asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications for the release of agricultural workers under Class B have been received by the Warwickshire W.A.E.C.; how many of these have been recommended by his Department to the Ministry of Labour;, and how many releases have been obtained.

Eighty-one applications for Class B release under the individual specialist scheme of persons formerly engaged in agriculture have been received, by the Warwickshire War Agricultural Executive Committee. Of this number 17 were supported by the committee and forwarded to my Department which recommended release in ten cases. Release has been approved in six cases, one application was rejected by the appropriate authority and decisions in the remaining three cases are awaited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies where the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is; and if any steps are being taken to charge him as a war criminal.

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Hornsey (Captain Gammans) on 24th October.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he is now in a position to report on the subject of reduced fare travelling facilities for wives of Servicemen, following his conversations with the Service Departments.

I have decided that the limitation on the number of railway tickets at concession fares which may be obtained by wives of Servicemen shall be removed as from 1st January, 1946, but that, except in certain specially authorised cases, such as visits to husbands in hospital, concession fares will not be available for distances of less than 30 miles.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the outcome of inquiries which His Majesty's Ambassador in Moscow has been instructed to make of the Soviet Government with reference to the withdrawal of most of the Red Army and the secret police from Poland, in accordance with the assurances given by Marshal Stalin at Potsdam, so that the Polish Government can hold the free election promised for not later than early 1946.

In reply to the inquiries which he made on my instructions, His Majesty's Ambassador at Moscow has been informed by the Soviet Government that the undertaking given by Generalissimo Stalin at Berlin has been fulfilled and that the only Soviet troops left in Poland are those engaged in protecting the lines of communication of the Soviet Armies in Germany.

asked the Minister of Food whether in view of the difficulties of operating the present arrangements under which extra allocations of sugar and fats can be made available in certain cases to those organising Christmas parties for children, he will make arrangements to grant an extra allocation of such commodities to all caterers during the Christmas period on the understanding that it will be used for the specific purpose of catering for children's parties.

I am not aware of the difficulties to which the hon. Member refers, and I regret that I cannot adopt his suggestion. If, however, he has any particular case in mind and will let me know, I will have inquiries made.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money has been collected for the War Damage Commission on property and how much under the Private Chattels Scheme; and how much has been paid out in each case.

The contributions received and the payments made under Part I of the War Damage Act, 1943, up to 31st March, 1945, were 152,000,000 and 230,000,000 respectively. The receipts and payments under the Private Chattels Scheme up to 31st October, 1945, were 16,000,000 and 53,000,000 respectively, but in addition there are sums amounting to 29,000,000, the payment of which is deferred under the Act.

asked the Minister of Education what is the average delay in dealing with applications on Form 203 R.E. by prospective teachers who are on release leave or awaiting demobilisation; and whether it is proposed to take any steps to expedite decisions in such cases.

In the case of applications from persons discharged or about to be discharged from H.M. Forces, the average interval between submission of application and interview is now just under six weeks. The interval between interview and notification of result now varies from a few days to a fortnight. Everything possible is being done to reduce the time taken to deal with applications, chiefly by increasing the number of interviewing boards, and by addition to the headquarters staff handling this work.

asked the Minister of Health on how many permanent houses building has been commenced since 1st August in Hampshire and, separately, in Wiltshire, Dorset and Gloucestershire.

As regards building progress, I would ask the hon. Member to await the detailed monthly progress returns starting with the New Year. Figures of the approved estimates or tenders for erection of houses by local authorities in the counties named are, however, given in the following table:

County.		Number of Local Authority Houses (including flats) iu approved estimates or tender s
Hampshire …	…	532
Wiltshire	…	Nil
Dorset	…	140
Gloucestershire	…	642

asked the Minister of Health the total number of public vaccinators, vaccination officers, and inspectors charged with the duty of inspecting vaccination marks, and other persons connected with the practice or administration of the Vaccination Acts.

There are approximately 4,000 public vaccinators in England and Wales, practically all of whom are doctors in general practice. I regret that the number of vaccination officers is not readily ascertainable; they are generally local government officers engaged in other duties also. There are no inspectors charged with the duty of inspecting vaccination marks. The staff of the Government Lymph Establishment at present numbers 25.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when the G.P.O. authorised Cable and Wireless, Limited, to reduce rates for cables to the same level as those charged by the G.P.O. for telegrams to Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Italy, Roumania, Switzerland, Tunis, U.S.S.R., Vatican City and Yugoslavia; and why the company's applications for permission to reduce rates were previously refused.

The Cable and Wireless, Limited, rates for telegrams sent by wireless to the following countries have been the same as those charged by the Post Office since the company was established: Austria, Bulgaria, France, Switzerland, U.S.S.R., Yugoslavia. Cable and Wireless, Limited, traffic to the following countries is routed circuitously over main route long-distance Empire cables which primarily serve distant countries; and in the circumstances, the company has not been authorised to charge the same rates for European traffic sent via this route as those for traffic sent over the direct Post Office line and wireless routes: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Italy, Rou-mania, Vatican City. Exceptionally, the company was authorised in January, 1939, to charge the same rates as those charged by the Post Office for traffic to the following countries: Albania, Algeria and Tunis. Owing, however, to conditions arising out of the war, the company's rates to Algeria and Tunis reverted in December, 1940, to their prewar level. Both services to Albania have been suspended since June, 1940.

asked the Minister of Labour the figures of intake and demobilisation of men and women in the Armed Forces from 15th August to 1st December.

The provisional figures of intakes into the Armed Forces from 15th August to 1st December are 97,000 men and 8,000 women. In the period 16th August to 15th November—the latest date for which figures are available—the releases and discharges from the Forces and Auxiliary Services numbered 667,700 including 596,600 men and 71,100 women.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of the staff of the Appointments Branch on 15th May, 1944, and its present number, respectively; how many appointments have been made through the agency of this branch and what percentage of these were to Government Department; what percentage of vacancies were filled by the individual efforts of the applicant, though subsequently credited to the Appointments Branch; what is the total number of people on the live register; and what percentage of those who have registered fail to maintain themselves on the register by re-registration after the period of two months.

On 31st May, 1944, the nearest date for which figures are available the staff employed in the Appointments Department (i.e., in Appointments Offices, Nursing Sub-Offices and the Technical and Scientific Register Branch) numbered 955. This figure excludes messengers and typists and the staff of Headquarters Branches. The corresponding figure for 30th November, 1945, was 1,729. The number of placings effected by the Appointments Department (excluding the Nursing Branch) is shown in the following table:

March,		1942–31st	Dec.	1942	15,802
1st	Jan.	1943–31st	Dec.	1943	25,377
1st	Jan. Jan.	1944–31st	Dec.	1944	26,556
1st	Jan.	1945–30th	Nov.	1945	27,643

Figures for placings effected by the Nursing Branch are not available for the same period; during the period November, 1943-September, 1945, 71,950 placings were effected by this Branch. Figures are not available to show what proportion of these placings related to Government employment. It is not clear what the hon. Member has in mind in referring to vacancies filled by the individual efforts of the applicant. Where neither employer nor applicant has recourse to the placing machinery of Appointments Department, the placing is not recorded as having been effected through the agency of the Appointments Department. On 30th November, 1945, 21,715 persons (both men and women) were registered as unemployed with the Appointments Department (20,634 at Appointments Offices, and 1,081 with the Technical and Scientific Register). Figures are not available for the "live" register of the Nursing Branch. Persons registered for employment at Appointments Offices are required to maintain their registrations by renewal at two-monthly intervals. Figures are not available to show the proportion of registrations which lapse owing to failure to renew on the part of the registrant.