asked the Minister of Transport what use is to be made of the Kingsway tunnel when it is closed for trams.

I am anxious that the best possible use should be made of this subway when it is closed for trams and I am giving close personal consideration to the question in consultation with the British Transport Commission and the London County Council. The question is difficult and requires considerable investigation and it may be some time before any definite conclusions can be reached.

asked the Minister of Transport why the retirement policy of his Department for the general clerical classes does not conform with the practice of other Departments or with the reply to a Parliamentary Question given by the Prime Minister on 19th September, 1950; and whether, pending the negotiations with the National Whitley Council, he will give instructions that notices informing officers of the date of their retirement should be withdrawn.

I am not aware that the retirement policy of my Department for the general clerical classes differs from that of other Departments where the circumstances are the same. Members of the general clerical class are retained to age 65 provided they are fit and efficient and there is a real need for their services. I cannot go further than this at present as the staff is still being reduced. My Department at the end of the war numbered about 25,000; it is now less than 6,500 and last year there was a decrease of about 600. My present practice has been framed in consultation with representatives of the staff side of the Departmental Whitley Council and in the circumstances I do not see my way to depart from it pending the result of negotiations on the National Whitley Council.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to introduce legislation with a view to conferring general powers for the erection of shelters on the highway.

I have consulted the bodies concerned as to proposals which might be laid before Parliament on this subject when opportunity offers. Their replies indicate a considerable devergence of view on important points and I cannot say when legislation on the matter is likely to be introduced.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the amount paid in 1950 by the National Assistance Board in supplementation of National Insurance pensions to men 70 years of age and over, and women 65 years of age and over.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether her regulations permit seasonal workers to receive benefit in the off-season if they are prevented by lack of accommodation from taking work away from their homes.

There are no special rules about difficulties arising from lack of accommodation, nor are these difficulties in any way peculiar to seasonal workers. The hon. Member's Question could only be answered in the light of the facts of a particular case and so far no case of this kind has come before the National Insurance Commissioner.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if she will give consideration to the question of earnings of wives of sick husbands drawing allowances under public assistance; and if she will make adjustments in the maximum rate of earnings, at present 21s. a week, so as to allow wives to earn a larger sum, without deduction from their husband's allowance.

The amount which a wife can earn without effect on assistance payable to her husband is laid down in the Regulations. But the earnings taken into account are net and the Board also make full allowance for any expenses of earning such as travelling, meals out, etc.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in addition to the claims of Far Eastern prisoners of war, he will continue to bear in mind the claims of British civilians to compensation under the terms of a Peace Treaty with Japan for seizure of property in the Far East.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what stage the Japanese Peace Treaty has now reached; what part Great Britain is taking and will take in it; and who are to be the British delegates.

I refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply today to the hon. Member for Hitchin (Mr. Fisher).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has accepted the invitation from the French Government to discuss the possibility of a European Agricultural Pool; and whether he has any statement to make about this proposal.

The invitation from the French Government is now being considered, and a reply will be sent in the near future. I suggest that my hon. Friend puts down a further Question next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of France asking them to consider similar legislation to Statutory Instrument, 1951, No. 638, limiting the size of lobsters and crabs landed and prohibiting the landing of berried lobsters.

I am considering this matter in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, and expect shortly to be making inquiries of the French Government upon this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the Iraqi Government have not yet withdrawn Iraqi Law No. 12 of 1951; and whether he has received a reply to the representations he has made to Iraq on the matter.

Yes. As I said in my reply to Questions put by my hon. Friends the Members for Stalybridge and Hyde (Mr. Lang), Rossendale (Mr. Anthony Greenwood) and Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner), on 23rd April, His Majesty's Government have drawn the attention of the Iraqi Government to the unfortunate consequences which might ensue if any ground were given for a charge that those affected by Law No. 12 were subjected to any form of persecution. The Iraqi Government took note of this approach.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he expects that branded petrol will be on sale again.

I cannot say when it will be possible to allow the sale of petrol under brand names and of the higher octane petrols associated with brand names. At present it cannot be done without reducing the total supply of petrol. The question is being kept under review.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much fuel oil has been purchased from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1947.

In 1948, a British controlled company bought 9,300 tons of fuel oil from a Russian company; in return, they agreed to supply the same amount to Soviet vessels in the Far East.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps have been made since September, 1945, to set up a permanent International Petroleum Council as envisaged in Article III of the agreement between His Majesty's Government and the Government of the United States of America.

This agreement was never ratified by the United States Congress; consequently no steps have been taken to carry it out.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that in some cases national hospitals pay less for coal purchased from coal merchants than when buying the same coal direct from the National Coal Board; how this comes about; and what action he proposes to take.

No, I have received no information which supports the suggestion made in this Question by my hon. Friend. But if my hon. Friend will let me have particulars of any case or cases which he may have in mind. I will gladly inquire.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he expects that coal merchants throughout the country will be in a position to supply coal not only to meet current needs, but to meet the demand of consumers who wish to build up reserve stocks in the summer.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I made to Question No. 43 this afternoon.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that household coal is virtually unobtainable in North Tawton and the surrounding district; and what steps he proposes to take to provide a supply of this type of coal.

Supplies of house coal to North Tawton and the surrounding district were interrupted in the early part of the month by delays to shipments of coal to Plymouth, due to bad weather conditions, and by the normal reduction in output during the Easter holiday period. Shipments are, however, now more satisfactory, and the position has been further improved by additional supplies from two special train loads of coal which were consigned to this Region. In the result, deliveries to merchants at the North Tawton depot have been well above their allocations during the past three weeks.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will direct that damages under the Fatal Accidents Acts and the like which are remitted to the county courts to be invested for the benefit of widows and minors should be invested in Government trustee securities, which yield up to £3 17s. 6d. instead of being treated as funds in court, earning only 2½ per cent. interest.

The system in the county court of treating damages under the Fatal Accidents and other Acts as funds in court was introduced in 1935 in the place of the former system under which funds were invested on behalf of the beneficiaries in trustee securities. I understand that under the old system there were frequent complaints by beneficiaries of loss through depreciation in the value of the securities. Such loss does not now fall on the beneficiary. Furthermore, the beneficiary is saved brokerage and Stamp Duties. The preservation of the capital sum is, I think, a matter of greater importance than the slightly higher rate of interest and I am satisfied that the new system is generally to the advantage of the beneficiaries.

asked the Attorney- General if he is taking proceedings against the representative of the Ministry of Food who admitted to inciting or aiding and abetting in an offence against the food regulations, the details of which have been sent to him; and if not, if he will give his reasons.

I assume that the question refers to a Mrs. Caple who is alleged to have given an interview to a newspaper reporter regarding her activities in meat enforcement cases when employed in the Ministry of Food. I am satisfied that there is no evidence to justify proceedings being taken against her.

asked the Minister of Food if he has considered the report by the National Institute for Research in Dairying in conjunction with officials of the National Farmers' Union, details of which have been sent to him, on the de cline in the quality of milk; and to what extent the number of cases where milk is rejected because it is below the minimum legal standard has increased since 1st January, 1951.

In consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, I am already considering ways of encouraging an improvement in the quality of milk; and we shall of course take into account the views expressed in this report. I have no information to show that there has been any increase this year in the number of cases where milk has been rejected because the butter fat content fell below 3 per cent.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is yet in a position to provide additional slaughtering capacity to deal with the increasing numbers of livestock which are now being produced.

Yes. The Government are taking every possible step to meet the urgent need for additional slaughtering capacity to deal with the increasing numbers of livestock. Whilst we cannot do all that we should like owing to the present limitation on capital investment, I am glad to say that the Government have decided to build seven new slaughterhouses in areas where additional premises are most urgently needed, namely, in: Canterbury, Grimsby, Salisbury, Sunderland, Swindon; one in the neighbourhood of Bolton, Leigh and Wigan; one in the neighbourhood of Bournemouth and Poole, Consultations with the local authorities are now well advanced The seven new slaughterhouses will be in addition to the experimental slaughterhouses which are already being built at Fareham and Guildford.

asked the Minister of Food if he will rescind the instructions given by his Department that imports from Eire of Friary Bell stewed steak are to be diverted from wholesalers and regular customers to the catering authorities of the Festival of Britain, and thus ensure that Festival visitors are not fed at the expense of the rest of the population.

No such instruction has been issued by my Department. This trade is entirely in private hands

asked the Minister of Food if he will set out in detail the terms of the purchase of meat from the Argentine that were offered by the Argentine Government during the negotiations in December, 1950, and the terms that ware agreed in the recent negotiations.

The offer presented by the Argentine Ambassador on 27th December, 1950, did not contain any precise or detailed terms. It mentioned a figure of £120 a ton but no quantities or prices for different types of meat, nor were we able to obtain any definite information on these points in the subsequent negotiations in January. In reply to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 24th April and to the White Paper which I hope will soon be available.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of complaints by retailers of wrapped bread that the benefit of an increased charge for this wrapped bread is not being equitably shared between the wholesaler and the retailer; and if he will take steps to ensure that the retailer shares the benefit.

The extra charge allowed on sales of wrapped bread was increased on 8th April to meet the higher cost of wrapping materials. It is my Department's responsibility to see that maximum retail prices are observed, but terms of sale between wholesalers and retailers are a matter for arrangement between themselves.

asked the Minister of Food if he will publish a list of the amounts and prices per ton of all imports of meat in the past 12 months which have been bought by his Department in a single transaction, and not as part of a long-term contract; and for the total loss incurred by the sale of these consignments at the controlled home prices.

During the year ended 31st March, 1951, my Department purchased 7,156 tons of carcase meat and offal from countries with which we have no long-term arrangements, representing 1.17 per cent. by weight of the total purchases of imported carcase meat and offal. The net loss incurred on the sale of these supplies was about £538,000. It is not my Department's normal practice to disclose purchase prices, and it would be against the public interest to do so in this case.

asked the Minister of Food what is the maximum quantity of food which visitors to this country can bring with them from abroad; and on what principle this maximum is arrived at.

There is no restriction on the amount of foods not subject to import licence which visitors from abroad may bring in, but in the case of licensed foods visitors other than those from the Irish Republic may bring in up to 50 lb. This is a special licensing concession and the amount of 50 lb. has been fixed as being a reasonable quantity. Visitors from the Irish Republic are limited to 7 lb. at the request of their Government. A list of the foods for which a licence is not required is given in the Board of Trade Notice to Importers No. 401, dated 15th September, 1950, and subsequent amending Notices.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of hospital management committees in the United Kingdom; the number of individual hospitals covered by these committees; and the number of hospitals which have house committees.

There are 468 hospital management committees and boards of management in England and Wales and Scotland, controlling 2,875 hospitals. I regret that the information asked for in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether any arrangements have been made with other countries for British visitors to get false teeth or spectacles free or at half the cost.

No.

asked the Minister of Supply what organisations have been asked to nominate possible representatives on the proposed Iron and Steel Consumers' Councils.

The following bodies have been invited to submit nominations of possible representatives for the Iron and Steel Consumers' Council to be set up under the Iron and Steel Act, 1949; the Federation of British Industries; the National Union of Manufacturers; the Engineering Industries' Association; the Association of British Chambers of Commerce; the National Association of Iron and Steel Stockholders; the National Federation of Iron and Steel Merchants; the Trades Union Congress. Arrangements are also being made for representation of the other socialised industries as consumers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of strategic materials have been exported to China during the past three months.

There is no generally accepted definition of "strategic materials." United Kingdom exports to China in the months January to March, 1951, in the main categories, showing quantities where possible, were as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Trade why on 20th April he laid before this House Statutory Instrument, 1951, No. 413, together with Statutory Instrument, 1951, No. 649, which revoked it as from 23rd April; for what purpose No. 413 was revoked three days after it was laid; and why a slip was necessary to correct No. 649.

S.I. 1951 No. 413 was laid before this House on 20th April, 1951, in pursuance of Mr. Speaker's Ruling given on 19th April, 1951, that this Order, though submitted to the House on 12th March, 1951, was not in conformity with the Rules that he had laid down and that it should be laid in proper form.S.I. 1951 No. 649 was laid before this House on 20th April, 1951, because it was anticipated that Mr. Speaker would also rule that this Order though submitted to the House on 16th April, 1951, was not laid in conformity with his Rules.S.I. 1951 No. 413 came into operation on 29th March, 1951. Its revocation was desired in order to substitute a new Third Schedule in the principal Order (S.I. 1951 No. 216) bringing into force two new Related Schedules. It was accordingly revoked by S.I. 1951 No. 649 which was made on 16th April, 1951, and was to come into operation on 23rd April, 1951. At the time that S.I. 1951 No. 649 was made, Mr. Speaker had not given the Ruling which necessitated S.I. 1951 No. 413 being laid again on 20th April, 1951.A slip was necessary to correct the preliminary matter in S.I. 1951 No. 649. which included the date on which copies were laid before Parliament. The Order, as originally printed, stated that it was laid before Parliament on 16th April, 1951.

asked the Minister of Education the number of boys and girls at present being educated at schools under his jurisdiction without any call on public funds.

I estimate that there are about 500,000 children attending independent schools in England and Wales. Some of these children's fees are paid in whole or in part by local education authorities, but I cannot at present state the numbers.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will arrange for Z reservists who have valid reasons for being called up at an earlier date than that shown on their calling-up papers to be cross-posted with men of similar qualifications in different units of the same corps who wish to be called up later.

I would refer the hon. Member to my statement in the Adjournment debate on 26th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the increase in the cost of living, he will consider reviewing the position of retired civil servants, many of whom are finding it impossible to manage on their present pensions.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply of 19th April to the hon. Member for Maidstone (Mr. Bossom).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of school teachers and pupils being educated in Nyasaland in the years 1930, 1940 and 1950, respectively; and the total public funds made available by the Government for education in the territory in each of those years.

The numbers of school teachers and pupils in Government-assisted schools were respectively 3,330 and 72,257 in 1930, 3,210 and 60,817 in 1940 and 3,208 and 85,403 in 1950. No figures are available for unassisted schools in 1930 and 1940, but in 1950 there were 4,250 teachers and 134,966 pupils. Government expenditure on education was £14,180 in 1930, £25,487 in 1940 and £209,000 in 1950. These figures exclude capital expenditure, which amounted in 1950 to £65,000.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as representing the Lord President of the Council, why he has declined to publish the Report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research dealing with the Scottish stone building industry until it has been vetted by, or received the concurrence of, the Scottish Council (Development and Industry); and if he will undertake that copies of such reports will be made available to Members in the Library simultaneously with their disclosure to outside bodies.

The Survey of the Scottish stone building industry was carried out at the request of the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) and with their close collaboration. It is for this reason that my noble friend the Lord President proposes to consider the publication of the Report with the Council, as stated in my reply of 16th April, 1951.The second part of the Question, therefore, does not arise.