Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the fact that many shops have permanent blackout, thus necessitating artificial lighting, he will prohibit this and make the closing time always precede the blackout time?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport (1) whether, in view of the large number of men and material being used in widening the main Uxbridge to Gerrards Cross Road, which is not of importance to the war effort, he will arrange for them to be better employed in war work; (2) on what date he now expects to open to traffic the Uxbridge by-pass?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: Will the right hon. Gentleman make personal inquiries into this matter, when he will see that this new work which is being done is quite unnecessary in connection with the other scheme? Will he also bear in mind that a few months ago we were told that the Uxbridge bye-pass road would be finished and opened in August—after work had been going on there for three years—and that now we are...
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Supply the amount of overtime paid in his Department for the last month for which figures are available; whether there has been any increase in the ordinary pay as compared with the month of December, 1941; and, if so, how much?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: In view of the fact that there is an increase over what was paid six months ago, can the Minister give an explanation?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Fuel and Power approximately how many officials will be required to carry out the scheme of rationing fuel; what will be its cost; and how much extra coal does he anticipate' will be saved by compulsory rationing as compared with voluntary fuel saving?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: Will that be added to the cost of the scheme?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Aircraft Production how many dive bombers were ordered from America in 1940, and when; and were they merely a sample lot for testing and trying-out purposes, or were they to be looked upon as a fighting unit?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any cases have arisen in which proposals for deferment of calling up of civil servants have been considered excessive and have necessitated review by the Treasury, as indicated in the circular of 12th September, 1941, issued by the Treasury, in the light of the Report of the Committee under Lord Kennet; if so, the names of the Departments...
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, with a view to the saving of fuel in households, offices, factories, etc., he will include in his propaganda to fuel users requests that they should inaugurate a system whereby part of the amount saved by the reduction should be paid to the staff in order to give them personal incentive to keep the consumption as low as possible?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will bring under the notice of Lloyds' Insurance Committee the decision in the case of Fibrosa Société Anonyme versus Fair-bairn, Lawson, Combe, Barbour, Limited, and point out to them that the advice given to them by the trading with the enemy branch of his Department on the subject of the refund of premiums no longer holds good?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has now any information as to the use of tanks made in France in the fighting in the Libyan campaign?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, as the conditions under which payment is made for overtime in the Civil Service are governed by awards of the industrial court or by agreements with the staff associations, he will take steps, by conference, or in some other way than by unilateral action, to make arrangements more economical to the Government from the point of view of...
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that nearly three years of war have elapsed since our organisation of man-power commenced, some of the staff who were engaged in this organisation can be trans ferred for national employment in other directions?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, having regard to the fact that the approximate average ordinary hours worked weekly by civil servants is about 44 or less, these hours could not be increased during the war, thus saving overtime pay and releasing surplus staff for war work.
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Secretary of State for War whether any of the tanks being used by the enemy against Russia were made in France; and, if not, on what fronts are those tanks being used?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Labour whether he will organise the workers under the National Dock Corporation, so that when they are unemployed they will do casual labour in other occupations and so relieve the lighterage, wharfage and stevedoring rates which have been increased under the Essential Work (Dock Labour) Order, 1941?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of overtime paid in his Department for the last month for which figures are available, and has any improvement been made in the peace-time system of checking overtime to ensure that the worker has fully worked 100 per cent. in his ordinary time before working overtime?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: In view of the large amount of overtime that is paid, should not the Minister introduce some special system of checking overtime?
Mr Reginald Purbrick: asked the President of the Board of Education the amount of overtime paid in his Department for the last month for which figures are available; and has any improvement been made in the peace-time system of checking overtime to ensure that the worker has fully worked 100 per cent. in his ordinary time before working overtime?