asked the Minister of Works what are the tests used by the officers of his Department to distinguish between licensable and non-licensable works in the interior of buildings for the purposes of Defence Regulation 56A.

In the vast majority of cases the licensable work is clearly distinguishable, but where any doubt arises my officers can obtain legal advice.

Is not it the fact that the test they seek to apply is the distinction between landlord's fixtures and tenant's fixtures? Is not that a difficult test indeed to apply, and does not it give rise to a good deal of hardship in individual cases?

I agree that any test is difficult to apply, and ultimately of course these matters have to be decided by the courts. My officers have instructions, but they are subject to legal interpretation after that.

asked the Minister of Works how far there is uniformity in respect of the form of building contract used in connection with work for the various Government Departments.

All the principal Government Departments placing building contracts use the standard General Conditions of Government contracts for Building Works (Forms CCC/Wks/1 or 2).

Is it possible in any cases, if it is so desired by the contractor, for the standard form issued by the Royal Institute of British Architects to be used in this type of work?

No. We could not adopt that without considerable alteration.

asked the Minister of Works if he will consider removing the statue of the Duke of Cambridge in Whitehall and replacing it with a statue in memory of Alcock and Brown as the first men to fly the North Atlantic.

I do not think that Whitehall would be suitable for a memorial to Alcock and Brown. The Duke was for nearly 40 years Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, and I think that his statue is well placed between the War Office and the Horse Guards.

Will not the Minister agree that, imposing as is that record of the Duke, nevertheless the statue is too bulky for present-day traffic? Will not he also realise that a statue of a smaller size of Alcock and Brown would be inspiring to our own people and enlightening to the Americans?

I should like to see a statue of Alcock and Brown somewhere. As to the bulk of the statue of the Duke, I will go and have another look.

Does not the Minister realise that it is generally thought that an American was the first to fly the Atlantic? Does not he think we ought to pay a tribute to these great British pioneers, and cannot something be done about it?

Yes, certainly, but that is quite another question.

asked the Minister of Works where his consultations with the catering trade on the subject of 2, Park Street, W.1, took place; who were the representatives of that trade for this purpose; and what was the result of these consultations.

There was no formal consultation. In answering the hon. Member's supplementary question on 23rd January I had in mind the informal notification of my intentions that I had conveyed to the British Hotels and Restaurants Association on 7th November and 15th January last.

asked the Minister of Works the capital value of the buildings erected for Government occupation under the building lessor scheme; and the amount allowed as capital expenditure in respect of these buildings in the Economic Surveys.

Capital expenditure on building by the lessors is estimated at about £13 million. Approximately £7 million of this was included in the figures for Government building published in Economic Surveys to the end of 1950, and most of the balance, which is for buildings already in course of erection, will be included in the figure for Government building in 1951.

asked the Minister of Works whether a decision has yet been taken whether the proposed traffic ramp to the basement of Carlton House Terrace shall run from Waterloo Place or from Cockspur Street.

No, Sir.

Does that mean that the right hon. Gentleman has not got the matter under consideration at all? Is not he aware that there is very serious reason to think that inconvenience may be caused by the present site? People dining at the Athenæum may easily fall into the ramp.

The matter is not absolutely settled. A preliminary sketch plan was approved by the Westminster City Council. The Royal Fine Art Commission wanted the entrance through Cockspur Street, but they forgot there was a Nash sewer in the way.

Is this the only ramp the Minister is dealing with?

asked the Minister of Works why licences for work on the maintenance, repair and re-surfacing of estate roads and paths are now to be included in the allocation allowed for building licences.

There is no separate provision made in the investment programme for estate roads and paths and they are therefore included in the miscellaneous category, for which a general allocation is made. Within that allocation, the local authorities and my licensing officers license as much as they can of the more important work.

Is not the Minister aware that this is a new departure and that much essential maintenance work is being held up, and thereby firms specialising in that type of work are seriously hit?

I can assure the hon. Member that I am as anxious as anyone about maintenance work, but it has to be put somewhere and it is put into the miscellaneous field of capital investment.

It is cutting certain firms out altogether.

Even if these roads have a direct benefit to a particular farm, do they still go into this miscellaneous category?

I could not answer that question without notice.