asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any steps are being taken to collect information about, and prepare plans for, satisfying the need for food products, raw materials and consumers goods by the United Nations and the occupied countries of Europe, respectively, so that the coming of peace will find the victorious Powers in a position to promote world recovery?

Estimates of post-war requirements for the Allied countries of Europe have been prepared by the Governments concerned, and are now being co-ordinated by the Inter-Allied Committee, under the Chairmanship of Sir Frederick Leith-Ross. Consultations are taking place between His Majesty's Government and the United States Government as to the best methods of organising relief and rehabilitation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the special coupons necessary for the supply by traders of hand knitting wool in Service colours are now issued only to officers and warrant officers; and why the limited supplies were not spread over all branches of the Services?

No special coupons have been issued for hand Knitting wool in Service colours. But officers, who are not issued with clothing, are given an annual ration of Service coupons to enable them to buy what they need. These coupons may be used for knitting wool in Service colours. Other ranks have their clothing issued to them and, therefore, are not given Service coupons; but knitting wool for comforts for other ranks can be obtained coupon-free by knitting parties working for the official Services comforts funds.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that paint and distemper are being regularly imported into Scotland from the South and that intruding firms from the South have for long been fostering depots and branch factories to the detriment of long-established Scottish firms, who are now threatened with concentration as from the end of December; and will he look sympathetically into the whole question of the concentration of the paint industry in Scotland?

The arrangements for the paint industry are now under review. The licences which, in the case of certain firms were to have expired on 31st December, have now been extended for two months. I will bear in mind the considerations mentioned by my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that two German refugees who arrived in this country shortly before the war have been allowed to build a paint factory with the aid of a Government subsidy and to-day have a nucleus certificate; and why he is subsidising foreigners in preference to British citizens?

I understand that the two firms which my hon. Friend has in mind were established before 1939, and that one of them received, under the Special Areas (Amendment) Act, 1937, some slight rebate of rent and rates for a limited period, which expired over a year ago. The Ministry of Supply has not given any subsidy to either firm.

asked the Secretary of State for War why paragraph 7 (c) of Army Council Instructions 989/1942 excludes the grant of an additional 48 hours to privilege leave in the case of soldiers proceeding to their leave destination by rail and sea?

As my hon. Friend will appreciate shipping for leave journeys is strictly limited and in order to make full use of it, it is essential to ensure an even flow of men going to and coming from the various islands. To do this it is necessary to give every man the same period of leave. This is now arranged in such a way that the man spends a clear seven days at his leave destination. Time spent on travelling does not in his case count against his leave entitlement. I am not sure that there is a general wish among the men concerned to have the additional 48 hours compulsorily added to their privilege leave. This would, moreover, hardly be fair on others in the Army who have to spend part of their leave travelling.

asked the Secretary of State for War what instructions have been issued to the Army implementing his announcement on 10th November last regarding retention of temporary rank in the case of officers proceeding overseas as part of a draft?

Instructions implementing the changes referred to by my hon. Friend will be issued in a few days.

asked the Secretary of State for War why he is assisting or permitting the recommendation and distribution to the troops of the book entitled "Is to-morrow Hitler's?"; and whether, as it libels the morals and habits of the Soviet peoples, accuses their Premier of wholesale assassination, identifies them and their political system with that of the Nazis whom we are pledged to uproot, endeavours to stir up hatred against our Allies, described, inter alia, as more savage and cruel than Germans, he will end such assistance and remove the book from the approved list for the Forces?

The Forces Book Club provides for the Services a supply of books of a wide range of interest at cheap rates. The books selected are intended to appeal to various tastes and points of view but the fact that a book is selected in no way gives official approval to or recognition of the views which the book contains. I will myself read the book in question and then consider the point raised in the last part of the Question.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will grant the same facilities to the Army Bureau of Current Affairs as are now available to public libraries whereby copies of Hansard may be purchased at half cost?

The Army Bureau of Current Affairs is a branch of the War Office, and any copies of Hansard supplied to them would therefore be obtained through the usual channels without my intervention.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will endeavour to procure the withdrawal of the ban on the sending of small individual parcels to prisoners of war from Switzerland; and if he will encourage the sending of such parcels from the United States of America in view of the difficulties now likely to arise in the transport of parcels by the ordinary route?

His Majesty's Government cannot ban the despatch of parcels from Switzerland but in order to control our resources of foreign exchange no payment can be made from or in this country for parcels addressed to individual prisoners of war. Apart from this objection it is not to the common interest of the general body of prisoners for parcels to be addressed to individuals. This would lead to unfair distribution of food in the camps and unequal treatment of prisoners, and it would aggravate the difficulties of transporting the Red Cross parcels which are so important for the well-being of our prisoners. This policy has been very carefully considered and has been adopted by all parts of the British Commonwealth. I regret therefore that I cannot adopt my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the ill-treatment of British prisoners of war in Offlag IX.A.H., which commenced on 30th September, was still continuing on 30th October; that this treatment was in reprisal for alleged inhuman treatment of German prisoners of war on the ss. "Pasteur," on the voyage from Suez to Durban in March; and will he inquire whether any such treatment took place and make representations through the Protecting Power?

I am aware of the ill-treatment to which British prisoners of war have been subjected in the camp referred to in the Question. Representations were made through the Protecting Power against this breach of the Geneva Convention and I am glad to be able to inform my hon. and gallant Friend that conditions in the camp returned to normal on 28th November. It was not known until very recently that the ill-treatment was intended by the German authorities as a reprisal for incidents which it is alleged took place on board the "Pasteur." These incidents have been fully investigated and are now being discussed through the Protecting Power.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the 318,000 prisoners of war parcels despatched from Lisbon on the 29th October have arrived at Genoa; whether in future all parcels will be sent via Marseilles; and whether, since the German occupation, parcels are being sent forward from that port to Geneva?

There was no despatch of 318,000 parcels from Lisbon to Genoa on or about the date mentioned in the Question. My hon. and gallant Friend can rest assured that parcels will be sent to whatever port is likely to be the most useful in the circumstances prevailing at the time the shipment is made. I am informed that all parcels which have reached Marseilles have gone on to Geneva.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether assistance is to be given to hill farmers and other marginal producers in England and Wales, similar to that recently announced by the Secretary of State for Scotland, in respect of marginal production in Scotland?

Yes, Sir. Arrangements have now been made to afford to farmers in England and Wales assistance similar in character to that announced on 17th November for Scottish producers by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in reply to the hon. Member for Kinross and West Perth. I append a statement giving details of the measures proposed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now make a statement regarding the refusal of Mr. L. C. Dungey, hop-grower of Headcorn, Kent, to pay to a hop-picker employed by him the balance of wages earned, of which he has been sent particulars; and whether he will take steps regarding the harsh conditions of employment imposed and purporting to be approved by the National Farmers' Union?

I understand that the balance of wages earned by this hop-picker, part of which had been withheld by reason of non-compliance with the terms of the employment, will be paid. The terms under which particular workers are engaged by employers are a matter for the parties concerned, and are not approved by the National Farmers' Union.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Planning whether, in the new proposals for a town and country planning department, he will set up a separate planning board for Wales, with statutory recognition, in view of the special nature of the problem in Wales?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Mr. Pearson) on 30th September, 1942, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works and Planning whether he will inform the trustees of Mendlesham Green Baptist Chapel what steps he proposes to take for compensation and eventual replacement of their iron railings which have been handed over to his Department for war purposes?

I am making inquiries into the circumstances of the removal of the railings from Mendlesham Green Baptist Chapel, which I am informed had suffered war damage, and I will write to the hon. Member on the compensation position as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Pensions the salary and other conditions of service of medical men serving on pension appeals tribunals?

I have been asked to reply. I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to existing tribunals. Medical men who are now serving are remunerated on a sessional basis at the rate of two guineas for a morning's attendance and three guineas for a whole day.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether post-war Income Tax credits are regarded as part of a taxpayer's estate in event of his death; and, if so, whether Estate Duty is payable in respect thereof?

In the event of the taxpayer's death before the date fixed for payment of the post-war credit, the right to receive the credit passes to his personal representatives, who may dispose of it as part of his estate, and the amount of the credit is exempted from Death Duties by Section 7 (4) of the Finance Act, 1941.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the fact that orphan children of service men receive official supervision to the age of 16, he will consider making the same arrangements for the orphan children of civilian casualties?

The War Orphans' Act, 1942, places upon me the duty of making provision for any war orphan who is suffering from neglect or want of proper care irrespective of whether the child is the child of a Service man or of a civilian. The Act provides that the supervision may be extended until the child is 21 even though pension may have ceased before that age is attained.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the serious delays which occur in the delivery of letters to and from India, both by ordinary mail, air-mail and airgraph; and what steps he contemplates in order to improve the position?

I am aware that the time occupied in the transmission of mails between this country and India compares unfavourably with the time taken in normal conditions. So far as ordinary (surface) correspondence is concerned the longer transit time is due primarily to the fact that the ships conveying the mails not only have to proceed by the long sea route via the Cape but are liable, for security reasons; to be diverted or detained en route. According to the latest available information, the average time of transmission of the mails from port to port is now about 10 weeks in either direction. Close contact is maintained with the other Government Departments concerned to ensure that mails are sent by every suitable outlet, and I regret that in present conditions I see no prospect of effecting any appreciable improvement. Owing to the limited amount of aircraft accommodation available for mail transport between this country and Africa, air mail letters to and from India have to be conveyed by sea in both directions over that portion of the route. The transmission-time by this combined sea and air route is normally about 7½ weeks, but is subject to wide variation owing to the conditions affecting sea transport to which I have referred and to occasional delays due to congestion of urgent priority traffic on the air services. Airgraph mails for and from India are carried all the way by air, the time of transmission being about three weeks. I am not aware of any avoidable delay having occurred in the transmission of these mails. The recently introduced air letters will also normally be carried by air all the way to India. The average times of transmission mentioned above take no account of the interval between successive despatches or the time which elapses between the arrival of the mails in the country of destination and delivery of the correspondence to the addressees. For correspondence sent from India to the United Kingdom the latter is not a serious factor but for correspondence sent to members of the Forces in India who are on the move or are situated at remote locations a longer period must be anticipated. In this connection I understand that the arrangements for the delivery of correspondence to the Forces are receiving active consideration by the military authorities in India in order to eliminate the possibility of any avoidable delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what economic arrangements have been made with the French authorities in North Africa regarding the supply by them of foodstuffs and raw materials to us in return for articles required by them?

The problem, of supplying French North Africa with its essential import requirements and of obtaining from French North Africa all commodities necessary for the prosecution of the war is being urgently examined by the Combined Boards in Washington. American and British economic experts have been attached to General Eisenhower's staff for the purpose of carrying out, under his directions, the long-term measures which may be decided upon.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can now make a statement as to whether the Free French and Spanish Republican prisoners in North Africa have been released?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet received a report from the Protecting Power respecting the position of refugees and internees in France; and whether he has now fuller information respecting the position of those in Africa?

No report has yet been received from the Protecting Power respecting the position of refugees and internees in France. North Africa is still a zone of military operations under the command of the Allied Commander-in-Chief. As my right hon. Friend has already informed the House, all British personnel interned there have, so far as is known, been released, but I still have no complete information on the position of refugees and internees of other nationalities. As regards those in French West Africa, orders have been given for the immediate release of all British internees and I understand that a number of internees of other nationalities have been released, although my information on this point is not complete.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent he pays for the diphtheria immunisation slides shown in the cinemas in Southend; and how much has been paid during the last 12 months on this form of advertising?

The pictorial slides (but not those listing the local facilities for immunisation) are produced at the cost of the Exchequer and lent to local authorities. The total burden falling on the Exchequer during the last 12 months amounts to £30 plus postage to the 61 local authorities in whose areas these slides have been shown.

asked the Minister of Health the reasons for the exclusion of any representative of homoeopathic doctors from the Medical Advisory Committee recently set up consisting of representatives of all the other medical associations?

In appointing the committee there has been no question of either excluding or including anyone because of his or her views on homoeopathy, and the attitude of any members of the committee to this subject is not relevant to the purpose for which the committee is appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give the dates of the development of the smallpox rash or chickenpox rash in any cases mistakenly believed to be chickenpox, in the cases diagnosed as smallpox during the recent outbreak at Edinburgh; and the dates of their removal to hospital?

The only smallpox case in the Edinburgh outbreak which was originally diagnosed a chickenpox was the first case discovered in the Royal Infirmary. The rash appeared on 27th October and the patient was removed to the City Fever Hospital next day.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the four fatal cases of smallpox in Edinburgh and district had been patients in a medical institution or an associated convalescent home before they contracted smallpox?

There have been six deaths from smallpox since the present outbreak started in Edinbrugh. The first four of these had been patients in a medical institution or associated convalescent home in Edinburgh on the probable date of infection. The two other patients had no connection with the institution or home.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the first case of smallpox at Edinburgh was taken to the Royal Infirmary suffering from some other illness and the supposed chicken-pox attack developed afterwards, or whether the patient was taken to the Royal Infirmary as a case of chicken-pox?

The first case of smallpox in Edinburgh was in the Royal Infirmary for another illness when an illnes developed which was at first thought to be chickenpox. As infectious disease is not treated in the Royal Infirmary, he was removed to the City Fever Hospital, where after examination he was diagnosed as a case of smallpox.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in carrying out the steps to combat tuberculosis recently announced; and what arrangements have been made in regard to the provision of financial assistance to dependants?

Deliveries of the equipment to which my right hon. Friend referred in the statement which he made in the House on 8th October have not yet begun. In the meantime progress has been made with the detailed arrangements for its use as soon as it comes to hand and my right hon. Friend hopes to issue in the next few days a Circular to local authorities regarding the development of the tuberculosis service in all its aspects including particulars of the allocation of the miniature radiographical sets. Arrangements have been made to make additional beds available for tuberculosis and as regards the supply of nurses for this and other forms of work my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service and my right hon. Friend are discussing detailed plans with the organisations concerned. The administrative arrangements for the financial assistance to which my right hon. Friend referred in his statement and on which he is consulting with interested organisations are nearly complete and he hopes it will be possible to give the necessary guidance to local authorities in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the new mosque to be built in London, on a site given by the Government, will be erected by the whole Moslem world or by any particular country?

The arrangements for the building of the mosque will be a matter for the London Mosque Committee, the membership of which includes eminent Moslems from a number of countries. I understand from the committee that they propose in due course to appeal to all Moslems throughout the world to co-operate in the carrying out of this scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in any consideration of political development in the West African colonies, attention will be given to the need for including elected members in the executive councils and for the extension of the electoral principle to Gambia?

The electoral principle is more appropriate to legislative than to executive councils, but my hon. Friend's suggestion will be borne in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will give further consideration to the automatic discharge of men over 50 years of age from certain duties in the Royal Observer Corps and substitute an efficiency examination in those duties as a better test of ability to continue in that work?

The course suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend was very carefully considered before the new policy was approved and the objections were found to be insuperable.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that the recent order in regard to men over 50 years of age in the Royal Observer Corps affects one-third of the number of men at the Exeter centre; and if this proportion is representative of the members of the corps throughout the country?

Twenty-seven per cent. of the men at the centre in question are affected by the recent change. The average for the whole country is appreciably less.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of officers and other ranks of the Royal Air Force who applied for compassionate release during October, 1942; the number of such applications granted and the number refused, respectively?

Fifty applications for compassionate release were submitted to the Air Ministry during October. Of these, 13 were granted, 32 refused and the remainder are still under consideration. It would not be possible without undue expenditure of time and labour to ascertain the number of applications made to Commanding Officers which did not merit submission to higher authority.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether all air crews are entitled to leave petrol while they are on operations?

I have been asked to reply. The special issues of petrol for leave and recreational purposes are confined to air crew personnel serving in operational squadrons.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the aggregate standard output of the 12 districts which qualified for the bonus in the second output period, together with the figures for the actual output of the 12 districts in the same period?

No, Sir. It would be contrary to the public interest to give actual output figures for separate districts.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power for each of the 12 districts the amount by which the output for the third bonus period was loaded to compensate for any loss due to causes beyond the worker's control?

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the output bonus period ended 31st October. The "loading" pi the figures to take account of tonnage lost through abnormal occurrences outside the control of the workers is done at my discretion, and it would be contrary to the public interest to give details.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent his recent order restricts the use of petrol issued for authorised journeys on a route over which other transport may be available; and what fresh limitation applies to journeys made by motor-cars used under a self-drive hire system?

Since the main purpose of the new Order is to consolidate existing practice and the provisions of several former Orders in one Order, the restrictions in both the cases to which the hon. Member refers remain substantially the same as before.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the percentage of the coal output carried by conveyors in 1939, 1940 and 1942 in each of the 25 districts that are specified in the Annual Reports of his Ministry?

The information is not yet available in respect of 1942; for the years 1939 and 1940 it is as follows:—

asked the Minister of Health how many families in Liverpool still need housing accommodation due to damage to their homes by enemy action; what steps will be taken in the near future to provide proper housing accommodation for them; how many families in the city have been specially recommended by the medical officer of health for rehousing due to the presence of tuberculosis in the family; and what steps are being taken to provide suitable accommodation for them?

Four thousand, six hundred and forty families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed are at present living in billets, lodgings or part houses. In view of the large number of such families priority for the re-housing of other cases had to be discontinued in August, 1940. Since then individual cases of tuberculosis, mostly from among homeless families already recommended, have been considered and during the past three months nine tuberculosis families have been accommodated, leaving six to be dealt with. Extended first-aid repairs have been carried out to more than 70,000 houses and further work is being undertaken in so far as labour and materials can be made available for the purpose. Owing to the urgent demands of the present strategic building programme new house building, which is the crux of the matter, cannot yet be resumed, but as my right hon. Friend stated recently in the House, the possibility of labour and materials being made available for the extended repair of empty houses in order to bring them back into use is being examined, and my right hon. Friend is doing all he can to ensure that new house building can be resumed immediately conditions permit.

asked the Minister of Health how many houses and flats which were being built by local authorities and private enterprise, respectively, at the beginning of the war are still in a semi-constructed state, their completion having been stopped by Goverment order?

The completion of houses by private enterprise was not stopped by Government orders at the beginning of the war, but local authorities were advised generally to arrange for the completion of houses in an advanced stage of construction and not to continue work on houses in an early stage or to start foundations for new houses. The position at 31st March, 1942, was that 7,426 houses included in contracts let by local authorities at 3rd September, 1939 (or in approved direct labour schemes), had been started but were not being proceeded with: 5,238 of these were not beyond damp-proof course level. I have no comparable information regarding private; enterprise building, but in view of the vital importance of a start on housing schemes being made immediately circumstances permit, officers of the regional staff of my Department are already ascertaining in the course of their visits the extent to which partly developed sites are in the hands of both private enterprise and local authorities.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that while good quality medium-sized cauliflowers have recently been sold in London for 1s. to 1s. 6d., the return to the producer has only been 1¼d.; and how the difference is accounted for?

As I pointed out in reply to the hon. Member's recent Question regarding the price of lettuces and cabbages, one difficulty about comparing growers' returns and retail prices is that prices fluctuate considerably over short periods of time and vary widely in accordance with the wide range of quality and condition. It is true that cauliflowers have been sold by retail for as much as 1s. 6d. and even a little more; but this appears to be much above the average range of retail prices. The price of 1¼d. quoted by my hon. Friend bears no relationship to the average range of prices at which cauliflowers, including those sold on commission on behalf of growers, have been sold at the wholesale markets. The Maximum Price Order which my Noble Friend is about to make will include maximum prices for cauliflowers; but on the information available to the Ministry it does not appear that there has been any serious disparity during recent weeks between the prices in the wholesale markets and the prices at which cauliflowers have been sold by retail.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the different controllers operating under his authority, are all drawn from the trades, businesses or activities with which, prior to their appointment, they have been connected; whether they are paid by the trading concerns dealing with the product they control; and, if not, whether he can state the exceptions?

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the directors of the commodity divisions of the Ministry. Not all these directors are drawn from trades dealing with the commodity with which they are now concerned, although it has been the policy of the Ministry to include at appropriate stages in the administrative organisation officers having expert knowledge of the particular commodities involved. Such expert knowledge has not, in all instances, been derived from commercial experience. As to the latter part of my hon. Friend's Question I would refer him to the reply given on 5th May, 1942, to the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what is the composition of the present national loaf with special reference to the proportion it contains of the whole wheat grain, the wheat germ, chemically bleached flour of 70 per cent. to 75 per cent. extraction, synthetic vitamins, chalk and cereals others than wheat, respectively?

The present national loaf is made from national flour which is milled at an extraction of 85 per cent., calculated on the products obtained from the whole wheat. No synthetic vitamins are added to national flour, nor, up to the present, have cereals, other than wheat, been used. With regard to the other substances mentioned, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 30th September last.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he has considered the hardships that have resulted from the closing down of distilleries in Scotland; to what extent the stocks have been depleted below the estimate; and whether, under all the circumstances, he will have the whole question reconsidered?

The consideration mentioned by my hon. Friend was taken fully into account when it was decided to discontinue the allocation of cereals for whisky distilling. I am not sure to what estimate the second part of the Question refers, but stocks of matured and maturing whisky are at least as large as could have been anticipated when a decision to curtail output was first taken in January, 1940. I regret that there is no possibility of my Noble Friend's decision being reconsidered at the present time.