asked the Minister of Labour the names, addresses and occupations of members of the hardship tribunal for the Wigan area.

I will send the information to my hon. Friend.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether any of these people, who determine who shall and who shall not join the Forces, are of military age themselves?

My hon. Friend had better examine the information when I send it to him.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that Fred Colbran, Eastbourne, was recently prosecuted by his Ministry for lateness at work; that he was fined; that the doctor who examined him had declared, in spite of the man's protestations to the contrary, that he was fit for work; that he collapsed at work; was that doctor employed by his Ministery to examine Colbran; what fee was paid; and what action has been taken against the doctor for his error in diagnosing the man's ailment.

I have written fully to my hon. Friend about this case.

Cannot my right hon. Friend tell those doctors who are employed by him in examining these cases, to be a little more careful? There is no sense in telling a man to go to work if, on arriving there, he collapses.

I cannot make doctors perfect, however I try.

asked the Minister of Labour if he intends to release a sufficient supply of labour forthwith in order that development work and post-war products can now proceed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is prepared to take steps to release forthwith for other purposes those workpeople in munition factories who are relatively idle owing to changes in production programmes.

I would refer my hon. Friends to the reply given to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Colegate) on 28th September, of which I am sending them copies.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the probable redundancy of 4,000 workers in the Ministry of Aircraft Production factories during the next two months; whether any steps are being or will be taken to ensure that the employees concerned will be assured of full employment in the same or other factories; and can he say the nature of the work on which they will be employed.

About 2,000 workers are expected to become available over the next three months from the factories to which I understand the Question refers. No difficulty is anticipated in placing these workers in alternative employment as they become available. I am not in a position to specify its precise nature.

Will my right hon. Friend do his best to see that in the transfer of these men, their home situation is taken into account?

I have given instructions that where people have to be released, regard should be paid to those who have been directed away from home. If vacancies are available, they should return to their home districts.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a growing number of workers are becoming redundant in war factories in South Wales and, with the return of discharged men from the Forces, the unemployed figures are rising; and what steps are being taken to provide employment for these people.

Only a small number of workpeople have become available in South Wales in recent months owing to changes in munitions production, and practically all of them have been reabsorbed in other work. There has, therefore, been no significant rise in unemployment.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is very great apprehension in some of the valleys in South Wales about the pockets of unemployment which are growing? Is it not a fact that these are hidden in the statistics because they are kept in what is called an "available pool," and are not included in the general statistics? Will he keep this matter under close examination?

I would ask my hon. Friends not to intensify the apprehension. The difficulty of transferring civilian workers is great enough, in all conscience. The Board of Trade, ourselves and the Supply Departments are working in close co-operation to minimise pockets of unemployment, but in any change-over some of these pockets are bound to be created.

asked the Minister of Labour under what legal provision the existence of substituted appeal boards in Government factories is sanctioned; and whether he is satisfied that managements of such factories should have such preferential treatment in the hearing of appeals by workmen.

Article 9 of the Essential Work (General Provisions) (No. 2) Order, 1942, and corresponding articles in certain Orders applying to particular industries provide that in undertakings carried on by the Crown the local appeal board may be a committee of a joint industrial council or similar body, with an independent chairman. This is a joint arrangement, and there is no question of any preferential treatment being accorded to the management.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that these appeals are heard in employers' premises, where there is not the impartial atmosphere that one gets in a Ministry of Labour Department? Often workers are at a disadvantage. I have had a number of complaints and I would like my right hon. Friend to look into the matter.

I would like to express my gratitude to my hon. Friend for his tribute to the impartiality of my Department. If he has any cases in mind in which he thinks the conduct of proceedings has not been right, I shall be happy to look into them.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that some employers, in order to avoid their legal responsibilities when men are discharged from the Forces of re-employing them, dismiss them from their employment just before they are due to be called up, especially in those occupations which are not covered by the Essential Work Order where the National Service officer could intervene; and what steps does he propose to take in this matter.

It is an offence under the Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act to terminate employment with intent to evade the provisions of the Act. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind and will let me have the details, I will inquire into it.

Would not an employer, doing what is suggested in this question, in effect be sabotaging the intention of Parliament?

I cannot add to my answer.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements are made by him to assess the labour requirements of firms in this country manufacturing scientific research apparatus; to what extent the Director of Medical Supplies is concerned in this matter; and whether, in view of the need of freeing industrial research at the earliest opportunity from all unnecessary impediments, he will reconsider the existing restrictions imposed on the supply of labour to makers of scientific research apparatus.

No particular restrictions are imposed on the supply of labour to makers of scientific research apparatus, whose requirements are assessed by District Manpower Boards in the normal way, if necessary after inspection by labour supply inspectors. Where appropriate, the Government Department concerned is consulted, this being the Ministry of Supply in any matter concerning the Director of Medical Supplies.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consider whether under existing circumstances he can now allow all married women who have homes of their own to look after but who have been directed to various forms of employment to leave such employment if they so desire.

No, Sir, I regret that the demands of war production and the maintenance of necessary civilian supplies and services will not permit of any general adoption of my hon. Friend's suggestion in present circumstances.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise the very grave social consequences involved? Will he undertake that, as soon as circumstances permit, he will release these women, if necessary by successive age groups?

The whole matter of release is being gone into, and I cannot give any pledge at this stage. I hope at a later date to issue a White Paper, as has been done for soldiers, sailors and airmen.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the possibility of releasing elderly and middle-aged married women—those over 45—from their present employment?

That is being considered but I have two difficulties. I have been pressed to release people for the re-establishment of our trade, and I take the view up to now that if I can retain in the munitions industries people who will peter out of those industries altogether, and thus release other people to get our trade going, I shall get a balance which will enable trade to start and still keep munitions going.

Will this White Paper, which I take it will deal with industrial demobilisation, be issued before the close of the Session? Mr. Bevin: I cannot promise that.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that, before the White Paper is published, he will place in the Library an index so that we can find all these White Papers?

I should have thought that the hon. Member who spends so much time in the House would know everything that is here.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is satisfied that the work allocated to building operatives working on bomb damaged houses is as near as possible to their places of residence in order to ensure that as little time is wasted as possible in starting and finishing work.

It is my duty to endeavour to provide the number of building trade operatives for the repair of the bomb damaged houses in London, but their allocation to the actual employers is made by my noble Friend the Minister of Works and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health. Having regard to the magnitude and the area of damage in London, it is not always possible to guarantee to allocate men to work near their place of residence, but in so far as it is possible and within the limits of the available accommodation and the need for mobility of labour to deal with this grave situation, I am assured that endeavours will be made to do this.

asked the Minister of Labour what changes have been made, or are pending, in the members and officers of the Catering Wages Commission.

There has recently been a change in the secretaryship of the Commission, but no changes have been made, or are pending, in the membership of the Commission.

Will the Minister say what was the previous occupation of the new secretary?

He is a member of the Civil Service, and once upon a time was a secretary in my Department. He has been right through the Civil Service.

Without making any reflection whatsoever on the qualifications of this gentleman, may I ask the Minister whether this appointment is intended to promote the independence of the Catering Wages Commission?

I very much resent the suggestion that a member of the Civil Service will interfere with the independence of any body.

Having regard to the very close association—

rose.

asked the Minister of Labour the amount of money standing to the credit of the Unemployment Fund on 30th June, 1944.

At 30th June, 1944, the balance of the Unemployment Fund, including investments at cost, was about £260,500,000 on the General Account and £8,100,000 on the Agricultural Account.

Is it the intention of my right hon. Friend or his Department to use this money for the purposes of administration, in connection with the proposed Social Insurance Scheme?

I think my hon. Friend had better await the Debate on the White Paper on Social Security.

May I ask to whom the Minister has lent all this large sum of money which he controls?

I think the Government have borrowed it. In spite of what was said in 1931 there seems to be no trouble about it.

But would the Minister answer my question: to whom has he lent all the money?

Can my right hon. Friend state the amount of money accumulating week by week?

asked the Minister of Labour whether it is proposed to call up to the Forces young men at present deferred to replace those released from the Forces under the demobilisation plan on an age group basis.

As explained in the White Paper recently published, numbers of young men, including some of those at present deferred, will be called up in order to increase the rate at which older men with war service may be released.

Will that call-up be on an age group basis, similar to the call-up to the Armed Forces during the war?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the urgent reconstruction employments, mentioned in Cmd. 6548, paragraph 11, include civil engineering.

As stated on page 4 of the White Paper Cmd. 6548, the numbers that will be released under Class B will be small, and will be mainly required to supplement the labour force available for building houses against the time when sailors, soldiers, and airmen will be returning in large numbers to civil life. I do not anticipate that this will cover men engaged in civil engineering, except so far as it may be directly required for housing developments.

Is there not an urgent need already in London for engineering assistants of the type described in the Question to direct repairs to damaged houses?

That is not in the Question. The Question asks whether I will release people for civil engineering.

Does not the urgency exist already?

asked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been drawn to the arrangement made between the confectionery trade organisation and the British Legion, by which ex-Service men may obtain free and expert advice on all details before starting or restarting in business as independent traders; and if he will take steps to ensure that all other trade and industrial organisations will make similar agreements.

I am aware that the Confectionery Trade Council proposes to establish advisory panels to assist ex-Service men and women desirous of entering the confectionery trade. I have no power to ensure that all other trade and industrial organisations make similar arrangements, but I will discuss the matter with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, and other Ministers concerned.

In the arrangements made with the Catering Wages Commission will training schemes be kept in view?

This is a question of resettling people in business in the confectionery trade. Instead of a man investing his money without guidance the Confectionery Trade Council have undertaken to give guidance on the best way to make his business efficient.

asked the Minister of Labour whether Recommendation 9, embodying the principle of the rate for the job, was supported by vote at the recent I.L.O. Conference by the British delegates, the employers' delegate and the workers' delegate.

The paragraphs referred to by the hon. Member form part of the recommendation concerning employment organisation in the transition from war to peace. On the final record vote at the Conference, the British Government, employers' and workers' delegates voted for this recommendation.

Is it too much to ask that the Government should apply here what they advocate abroad?

We did not advocate it, we just voted for it.

Was there any special discussion on the point?

I must have notice of that question.

asked the Minister of Labour what trades unions have adopted the principle of the same rate of pay for men and women; and how many agreements have been reached and implemented between employers and trades unions.

There are numerous collective agreements covering a wide range of industrial employment which provide that women who are replacing men without any additional supervision or assistance shall be paid—normally after a probationary period—the man's rate for the job. I am not able however to give a comprehensive list of the unions or agreements concerned.

May I ask that the same principle should immediately be applied to temporary staff of the Civil Service, who are put on permanent jobs?

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will reconsider, in consultation with the departments, the existing arrangement whereby no girl over 19 years of age is given permission to enter teacher's training courses; and whether he will raise the age limit to 21.

I have recently been in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Education and the Secretary of State for Scotland on this matter and have decided that some relaxation can now be made in the age restrictions on the entry of women to training colleges for teachers. Women up to the age of 19¼ on 1st October, 1944, will be eligible to take courses at training colleges, and women over that age will be eligible to enter upon such training if they are not immediately required for employment essential to the war effort.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that his reply will give great satisfaction to many young women who wish to go in for teaching?

Does that mean that, if necessary, they will go to a university for a course?

I do not think the universities are ready to take them yet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will permit lights to be shown in factories and industrial buildings situated in the Midlands between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. in order to do away with the black-out in the numerous buildings which are not being used for nightshift.

The recent relaxations for domestic lighting apply equally to factories. I regret that, for obvious reasons, the Government cannot yet relax all restrictions during any part of the black-out period; but I shall not hesitate to take any opportunity which arises of making any further relaxations which are possible without prejudice to national security.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many industrial workers during the winter do not see daylight between Monday and Saturday? Does he not consider that the removal of the permanent black-out would be beneficial to health and production?

We have done what we could to ease the situation. I will keep the matter under review, but I do not think, at this stage, it would be wise to make a major breach of this character in the black-out.

Would my right hon. Friend consider removing the little crosses on the traffic lights and allowing them to show at their proper strength?

That is another question altogether.

Has my right hon. Friend any reason for keeping the lighting restrictions on when the flying bombs make no distinction between light and darkness?

I quite agree. But my hon. Friend is not sure, I take it, that we may not be attacked by piloted aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he has any statement to make as to the removal or diminution in the severity of the black-out regulations.

There is nothing which I can add at present to the Answer which my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave to a similar Question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Abingdon (Sir R. Glyn) on 26th September.

Will not the right hon. Gentleman give full consideration to the question whether, on balance, the loss of life and limb and health and temper might not be less, if we went back to full lights and took a chance, now that the enemy is in such a bad way; and particularly will he consider the position on the roads?

All these factors are fully considered, and the matter is reviewed steadily as we go on. I want to lift the thing entirely as quickly as I can, but I do not want to bring to the population of London raids which could otherwise be avoided.

Is the perpetuation of the black-out in London due to deliberate policy, or to delay in introducing new apparatus? Mr. Morrison: We are in a difficulty about apparatus to secure better lighting. The local authorities are presented with an exceedingly difficult task. I am inclined to think that, for practical reasons, it may be a choice between maintaining things as they are and going back to full lighting as soon as it becomes a sound policy.

Will my right hon. Friend consider making an appeal to householders to remove the unnecessary severity of the black-out, with a view to assisting pedestrians to see their way about the streets?

We gave the relaxation largely for that purpose, but householders have their own practical difficulties. The curious thing is that in some parts, the black-out is now more effective than it was before the relaxation. That, in itself, has some significance in relation to the state of public opinion.

Is it not due to the fact that as soon as the hooter goes, you have to put the black-out up?

Not entirely by any means. 29. Mr. Jewson asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now relax the restrictions on headlights of motor-cars.

I have considered carefully whether restrictions on motor car headlamps could now be relaxed, but I fear there is no satisfactory intermediate stage between the use of masked headlamps and the use of full headlights. The latter would be visible from great distances and would mark out main roads and towns from the air. Dazzle to other road users would be seriously increased and the change to masked headlights on an alert or on passing into specially vulnerable areas would be impracticable. On the other hand, it would be obviously dangerous to insist that headlamps should be switched off altogether on an alert. I am afraid, therefore that the restrictions on motor car headlights cannot at present foe relaxed.

Could the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Minister of War Transport is aware that a great many American trucks landed in this country have no dimmers and that it is positively dangerous to meet a convoy on the road at night?

That is, of course, one of the facts in the case which I put to the House. I am very sorry about it and I will look into it, but I am afraid that this must be the position generally at the moment. If I can relax it later I will.

What does my right hon. Friend mean by "looking into it"? Is it not the case that a large number of American cars are blazing along the roads with greater illumination than our cars are allowed?

When I say I will look into it, I mean I will examine it. The Ministry of War Transport is involved and also, I imagine, the police and the Service Departments.

Will my right hon. Friend use his good offices with the War Department to ensure that military vehicles are brought into line in the interests of public safety and are allowed the same lighting which is allowed for civilian vehicles?

I will do that.

Will my right hon. Friend give consideration to better lighting for the buses?

I think that has been done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the reasons for refusing to permit the removal of the painted area of railway carriage windows at the present time, and whether, in view of the fact that this form of black-out in the winter months precludes daylight adequate to enable easy reading, he will now agree to the removal of these black-out areas on the windows of railway passenger rolling stock.

Lighting in trains has recently been reviewed with the object of allowing as much light as possible for passengers during the winter. One improvement which has been made is that full lighting without shades is being restored in those carriages fitted with blinds. This important relaxation necessarily involves the retention of the painted area on carriage windows to prevent too great a spill of light.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the painting on the carriage windows stops practically all light in the dark winter days coming into the carriage and that no experts who have been consulted agree that the present regulations hinder raiders; and will he give further consideration to the matter, considering that the lighting inside the compartments is now only one-third of what it was before the war?

The night lighting in compartments fitted with suitable blinds can be full and without shades. It necessarily follows that there is increased risk of light getting outside. Therefore, the painted portion must remain. If the painted area is all over the window, as my hon. and gallant Friend has indicated, I should think that the railway companies are being a bit out of proportion. I will look into that point. It is possible that the railway companies have overdone it, and if there is anything of that kind I will take it up with them.

In view of the fact that my right hon. Friend allows good lighting inside buses without the windows being painted, will he allow the same thing in trains?

If my hon. and gallant Friend has seen an R.A.F. aircraft practising at diving on a train, he will realise the difference between trains and buses in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any statement to make on the future work of Regional Civil Commissioners and their staffs.

No, Sir, not at present. But my policy has always been to adjust the regional organisation to public need and this policy is being maintained.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that an announcement has been made in Scotland that the Regional Commissioner and his officers will cease their functions, and why should Scotland be free more quickly than England?

Any implication that the Regional Commissioners are a menace to freedom is unfair. They have rendered great public service to the community and deserve the highest respect for the work they have done. The Scottish diminution was made after consultation with me and it extended to the district commissioners. I have similar proposals under consideration for the whole country, but it must be gradual. Indeed, reducing the Civil Defence organisation must, for a time, increase the work of the regional officers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make enquiries of all, or of a sufficient sample of, constituency returning officers so as to enable him to say, approximately, what is the relation between the number of registration forms received from the three fighting services and the number of men and women eligible to register in these three services.

As I said in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Barnstaple (Sir R. Acland) on 3rd August, I shall be prepared at a later date to consider giving information as to the ratio between the number of counterparts received by the Central National Registration Office and the number of men and women in the three fighting Services eligible to register; but my information is that at the present date there is still in the hands of many of the electoral registration officers a number of Service declarations of Which, owing to the pressure of work on these officers, the counterparts have not yet been completed and sent to the Central Office. This work is less urgent than other electoral registration work because delay in transmitting the counterpart does not affect the Service voter's right to be placed on the electoral register, which dates from the receipt of his declaration by the electoral registration officer. To call for special returns from the electoral registration officer is, as I have previously stated, a course I am reluctant to take because any addition to the burdens falling on these Officers is liable to interfere with essential work on electoral registration, and the process of receiving Service declarations is still going on—fresh batches of such declarations are reaching the electoral registration officers from day to day.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that yesterday I got an answer from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport which revealed that only 2½ per cent, of Merchant Navy personnel has, so far, been registered? If one Department can reply, why cannot the right hon. Gentleman state the approximate percentage?

That is an effort to set one Department against another—which sometimes is desirable, and sometimes is not. I am covering a much wider field than the limited field of the Ministry of War Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the intention of the Government to implement the recommendation of Mr. Speaker's Conference suggesting the automatic registration of members of the fighting forces.

I hope to be in a position to make a statement on this matter at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet furnished the Auxiliary Police Association with a reply to their request for arbitration on their pay claim.

I propose to discuss this matter with representatives of the Association, but I am not at present in a position to make any statement.

Is not the Home Secretary aware that this request for arbitration was made as long ago as December last year? Does it require 10 months for the Home Office to make up its mind?

I forget when the request was made, but life is not as simple as my hon. Friend thinks at the Home Office. A lot of complicated matters have to be dealt with, and the Home Office has other things to do.

Granting that the Home Office have other things to attend to, surely the Home Secretary must recognise that a delay of 10 months in dealing with a wage question is indefensible from any point of view?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now withdraw those Defence Regulations which empower him to detain British subjects and citizens of Allied Nations without trial or charge.

The time has not arrived when it would be safe to dispense with these Regulations or to release en bloc the persons detained under them, but as regards the review of the cases of persons detained under Defence Regulation 18B I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made on Tuesday, 26th September. As regards aliens detained because deportation hi wartime is impracticable or prejudicial to the war effort, the considerations are somewhat different. It is intended to deport the aliens concerned to the countries to which they belong, when deportation again becomes prac- ticable. Pending deportation, aliens are detained only if their detention is necessary or expedient for securing the public safety, the defence of the realm or the maintenance of public order.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that most people will be heartily glad to see the end of these Regulations, which are so alien to the whole spirit and traditions of this country?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will stop the discharge of police war reserves, for disposal by the Minister of Labour, having regard to the consequent strain upon the police and special constabulary.

No, Sir. I am very conscious of the heavy burden borne by the police under war conditions, and of the additional strain on their resources which must inevitably result from any further reduction in their establishments; but in view of the general stringency of the man-power position I would not feel justified in re-opening the decision of the Government that the police must make their contribution to help meet the needs of the Armed Forces and of industry. As regards special constables, they have given magnificent service and they deserve any concessions that can be made to them. Chief constables have been asked to review the arrangements for their employment and to reduce as far as possible their hours of duty, but, as my hon. Friend will appreciate, the reduction in the number of regular police renders even more necessary and valuable the services of the special constabulary.

How does my right hon. Friend reconcile the two parts of his answer? How does he reconcile the discharge of these men on the one hand, with an alleviation of the duties of special constables on the other?

I cannot. All I can say is that I am trying to do the best I can in the circumstances. As a matter of fact, I thought I would put in the bit about the special constables to please my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is in a position to make a statement on the subject of hard labour in prisons.

I shall shortly be laying before Parliament the necessary amendment to the Prison Rules to abolish the requirement that a male prisoner should be deprived of a mattress for the first fourteen days of a sentence of hard labour. All those concerned with prison administration are agreed in recommending the abolition of this survival of the idea that arbitrary physical discomfort is of any value either as a deterrent or for reformative purposes. As the House may be aware, many of the then existing conditions of a "hard labour" sentence were removed during the last war in order that prisoners might be able to assist the war effort by engaging in productive work. It seems appropriate, therefore, that this war, to which prisoners have made so considerable a contribution by their hard work, should see the end of this feature of a sentence of hard labour. Certain technical differences between a sentence of imprisonment and one of hard labour will remain, but so far as treatment in prison normally is concerned there will now be no distinction between these sentences.

Does my right lion. Friend realise that his answer will give very considerable satisfaction?

Can my right hon. Friend assure the House that distinctions will still be retained between these two forms of treatment in order to keep the hardened criminals separate from prisoners of lesser criminal tendencies?

I think that question had better be put on the Paper, because I am not quite sure about it.

asked the Minister of Education what is his policy in regard to the unanimous recommendations of the Fleming Committee contained in Scheme A; and how he proposes that places at direct-grant schools should be filled when the number of applications exceeds the vacancies.

Before reaching a final decision on this matter, I am awaiting the considered opinions of the Governing Bodies' Associations and the Headmasters' Conference on the Fleming Report. I expect to receive them in the course of this month.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is satisfied that all children of school age in the London and the Greater London area are now able to receive full time education; what percentage are doing so; and approximately the number of schoolchildren in this area at the present time compared with a year ago.

The position as regards both school accommodation and the number of children in Greater London is constantly changing, as repairs to damaged buildings become possible and as children return home from reception areas. The latter figure is also conjectural since it is impossible immediately to trace those chldren who return under private arrangements. In these circumstances I cannot require the local education authorities concerned to furnish statistics which would of necessity be inexact.

Has not the Minister some kind of impression, or some approximate idea, of how many children are not receiving education just now or are receiving only part-time education?

The position is not as good as I should like it to be. I cannot give the hon. Member exact statistics, but when I can give him an indication I will do so.

asked the Minister of Education whether any arrangements are being made to provide special agricultural courses for urban children and, in particular, for those children who, as evacuees, have developed a desire to work on the land.

The possibility of providing special educational facilities to fit young people from the towns for work on the land is one of the many questions now under consideration by my Depart- ment in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture. In the meantime I am glad to say there has been a notable increase during the war of interest in the schools, both rural and urban, in food production and gardening, and I have recently made available to local education authorities a number of films on rural and agricultural subjects.

asked the Minister of Education why permission has been refused for the purchase of land in connection with the needs of the South Hornchurch Council and Romford intermediate schools.

Approval of the purchase of the Romford site has not been refused: the local education authority has been asked for further particulars, which I am awaiting. I understand that the South Hornchurch site will not be required for some years, and it has been suggested to the local education authority that they should approach the local planning authority with a view to the site being reserved for educational purposes pending the time when its use for those purposes may become necessary.

asked the Minister of Education if it is his policy that the junior schools attached to maintained and aided secondary schools shall be allowed to continue to exist provided that they are self supporting and make no call on public funds.

The indefinite continuance of preparatory departments as integral parts of secondary schools maintained under the Education Act, 1944, would be inconsistent with the provisions of Section 8 (2) of the Act, which enjoins local education authorities to have regard to the need for securing that primary and secondary education are provided in separate schools.

Does the Minister's answer mean placing direct-grant schools in a privileged position? In view of the very useful purpose these schools serve, is it really necessary to give that impression?

My answer covers the ordinary preparatory departments. In respect of the direct-grant schools, it should be remembered that no grants are payable under the present grant regulations in respect of junior pupils in schools in receipt of direct grant.

Is the Minister aware that these schools make no call upon public funds, and could he not therefore reconsider the matter?

The exact position of this matter, like so many other matters in the world of education, is very complicated. My first answer covered the normal preparatory departments; my second answer covered the junior pupils in direct-grant schools; all I can add is that there is nothing to stop a junior or primary school going on as an independent school if it wants to do so.

asked the Minister of Education how long he estimates it will take to extend the system of school dinners for all children over the whole of the schools, elementary and secondary, respectively, coming under his Ministry.

I informed the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson) on 25th May of this year that a three-year programme was envisaged for a scheme calculated to cover 75 per cent, of the children in the schools to which reference is made in the Question. Owing to the urgent claims on building labour, and circumstances arising out of the war, extension of this period may be inevitable, and I should not be justified in giving any more exact estimate at present.

Is it not important that the matter should be expedited, in view of the Government's proposal of a very inadequate cash allowance proposed for children, or else that it should be supplemented by a complete system to tree school meals? How long are the children to wait for these school meals?

This great social reform in the feeding of children at school has probably been advanced more rapidly than any other reform during the last three years, from a very small figure to a very large figure indeed. I am hoping that this advance will be intensified in the light of the circumstances to which the hon. Lady refers, although I could not accept all the remarks she has made as being exact.

If there is a delay, and not all children are able to get school meals, could not some cash allowance be given equivalent to the school meals? Why should it be left to chance whether children get them or not?

asked the Minister of Education the rule to be applied to students whose studies have been interrupted by war service and, seeing that many were in this position when called up, what rule is to be applied to them when demobilisation takes place.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Rhondda, East (Mr. Main-waring) on 14th October, 1943, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the appointment of Lord Soulbury as Chairman of the Commission to consider a new Constitution for Ceylon, new chairmen are to be appointed to the Assistance Board and the Burnham Committee.

As the absence of Lord Soul-bury in Ceylon is not expected to be unduly prolonged, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister does not think a fresh appointment in his place as chairman of the Assistance Board will be necessary. Miss Violet Markham, the deputy chairman of the Board, will officiate as chairman during his absence. As regards the Burnham Committee, my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Education, will, I understand, consider nominating a deputy-chairman, in accordance with practice adopted in the past in similar circumstances.

Does my right hon. Friend think it is in the best interests of these two important Committees to be presided over by the same person, especially in view of the fact that the Government have sent Lord Soulbury abroad on a totally different subject?

No doubt all those considerations have been fully taken into account.

Is it not a fact that the Prime Minister was absent for nearly three months and it was not thought necessary to dispense with his services?

Is there an absence of suitable gentlemen who can go to Ceylon? If the right hon. Gentleman wants any candidates for these positions, why should he deprive the Assistance Board of its officers? Why not remember this House, for example?

asked the Prime Minister whether a decision has now been reached as to the payment of gratuities to officers and other ranks of the Army, Navy and R.A.F. who are released from service.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which my right hon Friend the Prime Minister gave on Tuesday last to the hon. Members for South Dorset (Viscount Hinchingbrooke) and Bassetlaw (Mr. Bellenger).

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell me when we are likely to have a definite answer?

No, Sir, and I cannot add anything to the answer then given.

When the right hon. Gentleman can give a substantive reply, will it include a statement about prize money to the Royal Navy?

asked the Prime Minister whether, in fixing the armistice terms, the desirability will be borne in mind of organised bodies of Germans being sent to make good the devastation, other than military, which was deliberately organised in occupied countries.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now state the Government's long-term policy for the future of the agricultural industry.

No, Sir.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that many months have elapsed since the Debate took place on agriculture in the course of Which he promised a further statement on this matter? May we assume that the reply will be forthcoming before the General Election?

I think it is a hypothetical question.

Why does the Minister always indulge in these mysterious strategic silences? Are they not painful, and very unsatisfactory?

In view of the absence of any adequate reply to my Question, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the fact that the Essex County Branch of the National Farmers Union are refusing to allocate permits to obtain Thermos flasks to farmers for their workers unless the farmers undertake to subscribe to the funds of the union; and if he has approved such a use being made of the right to distribute these permits.

I understand that the Essex Branch of the N.F.U. does not refuse to issue the necessary certificate to non-members. The latter part of the Question does not therefore arise.

Can I show the Minister a letter from the union, signed by the secretary, making the condition that the man was asked to pay his subscription, and will he look into the matter?

Certainly, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now make some pronouncement as to what steps the Government are taking to assist the ex-Service men to obtain small holdings on their demobilisation.

This matter is being considered as part of the general proposals concerned with the return of ex-Service men to civilian life. I should add that it is not considered desirable in the interests of the ex-Service men for those who have not had previous agricultural experience to start farming on their own without practical training in farm work. Steps are being taken to arrange for the training of ex-Service men for all forms of agricultural work.

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate the importance of ex-Service men having training if they desire it?

Naturally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the 70 outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Great Britain during the present year and as in almost every instance the original outbreak in each locality has been due to swill-feeding or contact with packing materials from frozen meat, he will take steps to enforce either centralised processing of all swill before purchase by pig owners or the compulsory boiling of swill by all swill producers where, in the opinion of the Inspector of the Ministry, raw meat is likely to be found in the swill.

Arrangements have been made in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply for the central processing of swill in the great majority of large urban areas, and I am anxious to encourage the extension of the practice. Where central processing is impracticable, swill should, if possible, be boiled before it is brought on to the premises of pig keepers; but a compulsory order to that effect would seriously diminish the quantity of swill available without reducing certain important dangers, such as the danger of infection from the household swill produced on the premises of the thousands of small pig keepers. I think, therefore, that the present Order putting upon pig keepers the onus of seeing that all unprocessed swill is boiled before it is fed or brought into contact with animals affords the most practicable safeguard, and I have recently taken further steps designed to secure its more strict enforcement.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in Scotland there have been 11 outbreaks of this disease since the beginning of August, and that seven of these were directly attributable to swill, and will he bear in mind that it is the swill producer who should be responsible for treatment of swill, not the pig feeder?

I have already stated that the great trouble we are up against is that some swill and other waste products, liable to carry infection, actually come into contact with infection on the premises where pigs are kept—such as the pig keeper's own household swill—and the pigs get infected before there is any chance of avoiding the swill.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has made arrangements, either by manufacture or import, for an increased supply of tracklaying tractors for agricultural use.

The requirements notified to the United States Government for 1945, together with outstanding approved requirements for previous years, cover the replacement of worn out agricultural crawler tractors and an appreciable increase in the tractor strength. The extent to which these requirements can be met, however, will depend on the numbers that can be released from the United States, the urgent demands for crawler tractors for military purposes and the needs of other countries. No arrangements have yet been made for manufacture in this country, but proposals are under consideration in consultation with other Departments concerned.

Will my right hon. Friend also consider the importation of spare parts for these tractors, as many of these tractors are not working for some time because spare parts are not available?

That is being done on a considerable scale.

asked the Minister of Agriculture by what means a dispossessed owner-farmer may, after a reasonable period, exercise his right as landlord to recover possession of his farm when it becomes apparent that its condition is becoming seriously impaired by the bad husbandry and management of the tenant appointed by the county war agricultural executive committee.

A dispossessed owner-farmer has no such right as that suggested by the hon. Member. It is, however, a committee's duty to see that the lands in their possession are properly farmed, and if the hon. Member has any evidence that this is not being done in a particular case, I will have inquiries made, if he will give me the particulars.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why county war agricultural executive committees are not required to pay rent quarterly in respect of farms taken over by them from owner-farmers; what interest rates are payable by them on arrears of such rent beyond quarter days, and whether they are entitled to deduct from the sums paid, debts in respect of tithe for which a court order has been obtained against the owner, and the terms of which order as regards repayments have been and are being complied with.

The periods at which compensation is payable in respect of farms of which possession is taken by county war agricultural executive committees, are a matter for agreement with the owner of the land at the time compensation is settled. Interest at 2 per cent, is payable on any arrears. Where debts are due to the Crown in respect of arrears of tithe rent charge or tithe redemption annuities, deduction may be made in cases of default from the compensation payable to the landowner. No such action is generally taken where the terms of an order of the court made for recovery are being observed.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, in many cases, the compensation payable to the dispossessed farmer is in fact the only income which he has; and can he give some reason as to why the interest payable on arrears should be less than that which anyone can get from National Savings Certificates? Further, will he investigate a case in which a court order is existing for tithe, which is being paid at the rate of £25 a quarter, and in which case, on the Ministry's instructions, a sum of £190 has been deducted from the compensation?

It is quite clear, and it is obviously reasonable, that where, a man owes a debt to the Crown, that debt should be recovered in part from moneys owed by the Crown to him.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now issue instructions to war agricultural committees so that they shall cease to order small growers to grow compensation crops, namely, main crop potatoes, carrots, etc.

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the Government will now consider withdrawing the Horticultural Cropping Order restricting the use of glasshouses and land for the growing of flowers.

No, Sir.

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate, as I told him before, that these mysterious silences and negatives are not really satisfactory to the House, and cannot we expect a little better explanation?

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that rations on the civilian scale are issued instead of Service rations to wounded patients in E. M. S. hospitals; and, as the more ample rations to which as serving personnel they are entitled would conduce to the restoration of their strength, what action he is proposing to take in this matter.

The position is not quite as stated in the first part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question. Where the number of Service patients is a substantial proportion of the total patients in a hospital, meat on the home service scale may be made available in respect of all the Service patients. In other respects the rations are on the civilian scale and I have been advised that these, with the other foods available, should enable hospitals to supply their patients, both Service and civilian, with a well-balanced diet, suited to their needs.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that in one parti- cular E.M.S. hospital, namely, Park Prewitt Hospital, Hampshire, where there are, or were, some 1,200 wounded Service patients, these conditions most certainly do not apply? The meat is issued on the civilian scale. Is he further aware that the medical officer in charge and the committee of that hospital drew the attention of his Department to the fact that they wished Service rations to be issued to these wounded Service patients, and that they consider their health and nourishment would be greatly benefited by the Service ration?

My hon. and gallant Friend is putting a question as to a particular hospital, and I will, of course, look into the position at that particular hospital, but it is surprising to me to hear that the meat position is as he has described.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the recently issued Report by the National Federation of Women's Institutes on Water and Sewerage Survey in Villages; and what steps are being taken to remedy the dangerous conditions that the Report exposes.