asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has any statement to make on the proposed formation of a Jewish Army.

I am now examining the possibility of forming either a Jewish brigade or a Jewish brigade group. I am not at the moment in a position to make a further statement, but hope to be so very shortly.

Why has there been such long delay in this matter? Is anybody likely to fight with greater ardour against the Nazis than the Jews?

I do not think there has been any undue delay.

Four years of war.

No. The last approach to me was early this year—in the first quarter of this year.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the increased recognition of the importance of a high standard of powers of observation and of general mental alertness, he will institute adequate examination tests in these for all candidates for commissions in the Army.

All recruits, on entering the Army, and all candidates for commissions are given intelligence tests, which measure their mental alertness. Candidates for commissions who pass through War Office Selection Boards—and this covers all but a small number, who are commissioned directly into technical arms—are given practical tests, which measure their powers of observa- tion and their mental alertness. I can assure my hon. Friend that the importance of these qualities is fully appreciated.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has yet any report on any of the soldiers, of whose names and numbers he has been apprised, who are alleged not to have been given the advantage of the five-year limitation of overseas service.

The two soldiers about whom the hon. Member originally wrote to me are both serving in the South East Asia Command, and I regret that I cannot say when the report for which I have asked will arrive. The hon. Member raised a third case with me, but he has, I think, now been informed that the man has arrived in this country, and is on disembarkation leave.

In view of the fact that one of the two earlier cases was raised with the Department as long ago as March, and that I then received an assurance that the man was coming home, can my right hon. Friend explain the delay in receiving a report from the South East Asia Command; and will he take steps to expedite it?

I will take whatever steps are possible to expedite it, but I imagine that the reason for the delay was that the man had gone on an operational job, in a place where communication was extremely difficult.

Can my right hon. Friend explain why a person who is at the end of his five years' service is sent on an operational job; and can he explain why, originally, he expressed such indignation when I suggested, in a supplementary question, that that was the case?

I do not remember expressing indignation. But I think leave is also subject to the exigencies of the Service. Whenever a man is a key man, I can quite see that it may not be possible to give him leave at a particular juncture. But I would rather wait until I get a full report, and not deal with the matter piecemeal.

Will the right hon. Gentleman expedite the report?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any youths of 18½ years of age are being sent to Normandy with less than six months' colour service.

Before a man can be sent abroad, he must be fully trained and he must be over 18½. As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson) on 11th July, the period of training varies according to the arm in which the man is, and the period of training is naturally shorter for those whose military duties are akin to their civil employment. For example, a storeman or clerk in the R.A.O.C. is usually fully trained in slightly less than three months, and in such a case the man would be fit to serve overseas, although he had had less than six months' Colour service. But the training of a fighting soldier normally takes at least six months.

Would the Minister agree that, other things being equal, a man should not be sent overseas with less than six months' training, if serving in a fighting unit, and if he is 18½ years of age?

That is certainly the natural conclusion to draw from my answer.

Will all these men receive embarkation leave before they go?

Perhaps my hon. Friend will put that down.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a regiment, of which he has been informed, is to be broken up, its officers and men drafted elsewhere and another unit given its name; and whether, in view of its close association with the borough of Bootle and surrounding areas, he is prepared to allow this regiment to remain as constituted at present.

My hon. and gallant Friend is under some misapprehension. This regiment is not being broken up, and its title is not being transferred to another unit. It will be necessary to withdraw men from the regiment, as reinforcements for Forces overseas, but its role will continue to be of considerable importance.

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that, so far as possible, the territorial principle will be preserved in regard to this regiment?

As far as possible; but I am bound to warn the hon. and gallant Member that, at this stage of the war, there are a good many cases in which it is not possible to maintain the territorial principle.

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate how much this breaking down of territorial traditions interferes with morale?

I can assure the hon. and gallant Member that there is no breaking down of territorial tradition. It is, unfortunately, inevitable, with the present distribution of regiments—as I have explained more than once in this House— that there should be some interference with posting, but we try to do it as little as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider arranging for R.A.F. and R.N. personnel transferred to the Army to be formed into separate brigades, in such a manner as to preserve their identification with the Service in which they enlisted.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the decision that men transferred to the Army from other Services are not to suffer any reduction of pay, he will reconsider the decision not to apply this principle when transfers take place between corps and regiments in the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for War if men who have served for several years and earned promotion in the R.A.F. Regiment and are now to be transferred to the Army, will be granted Army ranks equivalent to their former ranks.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can make any statement on the transference to the Army of men now in the Navy and the R.A.F.

These men have been, or are being, transferred to the Army in order that the fighting strength of existing units and formations may be sustained. I sympathise with their natural desire to be formed into separate units, but to do so would be to defeat the object of the transfer. I hope that it will be possible to post the men in small groups rather than as individuals. The men transferred are being asked to express their preferences for arms and regiments, and, as far as practicable, these preferences will be followed, though some, I am afraid, are bound to be disappointed. As regards pay, the general principle is that the men transferred will not lose financially, that is, they will remain on rates no worse than their existing rates until Army service or promotion qualifies them for increases. No men are being compulsorily transferred who have N.C.O. or equivalent ranks in the other Services. As regards the Question asked by the hon. Member for Skipton (Mr. H. Lawson), these transfers are wholly abnormal, and cannot be held to affect the internal system of transfers within the Army itself.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that during the last war the Royal Naval Division was formed? Is it not possible to do something of the same kind now, when it is necessary to transfer naval personnel to Army service?

No, Sir. They are required to keep up the existing units. If new units are made the existing units will run down more quickly, and will have to be broken up, and in course of time the units formed from the transferees will run down, and will have to be broken up in the same way.

If the right hon. Gentleman accepts the principle that transference from the Navy and the Air Force to the Army is not to result in loss of pay, on what grounds does he refuse to accept that principle in the case of transference from the R.A.O.C. to other units within the Army?

Those transfers are quite a different thing. They are transfers within the Service, for which there has always been statutory power.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many members of the R.A.F. are being transferred to the Army; and what arrangements will be made with regard to pay, allowances and questions of seniority.

It would not be in the public interest to give the number of airmen to be transferred to the Army. Airmen will receive not less than the ordinary pay and good conduct badge pay which they were drawing in the R.A.F. until such time as they qualify for higher rates on promotion. Their promotion in the Army will be governed by Army rules, but all Air Force service will reckon for seniority as though it were Army service. Family and dependants' allowances will be paid at rates not less favourable than those payable at the time of transfer.

Does that answer mean that they will receive equivalent ranks in the Army to those that they have held, or will they have to start again from scratch, having earned promotion in the R.A.F.?

They are being transferred to the Army and will hold Army ranks but will receive not less favourable pay and allowances than they are now drawing.

I was asking about rank.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is able to give a precise date when house property previously requisitioned for War Office purposes, and now no longer used for such purposes, will be officially regarded as de-requisitioned.

My hon. Friend will appreciate that it is not possible to give any general ruling as regards the date of relinquishing requisitioned property, as every case will have to be dealt with on its merits. I can, however, assure him that I am well aware of the importance of releasing house property as early as possible, and I am in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health on this question. My hon. Friend has sent me a general complaint relating to a certain district. If he will send me particulars of specific cases, I will gladly have them examined.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether there is any regulation by which the first rows in the audience at any performance of E.N.S.A. are always reserved for officers and their friends.

No, Sir. Seating arrangements are normally made locally between commanding officers and E.N.S.A. managers.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a practice in certain units, of officers bringing large parties of guests, and that this practice is resented by the men, who themselves are unable to pay for these seats, and who wish to avail themselves of the entertainment provided by E.N.S.A.?

Given the system we labour under, I am pretty certain that if there were anything more than a very sporadic discontent, I should have heard of it by now; and I have not heard of it.

Given the system we labour under, is it not likely that the officers will claim the best seats?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to give the results of his inquiries into the case where Private Butler, attached to the A Company of the R.A.M.C. was, at the command of the medical officer, Major Carson, and the aid of four men, forcibly vaccinated against his wish and contrary to the King's Regulations.

Yes, Sir, I have received a report about this case. It is clear that the man was vaccinated in spite of his protests that he did not wish to be vaccinated. His left wrist was held by one man and his right elbow by another. No other men were concerned. I understand that the man had no conscientious objection to vaccination but refused because, on a previous occasion, he had suffered from a sore arm and because, in his view, the vaccinations and inoculations he had received in the Army had done him no good. The officer concerned clearly had no right to use force as he did and in normal circumstances disciplinary action would no doubt have been taken against him. But this vaccination was carried out in the Anzio bridgehead. Reinforcements were arriving from Naples, where there was an outbreak of virulent smallpox and the possibility of an outbreak in the bridgehead was causing great anxiety. In these exceptional circumstances the officer's action has been considered as an error of judgment committed in good faith with the intention to safeguard the health of the troops in a dangerous medical situation. I do not, therefore, intend to take any disciplinary action against him.

What reparation is to be made to this man for the assault committed on him?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will assure this House that our troops in Normandy are equipped with tanks at least the equal of both the German Tiger and Panther in armour and armament.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply the Prime Minister gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke (Mr. Ellis Smith) last Thursday.

Does the Secretary of State for War recollect that, as long ago as September 1939, he told us that the tanks then coming into production were better than anything which the Germans, Japanese and Italians had? As the Tiger was then in use, is not the Minister capable of answering for himself, instead of sheltering behind the Prime Minister?

The Prime Minister has undertaken, before the end of this Session, to make a statement on this matter, but I think that, when my hon. Friend gets it, he will be as little satisfied with it as he was with the report on the Churchill.

On a point of Order. In view of the most complete humbuggery with which this matter is treated, I beg to give notice that I will raise it on the Motion for the Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now make arrangements to permit of privilege leave to Army personnel serving in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now make any statement as to the continued ban on leave for home based troops.

This question is under constant review. I am most anxious that leave should be restarted as soon as operational conditions permit.

Are we to understand from that reply that my right hon. Friend hopes that privilege leave will be restarted very soon?

Well, I hope, fairly soon, anyway.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give urgent consideration to the question of reopening agricultural leave, in view of the approaching harvest?

I will certainly look into the matter, but I must make it clear that, in the conditions of this year, there will be very much less chance or scope for releasing troops for agricultural work during the harvest than in previous years.

Could not the number of German and Italian prisoners available be used?

Most of them are already employed in agriculture.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what proportion of the Forces serving under his Department the forms for registration as voters have been distributed; and if he is yet in a position to announce what proportion of the recipients have actually registered.

As regards the first part of the hon. and learned Member's Question, I would refer him to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Bellenger) on 13th June. As regards units which are at home or which were at home recently, I gave figures in answer to the hon. Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 20th June which indicated what proportion had completed the forms. A number of fresh units have been visited since then, and the results of these visits confirm what I said in that answer. I have not yet received the reports I have asked for about the progress of the scheme in Commands overseas. As the hon. and learned Member is no doubt aware, the Service Ministers and the Home Secretary received a deputation of hon. Members on 6th July. A number of the suggestions then made are being pursued.

Would the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of my Question—"what proportion of the recipients have actually registered"?

As I have said I gave my hon. and learned Friend the figures regarding a certain proportion of units, and I said that I have not had reports from other parts of the Army, and that the natural conclusion to be drawn is that, as regards the Army as a whole, I cannot give him the answer.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that British beer is at present available for sale in the Middle East only on premises which are out of bounds for other ranks; and whether he will take steps to see that such beer shall be available to other ranks as well as to officers.

Since the beginning of this year no British beer has been consigned for troops or civilians in Egypt. Beer is brewed locally and is available to both other ranks and officers through Institutes in the usual way. The hon. and learned Member is probably referring to one consignment of British beer which was exported under civilian auspices before the ban on exports was imposed, was landed by mistake in Egypt, and was sold by a local civilian purchaser to civilian caterers. Had it been imported under military or N.A.A.F.I. control, it would have been distributed for consumption in Regimental Institutes, canteens and messes in the same way as the beer now being brewed in Egypt.

Would it not be possible for my right hon. Friend to solve two problems at once, if he arranged that the qualification to draw beer was the production of a certificate that the man had registered as an elector?

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now give any further information to the House in connection with the vocational training for post-war employment and education in general, to be given to Army and A.T.S. personnel prior to their release from the Service.

Yes, Sir. I am circulating a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that the variety of training provided under this scheme is sufficient to provide preparation for all the different courses that personnel will follow when they leave the Forces?

I shall be very grateful if my hon. and learned Friend will read this very considerable answer. There is a very wide variety of preparation being made, but I could not presume to give a guarantee that every conceivable thing will be catered for.

Will these education schemes be compulsory or voluntary?

I shall be very grateful if my hon. and gallant Friend will read the answer.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to be able to make a further statement regarding the proposals of his Department for demobilisation.

I am afraid I am not in a position to say when it will be possible to make a statement on this subject which, with other connected questions, is a matter of general Government policy.

Is the Minister able to hold out any prospect that a statement on this subject will be made early after the Recess?

It is not really for me to hold out this prospect.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of Germans killed in Normandy and the number of Germans captured.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of prisoners of war made to date in the course of operations in France; how many have surrendered; how many are nationals of countries occupied or invaded by Germany since 1938; and what is the Government's policy as regards prisoners of war who are nationals of one of our Allies.

Possibly about 20,000 Germans have been killed by the Allied Armies in Normandy. Up to 16th July they had captured 57,750 prisoners. Of these, just under 5,000 were nationals of countries occupied or invaded by Germany since 1938. Arrangements for the disposal of nationals of Allied countries are made in conjunction with the Government concerned.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say if, when he speaks of German prisoners in this connection, any of these are civilians, or are they all soldiers?

I would like to have notice of that question. I am not quite sure what the status of the Todt organisation is.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is now able to state the frequency of meeting and average attendance at the Cairo Forces Forum.

No, Sir. I regret that this information is not available.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman when this information will be available, seeing that I put down a Question to him on this matter a long time ago?

Quite frankly, I have not asked for information, as it does not seem to be a matter of sufficient interest.

Is it not the case that the Forces Forum has not met, because no soldiers have attended?

If that is the case, I think the only possible conclusion to draw is that the original public meetings were a species of political exhibitionism which it was quite right for the Commander-in-Chief to restrict.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. If a Question is put down on the Paper with your permission, has a Minister any right to say that quite frankly he did not trouble to get the information?

I should think that the Minister did not mean that. I think he said that he had not made special inquiries from Cairo. That was the meaning of the expression, surely.

In view of the very wide interest in this question, which has been shown in this House many times, surely the least the Minister can do, when a question is asked about this matter, is to make an inquiry, and if he does not do that, is it not very discourteous to this House?

I am called upon to make a vast number of inquiries and a great many of them take up the time of commanders-in-chief which might be spent on obviously more important duties; and surely, I am entitled to wait until I get information from Cairo on a matter which is not of the great public importance which the hon. Member assumes.

Is not this an organised attempt to rule the Army by politics?

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the reply of the Minister, who seems to think he can answer Members with studied offensiveness, what steps can hon. Members take to ensure that their questions are answered? On this occasion he expressed the opinion that it was of no public importance and he really had not taken the trouble to put the question. This is astounding and contemptible.

That is not a point of Order for me. After all, a Minister is responsible to the House, and it is for the House and not for me to deal with a Minister.

I rise on a point of Order to ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether the term "studied offensiveness," which seems to be quite new in a point of Order, is in Order?

I should think that it is in Order, though I should say that it is regrettable.

Is not offensiveness the only quality which the Secretary of State for War has got?

May I press for an answer on this point, Mr. Speaker, because it seems to me that, if this is allowed to go by unchallenged, there is almost no point on which the Minister may not say it is of so little importance that he does not choose to answer it? What is the machinery by which the House or you, Sir, decide whether a Minister is justified in saying that or not?

The hon. Baronet forgets that it is always within the power of any Minister to refuse to answer any question if he thinks that it is in the public interest to do so. That is a Minister's prerogative.

The Minister is not saying that it is not in the public interest. He is claiming, against the very strong view of a minority of Members, that this matter of political discussion in the Army is one of so little importance that he is not called upon to answer. He does not say that it is not in the public interest to answer it but that it is so unimportant.

Perhaps I can make my position clear. These incidents in Cairo were likely to lead to breaches of discipline, and the most important thing in the Army is the preservation of discipline. I, personally, do regard it as contrary to the public interest that further advertisement should be given to this attempt to subvert discipline.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the fact that the Minister is aware that the Forces Forum was a fake, and that it never meets, why does he not openly make that statement in answer to the Question, instead of dodging behind the facts?

I cannot answer that question.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether he is aware that Fife County Education Committee are dispensing with the services of married women teachers on one week's notice; whether he is satisfied that there is a surplus of teachers in that county; and whether such surplus will be made available for other areas in need of teachers;

I propose, with my hon. Friend's permission, to answer Questions 30 and 31 together. My right hon. Friend is informed that of 42 married women teachers temporarily employed by Fife Education Authority whose engagements were, in accordance with practice, formally terminated at the end of the session, seven were released at their own request, eight have been already re-engaged and the remainder, 21 of whom were engaged on a day-to-day basis, will be offered reappointment next session. No notice was required in the case of the teachers who are engaged on a day-to-day basis; the others are being given a month's notice or pay in lieu thereof. So far from there being any surplus of teachers in the county there is likely to be a continued shortage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the section of the Report of the Private Enterprise Sub-Committee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee dealing with the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act; and if he will now consider introducing legislation to raise the maximum value of a house for the purpose of the corresponding Act in Scotland.

Yes, Sir. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health announced on 13th July that for the purpose of advances the Government have decided to reconsider the present limit of £800. The necessary amendment of the Scottish Act will probably be included in the Measure to be introduced in due course with regard to housing subsidies.

While thanking my hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask whether he can say if legislation will be introduced this Session?

I do not think that it is likely that legislation will be introduced in this Session. The question of limits referred to in my hon. and gallant Friend's Question will probably have to wait until we have settled the size of the housing subsidy.

asked the Secretary of State far Scotland if he will undertake that the 40 days during which objections to the schemes put forward by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board can be lodged in his Department shall not be specified so that they fall while the House of Commons is in Recess.

Under the Hydro-Electric Development (Scotland) Act, 1943, the Board are required, after the approval of a constructional scheme by the Electricity Commissioners, to submit it to the Secretary of State for confirmation and to publish a notice specifying a period of 40 days within which objection to the scheme may be made. If after the expiry of this period and after such public enquiry as may be necessary, the scheme is confirmed, it must lie before Parliament for a further period of 40 days; and the Act provides that in reckoning this period no account is to be taken of any time during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than four days. The possibility of any objector being prejudiced does not therefore arise.

While thanking my hon. Friend for his answer regarding the specified days during which the objectors can make objections, and the period of 40 days, save those when the House may be in Recess, may I ask for an assurance that during these specified days objectors or people who want information will have the opportunity to consult the Secretary of State for Scotland?

The Act provides for 40 days for representation, excluding, apart from any period of less than four days, periods during which Parliament is adjourned, but as to specified days, I should like to have notice, and I will let my hon. and gallant Friend know.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that in consequence of a successful appeal by the tenant of a furnished villa at Crieff to the tribunal established in accordance with the Rent of Furnished Houses Control Act the tenant received notice to quit; and what action is being taken to protect such tenants.

My right hon. Friend is informed that legal proceedings for the ejection of the tenant have been instituted because of an alleged breach of the letting conditions which prohibit sub-letting. The issue is one of fact which must be determined by the Court and has no relevance to the type of case in which my right hon. Friend is exercising powers of requisitioning.

Is my hon. Friend aware that I put this Question down because of its general interest, in order to show what protection the new Act affords to tenants of furnished houses, and will he see that the conclusion arrived at finally is given publicity?

Only in a case of victimisation would my right hon. Friend, for instance, exercise his powers to requisition and he is not satisfied in this particular case that that arises, but my hon. Friend has drawn attention to this point.

Is the hon. Member aware that a number of people who have been successful in having their rents reduced, are subject to all manner of trouble at the hands of people who are owners or who have taken a house; and would he consider taking action in those cases in order to protect any tenants threatened with eviction?

Each case must be judged on its merits. If there is any breach of contract, my right hon. Friend would not hesitate to take action, where he thought there was victimisation.

Could not the hon. Gentleman consider at least issuing a warning to people in this position because they are taking advantage of it?

I think that these questions and answers have met that point.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that there is a falling off of boys from mining families going into the mines; and will he take steps to get the views of parents as to the cause of this so that remedies can be found to meet it.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, "Yes, Sir." While I am much concerned to see a further considerable improvement in the matter, my hon. Friend will be aware that the Committee on the Recruitment and Training of Juveniles in the Coalmining Industry, which reported in July, 1942, heard evidence and received statements from many representative bodies and individuals. In these circumstances I do not think any useful purpose would be served at present by making further inquiries of the kind suggested.

What steps is the Minister taking to find out the reason behind this falling off, because there is a grave cause and he ought to find out as much about it as he can?

As my hon. Friend knows, the inquiry itself, which lead to the Forster Report, took evidence from people qualified to know what the conditions in the mining areas are, and since then I have made my own inquiries and I am satisfied that we know as much as we can know.

Is the Minister aware that this anti-pit psychology has sunk very deep among mining families, and that no remedy will be found unless the industry is transformed into a public service?

I would not altogether say that. It is not altogether found in the mining areas of the country as a whole. My object and aim is to make this industry attractive for its own sake.

Will the Minister inquire whether this phenomenon is peculiar to Great Britain, or also applies to America, France and Poland?

I desire to give notice that I shall raise this matter again on the Adjournment, at the first opportunity, because I think it wants to be ventilated more fully.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether there is to be an increase in the price of coal in the near future.

Yes, there will be an increase of 4s. a ton in the price of coal, as from 1st August. This price increase is required first to meet the cost of the increased wages paid under the Porter Awards and as a result of other negotiations of which I have informed the House, and second to liquidate, as soon as is reasonably possible, advances made by the Treasury to the Charges Account in order to enable the higher wages to be paid before prices were increased, to meet other costs which were not fully covered by the earlier price increase, and to maintain the owners' credit balances.

Did the Government give full consideration to the reactions of a price increase of this kind throughout industry, before they decided to put the whole cost on to the consumer?

Yes, Sir, every consideration was taken into account.

Will the increase apply to the thousands of tons of coal which are already in stock?

I am not quite clear what my hon. Friend means.

There are thousands of tons of coal in stock. Will the price increase apply to them?

Certainly.

At 4s. per ton, what will be the increase per cwt.?

In most cases, I think it will be between 2d. and 3d.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to provide additional clothing and household linen to meet the increased demand in the evacuation areas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will allot extra coupons for household necessities to householders who have accepted evacuees.

Towels are the only household necessities which require coupons. I am arranging with my right hon. and learned Friend, the Minister of Health, to make towels available, coupon-free, with other household goods, to householders who have not enough to meet the additional strain imposed by billeting official evacuees. I regret that the shortage of sheets makes it impossible to include them in this scheme. Arrangements have also been made to ensure that all official evacuees have adequate clothing. I have instructed my area distribution officers to keep a close watch on supplies of clothing and other essential goods in reception areas.

Is the Minister including household cloths in towels?

Towels and tea towels are the only household goods requiring coupons. I am putting a supply of these at the disposal of the Minister of Health, for distribution.

Could not the Minister go the whole hog and take these towels off coupons?

No, Sir. If I had not placed towels on coupons I would have had no stock to-day to place at the disposal of evacuees. That is a justification for my policy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade at what price per yard does he authorise the sale of dyed hessian for the benefit of welfare for the troops in the County of Middlesex; and will he state the wholesale and retail prices for such material.

Only very small stocks of dyed hessian now remain in retailers' hands, further manufacture being controlled by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply, and limited to essential war purposes. There are no ceiling prices for the old stocks, which are subject only the Prices of Goods Act, 1939.

Is the Minister aware that the County Welfare Officer is obliged to pay 5s. 11d. per yard and is being offered as much as he wants at 1s. 9d.? In order to save public money, will the right hon. Gentleman give approval to this officer to pay the lower price?

The stocks remaining are very small, and if my hon. Friend would like to discuss this particular case with me I would be glad to do so. It is not worth while going through the elaborate procedure of fixing prices for these very small stocks.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now in a position to increase the allowance of utility furniture to those eligible for it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can now make a statement with regard to an increased supply of utility furniture for those who have suffered from bomb damage.

I am very glad to say that, as a result of a steady increase in the production of utility furniture during the last six months, and a consequent reduction in the volume of orders outstanding, I am now able to restore the ration to the level at which it stood before 1st September last. This restoration will take place in stages. As from 1st August next the additional ration will be made available to all those who received permits for utility furniture between 1st September and 31st December last. As production progresses, those who have received permits for furniture since 31st December, and those who receive such permits in future, will become entitled to the additional ration. An announcement will be made about this later. One of the main purposes of the Utility Furniture Scheme is, as the House knows, to help those whose homes have suffered bomb damage.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether more wool will be released and on easier terms for knitting, in view of the needs of the Forces and the liberated European populations.

The supply of knitting wool is very limited, and all that is available is already being released in order to meet the home civilian ration, the needs of the Forces and the relief of liberated Europe.

Is the Minister aware that wool is appreciated by the Forces, and that it has a low cost of production? When he has additional supplies will he give the matter his first consideration?

Yes, Sir, as soon as supplies increase I shall be glad to make a further distribution.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in view of the change in the steel position, which will enable this country to export 10,000 tons per month to the U.S.A., he will now remove the restrictions limiting the export of fish-hooks to parts of the British Empire outside the Western Hemisphere.

No. Sir. The exports to the United States, to which my hon. Friend refers, consists of shipbuilding plates, and the arrangement is a special and temporary one. There is still a shortage of steel in this country, and we are importing large quantities from the United States.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the shortage of sheets, pillow cases and tablecloths in the Rugby area; that one firm has only had three pairs of sheets in the last three years to dispose of; that sheets are being hawked from door to door in Rugby at £3 to £4 a pair while traders can get little or no supply; and if he will take steps to direct supplies of these articles to the Rugby area.

I have called for a special report on the supply of household linen in the Rugby area, and I will communicate with my hon. Friend when I receive it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is yet in a position to make any statement about his discussions with local authorities on the provision of funds to meet their capital purposes after the war.

Yes, Sir. I have now discussed this matter with representatives of various Associations of local authorities in England and Wales and have conveyed to them certain proposals which the Government desire to adopt. These proposals are set out in a memorandum which I handed to the associations and of which I am circulating a copy in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I have invited the associations to give the matter their care- ful consideration and to submit any observations they desire to make. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has similarly conveyed the Government's proposals to representatives of various associations of Scottish local authorities and invited their observations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the approximate cost to the taxpayers and ratepayers of the existing and prospective commitments for social services; and will he give the comparable figures for 1913 and 1938.

As the answer is rather long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

As the figures must show an enormous increase, and in view of all the unknown factors, and especially in view of the speech of the Minister of Reconstruction in another place, do the Government think it is right to raise hopes which will not possibly——

The hon. Member does not seem to be asking for information; he is asking for an opinion.

May I finish my question, Mr. Speaker? Do the Government think it right to raise false hopes which must end in bitter disillusion?

I have no comment to make in view of what Mr. Speaker has just said.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a legal adoption under the Adoption of Children Act is essential as a condition of granting the Income Tax relief for an adopted child, or whether it is sufficient that the taxpayer can prove that he has the maintenance and custody of the child.

If the parent has relinquished any claim to the allowance it is sufficient for the taxpayer to prove that he has the custody of the child and maintains it at his own expense.