Written Answers To Questions
Friday, 15th November, 1946
National Insurance
Staff (Recruitment)
asked the Minister of National Insurance how it is intended to recruit the 27,000 employees required for the administration of the National Insurance Scheme; and whether consideration will be given to employees in other Government civilian services who were engaged for the duration of the War.
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary to the right hon. Member for Bedwellty (Sir C. Edwards) on 29th October last, a copy of which I am sending him. My right hon. Friend is not at present in a position to say to what extent it may be necessary to recruit staff from other Government Departments.
Personal Cases
asked the Minister of National Insurance (1) why Mrs. West, 45. Pleydall Road, Northampton, FAM 2261256, who has four children under 16 years of age, has not received family allowance;(2) why Mrs. L. Stevens, 11, Langdale Road, Northampton, Pension 0451203, has not received her pension or any answers to her letters;(3) why Mrs. A. E. Bannard, 13, Brook Street, Mrs. B. B. B. Coote, 3, Raglan Street, Mrs. Newton, 20, Monks Park Road and Mr. J. W. Sargeant, 9, Romany Road, have not received their pension books and have not received any answers to their letters;(4) why Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins, 20, Melbourne Street, Northampton, have not received their pension books, numbers 52495391 and 34515353; and why they have not received an answer to their letter.
I am making inquiries into these cases and will communicate with my hon. Friend.
Surplus Army Huts, Welwyn
asked the Secretary of State for War for what purpose it is intended to use the huts at the north end of Danesbury Park, Welwyn, Herts.
The huts are surplus to my Department's requirements and negotiations are now taking place with the Middlesex County Council for their disposal before derequisitioning the land.
Broadcasts To Germany
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when the English Marginal Notes series of broadcasts to Germany was initiated; how often the talks take place; and if he will give a list of the names of all those who have broadcast and the number of broadcasts which each broadcaster has made in this series since 1st January, 1946.
The English Marginal Notes were first broadcast on 1st October, 1945. The talks are broadcast weekly in German and are repeated at a different hour on the day following the original transmission. The names of the broadcasters, and the number of broadcasts which each has made since 1st January, 1946, are as follow: H. Carleton Greene, 1; R. V. Ogilvie, 5; C. Dilke, 5; Ritchie Calder, 1; M. Latey, 1; Jean Lockhart, 1; W. M. F. Vane, M.P., 1; E. Schuetz, 1; Paul Anderson, 4; Oliver Roskill, 1; R. Gordon Walker, 1; P. C. Gordon Walker, M.P., 13; R. H. Crossman, M.P., 1; D. Walker-Smith, M.P., 7.
Condemned Food
asked the Minister of Food the amount of food condemned as unfit for human consumption after importation into this country during the last year, analysed in the most convenient categories available.MR. STRACHEY,
pursuant to his reply (Official Report, 30th October, 1946, Vol. 428, C. 96), supplied the following information:
The quantities of imported foods condemned during the past 12 months as unfit for human consumption are shown in column 3 of the following table. The figures include all food condemned whilst under the control of my Department, but exclude quantities condemned by local sanitary inspectors out of stocks held by traders. Columns 2 and 4 are inserted solely for the purposes of comparison as the figures in column 3 include not only condemnations out of imports during the
| Commodity. | Year ended 30th September, 1946 | ||
| Total Imports. | Total quantities condemned as unfit for human food. | Per cent, of Col. 3 to Col. 2. | |
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| Tons. | Tons. | ||
| 1. Eggs— | |||
| (i) Shell | 53,500 | 142 | ·26 |
| (ii) Dried | 42,000 | 46 | ·11 |
| (iii) Frozen | 6,700 | 7 | ·10 |
| 2. Fresh Fruit and Vegetables | 439,627 | 214·2 | ·05 |
| 3. Meat— | |||
| (i) Frozen | 860,000 | 227·5 | ·03 |
| (ii) Canned | 221,000 | 1,022·5 | ·46 |
| (iii) Frozen Poultry | 8,500 | — | — |
| (iv) Frozen Rabbits | 11,000 | — | — |
| 4. Fish (other than canned) | 1,009,500 (a) | 2,000 (a) | ·19 |
| 5. Oils and Fats— | — | ||
| (i) Hog Lard and Imported Compounds | 48,125 (b) | 15 | ·03 |
| (ii) Premier Jus. Stearine and Edible Tallows | 15,500 (b) | 191 | 1·23 |
| (iii) Oil Seeds | 994,776 (b) | 370 | ·03 |
| 6. Milk Products— | |||
| (i) Butter | 210,000 | 350 | ·17 |
| (ii) Cheese | 191,000 | 10 | ·01 |
| (iii) Condensed Milk | 62,000 | 384 | ·61 |
| (iv) Milk Powder | 24,000 | 3 | ·01 |
| 7. Cereals— | |||
| (i) Wheat | 3,334,495 | 1,133 | ·03 |
| (ii) Flour | 662,750 | 171·5 | ·02 |
| (iii) Oat Products | 1,062 | 1 | ·09 |
| (iv) Pulse | 59,980 | 434 | ·72 |
| (v) Soya | 11,920 | 38 | ·32 |
| 8. Dried Fruits | 147,300 | 158 | ·10 |
| 9. Edible Nuts | 20,801 | 11 | ·05 |
| 10. Maize Starch | 66,526 | — | — |
| 11. Canned Fruit | 15,254 | 25·5 (c) | ·16 |
| 12. Canned Vegetables | 6,969 | 28·0 (c) | ·40 |
| 13. Canned Jam and Marmalade | 16,178 | ·7(c) | ·004 |
| 14. Spices | 9,616 | — | — |
| 15. Bacon and Ham | 194,696 (b) | 11·9 | ·006 |
| 16. Cocoa (raw) | 115,100 | — | — |
| 17. Coffee (raw) | 44,960 | 4 | ·009 |
| 18. Tea | 161,600 | 393 | ·24 |
| 19. Sugar | 1,364,705 | 1·5 | ·0001 |
| 20. Fish Canned | 78,600 | 62·8 | ·07 |
| Gallons. | Gallons. | ||
| 21. Citrus Fruit Juices | 3,501,110 | 5,049 | ·14 |
| Tons. | Tons. | ||
| 22. Fruit Pulp | 30,933 | 18 | ·05 |
| 23. Miscellaneous Canned Foods | — | 633 | — |
| (a) Includes fish landed from British vessels. | |||
| (b) Figures relate to the 12 months ended 31st August, 1946; the September, 1946 figure not being available. | |||
| (c) Excludes some small quantities included under item 23. | |||
12 months, but also quantities condemned out of stocks. Foodstuffs condemned as unfit for human consumption are utilised to the maximum possible extent as animal food or for industrial purposes
Greetings Telegram Service
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will reintroduce greetings telegrams in time for Christmas.
Conditions in the telegraph service still preclude reintroduction of the special greetings telegram service.
| APPOINTMENTS DEPARTMENT. | |||||
| (Including Nursing Appointments.) | |||||
| — | 1942–43 | 1943–44. | 1944–45. | 1945–46. | 1946–47 (to 31st Aug., 1946). |
| Estimated total costs | £148,461 | £270,141 | £348,239 | £629,369 | £400,061 |
| 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 (to 16th Sept.). | |
| Total number of vacancies filled (calendar years) | 17,010 | 40,492 | 84,987 | 85,289 | 46,469 |
Local Authority Houses (Cost)
asked the Minister of Health what additions would be made to the sums specified in his reply to a Question, on 17th October in the last Session of Parliament, for an increase of 6d. per hour for craftsmen and 9d. per hour for labourers instead of the increases there specified.
The additions would be approximately £20 and 3d. a week respectively.
Canadian Secret Information (Report)
asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury when Members of Parliament may expect to receive, through H.M.S.O., copies of the Report of the Royal Commission appointed by the Canadian Government in February, 1946, to investigate spying
Employment (Appointments Department)
asked the Minister of Labour the cost of the Appointments Department during each 12 months since formation; and the number of vacancies filled in each period.
:by agents employed by members of the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa; and whether, in view of the importance attached by the Commissioners to the general availability of their report, he will now arrange for its supply, on sale to the public, in accordance with the undertaking already given to the hon. Member for London University.
This report is published by the Canadian Government and copies are not available to Members under the usual free supply conditions. Supplies of the report are now on the way from Canada and will be placed on sale to the public by the Stationery Office (acting as sale agents in this country for the Canadian Government) as soon as they are available.
Scotland
Marginal Agricultural Production
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average amount per recipient of marginal agricultural production subsidy paid in the different A.E.C. areas in Scotland.
The following table shows for the area of each Agricultural Executive Committee in Scotland the
| SCHEME FOR ASSISTANCE OF MARGINAL AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION | |||||
| Committee | Number of subjects assisted in season 1945. | Average Grant per subject. | |||
| £ | s. | d. | |||
| Aberdeen (Deer and Turriff) | … | 43 | 28 | 13 | 0 |
| Aberdeen (Aberdeen and Ellon) | … | 159 | 28 | 11 | 0 |
| Aberdeen (Huntly and Garioch) | … | 190 | 21 | 17 | 0 |
| Aberdeen (Alford and Deeside) | … | 559 | 23 | 7 | 0 |
| Angus | … | 137 | 68 | 14 | 0 |
| Argyll, North | … | 294 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Argyll, South | … | 215 | 16 | 7 | 0 |
| Argyll, (Islay, Jura and Colonsay | … | 170 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Arran | … | 68 | 14 | 18 | 0 |
| Ayr North | … | 164 | 49 | 1 | 0 |
| Ayr South | … | 127 | 83 | 2 | 0 |
| Banff | … | 399 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Berwick | … | 83 | 55 | 4 | 0 |
| Bute | … | 37 | 40 | 11 | 0 |
| Caithness | … | 729 | 13 | 3 | 0 |
| Dumfries | … | 381 | 27 | 12 | 0 |
| Dunbarton and Renfrew | … | 182 | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| East Lothian | … | 14 | 53 | 2 | 0 |
| Fife, East | … | 8 | 57 | 18 | 0 |
| Fife West and Kinross | … | 71 | 74 | 5 | 0 |
| Inverness (Mainland) and Nairn | … | 1,021 | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| Inverness (Skye) | … | 114 | 16 | 15 | 0 |
| Inverness (Outer Islands) | … | 13* | 93 | 18 | 0 |
| Kincardine | … | 95 | 25 | 13 | 0 |
| Kirkcudbright | … | 321 | 40 | 2 | 0 |
| Lanark | … | 361 | 22 | 12 | 0 |
| Midlothian | … | 97 | 37 | 19 | 0 |
| Moray | … | 342 | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| Orkney | … | 834 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Peebles | … | 96 | 40 | 9 | 0 |
| Perth, East | … | 393 | 26 | 4 | 0 |
| Perth West | … | 244 | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| Ross and Cromarty (Mainland) | … | 496 | 24 | 8 | 0 |
| Ross and Cromarty (Lewis and Harris) | … | 253 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| Roxburgh | … | 261 | 47 | 11 | 0 |
| Selkirk | … | 145 | 21 | 17 | 0 |
| Stirling and Clackmannan | … | 158 | 39 | 19 | 0 |
| Sutherland | … | 860 | 7 | 19 | 0 |
| West Lothian | … | 81 | 47 | 10 | 0 |
| Wigtown | … | 309 | 14 | 11 | 0 |
| Zetland | … | 751 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 11,274 | 21 | 5 | 0 | ||
| *Note.—In this area townships embracing several holdings are reckoned as one subject. | |||||
Oats, Caithness (Acreage Cost)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the cost per acre of growing oats in Caithness; and what is the average yield of the estimated profit and loss per acre.
I regret that complete data on the cost of production of oats in Caithness are not available. In 1945,
approximate average grant per recipient under the Scheme for the Assistance of Marginal Agricultural Production in 1945. The numbers of subjects assisted are also given.
on three farms in Caithness, the average cost per acre was £10 14s. 4d. The average yield per acre of these farms was 15 cwt., worth £11 8s. 9d. at 1945–46 prices. To this must be added the value of the straw produced—about one ton per acre. As the hon. Member knows, however, the oats grown in this area are for the most part not sold but are fed to livestock.