Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider favourably the claim of the Royal Irish Constabulary pensioners who were pensioned before April, 1919, and increase their pensions to the amount now received by those who were pensioned after that date; and whether he will give favourable consideration to the granting of adequate pensions to the widows of those who...
Reverend Dr James Little: Is not the Minister aware that the cry of these pensioners and widows ascends to high heaven at the parsimony of this Government? [Laughter.]
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Minister of Health when the first delivery of the 2,000 temporary houses promised to Northern Ireland will be made; and within what period may the delivery of the total number be expected.
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the amount arranged between him and the Minister of Finance for Northern Ireland which will be expended annually by the Government of Northern Ireland in carrying out the administrative duties entrusted to them.
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Minister of Food whether, owing to the world- shortage of food, he will withdraw from the brewers 25 per cent. of the cereals allocated to them of the 1945 crop and devote the grain thus released to food purposes.
Reverend Dr James Little: Will the Ministry of Food make a strong appeal to the brewers in the interests of the starving people of the world to release voluntarily a fair quota of the 819,000 tons of cereals assigned to them from the 1945 crop?
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Minister of Labour whether he will expedite the demobilisation of those serving in His Majesty's forces, where release has been specially asked for, in the interests of food production and industry.
Reverend Dr James Little: Will the Minister explain why, in the case of a man who has worked on the land before joining His Majesty's Forces and whose release has been asked for to enable him to return to agricultural work, a certificate is required from the Minister of Agriculture notwithstanding the fact that his former employer or another farmer has asked for his release as a necessity? I think that is very wrong.
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the amount ex pended on the reserved services of Northern Ireland for the current year.
Reverend Dr James Little: Will the hon. Gentleman say what becomes of the difference between £ 34,500,000 paid into the British Exchequer this year from Northern Ireland, and the sum he gives as devoted to the reserved services? Does this amount come back to Northern Ireland?
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now take steps to ensure that the remaining restrictions on travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are entirely removed, and the freedom of travel restored between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom.
Reverend Dr James Little: Can the right hon. Gentleman give an approximate date when these tiresome regulations will come to an end, as that would be cheering news to the public?
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the popular feeling at the numerous accidents to aeroplanes, with great loss of life, he will give instructions that all aeroplanes are examined and certified to be in perfect order before leaving aerodromes.
Reverend Dr James Little: May I take it that the hon. Gentleman gives the assurance to the public that everything possible will be done to avoid these terrible accidents?
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Minister of Labour whether he will expedite the demobilisation of those serving in His Majesty's Forces for whose release the university authorities have asked, in order to enable them to continue and complete their studies at the earliest possible moment.
Reverend Dr James Little: Does the Minister recognize that many students are suffering very serious grievances owing to the slowness of their demobilisation? Is he further aware that one of my own constituents, a captain in the Army, was sent back to Italy, notwithstanding the fact that University College, London, asked for his release in order to enable him to complete his course for a Master of Science degree?
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Minister of Health the number of prefabricated houses delivered to Northern Ireland up to the present, in response to the request already made for these houses.
Reverend Dr James Little: Can the Minister give us some date for the delivery of these houses? The foundations and sites are ready and people are waiting for the houses to be built.
Reverend Dr James Little: asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the sums paid from the money raised in Northern Ireland by the Imperial Government during the past year towards health, housing and education, respectively, in that State, which are much below the standard of the same services in Great Britain.
Reverend Dr James Little: Does not the Chancellor of the Exchequer consider it would be an act of fair justice that, out of the balance of£34,500,000 paid last year to the Treasury, Northern Ireland should get a substantial amount to meet this charge?