asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that at the beginning of February the Overseas Trade Department asked export groups to inform their members of the publication of a new brochure containing hints to business men visiting New Zealand, but that when firms have asked for copies, they have been informed that owing to shortage of paper these cannot be supplied unless the applicant is contemplating an immediate journey overseas; and whether he will make arrangements to ensure better co-ordination and less parsimony in the production of material helpful to the expansion of the export trade.

The brochure to which my hon. Friend refers is one of a series dealing with many export markets. The demand for this particular booklet has greatly exceeded the original printing order, with the result that it is temporarily out of stock. Reprinting is now in progress, and I anticipate that a copy will soon be available for all those who have applied for it.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) whether he will give the figures of the total quantity of fleece wool of each recognised type purchased or handled by the Wool Control from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, separately, during the last year for which complete figures are available;(2) whether he will give the figures of the total quantity of skin wool of each recognised type purchased or handled by the Wool Control from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, separately, during the last year for which complete figures are available.

Purchases of United Kingdom fleece and skin wool by the Control during the year ended 30th April, 1944, were as follows:

—	Fleece.	Skin.
	Million lbs.
England and Wales	37·9	20·8*
Scotland	18·4	9·8
Northern Ireland	1·8	*
Total	58·1	30·6
*Includes a small quantity from Northern Ireland.

Separate figures for England and Wales are not available.A schedule of prices for wool of different descriptions is issued by the Wool Control for the general guidance of merchants in taking up wool from the farmers on behalf of the Control, but the records of total purchases are not divided between the different descriptions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will cause inquiries to be made with regard to a Manchester firm which causes advertisements to be inserted in South Wales papers offering for sale boots and clothing and after receiving money orders from customers fails to despatch the goods and also refuses to return the money; and if he will cause action to be taken to deal with this firm.

My attention has not previously been drawn to this matter, but if my hon. Friend will be good enough to send me further particulars, I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if steps can now be taken to increase supplies to the general public of ordinary household necessities such as pots and pans, nail scissors, haircombs, etc., which are at present almost unobtainable.

Yes, Sir. As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for East Willesden (Mr. Hammersley) on 10th February, I am doing everything possible, within the limits imposed by war requirements, to see that supplies of essential goods are maintained.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the fact that permission has been given under Section 613 (a) of the Nurses Act, 1943, for Christian Science nurses to practise under that name, what steps will be taken to ensure that such persons always use the full designation; and to arrange that action will be taken if they change the title in any way and merely describe themselves as nurses.

I have not yet brought into operation the provisions of Sub, section (1) of Section 6 of the Nurses Act, 1943, which will restrict the use of the title "nurse," nor have I yet made any regulations under proviso (b) to that Subsection. When I do so, it is my intention to authorise Christian Science nurses to call themselves "Christian Science nurses" as I indicated in my reply on 6th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Southwark South-East (Mr. Naylor). Under the provisions of the Nurses Act, 1943, it will be an offence for persons other than registered nurses and enrolled assistant nurses to use any expression containing the word "nurse" otherwise than in accordance with the regulations, and such persons will render themselves liable to legal proceedings.

asked the Minister of Health how many day nurseries were subsidised by his Ministry through local authorities before this war; and whether they can look for at least the same assistance, on the same terms, after the war is over.

Before the war, 83 day nurseries carried on by voluntary bodies were subsidised by local authorities. The local authorities are required by the Local Government Act of 1929 to continue to pay to these bodies the grants which before the passing of the Act were paid directly by the Exchequer. The grants could be discontinued only with the consent of the Minister.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the recommendation in the Medical Research Council Report on Mass Miniature Radiography of Civilians, that the present scheme of allowances for acute pulmonary tuberculosis patients should be extended to all cases of notified cases of tuberculosis; and if he has any statement to make.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 10th instant by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Health if he is now in a position to make a statement on the progress of his negotiations with the relevant organisations upon a National Health Service.

I do not think there is anything which I can usefully add at this stage to the reply which I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham West (Dr. Summerskill) on 1st February.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the scarcity of qualified dentists available to the civil population, and that notwithstanding the shortage, difficulties are still being placed in the way of properly qualified refugee foreign dentists being allowed to practise; and will he take steps to remove these restrictions.

The foreign dentists to which my hon. Friend refers are eligible for registration, for the purpose of enabling them to practise in this country, if they possess a qualification recognised by the General Medical Council under the terms of Sections 9 and Io of the Dentists Act, 1878. I have no power to intervene in the decisions of the Council upon individual cases which come before them, but Section 10 enables an applicant whose qualification is not recognised to appeal to the Privy Council.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the shortage of dentists, he will take steps to ensure that use is made of the services of the 60 qualified friendly alien dentists who are now engaged in miscellaneous occupations in this country.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to-day on this subject to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford Central (Mr. Leach).

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Longney and District Nursing Association is unable to employ a nurse as they have been unable to find living accommodation; and what steps he proposes to take to enable this district to have the benefit of a nurse.

No, Sir. I had not previously been approached on this matter. I am, however, communicating with the local authority, although it must be uncertain, in view of the severe housing shortage, whether they will be able to help the Nursing Association in the immediate future.

asked the Minister of Health the number of doctors in London who have more than 3,000, 2,500 or 2,000 patients on their panel; and, if his statistics disclose the percentage of panel patients attended by panel doctors, what that percentage is.

The numbers of doctors who on 1st January, 1945, had more than the specified numbers of London insured persons on their lists, were:

More than 3,000	19
More than 2,500 (but not more than 3,000)	32
More than 2,000 (but not more than 2,500)	79

i.e. 130 out of a total of approximately 1,700 doctors.I regret that the information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the possibility of re-opening the whole question of pensions paid to people injured by enemy bombs in this country in the last war, in order to bring these pensions into line with the present cost of living.

I fear that it would be quite impracticable to re-open this question.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is intended to pay any form of gratuity to members of the Civil Nursing Reserve.

No, Sir. Under the Government's decision announced by the Prime Minister on 8th March, members of the Civil Nursing Reserve (other than those employed in the Civil Defence Services) are not eligible for a war gratuity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the possibility of a cut in our imported meat ration, he will consider increasing the price of home-killed fat cows, many of which ought to be marketed for food.

In accordance with the recent announcement, the question whether part of the authorised increase in average prices for fat cattle in 1945–46, equivalent to 2S. 6d. per live cwt. on fat steers, heifers and cow heifers, should be allotted to fat cows, is being considered in the light of discussions with the National Farmers' Unions.

asked the Minister of Labour whether arrangements have been made to safeguard the interests of young men in the mining industry who have obtained their 1st and 2nd Class Mining Certificates and have volunteered to act as supervisors to boys directed into mining; and, in the event of redundancy, whether these men will be given a position of equal status to the one they left and be paid accordingly.

The appointment of managers and instructors at Coalmining Training Centres is made on a temporary basis. In the event of redundancy every effort is made by my officers, in consultation with officers of the Ministry of Fuel and Power, to place such persons in positions in the coalmining industry where their qualifications will be used to the best advantage in the national interest.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he can give an estimate of the number of women employed in the service of the nation who will desire employment in the post-war years.

No, Sir. It is, however, estimated that within a short time after the end of the Japanese war the number of women aged 18–59 in the industrial section of the population will have fallen to about 4,500,000 as compared with about 6,000,000 at the present time.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he will give the total number of entrants to the Merchant Navy in the four years up till 1939; and the entrants, respectively, from Scotland, England and Wales.

I regret that the information desired by my hon. Friend is not available, and could not be obtained without very considerable labour, which, in present circumstances, would not be justified.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of War Transport if he is aware that transport arrangements for the dispatch of seed potatoes from Fife remain insufficient to move the large quantities of potatoes involved; that at the present rate of dispatch it will take ten weeks to move all supplies and that such delay will cause embarrassment to both the senders and the users of the seed; and what steps he is taking in the matter.

All practicable steps are being taken to ensure the movement of seed potatoes from Scotland. It is estimated that at the path March there were about 120,000 tons to be moved. During the week ended 17th March nearly 25,000 tons were moved by rail and sea leaving a balance of about 95,000 tons. At this rate it should not take more than four weeks to move the bulk of the remaining potatoes.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what is the total widow population of the country; how many are receiving war pensions; how many are receiving other pensions to which the State contributes; and what is the estimated number who would be qualified to receive pensions if the White Paper proposals are implemented.

The number of widows in Great Britain at the end of 1944 is estimated at about 2,450,000. The number of war pensions in payment to widows at the end of February, 1945 (including those arising out of the last war) was about 212,000; figures are not available covering the whole of the remaining classes of widows who are receiving pensions to which the State contributes, but the number of pensions in payment under the Contributory Pensions Acts to widows under the age of 7o was 896,000 at the end of 1944. With regard to the fourth part of the Question, if my hon. Friend has in mind the number of widows who would be receiving widow's pensions, retirement pensions or guardian's benefit if the National Insurance scheme outlined in the White Paper were now in full operation, the number is estimated to be in the region of 1,175,000, excluding those over age 7o, that is to say approximately 275,000 more than the number of widows up to age 70 pensioned under the existing Contributory Pensions Acts at the present time.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the difficulty experienced by Members of Parliament in doing their political work when asked to speak at week-end conferences on Government policy and political matters, and the difficulties of railway travel, he will be prepared to increase Members of Parliament petrol allowance.

It is open to any Member of Parliament to make a special application to the Fees Office if he finds that he needs additional petrol to enable him to speak at political conferences and similar meetings outside his own constituency.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will consider the publication of a detailed statement giving information as to the amount of petrol granted monthly to Members of Parliament, including Ministers and Under-Secretaries; and stating whether the supply is only for their political and Parliamentary work and/or for professional requirements as well.

It would be contrary to established practice to give details relating to the petrol allowances granted to particular individuals.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the approximate total value and proportion of building and structural work carried out by his Department in the United Kingdom during the past five years and controlled by civil or structural engineers acting as the principal co-ordinators.

The approximate total value of building and allied structural work carried out for the Admiralty during the past five years under the direct supervision of civil or structural engineers acting as the principal co-ordinators is £10,000,000, representing slightly more than one-eighth of the total value of all Admiralty works executed in the United Kingdom during the same period.

asked the Minister of Education if he will indicate the present position with regard to the supply of school dentists.

In 1943 the number of dental officers employed by local education authorities was 786 and the time which they gave to school dental treatment was equivalent to that of 633 whole-time officers. The returns for the year ended 31st December, 1944, are not yet complete, but it is probable that the numbers are still much the same. The strength of the school dental staff is obviously insufficient, but no great increase can be expected until the war is over. Gaps have to a small extent been filled by the appointment of alien dentists and the Central Dental War Committee has recently made arrangements whereby the great majority of the newly qualified dentists who are not accepted for service with the Armed Forces of the Crown are being instructed to take temporary appointments in the school dental service.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will release the names of the corps and divisional commanders taking part in the campaigns in North Africa.

Arrangements for this are being made.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will release some of the exploits of the R.A.M.R.

Accounts of exploits of the Maritime Royal Artillery have been published in the Press in the past, and further material for publication is being prepared. A film has also recently been made by the Ministry of Information entitled "Soldier, Sailor," which deals with the exploits of the Defensively Equipped Merchant Supply Organisation, which includes the Maritime Royal Artillery.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will consider amending the oppropriate regulations so as to preclude the sex inequality which has arisen whereby a British prisoner of war may marry a German woman abroad and bring her to this country, while British female nurses were recently prosecuted for being too friendly with, and suggesting marriage to, male German wounded prisoners of war in this country.

My hon. Friend has, I think, misunderstood the position. There are no Army regulations which authorise a British prisoner of war to marry a German abroad. The British nurses to whom he refers were, on the ORDERS OF THE DAY other hand, prosecuted for contravening regulations prohibiting fraternisation with German prisoners of war.

asked the Secretary of State for Burma what are the present arrangements for broadcasting the British point of view to the occupied portions of Burma; in what language such broadcasts are given; and whether agreements can be made to increase such services.

Broadcasts are made daily to Burma in the Burmese language from London by the B.B.C., from India by the Far Eastern Bureau of the Ministry of Information through the courtesy of All India Radio, from San Francisco by the British Political Warfare Mission in America through the courtesy of the United States Government, and from liberated Burma by broadcasting units working under the Military authorities. Listeners in Burma can also receive programme services in the English language from the B.B.C., from India and elsewhere, in addition to regular transmissions by the B.B.C. in Chinese and various Indian languages. The question of providing the best possible services to Burma is constantly in mind.