asked the Postmaster-General to state for the latest convenient date the total amount of savings in the Post Office Savings Bank; the number of depositors; the number of withdrawals; and the amount for the year ending 1942?

The number of depositors in the Post Office Savings Bank at the 31st May, 1942, was approximately 15,800,000 and the aggregate balance due to them was £901,714,000. The number of withdrawals during the year ended 31st March, 1942, was 24,546,000 and the amount was £120,924,000.

asked the Postmaster-General how many men and women are now working in the Post Office; and how many men have joined the three Fighting Services in the last year?

The total number of persons of all ages employed by the Post Office on 1st April, 1942, the latest date for which particulars are available, was 290,233–176,421 males and 113,812 females. The number of men who joined the three fighting Services during the year preceding that date was about 8,500, bringing the total since the outbreak of war to about 60,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many county war agricultural committees have procured steaming apparatus for hire in sterilising greenhouses with a view to increasing the crop of tomatoes next spring; and how many growers have made applications for them?

Apparatus for the steam sterilisation of soil has been supplied to one county war agricultural committee. The apparatus was hired out by the committee to a firm of contractors, and I am informed that it was kept fully employed by them on work for growers during the season, November to March.

asked the Home Secretary whether he has investigated the possibility of making a certain number of paid air raid precautions workers available for harvest work in the vicinity of towns?

This matter has been discussed with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, who has issued a circular to county war agricultural executive committees explaining the procedure to be followed.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will see that instructions are given to all officers commanding military units occupying sites in country districts to co-operate with local war agricultural committees by immediately taking all reasonable steps for the destruction on those sites of weeds, which might seed themselves on surrounding agricultural land?

Orders to this effect have been issued.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he proposes to enlist the assistance of gas and electricity companies in demonstrating to their consumers, both by literature and otherwise, the possibilities of economising in fuel consumption in their own homes?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Pensions what number of children orphaned as a result of the war are in the care of relatives; what number have been cared for and taken charge of permanently by the neighbours of the deceased parents; what number are in reception areas under the State evacuation scheme; what number have been admitted into institutions; and in what way can persons, who are in all respects suitable and willing to adopt a child, be enabled to find a child?

My Department is paying pension in respect of about 1,700 children who are bereft of both parents. About 1,500 of them are in the care of relatives, either living with them or evacuated with their consent, generally under the Government scheme. Only a very small number are in the care of neighbours or friends. Under 100 are in endowed schools, naval orphanages, or special schools for the mentally or physically defective, etc. Of the remainder, the majority are happily placed in billets in reception areas of which their parents had approved. With regard to the last part of the Question, I have already received nearly 2,000 letters from kindly people offering to open their homes to orphan children. So far I have only been able to accept a small number of these offers because only a few children have actually been in need of a home. I am, of course, always happy to receive further offers, which are carefully noted, so that they can be considered should the need to take advantage of them arise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Planning why he ignored the recommendations of the Select Committee on National Expenditure in its Third Report as regards letting contracts for camps; and have contractors who have been asked to tender recently on architectural and civil engineering work been provided with sufficiently complete information to enable them to prepare close competitive estimates?

My Department is in agreement with the recommendations to which the hon. Member refers and I cannot admit that they have been ignored. Although time did not permit the use of bills of quantities for the camps to which reference is made, plans were available to tenderers who were also able to inspect the sites of the proposed works, and the basis of tendering was both equitable and adequate. The answer to the second part of the Question is, "Yes, to the full extent possible under conditions of-urgency."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Planning why he is closing down a number of brickmaking works in view of the shortage of houses in the United Kingdom; and what action he intends taking about the matter?

Certain brickworks have been closed in accordance with recommendations made by the committee on the brick industry, in its first Report, with a view to reducing the output of bricks to such a quantity as would meet current demands for urgent war-time building, thereby releasing the maximum number of men for other essential industries and the Forces. The output of continuing works is sufficient to meet all the anticipated demands of the building industry, and steps are being taken to maintain the closed works in such a condition that production can be resumed with as little delay as possible. The supply of bricks for necessary house building is therefore safeguarded. No change in the present policy is contemplated.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, having established the principle of varying prices and dates for strawberry crops in different districts, he will include the North-West district of Kent in the Area II scheme?

No, Sir, the conditions determining strawberry prices in Area II are not comparable with those in North-West Kent.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what are the maximum retail prices determined for strawberries for this year?

The maximum retail prices for strawberries this year are as follow:

Area I.

On or before 21st June, 1942–2s. 3d. per lb. net.

On and after 22nd June, 1942—is. 2d. per lb. net.

Area 11.

On or before 28th June, 1942–2s. 10d. per lb. net.

(From 29th June, 1942, to 6th July, 1942 (both dates inclusive))—2s. 3d. per lb. net.

On and after 7th July, 1942–1s. 2½d. per lb. net.

In the above table:Area I includes any area in the United Kingdom other than an area included in Area II.Area II includes Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, Durham and Westmorland, and the following areas in the County of Lancaster, namely, the rural district of Ulverston, the urban districts of Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness and Grange and the county borough of Barrow-in-Furness.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps are being taken to release potatoes that are liable to deteriorate for pig and poultry food?

It is the policy of my Department in its efforts to avoid waste to release for stock feed potatoes which will not keep and for which no other outlet is immediately available. Potatoes are now being offered for stock feed at 20s. per ton delivered.

asked the Minister of Production whether he can now give the names of the persons appointed to the newly constituted Regional Production Board for Wales; and indicate what powers are now to be vested in that body?

The chairman of the Regional Board for Wales will be my Regional Controller, Mr. Percy Thomas, lately the Ministry of Supply Regional Controller for the same region. After consultation with the appropriate organisations of employers and workpeople, I have invited the following to be the industrial members:

• Mr. W. E. Clement, of Thomas & Clement, Ltd. (who has been invited to be a Vice-Chairman).
• Mr. H. Leighton Davies, of Baldwins, Ltd.
• Mr. Leonard Gould, of Gould's Foundries, Ltd.

representing employers, and:

• Mr. W. E. Hopkin, of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers (who has been invited to be a Vice-Chairman).
• Mr. W. Minor of the Electrical Trades Union.

representing the employees. There is still one representative of the employees to be appointed. The official members will be the regional representatives of the three Supply Ministries, the Ministry of Labour and National Service and the Board of Trade.The powers of the Regional Board are set out in the White Paper (Cmd. 6360) containing the report of the Committee on Regional Boards.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the calling up of women over 40 years of age, he can make a full statement as to the use the Ministry is making of the registration to date of the younger women?

Women in the age groups already registered are being interviewed at the rate of 40,000 to 50,000 a week and are being transferred to the women's Services and to vital war work at the rate of 15,000 to 20,000 a week. Women not called for interview are those with young children of their own living with them and those already in important work from which it is considered that they should not in the national interest be withdrawn.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 108,963 unemployed are regarded as unfit for normal employment or only for light employment; and what steps are taken to verify periodically that all those who register as unemployed are really able and willing to take employment offered to them?

This total does not include those who have been classified as unfit for normal employment, but about 20,000 are men who, owing to age or physical disabilities, are not capable of other than light work. Men and women who have been registered as unemployed for a fortnight or longer are reviewed by panels who consider and advise on their suitability for employment or training.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the new demands made on the resources of the State, he will state, in tabular form, the aggregate sums now devoted by the State to the assistance of the individual from prenatal provision to old age pensions?

In framing the following statement I have assumed that my hon. Friend's Question relates to the social services, and does not include allowances to the dependants of men in the Fighting Services, war pensions or the cost of special war-time measures such as food subsidies and evacuation.Approximate estimated cost to the Exchequer in the financial year 1942 of the following services:

	£m.
Old age, contributory and supplementary pensions	104.6
Unemployment insurance and assistance	31.5
National Health Insurance	9.1
Education	68.0
Housing Subsidies	18.5
	231.7

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the representations of the coal trade and the Society of Coal Merchants, he will now consider, with a view to saving transport, the elimination of carrying weights and scales on coal vans?

My right hon. Friend has now consulted local authorities and the trade interests concerned and he is satisfied that on balance it would not be in the public interest to take action on the lines suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that the British Red Cross has access to the reports of the Protecting Power on visits to prisoners of war camps, he will furnish copies of the reports to the Library of the House of Commons?

My hon. and gallant Friend does not state the position correctly. The article in the Red Cross journal "The Prisoner of War" to which I presume my hon. and gallant Friend refers, gave, perhaps, a misleading impression of the nature of the information placed at the disposal of the Red Cross. Only certain information of a general character, derived from various sources and considered suitable for publication, has been made available to the Red Cross by the War Office.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that in many cases of officers retired under Army Council Instruction 422/42, their chances of obtaining civilian employment are pre- judiced by the interpretation placed upon this Army Council Instruction that their retirement is due to inefficiency; and will he clear up the position by explaining that the retirement under this Army Council Instruction is solely on the grounds of age?

The determining factors in deciding whether an officer shall continue to be employed, are his ability to discharge his duties successfully in all circumstances, the extent of his knowledge, qualifications and experience and the current needs of the Service. Every officer relegated to unemployment, under this review receives from the Army Council a letter of thanks for his services, which makes it clear that his relegation to unemployment is not regarded in any way as a reflection upon his military record, character or conduct.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will ensure that the dispensing of medicine shall be done by qualified chemists; and is he aware that members of the Pharmaceutical Society in the Army are not being used for the purpose of dispensing?

The qualifications required of dispensers of medicines in the Army were explained in an answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Clackmannan and Eastern (Mr. Woodburn) on 16th June of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. More pharmacists have recently been coming into the Army than are at present required as dispensers and a number must therefore be otherwise employed. Their skill has in fact proved invaluable in certain other kinds of technical employment.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that wives of men of the 4th Suffolk Regiment captured at Singapore have been notified that their allowances will be reduced as from 2nd August, 1942, unless further news is received of the men in the meantime; and whether this is the policy which he intends to pursue with all the dependants of captured or missing persons?

As has already been stated the position is that in all Far Eastern C3.S.GS where the payment of full allowances would normally cease before the 31st July, it will in present circumstances be continued up to that date. The question of a further extension is being considered and a statement will be made very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the difference which exists between the regulations governing the payment of the subsistence allowance to the Home Guard and fire-watchers in the matter of hours of duty and amount paid; and is he prepared to recommend a reconsideration of these allowances on the basis of an equal amount for an equal number of hours duty?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Glenvil Hall) on 28th April of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in order to expedite their movements to and from theatres of war, he has considered the mounting of our heavy guns on tank chassis for overseas use instead of lorry trailers as at present?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider postponing the requisition order for a certain area in East Anglia another fortnight, which will enable the crops to be cut and stocked in neighbouring parishes and thereby saved for the country's food supply?

I regret that I cannot consider any further postponement beyond the date notified to my hon. Friend in the answer which I give him on 23rd June.

asked the Secretary of State for Air when he will be able to inform the House as to the result of the conferences which are taking place on the provision of dive bombers required by the War Office?

As I informed the House in introducing the Air Estimates Speech in March, dive bombers for close support to the Army were ordered in July, 1940. There has been no change in policy since that date. As, however, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War informed the hon. Lady on 30th June, questions of air support for the Army are under constant review between him and me, together with other matters of common interest to our two Departments.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware of the extra burdens placed on ships' engineers because of the lack of greasers; and what steps are being taken to meet the situation?

Greasers are carried on the majority of ocean-going ships, and I am not aware that there are not sufficient numbers available. If, however, my hon. Friend has any information which he would like to put before me, I will be glad to consider it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that notices are displayed on the public highways, in many parts of the country, showing the words, "Wimpey's traffic this way"; and whether these notices have been posted with the approval of the highway authorities?

The approval of highway authorities has not been sought by contractors who have erected notices for the guidance of their vehicles engaged on national work. The signs, however, do not imperil the public interest, either from the point of view of security or of road safety. As at present advised, therefore, my Noble Friend does not propose to order their removal.