asked the Minister of Agriculture what progress has been made with the clearing of the River Kennet; how many acres of formerly waterlogged land have been made available for food production and at what cost; what further work of a similar character is being planned by drainage boards in Wiltshire and Berkshire; and whether, in the opinion of his experts, the fishing in this river has been injured by these operations.

I am advised by the Conservators of the River Thames that they have dredged the River Kennet from Reading to Chamberhouse Farm, Thatcham, at a cost of approximately £40,000 and that the area benefiting directly or indirectly from this work is estimated at 10,000 acres. Although additional minor works on farm ditches, etc., still remain to be done the effects of the scheme are already appreciable, and so far there have been no signs of flooding in spite of the exceptional wetness of the season. I regret that it would require an undue expenditure of time and labour to collect the precise information requested in the third part of the Question, but I understand that while no further work is at present contemplated on the River Kennet, Catchment Boards in Wiltshire and Berkshire have a number of other drainage schemes under consideration. In reply to the last part of the Question, it is not considered likely that any permanent damage to fisheries will have been caused by these operations.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that the employees of Vickers-Armstrong, Limited, Newcastle-on-Tyne, are alarmed at the situation that has developed at their works, owing to the cancellation of orders and shortage of work; and what steps the Government are taking to obviate this.

I have been asked to reply. Although there have been various programme adjustments at the works concerned to meet changing requirements, the labour affected has already for the most part been re-employed. The programme of work at this factory constitutes a satisfactory load, and I understand that it is likely to remain so for some time to come.

asked the Secretary of State for War why, having regard to category 10 of annex III to his announcement of 7th November, the Director of Personal Services informed an applicant at Sutton Coldfield by letter, dated 14th November, under reference OR/1186/ 40, (A.G.4a), that a soldier cannot be reverted to the Home Establishment for business reasons.

The case referred to by my hon. Friend concerned a man serving overseas whose father-in-law was ill. As my hon. Friend is aware, the Commander-in-Chief concerned has discretion to revert men to the Home Establishment. It is as a rule impossible to consider a man for home posting on compassionate grounds on account of the illness of his parents-in-law. As regards the business aspect of these compassionate cases, the annex to which my hon. Friend refers indicates how these cases are dealt with. I am sorry if the letter to which my hon. Friend refers gave a misleading impression of the arrangements governing these cases.