asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in cases where a soldier whose account is found to be in debt is refused permission to make a voluntary allotment, he will make arrangements to issue the allotment automatically as soon as the account is clear without, as at present, insisting on a fresh A.F. O 1796a, thus saving time, paper and much correspondence, especially in cases where the man is serving overseas.

When a soldier wishes to commence a voluntary allotment he is required to forward to his regimental paymaster an authority to make the necessary deduction from his pay. In cases where this authority cannot be acted upon immediately because the soldier's account is in debt, the application is not automatically rejected. If the soldier is serving in the United Kingdom and the debt is likely to be cleared in four weeks, payment is commenced immediately. If he is serving overseas and the debt is likely to be cleared in 13 weeks, the authority is retained and acted upon when the debt has been cleared. Only in cases where the debt is not likely to be cleared in these periods is the authority rejected. The soldier is then informed through his Commanding Officer of the date on which he should submit a fresh authority if he still wishes to do so.I do not think that paymasters can reasonably be expected to retain the authority pending commencement of payment for any period longer than that for which he retains it under the existing arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give particulars of the rations issued to German prisoners of war in this country; and a corresponding list of the average rations received by British prisoners of war in Germany.

The rations issued to British prisoners of war vary from camp to camp according to the work they are doing. I attach a table of average figures compiled from information received about conditions in the summer of 1944. I also attach two tables showing the rations issued to German prisoners of war in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for War if camp commandants have been authorised by his Department to punish prisoners of war for failing to give the Nazi salute to German non-commissioned officers in the camps.

No, Sir. Disciplinary action could be taken by the camp authorities against a prisoner of war charged by his superior officer with a failure to salute, but he would not be punished for failure to use a particular form of salute.

asked the Secretary of State for War if British officers in South Wales prisoner-of-war camps have been authorised by his Department to accept the Nazi salute.

Prisoners of war are required by the Prisoners of War Convention to salute officers of the Detaining Power and they are entitled to use the salute in force in their own Army, which in the case of the German Army is the Nazi salute. Prisoners who prefer to do so may, however, use the British form of salute. British officers employed in German prisoner of war camps acknowledge the salutes of German prisoners of war, whichever form is used, in accordance with military custom.

asked the Minister of Health if consideration has been given to, and a decision reached on, the need for local authorities retaining for a period after the war with Germany ends residential property requisitioned by them for rehousing the homeless; and will he make a statement on the matter.

Yes, Sir. In view of the housing shortage local authorities will have no alternative but to retain for a period after the end of the war in Europe some residential property under requisition for the purpose of rehousing the homeless.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state month by month for the year 1945 the number of temporary houses which he proposes to make available for England, Scotland and Wales, respectively.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for the Woodbridge Division of East Suffolk (Mr. Ross Taylor) on 23rd January, of which I am sending him a copy. As I explained in my statement to the House on 23rd February, the Government intend to press forward with the manufacture of temporary houses to the fullest possible extent, subject only to limitations of labour, materials and factory capacity.