asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware of the growing volume of adverse criticism of his Department owing to the damage done to packages transmitted by parcel post; and if he will give orders for greater care to be taken.

The proportion of parcels damaged is very small and is, in fact smaller today than prewar, though the decrease is in part due to the smaller number of fragile articles today transmitted by post. In the year 1944–45 the number of parcels damaged in the post is estimated at some 120 per million parcels posted, as compared with some 200 per millionin 1938–39. There has been a considerable deterioration in the standard of packing during the last few years owing to the scarcity of paper and other packing materials. Standing instructions are already in force that all postal packets should be handled carefully, and every effort is made to impress their importance on the staff concerned.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether it remains the policy of his Department to construct at Post Office expense public telephone kiosks in districts telephonically remote in reply to representative local requests; and if so, why the Post Office has refused to contemplate erecting a kiosk at Ape Tor in the Stone Division of Staffordshire.

The Post Office policy is to provide at its own expense a public telephone kiosk in every village where there is a post office. Where there is no post office, a kiosk is provided if the local authority agrees to pay£4 a year, for a period of five years only, as a small contribution towards the heavy expense involved; and this condition would apply at Ape Tor. Owing to the shortage of labour and materials, it would in any case be impossible to undertake the work for some time to come. There is, however, a public call office within one mile of Ape Tor.

In view of the need to increase rural amenities, might I ask the Minister whether it will be possible for this very rich public corporation, as the Post Office is, with its many agents scattered throughout the country, to undertake small risks of this sort without having recourse to assistance from local authorities?

It is not that this charge is put on for the monetary effect. It is only to give us an indication that the demand is backed up by the local authority. It does not by any means meet the expense of keeping the kiosk.

Will the Minister see that greater telephone facilities are provided in the Palace of Westminster for Members?

That is another question.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when he estimates that prewar mail facilities will be restored between this country and Poland.

The letter post to Poland and the printed papers and sample posts have already been restored, and the resumption of the parcel post is under consideration. As in the case of other European countries the air mail service has been restored on a surcharge basis at the rate of 5d. for the first ounce and 3d. for each additional ounce, postcards 2½d. The restoration of the pre-war speed and frequency of postal communication depends upon the progress made in the restoration of the transport services.

Will the Ministersay when he thinks it is likely that the parcel post will be restored?

I understand that that concerns another Department, but we hope that it will not be long.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to state when general postal facilities will be restored to Austria, Hungary, Germany, Albania and Luxemburg; and, particularly, whether air-mail services will be restored in the immediate future to these countries.

As indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Southwark (Mr. Martin) on 10th October, general postal communication with Austria and Germany will be resumed as soon as the Allied Control Commissions give authority. I am still not in a position to say when this will be. I hope to be able to announce the resumption of air and surface mail services to Albania and Hungary in the near future. Postal communication with Luxembourg, by air and surface route, has already been restored.

Will special consideration be given to the peculiar position of Austria which is now cut off from practically all contacts with other countries, and to the urgency of restoring these facilities to this country at the earliest possible moment?

I understand from the Allied Control Commission that there it is hoped very soon to be able to restore it.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware that there are 200 repatriated prisoners of war in a hospital camp at Christchurch, New Zealand; that they have received no news from home since September, 1944; and whether the letters and cables which relatives were instructed to send to Melbourne will now be forwarded.

Correspondence for liberated prisoners of war is sent on as received, and I am informed that a considerable volume of mail from home has been received by liberated prisoners of war now in New Zealand within three weeks of the date of posting. I am making special inquiries about the hospital camp at Christchurch referred to, and will write to the hon. and Gallant Member.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when he expects to re-introduce the night telegraph letter service.

In spite of appeals to the public to telegraph less, the telegraph service is still carrying 40 per cent. more telegrams than before the war; and the staffing position, particularly during the later hours of the day when night telegraph letters were generally handed in, does not permit of the re-introduction of this service at present. It will be re-introduced as soon as possible.

Does the Minister realise that though the numbers represented are very small, before the war this service was of great value? Could he give us an assurance that he will re-introduce it as soon as possible?

Yes, I said that, but I would point out that the numbers had increased, at the time when this service was terminated, from 200,000 per year to 400,000.

Can the Minister say whether this increase of 40 per cent. includes official telegrams?

I cannot answer that question without notice, but this increased traffic had to be dealt with.

In view of the fact that the Assistant Postmaster-General has once again referred to the shortages of staff, is he aware that he will have the full support of us all in pressing for speedier demobilisation?

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will provide facilities for the issue of motor licences and petrol coupons at High Bentham post office, as the 2,500 members of this parish, which is situated in the centre of a large agricultural area, are put to in convenience by having to make special journeys to neighbouring towns for this purpose.

Yes. Sir; I am arranging accordingly, but certain preliminaries will be necessary before the facilities can be made available.

asked the Assistant Post master-General the total number of persons employed by the Post Office on 30th June, 1937 and 1945, respectively; and what proportion of these were physicists or qualified engineers engaged on pure research and applied research respectively.

The total number of full-time Post Office staff was 221,171 in 1937, and 233,236 in 1945. Of these, 42,056 and 43,820 respectively were employed in the Engineering Department. The Post Office does not undertake pure research. Applied research cannot be clearly distinguished from the highly technical development work carried out at engineering department Headquarters; the number of physicists and qualified engineers employed on these classes of work was 405 in 1937, and 387 in 1945.

Can the Minister say whether he thinks that this paucity of research workers is satisfactory and that he will be able to increase the number in the near future?

I think that is very likely.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if a record is kept by his Department of all telephone wrong numbers, or only those reported by callers.

It is impracticable for the Post Office to record wrong numbers unless they are reported by subscribers, but a sample record is kept from which it is possible to assess the percentage of calls which fail, and the causes of failure.

Was it on that sample that the apparently reassuring percentages were based which my hon. Friend gave the House the other day?

Yes, it was on that sample, which is taken continuously over a very wide field, the whole of the year round, and provides us with a figure which we believe is substantially correct.

Is a record made of the remarks passed by callers?

The Post Office does not listen in.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, now that the new House of Commons post office is provided with a pigeonhole for each Member, hon. Members may be permitted to hand in letters to their fellow Members without being under the obligation to affix the appropriate stamps.

This raises the question of free postage, and as such will fall to be considered by the Select Committee on hon. Members' expenses.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he will inquire into the case of Mrs. George, of Riddings, Derbyshire, who has been refused a widow's pension on the grounds that her husband's contributions were wrongfully accepted and at the same time has been refused a refund of those contributions; and will he remedy this in justice.

Mr. George died in 1935 and his widow's application for pension was rejected by the independent Referee in January, 1936. The question of a refund of wrongly paid contributions, less benefit received in respect of them, would normally have been dealt with at the time, and my hon. Friend will appreciate that it is difficult to re-open it after so long an interval, but I am having some further inquiries made.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for the latter part of his reply, may I ask him whether he does not feel that a very severe injustice is being done here, and will he speedily come to some conclusion about it?

I will do my very best to expedite the inquiries we are making.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he will state the number of persons qualifying and drawing the maximum benefits of the supplementary old age pension; the number whose benefit is reduced because of means test; and the amount by which pension for a couple is reduced because of a working son or daughter whose earnings do not exceed£3 per week.

As supplementary pensions are adjusted to the need of the individual there is no amount which can be said to be the maximum benefit, but in rather less than two-thirds of the 1,400,000 supplementary pensions payable at the end of September, covering the needs of about 1,600,000 pensioners, the supplementary pension was assessed on the basis that the applicant had no resources, other than the main pension, to be taken into account. In the remaining one-third there was some reduction on account of such resources. Where one of a couple is the householder an earning son or daughter in the household will be assumed to be making a contribution towards household expenses of not more than 7s. a week; which will be reduced to 5s. for earnings between 30s. and 55s. a week; to 2s. 6d. for earnings between 20s. and 30s. a week and to nothing for earnings of 20s. or less.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware the Area Assistance Boards are paying 47½ per cent. increase on the standard rent on houses of old age supplementary pensioners which have been listed as un fit for human habitation; and if he will advise them to pay the legal rent and leave the surplus with the tenant.

I understand that the fact that a house is listed as unfit for human habitation does not in itself justify the withholding of the increases to which my hon. Friend refers and that if the tenant wishes to withhold part of the rent he must apply to the local authority for the necessary certificate. I am, however, bound to point out that if the amount of rent is reduced in this way, the Board would have no alternative but to make a corresponding reduction in the rent allowance.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware that there is considerable delay by his Department in dealing with applications for the grant of widows' and old age pensions; and what steps are being taken to remedy this position.

I am aware that owing to an increased number of claims, coupled with loss of temporary staff, the time taken to settle applications for widows' and old age pensions has recently been longer than under normal conditions. Measures have been taken to meet the situation by recruiting new staff specially for this work.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether, when arranging for a central Welsh office for the administration of the new Social Insurance scheme, he will, in view of its accessibility to all parts of the Principality of Wales, consider the claims of Newport and avoid the congestion of all Government Departments in one town.

The main body of my staff in Wales is now in offices at Cardiff, and I see no sufficient reason at present for contemplating a change in that respect.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether, in view of the increased cost of living, it is proposed to increase the rate of unemployment benefit or the supplementary payments made by the Assistance Board; and whether it is proposed to abolish the means test as now applied to the unemployed.

Unemployment benefit will be one of the provisions dealt with in the National Insurance Bill which I hope to present to the House in the near future, and I cannot now make an announcement in anticipation of the presentation of that Bill.

Can we have an assurance that when that Bill is introduced provision will be made for the complete abolition of the means test?

The Bill will make provision for benefits for unemployment, sickness and other things, and those benefits will be basic benefits to which no test will be applied.

Has my right hon. Friend's attention been called to an article in the "Evening Standard" written by the Parliamentary Private Secretary of his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer which appears to indicate what are the ultimate figures they have in mind, and will he say whether that article contained official information?

I am afraid that I have not seen the article in question.

Is it not desirable that all those in the Government entourage should refrain from these journalistic activities?

Your lot did not.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, at an early date, he will make provision for British women who married aliens before 1931 to regain their British nationality.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his intention to introduce legislation to secure the rights of those women married to aliens to maintain their own nationality, if desired, on marriage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to introduce legislation by which a British subject marrying a male alien would not thereby lose her nationality, and by which an alien marring a male British subject would not thereby acquire British nationality.

I regret I am not in a position to make a statement on this subject. As I have previously stated, the nationality law affects the status of British subjects in all parts of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and it is essential that before changes are made there should be consultation with the Dominions.

Is the Home Secretary aware that a number of British women are suffering great hardship for no offence other than that they married before 1933, and in those circumstances will he do his best to speed up the machinery for the alteration of the law?

:I do not regard marriage, before or after any date, as an offence. I am aware that a number of women do suffer very considerable hardships in this matter, and I am hoping that as a result of a move which has been made in one Dominion I may be able to speed up consideration of this very important matter.

Will my right hon. Friend receive a deputation on this matter and give it further consideration?

If the deputation could give me any fresh information, I should as always be willing to receive it, but if it is merely to repeat statements that are well known, I hope my hon. Friend will believe that I am fully informed and I have the utmost sympathy with the desire that this state of things should be brought to an end.

Is it necessary to wait upon the action or assent of two of the Dominions, one of them being Eire, to whom we have no special reasons for showing gratitude? Could not the Government give a lead in this matter and take their own action?

I think the subject of British nationality is one that must be considered by all the self-governing nations which have a right to be considered in the matter. I should be very reluctant to give any indication that I regarded this as a matter that could be settled by unilateral action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make his promised statement on the re-opening of naturalisation.

asked the Secreatary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that Pre-war Austrian refugees from Nazi oppression, who have served in the Armed Forces throughout the war and are due to be demobilised, woll then be classified as enemy aliens; and whether he will now give these men an opportunity of becoming British subjects.

I will, with Mr. Deputy-Speaker's permission, make a statement at the end of Questions.

Yes, Sir. In considering this question His Majesty's Government have had it prominently in mind that among the people who at the present time desire to become British subjects there are many who not only have become assimilated to our ways of life and have the statutory qualifications in respect of residence, knowledge of the language and character, but have special claims to be admitted to British citizenship. Some have served in His Majesty's Forces and have earned their share of the gratitude which we all feel to the fighting services. Others have contributed in civilian capacities to the war effort, including many who have rendered valuable help as scientists and technicians. Others again are contributing to our national strength and prosperity in various fields, including those who in the fields of commerce and industry are providing employment and assisting trade, especially our export trade.

It is accordingly specially desirable to bring to an end the suspension which was imposed in 1940 on the investigation of applications for naturalisation, to resume this work as quickly as possible and to accelerate as far as may be practicable the granting of naturalisation certificates in all proper cases.

The flow of applications having been checked for five years, the volume which has now accumulated is so large that if those who have special claims to consideration are to be dealt with without undue delay, there must be a policy of giving priority to certain classes of applicants. Amongst the varied classes of applicants those whom I have already mentioned stand out as deserving special attention. If an applicant not only has the qualities ordinarily expected of a good citizen but has also given good service in the Forces of the Crown, or has made a substantial contribution in some civilian capacity to the war effort, or is by his business or profession making a substantial contribution to the economic welfare of the nation, his application for naturalisation has a special claim to attention.

The number of applicants who will be genuinely entitled on these grounds to priority is large, but the number is still larger of those persons who will think that they deserve priority and will make out an apparently good prima faciecase in support of their claims. To prevent time and effort which ought at this stage to be devoted to the first class of applications, being spent on the investigation of applications which turn out after inquiry to belong to the second class, will not be easy. To assist the Home Office to pick out readily those applications which are most likely to be found on investigation to be genuinely deserving of priority, if will be necessary to require applicants or certain classes of applicants to submit, in a convenient and effective form, evidence in support of their claims to priority. The machinery which will be required to give effect to this policy will be settled as quickly as possible and an announcement will be made as to the procedure for submitting claims to prior consideration. In the meantime prospective applicants should not lodge their applications in my Department: premature applications and inquiries about the progress of applications already made will merely impede the official machine.

At the time when the suspension of naturalisation was announced—on 20th November, 1940—there were already lodged in the Home Office about 6,500 applications. These applicants must have had in 1940 at least five years' previous residence in this country and, but for the war, their applications would have been disposed of long ago. There is, therefore, a strong case for giving early attention to these 6,500 cases. It has, however, been decided that the consideration of these applications shall not prevent work being started at an early date on other applications from those who have valid claims to prior attention on the grounds which I have mentioned.

It will, I am sure, be generally agreed that the high privilege of British citizenship should not be conferred rashly and without adequate investigations. Whatever steps, therefore, may be taken to accelerate the procedure for dealing with the great number of applications, including both those which have already been lodged and those which will flood into the Department as soon as the further announcement is made, this point will be borne in mind and consequently the work will have to be spread over a comparatively lengthy period. No pains, however, will be spared to make the machinery for dealing with this task as effective as possible in the light of the considerations just mentioned.

I understand the Home Secretary to say that those who had served in the Forces would have priority, but I did not understand him to say that if they had served in the Forces it would entitle them to dispense with certain qualifications as to residence which otherwise apply to people desiring naturalisation. Can he tell the House whether that is so or not?

No, Sir. The hon. Member's theory was perfectly accurate.

Will the Home Secretary take into consideration the fact that the categories to which he has alluded will rule out a great number of very desirable women applicants, and will he consider taking action to remedy this?

:No, Sir. I hope that before my hon. Friend makes up her mind as to the exact import of this answer, she will read it carefully when she sees it in the Official Report. I cannot, at the moment, undertake any extension of the categories I have mentioned.

:The right hon. Gentleman will understand that the statement was not easy to follow; it covers a most important issue. I think we on this side of the House agree with his definition of the importance of any extension of British citizenship to anyone. May I ask the Leader of the House whether, when we have had an opportunity to consider this important statement, he can, perhaps, try to afford an opportunity for some discussion on it?

Perhaps that might be raised through the usual channels, and we will see what can be done.

:Will the Home Secretary say whether, when he rightly promises priority to those who have served in the Armed Forces, he is including the Armed Forces of our Allies? He will remember that the previous Prime Minister held out, especially to Poles, the prospect that they would be given naturalisation if they did not wish to return to their own country. Would that also apply to other Allies?

That question has been put quite recently to the Prime Minister. The statement I have made today must be read in the light of his answer.

Will the Home Secretary recall that after the last war arrangements were made whereby those aliens who had served in the British Forces were allowed to obtain naturalisation at reduced charges? Will he make similar arrangements after this war?

No, Sir, I think the circumstances are rather different from those which obtained after the last war.

:Will those indivdiuals who made application before the suspension in November, 1940, be considered first?

No, I hope to be able to consider them and some of the people in the Services, whom I have mentioned, simultaneously. The situation during recent years makes it very desirable that we should not say that no one else shall be considered until the 6,500 have been disposed of.

May I ask my right hon. Friend if he will say that men who have served in the Forces will be allowed to stay in this country after demobilisation, during the inevitably long waiting period, and will not be compulsorily repatriated?

I hope my hon. Friend will put that question down before he expects an answer.

May I again ask the Leader of the House a question? There are many of us who would like to ask a number of questions on this issue; there are all sorts of cases which we all have in mind. It would simplify matters if the Government would do their best to arrange a Debate, not necessarily a whole day, at an early date, instead of our putting questions now before we have had time to consider the statement.

:I will consider that through the usual channels, but I cannot on the spur of the moment, when a statement is made by a Minister, give an under taking that it will be debated—

It is a rather important statement.

It may be, but I can only say that we shall be willing to consider it through the usual channels.

Might these men who have served in the Forces be allowed to have stamped on their identity cards "Have served with H.M.'s Forces"? Otherwise they are classed as enemy aliens. If they have that stamped on their cards it will help them.

It would not alter their status, even if it were stamped on their identity cards, but if it is on the basis that it is recognised that it does not alter their status, I will consider what is possible. That must not be taken as an indication that I can give way on the point.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have adopted the points system for selecting house tenants, and how many the ballot system; and whether his Ministry favours some recognised system for the selection of tenants and has brought this to the notice of all local authorities.

I regret that statistics are not available. I do not consider that a standard system for the selection of tenants is either desirable or practicable, but I have asked local authorities to give early consideration to the recommendations on this subject made in the recent Report of the Housing Management Sub-Committee of my Central Housing Advisory Committee. A copy of the report is being sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have acquired no land for permanent housing sites; and of such local authorities how many have no need at present to make such acquisitions.

At present, 29 local authorities in England and Wales have acquired no land for permanent house sites. I understand that 24 have no present intention of building permanent houses. The position in these areas is being investigated.

Will the Minister give us an assurance that these 29 local authorities are dominated by Conservatives?

I do not anticipate that such political considerations will be involved.

:Is it a fact that, in 24 of these 29 local authorities, they have no need for housing sites at the present moment?

I said that I understand that 29 had no present intention. I am investigating whether their intention bears some relationship to the local circumstances which might justify the authorities.

asked the Minister of Health how many prefabricated houses he is assigning to Northern Ireland and when delivery may be expected.

:These matters must be worked out in the light of the date by which sites may be expected to be ready, of commitments in this country, and other factors, on which my officers are in touch with officers in Northern Ireland and I am not at present in a position to make any statement.

:As two requests have been made to the Ministry of Health for an allotment of prefabricated houses from Belfast and Co. Down, how is he going to apportion them?

If my hon. Friend will inquire from the appropriate authorities in Northern Ireland, I think he will find that they are perfectly satisfied with the decisions I have taken on this matter.

asked the Minister of Labour how many Liverpool building trades operatives are now employed in London on his direction under the Essential Work Order; and whether such men can now be returned to Liverpool to repair war-damaged houses, and build new ones.

I am looking into the matter in consultation with my right hon. Friends, the Minister of Works and the Minister of Health, and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consider modifying the policy of setting Servicemen back one group in the Class A release scheme for every two months that they have spent in detention.

No, Sir. There would be no justification for treating such periods in detention as war service for the purpose of release from the Forces.

Whilst appreciating the point of my right hon. Friend's reply, may I ask if he will bear in mind that he is, in fact, punishing a man twice for the same offence; also, is not the fact that men now continue their military training while in detention justification for treating such periods as war service?

:I cannot add to, or vary, the answer I have given.

Think it out again.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the quotas of Class B releases allotted to all Departments have been fully taken up by Servicemen accepting Class B release.

Sufficient time has not yet elapsed to give the hon. and gallant Member a categorical answer, but I have no reason to think that the present programme will not be realised owing to the refusal of Servicemen to accept Class B release.

Will the Minister consider increasing the proportion of Class B releases so that we can get more people out of the Services under this scheme?

Should experience prove that that is advisable, it will be looked at, but I can assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman and other hon. Members, that the Class B releases are catching up, though they have not yet reached the level we want, and we are hopeful that the proportion will be fully reached by the end of this year.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will now consider releasing professional students under the Class B scheme, in order that they may complete their broken academic careers.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Ely (Major Legge-Bourke) on 23rd October, a copy of which I am sending him.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how many of the 3,000 students are, in fact, released?

If the hon. Gentleman will put down that question, I will get him the information.

Will the Minister consider the grievances of these men who are held up and are wasting their time?

At the same time we have to consider the grievances of hundreds of other men who are being prevented from taking advantage of other opportunities.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many of these men will be approaching 30 years of age by the time they are able to qualify, and will he give this whole question further consideration?

:I cannot promise that it will have further consideration; it has been considered so very often. This is part of a scheme that fits into all other sections, and as soon as you remove the apparent injustice to one, you put a real injustice upon a dozen others.

Will the Minister take into consideration the number of young men who have obtained their honours degrees in arts, and who are not being asked for by education committees or authorities, and who are not eligible under Class B? Will he do something to release these young men and give them a chance in life after getting their degrees?

I cannot see how that arises out of this question, but if the hon. Member wants information he has the usual method for obtaining it.

I have already used it by asking a question of the Minister, and I would like an answer.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware of the growing public concern at the large numbers of women still being retained in the Services without useful work to perform; and whether he will arrange with the Services concerned for an immediate speeding up in the rates of release.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my public statement of 2nd October about releases from the Forces, and the statements I made in the Debate on 22nd October, to which I am not at present prepared to add.

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that, in addition to the loss to the national effort, these women—many of whom were volunteers—now find themselves at a disadvantage in securing civil positions in relation to younger women who are no longer liable to call-up?

If the hon. and gallant Gentleman would send me particulars of those cases, we will look into them but, generally, we have no such information.

Would the Minister consider issuing a considered statement bringing up to date all the different alterations that have been made?

A statement is now in preparation—is, in fact, being printed—setting out in as great detail as possible all the questions raised in the House, together with the answers. I hope it will be circulated next week.