asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many of the accidents during 1945, in Transport Command, occurred to Hudson aircraft.

No Hudson aircraft was involved in any of the Transport Command accidents shown in the return for 1945, included in my reply to the hon. Member on 14th November.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many accidents have occurred to aircraft in Transport Command during the month of November; and the number of casualties suffered by passengers and crews.

Three accidents involving casualties to passengers or crew have been reported up to date during November to passenger carrying aircraft of Transport Command. In these accidents 46 passengers and 15 crew were killed; 11 passengers and one crew were injured.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air how many officers and other ranks who were in receipt of retired pay or pensions prior to 3rd September, 1939, were re-employed during the war; and how many are now so re-employed.

The total re-employed during the war has been 381 officers and 85 airmen. Of these, 107 officers and 1S airmen are still employed.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many of the personnel of the R.A.F. are undergoing sentences of detention, imprisonment, or penal servitude of longer than three months at the present time.

Two hundred and nineteen men are at present undergoing sentences of longer than three months following conviction by courts martial in this country. There are also 90 men serving sentences of over three months as a result of civil convictions in this country. I am obtaining up-to-date figures from overseas and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will now reopen the main Minchinhampton to Cirencester road through Aston Down.

As flying will continue at Aston Down I regret that it is not yet possible to reopen this road.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what arrangements he has made to enlist, train or re-muster additional tradesmen in those R.A.F. trades where releases are held up; and how soon he will be able to bring such trades into line with the main body of releases.

We are doing all we can to improve the position in trades where release is at present behindhand by retraining airmen, and also some airwomen, by training new recruits, by encouraging airmen who can be spared to remuster, and by employing other airmen, so far as possible, on routine duties in the more hard-pressed trades. As stated in my reply of 27th November to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Osborne), a completely even release between the various trades and ranks is not yet possible. We cannot say at present when this will be achieved and there is nothing, so far, that 1 can add. to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) on 21st November.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether, in view of the fact that the release of airmen in a wide range of trades with up to live years' overseas service is being held back behind their group date, he will take steps to ensure that such men will be brought back to home establishment, their places being taken by men who have not been out of this country.

I am afraid that it would not be fair to other airmen to make special arrangements for bringing home airmen serving overseas in those trades where release has been deferred. To do so would only make it more difficult to even out the release rate for the service as a whole. This does not mean that these airmen have to exceed the maximum overseas tour which, for married men, is three years; for unmarried men we are reducing the tour from four years to three years and six months. Over 90 per cent. of all airmen due for release are in trades the release rate of which has not been retarded.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether he is aware that at No. 16 Maintenance Unit of the R.A.F. in Stafford, men mustered to the trade of clerk/accounting are deferred from demobilisation with their group as a priority trade but are detailed for cook-house duties which include fire pickets and floor scrubbing; and if he will endeavour to bring the release of men in the trade of clerk/accounting in line with the rest of their groups in view of such misemployment.

Clerks/accounting, like all other airmen, at 16 M.U. are required to work one day in each three months in the Cookhouse and to do one night's fire picket duty every two weeks. Their release is certainly not appreciably delayed in consequence of these duties.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air if his attention has been drawn to the dissatisfaction among officers of the meteorological branch of the R.A.F.V.R. at the fact that their demobilisation is being delayed through the release of civilian members of the service, now serving as officers, who were put into uniform in April, 1943, and are allowed to count their previous civilian service for demobilisation purposes; that there are some officers in this branch in release Group 19 who have served throughout the war and who have not yet been demobilised; and if he will take steps to improve the rate of release in this branch.

:I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave on 21st November to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) of which I am sending him a copy. The release of Group 22 has already been promulgated, and we are making every effort to improve the rate of release of this branch, subject only to the needs of the Royal Air Force, particularly the demands of the air trooping programme.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will consider the early release of men engaged on simple clerical duties to enable them to return to their former employment in approved society offices, where work has accumulated owing to the war and shortage of staff.

We are releasing clerks in Class A as fast as the needs of the Royal Air Force, and particularly the demands of the release process itself, will allow. No applications under the approved procedure for release in Class B have been received in respect of staff of approved societies. Eligibility for release in Class B is, of course, primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that 35 men of R.A.F. Release Groups Nos. 22 to 25 were, on 10th November last, held up at No. 173 Staging Post, R.A.F., C.M.F., awaiting arrival of release books ordered from 114 M.U. on 27th September and if he will ensure that such delay in delivery of release books by those concerned will not continue to delay repatriation for release in the United Kingdom; and if these 35 men have now arrived in this country.

I regret that there has been some delay in the repatriation of men due for release owing to No. 173 Staging Post at Vienna not receiving release books from 114 M.U. at Naples. We sent a consignment of release books by air to 114 M.U. on the 5th November, and we have taken steps to ensure that there is no delay in the delivery of release books in future. Without knowing the names of the 35 men, I cannot give an immediate assurance that they have all arrived in this country. I am, however, confirming that no men are now held up by the absence of release books, and I will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member when I have heard from the Command.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that men in trade sections of the R.A.F. are doing what they consider to be unnecessary odd jobs while, if released, clerical workers formerly employed with firms in the building trades, would be engaged on work of national importance; and what steps he is taking to secure that all unnecessary work in the R.A.F. is abolished.

Local deficiencies in various trades arise from the contraction and release programmes of the R.A.F. and these deficiencies have to be met by the temporary use of airmen who can be spared from other trades. We have received no applications from the Ministry of Labour and National Service, under the approved procedure for release in Class B, in respect of clerical workers formerly employed with firms in the building trades. As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Stroud (Flight-Lieutenant Parkin) on 14th November.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will arrange for all mail for R.A.F. personnel at 55 Staging Post, Port Etienne, to be sent by the direct Dakota services, instead of part going via Bathurst, which causes a delay of from five to seven days.

I am grateful to my hon. and gallant Friend for drawing our attention to this point. From today onwards, the air mail for 55 Staging Post will be made up separately, for direct delivery to Port Etienne.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will assure the House that before a man is posted for a second tour overseas, every step is taken to see that there is no other suitable man available who has not yet served one tour away from this country.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air how many airmen in Hong Kong are being used to build an aerodrome there for civilian aviation.

The airfield now being built at Hong Kong is required for military purposes. There is little doubt that it will also have an important civil use. The men working on it belong to an airfield construction unit some 2,500 strong, but I cannot give the exact number taking part in this work. We have asked the commander-in-chief to arrange for most of the work to be taken over by local labour.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air the number of R.A.F. personnel who are on indefinite leave.

Inquiries made following my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Chertsey (Captain Marsden) on 21st November show that, excluding about -200 former prisoners-of-war, some of whom are to be demobilised, 193 officers and airmen aircrew have been on extended leave for more than three months.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether he will give an assurance that Air Ministry electricity generating plants and the buildings in the Outer Hebrides will not be dismantled or disposed of until they have been made available for use on the spot to the local authorities or the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board for extending light and power through neighbouring districts.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air why no Aircrew Europe Star ribbons have been issued at R.A.F., Middleton St. George; and how many other units there are where this ribbon has not yet been issued.

We are still awaiting supplies of medal ribbons and I am afraid that Middleton St. George is only one of many units where the issue has been delayed, but ribbon is being manufactured as fast as the necessary material becomes available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will make a statement about the unauthorised flight of a Meteor aircraft from a Home Counties airfield on 20th November.

A Meteor aircraft took off from R.A.F. Station, Molesworth, at about 1.0 a.m. on 20th November, 1945.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air which aerodromes in Huntingdonshire are to be maintained permanently by the R.A.F.; and how long it will be before all the other aerodromes in that county are derequisitioned.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave on 7th November to similar questions by the hon. Members for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton) and for Maidstone (Mr. Bossom). We cannot yet say when the future of the Huntingdonshire airfields will be decided.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air (1) whether the aerodrome at Greencastle, County Down, is one of those in Northern Ireland being now offered for immediate return to farming; and whether he will give the farmers who were dispossessed, the first option on this property;(2) whether he will give the names of the aerodromes in Northern Ireland which are being offered presently and to the end of this year for return to farming, in order that the previous owners may be prepared to get back the land which was owned by them before being taken over by his Ministry.

The six airfields for which we are now making arrangements are: Greencastle, Cluntoe, Mullaghmore, Long Kesh, Nutts Corner, and Maghaberry. In addition, Bally-halbert and Kirkistown will be available at the end of the year. The Air Ministry owns all these airfields; I do not think they will be on sale at present. The arrangements for farming adopted there for the time being are pri- marily a matter for the Government of Northern Ireland, and the land at each place will be dealt with in consultation with them.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many aircraft captains in Transport Command have had flying experience with B.O.A.C. or other civil air lines.

I am afraid that the figures are not readily available, but there certainly cannot be very many. At this stage we could hardly expect civil airline experience to be among the many qualifications necessary for the captains of aircraft in Transport Command.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he has any statement to make with regard to the destruction of wireless components on the order of his Ministry.

Instructions have been issued for the destruction of secret equipment which the Services will not require. Overseas commands have also been authorised to destroy some surplus equipment which is obsolete or obsolescent. This is sometimes the only practicable way to dispose of miscellaneous spare parts that were shipped overseas in large quantities during the war.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will give an assurance that officers are instructed to satisfy themselves as to the suitability of accommodation for airmen who are billeted out; whether he is aware that a leading aircraftman, whose name and particulars have been supplied, is billeted with his family near Glasgow and living with five other persons, four of whom are ill, in one small room with no fire-place; and what steps will be taken to improve this man's billet.

Commanding officers are certainly responsible for satisfying themselves about the conditions of billets chosen by the Service to which airmen are allotted. The airman in question is, however, living out at his own request in lodgings of his own choice. I understand that efforts have been made privately to help the airman find better accommodation for his family.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that R.A.F. personnel on leave to the R.N.A.S and serving with aircraft carriers throughout the war have on their discharge papers United Kingdom Service Only; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that these men will have a proper record of their service.

Instructions have recently been issued that service with the Naval Air Arm is to be separately recorded under the heading "Overseas Service" on the Certificate of Service and Release. Airmen who have already left the Royal Air Force may forward their release books to the Air Officer i/c Records, Gloucester, for endorsement.

asked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production whether he is aware that personnel of No. 13 M.U., R.A.F., Henlow, are working three hours a day overtime in order to turn out 40 extra aircraft; and for what purpose these aircraft are required.

The personnel of this unit are engaged on the preparation of R.A.F. aircraft required for the re-arming of overseas Commands. It is expected that overtime will be discontinued at the beginning of December.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that periodicals and papers sent by post are taking four to five months to reach R.A.F. personnel in Paiforce; and whether he is satisfied that the parcel post service to this theatre is adequate.

Newspapers and parcels for Paiforce are despatched several times a month by sea to the Middle East and are forwarded thence overland. The transmission time of mails to the base has varied recently from 3 ½ to seven weeks, with an average of 4 ½ weeks. In general, the overall time from posting to delivery should be about six weeks. I am not aware of any special complaint of inadequacy of the parcel post service, which compares reasonably well with the service to other distant theatres. If my hon. and gallant Friend will let me have pai- ticulars of any parcels which have been delayed, I will have the matter investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the average world price and the U.S.A. price for cocoa in 1940 and in 1943; and what was the price paid to the producers in West Africa.

Under wartime conditions, there has been no world price for cocoa in the sense understood before the war. The average prices obtained by the West African Produce Control Board for main crop Gold Coast cocoa in the years stated were, however, as follows:

—	1940			1943
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Average of all sales, per ton, f.o.b. West Africa.	23	0	0	29	10	0
Average for sales to the U.S per ton f.o.b. West Africa.	22	10	0	33	0	0

The prices paid to the producers and the f.o.b. equivalents after meeting intermediate costs were as follows:

—	1939–40 season (exported in 1940)			1940–43 season (exported in 1943)
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Naked ex-scale price to producer per ton	15	17	4	13	1	4
F.o.b.equivalent	22	5	0	19	11	6

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the plans for the development of Bathurst, Gambia; when is the rebuilding likely to commence; what will be the cost; will Bathurst be rebuilt on a new site; has a site for the new aerodrome yet been decided; and, in view of the prevalence of malaria and yellow fever, have the medical authorities been fully consulted.

The Bathurst-Kombo development plan as originally envisaged has proved, after full consideration, to be beyond the financial means likely to be available for this work within the next ten years. It has therefore been decided to plan a series of stages in the undertaking to be carried out during the ten-year period which would not involve a waste of money if it were impossible within that time to proceed to the next stage. It is hoped to undertake these works as soon as the necessary technical staff, materials, and shipping space become available. It is not possible to say how soon this will be but every effort is being made to expedite execution.It is hoped, that it will be possible to make available for the Bathurst-Kombo plan a sum in the neighbourhood of one million pounds, including the amount to be allocated under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act. I am still in correspondence with the Governor regarding the contribution to this total that the Gambia can be expected to make from its own surplus funds and also by way of loan. As regards the fourth part of the Question it is not intended to transfer the town of Bathurst to a new site. The plans do, however, provide for relieving the pressure of population upon Bathurst by establishing a satellite town in the area of Kombo St. Mary.As regards the last two parts of the Question, the whole question of the development of Yundum airfield for use by international civil air services has been exhaustively considered in consultation with my Noble Friend the Minister of Civil Aviation from the operational, techical and financial points of view. The medical authorities have also been consulted throughout. The problem is now being reviewed in the light of the observations of the survey party which recently visited Yundum in the course of their flight to South America and back. Before a final decision is reached it is desirable that account should be taken of the views of the British operator who will be responsible under the policy recently announced by my Noble Friend the Minister of Civil Aviation for the service to South America.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make arrangements for sending qualified lecturers on colonial subjects to schools; and whether any financial assistance is given to the Imperial Institute towards the cost of supplying lecturers on colonial affairs to schools and institutions.

Lectures to schools on Colonial questions have been arranged from time to time by the Imperial Institute and the Ministry of Information and I hope that the arrangements by the former will be continued and expanded. With regard to the second part of the question the United Kingdom and Colonial Governments provide the greater part of the finances of the Imperial Institute but have not asked that any part of the funds thus made available should be allocated to this or any other particular purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Government-owned offices or quarters in tropical colonies include air-conditioned rooms; and whether consideration will be given to providing this amenity, which would make for better health, in the plans of future official buildings.

Air-conditioning has not so far normally been provided by Colonial Governments in government offices or quarters. There axe for the time being difficulties in securing equipment, but 1 am impressed by the importance of this matter and can give an affirmative answer to the second part of the Question. 1 am at present taking steps to bring to the notice of the Colonial Governments the latest technical information on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in what circumstances members of the Colonial Medical Service are permitted to undertake private practice; and whether, to ensure that Government medical practitioners devote only a fair proportion of their time to private practice, he will direct that a statement should be attached to the Annual Medical Report of each colony showing in aggregate the sums received by Government medical officers on this account for the year.

l: Since the Colonial Medical Service was instituted in 1934 no officer appointed to it has had a right to engage in private practice, but in many cases officers are allowed to do so as a privilege under conditions governed by local regulations. Differences in local circumstances and in previous custom have led to a wide variation in the procedure hitherto adopted in different Colonies. I have, however, now under consideration proposals which I hope will lead to much greater uniformity in this matter. In the meantime I should prefer to postpone consideration of the suggestion made by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Food if, in allowing the importation of boxed white fish from Norway and Denmark, he will impose conditions which will ensure that the fish passes in the normal way through the fish sales organisation at agreed ports and that the price given is not in excess of that received at the ports for British-caught fish.

As regards the first part of the Question, I am unable to do as the hon. and gallant Member suggests for the reason indicated in the reply given on 14th November to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Grimsby (Major Younger). As regards the second part of the Question, the maximum prices for the imported boxed fish together with the permitted additions for packing and icing are the same as the maximum prices fixed for British producers who consign in the same way.

asked the Minister of Food the circumstances under which the offer of 110,000 cases of stewed steak from South Africa was refused by his Ministry and transferred to U.N.R.R.A.

The offer was not refused; the Ministry of Food agreed to a proposal that the goods in question should be transferred to U.N.R.R.A. as part of the supplies allocated to that body from the resources of the United Nations by the Combined Food Board.

asked the Minister of Food by how much and in what essentials does the standard civilian ration in this country today fall below that laid down in 1933 by the Government of that day as being the minimum necessary to support those who were unemployed and receiving relief in a distressed area.

:As it is impossible to answer this Question adequately without including several statistical tables and a detailed commentary on them, I have had a special report prepared on this matter which I am sending to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Food the total production of milk at present, indicating the amount of the whole that is T.T.

Sales of milk off farms in England and Wales during the year ended 30th September last amounted to 1,205 million gallons, of which 124 million gallons were T.T. milk.

asked the Minister of Food if he has any figures showing the cost per pound in 1939 of distributing tea from the merchant or grower to the distributor; and what is the cost at the latest available date.

I assume the hon. Member refers to the cost of distributing tea after it has reached this country. Costs of handling, blending, packeting, and all the other services undertaken by distributors varied considerably but it is estimated that these costs averaged 7 ½ per lb. in 1939. This included the grocers' profit. Present costs should not exceed the prewar average margin by more than d. ½ per 1b.

asked the Minister of Food-the number of staff in the enforcement department; what is the average number of investigations made each week; and who gives instructions for prosecutions.

The number of staff of my Department in both headquarters and provincial offices engaged on the enforcement of Statutory Rules and Orders is 948. As regards the second part of the Question, inspectors are not restricted to particular inquiries and statistics are not, therefore, kept of the actual number of investigations made. As regards the third part of the Question, instructions to prosecute are given by Food Control Committees, Divisional Food Officers and Senior Officers of Enforcement Division at headquarters, apart from Scotland when the Crown Office is responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether local regiments are being recruited for garrison duties in Malta, Gibraltar or Cyprus.

Local forces are still in being on a wartime basis and certain units are receiving replacements for personnel being demobilised. But the postwar composition and strength of the Colonial Forces is necessarily still under consideration, as part of the general planning for the postwar Army, and I cannot make any statement at present.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total number of Poles who fought under British or American command during the war; how many have so far been offered, repatriation; how many have refused this offer; how many have accepted it; and how many have been repatriated.

I cannot say how many Poles have served at one time or other during the war but the latest available total of those still serving under British Command, which is also the highest total, is approximately 236,000. All have been invited to register for repatriation, if they so wish and so far about 37,300 have so volunteered. Since those who have not yet volunteered are not required to take a decision now, no refusals to return have been recorded. Repatriation from Italy has already commenced.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it is now possible to reduce the length of service abroad, necessary to qualify for Python leave, to three years.

I have nothing at present to add to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for North Blackpool (Brigadier Low) on 9th October, but the position in India and S.E.A.C. has improved considerably since that date.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it has yet been possible to assess the extent and nature of the material damage wrought by war in the Malay Peninsula generally, and separately in both Singapore and Penang; what measures have been taken to alleviate distress; and whether he will make a statement regarding the Government's rehabilitation plans and their nature, extent and cost.

The military administration has not, as yet, been able to prepare a detailed report of the damage wrought by the Japanese during the period of their occupation in Malaya, although preliminary reports indicated that it is not as serious as was feared. As regards the remainder of the Question I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave on 21st November to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Dundee (Mr. Cook). I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies that all encouragement and assistance possible under the circumstances is being given for the rehabilitation of industry.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will now repeal the laws in operation in Malaya, before the Japanese occupation, which make the present Communist Party of Malaya illegal, although it is recognised by the British authorities on the spot.

It is not within the province of the military administration to carry out the repeal suggested and the position must therefore remain, for the present, as stated by me on 7th November in reply to a question by the hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. Gallacher). But I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies that this will be one of the legislative matters for early consideration by the Civil Government when it is restored.

asked the Minister of War Transport why ten South-going sleepers are available nightly while only four North-going sleepers are provided to Scotland; and if he will set right this disproportion.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the trains between King's Cross and Edinburgh. Requirements for priority passengers are heavier in the direction King's Cross-Edinburgh than in the reverse direction, with the result that I was able to release permanently more sleeping berths for booking by the public on the train from Edinburgh than on the train from King's Cross. I am considering whether it would now be possible to release a few more berths on the north-bound trains on certain days in the week.

asked the Minister of War Transport the total receipts from rail passenger fares for the last complete year; and an estimate of the cost of collecting them, including booking office charges, ticket examiners and collectors, auditing, printing, etc.

The receipts of the controlled railways from rail passenger fares in 1944 amounted to 145 millions. No estimate is available of the cost of collecting railway passenger fares and to form one would be a task of such complication that I should not feel justified in undertaking it.

asked the Minister of War Transport who pays the salaries of the Railway Executive Committee; and who provides their office and staff.

The officers and staff are provided by the Controlled Undertakings and the cost, including the salaries of the members of the Executive Committee, is charged to the control account.

asked the Minister of War Transport the numbers employed in November, 1938, and at the present time by each of the four main line railway companies in the following categories: clerical staff, outdoor staff and temporary or casual staff.

The information is not readily available in the form the hon. and gallant Member desires. The following figures may, however, be of service to him:

	March, 1938.	March, 1945.
Salaried Staff (including office clerks, station-masters, supervisors, controllers, etc.)	95,731	97,398
Conciliation Staff (wages stall concerned with the movement of traffic)	333,222	355,466
Workshop Staff	121,730	113,816
Miscellaneous	30,718	30,762
	581,401	597,442

In interpreting these figures it should be borne in mind —that in March, 1945, a substantial proportion of the staff were women and unskilled men who were taking the place of regular railwaymen serving in the Forces; and that traffic has increased greatly over that before the war.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he will include in the proposed new Highway Code a suggestion that pedestrians should walk on the left-hand side of the footway; and when walking in the road is necessary, through absence of a footway, they should walk on the right-hand side of the road.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of War Transport whether, in connection with short term B Defence Permits, he will give an explanation of why five out of six of these permits have not been renewed to the White Lion Motorways, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester, having regard to the fact that two of this firm's partners are on active service and will require work to do after being demobilised.

Five short term "B" defence permits were granted to White Lion Motorways for temporary war time work, such as aerodrome construction. This has now ceased and the permits have not, therefore, been renewed. I am, however, looking into the possibility of employing this firm's tripper vehicles in another area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is in a position to announce the Government's plans for the future use of Cofton Hackett factory.

Cofton Hackett has been allocated to the Admiralty, who will give permanent employment to about a thousand people. Part of the factory is still being used for the production of temporary housing components and this work will continue for some considerable time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether in the case of a person whose motor-car was destroyed by enemy action and the compensation in money offered is not sufficient to provide another motor-car, he will take steps to provide him with a motor-car of equivalent value from motor-cars at the disposal of the Government instead of the money.

No, Sir. We cannot make exceptional provision for this form of war damage.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware of the conditions existing in the camp for displaced persons in the British zone in Germany; and whether he is aware that there has been no issue of winter clothing since the end of August, although such issue was promised.

As regards the general conditions at the Assembly Centres I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made on 23rd October by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg). The clothing levy on the German population, then referred to, is now completed and the clothing is being distributed to displaced persons.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps have been taken to relieve and rehabilitate the 600 Polish women officers, 1,700Polish women N.C.Os. and other ranks at the prisoner-of-war camps at Burg and OsnabrÜck, the majority of whom had spent four years in the Polish underground home army and were taken prisoner -after the fall of Warsaw in September, 1944.

I have been asked to reply. Members of the Polish Underground Home Army in the British zone in Germany receive the same facilities for repatriation and rehabilitation as other Polish displaced persons in the zone. It is not possible to discriminate between Polish displaced persons of different categories, in view of the general situation in Germany. The repatriation of Polish displaced persons who wish to return to their country began in October last, and is continuing.