asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that many large milk-retailer firms constantly return milk churns to farmers in a filthy condition and are seeking to evade their sterilising responsibilities by a clause in their contracts making farmers responsible; and whether he will prosecute these firms where the Milk Marketing Board inspectors are satisfied that empty milk churns are returned to farmers without being adequately sterilised by firms or depots?

My right hon. Friend is aware that complaints have been made of the condition in which churns are returned to producers. Under the Milk and Dairies Order, 1926, persons who empty and return churns in which milk has been delivered to them are required to cause the churns to be thoroughly cleansed before they leave their custody or control; and producers and other dairymen are required to cause all vessels used for containing milk to be kept in a state of thorough cleanliness. The enforcement of the Order is the responsibility of local authorities.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of the children in England, Wales and London, respectively, have been immunised against diphtheria; and what is the proportion in each Metropolitan borough?

Owing to war-time movements of population no figures are at present available of the child-population for England, Wales, London and each metropolitan borough separately. Up to 30th June last, the total number of children who had been immunised under local authority arrangements in England and Wales was approximately 4,400,000, and allowing for additional immunisation by private arrangement it is probable that substantially more than half the child-population is protected at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that two members of the Fascist secret police, the O.V.R.A., were arrested, sent to the headquarters of A.M.G.O.T. and returned within 24 hours to the same town as A.M.G.O.T. officials; and whether he will order a cessation of all such practices?

I have no knowledge of this and consider it to be most improbable but if my hon. Friend will furnish details of the place and date involved inquiries will certainly be made.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the terms of the mandate of A.M.G.O.T., announced by Lord Rennell, can be made public?

My hon. Friend is doubtless referring to the instructions about civil affairs issued to General Eisenhower by the combined Chiefs of Staff, which, of course, formed the basis of the Chief Civil Affair Officer's instruction for the administration of Sicily. These are in the nature of operational instructions which are not published.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any record is kept of the officers and men who are unsuccessfully vaccinated against smallpox; what constitutes a successful vaccination; and, in the event of officers or men who have been previously vaccinated contracting smallpox, are the previous vaccinations in these cases considered to have been unsuccessful?

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes, Sir." The success or failure of vaccination is judged by the reaction at the site of vaccination. The answer to the last part of the Question is "No, Sir."

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the pensioned warrant officers and other ranks of the Army who returned for service and have been promoted to commissioned rank will, on demobilisation, receive retired pay as officers?

No, Sir. The pensioned warrant officers and other ranks of the Army to whom the hon. Member refers have been given emergency commissions, carrying no entitlement to retired pay. They continue in receipt of their pensions during re-employment and afterwards.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many dwelling-houses his Ministry has, since the outbreak of war, requisitioned, bought, rented or otherwise acquired for service use in a burgh of which he has been informed; what is the total of bedrooms and of public rooms thus removed from public use; how many of these rooms are now used otherwise than as dwellings; and what other buildings, or parts of buildings, have been similarly acquired in this area over the same period?

Four houses are at present under requisition in this area. They contain 24 bedrooms and II other rooms. Twenty-one of the rooms are being used as medical posts, offices and for other purposes other than as dwellings. In addition 12 miscellaneous buildings or parts of buildings are under requisition in this area.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will retain on full pay and allowances all sick and wounded returned prisoners of war until their economic position has been assured by the settlement of their pension claims and/or the securing of employment?

All sick and wounded prisoners of war repatriated from enemy hands are given 28 days' leave on arrival in the United Kingdom unless their condition necessitates their detention in hospital. Those who are then found on examination by a Medical Board to be unfit for further service, even of the kind permitted by the Geneva Convention, are invalided from the Service under the usual procedure which provides for a suitable period of notice to be given and is designed to ensure that the settlement of pension claims takes place prior to the date of invaliding. Special steps are being taken to ensure that there shall be no gap between the cessation of pay and the award of pension where admissible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether a report will be prepared and published, at an early date, of the conditions and treatment experienced by prisoners of war now returned from Germany and based on their evidence; and whether, for the information and comfort of relatives of prisoners of war still in Germany, he will have examined any specific charges of ill-treatment and their authenticity and proportionate incidence to the general experience of the ex-prisoners?

It is not considered that it would be in the interest of those prisoners who have remained in Germany that a report such as is suggested by my hon. Friend should be published. I can assure him that all possible information will be obtained from those men who have returned, and, if as a result conditions in the prison camps are revealed which require remedying, the necessary steps will be taken through the Protecting Power. I should add that whenever from any source or in any way information is received as to unsatisfactory conditions in camps in enemy countries, immediate steps are taken to endeavour to have what is wrong put right.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the number of catering licences held by aliens and which had been granted since the outbreak of war; how many of the holders are of military age; and how many have displaced British subjects now serving in one or other of the Armed Forces?

I regret the figures asked for are not available. I am examining the possibility of collecting figures to enable answers to be provided to the first two parts of my hon. Friend's Question and I will communicate further with him.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether his attention has been drawn to the high prices of fresh vegetables in parts of the London area during August and September, 1943; and what steps were taken by his Department with regard to that matter?

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 23rd September to the hon. and gallant Member for Chatham (Captain Plugge).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what losses have been incurred by his Department in the first nine months of the year in its dealings in swedes, turnips, carrots and potatoes?

The gross trading losses incurred by the Ministry of Food on swedes, carrots and potatoes in the first nine months of 1943 were approximately £47,000, £260,000 and £4,536,000 respectively. There were no dealings in turnips.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether his winter vegetable policy will involve the requisitioning of green vegetables; and in what districts are the prospects of supply regarded as satisfactory or the reverse?

It is hoped with the assistance of committees of growers and merchants, which are now being set up in the principal producing areas, to divert supplies of cabbage by voluntary methods should serious local shortages of green vegetables occur. My Noble Friend is prepared to requisition cabbage for the purpose but it is thought unlikely that the need for this will arise. As regards the second part of the Question, a statement recently made on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture summed up the prospects as follows:

"While supplies as a whole will not be so plentiful as they were last season, there is no reason to fear any acute shortage of green vegetables during the forthcoming winter, given normal weather conditions."

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether there are any respective minimum age limits for officers' promotion in the Royal Navy?

In general there are no minimum age limits for the promotion of naval officers but in the case of the promotion of reserve midshipmen to acting sub-lieutenant and of warrant officers direct to lieutenant minimum age limits of 19½ and 25 are laid down.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give to the flag-officers in charge concerned the same discretion in the issue of permits in relation to the immobilisation of small vessels along the coasts as they now have in respect of such vessels in the estuaries and rivers; and, if not, what are the reasons for refusal?

No, Sir. As the hon. and gallant Member has been informed the circumstance that access to the sea from many estuaries and rivers can only be obtained after negotiating various obstacles allows of the exercise of a discretion to grant permits for the use of small private and other craft in such waters. Much greater risks would, however, be involved in the case of vessels operating from the coast with direct access to the open sea.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what period of leave is now granted to members of the W.R.N.S. for their honeymoon?

No set period of leave is laid down; Commanders-in-Chief have discretion to grant what they consider appropriate, any in excess of the permissible allowance of paid annual leave being taken as unpaid leave. Except in very exceptional circumstances the total leave granted does not exceed one month.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is the policy of the Admiralty compulsorily to post for service abroad members of the W.R.N.S. whose husbands are serving with the Forces?

No, Sir. As I stated on 20th October in reply to the hon. Member for the Exchange Division of Manchester (Mr. Hewlett) it is the policy of the Admiralty to send abroad only those on whom this will not place undue hardship. Ample provision has been made for considering the compassionate claims of all W.R.N.S. personnel before posting overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the present income and expenditure of the League of Nations; and what are its assets and the liabilities?

During the year 1942 the income and expenditure of the League of Nations, including the secretariat, the I.L.O. and other organs, were 5,270,520 gold francs and 5,479,545 gold francs respectively. These figures disregard the income and expenditure relating to those members of the I.L.O. who are not members of the League. As the answer to the second part of this Question would be very long, I am arranging for a copy of the League of Nations audited accounts for the year 1941 to be put into the library of the House. The details required will be found on pages 54 and 55 of this document.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will arrange for the setting up of a Departmental Committee to review and standardise in collaboration with other appropriate Departments all statistical information relating to each of the territories within the Colonial Empire?

The improvement of the machinery for the provision of statistics relating to the Colonies is already under consideration by the Colonial Research Committee as part of a general scheme for research in the social sciences, and I propose also to ask for the advice of my Economic Advisory Committee on economic statistics. I do not think that the time is yet ripe for the appointment of any special committee on this subject.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare whether His Majesty's Government has received any official indication that the Soviet Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics no longer adheres to the view expressed in their note of October, 1939, when they protested against the inclusion of food for civilians and other basic items of mass consumption in the contraband list?

The Soviet Government have not expressed any views on this subject to His Majesty's Government since Russia entered the war.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare has he any information whether the supplies of foodstuffs sent from Axis sources into Belgium and Greece have exceeded exports from those two countries; and whether the armies of occupation are fed by local requisitioning or supplies from outside?

Yes, Sir. Imports of foodstuffs from Axis controlled sources, that is to say, from Germany and from occupied territories into Belgium and Greece have undoubtedly exceeded in quantity exports of foodstuffs from these two countries since their occupation. In both countries the armies of occupation are fed partly on imported supplies and to a large extent on local produce, especially fresh food such as fruit, vegetables and liquid milk. In Greece, the occupying troops have also consumed substantial quantities of olive oil and dried fruits.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many children aged 11 to 14 years were in London on any convenient date in 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1943?

Precise figures are not available, but it is estimated that the numbers of children aged 11 to 14 years in the area of the London County Council were as follow:

asked the Home Secretary how many internees, German and Italian, were released during the first six months of this year compared to any convenient previous period?

The release of 402 Germans and Italians was authorised during the first six months of this year. During the preceding six months the number was 615.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there is concern among local authorities in this country in regard to the Ministry of Health Circular No. 2778, dated 4th March, 1943, which restricts the acquisition of land for post-war building purposes to that required for the carrying out of a one-year programme; and whether he will allow local authorities the right to acquire land for any longer period than they consider necessary?

But for this circular the purchase of land by local authorities for post-war housing would not have been possible. The circular enables local authorities to get into a position from which they can make an immediate start on a limited building programme as soon as conditions permit, without waiting for the settlement of the wide general questions concerning planning, land values, and the location of industry, which are now under consideration by the Government. The acquisition of sites for long-term programmes cannot, I think, be generally undertaken before the announcement of the Government's policy on these points, without risk of prejudicing future planning.

asked the Minister of Information what hon. Members, other than Ministers, have spoken on the B.B.C. Home and/or Forces programmes during the last 12 months; and how many times each of them has spoken, excluding any gramophone repetitions?

During the 12 months beginning 1st October, 1942, 57 hon. Members, other than Ministers, spoke in the Home and Forces programmes. I append the list, with the number of broadcasts given by each, in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The total number of such broadcasts was 174.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport the number of drivers of military age and the number of other male workers of military age, including conductors, washers, clerks and others now employed by the London Passenger Transport Board; and how many of these joined the Board's service since the outbreak of war?

They London Passenger Transport Board now have 6,756 drivers of military age in their employ, 294 of these drivers have joined the Board's service since the outbreak of the war. 10,977 other male workers of military age are now in the Board's employ; 2,264 of them have joined the Board's services since the outbreak of war. These figures include men who belong to low medical categories and also men who have been discharged from the Armed Forces.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport what is the total number of staff employed by road transport undertakings operating under A licences; and what are the numbers in the different categories of employment, showing manual workers separately from clerical, supervisory and technical staffs?

I regret that the information desired by my hon. Friend is not available.