asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further releases have been made to the Israeli Government under the recently-concluded Anglo-Israeli Agreement.

The ordinary sterling release to be made to the Government of Israel under the terms of the Agreed Minute signed on 10th February is£3,000,000. His Majesty's Government have also agreed to release£4,000,000 to constitute a working balance which Israel has not had hitherto; and sterling to pay for Israel's essential requirements of oil supplies of£250,000 a month for the months of November and December, 1949, and up to a maximum of£435,000 a month in 1950, for so long as these supplies cannot be obtained, as they would in normal circumstances, from the Haifa refinery.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further action has been taken by His Majesty's Government to prevent agencies of the British Transport Commission from selling sterling in New York below the official rates.

None. It is not an offence against the Exchange Control Act to sell sterling notes at a discount in New York.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now arrange that, when post-war credits are payable to widows, payment is made immediately after the husband's death.

If a widow is over 60 at the time of her husband's death, it is already the practice to pay her post-war credits as soon as the necessary formalities have been completed; if however the hon. Member is suggesting that post-war credits should be payable to widows under 60 the answer is that I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider reducing progressively the age for repayment of post-war credits and also to arrange that they shall always be repaid to the estate of any deceased person.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure the immediate payment of post-war credits to executors of deceased persons in order to enable them to wind up the estates concerned and relieve widows and dependants of anxiety and legal costs.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he can make a statement as to a possible further repayment of post-war credits.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much it would cost to repay the outstanding post-war credits now and in full.

About£650 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the exchange of silver coin for cupro nickel coin has resulted in an estimated expenditure of£10,000,000.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the revised estimate of£10 millions under subhead L in the Supplementary Estimate for the Mint. This£10 million provides for payments at face value of silver coin withdrawn from circulation and is offset by Appropriations in Aid consisting of the receipts from the sale of silver extracted from the coin and the excess of face value over bullion value of cupro nickel coin put into circulation.

asked the Chancelor of the Exchequer if he will give an undertaking that, in drafting the Budget Resolutions this year, he will do so in a way which will permit of discussion in detail of the Purchase Tax rather than preventing all such discussions as in 1949

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in view of the decision to allow tourists to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, foreign exchange to the value of£250 per annum, he intends in the near future to improve the present facilities for travel between Great Britain and France.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Watkins) on 9th March. I should, however, like to explain that there is no limit to the amount of currency which may be granted for bona fide travel in Scandinavia. When large amounts are asked for it is necessary to make sure of the purpose for which that money is required. It has, therefore, been arranged that applications for amounts in excess of£250 a year will be dealt with by the Bank of England who will, of course, approve them as soon as they are satisfied that the money is required for bona-fide travel purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total sum of Japanese assets held by His Majesty's Government.

It is not possible to give more than a very approximate figure for the net value of Japanese assets in this country. It is estimated to be about£1–;1¼ million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he proposes to take to reduce the great burden of the repayment of sterling balances, by funding these debts over a longer period than laid down in the present arrangements.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in the Debate on the Address on 6th March

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, in certain recent instances, chairmen's speeches to annual meetings of company shareholders, of a political and not of a business character, have been printed in newspapers at the advertisement rates charged for company meeting reports; and if he will disallow as expenses for taxation purposes the cost of such advertisements.

Expenditure by traders for political purposes is not permitted to be deducted in computing profits for the purposes of Income Tax or Profits Tax, and any claim to deduct such expenditure would be contested by the Inland Revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he has refused to allow the reopening of cross-Channel day excursions from Brighton Pier this summer.

I regret that present conditions, including especially the need for exchange control, prevent the resumption of pre-war facilities, such as the waiving of passport requirements, for these day excursions to the Continent. The available staff is, moreover, fully occupied. and its diversion to this traffic would interfere with the proper control of the regular cross-Channel services.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount in cash and material does the Government estimate will be received from the United States during the current year on account of Marshall Aid.

It is estimated that the value of E.R.P. goods actually received during the current E.R.P. year 1949–50 will be approximately $900 million. No part of this aid will be in cash.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1) how many civil servants have been moved from their employment since 15th March, 1948, for security reasons for alleged Communist connections; how many of these were members of the Communist Party when moved; how many were not members of the Communist Party but had been in the past; and how many had never been members of the Communist Party;

Forty-eight, of whom 22 have been removed on grounds of membership of the Communist Party, one on grounds of membership of the Fascist Party, and 25 on grounds of association with the Communist Party in such a way as to raise legitimate doubts as to their reliability.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of the stocks of cotton held by His Majesty's Government; what is the cost price; and what is the present price obtainable in world markets.

Stocks of cotton are not held by His Majesty's Government. The greater part of such stocks in the United Kingdom is held by the Raw Cotton Commission and the remainder by consumers; they amounted to 282,000 tons at the end of January, 1950. It is not possible to say what these stocks would realise on world markets, nor can I give information about the prices paid.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the pre-war price of manilla rope used by fishermen was 39s. a coil and that the present price for similar sisal rope is£9 a coil; and what steps he is taking to reduce these prices.

Sisal rope prices are nearly four times as high as they were in 1939 because we have to pay seven times as much for sisal fibre as we did before the war. Maximum prices of sisal rope are agreed by the Central Price Regulation Committee and allow no more than a reasonable margin of profit for the manufacturers. I am afraid that only a fall in world prices of sisal can reduce the present high prices of hard fibre rope and twine.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the pre-war price of a seine net used by fishermen was£5 14s. per net and is now£32 1ls. 6d.; and what steps he is taking to reduce this price.

There has been a considerable increase in the price of seine nets since 1939, though my information is that the increase is not generally so great as that shown by the figures quoted by the hon. and gallant Member. The present high prices are mainly due to the great increase in the cost of the imported raw materials for the nets.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the need for reducing costs of administration and to the fact that conditions of trade under controls are abnormal, he will postpone the Census of Distribution sine die or, failing that, drastically simplify it.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Blackburn) on 9th March.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how the quantities of utility clothing and household drapery available for purchase compare with the amounts of non-utility grades so available; and what recent changes there have been in this ratio, both proportionately and in bulk.

The information available relates mainly to supplies by cloth and hosiery manufacturers for the home civilian market; the ratio is expressed in the form of the percentage of utility supplies to the total. As the answer consists of a long table of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that consequent upon devaluation and the increase in the price of wool utility cloth, categories Nos. 206 and 208 have disappeared from the market; and whether he will, by authorising price increases for these categories to offset the effect of devaluation, ensure that these cloths again become available to the public.

My hon. Friend appears to be misinformed. Manufacturers' deliveries of utility wool cloths Nos. 206 and 208 amounted in January, 1950, to 818,000 and 1,123,000 square yards respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further steps are to be taken to increase output in the pottery industry; what new factories are to be built; and if he will see that the city of Stoke-on-Trent industrial sites are used for new factories.

I am advised that new building is planned to the value of some£1.4 million, including two new factories. The question of sites for new factories is one for settlement between the individual manufacturers concerned and the local planning authority. I can assure my hon. Friend that we will continue to give all possible assistance to those manufacturers who, by rebuilding and re-equipment, are trying to increase their output, especially for dollar and other overseas markets.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is intended to form a Development Council for the Pottery Industry; the terms upon which it will function; and the date when the first meeting will be held.

My right hon. Friend is considering this matter, and I cannot make any statement in the meantime.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what the effect of Order 2353 relating to the reduction of duties on certain articles is in the transference of the purchase of the items enumerated from sources within the British Commonwealth to sources without as a long-term policy and in the current year, respectively.

These minor reductions of Ottawa duties will not affect significantly our imports from the Commonwealth of the items concerned during the current year. The effect in the longer term will depend mainly on the relationship between Commonwealth and foreign prices, which cannot be forecast; but as at present advised I should not expect these reductions of duties to prejudice the interests of any Commonwealth producers concerned, who are still assured of a reasonable margin of preference. These reductions were, of course, negotiated at Annecy with the main foreign suppliers and in agreement with the Commonwealth countries concerned, who had the opportunity to claim from them compensatory tariff concessions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he anticipates that extra supplies of nylon stockings will be available for the home market.

The home market is already receiving increased supplies. Since June of last year the supply of nylon stockings to the home market has more than doubled. I cannot give a firm estimate for future supplies, which will depend on the availability of nylon yarn, production of which is, however, increasing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what industrial undertakings have started in the Invergordon, Cromarty Firth area, since this region was designated as a development area.

One new industrial undertaking has been established in the Invergordon, Cromarty Firth, area since the scheduling of part of the Highlands as a Development Area in April, 1949. Sites for industrial development have been selected at Dingwall and Muir of Ord.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the£10 million sterling accumulated from last year's agreement by Japan has now been expended; whether any arrangements were made as to the amount of goods to be purchased by Japan in any one period of the agreement or by the United Kingdom and colonies; and what he proposes to do about trade with Japan between now and next June.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No." The Supreme Commander needs this sum as a working balance, and, during the negotiations in Tokyo last autumn, we agreed that he might hold it for that purpose. In reply to the second part of the Question, there was no provision, for any particular rate of buying on either side during any one part of the year. As regards the remainder of the current period, it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to carry out the terms of the arrangement signed last year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what tonnages of light-gauge tinplate were exported from the United Kingdom during each of the four quarters of 1949; and what tonnages were retained for domestic consumption in the United Kingdom in the same four quarters.

Separate statistics of exports of light-gauge tinplate are not available. United Kingdom exports of tinplate in the four quarters of 1949 were as follow: January-March, 49,474 tons; April-June, 46,489 tons; July-September, 42,458 tons; and October-December, 56,281 tons. No figures are available of the quantities of light-gauge tinplate retained for domestic consumption in the United Kingdom, but I am informed that deliveries of tinplate, terneplate and blackplate for home consumption in 1949 were as follow: January-March, 142,773 tons, April-June, 135,016 tons; July-September, 122,451 tons; and October-December, 139,473 tons.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many other ranks have completed their engagements since 31st March, 1949; and, of these, how many have re-engaged.

During the period 31st March, 1949, to 31st January, 1950, 2,783 other ranks completed their original period of Colour service and 1,094 extended their service to complete 12 years with the Colours. In the same period 1,335 other ranks completed 12 years' service, and 1,853 re-engaged to complete 22 years' Colour service. I should explain that as a soldier can extend his Colour service or re-engage at varying periods before his service is due to end, I cannot say how many of the 2,783 and 1,335 to whom I have referred actually extended or re-engaged respectively. During the same period 2,254 other ranks were due to finish 21 or 22 years' Colour service.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many other ranks will complete their engagements during the period 1st April, 1950, to 31st March, 1951.

The number of other ranks due to complete regular engagements during the period 1st April, 1950, to 31st March, 1951, is 10,560. This figure excludes other ranks serving on short-service engagements.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers have resigned their commissions during the current financial year; and what was the number in each rank.

Approval has been given for 537 regular Army officers to retire or resign voluntarily during the current financial year. The figure includes 1 general, 5 major-generals, 6 brigadiers, 18 colonels, 70 lieut.-colonels, 254 majors, 141 captains, 41 lieutenants and 1 second-lieutenant.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will arrange for troops proceeding overseas to sign the necessary declaration cards before embarkation, to entitle them to vote by proxy.

Existing procedure provides that either on his first declaration or at any subsequent time a soldier, whether at home or overseas, may appoint a proxy by completing Part 2 of the declaration form. As a further precaution, however, instructions are being issued to the effect that all soldiers will be reminded, as part of the normal drafting procedure, to appoint proxies if they have not already done so.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he intends to extend the Royal Armoured Corps ranges at Warcop.

I have already discussed this matter with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Town and Country Planning, and no decision will be made until all interests concerned have been heard.

asked the Secretary of State for War what disciplinary action was taken against the four members of his staff responsible for the irregular performance of work in his Department for Glass Developments, Limited; and why one was promoted since the irregularities commenced.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my predecessor on 13th December, 1949. I am satisfied that suitable disciplinary action was taken in each case. None of the persons concerned has been promoted since the irregularities commenced.

asked the Secretary of State for War why Glass Developments, Limited, were not charged the cost, amounting to£25, of the 3½ hundredweights of paper used in work irregularly performed by his Department for the company, when£115 was paid by the company for the work; and how this figure was estimated as no record was available of the time worked on the job.

The amount of£115 charged for the work included approximately£25 in respect of the estimated cost of paper, covers and other materials used. The total charge was assessed on the basis of specimens of the work which were available

asked the Secretary of State for War what decision has been given to the General Officer Commanding, Hong Kong, with regard to the plan proposed to enable more officers and men to bring their wives and families to join them.

The conditions under which regular Army personnel can take their wives to Hong Kong are now the same as the conditions applying elsewhere. Subject to normal regulations families may proceed to Hong Kong provided they are allotted quarters or are able to find suitable accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the acre of land on the North side of Wilbert Lane, Beverley, known as Wilbert Lane 'allotments, which it is proposed to acquire for the Territorial Association for the erection of barracks, can be retained for the production of food and an alternative site of less agricultural value found for the barracks.

The Association concerned, with the help of the local planning authorities, have for some time been searching in the Beverley area for a site on which to build a Territorial Army centre, and a number of sites have already been considered and found unsuitable. The Wilbert Lane site has only recently been suggested and it has not yet been thoroughly examined. If the Association consider it suitable steps will be taken to ascertain whether its use will conflict with the interests of other Government Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are taken to repatriate at public expense regular soldiers' wives and families who have been left in Suez when their husbands have been posted to stations where wives and families cannot, for any reason, be accommodated.

Passages to the United Kingdom at the public expense are normally permitted for the families of regular soldiers who have left an overseas station for a non-family station, provided that there is no probability of the family being reunited either at the old or at a new family station overseas, within 12 months. If the soldier is likely to return to the old station, or to move again to a family station where his family can join him within this period, the family remains abroad.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether his regulations provide for houses built by local councils being subject to a development charge.

Yes, except where the land on which the houses are built was owned by the local authority on 1st July, 1948.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether her attention has been drawn to the hardship caused by the refusal of her Department to pay sickness benefit through applications being made after the prescribed time; and what steps she proposes to take to prevent such hardship arising in future.

Experience shows that some time limits on claims are essential in order to secure proper administrative control, but these time limits can be extended where a claimant can show good cause for delay. I am not aware that the administration of these provisions is causing hardship, but I shall keep a close watch on the position.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if she will take steps to improve the financial provisions made for those who suffer from seasonal unemployment, as, for example, in a seaside resort, both as regards unemployment benefit and old age pension.

I am considering the report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee on this subject which was published last November, and hope to make an announcement shortly.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what is the position with regard to the pre-1924 compensation cases being brought within the scope of the 1948 Act.

I regret that I cannot add anything to the statements made by my predecessor. Pre-1924 cases are, of course, already eligible for unemployability supplement and constant attendance allowance under Section 82 of the Industrial Injuries Act.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why the widow of Mr. A. E. Pettit, M.C., late regimental sergeant-major, Scots Guards, and employed as Library attendant, House of Lords, from 1924 to 1944, has received no pension to date despite the fact that he was compulsorily insured for widow's pension during that period and that the pension form was returned to her Department duly completed by the accountant of the House of Lords on 17th October, 1949, which was the same day it was received.

I am glad to say that Mrs. Pettit is now in receipt of her pension. I shall be writing to the hon. and gallant Member about this case as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she will reconsider the position of widows under retirement age, whose husbands, having been contributors under the old schemes, died before the inception of the present scheme and who now are only receiving 10s. a week, out of which they are expected to pay weekly insurance contributions.

These widows have already received certain concessions. Those who still had young children or were incapacitated, received benefit at the new scheme rates from 5th July, 1948: the others, the majority of whom are gainfully occupied, were allowed to retain their 10s. pension and, at the same time, to qualify for a full pension by contributing until the age of 60, however short the intervening period.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether, in view of the urgent need to increase production, she will suspend the regulation by which widows suffer a reduction of pensions benefits if they earn 30s. a week and lose all benefits if they earn 64s. a week.

I have no power to suspend the provisions in question. They are contained in the National Insurance Act, 1946, itself, and can only be altered by legislation.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she will make arrangements in co-operation with the Minister of Health for patients to be instructed to make application for sickness benefit on admission to hospital; and whether she will allow sickness benefit in those cases in which a man in hospital has either not been instructed to make application or has been too ill to make application.

Steps have already been taken to ensure that hospital welfare officers are aware of the rules for claiming benefit, and hospitals are provided with the standard forms of medical certificate which embody claims for benefit. I will see what further steps can be taken to ease the position in these cases.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the number of people who now contribute to national insurance; and what percentage this is of the total population over school-leaving age.

Owing to sickness, unemployment, the exercise of options by certain classes and similar reasons, the number of people who are actually contributing under the National Insurance Act on any day cannot be stated. But in July, 1949 (the latest date for which figures are available) about 24 million persons had registered under the Act. The total population of Great Britain aged 15 and over is about 38,000,000, but this figure includes a considerable number of married women, pensioners and others who are under no obligation to contribute.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reasons His Majesty's Government

asked the Minister of Food whether he will give consideration to a proposal that he should allocate an additional ration of sugar to all persons over 60 years of age, in respect of whom a medical certificate is available, indicating that their food can only consist of considered it expedient to devalue the Honduras dollar.

After the revaluation of sterling last September, plans for sterling investment in British Honduras could not be pursued and development came to a standstill. The revaluation of the British Honduras dollar therefore became essential for the resumption of the development programme, which is now taking place.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of Norwegian herrings were imported during each week since 2nd January, 1950; at what prices were they sold to the wholesalers; and what quantities of prime herrings caught by Scottish fishermen were sold for fish meal during the same weeks and at what prices.

I give below a table showing weekly figures of herring supplies, imports and sales for making oil and meal. The Herring Industry Board purchase herrings for reduction to oil and meal at 35s. a cran. I have no details of the prices paid for Norwegian herrings as the importing is now done by private traders and prices are negotiated by them items in which sugar is the principal or main ingredient.

On these matters I take the advice of the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the Medical Research Council. On their recommendation extra sugar is already allowed to invalids of any age suffering from certain conditions. Any exceptional application for special rations supported by a medical certificate receives individual consideration by my medical advisers. I am afraid sugar is too scarce for me to make any more general concession for old people.

asked the Minister of Pensions to state the steps being taken to reduce the long time-lag in the delivery of motor-propelled tricycles; the present time now taken to effect delivery from date of order; the date on which the new all-weather protected models will be available; and the expected rate of deliveries.

The steps being taken, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works, who is responsible for the supply of these machines, are to increase the number of contracting firms and, where possible, to expand the productive capacity of existing contractors. The time taken to complete an order varies according to the requirements of the disabled person; at present where there are no special features the period is eight to ten months. I am glad to be able to say that the first deliveries of the new all-weather machines will be made before the end of this month. Thereafter, deliveries can be expected in increasing numbers.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what action he is taking to ensure adequate supplies of coal and coke being made available to the residents in the villages throughout South Worcestershire, in view of the recent shortage there.

I am not aware of any general shortage of house coal in South Worcestershire, though there have been certain temporary local difficulties at one or two places. I am advised that these difficulties have now been resolved. With regard to coke, I am advised that in general supplies are available to meet requirements, but if the hon. Member knows of any cases of difficulty in obtaining supplies and will let me have particulars, I will have inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Education how many awards under the Further Education and Training Scheme tenable at universities and university colleges in England and Wales are likely to be made to students entering such institutions in the academic year 1950–51.

The estimated figure is 2,000. The actual figure will depend on the number of applications received from students accepted by universities and university colleges and eligible under the Scheme.

asked the Minister of Labour the actions taken by his Department during the past four years to ensure that Government Departments, local authorities, public utility companies and firms who display the King's Roll Seal on their letters are fulfilling their undertakings under the King's Roll Scheme.

Regular action to secure observance of obligations under the King's Roll Scheme was discontinued during the war and has not been resumed because of the wider obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, which gives special recognition to disabled pensioners from the 1914–18 war. I have no reason to believe that employers who use the King's National Roll seal are not fulfilling their obligations to the best of their ability, having regard to the much reduced number of disabled ex-Service men of the 1914–18 war available for employment.

asked the Minister of Labour the figures for unemployment in Southampton, categorised in the various occupations for the latest available date with the comparable figures for March, 1938.

As the reply is long and detailed I am sending the information to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sheep, lambs and poultry in Scotland have been reported to him as having been killed or damaged by dogs in the years 1947, 1948 and 1949; and if he will give an approximate estimate of their value.

According to information obtained from the police the numbers of sheep (including lambs) and poultry killed or injured in Scotland by dogs in 1947 were approximately 2,600 and 1,800 respectively. The estimated value of these animals was£15,000. This infor- mation was the result of special inquiry, and is not available for 1948 and 1949.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland for how many farmers' dogs were ration coupons issued in Scotland in 1949.

The number of sheep dogs in respect of which rations were issued varied through the year from 16,000 to 23,000.