asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how many schools have been built or rebuilt in each of the last three years in Newfoundland; and what is the total number of children educated in them and the percentage they form of the total school population.

In the three-year period 1st April, 1944–31st March, 1947, the number of new schools built was 211, and the number rebuilt and extended 115. It is not possible to give exact figures for each separate year as the work of construction sometimes runs into a second year. The total number of children being educated in such schools is 22,329, representing approximately 32 per cent. of the total school population.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what is the number of children receiving secondary education in Newfoundland; and what are the names of the schools where they receive it.

Owing to local circumstances such as the lack of communications and the smallness of many communities, the curriculum of a large number of schools in Newfoundland covers work from first grade to high school grade. During 1946, 173 one-room schools out of a total of 819 were doing work above the elementary level. In all, secondary school work is carried out in 751 schools in Newfoundland at which 6,079 children attend.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what number of houses and flats, respectively, have been completed to date by the St. John's Housing Corporation and what programme is in hand; the numbers and names of town and rural district councils set up, to date, in Newfoundland and any places where they are likely to be set up in the near future; and the number of magistrates' districts in Newfoundland and the names of their administrative centres.

(a) St. John's Housing Corporation. The number of houses finished and occupied is 99. The number unfinished but reserved for purchasers is 13. One hundred and twenty-eight houses remain unfinished. In addition, there are 40 flats finished and occupied by tenants, and 52 flats unfinished but allocated in advance to applicants. The building programme for 1948 is now under discussion between the Newfoundland Government and the Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what acreage of land has been cleared for settlement in the Humber Valley and the number of holdings established there; what acreage has been cleared for settlement

In the Humber Valley 537 acres have been cleared and 86 holdings established. The annual acreage cleared by Government elsewhere for settlement in Newfoundland is as follows: 1943, 213 acres; 1944, 626 acres; 1945, 642 acres; 1946, 518 acres; 1947, 636 acres. No figures are available in respect of land clearing by private individuals. Available records do not differentiate between established and extended Government holdings. The following figures relate therefore to both categories by years: 1943, 122 holdings; 1944, 362 holdings; 1945, 457 holdings: 1946, 139 holdings; 1947, 170 holdings. No information is available as to holdings established or extended by private enterprise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of continuous service chief and E.R.A's. of each class whose manning depots are Chatham, Portsmouth and Devonport respectively.

The exact figures of continuous Servicemen in the groups indicated cannot at present be provided without causing serious disturbance of current and urgent work. An approximate analysis as at the 30th September, 1947, is, however, given in the following tables:

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the inadequate bus service between Stowmarket, Suffolk, Old Newton and nearby villages; and if he will take immediate steps to impr6ve this in the near future.

I am advised by the licensing authority for public service vehicles that he has no evidence of need to improve these bus services.

asked the Minister of Education if he will inquire into the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of an emergency trained teacher who started teaching at a secondary modern school on 25th October, 1946, and who has not yet received increments to his basic salary warranted by his experience; and whether he will expedite the satisfaction of these claims.

The local education authority inquired whether, in the case of the teacher referred to, his employment in industry during the war may be treated for the purposes of the Teachers' Super-annuation (War Service) Act, 1939, as war service, and so entitle him to be paid increments of salary in respect of it. The authority were informed in October last that, subject to verification of certain details covering one period, the employment should be so accepted. I understand that the authority have taken steps to re-assess the teacher's salary accordingly.

asked the Minister of Education what is the total number of school places available in the electoral division of Clapham; whether all places have been taken; and whether there is a waiting list of children who have reached the age of five years and for whom admission to school has not been possible.

I am informed that in the electoral district of Clapham there are 7,253 places in county and voluntary schools. Present numbers on the roll are 6,821. No child is kept out of school for lack of a place, though it is not always possible to admit to a particular school all the children who wish to attend it.

asked the Minister of Education whether he can now give a date when Mr. G. E. Russell, of 58, West Street, Alford, Lincolnshire, who was demobilised in October, 1946, and who had previously made application, will be admitted into an Emergency Training College.

I am afraid that I cannot yet be more precise than when I wrote to the hon. Member a month ago. I hope that it may be possible to offer Mr. Russell a place in a college in the autumn of 1948.

asked the Minister of Education, with reference to the Sophia Evans endowment of £32 10s. a year for the benefit of the Church School and the working girls of Presteigne, Radnor, at what date the scheme was first brought to the attention of the school managers; who authorised the expenditure of sums paid out since 1st January, 1941, and the first meeting of the managers in 1947; and to what objects these sums were applied.

The Scheme established for this Foundation on 16th December, 1927, later it would seem fell into oblivion. It is understood that a copy came to light about two years ago. In reply to the remainder of the Question I must refer my hon. Friend to my answer on the same subject on 2nd December to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Minister of Health what was the amount of the subsidy from the National Exchequer and the County of London rates to make rents economical in the Downham Estate, East Lewisham.

The annual Exchequer subsidy payable in respect of houses on the Downham Estate is £52,834 and the annual statutory rate fund contribution is £26,417.

asked the Minister of Health what was the number of houses destroyed or damaged in the Downham Estate of East Lewisham by enemy action; and what replacement has taken place; and at what cost.

298 houses were destroyed of damaged beyond repair; of these 258 have been rebuilt. The number damaged are given in the table below; all these have been repaired to the standard of reasonable comfort.

asked the Minister of Health what is the cost of the social services carried on in the Downham Estate; and the number of personnel employed.

The two community centres are provided and run by voluntary bodies, and I have no information as to the cost or the personnel employed. Other social services cover a wider area that the Downham Estate, and the cost cannot readily be apportioned.

asked the Minister of Health whether his regulations permit the tenant of a house totally destroyed by enemy action to resume the tenancy when a new house has been built on the original site.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 20th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mrs. Manning) of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of families rehoused in the Boroughs of Paddington, St. Marylebone, Kensington, Chelsea, Fulham and Hammersmith for the three months ending 30th September, 1947.

I am informed that the numbers of families rehoused by the borough councils concerned are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health whether the medical profession is scheduled as an essential service and therefore entitled to such priority as this designation warrants.

I am not clear what my hon. Friend has in mind but if he will let me have further particulars I will be pleased to consider the matter.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the increasing shortage of water in the village of Sixpenny Handley; and what steps are going to be taken to remedy this situation.

I have just received such a complaint and have asked the Wimborne and Cranborne Rural District Council to investigate the possibilities of emergency measures pending the promotion of a comprehensive scheme which is contemplated from boreholes recently sunk at Gussage All Saints.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what acreage of land suitable for food-growing in Jamaica is being utilised for the provision of wood fuel for sugar factories; and what steps are being taken to encourage the installation of engines serviced by alternative fuels.

The information required is not readily available, but detailed inquiries are being made in Jamaica, the result of which I will communicate to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent herrings are being preserved in this country; and whether they

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that school children home from boarding schools during their holidays find it difficult to obtain their proper allowance of milk and eggs, because retailers will not or cannot honour the emergency cards presented to them; and if he will take steps to ensure that this situation is remedied in time for the Christmas holidays.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Hampstead (Mr. Challen) on 27th January, 1947.

asked the Minister of Food how many persons are employed in the Potato and Carrot Division of the Ministry indicating the number and total salary cost of ninety-two areas and provincial divisions, respectively.

The number of persons employed in the Potato and Carrot Division of the Ministry is 1,733, of whom 168 are engaged on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on the payment of acreage subsidies to growers of potatoes, wheat and rye. The number of persons employed in the divisional and area are, or will be, available for home consumption.

The following table shows how 1947 supplies of herrings have been marketed up to 30th October:organisation of Potato and Carrot Division is 80 in divisional offices and 696 in area offices, at an annual salary cost of £27,000 and £198,000 respectively. The divisional and area organisation also includes 285 industrial employees engaged on handling potato sacks in the Ministry's sack depots, at an annual salary cost of £55,000.

asked the Minister of Food if he will circulate in HANSARD an up-to-date list of all catering establishments which are entitled to impose additional house-charges, together with the amounts of such charges.

As a statement of house charges in operation at 31st January, 1947, is already lodged in the Library, with my hon. Friend's permission I will bring it up-to-date and send him a full statement.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now give a decision regarding the application for supplementary petrol made by Mr. C. H. Atkins, of 48, Waldeck Road, Chiswick, W.4, to which correspondence sent to his Ministry by the hon. Member for Brentford and Chiswick on 13th November refers.

I have written to my hon. Friend informing him that this case has been reconsidered, and in the light of further information supplied an allowance has been granted.

asked the Secretary of State for Air which R.A.F. airfields in the counties of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, other than Aldermaston, Kidlington and White Waltham, are to be retained for operational use; and which are to be put on a care and maintenance basis and available as far as circumstances permit for agricultural purposes.

Final decisions have not yet been reached on the airfields to be retained permanently by the R.A.F. for flying. Meanwhile, however, all the airfields in these three counties, other than those now in use for flying, have been made available for farming, including ploughing.

asked the Minister of Defence the numbers of the general housing labour forces now employed on housing work for the Services; the number originally proposed to be employed during 1948; and the maximum number whom it is intended to employ by the end of 1948.

On 31st October last, about 3,200 members of the general housing labour force and about 1,200 direct employees of the Service Departments were engaged on the housing programmes of the three Services. The requirements for 1948 will depend on the provision to be made in the Service Estimates now under preparation. I cannot, therefore, give the information asked for in the latter parts of the Question.