asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of livestock on Scottish farms on the last convenient date, giving separate figures for each county with respect to cattle,

THE NUMBER OF CATTLE, SHEEP, PIGS AND HORSES IN EACH COUNTY IN SCOTLAND AT 3RD JUNE, 1950 (AND COMPARISON WITH 4TH JUNE, 1949)
Counties		Cattle (a)		Sheep (b)		Pigs		Horses (c)
		1950	1949	1950	1949	1950	1949	1950	1949
		No.	No.	No.	No.	No.	No.	No.	No.
Aberdeen	…	235,580	224,228	321,959	292,670	30,452	25,169	7,888	9,425
Angus	…	69,700	66,445	171,958	164,227	21,785	18,544	2,789	3,178
Argyll	…	63,503	62,415	728,163	709,123	1,244	1,045	2,910	3,216
Ayr	…	153,805	150,861	371,087	358,585	13,377	11,053	5,057	5,961
Banff	…	57,370	54,644	86,155	81,323	6,133	5,485	2,444	2,891
Berwick	…	35,169	34,582	322,566	321,745	7,396	7,409	1,059	1,224
Bute	…	10,735	10,509	42,283	40,178	441	377	760	784
Caithness	…	27,446	26,749	233,211	225,824	2,637	2,107	1,981	2,314
Clackmannan	…	4,733	4,647	15,149	14,214	1,396	1,224	195	229
Dumfries	…	105,272	102,204	505,969	494,946	7,662	8,559	3,014	3,491
Dunbarton	…	17,256	16,608	70,573	68,112	8,123	8,098	788	887
East Lothian	…	16,254	16,065	122,392	119,180	8,234	8,248	1,171	1,361
Fife	…	65,635	62,843	117,618	109,802	16,669	15,568	3,198	3,703
Inverness	…	52,447	52,346	595,065	572,769	3,016	2,732	2,911	3,290
Kincardine	…	40,925	37,742	51,102	44,858	5,073	4,343	1,179	1,401
Kinross	…	9,815	8,891	32,168	30,172	836	728	417	504
Kirkcudbright	…	75,899	73,438	342,103	336,790	5,076	4,469	2,247	2,564
Lanark	…	94,268	92,892	234,132	226,026	16,163	17,163	3,413	3,927
Midlothian	…	24,736	24,637	166,324	168,540	29,647	28,735	1,309	1,521
Moray	…	30,516	29,306	36,916	32,239	4,053	3,762	1,062	1,283
Nairn	…	8,804	8,035	13,111	12,437	925	778	311	368
Orkney	…	48,594	48,598	60,941	61,290	2,416	1,788	2,509	2,929
Peebles	…	11,632	11,475	191,238	189,075	2,171	1,895	329	380
Perth	…	95,638	91,755	618,973	590,300	15,705	14,522	4,503	5,158
Renfrew	…	30,217	30,721	34,119	32,967	8,691	9,071	1,277	1,437
Ross & Cromarty	…	40,213	39,618	433,344	408,587	3,518	2,707	2,265	2,536
Roxburgh	…	35,541	34,948	486,440	492,436	4,614	4,230	1,233	1,425
Selkirk	…	6,060	6,117	179,438	178,791	339	364	249	274
Stirling	…	41,621	40,645	111,775	103,208	11,323	11,214	2,162	2,371
Sutherland	…	10,184	9,878	247,265	244,460	729	481	723	812
West Lothian	…	15,317	15,281	11,420	9,102	5,517	5,126	795	887
Wigtown	…	74,297	71,953	134,326	128,835	5,394	5,366	2,764	3,110
Zetland	…	7,208	7,494	247,986	240,062	75	85	1,428	1,493
Total	…	1,616,390	1,568,570	7,337,269	7,102,873	250,830	232,445	66,340	76,334
(a) Including Cattle grazed on Deer Forests.
(b)Including Sheep grazed on Deer Forests.
(c) Horses used for Agricultural purposes, Mares for breeding and Unbroken Horses (including Stallions). "Other Horses" on agricultural holdings are not included.

As the reply is in the the form of a tabular statement I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional farms the Glenrothes Development Corporation contemplate acquiring in the near future; what is the acreage of these farms and the annual production of food from them; and at what date after the farms have been acquired it is intended to begin building houses upon them.

The Corporation are negotiating for the acquisition of two farms, Auchmuty, 348 acres, and Caskieberran, 252 acres. The annual production of food from these farms is estimated to be 56,000 gallons of milk, 230 tons of cereals, 870 tons of potatoes and sugar beet, 100 tons of hay and straw, 2,300 dozen eggs and 300 sheep. The Corporation propose to begin development on Auchmuty Farm as soon as the acquisition is completed and on the north-eastern part of Caskieberran Farm in approximately three years' time. The land will, of course, be kept in production as long as possible. No decisions have yet been made regarding further acquisitions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of growers of sugar beet, the acreage under sugar beet, and the tonnage of clean sugar beet delivered to factories in each of the campaign seasons since the war as compared with 1938–39.

The number of growers of sugar beet in Scotland, the acreage under this crop and the tonnage of clean sugar beet delivered to factories in each of the campaign seasons 1938–39 and 1945–46 to 1950–51 are shown in the following table:

Campaign season	No. of growers	Acreage	Tonnage of clean beet delivered to factories
1938–39	1,477	7,391	52,000
1945–46	2,491	12,206	103,000
1946–47	2,431	12,109	75,000
1947–48	1,761	8,808	64,000
1948–49	1,514	8,655	70,000
1949–50	1,335	8,573	95,000
1950–51	1,391	10,026	101,000

asked the Secretary of State for War what action he has taken to safeguard the interest of civilian employees returning from abroad in the matter of house allocation.

It rests with the local authorities concerned to allocate the tenancies of their houses according to need. However, with a view to easing the difficulties of these officials and their families, the financial allowances to which they may be entitled have recently been extended.

asked the Secretary of State for War why quartermasters who are promoted to the rank of brigadier cannot obtain retired pay in respect of this senior rank but are restricted to a pension equal to that of a major's retired pay; and whether he can make any alteration in regard to the case which has been brought to his notice by the hon. Member for the Pavilion Division of Brighton.

A quartermaster promoted to the rank of brigadier would not, under current rules, be restricted to the retired pay of a major unless the time which he spent in a higher rank was too short to reckon for retired pay purposes; but he could not secure the retired pay of a brigadier unless he held that substantive rank. I know of no such case, but if the hon. Member will let me have particulars of the case to which he refers I will look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for War what further steps he proposes to take with regard to Class Z reservists who have failed to answer communications addressed to them from his Department.

Class Z reservists who failed to complete the first questionnaire regarding their occupation were sent a further form by registered post. If they failed to complete and return this, they are regarded as available for recall whatever their occupation might be. No legal action can be taken against a Z reservist until and unless he fails to comply with a notice to join.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is in a position to make a statement regarding the length of service of Class B reservists now serving in Korea.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence on 14th February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he recently permitted a 25 per cent. increase in the ceiling price of utility upholstery.

For most articles of upholstered furniture, including all the cheaper models, the recent increase in maximum prices was considerably less than 25 per cent. It was necessitated by substantial increases in the cost of covering material and fillings, mainly those made of wool or cotton.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his search for substitute materials for wool, cotton, hessian and other scarce textile materials.

There is a world shortage of all textile materials and there are, for practical purposes, no substitutes in plentiful supply for wool, cotton or hessian. The International Materials Conference has invited His Majesty's Government and a number of other interested Governments to be represented on a Cotton and Cotton Linters Committee and a Wool Committee which will shortly meet in Washington to consider what may be done to meet these shortages. We shall also be represented on the Sulphur Committee convened in Washington to consider the shortage of this material, which is limiting United Kingdom production of rayon among other things.Though there is no quick and easy solution to these textile material shortages, we are doing our utmost to lessen their impact on our economy. In this we are, of course, seeking the advice and help of our own textile industries, and as my right hon. Friend informed the House on 9th February in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Batley and Morley (Dr. Broughton), a Textile Fibres Advisory Committee has recently been set up under my chairmanship to advise the Government about problems arising from shortages of textile materials.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the claims for compensation arising out of the damage done by enemy action in Bristol in 1940 have not yet been met; and how soon the general payment of agreed claims of the Business Scheme under the War Damage Act. 1943, Part II, will be made.

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to claims under the Business Scheme provided for in Part II of the War Damage Act, 1943. Those claims have been paid in whole or in part where the Board of Trade have been satisfied that the replacement or repair of the goods was expedient in the public interest or that payment was necessary to avoid undue hardship; but no date for the general payment of the remainder has yet been fixed. As regards the second part of the Question, I regret that I am not able to name a date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give an estimate of how the import and export trade balance for 1950 would have been affected had the terms of trade been those of 1938.

If the average value of imports had risen by only the same proportion as exports compared with 1938, the value of imports in 1950 would have been about £2,040 million c.i.f. instead of £2,603 million and the adverse trade balance of £348 million between these figures would have become a favourable balance of more than £200 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent it is intended to increase the price of 3s. a pound paid by the United Kingdom Cotton Board to the Nigerian Cotton Board in order to encourage the cultivation of cotton seed in Nigeria and permit the grower to receive more than 4d. a pound, at which figure it now has ceased to be a paying crop.

The price paid by the Raw Cotton Commission to sellers of raw cotton is a matter for their own commercial discretion and I do not propose to interfere. The second part of the Question is a matter which concerns my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies. I would, however, point out that the first price quoted relates to cotton lint, one pound of which required three pounds of seed cotton, to which, I assume, the second price quoted relates.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in response to his representations about unfair trade practices in the production and marketing of pottery produced in Japan and sold in overseas markets.

In one case the Japanese firm has already stopped making the goods in question. In another case investigations will be made as soon as our representatives in Tokyo receive the copies from the United Kingdom firm that has lodged the complaint. The Japanese Pottery Manufacturers' Association claims that copies are usually made to the requirements of foreign buyers. The Association is urging its members to obtain letters of indemnity from such foreign buyers accepting responsibility for any infringement of registered designs. I understand that the Japanese pottery industry would welcome a visit by representatives of the United Kingdom pottery industry in order to discuss this and other problems.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent he intends to obtain, under the Statistics of Trade Act, statistical returns in respect of individual offices of the nationalised gas and electricity industries.

Most of the statistical information in respect of the nationalised gas and electricity industries required for the 1950 Censuses of Production and Distribution is being collected by the Ministry of Fuel and Power under the Nationalisation Acts, the forms prepared by that Ministry having been extended to include the information required for the censuses to avoid separate forms being sent out by two Departments. The information is largely supplied by area and divisional offices of the industries, and includes information about individual productive and distributive units.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it will be possible to make available a supply of manila rope for the fishing industry.

Additional supplies of manila were recently authorised for use by the home fishing industry, and I am advised by the manufacturers that full-scale production of the rope to be manufactured from these supplies should start in July. I understand that some small supplies should be available earlier. The use of manila by the home fishing industry was previously limited to a few types of rope for which sisal cannot be substituted, but the new arrangements will permit of much more general use.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the current comparative prices of sisal, manila and nylon rope available, or likely soon to become available, for use in the fishing industry.

The present maximum prices approved by the Central Price Regulation Committee for sisal and manila rope are £204 5s. per ton for standard 3 in. white sisal rope, £250 per ton for high grade standard 3 in. manila rope and £234 per ton for superior special standard 3 in. white manila rope. I am, as yet, unable to say what the price of manila rope of the quality to be made in the future for use in the fishing industry will be, as this depends upon specification and the prices of the particular grades of manila involved. I understand that the price of nylon ropes approximates £1,876 per ton. The quantity available is strictly limited by the present shortage of raw material.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether his Department has taken note of the architectural competition on designs for domestic houses costing £1,000 or less, organised by "The Builder," the results of which are now being displayed; and whether consideration will be given to the suitability of some of these designs.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether his attention has been called to the shortage of houses in the village of Waskerly, near Consett, County Durham; and if he will increase the allocation to the appropriate authority.

It is for the Lanchester Rural District Council to decide where houses shall be built within their area. It is too soon yet to make any change in the council's allocation.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning how many military hutments are in occupation by families in the Cardiff rural district area; and whether he will issue a circular to all local authorities, where such camps exist, requesting them to give consideration to a systematic allocation of a proportion of their houses to the camp tenants, with a view to the subsequent demolition of the huts.

I hope that in due course local authorities will be able to rehouse all families living in such conditions, but I do not think it is necessary to issue a circular at present.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he is aware that a shortage of plasterboard is impeding the housing programme of the Kettering Borough Council. the urban district council of Burton Latimer and the Kettering Rural District Council; that in Burton Latimer the completion of a number of houses is being held up for that reason; and what steps he proposes to take to expedite supplies.

I have been asked to reply. Owing to inadequate supplies of the paper liner used in its manufacture, the production of plasterboard has recently been curtailed. As a result, there have been shortages of plasterboard in many parts of the country, including the Kettering district. Alternative materials are being used by the Kettering Borough and the Kettering Rural District Council and arrangements are being made for the plasterboard for the Burton Latimer houses to be delivered shortly.

asked the Minister of Works whether he has yet received the production report from the principal building materials industries; and if he can now make a statement on the results of introducing incentive payments under the new bonus scheme on a national basis.

Figures of production from the principal building materials industries are published in the Monthly Digest of Statistics. The new agreement on incentive payments in the building industry reached in December has not had time to take full effect.

asked the Minister of Works what are the reasons for the delay in derequisitioning the Hotel St. George, Harrogate; and whether he will take urgent steps to complete the arrangements so that rehabilitation of the hotel can commence.

The release of the St. George Hotel, Harrogate, is dependent upon the outcome of negotiations now taking place for the use of alternative premises. These are being pressed forward as rapidly as possible.

asked the Minister of Works what are the current prices of bricks, of all grades, in the brickfields of Peterborough and the surrounding districts; and how they compare with the prices operating in 1939 to 1945 and 1951.

Fletton bricks (2⅝ in.) produced in the brickfields of Peterborough, are normally quoted "delivered to site," but representative ex-works prices of the main grades are considered to be as follow:

	Per 1,000
	Commons	Rustic	Sand-faced
1939	36/-	56/-	66/-
1943	47/-	Not available
1944	48/3
1945	53/-	73/-	83/-
1951 February	60/-	85/-	100/-

Information is not available for the other war years.

asked the Minister of Works what was the number of bricks produced each year in the brickfields of Peterborough and districts around, from 1945 to 1950.

The totals in millions were 532 in 1947, 484 in 1948, 606 in 1949 and 695 in 1950. I regret that figures before 1947 are not available.

asked the Minister of Works if he will give the original cubic capacity desired in the proposed Colonial Office on the Westminster Hospital site; and the reduced cubic capacity now suggested.

The gross cubic capacity of the building previously planned to cover the old Stationery Office and part of the Westminster Hospital site would have been about 4,896,500 cubic feet. The capacity of the smaller building now proposed will be about 4,660,000 cubic feet.

asked the Minister of Works whether the entrance to and exit from Hyde Park at Kensington Gore can be broadened to allow two lines of traffic each, in view of the frequent congestion at this place.

The widening of the Alexandra Gate into Hyde Park will begin shortly and should be finished by the end of March. The gate will then accommodate two lines of traffic both in and out. The new gates themselves will take rather longer to make and cannot be rehung for some months.

asked the Minister of Works the number of building operatives presently employed on housing within the Glasgow area; how the figures compare with the total labour force engaged in the building industry in the said area; and if he is satisfied with the distribution of the labour force.

The approximate number of building operatives presently employed on housing within the Glasgow area is 10,000 or roughly 50 per cent. of the total building industry labour force working in the area. I am satisfied that the distribution of the force is reasonable, having regard to the substantial volume of work that has to be carried out in and around the Glasgow area for public utility works, industrial and commercial premises, schools, colleges, etc.

asked the Minister of Works the expenditure on building work in Glasgow other than housing, Government and local authority work and new factories authorised during each of the years 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950.

The expenditure on building work in Glasgow, other than housing, Government and local authority work and industrial building, authorised in the years 1947 to 1950 was as follows:

	£ million
1947	1.5
1948	1.4
1949	1.5
1950	1.8

I regret that figures are not available for year 1946. These figures do not include expenditure on small works and repairs which are not subject to authorisation.

asked the Minister of Works the number of building operatives employed in Glasgow during the years 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950 on housing, Government and local authority works and new factories, and other types of building work including reconstruction and repairs, respectively.

The table below shows the approximate number of building operatives employed in Glasgow during the years 1946 to 1950 on housing, Government and local authority works and industrial building, and other types of building work.

Year	Housing	Government and local authority works and industrial building	All other types of work	Total
1946	9,205	4,595	8,900	22,700
1947	9,512	4,960	8,593	23,065
1948	10,554	5,125	7,504	23,183
1949	10,040	4,067	7,063	21,170
1950	10,014	4,247	5,669	19,930

The figures include in each case men employed on reconstruction and repairs. The figures in columns 2 and 4 include an estimate of men employed on repair and maintenance work not subject to control.Separate figures cannot be given for new factories as distinct from general industrial building.

asked the Minister of Works when the statue of Mr. Gladstone will be replaced in the Central Lobby.

This statue will be replaced during the Summer Recess.

asked the Minister of Works when the new arrangements in the Members' Cloakroom will be completed.

The new arrangements in the Members' Cloakroom should be complete in September next.

asked the Minister of Labour how many registrations of disabled persons have lapsed or have not been renewed on review.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the current minimum rates of wages paid to brickworkers in the Peterborough and surrounding districts; and how these compare with those paid in 1939 and 1945.

As the answer involves a detailed tabular statement, I am sending it to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking, or will take, to assist the Workshops for the Blind to retain their employees on full-time.

Local authorities are responsible for Workshops for the Blind, but I have powers to assist financially. The extent of employment is largely determined by local circumstances, including the effectiveness in marketing finished goods. My officers when visiting workshops periodically are able to advise them on measures to promote technical efficiency, and there is now less underemployment than for some time past. Such under-employment as exists is limited to a very few of the 70 workshops concerned.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will circularise local education authorities on the desirability of placing as many of their orders as possible for brooms, brushes, mats and baskets with the local Workshops for the Blind and thus assist in retaining in full employment those unfortunate members of society so afflicted.

I do not think it is necessary for me to take any special action. All local education authorities received a circular in November last (No. 96/49) from the Ministry of Health, recommending that they should consider favourably any approach for contracts on a competitive basis made to them by the undertakings which provide employment for the severely disabled, including the blind.

asked the Minister of Supply why he continued a subsidy on steel-making in addition to those which the House of Commons was informed would be continued after 31st March, 1949; and what answer has been sent to the Comptroller and Auditor General on this matter.

The losses on the three agency factories, to which I presume the hon. Member refers, were not deemed to be on the same footing as the subsidies about which my right hon. Friend spoke to the House on 31st March, 1949, and they were excluded from his statement. The second part of the Question refers, I presume, to the Comptroller and Auditor General's request to the Treasury for their views on this matter. This is a question for the Treasury.

asked the Minister of Supply what action is being taken to ensure adequate supplies of the basic metals to the engineering shops in the Bristol area.

Owing to the present shortage of certain basic metals, it has been necessary to reduce supplies to engineering firms in all areas in recent months. There are allocation schemes in force which should ensure that manufacturers get their fair share of the material available. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind where the shortage is causing serious interference with essential production, I will look into the matter if he will let me have details.

asked the Minister of Supply what consultations he has had with the industries concerned in order to ensure that available machine tools are used to their fullest capacity, with a view to economising in the quantities of steel needed for producing new machine tools.

In the course of the consultations my right hon. Friend and senior officials have had with the various sections of the engineering industry which are particularly concerned with the carrying out of the defence programme, they have emphasised the need to ensure that the available machine tools are used to the greatest possible extent, both in main contractors' works and by an extension of sub-contracting.

asked the Minister of Health what is the maximum rate of lost time payment to members of health service committees; and how this rate compares with the maximum rates admissible to members of Ministry of Labour and Ministry of National Insurance committees.

The maximum allowance for loss of earnings or additional payments for members of hospital authorities, executive councils and certain other bodies in the National Health Service is 20s. a day. I am informed that the comparable allowance for members of Ministry of Labour and Ministry of National Insurance committees is 25s.

asked the Minister of Health how many hearing aids have been supplied in the area served by the Royal Infirmary, Sunderland; what is the present waiting list; and the average time taken to supply aids.

Two thousand two hundred and twenty-two aids have been supplied. Two thousand nine hundred and seventy-five patients are on the waiting list. They have at present to wait from a few weeks to somewhat under two years according to their degree of priority.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Medical Officer of Health for Brighton was called on 27th December, 1950, to examine two persons in Bevendean Hospital, that on 28th December he pronounced them to be smallpox cases and that one of them died at Bevendean on 29th December; what arrangements were made for the isolation of this case at Bevendean, and what was the disease for which the daughter of this fatal case of smallpox entered Bevendean on 18th December, 1950; where was the Royal Air Force officer who infected these two people when it was decided to take him to Dartford Isolation Hospital on 28th December; and what information he has as to whether he had been seen by a doctor at any time after his journey to Brighton on 29th November, 1950.

I am aware of the facts stated. The patient who died was admitted to the isolation block of the hospital. His daughter was admitted with a diagnosis of staphylococcal septicaemia. The officer mentioned was at Portslade at the time he was taken to hospital, and had been seen by a doctor at least twice after reaching Brighton.

asked the Minister of Health what was the total number of notifications of smallpox for each of the years 1946 to 1950 inclusive; and in how many cases had vaccination been carried out previously.

The numbers of notifications for the years 1946 to 1949 were respectively 56, 78, nil, and 19. The numbers of these cases in which there was information that the person had been vaccinated in earlier life were respectively 42, 45, nil and 7. The corresponding figures for 1950, which are at present provisional, were 12 and 8.

asked the Minister of Health what was the total number of deaths from smallpox for each of the years 1946 to 1950 inclusive; and in how many such cases had vaccination been carried out previously.

The numbers of deaths in the five years concerned were respectively 14, 15, nil, 5 and 1. The numbers of these cases in which there was information that the person had been vaccinated in earlier life were respectively 3, 6, nil, 1 and 1.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement about the progress of constructing the Holme Moss broadcasting station.

Progress on the construction of this station has been delayed by the weather and by difficulties in obtaining delivery of materials and equipment, but if there are no further unavoidable delays, the B.B.C. hopes to be in a position to start preliminary transmissions on medium power in July. These will give partial coverage only and are intended mainly to assist viewers and radio dealers in the setting up and adjusting of receivers. The B.B.C. hopes that it will be possible to transmit normal programmes on full power towards the end of September.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent the re-armament programme threatens the supply of components for the television station site at St. Lythans; and to what extent it is likely to interfere with television being available to the people of Wales by 1952.

There is likely to be some delay in supplies, but I cannot forecast its extent.

asked the Minister of Food what increases in price have been charged by his Department to fish and chip friers for margarine, compound cooking fat, dripping and cooking oils; and if he will compare these prices and increases with those charged to domestic consumers.

The only fats allocated at present for fish frying are dripping and palm kernel oil. The prices of these were increased on 28th January because of increased procurement costs, as follows: Dripping from 125s. 3d. to 133s. 4d. a cwt.; palm kernel oil from 126s. 6d. to 150s. 6d. a cwt. At the same time, the price to trade users of cake and pastry margarine was increased from 125s. 3d. to 145s. 3d. a cwt. and that of compound cooking fat from 125s. 3d. to 150s. 3d. a cwt. The subsidised price of domestic cooking fat remains unchanged at 1s. a lb. (112s. a cwt.) and that of domestic margarine at 10d. a lb. (93s. 4d. a cwt.) for "special" and 6d. a lb. (56s. a cwt.) for "standard" quality.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give an assurance that sufficient stocks of potatoes of normal quality are available in this country to meet the demand until the new season's crop is available.

Supplies of good potatoes are considered to be sufficient provided that the planting and growth of the new season's crop is not unduly delayed. I would like to remind growers and traders that they should make their own arrangements for suitable supplies of old potatoes in May and June, because the Ministry is not holding a large reserve this season.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will now ensure that all eligible Service personnel are given an opportunity to register their votes by proxy either prior to going overseas or immediately on arrival at their new duty station.

This is a matter which falls within the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Service Ministers and I would invite the hon. and gallant Member to address separate Questions to them.