asked the Minister of Pensions how many forms does a Service widow have to fill in annually to obtain regular payment of her widow's pension, child's allowance and education grant, respectively; and on how many of these forms is she required to state that she is her husband's widow, etc.

I apologise for the length of this answer.

The widow of an other rank has to complete one form annually in order to secure payment of her pension and her children's allowances. On this form, which is required by Statute as a certificate of life, she has to state that she is the widow of the deceased member of the Forces and give particulars of identity. An officer's widow's pension is paid monthly or quarterly by the Paymaster-General by means of vouchers. On these she has to declare that she is the widow of the deceased officer. Allowances for children are payable quarterly by similar vouchers on which the widow has to declare her relationship to the children. One voucher for the widow and one for the children has to be attested annually as a certificate of life. The widow has annually to complete a form of application for payment vouchers for the ensuing year, but she is not required to state thereon that she is the widow of the deceased officer. I am taking up the question of simplifying the present arrangements in officer cases. Where an education allowance is awarded, a form has to be filled up annually. In addition, each term a statement has to be submitted showing the actual fees and expenses incurred.

Is the Minister aware that having to give this information so Often is particularly worrying to certain people, some in particular; and will he do everything he can to cut this down to a minimum?

I think I shall be able to do something about it.

In the analogous case of payment in respect of a deceased son, can the right hon. gentleman say how often a statement of means is required?

I should like that question put down.

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman would let me know?

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will give the number of applications for war-service grants from the wives of soldiers under 21 years of age since the introduction of the new code of pay and allowances; and if he will give the number of awards made.

Up to 12th October, 693 applications had been received from non-Regular soldiers under 21 years of age. In addition, 261 applications had been received in Naval and Air Force cases. Allowances have been issued in 522 cases.

Is the Minister aware that the working of this scheme is causing great hardship and anxiety; and would he consider consulting with his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War to see if the responsbiility could be transferred to the Army so that equal pay could be made to all soldiers?

That is a matter rather out of my province.

Could my right hon. Friend say how much time elapses as a rule between a man being conscripted and his wife getting a war-service grant; and what he proposes to do in that period to prevent it being necessary for the wife to apply for public assistance?

I do not know the time, but I do not think any time is lost between an application for a grant being made and the application, if warranted, being accepted.

As these men under 21 years of age are compelled to give some of their own money if not allowed the full amount as against men over 21, and as the right hon. Gentleman's Department have claims made upon them to make up the money, is it unreasonable to ask if he could make representations to the War Office to have these sums brought up to a proper standard?

Could not a man's family circumstances be investigated in advance of his call-up date so that such a grant, if required, could be paid automatically the moment he joins up?

There is something in that. It is my desire that there should be no loss of time.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many ex-Ser-vicemen and women whose appeals to pensions appeal tribunals were disallowed before 1st August, 1946, have exercised their right to apply again to his Department for a pension; how many of those applications have now been granted; how many are still under consideration; how many whose applications were rejected have made an additional appeal to a special arbitration tribunal; and with what results.

The number of applications for review of the Ministry's decision received up to 15th October was just under 9,000. My Department have reviewed 860, and the application has been allowed in 90 cases. In the 770 cases where the decision has been maintained 170 requests for reference to the Arbitration Tribunal have so far been received The remaining 8,100 cases are under consideration. In some of these the applicant is already in receipt of pension on the ground of aggravation by war service but is claiming that his condition was attributable thereto.

Could my right hon. Friend tell the House what arrangements he has made in setting up the special tribunal to which he referred in his answer?

I do not set up the tribunal; that is for the Lord Chancellor's Department. The business has gone ahead, and we hope to have a tribunal sitting by some time in December.

Will the Minister see that in these tribunals a new spirit is invoked and inculcated; and that they will consider cases on their merits and not merely with the idea of saving the public purse?

asked the Minister of Health if the aluminium houses now being fabricated at Bristol, Gloucester and Blackpool are temporary or permanent; and what is the accommodation provided in each.

The aluminium houses being produced at these factories form part of the Government's temporary housing programme. The accommodation consists of living room, two bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom.

Would the Minister tell the House if all the equipment required to complete these houses and to enable them to be occupied is coming out with equal speed with the production of the hulls?

I am reasonably satisfied with the synchronisation of the parts of the houses of the aluminium programme, which is very little, indeed, behind schedule.

Would the right hon. Gentleman tell us how many of these are being produced in a week or a month?

I could give the hon. Gentleman exact figures if he asked for them.

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will let me have them?

What are the factors that make these houses temporary instead of permanent, apart from the places where they have been sited?

They are rather small in size; that is one of the reasons.

asked the Minister of Health why the proportion of four houses to one for local authorities and private builders is not in operation at Plymouth.

The ratio of four to one applies to the country as a whole and not necessarily to a particular local authority district. At Plymouth the labour resources are insufficient to meet all requirements, and to ensure the best possible progress of the local authority and private enterprise schemes already authorised, it has been necessary strictly to curtail for the present the issue of further licences.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what powers he has to come down on local authorities who deliberately refuse to obey the four to one rule, which they are doing all over the country?

I have said that the four to one rule is not necessarily applicable to any particular area, and I encourage local authorities to reduce the ratio, and not to increase it.

May we take it the right hon. Gentleman is now supporting private enterprise?

The hon. Gentleman may take it that the policy of the Government is now as it has been since the Government was formed—to construct houses for those in need, and not merely for those who can afford to buy them.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now reconsider has refusal to sanction the expenditure necessary by the Mere and Tisbury Rural District Council for rendering habitable the Manor Road Dairy, Mere.

No, Sir, I cannot see my way to reconsider this matter for the reasons already given.

Is the Minister aware that six months ago this place was taken over with the approval of his Ministry as being potentially suitable for housing people who required housing, and that since then permission has been refused to the local authority to do the repairs necessary? Nor has permission been granted to derequisition the premises. Will he take steps to remedy this ridiculous situation?

The reason for refusing to have the accommodation renovated was that this project was likely to be uneconomical in the use of materials, and would result in sub-standard accommodation. I am not aware that we had, in fact, pressed the local authority to take it over. I will look into it again.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the 120,000 families provided with homes in the London region in the 16 months before 18th September, 1946, had been so provided before 3rd August, 1945; and how many had been provided with homes by requisitioning and/or the repair of war damage, temporary hutments, temporary houses, new local authority housing, new private enterprise housing and by any other method, specifying the same, respectively.

Precise figures are not available for the dates mentioned, but the number of units of accommodation provided between 1st April, 1945, and 3rd August, 1945, was approximately 39,000. As the remainder of the reply involves a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Would the Minister agree that a substantial proportion of those houses were provided under an Administration other than his own? With regard to the second part of the Question, would he say, in advance of the figures which he is going to make known—

The hon. Member is reading.

This is merely the Order Paper I have before me.

We know that.

Would the Minister say that, when these figures are given, they will show that a very small proportion of the 120,000 were, in fact, provided by his chosen instrument, the local authorities?

It is perfectly correct that the previous Administration did not completely fail to provide any sort of accommodation whatsoever. It is also true to say that the amount of accommodation provided by the previous Administration was made easier by the fact that they were able to deal with those houses that were only slightly damaged. We are now having to deal with those houses more grievously damaged, which take longer

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that, although the Bingham Rural District Council decided in February, 1945, to build 70 houses in the parish of Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham, no building work has yet been commenced; and what steps he proposes to take to see that the work is begun without further delay.

My regional architects have recently conferred with the council's architects, and it is expected that the council will submit lay-out and house plans to my Department shortly. Subject to these being satisfactory, the council will be authorised to go to tender. I hope that the scheme will now proceed expeditiously.

Is the Minister aware that although, as he agrees, building of any houses in this parish has not yet commenced, the local authority refused to grant any licences for private building? How does that fit in with his four to one concession?

Because it may be that houses are being built in neighbouring parishes, using labour.

asked the Minister of Health the present position

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to deal with the delay in Birmingham's municipal housing programme caused by the city council's inability to accept inflated tenders.

At 30th September 1,848 temporary houses were under construction, including slabbing, and 946 had been completed. Tenders had been approved for 2,172 houses of permanent types, of which 1,013 were under construction and 167 completed. I am aware that tenders for further permanent houses which were recently received were too high for acceptance. In view of the large amount of work outstanding and the large number of houses not yet started in contracts already let, I do not think it is necessary for me to take any action at this stage, and I understand that the council are themselves endeavouring to negotiate satisfactory prices.

Is the Minister satisfied that every conceivable effort is being made, both by the local authority and his Ministry, to meet the immense number of applications for housing accommodation now, and are the difficulties, which arose a short time ago between the Ministry of Works and his Ministry, now adjusted?

The matter under consideration at the moment is the fact that the council have received tenders which are, in fact, too high. The delay in negotiating lower tenders is not really resulting in the production of fewer houses, because there are more houses already under contract than the local labour can manage.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that these tenders were at least £250 higher than the previous tenders, and that, in consequence, Birmingham City Council are being subjected to what might properly be described as a builders' ramp?

I think Birmingham City Council, from my own experience of it, can be trusted to deal with any conspiracy which may exist.

Would the right hon. Gentleman circularise local authorities to set up public works departments of their own, so that they can build houses, and so remove profits now obtained by contractors, and ensure, at the same time, better quality houses?

Where a local authority have a housing programme sufficiently large to warrant it, and where they can satisfy me that they can establish an efficient direct labour department, we have, in fact, encouraged them to do so.

Has the right hon. Gentleman taken any steps to keep these estimates down?

Steps have already been taken to keep estimates down. Hon. Members opposite throughout the whole of last winter and the spring of this year were attacking me because I was resisting high tenders and accusing me, thereby, of not getting the houses, because I was resisting high tenders. We shall resist tenders which are unreasonably high.

asked the Minister of Health what would be the cost of providing cooking, heating and lighting facilities in the R.A.F. huts at Holton-le-Clay, Lincolnshire, which have been occupied by married couples; and on what grounds he refuses to provide these facilities.

The cost of providing the facilities mentioned would be about £350. I am advised that such an outlay, and the necessary diversion of labour and material entailed, would not be justified in view of the nature of this camp and the condition of the five huts, the estimated life of which is only 12 to 18 months.

How does the right hon. Gentleman reconcile this answer with the statement he made in the House only last week that public services were being put into all these camps?

I never said for a moment that they were being put into all the camps. I am not going to spend public money for the purpose of providing substandard accommodation.

asked the Minister of Health whether the huts in military camps are now being included as an addition to the numbers of temporary houses given in the monthly housing returns for England and Wales.

No, Sir; units of family accommodation provided by the conversion of Service camps have hitherto been included under the heading of "conversion and adaptation of existing premises" on page 2 and in Table 6 of the Housing Return, but I am arranging to have them shown separately in future.

Can we therefore have the Minister's assurance that, in the speeches made by him or by his Parliamentary Secretary, these individuals will not be included amongst those who have been found homes?

I have already pointed out that I do not propose to include them at all, so that the supplementary question had obviously occurred to the hon. and gallant Member before he heard my reply.

asked the Minister of Health what progress he has to report in the arrangements to use hutted accommodation on Hixon Airfield, Staffordshire, for emergency housing.

The accommodation on this airfield, redundant to the needs of the Air Ministry, has been offered to the Stafford Rural District Council for housing purposes. I have not yet received their decision.

asked the Minister of Health in connection with acquisitions of land for housing under compulsory purchase orders made by local authorities, in how many cases a decision in favour of the local authority has been given; and in how many cases in favour of the private landowner during the past 12 months.

The figures asked for are 786 and 51 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health what increase, at present rate of output, in the total cost of a local authority house, based on the average of tenders approved in recent months, it is estimated would result from an increase of 6d. an hour in the wages of craftsmen and a proportionate increase in the wages of labourers; and what would be the rent equivalent of such increase.

Approximately £70 and 10½d. per week.

Without wishing in any way to anticipate or prejudge any discussion that may be going on between the two sides of the building industry in regard to this matter—

Oh.

One of these days the hon. Member will realise—

Speech.

I was going to say, Mr. Speaker, that the hon. Member will realise that the value of his observations is in inverse proportion to the loudness of voice in which they are made. Would the Minister say whether any change of circumstances has happened since last December, when the 4d. rise was agreed to, and was thought to stabilise the position, at any rate for the time being?

If the hon. Member thinks that I intend to make any comment on this application, he is mistaken.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there are 10,500 applicants on the waiting list for housing accommodation in Ealing and that plans are being drawn up to accommodate only 5,000 within the next five years, leaving 5,500 totally un-provided for; and, in view of the urgency and the hardships which these people are suffering without hope of any future for themselves and their children, what steps he proposes to take in the matter.

Yes, Sir. The problem of building sufficient houses to meet the needs of districts in which sufficient land is not available, which is common to the London Region as a whole, can only be solved completely by the decentralisation of population and industry, in accordance with the Greater London Plan, to new and expanded towns. The necessary legislation for this purpose has been passed and proposals for new towns are already going ahead. In the meantime the town council are building on the sites available houses up to the capacity of the building resources available.

Could not the Minister provide for many of these derelict, obsolete and completely out-of-date houses to be pulled down, thereby making room for modern flats to meet the emergency?

It would not be possible to pull down houses occupied at the moment before finding alternative accommodation, and that is one of the difficulties of decentralising London. It is one of the legacies left to us by the party opposite.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that the Rent Tribunals have sufficient powers for their purpose; or what fresh legislation is contemplated.

I am satisfied that experience of the working of these tribunals has not so far disclosed need for enlarging their powers.

Is the Minister satisfied that applicants are not deterred from coming forward by the possibility of being evicted sometime after their applications have been made?

Would the Minister also say whether his attention has been drawn to the information that a number of landlords who have received adverse decisions from these tribunals have ejected their tenants before the three months' notice to quit had elapsed, and will he give some instructions to the tribunals to stop that kind of action being taken in future?

I think hon. Members may rest assured that in the next few days they will find that I have already taken adequate steps to deal with landlords who do this.

asked the Minister of Health if he is prepared to consider making regulations to compel the sale of all new houses, built by private enterprise, through the local authorities.

Conditions as to the sale price of houses are included when licences are issued and safeguards for their observance are provided in Sections 7 and 8 of the Building Materials and Housing Act, 1945. Local authorities have in addition power to purchase houses and, further, can make arrangements for the erection of houses for them by private builders who are not able to undertake contracts on the usual basis. These provisions should ensure the object which my hon. Friend has in view.

Would my right hon. Friend believe that many of the houses are being sold by the exchange of money in addition to the maximum price, and does he feel that the preventive provided by the local authority's action might be better than the doubtful queueing up at the law courts?

If I could agree with the first part of my hon. Friend's question, I would admit that a breach of the law had occurred and I should therefore have to take action against those responsible. My hon. Friend will realise if he looks at the answer that there are very heavy penalties indeed for charging any additional price.

asked the Minister of Health if he will arrange with the B.B.C. for a monthly broadcast of progress made in housing development on the basis of the present monthly housing return.

The B.B.C. has always included a summary of the monthly housing return in its news bulletins on the day the command paper is 0issued. I am in sympathy with the intention behind the Question, namely that these returns should receive as much publicity as possible.

Is it not possible that the intention behind this Question is not only to receive publicity, but some biased publicity?

As the monthly returns are objective and factual statements of the housing programme, hon. Members opposite are obviously anxious not to have them publicised.

asked the Minister of Health what course of action is open to him where local authorities, acting as his agent, fail adequately to exercise the powers of requisitioning unoccupied property for housing purposes.

I am prepared to take up with a local authority any case in which I am satisfied that they are not making adequate use of their delegated powers.

Is the Minister aware that a few months ago I drew his attention to the existence of several thousands of unoccupied dwellings in Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster, Paddington and St. Marylebone, a large proportion of which could be made available for housing purposes? Can he say whether he is satisfied that his powers are being adequately exercised in these areas?

It does not happen to be the case that a large unoccupied house is always capable of adaptation without an enormous expenditure of money. Is the hon. Member also aware that houses which have been taken over by local authorities in some boroughs are unable to be occupied because we have not the building material and labour to adapt them?

asked the Minister of Health if he will extend the power of requisition to unoccupied and inadequately occupied furnished houses in areas where the housing shortage is acute.

The powers I have delegated to the clerks of local authorities enable them to requisition unoccupied furnished houses. I am prepared to consider applications for the delegation of powers to requisition inadequately occupied furnished accommodation in par- ticular cases, where I am satisfied that there is an exceptional demand for housing accommodation which cannot be met in any other way.

Can the Minister say whether in such cases the tenant is allowed to remove the furniture or any part of it?

That is always a matter for arrangement.

asked the Minister of Health whether the rent demanded from a person living in requisitioned premises to which he was originally moved by reason of his being a transferred war worker is assessed on the same basis as that of a person living in requisitioned premises to which he was originally moved after having been bombed out; and, if there is a difference in method of assessment, what is the reason for such differentiation.

There were special arrangements applying to persons who had been bombed out, which were terminated by the circulars issued on 22nd October and nth December last year. These special arrangements did not apply to transferred war workers. If, however, there are individual cases which the hon. Member thinks require further consideration, I will be glad if he will let me have details.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say why there has been a distinction drawn between the bombed-out and the moved war workers?

There always was the distinction.

asked the Minister of Health why a licence has been refused to W. Moore and Sons, who have offered to build houses to let on land which the firm owns at Cheshunt.

I have found it necessary to restrict the issue of licences in this district because of the heavy competing demands for labour and materials, and the adverse effect on the housing schemes of the local authority for that district and for neighbouring districts.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Ministry of Works, who had requisitioned the Duchess of Bedford flats, Kensington, subsequently offered them to the Kensington Borough Council so that they could be requisitioned for rehousing purposes and that this local authority refused the offer; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the Kensington Borough Council makes full use of its powers of requisitioning with particular regard to this block of flats.

In accordance with the normal procedure these flats were offered by me to the borough council. The local authority ascertained that the owners would let these flats at rents which, having regard to the pre-war rents, were reasonable, and indicated that in these circumstances they did not wish the requisition to be transferred to them. I see no reason to take any action.

Is the Minister not satisfied that the action of this Borough Council could have been such that this accommodation would have been provided for the homeless, rather than for those who already have decent homes of their own?

As I have already explained on a variety of occasions, London is a great capital City, and there is need for accommodation in London for all types of persons. It would be a very sad day indeed if we could not find accommoda-tion in London for the large variety of persons who need to live in the City.

Can Members have an opportunity of seeing in the Library the comments made in a Russian broadcast sympathising with the Duchess of Bedford and her family in this unfortunate episode?

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to prevent local authorities from compelling their employees to join trade unions or any other appropriate organisation.

I have no power to intervene between local authorities and their employees in this matter.

May we take it that the right hon. Gentleman is a supporter of the Hitlerian and totalitarian policy of the closed shop?

The hon. Member can take it for granted that the Minister of Health is not going to take Hitlerian powers of dictating to local authorities.

Will the right hon. Gentleman persuade the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) that this is 1946 now, and not 1896, and that all negotiations are done through the trade unions?

I have known the hon. Member for Orpington for so many years that I would not try to persuade him of anything.

asked the Minister of Health if he will introduce legislation to ensure that the public and the Press shall be admitted to all meetings of local authorities and their committees.

The question of securing more publicity for the proceedings of local authorities is being considered by the local government associations, in consultation with my Department. I am very much in sympathy with this general aim; but I can hold out no hope of early legislation.

Do the Government propose to enact the policy laid down by the Prime Minister when he was a free lance demagogue, when he said that the local authorities should be governed by regional commissioners, and should not be independent, but Socialist, on the lines of Russian Communism?

I am afraid I am unable to follow the hon. Member in all those animadversions.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that hon. Members could set an excellent example in this matter in their own constituencies by persuading local authorities to provide accommodation for the public where local authorities have none provided at the moment?

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now in a position to make a statement on proposed legislation regarding the purity content and hygienic manufacturing conditions applicable to the ice cream trade.

I am sending my hon. Friend copies of draft Regulations which I published in the London Gazette," and of a circular I issued to local authorities, on 8th October.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is yet in a position to place in the Library a map showing the hospital regions he has in mind in the National Health Service Bill and the medical schools with which they are associated.

No, Sir. If the Health Bill becomes law in its present form it will then be my duty to consult the bodies and organisations concerned and lay an order defining the hospital regions before Parliament.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is now his intention to allow a Christian Science Nurse who has been fully trained to use this term of designation.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that the title Christian Science Nurse has been used for over 50 years by members of the Church of Christ, Scientist qualified to do so, he will see that no discrimination against Christian Scientists is made in the Nurses Amendment Regulations, 1946.

I would refer the hon. Members to the Debate of 14th October on the Nurses Amendment Regulations, 1946.

The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that my Question was put down before the Debate took place—

Yes.

—but is he also aware that the nursing of the sick is an integral part of Christian Science practice?

All this, of course, was very thoroughly debated on the occasion I have mentioned.

asked the Minister of Health what is the remuneration now received by general practitioners under the National Health Insurance Act; whether this payment complies with the standards recommended by the Spens Committee; and whether the remuneration under the present National Health Bill, when it comes into operation, will be based on the present payment.

asked the Minister of Health why he has refused to implement the recommendation of the Spens Committee on the remuneration of insurance practitioners by increasing the capitation fee to 12s. 6d. instead of 15s. which was the recommended amount; and if he is aware that this refusal has created dissatisfaction among insurance practitioners.

I am at present having discussions with representatives of the profession, and would prefer to await the outcome of those discussions before making any statement.

As the House is interested in the question of remuneration for medical practitioners, both in the present Measure and in the coming Act, could the right hon. Gentleman tell the House as soon as these negotiations are completed what the remuneration will be?

As soon as the negotiations are completed I shall be delighted to tell the House, but I think it would be tactless to make a statement at this moment when negotiations are under way.

asked the Minister of Health for how many, and which of the parishes in Northamptonshire, which, on 28th March, 1946, were without, or substantially without, piped water supplies, such supplies have now been provided; and whether he will make a statement on the results of his consideration of the unsatisfactory conditions of water supply in rural parts of the Kettering Division, on the progress of the schemes which on 28th March had been prepared, or were in course of preparation, and on the coordination of water supply under local authorities in Northamptonshire.

No parishes in the Kettering Division which were without, or substantially without, piped water supplies on 28th March, 1946, have yet been provided. Of the schemes prepared, or in the course of preparation, on that date, two for nine parishes are nearing completion; a local inquiry will shortly be held into two schemes for 21 parishes, and a scheme for three parishes is under consideration. To remedy the unsatisfactory conditions in the rural parts of the Division, a joint scheme for this and adjoining areas, by the exploitation of a source at Pitsford, is being prepared by a joint committee of authorities, and I am hoping that such a scheme will prove practicable.

Is the Minister prepared to stress to the local authorities, whose coordination in this matter has been far from perfect, as I think he knows, the extreme urgency of the water supply question in the rural areas in this Division?

The joint committee, to which I have referred, was called on the initiative of my Department, which is evidence of our sense of urgency about this matter.

Does the Minister recognise the desirability of taking into account alternative supplies, in addition to the supplies contemplated from Pitsford reservoir, particularly in view of the fact that there is still a village whose inhabitants get their water supply from dustbins?

The provision of a piped water supply to this area is extremely urgent, and it has been urgent for the last half century.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that at Orpington, Epsom and Ewell, Banstead, Welwyn and Surbiton, ex-Civil Defence ambulance workers have now been taken over by the local authorities operating an ambulance service; that the staff are required to work 24 hours on and 24 hours off duty for Civil Defence rates of pay; why these employees are not being paid the appropriate National Joint Council rates for a 48-hour week; and what steps he is taking, as it is unfair for patients to place their lives in the hands of persons who have to undertake such long spells of continuous duty.

I was not previously aware of the facts stated by my hon. Friend, but the matter is one in which I have no power to intervene.

asked the Minister of Health if he has been informed of the acute shortage of nurses in Birmingham hospitals, and that the Birmingham Public Assistance Committee is now confronted with the possible closing of certain wards in the local infirmary, and if measures can be expedited to augment the essential nursing services.

Yes, Sir. The shortage of nurses is unfortunately widespread, and I know that the Birmingham Public Assistance Committee is in particular difficulty. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and I are doing all we can to increase recruitment, by the improvement of pay and working conditions, publicity campaigns and other similar measures. I understand that the Birmingham authorities are undertaking a special recruiting campaign to deal with their particular problem.

Does the Minister contemplate the introduction of some national scheme to encourage larger recruitment of nurses for hospitals? The outlook for hospitals this coming winter is very serious indeed.

We have already got under way a national campaign, and when the National Health Bill is on the Statute Book, we shall really have a national scheme.

In view of the fact that there is a definite shortage, does not my right hon. Friend agree that the time has come when the whole question of recruitment and methods of training nurses should be inquired into?

It is being inquired into now.

Is the right hon. Gentleman giving any consideration to the possibilities of a system of voluntary nursing aid, such as is now in operation in the United States and without which many of their hospitals would have had to close during the war?

Some schemes are in operation here at the moment, but I am ready to consider any suggestion to ameliorate the very great difficulties of some local authorities at the present time

In considering a solution of this problem, will my right-hon. Friend consider the possibility of recruiting from the large number of competent displaced persons who are at present in displaced persons' camps on the Continent doing nothing?

A large number of persons from the Continent are coming over now, and are being employed by hospital authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will give an assurance that the calory value of rations in Austria will not be reduced below that of German rations.

This is a matter for the Austrian Government to decide in consultation with U.N.R.R.A. I am, however, naturally anxious that food imports should be on a sufficient scale to permit the rations to be increased from their present low level, and we are in constant touch with U.N.R.R.A. on the question.

Can the Chancellor relate his reply to a comparison between Austria and Germany?

Yes, Sir. We are directly responsible for the maintenance of rations in Germany, but not for the maintenance of rations in Austria, which is a matter for the Austrian Government and U.N.R.R.A.

Can my hon. Friend give an assurance that in conversations between the occupying Powers when it is proposed to increase the rations, the Austrian ration will be at least the equivalent of the German ration, and that the British representative will support that proposal?

We are doing everything possible to persuade those who can con- tribute towards securing that end to ensure that sufficient imports are brought into Austria for that purpose.

Do I understand my hon. Friend to say that the Allied Council has had nothing to do with the allocation of the ration level in Austria?

Certainly. The Austrian Government fix the calory standard for each 28-day period, and we are making representations to the Austrian Government that they should maintain and even increase that standard as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many new cases of tuberculosis have been notified in the city of Vienna during each of the last six months; and what is the institutional accommodation available for them.

There were 491 new cases in April, 481 in May, 586 in June, 369 in July, 382 in August and 335 in September. The number of beds at present available for tuberculosis cases in Vienna is 2,500.

In view of the probable increase in the tuberculosis rate in Vienna during the coming winter, would the Minister say what steps are being taken to increase the available accommodation?