Written Answers
Prison Service
asked the Home Secretary how many hours duty per night the night patrols do in His Majesty's prisons; whether time is allowed for meals; and what is the rate of pay per week?
The hours of duty of night patrols are six shifts of 10 hours each week. The answer to the second part of the question is in the affirmative. The rate of pay is 53s. 6d. a week (less statutory deductions).
asked the Home Secretary the present scales of pay of civilian instructors in prisons and Borstal institutions; whether any increases in the rates of pay have been recently conceded; if so, what was the increase; and with what Government employés were the instructors compared in order to arrive at the appropriate pay rates?
The present rates of pay of civilian instructors employed in prisons and Borstal institutions are as follow:
- Grade II.—£3 15s. to £4 10s. a week.
- Grade I.—£4 10s. to £5 a week.
Austrian Refugees
asked the Home Secretary how many persons with Austrian passports have been turned back at ports of entry during the last 10 days; and, since no alteration has been made in the ordinary regulations governing the landing of foreigners, is it intended to take special precautions to prevent the entry of undesirable persons who would desire to take advantage of the present special circumstances?
I can supply figures for the period from 13th to 20th March inclusive. During that period 422 persons holding Austrian passports applied for leave to land and in 61 of these cases leave was refused. The policy which was explained in the statement which I made on Tuesday does not involve any relaxation of the existing precautions against the admission of aliens who are personally undesirable.
Prisoners (Notification Of Release)
asked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that information of the date of a prisoner's release was recently refused to the wife of a prisoner in Wormwood Scrubs; and under what Order or Regulation are applications by a prisoner's wife, or near relative, for information of this character refused?
As a general rule the wife or near relative of a prisoner is informed of the date of his release. In some cases, however, it is considered advisable first to consult the prisoner whether he wishes this information to be withheld. In the case to which I presume the hon. Member refers, the prisoner did not wish the information to be given to his wife and it was accordingly withheld.
Pedestrian Road-Crossings (Accidents)
asked the Minister of Transport how many pedestrians were killed and how many injured while crossing the road or crossings controlled by light signals when the lights were in their favour and when the lights were in favour of the traffic, respectively?
During the year ended 31st March, 1937, 38 pedestrians were killed and 1,778 injured in Great Britain whilst crossing the carriageway at junctions where traffic signals are installed. I regret that the information asked for in the latter part of the question is not available.
Tithe Redemption Annuities
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the reason for the delay in commencing the work of apportionment in the near future; who are the personnel undertaking this work; whether they are operating on any particular system in regard to any particular counties; and whether, to remove public dissatisfaction, he will endeavour to arrange that greater activity is shown by the authorities concerned?
There has been no avoidable delay in commencing the work of apportionment of tithe redemption annuities charged in respect of land in the ownership of two or more owners. As stated in my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for East Grinstead (Colonel Clarke) on 10th December last, the total number of such annuities is very large and much preliminary investigation has been necessary before a commencement could be made with apportionment. This preliminary investigation, notwithstanding the heavy burden on the Tithe Redemption Commission in connection with compensation to tithe owners and the collection of annuities, has now been very largely accomplished and it is intended to commence the apportionment work in a few weeks' time. Preference will be given to the most urgent cases wherever they may be situated.The Tithe Redemption Commission are responsible under the Tithe Act, 1936, for this work. The staff of the Commission, as well as the 120 firms who act as collectors in all parts of the country, will be augmented from time to time as may be found necessary. In the meantime, as stated in my answer to the hon. and gallant Member for East Grinstead on 1st February last, arrangements have been made by the Commission, wherever there is evidence of agreement between the landowners concerned as to the proportions in which an annuity should be collected, to collect on that basis pending formal apportionment.
Scotland
Housing (Statistics)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of unoccupied habitable class B houses in Scotland, giving separate figures for Glasgow?
My right hon. Friend has been in touch with Glasgow Corporation, who inform him that the number of unoccupied habitable class B houses is approximately 400. I regret that information regarding Scotland generally is not available and could be obtained only by means of a special return from local authorities.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authorities have, since 1918, built Wooden houses within their respective jurisdictions, and how many houses each has built?
The following table gives the information asked for:
| Number of wooden houses built by local authorities in Scotland since 1918. | ||||
| Local authority. | Number of wooden houses built. | |||
| County Councils: | ||||
| Aberdeen | … | … | … | 18 |
| Ayr | … | … | … | 2* |
| Fife | … | … | … | 12† |
| Lanark | … | … | … | 60† |
| Town Councils: | ||||
| Dundee | … | … | … | 80‡ |
| Edinburgh | … | … | … | 141† |
| Glasgow | … | … | … | 368† |
| * The Department of Health have recently approved tenders for 38 additional timber houses to be built in the County of Ayr. | ||||
| † These were temporary wooden houses made of reconstructed Army huts. | ||||
| ‡ Includes four permanent wooden houses and 76 temporary houses made of reconstructed Army Huts. | ||||
Old Age Pensions
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of persons in receipt of old age pensions in each county and burgh in Scotland, separately, in accordance with the most recent returns?
Pensions records are not kept on a geographical basis. I regret, therefore, that the information desired by the hon. Member is not available.
Marriage Law (Gretna Green)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the comments in Lord Morison's Report on the law of Scotland, relating to the constitution of marriage relative to the Gretna Museum; and whether, in view of the fact that this museum contains many forgeries and is therefore obtaining money by fraud, he will take steps to prevent the public being exploited in this way?
I am considering the comments referred to, with a view to determining whether there is any action which I can usefully take. It is, however, open to visitors to decide for themselves whether or not to enter the museum in question; and no doubt their attitude will be influenced by the published statements in the report of the Morison Committee.
Miles Platting Chair Manufacturing Company
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, whether the Miles Platting Chair Manufacturing Company, Manchester, are Government contractors?
So far as my information goes, the answer is in the negative.
Palestine (Coastal Shipping)
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken since the establishment of the British mandate in Palestine to develop coastal trade to encourage a certain proportion of the new population to take up a maritime career; and what facilities are now available in Palestine for the provision of nautical education?
The Government of Palestine has undertaken various measures of harbour development and the like for the benefit of all shipping using Palestine ports, but no special steps have been taken by Government to undertake coastal shipping, which is considered to be a matter for private enterprise. I understand that one Jewish company is at present engaged in this traffic. There are no facilities in Palestine for advanced nautical education, but there is a society with branches in Haifa and Tel-Aviv which gives training to its members in the science of navigation and seamanship and, in addition, a number of vessels calling at Palestine ports have recruited Palestinians as members of their crews. The question of arranging for tests of competency of Palestinians in the higher grades of seamanship by the Board of Trade is at present under consideration.
British Army (Courts Martial)
asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that in 1919 the then Judge Advocate General ruled that, as the Army Act itself contains no provision which requires that the rank of a member of a court martial should be equal if not superior to that of the accused, the provisions of Rules of Procedure 21 (B) must be regarded as having no bearing on the jurisdiction of the court, and under what conditions and/or circumstances this ruling was given; and can he make a statement?
The ruling in question was given in accordance with precedent.
Post Office Telephones (Sterilisation)
asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that it is recognised by competent medical authorities that the mouthpieces of public telephone instruments when unattended by officials to cleanse them are carriers of germs, he will introduce a system whereby unattended public telephones are sterilised regularly so as to ensure that users thereof are not exposed to contagion?
I am advised on responsible medical authority and as the result of extensive investigations in this country and abroad that the risk of infection from the use of telephones is negligible. Nevertheless I can assure my hon. Friend that the regulations already provide for mouthpieces and receivers in public call offices to be cleaned with disinfectant at frequent intervals; in urban areas this process is carried out each week day.
Unemployment (Pontypool Area)
asked the Minister of Labour whether he can state the number of applications made to the Unemployment Assistance Board at Blaenavon, Pontypool, and Pontnewydd by persons in receipt of insurance benefit; the number of applications granted during the months of January and February last; and the total cost of such grants?
Information as to the number of applications for unemployment allowances given in supplementation of unemployment benefit is only available for the Board's Administrative Area of Pontypool as a whole. This includes, in addition to Blaenavon and Pontnewydd, the territory covered by the Ministry's local offices at Abergavenny, Usk and Monmouth. During the nine weeks ended 4th March the number of such applications in this administrative area was 88, in 64 of which an allowance was authorised. The total cost of the supplementation payments made at local offices of the Ministry in the three places mentioned in the hon. Member's question during the same period was just under £100.