asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the pay and allowances of second and' third officers in the W.R.N.S.

The information is as follows:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many persons are to be appointed to the cinema branch of the Navy under the provisions of the Order in Council of 24th March 1922 (S.R. & O., No. 333, of 1944,); and what is the estimated annual cost of this new branch of the Navy.

The ultimate number is expected to be about 2,000 persons and the cost about £300,000 a year. It will be understood that there are offsets to this both in personnel and money of practically equivalent amount, as the Order deals with a matter of re-organisation; not expansion of present arrangements.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why naval officers are employed at Royal Navy air stations on the recruitment, payment, etc., of civilian industrial personnel; and whether he will arrange for this work to be performed by civilian staff.

R.N. air stations are training and operational units of the Fleet Air Arm and are therefore administered as Fleet establishments. Civilian employees form only a small proportion of the total numbers borne. It is, therefore, administratively convenient and economical that work on purely local matters affecting them such as recruitment, should be handled by the administrative machine of the station. It would not be economical to employ civilian officers solely for this work.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of temporary assistants, or equivalent departmental analogues, in the Admiralty and Outports who were promoted to a higher grade in each of the years 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1943.

The numbers of temporary assistants or equivalent analogues in the Admiralty and Outports who were promoted to a higher grade in each of the years 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1943 were as follows:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why Sea Cadets who are over the age of 17 years do not qualify for the grant paid to Sea Cadet Corps units.

All youths on attaining the age of 17 years become liable for service in the Home Guard, and consequently the upper age limit for Cadets in the Sea Cadet Corps, as also in the Army Cadet Force, has been fixed at this age. All Cadets serving in the Corps over the age of 17 are supernumerary to establishment, but capitation grants are paid for those Cadets who have already been enrolled in the Royal Navy or are undergoing special training for the Communications Branch.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of milk is being allocated weekly for the use of greyhounds for dog racing.

None, Sir.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will arrange to extend the present extra rations for heavy workers to those agricultural workers engaged on drainage schemes on hill farms in cases where the application is supported by the county agricultural executive committee, in view of the heavy nature of the work involved.

Workers engaged on drainage schemes on hill farms are eligible as are other agricultural workers for the special cheese ration.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will consider amending the law in England to empower courts to sequestrate a husband's wages for the payment of alimony to his wife, who has obtained a decree of judicial separation, and thus bring English law into line with Scottish law on this point.

No, Sir. The existing methods of enforcement, includas they do, procedure by judgment summons, have on the whole proved sufficient in England. The hon. and gallant Member's proposal would, I think, be highly controversial, and consideration of the issues involved could not be confined to this particular class of debt.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will issue a small number of special coupons to the head or one member of each household to enable him or her to replace to some extent worn-out sheets, towels and other household linen which are not now renewable without the surrender of personal coupons.

No, Sir. Sheets and pillow cases are not subject to coupon; the only essential rationed household goods are towels and tea cloths. As I have previously explained in answer to similar Questions, I regret that the shortage of supplies prevents the granting of a household ration which would also raise formidable administrative difficulties.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction which exists among Service men returning on leave after many years' service abroad; that no coupons are available for the purchase of civilian clothing essential to the enjoyment of a well-earned period of leave; and what steps he is taking to remedy this grievance.

I regret that the shortage of supplies makes impossible a general issue of civilian clothing coupons to members of the Forces. But arrangements exist for the replacement, up to a reasonable standard, of their civilian clothing if it has been lost or destroyed while they were abroad.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many schools and colleges have contingents of the Junior Training Corps; and is he proposing to make any change in its status and organisation.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 177. Certain questions connected with the Junior Training Corps are now being examined, but I am not yet in a position to say whether any changes will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that many serving men overseas, over 40 years of age with families, feel that they are suffering an injustice and should be allowed to return to this country and their places filled by young men who have not been on active service abroad; and will he take the necessary steps to meet their complaint so that they can return home.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) on 22nd February. In addition, individuals are brought home from time to time on extreme compassionate grounds. I regret that it is impossible at the present time to extend these arrangements as suggesed by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) whether he is aware that the gate porters at Sutton Emergency Hospital, L.C.C., now used by the military, have been given by the military registrar and the Medical superintendent additional duties formerly carried out by military police, involving inspection of Service patients leaving the hospital, checking their passes and identity documents or collecting official receipts for articles taken out of hospital; and what steps are taken to protect civilian gate porters from any legal disabilities in connection with duties imposed on them though outside their ordinary contract of service;(2) whether he will undertake to provide legal protection for civilian workers in institutions and hospitals now taken over by his Department as military establishments when, as was the case recently at the Sutton Emergency Hospital, the civilian gatekeepers were compelled, as part of their work, to undertake the duty of searching or exercising on behalf of the military authorities the right to search, on Service patients going out of the hospital on discharge or leave and carrying parcels and continuing this legal protection until other arrangements can be made for the search to be conducted by military personnel.

The arrangement at the Sutton Emergency Hospital referred to in the Questions has been discontinued. So far as I am aware, no such arrangement has been made at any other military hospital or similar institution, and the question of providing legal protection does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that officers commissioned under Article 634 of the Royal Pay Warrant who retire, having 15 years' qualifying service, under the existing system draw retired pay under Article 611 and 613, which rates are intended for other than combatant officers; and whether he is prepared to review this anomaly, which causes officers who have been commissioned, employed and paid as combatant officers under Article 268 to accept the inferior rates of retired pay instead of those applicable to Article 608.

I do not admit that there is an anomaly. The retired pay scale for the combatant regular officer is designed for officers who undertake a normal career as combatant officers in the Regular Army, and different considerations enter into the provision for retired pay for the regular soldier who is promoted to an emergency commission for the war period.

asked the Secretary of State for War if the suspension of air mail has been notified to the senior officers of prisoner-of-war camps in Germany.

The Protecting Power has been requested to inform all British camp leaders in Germany that the air mail service from the United Kingdom to Lisbon has been temporarily suspended.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he is aware of disquiet at the financial arrangements on discharge or demobilisation of combatant or non-combatant enlisted Africans from Basutoland, Swaziland and Bechuanaland who have served overseas; and whether he will arrange, in conjunction with the Secretary of State for the Colonies, for a review of the whole position of enlisted Africans in regard to their terms of discharge and demobilisation to embrace leave and pay and allowances on discharge, war gratuities, arrangements for re-employment and rehabilitation, pensions for disablement, including those for widows and children, &c., on more generous lines than at present exist.

My noble Friend has not heard of any disquiet such as the hon. and gallant Member's question implies. Most of the points which he specifies are already under active consideration by the Dominions Office, Colonial Office and War Office. Schemes for rehabilitation and for re-employment when the time comes can only be worked out by the authorities on the spot, who are already engaged on this task. As regards rehabilitation, I would refer to the policy outlined in the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the 15th March, which is also being followed in respect of the High Commission Territories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the distress caused to people legally adopting children by the issue of the present form of birth certificate; and will he consider issuing normal certificates, which make no mention of adoption.

The Adoption of Children Act, 1926, which provided for the first time a means of legal adoption, also provided for the separate registration of adopted children so that the certificate of birth in such cases would give the names of the adopting parents instead of the names of the natural parents. It would be impossible to contemplate a system of registration which failed to distinguish between adopted and natural born children. If my hon. Friend has in mind a birth certificate which would disclose age without any mention of parents, whether adoptive or natural, I would refer to the answers given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health to my hon. Friend the Member for South Kensington (Sir W. Davison) on 27th January and 20th April.

asked the Minister without Portfolio (1) whether any plan has been formulated for the location of new industries in North Wales so that these new industries may begin to function immediately after the cessation of hostilities;(2) whether industrialists now engaged on war work in Government-owned factories are being encouraged to acquire these factories for peace production and thus to provide employment in those areas after the war.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade in the Debate on Location of Industry on 8th December last, to which I have nothing at present to add.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the delay in providing water for milk cooling in certain dairy farms owing to the calling up of well-sinkers' employees; and if he will take steps to secure the release of such essential workmen.

If my hon. Friend will send me details of any case in which difficulty has arisen I shall be glad to consider the matter in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, to remove adverse criticism on British cattle, he is advocating improvement in any special pedigree herds which are regarded as markedly suitable to Great Britain.

No, Sir. The adverse criticism of British cattle to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers has been directed to the standards of certain commercial herds of non-pedigree cattle, not to pedigree stock. For some time I have been advocating the use of better breeding stock, particularly bulls, as well as the adoption of a consistent breeding policy, with the object of effecting an improvement in the general standard of quality of our commercial cattle. Pedigree breeders can play an important part in promoting such an improvement by catering for a wider market than has often been the practice in the past.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Allied Powers have agreed to Prince Umberto taking over the leadership of the Italian people when the Allies enter Rome.

On 12th April King Victor Emmanuel announced that, putting into effect what he had suggested to the Allied authorities and to his Government, he had decided to withdraw from public affairs by appointing his son, Crown Prince Umberto, Lieutenant General of the Realm. King Victor added that this appointment would become effective by formal transfer of power on the day on which Allied troops enter Rome. King Victor Emmanuel, in taking this step, was following an established Italian constitutional procedure. As his announcement shows, he had previously mentioned the matter to the Allied authorities, who saw no reason to disapprove his proposal. On the contrary, it was welcomed as being likely to contribute to the formation of a Government on a broader basis. Such a Government has now been constituted.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can make a statement on the improvement in food and living conditions and the civil organisation of liberated Italy during recent weeks.

I am glad to say that there has been a steady improvement since December in the food situation in liberated Italy, and that this continues. The restoration of port facilities has contributed largely to this. With the speeding up of supplies, living conditions generally have improved, and it is hoped that they will continue to improve. The civil organisation, which has functioned satisfactorily in the past, is expected to show a further improvement in the near future, as a result of the strengthening and broadening of the Badoglio Government, which is now politically representative of the whole of liberated Italy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now in a position to make a statement with regard to the withdrawal of our military mission from Turkey.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any statement to make regarding the negotiations with the U.S.A. Government on their plan to operate a pipeline from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.

I believe that the United States Government are still discussing this project with the companies concerned and have so far reached no decision in the matter. In the circumstances I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he has any further statement to make about the issue of warning letters by Regional Transport Commissioners to persons who have been convicted of offences but have received purely nominal sentences.

Yes, Sir, since my hon. Friend last raised the question of warning letters, I have had the opportunity of discussing the matter with the Regional Transport Commissioners. As a result, I am satisfied that cases arise from time to time in which it is in the public interest that warnings should be given, if only because it is desirable that any firm which has been convicted should immediately take steps to ensure that the regulations are fully understood and complied with. So far as I am aware, there has only been one complaint about a warning letter, namely, that which my hon. Friend raised in a recent Debate on the Adjournment. Since that Debate took place, I have learnt that the occasion of the warning letter was by no means the only occasion in recent months when the firm had been convicted of offences in the running of their vehicles.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in connection with post-war planning, the Government have given consideration to the question of the most efficient organisation in the national interest of the transport industry in this country; and will he make a statement on the Government's policy in the matter.

Yes, Sir, all aspects of post-war transport policy are receiving consideration. I am not, however, in a position at present to add to the statement made by my Noble Friend in another place on 27th October last.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in some institutions with tuberculous patients round about the London area the sputum is sterilised by the heating, dry heating method, of the mugs containing the sputum in the kitchen of the institutions where the patients' meals are prepared and cooked; and whether different methods will be instituted in public authority institutions.

I am not aware of the circumstances to which my hon. Friend refers. I am advised that such a practice as he describes is much to be deprecated, and if he will let me have particulars of any institution in which it has come to his notice I will look into the matter.

asked the Minister of Health whether his Department has recently given consideration to the question of the disposal of the sputum of the tuberculous patient; whether any circular, advice or instructions have been issued to local authorities; whether any inspectorial visits have been paid to different types of sanatoria for examination of this particular infectivity problem; whether this medico-engineering problem has been reviewed on modern lines; whether his Department has made any statistical study as to the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis amongst institutional and especially sanatoria workers of different sexes, with the age of incidence; and, if not, will he have such inquiries made.

As my hon. Friend will be aware, attention to the sterilisation and disposal of sputum is an elementary principle in the treatment of tuberculosis. In any inspection of tuberculosis institutions by my medical or nursing officers inquiry about it is made as a matter of course, and any necessary advice is given. My medical advisers are fully apprised of modern developments in this matter. I recently arranged, through my Standing Advisory Committee on Tuberculosis, for a statistical inquiry into the incidence of tuberculosis among sanatorium nurses.

asked the Minister of Health the date, or dates, of the removal to Clandon of the patients or nurses at, or connected with, Mount Vernon Hospital found to be suffering from small-pox and the dates of death of the two fatal cases.

One case was removed to Clandon Isolation Hospital on 1st March, four on 2nd March, one on 3rd March, two on 12th March, one on 13th March, and one on 15th March. Of the cases taken to Clandon, the patient admitted on 1st March died on 3rd March, and one of the four patients admitted on 2nd March died on 6th March.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Registrar-General is being supplied with statistics concerning infectious diseases amongst men and women serving in any capacity outside Great Britain and, if not, what alternative arrangements are being made to keep such records.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No, Sir." With regard to the second part, records relating to the personnel of His Majesty's Forces are kept by the appropriate Service Department.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, owing to the arrangements made by the Ministry of Labour, many local authorities in county boroughs, such as the town of Rochdale, in the county of Lancashire, are being deprived of the services of their health visitors and what action he proposes to take to see that certain towns and districts are not being deprived of those health visiting services at the present time.

I am aware of the difficulty experienced by a few local authorities in obtaining health visitors; on these I am in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service, who is prepared to insert special advertisements for health visitors in suitable cases, of which Rochdale is one.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, on the representations he has received, it is his intention to revoke or mitigate the working of the Employment of Women (Control of Engagement) Order by which certain local authorities are not allowed to advertise vacancies in their health visiting staff while others are allowed to do so, and, in consequence of that employment control, some county boroughs are being seriously affected by the loss of their health visitors and health staff.

Owing to the general shortage of qualified candidates I cannot see my way to remove these vacancies from the scope of the Control of Engagement Order. The arrangements previously made under which local authorities were in special cases allowed to advertise were found to work unsatisfactorily and have been discontinued. Any necessary advertisements are now issued by the Department itself, and care is taken to see that the transfer of health visitors replying to an advertisement does not leave another authority in difficulties. Special attention is being given to two vacancies for health visitors at Rochdale which are regarded as urgent.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in his negotiations up to the present with representatives of the profession, he has ascertained whether the medical profession are prepared to accept the Central Medical Board to be as outlined in the White Paper, or whether their ideas run in the direction of more unrepresentative corporate bodies such as the B.B.C., the Electricity Commissioners, the L.P.T.B., etc., or a corporate body of special constitution, practically granting workers' control to the medical workers of the proposed medical service.

No, Sir. I have not yet received any official views from the profession's representatives on this subject.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Service Departments are supplying Sir Arthur MacNalty, editor-in-chief of the official "Medical History of the War," with full information of the diseases that have occurred and are occurring in all the theatres of war.

I understand from Sir Arthur MacNalty that every effort is being made by the medical branches of the Service Departments to secure, for the official "Medical History of the War," as full information as possible concerning the diseases that have occurred or are occurring in all theatres of operations in which British Forces are taking part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has made inquiries into the allegation that the wives of British officials in Nigeria have been appointed to positions that could be filled by competent Africans; and whether he has any statement to make on the matter.

The Governor has been asked for a report and I will communicate further with the hon. Member when this is received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement respecting the development of the cotton-spinning and weaving industry in Uganda; how this is being financed; and under whose control it is.

The East African authorities have for some time been considering the establishment of a textile plant, possibly in Uganda, for the manufacture of cloth for local use by up-to-date means. It was proposed that this venture should be financed by a consortium of firms established in East Africa, with provision for African participation in shareholding. Owing to some improvement in textile supplies from overseas, it has been decided that it would be wiser now to defer the project for consideration as a postwar development.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is yet in a position to reply to the request of the Civil Service Clerical Association for facilities for the secretary of their Malta branches to attend the Annual Conference of the Association in London in May, to which he has been elected as a delegate by the staffs of the British Government employed in the island.

I am afraid that in view of the restrictions on travelling which have just been announced, it is not possible just now to provide facilities for a visit of this character.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Asiatic immigration into East Africa is now suspended owing to the local food shortage; and how many Asiatics have been admitted since September, 1939.

Immigration restrictions have recently been imposed in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika. They are purely temporary and apply equally to all non-natives without discrimination. They were rendered necessary by the acute shortage of housing and other accommodation due to wartime increases in the urban populations, which have also affected the local food position. With regard to the second part of the Question, figures are not available, but I will obtain them from the Governments concerned and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether progress is being made with the scheme for the complete unification of currency in the West Indies.

I have recently invited the West Indian Government to canvass local opinion on the subject, and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the Memorandum which I have asked the Governors to publish. I have not yet received any reports from the Governors of the results.

asked the Minister of Pensions who are the members of the Special Grants Committee; and what are its functions.

The Special Grants Committee exercises such of the functions transferred to it by the Naval and Military War Pensions, etc. (Transfer of Powers) Act, 1917, as are still operative. These are now practically confined to the review of grants to disabled officers of the Great War made by the Committee under Section 3 (1) (c) of the Naval and Military War Pensions Act, 1915, and the determination of questions referred to them under Section 3 (1) (f) of that Act.Its members are as follows:

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will state the names of those serving on his Advisory Committee; and how often they meet.

Meetings of my Central Advisory Committee are held as frequently as the business demands: in the past year the Committee has met on six occasions. In addition to myself as Chairman, the following are members of the Committee:

• Sir J. Smedley Crooke, J.P., M.P.
• Lt.-Col. F. J.F. Edlmann, D.S.O., J.P.
• Major Sir Cyril Entwistle, K.C., M.C., M.P.
• Sir Henry Fildes, M.P.
• Brig. Gen. E. R. Fitzpatrick, C.B.E., D.S.O., D.L.
• Col. W. Greene, O.B.E., D.L., J.P.
• Miss E. H. Kelly, C.B.E., J.P.
• Mr. Geoffrey le M. Mander, M.P.
• Colonel Lord Nathan of Churt.
• Mr. S. E. Perry.
• Miss Eleanor Rathbone, M.A., LL.D., M.P.
• Mr. W. Scott-Evans, O.B.E.
• Mr. J. J. Tinker, M.P.
• Mr. A. G. Webb, M.B.E.
• Mr. N. J. Wilding-Cole, M.B.E.
• Rt. Hon. W. Paling, M.P.
• Lt.-Col. A. P. Heneage, D.S.O., M.P.
• Sir A. Cunnison, K.B.E., C.B., J.P.
• Mr. H. Parker, C.B., M.C.
• Mr. L. J. Leek.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the production of rubber in Ceylon in 1943; and how it compared with that of the previous war years.

I regret that it would not be in the public interest to disclose figures of rubber production in Ceylon, but I am glad to be able to state that, in face of many and serious difficulties, Ceylon produced in 1943 more rubber than in any previous year.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether applications from men desiring to extend the period of their peace-time service with the R.A.F. with a view to a life's career and pension are being considered by his Department during the war; and, if not, whether he will issue an interim statement on this question.

The question of inviting applications from airmen to extend their service with the Royal Air Force and to re-engage for pension is under consideration, and I hope that it will be possible to issue instructions at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider the importance of issuing an Interim Report by the War Graves Commission as to what action has been taken since the war began to provide and maintain cemeteries.

The Annual Report of the Imperial War Graves Commission cover- ing their activities up to 31st March, 1943, was published in January, 1944, and I am not aware that a further report is called for at the present time. In all theatres of war Graves Registration Units of the Army are engaged in searching for and registering the graves of the dead, ensuring that no dead are left unburied, and in some cases concentrating isolated graves into suitable cemeteries. In certain areas that are no longer theatres of operations, such as North Africa, the Imperial War Graves Commission, who will in due course take over all cemeteries in all theatres for permanent maintenance, are already taking over cemeteries.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in the application of the National Service Order in Council (Egypt), he will take steps to remove the existing discrimination in respect of the rates of family allowances against persons of Cypriot and Maltese origin as compared with those of United Kingdom origin, in view of the fact that all these communities are living in Egypt and that the cost of living is therefore identical.

The rates of family allowance of Maltese and Cypriots in Egypt are related to the circumstances of these families and I am not aware that they are inappropriate.