that the figures are not available which would enable me to say what would be the cost of the suggested reliefs.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the growing anxiety of many owners of houses in evacuated areas in the East and South-east of England, whose mortgage payments and interest thereon are accruing under the Possession of Mortgaged Land (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1939; and whether, as many of these persons have had to take up war work in other parts of the country or join the Services, he will review the operations of the Act so as to ensure that at the conclusion of hostilities these mortgagors will be able to reoccupy their houses on reasonable terms, so far as mortgage payments and interest are concerned?

The hon. Member presumably refers to the moratorium imposed by the Defence (Evacuated Areas) Regulations, 1940. Steps to deal with the resulting situation have already been taken in the Liabilities (War-Time Adjustments) Act, 1941, which gives the court certain powers to relieve the mortgagor. It is impossible to foresee the precise circumstances which will arise at the end of the war and the current legislation goes as far as is reasonably possible at the moment.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will make early arrangements to bring more war work to Northern Ireland, where labour is available, so that men and women while living at home may have the opportunity which they so much desire of helping the war effort to the utmost of their ability?

The possibility of providing more war work in Northern Ireland is engaging the close attention of the Ministry of Supply and the Government of Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent the stocks of raw rubber in this country at the time of the Japanese attack on Malaya were commensurate with the quantities which would have been in stock in the normal way had there been no danger of Japan entering the war?

The hon. Member will appreciate that it would not be in the public interest to disclose what stocks of raw rubber there are in the country, but I can assure him that for some time past steps had been taken to increase them.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he will make inquiries as to the recent large increase in the number of persons who are attached to the German legation in Dublin; and whether he has information as to Germans being dropped by parachute in Eire?

I have no reason to suppose that there has been any such recent increase in the number of persons attached to the German Legation in Dublin as is suggested in the hon. Member's Question, but I will make inquiries with regard to this and the other matter mentioned by him.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether he has yet come to any decision regarding the appointment of a chief sanitary engineer; and, if not, when the appointment is likely to be made?

As a consequence of the reorganisation following upon the establishment of a Directorate of Works, the title of the post of chief sanitary engineer was altered to that of superintending sanitary engineer. The post is held by the former chief sanitary engineer.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will inquire into the case of an officer of the Army claiming a disability pension as a result of his war service, who was examined by a medical board held at Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital, Millbank, in July, 1941, and who up to the present time has had no notification as to the finding of the board?

If the hon. Member will let me have the name, unit and rank of the officer, so that the case may be identified, I will certainly inquire into it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the acute shortage of plain crockery; and whether he contemplates further action which would lead to a decrease in output of expensive crockery and a corresponding increase in the manufacture of plain crockery?

Yes, Sir. Steps have already been taken to limit the production of decorated pottery and further measures are in contemplation which I hope will lead to an increase in the quantity of plain crockery available for supply in the home market.

asked the Secretary of State for War what arrangements there are to. deal with soldiers who are discharged from the Army owing to serious mental defects; and to what institutions they are sent when their condition is such that they cannot safely be cared for in their own homes?

Before being discharged from the Army soldiers suffering from serious mental defects are given a period of treatment in suitable military institutions, with the object of restoring them' to such a degree of mental health as will permit of their being sent to their homes on discharge. Those who still cannot safely be cared for in their own homes are transferred to appropriate civil institutions.

asked the Secretary of State for War why soldiers on leave from Inverness for England are paid in Scottish bank notes which they cannot cash here?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing my attention to this source of inconvenience. Orders have now been given that whenever a soldier is going on leave outside Scotland payment for the leave period is to be made in Bank of England notes.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether the court of inquiry set up to inquire into the conduct of military personnel on board the "Dunera" dealt with the conduct of the military before embarkation which was complained of in the memorandum submitted to the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Australia in December, 1940; how many refugee internees gave evidence on this pre-embarkation conduct either before the court of inquiry

The conduct of military personnel before embarkation complained of in the memorandum to the High Commissioner was among the matters investigated by the court of inquiry. Evidence was given by Mr. Kittell, the only one of the internees available in this country at the time. I am unable to identify the promises which my hon. Friend has in mind. There is no mention of any promises in the memorandum referred to in the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that his Department is specifying timber, which is scarce, for hutments, whereas fabricated buildings of better quality and more economical are available in quantity; and whether he will take steps to see that this waste is corrected?

Practically no timber huts have been purchased for the Army for a considerable time. In the design of the pre-fabricated huts now being used every effort has been made to reduce the amount of timber in them to the minimum consistent with portability and speed of erection.

asked the Ministry of Pensions when the cut of nine per cent, in pensions of commissioned ranks will be restored.

I have been asked to reply. I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson) on 18th February, 1942, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will cause a court of inquiry to be held into the circumstances surrounding the employment of a firm at a camp in the North of England, of which he has been informed; and whether an ex gratia payment is to be made by the War Department in regard to costs which the firm in question did not claim when brought before a court of law?

:. I am not aware of any grounds for holding a court of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the employment of this firm. As regards the second part of the Question, there is no intention of making an ex gratia payment to the firm in respect of law costs incurred by them.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state the result of inquiries recently made as to the rates of payment and conditions of work of African labourers engaged in pyrethrum growing in Kenya?

The Governor of Kenya has reported that the wages and conditions of African labour on pyrethrum estates are as follow: On ticket contracts, on which men are employed, wages range from 7s. to 10s. per thirty-day ticket, according to district, for weeding and in some cases picking as well. Picking is mainly done by women, and wages earned depend on work done. Rates range from 10 to 15 cents per "debi" (a four-gallontin), there being 100 cents in a shilling, or else from two-thirds of a cent to one cent per pound of flowers picked. The rates are the same for women and juveniles. Earnings are up to 10s. a month. In addition to money wages, housing and rations are provided, and in most cases land is set aside on which the workers may grow various foodstuffs for consumption and for sale. Pyrethrum work is essentially a "family" occupation, and families earn up to 30s. a month.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why one of the qualifica- tions for appointment, as police officers in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force is that they must not be total abstainers but moderate drinkers?

The explanation is that the duties which the W.A.A.F. Police are called on to perform are such that they must be able to mix freely with airwomen in all environments. It is thought that they can best do this if they are not total abstainers. The rule is not, however, rigidly applied.