asked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement showing all the increases in the price of food since 1st January this year.

asked the Minister of Food if he will state, approximately, the loss annually in this country through the destruction of food by rats; and is the destruction increasing or diminishing.

All authorities are agreed that the loss is very heavy, but I am afraid that it is impossible either to state even an approximate figure or to say whether the loss is increasing or decreasing. I can say, however, that it would be very much larger than it is but for the successful campaign waged by the Ministry over the past three years.

asked the Minister of Food what scientific progress has recently been made by his Department in conjunction with leading research chemists for the production of more effective rodenticide; and with what result.

No researches have so far been made by my Department into the production of new rodenticides. The pressing need is to ensure that those that exist are used, and are used effectively.

asked the Minister of Food if he is satisfied that the supply of lemons and oranges is being fairly distributed to retailers; and if he is aware that the distribution of both is in many districts less efficient than previous to the application of departmental control.

Lemons and oranges and all other fruits imported by the Ministry are distributed to retailers through the machinery of the fresh fruit and vegetable distribution committees which have been set up in all parts of the United Kingdom. Retailers of fresh fruit and vegetables are graded for supplies by sub-committees of the distribution committees, known as Retail Grading and Allocation Committees, especially appointed for the purpose. These committees, which are composed of elected representatives of wholesalers, retail fruiterers, grocers, multiple grocers and the Co-operative movement, are responsible for grading the retailers within their respective areas in such a way that supplies of these fruits, which are allocated to each distribution committee area on the basis of its population, are fairly divided amongst them. They are graded in accordance with prescribed rules laid down by the Ministry and supplies are allocated to them in accordance with their respective gradings; any aggrieved claimant may have his case reviewed by the Ministry. The method of grading adopted is the fairest that can be devised but comparison cannot be made with the system in operation before 1941 when conditions were so entirely different.

asked the Minister of Food when the first importations of table poultry were made from the Continent; when the first assignment went to the restaurant trade; and when his Department started releasing continental poultry to the retail trade.

Turkeys from Hungary and Yugoslavia and geese from Poland started to arrive in this country before Christmas, 1946. The first consignment of chickens and hens arrived here from Hungary on 9th February, 1947. Each consignment was released at once to the wholesaler members of the distributing association for immedate distribution to the retail trade. The restaurant trade would have received supplies through retailers at the same time as domestic and other consumers served by such retailers.

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of the fact that oats are 98 per cent. a home-grown product, he will consider removing oatcakes from points, or placing them on a parity with bread units.

The present output of oatcakes is limited by the shortage of fats and not by the quantity of home-grown oats available. I am, therefore, unable to accept the suggestion that they should be released from points. Oatcakes at two points per lb. are on a parity with cake and flour confectionery.

asked the Minister of transport if he is yet in a position to make a statement regarding the erection of a temporary footbridge at Hornsey Station.

The possibility of erecting a temporary footbridge has been carefully examined, but in view of the time and cost involved in erecting such a structure, it has been decided to place a contract for a permanent bridge. When this can be built must depend on the availability of the necessary steel.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the number of Members using the special late omnibus service; and what is the anticipated loss in operation at the present rate.

Returns are not yet available of the number of Members using the service. Nor could the probable net cost be forecast with any accuracy from the results of so short a period of operation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he is aware that the Commissioners of Income Tax are refusing to fix a date for the hearing of appeals of tithepayers against the decision by the inspector of taxes to include the value of the farmhouses and cottages in the Schedule B assessment of an agricultural holding when issuing certificates for the calculation of tithe assessment; whether he will state the reason for this delay; and what steps he will take to arrange for an early hearing of these appeals.(2) if he is aware of the widespread dissatisfaction among tithepayers against the decision taken in certain areas by inspectors of taxes to include the value of the farmhouses and cottages in the Schedule B assessment of an agricultural holding when issuing certificates for the calculation of tithe assessment; whether he is further aware that in certain districts completely opposite decisions have been given; and whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the whole method of assessment in regard to tithepayers.

Whether the value of farmhouses and farm cottages should be included in the annual value of a holding depends upon the use to which they are put, and it would be inaccurate to say that completely opposite decisions have been given. The interpretation to be placed upon the relative provisions of the Tithe Act, 1936, is, however, in dispute, and arrangements have consequently been made for a test case to be brought before the High Court. In the meantime, in a number of cases where notice of appeal to the General Commissioners of Income Tax has been given, the hearing has been deferred, but the tithepayer is in no way prejudiced by the delay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that whereas the Iraqi Consulate in Jerusalem is authorised to grant transit non-stop visas to Palestine nationals holding air tickets for a destination beyond Iraq, the same instructions provide that Palestine Jews of any kind are to be excepted and are not to be granted an Iraqi visa of any kind or to be carried by aircraft crossing Iraq under any circumstances; and what steps he proposes to take to prevent such discrimination against nationals of, and residents in, a British mandated territory.

I understand that the Iraq Consul in Jerusalem has instructions that no visas or transit visas for Iraq are to be granted to Jews holding Palestinian citizenship. Transit visas may, however, be granted to Jews resident in Palestine, who are not Palestinian citizens, provided that they have visas for destinations beyond Iraq. I have brought this matter to the notice of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the Regimental Paymaster, Northants Regiment, Ilfracombe, has not answered letters dated 25th March and 17th April, with reference to the pay of 5884753 Company Sergeant Major McGurk.

I regret that there has been delay in replying to this correspondence. It is partly due to the fact that in order to release accommodation at Ilfracombe the accounts maintained there have had to be transferred to other Pay Offices. Mr. McGurk's account was transferred to the Regimental Paymaster. Warley, to whom the letters were re-directed, the one dated 17th April, 1947, arriving on 21st April, 1947. The regimental paymaster sent a reply to the British Legion on 25th April, 1947, and informed Mr. McGurk by separate letter on 28th April, 1947.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it is the intention to deport to Germany any more of the 9,500 Poles who are neither willing to return to their own country nor to join the Polish Resettlement Corps; and if he will give details of any further plans for these deportations and say by what considerations he will be guided in this connection.

Another party of Poles is to be sent to Germany shortly. Further action will depend on the attitude of the Poles.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many increased old age pensions due in the Penryn-Falmouth division have not yet been paid.

The records of my Department are not kept in a way which would enable local statistics of this kind to be given. I have, however, no reason to suppose that the cases outstanding in the area named are not in the main cases in which retirement has been recently notified. In the country as a whole notifications of this kind are being received at the rate of about 7,000 a week. As regards the handling of these cases I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Henley (Sir G. Fox) on 15th April.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he is aware that Mrs. Duke, pension No. 28437525, 42, Stoneleigh Crescent, Ewell, Surrey, was issued with a £1 6s. a week book, when she was entitled to only 16s. a week, in November, 1946; that, having returned the book and pointed out the error to the Blackpool branch of his Department, she has been without pension or reply, apart from acknowledgments of three letters of inquiry, ever since; and it tie will take steps to have the claim settled without further delay.

A pension order book at the 16s. rate has now been sent to Mrs. Duke and the necessary adjustments made in respect of arrears.

asked the Minister of National Insurance when Mrs. A. M. Lodge, 19, Primrose Terrace, Thornaby-on-Tees, pension No. 43554497, may expect to receive her increased pension due on 3rd October, 1946.

A pension order book at the 16s. rate with effect from the 3rd October, 1946, was sent to the local Area Officer of the Assistance Board on the 29th April, for delivery to Mrs. Lodge, subject to the adjustment necessary in respect of payments at the 10s. rate which she has received since October last.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will have a 16s. old age pension book issued to Mrs. Bosley, 65, Coteford Street, Tooting, S.W.17, in exchange for the 10s. book which was returned to Blackpool five weeks ago having been issued in error.

Inquiries into this case are in hand and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health what diseases, other than post-vaccinal encephalitis, were connected with deaths from vaccinia or associated with vaccination in each of the years 1939 to 1945 and the ages of such cases.

On certificates of deaths in England and Wales in the years 1939 to 1945 in which reference was made to vaccinia or vaccination the following diseases, few of which I am advised can have had any connection with vaccination, were also mentioned:1939.—Acute haemorrhagic encephalitis, aged 17; septicaemia, aged 4 months; broncho-pneumonia, aged 20; myocardial failure, aged 31.1940.—Pneumonia, aged 14 months; broncho-pneumonia, aged 6 months; acute myocarditis, acute gastro-enteritis, aged 2 months.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the serious results of vaccination in many instances, he will advise medical officers to refrain from urging smallpox contacts to be vaccinated and leave the question of vaccination entirely to the free decision of the contacts, making it known to the contact that he is free to decide for himself in the matter.

No, Sir. III effects from vaccination are exceptional and the risks are of much less consequence than the dangers of smallpox.

asked the Minister Of Health what laboratory tests are used in the diagnosis of smallpox; and how long it takes to make a diagnosis at a laboratory.

I am advised that there are a number of such tests which may take from one to four or five days.

asked the Minister of Health the dates of sickening of the Bilston cases of smallpox; whether it has been established that they were smallpox; whether any of them were vaccinated or re-vaccinated persons, and, if so, the dates of their vaccination or re-vaccination and the result of the cases.

The persons established as suffering from smallpox at Bilston fell sick between 2nd March and 9th April. My information is that six of them were vaccinated in infancy, of whom two were re-vaccinated in adult life, and that two were unvaccinated. One patient died—a woman of 79 not vaccinated since infancy.

asked the Minister of Health what are the bases for the classification of good, fair and poor nutrition as used in the Monthly Bulletin of his Department.

The classification is based on general conclusions after a detailed examination. Height, weight, posture, expression, tone of muscles and many clinical signs and symptoms are all taken into account. The examinations are made by doctors who have had long experience in assessing nutrition.

asked the Minister of Health whether the inter-departmental committee appointed to investigate nursing conditions has yet reported; and whether he proposes to publish its report.

The Secretary of State for Scotland and I expect to receive this report soon and to publish it.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were registered as seeking employment at the central Appointments Department at the latest date for which figures are available; for what types of employment they are suitable; and what proportions have failed to find employment for periods of between six and 12 and over 12 months, respectively.

38,815 persons were registered with the Appointments Department on 14th April, 1947. Of this number 15,754 were unemployed; the remainder (23,061) were persons in employment but seeking alternative employment. These registrations cover the whole range of technical, scientific, professional, administrative and executive occupations. Of the 15,754 persons registered as unemployed 24 per cent. had been without employment from six to twelve months and 14 per cent. had been unemployed for more than twelve months.

asked the Minister of Works the average cost, per building manhour, of British workers; and the comparable cost of prisoners of war doing similar work.

The use of prisoners of war in building and civil engineering is confined to labouring work. The cost of British labour on work of this type depends upon such factors as the district rate of wages payable, and the payment of travelling and subsistence allowances and a general average is not available. Contractors using prisoners of war are required to pay to the Government the appropriate British wage rate for comparable work in respect of the time worked by the prisoners, but travelling and subsistence allowances do not arise. Contractors may, in addition, incur extra overhead costs for increased supervision, etc., but such costs vary widely and no general average can be formulated.

asked the Minister of Works how many hotels, large houses, small houses and flats, respectively, in the London Civil Defence Region are at present requisitioned by the Government; and how many of each category have been released for use as dwelling accommodation since 30th September, 1946.Mr. KEY,