asked the Minister of War Transport if he is aware that the ancient bridge at Otley is now unable to deal safely with the large amount of road and pedestrian traffic; that there has been at least one fatal accident this year; and what steps is he prepared to take immediately to ensure the safety of all users of the bridge.

The bridge at Otley should be widened as soon as circumstances permit. I have asked the county council to make all the necessary preparations to carry out the scheme, when labour and materials become available. In the meantime I am considering, with the county council, the possibility of making temporary arrangements for the greater safety of traffic.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he will shortly increase public service vehicle facilities in the country generally, and in particular, consider the institution of special services to municipal housing estates which are in many cases situated at some distance from the urban centres and have not adequate public service vehicle services for the convenience of residents of such estates.

Omnibus services will be progressively improved as the necessary crews and vehicles can be made available. The needs of municipal housing estates will not be overlooked; but if the hon. and gallant Member has any specific case in mind I shall be happy to investigate it.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will make a full statement as to how demobilisation in the Navy operates, as the forecast that groups up to release group 45 will be demobilised from the Navy by June, 1946, does not show a true picture.

The statement issued by the Ministry of Labour and National Service on 2nd October showed that the Navy should complete the release of ratings in Group 30 and have started on Group 31 by the end of the year and, by June, 1946, would have completed Group 45. An explanatory statement issued by the Ministry on 16th October made it clear that these Groups are average, and that there would be considerable variation between the various branches. The dispersal of some rating groups will be ahead of the schedule, while other branches, particularly the Regulating, Engine-room, Sick Berth and Supply and Secretariat Branches, will fall short of the schedule.The average planned rate of release of officers is Group 20 by the end of this year and Group 32 by June, 1946, but the release of Engineers, Instructors, Supply and Secretariat and some categories of Warrant Officers will be slower. There will be similar variation in the rate of release of W.R.N.S.; the branches in which release will be slower are principally the Supply and Secretariat, Administrative, Switchboard operators and M.T. drivers.This difference in the rate of release between the various categories of officers and ratings results from the need to maintain a balanced Navy to carry out the many tasks which remain to be completed.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will consider amending the law so as to adjust the principle of dilapidations with regard to leasehold property.

It is not clear from the Question what the hon. Member means, but if he will give me particulars of the kind of case he has in mind and indicate the scope of the amendment which he proposes, I shall be glad to consider the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of non-naturalised residents in the borough of Hampstead; the nationalities to which they belong; and the number belonging to each nationality.

The records of aliens registered with the police in London are not kept according to municipal boundaries and I regret that the information desired is therefore not available.

asked the Prime Minister what steps he proposes to take to assist the repatriation of those British women whose marriages to men in the Dominions and Allied Services have not proved successful and who desire to return to this country.

The general position is that no difficulty is placed by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom in the way of the return to this country of women of British birth and parentage belonging to the United Kingdom who have married men in the Dominions and Allied Services. In foreign countries His Majesty's consular officers afford such women every assistance for this purpose, short of the provision of travelling expenses, but including help in arranging journeys, so far as existing transport opportunities permit.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total amount which has already been paid out in com- pensation for furniture, clothing and personal effects under the Private Chattels Scheme for war damage and the amount of the claims to be paid later at a time yet to be determined.

The total amount paid out is approximately £50,500,000.The amount payable in respect of assessed claims where payment is to be made at a later date to be specified in Treasury Regulations is £30,500,000. The amount of claims still outstanding is estimated at £5,000,000.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air from what date he anticipates being able to hand over Heath Row to the Minister of Civil Aviation so that it becomes entirely his responsibilty for development.

Control of Heath Row airfield will be handed over to the Minister of Civil Aviation as soon as possible, and the arrangements are now being worked out between that Ministry and my Department. Meanwhile, there is the closest co-operation between the two Departments on all matters affecting the development of the airport.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if A.T.C. cadets who on conscription were directed into the Army, can now voluntarily transfer to the R.A.F.

It has been agreed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War that the former A.T.C. cadets who are now in the Army may apply for transfer to the Air Force. Each application will be considered on its merits; the requirements of the Army must be taken into account.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement on the future prospects of members of the Regular R.A.F. who, after being passed by his Ministry's Board for a commission, now find themselves in the pool with the number of vacancies for commissioned officers probably limited by the cessation of hostilities.

It has throughout been made clear to members of the Air Force that selection for an emergency commission for ground duties by an Air Ministry Selection Board did not necessarily imply that appointment to a commission would follow. Appointments are still being made, but the requirements are naturally now very limited.

asked the Minister of Labour, in connection with speeding up demobilisation, will he consider the case of young women whose university courses were interrupted by National Service, an example of which has been furnished him of an honours graduate of London University serving in the Ministry of Aircraft Production since 1941, who wishes to return for a further year to qualify as a librarian and has been accepted by the university but whose release has been opposed by his Ministry.

:Women employed in work of national importance may resume university courses provided that they can secure their release from their employment. In the particular case referred to, I understand that release has now been granted.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has considered the communication sent to him from the Akyab Forces Parliament on the question of demobilisation and release, which indicates the members of the Services are not fully aware of the steps being taken by the various Services; and will he give instructions to ensure that the members of the Forces are fully informed in future.

I have considered the communication to which the hon. Member refers. With regard to the second part of the Question, the Service Departments have taken and are continuing to take active steps to keep members of the Forces as fully informed as possible on questions relating to the release scheme.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the preparation of sites and the erection of temporary houses in Wallasey is held up owing to lack of labour; and that although arrangements for the supply of such labour had been made, it has not, in fact, yet appeared; and will he take steps to see that such labour is supplied immediately.

Yes, Sir. Every effort is being made to obtain the labour required for these works.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the Malayan Chamber of Mines, while pressing for the cost of rehabilitating the tin industry to be defrayed from public funds, is urging that primary responsibility for this disbursement should rest with the private interests concerned; and whether, in view of its past exploitation of labour and the consumer, he will take steps to nationalise this industry for the benefit of the Malayan peoples.

The Malayan Chamber of Mines have asked for financial assistance to enable the companies to repair and replace the equipment which was destroyed or damaged as the result of military operations in Malaya. This request is at present under consideration. Whether or not such assistance is granted, it is my intention to take all possible steps to ensure the restoration of fair conditions of labour, and the fair contribution from the industry to revenue which will be required to provide among other things for improved social and welfare services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when it is proposed to implement the I.L.O. Convention on Forced Labour and to abolish all forms of compulsion, direct and indirect, which tend to force African colonial peoples to work for wages or to depress wages; and whether he will refuse registration to all trade unions in the Colonial Empire which maintain a colour bar or otherwise exercise racial discrimination.

The International Labour Convention regarding forced labour has been applied in its entirety to every British Colonial territory. As a special war-time measure compulsory labour was authorised under the Defence Regulations in certain African territories for essential purposes. As I stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Cardiff (Mr.Callaghan) on 17th October, I am in communication with the Governors of those territories in which such labour is still being used under the Emergency Powers Legislation with a view to its early discontinuance. In most Colonial territories it is a matter for the Registrar of Trade Unions to interpret the local law as to registration, and the rights of applicants are determined by the local law. Colonial trade union legislation is based upon the trade union laws in this country.