asked the Minister of National Insurance if she is aware that many charitable organisations are forced to refrain from rendering financial assistance to needy cases, owing to the fact that if they do so the National Assistance is automatically reduced; and whether she will make a general statement on the position.

It would not be consistent with the principles on which assistance is granted to ignore charitable payments entirely in assessing need. Charitable payments are not one of the "statutory disregards" but the Board are usually prepared, as a matter of discretion, to disregard up to 10s. 6d. a week of any money an applicant for assistance may be getting from a charity.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what, to the most recent convenient date, is the total sum paid out under the National Insurance Scheme by way of funeral grants; what average period elapses between the date of death and payment of the grant; and what procedure relatives have to follow in order to obtain payment.

The figure asked for in the first part of the Question is £1,360,000 during the eight months to the end of February, 1950. The information asked for in the second part is not available. In general, the grant is paid within a few days of the receipt of a claim, which can be made at any time up to a month after the death. I am sending the hon. Member a leaflet describing how to claim a grant.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she is aware that an agricultural trainee is liable for National Health Insurance contributions should he work four hours or more overtime, and that this disincentive is widely resented; and whether she will either extend or abolish the four hour limit.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Norfolk. Central (Brigadier Medlicott) on Thursday, 15th June last, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of National Insurance to what extent under her regulations legal liability arises when an employer fails to ensure that the insurance card of an employee is stamped; and what is the liability of the employer and employee to the State and to one another, respectively.

It would be impossible, within the limits of a Parliamentary answer, to set out all the provisions of the Act and Regulations relating to the points raised by the hon. Member. But the general position is that if an employer fails to stamp an employee's card he renders himself liable to prosecution and may, in certain cases, have to pay the employee the amount of any benefit lost through failure to stamp.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many domiciliary confinements in the Glasgow area during 1949 were attended by midwives only; and in how many of such cases gas and air analgesia was administered for the purpose of relieving pain.

In Glasgow 4.690 domiciliary confinements were attended by midwives alone during 1949, and in none of these was gas and air analgesia administered.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many gas and air machines were available in Glasgow on 31st December, 1949; and how many of such machines were on order at that date.

None for domiciliary midwives was available or on order at 31st December, 1949: since then six machines have become available and 24 more are on order.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland. why, during the year 1949, no woman confined in her own home and attended only by a midwife received gas and air analgesia in Berwick, East Lothian, Kincardine, Kirkcudbright, Midlothian, Orkney, Peebles, Roxburgh, West Lothian, Zetland. Clydebank, Coatbridge, Dunfermline, Falkirk, Glasgow, Hamilton, Kirkcaldy and Rutherglen; and what action he proposes to take to remedy this situation.

The reason in each area was either that the necessary arrangements for the training of the midwives were not far enough advanced, or that gas and air machines were not available. I have asked the local health authorities in all these areas specially to review the position as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an assurance that because a pier is not included in the annexe to Command Paper No. 7976 that does not mean that the pier is regarded as unnecessary and not eligible for grants; and in particular whether it is proposed to improve the piers at Baltasound, Cullivoe, and Walls which are not included in the annexe.

I will not rule any pier out of consideration for grant purposes because it is not included in the list referred to by the hon. Member. The list appears to cover essential transport requirements, but I have asked each county council to give me their views on this. The Zetland County Council have suggested that Cullivoe and Walls should be included in the list and I am considering their representations. No representations have recently been made to me about Baltasound.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the figures of the cattle population for Wigtownshire for June, 1939, and June, 1949, respectively.

The total numbers of cattle returned in the county of Wigtownshire as at 4th June, 1939 and 4th June, 1949, were, respectively, 65,824 and 71,953.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the time period estimated for planting the 64,000 acres owned by the Forestry Commission in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, which are as yet unplanted.

About 18,000 acres of plantable land are at present at the disposal of the Forestry Commission under Section 3 (6) of the Forestry Act, 1945 and will be planted within 5 years. Most of the remaining land is in agricultural use and planting arrangements have not yet been settled.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many school children will be sent to Perthshire for the potato harvest this year; how many are to be billeted in vacant labour camps: and how many in schools.

Present plans are that 4,050 children will be sent to Perthshire this year. Of these, 750 and 700 will be transported daily from Dundee and Stirlingshire respectively; 1,100 will be billeted in hostels and camps and 1,500 in schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an assurance that children sent to Perthshire and Kinross-shire for this year's potato harvest will be supervised by teachers from their own schools.

I cannot at this date give the assurance asked for but I am hopeful that, as in previous years, the supervision will be on these lines.

asked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been drawn to the observations of the Lord Justice General in a recent appeal before the Court of Session against a conviction for short weight; and whether he will introduce legislation to make Section 12 of the Sale of Food (Weights and Measures) Act, 1926, workable in Scotland.

I am aware of the observations of the Lord Justice General in the case referred to. These relate only to subsection (5) of Section 12, and it is proposed, when a suitable opportunity offers, to introduce legislation to amend the provisions of that subsection. In the meantime, in relation to prosecutions with which I am concerned, I have issued administrative instructions which will prevent a recurrence of the difficulty which arose in the case in question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what grounds a British subject in Jamaica can no longer send his parents in the United Kingdom a parcel of sugar for their use, and not for sale, when this practice has continued over a period of 15 years with the exception of certain intervals during the war; and why have the Customs authorities been directed to make this seizure without any warning.

Gifts of sugar may still be sent to private individuals in this country. Recently, however, certain firms in the West Indies and elsewhere have been soliciting orders for sugar from people in this country. Sugar so purchased cannot be imported without an import licence, and the purchase constitutes an offence under the Food Rationing Order. Under a long standing concession import licences are waived in respect of bona fide unsolicited gifts from persons abroad; but in this new situation the Customs have found it necessary to refuse release of parcels of sugar in the absence of evidence that they are bona fide gifts. Parcels are forfeited only where that evidence is not forthcoming.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total sum outstanding of unpaid post-war credits; what is the total sum paid, to date; and what are the estimated payments for 1950 and 1951.

The amount of post-war credit originally created was £800 million, of which about £155 million has been repaid to date and a further sum of about £20 million set off against arrears of tax for 1945–46 and earlier years under the arrangement announced by my predecessor on 29th October, 1946. This leaves about £625 million still outstanding. Repayments for the current year 1950-51 are estimated at £17 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the concern occasioned by the fact that consideration cannot be given to payment of post-war credits in case of hardship; and whether he will give further consideration to the setting up of machinery whereby payment might be made in such cases.

As I said in my Budget speech this year, we cannot afford any further release of post-war credits at present. The question of payment in hardship cases has been examined on a number of occasions, but it has not been found practicable to devise any scheme.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that according to the daily price list of Government publications dated 11th July, No. 113, the proposed charge for a complete edition of Statutory Rules and Orders and Statutory Instruments is 65 guineas; and, in view of the fact that this price renders it impossible for the average citizen, and burdensome for lawyers and other professional persons directly concerned to purchase copies, what other steps it is proposed to take to make these volumes more readily available or to diminish the contents of future volumes.

The charge of 65 guineas is no more than sufficient to cover costs of printing and selling. The need of the legal and other professions and of private citizens has not been forgotten and the Instruments contained in each title of the work are being published separately in paper covers at the lowest possible prices. In order to make the volumes more readily available, rate-aided public libraries and university libraries in receipt of grants from the University Grants Committee can purchase official publications at half price. With the gradual disappearance of such war-time controls as become unnecessary, the contents of the volumes will diminish. So far this year there is a reduction in the number of Statutory Instruments compared with last year, of 175.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the nature of the capital transactions under Article 27 of the European Payments Agreement which will be excluded from the net cumulative overall position and which can be controlled by exchange control regulations, respectively.

Paragraph 27 would be applicable, for example, in the case of a loan raised by one member country in another member country and would enable the parties to agree that the proceeds should be brought into the clearing only as and when they are actually spent. This paragraph is not intended to affect such transactions as are normally allowed by the exchange control authorities of the country concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the anticipated additional value of imports to this country under the European Payments Union from members of the Union during the present year and in the first quarter of 1951, respectively.

I regret that it is not possible to make any reliable estimate of the increase in imports into the United Kingdom that may be expected as a result of the establishment of the European Payments Union.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of sterling to be made available to the European Payments Union under Article 25 of the agreement of 7th July, 1950.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken by any of the national collections under his control to acquire for the nation Constable's "Marine Parade and Old Chain Pier. Brighton." which is now in the hands of dealers.

Constable is not at present adequately represented in the Tate Gallery, and the Trustees have informed me that for this reason it would be particularly desirable to acquire the important picture to which my hon. Friend refers. The price at which it could be bought is £15,000. This figure is reasonable for a masterpiece of this size and quality, but it is more than the Trustees of the Tate Gallery can find from the resources at their disposal. They have asked me whether, if they will find half the price, I will provide the balance. I have agreed to the purchase of the picture on this basis, and Parliament will in due course he asked to vote a supplementary purchase grant of £7,500.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement showing the dollar expenditure and earnings of each Colony, Protectorate and Trust Territory.

I propose in the next Balance of Payments White Paper to give figures of the net gold and dollar balance of the Colonies as a whole for the first half of this year. There are technical difficulties in the way of giving more detailed information and it will not be possible to give figures for each individual Colony. But I am examining whether the available information can be presented in any more detailed way.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the sterling price increases since devaluation of oil, rubber, tin, lead and wool and what were the dollar sales of these commodities in the last quarter.

The exact increase of price varies according to the type of commodity and the quality. This applies especially to oil and wool, owing to the very wide range of products and large variety of prices. The approximate increases in sterling prices since the middle of September last year have been as follow: Rubber 170 per cent; tin 24.5 per cent.; lead 9 per cent.; wool 55–75 per cent.; oil and petroleum products 45–50 per cent. I cannot give figures of dollar sales of these commodities in the last quarter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total number of war damage claims received by the War Damage Commission for incidents in the county borough of West Ham; the number of these that were late claims; and the number that were admitted for compensation.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he has now investigated the charges of dishonesty brought by the Civil Service Commissioners against certain persons disqualified in the open clerical class and limited clerical class competitions; and whether he will make a further statement.

I understand that the candidates concerned made a statement, at the time of the examination, to the Commissioners examination supervisor who is a partner in an old-established firm of Edinburgh solicitors and himself a writer to the Signet. These statements and the supervisor's report have been fully examined by the Civil Service Commissioners. I can see no reason for modifying the decision they have arrived at.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations are in force in the Civil Service concerning the keeping of a list in each Department in- dicating the time served by the various officers so that the officers can check up their own position in the seniority lists; and if he is satisfied that these regulations are being implemented.

No central instructions have been laid down, but I understand that most Departments maintain lists of this character which are made available to the staff.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under the Treasury rule that any officer fulfilling the duties of a higher post than that in which he is established is to receive a special responsibility allowance, payment of such allowance is made on application unless evidence is put forward that the full responsibility of the higher post has not been taken.

There is now no such rule. The war-time arrangements for allowances in lieu of promotion were superseded by the authorisation referred to in the reply given to my hon. Friend on 1st December, 1949. The rate appropriate in such circumstances is normally paid without application by the officer concerned.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many factory lecturers there are on the staff of the Central Office of Information; how many factories a week they visit each: if he will give a list of some of the subjects on which they talk; and what reports there are indicating the extent of the response to the information given.

There are no lecturers on the staff of the Central Office of Information; there is a panel of fee-paid lecturers, of whom about 20 give talks in factories. Some 40 talks a week are given, at the request of the factories. The principal subjects are: (a) The economic situation; (b) the Commonwealth (including Colonial Territories); (c) Western Union. Those responsible for organising the factory meetings are asked to send in a confidential report; about 80 per cent. do so, nearly always in favourable terms. It is not possible to assess in isolation the results of the talks: they form part of the general programme of information.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what has been the result of his further inquiry into the powers and numbers of officials authorised to carry out inspections and investigations in private homes.

I can find no evidence that any vexatious use has been made of the powers given by Parliament to certain officials in the course of their duties to visit premises including, in some cases, private houses exclusively used as such. The powers of the Inland Revenue Department's valuers have been exercised without serious complaint since the last century. Auditors representing the Inland Revenue are empowered, by the Income Tax (Employments) Regulations deriving from the Income Tax (Employments) Act, 1943, to inspect documents supporting P.A.Y.E. deductions on employers' premises, which are usually business premises; and the War Damage Act of 1943 also provided for powers of inspection in order to settle claims. If the hon. Member knows of any case where these powers have been vexatiously exercised I will look into it. Questions about the use of powers granted under the Lunacy and Mental Deficiency Acts dating from 1890, and other powers of this kind, should be addressed to the Ministers of the Departments concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what limit is set for the money he proposes as a subsidy for hotel proprietors who entertain American and Canadian visitors.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 11th July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now able to give any further information as to claims under the War Damage Act, 1943, Part II, Business Scheme, General; and when a date for the general settlement of claims will be fixed.

Fifty million pounds exclusive of interest has been paid out under the Business Scheme, including £45 million on grounds of public interest or undue hardship. As regards the second part of the Question, I cannot add to the answer given on 21st March to the hon. Member for Beverley (Mr. Odey).

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the reasons why British locomotive manufacturers were unable recently to secure certain contracts in South Africa in competition with German manufacturers.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to an order for 100 light steam locomotives which was recently awarded to Krupp by the South African Railway Tender Board. I understand that the Krupp tender was considerably lower than the lowest United Kingdom tender.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what negotiations are being undertaken between his Department and the Treasury with a view to the production of a number of suitable films, and utilising funds available from the entertainment tax contributed by children's cinema clubs.

Detailed arrangements have not yet been made for the operation of the pool to help British film production, to which my right hon. Friend referred during the Debate on the National Film Finance Corporation on 29th June. Producers of children's films which are exhibited will benefit, however, along with producers of other British films from the arrangements which are being made

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the next report of the Monopolies Commission is to be published.

My right hon. Friend hopes to receive the first report of the Commission before the end of the Summer Recess. It will subsequently be laid before Parliament in accordance with Section 9 of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (inquiry and Control) Act, 1948.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has been able to obtain sufficient supplies of newsprint so as to avoid any cut in the present size of local or national newspapers.

We are obtaining the maximum possible production of newsprint from the home mills. Imported newsprint is purchased by the Newsprint Supply Company, a body set up by the newspapers themselves, and all contracts are negotiated by them. Although for some time past we have been prepared to license imports freely from soft currency sources and have also placed some two and a half million pounds' worth of Canadian dollars at the Company's disposal, I understand that they have not been able to obtain sufficient supplies to avoid a further cut.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the rise in the cost of living, he will consider introducing legislation to provide that, where a person in receipt of a superannuation allowance under the Asylums Officers' Superannuation Act, 1909, obtains any office of employment remunerated out of money provided by Parliament or certain other public bodies, he shall receive such of the superannuation allowance as, together with the remuneration of the new employment, is equal to the current rate of salary of the employment in respect of which the superannuation allowance was awarded, instead of to the rate of salary which obtained at the time of his retirement.

This condition in the Asylums Officers' Superannuation Act. 1909, is similar to that in other public service schemes. I see no reason to consider the introduction of legislation to vary it.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there are at present 1,000 beds empty in Swiss sanatoria; that there are 8,000 notified cases of tuberculosis in Great Britain waiting for proper treatment and therefore spreading infection; that the cost of treatment in sanatoria need not exceed a basic 30s. a day; and whether he will now make sufficient currency available, in consultation with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with a view to enabling tubercular patients to fill empty beds in Swiss sanatoria.

There is no power to provide or pay for treatment under the National Health Service Act outside this country.

asked the Minister of Health by how much expenditure on Cardiff hospitals for next year has been cut by the Welsh Regional Board; and in respect of what items are savings to be made.

For the year 1950–51 (to which it is presumed the hon. Member refers) the Welsh Regional Board have issued provisional approval to the Cardiff Hospital Management Committee representing an increase of nearly £100,000 over the probable final expenditure for 1949–50.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will provide a table showing the approximate value of Customs or Excise duties and Purchase Tax on the assumed quantities of items so taxed used in the calculation of the Interim Index of Retail Prices under the following heads: food, clothing, household durable goods, miscellaneous goods, drink and tobacco.

The Interim Index of Retail Prices is not calculated by aggregating the costs of particular quantities of the various items included in the index. It measures the average percentage change, from month to month, in the general level of retail prices of goods entering into working class expenditure, and the final index is a weighted average of the percentage changes for each of the seperate items. A full description of the method of calculation of the index is given in "Interim Index of Retail Prices: Methods of Construction and Calculation" published by H.M. Stationery Office.

asked the Minister of Labour the three most dangerous trades in the United Kingdom based on the percentage of accidents which are fatal and non-fatal.

I am having the information extracted and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Bureau of Current Affairs pamphlet entitled "Western Germany Today," written by Mr. Basil Davidson, has been examined by his Department, with a view to its use in the Royal Navy for educational purposes; and with what result.

This pamphlet was examined, but it was not chosen for educational purposes in the Royal Navy.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the Bureau of Current Affairs pamphlet entitled, "Western Germany Today," written by Mr. Basil Davidson, has been examined by his Department, with a view to its use in the Royal Air Force for educational purposes; and with what result.

This pamphlet was examined in my Department, but it has been decided not to make use of it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what information he has as to the number and average acreage of plantations in the West Indian Colonies owned by British or foreign individuals, and of their respective productivity; and the quality and nature of the crops exported.

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General whether in hot weather he will allow postmen to wear shirt-sleeve order.

No, but I am looking into the whole question of postmen's uniforms.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will consult with the Minister of National Insurance, so as to arrange for old age pensioners to receive a free wireless receiving set licence for personal use, on production of their Pension Order Book.

After careful and sympathetic consideration, the Government is unable to agree to the issue of broadcast receiving licences free to old age pensioners.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of outstanding orders for telephones in the urban district of Charlton Kings; and when he anticipates supply will meet demand.

Separate figures for Charlton Kings are not available. The district is served mainly by the Cheltenham exchange, for which particulars were given in my answer to the hon. Member on 12th July.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reconsider his decision with regard to the installation of a telephone kiosk at Sizewell, Suffolk, in view of the fact that all the private subscribers are situated some distance away from that part of the beach which is most popular during the summer, and that in a case of an emergency, such as a bathing accident, the telephones of private subscribers might not be available.

I have reconsidered this matter, but must adhere to my reply to the hon. Member on 21st June.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give the quotas of telephone kiosks allotted to rural areas of each county in Wales for the year 1950–51.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many milk chilling units called "Klim" have been sold by the Milk Marketing Board; how much they cost; whether they have been found satisfactory: and how much money

The figures are as follow: Anglesey 6, Brecknock 8, Cardigan 10, Carmarthen 14, Caernarvon 8, Denbigh 10, Flint 4, Glamorgan 9, Merioneth 8, Montgomery 10, Pembroke 9, Radnor 7.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many houses have been built in each of the forests in Wales since 1945; and how many are proposed to be built for forestry workers and head foresters during the next 12 months.

The information asked for is set out in the following table:was spent on research before they were put on the market.

I understand from the Milk Marketing Board that they do not sell the "Klim" milk chilling unit. It is, however, the policy of the Board to give guidance to milk producers by approving efficient equipment which, in their opinion, meets the needs of dairy farmers at a reasonable price, and the Board have approved the "Klim" cooler on this basis. The price of this equipment ranges between £90 and £150 according to size, and is considered by the Board to be satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture on what terms the Milk Marketing Board sell the "Klim" milk-chilling unit; and whether a profit or a loss has been made, after taking into account the initial research and development costs.

I am informed by the Board that they do not sell this unit. Accordingly, no profit or loss has been made, nor have the Board incurred any research or development costs.