asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has considered the resolution sent to him from Stanley Urban District Council, urging the Government, in view of the damaging effect brought about by the extraction of coal from seams under housing estates, to determine that some form of roof control should be enforced, either by packwalls or packing, so that the surface is not affected and thus eliminate the possibility of damage to property; and whether he is taking the necessary steps to meet the situation?

I have seen a copy of the resolution and am well aware of the problem, which has already been examined by a Royal Commission. My hon. Friend will appreciate that, in view of the need for concentrating every effort on the production of coal, it is not practicable to take any special action at the present time. Colliery companies, as my hon. Friend will be aware, habitually stow waste material in the voids from which coal has been extracted.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of his inability to publish actual figures of production of controlled collieries before and after the imposition of control, he will arrange to do so in the form of percentages which, whilst not disclosing the actual amounts of production, will at least provide some indication of the effects of control upon production; and whether he will provide such percentages for each individual colliery now subject to control, either on a quarterly or monthly basis?

I am precluded by the terms of the Mining Industry Act, 1920, from making public any information obtained under that Act with respect to any particular undertaking except under certain limited conditions. In general, however, when account is taken of changes in manpower and changes in the average district output, the output at controlled collieries has risen since the assumption of control.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he can give any information in connection with the sums varying from £3,000 to £7 paid to companies and individuals who suffered loss by the wiping out of the obligations of the Itabira Iron-ore Company by the Minister last year under the Defence Regulations; and can he name the amount and persons who received the money?

With a view to ensuring the supply of iron ore to this country the shares of the Itabira Iron Ore Company were compulsorily acquired and its obligations extinguished by Orders made under Defence Regulation 78A on 6th March and 24th April, 1942, respectively. The company owned a deposit of iron ore in Brazil and an agreement was entered into between the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the Brazilian Governments under which the mine was transferred without charge to the Brazilian Government, who undertook to develop it to a specified output, the United States Government agreeing to arrange financial accommodation and material. The sums to which my hon. Friend refers are the amounts found by the Treasury to be due to those creditors whose claims were extinguished under the Order of 24th April. The particulars are fully set out in ah Order made by the Treasury on 25th May, which was published in the "London Gazette" on 1st June.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, in view of the fact that in North-West Kent strawberries cost about 11d. a pound to grow and that the picking season is later than in many other districts, whether he will consider extending the pre-emption date for 14 days or raising the price of pre-emption from 8¾fd. to 1s. 2d.?

My Noble Friend has already given careful consideration to this matter but can see no ground for varying the decision already taken nor can he accept as factual my hon. Friend's estimate of the growing cost of North-West Kent strawberries.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he has considered the complaints of fruit merchants' associations on the North-East Coast, representing the wholesale and retail sections of the trade, that last year they did not receive a fair proportion of the national supplies of tomatoes and soft fruits; and whether, as climatic conditions prevent the production of local supplies of these, more ade- quate quantities will be consigned to this area in future?

A distribution scheme for tomatoes which has statutory force started to operate on 31st May. The scheme is intended to ensure that all parts of the country, including North-Eastern districts, will receive in the course of the season supplies of. tomatoes in proportion to the size of the local population. The soft fruit crop is too small in total for even distribution throughout the country. As much as possible is being pre-empted for jam to be sold on the ration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether North Staffordshire has received the per capita allowance of fish to which it would have been entitled on an arithmetical basis; have the Longton, Fenton and Stoke areas, respectively, received the full proportion of the fish available; does this area come within the zone that has not received the amount due to it; and can he undertake that any deficiency will be corrected as early as possible?

North Staffordshire has received rather more than its full proportionate share, on a population basis, of the fish landed in the zone in which it is included. I have no reason to suppose that Longton, Fenton and Stoke fishmongers and friers have not received their fair shares of the fish allotted for distribution in North Staffordshire. The area comes within a zone in which landings have failed to reach anticipation. My Noble Friend is actively considering the steps to be taken either to bring more fish into the zone or to reduce the area served by the main port in the zone.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he can give any information in connection with the six tons of cheese belonging to his Department at Bristol left in a lorry; and why the lorry was left unprotected?

The incident to which my hon. Friend refers is the subject of a police investigation. I shall be glad to give him further information when I have received a full report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether there are prospects of increasing poultry rations to enable domestic poultry keepers to have more than the present limit of 25 birds; what are the reasons for not allowing extra and unrationed birds to be kept at present; and how many domestic poultry keepers there are now registered?

No, Sir. Rations of poultry food are allowed to domestic poultry keepers according to the number of shell-egg registrations they surrender, either, of members of their households or of friends and neighbours. The number of birds for which rations are allowed is limited to 25, because a poultry keeper with more than that number cannot legally supply eggs to persons outside his own household who may have surrendered their shell egg registrations through him. There is no limitation on the number of poultry that any person may keep, since the restrictions relate only to the amount of poultry food that may be purchased and the method of disposal of the eggs where more than 25 birds are kept. The number of domestic poultry keepers when the latest return was received amounted to about 980,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the New Forest Verderers' Court will keep records of the young cattle compulsorily inoculated against contagious abortion; whether a live vaccine or a dead vaccine is to be used in the inoculations; and what means will the verderers' court have of ascertaining whether the inoculated cattle have actually been protected by the inoculations?

I understand that the verderers have under consideration a scheme of calf vaccination against contagious abortion to operate in the New Forest next year, but I am as yet unaware of the details of the proposed scheme.

asked the Minister of Agriculture by whose orders and under what powers a certain stretch of the River Wissey is being widened and deepened; for what purpose this is being done; what acreage would benefit from the scheme and on what acreage is a special rate at £2 10s. per acre being levied, which would impose a heavy financial burden on the landowners through whose property this part of the river passes, without any corresponding benefit to their land; and whether he will stop the scheme while the whole matter is reviewed?

This scheme, which consists of cutting back the banks and dredging the bed of a ten mile stretch of the River Wissey and replacing small bridges, is about to be carried out by the River Great Ouse Catchment Board at the request of the Norfolk War Agricultural Executive Committee and with my approval under Section 14 of the Agriculture , (Miscellaneous War Provisions) Act, 1940. The object of the scheme is to improve the drainage of approximately one thousand acres of agricultural land, the value of which for agricultural purposes will, in the opinion of the Committee and the Board, be increased in consequence of the work. The estimated cost is approximately £5,000 and the actual cost, less a grant of 50 per cent. from my Department, is recoverable by the Board from the owners of the land. The basis of apportionment of the cost between the lands concerned is at present under review by the Board in consultation with the Committee. In view of the urgent necessity for increased food production, I cannot agree to postpone the work.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether steamed potatoes are recommended for feeding calves?

I am advised that steamed potatoes might be used in part replacement of cereal meals for. feeding calves after they are a few weeks old.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in view of the warnings against holiday travel, any exception is made in the case of essential workers?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke (Mr. E. Smith) on 9th June.

asked the Minister of Health what materials are hampering the construction of the 3,000 rural houses?

There is no reason to anticipate that construction will be held up by lack of materials. The shortage however of timber, steel, lead, bitumen and other materials normally used entails certain economies and the use of substitutes, as my hon. Friend will see from the memorandum on materials and design and the specification notes prepared for the guidance of local authorities by the Ministry of Works, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is prepared to de-requisition private houses in view of the shortage of accommodation in many parts of the country; and the number of requisitioned houses not yet in use?

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to houses held empty for persons whose homes may be destroyed by the enemy. The number of houses held for this purpose is under continual review and has recently been reduced. I fear that we have not yet reached the stage at which a reserve can be dispensed with but if my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind where, the reserve is thought to be more than sufficient I will be glad to look into it. The number of houses not in use is constantly altering as raids occur and I am unable to give the precise figure.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in his plans for post-war housing, he will urge the provision of built-in bookshelves in order to encourage book collecting and home reading?

I will refer my hon. Friend's suggestion to the sub-committee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Dudley, which is at present considering the design and equipment of post-war dwellings.

asked the Minister of Health the number of families rendered homeless in Liverpool since the beginning of the war owing to enemy action; how many have since been rehoused; and what steps are being taken to rehouse the remainder?

I am making inquiries of the corporation and will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as I receive their reply.

asked the Minister of Health how many old age or widow pen-

		25s. and under.	25s. 1d. to 30s.	30s. 1d. to 35s.	35s. 1d. to 40s.	Over 40s.	Total.
Winter	…	3,840	14,710	34,720	81,490	71,070	205,830
Summer	…	4,360	17,390	46,860	65,460	41,760	205,830

The difference between winter and summer is accounted for by the payment of winter additions in certain cases for six months of the year. There are only a few cases in which a single pensioner has an income of £2 a week or more from main pension and supplementary pension.

asked the Minister of Health if he can give any information regarding the trend of population in Liverpool, stating the figures for 1939 and the latest possible date and the reasons for differences?

The population of Liverpool in 1939 immediately before the war was estimated at 822,400, a figure to which it had fallen from the total of 855,688 enumerated at the census of 1931. Movements since 1939 have been occasioned almost wholly by the circumstances of the war and their identification and disclosure would be contrary to the public interest at the present time.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food when the Algerian wine recently imported will be released generally to the public; and through what channels it will be distributed?

The Algerian wine recently imported will be, distributed through normal trade channels. It is hoped that the distribution will begin within a few weeks.

I regret, that the precise information asked for is not available. As regards married couples where both man and wife are pensioners, a sample inquiry made by the Assistance Board in March, 1943, showed that the income from main pensions and supplementary pension was as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will investigate the reluctance of children to eat vegetables; and whether he can indicate the standard of cooking of these articles in school meals?

Yes, Sir. I am advised that much progress is being made by means of careful social training and good cooking, in overcoming children's prejudices, which are mainly due to un-familiarity. Nowadays as much attention is paid to the cooking of vegetables as to the preparation of other dishes.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the 101 cases and 15 deaths from diphtheria referred to in his memorandum on diphtheria in Northamptonshire occurred in 1941 and how many in 1942; and of the cases and deaths under five years of age, how many occurred in 1941 and how many in 1942?

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him in reply to a similar Question on 1st June.

asked the Minister of Health how many children over five years of age were immunised in the country areas of Northamptonshire in each six months of 1942?

The numbers of children aged five to 15 who were immunised against diphtheria in the county districts of Northamptonshire in the two half years referred to were approximately 730 and 1,920.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of deaths from

Number of Deaths from Tuberculosis and the Death Rate Based on Number of Residents in the Mental Hospitals and Certified Institutions in Scotland in the years 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942.
Year.		Number of Deaths from Tuberculosis.			Deaths Per 1,000 of Resident Population.
		Male.	Female.	Total.	Male.	Female.	Total.
1938—
Mental Hospitals	…	59	55	114	6·22	6·14	6·18
Certified Institutions	…	5	2	7	2·66	1·18	1·96
1939—
Mental Hospitals	…	64	54	118	6·78	6·05	6·42
Certified Institutions	…	6	6	12	3·02	3·38	3·19
1940—
Mental Hospitals	…	71	56	127	7·61	6·35	6·99
Certified Institutions	…	3	2	5	1·48	1·11	1·31
1941—
Mental Hospitals	…	84	54	138	9·11	6·17	7·68
Certified Institutions	…	7	6	13	3·43	3·29	3·37
1942—
Mental Hospitals	…	100	80	180	11·08	9·23	10·18
Certified Institutions	…	7	8	15	3·38	4·32	3·82

asked the Minister of Information how many periodicals and newspapers printed in foreign languages have commenced publication in this country since the outbreak of war?

I regret that I cannot add to the information given in the reply made yesterday to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Stockport (Wing-Commander Hulbert).

asked the Minister of Information whether he can give an assurance that under the new censorship rules, if letters addressed to hon. Members of this House are opened by censors and delayed in transit, a communication from the censorship branch will be sent to the Member of Parliament concerned to state that such a letter has been opened and detained; and, conversely, that in the case of letters from hon. Members, if these are opened and

The following statement gives the information desired:held by the censorship branch the fact of such detention and action will be notified to the hon. Member concerned?

No new postal censorship rules have been introduced since the announcement issued to the Press by the G.P.O. on 17th July, 1942, that, in the interests of operational security, censorship might be applied from time to time to communications from areas in the neighbourhood of ports, aerodromes and other localities of operational importance. I will ask the Chief Postal Censor to consider my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion; but every care is already taken by the Censor to avoid delay especially as regards any letters to and from Members of Parliament, and I am doubtful whether the extra labour involved in carrying out his proposal would be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, to clear up misapprehensions which exist, he will repeat his assurance that arrangements for the repayment of credits in respect of Excess Profits Tax and Income Tax will be honoured after the war?

I do not think that there should be any misapprehension in this matter. These post-war credits have been provided by Section 37 of the Finance Act, 1942, and Section 7 of the Finance Act, 1941, and taxpayers have a statutory right to payment of them after the war, subject only, in the case of the E.P.T. credits, to their not being used for distribution to shareholders by payment of dividends or otherwise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works who was the authority responsible for the decision to remove the gate from Achaleven School, in the village of Connel, for salvage purposes, thus leaving no obstacle to prevent the schoolchildren from running out from the playground on to the main Oban-Stirling high-road, along which there is a constant stream of heavy motor-lorries, motor-omnibuses and motor transport?

This school gate, which was removed by contractors employed by my Department, had been duly scheduled by the county council for removal and the appropriate officials of the council who were consulted on the question of safety, confirmed the scheduling.

asked the Home Secretary whether any conclusion has yet been arrived at with regard to the issue of adequate uniform to members of the industrial fire brigades; whether he is aware that at present the men have to surrender their own personal coupons for clothing essential to that fire service; and whether, as the matter has been under consideration since February, he will treat it as urgent?

As indicated in my reply to my hon. and gallant Friend on 3rd June, the supply position is very difficult. Since that date the whole problem has been the subject of further discussion with the Minister of Production, with the problem of the supply of uniform to members of works brigades in mind, but I regret that I am not yet in a position to say whether any satisfactory solution of the problem can be found.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied with the discipline among the prisoners of war at Huntingdon where, in the Huntingdon police court it was stated that an Italian prisoner called each day at a local public house; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent such incidents in future?

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes, Sir." The incident referred to by my hon. Friend appears to be an isolated case and suitable disciplinary action has been taken.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production what use is being made of the experience of Mr. Arthur Gouge, who designed the Sunderland flying boat?

Mr. Gouge is at present unable to undertake any work as he is resting under orders from his doctor. I have put before Mr. Gouge certain suggestions as to his future employment to which I hope to have his answer as soon as he is able to return to active work.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the number of complaints made by the public to members of price regulation committees with regard to the high prices being charged for ladies' hats; and will he consider the advisability of making an order limiting the selling price of all hats for women, making it an offence for these to be sold over a fixed ceiling price?

I understand that this question is now under consideration by the Central Price Regulation Committee.

asked the Postmaster General whether he has considered the letter, sent to him by the secretary of the Gloucestershire British Legion, with regard to soldiers overseas being unable to cash postal orders; and what action he proposes taking thereon?

The normal period of validity of a postal order is six months, but this period has already been extended to nine months in the case of postal orders sent to H.M. Forces serving overseas and to the personnel in H.M. Ships. No difficulty should have been experienced in cashing the postal orders in the cases which the hon. Member has brought to my notice and the attention of the paying authorities will again be directed to the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what districts there is any shortage of privately-owned potato-spraying machines in Scotland; whether such machines are obtainable on hire from the Department of Agriculture through county executive committees, with details of numbers and locations; and what steps he is taking to make potato-spraying machines available to farmers in the northern half of Scotland who are unable to obtain them?

I have had representations as to a need for spraying machines in the north-eastern district of Scotland, and I am arranging for machines to be made available for use in that district. I am not aware of any other districts in which farmers are unable to obtain the spraying facilities they require from the contractors who normally undertake this work. These machines have not been included in the equipment operated by the Department of Agriculture's tractor service.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the inquiry into the disaster which took place at Downside School, on 22nd May, as a result of which nine boys were killed and 16 injured, some of them seriously, is to take place; and whether, in view of the finding of the coroner's jury that there is no evidence as to how the accident occurred, he will make arrangements for the inquiry to be held in public at the earliest possible date?

The accident occurred on 15th May, and on 20th May a board of inquiry was held, in accordance with the custom of the naval Service. The board consisted of officers who had no conection with the Naval Air Station concerned, and evidence was taken not only from officers of the Station but also from a master and pupils at Downside. As a result of the findings of the board of inquiry a court-martial is to be held. The matter is therefore sub judice and I am not prepared to arrange for any other form of inquiry.

asked the Home Secretary how many hostels to which girls on probation have been sent are subject to inspection by his Department under Section 94 of Part V of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933; whether all these hostels were inspected before probationers were required to live in them; by whom the inspection is carried out, and what arrangements were made for subsequent inspections?

I have approved 11 hostels and 16 homes for the reception of girls on probation. These hostels and homes were inspected by the Home Office before approval and are inspected periodically afterwards. Courts may make it a condition of probation that girls shall reside in other homes. If such a home comes within the scope of Part V of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, it is subject to inspection by the Home Office unless it is as a whole otherwise subject to inspection under the authority of another Government Department.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Home Guard officers and men who are tried by courts-martial and. not sentenced to detention, imprisonment or penal servitude, are kept in close arrest after their trial and pending promulgation; whether courts-martial are empowered in such cases to order the accused to be placed in open arrest; and, if not, whether he will consider the grant of such powers to courts-martial in order to avoid unnecessary loss of liberty?

Courts-martial are not empowered to order the accused referred to in the first part of the Question to be placed in open arrest. The confirming authority, however, has this power which I think it would usually exercise as soon as it receives the proceedings of the court-martial in such a case. I am, however, having inquiries made into the way this is working in the case of Home Guards.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can give any information in connection with the death of a Home Guard corporal, who died during a field exercise on Sunday morning, 6th June, at West Wickham, Kent?

Inquiries are being made into this case.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many of the 2,550 Axis tanks captured or destroyed in North Africa were German Mk. VI Tigers?

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on Tuesday last.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can give any information in connection with two officers who were killed on Saturday night, 5th June, at Blythburgh, near Southwold, Suffolk; and whether any other people besides those riding in the Army car were killed or injured?

Inquiries are being made into this case.

asked the Secretary of State for War why a letter written in July, 1942, from India, by No. 6007417 Company Quartermaster-Sergeant R. Scopes was returned to him by the officer commanding on the ground that soldiers are not allowed to write to their Members of Parliament; and whether he will have a full inquiry made to ensure that all commanding officers recognise that men are allowed to write on any subject whatever other than military movements to their own Member of Parliament?

There is no evidence to show that the Regulation on this matter is not well known and, in general, properly observed. Inquiries are, however, being made into the particular case referred to in this Question.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that copies of a booklet issued by the British Field Sports Society commending blood sports are being distributed to prison camps abroad through the agency of the Red Cross Society and that a request by the League against cruel sports to be allowed to send literature combating such views has been refused by the Chairman of the British Red Cross Society; and will he consult with that body to ensure that such prohibition may be withdrawn?

I understand that the War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John are unable, within the limitations imposed by the transport facilities at their disposal for books and recreational material, to take advantage of all the offers made to them of books, magazines and other literature for despatch to prisoners of war. They therefore have to select those items for which requests have been made, or those which their experience indicates are most likely to be of interest to the prisoners. I am unaware that there have been complaints from the prisoners of the discretion exercised by the War Organisation in this matter.