asked the Prime Minister whether it is the intention of the Government to issue a statement on post-war forestry and if it will contain plans for encouraging owners to plant hard-wood timber and also provide for the employment of an increasing number of persons in the present neglected woodland industries, such as charcoal burning and wood working on the site.

I have been asked to reply. Post-war forestry policy is under consideration in the light of reports received from the Forestry Commission, which have been published. The particular questions raised by my hon. and gallant Friend will certainly be taken into account.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can give estimates, respectively, of the quantity of liquid milk, plus the liquid equivalent of any processed milk, consumed by children in schools in 1938, likely to be consumed in schools in 1947 if in that year free milk is offered to all schoolchildren up to the age of 15, and likely to be consumed in any one day during term in 1947 on the same basis.

I have been asked to reply. The quantity of liquid milk consumed under the Milk-in-Schools Scheme in England and Wales in 1938 was 26,516,000 gallons. It is difficult to estimate accurately the probable consumption in 1947, but on a rough calculation it is likely that on the basis stated about 53,000,000 gallons will be consumed and that the average consumption per school day will be about 241,000 gallons.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware that with the complete covering of train windows with material to avoid glass splinters in many main line trains, it is impossible for passengers at night to see whether they have arrived at a station; and whether, in view of the danger of accident, he will instruct the railway companies that a small piece of the material in each window should be cut so that travellers can see where they are.

I am making inquiries and will let my hon. Friend know the result.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works whether, taking the ordinary one-storied house now being approved in certain cases by his Department, he can state the cost of constructing such a house in brick, a material which exists in large quantities in different parts of the country.

If, as I assume, the hon. Member refers to the pressed steel bungalow and the other temporary bungalows, I would remind him that the object is to provide additional houses with the minimum use of traditional site building labour. It is, however, estimated that the extra cost of a bungalow of similar design to the pressed steel bungalow, if the external walls were of 11 inch brick, with cavity, the internal partitions of suitable brick or breeze, and the roof tiled, with the necessary adjustment of the slope, would be £70 to £75.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider setting up a committee of inquiry to look into the question of children's institutional homes.

This matter is under consideration, but I am not able to make any statement at present.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs which of the Dominions have the same rate of pay for men and women in their Civil Service.

According to my information, the position is as follows:In Canada there are equal rates of pay for men and women in all the grades of the Civil Service for which both men and women are eligible. There are some posts to which women are not appointed.In the Commonwealth of Australia, the normal rates of pay for women members of the public services are less than those for men, but women temporarily employed during the war on work which is usually performed by men are usually granted the full men's rates of pay.In the Civil Services of New Zealand and the Union of South Africa the rates of pay for men and women differ.Different rates of pay are in force in Eire, with certain limited exceptions.