asked the Minister of Supply (1) how many motor-omnibuses were exported from this country in 1949; and what the programme is for 1950;(2) what proportion of the motor-omnibus production of this country is allocated to the home market.

In 1949 approximately 3,000 passenger service vehicles, including chassis, were exported. A fixed proportion of output has not been allocated to the home market in 1950. Manufacturers have been given quotas which provide for the supply of 8,800 vehicles to the home market during the year and have been asked to export the balance of their output.

asked the Minister of Supply how many atomic research centres there are in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively.

There is one Ministry of Supply atomic energy research centre in England, and none in Wales or Scotland.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will now effect the removal of the ammunition dumps which encumber two fields, Ordnance Survey No. 66, on Mr. H. R. Overman's farm at Arthingworth, Northamptonshire, and hinder cropping.

This ammunition is potentially dangerous and each round must, in the interests of public safety, be inspected before it can be removed. I regret that it will be several months before inspection can be completed.

asked the Minister of Supply what was the output of rolled strip and fillet from the Royal Ordnance Factories and the Royal Mint for the second half of 1949 and the first three months of 1950 in each of the following metals: bronze, nickel brass, cupro nickel, copper, brass, nickel and other alloys.

The output of rolled strip and fillet from the Royal Ordnance Factories and the Royal Mint was as follows:

—		1949 Second Half	1950 First three months
		Tons	Tons
Bronze	…	241	164
Nickel brass	…	504	½
Cupro nickel	…	1,031	750
Copper	…	98	29
Brass	…	7,297	1,696
Nickel	…	—	—
Other alloys	…	186½	141½

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the Consultative Council for the Southern Area of the Electricity Authority is now functioning regularly; where it normally sits; and what steps have been taken to encourage consumers to make use of it as a channel for ventilating suggestions and grievances.

The Southern Electricity Consultative Council, which was set up in February, 1949, meets once in two months, usually in Reading, although sometimes meetings have been held in other centres. Full information on the Council's work is given to the Press, and representatives of the Press are invited to attend its meetings. Information about its work is also available in the local offices of the Area Board.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will expedite the supply of electricity to the districts of North End and Clutton Hill, in Somerset, where the lack of it is causing hardship and cutting down milk production.

This is a matter for the South-Western Electricity Board. In arranging their programme of rural development, and in deciding on priorities, the Board will, I am sure, act on the best advice they can obtain

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the area of land absorbed since the commencement of opencast mining; what land is scheduled for opencast mining; and how much land has been fully reinstated so that it can again be used for farm land.

From the beginning of operations in 1942 until the end of March this year, 56,000 acres of land had been requisitioned for the opencast working of coal. About 51,000 acres were agricultural land, of which 28,000 acres have been restored, and are again available for farming use. If the present programme is carried out, 45 million tons of opencast coal will be extracted within the next four years; this might necessitate the requisitioning of about 30,000 acres of additional land.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that European producers now have the biggest surplus of coal and coke for 15 to 20 years; that importing countries are substituting oil for coal, for cheapness; how this change is affecting British coal exports; and if he will make a statement on the prospects of reaching our export target for 1950.

My information does not agree with that of the hon. Member. According to recent reports to the Economic Commission for Europe, there is likely to be a rough over-all balance between supply and demand in the European coal Market after 1950. But the reports add that the facts do not warrant fears of over-production in the early future. The replacement of coal by oil is not a new trend; it is caused by many factors, of which price is only one.The Chairman of the National Coal Board declared last week that he can sell every ounce of British coal that we can spare for export for a long time to come. The forecast of exports in the Economic Survey for 1950 is from 19–22 million tons; in the first 15 weeks of the year. the annual rate was just under 20.5 million. The volume of exports was over one million tons more than in the corresponding period of 1949.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many tons of anthracite are to be sold to Canada in 1950; to what extent shipping is available for the amount sold; and how much it is estimated could be sold to Canada if available.

I hope that sales of anthracite to Canada in 1950 will show a material increase over the tonnage shipped in 1949. But commercial negotiations on the matter are now going on, and I am afraid that I cannot, therefore, give the estimate for which the hon. Member asks. The National Coal Board have good hopes that their shipping requirements will be met. Before the war, about a million tons a year were sent to Canada, and I think that something like that tonnage could probably still be sold there today. if we had the necessary supplies.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the average margin per ton allowed to coal merchants to meet all expenses after the arrival of the coal at a siding; and how far this enables them effectively to perform the normal functions of their trade, and also to supply labour to pick out and remove large stones and slate from individual consignments.

The gross margins allowed to coal merchants cover the costs of distribution to consumers, and leave the merchants with a small net profit. Costs in different places vary widely, and therefore the gross margins vary too; the average for the country is about 18s. a ton. I am satisfied that, in general, the margins enable the merchants to perform the normal functions of their trade. The merchants have undertaken to go on taking every practicable step to pick out large stones and slate from the coal which they receive. I am discussing with them whether anything can be done to make their efforts more effective.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that many coal merchants in Leicestershire have been unable to honour domestic rations; that this position has been aggravated by the low quality of much of the coal supplied; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the position.

As I am sure the hon. and gallant Member is aware, the quantities of coal which a householder may buy are not rations, the supply of which is guaranteed; they are limits up to which he may buy if the necessary supplies are available. I am making inquiries about the position in Leicestershire, and I will write to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he has taken to purchase the 30 million gallons supply of petrol from the sterling area, payable in non-dollar convertible sterling, which was refused by the Australian Government.

Petrol is imported by private companies and is not purchased by the Government. I understand that the petrol in question was offered not from the sterling area, but from Italian sources; my Department has already drawn the attention of the main importers to the report that these supplies are available. The hon. and gallant Member will appreciate that in their commercial transactions, the importers must take into account the price and the quality of any oil which is offered to them.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what qualifications are required of the fuel inspectors employed by his Department.

Fuel inspectors need ability to interpret the provisions of Statutory Instruments and to obtain and report on evidence concerning alleged breaches of Orders administered by my Department. A knowledge of police court procedure, though an asset, is not a necessary qualification, and previous experience, personality and standard of education are all taken into consideration by the selection board when interviewing candidates for appointment.

asked the Lord President of the Council if a full list of activities, festivities and other incidents, proposed as parts of the Festival of Britain, will be published for the information of the general public.

Plans for the Festival, whether part of the official programme or made by local authorities and other bodies independently, have been published in the Press at frequent intervals during the past 18 months. In due course more detailed information will be made available to the public, not only through the editorial columns of the Press, but by advertisements, posters and publicity literature. The hon. Member will appreciate that it is not an easy task for the Festival Office to maintain a comprehensive list of the many activities related to the Festival which are not officially organised. They would welcome early notification by outside organisations of any plans for the Festival that they may be making.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will appoint an ambassador or an official of higher rank than has so far been done to the Chinese Government in Peking.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reasons were given by the Hungarian Government for the recent withdrawal of the residence permits of the members of the British Council in Hungary.

The Hungarian Government alleged that, in the course of the trial of Mr. Sanders and Mr. Vogeler, it had become evident that the British Council had been engaged in espionage in Hungary. It was, of course, pointed out to the Hungarian Government that this accusation of espionage rested on evidence which was demonstrably false.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the forthcoming official visit of the Prime Minister of Burma to this country.

When informed that the Burmese Prime Minister was coming to England on an informal visit, His Majesty's Government were glad of the opportunity to welcome him and invited him to be their guest during his stay. He is expected to arrive on 9th May and will stay for 10 days.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how much of the £500,000 rice loan to Burma has now been taken into use; and what modification in the marketing terms of Burmese State Agricultural Marketing Board has been secured as the result of this credit being extended to them.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the United Kingdom representative on the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans has reported any progress yet in the repatriation of Greek children abducted from their homes; and, what steps are being taken to secure the speedy return of these children in accordance with the terms of the resolution on this subject adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 5th December. 1949.

This matter was not entrusted to the Special Committee. The International Red Cross are continuing their efforts to get these children back to their homes, in accordance with the resolution passed unanimously by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 18th November, 1949. Unfortunately these efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the fact that neither the court nor the petitioner's solicitor is under any obligation to inform the respondent in an undefended divorce action that a decree nisi or a decree absolute has been pronounced, he will take steps to secure that the court shall notify the making of any divorce decree to the respondent.

A register of divorce decrees, which is open to public inspection, is already kept at the Divorce Registry at Somerset House. The question whether there should be some further notification of a decree being pronounced is one which it would be within the province of the Supreme Court Rules Committee to consider and my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor proposes to invite them to take the whole matter into consideration

asked the Minister of Food what proportion of the sweet ration is now imported; and how far British manufacturers are capable of producing the entire ration.

During the first quarter of this year, imported sweets amounted to about one-fortieth of the present five ounce ration. Production by British manufacturers is slightly below what this ration requires.

asked the Minister of Food if he will allow sufficient wood to British fruit packers for their packing, to compare favourably with that of foreigners.

We are still very short of softwood, and so cannot make it available for fruit and vegetable packing but hardwood which has been in general use for some years for this purpose, is free of control, and there should be enough to meet packers' requirements.

asked the Minister of Food if he proposes to publish the results of work done in East Africa to establish the optimum number of colonies of bees needed to pollinate a given area of sunflowers.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the research being done by the Overseas Food Corporation and I am asking them to let him know what they intend to do about publication.

asked the Minister of Food what estimate he has made of the increased costs of distributing the main items of food as a result of the increased cost of petrol and commercial vehicles. and whether he will provide figures relating to this matter.

The effect will vary from trade to trade and I cannot make any estimate at present.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to improve The inadequate arrangements for the issue of ration books in Coventry.

We could not get all the accommodation we should have liked for the distribution of ration books in Coventry; and this has unfortunately caused some queueing. We are doing all we can to reduce the time of waiting by drafting in extra staff at busy times and I think the arrangements are working reasonably well. More than 121,000 ration books were issued in the first nine days as against 103,000 in the same period last year. If there is any further difficulty perhaps my hon. Friend will get in touch with me.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now say whether he proposes to allow cream to be sold during the soft fruit season this year.

Following is the text of a statement on this subject which I issued to the Press on 27th April:

" I am still considering the extent to which the production of cream in the United Kingdom could be started again and, as I said yesterday in the House of Commons, I hope that it may be possible to agree to some limited production this year in certain parts of the country.

I must make it clear however, that any relaxation in this field must be limited by my anxiety to avoid, if I can, the reintroduction of general milk rationing in the late summer. I must, of course, weigh even a limited renewal of cream production against the risk of reducing the home output of other more important milk products such as butter and cheese. Similarly, although I shall be prepared at the appropriate time to consider permitting the import of cream, I cannot do so at the expense of imports of butter which we still need.

As soon as I have been able to assess the possibilities more fully, I will make a further statement."

asked the Minister of Food what number of staff he estimates will still be required in the points division of his Department to deal with the foodstuffs still retained on points rationing.

About 10 in the points division at headquarters and rather over 1,000 in the local and regional offices

asked the Minister of Food, in view of the expectation that the recent changes in the points rationing scheme would cause difficulties for traders and housewives, whether he will now make a statement on the effect of the changes so far.

It is too soon for me to form a considered judgment on the working of the revised scheme, which has only been running for a week. However, letters I have received suggest that housewives are finding it harder to plan the use of their points, especially for small households, and that people who usually spend all their points on the foods that are still rationed are finding it difficult to do so. I am afraid these difficulties are the natural result of having so few commodities on points, but I do not think I would have been right to go on rationing plentiful foods merely in order to avoid difficulties. I undertook, however, to review the whole effect of the revised scheme at the end of about four weeks working, and that review will take place.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the additional cost involved in the transport of imported early carrots because of his Department's ruling that they must be shipped with their foliage; and if he will devise a more economical method of controlling imports.

It was announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 15th April that this regulation would be withdrawn with effect from today, 1st May. All carrots may now be imported under open general licence.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now grant an increased sugar ration to housewives.

I would naturally like to do this, but my efforts to find the supplies which would permit such an increase have not, so far, succeeded. As soon as I can say anything useful on sugar, I will do so.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the exhorbitant prices now being charged for fruit and vegetables; and what action he proposes to take to bring these to an end and thus assist the housewife to purchase these necessities.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that on 27th April, in the Spitalfield Market, the sum of 28s. was being charged for a bag of 30 lb. of spring greens, and similar high prices for other vegetables; if he is satisfied that such prices are justified; and, if not, if he will arrange for an investigation to be held, with a view to the fixing of reasonable prices for vegetables.

I do not think fruit prices are too high for the time of year, but I know that some vegetables are very dear at present. This is because we are, in any case, between seasons; and supplies are even scarcer than usual because of last summer's drought. For instance, I am told that the quantity of home-grown cauliflowers, winter cabbages and savoys marketed in April this year will be only about 26,000 tons against some 48,000 tons in April, 1949. Price control would not produce any more vegetables, and might indeed reduce imports, while the supplies we have would probably go under the counter. I must tell the House, quite frankly, that there is no quick expedient or short-term solution of this problem of the prices of perishables. Buyers' resistance to unreasonable prices is the only effective means at our disposal, pending the outcome of our longterm policy for the reorganisation of fruit and vegetable marketing.

asked Minister of Food if he is aware of the shortage of split peas; and whether he will take steps to remedy this.

Yes. I am afraid yellow split peas are scarce just now and I greatly regret it. There are, however. plenty of green split peas which help to ease the problem. However, my Ministry is in touch with the trade to see if we can help to improve matters

asked the Minister of Food whether he is yet in a position to revoke the Meals in Establishments Order

I am today, advising the catering and tourist industries that the balance of public advantage now lies in the removal of this Order, at any rate for the period of the tourist season. The Order will, therefore, be revoked as from tomorrow, 2nd May. In agreement with the industries concerned, it is proposed to review the position again in the autumn and decide, in the light of our experience, whether we can permanently dispense with this Order.I hope, as a result of this step, that the tourist and catering industries will now be able to make a bigger contribution to our dollar balance of payments, which is, of course, the most urgent of our economic problems. The catering industry have agreed to keep the situation closely under review themselves and will watch for any evidence of possible abuses in the matter of prices and diversion of supplies. I might also say that I have been assisted in arriving at this decision by evidence that this restriction no longer has any substantial merit as an instrument of equity in the consumption of food supplies.I also intend to revoke the Meals (Service at Social Functions) Order which limits the number of people who can be served with meals at one function.

asked the Minister of Food how much tin was allowed to British canners for fruit and vegetables last year; how much is to be allowed for this year; how far the 1949 allocation was in excess of the needs; and how did that of 1950 compare with the amount which was requested.

Last year's quantity was about 82,000 tons. We do not yet know how much tinplate there will be for all canning purposes this year, but it is estimated that there should be about 80,000 tons for the canning of fruit and vegetables. All last year's allocation was taken up and it can therefore be assumed that it was not in excess of the industry's needs. The figure of 80,000 tons which I have mentioned for 1950 is much below the quantity requested, but I am afraid it is all we can spare as supplies are just now.

asked the Minister of Food, since His Majesty's Government are urging farmers to increase their numbers of pigs and cattle, if he will look into the question of providing more adequate slaughtering facilities.

The need to limit capital investment makes any extensive programme of building new slaughterhouses out of the question at present, but I am encouraging local authorities to build slaughterhouses in places where present facilities are seriously inadequate and where a new slaughterhouse would obviously fit in with any likely long-term plans.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is now in a position to make an extra allocation of cheese to those engaged in heavy manual work connected with agriculture, such as lorry drivers delivering or collecting agricultural produce and requisites and also to smallholders.

The special cheese ration is not given for heavy work but to provide a sandwich pack for certain well-defined categories of workers who are unable to use canteens or cafes. Road transport workers are not eligible because even in country areas they can usually obtain meals from roadside cafes in the course of their journeys. For the reasons I gave to the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Remnant) on 3rd April, I regret that I am unable to extend the concession to smallholders.

asked the Minister of Food what re-allocation of raw materials has been made between the manufacturers of high-quality soaps and manufacturers of the cheaper brands.

Under a long-standing arrangement, oils and fats are allocated to soapmakers by the Soap Makers' and Fat Splitters' Federation from bulk supplies provided each month by my Department. The Federation introduced on 1st January, 1950, a modification of their method of making allocations which has resulted in some re-allocation of materials between individual manufacturers but I cannot say how it has affected makers of different types of soap.

asked the Minister of Food how soon he expects to come to a decision with regard to slaughterhouses for killing horses, as recommended by the Report on Export and Slaughter of Horses.

As I told the hon. Member for Lancaster, Heywood and Royton (Mr. Sutcliffe) on 26th April, I am discussing this with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will start again on the Ashford by-pass.

Not, I am afraid. until economic conditions improve.

asked the Minister of Transport what ports in Scotland are so organised as to be able conveniently to accommodate or dock H.M.S. " Campania."

The Festival authorities have been responsible for choosing the places where the " Campania " should be accommodated or docked, after checking with my Department where the ship can berth and that there is suitable means of access for the public. I am informed that in Scotland this light aircraft carrier can be conveniently accommodated or docked alongside only at Dundee and Glasgow, with the possible addition of Grangemouth and Greenock at certain times and under certain conditions.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, before the Highways (Provision of Cattle Grids) Bill is debated, he will take steps to provide a model of a cattle grid within the precincts of the Palace of Westminster.

I hope to have a model ready for the Committee stage; in the meantime, I am arranging for drawings to be placed in the Library.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the recommendation of the Report on Export and Slaughter of Horses that heavy vehicles mileage per hour should be increased; and what action he proposes to take.

I have noted this recommendation and will bear it in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has considered the particulars which have been sent to him contained in a letter from the British Road Federation, Ltd., as to the speed limit of 20 miles per hour for heavy goods vehicles; and when he expects to be able to come to a decision on relaxing the present regulations.

The letter referred to is a circular letter to local authorities, of which all hon. Members have been sent a copy, and makes no representations to me as Minister. I am familiar with the arguments it puts forward. I am not yet in a position to come to a final decision in this matter.

asked the Minister Transport if he has considered particulars which have been sent to him about the bad state of the tram tracks in South London involving damage to motor cars and accidents; and if he will make a statement.

Complaints received in this matter are brought to the notice of the British Transport Commission who, through the London Transport Executive, are responsible for keeping the tram tracks in London in a fit state of repair. As the hon. Member is aware, the trams in South London are to be replaced by buses in the near future.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that more pedestrians use zebra-striped road crossings than ordinary ones; and whether he intends to replace ordinary crossings with zebra-striped ones.

I am aware that the Road Research Laboratory Report on the experimental striping of pedestrian crossings points to that conclusion; but this and other aspects of the question require further examination before any final decision as to future action can be reached

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to include in the next revised edition of the Highway Code a reference to the provisions of Section 14 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, which makes it an offence without lawful authority to drive motor vehicles more than 15 yards off the highway.

No. As stated in my foreword to the Highway Code, each provision in it has been included because of its importance in preventing road accidents and I consider that the objects of the Code will be best achieved by adhering to that principle.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will institute an inquiry into the working of British Road Services in Scotland with particular reference to the letter of 24th April sent to him by the hon. and gallant Member for South Angus.

No. The letter of 24th April refers to complaints about the organisation and day-to-day working of British Road Services; these are matters for the Chairman of the British Transport Commission, to whom the letter has been passed.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of private motor cars on 30th December last, registered for use by Government Departments, but excluding those used by military formations; and how many new private motor cars have

MONTHLY NET RECEIPTS OF ENTERTAINMENTS DUTY (TO NEAREST £1,000)
—			1948–49	1949–50	Increase or Reduction in 1949–50 compared with 1948–49
			£	£	Per cent.
November	…	…	3,683,000	3,482,000	—	5·5
December	…	…	3,161,000	3,313,000	+	4·8
January	…	…	3,976,000	4,040,000	+	1·6
February	…	…	3,466,000	3,397,000	—	2
March	…	…	3,640,000	4,132,000*	+	13·5
			17,926,000	18,364,000	+	2·4
* The final figure for March, 1950, is not yet available. The figure given for this month, therefore, is approximate only

The number of motor cars registered and in use by Government Departments in the United Kingdom excluding those of the three Defence Service Departments, on 30th December, 1949, was 5,607. The number of new motor cars registered for use by these Government Departments since 31st December. 1949, is 128.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will authorise His Majesty's Stationery Office to issue to Members, on application, a copy of the non-Parliamentary publication, " Problems of Social Policy."

No. Official histories have never been within the concession of free issue, and I am not prepared to extend the concession so as to include them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the monthly receipts from Entertainments Duty since 1st November, 1949, together with the figures for the corresponding months from 1st November, 1948, and the percentage increase or reduction represented by these figures.

The information is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the percentage by which personal incomes had increased between 1933 and 1949 after the payment of taxes; and the percentage by which prices have risen between 1938 and February, 1950.

Personal disposable income (i.e., personal income after provision for taxes on income and National Insurance contributions) was in 1949 95 per cent. higher than in 1938. The corresponding rise since 1933 is not known. Prices of consumers' goods and services were in February, 1950, on the average about 90 per cent. higher than in 1938.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revaluation payments have been made to other countries and international organisations, to the latest convenient date, following the devaluation of the pound.

Revaluation payments to the end of March have been as follows:

		£ million
Belgium and Belgian Congo	…	5.1
British Honduras	…	0.1
Brazil	…	9.9
France	…	0.3
Paraguay	…	0.2
Persia	…	10.9
Peru	…	1.1
Portugal	…	27.4
Switzerland	…	1.2
Uruguay	…	4.9
		61.1

These payments have all been made from the Exchange Equalisation Account. In addition, the following payments have been made out of the Consolidated Fund:

	£ million
International Monetary Fund	148.0
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development	25.4
	173.4

A special payment of £600,000 to Brazil has also been made from moneys voted by the House in March.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Government accept the Report of the Committee on Poaching and Illegal Fishing of Salmon and Trout in Scotland; and what action he proposes to take.

The Committee's Report is at present under consideration and my right hon. Friend hopes to be in a position to make a statement shortly.

asked the Minister of Education what is the minimum space per child for classrooms built in new schools under the Education Act, 1944; and the minimum space per child laid down in. schools built from 1919 onwards.

The Regulations prescribing standards for school premises, 1945, made under Section 10 of the Education Act, 1944, do not prescribe the minimum space per child to be provided in classrooms. They do, however, lay down that the minimum areas of classrooms in infant and junior schools shall be 520 square feet, and of classrooms in secondary schools, 480 square feet. Precise information is not available on the second part of the Question, but for a long period of years before 1939 it was the practice of the then Board of Education to assess the accommodation of schools on the basis of infant and junior class units of 50 pupils with a minimum area of 10 square feet per child, and senior class units of 40 with a minimum area of 12 square feet per child.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the reasons for reducing the price paid to Nigerian farmers for groundnuts to £20 per ton as fixed by the Nigerian Groundnut Marketing Board; and as the price at which the Ministry of Food have guaranteed to purchase under the three-year agreement, is fixed at £53 per ton, how the difference between these two figures is made up as to costs of transport including shipping, port handling, etc.

The reasons for the Board's decision were explained at length in their announcement published in the Nigeria Gazette on 9th March last, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. As regards the latter part of the Question, it will be necessary to await publication of the Annual Report and Accounts of the Board.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of midshipmen now serving in seagoing ships; the number of midshipmen now serving in shore establishments; and in each case the percentage of midshipmen who are not normally resident in the United Kingdom.

The numbers are as follows:

	Total Number	Percentage not normally resident in United Kingdom
Midshipmen in sea-going ships in	340	24·7
Midshipmen n shore establishments	187	14·3

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many midshipmen who are not normally resident in the United Kingdom are serving in His Majesty's Navy; and if he will make a detailed statement showing the numbers serving and their countries of origin.

One hundred and eleven, whose countries of origin are: Indian Navy, 50; Royal Canadian Navy, 15; Royal Australian Navy, 18; Royal New Zealand Navy, 3; Royal Pakistan Navy, 11; Royal Egyptian Navy, 12; Burmese Navy, 2.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the average length of time served by midshipmen in seagoing ships.

The time spent by midshipmen at sea depends upon the nature of the training required by different branches. The figures are: Executive midshipmen, 16 months; engineering midshipmen, 8 months; supply midshipmen, 12 months; electrical midshipmen, nil; aviation midshipmen, nil.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the new system of tobacco rationing to be introduced into the Royal Navy; and if he will give particulars of it.

I regret that it is not yet possible to give particulars of the rationing scheme as the final details still remain to be worked out.