asked the Minister of Food what nutritional surveys are regularly made by his Department; and what information on this subject collected by other authorities is regularly communicated to his Department.

The nutritional surveys at present regularly made by my Department are:

(i) The National Food Survey.

(ii) The Survey of expenditure on foods under the Points Scheme.

(iii) The Special Bread Survey.

Special surveys of groups of employees of particular industries in different parts of the country are also made. As to the second part of the Question the results of two types of nutritional survey conducted by the Ministry of Health are received by my Department: (i) Clinical examination of representative groups of the population; (ii) Surveys of the growth of school children. The reports and memorandum of the Advisory Committee and Bureau of Nutrition Surveys of the Nutrition Society are also received as issued.

asked the Minister of Food what is the present amount of the annual subsidy in respect of bread, flour and oatmeal, given in February, 1946, as £69,400,000; what is the explanation of the announcement that the current bread subsidy is £5,800,000; and why so large a sum as over £60,000,000 is in respect of flour and oatmeal.

The estimated amount of the total subsidy for the year to 31st March, 1947, in respect of bread, flour and oatmeal is £65,250,000. The bread subsidy, at present running at the rate of £5,800,000 a year, and estimated to cost £7,700,000 for the year to 31st March, 1947, consists of direct subsidy payments to bakers additional to the flour subsidy proper. This £7,700,000 is, of course, part of the total of £65,250,000 and the remainder represents the cost to the Exchequer of the flour and oatmeal subsidies, that is, the cost of the policy under which flour and oatmeal are made available to bakers and other consumers at stabilized prices.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent it is his intention during the winter months to import evaporated or full cream powdered milk to supplement the reduced milk rations available to housewives in this country.

I have purchased the maximum available quantities of evaporated milk, chiefly from the U.S.A.; the bulk of it has already arrived and some is now being distributed. In addition there will be substantial quantities of skimmed milk powder (Household Milk).

asked the Minister of Food whether in view of his ability to permit peaches and melons to be imported in substantial quantities from Mediterranean countries, arrangements will be made to import olive oil and lemons in addition from those countries.

Arrangements for the import of lemons from Mediterranean countries during the coming season are already in hand, and I shall continue my efforts to secure additional supplies of olive oil.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will furnish figures showing, as at 30th

VOTE 8 ONLY.
NUMBERS EMPLOYED AT H.M. DOCKYARD, PORTSMOUTH, ON 28TH SEPTEMBER, 1940.
Total men and women on Yard books.				Total with H. M. Forces included in foregoing.	Net numbers actually employed.
Established.		Non-established.
Men.	Women.	Men.	Women.
2,481	—	13,496	193	944	15,220

ENTRIES AND DISCHARGES DURING 6 MONTHS FROM 23RD MARCH, 1946.
ENTRIES.			DISCHARGES.
Men.	Women.	Returned from H. M. Forces.	Men.	Women.	Released to H. M. Forces.
966	9	506(a)	1,708	160	23	NET DISCHARGE 419
1,481			1,900
(a) Includes 2 women.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what progress has been made with the publication of a new and up-to-date book of instruction for chargemen in H.M. Dockyards; and when it is likely that this will he published.

The preliminary work of revision of the "Instructions for Inspectors, Chargemen, etc." is in hand, but owing to the pressure of other work, it is not expected that the book can be issued until some time next year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of engine room artificer apprentices recom-

The numbers employed as at 28th September, 1946, together with the entries and discharges during the six months' period commencing 23rd March, 1946, are as follow:mended by M.I.Es. and local selection boards for advancement to Cadet (E); and the number actually advanced in each of the years 1938 to 1946 inclusive.

The information required is as follows:

ENGINE ROOM ARTIFICER APPRENTICES.
Year.		Number Recommended for advancement to Cadet (E).	Number.
1938.	…	12	4
1939	…	8	5
1940	…	14	5
1941	…	5	4
1942	…	14	6
1943	…	12	5
1944	…	11	4
1945	…	17	6
1946	…	15	3

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty to which ratings and branches the instructional allowance, mentioned in paragraph 3 of the Annex to Admiralty Letter N796/46 of 23rd January, 1946, has been granted, the amount of such allowance and the conditions under which it is payable.

Instructor's pay at the rate of 1s. a day is granted to men qualified as instructors in the following subjects: Gunnery, Torpedo, Physical and Recreational Training, Plotting and Radar, Submarine Detection, Visual Signalling, and W/T. Ratings of the Seaman Branch are eligible for the first five categories, and Royal Marines are eligible to become gunnery instructors and P.T. instructors. The visual signals and W/T instructors belong to the Signal and W/T branches respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether a decision has now been reached as to the future of the Lakenheath aerodrome; and when the inhabitants of Lakenheath may expect to have a new road constructed to enable them to get to their shopping town of Brandon.

The future of the Lakenheath airfield and the possible construction of a new road between Lakenheath and Brandon have not yet been settled. We are doing all we can to reach an early decision, since my right hon. Friend fully realises the inconvenience and other disadvantages which the local inhabitants are experiencing at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that Regulation No. 1072, Clauses 4 and 5 of the King's Regulations for the R.A.F., requires officers of that Force, whether active or retired, to submit for the approval of the Air Council any spoken or written communication; that the right of a retired specialist medical officer to deliver a presidential address at a medical meeting was, on the authority of this regulation, questioned, with the result that the officer proposed to resign his presidential office; and whether he will consider modification of this regulation.

This doctor retired from the Royal Air Force 16 years ago, since when the clause referring to retired officers in paragraph 1072 of the King's Regulations has been removed. He should have been told so when first he made his application to the Department, and I am sorry this was not done immediately. I can assure the hon. Member that we do not intend to restrict the professional freedom of doctors in the R.A.F.

asked the Minister of Works whether it is now possible to make a more adequate allocation of sheet glass for manufacturers of greenhouses, in view of the importance of increased production of home-grown foodstuffs, with special regard to the fact that there is now a substantial amount of glass available for housing purposes and that an increased allocation would not in any way be detrimental in this respect.

Sheet glass is being made available to manufacturers of greenhouses to such extent as will not prejudice the increasing demands of housing and industry. It is also possible to obtain R glass which is in comparatively good supply and is intended for use in this connection, and to apply where necessary for imports of glass to supplement the home supply.

asked the Minister of Works how many building trade operatives are employed in Wales; how many are engaged in the erection of factories and houses, respectively, and what steps he is taking to increase this number.

At the end of August, 1946, there were approximately 36,000 building and civil engineering male operatives aged 16 and over employed in Wales; nearly 4,000 of these men were engaged on construction and extension of factories and about 13,000 on provision of additional housing accommodation. Resides general measures to increase the building labour force throughout Great Britain, such as the release of building operatives from the Forces under Class "B," steps have been taken to provide ten Building Trades Training Centres in Wales, of which seven are already in operation.

asked the Minister of Works the estimated percentage by which building costs would increase if the recent request for an increase of 6d. per hour by building trade operatives had been granted; and whether he will reconsider his refusal to grant this increase owing to the likelihood of such an increase leading to additional production.

Assuming no change in other costs or in output it is estimated that an increase of 6d. per hour in the basic rate of pay would represent between 6 and 7 per cent. of the total cost of a house of approximately 900 ft. super. As regards the second part of the Question, any wage application is a matter for consideration by the two sides of the industry.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the Cwmdu Brickworks, Skewen, Glamorganshire, are still idle; that the re-opening of the undertaking is held up by a dispute about the extent of the damage caused by enemy action; and if he will refer the dispute to arbitration and arrange for the immediate resumption of production, in view of the shortage of bricks locally.

Yes, Sir. The question whether the damage is or is not war damage is a matter for the War Damage Commission. The Commission is being consulted and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will write to my hon. Friend on this point. I am continuing my efforts to secure resumption of production as quickly as possible.

asked the Attorney-General the number of orders for possession granted against tenants of dwelling-houses by the Birmingham County Court between 30th September, 1945, and 30th September, 1946.

It has not been possible in the time available to segregate the number of possession orders made against tenants of dwelling-houses from those relating to other types of premises. The total number of orders for possession made in the Birmingham County Court between 1st October, 1945, and 30th September, 1946, inclusive, of which the orders for possession against tenants of dwelling-houses constitute the great majority is 772. Ninety-four warrants for possession were executed during the same period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take in the present circumstances to prevent motorcars being imported into this country which have only recently been exported and sold for profit at second-hand prices.

The commercial import of motorcars into the United Kingdom is already prohibited from all sources other than the Channel Islands. In the Channel Islands, there are orders in force, made under local legislation, prohibiting the export of motor vehicles to all destinations, except under licence.

asked the Minister of Education if she is aware that there is a shortage of teachers qualified to instruct deaf pupils; how many teachers have been admitted during the last three years to the special 12 months' course for teachers of the deaf in the only university in England which provides this training; and if she will consider, as a matter of emergency, giving special facilities to selected teachers in normal schools to enable them to take the special course of training for teachers of the deaf referred to, in order to secure the efficient education of these afflicted pupils.

I am aware there is a need for more teachers qualified to teach deaf children, but I would remind my hon. Friend that qualified teachers can be secured not only from the course at Manchester University but also from those who have taken the diploma examination of the National College of Teachers for the Deaf. An average of five students from England and Wales have taken the Manchester course in each of the last few years, and at least seven such students have been admitted this year. The usual grants under the Ministry's regulations are available to assist candidates, including those who are already teachers, to take this course. These grants have been substantially increased this year. As the general supply of teachers improves, further steps will be taken to secure a larger supply of teachers for schools for the deaf.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will inquire into the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of a graduate of London University who opted to be employed in the mines and who is refused release for training as a teacher although he has since taken a good arts degree and been promised a teaching post under the Ayrshire education authorities; and if he will arrange for release in this case.

I am looking into the case and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of people registered as unemployed in Wallasey on 14th October, or the nearest convenient date.

One thousand five hundred and fifteen at 16th September, the latest date for which information is available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state, by trades, the number of building trades operatives now employed in the city of Portsmouth and the number of those unemployed.

The exact number of such workers now in employment is not known, but the table below shows the number of unemployment books exchanged at July, 1946, at Portsmouth Employment Exchange and Juvenile Employment Bureau by insured persons in the building industry, and the number of such persons regis- tered as unemployed at 16th September, 1946.

	Numbers of unemployment books exchanged, July, 1946.	Numbers registered as unemployed at 16th September, 1946.
Men aged 16 and under 65:
Carpenters, Joiners	690	14
Bricklayers	412	2
Masons	12	—
Slaters, Tilers (Roof)	76	—
Plasterers	157	—
Painters, Decorators, etc.	815	3
Plumbers, Glaziers	254	4
Labourers	2,221	72
All other occupations	351	35
Boys aged 14 and 15	340	3
Women and Girls	124	—
Total	5,452	133

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to state what action he proposes to take to ensure that insurance companies give fair surrender values for death policies which holders will wish to terminate owing to the cover provided by the National Insurance Act.

This question is now being studied, and I hope to make a statement soon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the nationalisation of the Bank of England, he will now consider having inscribed on the bank notes some replica of His Majesty's head, similar to that on the coinage which is in circulation throughout the country.

I will bear this suggestion in mind.