asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty at what dates in 1950, prior to 1st September, did his Department make appeals for men to extend their service to complete 22 years.

No specific appeals were made, but the need for more men to re-engage to complete time for pension has been well known to the Navy for some time.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many serving personnel in the Royal Navy extended their service to complete 22 years during the three months prior to 1st September, 1950.

One hundred and seventy-five, including Royal Marine other ranks.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many naval personnel were induced, prematurely, to extend their service to complete 22 years, by appeals through ships' orders and, in consequence, did not receive the £100 bounty which they would otherwise have received by extending their service after 1st September, 1950.

There are some 300 men who re-engaged for pension before 1st September, 1950, who could have done so later. How many of these acted in response to positive encouragement I cannot say, as appeals issued through ships' orders would be a matter of local administration. Undoubtedly local encouragement to re-engage increased recently, due to the greater need. The Royal Navy is always anxious that good men should re-engage for pension within the limits set by manning requirements, and the main inducement must be the conditions of service foreseeable at the time.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give a list of the water schemes in rural areas in Kent that his Department has approved in the last 12 months.

I have been asked to reply. Seven schemes were approved or authorised during 1950 to serve all or parts of the following rural areas in Kent: 1. St. Nicholas (Eastry Rural District Council); 2. Chittenden (Margate Corporation); 3. Aylesford (Malling Rural District Council); 4. Walters Green (Sevenoaks Rural District Council); 5. Newington Swale (Swale Rural District Council); 6 Newington Elham (Folkestone Waterworks Company); 7. Shorne (Higham and Hundred of Hoo Water Company).In addition, approval was given to the development by the Gravesend and Milton Waterworks Company and by the Hartley Water Committee of new sources of supply to serve both rural and urban areas.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning on what date he received the proposals from the Horncastle Rural District Council to extend the water supply to include Wildmore parish in Lincolnshire; when the approval of his Department was given; and on what date the work will commence.

The scheme was received on 18th November last and approved in principle on 1st January. The council were asked then to prepare contract documents and to inform me when they would be ready to start work. I am unable to say when work will commence until this information is received.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what is the average number of properties held under requisition by local authorities for housing purposes during each of the past five years; and the charge on the National Exchequer in each of these years resulting from the requisitioning.

I have been asked to reply. The average numbers of properties held under requisition for housing purposes and the net charges to the Exchequer for England and Wales are approximately as follow:

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that local authorities are unable to meet the urgent need for houses for district nurses; and whether he will consider increasing the building allocation of local authorities for this purpose.

I have been asked to reply. I am aware of some instances, but I cannot increase building allocations specially for this purpose.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he has studied the proposals put forward by the newspaper proprietors for the establishment of a Press Council; whether he is aware that these proposals are not in accord with the recommendations of the Royal Commission; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes. I have observed that, as they stand, the proposals depart in important respects from the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Press, and are in conflict with the Motion which the House unanimously approved on 28th July, 1949, to the effect that it would welcome all possible action on the part of the Press to give effect to the Commission's conclusions and recommendations. They are still, however, in draft form, and I gather that they may be unacceptable to the organisations which represent editors and other journalists. I assume that they will be discussed further with these bodies with a view to the production of an agreed scheme, and in these circumstances, I do not think that it would be appropriate for me to comment upon them at this stage.As I have informed the Director of the Newspaper Society, who was good enough to send me a copy of the draft proposals, I hope, of course, that on a matter which is of great importance to the community as a whole and to working editors and journalists as well as proprietors, it will be possible to reach general agreement on revised proposals which, in all essential respects, give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many British officers are at present seconded for service with the Colonial Forces.

The complete figures asked for are not at the moment available. When they have been collected I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he intends to reply to the letter of the 28th November, 1950, from the hon. Member for Cheltenham concerning the medical condition of 322331 Private J. Cone.

A reply has now been sent to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that some high tension cables, the property of the Midlands Electricity Board, erected over the River Avon, are not of sufficient height to prevent the possibility of ship's masts hitting them with the consequent danger of fatal accidents; and if he will take steps to see that the interests of the public are protected from this danger.

I have not at present sufficient information about the circumstances to enable me to give a reply, but I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give full particulars of the sums of £6,473 for salaries and wages and £1,798 for travelling expenses paid by the Welsh Agricultural Land Sub-Commission in the year ended 31st March, 1950; how many persons are employed as general staff and what are their total salaries; and how many are employed as resident estate staffs and what are their total salaries.

£6,473 is the portion of the total salaries, wages and superannuation of the Sub-Commission and staff (including workmen) which has been allocated to management; £1,798 is the amount of travelling expenses actually incurred by the Sub-Commission and staff on management work in the year ended 31st March, 1949. The equivalent figure for the year ended 31st March, 1950, is £1,415. In that year there were eight general staff whose salaries and superannuation totalled £4,350, and 17 resident estate staff and workmen whose salaries, wages and superannuation totalled £5,915.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what were the total rents of the Glanllyn Estate, Merioneth, managed by the Welsh Agricultural Land Sub-Commission, in the year ended 31st March, 1950; what was the total cost of repairs during the year; and how many persons were employed as resident staff on the estate and what was their total salaries and wages.

The answer to the first part of the Question is £6,726, and to the second £3,817; as to the third, 17 persons including 14 workmen were employed as resident staff, and their total salaries, wages and superannuation amounted to £5,915.