asked the Minister of Information in what circumstances, in the interests of national security, letters in the post from both inside and outside this country are still being opened by officials of the Postal Censorship; and whether he will assure the House that no information therein contained which has nothing to do with considerations of national security is being circulated to other Departments of State which may be interested?

There has been no alteration in censorship practice since my hon. Friend's Question on 7th October, 1942, and I would refer him to the answer which I then gave.

asked the Minister of Information what action he has taken to prevent broadcasts of an unsuitable nature being made after the overseas news as on 1st October last?

It is the rule that the scripts of broadcasts in the European Service should be passed by a responsible official before they are delivered. I have already said that the particular broadcast mentioned by my hon. Friend might have been better phrased, and I do not dispute my hon Friend's view that it was unsuitable in the form in which it was delivered. I recently had occasion in connection with another broadcast to ask the controller of European Broadcasts to remind his staff that it is most undesirable that partisan political opinions should be aired by the section of the B.B.C. controlled by His Majesty's Government.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that many families, in a town of which he has been informed, have lost their homes by enemy action, and that many small shops have been damaged and are now vacant; and whether he will give the corporation the utmost help in quickly requisitioning such shops and repairing them to such a standard as will make them habitable as temporary war-time homes for these bombed-out families?

My right hon. Friend is aware of the situation in the town referred to. He has recently issued two circulars to local authorities, of which I am sending my hon. Friend copies, which authorises them to requisition unoccupied shops or other premises which can suitably be converted into dwellings for persons inadequately housed, and to effect works of repair, adaptation or conversion at a cost within the limits laid down.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the shortage of houses at a place of which he has been informed, where many persons are employed on war work of importance; whether he has considered an application from the local corporation to complete the building of 150 houses there, upon which work was proceeding m 1939, and what decision he has reached in regard thereto?

My right hon. Friend is aware of the position at the place referred to but he has had no application from the local authority to complete the building of houses there.

asked the Minister of Health the estimated housing needs of Liverpool under the following headings: for families who had registered with the corporation for tenancies prior to the war, for families who have lost their homes as the result of enemy action, and for young couples married since the war commenced, respectively?

In a memorandum submitted to my right hon. Friend last November when he received representatives of the city the housing needs under the first and third of the headings mentioned were estimated to be 14,000 and 1,000 respectively. For security reasons I am sending my hon. Friend the figure for the second heading.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make it a condition of future grants to corporations in aid of their housing schemes that they should open a register of applications for the tenancy of corporation houses so that families now without homes, including newly wedded couples, can register with some degree of priority instead of having to wait for registration in mass at the end of the war?

I appreciate the object which my hon. Friend has in view and will consider how it can best be secured.

asked the Home Secretary whether he can give any information in connection with the raid by the police on the Chesterfield, Mount Bridge and Luncheon clubs; how many men arid women, respectively, were present; how many times the same owners have been convicted and the amount of fines in each case; and what action he intends taking about the matter?

These two clubs, at which unlawful gaming was suspected, were entered by the police on 14th October. Thirty-two men were arrested at the Chesterfield Club, and twelve men and four women at the Mount Bridge and Luncheon Club. The following day the person in charge of the Chesterfield Club premises was fined £50 and ordered to pay 35 guineas costs, while the proprietor of the Mount Club was fined £10 and ordered to pay 15 guineas costs. The former of these two men had been previously convicted on 29th September last in respect of unlawful gaming at the same club, when he was fined £25 and ordered to pay 10 guineas costs; no previous conviction for this type of offence is known against the proprietor of the Mount Club. The remaining 46 persons found at these two clubs, with the exception of two who failed to appear, were bound over not to frequent gaming houses for 12 months. There is no power to order the closing of these clubs, but the police will continue to be vigilant in the enforcement of the law against unlawful gaming.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether the recent offer of a guaranteed price for maize and a bonus of 2s. per bag, on prescribed conditions made by the Government of Southern Rhodesia to European growers, will also be available to native growers?

As I stated in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member's Question on 22nd September it is understood that the recent offer of the Southern Rhodesia Government of a special guaranteed price and bonus relates only to maize produced by European farmers and surrendered to the Maize Control Board. In the case of native grown maize provision had already been made in the Southern Rhodesia legislation for the payment of a price fixed each year by the Minister.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he is aware that plans have been prepared for the post-war enlargement of Croydon airport, such enlargement to involve the closing of a main road and the taking over of playing-fields; and whether the location of airports generally is being considered by his Department in relation to the needs of business and residential areas, respectively?

My right hon. Friend has no knowledge of the plans to which the hon. Member refers beyond what has appeared in the Press. The location of airports generally is being considered by the Air Ministry and my Department.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production to what extent he has prohibited the election of staff members to the joint production councils of factories engaged in the war effort; and whether any regulations or recommendations prevent their election to such councils?

Although my Department takes every opportunity to encourage the setting up of joint production committees, to which I attach the highest importance, it does not in any way prescribe their constitution or functions, which are determined by an agreement between the relevant employers federation and the trades unions organisations.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the regulations regarding overseas service for the W.R.N.S.; and whether he will give preference to those who are anxious to go?

Until the early part of this year overseas service for both officers and ratings of the W.R.N.S. was entirely voluntary. As, however, it had then become increasingly difficult to meet growing commitments abroad, it was decided as a first step to impose a liability to overseas service on the officers and this liability has recently been extended to mobile ratings over the age of 21. Mobile ratings under the age of 21 and immobile ratings whatever their age may still volunteer, but neither officers nor ratings under the age of 21 are sent abroad without the written consent of their parents. Before being drafted abroad all ratings, whether volunteers or otherwise, are brought before a Selection Board to ensure that they are in all respects suitable. It is the policy of the Admiralty to send abroad only those on whom this will not place undue hardship, and preference is always given to those who are anxious to go.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will ascertain from the Union Government of South Africa and Major-General H. P. Klopper particulars of British prisoners of war taken at Tobruk with the South African forces?

Arrangements already exist for the collection and dissemination of information of this kind. British prisoners of war captured at Tobruk were interned in various camps, and any information about them which Major-General Klopper was able to furnish was no doubt obtained from him before he returned to South Africa.

asked the Minister of Pensions, what compensation a naval V.A.D. is entitled to should she be killed, wounded or suffer a disability from accident or disease contracted during the course of her service?

The compensation payable in respect of the disablement or death of a Naval V.A.D. due to war service is the same as that payable in the case of a member of the Women's Royal Naval Service of comparable status. Those rates are set out in the Appendix to the White Paper "Changes in War Pensions," Command 6459. There is a special disablement rate above that of chief wren for a member serving as an uncertificated nurse Grade I.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether soldiers on discharge are given the option of having either a crossed cheque or a draft for the whole or part payable at a post office on production of their Army papers; and, if payment is not possible at a post office, will he consider this alternative method?

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No, Sir," but I am considering whether the present system should be modified.

asked the Minister of Supply, in view of the value attaching to them, why no effort is being made to salvage worn and damaged tyres, particularly at military and Air Force centres where large quantities are being buried in rubbish heaps?

Arrangements are in operation whereby tyres discarded by the Army and the Air Force are utilised either for retreading or for reclamation as scrap. Burial of discarded tyres in rubbish heaps would be contrary to Army and Air Force regulations, and if my hon. Friend will give me particulars of the cases to which he refers, I shall be glad to take them up with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for War and for Air.

Lewis asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer over what period of years it is estimated that the receipt of Income Tax by the Exchequer would be actually diminished in the event of the overcharge of £60,000,000 being incurred by the inclusion of all employment in the pay-as-you-earn scheme instead of weekly wage earners only; and whether it is estimated that the diminution in actual receipt of tax would he evenly spread over those years or would tend to be smaller in the early years and larger in the later years?

The tax discharged would be the equivalent of amounts otherwise payable, by each individual taxpayer affected, at some time or times in the future when either the rate of tax falls or earnings fall or earnings cease, and I am afraid, therefore, that I cannot furnish any estimate of the length of the period involved.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he intends to requisition a factory of which he has been informed and what advantage will accrue to the war effort; and whether he is prepared to consider a less drastic proposal?

The premises in question are urgently required for the Ministry off Food, and the Ministry of Supply have at our request agreed that they may be released. As to the third part of the Question, the Board of Trade are naturally always ready to consider alternative proposals, but I am advised that the whole space is required.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the changed war conditions, he will reconsider the claims of the Birmingham Voluntary Transport Service and grant them a small basic petrol ration to enable them to resume the voluntary work of taking to their homes service men on short leave who arrive by train after local omnibus and tram-car services have ceased?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give the House any further information on the repatriation of civilian internees from the Far East?

Every effort is being made to bring about the further exchange of 1,600 civilian internees from the Far East and the British Commonwealth respectively, to which reference was made in the reply given to my hon. Friend by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 5th May last. There are various difficulties to be overcome, but I hope these will be solved.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he now proposes to issue another appeal for economy in the use of domestic fuel this winter?

Since my broadcast on 3rd October, many forms of publicity, including the Press and the B.B.C., have been used to emphasise the need for domestic fuel economy and it is intended that the campaign shall be sustained and intensified.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the terms of the regulation or instruction which permits commanding officers to fine men for breaches of discipline; and for what breaches of discipline can serving personnel be fined?

Under Section 46 (2) (b) of the Air Force Act, a commanding officer may, subject to the airman's right to elect a trial by court martial, impose a fine for drunkenness. There is a scale varying from 5s. for a first offence to £1 for the fourth offence. For the fifth and every subsequent offence the fine is not less than £1, but in no circumstances may it exceed £2; and the commanding officer must refer to higher authority for approval as to the amount of the fine. Drunkenness is the only offence for which a commanding officer is authorised to award a fine, but on active service he may, under Section 46 (2) (d) of the Air Force Act, award the forfeiture of all ordinary pay for a period not exceeding 28 days for any offence under the Act, subject to the airman's right to elect to be tried by court martial. In the case of an airman not on active service, the maximum period of forfeiture is limited to 14 days and the punishment has been restricted by regulation to aircraft apprentices, apprentice clerks and boy entrants. In addition, a commanding officer may award a penal stoppage of pay to make good loss or damage caused by the airman's wrongful act of negligence. The amount of the stoppage is usually limited to the equivalent of 14 days' full pay. If, in exceptional circumstances, this amount is exceeded, the facts must be reported immediately to higher authority. The detailed regulations on the matter are contained in King's Regulations and Air Council Instructions, paragraphs 1129, 1138, 1151 and 1152.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to.the Ministry of War Transport whether the plans which are being prepared in his Department for the post-war construction of ring roads and radial arteries are yet sufficiently far advanced to be published in outline and when it is proposed to lay them before Parliament?

Many plans for the improvement of existing roads and for the construction of new roads have been or are being prepared. They are in varying stages of completion; none of them can be carried out until the war is over, and their completion will, no doubt, be spread over period of years. Before they are begun they will have to be examined in the light of other decisions about national planning which the Government will have made. It would therefore be premature to publish any general plan for highways at present. Where the sanction of Parliament is required for any given plan the necessary steps to obtain that sanction will be taken by the responsible highway authority.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport (1) what number of toll-gates there are in Glamorganshire; the tariff charges in each case; the number of persons employed; the number of hours worked in each week; the wages paid; and the names of owners of the toll-gates;(2) what steps have been taken to remove the Penarth toll gate; what extra petrol is being used by tradesmen's vehicles between Cardiff and Penarth by travelling over Leckwith Hill, Glamorgan, instead of over the toll gate road; whether he will take immediate steps to make this road a free public road; and who owners are?

The only toll-gates in Glamorganshire are on the CardiffPenarth road which is jointly owned by Mountjoy, Ltd., and Plymouth Estates, Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to ensure that lecturers to members of the A.T.S. when dealing with sex matters abstain from viewing with complacency the spread of illegitimacy?

I do not think that instructions on the lines suggested by my hon, and gallant Friend are necessary. I can assure him that it is not the official policy of the War Office to allow lectures which suggest in any way that the spread of illegitimacy should be viewed with complacency.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of our total invisible exports for the years 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939; and the value of invisible exports represented by foreign investments lost since the war?

In the balance of payments on current account, exclusive of trade in merchandise, bullion and specie, the estimated excess of credits over debits amounted to £327,000,000 in 1936, £386,000,000 in 1937 and £324,000,000 in 1938. No corresponding estimate has been made for 1939. With regard to the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer informs me that it would not be in the public interest to give the desired information.