asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the grounds upon which the Custodian of Enemy Property releases to former Hungarian nationals, property vested in him which is prima facie, subject to the charge imposed by the Treaty of Peace (Hungary) Order. 1948.

The Board of Trade has directed the release of Hungarian licences or permits unfulfilled, 32 are held by Eritreans.Import of grey sheeting is mainly in the hands of Indian traders, not Arabs, as stated by my hon. Friend. The material is subject to price control, which limits the profits of importers, wholesalers and retailers, the average retail price being below two shillings per yard, which, in the opinion of the Chief Administrator, is not excessive. A court of inquiry is at present being held into the cause of the recent riots and I am, therefore, unable to make any statement on that subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of proceedings, convictions, and charges proved for drunkenness for the Metropolitan Police district and for the county of London and for the City of London, respectively, during the calendar year 1949, and the comparable figures for 1948.

The following table gives the available information:property from the control of the Custodian of Enemy Property and from the Charge imposed by the Treaty of Peace (Hungary) Order, 1948, under certain conditions, in a limited number of classes of cases of which the most numerous are:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the alterations which have been made in the text of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade as a result of conferences at Geneva, Annecy and other places, he will cause to be published a complete up to date text in substitution of Command Paper No. 7258, indicating the differences between the provisions of these agreements and those of the Havana Charter.

The various amendments made to the text of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade at Havana, Geneva and Annecy have individually become operative when sufficient contracting parties have ratified the protocols of modification. Preparations have accordingly been made for the publication of the revised text when the last two protocols outstanding become operative. It is expected that this will be in the near future. The ground covered by the Havana Charter, however, is so much wider than that covered by the General Agreement that I do not think that it would serve a useful purpose to produce a textual comparison between the two documents.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that Mr. Saill, of Belle Vue, Chalford Hill, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, has been refused the use of a telephone; and whether he will reconsider the matter in view of the welfare work now being done by this man on behalf of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

It is not at present possible to provide telephone service for Mr. Saill, because the cable serving his locality is fully in use and the exchange can take no more subscribers. Additional lines and exchange equipment are being provided, and service should be available for Mr. Saill before the end of the year.

asked the Postmaster-General the total number of employees engaged in the Aberdeen telephone area and under the control of the telephone manager; how many are located in the City of Aberdeen; and how many are stationed at other places within the area of nine counties plus Lewis, stating the number in each place.

The numbers are as follow:

1. Total number of employees engaged in Aberdeen telephone area and under the control of the telephone manager		1,087
2. Number located in the City of Aberdeen		713
3. Number stationed at other places within the area:
ABERDEENSHIRE:
Aboyne		4
Ballater		2
Ellon		1
Fraserburgh		3
Huntly		9
Inverurie		2
Peterhead		9
Turriff		6
BANFFSHIRE:
Banff		1
Buckie		2
Keith		4
CAITHNESS:
Thurso		2
Wick		31
INVERNESS-SHIRE:
Beauly		1
Inverness		139
Kingussie		2
KINCARDINESHIRE:
Banchory		2
Stonehaven		1
MORAYSHIRE:
Elgin		48
Forres		1
Grantown-on-Spey		2
NAIRNSHIRE:
Nairn		1
ROSS-SHIRE:
Dingwall		9
Fortrose		1
Gairloch		2
Invergordon		1
Kyle		8
Taira		2
Ullapool		1
SUTHERLAND-SHIRE:
Durness		1
Golspie		2
Lairg		1
ISLANDS:
Lewis—Stornoway		10
Orkney	Kirkwall	29
	Sandy	1
Shetland	Lerwick	30
	Fair Isle	1
Skye	Broadford	1
	Portree	1

asked the Postmaster-General the total amount of travelling expenses and allowances incurred by the constructional staff and their supervisors of Aberdeen telephone area for each year since 1945, giving for each year the number of men concerned.

Following is the information:

Year	No. of construction workmen	Workmen's traveling and subsistence allowances	Engineering Supervisors traveling and subsistence allowances
		£	£
1945–46	154	10,254	1,096
1946–47	245	9,400	1,256
1947–48	247	9,814	1,437
1948–49	284	13,381	1,866
1949–50 (Estimate)	304	27,700	2,108

The number of supervisors cannot be given as the supervising staff is not employed solely on construction work.The figure for 1949–50 cannot be compared directly with those of previous years as there was a change in the basis of payments in April, 1949.

asked the Postmaster-General how many motor vehicles, including motor cycles, are employed in the service of the Aberdeen telephone area; and what has been the total mileage covered by them each year since 1945, their capital cost and average annual maintenance cost including garage, repairs, spares, depreciation. petrol and oil.

The total number of motor vehicles engaged on telecommunications work in the Aberdeen telephone area on 21st March, 1950, was 356. The total mileage run by motor vehicles engaged on this work in the area in the twelve months ending 31st October each year since 1945 has been, 1946, 1,746,600; 1947, 2,881,000; 1948, 2,992,000; 1949, 3,249,000. Their total capital cost (at current prices as new) was £142,000. Their average annual maintenance cost, including garage, repairs, spares, petrol and oil is estimated at £48,000. The cost of Post Office motor vehicles is not capitalised and is not therefore subject to depreciation.

asked the Minister of Transport how many vessels still remain under the control of his Department, and of these how many are engaged on trooping services; and how many on carrying intending migrants to British Dominions.

The number and tonnage of ships of 6,000 gross registered tons and upwards at present owned, requisitioned or time chartered by my Department are as follows:

—	Number	Gross Tons (Thousands).
Vessels allocated for Service Requirements
Vessels employed as troopships	16	213·1
Vessels reconditioning after trooping prior to return to owners	1	26·0
Hospital Ship-Laid up pending sale	1	7·8
Troopship Laid up pending sale	1	6·9
Emigration
Vessels employed for emigration or as civilian transports	10	142·7
Vessels completing reconditioning in May/June, 1950, for service as above	1	22·4
Vessels on Commercial Service
Government-owned and under management of a Shipping Company pending sale	1	6·1
Government-owned and Laid up pending sale	1	7·1
Government-owned and Trading under Managers for Ministry account pending sale	2	14·2
Government-owned and Chartered to Shipping Companies	16	117·3
On bareboat charter from Canadian Government—
(a) Sub-chartered to Shipping Companies	26	184·9
(b) Returned from sub-charter to be redelivered to Canadian Government	32	227·6
	108	976·1

In addition, I have entered into an agreement with the owners of three ships operating from the U.K. to Australia under which all passenger accommodation in the three ships on the outward voyages to Australia is placed at my Department's disposal for emigration purposes.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to expedite the providing of bone-conducting deaf-aid instruments.

Technical investigations are in hand for adapting the Medresco aid for use with a bone conduction receiver.

asked the Minister of Health whether in view of the admitted risk of post-vaccinal encephalitis he will consider making an investigation with the object of ascertaining if the numerous inoculation operations now being performed are playing any part in causing poliomyelitis.

I will consider by hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will now grant a licence for alterations to the west machine shop of Hopkinsons Limited, Huddersfield.

A licence was issued, with the support of the Ministry of Supply. on 3rd January.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will provide postal and telephone facilities on the new Fryent Estate, Wembley; also a telephone kiosk in Prince's Avenue, Kingsbury.

The Fryent estate enjoys the same postal delivery services as London districts generally; the postal facilities will shortly be improved by the provision on the estate of a pillar box, with a stamp selling machine attached. Subject to settlement of details with the authorities concerned, I am arranging to provide a telephone kiosk on the Fryent estate and an additional kiosk in Prince's Avenue, Kingsbury.