asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Cadet J. B. P. Adams was injured at an Inter-Cadet Unit Sports Meeting on Whit-Monday, 1943; and whether, in view of the fact that he was injured during organised physical training, he will give the matter further consideration with a view to granting compensation.

The arrangements for giving financial compensation to cadets who are injured apply to disablement resulting from cadet training. They do not apply to injuries resulting from other cadet activities which are in the nature of amenities. Inter-Cadet Unit Sports Meetings are not within the authorised training curriculum for cadets, and I regret that, in the circumstances, Cadet Adams is not eligible for compensation.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the fact that delivery of newspapers at present takes up to two months in S.E.A.C., he will arrange either for newspapers from home for the troops in this theatre to be delivered by air, or will make facilities available for the reprinting of these newspapers in India.

I would refer my Noble and gallant Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Mr. Tinker) on 5th December.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that nursing sisters in India and Burma are being required to serve five years owing to shortage of replacements; and whether he can make a statement on this matter.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 31st October.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in the case of British soldiers who have escaped from Japanese prison camps and reached this country, he will arrange that these men are given extended leave and not sent overseas again; and whether he will allow these soldiers to tell the story of the sufferings they endured to the world.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an option for discharge to men rescued from a torpedoed Japanese vessel after captivity in the Far East.

These men are given six weeks leave and are retained on the Home Establishment for six months. During this time they undergo courses of rehabili- tation. They are then liable to be sent overseas in any capacity for which they are medically fit. They will not, however, be sent to the Far Eastern theatre.

asked the Secretary of State for War the system applied to allow men from overseas to come home on leave; and is there a system of seniority arranged so that those who have been overseas longest come home first, or is a ballot taken of all men in certain units irrespective of length of service overseas.

I would refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 5th December. The facilities for leave to this country are additional to the arrangements already existing for repatriation to this country on compassionate grounds or after a long period of service overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the new regulations with regard to home leave for the troops in the S.E.A.C. will be applied to the Signals service.

Yes, Sir. The leave scheme applies to officers and men of the Royal Corps of Signals. But in view of the operational situation in S.E.A.C., which I described in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) on 5th December, it may be that the first few leave convoys from the Far East will not contain any Signals personnel. But I should hope that, as with the repatriation scheme, this situation would in any case adjust itself in the next few months.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the breaches of the sea defences in West Sussex resulting from the activities of the Army and the requisitions of his Department are still unrepaired; that the coast is being washed away and property flooded with sea-water; and what steps he is taking to prevent the further deterioration of this situation.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave him on 31st October.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that there is a shortage of Army duty-free parcel labels in many areas on the Western Front; and whether he can take steps to see that supplies are made available in time to deal with parcels being sent home for Christmas.

There is no general shortage of these labels. In the course of operations shortages in individual units cannot always be avoided.

asked the Secretary of State for War how long a man has to be in the Army before he is sent overseas; whether a man is medically examined before being sent abroad; if he is aware that Private J. Lott, No. 14817533, had only been in the Army 10 weeks when he was sent overseas; and what action he intends taking about this case.

On the general question would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Lipson) on 11th July. In accordance with the usual practice Private Lott was medically examined before he went abroad. He had completed his training and was considered fit for overseas service in the Pioneer Corps.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether Italian collaborators are permitted to use N.A.A.F.I. canteens.

Yes, Sir, but only during their hours of duty.

asked the Secretary of State for War for what reasons Field-Marshal Alexander advised Italian patriots by a radio message, on 12th November, to cease large-scale operations; and whether this advice has the approval of His Majesty's Government.

It would not be in the public interest to state these reasons. But as I have seen the suggestion made, I can state that a desire or intention to abandon the patriots to the tender mercies of the Germans was not one of the reasons.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Japanese Government has recently indicated any willingness to widen the scope of inspection of prisoners camps by the International Red Cross; and can he give particulars.

The Swiss Minister at Tokio was informed in a discussion with the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs at the beginning of November that he had secured permission for camps in occupied territory to be visited by representatives of the International Red Cross Committee. The Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs agreed to confirm this statement in writing. From a later telegram, it is learned that the Japanese Foreign Office had written that the question was still being examined, but that it was thought that authorisation might be given to visit camps in Singapore and Siam.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the widespread dissatisfaction felt by persons entitled to value payments under the War Damage Act, with the sums at which their claims have been assessed, he is satisfied that the present basis and methods of assessment are capable of ensuring a just and equitable settlement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 16th November to the hon. Member for South Croydon (Sir H. Williams), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, as the War Damage Commission in some measure executes its duties under general regulations made by the Treasury, he will give an assurance that hon. Members may make representations to him, either by letter or Parliamentary Question, on behalf of their constituents.

Yes, Sir. Parliament however, has deliberately conferred a wide measure of discretion, much of it of a quasi-judicial character, on the War Damage Commission, and my predecessor gave a categoric assurance on 23rd January, 1941, in response to representations from hon. Members, that there would be no attempt by the Treasury to give other than general directions to the Commission [HANSARD, Columns 336–344]. As my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Major Markham) was informed on 18th October [HANSARD, Column 2395], I do not, therefore, think it appropriate to answer Questions in the House on individual cases of war damage.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, on any convenient bases, was the purchasing power of the £ sterling in 1913, 1938 and at the latest convenient date.

In my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Leeds (Mr. Denman) on 6th July, 1944, I explained the difficulty of estimating changes in the domestic purchasing power of the £ over the whole field of personal expenditure. I stated, however, that on the basis of the estimated levels of retail prices given in the National Income White Paper 1944 (Cmd. 6520) the domestic purchasing power of the in 1943 was about 71 per cent. of that in 1938. Similar estimates of the change between 1913 and 1938 are not available. For that period, but not for the later period, the change in the domestic purchasing power of the £ was probably reflected with reasonable accuracy by the change in the official cost-of-living index, and on that basis the domestic purchasing power of the £ in 1938 was about 64 per cent. of that in July, 1914.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to grant permission for the spinning of a quantity of non-utility yarn for sampling and experimental purposes.

The spinning of yarns for sampling or experimental purposes cannot be allowed to impede the output of essential goods. But spinners equipped to spin these yarns without interference with essential production may apply to the Cotton Controller for permission to do so.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of the annual production per head of the population, for the years 1913, 1938 and at the latest convenient date.

This information only becomes available for years in which a Census of Production is taken. Far 1935, the latest census year, the value of industrial (including mining) output per head of the population was about £50, the corresponding figure for 1907, after making an allowance for the inclusion of Southern Ireland in the published figures, being approximately £30.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the increasing re-establishment of amusement arcades in London, in which automatic machines, electrically lighted, are in constant use and where premises are occupied and money is wasted to the detriment of the shopping area in which they are set up; and whether a licence is required before such a business can be started.

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

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the banning of British films in the U.S.A. on trivial grounds; and whether he will investigate the desirability of banning American films on the same grounds in this country.

All films, British or American, before exhibition in the United States, are submitted for censorship to a body known as the Hays' Office. Likewise, all films, British or American, before exhibition in this country, are submitted to the British Board of Film Censors. Both organisations are non-Governmental bodies. I do not propose at present to make representations about the decisions made by either body.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department how many applications from business executives wishing to visit France are at present being held up; and what is the present daily average of departures for France of such persons.

From 19th August to 8th December, 519 formal applications have been made to my Department by business men for authority to proceed to France. My Department has sponsored 225 and the remainder, some of which are very recent, are being examined. It is understood that approximately half of those sponsored have now received their exit permits. Of these 23 have secured their visas from the French Consulate-General and have travelled to France.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why no representatives of publicly owned undertakings or of the interests of consumers of electricity have been appointed to the National Fuel and Power Advisory Council; and why no prior consultations took place with the local authorities on the setting up of this body.

The Fuel and Power Advisory Council has deliberately been constituted as a small body, not representative of any particular interests. It would, therefore, have been inappropriate to have consulted organisations of any fuel producers or consumers about the membership.

asked the Minister of National Insurance in what way the position of those who are now benefiting under the present contributory pension scheme will be affected under the new pensions proposals of the Government.

The rights of existing pensioners will be carefully safeguarded. The details are necessarily somewhat complicated and will be found in paras. 100 and 125 of the White Paper on Social Insurance (Part I).

asked the Minister of National Insurance what estimated annual sums during the first 20 years, respectively, of the proposed death grant and what estimated total sum the taxpayer will have to provide over and above contributions from contributors, as a result of the grant being given in respect of the existing population; and what estimated initial deficiency, expressed as a capital sum, will thus be created.

The charge on the Exchequer in respect of death grants, excluding administrative expenses, will be the amount by which the contribution income of about £6,500,000 a year falls short of the expenditure, which will be about £4,000,000 in the first year and will rise to about £7,000,000 a year in 10 years, and £11,000,000 a year in 20 years. As regards the estimated amount of the initial deficiency, expressed as a capital sum, I would refer my hon. Friend to the Government Actuary's Report, paragraph 26 on page 185 of Command Paper 6404.

asked the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that there is still a shortage of beer available in S.E.A.C.; and what steps he is taking to meet this grievance.

Yes, Sir. This is one of the matters to which special attention is being given by His Majesty's Government and measures are being taken to increase the scale of export beer available to South East Asia Command. As, however, these measures are unlikely to provide sufficient to ensure the full ration desired, concurrent steps are being taken to increase the quantity of beer brewed in India. I can assure my hon. Friend that the urgent need for increasing the supply of beer to the Forces in South East Asia Command is fully appreciated by His Majesty's Government and that all efforts are being directed towards achieving this.

asked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department if he will give the names and business connections of the Overseas Trade Development Council; and what are its general terms of reference.

The Council, which gave valuable assistance to my predecessors up to the outbreak of war, has been reformed and will meet regularly under my chairmanship. It is to study methods of export trade promotion and the nature and extent of Government support, more especially through my Department, to the development of our export trade.The following are the names of the business members of the Council:

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses requisitioned by the various Government Departments which have been unoccupied during the last three months, six months, one year, two years and three years.

I have been asked to reply. There is no central record of requisitioned houses which would enable me to answer the hon. Member's Question. To collect the desired information from the various Departments and local authorities would involve an expenditure of time and labour which I should hesitate, under present circumstances, to authorise. I should, however, be pleased to provide the hon. Member with information about any particular properties he may care to specify.

asked the Minister of Education what is the total expenditure for the last year by his Ministry on youth service; what is the total expenditure by local education authorities; and how many organisers are wholly or partly financed by such authorities.

The expenditure of my Department in the financial year 1943–44 on grants under the Social and Physical Training Grant Regulations to voluntary organisations engaged in youth service work was £272,530. Figures showing the actual expenditure by local education authorities on the youth service are not available. In 1943–44 the programmes and estimates submitted by 143 out of 146 higher education authorities provided for a total expenditure of £720,946 on the maintenance and development of the youth service, whilst the corresponding figure for 1944–45, based on the returns so far received from 128 authorities, is £847,192. The approved net expenditure of local education authorities on this service is recognised for grant under the Higher Education Grant Regulations. The number of youth service organisers, full-time and part-time employed by higher education authorities is now about 225. Information as to the number of organisers employed by voluntary organisations with the aid of grant from local education authorities is not available.

asked the Minister of Education what voluntary societies are assisted by his Ministry in respect of youth service; and what are the annual grants to each body.

In 1944–45 the Ministry has allocated to the national voluntary organisations named below grants under the Social and Physical Training Grant Regulations of the amounts stated. The amount of each grant is determined year by year in the light of the considerations mentioned in Article 3 of the Regulations, namely, the character, efficiency, volume and cost of the work, and the aggregate sums available to the Ministry for grants under the Regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the 342,171 persons attending continuation classes in Scotland during the year 1938–39 were over the age of 18 years; and how many of them came from Ayrshire.

The number of persons who attended continuation classes in Scotland during the year 1938–39 was 177,375, of whom 168,462 attended under the Continuation Class Code and 8,913 under the Adult Education Regulations. Of this number 98,960, or 55.8 per cent., were over the age of 18 years. The number who attended continuation classes in Ayrshire was 11,776 (10,755 under the Continuation Class Code and 1,021 under the Adult Education Regulations) of whom 7,034 were over the age of 18 years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the need for reforming the Scottish library services; and what action he proposes to take in view of the representations recently made to him.

I have recently received representations from a number of town councils and also from the Convention of Royal Burghs in Scotland and from the Scottish Library Association regarding the need of amending, in certain respects, existing Scottish library legislation. I am not satisfied, however, that all the bodies concerned have reached anything like a fair measure of agreement and I have suggested that, as a preliminary to further consideration, an effort should be made to formulate proposals on which there would be a substantial measure of agreement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in regard to the recruitment of ex-Servicewomen into the Civil Service, he will further define the proposals, in particular, stating what percentage of the proportion it is proposed to allocate.

The proposal in the Report of the Committee of the Civil Service National Whitley Council (Cmd. 6567) is in effect that ex-Servicewomen should have reserved to them a proportion of the vacancies in each class appropriate to the number of qualified candidates coming forward from the Women's Services. It is not possible to say what percentage of the available vacancies this will reserve until the number of candidates coming forward is known.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what special arrangements he proposes to make in order that prisoners of war may compete in the reconstruction competitions for entry to the Civil Service.

The Report published in Cmd. Paper 6567 contemplates that competitions for Civil Service posts, which are to be open to all men and women who have missed their chance of competing for the Civil Service during the war, will extend over a period of several years, in order to ensure that those who are released last from the Armed Forces have as good an opportunity as those who are released first. This will apply as much to the return of prisoners of war as to the release of men from the Forces. But, in addition, the Committee recommend that specially sympathetic consideration should be given to the position of prisoners of war; and the Civil Service Commission will make arrangements to ensure that no ex-prisoner of war is obliged to take the examination until he has had full time to recover and, if necessary, to prepare himself after his return.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give instructions that Customs Duty shall be waived on small gifts or mementos which are only worth a few shillings and which are sent by serving men abroad to their wives, mothers, or sweethearts at home, as the collection on trifling amounts causes irritation out of proportion to the taxes raised and involves administrative difficulties.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for York (Lord Irwin) on 10th October.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the Report of his Departmental Committee on the mechanisation and technical efficiency in British collieries is likely to be available by the spring or summer of 1945; whether it will be made public; and whether it will take into account the contents of the recent confidential report of the American experts.

The answer to the first two parts of the question is "Yes, Sir." As regards the last part, the Report of the American Mission has been made available in confidence to the members of the Committee who will, presumably, have regard to its contents.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the Report of the American technical experts on British coalmines will be made available to members of the Committee appointed by him to report on the future of mechanisation in British coal production.

The Report referred to by my hon. Friend was made available in confidence to the members of the Technical Advisory Committee in October last.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if experience has shown that mechanisation of any coalmines in this country, incuding those in the Midlands, is or is not productive of increased dust; and whether this is proving prejudicial to the health of miners.

In general, the substitution of machine mining for hand methods may increase the production of coal dust. The position continues to be carefully watched by my technical advisers and inspectors, who will not hesitate to press for the further extension of measures for dust suppression and prevention where necessary. A considerable degree of mechanisation has been reached in the Midlands area, but there is no definite evidence to suggest that the health of miners has been prejudiced thereby.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the allocation of coal per household is greater in the country districts than in the towns; and, if not, whether he will arrange for some increased allocation of coal to households where facilities for gas or electricity are not available.

I would refer my Noble and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave on 10th October to my hon. Friend the Member for Rhondda East (Mr. Mainwaring).

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many copies of the bound volumes of the 1943 Statistics were issued free to Members; and what would be the price per volume in the event of a charge being made.

The Stationery Office has supplied to the Vote Office for the use of Members 145 copies of the Volume of Statutes for 1943, which I understand is the publication the hon. Member has in mind. The published price of the volume is 10s.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider including in the Development Areas promised to be set up under the Government's employment plan, towns and villages which in the past have relied almost entirely upon the success of the fishing industry, so that the local authorities concerned, or private individuals, may build new factories there and thus establish additional light industries for the better economic balance of the communities.

In the delimitation of the Development Areas, account will be taken of the considerations set out in Chapter III of the White Paper on Employment Policy.

asked the Minister of Information whether he will consider at the present stage of the war the possibility of easing the censorship on the mail to Northern Ireland in some way, in order that in the public interest and for business reasons, the delivery of letters may be considerably expedited.

Yes, Sir. This is being considered.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to secure from the U.S.S.R. supplies of Bogolometz's A.C.S. serum for experimental work in this country, high claims having been made in the U.S.S.R. not only for cures of various forms of rheumatism, including arthritis, but also for other conditions of ill-health.

I would remind my hon. Friend of the reply I gave on the 19th October to a similar Question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Handsworth (Commander Locker-Lampson) of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Pensions if, as his Department is unable to make payment of grants in aid towards dental treatment direct to the dentist undertaking such treatment, he will make the grant directly to the persons assisted in the form of a Post Office draft or cheque drawn in favour of the dentist; and is he aware that grants in aid made by his Department under the present scheme have been misapplied by the persons assisted and the dentist has not received his fee.

If, in connection with an application for an emergency grant, I am asked to make payment direct to a third party I am willing to do so, but in other cases I do not consider that I can change the existing practice under which any payment, which may cover expenditure under various heads, is made to the serving member or his dependent.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will call for and consider the Report of the psychiatrist who had 518734 Sergeant Downing, R.A.F., India, under observation in hospital with a view to determining if this airman suffered from frustration arising out of harsh and inconsiderate treatment.

I have seen the psychiatrist's report on this airman and I have called for further information which may take some time to collect, so that I may form a considered opinion on the point raised by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of builders who have ceased business since September, 1939; due to deprivation of labour and material; and what is the number of men who were employed by building firms in London who have been instructed to proceed to the provinces to engage in building operations.

I have been asked to reply. I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what is the area of walling erected to protect pedestrians where premises had been demolished by enemy action; and why were new bricks used when old bricks were available.

I have been asked to reply. I regret it is not possible to give the statistics asked for of the low brick walls (3 ft. 6 ins. high with 9 inch piers at 7 ft. centres) erected in London round sites for the protection of pedestrians. I have no knowledge of any general neglect of the instruction that these walls are to be built of salvaged bricks; but, if my hon. Friend will let me have details of any particular cases in which new bricks have been used, I will have inquiries made.

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the fact that Ministers of the Crown who are Peers of Parliament are prevented from expounding and defending the policy of their Departments in this House, he will consider introducing legislation to enable them to sit and speak in this House.

I have been asked to reply. No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Information what amount has been spent on work of construction and equipment by the B.B.C. during the war; and whether sufficient labour and materials have been made available to meet all their requirements.

The B.B.C.'s expenditure on work of construction and equipment during the war has amounted to some millions of pounds sterling, but I do not think it desirable that an exact figure should be given. As regards labour and materials the B.B.C. has been strictly rationed, like all other consumers, and war conditions have caused inevitable delays in the progress of their works. In spite of this they have carried out a very considerable expansion of overseas services and other war-time services.