asked the Secretary of State for Air how much money was spent on equipment for R.A.F. personnel of which he has been informed; will he give a list of that equipment; to what use has it been put; and what is its present condition.

The equipment in question, which consisted in the main of beds and bedding, was supplied to provide sleeping facilities for members of the W.A.A.F. and A.T.S. engaged on intensive operational duties in connection with flying-bomb attacks. The cost of the equipment, which was drawn from stocks, is estimated at about £850. The whole of it has now been withdrawn, and I am informed that, apart from some articles unavoidably affected by damp, it is in good condition.

Will my right hon. Friend give a general undertaking that any waste of public money will be the subject of strong disciplinary action?

Certainly. But in this case there was no waste. Provision was being made for women engaged on dangerous and important duties, plotting the flying bombs, so as to give them good safe conditions for sleeping at night.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the approximate percentage of R.A.F. personnel who have now registered as parliamentary electors.

A further review of the progress of registration in the Royal Air Force is now being undertaken, and I will let the hon. Member know when it is complete.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he is not aware that this is a matter of the very greatest urgency and that the way the registrations are being made is causing very great dissatisfaction in the Services?

The reply to the first part of the supplementary question is "Yes, Sir," and to the second part," No, Sir."

I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Motion for the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production why the request of the Mayor of West Bromwich for the loan of an aeroplane to be exhibited at the Red Cross fair held at West Bromwich on August Bank Holiday was refused.

A request was received for the loan of an aircraft for one day. This could have been met only by the diversion of an aircraft from the production line. It was decided that this diversion and the expenditure of man-hours in dismantling, delivery and re-assembling for so short a period were not warranted.

May I, therefore, ask the right hon. Gentleman why one fighter and three troop-carrying planes were diverted to a fete, held under the auspices of the Regional Commission and known as Lady Dudley's Red Cross Fete, opened by Mrs. Winston Churchill shortly before?

Perhaps the hon. Member will put that question on the Paper.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, not far from the works of Magnesium Elektron, Ltd., which is running waste caustic soda out to sea from a pipeline, which cost £86,000, there is a paper mill which uses approximately the same amount of caustic soda; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent the continuance of this waste.

For the reasons stated in the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent (Mr. Ellis Smith) on 3rd May last, measures to recover this caustic soda (which is a weak solution with an appreciable percentage of common salt) would have involved capital expenditure of an order which, in view of the supply position of caustic soda, would not have been justified.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if most of the caustic soda in this country is not made by an electrolytic process, and if he is aware that soap makers actually put salt with caustic soda in their soap?

Perhaps my hon. Friend will address the question to the Minister responsible for caustic soda manufacture.

Why have they not been supplying it to the paper mills?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why corporal punishment is still inflicted on British subjects in the Colonies for offences not so punishable in the United Kingdom; and if he will take steps to put an end to this.

I regret that I cannot add anything to the reply which I gave the hon. Member on 20th July last.

Is it intended that this form of punishment shall be meted out to Africans but not Europeans?

I gave the hon. Gentleman a long and considered reply on our policy just before the House rose, and nothing has changed since that day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has given further consideration to the pay and allowances of colonial civil servants, particularly the junior grades, and the difficulties brought to his notice in Africa arising from war strain and rising costs of living.

Yes, Sir. As I stated in my reply to a question by the hon. Member on 5th July, the effect of the increase in the cost of living on the position of public servants has been kept under continuous review. Since my visit to the West African Colonies and to some of the East African Colonies a year ago, this practice of review has, in fact, resulted in some measure of revision or adjustment in war-time allowances to civil servants in all the eight Dependencies I visited. The details naturally vary according to local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will cause regulations to be introduced to debar Germans from acquiring commercial or agricultural interests in any British Colony for a substantial period after the war.

I am in complete sympathy with my hon. Friend's purpose. The matter must, however, be dealt with as part of the general policy of the United Kingdom and the United Nations towards Germany when the war is won.

May I ask whether it is not a fact that, after the last war, when we had similar restrictions, they were completely evaded, for instance, in Tan- ganyika, where the Germans put up dummies to hold property for them until they were ready to go into it again; and will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman see that this does not happen again?

We will try to learn from past events.

Will the right hon. Gentleman remember that Germany adopted this same sort of policy against us very strongly when she held colonies in Africa itself?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether plans for demobilisation applicable to Colonial troops have been considered; and when they are likely to be published.

Plans for demobilisation of the Colonial Forces are under consideration by the respective Colonial Governments and have reached an advanced stage. Now that the plans for the British Army have been settled it will be possible to complete the plans for each Colonial force. In view of the wide variety of the conditions which govern the Colonial formations it will be appreciated that no single uniform scheme will be appropriate. I hope that the plans for each force will be completed and published before the end of the year.

May we take it that, broadly speaking, the method we have provided with regard to Colonial troops will follow the British plan?

I could not give that assurance. It might very well be that under the local conditions, the plan would be quite unsuitable.

May I ask whether age and length of service will be the basis for the priority of demobilisation?

That will no doubt be taken account of.

Is there likely to be any extra grant for Colonial troops who are asked to remain for a longer period such as is to be made to British troops?

Perhaps the hon. Member will put down that question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will appoint a representative committee to consider the problems which now arise in connection with the return of prisoners of war and civilian internees from Malaya and Hong Kong.

I have already instituted a representative conference to examine these problems. This conference has been at work for some time and progress has been made in the preparation of plans.

May I ask for the names of the people on this committee? Will the right hon. Gentleman circulate the names in the OFFICIAL REPORT?

I shall be glad if the hon. Lady will put that question down.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reasons justifying the continuance of the system of collective fining on communities in Palestine and, in particular, what was the justification at Givat Shaul, when it was admitted that this community was not accessory to the attack on the High Commissioner and gave no passive or active assistance to the attackers or harboured them, but strongly condemned the outrage.

The system of collective fines is justified by the present state of public security in Palestine. As regards the fine on the Jewish settlement of Givat Shaul, this was imposed on account of the failure of the settlement to render all assistance in their power to discover the criminals who attacked the High Commissioner on 8th August. After the attack, several men were seen running from the engagement and entering the Jewish settlement of Givat Shaul. This was later confirmed by police dogs. Preparations at the scene of the crime had apparently beta made under cover of bogus survey operations. Two surveyors' levelling poles were found on the site of the attack and a similar pole was found in the precincts of a house marked by the dogs at Givat Shaul. Police cordoned the settlement immediately, but no one in the settlement volunteered or gave any useful information.

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman does not appreciate that this penalty inflicts hardship upon many innocent persons and is, in fact, a repressive method sometimes pursued by the enemy?

Here is a case where, in a small settlement, the presence of potential murderers must have been known. Not one single inhabitant assisted the law in bringing these criminals to justice, and I think that, in these circumstances, the penalty is fully justified.

Will the right hon. Gentleman note that these are the sort of arguments used by the Herrenvolk in Germany?

I am not interested in the arguments they use. I think the arguments I have used are good arguments, which I am prepared to justify in any assembly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement as to the nature of the development scheme in Uganda estimated to cost approximately £2,000,000.

The scheme comprises a comprehensive six-year programme of development under the headings of Education, Health, Natural Resources, Social Welfare, Communications and Research at a cost of approximately £5,000,000. Of this, application will be made for £2,300,000 under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act. A copy of the scheme is being placed in the Library.

May I ask how the policy is going to be carried out? Is it by a special committee or by the Colonial Government?

No, Sir. The Colonial Government will, of course, carry out the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to enable the banana growers in Jamaica to replant their banana groves after the recent destruction of the banana plants by a hurricane in August of this year.

I have recently informed the Governor that His Majesty's Government will, subject to the House voting the funds required, provide financial assistance to the banana growers by grants and loans for replanting and by extension of the guaranteed purchase scheme, on lines recommended by the majority of a representative committee which the Governor set up to consider the matter following the hurricane in August last. As the details are necessarily long, I am circulating a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the right hon. Gentleman also arranging to see that we have the banana boats available; and can he say when we are likely to see a banana here?

The question regarding shipping, I am afraid, must be addressed to the Ministry of War Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what recommendations were made by the Land Valuation Commission appointed by the Governor of Jamaica and presided over by the Collector General, the Hon. Simon Bloomfield; and whether copies of the Report and the evidence are available in this country.

No copies of this report have yet reached me, but I have asked the Governor for them and for a copy of the evidence, if it was published. I will communicate again with the hon. Member when I have the Governor's reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Gibraltarians remain in this country and Northern Ireland; and what are the objections to the rest of them being sent home.

Approximately 6,500 Gibraltarians remain in Northern Ireland and 1,000 in this country. More than 6,000 have already returned. The return of the remainder is delayed by shortage of accommodation caused by bombing, demolition, dilapidation, increase of naval, military and air force establishments, the provision of an aerodrome and loss of accommodation in La Linea.

May I ask if the Minister has given the Gibraltarians an opportunity of remaining in this country if they so desire?

Some are staying for the moment; nobody has been deported.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the negotiations for the settlement of the award to the people of Opobo arising out of the Ja-Ja case have now successfully terminated.

Yes, Sir. The Houses of Opobo have now agreed to the procedure proposed by the Nigerian Government whereby payment is to be made to the Houses concerned, each House being left to distribute its share among its members as they may decide between themselves.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether, after this successful termination of discussions, the papers will be laid in a very short time now?

That is a matter for the Houses concerned. I gather that some delay has been caused by the question of the lawyers' fees.

May I take it that the fees will not be greater than the award?

I am afraid I cannot answer that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether arrangements to avoid food shortages in African Colonies are now in operation; and whether the supply of labour for local food production is adequate to the need.

The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's Question is in the affirmative. This is a matter which all the Colonial Governments watch very closely and I have asked them to keep me fully informed. In reply to the second part of the Question, my information is that where shortages have occurred in the past they have been due not to shortage of labour but to adverse seasons. In any case I can assure the hon. Member that steps will be taken by importation, if necessary, to deal with any shortages that occur.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether the railway companies will be able to improve their passenger train services this winter, in view of the course of hostilities on the Continent.

As from 2nd October, the railways will run the same services that they provided last winter. The companies will still have to contend with difficulties over man-power, locomotives and rolling stock, and they must still give priority to the large volume of essential traffic that is passing. My hon. Friend will understand, therefore, that it will not be possible to restore normal peace-time passenger services in the early future.

Can the hon. Gentleman say anything with regard to the restoration of the restaurant car service?

I am afraid that I could not make a statement yet.

May I ask the hon. Gentleman if, at any rate, it will be possible, first, to improve the running time of the long distance trains, and secondly, if he cannot restore restaurant cars, will he, at least, consider putting on buffet cars, as the need is very greatly felt by the travelling public?

Yes, Sir, I recognise that, but we have tried to improve restaurant facilities on stations, and we will certainly restore the restaurant cars or buffet cars as soon as we can, but it is really now a choice between seats for passengers and buffet cars.

asked the Minister of Information what steps he is taking to make known to the world, including our Allies, the achievements of British troops in every part of the world.

The reporting of the exploits of British troops is the task of nearly 700 Allied war correspondents attached either to Supreme Allied Headquarters or to British Forces in Western Europe, Italy, South-East Asia and the Middle East. The Ministry of Information provides numerous services all over the world which supplement the work of these correspondents.

While that is an eminently satisfactory reply, why is it that, in the mass of United States papers reaching this country, it is almost to be gathered that British troops are not in the field at all?

It may well be that the correspondents supply the necessary material to the papers but the papers are not able to find space for it.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary, for instance, satisfied that the American public realise that the great majority of General Montgomery's troops for a very long time were British?

We are not satisfied with any impression that exists which is an incorrect one, and we do our best to correct those wrong impressions.

Is it possible that, with this vast army of war correspondents, only a very minute part of their despatches get through because of their hold-up by the military authorities, on grounds which are not security grounds?

I do not think that there is any ground for that suggestion at all.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the Americans are complaining very bitterly that, while their own correspondents are entitled to send free news from the American sector of war, in their view the achievements of the British are hidden by the strictness of the Army, Navy, and Air Force censorship in this country?

I was not aware of that.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary treat this matter seriously and follow up the investigation, because it is causing a great deal of concern in this country, and the Ministry of Information is responsible and it cannot get out of its responsibility?

I would like to assure the right hon. Baronet that the Ministry of Information is very concerned indeed to see that the achievements of the British troops are given full recognition all over the world, and we do our best to that end.

asked the Minister of Information to what extent restriction on publication of the reports of the Polish rising in Warsaw at the beginning of August was imposed by the Ministry of Information either by prohibition or request.

No restriction was imposed nor any request to this effect made by the Ministry of Information.

Are we then to assume that by some peculiar feat of telepathy almost the entire Press of this country held up this extremely important information for several days?

I do not know what assumptions my hon. and gallant Friend makes, but it is the fact, as I say, that we have nothing at all to do with it. We did not impose any restrictions on its publication nor did we make any request to that effect.

Has the Ministry of Information made no such representations to any of the Service Departments?

I am unable to speak for the Service Departments.

asked the Postmaster-General what reward was paid by his department to Mr. E. C. Jenvey, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, for handing over to the police two postal packages containing £3,700 in notes, which he found under the hedge near the church, and which were afterwards found to be part of the contents of a stolen mail bag.

The facts are not quite as stated by the hon. Member. Mr. Jenvey found and handed over to the police a mail bag containing unregistered postal packets only, for which he was paid a reward of £1. Two registered postal packets containing £3,250 in notes were recovered by the police during a search on the following day.

asked the Prime Minister whether the United Nations have fixed any final date before the conclusion of hostilities with Germany prior to which a former enemy country is permitted to change sides and enjoy the benefits of doing so.

No, Sir.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if the present policy coincides or can be reconciled with the policy of unconditional surrender?

His Majesty's Government have always made it plain that the conditions would be harder the longer the satellites remained with the Germans, but I would point out to my hon. and gallant Friend that I really cannot understand how it is possible to fix a date on which action must be taken, by reference to some unascertainable date in the future.

Is there any time limit within which Ministers of the Crown are permitted to change sides?

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will consider the desirability of granting temporary release to men and women of the Armed Forces for the purpose of contesting vacancies on local authorities in the same manner as personnel are temporarily released to contest Parliamentary by-elections.

Local Government elections are not now held. When these elections are resumed the Service Departments will consider what facilities should be granted to Service personnel who wish to contest for vacancies.

asked the Prime Minister when it is proposed to move the Order confirming the Emergency Powers (Defence) Coal (Charges) Order (S.R. & O., No. 881, of 1944).

I should be obliged if my hon. Friend would await the usual Business statement.

asked the Prime Minister when the Government proposes to issue the promised White Paper on post-war Social Security; and will he make a statement.

The first Part of the White Paper, dealing with the general scheme of Social Insurance, was published yesterday. The second Part, dealing with Industrial Injury Insurance, will be available to hon. Members later to-day.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he did not appreciate that I put this Question down some weeks ago before the White Paper was issued? May I further ask him whether the Government are giving every attention to the future of the approved society staffs who will become redundant under the new scheme? Can he promise on behalf of the Government that those staffs will be taken over by the State organisation or, alternatively, given compensation?

asked the Minister of Supply if his Ministry is still collecting iron railings and if in view of the stocks still unmelted, he will give directions to discontinue any further collecting.

asked the Minister of Supply if he can make a statement now on the removal of iron railings from churches, parks, etc., and give an assurance that no more will be taken unless he is of opinion that the stocks he has are likely to be exhausted.

The scrap from railings has made a very valuable contribution to iron and steel supplies in a time of acute need. Only small, scattered quantities of railings now remain and as their removal would involve disproportionate labour and transport I have decided, in consultation with my Noble Friend, the Minister of Works, to suspend further collection.

May I ask my right hon. Friend if he will make it quite clear, when removing these railings—[HON. MEMBERS: "He has stopped removing them."]—that although the general public are using the open spaces, this use does not constitute or create in any form a right of way, and that the railings will be substituted by his Ministry as soon as metal becomes available?

May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman proposes to collect the miles of railings which now decorate the beaches of this country?

asked the Minister of Supply whether all restrictions have now been removed from the publication in this country of complete information about methods of manufacturing penicillin; and, if not, whether he will arrange for this at the earliest opportunity.

The methods of producing penicillin have been described in the technical Press and complete information is, of course, freely exchanged between manufacturers producing under Government auspices in this country and America.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he can make a statement as to the progress made with the scheme and production of suits and the full range of clothing to be supplied to men demobilised or discharged from the armed Forces; and if he can announce a date when such supplies will be available for issue by the respective Service Ministries.

Contracts have been placed for the whole range of clothing to be supplied to men released or discharged from the Army and Air Force and supplies are coming forward in substantial quantities. The second part of the Question is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for War and the Secretary of State for Air.

Could I ask my right hon. Friend, as there are three Ministers involved, whether he was not responsible for that excellent exhibition at Olympia to Members of Parliament; and will those arrangements about fitters and measurers and all other people who are necessary, be put in operation by his Department or by the other Ministries, far the demobilised men? Good-fitting clothes are very important. These are good clothes and we do not want them wasted. Will he be responsible?

That would have to be considered.

Arising out of the original reply, is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that there is sufficient staff to make the number of suits which will be wanted in the immediate future and are the supplies adequate?

Of course labour is one of the very great difficulties at the present time and every attention is being directed to making sure that we get the labour we need.

Will the right hon. Gentleman admit that there are tens of thousands of workers in his factories doing nothing?

Will he see to it that there is no undue regimentation in the form of headgear so that a man is free to choose a soft hat, a bowler or a cap?

Will the right hon. Gentleman make representations to the Ministry of Labour regarding the adequate supply of labour to make these suits?

We will get into touch with the Minister of Labour.

Could I ask my right hon. Friend how many suits are available now, and at what rate they are being turned out?

Obviously I could not give that information.

Could the Minister say this to the men who will have to wear these suits—is he satisfied that they arc clothes in which he himself would be proud to parade the streets?

I would be most happy to go out in the clothes that I saw.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has not yet given a reply to my question.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will take immediate steps to secure the release for other work of idle personnel in factories engaged on contracts for his Ministry.

Arrangements already exist for notifying the Ministry of Labour and National Service of personnel becoming redundant through the termination of contracts. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind, I shall be glad to look into it.

Is the Minister not aware that key people in other industries at present speeding up the post-war work are still being taken and posted to factories where they will be redundant? Can he not speed up the inevitable new regulations which must be being prepared at headquarters? People are being taken from essential work and sent to nonessential work at the present time.

That is really not a question for me but for the Ministry of Labour.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will now consider permitting a certain amount of sawn timber to be stored in the neighbourhood of docks and centres of transport in order to facilitate movement and reduce cost.

Yes, Sir. A certain amount of sawn timber is now being stored in dock areas and the possibility of extending this arrangement is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Food why, in the Emergency Powers (Defence) Food (Home Grown Grains: Barley) Order (S.R. & 0., No. 787, of 1944), human food is defined as including groats, pearl barley, etc., other than beer, spirits, malt or products of malt.

The definition quoted is intended to make it clear that where the words "human food" occur in this particular Order, beer, spirits, malt or products of malt are not referred to. It has no other implication.

Is my right hon. and gallant Friend not aware that whilst bread is the staff of life, beer is life itself?