Mr. Wright:

May I follow that up with

just another question? Sometime ago the minister said that early in November he would hope to be able to make an announcement with regard to the final payment on the 1950 wheat pool.

Mr. Howe:

I still hope to make that statement shortly. The difficulty is that the wheat crop of last year involved about 350 separate grades. The accounting problem of putting a price on all those grades has proved enormous. The staff have worked night and day. I have not received the final results, but as soon as I do I will announce it in the house.

Mr. Solon E. Low (Peace River):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. Has the minister's attention been called to the fact that certain municipalities are recovering from pensions granted to aged citizens of this country certain relief payments that had been made to those citizens prior to the time that they were granted old age pensions?

Hon. Paul Martin (Minister of National Health and Welfare):

My hon. friend was kind enough to give me notice of his question, and in reply I would say first of all I am not aware of any such contemplated action. I am also not sure as to whether my hon. friend is speaking of payments made under the Old Age Security Act, the Old Age Assistance Act, or the Old Age Pensions Act; but in any

event, I should like to make it clear that all of these acts contain a clause which provides that no pension payment can be attached, assigned or seized in satisfaction of any claim against a recipient. This is provided directly in the Old Age Security Act and in the Old Age Pensions Act, and it is provided indirectly in the Old Age Assistance Act through the requirement contained in the federal act that the provinces must give an undertaking to include such a provision in their provincial legislation.

Mr. G. K. Fraser (Peterborough West):

should like to direct a question to the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance. The question is similar to the question I asked on January 31, 1951. Owing to the reports that communists are continuing to blackmail Canadians of Chinese descent who have friends and relatives in China, in order to protect these Canadians has the government given consideration to prohibiting the export of Canadian dollars and other funds to communist China and to countries behind the iron curtain?

Mr. James Sinclair (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance):

I will take that as a notice.

Mr. Gordon Graydon (Peel):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of National Defence. During the Korean campaign have any Canadians been taken as prisoners of war?

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

I have not had notice of this question, but speaking from recollection I do not think any have been captured. If any have been captured, it is I think only one, but I will have to verify that.

Mr. Graydon:

The reason I asked the question is the controversy now raging with respect to the treatment of soldiers of the United Nations generally who have been taken as prisoners of war.

Mr. Claxton:

I have a return on my desk, and I will look it up and let my hon. friend know later in the afternoon.