asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is now in a position to state the results of the consultations between his Department and the other Departments concerned regarding the damage due to subsidence; and when he expects to be in a position to deal with this problem.

Considerable progress is being made in the consultations with other Departments interested in housing, planning and the location of industry. Such consultations are designed to provide information with a view to the avoidance in future of damage from mining subsidence, but the problem is a complicated one which can hardly be dealt with within the limits of Question and Answer.

Will the Minister be able to give me any satisfaction if I give notice to raise the matter on the Motion for the Adjournment?

I think the hon. Member raised it on the Adjournment in the last week or so.

Is the Minister aware that his Parliamentary Secretary exceeded the time and that I got no reply to my question?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will state the number of youths who have-received full training, or are in course of training, under the scheme of the Minister of Labour for recruitment of mineworkers; and the number absorbed by the industry into full employment.

At 25th April, the number of new entrants for the coal-mining industry who had completed their preliminary training at Ministry of Labour Training Centres was about 9,300 and the number still under training was about 4,200. On completion of this training, the men are directed to employment in the industry, and in that sense are fully employed, though many of them are still of course in various stages of further training, as required by the Coalmining (Training and Medical Examination) Order, 1944.

While thanking the Minister for his reply, may I ask for a more specific answer to the latter part of the Question? How many of these boys are in full employment below ground, and are on the colliery books?

I could not give the hon. Member that information now, but will let him have it as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps are taken by his regional controllers to inquire into the causes of the low output at those collieries which are necessitous undertakings; and whether he is satisfied that the best use is being made of the manpower available to increase output.

Whenever an undertaking finds it necessary to seek help under the Necessitous Undertakings Scheme, full inquiries are made, both by my Regional Controller's Production Staff and by professional accountants, on behalf of the Necessitous Undertakings Committee, into the causes of difficulty. The resulting technical and financial reports are considered at a meeting of the Necessitous Undertakings Committee, which is attended by the Regional Controller, or his representative.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the average percentage of coal-face workers in relation to the total number of workers employed at those collieries which have become necessitous undertakings in the respective districts, separately, as compared with those collieries which are not necessitous undertakings.

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power in which districts and from and to which pits or seams the 11,50o men and 150 machines have been transferred in pursuance of the policy of concentration.

Information is not readily available about individual pits or seams, but I will circulate in the OFFICIAL. REPORT a statement giving by Regions the number of men and machines transferred.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the reduction made by Emergency Powers (Defence) Consumer Rationing—General Licence (S.R. & O., No. 317, of 1944) in the coupon value of certain non-utility shoes applies to unregistered traders and not to registered traders.

The coupon rate for low priced non-utility shoes was reduced from 27th November last until 31st March to help traders to clear stocks. The distributors, who are unregistered, need a longer period to dispose of their stocks than the manufacturers, who are registered. The former have, therefore, been allowed to sell these shoes at the reduced rate for a further three months.

May I ask the Minister whether, in exercising his power of delegated legislation, he would explain such matters in the Order?

I always endeavour to combine clarity with brevity, and an explanation is attached wherever there is any difficulty, but no difficulties have arisen in the trade about this.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some boots, classed as ulti-utility, are themselves non-utility?

I am endeavouring, by exercising persuasion, through Orders and other means, to discourage the production of cheap footwear. The difficulty is, however, that we have to deal with a good deal of second-rate material, which has to be worked in somewhere, but we are endeavouring to get rid of the lower qualities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the No. 773 stockings are expected to be in normal supply.

This number was not introduced until last November, but I am glad to say that supplies are now about equal to the demand.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what negotiations are proceeding between this country and the U.S.A. on the subject of a commercial agreement; whether the Dominion countries are associated with the discussions; and if he will give an assurance that no agreement will debar this country from concluding separate agreements with the Dominion countries.

No such negotiations between the United States and United Kingdom Governments are proceeding at present.

Are there no experts' discussions proceeding?

Not at present, but, in any case, a sharp distinction has to be drawn between discussions between experts and negotiations, in the proper sense, between representatives of Governments.

May I ask whether any discussions between experts are contemplated?

That is another question. My hon. Friend is fishing assiduously. I have given him a straight answer, and there was a full Debate on these matters only the week before last, when the hon. Member himself made a speech of great distinction.

Is it not necessary to fish assiduously in order to protect the interests of this country; and will the Minister not understand that I am not putting this question in a hostile spirit at all but merely because I am anxious to ascertain whether any expert discussions are either pending or in contemplation?

I am anxious to give the hon. Member a perfectly clear and straightforward answer. There have been —and this has been stated in the House before by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and by me—over the past two years, a number of discussions between officials, both as between the British and the United States Governments, and between the United Kingdom and Dominion Governments, and I have no doubt that further such discussions will take place in future, but no commitments or conclusions have yet been reached. The family council of the Empire is now meeting, and we had a full Debate the week before last, when a commitment was given that, until the family council had concluded their discussions, and agreement had been reached, no further developments would take place in this; matter.

If these experts publish a Report, comparable to that issued after the meeting of the currency experts, will the Minister give an assurance that it will be couched in language which ordinary people can understand?

May we assume that these discussions, when they take place, will be under the direction of the Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Oh, yes, Sir. Officials do not run wild.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider the possibility of issuing extra clothing coupons for furnacemen in factories where work necessarily involves extra wear and tear.

Yes, Sir. Furnacemen, like many other workers, are entitled to ten coupons in addition to their basic ration.

Are there any other means by which the men engaged in heavy industry, the steel industry in general, can claim extra coupons above the ten?

Yes, Sir, there are three tiers in the matter—first of all, the basic ration, then the industrial supplement to the great majority of industrial workers, and then in addition, there are coupon pools, which are issued to certain special categories of heavy workers. These are distributed in each works by the works committees, and the iron and steel industry is one of the industries so included.

Who distributes these extra coupons? Is it the employer, the foreman or the manager of the works?

It is the works committee, constituted under an agreement between employers and workers in each works.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the interests of public health and hygiene, he is now prepared to concede the industrial -10 coupons to hairdressers so as to enable them to purchase saloon clothing.

No, Sir. I regret that, in view of the very limited supplies available, I cannot at present see my way to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that his advisers are correctly informed with reference to conditions; and will he, on the next occasion he visits his hairdresser, which I know is not very frequent, undergo the operation without the protection of a gown and then probably he will appreciate the necessity of protective clothing?

My hair is just as thick round the neck as that of my hon. Friend, but we are, of course, very anxious to make what arrangements we can for the benefit of hairdressers. They get utility overalls for three coupons but the plain fact is that, in this and many other directions, supplies are very short indeed and will so continue until the war has moved forward. The Services have to come first and the civilians second.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether members of the M.T.C. are eligible for the Africa Star on the same conditions as other women's services.

The M.T.C. is a civil body and its members are not eligible for the Star unless they joined one of the Women's Auxiliary Services.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this unit went to the Middle East at the request of the Commander-in-Chief, that they were fed, clothed and looked after by the Army and served in the desert for months, and that some were actually given the Africa Star by General Montgomery in the field?

I would rather like to have the information which the hon. Member has just given to the House, because in some respects it is contrary to the information that I have. If he will give it to me I shall be glad to deal with it.

Having regard to the fact that the M.T.C. has been used by every Government Department, if it is a civil organisation and is infringing the Act passed before the war, why do not the Government either recognise it definitely or prosecute it?

Do not E.N.S.A. get this decoration?

Some E.N.S.A. people do; those who are under the direct control of the Army.

Is it not ridiculous to give it to E.N.S.A., who come out for a comparatively short time, and though doing very valuable work, it involves nothing like the danger and importance of these ambulance drivers?

I understand—and this is where the account of the hon. Member and that sent to me seem not to be in accord—that most of these drivers were advised to, and, in fact, did, join one or other of the Women's Services.

Will not my right hon. Friend give it to those who did not join the Women's Services but remained on in their unit and did most valuable work?

asked the Secretary of State for War what proportion of soldiers on being wounded on service are regraded or reduced in rank; and will he take steps to end this reduction?

I regret that the proportion cannot be ascertained without considerable research. A soldier who is wounded in action while holding paid acting rank retains such rank for three months or until posted for duty in a lower rank, whichever is the earlier. I am considering the introduction of a new rule whereby the period of retention of acting rank will count towards its conversion to war substantive rank, which in many cases will result in its being retained for the remainder of the soldier's war service.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the Army, unlike the R.N. and the R.A.F., has no benevolent fund.

The Army, unlike the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, is built up from regiments and corps, each of which has its own charitable fund. I have under consideration however the question of creating a central Army Benevolent Fund to receive donations for the Army generally and to apply them to the assistance of existing funds.

When the Minister comes to consider this Fund, will he be quite sure in his own mind that it will not cause the wildest inflation?

Why should there be a benevolent fund for the Army?

Is it not true that almost all regiments and corps in the Army have benevolent associations of their own recognised by the War Office and helped by them?

That is certainly what my answer was intended to convey.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the foreign service allowances payable to officers and other ranks in the various theatres of war.

I am circulating particulars of the special allowance payable to troops in the Mediterranean theatre. The troops on the Burma front, which is the other active theatre of war, receive Indian rates of pay. These include an element to cover the additional expenses they necessarily incur while in that theatre.

Could my right hon. Friend indicate in the OFFICIAL REPORT what are the special allowances in Burma and how the scales of payment are weighted?

My hon. Friend will have to apply to the India Office for that information, because these troops get Indian rates of pay.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will permit members of the non-combatant corps to volunteer as harvest workers.

The members of this Corps are fully engaged on essential duties and it is unlikely that it will be possible to permit them to volunteer for harvesting.

Is it not a fact that whereas some of them have been allowed to volunteer, for example, for paratroop ambulance work, and so on, a great many of them are doing perfectly useless jobs such s road making, which could not possibly compare with the requirements of agriculture at the time of the harvest?

I would be very surprised to hear that any of them were, at this particular juncture, employed on perfectly useless jobs.

Could the right hon. Gentleman give some discretion to commanding officers in country districts, if a few men are available at busy times, to allow them to work on farms?

I do not necessarily debar this altogether; but I said that it is, I am afraid, unlikely that it will be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the arrangements provided in the confidential circular issued by the War Office Director of Establishments, relating to the staggering of hours in Central London the disclosure of the contents of which is being made the basis of disciplinary action against the officer concerned who acted in his trade union capacity, were disclosed freely to staff representatives in other Government departments similarly affected so that the staff could be notified and have also been referred to in the Press; and whether he will assure the House that no disciplinary action will be taken against the officer mentioned.

The documents concerned in this case were in the first place a circular letter from the Director of Establishments to Directors which included a reference to a decision of the Army Council on a proposal which was not adopted, and in the second a personal letter in reply from one of the Directors. The terms of this reply were made the basis of an attack by the Civil Service Clerical Association on the action of this Director.

Could not the Secretary of State for War adjust this case and prevent any similar case from arising in future, by giving instructions that all directions touching staff interests and conditions in the War Office shall be communicated in a form which does not render the individual liable to a charge under the Official Secrets Act if he passes the information on to his union?

That seems to me to take it for granted that the War Office, or Government Departments generally, should admit the right of branch secretaries, or members of staff associations, to communicate documents to their associations. That is a right which neither I nor any other head of a Department can admit.

Would not the Minister overcome this difficulty by seeing that a copy of such instructions is communicated to the headquarters of the union?

It is quite impossible to give any such categorical assurance. The original letter from the Director of Establishments, it is perfectly true, referred, among other things, to certain procedure which had been discussed previously with the Staff Association.

Are we to understand from that reply that gross breaches of trust, even if committed by trade unions, will be punished in future?

On a point of Order. May I give notice that I will raise this matter on the Adjournment?

asked the Secretary of State for War if he has now received a report on the suppression, of the Forces Parliament in Cairo; and if, in considering the report, he will bear in mind that the South African troops have had this sort of Parliament for some time and assisted our Forces in establishing the one which has now been suppressed.

I have received a short telegraphic report, but it does not add anything material to what has already appeared in the Press. I understand that a written report is on the way.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that British officers have encouraged our soldiers in the setting up of this body, and does he not think it a good thing a man should be instructed in Parliamentary procedure and business?

I understand that there has been no question of stopping the parliament. Its venue has been changed from a public place to barracks, and its title has also been changed, but to the best of my belief these are the only changes which have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for War if the recently announced increases in allowances to dependants of Army personnel were decided upon before the decision to depart from the present policy of the stabilisation of the cost of living was arrived at.

I have been asked to reply. As I made quite clear in the course of the Budget Debate the policy of stabilisation is not being departed from and, therefore, the hon. Member's Question does not strictly arise, but I may say that he would be right in drawing the obvious inference from the fact that the increases in allowances were promulgated after, and not before, my Budget statement.

Was this made known to the Members of this House who had discussions with the Government on this matter, when making their recommendations for increases?

I do not see that that question arises.

Before any change is made in the stabilisation of prices, will the Chancellor come to the House and let us know what he intends to do?

Anything that it may be decided to do will be announced.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can give any information in connection with the explosion on a farm at Eastingthorpe, Essex; and how many Home Guards were killed and injured.

I deeply regret that six members of the Home Guard were killed and three were injured as a result of an explosion, the cause of which is as yet unknown. A court of inquiry will be convened as soon as possible to carry out a full investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) what are the terms as regards pay and retired pay under which retired officers are re-employed in the Army;

Generally speaking, such an officer receives the same pay as other officers of the rank in which he is reemployed plus an addition of 25 per cent., but for further details I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to a reply I gave my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Wells (Lieut.-Colonel Boles) on 21st March. Such an officer is eligible for promotion to acting, temporary and war substantive rank under the normal wartime code and any promotion he may attain is reflected in the pay he receives and in the amount of the addition to pay. When he ceases to be re-employed he draws the retired pay which he drew before he was re-employed.

Does not my right hon. Friend think that this arrangement represents a substantial saving to the Government, and ought not officers to receive all the retired pay which they earned, in addition to the pay for the work they are doing?

I have tried to explain to my hon. and gallant Friend that in addition to the pay for the work they are doing they get an extra 25 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether be can now state the intention of His Majesty's Government with regard to awarding gratuities to officers and men serving temporarily in His Majesty's forces in accordance with previous practice; and, in particular, if payment will be made immediately to those officers and men who have been invalided or properly discharged from active service.

In view of the answer given by the Prime Minister to my noble Friend the Member for South Dorset (Viscount Hinchingbrooke) on 4th April I am not at present able to make any statement on these matters.

Is the Minister aware that during the 1914–]18 campaign gratuities were paid forthwith to officers and to men who were invalided out or otherwise properly discharged?

I think that is the case. That is one of the factors I have definitely in mind.

Then what is the reason for the delay? If it was right in the last war, surely it is right in this war.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the age of the present Sheriff Clerk of Lanarkshire.

I am informed that the Sheriff Clerk of Lanarkshire is 87 years of age.

While paying tribute to this magnificent record, may I ask the Minister whether he does not think that in the general interest he ought to impose a time limit of 100?

When the Question was put on the Order Paper I caused particular inquiries to be made and I am informed that this gentleman, who has had a long and distinguished record, attends his office every day and that the work is being efficiently performed.

Will the right hon. Gentleman guarantee that when this officer ceases employment, he will not be directed into national service?

Was this sheriff informed, before he accepted office, that the job was not likely to be permanent?

Is there not present in this House to-day an hon. Member of that age who shows by his vigour that he is capable of efficient work? [HON. MEMBERS: "Who?"] The hon. Member for Plaistow (Mr. Thorne).

Is it not the case that at about that age Mr. Gladstone formed a very admirable Liberal Government?

We see the results of it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland is he is aware that green crops planted in gardens of householders in Dumbartonshire, in response to the appeal to dig for victory, are being destroyed by ground vermin; that the Scottish Office refuse to entertain any application for supplies of protective netting; and will he now advise such householders of alternative means of safeguarding their crops.

I have consulted my Noble Friend the Minister of Works, who is responsible for the issue of permits to householders for the purchase of protective fencing for their gardens. The supply of suitable fencing presents great difficulty under present conditions. I am informed, however, that for the time being permits to purchase wire-netting will be issued where necessary and so far as supplies permit. Householders may also purchase small quantities of second-hand wire-netting without permits.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Ministry of Works removed the protection and that officers of his own Department, last week, refused to recommend any protective netting with which to protect these vegetables?

If my hon. Friend can give me any particulars about officers of my own Department I will have inquiries made.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Report on Venereal Diseases by his Medical Advisory Committee will be available; and whether he has any statement to make.

The Report is published to-day and copies are now available in the Vote Office. I am sending local authorities copies of the Report. I propose to discuss it with the local authority associations and with other interested bodies as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the shortage of staff at His Majesty's prison, Barlinnie, Glasgow; and whether he will take steps to secure that the number of qualified officers is increased as early as possible.

Yes, Sir. And I am making every effort, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour to recruit suitable temporary staff to fill the vacancies.

Will the right hon. Gentleman not introduce the system that operates at Wakefield and organise prisoners in groups, with a prisoner in charge of each group, and so to a great extent relieve the necessity of an officer?

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can make any statement of his intentions regarding the proposed viaduct between Bernera and the main Island of Lewis; and whether the Department of Agriculture in Scotland intends to offer financial assistance for its construction.

No approach regarding this proposal has been made to the Department of Agriculture by the County Council of Ross and Cromarty as the statutory highway authority since, as my hon. Friend was informed on 3rd October, 1939, the county council decided to defer further action meantime. The Department will, of course, be prepared to give full consideration to any application. by the county council should they wish to take up the matter again as a post-war project.