asked the Minister of Labour whether he will indicate his policy in regard to the withdrawal of female assistants employed in an establishment which publishes and sells books concurrently and under the same roof?

Such assistants would be dealt with on the lines described in my reply to my hon. Friend on 28th January according to whether they were engaged in producing or in selling books. A worker engaged both in producing and selling books would be dealt with under the arrangement applicable to her main occupation.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the inadequate canteen facilities at a works of which he has been informed and, in view of the fact that efforts by the employees have not resulted in any improvement, what steps he proposes to take?

The inadequacy of the canteen facilities at this factory is due to a large expansion in the numbers employed. My Department has been in touch with the firm and with the Supply Department concerned; plans for the construction of additional canteen facilities are in preparation, and I hope it will be possible to proceed with the work at an early date.

asked the Minister of Labour what decision has been come to regarding Bank Holiday dates for workers at Easter and, if Good Friday is not to be a Bank Holiday, whether the Government will inform employers that those who, for religious reasons, desire to observe that day, may choose to work on one of the subsequent days in preference to Good Friday?

The views of the Government on holiday arrangements for 1943 have been made known in an announcement of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy. It is not practicable to make any general arrangement such as is suggested in the latter part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can define the position of nurses in private practice; whether they are being called up either on a rota system or at short notice to serve in emergency hospitals or kindred institutions; and whether, when unreserved after a certain age, they are being withdrawn with little or no notice from the service of private persons who are temporarily in their charge?

The present position is that nurses engaged in private practice are not transferred to work in other forms of nursing if they were born in 1911 or earlier and it is clear that they are reasonably well occupied on their nursing duties and likely so to continue. Other nurses may be withdrawn from private work but they would not be so withdrawn until they have completed any case on which they may be engaged and fulfilled any commitments into which they have entered for a short period ahead. This practice is, of course, liable to change in the light of any advice which I may receive on the subject from the newly formed National Advisory Council for the recruitment and distribution of nurses and midwives.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the concession to a man called up for the Forces who has previously been directed away from home to work, of being given a free ticket back home before he joins up, is also granted to a woman?

Women directed to work away from home are not subsequently called up under the National Service Acts. Accordingly the circumstances in which this concession is made to men do not arise in the case of women.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works what is the estimated cost per head of equipment, such as bedding, chests of drawers, crockery, cutlery, etc., in hostels controlled by the National Hostels Corporation?

The estimated cost per head for the furnishing and general equipment (including medical supplies) of a hostel for 1,000 industrial workers is £20 14s. 5d.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many German or Italian prisoners have escaped in this country; and how many have not yet been rounded up?

Forty-four Germans and 84 Italians have escaped in this country. All but two have been recaptured.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any decision has been reached with regard to the ringing of the church bells for sea as well as air invasion?

Yes, Sir. Instructions have been issued for church bells to be used as a local alarm signal for raids or any other form of attack by enemy seaborne or airborne troops.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that members of the Home Guard who are required to provide themselves with shorts, vests and plimsolls when attending courses of instruction in physical training, must surrender civilian clothing coupons in order to obtain these articles; and whether he will arrange for physical training kit to be issued from public sources in these circumstances, or for special clothing coupons to be authorised?

I am not aware that any such courses have in fact been held but if my hon. and learned Friend will send me particulars of those to which he is referring I will have them looked into.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in any reconstitution of local authority areas, he will take into consideration the attitude of local authorities which do not permit public discussion on the council committees' reports?

I do not think that the point referred to by my hon. Friend would be relevant to any inquiry which might be instituted in relation to local government areas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet come to any decision on the suggestion made to him by the hon. Member for the Deritend Division of Birmingham, for amending the Invoices Order, which would remove the difficulties of price regulation committees and which he was examining?

I have examined my hon. Friend's suggestion, but I am advised that it would not be within the powers conferred by the Goods and Services (Price Control) Act, 1941, to amend the Price Controlled Goods (Invoices) Order, 1941, as he suggests.

asked the Minister of Health which local authorities have made representations to him on the need for early action to deal with the problem of housing?

I have received numerous representations from local authorities regarding the housing position in their respective areas and I am sending my hon. Friend a list of local authorities with the representatives of whom I, or my officers, have conferred at the Ministry. My inspectors have also paid many visits to local authorities and discussed with them their existing and post-war housing problems. I am also sending my hon. Friend a copy of a circular I recently issued to local authorities asking them to make preparations now so that they can make a start with new house building immediately conditions permit.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether he can give any information on the steps his Ministry is taking to con- centrate medium sized and smaller builders into groups; and whether the matter has at any time been discussed with the industry?

Yes, Sir. My Noble Friend has given consideration to this matter and, in agreement with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service and with the approval of the industry with whom the matter has been fully discussed, has initiated a vountary scheme for the pooling of a portion of the building industry dealing with maintenance and small works. The scheme is being applied in agreement with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, to the carrying out of major repairs to bomb-damaged houses for local authorities which the Government have decided must be accelerated. The contracts are being placed with groups of builders to be formed voluntarily through the regional works and buildings emergency organisations of the Ministry of Works. The scheme is in general limited to firms employing up to 25 operatives and to local labour over 51 years of age not required on urgent priority works in the Government's building programme. Firms which desire to co-operate are being formed into groups of about 10 firms each and their immobile labour is being pooled and made available to each group as required for the carrying out of work covered by the scheme. The Essential Work Order will be applied to all work covered in this way, carrying the guaranteed week. So far as possible, operatives are being kept with and under the supervision of their old employers and each co-operating firm in a group will receive its share of overheads and profits based on the hours worked by its operatives, provided that the principal of the cooperating firm is carrying out duties of a managerial or supervisory nature on the work in question. The scheme is designed to assist the better preservation of this portion of the industry so that such firms may be in a position to undertake their share in the programme of reconstruction after the war. It is anticipated that within its present scope the scheme will affect about 2,000 firms and will, as well as achieving the above object, secure by co-ordination and organisation, that the vital repairs of bomb-damaged houses will be carried through on a larger scale and with real economy of labour, materials, time and cost.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what quantities of dehydrated onions have been imported into this country during 1942 and up to the end of February, 1943; and what quantities have been made available to the distributive trades for the use of the public?

Importations of dehydrated onions into the United Kingdom during 1942 and the first two months of 1943 were primarily intended to meet the needs of the Service Departments and other emergency requirements. There has been no allocation to the distributive trades for sale to the public. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the quantity imported.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he has now considered the recommendation of the local food officer that the food distribution business of G. Rowell Ward, Stradbroke, Suffolk, requires a male assistant with a knowledge of the business and the locality; and whether he will remove his opposition to the release of the member of the Royal Air Force, whose name he has received, and who is best suited to run this business?

My Department has received no recommendation such as my hon. Friend mentions and I know of no ground upon which the Ministry of Food could apply for release for a period from the Royal Air Force of the man referred to in the Question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the attitude of his Department towards the campaign now being waged in some districts for the extinction of the badger?

My Department's attitude towards the destruction of badgers is set out in the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Tam-worth (Sir J. Mellor) on 21st July last. I am not aware that a campaign for the extinction of the badger is being waged in any district, but if my hon. Friend will give me particulars I will have inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many persons are employed in the Agricultural Lime Department, Finance Section, dealing with the Land Fertility Scheme, Application for Contribution for Lime?

The number of persons employed in the Finance Section, Agricultural Lime Department is 1 Staff Officer, 5 Higher Grade Clerks and 71 Clerks (permanent and temporary).

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the delay in the issue of Defence Bond books to original subscribers and the obstacle this causes to the savings effort in view of the fact that subsequent subscriptions for Defence Bonds are intended to be acknowledged by entries in the bond books, and whether he will expedite the issue of these books?

During the whole of February the average number of days after the purchase date on which the books were despatched to the purchasers was under 17 and the longest time was 19 days; on two occasions only during the month was it as long as 19 days. In present conditions this period of delay does not seem unreasonably long, and in view of the general man-power position my right hon. Friend would not feel justified in employing additional staff in order to expedite the issue of the books.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will make arrangements for the collection of the salvage dump at Saxmundham, Suffolk, which contains rubber and other materials for which urgent appeals have been made?

The clearance of this dump was started in September last but had to be temporarily suspended as the transport employed was required for the urgent removal of sugar beet. The work was restarted in December and clearances have since been made at monthly intervals. Further clearances will be made from time to time, as the material is sorted.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will give the percentage of scutched flax in Northern Ireland which has been assigned to each grade during the year 1942?

The dam-retted scutched flax from the Northern Irish 1942 crop presented to the Ministry of Supply up to the week ended 27th February, 1943, has been assigned to the various grades in the following percentages:

asked the Home Secretary whether he will give the House an assurance that when using his powers under the Defence of the Realm Regulations he treats every person alike irrespective of their position or status?

In the exercise of my powers under the Defence Regulations, the sole consideration to which I have regard is the national security.

asked the Home Secretary which periodicals and weekly publications are banned to military prisoners serving sentences of courts-martial in His Majesty's civil prisons?

Persons serving sentences imposed by courts-martial in civil prisons are subject to the same rules as those sentenced by civil courts. These rules provide that prisoners may receive periodicals which are approved by the Prison Commissioners. Those which are commonly desired by prisoners and have been approved by the Commissioners are on a list circulated to the prisons, and others are added from time to time as a result of applications from prisoners. Prisoners may receive and have in their cells not more than two approved periodicals.

asked the Home Secretary how many juvenile courts and how many magistrates courts dealing with adults have, during the period of the war, experienced a change in the personnel of their probation officers; how many probation officers are there in the service; and how many have changed their posts during the war?

I regret that I cannot give all the information for which my hon. Friend asks, but according to the Home Office records the following changes have taken place in the Probation Service in the period of three years and four months between September 1939 and December, 1942. Seventy-two full-time officers joined His Majesty's Forces, and the vacancies, due to retirements, deaths, etc., numbered 83, making a total of 155. In some places posts were left unfilled, in other places where work has increased additional posts have been created, and over the country as a whole the loss of these 155 officers has been balanced by 187 new appointments, including 22 temporary officers. During this period 64 full-time officers transferred their services from one probation area to another, in many cases because they were selected for more responsible duties as senior or principal probation officers. At the end of last year-there were in England and Wales 636 full-time probation officers, including 22 temporary officers, and 417 part-time probation officers. Except in London the general practice is for the same officers to serve the adult as well as the juvenile courts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it has yet been decided to send representatives to the United States of America to take part in the post-war policy discussions to be undertaken by representatives of the United Nations?

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the Question which my hon. Friend asked yesterday on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will warn, in the strongest terms, all neutral countries against purchasing looted diamonds and other articles of value seized by the Germans from occupied countries as strict measures will be taken after the war to have these restored to their rightful owners?

As explained in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison) on 19th January, the attitude of His Majesty's Government towards all forms of plundering by the enemy in the occupied countries has been made clear by the Inter-Allied Declaration which was published on 5th January last (Command Paper No. 6418). This Declaration included a formal warning which was particularly addressed to persons in neutral countries, that the Governments making the Declaration intended to do their utmost to defeat the method of dispossession practised by the enemy governments. The Declaration was officially communicated immediately before its publication to the governments of all neutral countries, and my right hon. Friend does not think that any further action is called for at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider empowering local committees to make essential transport arrangements in East Suffolk and other places for those who have to attend opening ceremonies of "Wings for Victory" weeks and who may have no means of travelling considerable distances in scattered areas other than cycling or walking?

Provision to meet such requirements has already been made in connection with the volunteer car pools which are authorised under certain conditions to supply cars for use for essential purposes by Government Departments and by voluntary workers assisting Government Departments. Under this arrangement Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of the National Savings Committee may authorise the use of a volunteer pool car by voluntary workers assisting the National Savings Campaign, provided that the journey is necessary and is one which cannot be undertaken by public means of transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it has now been found possible for Chinese students to attend courses both in universities and industrial establishments in this country?

The British Council, in conjunction with the Universities China Committee, British Universities and the Federation of British Industries, are arranging for a number of Chinese students and industrial apprentices to attend courses in this country. These are being chosen by a selection committee sitting in Chungking, on which the Chinese Government are represented, and are expected to arrive in England during the summer. Sixteen post-graduate research students have been accepted for a year's course at various British universities and 33 apprentices are to be placed in British engineering firms for a two-year course. This does not, however, complete the arrangement and I hope that it may be possible to place further students in other vacancies.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the number of nervous children, he will investigate the advantages of holding examinations concealed from the knowledge of children?

The suggestion of my hon. Friend presents practical difficulties. Examinations, as at present conducted, may have unfortunate effects on some children. This is being borne in mind in the consideration at present being given to the future of examinations in grant-aided schools.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware that there has been unfair discrimination, examples of which have been submitted to him, in the treatment of the senior staff of British railways as regards increase of remuneration to meet increased costs due to war conditions; and whether he will take steps to rectify this position?

The decision not to pay war bonus to railway staff whose salaries exceed £500 per annum, which was taken with the approval of my Noble Friend and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is in keeping with the Government's policy on stabilisation and with decisions of the National Arbitration Tribunal and the Industrial Court in comparable cases.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can estimate the number of German troops engaged in North Africa?

I regret that it is not in the public interest to say what our estimate is.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he will state the policy with regard to the use of ships built in America during the war; and whether they all sail under the American flag or whether any of them are sold, lent or lease-lent to this country?

The merchant vessels, for whose construction contracts were placed by the Admiralty in the United States before the lease-lend legislation in March, 1941, are owned by His Majesty's Government and sail under British flag. Questions of policy as to the use and control of merchant vessels built or building in the United States for the United States Government are matters for that Government. In pursuance of the principles agreed between the Prime Minister and the President of the United States whereby the shipping resources of the two countries are deemed to be pooled for the furtherance of the common war effort, there is the closest day-to-day consultation between representatives of my Department and of the U.S. War Shipping Administration, under the guidance of the Combined Shipping Adjustment Boards, as to the employment of these resources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the request made some months ago for the establishment of Whitley Councils in Trinidad has now been granted?

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mr. Riley) on 10th February. As promised I have sent a despatch to the Governor of Trinidad making inquiries as to the position but a reply cannot be immediately expected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can make any statement on the potato shortage in East Africa; and whether this vegetable can be successfully cultivated there?

There is a shortage of potatoes as of other crops in East Africa owing to the complete failure of the short rains. Steps to meet this shortage are being taken. Under normal conditions the potato can be successfully cultivated in East Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction amongst all classes of natives in Palestine towards the religious courts there; that for more than five years no elections have been held for ecclesiastical judges; that no provision exists for the automatic extension of their term of office; and will he direct the High Commissioner to authorise new elections or replace the present vacancies with those who had received the largest number of votes next on the list or declare those matters within the exclusive jurisdiction of these courts to be within the concurrent jurisdiction of the civil courts, as certain of these judges are of advanced years and, because of age and weakness, are unable to attend court?

I am consulting the High Commissioner for Palestine with regard to these representations, and I will communicate to my hon. Friend in due course the result of my inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Hebrew community in Palestine are urging the creation of an Air Force for the purpose of attacking enemy territory; and whether it is intended to establish such a Force?

The reply to the first part of this Question is in the negative. It is not intended to establish a separate Air Force recruited exclusively from among the Hebrew community in Palestine, as there are ample opportunities for all who wish to do so to offer themselves for enlistment in the Royal Air Force.