asked the Minister of Health, whether he is aware of the serious damage to house property due to statutory tenants letting rooms at abnormally high rents; and how soon may an amendment to the Rent Restrictions Acts be expected which will give some relief from the war-time burdens exclusively suffered by owners of property?

I am not clear what my hon. Friend has in mind, but if he will send me particulars I will look into the matter. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer him to my right hon. Friend's recent statement about the appointment of an Inter-departmental Committee to review the whole field of rent restriction.

What is the difficulty in this Question that it cannot be understood?

The hon. Gentleman asked about "the serious damage to house property due to statutory tenants letting rooms at abnormally high rents." I am not certain what he means about damaged property on that account. If he will let me know, I will look into it.

Is the hon. Lady not aware that if a house is overcrowded, the use of it by an excessive number of people, more than it was built to accommodate, must result in heavy repairs?

If the hon. Gentleman had said that overcrowding caused the damage, I would have understood his Question more clearly.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will amend Section 46 of the 1925 Housing Act, which was re-enacted in the Schedule to the Housing Act, 1930, and thereby remove the injustice imposed on property owners by this legislation and also one of the causes which has led to the delay in quickly dealing with slum property?

No, Sir, my right hon. Friend is not prepared to introduce legislation to upset the principle embodied in Section 46 of the Housing Act, 1925, which was affirmed by Parliament in the Housing Act, 1930, and re-affirmed in the Housing Acts, 1935 and 1936. My right hon. Friend cannot accept the view indicated in the closing part of the Question.

Is not the hon. Lady aware that properties valued under the Act in question have been valued at only site value, whereas a few months previously they were valued for Estate Duty at £2,000 or £3,000 in excess; and are not these methods likely to cause delay in dealing with slums?

I realise that the statutory provisions to which the hon. Member refers are that when a house is no longer fit for human habitation it has to be demolished and Parliament has agreed on successive occasions that the valuation shall be the amount of the site value.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Government post war building policy will provide for all houses, commercial buildings, works and factories being licensed for a period of years not exceeding the economic life of such buildings?

A sub-committee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Member for Peckham {Mr. Silkin) is investigating this question in its application to houses, and further consideration will be given to this aspect of the matter on receipt of the sub-committee's report.

Will the hon. Lady intimate to the Committee that to license property for an economic number of years will remove slum property entirely in future?

The hon. Gentleman has put forward a point in which many of us are greatly interested, and if he has any other suggestions and amplifications to make perhaps he will let me have them, and I will hand them to the Committee.

Perhaps the hon. Lady will read "The Rebuilding of Britain."

asked the Minister of Health whether any estimate can be made of the probable shortage of houses at the end of the war; and the estimate of the additional number of houses which will require rebuilding and reconditioning to bring the accommodation up to the accepted Ministry of Health standards?

The total estimate made by the Ministry of the number of houses likely to be required during the ten years after the war is 3,000,000 to 4,000,000. Of this, the larger portion, 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 will be needed to replace slums or houses in a poor condition, or houses which are grossly deficient in modern amenities.

How many new houses are likely to be required in that period as opposed to houses needing reconditioning?

I have said that the estimate is that out of that number from 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 will be needed to replace slums or houses in poor condition or houses grossly deficient in modern amenities.

Is the hon. Lady aware that 30,000 of those houses will be wanted in West Ham?

How many will be required to replace houses demolished or damaged by bombing?

I could not give the exact number without notice.

Has the Minister considered taking a survey in each area Of the number of people who have no houses in order to get a proper estimate of the need?

Surveys have been made, but no housing estimates made for 10 years ahead can be absolutely exact. We think, however, that for England and Wales a figure of 3,000,000 or 4,000,000 in the 10 years is the best estimate we can give at the moment.

My question was whether any attempt had been made by local authorities to get the names of the people who have no houses in order that there can be a proper estimate instead of a supposition.

I am afraid that that would not be a proper survey, because so many people are away from the parts of the country to which they wish to return afterwards. Some areas are very over-crowded, and others are not.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has records or information of the number of houses damaged by bombing or blast but that could be made habitable; and whether he is in touch with military authorities in areas where there is a great shortage of accommodation, so as to secure, wherever possible, the release for accommodation purposes of buildings now occupied for war purposes?

The number of houses damaged by enemy action and unrepaired to date because of the disproportionate quantity of labour and material required is 90,000. 2,750,000 houses have, of course, been first-aid repaired, and over 1,250,000 of these have received extended repairs. Close touch is kept both centrally and regionally with the military authorities regarding the use of housing accommodation for military purposes. If my hon. Friend has any special case in mind and will send me particulars, I shall be glad to look into it.

Is the figure of 90,000 to which the hon. Lady refers the number of houses that could be repaired after damage by bombing and not yet repaired? Is she aware that there are many areas where houses are now occupied by the military which, if the troops were transferred elsewhere, would be available for civil occupation?

The 90,000 houses are those that could be repaired when there is a larger amount of material and labour. That does not take into account those that are completely demolished or not worth repairing. In reply to the second part of the question, the military authorities are using houses in some parts of the country, but if there are any particular cases about which the hon. Gentleman would like to let me know, we will look into them.

Is it not possible for the Army to accommodate their troops under canvas in order to release these houses for the very much needed occupation of civil workers?

I think that the hon. Gentleman will agree that it depends on the locality. In some cases the troops can be put under canvas, but in other cases where they are in towns they cannot.

Do the Department receive from time to time from local authorities the number of houses that could be made habitable?

A close register is kept, and it is looked into carefully, of the number of houses that ought to be demolished, the number that are repairable by first aid or light repairs, and those that must wait.

Is the hon. Lady aware that there are 50 empty premises up my street capable of being rendered habitable?

asked the Minister of Health whether local authorities in bombed areas and especially in port areas that have been damaged are employing, or have power to employ, local architects and quantity surveyors to assist in planning and supervising the work of repairing and reconstruction, so as to avoid all unnecessary delay at the period when labour and material are available?

Yes, Sir.

Can my hon. Friend say whether these facilities are being made use of largely by the local authorities? Do all local authorities know their rights?

As far as I know, they do. If the hon. Member knows of any local authority that does not know its rights, I shall be glad to inform it.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the report which has been sent to him concerning the case of Miss Sarah Ann Watts, who summoned a doctor who was unable to attend until after Miss Watts's death; to what extent this failure to attend was due to lack of arrangements made under the panel scheme; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that panel patients shall receive treatment when their panel doctor is called up for national service?

My right hon. Friend understands that this case will shortly come up for investigation by the appropriate sub-committee of the Devonshire Insurance Committee, and he must await the outcome. Arrangements are already made to ensure that panel patients may receive medical treatment when their doctor is called up for national service.

Is the hon. Lady aware of the fact that owing to the calling-up of medical practitioners there are areas of the country where there are no doctors and there can be no arrangements for patients who require treatment?

If the hon. Gentleman will be good enough to send me the names of areas where there are no doctors, I shall be glad to look into the matter.

Will not the Department look into this problem again, because I submitted some time ago the case of a local authority which was getting alarmed because there were very few doctors left in the neighbourhood?

I agree that there is a shortage of doctors. We all know that the numbers of doctors required for the Forces is increasing as our Army goes forward. If there is any area in which there are no doctors, I should like to be informed of it.

asked the Minister of Health how many tuberculosis X-ray apparatus are in operation in the county of Yorkshire; and in what places?

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to the units for mass miniature radiography now in course of manufacture and allocation to selected tuberculosis authorities. No unit has yet been sent to Yorkshire, but the city of Leeds at present stands next on the allocation list, and another unit will later be assigned to the city of Sheffield.

Is the hon. Lady aware of the profound dissatisfaction at the continued neglect of Kingston-upon-Hull, which is a distressed area, suffers under raids, and is in need of such an instrument? Leeds has had one for a considerable time.

asked the Minister of Health how many of his inspectors visit and inspect hop-pickers' huts and camps; what material is used for them; what kind of washing and lavatory accommodation is provided; and whether the local health authorities have any obligation to allow the huts and camps to be erected?

As the answer is necessarily long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT:

Following is the answer:

The primary responsibility for the inspection of hop-pickers' camps rests with the sanitary authorities of the districts concerned. Before the outbreak of war two medical officers of the Ministry were engaged on this work throughout the hop-picking season. Under war conditions this close supervision is not possible but in each Civil Defence region concerned, one of the Ministry's regional medical officers visits the camp areas for some days in each season and as far as practicable keeps in touch with conditions. The materials from which the camps are constructed vary; in Herefordshire and Worcestershire adapted farm buildings of brick or wood predominate; in Kent and Sussex, corrugated iron or wooden huts. The washing and sanitary arrangements also vary; in some camps special washing shelters are provided, with running water and hand-filled basins, but ordinarily the water is carried from the camp supply to the living hut. Trench or bucket latrines are ordinarily used. As the camps are permanent erections I am not sure how the last part of the Question arises. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind, I shall be glad if he will let we know.

asked the Secretary of State for India the present number detained; the number now awaiting trial or serving terms of imprisonment for offences associated with political action; the total number of prisoners of all kinds; and why figures for the North-West Frontier Province are not available?

According to my latest information the number of persons undergoing imprisonment on 1st May for offences in connection with the Congress movement was 23,286, and the number of persons under detention, whether for a short or for an indefinite period, was 12,704. These figures once again do not include those for the North-West Frontier Province owing presumably to delay in reporting the information. My latest figures for the North-West Frontier Province relate to 1st February, when 232 persons were undergoing imprisonment and 413 were under detention (mostly temporarily) in connection with the Congress movement. No figures for persons waiting trial are available. I have no up-to-date figures for the total number of prisoners in India. In 1939 the daily average was approximately 130,000.

Would the right hon. Gentleman say when he is likely to obtain fuller particulars regarding imprisonments and arrests on the North-West Frontier?

They will come along presently.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he has considered the statement recently published by 25 British missionaries in India, of which a copy has been sent to him; and whether the proposals in that statement, including an appeal for an amnesty to political prisoners, have received sympathetic consideration by the Governor-General and His Majesty's Government?

Yes, Sir. The hon. Member will be aware that in his farewell address to the Indian Legislature last Monday the Viceroy made a moving appeal to India's leaders to get together and prepare the way, as the signatories to the statement suggest, for the constitutional discussions that lie ahead. In regard to the suggestion in the missionaries' statement to grant an amnesty to political prisoners who are prepared to follow constitutional methods, I would remind the hon. Member that it was the choice of very different methods, which they have shown no disposition to renounce, that has led to the continued detention of Mr. Gandhi and the Congress leaders.

Is the right hon. Gentleman giving any kind of reply to this very representative statement made by Christian missionaries in India?

It was made to the Viceroy, and I am not sure whether the Viceroy has given any reply yet.

How can Indian leaders get together if some of them are in gaol?

I referred to the other Indian leaders.

Does the statement of the Viceroy which the right hon. Gentleman has quoted imply that access will be given to Mr. Jinnah and Mr. Rajagopalachari and others to meet Mr. Gandhi in his place of internment?

The policy of the Government has been not to give access to Mr. Gandhi and Congress leaders. All other leaders have the opportunity of access for consultation.

The right hon. Gentleman spoke of Indian leaders getting together; how can they, if some of them are in gaol? How does he propose that they should get together? Does he propose to release them for that purpose?

I thought I had made my answer clear. Every opportunity is given for those leaders who have not committed themselves to an unconstitutional course to get together.

What possible harm can there be for non-Congress leaders like Mr. Rajagopalachari to have contact with the Congress leaders?

In the opinion of the Government it would do harm to encourage them to have further discussions with those who have renounced constitutional methods of procedure.

Does the right hon. Gentleman propose to leave matters at a deadlock?

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he can make any further statement upon the introduction, scope and extent of rationing and price-control, respectively, of food and essential commodities in India?

Rationing of cereal food is in operation in the City of Bombay and is being extended to other urban areas. The Government of India have the assistance of an adviser with Ministry of Food experience. General rationing of commodities other than food is not contemplated. Various measures of price control have been introduced since the war began and in many cases, as in that of wheat, have had to be reversed owing to the difficulty of securing the necessary physical control of the commodity. The Government of India have just imposed a system of control on the production of cotton cloth, which they hope will greatly reduce the price and improve the supply of piecegoods to the cultivator.

Would my right hon. Friend consider, in view of the very high cost of things in India and the large number of troops that may well be exploited, recommending the institution throughout the country of a system of rationing and price control?

I am afraid the conditions in India are so different from those in this country that that would not be an easy task.

Can my right hon. Friend give the House more information about what is being done and con- templated by him on account of famine conditions? Is he aware that in Bengal thousands of people are coming in from the countryside and living off the garbage heaps of the City of Calcutta? Will he consider telling us what he is doing and what he plans?

I shall be glad to give all the information to the House, but my hon. Friend will remember that this matter in Bengal is primarily one for the Ministry of that self-governing Province.

Has the right hon. Gentleman any information about the activities of profiteers? Is it a fact that immense fortunes have been made by private individuals in India and that that is partly responsible for the shortage?

Yes, Sir. That is a very difficult problem to handle.

Have not famine conditions become so bad in India that some people have been reduced to eating new grass?

I have not been informed of that.

asked the Home Secretary what measures are taken by his Department, in conjunction with the Board of Education, to see that the bye-laws relating to the employment of children on the land are implemented?

asked the Home Secretary the maximum hours and the average hours worked by children of school age helping in agricultural work; the minimum age at which children are employed in this work and what inspection of conditions of employment is in operation?

A Defence Regulation made on 30th April, 1942, limits the hours that may be worked in agriculture by school children to 36 in any week and 7 on any day (four on a day when they are required to attend school either morning or afternoon). No child may be employed for more than 4 hours continuously without a break of at least 1 hour. County War Agricultural Executive Committees have been asked by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture to make every effort to see that children under 14 do not work more than 4 hours a day and to discourage their employment at all until every other source of supplementary labour has been fully used. Actual hours of work vary greatly according to locality, weather and season, and no information is available to enable the average hours worked over any period to be estimated. The minimum age for employment of children is 12 except that a few local authorities have by bye-law allowed the employment of younger children, by their parents only, on light agricultural work. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the conditions controlling the employment of children in agriculture. I am sending my hon. Friends copies of the circulars issued from the Board of Education for the guidance of local authorities in carrying out their duty under the Defence Regulation. The Minister of Agriculture has asked County War Agricultural Executive Committees to give all the help they can in securing observance of the Regulation.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in spite of all that he has said and the fact that the Regulations are in operation, they are not implemented at all in some parts of this country, where young children aged eight are employed in agriculture? Would he be good enough to look into the problem if I send him details? Will he also consider another point? Where the local administration in these cases has broken down in connection with prosecutions, what steps can he take to enforce the Regulations?

If my hon. Friend will send me particulars of the cases he says he has, my Department and the others concerned will certainly look into them.

Has the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to an answer given earlier this week admitting that in certain parts of the country the situation was far less satisfactory than in others? In these cases will he send his own inspectors into the area in order to make sure that the Regulations are enforced?

My attention has not been called to them, but I will look them up.

Will he send his own inspectors?

I will examine that point.

Would the right hon. Gentleman keep in close consultation with the inspectors of the Board of Education and of the Ministry of Agriculture?

It was all settled between the three Departments perfectly amicably. It is not for me to run the inspectors of the Board of Education, but I know that the President himself is taking a personal interest in the question.

Has the right hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to a meeting of the Committee on Wage Earning Children on 28th July regarding conditions in certain parts of Lincolnshire?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the position with regard to the allocation of steel for the purpose of trap manufacture; and whether he is aware that great difficulty is being experienced in exterminating rabbits owing to the heavy cuts that have been made in the allocation of steel?

It has been necessary for my Department to reduce the allocations of steel for the manufacture of rabbit traps. I am not aware of the serious difficulty referred to in the second part of the Question. Trapping is only one of the methods employed in the campaign for the extermination of rabbits. Other methods of exterminating rabbits are gassing, snaring, ferreting and shooting. The rabbit population has been reduced, and the number of trappers is smaller, so that fewer traps can be handled. I shall be glad, however, to examine any particular cases which the hon. Member may know of in which inability to buy rabbit traps has prevented the extermination of rabbits.

Can my right hon. Friend tell us what is the present rabbit population of the country?

Plus one.

Will the right hon. Gentleman encourage to the best of his ability the less cruel methods of exterminating rabbits, such as gassing?

asked the Minister of Agriculture what recommendations have been made by the Agricultural Improvement Council during recent months to provide that the results of research shall be applied more effectively on British farms; and to what extent these recommendations have been implemented?

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the recent report of the Agricultural Improvement Council, covering the period from its appointment up to 30th June, 1942. The main channel by which the recommendations of the Council reach the farming community is through its Technical Development Committee, which is in close touch with the technical development subcommittees of county war agricultural executive committees. This link ensures that farmers are quickly made aware of new knowledge likely to improve farming practice. A variety of subjects has been dealt with in documents circulated to the sub-committees in recent months. As an example, I am sending the hon. and gallant Member a copy of a circular and accompanying book dealing with the knowledge recently gained on the subject of trace element deficiencies as a cause of crop failures.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give the basis on which his Department arrived at their calculation that since the outbreak of the war there were 170 tons of foodstuffs grown in this country for every 100 tons grown prior to the outbreak of hostilities; and whether he will give an assurance that his future policy will aim at the production of 200 tons for every 100 tons grown prior to the outbreak of hostilities?

The increase of 70 per cent. in the net output of human food from the soil of Great Britain was not measured by weight but in terms of food values. Two calculations were made, one in calories, the other in animal and vegetable protein. Both showed a net increase in the neighbourhood of 70 per cent. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's remarks in the Debate on 28th July.

Is it not imperative, in view of the world shortage of food at present, that the Government should aim at producing more and more food in this country, and is not that an additional reason for having a long-term pronouncement on agricultural policy?

That is exactly what my right hon. Friend suggested in the Debate was his policy.

Is it not a fact that my right hon. Friend the Minister did not give any answer at all? Did he not say that he was discussing long-term policy? Why is that sort of subterfuge adopted? Is it not deliberate that we should be eternally deceived?

asked the Minister of Agriculture why some Warwickshire farmers who had purchased combined harvesters, were refused permission to purchase driers also; and what drying facilities will be available to them for the 1943 harvest?

There are not enough driers to enable an allocation to be made to each purchaser of a combine harvester. Centralised drying facilities were expected to be available to certain Warwickshire farmers. Unavoidable delay has unfortunately occurred in the completion of the central plant, but the Ministry of Food have undertaken to make alternative arrangements for the acceptance of the milling grain from the farms concerned.

Can my right hon. Friend throw any light upon the muddle in regard to the instruction about the Stratford-on-Avon drying plant?

I understand that there was no muddle at all: it was a question of labour and the difficulties connected with erection. I can assure my hon. Friend that, in connection with the nine farmers whom he has in mind, steps have been taken to deal with the grain once it is harvested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether when originally announcing that the Government would give the sum of £2 per acre as compensation to farmers for ploughing up new ground, it was the policy of His Majesty's Government that such payment would have to be considered as income?

I have nothing to add to the replies given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Excheque to my hon. Friend and other hon. Members on 3rd August on this subject.

Has either my right hon. Friend or the Minister ever inferred or stated that this was the policy when the payment was first announced?

I am not aware that the Minister, when announcing his policy in May, 1939, or Parliament, which subsequently passed legislation giving effect to the proposals, expressed any views on that subject.

If that is the policy ought not the farmers who receive this money to be so informed?

I can only inform my hon. Friend that neither Parliament nor the Minister expressed any views on this point when the matter was discussed here

In view of the fact that my right hon. Friend has admitted that there was no consultation at the time between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Treasury, will he see that in future there will be such consideration first, and that it shall be made clear to the farmers whether they are getting £1 or 10s.?

Any questions on this subject should be referred to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

If the Treasury have anything to do with it the farmers will not get anything at all.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he has had any formal consultations with local education authorities on the capacity of local rates to bear their proportionate burden of the projected education proposals?

No, Sir. As my hon. Friend will see from the Appendix to the White Paper, a progressive increase in the rate of grant to local education authorities is proposed. In the distribution of the grant to individual authorities regard will be had to the circumstances of the poorer authorities.

Could my right hon. Friend give me any indication as to how far above the average figure of 55 per cent local education authorities will be allowed to go under the new proposals?

As my hon. Friend will be aware, the circumstances vary so widely in different parts of the country that I would rather give a considered answer to a particular case.

Could the President have prepared a statement dealing with the Part III authorities, so that we may have some indication as to what the extra cost will be under the new Regulations in connection with the White Paper?

I will consider what the hon. Member has said.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that unless the Government are prepared to find 100 per cent for new buildings they are unlikely to get those new proposals through in reasonable time?

I would not like to go into those details at present. Suffice it to say that the whole question of the ability of the authorities to meet the costs of the new proposals has been borne very much in mind.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the welcome given to the proposal to abolish the special place examination he will consider the advisability of introducing this reform at an early date without waiting till the other contemplated changes in the educational system can be brought about?

While I am anxious that the special place examination in its present form should be discontinued as soon as circumstances permit, I do not think the change would be justified until all education over 11 is classified as secondary under conditions which afford a reasonable choice to parents of different types of school.

Does that mean that the fact that certain local authorities have not reorganised their schools under the Hadow scheme is holding back the special place reform, and is there any reason why those authorities who have reorganised their schools should not be given authority to carry out this very necessary reform?

I think my hon. Friend had better refer to the terms of the answer which I originally gave him.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many Part III authorities have completed their reorganisation under the Hadow Scheme and how many have not; and will he give the corresponding figures for county councils?

As the answer is in tabular form, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say whether Part III authorities or the county councils have been better in the matter of reorganisation?

I think my hon. Friend had better study the table I am sending him. He will see that the Part III authorities have done very creditably.

Had he the figures before him when he decided to destroy the independent existence of the Part III authorities?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the words "all reasonable expenses," on page 3, line 16, of the pamphlet, W.F.L.,

I had every relevant consideration before me, including that one, when I came to the decision.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will give, for the last recorded date, the percentages of certificated teachers in the service of Part III authorities and county councils respectively?

As the answer contains a number of figures I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Here again can my right hon. Friend say which of the two kinds of authorities has the better record, the Part III authorities or the county councils?

The answer is set out in the figures which I am circulating. Circumstances differ as between Part III authorities in size and so forth and counties. My hon. Friend will see again that the Part III authorities have a very creditable record.

An employer's contributions to schemes for the welfare of his employees normally rank as a deduction in computing his profits for taxation purposes, provided that such contributions are not unreasonable in amount. I see no reason for discriminating against schemes in which these contributions are made in order to supplement employees' purchases of National Savings Certificates. I agree, however, that it is not desirable that the totals of subscriptions of savings groups in industrial firms should be inflated by employers' contributions of excessive amount.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that when street group canvassers approach housewives with a view to increasing the number of subscribers they are frequently asked, "Why should I pay 15s. in a street group when I can get them for less through my husband at his work?" Is he also aware that in one case a man drew out £375 from the Post Office, the ordinary purchase price of 500 Savings Certificates and took them to his works, bought 500 certificates for considerably less and thus got what he wanted and a nice sum of money to spend to boot?

That is a very long Supplementary Question.

May I have a reply on that?

Is the Chancellor aware that these "under the counter" transactions in Savings Certificates if they become generally known must have a very serious effect upon public subscription?

I will draw the attention of the savings committees to the Questions and answers that have been given in the House to-day.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to raise the sums required to compensate the owners of coal whose properties were vested in the Coal Commission on 1st July, 1942?

In view of the progress of the valuation programme, the time has come for the Coal Commission to raise a substantial part of the money required for the compensation of the previous owners of the coal. In accordance with the provisions of the Coal Act, 1938, and of the Coal Commission Borrowing and Stock Regulations, 1942, the Coal Commission on 4th August, 1943, with the approval of the Minister of Fuel and Power and of the Treasury, issued £35,000,000 of 3 per cent. Coal Commission Guaranteed Stock, 1980–2016, to the National Debt Commissioners, at the price of £97 10s. 0d, per cent. The stock is guaranteed by the Treasury under Section 29 of the Coal Act, 1938.

How does that issue price compare with issue prices of other gilt-edge Government stock?

I cannot give a comprehensive reply to that Question. If my hon. Friend likes, I will communicate with him, or perhaps he will put a Question on the Paper.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider excluding from Income Tax the pensions of widows of Service men who, by reason of their domestic circumstances, with children to support, are employed in war work?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my replies to similar Questions by the hon. Members for Deritend (Sir Smedley Crooke) and for Rugby (Mr. W. Brown) on 24th June, 1942, and 15th April, 1943.

Does the Chancellor think it right that widows of Service men should be penalised in this way while soldiers' wives employed at the same work have their allowances exempt from Income Tax?

This matter has been constantly considered in the House and has been the subject of debates.