asked the Minister of Labour if he will cause inquiries to be made into the conditions of the employees in the grinding section at Messrs. Wyndham Hewitt, whose applications for their allowance of milk has met with no result, which constitutes a breach of the Factory Acts and is detrimental to the health of the workers.

I understand that an application was recently made for a special supply of milk for some operatives engaged on certain machining operations in one of the shops at the factory in question. It is not a requirement under the Factory Acts that they or the grinders should be supplied with milk, and I am advised that the working conditions, which have been investigated by my Department, are not such as to justify me in requiring it on health grounds.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has any further information respecting long hours worked by juveniles; and if he will give the approximate number of young workers of 16 years of age who are employed, respectively, more than 50 and 55 hours per week.

The figures asked for in the last part of the Question are not available; my present general policy is not to authorise the regular employment of young persons over 16 in factories for more than 52 hours a week, except temporarily in cases of very special urgency and even then for not more than 55 hours.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is prepared to issue a special badge for young men who are called up and directed to work in the coalmines on the lines of the badge issued to the Merchant Navy.

Much as I sympathise with the object that my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind, I would ask him to appre- ciate that thousands of young men who would have preferred to go in the Services have volunteered or have opted for mining or have been directed to other vital work, and I cannot give everyone a badge who is affected. I regret, therefore, that I cannot see my way to do what he suggests. My hon. and gallant Friend will no doubt be aware that all members of the Merchat Navy are given a badge.

asked the Minister of Labour whether boys volunteering for service in any of the Armed Forces prior to the mines ballots coming into operation are excluded from such ballots.

Yes, Sir, provided that they are duly entered or enlisted in one of the Armed Forces; the mere fact of volunteering does not in itself operate to exclude men from the coalmining ballot.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state, as on the last convenient date, the number of old age pensioners who are in employment.

I am not in possession of statistics showing the total numbers of old age pensioners in employment at any particular date, but I am obtaining such information as is available and will send it to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the N.F.S. for the United Kingdom and for Cornwall, respectively, during the last complete year

The accounts for the financial year ended the 3rst March, 1944, have not yet been closed and final figures are not yet available, but expenditure on the National Fire Service in England, Wales and Scotland for that year totalled approximately £32,000,000 net. In addition, it was estimated that expenditure by other Departments on this Service in the year would be £7,500,000. As the accounts are maintained on a national basis, I regret that separate figures of cost for Cornwall are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the recommendation contained in paragraph 602 of the Tomlin Committee Report (1929–31), which allows for the attendance of an association representative at the hearing of a serious disciplinary charge against an officer, has not been adopted in the prisons' department; that this is the only department within the Civil Service which has failed to put this recommendation into effect; and whether he will give instructions that the recommended procedure will be put into effect in the prison service forthwith.

I cannot accept the suggestion that rules applicable to the Civil Service generally are necessarily appropriate to disciplined services, such as the Prison Service. The practice in the Prison Service is that an accused officer can be represented by another member of the staff of the prison at which he is serving, who may, if the officer so desires, be the association representative at that prison.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many conscientious objectors are working on farms; and if he is satisfied with the quality and quantity of the work which they are performing.

It is estimated that about 8,000 conscientious objectors are employed on the land, of whom the majority are in private employment. The output of conscientious objectors is necessarily very variable, being dependent on such factors as their experience and physique, as well as their willingness to work.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is proposing to provide a number of small holding schemes as part of his post-war programme for agriculture, in view of the demand far such holdings by Service men and others.

The provision of small holdings will receive consideration as part of the general problem of post-war agricultural policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the continuance to farmers of guaranteed prices till 1948, he will state what these prices now are in respect of milk, sugar-beet, wheat and rye, barley and fat cows, eggs, poultry, pigs, sheep and cattle, other than fat cows together with the money involved in each case.

The farm products for which minimum prices are guaranteed until the summer of 1948 are milk, fat cattle and fat sheep. The procedure for dealing with other commodities, including cereals, is under discussion with the Farmers' Unions. Particulars are given of the present average prices of milk, cattle and sheep which are guaranteed as minimum prices for four years. It is not possible to state the amount of money involved in each case.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, before authoritative information is obtained from the British Ornithological Society regarding the utility to agriculture or otherwise of the rook, he will discourage the wholesale slaughter which is now taking place.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave on 27th April to my hon. Friend the Member for Bilston (Mr. Hannah).

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to receive the Report of the committee investigating the operation of the Rent Restrictions Acts.

The Committee has not yet completed the taking of evidence, and I am not yet in a position to say when its Report may be expected.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the suggestions for building houses in Lavenham, Suffolk; and will he give an assurance that no scheme will be carried out which involves the demolition of ancient buildings which are a national asset and a point of international pilgrimage.

The only suggestion that has been submitted to me relates to the acquisition of a site for 50 houses. Use of this site would probably involve the demolition of a few old cottages. The local authority in consultation with my Senior Regional Architect and the Regional Planning Officer, have, however, now come to the conclusion that the site in question is not the most suitable for the proposed housing scheme, and they are considering another site, use of which will not involve the demolition of any ancient buildings.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the increased cost of labour and material, he will consider raising the value of the cottage after re-

County	No. of houses for which final costs available.	Type of houses.	Inclusive cost per house.	Rent per week.
Dorset	4	Parlour	£1,177	10/4
Durham	12	Parlour	£972 to £1,101	6/9 to 10/-
Hants	6	Parlour	£1,080	14/2
Herts	4	Parlour	£1,104	10/-
Kent	4	Parlour	£1,009	8/2
Norfolk	10	Parlour	£982	9/8
Somerset	4	Non-Parlour	£821	7/9
Sussex, East	8	Parlour	£1,034 to £1,041	10/8 to 12/6
Sussex, West	4	Parlour	£1,034 to £1,075	10/3 to 10/7
Yorks, West Riding	12	Parlour	£898 to £928	8/6 to 10/-

asked the Minister of Health the names of the 14 separate Government Departments, bodies and per-

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 25th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Linstead) when I said that I hoped in due course to be submitting to Parliament the Government's proposals for the amendment of these Acts on the lines recommended in the Third Report of the Rural Housing Sub-Committee of my Central Housing Advisory Committee. The point he mentions will be covered by these proposals.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of rural district councils in Leicestershire whose record in regard to the construction or reconstruction of rural houses is regarded as very good.

To attempt a classification of individual authorities in the precise manner suggested would be difficult and, I think, liable to misunderstanding. I am sending my hon. Friend particulars of the houses built and reconstructed in the county according to my records.

asked the Minister of Health if he can now state by counties the inclusive cost of the 3,000 houses allocated to rural workers; and the rents in each county at which these houses have been let.

Final costs are at present available for 64 parlour houses and four non-parlour houses. The inclusive costs and rents of these houses are shown in the following statement:sons who have to be considered before the sites are purchased for the building of war-time agricultural cottages.

Owing to war-time conditions the authorities interested in the purchase of land for this scheme were the Ministry of Health, the District Valuer of the Board of Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, the Ministry of Works, the three Service Departments, three Production Departments, the Ministry of Home Security, the Ministry of War Transport, the County Council and the County War Agricultural Executive Committee. In order to assist local authorities arrangments were, however, made for most of this consultation to be done by my Regional Officers. My hon. Friend will be glad to know that a simplified procedure has now been devised on the lines recommended by the Rural Housing Sub-Committee of my Central Housing Advisory Committee.

asked the Minister of Health the number of rural district councils in Kent whose record in regard to the construction or reconstruction of rural houses is regarded as very good.

To attempt a classification of individual authorities in the precise manner suggested would be difficult and, I think, liable to misunderstanding. I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend particulars of the houses built and reconstructed in the county according to my records.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that in plans of postwar housing no provision appears for the construction of adequate shelter against future bombing; and, as such provision must be considered well before the immediate need, what steps he intends to take.

As my hon. Friend will appreciate, provision of the kind involves wide questions of policy. No decision can yet be taken, but I can assure him that the matter is being kept under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Seceretary to the Ministry of Works, in view of the criticisms of the Churchill house, whether he will consider requesting county and other suitable authorities to submit plans and build prototypes of such houses that would be free from such criticisms.

No, Sir. My Noble Friend cannot contemplate any such action which would involve very serious delay, for which the Government would be properly criticised. A new full scale model has been erected to show the modifications and improvements introduced as a result of the detailed study of the prototype and of the many helpful criticisms and suggestions received.

asked the Parliamentary to the Ministry of Works if he will arrange for a Tarran house, similar to that recently erected in Hull, to be erected in London, or for photographs and drawing to be seen by Members.

The Tarran house is one of a number of prefabricated projects for permanent housing which are in the experimental stage and for which facilities have been given by my Department by the issue of licences for materials and erection. All such propects are considered by the Committee on House Construction appointed jointly by the Minister of Health, the Secretary of State for Scotland and Minister of Works; and as I informed the hon. Member for Middlesbrough East (Mr. A. Edwards) yesterday, the committee's views have been communicated to Messrs. Tarran Industries Ltd. My Noble Friend will continue to give assistance.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the great concern on the part of employers in the building trade generally in regard to the proposals set out in the Ministry of Health's Circular 14/44 to group local authorities in the work of the advance preparation of housing sites; and what arrangements are being made to ensure that the smaller builders will be able to play their full part in the housing reconstruction programme.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply, of which I am sending him a copy, which I gave to-day to a question on the subject by my hon. Friends the Members for Great Yarmouth (Mr. Jewson), Peterborough (Viscount Suirdale) and Chislehurst (Sir W. Smithers).

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the need for stimulating the housing conscience of the public by the use of modern methods of publicity, he will consider the preparation of official films which might be used for the purpose.

Yes, Sir. I regard it as important that modern methods of publicity should be used in connection with the long-term housing programme, and I will certainly consult my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Information, as to the preparation of suitable films at the appropriate time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will be able to state the basis upon which the owners of large commercial properties or industrial premises which have been bomb-damaged can ascertain the amount of Government compensation or contribution that they will be receiving on account of war damage to their former buildings, in order that they may go ahead and make the necessary arrangements for their post-war building.

In nearly all cases of extensive war damage the War Damage Commission has already advised owners of the basis of compensation applicable to their case, namely, whether a cost of works payment or a value payment is likely to be appropriate. Where a cost of works payment is appropriate, the amount of this payment cannot, in cases of severe damage which it is not yet possible to repair, be assessed, since it is based upon the reasonable cost of making good the war damage at the time when the damage is made good. Where, however, the appropriate payment is a value payment, the amount of the payment is ascertainable, and I am informed that the Commission hope to begin the issue of their preliminary decisions to the various owners concerned in a few months' time and that the great majority of such decisions will be issued before the end of 1944.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to avoid penalising persons whose homes have been destroyed by enemy action and who find it necessary to make some arangements involving withdrawal of part of the compensation due to them from the War Damage Commission, he will now agree to pay the accrued interest on the moneys so drawn.

The provisions of Section 22 (2) of the War Damage Act, 1943, do not empower the War Damage Commission to pay as an advance any sum in respect of interest accrued on a value payment. It is, however, the practice of the Commission, in deciding what amount can be paid, without prejudice to the rights of any other person concerned, by way of an advance on account of a value payment, to take account of any accrued interest as a set off against deductions due to be made from the payment in respect of war damage contributions not yet paid.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can give the relative rates of Income Tax and Surtax assessable in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, during the present financial year.

I am having inquiry made and hope to be in a position to give this information if my hon. Friend will put his Question down again in a week or two's time.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of persons killed and seriously injured in the mining industry during the first five months of this year and for the same period for 1942–43.

During the 21 weeks ended 27th May, 1944, the latest date for which information is available, the numbers of persons killed were 256, compared with 317 in the corresponding period of 1943 and 334 in the corresponding period of 1942. The number of persons seriously injured in 1944 was 1,050, compared with 1,094 in the corresponding period of 1943 and 1,131 in the corresponding period of 1942.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the duties of the newly-appointed district commissioners; in what way they are better placed for influencing increased production of coal than they were before when filling important official positions such as colliery managers or agents; and whether these positions have been relinquished and full time given to their new duties.

The appointment of Group Production Directors is in pursuance of the policy set out in the White Paper on Coal of "arranging, by the grouping of pits or otherwise, that all collieries have available to them the advice of the most competent mining engineers in their District." The services of some of the most prominent men in the industry have been secured as Group Production Directors, and, while their advice will still be available to the undertakings for which they were previously responsible, it is hoped that the result will be to raise the average level of productive efficiency in the industry. The new appointments are on a full time basis.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that Cannock Chase Colliery Company are dispensing with the services of skilled mineworkers on attaining the age of 65; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent this wastage of skilled labour in an industry which is short thereof.

I am having inquiries made and will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the shortage of coke, he will consider rationing same until such time that it becomes more plentiful.

As I stated on 23rd May, in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent (Mr. Ellis Smith) I am not prepared to introduce rationing for solid fuel. I would, however, remind my hon. Friend that delivery restrictions have been applied to coke since 1st March, and that in respect of a group of fuels, including coke, the present restrictions provide that during the months of May and June not more than one ton may be supplied subject to a stock limit of two tons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the continued increase in hoarding of notes and the loss sustained to the National Exchequer through the increasing volume of transactions which are taking place for cash rather than by cheque, he will consider the issuing of new Treasury notes and Bank of England notes, and cause all notes at present in circulation to be cancelled on a date to be determined by the Treasury.

No, Sir. I do not think such action either necessary or desirable.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury under what classification the product known as Nylon is treated for the purpose of Customs duty.

The product known as Nylon is classified for the purpose of Customs duty as artificial silk.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that many overseas post-war markets will not be able to absorb British exports for cash payments and will require credit facilities, what steps he is taking or proposing to prevent credit facilities being abused in the future as they have been in the past.

I agree with my hon. Friend that this is an important matter, and I can assure him that it will be kept under careful review.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will reconsider his decision to send on active service overseas No. 3777984, Private Charles Henry Birch, East Lancashire Regiment, whose only brother is reported as missing after action with the C.M.F., whose father was seriously injured in an air raid and whose mother and four sisters were killed in the same raid on Liverpool in September, 1940.

I fully sympathise with the wishes of my hon. Friend and I can assure him that the tragic circumstances of this case were fully taken into account in arriving at this decision. It has always been considered throughout this war that although a soldier is an only son, or the only surviving son, this does not constitute grounds for retaining him in this country. I regret that it would be impossible to make an exception in this case.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can give any information in connection with the explosion which took place on Tuesday, 3oth May, in an Essex village; if any people were killed or injured; and what was the cause of the explosion.

A fire and explosion occurred at a small Army depot at 9.30 a.m. on 30th May. Nobody was killed, but three soldiers, three members of the National Fire Service and two civilians were injured. The explosion caused considerable material damage of a superficial nature, particularly to windows, roofs and ceilings of houses. A court of inquiry is being held into the cause of this accident.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will obtain and publish in HANSARD a brief summary report on the conduct and efficiency of the 200 Jewish soldiers who were transferred from the Polish to the British Army, especially of those who have now been posted to units of a combatant type.

The collection of the special repots requested by the hon. Member would involve considerable ex- penditure of time and labour at a time when energies are being concentrated on matters of more obvious moment. It would also create an invidious and undesirable precedent if I were to call for special reports on any troops of particular categories, whether of nationality or creed, in the absence of any reason to suppose that their conduct and efficiency are other than satisfactory.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if, for the convenience of hon. Member and other users of the bound volumes of HANSARD, he will instruct the compilers of the index to include, at least in the sessional general index, references to divisions.

I have arranged for references to divisions to be included both in the index to the volume and the general sessional index in future.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been drawn to an official requirement of his Department that doctors issuing certificates for patients requiring certain special foods must give the clinical and biochemical data on which the diagnosis is based, which certificates so completed are required to be submitted to the local food committee, so that a lay body is charged with revision of the medical certificate and is put into possession of details concerning the patient involving a breach of professional confidence; and whether he will take steps to terminate this requirement.

My hon. Friend has been misinformed. The arrangements for granting extra or special foods to invalids are such that either the foods are immediately made available against a medical certificate stating only the medical condition of the applicant, or, where the medical certificate has, at the request of the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the Medical Research Council, to contain the clinical and biochemical details on which the diagnosis is based, the certificate is at once transmitted, through the agency of the Ministry of Food and its local offices, to that Committee for consideration. At no stage is a detailed medical certificate submitted to a local Food Control Committee or any other lay body for consideration or revision. The procedure has recently been re-examined by my Department and approved by the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee.

asked the Attorney-General what steps are being taken against Harry Clapham, lately Vicar of St. Thomas's, Lambeth, to recover moneys misused by him in connection with the affairs of his parish and who was convicted at the Old Bailey in June, 1942; and whether he has paid 1,000 towards the costs of the prosecution under the Order of the Court.

An action is pending in the Chancery Division of the High Court by the Attorney-General against Mr. Clapham claiming an Order for an account and payment of all moneys alleged to have been received for charitable purposes. This action will probably be heard before the end of the present Sittings. Pending the result of this action no steps are being taken with a view to enforcing payment of the £1,000 which Mr. Clapham was directed by the Central Criminal Court to pay towards the costs of his prosecution in the Court.

asked the President of the Board of Education how many conscientious objectors have been dismissed in the country by education authorities, in addition to having served a period of imprisonment; and whether he can hold out any hope of their reinstatement after the war.

The responsibility for appointing and dismissing teachers rests either with the local education authority or with the managers or governors of the school. I regret that I have not the information for which my hon. Friend asks.

asked the President of the Board of Education if he is aware of the 30 per cent. reduction in the fees paid to certain grades of visiting teachers in the London education area which has been announced by the London County Council to come into force on 1st September; and if he will make representations to the London County Council with a view to having this reduction can-.celled owing to the bad effect it is likely to have on recruitment for the teaching profession.

I have no information as to a reduction in fees as referred to in the Question, but I am informed that the London County Council recently found that one of the technical institutions was paying a visiting teacher at a rate above the approved rate and that the institutions concerned were notified that in future the approved rate must be paid. As this involved a reduction of approximately 30 per cent., I assume it is the case on which my hon. Friend's Question is based. If so, there is no reason, in the circumstances, for any action on my part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the electrocution of three boys at Borstal, he can make any statement on the steps taken to avoid any similar occurrence in future.

I am sure that the House would wish to join with me in expressing the deepest sympathy with the relatives of the victims of this tragic accident. The coroner's inquest returned a verdict of death by misadventure, and in view of the possibility of legal claims, it would not be proper for me at this time to express any opinion as to the causes of or the responsibility for the accident. With regard to the future, I do not consider that the existing prison Standing Orders for the inspection and safety of machinery are inadequate, but it is, of course, essential that everything humanly possible should be done to prevent accidents of this kind, and I am considering with the Prison Commissioners what additional precautions can be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the two persons, being British subjects not of enemy origin, who were detained under Regulation 18B during the period 1st to 30th April, 1944, if these two persons have yet appeared before an Advisory Committee.

In one case the right to make objections to an Advisory Committee has not so far been exercised; the other case is to be heard by the Advisory Committee on Monday next.

asked the Minister of Health the number of cases reassessed under the supplementary pensions which commenced on 17th January, the date when completed and the number who have been granted arrears through proving exceptional hardship.

The review of cases under the new Regulations was completed by 23rd March last. The number of cases reviewed was just over one and a quarter million. As regards the last part of the Question, the Assistance Board inform me that they are not aware of any case in which a pensioner has proved that he suffered exceptional hardship by reason of the plan adopted for carrying out the work of review. Where, however, a change in the pensioner's circumstances was brought to notice the case was reassessed forthwith The number of cases so dealt with is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for India, if he will explain the purpose of deleting the full-stop and inserting a comma in Rule 45A of the India Fundamental Rules (S.R. & O., No. 538, of 1944.

The amendment made by the Order consisted of an addition to an existing sentence, from the rest of which it could not well be separated by a full stop.

asked the Secretary of State for India if the same information was collected in the 1941 census as in the 1931 census; whether the census was analysed and published; and whether work upon it is still continuing.

The form of the information collected in the 1941 Census of India differed in several respects from that obtained in earlier censuses, but the information collected was no less complete than on the previous occasions. The circumstances of the war, however, decided the Government of India to limit the All-India tabulation of the results to the extent indicated by the Tables published in Volume I, Part I, of the "Census of India, 1941," a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. It is understood that the Government of India do not intend to proceed with any further tabulation at present.

asked the Secretary of State for India what is the present mortality per 1,000 children up to 16 years of age as shown in the 1941 census; and what is the present rate of increase per annum of the population of India as shown by the 1941 census.

The information asked for in the first part of the hon. Member's Question is not given in the 1941 Census Report. As shown in the 1931 Census the rate is 451 per 1,000. The average annual increase in the total population of India between 1931 and 1941 was 5,087,880, equivalent to 1½ per cent, of the population in 1931.

asked the Secretary of State for India if he can make a statement on the development of food rationing in India and also on the prospect of wheat supplies, in the light of the present situation of the crops.

Over 130 towns and more than 25 million people are now rationed. These figures may ultimately be doubled. In the light of the damage to crops by unseasonable weather in April it is estimated that the final yield of wheat will be just under 10,000,000 tons.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if the recent reductions in pay of certain R.A.F. personnel have now been restored; and whether he has any statement to make.

There have not been any reductions in the pay of R.A.F. personnel, but as stated in the White Paper there have been some increases in the qualifying allotments in order to attain inter-Service uniformity. As I explained to the hon. and gallant Member for Henley (Sir G. Fox) on 24th May, the increased allotments will not come into effect until July, when the increased family allowances will actually be in payment, although the wives will benefit as if the increased allotments had been made from 4th May. The qualifying allotment for airmen on rates of pay ranging from 7s. to 8s. a day will be raised from 1s. a day to 1s. 6d. a day instead of to 1s. 9d. as previously announced. And those on rates of pay from 8s. to 9s. a day will remain at is. 6d. instead of being increased to 1s. 9d. as also previously announced. These adjustments denote no change of policy. These are necessary in order to rectify a mistake which was made in the original calculations.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has been asked for an apology by the Shaftesbury Town Council with reference to the diagnosis in the case of smallpox which occurred in the North Dorset area; whether he will state the difference in the symptoms which ruled out a diagnosis of smallpox in this case; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made about this case in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough East (Mr. A. Edwards) on 25th May.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will bear in mind the importance of a good library in all hospitals when plans for post-war improvements are being considered; and if he will take steps to secure that the almoner's department controls and supervises the library in hospitals;(2) if he will consider having paid trained librarians in hospitals after the war, since a carefully chosen librarian will play a considerable part in the rehabilitation work of the future; and if he will ensure that paid librarians are part of the hospital staff under the almoner's department;(3) if, when considering future arrangements for hospital libraries, he will consult those responsible for the running of the county libraries with a view to cooperation between them; and if he will consider having the paid hospital librarian trained in cataloguing, mending and general arrangement of libraries by the county librarian.

I fully appreciate the value of library facilities in hospitals, and I will bear in mind the suggestions made by my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Health the towns in Great Britain with the highest infant mortality returns.

Among the Great Towns of England and Wales, Liverpool, Sunderland, Gateshead, Tynemouth, Warrington and Bootle are those provisionally identified as returning the highest mortality rates in 1943. As regards Scotland, my hon. and gallant Friend should address a question to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the preparation of his forthcoming Bill determining the future conditions of medical practice, he has consulted, or proposes to consult, the body calling itself the Socialist Medical Association.

I have not had any discussions with this association since the issue of the White Paper, but I shall, of course, be glad to do so if they wish. As I have repeatedly tried to make clear, I am anxious to hear the views of all concerned before the stage of legislation is reached.

asked the Minister of Health what was the capital expenditure by local authorities in each of the years 1931 to 1938 on activities productive of employment at home.

The total capital expenditure of local authorities in England and Wales was as follows:

Year ended 31st March.			Expenditure.
			£
1931	…	…	103,157,371
1932	…	…	109,716,188
1933	…	…	76,858,220
1934	…	…	70,734,696
1935	…	…	71,688,791
1936	…	…	87,795,050
1937	…	…	105,720,684
1938	…	…	130,027,421
1939	…	…	141,680,466

The returns furnished by local authorities do not show separately the amounts expended on the purchase of land and properties or on the purchase of materials from abroad. Capital sums repaid to lenders or transferred to sinking funds are not included.