asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will consider introducing proficiency pay for Royal Air Force anti-gas instructors, in order that greater attention and enthusiasm may be devoted to this aspect of training?

No, Sir. The responsibilities of instructors in the R.A.F. are, in general, recognised by the grant of appropriate rank and not by the issue of additional pay. I am advised that the standard of anti-gas training is satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can give an assurance that all aircraft not flown away from Singapore were either destroyed or made unserviceable to the enemy?

Information is necessarily incomplete, but all serviceable aircraft were evacuated by air and I think it can be assumed that none was left in a condition likely to be of value to the enemy.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has investigated the allegations of waste of transport in connection with Air Ministry matters at a station of which details have been sent to him; and what action he proposes to take?

I am obliged to my hon. Friend for bringing the information to my notice. The incidents referred to, so far as they can be traced, have been thoroughly investigated and it appears that the allegations are in the main unfounded. I am advised that at the station referred to the regulations regarding economy in the use of mechanical transport are carefully observed.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the shortage of man-power, he will issue an instruction that junior officers who can pass the necessary driving tests shall drive their own motor cars so as to release service drivers of both sexes for other work?

The establishment of motor vehicles provides for a number being driven by officers themselves, thus saving the services of special drivers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food why no control has been imposed to fix a legal maximum selling price for wines and spirits so as to prevent the present transfer of such commodities at prices which are in excess of the manufacturers' scheduled prices?

While I am aware that in some cases wines and spirits change hands at prices which are in excess of those scheduled by the manufacturers, I do not think that fixing prices by statutory control would alone have the preventive effect my hon. and gallant Friend suggests.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether he has considered the letter from the factory committee of a certain factory, sent to him by the hon. Member for West Fife, in connection with the series of factory meetings; and the reason for prohibiting these meetings?

Yes, Sir, I have considered this letter, and in regard to political speeches would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 22nd January by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service. As to non-political speeches, talks in factories are restricted to those given either by R.A.F. personnel about their operational experience with the article being made, or by speakers provided by the Ministry of Information talking about subjects of general interest to a factory audience. I am satisfied that the workers in our factories are sufficiently aware of the urgent need for maximum production without requiring speeches of the sort suggested.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether he has considered the document dealing with the conditions in the Swift Scale Company, sent to him by the hon. Member for West Fife; and does he intend to institute an inquiry into the allegations contained therein?

Yes, Sir. I have given instructions for this matter to be investigated.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production why he has issued an order prohibiting the distribution of trade union and other literature within a protected place replacing the order which prohibited the distribution of such literature without permission; and, in particular, why this rigid exclusion of trade union and other such literature has been applied to the factories under his direction.

The new form of prohibition, covering all literature, was introduced as being preferable to one which placed on managements the task of deciding, in particular cases, whether distribution should be allowed or not. The distribution of trade union notices is not precluded. The prohibition applies to all protected places and not only to those with which my Department is concerned.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been called to a recent case at Liverpool Assizes where a contractor to the Admiralty has been convicted in respect of frauds against the Department arising out of a system of payment on cost-plus-profit basis; and why, and to what extent, this method is allowed to persist?

My hon. and gallant Friend presumably refers to the trial of David Rowan, to the circumstances of which my attention has been called. With regard to the second part of the Question, the reason for and the extent of the use of cost-plus-profit contracts in Admiralty work were explained in the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the hon. Member for Greenock (Mr. McNeil) on 19th November last.

asked the Minister of Information whether, as a constitutional safeguard, to ensure the independent status of the governors of the British Broadcasting Corporation, he will introduce legislation so as to ensure that no governor of the British Broadcasting Corporation can be forced to resign, or be dismissed, without the matter being laid before Parliament for discussion and approval?

No, Sir. I cannot undertake to introduce any such legislation.

asked the Minister of Information what steps are taken to ensure that all aliens employed at the Ministry of Information are friendly to this country; and whether the Ministry of Home Security is consulted before any aliens are first employed?

No alien is appointed to the staff of the Ministry of Information until a favourable report has been obtained from the security authorities.

asked the Minister of Information what are the salary and allowances paid to Miss Love, Herr Hattan and Herr Kramer on the staff of the British Broadcasting Corporation; do they have access to confidential documents and information; and will he replace them by British-born subjects?

As I informed the hon. Member on 18th February, I do not think that it would be in the public interest for me to disclose particulars about individuals employed by the B.B.C.

asked the Minister of Information under what authority members of the Home Guard unit of Broadcasting House are paid a weekly wage for that service?

The B.B.C. Home Guard contingent is composed of volunteers drawn from all departments who carry out Home Guard duties in addition to their normal work. But I am informed that the work of this contingent is supplemented by a small number of civilian watchmen who are employed and paid by the Corporation in that capacity. It has been found convenient to enrol these watchmen in the Home Guard since it is desirable that they too should be trained in the use of firearms.

asked the Minister of Information in how many cases letters opened in course of examination for censorship have involved prosecutions for offences only discovered through the opening of these letters?

Prosecutions in such cases are instituted by the Departments concerned, on information submitted to them, and not by the censorship. I have no information as to the action taken by Departments on the censorship submissions, and, in any case, I think it would be very difficult, in practice, to determine to what extent prosecutions are based on information contained in letters opened in censorship or on other available evidence.

asked the Minister of Information on whose authority the British Broadcasting Corporation broadcast in the European service, at 11 p.m. on 5th February, that the Royal Air Force is building up the most terrible force of huge bombers the world has ever seen for action this spring, in view of the fact that the Air Ministry described the announcement as pure propaganda?

I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air that no statement was made on behalf of the Air Ministry to the effect that the announcement referred to in the Question was "pure propaganda." The broadcast was made by the British Broadcasting Corporation on the authority of the Political Warfare Executive.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now able to report in regard to the consultations between his Department and the National Conference delegation respecting curtailment of National Health Insurance work; is he prepared to bring an efficient simplified system into operation; and whether he will take steps to see that such improvements are instituted so as to be operative during the half-year ending 5th July, 1942?

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend have recently reviewed the administration of National Health Insurance with a view to effecting the maximum economy in man-power. Throughout this review they have been in the closest touch with their respective consultative councils to whose advice and assistance they are greatly indebted. Some of the more important economies decided upon will be embodied in a circular which is to be issued to approved societies very shortly, and others will be announced so soon as the necessary Regulations have been made under the war-time powers conferred by Section 8 of the National Health Insurance Act, 1941. These emergency measures for the simplification of work will be brought into operation from the earliest practicable dates, so that societies may be afforded the greatest possible relief in the current half-year.

asked the Minister of Economic Warfare whether the exiled Governments of Greece, Poland and Belgium, favour controlled food relief to the starving peoples in their native homelands; and what steps His Majesty's Government propose to take to initiate new schemes, or intensify existing schemes, to this end?

I do not know precisely what my hon. Friend means by "controlled food relief." But I have no doubt that the Governments of these countries would favour any system for helping their peoples which would not result instead in assisting the enemy and frustrating the Allied effort to free their countries. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to-day by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs regarding a scheme for the evacuation of children from Greece. Otherwise I have nothing to add to the answers which I gave yesterday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the current quotation for the recent City of Bradford Conversion Loan is 105½; that the rate of interest was fixed at 3½ per cent. without reference to or consultation with the council; and will he, in all future municipal conversions, ensure that the Government's own borrowing rate shall hold good for all the leading local authorities?

The quotation is that for City of Bradford 5 per cent. Stock which the holder has agreed to convert into 3½ per cent. Stock 1972–82 as on the 1st April next, and included in this price is the right to receive the six months' interest at 5 per cent., namely, £2 10s. due on that date. The terms of the conversion offer were fixed in accordance with the procedure adopted in April, 1941, under which the Treasury has in effect underwritten the conversion of local authorities securities carrying a high rate of interest. These terms were based on the prices of comparable stocks at the time when the operation was arranged, a uniform basis being adopted for the local authorities concerned. It would not be practicable to accept the suggestion in the last part of the Question.

asked the Home Secretary whether he granted exit permits to four British subjects named Buckmaster, Austin, Isherwood and Auden and if so, for what purpose; whether he is aware in what country these four persons are now resident; whether he has any information as to their ages; and whether any of them are engaged upon work on behalf of this country?

The exit permit system did not come into force until the outbreak of war and only one of the four persons to whom I presume my hon. and gallant Friend refers has been granted an exit permit. Mr. H. W. Austin was granted an exit permit in December, 1939, to enable him to travel to the United States of America as a representative of the Oxford Group. I understand that he is aged 35 and that he is still in the U.S.A.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will publish the names of those British subjects who, on the outbreak of war, left this country for destinations abroad, promising to return within six months, and who have not yet returned?

My right hon. Friend entirely agrees with the principle that British subjects who are liable to National Service should not be allowed to evade these obligations by residence abroad, and he would refer to the reply given by the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs to a Question on this subject on the 28th January. He does not, however, think that any useful purpose would be served by publishing such a list as is suggested. Apart from the labour involved in searching records, there is the consideration that many such persons have valid reasons for prolonging their stay abroad.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the shortage of man-power, he will issue an instruction that junior officers who can pass the necessary driving tests shall drive their own motor-cars so as to release service drivers of both sexes for other work?

This Question has recently been under review but it has been decided to adhere to the existing practice. It is most desirable that the driver of a car should also be the person responsible for its maintenance and general upkeep, for which an officer could not spare the time. Moreover in order to be able to change over at short notice to operational conditions, a separate driver is essential, so that all the officer's energies can be devoted to his operational duties.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether permission has been given for volunteers to the Forces for overseas to form their own colonial units under the direction of their own officers; and whether any such units have already been formed in the West Indies?

In the case of Cyprus, St. Helena and the Seychelles, Colonial units with their own officers have been raised for service with the British Army. No such units have so far been raised in the West Indies.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the official announcement of the Red Cross Society on 19th February that full deliveries would be maintained in February and March, conflicting with War Office statements, he will now make clear for the benefit of relatives what the exact position is?

I have consulted the British Red Cross Society, who confirm that the statements contained in the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend on 17th February are, to the best of their knowledge, correct in all respects. I understand that the announcement made by the British Red Cross Society referred to in the Question requires some qualification, and that a corrected statement is being issued.

asked the Minister of Supply the number of members of the Tube and Fittings Board who are, and the number who are not, connected with Messrs. Stewart and Lloyd?

I understand that of the eight members of this trade organisation, four are members of Stewarts and Lloyds, Ltd., three of Tube Investments, Ltd., and one of Babcock and Wilcox, Ltd.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many persons are now employed in the offices of the War Damage Commission?

The number of persons employed by the War Damage Commission is 1,641. In addition, the Commission utilises throughout the country the services of deputy commissioners and of the members of the professional panel, numbering in all about 550 persons, for such periods as are necessary.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the constitutional practice in respect of applications to the Attorney-General in Jamaica to join action in connection with any alleged wrongful act on the part of an officer of the local government; and whether the constitutional practice was departed from in the action recently sought in Jamaica on the question of the alleged wrongful act of the Colonial Secretary in the matter of the sale of Constant Spring Hotel?

The Attorney-General's discretion whether to join in an action is absolute. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings why his Department has refused to allow a building firm, which has executed many contracts for his Department, the opportunity of tendering for the construction of a depot near a certain Midlands town, particulars whereof have been furnished?

The firm are experienced builders but have not carried out large-scale civil engineering works. As the scheme in question consists largely of civil engineering it was decided to confine invitations to tender to firms with actual experience in this class of work.