asked the Secretary of State for War whether arrangements can be made by which the next-of-kin visiting wounded relatives in banned areas can be assured of permission to enter, provided they carry with them the telegram informing them that the soldier concerned is on the danger list.

Persons visiting near relatives who are seriously ill are permitted to enter Protected Areas under the existing Orders. A near relative visiting a wounded soldier who is dangerously ill in a hospital in a Protected Area should have no difficulty in entering, if as my hon. Friend suggests, the telegram notifying the fact is carried as evidence of the reason for his or her journey. I have no reason to suppose that the Police, who are responsible for enforcing the Protected Area Orders, have refused entry in such a case.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the difficulty our troops find in opening their ration tins, often involving the spilling of a considerable part of the contents; and whether steps will be taken to put the rations in containers similar to those supplied to the American troops, which can be opened with ease.

I am not aware of complaints on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend. I understand, moreover, that a considerable proportion of the tins supplied to American troops are of the same type as is supplied to our troops. The type used in any given case is determined partly by the contents of the tin and partly by the availability of machinery for making tins of a particular type.

asked the Secretary of State for War how soon his Department can utilise the specialised services of the civilian engineering industry in this country for essential repair and constructional work with the invasion Army on the Continent of Europe, so that a number of Army units at present engaged on this work, may be made available for military services.

The question must depend on the progress and course of operations. In the meantime discussions are taking place with representatives of the industry to see on what conditions the services of civilian firms could be utilised should it become desirable at any time to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on increases in dependants' allowances.

I am afraid not.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any decision has yet been arrived at with regard to the payment of a domestic allowance on similar terms to Army officers to women officers of the A.T.S.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has now received the Report on the forcible vaccination of Private Butler, of the R.A.M.C., by Major Carson, the medical officer, who Gave an order to four men to hold Butler down while he performed the operation; and what redress Private Butler has been given for this forcible vaccination and for the violation by Major Carson of the King's Regulations.

I have not yet received the report to which I referred in the reply I gave last Tuesday to my hon. Friend the Member for West Willesden (Mr. Viant).

asked the Secretary of State for War whether military bands accompany troops overseas; and if not, for what duties their personnel are available in this country.

The answer to the first part of this Question is "Yes, Sir, as and when circumstances permit." For an answer to the last part I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave him on 14th March.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a number of men returned from the Middle East during the first week of June and, after being informed by the examining medical officer that they were unfit for further service overseas, have now been warned for service out of the United Kingdom; and how many of those in question are over 40 years of age.

In the time available I have been unable to trace the men to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, but if he will forward me particulars of this incident they will be investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for War if there is any objection to a British officer who escaped from a German prisoner of war camp and is now in Switzerland accepting civilian employment in that country.

As he is still a serving officer on full pay, the question would have to be considered in the light of the circumstances of the particular case. The Military Attaché is endeavouring to secure that as many escaped British prisoners as possible shall be usefully occupied.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, consistent with Service requirements, he will arrange for the early return to this country of military personnel who have served continuously overseas for a period exceeding four years.

I am anxious to reduce the present qualifying period of five years, but I much regret that owing to difficulties of manpower and shipping there is no immediate prospect of such a reduction.

asked the Secretary of State for War the period of overseas service which is now regarded as qualifying soldiers for transfer to a home station; and whether the period is the same in the R.N. and the R.A.F.

The answer to the first part of the Question is five years. I understand that in the other Services the period is in general lower.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether all conscientious objectors who are members of any section of the non-combatant corps can be compelled to perform smoke manufacturing duties; whether such duties are under the direction of the A.A. Command; and whether they are in conformity with the Ministry of Labour's Tribunals category as passive air defence.

The answer to the first two parts of my hon. Friend's Question is "Yes, Sir" The answer to the last part is that the employment of men in the Non-Combatant Corps on smoke production duties is not considered to constitute a breach of the Statutory obligations laid on the Army Council by Section 5 (10) of the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that German women in France have fired on and wounded our troops; that such women wore civilian clothes and were not apparently part of the German armed forces; how such women as are prisoners are proposed to be treated; and whether they are to be brought to trial.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply of to-day to the hon. and gallant Member for Portsmouth South (Sir J. Lucas).

asked the Secretary of State for War the number, nationality and sex of civilians, shooting at Allied soldiers or otherwise taking hostile action against them during the recent operations.

I have had no information about this.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is yet in a position to announce the composition and terms of reference of the Committee to be appointed to examine the Patent Laws; and whether he will give an assurance that the evidence as well as the Report of this Committee will be made available to the public.

I announced the composition and terms of reference of this Committee on 25th April last in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for East Middlesbrough (Mr. A. Edwards). Mr. John Yenning has since been added to the Committee. The Report will, of course, be published, and I understand that it is the intention of the Committee that, as a general rule, the evidence shall also be published.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has any further statement to make on the subject of a modified system for the Parliamentary Review of Ministerial Orders which was forecast in the White Paper on a National Water Policy.

As forecast in the White Paper on a National Water Policy (Cmd. 6515) the Government will, in the course of their reconstruction programme, ask Parliament for power to make Orders for certain purposes which in normal circumstances would be dealt with by private or Provisional Order Bill; and Orders of this kind will require special procedure for securing effective Parliamentary control in matters affecting the rights of individuals. Instances of the kind of Order for which such a review would be appropriate were given in that paper, namely Orders dealing with the compulsory amalgamation and combination of undertakings, alteration of limits of supply, scheduling of areas for water conservation, and the compulsory purchase of water rights; but many other instances will be thrown up by ocher reconstruction legislation, including various types of Orders (mainly relating to statutory undertakers) for which provision is intended to be made in the forthcoming Bill dealing with Town and Country Planning.For these Orders the procedure by way of Provisional Order Confirmation Bill, with its numerous stages, is unduly cumbrous in view of the urgency of the reconstruction period. On the other hand, if the Orders were merely laid before Parliament subject to annulment by a resolution moved by a Member, there would be no room for the entertainment of objections from private interests affected, objections which would often be based on evidence of a technical character. Accordingly the Government have under consideration a proposal, upon which they will wish in due course to take the sense of Parliament, for a fresh system of Parliamentary review of Orders combining certain features of each of the present systems.The Orders in question have something in common with hybrid Bills in that they will give effect to decisions of national policy and at the same time affect private rights"; and the main object of the new system would be to secure that the question of national policy if challenged, should be determined on the floor of the House, and that subject thereto the interests of private persons affected should be considered by a procedure corresponding to the procedure on a private Bill.Orders made subject to such new procedure would, after any local inquiry or other preliminary proceeding required by the relevant statute, be laid before both Houses of Parliament for a stated period, during which objection could be taken thereto either by negative resolution moved by a Member of the House or by petition. It would not, however, be open to petitioners, as it is on a Provisional Order Confirmation Bill, to petition against

the main purpose of the Order. If any petitions were duly presented, the Order would stand referred to a Select Committee, which would normally be a joint committee of both Houses; the petitioners would be entitled to appear and be heard upon the particular matters raised by their petitions, and the committee would have power to amend the Order. The Order would thus normally be disposed of either within the original period for which it is laid or, if opposed in detail by private interests, after one Parliamentary stage. In two exceptional cases further proceedings would be required, namely:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether refund will be allowed on all land and buildings that have since 1939 been subjected to payment of Death Duties, assessed on the current market value, when compulsorily acquired for post-war planning on a basis of 1939 prices, where such prices are less than the market value upon which death duties have been levied.

I must ask my hon. and gallant Friend to await the issue of the forthcoming Town and Country Planning Bill and White Paper. As regards the basis of valuation for Estate Duty purposes, I would refer him to the provisions of Section 7 (5) of the Finance Act, 1894, from which he will see that the basis of valuation of property passing on a death is the market value at the time of death. The suggestion which my hon. Friend makes would therefore require an amendment of the law.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether any plans are under consideration for expanding the research programme of the Medical Research Council as regards medicine and all related fields as soon as circumstances and available personnel allow; and whether he is satisfied that it has, or will have, sufficient funds available for the purpose.

Yes, Sir. Various plans are under consideration and the Medical Research Council have already been able to initiate certain new schemes with a view to development as soon as circumstances permit. Among other things, they have recently established a Research Unit in Applied Psychology at Cambridge; and Research Units in Industrial Medicine, Human Nutrition and Otology in London. The new buildings for the National Institute for Medical Research, completion of which has been interrupted by the war, will also make it possible to expand the Council's central establishment. The Government have already stated their intention of giving full support to research work.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, in view of the fact that the miners are being requested to forego their holidays, he will make a similar request to colliery managements and their officials.

I am advised that my Regional Controller has discussed with the Durham Miners' Association the advisability of miners' holidays being postponed until later in the year, but no official request for their cancellation has been made. The question of asking colliery managements and officials to forego their holidays does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, on the next occasion his representatives visit the coalfields, invitations will be extended to local officials of the miners' unions in order that he may get a true picture of conditions at the various collieries.

My representatives on their visits to the coalfields meet representatives both of the district Coalowners' Association and of the Mineworkers' Federation. In addition they frequently meet Pit Production Committees on which both management and workmen are represented, but it has not been the custom to invite either local officials of the Miners' Union or representatives of colliery managers and colliery owners to such meetings unless they are members of the Pit Production Committees.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has received the Report from the Pneumoconiosis Advisory Committee set up last year by his Department; and whether he proposes to make the Report available to the public.

The answer to both parts of the Question is "Yes, Sir."

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he can now make any statement as to the output of coal since the recent wage settlement on a four years' basis.

As I stated in a reply to a Question by my hon. Friend on 9th May last, it is my view that the publication of figures of coal production covering short periods of time tends to be misleading. Moreover, the relatively short period since the signing of the National Wages Agreement on 20th April includes three weeks which were affected by recognised district holidays, and I suggest that my hon. Friend should await the publication of the quarterly figures next month. I am glad to be able to inform him, however, that making due allowance for the effects of holidays, coal output showed some improvement over the period, though this was largely due to the much smaller loss through disputes. Production is still, however, significantly below that for the corresponding period of 1943.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether it is now possible to state the total sum paid, or payable, as compensation for subsidiary coal hereditaments under the Coal Act, 1938.

The total of the valuations placed on subsidiary coal hereditaments by Regional Valuation Boards is approximately£197,000, but in only three of the Regions have the figures so far become conclusive.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the total of the borrowings of the Coal Commission to 31st March, 1944, or other convenient date; what borrowings have been repaid; and whether further borrowing powers will be necessary.

A total of£71,500,000 3 per cent. Coal Commission Guaranteed Stock, 1980–2016, was issued by the Commission during 1943 at 97½ per cent., out of which their temporary borrowings of£3,253,000 were repaid. The issue of£35,000,000 3 per cent. Coal Commission Stock in August, 1943, and of£36,500,000 of similar Stock in December, 1943, were both announced in Parliament. The Commission are already authorised by Sections 26 and 27 of the Coal Act, 1938, to borrow up to£76,450,000 and it is not anticipated that further borrowing powers will be necessary.

asked the Minister of Labour how many miners sufficiently disabled to prevent their continuing in work in or above the mines are being trained under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act.

The provisions of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act are not yet in operation, and accordingly training is at present being continued under the Interim Scheme for the Training and Resettlement of Disabled Persons. The number of miners sufficiently disabled to prevent their continuing to work in or above the mines who are in training at Government Training Centres and other training establishments under the Interim Scheme is 230. Of these, 177 are taking the ordinary engineering training courses and 53 (including 24 in residential training establishments) are taking special training courses for the disabled. In addition, four ex-miners are undergoing a course at the Egham Industrial Rehabilitation Centre.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works how many plants for processing foamed slag are at present operating; how many are to be erected under the agreement with the iron and steel control; when will these plants be in production; and where will they be located.

Slag is now foamed at two works. Under the arrangements which are being worked out with the industry, with the assistance of the Iron and Steel Control, the intention is to install foaming plant at blast furnaces where there will be available slag suitable for the purpose. It is intended to have these plants in operation by the time it is possible to start the house-building programme. It is obviously not yet possible to particularise on the location of all works, but foamed slag will be available over a very considerable area of the country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, for the purposes of establishing the measure of public investment which it is essential to know in connection with the Government White Paper on Employment, he will ascertain what was the amount of private investment in industrial activity for which shares were issued to the public in each year 1931–1938.

It would be impracticable, without altogether excessive expenditure of time and labour, to attempt to establish how far share issues during each of the years in question provided for fresh private investment in industrial activity as distinct from other objects, such as refinancing. Moreover, even if such figures could be obtained, they would be of little use for my hon. Friend's purpose, because similar private investment was, no doubt, financed by various means, both public and private, other than the issue of shares.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning the names of any committees, advisory councils or other like bodies under the aegis of his Department on which any Members of either House of Parliament sit, together with the names of those Members.

No body that I have appointed includes members of either House of Parliament. I assume that the hon. Member is not referring to joint planning committees appointed under the Town and Country Planning Acts, 1932 and 1943.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, for the purposes of establishing the measure of public investment which it is essential to know in connection with the Government White Paper on Employment, he will ascertain what capital expenditure was defrayed by public utility concerns in each year 1931 to 1938 on activities productive of employment at home.

The figures asked for by my hon. Friend are not immediately available; but estimates will be prepared and I will circulate them in due course.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his attention has been called to the high prices charged for bedding-out plants; if, in particular, his attention has been called to a Kent firm advertising aster plants at Is. 3d. each; and if he will take steps to keep these prices within reasonable limits.

I am having inquiries made into this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the general public does not know of the activities of the price regulation committees, price control matters and official price lists; and will he consider the advisability of using the daily and weekly Press to keep them informed and to point out the duty of the public to report attempts by some traders to sell goods at prices higher than those fixed.

Price Control and the work of the price regulation committees have received wide publicity, and I hope that the Press and the B.B.C. will continue to give this subject due prominence.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is proposing to take to deal with the black market in cosmetics.

I made an Order on 23rd August last tightening up control over the manufacture and supply of toilet preparations. During the last six months, 38 convictions have been obtained for infringements of the Control, fines and costs amounted, in total, to about £7,000, and terms of imprisonment to about four years.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish a list of all whole-time or part-time appointments which are made on his nomination from outside the Civil Service, or on which he must be consulted.

If, as I understand, the hon. Member is referring to appointments made on my nomination to statutory bodies such as the Railway Assessment Authority, I am afraid the labour involved in preparing a complete list of such appointments would not be justified at the present time, but if the hon. Member will tell me of any particular cases he has in mind I shall endeavour to furnish the information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered a Report from Professor O. B. Bode, who is in medical charge of Hospital Camp M, Isle of Man, for detainees under Regulation 18B; and whether he will consider the suggestions therein, based upon observations as camp doctor for the last three and a half years, for improvement of certain conditions in this camp.

I presume my hon. Friend refers to a letter written on 9th May to the Commandant of a detention camp in the Isle of Man by Dr. o. B. Bode. Dr. Bode is detained under Defence Regulation 18B on the ground of his hostile origin. He is not in medical charge of the camp, but has been giving assistance to the Medical Officer. The suggestions put forward by Dr. Bode would involve the granting of parole on an extensive scale, of facilities for persons detained in this camp to associate with those in other camps, and the admission of wives as voluntary boarders. Suggestions to this effect have been considered by me repeatedly, but for security reasons I regret that I cannot authorise such arrangements. Subject, however, to security requirements, every effort has been and is being made to ease the monotony and irksomeness of detention by providing work and improving the welfare conditions generally. These objects are the constant care of a Welfare Officer appointed by the Home Office and resident in the Island.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the soldiers sentenced to death and executed by the American military authorities in this country, in each category, were coloured and white, respectively,

I am assured and am satisfied that in this matter there is no discrimination on grounds of race or colour. In my view no public interest would be served by publishing the information asked for by my hon. Friend, especially as the whole matter is entirely within the competence of the United States authorities; and accordingly I am not prepared to approach the United States authorities on this question.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that there is a shortage of teats for babies' feeding bottles; and whether he will release rubber to remedy this deficiency.

Yes, Sir. At the request of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, some additional rubber has already been released for this purpose and a further increase is in contemplation.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether it is with the approval of his Department that R.A.F. police are utilised at Paddington Station to occupy seats on behalf of civilian ladies to the exclusion of other passengers who have arrived earlier at the train.

No, Sir. I much regret the incident to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, which was wholly irregular. Instructions have been issued to prevent any recurrence.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, what was the last date when prices were agreed with the trade associations; what were the prices fixed for one and two-year old trees; who were the persons appointed to represent the Forestry Commissioners; and who were the persons representing the trade associations.

The last date when prices of Forestry Commission surplus nursery stocks were agreed with the Trade Associations was 18th November, 1943. It was recorded at the time that such prices were not for publication. As a trading Department the Forestry Commission cannot therefore disclose such prices, but I shall be happy to hand a schedule of the prices to the hon. Member for his own information. At the meeting referred to the Commission was represented by the Chairman, one other Commissioner and the two Assistant Commissioners. The Trade Associations concerned were the Horticultural Trades Association, represented by their President and other members, and the Scottish Seed and Nursery Trade Association, also represented by members.