asked the Minister of Works how many premises consisting of offices are being erected or have been licensed for erection on the understanding that, when completed, they will be let or leased for use by a Government Department or by a nationalised industry or undertaking.

Nineteen buildings are being erected for lease to the Government as offices and two more have been licensed. One building for lease to a nationalised industry has been licensed.

Can the Minister say what conditions are imposed as to the terms of these leases, and whether an economic rent is paid in all cases?

I cannot, without notice, give the exact terms of the leases, but I understand that in all cases an economic rent is paid.

Will the Minister say what percentage this building is of the total office building which is taking place in London?

I cannot do that without notice.

asked the Minister of Works whether he can now make a statement on the future of the factory of General Aircraft, Ltd., Feltham, Middlesex.

Consultations are still continuing and I am not in a position to make any statement at present.

Can the Minister say what kind of consultations are taking place; and at the same time can he refute the statement which has been made recently that this factory is to be taken over by the American authorities?

Consultations are taking place between myself and my colleagues. I can make no further statement on other matters.

Does the Minister agree that it would be a pretty poor piece of planning to convert a factory in which many hundreds of locally resident skilled mechanics have been employed into a mere store for his Department?

As consultations are taking place, I cannot make any comment.

asked the Minister of Works why he attempted to prevent bathing in the Serpentine, at Easter.

The normal date for opening the mixed bathing season in Hyde Park is the last Saturday in May, and there has been no demand in previous years for earlier opening. Safeguarding the lives, health and property of bathers necessitates a number of arrangements, including the recruitment of a staff of attendants, erection of canvas shelters and chlorination of the water. These arrangements take about three weeks to make.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that in future years he will take to heart the lesson which he was taught rather forcibly this year, and make the necessary arrangements in time for the first public holiday?

No, Sir. I think that it would be absolute waste of money to make these arrangements three weeks in advance and then for no use to be made of the service.

Surely the Minister realises that in this exceptionally warm weather the public are entitled to bathe? Does he think that anyone but a Government Department would give such a ridiculous answer?

I am not preventing anyone from bathing. All I am saying is that it would be unwise to make these preparations more than three weeks before the date which has been the normal date for the opening of the bathing season.

Could not members of the public who wanted to bathe have been allowed to go in at their own risk? What is there to be said against that?

I do not know that any people have been stopped. All I say is that preparations for mixed bathing could not have been made in time.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is now in a position to say when the road in Richmond Park between Robin Hood Gate and Pen Ponds carpark will be re-opened to motor traffic.

The road between Robin Hood Gate and the Pen Ponds carpark was opened to motor traffic on Saturday, 23rd April.

asked the Minister of Works if he will give an approximate date when the Ministry of Food will vacate the premises 39–45, Victoria Street, Bristol; and if he will arrange to erect temporary premises on the spare ground adjoining these premises if he is unable to find alternative accommodation, so that the offices and showrooms can be returned to the owners who have been denied the use of them for seven years.

Proposals are under consideration for a new building to house the Ministry of Food office. Until negotiations are completed I shall not be able to give a date for the release of the premises at 39–45, Victoria Street. It has not proved possible to lease the adjoining land in order to erect a temporary building.

Will the Minister do all that he possibly can to hurry up the evacuation of these premises so that the owners can use them for their legitimate purposes?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why Rough Warren Site, Tankersley, Yorkshire, is being requisitioned for opencast coal mining despite 10 acres of it having recently been planted with hardwoods and 15 acres comprising mature hardwoods; what is the quality of the three seams, Flockton Thick, Joan and Lidgett, which will be worked on this site; and what is the expected yield.

This site is expected to yield 79,000 tons of good and fairly good coal from Flockton Thick and Joan seams. Lidgett seam is not to be worked. The mature hardwoods are ripe for cutting and the saplings have been planted so recently that their sacrifice represents a small cost compared with the value of the coal to be won.

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that in the report of the Select Committee on Estimates, just published, in paragraph 33 the committee state that they were assured that care was taken to preserve woodlands and other amenities near urban areas. How does the hon. Gentleman reconcile that statement with what he has just said?

Because, as I have said, the mature hardwoods are ready for cutting, and would be cut in any case.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if any statement on development in the Scottish coalfield will be made in the near future.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make a statement as to his policy in regard to the proposed pit closures in Lanarkshire.

The important developments that are taking place in the Scottish coalfields, involving the expansion of production in the Fife and Lothian areas to take the place of pits in Lanarkshire where the coal reserves are exhausted or which are hopelessly uneconomic have been fully described in the statement issued by the Scottish Divisional Coal Board on 28th January last. The general plans drawn up by the Board to promote these developments have been approved by my right hon. Friend.

Will my hon. Friend again consider the question of the great economic upset that this means in the life of Lanarkshire? It is not correct to state that the coal reserves in Lanarkshire are entirely exhausted, since there are over 600 million tons of coal in Lanarkshire. The more closures that take place, the greater the menace becomes to the workers. Will the Minister therefore consider the question of discussing this matter with the local authorities of Lanarkshire and the National Union of Mineworkers?

We realise the implications of this on the social life of the people. As I had said, my right hon. Friend did approve the general plan of the Coal Board, but I ought to emphasise that the timing of the particular closures, and the other matters of detail, are for decision of the National Coal Board after they have consulted the workers, their union and other interests affected. We are of opinion that these matters have been fully discussed, but there is nothing to prevent any interested party from having a discussion with the Coal Board as to the timing of this change-over.

Will the Minister bear in mind that miners' families do not exist by coa1 alone and that the local authorities who will be the receiving agents for those displaced, require to have other industries installed in their areas in order to employ the other members of the miners' families.

I can appreciate the anxiety of my hon. Friends in this matter, but I think it is fair to say that under private enterprise these pits would have been closed without reference at all to anybody and without any of the consideration we are now showing.

Will the Minister say if the representatives of the workers, that is, the trade union officials, approved the closures, and, if they did, why opposition is now being expressed?

As I see it, when the statement was first made there was general approval by the National Union of Mineworkers, and they consulted with the Scottish Board in order to provide an arranged programme of timing this matter, and also to bring it to the notice of the people concerned. I should imagine that hon. Members are anxious about this matter because obviously there is bound to be some social unrest by reason of this very great change-over.

May I again ask the Minister whether he is aware of the position in Lanarkshire at the moment? Is he aware that officials of the National Union of Mineworkers have prevented a huge strike, and that the Coal Board have entirely ignored them and only last week went back on a previous decision which they had taken with the union?

I cannot accept that the Coal Board have done that. They have not gone back on any decision. The fact does remain that whereas the average output is 15 cwt. per manshift in Lanarkshire, there are pits in the other counties capable of producing 30 cwt. per man-shift, and that is the most economical use of manpower in Scotland.

I beg to give notice that I shall endeavour to raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Minister of Food whether maize will be included in the list of United Kingdom requirements to be obtained with the second annual instalment of Marshall Aid.

The programme for spending dollars received by the United Kingdom in the second year of Marshall Aid has not yet been settled, and I regret that I cannot, therefore, answer the hon. Member's Question.

Would not it be a very good thing to include maize instead of buying pork, which must be a very much more expensive way of using our dollars?

We will certainly consider that.

Will the right hon. Lady bear in mind the vital importance of having maize, and having it early in the year, for pig breeding?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Food what improvement there has been during the last financial year in the supply of fats to fish friers; and whether he expects any increase in the present financial year.

During the last financial year arrangements were made whereby no fish frier now receives less than four cwt. of fat for each eight week period. In addition more than 3,000 new licences were granted. There is no prospect of any further increase in the next few months, but consideration will be given to the needs of new housing estates.

Is not the right hon. Lady aware that, even with the improvement that there has been in the industrial areas, there is a very great feeling that the present ration is quite insufficient, and will she again review the subject with the idea of increasing the ration?

We are always looking at it. I, of course, realise that every area would like a little more fat for fried fish.

Can the right hon. Lady tell us who are her advisers as to local requirements in these cases? Are they from the local food committee?

We have local committees.

in view of the shortage of meat and the desperate need for more fried fish and chips, is it not possible to purchase more fats from other countries like New Zealand, where I understand they are available?

I can assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that we look at every country where we believe that there is fat available.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will grant a licence for the sale of sweets to Mr. V. A. Larkman, Bank Road Post Office and Stores, Bank Road, Devizes, in view of the public demand for it, concerning which he has received correspondence.

My right hon. Friend grants new licences for the present only where the existing shops in an area are not able to meet the needs of the public: There are two shops selling sweets within 300 yards of Mr. Larkman's premises and we should not therefore be justified in giving him a licence.

Might I ask the right hon. Lady, first, whether she listened to the broadcast of the Lord President of the Council the other night, when he stated that the policy of the Socialist Party was to grant freedom to retail traders; and secondly, whether she is aware that, though there are those two shops, it is the evidence of the local inhabitants that those shops are not able to provide a sufficiency of sweets for the people?

I think that if the hon. Gentleman goes round his constituency he will discover that there are 40 sweet shops in the Borough of Devizes.

asked the Minister of Food how much Algerian wine has been Withdrawn from bond since 5th April, 1949.

No figures of withdrawals of wines from bond since 5th April, 1949, are available.

Does that reply mean that they are unknown, or that it is not in the public interest to give them?

If the hon. Gentleman had a little more information on the subject, he would know that the figures are published in the Trade and Navigation Returns in the following month.

Is it not a fact that Algerian wine is good only for salad dressing?

I am prepared to try it.

As the right hon. Lady has not been able to answer a previous question, could she perhaps tell us how much of this wine was actually drunk and with what result?

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that farmers in Lincolnshire have been visited by inspectors on Sundays and whether he will make it clear to his Department that these visits are giving offence, and give instructions that such inspections and visits should be limited to weekdays.

No complaints have been received about such visits. For enforcement duties to be carried out efficiently enforcement inspectors cannot work to a rigid timetable, and therefore I am afraid I am unable to give the instructions suggested by the hon. and gallant Member.

Is it not really horrifying that these people should be visited on Sundays; they object to it, and surely there are six days when the inspectors could do their work, and ought they not to leave the seventh day alone?

Does the hon. and gallant Gentleman believe that the potential illicit slaughterer is not prepared to practise on a Sunday?

Yes.

asked the Minister of Food what is now the value of the allowance of meat made to British and foreign agricultural workers who live in hostels; what is the equivalent allowance made to workers in heavy industry who live at home and who take one main meal a day at a factory canteen; and what is the value of the allowance of meat to agricultural workers who live at home but who have no canteen available.

The weekly allowances are as follow: Agricultural worker living in hostel and taking 12 main meals a week, 2s. 6d.; Industrial worker using canteen for five main meals a week, 2s. 5d.; Agricultural worker without canteen, 1s. 1d.

Does not the right hon. Lady think that it is extremely unfair on the agricultural worker who has not got a canteen to which he can go?

The hon. and gallant Gentleman knows that I have answered this question on many occasions. We recognise that the agricultural worker should have his ration supplemented. That is why we give him an extra 12 oz. of cheese and extra allowances including butter and sugar during certain seasonal operations, and, of course, extra sugar and tea for hot drinks.

Will the right hon. Lady consider offering the agricultural worker the opportunity of having either the cheese or the extra meat, and then see what happens?

The meat supply at the moment does not warrant that.

Has the right hon. Lady ever actually seen the amount of cheese which the agricultural worker gets each day, and is it not really a perfect mockery compared with what workers in other industries get?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Food to state the main uncontrolled items of food, fruit and vegetables the retail prices of which have fallen by comparison with any convenient period in 1947.

Recent prices of a number of vegetables have shown sub-

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to remove potatoes, which have been purchased by his Department, which are in clamps so sited as to make the proper cultivation of the land difficult.

Preference will be given to the movement of such potatoes provided the loading of deteriorating stocks is not hindered. If the hon. Member has any particular case in mind, I will gladly look into it if he will send me details.

What is the loss on last year's potato crop?

I should want notice of that question.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans for the future of the Forth and Clyde Canal he has under consideration.

The Forth and Clyde Canal is vested in the British Transport Commission, who are responsible for its future.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman share with me a certain curiosity about its future, and would he care to surrender to the temptation and make some inquiries?

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the village of Riccarton, in Roxburgh, with a population of about 100, has no road communication; and when he proposes to provide a grant to the county council to make this possible.

Yes, Sir, and it is for the Roxburgh County Council as highway authority to decide whether a road should be built here. I could only consider a grant from the Road Fund if it could be shown that the road would be suitable for classification.

Is the Minister aware that these 100 residents of Riccarton are in the main employees of the railways and that they have no road communication with the surrounding country, and would he not move in this matter and encourage the county council?

I can only repeat that the representations of the hon. Gentleman should be directed to the Roxburgh County Council which must take the first initiative in this matter.

Is the Minister aware that these conditions make this village unique but not unhappy?

Are we to understand that a community which has no roads—nothing connected with the Ministry of Transport—is unique and happy?

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to have a thorough analysis made of ownership of C licence vehicles showing, in particular, how many are held by local authorities, public utility undertakings and nationalised industries, respectively, so that hon. Members and students of transport may have the information necessary to form opinions as to the advantages or otherwise of the C licence system.

No, Sir. The labour involved would not be justified at the present time.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that on both sides of the House there is a great thirst for knowledge about this matter and that he alone can cause these figures to be produced; therefore, will he say why the effort is not worth the satisfaction that would be given by the possession of that knowledge?

I have already taken considerable steps to obtain information about C licences and that is available, but in this case the proposal would mean the diversion of labour from more important work.

asked the Minister of Transport whether in view of the fact that grants to local authorities for road safety campaigns have been considerably less than the approved estimates, permission will be given for the balance to be spent on actual road safety improvements, such as the provision of refuges.

As these grants are made under Section 115 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, they cannot be utilised for other purposes.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total expenditure of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for the financial year 1948–49, analysed under main headings.

This information is not yet available.

Cannot the right hon. Gentleman give us some statement, as we in Scotland are particularly interested to see the proportion which goes there as opposed to that which goes to England and Wales?

I assume that the organisation waits until the accounts are audited, and then it publishes them in the ordinary way.

asked the Minister of Transport what alterations he intends to authorise in the number of people permitted to stand in buses in the Metropolitan area.

The order governing the carriage of standing passengers in public service vehicles applies to the whole country and is permissive. It is for agreement between the London Transport Executive and the Union what arrangements within the terms of the order shall apply in London. I have so far received no representations asking that the order should be varied.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that, before consenting to any further alteration, he will satisfy himself that grave hardship would not be caused to a very large number of people who travel in these vehicles during the rush hours in the Metropolitan area?

I have already indicated in my reply that the order, in the first instance, is permissive, and that I must await the negotiations, if they take place, between the two bodies to which I have referred.

Is the Minister aware that a certain minority of bus conductors seem to take a delight in keeping people off their buses, and could something be done to bring home to this minority the fact that they are paid for conveying the public, and not for leaving them standing on the pavement?

I do not know whether the hon. and gallant Gentleman is making a general allegation regarding the whole country or is referring only to the London Transport area, which is largely involved here. If the latter, I am sure that representations to the London Transport Executive would receive proper consideration, and that the unions and the men themselves would not endorse a policy of that kind.

Would the Minister consider appointing a consumers' council of users of Government transport and getting their views?

As a matter of fact, the reply to one Question today will indicate that steps are being taken to establish one in London.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is yet in a position to announce the names of the Transport Consultative Committee for the London area.

In reply to a Question by my hon. Friend on 21st February, I said that I was considering the setting up of a Transport Users' Consultative Committee for London. I have now decided to set up such a Committee to cover both passenger and goods traffic, in the area of the London Transport Executive. Steps will be taken shortly to consult representative bodies regarding the appointment of members, under the procedure prescribed in Section 6 of the Transport Act. 1947.

Can my right hon. Friend give an assurance that among the bodies to be consulted will be the North London Traffic Facilities Committee, which is representative of North London local authorities?

No, Sir, I cannot at this stage give an undertaking on what bodies will be consulted, but if they represent local authorities as such they would certainly have representation.

When this body is set up, will it be consulted about the number of people who can travel in buses?

The hon. Gentleman, who was a Member of the Standing Committee on the Transport Bill, knows very well that that was one of the purposes for which these committees are being established.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the bad condition of the road surface on many bridges over railways; and what steps he is taking in co-operation with the local authorities concerned for their maintenance.

I am aware that road surfaces on such bridges are not always in a satisfactory condition, and the parties concerned are aware that it is my wish that they should make use of the provisions of the Bridges Act, 1929, that enable responsibility for the maintenance of such road surfaces to be transferred to highway authorities. Assistance from the Road Fund is then available to them in accordance with the classification of the road.

Will the Minister continue to use his good offices in an endeavour to effect an agreement between the local authorities and the Commission, and thus lead to the improvement of many miles of road surfaces in all parts of the country?

Certainly.

asked the Prime Minister what steps he took to secure the agreement of His Majesty's Governments in other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire to the progressive substitution in official usage of the term "Commonwealth," for the term "Empire"; and how far it is the intention of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to put an end to the official use of the expression "British Empire."

Terminology, if it is to be useful, keeps step with developments without becoming rigid or doctrinaire. All constitutional developments in the Commonwealth, the British Commonwealth, or the British Empire—1 use the three terms deliberately—have been the subject of consultation between His Majesty's Governments, and there has been no agreement to adopt or to exclude the use of any one of these terms, nor any decision on the part of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to do so.

Will the right hon. Gentleman, being aware, as he is, that the use of the words "British Empire" is held in high respect throughout the British Empire by a great many people, see to it that they are not by daily use pushed out of the picture, and other phraseology adopted in their place?

The hon. Member knows that opinions differ in different parts of the British Empire and Commonwealth on this matter, and I think it better to allow people to use the expression they like best.

If, as the right hon. Gentleman has said, His Majesty's Government have taken no decision, why do they take every opportunity to cut out the words "British" and "Empire"?

They do not.

asked the Prime Minister if he will give consideration to the provision of suitable arrangements for the future commemoration of 27th April as Commonwealth Day.

I agree that the 27th April has become a notable date in the history of the Commonwealth, but I doubt if it would be appropriate to add another to the occasion on which the association of the countries of the Commonwealth is already celebrated.

Does not the Prime Minister think that an event which the right hon. Member for Saffron Walden (Mr. R. A. Butler) once said would be the greatest act of statesmanship in the history of the world is worthy of commemoration, and that such a day would, generally speaking, be more appropriate than 24th May?

Does not the right hon. Gentleman still consider that Empire Day is an appropriate day for commemoration?

I have suggested that we should make no change in the date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Germans have been transferred to the Low Countries under the new frontier arrangements; and what number of these has applied to move into German territory.

The population of the areas provisionally transferred to Belgium and the Netherlands is approximately 9,000. It is not yet possible to give figures for those who have applied to move into German territory, since the returns from a large number of the localities concerned are still awaited.

Is my hon. Friend aware that among these 9,000 people he has mentioned, there is a considerable number now unemployed, and as they are suffering some considerable hardship, will he, if at all possible, give priority to those of them who apply to come back into Germany with the object of being re-employed there?

I should like to look into that when we have the full returns.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent the local inhabitants were consulted before the German frontier adjustment with the Low Countries was approved and applied; and if he will refuse to sanction any further changes until a peace treaty has been signed with Germany.

The local inhabitants were not consulted before the frontier adjustments were put into effect. In doubtful cases they may, however, present their views on the definitive line of the frontier, as far as technical considerations are concerned, to the Demarcation Commissioners who will finally determine the provisional frontier. The present adjustments are provisional only, and subject to confirmation or modification at the peace settlement. His Majesty's Government will not consider any further changes prior to the peace settlement.

While I am glad to have the assurance contained in the last sentence of my hon. Friend's reply, does he realise that what has already happened represents in the minds of many Germans a bit of backstairs diplomacy, and, because that is so, does he not recognise that real democracy is brought into disrepute as a result of these new arrangements, which seem to have been achieved as the result of pressure on the part of people outside Germany?

No, Sir, I cannot agree that this is a backstairs arrangement. These changes, are, as I say, small and provisional.