asked the President of the Board of Trade whether any arrangements are being made to supplement the supply of traditional timbers used by the furniture industry by the use of lesser known Empire timbers on a much larger scale than was the custom before the war.

Yes, Sir. The use of lesser known Empire timbers has been developed considerably during the war and manufacturers will be encouraged to continue that use.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in order to help meet the need for domestic furniture, he will consider granting to firms, which have been engaged in laminated timber constructional work for aircraft, licences to manufacture furniture.

A number of such firms have already been designated. Shortage of materials prevents further designation for the present, except in very special cases.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the virtual impossibility of placing orders for divans in the London area; and if he will advise holders of furniture units not to insist upon ordering divans for a period of several months in order to give manufacturers an opportunity to catch up with their present arrears.

I am doing everything possible to improve production of divans, but at the moment there is a serious shortage of covering materials. I agree with my hon. Friend that it would be most helpful if holders of furniture permits would refrain from ordering divans for the present. Deliveries of metal bedsteads are satisfactory, and I hope that these will be ordered instead.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is intended that Platt Brothers shall begin production at Ford's Eccles factory; and whether he can now give details of the production envisaged at the other Barton factories, in view of the anxiety that is felt by employees in regard to the increasing redundancy of labour experienced.

Platt Brothers will begin production immediately the necessary conversion has been made. It is hoped that the Eccles factory will be vacated by Ford's early next year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will allow the import of raw materials required for the manufacture of high grade paper for export up to the quantity for which manufacturing facilities exist in this country and for which export orders are assured.

I am not aware that any request for pulp of special quality has been refused. I shall be glad to look into the matter if the hon. Member will give me particulars.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he has refused an export licence to the Saxon Hosiery Company, for the export of woollen socks, surplus to the home demand, to Switzerland; and why he suggested that these socks be exported to countries where the hot climate restricts the demand for this kind of hosiery.

Exports of these goods have had to be confined to the essential needs of Empire countries. There is a considerable demand for the goods in question in these countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has now considered a Report from the Central Price Regulation Committee regarding the prices charged for radio valves; and if he will state the ascertained cost of producing such valves.

I have asked the Central Price Regulation Committee to make inquiry into the prices charged for radio valves but a thorough investigation of costs will take some weeks.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the difficulty of many public libraries in having their books rebound; and what steps are being taken to get skilled bookbinders released from the Forces under Class B.

Yes, Sir. I am ready to consider applications for the release in Class B of any skilled bookbinders who may be indispensable for key posts with library binders.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made with the production of children's toys for Christmas; and whether he will remove the restrictions on the distribution of pre-war stocks of toys in manufacturers' warehouses.

The only limit on the, production of children's toys is that imposed by scarcity of raw materials and labour. Supplies to the home market, however, are limited by Order. The permitted volume of supplies is at present 75 per cent. of supplies in the standard period. While I fear there cannot be a full supply of toys this Christmas, I hope that there will be a considerable improvement in quality, since the manufacture of toys from certain materials which were previously prohibited is now allowed. With regard to the second part of the Question, if the hon. and gallant Member will send me particulars of the cases he has in mind, I will have them looked into.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a firm in Alperton has recently experienced considerable delay and difficulty in obtaining the permission of the Import Licensing Department to import a small quantity of dried passiflora and guaicol to enable them to undertake valuable export orders for proprietary products; and whether, in view of the importance of assisting the export trade, he will investigate this case and see what steps can be taken to expedite the procedure of the department concerned.

:An application for a licence to import guaiacol for the purposes of export trade has been received. The licence has now been issued. As regards the application to import passi- flora, I am making inquiries. To save time the firm are being asked to make a further application. I much regret the delay in dealing with these two applications, which should not have occurred.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will reconsider the decision of his department to allocate export quotas to individual firms on the basis of their previous exports, as this proposal unfairly discriminates against certain firms.

Where exports have to be severely restricted, the system generally adopted of limiting exports to customary channels is the fairest. I am, however, most anxious to get away from this rigid system as soon as the supply position allows.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any statement to make arising from his recent discussions with representatives of the Liverpool and Manchester Cotton Associations concerning the threatened closure of the Liverpool cotton futures market.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, now that he has met the deputation from the north of England, he will declare the policy of His Majesty's Government in regardto the bulk purchase of cotton; and whether the Government still intend to close the Liverpool Cotton Exchange.

I had a full discussion on 7th November with representatives of these associations and of the Federation of Master Cotton Spinners on the future of the Liverpool cotton market, in the course of which I made it clear that no final decisions had been reached and undertook that the views which had been put forward would be carefully considered by the Government.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now announce his decision upon the application of the ex-Serviceman discharged as medically unfit, who was refused a licence to open a retail business in Cupar, Fife.

I have decided to grant a licence to Mr. David S. Mitchell to whom I think my hon. Friend refers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will stimulate the interest of British industry in the manufacture of vacuum flasks which, up to now, have been wholly imported.

Yes, Sir. Existing producers of vacuum flasks are already planning to expand their capacity and other firms are planning to set up manufacturing units.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will allow manual workers employed by local authorities to purchase rubber boots where the local authority have a surplus of this scarce commodity.

Arrangements already exist to give local authorities the first opportunity of buying surplus boots for loan to their employees where their work makes it desirable. I could not agree to give local authority employees priority over the other civilians in buying these boots.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the teams nominated in June last on the request of the Government by the British Constructional Steelworkers' Association to investigate certain branches of German industry have yet left for Germany.

One of these teams left this country on 7th November; another is scheduled to go to Germany this week. The nominations for these teams were finally agreed in August. Delays since that time have been due in part to the extreme pressure on transport and accommodation facilities in Germany which are extremely limited, and in part to members of teams not being available on the dates scheduled for their departure.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantity of timber was landed in United Kingdom ports in October; and how this quantity compares with his estimate of timber imports for the same period.

, pursuant to his reply (OFFICIAL REPORT, 5th November, 1945; c. 894, Vol. 415, No. 31) supplied the following statement:Owing to the seasonal nature of the shipments from Eastern Canada and the Baltic, the bulk of timber imports arrive in the summer and autumn. During the month of October landings amounted to 242,000 tons, as compared with anticipations of 500,000 tons.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to ascertain the timber available in Germany for shipment to this country; and what supplies, and of what qualities, he anticipates may be received here during the next six months.

Following the report of a technical mission which was sent to Germany, steps are being taken to organise supplies of timber for export from Germany and for this purpose it is proposed to ship softwood and hardwood logs and sawn timber and pitwood. I cannot at present give an estimate of the quantity that will be received here in the period named.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many export permits for feeding-stuffs his Department have issued; to which countries were the feeding-stuffs exported; and what quantities were involved.

During the first nine months of this year total exports and re-exports of feeding-stuffs for animals amounted to 3,419 tons of which 2,208 tons went to Eire, 552 tons to the Faroe Islands and 529 tons to the Channel Islands. Information as to the number of individual licences issued is not readily available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of children's low leg Wellington boots, sizes 4 to 8; and what steps are being taken to increase their production.

We are at present concentrating on the production of sizes 8 and above so that as many Wellingtons as possible are available for school children. As soon as this demand has been met production will be extended to the smaller sizes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure that a generous share of existing supplies of babies' and children's footwear is made available for country children who often have long distances to walk to school and particularly in the county of Devon where the shortage is marked.

Arrangements have been made by which rubber footwear for children is sold only to children living in country districts. It is not possible to introduce a special priority scheme for leather footwear, but my Area Distribution Officers make every effort to see that country districts receive their full share of supplies available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make arrangements to release additional lorry tyres to distributors in the King's Lynn area to ensure that all lorries engaged in the transport of sugar-beet from the farms can be kept properly serviced and in use during the coming months.

Yes, Sir. Arrangements had already been made to ensure that the transport of sugar beet from farms should not be held up through lack of tyres for transport.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the interests of hygiene, he will grant coupons to hair-dressers for the purpose of purchasing overalls and towels.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave last Monday to similar Questions on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the continued shortage of feeding-bottle teats in the Settle area of the West Riding; and will he make arrangements for additional supplies to be sent forthwith.

Yes, Sir.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any statement to make on the conclusion of a monetary agreement between this country and Norway.

A Monetary Agreement between His Majesty's Government and the Norwegian Government was signed on 8th November which provides a satisfactory mechanism of payments between the sterling area and Norway, and will thus facilitate the resumption of Anglo-Norwegian trade. The text of the Agreement has been presented to Parliament and copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what civilian clothing coupons are available, respectively, for returned prisoners of war, for officers and for N.C.O.s and men returning on leave from service in the East.

Officers and other ranks returning from the Far East, including ex-prisoners of war, have their essential needs fully met by the Services. Returned prisoners of war of all ranks are given 20 civilian coupons for the purchase of such items as pyjamas and shoes. Officers from the Far East can make use of the 21 special coupons issued to all officers for the purchase of recreational clothing. As regards civilian dress for other ranks to wear on leave, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 30th October to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Cambridge.

asked the Minister of War Transport whether he is aware that licences to purchase new motor-vans are not granted, except upon the condition that the vehicles to be replaced are destroyed; and whether, in view of the shortage of transport, this condition will now be abandoned.

Save in exceptional circumstances licences are not granted for new vehicles as replacements unless the old vehicle has reached the end of its useful life, when the best thing to do with it is to break it down for useful spares and scrap. I could not agree that such vehicles should be kept on the roads.

asked the Minister of War Transport when it is proposed to remove the temporary bridges across the Thames; and whether the cost of work in connection therewith will be charged on the Exchequer or local authority.

The three temporary bridges across the Thames in the London County Council area will be removed as soon as labour is available. I am prepared to deal with the cost of removal on the same basis as applied to the cost of erection of the bridges. There is another temporary bridge across the Thames at Staines, which will be retained for some time for use as a footway.

asked the Minister of War Transport whether he will call the attention of the London Midland and Scottish Railway to the inadequacy and unpunctuality of the train service between St. Pancras and Luton, especially between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

I have asked for a report from the London Midland and Scottish Railway on this matter and will communicate with my hon. Friend when I have received it.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he is aware of the proposal to close that section of the L.M. & S. Railway running through Strathearn, between Balquhidder and Crieff stations; and if he will withhold his approval, in view of the fact that this line provides one of the two railway connections between Perth and the West Highlands

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Kinross (Mr. Snadden) on 15th October. The hon. Member may be assured that all relevant considerations will be taken into account before a decision is reached.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he is pre- pared to extend coach operators' licences to enable them to continue tours and excursions during the winter months.

Any application for an extension of the period of operation of a road passenger service falls to be decided in the first instance by the Regional Transport Commissioner in the light of all relevant circumstances. If the hon. and gallant Member has any particular instance in mind I will make inquiries.

asked the Minister of War Transport if he will state the programme of releases for men in the Merchant Navy.

The majority of officers and men in the Merchant Navy are following their normal occupation, and no question of a general release programme in the sense of "demobilisation"arises. For those who desire to be released, however, arrangements have been made for releases to follow broadly the lines of the Services. The groups in which officers and men in the various ranks and ratings are at present eligible for release as they arrive in this country were announced on 21st September last. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the announcement. Extensions of these groups will be approved as the manpower position in the Merchant Navy permits.

asked the Minister of War Transport whether he will make a statement as to what steps will now be taken to implement the recommendations of the Committee on Compulsory Insurance, presided over by Sir Felix Cassel, in 1937, with respect to securing compensation for the victims of uninsured motorists.

Yes, Sir. It will be recollected that the Committee recommended the establishment by insurers of a central fund from which to compensate third party victims of road accidents caused by motor vehicles, in cases where the motorist concerned has failed in his statutory obligation to insure, or where the policy is inoperative for some reason, such as breach of its conditions. These cases are comparatively rare, but they constitute a class of hardship for which. in accordance with the principle underlying compulsory insurance, a remedy should be found. Legislation to give effect to the scheme proposed by the Committee would be somewhat complicated, and I am glad to say that the insurers have made proposals for a voluntary scheme on similar lines which I am satisfied will achieve the same purpose. They are entering into agreement with me to set up an Insurers'Association as a corporate body, and to keep it supplied with funds, and this body will undertake to pay any amount awarded by the courts to a third party in respect of any liability required to be covered by the provisions of the Road Traffic Acts relating to compulsory insurance, where the judgment is not satisfied. This means in effect that where owing to absence of effective insurance the victim cannot get compensation from a negligent motorist, he will be able to get it from the Insurers'Association. The association is to be set up within six months, and details of the scheme will be published in due course. I am arranging to publish the text of the initial agreement.I should add that the Cassel Committee did not find it possible to deal with the case of a third party injured by a motorist who cannot be traced. In such a case no claim can be established against anyone, and the Committee considered that the grant of rights against the proposed fund would be calculated to lead to such abuses as to render such a course totally unsuitable. The Government cannot dissent from this view, and accordingly the agreement does not cover such cases, but I am glad to say that the insurers have informed me that they do not intend to exclude them entirely from their purview, and where there is reasonable certainty that a motor vehicle was involved and that but for its unidentifiability a claim might lie, they will give sympathetic consideration to the making of an ex gratia payment to the victim.Certain cases involving Crown vehicles are also excluded from the scope of the agreement, and I am authorised to say that, when the new arrangements with insurers come into operation, the same benefits in respect of compensation will be afforded by the Crown to the victims in such cases as they would receive were the accident caused by a private vehicle.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has considered the report recently issued by the Association of Applied Biologists on the Recruitment and Training of Plant Pathologists in Great Britain; and whether he proposes to adopt the recommendations that one or more plant pathology training centres should be established, that the level of training in plant pathology of county officers should be raised, and that the training and maintenance of students should be covered by adequate financial provisions.

I have seen the report to which the hon. Member refers and have remitted it to the Love day Committee on Higher Agricultural Education, by whom it will no doubt be sympathetically considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to state the Government's plans for assisting the replanting of woodlands felled during the war.

I regret that I am unable to add anything to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member on 22nd October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that on thousands of acres sugar beet which has been lifted is still lying uncollected; and whether, in view of the danger of frost and the necessity to get the beet as soon as possible into clamps, he proposes to take any steps to provide special assistance, so far as labour is concerned.

The generally favourable weather conditions have enabled farmers to make good progress with the lifting of the sugar beet crop. My Department is warning farmers through the Press of the need for protecting the beets against the risk of frost and other damage, but I am not aware that the provision of labour for this purpose will call for special arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has yet come to a decision in regard to the necessity for the continued use of steel-toothed traps.

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that it is not practical for an allotment holder to leave his land uncultivated for four years to avoid eel-worm in potatoes; and as his Department cannot supply adequate quantities of calcium cyanamide, what steps he proposes to take to assist the cultivation of potatoes in Newport.

My Department's advice to allotment holders is to adopt a system of rotational cropping such as is recommended in Dig for Victory Leaflet No. 1, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend. This system avoids the growing of potatoes on the same part of the allotment year after year, and is the best means at present available for dealing with eel-worm attacks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether there has been any record in pre-war years, or any information since, of the incidence of foot-and-mouth disease in the Channel Islands.

Between 1920 and 1939, there were two series of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the Channel Islands. In 1940, six further outbreaks occurred in Jersey, three of them just before the occupation of the Islands by the Germans. There has been no outbreak of the disease in the Islands since 1940.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the bulls imported into this country from Ireland are required to have a record of milk production from the darn equal to that required by his Department for bulls in this country.

A minimum standard of milk production by the dam and sire's dam is only required when a dairy bull licence is sought. At present the bull licensing Regulations preclude the acceptance for this purpose of milk records attained outside England and Wales, and on this point, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Sir J. Barlow) on 29th October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been drawn to outbreaks of an unknown form of distemper due to arrival in this country of dogs brought in, either by air or sea, by British and allied servicemen and not notified to the authorities for isolation in quarantine quarters under veterinary supervision; and what steps he is taking to stop this practice and to enforce the law.

In recent months there have been a number of outbreaks of a distemper-like disease among dogs, but I am not aware of any evidence to connect those outbreaks with the illegal importation of dogs from abroad by British or Allied Servicemen. British and allied military authorities are co-operating in the steps taken to prevent the illegal importation of dogs by servicemen and have prohibited the carriage of dogs in military aircraft. The carriage of dogs on military transports is also prohibited unless their importation is specifically authorised, and all such authorisations require the dogs, on their arrival in this country, to be placed in approved quarantine kennels for a period of six months. Full inquiries and suitable action are undertaken by my Department whenever there is any reason to suspect that a dog has been illegally imported.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the unsatisfactory hospitality provided for official foreign visitors to this country; and what steps he is taking to set up an effective organisation in order that a suitable welcome shall be extended to such visitors on arrival and during their stay here.

I am sure that my hon. Friend, like our visitors from abroad, will recognise the great difficulties of providing adequate accommodation in London at the present time. I have set up a special organisation in the Foreign Office to assist in the reception of the delegates to the forthcoming meetings of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Organisation and of the General Assembly of the United Nations. This special organisation will work in close touch with the Government Hospitality Fund. I am glad to assure the hon. Member that His Majesty's Government will do everything in their power to improve the arrangements for the reception of official visitors from other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what proportion of machiney has been removed by the United Nations, and by which, from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Roumania, Hungary and any other country for which figures are available.

I regret that the information for which the hon. Member asks is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has requested the Soviet Government to grant permission to British search teams to enter the Soviet zone in Germany, for the purpose of searching for the 150 British prisoners of war who are still unaccounted for; and what reply he has received.

The British element of the Allied Control Commission in Berlin have been asked for an urgent report, but I regret that I can, at present, add nothing to the answer given to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Touche) by my right hon. Friend on Wednesday last.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement as to the resumption by the victorious nations of conferences to draw up peace treaty terms; and whether consideration has been given to the desirability of introducing into those terms a minimum wage standard and a maximum working day on the defeated nations.

There is nothing I can usefully say about the resumption of discussions about the Peace Treaties. I naturally hope that the present deadlock will be broken as soon as possible. As regards the second part of the Question, I do not think it would be feasible to include among the actual peace terms standards of wages and working hours. I think these are matters which should be dealt with through the machinery of the International Labour Organisation which has made so important a contribution to this question in the past.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there is any inter-allied committee charged with the responsibility of dealing with displaced persons in Europe; and whether any co-ordinating scheme exists between the Allies as to how these homeless people are to be treated and where they are permanently to be accommodated.

:U.N.R.R.A. has a wide mandate to care for and repatriate displaced persons in Europe. In zones which are in military occupation, U.N.R.R.A. acts under the overall responsibility of the military authorities. His Majesty's Government hope that the vast majority of all displaced persons will decide to return to their respective countries of origin. A long-term plan for dealing with the rest is now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that applicants for appointments by the British Council for work in Spain are informed that the chief representative in Spain insists that all appointees shall be of one particular religion, and whether he will put a stop to this.

I am making inquiries, and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether private correspondence between Greece and this country is still subject to censorship; and, if so, whether he will take immediate action to terminate this practice.

No, Sir, there is no censorship on private correspondence between this country and Greece.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for the resumption of publication of the Annual Reports of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

Yes, Sir. I hope that a report covering the war years, 1939–40 to 1944–45 inclusive, will be ready for publication by the time of next year's Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the fact that the delay in paying claims for war damage is causing great hardship in many cases, especially to small business men; and whether he will state when the certificates for payment on assessed claims, which in many cases have been waiting for 4½ years, will be honoured.

The date for the payment of these claims cannot yet be fixed. It will depend not only on financial considerations but on the availability of supplies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the refund of Income Tax paid by temporary civil servants in the weeks prior to Pay-as-you-Earn is to be made; and what steps temporary civil servants should take to claim this refund of tax.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the undertaking given on 17th February, 1944, in the course of the Debates on the Income Tax (Offices and Employments) Bill that a cash payment would be made to certain temporary Crown Servants where two conditions were satisfied (a) that there had been an overlapping Income Tax payment, and (b) that the introduction of Pay-as-you-Earn had involved the withdrawal of the expected tax holiday on leaving Crown Service. A statement explaining the arrangements which are being made to give effect to this undertaking was circulated in the Official Report of 14th June last, and I am sending a copy of that statement to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War why Lance-Corporal Allen, H. C, 143985, British Military Hospital, Shillong, Assam, India Command, has experienced difficulty in making his application for release under Class C; and whether instructions will be issued to the sub-formations in the area concerned that they should acquaint themselves with the latest regulations on the subject and afford full assistance to soldiers wishing to make such applications.

:I have been asked to reply. I am asking the Government of India for a report on this matter, and I will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member as soon as the report is received.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India how long will a British civilian, who was last on home leave in 1938, have to wait in India before he can get a passage home to get married.

:So long as the Service commitments for prisoners of war and men for demobilisation and repatriation remain at their present high level the number of passages available for civilians is extremely small. I can assure the hon. and gallant Member, however, that everything possible is being done to provide homeward passages for civilians, especially for those who have not had home leave for a long time, but I regret that it is not possible to forecast how long any individual may have to wait for a passage.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to the position of the villagers of Karrej who are only allowed to draw their rations on the production of an inoculation certificate; why such conditions operate; on whose responsibility they were instigated; and whether he will take steps to put a stop to them.

:I have not heard of any such incident and I cannot trace any village bearing the name quoted. If my hon. Friend will help me by verify- ing the name of the village and letting me know the province of India in which it is situated I will, unless this is a matter for which Indian Ministers are responsible, ask the Government of India to make inquiries.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether officers who volunteered for service with the Indian Army and have served overseas for over five years can be released at once.

Officers of the Indian Army are released under the same scheme as officers of the British Service. This, as the hon. and gallant Member is aware, is based upon age-and-service groups and not upon length of service overseas. I regret therefore that it is not practicable to adopt the hon. and gallant Member's suggestion.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will make a statement on the tidal wave which recently swept over the area of Madras; whether any lives were lost; the estimated amount of the damage and the areas involved; whether the village of Adyor was affected and what damage was done in this district; and what steps are being taken to assist those who have lost their homes.

A cyclone, accompanied by a tidal wave, swept the coastal belt to a depth of from three to five miles inland between Coconada and Masulipatam in Madras between 17th and 20th October. Damage was heaviest in East Godavari district, where nearly 70 persons were killed. Elsewhere deaths numbered18. Over 10,000 persons were rendered homeless, many cattle lost and considerable damage done to crops. Arrangements were at once made locally for feeding the homeless, and the Madras Government made immediate grants for relief schemes. Additional relief is to be granted by remission of land revenue and taxes, supply of seeds and assistance in restoring the land, and loans for the purchase of manure and cattle, etc. In all districts the communication services and electricity and water supplies were restored by 21st October. I cannot identify the village mentioned by my hon. Friend. It is not mentioned in the reports received. If, however, he is referring to the village of Adyar which adjoins Madras, this village is well outside the area affected by the disaster.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will state the number of the respective communal electorates for the forthcoming elections; the number of men and women, respectively; approximately the number, or percentage, of electorate that are illiterate; and the number who are in the fighting services.

I regret that as the electoral rolls are under revision, the figures in respect to the first two parts of the Question are not available. I am informed that even when the rolls are revised it will not be possible to supply the information asked for in the third and fourth parts of my hon. Friend's Question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he is aware of the public resentment expressed in India against the employment of Indian troops in Indonesia; what action has been taken in respect of the refusal of Indians to load ships bound for Indonesia; whether recognised leaders of Indian political life have been consulted in the matter; and why Mr. Nehru has been refused a pass.

The policy with regard to the employment of British and Indian troops in Indonesia was stated by the Prime Minister in his reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Wallasey on 17th October. In this statement the Prime Minister explained that it was the role of our Forces in this area to disarm the Japanese forces, safeguard Allied exprisoners of war and internees and help to restore normal conditions. The Prime Minister also explained that it was not the desire of His Majesty's Government to be unnecessarily involved in the administration or the political affairs of the country and that it was the Government's policy to withdraw such troops as soon as circumstances permit. I am fully aware of the criticisms that have been made in India on this matter. I have no information as regards the second part of the Question. As regards the third part of the Question, so far as I am aware no consultations have taken place with political leaders in India. The refusal to afford facilities for Mr. Nehru to visit Indonesia was taken with the agreement of the Supreme Allied Commander, in view of the present disturbed conditions in Java which render it undesirable for such a visit to be made.

asked the Minister of Works if, in view of the urgency of concentrating all available labour on the building of houses, it is his intention to allow an industrial concern, of which be has been given particulars, which is at present in occupation of modem well-equipped factories, to build an entirely new factory within the next two years.

Housing is not, of course, the sole building priority, and provision has to be made, among other things, for capacity to produce essential goods for home consumption and for the export market. I am not at present able to forecast a date when the particular project my hon. Friend has in mind could be allowed to start; a decision would have to be taken in the light of all the circumstances at the time.

asked the Minister of Works how many men have been imported from Scotland within the last two years in order to assist in repairing bomb-damaged houses in England.

Since June, 1944, the date from which the special arrangements operated, about 2,000 men have been imported from Scotland to assist in the repair of bomb-damaged houses in England.

asked the Minister of Health how the original estimate of the cost of the aluminium house at £600 compares with the estimate of the Aircraft Industries Research Organisation on Housing; and if he will explain the reasons for the difference between the original estimate and the current cost.

I have been asked to reply. I have no knowledge of an estimate of £600, or of any estimate by the Aircraft Industries Research Organisation on Housing, for making and erecting the Aluminium House. The first official estimate was £914; the current estimate is £1,365.The reasons for the difference are (1) Original underestimation of the cost of (

asked the Minister of Works how many licences to open brickworks have been granted; the number accepted; and what reasons have been given for the non-acceptance.

At the end of October 280 licences had been issued and accepted. In a very few instances applications for licences are being held in abeyance pending an improvement in the labour supply position. Area Committees of the Industry advise me on all applications.

asked the Minister of Works how many civil servants worked in the offices outside London built for Government departments and for Government factories during the war; and how many civil servants are now using these premises.

I regret that the information asked for is not available. To obtain it would necessitate much detailed inquiry by Departments concerned and would involve an undue expenditure of time and labour which could not be spared in view of the pressure of public business.

asked the Minister of Works how many flats, of how many rooms, as distinct from the 22,000 requisitioned houses, are in Government occupation.

At the end of September last the Government Departments, excluding the Health Departments who hold property primarily for residential purposes, held on requisition 4,914 flats. No information is available as to the total number of rooms in these flats. On the preceding 1st January the corresponding figure was 6,496. Every effort is being made to release flats as speedily as possible.

asked the Minister of Works how many rooms used as commercial offices were requisitioned during the war; how many are still requisitioned; and how many civil servants were using such requisitioned premises a year ago and now.

At the end of September last Government Departments held 3,113 requisitions of office premises. The corresponding figure on the preceding 1st January was 3,841. I regret that no record is kept of the number of rooms in requisitioned property since it is usual to deal with accommodation questions by reference to superficial feet of useable space. The number of civil servants in occupation of such space varies continuously and cannot be stated as at a year ago and could only be obtained for a current dale by inquiry of a large number of Departments who would themselves have to obtain the information specially at considerable expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the war has terminated, it is his intention to continue the name of the Ministry of War Transport.

No, Sir; and the necessary legislation will be introduced as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production what was the approximate number of non-industrial temporary civil servants employed by the Ministry of Aircraft Production on 1st November.

The number of temporary non-industrial civil servants employed by the Ministry of Aircraft Production on 1st November, 1945, was 16,296.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet been able to make any arrangements for the disposal of blankets, rubber hot-water bottles, furniture and other surplus Government stores which have remained unused in the rest centre at Wargrave since it was closed.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for London University (Sir E. Graham-Little) on 9th October, of which I will send him a copy.

asked the Minister of Foodwhat steps have been taken to implement the first recommendation of the Elliot Committee on the herring industry, to the effect that, as a matter of urgency, the Departments concerned should arrange for substantial sales of herring, through U.N.R.R.A. and other agencies, to European markets.

From the beginning of the 1944 summer season, my Department has undertaken to pay the fishermen a guaranteed price for herrings surplus to home trade requirements. Such herrings are used for pickle-curing or redding, and my Department purchases from the curers at agreed prices all pickle-cured and red herrings of satisfactory quality. As a result of these steps, about 12,000 tons of pickle-cured herrings and 2,000 tons of red herrings have, up to 31st October last, been sold for the European market to military authorities, to U.N.R.R.A., and direct to our Allies.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what are the latest statistics available as to the stocks of petrol in Canada, Australia and South Africa, respectively.

It would not be possible to answer this Question without inquiry of the Governments concerned, but so far as I have been able to ascertain statistics as to the stocks in question have not been published.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether the retention of the full personnel of the photographic ground staff of the R.A.F. is part of the peace organisation; to what extent redundancy of officers and men in this branch of the Service has taken place, and if release in these circumstances will be accelerated.

The composition of the post-war Air Force has not yet been determined, but we shall certainly not require to retain all the war-time staff or organisations for air photography. The existing surplus of airmen photographers will soon disappear, as the result of the release programme already promulgated, and as regards photographic ground officers, we have had to take special steps to bring their release rate closer to the average for the Service as a whole.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of working days lost by unofficial industrial disputes in October.

On the basis of such information as is at present available, it is provisionally estimated that the aggregate number of man-days lost during October through stoppages of work arising from industrial disputes was about 1,100,000. While the information available does not permit a precise distinction to be made between official and unofficial stoppages, practically all of the man-days lost arose from unofficial stoppages.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements he will make to increase the nursing staff at the Westminster Memorial Hospital, Shaftesbury, Dorset, in view of the strain which is being imposed by the present shortage.

My inquiries are not complete and I will write to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how the contribution to National Insurance is made up as between the employer, employee and the State; and what relation the direct contribution has to the total cost to the taxpayer.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the present schemes. Contributions to the Unemployment Fund are divided equally between the employer and the employee, and the Exchequer pays an amount equal to one-half of the combined contribution. In the case of the National Health Insurance Fund and Pensions Account, the contributions of employers and employees are approximately in equal proportions, but the Exchequer payments are not directly related to contributions. In the case of the Health Insurance Fund, the payment by the Exchequer is calculated by reference to the expenditure on benefits and administration, the proportion being one-seventh of the benefits paid to men and one-fifth to women. In the case of the Pensions Account, the Exchequer provides an annual lump sum contribution based on the actuarial estimate of the deficiency over a period of years between contribution receipts and expenditure on pensions and administration. The amount of the Exchequer contributions to these funds is approximately two-fifths of the total of the contributions of employers and employees.

asked the Minister of Supply and of Aircraft Production, if he will publish the statistical material in his possession showing, for the latest convenient period, the value of net output per man-hour in the different sections of the metal-working and engineering industries; and the changes in output per man-hour that have occurred during the war years.

I regret that there is no statistical material available from which I could obtain the information my hon. Friend seeks.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether, in considering the formation of the two additional corporations and in reviewing plans for the civil air service as a whole, due weight will be given to the proposals placed before him for the development of Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth, as a combined marine and land terminal airport, particulars of which he already has and upon which the hon. and gallant Member for North Portsmouth wrote him on 16th October.

As my Noble Friend informed my hon. and gallant Friend in reply to his letter of 16th October, the need for additional marine airports de- pends on the outcome of the study, now in progress, of the future development and use of the flying boat. If the results of such study are favourable to the flying boat, the adoption of the Langstone Harbour scheme will, among others, receive full consideration.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will now make a statement regarding the final disposal of the Italian fleet; and whether he will give any indication of the function it is performing at the present time.

The final disposal of the Italian Fleet is one of the subjects for the Peace Treaty with Italy, the terms of which have still to be settled. I am not therefore, in a position to make a statement. Meanwhile, the Italian Fleet is being employed to the best advantage in transport and other duties under the supervision of the Allied authorities.