asked the Secretary of State for Air why it is necessary for married men with only three months' service to be sent overseas whilst single men with 12 months' and more service are retained in this country?

The considerations governing the selection of airmen for duty overseas are, on the one hand, the rank, trade and particular experience required in the overseas establishment and, on the other, the need to maintain the efficiency of units at home. In view of the large number of postings, it is in general necessary to leave the selection to the discretion of Commanding Officers. If, however, an airman feels that on compassionate grounds he should not proceed overseas, he can submit an application to this effect to his commanding officer.

Irrespective of the question of compassionate grounds, is it not a fact that there is a large number of untrained men who have only had three months in the Air Force, while there are similar men who have been detained in the country and have been in the Air Force for 12 months?

The efficiency of a unit and the functions that it has to perform play an important part in the consideration of who shall go abroad. Thus all men, even of the same rank or the same experience, cannot be given equal treatment as regards fulfilling our overseas requirements for skilled men which are urgent.

Then I am to take it that efficiency is improved by unskilled men going abroad?

Certainly, if in certain units skilled men are kept at home, thus keeping up the efficiency of their particular units here.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether Royal Air Force personnel, when proceeding on seven days' leave, are entitled to receive a free railway warrant between their station and any destination in the United Kingdom, or whether such warrants are restricted to journeys between an airman's station and his home address?

Commanding officers have discretion in connection with privilege leave to issue warrants to any place in the British Isles if good reason is shown. This discretion is widely exercised.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will cause special inquiries to be made by competent in vestigators in connection with the erection of aerodromes in Northern Ireland and recast the whole system under which the work is being carried out?

My hon. Friend has been good enough to furnish me with information about the construction of aerodromes in Northern Ireland which I am having investigated. I have no reason to suppose that the arrangements generally are unsatisfactory.

That is not the opinion of Northern Ireland. Will not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman go into the whole business and deal with it?

asked the secretary of State for Air, whether, as the recently discharged Royal Air Force Security Police in Northern Ireland were engaged by the Air Ministry for the duration of the present emergency which still continues, he will either reinstate these men or find other suitable employment for them in some branch of the Air Ministry in Northern Ireland, as they and their dependants are suffering seriously through their discharge from a position which they understood on their enlistment was to be for the duration of the war?

While no assurance was given to these men on enlistment that they would continue to be employed for the duration of the emergency, and their engagements were terminated when their services were no longer required, I appreciate that some of them may have been placed in a difficult position. I am therefore reviewing all cases in which any undue hardship is alleged, with a view to finding alternative Air Ministry employment for them. In existing circumstances, however, it may not be possible to ensure that this is in Northern Ireland. I have so far received representations on behalf of several of the men concerned and will communicate with my hon. Friend when my inquiries are completed.

Is the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that when some of these men, on instructions from the Air Ministry, sought employment they were told by the officials that they knew nothing about these instructions? Will the right hon. Gentleman give an interview to the men and have a public inquiry into the whole business? There is strong feeling in Northern Ireland regarding the way in which they have been treated, and I ask him to do them justice.

If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of the circumstances where some of these men got confused replies on applying for employment, I will most certainly look into it. Just because we feel that there has been some indirect injustice, though not strictly injustice according to the law, my right hon. Friend and I are endeavouring to find alternative employment.

asked the Secretary of State for Air on how many occasions it was reported to him that the "Scharnhorst," "Gneisenau" and "Prinz Eugen" had been successfully bombed?

It would not be in the public interest to give the information asked for.

Is my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that the German wireless announced that for months we have been bombing dummies and possibly—

There is nothing more to be added to the Answer.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware of serious concern among members of the flying and other staff of the British Overseas Airways Corporation; and whether he will consider immediately setting up a small independent committee to investigate the causes before there are any serious repercussions upon the important work with which His Majesty's Government has entrusted the Corporation?

I am not aware of any serious concern among the staff of the British Overseas Airways Corporation such as my hon. Friend indicates. I do not therefore consider that any useful purpose would be served by adopting my lion. Friend's suggestion, but if he has any specific cases in mind and will give me particulars, I will invite the Corporation to look into them.

Has my right hon. and gallant Friend discussed the matter with the Director-General, and has he become aware of the representations which have been made by the staff to the Director-General, and will he be in a position, if I put down a similar Question in a week's time, to give a more knowledgeable answer?

Perhaps when my hon. Friend puts down his Question he will have more knowledge of the British Overseas Airways Act, which, in Section 37, says the Corporation were to take into account representations made to them by any body or organisation, the membership of which comprises a substantial proportion of the class or classes of persons concerned. When Parliament passed that Act it was intended that the Corporation should be responsible for its own domestic affairs. If I have any grounds for thinking that Section 37 has not been complied with, I shall be very glad to receive representations.

Will my right hon. and gallant Friend discuss the matter with the Director-General, who, I think, will be able to give him a lot of interesting information?

Certainly.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction existing among workers in aircraft factories because of the different scales of transport charges to and from work which exist in different factories; and whether he will take steps to see that the regulations governing assisted travel schemes be revised to create greater uniformity?

The scheme to which my hon. Friend refers is general in the engineering industry. Under it assistance may be given to workpeople employed in certain factories in remote areas, and my Department is always ready to consider applications from any of our factories which fall within this scheme.

Is the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that there is often a difference of 5s. a week in the amount deducted from the workers' pay because of the varying charges for bus fares, and that this has a very serious effect on the feelings of the workers?

If the hon. Member is referring to the difference between fares on buses and railways, if he has any particular case in mind, I shall be glad if he will let me know, and I will look into it.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether he is aware that, on Saturday, 7th March, upwards of 500 personnel of an aircraft factory, with an excellent production record, near London, left their work without permission in order to attend a greyhound race meeting in the vicinity; and if he will take the necessary steps to see that such an action is not taken in the future?

Yes, Sir. I am aware that upwards of 500 workers who should have been at work on the afternoon in question absented themselves from work. I do not know whether any, or how many, of them went to a greyhound race meeting. The Works Production Committee is directing its attention to the absenteeism in general at the factory, and the National Service Officer is dealing with the particular case in question. I hope that those who absented themselves on this occasion will realise that their absence so dislocated the production line that, according to the best estimate I can make, it meant four fewer fighters that week for the joint needs of ourselves and our Russian Allies.

In view of the grave and important statement my right hon. and gallant Friend has made, and in order to give the House an opportunity of judging the question in its wider aspects, I beg to give notice that I will draw attention to it on the Adjournment on the earliest possible date.

asked the Minister of Information when the promised improvements in the quality and accuracy of the news bulletins broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the daily home news broadcasts will be made?

The Governors of the B.B.C. are always trying to find means of improving the quality of their news bulletins. The accuracy of these news bulletins is not in question: no one familiar with the subject could fail to be impressed with the great pains that are taken by the B.B.C. to ensure accuracy even in the smallest detail:

I put this Question down to the Lord Privy Seal. May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he has studied the speech made by his right hon. and learned Friend on 25th February on the subject of this Question?

I always read with great interest the speeches of the Lord Privy Seal.

Why do the B.B.C. intersperse in official communiqués comments of their own?

I agree with my hon. Friend. I have several times suggested that they should take notice of the suggestion which has been made in this House before. I think that there is an improvement, but reform is always a slow matter.

asked the Minister of Information whether he is aware of the marked deterioration in the form and matter of the British Broadcasting Corporation news service from the war fronts in recent weeks, that listeners are losing confidence in news broadcasts; and whether it is necessary on military grounds to announce defeats in the form of quotations from enemy bulletins?

No, Sir, I am not aware of any deterioration such as is suggested, although I am very well aware of the extreme difficulty of announcing a long run of bad news without arousing dissatisfaction at the way that it is given. The B.B.C. does not announce defeats in the way suggested.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that when the situation is developing adversely for us on the war fronts the broadcasts lose their entirely British character and compare unfavourably with the broadcasts of America and Russia? Will he go into this question?

I have gone into it, and I do not understand what the hon. Gentleman means when he says that the broadcasts are un-English, unless he is referring to the broadcasts in Welsh.

In view of the nature of the Reply, I beg to give notice to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a general loss of confidence in the B.B.C. and that if he wants to restore confidence, he should get some Communist speakers on the B.B.C.?

asked the Minister of Information, whether he will ask the British Broadcasting Corporation to institute a series of broadcasts of encouragement to the various trades concerned with war production, with the object of pointing out the importance of increased production in each trade to the allied cause.

The B.B.C. already broadcasts a considerable number of talks of interest and encouragement to industrial workers generally. While I will bring my hon. Friend's suggestion to the attention of the Governors, he will no doubt appreciate that the nature of broadcasting limits the extent to which talks can be addressed to particular sections of the community.

Will my right hon. Friend do his best in the matter, because I believe that the people of this country really want a more vigorous and inspiring lead from the Government?

Will the right hon. gentleman see that a message is sent to Government Departments, which are muddling things and holding up production?

asked the Minister of Information, whether it is proposed to appoint a Press Attaché to the Embassy at Moscow; and whether he will take steps to see that anyone holding such a post has a knowledge of the Russian language as well as experience of journalism.

Yes, Sir, a Press Attaché has been appointed to the Embassy who has a knowledge of the Russian language. His staff combine journalistic and broadcasting qualifications with knowledge of the language.

Will my right hon. Friend give the name of the officer?

Mr. Lawrence.

Do I understand that he speaks Russian well and has had a thorough journalistic experience?

He has a good basic knowledge of Russian and was for two years in charge of the European service of the B.B.C. He is accompanied by a journalist who speaks Russian.

My right hon. Friend has not answered the point. Does Mr. Lawrence speak Russian himself and understand it?

I have said that he has a working knowledge of Russian. He worked at it for two years. I have searched the whole country to find somebody with suitable qualifications for this important post, and I can assure my hon. Friend that this gentleman will fulfil quite adequately the duties put upon him.

asked the Minister of Information how many members of the staff, or of others employed in any other capacity, in the monitory service in particular and the British Broadcasting Corporation in general, have resigned during the last nine months?

I do not think I should ask the B.B.C. for information on this matter, which is one of internal administration.

Will my right hon. Friend make inquiries of the B.B.C. as to how many of these resignations were in the nature of protests against the persons and methods employed, especially in the monitory service?

I shall do no such thing. The Governors of the B.B.C. are responsible for the internal administration, and it would be very wrong for me to interfere with them.

asked the Minister of Information whether he is aware that, owing to the booking up of private cinemas months ahead with Hollywood films, the facilities for showing the best Russian films are inadequate; and whether he will consider using the Ministry's projectors for supplementing the showing of these Russian films?

The Ministry of Information are already showing the best Russian short films to a large audience in various ways. Their programmes are, however, too short to make it possible to include feature films; but I have no evidence that facilities for showing such films in commercial theatres are inadequate.

Does not my right hon. Friend know that in many towns and cities the cinemas are booked up with Hollywood films and that there is nowhere where Russian films can be shown?

The hon. Gentleman's question is a useful one, and I will draw the attention of the film trade to what he says, but I have no power in the matter.

asked the Minister of Information whether he is aware that a large number of people are unable to hear announcements made over the wireless after the 6 o'clock news as they are not yet back from work; and whether, in view of the importance of such announcements being heard by as many people as possible, he will arrange for them to be made instead after the 9 o'clock news?

I sympathise with the hon. Member's suggestion, but it must be remembered that the 9 p.m. news bulletin is long and is usually followed by a talk. To include announcements at the same time would involve a lengthy sequence of the spoken word, which is unlikely to be effective in securing attention.

asked the Minister of Information on whose authority the Censor tampered with a Reuter's message from General Gordon Bennett, published on nth March, on the treatment of Australian forces in Malaya; and whether he is aware that such action will undermine public confidence in the truthfulness of official news bulletins?

This message was not an official bulletin in any sense. It was a report circulated by Reuters without any submission to censorship. Subsequently, however, the Censorship was approached by a home news agency which felt doubtful about the desirability of circulating part of the report. The Censor then under- took to raise this matter with Reuters. When it was raised with them they voluntarily agreed to cancel part of the original report and sent a confidential message to editors accordingly. I agree with the action taken.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that at 12 noon on the day in question Reuters sent out a message over the tape machine, and that at 12.58 there was a message from Reuters saying that they had been requested to eliminate the first two paragraphs of the report which related to statements reported to have been made by General Bennett, saying that the Australian troops would receive fair treatment from the Japanese? Does my right hon. Friend agree that Reuters were quite right in not withdrawing it or cancelling it?

Not a bit. There is not the slightest objection to Reuters doing it; they are not a Government Department but a private concern. The other news agency said that these sentences were wrested from their context and did not give an accurate account of what the General said.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether the firm which was recently refused an opportunity to tender for the construction of a depot in the Midlands, particulars whereof have been supplied, was denied this opportunity on the ground of inexperience in civil engineering work; and whether, before this decision was reached, any steps were taken to inquire into the competence of its present personnel?

Yes, Sir. The decision was taken with full knowledge of the. resources of the firm.

Has not the firm to which I refer the services of an experienced civil engineer, who was sent to them by the Ministry of Supply as one of their best officers for this particular work, and is he not now engaged whole-time by the firm which the Ministry of Works say has not a competent civil engineer?

My Ministry are aware that a competent civil engineer has recently joined the firm.

Had not he joined prior to the time the Ministry were refusing permission to the firm to tender on the ground that there was not a civil engineer on the premises?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether he has any in formation as to the effect the Essential Work Order has had upon the output of building trade operatives?

The operation of the Essential Work Order, including the application of payment by results, has resulted in substantial increases in output and has enabled more rapid progress to be made on the main Government building works. Of this there is ample evidence from a large number of contracts.

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him whether he will be so good as to look into some of the cases at the present time where output apparently is not quite so good as he has just said it is?

We are constantly following-up this matter. The introduction of the system of payment by results is relatively new, and therefore we have no complete data, but on such information as we have we are satisfied.

Is not this payment by results a great concession that was given by the building industry at the outbreak of war?

It was a concession which was negotiated with the industry.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether his Ministry has compiled any data or caused to be made an estimate of the total number of building-trade operatives now occupied upon essential war contracts; and how many additional operatives, skilled and unskilled, are required to enable all this work to be carried forward so that it will be completed on time?

Yes, Sir. The Ministry of Works and Buildings obtains each month from all the contracting Departments particulars of the numbers employed on contracts which they carry out or sponsor. It is estimated that the labour force now employed on these works is sufficient to complete during the 1942 building season the great majority of the works now in hand.

Will my hon. Friend say whether they are behindhand with much of the Government work, and does he think that it would be advisable that more men should be engaged in order to make up for lost time?

We are doing everything we can to facilitate production.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Buildings whether he is aware that there is serious delay in the erection of many buildings for Government Departments; and whether, in view of the strong feeling that the Ministry is overloaded, he will consider the former practice of each Department being responsible for its own building programme?

Undoubtedly delays arise at the present time on all types of constructional works owing to the effect of war conditions on the supply of labour, materials and transport, and also as a result of changes in design. This applies to the works of all Departments and not to those of the Ministry of Works alone. I am not aware that there is any feeling that my Department is overloaded and in fact it has, during the past year, carried out, at a greater speed than previously, a much larger volume of work than it has ever undertaken before.

Can the Minister explain why, in a certain case which I brought to his notice, the work is still less than 10 per cent. completed although the date for completion has now passed; and is it not a fact that Government Departments are getting rather tired of the incessant delays in the completion of work undertaken for them? Will he not consult with them to see whether it is not in their interests and in the interests of the Ministry of Works to revert to the former practice?

We are constantly discussing things with the other Departments. As I informed my hon. Friend on a previous occasion, it sometimes happens that a target figure has been adopted for a particular work which has not taken into account all the physical factors making for delay which are subsequently encountered, and if sometimes that figure is not reached, there is disappointment, but I will take up what he says about closer consultation with the other Departments in order to facilitate progress.

Will the hon. Gentleman look again at the answer which he has given, from which it would appear that he regards these delays as essentially due to war conditions, and does he not realise that in a time of war there ought to be no delays, and that the House is not willing to accept the war situation as an excuse for delays?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will take immediate steps to expedite a decision on the rates of pay to be made to skilled men employed in the tools, jigs and gauges departments of a Royal Navy torpedo factory, so that their earnings may be comparable with those of unskilled and semi-skilled workers in the same factory?

The tool-room men in this factory refused to be included in the system of piece-work payment which was introduced in the factory as a whole during 1940. Towards the end of last year, however, these men reversed their former decision and agreed to the introduction of piecework in their department. The work of pricing was put in hand, and the prices of many jobs have been agreed and are now current. The only point still to be settled is the method of pricing non-repetition work, but proposals put forward by the management are now being considered by the men concerned.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in relation to the captain's party on board a ship which was refitting, he has now considered the signed statements of over 30 workmen who were engaged in repair work on the vessel, alleging that their work of refitting on the date in question was entirely stopped or impeded because of the party, and that renovations and decorations of the ship, unnecessary from a naval point of view, were carried out in order to improve the vessel for party purposes; and, as such evidence was not called before the Board of Inquiry, will he reassemble the Board in order to take oral evidence from these workers?

I have carefully considered the statements in question. This matter has already been fully dealt with in the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend and the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Maclean) on 25th February. I must emphasise that the Board of Inquiry to which I then referred was very properly summoned by the Commander-in-Chief immediately the original allegations appeared in the Press and before the matter was ventilated in the House. The Board reported that there was no foundation in fact for any of the allegations or insinuations that appeared anonymously in the Press and that the refit of the ship was in no way retarded. Owing to operational requirements, it is not now possible to reopen the Board of Inquiry, but I feel that, even if it were so, such a step would be unnecessary, as the allegations contained in the signed statements to which reference is now made were dealt with in evidence before the Board of Inquiry. I do not wish to trouble the House with the detailed points which have now been raised and about which I am communicating with my hon. Friend, but these latest statements are, from the evidence which was laid before the Board, inaccurate.

Has my right hon. Friend noticed that the point of my Question is that when the Board of Inquiry assembled the evidence of these men who made the allegations was not taken? My Question asks that their evidence shall be taken, and is he not prepared to reopen the inquiry, or to have another Board assembled, in order to take the evidence of those who made the allegations instead of relying on the evidence of those who were only indirectly concerned?

I can assure my hon. Friend that the only evidence that was known to the Board of Inquiry at the time was that which had appeared anonymously in the Press. I can assure him secondly, having carefully examined the signed statement in question, that there is nothing in that signed statement which was not before the Board of Inquiry. They were exactly the same charges. Thirdly, the evidence of the officers, the representatives of the management of the yard and of the charge hands who were working there has been heard and contributed to the findings of the Board.

Is it not perfectly clear from the document which I have sent to the right hon. Gentleman that the allegations emanated from workpeople who alleged that their work on the ship was impeded, if not entirely stopped, and is it not a fact that they have not been asked to give evidence either orally or in writing?

There was no such evidence available at the time the Board of Inquiry was held. It is not operationally possible at the present time to reassemble the Board of Inquiry, but I can assure my hon. Friend again that there is not one of the statements put forward in the document from these men which was not included in the matter examined by the Board of Inquiry.

Does not my right hon. Friend realise that if a statement by 30 witnesses who have no interest in this matter at all and who must know the truth of the things to which they testify is to be rejected without inquiry, it will have the worst possible' effect upon the morale of the men in the dockyards?

I cannot accept as a fact that what those men put forward was rejected without inquiry. The whole matter has been most carefully examined by a properly constituted Board of Inquiry, and I can assure the House that there is not one statement in the signed statement now received which is dissimilar from the facts which were before the Board.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has considered the petition from the islanders of Bernera asking for Norman Macdonald to be exempted from service on the grounds that be has six brothers serving, and that his calling-up means that his mother's croft, which he cultivates, will go out of cultivation as he is the last son left; and what answer he proposes to give to the petition?

The date of this man's calling-up for service has been deferred for two months from 6th March to permit a full investigation of the application for his permanent release. The decision will be communicated at the earliest practicable moment.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what progress has been made in overcoming differences between the two sides of the shipbuilding industry with a view to an increase in output of 15 per cent. to 20 per cent.?

Trade disputes and working conditions in the industry are matters which, in the main, fall within the jurisdiction of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour. At the same time, I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that the Admiralty, as a production Department, has under constant review all questions where divergence of view or misunderstanding might impede production, and that every endeavour is made to promote harmony of working within the industry to ensure maximum output.

Having regard to the fact that my hon. Friend stated in the Debate that this increase was possible, that he gave the impression that he was himself giving personal attention to it, and that the continued retention of the present Controller is considered to be one of the factors preventing the industry doing its best, may I ask whether my hon. Friend is giving that attention, and whether the Controller is being retained?

The attention mentioned is being continued, and the Controller is retained.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether the Comptroller for Development and Welfare in the West Indies has made any recommendations, up to the present time, for schemes of rural housing in Jamaica; and what action has been taken?

No proposals have as yet been received for rural housing in Jamaica. My Noble Friend will, however, be glad to convey my hon. Friend's suggestion to the Governor, although I feel sure it has not escaped Sir Frank Stockdale's attention.

Is it not rather extraordinary that nothing has been done about this matter up to now, especially in view of the fact that almost all the materials required can be secured in Jamaica and would not have to be imported?

The Comptroller has made a great, many recommendations, and these will be considered as soon as possible. I will convey this particular suggestion to the Comptroller.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies what proposals have recently been made for altering the Legislative Council of British Guiana?

Following the recommendations of the West India Royal Commission, it is proposed that the Legislative Council should be re-constituted by the withdrawal of all official members, except the Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General and Treasurer, and by an increase in the number of nominated unofficial members from five to seven, in order to permit of nominations covering a wider field than at present. This will give the elected members who number fourteen a decisive majority on the Council. A motion was passed by the Legislative Council on 30th January, asking for re-constitution of the Legislature on these lines, and steps for the necessary amendment of the instruments are being taken. The question of the franchise has been referred to a Franchise Commission.

asked the Undersecretary of State for the Colonies whether he has now a statement to make as to the Anglo-American plans for social and economic co-operation in the Caribbean?

There is nothing to add at this stage to the communique published on 9th March regarding the establishment of the Anglo-American Caribbean Commission. It is hoped that the first meeting of the Commission will take place shortly. I am circulating a copy of the communiqué in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Comptroller, set up under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act, 1940, for the West Indies, will in future carry on his work in co-operation with, or independent of, the newly formed Anglo-American Committee for the progress and development of territories in the Caribbean Sea?

The Comptroller for Development and Welfare in the West Indies will continue to act independently, but the establishment of the Anglo-American Caribbean Commission will facilitate co-operation between the two Governments, as opportunity offers, in matters affecting progress and development in the Caribbean area.

Will finance be available from the United States for these schemes?

Yes, Sir, but we must await the first meeting of the Commission. This matter and other matters will have to be considered as we proceed.