asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the existing serious shortage of houses in the Glasgow area, he will inform the House of his plans for the immediate construction of temporary accommodation to meet the requirements of the overcrowded one and two apartment houses where from four to ten and eight to sixteen persons, respectively, are at present living.

Immediate construction of sufficient temporary accommodation to meet the requirements of the housing situation in Glasgow is not at present possible owing to labour shortage. But nearly 1,000 houses were completed in Glasgow last year and 763 are now under construction, while 600 emergency houses are being built in areas adjacent to Glasgow. The erection of further houses, both of the emergency type and of permanent construction, will be undertaken at the earliest date upon which labour resources can be made available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, (1) if he is aware of the discontent among Glasgow Corporation omnibus and tram-car employees at having to surrender clothing coupons without receiving new uniforms and when the uniforms they have already surrendered coupons for are only being repaired; and will he take steps to end this injustice;(2) if he is aware that members of the A.R.P. service in Glasgow, who received clothing in June 1942 and surrendered coupons and who, at present, are not in receipt of any further supply, have been notified that unless they surrender 18 clothing coupons they will be liable for prosecution and, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding £100; and if he will inquire into this anomaly with a view to ending such an injustice.

These Transport and Civil Defence workers have not been required to give up the full number of coupons for uniform issued to them. They receive their initial outfits and any necessary replacements against the surrender of only a small number of coupons each year. This number is calculated to balance the advantage they would otherwise gain from wearing coupon-free uniform. I am glad to say that the great majority of uniform wearers have loyally carried out these arrangements, and I hope that the rest will follow their example.

asked the Minister of Labour whether men found fit for service in the Home Guard by a medical board have the right of appeal to any other medical body when from past experience and medical history they know they are unfitted for Home Guard training and duties, or how else does he propose to deal with the difficulties of these men.

There is no provision for appeals against the decisions of medical boards. If, however, medical evidence is produced which suggests that there is some room for doubt regarding the correctness of a man's grading, the case is considered by a medical officer of my Department, and where appropriate the man is re-examined. Moreover, men directed to enrol in the Home Guard have a statutory right to appeal against the direction to a Local Appeal Board, who, if of opinion that the man should be medically re-examined, must recommend withdrawal of the direction with a view to such re-examination.

asked the Minister of Labour whether it was with his consent that 500 Italians now working on the land were transferred to the Road Maintenance Department of the Ministry of War Transport.

Yes, Sir. I understand from my Noble Friend the Minister of War Transport that only a small proportion of these prisoners will be employed on road maintenance.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he proposes to provide means whereby ex-Servicemen of the last war whose claim to pensions because of alleged disability due to service in the last war have been rejected, shall have the right to appear on appeal before the new appeal tribunals recently set up and now functioning.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 20th instant to the hon. Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) on this Question.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether, in view of the decrease in the course of years in the earning capacity of disabled naval pensioners, he will consider introducing a system of periodic increments, commencing at 60 years of age.

It has long been an accepted principle, which is on balance much to the advantage of pensioners, that disablement pensions should be assessed with reference only to the degree of physical disablement and should take no account of earning capacity. My hon. and gallant Friend's proposal, which could not, of course, be limited to naval pensioners, would be inconsistent with this basic principle, but I may point out that pension may be increased if the degree of pensionable disablement rises, and that a special allowance may be paid to the pensioner who is so seriously disabled from his pensionable disability as to be unemployable.

asked the Minister of Health why he rejected the application of the hospital authority of Newton for an X-ray apparatus in view of the fact that this hospital serves a wide area, whose health as well as the saving of working hours would increase by the use of such an appliance; and seeing such a machine is procurable, whether he will reconsider the decision.

The supply of X-ray apparatus is insufficient to meet the needs of all hospitals, and it is, therefore, essential that such apparatus as is available should be supplied to the larger hospitals which are able to use it to full advantage. My right hon. and learned Friend's advisers did not consider that the amount of X-ray work done for other bodies by the Newton-le-Willows War Memorial Hospital, which has only ten beds, was sufficient to warrant their recommending to the Board of Trade that a licence should be granted to supply a new X-ray set to the hospital so long as the present shortage of apparatus continues. Alternative facilities for X-ray examinations are available in the area, and my right hon. and learned Friend would not, therefore, feel justified in recommending that the original decision not to grant a licence should be reversed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payment is made to prisoners for toys which they make for subsequent sale.

No toys are made by prisoners for sale. I introduced a scheme last year by which toys may be made for the Nursery School Association on a voluntary basis from materials supplied by the Association. I am pleased to say that this experiment has proved a great success, and I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation to the Association for its co-operation.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the fact that the Congressional Medal of Honour, America's highest military award, carries with it the tribute that the highest officers of the American Army, even four-star generals, shall salute the recipient although he is only a private, he will alter the Orders so that the winners of the Victoria Cross shall receive the same tribute from high ranking officers of the British Army.

I understand that the hon. Member is misinformed about the tribute paid to holders of the Congressional Medal of Honour.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the position of the men of the First Territorial Division in regard to the grant of the 1939–43 Star, in view of the fact that this division mainly embarked during or after January, 1940, and in many cases the men were evacuated towards the end of May of that year.

The Army Council Instruction which was recently issued about the 1939–43 Star covered only those officers and men who were indubitably entitled to receive it. The original Command Paper stated:

"Where troops have been evacuated, namely, from Dunkirk, Norway, etc., they will be eligible for the 5939–43 Star although their service may have been less than six months"

My hon. Friend will appreciate that there are a number of such exceptions and that they need to be carefully considered. The rules governing these further recipients of the Star will, however, be issued shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider how Regulations governing immediate awards for gallantry can be amended so as to cover cases such as one of which he had been informed in which, owing to battle conditions prevailing at the time, a recommendation for the award of the Military Medal to a soldier was not initiated until after the soldier had been killed in a later action and as a result of which this soldier is now eligibile only for a posthumous mention in despatches.

The adoption of my hon. Friend's suggestion would, in effect, involve the posthumous award of the Military Medal. In this connection I would refer him to a reply given by the Deputy Prime Minister on 20th May, 1942, of which I will send him a copy. This question has been carefully considered since then, but it has been decided that the present rules regarding posthumous awards should not be changed.

asked the Secretary of State for War if a period of service in the Home Guard can be counted together with any period of service before or during this war, in the Army, Navy or Air Force, in calculating time served for entitlement to a long service pension.

I am afraid not.

asked the Secretary of State for War if it is proposed to issue a discharge certificate to men who have served in the Home Guard showing the period of service and the cause of discharge.

This question has been very carefully and sympathetically considered, but I am afraid that the administrative staff which can, at the present time, be made available for the Home Guard does not enable such a certificate to be issued.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the situation as regards the payment of marriage allowance to officers who are prisoners of war; and whether marriage allowance continues to be paid in cases where, as in Hong Kong, an officer and his wife are both prisoners, though in separate prison camps.

Family lodging allowance for officers and family allowance for other ranks continue to be issued to prisoners of war under the same rules as are applicable to serving personnel. Family lodging allowance is issuable where an officer is providing for the maintenance of his family; and, in the absence of any evidence that an officer, whose wife is interned in Hong Kong, is doing so, no allowance would be admissible. If evidence is forthcoming now or later that the officer was contributing to his wife's maintenance, or is subsequently called upon to repay sums expended on his wife's maintenance during internment, the case would at once be re-examined.

asked the Secretary of State for War the circumstances which caused, on 19th December last, an electrical breakdown of many hours over a wide area of which he is aware; and whether the military authorities co-operated in repairing the breakdown which caused some inconvenience to a large number of people.

I much regret the inconvenience caused by the breakdown to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. The circumstances have been investigated, and I understand the breakdown was caused by a break in an electric cable at 1 p.m. in the course of normal but intensive training in an area requisitioned by the Army. As soon as the military authorities realised how serious the damage was they ordered firing to cease, and every assistance was given to the electricity company's engineers to effect the necessary repairs. I understand that the service was restored by the evening.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he has considered the questions raised by soldiers in Brompton Barracks, and forwarded to him by the hon. Member for West Fife, concerning an increase in the basic rate of pay, dependants' allowances and the cigarette ration of soldiers; and whether he has any statement to make.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Deputy Prime Minister on Thursday last to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. W. J. Brown).

asked the Minister of Supply whether, having regard to the recent instruction on the cut by 10 per cent. of the staff covered by the Administrative Whitley Council, a similar instruction has been or is about to be issued in respect of grades covered by the Joint Industrial Council of his Department; and whether there is a ban on recruitment to these grades at the present time similar to the ban on recruitment to non-industrial grades.

No, Sir; the circumstances of the two cases are quite different.

asked the Minister of Food if he will state the number of hotels and restaurants in the London area entitled to make a house charge in addition to a charge for a meal at the latest convenient date in 1942 and the latest convenient date in 1943.

The figures asked for are 95 at the end of 1942 and 96 at the end of 1943.

asked the Minister of Food what are the regulations as to the supply of meals and the charges which may be made for them in private rooms at restaurants and hotels, respectively.

All the provisions of the Meals in Establishments Order, 1942, except the price limitations apply to meals served in private rooms at hotels and restaurants.

asked the Minister of Food if he will state the present policy of his Department in regard to the production and distribution of unfermented apple-juice; and if he will encourage an increase in its production.

The production of unfermented apple-juice is limited by the capacity of existing producers and the available supply of apples, and the Apple-Juice Producers' Association has agreed to a limit of 200,000 gallons a year. I am advised that this product has a low nutritional value, and in view of the shortage of labour and materials I am not prepared to encourage production above this figure, which would require the provision of additional plant. The distribution of apple-juice has been zoned under an arrangement voluntarily made by the Apple-Juice Producers' Association and approved by my Department.

asked the Minister of health if he will reconsider the case, details of which have been given to him, of a nursing sister who built a nursing home which was destroyed in a raid in September, 1940, and who has now secured suitable premises to restart but has been refused permission to do so by his Department.

My hon. Friend appears to have been misinformed as to the facts of this case. I am writing to him on the matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether members of the American Ambulance of Great Britain are assessed to pay Income Tax on moneys received from that organisation.

I am advised that the members are liable to tax. I must point out that the American Ambulance is not part of the U.S. Forces but is a voluntary organisation employing persons resident in this country.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will give particulars in each of the last three complete years of the total outlay under the contributory and non-contributory pension Acts; the amounts spent in supplementary pensions; and the number of beneficiaries under the various schemes in respect of pensions or allowances under these Acts for each of those years.

The information required is contained in the attached table.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if civil servants who have been evacuated owing to the war will be given an opportunity of returning to work near their homes as soon as possible after the conclusion of hostilities.

I regret that I am not in a position to make any statement on this question at present.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the numbers of persons

Department.	Numbers of Staff.	Estimated annual expenditure.	Remarks.
		£
Ministry of Home Security	7,366	2,175,000	Excluding uniformed staff, and staff engaged on duties common to both the Home Office and the Ministry of Home Security at Headquarters Offices.
Ministry of War Transport	21,661	5,500,000	The estimate of expenditure does not take account of certain industrial staff employed on agency services work for other Government Departments, whose wages are fully recovered.
Ministry of Food	48,603	9,150,000	—
Ministry of Works	32,318	4,980,325	Estimate of expenditure relates to non-industrial staff only (14,893). It would not be possible without extensive research to extract a figure for the industrial staff.
Ministry of Supply	387,532	102,500,000	Mainly industrial staff.
Ministry of Aircraft Production.	53,097	18,494,050	More than half are industrial staff.
Ministry of Production	1,409	458,563	Excluding locally entered staff overseas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he is aware that manufacturers

The following are the figures, based on the latest available quarterly return of staff (that for 1st October, 1943); they include industrial as well as non-industrial, and part-time as well as whole-time staff. The figures of expenditure must be taken as an approximation only.of wireless sets have informed retailers that sets cannot be provided for the public for a considerable period; and whether he will take steps to expedite the release and manufacture of wireless sets for the use of the public generally.

I have no information regarding statements made by manufacturers to retailers on this subject, but the supply is, in fact, very limited as I explained in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr. Liddall) last week of which I am sending my hon. and learned Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what steps he is taking to ensure that post-war planning and development in the Port of Liverpool, and Merseyside generally, shall be comprehensive and conducive to the industrial and commercial well-being of the industrial and trading interests and to the work-people involved.

The authorities in Merseyside have, at my right hon. Friend's suggestion, formed the Merseyside Joint Advisory Planning Committee to consider and advise upon the planning of the area as a whole. As a further step towards securing that object my right hon. Friend has appointed two experts to prepare an outline plan for that area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that all bulls on the farms throughout the country are now registered, he will, through the war agricultural county committees, or other suitable bodies, advise farmers who have no previous experience of keeping bulls as to the best methods of housing and exercising them, with a view to ensuring that the animals are not permitted to suffer unnecessarily through neglect, and also to provide for future healthiest possible herds.

As indicated in the reply given on 2nd December to my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge (Mr. R. Morgan), livestock officers who inspect bulls for licence give general advice to owners in suitable cases on the care of bulls. County War Agricultural Executive Committees are also generally responsible for giving farmers all necessary advice about the care of livestock.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will confer with the Minister of Food with a view to reviewing the prices returnable under the existing orders to poultry producers for table eggs and poultry.

I would ask my hon. Friend to await the forthcoming Debate on Agriculture, when I shall be dealing with the policy of the Government in regard to prices.

asked the Minister of Labour, the membership of the Agricultural Workers' Union and agricultural members of the Transport and General Workers' Union for the county of Suffolk for the year 1939 and the latest available date.

My Department is not in possession of this information.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that a large quantity of coal is being lost to the nation at the Penallta Colliery, South Wales, by the repeated failure of the transport system responsible for the conveyance of the miners to the colliery; that a large sum of money has had to be paid under the Essential Work Order to the men concerned; and if he will take steps to end this state of affairs.

I am aware that on several occasions during the winter there has been failure in transport services to the colliery. As a consequence, a number of men have not attended for work, and there has been a loss of coal tonnage, which is substantial. There have been consequential payments of guaranteed wage under the Essential Work (Coal Mining Industry) Orders 1941 to 1943. The miners transport services in the district have recently been reorganised by my right hon. Friend the Minister of War Transport and some new buses have been allotted to the undertakers. I think therefore that reasonable steps have been taken to meet the situation.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why, whereas prior to the war, the residue from 100 wagons of coal used by an electric power station was 10 wagons of ash, to-day from a like supply the residue is 30 wagons of ash.

Owing to the great increase in the load at electricity stations during the war, and to the heavy demands for coal for all purposes, it has been necessary to widen the range of fuels supplied to electricity undertakings generally, and they have co-operated with my Ministry in absorbing increased tonnages of coals of low grades. The ash contents vary, but I cannot accept my hon. Friend's suggestion that the ash content of coal supplied to electricity stations averages anything like 30 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what basis compensation will be calculated and payable to single and married trainees who have an accident during their period of training at a colliery.

I have been asked to reply. Trainees at the Coalmining Training Centres of the Ministry of Labour and National Service are employed by and under contract of service to the Ministry, and, if incapacitated as a result of an accident arising out of and in the course of training, they are entitled to weekly payments of compensation and supplementary allowances in accordance with the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Acts, 1925 to 1943.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has any information as to the period for work at the face included in the recent U.S.A. miners' agreement; and what is the corresponding period worked by British miners.

I regret that there is not adequate information available to make a comparison between the periods actually worked at the face in British and American mines.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has received up-to-date reports of the difficulties of flat dwellers in the borough of Wandsworth to obtain supplies of coal and of the labour difficulties connected therewith; and what action he has taken to ensure that London flat dwellers in particular can obtain immediate and regular coal supplies.

I have made inquiries and I am not aware of any general difficulties in the district mentioned. With regard to the second part of the Question, a general arrangement for the country as a whole has been made with the distributive trade for ensuring priority of deliveries during the winter, within the permitted quantities, to small consumers without stocks. Provision is also made in the Coal Distribution Order, 1943, for licensing landlords of blocks of flats to hold coal for consumption by their tenants. An emergency scheme has also been prepared, in co-operation with the London Region Civil Defence Organisation, for Civil Defence Personnel to assist, if necessary, in ensuring that priority consumers shall receive their necessary supplies.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will give permission to local fishermen now to use the mouth of the river, of which he has been notified, for the purposes of inshore fishing and increasing the local food supply.

Permits to these fishermen to enable them to use their boats for fishing in the mouth of the river may be granted under the Vessels (Immobilisation) Orders to those engaged in fishing by trade and in practice have been so granted by the Local Naval Authority. I regret, however, that permits for private pleasure fishing can only be granted up the river.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are taken to supplement the rations of British civilian prisoners of war in Germany and France; and if he can state the normal daily diet of these persons.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend, the Member for Ayr Burghs (Sir T. Moore) on 1st December, 1943, which still holds good.