asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the wanton damage done to Orton Longueville Hall, near Peterborough, by troops stationed there; whether he will have an investigation made and the damage assessed before other troops are stationed there; and whether he will agree to deduct from the pay of officers and men responsible for this damage the amount assessed thereof, so that the general taxpayer shall be relieved of such expenditure required to make good the damage done?

This case has been fully investigated. The house has been occupied by a number of units of the Army since October, 1940, and the damage done by them has been assessed and paid for. On three occasions the damage done was the fault of the units and their funds have been charged with sums totalling £16 11s, 3d. A further case is now being investigated. In the circumstances, I do not consider that the damage done, although regrettable, is very great, and I understand that the house has, in general, been maintained by the Army in an excellent state of repair.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there is hostel accommodation sufficient for officers passing through Glasǵow?

The accommodation at present available in the hostel referred to in the reply I gave to the hon. and gallant Member on 23rd June is being consider- ably increased. This increased accommodation should, as far as is practicable in present circumstances, meet normal requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will cause to be placed in the Library of the House copies of the "Soldiers' Guide to Sicily," issued to the troops?

The booklet to which the hon. Member is, I believe, referring was produced in the Middle East and as far as I am aware there is no copy of it in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that the Provost Staff are adequately using their powers to prevent the troops overseas being charged exorbitant prices by local retailers, hotel and restaurant keepers?

The Provost Staff only have powers directly to enforce controlled prices in territories under martial law. In other areas this staff assists the civil authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, who joined as volunteers under different circumstances and did not empower anyone to sign away their status as such on joining, may be given the right to resign in order to take up work in which they can be more appreciated, instead of being conscripted as Auxiliary Territorial Service medical orderlies who have had far less experience of hospital duties?

The recommendations of the Committee on Voluntary Aid Detachments have not yet been implemented. There is moreover no intention to conscript the members of these detachments into the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

asked the Secretary of State for War what information he has regarding the conditions in Campo P.G. 35; and whether Red Cross parcels and other mail are being received by prisoners in that camp?

Camp 35, which is at Padulla, near Naples, was last visited by a representative of the International Red Cross Committee, on 17th March, 1943. This report did not disclose any very serious defect. It is, however, clear from information received from repatriated prisoners of war that conditions, in some respects, are not good. The camp is overcrowded and there is insufficient lighting. Adequate supplies of standard food parcels have been despatched to this camp from Geneva, but, largely owing to the dislocation of transport in Italy, only a limited number reached the camp in the months before the visit of the representative of the International Red Cross Committee. He reported, however, that mail was reaching the camp satisfactorily.

asked the Minister of Supply whether his plans for increasing the flax industry can be taken as indicating its place in post-war agriculture?

The development of flax production in Great Britain has been undertaken to meet war-time necessities, but no further large increase in acreage is at present in contemplation. It would be premature to make any statement concerning the post-war position.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will reconsider the refusal by his Scientific Advisers Division to supply a small quantity of wheat germ to a registered practitioner who wished to use it in his practice, an instance of which has been privately furnished to him; whether this request was considered by any qualified medical practitioner in actual practice; what is the present disposal by the Ministry of wheat germ abstracted from wheat grain; what proprietary articles are supplied with this germ and upon what method of selection?

The request for wheat germ to which my hon. Friend refers was submitted to the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the 'Medical Research Council. This Committee, after consultation with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, advised that there was no reason why the request should be granted. In view of this advice, my Noble Friend is not prepared to reconsider the case unless new evidence is forthcoming. In regard to the second part of the Question, the request was considered by qualified medical practitioners in actual practice. In regard to the third and fourth parts of the Question wheat germ is not extracted from National flour. As regards the comparatively small quantity of germ obtained from the milling of certain speciality flours, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to him on 9th June, 1942, 30th June, 1942, and 16th July, 1942.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the milk retailers in Billericay, Essex, are trading at a loss as a result of the cuts imposed upon them by the Ministry; whether he will have their castings investigated immediately; and whether he is aware that his refusal to have the matter looked into by his Ministry when asked to do so by letter is causing hardship amongst the people concerned?

The experience of the retail dairymen in Billericay during the eight weeks from 25th July to 18th September, when their margin will be reduced by 4d. per gallon, will not accurately represent their position throughout the year. For convenience of administration they receive during the remainder of the year a margin in excess of the amount justified by the costings investigation, and this excess will offset the forthcoming reduction. The costings investigation upon which the distributive margin has been determined is based upon the accounts kept by representative dairymen in the different parts of the country. The dairymen were selected, in consultation with the trade, as being representative of all classes of distributors serving all types of areas. My Noble Friend could not agree to a special investigation being made into the costs of the Billericay retail dairymen.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men and women now engaged in the manufacture of munitions in the county of Durham and the number transferred from this county to other areas for the same purpose?

It would not be in the national interest to give the information desired in the first part of the Question. With regard to the second part, I regret that the information is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether owners of plant using oil for heating purposes are required to convert their furnaces to use coal; and will compensation be paid by the State or will a contribution from public funds be made towards the costs of conversion?

For some time past consumers of imported oil, both for heating and industrial purposes, have been required to convert their plants to use such home produced fuels as have been available. Until recently these conversions have been confined to relatively large oil consuming plants and mainly to creosote/pitch mixture. The increased demands of the Services for oil, make it necessary that smaller consumers should convert their plants wherever practicable to use coke or anthracite. I regret that it is not possible to make any contribution towards the cost from public funds.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what number of additional men will be required in the mining industry to meet the anticipated needs of fuel; and whether he has any plans for obtaining this additional personnel?

The man-power requirements of the coalmining industry are kept under constant consideration and any steps that are necessary to meet additional requirements will be announced at an early date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the fact that landed estate is valued for the purpose of Estate Duty on an estimated capital value based on the price a willing purchaser is likely to pay and not on the income produced, which is the basis of value in most other securities, he will consider granting the same rate of Estate Duty in respect of landed estate held through the medium of a company as pertains to land held personally where it can be shown that the holding company exists solely for the working and management of an agricultural estate?

I fear I could not entertain my hon. Friend's proposal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view the great national contribution being made by agricultural landowners and farmers during the war, with such small profit or benefit to themselves, he will take steps to amend the existing law, so that persons who own their land directly and without the intervention of a company, may have the same benefit in respect to the allowance before taxation of management expenses and the right to create reasonable reserves and provisions for improvements without Surtax being paid, which conditions are at present permitted where land is held through the medium of a company?

I am afraid that I could not see my way to accept my hon. Friend's suggestion.