asked the Prime Minister whether he will instruct all Departments to treat letters received from hon. Members as communications of urgency, and, in particular, those personal letters on such subjects as rates, conditions, etc., of dependants of men serving in the Forces, and requests for the release or transfer of men from units?

I am confident that every effort is made to deal as expeditiously as possible with all correspondence on the matters to which the hon. Member refers. It must, however, be borne in mind that Departments are bearing a very heavy burden of work arising out of the prosecution of the war.

While I do not expect the Prime Minister to give his personal attention to this, will he give instructions to someone to speed-up the machinery which deals with the release or transfer of technical men in the Armed Forces?