asked the Secretary of State for Air the length of the present tour of service in Iraq and Gibraltar, respectively; and whether any reduction in the total length of overseas tour of service is made in respect of any part of such tour spent at either of these stations.

The Iraq Command is part of the Royal Air Force Mediterranean and Middle East Command, where we are now reducing the tour of duty to 2½ years Not more than two years of this period are spent in Iraq, but service there does not involve any reduction in the total of z\ years overseas. There is a separate arrangement for members of the Royal Air Force at Gibraltar, where the tour is 18 months, after which they return to this country I should perhaps add that, in recent correspondence with an hon. Member, I inadvertently made an incorrect statement about the period of service in Iraq. I have now taken steps to remove the misunderstanding which, I regret, may have been caused among members of the R.A.F. in Iraq.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why an Air Force officer with a period of service in India is less weil paid than an officer posted to India after 1st July last; and whether this anomaly will be remedied.

This subject is under consideration. I will communicate with the hon. Member when I am in a position to make a further statement.

asked the Minister of Health what action it is proposed to take to give effect to the recommendations in the Final Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Dentistry.

The Committee's recommendations concern measures to secure an adequate number of dentists for the population, legislation dealing with the practice of dentistry and the government of the dental profession, and a number of matters concerning dental research. Many of the Committee's proposals are, in the first place, matters for educational authorities to study in framing their future policy. The Government accordingly invite universities, dental schools, and teaching hospitals to consider the report. The Government will consider the introduction, as soon as practicable, of legislation relating to those recommendations which deal with the practice of dentistry and the government of the dental profession. For the rest the Government appreciate the great importance to the community of dental care as part of a comprehensive Health Service. They have already decided to provide for distribution by the University Grants Committee during the academic year 1946–47 an additional sum of £100,000 to assist dental schools in meeting increased recurrent expenditure on dental education which will be incurred in catering for an increased intake of dental students. They also accept the principle that grants towards capital expenditure required by dental schools for the same purpose should be made through the University Grants Committee. In the matter of dental research the Medical Research Council have accepted a recommendation that, to assist them in their work in this field, they should reconstitute their Dental Research Committee. This part of their work has, in the past, been in some measure assisted by grants from the Dental Board which may no longer be available when the Committee's legislative proposals are carried through. The Council will, however, be able to finance this work wholly from the general grant in aid which they receive from the Exchequer.The Government have considered the Committee's recommendations regarding financial assistance for dental students. Under the Government's Further Education and Training Scheme, a substantial number of ex-Service men and women are now receiving awards to enable them to begin or complete courses of training as dental students and further awards are under consideration. As regards boys and girls leaving school to go to university, it is the Government's policy now— as announced recently by the Minister of Education—to assist up to the full approved cost of fees and maintenance (after taking account of the contribution of parents or guardians) winners of open scholarships and exhibitions and State scholars, including dental students falling into these categories. Local education authorities whose expenditure has been thereby relieved are at the same time being encouraged to increase and extend the assistance they have given to other university students, and it is important that the opportunities in dentistry should be made known to suitable candidates and that the assistance given them should be sufficient to ensure that they are enabled to qualify for the profession. In Scotland where all financial assistance to students from public funds comes through the education authorities, the Secretary of State is giving effect to the Government policy by making regulations to secure that awards are similarly adequate in amount. The Government understand that most, if not all, dental schools are, during the current academic year, full to present capacity—a high proportion of students being ex-Service men and women —and they do not think it necessary at this stage to consider making any further special provision for dental students. They will, however, carefully watch the position

asked the Minister of Health if the necessary tests regarding the new Government-sponsored hearing aid are now complete; and when these instruments are likely to be obtainable by the public.

No, Sir. The tests are not complete, and I regret that I cannot yet say whether it will be possible to make the aid available to the public before the National Health Service comes into operation.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Government have reached any decision in regard to grants to local authorities for conversion of houses into fiats; if so, what this grant will be; and whether it will be retrospective to cover houses already converted.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind the recommendations made by the Committee on the conversion of houses. This report is still under consideration. These recommendations would involve legislation of a complex and perhaps controversial character. The immediate object of securing the maximum amount of accommodation in the meantime can, however, be secured by the use of powers which already exist for the requisitioning of houses. The cost of conversion of requisitioned premises is met by the Government.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, in the case of a cottage on Manor Farm, Manningford, Wiltshire, more than £600 was spent on repair work under Section 26 of the Housing (Rural Workers) Act, 1926, although the subsequent value of the cottage was certified by the owner as approximately £400; and if he is satisfied that there has been no breach of the law.

I am making inquiries but these are not yet complete and I will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give, in round figures, an estimate of our essential annual import requirements, in order to ensure the smooth functioning at a high level of activity of our available factors of production

Our essential import requirements naturally vary from year to year according to the needs of different industries and the supply of materials from home production. Owing to world shortages we cannot in the near future hope to get as much as some of our industries could use at full capacity. 'I cannot yet give any figures for 1947.

asked the President of the Board of Trade at what average price existing stocks of natural rubber were acquired by the Government; what arrangements have been made for disposal of this rubber; and to whom and at what price

The average purchase price of Government stocks of natural rubber in the United Kingdom at the end of September was approximately 1s. 2d. per lb. f.o.b country of origin for No. 1 sheet. No arrangements have been made to liquidate these stocks but certain quantities are being sold to consumers in the United Kingdom at 1s 4d. per lb. delivered to works and to other countries at 1s 4d. per lb. f.o.b. Under the recent agreement between the Board of Trade and the Rubber Development Corporation of U.S.A., some part of this stock may be sold to the U.S.A before the end of the year at the price of 22¼ cents per lb. c.i.f. U.S Atlantic port.

asked the Minister of Education if she will reconsider the case, details of which have been submitted to her, of a graduate of London University, the payment of whose salary is being held up by a conflict between the local education authority and her Department; and if she will resolve this difficulty.

I assume that the case referred to is that relating to the salary position of a teacher who has been approved provisionally as a Qualified Teacher in consideration of qualifications obtained in India. The local education authority recently furnished full details of the salary matters upon which they required advice and a reply to their inquiry was sent on 28th September, which will enable them to make a final assessment of the salary payable to this teacher. So far as I know there is no conflict between the local education authority and my Department

asked the Minister of Education what is the number of applications made for an award under the Further Education and Training Scheme; how many awards have been made between 1st October, 1945, and 30th September, 1946; and if she is satisfied that the rate at which such awards are being dealt with is satisfactory in relation to the total number of applicants.

Between 1st October, 1945, and 30th September, 1946, 27.968 applications have been received in my Department, of which over 8,000 have been received in the last two months. During the same period final awards have been announced to 14,270 applicants, and 3,154 applications have been unsuccessful. Letters have been sent to many of the other applicants intimating that an award is to be made. Final awards are being made at the rate of at least 500 a week on the average, and that represents about the limit of which the staff concerned has hitherto been capable The rate of applications has greatly increased of late, but I hope that with the recent further strengthening of the staff the rate of awards will also be further increased in the immediate future.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will inquire into the allocation of places in grammar schools for children in the Long Ashton and the Axbridge rural districts of Somerset; and what steps she is taking to have the position made clear in the county.

I have received representations on this matter and am communicating with the local education authority about it. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will increase the allocation of meta cresol to the plastics industry; how present production figures of meta cresol compare with those of a year ago and in 1938; to what extent he estimates that they will increase; and to what extent supplies available for British industry are being augmented by imports or reduced by exports.

I have been asked to reply. I assume that the question relates to cresylic acid of high metacresol content. My Ministry works closely with the Tar Distilling Industry to secure the maximum amount of meta-rich cresylic acid of grades suitable for the Plastics Industry from the crude tar production of the country. There is no system of allocation in operation. Production in the first half of 1946 was approximately the same as in the first half of 1945. Statistics for 1938 are not available, but it is known that meta-rich grades were not extracted to the same extent as they are at the present time. As its production depends in the first place upon the amount of coal carbonised, it is not expected that there can be any appreciable increase under present conditions. No meta-rich cresylic acid is exported and there is no known available source of supply for import.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the Borough of Gravesend are involved in an annual expenditure of £1,400 in administering the directions of his Department with regard to the licensing of essential works; that this work is done on behalf of the Government with the local authority-acting in the capacity of agents; that the average number of applications is 2,080 per year, to the total value of £156,000; and if he will make this charge a Government responsibility.

I am aware of the information given regarding the issue of licences by the Borough of Gravesend. In reply to the last part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 4th June this year to the hon. and gallant Member for Renfrew, Eastern (Major Lloyd), a copy of which I am sending to him.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he has taken during the past two months to restore to Maltese British subjects their property which the Italian Government confiscated in Tripoli.

All property of Maltese British subjects previously sequestrated by the Italians and subsequently taken into custody by the British Military Administration, has now been restored to its proven owners in Tripolitania or to their next-of-kin. The only property now held by the British Military Administration in Tripolitania is that belonging to those absentee Maltese British subjects whom the authorities have been unable to locate.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will take steps to expedite the laying of additional telephone cables in the Kingsbury district, N.W.9.

Additional telephone cables are now being laid as part of a comprehensive plan to provide telephone service to waiting applicants in the London Region. The importance of the work is fully appreciated and every effort is being made to speed up the programme. It is difficult, however, to accelerate individual cables without' affecting progress of the plan in neighbouring localities, but I can assure my hon. Friend that there will be no avoidable delay in the case of the cables to which he refers.