asked the Under-Secretary of State for India what arrangements have been made for the employment of British officers of the Indian Army who cannot be absorbed into the British Army and who do not wish to serve outside the British Empire.

I am not yet in a position to state what arrangements will be made for the employment of the Indian Army officers referred to in the hon. and gallant Member's Question, but the matter is under active consideration.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he will make a statement on the situation in the Punjab.

On 25th February a settlement was reached between the Punjab Coalition Ministry and the Provincial Muslim League Party, who for the last month had been conducting an agitation against the Punjab Public Safety Ordinance. Under this settlement the Ministry undertook to remove the ban on public meetings which had been imposed under the Ordinance and, during the forthcoming session of the Provincial Legislature, to introduce legislation to replace the Ordinance. Meanwhile, the bans on military drill, the bearing of arms, and processions were to remain. On 2nd March, the Premier of the Punjab announced that he had tendered his Government's resignation in order that all political parties in the Province might have a chance of evolving between them an administration to which sovereign power could be transferred should this become necessary. The Governor thereupon invited the leader of the Muslim League party which has the largest number of seats in the Provincial Legislature, to form a Ministry. The Muslim League, however, have up to the present been unable to make proposals to the Governor for an alternative administration which would be assured of a stable majority in the Legislature. On 4th March the resigning Ministers, who had been requested to remain in charge of the administration till a new Ministry could be formed, insisted that their resignation should take effect forthwith and as a result the Governor found himself obliged, on 5th March, to take over the administration under Section 93 of the Government of India Act. Owing to widespread communal disturbances and the bitterness and anxiety caused by them, efforts to find a basis for the formation of a Ministry have not yet succeeded, and it is impossible to say when a Ministry is likely to be formed.With regard to the ensuing disturbances, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave today to a Question by the hon. Member for Farnham (Mr. Nicholson).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are the actually exercisable rights of British owners of property in Yugoslavia.

British industrial interests in Yugoslavia fall under the provisions of the Yugoslav Nationalisation Decree of 5th December, 1946. Owners may exercise the right to claim compensation to the value of the net assets of the enterprise at the time of taking over by the State. British owners of private property have the right to resume possession except where the property has been otherwise disposed of by Yugoslav legislation such as, for instance, the Agrarian Laws.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the strength, purpose, date of origin and probable duration of stay, of the British Military Missions at present working with the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian forces; how many officers of the Transjordan Frontier Force or attached thereto or acting in an advisory capacity are of British nationality; what was the cost of maintaining the Transjordan Frontier Forces during 1946; and what proportion of this cost was borne by the British taxpayer.

The strength of the British Military Mission with the Egyptian forces is 44 officers and 58 other ranks. The date of its inception was January, 1937. For further information regarding that Mission I would refer my hon. Friend to the third note annexed to the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936. A communication on the subject of the Mission was made to His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo by the Egyptian Prime Minister at the beginning of this month and is now under consideration by His Majesty's Government. The strength of the Mission to the Saudi Arabian forces is nine officers and 36 other ranks. Its purpose is to give advice on the organisation and training of the Saudi Arabian army. The date of its inception was January, 1947. No decision has been taken regarding the duration of its attachment.With regard to the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give a list of the countries which are members of the Universal Postal Union and which have not been invited to the forthcoming congress of that union to be held in Paris on 6th May next; who is responsible for issuing the invitations to this congress; and whose responsibility it is to ensure that Article 13 of the Buenos Aires Convention is observed in this connection.

The arrangements for the forthcoming Congress of the Universal Postal Union are in the hands of the French Government, who are also responsible for issuing the invitations, and for carrying out the provisions of Article 13 of the Buenos Aires Convention. As far as I am aware, Spain is the only member of the Union that has not been invited to the Paris Congress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Inter-departmental Commission of Inquiry on Oriental, Slavonic, East European and African Studies, which was set up in December, 1944, has reported and, if so, whether action is being taken on its recommendations.

The Commission has reported and the Government approve its recommendations in principle. Its report is in the hands of the Stationery Office, and will shortly be published. In general the Government accept the view that an academic tradition should be built up and they are prepared to make financial grants to this end. Machinery is being devised to enable the Government Departments and Universities concerned to give effect to the Commission's recommendations.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his meeting with the representatives of firms who are engaged on the manufacture of power plant and other necessary parts for power houses; when it is expected that the commissioning of the new turbo sets will take place; and whether super priority is now being given to all that is required to produce increased electric power as soon as possible.

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, accompanied by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Supply and the Minister of Fuel and Power, met representatives of the heavy electrical plant manufacturers and boiler makers last Monday and discussed with them ways and means of increasing and accelerating the output of electrical generating plant. The manufacturers gave assurances of their fullest co-operation in the measures necessary towards this end. The suggestions discussed at the meeting will be considered by a committee under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply on which the Departments principally concerned, the two Electricity Boards and the industry will be represented. A special organisation built on wartime experience is being set up by my right hon. Friend to assist in planning production and in overcoming difficulties. Every endeavour will be made to ensure the necessary supplies of labour and material for the manufacture of heavy electrical plant and boilers and to speed up their production.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent there is delay in the payment of grants by his Department under the Further Education and Training Scheme.

There is no avoidable delay in payment. The amount of each award cannot, however, be assessed until the student has furnished particulars of his personal financial circumstances, and. payment for any term cannot be made until his certificate of attendance at the College is received by my Department. There are 1,037 students holding awards from my Department and all except 13 have received full payment for the current term.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many cattle and sheep it is estimated have been lost in England and Wales in the present severe weather and what is their approximate cost, respectively.

I am afraid that it will be impossible to obtain a reliable estimate of the losses of cattle and sheep until conditions in the districts chiefly affected have improved sufficiently to allow farmers to make a survey of their stock. Arrangements are however being made for a special investigation to be undertaken by officers of the Ministry as soon as conditions permit.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is now in a position to make a statement concerning the loss of cattle and poultry in the Leek and Moorland district owing to the fact that animal feedingstuffs have been unable to reach this district due to the weather conditions during the past few weeks.

It is not at present possible to make any assessment of the losses in the area mentioned, as many farms are still cut off and roads blocked with snow. An inquiry will be made as soon as conditions permit, and I will then write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give an estimate, so far as at present ascertainable, of the losses of cattle and sheep in England, Scotland and Wales during the recent severe weather.

As I stated today in my reply to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. J. Morrison), it is not yet possible to make a reliable estimate of the losses of cattle and sheep in England and Wales during the recent severe weather. I understand from my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, that the position in that country is the same.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why the agricultural workers in Cornwall who require a minimum of 1,000 permits a month for vacuum flasks have only been granted some 200 permits; and if he is aware that this will inflict great hardship upon these vital food workers who are unable to obtain hot meals and have no canteen facilities.

The production of Thermos flasks has been much reduced owing to production difficulties and the recent fuel cuts. A large proportion of the output continues to be allocated for issue to farmers and farm workers, but it is at present insufficient to provide enough flasks for all who are entitled to them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for an increased supply of vacuum flask permits to be made available for agricultural workers in the county of Cornwall.

I would invite my hon. Friend's attention to the reply given today to the hon. Member for Bodmin (Mr. D. Marshall).

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give an estimate of the percentage of cattle in England and Wales that is free from tuberculosis: and what is the size of the largest clean area in the country.

I am afraid that it is not possible to estimate the proportion of cattle which, if tested with tuberculin, would pass the test, but cattle in attested herds in England and Wales comprise about seven and half per cent. of the cattle population. With regard to the latter part of the Question, no sizeable area in the country contains attested herds only, but in the counties of Cardigan and Carmarthen the proportion of the cattle population in attested herds is well over 50 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications he has received in the last quarter of 1946 from farmers in England and Wales stating they have disposed of, or isolated, their reactor animals; and what average percentage of reactors was still found to be present by his Department's veterinary surgeons on subsequent examination.

Herds of cattle which have passed two successive tuberculin tests without reactors are eligible for entry to the Tuberculosis (Attested Herds) Scheme. Applications in respect of 900 herds in England and Wales were received in the last quarter of 1946. The information asked for in the latter part of the Question could only be obtained after detailed examination of all the records concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will estimate how long it should take to attain a universal supply of T.T. milk for the whole country; and what steps he is taking to ensure that all farmers are aware of what has been already achieved and how they may obtain assistance.

The problems associated with large-scale measures for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis are under discussion with farming and other interests, but I am not prepared to hazard an estimate of the time it would take to free the country from the disease. With regard to the latter part of the Question, statements of the progress made under the Tuberculosis (Attested Herds) Scheme are published from time to time, and a leaflet has recently been issued advising farmers on methods of eradicating the disease from a herd. I am sending copies to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why the rations at the Forestry Commission Hostel, Minley Lodge, Farnborough, Hampshire, have been cut or otherwise reduced; and if, in view of the strenuous nature of the work done by the trainees in residence he will see that they now get the full amount of food formerly obtained.

The trainees at Minley Lodge are receiving rations in accordance with an industrial canteen licence which allows a ration in excess of that normally granted to civilians. The rations scale has not been cut; but owing to extreme weather conditions and difficulty of transport there has been a shortage of potatoes, and owing to the electricity cut bread was temporarily short.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many Massey-Harris tractors in Britain are today unusable due to lack of the necessary parts for repairs.

This information is not available, but very few complaints about the difficulty of obtaining repair parts for Massey-Harris tractors have been received during recent months. If the hon. Member will supply me with particulars of any cases that have come to his notice, I shall be happy to have inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that farmers in Berkshire have been informed that the supply of spare parts for tractors direct from factory to user is now to be confined to tractors used in generating electricity or engaged on coal haulage; and whether he will take steps, in view of the urgent requirements of food production, to ensure that farmers are accorded a priority in respect of tractor spare parts where these cannot be obtained through their local agents.

So far as I am aware, manufacturers are continuing to supply to the full extent of their resources, the spare parts required to meet the needs of agriculture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the great loss of farming time occasioned by the severe winter, he will inaugurate a "Speed the plough" campaign and seek the cooperation of the farmworkers' trade unions in arranging for double-shift working wherever possible so as to make the maximum use of machinery during the hours of daylight.

I am sure that both farmers and farm workers fully recognise the need for pressing on with ploughing and cultivations as soon and as fast as they can, and for using every possible means of making up for lost time. I am assured that in this matter the agricultural workers unions will give their full support.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the late Spring and the need for the largest possible tillage acreage, the Government will extend, beyond 31st March, the grant for ploughing grassland.

Yes, Sir. In view of the need to maintain a high level of tillage this year and next, it is proposed to make an Order under Part II of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous War Provisions) Act, 1940, extending the operation of ploughing grants to the whole of the present year, and further to seek the authority of Parliament for their extension to cover the period 1st January to 31st March, 1948.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that the acreage of tobacco grown as a commercial crop in this country in 1913 was 122 acres; that the growing and drying was quite successful and the best crops produced on very light land hardly suitable for food production; and whether, in view of the need to reduce our demand for dollars for several years to come, he will investigate the possibilities of growing tobacco on a considerable scale on suitable land in this country.

These experiments in tobacco growing were reviewed by a Committee of Inquiry in 1923 and were not adjudged to offer any prospects of success. The assistance from public funds was accordingly withdrawn and the experiments terminated. I am sending my hon. Friend a statement of the considerations which weighed with the Committee, and which would still appear to militate against the successful establishment of tobacco growing in this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what value of agricultural machinery is now on order from the U.S.A. and Canada.

Agricultural machinery (including parts) to the value of £5¼ million has been ordered from the U.S.A. and Canada for delivery this year. In addition, orders are now being placed for delivery in 1948.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent it is his policy to discourage the sale of modern fishing trawlers to foreign ownership; and whether his consent is required before any such sales take place.

As a general rule the sale of modern fishing trawlers to foreign owners is discouraged except where trawlers have proved to be unsuitable or uneconomical for the fishery for which they have been built and the owners have placed orders for more efficient vessels. The transfer of the ownership of trawlers is controlled by the Minister of Transport. The Fisheries Department is asked to make a recommendation on each application for transfer and does so after consulting the Ministry of Food.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether any governments, in addition to the Government of Sweden and His Majesty's Government, have now ratified the Convention signed at the International Overfishing Conference in April, 1946; and whether he proposes to take any further action to bring this Convention into force.

The Government of Poland have also ratified the Convention signed at the International Overfishing Conference in April, 1946. His Majesty's Government have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Governments concerned to the desirability of early ratification, and will go on doing so. Assurances have been given by several Governments that the necessary steps are being taken.

asked the Minister of Food why the greengrocery trade are still able to buy dried fruit, sultanas and prunes from Covent Garden Market which, prewar, was the prerogative of the grocery trade; why they are not restricted in quantity, provided they have the necessary points, whereas the grocery trade are restricted in their allocation to an amount reckoned on their registered sugar customers and are not allowed unrestricted purchase even if they have the points; and why such a system has been introduced which favours co-operative societies and departmental stores whose greengrocery department can switch such goods in short supply to the grocery department merely on exchange of points.

The sale of dried fruit has never been exclusively a grocery line. Under the present system of distribution, introduced in 1943, the greengrocery trade receive allocations based on the tonnage they handled before the war, and grocers according to their sugar registrations. Co-operative and departmental stores receive no advantage, since it was open to any shop with a grocery and greengrocery department to claim supplies for both sides of its business.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of wheat and flour he has loaned to other countries during the past twelve months; which countries have received loans; and which have had applications for loans refused.

During the past 12 months 60,376 tons of wheat were loaned to India, 8,100 to South Africa, 48,287 to Germany, 8,975 to Belgium, 16,785 to Italy, 17,042 to Poland, 8,598 to Yugoslavia, 8,256 to Greece, 9,000 to Austria. All these loans have been repaid. We have also lent 4,599 tons to Eire; there will be no difficulty in securing the repayment of this loan when supplies in Eire improve. It has been necessary to refuse all other applications for loans of wheat.

asked the Minister of Food by how many calories will the miners' ration be augmented; and how much food and bread would it require to bring the food of the agricultural worker to the same standard.

It is impossible to say how many calories will be provided by the increased allocations of ingredients for manufactured foods to coal mining and other formally depressed areas, since the amount of the increase varies from one area to another, and the foodstuffs concerned form only part of the final product.

asked the Minister of Food the amount of meat per year that would be required to give an additional ration of half a pound of meat per week to all regular agricultural workers.

About 10,700 tons.

asked the Minister of Food whether North Staffordshire is included in the mining areas which are to receive the extra food supplies recently announced.

The following areas of North Staffordshire will benefit from the increased allocations of certain foodstuffs which are being made to coal mining and other areas: the County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent; the Urban Districts of Kidsgrove and Biddulph; the Borough and Rural District of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

asked the Minister of Food if he will extend the extra food ration to farmworkers to farriers engaged on agricultural work.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 6th March by the Prime Minister to a Question by the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Baker White).

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the serious shortage of nourishing food for infants, in particular, ready-made bone and vegetable broth; and what steps he proposes to take to make up this deficiency.

There is no shortage of milk and vitamin products provided under the Welfare Foods Service, nor of cereal weaning foods, although there may sometimes be shortages of particular brands. Recent shortages of bone and vegetable broth have been due mainly to inadequate supplies of jars. I am afraid it may take some time to overcome this.

asked the Minister of Food why the 10 per cent. margin allowed to butchers has been reduced; when will this margin be restored; and why agricultural areas have not been included in the exempted areas.

The reduction from a 10 per cent. to a 5 per cent. margin is necessary because of supply difficulties. The new instruction applies to all general butchers and no areas are exempted.

asked the Minister of Food why third-grade meat is now being sold as the ration; and why no reduction in price has been made for this poor quality meat.

The meat now being issued against the ration contains nothing outside the range of qualities normally sold by butchers for domestic use before the war, and for ration purposes since 1940. The maximum retail prices for meat show considerable differences according to quality.

asked the Minister of Food how many ration books and clothing coupon books, respectively, were issued in 1946 to replace those said to have been lost or stolen; and how many such books were subsequently recovered.

534,369 food ration books were issued in the first three-quarters of 1946 to replace books reported as lost or stolen. Figures for the last quarter are not yet available. No record is kept of the number of books subsequently recovered. Replacement of clothing coupon books is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend, the President of the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Food the total amount of food stored in the three stores commonly known as Birkott Loose Boxes, Birkott, near Clifton Hampden, Oxfordshire, on 1st January, indicating the quantities and varieties; and how long it is since it was previously inspected.

I assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to food stored by my Department in out-buildings at the White House, Barcote. On 1st January there were 198 tons of imported jam and 25 tons of rather badly damaged mixed foodstuffs handed over by the U.S. Army, consisting of breakfast cereals spices and condiments, biscuits, cocoa, baking powder and syrup. The last inspection made by one of my officers before 1st January was on 23rd November.

asked the Minister of Food how many cases of Malayan pineapples canned during the November, 1946, to January, 1947, season have been reserved for shipment to the United Kingdom on his account; how many cases he has reserved from the forthcoming April to June season's pack; whether he has guaranteed a minimum price to packers; and whether he will give an assurance that the price offered is enough to stimulate production, taking into account the present cost of fresh fruit, tinplate, sugar and labour.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 16,000 cases. Nothing has so far been bought from the forthcoming pack, but I am prepared to consider offers when the industry are in a position to make them. A guaranteed minimum price has neither been asked for nor offered.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that several flour mills in this country were destroyed by enemy action; that the remaining mills are now working to capacity; if he is satisfied that when the extraction of flour is reduced to normal the production of the mills will be sufficient to meet requirements; and if any steps are being taken to rebuild the mills that were destroyed.

About 15 per cent. of the country's flour milling capacity was destroyed during the war, and although about two-thirds of this was replaced by bringing idle mills into commission and increasing output from the remaining mills, it would be necessary to increase our milling capacity in order to produce all the flour we may need. Several flour mills are now being built or rebuilt.

asked the Minister of Food the total number of employees, ex-employees and agents of Unilever, Limited, still in the employ of his Department; and how many of them have full executive and administrative powers.

Complete figures could only be prepared with considerable time and labour, but subject to this, go employees, ex-employees and agents of Unilever Limited are still on the staff of the Ministry and at present II of them have full executive and administrative powers.

asked the Minister of Food whether the embargo on the transmission of oatmeal from Scotland through the post will now be removed, in view of the difficulty in getting fresh oatmeal in certain areas.

There is no embargo on sending oatmeal by post, but under the Oat Products (Control and Maximum Prices) Order, 1945, no extra charge for delivery may be added to the maximum retail price.

asked the Minister of Food what arrangements he has made for the importation of gulls' eggs from Denmark, Holland, Eire and other countries.

Arrangements have been made with the Board of Trade for import licences to be issued to firms wishing to import gulls' eggs from Denmark, Holland and Eire. No applications have been received to import from other countries.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that there is often an acute shortage of potatoes, green vegetables and fruit in the mining villages of South Wales; and if he will take steps to ensure that these areas receive an equitable share of the available supplies of these essential commodities.

Owing to the recent severe weather, potatoes and green vegetables have been scarce everywhere. Everything possible is being done to share out fairly such supplies of potatoes as can be lifted but the distribution of green vegetables is not controlled. To ease the position generally, arrangements have been made to allow cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages and leeks to be imported without licence from the Continent and North Africa. In accordance with the policy which I announced on the 18th November last, South Wales has already received during the past six months a larger share of oranges than the Midlands or the South and will receive a further allocation of imported apples from shipments due to arrive on the 12th and 25th March.

asked the Minister of Food whether it will be possible for him to allow the full sweet ration to be restored before Easter.

An announcement will be made as soon as practicable about the amount of the sweet ration in the four weeks beginning on 30th March.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the inconvenience of the blackout and the fact that there is very little economy in gas or electricity saved, he will consider restoring street lighting at an early date.

In view of the present fuel position and of introduction of Summer time my right hon. Friend would not feel justified in restoring street lighting.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that, as the result of many sets of automatic traffic signals having ceased to function owing to the electricity cuts, road traffic in the City and West End of London has moved much more rapidly; and if he will make a statement on this and consult with the Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee.

My right hon. Friend cannot accept the implication in the Question. Properly designed traffic signals are highly efficient and their use has been advocated on many occasions by the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee with the support of the Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis and of the City of London. Any more rapid movement of traffic that may have been observed at some points recently was due to a reduction in volume.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in order to ensure less strain on drivers and on the wear and tear of public vehicles in future spells of snowy weather and bad road conditions, he will request local authorities in big towns to make every effort to clear the roads of melting snow before it can turn into icy ridges, as happened in the recent spell.

I am confident that the large urban authorities are fully alive to the point raised by my hon. Friend and have done everything possible to mitigate the effects of recent conditions, which have been quite exceptional.

asked the Minister of Transport if amending legislation will be introduced making workmen's tickets available to all workers; and if he will treat the matter as one of urgency due to the present economic situation, the extension of night working and staggered hours of work.

I am at present not in a position to add to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave on 10th March to the hon. Member for Balham and Tooting (Mr. R. Adams).

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent he has inquired into the methods adopted for facilitating transport, in case of severe weather conditions, in Canada and similar countries where this problem is constantly present during certain seasons in the year; and what steps he proposes to take in consequence of the information he has received from such sources.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the methods used for facilitating transport in Canada and other countries where long spells of severe weather are common, and he is considering, in the light of recent experience, whether any changes are necessary in our own organisation or equipment.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the rail and road undertakings when industrial establishments working a five-day week have no staff available to take deliveries of goods on Saturdays; and what steps he is taking to get over these difficulties so as to avoid fruitless journeys and expense.

Yes, Sir. All Government Departments in such circumstances have been asked to ensure that staff are available for reception of goods. A request to industry to make similar arrangements is being made through the regional boards. I cannot urge too strongly the need for such arrangements to avoid waste of transport facilities.

asked the Minister of Transport how many of the 34 canals owned by the railway companies are in active use.

I am informed that commercial traffic normally passes along the whole or portions of 20 of the canals in Great Britain owned by the railway companies. The tonnage which passed in 1946 was 516,522.

asked the Minister of Transport why the single railway fare from Sutton to Belmont is 3½d., whereas the same journey, exactly the same mileage, by omnibus costs only 1½d.

The difference in these fares is due to the higher basic scale for Main Line rail fares compared with that for London Passenger Transport Board bus fares, and to the rules applicable to the charging for fractions of a mile and fractions of a penny.

asked the Minister of Transport, in views of the delays to, and slow speeds of, freight trains arising from the present system of control of railway operations, if he will restore to signalmen a greater measure of responsibility for determining the priority of passage of trains on running lines.

The normal method of determining the priority is through the signalmen, who are provided, where necessary, with information laying down the margins of time necessary for running slower-moving trains in front of passenger trains. Instructions are given to the signalmen when abnormal conditions necessitate the taking of exceptional measures to determine the priority of trains, in order to make proper allowance for conditions further afield not known to the individual signalman.

asked the Minister of Transport the sum drawn in rent by the four main line companies on their 52,584 houses during their last financial year; and the sum spent on repairs covering the same period.

The details are not readily available and ascertainment would involve an amount of enquiry and clerical work which I should not feel justified in asking the companies to undertake at the present time.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps are being taken to ensure that between now and the day of transfer of the railways to the nation, the railway companies carry out the measures necessary to ensure the efficient working of the railways and the carrying out of necessary repairs to locomotive sheds, engine and other vital matters.

The railways are still under the control of my right hon. Friend and he is satisfied that the Companies are taking all practicable steps to maintain the efficiency of their undertakings.

asked the Minister of Transport the tonnage of coal moved from pitheads and colliery sidings by the main line railway companies for each week in 1947 to the nearest convenient date and show the tonnage for Sundays separately.

The following is the answer:Tonnage of coal moved each week during the present year:

asked the Minister of Transport the average trans-Atlantic freight rate paid per head of cattle in any convenient month of 1938 and 1947. respectively.

I understand that my hon. Friend has in mind imports from Canada. In 1938 the rate of freight on cattle imported into this country from Canada averaged between 60s. and 70s. per head. No current rate is available as there has been no shipment of cattle from Canada to the United Kingdom during 1947.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will reconsider the decision to allow British shipowners to purchase 140 United States ships at a cost of 100,000,000 dollars, in view of our dwindling dollar resources and the fact that we can build our own ships.

In answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Maclay) my right hon. Friend explained the circumstances in which His Majesty's Government had decided upon the offers to purchase ships from U.S.A. Owing to our heavy losses in the war we need these ships in addition to all that we can build ourselves, and their purchase will be a prudent dollar investment.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has inquired into the case of alleged colour discrimination against an Indian who booked his passage to East Africa, particulars of which have been sent to him; and what further steps will be taken to avoid this discrimination.

I have ascertained that the vessel in which the passage was booked is not a British ship and does not sail from this country. I am, therefore, unable to take steps in the matter.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he has taken to ensure that priority of supply of steel sheets is given to makers of oil-burning equipment.

Instructions have been issued to steel producers to give priority to the supply of all steel required in connection with the coal/oil conversion programme.

asked the Minister of Supply, in addition to the 2,090 motor cars purchased by the Government since August, 1945, for use of the Departments of State, how many were taken over at that date; what is the present total; how many are on order and what, respectively, are their values; and if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the details sent to the hon. Member for Orpington on 12th March.

The information sent to the hon. Member on 12th March will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Orders for passenger cars outstanding at 25th January, 1947, were 3,095 at an estimated value of £1,212,000. The other information asked for by the hon. Member is not available.

asked the Minister of Works if he is prepared to provide an indicator in the Silence Room and other parts of the House where it would be helpful.

I regret that the temporary system which was installed to replace the one destroyed by bombing is not capable of operating any more annunciators. A larger system will be provided for the new Chamber.

asked the Minister of Works whether his Department intend to honour the pledge given that gates and railings removed during the war will be replaced; and whether he is aware of the resentment caused by the action of his Cardiff office in offering inadequate compensation which is unrelated to present costs.

I am not aware that any such pledge was given or that my Cardiff office are acting otherwise than in accordance with the statutory provisions.

asked the Minister of Works if he will assist the bomb-damaged cities of the South-West region to commence reconstruction by increasing the allocation of steel to this area for the erection of factories and business premises; and what priority bombed areas have over towns which were never bombed.

I will do my best, within the limited allocation to my Department, to meet these requirements. Reconstruction schemes in bombed areas are considered sympathetically but I must also have regard to the needs of industry generally, particularly in Development Areas.

asked the Minister of Works (1) for what reasons a licence for £1,500 to repair a private road belonging to the Port Meirion Hotel, Merioneth, was granted by his Department; and whether he will now, in view of the objections of the local authorities concerned, cancel or reduce the amount of the licence;(2) why a licence to do electrical work amounting to £1,500 at the Port Meirion Hotel, Merioneth, was granted by his Department, in view of the shortage of cable and other materials; and whether he will now cancel this licence, in view of the objections brought to his notice.

The licences were granted, after consultation with the Board of Trade, because the work was considered necessary in the interests of the tourist traffic. It has been found possible to postpone the electrical work and the licence has been cancelled. The road work has been curtailed and a revised licence will be issued.

asked the Minister of Works to what extent his Department has requisitioned private dwelling-houses and hotels in Edinburgh to provide office accommodation for the staff of the National Coal Board.

The requisitions of four dwelling houses in Edinburgh have been transferred from the War Department to the Ministry of Works to provide office accommodation for the staff of the Coal Board. One of these houses was a private hotel when requisitioned by the War Department but has since been sold.

asked the Minister of Works when the Report of the Technical Committee of the National Brick Advisory Council is to be published.

The First Report of the Technical Committee of the National Brick Advisory Council on Labour Requirements in the Brick Industry is published today together with two papers on "The Getting of Clay with Special Reference to Labour Requirements", and on the "Labour Involved in the Making and Firing of Common Bricks". The Report and the accompanying papers are a most valuable contribution to the technical knowledge of the brick industry and will, I hope, accelerate the progress towards greater efficiency. Copies of the Report and of one of the papers are being circulated to all brickmakers and my Department is prepared to assist in giving effect to the recommendations.

asked the Minister of Works to what extent he is prepared to receive applications, from cities which suffered damage in the war, for the service of mobile labour forces to erect houses, particularly in the south-west of England where building trades labour is inadequate.

The mobile labour force employed by my Ministry is limited in size and, as I informed my hon. Friend on 3rd March, is already to a large extent engaged on work in bomb damaged cities, where the building labour force is inadequate. This includes the rebuilding of totally destroyed houses.

asked the Minister of Health how many aluminium houses have been allocated for occupation by displaced persons.

None, Sir.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of timber for box-making; and what steps he is taking to make the necessary roundwood available, either from home sources or from Germany.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for North Aberdeen (Mr. Hector Hughes) on 13th March.

asked the President of the Board of Trade by what percentage the cost of fishing nets has increased over the cost in 1938.

I understand that the price of herring nets has increased by about 140 per cent. above the prewar level. No information is available about the price of the various other types of fishing nets manufactured in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the dearth of vacuum flasks for agricultural workers; and if he will take steps to see that an adequate supply is forthcoming, in view of the hardship caused to those who work mainly in the open and away from home.

I am glad to say that the output of vacuum flasks has recently im- proved, and that it has, therefore, been possible to make a small increase in the number of permits for "Thermos" flasks available to agricultural and other workers. The flasks produced by other manufacturers are not subject to permit, and I am now arranging with Thermos (1925), Ltd., for them to place a small quantity on the market outside the permit scheme.

asked the Minister of Health for what purpose a former U.S. recreation hut at the Beacon, Falmouth, now requisitioned by his Department, is being used; whether he is aware that there is a substantial local demand for it; and whether he will consider freeing it, in view of the shortage of public halls in the Falmouth area.

This hut is not being used. I am not aware of any demand for it, but it stands on a piece of land which is to be de-requisitioned, and applications to purchase it may be made to the Regional Disposals Officer of the Ministry pf Works.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the village of Moorend Mellor is without coal; and what steps he is taking to ensure that coal is distributed in this village.

Supplies to this village have been seriously affected by severe weather conditions, but as the result of special measures taken every consumer in need should by now have received a small delivery.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of smallpox and deaths from that disease were recorded in England and Wales in the years 1945 and 1946; and the ages of the cases and deaths and the places at which they occurred.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Health what action is being taken to prevent damage to property and land caused by the flooding of the St. Austell river.

I am in touch with the local authority on this matter, and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why Italian firms are not allowed to purchase scrap from old ships of the Italian navy in British possession.

As the Italian Peace Treaty is not yet in force there are at present no Italian warships in British possession. I should prefer not to make any statement about the future of the ships which will be allocated to this country until the time has come for them to be handed over, but I hope that it will be possible to give the House in the near future a little more information which will be of interest in connection with the hon. Gentleman's Question.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether steps will be taken to ensure that adequate supplies of paraffin are made available to Messrs. H. R Machin, central hardware stores, 69, High Street, Droitwich, in view of their distribution throughout the rural area where gas and electricity supplies are not available.

The monthly deliveries of paraffin to dealers are always sufficient to meet the specific allocations to their "priority" consumers who are solely dependent on this fuel for heating, lighting or cooking. Messrs. H. R. Machin's allocation of paraffin for March will be 323 gallons, which represents a considerable increase on the quantity they received in March, 1946. Of the 323 gallons, 244 gallons will be required to meet "priority" allocations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any request has been made to the Marylebone Cricket Club that mid-week first-class cricket matches be curtailed or abandoned.

I have discussed with representatives of the club the effect of attendance at mid-week first-class cricket matches on productive industry and in view of the size of the attendances His Majesty's Government have decided that no action need be taken.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent it is the policy of his Department, when considering applications for F.E.B. grants from applicants who performed war service other than, in the Armed Forces, such as in the case submitted of an undergraduate of London University, to postpone consideration until the applicant would have been released had he been in the Armed Forces.

An application for a grant under the Further Education and Training Scheme is not accepted until the applicant has fulfilled his national service obligations in the Armed Forces or elsewhere. The applicant to whom the hon. Member refers is an alien and it is my policy not to accept an application from an alien before the date on which, had he been a British subject serving in the Army, he would have been in a position to apply for a grant. The rule is based on Army releases because there are more men in the Army awaiting release than in the other two Services.

asked the Minister of Labour why agricultural workers who are over 18 years of age may not take a one-year course at a farming institute without losing their deferment, when deferment is granted to students in forestry when taking a similar course.

In 1946 agricultural workers were only granted deferment if actually employed in food production. A special exception, however, was made for boys who entered a farm institute for a twelve months' course and could complete it within three months after becoming 18. Arrangements have not yet been made for the farm institute course which will begin in October, 1947. There are no comparable arrangements for the deferment of young forestry workers.

asked the Minister of Defence the cost to the British taxpayer for the maintenance of British troops in Palestine and the operations designed to safeguard law and order from July, 1945, to 31st January, 1947.

The estimated total cost, excluding capital expenditure on works services, of maintaining troops in Palestine from 1st July, 1945, to 31st January, 1947, was £55,600,000. Of this figure, £48,000,000 was for the Army and £7,600,000 for the Royal Air Force.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has considered the repeated representations of the Brent-ford and Chiswick Education Committee to obtain a hut classroom for the girls' grammar school in their borough; whether he is aware that the need for this extra accommodation will become even more acute next term; and what action he has taken or will take to expedite this matter.

The erection of the additional hut classrooms has been held up temporarily by delay in the supply of essential parts, caused by the recent fuel crisis. The urgent need for this accommodation is fully appreciated, and everything possible is being done to expedite delivery of the materials in order that the work may be completed.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at what rates and upon what conditions members of the Control Commission for Germany occupy German properties requisitioned for their use either with or without their families.

Control Commission staff not accompanied by their families are provided with mess and billet accommodation free of charge. Where family quarters are provided, a charge is made by deduction from salary. This charge varies according to rank and is at present similar to that applicable to members of the Armed Forces. A revised scale of charges for civilians is under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will state the reasons for the termination of employment of Mr. E. G. Timbrell, Cubitt's Yacht Basin, Chiswick, with the Control Commission for Germany.

Mr. Timbrell was found to be unsuitable for work in the Control Service.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many racehorses and trotters are being kept in the British zone; how often they are raced; and what efforts have been made to sell them.

Nine hundred and sixty-nine racehorses and 500 trotting horses are receiving fodder rations in the British Zone of Germany. Since racing began in September, 1946, two flat meetings and 26 trotting meetings have been held. Authorisation has so far been given for 17 flat meetings to take place in 1947 in Land Niedersachsen and for trotting meetings to be held each Sunday at Gelsenkirchen, in Land Nord-Rhein-Westfalen, and at Hansestadt Hamburg One hundred and sixty-four race and trotting horses have been sold to the Soviet Zone and a small number to Poland. Attempts to sell to other countries have been unsuccessful.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much of the coal raised in the Ruhr has been exported to France, Belgium and Holland, respectively, during the 18 months ended 31st December, 1946; and what was the total of electricity exported to the same countries in the same period.

The figures are as follow:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what special leave concessions will be authorised this year to the Civil Service to encourage civil servants to attend the voluntary agriculture camps in the south-west region, as camps are opening in this region three weeks later than in 1946.

It is proposed to allow the same concessions as last year, i.e. up to six days special leave with pay on certain conditions. The period during which the concessions will apply in England and Wales, namely up to 31st May and after 13th September, is, I understand, generally acceptable to the various interests concerned. I do not think the later opening of the camps in the South-West Region justifies an alteration in the concessions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when postwar credits for the period 1944–45 are likely to be made available for old age pensioners.

My hon. and gallant Friend will not expect me to anticipate my Budget Statement.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will reintroduce the issue of stamped postcards bearing the stamp of the House of Commons at the House of Commons Post Office where they were on sale before the war.

I am taking up this matter with the Serjeant at Arms who arranges for the printing and supply of House of Commons stationery.

asked the Minister of Pensions when the arrears of widow's pension due to Mrs. G. E. Faire, 28, Boyer Street, Derby, for the period 8th October, 1946, to 14th February, 1947, will be paid.

I have been asked to reply. Inquiries into this case are in hand and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.