asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the fact that under the terms of A.P. 826, the non-industrial staff of the Air Ministry are not allowed to attend meetings of local councils of which they are members unless the time spent in doing so is taken out of their annual leave, he will take steps to ensure that non-industrial staff are in future treated in the same way as industrial staff in that respect.

Air Ministry practice is to allow absence from duty by non-industrial staff for the purpose of attending meetings of local councils of which they are members to be treated as special leave with pay. Although the conditions are not specified in A.P. 826 non-industrials are in fact treated as generously as industrials. A new volume of regulations for non-industrials is in preparation, which will make their position clear.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make arrangements for Sunderland to be included in the seaside resorts to be visited by Royal Air Force Sunderland flying boats during July and August.

I should very much have liked to arrange this, but unfortunately it would mean too great a change in the itinerary for the flying boat and the vessel that will accompany it. The tour that has been arranged is on the south and west coasts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the official pronouncement by his Department of 7th November, 1921, about the status of Mr. Krassin, to the effect that it is not the practice of the Sovereign to receive the representative of States which have not been recognised de jure, is still a correct statement of the practice in its application to any representative of the State of Israel.

The statement to which the hon. Member refers represented the practice at the time it was made. His Majesty's Government are, however, advised that, although it has not been done in this country up till now, there is no reason under international or constitutional law why His Majesty should not receive as a Minister Plenipotentiary the representative of a State which has been recognised de facto only.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the contributions paid to date by His Majesty's Government to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund; and what sum per head of population in the United Kingdom this represents.

His Majesty's Government have made a contribution of £100,000 to the International Children's Emergency Fund. In addition the Fund received £1,650,000 from His Majesty's Government's contribution to U.N.R.R.A., and over £350,000 from voluntary subscriptions raised by the Lord Mayor's United Nations Appeal for Children in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions he has given to the British representative at the meeting of the Executive Board of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund which will take place in Paris on 27th June.

The British representative will be instructed to press for the allocation of funds for projects and in areas where the need is greatest.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the entire catch of an Icelandic trawler at Hamburg in the last week of May went to fishmeal; what was the reason for the serious loss in human food; and if the catch was part of the recent purchase of 67,000 tons from Iceland for Germany for which the British taxpayer has to pay.

The cargoes of two Icelandic trawlers which arrived off German ports during the week commencing 22nd May and which were in excess of the number the Icelandic Government had been requested to deliver, were refused by the German authorities because of market conditions at the time. To prevent total loss the fish was unloaded for conversion to fishmeal. The circumstances are still under examination and it is not possible at present to say whether these cargoes can be held to form part of the amount His Majesty's Government has contracted to buy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why Fraulein Helga Tiemann Schulz has been refused an exit permit as a Peruvian subject to return to Peru with her father and mother.

The application of Herr Tiemann who was extradited from Peru during the war, was refused on security grounds in accordance with the tripartite exit control agreement for Germany. I understand, however, that the circumstances have now changed and that a further application by the family would be favourably considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now make a statement about the draft Restitution Ordinance for the British zone of Germany.

The Internal Restitution Law for the British zone of occupation in Germany was promulgated on 12th May, 1949.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions he gave to the United Kingdom delegate on the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations at their recent discussions on the question of safeguarding the rights of conscientious objectors.

The only reference to conscientious objectors in the Draft Covenant of Human Rights occurs in the definition of "forced or compulsory labour" in Article 8. The Commission had before it a definition under which the service exacted from conscientious objectors in virtue of compulsory military service laws was not deemed to be forced labour, provided that they were compensated for such services with maintenance and pay not inferior to that received by a soldier of the lowest rank. The United Kingdom representative was instructed to point out the difficulties of applying this criterion; and to support the view that a reference to the pay and maintenance to which conscientious objectors should be entitled was inappropriate in a definition of "forced or compulsory labour."

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what decision has now been arrived at by the Allied Council in Austria concerning the newspaper "Alpenruf" of Graz; and what steps have been taken to prevent the newspaper disseminating anti-semitic propaganda.

The Allied Council meeting on 27th May decided to send a letter to the editor of the "Alpenruf" warning him that he must abide by the Allied Council decision of 1st October, 1945, of "The Democratic Press in Austria," and that stricter sanctions would be imposed if he committed any further violation of this decision. Since the decision of 1945 includes a requirement that Nazi ideology must be combated, I think this answers also the second part of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken to survey a link between the Central and East African railway systems; and when he anticipates that construction of this link will be begun.

It is hoped to make a start with the surveys next month. Decisions in regard to construction must await the results of the surveys.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the broadcast statement on the political situation in the Gold Coast recently made by the Acting Governor; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The full text of the Acting Governor's statement has been placed in the Library of the House.For some time past efforts have been made by a group in the Gold Coast to exert improper pressure on the committee on constitutional reform which is now in session, both to hurry its proceedings and to influence its findings. The propaganda employed by this group threatens to prejudice public order and the maintenance of essential services if its desires are not met. The Gold Coast Government has been anxious throughout that there shall be every possible liberty of discussion and comment on the question of constitutional advance. But it is obviously necessary that stability and good order shall be maintained.I fully endorse the terms of the Acting Governor's statement. I share his confidence that it will be welcomed by the great majority of responsible people in the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast Government and its officers have a difficult task to perform but they have our support in carrying out the responsibilites of ordered government.

asked the Minister of Food the storage capacity of the Government cold store at Perth; whether it has been regularly and profitably used since the end of the war; and to what use it will be put in future.

The capacity of the store is 250,000 cubic feet. It was not in regular use from March, 1946, to June, 1947, but from July, 1947, it has been regularly and profitably used. So far as can be seen, this store is likely to be in continuous use for some considerable time, mainly to meet the demand for storage space for quick frozen white fish and herrings.

asked the Minister of Food if he has any statement to make on the overcharging for sweets and confectionery, particulars of which have been sent to him.

The housewife quoted in the newspaper report which my hon. Friend sent to me, could not name the shop where the overcharging was alleged to have taken place, so no enforcement action could be taken.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now introduce an order requiring all bread served to the public to be wrapped.

We are going to permit machine wrapping again from 1st November next; but the shortage of suitable paper would not allow me to consider making bread-wrapping compulsory.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what he now proposes to do with the "Implacable."

It has been found impossible to continue to preserve this wooden ship without prohibitive expense and it has now been decided to sink her in deep water. Certain parts of the ship will be removed for preservation if examination reveals this to be practicable.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many days Marine F. C. Pickett, stationed in Malta, has been under arrest; and when it is likely that inquiries into this case will end.

Marine Pickett has not been under arrest. As the hon. Member is aware, from the letter I wrote to him, this case is in the hands of the civil authorities. They have been asked to hasten proceedings, but I am unable to say when their inquiries will be completed.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will now make a further statement with regard to H.M.S. "Amethyst."

I regret I am not yet in a position to add anything to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Central Glasgow (Colonel Hutchison) on 23rd May. The House may rest assured that I will make a further statement as soon as I am able to do so.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the time required for the construction of a tidal model of Portsmouth harbour, he will initiate discussions with the Portsmouth City Corporation in order to determine a minimum area of land reclamation to meet the city's more immediate land requirements.

A letter was addressed to the Town Clerk of Portsmouth on 30th May suggesting discussions on these lines, and he has informed us that the matter is receiving attention.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has yet received a report on a suitable site for providing television service in the Manchester city area.

The B.B.C. have asked me to approve a site at Holme Moss, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, for a television station designed to cover a large area of Northern England, including Manchester. Consultations are taking place with other authorities concerned and I hope to be able to approve the site very shortly.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is satisfied that His Majesty's Government have sufficient powers to advise and direct the British Broadcasting Corporation in matters concerning the policy to be pursued in the national interest in political broadcasts to Eastern Europe, and that such powers enable the Government to prevent the employment of politically unsuitable persons; and what steps he proposes to take to strengthen the Government's powers to see that these matters of national policy are not irresponsibly or mischievously handled.

As to the first part of the Question, the B.B.C. is independent in the preparation of programmes for overseas audiences, though it obtains from the Government Departments concerned such information about conditions in those countries and Government policies towards them as will permit it to plan its programmes in the national interest. The Corporation may employ British subjects at its discretion; it may only employ aliens, however, under such terms as the Postmaster-General prescribes, but these have not been designed to prevent the employment of particular individuals. As to the second part of the Question, I see no need to take any further powers.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will make a statement about the bad radio reception of the British Broadcasting Corporation stations in the Eastbourne area; and what steps have been taken to improve this reception.

The B.B.C. is aware that the reception in Eastbourne of some of its programmes is not always reliable. The Corporation is examining the possibility of providing additional relay stations but there are serious technical difficulties and no decision has yet been reached.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has considered the memorandum which has been sent to him concerning the conditions of service of part-time night male telephonists; and if he will make a statement.

I am considering the memorandum, and will write to the hon. Member about it.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the fact that prior to September, 1939, cheap rate long-distance calls operated till midnight and are now limited to from 6.30 to 9.30 p.m. for private subscribers, and 5.30 to 9.30 p.m. from public call boxes, he will consider reverting to the pre-war time table.

I regret that reversion to the pre-war arrangements is at present precluded by manpower considerations.

asked the Postmaster-General on what basis he makes a charge of £3 10s. per annum for a shared telephone line, whilst the charge for a full line is only £4.

The annual rent for shared telephone service is 11s. 6d. less than that for exclusive service as a recognition of the inconvenience that occasionally results from the sharing.

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the new allocation of 780 telephone kiosks for rural areas will be in the county of Essex; and how many in the rural districts of Maldon and Braintree.

Fourteen telephone kiosks have been allotted to the rural areas of the County of Essex. The rural district councils concerned are at present preparing lists of recommended places for the installation of kiosks. Until their suggestions have been examined it is not possible to say how many kiosks will be provided under the new scheme in he rural districts of Maldon and Braintree.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the terms of the regulations he has issued covering women in his service who join the Auxiliary Forces; and whether they guarantee re-employment of such women if they leave the Post Office service to join His Majesty's Forces in an emergency.

The regulation provides that women who voluntarily enlist in the Women's Auxiliary Services must resign their Post Office appointments. This is in accord with general Civil Service practice both for men and women. Applications for re-employment on discharge from the Forces willl receive consideration in the light of the circumstances obtaining at the time. In the event of an emergency, special instructions would be issued regarding the conditions of enlistment.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, when the new Crown post office at the corner of New North Road and Essex Road is opened, it is proposed to close or to keep open the present sub-post offices at 354, Essex Road and 275, New North Road.

A scheme for establishing a new Crown post office near the junction of New North Road and Essex Road, Islington, envisages the closing of the sub-post offices at 354, Essex Road and 275, New North Road, but the scheme is unlikely to mature within the next 18 months.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consider permitting regional and head postmasters the authority to allow for the restoration of pre-war postal services and other improvements of the service in their districts where it is found that general instructions cannot be given for such developments.

While I am anxious to improve postal facilities as soon as conditions permit, I regret that my hon. Friend's suggestion is not practicable; the reason for present restrictions in postal services is the overriding necessity to conserve national manpower, and local improvements could not be made without additional calls on manpower. Moreover, I am satisfied that the country as a whole would demand a certain measure of uniformity in postal services.

asked the Postmaster-General how many meetings of the Post Office Advisory Council were held in 1946, 1947 and 1948, respectively.

The Post Office Advisory Council met for discussion five times in each year.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage increase in the remuneration of the Public Relations Officer has taken place since 1st August. 1945.

Nearly 29 per cent.

asked the Postmaster-General what percentage increase in the maximum wages of established postmen has taken place since 1st August, 1945.

Including the increase recently awarded by the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal, the figure is 28.6 per cent. in London and Class I provincial towns and slightly lower at the smaller offices.

asked the Postmaster-General the relative membership of the National Association of Postal and Telegraph Officers and the Union of Post Office Workers; and whether he is prepared to recognise the former as well as the latter when discussing conditions of employment.

The National Association of Postal and Telegraph Officers claims to have 4,765 members; the Union of Post Office Workers claims 146,031 of whom 13,760 are Postal and Telegraph Officers. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Postmaster-General the approximate number of postal packets accepted by the General Post Office from football pool organisations for each of the weeks ending 21st May, 28th May, 4th June and 11th June, respectively.

I regret that the information is not immediately available; I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he has taken with the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society in regard to their letter of 17th May, of which a copy has been sent to him, which threatens employees in the society's retail branches who register with and shop at private traders.

I understand that the letter in question was issued without authority and has now been withdrawn.

asked the President of the Board of Trade by whom Great Britain is represented on the recently-established Trade Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; and by what means it is proposed to inform this House of the proceedings and decisions of that Committee.

His Majesty's Government are represented on the Trade Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe by an official of the Board of Trade. The proceedings of the Committee like those of all the Technical Committees of the Economic Commission have been private and will not be published. The stage has not been reached when any statement could usefully be made to the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if it is his intention to issue any statement in regard to the prospects of developing trade with Canada as a result of his recent personal visit to that Dominion.

In the final public speech of my Canadian tour given to the Periodical Publishers' Association in Toronto on 30th May, I summarised the main impressions I had gained from my tour. I gave a short talk over the B.B.C. on Friday, 3rd June, and followed this up with a public speech to the Institute of Export on Thursday, 16th June. I am now considering with my colleagues what further steps should be taken to develop our trade with Canada, and will be discussing the matter with the newly-formed Dollar Exports Board. I do not propose, therefore, to make a statement at this stage.

asked the Minister of Transport when it is expected that the report on the loss of the Royal Mail steamship "Magdalena" will be available; and in what way it is intended to make this document public.

After considering the report of the preliminary inquiry into the loss of the "Magdalena," held by H.B.M. Consul-General at Rio de Janeiro, I have ordered a formal investigation. The evidence taken during the course of the inquiry will be made available to the court of formal investigation, which will sit in public and will make a public report on its findings. The date on which the formal investigation will open will be announced as soon as possible.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the period of delay between the date of the Royal Assent to the Landlord and Tenant (Rent Control) Bill and the publication by the Stationery Office of the Landlord and Tenant (Rent Control) Act; and what was the reason for such delay.

From 2nd to 16th June, which is accounted for by the pressure of Parliamentary printing and the Whitsuntide holidays.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that pensions to school teachers are paid quarterly whereas other pensions are paid weekly or monthly; and whether, for the convenience of pensioners, he will make arrangements for the future monthly payment of school teachers' pensions.

I have been asked to reply. The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Arrangements for the payment of pensions at shorter intervals would involve legislation to amend the Teachers (Superannuation) Act, 1925. I am not aware that any considerable number of teachers desire monthly payments.

asked the Lord President of the Council what instructions he has given to the Central Office of Information as to the issue of periodical information on the progress of the Festival of Britain project; and when the next announcement will be made.

The Festival of Britain Office—not the Central Office of Information—is responsible for the issue of periodical information on the progress of the Festival of Britain. No date is fixed for the next announcement, but statements will be issued from time to time as plans progress.

asked the Lord President of the Council in what way centres of population, other than London, are being linked up with the Festival of Britain, 1951.

In addition to the arrangements for holding the Exhibition of Technology in Glasgow, there are two main ways in which centres of population, other than London, are being linked officially with the Festival of Britain, 1951; the reception of a small selective edition of the main Festival Exhibition (to be held on the South Bank of the Thames) which is to travel round the country during the Festival period; and the holding of official Festivals of the Arts. The travelling exhibition is to be constructed in duplicate, one edition moving by land and the other on a specially converted aircraft carrier, the "Campania," kindly lent by the Admiralty. The cities and towns which are to be visited by the land-borne and sea-borne editions of the travelling exhibition respectively are: Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast, Cardiff, Dundee, Greenock, Hull, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Plymouth, Southampton, and the Menai Straits.The centres chosen for official Festivals of the Arts include the following towns already holding annual Festivals in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain: Aldeburgh, Bath, Brighton, Canterbury, Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Stratford on Avon, Worcester. In addition four centres have been selected to promote Festivals especially for 1951: Liverpool, York, Norwich and Bournemouth. It is hoped that Bournemouth Festival will have a notably regional flavour, and that Salisbury and Southampton and possibly also Winchester will co-operate in the enterprise.It is hoped that all towns and villages will add their own activities in ways most appropriate to their needs and capacities.The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Committees are also promoting festival activities within their respective areas.

asked the Lord President of the Council at what ports in the United Kingdom the Festival ship "Campania" will call during the Festival of Britain 1951.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his preceding Question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the net annual cost of maintaining one member of the Women's Land Army.

Net expenditure on the Women's Land Army in 1948–49 is estimated at £1,030,000, the average cost being £47 per head. In addition, the Ministry of Works incurred costs estimated at approximately 15s. per bed place per week in respect of hostels provided for a proportion of the W.L.A. membership.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many proposals for improvement schemes under the Hill Farming Act have been submitted in the county of Merioneth; how many have been approved; and in how many cases has authority for work to begin been given.

Four hundred and six proposals for improvement schemes have been submitted, 278 have been approved in principle and 27 have been formally approved. Authority for work to begin has been given in 128 cases.