asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that workmen who volunteer to work for the war effort away from their homes do not receive assisted facilities for travel, but, if they are directed to do so, they receive assistance from the Government; and will he see that this anomaly is corrected.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 4th June to my hon. Friend, the Member for East Fife (Mr. H. Stewart), a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Labour which of the age groups over 41 years have been called up for National Service?

No men over 41 years of age when they were required to register have so far been called up under the National Service Acts with the exception of doctors and dentists who are being dealt with specially up to the age of 46.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the registration of the older age groups and the need for man-power in all spheres of the war effort, he will now take steps to mobilise for appropriate war work all men under 41 years of age of lower medical grades who are liable for service and not reserved or deferred?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for West Salford (Mr. Emery) on 19th March, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men of military age at present employed in the Foreign Exchange Department of the Bank of England?

As I stated in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Wycombe (Sir A. Knox) on 16th July, I am not prepared to publish information of this kind in respect of individual undertakings or organisations.

asked the Minister of Labour the amount of money paid in unemployment benefit, the cost of administration, and the percentage of the latter to the former for each of the years 1920 to 1940, together with similar particulars of the Assistance Board since its inception?

I am having the information obtained and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for India (1) why a cable sent to Bombay on the 8th July, reporting the bad conditions of Indian seamen's homes in Liverpool, by the London correspondent of the United Press of India, has been withheld although passed by the British censor, who is responsible for this; and whether the Indian censor is instructed to censor newspaper cables for reasons other than military;

(2) why cables sent to the newspaper "Kesari," of Poona, during the last week of June and the first two weeks of July, by its London correspondent, have been withheld, although passed by British censors; who is responsible for this; and why the cables are subject to a double censorship?

I have no information about the treatment of the cables in question by the censorship in India, but will make inquiry. Although preferential treatment is given in India to Press telegrams passed by the United Kingdom censorship, the Government of India have reserved the right to scrutinise any incoming message not only from the purely military aspect but in the light of their knowledge of conditions in India.

asked the Home Secretary whether, in the event of the borough police forces being merged with county police forces, the borough constable's right of appeal in disciplinary cases will be safeguarded in the manner recommended by the Select Committee on Police Forces (Amalgamation), 1932?

The recommendation to which my hon. Friend refers was considered when the regulations on the amalgamation of police forces were being prepared, but I came to the conclusion that it would not be practicable to apply the disciplinary procedure now obtaining in borough forces to cases where a borough has been merged with a county.

asked the Home Secretary whether His Majesty's Government recognises the decree issued by the German Government, in November, 1941, by Which Jews who had left Germany were deprived of their German nationality; and whether His Majesty's Government regards Jewish refugees from Germany now in this country as Stateless?

The German ordinance referred to purports to deprive of German nationality any person who is a Jew as defined by German law and is residing abroad in circumstances which make it clear that he is not staying abroad merely temporarily. While persons who can be identified as coming within the terms of the ordinance may, under German law, lose their German nationality, it would, in the view of His Majesty's Government, be contrary to public policy to recognise the power of an enemy State by its legislation in time of war to relieve persons who were its nationals at the outbreak of war from any disabilities, liabilities or restrictions imposed by our law on aliens of enemy nationality.

asked the Home Secretary whether, owing to serious complaints that children are engaged in the smuggling on the border between Northern Ireland and Eire, he will take all possible steps to protect young people from becoming involved in this traffic?

The most important thing is to detect and bring to justice merchants who organise and profit by the illegal export of goods, but the authorities also recognise that appropriate measures must be taken for checking the activities of agents and minor offenders, including any use of children for the purpose of such illicit activities.

asked the Home Secretary whether it is proposed to take any steps to restrict charitable appeals made overseas on behalf of organisations in this country?

Yes. In view of strong representations received as to the difficulties caused in countries overseas by uncontrolled appeals sent to those countries by charities in this country a Defence Regulation has been made which prohibits persons in the United Kingdom from making appeals in other countries for donations or subscriptions to a charity unless the permission of the Secretary of State is obtained. The regulation provides that permission shall not be granted if it appears that the appeal might be prejudicial to the relations between the United Kingdom and the country in which it is to be made by reason of its being unwelcome in that country or interfering with similar charitable appeals organiśed in that country. Where permission is granted, requirements may be imposed—including requirements as to satisfactory administration—for preventing any prejudicial consequences. Promoters of charitable enterprises have received a great volume of support and generous donations from countries overseas, notably from the United States of America and the Empire, and those who have had experience of the difficulties, which are liable to arise under war conditions will, I am sure, appreciate the need for the new regulation. Applications for permissions from charities with headquarters in Scotland will be dealt with by the Secretary of State for Scotland, and other applications by the Home Secretary.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is now prepared to look into the case of any French or Danish national whose application for exemption from restrictions is refused by the police?

I am glad of the opportunity of clearing up this point which arises out of the answers which I gave to Supplementary Questions on 16th July. Each of these applications by French and Danish nationals for exemption will be considered in the Home Office and the decision will be the decision of the Secretary of State. I shall, however, wish to have a police report upon each application and accordingly it will save time and correspondence if the applications are sent not to me but to the local police who will transmit them to me with their report.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the experiments on rabbits conducted at the Department for Research and Experiments at Oxford for studying the effects of blast; what useful purpose has been served by the experiments; and is he satisfied that they come within the legal powers of those conducting them?

I am advised that there is no doubt as to the value of these experiments in enlarging knowledge of methods of safeguarding human life. They are conducted in accordance with the statutory provisions which authorise the granting of licences to perform experiments for the advancement of knowledge useful for saving life.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will consider whether the men and machinery now employed, often without supervision, in the demolition of damaged buildings in London and else where could be employed on more useful war work?

Arrangements have been in operation for some time for the release for other important war work of a considerable proportion of the men and machinery employed on demolition work in London and elsewhere, and I am in constant consultation with my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Labour and Works to enure that this labour force is utilised to the best advantage. I do not accept the suggestion that demolition work for safety reasons and salvage is of minor importance or that it is conducted without supervision.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will authorise regional commissioners to approve local applications for the use of air-raid sirens as a means of summoning the Home Guard in the event of urgent emergencies?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War to the hon. Member for Eye (Mr. Granville) on 14th July.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he proposes to take any action to stop wholesale dealers in vegetables compelling retailers, who ask for one commodity which they need, to buy, as a condition of sale, a quantity of other articles which they do not need?

It is an offence against the Food (Conditions of Sale) Order, 1940, S.R. & O. No. 2012, for a person in connection with a sale or proposed sale of any article of food to impose any condition relating to the purchase of any other article whatsoever. Any information received by my Department of such contravention of the Order is always actively followed up.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food why the flour used for national bread is still prepared by separating the wheat germ in the process of milling; whether he is aware that the method by which the wheat is washed, the flour bleached and an uncertain proportion of the separated germ then restored to the flour producing an 85 per cent. extraction is recognised as producing a less nutritive flour than the process in which separation is not thus effected; and if he will institute the procedure giving the more nutritive flour?

I am not aware that national flour is being made in the way described by my hon. Friend. If he has any information on the subject, I shall be pleased to consider it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether his attention has been drawn to the experiment conducted by three scientists of the Children's Nutrition Council of Cambridge, in which they examined 17 samples of national bread obtained from widely separate sources, in seven of which the Ministry's specification with regard to the maximum fibre content was not complied with; and will he consider constantly checking the quality of the national loaf?

I have seen the report of the experiments conducted by the Cambridge branch of the Children's Nutrition Council. These experiments were made on flours milled before national flour became compulsory and confirm to a large extent the results of the larger survey carried out on similar flours by the Research Association of British Flour Millers on behalf of my Department. The difficulties connected with the standardisation of so small a part of a miller's production were removed when national flour became compulsory, and I observe that this report to which my hon. Friend refers recognises the improved quality of national flour since its compulsory introduction. With regard to the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 21st July [Official Report, col. 1422, Vol. 381].

asked the Parliamentary Secretary' to the Ministry of Food what are the exact quantities of wheat germ now being produced by controlled millers; and whether he will give a list of the purposes, other than national bread, for which millers are authorised by confidential instructions or Statutory Orders, to use this product?

The latest figures available are for the period up to nth July last. In the two weeks ending on that day, the average production of wheat germ was at the rate of 19 tons per week. With regard to the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 16th July last [Official Report, col. 1375, Vol. 381].

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will publish a complete list of house charges which have been approved, so that the public will know exactly what they are required to pay when having meals in public hotels and restaurants?

The list of authorised house charges is not in any sense confidential, and my Noble Friend is at present considering the best means of making the information more generally available to the public.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the limited quantity of apples and pears, both cooking and dessert varieties, that will be available in the autumn, and as hotel patrons have the same opportunities of purchase for home consumption as other persons, he will prohibit the sale of such fruit to hotels and other refreshment establishments, apart from those connected with the national services, and thus ensure a fairer distribution of supplies among all classes of the community than would otherwise be possible?

My Noble Friend sees no occasion to restrict the sale of apples and pears in the way suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that for some time past no coal has been obtainable on parts of the border between Northern Ireland and Eire; that, owing to the export of turf into Eire it has not only become scarce but high in price, and whether he will take steps to see that an adequate supply of fuel is made available?

I have no knowledge of the coal shortage referred to by the hon. Member and I am informed that regular supplies of coal are going to these districts. If he would give specific instances to the appropriate Department of the Government of Northern Ireland, I have no doubt that they will look into the matter. As regards the second part of the Question, I understand that inquiries have been made into the alleged export of peat to Eire and that the quantities involved, if any, are negligible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the street lighting in the City of Westminster is left on throughout the day; and will he take steps to put an end to this waste?

I am informed that all the electric street lighting in the City of Westminster is switched off in day time, while the gas lights consume so little gas that the labour required for turning them on and off would, in the view of the city authorities, not be justified. The position to which the hon. Member calls attention obtains throughout the country. Labour is in each case the difficulty, but I am exploring means for overcoming this.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the Architects' Registration Council is refusing scholarships to all aliens as such though admitting them to the register on payment of the same fees as British students; and, as the Act under which the said council was constituted stipulated that at least half of the fees received should be used for the provision of scholarships for the assistance of students of architecture of insufficient means, will he obtain parliamentary powers of intervention to prevent action which debars a considerable number of students from the benefits of the scholarship which the Act requires the council to establish?

The Act of 1931 provides that the Architects' Registration Council shall devote at least half the fees received for the provision of scholarships and maintenance grants in such manner and on such conditions as the council may determine, but there is no requirement to exclude aliens from these awards. I have no responsibility for the council's decision in these matters, nor would I feel justified in seeking power to intervene.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that in the administrative county of Durham there is paid to persons in receipt of workmen's compensation more than £20,000 per annum out of the county rates by the county public assistance committee; and can anything be done before the publication of the report of the Government committee to increase the amount paid in compensation so as to make these people independent of Poor Law relief?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Stoke (Mr. E. Smith) on 16th July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the nature of the action he proposes to take in connection with the British Manufacture and Research Company, Limited, and other companies which are the subject of a Report from the Public Accounts Committee?

The Report of the Public Accounts Committee to which my hon. Friend refers is now the subject of immediate consideration by the Treasury, and by the Departments most closely concerned with the transactions to which the Report refers. The action required in connection with the specific contracts referred to is I understand being taken by the contracting Departments concerned. The Treasury is preparing a Minute upon the specific recommendations of this Report, and upon the general questions of contract policy which it raises and the Minute will be communicated to the Public Accounts Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Purchase Tax authorities have power to demand certified copies of trading and profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and/or costings in respect of any line produced by a manufacturer?

Under Regulation 14 of S.R. and O. 1940, No. 2194, the Commissioners of Customs and Excise are empowered to require the production of traders' books and accounts and other documents of whatever nature, as well as any information, relating to goods liable to Purchase Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the recent increase on the price of coal as to how he intends to balance the cost of living so it will not rise to a point higher than it was before the price of coal was increased?

I said on 2nd July in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon) that the Government would continue their policy of controlling the cost of living as stated in my Budget Speech and in particular would effect such reductions in the retail price of other commodities which enter into that cost as may be necessary to compensate for the increase in domestic coal prices. I did not undertake that the general index number would remain at the same level as on 1st July; indeed at this time of year some seasonal increase is to be expected. But, as the Minister of Food announced on 15th July, measures have been taken to secure a progressive reduction in the price of potatoes as from 16th July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to encourage thrift and to allay doubts that have arisen in the minds of those who direct and subscribe to the War Savings Campaign, he will again make it clear that those who lend money to the State and rentier people living on interest, can look to the future without fears for their loans or their interest?

Loans to the State will be honoured without exception or qualification. The State is not directly responsible for private loans, but it is the declared policy of His Majesty's Government to maintain public confidence in the credit structure of the country and no action of any kind is contemplated which would interfere with the rights of creditors in respect of private loans.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the day-to-day duties of the chief Government Press liaison officer; and how are they related to those of the Ministry of Information?

The day-to-day duties of the Chief Press Liaison Officer in the main arise from contacts with the Press connected with the work of the Prime Minister's Office and of the Treasury. He works in co-operation with the Ministry of Information in the same way as other Departmental Press and Public Relations Officers.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) on whose authority is Mr. Humphreys-Davies making intimate inquiries into the private and domestic lives of officers serving in America and Canada; and what are the grounds that justify such inquisition;

(2) what are the terms of reference of Mr. Humphreys-Davies, at present in Washington; how long has he been there; how long is it intended he should stay; and what allowances or expenses does he receive, additional to his salary?

Mr. Humphreys-Davies, who enjoys the full confidence of my right hon. Friend and myself, is a Treasury officer who was added to the Treasury Mission in Washington to deal on the spot with general establishment questions arising in connection with the staffs of the various British Missions in America and in Canada. Mr. Hum phreys-Davies has authority to give decisions on behalf of the Treasury on many matters which would otherwise have to be referred to London. I do not know on what particular circumstances my hon. and gallant Friend is basing his first Question, which I am bound to regard as an unfortunate method of raising any point of difficulty that may have arisen. It is, however, entirely normal that, for example, the investigation of claims for allowances should give rise to inquiries regarding the details of expenses actually incurred and I am not prepared to accept any implication that Mr. Humphreys-Davies is undertaking an inquisition into the private and domestic lives of those concerned. He arrived in Washington on 12th March and it is intended that he should stay there indefinitely. He receives the normal Mission allowance appropriate to officers of his rank, i.e., 8 dollars a day.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the concern caused by his proposal to amalgamate the Portsmouth and Southampton collections of the Customs and Excise without consultation with the civic or commercial authorities in Portsmouth; that a new office recently prepared in Portsmouth is now to be abandoned and fresh accommodation found and considerable additional expenditure embarked upon to accommodate the combined collections in Southampton; that serious difficulties are likely to arise for the transferred staffs in finding living accommodation in the Southampton district; and whether he is prepared to reconsider this decision to amalgamate the collections?

I am not aware that this proposal has given rise to any concern on the part of the civic or commercial authorities. The present office at Waterlooville near Portsmouth is temporary and consists of a shop and rooms adapted for the purpose. A sub-office will be continued at Portsmouth but the developments of trade and commerce over recent years made Southampton the more efficient and economical centre for the collection. I am not prepared, therefore, to suspend the amalgamation which I am advised can be carried through without undue disturbance to the staff concerned.

asked the Minister of Information on how many occasions since the war began his Ministry has employed, in addition to its own staff, the services of any outside Press, publicity or public relations agent; and whether he will give names, charges paid and duties performed?

The Ministry employs advertising agents for the placing of its Press and poster advertising in this country; and official war photographs are supplied to the Home Press through appropriate agencies. For its overseas propaganda the Ministry uses agencies, journalists and similar means when local circumstances make that course desirable. It would be contrary to the public interest to give details of these arrangements.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of War Transport how producer gas is made and what material is used for making it?

Producer gas is made by passing air through an incandescent bed of carbonaceous fuel. The nitrogen of the air passes through the fuel bed unchanged, but the oxygen is completely combined with the carbon. The fuel, with the exception of the mineral ash, is thus converted into gas, composed of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, a little methane, and nitrogen, the latter constituting some 60 per cent. of the volume of the gas. By adding a proportion of steam to the air, it is possible to increase the hydrogen content of producer gas, and correspondingly the heating volume. Producer gas can be made from a wide range of carbonaceous material varying from wood to anthracite and coke, but for mobile producers the range is at present restricted for technical reasons to fuels of low ash content, and those which, on combustion, produce little or no tar.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether his attention has been called to an inquest in Liverpool on the 24th July, 1942, on a ship's greaser who met his death by falling from a gangway leading to the ship on which he was employed; whether he has noted that a mass meeting of dock workers sent a letter to the city coroner complaining that large numbers of gangways in the port are dangerous; and what steps he proposes to remedy this state of affairs?

I have seen a Press report of the case to which my hon. Friend refers; I am making inquiries and hope to communicate with him shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he is aware of the disquiet caused by the increase in juvenile delinquency in Essex; and whether he will press upon the county council the need for a greater provision of play centres in the industrial parts of the county?

The attention of local education authorities was drawn to the problem of increased juvenile delinquency and to the methods to be adopted for prevention and treatment in a memorandum issued by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and my predecessor, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member. I am glad to say that the Essex local education authority are holding a series of local conferences, in which His Majesty's Inspector is taking part, to discuss the questions raised in the memorandum, but that so far they have no evidence that the problem is a serious one. They have prepared a scheme for play centres in the Dagenham district but the need for this arises from the employment of mothers rather than from delinquency in the children.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in the registration of young people who attain the age of 16 this year, it is proposed to make the interview as well as the registration compulsory; and whether he is aware that pre-service units have, in most cases, absorbed their prescribed quota of cadets?

Before taking a decision on the issue raised in the first part of my hon. Friend's Question I shall consider the advice of the new Youth Advisory Council, which is giving attention to the matter, together with the results of previous registration. As regards the second part, I am aware that in many cases local Sea and Army cadet units have reached their allotted establishments, but new units may be formed within the limits of the total establishments allotted to the areas concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Education (1) what holidays are being granted to school-teachers;

(2) whether arrangements are being made during the school holidays for the care of children whose parents are at work?

The importance of making satisfactory arrangements for the care of children during school holidays was brought to the attention of local education and school authorities in Circular 1596, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend, who will see from it that the length of holidays enjoyed by individual teachers is likely to vary with the extent and nature of the arrangements for the care of children. There should be no question of teachers forfeiting altogether the holiday which they deserve.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in his consideration of proposals for the revision and expansion of education, he has included the use or possession of boarding schools and country mansions for the temporary use of elementary and secondary schools; and whether the Board is preparing comprehensive plans for the post-war rebuilding both of schools damaged or destroyed by enemy action and of those not meeting a desirable standard of efficiency and suitability?

The use for educational purposes of surplus residential accommodation which may be available after the war is being considered by my Department. Detailed plans for the rebuilding of schools damaged or destroyed by enemy action and the replacement of unsuitable school accommodation will fall to be considered in the light of any decisions that may be reached on the subject of educational reforms.

asked the President of the Board of Education what steps he is now taking to ensure that all school children in future are adequately instructed in the geography and history of the British Empire?

Teaching of the geography and history of the British Empire is generally included in school syllabuses in accordance with the Board's "Handbook of Suggestions for Teachers." A book on the British Commonwealth of Nations specially designed for the use of teachers is in course of preparation. My Department is organising a course for teachers on the English-speaking peoples which will include the Dominions and British Colonies. In addition the approved examining bodies are, I understand, considering how they can best promote the study of the British Empire through the certificate examination.

asked the President of the Board of Education the methed followed in appointing inspectors for schools under the Board; and whether such appointments are open to all citizens who have the necessary qualifications?

Vacancies in the inspectorate are advertised in the Press. Candidates whose qualifications and experience appear to be suitable are interviewed by a Selection Board which includes a representative of the Civil Service Commissioners. Appointments to the inspectorate are open to all citizens who are British subjects and have the necessary qualifications and experience, except that it has not been the practice to appoint married women or ministers of religion or candidates over 50 years of age. The normal recruitment is at present suspended. During the war appointments to the inspectorate, as to other grades of the Civil Service, are on a temporary basis and are made by the Department.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is at present the average number of food parcels despatched weekly to Lisbon for prisoners of war in Germany and Italy; and whether there is now any congestion in transport from Lisbon to Geneva?

On an average about 100,000 food parcels a week are at present being despatched from this country to Geneva and this rate is being still further increased. In addition an average of another 60,000 parcels are being despatched weekly from Canada. There is still some congestion at Lisbon, but the number of parcels transported from there to Geneva has in recent months appreciably increased.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the total cost of a certain camp; for what reason it has now been abandoned; and what expenditure was incurred in the conveyance of troops to, and removal from, this camp?

I regret that I have not been able to obtain the information asked for in the time available. I will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the public dissatisfaction at the slow issue of awards for gallantry; how many awards for the first Libya campaign have not yet been announced; and whether, in view of the beneficent effect on the troops concerned of prompt action, he will expedite official procedure?

I am not aware of any cause for dissatisfaction on this score. With the exception of eight cases in which there have been doubts about the identity of the individuals concerned or other similar difficulties, no recommendations for awards made in respect of the first Libyan campaign are outstanding. In the case of periodical awards the average time between the receipt of the recommendation and gazetting is about two months. In theatres where fighting is active, immediate awards for gallantry up to and including the Distinguished Service Order and the Distinguished Conduct Medal are granted without any avoidable delay. In such cases the average time which elapses between the receipt of the Commander-in-Chief's recommendation by cable and the notification of His Majesty's approval is not more than four days.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, bearing in mind the present crowded condition of most trains and the fact that Army camps and depots are often distant from railway stations, he will abolish the present practice of compelling soldiers, when changing stations, to take with them their blankets, an almost unbearable burden at a time when the men are wearing full packs, carrying kit bags and sometimes bearing arms as well?

The order requiring soldiers to take their blankets with them when changing stations has been under review and it has recently been decided to discontinue this practice.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that men volunteering for enlistment in the Army do not receive a grade card after their medical examination, as is the case with conscripts; and whether this anomaly will be discontinued, as if volunteers are not accepted by reason of the fact that they are not of a high medical category, they naturally require a document of some kind such as a grade card to show to anyone who inquires why they are not in the Army?

Volunteers usually apply for entry into some specific branch of the Army. The fact that they do not possess the necessary qualifications or come up to the medical standard required for the particular corps of their choice does not necessarily imply that they are unfit for all forms of military service.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the sale of tobacco and cigarettes is forbidden at the Merchant Navy Club, Rupert Street, London; and whether he will take immediate steps to secure a tobacco and cigarette sales licence for the club so that merchant seamen on shore leave may enjoy a normal amenity?

A licence under the Location of Retail Businesses Order to sell tobacco and cigarettes was refused because there are already ample outlets for the sale of these goods in Central London. My right hon. Friend is not prepared to make an exception in this case to the general policy of refusing licences unless it is clear that consumers would otherwise be unable to obtain supplies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that in the West Riding of Yorkshire there is a great shortage of moderately priced children's shoes; and will he have this shortage examined and rectified, if possible?

I have received a special report on this subject from the Area Distribution Officer in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which does not suggest a serious shortage. But if my hon. Friend will give me details of any information in his possession I will certainly have it investigated.

asked the Minister of Health whether the advertisements urging parents to have their children immunised against diphtheria, now appearing in the Press and at the cinemas, the Press articles in support of that practice and of vaccination, are being paid for, either directly or indirectly, by his Department; and what sum is likely to be spent in the current financial year in support of propaganda of this description?

The campaign for the immunisation of children against diphtheria has been organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Information. The Press advertisements are being paid for. The trailer film which recently began to be shown in cinemas was produced at the expense of the Ministry of Information but is being shown free of charge. The editorial matter which is appearing in support of the campaign is not being paid for, and I am glad to have this opportunity of thanking the newspapers and periodicals, as well as the B.B.C. for the generous help they are giving the Government in its efforts to stamp out this deadly disease. The total cost of the present campaign, all of which will fall in the current financial year, is estimated at £15,000.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in order to reduce delay at railway booking offices, he is now prepared to authorise the issue by the Armed Forces of a form of warrant which shall be valid as a ticket?

Yes, Sir, with the cooperation of the Service Departments a combined leave pass and railway ticket will be introduced as soon as the Services have completed the necessary arrangements. This will make unnecessary the exchange of leave warrants for railway tickets, and will, I hope, result in economy of man-power, of paper, and of time for the travelling public, and will promote the comfort and convenience of the troops.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will inform the House on the progress that is being made through the British Council for the exchange of scientific information between British and Soviet scientists; and if the agreement between the Anglo-Soviet Relations Association and the British Council is operating satsfactorily?

Some 50 inquiries from British men of science and scientific institutions have already been forwarded through the Council to Soviet scientific institutions in the last eight months. Exchange of information has been encouraged by the formation by the British Council and Ministry of Information of a joint advisory committee of British men of science, whose chairman is Sir John Russell of the Ministry of Information, and vice-chairman and secretary officials of the British Council. So far as I am aware relations betwen the British Council and the Anglo-Soviet Public Relations Association are perfectly satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement from the latest information available on the progress and activities of the British Council in Turkey?

The expansion of English classes is limited only by the difficulties experienced in securing sufficient staff. The total number of pupils of the Council in Turkey has increased from 1,500 in 1941 to 3,500 in the present year. Four British professors recommended by the Council now occupy chairs at Istanbul University and three further appointments are pending. Lending libraries of British books have been opened by the Council in Angora, Istanbul and Smyrna, and the Council's representative reports an ever growing demand for information about Britain and the English language.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the basis of the latest information available on the activities of the British Council in the Middle East; and if the Institute at Cairo continues to function in its varied activities?

The activities of the British Council in the Middle East have not been curtailed. The Council's Institutes in Egypt are normally closed during the hot weather, but this year the Institutes in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said have remained open with a reduced staff. No English classes are being held, but the libraries are open and social activities continue. It is hoped that the English classes will be resumed in all the institutes in September. Full particulars of the work of the Council in the Middle East will be found in the annual and quarterly reports of the Council which are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether we are developing sufficient and appropriate aeroplanes to serve for cargo-carrying purposes, especially across the Atlantic; and whether the estimated value of 12 such aeroplanes in their relation to the use of a 5,000-ton ship is being recognised and exploited?

Every effort is being made, consistent with our needs in other directions, to provide transport aircraft to meet the wide and increasing requirements of our war effort. I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that due weight is being given to the particular considerations urged by him.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why old age pensioners who grow and sell a few vegetables are mulcted in respect of their supplementary pensions by a few shillings a week; and whether, in view of the need for increasing food and thrift, he will discontinue any such practice?

I have been asked to reply. The Assistance Board inform me that it is not their practice to make deductions from supplementary pensions on account of occasional sales of vegetables and similar produce. If my hon. and gallant Friend has any case in mind I shall be glad if he will send me particulars.