asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the case of old people who may not live to receive payment for their destroyed houses after the war and who, because of the loss of their property, are obliged to get other accommodation for which they cannot afford to pay and are consequently driven to poor relief, he will arrange for payment to be made for their destroyed property in advance of the general post-war settlement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my Noble Friend the Member for the Sutton Division of Plymouth (Viscountess Astor) on 19th October last, and to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Spearman) on 7th December last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the amounts offered by the War Damage Commission to owners of bombed property are inadequate to meet the requirements of the present day in respect of rebuilding; and whether the Commission have any power to increase amounts in special cases of hardship.

I assume the Noble' Lady is referring not to cost of works cases—in which the actual current reasonable cost of reinstatement is paid—but to value payment cases. The value payment prescribed in the War Damage Act is not related to building costs, but roughly speaking is the difference, calculated at March, 1939, values, between the market value of the property before the war damage and the market value after the war damage. The letter accompanying the Commission's provisional estimates (of which I am sending the Noble Lady a specimen copy) invites claimants who do not agree with the amount estimated to give reasons for their views and any special features which, in their opinion, should affect the valuation. The answer to the last part of the Question is in the negative, but Section 11 of the Act empowers an increase in the amount of value payments, at the time when payments come to be made, if circumstances arising since 26th March, 1941, which was the date of the original War Damage Act, are found to justify such increase.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, with regard to the small individual property owners whose property has been damaged by enemy action and by reason of the delay in effecting repairs are receiving no rentals for the same, he will make some contribution to meet such cases, in view of the great hardship experienced in loss of revenue; and what steps he is taking to expedite repairs to such property owned by people of limited means.

Loss of income, including income from rents, has been sustained as a result off many causes arising out of the war and I regret that it is not possible to provide compensation in so wide a field. In reply to the last part of the Question I would draw the hon. Member's attention to recent statements by my colleagues and in particular to the arrangements made by the Minister of Reconstruction in order to render damaged houses habitable as rapidly as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that Purchase Tax is charged on gifts sent to their parents and relatives by members of the Armed Forces overseas; and if he will take steps to remove the tax in these cases.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Loverseed) on 26th September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether gifts sent home by members of His Majesty's Forces serving overseas are subjected to Purchase Tax.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Loverseed) on 26th September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the decision of the House of Lords in the case of Allchin versus Corporation of South Shields and to the fact that the decision places local authorities which obtain private Acts containing certain special provisions as to the form of their accounts in a more favourable position as regards Income Tax than local authorities which have no such private Acts; and whether he will consider the introduction of legislation with a view to putting all local authorities on an equal footing in this respect without the expenditure of public money and Parliamentary time involved in the promotion of private Acts.

I am aware of the effect of the decision in the South Shields case, and propose to include in next year's Finance Bill, but with effect from the beginning of the current Income Tax year 1944 /45, provisions which will give the benefits of that decision to local authorities generally. The promotion of further private Acts for the purpose of bringing authorities within the scope of the decision will therefore be unnecessary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants are exempt from Income Tax.

Civil servants enjoy no exemption from Income Tax, but are liable like anyone else if their incomes exceed the effective exemption limits determined by the various personal allowances. I cannot say how many have incomes below the effective exemption limit.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that in several cases the whole of a workman's wage, for one or more weeks, as may be required to meet the sum due for tax purposes, has been deducted; and why the instruction not to deduct an amount of Income Tax due from workmen leaving them with a less amount than was prescribed to take home as wages in a given week, has now been withdrawn.

The cases to which my hon. Friend is referring are, I think, cases in which an employee's code number has been reduced during the year in the light of facts which were not known when the initial coding took place. In such cases the automatic application of the tax tables might have the result of very heavy deductions on the first pay day immediately after the change, and it has been the rule that a reduction of code number should not, be made during the year without the taxpayer's concurrence, the additional tax due being left over to be taken into account in the next year's coding. It appears, however, that some employees have given their concurrence to a change of code number during the year without fully realising the position, and revised instructions have now been issued which will prevent such disproportionately heavy deductions in future.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he proposes to cause an inquiry into the present state of local government finance and the probable effect of recent legislation on highly rated areas.

A general overhaul of the financial relations between the Exchequer and local authorities will have to be undertaken as soon as the data on which it can be based become available. The Government recognise that this overhaul will have to be carried out with a definite bias in favour of the poorer authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take the necessary steps to so amend the Defence (Finance) Regulations, 1939, and the Trading with the Enemy Act, 1939, that, where certain declarations printed on the back of transfer deeds have to be signed, this may be done not only by bankers, stockbrokers and solicitors but by all holders of principals' licences issued by the Board of Trade.

The declaration in question is called for under the Defence (Finance) Regulations, and its form has been designed to meet the convenience of the public. After careful consideration I am not satisfied that any inconvenience to the public is caused by the existing limitations, which reflect the importance which I must attach in present circumstances to the declarations regarding residence and enemy interest. The whole matter will, however, be considered afresh in the light of post-war requirements, and the suggestion made by my hon. Friend will certainly not be overlooked.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state to the nearest £1,000,000 what amount, respectively, of the £211,000,000 of interest-bearing Ways and Means advances, the £183,000,000 of interest - free Ways and Means advances, the £3,149,000,000 of Treasury Bills and the various loans which made up the total of £13,374,000,000 of other Internal Debt, excluding Funding Loan and Victory Bonds tendered for Death Duties, was held on 31st March, 1944, by each separate Government Department.

Of the Internal Debt, other than Floating Debt, the National Debt Commissioners held on 31st March, 1944, a total of £1,559,000,000 for various Funds, accounts of which are published annually; £19,000,000 was held by the Minister of Health on behalf of Approved Societies; and a further £18,000,000 was held in small amounts by a number of other Government Departments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the Bretton Woods plan involves the return to a Gold Standard, he will assure the House that there has been no change in the Government policy.

I do not accept the statement in the first part of the Question. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 28th September to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton (Mr. Craven-Ellis).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view both of the changed circumstances of munitions production and of other factors, he has found it possible to start reducing the numbers of temporary civil servants engaged in Government Departments.

The number of temporary civil servants employed in some Government Departments has diminished and is diminishing. But the number employed in others is unavoidably increasing. Thus in the quarter ended 1st July, 1944, there was a fairly heavy increase in the Ministry of Food, due to staff taken on temporarily in connection with exchange of ration books; and there were also increases in the Admiralty, and in the Ministries of Aircraft Production, Labour, War Transport, Pensions, Works and some other Departments.

The total figure for whole-time non-industrial staffs employed by Government Departments on 1st July, 1944, was 677,202, as compared with 692,578 who were in post a year previously. Part-time employees have increased during the year from 76,093 to 93,851.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the cost of the houses recently erected at Levenvale by the Special Housing Association.

The estimated cost of these houses is about £719 per house, exclusive of cost of roads, land and fees, but including house connections to main services.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether satisfactory arrangements have been made with the trade unions concerned with regard to the erection of the Weir steel houses in Scotland.

Yes, Sir. I am glad to say that Messrs. G. and J. Weir and the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives have agreed on the arrangements with regard to wages and working conditions to be observed in connection with the erection in Scotland of 100 experimental Weir steel houses during the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the total number of houses built by the corporations of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen, respectively, in each of the years 1919 to 1939, inclusive.

The following table gives the particulars asked for:

Number of houses built by the Corporations of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen in each of the years 1919–1939 inclusive.
Year	Corporations of:
	Glasgow.	Edinburgh.	Dundee.	Aberdeen
1919	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
1920	20	15	Nil	Nil
1921	169	163	254	Nil
1922	123	380	252	Nil
1923	2,292	494	256	156
1924	2,646	89	40	Nil
1925	1,161	851	228	66
1926	1,879	789	377	96
1927	3,880	1,112	973	382
1928	3,574	1,295	451	584
1929	6,390	570	550	729
1930	3,228	319	54	492
1931	2,684	630	378	524
1932	2,416	1,101	408	Nil
1933	2,843	2,274	606	90
1934	4,439	758	345	204
1935	3,926	858	430	570
1936	1,985	402	701	614
1937	1,841	618	376	526
1938	2,788	1,146	335	818
1939	2,227	830	846	602
Total	50,511	14,694	7,860	6,453

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposed hydro-electric power sources have been surveyed in the islands of the Outer Hebrides; and when it is proposed to begin constructional work there.

I am informed that the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board are at present surveying the water power resources of the Outer Hebrides with a view to ascertaining how far they can be used for Hydro-Electric development. Until this survey has been completed it is impossible to say when a contructional scheme will be put forward.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether in view of the refusal of the Glasgow Corporation to exercise its powers to refund eight years' superannuation contributions to Miss Johnston, an employee at the Caldwell House Certified Institution, who resigned owing to her supersession in control of the laundry, he can state reasons for this decision; and whether he will introduce legislation to modify the Asylum Officers Superannuation Act of 1909 to place all employees who exercise their right to resign on the same footing with others to whom superannuation contributions are refunded by law.

I am informed by the Glasgow Corporation that having regard to the circumstances in which Miss Johnston left their employment and to the statutory provisions in regard to the return of contributions they cannot see their way to refund all or any portion of Miss Johnston's contributions. The matter is not one in which I have any authority to intervene. The question of amending legislation in the general sense indicated by the hon. Member has been noted for consideration at the first suitable opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now considered the Report of the Balfour Committee on Hill Sheep Farming in Scotland; and whether he proposes to introduce legislation to give effect to its recommendations.

I have considered the report carefully, together with observations on it which have been sent to me by the National Farmers' Union and other organisations interested in the industry. Discussions with these bodies are at present in progress and will, I hope, soon be completed. The question of legislation will then be considered.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport how many commodities are still subject to zoning; and what prospect there is of early modification of these arrangements.

I understand that the following are the principal commodities or services subject to some form of zoning:Retail deliveries:

General retail	Coal
deliveries	Laundry
Milk

Wholesaler's or manufacturer's distribution:

Beer	Preserves
Cider	Bulk flour
Apple Juice	Self-raising flour
Soft drinks	Biscuit flour
Tea	Soya Flour
Coffee	Margarine and cooking fats
Cocoa Powder
Cocoa butter	Rice
Bread	Sugar
Milk	Syrup and treacle
Condensed and	Dried fruits
dried milk	Salt
Butter and cheese	Yeast
Eggs	Cereal breakfast
Chocolates and	foods
sweets	Pickles and sauces
Cigarettes	Sausages and open-
White fish	packed meats
Meat and livestock	Sausage rusks
Bacon and ham	Synthetic cream
Certain fresh fruit	Soap
and vegetables	Starch
Potatoes	Utility furniture
General groceries	Animal feeding
and provisions	stuffs
Biscuits and	Waste Paper
crispbreads	Lubricating Oil
Tins for packing	Plaster board
foodstuffs	Stoneware pipes
Cakes and flour	Hardware
Confectionery

In addition, restrictions of varying kinds on road or rail movements apply to the following:

Furniture removals	Funerals
Certain fruit and	Newsprint
vegetables	Bricks
Flowers	Stone, slag and
Home-grown grain	lime
Race horses	Sand and gravel

So far as transport is concerned, these schemes contribute greatly to the relief of the war-time transport problem, but transport is often only one of a number of factors to be considered in relation to distribution and consumption. Other considerations relate to shortage of supplies, labour, factory and warehouse space and to the desire to secure equitable distribution.Every effort will be made to withdraw as many restrictions as possible as soon as practicable after the end of the war, but it is unlikely that there will be any radical change in circumstances in the immediate post-war period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in his negotiations on post-war trade with Russia, he is arranging to receive large supplies of building timber.

Yes, Sir. Timber is at the head of the list of goods we wish to buy from Russia.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that British fashion designers will be unable to compete with new developments in world markets unless the existing austerity and utility restrictions on women's clothes are ended; and whether he is yet in a position to make any statement about this matter.

My right hon. Friend is in touch with trade bodies in order to ascertain their views on the most convenient arrangements for the removal of the austerity restrictions when supplies of material and labour make it possible to do so.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what markets outside the United Kingdom permission to export footwear is being granted at the present time; and whether he will consider making some allocation of footwear to distributors in Newfoundland.

Exports of foot-wear have had to be severely restricted and are practically confined to New Zealand and the British Colonies. So long as the present shortage continues, I regret that I cannot make an allocation to Newfoundland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can make a full statement on the negotiations and consultations that have taken place with representatives of the U.S.S.R. about trade and the results of similar talks that have taken place about trade with firms or industries.

The time for a full statement has not yet arrived, but discussions are proceeding.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total amount and value of briarwood for pipes imported before the war; and what proportion of it was imported from Spain.

Imports of briarwood for pipes are not separately recorded in the trade returns of the United Kingdom. The quantity and value of blocks of briar root, blocks for bobbins, sewing thread reels, golf club heads, boot lasts and octagonal roller blocks,. roughly shaped but not further manufactured, imported into this country in each of the years 1936, 1937 and 1938, were as follows:

			cwts.	£
1936	…	…	62,604	66,833
1937	…	…	76,213	72,926
1938	…	…	204,003	125,362

In 1936, 145 Cwts. valued at £458 were imported from Spain; there were no imports from Spain in 1937 and 1938.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the interpretation of the term Cartel, as understood by his Department.

According to common usage, a cartel is an arrangement between a number of independent producers or traders for the regulation of prices, production, or supply of a commodity.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations have been made to his Department for facilities to get a start made now of drawings, plans, etc., for post-war production by firms or groups of firms now engaged in war work; and what encouragement has his Department been able to give to these requests.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to-day to similar Questions on this subject.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he receives reports from the Treasury representative on the Crown Estates Paving Commission as to the activities of that body; and whether, through its representative, the Treasury exerts any authority over the actions of the Commission.

The answer to both parts of the Question is "No."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport what arrangements have been made for the removal of unnecessary road blocks.

The highway authorities will remove road blocks as quickly as this can be done with the available labour.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is yet in a position to make any public statement about the progress which has been made during the war in the discovery and working of petroleum deposits in Great Britain; and whether, in view of the fact that information on this subject can now no longer be of material value to the enemy, he is prepared to give full details.

Such information on this subject as can at present be published appeared in the Press on 23rd September, and I am sending to my hon. Friend a copy of the statement which was issued to the Press.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) when he expects to receive the Severn Hydro-electric Report;

(2) if he will appoint a water power resources committee; ask for a report upon the utilisation of tidal power and other water supplies that could be harnessed for hydro-electric power production and make a special investigation of the Conway, Mersey, Dee, Solway, Humber and Thames.

Investigation into hydro-electric resources is proceeding in the North of Scotland, North Wales and in connection with a Severn Barrage. I am hoping very shortly to receive the report of the Committee on the latter scheme. Until that is received and a decision reached, it would, I think, be premature to consider the appointment of a general water power resources Committee.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the estimated increases in consumption of electricity, gas and coal due to the relaxation of the blackout; and whether any steps have been taken to effect countervailing economies by removing the permanent black-out in Government-owned factories and else-where.

While there will no doubt be some increase in the consumption of fuel as a result of the recent relaxation of lighting restrictions, it is not possible to form any reliable estimate of its extent. Moreover, it does not necessarily follow that, because in some areas "dim-out" conditions have now replaced black-out, there will in every case be an increase in the consumption of gas or electricity. As regards the second part of the Question, the substitution of removable for permanent black-out in factories has for a long time been given active attention by the Departments concerned, and substantial progress in this direction has been achieved. This will, of course, have given rise to substantial economies, but I regret I cannot give any reliable figures.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, whether he can make a statement on the future re-equipment and expansion of public utility undertakings.

My concern is with public utility undertakings supplying gas and electricity. As regards gas, I appointed some months ago a Committee of Inquiry into the structure and organisation of the gas industry, and until I receive their Report, I am not in a position to make any statement. As regards electricity, I have been discussing with the associations of the industry proposals which they have put forward for the postwar period, but the Government have not yet reached any decision on the matter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much coal was exported to France in the years June, 1938, to June, 1939, and June, 1939, to June, 1940; and what is estimated to be the French requirements of British coal for the first year of liberation.

The total exports of coal from Great Britain to France in the years ended 30th June, 1939, and 30th June, 1940, were 5,350,000 tons and 5,650,000 tons respectively. It is not yet possible to make any definite estimates of French requirements of British coal in the first year following liberation until more is known about the capacity of the Continental mines and the possibilities of moving coal on the European inland transport system.

asked the Minister of Fuel arid Power whether the agreements of 1933 by which Sweden undertook that 47 per cent., Norway undertook that 70 per cent. and Denmark undertook that 80 per cent. of their imports of coal should be obtained from Britain are still in force; and whether steps are being taken to retain these markets for this country.

The agreement with Sweden is technically in force but for practical reasons cannot operate in war conditions; those with Norway and Denmark are in suspense so long as those countries are in enemy occupation. As regards the last part of the Question, these markets, the importance of which to the coal export trade is fully appreciated, will be considered in the light of general commercial policy and in relation to the, supply position and the demands of other markets.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why, in view of the limited allocations of petrol to taxi-drivers, he has used the first surplus supplies to assist vehicles and omnibuses running on producer gas; and will he reconsider the position.

The decision referred to by my hon. Friend was taken not as a part of any scheme for the relaxation of petrol rationing, which, as I stated in reply to Questions on Tuesday, 26th September, is not at present practicable, but because it was felt that the small additional consumption of petrol involved was justified by the saving in the manpower required for maintaining and servicing public service and commercial vehicles propelled by producer gas.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will now allow the basic ration of petrol to be granted to responsible business executives, so that they may be able speedily to get round their districts to arrange their post-war business and keep their staffs fully employed.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to similar questions on 26th September.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that, on a number of recent occasions, details of the progress of operations have been simultaneously stopped by the field censorship in Belgium and released by S.H.A.E.F. in England, with the result that messages from war correspondents serving with the Second Army are often obsolete by the time they reach the newspaper offices; and if, in view of the importance of adequate eyewitness reporting of the achievements of the British Army of Liberation, he will endeavour to secure greater uniformity of practice as between the two groups of censors.

In view of the speed of the advance of the British Second Army—particularly from the Seine to the Scheldt—and of the consequent strain on communications some unevenness in censorship was unavoidable. But I am sure that the Supreme Allied Commander is as anxious as anyone to reduce instances of this as far as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many British and American newspaper correspondents, respectively, have been granted permits by S.H.A.E.F. to visit Paris.

Applications to go to Paris from any of the large number of correspondents accredited to Supreme Headquarters are considered by that Headquarters. I understand that there are at present 60 Americans, 28 British and Dominion and 4 Allied correspondents now in Paris. Of these, about 40 are on temporary facility visits from this country. All war correspondents accredited to formations in France—whether they are British or American—are able to visit Paris if they wish to. Such visits are arranged locally and no special permits from Supreme Headquarters are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that, owing, to repeated failures of communication and transmission, war correspondents serving with the Second Army have been unable to report adequately the present operation in Holland; and if, in view of the importance of recording as thoroughly and promptly as possible the achievements of the British Forces in the present campaign and in forthcoming operations in Germany, he will endeavour to afford fuller transmission and other facilities to the public relations service concerned.

I am aware of the difficulties to which the hon. Member refers. As far as wireless transmission is concerned, they are due to shortage of high speed equipment and to the pressure on the limited number of radio frequencies which are available. As regards other methods of transmission, the speed of out advance and the destruction wrought by the enemy have placed a great strain on land lines and submarine cables and have delayed the establishment of teleprinter circuits. The position has improved in the last week and I very much hope that the improvement will continue. But I must make it clear that first preference in the use of existing means of communication and in the allocation of new equipment must be given to the operational traffic necessary to win the battle.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, when considering allowances for children, he will see that they are paid to the mother instead of the father, since the mother is entirely responsible for spending the money to the best advantage for the children.

Family lodging allowance in the case of officers and family allowance in the case of other ranks are emolu- ments of the officer and soldier concerned. It has, however, been the normal practice in war-time to pay family allowance direct to the soldier's wife on his behalf. As I explained in a reply I gave the hon. Member for Bassetlaw on 18th July, such arrangements cannot be made for officers.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of days of leave granted per annum to troops serving on the Indo-Burma front.

British Army personnel serving on the India-Burma front are eligible for. 28 days' recuperative leave annually to the nearest health resort, subject to the exigencies of the Services, with entitlement to free travel to the destination. My hon. Friend will appreciate that it may be necessary for operational reasons to curtail this leave.

asked the Secretary of State for War what provision is made for married Servicemen with more than three years' service in the Middle East to receive compassionate leave in order that they may return home to start a family.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the disquiet and misunderstanding caused in the Middle East by the general order regarding the granting of compassionate leave for men wishing to start a family, he can make a full statement.

asked the Secretary of State for War what instructions have been issued by overseas commands to those troops desirous of repatriation to the home forces on the grounds of undertaking marital obligations.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has any statement to make about the Middle East General Order that married men with more than three years' service in the Middle East could obtain compassionate leave on the grounds that they wanted to return home to start a family.

I have called for a report on this matter. I hope hon. Members will allow me to wait until I receive it before I make any statement. Meantime, I have seen the despatch from "The Times" correspondent in Cairo which does not, however, entirely elucidate things. It looks as if the trouble arose in the first instance from the publication as a General Routine Order of a classification of compassionate cases intended solely for guidance and not for promulgation. If this is so I can quite understand why an unmanageable number of applications was received.

asked the Secretary of State for War when it is proposed to reopen enlistment of boys for Home Service as drummers, trumpeters, etc.

A limited number of boys have been able for some time to volunteer to join those bands whose peace establishments include boys.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether civilian service overseas, immediately before military service, can now be counted as reckonable when assessing eligibility for posting home on grounds of long service abroad.

Under the present rules the answer to my hon. and gallant Friend is "No, Sir."

asked the Secretary of State for War the approximate proportion of combatant troops of non-Germanic origin captured on the Western Front since D Day, with such details as he can give as to their respective countries of origin.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has any further information concerning the reposting of the soldier, of whose name and number he has been informed, who was sent to serve behind the enemy's lines in Burma despite the expiry of five years' continuous overseas service.

This soldier has been withdrawn from his unit and will return to this country in the next convoy.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the inclement weather which has attended much of the operations on the Continent, he can make any statement on the number of pneumonia cases which have resulted; and whether the supply of M. and B. is adequate in all cases.

No information is as yet available of the number of cases of pneumonia among British troops fighting in Europe. The answer to the last part of the Question is "Yes, Sir."

asked the Secretary of State for War whether full provision has been made for the supply of warm clothing to our troops who will be on the Continent this winter.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will specify the alien countries whose nationals serving in the British Army are permitted to wear flashes on their uniforms designating their country of origin.

The only male nationals of alien countries serving in the British Army who are permitted to wear designations on their uniforms denoting their country of origin are Danes.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an assurance that there will be a relaxation of the present practice under which young men joining the Army are precluded from being posted to specialised branches and are compelled to serve as Infantry.

I am not aware of the practice to which my hon. Friend refers. Men are posted in accordance with the needs of the Service, having due regard to their qualifications, physical and otherwise. Obviously, Arms such as Infantry, in which the casualties are greatest, must have the larger allotment of available intakes.

asked the Secretary of State for War what principles are being applied by the S.H.A.E.F. with regard to granting permission to business men of allied nationality to go to France for the purpose of re-establishing their trade connections; and whether he can give an assurance that British business men will be given facilities in this respect not less favourable than those accorded to other Allied nationals.

The principles which Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force, are observing in this matter are fully described in a statement recently issued by them and published in "The Times" on 25th September. This statement makes it clear that it is the policy of Supreme Headquarters to accord the same facilities to British business men as those accorded to other Allied nationals; and adds that allegations that this policy is being violated will be thoroughly investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent Brest has been wantonly destroyed by the enemy; whether it is known what Germans are responsible for this; and whether they will be brought to trial and punished for their crime.

Brest has undoubtedly been severely damaged as a result of German demolitions, apart from the damage caused by Allied bombardments. I regret I am not in a position to say to what extent the destruction wrought by the German forces was wanton.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when it will be possible for business messages to be written on the postcards which are now allowed to be sent between England and France.

His Majesty's Government attach importance to the early restoration of full communications with France and the matter is receiving the urgent consideration of the authorities concerned. It is, however, essential in connection with business messages to ensure that efficient trading with the enemy controls are operating in France, particularly in view of the influence which the Germans have acquired, and may seek to perpetuate by covert means, over French industry (finance and commerce). Business messages will be allowed as soon as arrangements to deal with this difficult problem have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can give any estimate of the total casualties suffered by Italian partisan forces; and how these casualties compare with those suffered by the Allied Forces in Italy.

I regret that no figures are available on which I could base such an estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he can make any statement on the present position regarding the receipt of mail, Red. Cross parcels and medical supplies by British prisoners of war in, the Far East.

Correspondence addressed to prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japanese hands is despatched regularly via the Soviet Union by normal postal machinery and the Soviet Authorities have given an assurance that it is re-forwarded to Japan without delay. Under Japanese censorship regulations no message may exceed twenty-five words. We have evidence that some at any rate of the letters eventually reach the prisoners; but it is impossible on our present evidence to say whether they are all delivered. In the opposite direction correspondence arrives in batches, some large and some small, at infrequent intervals and not regularly from the various camps. It is always dealt with immediately and distributed through the normal postal channels as rapidly as possible.

No regular route for the despatch of Red Cross supplies of food, clothing, medical necessities, etc., has yet been established because Japanese co-operation cannot be obtained. From the inception of captivity no effort has been spared to secure this co-operation and a number of schemes have been put to the Japanese but none has yet been accepted. Despite repeated reminders, no reply has been received to our latest proposal referred to in a reply given to the hon. Member for Twickenham by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 21st June. A large quantity of supplies was despatched last autumn from America to Vladisvostock under arrangements organised jointly by the American Red Cross, British Red Cross War Organisation and the Canadian Red Cross, but so far as my information goes they have not yet left Soviet territory. Negotiations regarding their onward movement have been proceeding for some time between the United States, the Soviet and the Japanese Governments. Apart from this the only opportunities so far for the despatch of such supplies offered by the Japanese have been through the medium of exchange ships employed in the exchange of diplomatic personnel and civilians; such ships have been used by the Allied Red Cross Societies to the maximum possible extent. The quantities so despatched are not adequate for the prisoners' needs, but we know that much of the supplies sent has reached the camps.

His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom in conjunction with the Governments of the Dominions and India and the United States Government are continuing their efforts to open a route for supplies to the Allied prisoners in Japanese hands, but experience over the last three years does not at present hold out much hope for the success of these efforts. Until the Japanese Government are prepared to act in the way which is now accepted by all civilised Governments in these matters, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the other Governments concerned are powerless to secure for our prisoners the minimum which they should 'receive on civilised standards.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will issue a White Paper, or otherwise inform the House, on the present position in Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, indicating the progress made since occupation in reconstructing the economic and social life of these territories.

A White Paper on the British military administration of occupied territories in Africa during the years 1941 to 1943 is being prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the arrangements for leave for the Forces on the Continent, Italy, the Middle East and India; and whether, in the case of men abroad for two years or more, he will facilitate leave arrangements at the earliest moment.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the full reply I gave to a number of hon. Members on Tuesday last.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can state the ratio per 1,000 of decorations awarded to, or mentions in despatches of, officers and other ranks, respectively, of His Majesty's Army since the commencement of the war.

I regret that it is not possible to supply the information in the form in which my hon. Friend has asked for it, as it would disclose information from which the strength of officers and other ranks in the Army could be derived.

asked the Prime Minister whether any decision has yet been reached on the issue of medals for members of the Home Guard and Civil Defence forces who have served over a minimum period.

No, Sir.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport (1) why the 12.15 a.m. train from Paddington to the West Country is not advertised, and why similar sleeping-car facilities cannot be provided on the ordinary night train travelling to Cornwall;(2) asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of official passengers using the sleeping-car facilities provided on the 12.15 a.m. train from Paddington to the West Country for the month of August or other suitable period.

The 12.15 a.m. train from Paddington to Cornwall is a newspaper train, not scheduled to carry passengers. As a special arrangement, sleeping accommodation is provided for twenty-four priority passengers; any berths surplus to priority requirements are available for disposal to the public. During the month of August the number of priority passengers for whom berths were reserved on this train was 404. There are serious operating difficulties in the way of providing sleepers on the ordinary night trains to Cornwall, but, at the request of a number of hon. Members, I am considering whether in present circumstances it would be practicable to surmount the difficulties.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why electrical artificers can only proceed to commissioned rank by way of warrant electrician, whereas engine-room and ordnance artificers are able to qualify by examination for accelerated promotion to commissioned rank; and whether he will consider providing equivalent opportunities for electrical artificers.

The requirements of the Navy for engineer officers have created an avenue of promotion for engine-room and ordnance artificers which does not exist for electrical artificers. The possibility of providing similar opportunities for the electrical artificer is under consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give any reason why boilermakers and repairers working in the East London Victoria Docks are called upon to work 24 hours on work and 24 hours off work; and why the men could not work three eight-hour shifts.

The hours of work for men engaged on ship repairs in the Port of London are laid down in the working rules agreed between both sides of the industry. There is provision in these rules for overtime, but not for shift working. The rules laid down that when men are required to work one day and one night consecutively they shall not work for the ensuing 24 hours. Altera- tion of the rules to provide for shift working would be a matter for discussion between the two sides of the industry. When, however, the question was last formally considered at the suggestion of the Admiralty, both sides were averse to its introduction. I should make it clear that the amount of night work is small and occurs at irregular intervals.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Imperial Calendar and Civil Service List is treated as a confidential document which cannot be purchased by the public; and whether, in view of the increasing inter-relationship of the Civil Service with all branches of public and private activity, he can now make arrangements for this list to be on sale at H.M.S.O.

The sale of the Imperial Calendar to the public was discontinued during the war for security reasons, but will be resumed after the war.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will have a White Paper published in a form best suited for the public, giving the Government Commissions and Committees and the names of persons serving, dealing with questions arising out of the war and questions that will arise at the close of the war.

This information is not readily available. It could only be obtained by inquiry of all Government Departments and would involve an expenditure of time and labour which in present circumstances could hardly be justified by the results to be obtained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the payments by the War Damage Commission now exceed the contributions; whether the anticipated ultimate excess will in addition absorb more than the Government's promised £200,000,000; and whether any approxi- mate date has been suggested for the termination of the present public contribution scheme.

In reply to the first and second parts of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for East Fulham (Mr. Astor) on 27th April and to the hon. Member for Tamworth (Sir J. Mellor) on 26th September. The War Damage Act, 1943, provides, subject to any action which may be taken under Section 80, for the collection of five instalments of contribution of which the last falls due on the 1st July next year.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider a national memorial to those who have lost their lives in this country by air-raids and flying bombs.

This matter cannot be dealt with until after the cessation of hostilities in Europe, when the question of commemoration can be reviewed as a whole. Until then neither the Government nor the local authorities can be in a position to decide whether commemoration should be national or local, or what form or scale of commemoration should be adopted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why no inquest was held on Beatrice Cook of Dagenham, a member. of the A.T.S., who died at Southend-on-Sea from anaphylactic shock caused by an injection of anti-typhoid vaccine, seeing that this death could not be considered as due to natural causes as the girl was healthy when the injection was made.

I have no information about the death to which my hon. Friend refers, but the question wheher a coroner should hold an inquest concerning a death which is reported to him is one for the coroner to decide on the information furnished to or ascertained by him. I have no authority to give a ruling, nor would it be proper for me to express an opinion as to this or any other particular case.

asked the Prime Minister if it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to support the claim made by the French Government to have an equal share in the military occupation of Germany with the three great Powers.

I have at present nothing to add to the remarks which I made in the course of my review of the war situation in the House of Commons on 28th September.

asked the Prime Minister the number of V.C.s awarded since the outbreak of hostilities; the proportion of awards to commissioned and non-commissioned ranks; and how many have been awarded posthumously.

During the present war there have been 105 awards of the Victoria Cross, of which 64 have been made to officers, and 41 to other Tanks. Of the total number, 45 awards have been made posthumously, 24 to officers and 21 to other ranks.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government were consulted before the armistice with Finland was signed by the U.S.S.R.; and whether the terms of the armistice have been published.

His Majesty's Government were consulted by the Soviet Government throughout the recent negotiations for an Armistice with Finland and were represented at these negotiations by His Majesty's Ambassador at Moscow. As is stated in the Armistice itself, it was concluded by the Government of the U.S.S.R. and the Government of the United Kingdom and signed by a Soviet General on behalf of both Governments. The terms were published on 20th September and appeared in the British Press on the following day.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any of our prisoners of war are still held in chains by the Germans.

I have no information to show that any British prisoners are still shackled by the German authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any statement to make about the activities of a code-clerk, Tyler Kent, employed in the U.S.A. Embassy in 1939 and 1940, by means of which most secret information supplied to the U.S.A. Ambassador for transmission to the President of the U.S.A. was communicated to the then head of the Italian Government for the information of the Nazis; and what action has been or is being taken.

Kent is serving a sentence of seven years' penal servitude passed upon him at the Old Bailey on 7th November, 1940, for five offences against the Official Secrets Act, 1911, in respect of certain documents found at his place of residence. His Majesty's Government have no further' statement to make upon this case.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who is chairman of the committee for co-ordinating the interdepartmental interests arising out of the international, political, economic and social problems which call for settlement.

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary explained to my hon. Friend in replying to her question on 27th September, the co-ordination of interdepartmental interests is effected by machinery on both the Ministerial and official levels. This consists of a number of different bodies. There is no single committee for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has now any further statement to make in regard to looting and wanton destruction by the Germans of works of art in Italy.

Yes, Sir. Instances of the plundering of churches by German soldiers continue to be reported. From the church of San Pietro in Cori they stole one important picture and the crucifix presented by Pope Pius V1; they looted the cathedral treasury at Terracina and the church of Santa Maria at Itri, Sant' Annunziata at Roccasecca and the monastery church of Badia Morronese, where they used the nave as a garage and the convent as stables; they stole three valuable paintings from Santa Maria del Calle at Pescocostanza, a Madonna of the school of Duccio and an alter-piece by Sano di Pietro from the Abbadia a Isola. At Terracina, they planted mines in the church of San Salvatore. One incident deserves special mention. A camp for British prisoners of war had been established near the Badia Morronese and certain prisoners had escaped and were supposed to have taken refuge in the church of Sant' Onofrio on a neighbouring hilltop; the Germans fired 50 shells into the church. The important 13th and 14th century frescoes in the chapel of San Pietro di Morrone suffered severely.As regards museums, the Germans stole the coin collections from Terracina, Arpino, and the Abbadia di Valvisciolo, and the small antiquities from Vetralla and San Clemente a Casauria; the museum at Minturno they mined and deliberately destroyed.From the art deposits in Tuscany the Germans have taken their toll. From Montegufoni they stole part of a triptych by Filippo Granacci; from Montagnana' the majority of the pictures; and from Grotti a number of the ancient archives at Siena including some of the famous Tavolette di Biccherna with 14th and 15th century miniatures. From Castel Oliveto two pictures, the Adam and the Eve by Lucas Cranach, were taken on the pretext that they were by a German artist and therefore belonged to Germany.Perhaps the most damning of all the cases of theft that can be charged against the Germans is that from the Monte Cassino deposit. A mass of art objects from Naples and other South Italian Centres had been stored in the abbey. Before our advance, the Germans moved all this to Rome, and their propaganda described the handing-over of so much treasure to the keeping of the Vatican authorities. In fact, of the 187 crates removed from Monte Cassino, only 172 were delivered to the Vatican; 15 were retained by the Germans. And of the 172 crates, some had been opened (and opened by people who had the inventories at their disposal and knew very well what they were doing) and the best of their contents removed, generally to be replaced by something that the experts did not consider worth taking.The pictures secured by Germany in this haul included the famous Peter Breughel "The Blind Leading the Blind" from the National Gallery of Naples, a Filippino Lippi, a Luini, two Titians, a Raphael, a portrait by Sebastiano del Piombo, a Joos van Cleve triptych, a Tiepolo, a Barnstello, a Panini, a Palma Vecchio, a Claude Lorraine, a Colantonio, a Ligozzi and others. All the gold objects from Pompeii and Herculaneum are missing; missing too are famous bronze statues from the excavations there—the Mercury resting, the Female Dancer, the Apollo from Pompeii and the two deer from Herculaneum; the suit of armour of the Emperor Charles V was also taken.Where national treasures are thus carried off as spoil, private property is not likely to be respected. A curious case is that of a "palazzo" at Velletri which had been requisitioned by the Germans. The owner presented to the German authorities in Rome a demand for the restitution of objects removed when the building was vacated—furniture, pictures, and the contents of a large and valuable library. The official reply (now in our possession) was to the effect that the plundering was the work of Italian civilians; the Germans further published in the Italian and German newspapers a propaganda story that the library had been removed by them for safety and restored intact to its owner; in fact, 3,000 out of 10,000 volumes had been restored. Quite independently we know that the books were carried off to Nemi and hidden; some at least were in the private luggage of a German Major in the S.S. who was a personal friend of Himmler; he left Nemi in too great a hurry to remove his loot.Much worse was the case of wanton destruction at' Pescocostanza. There a Professor Sabatini had a private library of some 20,000 volumes (many in MS. dating back to the 15th century) dealing with the history of the Abruzzi, which he proposed to bequeath to the State. In November, 1943, the German unit occupying the town deliberately plundered and burnt the entire collection; of the 20,000 volumes about two dozen survive, the remainder are torn pages and ashes.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the obligations imposed on employers to reinstate men in employment called up for service also applies to women.

Yes, Sir. The Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act, 1944, applies to whole-time members of the Women's Services set out in the First Schedule to the Act. It applies to volunteers as well as to persons called up for service.

asked the Minister of Information what steps are being taken to acquaint Italian prisoners and former Italian prisoners of war in this country with the British way of life and institutions and the course of events in Italy.

Apart from being given the opportunity of reading all the publicity material prepared for distribution in their own country, these Italians have their own specially prepared weekly paper which tells them about Britain and also gives them news about developments in liberated Italy.

asked the Minister of Health what are the Government's winter plans for dealing with the London housing problem.

The Government have already taken action on a considerable scale to improve housing conditions in the London region, which war damage has made so serious. To-day and tomorrow I am sending circulars to the local authorities concerned setting out the further steps which, on the recommendation of Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve, the Government are taking immediately. I am sending copies to my hon. Friend and placing copies in the Library.

Briefly, these new arrangements, which have been discussed with and generally agreed by, the local authorities and the other interests concerned, are:

(i) the concentration on the repair of war damage and esential work of all building labour at present employed in London. This is to be done, under Defence Regulation 56A, by reducing from £100, to £10 the licensing limit for all building and maintenance work in the London Civil Defence Region;

(ii) the transfer to London from the provinces of building workers, particularly those whose homes are in London;

(iii) the provision of accommodation and welfare services for the incoming workers whose homes are in the provinces; and

(iv) the manufacture of the necessary additional materials.

Supplementary action includes the requisitioning and adaptation of existing dwellings and the provision by the Government of temporary huts.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works how many men are employed on work at the Odeon cinema, Kensington: and why this work is regarded as urgent.

This cinema was damaged by a flying bomb on 28th July, and licences for the repair of this damage were issued early in September. Seven building trade operatives are employed in carrying out temporary repairs which will be completed by 9th October. They have, it is understood, been assisted by some of the theatre staff and cleaners.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that in Liverpool over 70 public houses have been rendered useless by enemy action and that the owners have the right of special removal over which the licensing justices and the local authority have no control in respect of new sites; and, as this unrestricted right may interfere with schemes for general planning and reconstruction in the city, will he consider setting up a Licensing Planning Committee on the lines suggested in the Morris Report, Cmd. 6504.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Sir R. Gower) on 29th September.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now disclose the terms for the proposed agreement between His Majesty's Government submitted by the Emperor of Ethiopia and the alternative proposals of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom; and whether agreement has been reached between the two high contracting parties.

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative. Lord De La Warr and the members of the delegation appointed to negotiate with the Ethiopian Government have only recently arrived in Addis Ababa.

asked the Minister of Health what advice he is giving to local authorities as to the post-war redistribution of the aggregations of elderly victims of bomb damage now in municipal rest houses.

The arrangements to be made for the post-war care of old people generally depend upon a number of considerations which cannot yet be accurately measured, and it would be premature at present to give detailed advice to local authorities upon this subject.