asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can state the progress which has been made by the committee set up to inquire into naval pay and allowances.

The principles which should govern the post-war basis for pay and allowances in the Naval Service are under consideration, but in view of the nature of this problem I do not expect to be in a position to make any statement on the subject in the near future.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that an increasing number of fishermen on the Fife coast, recently employed on Admiralty boats, are now idle, with no prospect of work because of the unwillingness of his Department to release a few of the many fishing vessels now under their control; and if he will reconsider the situation.

Up to the end of April, 269 fishing vessels have been released from Naval Service since 1st January, 1944, including 198 trawlers and a number of motor fishing vessels. My hon. Friend will recognise that in releasing vessels we must take account of operational requirements. At the present time, these are such as to prevent the release of any further vessels of the type to which the Question refers. My hon. Friend may, however, rest assured that we are entirely sympathetic to the need for increasing the supplies of fish. Every effort will continue to be made to release more vessels to meet this need as soon as operational requirements permit.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if a decision with regard to the distribution of prize money to Naval personnel has yet been made.

I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 13th March last.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the principles governing the censorship or stopping of letters written by Naval personnel serving abroad who are also adopted prospective candidates for Parliament and addressed to the secretary of the relevant constituency organisation, and vice versa; and whether these principles would cover the stopping of a letter dealing solely with issues of British domestic politics and containing no information of military value to the enemy.

An officer or man who is known to have been adopted as a prospective candidate can correspond with his party organisation in the constituency and his correspondence would not be stopped in censorship, unless, of course, it contained some breach of security.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if a scheme is being prepared for the continued maintenance of the Sea Cadet organisation after the completion of the European war as a constituent part of the youth movement in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and if he will arrange for the necessary supply of officers and instructors to sustain the high standard of efficiency already attained by the Sea Cadet units all over the country.

As was stated by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister in reply to the hon. Member for Abingdon (Sir R. Glyn) on 2nd August last, it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to maintain the pre-Service cadet organisations (of which the Sea Cadet Corps is one) after the European war. As regards the second part of the Question, the provision of officers and adequate instructional staff is a necesary part of the approved policy.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of architects and surveyors, and the number of building trade operatives now in the R.N.

There are in the Royal Navy approximately 200 architects and surveyors and 40,000 building trade operatives.

asked the Postmaster-General if parcels may now be sent to liberated European countries; and if there are any commodities which cannot be included in these parcels.

Parcel post facilities have not yet been restored to any liberated European country.

asked the Secretary of State for War what facilities exist, or are likely to exist in the near future, respecting correspondence with relatives in liberated portions of Holland and with those in the area in Germany now under our occupation; and to what extent and in what areas the International Red Cross postal arrangements now operate.

Limited postal services are in operation between the United Kingdom and the greater part of liberated Holland. These arrangements will be extended progressively. I cannot say when civilian postal facilities will be extended to the conquered areas of Germany; the matter is under review in the United Kingdom-United States zones by the Supreme Allied authorities. The International Red Cross postal message service operates to enemy occupied territories in Europe, and in certain parts of the Far East; but I do not know how effective those arrangements are just now.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will restore adequate lighting to public telephone kiosks now that black-out regulations have been relaxed.

Arrangements are being made to restore normal lighting as soon as practicable in all public telephone kiosks except those situated in the coastal belt. In this belt a modified form of kiosk lighting is being introduced, except in areas where complete black-out still obtains.

asked the Postmaster-General why single-sheet air letters to Australia and the Union of South Africa are charged 1s. 3d. while similar letters from those countries are charged 6d. and 7d., respectively; and whether steps will be taken to abolish this wide discrepancy of cost.

The postage on civilian air letters of approved type for Australia and the Union of South Africa, as for the other countries to which the air letter service is available, is 6d.; if the hon. Member will let me have details of any case in which a higher rate has been charged I shall gladly have inquiry made.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to deal with the increase in the theft of articles, even when registered, which are under his care.

All possible steps have been and will continue to be taken by strengthening Post Office staff engaged in the work of safeguarding mails and by the closest co-operation with other authorities concerned. Although there has been an increase in losses during the war, compensation claims paid in the year 1943–44 were less than 0.02 per cent. of the total traffic.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the inconvenience and loss of business caused to hotel proprietors in the Isle of Wight owing to the difficulties of obtaining the re-installation of telephones removed for war purposes in the time of emergency, he can give an assurance, now that the war is ending, that priority will be given to their restoration.

Special efforts are being made to carry out as quickly as possible the re-installation of telephone service at hotels in the Isle of Wight and similarly situated places, where such service had to be given up because of war conditions; but my hon. Friend will understand that difficulties may arise in individual instances because of shortage of labour and plant.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that there have been no twopenny air mail letters available at many Post Offices during the past few weeks; and if he will secure that every Post Office is provided with ample supplies.

Yes, Sir; as I informed the hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. A. Duckworth) on 18th ultimo, the popularity of the Forces Letter has led to a temporary shortage in some places, but every effort is being made to overcome the difficulty and I hope that ample supplies will be forthcoming within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for War what information has been received as to the source from which the German garrisons in Western France are receiving their supplies.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Southwark (Mr. Martin) on 13th February. My hon. Friend will also be aware of the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Major C. Taylor) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 25th April.

asked the Secretary of State for War the names of the British representatives to the Inter-Allied Control Commission for Austria; when it is expected that this Commission will meet and what are its terms of reference.

These matters are under active consideration, but I regret I can make no statement at present.

asked the Secretary of State for War what arrangements are being made to send relief teams asked for by S.H.A.E.F. to liberated Nazi concentration camps; and whether it is proposed to send teams specially equipped to deal with children.

Voluntary societies are known to be assisting in relief work at several camps, in particular the British Red Cross Society at Belsen, and the Swedish Red Cross elsewhere. Further, to fill a most urgent need, Sir Jack Drummond, nutritional expert of the Ministry of Health, and a number of trained personnel together with two U.N.R.R.A. representatives are en route from the United Kingdom for Germany. They are to administer famine treatment with pre-digested food to inmates of camps who are suffering from the effects of starvation. I understand that the organisation of teams for child welfare is now being considered as a matter of urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for War when, in addition to films to be shown to the German people on the atrocities in the concentration camps, steps will be taken to have compulsorily published in German newspapers full accounts with photographs of what went on there.

I can assure my hon. Friend that energetic steps are being taken, under the Supreme Commander's direction, to publicise in Germany, as fully as possible in newspapers and otherwise, the atrocities of which he speaks.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that a boy of 13 years of age, the son of the Somali representative in the Ethiopian Parliament for the Dagabur area, was ordered by the British Military Administration there to remove his school badge, the hon of Judah; that, when the boy refused to do so, the British representative ordered one of his subordinates to remove it by force; that the British administrator afterwards sent to the parents a present of a sheep, about which the boy made an adverse comment, and for this the British administrator ordered him to be flogged; and will he take disciplinary action to prevent any recurrence of such conduct.

I have no information about these allegations, but inquiries are being made.

asked the Secretary of State for War what civilian clothes or cash allowance were allowed to a soldier temporarily released from the Army prior to 1944; and whether in such cases a soldier finally discharged from the Army at the present time is disqualified for the full civilian outfit now allowed.

Before 16th October, 1944, a soldier discharged from the Army received a civilian suit, cap, collar and tie or, at his option, a cash allowance in lieu representing the wholesale value of the outfit. This allowance varied from time to time in accordance with the wholesale price levels; in the latter part of 1943 it was £2 15s. 9d. A man temporarily released from the Army and transferred to Class W or W (T) of the Reserve received the same clothing or the allowance. If he is subsequently recalled and serves for at least a further six months in the Army and is otherwise eligible he is entitled on final discharge to receive the outfit provided since 16th October. If he is not recalled he receives no further clothing or cash. If a soldier's temporary release took the form of special Leave, he was not provided with the civilian outfit or allowance in lieu and his normal entitlement on final discharge remains.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, after making due allowance for the shorter period of service involved, officers in the Army who are released at the present time in order to return to their civilian employment are entitled to the same gratuity and post-war credit, etc., as they would be entitled to receive under the Demobilisation Scheme.

Officers who are released at the present time in order to return to their civilian employment do not forfeit the entitlement they have to a gratuity and post-war credit. They are not, however, entitled to the 56 days' leave which will be granted to those demobilised under the General Release Scheme in order to help them over what may well be a difficult period of resettlement in civil life. An officer's emoluments do not include postwar credit, and officers will be entitled to it only in respect of other rank service since 1st January, 1942. Neither it nor the War Gratuity nor the payment for overseas service leave will be payable until the General Release Scheme has begun.

asked the Minister of Labour the approximate number of miners involved in strikes in breach of his Regulations during the years 1940 to 1944, inclusive; how many prosecutions were instituted; and how many stoppages were caused by lockouts in the same period.

The approximate number of miners reported to have been involved, directly or indirectly, in stoppages of work through industrial disputes was 190,000 in 1940, 154,000 in 1941, 252,000 in 1942, 294,000 in 1943 and 568,000 in 1944. Large numbers of miners, however, were involved in more than one stoppage, even within the same year, and are therefore counted more than once in these totals. No information is available as to the number of stoppages that fall within the prohibition of strikes and lockouts under Part II of the Conditions of Employment and National Arbitration Order, which was made on 18th July, 1940. Up to the end of 1944 prosecution proceedings for a breach of the Order had been instituted in 39 cases, involving 2,748 workpeople. There is no record of any stoppages caused by lockouts during these five years.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons have been convicted for absenteeism under the Essential Work Order; and how many have been sent to prison under that Order.

Up to 31st March, 1945, 18,436 persons were convicted in England and Wales for absenting themselves from work or for being persistently late in presenting themselves for work without reasonable excuse, and of these 1,323 were sentenced to imprisonment.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage of unemployment on 31st December, 1938, in Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle and Bermingham, respectively.

Figures are not available for 31st December, 1938, but the table below shows the percentages obtained if the numbers of insured persons aged 16 and under 65 years, recorded at local offices of the Ministry of Labour and National Service and at Juvenile Employment Bureaux in these localities as unemployed at 12th December, 1938, are related to the total numbers of insured persons, of those ages, whose unemployment books were exchanged at the same local offices in July, 1938. As, however, considerable numbers of insured persons register, when unemployed, at local offices other than those at which their unemployment insurance books are exchanged, these percentages should not be regarded as providing more than a rough indication of the proportions of insured persons actually unemployed.

The figures include persons who were only temporarily suspended from their employment on 12th December, 1938, and casual workers who were registered as unemployed on that day, as well as persons wholly unemployed.

asked the Attorney-General why he has recently directed a justice of the peace, who is the husband of a licensee for the sale of intoxicating liquor, that he must resign his commission because he resides on licensed premises; if he is aware that the magistrate concerned has an unblemished character and has been a magistrate for 21 years; whether this rule is being rigidly applied to all justices of the peace who may have acquired licences for the sale of intoxicating liquor subsequent to their appointment as magistrates; and whether it applies to all magistrates who may be classified either as the husband or wife of a licensee.

As the hon. Member is aware, it has not, for many years, been the practice of successive Lord Chancellors to appoint as justices of the peace persons who hold licences for the sale of intoxicating liquor, as the position of a licensee is held to be incompatible with that of a justice of the peace. Whenever the attention of the Lord Chancellor is directed to the case of a justice who, subsequent to his appointment as such, has acquired a licence, it is the invariable practice for my Noble Friend to require the justice either to resign from the Commission of the Peace or to surrender his licence and to take no further part in the conduct of the licensed premises. I am informed that in the case which presumably is the one referred to in the Question, the justice of the peace concerned was, at the time when the Lord Chancellor first communicated with him, the holder of the licence and that he subsequently transferred the licence to his wife, but continued to reside on the premises. In these circumstances, the Lord Chancellor informed the justice that it was impossible for my Noble Friend to sanction his name remaining on the Commission while he resided on licensed premises, of which the licence was held

by his wife. The justice in question then tendered his resignation from the Commission to the Lord Chancellor, and his name was removed from the Commission, it being duly noted on the records that this had been done "at his own request." The Lord Chancellor wishes me to add that the application of this rule to the gentleman in question involved no reflection of any sort or kind upon him.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he can give an analysis, on the same lines as that given in a recent return by the general manager of the Glasgow Corporation transport system, of which a copy has been sent to him, of the incidence of the type of sickness and the number of days lost, etc., in the L.P.T.B. district for 1944.

I regret that the London Passenger Transport Board do not keep statistics similar to those published by the General Manager of the Glasgow Corporation Transport Undertaking. They have, however, furnished me with certain other information about the incidence of sickness among their staff. Details are appended.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether war-time licences for extra vehicles will be withdrawn at the end of the war; and what will be the position of members of the Forces wishing to resume their businesses or start contracting businesses in areas where existing contractors, freed from military service, have been able, under war conditions, to extend their organisation.

The Regional Transport Commissioners are now reviewing the need for additional road haulage vehicles which have been authorised during the war; the continuance of the defence permits for these vehicles will depend on the requirements of the traffic to be moved. As my Noble Friend has already announced, if a member of the Forces held a licence at the beginning of the war to operate a certain tonnage of goods vehicles and if he has not sold his business, that fact will stand in his favour if he applies for a licence for a similar tonnage after the war. Under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, any persons, including members of the Forces and existing hauliers, who apply for licences for new businesses or additional vehicles, must satisfy the licensing authority that there is a public need.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport what instructions have been sent by his Department to local authorities to draw their attention to the fact that there are no restrictions on the amount of light which may be shown from traffic signals in the day time and to ensure that these lights are working at full strength.

There has never been any legal restriction on the amount of light shown in traffic signals during daylight hours, but the restriction during hours of darkness made it practically necessary to cut down the light during the day. There are now, however, no restrictions, either by night or by day, except within the five mile coastal belts, and, no doubt, the highway authorities, in consultation with the police, will adjust the signals in accordance with the principles of a circular issued by my Department on 18th December last, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if, arising out of the explosion at Bootle, Cumberland, on 22nd March, 1945, he will state who is responsible for payment of damage to property, etc.

The inquiries now being made into the recent explosion at Bootle are not yet complete, but if my hon. Friend will put his Question down again next week, I hope I shall be able to give him an answer.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether he is aware of the present heavy freight rates between this country and the British West Indies; and whether he will take steps with a view to securing some early reduction, in the interests of the peoples and agricultural interests of these Colonies.

I am advised that it is difficult to make direct comparisons between pre-war tariff levels to different areas, but wartime surcharges (including the one which is to take effect on 15th May next) have not been unduly heavy on the routes between this country and the British West Indies in comparison, with the average to other destinations or with increases in rates to the United Kingdom. Such increases have been made necessary by the increase in the cost of the services. It will be the aim of the Ministry to reduce rates as and when a fall in costs justifies such a course.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the unsatisfactory situation which obtains in the London offices of the Allied Control Commission, in view of the manner in which staffs have been recruited and allocated to their work; that young girls have been brought to London on low rates of pay without adequate provision for their accommodation; that certain persons state they were recruited to posts in the Commission by the influence of high military officials; and whether he will arrange for representatives from the Organisation and Methods Division of the Treasury to undertake, as an urgent task, an overhaul of the organisation of the Allied Control Commission.

I am not aware that the administrative arrangements for recruiting and remunerating the civilian staff of the British Elements of the Control Commissions for Germany and Austria are in general unsatisfactory, nor do I see any need to adopt the suggestion in the final part of the question. In the actual process of recruitment it has proved essential that a substantial nucleus of the civilian staff in all grades should be assembled in London and familiarised with their duties in the planning stages before proceeding overseas. Every endeavour has been made and will continue to be made to find accommodation for junior female recruits from the provinces, but the hon. Member will appreciate that the accommodation position in London at the moment is one of exceptional difficulty.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that efforts by recognised Civil Service Staff Associations to obtain replies to representations about staffing arrangements in the London offices of the Allied Control Commission have proved abortive; and whether he will give instructions immediately to those responsible for the administration of these establishments that full rights of recognition are to be granted without question or delay to these recognised associations.

I am informed that representations and inquiries received by the Control Commissions from Civil Service Staff Associations are dealt with as rapidly as circumstances permit. If the hon. Member can provide me with any evidence to the contrary, I will gladly have the matter investigated. With regard to the last part of the Question, there is no question of recognition being withheld from the Civil Service Staff Associations.

asked the Minister of Information the reason for the discontinuance of the Independent Austrian section of the B.B.C; and if he will make it clear that its absorption into the German section will in no way prevent separate treatment of Austrian policy from the point of view of the Moscow declaration.

The European Division of the B.B.C. has been reorganised and, for administrative reasons, a new department has been set up covering both the German and the Austrian Services. There will be no change in the practice of addressing to Austrian listeners broadcasts which reflect the Government's policy towards Austria.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport whether, in the disposal of surplus tank landing craft, pontoon bridges and Bailey bridges, he will ensure that the necessities for communication connections by ferries and bridges in the Highlands and Islands and other districts with water barriers will be fully considered; and whether he will have a survey made to formulate the essential demands.

My Noble Friend will be glad to consider any proposals for the use of surplus military equipment which the appropriate authorities may care to lay before him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Stockdale Report on the West Indies will be made available; whether the Reports of his advisers will be printed; and whether Members may have the Barham Economic Committee Report on Jamaica made available to them.

The Stockdale Report will be published simultaneously here and in the West Indies, but at the moment it is not possible to give an exact date for publication. No doubt his Advisers have been associated in the compilation of the Report. A copy of the Jamaica Economic Policy Committee's Report is being placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that there is strong feeling among those concerned that the compensation offered to the inhabitants of Coletown, Sierra Leone, for the expropriation of their homes and loss of their livelihood by acquisition of their property for the building of an aerodrome is wholly inadequate; whether he has yet received a report on the matter from the Governor; and whether he proposes to take any action.

I have now received a report from the Governor. The land in question has not been acquired for the construction of an airfield, but under Defence Regulations in order to create a building free zone around the airfield as a measure of control against yellow fever. The owners still have access to their lands and they will be able to raise crops which do not encourage the breeding of mosquitoes. The compensation awarded has been assessed in accordance with the provisions of the appropriate Ordinance, and there is provision for reference to a Tribunal in case of dispute.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to ensure that the brutality and nature of the atrocities committed by the Germans are known and understood throughout the Colonial Empire in order that the peoples concerned may realise what would have happened to them if the German plans for domination had succeeded.

Full information about these atrocities has been given in news services and broadcasts to Colonial territories. In addition, certain other publicity material, including photographs and films, has been sent to them for such action as may be most appropriate in the particular territory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies who is paying the increased subsidy of £5 per ton to the Tanganyika sisal growers; what is the justification of this payment; and how much of it has been passed on to the native labourer.

No subsidy is being paid to the Tanganyika sisal growers. I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the increase in the price of East African sisal of £5 7s. per ton which was made with effect from the 1st January, 1944. This increase was granted to cover the cost of production; which included increased charges on account of labour.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action is being taken to provide the native population of Tanganyika with the agricultural machinery required to produce the maximum crops.

Provision for the requirements of the native population is made in the annual estimates of requirements of agricultural machinery which are submitted to the Combined Agricultural and Food Machinery Committee in Washington. For 1945 the estimates have been approved and are in process of procurement. The distribution of supplies arriving in the Territory is effected through trade channels, but prices and allocations are strictly controlled by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will see that the proposal of the High Commissioner for Palestine that the Mayor of Jerusalem should be in turn a Moslem, a Jew and a Christian should be withdrawn, and that an Arab Mayor be appointed in accordance with the wishes of the electors under the Municipal Corporations Ordinance.

Discussions initiated by the High Commissioner's proposals are still proceeding locally, and I am not able, in the meantime, to make any pronouncement on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the grave epidemic of infantile paralysis and cerebral spinal fever prevailing in Mauritius; and what measures are being taken to allay the situation.

Yes, Sir. I regret to say that an outbreak of infantile paralysis occurred in March and 1,071 cases were notified up to the end of April. The following steps were taken to deal with it. Medical and nursing staff were immediately loaned by the Governments of Kenya, Tanganyika and Uganda, while the authorities of Oxford University made available the services of Professor Seddon, Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedics, who proceeded to Mauritius by air accompanied by a research specialist, Dr. MacFarlan, from the Medical Research Council, and a masseuse. A special orthopaedic hospital has been opened under Professor Seddon's immediate supervision and two Medical Officers loaned by the Royal Air Force and the Army respectively are co-operating in research work. Instructional advice for the people of the island has been widely issued, and I am glad to say that the outbreak appears to be abating. The cases for the week ending 28th April had decreased to 20 as compared with 280 cases notified in the week ended 24th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the inquiry into the economics of the sugar industry recommended by the Report on the 1943 Disturbances in Mauritius, has yet been instituted; and if not, whether steps will be taken to do so.

The Governor has obtained from the industry figures of the costs of production and the distribution of the gross proceeds; and I am consulting with him as to any further inquiries which should be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether steps can be taken immediately to improve the conditions of the men detained following on the disturbances in Uganda; and whether these men may either be charged forthwith or permitted to appear without more delay before the appropriate appeal body.

The Governor has reported that certain relaxations have recently been made in the conditions of detention of these men. With regard to the second half of the Question, they have already appeared before the Advisory Committee constituted under the Regulation, and after considering its report the Governor has decided that these men should remain in detention.

asked the right hon. and gallant Member for Rye, as representing the Forestry Commissioners, to what extent the Commissioners plant such amenity trees as limes, poplars, chestnuts and wytch-elms.

I regret that I am unable to give figures for each of the species mentioned. Very few limes and wytch-elms are planted by the Forestry Commissioners, but natural growth is sometimes encouraged. Poplars and Spanish chestnuts are planted quite extensively and horse chestnuts occasionally.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will, by counties, give the five chief counties in England and Wales, respectively, from which the bulk of our home-produced timber has been taken.

Figures of quantities of timber felled are not readily available by counties, but it is likely that the counties which have provided the largest quantities of home-produced timber are the thickly wooded areas of Yorkshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Devonshire and Kent.

asked the Minister of Works how many provisional registration certificates he has issued an the London area to enable people to start building trade businesses; and whether it is his policy only to grant certificates to qualified persons.

The number of provisional certificates of registration issued to persons in the London Region who were not previously in business on their own account is 135. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Works from what countries does the Government contemplate importing prefabricated houses; and how soon are supplies expected to be available.

Deliveries of temporary houses from the United States are expected to start during the course of the next two months. In addition, the possibility of importing prefabricated houses from Sweden and Finland as well as from Germany is being examined.

asked the Minister of Health on what dates he received letters on the subject of the housing of the Ministry of National Insurance staff and the need for safeguarding the interests of the present community; what suggestions were made; and when the replies were sent to the hon. Member for Wallsend-on-Tyne.

My hon. Friend sent me some correspondence on this matter on 2nd February. I replied to her on the 21st.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will expedite the issue of coupons for utility furniture and dockets for household goods from the Southport office of the Assistance Board, where delays, in some cases extending to months, are causing hardship.

The number of applications which the Assistance Board at Southport received for permits for utility furniture and dockets for household goods averaged between 6,000 to 7,000 a day during March. Until recently it has not been possible to secure adequate staff or accommodation to deal promptly with this work. I am glad to say that it has now been possible to secure fresh accommodation and to recruit more staff, and I hope that there will soon be a marked improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he has considered the allegations concerning the demotion of sergeants in the R.A.F., particulars of which have been sent to him, and if he has any statement to make.

An airman who is remustered out of aircrew duties after employment on operational or other productive flying duties normally retains his aircrew rank. This rule applies whether his withdrawal is a result of flying stress or because of medical disability, in which is included disability of nervous origin. An exception to this rule is made for members of aircrew who forfeit the confidence of their commanding officers in their determination and reliability in the face of danger in the air, or who are withdrawn for reasons within their own control. Where an exception of this kind is under consideration, the facts are exhaustively investigated, and the airman is given every opportunity of stating his case before a decision is taken in the Air Ministry that rank should be forfeited. The total number of such is small, and most of the men concerned had not completed operational training or were still in the early stages of operational employment. Any suggestion that rank had been forfeited by airmen who had completed scores of operations would have no foundation in fact. Nor would it be true to say that the Service documents of personnel who had forfeited their rank would be marked in such a way as to jeopardise their prospects in civil life.

Decisions that rank should be forfeited are made reluctantly and solely in the interests of morale, in order to protect and sustain the status of the overwhelming majority who continue to perform the duties of aircrew in the R.A.F. or are only prevented from so doing by reasons not within their own control.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport when it is proposed to introduce a Bill based on the Report of the Committee on Seamen's Welfare in Ports.

The report is under the active consideration of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service and my noble Friend the Minister of War Transport.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, on the conclusion of the war with Germany, it is proposed to retain the Regulation that only science students are allowed deferment of military service in order to proceed to the universities.

In agreement with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education I am making arrangements for deferment to be granted to a limited number of students of scholarship standard in order that they may proceed to the Universities next October to begin Arts courses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he proposes to issue in regard to gas masks.

I have, through the Press, asked the public to avoid wilful damage or destruction of respirators until the Government has decided, in the light of the post-war situation, whether or not they ought to be collected for preservation. I cannot now indicate what decision will be taken.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether transfer allowances are now in payment to members of the senior branch of the Foreign Service who are posted to his Department from service abroad.

The principle of such allowances is accepted in the White Paper (Cmd. 6420), but the question of the amounts and date of payment is still under consideration.