asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities have notified her Department that they are prepared to take part in the scheme of Engineering Cadetships, 1946–47; and what progress is being made with the scheme.

Nineteen local education authorities have indicated that they are prepared to take part in the scheme. In addition to the Colleges mentioned in the reply which I gave on 21st November courses have now been arranged at the following Colleges: Blackburn Technical College, Leicester College of Technology, Loughborough College, Dolcoath Technical College, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Technical College, and Bournemouth Technical College.

asked the Minister of Education the total number of students over 14 years of age who were undergoing full-time education in all types of educational establishments in England and Wales on 30th June, 1946, in grant-aided schools.

In January, 1946, there were 344,627 pupils over 14 on the registers of grant-aided schools. Figures for students in establishments of Further Education are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now give the figures for the expenditure, in addition to the sum of £500 paid for damages, incurred by the defendants in the action Odium versus Stratton, and defrayed by his Department.

Mr. Odium's solicitors have not yet submitted their bill of costs, and consequently it is not possible to state the total sum payable by my Department in respect thereof.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the value of the recent report prepared for him by an economist as to the annual monetary cost of road accidents, he will arrange in the near future for a similar report to be made indicating the annual monetary loss caused through inadequate roads, bottlenecks, traffic-jams and bad layout.

I should be glad to know what is the annual monetary loss to the country due to traffic congestion, but, so far, although the advice of a number of experts has been sought, no reliable method has been suggested of obtaining this figure.

asked the Minister of Food if he will consider the extension of the Weights and Measures Acts to include fruit and vegetables at the grower and wholesale stages.

I have been asked to reply. As was stated in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for North Tottenham (Mr. Irving) on 30th October, we recognise the need for an inquiry into weights and measures legislation, but we cannot say when it will be practicable to put such an inquiry in hand. When this inquiry is undertaken the question of weights and measures legislation in relation to fruits and vegetables will be considered.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that property in this country belonging to Jews and anti-Nazis of enemy nationality who were murdered in enemy countries during the war now vests in the Custodian of Enemy Property; and whether he will undertake to change the present arrangements so that the relatives of such persons, who escaped to this country, may now be assured of the enjoyment of their deceased relatives' property.

Yes, Sir. The ultimate disposal of this property depends partly on the result of inter-Custodian discussions which are now proceeding at the Inter-Allied Reparation Agency in Brussels, but, pending a final settlement, I am prepared to permit the natural heirs or legatees of a victim of Nazi persecution, who are permanently resident in the United Kingdom, to receive their net share of the property of the deceased which is now under the control of the Custodian, subject to their claims as beneficiaries being legally established and defined.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of students over 14 years of age who were undergoing full-time education in all types of educational establishments in Scotland on 30th June, 1946.

I regret that statistics relating to all types of educational establishments in Scotland are not available but I shall forward to the hon. Member such particulars as are supplied to the Scottish Education Department as soon as these have been received for the date in question.

asked the Minister of Food the long-term policy regarding the licensing and registration of food shops.

I am sorry that I cannot do so yet. The whole of this large subject, on which my Department has invited and received the views of a great number of national organisations representing retail food traders, is now under active consideration.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the serious discrepancies between the reputed and actual weights of many packages of imported fruit; and whether he will take steps to deal with this.

I have received no complaints about serious discrepancies of the kind to which my hon. Friend refers. Retail sales of fruit, whether home grown or imported, are subject to the provisions of the Sale of Food (Weights and Measures) Act, 1926. The need for similar legislative protection in relation to sales by wholesale is a matter for the consideration of my right hon. and learned Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Works what the rise in the level of building material prices is estimated to have been between the beginning of the year and the end of September, 1946; in respect of which materials price advances have taken place; whether all these have been authorised by his Department; where they have been authorised and on what grounds; what the production and labour force was for each material concerned at the beginning and end of the period, respectively; and whether he is satisfied that in any case where the productivity of labour appears to have increased during

TABLE. Material. Unit. December, 1945. September, 1946. Monthly Production. Labour. Monthly Production. Labour. Bricks, all types* Nos. … 16,142 39,771 000's … 114,203 363,758 Metal Windows, etc. Nos. … 5,922 8,481 Tons … 2,928 5,665 Sand and Gravel Nos. … 7,294 8,817 Cu. Yds. … 1,392,000 2,081,457 Salt Glazed Pipes and Conduits, etc. Nos. … 4,276 7,212 Tons … 20,251 37,858 Roofing Slates Nos. … 3,992 4,894 Tons … 6,773 9,832 Glazed Tiles* Nos. … 3,946 7,221 Sq. Yds. … 284,437 487,396 Glass Nos. … 8,650 10,100 Cwts. … 418,343 548,860 Sanitary Ware* Nos. … 5,938 Units … 116,299 215,587 Clay Roofing Tiles* Nos. … 3,321 5,538 Sqrs. … 21,146 50,260 Wall Partition Blocks (Clay)* Nos. … 283 Sq. Yds. … 55,187 134,636 * Composite Industries.

the period this has been taken fully into account by his Department in deciding whether any price advance was justified.

The level of building material prices increased between the beginning of the year and the end of September by an amount varying on the whole from 10 per cent. to 15 per cent. according to the type and location of building. The materials for which I am responsible and in which increases of maximum price have been announced are given in the table following this reply together with such approximate figures as are available of the production and labour forces at the beginning and end of the period. The price increases received my sanction which was given on the ground of increased operational costs due mainly to advances in wages, fuel and transport charges. The reply to the last part of the Question is in the affirmative.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Slovenes were handed over by the British Army to Yugoslavia in May, 1945; if he has any knowledge of their subsequent fate; how many escaped Slovenes are now in Italy; and if His Majesty's Government have any policy with regard to these people.

A group of some 900 Yugoslav quisling troops in enemy uniform were captured by British troops in May. 1945, and were handed over to the Yugoslav military authorities. It is not known how many of these were Slovenes. There is no certainty about their subsequent fate. There are some 2,000 Slovene refugees in Allied Commission camps in Italy. His Majesty's Government regard the refugee problem as being one of international concern and support the proposal of forming an international refugee organisation to deal with the repatriation or resettlement of these unfortunate people.

asked the Attorney-General when it is proposed to introduce a Bill to carry out the Report of the Committee on Legal Aid and Legal Advice, Cmd. 6641, 1945.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 28th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham (Mr. Hale).