asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to help manufacturers to prepare for post-war export and as to the nature of the goods for which there is likely to be demand after the war.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 24th October. As regards the second part of the Question, I am confident that there will be no lack of demand in overseas markets for the products of British industry in the years following the war.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take with regard to business men who accept his recent invitation to apply for labour and materials, as the policy necessary for the building up of the export trade has not yet been declared.

Applications for labour and material for preparatory work for post-war trade are granted unless, in the view of the Supply Departments, such facilities would impede war production.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for the release of larger quantities of rubber to manufacturers of women's clothing and underwear.

I am at present in touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply on this subject, but, as the House knows, the supplies of rubber are very scanty and there are many competing demands.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider issuing instructions that where one or more sons have become casualties as a result of service in His Majesty's Forces, the last surviving son shall be posted to non-operational duties.

While sympathising with the hon. Member's suggestion I fear that in view of our man-power position it is impossible to entertain it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can give an estimate of the amount of money that will be required to compensate full-time officers of the approved and friendly societies who are displaced by the Social Insurance Scheme.

No, Sir. It is not possible at this stage to estimate the number of full-time officers of Approved Societies who will be displaced by the new scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is proposed to put into operation the schemes for Social Security before the cessation of hostilities; and why the years 1945, 1955, 1965, 1975 have been selected in Table IV of Cmd. 6550.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the development of the Government's plans. As regards the second part of the Question, the year 1945 was adopted (as is explained in the paragraph immediately preceding Table IV) for convenience of comparison with previous estimates. The other years follow 1945 at ten year intervals, those intervals being convenient for exhibiting the development of social insurance costs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, to enable industry and finance to begin to plan ahead for the conversion from war to peace-time activities and, in view of the fact that it is not possible at the present time to conduct external or internal business unless permission is obtained, he will state the future policy of the Capital Issues Committee.

It would be premature at present to anticipate the details of the policy to be adopted by the Government in the administration of the capital issues control after the war. The primary object of that policy, however, will be to ensure that access to the capital market conforms to the accepted priorities and to measures taken in other fields for the purpose of giving effect to those priorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any statement to make in connection with the recently concluded contracts with New Zealand for dairy produce and meat.

Yes, Sir. In connection with the contracts negotiated between the Ministry of Food and the New Zealand Government for the supply to the United Kingdom of meat, butter and cheese for a period of four years, His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have agreed, in recognition of the benefit which the United Kingdom has received from the New Zealand price stabilisation policy, to pay to the Government of New Zealand the sum of £4,000,000 a year during the period of the contract, together with a lump sum of £12,000,000. It has also been agreed that payment by the Government of New Zealand under the Memorandum of Security Agreement of sums due to the United Kingdom up to an amount of £18,000,000 may be deferred for subsequent adjustment at a time and on terms convenient to the Government of New Zealand.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that delivery of surface mail to troops in S.E.A.C. takes up to two-and-a-half months and the air mail costs 6d. per letter, he will make arrangements for the cost of air mail letters to and from troops in this command and other troops serving in India to be reduced to 1½d. per letter.

I have been asked to reply. The postal arrangements to and from the Forces in S.E.A.C. including the scale of charges are at present under comprehensive review by the Departments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that a number of houses in Glasgow can be made habitable by the necessary repairs being effected; and what powers have been delegated to the Glasgow Corporation to enforce the repair of such buildings where the regular notice to carry out such repairs has been served on the owners or their agents and ignored by them.

I am informed that the facts are as stated in the first part of the question. To secure the repair of defective houses the Corporation exercise their powers under the Public Health (Scotland) Act, 1897, and may be authorised by the Court, on the failure of an owner, to carry out the work themselves and recover the cost. The local authority have also power to acquire houses and to repair and improve them. I am inquiring whether it is possible to obtain figures of the houses dealt with under these two categories in recent years. In regard to unoccupied houses I have delegated powers to local authorities to requisition and adapt suitable unoccupied premises for the use of families at present inadequately housed, the net expenditure being reimbursed by the Exchequer. In Glasgow under this provision 313 houses have been made available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can give a list of the existing demonstration and experimental farms in Scotland; and whether he has any plans for increasing their number.

Demonstration and experimental work is carried on by the various Scottish agricultural colleges or research institutes at the farms shown in the following list which are either owned or leased by them.

Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agriculture: Boghall, Midlothian. Demonstration Horticultural Station, Cupar, Fife.

West of Scotland Agricultural College: Auchincruive, Ayrshire. Portend Farm, Perthshire.

North of Scotland College of Agriculture and the Rowett Research Institute: Craib-stone-Duthie, Aberdeenshire. Croft, Ardross, Ross-shire. Glensaugh, Kincardineshire.

The Hannah Dairy Research Institute: Kirkhill, Ayrshire.

The Institute of Animal Genetics: Shothead, Midlothian.

In addition, the Department of Agriculture for Scotland are operating a "demonstration farms" scheme under which arrangements are made by the agricultural colleges with selected farmers for the demonstration on their farms of improved methods of agriculture. Under this scheme farms are being utilised by the various colleges as shown in the following list.

Edinburgh and East of Scotland College of Agriculture: Craigluscar, Fife. Inner Hadden, Perthshire. Spittal, Midlothian.

West of Scotland Agricultural College: Newton, Perthshire. Corrary, Argyllshire.

North of Scotland College of Agriculture: Drumlassie, Aberdeenshire. Milton of Edinglassie, Aberdeenshire. Mains of Beldorney, Aberdeenshire. Hoy, Caithness-shire. Proney Croft, Sutherlandshire. Treaslane Croft, Skye. Ferrindonald Croft, Skye. Niginish Croft, Skye. Lochbay Croft, Skye. South Setter Croft, Shetland.

The demonstration farms scheme involves direction and supervision by the colleges, and, owing to the preoccupation of their county staffs on Agricultural Executive Committee work, the colleges have not found it possible under war con- ditions to select a greater number of farms. It is hoped, however, that the scheme will be continued and expanded next year.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much American machinery has been installed in the coalmines of county Durham; will he state the collieries where such installation has taken place; whether the output has increased; and is the machinery working to the satisfaction of all concerned.

At the present time the only American machinery in use in County Durham consists of three coal-cutters at Murton Colliery, but machinery for several other collieries is in transit or on order. Other American machinery was installed at Murton on an experimental basis, but the results obtained led to the replanning of the project with different types of equipment now in course of delivery. Meanwhile, the American room and pillar method of mining, although operating on a modified scale, has, in the limited time the machinery has been at work, proved satisfactory, and has increased the output per man-shift in the section concerned.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what proposals it is intended to adopt for the future by the Mines Welfare Commission in relation to the need for improvement in health and housing in mining villages.

Whilst the Miners' Welfare Commission is in the fullest sympathy with the desire to effect necessary housing improvements in mining villages, the Act of Parliament instituting the Miners' Welfare Fund expressly excluded the building and repair of dwelling houses from the permissible objects of grant. The Commission is alive to the need for associating welfare amenities with new housing schemes, and will shortly make known its proposals as to the future activities of the Miners' Welfare Fund in this and other directions.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will take steps to provide surface workers at coalmines adequate protective clothing to prevent the high incidence of illness that such workers suffer from as a result of inclement weather.

I have already asked the representative bodies of both sides of the industry to consider this matter and am awaiting the results.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the results of the steps taken by his Department's regional and group production directors in Lancashire to improve the preparation of coal where there is deterioration of quality.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to my hon. Friend on 31st October.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has considered the petition of residents of the borough of Brackley with regard to the restoration of the basic petrol ration; and whether he can now make a statement with regard thereto.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave in answer to similar questions on 26th September last.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power under what conditions and to what extent petrol is granted to officers and other ranks on leave from the three Services; and whether any such arrangements exist in respect of embarkation leave.

When on leave from service afloat, or from overseas, any member of the Forces may receive an active service leave allowance and this is issuable also to any member of an operational air crew of the R.A.F. when on leave in this country. This allowance, which provides for a maximum mileage of 600 miles a year, may be used for journeys of any kind. In addition, a home service leave allowance is issuable to any member of the Forces who owns a car to enable him to proceed on leave between his unit and his leave address when other means of transport are not reasonably practicable. This allowance, which is subject to a maximum mileage of 250 miles a quarter, is available for embarkation leave.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the Government policy of modifying invasion restrictions in many directions, he will now remove the inconvenience caused by the single distribution of petrol in certain areas.

The distribution of petrol in the areas to which the powers conferred by the Petroleum (No. 3) Order, 1940, were applied is now on the same footing as that in other parts of the country, the Order having been revoked with effect from 1st November. Every endeavour is being made to assist the owners of petrol storages closed down under the Order to get their pumps into working order.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that a large acreage of potatoes and sugar-beet in Nottinghamshire lacks adequate labour to lift the crops; and whether more prisoners of war can be supplied to meet requirements.

Yes, Sir, my right hon. Friend is aware of the position and has arranged for additional prisoners of war to be supplied in Nottinghamshire.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total number of cases of foot-and-mouth disease that have occurred in this country and in the county of Shropshire, respectively, in each year since 1939, inclusive.

The numbers of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Great Britain and in Shropshire during each of the years 1939–1943, inclusive, and in the present year up to 8th November were as follows:

Year		No. of outbreaks in Gt. Britain	No. of outbreaks in Shropshire
1939	…	99	nil
1940	…	160	nil
1941	…	264	11
1942	…	670	nil
1943	…	27	nil
1944	…	156	4
(up to 12th November)

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are being taken to encourage farm institutes being set up on modern lines as part of the county council's responsibility for agricultural development; and whether encouragement will be given to central farm institutes under the joint authority of two or more county councils grouped together in order to erect more appropriate buildings and to pay higher salaries to the staff at less cost to the rates of individual counties by sharing overhead expenses, loan charges, &c.

For the Government's policy regarding the establishment of farm institutes I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the statement which I made in the House on 20th January last. The practical steps which can be taken to implement that policy are at present limited by other claims on the resources of the building industry and on the services of technical staff qualified to give instruction at farm institutes. I hope, however, that county councils will do all that is possible in present circumstances by way of planning and preparatory work, and I shall give sympathetic consideration to any suitable proposals, including, where appropriate, proposals for joint action on the part of two or more county councils.

asked the Minister of of Labour how many reports have been issued by committees presided over by Lord Hankey; and, in particular, whether he proposes to publish the Reports dealing with the machinery of appointments and further education and training.

The only reports my right hon. Friend has received from Committees presided over by Lord Hankey are an Interim Report on Further Education and Training and the Report on Higher Appointments. It is proposed to arrange for the publication of the Report on Higher Appointments at an early date.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the desire of domiciliary midwives for permission to wear service chevrons; and, in view of the service rendered by these women, often under dangerous conditions, will he give further consideration to their request.

The position of domiciliary midwives was considered when the classes of persons eligible for war service chevrons were decided upon. These awards are not granted normally to persons engaged on their ordinary peace-time duties, even though these duties are carried out under the difficult and dangerous conditions of war-time, and for this reason domiciliary midwives were among the classes to whom it was decided that the awards could not be granted. My right hon. Friend is glad to take this opportunity of expressing his very warm appreciation of the invaluable services which these midwives have been giving throughout the war, often in the face of very great difficulties.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has any statement to make as to the grant by the Newfoundland Government of a lease of Goose Bay Airport in Labrador to the Canadian Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has any statement to make concerning the grant by the Newfoundland Government of a lease of Goose Bay Airport in Labrador to the Canadian Government.

As the House is aware, the airport at Goose Bay was constructed by the Canadian Government, entirely at Canadian expense, on land in Labrador, previously undeveloped, which the Newfoundland Government agreed to lease to them. The Canadian Government have spent some $25,000,000 on the construction of the airport, and there is no doubt that this large undertaking on Newfoundland territory will be of great benefit to Newfoundland in the future. An Agreement has now been concluded between the Newfoundland and Canadian Governments under which, in pursuance of the understanding reached between the two Governments in 1941, the Canadian Government is granted a lease of the site of the Goose Bay airport for 99 years. This lease is for defence purposes only, and the question of post-war civil and commercial uses has been reserved for discussions which are to take place between the Newfoundland, Canadian and United Kingdom Governments after the war. A copy of the signed Agreement will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his Department is alone responsible for the suggestion of returning long-serving Servicemen to Britain to start families; if he is aware that the idea will prove unfair to one man as against another and give opportunities to men to get back to Britain on false grounds; and will he state the names of those composing the compassionate posting committee, their respective ages, whether married or single and the size of their families, with any other qualifications to determine considerations which should be the private concern of all married people.

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

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will lengthen substantially the time during which disabled officers and men may remain in the Army, so that they may enjoy the pay and status thus afforded and continue to wear uniform, thus minimising the invidious distinction between serving men and discharged men who are in the same hospital at the same time.

This question is being examined with the other Services.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the conditions prevailing at wounded and sick camps in the Central Mediterranean Area; and whether he will have full inquiries made into the case sent to him by the hon. Member for Central Hull; and what action he proposes to take.

The hon. Member forwarded to me a copy of a letter published in a Sunday newspaper. This related to one particular convalescent depot and investigations show that even at this depot the conditions described were by no means general. The location of this convalescent depot was not entirely suitable for occupation during the winter, but for military reasons it could not be moved as had been originally intended. Steps were taken to prepare it for the winter but before this could be done torrential rains set in. These came much earlier than had been expected, and the hon. Member must be aware of the general dislocation they caused from newspaper reports. The report I have received contains the following particulars: The majority of tents are dry inside. Defective tents are being replaced as soon as possible. A tent was erected to protect those waiting for meals. A drying shed was available and there was an ample reserve of spare blankets. The scale of beds normally available for a convalescent depot is being supplemented by the construction of bunks. Each individual not provided with a bed received a groundsheet. A complete issue of gas capes has now been made. There are no large buildings available locally, and the area has been heavily bombed. There is apparently no suitable permanent accommodation which is being occupied by Italians.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the list of articles of tropical clothing which A.T.S. officers are advised to take on proceeding to India and S.E.A.C.

A.T.S. officers going to India or S.E.A.C. can take with them their home uniform and clothing. In addition they are advised that certain articles of clothing, while not in all cases essential, would be useful. I am sending my hon. Friend the list.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a number of ships available to carry Service personnel from the Middle East to this country have recently travelled with a substantial proportion of their accommodation unoccupied; and whether, in view of the number of men having urgent claims to return from the Middle East, he will take steps to see that at least the available accommodation is used.

Without further details I could not say whether anything went wrong in the cases to which the hon. and learned Member refers. What I can say is that the war-time naval regulations for transports quite often insist that ships shall not be loaded to their extreme capacity. In any case, as I have emphasised on several occasions, the main obstacle to bringing more men home from overseas is at the present time the shortage of men suitable to take their place and not, as it was a year or so ago, the shortage of ships to carry them.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Captain Gilbert Hall, A.E.C., having sent a properly worded cable to the hon. Member far North Hammersmith shortly after the meeting of the Cairo Forces' Parliament, was accused by his superior officer of acting disloyally and subversively in so doing; that when he exercised his right to have an interview with the Major-General in charge of administration to protest against this accusation he was told at that interview that an adverse report would be called for upon him; that an adverse report was thereupon made and he was called upon to resign his commission; and whether inquries will be made into this matter.

The adverse report rendered on this officer related entirely to his suitability as an officer. He saw the report and he appealed against it, The report and the appeal were most carefully considered in the normal way by the Army Council. The appeal failed. He was thereupon called on to resign his commission. I see no case for instituting further inquiries unless fresh facts are produced by Mr. Hall.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Control Commission (Military Section) is now in existence; whether it has been established; and what are its functions.

I have been asked to reply. The answer to the first two parts of the Question is in the affirmative. The functions of this section are to prepare for the disarmament of Germany.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the price of each article of clothing which is available in store for officers in the Women's Services to obtain for tropical kit.

I am sending the hon. Member these particulars.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the shortage of labour in the Selby district of Yorkshire, arrangements can be made to enlarge the prisoners of war camp at Brayton.

I understand that the shortage of civilian building labour is at present so severe that it will not be possible to enlarge this camp.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered a letter, dated 26th October, from the Meriden Rural District Council with regard to Italian prisoners of war; and whether he will make a statement.

The letter referred to by my hon. Friend was answered on 2nd November. Prisoners of war may only be employed on limited types of work. It was therefore decided to take the opportunity offered by the Italian Armistice to accept certain of the Italian prisoners of war as volunteers for any employment. I understand that on the average their output is higher than that of ordinary prisoners of war. They have eased our man-power difficulties and their work has been a valuable contribution to the war effort. It seemed only reasonable to grant to these men certain privileges not available to non-co-operators. These include:

(a) freedom to exercise within 5 miles of their camps.

(b) entry to shops and cinemas. The numbers entering cinemas are controlled in consultation with the cinema managers and police.

(c) the payment of part of their pay in sterling.

(d) the use of cycles in off-duty periods with their employers' permission.

(e) permission to talk to civilians and accept invitations to visit private houses.

Any breaches of the regulations governing their behaviour should be reported to the Commandant of the Camp to which they belong. He will, take the necessary disciplinary action, but he cannot do so unless the facts are reported to him and he certainly ought not to do so unless the facts reported are verifiable. In the case of the letter from the Meriden Rural District Council some of the facts are vague general statements. Such statements as are specific are not borne out by the evidence so far furnished to me officially. I may add that co-operators are not allowed in public transport in off-duty periods.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied with the discipline of Italian prisoners of war used to assist agricultural operations in Shropshire.

On the whole, yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give the latest available information as to food supplies in Belgium and the arrangements which are being made to supplement them.

The combined British and American authorities have made preparations to provide for Belgium, as for other liberated territories, sufficient food to supplement estimated local production up to an average of 2,000 calories a day and shipments to this end are being made. But as the result of the inevitable dislocation following on German occupation, certain difficulties have arisen with regard to the distribution of food produced in the country, which at this season of the year could normally have been reckoned on to meet Belgian needs. In order to assist in dealing with these difficulties, Supreme Headquarters are providing 200 tons of fats, meat and salt daily for a short period.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now state whether the transport of prisoners of war parcels from Lisbon to Marseilles, suspended on 16th May, has been resumed; on what date the ships left Lisbon; and how many parcels they carried.

Yes, Sir. Four ships sailed on 6th November. Their cargoes included 300,000 standard food parcels for prisoners of war from the British Commonwealth.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that the railway from Marseilles to Geneva is now carrying the two trains per week required for the transport of prisoners of war pacels; and whether he has taken steps to ensure that the parcels on arrival at Marseilles will be forwarded at once to Geneva.

As I said to my hon. and gallant Friend on 7th November, the volume of traffic for the carriage of parcels onwards from Marseilles goes beyond anything we could have expected a month ago in view of the unavoidable effect on communications of a retiring enemy and of advancing Allied operations. I understand that Red Cross supplies are at present leaving Marseilles daily in sufficient quantity. So long as operations continue I cannot guarantee that this traffic will never have to be held up for military reasons, but I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that all possible steps have been taken to ensure that the flow is maintained.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether consignments of prisoners of war parcels have yet been despatched direct from Britain to Marseilles.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for India why leave for England is not being given to British officers of the Indian Army proper on the same basis and for the same period of service as is being given to British officers attached to the Indian Army proper.

British Service officers attached to the Indian Army are entitled, subject always to the exigencies of the Service, to share in the benefits of the War Office "home posting" scheme. This cannot, however, be applied to officers of the Indian Army, which has no home establishment, and in lieu of it a leave scheme has been introduced. At the moment, owing to the complete stoppage of leave in the early years of war and the accumulation of Indian Army officers who have been many years without home leave, the grant of leave under this scheme is not proceeding so rapidly as the Government of India and I could desire, but I can assure my hon. Friend that, subject to shipping difficulties and operational requirements, every effort is being made to grant leave home as liberally as possible.

asked the Minister of Food whether in connection with social insurance, it is proposed to continue in the post-war years the existing arrangements by which pregnant women, nursing mothers and children up to school age can obtain essential supplies of milk and vitamins which have contributed so effectively to maintaining the health of mothers and children during the war.

No change is contemplated in the Welfare Foods schemes as at present administered so long as food shortages continue and consumption of liquid milk by the general public is restricted. Consideration is being given to the best means of ensuring that the special needs of children and pregnant and nursing mothers will be met when liquid milk and other essential foods are again in ample supply.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether, in the interests both of maintaining a high standard of nutrition in this country and of avoiding waste of food urgently needed in others, the advice of the Scientific Food Policy Committee of the War Cabinet will be sought before any proposal is considered to lower the extraction rate of wheat flour below 82½ per cent.

I have been asked to reply. I can assure my hon. Friend that his suggestion will be fully considered before any further reduction in the extraction rate is made.

asked the Minister of Food whether it is now practicable to arrange for the shipment of bananas to this country.

No, Sir. I am afraid this is not possible at present.

asked the Minister of Education what is the number of children now being maintained at the school evacuated from Rochester to the camp at Wren's Warren, in the parish of Hart-field, Sussex; what is the present annual cost per child of maintaining and educating these children, including any rent or other charges payable in respect of the occupation of the camp; and from what sources and in what proportions this cost is being met.

The present number of children at the Wren's Warren camp is 64. The annual cost of maintaining these children amounts to £172 per child. Towards this sum parents contribute according to their means up to a maximum of 6s. per week per child under the Government Evacuation Scheme and except for a small fraction allocated to the Rochester Education Account in respect of heating, lighting and cleaning the classrooms, the balance is met by the Exchequer through the Evacuation Account. Figures are not available for the cost of teachers' salaries and other educational expenses, but the arrangements made are similar to those current in public elementary schools, the cost of which averaged in 1938 about £15 per child per annum and is met in approximately equal proportions from local rates in Rochester and Ministry of Education grants.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will arrange for the release from wartime employment of a lady graduate of London University, details of whose case have been submitted to him, who has been awarded by the university a post-graduate studentship which will be forfeited unless she is able to commence research without delay and the loss of which would injure her prospects of a teaching career.

I am making inquiries into this case and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will reconsider the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of a university medical student who has studied for four years and passed the first and second examinations for a degree but has failed in one part of the final examination and in consequence has been de-reserved and directed to coalmining.

As a result of inquiries which have been made I regret that I am unable to vary the decision which was given after careful investigation of the circumstances. I am writing more fully to my hon. Friend.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why the Pension Injury Warrant Order (S.R. & O., No. 577, of 1935), which was signed by two Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, namely, the late Mr. James Blindell and the present Minister of Pensions on 27th June, 1935, was not printed and published by His Majesty's Stationery Office until November, 1944; and what action has been taken under the Order between its date of signature and its date of publication.

My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension. The Injury Warrant in question was duly published by H.M. Stationery Office on 1st July, 1935, and was included in the volume of Statutory Rules and Orders for that year. The copy dated 1944 to which my hon. Friend refers is one of several subsequent reprints. In these circumstances the second part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he can now name the members of the Fuel and Power Advisory Council.

Yes, Sir. I have already informed the House of my intention to set up this Council and that I had secured the services of Sir Ernest Simon as Chairman. I have now appointed the Council as follows:

• Sir Ernest Simon, M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E. (Chairman).
• Mr. Geoffrey Crowther.
• Sir John Greenly, K.C.M.G., C.B.E., M.I.Mech.E., M.I.E.I.
• Dr. E. S. Grumell, C.B.E.
• Sir Harold Hartley, K.C.V.O., C.B.E., M.C., F.R.S.
• Professor C. N. Hinshelwood, F.R.S.
• Professor John Jewkes, C.B.E.
• Viscount Ridley, C.B.E.
• Sir Robert Robinson, F.R.S., D.Sc.
• Mr. Geoffrey Summers, C.B.E.
• Secretary—Mr. R. N. Quirk.

The terms of Reference are as follows:

"To consider and advise upon questions, referred from time to time by the Minister to the Council, concerning the development and utilisation of the fuel and power resources of the country in the national interest."

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will set up a committee to inquire into conditions in the fishing industry, with special reference to inshore fishing, and recommend what steps can be taken to ensure that the industry will be established on a sound basis after the war.

As my hon. Friend is aware, legislation has already been passed about the future of the herring industry. Plans about the future of the rest of the fishing industry, including that of the inshore fishermen, are already under active consideration. The main facts of the position are well known, and I do not think that there would be any advantage in appointing a committee at this stage to make recommendations on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the sleeping and other accommodation for nurses and domestics in the King Edward VII Welsh National Memorial is below the standard laid down in the Rushcliffe and Hetherington Reports; and what action is he taking to improve the position.

Neither of the Reports in question prescribes standards of accommodation. If my hon. Friend will let me know what particular institutions he has in mind, and in what respect the accommodation is said to be unsatisfactory, I will make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the appeal made by the King Edward VII Welsh National Memorial to be supplied with a modern chest hospital at Swansea, covering the requirements of thoracic surgery to serve the whole of South-west Wales; and what action is he taking to meet this overdue need.

I am aware that the King Edward VII Welsh National Memorial Association have under consideration the question of a new hospital at Swansea. I shall be prepared to consider, in the light of prevailing conditions, any proposals which may be submitted to me by the association.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that there is a general demand, as a matter of urgency, with the local authorities to assist the King Edward VII Welsh National Memorial Association in Wales for an additional mass radiograph in order to cope with the number of patients awaiting attention; and will he assist in procuring the same forthwith.

Only a limited amount of the highly specialised apparatus needed for mass radiography can be manufactured in present exigencies of labour and materials, and this has had to be distributed over selected areas throughout the country. I regret that it is not possible, therefore, to provide an additional unit for Wales at present.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will instruct hospital authorities that objectors to inoculation have a right to refuse injections of anti-tetanus serum as well as other injections.

It is unnecessary for me to issue any such instructions, because the right of a patient to refuse the treatment referred to in the Question or any other form of treatment is well known to hospital authorities.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that out of six notifications of diphtheria recently reported in the Trowbridge area the only serious case was an immunised child; that this case has been re-diagnosed and will not appear among the recorded cases of diphtheria in immunised children; and as such re-diagnosis vitiates the statistics compiled in regard to immunised and un-immunised cases of diphtheria, if he will take steps to introduce a better system of statistics.

I am not aware of the circumstances to which my hon. Friend refers, but I am having inquiries made and will communicate with him as soon as I have obtained the necessary particulars.

asked the Prime Minister who will be answering Questions regarding the proposals for the rebuilding of the House of Commons.

Questions involving policy or principle should be put to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. Technical questions arising out of the proposed rebuilding of the House of Commons should be put to my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the sterling balances of Empire and Allied countries have been increased by the pegging of exchanges at rates out of relation to the respective purchasing power parities.

Having regard to the entirely exceptional circumstances prevailing in war-time, I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by attempting to make hypothetical calculations on the basis suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that no members of the R.A.F. other than officers have been allowed coupons for the purchase of pyjamas for several years; that since there is no issue of pyjamas, numbers of airmen in Great Britain and in Africa are forced to sleep in their shirts or naked and in blankets where no sheets are provided; and whether he will remedy this position.

This question has been considered more than once, and while I sympathise with the purpose of my hon. and gallant Friend's question it is unfortunately not possible to remedy the position until the shortage of material becomes less acute.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that R.A.F. officers with no previous experience of Far Eastern conditions, and aged between 40 and 50 years, are being sent to the China-India-Burma front after a superficial medical examination; and whether his medical advisers have satisfied him that men of that age are physically suited to the climatic conditions with which they will be faced.

No, Sir. No officer is sent abroad unless he has been declared fit for overseas service after full medical examination. An officer's age is, of course, taken into consideration in assessing fitness, but I am advised that there are no medical reasons for excluding an officer from service in the Far Eastern theatre solely on the grounds that he is over 40 years of age.

asked the Secretary of State for Air, in view of the commencement of a regular bi-weekly civilian air service between South Africa and America, it is expected to open similar civilian air services between the United Kingdom and any of the British Dominions.

Regular air services are already operated between the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Priority on these services is given to traffic carried for war purposes. I understand that this restriction applies also to the recently resumed service between Florida and the Belgian Congo.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any steps have been taken by the University Grants Committee to provide at selected universities chairs of Russian history.

I understand that a number of universities are contemplating developments in the study of Russian history and that these projects are included in the universities' general proposals for post-war developments, the financial implications of which are now under consideration by the University Grants Committee.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will now grant permission for the Torpoint Ferry to have certain improvements in lighting, particularly permission to use the prow lights on the bridges when passengers are taken on board and landed from the bridges.

I have arranged for my hon. Friend's suggestion to be considered by the local naval authorities in consultation with the civil authorities, and will communicate the result of this inquiry as soon as possible.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why youths who joined the R.N. and have been subjected to the same dangers and hardships as other members of that service are not entitled to the long service increases in pay until they reach 21 years of age.

The implication in the Question is incorrect. Boys in the Royal Navy count their war service towards these increases as from the date of first draft to sea; and most of them will thus receive their first War Service Increment before the age of 21.

asked the Minister without Portfolio how many weekly contributions each year have been assumed by the Government Actuary in determining the amount of the weekly contribution required in each of the various insurance classes under the Government's proposals for social insurance; how many weeks on an average each year of unemployment, sickness, holidays and other causes of nonpayment of contributions the Government Actuary has allowed for; and whether, in these respects any distinction and, if so, what distinction, has been made between Classes I, II and IV.

As indicated in paragraph 13 of Appendix I to the White Paper on Social Insurance, the rates of contribution for Classes I, II and IV have been determined with due allowance for the differing conditions governing excusal of contributions in the three Classes and taking into account the varying incidence of sickness at each age. For Class I the allowance for non-payment of contributions due to sickness (including maternity in the case of women), industrial injury and unemployment amounts to about 6½ weeks a year for men and six weeks for women, averaged over the population brought into the scheme. For Class II the allowance, on account of sickness only, is about 2½ weeks for men and three weeks for women. Class IV contributions are payable during sickness, but are excused to women in receipt of widow's (including guardian's) benefits.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that licences to import penicillin into Jamaica have been withheld on the advice of the British Mission in Washington; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that people in Jamaica may obtain urgently needed supplies of penicillin.

Licences to import penicillin commercially were doubtless withheld by the Government of Jamaica in accordance with the conditions which had to be imposed to ensure that the limited supplies of this drug which could be released for civilian purposes were used to the best advantage. Use had to be restricted to centres where adequate facilities existed for controlled clinical trial. To ensure that all supplies reaching the Colony were so used, it was arranged that imports should be through Government channels. As, however, the Jamaica Government encountered some difficulty in obtaining supplies, interim arrangements have been made for an emergency supply to be sent to Jamaica commercially.