Written Answers
Mercantile Marine
Canary Islands
asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that British ships are prevented from taking on merchandise at the Canary Islands; and does he contemplate countervailing action?
Reports of such a ban appeared in the Press last week, but my Noble Friend's latest information is to the effect that the rumour has been officially denied at Burgos. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.
British Shipping In The Orient (Committee)
asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether any observations have been received from the Dominion Governments on the report of the Imperial Shipping Committee on British Shipping in the Orient; and whether the question of common action is under consideration;(2) whether he has considered the report of the Imperial Shipping Committee on British Shipping in the Orient; and whether he will make a statement?
The report of the Imperial Shipping Committee on British Shipping in the Orient is under consideration. The question of consulting with the Governments of other parts of the British Commonwealth interested is being borne in mind.
Repatriation Of Seamen
asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps have been taken to give effect to Part VIII of the Draft Agreement as to British Commonwealth Merchant Shipping adopted by the Imperial Conference in 1930, and providing for the relief and repatriation of seamen belonging to any part of the Commonwealth who may be found in distress, or left behind in any other part or in places abroad, and for defraying the expenses; for payment of the expenses of medical attendance, maintenance, burial, and repatriation in case of injury or illness of seamen; for dealing with the effects and wages of seamen who are left behind or die in a port outside the part of the Commonwealth to which they belong; and for the recovery from the owner of the ship in proper cases, of any expenses incurred by the administration of any part of the Commonwealth in the matters referred to?
The position of our seamen is covered for all practical purposes by the existing arrangements. A new scheme would require legislation here and in the Dominions and would entail a great deal of labour. In the absence of immediate need for change in the present arrangements, work on this subject has been deferred.
Building Materials Prices (Committee)
asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the date when the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Prices of Building Materials was first set up; and of what commodities it has examined the prices and made a report thereon since its inauguration?
The Committee was set up on 27th April, 1923. It has under constant review the prices of all building materials and it has from time to time reported upon the prices of bricks, light castings, cement, salt-glazed earthenware pipes and fittings, and damp-proof courses and roofing felts.
Census (Occupational Statistics)
asked the Minister of Health whether he can give an estimate in figures, and in percentage form to the total population, of the number of persons at each 10-year period since 1900 and up-to-date, engaged in the several productive, transport and distributive industries of this country, showing also the number of persons at each period not engaged in any gainful occupation?
To provide and tabulate the information desired by the hon. Member in the form desired by him would involve a substantial expenditure on both staff and time, and I would, in the first instance, refer the hon. Member to Table A on page 711 of the volume of "Industry Tables" included in the 1931 Census Reports.
Royal Air Force
Land Acquisition, St Athan
asked the Secretary of State for Air what was the area of land acquired for the Royal Air Force technical training establishment, St. Athan; what price was paid for the acquisition of that land; what was the use to which the land was previously put; and what was its rateable value previous to acquisition?
The total area of land acquired at St. Athan, which covers requirements for the school of technical training and other units, is 895 acres, the total cost of which is estimated at £58,300. Prior to the acquisition of the land it was mainly used for agricultural purposes and included a number of small holdings. I regret that information is not available in my Department as to the rateable value prior to acquisition of such land as was not agricultural.
King's Regulations And Air Council Instructions
asked the Secretary 6f State for Air why two definitions for leave are given in the King's Regulations and Air Council Instructions, one, paragraph 1357, applying to officers, and the other, paragraph 1391, applying to airmen; and whether he will consider introducing one definition for officers and men as in the Royal Navy, Article 636, King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions?
The purport of the two paragraphs to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is the same in spite of the slight difference in wording. They have existed in their present form for a number of years and are well understood in the Royal Air Force. I am, however, willing to consider whether any change in the wording is desirable.
Karachi-Lahore Ferry, India (Officers' Allowance)
asked the Under-Secretary of State for India why officers employed on ferrying, solo, between Karachi and Lahore are paid an allowance of 100 rupees for this duty while the airman-fitter accompanying receives nothing; and whether, having regard to the fact that both pilot and fitter depend upon each other for the safety of the machine, a commensurate allowance can be paid to the airman-fitter?
I am making inquiries from the Government of India and will communicate with my hon. Friend on receipt of their reply.
Air-Raid Precautions
asked the Lord Privy Seal when it is expected that delivery will start of the steel air-raid shelters in the area of Stoke, Fenton, and Longton; and when it is intended that the provision shall be completed?
The local authority expected that there would be difficulty in using these shelters in many of the houses in these districts; and at their request arrangements have been made for specimen shelters to be provided to enable them to decide the extent to which the shelters could be used. Delivery to householders could commence about two weeks after the local authorities have supplied the necessary particulars to the Home Office.
Royal Navy (Warrant Officers, Commissions)
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the executive warrant officers to be promoted direct to lieutenant under the new scheme of promotion are to be eligible for promotion to commander and higher ranks; and, if so, whether he will have a statement to this effect added to the Admiralty Fleet Order issued on the subject in which at present there is no reference to promotion?
The answer is in the affirmative. Unless the contrary is expressly stated, all lieutenants must be regarded as eligible for promotion to commanders and above under the conditions laid down in King's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions.
asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether warrant officers promoted to lieutenant under the new scheme will be eligible for the maximum rate of retired pay for lieutenant-commanders, namely, £407 10s. per annum, if they can complete the 19 years' service required by the regulations, and also be able to obtain similar amounts to cadet-entry officers for less than 19 years' retired-pay service?
No, Sir; the maximum retired pay which can be earned by a lieutenant-commander promoted from warrant officer under the new scheme is £346 a year at the age of 45. The normal scale of retired pay for cadet-entered officers is based on age and service and after 19 years commissioned service from age 21 such an officer would have earned retired pay of £298 10s. a year. The only lieutenant-commanders who can ordinarily earn the maximum rate of £407 10s. a year after 19 years' commissioned service are those entered as fully qualified officers in the non-executive branches, for example, medical officers.
Electricity Supply, Scotland
asked the Minister of Transport whether he can state the extent to which the charges for electricity for lighting, heating and cooking, were reduced in Scotland during the three years 1935. 1936 and 1937?
I am not in a position to give particulars of reductions in the actual prices charged but the average revenue per unit sold for lighting, heating and cooking in Scotland was 1.569d. per unit in 1935–36, 1.46d. per unit in 1936–37 and 1.417d. per unit in 1937–38.
Abyssinia (Refugees)
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether British territories adjacent to Abyssinia are still open to refugees, whether Italian or Native, from Italian territory?
I have been asked to reply. Persons are permitted to enter Kenya or Somaliland from Italian territory provided they comply with the immigration laws. Persons failing to comply with the laws are liable to deportation, though whether they would be allowed to remain in the territory or not would depend on the merits of their individual case. Persons charged with or convicted of certain criminal offences in Italian territory would fall to be dealt with under the provisions of the Anglo-Italian Extradition Treaty of 1873. This Treaty provides that no accused or convicted person shall be given up if the offence for which he is claimed is political.
Herring Industry
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that whilst the herring fishermen are to receive a further grant of £250,000 under the terms of the Herring Industry Act of 1938, the Association of Fishery Committees of England and Wales has received a direct refusal to their application for financial aid for the inshore fishermen of England and Wales; and what is the precise reason for the marked difference in the treatment of the inshore fishermen of England and Scotland, respectively?
My hon. Friend is under a misapprehension in suggesting that there has been a marked difference of treatment between the inshore fishermen of England and Scotland. Fishermen of either country who fulfil the necessary conditions are eligible for the grants to which he refers.
| — | 1933. | 1934. | 1935. | 1936. | 1937. | 1938. | |||
| Barrels. | Barrels. | Barrels. | Barrels. | Barrels. | Barrels. | ||||
| Germany | … | … | … | 375,00 | 253,000 | 438,000 | 417,000 | 339,000 | 346,000 |
| Russia | … | … | … | — | 70,000 | 105,500 | 20,000 | 30,500 | — |
Agriculture (Wheat Prices)
asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the average world price per cwt. for wheat, in each of the last two years for which figures are available; what was the average market price per cwt. for British wheat during the same period; what payment per cwt. of British wheat was made by the Exchequer during this period; and what was the total
| — | 1936–37* | 1937–38* | ||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Average declared value of imports of wheat into United Kingdom. | 9 | 7 per cwt. | 9 | 5 per cwt. |
| Ascertained average price of British wheat for the purposes of the Wheat Act, 1932. | 8 | 10 per cwt. | 8 | 4 per cwt. |
| Deficiency Payment under the Wheat Act, 1932 | 1 | 1½ per cwt. | 1 | 7 per cwt. |
| Total Deficiency Payments | £1,338,630 | £1,934,681 | ||
| * Year August to July. | ||||
asked the Minister of Agriculture what success has attended the efforts of the Herring Industry Board to deal directly with the importing and exporting organisations of Germany and Russia, respectively; and whether he will give the statistical results of such negotiations for the years 1936, 1937 and 1938, respectively?
I think that the best indication of the position is afforded by the following figures, compiled by the Herring Industry Board, which show the quantities of cured herring exported to Germany and Russia respectively out of the cure of 1938 and each of the five previous seasons.of these Exchequer payments during each of these two years?
Information is not available upon which to compute an average world price for wheat, but the average declared values of imports into the United Kingdom fairly accurately reflect world prices. As regards the third and fourth parts of the question, I would remind the Noble Lady that the payments made in respect of British wheat are not made by the Exchequer. With these provisos the particulars asked for by the Noble Lady are as follow: