asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government have yet decided to bring German children over to this country in the near future for education and nourishment; and whether he is aware of the strong feeling against such a step being taken, in view of the prevailing conditions in this country.

The answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative and to the second part in the affirmative.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the policy of the Control Commission for Germany with reference to the employment in the British zone and in Berlin of alien refugees now in this country either as interpreters or otherwise.

Arrangements are under consideration for the return to the British zone of German nationals in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, who wish to be repatriated. On arrival they will be eligible for employment as interpreters or otherwise in the same way as other German nationals. No preference will be given to them as refugees, although any special qualifications either technical or linguistic which they may have acquired will naturally improve their prospects. Employment in Berlin would involve movement through the Soviet zone and free inter-zonal travel is not yet operative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will now give information with regard to arrangements made for the allocation and treatment of persons committed to Borstal.

As I said in reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 29th November, it has been decided that two additional Borstal allocation centres for boys and seven additional training institutions, five for boys and two for girls, will be required. I am glad to say that the Prison Commissioners have obtained, at Latch-mere House, near Kingston, premises suitable for use as one of the allocation centres. It is hoped that a disused prison, which is at present in the possession of the War Office, will become available for use as the other centre. These two centres should between them take some 300 boys, and this accommodation, once the new training institutions are working, should be enough to keep the prisons quite clear of youths sentenced to Borstal detention. In the meantime, by the reopening of Pentonville prison on 1st January and the reallocation of the London prison population, the Prison Commissioners will be able to accommodate another 300 boys at the existing allocation centre at Wormwood Scrubs, which will continue to be used as a third allocation centre for so long as is necessary. As regards training establishments, the Commissioners have arranged to obtain possession of three separate premises, one of them suitable for use as a Borstal institution of a security type, with accommodation for up to 200 boys, and the other two with accommodation between them for some 280 boys. One of these premises will be taken over on or about 1st February and negotiations are in progress with a view to possession of the other two being obtained as soon as possible. Premises suitable for an additional Borstal institution for girls are in view, and it is hoped can be obtained in the near future. 1 must make it clear that, even after the Commissioners have obtained possession of the premises I have mentioned, it will take some time, owing to the necessity for structural alterations, the recruitment of staff and the provision of living accommodation for staff and families, before all these premises can be brought into use. The question of obtaining further suitable premises is being actively pursued. In the meantime arrangements are being made for associating together, as far as practicable, those persons who have to be detained in prisons awaiting removal to Borstal institutions. Every effort is being made to provide educational classes, lectures, and physical training for them and to concentrate them so far as possible, in the prisons which have the best facilities for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will arrange with the President of the Board of Trade to issue permits for sheets and blankets to those citizens who open their homes to take in the homeless in answer to his appeal.

People who are invited to use spare rooms in an occupied house will ordinarily provide their own sheets and blankets unless the householder prefers to do so. The incoming lodgers will be in the same position for getting sheets and blankets as other members of the community similarly situated, and I do not think there is any need to ask for additions to the existing permit system on their behalf.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many collaborators of officer status from the Greek Quisling police and security forces, established by the Germans, have been executed to date; how many members of the three occupation Quisling cabinets have been sentenced to death; and in how many cases sentences have been carried out.

No collaborators of officer status from the Greek Police and security forces have been executed in Athens and the Piraeus. Information about the rest of Greece is being obtained and I will send it to my hon. and gallant Friend as soon as it is received. Four members of Quisling cabinets have been sentenced to death. Three of these were sentenced in absentia. The fourth case is under consideration by the Council of Pardons.

asked the Prime Minister if he will instruct the Ministers of Health, Works, and Town and Country Planning to lodge in the Library of the House two copies of all documents and instructions that are circulated by these Departments to all public authorities which in any way pertain to housing and planning.

The Ministers referred to in the Question are willing to lodge two copies of these documents in the Library of the House if they can be satisfied that the House so wishes.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he is aware that since 13th November there has been a ban on all goods from Peterborough to the South and the railways cannot give any idea when it will be lifted; if he will give the reasons for this ban and what steps he is taking to have it removed.

This restriction was imposed because the routes concerned were congested with loaded wagons. The restriction was removed on 5th December.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air how many non-British aircraft are now in use in R.A.F. Transport Command; and how many British Halifaxes and Lancasters are at present in storage in this country and not in use.

Just over 1,000 non-British aircraft are now in use in Transport Command. It would be contrary to the present policy to publish figures for our heavy bomber reserves. The operational bombers now in storage will, of course, go to squadrons in due course. Some bombers have been converted to meet the urgent needs of the trooping programme, but they are not really suitable for transport use because they have little room in the fuselage for anything but a bomb load, which takes up much less space than passengers or freight.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many persons have been killed and injured, respectively, whilst flying as passengers or crew of aircraft of the R.A.F. Transport Command during the five weeks ended Sunday, 2nd December; what types of machines have been involved; and what have been the findings of the courts of inquiry in each case of accident.

The provisional figures for passenger-carrying flights in Transport Command during this period are the same as those shown for the month of November in the table accompanying my answer of 12th December to the hon. and gallant Member for South Blackpool (Wing-Commander R. Robinson). The types of aircraft involved in these accidents were as follows: Dakota, Liberator and Stirling. As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member's Question of 31st October, I am afraid that I cannot give the information asked for in the last part of the Question as it would be contrary to the public interest to disclose the findings of courts of inquiry, which are privileged. The foreknowledge that they might be published would impose a restraint upon both court and witnesses, whereas it is essential that all concerned should speak freely, and, if need be, criticise fearlessly, without regard to rank or person.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air by how many groups telephonists are falling behind in demobilisation; and by what date telephonists in Group 26 will be demobilised from R.A.F., M.E.F.

Telephonists are being released in Group 25 in December, and this is the group reached by most airmen. Telephonists in Group 26 will be released in January. Release groups are the same for airmen serving in this country or overseas.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air why redundant clerks, S.D., are not released among the earliest groups, such as wireless, radar and balloon operators, instead of being employed in other branches, without being re-mustered, until their release group in their original branch is released.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which I gave on 12th December to the hon. and gallant Member for South Blackpool Wing-Commander R. Robinson).

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the possibility of giving special compensation to members of the R.A.F. accountant branch has been considered in view of the fact that their rate of demobilisation is slower than that of other units; and what action he proposes to take in this matter.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service to the hon. Member for Southall (Mr. Ayles) on 9th October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what statistical information is available to his Department about the number of releases of members of the W.L.A. and the reasons for which release was granted.

I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend statements of the available information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications for the release of agricultural workers under Class B have been received by the West Riding W.A.E.C; how many of them have been supported and forwarded to his Department; and how many releases have, in fact, taken place.

245 applications for Class B release of agricultural workers under the individual specialists' scheme have been received by the West Riding War Agricultural Executive Committee up to date. Forty-two of these were supported by the Committee, and seven were recommended by my Department to the appropriate authorities who have approved release in four cases. Decisions in the remaining three cases are outstanding.

asked the Minister of Education if she is aware that assistant masters at St. Austell county school have just been ordered to sign 14 times weekly a teachers' time record book as if they were paid by the hour; that this order has caused resentment amongst the staffs of secondary schools; and whether she will ensure that this order is rescinded wherever it obtains.

The teachers' record book, to which my hon. Friend refers and of which I have seen a copy, is an attendance book showing the time of arrival and departure of teachers and is similar to the attendance books used throughout the Government service. Apart from its value as a check on attendances the record has certain uses in connection with sick leave and superannuation. The record has been in use for many years in most schools in Cornwall and the question at issue relates to the extension of its use to all maintained schools. I understand that the question is shortly to be considered by the appropriate committee of the L.E.A., when teachers' representatives will have on opportunity of stating their case.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he is aware of the inconvenience caused by the closure of the Docking-Fareham road at Sculthorpe, Norfolk; and will he sanction the provision of an alternative road.

I am aware that some inconvenience is caused by the closure of the road in question. If it is decided to close the road permanently by an order under the Requisitioned Land and War Works Act, consideration will be given to the need for providing a new road or for improving existing alternative roads.

asked the Minister of Labour how many registrations have been made with the Appointments Bureau of his Department; how many applications remain unplaced after 56 days; and how many registrations have been crossed off as unplaceable.

Figures are not available to reply to the first and second parts of the Question, but on 30th November, 1945, 36,335 persons were registered with my Appointments Department, and of these 15,701 were in employment. As regards the last part of the Question, registrations are not crossed off as unplaceable, but in certain cases, where it is considered that the prospects of employment are better, the registrant is transferred to a local office. Otherwise, providing that a registration is maintained at two-monthly intervals, there is no time limit for such applications.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that private hire motorcars are allowed to proceed outside a 10-mile limit and taxicabs are not so allowed; and if he will now reduce the restrictions placed on taxicabs.

Petrol allowances for private hire cars and taxicabs were increased last June and, at the same time, there was an extension of the permitted radius of operation of both classes of vehicles. In the case of taxicabs, the radius was extended from five to ten miles beyond, the boundary of the area within which the vehicle is licensed to ply for hire. I am unable to agree to further extensions at present.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will give a complete list of the properties and houses held or occupied by his Department in Kingston-upon-Hull; and the approximate date when these will be derequisitioned.

Yes; the list is somewhat lengthy, and I will write to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty in how many trades or specialist groups, officers and men, respec-

The following tables show the categories of officers and ratings in which the rate of release is below the average, and by how many groups. The forecast for officers covers the period up to June, 1946, but it is not possible at the moment to estimate the difference for ratings beyond February, 1946.