asked the Minister of Labour the proportion of skilled and unskilled men, respectively, of the total of 71,308 who were wholly unemployed on 17th August last; and, in view of the appeals for man-power, the nature of the difficulties which face the employment of these men on war work?

Among the total of 71,308 there were 15,615 boys under 18, including many who had just left school and have since found work. Of the balance of 55,693, more than half were registered for work in labouring occupations and the great bulk of these were registered for light work only. Generally it may be said that few remain on the register for more than a short time except those with some physical or other disability.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of girls between 20 and 30 years of age, residing in Glasgow, who have been ordered to proceed to England to engage on war work; whether he is aware that members of hardship committees have frequently asked girls when producing medical evidence as to the meaning of certain diseases of the applicant or of her mother; and when he intends to have medical men for the purpose of advising hardship committees on such vital matters, as decisions arrived at without real knowledge are unjust?

1,787 women between the ages of 20 and 30 inclusive have been transferred from Glasgow to industrial work in England. Of these, 874 were within the classes called up under the National Service Acts and having expressed a preference for industry, received formal directions from the National Service Officer as an alternative to enrolment in the Forces. The remaining 913 were transferred after interview under the Registration for Employment Order and of these only 31 were women who received final directions after having appealed unsuccessfully to the local appeal board. As regards the second part of the Question, I am not aware that cases of this kind have arisen but in order to make the position clear I am issuing instructions that if any Military Service (Hardship) Committee has difficulty in interpreting a medical certificate it shall be at liberty to adjourn the case so that the Regional Medical Officer may be consulted.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any prosecutions have taken place or are in contemplation in connection with strikes in essential industries within the past month?

Since the beginning of September, prosecution proceedings have taken place in eight cases. It would not be proper for me to give information with regard to cases that are in contemplation.

asked the Minister of Labour the nature of the difficulties which impede the employment of the 36,226 women and girls who were wholly unemployed on 17th August last, particularly in view of the demand for women labour?

Among the total of 36,226 women and girls there were 12,433 girls under 18, including many who had just left school and have since found work. Of the balance of 23,793 the great majority are married or for other reasons are immobile.

asked the Minister of Production whether employers or management in any industry, to which Essential Work Orders apply, can be prosecuted in the courts for loss of output; what is the procedure to be followed; and who, or what, authority is responsible for instituting the proceedings?

Prosecution of employers or management for loss of output is not provided for under the Essential Work Orders. I would, however, draw the attention of the hon. Member to the provisions contained in Regulation 54C, 55 and 78 of the Defence Regulations under which all Ministers in charge of Departments concerned with war production may, where it appears to them necessary in the national interest, exercise powers for the control of any undertaking. Under these regulations an authorised controller may be appointed to the undertaking and he may give directions to any person engaged in its management. If any such person appears to be obstructing the controller in the discharge of his duties, the competent authority, that is to say, the Minister in charge of the Department concerned, may give directions removing such person from his office or position.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent the cost of living has been reduced by the subsidy granted for the purpose of pegging the cost to the consumer of rationed goods?

It is estimated that if the cost of items included in the cost-of-living index, in respect of which subsidies are being paid by the Ministry of Food, were to increase by amounts equivalent to those subsidies, the cost-of-living index would be raised by about 20 points, or 10 per cent. over its present level. It is impossible to estimate what would be the effect on the cost of living if all the other measures taken by the Government to stabilise prices were discontinued.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Planning whether the Regulation relating to the carrying out of building work in any one year of no more than £100 refers to a period of 12 calendar months from any 1st January?

No, Sir. The period of 12 months referred to is not reckoned from the 1st January, but from any date on which work is being carried out on the property. Defence Regulation 56A provides that work may not be carried out on a property without a licence if the cost of that work, together with cost of any other work carried out on the property within 12 months before that time, exceeds £100.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the film, "In which we Serve," was substantially aided in its production by public money and by the Admiralty, arrangements will be made, both in the interests of the nation and the Royal Navy, to ensure its immediate display all over the country and not its limitation to two London cinemas, with lengthy delays before it will be generally released?

I have been asked to reply. This fine film is a commercial undertaking. Its production was aided by the provision of Service facilities such as are, where possible, made available for all approved commercial films. I am advised by the Admiralty that the only facilities afforded free of charge were those which involved no expense to the Crown. The distribution of the film is a matter for the commercial interests concerned, and I have no doubt they will see that it is on as wide a scale as possible, and begins at the earliest possible date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the shortage of black-out material which is now costing about 6s. 9d. per yard; and whether he intends to allow more of it to be made?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which was given to him on Tuesday last.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware that the withdrawal of cheap day tickets will involve a handicap on part-time students, especially on external students of the University of London, who are faced with expenditure for travelling from their work to technical and other institutions affording higher education in evening and other classes, examples of which have been furnished to him; and whether he will institute special arrangements to meet this position?

As I said in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 7th October, the withdrawal of cheap day tickets was a necessary measure which my Noble Friend adopted with great regret. He is, however, convinced that to admit the exception proposed by my hon. Friend would lead to similar demands by others with equal claims to consideration, and would thus defeat the purpose which he has in view.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in view of the advantage to civil and military transport, especially at night and in fog, he will arrange for signposts to be replaced in rural areas, under safeguard for them to be promptly removed if necessary?

The military authorities are not at present prepared to agree to the re-erection of signposts in rural areas.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give any figures showing the proportion of children in each Metropolitan borough who have so far been immunised against diphtheria?

The following statement gives estimates by the medical officer of health of each Metropolitan Borough, of the proportion of immunised children in the borough on the 30th June last. My hon. Friend will appreciate that under present conditions populations are too unstable to permit of accurate statistical statement in this form.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount paid by the Glasgow sanitary authority for lymph supplies and in respect of fees for vaccinations performed, respectively, during the recent outbreak of small-pox in that city; how many practitioners were recipients of the fees in question; and what was the highest amount paid to any one practitioner?

I am informed that the total amount paid by Glasgow Corporation for lymph used during the recent small-pox outbreak was £5,402, of which £1,075 is due to be recovered from the authorities of adjoining areas to whom the Corporation issued supplies. These figures do not include lymph obtained by the Corporation through the Department of Health for Scotland which is valued at about £6,000.The total amount paid in respect of fees for vaccinations performed during the outbreak was £10,469. Three hundred and fifty eight doctors and 190 senior medical students received fees for vaccinations and the highest amount paid to any one doctor was £271 2s. 6d.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions have been issued by the Glasgow sanitary authority in regard to the re-vaccination of hospital doctors and officials likely to come into contact with small-pox; and why these instructions were not observed in the case of the medical officer who contracted small-pox on or about 29th May last?

No standing instructions were in force previous to the recent smallpox outbreak with regard to the re-vaccination of hospital doctors or other officials. When the outbreak began re-vaccination was offered to all staffs likely to come in contact with small-pox directly or indirectly. The medical officer mentioned in the Question was re-vaccinated on 29th May but without success, after he had been in contact with infection on the ship.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is proposed to take any proceedings against the shipping company responsible for the fact that the Glasgow sanitary authority was not notified that there was a case of confluent small-pox on board the steamer from Bombay which arrived in the Clyde on 29th May last?

No, Sir. The shipping company was not responsible for failure to notify small-pox on the ship since the ship's doctor had diagnosed the case as measles complicated with pneumonia. Obviously shipowners and shipmasters cannot carry out any of the duties they have regarding small-pox on shipboard until its existence on the ship is recognised. Nor does any blame attach to a ship's doctor who makes a mistaken diagnosis in good faith. Small-pox is difficult to distinguish in its early stages from measles. The case in question was first recognised as small-pox on admission to hospital.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to ensure the retention of playing-fields round London in the interests of the younger generation who need recreation at the present time?

Playing fields vested in local authorities, whether in the London area or elsewhere, cannot be alienated or appropriated to other uses without my consent. I fully appreciate the importance of the retention of adequate facilities for recreation.

asked the Minister of Health what is the policy of his Department regarding the demolition of habitable property in war time; and whether he is aware that a great deal of this is being done unnecessarily?

In Circular 1866 which was issued to local authorities in September, 1939, the then Minister, stated that it was clearly desirable that the existing supply of accommodation should not be diminished: that remains the policy of my Department. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No," but I shall be glad to investigate any cases which my hon. Friend cares to bring to my notice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is popularising for the guidance of small poultry-keepers the value of weed-seeds, berries and nuts for fowls; and whether he will bring to the notice of the county garden produce committees the expert leaflet on the subject compiled by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to my answer to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Howdenshire (Colonel Carver) on 14th October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many horses are being kept for the purpose of fox-hunting; and how much feeding stuffs it is estimated that they consume each month?

Rations are now allowed for 314 horses in hunt establishments. The quantity of feeding stuffs involved is 47 tons per month during the hunting season. I have no particulars of the numbers of other horses kept solely for fox-hurting, for which no rations are allowed under the feeding stuffs rationing scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the names of the members of the Witham and Steeping Catchment Board and the names of the bodies they represent; the amount of public grants this board has received and the rate of wages paid to their workmen?

As the reply is long and detailed I am sending the hon. Member the desired information.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will make it clear that the inclusion of Mirfield in the list of those local authorities who had made a "nil" or negligible return of bone collections, as circulated on 6th August, was in no way intended as a condemnation of Mirfield urban district council; and whether he is aware that this authority had previously made arrangements for the collection of bones?

As my right hon. Friend has already stated, the circulation of the list in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 6th August was not intended as a general condemnation of the local authorities named therein. The list was of local authorities who had made either "nil" or negligible returns for bones, and it was made clear that special inquiry was being made in those cases. It now appears that the Mirfield urban district council had made arrangements for the collection of bones but had not recorded in their salvage returns the amounts they had collected.

asked the. Attorney-General whether, having regard to the present law which, as a general rule, prevents British courts from dealing with persons who have committed crimes against British subjects outside this country and, in consequence, will allow Germans who have committed serious offences against British subjects in Germany, after the war to come to this country with immunity from prosecution, he will consider the desirability of instituting legislation altering the law upon the subject?

I presume that my hon. Friend's Question is directed to the punishment of war criminals after the war—a subject which was debated in another place on Wednesday, 7th October, when my Noble Friend the Lord Chancellor surveyed the subject and made some announcements of policy in which the President of the United States and the Allied Governments now resident in London concurred. A large number of other questions connected with the subject remain to be considered with our Allies, and the point of domestic legislation mentioned by my hon. Friend is not being overlooked.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, to save cardboard, he will allow Christmas postcards this year to be sent for 1d., though conventional greetings are wholly in writing?

The Post Office has hitherto considered it impracticable to accept plain postcards bearing Christmas greetings wholly in writing for transmission at the printed paper rate, because of the difficulty which would then arise in preventing abuse of that rate. In view of the present urgent need for saving paper, however, my right hon. Friend would like to consider the matter further and will write fully to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a number of non-industrial workers escape payment of Income Tax because they move from post to post and the Inland Revenue authorities fail to send demand notes to their employers although the latter furnish addresses of such employees; and, since this differing treatment causes dissatisfaction among other staff workers who do pay tax, if he will key up his officials to greater rapidity of action?

An employee does not escape payment of tax by changing his employment. In order that any balance of tax may be deducted in the new employment the regulations governing the deduction of tax from salaries and wages require employers to notify the Inland Revenue Department of the change and steps are then taken by the Department to recover the balance by deduction from the wages payable in the new employment. If my hon. Friend has in mind a particular case in which this has not been carried out and will give me details, I shall be glad to make inquiries into it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that officers' uniform allowances are in most cases not sufficient to cover the cost of their outfits, he will consider classifying officers' battledress as utility clothing and exempting it from Purchase Tax?

I do not think that it would be possible to make an exception in favour of battledress from the general rule that uniforms cannot be exempted from Purchase Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to make a statement as to the practicability of substituting a simple declaration on the back of a transfer form for the use of the separate Form D, as at present required?

Yes, Sir. This matter has been very fully considered and I shall very shortly be in a position to bring into effect certain changes in the Regulation which will considerably simplify present procedure and will embody the suggestion to which my hon. Friend refers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the net receipts, on inland and on foreign bills of exchange and promissory notes for each of the years ended 31st March, 1940, 1941, and 1942 and for the six months ended 30th September, 1941 and 1942, and will he arrange for this information, as formerly, to be set out in this form in the annual reports of the Commissioners of His Majesty's Inland Revenue?

The net receipts from the Stamp Duty on bills of exchange and promissory notes were as follow:

Year ended 31st March:—
1940	1941	1943
£417,000	£214,000	£149,000
6 months ended 30th September:—
1941	1942
£76,000	£67,000

As regard the latter part of the Question, it has been decided that the annual reports of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue should not be published during the war.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he, is aware that his Department are proposing to requisition 63 acres of good wheat-growing land at a place of which he has been informed; and what is the reason for this requisition?

In order to meet military requirements for building sites it is unfortunately necessary from time to time to requisition good agricultural land. This is avoided, if possible, and before such land is requisitioned, every alternative site is examined in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture. I am satisfied that this was done in the case referred to by my hon. Friend, and also that the agreement of the Ministry of Agriculture was obtained.

asked the Seecretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the inter-services journal on aircraft recognition; and whether, in view of the helpful nature of this publication, he will encourage its distribution among Service units?

The answer to both parts of the Question is "Yes, Sir." Arrangements are in force for distributing copies to units.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many times Dover has been damaged by German guns at Calais on the French coast; whether any gun has been able to shell Calais from Dover; and how many people have been killed at Dover?

I do not think it would be in the national interest to make any statement on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Red Cross and St. John War Organisation spend over £90,000 a week on food parcels for prisoners of war; and whether he will now arrange for the Government to bear a substantial proportion of this cost, as the necessity for such extra food is due to the effects of our blockade?

I am aware of the heavy expenditure falling on the War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John, but I have no reason to think that their income will be insufficient to meet the cost of food parcels for prisoners of war. I do not accept the suggestion that the blockade in any way affects the obligations of the enemy Governments under the Geneva Convention.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent his Department is now responsible for all the British prisoners of war in the Far East belonging to all three Services; why his Department has forbidden the chief censor to forward from relatives in Britain correspondence to Royal Air Force medical officer prisoners of war captured in Java; and, in view of possible transfers of prisoners by the Japanese to other places, if this order will be rescinded immediately and the hands of the International Red Cross strengthened?

My Department, in consultation with the other Departments concerned, is responsible for handling the general issues relating to prisoners of war of all three Services in enemy hands in the Far East and elsewhere. No instructions have been issued to stop correspondence for those of them who have been notified as prisoners of war.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will obtain from the clerks to the county councils and county borough councils concerned full returns of the totalisator receipts at greyhound racing tracks for the years 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941?

I regret that I do not feel justified in asking for these returns in present conditions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the Medical Research Council now replaces the scienttific advisers who had been before February, 1942, responsible for the constitution of bread supplied under the control of the Ministry; what is the personnel of this committees, and at what date it became responsible for the composition of bread supplied to the public under ministerial control?

The Advisory Committee to which my hon. Friend refers is concerned, as its name indicates, with foods which are rationed. It has not, therefore, considered bread. The remainder of the Question does not arise.

asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that new methods practised abroad of obtaining finger-prints from dead bodies have proved an important means of identification of persons found dead; and whether he will institute this procedure in this country?

It has long been the practice in this country to take the fingerprints of unidentified dead persons, and a number of identifications have been secured by this means. I am not aware of any new technique which has been adopted abroad, and if my hon. Friend has any information on the subject I shall be glad if he will send me particulars.

asked the Home Secretary whether juvenile court cases are on the increase in all parts of the country; and what the increase has been in the borough of West Ham for the past 12 months?

Both in 1940 and in 1941 the number of juvenile court cases was substantially higher than in previous years. Later figures for the whole country are not yet available, but I have no reason to think that the increase is progressive. In West Ham there were 203 cases in the twelve months ending on the 31st August last as compared with 217 in the previous twelve months.

asked the Home Secretary why the grant of a free pardon for a Sheffield fireman, which he intimated on 12th May, was being recommended has not yet been communicated to the man concerned?

Notifications were sent to the court, the police, the chief regional fire officer, to my hon. Friend and to other hon. Members who had approached me on behalf of this man. As the fireman himself had made no representations to me, I find that no communication was sent direct to him, but if he would wish to have a copy of the free pardon I shall be glad to have one sent to him.

asked the Home Secretary whether he will arrange to have Scottish workers who have been transferred to England and are in receipt of workmen's compensation by reason of injuries sustained at work, examined by a medical referee in Scotland if the injured person has returned home to recuperate and so save the expense of a journey to England?

Under the rules of court the registrar is required, in the absence of special circumstances, to send the reference to a medical referee appointed for the court in which the case arises. To meet the difficulty to which my hon. Friend refers arrangements have been made from time to time, with the consent of both parties, to appoint a medical referee for the district to which the workman has removed to deal with the ease. I am always ready, on the application of the registrar of the county court, to make suitable arrangements in such cases.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will consider the wastage of gas and electricity due to the prevalence of night baking among 30,000 bakers in Great Britain, with a view of prohibiting night baking in the national interest, seeing that bread and flour confectionery can be made and distributed equally as well by day baking?

I am advised that the assumption stated at the end of the Question cannot be accepted, and that the practical difficulties that would be caused by a prohibition of night baking would outweigh any fuel saving that might result.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the large quantity of petrol consumed by the funeral-furnishing profession, he will consider the practicability of cutting down the long journeys now made by mourners' coaches by insisting that the religious functions and family observances be carried out and completed at the local church or chapel, leaving only the hearse to continue the journey to the place of interment?

No, Sir. I am not prepared to control by regulation ceremonies of this nature.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has considered the protest of the National Union of Scottish Mineworkers against the refusal of the Regional Coal Controller to divulge the names of persons appointed by the various coal companies to receive directions from the controller; and whether the names can now be given?

My right hon. Friend has been informed of the representations of the National Union of Scottish Mine-workers. It would be contrary to his wish that the names of persons appointed by coal companies to receive directions' should he regarded as secret, and he is approaching the Scottish mineowners on the point.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many fatal and serious accidents in coal mines have taken place this year and the causes thereof?

The figures are as follow:

Number of persons killed and seriously injured by accidents at mines under the Coal Mines Act.
Cause.	39 week to 26th September, 1942.
	Number killed.	Number seriously injured.
Falls of Ground:
(a) at the face	271	771
(b) on roads	50	133
Haulage and Transport	133	473
Cases, Coal dust and Fires:—
(a) Explosions	*95	76
(b) Others	4	2
Machinery	7	41
Other Underground Accidents	54	314
Surface	55	187
TOTAL	669	1,997
* Includes 57 killed at Sneyd Colliery, 12 killed and 29 injured at Barnsley Main and 13 killed and 3 injured at Mutton Colliery.

asked the Home Secretary what are the figures of civilian casualties in the United Kingdom from 3rd September, 1941, to 2nd September, 1942?

The number of civilian casualties resulting from enemy air raiding in the United Kingdom from 3rd September, 1941, to 2nd September, 1942, was:

Killed (or missing, believed killed)	3,224
Injured and detained in hospital	4,061

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can give any information in connection with an aeroplane accident at Somersham on Tuesday, 6th October; how many people were killed, the damage done to property and the cause of the accident?

The findings of a court of inquiry, which are now under consideration, indicate that this regrettable accident was due to a fire in the aircraft caused by the ignition of a flare. The crew were compelled to bale out from the aircraft which was engaged on an operational flight, and which subsequently crashed in the village of Somersham, causing the death of 11 civilians and injuries to three others. Seven houses were destroyed. I am sure the House would wish to join with me in expressing sympathy with the relatives of those who lost their lives and with the injured.