asked the Secretary of State for War why the 2s. a day special London allowance now paid only to officers under War Office control is not paid to other officers in the Metropolitan area living under identical conditions; if he is aware that this discrimination operates between officers working in the same building, some under War Office control and others under that of London District; and will he take steps to remove the anomaly.

The 2s. a day paid to officers within the War Office is not a London allowance and is not related to the cost of living in London. Other officers who work within the Metropolitan District do not qualify for the 2s. extra pay because their duties are different from those of officers on the establishment of the War Office.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Service personnel having served five years or more overseas, and having returned to this country, will be drafted for overseas service again.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Ballenger) on 22nd February. I much regret that owing to the shortage of men it may be necessary, at any rate for the time being, to send such men overseas again after a period of three months in this country instead of six months as hitherto. They will not, however, be sent if suitable men are available who have been in this country over three months.

asked the Secretary of State for War what arrangements are made for serving officers or soldiers who desire to be candidates at future Parliamentary general elections; and whether they should, if now serving overseas, give intimation to their commanding officer of their desire and so enable arrangements to be made for their arrival here and their appearance before the electorate a reasonable time before any election day.

As I pointed out in the course of the Debate on this year's Army and Air Force (Annual) Bill, every reasonable facility is already given to serving officers and men to be adopted as prospective candidates and candidates for constituencies either at by-elections or general elections. An officer or soldier who wishes to stand for Parliament, and to take the steps necessary to that end, should inform his Commanding Officer, in order that any application he may make for special facilities may he recognised. Subject to the exigencies of the Service, he can be granted leave for the purpose of getting adopted as a prospective candidate or candidate, and is set free from his military duties for the whole period of the election. If an individual is serving overseas he naturally cannot be given short periods of leave to this country in order to attend Selection Committees and so on; nor can any guarantee be given that he will be able to return to the United Kingdom in time for an election at short notice. The local military situation, distance, and restricted transport facilities might make that impossible.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the cause of the death of Private Frederick Charles Bass, No. 7670326, in the R.A.P.C., who died on 21st November, 1943, at the Whitchurch Emergency Hospital; and whether the coroner for the district in which the inquest was held on 24th and 3oth November was informed that, anti-typhoid inoculation was concerned in the illness that resulted in this man's death.

The cause of death recorded by the coroner was 'bronchial pneumonia following cellulitis of the left arm. I understand that the coroner was informed that the cellulitis had developed at the site of a T.A.B. inoculation. Such a case is, of course, extremely rare.

asked the Secretary of State for War if Service personnel in India are entitled to send parcels of dutiable commodities to their relatives in Britain duty free.

Yes, Sir. For rather over a year all ranks of His Majesty's Forces overseas have been entitled to send home to this country four parcels duty free. There are certain restrictions on the weight, value and contents of such parcels.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the recent cut of fo per cent. in electricity and 25 per cent. in gas applies to publications and their printing; and why printers of Government papers and city circulars bear this burden alone.

The cuts in industrial consumption of electricity and gas are not being applied to the printing of newspapers. They are being applied to all other printing but, on application by the firms concerned, are relaxed to such extent as to enable the production of periodicals to be substantially maintained, and to safeguard essential Government printing.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why electricity for all domestic purposes, and especially for the new houses, is not being made available to all at reasonable cost.

Electricity charges in new houses cannot be considered apart from charges to domestic consumers generally. Revision of such domestic tariffs raises very important questions affecting the finances and organisation of the whole of the electricity supply industry and could only be undertaken as part of a reorganisation of the industry in the postwar period. The question how far such reorganisation is necessary is at present before the Government.

asked the Prime Minister if he can make any statement on the opening of preliminary conversations between the four chief Allied Powers on the general problem of post-war security.

No, Sir, not to-day.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any official action has been taken to pay a tribute to the work of the Income Tax officials in connection with Pay-as-you-earn.

I would remind my hon. Friend that in my Budget Speech I expressed appreciation of the manner in which all concerned—Government staffs, workpeople and employers—had worked to bring the new system of Pay-as-you-earn into force. Further, both my predecessor and myself have sent personal messages to the staffs of the Inland Revenue, thanking them for the way in which they have carried out the heavily increased duties of recent years. I am glad, however, to have this opportunity of thanking them again, and at- the same time of expressing my appreciation of the zeal and devotion with which all branches of the Civil Service have carried out the additional and onerous duties which the war has created.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will arrange that in the future the members of the Government Minor and Manipulative Grades Association of Office Cleaners are referred to as such and not as charwomen or charladies, which term gives no indication of their status and is resented by the 2,400 members of both the senior and junior grades.

I am informed that the Treasury invariably refers to these invaluable people as cleaners. I am not prepared to issue directions to other Departments on the subject.

asked the Minister of Food the number of personnel and salaries in the Directorate of Infestation Control; and has he any record of the services achieved to date.

The number of personnel employed by the Infestation Division of my Department, including area staff, is 243. The total salaries amount to £96,562 per annum, including war bonus. I am satisfied that the organisation is doing good work in protecting foodstuffs as far as practicable from the ravages of insect and rodent pests, and that its encouragement of local authorities in the use of their statutory powers under the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act, 1919, is bringing about a material reduction in the rat population.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to put bachelors with sister-housekeepers on an equal footing, as regards Income Tax allowances, with single men whose mothers act as their housekeepers.

The housekeeper allowance was extended in the Finance Act of last year to deal with cases where a housekeeper is retained for the care of young children. The scope of the allowance was very fully considered in the Finance Bill Debates of last year, and I am afraid I cannot see my way to propose any further extension of the allowance. There is no distinction such as my hon. Friend suggests in the conditions governing the allowance. My hon. Friend may perhaps have in mind the dependent relative allowance which may be claimed by a taxpayer who maintains his widowed mother, but this allowance is granted equally to single and married taxpayers and is not conditional upon the performance of services of the mother.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of persons do not use their clothing coupons either at all or to no appreciable extent.

No exact information is available, but, according to a representative sample, it appears that 0.4 per cent. spent no coupons at all during the last rationing period, and 1 per cent. spent not more than Io coupons.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases permission has been granted by him under Section 6 of Statutory Rules and Orders 1198 of 1939 (Trading with the Enemy Custodian) for companies, part of whose shares or stock were formerly held by enemy nationals and are now in the care of the custodian, to purchase such shares or stock.

None, Sir.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what is the rate of subsidy per acre for the planting of trees by private individuals, and whether such terms are open to local authorities.

Forestry Commission grants for planting trees are up to £2 to £4 per acre according to species. Forms of application giving particulars of the grants and regulations governing same are available to anyone interested. I will hand a copy to the hon. Member. Grants are available to private individuals and to local authorities.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, (1) what quantity of seedling trees are available in the Commission's private nurseries which are surplus to their own requirements; and on what terms, are these seedlings available to the public;(2) on what terms are seedling trees made available to wholesale firms handling such products.

At the present time there are no seedling trees in the Forestry Commission's nurseries surplus to their requirements. When there are surplus nursery stocks these are not disposed of to the public but to the...nursery trade at prices which are agreed at annual meetings with the trade associations.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any steps are taken by his Department to supervise the length of working hours of staff ha Service canteens.

On the assumption that the Question refers to canteens for members of the Forces the answer is that it is not a matter in which my Department is authorised to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether any decision has yet been reached regarding the desirability of municipal aerodromes, especially in regard to post-war co-operation with the R.A.F.

No, Sir. These questions are under review and cannot be finally decided until future policy for the post-war development of air transport and the future organisation of the R.A.F., its reserves and auxiliaries have been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will enquire into the case of a corporal in the R.A.F., whose name has been given him, who is suffering from a cardiac disability, ass been certified by two specialists to be unfit for his present, job, was marked by a medical board as in category C and recommended for sedentary work only, but who has been ordered by his medical officer to continue duties for which he has been certified unfit.

The airman in question was admitted to hospital in March last for observation and treatment and for a report by a Royal Air Force medical specialist. The latter recommended that the airman should be recategorised to Grade III and remustered to a sedentary occupation. This recommendation was endorsed by a medical board on 13th March. The airman is at present employed on clerical duties in his present trade of station policeman pending remustering to a trade involving sedentary duties only.

asked the Minister of Information if hp has now ascertained what the Fighting Forces think of the General Forces programme of the B.B.C.; and whether he can make a statement on the subject.

The evidence in the hands of the B.B.C. shows that this programme is very acceptable to the Fighting Forces.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare in what quantities vitamin D is now being imported into German-occupied countries; into what countries such imports are being made; and how the quantities of these imports compare with the quantities imported before vitamin D was removed from the contraband list.

His Majesty's Government agreed to the despatch of 10 kilogrammes of vitamin D in December, 1943, and again in March this year. These 20 kilogrammes were for distribution to children in Belgium, France, Holland, Yugoslavia and Poland. In addition 'we agreed in October, 1943, to let one kilogramme go to Belgium, and in April last a quarter Of a kilogramme was sent for distribution in the Channel Islands. As regards the last pail of the Question, before a concession was made in regard to vitamin D, none was imported with our consent into any part of enemy-occupied Europe except Greece, where all the demands of the Neutral Commission have been met.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, having regard to the fact that; all Orders in Council made, either under Statute or in virtue of the Royal Prerogative, can be approved only on Ministerial advice, he will arrange that in future all such Orders in Council when laid upon the Table will contain the names of the Privy Counsellors present, so that it shall be manifest on the advice of which Minister or Ministers the Order was approved.

No, Sir. The ultimate constitutional responsibility for Orders in Council rests upon the Government of the day.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the total number of entries now on the coal register; whether all claims have been dealt with; in how many cases costs have been paid and the total of such payments for costs; and what progress has been made in the distribution of compensation to the former holders of coal royalties.

The total number of entries in the Coal Holdings Register is about 27,000, but only 26,026 qualified for compensation by the lodgment of a notice of claim. Draft valuations of all the 26,026 holdings have been made by the Valuation Boards and settled valuations issued in all except about 1,600 cases. Registration costs amounting to £137,946 have been paid in settlement of 16,933 cases, apart from a number which do not qualify for costs. £8,049,014 has been paid out in discharge of the compensation (with interest from the Vesting Date) in the Southern, Western and North Staffordshire Regions and 32,762,939 paid on account in the remaining seven regions.

asked the Minister of Food how many applications have been received in connection with supplies for suggested evening restaurants for young persons only, so as to take certain numbers off the streets; and whether all such applications received will be sympathetically treated.

Up to 30th April 184 applications had been received for catering licences in respect of social clubs and centres for young people; 146 of these were granted. All applications are sympathetically considered.

asked the Minister of Food from what countries we are importing beef, mutton, lamb and pork.Colonel Llewellin: Beef, mutton, lamb and pork are being imported from the following countries:

asked the Minister of Food whether he can make any statement on his policy of prosecuting dairymen for disposing of surplus milk; and whether he is aware of the adverse criticisms directed against its enforcement on the grounds of its impracticability.

No dairyman is prosecuted for disposing of surplus milk unless he does so in wilful breach of the law. If the surplus arises from the fact that some of his customers do not accept their full allowance, he is free to dispose of it among his other registered customers, but if it is an excess over his full authorised requirements for all his registered customers, he is under a legal duty to notify the Regional Milk Supply Officer of the amount of the excess. Pending receipt of instructions from the Regional Milk Supply Officer as to its disposal, the dairyman is free to dispose of it to his own registered customers. If, however, he wilfully fails to notify the excess, or continues to sell in breach of the Regional Milk Supply Officer's' instructions when received, he renders himself liable to prosecution. I am not aware that prosecutions in these circumstances are meeting with adverse criticism.

asked the Minister of Food whether, as the exportable surplus of salmon in Eire for 1944 has already been purchased by his Ministry, he will purchase the exportable surplus of salmon in Northern Ireland for 1944 and arrange for its transport to Britain.

Producers of net-caught salmon and wholesale merchants in Northern Ireland must sell their salmon to the same purchasers and in the same proportions as in 1940. With the present demand for salmon and so long as transport facilities are available to enable this regulation to be carried out, an exportable surplus can hardly arise.

asked the Postmaster-General why men in the Forces with a postal address in this country have to pay 2½d. postage on letters they write, whereas letters addressed to them require only rid, postage; and will he make the postage charge 1½d. for both their outgoing and ingoing mail.

I assume the hon. Member's question refers to letters addressed A.P.O. England. "This address, like other A.P.O. addresses, entails the application of the concessionary rates of postage to Forces overseas (i.e., in the case of letters, 1½d. for the first ounce and 1d. for each succeeding ounce). The concessionary rates apply irrespective of the whereabouts of the addressee, since it is impossible to distinguish in the matter of charges between troops who have proceeded overseas and those who have not. The inland postage rate of 2½d. is normally charged on letters for inland addresses from members of the. Forces serving in the United Kingdom, 'end I regret that I am unable to authorise special rates of postage for troops who have not proceeded overseas.

asked the Minister of Health whether, as he has postponed, sine die, negotiations with the medical profession regarding the proposals of the White Paper, he will give an assurance that he will not introduce in Parliament any Bill dealing with these proposals until the negotiations with the medical profession are completed.

I recognise that the discussions which I am, of course, ready to start at any time, will have to be delayed owing to the postponement for reasons connected with the war, of the proposed conference of the profession. But I, can assure my hon. Friend that my desire to hold these discussions before introducing legislation is in no way altered by the postponement, even though I am unable, in view of the many uncertainties, to give so absolute a guarantee as he suggests his question.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give a list of workmen's hospitals whose representatives he has undertaken to consult on the White Paper.

I propose to consult hospitals generally through the various central organisations representing them.. If my hon. Friend has in mind any particular group of hospitals, the views of which he feels will not be thus adequately represented to me, I shall be ready to consider his suggestions in the matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he will take steps to increase the arrangements for informing passengers at the inquiry offices of the main line London railway stations of the cancellations of passenger trains.

I regret that it is not practicable in present circumstances to provide additional staff or telephone facilities for the purpose.