asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the large number of hostages now being held in Germany, he will take steps to inform the German military leaders that they, as well as the Nazi chiefs, will be held personally responsible for the safety and well-being of these persons?

I am not sure what the hon. Member means by hostages. But I am glad of this opportunity of stating publicly that the German military leaders, like the Nazi political leaders, will be liable to punishment for any crimes, for which they can be shown to be responsible, committed against members of the United Nations detained against their will on German or German-occupied territory.

Does the right hon. Gentleman not think it likely that there will be an interlude and a breakdown of all civil government in Germany towards the end of hostilities and that during that period the military leaders will be more powerful than the Present Nazi leaders, and should they not be made responsible for the safety of people like M. Herriot?

I think my answer covers that hypothesis, too.

Do not allow the guilty to escape to neutral countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give any further information regarding the present position in Tangier?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the recent disturbances in Tangier, he is satisfied that the threat to British and international interests by Spanish policy no longer exists?

His Majesty's Consul-General has been informed that up to 5th June between 70 and 80 out of some 200 persons arrested, none of whom were British subjects, had already been set free. I understand that no fresh arrests have been made this month and further releases of those arrested are being effected day by day. Meanwhile His Majesty's Government have received a communication from the Spanish Government stating that the measures adopted in Tangier were taken without any desire to prejudice British interests and that it is the earnest desire of the Spanish Government to find a satisfactory solution. His Majesty's Government have taken note of this communication.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that Jew baiting has ceased for the time being?

All the information that I have is what I have given in the answer, which is that releases have taken place. My hon. Friend will bear in mind that His Majesty's Government have already drawn the attention of the Spanish Government to the bad impression caused here by these events.

Are any of those who are still under arrest British subjects?

No, none arrested or under arrest, as far as I am aware.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he can make any statement about the loss, through enemy attack, of a civil aircraft flying between Lisbon and Great Britain last week?

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the British Overseas Airways Corporation's air-liner, destroyed by enemy action on 2nd June, left Lisbon by daylight; whether this is the usual practice in the case of air-liners leaving Lisbon for the United Kingdom; and whether he will give instructions that this practice must cease during war-time, in view of the danger involved owing to the presence at Lisbon of enemy agents?

On rst June a civil land-plane, plainly marked as such, reported from off the Bay of Biscay that it was being followed and shortly afterwards that it was being attacked by an enemy aircraft. As nothing further was heard from it, it must be presumed lost. The Royal Air Force immediately undertook a search, and the Spanish Government despatched a destroyer. I regret to say that no trace of the aircraft or of its occupants has been found. Thirteen civilian passengers and a crew of 4 were on board. The aircraft was owned by the Dutch company K.L.M. and operated by them on the U.K.-Lisbon service under charter to the British Overseas Airways Corporation. As has been customary, the aircraft left Lisbon by daylight. The risks of interception on this service and the routes and schedules to be followed have been kept under review since the service started three years ago. That only one accident has occurred during this period shows that no undue risks have been taken. With the increased intensity of air warfare over the Bay of Biscay certain further steps have been taken to reduce the chances of interception, but it would not be in the public interest to give details.

The House will wish to join with me in expressing its sympathy with the relatives of those who lost their lives and its appreciation of the help so readily given by the Spanish Government in searching for survivors.

Has any protest been made through the Protecting Power about this incident, and what compensation will be payable to the passengers?

I cannot answer the second point without notice. The first point is a matter on which my hon. arid gallant Friend should address the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Were the improved methods of interception to which my right hon. Friend has just referred decided upon since the accident or before?

I did not refer to improved methods of interception. I referred to the increased intensity of air warfare and the increased efforts of the Germans to intercept aircraft over the Bay.

Does my right hon. Friend accept responsibility for the protection of civil aircraft flying on this route, or is protection only afforded to persons who are travelling in the public interest?

I accept responsibility for the protection of aircraft. I am respon- sible to this House, and I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that we do our best with the resources available.

There was some misunderstanding about my question. I understood my right hon. Friend to say that because of the increased intensity of air warfare certain improved methods of protection have been decided upon. Were those decided since the accident or before?

The methods of routing and of avoidance rather than interception are under constant review. Routing is under constant study, and certain steps have been taken quite recently.

What type of machine was this?

It was a D.C.3.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a number of municipalities who have spent large sums of public money on the development of airports are anxiously awaiting some pronouncement by the Government of its post-war civil aviation policy, and that it is essential in the interests of civil aviation that they should be in a position immediately the war ends, if not before, to proceed with further development so that they may be capable of dealing with all kinds of civil air traffic; and will he make a statement?

Yes, Sir. Well developed airfields must be and will be made available both for our overseas and for our internal air services after the war. It is not possible, however, at this stage of the war to determine the position of particular airfields in the post-war organisation of civil air transport. Meanwhile, the technical problems involved are being closely and actively studied.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that these air ports, particularly the two in Manchester, were provided at the request of the Air Ministry; that as £750,000 has already been spent on their development, and as in February of this year the Corporation submitted schemes to the Director-General involving a further expenditure of £250,000, they would like some pronouncement on this matter?

I can assure the hon. Member that the documents to which he refers are being carefully studied

Can the right hon. Gentleman undertake that the rights of municipalities will be safeguarded in the development of civil aviation?

I can assure my hon. Friend that we attach great importance to the co-operation of the local authorities.

asked the Minister of Information how many periodicals and daily papers are published in England under the auspices of foreign Governments and organisations; what is the weekly amount of paper used; and whether he will publish a list of these publications in the OFFICIAL REPORT?

I regret that not all the information required by my hon. and gallant Friend is available. Certain papers and periodicals published in this country in foreign languages or under foreign auspices receive assistance from the Ministry of Information or other Government Departments to enable them to obtain paper. They number 87 in all—8 are dailies, 2 are bi-weekly and 18 are weeklies; the remainder are published fortnightly or monthly or even less frequently. They serve the needs of various sectional interests, literature, news, politics, and technical subjects. They have consumed paper at the rate of 27.4 tons per week. There are also a considerable number of other papers and periodicals published by foreign interests without any assistance from the British Government. Their circulation is small but I have no information as to their paper consumption. A list of the assisted publications is being prepared for circulation in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Does not my hon. Friend think that one paper per country is sufficient?

The whole matter is under consideration.

Is this the reason for the intensified salvage campaign?

When will an answer be given on this matter which was raised three months ago? The number has since increased from 60-odd to 80-odd, and cannot some stop be put to the increase?

I have answered the request in the Question for statistical information.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works the number of bricks required to be laid on a straight wall under the Essential Work Order in a day; and what was the normal number laid in a typical pre-war undertaking?

For the most usual types of brickwork, namely 4i inch and 9 inch pointed both sides, the datum line laid down in the Payment by Results Scheme under the Essential Work (Building and Civil Engineering) Order is 24o and 336 bricks per bricklayer respectively for an eight hour day. Bonus is payable for output in excess of this datum. I regret that no accurate information is available as to the normal number of bricks laid in a typical pre-war undertaking.

Can my hon. Friend state the approximate number which he would have required them to lay when he was in charge of operations of this

I think that would be very unfair to the other bricklayers.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that under exceptional circumstances 4,000 bricks a day have been laid?

You could not handle 4,000 a day, let alone lay them.

In view of the scandalous state of affairs disclosed by the hon. Gentleman's answer, what steps does the Ministry of Works mean to take to put an end to it?

I think it has to be remembered that the industry has contributed well over 500,000 of its young personnel to the Services and to munition work, and I beg hon. Members to remember that the industry in consequence has become age-heavy. Furthermore, I would ask them to try to relate the building we are considering now with the type of building that was engaged in pre-war. With door- ways and with window openings and with varying heights and all those things to be taken into consideration, I can assure my hon. Friend that it is not an unfair number.

If this rate of laying bricks is maintained after the war, will it not make post-war housing absolutely impossible?

No, Sir. The question is affected by the type and character of the work. It may be easy to multiply the figure given by. three, and that is frequently done to-day, but with 4½ inch brick building, pointed both sides, together with the other facts I have indicated, I suggest to hon. Members that it is not an unfair figure.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, whether he is aware that the requisitioning of iron railings in the Forest of Dean may lead to the straying of the livestock of commoners, exercising ancient grazing rights in the forest, on to gardens and enclosed lands; and whether he will instruct his officials to exercise special care in dealing with this matter?

The greatest care in circumstances similar to those described by the Hon. Member has been urged on all my officers since the commencement of the campaign for the recovery of railings. I am aware of the special considerations which apply to the neighbourhood of the Forest of Dean, and I have issued instructions that further work on the removing of railings shall be suspended pending further investigation pinto local conditions.

Is my hon. Friend aware that in the Forest of Dean there are old cement works containing tons of scrap iron which has been there for years and is absolutely untouched?

I am well aware of that, and, as the hon. Member must also be aware, my Department has been in consultation with the owners, and discussions have been going on for quite a long time. I think the matter is now being cleared up.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that shelter and emigration of Jewish refugees to Palestine are being restricted through the operations of the White Paper, it is intended to amend this document in the light of prevailing war-time requirements?

The immigration of Jewish refugees into Palestine is not being restricted through the operations of the White Paper. It is the practical difficulties involved which have prevented the admission to Palestine of Jewish refugees from enemy and enemy-occupied countries. The removal of these difficulties, as was explained to hon. Members by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 19th May, is not yet within the control of His Majesty's Government or that of the United Nations. In these circumstances, the second part of the Question does not arise.

Would not the removal of some of these difficulties be possible if the right hon. and gallant Gentleman asked Turkey, to whom we have just given five ships, to allow the use of them for some of these refugees?

If my hon. and gallant Friend would refer to the speech of my right hon. Friend, he would see that he made' it quite plain that, although there are great difficulties with regard to transport, the primary difficulty is the refusal of the Bulgarian Government to go on with the arrangement, in breach of an agreement to which they had already come.

Is it not a fact that, in addition to the restrictions upon immigration imposed by the White Paper, my right hon. Friend has imposed a restriction, which may prove very inconvenient, that only a very small number of the immigrants admitted may be adults? Is he considering the removal of that condition, which is not necessitated by the White Paper?

The hon. Lady is quite misinformed. For this particular scheme a large proportion of children was required. I may say that only because of that large proportion was there any hope of the scheme being accepted by the Bulgarian Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the daily ration of men conscripted to work in the Northern Nigerian tin mines?

The corn ration of 8 lbs. per head per week has been increased to 12 lbs., and other modifications have also been made in the ration scale to allow of a more balanced diet. I have asked the Governor for full particulars of the present ration scale.

In view of the fact that the right hon. and gallant Gentleman stated in reply to a Question two or three weeks ago that he was satisfied with the rations, may I ask how he could have been satisfied if he does not know what it is?

Undoubtedly there would have been a great deal of justice in the hon. Gentleman's Supplementary Question had I said it, but I did not. What I said was that improvements had been made.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport (1) what arrangements are to be made to enable those employed in the essential war services and the Armed Forces to have preference in travelling from North Staffordshire and Lancashire to Blackpool, Southport and Morecambe during the holiday period for each locality;

(2) whether he can make a full statement for the guidance of all concerned in reference to reasonable travelling at the holiday period and travel of a restricted kind for stay-at-home holidays and whether any system of rationing travelling to enable those who greatly need a change to have it is to be tried?

As the answer is rather long, I will, with your consent, Mr. Speaker, and with that of the House, make it at the end of Questions.

As my hon. Friend may be aware, the railways are now carrying about 50 per cant. more freight traffic, and 50 per cent. more passenger traffic than before the war, while passenger train mileage has been reduced by about 30 per cent. Thus, passenger trains are carrying twice the load they carried in 1939. There has been a particularly heavy increase in the journeys made by Service personnel; in the last 12 months for which I have the figures, the increase was 24 per cent. This is especially true of long-distance travel; of journeys of between ma and 200 miles, 60 per cent. are made by members of the Forces; of journeys of over 200 miles, the figure is more than So per cent.

In view of this great increase of essential travel, and in view of the great strain under which the railways are already working, my hon. Friend will understand that it is not possible to grant additional trains for holiday travel, however desirable that may be. The railways have, therefore, been instructed that their passenger train mileage this summer must not exceed the mileage they were allowed last summer, and that for wakes weeks and similar holiday occasions, there must be no more trains from any town to any holiday resort than there were on the same occasion a year ago. Nor is it possible to provide for holiday travel by such schemes of rationing and priority as my hon. Friend suggests. My Noble Friend has repeatedly and exhaustively considered these proposals; he has always come to the conclusion that they would cause great inconvenience to travellers, that they would require a cumbrous and costly administrative machine, and that the disadvantages would much outweigh the advantages which they might have.

On some long-distance services, the increase of essential travel has caused constant and serious overcrowding. My Noble Friend is now considering whether on theses services a few additional trains can be allowed, on the clear understanding that they will be taken off again without warning, if war conditions so require. For the rest, however, the Government are obliged to ask the public to accept the same restrictions which were in force last year. I am confident that those who are now considering where they will spend their holidays, will decide not to travel by rail, but to leave the limited space which is available to those who, in the interest of the war effort, require it most.

I gratefully acknowledge the help of those who have organised programmes for holidays at home. The shortage of rubber and fuel makes it impossible to relax the general restrictions on Road Transport Unposed in recent months, but I hope that, where vehicles and personnel permit, something may be done in normal off-peak hours to help workers to enjoy the entertainments which these programmes provide.

We appreciate the difficulties arising out of transport, but is my hon. Friend aware that those who have now been engaged on manual work and essential services for four years are beginning to feel the strain and that the managements in industry and the representatives of the workpeople desire that the workpeople should be given some relaxation, and, if that is so, should it not be done on an organised basis; and is he also aware that this will have an effect on production?

Yes, Sir, I am constantly aware of the increased and increasing strain to which war workers are exposed, and my hon. Friend will understand that I make a statement like this only with the utmost reluctance I and regret, but I am sure that the workers themselves will share our view, that, in this year more than in any previous year, it is essential that train capacity should be reserved for troop movements and for the movement of war material and that the war effort must come first.

Will the Minister consider the advisability of approaching the Railway Executive with a view to seeing that those who have been engaged for so long in industrial centres should receive preference where possible?

That is a very difficult question, and I would not like to make an unconsidered answer, but, broadly speaking, the arrangements will be the same as last year, and I hope that they will give an equally satisfactory result.

Will my hon. Friend consider, in consultation with the Minister of Production, the.publication of the statement hp has just made in factories throughout the country, because if excursions are organised, great disappointment will be caused to those who can go if no arrangements are made for them?

I will consider that valuable suggestion.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary consider providing extra accommodation on long-distance trains, particularly for Service men; and is he aware of the crowded accommodation on trains between London and Glasgow and the North of Scotland? So many of these men have to travel, and cannot he do something to ease their problem; cannot he reserve extra accommodation for those who have to travel on service?

I would not like to promise that we could add coaches to existing trains, because nearly every locomotive is pulling the maximum number of coaches it can take, but when my hon. Friend reads the statement he will see that on some long-distance services we propose, by the addition of a few extra trains, to relieve the very great congestion which now exists.

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that the term" workers includes 99 per cent. of the people in this country and especially the very large number of people who serve in His Majesty's Forces?

I will bear that in mind. It also includes the railway train crews, who, perhaps of all workers, have been subject to the greatest strain, and who during the next winter may have a greater strain than ever before.