asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the non-application of the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1944, in the Malayan Union is causing distress to a large number of retired Government servants; and if he will take steps to apply the Act to the Malayan Union.

There is no question of applying this United Kingdom legislation to any Colonial pensions. These pensions are granted under Colonial laws, and any increase is a matter for each Colonial Government. I recently approved proposals by the Governors of the Malayan Union and Singapore for the grant of a cost of living allowance on their locally-paid pensions, and if their decision in this matter has not already been announced, it will be shortly, and will have retrospective effect from 1st April last.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that, since the inception of the Malayan Union, the licensed pleaders who formerly practised in the Trengganu courts have been forbidden to practise; and whether he will take steps to protect the rights of these advocates.

I have no information on this point and will communicate with my hon. Friend when I receive the report for which I am asking the Governor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the need for the granting, at the earliest opportunity, of some interim awards to persons who suffered material damage during the war in Malaya, in order to enable them to replace urgently required household goods and chattels; and whether, as the Claims Commission has not yet started to function, he will consider some alternative steps for dealing with these interim payments to alleviate hardship.

I do appreciate these needs and would refer to my predeces- sor's replies to questions on the 30th October, 1945, and 20th March, 1946, regarding the grants made to those persons who have returned to this country after release from captivity in the Far East. These grants have been met from United Kingdom funds. The question of making interim payments to other persons is primarily a matter for consideration by the Malayan Governments. I will bring my hon. Friend's suggestion to the notice of those Governments but the view has hitherto been taken that an equitable scheme cannot be evolved until they have received the interim report of the Claims Commission, the establishment of which has been delayed owing to the unfortunate illness of the person selected as its chairman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action has been taken to amend trade union legislation in the colonies in accordance with the repeal of the United Kingdom Trade Disputes Act of 1927.

In August last my predecessor informed Colonial Governments of the implications of the recent repeal of the United Kingdom Trade Dispute's and Trade Unions Act of 1927, and asked them to consider, and report, to what extent their trade union legislation requires to be amended so as to exclude from it any provisions analogous to those of the Act in question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if facilities have been accorded to Colonial Governments to take over military wireless sets with a view to improving broadcasting facilities in the Colonies.

Yes, Sir, the possible uses of surplus military wireless sets to Colonial Governments have been examined. On the whole, however, they have not been found suitable for the purposes and conditions for which they would be required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether legislation has been enacted in any Colony to require employers to fill vacancies from the ranks of ex-Service-men, up to a certain percentage of their establishments.

Yes, Sir. Legislation requiring employers to fill vacancies by a quota of ex-Servicemen has been enacted in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action has been taken in respect of the expiration of emergency powers under wartime defence regulations in the Colonies; and whether emergency regulations are now being reviewed and repealed.

The general body of the Emergency Powers under wartime Defence Regulations expired in Colonial territories, as in the United Kingdom, on the expiry of the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act on the 24th of February, 1946. A certain number of regulations similar in purpose to regulations retained in the United Kingdom under the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act and the Emergency Laws (Transitional Provisions) Act or to United Kingdom Acts passed during the war, have been retained under Orders-in-Council made under these Acts.In July this year instructions were sent to all Colonial Governments that all such legislation should be kept under regular and careful review and that regulations should be revoked as soon as they ceased to be essential for the special purpose for which they were retained. From reports that have been received I am satisfied that this is being done.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent salaries for scientific and veterinary staff in the Colonies are to be increased so as to have a proper relationship between the increased salaries now being paid to such staff in the British Civil Service; and whether in view of the urgent need for recruiting sufficient scientific and veterinary staff for the Colonies at the earliest opportunity, he can make a statement that will facilitate such recruitment.

I can assure my hon. Friend that the recruiting needs of the scientific and veterinary staffs of the Colonies are very much in my mind, and I fully recognise the importance of offering fair and adequate terms if those needs are to be satisfied. Most Colonial Governments have recently been reviewing their salary schemes or are about to do so, and in these reviews full regard is paid to the salaries prevailing for comparable posts in the home Civil Service. Home salaries are, of course, only one of the many factors that arise in these Colonial salary reviews. Regard must also be had to the rates of pay of one technical service in a Colony as compared with another. But I am alive to the question of facilitating recruitment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any provision exists, or can be made, whereby officers of the Colonial Administrative Service who are compelled to return home for personal or family reasons may transfer to a branch of the Civil Service in this country so that their administrative experience can still be utilised.

Posts in the Home Civil Service are filled on the principle of open competition and candidates are required to satisfy the Civil Service Commissioners as to their qualifications. It would not, therefore, be possible to make any arrangements of general application to cover the cases which the hon. Member has in mind. In any individual case I should always be glad to refer the officer's name to the Treasury for the advice of the Civil Service Commissioners as to his possible employment in the Home Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made to provide training for demobilised Colonial ex-Servicemen in this country before their return to the Colonies; and how many Colonies have benefited from these schemes.

A special scheme has been arranged by His Majesty's Government for the Further Education and Vocational Training of Colonial men and women who have served in the Forces in the United Kingdom or have been engaged in war work. A copy of a leaflet describing this scheme is being placed in the Library of the House. The benefits of the scheme are available to men and women from any Colony, Protectorate or Mandated Territory, provided they satisfy the conditions of eligibility outlined in the leaflet. The scheme is not confined to the Armed Forces but applies also to civilian war-workers. Candidates from the following Colonies have already applied for training under the scheme:

Jamaica.	Gold Coast.
Trinidad.	Mauritius.
Leeward Islands.	Kenya.
Windward Islands.	Seychelles.
Bahamas.	Fiji.
British Guiana.	Ceylon.
British Honduras.	Burma.
Nigeria.	Cyprus.
Sierra Leone.	St. Helena.

So far 1,100 applications for further education have been received under the Further Education part of the scheme and about 170 men and women are already in training in universities and colleges. Over 3,000 applications have been received for Vocational Training of whom about 1,500 have already been accepted and will go forward to training as vacancies occur in training centres. 200 have already begun training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent East Coast fever in cattle has been brought to the Seychelles in cattle imported from East Africa for military purposes during the war; what are the estimated costs of eliminating the disease; and whether they will fall on the Government of the Seychelles.

The Governor of the Seychelles reports that the Seychelles Government herd last May lost one pedigree bull and three cows from East Coast fever, which was almost certainly introduced from Kenya via stock kept by the military authorities on St. Anne's Island. I understand that the military lost all their cattle on that island, but that so far the disease has been confined elsewhere in the Seychelles to the Government herd. The cost of the investigation, the value of the losses among the Government herd and the expenses of employing a stock inspector will be about £1,000. I am consulting my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War regarding the possibility of recovering this amount from Army funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent East Coast fever in cattle has been brought to the Seychelles in cattle imported from East Africa for military purposes during the war; what are the estimated costs of eliminating the disease; and whether they will fall on the government of the Seychelles.

I would invite the hon. and gallant Member's attention to the reply which I gave to a similar question by the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Dodds-Parker) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the Government of the Seychelles have imported sugar from Portuguese East Africa and passed it to local retailers at a charge of Rs.58 per bag; that a permit to import sugar from the same source had previously been refused to a local inhabitant who was prepared to sell it to the retailers at Rs.38 per bag; and on what grounds the permit was refused.

I regret that I have not got this information. I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Gibraltarians are now in camps in Northern Ireland; how many wish to return to Gibraltar; and how many wish to find work in England.

There are about 2,100 Gibraltarian evacuees in the camps in Northern Ireland. As far as I am aware, all of them hope to be repatriated eventually. Those who wish to leave the camps and take up work in England are at liberty to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the report of the Commission on the cost of living in Nigeria, publication of which was promised on 29th June, will be available here and in Nigeria; whether he is aware that the delay has gone far to dissipate the goodwill created by the Commission's inquiry and has increased the difficulties of the responsible Nigerian trade union leaders and the Colonial Government; and whether he has accepted the recommendations of the committee.

This report was published on Monday and is now available both here and in Nigeria. I am fully aware of the difficulties caused by the delay in publication which was due in part to circumstances affecting the printing trade in this country. Most of the specific recommendations of the Commission were accepted by my predecessor, to whose despatch on the subject, published with the report, I would refer my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many labourers are recruited from Nigeria for work in the Spanish colonial territories; and if wages and terms of employment are regarded as satisfactory.

I am writing to the Governor of Nigeria on this matter, and will inform the hon. and gallant Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any decision has been reached on the proposed constitutional changes in Mauritius, and whether he is aware that the Mauritius Labour Party have recently reiterated their demand for universal male suffrage within the island.

In reply to the first part of the Question, considerable progress has been made in dealing with this matter, and I hope that it will shortly be possible for the Governor to place proposals for the amendment of the Constitution before the Council of Government in Mauritius. The reply to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the rule of Habeas Corpus now runs in Palestine; on whose authority persons are detained or deported without trial; whether orders for deportation or detention are subject to review by an independent judicial tribunal; and whether persons deported or detained have themselves the right of appeal from such orders or the decisions of the tribunal.

The answer to the first part of the Question is that Habeas Corpus proceedings lie in Palestine. As regards the second part, persons may be detained and deported from Palestine by order of the High Commissioner under the Palestine Defence (Emergency) Regulations, if he considers it necessary for securing the public safety and the maintenance of public order. As regards the third part of the Question, cases are subject to review by an Advisory Committee appointed by the High Commissioner under the Chairmanship of a British judge. Each person when detained is given a notice stating the regulation under which he is detained and the grounds of his detention, and informing him that he may lodge an objection with the Advisory Committee. As regards the last part of the Question, such persons may appeal to the High Commissioner by petition in the usual way.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether it is proposed to keep the control of the Austrian paper "Weltpresse" in British hands; and if he will give an assurance that the goodwill and title of this paper will not be transferred to one Austrian political party.

It is not proposed to keep the control of "Weltpresse" in British hands indefinitely and its existence is subject to periodic review. No decision has been reached as to its disposal when British control of the newspaper is relinquished.

asked the Minister of Food what proportion of the potato crop he anticipates will be lost from blight and rot due to the bad season; and whether he will give an assurance that no rationing will be necessary.

It is not yet possible to say what the total loss from blight will be this year, but from preliminary reports, that it should not be so serious as to make the rationing of potatoes necessary.

asked the Minister of Food (1) how many B.U.s have been converted into points;(2) from what sources comes the food to meet the additional points required for the conversion of B.Us.; and why the point value of food on points was not adjusted before.

Approximately 400 million B.Us. were exchanged for points during the ten weeks ended 28th September. This means that each of us got on the average three extra points additional to the normal 32 per four weeks ration period. So the extra supplies of points goods needed to meet this demand were not enormous. In the absence of the points exchange scheme, we should no doubt have distributed these supplies either by down pointing some goods a little or by giving people a few extra points. The extra points foods to which the hon. Member refers were drawn from small reserves necessarily held to meet normal fluctuations in supplies and emergencies; the amounts in reserve were not sufficiently large to justify a change in the point value of the foods in question.

asked the Minister of Food why a groundsman to a grammar school is not entitled to extra food rations, whereas a gardener gets them; and why the groundsman is not regarded as a manual worker.

The duties of groundsmen vary considerably and my right hon. Friend would not feel justified in includ- ing them, as a class, in the schedule of manual workers for the purpose of the additional bread ration. If, however, the hon. Member will let me have particulars of the case he has in mind, I will have it investigated.

asked the Minister of Food if he has now reached a decision to allow farmers to sell their eggs through their co-operative packing stations; and if arrangements will be made to reimburse those who have suffered loss through the operation of the zoning scheme.

Changes in the egg collection scheme which are now under consideration include provision for producers to register with any packing station they please. I cannot yet say when the changes will take effect. As regards the second part of the Question, I can see no possibility of reimbursement.

asked the Minister of Food if he will consider modifying the present restrictions on persons desirous of opening butchery businesses, so that the premises from which the business is conducted may, if no other accommodation is available, be situated outside the area it is desired to serve.

No such specific restriction is imposed, but a licence would not normally be granted to an applicant whose premises were so remote from his potential customers that the business would not meet a consumer need.

asked the President of the Board of Trade who will be debited or credited with the profit or loss on rubber stocks bought by the Government when free trading is restored.

In accordance with usual practice, any profits or losses on Government trading in rubber are for the account of the Exchequer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if, in view of the importance of the export trade, he will make a statement regarding the absence of a British pavilion at the recent trades exhibition at Stockholm.

I assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the St. Erik's Fair which was held from 24th August to 1st September. The attention of United Kingdom manufacturers was drawn to this fair, which has only recently assumed an international character, by an announcement in the "Board of Trade Journal," and I understand that a few United Kingdom products were exhibited by Swedish agents of United Kingdom firms.The Government have accepted the recommendation of the Ramsden Committee that His Majesty's Government should undertake official participation in international trade fairs only when it is clear that industry intends to participate on an adequate scale. In this case that condition was not fulfilled, partly no doubt because there was little time available to arrange an adequate display.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of children's shoes; and if he will take steps to increase their supply.

There has been a steady improvement in supplies of children's shoes since last year. In addition, crepe rubber for soling is available in increasing quantities, and more Wellingtons and plimsolls are reaching the shops. Except in the more expensive types, for which leather and manufacturing capacity are still considerably behind demand, the position is improving and will continue to improve.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that many people are finding it impossible to bottle fruit for the winter owing to the shortage of preserving jars; and what steps he is taking to improve the supply of these jars.

Yes, Sir. I much regret this shortage. The production of preserving jars has been maintained at about the same level over recent years, and the shortage is due to an increased demand as compared with before the war. I cannot promise an early improvement in the supply as the glass container manufacturers are heavily loaded with other important orders, but jam jars used with special closures are an adequate substitute, and there are sufficient supplies of the closures.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that there is a shortage amongst North Lincolnshire farmers of giant tyres size 34 x 7; and if he will take steps to increase and expedite deliveries.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to similar Questions on this subject on Monday last.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps immediately to increase the supplies of umbrellas available to the public either by the diversion of exports, or by the granting of import licences.

Steps have already been taken to increase the supply of umbrellas by the allocation of additional cloth, and approval has also been given to import cloth if it is obtainable. I should not consider it justifiable at present to take special steps to impart umbrellas or to curtail exports.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that domestic science and handicraft teachers have to use their normal issue of clothing coupons for the purchase of overalls, which are essential in their work; and if he will agree to the issue of the industrial 10 clothing coupons to these teachers.

Under arrangements we have made with the Ministry of Education, schools and colleges will be able to lay in a supply of overalls for the use of such teachers. The Ministry of Education will be announcing the details shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the German narrow fabrics industry is being rehabilitated; whether he is aware that the British narrow fabrics industry is much concerned in this matter, particularly in the Derby area; and what steps he proposes to take to safeguard this industry in Britain which may otherwise be faced with severe unemployment.

The German textile industry is not, under the Potsdam Agreement and the ensuing Level of Industry Plan, one of the industries whose capacity is to be reduced in order to curtail that country's war potential. The narrow fabrics industry will therefore be free to rehabilitate itself. The speed at which it can do so will, of course, depend on the availabilities of raw materials, fuel, power, and labour, which are, at the moment, in short or unbalanced supply.I am aware of the United Kingdom industry's concern regarding the eventual re-emergence of German competition, but if a balance of payment is to be achieved, this and the other permitted industries must be allowed to export. I would assure my hon. and gallant Friend that it is no part of His Majesty's Government's policy to allow a reversion to the pre-war German policy of price manipulation and subsidies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade under what circumstances Messrs. Littlewoods, of Liverpool, have been enabled to acquire metal cycle-racks for distribution to, and use outside the shops of, newsagents, hairdressers and other traders acting as football pool agents.

There is no control over the distribution of cycle racks and I do not consider that such a control would be justified.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action is taken by his Department to ensure that the undertaking given by football pool firms not to supplement their agreed paper allowances by purchases from printers and others holding paper stocks is being honoured.

I have no reason to believe that the football pool promoters are not observing their undertaking. It is the practice of the Department to institute checks from time to time where such undertakings are given.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power it he has investigated the possibility of adopting a points system for miners to enable them to purchase additional consumer goods; and whether he is in a position to make a statement on the matter.

I have been asked to reply. Increased supplies of unrationed goods and a greater variety of rationed commodities are being provided for mining areas, but it has not been found practicable to provide miners with increased allocations of coupons for rationed goods.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of people at present employed on industrial estates in the development areas of Scotland; the number of factories at present in use; the number of factories being built; the total number of factories to be built in these areas; the approximate number of people who will be employed; when the present schemes are likely to be completed; and if it is his intention to develop any other estates.

1. There are 13,201 persons employed on the four existing industrial estates in the Scottish Development Area. This total is made up as follows:

—	Males.	Females.	Total.
Hillington	8,405	3,387	11,792
Carfin	159	346	505
Larkhall	37	116	153
Chapelhall	297	454	751
	8,898	4,303	13,201

2. There are 103 factories at present in use on these estates, situated as follows:

Hillington	…	97
Carfin	…	3
Larkhall	…	2
Chapelhall	…	1
		103

3. 138 factories of various sizes are being built in the Scottish Development Area: 66 of these are on industrial estates.4. A further 120 factories have been approved: 28 of these will be on industrial estates.

asked the President of the Board of Trade upon what date was the Pottery Working Party formed; on what date was their report received; what action has been taken; and what further action it is proposed to take.

I announced the appointment of the Pottery Working Party on 15th October, 1945. It completed its report on 2nd April last. As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Burslem (Mr. A. Edward Davies) on Monday last.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the date on which His Majesty's Government made representations to the Greek Government regarding the dissolution of the Greek trade union movement, and the internment of the former resistance leaders, including Generals Bakirdjis and Sarafis, on Greek penal islands; and whether any reply has been received by His Majesty's Government.

Since the Greek Council of State set aside the Greek Trade Union elections His Majesty's Government have been, by invitation of the Greek Government, constantly in touch with them on this subject. More recently His Majesty's Government have more precisely formulated their advice on this point, and this formula is still being considered by the Greek Government. Meanwhile it is incorrect to say that the Greek trade union movement has been dissolved and the question of representations on this point does not, therefore, arise. As regards the internment of former resistance leaders, this is a matter for the Greek Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he hopes to be able to publish the report of the observers of the recent plebiscite in Greece.

The observers in the Greek plebiscite numbered 100 as against the 1100 who observed the elections. It was not a complete observation, as in the previous case. They have reported to their respective Governments and I do not think any useful purpose would be served by publishing their report.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he has returned to the Greek Government's request for a supply of British arms for the purpose of arming a Greek civilian guard.

It was represented to me yesterday that there are constant attacks by bands on the people living in the villages in certain parts of Greece, and I have been asked whether we would supply light arms to equip a kind of home guard to enable the people to defend their homes and their families. I have not yet replied or made any commitment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the circumstances of the arrest of Mr. Stephen Zollner, a Board of Trade official, in Yugoslavia; and the reasons for his continued detention.

Mr. Zollner was arrested on 5th September an the orders of the Yugoslav Ministry of the Interior and is at present confined in a prison in Belgrade, where he has been visited by a representative of His Majesty's Embassy. His Majesty's Ambassador has been informed that he is accused of serious offences against the security of the Yugoslav State. His examination has not yet been completed and specific charges against him have not, therefore, yet been formulated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will arrange for a copy of the verbatim report of the proceedings of the Paris Peace Conference to be placed in the Library for the convenience of hon. Members.

I am happy to accede to the request of my hon. Friend the Member for Luton (Mr. Warbey) and will arrange that copies of the verbatim report of the Plenary Sessions of the Peace Conference and of the reports submitted by the Commissions of the Conference are placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the shortage of medical supplies in Indonesia for civilians and also to check venereal disease and eczema in the Republican Army, he will consider making a gift of medical supplies now in Indonesia to the Indonesian Republican Government.

I have no knowledge of the conditions to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that official Soviet propaganda accuses British officers of helping to cause tribal unrest in Persia; and what steps he propose to take to counteract this propaganda.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made after Questions today.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has any further statement to make on the establishment of conditions of pay and service in the Royal Marine Volunteer Reserve.

No, Sir. I am unable to make any further statement on this matter at present.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will give an assurance that the carpenter scientific staffs of the Armament Supply Department will be placed on the rates of pay in accordance with the White Paper with regard to the Scientific Civil Service, 1945, and thus bring them into line with the carpenter scientific staffs in other Admiralty Departments.

No, Sir. I assume that the staff whom the hon. and gallant Member has in mind are chemists employed on the production side of the Royal Naval Propellant Factory. The revision of their rates of pay is, however, under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many petty officers have signed on to complete for pension during the quarter ended 30th September, 1946; what percentage this figure represents of all petty officers eligible to sign on during this period; and how these figures compare with the equivalent figures for the previous quarter.

I regret that information concerning the Royal Navy as a whole is not readily available. A sample of the numbers in the Portsmouth Division who have re-engaged to complete time for pension has, however, been taken and this may be regarded as indicative of the general trend. According to the latest information available, 56 petty officers re-engaged during the quarter ended 30th September, 1946, representing 31 per cent. of the number eligible. In the previous quarter 23 petty officers re-engaged for pension, being 41 per cent. of those eligible.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what progress has been made in the recruitment of men for the Royal Navy.

The number of men who have accepted extended service engagements under the conditions announced in the House by the Prime Minister on 15th April last is considerably less than the Admiralty had hoped for, and we are prepared to accept many more volunteers. The flow of new recruits is reasonably satisfactory at present.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will arrange for the removal of the dump of cars and vehicles deposited in the Central Park, Plymouth; and what representations he has received from the city council respecting the giving back to the people of the city, for their own use, of the land now occupied by his Department in the park.

Representations were made by Plymouth city council to the Admiral Superintendent, H.M. Dockyard, Devonport, for the release of the land now occupied in Central Park in June last and on 7th October. Every effort is being made, in conjunction with the Ministry of Supply, to reduce by disposal the number of motor vehicles stored in the Park, and it is hoped that a material reduction will soon be possible. The open space thus released will be de-requisitioned when it is cleared. It will, however, be necessary for the present to retain the storage hangar for Admiralty use.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when gratuities will be paid to the ratings in the Royal Navy whose term of service is un-expired and who are still serving.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War to the hon. Members for Bodmin (Mr. D. Marshall) and Kingston-on-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter).

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware of the hardship caused to many men in the Services by the long delay which still exists in obtaining divorce; and what steps he is taking to speed up the procedure.

The total number of Service divorce suits pending at 30th September last was 40,751. This figure includes 14,367 cases with the three Service authorities, at home and abroad, and 26,384 cases with the Law Society.The Government are well aware of the hardship caused by the long delays in disposing of Service divorce cases, and they greatly deplore it. Early in this year the Government decided to take energetic steps open to them to clear off the arrears of Service cases, and I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Central Hackney (Mr. H. Hynd) on 27th February last.The Law Society have now succeeded in extending their Services Divorce Department from six units to 31 units, and now have an organisation capable of handling the cases at the rate of more than 20,000 per annum. But full expansion of the Department has only just been achieved, and its effect will not be felt to the full for some months. In the first nine months of this year, however, the Department have obtained 2,823 decrees' nisi, more than half of the total number of decrees obtained during the whole of the previous four years. In addition, a number of procedural improvements have been effected, including the opening of a special Services Branch of the Divorce Registry; and the reduction of the waiting period between decree nisi and decree absolute from six months to six weeks. The Denning Committee have been invited to consider other procedural reforms designed to expedite the hearing of the suits and the reduction of costs. As already announced, Special Commissioners have been appointed to assist the Divorce Judges in London, and special arrangements for hearing divorce on circuit have been made.

asked the Attorney-General how he proposes to ensure, pending the passing of legislation, that none of His Majesty's subjects will be deprived of a remedy in respect of wrongful acts committed by Crown servants.

It is impossible to lay down any general ruling as to what steps can be taken to overcome the present difficulty in every case. Each case will have to be considered on its merits. The present practice whereby the Crown stands behind the Crown servant who has committed a tortious act in the course of his duty will as far as possible continue and full facilities will be given to enable a claimant to ascertain the name of the tort feasor and, if he so desires, to take the appropriate proceedings. It is not contemplated that any difficulty will arise except in comparatively few cases. In any such case the Treasury Solicitor, or the solicitor for the Department concerned, will be prepared to consider with the claimant's solicitor the particular difficulties which have arisen and how best they may be overcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Air when he anticipates being in a position to make a statement on permanent commissions in the R.A.F.

By the end of September we had told some 1,550 officers that they had been selected for permanent commissions, and selections are continuing. We hope to let all the remaining applicants for permanent commissions know what has been decided by the end of the year. Subsequently there will be a number of permanent commission vacancies for officers who have been selected for extended service. Entries through the R.A.F. College are also being resumed. Selections for the first cadet entry have already been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many Regular married R.A.F. personnel of over three years' service are now serving overseas unaccompanied by their wives; and if steps are being taken to increase married quarters in overseas commands.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 430 officers and about 4,900 airmen, excluding those serving in Germany. There are shortages of married quarters in many places overseas. We are doing all we can to overcome these wherever the local conditions are suitable for families, but it is bound to be some time before our needs can be fully met.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that redundant aircrew, warrant officers and flight-sergeants, with operational experience, have been reduced to the rank of sergeant; and why this action has been taken with non-commissioned officers, whilst no corresponding change has been made with commissioned ranks, who have become similarly redundant.

It was an essential feature of the postwar code announced in Command 6715 that new aircrew ranks would be introduced. As I explained in reply to a Question on 1st August by my hon. Friend the Member for Bilston (Mr. Nally), once the new ranks had been introduced on 1st July for men employed on aircrew duties, it would have been impracticable for aircrew who had been declared redundant to retain higher temporary ranks. So far as officers are concerned, the periods required before time promotion to flying officer and flight-lieutenant have already been extended and acting rank is being withdrawn as establishments contract.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many R.A.F. aerodromes are on a care and maintenance basis in the United Kingdom; and what acreage of land is involved.

Fifty-nine, Sir, involving about 36,500 acres.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why correspondence between the hon. Member for Reading and one of his constituents in the prison and detention barracks at Trimulgherry has been intercepted by the commandant of that barracks.

I have not yet had a reply to my inquiries about this case, and I will communicate further with my hon. Friend as soon as possible. The Rules made under the Army and Air Force Acts for Military and Air Force Prisons and Detention Barracks give commandants discretionary power about letters to or from members of the Army or the Royal Air Force under sentence.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is yet in a position to announce the approximate demobilisation dates for the groups remaining in the Service at present.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour gave to my hon. Friend the Member for East Willesden (Mr. Orbach) on 8th October.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why there will be no releases for electricians in October; and why they are falling further behind the general release rates, in view of the fact that special efforts to enable them to catch up were announced last May.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will indicate when electricians will catch up in release with other trades.

We are still training as many electricians as we can, and as quickly as possible, but there are some serious shortages to be overcome before we can improve their release rate. Our present training courses for Electricians II (the less highly skilled category) are full and we have told this trade that by the end of the year their release will be three groups behind the general level for ground trades, compared with five groups at present.The prospects are, however, not so good for the more skilled trade of Electrician I, because we are unable to get all the men we need for training. They are five groups behind the general level this month, and, even allowing for a greater deficiency than at present, I am afraid the delay will be six groups by the end of the year. As a special measure we are transferring suitable men from the training courses for Electricians II to be trained as Electricians I, but this will not provide any immediate relief, because the more skilled course takes another four months to complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that promulgations for release of wireless mechanics are now from 6 to 8 groups behind other trades; and if he will state the date by which it is expected they will be brought into line with other groups for demobilisation.

This month the release of wireless mechanics is two groups behind the general level for ground trades; I am afraid we have had to tell the Service that this will increase to three groups by the end of the year. Our training courses are full, but they take 10 months to complete, so I cannot hold out any immediate hope of an improvement in release.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what steps he is taking to accelerate the rate of release of wireless mechanics and electricians in order to bring them in line with other categories which are, respectively, eight to 11 age and service groups ahead in rate of release.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the replies which I have given today to Questions by my hon. Friends the Members for Taunton (Mr. Collins), and South Cardiff (Mr. Callaghan).

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that in a recent circular letter to units in Maintenance Command it is proposed to leave to the discretion of commanding officers the decision as to whether personnel may take part in education and vocational training schemes; and if he will take steps to provide for a definite number of hours to be devoted to E.V.T. each week in all Commands of the R.A.F.

It is not our intention that station commanders should have overriding discretionary powers in this matter. The Maintenance Command instructions provide for a minimum of five hours a week during working time for those forms of E.V.T. which have a direct bearing on careers in civil life. I think that arrangements of this kind, which apply generally throughout the Service, are fair and reasonable. If my hon. Friend knows of a case where the instructions seem to have been misunderstood, I shall be glad to look into it. As my predecessor told my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. Haire) on 17th April, E.V.T. will not continue beyond the end of the year. We shall then absorb E.V.T. into the permanent educational scheme for the postwar Royal Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make immediate inquiries into the delay in derequisitioning the West Highland slipway shipyard on Kerrera Island, Oban, which has been lying unoccupied by the R.A.F. for the last 15 months; and if, in view of the urgent need of the West Highland Slipway Company for the use of their yard, he will give instructions for it to be derequisitioned without further delay, thereby preventing several more local shipyard workers being added to the growing list of unemployed in Oban.

We are ready to derequisition as soon as the owners make a reasonable offer for the improvements we have made to their property. We have recently communicated with their agents and await a reply. There will be no avoidable delay in dealing with this case.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that the next-of-kin of 1868711 Warrant Officer Raymond John Nicholas Bower-man, R.A.F., was first informed of his death, in an air crash off Penang, by friends calling to sympathise as a result of Press information; and whether he will cause an investigation to be made into the circumstances so that an appropriate apology may be extended to this airman's family at present residing at 20 Goldington Road, Bedford.

I deeply regret that the relatives of the late Warrant Officer Bowerman should have been caused additional distress through first receiving an indirect report of their sad loss. I am making full inquiries into the circumstances in which the official notification was delayed and will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as I can.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that three-year tour-expired men in 31 A.R.D. Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, due for immediate repatriation, have been informed by R.A.T.G. Headquarters that they must wait at least until November and possibly longer to be sent home, though numbers of the Italian labour services employed at the station are being repatriated now; whether he is aware that the men concerned are performing no vital service since flying training ceased in April; and whether he will take immediate steps to see that, in view of his previous announcements about reduced tours for the R.A F., these men shall be brought home at the earliest possible moment.

Yes, Sir. I regret to say there has been a delay. We have sent a signal calling for a full report from the command in Southern Rhodesia and I will communicate with the hon. and learned Member when this has been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that the names of some of the passengers who were killed in the R.A.F. Dakota which crashed in Hong Kong on 26th September appeared in the Malayan newspapers on the same date, and why these names were disclosed to the Press before the relatives had been informed.

This accident occurred at Hong Kong on 25th September. I am not aware of a premature official publication of the casualties but a local Press report giving some names appeared in various newspapers both in the Far East and in this country on 26th September. The Air Ministry notified the relatives of casualties in this country by telegram on the morning of the same day, 26th September. Subsequently a full list of casualties was issued for publication in the newspapers on 27th September.It is our policy, in which the Press as a rule cooperate, to do our utmost to avoid any premature publication of names. I am very sorry that this was not achieved in the present case, and that additional distress was caused as a result.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether the Halifax airliner lost recently over the Belgian coast carried parachutes, rubber dinghies or oxygen.

The Belgian authorities are conducting an investigation into the accident to this aircraft which was owned privately, and I am not at present in a position to say whether any of the items of equipment referred to by my hon. Friend were on board.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he has any further statement to make regarding the commencement of the Aberdeen to London Air Service.

I hope this service will start early next year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if, in view of the importance of the city of Nottingham and its geographical position in the country, he proposes to include this city in the official Air Ways regular service.

The plans of the British European Airways Corporation for the development of regular air services in the United Kingdom include the service of Nottingham.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, if he is aware of the unsatisfactory conditions relating to pilots' B licence examinations and flying tests; and if he will ensure that the arrangements are co-ordinated and dealt with expeditiously.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No, Sir." As to the second part of the Question, I am not aware that the arrangements are other than satisfactory, but if the hon. and gallant Member has any particular point in mind I will gladly look into it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether a civil airport will be located at the White Mare Pool site, Boldon, County Durham; and if it will entail the non-sterilization of the coal in the area.

The development of the Boldon site as the North-Eastern civil airport is still under consideration. Various alternative layouts are being investigated in relation to the particular problem of coal sterilization. The development of the site would probably involve some sterilization of coal. Ways in which this could be reduced to a minimum are being closely examined.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, what steps have been taken to form the Scottish Division of the B.E.A.

The British European Airways Corporation is anxious to have the benefit of the advice of the Scottish Advisory Council before forming the Scottish Division of the Corporation. My noble Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland have been in consultation with the three associations of local authorities in Scotland and with the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) about the constitution of the Council. They hope that in the light of these consultations the Council can be set up in the near future and that the formation of the Corporation's Scottish Division will quickly follow.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, what arrangements have been made for the management of airfields in Scotland.

Managers or special representatives have been appointed for 14 aerodromes in Scotland used by civil air transport services. They are, at present, directly responsible to the Ministry but arrangements for a divisional headquarters centred in Scotland are being made and a board, representative of Scottish interests, will be associated with this headquarters in the management of Scottish civil aerodromes. In making these arrangements my Department is in consultation with the Scottish Office.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, if he will consider granting a small subsidy to flying clubs to enable the cost of flying to be reduced, thus bringing flying within the reach of large numbers who at present are unable to afford the high costs and, by increasing the activities of these clubs, provide further employment for pilots and ground maintenance personnel.

My noble Friend is anxious to encourage the flying clubs and has the most appropriate method of achieving this under urgent consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in order to attract into the police some of the best of the young men coming out of the fighting forces and give early training to men suitable for advancement to senior police posts, he intends to reopen Hendon College.

While my right hon. Friend is most anxious to attract good recruits into the police, the right policy, in his view, is that they should enter as constables and prove their suitability for advancement by police service. He fully recognises the importance of higher training for those so selected, and is at present consulting representatives of police authorities, and representatives of the police service itself, on the possibility of establishing a national police college to meet the needs of all police forces in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recruits have joined the police forces during the year ended 30th September; and if he is satisfied that the number is adequate and that reasonable police complaints receive due attention.

6,060 recruits have joined the Metropolitan police force, the City of London police force, and the county and borough forces of England and Wales during the 12 months ended 30th September—most of them during the nine months of 1946 included in this period. With the exception of some individual forces, notably the Metropolitan police force, recruits have in general been taken in up to the limit of the quarterly quota of recruits allocated to each force by the Home Office. As regards the last part of the Question, while I have confidence in the machinery which has been devised to enable members of the police force to draw attention to reasonable complaints, I shall be glad to consider any particular point of difficulty which the hon. Member may have in mind.

asked the Prime Minister which Ministers visited countries outside Great Britain in the course of the Parliamentary Recess wholly, or partly, at public expense; what individuals accompanied each Minister wholly, or partly, at public expense; what was the total cost of each visit to public funds; and what was the purpose of each visit.

Following are the particulars. The list excludes the Law Officers who have been attending the Nuremburg trial.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that certain houses were destroyed by enemy action, and that owing to new road construction they cannot be built on the same site; and whether, as there is no provision in the War Damage Act for payment on a cost-of-work basis for a house built on another site, he will take steps to rectify this, seeing that a 1939 value payment will not provide anything like a similar house.

I would refer my right hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for the Sutton Division of Plymouth (Mrs. Middleton) on 6th June, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will authorise the payment of surveyors' costs by Departments other than the Services at the same rate of £5 per cent. on the value of adjusted claims on derequisitioned premises as is paid by the Service Departments.

The fees payable by other Departments for surveyors on derequisition of premises are the same as those payable by the Service Departments. If the hon. and gallant Member will let me have particulars of the case he has in mind, I will have it investigated.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state to the nearest £1,000,000 the amount of debt held by Government Departments on 31st March, 1946, under the separate headings of floating debt and other internal debt, excluding bonds intended for Death Duties.

The figures are as follow:

	On 31st March, 1946
	£ millions
Floating debt	618
Other Internal debt (excluding Bonds tendered for Death Duties)	2,580
	3,198

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total sum of the contribution due from this country to the capital of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; and, of this amount, what is payable, respectively, in gold, dollars and sterling.

Our total contribution to the Fund is £325 million, of which an amount equivalent to 10 per cent. of our net official holdings of gold and dollars is payable in gold and the balance in sterling. Our maximum contribution to the Bank is £325 million. Of this £58½ million is payable in sterling and 26 million dollars. The balance, if needed to implement a guarantee, can be called up in gold or the currency required to implement the guarantee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the net receipts from Stamp Duty for each six months during

—	Half year ended.
	31st March, 1945.	30th September, 1945.	31st March, 1946.	30th September, 1946.*
	£000s	£000s	£000s	£000s
Cheques:
England	1,675	1,629	1,819	1,927
Scotland	133	158	137	156
Bills of Exchange and Promissory Notes:
Inland	36	35	46	64
Foreign	11	9	13	14
Bankers Bills and Notes:
Scotland	132	132	138	138
* The figures for the half-year to 30th September, 1946, are partly estimated.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the purpose and the principal activities of the Social Survey Section of the Central Office of Information.

Its purpose is to collect socialogical information not otherwise available. A catalogue of its principal activities would be lengthy but the Section has recently conducted surveys on matters as widely diverse as the effect of the Road Safety Campaign, shop closing hours in relation to the convenience of the public, and the incidence and nature of ill-health among the people.

asked the Minister of Education if she is aware of the waste of milk throughout the country resulting from the present system of distribution in schools; and what action she proposes to take to prevent it.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply which

The following table gives the information asked for:I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Ludlow (Lieut.-Colonel Corbett) on 9th October. I am sending him a copy of the Circular referred to.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is now in a position to state what prospects there are for the use of the war factory at Linwood on peacetime production; and whether he will state the present position with regard to the future of this factory.

I regret that no suitable productive use for this factory has yet been found beyond the production of steel ingots from the open hearth furnaces. With the help of my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Secretary of State for Scotland, we are doing our utmost to find a suitable use for it.

asked the Minister of Supply the total quantity of lead available in the last quarter; and the quantities which were allocated to specific major production purposes in that period.

The quantity of lead, including virgin metal and lead recovered from scrap, available for distribution in the third quarter of 1946 was 78,875 tons; this was issued as follows:

	tons.
Cablemaking	23,750
Sheets and pipes	20,750
Batteries	11,250
Oxides (excluding oxide for batteries)	7,000
White Lead	5,500
Miscellaneous purposes	10,625

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of the old age pension public assistance institutions are

ENGLAND AND WALES.
		Diphtheria		Scarlet Fever.		Measles.		Whooping Cough.		Chicken Pox. †
		Cases notified.	Deaths.	Cases notified.	Deaths.	Cases notified.	Deaths.	Cases notified.	Deaths.	Deaths.
1936	…	57,795	3,003	104,862	440	Not notifiable	2,593	Not notifiable	1,918	23
1937	…	61,341	2,898	95,735	305	Not notifiable	980	Not notifiable	1,600	19
1938	…	65,008	2,861	99,278	311	Not notifiable	1,524	Not notifiable	1,052	18
1939	…	47,343	2,133	78,101	181	Not notifiable	303	Not notifiable	1,229	18
1940	…	46,280	2,480	65,302	154	409,521	857	53,607	678	10
1941	…	50,804	2,641	59,433	133	499,7I5	1,145	173,330	2,383	28
1942	…	41,404	1,827	85,084	104	286,341	458	66,016	799	16
1943	…	34,662	1,371	116,034	134	376,104	773	96,136	1,114	19
1944*	…	23,109	934	92,671	107	158,479	243	94,044	1,054	24
1945*	…	18,596	722	73,687	84	446,796	729	62,691	689	9
* Notifications for years 1944 and 1945 include corrections of diagnoses made at Infectious Diseases Hospitals; material for an exact comparison with the years 1936–943 is not available.
† Chicken pox is not a notifiable disease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the relationship between the new National Agricultural Advisory Service and the county W.A.E.Cs.

There will be the closest cooperation between the National Agricultural Advisory Service and the County War Agricultural Executive Committees, and in each county the local staff of the Service will be integrated with the non-advisory staff of the Committee under the control of the Committee's executive officer, who will normally be also the County Advisory Officer of the N.A.A.S.

That is a matter within the local public assistance authority's discretion. I understand that the practice at Bulcamp is to leave the pensioner four shillings a week by way of pocket money.

asked the Minister of Health if he will issue a table showing the incidence of diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough and chicken-pox during each of the last ten years.

The following is the table;The invaluable activities of the Committees in advisory and technical development work since 1939 will, I hope, be continued and extended in association with the N.A.A.S. so that full advantage may be taken of the practical knowledge and experience possessed by Committees of local farming conditions and needs. I shall look to them to sponsor the work of the Service among farmers and to encourage them to make full use of the facilities provided for their benefit.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that Denmark and Holland are now exporting eggs and increasing their stocks of poultry, while Great Britain and Northern Ireland are slaughtering their poultry; and if he can now hold out any hope that the rations for chick rearing will be increased in 1947.

Stocks of poultry in Holland have fallen from over 27 million prewar to three million as given in the Dutch Census last December. Denmark's fowl population is reported to be 40 per cent. below the prewar figure. Agricultural produce is Denmark's main export. There is no evidence that Denmark receives preferential treatment in imports of feedingstuffs, and, in fact, she depends at the moment almost entirely on indigenous production. I am not aware of any exports of eggs from Holland at present. Owing to the general world shortage of grains and the call on supplies for direct human consumption, there are no sources of feedingstuffs in sight that would enable chick rearing rations to be increased in 1947.