asked the Minister of Supply what action he is taking to increase the production of electric motors and when such action is likely to be effective.

Every encouragement has been given to the electric motor industry to increase production by the allocation of resources for expanding capacity, including factories in development areas, by securing a high preference for labour requirements, by arrangements for the protection of skilled workers from call-up, and by assistance in the provision of raw materials. Manufacturing capacity is increasing and will continue to increase during 1947, but unfortunately the shortage of materials, particularly electrical sheet, is at present preventing its full exploitation. We are doing all we can to increase supplies, but it is not possible to say when these measures will be fully effective.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the handicap suffered by machine-tool makers in their attempt to increase production as a result of the shortage of electric motors; and whether he will arrange for an increased allocation of electric motors to be made to machine-tool makers.

The shortage of electric motors is unfortunately affecting a number of other important industries as well as the machine tool industry. There is no system of Government allocation of electric motors of less than 1,000 h.p., and I do not consider that any such system is practicable. The solution lies in increasing the total production of electric motors and we are doing all we can.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why Mrs. Mills, 16 Nursery Lane, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, pension number 01504118, has not received her pension book.

I am having inquiries made and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were employed in the Appointments Department during the first six months of 1946; and how many vacancies were filled during that period.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) on 15th October.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what conditions his regulations oblige film exhibitors to advise the public when films shown may not be seen by children unaccompanied by adults.

This obligation is imposed by conditions in the licence granted by the licensing authorities under the Cinematograph Act, 1909. The model conditions recommended by the Home Office and usually adopted require, inter alia, that immediately before the exhibition of a film its category shall be shown in a legible manner to the audience, that every poster advertisement shall indicate the category, and that at the entrance to the cinema a notice shall be prominently displayed, giving the title and category of the film and the approximate time at which the shewing of each film begins with the information that while films in category A are being shown no persons under the age of 16 may be admitted to, or remain in, the cinema unless accompanied by their parent or adult guardian

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he will announce the scheme of compensation to British subjects whose property was seized by the Japanese in Malaya.

A scheme of compensation cannot be drawn up until the Malayan Governments have received and considered the report of the Malayan War Damage Claims Commission. As stated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for West Leicester (Mr. Janner) on 16th October, the establishment of that Commission has unfortunately been delayed by the illness of the person originally selected as Chairman. But other arrangements are now being made and I hope to be in a position to make an announcement on the subject shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action has been taken in regard to the re-establishment of the leave and other facilities to members of the Federated Workers Trade Union in Trinidad, which were suspended after the strike of railway, housing and other workers last February.

The Governor has already been asked for a report and I will write my hon. Friend later.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present position regarding those existing temporary civil servants who have been nominated for posts as assistant experimental officers in the experimental officer class of the Civil Service but who, at 18th November, 1946, had not been invited to attend an interview; and when it is likely that these temporary civil servants, some of whom have 20 years' service, will be relieved of anxiety regarding their future employment.

Temporary civil servants eligible for establishment in the basic grades of the experimental officer class as provided in the last sentence of paragraph 25 of Command Paper 6679 are selected by their Departments within a quota of vacancies to he filled by this method; and there is no central interview by the Civil Service Commission. A provision quota for each employing Department has recently been agreed with the staff association concerned, and the selection of staff eligible for inclusion in the quota is now proceeding.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in changing over to the new coinage, he will arrange for the minting of a greater proportion of shillings compared with sixpences, so many of the former being absorbed by the slot-meter system in recent years.

There is no general shortage of shilling pieces. Supplies are available to the banks if local shortage arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what grounds the Whitehead Industrial Trust, Limited, was permitted, under Defence (Finance) Regulations, 1939, to make a new public issue of shares in James Nelson, Limited; and what advantages are expected to accrue to the textile industry from this flotation.

This transaction was an offer for sale of existing shares and did not involve the raising of new money. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given yesterday by my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Clitheroe (Mr. Randall).

asked the Assistant Postmaster General if he will publish in HANSARD a list of those hon. Members who have broadcast the "Week in Westminster" talk since the present Parliament began, together with the number of occasions on which each has given the talk and the party to which he or she belongs.

These arrangements are a matter for the B.B.C. and if my hon. Friend will communicate with the B.B.C. I have no doubt that they will be happy to supply him with the information for which he asks.