asked the Minister of Works whether he will break down the cost of the Uni-Seco house mentioned in the White Paper on the temporary housing programme under the following headings: site preparation, payment to contractors for hull, kitchen-bathroom unit, erection and installation on site, any other charges, Ministry of Works administration and overheads, giving the original estimates which made the total cost in January £772 and the revised estimates given in the White Paper to total £1,020.

:No, Sir. Orders for a a large number of temporary houses and their fixtures and fittings have still to be placed, and many tenders for site preparation and house erection have yet to be invited. It would, therefore, not be in the public interest to publish details of the estimated cost of any one type of temporary house. It may be assumed, however, that the superstructure or hull represents only about one-third of the cost and that the components and services provided by the Ministry of Works account for the remainder.

:Could the right hon. Gentleman say what is the cost put on to this charge by the Ministry of Works itself for its own administration?

I shall be answering that on a later question.

asked the Minister of Works whether his attention has been drawn to the many houses suffering from dry rot in the London area; and will he take steps to have such repairs carried out at once or give permission for such repairs to be carried out without licence provided notice is given.

:My Ministry are normally prepared to admit applications for licences to eliminate dry rot and licences are also granted freely by the local authorities who deal with such applications where the work costs less than £100. I should not be prepared to give permission for such repairs to be carried out without licence.

:Is my right hon. Friend aware that many houses may have to be pulled down unless this problem of dry rot is tackled ruthlessly; is he also aware that unless it is tackled when it first appears it spreads rapidly, and will he consider allowing this as emergency work?

The difficulty is to differentiate between dry rot elimination and other repairs.

asked the Minister of Works how many flats at the address in Westminster, of which he has been in formed, are now under requisition; whether they are still occupied or how long they have been unoccupied; and how soon it is proposed they should be made available for residential purposes

Six flats are held on requisition at the address in question. They have been vacant since the end of August and arrangements had been made to reoccupy them immediately. Efforts will be made to house the proposed occupants elsewhere and if this can be done the flats will be derequisitioned as quickly as possible.

For what purpose is it proposed to reoccupy these flats which are so urgently required for residential purposes?

It is to make room for a move which is taking place on the part of another Government Department.

Is this a case of "general post," one Department moving into the room occupied by another, and shall we ever get rid of any of them?

While I appreciate the desire to remove Government Departments, while they are in existence they have to be housed somewhere.

asked the Minister of Works what is the total number of German prisoners of war at his disposal and also the number of German prisoners which he has been unable to supply in response to requests from local authorities and statutory undertakings.

There are at present 27,700 German prisoners of war at my disposal. The number of prisoners which cannot at the moment be supplied to local authorities and statutory undertakings is 18,634, of which 4,208 are required for work directly in connection with housing.

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether he is assured of the fullest co-operation from the War Office in securing this German prisoner labour, so that housing plans now held up, may go ahead without further delay?

I am asking all the time for full co-operation, and assuming that I am getting it.

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether these men, when employed, are paid a full and proper wage, or whether they are being used as slaves, and whether he can tell us when they will be sent home? [Interruption.] I know some hon. Members do not care a damn about slaves.

Order!

That was a most improper remark.

I beg your pardon, Mr. Speaker, but I was provoked.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware of the position in some districts owing to the call-up or transfer of skilled plumbers which is causing delay in the installation of water supplies and in the repairs to last winter's damage by frost; and what steps he is taking to meet this difficulty.

No specific cases of work of the kind referred to being held up have been brought to my attention but if the hon. Member will send me particulars I will have investigations made. I am aware, of course, that, in common with other building trade occupations, there is a shortage of plumbers for building work.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that he has already had a communication from one urban district in my constituency which was sent on from the Ministry of Health stating that no less than 70 houses still had frost damage from last winter unrepaired?

I was not aware of that, but I will look into it.

asked the Minister of Works what are the agency fees charged by his Ministry for each type of pre-fabricated house; and why such fees are charged.

All expenses incurred by the Ministry of Works in providing and erecting temporary houses are chargeable to the Temporary Housing Account. The work includes the preparation of drawings, specifications and quantities, the ordering of supplies, the placing of contracts, the supervision of works and the settlement of accounts. It is not possible to apportion these expenses to each type of house individually, but it is provisionally estimated that they will amount overall to about 2 per cent. of the total cost of the programme.

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that he can do that work for 2 per cent. of the total cost of building?

I am hoping so.

:That is a very different matter.

asked the Minister of Works whether he has already placed orders for all of the 158,480 prefabricated houses, together with all their component parts, as listed in his White Paper, Cmd. 6686, on Temporary Housing.

No, Sir. The number of temporary house hulls ordered is 128,830 but negotiations are in train with the manufacturers for the extension of the existing orders to cover the further number required. Except for small balances, orders have been placed for all component parts required for the hulls that have been ordered.

Is the Minister sure of his statement that all the component parts for 100,000 odd houses, which he said had been ordered, have already been ordered?

Except for small balances.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how small the balances are?

Not without notice.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether Durham miners receiving an average of 14½ tons of free coal per year and Northumberland miners receiving an average of 12 tons, may also, as members of the public, register with, and buy additional coal from, a coal merchant.

There is no legal prohibition on the registration of miners' premises with coal merchants but, in general, those which receive free or cheap miners' coal are not so registered.

:Do the Government intend to continue this dual source of supply which is made use of and which enables miners to receive so much more coal than other members of the public?

There is not any dual source of supply. It is very rarely that miners who receive this free or cheap coal under the usual district agreements exercise their right.

Will my right hon. Friend attempt, by all possible means, to convince hon. Members opposite that there is no such thing as free coal, and that it is part of the wages?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether consideration has been given to the possibility of reversing P.L.U.T.O. and temporarily continuing the output of the German synthetic oil plants and using the wartime system of pipelines to bring petrol to this country from Germany to increase the basic ration.

The pipeline system known as P.L.U.T.O. has been discontinued and much of the equipment has already been removed. None of the German synthetic oil plants in the British zone is working and accordingly supplies of petrol from Germany are not available.

Is the Minister aware that petrol rationing is strangling the economic life of the country?

That is quite a different question.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the total stocks of petrol in this country capable of being used in road vehicles; the monthly consumption of such vehicles in 1938 and at the present time, respectively; and what has been the import per month of petrol over the past three months.

I could not give this information without disclosing particulars of military requirements, but I may say that stocks of petrol available in this country for civilian consumption are now somewhat lower than the figure for 27th September quoted in my reply to the hon. Member's Question of 9th October.

Is it not time that this plea of military security stopped now that we are at peace? What is the Minister trying to hide? Why not give us the figures?

I assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that I have nothing to hide. It never was the custom to disclose military requirements before the war, and it is not intended to do so now.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many gallons of petrol were saved during the last week in September due to restrictions in travel imposed on taxicabs and privately owned motor cars; and what percentage this saving represents on the total petrol consumed throughout the country during that same week.

Removal of the present restrictions on the movements of taxicabs and private hire cars would lead to an increase in the numbers of such vehicles in operation. It is, therefore, not possible to estimate the savings of petrol resulting from the restrictions.

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. Three weeks ago the right hon. Gentleman gave me a categorical undertaking that he would give roe this information if I put a Question on the Order Paper. The Question has been on the Order Paper ever since, and now I claim your help in trying to get the information.

:That is not a point of Order. It has nothing to do with me. The hon. and gallant Gentleman has Parliamentary ways of raising the matter on the Adjournment, if necessary.

Is the Minister aware that he seems to know much less about his Department now than he did before he took office?

The hon. and gallant Gentleman may rest assured that what I have learned, I will disclose in due course.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the fact that there is now no likelihood that such information will be of any use to our former enemies, he is prepared to give figures of the military needs of petrol and the fullest information as to the demand and available supplies of petrol.

In the special circumstances of this country it has not been the practice at any time to disclose information about military needs and supplies of petrol, and I would not be justified in departing from this practice.

Will not the Minister take into account that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction about this matter among the business community; and does he not think it desirable to take them into his confidence, and satisfy them that there will be greater supplies of petrol available to them for business needs?

I have already given the House, in reply to Questions, particulars of the petrol available for civilian consumption. There is no reason to believe that trade has been impeded because of petrol rationing

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what increase there has been in the consumption of fuel by commercial users since the basic ration was reintroduced.

The relaxations which my right hon. Friend the Minister of War Transport has been able to make in the rationing restrictions on commercial goods vehicles have led to an increase in the total consumption of these vehicles amounting to about 6 per cent. since last June.

Can my right hon. Friend give the reason for the increase?

We are very anxious to stimulate trade, and transport enters into it.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in connection with the installation of electricity in farms and buildings in the rural areas, he will introduce legislation, with a view to abolishing the high charges for installation and long-term guarantees, which are at present demanded by many undertakings.

I am considering these matters in connection with the general reorganisation of the electricity supply industry.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that these matters have been considered year after year and that the rural areas have never been able to get electricity?

I am well aware that there has been a great deal of delay, but I am going to see that the matter is dealt with very shortly.

There has been a great deal of wrong-headedness.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the total number of applications from villages throughout the country to have electricity supplied which have not been fulfilled; and the reasons for the non-fulfilment of these applications.

These applications are made to electricity undertakings and not to the Electricity Commissioners or to my Ministry. The information asked for is, therefore, not in my possession.

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that he should have this information, and that otherwise nothing will be done and the matter will go on from year to year, as I have already complained?

If the hon. Gentleman is very anxious to obtain the information, I shall make inquiries, but in fact it would make no difference to the present position because, owing to a shortage of plant and labour, we cannot get ahead with a lot of work.

May we have a nice little inquiry together?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether a basic petrol ration can now be made available for private aircraft.

Discussions have been taking place with the Ministry of Civil Aviation in regard to the arrangements for supplying aviation fuel for civil aircraft when the ban on civil flying is removed. I am not yet in a position to indicate what the arrangements will be.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has considered a letter from the Midland Counties Colliery Officials' and Staffs' Association, complaining of difficulties in establishing means of negotiation with their employers; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

I am arranging for the matter to be investigated at an early date.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will, in future, publish weekly the figures of total output of coal per week, along with the output per manshift, for the whole country, together with the figures for the corresponding weeks in the years 1944 and 1943.

I have decided, as I have already announced, to issue output figures and other key statistics at monthly intervals.

Will the output per manshift be included?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, during the Christmas shopping period, he is prepared to relax the restrictions on shop window lighting.

I regret that for the present at any rate the fuel situation does not justify any relaxation of the restrictions on shop window lighting.

asked the Minister of Labour why military personnel who have been allocated to civilian duties during their military service are not permitted to count the period so covered towards demobilisation.

:I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Carnarvonshire (Mr. G. Roberts) on 23rd August, a copy of which I am sending him.

How can this obvious injustice be justified, since these men did not choose that particular method of serving their country, and were directed?

:The hon. and gallant Member is now arguing with the Minister and not asking a question.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will consider the advisability of allowing periods of release from the Forces to types of civil employment involving considerable personal risk, such as the repairing of gas mains during the heavy air raids on London and other towns, to count in determining the order of release from the Forces.

No, Sir. I am afraid I could not draw a distinction between civilian employments based on the relative degree of danger to which those engaged in them were exposed.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that these men felt that they were doing their country a service by volunteering for duties involving just as much personal danger and hard work as if they were serving with the Colours; and is there not a special case for the consideration of men such as these?

Such consideration would apply with equal force to the Fire Service, Civil Defence Service, and to engineering workers and others who continued to work during the air raids, and it would be very difficult to draw a distinction.

asked the Minister of Labour if, in view of the recent concession given to men of the R.A.F. that time spent in industry during temporary release shall count as service for grouping, he will consider giving the same concession to men in the Army.

No, Sir. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Air to the hon. and gallant Member for Waterloo (Captain Bullock) on 10th October, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Labour the policy of the Government in regard to the demobilisation of V.A.D.s.

Members of the V.A.D. will be released like other members of the Forces in order of age and length of service. They may also be released in Class B if they are willing and suitable to be trained for nursing. The programme of releases and discharges up to June, 1946, is set out in the statement I made on 2nd October, a copy of which I am sending the hon. and gallant Member.

Has this statement been communicated to the various members of the V.A.D. service?

I really could not say, but if it has not been done, it will be done.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether, if these V.A.D.s are released under Scheme A, they are liable, when they get home to this country, to be redirected by the Ministry of National Service?

I shall be glad if the hon. Member will put that question on the Paper, and I will get him the information.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 17,946 persons released in Class B between 18th June and 30th September had been serving in S.E.A.C., in C.M.F., in other theatres overseas and in the United Kingdom, respectively; and if he will give an assurance that potential Class B releases are not prejudiced by reason of distance from home, transport difficulties, or other causes, but are granted on the merits of the individual cases alone, in whatever theatres the persons concerned may be serving.

:The information asked for in the first part of the Question is not readily available. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative.

Is it not obvious that, in the case of block releases, Service Departments will tend to release whole groups of men who are serving in the United Kingdom, because it is more convenient to do so; and will my right hon. Friend look into that aspect of the question?

:I think, from information already in my possession, that that is not the case, but they are doing the best they can to bring the men home from overseas, in harmony with those who are displaced at home.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement showing the age and service groups in the Army, Navy and R.A.F., according to classified occupations, which will be released in Class B under block arrangements over the next nine months and giving the approximate dates by which each occupation in each Service may expect release.

No, Sir. I am afraid this would not be practicable.

While appreciating the difficulties involved, may I ask the Minister whether he is aware of the considerable anxiety which is being experienced by certain people in high release groups who feel that they ought to be released under block release by virtue of their occupation only, and will he consider some simpler form of statement in order to prevent this sort of anxiety and unnecessary trouble arising?

:I would regret it if there were anxiety and unnecessary trouble. The problem is that we try to get out the numbers that are required from the lowest groups at the beginning and then we go up, but I will look into the point the hon. and gallant Member has raised and if there is any way of simplifying it, we will do so.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the hardship caused to recently discharged ex-servicemen and women through the delay in organising the Government Vocational Training Scheme; and whether he is prepared to authorise the payment of allowances immediately their applications for training have been accepted and they are awaiting joining instructions, in order to save them from drawing too heavily on their war gratuities, which are, in many cases, their only means of livelihood when their demobilisation leave has expired.

:I can assure the hon. Member that I will do all I can to speed up the admission of demobilised men and women to training courses but I could not agree to payment of training allowances pending admission.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has now considered the case of 1545828, L.A.C. Walker, K. F., details of which were sent to him by the hon. Member for Eccles on 11th October; when he expects to be in a position to reply to this letter; and if he will authorise the immediate release of L.A.C. Walker.

I wrote to my hon. Friend about this case on 31st October.

Will the Minister, in view of the anomalies in his instructions, which stand out clearly in this case, consider amending them now? I would also like to ask if he is aware of the fact that this application would not be sponsored by the agricultural committee because of the fact that only one-third of the work of this blacksmith was performed under that Department, and would not be sponsored by the Minister of Works because he does not—

Order.

The hon. Gentleman cannot go into all the details of a case in a supplementary question; it takes up too much time.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is satisfied that the number of men entering the mines, agriculture and the building trades, on demobilisation, will be sufficient to provide for the national requirements of these three services during the coming year; whether any improvements in wages, conditions of work or social services are contemplated; and whether it is the intention of the Government to arrange, continue or extend the direction of labour for these industries.

The return to their former employment of men demobilised from the Forces whose previous occupation was in the three industries mentioned by my hon. Friend would substantially assist in fulfilling their manpower needs. Whether their full requirements will be met in this way depends on the number of men released in Class A who, though free to take whatever employment they choose during their period of paid leave, do in fact return to their former employment and also on other factors including wastage, normal recruitment from young persons and through training schemes. The question of wages and conditions is one for each industry to settle through its recognised machinery but subject to that my right hon. Friends the Ministers concerned are in close touch with the industries in order to render any assistance possible. The last part of the Question is bound up with the Government's general policy on the control of labour.

Could the Minister inform the House how young people directed into the Services can go into these three industries?

I do not think that this applies especially to young persons.

But the right hon. Gentleman said that in his answer.

I will look at the point again.

asked the Minister of Labour, if, in view of the misapprehension on the results, he will restate the position with regard to the demobilisation from the Forces of men with one-man businesses.

I propose to include a statement about owners of one-man businesses in the pamphlet on demobilisation questions which will shortly be made available to hon. Members.

:While thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask him whether he is aware that in one of our great national newspapers, there was a front page headline, on 21st September, saying, "Men who run little businesses to get release?" Will he take steps to see that these men are told the truth?

I have enough troubles of my own without trying to teach newspapers how to run their business.

Can the right hon Gentleman say when this pamphlet will be available, because many Members are being troubled about this question at present?

:We are anxious to get it into the hands of Members as quickly as we can. No delay will be permitted, but we want to make it as full as possible. I cannot promise the date, but it will be out as quickly as we can get it done.

:May we take it that the Class C release scheme, now in operation for Service men, will continue?

I cannot answer that off-hand.

:Is there any reason why the House should not have an advance copy of what is to be put into the pamphlet?

If there is to be an advance copy, why have the pamphlet?

On this specific point, I mean?

Do not let us have any penny numbers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total number whose income, after the deduction of tax, ranges between £250 and £500 per annum, and £6,000 and over, for the year ended 5th April, 1939, and the year ended 5th April, 1945.

:Figures for the years 1938/39 and 1942/43, the latest year for which information is at present available, are given in Table 26 of this year's White Paper on the National Income and Expenditure (Cmd. 6623).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it will always be necessary to propose changes in Income Tax several months in advance in order to give time for new Pay as you earn tables to be prepared; and whether an annual autumn Budget is therefore contemplated.

I am going into this question, but I do not contemplate an annual autumn Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will relieve from the incidence of Income Tax all pensions attached to all war medals and decorations.

No, Sir. Income Tax is levied, subject to personal allowances and other adjustments, on all income, and I can see no good reason for exempting this particular category of income, as such.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the non-recurrent nature of the benefits given to personnel of the Armed Forces on demobilisation, he will consider issuing instructions to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue that, in addition to those amounts paid or payable as war gratuities, the sums paid or payable in respect of demobilisation leave be exempt from Income Tax as casual receipts within the existing provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1918.

No, Sir. This is not possible under the present law, and I do not think that there is sufficient ground for exempting from Income Tax what is, in fact, a continuation of Service pay.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the expenses allowed to individuals and companies assessable under Schedule D of the Income Tax Act, 1918, are on a more generous scale than those allowed to employees assessable under Schedule E; and whether he will consider amending Rule 9 to Schedule E in order that clerical and manual workers and other persons in receipt of wages or salaries assessable under Schedule E shall be entitled to claim as deductions for Income Tax purposes all expenses necessarily incurred by them in connection with their employment.

Under Rule 9 of Schedule E an employee is already entitled to claim an income tax deduction for expenses incurred by him wholly, exclusively, and necessarily in the performance of the duties of his employment. It is true that the Schedule D rule governing expenses is somewhat wider, and I am now considering whether this can be justified.

Will a doctor be allowed to deduct the cost of Purchase Tax on his motor car?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total sum paid in annuities to the descendants of the brother of Horatio, Lord Nelson; and whether, in view of the fact that the present beneficiary has no issue, he will consider terminating the arrangement.

The total sum paid by the taxpayers since 1806, when this annuity was instituted is £700,000. It is, I think, high time that the present arrangement was reconsidered and I propose to take the matter up with the present Lord Nelson.