asked the Minister of Health the process of selection of chairmen of Rent Restriction Tribunals; and whether he is satisfied that it is adequate to ensure a wise choice.

The chairmen of rent tribunals are selected from nominations made by local authorities, legal and other representative bodies, and from applications made by individuals. The answer to the second part is, Yes, Sir.

Does the right hon. Gentleman consider that some of the actions and utterances of the chairmen of these tribunals are consistent with the judicial capacity in which they sit?

I think the utterances of most of the chairmen of these rent tribunals compare very favourably indeed with those of the courts.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Messrs. Laceys (Hounslow), Ltd., who obtained a contract with the Easthampstead Rural District Council to build 16 permanent houses in Binfield Road, Bracknell, and 22 permanent houses at Skimped Hill, Bracknell, the former due by contract for completion on 11th December, 1946, and the latter by 30th June, 1947, have, up to date, roofed six houses at Binfield Road and completed the damp course for three at Skimped Hill; and what he intends doing to improve this rate of progress.

Yes, Sir. All possible steps are being taken to improve the position. The labour force on the Binfield Road site should now be sufficient to secure satisfactory progress; that on the Skimped Hill site is still inadequate, but men will be transferred from the other site in due course.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the importance of home food production and the necessity for maintaining the labour force on the land, if he will allocate additional houses to the rural areas and ensure that, in the letting of new houses in the villages, the rural district councils will give every consideration to the needs of the farm workers.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is prepared to consider increasing the proportion of houses of non-traditional design to be allotted to areas of vital food production

Rural district councils are being encouraged to build all the houses —including non-traditional designs—that available resources permit and to allocate the maximum number, consistent with their general obligations under the Housing Acts, to agricultural workers.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that owing to the neglect of past Governments, thousands of farm workers have been waiting for years for traditional houses, and does he realise how disappointing it will be to them to have to take their place in the queue?

Does the right hon. Gentleman also realise that under the present regime the unfortunate agricultural workers will have to wait a great deal longer before getting houses?

In reply to the first supplementary question, the agricultural workers are not in the queue; they are, in fact, given priority in the provision of nontraditional houses in order to add to the total pool of houses in rural areas. The answer to the second supplementary question is the evidence in every hamlet in Great Britain of actual houses going up.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, on the basis of his own answer, only some 1,200 houses in rural areas have been allocated to agricultural workers?

It is not yet known how many of the houses built in agricultural areas are indeed occupied by agricultural workers, because the local authorities usually do not apply for the grant until about six months after the completion of a house. We do not yet know what the number is, but it is probably in excess of the number stated by the right hon. Gentleman.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses completed by rural district councils in England and Wales to 31st March last, in respect of which the agricultural subsidy has been claimed by the rural district councils as the letting authorities.

6,173 houses have been completed, but applications for subsidy have not yet been received for the greater part of them. Claims for the agricultural subsidy cover 410 houses.

Is the Minister satisfied with the number of houses allocated to farm workers, in view of the urgent need for having an adequate labour force on the land, and will he consider giving some direction to rural district councils that the claims of farm workers shall receive the utmost consideration?

It would not be desirable for the Ministry of Health to undertake the task of allotting the houses. If that happened we would have a very difficult situation indeed, because local authorities are the best judges of the needs of people in their own areas and I do not desire to interfere with them. However, steps are being taken all the while to try to bring about a closer liaison between local authorities and the county agricultural committees in order to try to make as many of the houses as possible available to agricultural workers.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that the time has come when he might try to ascertain from the local authorities the number of houses actually occupied by agricultural workers properly so-called? As he said in answer to a previous question, he cannot get that information, and I think it is time he did

I never said I could not get the information. What I said was that the local authorities do not usually apply for the subsidy until five or six months after the completion of a house, and, therefore, there is a time lag involved in the information which I can give as to how much of the agricultural subsidy is being applied for. That is the first point The second is that it is not possible to give an absolute priority to agricultural workers. In fact, it was only the other day that I was asked by hon. Members opposite to give an absolute priority to ex-Servicemen, and many of the ex-Servicemen are not agricultural workers.

I apologise; perhaps I did not make myself clear. This is a matter of considerable importance. Will the right hon. Gentleman consider some alteration in the form of the return provided by local authorities so as to ensure that he does get the information as to whether a particular house drawing an agricultural subsidy is, in fact, occupied by an agricultural worker?

The additional grant which is made to a local authority for a house occupied by an agricultural worker is in itself a sufficient inducement to local authorities to put agricultural workers into these houses. If, in fact, a local authority is claiming the agricultural subsidy in respect of a number of houses not occupied by agricultural workers, the local authority is defrauding, and I should hesitate to think that local authorities are defrauding in this sense.

Will the right hon. Gentleman get the information?

That would be done by the district auditor in the usual way.

asked the Minister of Health under what authority council housing committees impose standard layouts for the front gardens of council houses.

Under Section 83 of the Housing Act, 1936, the general management, regulation and control of houses provided by a local authority is vested in the authority.

Cannot my right hon. Friend do something about preventing local authorities from making barracks of front gardens? Is he aware that one of the local authorities has stopped people from continuing their work in the gardens because they say there is to be a standard layout?

There must be a reasonable compromise between the wishes of the tenants of the houses and proper care and maintenance and layout of the estate as a whole. As a general rule, that compromise is reached. There are one or two instances where the local authority does try to regiment rather more than it ought, but I think, on the whole, a satisfactory compromise is reached.

Will my right hon. Friend look into a case if I present it to him?

Yes, but I must ask the House not to try to convert the Minister of Health into a tyrant over local authorities.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of traditional houses approved as a programme for the Barnstaple Rural District Council for the current year.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to Appendix B of the Housing Return for March and to the letter I have written to him.

Will the right hon. Gentlemen not agree that the letter to which he has referred deals with 26 traditional houses, three private enterprise houses and 50 Airey houses which were allocated for the building programme for 1946, to which have been added, as the new allotment for 1947, only 65 houses?

The answer, as in the case of other similar questions, is that the allocation is based on the physical resources of the building industry in the area. If the houses are built we will give a further allocation.

Is a traditional house any house other than a "prefab."?

No, a traditional house is the normal brick-built house.

Anything built with other materials is—

—a non-traditional house. The word "prefabricated" is entirely misleading. Prefabricated houses are usually temporary houses, and are so-called because they have been prefabricated in a factory. The others are called non-traditional houses because they are built of non-traditional materials.

They may be permanent?

They are permanent. If they are built of non-traditional materials they are called non-traditional houses.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there is an urgent need for new council houses in Wilbarston and in neighbouring villages; that the Kettering Rural District Council purchased a site for housing in Wilbarston, sank a well and obtained water of unsatisfactory quality; what steps are being taken to make that water drinkable and with what result; whether it is proposed to constitute a Northampton county joint water board and by that or some other means to provide a satisfactory piped water supply and adequate housing for Wilbarston and adjoining villages; and what steps are being taken meanwhile to use the site in Wilbarston or to build houses elsewhere in the neighbourhood.

The answer to the first two parts of the Question is, Yes, Sir. Proposals for a joint water board are being negotiated, and, meanwhile, steps are being taken to protect the well from surface pollution. If further tests are then satisfactory, housebuilding will be approved.

Meanwhile, pending the constitution of the joint county water board, is the Minister prepared to approve and promote schemes for local water supplies, and can anything be done meanwhile to urge this local authority and others similarly placed to get houses built in cases where there is a shortage of water?

It would be very expensive and, in many instances, improper to allow local schemes to be developed without their co-ordination with the county scheme as a whole. My hon. and learned Friend knows there is very considerable difficulty about water supplies in this area, and one of the limitations upon us at the moment is the shortage of steel.

asked the Minister of Education why no reply has been received by the hon. Member for Orpington to a letter addressed to his Department, dated 13th January, 1947, about buildings in Jail Lane, Cudham.

My right hon. Friend has now written to the hon. Member and explained the position regarding the buildings at Cudham.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that a just decision as early as possible will be of great importance to the local residents?

The matter is being taken up urgently, and the necessary site is being investigated at the present time.

It has been going on since January.

asked the Minister of Education if it is his intention to re-establish the National Fitness Council; and what steps he intends to take other than through local education authorities to encourage physical education amongst adults.

No, Sir. Grants under Section 3 of the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937, are made through my Department to local authorities and voluntary organisations in aid of capital expenditure, and to certain national organisations for advisory services. The arrangements are set out in a memorandum, of which I am sending the hon Member a copy.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary think that the local education authority is the suitable agency for dealing with such subjects as the establishment of bowling greens at working men's clubs, which were previously dealt with by the National Fitness Council?

Yes, Sir, I do think the local authority is a suitable agent for this purpose. The further education pamphlet just issued by the Ministry shows that local authorities are expected to avail themselves of their powers, and to provide this kind of social recreation.

Will my hon. Friend refrain from re-establishing this council, because it supersedes the local education authority and duplicates the grant?

We see no reason for establishing two advisory councils.

Does the Ministry of Education make a grant in this connection to the National Association of Boys' Clubs?

Yes, a grant is made for that purpose.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the fact that the nation has been summoned to a day of National Prayer on 6th July, and that the two Archbishops and the Moderator of the Free Church General Council have advocated as a standard of national life the Ten Commandments and the Four Gospels, he will circularise all local education authorities with a view to arranging for special instruction to be given in all schools on these two subjects between now and 6th July.

No, Sir. I have no doubt that the attention of local education authorities and schools will be called to the importance of this occasion by other means.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that many Bills introduced by this Government violate the Commandments:

"Thou shalt not steal …. Thou shalt not covet …."

asked the Minister of Education by what means he proposes to ensure that a substantial proportion of uncertificated teachers may commence their one-year college course this year; and whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction amongst uncertificated teachers refused entrance to college and many of whose former pupils are in training under the Emergency Training Scheme for Teachers.

It is hoped to offer admission for special one-year courses this autumn to rather more than the 400 uncertificated teachers suggested in the circular issued by the Minister of Education last July. These courses are being provided partly in emergency colleges, partly in ordinary training colleges. I can well believe that the teachers eligible for these courses are anxious to enter on them at the earliest possible moment, but they could not be spared from the schools all at once, nor could places be found for them all at once, without undue interference with the initial training of new recruits to the teaching profession.

In view of the gross injustice which has been done to a large number of these uncertificated teachers, will the Minister do his best to get a definite quota of uncertificated teachers admitted to emergency training colleges each year?

In all, over 2,000 teachers have applied for these special courses, and we expect to provide training in a period of four years.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will request education authorities to increase the instruction about the British Empire and Commonwealth given in schools.

A good deal has already been done by my Department to encourage a study of the British Commonwealth and Empire in the schools. The importance of including such studies in all secondary courses will be emphasised in a circular which will be issued very shortly to local education authorities by my Department.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether the Minister of Education agrees with the recent suggestion of the retiring Governor-General of Australia, that it is more important for school children in this country to learn about their fellow citizens in the Empire than to know the names of the wives of King Henry VIII?

I am sure the views of my right hon. Friend coincide exactly with those of His Royal Highness.

Are textbooks dealing with Empire subjects now available in most of the secondary schools?

The textbooks which are available in schools naturally deal with the Dominions and the Colonial Empire; but they also deal with other countries and other parts of the world.

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is even more important that children in elementary and secondary schools should be brought up to regard themselves as citizens of one world?

I will consider that.

Will my hon. Friend allow local education authorities to develop their own curricula without these constant directives from the centre, whether they are on this excellent subject or on any other?

Will the hon. Gentleman send a copy of the proposed circular to the Lord President of the Council?

asked the Minister of Education whether he will reduce the maximum numbers allowed in primary classes from 40 to 30, partly on the educational merits of the case and partly to attract larger numbers of teachers to this branch of the teaching service.

I sympathise with the hon. Member's suggestion. So long, however, as the present building restrictions persist I am afraid that it is not practicable to provide the extra classrooms required.

Is my hon. Friend aware that there is written into the regulations a differentiation between primary and secondary schools which belongs to the 19th century; and will he now change that figure to 30, so that there is at any rate a target to work to, because one of the biggest difficulties is in obtaining teachers for primary schools?

I am in entire sympathy with the sentiments expressed by my hon. Friend.

Is it not true that only a very small proportion of the building labour and materials available would have to be allocated for these projects in order to give children the schools and equipment they require; and what representations have the Ministry of Education made to the Ministry of Health about this?

We are constantly making representations, but we believe in trying to do our best together.

asked the Minister of Education how many ex-Servicemen have been accepted for emergency training colleges; how many are now waiting to enter such colleges; and how many will have to wait another 12 months.

Up to 1st May, 1947, 28,596 Servicemen had been accepted for the Emergency Training Scheme. Of these, about 14,000 had been released from the Forces but had not yet been allocated to a college. Of these, nearly 7,000 are not likely to be offered places within the next 12 months.

Would my hon. Friend pass on that information to the three Service Ministries, who are lamentably short of education officers; and will he point out that here are 7,000 men who will have to wait for 12 months, who would provide excellent material for the three Services?

Yes, indeed they would, and no doubt this reply will be read by the Service Ministries in question.

asked the Minister of Education how many students from emergency training colleges have been appointed to senior, modern, junior and infant schools, respectively.

Complete figures are not available. I find, however, that out of 1,019 trained teachers who completed courses of emergency training in the last few months, 355 obtained posts in secondary, modern schools, 456 in primary, including infant, schools and 35 in nursery schools.

Would my hon. Friend direct the attention of the women, particularly, among the new people who are entering the emergency training colleges, to the necessity for working in these schools?

This point has already been emphasised by the interim committee for the supply and training of teachers, and we hope we shall develop methods whereby women will be attracted to meet this very grave shortage in these schools.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that it is impossible to buy wool for babies' layettes in Leyton, Walthamstow or Chingford; and if he will immediately supply it to the shops in these areas so that expectant mothers may make the necessary preparations for the births of their babies.

The supply of baby wool is rather short in most areas, but I am not aware that it is any worse in Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford than elsewhere. The Board of Trade do not regulate the distribution of this material, and I am, therefore, unable to direct supplies to particular areas. To meet the greatly increased demand due to the rising birthrate, I arranged last autumn for production of baby wool to he increased, but some output was unavoidably lost during the fuel crisis. The worsted spinners, however, who produce the bulk of these wools, have been given preference in the supply of fuel, and output is already increasing again. I hope that supplies in the shops will improve in the next few months. I am also considering whether anything can be done to give preference to expectant mothers and mothers of young children in the matter of supplies.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that a great deal of the baby wool that is available is used by people who do not need it for young children? Will he, by the issue of a S.R. and O., or by some other means, ensure that the small supply goes to those who most need it?

The hon. Lady will see that I have stated that I am considering that matter now.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will remove coupon requirements from purchases of plastic garments until there is a general certainty of their proving satisfactory in wear.

No, Sir. Aprons of this material are already free of coupons, but as regards other garments, they contribute to the total supply of clothing against the ration, and the coupon requirement is a good deterrent to the wasteful production of unsatisfactory garments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the large quantities of British agriculutural machinery exported to Austria are not required in that country as this machinery is unsuitable for Austrian farm conditions; that much of this machinery has been lying in the open and is rusting and deteriorating; and whether similar conditions apply in the case of other countries to which large quantities of British agricultural machinery have been exported.

Considerable quantities of agricultural machinery of British, Canadian and American manufacture have been shipped to Austria by U.N.R.R.A., who inform me that, with minor exceptions, it is suitable to Austrian farm conditions. These supplies are handed over at the port of unloading to the Austrian Government, who are responsible thereafter for their storage and distribution; and I am aware of reports of considerable delay at this stage. I have no evidence of the kind suggested in the last part of the Question, but I am assured that the British and other agricultural machinery supplied through U.N.R.R.A. to devastated countries has proved an invaluable aid to greater food production, especially in Poland. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that there have been a number of statements made and published with regard to the unsuitability of this British exported machinery? In view of the fact that it is particularly wanted in this country, will he inquire further into that matter, to see if we can save more of this machinery for our own farms?

This machinery is exported to the order of U.N.R.R.A., who are responsible, naturally, for selecting the right machinery. According to our inquiries, the statements made are 'not accurate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that Poland exports considerable quantities of coal to Sweden, but does not require to import timber; and if, in the course of the trade-discussions with Poland, the British representatives will examine the possibility of obtaining timber from Sweden in exchange for machinery or other goods exported from Great Britain to Poland.

Satisfactory agreement in principle has already been reached with Sweden, as a result of direct negotiations, about the quantity of timber to be made available to this country in 1947, and negotiations for the placing of contracts are now taking place.

Can my right hon. and learned Friend say, roughly, how much timber there will be this year from Sweden?

I should not like to say at the present moment.

Can my right hon. and learned Friend see to it that enough is allocated to the Admiralty to enable them to give a fair deal to the small boat-builders?

That is another question and had better be addressed to the Admiralty.

In view of the fact that Poland exported something like 16 million tons of coal last year, is it possible for the Board of Trade to obtain one million tons for this country this year?

The hon. and gallant Gentleman is no doubt aware of the preliminary arrangements by which we shall get 250,000 tons, which is all the Poles could pare.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the unequal treatment of the linen trade in Northern Ireland as compared with other parts of the United Kingdom regarding the supply of coal; and if he will see that the linen industry in Northern Ireland receives its full quota of the coal necessary to this staple industry to enable it to carry its full burden of export trade.

The allocation of coal for industrial consumers in Northern Ireland has been computed, in total on the same principles as for the rest of the United Kingdom; the distribution of the allocation as between individual industries and firms is determined by the Northern Ireland Government. During the summer period from the beginning of June, the supply of coal for industry in Northern Ireland will similarly be planned, in total, on the same general basis as for the rest of the United Kingdom, namely, at the level of last summer's consumption.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that a large number of building materials, including timber and lead, are being offered for disposal by the North Eastern Trading Estates, Limited, as surplus stores from the Aycliffe Trading Estate; and why these materials cannot be used in the construction of other factories in the North-East development area.

A number of building and engineering stores including hardwood and heavy sheet lead, were left at Aycliffe when this royal ordnance factory was handed over by the Ministry of Supply for conversion to an industrial estate. Those items which were needed to meet the immediate requirements of North-Eastern Trading Estates, Limited, for their factory building programme have been taken into use, and the estate company will continue to draw such stores as they need them from this mixed stock. To prevent items lying idle for an unnecessarily long period, it was arranged last year for the stores not required by the estate company to be offered for disposal, in order that pressing requirements in other directions might be met.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman quite satisfied that this lead and timber, and all these other building materials, cannot be used at the moment, and that factories in the North-East are not being held up by lack of these very essential commodities? What steps will be taken to prevent these materials going to the black market?

These materials that have not been taken up by the trading company are materials they do not require, and they will be disposed of in the ordinary way through the disposal machinery of the Ministry of Supply or the Ministry of Works, according to the material.

Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the point of the matter is, that whilst these materials may be immediately surplus to the Aycliffe Trading Estate, they are not surplus to the over-all factory programme of the North-East coast, and that if they are denied to contractors they will be devoted to projects which, whilst being licensed projects, are certainly not of anything like the priority of the factory programme, and that, consequently, we shall have diversion of the materials?

I am quite satisfied that the North-Eastern Trading Estates, Limited, know what they want, and that they have had all they want.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for what reason it is proposed to reduce the present import duty on gloves, having regard to the fact that all other countries importing gloves have a higher duty than Great Britain or else impose a complete ban on importations; and what reciprocal advantage is being obtained for this proposed reduction.

Requests for a reduction in the duty on gloves have been received and are being considered as part of the international trade and tariff negotiations now being held at Geneva. No decision has yet been taken, but any decisions eventually taken on individual items will clearly have to depend on the general balance of advantage to the trade of the country as a whole.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for what reason it has been decided to permit the importation of foreign gloves for which no reciprocal advantage is obtained, when glove manufacturers in this country are able to make all the gloves required for the home market if present restrictions on their operation were raised.

Limited imports of gloves are being permitted in accordance with the policy regarding imports from countries whose economies have been disrupted by war, described in the statement circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT on 21st October last. I am not aware that our glove manufacturers could meet the requirements of the home market if present restrictions were removed.

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman take every step to see that glove manufacturers at home are suitably protected against these foreign imports?

At the present time there is no question of the necessity for any protection.

asked the Minister of Labour what percentage of unemployed persons on the Scottish register represents disabled persons; and what percentage capable of light work only.

Registered disabled persons suitable for ordinary employment represented about 9½ per cent. of the total numbers of insured persons unemployed in Scotland in April. Unemployed disabled persons suitable only for work under sheltered conditions, of whom there were about 1,300, and other persons not suitable for ordinary industrial employment, numbering about 3,000, are not' included in the figures of the registered unemployed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the operation in industry of extended double-shift working, which was recommended two months ago as a method of coping with the shortage of electricity.

The Electricity Sub-Committee of the Joint Consultative Committee which was appointed to examine the measures necessary to reduce peak industrial loads on the electricity supply system, and to advise and assist regional boards for industry in this matter, have now submitted a report, which is being issued to regional boards for industry, and will be available to the general public on Monday. I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library.

asked the Minister of Labour when the hon. Member for Huntingdon may expect a reply to his letter of 29th April concerning Mr. Albert Jones who was a ballottee for the mines and who, when it was discovered that he was not a member of a trade union, was told that his services were not required at Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, where he had been working for two years; and whether it is still intended to compel Mr. Jones to report again for duty at Rossington Colliery.

My right hon. Friend replied to the hon. Member's letter on 9th May.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that a miner was lost to coalmining in this case because of attempts to compel him to join a trade union, and will he take steps to ensure that men are not lost to mining in that way in future?

I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman is wrongly informed about the facts. If he will consult the letter that has been sent to him he will see that the allegation he now makes is not correct.

In view of the public interest in this matter, may this letter be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, so that other hon. Members may see it?

Oh, no. That would be quite improper.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this is the stock answer of his Department in all these cases?

This is not a stock answer because this is not a stock case.

On a point of Order. May I ask whether information on this matter could not be given to all hon. Members, instead of being confined to only one hon. Member?

I am afraid that is not a question for me.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men from the Polish Resettlement Corps who had been found civilian employment by the last available date; and the number still serving in that corps.

11,541 members of the Polish Resettlement Corps had been placed in civilian employment by 8th May. At that date there were somewhat fewer than 80,000 in the corps.

asked the Minister of Labour the average length of time it is expected that men will serve in the Polish Resettlement Corps; and the rate of payment received during that time.

The policy is to secure the orderly release of members of the corps to civilian work in this country or overseas as soon as possible. The rate depends on many factors, such as the capabilities of individuals, the openings available, and on progress in learning English. I could not give an average stay in the corps. Members of the corps are paid at rates which, allowing for taxation, are approximately comparable to those they received in the Polish Armed Forces.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the rate of pay given to these men is much higher than the maintenance grants given to British ex-Servicemen undergoing a rehabilitation course, and in many cases, much higher than the amount which these people would earn in civilian life, which is probably one reason why there has been such a slow rate of entry into civilian employment?

I am aware of that, but we have undertaken to train these men, and that is the basis of an undertaking given in this House during the Debate on the Polish Resettlement Corps. I am prepared to look into the matter, but I cannot give any undertaking.

Would my hon. Friend consider fixing a maximum period for these men to remain in the Corps?

I think that would be really impossible. If these men are prepared to work, but there are no vacancies and no one asks for them, they ought not to be penalised. Equally, I am not prepared to encourage them to stay in the Corps when there is any employment for them.

Would the Minister consider allowing British ex-Servicemen to join the Polish Resettlement Corps so as to get this better treatment?

The Act, in the Debate in which the hon. and learned Gentleman took part, prevents British men from joining the Corps.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is taking any steps to intervene in the unofficial strike of London Co-operative Society milk roundsmen, which is affecting supplies to 600,000 customers in the society's eastern section.

No, Sir. Although my Department is in close touch with the management and the trade unions, I must have regard to the fact that the terms and conditions of employment of the men have' been the subject of an award reached under the agreed procedure of the constitutional machinery which governs the relations in the Co-operative service between the management and the men. The men should reflect on the inconvenience and hardship being caused to the customers by this dislocation of the distribution of milk, and should leave it to their unions to deal with any legitimate complaint.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say what he proposes to do to relieve the hard-pressed housewife of the task of going to the depots to collect the milk, and will he also say what is the position regarding the threatened strike of those who bottle the milk at the depots?

We are in very close touch with developments, and the trade unions are taking energetic steps to end this unofficial stoppage. I do not want to say anything this afternoon which would prevent a settlement of this most irregular and irresponsible strike.

Does the hon. Gentleman not think that this is becoming all too frequent, and that hardships are inflicted on ordinary men and women by these unofficial strikes? Does he not think some steps ought to be taken to deal with the general question?

I do not dissent from the views expressed. Active consultations are now taking place with the object of dealing with a situation which is causing a very great deal of social dislocation and hardship.

Am I to understand from the hon. Gentleman's reply that his Department considers it improper, or outside the field of its jurisdiction, to intervene in unofficial strikes, because that is what the answer seems to mean?

It is quite improper for any Department to intervene and deal with people who break the most admirable machinery set up under the authority of this House.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement about the causes and settlement of the strike at the Billingsgate fish market.

Following a full resumption of work on Friday last, the normal relations between the Corporation and the trade union have been resumed. In the circumstances my right hon. Friend thinks it would not be desirable to make any further statement at present.

Can the Minister say whether the Minister of Labour has any information that the strike was due, either wholly or in part, to the resentment felt by the fish-porters against the market police sergeant's attempt to prevent them from expanding their perquisite of free fish?

Allegations of many sorts are being made. While this matter is the subject of investigation and discussion, I do not think I should be expected to commit myself.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has considered the representations forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Maldon with regard to the inadequacy and irregularity of coal deliveries at Silver End and other rural parts of Essex, where many householders have neither gas nor electricity for cooking; and if he will endeavour to arrange for more adequate and regular deliveries.

Witham Depot received 93 per cent. of its allocation over the coal year, May, 1946, to April, 1947, and merchants' total disposals to domestic consumers from this depot averaged 33.8 cwt. per premises. I am, however, making further inquiries regarding my hon. Friend's representations, and will communicate with him in due course.

Would my hon. Friend bear in mind that many of these housewives have not even got paraffin cookers as an alternative? They have relied entirely on coal.

Yes, Sir.

Would the hon. Gentleman also bear in mind that this part of Essex is not the only part where there is neither gas nor electricity for cooking, and where coal deliveries are irregular?

If the hon. and learned Gentleman will let me have particulars, I will look into the matter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, if, in view of the abuse of the Coal Distribution Order, 1943, sales in small quantities and the consequent inability of merchants to supply their registered customers owing to their stocks being consumed by small sales, he will consider limiting this order to sales to registered customers.

The provision allowing sale without registration of up to 28 lb. of coal or 56 lb. of coke is intended primarily for the benefit of poor persons who have no registrations and normally buy in these small quantities but the exemption also affords a useful means of meeting urgent consumer need when severe weather interferes with merchants' deliveries. I am aware that there has been some abuse of this exemption but, according to reports I have received so far, not sufficient to warrant its withdrawal. The matter will, however, be considered again when fuller reports have been obtained on the operation of the exemption during the past winter.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that people are going round from coal merchant to coal merchant collecting and buying coal, and obtaining in this manner eight or nine hundredweights a week?

I should be very surprised if that were so, because there is no obligation on the coal merchants to supply them, and they would be very unwilling to do it, except to regular customers.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the people collecting this fuel are people with cars, who can do it easily, whereas people without cars cannot?

We are looking into this matter, but I would ask the House not to take these rumours for granted, as I do not think that the position is nearly so bad as people try to make out.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what request has been made by His Majesty's Government to the European Coal Organisation for permission to purchase coal from any country whose exports are subject to European Coal Organisation arrangements.

The European Coal Organisation has been notified of the provisional agreement recently reached between the United Kingdom and Poland in so far as it concerns the importation of Polish coal. No request has so far been made to the organisation in respect of coal from other sources, but this matter is under consideration.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary ask the Minister to deal with this as a question of urgency, and will he also see that an immediate convocation of this organisation is held in order that we can get this coal from abroad?

My right hon. Friend is treating this matter with a full sense of urgency, and I should have thought that the hon. and gallant Gentleman would have been aware that this raises extremely delicate and difficult issues, which have to be taken into account.

Owing to the dereliction of duty of the Government on this matter, I beg to give notice that I will raise it on the Adjournment.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the production of electrical energy in the London area; and what quantity is brought in from the grid and sent out to the grid.

During 1946, approximately 8,500 million units were produced in the London area of which 1,200 million units were exported to the grid.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many electricity generating stations there are in the London area and what is the capacity of each; and how many stations, and of what capacity, he estimates will be required in the next five, 10 and 20 years, respectively.

There are 29 generating stations in the London area having a total output capacity of 2,644,000 kilowatts. With the hon. Member's permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the figures for the individual stations. In the next five years it is estimated that six new stations will be required in the London area, with an aggregate installed capacity of about 1,400,000 kilowatts. The requirements beyond that period cannot, at present, be forecasted with any reliability.

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether it is possible to concentrate for use in the London area all the electricity exported outside to the grid?

Naturally, that is one of the matters taken into account by the Central Electricity Board in putting forward these proposals.

If the electricity production of London is in excess of demand, as witness the large amount of energy exported to the grid, why is it necessary to build a new station in London itself?

The export to which I referred in my answer to an earlier Question occurs during the off-peak period, and it must not be assumed, therefore, that London has too much capacity throughout the whole of the day.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what will be the capacity of the new electricity generating station at Poplar.

The station is being designed for an ultimate capacity of 300,000 kilowatts. The first part, which has now been authorised, will have a capacity of 157,500 kilowatts.

Would the Minister look into the question of extending the size of this station, with the object of doing away with the proposed station at Bankside?

There is a further Question on the Order Paper about Bankside, but I must point out that, to extend the station beyond 300,000 kilowatts would be an extremely difficult business.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the present output of the Bankside electricity generating station; and what proportion is used in the local distribution network.

At times of peak load, the Bankside station generates about 75,000 kilowatts of which approximately two-thirds is used in the local distribution network.