asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government has now considered the effect of the failure of the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity to maintain the balance of parties agreed in Moscow as one of the conditions of their recognition; and if he will make a full statement.

I am watching this situation closely, but for the present I cannot add to the answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member on 17th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether in view of the promise given by the Polish Provisional Government to His Majesty's Government that the forthcoming elections would be free and unfettered as laid down at Yalta and at Potsdam, he will point out to the Polish Provisional Government that the closing down of the offices of the Polish Peasant Party, P.S.L., on 12th May at Kielce and other places and the arrest of leading members of the party is inconsistent with the conditions on which the Polish Government was provisionally recognised.

I am concerned about reports of these and other recent developments in Poland which indicate an increasing tendency on the part of the present Provisional Government to proceed to extreme measures likely to prejudice in advance the conditions in which elections will be held. I have the situation under constant review.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is part of an attempt to force all parties to accept one single Communist Soviet bloc thus frustrating any real election?

Cannot the hon. Gentleman say it with more venom?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will now make a full statement concerning the repatriation of men and women in the Polish Armed Forces outside Poland, and the future of those who do not wish to return to their own country; and, in particular, how many men and women have volunteered to return to Poland since his appeal to them to take this course; and what is the latest date after which no further applications can be considered.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would ask the hon. and gallant Member to await the statement which I am making to the House after Question time today. As regards the second part of the Question, the latest information available indicates that, since the statement which I made in this House on 20th March, about 6,800 of these men and women have so far volunteered to go home. No time limit for further applications has been fixed.

In this House on 20th March, I expressed the hope of His Majesty's Government that as many members of the Polish Armed Forces under British Command as felt able to do so, would recognise it as their duty to return to Poland in order to take part in the reconstruction of their country. As for those who decided that they could not return, I made it clear that His Majesty's Government could not preserve them as an armed force under British Command. I said that the problem of their settlement would be studied with sympathy. What plans could be made would depend very largely on the numbers of those still remaining but, in any case, a demobilisation plan would be worked out. If these men had been British soldiers, most of them would have been demobilised already under the age and service scheme. The particular circumstances of their case meant that orderly demobilisation would take some time. There was no question of discharging them overnight.

I am now able to give some further details of His Majesty's Government's plan. Those of the Polish troops who have volunteered to return to Poland are being repatriated under arrangements which we have made. They return to Poland as soldiers, sailors and airmen. Since it is for the Polish Provisional Government to decide whether to retain them as members of the Armed Forces or whether to demobilise them, and since in the latter case the Polish Provisional Government has promised them the same rights to grants of land as the demobilised soldiers of the Polish Forces in Poland, men returning to Poland have not hitherto been paid gratuities from British funds. We have, however, recently re-considered this matter and have decided that those men who return to Poland from this time on shall be eligible, subject to their having the necessary periods of qualifying service, for war gratuity, a money grant equivalent to not more than eight weeks' pay in lieu of release leave, and an issue of civilian clothing.

As for those Poles who do not wish to return to Poland, it is our aim to demobilise them as quickly as possible and to arrange for their settlement in civilian life, either in Great Britain or overseas. Those serving abroad will be brought back to this, country, starting with those in Italy. Since it would be both impracticable and unfair to these gallant men, many of whom do not know our language, to launch them wholesale upon the labour market here and leave them to their own resources, His Majesty's Government are going to enrol them into a specially created Resettlement Corps, which will be a British organisation and will for convenience be administered by Service Ministers. Enrolment in this Corps will give an assured status to its members. Conditions of service and rates of pay will be the subject of a detailed announcement later.

The Resettlement Corps will be essentially a transitional arrangement, designed to facilitate the transition from military to civil life. They will therefore be discharged from the Polish Armed Forces and enrolled in the Resettlement Corps with a view to their transfer to civilian life as soon as this becomes possible. Those for whom approved jobs can be found will go to them immediately. The others will be employed by His Majesty's Government to the fullest possible extent in useful productive work such as reconstruction, and in appropriate cases will be given training for-civilian employment pending their eventual return to civil life, whether in British territory or in foreign countries As soon as settlement is complete the Corps will cease to exist.

As a first step to demobilisation and the formation of the Resettlement Corps, His Majesty's Government have decided to bring the Polish 2nd Corps from Italy to the United Kingdom. It is our intention to move their families from Italy to the United Kingdom as soon as administrative arrangements can be made. The ultimate reunion between the men of the Polish Armed Forces and their Polish dependants now in America, Africa, India, Germany, the Middle East and elsewhere overseas is receiving the attention of His Majesty's Government, and the steps which will be necessary to bring it about are now being studied.

His Majesty's Government will continue to give every facility to any Poles who wish, and are able, to return to Poland, and indeed will continue to use their influence with them to go back to their own country. I am happy to state that the Joint Consultative Committee, consisting of the Trades Union Congress and the British Employers Federation, has agreed to cooperate with the Government in carrying out these plans.

I should like to acknowledge the care and attention which His Majesty's Government have given to this very difficult question. I should like to ask in what part of the United Kingdom the second Polish Corps will be quartered immediately on its return. Where will it be placed? Is it to be placed in Scotland, because some parts of Scotland have been for a long time rather overstocked with Polish troops? That is the first question I should like to ask.

That is being worked out by the Chiefs of Staff. They will be distributed all over the country in different units; they will not be kept all together, so as to facilitate absorbing them quickly into private life.

Has the right hon. Gentleman entirely closed his mind to the idea of using these extremely fine, well-disciplined troops as part of the garrison for holding Germany, in portions of Germany far removed from the Russian frontier line? Would not this be a means by which further relief could be given to our own men and a reduction made in the weight of the garrisons abroad which we have to maintain?

I think it would be a very bad thing for British policy if we were to go in for a system of a foreign legion to undertake our responsibilities.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give us any up-to-date information as to how many of these Polish soldiers and officers have elected to return home? Can he also give us any information as to the structure of this Resettlement Corps? Is there any question of the retention of a military structure, or will men and officers be civilians and equal?

While they ate in the Resettlement Corps they will be under mili- tary control, but the Resettlement Corps must come under British law, and the only device I have been able to think of without introducing foreign law—again for the administration of foreign troops in this country—is to transfer them to a corps under British military law, so that they would be responsible to the laws of our country while they are in the resettlement state. Following the resettlement state, they will pass out as quickly as they can—and I hope very quickly, in view of the shortage of labour in so many fields —into civilian life. It was, I thought, the desire of the House that I should do that, and treat them, having played their part, almost pari passu with our own people with whom they have fought.

Would the right hon. Gentleman answer the question, which was asked just now below the Gangway, about the number and proportion who have opted to go back to Poland up to now?

I have given the figures earlier today, but the right hon. Gentleman was not here. Since 20th March, 6,800, and before 20th March, 23,000.

How many are left?

I think, roughly, 100,000 overseas and about 60,000 here, so far as I remember.

May I ask whether, amongst the training facilities to be provided, training for the industries of coal mining and agriculture will be included?

Certainly. I have been engaged elsewhere whilst studying this thing, but I am in touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour in order that I can get every facility, training centres and the other facilities, for men to go back quickly into private life.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman to bear in mind two particular points? First, that the only reason why these men and women will not return to their own country is because Poland is governed by a small Communist clique—

This hardly seems relevant to the statement that has been made.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman to draw the special attention of those responsible for the quartering of these troops to the fact that there are certain areas in Scotland where Polish troops have been stationed for a long time? They were glad to welcome them, but it is important that they should not go back there now. There are many reasons for that.

I quite understand, in spite of my age. We will distribute them so that the blessings may be spread equally.

As the right hon. Gentleman said that this Resettlement Corps is going to be under British discipline, can he give an assurance that it will not be an armed force?

It will not be an armed force. But one cannot take men out of an armed force in a unique situation—or, may I put it this way? All the British troops who came out of the Army had certain laws passed by this House to protect them, and to enable them to return to their jobs and to arrange for their resettlement, and all the rest of it. We cannot do that in the case of these men. We have to devise an intermediate stage. This intermediate stage has been a great worry. We cannot launch all these people, not even knowing our language, on to the labour market, and leave the whole thing in chaos. That is why we have arranged this intermediate device.

rose—

There is much other Business before us today, and if everybody rises to ask supplementary questions on this matter we shall not accomplish it.

Is that not part of the difficulty that arises from these very important and deeply interesting announcements being made at the end of Questions, and not on any subject which enables them to be commented upon?

I cannot help that.

There is one question I want to ask. In the case of those who desire to become British subjects, will the hope held out to them by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Woodford (Mr. Churchill) be realised?

The whole question of naturalisation is a very difficult problem, and I ought not to have to deal with it in answer to a supplementary question. I hope I shall not be pressed upon this. There are other countries which have fought alongside these gallant men, that happily are also willing to play their part in absorbing them. I do not want to name the Governments here. But they have indicated to me elsewhere. They have all been in the same team together in that fight, and the generals have been together, and there is great sympathy in this business. Therefore, I do not want to have to deal with this technical question of naturalisation until I know with what we have to cope.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether facilities for resettlement, at least as good as those given to these Polish troops, will be afforded to aliens being demobilised from the British Forces?

Well, I think they are.

The right hon. Gentleman said earlier in his statement that steps would be taken to assist men to find employment if they came to live here. Is it intended that these men will he given the chance to find employment for themselves?

It is very difficult to answer that.

I want to ask whether, when these men are being placed in any area, there will be consultation with the local authority in order to ensure that the best possible conditions are provided for them?

Yes, I am working with the local authorities. This is not only a question of demobilising the men but we have to provide for their training and the education of their children. The tackling of this job is one of the most difficult things, and cannot be described adequately in answer to supplementary questions

Would not very many of these difficulties be solved if the right hon. Gentleman were to use this force to take some of the weight off us in the duties we have to discharge on the Continent? Will he not consider that? [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Hon. Members say "No," but I should like the right hon. Gentleman to consider it, because it seems to me that nothing but advantage and simplicity would come from it—much stricter control; there need be no contact with other countries beyond the German border; and there would be relief to the British burden, and also a relief to the British labour market. Surely some consideration might be given to these points?

We have given the utmost and long consideration to this problem, and I must tell the right hon. Gentleman that, in my view, as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, nothing could do more to prevent the establishment of confidence and to accentuate the suspicion that exists already than our taking that course.

Have any arrangements been made for this rehabilitation to be done in the United States or in any of the Dominions for any of the Polish troops who desire to be rehabilitated in the United States or in the Dominions?

I would ask not to be pressed about other Governments at the moment. I have had only private conversations. Sometimes, if I answer questions, I kill my own goose.

In view of the French Government's expressed willingness in the past to receive immigrants on a large scale, will the right hon. Gentleman consult with that Government, in order to see whether any of these Polish troops in the Resettlement Corps may go to France if they wish to do so?

Again, I ask not to be pressed about other Governments Let me get on with this job.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now able to make a further statement on the future position of those members of the Polish armed forces who do not opt to return to Poland.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement on this subject in reply to Question 4

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps His Majesty's Government have taken to bring home to the Egyptian Government their responsibility for the murder by an Egyptian crowd in Alexandria on 4th March of two British soldiers; whether the Egyptian Government is endeavouring to bring the murderers to justice; what steps have been taken against the Governor of Alexandria; and whether the Egyptian Government will make a public apology.

His Majesty's Government have left the Egyptian Government in no doubt of the serious view which they take of this event, and have made it clear that they hold the Egyptian Government responsible for the deaths of the two British soldiers concerned. All the evidence in the possession of the British military authorities has been communicated to the Egyptian authorities, who have been pressed to continue their efforts to bring those responsible to justice. The question of action against the Governor of Alexandria is one for the Egyptian Government. The question of a public apology has not been discussed.

In view of the statement made by the War Office on 15th May that the Governor of Alexandria incorrectly informed the British military commander that these British soldiers had been rescued, will the right hon. Gentleman undertake to press the Egyptian Government to bring home to the Governor of Alexandria his personal responsibility in this matter?

I will go into that.

Is it not in accord with usual diplomatic practice that when a national of a country has been murdered the Government of the country where the murder took place tenders a full apology and informs the Government of the country of the murdered person what steps it is taking to bring home the crime to those who have committed it?

Yes, but in this case I have been pressing the Egyptian Government for the apprehension of those responsible, which I regard as the most important thing to do.

Would there be any impropriety in laying in the Library the evidence from the British military authorities of which the right hon. Gentleman spoke and, if not, may that be done?

I would like notice of that.

Is it true to say that the Egyptian Government have not yet expressed any apology or regret?

No, I have not raised the question of apology. I have taken up very strongly these incidents in Egypt as a whole, and this case in particular.

My question has not been answered. Have they voluntarily expressed regret?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the refusal of the Council of Foreign Ministers to restore to Austria the South Tyrol, of which she was deprived in 1919.

At their meeting last September the Foreign Secretaries decided that

"The frontier with Austria will not be changed, subject to the decisions to be reached by the Council on any case which Austria may present for minor rectifications in her favors."

This decision was confirmed at our last meeting in Paris, and our Deputies have now been instructed to give further examination to the question of possible "minor frontier rectifications" and to hear evidence from both Austrian and Italian representatives on this subject.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that every historian, from that great Ulsterman Lord Bryce down to the present day, has denounced the injustice in that Clause of the Treaty of St. Germain by which a quarter of a million Tyrolese were handed over to Italy?

I appreciate the enthusiasm of the hon. Member but it is not purely a political question. In all these considerations if there is to be peace in Europe economics have to be taken into account as well.

In considering the fate of this community, did those concerned apply the principles of self-determination?

Not strictly. As a matter of fact, the peoples of Europe are so intermixed that this principle of self-determination on strict frontiers is a very difficult thing to apply.

Surely the right hon. Gentleman can say whether or not the people of South Tyrol have been consulted on this matter. Is it not the policy of His Majesty's Government to find out what are the wishes of the inhabitants?

We promised Italy under the Coalition Government that if she worked her passage we would take that into account. Italy has worked her passage and I have to take that into account.

Might I ask the Foreign Secretary if the Foreign Ministers considered the restoration of Northern Ireland to Eire?

I give notice that I. shall bring up this question on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will state the conditions which still remain to be fulfilled before British troops are withdrawn from Greece.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Mr. Cocks) on 3rd April.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that he informed the Security Council that British troops would be withdrawn from Greece very shortly after the holding of elections and the establishment of a stable Government? As over six weeks have passed, can he say what are the compelling reasons for not contemplating the carrying out of that promise?

I am very glad to have my hon. Friend's assurance that a stable Government has now been fixed in Greece.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Greek Government have agreed to accept the recommendation of the Allied Mission to Observe the Greek Elections that a new census shall be taken as a basis for the proposed revision of the electoral registers.

No, Sir. In the summary of its report, which was released to the Press on 10th April, the Allied Mission for the observation of the Greek elections recommended that all registration lists in Greece should be completely recompiled before the opinion of the Greek people was again sought on a matter of national import. This recommendation was immediately accepted in principle by the Greek Government, who on the 14th April issued to the British, United States and French Governments through their Ambassadors in Athens invitations to appoint observers to supervise the steps taken by the Greek Government to comply with it. This invitation has been accepted by the Governments of the United States and Great Britain. In the circumstances, therefore, the question of taking a new census, which is obviounsly impracticable before 1st September, is not one on which the Greek Government have been called on to decide in this connection.

Would my right hon. Friend look at the full report which has been published now as a White Paper, in which he will see that the election observers point out that the census on which the registers are based was compiled in 1928 and they definitely recommend that the new registers should be based on the new census?

Did the hon. Gentleman say 1938?

Nineteen twenty-eight.

I cannot remember when our last census was taken, but I think it was about the same time.

Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman to observe on this point that, whatever may happen in regard to the compilation of a register, it appears to be generally held by his observers that no normal register can be compiled in Greece unless a new census is adopted or brought into being right away?

I cannot accept that for any of these Balkan countries. In my view, when they are emerging from occu- pation in the way they are, a good deal of improvisation has to, take place. I accept the very difficult circumstances of the country and I believe it is possible to get a very fair register without imposing the necessity of the long drawn out difficulty of a census.

I give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has considered the declaration of the Foreign Minister of France that there is a mutual desire for an alliance between France and Britain; and what steps are being taken to conclude such an alliance.

As I informed the hon. and gallant Member for Waterloo (Captain Bullock) on 3rd April, His Majesty's Government have always desired to make an alliance with the French Government, of the same kind as our Treaty of Mutual Assistance with the Soviet Union. I further said that the, Government have recently given renewed consideration to the matter. I have at present nothing to add to that statement.

Do I gather that the Foreign Secretary agrees that a further agreement between Britain and France, complementary to the agreement which both countries have with Russia, is an essential basis for the peace of Europe, and will he do everything to further that?

I have always been in favour of that agreement, but it must be an alliance based on friendship between the two countries and not made conditional on anything else.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that whatever the other differences, all French political parties enthusiastically want an Anglo-French alliance?

Yes, but they also want conditions with regard to other things before it can be discussed, to which I cannot agree.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that an article by Sir William Beveridge on the Franco régime has recently been broadcast to Spain by the B.B.C.; and whether his Department was consulted before this action was taken.

I understand that an article by Sir William Beveridge entitled "How to be rid of Franco was broadcast by the B.B.C. in their Spanish Service on 16th April. The Foreign Office were not consulted in advance, but this is perfectly normal, since, though the B.B.C. keep in touch with the Foreign Office on matters of general policy, the Department are not concerned with the details of the B.B.C.'s programmes.

Is the Foreign Secretary aware that this article favoured the return of the monarchy and slandered Señor Giral, and is there any way of controlling the European service of the B.B.C. which is staffed by anti-republican Roman Catholics?

Really, the Foreign Office is not going to establish a censorship of the B.B.C. neither will I ever indulge in it. I do expect the B.B.C. on matters of general policy, for which His Majesty's Government are responsible and which we have issued, to have regard to that policy; but I am not going to interfere with anybody expressing his views one way or the other.

Is it not the case that the Foreign Office give advice to the European service of the B.B.C. and that they have advised them not to say anything offensive to the monarchy?

That is not true. It just comes from a warped mind.

Without being in any way offensive to the monarchy, is it right for any Member of this House to insult Roman Catholic opinion?

Do we understand from the answer of the Foreign Secretary that the policy of the British Government is to restore the monarchy, because this article was in favour of that?

We are discussing the B.B.C. and not the policy of Hi Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what commitments regarding the Sudan have been made by His Majesty's Government; and what claims have been advanced by the Egyptian Government in this respect.

I take it that the hon. Member is referring to political commitments. So far as these are concerned, His Majesty's Government are bound by the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 and by the Anglo-Egyptian Agreements regarding the Sudan of 10th January and 10th July, 1899, in which connection I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Sir P. Macdonald) on 10th February. I would also refer to the statement regarding the future of the Sudan made to the House in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. T. Reid) on 26th March. No official claims have been formulated to His Majesty's Government by the Egyptian Government as regards the Sudan, but the question of the Sudan will be discussed in the course of the present negotiations for the revision of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936.

What I had intended to ask the Minister was whether, in the course of the preliminaries to the present negotiations with Egypt, any special commitments were made to the Sudan.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will state the full terms of all the arrangements made by the allied Chiefs of Staff op behalf of His Majesty's Government at Teheran or Yalta, under which displaced persons are liable to forcible repatriation to their countries of origin.

No arrangements were made at Teheran for the repatriation of displaced persons. The arrangements for repatriation made at the Crimean Conference were limited to Soviet citizens liberated by forces operating under British command and British subjects liberated by the Soviet armed forces. The agreement covering these arrangements was signed not by the Chiefs of Staff, but by my predecessor, acting on behalf of His Majesty's Government in this country and in the Dominions. The terms of this agreement were published in this country at the time, but I shall be glad to furnish my hon. Friend with a copy if he so wishes.

May I ask the Foreign Secretary whether he is aware that we have been told in this House, that his predecessor did not sign this Agreement, but that the Chiefs of Staff did, and is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, in consequence, both those who administer the findings of Yalta, and those who have them unfortunately administered on them, are in a state of some bewilderment?

I do not know what has been said, but those are the facts I got from the Office as I have read them out.

Before you call the next Question, Mr. Speaker, may I ask your guidance upon a point of Order? On Friday, I put down a Question, which was accepted by the Chair, on the subject of the Polish Army and soldiers serving in it taking part in the Victory celebrations. I put the Question down to the Prime Minister. On Monday, I received a letter from the right hon. Gentleman stating that the Question was being transferred to the Foreign Secretary. Today, there is no reference by the' Foreign Secretary to this matter in the 17 Questions which have been put to him, but it appeared yesterday as Question 132, which was not reached, thus giving me no opportunity of asking any supplementaries. Would it not be right that this Question should be taken today?

It would have been possible to arrange that. It seems to me that the hon. Member should consult the Table. Not having had notice that this question was to be put, I cannot answer offhand.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many naval holding stores have been closed down in Belgium, France, Holland and other countries; how many blankets were disposed of from these stores; and how the disposal of all these stores was carried out.

Four naval store or victualling store depots formerly established at bases in Europe have been closed, and eight elsewhere. Other depots have been reduced in size, or are preparing for closing. In addition, numerous temporary base organisations have been established and closed according to immediate requirements, but precise particulars of these are not available.

Surplus stores are disposed of by transfer elsewhere to meet naval needs or, if surplus to overall naval requirements, by allocation to other Government services or relief or rehabilitation services, or by local sale effected by the naval authorities, or by transfer to other disposal departments. No information is available as to the number of surplus naval blankets which may have been disposed of by these methods, but the numbers are not thought to have been large. All surplus blankets abroad are now, however, being brought to the United Kingdom for disposal.

May I ask if instructions could not be issued that all Service stores which become surplus on the Continent, and are of a type required by the inhabitants of this country, should be brought back for sale here?

Every effort is made to dispose of all surplus products which can be used by civilians, and I will look into the point raised by the hon. and gallant Gentleman.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will cause an inquiry to be made into the conditions existing on the training ship H.M.S. "Imperieuse,"In respect of the insanitary condition of the lavatories; the serving, condition and amount of food supplied; the dirty conditions in which the food has to be cooked; the inadequacy of the sleeping accommodation; and give an assurance that he will remedy all grievances found proved.

Yes, Sir. Immediate inquiries are proceeding into the points raised by my hon. Friend.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the main reasons for the delay in the release of stokers, what steps are being taken to minimise it; and what is the average period required to train a stoker.

The reasons for the slower rate of release of stokers is, firstly, that while ships can, if necessary, run in peacetime with relatively few deck hands, there must always be a full complement in the engine room, and secondly, that engine room ratings are required for the care and maintenance of machinery in ships reduced to reserve. An additional call on the branch has been the need to keep a number of His Majesty's ships with full engine room complements in commission for trooping duties. About 100 junior stoker ratings have been entered for training each week since June, 1945, a total of 3,000, but the training of these men to the required degree of efficiency takes 20 weeks. As the trained men become available, the gap between stokers and seamen will diminish and releases should be nearly level by the end of this year.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how long the Royal Proclamation calling out reserves will remain in force, since this precludes payment of the peace retainer to Royal Fleet reservists.

It is not yet possible to say how long it will be necessary to keep in force the Royal Proclamation calling out the Reserves. The question of resuming payment of retainers to Royal Fleet Reservists who are not called out under the Proclamation is being examined as a separate issue.

Will the hon. Gentleman consider making these payments retrospective when the decision is made, in order that the detrimental effect will be minimised?

I should require notice of that; I am not quite certain that I could agree to it offhand.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty to what extent it is intended that the R.N. should adopt the new type of high-extraction flour for making bread.

The new type of high extraction flour will be used in future for making bread in Naval shore establishments and in non-sea-going ships in the United Kingdom, instead of the national wheatmeal flour hitherto supplied. The use of specially dried high extraction flour for bread making in seagoing ships is being investigated.

Are we to understand that sea-going ships are at present being supplied with white flour?

Yes, Sir, because it is quite impossible adequately to dry the new kind of flour; otherwise, sea-going ships would have exactly the same flour as the people on shore.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he has considered the resolution, forwarded by the hon. Member for West Fife, from the Dunfermline branch of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, Booksellers and Stationers, deploring the lack of a definite pronouncement on the future of Rosyth Dockyard, and the fact that this is leading to a steady decrease in the number of employees in the dockyard; and whether he has any statement to make.

I have considered the resolution, but I regret that I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 20th March last.

Is it not possible to get an approximate date when we might get something definite on this question, as we have had deputations down at the Admiralty for going on for two years trying to get a decision in regard to Rosyth? Will not the hon. Gentleman try to give us an approximate date when we may have the decision?

I fully realise the difficulties of the situation and the position in which the people of Rosyth are placed, but I must ask for some time in which not only this question, but also allied questions, can be considered, because this cannot be considered purely in vacuo.

Will the hon. Gentleman give us a guarantee that Rosyth will be kept going, and then we would not care how long he takes?

Will the hon. Gentleman say whether or not similar conditions apply to all the Royal Dockyards, and whether they are awaiting a statement in regard to the policy to be pursued concerning them?

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, in this matter, if not in others, the hon. Member for West Fife (Mr. Gallacher) represents the unanimous view of the East of Scotland?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty to which new centre the Fleet, normally based upon Alexandria, is ultimately to be transferred; and what is the estimated cost of the new naval establishment, or establishments, at Cyprus or elsewhere, including harbour works and all necessary installations.

No Fleet is normally based on Alexandria in peacetime. The question of a new centre does not, therefore, arise.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the cost of all necessary temporary installations to accommodate at Haifa the Fleet until recently based upon Alexandria; and the cost also of the removal from Alexandria of all stores and equipment.

No additional facilities will be required at Haifa when the Royal Navy leaves Alexandria. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to him yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

With the hon. Gentleman make a statement after the negotiations have been concluded?

This is a question which relates to all three Services, and I think the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence would be the proper person to make a statement if one is made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what battleship docking facilities are now available in the eastern Mediterranean.

None, Sir.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is now in a position to state the present strength of His Majesty's Navy, giving exact numbers of all classes of ships, specifying in detail those in full commission, with reduced crews, in reserve, and on the sale or disposal lists.

No, Sir. I regret that it would not be in the public interest to give this very detailed information. Such information as can be made public is contained in the Navy List, of which copies are available in the Library.

In view of the fact that the war has been over for a long time and that it has always been the custom for this country to know the strength of the Navy for which we are paying, cannot the hon. Gentleman reconsider this decision?

This is a decision which is similar, I understand—though, naturally, I am not responsible for it—to that taken in the other Service Departments, and customs do sometimes change.

asked the Attorney-General whether it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to introduce the Crown Proceedings Bill in order to place action between the subject and the Crown on the same basis as action between subject and subject.

It is the intention of His Majesty's Government to introduce legislation dealing with this matter as soon as circumstances permit, but consideration of the actual draft Bill to which the hon. Member refers has shown that various alterations will be necessary. I can hold out no hope that a Bill will be introduced this Session, but an appropriate Measure will be prepared as soon as pressure of other more urgent matters makes it possible.

asked the Attorney-General if he will now agree to abolish the six weeks' time limit for disabled ex-Servicemen for taking their cases before the High Court after rejection by the Appeals Tribunal, since numbers of these men are satisfied that their claims are similar to those recently admitted by Mr. Justice Denning.

No, Sir. The course suggested would be quite impracticable having regard to the large number of appeals which have already been determined and finally disposed of within the framework of the Act and the existing Rules. The vast majority of appellants showed no dissatisfaction with the decisions in their cases until the recent judgments to which the hon. Member has referred. Nor does it follow that these cases are necessarily affected by those judgments, the purport of which appears to have been misunderstood both in this House and in the public Press.

I would remind the hon. Member that Parliament has decided that the award of pensions by my right hon. Friend is to be subject to appeal to independent tribunals and thence to the ordinary courts of law. Where issues of this kind are made justiciable by the courts they must be subject to legal principles which have been evolved by the judiciary over a long period of years, and the adoption of the hon. Member's suggestion would be diametrically opposed to these principles.

Is my hon. and learned Friend aware that, because legal principles have been disregarded before the tribunals, many disabled ex-Servicemen would like to take their cases to the High Court because they feel that their cases are on a parity with those which Mr. Justice Denning has recently dealt with?

I am quite unable to accept the assumption of the hon. Member, which I believe to be contrary to the facts. It not infrequently happens that a decision of the higher court reverses a view of the law which has hitherto been acted upon in lower courts, but if that were to enable the litigants, in cases which had previously been decided, to reopen those cases, there would be no kind of finality at all in legal proceedings.

Is the Attorney-General aware that most Courts of Appeal have an inherent power to ignore time limits and to extend, time limits in order to give a right of appeal, and is he further aware that, in regard to there being no protests in this matter, many Members of Parliament are being inundated with letters of complaint on the subject?

Does the answer of the Attorney-General mean that the Minister of Pensions contemplates appealing against the decisions?

In view of the tact that the Minister of Pensions opposed the appeal before Mr. Justice Denning and lost, does it not follow that, in previous cases, he has denied to applicants pensions which, on Mr. Justice Denning's ruling, they are entitled to have, and will the hon. and learned Gentleman say on what legal principle the State proposes to continue to ignore this and to deprive those men of pensions to which they are rightly entitled?

The assumption made by my hon. Friend does not follow and, therefore, the further part of his question does not arise.

Will my hon. and learned Friend reconsider his decision, especially in cases where the medical member of a tribunal has given evidence before the tribunal which Mr. Justice Denning has ruled is quite irregular? There are many such cases.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air when the R.A.F. will leave Croydon aerodrome.

Croydon is already under civil control. We shall move away the one squadron of Transport Command which is still there as soon as the civil operators are able to take over the scheduled services which it runs.

In view of the great desire of civil operators to get going as soon as possible, could not my hon. Friend move the squadron away to Bovingdon Northolt immediately?

We cannot move the squadron away until the services it runs can be taken over by the civil operators. We are naturally pressing for that at the earliest possible date because we wish to be relieved of these scheduled services. The delay is on the part of the civil operators.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this airport is under civil control and that the military authorities have kept civil aeroplanes flying about and refused to let them land at Croydon?

It the hon. Member is referring to flying control at Croydon, I would inform him that there, also, we are only too anxious to hand it over to the civil operators. Our trouble is that we cannot get them to take over because they have not yet the trained personnel and we have to fill the gap for them, but we do not like doing so at all.

As the Royal Air Force has some six hundred aerodromes and in view of the speed of modern aircraft, could not the Royal Air Force move from London and give up Croydon and Hendon to civil aviation?

In the case of Croydon, a Transport Command squadron is performing what I might call a civil aviation function—it is running scheduled services. In the case of Northolt, it is already a civil airfield, as the hon. and gallant Member knows.

Could not the Minister remove the squadron to Northolt?

Northolt does not come into this Question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that 1873785 L.A.C. A. R. Fox, who was due for demobilisation in the United Kingdom before 30th April, left 320 M.U., R.A.F., India, on 24th March, went through the demobilisation process at Worli and attended a boat-list parade on 2nd April, and was then informed that he was to be held in India for questioning: and if, in view of the fact that he took no part in the recent R.A.F. strikes, other than being a member of a delegation formed at the express wish of the officer conducting the investigation into them, and that he had not been questioned by 5th May, he will state whether this man has now left India and the reasons for the delay in his release.

I am still awaiting a full report regarding this airman. I have again asked for an explanation by signal and when it is received I will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is my hon. Friend aware that many Members of this House are concerned about reports reaching them regarding the methods of investigation into the R.A.F. strikes, and has he looked at the matter very closely and satisfied himself that these methods are, in fact, in order?

I have looked at the matter with great attention and concern, but I am not in a position to add any- thing to the reply circulated last week in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Under- Secretary of State for Air, if 1890708 Sergeant P. R. Woodmore, of whose case he has been informed, can be demobilised in his home country of Uganda.

This airman is eligible for repatriation to his home country when he is demobilized

asked the Under- Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a pilot in the R.A.F., who contracted tuberculosis in Bombay in December, 1945, and who was boarded to receive treatment in South Africa, is still in hospital in India awaiting transport; and how much longer he will have to wait before receiving proper treatment.

If the hon. Member will let me have the name of this man I will make immediate inquiries. The responsibility for the transfer of T.B. cases from India rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War, who controls hospital ships. I am in touch with him about this problem.

I understand that this man is one of many, and may I be assured that if I do give his name no action will be taken which will be prejudicial to him?

Yes, certainly.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that, in spite of A.M.O. A.2/46, reapplication for permanent commissions by short-service commission officers, whose applications had been rejected prior to that Air Ministry Order, are being refused by his Department; and whether he will make a statement on the policy in this matter.

I realise that I did not make this position clear in the Air Estimates Debate, because I failed to distinguish between officers who had had their applications for permanent commissions refused and those whose applications had simply been acknowledged without any decision being given. It was this latter category who were asked to reapply. I am afraid there would be no point in asking the much smaller number of officers whose applications had been definitely refused to send them in again. For, in their cases, there is some definite reason why their applications cannot be accepted.

In view of the fact that what the Under-Secretary thought the Government policy to be was so very much more intelligent than what the Government policy is, would it not be a good plan to take advantage of this slip at headquarters in order to inaugurate the better policy?

No, Sir. I think in those cases where we have definitely had to refuse, there would be no benefit and, in fact, there would be some hardship to the applicant in asking him to apply again. I repeat that the great majority of cases could not be dealt with because we had not at that time the number of permanent commissions to offer, and we have asked all these officers to re-apply.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what alternative aerodromes, and at what cost in equipping them, are being planned outside Egypt to take the place of those to be abandoned there.

No final decision has yet been taken on the deployment of our Air Forces in the Middle East, and I cannot, therefore, give any estimate of expenditure likely to be involved. We shall, of course, make full use of the airfields already available in the Royal Air Force Mediterranean and Middle East Command.

Surely plans could have been made for alternative aerodromes when the decision was taken to evacuate Egypt?

There are a very large number of alternative airfields in many parts of the Middle East.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether it is now possible to release the aerodromes at Kelmscott and Akeman Street for agricultural purposes.

We shall be able to release Akeman Street for farming within the next two months, but I am afraid we shall need Kelmscott, which is being used for beam approach training, until the end of the year at least.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that the central band of the R.A.F. is not up to establishment; and what steps are being taken to encourage recruitment.

The present recruiting campaign is intended to attract volunteers for the Royal Air Force Central Band as well as for the many other trades in which we are short of men.

Is it not a fact that the band depends for its volunteers upon musicians from other Services, and that the regulation which says that no service in another branch of more than four years shall count towards a pension if they transfer to the Royal Air Force, is having a deterrent effect upon volunteers?

I will consider that.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now set up a Royal Commission to consider the whole question of disability pensions and allowances in the light of the recommendations submitted to His Majesty's Government by the British Legion, Scotland, in 1943.

A comprehensive review of the War Pension Code was made at the end of last year and the resulting improvements were announced in Command Paper 6714 issued in December. In making this review His Majesty's Government had regard to representations made by various bodies including the British Legion, Scotland, and in the circumstances my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is not prepared to set up a Royal Commission to consider the recommendations of that body.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that there is a good deal of dissatisfaction with the existing pensions arrangements?

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster under what conditions the Metropolitan Anastasy, formerly an active Nazi collaborator, was permitted to enter the British zone of occupied Europe.

So far as I am aware, he has never entered the British zone of Germany or Austria.

Is my hon. Friend aware that it has been publicly stated that this person did enjoy the support of the British Government? Can he make it clear that that is not the case?

I have not seen the publication, but I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that he has not had the support of His Majesty's Government.

Could the hon. Gentleman say what functions his gentleman performs? Who is he?

I presume the hon. and gallant Gentleman is asking for his name?

No, I am asking what he does.

I am not aware of that.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent meals being served in private rooms in West End hotels exceed the regulations laid down by his Department; and what steps he is taking to deal with this question.

I am not aware that meals served in private rooms in West End hotels exceed the provisions of the Meals in Establishments Order. Whether in public or in private rooms only three courses may be served. If the hon. Member is aware of any instance in which he considers the law is not being observed and will let me have details, I will make inquiries.

I am sure the Minister has a staff which is most actively engaged in this kind of work, and it is not for me to supply the information.

asked the Minister of Food (1) the total sum collected by the levy on processed pilchards during 1945;

(2) the total sum expended in transport in the United Kingdom on processed pilchards during 1945.

I regret that separate figures of levy receipts and transport expenditure for pilchards are not available. On pilchards cured for export, which accounted for over 60 per cent. of the catch, a rebate of the levy is given which, for 1945, will amount to £8,520.

Would the Minister consult his Department as to whether it is possible to adjust the levy in order to support the pilchard industry and help the inshore fishing industry generally?

I will have another look at it.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now make the agri- cultural cheese ration available to smallholders.

I regret that I cannot see my way to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion. The special cheese ration is intended for categories of workers who, by the nature of their work, are unable to make use of canteens or catering establishments or get home for their midday meal and are obliged to take a packed meal with them. Smalholders, generally speaking, live near their homes.

asked the Minister of Food if, to secure a more equal distribution of summer fruits, he will take steps to prevent growers selling direct to the public, bulk quantities from the nurseries.

Growers cultivating more than certain specified acreages are already prohibited from selling direct to the public fruits of their own growing which are subject to price control, unless specially licensed to do so under the relative maximum prices order.

Could my right hon. Friend say whether growers in Lanarkshire are licensed to sell 12 lbs. at a time to anyone who arrives at the nurseries during the summer, and is he aware that besides private cars there are large queues of people lining up at these nurseries daily throughout the summer?

I am not aware of that, but in the case of tomatoes, for instance, anybody having less than 400 square yards would have a right to sell to the public. However, if my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind I will be very happy to investigate it.