asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is satisfied that everything is being done to stamp out black-marketing activities in East Africa; and if he will consider calling in East African currency notes of the value of 100s. and over.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes, Sir." As regards the second part of the Question, the matter is primarily one for the Governments concerned, who have not hitherto found it desirable to recommend action on the lines indicated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the proposals for inter-territorial organisation in East Africa.

Yes, Sir. My hon. Friend will be aware that proposals for an improved scheme of inter-territorial co-ordination in East Africa were issued as a basis for public discussion at the end of 1945 in a non-Parliamentary paper, Colonial No. 191. Wide consultations subsequently took place in the East African Territories and I was fortunate enough, during my visit to East Africa last year, to have the opportunity of discussing the proposals with members of all communities in each of the Territories. Recently the Governors of the three Territories have, on my instructions, held consultations with the unofficial members of the Legislative Councils, and, following these consultations, modified proposals are today being issued as a basis for further public discussion and debate in the Legislative Councils of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika. The modified proposals, which should be regarded as replacing the proposals for re-organisation contained in paragraphs 12–37 of Colonial 191, are contained in a paper of which copies are being placed in the Library of the House. I hope that, following the debates in the Legislative Councils, it will be possible to take steps to bring the new inter-territorial scheme into effect, in order to meet the pressing need for establishing a constitutional framework for the efficient administration of the inter-territorial services and for associating representatives of the public with the work of these services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the total expenditure on the construction and upkeep of the Government Hostel at Kampala, Uganda.

I am consulting the Governor about this Question and shall communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as his reply arrives.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Colonial Governments have introduced Income Tax since July, 1945.

The only Colonial territory in which Income Tax has been introduced since July, 1945, is the Virgin Islands—one of the Presidencies in the Leeward Islands Colony. Income Tax was, of course, already in force in most Colonial Dependencies before that date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give the latest available figures of unemployment in Trinidad and the other West Indian Colonies.

I regret that it is not possible to give accurate figures of unemployment, which would in any case be misleading, since in West Indian conditions the main problem is one of underemployment or partial employment. The results of the West Indian census taken in 1946, when they can be analysed, will, it is hoped, throw further light on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give the latest available figures of the incidence of hookworm in the West Indian Colonies; and also the prewar figures.

The only figures which I could give would be those for attendances at hospital for hookworm treatment in 1939 and (for two territories only) in 1945. These figures, however, would be quite valueless as an indication of the incidence of the disease

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what increase is now to be made in the pensions of ex-employees of the Borneo Company, on the lines of that given to some former employees of Colonial Governments.

I have taken up with the Governor the question of increasing these pensions temporarily on the same basis as that applied to pensioners of most Colonial Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement on constitutional changes in Hong Kong.

On 1st May my predecessor announced in this House that His Majesty's Government had had under consideration the means by which, in Hong Kong, as elsewhere in the Colonial Empire, the inhabitants of the territory could be given a fuller and more responsible share in the management of their own affairs. He went on to say that it was thought that one possible method of achieving this end would be by handing over certain functions of internal administration to a Municipal Council constituted on a fully representative basis but that the Governor had been asked thoroughly to examine these important issues in consultation with the representatives of all sections of the community in Hong Kong.The Governor and his advisers held these consultations and, after considering other alternatives, he came to the conclusion, with which I agree, that

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that, although the International Rubber Regulation Agreement came to an end in 1943, the Rubber Regulation Enactments, passed to implement that agreement in so far as they relate to replanting and new planting in Malaya and the Straits Settlements, remain in force; and if he will take immediate steps to secure the repeal of those enactments as impeding rehabilitation of the rubber industry in Malaya and the Straits Settlements and preventing it competing effectively with other rubber-producing counries both within and without the British Empire.

I am aware that Rubber Regulation Enactments have so far remained on the Statute Books in the Malayan Union. Immediate steps are, however, being taken to grant total exemption from all provisions in the legislation which prohibit the planting of rubber plants or seeds.

asked the Minister of Defence what will be the approximate increases in the acreage proposed to be occupied by Service Departments on Dartmoor and in the Purbeck area, as compared with the acreages in those two areas occupied prior to 1939 by the War Department as artillery ranges and for tank training, respectively.

The total area involved in Service proposals for all purposes on Dartmoor was given in my right hon. friend, the Prime Minister's statement on 25th February. The War Office require some 19,000 acres for an artillery range. This compares with some 8,000 acres immediately before the war expanded to 14,000 acres at an early stage of the war. The area of 6,940 acres at Purbeck, also referred to in the Prime Minister's statement, was not held by the War Office before the war; it is required as a tank range.

asked the Minister of Food the price per ton now being paid for linseed bought in Argentina; the price paid to British farmers for the 1946 linseed crop; and the price that will be paid for the 1947 crop.

We are not buying Argentine linseed and have bought none for a considerable time. The Ministry's price for home grown linseed of the 1946 crop was £30 per ton. With a view to increasing our supplies of linseed oil and oilcake, a scheme to encourage a substantial increase in British acreage will be announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture within a few days. As part of this scheme, it has been decided to raise the price to £40 a ton for the next two seasons, that is, for the 1947 and 1948 crops.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the shortage of potatoes in the Macclesfield and Congleton area; and if his officers will consult the wholesalers in this area with a view to improving distribution.

I am sorry that weather conditions have caused shortages of potatoes in this and other areas. My Department is doing everything possible to increase supplies and will gladly consider any suggestions made by traders.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now abolish the system of wholesale and selling agents' licences under the fresh fruit and vegetables division, since supplies are now more plentiful than when the system was established, and in view of the fact that these licences have created a closed market and a privileged class to dealers to the detriment of both producer and consumer.

As stated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 3rd February, my right hon. Friend has under consideration the relaxation of the present restrictions. At the moment, I am not in a position to add to that statement.

asked the Minister of Food if, with reference to the expression, "all other powers him enabling," contained in S.R. & O., 1947, No. 217 & 231, respectively, he will identify the powers.

These powers are to revoke or vary a previous Order, and they derive from Regulation 98 of the Defence Regulations.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the complaints by fish friers of the unsatisfactory quality of hardened P.K.O.; and if he will discontinue this substitute for compound lard and allow allocations of dripping for fish frying instead.

No hardened palm kernel oil is being distributed to fish friers at present. We are, however, still distributing soft palm kernel oil, and although we realise that it is not ideal for fish frying, I regret that we must continue to use it during the present shortage both of groundnut oil and of dripping.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will make periodical reports of progress on the Rhodesia, Tanganyika and Kenya mechanised groundnut scheme.

Yes, Sir. We propose to make the first report in September this year, and thereafter, during the period of development of the Scheme, to make progress reports at intervals of approximately six months.

asked the Minister of Food whether the intake of rationed food of the average British rationed person is at present of the order of 1,400 calories per day; and what respective supplement in calories the average person in a household and the single person living alone is reckoned by him to obtain from a normal expenditure of points.

pursuant to her reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, I2th February, 1947;Vol. 433, c. 370], supplied the following information:The figures of 1,400 calories for rationed foods is reached by strict reference to the amount of such foods allowed to the ordinary consumer, whereas the average of 2,900 calories covering all commodities is obtained by dividing the calorie value of the total foods moving into civilian consumption by the number of the civilian population. The two cannot, therefore, be readily compared. The dispersion around the average of 2,900 calories must be very wide, as it includes at one end of the scale such consumers as children, whose intake is considerably less than the average, and at the other end heavy workers who receive considerably more. Between these extremes there are many gradations. The average of 2,900 calories over the whole community is greater than the weighted average requirement of the population.

asked the Minister of Defence what is the approximate number of men serving in each of the three Services in each age and Service group from 46 upwards at the most recent date for which such information is available.

The approximate figures are as follow:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will make a statement about improved conditions of service and rates of promotion to senior officers' rank of warrant officers R.N.

I regret I am not in a position to make any statement on this subject at present. As the hon. Member will be aware, a Committee under the Chairmanship of Admiral Sir Percy Noble has been inquiring into the future of warrant officers of the Royal Navy. This Committee has now presented its Report which is at present under examination.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why his Department requires in its contracts that the contractor shall grant office accommodation with telephone to a trade union representative to be stationed on the site of the contract; what are the duties of the representative; who pays for his expense; and who appoints him.

During the war important Government works contracts, which were often carried out in remote areas, provided for the employment of a site officer to facilitate the solution of labour difficulties, etc., on the site, and for the provision by the contractor of office accommodation and telephone facilities for his use. These officers were appointed by the Ministry of Works on nomination by the operatives' side of the building industry. The expenses were at first met by the individual department concerned as an addition to the contract price, but after September, 1943, the cost was met by the Ministry of Works. The system came to an end in the autumn of 1946, and it was by an oversight that provision for the facilities in question was included in a few recent Admiralty contract documents inviting tenders.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many of the 40 ex-Dartmouth cadets and 53 special entry cadets successful in the passing out examinations announced on Tuesday, 4th February, commenced their education in elementary schools.

So far as can be ascertained from the information supplied by parents when the boys were entered, five of the 40 ex-Dartmouth cadets who recently passed out began their education in elementary schools. The 53 special entry cadets who passed out include seven cadets under training for the Royal Indian and Royal New Zealand Navies. Of the 46 R.N. cadets, it is known that two ex-artificer apprentices attended elementary schools before joining the Royal Navy, but I regret that there is no information available to show at what schools the other boys began their education.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will waive the requirement of a credit in Latin in school certificate for candidates for commissions in the electrical branch of the R.N.

Yes, Sir. As a result of my hon. Friend's previous question further inquiries were made of the Cambridge University authorities and I am glad to be able to state that they have now agreed that officers of the electrical branch of the Royal Navy going into residence shall be excused the previous examination. This means that the Latin qualification will not now be required.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will now state what developments or changes are to take place at the R.N. air station at Crail.

The R.N. Air Station at Crail is to be reduced to a state of care and maintenance in the near future, but the possibility of employing the station for other naval purposes is under consideration. I will inform the hon. Member of the decision within the next fortnight

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what has been the saving of power to the national grid during the weeks ending 15th-22nd February, resulting from the emergency supply of electric power at Devonport Dockyard from H.M. submarines.

The use of submarines to generate electric power at Devonport Dockyard has not affected the use of electricity from the national grid from which a small amount is drawn to supplement the supply from the Dockyard Generating Station. It has, however, resulted in a saving of coal used at the Dockyard Generating Station of 214 tons for week ending 15th February, and 350 tons for week ending 22nd February, 1947.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty for what purpose it is proposed to use the houses originally built as married quarters in St. Mary's Barracks, Chatham.

Proposals are now under consideration for using these houses again as married quarters.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why no Whitley Council machinery is in existence for dealing with the affairs of the locally entered staffs employed in His Majesty's Dockyard in Gibraltar, in view of the fact that the staffs have repeatedly signified their desire for such machinery.

The whole question of representative machinery for locally entered staff abroad is at present under consideration. Provided it were recognised to be without prejudice to these discussions, there is no reason why the prewar District Whitley Committee at Gibraltar, on which locally entered staff were represented, should not be revived if the Staff Associations comprising the staff side as a whole so desire.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) whether, in view of the fact that United Kingdom staffs are sent to Malta and Gibraltar for periods of service in order to widen their experience and increase their efficiency, he will introduce reciprocal arrangements under which Maltese and Gibraltarian staffs can be sent for tours of duty in this country for a similar purpose;(2) whether, in view of the decision to allow Maltese and Gibraltarians to enter examinations for appointments to the executive grades in the British Civil Service, he will agree that existing established civil servants locally entered at Malta and Gibraltar shall be eligible for promotion to executive posts in these two Colonies and that the practice of sending out staffs from the United Kingdom to fill these posts shall cease so long as there are qualified locally entered staffs available for promotion.

The suggestions contained in these two Questions have already been put forward, in relation to Malta, by the appropriate Staff Association and are now under consideration. It is hoped to send a reply to the Association shortly.

asked the Parliamenrary Secretary to the Admiralty why he considers it necessary to retain so many dentists in the R.N. that a man can have almost immediate attention, whereas in civilian life a patient has to make an appointment three or four weeks ahead.

A large proportion of the Navy serves in small ships or in isolated units where immediate facilities for emergency dental treatment may not be available. In order, therefore, to reduce the occasion for such treatment to a minimum, it is essential to maintain a high degree of dental fitness. For this purpose the Navy must retain a sufficient number of dental officers to provide for examination of all men before drafting afloat or abroad in addition to normal treatment of officers and men serving ashore.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether it is his intention, to restore the greetings telegrams this year; and if so, when they will be available.

Conditions in the telegraph service at present preclude reintroduction of the greetings telegram service, and in view of the national manpower situation, I regret that I cannot say when this service is likely to be restored.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether the C.D. line, Bexleyheath 3664, has been relinquished by the local authority; and whether it has been allotted to another subscriber.

The answer to both parts of the Question is "Yes, Sir."

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when he expects to be able to undertake the underground cable work for the telephone service in the Bexleyheath area; and when the first additional subscribers may be expected to benefit from this work.

The work is already in hand and it is hoped that by June the first cable will be sufficiently advanced to enable additional subscribers to be given service.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General why the Post Office still make a charge for hand microphone telephone instruments.

The supply situation does not at present permit of free replacement of existing pedestal telephones by hand-microphones and in these circumstances I think it is right to maintain the nonrecurring charge when a hand-microphone is provided.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will enter into an arrangement with the Australian Government in order to reduce the postage on food parcels sent to this country.

The proportion of the postage which is credited to the United Kingdom Post Office is not more than sufficient to cover the expense of handling these parcels in this country, and it would not be reasonable to ask the Australian Authorities to reduce their charges, particularly in view of the arrangement in force by which gifts of food can be sent as freight without expense to the donor.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the number of temporary Post Office employees who have had their employment terminated since 1st July, 1946, and the number of new staff taken on during the same period.

During the period from 1st July, 1946, to 1st January, 1947, the latest date for which figures are available, there was a net decrease of 1,570 in the temporary staff while the total staff of the Post Office (permanent and temporary) increased by 1,683. On available information I am unable to say how y temporary staff resigned, were disged or were appointed to the pertent staff during this period, or how many new recruits were taken on, and the information could not be collected without an inordinate amount of work.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether a franking machine could be installed in the Members' Post Office to ease the work of the Post Office staff and to save Member's time in stamping letters.

There is no franking machine now in use which could be installed with advantage at the House of Commons Post Office, but the use of other machines is under examination and I will see that the hon. Member's suggestion is borne in mind. I do not, however, anticipate early developments.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how much the reduction would be in the Post Office surplus if postage was reduced by one half-penny per letter.

The reduction in the Post Office surplus would be about £7,600,000.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General to what extent the transmitting power of the overseas programmes of the B.B.C. has been cut as a result of the present coal shortage, and what steps he is taking, in view of the necessity to maintain the voice of Britain at full strength in areas where the export trade is being developed.

Current has been saved by reducing the transmitting power of the B.B.C's extra-European services by about 50 per cent. and that of the European services on short waves by about 25 per cent. The cuts have been distributed so as to ensure that the voice of Britain should not be silent in any part of the world at important listening times.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what propor- tion of married R.A.F. personnel serving on Regular engagement overseas are accompanied by their wives; whether married personnel are allowed to make their own arrangements for their wives to join them when quarters are not available; and whether transport is provided in these cases.

I have asked the overseas commands to let me know what proportion of their married officers and airmen have their families with them, and as soon as I receive their answers, I will write to the hon. and gallant Member. Any officer or airman is at liberty to find private accommodation for his family, if he can; but in most commands the shortage of accommodation is so great that not many of them can, in practice do so. If the officer or airman would be entitled to a public married quarter, were one available, and if he has succeeded in finding private lodgings, then his family are transported by the Government free of charge

asked the Secretary of State for Air upon what grounds the tour of duty in an overseas area is decided; and what is the reason for the tour of duty in India, without home leave, being six months longer than the tour of duty in B.A.F.O., Germany, with home leave, and one year longer than the tour of duty in Gibraltar and the Azores.

Overseas tours of duty in the Royal Air Force vary in length in different places, because the climatic and other conditions of life and service are widely different. The tour in Gibraltar is shorter than in India, because the garrison of Gibraltar is confined within a very narrow space; moreover, when the tour in Gibraltar is finished, an officer or airman serves six months at home and may then be posted further East. The same was true of the Azores, when R.A.F. units were stationed there. After a tour in Germany, an officer or airman is given leave in the United Kingdom, and may then be sent to some other station overseas. After a tour in India, however, an officer or airman comes home, and is not usually sent to another distant command for 18 months or more. I hope my hon. Friend may think well of these arrangements, which I have reason to believe are in accordance with the wishes of the members of the Royal Air Force.

asked the Minister of Defence the reason for there being considerable differences between overseas tours of duty in various R.A.F. commands and areas when, in the Army, there are no such considerable differences.

I have been asked to reply. Most tours of duty in the Royal Air Force overseas do not include any home leave, and differences in climate and living conditions are taken into account in fixing the length of the tour in different areas. Overseas tours in the Army are longer than in the R.A.F. but there are opportunities for a spell of home leave which makes it practicable to have a standard length of tour.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the maintenance cost at the Strubby aerodrome, Lincolnshire; whether he is aware of the local dissatisfaction at the waste of money, since this aerodrome has not been used for the past 18 months; and if he will make a statement as to its future.

The total maintenance costs of the airfield at Strubby, Lincolnshire, are £24,000 a year. For the last 15 months the airfield buildings have been used for storing R.A.F. equipment and nearly all the land is being farmed by the local agricultural executive committee. Strubby is one of the airfields we intend to keep for the postwar Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether any steps are being taken to provide heating apparatus in the barrack blocks of No. 3 R.O.S.U., B.C./Air Station, Miho.

As my hon. Friend will be aware from my answer of 12th February to the hon. Member for Brighton (Mr. Teeling) the difficulty in heating at Miho has been in the sleeping quarters. Since I made that answer, over l00 large stoves have been issued to the station. At the end of February, 25 had already been installed. Permanent steam heating is also being installed as quickly as the shortage of skilled labour permits. I am now receiving regular progress reports on this subject; they will continue to have my personal attention until these difficulties have been completely overcome.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is satisfied that there is no unnecessary delay of airmail at B.C./Air, Iwakuni.

According to my information the handling of airmail at Base Postal Unit, Iwakuni, is satisfactory; as a general rule, within two days of its arrival there, mail is delivered to other addresses in Japan. I should be grateful to my hon. Friend, however, if he would let me know of any cases of delay of which he is aware.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the fact that the Government's assurances regarding the holding of public local inquiries and consultation with amenity organisations in connection with land acquisition by the Service Departments extend to the land requirements of his Department, he will ensure that a public inquiry is held before any decision is reached regarding the permanent retention of Lakenheath airfield, Suffolk.

There would be security objections to a public inquiry but arrangements are already in train for a full consultation with the local authorities and the representatives of the commoners and amenity societies.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he is aware that a landing charge of 12s. 6d. is made at both Cardiff and Bristol on a return journey occupying only 10 minutes each way in addition to the fee for the flight; whether he is aware that no landing charges are made in the U.S.A.; and if he will consider the abolition of such charges on all British routes.

In accordance with the current scale of landing fees at State con- trolled aerodromes a charge of 12S. 6d. is payable for aircraft the maximum permissible weight of which exceed 2,000 lb. but does not exceed 4,000 lb. There is no fee for the flight. The answer to the second and third parts of the Question is "No, Sir."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why the completion of the facilities of the aerodrome at Llandow, South Wales, has been so long delayed, in view of the fact that it was in actual use at the termination of the war and little work was required on it to render it available for civilian use; why Bristol aerodrome is being made the western centre for many internal services; and whether he will take steps to accelerate the completion of Llandow and Cardiff and so arrange that these be designated as the terminals for all principal airlines.

When the aerodrome facilities at Llandow were made available to the Ministry of Civil Aviation by the Air Ministry, there were no buildings suitable for passenger handling or capable of adaptation to that purpose. For the reasons I gave in reply to my hon. Friend on 29th January last, progress with the necessary accommodation has been slower than was expected. Tenders have, however, now been received and every effort will be made to complete the work during the slimmer. As to the second part of the Question, there is no intention of making Bristol a centre for internal air services to the exclusion of Cardiff. With regard to the last part of the Question, as operating and ground facilities become available, both cities will be provided with direct air services to the principal business and holiday centres in England and Wales.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation the landing and take-off speeds of all aircraft engaged in civil aviation.

It would be extremely difficult to classify the comprehensive detail requested by my hon. Friend, especially in relation to foreign aircraft. Landing and take-off speeds vary with the loaded weights of aircraft, the atmospheric conditions and the topographical features of aerodromes. In general, the take-off speed of current types of civil transport aircraft ranges broadly between 80 and 95 miles per hour, the corresponding figures for landing speed being 60 and 105 miles per hour. I will gladly furnish the hon. Member with information in regard to any specific types, if he will communicate- with me.

asked the. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has for the adaptation of the Krupps works at Essen to peace production.

Plans for the liquidation of Krupps, Essen, including the question of retaining certain plants for peacetime purposes, are under discussion between the four Powers in Berlin and I am therefore not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those foodstuffs in the British zone, the distribution of which has so far fallen below the 1,550 calories ration scale agreed on in the Anglo-U.S. bi-zonal food programme.

In January the only material deficiency was in processed cereal foodstuffs, representing an average loss of about 80 calories a day. In February there were additional shortages of cheese, skimmed milk and, in Niedersachsen only, of fish; these increased the daily loss to about roe calories. The deficiency in cereals for both months will be made good as soon as possible; the other items cannot be replaced. Meat was also short in February, although extra distributions of sugar prevented any loss of calories.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what extent raw materials are sent to Germany for processing and subsequently returned to this country.

A limited quantity of cotton has been imported into the British zone for spinning and re-export to the United Kingdom. In addition a small quantity of wool has been washed, combed and spun in the United States zone for re-export to this country. It is intended to develop this trade and negotiations are proceeding for several processing transactions in the textile and other industries.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will state and explain the arrears in Soviet deliveries to the British zone under the terms of the trade agreement.

Receipts in the British zone of bread grains, oats, brown coal briquettes, pitprops, tyre cording, chemical pulp and newsprint are in arrears. On the other hand, there have been substantial over-deliveries of potatoes. I understand that frozen canals and ice in the Baltic ports have been major factors in delaying deliveries.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why civilian letters from the British zone of Germany are still subject to censorship.

The reasons for the imposition of this censorship were given in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich (Mr. Paton) on 29th January, when I stated the matter was under review by the occupying powers in Berlin.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why all printed matter, however innocuous is removed by the censor from letters sent to this country from the British zone of Germany.

Whilst initially the censorship regulations in Germany were necessarily rigid in the interests of security they have since been modified and do not now require the removal of printed matter which is clearly unobjectionable.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what production for the second, third and fourth quarters of 1946 was forecast by the North German Coal Control and the North German Iron and Steel Control for the commodities with which they are respectively concerned; and what production was, in each case, actually achieved.

The following is the information:

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many German civilians have been evacuated from the Sauerland district of Westphalia, in the British zone, to make room for Belgian military forces; what percentage of German families are thus affected; and what provision was made for those compulsorily evacuated.

About 5,600 Germans have been moved from this district representing 0.56 per cent. of the total German population. 3,200 have been rehoused elsewhere in the district; 2,400 have been accommodated in the Minden area.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the Nazi conspiracy recently unearthed in Germany; and if he will indicate the measure of support it was receiving from the German people.

We have for some time been assembling information about the ramifications of this German subversive organisation and sufficient information had been collected by 22nd February to enable effective action to be taken in the British and American zones. The object of the organisation was the reviving of German militarism and aggressive nationalism. One hundred and eleven persons are in custody among whom are 48 war criminals, high S.S. officers and other leading personalities. The indications are that the majority of the German people were unaware of the movement.

asked the Minister of Labour if underground coalminers who are to be exempt from call-up to the Forces are also to be relieved from service in the Territorial Forces.

I presume the hon. Member is referring to the position under the National Service Bill which is shortly to be introduced, under which it is proposed to impose certain reserve obligations upon men who are called up after the end of 1948. So long as underground coal-miners are not called up to the Forces they will not have any reserve obligations.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many of the 180,650 civil servants employed and living outside the London area are to remain permanently; what are the numbers and regional headquarters, respectively, of Government Departments located in the provinces; and whether they are excluded from the above figure.

The possibility of the return to London of staffs evacuated during the war and the permanent dispersal from London of parts of the headquarters organisations of Government Departments are now being examined. Details of the Departments with regional centres in the provinces and the numbers of such centres were given in my reply to the hon. Member on 14th February. The figure of 180,650 included 21,500 employed at Regional Centres. In addition, I should say that the Service Departments and Ministry of Supply employ a total number of 102,835 outside London, of whom 883 are employed in the regional offices of the Admiralty and Ministry of Supply; the War Office and Air Ministry are not organised on a Regional basis.Approximate numbers of staff employed in the main regional centres are given in the following table. It should be noted that in addition there are staffs in local offices in each town to meet local as distinct from regional needs.

asked the Minister of Health how many survivors from missing ships who are unaware of their own identity are being cared for in mental hospitals.

There are only two patients in mental hospitals whose identity is unknown and there is nothing to indicate that they are survivors from missing ships.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many forms used by the Ministry of Food are printed by the Wholesale Co-operative Societies; and what is the average monthly cost of such printing.

Since the beginning of 1946 three at a cost of £352; I am unable to say what the average monthly cost of printing is for all forms. This printing is awarded as the result of competitive tender.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has considered the representations made to him by Messrs. Chiswick Products, Limited, concerning the resumption of work suspended owing to the fuel shortage; and what action he is taking.

General resumption of the use of power by industry in the London and South Eastern Region having now been authorised, the question does not now arise.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will make a statement on the failure of his Department to issue new pension books to pensioners in the village of Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, details of which have been sent to him.

The inquiries I have been making are now complete. New pension books have been sent to the Post Office or Assistance Board in all the cases in the village of Tingewick brought to my notice and the pensioners concerned have been notified.