asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will ascertain from his representatives overseas whether it will be easier to sell goods and passenger road vehicles in their markets if they can be 8 feet in width and not 7 feet 6 inches; and what information is already available on this subject.

The regulations governing the maximum width of public and commercial vehicles in overseas countries vary considerably, but there are a number of important export markets where a maximum width of 8 feet or more is allowed. In those markets exporters who are able to offer vehicles with a wider chassis are no doubt at an advantage.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in building up the personnel of the Overseas Trade Department for the post-war export drive; and from what sources it is proposed to fill the remaining vacant posts.

The staff of the Department of Overseas Trade, which fell to about 100 in January, 1943, now numbers 230. As my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge (Mr. R. Morgan) was informed on 15th February, steps are now being taken to increase this figure to 299. Some of the vacancies will be filled by the return of staff lent to other Departments and others by appointments of persons with previous commercial experience.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport how many reconditioned lorries not in use are in the country at the present time.

I understand that my hon. Friend refers to ex-Service vehicles. Government-owned lorries (Service or civilian) which require and merit reconditioning are dealt with in two ways: most of them are reconditioned by the Ministry of Supply, and are re-issued for Government purposes or for use in liberated territories; the remainder are reconditioned by motor manufacturers or their agents, and are sold to civilian users authorised by my Department to acquire them. So far as I am aware, reconditioned vehicles are allocated as soon as they are ready.

Tufnell asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether recruitment for post-war appointments in the Colonial Service has yet begun; and what are the regulations governing such appointments and the conditions of service offered.

General recruitment for post-war appointments in the Colonial Service has not yet been resumed, but it will reopen as soon as the war with Germany is over. It is hoped to publish full information about post-war opportunities in the Colonial Service, with details of the regulations and conditions, early in June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to ensure the most rapid rehabilitation of the natural rubber industry following the liberation of Malaya and the East Indies.

The plans include measures for the immediate purpose of exporting rubber as soon as possible after the liberation of Malaya; and, secondly, the active association of the industry in the longer term task of re-equipment and rehabilitation of estates and smallholdings.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will inquire into a case, details of which have been submitted to him, of a graduate of London University, whose application for a pension in respect of war service has been refused by his Ministry.

The matter is governed by the Teachers Superannuation Rules, 1926 (Statutory Rules and Orders, 1926, No. 415). In Rule 30 (2) it is laid down that "war service by a teacher shall be treated as recognised service if the Board are satisfied that the teacher was a certificated teacher at the date of his war service or was employed in recognised service immediately before the commencement of his war service." I regret that neither of these considerations are fulfilled in the case under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health what alterations have been made in the regulations applied to persons travelling from this country to the U.S.A. which prior to the war allowed the entry into North America of unvaccinated persons; and what regulations have been issued requiring persons entering the United Kingdom to produce vaccination certificates and under what laws or conventions have such regulations been made.

The first part of the Question relates to a matter in the control of the United States authorities. I am obtaining information on the subject which I will send to my hon. Friend. No regulations have been issued requiring civilians entering this country to be in possession of vaccination certificates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are engaged in raiding private premises to detect gambling.

No police officers are engaged solely or permanently on such raids, and raids are carried out, as and when the need arises, by officers who are normally performing other duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give information as to the number of boys and girls, respectively, who have been ordered by courts to be sent to approved schools and who are awaiting vacancies in remand homes and on bail, respectively; the number of boys and girls, respectively, who have been awaiting admission over three months, four months, five months and six months; and the number of cases of children or young persons committed to custody in remand homes for periods not exceeding a month under Section 54 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933.

At the end of January 888 boys and 446 girls were reported to be in remand homes awaiting vacancies in approved schools and 60 boys and 33 girls were reported to be awaiting vacancies on bail. As respects the waiting periods, it is estimated that about 50 boys and 50 girls have been waiting for three to four months, about 35 boys and 35 girls for four to five months, about 25 boys and 25 girls for five to six months, and some 20 boys and 35 girls for over six months. The number of children and young persons committed to remand homes for not more than a month under Section 54 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, has recently averaged 40 per month.

asked the Secretary of State for War upon what ground he has refused to release 14720072 Private Bird, K. H., an experienced London building contractor, aged 35 years, recommended for release by the Ministry of Works for work on war damage repairs.

Private Bird is in medical category A 1 and is fully trained to serve in a fighting arm of the Service. The grounds put forward for his release were very carefully considered by the joint War Office-Ministry of Labour Committee but he could not be spared.