asked the Minister of Transport how many prosecutions were instituted during each of the years 1938, 1946 and 1947, respectively, under Section 10 (6) of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, in respect of imposition by an operator of unreasonable schedules or schedules unworkable without transgression of the law.

No prosecutions of this kind have been brought to my notice.

In view of the conviction of certain transport workers that schedules are so fixed, will my right hon. Friend, in consultation with the Home Secretary, consider taking measures to enforce the law better in this respect?

That seems to be another question. I should like notice of it.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that proposals to increase the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles is causing a good deal of consternation amongst drivers of those vehicles, and are likely not only to increase the number of prosecutions of this kind, but to lead to very great danger on the roads in general?

That is another matter that will be taken into account. The House will have an opportunity of considering it.

asked the Minister of Transport on what grounds more than £32,000 has been spent in straightening out a road-bend between Sutton Scotney and Basingstoke in the district of Micheldever, Hampshire.

This bend was a danger spot. During the year preceding the preparation of the scheme six accidents occurred there, three of them in daylight, involving four deaths and five serious injuries.

How does the right hon. Gentleman explain why there is this considerable expenditure incurred on this bend when there are many more dangerous bends which should and could be straightened out at less cost?

I cannot express an opinion whether there are more dangerous bends that want attention at less cost. All I can say is that official road engineers have given very full examination to this, and that in their view the alteration is justified.

Surely, the Minister agrees that this is a fantastic degree of expenditure?

Not in view of the amount of work undertaken.

Will not my right hon. Friend agree that, obviously, what is wanted, instead of the straightening out of roads, is some kind of danger signal that must be obeyed?

I do not think that that affects this problem. These were head-on collisions in daylight, and, therefore, it is clear that we want the straightening out of the road.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will withdraw the proposal to incorporate the Cambridge Backs in the trunk road system, in view of the unanimous objections to the proposal voiced by the local authorities, by the amenity societies, and by all who know and value the road.

The proposal to which my hon. Friend refers has not gone further than a suggestion made by my divisional road engineer to the Town Council of Cambridge and the County Council for the purposes of discussion. The views of all concerned will be taken fully into account, and a local inquiry held, if necessary, before any decision is made.

Will my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that, before any decisions are taken, the Minister of Town and Country Planning will be consulted? Is he aware that what most of us are afraid of is that, if the road should become a trunk road, some zealous officer in his Department may discover the trees that overhang the road, many of which are very old, and may cut them all down?

I do not think my hon. Friend need be concerned with regard to the point raised in the latter part of his supplementary question. The problem involved here is fully understood. He will recognise that Cambridge is an exceedingly difficult town through which to move traffic. He can be assured that at a local inquiry all matters of this kind will be fully considered.

Will the right hon. Gentleman remember that there are university buildings on both sides of the road, and that to incorporate it in a trunk road will be like driving a trunk road through the middle of the university? Will he bear in mind the words of the poet:

"You can keep your Oxford side,

But spare our Cambridge Backs"?

Traffic at present drives through the university—past the entrances to the colleges.

Will my right hon. Friend consider alternatives? There are alternatives to using the Backs as a trunk road through Cambridge. There is Grange Road, for example.

All these matters will be taken into consideration. At the moment it is only a proposal.

Is the Minister aware that this proposal for the use of land is worse vandalism than any committed by the Defence Ministries?

I do not consider that a suggestion is vandalism, but the carrying out of it.

In order to give my right hon. Friend an opportunity of hearing at greater length the strong objections which there are to this proposal, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider relaxing the present restrictions on street lighting.

Yes, Sir. Whereas lighting authorities now generally work to a figure of 50 per cent. of prewar consumption of fuel for street lighting, I am prepared to agree an increase to 75 per cent. in view of the need, on safety grounds, for a better standard of street lighting. Lighting authorities are being so informed.

Was that reply drafted before the announcement over the weekend by the Minister of Fuel and Power as to the general position? Can the right hon. Gentleman make it good?

asked the Minister of Transport when it is intended to introduce legislation to implement the recommendations of the Road Safety Committee to deal with jaywalkers.

I cannot say at present when it will be possible to introduce legislation to give effect to those recommendations of the Road Safety Committee which I decide to accept.

Can the Minister say whether he has decided to accept the recommendation dealing with pedestrians on the road? Would he say how much longer he intends to have a system whereby we have the motorist controlled, on the one hand, and the pedestrian uncontrolled, on the other, with loss of life resulting?

There are certain of these recommendations which I have approved, but the hon. Member's Question related to the date of legislation.

Has the Minister seen the "Daily Express" poll of public opinion on this matter and its overwhelming majority in favour of the prosecution of jaywalkers?

Will my right hon. Friend, at the same time, do something to protect pedestrians on pedestrian crossings against jaydrivers?

asked the Minister of Transport how many Scandinavian timber carriers have been chartered by the British Government to bring timber to Britain from the Baltic; what was the cost; whether the tonnage was in excess of the demand; and in view of the fact that there is a loss between the hire terms and the freight charges if he will state the cost to the British taxpayer of the loss per day and the total loss, respectively.

Forty-eight ships were chartered for the 1947 and 1948 timber seasons and 18 for the 1948 and 1949 seasons. The total paid in hire on these ships to date is approximately £3,275,000. All the time chartered tonnage together with all suitable British tonnage was employed in lifting the timber required in the 1947 season and was supplemented by voyage charters of further foreign tonnage on the market. The position for the 1948 season is expected to be similar. During the Baltic timber season the full cost of the ships is recoverable by my Department. Losses are incurred during the off season. The precise amount of loss cannot be computed until voyage results are received from the managers but in the period between the 1947 and 1948 seasons the loss expected was £450,000.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how long this farce of State trading is to be allowed to continue, with its consequent heavy loss to the taxpayer, and will he not give these duties to private shipping firms?

If the shipping companies had been sufficiently forthcoming with the necessary amount of tonnage, this would not have been necessary. It has been owing to the shortage of coastal tonnage and the desirability of avoiding switching over deep-sea tonnage to this class of trade, which would involve the hiring of dollar freightage, that we have to carry out transactions of this kind.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some shipping companies lost ships during the war; and is he also aware that they are unable to build new ships on account of the lack of iron and steel allowed to shipbuilding?

I have often stated the figures of loss of tonnage to which the hon. and gallant Gentleman has referred. On the other hand, that does not justify the allegation that this loss is due to the incapacity of State trading when, at this moment, we are bridging the gap between the two situations to which he has referred.

The Minister says that the full loss is recoverable by his Department. From whom is it recoverable?

I said that the full loss during the timber season is recoverable, and the loss in between—

Recoverable from whom?

From the Timber Control for the carriage of the timber, as would be the case in any ships chartered for this particular purpose. The loss has been incurred when we have to carry this tonnage during the off season to make sure it is available when wanted.

Can the Minister state whether British shipping tonnage has been used to the greatest extent possible for this particular purpose?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Transport what general directions he has given to the British Transport Commission as to cross-channel services.

None, Sir.

Has the right hon. Gentleman, having nationalised so much cross-Channel shipping, any word to say about how it should be employed?

I indicated to the hon. Member last week that the Commission are putting all the available shipping they can spare on these routes. They are adequately catered for, except at peak periods.

Has the right hon. Gentleman given instructions for any ship or ships to be transferred from the Irish cross-channels routes to the Continental routes?

No, Sir. I have given no such instructions.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise the desirability of linking up to the utmost two portions of the United Kingdom—Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Yes, Sir, and on the whole that is done very effectively.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that he has no intention of diverting passenger traffic or cargo traffic from the port of Newhaven, and is he aware of the great concern caused locally by this apparent diversion?

I have already indicated that it is not my intention to give any such instructions in such matters.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the cost in this country of stainless steel.

The authorised prices of stainless steel are set out in the Related Schedule No. 20 of the Control of Iron and Steel (No. 62) Order, 1948. The schedule is available for inspection by anyone interested, in London and in the main provincial centres.

Is not the price of stainless steel in this country much higher than it is in other countries, and what is the Minister doing to make available facilities to manufacturers in this country to produce to capacity?

I think that the manufacturers have every facility to produce steel, which they are doing in large quantities.

asked the Minister of Supply on what grounds he has commenced the erection of a large dining hall at the Pale Manor Hostel, Malvern, against the wishes of 95 per cent. of the residents; what will be the total cost of the scheme; and why overtime and Sunday working has been authorised.

It is our policy to provide a complete service, including food and accommodation, at our hostels for single persons. A separate dining room is being built so that the conditions of residence at Pale Manor Hostel conform with this policy. The total cost will be £1,990. Overtime and Sunday working have been authorised to finish the building quickly.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary give any estimate of the number of dwelling houses which could be erected for the same expenditure of labour and building materials as is being wasted on this unwanted project?

I do not agree that materials have been wasted. If the hon. and gallant Member will correlate the £1,990 to any particular type of house we are building, he will get the number of houses which this will cover.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will appoint a working party to inquire into the iron and steel industry; and if he will await their report before making any decision on the future of the industry.

No, Sir.

In view of the record breaking achievements of this privately managed industry, does the Minister consider that it is desirable to disturb the rhythm of production, by nationalisation, or the threat of nationalisation; and will he undertake not to nationalise until and unless an impartial independent technical body, devoid of politicians, has pronounced in favour of it?

No, Sir. We have all the technical information we require about this.

Does the Minister consider that this industry is inefficiently run or efficiently run? If the latter, could he state on what basis it is proposed to nationalise the industry?

No, Sir. I was asked whether we would appoint a working party to inquire into this industry, to which my answer is, "No."

Will the Minister publish the technical information to which he referred in answer to my supplementary question.

The Question asked whether the Minister would appoint a working party. The supplementary question does not, therefore, necessarily arise.

asked the Minister of Works the terms of reference of the Working Party on the building industry; whether they include an inquiry into the Mobile Labour Squad of the Ministry of Works; and if he will announce the names of the Working Party.

I am not yet in a position to make an announcement, but hope to do so shortly.

Will the right hon. Gentleman ensure that the Working Party has adequate powers to call evidence, and that there is no arithmetical equality between employers' and employees' representatives, as that might result in a deadlock?

The hon. Member had better await my announcement of the composition of the Working Party.

asked the Minister of Works on what date in 1948 his Department sent a letter agreeing to an increase in the maximum prices of bricks; has it since been adhered to by the Government; or for what reasons it has been departed from.

On 16th February my Department notified the National Federation of Clay Industries that I proposed to agree to an increase in the maximum prices of bricks. The implementation of this decision, however, was overtaken by the removal of statutory control.

Does that apply to bricks dropped by the Lord President of the Council?

Does the right hon. Gentleman think it desirable that a Government Department should fail to honour its undertakings in this matter?

It was not a question of failing to honour an undertaking. There was later an agreement to remove all controls from the brick industry, and that I did.

May I take it that the letter did not authorise an increase of prices, but said that controls would be removed; and was that the only thing in the letter?

The letter indicated that I had given consideration to the problem and was prepared to deal with the question of raising the price of bricks; but in the meantime I took up with the industry the removal of all controls in order to give them freedom as far as they were concerned.

asked the Minister of Works if provision is being made for a full-sized Reference Room in the new House of Commons, so that there will be reasonable sitting space for Members and more accommodation to meet the needs of the Reference Staff for better organisation, material and general needs.

. No, Sir. The Select Committee on Rebuilding did not include a Reference Room in their plans for the new House of Commons.

Does my right hon. Friend acknowledge that the Reference Room has been very valuable to hon. Members, that it is well-known that it was too small and inconvenient, that there was no seating accommodation, and as it is an important factor in the Library facilities ought not something to be done in this matter?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Library Committee would be happy to consider any representations made about the Reference Room?

In the first place, I should like to say that such a question should be referred to the Library Committee rather than to me. I am carrying out the decisions of the Select Committee on Rebuilding.

Is the Minister aware that inadvertently he did an injustice to the Select Committee, because we could not recommend on this subject as it was outside our terms of reference? We were not allowed to deal with the general rearrangement of rooms, because we had very limited terms of reference.

That may be true of the Select Committee, but it is also true of His Majesty's Minister of Works.

Under the head of accommodation will the Minister arrange to provide silencers to deaden the loud conversation that takes place in the Reference Room, or alternatively to provide a conversation room?

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the £10 limit for building improvements, over which figure permission must be obtained from his Department, is delaying progress and impairing the efficiency of local education authorities; and what action he proposes to take in amending this restriction.

I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education that he is not aware that local education authorities have experienced difficulties of this kind. Nevertheless, I will bear the matter in mind in connection with future arrangements.

Is the Minister likely to be able to make a statement in the near future on the £10 maximum generally?

My hon. and gallant Friend must await the future and see.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken to prevent excessive felling of trees in Germany, having regard to the importance of maintaining Germany's forest areas; and what were the timber exports from the British zone for the latest month for which figures are available.

Felling in the bizonal area is restricted to twice the annual growth. This is not considered excessive having regard to the present acute timber shortage, and to the fact that German forests did not suffer by over-cutting during the war like those of other countries. In a written reply on 25th June, 1947, my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member certain assurances regarding forest regeneration in Germany. The quantity of timber exported from the British zone in May, 1948, was 66,074 metric tons.

Is it not a fact that even seed trees are now being felled?

No, I think that is not so. I believe that the ordinary German practices are being followed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether approval has been given for trade with Spain to be resumed by the joint U.S.-British bizone of Germany.

Yes, Sir.

Will the Foreign Secretary consider again this particular course of trade? Is it not obvious that any trade between Western Germany and Spain is really an underhand way of bringing Spain within the Marshall Plan; and is it not quite obvious that any trade with this murderous régime in Spain must strengthen the hands of a dictator against the people, and must undermine the struggle of the people against that dictator?

On a point of Order. Is it in Order for an hon. Member to make such a remark about a friendly Government?

This always raises a rather difficult position. I understand that we have no Ambassador in Spain, which makes the position rather involved.

Further to that point of Order. May I call your attention to the fact that, while we have no Ambassador in Spain we have a Mission in Spain, so we still have diplomatic relations. Therefore, is it in Order for an hon. Member to refer to the régime of a country with whom we have diplomatic relations as "murderous"?

Erskine May says:

"Opprobrious remarks must not be made against the Ruler of a Sovereign State with whom we are in amity."

Are we to understand that in future the definition of a "friendly country" is one in which we have an Ambassador and not a chargé d'affaires?

I think the hon. Member might read Erskine May. We are not in complete amity with a country when we have no Ambassador in it. That is quite certain. We have had several statements made by the Foreign Secretary which have made it perfectly clear that we are not entirely in accord with the Government of that country.

It is very important to get this matter right. Am I right in understanding, Mr. Speaker, that your Ruling to the point of Order depends not on whether we have an Ambassador or not, but on the distinction between a ruler and a Government? Or is it your Ruling that in this House we can refer in different terms to a friendly nation with whom we have not exchanged Ambassadors from the terms we can use about a nation with whom we have exchanged Ambassadors?

I think that the right hon. and learned Gentleman has stated the fact accurately. Erskine May makes a distinction between opprobrious epithets against the ruler of a country, the head of a country, and—though once again I deprecate them—opprobrious epithets against the Government of a country.

Am I not right in thinking that the use of tendentious epithets of any sort in a supplementary questions has hitherto been ruled out of Order; is it not an undesirable practice to use tendentious epithets of any sort in this way; and, if so, is not the hon. Member's reference out of Order?

I thought I had already said that I deprecated these statements.

May I ask, in reference to the original reply, whether the Government will do all they can to see that trade with the bi-zone is diverted into more desirable directions?

The position is that the United Nations have not instituted economic sanctions against Spain and therefore there is no reason why Western Germany should. The reason why a decision is required now is that a previous decision was not possible until a settlement of the question of German assets in Spain had been reached.

Will the Under-Secretary see that trade between every country in Europe, irrespective of politics, is prosecuted so that we can get Europe back on its feet again?

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the fact that a British official of the Control Commission has been convicted of a criminal offence in Germany is communicated to Scotland Yard to be recorded.

When a criminal charge is preferred, the Criminal Record Office at Scotland Yard is asked to state whether anything is known about the accused. The result of the case is subsequently reported to Scotland Yard. This is done in accordance with normal international police practice.

In view of the fact that these men and women employed in the Control Commission are denied the right of appeal to a British court, is it fair that their records should be put into the hands of Scotland Yard, perhaps to be used against them?

This is normal in regard to any foreign country, and the fact that an appeal is not allowed does not matter.

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply is being sent to the French Government's request that the British and United States Governments should postpone the proposed Frankfurt meeting with the Commanders-in-Chief, until after the vote in the French Assembly.

A request to this effect has been received this morning. Meanwhile, I understand that the Allied Military Governors had already postponed the meeting.

That announcement will be widely welcomed in France. May we therefore take it that no fresh step will be taken in connection with the German situation until after the French Assembly has reached its decision?

Well, certainly the meeting will not take place.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the tonnage of stocks of ware potatoes in the country in possession and not in possession of the Ministry of Food, respectively, at the latest available date.

On 8th June we held 18,500 tons, which we expect will be used by the end of this week. Other stocks are negligible.

Can the hon. Lady say what is the stock of potatoes not in the possession of the Ministry?

It is negligible.

Then why did the Ministry take the important decision to ration potatoes when they did not know the total stocks in the country? Does the hon. Lady not now realise that rationing was completely unnecessary, and that all the Department's dealing in swedes and turnips resulted in a loss of money?

That is a wider question.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the losses sustained by private importers of new potatoes through competition with each other in the foreign market and the consequent payment of unnecessarily high prices, he will take steps to avoid this excess expenditure of foreign exchange by pursuing in suitable circumstances the policy of bulk buying which has proved successful with other commodities.

My right hon. Friend did not consider that bulk buying would be appropriate for the relatively small quantity involved, and he had hoped that private traders would not misjudge the market as apparently they did.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the market was badly misjudged on this occasion, resulting in a large and unnecessary expenditure of sterling? In similar circumstances will it not be possible to give rather more than moral encouragement to associations of representative traders who could organise voluntary distribution, and give a good service to the public at a reasonable price?

We shall consider it.

Would it not be better that the private trader should lose his own money and learn something, rather than that the Ministry of Food should lose the taxpayers' money and not learn a lesson?

rose—

Mr. Thomas Reid.

Do let me have another question, Mr. Speaker.

The hon. Member has had several opportunities already.

asked the Minister of Food what is the reason for the dumping of about 1,000 tons of imported cooking potatoes near Swanmore, Hampshire, and for these potatoes being offered for sale for either pig and poultry food, or human consumption, at 4s. 3d. per cwt. or £4 per ton; what was the cost to his Ministry, including cost of transport, of these potatoes; and whether he will take steps with a view to avoiding such bad bargaining for the public in future.

Of 792 tons of imported potatoes temporarily stored near Swanmore, 174 tons were sold for stock feeding as they were not keeping. The loss incurred by not being able to sell them for human consumption was about £1,100. My right hon. Friend would certainly not agree to any change of policy that would prevent our insuring against a critical shortage even at the risk of a small surplus.

Is the hon. Lady aware that I have seen and eaten some of these potatoes, which were sold as food for pigs at £4 per ton? They were perfectly good, as were the great majority of the consignment. This is a scandal in that part of the world. Can she say what it cost the Ministry to purchase the potatoes?

I have already said that the loss was £, but I will let the hon. and gallant Member have the whole cost.

Are we to understand that when a private trader makes mistakes in the market he is blamed for it, but that when the Ministry make mistakes it is called insurance?

I would like the hon. Gentleman and others who have put down Questions on potatoes to know that the quantity of potatoes sold as stock food and to Germany during last year is one-tenth of 1 per cent. of the total supply. I would like them to compare that with the figure during the war, which was 3.5 per cent. per year of the total supply.

Is the hon. Lady aware that it is currently stated that the price paid for these potatoes was £16 per ton? Is she aware that it was freely stated in the neighbourhood of Southampton that several shiploads were diverted back to the Continent?

If the hon. and gallant Gentleman will let me have details I will inquire into the matter further. He has not given them, to me; he has raised the matter in the House.

asked the Minister of Food what was the total weekly domestic consumption of milk during the recent period when rationing was suspended; and what was the weekly consumption for the comparable period immediately preceding the suspension.

I regret that the information which my hon. Friend desires is not yet available. I will send it to him as soon as possible.

When does the hon. Lady expect this information to be ready?

At the end of the month, I think.

Will the hon. Lady circulate it to others as well?

I will let the right hon. and learned Member have it if he would like it.

asked the Minister of Food in view of the fact that the centenary of the London Society of Compositors were allowed special dispensation for extra rations, why similar facilities have not been granted for the centenary of the Orpington Baptist Church, particulars of which have been sent to him.

The London Society of Compositors were not allowed extra rations for their centenary dinner, which was provided by a caterer from his normal allowances.

That is an easy way to get out of the question. Has not the hon. Lady been misinformed? Is she aware that this is a form of political nepotism which brings Parliamentary institutions into contempt?

I do not think the hon. Member knows the details. The London Society of Compositors had their dinner during the time when numbers were limited to 100. That order was withdrawn, but during the time it was operating the Society were given a dispensation.

Disgraceful.

asked the Minister of Food what has been the annual and the monthly average reported loss of ration books in each of the years 1944 to 1947; and what has been the monthly reported loss since the beginning of this year.

With permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the numbers of ration books issued in replacement of those reported lost, stolen or destroyed in the periods mentioned.

Has the hon. Lady any figures to show how many lost books were recovered?