asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will give urgent consideration to the improvement of living conditions for R.A.F. ground staff at airfields in Europe and overseas.

We are going to improve on the wartime living conditions for Royal Air Force ground staff. I have received better reports of the places which the hon. and gallant Member was good enough to mention to me. For instance, the men are no longer under canvas at Buckeburg.

Is it not a fact that this is causing so much disgruntlement in the R.A.F. that the men are in no mood to improve their own conditions?

The difficulty about improving conditions is that it usually entails building trade labour, and one is not popular if one retains that in the Services at the moment.

Since this Question refers to overseas generally, could my hon. Friend say if there has been any improvement in the deplorable conditions in which the airmen are living at Mauripur—the very important airfield of Karachi?

As my hon. Friend knows, I have that matter under very active consideration at the moment.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) whether he is now in a position to make his promised statement regarding living conditions of Air Force personnel at Singapore;

:When Japan collapsed forces destined for Okinawa and elsewhere had to be diverted to Singapore at very short notice. In addition, 20,000 more prisoners of war than were expected were recovered there and had to be accommodated and fed. Consequently, living conditions were unavoidably difficult at first. Some overcrowding and discomfort is moreover bound to continue at Singapore until the repatriation of prisoners has been completed and our Forces have had time to get properly settled in, and until we can bring some of them home.

Will my hon. Friend take the most energetic steps to see that these conditions are improved?

I entirely agree with the hon. Member, and very energetic steps are being taken, I can assure him.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether it has yet been decided to retain R.A.F., Benson, as a permanent aerodrome; and whether a final decision will be taken as to whether the size of the runways are to be increased to enable the local authority to proceed with road plans for the permanent diversion of the main Henley to Oxford road.

We shall probably have to retain Benson as a permanent Royal Air Force Station; the future development of the runways is under examina- tion. We are doing our best to speed up the final decision.

Is the hon. Gentleman able to give any idea of what is likely to be the time before a decision can be taken, because this diversion between Oxford and Henley means that it takes a motorist five minutes longer?

That does not seem to be a very terrible consideration. We cannot give final decisions until the postwar position of the Air Force has been finally determined, but I think it highly probable that Benson will be retained.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many of the 30,000 airmen, members of air-crews, missing presumed killed, have been accounted for to date.

Of the 38,000 air-crew personnel missing, or presumed killed, we have so far accounted for 3,125. In all these latter cases death has been established. The Missing Research and Enquiry Service is at work in France, Belgium, Holland, Norway, Denmark and in the British zone in Germany. Forty search officers are now working and 80 more are being appointed. In the Far East the work is only now getting going.

Can the Minister say whether anything has been done in the Russian zone?

As the House has been informed, we are in touch with the Russian authorities on that and are attempting to arrange it.

How many of these 30,000 men are in the Far East zone?

I am afraid I cannot tell the hon. Gentleman that.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) if his attention has been called to the discontent prevalent among officers in the filter section of the R.A.F., whose release has been deferred, who only discharge nominal or casual duties with two or sometimes four half-holidays weekly; and if the release of these officers can foe expedited so that they may return to civil employment;

:There has naturally been a large reduction in the establishment of these officers since VE-Day, but those that remain still have an essential part to play in our air defence system, and our fighter squadrons could not function properly without them. On 31st December they will actually be some 20 per cent. below requirements. They are only two groups behind the average. Twenty-seven filter officers have returned to the United Kingdom from overseas since 18th May and of these, seven have lost their acting rank on posting to other duties.

Is it a fact that a large number of these men are standing idle? In view of the fact that they can take a prominent part in reconstruction work and in the conversion from war to peace conditions, can the Minister not accelerate their release as much as possible?

No, Sir, I cannot agree that they are standing idle. Fighter squadrons that are kept up for the fighter defence of this country must have their complement of filter officers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is satisfied that air mails for R.A.F. personnel serving in the Far East are arriving with regularity and celerity.

Bad weather, especially the monsoon, has caused some delays, but letters are usually taking between five and nine days. This is about the best we can do for the present.

Is the Under-Secretary of State aware that newspapers are taking an average of five weeks to India?

No, Sir, but perhaps the hon. and gallant Member would put down a question on the matter.

I can give the hon. Gentleman the facts.

Will the Under-Secretary of State bear in mind, in view of the great strain there is upon Transport Command in carrying both mails and passengers, that the proper margin of safety must not be overstepped?

Of course. We cannot therefore yield to pressure which is trying to increase the rate of delivery.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in the selection of candidates for regular commissions in the R.A.F., full consideration is being given to the claims of regular O.R. personnel.

Yes, Sir. Many regular airmen have received temporary commissions during the war and we are making our permanent appointments from among all temporary officers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will give notice, wherever practicable, to the local authorities in Ross-shire and Inverness-shire of the Ministry's intention to vacate sites and buildings as the occasions arise, and if, priority will be given to ex-Servicemen who want to acquire suitable buildings for temporary dwellings, etc.

We give notice of our intention to vacate sites and huts in Scotland to the Department of Health for Scotland, which keeps the local authorities informed. Where buildings suitable for temporary dwelling are disposed of, ex-Servicemen will have the same opportunities as other potential buyers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why the grazings of requisitioned land on Bogs of Mayne airfield, Elgin, were not first offered to the farmers from whom the land was requisitioned before being let to the present tenant.

We have not yet decided on the future use of this airfield, and in the meantime it is let temporarily for grazing. Competitive tenders were invited from those in the district likely to be interested, including, of course, the farmers from whom parts of the area had been requisitioned.

Is the hon. Member aware that what he has just said is quite contrary to the facts as they were given to me? When looking into this question will he give an opportunity to the farmers from whom this land was taken to offer for the rights of this grazing? My information is that they were never asked.

I have been given definite information that they were given the same offer to tender as anyone else and that one of them actually did so; but if the hon. Member will give me the information in his possession I will be very glad to look into it.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the aerodromes no longer required in Northern Ireland will be disposed of at an early date in lots for the production of food.

We are now arranging through the Government of Northern Ireland for six airfields to be used for farming immediately. Two more will be available by the end of the year and one more a little later.

Will the Under-Secretary of State assure us that he will take steps to have these aerodromes dealt with at once so that the farmers concerned can make arrangements for food to be produced in 1946?

The first six are on offer at the moment.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will take immediate steps to release aerodromes that are already earmarked for eventual agricultural use and are now vacant; and whether in doing so he will give priority to aerodromes constructed on heavy land in order that W.A.E.C.s can start winter ploughing as soon as possible and ensure that the nation will receive a food crop from them next year.

:Till the size, character and disposition of the post war Air Force is determined there cannot yet be a final choice of airfields to be permanently released. But, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, who have advised on priorities, and by local arrangement we are going to use all possible airfields for farming, even if only temporarily or partially.

Can the hon. Gentleman give some assurance that there will be a very early decision, especially in connection with aerodromes which are on heavy land, because unless an early decision is given it will be impossible to obtain any crops before next winter?

I think an early decision can be given about their temporary use for agricultural purposes, but a final decision cannot be given yet.

Can the hon. Gentleman give an assurance to the House now that the temporary decisions will be given as quickly as possible?

Yes, Sir, they are being given one after another.

Will the aerodromes be offered first to the previous tenants?

No, Sir; I think the practice is to offer them for public tender for agricultural purposes.

Is that really correct? Surelythat is not done when the land has been requisitioned?

I should require notice of that question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he has inquired into the recent refusal of men of a unit of the R.A.F. in Central India to obey orders and into the action taken to deal with the situation by the commanding officer; and if he has any statement to make.

A full report on the incident referred to and the action taken by the authorities has been called for, and I will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member.

:In view of the most alarming accounts of this epidemic which have appeared in the Press, will the Under-Secretary of State undertake to inform the House as soon as possible of the results of the inquiry?

Yes, Sir. The report as it stands is alarming, but I could not possibly pass judgment on the matter until I have had an opportunity of hearing from the Command concerned. If the hon. and gallant Member cares to put down another Question I will certainly answer it in the House.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if the Halton School of Cooking is functioning to maximum capacity.

I find that they have been just over 10 per cent. short of their full capacity during recent weeks at the Halton School of Cookery. Steps have now been taken to bring the figures up to the maximum again.

In view of the statement given by the Under-Secretary of State will he say why cooks in the Royal Air Force are five groups in arrears?

:I think that the hon. Member will know from previous answers of mine why cooks are in arrears but I quite agree with him that the Halton School of Cookery should have been kept at full capacity, and it will be so in future.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will publish figures showing the total number of R.A.F. and W.A.A.F. accountant officers and clerks, accounts, at present employed and the numbers estimated as required up to the end of June, 1946.

According to the latest available figures there are 2,133 Royal Air Force and Women Auxiliary Air Force accountant officers and 12,880 airmen and airwomen in the accountant trades. It is at present estimated that some 1,600 officers and 10,500 other ranks will be required at the end of June next.

Is the hon. Member aware that these figures are as high as those of the Army? Are the methods of accounting in the Air Force not out of date?

:Whether they are out of date or not is another question, but I am quite sure that they cannot be altered in time to affect demobilisation.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will ensure that members of the R.A.F. who have been elected to serve on local authorities are posted to home establishments in order that they may carry out their public duties.

No, Sir. I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for South Edinburgh (Sir W. Darling) on 24th August.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is satisfied that an intake of 33 per cent. of the total intake in November and 27 per cent. in December will enable him to attain evenness in group releases as between trades by the end of the year.

The intake of untrained men into the Royal Air Force in November and December cannot affect the rate of release by the end of the year. There is now little doubt that the R.A.F. will be allotted an intake for the first six months of the New Year large enough to permit the release of the extra four groups which I conditionally announced on 22nd October.

Can my hon. Friend say how nearly he will have approached evenness, as between trades, by the end of the year?

The figures have all been published in the Promulgations, and my hon. Friend can see the exact position.

Does that mean that the trades within the groups will have been released by the end of next year?

I am afraid I have not understood the hon. Gentleman's question.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that many trades are kept back in the groups? Does his answer mean that by the end of next year that will be put right?

By the end of this year? No, Sir. We cannot achieve perfect evenness in numbers by the end of this year.

I am asking about the middle of next year.

That depends upon the speed of general release between now and next June.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why the release of Signals Radar officers in Group 19, many of whom are now redundant, has been deferred from the end of December, 1945, to the end of January, 1946.

Signals Radar officers in Group 19 will be released in December as originally announced. The fact that the latest release promulgation reads "December/January" for Group 19 means that, unfortunately, no further groups of officers in this branch can be released in January. Far from being redundant, these signals officers are badly needed for the safety of the air trooping programme.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that although many Technical Signals, Radar, officers in S.E.A.A.F. have done no work in their trade for the past six months, their demobilisation is deferred, although officers in other branches are being released up to Group 25; and will he arrange for the release of such officers with their groups.

There may well have been temporary dislocation during the last six months in this Command. I am making inquiries of the Command and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air in view of the retention of cooks in the R.A.F. beyond the date for release of their age and service group, what steps are being taken to train the maximum number of fresh cooks; and how far the number of cooks on establishments are being reduced by misemployment of redundant trades and regular cookhouse fatigues.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why, and to what extent, there is still delay in demobilising cooks in the R.A.F.

We have reduced the delay in the release of cooks for December by one group. They are now being trained at the rate of 250 a week. The reasons for the delay are those which I gave in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newton (Sir R. Young) on 22nd August. As for reducing the number of trained cooks, the House will appreciate that there is a limit to that in the vital interests of the rest of the Service.

Is the Minister aware that there are several very capable cooks attending to the redundant monarchs at Claridges, and could they not be utilised?

They are not in the R.A.F.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, to ensure uniform treatment of all Class C release applications he will issue instructions that all such applications will be for warded to his Department for final disposal and not rejected without explanation by intermediate commanders.

No, Sir. If all applications came to my Department, I am afraid that there would be vast delays in dealing with genuine and urgent cases.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps are being taken to disband redundant aerodrome construction units, with a view to the release of building trade operatives under the Class B scheme.

We are disbanding units of the Airfield Construction Service in all parts of the world as requirements decline and local civilian labour can be engaged overseas. This will enable offers of release in Class B to be made to suitable men serving in airfield construction units.

Is the Minister able to go a little further than that very satisfactory reply, and say whether any special steps have been taken for these men to be brought home?

As offers of release in Class B are made to them and accepted, they will be brought home.

Can the hon. Gentleman say when this new dispensation was decided upon, because up to about a month ago I understand that builders in the R.A.F. were building airfields in India?

Some of the members of the R.A.F. construction units may be building trade workers and they may still be building and improving accommodation in India and elsewhere. As I said earlier, we are extremely keen and under heavy pressure to improve accommodation, but we shall let these men—the ones that are suitable—out under Class B in future.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will expedite the compassionate release of 1314151 L.A.C. Bolwell, E. K., E. 2 Section, 166 Signal Wing, S.E.A.A.F., whose application was made to his commanding officer on 6th August, since when he has heard nothing.

This airman has been granted 28 days' compassionate leave and arrived in this country on 2nd November. I am inquiring into the delay which is stated to have taken place, and will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member.

While thanking the Under-Secretary for that reply, may I ask him whether he is aware that this indicates a lack of urgency in the consideration of certain of these compassionate cases at the present time, and whether he cannot take special steps to see that where there is any suspicion of compassionate grounds the application is hastened as much as possible?

In the Overseas Commands cases go before tribunals of men and officers, who judge each application without knowing the name of the man concerned. I believe that is the fairest possible way, and I should hate to upset that machinery in any way.

But will he not hasten the consideration of these cases by the tribunals?

I will certainly look into that.

Is the Minister aware that there is great disappointment because of the lack of compassion shown by the authorities dealing with compassionate releases?

I could not agree to that. I would remind the House that there must be a limit to the number of compassionate releases granted, or there will be severe complaints from the airmen as a whole coming out under Class A.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that men of the R.A.F., after several years' service as technicians, are upon remuster, placed as cooks with loss of rank and pay; and whether he will take steps to ensure previous rank and pay is granted in such cases.

In order to try to even out the rate of release as between trades, we had earlier this year to remuster some tradesmen as cooks. These men retain the substantive or temporary rank they held formerly, and they retain the appropriate pay of that rank for 12 months. If by then they have not been released nor have qualified for a higher rate of pay in their new trade, they will be paid at the Group V rate appropriate to their rank. Suchcompulsory remustering has now been stopped.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether gratuities to Regular members of the R.A.F. will be paid on completion of service with wax-service-only ranks, or at the end of their period of Regular service.

The question of when their war gratuities will be paid to Regulars has still to be settled for the three Services. But I can say that Regulars whose service continues after the emergency will not have to wait until the end of their Regular service.

Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind the fact that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why R.A.F. personnel of Transport Command at R.A.F. Station, Stoney Cross, Hampshire, were asked to volunteer to extend their service by six months under a threat that their service would be compulsorily extended if volunteers were not forthcoming; and will he meet service requirements by measures which do not violate the age and length of service principles for release.

I am assured that no threat was made to retain the men of this Station. What was said was that it might be necessary to invoke the Military Necessity clause of the White Paper, for the retention of certain key individuals of Transport Command, since the needs of the release programme as a whole left us no alternative. The number of men retained in this way will be kept to the minimum, and each case will come to the Air Ministry for approval.

:Why did not the technical officer, who on 2nd November is alleged to have made this threat, appeal for volunteers without any qualification whatever? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that as a result of the way in which that officer put it, not a single volunteer has been forthcoming?

:I do not know whether the particular officer made a good speech or a bad one, but I can assure the hon. Member that no threat whatever was used.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why 1064687 L.A.C. Brooks, N.W., was refused permission, on 1st October, 1945, by the officer commanding R.A.F. Station, Wilmslow, to approach the hon. Member for Macclesfield on the subject of his temporary release on compassionate grounds to enable him to care for his sick wife.

The facts of this case are disputed. If the hon. and gallant Member will send me particulars I will, of course, investigate them immediately. It would be most improper if any attempt were made to hinder an airman from communicating with his Member of Parliament on this or any other topic not involving security. On the other hand, I must repeat that a servingairman with a grievance must first try the normal official channels. My office cannot and will not take up a complaint until this has been done.

Is the Minister aware that this airman has made three applications for compassionate release, and that the operation on his wife has been twice postponed because that release has been refused? I will gladly give him the information he requires, which I have in writing.

The point at issue in the question was whether there had been any attempt to prevent the airman com- municating with the hon. and gallant Member. I trust that that was not the case.

:Can the Under-Secretary state how it is that when headquarters in this country are satisfied regarding a compassionate case, they are sometimes overruled by a commanding officer?

:If the compassionate release, compassionate leave, or whatever it is, has been granted by the Air Ministry, it cannot be ruled out elsewhere.

Would my hon. Friend substitute the word "should" for the word "must" near the end of his original answer? There is no "must" about it; there is an absolute right.

It would be most improper if any attempt were made to interfere with that right; but he must use the normal channels first.

:Would the hon. Gentleman be good enough to look at that matter again? This matter has been discussed and a ruling has been given on it before, and I do not think that the word "must" is the correct word.

We take the view that the Air Ministry must be, as it were, a court of appeal; it cannot be a court of first instance in this matter, and we do think it is very much better if the normal Service channels are used first. Of course, there is nothing to prevent the airman communicating with anyone, but we cannot take up his case until he has tried the Service channels.

:Can we have an assurance that commanding officers will forward applications to group headquarters for further consideration instead of turning them down on the spot?

That is a question of procedure within the normal channels.

:Do we understand that disciplinary action will be taken against a man if he writes to his Member of Parliament before trying Service channels?

:Oh no, Sir. If anything I have said suggests that, I withdraw it immediately. All I have said is that we cannot deal with the matter at all until it has been taken first through the normal channels.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will institute a rule that no men over the age of 40 may be posted further a field than Germany.

Such a rule would make it impossible to meet the requirements of the overseas commands for skilled and experienced personnel without holding back men due for release. The upper age limit for posting airmen, including corporals, to most overseas commands is in fact 42; it is 50 for senior N.C.O's and non-regular officers.

When applications are made for compassionate postings at home by men over the age of 40 in the Royal Air Force, is additional consideration given by reason of the fact that the applicants are over the age of 40?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that No. 3 Movement Control Unit of the S.E.A.A.F. has a surplus of four sergeant equipment assistants; and as the release of that trade is being deferred owing to shortage, will he see that these men are properly employed.

I am making inquiries regarding this unit and will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that airmen with seven years' ser vice, now attached to the R.A.F., 112 M.U. of the M.E.F. are now having courses in how to use a rifle and Sten gun in which they have been proficient throughout their service; and whether, as these men are equipment assistants whose group release is deferred, he will speed up their rate of release in view of these facts.

:This general combat training amounts to only five working days a year, so I am afraid that not much relief could be got from its abolition. In any case, I should say from my own Service experience that a certain amount of refresher weapon training for men in the ground trades of the R.A.F. is justified.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is satisfied that civilian labour employed at Debach aerodrome is justified in view of the labour shortage and the fact these men have difficulty in occupying their time.

We resumed possession of this airfield in September. It has now been allotted to the War Office and Board of Trade who are just beginning to make use of it. I understand that they will require the full services of most of the civilian maintenance staff.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what methods are used by his Department to bring about a rapid reduction of establishments to correspond with the reduced operational work of many units and commands; and what independent checks are employed to ensure that work of low priority is not undertaken solely out of keenness to keep units fully occupied.

All establishments are under continual review by the Air Ministry Establishments Committee which has local branches overseas. These include finance members as well as service officers. They review the establishments in detail and report direct to the Air Ministry and not through Commanders-in-Chief. That does not mean that all the retraining and reposting at present necessary for the release programme may not sometimes result in particular airmen being under employed for short periods.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why, in view of the fact that teleprinter operators are due for demobilisation up to Group 25 by 31st December, 1945, Clerks S/D in S.E.A.A.F., who are only due for demobilisation up to Group 22 by the same date, have just been informed that they are surplus to requirements and asked to volunteer for misemployment as teleprinter operators.

:I am making inquiries of the command and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

Is the Minister aware that this is the second Question I have addressed to him today which he has been unable to answer, and will he take immediate steps to get the information?

:The Question was only on the Order Paper for some 24 hours, and it takes us longer than that to communicate with overseas commands.

:Will not the Government consider now appointing a Minister to deal specially with demobilisation problems, since at present there are questions to each Service Minister and to the Minister of Labour?

That matter does not come within my sphere.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if those airmen who have completed their overseas tour by January 1946, will be repatriated to the United Kingdom in time for Christmas, especially those men whose release groups have been retarded.

I wish we could do this but we simply have not got the air-lift or the shipping. The number of men involved is considerable; because of the reduction of six months in the overseas tour of duty for single men 24,000 extra men have to be brought home this winter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why no answer has been made to the request of the Ministry of Pensions to consider the case of Mrs. Ethel Barney, mother of 1414035, L.A.C. Barney, A., R.A.F., of 457, Cowley Road, Oxford, for a dependant's allowance; and whether he will take steps to see that, in future, similar delays do not take place.

I am making inquiries into this case and will communicate with the hon. Member.

Having regard to the fact that, I understand, the request was made on 31st August, will the hon. Gentleman take steps to see that similar delays do not take place in future?

My information is that the request to us by the Ministry of Pensions was made on 5th November.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the leave granted for Overseas Service to war service personnel at the rate of one day's leave for each month of Service Overseas applies to Regular Servicemen; and, if so, when are they to be given this leave.

:Overseas Service leave was introduced as part of the release scheme for non-Regulars but has been extended to Regulars whose service ends while the release scheme is in operation. The Service Departments are now considering the introduction of special "end of the war" leave for Regulars and instructions will shortly be promulgated.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will give instructions to the service departments that where members of different services are serving in the same theatre there shall be no difference between service and service in the tour of duty that has to be served in that theatre before repatriation.

The length of the overseas tour is dependent upon a number of factors, the most important of which are the total strength to be retained in the command, the extent of its losses under the release scheme, the availability of suitable replacements in the United Kingdom and the supply and frequency of transport. The effect of the relevant leave scheme on the effective strength of the command is also a factor. In the case of the Royal Navy the need for the periodical return home of ships for major refitting affects the position materially and is in fact the dominating factor. In the circumstances it would not be possible to arrange iden- tical tours for all overseas commands, or for all three Services in any particular command, without lowering the standards now existing in some cases. The present system aims at giving the best terms possible in fluctuating circumstances and I am satisfied that any attempt at rigid standardisation would, on balance, result in disadvantage.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will make arrangements to provide additional sweets for children at Christmas, so that they may celebrate the victory parties which will take place then.

asked the Minister of Food, if there is any likelihood of an increased sweets ration, particularly for children, before Christmas.

asked the Minister of Food if he is now in a position to increase the sweets ration.

I am not able to consider any permanent increase, but for the four-week ration period commencing on 9th December I have decided to increase the sweets ration from 12 to 16 ozs. for everyone.

Could not allocations be made for children's parties at Christmas?

No, Sir.

Will the Minister do his best to increase the children's sweets ration as soon as he possibly can, even although he cannot make a general increase for adults?

I shall take every favourable opportunity to increase rations both for children and adults.

:While I am not disputing in any way the decision of the Minister with regard to the children, is he aware of the consternation that is felt by a large number of people in this country at the decision to increase the general ration at Christmas while Europe starves?

I am sorry, Sir, but my first duty is to the British public.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to ensure that T.T. milk is not subjected to heat treatment before sale to the public.

None, Sir.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consult with the Minister of Agriculture as to the need for the disposal of surplus T.T. milk?

May I suggest to the hon. and gallant Member that he himself approaches my right hon. Friend?

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is the policy of the Government to encourage the production of T.T. milk?

It is the policy of this Government to encourage the production of T.T. milk, but not necessarily, at this moment, the heat treatment of it.