asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the number of kilowatts drawn by His Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, from the national grid, during each period of 24 hours, in order to supplement the supply of electrical power from the dockyard's own generating station and from submarines; and whether this supply has been continued throughout the period of national emergency during silent as well as working hours.

The average maximum demand on the grid for each period of 24 hours from 10th February, when restrictions on the use of power came into force, to 17th March, was approximately 1,900 kilowatts. The reply to the second part of the Question is in the affirmative, but I would point out that as a result of obtaining supplies from the national grid during the silent hours, a saving of coal is effected by the dockyard generating station.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will give a list of all newspapers and periodicals which officers and non-commissioned officers at the Royal Marine barracks at Devonport are not allowed to have delivered to them at the barracks.

There is no official or any other known restriction on the delivery of any periodical or newspaper at the Royal Marine barracks, Devonport.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the derequisitioning of premises at 36 Queen Street, Glasgow.

I have written to the hon. and gallant Member informing him that it is hoped to vacate these premises before 28th May.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many flats and/or houses in the city of Portsmouth are still under requisition by his Department.

Twenty-four flats and two houses in Portsmouth are still held on requisition by the Admiralty.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how soon it is proposed to reintroduce the issue to Regular Naval apprentices of the double-breasted cloth suits, the issue of which was suspended shortly after the outbreak of war.

Cloth suits will be reintroduced as part of the compulsory kits of ratings not dressed as Seamen, including naval apprentices, as soon as production of the supplies of cloth can be arranged and financial considerations permit. It is not possible at present to say how long it will be before the dress can be reintroduced.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps are being taken to improve the sea-mail service between England and our West African Colonies.

Mails are despatched to West Africa by all suitable sailings, and immediate advantage will be taken of any improvement in the shipping services.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware that on 12th March the weather broadcast report at 17.55 hours was not completed owing, apparently, to lack of time; that such a cut is detrimental to the interests of fishermen and shipping; and if he will take steps to avoid a recurrence.

No, Sir. This matter is entirely one for the B.B.C. I am sure, however, that if the hon. Member would make direct inquiry of the B.B.C., they would give the matter full consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware of the bad living conditions at 59 P.T.C., Villach, Austria, used by R.A.F. personnel returning on leave or for release; and what action he is taking to improve conditions.

I have called for a report on the conditions at No. 59 Personnel Transit Centre, and I am informed that the accommodation and food, which are provided by the Army, are satisfactory. As in other parts of Austria, hardship was caused by the shortage of fuel during the severe weather in recent weeks, but I hope that, as the season advances, all cause for complaint will disappear.

asked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied that supplies will be sufficient to meet food points and clothes coupons now in the hands of the public.

So far as food is concerned, I am satisfied that supplies are sufficient to meet points coupons. As regards clothing coupons, this matter is under consideration. As the House has already been informed, my right hon. and learned Friend the President of the Board of Trade intends to make a further announcement.

asked the Minister of Defence (1) the number of civilians estimated to be engaged throughout the coming financial year directly or indirectly in providing supplies for the Armed Forces, including food, oil, fuel and other consumable stores, transport of personnel and stores, and public services, including posts and telegraphs;(2) whether the figure of 459,000 referred to in paragraph 15 of the State- ment relating to Defence, Cmd. 7042/47, relates to civilians directly engaged in production, research and development for the Armed Forces; and if he will publish the estimated number of civilians engaged indirectly in the supply of fuel and power, raw materials, transport and public services required for such production, etc.

The figure of 459,000 to which my hon. Friend refers was the total manpower directly engaged in meetting the production and related requirements of the Services on 31st December last. The corresponding figure for the coming financial year is estimated to be approximately 450,000. I regret that I am not able to estimate what proportion of the working population will be indirectly employed during the year in meeting the needs of the Armed Forces, as distinct from those of the rest of the population.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the shortage of milk bottles, largely due to the unnecessary number of breakages and the misuse of bottles by certain sections of the public, he will authorise a compulsory charge on each bottle by milk distributors by way of a returnable deposit.

I know that the milk bottle supply position is difficult and we are continually reminding the public of the urgent necessity to return the empty bottles without delay; but we should hesitate to lay a compulsory charge on the consumer. An adequate allowance for replacement of bottles is in any case included in the distributors' margin.

asked the Minister of Food by how much it is estimated that school-children's milk allowances would have to be cut to allow old age pensioners to receive a 50 per cent. increase on their ration of half a pint per day; and, in view of the hardship suffered by old people, if he will now consider increasing their ration.

The entire supply of milk now used for the Milk in Schools Scheme would provide only one and a half pints per week for old age pensioners who at present receive the ordinary non-priority allowance, which varies according to the season. My right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot yet see his way to increase the milk allowance to old people.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that Scotland has received no allocations of bitter oranges; and if he will take steps to arrange for allocations to ensure that Scottish housewives can make their usual supplies of marmalade.

Owing to severe frost in Spain and drought in the British West Indies, there have so far been insufficient bitter oranges to give a share to all parts of the country for domestic use, after the needs of marmalade manufacturers have been met. Those bitter oranges so far received have already been sent to the areas nearest the ports, to save transport. Arrangements have been made for Scotland to have a share, but the crop position is still uncertain, and it may be that some parts of the country will not receive an allocation.

asked the Minister of Food the profit or loss incurred on the 1946 imports of fruit purchased by his Department.

The accounts of my Department cover the financial years ending on 31st March and separate figures are not available for calendar years. The accounts for the current financial year cannot be finalised until information in respect of the March quarter is complete. Present indications are that there will be a small profit of about one-tenth of one penny per lb. on fresh fruit imported by my Department during the year in question.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that bread-rationing coupons are difficult to cut out and frequently lost owing to their small size; and if he will undertake to issue the new ration books with perforations, in order to minimise these difficulties.

I realise that the G, J and F coupons to which my hon. Friend no doubt refers are awkward to handle and they have been increased in size in the new ration books which are now being printed. Even with ordinary wear and tear of ration books, if pages were perforated coupons would become detached or inadvertently torn out and many would be lost. Moreover, it is not possible to effect perforation at the same time as the printing. A separate operation would be involved and this would delay production of the books. For these reasons I regret that I am unable to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he will now state when the Edinburgh to London air service will be inaugurated.

Work cannot yet be resumed on the beam approach system and the installation of better lighting at Turn-house aerodrome owing to snow and continued frost. As soon as a firm date can be given for the completion of these necessary facilities, steps will be taken to inaugurate the Aberdeen—Edinburgh—London service with the minimum delay.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what negotiations have taken place between the Belgian Government, the Inter-Governmental Committee on Refugees and the British Occupation Authorities in Germany for the transfer of coalminers from the British zone; what is the total number of miners amongst the displaced persons in the British zone; and how many the Belgian Government are trying to obtain from the British zone.

The Belgian Government have sent a representative to the British zone of Germany to open discussions with the British authorities. These are being conducted in consultation with the local representative of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Refugees. No firm proposals have yet been made. I understand, however, that the Belgian authorities wish to recruit 15,000 displaced persons from the British zone, primarily for employment in coal mines. According to a survey made by U.N.R.R.A. at the end of last year there are in the British zone approximately 400 displaced persons classified as miners.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many of the 26,660 properties recently derequisitioned in the British zone of Germany have actually been handed back to the German authorities.

These properties were all handed back immediately they were derequisitioned.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether British fathers of children born, or about to be born, to German women, will be enabled to secure and despatch from this country to those mothers essential requirements for them and the children beyond the parcel weight limit now allowed.

The existing regulations permit the despatch each month of four 11 lb. parcels of second-hand clothing, footwear and medicines or of three such parcels and one 7 lb. parcel of non-perishable rationed food. I am investigating whether some special provision can be made in the cases referred to.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many German families in Dortmund have been evicted in order to make room for English families or personnel; whether they were permitted to take their household goods and effects; and whether they will be allowed still to cultivate their vegetable gardens for their own use.

About 400 German families have been displaced but two-thirds of the properties requisitioned have since been released and a considerable number of Germans have returned. In the early days Germans were not allowed to remove any furniture but lately they have been allowed to take essential articles. In general they are allowed to cultivate their gardens where these are not required for cultivation by the British occupants.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many women compulsorily examined for venereal disease under the recently introduced ordinance were found to be suffering from that disease.

During the period from November, 1945, to February, 1947, inclusive, 6,879 women in Greater Berlin were compulsorily examined and 654 were found to be suffering from venereal disease.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster the date on which he received the report on the Spartan Plan of bidding for consumer goods for the ordinary civilian population in the British zone of Germany against the actual quantity of goods received.

This so-called report is merely an aide-mémoire prepared for the use of a member of the Control Commission staff on the working of a plan which was subsequently replaced by other arrangements under the fusion agreement with the American zone. It was not sent to me until my hon. Friend showed an interest in it.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that a letter posted in Germany on 31st January was delivered in London on 10th March; and what steps he is taking to abolish these inordinate delays.

I am not aware of the case, which is exceptional. If my hon. Friend will let me have the envelope I will have inquiries made into the delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the British representative at the Moscow Conference of Foreign Ministers has notified the other representatives of his intention to raise the question of political conditions in Spain.

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the terms of the recent British Note to the Soviet authorities in Hungary.

Yes, Sir. I will with my hon. Friend's permission circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of the letter from the British Representative on the Allied Control Commission to his Soviet colleague.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the tailoring trade in Kenya is largely a monopoly of Indian tailors and that their wages have been quadrupled in the last few years thus causing hardship to the lower income group and particularly to Africans; and what steps the Government proposes to take by which these hardships will be alleviated.

I have asked for a report from the Governor and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as I receive it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give representative examples of wages paid to native administration employees in Nigeria; to what extent the Nigerian Government is responsible for these wage rates; and whether he will hold an inquiry into the wages paid to servants of native administrations.

As the answer to the first part of the Question involves a number of figures, I am circulating it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. As regards the remainder of the Question, the rates of wages are determined by the Native Authorities after consultation with officers of the Nigerian Government, which is now examining the possibility of revising and consolidating native administration rates of pay on the lines adopted for central government services as a result of the recommendations of the Harragin Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies by what amount direct taxation has recently been increased in Uganda; whether he is satisfied that the incidence of such taxation is fair; and whether the Government of Uganda will consider the introduction of a land tax and the establishment of licences for brewers.

The only recent increases in direct taxation in Uganda were made within the areas and at the instance of the Buganda local Government and the Karamoja Native Administration in order to strengthen their own revenue. The Luwalo tax in Buganda has been raised from 10s. to 14s. while a Native Administration tax of 3s. has been introduced for the first time in Karamoja. While I am advised that the present rates of direct taxation in Uganda are well within the capacity of all able-bodied men and that exemptions and graduations of tax are granted for a variety of circumstances, the subject receives the continuing attention of the Government of Uganda. A graduated land tax is already in operation in Buganda and no extension is contemplated. Licences for brewing will be issued when required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the difficulties being experienced by consumers' co-operative societies in West Africa in obtaining supplies; and whether, in view of his declared policy of encouraging these societies, he will endeavour to assist them.

Yes, Sir, I am aware there are difficulties and I am seeing whether anything can be done in the present conditions of short supply to overcome them. Meanwhile, if my hon. Friend will give me specific cases, I shall be glad to look into them and give any help that I can.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it has been agreed to continue the payment of 10s. per ton premium on cocoa marketed by co-operative cocoa societies in Nigeria which have not been granted export status.

Yes, Sir. The premium to which my hon. Friend refers is being paid in respect of the current crop.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has considered the Report of the Commission of Inquiry and the conduct and management of the Customs and Supplies Department of Gold Coast Colony; if he is aware that the Commission substantiated charges of corruption and inefficiency and what action he proposes to take.

I have read the Report of the Commission and have noted with great regret the conclusion that there has been misconduct and mismanagement by some officers of the Gold Coast Customs Department. I am at present actively considering with the Government the steps to be taken as a result of the Report's findings, and I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement in answer to the last part of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he has taken to encourage the large-scale importation of paludrine into British West Africa; and when it can be made available for general distribution as part of an active anti-malarial campaign by the Governments concerned.

On 1st November, 1946, I informed the West African Governors that paludrine was now out of the experimental stage and was recommended as a cheaper and more efficient anti-malarial drug than mepacrine. Orders for this drug, some of which are now in shipment, from the West African Territories already exceed 11,000,000 tablets and I can assure my hon. Friend that the question of efficient anti-malarial precautions is very much in the minds of the West African Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many mass radiography units are now being actively used in British West Africa; how long these units have been operating; how many cases of pulmonary disease have been investigated; and what are the results so far obtained.

I have asked the Governors of the West African Territories to supply this information. I will send it to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present number of doctors in the Government Medical Service of Sierra Leone; how far this number is below the existing establishment; how many additional doctors it is proposed to recruit for Sierra Leone during 1947; and what steps will be taken to ensure the recruitment of medical men to this service after 1948.

The present number of doctors is 29. The existing establishment is 40. It is hoped that it will he possible during 1947 to fill all II vacancies together with two more which will arise in the course of the year; but at the present time there is a severe shortage of qualified doctors, particularly of African doctors, and considerable difficulty has been experienced in meeting the requirements of both Sierra Leone and other Territories. It is too early to estimate the prospects of improved European recruitment after 1948, but the number of African medical graduates available should be larger. The training of African staff for medical duties is an integral part of the Sierra Leone Government's development programme, and 18 medical students from Sierra Leone are under training in this country at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what requests have been made to farmers in Kenya that pigs be raised as sausage and lard pigs rather than as baconers, in view of the shortage of refrigerated shipping from Kenya to this country; if he is aware that there is still no market for such products owing to the absence of tins for the packing of lard and sausage meat for transport in non-refrigerated shipping; and if he will take steps to ensure that such lard and sausage meat is made available in this country and thereby avoid continuation of the present losses suffered by Kenya farmers in this matter.

I am making inquiries of the Governor and will send the hon. Member a full statement when these are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many trade union advisers have been appointed by his Department; for which Colonies they have so far been appointed; and whether it is intended to extend the practice of appointing trade union advisers to encourage and advise on the development of trade union organisation among the workers in the Colonies.

In 1942, as an experiment, six experienced trade unionists from this country were recruited for Labour appointments in certain Colonial territories. This proved to be most successful, and since 1945 thirteen other appointments of this type have been made. The territories in which these officers are serving are Nigeria. the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Gambia Kenya, Tanganyika Territory, Northern Rhodesia, Ceylon, Mauritius, the Malayan Union, Singapore, Palestine, British Guiana and the Windward Islands. As regards the last part of the Question, the further selection of trade unionists for this type of employment will most certainly be encouraged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he intends to recommence the publication of the Annual Review of the Colonial Empire; and when the next issue may be expected

I have decided to resume the prewar practice of presenting to Parliament an annual statement on Colonial Affairs and a report covering the war and the subsequent period up to 31st of this month will be presented as soon as it has been written.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what political parties in Malaya were responsible for inciting the Indian riots in Kedah; and what political parties are promoting disorder in Malaya by intimidation.

It is not possible to state at this stage whether any political parties were supporting those responsible for the Indian disturbances in Kedah or for promoting disorder by intimidation. Incitement to disorder and the use of intimidation to prevent settlement of disputes by negotiation are, the Governor considers, attributable to local leaders of unions, or bodies calling themselves unions, some of which have avoided registration in spite of the advice and assistance afforded by the Labour Department, the Registrar of Trades Unions, and the Trades Union Adviser. In some instances, organised bodies have been employed to promote the object of the leaders by intimidation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many chief executive officers and how many staff are employed in the administration of Malaya; and how do these figures compare with 1941.

I regret that these figures are not available in this country. I will ask the Governors for a report, on receipt of which I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that Government officers retired in Malaya are to have an increase in pension in order to meet the high cost of living; and why is no such increase being paid to those pensioners resident in the United Kingdom.

Malayan pensioners living in this country are paid increases on the basis prescribed in Section I of the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1944. The question of revising the increases for Malayan and other Colonial Government pensioners, in the light of the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1947, is under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in view of the Government's repeated assurances to give Asiatics in Malaya equal opportunities with Europeans, what steps have been taken to provide for the Asiatic doctors in medical services there pay and conditions equal to those provided for European doctors in the corresponding services.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for South Croydon, (Mr. Rees-Williams) on 24th February. My Medical Adviser, who has just arrived here from Malaya, will shortly be reporting on certain matters to which the Asiatic officers attach great importance. These include the practical application of the principle, which I have accepted, of a single Medical Service, and the provision of facilities for study leave in this country. Certain other of the questions which arise must await "the report of a Salaries Commission which I hope will soon begin its inquiry into the pay and conditions of the Malayan Government Service as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Pan-Malayan Council of Joint Action, which is the largest and most representative political organisation in Malaya, was not consulted on the question of Malaya's revised constitution; and whether he will instruct the Malayan Government to consult with the council without further delay.

As the hon. and learned Member is aware a Consultative Committee was established in January last for the purpose of affording to all interested individuals, bodies and groups in Malaya, full and free opportunity for expressing their views on the revised constitutional proposals which were published in December last. This Committee has been charged with the task of collecting all such views, for consideration by the Malayan Union Government. I see no reason why a different procedure should be adopted for consultation with the particular body mentioned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he knows that a recent mass meeting of non-interned Asiatic civil servants, called by the Malayan Junior Civil Services Association, unanimously rejected the Malayan Government's offer to settle their claim for back pay during the Japanese occupation by payments amounting net to about seven per cent. of the pay involved and decided to maintain their claim for the same terms as were freely conceded over a year ago to European employees in the same position, namely, 100 per cent.; what is the reason for this discrimination; and what steps he will take in the matter.

I am aware that at a mass meeting of the Malayan Junior Civil Servants Association it was resolved to reject the basis of settlement which had been decided upon, with my concurrence, by the two Malayan Governments. The broad effect of that basis of settlement was to apply to locally recruited civil servants the same principles as were adopted for Europeans. I see no reason to take any further steps in this matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to what extent His Majesty's Government is accepting any financial responsibility for emigrants to Southern Rhodesia; and whether any specific arrangements have been made with regard to building artisans.

Financial responsibility in the matter of migration to Southern Rhodesia is confined to the arrangements, already announced, but not yet operative, whereby free passages will be granted to a limited number of suitable British men and women who have served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy of the United Kingdom during the recent war. The answer to the second part, of the Question is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the Ceylon export duties on tea, copra, coconut oil and desiccated coconut from which the Ceylon Government hopes to get an annual revenue of about 125,000,000 rupees; and what quantities of these products are usually imported by Britain.

The export duties to which my hon. Friend refers are those imposed as from 27th January of this year, and are of the following amounts:

• Tea, 35 cents per lb.
• Copra, 10 rupees per cwt.
• Coconut oil, 16 rupees 25 cents per cwt.
• Desiccated coconut, 12 rupees per 100 lb.

About 150 million lb. of tea are imported annually into the United Kingdom from Ceylon. Copra imports over the past four years have ranged between 17,000 and 52,000 tons, and of coconut oil between 4,000 and 10,000 tons. Annual imports of desiccated coconut in recent years have not exceeded 2,000 tons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is satisfied that U.N.R.R.A. is not being used as a cover for the organisation of illegal immigrants to Palestine.

I am satisfied that the U.N.R.R.A. organisation as a whole is not being used as a cover for the organisation of illegal immigration to Palestine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement as to how many ships, of what nations, and sailing under what flags, have conveyed illegal immigrants to Palestine.

So far as is known, 25 ships have conveyed illegal immigrants to Palestinian waters since November, 1945, and one was wrecked on the island of Sirena while en route. Of these ships, six flew the Italian flag, five the Panamanian, four the Greek, four the Turkish, three the Honduranean, one the Portuguese, and one the Egyptian. The flags of two ships are not known. I should add that, in view of the practice of destroying the ships' documents before arrival in Palestine, it is not always possible to check their right to fly the flags under which they sail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of Jews to whom immigration certificates were granted admitting them to Palestine in 1946; and the number of Jews so admitted who had been detained as a result of seeking to enter the country illegally.

During 1946 immigration certificates were granted to 19,500 Jews (including 1,500 in respect of quota periods falling in 1945 and 1947), of whom 11,976 had attempted to enter the country as illegal immigrants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total number of casualties in Palestine in 1946 arising from terrorism, illegal immigration, resistance to searches, etc.; the number killed and the number wounded in the following categories: British forces, Palestine police, British civilians, Arab civilians, Jewish civilians, Jewish terrorists, armed Jews and armed Arabs.

I would refer the hon. Member to the full answer I gave to a Question on this subject by the hon. Member for Abingdon (Sir R. Glyn) on 4th February. To this I can only add that I am unable to distinguish, for this purpose, between the different categories of Jews mentioned in the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he is aware that 1,500 Arab petroleum workers in Haifa are conducting a stay-in strike for wage increases and a supply of overalls; that the police are being used to hinder the strikers' organisation; and if he will take immediate steps to prevent this anti-working class use of the police force in Palestine;(2) whether he is aware that the management of the Iraq Petroleum Company in Haifa are refusing to negotiate with 1,500 workers on strike, as the company does not recognise the trade union; that no action has been taken for three years on the draft trade union ordinance; and if he will now see to it that immediate action is taken to give the trade union full recognition and rights.

One thousand two hundred Arab workers were on strike in Haifa but have now returned to work. The strikers at first refused to leave the premises of the Iraq Petroleum Company and the management sent for the police for protective purposes; the police were not used against the strikers. The management does, in fact, recognise the union and has a written agreement with them. The High Commissioner informs me that he intends to publish a Trades Union and Trades Dispute Bill in the near future

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether consideration has been given to the construction of a canal from the Mediterranean to the Gulf of Akaba, passing entirely through present British mandated territory.

No, Sir. The natural obstacles betwen the Mediterranean and Akaba are such as to make the construction of a canal between them quite impracticable.

asked the Minister of Works when the auxiliary building at the west end of the Admiralty is likely to be removed.

If the building is to be moved at all, the extensive work involved could not be undertaken for many years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish all the evidence in his possession relating to the restrictive practices of employers, especially those designed to increase profits.

No, Sir. Much of the evidence the Government possesses about such practices has been given to it in confidence, often by those concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has now considered the possibility of issuing industrial ten coupons to teachers in modern secondary schools in accordance with his promise of 19th June, 1946; and whether he will now issue these coupons.

Teachers of domestic science, of pure and applied science and of craft subjects, as well as workshop instructors and teachers of physical training, can draw upon coupon free supplies provided by the schools in which they teach.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the cleaners employed in the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary have not been issued with the industrial clothing coupons normally due in December last.

Cleaners employed in hospitals for more than 22 hours a week are provided with overalls on a scale equivalent to ten coupons a year. They are not, therefore, issued with the Industrial Ten in addition.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the growing practice among coal merchants in South-wark and other parts of South-East London of selling coal in the streets to unregistered customers; and if he will take steps to put an end to this infraction of the law.

I am not aware of the practice mentioned by my hon. Friend but would be glad to consider any evidence he has, so that suitable steps could be taken to deal with the matter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will consider granting some increase in the coal allocation to old age pensioners living alone.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 28th February to a similar Question by the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Mr. Nield).

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent the ordnance factory at Barnlow, Yorkshire, is still producing tanks; what kind of tanks are produced there; and how many men and women are employed at this factory on tank production.

I regret that I cannot give this information since it would be against the public interest to give details of production of particular kinds of armament.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will have investigations made into the conditions prevailing at the military camp, situated at Tyne-mouth Camp, Tynemouth Castle, Northumberland.

I am aware that this accommodation, which is old, is not entirely satisfactory. The possibility of improving it is being examined.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the account of 171640 Sergeant J. I. Senior, R.A.S.C., who was demobilised in March, 1946, has not yet been credited with, and payment made of, approximately £35 to which he is entitled; why it takes Regimental-Paymaster, R.A.S.C., over nine months to receive relevant details from Regimental-Paymaster, Meerut, India; and whether he will now arrange for this badly-needed payment to be made.

Following representations on his behalf, Mr. Senior's objection to the payment of mess subscriptions whilst in India, were referred to the Indian authorities for consideration, and on 5th November, 1946, a sum of £7 1s. 9d. already charged to his service account in this respect was refunded to Him. Unfortunately, his claim for a refund of a further sum of £21 11s. 6d., paid by him direct on his monthly mess bills was overlooked, but this has now been referred to G.H.Q., India, for adjudication in accordance with Indian regution. I very much regret the delay in this case.