asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that serious delays of six months or more in getting spare parts for agricultural tractors and machinery is resulting in loss of food production; and whether he will take steps now to procure sufficient spare parts for International and other tractors before the autumn ploughing season begins?

I have been asked to reply. I am assured by the tractor distributors that it is only in isolated instances that International tractors have been held up for want of spare parts. It has always been my policy to give priority to spare parts over new machinery, both in respect of tonnage for imports and home manufacture. I should be grateful to the hon. and gallant Member if he will report to me any case in which agricultural tractors or other machinery have been held up for six months or more for getting spare parts.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to ensure that children under 14 years of age who are being sent to work on farms have the strictest supervision to see that their health is not affected by overwork or overstrain?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the Board of Education's circular 1588 which deals with this point. I have asked county war agricultural executive committees to help forward suitable arrangements for supervision but the precise arrangements will depend on local circumstances. I ought to make it clear that these children will only work on farms if they volunteer for such work.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to increase the food supplies of the country by encouraging more extensive breeding of freshwater fish in ponds, lakes and rivers?

For a number of reasons including the difficulty of obtaining supplies of suitable breeding fish, arrangements for the increased breeding of freshwater fish on any substantial scale would not be practicable at present. My Department is, however, concentrating on certain other measures for increasing supplies of freshwater fish for food which should produce immediate returns on an appreciable scale, such as the exploitation of the available supplies of eels and the trapping of perch in the Lake District for canning purposes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food when new potatoes will be available to the public; and what steps he has taken to ensure that there will be no lack of potatoes during the change over from the old to the new?

Very small quantities of new potatoes from the Isles of Scilly were available in Bath and Exeter on 11th May. Supplies will reach other districts as the yield and the acreage ready for lifting increase. Special measures have been taken by the Ministry to purchase a reserve of long-keeping potatoes for use in June and July. The quantity bought exceeds 300,000 tons. Also, by regulating distribution, it has been possible to ensure that long-keeping potatoes are being held back for end-of-season use.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will institute for retail shops selling meat for animals, a rationing scheme for their customers and so help those who are engaged on war work and have no time to queue?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 4th March to the hon. Member for West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether an appointment has now been made as deputy director of fresh fruit and vegetables; and, if so, who has been appointed and at what salary?

The answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of persons employed in the mining industry; the number employed at the coal face; the average number of days per week on which work has been available; and the average number of shifts worked per man per week, with the corresponding figures for the year 1938?

With the hon. Member's consent I would like to postpone my answer until Thursday, when I hope to have the figures available.

asked the Secretary for Mines what quantity of outcrop coal it is estimated will be produced during the next 12 months?

I have been asked to reply. As I informed the House on 7th May the present output of outcrop coal is at the rate of 6,000 tons a week. Many new sites are being investigated and I hope that substantial quantities of coal will be secured in this way, but no close estimate can be made of production during the next 12 months.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in connection with any proposals for reduction in the consumption of light and fuel, he has consulted with Sir Richard Redmayne, in view of the latter's experience in the crisis of 1917–18 and his knowledge of the coal industry over many years?

No, Sir. Sir Richard Redmayne is an eminent mining engineer and his experience and knowledge are related to the production of fuel, including the safety and health of mine workers, rather than to its consumption.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet consulted representatives of the Institute of Fuel, the Institute of Gas Engineers and the Coal Utilisation Research Association, in connection with the proposed rationing of fuel?

As was stated in reply to my hon. Friend on 29th April, full advantage has been taken of technical advice on the use and economy of fuel, but fuel rationing is another matter and the organisations he mentions have not been consulted on it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has received from fuel overseers and gas and electricity undertakings, the number of permanent additional staff they estimate they will require to carry out efficiently fuel rationing?

I have taken steps to ascertain the views of local fuel overseers in various parts of the country and also of gas and electricity undertakings on the additional staff they would require for fuel rationing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is his intention to fix two different prices for utility cloths, one for those manufactured in Lancashire and a different price for fabrics made in Northern Ireland?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Supply, in view of the fact that used tennis and golf balls yield practically as much rubber if returned as is required in the manufacture of new ones, whether he will reconsider his decision to forbid their manufacture, which decision deprives a section of the community of their form of exercise, which is of particular advantage to those employed in sedentary work?

In the present serious shortage I can hold out no expectation of being able to allow the use of rubber for these purposes. There are, however, considerable stocks of tennis and golf balls in the country.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider granting a cost-of-living bonus to old age pensioners, similar to that paid to local government employees and Civil servants?

It has been the policy of the Government to meet the needs of old age pensioners by the provision of supplementary pensions. An old age pensioner who is in need of additional assistance is eligible to apply to the Assistance Board for such a pension.

asked the Secretary of State for War, why, when officers are granted short periods of sick leave, their allowances are reduced during such period in respect of lodging, fuel and light and servant allowance; and what is the authority for these deductions?

The principle is that these allowances are generally not issuable during periods of ordinary or non-attributable sick leave, but as a concession are paid for periods of such leave up to 61 days if an officer has a continuing liability, which is recognised, for the services the allowances cover. The deductions which, in conformity with this principle, are made from the allowances are laid down in Regulations for the Allowances for the Army, issued under the authority of a Royal Warrant.

asked the Secretary of State for War what number of recruits for His Majesty's Forces has passed the medical test to join the Army and have since been discharged suffering from tuberculosis; what number receive a pension; what number have been refused a pension, since the beginning of the war to date; are they sent to a tuberculosis hospital; and are they cared for by the State while in hospital?

It would not be in the public interest to give the figures. But the total number of men invalided out of the Army because of tuberculosis between 3rd September, 1939, and 31st March, 1942, was 5.4 per cent. of the total number discharged on medical grounds in that period. I regret that I cannot say what proportion of these men enlisted in the same period. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions informs me that about 70 per cent. of claims to pension for tuberculosis are admitted, and that arrangements are in force with local authorities for the appropriate disposal to tuberculosis hospitals of men so discharged from the Service. If the disability is attributable to service the Ministry of Pensions accepts liability for the cost of treatment and payment of the appropriate allowances.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of assessing and collecting the National Defence Contribution?

It is not possible to make a separate estimate of the cost of assessing and collecting the National Defence Contribution, as the work is merged in the general work of assessment and collection of the Income Tax and the Excess Profits Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will allow the contributions of voluntary contributors to National Health Insurance to be taken into consideration for Income Tax assessment in the same way as those of compulsory contributors?

Relief from Income Tax in respect of compulsory contributions to secure pensions under the National Health Insurance Acts is allowed under provisions of the Income Tax law which authorise relief in respect of certain payments which a person is liable to make under an Act of Parliament for securing a pension for himself or for his widow or children. The condition of allowance of this relief is not satisfied in the case of voluntary contributors, and I am not prepared to recommend an alteration of the law so as to authorise relief in their case.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider issuing instructions to railway transport officers' sergeants to refrain from refusing Servicemen, when travelling, leave to occupy first-class compartment seats when no third-class seats are available?

Such instructions have already been issued to railway traffic officers.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make inquiries into the cause of the delay in the delivery of letters and other mail, in many instances, from Great Britain to Northern Ireland; and whether he will give instructions for a more expeditious delivery in order to obviate disappointment and meet the wishes of the community?

I am not aware of any general complaint of delay in the delivery of correspondence from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. I have received very few such complaints in the last few months and full inquiry is invariably made into individual cases. I shall be happy to give careful consideration to any case which the hon. Member has in mind if he will let me have particulars together with the covers of any delayed correspondence.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport the reasons why only 3,000 gas-producer units have been distributed throughout the country since 1938 and no more than 100 are in regular service; and what has become of the remainder?

The total number of gas-producer units manufactured and distributed in this country since 1938 is not known, and I am therefore unable to say whether my hon. and gallant Friend's estimate is correct. While it would not be in the public interest to disclose the number in regular service to-day it is considerably more than 100. Many firms purchased gas-producer units, not for immediate use, but to insure against a possible shortage of liquid fuel in the future.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether any steps have been taken to ensure that vehicles operating on short journeys in urban areas are converted to use town gas as used in fabric gas-containers in view of the fact that the necessary facilities for manufacturing fitting and filling are readily available; and will he encourage this practice as much as possible?

The extent to which it may be desirable to use town gas on road vehicles is at present under urgent examination by the Departments concerned, and a statement on the matter will be made at an early date.