asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the present position in regard to literary copyright as between Great Britain and the U.S.S.R.

No copyright convention exists between His Majesty's Government and the Soviet Government, nor have the latter adhered to any international copyright convention. Under Soviet law a work first published in the United Kingdom may be reproduced or translated in the U.S.S.R. without any authorisation from, or payment of royalties to, the author or publisher in this country. There is similarly no legal obligation on British publishing firms to obtain authorisation or pay royalties when reproducing or translating works first published in the U.S.S.R. I understand, however, that in practice ex gratia payments are usually made by publishing houses in each country when reproducing or translating a work first published in the other country.

Is not this a very suitable time for us to conclude some copyright arrangement with the U.S.S.R.?

I will certainly look into the possibility.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the amount of relief supplies which have so far been distributed amongst the suffering civilian population of German-occupied Holland by the International Red Cross; and whether, in view of the intensity of the need, steps will be taken to increase the supplies sent, pending the complete liberation of Holland.

Since the beginning of this; year Sweden has sent 13,500 tons of foodstuffs and Switzerland 5,000 tons of foodstuffs to Holland. Medical supplies have been sent from Sweden and from the United Kingdom. This relief is being distributed under the supervision of the International Red Cross and the Swedish Red Cross. It is possible that the Swedes will be able to send a further 1,700 tons of foodstuffs in the near future. His Majesty's Government, for their part, have done all in their power to facilitate, these shipments. Urgent consideration is being given to any possible means of facilitating the despatch of further supplies to relieve the tragic situation in those parts of the Netherlands.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what official evidence he has that German troops, holding out in pockets along the West coast of France, are being supplied with food by Spanish nationals from Spain; and if he is making representations to the Spanish Government about this.

His Majesty's Government have for some time had reason to believe that small quantities of food and supplies were being smuggled by boat from Spain to the German garrisons in the Biscay ports. From the information at the disposal of His Majesty's Government it appeared that this traffic was taking place at least with the complicity of certain Spanish elements. A close watch has been kept on developments, so that appropriate action can be taken to put a stop to this at the moment best calculated to achieve results. His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires in Madrid, acting in concert with his United States and French colleagues, made representations to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject. Following these representations, certain arrests have been made by the Spanish authorities.

How is payment made by these German troops for food smuggled into them?

I have no information on that matter.

The right hon. Gentleman referred to certain elements in Spain; what are those elements?

To the best of my belief, the Spanish Government were not aware of this traffic. The Spanish Government have denied any knowledge of it; and, as I have said, they have made certain arrests in connection with it. I imagine that the traffic was carried on by Spanish smugglers, whom I could not identify.

Have the Foreign Office asked the Spanish Government to see that every possible effort is made to stop these smugglers getting food to the German pockets?

Yes, Sir; our position has been made quite clear to the Spanish Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what arrangements have been made by his Department to protect the interests of British subjects in France and Italy; and, in the case of those who had property in those countries which was damaged or looted by the enemy, what steps have been taken to recover the property.

His Majesty's Embassy in Paris and Consulates in the principal towns of France have been reopened. In Italy there are consular offices in Naples, Rome and elsewhere in parts of the country not under enemy control. Responsibility for the care of British property in Italy at present rests on the Allied Commission although His Majesty's consular officers will answer inquiries relating to such property, take such steps as are practicable to trace missing property and generally lend such assistance as they can. Steps are being taken to ensure that British property shall be restored by the Italian authorities in cases where this is practicable and the damage or loss is known. In France, where the position is different, His Majesty's Ambassador is discussing the question with the French Government. As in Italy, His Majesty's consular officers are assisting British owners as far as they can. I am afraid that it is still too early to make a definite statement on these matters, but I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that His Majesty's Government are doing all they can to secure a satisfactory solution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will arrange that His Majesty's Ambassadors and High Commissioners in foreign countries shall in future be enabled to use British motor-cars.

Yes, Sir. It is the policy of His Majesty's Government to supply His Majesty's Ambassadors and High Commissioners in foreign countries with British motor-cars whenever possible.

Is not my right hon. Friend aware that in Persia and in the Middle East His Majesty's Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Ministers, habitually, with, so far as I know, only one exception, ride in foreign cars; and does he not agree that this is a great deterrent to the prospects of our own motor-car industry?

Yes, Sir; I agree with my hon. and gallant Friend that the practice that he has described is not a desirable one. Of course, in the conditions of the war, as they have existed up to date, I have no doubt that we have sometimes had to make shift with second best. But I can assure my hon and gallant Friend that the policy of the Government is as I have stated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are taken to distribute to their countries as soon as possible the slave labourers who are being liberated in Germany.

Responsibility for the repatriation of nationals of the United Nations liberated by the Allied Armies in Germany rests at present with the military authorities. Where practicable they are repatriated at once to their respective countries, under working arrangements between the military authorities and the Allied Governments concerned.

Where does U.N.R.R.A. come in, as regards to the repatriation of these people?

My right hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State dealt with that matter in reply to a Question last week. It is a somewhat complicated subject, and perhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will refer to that reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a statement in regard to the position in Hungary, both military and political.

Yes, Sir. At the end of December last a Hungarian Provisional Government was formed at Debrecen. An armistice with this Government was concluded on 20th January. Since that date reports from the British representatives in Hungary have shown that the Provisional Government has been seeking, in agreement with the Soviet authorities, to extend its authority throughout the areas liberated and occupied by the Soviet forces. Certain measures of internal reform have been initiated, including land reform. As regards foreign policy, the Hungarian Ministry for Foreign Affairs stated that Hungary wished to work her passage honestly, so as eventually to be able to obliterate all former misunderstandings and ill-will, and hoped to establish friendly relations with neighbouring countries. As regards the military situation, the whole of Hungary has now been occupied.

May we gather that through our representatives in Hungary we are kept in constant touch with all the political and military developments?

Yes, Sir; that is a perfectly fair deduction.

Is it a fact that we have a military mission to the Russian military authorities in Hungary? Has any news been received from that mission?

We have a military element in the Allied Control Commission in Hungary, with whom, of course, we are in touch. We have also a political representative.

Have the Red Cross any representative there?

I would ask my hon. and gallant Friend to put that question down.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if everything possible is being done to hasten the homecoming of British prisoners of war who have taken refuge in neutral territory, as they will require special care at home.

Yes, Sir. All escaped British prisoners of war who have reached a neutral country have already been repatriated with the exception of a small number in Switzerland. Some of these have volunteered for temporary war work in that country and the others are at present unfit to travel and are receiving medical attention. These will be repatriated as their health is restored.

Will every effort be made to have these prisoners of war brought home at the earliest possible moment?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether he has now received any information as to the whereabouts of M. Jankowski, Vice-Premier of Poland and delegate at Warsaw of the Polish Government, who, with 14 other Polish representatives, was taken away by the Soviet authorities on 28th March;

(2) whether he has now received information with regard to M. Witos, the former Polish Prime Minister, who was taken away from his home near Cracow on 31st March.

His Majesty's Government still await a reply to the inquiries which they have made of the Soviet Government on these matters.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that three out of the 14, in addition to the Vice-Premier, are members of the Polish Government, and that their colleagues await news of them with the most intense anxiety?

This is a matter which, as the House knows, is occupying the earnest attention of His Majesty's Government, and in particular of the Foreign Secretary, at this moment. I do not think that the work of the Foreign Secretary would be helped by discussion of these matters now, and I have really nothing to add to what I have said.

May I ask—

rose —

On a point of Order. I beg to give notice that I shall return to this matter at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, as no British Press correspondents have been given permission to go to Vienna, he will arrange for a deputation of Members of Parliament to leave immediately.

No, Sir. I do not consider that such a proposal would be practicable so long as Vienna remains in a zone of active military operations.

Is a British military mission going to Vienna at the earliest possible moment?

That is another question.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it would not be possible when Vienna is no longer the scene of military operations, for a deputation from this House to go there?

That will certainly be a matter for consideration.

Can we say that the Blue Danube is now the Red Danube?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British Government is taking steps to set up at the earliest possible moment an authoritative international transport organisation in Europe; whether the conference which has been considering the establishment of a European central inland transport organisation for five months is approaching a decision; and whether steps are being taken to expedite its work.

With regard to the first and second parts of the Question, His Majesty's Government have made it clear to all other interested Governments their desire to see such an organisation established and their willingness to participate therein, but the decision does not of course rest with them alone. The answer to the last part of the Question is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is now in a position to make a full statement as to the cause of the loss of the aircraft on passage from this country to Malta on 31st January to 1st February conveying officials of the War Office and Foreign Office to the preliminary conference held on 2nd February.

Yes, Sir. The party of officials, who were required to travel to the Yalta Conference on 1st February, were due to leave at 1 a.m. in a Liberator. At midnight, the aircraft's engines were tested, with satisfactory results; but, when the time came to take off, one of the engines developed an electrical fault which could not be quickly remedied. The resources of Transport Command were at that time taxed to the utmost. On top of their normal trunk services, they had to cater for the unusual number of special flights required in connection with the Conference. There was only one other long-range aircraft immediately available, a York. This was a thoroughly suitable type and it was fully serviceable; but its crew, though individually experienced, had not previously flown together. There was no other crew available and the station authorities decided that this crew should make the flight because the journey was one of urgency and the weather forecast was good. This decision proved to be unfortunate.

At first, the flight was uneventful, but, near Naples, which was to have been the first stop, the weather deteriorated, obliging the pilot to descend through cloud before approaching Naples from the sea. On emerging, he mistook the dark appearance of high ground for thunder-clouds, and, as there had also been a misunderstanding about the weather information received in flight, the captain decided not to attempt to land but to fly on to Malta, for which he had ample petrol. In the event, the aircraft arrived not over Malta but over Lampedusa, 85 miles to the South-West. After circling for an hour in the darkness, the captain obtained what proved to be a correct bearing, but decided that he then had insufficient petrol to reach Malta and brought the aircraft down on to the sea. Soon after alighting, it broke up.

The error in navigation was mainly due to radio distortion caused by adverse atmospheric conditions and to a misunderstanding of the reliability of the wireless bearings transmitted from Malta. The mistakes and misunderstandings were small in themselves, but, cumulatively, were the likely cause of this most regretable accident. They would probably not have arisen if the members of the crew had had experience of flying together. With the increasing resources available to Transport Command, it has been arranged that crews will gain their first experience on long-distance routes in flights without passengers. In addition, the process of equipping the trunk routes of Transport Command, and the aircraft which fly over them, with the latest aids to navigation is continuing at high priority and everything possible is being done to attain progressively higher standards of safety.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what steps are being taken to explain to the relations of those who died what actually happened when the aircraft broke up at Lampedusa?

I cannot tell the House the position at the moment, but I will inquire and inform my hon. Friend.

Are we to understand from what the Secretary of State has said, that this accident really occurred from anxiety and fear of keeping the three great men waiting?

No, Sir; that would be quite untrue. I could put it in a different way, but I have told the House, quite frankly I think, that the decision was an unfortunate one and that steps have been taken by the Commander-in-Chief to make it quite impossible for any such decision to be given in the future.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that the amount of leave granted to members of the R.A.F. in respect of service overseas is based on the time between the date of an airman's embarkation at a United Kingdom port and the date on which he embarks at an overseas port for the homeward voyage, whereas, in the Army such leave is calculated upon the interval of time between a soldier's original embarkation at a United Kingdom port and his subsequent disembarkation at a port in this country after service overseas; and whether he will bring R.A.F. practice into line with War Office practice in this matter.

Yes, Sir, I am aware of this difference, but what the Service loses in disembarkation leave it much more than gains in privilege leave.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think it desirable to have uniformity in these matters in the Services?

No, Sir. Conditions in the Services are different, and these particular arrangements which we have in the Royal Air Force are undoubtedly the best for the Service as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why a mock air raid took place on London on the night of 16th and 17th April.

An exercise took place over London on the night of the 16th-17th April in order to give training both to aircrews and to soldiers and airmen employed on the ground in the air defence of London.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the people of London have had enough air raids, whether mock or real, and that the people are very angry about that occasion?

I think that their anger arises from the fact that they thought that, because there was an exercise going on—and I have told the hon. Member that there was such an exercise—the noise was due to that. I do not believe it was. The noise was, in fact, due to bombers going out on a raid at extended range, for which the shortest available course was over London.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking to the House that bomber aircraft will no longer be marshalled over the London area, but somewhere else outside?

Why?

Subject to operational considerations, that will be done.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if, under the demobilisation scheme, men in the R.A.F. are to be released in groups as they become due for discharge and if he will give an assurance that it is his intention that a man's position under the demobilisation scheme shall not be affected by his branch, category or trade.

Men in the Royal Air Force will, in general, be released in groups determined by age and length of service, but, as foreshadowed in the White Paper on Re-allocation of Manpower, and as has been fully explained to the Service, it will be necessary, in order to maintain the Force at the level of strength and efficiency required for the war against Japan, to deal separately with the different branches, categories and trades. The Royal Air Force is a highly specialised service, with a wide range of occupations, and the intakes from the various age groups have been uneven. Steps are being taken to minimise the differences by the re-training of officers and airmen not due for early release and by training new entrants as they become available.

May I ask the Secretary of State whether the answer which he has given indicates a change of policy since the statement in regard to demobilisation made in this House?

No, Sir; there has been no change of policy.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he can give a full statement indicating why it has been decided that T124X officers serving alongside other naval officers are to be denied the gratuities which the former will receive; what arrangements were made for similar officers in the last war; and whether arrangements can be made to reconsider this matter before the conclusion of hostilities.

The full benefits of the release plan are intended only for those members of the Forces in receipt of Service rates of pay. T124X officers are paid on a Merchant Navy basis and are not therefore eligible for gratuity. During the last war the position of T124X personnel was different inasmuch as they were paid on rates which were fixed by the Admiralty and which were not kept in line with the Merchant Navy rates. It was on these grounds that they were eligible for war gratuity.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will now consider authorising a special pennant to be used by all vessels which took part in the Dunkirk evacuation.

While the Admiralty fully recognise the great value of the services rendered by all the vessels which took part in this operation, they have come to the conclusion that it would be invidious to attempt to distinguish between those services and the countless others of equal merit performed by other vessels on other occasions. In view of the endless administrative difficulties which would arise if my hon. Friend's suggestion were to be adopted, I regret that the proposal is not one which the Admiralty could support.

Is the First Lord aware that, about four years ago, he gave quite a sympathetic reply to this Question; and is he further aware that this concession would cause intense satisfaction to seamen of all types in these islands?

I am aware that we said we would give it sympathetic consideration, but my hon. Friend knows that, in the course of this long war at sea, there have been so very many wonderful examples of service of this kind that it would be rather invidious to pick out these men.

Is the honour to be given to the boats, or to the people who man them?

That was one of the little things that we had in mind.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport to what medal civilian personnel who formed the crews of vessels engaged in the Dunkirk evacuation are entitled.

Civilians who helped in the evacuation at Dunkirk may be awarded the 1939–43 Star. Applications, with full particulars of service, should be sent to the Ministry of War Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the general position of forced labour in Africa; how many are being conscripted and have been conscripted in the different Colonies; and how long this is likely to continue.

I have been asked to reply. I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to unskilled manual labour conscripted for work in Government civil undertakings or private undertakings. Such conscription is permitted only for purposes essential for the conduct of the war or the maintenance of the life of the community, and is in operation only in Kenya, Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia. The latest figures available show that at the end of November, 1944, the number of conscripts in Kenya was 26,032, and in Tanganyika at the end of December 26,256. In Northern Rhodesia the Governor has authority to permit the recruitment of up to 1,000 men for work on essential food production. In this colony, there is also a Government Labour Corps with a maximum strength of 630. The employment of compulsory labour is kept under constant review and will be discontinued as soon as circumstances permit.

Does the Minister appreciate that, in some cases at least, this continuation of forced labour may have some unfortunate effects upon the activity of the whole industry and of the men themselves?

That is also being kept under very careful review.

In order to put this matter in its proper perspective, will my hon. Friend also furnish the total number of people conscripted in this country?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provision is made for the employment in West Africa of scholarship social science students now in this country; whether Government posts will be available to them; and at what approximate grades and salaries.

The West African Governments certainly intend to offer appropriate employment to these students on their return to their colonies after the successful completion of their courses, but complete information is not yet available, and it is hardly possible for final plans to be made until the results of the course are known.

Can I at least assume that there will be no contraction of opportunities for those who are studying over here?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that a commodity known as bitters is being imported into West Africa, purporting to be a medicine but having from 15 to 20 per cent. alcohol; what quantity of this and similar articles were exported from this country to West Africa last year; whether the Bill recently introduced into Nigeria will prevent or limit the sale of this article; and if he has any information respecting the ultimate selling price to customers.

Alcoholic bitters may be imported into West Africa and both their import and their sale are subject to the provisions of the Liquor Ordinances in the four Territories. West African Governments are being asked to supply the particulars requested in the latter part of the Question.

Meanwhile, may I be assured that the facts are being seriously attended to, because numbers of social workers and others are concerned very much indeed that this commodity, brought in as medicine, is in fact an alcoholic liquor, and, in addition, is being sold at a very high price to natives in the interior?

No, Sir, that is all under very careful control, as I have mentioned in the reply.

Are we to get any farther report than the one which the hon. Gentleman has given just now?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, as the Transport Commission is asking planters and their wives now on Australian soil to register themselves for passages to Malaya after the war and as few now have money reserves to pay lump sums down, some financial assistance will be given towards the amount required.

The question of assistance to Malayan residents who were evacuated from Malaya and who wish to return there after its liberation as soon as conditions permit, is under consideration; but my right hon. and gallant Friend is not yet in a position to make a statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the insufficiency of accommodation and the inadequate and obsolete equipment at the European hospital at Dar-es-Salaam and the high incidence of malaria contracted by patients therein; what representations thereupon have been made by the chamber of commerce and other local bodies; what report was made by a commission of inquiry upon the matter; and what steps are proposed forthwith to deal with the position.

No representations on the subject have been addressed to my right hon. and gallant Friend, but, as the result of the report of the Committee referred to, which found the state of the hospital to be unsatisfactory, expenditure of £74,000 has been approved for the extension and improvement of the hospital buildings. Arrangements have been made for a firm of private architects to prepare plans. Large orders for modern equipment have been placed in this country by the Tanganyika Government, and these orders will be met as rapidly as possible in present circumstances.

Can my hon. Friend say when these improvements will be effected; and has he not heard from the chamber of commerce of this deplorable state of affairs in this hospital?

No, Sir; I have not heard from the chamber of commerce, but these measures will be carried out as soon as possible, and in view of war conditions it has not been possible to get ahead earlier.

May I have an assurance that this will not be pigeon-holed but will be regarded as a matter of great urgency?

Certainly, Sir; I will give an assurance that the work will be carried out as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the import duty in the U.S.A. on Jamaican citrus fruit; and what is the corresponding import duty in the United Kingdom on American citrus and Jamaican citrus.

As the answer includes a number of figures, I will with the hon. and gallant Member's permission, circulate it with the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the answer:

I understand that citrus fruit is not mentioned by name in the U.S.A. Tariff Act of 1930, but under paragraph 752 of that Act, fruit in its natural state shipped to the U.S.A. from any source is subject to an import duty of 35 per cent. ad valorem.

The import duty on citrus fruit entering this country from the U.S.A. is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the recent release of one of the five Africans arrested in Uganda on 28th February, he has any further statement to make as to the other four.

Yes, Sir. Since my reply to the Question by my hon. Friend on 18th April, the Governor has reported that one of the five Africans concerned was released from detention on 15th April.

I am glad to take this opportunity of correcting the statement which I made in reply to a supplementary question on 18th April by the hon. Member for West Walthamstow (Mr. McEntee) that these five Africans would be tried by the ordinary court. The position is, of course, that these men were detained under the Uganda Defence Regulation, which is equivalent to United Kingdom Defence Regulation 18B. The purpose of that Regulation is preventive and not punitive. There is, therefore, no question either of any charges being made or of the persons concerned being brought for trial before a court in connexion with their detention. I much regret that I should inadvertently have misled the House in the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend.

Will my hon. Friend have steps taken to see that these men are informed of their right of appeal to the Advisory Committee, of which, I believe, they are not aware; and will he have an inquiry made into the conditions under which they are at present detained in prison, under considerable hardship?

I will inquire into both those points.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is now in a position to give a decision on the representations made to him in January this year by the road passenger authorities with reference to the length and width of motor passenger vehicles; and can he now make a statement.

On 30th January I received a deputation of representatives of the manufacturers and operators of road passenger vehicles, who laid before me their objections to the present regulations which govern the length and width of omnibuses and lorries. In accordance with a promise I then gave, I received the deputation again on 23rd April. I explained that on the information before him, my Noble Friend was unable to depart from his previous decision that road conditions in this country do not permit the general use of wider or longer vehicles. I promised that, if new facts were submitted, they would be considered.

Is the Minister aware that the road transport passenger carrying authorities are unanimously in favour of the suggested change; and is it possible to set up an independent inquiry, to discover the suitability of the various suggestions?

On the first point, I have had representations from omnibus operators that they would not be able to use eight-foot buses and therefore the two standards would have to remain. On the second point about an independent inquiry, I must remind my hon. Friend that this is the responsibility of my Noble Friend, who must make the decision.

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind the wise words of the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, that in many of these matters we must not in future consider our own convenience, so much as the importance of the export trade?

Yes, Sir, but we must also bear in mind congestion on our roads and the question of safety.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport when he contemplates the restoration of the Fishguard-Rosslare cross-channel service; and how soon regular sailings may take place.

I regret that I am unable to say when it will be possible to restore the service from Fishguard to Rosslare.

Will my hon. Friend take into consideration the importance of reopening this service as soon as possible in the public interest?

We are very anxious to re-open it, but it really depends on the availability of a suitable ship, and that depends on the progress of the war.

asked the Minister of Information if films have been taken showing the conditions at the concentration camp in Buchenwald; and if such films will be shown to the public so that the atrocities which the German people have endorsed may be widely known.

Yes, Sir, there is ample film material showing conditions at the concentration camps in Germany. This is available for incorporation in newsreels in the usual way, and I understand that the newsreel companies in this country are making use of it so far as they find it possible to do so. The material is also being used by the Ministry of Information for making a film to be shown in Germany, and a version of this will be available for showing to audiences in this country.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for his reply, may I ask whether the films which are being made will be made available for showing in the Dominions and the Colonies, in the same way as they are being shown here?

I hope they will get the widest possible circulation.

While agreeing with the right hon. Gentleman's desire that these films should get the widest possible circulation, may I ask, in view of the statement in the Question that these atrocities have been endorsed by the German people, whether it is not the fact that hundreds of thousands of the victims are German people?

Most of the victims appear to be foreign slaves, and if the German people did not endorse the conduct of the people whom they put in power, then the German people must remember that they have to accept the consequences of their government.

Can my, right hon. Friend say whether the German version of the film will be available to Members of this House?

Yes, Sir.

In view of the Minister's answer to the supplementary question, will he make it perfectly clear in the films who the victims are; and will he pay due regard to the reports of the Members of this House who have been to the camps, to make it perfectly clear that a very large majority of German people did not know what was going on?

That will be a very large part of the new propaganda campaign which will be organised by Dr. Goebbels' successor. In this war the Germans have shown themselves to be very good in organising fighting, and let me warn the House that they will be equally good in organising whining.

Is it not the fact that many such camps which have been disclosed now, were in existence from 1933 to 1939 when the friends of my right hon. Friend were supporting the Nazis?

First of all I should think it is probably true that these camps existed before the war, and that they existed with the full cognizance of many of those who are called "good" Germans. When the hon. Gentleman talks about my hon. Friends, let me say to him that their record is a lot better than his.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman—

The hon. Gentleman has already put one supplementary question and cannot put another.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. This matter is one of very serious consequence. Hon. Members of this House have visited these camps and surely you ought to permit more supplementary questions?

I have decided not to do so.

On a point of Order—

I must ask the hon. Gentleman not to get up and challenge my decision.

On a point of Order. I wish to give notice that I shall return to this matter also, at a very early opportunity.

asked the Minister of Information in view of the importance to world peace of Anglo-American friendship, what steps are being taken to combat anti-British propaganda and statements immediately they appear in the U.S.A.

I think that the British information services have an effective record of rebutting such statements in the United States. And they have had plenty of evidence of the eagerness of leading American newspapers and broadcasting companies to combat anti-British, propaganda.

May I ask my right hon. Friend, in view of the great importance of this question, if he will have a conversation with me on the subject, and I will tell him a lot that he never gets through the usual channels?

I can imagine no more pleasurable addition to my duties.

Is it not true that it is not what they say against England, but what they do not say about her war effort which is such a danger?

In answer to the Noble Lady I would say that on the whole the American Press have been very fair to the British war effort, but the House must remember that the American newspapers primarily report the doings of American troops, just as our papers report the doings of British troops. I must put it on record that, in my judgment, the American Press and the American broadcasts have been very fair to England in reporting the war.

asked the Minister of Information the amount of grant given to the United Nations Information Organisation; and whether he is solely responsible for the accuracy of the information to be given at the Russell Square office of this organisation.

The contribution of the Ministry of Information towards the cost of the United Nations Information Organisation is £7,000 a year. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No, Sir."

Has my right hon. Friend seen an anonymous circular sent round to hon. Members, and will he see that if letters are sent round, it is done in a proper way, so that we know what they are?

As I was explaining to my hon. and gallant Friend, we do not control this organisation. We make our proper contribution to it, as His Majesty's Government make contributions to all sorts of other international organisations, but I have no doubt that the people responsible for running this organisation will take notice of my hon. and gallant Friend's Question.

Will my right hon. Friend consider withdrawing the grant?

No, Sir, I could not consider withdrawing the grant because I have not seen the evidence upon which the hon. and gallant Member's question is based.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the low wages, poor pensions and long hours worked by postmen, arrangements can be made for them all to have a regular half-day off as in other trades.

Postmen differ from most classes of workers in that the only practicable way of granting a regular half-day relief from duty each week is by restricting or adjusting public services. This course is followed so far as is reasonably practicable. I do not accept the implication of the hon. and gallant Member concerning the pay and conditions of postmen.

Is it not possible to apply some of the profits of the Post Office to supplying more postmen, so that these wretched people can have the same facilities as people in other trades?

No, Sir, it is not a question of money but a question of the public service which has to be carried on.

May we have fair play for the postmen?

asked the Postmaster-General what arrangements are now made for the quick transit of the mail between the Belgian Congo and Great Britain; and the average time now taken for the transit of the mail from the Belgian Congo to this country.

Surface mails for the Belgian Congo are despatched by all suitable opportunities; 1s. 3d. air mail correspondence is sent either by sea to Freetown and thence by air or, as opportunity offers, by the direct flights of the Belgian air service to Leopoldville; the airgraph service, operated via Cairo, is also available in both directions. Surface mails and airgraphs from the Belgian Congo reach this country from five to seven weeks and a fortnight respectively after despatch; air mail correspondence is conveyed by direct flight from Leopoldville and the time of transmission is about three to seven days.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give special telephone facilities to prisoners of war returning to reception camps in this country to enable them to speak direct to their families.

Telephone call offices are being provided at all reception camps for the use of repatriated prisoners of war. Each repatriated prisoner will also be provided by the camp authorities with a telegraph form to enable him to send a free telegram notifying his arrival in this country.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to make a statement concerning the opening of a public telephone service between Shetland and the mainland.

Yes, Sir. A public telephone service, to which the ordinary Inland trunk call charges will apply, will be opened at midnight, British Double Summer Time, on Sunday, 29th April, 1945, between Shetland and all parts of Great Britain and Ireland (including Eire) and it would give me pleasure if my hon. and gallant Friend would undertake to make the first call.

Whilst thanking my right hon. and gallant Friend for this very satisfactory reply, may I ask him to indicate what sort of service we are likely to get and, in particular, whether it will be possible to speak to people in the country districts?

We hope to give as good a service as possible, of course, but I am afraid that, in the early stages, it will not be quite up to the normal standard owing to war-time difficulties. No doubt it will improve as time goes on.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that censorship operations do not take more than a maximum of three days and rail and sea transport are going daily to France occupying less than 24 hours, he will accelerate the transport of letters between London and Paris.

I am not aware that there is any avoidable delay in this country in the postal service between London and Paris, but if my hon. Friend will furnish me with the covers of any letters which appear to have suffered delay I shall be happy to make inquiry in the matter.

Is my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that 14 days is quite the normal period, and could he not do something so that people who are striving to open up the export trade with France are not handicapped any longer in this way?

As a matter of fact 14 days is rather more than the average at the present time—

It is approximately that.

But my hon. Friend must remember that the communications system in France is not yet completely restored, and that the difficulties in that country are what cause the delay and not those in this country.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that in tenement property in Scotland, only £10 per tenement is allowed for repairs, that this frequently includes nine separate houses and two shops; and if he will take steps to have the £10 placed against each separate house and shop.

For the time being the licensing limit in Scotland is still £100. When the limit is reduced I shall endeavour to redefine the unit of accommodation to which it applies in order to overcome the difficulties referred to by my hon. Friend.

Has the right hon. Gentleman any fixed date in his mind when the reduction from £100 will take place in Scotland?

I shall be making an announcement on that very shortly.

Would the right hon. Gentleman keep in mind the fact that in small villages, if this proposed restriction is applied very severely, it may render large numbers of people unemployed who cannot find employment in alternative building work?

That is, of course, quite outside the Question on the Paper but, as it has been raised, let me say this. The object of this restriction is to make sure that the available labour is used on the most essential work. It is ridiculous, if I may say so, to suggest that this restriction will create unemployment; the purpose of it is to use the labour we have to the full on the most essential and argent work.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that while in England it is £10 per house, £10 per tenement in Scotland means £10 per 10 houses, which is a totally different thing; and will he take the trouble to consult somebody who knows about tenements in Scotland?

I thought I had made it clear that I am anxious to meet this difficulty, which I recognise exists. On the other hand, it is very difficult legally to define this smaller unit of accommodation. However, we are getting down to it with legal experts to see what we can do about it.

asked the Minister of Works what arrangements he is making with the Allied Administration of Occupied Germany for the urgent prefabrication of well-designed timber houses for shipment to this country by way of reparations and to ease the housing shortage caused by German bomber and V weapon attacks.

The Government feel that it would not be inappropriate that the Germans should be called upon to do anything that is practicable to help relieve the housing shortage in Britain, which has been so largely caused by their own wanton aggression. As part of reparations from Germany, I should like to obtain building materials, housing components, and possibly also complete prefabricated houses. This project, of course, raises many practical problems of transport and organisation. I am, therefore, arranging for technical representatives of the Ministry of Works to go to Germany with the Allied Control Commission in order to explore the possibilities on the spot.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that his statement will give great satisfaction, but that it is hoped that the provision of prefabricated houses will go ahead soon, and will not wait for the general question of reparations, which will have to be settled after the war?

The war is still going on in Germany.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is taking steps to ensure the production of mechanised equipment for the building industry, including small bulldozers and similar equipment.

Yes, Sir. A proportion of the factory capacity and labour which is released from war production is being reallocated to the firms producing mechanised equipment of this kind for the building industry.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will devise means whereby householders who wish to supplement the repairs done to bomb-damaged houses by doing their own decorations can obtain paint, distemper and the use of brushes.

These materials must still be used sparingly. However, steps have been taken to increase production as far as possible and to allocate supplies to those areas such as London and South-East England, where the need is greatest.

What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to make these materials available to householders who want to do a little decorating in their own houses?

The best way of making them available is to ensure that reasonable supplies are on sale in the shops. I considered the possibility of making paints and brushes available free to all those who have suffered bomb damage. But when I looked into the supply position, I found that if we unduly stimulated the demand we should run the risk of creating an over-all shortage.

When supplies become available will not my right hon. Friend reconsider the matter and make them free to people who have been bomb damaged, as he said he would?

I do not think it is practicable. With regard to my hon. Friend's suggestion that brushes should be lent to householders so that they can do their own work, the difficulty is that brushes have to be carefully looked after. If they are not, they are soon ruined.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the present circular authorising distemper to be used instead of paint on the interior of buildings will result in many cases in a waste of money and of time; and if he will permit discretionary powers to be exercised by local authorities to approve interior painting work to be carried out, other than on new wood work, when the local authorities consider it advisable and more economical than distemper.

In order to ensure the most economical use of scarce labour, local authorities in London and the South-East counties have been asked to avoid undertaking interior painting and to do distempering only in cases where it is necessary on grounds of health or where the labour available is not suitable for other more urgent work. As soon as the situation becomes easier local authorities will be given wider discretion.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in literally thousands of places in London rooms are being distempered, and the distemper will not "stay put," and is not this a waste of time, man-power, material, and money?

If there are cases where distempering is being done unnecessarily, I shall be glad to look into them.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that one coat of paint would do the trick?

asked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the urgency of the housing problem, he is prepared to give early priority of building licences to owners of large untenanted urban and rural houses who are willing to convert them quickly into maisonettes, flats or flatlets as may be suitable.

Where the applications are supported by the local authority, licences are granted in all areas other than London and South-East England for the conversion of houses into flats, provided that the work does not exceed £400 per flat.

Can my right hon. Friend say why it is that licences for this purpose are not given in the Greater London area?

It is a question of priority. In Greater London some of this work is going on, but we are not able to issue these licences as freely in London, where so much bomb damage repair work is outstanding, as in other parts of the country.

asked the Minister of Health how many houses in the rural district council areas of South-West Norfolk were condemned as unfit for human habitation at the outbreak of the war; how many new houses were planned before war put a stop to these schemes; how many houses were due for renovation under the Rural Workers Housing Act; how many have been built during the war and how many are planned to be built by local authorities in the area in immediate post-war development schemes?

I have been asked to reply. At the outbreak of war 107 of the houses in the five rural districts in South-West Norfolk were condemned, or classified by the local authorities, as unfit. Fifty-six new houses were planned in approved schemes, apart from any in schemes which had not been submitted for approval. The local authorities have built 334 houses during the war and are planning to build another 759 in their initial post-war schemes. I understand that the records of the Ministry of Health do not show the number of houses due for renovation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the serious hardship caused to individuals who have entered into contracts for the sale of property which has been damaged by enemy action, by reason of the local authority having unofficially intimated that they were considering making a compulsory purchase order under Part V of the Housing Act, 1936, but when approached to purchase the land in question for the sum for which it had been contracted to be sold after advertisements in the Press, having declined to take any action in the matter or say whether they required the land or not; and whether steps will be taken to protect the public from injustices of this kind.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received no complaints of hardship of the kind referred to, but if the hon. Member will send him details of any cases he has in mind, he will be glad to look into them.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that only quite recently a charitable trust, with the approval of the Charity Commission or Board of Education, entered into a contract to sell property for £5,000 and the purchasers were unable to proceed with the matter because the local authority let it be known that they were considering the acquisition of the property under the Act mentioned in the Question, and when they were offered the property for the same price as was agreed to be paid for it, they declined it?