asked the Minister of Works how long has ale scaffolding been erected in Westminster Hall; what is its purpose; and when it is estimated that it will be dismantled.

The scaffolding in Westminster Hall was erected in 1941 to enable temporary repairs to be carried out after bomb damage to the roof, and it is being retained for the permanent repairs. It is hoped to begin the preliminary work this year. In present labour conditions it is not possible to say how long the work will take. The original estimate was 12–18 months, but the work may take considerably longer.

asked the Minister of Works how many bricks are being imported from Belgium for Government housing schemes.

Contracts have been placed with Belgian brickmakers for 81000,000 English-sized bricks and 30,000,000 medium-sized Belgian bricks. These bricks will be used for housing and other priority works.

asked the Minister of Works how many bricks have been exported to Eire in the last two months; how many it is anticipated will be exported in the next six months; and to what extent such exports are on Government instructions.

So far as I am aware, no building bricks have been exported to Eire during the last two months. Permission to export will depend on circumstances, but it is not anticipated that building bricks will be available for export in the next six months.

Is it not possible that the right hon. Gentleman is misinformed in this matter? Is he aware that I am informed, on the most credible authority—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."]—on the most credible authority, that a considerable number of bricks are being exported from Lancashire, and will he look further into this matter?

I shall be glad if the hon. Member will let me have particulars. because that is not my information.

I have supplied them.

Has not this position arisen through a lack of foresight on the part of the Government?

asked the Minister of Works what are the maximum rates of pay he allows to be paid to craftsmen and labourers in the London area as an essential condition of granting a building firm a certificate of registration under Defence Regulation 56AB.

Defence Regulation 56AB provides that the terms and conditions of employment to be observed on building work by a building undertaking shall be neither more nor less favourable than those fixed by joint agreement in the industry or by arbitration. Apart from establishments where individual agreements with the trade unions may be operative, the rates of wages fixed by the National Joint Council for the building industry in the London area are as follow:

		Craftsmen per hour		Labourers per hour
Inner London	…	2s.	7½d	2s.	1½d.
Outer London	…	2s.	7d.	2s.	1d.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that many firms wish to pay a higher rate than that which he has quoted, but dare not do so because of prosecution? Is he further aware that in this House, he stated that the London Cooperative Society were paying a figure in excess of that which he has just mentioned, and yet his Department has given them a licence under Defence Regulation 56AB?

I think I said that, where agreements were in force when Regulation 56AB came in, the agreement determined the terms under which the licence was granted.

asked the Minister of Works the cost of the hostel at Crook, County Durham; how many boys have been trained in it for the mines; how long has it been empty; and what use is proposed for this set of buildings.

The cost of the miners' hostel at Crook was £71,000; no boys have been trained there, but an average of 74 working miners and industrial workers per week have been accommodated. The hostel was declared redundant on 30th March, 1946, but the Ministry of Fuel and Power arc using the kitchen and dining room to prepare packed meals for miners who work in small parties in areas too remote for them to use existing canteens. The question of the future use of the whole hostel is under consideration.

Will the Minister treat this as a matter of great urgency? I was in the district a fortnight ago and the place is an absolute wilderness. It is a disgraceful business, and I ask the Minister to look into it.

I will.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will be prepared to give priority to applications for huts required for bona fide political organisations.

Yes, Sir. As the more useful types of hut are in very short supply, I feel that priority should be confined to political organisations that are represented in this House and to cases where huts are required for bona fide political purposes and not merely for social and recreational objects. I hope the headquarters of political parties will be prepared to look into their branches' applications, as I shall give priority only where I have the headquarters' letter of support. It would, therefore, be convenient if individual applications are addressed in the first place to party headquarters, and transmitted thence to my Ministry.

Can the Minister assure us that there will be no Government prejudice against the Communist Party?

May I ask the Minister if he will see to it that the Tory Party, in its declining years, is supplied with the huts it needs?

Are we to understand that there are to be no Independent huts whatever?

With regard to the first supplementary question, there will be no prejudice against any party; with regard to the third supplementary question, the Independents are already provided for.

May I ask for guidance as to whether applications from the British Housewives' League should be sent through the Conservative Party?

asked the Minister of Works if it was with his authority that an official of his Department gave an interview to the "Evening Standard," which was published in the issue of 9th July, and a copy of which has been sent to him; and, if not, what disciplinary action he proposes to take.

The interview took place without the authority of a senior officer of my Department. Statements attributed to my officer in the report of the interview, were not, in fact, made by her, and the report is inaccurate in important major respects. The circumstances in which the interview was given were exceptional, but I am taking steps to prevent any recurrence.

asked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the hardship falling on owners of requisitioned hotels and boarding houses who cannot tell when they will be enabled to resume their prewar livelihood, he will set some time limit to the occupation of such premises requisitioned during the war.

Statutory time limits for the operation of the powers under which premises are held on requisition are laid down by the Requisitioned Land and War Works Act and the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Acts, 1945. It is, however, the policy of His Majesty's Government to release hotels and boarding houses as soon as practicable, and more than three quarters of all the hotels and boarding houses held on requisition by Government Departments on 1st January, 1945, have already been released. Owners are given as long notice as possible of the date on which their premises will be derequisitioned, to enable them to make their plans.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman feel that the present position is one of real injustice, seeing that these people get no compensation whatever for loss of goodwill and profits, and that many of them who have their capital locked up in these properties are unable to resume their livelihood elsewhere?

It is for that reason that we attempted to meet them by releasing the premises as speedily as possible and giving the owners notice of the fact in advance.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that 62–64, Baker Street, and 81, 83, and 85, Baker Street, are modern office buildings, let on lease to the Government and have now been empty for several months; and, in view of the urgent need for office accommodation in St. Marylebone, if he will either use these buildings or make them available for many export and business houses in urgent need of office accommodation.

These buildings have now been allocated to the Central Office of Information and will shortly be occupied.

Will the Minister consider how delays of this kind, involving many months, can be avoided; and is he aware that there is real resentment among people when they see large blocks of offices vacant which are needed for housing and for the export drive?

The solution to the problem of houses or offices of this kind is not as simple as it appears on the surface. These offices have been held for the purpose of releasing what hon. Members have been asking to be released for a long time, namely, the University buildings in which the Ministry of Information was housed.

Does the right hon. Gentleman mean that these houses will house the whole of the Central Office of Information, or are other premises to be used as well?

I cannot say without looking into the matter.

The usual mess and muddle will follow.

asked the Minister of Works the buildings and the approximate superficial area of space in the Central London and Whitehall area now occupied by the Ministry of Fuel and Power and Ministry of Transport, respectively, together with the approximate number of employees housed in each building.

Since the answer is long and consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, send it to the hon. Member.

Will the right hon. Gentleman circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that his Department is sending mobile building workers into districts where there is unemployed building labour already available; and whether he will see that consultation takes, place between his officials and the local unemployment exchanges to prevent this.

Members of the mobile labour force are not ordinarily sent to undertake work for which suitable unemployed men are locally available, and there is a regular arrangement for consultation with the Employment Exchanges. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why pit trainees are charged 1s. 3d. for conveyance between Cheadle, Staffordshire, and the Berry Hill Colliery, Stoke, by a Government omnibus on which other miners travel free; whether he is aware that private local omnibuses charge 1s. 2d. for the similar run; and what action he proposes to take.

The New Haden Colliery, Cheadle, was closed in 1943 and many of the men employed there were compulsorily transferred to the Berry Hill Colliery. As they had previously incurred no expense in getting to and from their work, free transport from Cheadle to Berry Hill was provided for them. Certain other workmen at Berry Hill who live at Cheadle are allowed to use the same service but are required to pay fares. The special bus conveys men to the pithead which is some distance beyond the 1s. 2d. fare stage on the public service route.

Is it not rather unfair that the Bevin boys, who, in the ordinary way, would be employed at the New Haden Colliery if that colliery had been open, should not be allowed to travel free? Surely, they come under the same category as the miners transferred from that colliery to the colliery at Stoke-on-Trent?

This is a practice which derives from the war years and there are certain anomalies. If there are any that I can remove, I will certainly remove them.

Will the Minister give an assurance that he will clear up this anomaly?

I cannot give an assurance that T will clear up this one, but I will look into the matter closely.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why deductions are made, without their consent, from the wages of men directed to work in the Warwickshire coalmines; whether he is aware that these deductions are for the benefit of a pension fund in which they have no interest; and why the amount deducted is not refunded upon their release from the coal industry.

The deductions are made in accordance with an agreement between the employers and workers organisations in Warwickshire. A refund of contributions to men leaving the industry would be contrary to the terms of the trust deed under which the pension fund is established.

As these deductions are not made with the consent of the individuals, will the Minister say under what stautory authority they are made? Are they not illegal?

I understand that some time ago a ballot of the men in the coalfield was taken on this matter, and it was decided to proceed with this scheme. I am advised that any question as to the legality of the proceedings is a matter for the courts.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what was the total cost of the machinery and erection of an opencast screening plant at Blacker Hill, near Barnsley.

The cost of the screen and its erection, including the necessary foundations, was approximately £12,600.

Has this screen been used?

I am afraid not.

Will my right hon. Friend say when this money was authorised, for what purpose, and by whom?

It was not authorised by me. It was authorised by somebody before me.

Can the right hon. Gentlemen say why this expenditure has been incurred if the screening plant has not been used, and why it has not been used?

There are several reasons. I myself have had nothing to do with it; I think there are quite good reasons why the expenditure should have been incurred in the first place but, unfortunately, something went wrong.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the acreage of the Monckton opencast site, near Barnsley; the approximate tonnage the site is expected to yield; and if he will give the number of employees on this site and the output of coal per man per day.

I regret that it has not been possible to identify any site answer- ing to this description, but if my hon. Friend will furnish me with details of its location I will make further inquiries.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many opencast workings are in operation in Yorkshire; the acreage involved; and the average weekly tonnage produced.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 34, and to the second 2,378 acres. Weekly outputs vary considerably according to the time of year. During March the average weekly output was 40,685 tons, and was 40,942, 46,257 and 45,723 respectively in April, May and June. The average production during the first two weeks in July rose to 56,887.

Would it not be of great assistance to the industry generally if we could now have a comprehensive White Paper on opencast workings, because a large number of people are interested in it, and there is no comprehensive information?

I do not think a White Paper would be of much value. What is more important is to proceed with the production of coal from opencast sites, and I am glad to say that there is a substantial improvement.

Has my right hon. Friend got with him the results in respect of the weekly output at the Wentworth Hall workings?

No, I have not got the results for Wentworth Hall before me, but they are very good.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the allowance of petrol for motorboats is inadequate in both summer and winter; and whether he proposes to increase it.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he proposes to end the rationing of petrol.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he takes to-make local inquiry as to the needs of the public for private hire purposes in any district; whether a public inquiry is held; and on what information his decision to refuse petrol on such grounds is based.

I propose to make a statement on relaxations of petrol rationing at the end of Questions.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made it clear in the statement he made yesterday that although the American loan has been ratified we have to utilise the additional dollar credits which will now be available in a number of directions. With the provision of dollars that can be made I have endeavoured to spread the relaxations in petrol rationing over as wide a field as possible. I have decided to increase the basic ration by 50 per cent. This concession will absorb more than half the additional supplies I shall be able to make available. To give more in this direction would be unfair to the more essential consumers.

Motor cycles have hitherto been given allowances which provide a rather larger mileage than for cars. I propose to continue this. The changes I am making will also give a larger increase in the case of the smaller and more economical machines, those under 250 cubic centimetres. This is due partly to the practical difficulty which arises over the supply at petrol stations of quantities of less than half gallons, but the decision is also justified by the fact that the motor cycle is an economical form of transport, largely used as a means of getting work people to their work.

The next category of user I have to mention is what is known as the "semi-essential" class. There are at present some 330,000 cars in this class, including those used by commercial travellers, insurance agents and a large number of other professional and business people who use motor cars in connection with their business. A considerable proportion of the motorists in this class have up to now been somewhat severely rationed, and I should like to have been able to give a larger increase in these cases. Administratively it is not practicable in the time available to re-assess the needs of such a large number. The increase in the basic ration will help, and I propose, for the current issue of "S" unit coupons only, to increase their value by 50 per cent. Before the next general issue of "S" coupons I will consider whether I cannot increase the maximum allowances so as to help the categories of greatest need. At the same time some reduction may have to be made in the case of those who under the general increase now to be made will secure greater benefit than their circumstances justify.

I have received strong representations from associations of owners of hire cars and taxicabs that the present restrictions on radius of operation are no longer justified in view of the public demand for this type of motor transport. I have carefully considered these representations and propose to remove these restrictions. I also propose to give increased allowances of 25 per cent. In view of these concessions I appeal to owners of hire cars and taxicabs to see that the local services, which they are primarily designed to meet, are maintained. There is a large number of cars in what is known as the "essential" class and in the case of many of these, existing allowances are already sufficient to cover the essential needs of their owners. With increasing industrial activity I propose, however, to authorise the regional petroleum officers to make rather more generous allowances where these can be justified.

These relaxations will require the provision of very considerable additional supplies. Where the increases are made available by an increase in the value of the petrol coupons the change will be effective from 1st August, and all coupons which are valid during August and subsequently will carry the higher value. Thus all owners of cars and motor cycles entitled to the basic ration will be able to use in August, at the higher value, coupons for July which under the present carry over system have not already been used. This will assist the holiday traffic. As can well be realised the readjustments involved will throw much additional work on the staffs of the regional petroleum offices, and I would appeal to motor car and cycle owners not to write to these offices unnecessarily, particularly during the next few weeks. In present circumstances I regard the concessions I have announced as making a substantial contribution to the improvement of our inland transport facilities which will bring benefit to the whole of the community. I am issuing a statement to the Press giving particulars showing how the relaxations will be implemented and in this I include particulars in respect of some smaller miscellaneous categories with the details of which I need not burden the House.

What is the position regarding "E" coupons? The Minister has stated that "S" coupons will be increased by 50 per cent. in value, but he has said nothing about "E" coupons.

These are the essential coupons, and in our opinion, as I have stated, the allowances are sufficient for the purposes desired. I propose, with the improvement in the industrial activity, to instruct regional petroleum officers to deal with this case.

Can the Minister give the estimated increase of the annual dollar expenditure involved by this relaxation?

I rather think that the financial aspect is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Will the Minister instruct his officers to be particularly generous to users in rural areas?

I think that in fact they are.

Are motor boats included in the special categories to which the Minister referred at the end of his reply?

Yes, Sir, motor boats are included in the miscellaneous categories, and I hope to do something for them.

While I am sure we all welcome the announcement which the Minister has made, may I ask him whether he will explain to the House how the dollar exchange comes into it? Does he not regard Abadan as in the sterling area? Is it not right that Abadan could supply all our needs?

I have explained these matters to the House before—in the Adjournment Debate last Thursday, for example. Of course, if we used all the oil in the sterling area for United Kingdom purposes, we could obviously make ourselves self-sufficient; if the oil came in and we were assured of supplies, it would be all right. But we have a very large export trade in oil, and, indeed, oil is our largest export. We have to purchase dollar oil on the short hauls, which saves tanker space and saves dollars on tankers. Therefore, we use dollar oil on short hauls instead of sterling oil, and on the whole I think it is to our advantage.

Will the Minister give an assurance that an allowance will be made to motor boats in the autumn, and also during the winter, which will be not much more wintry than the summer?

We had better wait and see. As regards motor boats, I have explained that we shall certainly do what we can to assist.

While I thank the Minister for his quite substantial concession, is he aware that there is a Motion on the Order Paper, signed by over 100 Members who represent over 6,000,000 electors, advocating the abolition of rationing altogether, and will he, therefore, proceed with further relaxations as conditions become easier?

I have said over and over again that nothing would please me more than to abolish petrol rationing, but administratively it is difficult, and it is costly. I would not care to give any assurance, and I would advise hon. Members to look in the columns of "The Times" of this morning and see what has happened in a particular place.

Will the Minister state whether the abolition of mileage restrictions includes the abolition of the restrictions on picking up return fares?

As to the picking up of return fares, I am not sure that that is not a matter for the Minister of Transport. I cannot say what the radius restrictions are, or whether they will be abolished completely.

Will the Minister give an assurance that absolute priority is given to all applications for petrol for agriculture to get in the harvest?

We must naturally do all we can to assist agriculture, and that will be done, but I beg all Members and the public not to press too hardly on the regional control officers, because they are very hardly pressed at the present time.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that private car hirers, as compared with taxi hirers, have all along considered themselves to be placed in a disadvantageous position, and in giving this same percentage increase he is simply perpetuating that position? Will he take that into account in any further steps he takes in relaxing petrol rationing?

I have every reason to believe that the hire car people will be very satisfied.

How does the Minister propose to assist ex-Servicemen who have already applied for petrol to take up commercial travelling but have been refused? It seems to me that they are not going to get any assistance.

They are going to get a lot of assistance. If the hon. and gallant Member will examine what I have said and look at the statement on implementation, he will see that everybody will be satisfied.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether a decision has yet been reached on the recommendation of the expert committee's report on the Severn Barrage Scheme to construct a new tidal model, and to give the dock authorities the opportunity of being represented on a committee of hydraulic experts who would supervise the construction and operation of the new model.

No decision has yet been reached upon the Severn Barrage Report.

Will the Minister look into this matter again to see that all the time and money devoted to this inquiry is not short-circuited by the small cost of the model which is recommended in order to complete this project?

As soon as I get an opportunity, I will see what can be done.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many gallons of petrol are still stored in underground tanks in Great Britain.

I regret that it would not be in the public interest to disclose the information asked for by the hon. and gallant Member.

While not understanding this mystery which surrounds our peacetime petrol supplies, I reserve the right to ask further questions on this matter in future, subject to Mr. Speaker's agreement.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many gallons of petrol are sealed off in the petrol pumps of Britain; and for what purpose this petrol is being so retained.

So far as I am aware, there are no stocks of petrol sealed off in the petrol pumps of this country. However, if the hon. and gallant Member will give me any further information, I will look into the matter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he can yet give an assurance that sufficient stocks of industrial coal will be available to enable British industry to be fully employed during the winter.

It is clearly not possible to give a definite assurance of the kind asked for, but I shall try by every possible means to ensure that British industry will have the fuel it needs next winter.

Arising out of that answer, which is very disturbing, could the Minister give authority for industrial firms to stock up during the summer when the amount of fuel consumed is not so great?

Of course, industrial firms are now in process of stocking up.

Is the Minister aware that a particular firm of which I have knowledge asked permission to stock up during the summer, and that they were refused?

It depends on what they wanted in the way of stock, and whether the amount they wanted was more than that to which they were entitled. If the hon. Member will give me any information about this case, I will see what I can do.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether it is the practice of his Department to circulate fuel merchants with a schedule of prices every week, whether that schedule involves alteration in current prices or not.

No, Sir. Fuel prices are only circulated to merchants when changes are made.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the Electricity Commissioners' circular instruction No. 950/1101, of Zest June, 1946, gives priority of allocation of poles to newly built premises; and why this preferential treatment is given to such premises when many applications in respect of older premises have remained outstanding through the war years.

Yes, Sir. The provision of electrical facilities to new premises must for the time being have priority over existing premises which have alternative facilities, but every effort will be made to provide such facilities to existing premises as soon as possible.

Is the Minister aware that the Electricity Commissioners' circular does not make clear the alternative facilities and that it seems most unfair to adopt the principle that the last should be first and the first should be last?

Surely, if there are no facilities, it is desirable to provide them.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that the Electricity Commissioners, in their circular instructions No. 950/1101 dated 21st June, have given their encouragement to the use of concrete poles for overhead supply of electricity; and if he will now also encourage the use of this material in rural areas as an alternative to wooden poles, where the cost is not prohibitive.

Yes, Sir.

Will the Minister try to prevail on his right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply to release more steel reinforcement for these poles, because production is being hampered in view of the fact that steel reinforcement is difficult to get?

The possibility of using these poles extensively is being investigated. We are pushing ahead as fast as we can.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, what measures are proposed for the utilisation of peat this year; and whether, in the surveys of peat resources, other possible uses than burning as solid fuel will be borne in mind.

In reply to the first part of the Question, I would refer to my hon. Friend to the answer given on 4th June to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter), of which I am sending him a copy; the reply to the second part is in the affirmative.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the available labour force in the British zone of Germany is adequate to gather in the harvest.

Yes, Sir.

As an additional safeguard, would my hon. Friend return those non-Nazi prisoners of war to Germany as soon as possible, so as to meet the requirements of their own harvest?

There are no additional safeguards required in this matter. There is no difficulty whatever in providing adequate labour for the harvest. As will be readily understood, because of the comparatively unsalubrious conditions of employment in the towns in Germany, they are only too anxious to work in the harvest.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the number of males in displaced persons' camps in Germany between the ages of 18 and 65 years; to what extent they are engaged in useful work; and what is the cost of maintaining these camps chargeable to this country.

There are about 176,000 such persons in the British zone of Germany. I am having inquiries made regarding the remaining parts of the Question, and will communicate further with my hon. Friend.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money is being received by His Majesty's Government as a result of the hire of German prisoners of war to agriculture and industry reckoned on the difference between a hire price of £4 per week average and the approximate cost of 30s. a week to cover bare wages and keep and whether he will show a separate item for this revenue in his next Budget statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Monmouth (Mr. P. Thorneycroft) on 25th June, to which I have nothing to add. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No. Sir."

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the wages received by these people are purely nominal, that the clear cost of upkeep, as given in answer to a Question in this House, is 23s. a week? Is he further aware that it is laid down in the Geneva Convention that their accounts are to be credited with a proportion of the wages for which they work, and that that is not being done? Will my right hon. Friend make a statement about it?

Yes, Sir, I will make a statement. I anticipate that I shall make a loss on the deal. As was explained to the hon. Member for Monmouth in the answer which I have cited, we are providing in the Army Estimates for the receipt of £36 million in respect of the services of enemy prisoners of war. He continued:

" I do not expect this estimated receipt to cover the maintenance and other expenses to the Exchequer."—[OFFICIAL REPORT. 25th June. 1946: vol. 424. C. 151.)

Could not the whole situation be considerably simplified if these prisoners were returned as soon as possible to their homes?

It would be simplified to the extent that our harvest would suffer.

Would my right hon. Friend consider the advisability of having a special account and making a special statement in order to make certain that we are not making a profit out of the retention of these people?

I would sooner make a profit than a loss.

Is this not an exceptional departure, and is it not a fact that nothing of this sort was done in the last war? This is a most unusual precedent and is really equivalent to the employment of slave labour.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost to his Department of maintaining order in Palestine during the current financial year.

No useful estimate can be framed since the course of events in Palestine cannot be foreseen.

Could the Chancellor say how much expenditure in the last three months has been due to the rash promises made to the Jews by his party before they took office?

What about the hon. Member's own party?

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average cost per annum of providing one Cabinet Minister with one motor car and chauffeur; and what gross increase of salary over the present figure of £5,000 per annum would be required in order to produce the extra net income sufficient to cover this cost after deduction of Income Tax and Surtax at present rates and, assuming for the purposes of the calculation, that there is no private income.

One thousand and twenty-five pounds. As regards the second part of the Question, expenses necessarily incurred by the holder of an office in the performance of his duties are deductible in arriving at his Income Tax and Surtax assessments. The figure asked for is. therefore, quite unreal.

Although in the opinion of the Chancellor the figure is unreal, could he, nevertheless. give it to me?

No, Sir. It would not mean anything.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the recent announcement by the Chairman of the War Damage Commission, he will state the amount up to date of the deficit on the war damage contributions to he. met direct by the Treasury.

Up to 28th June, 1946, the payments under Part 1 of the War Damage Act exceeded the contributions by £173,600,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of value-payment claims have been finally agreed by the War Damage Commission with the parties concerned in the London region.

About 17 per cent.

Would the right hon. Gentleman give careful consideration to the making of a statement at the commencement of the next Session, on the whole question of value payments, especially in the country districts, including the question of the interest owed on-those payments, which in some cases has been owed for six years?