asked the Minister of Food what was the total production of white sugar in the United Kingdom during 1947 and 1948, respectively, or during the two most convenient twelvemonth periods, respectively, indicating in each period how much was produced by refineries, how much by sugar beet-factories during the campaign, and how much by sugar factories during the off season.

The total production of white sugar in the United Kingdom during the two calendar years 1947 and 1948 was as follows:

—	1947	1948
1. By refineries	1,517,306	1,803,667
2. Sugar beet factories during the campaign	296,434	283,110
3. Sugar beet factories during the off-season	161,842	211,305
TOTAL TONS	1,975,582	2,298,082

The totals include sugar processed here for re-export.

asked the Minister of Food what check is kept by his Department's, officials on the work done by section trade advisers, both with regard to their own trading operations and their allocations to other merchants; and how many cases of infringements of rules have been brought to his attention since the war by area supervisors and others.

Section trade advisers work under the close supervision of Area Potato Supervisors, who are whole-time officials of my Department; their duties do not include the making of allocations to other merchants. No instance of an infringement of the terms of appointment of a section trade adviser has come to my notice.

asked the Minister of Food what are the totals, both debit and credit, for England and Wales, and Scotland, respectively, in potato merchants' ledger balances; what was the original estimate before investigations began of the cases so far dealt with; what have been the actual figures; what have been the total costs of investigating cases already settled; and what more is estimated as being necessary to complete investigations.

An analysis of ledger balances as between merchants, growers, agents, etc., is not readily available for all periods. The figures given below cover, therefore, the ledger balances in respect of all trading operations of the Potato and Carrot Division of the Ministry:

—	Debits	Credits
	£	£
At 31st December 1948:
England and Wales	878,700	486,200
Scotland	19,500	13,400
TOTAL £	898,200	499.600

The amounts included above in respect of the 1941 and earlier crops are:

—	Debits	Credits
	£	£
England and Wales	223,500	52,800
Scotland	—	—
TOTAL £	223,500	52,800

When large-scale measures were begun in January, 1945, with the object of clearing outstanding balances, the amounts shown on the ledgers covering all transactions in respect of crops up to and including 1943 were approximately:

—	Debits	Credits
	£	£
At 31st December 1944:
England and Wales	4,350,000	1,360,000
Scotland	150,000	1,800
TOTAL £	4,500,000	1,361,800

of which roughly a quarter (net) related to crops up to and including 1941. The amount outstanding on all these old debts relating to crops up to and including 1943 is now relatively small.

asked the Minister of Food whether workers in shops and offices where no canteen facilities exist can receive a ration of sugar in the same manner as they now receive a ration of tea and milk.

I am afraid that we cannot spare the sugar for this purpose at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the value of feedingstuffs that have been exported from this country; and the estimated value of food that has been received in return, during the year 1948.

The value of feeding-stuffs exported from this country in 1948 was £301,000, of which exports to the Channel Islands totalled £169,000. No rationed feedingstuffs were exported other than to the Channel Islands, the principal exports to other destinations consisting of dicalcium phosphate and straw. It is not possible to give a figure in answer to the second part of the Question as the exports of feedingstuffs were not conditional on the receipt of food in return.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the average cost per mole caught by the vermin catchers employed by his Department or by county agricultural executive committees.

I regret that this information is not available. No records are kept of the numbers trapped and the carcases are not recovered when poisoning is employed.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will give the average cost per licence of administering the local fuel office of each district or combined districts in the counties of Brecon and Radnor; and what percentage of the costs is paid by his Department.

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury What amounts were taken over by the National Insurance Fund when it was initiated on the 5th July, 1948.

The total nominal amount of the securities taken over by the National Insurance (Reserve) Fund on 5th July, 1948, was £909 million. This includes securities of Approved Societies, the formal transfer of which was completed at a later date. In addition other assets were taken over, valued at between £2½ million and £3 million and consisting of office premises and equipment, and sundry working balances. An amount of £100 million was transferred to the National Insurance Fund from the National Insurance (Reserve) Fund in accordance with Section 66 (1) of the National Insurance Act, 1946.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will provide a list of the purchases, with the prices paid for each made out of the grants-in-aid provided by the Civil Vote, Class IV, Votes 1 to 8, for the year ending 31st March, 1948.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 16th March, 1949, Vol. 462, c. 193], supplied the following information as to purchases out of grants-in-aid provided in Votes 1 to 8 of the Civil Estimates, Class IV, for the year ended 31st March, 1948. It is not in the public interest to disclose the prices of individual purchases.

	£	s.	d.
National Gallery
Landscape with a Snake (Nicolas Poussin).
National Portrait Gallery
Self Portrait of John Phillip
Portrait of Sir Augustus W.
Callcott.
Portrait of Sir Thomas More
Portrait of Sir Charles Holmes
Portrait of Sir John Everett
Millais.
Portrait of Edward IV
Collection of 198 drawings by
Harry Furniss.
Collection of 67 drawings by
Harry Furniss.
Collection of engraved works by
Gillray.
Total (National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery)	£7,810	13	0

Tate Gallery
Kensington Sand Quarry (John Linnell).
A Lake Scene—Effect of Storm (Edwin Landseer).
Old London Bridge (D. Turner)
Westminster Bridge (D. Turner)
Portrait of Francis Beckford(Reynolds).
Portrait of Susannah Beckford (Reynolds).
Portrait of the Rt. Hon. Sir Capel Molyneux, Bart.
Broken Vows (P. H. Calderon)
Total	£2,228	8	0

Victoria and Albert Museum
Architecture and Sculpture: 5 items	320	0	0
Ceramics: 6 items	188	0	0
Engraving, Illustration and Design: 24 items	745	15	6
Metal work: 1 item	650	0	0
Paintings: 2 items	381	15	0
Textiles: 10 items	1,408	19	0
Woodwork: 13 items.	2,259	10	0
Indian Art: 5 items	786	17	3
For the Circulation Department: 61 items	613	19	8
Books for the Library: about 2,100	3,838	10	0
Total	£11,193	6	5

Science Museum
Department of Physics and Geophysics: 2 items	165	0	0
Department of Land Transport, Civil Construction, etc.: 4 items	29	0	8
Total	£194	0	8

asked the Minister of Health how many beds for maternity cases are available in the hospitals under the Leeds Regional Hospital Board; how many are now in use; what is the estimated number required to provide an adequate service; and how, and where, it is proposed that the shortage will he met.

On 31st December, 1948, 1,016 maternity beds were available in the hospitals for which the Leeds Regional Hospital Board is responsible, of which 795 were occupied. The Board is not yet able to estimate the number of beds required to provide an adequate service but is about to consider the matter. Meanwhile, schemes are in hand for providing an additional 71 beds and nine cots for premature babies at the Otley County Hospital, the Woodgates Maternity Home, Ferriby, the Staincliffe General Hospital, Dewsbury, and St. John's Hospital, Keighley.

asked the Minister.of Health what is the present and proposed use of the Seacroft Hospital, Leeds; to what extent the available beds are now being used; and what prevents any of the hundreds of vacant beds being allocated for maternity cases.

Seacroft Hospital is at present being used for infectious diseases and its future use is now being considered by the Leeds Regional Hospital Board and others concerned. On the 31st December, 1948, 76 out of the 104 avail- able beds were occupied. I am informed that staff is not immediately available for bringing into use the remaining beds in the hospital.

asked the Minister of Health what was the infant mortality rate in the Borough of Mossley, Lancashire, in each of the years 1921 to 1939, inclusive; and give comparable figures for the year 1945 to 1948, inclusive.

The particulars requested, so far as available, are as follow:

Borough of Mossley (Lancs.): Infant Mortality Rates
Year		Rate*	Year		Rate*	Year		Rate*
1921	…	116	1929	…	76	1937	…	47
1922	…	66	1930	…	49	1938	…	71
1923	…	85	1931	…	56	1939	…	53
1924	…	74	1932	…	66	1945	…	76
1925	…	37	1933	…	71	1946	…	40
1926	…	78	1934	…	69	1947	…	38
1927	…	39	1935	…	99	1948	…	Not available
1928	…	103	1936	…	77
* Per 1,000 births registered in the year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is yet in a position to make any statement with regard to legislation on local government in the light of the recommendations made in the reports of the Local Government Boundary Commission for 1946 and 1947.

This question has been under consideration by the Government who have decided that it will not be practicable to introduce comprehensive legislation on local government reconstruction in the near future.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the 60 huts at Pipers Wood which the Amersham Rural District Council claim are not suitable for housing because of siting and inaccessibility to the drainage system, are considered by impartial expert opinion to be suitable for housing; and, in view of the need for housing in the district, whether he will have the matter investigated by his department.s

This matter has been investigated by technical officers of my Department, who agree with the Council's officers that these huts are unsuitable for housing

asked the Minister of Health how many houses have been completed since August, 1945, in each of the urban and rural districts of Merioneth; how many houses are now under construction in each of these districts; and whether he is satisfied that the rate of progress is the best obtainable, having regard to the labour and material available.

As regards the first two parts of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the Housing Return, Appendix B. The answer to the last part is "Yes," but I am always ready to consider means of increasing progress.