asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is satisfied of the necessity for a separate force of military police for Air Force personnel; and whether he will consider a joint organisation with the War Office in order to save man-power?

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes." As regards the second part, there is close co-operation between the police forces of the two Services and the number of military police available is always taken into account when the establishments of R.A.F. police are being fixed.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why young men, after being attested, are returned home on deferred service; and whether he will take steps to curtail this waste of man-power?

There are, at present, a very small number of recruits for ground duties on deferred service, and this number is rapidly disappearing. Requirements of men for training necessarily vary from time to time for operational and other reasons. In order to ensure that maximum use is made of available training facilities, candidates who have been selected as suitable for aircrew are placed on deferred service. Normally they remain in civilian employment, Many require to take courses to bring them up to the educational standard to which aircrew entrants in the R.A.F. training organisation must attain. The question of using the waiting period to the greatest advantage is a matter for arrangement with the Minister of Labour and National Service.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that the Cashes Green isolation hospital is adequately staffed to meet any emergency?

No. Sir. I understand that the hospital has no reserve of nursing and domestic staff to meet any additional calls on its accommodation. My right hon. Friend is in communication with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service, with a view to giving such help as is possible.

asked the Minister of Health the number of unaccompanied children evacuated from London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow in September, 1939; and also the number of children with their mothers evacuated from the same cities at that time?

I have already sent my hon. Friend particulars of the number of unaccompanied children evacuated from these towns, with the exception of London. I will send him the London figures together with particulars of the children evacuated with their mothers from the other towns. The information relating to Edinburgh and Glasgow has been supplied by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Health the number of children, including both children and children with their mothers billeted in the following counties: Huntingdon, Radnor, Rutland, Pembroke, Somerset, Westmorland, Buckingham, Dorset and Bedford in September, 1939, August, 1940, and February, 1941; and also the population, as far as ascertainable, of these counties in 1938?

I have already sent my hon. Friend particulars of the number of children billeted in these counties. The estimated population in 1938 was as follows:

asked the Home Secretary what was the amount of damage done to public air-raid shelters and shelter equipment in the London County Council area in the recent raid?

It would I think be contrary to the public interest to give the information for which my hon. Friend asks.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will re-examine the case of Mr. R. Mackenzie, of whose claim particulars have been sent to him, in view of the two Ministry letters to the claimant, stating that his disability is neither attributable to military service prior to the present war, nor to recent war service and is not aggravated materially by it; and, in view of the fact that Mr. Mackenzie was classed A 1 oh joining the Regular Army and also on call-up as a reservist for this war, but is refused permanent staff status by the Post Office because he is discharged on medical grounds?

A review of this case confirms the decision, based on medical advice, that Mr. Mackenzie's disability has not been caused or adversely affected by his war service. The decision that it cannot be accepted as attributable to service prior to the war was given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War. I shall be pleased to discuss this case with the hon. Member if he so desires.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether a man in the Mercantile Marine or in the Royal Navy is entitled to a pension if he has to leave the service through no fault of his own; whether the widow of a merchant seaman is entitled to a pension whose husband lost his life going into action and if the widow is entitled to an extra pension because of the long service of her husband in the Mercantile Marine or in the Royal Navy?

A member of the Royal Navy may be granted a pension by my Department if he is invalided on account of a disability attributable to or materially aggravated by service. A member of the Merchant Navy may similarly be granted a pension if suffering from disablement attributable to a war injury or detention, as defined in the Pensions (Navy, Army, Air Force and Mercantile Marine) Act, 1939, or to a war risk injury as defined in the Pensions (Mercantile Marine) Act, 1942, and pension may be granted to the widow of a merchant seaman whose death is attributable to one of these causes. The pension payable to a widow of a member of either Service varies according to rank, but not to length of service.

asked the Minister of Supply why paper was available for the production of the pamphlet entitled, "Why the Rumanian Army is Fighting," by G. E. M. Iliescu, formerly Assistant Military Attaché at the Rumanian Embassy in London, in which he disparages our Russian Allies; and whether he has taken steps to ensure that the printing trade will refrain from assisting any other attempts to lessen the prestige of our fighting Allies?

I have ascertained that this pamphlet was printed upon paper acquired by the printer before the war, for the use of which no licence was required. It would not be practicable to use the Paper Control as an instrument of censorship.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that 15,000,000 all-reclaim motor-car tyres for civilian requirements have been scheduled for production in America, where transport is dependent upon automobiles; and, in view of the fact that in this country the use of cycle traffic is essential, whether he will issue an order for the production of an all-reclaim cycle tyre and all-reclaim motor-car tyre retreading materials, in order to economise in the use of crude rubber?

I am advised that it would be wasteful to make either cycle covers or car cover retread material wholly of reclaim, which would give a less reliable article with a shorter life.

asked the Minister of Supply when it is proposed to effect the transfer to Royal Ordnance factory management of the ordnance factories which were launched and managed for an initial period by certain private firms on the understanding that they would be transferred to. Royal Ordnance factory management as soon as they came into full production; and whether he proposes to hand over the management of any of the existing Royal Ordnance filling factories to private enterprise?

The present position is satisfactory and I should not be justified in disturbing it in the existing circumstances. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that since he eliminated the use of collapsible tubes for hygienic or medical commodities the industries concerned are now largely employing glass pots which entail increased weight in transport and greater liability to breakage; and whether he will issue further regulations on the subject?

Owing to the need for effecting economies in tin and lead, the use of metal collapsible tubes has been prohibited for the packing of commodities, including hygienic and medical goods, for which an alternative type of container using less scarce materials can be provided. I have no reason to suppose that the disadvantages of glass containers are serious.

asked the Minister of Supply how many costing investigators are employed in his Department; and what is the total amount of their salaries?

Some 300 costings investigators are employed in the Contracts Department of the Ministry; their salaries total £140,000 a year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare whether His Majesty's Government will follow the precedent set in the case of Greece and allow a limited amount of food to be sent to the conquered countries of Europe under Nazi domination for distribution, under proper safeguards, among the child population?

No, Sir. It was made clear at the outset, and has been restated on several later occasions, that the Greek relief scheme is a wholly exceptional measure, taken in view of the unprecedented conditions in that country.

asked the Minister without Portfolio whether he is aware that the work of the Birmingham Reconstruction Committee is being considerably delayed because of lack of information from the Government as to the financial basis of post-war schemes; and will he take steps to see that such information is made available at the earliest possible date in order that those municipalities considering their post-war schemes shall not be held up for lack of information as to the financial responsibility the Government is prepared to accept?

I have been asked to reply. I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which my right hon. and learned Friend, the Minister without Portfolio, made on this matter in the Debate on the Address on 1st December, 1942, to which my Noble Friend has at present nothing to add.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that Mr. Auld, a baker, in Norfolk Street, Glasgow, was recently fined £20 at the sheriff court for 17 offences of selling cakes made with 5,000 pounds of figs and sultanas which were diseased and overrun with beetles; when the officer of his Ministry was first aware that this man had bought this stuff and was selling it to the public; and why there was a long delay between the offence being traced by his Ministry and criminal proceedings having been taken?

I am aware of the case to which my hon. Friend refers. Although the offences came to light in August as a result of a visit of an enforcement officer attached to the West of Scotland Divisional Food Office, who was at this time concerned with the investigation of another matter, the offences committed were not against any Order made by my Department and proceedings were taken under the Glasgow Police Act. With regard to the delay referred to by my hon. Friend, I can only say that the consultations which were necessary with the various authorities concerned took a great deal of time.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he has any statement to make on the proposed concentration of cheese factories in Lancashire; and whether similar action is proposed in other parts of the country?

Under the manufacturing programme for 1943, which has now been settled, two factories in Lancashire will be kept open for the manufacture of cheese. Cheese factories are also being closed in other parts as the cheese making capacity of the country is in excess of the requirements of the present programme.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether any change is proposed in the method of distributing orange juice, having regard to complaints made by mothers regarding the inaccessibility and inconvenience of securing supplies from child welfare clinics; and whether he will consider using the services of retail fruiterers?

More than 7,500 centres are distributing orange juice at present and steps are being taken to increase this number. The possibility of using various types of trade channels for distribution of supplies to the public has been most carefully considered, but I regret it has not been found to be practicable. My Noble Friend is not able to see his way to change the method of distribution.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will authorise his officers to disclose to the special committee appointed by the Manchester City Council and the Manchester Food Control Committee to inquire into fish supplied, variety, quality and distribution, in Manchester since the introduction of the Fish Zoning Scheme; the differences between the weight per head of the population of the fish distributed in each of the different zones during November and December, 1942; and the basis upon which the Manchester distribution centre was allocated 8.2 per cent. of the landings at Fleetwood?

I regret that my Noble Friend is unable to authorise the disclosure of statistical information to enable a comparison to be made between the food supplies of one area and those of other areas. He will, however, be glad to authorise his officers to explain to the special committee appointed by the Manchester City Council the basis upon which the allocation of fish due to the Manchester area is calculated.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether persons who pay to reside in hotels are liable also to pay house-charge premiums in addition to the maximum price for their meals at such hotels?

Nothing in the Orders made by my Department affects the amount of inclusive terms which may be charged by hotels for residence and meals. In the case of meals supplied to residents who are not paying inclusive terms, additional charges may be made in accordance with any licence to do so granted under the Meals in Establishments Order.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he proposes to review, in the near future, the house charges he has authorised for hotels and restaurants?

These charges are under constant review.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of potatoes being in better supply than flour, he will arrange to make potato-scones available for the whole island instead of their being confined to Scotland and the northern counties of England?

Yes, Sir. By means of general propaganda, displays, the provision of recipes, the services of voluntary lecturer-demonstrators of whom 150 are now available, and other means, efforts are being made to popularise not merely potato scones but many other forms of potato confectionery throughout Britain. To-day from 12.30 p.m. onwards a display and demonstration for Members of Parliament has been arranged in Committee Room 8, and I hope hon. and right hon. Gentlemen will take this opportunity of seeing what is being done.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps are being taken to impress on restaurant and hotel keepers and clubs the necessity of encouraging the consumption of potatoes with meals by the public?

A leaflet has been circulated to all restaurants, hotels, clubs and other catering establishments emphasising the necessity for encouraging the consumption of potatoes and other foods which save shipping space instead of bread. In addition a poster is being prepared for display in catering establishments urging patrons to choose dishes which contain such foods. Several other methods will be adopted from time to time to encourage the consumption of home produced instead of imported foods in catering establishments.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the fact that officials of his Ministry are asking farmers to reserve potatoes well into this year, he will take into account the wet weather prevailing when they were lifted and the probability that unless careful selection is made of the clamps and the keeping qualities of the potatoes thus reserved many tons will rot and be lost as food supplies; and what action is he taking?

All relevant conditions are taken into account at the time of inspection before potatoes are selected for delivery late in the season, and only suitable lots are purchased. The contract requires growers to notify the area potato supervisor at once of any signs of excessive deterioration whilst the potatoes remain in the clamps, so that steps can be taken to effect immediate clearance and avoid waste.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the new Order for the sale of green vegetables is causing much greenstuff to be wasted; and, in view of the ample supply, will he rescind the Order and allow the normal process of supply and demand to operate?

There is no foundation for the suggestion in the first part of the Question; as the Order in question does not interfere with the normal process of supply and demand within the maximum price limits the second part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether in order to make the war effort more efficient and provide additional cereals for cattle and fowl feeding, he will, as the Canadian Government have done, reduce the amount of beer for sale by 20 per cent. and the amount of spirits which must be 30 per cent. under proof, by 30 per cent.; and whether he will forbid all advertising of liquor for the duration of the war?

In regard to the first part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his Question of 19th November, 1942, to which I have nothing to add. My Noble Friend sees no reason to suppose that the suggestion made in the second part of my hon. Friend's Question would, if adopted, assist in the conservation of food supplies.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he can now make a statement as to the result of his discussions with the Ministry of Labour as to the new arrangements respecting man-power in the baking industry, seeing that these have been proceeding for three months and, in the meantime, men and women are being taken from the trade without due regard to its necessities as provider of the nation's staple food?

Arrangements have now been made for the transfer of bakers to fill urgent vacancies after appropriate consultation between the local officers of the respective Departments.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food how the surplus food was disposed of when two meal centres at Marlborough, and Park Walk, in Chelsea, were closed down?

In accordance with the usual practice of the London County Council, the reserve foodstuffs in stock at the centres mentioned by my hon. Friend have been transferred to neighbouring restaurants of the Londoners' Meals Service which are replacing those closed down.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, when the pasteurisation of raw milk is made compulsory, it is his intention to include tuberculin tested milk?

I am sure my hon. Friend will appreciate that I should only be in a position to answer his Question if a decision of a general character such as he infers had been taken, which is not the case.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that American officers who sleep in hotels, but take no food there whatsoever, are being asked to hand over to the management their ration cards before the keys of their rooms are given to them and whether he will take steps to forbid this?

I was not aware of this but if my hon. Friend will furnish me with particulars I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of registered women 18 to 45 years of age; the number of those married or widowed with dependent children; the number of such children under five years of age; the number married or widowed without dependent children; the number of each category in full-time employment when registered; and the number of married women who are working part-time in industry and in other employment?

The total number of women of these ages who have registered is 8,670,000. The number married or widowed with children of their own under 14 years of age living with them is 3,450,000, which includes 510,000 who were in full-time paid employment when they registered. The number married or widowed without children of their own under 14 years of age living with them is 2,250,000, of which number 970,000 were already in full-time paid employment when they registered. Separate figures regarding women with dependent children under five years of age are not available. Precise figures of the number of married women who are working part-time are not available, but it is probably of the order of 450,000.

asked the Minister of Production whether he is aware that war production is frequently dislocated because the complement of labour permitted by the Ministry of Labour to industrial undertakings engaged on war contracts bears insufficient relation to the delivery requirements of the Supply Departments; and what routine interdepartmental co-operation he has established in order to eliminate this cause of inefficiency?

I am not aware that war production is frequently dislocated for the reason stated by my hon. Friend. I am, however, aware that, with the present acute shortage of man-power, it is not always possible to allocate labour to all undertakings to the full extent of their stated requirements. With regard to the second part of the Question, I have established no additional machinery to deal with the allocation of labour, since adequate machinery was already in existence and officers of my Department and of the Supply Departments are closely associated with it.

asked the Minister of Production what precise steps he desires managements in war industries to take when, after both the Ministry of Labour and the appropriate Supply Departments have been informed, the complement of labour permitted to an undertaking remains insufficient to meet the required production programme?

In the circumstances envisaged by my hon. Friend, there are two courses which I should expect to be pursued. First, the management of the undertaking should make every endeavour to utilise its available labour force in the most efficient and economical manner possible; secondly, if in spite of their endeavours the management has real grounds for believing that production requirements cannot be met, representations should then be made to the Supply Department concerned for some modification in the firm's production programme.

asked the Minister of Labour the total amount of money paid to the medical profession from the commencement of hostilities to 31st December, 1942, for the medical examination of those called to the Forces?

The total amount of fees and travelling expenses paid to chairmen and members of civilian medical boards and to consultant examiners for the period between the outbreak of hostilities and 31st December, 1942, was approximately £2,770,000. These payments related to the examination of persons called up under the National Service Acts for service in the Forces or in Civil Defence and of those volunteering for service in the Forces.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of medical men employed on medical boards since the outbreak of hostilities to 31st December, 1942; and if all those medical men so employed were chosen from lists supplied by the Central Medical War Committee to the Ministry?

The only statistics readily available are those for the numbers of medical practitioners serving on medical boards and relating to the period since July, 1940. The average number so serving in the period up to 31st December, 1942, was 3,418; the largest number at any one date was 3,781 and the smallest, 3,014. All appointments to these boards prior to the outbreak of war were made from lists of names supplied by the Central Medical Emergency Committee; later appointments have been made from lists supplied by the Local Medical War Committees.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the emoluments of naval gunners serving aboard ships of the Mercantile Marine?

Naval gunners serving on ships in the Merchant Navy are paid naval rates according to the rating, substantive and non-substantive, which they hold, with an additional allowance of 6d. a day while actually embarked.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will allow girls to benefit in the same way as boys by being trained in Oriental and other languages with a view to their doing work of national importance?

No. Sir. The scheme of training in Oriental and other languages for which the Board have undertaken responsibility is limited to boys who will become combatant officers in the fighting Services.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that certain firms in Spitalfields and Covent Garden markets insist upon selling their produce on a cash basis; and what steps are being taken to prevent the revenue from being defrauded?

It does not follow that all cash transactions are for the purpose of evading taxation. I assume that what my hon. Friend has in mind is not the cash sale itself but the exclusion of such a transaction from Income Tax Accounts and he may rest assured that the Inland Revenue authorities are fully alive to this method of evasion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps his Department is taking to diminish the losses in hill sheep through disease; and whether a research centre will be established in a hill sheep farming area in Wales to train veterinary experts and secure better liaison with the farmers in this branch of agriculture?

Special attention to disease problems among hill sheep has, for many years, been devoted by veterinary investigation officers in England and Wales at those centres situated in the main hill sheep districts. Last summer a number of veterinary inspectors of my Department were specially detailed to undertake advisory work among hill sheep farmers for an indefinite period. A committee, under the chairmanship of Earl De La Warr, appointed by the Agricultural Improvement Council, is investigating the present position of hill and upland sheep fanning in England and Wales, and has been asked to suggest measures of improvement. I understand that the committee is considering the question of the need for further research into hill sheep diseases. I cannot anticipate the findings of the committee, which, I hope, will report at an early date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his Department will convene a conference of all those directly interested in the technical development of agriculture to arrange more effective means of bringing the results of research home to the practical farmer and so increasing the volume and efficiency of food production in Great Britain?

The establishment of the Agricultural Improvement Council and of the Ministry's Technical Development Committee, working in co-ordination with the technical development sub-committees of county war agricultural executive committees, is intended to achieve the results desired by my hon. and gallant Friend, and I do not consider a further conference would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether Aggrey House, as a centre for students of African descent, has yet been reopened in new premises in London?

Premises have been acquired at 17, Russell Square. The new house will be known as "The Colonial Centre" and it will cater for all classes of Colonial students as well as for Colonial members of His Majesty's forces and civilian war workers.