asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is now in a position to announce the new retired pay terms for naval warrant officers.

Yes, Sir. Naval warrant officers and officers promoted from warrant rank will, in future, receive improved retired pay assessed on the same principles, and subject to the same general conditions, as other naval officers. The new standard rates, and the periods of reckonable officer service necessary for the full standard rate will be:

Warrant Officer	£250 20 years
Commissioned Officer from Warrant Rank	£300 20 years
Lieutenant	£375 20 years
Lieut.-Commander	£450 22 years
Commander	£500 24 years

Service in warrant rank or above counts in full in assessing reckonable officer service. Previous ratings service count? as half.Twenty years' reckonable officer service will be required, as for other officers, as a condition for the award of retired pay oh these scales, except for invalids, for whom the period will be 10 years; and two years' service in the rank will be necessary, except for lieutenant-commanders and commanders ex-warrant rank, for whom the period will be one year. Officers promoted from warrant rank to the General List will receive the same rates, subject to the same conditions, as other General List officers. The new rates will apply to all officers who were serving on the Active List on 19th December, 1945. Officers who retired before 19th December, 1945, and have given war service will be eligible for reassessment to the new rates in accordance with the general re-assessment scheme recently announced.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when he will reply to the letter of the hon. and gallant Member for Brentford and Chiswick, dated 1st July, reference 02436/E3, concerning allowances to the family of JX133869 C.P.O. H. J. Cronin.

I replied to this letter on 31st July, 1946.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the future of S. G. Brown, Limited, Victoria Road, Acton, W.3.

Yes, Sir. His Majesty's Government have now decided that this company shall remain in Government ownership.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty on what date his Department relinquished their control of the camp known as Shapter's Fields, Plymouth; to what Department of State it was handed over; and for what purpose.

This camp was notified as being surplus to naval requirements at the end of March, 1946, but so far it has not been taken over by any other Government Department.

asked the Minister of Works how long the camp known as Shapter's Fields, Plymouth, was in the control of his Department and for what purpose it was intended that this should be used on behalf of his Department; and why that purpose was abandoned.

The camp known as Shapter's Fields, Plymouth, is an Admiralty camp and has never been in the control of my Department. The second part of the Question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) how many persons are registered as unemployed in Bolton;(2) how many persons are registered in the Turton urban district of Lancashire as being unemployed;

At 17th June, 1,826 at Bolton, 25 at Turton and 299 at Darwen.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trade operatives are on the unemployment register in Tun bridge Wells.

Five at 17th June.

asked the Minister of Labour approximately how many undertakings render Form L.2M (March, 1946), giving particulars of the number of their employees now and in the future, the destination of their products, and the amount of short time and overtime worked; and how many civil servants are engaged in collating these returns.

The return L.2M for March was rendered by approximately 21,300 undertakings. These returns are tabulated at the same time as a number of other returns and the number of staff employed on the L.2M returns cannot be separately distinguished.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will furnish the names of the trade unions which, in accordance with the Schedule to the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act, 1946, have duly notified to the Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies alterations to their rules; and, in respect to each of them, the dates for the change-over in the administration of the political levy.

Alterations in political fund rules, in accordance with the Schedule to the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act, 1946, have been approved by the Chief Registrar in respect of the following trade unions:

• National Union of Mineworkers, Durham Area.
• National Union of Distributive and Allied Workers.
• North Wales Quarrymen's Union.
• National Society of Electrotypers and Stereotypers.

The change-over will operate from the date of the Chief Registrar's certificate of approval, namely, 26th July, 1946, 29th July, 1946, 31st July, 1946 and 31st July, 1946, respectively. Applications from nine other trade unions, for ap-proval of alterations are being examined.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed males and females at Macclesfield and Congleton at the latest convenient date,

At 17th June, 102 males and five females at Macclesfield, and 139. males and eight females at Congleton.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to try and secure domestic assistance for fanners' wives, as the problem, particularly in the county of Denbigh, is acute.

I have been asked to reply. I am aware of the need for domestic assistance in farmers' households, vacancies in which are given priority, and every effort is made to fill them. Special and favourable consideration is also given to applications from farmers' wives who know of foreign domestic workers whom they desire permission to employ. The shortage of domestic workers affecting farmers' and other households can, however, only be remedied in the long run by attracting more workers into this field of employment, and this is among the most important objects of the National Institute of Houseworkers which I have recently set up.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will authorise Class B release for men whose Class A release date is before the end of the present year and who have definitely been accepted by a university in order that such men shall not be severely handicapped in their studies by missing the first part of the courses for which they have been accepted, or if he will consult with the service Ministers with a view to ensuring that, pending their demobilisation, such men should be posted to the courses for which they have been accepted.

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that some local authorities attribute delays in housing plans to hold-ups in his Department; and whether he will arrange that where there is doubt as to suitability of site or access an official of his Department shall at once visit the site and examine alternatives with representatives of the authority concerned before asking for the submission of fresh plans.

I am not aware of any delay in dealing with housing plans. Under the arrangements which have been made the great majority of housing sites are cleared within 14 days. Where for any substantial reason the site appears to be unsuitable and an inspection is necessary, arrangements are made for this inspection to be undertaken jointly by officials of my Department, and of the Ministry of Town and Country Planning. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind I should be glad to look into it.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement as to his recent discussions with the Gloucester Garden Village, Limited, as to the conditions laid down for extending help to this company.

The Society have been advised to forward a full statement of the facts in regard to houses already built or proposed to be built, and I am deferring my decision until this statement is received.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Salford City Council some time ago let several contracts for the building of permanent houses and flats; that the contractors have been on the site for six months but no house has yet been completed; and, as Salford has a waiting list of over 7,000 people waiting for houses, if he will state the cause of the delay.

I am making inquiries and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health how soon he anticipates that piped water will be supplied to Beazley End and other villages in the Braintree rural district which still lack this necessity.

I am informed that the council intend to provide, as soon as practicable, piped supplies to the few isolated hamlets in their district, including Beazley End, still without them. I understand, however, that owing to extreme pressure of other work in the district, it may be some time before the Council will be able to undertake the work.

asked the Minister of Health how many parishes in rural Essex are still without a piped water supply.

I am informed that there are 45 parishes in rural Essex without a piped water supply.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction existing amongst pharmacists who are not represented on the Regional Hospital Board; and if he will reconsider the necessity of allowing representation thereon.

I have on several occasions tried to make it clear that I do not want regional boards to be conferences of representatives, or delegates, but groups of the most effective people for the job. Pharmacists may or may not be members of boards, on this principle, but I cannot agree to giving them representation as pharmacists.

asked the Minister of Works if he will now say whether floral window-boxes are to be retained as a regular summer ornament of Whitehall and other Government buildings; and if he will also consider commissioning craftsmen to design boxes in harmony with the architectural styles of the buildings instead of the present wooden boxes.

I would prefer to wait until this experiment is complete before deciding about the future. If window boxes are to be permanent, consideration will have to be given to their design to harmonize with the buildings.

asked the Minister of Works for what purpose the work of reconstruction is being carried out at 1, Carlton Gardens.

His Majesty's Government have decided that an official residence should be provided for the Foreign Secretary in order that he should be able to receive and entertain foreign visitors appropriately. No. 1 Carlton Gardens, the property of the Commissioners of Crown Lands, has been chosen for this purpose. My Department is undertaking the necessary adaptations and furnishing to provide living accommodation for the Foreign Secretary on the upper floors, and reception rooms on the lower floors for official entertaining.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what increase or decrease there has been this year, as compared with 1945, in the acreages planted with first-early and second-early potatoes.

Statistics of potato acreage for 1946 will not be available until later this month. Such statistics distin-quish between early and maincrop, including second early, varieties, but no separate statistics relating to second earlies are collected by my Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, whether, in view of the large number of crops which are lodged, he has secured from the Secretary of State for War an assurance that all available Army vehicles and troops will be made available to assist in the harvest.

Yes, Sir, arrangements are already in force as in previous years whereby, subject to the availability of vehicles and troops, every possible assistance will be given by the Army with the harvest.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what proportion of the extra sum paid to the agricultural industry in compensation for the increase in wages is paid to farmers who employ no hired labour.

I regret that these figures are not available. I am not able to estimate the aggregate receipts or prospective increased receipts of this class of farmers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many persons have applied to become members of the National Advisory Service for Agriculture; how many have been accepted; what proportion of those accepted have sufficient experience to commence service without further instruction; and if he will define the relationship in which this sendee will be with the new county executive Committees.

Nearly 3,500 persons have applied for technical posts in the National Agricultural Advisory Service. Complements for the service have not yet been finally settled, and it is not, therefore, possible to say how many will be accepted for appointment, nor how many will require further training. As regards the last part of the Question, the county executive committees will be responsible for guiding and stimulating the advisory work in their counties. The advisory and executive activities for which committees will be responsible will be coordinated by the executive officer who will, in most counties, also be the county advisory officer.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now make available to the Dorchester Borough Council the Army huts at Poundbury camp, which have not been in use for nearly a year and which the council urgently require for temporary housing.

This camp, which is War Department property, is scheduled for permanent use as a primary training centre, and will not long remain unoccupied. I am therefore unable to agree to the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent the release of R.A.S.C. personnel serving with the C.M.F. is being delayed beyond the due dates.

No officer or other rank is deferred for longer than is absolutely necessary. According to the latest information available the numbers of R.A.S.C. personnel at present deferred in C.M.F. are as follow:

Officers
Age and Service Group.
21	…	…	…	…	1
27	…	…	…	…	6
28	…	…	…	…	30
29	…	…	…	…	9
30	…	…	…	…	16
31	…	…	…	…	12
32	…	…	…	…	11
33	…	…	…	…	7
34	…	…	…	…	8
35	…	…	…	…	4
					104

Other Ranks
34 and earlier	…	…	…	68
35	…	…	…	125
36	…	…	…	50
				243

I am having inquiries made as to the reason why one officer in Group 21 is still deferred.

asked the Secretary for War whether he will make a statement regarding the ration scales of the wives and families of Service personnel joining them in the British zone of Germany.

Yes, Sir. Wives and families of Service personnel who are entitled to join husbands in Germany will be allowed to obtain rations on repayment at the following scales:Wives and children of 12 years and over: 7 A.T.S. rations per week.Children of 4–12 years: 5 A.T.S. rations per week.Children under 4 years: 4 A.T.S. ration per week.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT, before the House rises for the summer Recess, the conditions on which the wives and families of officers and men serving in Germany are allowed to join their husbands.

The wives and families of officers and men serving in Germany are eligible to apply to join their husbands, provided the latter have at least a further year to serve in B.A.O.R. For the purpose of this scheme, eligibility is limited to the families of officers and other ranks who have been legally married and who are in receipt of allowances in respect of their families. A provisional first edition of the pamphlet to which I referred in reply to a question by the hon. Member for St. Marylebone (Sir W. Wakefield) on 2nd July is now in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the construction of Lone Palm Holiday Camp at Sidi Bishr, near Alexandria, was begun; when it was or will be finished; what is the approximate total cost; and the number of troops it can accommodate.

It has been necessary to ask Middle East Command for details. As soon as they are available I will write to the hon. and learned Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War what has become of the personal property of 4927183 Private A. Page, including two watches and three rings for which he was given an official receipt when he was arrested in Malaya in May.

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. and gallant Friend as soon as the information is available.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an assurance that the men of the 13th Parachute Battalion of the Sixth Airborne Division, placed under close arrest at Muar, Kuala Lumpur, on 14th May and still awaiting court martial, pending a court of inquiry, have been properly cared for during their period of close arrest; and whether inquiries into the matter are being effected with all possible speed.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he has taken to remedy the situation, brought to his attention by the hon. and gallant Member for Stone (Major Fraser) whereby officers of the 13th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, are still in command of other ranks confined in a detention camp awaiting trial.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave last Tuesday in answer to Questions by several hon. Members on this subject. I can assure them that the inquiries, which are being made with all possible speed, will cover all the various points raised by hon. Members in connection with this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War why Geraldo, the band leader, has been allowed to take his wife with him to Germany, in view of the fact that B.A.O.R. officers and men have been awaiting the arrival of their wives for several months.

I understand that Mr. Geraldo's wife is accompanying him in the capacity of secretary, being qualified for that duty and being paid in the normal way. It is quite normal for artistes to be accompanied by their wives or husbands when both are in or connected with the same show. I do not regard this as comparable in any way to the question of permitting wives of B.A.O.R. officers and men to join their husbands in Germany.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he is taking to secure reinstatement for Maltese British subjects whose property in Tripoli was confiscated by the Italian Government.

During the period of British military administration of Tripoli-tania, every effort has been made to restore to its rightful owners property found to have been previously confiscated by the Italians. In the case of the 900 or so Maltese British subjects repatriated to Tripoli from refugees and internment camps in Italy, there have been obstacles and delays in restoring confiscated money and property. But every effort has been made to obtain these items from the Italian authorities for return to their owners.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has considered the air-mail envelope bearing the Athens postmark of 2nd July and received by the hon. Member for Spen Valley in London on 26th July; and since this transit period is not comparable with the five days taken in the case of Army airmail, whether he will permit British U.N.R.R.A. personnel in Greece, many of whom are ex-Army officers, to use the Army air-mail service as is permissible in the case of U.S. U.N.R.R.A. personnel until the transit times are comparable.

The value of the stamp appearing on the envelope in question was insufficient for it to travel by air-mail and it therefore came by surface route. As stated in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend on 23rd July, I am unable in present circumstances to agree to extend Army postal facilities to U.N.R.R.A. personnel in Greece.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many German prisoners of war are engaged on work, other than agricultural, in this country; and to what divisions of labour does this fall.

One hundred and fifty thousand. The divisions of labour within which they fall are indicated by the following list of Departments that employ them: War Department, Air Ministry, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Supply, Board of Trade, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Food, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Fuel and Power.

asked the Secretary of State for War the rates of pay for the use of German prisoners of war engaged in agricultural work; and what arrangements, if any, exist for sending money thus earned to their families in Germany; how much of the £36,000,000, shown in Vote 1 of the Army Estimates as an appropriation in aid, is derived from the sums paid by farmers through the W.A.E.Cs. at standard rates of wages for this German labour; and how much is deducted for overhead expenses, etc.

As to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the first sentence of the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture to the hon. Member for Galloway (Mr. McKie) on 20th May. As to the second part, I am hoping to resume in the near future the arrangement made during the war on a reciprocal basis with the then German Government under which amounts debited against a German prisoner's credit in this country might be paid to his family or dependants in Germany. As to the third part of the Question, the Note to sub-head Z4 of Vote 1 of the Army Estimates, 1946, indicates that the part of the £36 million relating to receipts in respect of prisoners of war employed on agriculture is netted, after deduction of certain of the expenses related to such employment. But no deductions are included in that netted figure for the general maintenance and administrative expenditure on prisoners of war. For the reasons in the last part of the answer my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Mon-mouth (Mr. P. Thorneycroft) on 25th June, I am unable to furnish the figure requested in the last part of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many German prisoners of war are at this date engaged in agricultural work; of this number, how many are accommodated in billets and how many in camps; and how many have been returned to their homes in Germany during the last three months.

The total number of German prisoners of war at present engaged in agricultural work is 212,000. Of these, 20,000 are accommodated in billets and 192,000 in camps. The answer to the last part of the question is 10,000.

asked the Secretary of State for War, if, for the period that ex-enemy prisoners of war are still to remain in this country, he will relax the ban on fraternisation between British civilians and prisoners, at any rate those in the White category.

No, Sir. This is a matter of Government policy, and I would not feel justified in recommending any relaxation of the present rules relating to fraternisation between British civilians and prisoners of war in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been called to the law which passed the Egyptian Senate on 10th July, 1946, which lays wide restrictions on freedom of speech; and whether he has made, or proposes to make, any representations to the Egyptian Government on this law and its effects on British subjects.

No, Sir; but I am aware that the Egyptian Government have recently promulgated legislation, and taken action, to curb certain activities directed against the existing order. His Majesty's Government do not propose to make any representations to the Egyptian Government in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many civilians, by nationalities, have been given awards, or otherwise officially recognised, for risking their lives in Far Eastern countries in assisting British prisoners of war to escape or by aiding escaped prisoners or others against the Japanese.

Sixty-three awards have been made to British subjects for services of this nature, and some awards to persons of other nationalities are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why a married man applying for a passport to travel to Ireland is required to produce a letter of approval from his wife.

I would ask the hon. Member to refer to the reply I gave on the 31st July to the hon. and gallant Member for Sevenoaks (Colonel Ponsonby).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has now any further statement to make concerning an agreement with the U.S. authorities on the maintenance of the children of U.S. servicemen.

For the reasons given in reply to a similar Question put by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Cambridge (Major Symonds) on 1st August, I regret that I can make no further statement for the time being.

asked the Chancellor of of the Duchy of Lancaster when he proposes to hand over to the German trades unions the property stolen from them by the German Labour Front in 1933 and now held under British property control.

This question is now being discussed by the Allied Control authority in Berlin, and I hope that arrangements will soon be made for the return of trade union property on a uniform basis throughout Germany. Meanwhile, in the British zone, trade unions are generally enjoying the use of their former property pending its return.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that the book, "Insanity Fair," by Mr. Douglas Reed, was banned by Himmler in 1939 and its author put on the Nazi Black List; that requests have now been received from German readers for its translation and publication in Germany on the grounds that it contains information which they were not allowed by the National Socialist Government to know; that the book was found unsuitable for publication in Germany by the Book Selection Committee of the Control Office for Germany and Austria; whether he approved of this decision and why.

"Insanity Fair" has not been found unsuitable for publication but the limited production facilities at our disposal do not permit of the publication of more than a limited number of books. "Insanity Fair" has not, so far, been chosen for priority.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) the monthly exports of mining timber from the British zone of Germany since 1st January, 1946; and what part of this total was exported to this country;(2) the monthly exports of softwood timbers, suitable for building, from the British zone of Germany since 1st January, 1946; and what part of this total was exported to this country.

The total quantities of cut timber exported from the British zone of Germany in the first seven months of this year are:

(Figures in Metric Tons.)
	Pitwood.	Sawn Softwood.	Softwood Logs.
January	Nil	Nil	Nil
February	Nil	Nil	Nil
March	Nil	Nil	5,197
April	Nil	Nil	8,792
May	6,234	Nil	5,842
June	4,094	2,060	10,675
July 1–29th	6,803	3,486	11,404
Total	17,131	5,546	41,910
All this timber has been exported to the U.K.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is satisfied that the members of the Book Selection Committee of the Control Office for Germany and Austria have sufficient specialised knowledge of Germany and the German language to qualify them for such decisions; and if he will state the qualifications in this and other respects of the members of the committee.

The members of the committee are well known in their various fields. Miss Bowen as a novelist, Mr. Hopkins as an author and translator, Dr. Jones as a scientist, Mr. Pryce Jones and Mr. Rees as authors and in editorial work, and Mr. Sadleir as an author and publisher. Knowledge of German is not essential since the committee is not responsible for translation. Mr. Hopkins,. Mr. Rees and Mr. Sadleir have specialised knowledge of Germany and, in addition, the committee has the advice of an officer from Germany on current conditions.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is preparing to take to investigate the charges of disorderly public behaviour of members of the Control Commission and of Military Government in Germany; and the bad conditions until recently prevailing in the concentration camps there, to which his attention has been drawn by the hon. Member for Northampton.

Any cases brought to notice of disorderly public behaviour on the part of members of the British element of the Control Commission are, and will continue to be, fully investigated. Conditions in the internment camps have been thoroughly investigated at the instance of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War and myself and are subject to periodical inspection. Everything possible is done to effect any improvements shown to be necessary.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that there is a shortage of, need and demand for, British magazines, ' periodicals and newspapers in Germany; and whether he will launch an appeal for literature of the above types to the reading public in this country for distribution to Germans.

I am aware of this requirement and steps are being taken to meet it. An appeal has already been made to a number of organisations in this country, with good results, for British publications suitable for display in information rooms for the German public. The number of these information rooms is being considerably increased and I should welcome help from other organisations or individuals. Contributions or inquiries should be addressed to the German Servicing Desk, Control Office for Germany and Austria, Norfolk House, St. James's Square, S.W. I. If the flow of publications proves insufficient for our increased needs I will consider launching a wider appeal.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps the Thames Conservancy is taking to repair Cookham Weir; when it was damaged; what head of water it should hold; and what it is holding now.

I am informed that Cook-ham Weir is in good order; that no repairs are necessary and that the weir is holding up to the statutory headwater level in the reach which it controls.

asked the Minister of Transport how many berths are reserved each night in sleeping cars on the L.N.E.R., upon his instructions, for Government nominees.

The following statement shows the numbers of sleeping berths available on L.N.E.R. trains and the numbers reserved for allocation by my Department to Members of Parliament and passengers sponsored by Government Departments in respect of each night of the week:

		Total berths available.		Reserved for Government Priority Passengers.
		1st Class.	3rd Class.	1st Class.	3rd Class.
Sunday	…	238	296	84	29
Monday	…	289	316	88	46
Tuesday	…	283	308	88	46
Wednesday	…	278	296	90	46
Thursday	…	283	308	90	56
Friday	…	249	316	100	56
Saturday	…	116	240	27	10

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the dirty and insanitary condition of the lavatories on our main line trains, even at the point of departure of the train; and what action he proposes to take.

I am advised that the condition of lavatories is generally satisfactory in trains leaving terminal stations, but considerable difficulty is experienced in maintaining them in a clean condition en route. If, however, the hon. Member will inform me of any cases that have come to his notice I will have inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Transport what amount of money has been spent by the Government on new equipment and improvements in the respective railway-owned docks of this country; and how much of this is recoverable from these port and harbour authorities.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 20th May, 1946; Vol. 423, c. 2], made the following statement:Approvals were given to expenditure on new equipment and works at railway-owned docks for purposes connected with the war effort, by the Ministry of Transport, the War Office, the Admiralty and Home Office and the Ministry of Food. The total Government liability is approximately £2,650,000 so far as can be ascertained at present. A number of claims have yet to be received, however, and in the meantime it is not possible to state the final amount which will fall to be met from Government funds.Part of the expenditure represents contributions in the form of grants towards the total costs of the works or equipment and in these cases they become the property of the railway company concerned. In some cases, however, Government traffic using these facilities is subject to a rebate on the rates, dues or charges normally payable. Part of the expenditure represents the total cost of the provision of new equipment or of works which was met entirely from Government sources, and in these cases the works and equipment remain the property of the Government. In many instances the companies pay hire charges for the use of Government-owned equipment and works.It is not possible to give the information desired separately in respect of each of the ports without an unjustifiable expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will specify the bridges and other means of cross-river communication within 10 miles west and 10 miles east of London Bridge, giving the dates when originally provided or rebuilt.

As the list of crossings is rather long I am sending a copy to the hon. Member and will arrange for the information to be available in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will provide an up-to-date list of the major road works in progress, indicating, in particular, the authority concerned, the name of the scheme, its total cost, the amount to be spent thereon during the current financial year and the estimated date by which the scheme will be completed.

I have sent the hon. Member a list of major road works, and will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is now able to consider the reintroduction of single journey workers' fares between specified hours on public service vehicles.

I know of no proposal to institute workmen's single journey tickets. Workmen's daily return tickets have been re-introduced in districts where the increase in bus facilities has enabled this to be done and the question of reintroduction in other areas will be considered as adequate facilities become available.

asked the Minister of Transport when the Exeter-Barnstaple road and Dolton-Winkleigh road, which were obliterated during the construction of the Winkleigh aerodrome, are to be reinstated.

I hope that the necessary works of reinstatement will be completed within the next three months.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of licences issued for each month of this year in the various categories of petrol-driven vehicles,

I have been asked to reply. Licences issued comprise new registrations and renewals. Details of new registrations of petrol driven vehicles are being sent to the hon. Member. No figures of renewals are available.

asked the Minister of Transport how many miles of double track dual carriageway roads exist in Great Britain, exclusive of Northern Ireland, at the present time and where they are sited.

pursuant to his reply. [OFFICIAL REPORT, 1st July, 1946; Vol. 424; c. 1781], supplied the following in- formation:There are 385.35 miles of road con-structed as dual carriageway, distributed as follows:

Miles
Trunk roads	176.44
Class I road.3	131.43
Class II roads	25.50
Class III and unclassified roads	51.98
Total	385.35

asked the Minister of Transport why Spanish Republican seamen in this country, having served gallantly on allied ships during the war, are now not acceptable to the Merchant Navy Manning Pool; and when he intends to answer the letter sent him on their behalf on 19th July.

Acceptance of a seaman for employment in the Merchant Navy depends on his qualifications and previous service and the existence of suitable vacancies. I have received an application from eight Spanish seamen in London for employment in the Merchant Navy, and the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool Authorities are arranging to interview these men to see whether it is possible to offer them employment in British ships.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that ss. " Orbita," which left Liverpool for Australia with 546 passengers on 21st June, 1946, carried no sickpans, cuspidors, or airscoops for cabin portholes for the Red Sea passage; and if steps are being taken to re-equip passenger vessels up to modern standards.

The re-equipment of passenger vessels for trading is a matter for their owners upon their release from requisition. Such release is being arranged as rapidly as trooping and other commitments permit and according to the capacity of the shipbuilding yards to undertake the necessary work. The "Orbita" has not yet been released for refitting as passenger liner and was specially allocated as a trooper to transport these civilians to Australia. I am advised that owners have discontinued for some years the provision of sickpans and cuspidors as being insanitary. The "Orbita" is ventilated throughout by a modern air pressure supply system and air scoops would impede rather than assist the flow of fresh air.

asked the Minister of Food what announcements he has made this year regarding the intention of his Department to purchase first and second-early potatoes, or to discourage producers, who cannot find a market at present, from feeding them to stock.

I have not thought it necessary to make any specific announcement regarding the purchase of first and second-early potatoes, but producers are aware that, as in previous seasons, my Department will buy any surplus ware potatoes which are offered for sale by them between 1st November, 1945, and 31st March, 1946. An Order has recently been made and publicised prohibiting the sale of potatoes for stockfeed, except under licence, while the prohibition on the use of ware for stockfeeding continues in force.

asked the Minister of Food how many postcards, G.1569A, were issued; why they were necessary; and what was the cost in postage.

The notice G.1569A was issued to the traders concerned in order to correct a mis-statement in an earlier notice G.1569 which would otherwise have caused confusion. The number of copies issued and the cost in postage is being ascertained and I will communicate the figures to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available.

asked the Minister of Food the quantity of Canadian wheat imported during the first six months of 1946 and what was the price paid, respectively, to Canada for transport to a British port.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 34,126,920 cwt. The average price paid to Canada was 14s. 8.4d. per cwt. f.o.b. Atlantic seaboard and 13s. 6d. per cwt. f.o.b Pacific seaboard. The freight charges for transporting wheat from Canada to the United Kingdom are not paid to Canada but to the shipowners, mainly British, whose vessels carry the wheat.

asked the Minister of Food the amounts of wheat to be imported under the Canadian wheat agreement in each year, in cwts. or tons; and what are the prices per cwt. to be paid each year in shillings and pence.

On the basis of the quantities specified in the Agreement, the information asked for in the first part of the Question is as follows:

Crop Year			Cwts.
1946–47	…	…	85,714,286
1947–48	…	…	85,714,286
1948–49	…	…	75,000,000
1949–50	…	…	75,000,000

As regards the second part of the Question, the sterling equivalent assuming an exchange rate of 4.02 dollars to the £ of the price of 1 dollar 55 cents per bushel for No. 1 Manitoba Northern, in store at Fort William, Port Arthur, Vancouver, or Churchill, stipulated in the Agreement in respect of wheat bought in the crop years 1946–47 and 1947–48 is 14s. 4¾d. per cwt. A sterling equivalent for the 1948–49 and 1949–50 prices cannot be given, as the actual prices for these years are to be negotiated and settled not later than 31st December, 1948, respectively.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that the average amount of Canadian flour imported in the five years 1933–37 was approximately 210,000 tons per annum, as compared with the 300,000 tons for each of the last two years covered by the wheat agreement recently concluded with the Government of Canada; and, since this represents a considerable loss of animal feedingstuffs, if he will give an undertaking that in any similar agreements concluded in future, as large a proportion as possible of the. cereal importation shall be in the form of whole grains instead of flour.

I am anxious to increase the supply of animal feedingstuffs in every possible way, and the hon. Member's suggestion will certainly be borne in mind should any similar agreement be contemplated in the future.

asked the Minister of Food the contents of the notice headed Office Order No. 329, dated 28th June, 1946, displayed on notice boards in his Department.

For several weeks past there has been an intensive Battle for Bread campaign and an Order has been issued prohibiting the serving of bread in public restaurants with meals except on request. Any member of the staff of this divisional organisation who observes that the Order in question is being contravened has a public duty to report the circumstances to Enforcement Branch.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that 9,000 loaves of bread were delivered to eight small Soviet minesweepers in the port of Falmouth last week; what are the arrangements for bread delivered to visiting ships; whether reciprocal arrangements apply to British ships visiting the U.S.S.R.; and whether he is satisfied the amount delivered in this particular case was reasonable.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been called to the loading of 18,000 lbs. of bread on to a Soviet destroyer recently at Falmouth, supplied by the Falmouth Cooperative Society; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, Sir. Bread like other foods required as ships' stores may be bought in the ordinary way of trade by visiting ships from ships' stores dealers licensed under the Ships' Stores (Control) Order. This Order provides for the control of quantities of foodstuffs which may be supplied to such ships at ports in this country.The ships in question were recently disposed of by the Admiralty and it is the practice for foreign registered ships to be granted stores to the first foreign port of call at which food can be obtained. In this case, the bread was required for 1,300 persons for a voyage to the Black Sea and stores were granted for a period of 14 days. The ships were carrying no flour or biscuits and had no baking facilities and, in the circumstances, I am satisfied that the amounts were reasonable.In accordance with normal international practice, foreign ships are able to obtain sufficient stores for their requirements at Ports at which they call, and no special arrangements are necessary for this purpose between individual countries.

asked the Minister of Food whether investigations into food supplies at a Clacton establishment, of which he has been given details, have been completed; and with what result.

The investigations have been completed and it has been decided to prosecute the proprietors of the establishment and certain other persons and firms on a number of charges.

asked the Minister of Food by what authority he delegated to the T.U.C. consideration of appeals concerning the list of trades to be counted as manual workers.

The consideration of such appeals has not been delegated to the T.U.C. I have arranged for them to be submitted through the T.U.C. in appropriate cases but all appeals are considered and the decisions are given by my Department.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the Cereal Product Division of his Department has issued a confidential circular, dated 24th July, to all controlled flour millers, requiring the addition of a quota of chalk in the national flour, double the amount now in force and that no notice, in accordance with his undertaking to do so, has been given to the public of this change of composition; and whether, in view of this omission, he will place in the Library of the House of Commons all circulars introducing a change in the composition of national flour.

Acting upon the advice of the Special Diets Committee of the Medical Research Council I have increased the addition of creta praeparata to national flour from 7 oz. per sack of 280 lb. to 14 oz. per sack of 280 lb. as from Sunday, nth August, 1946. In accordance with the undertaking which I gave to the hon. Member on 8th July, a Press announcement on this subject was issued to all papers on Tuesday, 30th July. I do not propose to adopt the suggestion in the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Food who are the medical advisers upon whose advice he has issued a secret order to controlled millers compelling them to double the quota of chalk in the national bread; and whether he will now make public, in accordance with his undertaking, this alteration in the composition of national bread.

On this and cognate matters I am advised by the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Committee of the Medical Research Council. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer to my earlier reply to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that bananas, cherries and oranges were delivered to eight small Soviet minesweepers in the port of Fal-mouth recently; what are the arrangements for fruit delivered to visiting ships; whether reciprocal arrangements apply to British ships visiting the U.S.S.R.; and whether he is satisfied that the delivery in this particular case was not excessive.

I am inquiring into these matters and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as practicable.

asked the Minister oft Food whether he is aware of the discontent existing amongst porters and domestic assistants in hospitals and institutions regarding bread rationing; and if he will consider the issue of supplementary ration vouchers to those persons who are engaged in hard and difficult work.

I am not aware of any general discontent among such workers and I regret that I cannot adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion at present. I will, however, keep the schedule of trades and occupations in which workers qualify for extra rations under review.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that there are certain food offices which profess ignorance of the regulation entitling children under five to priority egg rations; and if he will take steps to make the position clear.

Priority allowances of eggs are restricted to those who require them on medical grounds and to young children between six months and two years old. Food offices have been fully instructed with regard to their allowances but if the hon. Member will let me know of any case of difficulty I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Minister of Food the total imports of maize into the United Kingdom during the first six months of this year; and the basis on which it has been allocated and distributed.

The total imports of maize into the United Kingdom during the first six months of this year amounted to 59,213 tons. This maize was taken into stock as it arrived and it would not be possible without an unwarranted expenditure of time and labour to give details of the allocation and distribution of these consignments. It may be sufficient, however, for the purpose of my hon. Friend to say that the use of maize in the United Kingdom is at present restricted to the manufacture of such products as cornflour, glucose and starch for human consumption and essential industrial uses and as an element in the manufacture of baby-chick food.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that a large number of former customers of John McIntosh, dairyman, 412, Morningside Road, Edinburgh, who sold his business, desire to be transferred to another independent dairyman and, although such independent dairies exist in the neighbourhood, have been refused this permission; and under what regulation divisional food officers are not permitted to give this permission and freedom of choice.

In areas where milk deliveries have been rationalised it is necessary to restrict the consumer's choice of dairyman when a retail milk business is sold. The transfer of the customers previously served by Mr. John Mclntosh was carried out in accordance with our general practice, the object of which is to preserve the system of rationalised distribution. My divisional food officers are not instructed by regulation but they are .under a duty to implement the arrangements which have been made in pursuance of the relevant provisions of the Milk (Control and Maximum Prices) (Great Britain) Order, 1942, as amended.

asked the Minister of Food the comparative prices paid by his Department during the past three months for home-produced and imported wheat, beef, mutton and lamb, bacon and shell eggs.

The prices paid by the Ministry of Food for the different food stuffs which they purchase vary with the source of origin and the quality of the product. To publish a list of prices without full explanation of the reasons for variation would be misleading, and I do not feel that it would be in the public interest to publish the particulars requested.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that large quantities of biscuits, in bulk, are being exported to Kenya, where there is no shortage of biscuits made by themselves from their own butter and flour, and considering that in this country such biscuits are on points, if he will release such export for home consumption.

In accordance with the policy outlined by my predecessor on 16th April last, small quantities of biscuits have been exported to Kenya in fulfilment of an approved programme. To assist our present food position, however, the Governments of the East African Colonies have recently offered to forgo any further imports from this country of biscuits, chocolates and sweets, and soap, and their offer has been accepted.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been drawn to the activities of a company, particulars of which have been sent to him, which professes to send food parcels abroad; and whether, in view of the prohibition against privately exporting food for relief and the control regulations which forbid the sending of currency out of the country, he will investigate this company's activities.

This company is not able to send food parcels from the United Kingdom nor would foreign exchange be granted to it for the despatch of parcels from countries outside the sterling area, but remittances from the United Kingdom to countries within the sterling area are not subject to restrictions. Control over the sending of parcels from overseas countries is a matter for the governments concerned.

asked the Minister of Food how much wine and from which countries, respectively, the Government have bought from abroad since July, 1945; what was the cost price; and what profit has accrued to the Government.

I am having this information extracted and will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Food the gallonage of beer available for public consumption in June, July, August and September for each of the years from 1939, together with an estimate of such gallonage for the same months of this year.

It is estimated that the quantities of beer available to the public in the United Kingdom in June, July, August and September of the years 1939–1946 are as follow (in thousand of gallons):

Year.		June.	July.	August.	September.
		Gallons.	Gallons.	Gallons.	Gallons.
1939	…	83,454	88,359	89,186	92,466
1940	…	74,633	86,841	97,466	86,042
1941	…	93,569	93,456	109,039	99,95O
1942	…	88,152	93,375	101,741	96,038
1943	…	91,782	96,198	102,105	102,075
1944	…	102,705	103,490	101,718	110,092
1945	…	109,146	103,320	110,145	114,744
1946*	…	91,872	85,716	93,960	104,000
* Provisional.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that the parents of a sergeant-pilot, reported missing while piloting a bomber to Ploesti oilfields in August, 1944, have now been informed by his Department that, owing to the political situation in the Balkans, it cannot yet be said when searcher parties will be able to operate in that area; what steps have been taken, through normal diplomatic channels, military missions or otherwise, to expedite this task and so to allay the anxiety of relatives; and how soon he anticipates that searcher parties will be at work.

Yes, Sir. My predecessor first gave this information some time ago in a letter about the same case to another hon. Member. We have already asked our missions in all the countries concerned to do their best to obtain any information about missing aircrews, unfortunately with little result so far. All our experience shows that these investigations can only be carried out effectively through going into every detail by means of the Air Ministry Missing Research and Enquiry Service. In this way we hope that eventually we shall be able to cover every single place where there is a chance of a clue to the fate of a missing airman, but I cannot yet say when the search parties will be able to get to work in the Balkans. Those which are already in the Mediterranean theatre are at present fully occupied in Italy, and they will be starting work in Austria next.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that leave from Saturday morning to Wednesday morning is being granted in certain cases to enable men to put in one day's work in a cotton mill, under the Educational and Vocational Training Scheme, involving a railway journey each week from Norfolk; and if he will review the economy and efficiency of the scheme.

We have not made any general arrangements of this kind and part-time training is usually taken near an airman's station. In the case to which the hon. Member has drawn my attention, one airman was twice authorised to combine a day's training with other leave.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether any action can be taken to make less noisy the Harvard aircraft used for training from Little Rissington aerodrome; and how soon it will be before such aircraft can be replaced by other less noisy training types.

We have tried hard to reduce the noise of this aircraft, but I am afraid without much success. Its replacement is unlikely to reach the Royal Air Force in less than two years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will allow 10 supplementary clothing coupons to workers in the clothing industry who use treadle machines, in the same manner as they are allowed to workers using mechanical-power machines.

Yes, Sir. In the 1946–47 ration period, workers in the clothing industry who are employed in factories for more than 22 hours a week will be eligible for the industrial ten supplement, whether or not they use mechanical power machines.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the winding-up of the Government contracts for demobilisation suits and factories, material and labour being free to make suits for the home trade, he will consider reducing the coupon rate for men's suits.

No, Sir. The pointing of suits is related to the amount and type of cloth in the suit and I have no reason to suppose that, having regard to the increase in the basic ration for the next period, the coupons available will be insufficient to absorb the production of men's suits likely to come forward in the period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade under what authority food parcels from Australia in excess of one each month received by individuals in this country are appropriated from the owner ship of the addressee; whether compensation is paid and, if so, by whom, to whom and upon what basis; how such parcels are redistributed; and whether he will, in view of the irregularity of the postal service, permit individuals to receive in this country 12 of such parcels in any one year.

Under the Import of Goods (Control) Orders made under the Import, Export and Customs (Defence) Act, 1939, all goods imported from abroad require import licences, and goods imported in contravention of such Orders are, by the provisions of the Act, liable to forfeiture and seizure by His Majesty's Customs. As a concession, unsolicited gifts complying with certain limitations which are well-known abroad are allowed by the Board of Trade to be imported without the necessity for an import licence. Parcels which infringe these limitations are seized by His Majesty's Customs and are released only on production of an import licence. If this licence is not produced, the parcels are disposed of to approved charitable organisations, no compensation being payable to the addressee. A written notification is always given to the addressee in a case of seizure of a parcel. The proportion of parcels arriving from Australia which are seized in this way is negligible. It is recognised that owing to the shipping situation, there may be some irregularity in the despatch and arrival of the mails from Australia, and, provided that the parcels are posted not more often than once a month, they would be regarded as fulfilling the condition relating to frequency, which requires that they must not be sent more often than once a month.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will take steps to remedy the hardship caused to ex-Servicemen training as teachers under the Further Education and Training Scheme by the fact that no grant is paid for the final holiday period, although it is not possible to obtain work during this period.

Grants under the Emergency Training Scheme, as under all Government Training Schemes, are planned to cover only the period of the course of training. I will, however, look into the question of hardship in the particular case to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers.

asked the Minister of National Insurance when Mr. J. V. Hyslop, 14, Buccleuch Square, Langholm, may expect a reply to his application made on 18th December, 1945, for the necessary card to permit him to continue his contributions under the National Health Act, 1942, as a voluntary contributor.

I find that Mr. Hyslop's application for voluntary insurance cannot be admitted because he is over 65 years of age and he was informed accordingly on 29th July. According to my information, however, the contributions which have already been paid by Mr. Hyslop are sufficient to entitle him to an old age pension from January next, when he will have completed a period of five years insurance, and he is being advised to that effect.

asked the Prime Minister which Ministry is responsible for providing sea transport for Army personnel and equipment in the event of operations overseas.

I have been asked to reply. The Ministry of Transport, in conjunction with the Admiralty as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reason there has been a delay of six weeks between the taking of the Colonial Film Unit's film of East African troops and its exhibition to interested audiences; and whether, in view of the fact that commercial news reel companies were able to show comparable films within a few hours of the parade, he will arrange for the reorganisation of the Colonial Film Unit to enable it to give better service.

Hall: The policy of the Central Office of Information, of which the Colonial Film Unit is a part, is to leave the making of news-reels dealing with immediate current events to the Commercial News-Reel Companies. The Colonial Film Unit, like other units working for the Central Office of Information, is engaged in the production of films of background information intended for long-term use and is organised accordingly. The film produced by the Colonial Film Unit covers the activities of the East African troops both before and after the V-Parade.