asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is yet in a position to resume the hearing of the appeal of No. 4802415, Private R. W. Bryan, of 14, Lancaster Road, Stamford, which was adjourned at Nottingham on 29th November, 1944, for legal advice to be taken as to the admissibility of certain evidence given at a court of inquiry.

Important questions affecting the conduct of the appellant are in issue, and as a quite exceptional matter and without prejudice to the legal point raised by the appellant's counsel at the hearing of the appeal, I am endeavouring to see whether the witnesses at the Court of Inquiry can be made available to attend the resumed hearing of the appeal before the Pensions Appeal Tribunal. The necessary inquiries which have to be made must, I am afraid, take some time, but when they are completed application will be made to the Tribunal for the appeal to be restored to the list of cases for hearing.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that pension claims are frequently disallowed on the grounds that the cause of disability was infection rather than unhealthy conditions under which soldiers were called upon to live; and if, as such conditions by undermining general health make infection more likely and more difficult to overcome, he will introduce amending legislation to meet this grievance.

I am unable to accept the implication in the first part of the Question and the second part does not therefore arise. If, however, my hon. Friend has in mind any case in which further investigation appears to be called for and will send me particulars I will look into it.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many members of the Forces who were graded A when they joined up have up to date been discharged on medical grounds, without any pension being paid to them or any allowances to the widows and dependent children of those who have subsequently died.

I regret that the information asked for by my hon. Friend could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Minister of Pensions the number who have been killed in this war whose parents have not been awarded a pension because their means are above the scale laid down that entitles them to a pension.

The figure asked for is 35,000, but in all of these cases the parents have been told that they may renew their application if their circumstances should worsen materially at some future date. The number of cases in which awards have been made is 34,000.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he expects to conclude arrangements for German miners to work in British coalmines, thereby releasing youths who have been directed by the ballot to work in coalmines against their wishes and enabling them to volunteer for the Forces or follow the occupations of their choice.

My right hon. and gallant Friend has nothing to add to the reply which he gave to my hon. Friend on Tuesday last.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that approximately 60 men have received notice to terminate their employment at Cannock Chase colliery; for what reason has this been done; and, in view of the need for increased coal production, what steps are being taken to absorb the men in the industry locally.

Yes, Sir. After consultation with officers of the Ministry of Fuel and Power, officers of my Department found it necessary to give permission for the discharge of 51 surface workers at this colliery on the ground of redundancy. Every effort is being made to place these men in other coalmining employment but, as 26 of the men concerned are over 60 years of age, this may not prove to be possible in every case, particularly as few suitable vacancies for surface workers are available in the locality.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many cases of silicosis among North Wales slate quarrymen have been notified in the last five years; and whether the introduction of machines to displace hewing by hand has increased the incidence of this disease.

The number of cases of underground workers in slate mines in North Wales certified by the Silicosis Medical Board for total disablement or suspension from the industry since 1st January, 1940, when these workers were first covered by the Compensation Scheme is 85. As figures are only available from the beginning of 1940 and machines were in use before that time it is not possible to say definitely what the effect of machines has been on the incidence of silicosis, but wet drilling or other appropriate methods of allaying dust have now been adopted in place of dry drilling, and these and the other precautionary measures which are being taken should in time result in a decreased incidence of the disease.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has any statement to make on the sale and purchase of medical practices in relation to the Government's proposals for a National Health Service.

Yes, Sir. The Government recognise, as indicated in the White Paper, that a case can be made for the total abolition of the sale and purchase of publicly remunerated practices, and particularly of practices conducted in publicly-provided health centres. The Government also recognise, as indicated in the White Paper, that the abolition would involve great practical difficulty and is not essential to the initiation of the new service. The Government feel that firm decisions, dealing with the practical difficulties fairly in the interests of all concerned if sale and purchase were to be abolished, could be reached only after some experience had been gained of the working of the new service and all the relevant facts had been ascertained.

The Government do not propose, therefore, to make any alteration in the present custom in the forthcoming Health Services Bill, but they propose that a full inquiry into the whole question shall be instituted by a Committee appointed for that purpose after the new service has come into operation and experience of its working has been gained. Meanwhile, to remove any present uncertainty, the Government wish to make it clear that, if the sale of practices—as a result of the inquiry I have mentioned—should be abolished or restricted by law, doctors affected would receive all proper compensation, on the understanding, of course, that (as indicated in the White Paper) the new service could not be allowed, by itself increasing values, to increase the amount of compensation payable. The Government also recognise that, pending the inquiry, many doctors will be returning from the Forces and entering new civil practices under the existing conditions of practice exchange. They are anxious that these men and women shall not be prevented or discouraged from doing so by inability to find purchase money, and they are discussing with the profession how this can best be secured.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the cessation of enemy air attacks, the beds in hospitals reserved for potential casualties will now be at once returned to ordinary civil use.

The beds now reserved in certain hospitals in the Emergency Hospital Scheme are for all classes of patients for whose treatment I am responsible, including Service casualties and sick. No beds are specifically reserved for air-raid casualties.

asked the Minister of Health if a National Health Insurance employed contributor who requires penicillin is enabled to get it free under the same conditions as a diabetic gets insulin.

No, Sir. I regret that there is not yet enough Penicillin for all restrictions upon its use to be removed. Penicillin cannot be supplied on a doctor's prescription either for insured or for private patients. It is available only through hospitals, and in most cases it should be administered in hospitals by staff specially trained in its use. I am advised that supplies are sufficient for all urgent cases likely to benefit from its use.

asked the Minister of Health if he will reconsider his refusal to allow the reinstatement of the buildings of a hospital, which have been destroyed by fire, in Chalfont St. Peters, since a population of 20,000 is deprived of hospital services and the nearest alternative is in another county, several miles distant.

No, Sir. Building licences have already been issued by the Ministry of Works for temporary repairs which will enable the hospital to operate again. I regret that while labour is still badly needed on the essential repair of war-damaged houses, I cannot recommend the issue of a building licence for complete reinstatement of the hospital.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will make arrangements for petrol granted to Service personnel home on leave to be made available not only for a motor-car owned by a Service man but if the Service man has no motor-car of his own available for any one other motor-car which can be placed at his disposal.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to make a statement on this subject next week.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in view of the stoppage of enemy aerial attack, he can now state the further final contribution which the War Damage Commission will be levying on the public.

Contributions are not levied by the War Damage Commission. Their amount is prescribed in the War Damage Act and they are collected by the Inland Revenue. The 5th and final instalment of the contribution provided for in the original Act falls due on 1st July next. I am not yet in a position to decide what, if any action may need to be taken under Section 80 of the War Damage Act, 1943, with regard to further instalments of contribution, but I would remind my hon. Friend of the answer I gave him on 1st March, namely, that the total payments to be made under Part I of the Act will exceed twice the yield of the contribution provided for in it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that persons who have claimed for war damage to private chattels and have had their value assessed by the War Damage Commission valuers, will be quite unable to replace the lost goods owing to the rise in prices; and will he consider adding a percentage to the assessed value to compensate in a reasonable measure for a rise in prices.

Claims are assessed on the basis of prices ruling at the date of the loss. Payment is normally deferred, but when for special reasons earlier payment is made the amount assessed may be increased to enable essential goods to be repaired or replaced immediately. With regard to cases where payment is deferred I would refer my hon. Friend to the general assurance which I gave on 3rd June, 1942, during the Debate on the War Damage (Amendment) Bill, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to maintain the general policy of preference for ex-Service personnel wherever possible; and whether, in pursuance of this policy, it is intended to give preference to ex-Service personnel in making temporary appointments in the Civil Service;

(2) whether it is intended that ex-Service personnel now filling temporary or unestablished posts in the Civil Service will be retained in such posts in preference to non-Service personnel, or, on redundancy, assigned to other vacancies for which they may be suitable.

Government Departments, like other employers, are at present unable to fill all their vacancies for temporary staff. No question of preference has therefore arisen, either on making appointments to temporary posts or in appointing redundant staff to other vacancies for which they are suitable. The Government have, of course, undertaken, as employer, to observe the provisions of the Reinstatement in Civil Employment Act.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the two days' holiday in Government Departments following the announcement of VE-Day will be taken if this occurs during a week-end.

Departments have been instructed that if the announcement of the end of hostilities with Germany is made at any time on a Saturday or Sunday, work generally should be resumed on the following Tuesday. Staff required to attend over the holiday period because of the nature of their duties will be allowed days off in lieu at a later date.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will state the number of old age pensioners at the end of March, and how many are getting supplementary pensions.

The estimated number of old age pensioners in Great Britain at 31st March, 1945, was just under 4,000,000, including about 450,000 women over 60 pensioned as widows under the Contributory Pensions Acts. At the same date supplementary pensions were being paid in respect of about 1,590,000 old age pensioners and widows over the age of 60.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the nursing services of the R.A.F. and Army in Burma do not receive Japanese campaign pay which is paid to the other women's services, as these nurses are in the forward area and always well up at the front.

Nursing officers in Burma are paid under the Indian Pay Code and officers paid under this code do not receive Japanese Campaign Pay if they are above the rank of Junior-Commander or Flight Officer. Consequently principal matrons and matrons are not eligible. But other nursing officers of the Army and R.A.F. receive Japanese Campaign Pay under the same conditions as other British Service women officers.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will arrange with the Supreme Allied Commander for the issue of a warning to the Germans in the Channel Islands that any committing acts of sabotage, whether by direction or execution, will be tried by court martial.

Acts of sabotage committed, either by direction or execution, by the German garrison in the Channel Islands, subsequent to the surrender of the German garrison commander, will be dealt with rigorously in accordance with international law. It it not considered necessary for a warning on this point to be issued to the Germans.

asked the Minister of Food whether the end of the war in Europe will liberate or permit the importation of increased amounts of feeding-stuffs for farm animals.

In anticipation of the end of the war in Europe arrangements have already been made to import additional feeding stuffs to provide the increased rations for pigs and poultry recently announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can make any statement as to the expected provision of additional labour for the harvest in the rural districts of Yorkshire.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Evesham (Mr. De la Bère) on 22nd March.

asked the Minister of Works (1) the average number of industrial operatives in the 32 ancillary trades that depend for their occupation and livelihood upon the construction of buildings erected from the designs and drawings made by each architect:

(2) the average number of building trade operatives that depend upon each architect for the necessary drawings, specifications and instructions to enable them to perform their tasks.

In agreement with the Royal Institute of British Architects, the 1938 figures have been used as the basis of an estimate that the ratio of building workers, fully employed, to qualified and practising architects, fully employed, averages 47.5 in the case of craftsmen and 95 in the case of total operatives. I regret that I cannot identify the 32 ancillary trades to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total electorate of the City of London on the new register; and what are the figures, separately, for those exercising the resident and business premises vote.

I am asking electoral registration officers to furnish me with information as to the numbers of electors registered on each of the three registers in their constituencies, and when this information is complete I will lay it before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the large numbers of persons who are being appointed to positions abroad since the Service registers were compiled, he will ensure that steps are taken to enable these persons to register as war workers and to appoint proxies.

A person making a declaration as a war worker, which is received after 15th March, will not be eligible to vote as a war worker for an election for which the May Register is operative, though he will, of course, be included in the October Service Register.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make arrangements for all married women whose husbands are serving in India or S.E.A.C., whose other qualifications are suitable, and who volunteer for welfare work in those theatres, to be released from their present occupations and allowed to serve in those theatres of war.

The release of such women who are accepted by approved voluntary organisation for full-time welfare work in India or S.E.A.C. will be considered most sympathetically by my Department, and objection will only be raised to release if the applicant is engaged on especially urgent and vital war work, or has special qualifications in short supply here which would not be utilised in the work overseas; experience shows that such cases are likely to be very few.

asked the Minister of Labour the average unemployment figures for Burnley in each year from 1933 to 1938; and if he has any figures indicating the extent of under-employment in the area during those years.

The answer to the first part of the Question is contained in the following statement. I regret that statistics showing the extent of other forms of under-employment are not available.

Statement:

The following table shows the average numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of Burnley Employment Exchange during each of the years 1933 to 1938, distinguishing those wholly unemployed and those temporarily stopped:

The numbers temporarily stopped, shown in the table above, include persons suspended from work, on the dates when the count of the unemployed was made, on the understanding that they were shortly to return to their former employment.

asked the Minister of Labour when the Government hope to be in a position to publish the demobilisation plans for civilian conscripted women in industry and other essential war work.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper on reallocation of man-power between civilian employments, Cmd. 6568, published in November, 1944, in which the Government's proposals are set out.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can make any statement regarding the position of the N.A.A.F.I. personnel as regards demobilisation.

In accordance with the provisions of the White Paper the position of Army personnel serving with N.A.A.F.I. is the same as that of any other soldier or auxiliary, namely, periods spent on the active list, whether with the Colours or with R.A.S.C./E.F.I., count as reckonable service towards age and service grouping and for all benefits accruing therefrom: periods spent on the reserve do not so count.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the statistics showing the increase of vagrancy in the country; and why, when so much work is available, more people are taking to the roads.

The number of casuals relieved in England and Wales on the night of the last Friday in March, the latest figure available, was 290, an increase of 49 on that for the corresponding date in 1944. The number in July, 1939, was 7,144, and the largest number ever recorded was 16,911 in May, 1932. Every effort is made to provide casuals with work, but many of them are either incapable or unwilling.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that, although a local authority and its officers may be satisfied that it is essential to execute repairs or complete construction in the case of a house where the cost will exceed £500, application has to be made first to the regional officers of his Department, referred to London, referred back to the regional officers of the Department and, if consent is granted, elaborate and detailed specifications and plans must be submitted to the regional licensing officer; and what steps he is taking to improve the machinery which is exasperating overburdened staffs of local authorities.

The procedure is designed to ensure that our present resources of labour and materials are utilised to the fullest extent on essential work, a necessary provision during the present emergency period.

asked the Minister of Health if he will request all local authorities in the London area immediately to compile and supply him with a list of habitable unoccupied houses and flats, with the reason why they remain empty.

I do not think I should be justified in asking for these lists. If, however, my hon. Friend has some particular empty properties in mind, and will let me have details, I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Health the average time that elapses, respectively, between the decision to proceed with a new building or a housing estate by either a Government Department, a local authority or a private owner; the instructing of an architect to proceed with the layout, etc.; the obtaining of constructional and other permits and the letting of building contracts; and the building trade operatives actually commencing work on the job.

No, Sir. I cannot undertake to embark upon the elaborate investigation that would be necessary.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will include the provision of houses for disabled ex-Servicemen and women within the terms of the grant at present given to rural authorities for the provision of houses for the agricultural population under the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1938.

I have no power to extend the subsidy provided under the Act of 1938 for houses built for members of the agricultural population to houses built for other classes of the community. The whole question of the amount of subsidy for houses to be built by local authorities is, however, under review.

asked the Minister of Works whether he proposes to make temporary use of surplus military camps to assist the housing problem.

I have been asked to reply. A close examination is made of the suitability for temporary housing purposes of military camps as they become surplus.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the difficulties caused by the exemption from registration for Purchase Tax in favour of manufacturers producing less than £500 worth of chargeable goods per year; and whether he proposes to take action under Section 13 of the Finance Act, 1944.

Yes, Sir. The Treasury propose making an Order abolishing this exemption, and the necessary Resolution approving the Order will be laid before the House in the near future.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the present net debt outstanding secured on the rates of each Metropolitan borough.

The latest figures generally available are for the year ended 31st March, 1943. In the case of Islington and Westminster the latest figures are for the year ended 31st March, 1942. The total outstanding debt for each authority at the latest date for which particulars are known is given in the attached table.

asked the Minister of Education, what is the present average size of classes in the national schools, both primary and secondary, and the total number of teachers which he estimates will be required, on the assumption that no classes shall exceed 20 pupils, when the school-leaving age is raised to 15 and 16 years of age and 18 plus years for part-time students, respectively.

The collection of all but essential statistics has been discontinued during the war. I regret, therefore, that I am unable to give the information desired in the latter part of the Question. The average size of classes in 1939 was 34.4 and in secondary schools 23.7.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will reconsider his order to prisoners of war to report for duty after only 42 days' leave irrespective of the number of years they have been subjected to the conditions of imprisonment, the effect of which upon their fitness cannot be gauged after so short an interval of release, and undertake that ex-prisoners of war on their return to the United Kingdom will under no circumstances be reposted overseas for duty and that those whose enlistment dates back to 1939 and early 1940 will be demobilised as soon as possible, and, if impracticable, exigencies of the Service not permitting, will be posted to home service.

Prisoners of war returning from Germany undergo a full examination by a medical board during their leave. Any who are considered to be unfit for further service will be discharged on medical grounds. Those who are not recommended for discharge report to a unit at the end of their leave where there are special facilities for examination by medical and other experts. Some prisoners will be sent to physical development centres to improve their physical condition and the extension of these arrangements will if necessary be considered. Moreover the soldier's medical category will be subject to review in the light of his further progress.

A returned prisoner will be retained in this country for at least six months and thereafter he will be sent abroad only if a further medical examination shows that he is fit for this service. As far as possible men due for early release will not be sent. Owing to the present shortage of manpower it is, I regret, impossible to adopt the suggestions made by my hon. Friend in the last part of his Question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the case of Private W. J. Dyer, whose release from the Army is essential if the business carried on by him in Redditch is not to close down altogether; whether he is aware that this man's category is C2 and that the War Office refuse to release him without the support of his Department; and whether he will reconsider the whole matter, in view of the urgent nature of the case and the special circumstances already reported to his Department.

The Government's policy is to release men in order of age and length of service after an armistice with Germany. Meanwhile, no one, whatever his medical category, can be released out of his turn, on industrial grounds, unless this is imperatively necessary in the national interest. I regret that such an exception could not be justified in this case.

asked the Minister of Labour whether officers now in the Services can, in anticipation of the end of the war, send in their names to the appointments bureaux with the object of earmarking post-war work.

It would, I am afraid, not be practicable for Appointments Offices to attempt to earmark posts for men and women in the Services much in advance of their release. I am anxious that men released from the Forces after the cessation of hostilities should have the most ample opportunity of choosing their employment and be given the widest choice and I hope that when considering the need for filling their higher appointments employers generally will bear in mind that throughout the whole period of release from the Forces there will be a wide field of selection of well qualified candidates.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will consider the advisability of increasing the food rations of the civilian population of the United Kingdom up to the level of the scale enjoyed by German prisoners of war held in Great Britain.

I would point out that the rations for German prisoners in this country are not uniform. For particulars of the quantities I would refer my hon. Friend to the full reply given by my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War on 24th April. I regret that in view of the supply position no increase in the civilian food rations is possible at present.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that all the growers in the Evesham district were encouraged to grow quantities of onions which have been in short supply during the war years; that this year large acreages are ready for the market, but there is no sale for them owing to the northern markets being flooded with Egyptian onions; and if he will take steps to ensure that there is a market for the home-grown onions.

A small quantity of dry bulb onions are being imported from Egypt. These are quite distinct from the green salad onion which is now available from home production. There is no intention that onions brought from abroad by my Ministry should compete with the home grown crop either as regards price or period of marketing.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what number of British prisoners have been liberated by the Russians; and what facilities are given to the British representatives in Russia to supervise their welfare during transit through Europe.

I have been asked to reply. I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Exchange (Mr. Hewlett), yesterday. We have officers in Odessa and they are doing what they can to help with the welfare of our ex-prisoners. Our Mission in Rumania is also endeavouring to assist when trains with our ex-prisoners pass through on the way to Odessa.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider allowing persons undergoing prison sentences to communicate with their relatives and receive one letter each week.

The majority of prisoners serving sentences of any length are at present, after a preliminary period, allowed a letter once in every two weeks and special letters may be allowed in addition in certain circumstances. Any increase in this allowance would throw so much additional work on the depleted prison staffs that it is not practicable to consider such a change in present conditions.

asked the Minister of Production whether, in view of the fact that certain areas in London have considerable numbers of men normally engaged in the engineering trade, some of whom will probably be at an early date demobilised, he will reconsider his decision to place no more Government contracts for engineering in the London area.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave yesterday to the hon. and gallant Member for Hornsey (Captain Gammans) in reply to a Question on the same subject.

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements he has made for the return to their homes of persons evacuated to Liverpool from the London and Southern areas; and what arrangements he has made for the return to their homes of Liverpool men, women and children, who are now evacuees in various parts of the country.

The operation of arrangements for the return of evacuees who had homes in Liverpool and all the other evacuation areas, except London and the eastern coastal areas from Hull to Southend, was completed by early this year. The local authorities were asked by telegram yesterday to begin the operation of plans for the return of evacuees who have homes in London. The plans provide for the return of evacuees in organised and escorted parties, generally in special trains, the first of which will run in about a month's time. It is clear that evacuees who have no home to return to should remain in the reception areas for the time being.