asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the case of certain evacuees living in a place, particulars of which have been sent to him; will he have inquiries made as to whether they are pulling their weight in the national effort; and, if not, will he cause them to be sent home as soon as possible so that the accommodation they now occupy can be used for more necessitous cases.

I am informed that those of the evacuees at this place who are suitable for employment have been placed in work and that my officers have no evidence of any failure to perform the work to which they have been allocated. The second part of the Question is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, who, I understand, has written to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that a stoppage of work is threatened at a firm, of which he has been informed, owing to the refusal of the firm to honour a gentleman's agreement to recognise negotiating machinery for foremen with the Association of Supervisory Staffs and Engineering Technicians; and whether he will take action in the matter.

I am aware that the Association referred to in the Question are in dispute with this firm on a question regarding recognition. An officer of my Department is in touch with the parties.

asked the Minister of Labour how many unmarried men under 30 years of age are still engaged in industry; and whether he has considered the possibility of enrolling some of them in the Services and releasing some of the tired veterans now overesas.

I regret that it would not be in the public interest to disclose the information desired in the first part of the Question. With regard to the last part, young men are retained in industry only because their work as civilians is indispensable for the time being, but these cases are constantly under review.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will reconsider his decision in the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of an honours graduate in engineering of London University who was allocated in January, 1944, to an O.C.T.U. to train for a commission in the R.E.'s but who has now been required to join the Army as a private in a field company where his special training will be wasted.

I have been asked to reply. The man referred to by my hon. Friend was a candidate recommended for a commission in a technical arm by a Joint Recruiting Board. He went to an O.C.T.U. for training as an officer in the Royal Engineers. In the course of his training it was found that he lacked certain qualities essential for an officer in a Field unit. It was therefore recommended that he should be employed in a unit of the Royal Engineers in the ranks. But in all cases where a Joint Recruiting Board candidate, who has been recommended for a commission in a technical arm, fails to obtain a commission the Ministry of Labour and National Service are asked whether they recommend that he should be employed in industry. This procedure is being adopted in the case of this man.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether persons now resident in evacuation areas who own houses in the protected areas will be permitted to go to reside in them during the present emergency.

Yes, Sir, provided they come within one of the priority classes for evacuation purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give instructions that, where a person has purchased premises for the occupation of himself or his family, but has been prevented from taking possession by reason of the area where such premises are situated becoming a Protected Area after the contract has been made or the conveyance executed but before the date for possession, such person should be permitted to occupy the premises notwithstanding the ban.

Unless the person can take advantage of the concessions which I announced on 11th July in answer to a number of hon. Members he will, I regret, have to defer occupation until the Protected Area in question is freed from restriction on entry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the public indignation aroused by cases of looting of bombed buildings; and whether he is prepared to advise the courts to be ruthless in dealing with proven cases of such crimes against the victims of enemy air attacks.

I fully share the feelings of indignation aroused by the despicable conduct of those who by looting inflict additional loss and injury on people whose homes or shops have been damaged by enemy action. I sent a circular to magistrates in October, 1940, reminding them of the importance of making it clear that a serious view must be taken of such offences, and I do not think any further advice from me is called for, though I am glad that my hon. Friend's Question has given me an opportunity of emphasising once more the mean and injurious character of these offences, and the need for imposing appropriate penalties.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will consider the erection of hutment camps for evacuee communities with service rationing and organised upon a basis of self-help under trained A.T.S. in districts where they could assist local war work;(2) if he will consult with the Departments concerned with a view to taking over unused military camps or hutments for the purpose of billeting evacuees, under proper conditions of rationing and supervision.

My Department is already consulting other Departments concerned with a view to taking over accommodation of all kinds that may be suitable for billeting evacuees, and a considerable amount of such accommodation has already been secured and will be brought into use for the accommodation of evacuees not readily billetable in private houses. I hope that the accommodation so obtained will meet the needs of the present situation, and I am not at present contemplating the erection of hutment camps, particularly having regard to other urgent demands on the available supplies of labour and materials.

asked the Minister of Health if he will avoid sending evacuees to towns already overcrowded by war workers, in view of the distress and disappointment caused to all concerned, and use instead those areas where more favourable housing conditions exist.

The allocation of evacuees among the reception areas is settled by Regional Officers of the Department with a close knowledge of local conditions and takes into account all the circumstances of the areas in question, including the general housing conditions and the numbers of war-workers already accommodated.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction which is being aroused as a result of the action on the part of his Department in discharging men suffering disablement under paragraph 390 (XVIII) (a) King's Regulations, in that such men are deprived of 14 days' pay, immediate payment of post-war credits and treatment under the Ministry of Pensions Continuity of Treatment Scheme; and whether he will issue instructions to ensure that no man who is suffering from a disability is discharged under this paragraph.

If a man is medically unfit for service in the Army he is not discharged under the paragraph quoted by my hon. Friend. The man is so discharged only if the medical authorities consider that he is fit for further service, although he may have some disability, but if the Army has no suitable employment for him in his rank. The points mentioned by my hon. Friend raise issues of considerable difficulty, but they are now being looked into.

asked the Secretary of State for War if officers of the German armed forces travel first- or third-class on British railways; what kind of accommodation, food and clothing are they allowed; what other allowances, in any way, are they allowed; are Nazi officers allowed to mix with other German officers; and are the Nazi officers treated in the same way as ordinary military officers.

Officers of the German Army travel third-class on British railways. Accommodation and ration scales are similar to those for British troops at home. German officers are messed free of charge by reciprocal arrangement with the German Government. A regulated scale of clothing is issued to the prisoners and they pay for it. They receive pay but no other allowances. The answer to the last two parts of my hon. Friend's Question is Yes, Sir. This is in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention. But close control is exercised over any extreme Nazis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the sources from which the Government expect to meet the great increase in annual expenditure required by the programme of their commitments for social reform.

My hon. Friend's Question involves such issues as the future of the national income, the desirable level of taxation after the war and the yield of that taxation on the one side and the cost of State services, including our contribution to international security and existing and prospective commitments on the other. It is quite impossible to go into these matters in a reply to a question, but my hon. Friend can rest assured that they are constantly under the Government's consideration.

asked the Prime Minister if he will mark the occasion of the formal agreement between Great Britain, the U.S.A. and the French Committee of Liberation by broadcasting a message of liberation to the people of France who have borne with fortitude the sufferings of enemy occupation and whose homes are subject to the stress and strain of the decisive battles in the final stages of the war.

Sir, the Foreign Secretary sent an inspiring message to France on the occasion of the 14th of July. I saw the last parade of the French Army and Empire on 14th July, 1939, and I earnestly hope that I shall have the chance to see another. I am always thinking about a good opportunity of making a broadcast to them, but I should like to choose this occasion for myself.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is proposing in the near future to introduce legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the recent Report of the Departmental Committee on Justices' Clerks.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to add to the reply that I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Petersfield (Sir G. Jeffreys) on 25th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the announcement that he made with reference to the travel ban to Ireland will be applied to trade unions and representative people of other organisations.

Yes, Sir. Applications for exit permits for journeys on business of national importance can now again be considered if recommended by an appropriate organisation, and the former practice, under which recommendations in respect of representatives of trades unions are made by the Trades Union Congress, will be resumed.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works what position in the priority list will be occupied by places of worship which, as a result of damage or destruction by enemy action, will be restored or rebuilt after the war; and what position will be occupied on that list by an entirely new building, such as a church hall or institute, where a similar type of building did not previously exist, or where a small or temporary structure which did exist has been neither damaged nor destroyed.

The question of the Churches' building requirements has been discussed with the Churches Main Committee, which represents for this purpose the major Christian bodies in the country. While no definite priorities can yet be fixed in relation to other urgent needs, it has been agreed with the Committee that special consideration should be given to the repair of war damage, the rebuilding of destroyed churches in areas where there has been a great loss of churches and the building of churches in proposed new housing areas or in existing housing areas where sites have been secured to meet urgent needs.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will introduce arrangements to place officers under a statutory obligation as at present applied to ratings to maintain their families.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Bellenger) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, on 18th July.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has now been made in the building programme of 3,000 rural houses initiated by his predecessor.

Up to 30th June about 84 per cent. of the building work has been done. Of the 2,838 houses which are in fact being provided under the programme, 1,757 were finished and another 831 were roofed-in or at a later stage.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give an estimate of the total weekly sum payable by the individual under the proposals of the White Paper on National Health, including the direct contribution and the contribution from rates and taxes; and an estimate of the proportion of the total sum earmarked for health services only.

I am not at present in a position to add to the estimates given in Appendix E of the White Paper.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can give an estimate of the proportion of insured persons under the present National Health Insurance Acts who, although paying the full insurance contribution required to qualify for receipt of medical services under the Acts, decline to avail themselves of those services.

I regret that I am unable to give any such estimate.

asked the Minister of Health the approximate date when a mass radio X-ray apparatus will be installed for the benefit of residents in the East Riding and North Lincolnshire.

I regret that the area mentioned by my hon. Friend is not one which it has been possible to include in the distribution of the limited number of mass radiography units that can be manufactured at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the British Council Report for 1943–1944 may be expected; what limit is imposed on the term of service of officers of the Council arid executive committee; and what changes are contemplated.

The report of the British Council for the year ended 3rst March, 1944, is being printed and will be distributed shortly. The British Council's Royal Charter fixed no term of office for the President. Under bye-law 20 the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen hold office for such periods as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary may approve. No fixed period has been specified with regard to the present holders of these offices. The periods of office of the Treasurer and Secretary-General are fixed by the Executive Committee. The members of the executive committee are elected for an unspecified period, but four retire annually and are eligible for re-election. The provisions regarding retirement do not apply to the Chairman or to those members of the executive committee who are nominated by members of His Majesty's Government. The machinery of the British Council is kept constantly under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the growing number of Nazi atrocities in France and occupied Europe, he will con- sider making a solemn declaration on the wireless to the effect that those responsible in the Nazi party and the German High Command will be tried and punished by the United Nations.

His Majesty's Government, in concert with other United Nations Governments, have affirmed in repeated declarations, and notably in the Declaration on German Atrocities issued at the Moscow Conference last year, their resolve that those responsible for these horrible crimes shall be brought to justice. Every possible opportunity has been taken in our propaganda to ensure that these declarations reach German ears.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is now in a position to announce a long-term policy, particularly for arable cultivation, in order to enable farmers to make their plans for post-war food production.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Sudbury (Colonel Burton) on 20th April last.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he can give the total amount of capital expenditure made by the railways since 1939; what is to happen to it in the post-war period: what was the percentage allowed for administration purposes in any extension in pre-war times; what is allowed now; and what is allowed for the extension of sidings and for lines laid in or near Government establishments.

The net capital expenditure by the four main line railway companies during the three years 1940 to 1943 was £7,158,000; the assets represented by it are the property of those companies. In addition, since the beginning of the war, railway works of a capital nature estimated to cost £17,500,000 have been financed by my Department; and, pending ultimate disposal, these works remain Government property. As regards the second half of the Question, each railway company follows its pre-control accounting practice in regard to all overheads, including administration on costs, so far as its own capital works are concerned. The overheads charged in connection with railway works financed by the Ministry of War Transport represent out of pocket expenses only. The amount charged as overheads for works provided by a railway company for the exclusive use of a Government establishment are negotiated between the Departments concerned and the railway company.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will consult, for the purposes of any amendment to his Bill, individual representative local authorities instead of the associations of such bodies, which sometimes do not consult their constituent bodies at all.

No, Sir; but I shall continue to consult individual local authorities as well, whenever I think that it would be advantageous to do so.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport the number of new licences granted to companies catering for road passengers since 1931 and the number of new licences granted to local authorities; the number of new powers during the same period to companies and the number to local authorities; and the number of local authorities operating services and the number of companies, with the average number of vehicles for each concern.

I regret that information is not available in the form in which my hon. Friend desires to have it. For omnibuses and motor coaches the figures for 1931 and 1937 (the earliest and latest available) show:

asked the Minister of Health to what extent Camps Corporation, Limited, is under the supervision of his Department; if he will give the names of the directors; what salaries are paid to them; what is the cost of upkeep of the central organisation; how many camps are there; what bodies are in occupation of them; and what was the profit made on the whole undertaking in the last financial year.

Under the Articles of Association the National Camps Corporation, which was set up under the Camps Act, 1939, is managed by a Council, the membership of which is subject to my approval. The present members are:

• Lord Portal, D.S.O., M.V.O. (Chairman).
• Patrick Abercrombie, Esq., F.R.I.B. A.
• Sir Samuel Gurney-Dixon, J.P.
• George Hicks, Esq., M.P.
• Sir Edward Howarth, K.B.E., C.B.
• Dame Florence Simpson, D.B.E.
• Percy Thomas, Esq., O.B.E., P.P.R.I.B.A.

The members are unpaid apart from Sir Edward Howarth, who receives a salary of £2,200 per annum as managing director. The cost of the central organisation of the Corporation was approximately £7,700 for the year ended 31st March, 1943, which represents just over 3½d. in the £ on the total sum dealt with in the period. Thirty-one camps have been erected; one of these is occupied by an evacuated orphanage, the others, with one exception, are occupied by local education authorities of vulnerable areas for occupation by school children, together with the necessary teachers and staff; under the Act the Corporation is a company not trading for profit. The Act requires that an annual report of the Corporation shall be submitted to me and that copies of the report shall be laid before Parliament. The last report (for the year ended 31st March, 1943) was presented to this House on 10th November, 1943.

asked the Prime Minister how many officers and other ranks have now been discharged from the Army, Navy and R.A.F.; what proportion have been found occupations; and how many are incapacitated and in need of rehabilitation treatment.

Sir, it may be assumed that the number of discharged ex-Servicemen fit and available for work, but who have not found work, is negligible. The other figures asked for would take more time and labour to collect than can now be spared.

asked the Minister of Food what reply he intends to make to the recent representations of the Association of County Councils of Scotland regarding the ineffectiveness of the Weights and Measures Act at the present time.

The Association is being informed that, in my view, it would not be right to use emergency legislation to extend in the way suggested the Sale of Food (Weights and Measures) Act, 1926, which was passed after careful consideration in Parliament.

asked the Minister without Portfolio whether he is now in a position to state the Government's decision with regard to the recommendations contained in the Report of His Majesty's Forestry Commissioners.

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will take steps to make provision for suitable training facilities for rural craftsmen in order to improve their status as an integral factor in the welfare of the agricultural industry.

Steps have already been taken to strengthen the organisation of the Rural Industries Bureau whose activities are concerned with assisting rural craftsmen generally to improve their methods. The provision of improved facilities for the training of boys as blacksmiths and farriers is at present under consideration by the Departments concerned.