asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered increasing up-to-date irrigation facilities for Army officers and men returning to barracks and camps?

All units have been instructed to set up preventive ablution rooms for the use of officers and men in camps, barracks and billets and it is considered that the existing facilities are adequate.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of soldiers who are at present invalided owing to venereal disease; and whether such facts are brought to the notice of the Army generally?

just over a quarter of one per cent. of those invalided out of the Army are invalided out on account of venereal disease. The figures themselves are not brought to the notice of the Army generally but all ranks are made aware of the dangerous results of the disease.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it is proposed to grant commissioned rank to physiotherapists serving in the Army?

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply which was given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Sir F. Fremantle) on 6th July, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that chain and other stores are selling war ribbons indiscriminately; and what steps does he propose to take to safeguard the interests of the members of the Fighting Services?

Any unauthorised person who wears any medal ribbon, supplied or authorised by the Army Council, is liable, under Section 156A of the Army Act, to a fine not exceeding £20 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months. It is not considered that any further measure is necessary.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number of applications for war pensions received in each of the first five years after the end of the last war and demobllisation; and what proportion of these cases arose out of wounds or deaths in action; and what proportion arose as a result of illness either in this country or overseas?

The number of applications received in each of the f ve years in question was:

For the year ended—
31st March, 1920	…	958,300
31st March, 1921	…	238,900
31st March, 1922	…	88,200
31st March, 1923	…	47,500
31st March, 1924	…	34,000

I regret that it is not possible to state what proportion of these claims arose out of wounds or deaths in action or as a result of illness either in this country or overseas. Of the total number of pensions granted for disablement, however, 40 per cent. were for wounds and injuries and 6o per cent. for diseases, but similar details are not available in regard to death cases.

asked I he Secretary of State for War whether he will set out the standard form of telegram sent by all three Service Departments notifying casualties to relatives and indicate where the form of wording differs for different types of casualties?

The wording of telegrams sent by the Army notifying casualties to relatives and the wording of telegrams, which I understand are sent in similar circumstances by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, are as follow:1.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what he intends doing about the glut of new potatoes?

While the supply of new potatoes temporarily exceeds demand in some markets my Noble Friend is bound to consider the supply position by reference to the quantity of first-early potatoes which may be needed to meet consumption requirements before the lifting of second-earlies is generally permitted on 12th August. Any attempt to hasten unduly the clearance of first-early varieties might make it necessary to bring forward the lifting of the second-early and main crops. This would tend to reduce their yield and consequently next winter's food supply. My Department is, therefore, aiming at maintaining a flow from the areas of early production sufficient in volume to clear land in time for a following crop and prevent deterioration arising from delay in lifting and marketing the first-early crop. If a surplus over market requirements results, it will, as far as possible, be processed into a product for human consumption.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food why the Bagshot food control committee have resigned in a body?

The Bagshot food control committee resigned following the reversal by my Department of their decision not to grant a consumer's application to change her milk retailer after the transfer of the business. It is regretted that the instructions on which the food control committee based its decision were not clear and led both the committee and the Ministry's local officers to arrive at an incorrect decision. To prevent any further mistakes precise instructions have been issued. It is hoped that the members of the Bagshot committee whose help in the operation of food control has been greatly appreciated will reconsider their resignations and agree to continue in office.

asked the Home Secretary whether arrangements can be made for the true names and addresses of persons convicted of offences against the food regulations, and for black market offences generally, to be published in the Press?

I know of no case in which the correct legal names and addresses of persons convicted of black market offences have not been disclosed in open court and thus made available to the public. My powers do not extend to dictating to the Press what material they should publish, but I have not observed any undue tenderness on their part to black market offenders.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that there are many cases where an old age pensioner and his wife are complaining that, because the husband is now able to work, Income Tax is being assessed on his income plus the respective pensions of himself and his wife; and whether he will take steps to exclude the pensions from such assessments on the ground that pensioners have already paid in for many years their contributions for pensions granted?

I am afraid I could not see my way to adopt my hon. Friend's proposal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any statement to make regarding the pensions of British subjects who have retired from the service of the Siamese Government and are not now in enemy territory?

The question of pensions of British subjects who have retired from the service of the Siamese Government is one which I have considered on a number of occasions. Hitherto I have felt unable to differentiate between these pensioners and others who have lost their means of livelihood as a result of hostilities in the Far East and these in their turn from persons similarly affected in this country. It has, however, been represented to me that these pensioners stand in a rather special position inasmuch as many of them gave up other employment to take up service with the Siamese Government as a result of advice or encouragement given them by His Majesty's Government, and I have come to the conclusion that this argument is sufficiently strong to warrant granting these pensioners special treatment. I have accordingly agreed that advances may be made from the Exchequer in respect of these pensions for the war period to British subjects not in enemy territory within a limit of £40 per month for any individual. The advances will date from the time of cessation of payment of pension by the Siamese Government and will be recoverable in so far as the pensioners receive after the war payments in respect of the pensions due during the war period.I have, at the same time, considered the position of British pensioners of the Shanghai Municipal Council and similar municipal bodies in China. Although their position is not quite the same as that of the pensioners of the Siamese Government, I do not think there are adequate grounds for discrimination. I have accordingly agreed that these pensioners may receive advances from the Exchequer on the same terms. These advances likewise will be recoverable in so far as the pensioners after the war receive payment of pensions due during the war period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Safeguarding of Industries Order (Statutory Rules and Orders 1943, No. 854), which is unintelligible, was not accompanied by an explanatory memorandum; and whether he will either withdraw it or re-issue it in such a form that the public will be able to understand it?

In reply to the first part of the Question, the assurance given as to the provision of explanatory material, related to subordinate legislation under war-time Acts, and, in any event, the effect of this Order, which is merely to continue certain existing exemptions, is clear on the face of it. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the difficulties of obtaining the "London Gazette," save at the Stationery Office, he will arrange for its decentralization of sale?

I am not aware of the difficulties referred to by the hon. Member. The "London Gazette" may be ordered through any bookseller or obtained direct from the Stationery Office at its branches in London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Cardiff and Belfast.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Miss L. B. Bevan, an un-established typist in the Ministry of War Transport, who is 61 years of age and has 25 years' Government service to her credit, will not receive a gratuity if she leaves the service now owing to physical infirmity, on the grounds that 12 years ago she had a voluntary break in service of three months and three weeks; and whether he will consider granting a gratuity to her?

I am aware of this case. This officer's service before her resignation was in the Electricity Commission, which is not a Government Department, and in the circumstances there is no power to aggregate that service with subsequent service for the purpose of calculating pension or gratuity.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received the new plan for post-war reconstruction prepared by the Economic, Financial and Transit Department of the League of Nations; and whether this will be studied by the United Nations?

I presume my hon. Friend is referring to a report on "The Transition from War to Peace Economy," of which I have received a copy. I can assure him that His Majesty's Government will study this interesting document, and I have no doubt that other United Nations will do likewise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the considerable number of requests reaching Members of Parliament for information about post-war reconstruction work in Europe, he will indicate when and how applications from persons willing to assist in this work should be made?

As my right hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs said in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 24th March, it is not clear whether British personnel will be required on any considerable scale for reconstruction work in Europe. So far as post-war relief is concerned, active consideration is being given to the setting up of machinery whereby offers of service for post-war relief work in Europe can be directed to the quarters in which they are most likely to be acceptable.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British propagandist paper "Cephe" ("Battlefront") has been banned in Turkey after nine months' publication?

"Cephe" is an illustrated paper printed in Cairo in French and Turkish for sale in Turkey. Before the publication of the first number, His Majesty's Government naturally ascertained from the Turkish Government that there would be no objection. The Turkish authorities have now, however, declared themselves compelled to reconsider their previous decision so long as it was partly printed in Turkish. No exception was taken to "Cephe" in itself, and His Majesty's Government understand that the Turkish Government fear that if they allow foreign papers printed in the vernacular to be sold in Turkey this privilege may be abused in the case of some such papers on sale. The competent authorities are therefore making arrangements for continuing the publication of "Cephe" in a form which meets the wishes of the Turkish Government.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what assistance he can offer, or is offering, to enable agriculturists to cope with the ravages of the turnip-flea beetle?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of a leaflet issued by my Department and of an article in the Ministry's Journal containing information on measures for the control of this pest. Advice on control in individual cases may be obtained from county war agricultural executive committees. Experimental work is in progress to obtain further information and control measures and also to discover additional insecticides to replace those that are in short supply owing to war conditions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent the soft fruit crop this season has been wasted owing to labour difficulties in harvesting it?

No such wastage has been reported to my Department, but if my hon. and gallant Friend will furnish me with particulars of any case known to him, I will have it investigated.

asked the Home Secretary how many times George Elphick, 66, Priory Street, Lewes, a conditionally registered conscientious objector, has been prosecuted, and how many times he has been to prison in connection with his refusal to do compulsory fire-watching; and whether he will consider, in the forthcoming Fire Guard Orders, preventing the repeated prosecution of sincere conscientious objectors by local authorities?

I am informed that this man has had five convictions; on the last occasion he was sentenced to imprisonment and on three of the others he went to prison in lieu of paying a fine. The new Orders will provide relief to a man who, though having a conscientious objection to compulsory registration, is, nevertheless, prepared voluntarily to perform the requisite duties. I am not prepared to modify the Orders in favour of persons who refuse to undertake those duties.