asked the Minister of Supply whether, in view of the desirability of removing all obstacles to the rapid develop- ment of the large-scale manufacture of penicillin, he will now agree to permit full publicity with regard to the methods of manufacture and withdraw those objections hitherto raised on security grounds.

I am not aware that largescale production of penicillin is being impeded through lack of information. The general method of manufacture has been published in the technical Press.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will adopt a favourable attitude in suitable cases, when ex-Servicemen apply for licences to trade and open up small businesses after their discharge from the Services.

Yes, Sir. As I have previously explained, licences under the Location of Retail Businesses Order are granted as a matter of course to ex-Servicemen who wish to resume their former retail businesses, and special consideration is given to applications from other disabled ex-Servicemen not formerly engaged in retail trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to make available extra coupons for the purchase of linen, towels, crockery and so forth, or for the provision of such commodities for households in which evacuees have been received.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave to-day to similar Questions on this subject by my hon. Friends the Members for Ogmore (Mr. E. J. Williams) and Bedford (Sir R. Wells).

asked the Minister of Labour how many spinsters between the ages of 55 and 60 years are employed in beneficial occupations.

It is estimated that there are approximately 100,000 spinsters aged 55 and under 60 in paid employment in Great Britain, exclusive of private domestic servants, for whom figures are not available.

asked the Minister of Health what would be the annual cost of granting a pension of 10s. a week to all spinsters on attaining the age of 55 who are insured under the National Health and Pensions Scheme.

I have been asked to reply. The cost would be £2,800,000 a year approximately. My hon. and gallant Friend will realise, however, that the concession of a reduction of pension age could not be restricted to the particular class of woman mentioned in the Question.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty in what circumstances a contract was made with Messrs. Butlins for the sale of the two Admiralty camps in Caernarvonshire and Ayr when no longer required; and why these camps were not disposed of in a free market.

The circumstances leading to the establishment of the Caernarvonshire Camp were explained by my hon. and gallant Friend the Civil Lord in the Debate on the Adjournment on 28th March last. The circumstances attending the Ayr camp were similar.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will investigate the complaint of a 40 year old married woman whose name and address have been supplied to him, that though she is working 48 hours a week as a boot and shoe machinist and has been carrying out street fire-watching duties during alerts she is now called on to attend distant lectures and training one night a week for an indefinite period so that she cannot properly discharge her domestic duties; and whether insistence on extra night-work can be enforced.

Training in fire guard duties is essential to the efficiency of fire guards and is compulsory for persons who have to perform those duties. I am looking into the complaint to which my hon. Friend has drawn my attention and will communicate with him as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is still the practice during air-raids to lock up prisoners and detainees under Regulation 18B who thus run the risk of being unable to escape if the prison should be hit; and whether he will consider removing such prisoners from danger areas to safer parts of the country.

The suggestion that preferential treatment should be given to persons in prison custody including 18B detainees by removing them to safer areas is impracticable. Prison buildings of cellular construction provide a high degree of protection from blast, and experience has shown that to leave cell doors open is not generally speaking a desirable course and may indeed lead to additional risks.

asked the Minister of Health if it is the intention of the Government to publish immediately the Report of the Advisory Council's Sub-Committee on Temporary Housing, so that the House may be properly informed before proceeding to debate the subject next week.

The Central Housing Advisory Committee has not yet made a final report on this subject. The reply must therefore be "No, Sir."

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the individual salaries to be paid to the recently appointed production directors in South Wales; and whether or not they will work from the offices of the companies that previously employed them.

The Group Production Directors in South Wales are being remunerated on the basis explained in the reply I gave on 25th January to a Question by the hon. Member for Yardley (Mr. Salt). The answer to the second part of the Question is "Yes."

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the newly appointed production directors in South Wales will continue to receive from the companies that previously employed them such emoluments as free house, coal, light, cars, etc.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Yardley (Mr. Salt) on 25th January last.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the average yearly number of wage-earners on the colliery books for 1924 to 1937, inclusive, on the same basis as those given for 1938 to 1943 in Table (1) of the Statistical Digest issued by his Department.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for War what arrangements exist for replacing the spectacles of soldiers which may be broken in the course of military operations.

Prescriptions for spectacles are received at base depots of medical stores in Base Areas and on the Lines of Communication, and at special ophthalmic sections in general hospitals in the Corps or Army Areas. The spectacles are prepared by opticians and issued from these medical units.

asked the Secretary of State for War the average time taken after a soldier has become a casualty in Italy and France respectively, before his next of kin are informed.

The time taken between the occurrence of a casualty in Italy and the information reaching the next-of-kin is usually about 14 days. For the first few weeks the notifications have taken nearly as long from Normandy, but this figure is being reduced as communications improve and the abnormal conditions, arising from the nature of the operations, are overcome. This figure covers all types of casualty; priority is given to cases of death and of serious and dangerous illness. In the case of a man wounded in Normandy who is sent to a hospital in this country the casualty is reported after a very much shorter space of time.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he has now considered the case of junior officers up to the rank of captain who receive less in childless wife allowance than men in the ranks; and when he proposes to remedy this anomaly.

In no case does an officer in receipt of allowances under the new code introduced in 1942 receive less than the allowance authorised for other ranks. An officer under 30 years of age, commissioned before 1st January, 1942, who has no children and who has chosen to continue to receive allowances under the old code so as to obtain the benefits of the higher rates under that code on reaching 30 years of age, receives less than a man in the ranks. He has, however, been given the opportunity to transfer to the new code, to which I have referred, if he so desires, whenever there has been a revision in the allowances. It is not proposed to alter the rates of allowance for officers who chose to remain on the old code.

asked the Secretary of State for War, if, as the Regulations regarding the entry into certain Protected Areas have been relaxed, he will, in fairness to Army personnel stationed in those areas, give permission to the wives to visit their husbands.

The relaxations I announced on 11th July were very carefully considered, and I cannot hold out any hope of further relaxations until the time comes to revoke altogether the remaining Protected Area Orders. The situation is continually under review, and they will not be kept in force any longer than is strictly necessary. Of course, if a Service man's wife comes within the new class of persons permitted to enter a Protected Area, namely "Persons evacuated to a Protected Area under the Government Evacuation Scheme," she gets the benefit of that concession.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has any information regarding the whereabouts of the Bayeux tapestry reported to have been removed by the Germans.

It is likely that the tapestry is in a store in the South of France with objects from the French National Museums.

asked the President of the Board of Education if the school meals services, now discontinued in evacuation areas, will be made available for the repair squads who have been billeted for emergency duties in the South of England.

As indicated in paragraph 5 of Administrative Memorandum No. 331 of 18th November, 1941, a copy of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend, the school meals service is available to assist generally in an emergency. I am sure that local education authorities will do all they can to meet urgent requests for such assistance to billeted repair squads on the understanding that the authority will not be called upon to bear any part of the costs.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of civilians of Caen who are at present homeless; to what extent their position is due to German shelling; and to what extent civilian evacuees from the part of the town of Caen still in the hands of the enemy are escaping to British lines.

As the hon. Member is aware, the town of Caen is hardly out of the battle area and, the statistics he asks for are, I regret, not available.

asked the Prime Minister if, following the invasion of France, it is proposed to issue any official accounts of operations, notably of the part played by the airborne troops; and whether any special facilities can be granted to enable a publication to be issued for sale to the general public within the next 60 days.

It is hoped to produce an authorised booklet for sale giving an account of operations. It will, I regret, not be possible to produce it within the next 60 days.

asked the Minister of Food whether, for future guidance, he will at the end of the autumn examine the reasons which have in the current spring and summer placed urban residents at a disadvantage in respect of the supply of most vegetables and fruit.

Arrangements already exist for the regular collection and study of information respecting the supply and distribution of vegetables and fruit. This information does not support the view that urban residents have suffered avoidable disadvantages this season. The fruit crops are, of course, smaller than in previous years.

asked the Minister of Food (1) whether, in connection with the recent sanction of a rise in standard strawberry jam prices, which have been raised from 1s. 1d. to 1s. 3d. based on the increase of 10 per cent. in fruit content, in view of the fact that this fruit content contains only 3d. worth of fruit, he will consider allocating part of this increase for the benefit of the strawberry growers, since the strawberries were preempted for jam and are controlled at the same price as last year;

The new schedule of jam prices has been fixed to take into account changes in fruit prices, the increased minimum fruit content of certain varieties, and the current cost of manufacture. The Jam and Marmalade Maximum Price Order that was in force up to 22nd July, 1944, was made in December, 1942, and was based on 1942 fruit prices. The following table shows the changes since then in the growers' prices of fruit of the varieties mentioned by my hon. Friend. The prices quoted are those ruling for the bulk of the fruit bought for jam making:

		1942	1944
Gooseberries, per cwt.	…	25/8	42/0
Strawberries, per cwt.	…	70/0	81/8
Raspberries, per cwt.	…	60/8	81/8
Blackcurrants, per cwt.	…	72/4	121/4

The cost of fruit to the jam maker includes a number of items additional to the growers' price including the cost of collection and transport, the provision of containers, and losses of weight both in transit and in the preliminary preparation of the fruit such as the removal of stalks. For the purposes of the Price Order the various kinds of jam are ranged in a limited number of price groups. A price for each group is fixed appropriate to the average cost of manufacture of the group and manufacturers' margins on individual varieties of jam vary. For these reasons I cannot concur in my hon. Friend's calculations regarding the relationship between the prices of fruit and the price of jam; and I cannot agree to reconsider the growers' prices for 1944.In the case of blackcurrants, while there may be little pre-empted fruit available for jam making, a new price was prescribed to permit jam to be made from any blackcurrants purchased by manufacturers independently. The new price would apply to pulp made from last season's blackcurrants, but any remaining stocks are believed to be of negligible quantities. In the case of raspberry jam the price increase is not, as stated, 2½d. but ½d. per 1b.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is now being made in Glasgow with the building of certain new houses and also the completion of certain other houses; and what is the present position in the same regard in Scotland.

Following is the information:

	Glasgow.	Scotland.
Local authority houses under construction at outbreak of war and since completed	4,657	26,031
Local authority houses under construction at outbreak of war and now being completed	124	1,928
First thousand houses allocated to local authorities in 1943;
Number allocated	200	1,000
Number begun	200	860
Number completed	28	50
Number under construction	172 (88 roofed)	810 (240 roofed)
Second thousand houses allocated to local authorities in 1944:
Number allocated	200	1,000
Number for which tenders approved	200	873
Number under construction	72	120

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of diphtheria have been notified and deaths from that disease registered each year at Cardiff since and including the year 1937; and how many

Year.			Cases of diphtheria notified.	Registered deaths from diphtheria.	No. of notified cases in immunised children under 15.	No. of deaths of children under 15 who had been immunised.
1937	…	…	588	20	46	—
1938	…	…	440	8	28	1
1939	…	…	436	14	37	—
1940	…	…	504	32	41	2
1941	…	…	341	12	37	—
1942	…	…	355	16	44	1*
1943	…	…	286	9	55	—
* Course of immunisation completed less than 12 weeks before onset of disease.

asked the Minister of Health what number of children's hospitals are conducted on a voluntary basis or municipally managed, respectively; and whether, under the Government Health Service Scheme, the financial position of the former will be fully guaranteed.

The exact figures are not readily available, but I am having some information collected which I shall be glad to send to my hon. Friend. As I have repeatedly affirmed, it is the Government's wish, and intention, that the voluntary hospital movement should play its full and vigorous part in the new health service, and all necessary steps, financial and other, will be taken to enable it to do so.

asked the Minister of Information if he will now set up an all party consultative committee to consider the question of allocating time on the B.B.C. for political talks upon the various schemes for post-war reconstruction, in view of the approach of a general election and the necessity for placing before the electorate a fair and controversial commentary on the policies discussed in Parliament.

No, Sir. I have nothing to add to the answers which I gave to the hon. Member on this subject on 17th and 24th May.

The Particulars asked for by my hon. Friend are as follow. The figures in columns 4 and 5 have been supplied by the local authority.

asked the Minister of Health whether suitable accommodation has now been found for the wife of the petty-officer, whose name has been sent to him, in view of the fact that she is shortly expecting confinement and is therefore unable to continue her search for rooms and any further inquiries at the offices of the local authorities and billeting officers.

Yes, Sir. I understand that the lady referred to has now moved into accommodation suited to her needs.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works when the nine pairs of demonstration houses being erected by his Department will be ready for inspection.

These houses had been timed to be available for inspection at the beginning of August, and they were already largely completed. As, however, it has been necessary to remove the labour from this work to deal with urgent war damage repairs, I regret I am unable now to say when the houses will be available for inspection.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the congestion on trains, he is now able to relax the conditions attached to the rationing of petrol so as to permit a freer use of motor-cars for business journeys and other essential purposes.

Where any person engaged on essential work is able to show that the restriction of public transport renders unavoidable an increased number of journeys by private car, the Regional Petroleum Officer has authority to grant additional coupons. Similarly, as regards private hire cars, licences for journeys beyond the normal limits may be issued in cases of proved need.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in order to enable Members to address representations or suggestions to the appropriate authority, he will state what Government Departments are responsible for dealing with the various questions arising out of the flying bomb attacks.

The following statement shows the Civil Departments principally concerned and the main fields of responsibility of each such Department. Any necessary co-ordination of the Regional activities of the civil Departments mentioned is effected by the Regional Commissioner. Civil problems arising from flying bomb attacks are dealt with by the Civil Defence Committee, which is a Ministerial Committee, on which all Departments concerned are represented under the Chairmanship of the Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security.Home Office and Ministry of Home Security:Police.National Fire Service.Civil Defence Services (other than First Aid Posts and Ambulances).Fire Guards.Demolition and clearance.Salvage and storage of furniture.Provision of air raid shelters.Glass protection.Public warning and industrial alarm system.Casualty statistics.Ministry of Health:Casualty services (First Aid Posts, ambulances and hospitals).Evacuation of priority classes.Rest Centres, billeting and care of the homeless.General supervision and direction of first aid repairs by local authorities to house property.Restoration of sewers and water services.Equipment and management of air raid shelters.Health and comfort of shelterers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will consider issuing instructions to all Colonial Governors that only those offences punishable by corporal punishment in this country shall be so punishable in the Colonies.

No, Sir. The question of corporal punishment in the Colonies was considered in 1939–40, when it was decided, on the advice, of the Colonial Penal Administrative Committee, that the time was not ripe for the total abolition of corporal punishment in Colonial territories; but that in the case of adults the gradual abolition of corporal punishment as a court sentence should be aimed at, and that in the case of juveniles there should be a gradual replacement of corporal punishment by supervision in approved schools or by probation officers. In the case of prison offences it was hoped that as a general principle corporal punishment should be awarded only for mutiny, attempted mutiny and violence towards officers of the prison service. I have recently reviewed the position. A good deal has been done in spite of the difficulties imposed by war conditions, but I am proposing shortly to make a further examination of the question in those territories where such a course seems desirable.