Sir William Davison: Will not my right hon. Friend consider whether this is something of a lottery and encouraging gambling?
Sir William Davison: rose—
Sir William Davison: May I put my Question now, Sir?
Sir William Davison: May I put my Question, Sir?
Sir William Davison: Is the Minister aware that, since I put a similar Question to him in November last, the exactions of Germany upon occupied countries have gone up from £3,000,000,000 to 5,000,000,000, and that they still go on?
Sir William Davison: I thought the notice in HANSARD was to the effect that Members may obtain copies of their speeches on application, but I was not aware that they could obtain reprints of the Report as a whole, or in part.
Sir William Davison: I am not quite clear on one point. My right hon. Friend said that 20 tons were to go in May and June and then he referred to a figure of 40 tons. Does that mean that after May and June 40 tons of wolfram are to be exported from Spain to Germany? It seems a large amount.
Sir William Davison: Is it not a fact that anyone reading the circular would consider that only £100 of expenses was to be allowed? There is no suggestion that the figure for the previous year would be adopted.
Sir William Davison: With regard to the Debate on Foreign Affairs, does my right hon. Friend recollect that the Prime Minister said that the recent Debate on Imperial Affairs before the Prime Ministers' Conference was very useful, and would it not be of use also to have the Debate on Foreign Affairs before the conference takes place?
Sir William Davison: asked the Minister of Health whether, in connection with the issue of official birth certificates, he has now given further consideration to the possibility of issuing a simple certificate merely stating the date of birth of the applicant, without any additional information as to legitimacy or illegitimacy, such certificate to be issued to applicants in consideration of a nominal payment; and...
Sir William Davison: Has the Minister ever had the pleasure of awarding a scholarship to a girl of 18 to enable her to go to a university, and of seeing her blush scarlet when she was asked to produce her birth certificate to confirm her age because it would disclose that she was illegitimate? Why should these young people be subjected to this unnecessary humiliation?
Sir William Davison: Is it not a fact that legislation would not be required in order to put this matter right in the way I suggest, and that there would be no difficulty whatever in sending an extract from the birth certificate to show the date of birth?
Sir William Davison: asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Economic Warfare the present position with regard to exports of chrome from Turkey to Germany and Great Britain, respectively; and under what circumstances has Turkey recently increased her exports of this vital war material to Germany while substantially reducing her exports to the Allies.
Sir William Davison: Will this matter be pressed urgently? Does it not seem an extraordinary thing that an Ally should export to the enemy goods for the destruction of the soldiers of its own Ally?
Sir William Davison: Will the hon. Gentleman consider getting into touch with the President of the Board of Education with a view to having a three minutes' talk every day in the schools advising children of the danger of crossing the road?
Sir William Davison: If the hon. Member will give way I will answer for my right hon. Friend. What he said was that he could not conscientiously recommend the Committee to adopt a princple that he could not carry out. That was very fair. There was nothing dishonest about it. It was an honest reply.
Sir William Davison: I have done so.
Sir William Davison: In view of statements that leaflets have been circulated from this country in order to interfere with the Presidential election in America, can my right hon. Friend make a denial that any such leaflets have been circulated?
Sir William Davison: I rise only to emphasise a point with regard to direct grant schools. I dislike very much the suggestion that they would lose their dignity, because I do not think that is a term which is in any way applicable to them. What they are afraid of, so far as I understand it—and I have been associated with schools of this kind for many years—is that they will lose some of their independence. In...
Sir William Davison: I quite agree that local authorities are making experiments but they are not as free to make experiments which may possibly be failures as independent or semi-independent schools. As an example, in one such school with which I was associated the headmaster established years ago with great ultimate success the heuristic teaching of science, which probably might not have been approved by the...
