asked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production what prices were paid for the various species and qualities of timber recently purchased by the Timber Control Department; and what are the prices at which this timber will be made available to the users thereof.

The very wide range of varieties and specifications of timber which has recently been purchased by the Timber Control Department renders it impracticable to furnish the information asked for within the limits of a Parliamentary answer. The hon. Member has, however, written to me concerning a particular price, and I will send him full details on this as soon as they have been prepared.

asked the hon. Member for Tottenham, North (Mr. R. C. Morrison) as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, how much stood to the credit of the penny-on-the-bill pensions fund at the end of last Session and now; and how many are receiving pensions, and to what amounts, then and now.

The balance in the Staff Pension Fund as at 30th June, 1945, was £1,242 1s. 8d.; the balance as at 13th October, 1945, was £1,164 2s. 4d.; four persons were receiving pensions from the Fund at the end of last Session, one at 10s. per week, one at 15s. per week, one at 20s. per week and one at £200 per year, and these amounts are continuing.

asked the hon. Member for Tottenham, North, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, how many staff were employed last Session; and what is the number now.

The number of staff employed at the end of last Session was 72; the number employed now is 124.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the urban district of Horsforth is unable to commence its housing scheme of 144 houses until one of its surveyors now in the Army is released; that repeated applications for a year have been made to secure the release of one of the surveyors; and will he consider favourably the application which has been again forwarded to him for the release of one of the surveyors.

I have recommended the release of both men for whom the Council have applied. The release of one man has now been approved by the War Department and the Council have been so informed. A decision on the other application is awaited.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many civil servants, permanent and temporary, there were in 1939, before the war; what was the peak number during the war; and what was the number at the latest available date.

On 1st April, 1939, the number of whole-time non-industrial civil servants was 374,301; the peak number during the war was 692,578 on 1st July, 1943; and the number on 1st July, 1945 (the latest date for which figures are available) was 666,981, a decrease from the peak figure of 25,597. If part-timers are added on the basis of counting two part-timers as equivalent to one whole-timer, the figures are:—

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the general desire on the part of Scottish hosiery manufacturers and associated trade unions for a separate working party committee to be set up in Scotland as distinct from that in Leicester; and whether he will consider such a proposal favourably.

No, Sir. At a meeting in Leicester at which representatives of the three Scottish employers' associations were present, no such, desire was expressed, and I have been informed that these associations will nominate a member for the Working Party. I have asked the Trades Union Congress to suggest the names of employees' members, and in so doing they will bear in mind the Scottish trade union interests. It will be open to the Chairman to arrange for special sub-groups of the Working Party to be formed to study special Scottish and other problems, and to co-opt any person whose knowledge and assistance may be useful to them.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many sub-post offices have been closed down since 1st September, 1939, giving, if possible, separate figures for urban districts on the one hand and for villages and hamlets on the other.

Definite figures could only be obtained by considerable clerical work for which staff is not available. It is estimated, however, that there are some 850 fewer sub-post offices than on 1st October, 1939. It is not possible to subdivide this figure into urban and rural.

asked the Minister of Education at what date the Burnham Committee last met; whether she is aware that although it is nearly nine months since the revised scales should have come into operation, training college staffs do not know their present financial position, and, as it is consequently impossible to appoint new staff of the quality required without being able to state the salary attached to the posts, will she remedy this position.

The last meeting of the Committee appointed to consider salary scales appropriate to the staffs of Training Colleges was held on 15th June, and their final report was submitted to me on 29th August. I have intimated that I approve this report, which is now being printed and should be ready for publication shortly.