asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give the number of man shifts lost, and the loss in coal production, in the North Midland region owing to shortage of wagons during the months of January and February, 1945; and will he give each month's figures separately.

There were considerable losses of production in the North Midland region during January and February due to transport difficulties and shortage of wagons. The transport situation was, of course, affected by the long spell of severe weather. My right hon. Friend will be publishing regional statistics of tonnage lost from all causes in the forthcoming statistical digest, which will include figures for the first quarter of 1945.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether special consideration will be given to disabled ex-Servicemen who were appointed to temporary Civil Service posts on discharge from the Forces when the appointments to established posts are being considered.

As I said in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 5th December (OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 406, c. 391), the Government as employers have accepted in principle the obligations imposed on employers generally by the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944. I added then that whether special preferences would be needed cannot be decided until the quota arrangements under the Act have been settled. This is still the position. There is no intention of giving to disabled ex-Servicemen who happen to be occupying temporary Civil Service posts any preference over disabled ex-Servicemen who do not happen to be occupying such posts. To both cases the special reservation of a minimum number of vacancies for ex-Servicemen will, of course, apply.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can supply figures for the last war corresponding to those given in the examples in his recent statement of release benefits available under the present scheme for ex-members of the Forces.

The tables below reproduce the previous examples showing the corresponding last war figures in italics. The examples were originally chosen as representing cases of the kind likely to arise in practice in the present war, and in some of the officer examples a substantial period of service in the ranks was assumed. These particular examples consequently fail to bring out the full effect of the higher scale of gratuities for temporary officers which prevailed after the last war and which was set out in my reply of 15th February to the hon. Member for Maidstone (Mr. Bossom) (OFFICIAL REPORT, Columns 410–411).

asked the Secretary of State for War why it is that a Meritorious Service Medal awarded in peace-time carries an annuity whereas the same medal awarded on the field does not.

The position is not as implied by the Question. Meritorious Service Annuities, to the number of 750, are provided for soldiers who have given long and highly meritorious service in the Army, and who have received the Meritorious Service Medal on that account. Vacancies are filled from eligible applicants as they occur. The medal was also given during the Great War in respect of meritorious war service and it was in a way quite a different award. The recipients of the medal under this arrangement have no preferential claim on the annuities. They will, if they are eligible, be considered in their turn but most of them have not the necessary service and other qualifications.

The number of temporary houses applied for is 55,708 and the number provisionally allocated is 34,462. I am sending detailed particulars of the allocation to the lion. Member. With regard to the last part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works to a Question by the hon. Member for the Woodbridge Division of East Suffolk (Mr. W. R. Taylor) on 23rd January, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can give any figures for the programmes of servicing at sites for temporary houses in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Greenock; and how far these programmes have been realised.

Following are the available figures in terms of numbers of houses:

asked the Postmaster-General the number and value of claims made against the G.P.O. in the years 1938–39 and 1943–44 for registered and unregistered articles lost or stolen while in course of post and the amount of compensation paid; and the relationship of claims to total traffic in number and percentage.

Statistics of the total number of claims made are not available, but in the financial year 1938–39 some 23,000 claims for loss (including theft) were paid, amounting to approximately 23,000; in 1943–44 some 60,000 claims were paid, amounting to approximately £104,000. Claims paid expressed as a percentage of the total traffic were: 1938–39 =.0095; 1943–44 =.0193. Details are given in the subjoined table:

asked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the near completion of aerodromes, he will release a number of Crawler tractors which are urgently needed and could be sold or leased for agricultural purposes.

The Crawler tractors used on airfield construction were mainly owned by the contractors. Steps have been taken to make them available for agricultural purposes if they are of suitable size and can be spared from constructional work. Any suitable Government-owned Crawler tractors not required for operational purposes have already been sent to agricultural work.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the inconvenience to Members because the Report of the Catering Wages Corn-mission on Rehabilitation of the Catering Industry cannot be obtained at the Vote Office or free of charge at the Sale Office and can only be obtained free by Members by despatching a green form to the head Stationery Office; and whether, as many Members belonging to the Defence Areas Committee require this Report for discussion at their next meeting, he will make it available, free of charge, at this House without delay.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour on 1st March. This Report has been available to Members since it was published on 19th February and only two applications have so far been made to the Stationery Office, which is the normal channel for the free supply to Members of reports in the non-Parliamentary series. In view of the special circumstances mentioned by the hon. Member I have arranged for copies to be available at the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Supply if any supplies of wood pulp for paper manufacture have recently been imported from Europe.

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Aircraft Production how many men and women, respectively, are engaged in the active piloting of machines by the A.T.A.; and how many have been killed during the course of their duties since its inauguration.

On 31st January last the numbers of pilots actively engaged in ferrying aircraft were 385 men and 86 women. Since the formation of the A.T.A. the numbers of pilots killed in the course of their duties are 117 men and 13 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that British-born wives of ex-enemy aliens who have regained their British nationality will be recognised by these States as British citizens when they return to the country of their husband's origin, either permanently or temporarily.

A British born woman who has recovered her British nationality under Section Do (6) of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1914, in the circumstances mentioned may also possess her husband's nationality. This depends on the law of the foreign country concerned and not on British law. If she does possess her husband's nationality it follows that she would not be treated as an alien in that country when residing there; and any steps taken to secure that she has the status of an alien there would not necessarily be to her advantage. If, however, she has British nationality only no action appears necessary to secure that her status as a British subject under British law is recognised when she is in her husband's country.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he will quote the words of Defence Regulation 53 (1) upon which his Department relied in requisitioning the Rolls-Royce limousine motor-car allocated to the Foreign Office.

My Noble Friend relies upon the whole of Regulation 53 and those related to it for his authority to requisition the motor-car in question. The words which have particular relevance are:

"…A competent authority, if it appears to that authority to be necessary or expedient so to do in the interests of the public safety, the defence of the realm or the efficient prosecution of the war, or for maintaining supplies and services essential to the life of the community, may requisition—

(a) any chattel in the United Kingdom … and may give such directions as appear to the competent authority to be necessary or expedient in connection with the requisition.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present estimated expenditure on scientific research by water undertakings in Great Britain; whether they make any contribution to the Water Pollution Research Laboratory; what research stations of their own are maintained; and whether he anticipates that such research work will be increased under the provisions of the Water Bill now before the House.

I regret that I have no detailed information on the subject of the first part of the Question; the answer to the second part is "No, Sir"; with regard to the third part, a number of the larger undertakings have laboratories where they carry out experiments in connection with local water supply difficulties, the cost of which is included in the general expenses of carrying on the undertaking; with regard to the last part of the Question, Section 77 of the Third Schedule of the Water Bill will, when applied to a water company, enable it to make contributions for furthering research where is has not that power at present.

asked the Minister of Health in how many cases he has approved the acceptance of Christian Science nurses for registration or enrolment as assistant nurses, as provided for in Part I of the Nurses Act, 1943; and what qualifications or experience are demanded prior to registration or enrolment of such nurses.

The question whether applicants for admission to the Roll of Assistant Nurses satisfy the conditions of admission is not for me but for the General Nursing Council. I am sending my hon. Friend an extract from the Rules of the General Nursing Council which set out the present conditions of admission to the Roll. Christian Science nurses as such would not satisfy those conditions. Perhaps my hon. Friend has in mind the position of Christian Science nurses when I bring into operation the provisions of Section 6 (1) of the Nurses Act, 1943, which will restrict the use of the title of "nurse." My predecessor gave a written assurance that the regulations to be made under proviso (b) to that Sub-section would include a provision authorising such persons to call themselves "Christian Science Nurses," and I see no reason to depart from that undertaking.

asked the Minister of Health if he is acquainted with the particulars concerning the purchase by the Ilford Town Council of the Ilford golf course; and if he will state the area, the purchase price and the previous rateable value of the land and the use to which the local authority intends to put the land.

I understand that the Corporation purchased this golf course of 83 acres for £25,000. The previous rateable value was £152. In the Ilford Town Planing Scheme, 1933, the land was scheduled for residential purposes at a density of 12 to the acre, but the Council have resolved to vary the Scheme by zoning it as a public open space; and arrangements have been made for the course to be available for members of the public.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Chingford Council has been in negotiation with Ropers, Limited, for the purchase of 12 acres of their sports ground for housing purposes; what price has been agreed upon; and if he can state the present rateable value of the land in question.

Yes, Sir. The price has not been agreed. The rateable value of the land and pavilion is £90.