asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will prohibit the flying of aircraft over Central London during the hours of darkness.

As a rule aircraft are not routed over Central London, though exercises are sometimes held at night when R.A.F. aircraft have to fly over London at a height of at least 14,000 feet.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air if he is aware that on 5th February, in Hong Kong, prisoner-of-war Red Cross parcels were issued by the R.A.F. to Chinese coolies employed by them; that the following day a large amount of food similar to that contained in the prisoner-of-war parcels was on sale on numerous stalls; whether such employees are prisoners of war and entitled to such parcels; and will he see in future that the actual food is consumed by those it is intended for.

A report on this matter has been called for and as soon as it has been received either I or my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War will write to my hon. Friend:

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air whether he is aware that men returning to this country. for release, have been detained in 35 Personnel Transit Camp at Calcutta for long periods, amounting in at least one case to 40 days; and what steps are being taken to accelerate the dispatch of such men on their homeward journey.

I regret that the detailed report which has been called for from the Command is not yet available, but I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible. Meanwhile, as I said in my reply of 27th February to my hon. and gallant Friend, the Member for Uxbridge (Flight-Lieutenant Beswick), there is a good prospect of preventing any hold-up of transport home for airmen in March.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps are being taken to release land for cultivation or grazing on the disused airfields at Weston, Wend-ling, Shipdham, Pickenham, Wretham and the bomb-aiming practice ground between Ashill and Bradenham.

The whole of the land at Shipdham and East Wretham is available for cultivation. We shall require the other three airfields for flying again and can only allow 320 acres to be ploughed up, at two of them, though another 675 acres in all have been offered for limited use, such as grazing. The land at Bradenham has always been available for grazing when the range is not in use.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air if he has any statement to make about the future of Millfield aerodrome, Wooler.

We shall not require Mill" field for any further flying, but its storage and camp accommodation may be needed for some time yet. The land is now being offered unreservedly to the agricultural authorities for cultivation or other farming use and meanwhile, plans for the final disposal of the airfield are being considered.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a large number of airmen who are anxious to sleep in pyjamas are only able to do so if they can obtain coupons from their relatives; and whether this desire can now be met by supplying pyjamas to all ranks of the R.A.F. through Service channels.

This subject has been considered more than once, and I have every sympathy with the purpose of the hon. and gallant Member's Question. At present, however, as my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade stated in his reply of 25th February to the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir J. Mellor) it is not possible to make this concession owing to the shortage of supplies.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what was the rate of release from the R.A.F. in the months of November and December, 1945, and January, 1946, respectively; and what is the approximate rate for February, 1946.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statements circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour on the following dates:20th December, 1945—covering releases in November, 1945.22nd January, 1946—covering releases in December, 1945.21st February, 1946—covering releases in January, 1946.14th February, 1946—provisional programme for February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he will be able to assist traders and manufacturers who have begun business since 1939 to obtain quotas of raw materials which they need if they are to expand their businesses, especially for export.

:I am anxious to assist manufacturers, both established and new, to expand their businesses, but the extent to which this can be done must necessarily vary according to the supply position of the materials concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, after 31st March, with a view to obtaining more U.S. dollars, he will allow rubber produced in Burma and Malaya to be sold at public auction.

The price at which Burma and Malayan rubber is sold to the American Government is fixed until the 31st March, and the question of future arrangements is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make inquiries concerning a tubercular patient, whose name has been submitted to him, who has been waiting over a year for admission to the Raywell Sanatorium, East Yorks, where only 20 of the 60 beds are in use and who has to share a two-bedroomed house with mother, sister, married sister and husband with baby, a total of six persons; and if he will ensure that this patient is promptly admitted.

I am making inquiries about the case mentioned and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the consumption of the electricity units per head of the population for 1925, 1935 and 1945, or for the last available year, respectively; and the comparable figures for the U.S.A.

The information is not available exactly for the calendar years mentioned by the hon Member. The nearest comparable figures are as follow:

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the average price charged per unit of electricity in Great Britain for the years 1925, 1935 and 1945, or the latest available year, respectively, and the comparable figures for the U.S.A.

The information is not available exactly for the calendar years mentioned by the hon. Member. The nearest comparable. figures are as follow:

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total amount of subsidy or grants provided by His Majesty's

asked the Minister of Labour what payments are made to those who serve on tribunals to deal with conscientious objectors.

No fees are paid to chairmen who are full-time salaried officers of the Crown, e.g., county court judges or, in Scotland, full-time sheriff principals Government for the breeding and maintenance of cattle, sheep and pigs and for meat and the meat industry during each year since 1938.

The figures available are as follow The fees payable to other chairmen of local tribunals are three guineas a meeting (half-day), subject to a maximum of six guineas a day and 24 guineas a week, together with subsistence allowances, when necessarily absent from home, of 25s. a night (to cover a period of 24 hours) or 8s. 4d. a day. As regards other members of the tribunals, the fees payable are three guineas per day for a meeting of five hours or more, or 9s.an hour for less than five hours, subject to a maximum of 12 guineas a week. These fees are inclusive of subsistence allowance. These fees are similar to those paid in the case of arbitration and analogous tribunals. The fees payable to chairmen of the appellate tribunal are eight guineas a day and to other members two guineas a meeting (half-day), subject to a maximum of four guineas a day and 20 guineas a week. Subsistence allowances are payable on the scale already mentioned. Both chairmen and members are paid any travelling expenses necessarily incurred.

asked the Minister of Education why her Department does not reply to the application dated 14th August, 1944, and many subsequent reminders, of the Merioneth Local Education Authority for recognition as uncertificated teachers of three women teachers; and whether a reply will now be sent.

:Before a decision could be given it was necessary in the first instance to obtain fuller information and reports on the teachers concerned. Following this, there was further delay, due to an oversight, which I very much regret. A reply has now been sent to the local education authority.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consider amending the resettlement scheme for service personnel in order that a man who, after training becomes qualified as a tradesman may become eligible for a grant for tools in his trade.

On the completion of a Government or Government sponsored training course, provision is made for a trainee to be issued with a kit of tools of the trade for which he has been trained where it is the custom of the trade for a tradesman to possess his own tools. In these cases, therefore, a grant under the Resettlement Grants Scheme is not necessary. In general, assistance for the purchase of tools under the Resettlement Grants Scheme is restricted to cases where the applicant was normally employed in the occupation in respect of which he requires a tool kit before he undertook war service, but a person who wishes to take up civilian employment in an occupation for which he has acquired skill through his war service may, if otherwise eligible, be considered for similar assistance even though he was not formerly engaged in that occupation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is yet in a position to disclose the officially agreed plans for the amalgamation of the British colonies in the Windward and Leeward groups of islands; whether these proposals will be publicly announced and submitted for discussion in the local legislative councils; and whether opportunities for further extension of federal services are provided, such as radio, transport and communications, etc.

I hope shortly to place before the Governors of the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands proposals for the closer union of the two groups. It is the intention that these proposals shall be pulished locally with a view to discussion by the Legislative Councils and other interested persons. Such discussion would naturally cover the question of common services such as radio, transport and communication facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the effects of the lack of health, hospital, educational and other social services in Malaya and Singapore; when the civil administration is likely to be reconstituted and start work in Malaya and Singapore; what action he is taking to make available in Singapore hospital accommodation which is now in occupation of S.E.A.C.; and what progress is being made in recruiting European staff for the medical service and securing the necessary supplies of medical equipment, including textbooks and scientific publications.

Malaya's social services have suffered most serious neglect during the Japanese occupation and the present Military Administration is working strenuously to restore these services in the face of considerable difficulties. It should be possible to announce shortly the date of the handover from Military to Civil Administration. A Board has been set up to co-ordinate the essential requirements of accommodation in Singapore of the Services and of the civil authorities and, in meeting the needs of the latter, to ensure that the speediest measures are taken for the progressive hand-over of civil property by the Services. These measures will accord a high degree of priority to hospitals.As regards the last part of the Question, medical officers, who were interned, are returning, as they become fit, for a short tour of service. In addition, a number of doctors have been and are being selected for appointment to the Colonial Medical Service for duties in Malaya. Others have been engaged on short term contracts. Supplies of medical equipment, including text-books and scientific publications, have been steadily going forward under military auspices. Steps have also been taken to ensure continuity in such supplies on the restoration of Civil Government