asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of men and women registered as unemployed with the employment exchanges in the Dover constituency; and what proportion of these men are disabled miners suffering from silicosis.

The numbers registered as unemployed on 10th November were 264 men and 58 women at Dover, and 85 men and 17 women at Deal. Thirty were registered disabled persons suffering from silicosis—28 at Dover, and two at Deal.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I must have some doubts about that figure, because there are hundreds of silicosis cases in my constituency, and these men could and should be absorbed into full employment.

If there is that number, then they have not registered. My answer is that there are 30 who have registered—that is 28 at Dover and two at Deal. If the others will take note of this Question and register themselves, I shall be glad to come to their assistance.

asked the Minister of Labour the date and terms of the agreement with the High Commissioner from Eire and the nature of the arrangements made thereunder for the purpose of effecting the direction of Eire citizens resident in this country.

In my reply to the hon. Member on 2nd December, I did not intend to convey the impression that there was an agreement. The arrangements which have been operated without objection, have been in force since 1942, when a letter was sent to the High Commissioner, from whom no comments were received.

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer the last part of the Question, which deals with the nature of the arrangements?

The nature of the arrangements here are the same as for other nationals resident here.

Will the Minister tell the House for the first time what these arrangements are?

I am sorry if I misunderstood the Question. If it is the nature of the arrangements that is wanted, I will undertake to let the hon. Member have that information.

asked the Minister of Labour whether any persons registering at local employment exchanges in Wales have been directed to, or placed in, employment outside Wales under the Control of Engagement Order.

Whilst I am not in a position to reply to the entire Question, I can say that no person registering for employment within Wales has been directed to work outside Wales.

While the nature of my right hon. Friend's reply will give satisfaction, can he give an assurance that no person will be compulsorily transferred to employment outside Wales?

No, Sir, because there are some parts of Wales which so closely adjoin England that it may be easy to transfer a person to the other side of the street.

asked the Minister of Labour whether Mr. Slim Dexter comes within any of the exemptions under paragraph 4 or 6 of S.R. & O., 2409 of 1947.

I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Member on Thursday last.

As the right hon. Gentleman then said that it may be that the gentleman in question was an excepted person under Article 4 (j), do I understand from that reply that he has some serious grounds for believing one of these very serious things is true about this particular man?

The hon. Member can put his own construction upon that, as upon other things which have been said.

Was not the right hon. Gentleman inventing when he said that?

I should like to know whether Mr. Slim Dexter is in any way related to Mr. Henry Dubb.

Was the right hon. Gentleman inventing in his answer?

asked the Minister of Labour if the 1,000 Polish workers employed in the engineering industry, largely on making coal-cutting machinery, whose trade union cards were taken away from them last summer, have now had them restored; what result his negotiations and representations on the subject have had; and if he can yet state the reasons for this action.

Whilst I cannot confirm the numbers mentioned, there is no change in the situation. No agreement had been reached with the union as to the circumstances under which Polish labour should be introduced in the occupations with which they are concerned. I am still in communication with the union, with whom I have discussed certain suggestions which they have promised to consider.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that I raised this question in July and August, that on each occasion I was promised an answer, and that the Minister has strongly deprecated the action of the unions? Surely, the unions take some notice of the Minister? What is the good of training these men for a job of work, if they are not allowed to do it?

Fourteen of the unions in the Engineering Federation have now agreed. Six are still considering the matter. The fact that there is no Pole unemployed because of the failure to get an agreement ought to be satisfactory to the House.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say which are the six unions concerned?

Not without notice.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unemployed signing on at the Brunel Road (Rotherhithe) Employment Exchange at the present time; and what were the comparative figures at the same Employment Exchange in 1936.

On 10th November, 1947, there were 181, and on 23rd November, 1936, 3,147.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that figures such as that are one of the reasons why the Labour Government retains the confidence of the vast majority of the people?

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that an ex-Serviceman, Mr. T. W. Hall, of 33, Beltinge Avenue, Herne Bay, has been refused facilities to complete a course of hairdressing upon which he was engaged in a Government training centre up to the time that the course was closed down on 4th September, 1939; and if he can state the reason for this refusal.

Mr. Hall applied for a further course of training in hairdressing in November, 1946. As he had been employed as a hairdresser for five or six months after his release from the Army, his application was rejected on the grounds that he was not in need of a training course to obtain suitable employment. I learn however, that during the past year Mr. Hall has been unable to obtain hairdressing work, and it seems that his prospects would be improved by some further training. I am, therefore, arranging for Mr. Hall to join a hair dressing class which has already completed the earlier stages of training.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will now make available to hon. Members the report of the Fact-Finding Committee set up as a result of the Grimethorpe Colliery dispute.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for West Edinburgh (Lieut.-Colonel Hutchison) on 13th November.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware, on the occasion to which he has referred, he stated that he knew that public opinion is much interested in this matter? Is there any reason, other than the desire to shield certain persons, why the House should not be given this information?

The hon. Member should not jump to such a conclusion.

Why not?

Because it is nonsense to do so. The answer I gave was that the report was not made to me. It was a private investigation made by the Mineworkers' Union, and I have no authority to order them to publish that report; it is a matter of domestic interest to them alone.

Since the Question was asked on 13th November, has the right hon. Gentleman asked the Union for permission to publish it?

No, Sir, and I do not intend to do so.

As coal production is going up so magnificently, is not this Question completely frivolous and stupid?

In view of the dismay of hon. Members opposite over the fact that coal production is increasing, is not my right hon. Friend aware that the less the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter) says about the matter, the better it will be for all concerned.

On a point of Order. Are these supplementary questions in Order?

I often have very great difficulty over supplementary questions. I always recommend hon. Members to read page 336 of Erskine May.

Having regard to the number of times that we have had that page referred to, may not it be read out to the House?

I think that hon. Members can spend a little spare time in the Library reading it for themselves.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons are registered on the Disabled Persons Register; how many are employed and how many unemployed on the most recent convenient date.

The number of persons registered as disabled on 20th October, 1947, was 828,666; the number unemployed on 17th November was 74,646, of whom 10,655 were classified as severely disabled and needing sheltered employment. It is estimated from these figures that the number of registered disabled in employment is about 750,000.

Can my right hon. Friend say what sanctions are being employed against employers who are not fulfilling their quota obligations, in view of the fact that there are over 70,000 of these people unemployed? Will he consider further sanctions if that step should prove to be necessary?

Is it not true that the vast majority of employers are faithfully carrying out their obligations?

Perhaps the House will permit me to give a rather long reply on this point. Employers are, on the whole, carrying out their undertakings. We have conducted a survey, the results of which, I hope, it will be possible to present to the House. A great number of non-compliances have been due either to misunderstanding of the regulation or failure to see notices. Every individual case has been followed up, and I am sure that we shall see an improvement following the further survey. As I have said, however, employers generally are doing their best.

Would my right hon. Friend consider increasing the quota, in view of the large number of unemployed, which has been constant for such a long time?

The figures are not constant. The personnel change from time to time. The question of increasing the quota has been considered, but we feel that it is best that those who are not yet taking part should take their share before the quota for those who are taking their share is increased.

What is the attitude of the Civil Service Commissioners to disablement and deafness?

That is rather a different question, but the Civil Service quota is considerably above 3 per cent., and is in line with the best employers.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will estimate the number of building trades workers who will be unemployed as the result of the proposed cuts in the Scottish housing programme; and how he proposes to absorb them into other industries.

No general unemployment of Scottish building workers is likely to arise in the immediate future as the result of implementing the recommendations made in the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948.

Can my right hon. Friend make an estimate for a little beyond the immediate future? Is he aware that there is considerable concern in Scotland among building operatives at the prospect of such unemployment?

There ought not to be that feeling at the moment. It is impossible to look too far ahead, but there are now over 5,000 building vacancies in Scotland, 3,000 of which are in connection with housing schemes. There is still a lot of work for people there. Further, the Scottish hydro-electric schemes will shortly require an additional 5,000 building workers. There need not be any serious apprehension about the situation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in reducing the arrears of work in the administration of P.A.Y.E.

Steady and substantial progress has been made. By April, 1948, the assessing work for 1944–45 and 1945–46 will be virtually completed and the assessing for 1946–47 will be well advanced in most areas and completed in many. The arrears of correspondence have been very much reduced.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an order permitting parents of Service men stationed overseas to remit small sums of money to their sons.

Inside the sterling area parents can send money gifts to serving sons by postal order, money order or through banking channels, but not by posting sterling notes. Outside the area the normal ban on money gifts, which is only lifted for cases of real hardship, applies, and we cannot spare foreign exchange to make an exception.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman reconsider this matter, as there is so little in the shops here for parents to buy and send to their sons? It is no use sending tobacco or cigarettes, as they can buy them cheaply in their own canteens. Will he not make an exception at Christmas time?

It is almost impossible to make an exception of that kind in this case.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that people do not know the regulations, and that money is continually being confiscated? Will he also bear in mind that so far as the Navy is concerned the only address is, "C/o G.P.O., London"?

I appreciate that. We have taken steps to bring this matter to people's attention, and we shall take further steps.

Will the Chancellor exercise some leniency with regard to the total confiscation which takes place at present?

We shall certainly consider that.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much paid publicity was taken by his Department in the Manchester edition of the "Daily Mail" to publicise the total ban on sending sums of money abroad, which came into force on 1st October.

None, Sir, but I welcome the publicity given by the Press in general to exchange control requirements, and I take this opportunity of repeating that sterling notes found in the overseas posts, or brought to the ports in excess of the permitted £5, will be seized. We must stop these loopholes through which spending power may get abroad, or notes now abroad may be redeemed here for full value in cash or kind.

While appreciating the need for strict currency control at present, will the right hon. and learned Gentleman pay special attention to cases where people have inadvertently transmitted notes through the post because they have not seen the notices in the daily newspapers?

We shall certainly take that into account.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider a plan by which all betting and pool transactions shall be made on an approved form bearing a revenue stamp as is required in bank cheques.

The method suggested by the hon. Member had already been considered before the form of the Pool Betting Duty in Clause 6 of the Finance Bill was decided on, and found to be less simple and equitable than a duty consisting of a percentage of the total receipts, which forms a graduated tax, more adapted to the existing systems of the pools and totalisators, and simpler to control.

If it is less simple than the system of cheques, would the right hon. and learned Gentleman consider removing the poundage stamp on cheques?

The banks would not care for the tax to be paid direct by them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of Scottish Members of Parliament who have refused to accept all or part of the recent increase in salary when it was raised from £600 to £1,000 per annum.

I cannot add to the particulars given in my reply to the hon. Member's Question on 18th November.

Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that Scotland is a separate country? That being so, does not his answer apply to Scotland in a different way?

No, Sir. I cannot disclose particulars, from whatever part of the world hon. Members may come.

Would not my right hon. and learned Friend agree that it would be against all the best and well-founded traditions of Scotland for an hon. Member to take up this position?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is prepared to arrange a voluntary weekly contribution by workers for the purpose of providing for house purchase, marriage, furniture or other capital purposes, in order to encourage thrift now and property ownership in the future.

The National Savings Movement already provides full facilities for regular saving.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the form in which national savings are presented to the public does not encourage these excellent objects? Will he consider modifying or expanding the presentation of national savings, to put these attractive aims before the public?

If the hon. Member means the form of propaganda in connection with them, I have no doubt that the National Savings Movement will consider his suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) the total net amount of Income Tax, Surtax, National Defence Contributions and Excess Profits Tax outstanding where agreement has been reached between the Inland Revenue authorities and the companies or individuals concerned, also what is the amount paid on account of such outstanding taxation by way of Tax Reserve Certificates;

(2) the total net amount of Income Tax, Profits Tax and Excess Profits Tax due and outstanding where the assessment or direction has become final and conclusive and after deducting the amount of Tax Reserve Certificates paid for.

I cannot give current figures of tax outstanding but of the £780 million Inland Revenue duties outstanding at the end of the accounting year 1945–6, it is estimated that £191 million was due and payable at that date and £589 million not due and payable by reason of the fact that the assessments were not finally determined. The total amount of Tax Reserve Certificates outstanding on 31st March, 1946, was £648 million; but it must be borne in mind that these may have been held not only against payment of arrears but also by other taxpayers not in arrear against payment of their current and future liabilities.

Will the Chancellor agree that the estimated amount of tax payable for the year 1947–8 being £1,430 million reflects great credit on industry, and their determination to pay their taxes at the earliest possible moment?

We shall always be glad if they will pay a little quicker.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants there were on 1st September, 1939; how many were added during the war up to 1st September, 1945, when this Govern- ment took office; and what was the total number employed on 1st December, 1947.

On 1st April, 1939—the latest available prewar return—the total number of non-industrial civil servants was 399,600. On 1st July, 1945—the last quarterly return before the change of Government—the corersponding number was 716,350. By 1st October, 1947—the last available return—numbers had been reduced to 690,600.

Is it not very desirable further to reduce this number, in view of the very undesirable practice of the direction of labour? Why not employ these people on really productive work?

Most of them are on productive work—productive administration.

Chaos and confusion.