asked the Secretary of State for War whether the reserve of nurses on which he can draw at the start of any land operations in Europe is adequate for the anticipated volume of work which will be entrusted to it; and, if not, what steps he is taking to increase it?

State registered nurses for the Army are recruited through the Ministry of Labour from nurses who volunteer for service with the Army and the necessary measures are being taken to meet requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the successful termination of the campaign in North Africa, Army personnel of 50 years of age and over can now be released from foreign service?

The availability of shipping and operational needs limit the number of men who can be brought back from overseas theatres and I regret that it would not be possible to adopt a general rule on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War the authority under which members of the Home Guard in factory units are ordered to perform duty with the firm's private fire brigade and relieved of Home Guard duty, such fire brigade duty being counted as part of the minimum time they are required to give to training and other Home Guard services?

In accordance with instructions issued by the War Office where civil defence, fire-guard or fire prevention duties are performed by members of the Home Guard they are carried out as part of Home Guard military training or as an operational duty and may be counted as part of the maximum time they may be required to give to Home Guard training and duty. If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of the case he has in mind, I shall be glad to look into the matter further.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the period during which family or dependant's allowance is paid in the case of missing soldiers?

These allowances continue for 26 weeks from the date the relatives are notified that the man is missing, except for those missing in the Far East where, owing to the slower rate at which the Japanese are notifying the names of prisoners of war, special extensions have been made from time to time. I have announced the latest extensions to-day in a reply to my hon. Friends the Members for Oswestry (Major Leighton) and Wallsend (Miss Ward).

asked the Minister of Health whether any cottages are being built in rural areas for the old age pension widows and widowers who have no children?

The cottages now being built under the emergency agricultural scheme are intended for the agricultural workers needed in the interests of increased food production and are therefore all of the family type. About 4,00o small cottages specially intended for old people had been built by rural district councils before the war and many more will, I hope, be built when a resumption of house-building becomes possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the delegates at the Hot Springs Conference, in dealing with dip problems of feeding the peoples, considered and satisfied themselves as to whether a sufficient number of persons will be left in agriculture and civilian employment in the territories of the United Nations to produce, transport and distribute the food supplies necessary to implement the decisions arrived at at that conference?

The Conference did not specifically consider the question of manpower, though this is clearly a relevant consideration if effect is to be given to the recommendations regarding the methods of overcoming the general shortage of food. At the same time Resolution XII makes it clear that any steps to be taken to expand production must remain subject to the necessities of the war.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the consumption of tea in Russia, any arrangements exist for sending supplies from India and Ceylon by the Persian overland route?

Yes, Sir. Such arrangements have been in existence for a considerable time and substantial quantities of tea from India and Ceylon have already been sent to the Soviet Union by various routes through Persia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many officers of the diplomatic and consular services have passed in Turkish during the last 10 years; and whether the financial reward is adequate for the study necessary to pass in this difficult language?

The number of diplomatic and consular officers who have passed in Turkish during the last 10 years is Ir. Nearly all officers serving in Turkey have possessed a knowledge of Turkish and throughout this period the counsellor or minister has been a Turkish-speaking officer. It is considered that the financial inducement is adequate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consider, with the leaders of Allied Governments, the desirability of authorising a United Nations flag similar to that flown recently in Washington, consisting of four vertical red bars on a white ground or other suitable design?

His Majesty's Government have noted this experiment with interest. The matter is one, however, which concerns all the United Nations, whose views are unlikely to have been formulated as yet. I doubt, therefore, whether the very complicated discussions in which it would be necessary to engage if my hon. Friend's suggestion were adopted would produce any fruitful result or reveal any consensus of opinion at the present stage. If this or any other design were to obtain a general measure of approval we would certainly be prepared to consider our attitude.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of public concern, he is satisfied that full precautions are taken not to disclose the movements of distinguished personages abroad until sufficient time has elapsed to make the information published of no value to the enemy?

Yes, Sir; the fullest precautions are taken, but the maintenance of secrecy in these matters depends also on the discretion of all who may inadvertently learn something which leads them to surmise that such movements have taken place.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the new Stannard fire-proof and water-proof first-aid pack and anti-burn glove is now being issued to pilots of the Fleet Air Arm?

The Fleet Air Arm are at present supplied with a first-aid pack containing medicaments for the treatment of burns and shock and the relief of pain. The question of issuing the new Stannard pack is receiving urgent consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether issues of all improved patterns of life-saving equipment arc made to the Fleet Air Arm pari passu with the Royal Air Force for the use of pilots flying similar types of aircraft on operational duty of approximately similar nature?

In some cases the lifesaving equipment included special devices used mostly in naval aircraft. In general and so far as the physical limitations of the various types of aircraft permit, Naval safety equipment is identical with that used by the Royal Air Force.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning in how many cases have interim development authorities made contributions in respect of damage or expenses incurred by applicants for interim development permission under Sub-section (4) of Section 10 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1932; and what is the total of the contributions so paid?

I regret that the statistics for which my hon. and gallant Friend asks are not available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food why he has at this stage of the war decided to prohibit the manufacture and use of full fatted soya bean flour and substituted low fat soya bean flour although the former has been in use in this country for years; and whether he is satisfied that the proteins in the latter arc undamaged by the manufacturing process employed?

The manufacture and use of full fat soya flour has not been prohibited. Imports of low fat soya products are, however, now taking the place of previous imports of full fat soya flour. As regards the last part of the Question, I am advised that the proteins in the low fat product are not damaged by the manufacturing process.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what price per ton was paid to growers under contract for cabbage, savoy, winter and spring, during March, April, May and June; what was the net price per ton received by the Ministry from the sales of this cabbage; the total tonnage handled each month; and the net loss or gain on the transactions?

The prices paid to growers under the contracts placed by my Department last autumn were, according to the type of contract and the month of delivery:

	£	s.	d.	£
For spring cabbage—
in March	22	0	0	or 27 per ton
in April	18	0	0	or 22 per ton
in May	13	10	0	or 17 per ton
in June	9	0	0	or 12 per ton
For savoys—
in March	18	0	0	or 22 per ton
in April	18	0	0	or 22 per ton
For winter cabbage—
in March	16	0	0	or 20 per ton
in April	16	0	0	or 20 per ton
in May	13	10	0	or 17 per ton
in June	9	0	0	or 12 per ton

Contracts were not offered for savoys to be delivered later than April.The average price returned to the Ministry for these cabbages, after allowing for agents' commission was, during March £7 14s. 1d. per ton, during April £8 11s. 8d. per ton, during May £ 16s. 1d. The total tonnages were during March 4,024 tons, during April 6,575 tons, during May 8,533 tons. The net loss for these three months, after payment of agents' charges and transport costs, was £282,100 18s. 3d. Returns are not available for June.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what importance is attached to the wild rabbit as an element in the nation's food supply; and to what extent supplies of wild rabbits have to be taken into account in providing the public with nourishment sufficient to maintain health?

From the point of view of agriculture, the wild rabbit is a serious pest and occupiers of agricultural land are accordingly encouraged to do all in their power to reduce them to the smallest possible number. Rabbit meat is a useful supplement to the meat ration, especially as providing variety, but it cannot be regarded as an essential food. The available supplies of wild rabbits are relatively small and it is not anticipated that, for the rest of the war, they will provide more than a negligible proportion of the food required to maintain the health of the nation.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food in how many cases have applications been made by officials of his Ministry to courts of summary jurisdiction for hearing in camera; under what statutory authority were such applications made; and upon what grounds?

Application has been made by officers of my Department for a part of one case to be heard in camera. The power of the court to deal with such requests is contained in Section 6 of the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939, and the court was satisfied in this case that it was expedient in the interests of the defence of the realm that certain evidence should not be heard publicly.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will outline what control the India Office exercises over the Indian Armed Forces; is any control operative over British soldiers after they have accepted Indian Army commissions; and, where such British officers have not provided maintenance for wife and children, what steps can be taken with the Indian authorities to secure that maintenance allowances are paid?

An answer to the first part of the hon. Member's Question could not conveniently be given within the limits of a reply to a Question. But so far as concerns the maintenance by an officer of the Indian Army of his wife and children in this country, the position is that the pay of an officer, whether of the British Service or Indian Army, and wherever serving, is protected by Section 136 of the Army Act, and that in regard to the Indian Army I have followed the War Office rule that failure by the officer to provide for the maintenance of his family involves forfeiture- of the right to draw married rates of pay. The threat to enforce this rule has been found in most cases to be efficacious.

asked the Minister of health whether the British Hospitals Contributory Schemes Association been afforded, or will be afforded, an opportunity of expressing their wishes as to the changes in the present conditions of medical service foreshadowed by the Government's acceptance in principle of Assumption B of the Beveridge Report?

Yes, Sir. Arrangements for this are already being made.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether the number of 1,445 teachers in the employ of the London County Council includes those called up for service with the Forces of the Crown and those seconded or directed to other Government work of national importance, or teachers who, while no longer engaged in the particular kind of teaching which they did before the war, are nevertheless still engaged in work of a teaching or instructional nature; and the number, excluding those in the foregoing categories, who are engaged wholly in work entirely divorced from teaching?

The answers to the first three parts of the Question are in the affirmative. The number referred to in the last part of the Question is, I am informed, 91.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether moneys given as compensation for loss of office, in the case of a company director or other executive, are exempt from Income Tax assessment; and whether wages paid to a worker in lieu of notice arc similarly treated?

Generally speaking, compensation for loss of office, as such, is not income for the purposes of the Income Tax. There may, however, be cases in which the circumstances are such that a payment described as compensation for loss of office is assessable to tax as emoluments of the office. The question of liability would depend, in each instance, on the facts of the particular case. A payment to a workman representing wages in lieu of notice is not regarded as income for Income Tax purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that miners and other industrial workers have to pay Purchase Tax on industrial gloves, whereas decorative utility gloves are sold free of tax in the open market; and whether he will take steps to end this anomaly?

As I indicated in my reply of 29th April, 1941, to my hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Mr. Robertson), I cannot see my way on revenue grounds to exempt from tax all gloves used or capable of being used for protective purposes in industry. In addition it would be impossible to frame a definition which would cover gloves used in industry but not include many kinds of gloves suitable for non-industrial use. This position is not affected by the existence of utility gloves, which are exempted from tax for the reasons given in my Budget Statement on the 14th April, 1942.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he can give a complete list of the health services which come under preferential treatment, all run by various Departments of the Government, and would come under the Beveridge proposals, showing the medical and nursing personnel and the cost for each Department?

The following Departments provide medical services for their staffs, the numbers of medical and associated personnel and the estimated cost being as under:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many farmers filed Income Tax returns in the years 1940–41, 1941–32 and 1942–43, respectively; of these, how many showed a loss and how many a profit of £150 or less; and, of the remainder, how many made a profit of between £150 and £250 and so on, in groups rising by £100 to £1,450?

I regret that the information asked for by my hon. and gallant Friend is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money a British officer, on active service, with a wife and family in the United States of America, is allowed to contribute to their support; and whether he is satisfied that the sum will maintain them in health?

Persons evacuated from this country to the United States or Canada during the war were normally called upon to sign an undertaking that they would be maintained by named hosts at their destination, and would not seek to transfer any funds from the sterling area for their maintenance. The remittances now allowed are intended to meet out-of-pocket expenses and not to replace the hospitality so generously offered by American and Canadian sponsors. The normal allowances, which may be increased if exceptional circumstances are shown to exist, are sums not exceeding £ a month for any child who was under 16 at the time of departure from this country and, in addition, sums not exceeding £ a month for any adult who left this country in charge of children and is still shown to be responsible for them.

asked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has any information as to when the Canadian Government propose to open their air service over the North Atlantic; and whether it is proposed that this service will be permanent?

I understand that the Canadian Government propose to open their service immediately the aircraft are ready and all the practical details have been settled. This will be a war-time service and not a permanent or commercial one. It is being established for the purposes of carrying mail to and from the Canadian Armed Forces in this country and of transporting members of the Canadian Armed Forces and Canadian Government Departments and technicians engaged in the production of war materials. It will carry no fare-paying passengers.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider the desirability of scheduling local government offices as essential works, in view of the constant and unsettling fluctuations of the staff?

Several classes of departments of local authorities have already been brought within the field of the Essential Work Order and the departments concerned scheduled in appropriate cases I am ready to consider an extension of the list to cover other specified classes on the recommendation of the Government Departments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of cases of tuberculosis notified during 1942, with comparable figures for 1938 and 1941; and will he indicate whether any particular age-group shows an increase?

The numbers of cases of tuberculosis notified during 1938, 1941 and 1942 were:

		Pulmonary	Non-Pulmonary	Total
1938	…	4,793	2,772	7,565
1941	…	5,739	2,555	8,294
1942	…	6,207	2,824	9,031

Comparing 1938 and 1942, all age groups show increases in varying degrees, the most marked increase being in the 15–25 age group. I am sending the hon. Member a statement giving the figures in detail.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to give the terms of reference and the personnel of his proposed committee of inquiry into certain aspects of the rating system of Scotland?

The terms of reference are:

"To review, with reference to post-war requirements, the Law and practice in Scotland in relation to

(1) The valuation and rating of hydroelectric undertakings (with special reference to the recommendations of the Committee on Hydro-Electric Development presided over by Lord Cooper).

(2) The effect of the existing system of rating on the provision of houses, and the question whether it is practicable and desirable to limit the maximum amount payable in respect of owners' rates.

(3) The liability for rates in respect of empty or unused premises;

and to report."

The personnel of the Committee is as follows:

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the cost to the Exchequer of the production of the Medical Register and the average annual sale of the volume; and whether he will take steps to improve the preparation of the Medical Register, for the printing and publication of which the General Medical Council is responsible, as its record of addresses and medical qualifications of doctors is less accurate than the Medical Directory, which is produced by private enterprise?

The production of the Medical Register involves no charge on public funds, its cost being defrayed from the resources of the General Medical Council. The average annual sale in the three years immediately before the war was 785 copies and in the years 1940–42, 475 copies. As regards the second part of the Question, my hon. Friend will appreciate that the Register is not primarily intended to serve the purposes of a directory, but, as was stated in the preamble to the Medical Act, 1858, which provided for the keeping of the Register, to enable persons requiring medical aid to distinguish qualified from unqualified practitioners. I am advised that owing to pressure on their reduced staff and to the difficulty under war conditions of ascertaining whether the registered addresses of many practitioners in the Register remain correct, the Council have found it impracticable to maintain their normal procedure of periodically verifying addresses by written inquiry. I have no doubt, however, that this procedure will be resumed as soon as normal conditions are restored. Section 3o of the Medical Act, 1858, enables but does not oblige practitioners to have inserted in the Register certain qualifications additional to those by virtue of which they arc first registered. Legislation would be required to make the Register a complete record of additional qualifications of such standing as to deserve recognition in it.