§ 76. Mr. R. A. Butlerasked the Minister of Transport whether adequate priorities are available for passages to the Middle East for the wives and children of officials on foreign service.
§ Mr. BarnesTen per cent. of the available accommodation to the Middle East is reserved by my Department; this is sufficient to cover passages of officials and their families who are proceeding at the expense of the United Kingdom Government. Officials of Colonial, Palestine and Sudan Governments are not covered by this reserved percentage; passages for these officials and their families are arranged by the Colonial Office and the Sudan Government offices direct with the shipping companies. The traffic is seasonal and it is inevitable that there should be208W some congestion during the peak season under present conditions, but the next sailing of "Ascania" in December should provide for a large proportion of those awaiting passage.