asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that a court of referees has decided that a man who left his employment to join the Army as a tradesman is in the position of having left his employment without just cause; that if the man was rejected by the Army and refused reinstatement in his civil occupation, as in the case of E. W. Sim, of Aberdeen, he is, as a result of the referees' decision, disqualified for unemployment benefit for six weeks; whether he will state which court of referees came to this decision; and whether he can take any steps to prevent the imposition of such a penalty upon men who leave their employment with a patriotic motive?

The Unemployment Insurance Acts give me no power to alter this decision, which was given by the court of referees at Aberdeen. The question of re-instatement is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General as the post from which the man resigned was in the engineering department of the Post Office.

asked the Minister of Labour how many hostels the National Service Hostels Corporation is now responsible for; how many the corporation is actually managing; of how many it has delegated the management and to whom?

The number of hostels now in operation for which the National Service Hostels Corporation are responsible is 27, of which 24 are under their direct management. In consequence of engagements entered into by the supply department concerned before the corporation took over, two are managed by Messrs. Butlin, Limited, and at the request of the supply department the management of the third was entrusted to an agency whose name I will send privately to my hon. Friend as it includes the name of the place at which it operates.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been called to the fact that when individuals have finished a two months' training course at the municipal college training centres they are often kept in idleness for long periods, and certain centres of industry refuse to give them employment on the grounds that eight weeks' training is insufficient; and whether he will take steps to remedy the situation?

Whilst provision exists for giving longer courses of training in technical colleges, the normal course is eight weeks, and it has been found that this course can give valuable assistance by training to meet local requirements; longer courses of training are given in Government training centres. I am having inquiry made into the cases of which my hon. and gallant Friend has given particulars and will communicate with him.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state, for the last three months, the number of cases which have been heard by local tribunals in which conscientious objectors have been awarded air-raid precautions or Auxiliary Fire Service or land work, or continuing in their own occupation or any other types of work?

During the three months ended 30th April, 1942, 658 men and 14 women were ordered by local tribunals to be registered as conscientious objectors on condition that they undertake work of a civil character and under civilian control. Separate statistics relating to the type of work ordered by the tribunals are not available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he will authorise the issue of a distinguishing badge for all munition and wartime workers to enable them to gain priority of entry to omnibuses when going to and from their work?

Arrangements for the purpose which my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind have already been adopted in many districts where conditions are suitable, and where, in the national interest, some workers must have priority of travel during rush hours. He will, however, appreciate that it is difficult to make any general classification of workers at this stage of the war, when the phrase "munition and war-time workers" covers most of the civil population. I would, moreover, remind him that priority travel schemes are impracticable where omnibuses must stop to pick up any considerable number of passengers on the way. If he will let me know of any places where he considers that a priority travel system is necessary and possible, I shall be glad to consider it.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the visit made by police officers to the landlady of a Post Office engineer who was participating in the work of an Anglo-Soviet committee in Huntingdon; that the police officers made inquiry of the landlady about the political views of this Post Office engineer and another boarder, after which they asked the landlady not to mention their visit; and whether he will take steps to put an end to this infringement of the rights of the citizen on the part of the police?

I understand that the hon. Member's Question relates to a matter about which he wrote to me some weeks ago, and as I have already informed him I am satisfied that the police inquiries were both necessary and proper. The police were investigating a specific matter which had no connection whatever with the work of the Anglo-Soviet Committee, and these inquiries were not directed to ascertaining the political views of the individual mentioned.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that in a typical Birmingham National Fire Service station the firemen on the day shift are employed from 7 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. cleaning the station and brass work, although this has already been done by the night shift; from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on physical training; from 11.15 a.m. to 1 p.m. on further cleaning of appliances; from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on repetitive drills and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on no duties at all except gate pickets as necessary; and whether he will take steps to provide these men with more constructive work during such times as they are not actively engaged on fire prevention work?

I am informed that National Fire Service personnel in Birmingham are employed in accordance with the normal station routine, under which the mornings are mainly devoted to the cleaning of stations, quarters, appliances and gear and to drills, instruction and physical training, and the afternoons to drills, exercises, tests and necessary Fire Service work. The detailed arrangements at an individual station would rest primarily with the local officers; in the absence of any indication of the stations referred to in the Question it has not been possible to check these allegations in detail, but I am informed that no unnecessary cleaning work is carried out; it would be wrong for so long a period as two hours to be devoted to physical training. As regards the second part of the Question, over 25 per cent. of the available operational personnel in the Birmingham Region are engaged on various forms of essential work, such as the laying of steel pipes, the repair and maintenance of National Fire Service appliances and buildings and so on.

asked the Home Secretary the name, qualifications and date of appointment of the successor to Colonel Blatherwick as Deputy Regional Commissioner for the North-Western Region?

Mr. Robert Samuel Theodore Chorley was appointed Deputy Regional Commissioner for Civil Defence in the North-Western Region on 1st June, 1942. He is Professor of Commercial and Industrial Law in the University of London. He practised for ten years on the Northern circuit and is a justice of the peace and deputy chairman of the Westmorland Quarter Sessions. He was_ recently in charge of debris removal and salvage arrangements in the Ministry of Home Security.

asked the Minister of Health whether his proposals, outlined to the House in October last as to the future of the voluntary hospital services, will be submitted to Parliament for consideration before being implemented?

The statement to which my hon. Friend refers related to the Government's post-war hospital policy and it will be clear from the statement that the application of the principles mentioned will require legislation.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will consider the advisability of taking steps to prohibit prestige advertising during the war in the interests of economy and saving of paper?

There is already a limitation on the proportion of space that may be used for advertisements of any kind in newspapers and periodicals. My right hon. Friend does not propose to prescribe the types of advertisements which shall be inserted in the space available.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent Sunday work in Royal Ordnance factories has now been eliminated as recommended by the Select Committee on National Expenditure?

The position is substantially as stated in the reply given to the hon. Member for South Croydon (Sir H. Williams) on 17th December last. The position is, however, under constant review and special efforts are now being made to reduce the hours of work in cases where it is considered they are still too long and to adjust all working hours to ensure that there is a satisfactory week-end break.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps are being taken to supply rubber tyres to farmers who have for some time past fitted their carts and wagons with this form of wheels and for whom re-conversion would now be a difficult operation?

So far as the rubber situation permits, rubber tyres will be supplied under the tyre rationing scheme to farmers whose carts and wagons have been fitted with rubber tyres, in cases where re-conversion to steel or wooden wheels would not be possible.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps it is proposed to take for continuing in force those provisions of the Ministry of Supply Act, 1939, which are due to expire on 13th July?

A Defence Regulation is being made under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939, under which the expiring provisions of the Ministry of Supply Act will continue in force for the duration of the emergency.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider permitting the opening of the grouse shooting on 5th August as was the case last year?

This matter is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in the interests of small poultry keepers, he will take steps to require registration of sellers of live poultry, sitting eggs and young chicks?

I am giving this matter very careful consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has any further statement to make on artificial insemination in view of the widespread desire to launch immediately new schemes of this nature?

I am aware that a number of schemes for artificial insemination have been prepared, or are in contemplation. While I fully appreciate the great potentialities for good of this practice if properly conducted, its possibilities for harm if it is inadequately controlled, or if development takes place on wrong lines, are also considerable. I concur, therefore, in the view held by the Agricultural Improvement Council that any results to be anticipated from an extension of the practice of artificial insemination are important from the point of view of long term policy rather than in relation to their influence on the immediate position. I also share their opinion, reflected in their recommendation for the initiation of two large scale field trials to be carried out under the general supervision of the supervisory committee recently appointed by the council, that before its general adoption can be recommended, experience of its practical application under ordinary farming conditions in this country is desirable. As I have already stated, I hope to obtain powers from Parliament enabling me to exercise a proper degree of control, and I have asked the supervisory committee to advise me on this point as a matter of urgency. In the meantime, I consider that no schemes other than the two recommended by the council, or any that the supervisory committee may subsequently initiate or approve, should be proceeded with.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will take steps to minimise the damage which is being done by Government contractors laying pipelines and doing other work across agricultural land, in that they break field drainage lines and replace the pipes in such a way that the water cannot continue to flow down the pipes?

Very few instances of damage of the kind which my hon. Friend describes have come to my notice, but if he will send me particulars of cases known to him I will look into them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many persons are now employed in agriculture and what proportion does the increase in the price of foodstuffs of agricultural derivation bear to the increase of wages since January, 1942?

As the hon. Member will recall, statistics of the number of workers employed in individual industries are not disclosed during war-time. The average of statutory minimum wage rates for ordinary male adult agricultural workers in the various counties of England and Wales increased by 14 per cent. between December, 1941 (when the last general increase took place) and April, 1942. The index number of prices of agricultural produce received by farmers in England and Wales increased by 13 per cent. between December, 1941, and April, 1942, after allowing for seasonal variations.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies how many refugees since the outbreak of war have been allowed to enter Palestine or have been refused admission and from what countries they, respectively, came; what principles are acted upon in deciding whether any particular refugee or class of refugees shall be allowed to enter or be refused admission; and whether any and, if so, what discrimination is made between Jewish and non-Jewish refugees?

Some 4,000 persons have been admitted to Palestine specifically as war refugees, of whom 2,400 were from Poland, 270 from Germany, 340 from Czecho-Slovakia, and 990 from the Baltic and Balkan States. Of these, 3,000, all of Allied nationality, were received at the request of His Majesty's Government as being persons for whom a temporary asylum must be found. The balance, of whom about one-third were of Allied nationality, reached Palestine under their own arrangements. The 4,000, almost without exception, had left their territory of origin in advance of enemy occupation or severance of relations with Great Britain. Except where previous check had been made by His Majesty's representatives or those of Allied Governments, all persons arriving were subjected to a security check and detained until inquiries had established their bona fides. Those unable to satisfy the security authorities have remained in detention. There is no discrimination between Jewish and non-Jewish refugees; in fact some 40 per cent. of the 4,000 are actually Jews.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much money was paid to British Overseas Cottons, Limited, by the cotton spinners' section of the trade; how much of this money has been spent to date, and how; what amount is still in hand and how it is proposed to deal with this balance?

The levy in question is payable to the Board of Trade, not to British Overseas Cottons, Limited, and payments are made by the Board of Trade to the company only as needed. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the yield of the levy but payments by the Board of Trade to British Overseas Cottons, Limited, as a result of its operations up to the 31st January, 1942, amounted to £106,432. Of this amount £56,432 was on account of the net loss after taking into account the company's trading operations and administrative expenses. £50,000 was to finance the initial purchase of cloth. In view of the changed circumstances of the export trade my right hon. Friend is reviewing the whole position.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the scheme submitted by the Inland Revenue Staff Federation for the facilitation of tax collection; and what were his objections to it?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper on the taxation of weekly wage-earners (Cmd. 6348), which contains a full explanation of the reasons against accepting the basis of current earnings.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the cost to the Exchequer in issuing transfer deeds free to the public from 1st September, 1939, to 31st March, 1942, and the concession to stock exchange firms under Section 42 of the Finance Act, 1920, and the amendment of I931 for the same period; the extent to which each stock exchange has taken advantage of that privilege; and the aggregate totals involved for the period from September, 1920, to 31st March, 1942?

The cost of the transfer forms issued free to the public in the period 1st September, 1939, to 31st

Exchange.	Duty if exigible at £1 per cent.	Exigible and paid under Section 42.	Difference.
London Stock Exchange	893,694	160,167	733,527
Birmingham Stock Exchange	1,961	454	1,507
Bristol Stock Exchange	1,327	285	1,042
Cardiff Stock Exchange	2,058	1,127	931
Halifax Stock Exchange	187	76	111
Huddersfield Stock Exchange	45	27	18
Leeds Stock Exchange	17	14	3
Liverpool Stock Exchange	335	78	257
Manchester Stock Exchange	1,268	413	855
Mincing Lane Tea and Rubber Shareholders Association Ltd.	78	39	39
Newcastle Stock Exchange	13	5	8
Nottingham Stock Exchange	205	60	145
Provincial Brokers Stock Exchange	1,881	420	1,461
Shefiield Stock Exchange	7,516	1,533	5,983
(a) Total for period 1st September, 1939 to 31st March, 1942	910,585	164,698	745,887
(b) Total from 1st September, 1920, to 31st March, 1942	12,830,378	2,359,949	10,470,429

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the difficulties being experienced by many old age pensioners on account of the increased cost of living, he will consider augmenting the basic old age pension by a war bonus?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) on3rd March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the position resulting from his refusal to maintain for the present financial year the grant hitherto made to London University, which is the only British university to have its grant diminished; and, as the condition that Exchequer grants are conditional on local authority grants leaves the control of educational policy to the local authorities, will he take steps to alter it?

I cannot add to the full explanation of this matter which I gave my hon. Friend on 10th March in reply to his previous Question. I do not accept the inference contained in the latter part of the Question.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the present annual amount disbursed in payments to holders of Post Office annuities; and whether, in the publicity used to sell these annuities to the public, it has always been made abundantly clear to purchasers that the savings which they so invested would be subject to Income Tax in respect of that part representing a refund of principal as well as of the part representing interest?

The amount paid to holders of Post Office annuities in 1941 was £702,500 net (i.e. after deduction of Income Tax where appropriate) in respect of £904,000 gross. Publicity matter issued states that Income Tax is not deducted if the annuitant is entitled to exemption, and that it is deducted at the reduced rate where it is clear that the standard rate of tax does not apply. An intending annuitant is not explicitly informed in the sense suggested in the latter part of the Question; but the literature sent to him leaves no room for doubt that the whole of the annuity is subject to tax at the rate, if any, applicable to him. Approximately 60 per cent. of Post Office annuities are paid without deduction of tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the forthcoming stopping of the basic ration of petrol and the consequent laying-up of motor-cars, he will consider the advisability of issuing free licences for those motor-cars of the Birmingham Voluntary Transport section solely used for the transport of serving men going home on short leave, arriving at railway stations in the early hours of the morning, as is done to those using their motor-cars during an aerial bombardment in conjunction with Civil Defence authorities?

I regret that it will not be possible to extend the arrangements now being made as suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that detailed reports of the sinkings of Allied and neutral shipping appear regularly in the American Press, and then quoted in our own newspapers, His Majesty's Government will reconsider its policy and publish these statistics in future?

Many of the reports appealing in the American Press and telegraphed to this country are not official. His Majesty's Government still do not consider it desirable to publish statistics of losses and so present valuable information to the enemy.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many prisoners there are in enemy hands of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy?

The total number of Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel reported as being prisoners of war is 3,081, of whom 430 are officers and 2,651 ratings and marine other ranks. The number of Merchant Navy personnel reported in enemy hands is 3,328.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many non-industrial civil servants were employed on 1st April, 1939 and 1942, respectively?

The number of non-industrial civil servants employed in Government Departments at the dates named were:

		1st April, 1939.	1st April, 1942
Whole-time	…	371,050	637,097
Part-time	…	48,916	53,762
		419,966	691,359

These figures exclude staff engaged on reserved and agency services. Northern Ireland, numbering 4,930 at 1st April, 1939, and 5,287 at 1st April, 1942, respectively.

asked the Postmater-General what tonnage of paper is used per year in the making-up of booklets containing postage stamps; and whether, in view of the large amount of paper so used and the labour employed, he will consider discontinuing their production for the period of the war?

The answer to the first part of the Question is 69 tons excluding the stamps themselves: the labour employed is very much more than set off by the saving in labour at the 24,000 Post Office counters throughout the country, and by the resulting reduction in congestion.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will address simultaneously and in the same terms his request now sanctioned by the General Medical Council to all the medical licensing bodies in Great Britain so as to avoid the inequality of sacrifice which must result from sporadic action on the part of individual licensing bodies?

I understand from the General Medical Council that they have communicated on this question with all licensing bodies and examining boards in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what tonnage of jam made last year by branches of the Women's Institute centres has been destroyed owing to its bad keeping qualities?

My Department is not aware that any jam made by the preservation centres last season has been destroyed. Small amounts which were of poor keeping quality were sold to children's institutions as sub-standard jam in addition to their ration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he can give an estimate of the number of small retailers in fish and milk who will be put out of business by the new schemes for control of these distributor businesses; and, in considering the details of these schemes, will he take steps to ensure that these small firms will have the opportunity of restarting after the war and will not be crushed by the chain stores, co-operative or other big combines?

In regard to milk, I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraphs 9 and 10 of the memorandum on Milk Policy presented to the House last week. Local rationalisation schemes must make provision for preserving the interests of individual retailers, whether or not they participate in the actual delivery of milk during the operation of the schemes. As regards fish, I am not aware of what scheme my hon. Friend has in mind but if he will give me particulars I will look into the matter.

asked the Lord President of the Council who are the present nominees of the Privy Council and the Pharmaceutical Society under the provisions of Section 4 of the Pharmacy and Medicines Act, 1933?

The three persons nominated by the Privy Council to be members of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society under Section 4 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933, are at present Sir Malcolm Delevingne, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., Professor W. J. Dilling, M.B., Ch.B., and Sir Walter Langdon-Brown, M.D., F.R.C.P.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider making representations to the Free Czechoslovakian Government in London as one of the Allied nations so that steps may be taken to mark as an historic site for future commemoration the scene of the shooting of Heydrich; and to broadcast such a decision to all the conquered populations of European countries as a tribute to the brave men involved and to the murdered innocent hostages executed in revenge, and that all similar sites will be treated as places of commemoration?

I have been asked to reply. This matter is one for the Czechoslovak Government; and it would be inappropriate for His Majesty's Government to make any representations to them in regard to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children died from diphtheria in Scotland in 1941; and what were their ages?

The total number of children under the age of 15 registered in Scotland in 1941 as having died from diphtheria was 466. Of this total 16 were under a year old, 265 were over one and under five years, 150 over five and under ten, and 35 over ten and under fifteen. Death certificates, on which registration particulars are based, do not distinguish between immunised and unimmunised children. The figure of 419 deaths given in answer to a Question on 5th May was based on special returns from medical officers of health dealing with cases where they had information on this point, and I am inquiring further about the cases not covered by these returns.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in obtaining the release of miners from the Armed Forces, consideration will first be given to miners with wives and families, many of whom have been in the Army from the early days of the war?

The main consideration for the release of ex-miners from the Army is that underground work is immediately available for them. When the names of such men are submitted, the War Office releases all those, whether married or single, who are not expressly excluded from the arrangements by military considerations. In regard to the Royal Air Force, the names of all the men whom the Air Ministry is prepared to release are sent to the colliery companies, with a view to immediate coal-mining employment being found for them.

asked the Home Secretary how many children are in remand homes awaiting vacancies in approved schools; how many children between 8 and 10 years of age are at present in approved schools; how many children were sent to approved schools by juvenile courts in the 12 months ended 30th April, 1942, and how many were boarded out in private homes?

On the 30th'April, 1942, the number of boys and girls under 15 in remand homes awaiting vacancies in approved schools was 742 and the number committed to approved schools during the previous 12 months was 2,765. On the 31st December, 1941, the number of children between 8 and 10 years of age in approved schools was 127 out of a total of about 10,000. As respects boarding-out, no later figures are available than those for 1938, when 966 children under 14 were committed to the care of fit persons under the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933.

asked the President of the Board of Education the number of education authorities; the number of such authorities who have, in any way and at any time since August, 1939, penalised teachers holding, or suspected of holding, pacifist views or being conscientious objectors under the terms of the Military Training and Military Service Acts; how many of such teachers were, respectively, men and women, headmasters or headmistresses; and for how many children they were responsible when they were penalised?

The number of local education authorities in England and Wales is 315. As regards the other parts of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his Oral Question to-day.