asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the recent broadcast by Mr. Edward Murrow on his visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp, he will arrange with the British and American military authorities to have the evidence of all the surviving inmates of the camp taken on the spot before any more of them die or are dispersed, in order that as much proof of Nazi atrocities as possible may be made available to the United Nations War Crimes Commission.

The British and American military authorities in Germany have standing instructions to obtain evidence from persons detained in concentration camps with a view to the prosecution at a later date of the former staffs and guards for acts of cruelty. I have no doubt that these instructions will be carried out at Buchenwald to the fullest extent practicable having regard to the numbers and physical condition of the surviving inmates.

asked the Prime Minister if he will appoint a commission consisting of an equal number of barristers and doctors, not associated with any political party, to visit, until hostilities cease, the German prison camps where perpetration of the worst atrocities have been disclosed and to report.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government propose to support the application of the principle of freedom of worship in post-war Europe; and whether it is proposed to incorporate this condition in the peace treaties made with enemy Governments.

The influence of His Majesty's Government will always be exerted in favour of freedom of worship everywhere. I cannot, however, at this stage attempt to foretell the actual peace terms which the United Nations will impose upon the enemy States.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information as to the contribution the Austrian people have themselves made towards their own liberation.

I have no precise information on the subject. My. hon. Friend will no doubt, however, have seen that in a Declaration issued by the Soviet Government on Austria on 8th April it was stated that unlike the Germans in Germany the Austrian population were resisting the evacuation conducted by the Germans.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the present shortage of teachers, he will consider retaining teachers who are willing and competent to teach until they reach the age of 65 years instead of retiring them at 60, which was the peacetime requirement.

There was no peacetime requirement that teachers should retire at 60, but some local education authorities had regulations to that effect. It has been made clear by the Ministry that such local regulations cannot be justified in present circumstances and should be suspended.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give some indication of the post-war programme of the Ordnance Survey Department.

Approval has been given to a post-war programme of map production which includes the following:

(1) The rapid publication from existing material of maps, partly of a provisional nature, incorporating the National Grid, on the 6-inches to the mile and all the usual smaller scales except the ½-inch to the mile. These maps will incorporate revision carried out both for military and civil defence purposes during and immediately before the war. It has not been possible previously to release this revision for general publication.

(2) The re-survey on a national basis of all built-up areas at a scale of 1/1250, and the publication of plans at that scale and at a scale of 1/2500. These plans will be on new sheet lines based on the National Grid instead of on a county basis as at present.

(3) The overhaul and re-casting on a national basis of the 1/2500 plans outside built-up areas.

(4) The survey of contours at vertical intervals of 25 feet.

The rate at which it will be possible to carry out this programme must depend on the man-power situation, but the Ordnance Survey is making preparations for its implementation.

asked the Minister of Food what percentage of strawberries is by regulation required in the making of strawberry jam.

I have been asked to reply. The minimum percentage of strawberries required in strawberry jam is 30. Full details of the standards applicable to this and other jams may be ascertained by reference to the Food Standards (Preserves) Order, S.R. & O. No. 842 of 1944.

asked the Minister of Food for what manufacturing purposes, other than provision of food, wheat germ is supplied; and what proportion of imported wheat flour contains any appreciable proportion of wheat germ.

I understand from my hon. Friend that he intended to use the words "wheat flour" in the place of "wheat germ" in the first part of his Question. Assuming that this alteration is made in the terms of the Question, the answer to the first part is wheat (manufacturing) flour is supplied to certain industrial users, e.g. adhesives, leather dressing and the dry battery industry, in cases where the essentiality of flour is supported by the Government Departments concerned. The answer to the second part of the Question is that imported wheat flour contains no appreciable proportion of wheat germ.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that a large number of Seville oranges have been wasted at Braintree because the public have not sufficient sugar for marmalade making and therefore do not buy them; and if he will take steps to avoid a repetition of such waste by ceasing to import oranges in excess of what can be consumed or by issuing additional sugar for the making of marmalade when such supplies of oranges become available.

No, Sir. No complaints of wastage of Seville oranges at Braintree have reached the Ministry of Food; while it is obviously difficult to calculate demand precisely, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that every effort will be made not to import quantities in excess of demand, and also that the general distribution just made—the first since 1941—has been greatly appreciated by the housewives.

asked the Prime Minister whether the offer of complete union with France contained in the draft declaration communicated to the French Government in June, 1940, still represents the policy of His Majesty's Government.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now state the policy to be pursued with regard to the representations made by the V.A.Ds. who are serving under new conditions and who have certain grievances as a result of their changed status.

As a result of the investigations which were proceeding when I answered my hon. Friend's Question on 27th February last, it has now been decided to increase the initial grant for uniform and the annual maintenance grant made to V.A.Ds. With effect from 1st January, 1945, these will be respectively £25 and £10 for nursing members, and £31 and £12 for non-nursing members. These rates have been accepted by the V.A.D. Standing Committee. In addition certain items will initially be issued free.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give immediate instructions that gaps made in hedges or fences by the military authorities for the movement of A.F.Vs., in the area of which he has been informed, be at once made good in order that farmers may be able to re-stock with livestock, in view of the fact that these areas are still required for infantry training by U.S.A. troops only.

The status of these areas has been changed to enable them to be tilled and stock to be reintroduced without interference from armoured vehicles. As training with these vehicles has stopped no more gaps are being made intentionally in fences and hedges, and apart from possible current damage which may be done by infantry I am not aware of any fences which have not been temporarily repaired to make them stock proof.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether applications for compassionate leave on medical grounds made by a doctor, on behalf of a soldier's wife, are referred to the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association, for inquiries; and what is the nature of the report asked for.

In many cases when application is made by a doctor for the return of a soldier from overseas or for the grant of compassionate leave to a soldier at home, on account of the sickness of his wife or other near relative, it is necessary to obtain information in addition to that contained in the medical report to enable the military authority concerned to make a proper decision. For example, it is often helpful to know what relatives are available to assist, or what arrangements can be made for the care of young children. In such cases inquiries are made through the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association, through Welfare Officers or through the local police. Naturally these are not asked to comment on the medical aspects of the case. The actual medical certificate is not normally forwarded to them, though the doctor's name and address is supplied for reference.

asked the Secretary of State for War why it is necessary, at a camp of which he has been advised, for men of low medical category to carry out night guard duties in addition to their daily work; and will he have the men suffering from internal ailments medically examined.

There is no medical reason why men of medical categories B and C in general should not do their share of night guards. To exempt such men from these duties in the camp referred to would almost treble their incidence on the fit men. It is always open to a man of any category who feels he is not fit to perform any particular duty, or is in need of medical treatment, to report sick: if it is necessary on medical grounds, the medical officer will then re- commend that he should be excused certain duties.

asked the Secretary of State for War the names of those seaside and similar resorts which are being utilised for recuperation of prisoners of war.

No reception or resettlement camps for United Kingdom ex-prisoners of war are being established at seaside or similar resorts. So far as possible sites are selected within 25 miles of large towns in various parts of the country. Camps for the reception of Dominion and Colonial troops, pending their onward passage to their own countries, are situated at Westgate-on-Sea, Eastbourne, Brighton, Hove and Bournemouth.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that officers of units now serving in India and Burma stand in the streets, with notebooks, watching for men who fail to salute and has this practice his support, especially as applied to men who have undergone the stress of these campaigns.

Saluting is a matter of discipline, and the measures necessary for maintaining discipline are a matter for the Commander-in-Chief in India and for the Supreme Allied Commander in the South East Asia Command. I have no information on the practice in India and Burma in this respect, but I think that suggestion in the Question is improbable.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will consider allowing next of kin of prisoners of war to invest their accumulating pay in War Bonds as it is sometimes impossible for them to authorise it to be done whilst they are in prison camps.

Prisoners of war in Europe have generally been able to give regular instructions for disposal of their pay, and, while communications have deteriorated recently, I do not consider that special measures in this respect would be justified at this stage of the war. In the case of prisoners in the Far East, special arrangements have recently been made for deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can give details of supplies sent to Belgium and Holland, respectively, to lessen the hardships of civilian populations there.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Manningham-Buller) on 12th April.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are being taken to maintain food production in occupied Germany in view of the release of foreign workers at present so employed.

All Army Groups were instructed some time ago by S.H.A.E.F. to take every possible step to prevent food production falling off by reason of the reduction in the agricultural labour force caused by foreign workers leaving the farms. Not many reports are yet available, but steps have been taken to make labour from certain cities available for farmers.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any decision has been reached for the employment of German prisoners of war now in this country; and whether S.S. and self-confessed Nazis are being segregated in special camps.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes, Sir." Increasing use is being made of German prisoner of war labour, especially on agricultural and forestry work and the clearing of housing sites. On the second part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to a number of hon. Members on 20th February last.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many flag officers have been lost in air accidents; and how many at sea in His Majesty's ships since September, 1939, giving in each case the name of the officer and the date of the accident.

Four flag officers have been lost in air accidents, namely:

Rear-Admiral P. J. Mack, D.S.O.—29th April, 1943.

Vice-Admiral R. H. C. Hallifax, C.B.—6th November, 1943.

Vice-Admiral Sir A. E. Evans, C.B., K.B.E.—29th December, 1944.

Admiral Sir B. H. Ramsay, K.C.B., K.B.E., M.V.O.—2nd January, 1945.

Three flag officers have lost their lives at sea in His Majesty's ships, namely:

Rear-Admiral H. E. C. Blagrove—14th October, 1939.

Vice-Admiral L. E. Holland, C.B.—24th May, 1941.

Acting Admiral Sir T. S. V. Phillips, K.C.B.—10th December, 1941.

Twelve flag officers (retired) acting as Commodores of Convoys were also lost at sea.

asked the Minister of Labour what estimate he has made of the number of trained architects, surveyors, jig and tool makers and other building trade operatives that it is essential should be made available immediately the war ends to enable the building industry to complete the announced housing programme within the first two post-war years.

I have been asked to reply. On the basis of a labour force of 800,000 operatives it has been estimated that about 8,000 architects and about 4,000 quantity surveyors of senior and junior grades will be required. I am not in a position to estimate the numbers of jig and tool makers that will be needed. As regards building operatives, I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made in the House on 23rd March last, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Works how many men are employed by his Department in Greater London on war damage repairs and temporary huts; and how many of these are engaged in the storage and distribution of material.

The number of men employed under the direct control of the Ministry of Works, or in working parties organised by the Ministry, on war damage repairs and the construction of temporary hutments, is about 18,000. About 1,000 are engaged in the storage and distribution of materials from the central depots. Of these about one-half are Service personnel engaged on handling materials in sidings and dumps.