asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he will recommend the practice, now suspended, of sending post-card reminders to motor-car drivers for renewal of their licences, especially in view of the trouble that local taxation authorities have by reason of the forgetfulness of licence-holders and in view of the fact that wireless licensees and all others have warning sent?

I recognise the advantages of sending out reminders to holders of driving licences, but I regret that, in present circumstances, the expenditure in labour and paper which my hon. and gallant Friend's proposal would involve cannot be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the pensioned warrant officers and other ranks of the Royal Air Force 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 Royal Air Force to whom the hon. Member refers have been given temporary commissions carrying no entitlement to retired pay. They continue in receipt of their pensions during re-employment and afterwards.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he can make a statement showing the progress in the provision of steel lifeboats for the Merchant Navy, especially for tankers; how many have been ordered; how many have been delivered; and whether experience shows that the design as finally chosen is in every way satisfactory?

The provision of steel lifeboats on tankers was made obligatory in July, 1942. At that date, about half the tanker fleet was already equipped with them. Since then, all new tankers and some additional existing tankers have been similarly equipped. Recent experiments have led to the adoption of a new and improved design of steel lifeboat for tankers, which includes devices to protect the crew from the special fire risk to which tankers are subject; and a large number of these new boats are now on order. The experiments have also shown that these devices can be successfully fitted into wooden lifeboats, so as to give a similar protection. The conversion of such boats has, therefore, begun, and my hon. and gallant Friend may rest assured that no effort will be spared to promote the safety of tanker crews.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware of the hardship suffered by persons injured as a result of accidents occurring to public vehicles owing to the fact that they cannot claim damages against the proprietors of the vehicles unless it can be shown that there was negligence; and whether he has any statement to make?

Except under the Workmen's Compensation Acts, a claim for damages by a person injured in an accident cannot be made, unless the accident was due to negligence on the part of some other person. I do not think that there is any sufficient reason for amending the law in this respect, in the case of proprietors of public service vehicles.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, with reference to the preliminary tests of fuel economisers carried out by the Ministry in July and August, 1942, whether he will state what devices were tested, how many series of tests were made, how these differed from each other, and what figures of efficiency of combustion were obtained in each case?

The preliminary tests to which my hon. Friend refers were conducted on certain types of devices described as fuel economisers, in respect of one type of which proceedings have been instituted under the Summary jurisdiction Acts and the Defence Regulations. These proceedings are now sub judice. Since it is likely that the preliminary tests and the conclusions to be drawn from them, if any, will be referred to at the hearing of those proceedings, I do not think that it would be proper for me to answer any question about the tests until the proceedings now pending have been finished.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the pensioned warrant officers and other ranks of the Navy and Royal Marines who returned for service and have been promoted to commissioned ranks will, on demobilisation, receive retired pay as officers?

Retired R.N. Warrant Officers and Royal Marine officers of corresponding rank, and officers promoted therefrom, who are promoted to higher rank during their "call-up" service, will, on demobilisation, resume the retired pay they were receiving before being recalled. Service during the war does not count for additional retired pay, but officers are paid, in lieu, an addition during service of 25 per cent. on the pay actually in issue. Retired pay is suspended during service. Other ranks to whom the hon. Member refers have been granted temporary commissions carrying no entitlement to retired pay; they continue to receive their pensions during reemployment and afterwards.