asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any co-ordinating body representing the Ministries concerned in endeavouring to eradicate the black market operations; and, if so, what is its constitution.

Steps have been taken, in combating black market offences, to promote co-operation and a free interchange of information between the police and the enforcement officers of the Departments primarily concerned, and my present information does not suggest that these arrangements fail in any way to effect the object which my hon. Friend has in mind in proposing a formal coordinating body.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider an alteration of the regulation which insists that a person in receipt of a supplementary old age pension shall only have a medical practitioner appointed by the Public Assistance Committee of the county; and whether, in future, a free choice of doctor can be permitted.

Most supplementary pensioners are entitled to medical benefit under the National Health Insurance Acts with a free choice of doctor, and only a small proportion obtain medical treatment through the arrangements made by Public Assistance Authorities. These arrangements may with my sanction include a choice of doctor, and sanction for arrangements of this kind has already been given to about 30 authorities.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he is now able to make any statement with regard to the establishment of a town planning authority for the area of Greater London.

This matter is being actively pursued, but I am not yet in a position to make a detailed statement.

asked the Minister of Pensions if his attention has been called to the decision of the Court of Session against the decision of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal, Edinburgh, in the case of Mrs. Bessie Mitchell, widow of R. H. Mitchell, R.A.S.C., who died on 25th September, 1940; and if he will ask the tribunals to review all similar cases in which an adverse decision has been given, with a view to bringing them into agreement with the High Court decision.

It is quite impossible for me to know whether the Pensions Appeal Tribunals in Scotland have given any decisions which conflict with the ruling of the Court of Session referred to by the hon. Member, and in any event the Act gives me no authority to take the action suggested by him, since it definitely lays down that the decision of the Tribunal is final except in so far as appeal is permitted to the Court of Session. Except as indicated below, this latter appeal is open to any applicant who considers that the decision given by the Tribunal in his case conflicts with, the ruling of the Court of Session. The exception to this general statement concerns cases in which the time limit for appeal to the Court of Session has now expired, but even in these cases the regulations make provision for an extension of the time allowed. I should be bound in general to take objection to departure from prescribed time limits, but I should not seek, in cases of the kind now in question, to oppose an application for leave to appeal on the sole ground of the expiry of the prescribed time limit.

asked the Attorney-General how many appeals have been decided by the Pensions Appeal Tribunals and how many of these appeals have succeeded.

Up to 2nd March, 16,008 appeals had been decided by the Pensions Appeal Tribunals in the United Kingdom; of these 4,128 appeals were allowed.

asked the Secretary of State for India what arrangements are being made for the demobilisation of officers holding temporary commissions who have been transferred to the Indian Army; and whether such officers will have the same facilities for continuing interrupted education as officers who are in the British Army.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to demobilisation in its strict sense and not to release, with which I dealt in my reply of 8th November to the hon. Member for Northampton (Mr. Summers) of which I am sending him a copy. In regard to demobilisation, as in regard to release, the arrangements for the Indian Army will as far as possible accord with those adopted for the British Army. The reply to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Education whether a person who holds a teaching certificate but was unable to teach because he was called to the Forces at the outbreak of war, will receive any increase over the minimum salary for a teacher in view of his war service or in view of the fact that he has since married.

This matter is now under the consideration of the Burnham Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that Mr. Bishop, 4, Brookland View, New Tredegar, Monmouthshire, was discharged from the Mercantile Marine and has been living, together with his wife and two children, with the wife's relatives; that now the relatives have left he is in possession of the house; that he has no furniture, never having a home of his own although married for over three years; that he has applied for the necessary permission to secure utility furniture but so far has had no reply; and will he have inquiries made so as to relieve these people.

My right hon. Friend has not previously communicated with me about this case. My inquiries lead me to believe that the facts do not accord with the statement in his Question. Mr. Bishop received a permit for 24 units in February, 1944, which he has not used.

asked the Minister of Labour what procedure is to be adopted to ensure that the recommendations of the Catering Wages Commission on the rehabilitation of hotels are carried out, as far as possible, at the earliest opportunity.

No decision has been taken by the Government on these recommendations, but they will be considered and borne in mind by the Government Departments concerned when framing any proposals to which they have relevance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the decision to allow business votes and votes from Service personnel overseas at, the next election, consideration is being given to permitting overseas-serving personnel, such as members of the Foreign Service, who pay Income Tax by deduction at source, to have facilities to exercise their right to vote.

The only persons stationed abroad who can qualify for electoral registration are persons who but for their war service would be resident here. This does not cover personnel in the Foreign Service ordinarily stationed abroad. As regards such persons, I would refer to the reply which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on 16th January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of espionage in the course of the present war; and if he will state the nationality and the national origin of each of these persons and the sentences imposed in each case.

All the information which can properly be given on this subject has already been made public.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, owing to the difficulties experienced under war conditions by members of the public summoned for jury service at assizes and quarter sessions, he will authorise the payment to such persons of such sums as will cover their travelling and out-of-pocket expenses.

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply which I gave on 18th January to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington, South (Sir W. Davison).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now review the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of a doctor of medicine of German origin but a naturalised British subject, who has been detained for five years, whose release was recommended soon after his original detention by the Advisory Committee, but who was rearrested after a few months without any reasons being furnished.

In accordance with the policy which I have frequently stated to the House, the case to which my hon. Friend refers has been kept constantly under review, and I have been satisfied that it is necessary in the interests of national security to continue detention. I had already received a copy of the representations of which my hon. Friend has sent me details, and am taking them into consideration in a further review of the case which I am now making. I will inform my hon. Friend of my decision in due course.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to what extent insurance premiums against risks incurred by civil servants and others travelling by air on official business are covered out of public funds.

The general position is that any premium required to keep alive an existing policy of life insurance which does not cover the risks of an overseas journey by air or sea, or any additional premium required to cover these special risks on a new policy, may, within limits, be repaid out of public funds. If my hon. Friend desires fuller information. I shall be happy to furnish him with it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that there is much dissatisfaction in the medical profession in Jamaica at the limitation of supplies of penicillin and that an expert advisory committee appointed by the local branch, of the B.M.A. is competent to ensure that all supplies reaching the Colony shall be used to the best medical advantage and that adequate facilities exist for, and have been in force for, controlled clinical trial; and if he will again review the whole position.

It is the case that there was some dissatisfaction in Jamaica at the limitation of supplies of penicillin, but this was at least partly due to a misunderstanding as to the possibility of supply through normal commercial channels and as to the necessity for limitation of the supplies available for Colonial civil use. It has now been possible to arrange for penicillin to be used in the Colonies subject only to the same restrictions as apply in this country, but Government control of distribution is still necessary and is now being exercised in Jamaica by a local committee consisting of three Government medical officers and two private practitioners nominated by the local branch of the British Medical Association. I hope that with the fuller supplies available and greater understanding of the restrictions which are still necessary the causes for local dissatisfaction have been removed.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he has any information as to the countries in which goods and passenger vehicles of eight feet maximum width are permitted and in current use.

So far as I have been able to ascertain the following countries allow a maximum width of 8 feet or more: Algeria, Australia (except the States of Western Australia and Queensland), Belgian Congo, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Estonia, Fiji, France, French Guiana, Gambia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Madagascar, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Rumania, Salvador, Siam, South Africa, Spain, Spanish Morocco, Syria, Tunis, United States of America, Uruguay, Yugo-Slavia.

asked the Secretary of State for War to which of the liberated or occupied countries we have appointed economic experts to the Allied Control Commissions; and if he can give the names of our representatives and their qualifications.

In liberated countries there are no such commissions. About 90 British officers are employed with the Economic Division of the Allied Commission in Italy and with the Economic Sections of the British Delegations to the Allied Control Commissions in Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Finland. These officers are chosen for their fitness to carry out the duties of their posts. It would, however, be contrary to the normal practice to give their names or their detailed qualifications.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether recruitment for post-war appointments in the Foreign Service has yet begun; and what are the regulations governing such appointments and the conditions of service offered.

Recruitment for the Foreign Service has not yet been resumed. The Civil Service Commissioners are hoping to publish the regulations for the reconstruction examinations for the Foreign Service at the beginning of June, and to hold the first examination a few weeks after that date or after the end of the war with Germany, whichever is later. The regulations will include a statement of the conditions of service.

asked the Postmaster-General the value of articles of all kinds lost in transit through the Post Office by theft or otherwise for 1939 and each succeeding year up to and including 1944.

Statistics are available only of the amount of compensation paid in respect of loss (including theft) which was as follows:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, as representing the Minister of Civil Aviation, whether, in working out his plans for Civil Aviation for the forthcoming White Paper, he will safeguard the position of bona fide independent licensed agencies dealing solely with travel whose continued activity might be threatened by setting up an exclusive monopoly.

I can assure my hon. Friend that there is no intention of interfering with the business of any travel agency.