Written Answers To Questions
Danish Bonds
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he is aware that the Government of the United States allow the Danish Minister access to Danish dollar balances and the control of the revenues from Greenland, thus enabling the interest to be paid on Danish dollar bonds; and will he adopt a similar policy with the Danish Minister in London;(2) whether he is aware that the Danish Government has paid the interest on Danish Government Bonds to the holders in all European countries, but that British holders of Danish bonds cannot be paid because the Treasury have blocked Danish sterling balances in London; and will he take steps to rectify this inequality;(3) why the British Government has-refused the Danish Minister access to Danish balances of between £2,000,000 and £3,000,000, thus preventing the Danish Government from paying interest to British holders of Danish bonds.
I am not in a position at the moment to reply to my hon. Friend's Questions, but if he will put them down again for reply next week I will give him an answer.
Trade And Commerce
Harris Tweed
asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there is still grave dissatisfaction among the small producers of Harris tweed in the Outer Hebrides with the present wholesale selling price; and if, in the interest of these producers, he will consult again directly with their chosen representatives with a view to fixing a substantially higher price to enable them to make a reasonable livelihood.
Harris tweed producers benefited by the substantial reduction in the price of wool supplied to them, which was made in October last, and I am not aware of the dissatisfaction to which my hon. Friend refers. But I have asked the Central Price Regulation Committee, who advise me on these matters, to consult with representatives of the Islanders.
Industrial Supplementary Clothing Coupons
asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that men engaged on motor-transport work hauling sugar-beet and agricultural produce are in serious need of the extra 10 coupons to enable them to carry out their work during the winter months; and if he will consider granting this concession to these men.
Full time lorry drivers are already eligible for the extra 10 coupons, and they should get an application form from their employer or their trade union branch secretary.
Combs
asked the President of the Board of Trade the range of controlled prices of combs and when the price control of combs was introduced.
Maximum retail prices of combs, inclusive of purchase tax, range from 5d. to 3s. 6d., depending on size and quality. The Order fixing these prices came into force on 1st November, 1943.
asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that there is shortage of combs due to reluctance on the part of manufacturers and / or wholesalers to supply at the controlled prices; and if he will ensure that an ample supply of combs is placed on the market.
As many combs are being sold as before the war, and I am not aware of any general shortage.
Disabled Men (Employment)
asked the Minister of Labour how many war disabled men have been placed in employment by his Department in the last 12 months; and how long such men are kept on the register in the hope of being placed.
I have no separate statistics of war disabled men placed in employment during the last twelve months. Out of a total of about 120,000 persons interviewed under the Interim Scheme, which covers the war disabled as well as those disabled otherwise than through war service, some 95,000 have been placed in employment or accepted for training. As regards the second part of the Question, unemployed persons remain on the Register until they are placed or until they allow their registration to lapse.
Unemployment (Agriculture)
asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give details of the expenditure of £266,000 on agricultural unemployment last year; what volume of unemployment this represents; and how many of the total number unemployed were out of work for less than one month, less than two months and less than six months, respectively.
Information with regard to the first two parts of the Question would, I anticipate, be given in the annual Report of the Unemployment Insurance Statutory Committee which will shortly be available. The figures asked for in the last part of the Question are not available.
Diphtheria (Mortality)
asked the Minister of Health what was the diphtheria mortality per 100,000 living in Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby, in the years 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942.
The information for which my hon. Friend asks is as follows:
| Diphtheria mortality per 100,000 population. | ||||
| — | Sheffield C.B. | Nottingham C.B. | Derby C.B. | |
| 1938 | … | 5.5 | 1.1 | 4.2 |
| 1939 | … | 4.6 | 1.1 | 10.3 |
| 1940 | … | 7.7 | 3.8 | 11.6 |
| 1941 | … | 11.2 | 4.9 | 7.7 |
| 1942 | … | 7.7 | 4.2 | 0.8 |
Scotland
Housing (Stornoway)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what decision he has arrived at with regard to proposals for erection of prefabricated and/or other wooden houses at Stornoway as an immediate contribution to easing the housing needs.
As I informed the hon. and gallant Member for Ayr Burghs (Sir T. Moore) on 15th February the question of the provision of prefabricated houses is being urgently investigated, and I hope to make a statement after the completion of a prototype prefabricated house for emergency use which is at present being erected for the Ministry of Works.
Outer Hebrides (Water Supplies And Land Reclamation)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in the Outer Hebrides by the survey being undertaken by the Scottish Departments, with a view to improving and extending water supplies in the various islands.
Substantial progress with the Scottish water supply survey has been made in the Outer Hebrides, where the supplies in Lewis and Harris, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra have already been inspected. The islands still to be surveyed are Scalpa, Berneray, Eriskay, and Vatersay.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many proposals for plans he has received for land reclamation in the Outer Hebrides post-war from the responsible local authorities.
I am not aware of any proposals by local authorities of the kind suggested in my hon. Friend's Question.