asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that wholesalers in the Spennymoor Division are offering carrots for sale, that the weight of such carrots should be 56 lbs., whereas on test they are only 50 lbs.; and whether he is prepared to do anything in the matter?

I am not aware of any complaints of the nature mentioned. If my hon. Friend will let me have further details, I will have inquiries made.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what is the total loss or profit made on his Department's dealings in cabbage from 1st January to the end of August, 1943; and whether there are still any outstanding liabilities?

The total loss on the Ministry's dealings in cabbage and other green vegetables since 1st January, including compensation to contracting growers for whose vegetables no market was available, was £558,133 1s. 2d. There are a few claims to compensation still to be settled.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food how many prosecutions his Ministry have initiated for selling strawberries at the wrong price; and how many have been successful?

No separate records are maintained of convictions for selling strawberries in excess of the maximum price and my Noble Friend does not consider that the expenditure of time and labour involved in extracting the information would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can make a statement on the present food situation in Tanganyika; and whether he can give an assurance that the plans of the East African Production Committee, under which 125,000 tons of food crops were to be exported from Tanganyika in 1943, take full account of the food requirements of the native population?

I have been asked to reply. In 1942 the East African Production Committee estimated that 125,000 tons of food would be available for export from Tanganyika Territory. This surplus, however, has not materialised owing to unfavourable weather conditions and no food has been exported from the territory during the year. The Governor now estimates that for the period up to April, 1944, there will be a deficiency in native foodstuffs of 20,000 tons which is being met by imports from Kenya and Uganda. It is hoped that the measures now taken will suffice to maintain adequate food supplies until next year's harvest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to introduce the probation system for juvenile and adult offenders of all races, as recommended in a recent Kenya report; and in what other Colonies is it intended to introduce the probation system?

Financial provision was made in the Kenya estimates for the year 1943 for the introduction of a probation system in Nairobi in the first instance, based on the recommendations contained in the report of the Kenya Probation Committee. According to the estimates the staff will consist of one probation officer, two assistant probation officers (African) as well as part-time African probation officers and voluntary helpers. No further information has been received as to the progress of the scheme. In Nyasaland legislation is being introduced to provide for the probation of offenders. At the invitation of my right hon. Friend one of His Majesty's Prison Commissioners is at present in West Africa engaged on an investigation into the delinquency and welfare services, including the possibility of establishing probation systems. In a number of West Indian Colonies probation work is carried out by voluntary organisations. In addition plans have been approved in Jamaica and Trinidad for the appointment of Government probation officers. In Palestine a Government probation system is already in existence, and in Ceylon the appointment of a probation officer is under consideration by the Government.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare whether he will give the latest available information as regards the food supply actually available to the civilian population in the European countries now under German occupation?

Largely owing to the mild winter, the bread grain harvest this year in all European countries now under German occupation has been larger than in 1942. It is improbable that there has been any falling off in the potato and sugar-beet crops, and reports from Poland and Yugoslavia suggest a larger sugar beet harvest than in 1942. The decline in the output of meat, milk and butter still continues, but less rapidly, and the shortage of butter should to some extent be offset by greater supplies of vegetable oils for margarine, resulting from an improved rape seed crop in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia. Following the harvest, the following increases in rations have taken place:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the Government of Trinidad relies on private employers and companies to provide hospital facilities for their employees; and whether the Government exercises any control or supervision over hospitals provided by private employers?

While the Government of Trinidad maintains Colonial hospitals as well as district and emergency hospitals, the duty of providing medical services in the case of estate labour is largely regarded as devolving on the employer. A hospital with arrangements for medical attention is provided on many estates, with, in some instances, a maternity ward for labourers' wives. Other estates rely on the services of the Health Department. The question of defining the liability of the employer in respect of the provision of hospital facilities is one that the Government of Trinidad intends to consider. As regards the last part of the Question, the Health Department has the usual power of inspection over hospitals provided by private employers accorded by the Public Health Ordinance in regard to any premises.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amounts from the proceeds of a 1d. rate levied for elementary education purposes in each of the administrative counties of England and Wales for 1942?

The following table gives the estimated product of a 1d. rate for the financial year 1942–43 for each administrative county in England and Wales. Figures giving the actual product are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can make a statement on the present cost of living in Palestine; and what action is being taken to control recent steep price increases?

The official cost of living index for Palestine, which rose in the second quarter of this year from 218 to 248 actually fell to 247 in July and 243 in August. The rise in the second quarter was principally due to increases in the food groups and more particularly in the prices of fruit and vegetables which are in short supply and, as will be appreciated, are especially difficult to control. The Government of Palestine are fully aware of the importance of stabilising, so far as possible, the cost of living, and measures of price and distribution control which have been introduced have been successful in preventing much higher increases than those which have actually occurred. As in all Middle Eastern territories, however, it has not yet been possible wholly to check the inflationary tendencies arising from war-time circumstances including large military expenditure and other factors outside the control of the Palestine Government. The situation is, however, being closely watched with a view to preventing further rises.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his plans for the rehabilitation and training of service-men, now and after the war, provide for the acquisition of practical experience in retail trade?

Yes, Sir; in suitable cases.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the National Service officer, who may never have heard.a word of the evidence in a case, is empowered to reverse the decision of the Appeals Committee given in the workmen's favour under Essential Work Orders and that this is causing irritation in industry; and will he take steps to remove this anomaly?

In the great majority of cases arising under the Essential Work Orders, local appeal boards make recommendations only and in the great majority of cases these recommendations are accepted. A decision contrary to the Board's recommendation is never given without special consideration by my Department at headquarters. This procedure was accepted by the representatives of both sides of industry when the arrangements were instituted and in my view gives rise to less irritation than would be likely under any alternative procedure.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether he is aware that a pair of prefabricated cottages are being erected in the urban area of Brecon; and whether it is the new policy of the Ministry to erect such dwellings in districts of this kind?

The cottages referred to are part of a programme, undertaken at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, for the erection of 100 prefabricated married quarters for key agricultural workers employed by county war agricultural executive committees. The sites were selected by the war agricultural executive committees. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture does not propose that quarters of this type should in future be erected in urban areas.

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to a recent case at the Llandudno Petty Sessions in which the defendant, who was a Welsh-speaking Welshman, was refused the option of exercising his right under the Welsh Courts Act of giving his testimony in the Welsh language; and what steps he intends to take in the matter?

I am advised that Section 1 of the Welsh Courts Act, 1942, gives an absolute right to any party or witness to use the Welsh language in any court in Wales (which for the purposes of this Act includes Monmouthshire) if he considers that he would otherwise be at any disadvantage by reason of his natural language of communication being Welsh, and that a court has no discretion in the matter. In order to avoid any future misunderstanding, steps are being taken to advise courts of summary jurisdiction in Wales and Monmouthshire in this sense.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the billeting officer at Girvan, without notice, called upon Mrs. Jane Downie, 4, Davan Street, Girvan, to eject two boarders to make room for two billetees; that in consequence of her refusal she was prosecuted and that this has caused indignation in the town; and whether he will take steps to have this officer removed?

My right hon. Friend is informed that the billeting officer gave Mrs. Downie notice two days' in advance of his intention to billet two war workers on her, and that this was brought out in court when she was fined for her refusal to comply with the billeting order. My right hon. Friend has no information as to the extent of the accommodation available but is informed that the billeting officer did not call upon Mrs. Downie to eject two boarders; he asked her to billet two workmen which she declined to do. Inconvenience to householders is sometimes unavoidable when billeting officers have to secure accommodation for essential workers at short notice. The billeting officer resigned some time ago.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider instituting a system whereby officers holding temporary rank may, after an appropriate period, be confirmed in that rank so as to obviate the situation now obtaining when an officer holds a rank higher than his war substantive rank and may, at any moment, owing to sickness or other eventuality, have to revert to his war substantive rank?

This matter was carefully considered before I made the statement in reply to my hon. Friends the Members for Manchester Exchange (Mr. Hewlett), Hornsey (Captain Gammans), and Ilford (Mr. Hutchinson) on 10th November, 1942, and I do not consider that any radical alteration of the present rules is desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the special vaccine referred to recently by the secretary of the Medical Research Council as having been used on the Eighth Army?

This a typhoid vaccine which was improved by pathologists of the Royal Army Medical Corps and has proved particularly effective.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider providing for the promotion of lieutenants and paymasters in the Royal Army Pay Corps to the war substantive rank of captain after three years' commissioned service in the present war?

I outlined the rules governing the promotion of subalterns to captain in the Royal Army Pay Corps in a reply I gave the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Bellenger) on 4th May, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy. Generally speaking there is one captain's appointment to every four subaltern appointments. My hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion has been carefully considered, but it is not thought that its introduction would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will recommend the issue of a special decoration for prewar Territorials, in view of their service to the country over a long period of years.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given on Wednesday last by the Prime Minister to a number of Questions on medals and awards.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, to utilise their knowledge and experience, he will consider appointing women trained in the auxiliary forces and Civil Defence to serve on the administrative staff of A.M.G.O.T.?

I would refer the noble Lady to the answer given by the Prime Minister to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for East Islington (Mrs. Cazalet Kerr) on 22nd July, in which he indicated generally the opportunities Which will be open to members of the Women's Auxiliary Services and of the Civil Defence Services, when in so far as they can be spared, to volunteer for appointments in the administration of occupied territories during the period of military control. The number of such appointments is likely to be small. The same general considerations apply to the employment of women in the Allied Military Government in Sicily and Italy. The practical difficulties of introducing women's organisations in the early stages of a military occupation are very great and it has not yet been found possible to add women officers to the existing staff of the Allied Military Government. The question to what extent it may be possible and desirable to employ women in such a government is not being overlooked.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the average period for which the acting rank of flight lieutenant and acting squadron leader is held by officers in the group, the number of which he has been informed, before the officers are promoted to temporary flight-lieutenants and squadron leaders, respectively; and on what basis promotion to temporary rank is made?

Since the outbreak of war, the average period between the grant of acting and temporary rank has been:—

For squadron leaders—8½ months.

For flight lieutenants—10 months.

These averages necessarily take no account of officers who hold the acting rank of squadron leader or flight lieutenant but who have not yet been promoted to the corresponding temporary rank. Promotion to temporary rank is controlled by a Central Selection Board in the Air Ministry and selections are made on the basis of the usual considerations, including seniority, Service record, promotion recommendations and confidential reports.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, due to the policy of priority to exports, manufacturers of textile machinery are prevented from supplying essential repairs and replacements to textile manufacturers in this country while foreign machinery is being kept up to date by the use of British man-power and materials; and will he reconsider this policy which is harmful both to the war effort and to the nation's economy?

There is no policy of giving priority to exports for repairs and replacements of textile machinery. Repairs and replacements at home an not in general subject to licence and when licences are required, they are given for all replacements of textile machinery in this country which can be shown to be essential.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will increase the supply of leather available in the Cheltenham area, as the present shortage is causing hardship and avoidable purchases of new boots and shoes, especially for young children?

The distribution of materials for boot and shoe repairing is adjusted in order to give any districts which are relatively short a larger share of the available supplies. I have called for a special report on the Cheltenham area, which, I am glad to find, is receiving a fair share of the leather available for repairs. But I shall be glad to look into any case of difficulty, if my hon. Friend will send me details.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what date the Perambulators (Maximum Prices and Charges) Order, 1942 (S.R. & O. 1942, No. 2322), of 20th November, 1942, dated 13th November, was available in His Majesty's Stationery Office; whether he is aware that during 13th and 30th November, 1942, prosecutions took place even when it was clearly demonstrated that the Order was not on sale; and whether he can guarantee that where Orders are not available consideration will be given not to prosecute in cases where it can be shown that there was no desire to overcharge?

Copies of this Order were available in His Majesty's Stationery Office on 24th November, 1942. There were no proceedings in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland between the dates mentioned by my hon. Friend. In Scotland, prosecutions are instituted by the Lord Advocate, and I have not received any information of such prosecutions taking place. I am, however, making further inquiries and will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as possible.