asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many cases of smallpox occurred in Gibraltar in February and March; and whether any were vaccinated and re-vaccinated persons.

Twenty-three cases of smallpox occurred in Gibraltar in February and March. Of these six had never been vaccinated; eight adults had been vaccinated in infancy only; three had been vaccinated between two and four years before the outbreak; six were recorded as having been re-vaccinated from one to three years before acquiring the disease, but accurate information as to where re-vaccination was carried out, and whether it was successful or not, is not available.There were seven deaths. Of these, three were persons who had never been vaccinated; four had been vaccinated, two of them in infancy and the others four and three years respectively, before acquiring the disease. Of the six cases who had never been vaccinated, three died; one has survived, but spent three months in hospital and is still suffering from the effects of the disease, while the remaining two, who were re-vaccinated six and seven days respectively before developing the disease, both recovered. The Governor states that not a single case occurred in Gibraltar after full protection through vaccination had been given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether persons compelled to be vaccinated under the orders recently made by the Governor of Gibraltar can claim compensation from the Governor for any injury to health caused by such vaccination.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on 6th April, when I stated that no compulsion was applied in connection with the recent vaccination campaign in Gibraltar.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now give details of the particular counties in which the deterioration in cattle herds, of which complaint is made, is most noticeable.

It is not practicable to indicate on a county basis where deterioration in quality of cattle due to indiscriminate cross breeding or other causes has been greatest or least.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many land utility officers have been appointed and at what rate of salary; their location and area of operation; what staff are employed; what are the qualifications for such appointment; and what is the relationship of these officials to the Land Commissioners and their duties.

I have appointed II Rural Land Utilisation Officers, including Dr. Stamp, the Chief Adviser, and II Assistant Rural Land Utilisation Officers. An additional Officer for Wales will be appointed shortly. Rural Land Utilisation Officers are part-time officers who receive no salary but an allowance, normally of £300 per annum, for expenses. Assistant Rural Land Utilisation Officers are employed full-time and receive a salary of £650 per annum.They are located at offices in the following places:Newcastle-on-Tyne, Leeds, Nottingham, Cambridge, London, Winchester, Painswick (Gloucestershire), Ruthin, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester and Wye (Kent).The area of operation is generally the Civil Defence Region. Clerical and other assistance is supplied as required.The qualifications required for Rural Land Utilisation Officers are a knowledge of agriculture, particularly of the Regions in which they are employed, a wide knowledge and interest in rural affairs and some knowledge of Town and County Planning. Rural Land Utilisation Officers and Assistant Rural Land Utilisation Officers keep in close touch with my Land Commissioners who, during the war at least, are heavily engaged in important duties relating to war-time food production.

asked the Minister of Labour in view of the equal pay movement, what forms of industry, if any, are at present barred to women.

It is not possible to compile a list of all the forms of industry from which women are debarred by custom or practice or for reasons of physical capacity, but there are some specially dangerous or unhealthy kinds of work, for example some lead processes, in which their employment is prohibited under the Factory Acts and they may not be employed underground in mines or in certain heavy work on the surface at mines and quarries.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will now investigate the possibility of setting up for all Admiralty establishments a council properly representative of the employers on the one hand and of all sections of the employees, including both permanent and temporary staffs on the other.

I am satisfied that adequate provision exists to enable the employees in Admiralty establishments to make full representation to the Department concerning their conditions of employment, and apart altogether from the objections during war-time to the disturbance which such a change would entail, I see no reason for modifying the machinery in the manner suggested.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he will make a statement with regard to the extension of the use of warrants as railway tickets.

I am glad to inform my hon. Friend that arrangements have now been made for the use of Service warrants as railway tickets for journeys of members of H.M. Forces and Dominion, Colonial and Allied Forces travelling on duty.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what number of Air Force cadets have been affected by the mining ballot up to the present; and how many have actually been drafted to work in the mines.

Men accepted for flying duties in the Royal Air Force are excluded from the ballot. I regret that the number of other men who might have joined the R.A.F. but for the operation of the ballot is not readily ascertainable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works if he will take steps to improve the lighting of the Chamber for the benefit of Members who sit on the two rear benches, who have some difficulty in reading the Order Paper at Question time, by providing a simple auxiliary lighting system along the walls of the Chamber.

I will have the matter considered and the necessary tests made during the Whitsun Recess, and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as practicable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare whether, in view of the recent resolutions passed by the United States Senate and House of Representatives urging immediate action to provide relief for the most needy sections of the European populations, His Majesty's Government are now prepared to reconsider their policy with regard to food relief.

I have nothing to add to my previous statements on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a grant is made to the dependants of persons detained under Regulation 18B if they are destitute or too old or ill to work.

If a dependant of someone detained under Defence Regulation 18B is in need of public assistance it is open to him or her to obtain it under the same conditions as anyone else who is in need: but there is no arrangement for paying to such a dependant some special or additional grant from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what money grant is made to persons detained under Regulation 18B who are destitute or too old or ill to work.

In the case of men detained in the Camp at Peel, the Welfare Fund enables a grant of 3s. 6d. a week to be made, but I understand that there is at present only one case in which such a grant is necessary. In the women's camp and the married camp, pocket money of 1s. 6d. a week is paid from public funds, but the necessity for such payment arises only in a very few cases. No grant is made in the case of those detained in prison.