asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he is now in a position to give the date of publication of the White Paper on training areas; and whether he can give any indication of the date when the local public inquiries on the retention of military training areas will be set up after the publication of the White Paper.

It is hoped to publish the White Paper within a month, and the intention is to hold the public local inquiries as soon thereafter as circumstances permit.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he will consult the Royal Fine Art Commission regarding both the design of the proposed new power station at Bankside and its suitability for siting on the Thames at this point.

The site of the new power station on the south bank of the river has been decided and I do not propose to reopen the matter. The Royal Fine Art Commission will be consulted on the design of the building.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will reconsider the case of Mrs. Mongor, 46, Bonchurch Road, Brighton, who has been refused an increased pension as she is a married woman, although her husband has been an inmate of a mental hospital for 35 years and she has had to take his place in bringing up the family.

Mrs. Mongor's non-contributory old age pension was increased in October last from 10s. a week to 16s. a week, the maximum rate payable to a married woman. Mrs. Mongor appealed to the East Brighton Pensions Sub-Committee on the ground that she should be treated as if she were a single woman or a widow, but the committee decided that she was not entitled to pension at a rate higher than 16s. per week. Mrs. Mongor exercised her right of appeal to me as the central pension authority. I had no option, however, on the facts but to uphold the Sub-Committee's decision. This decision is final and I have no power to override or relax the provisions of the Act. As I have already informed the hon. Member, Mrs. Mongor has been advised that she may apply for a supplementary pension, if in need.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why family allowance claim No. 2616684, of Mrs. Edna Bryant, 20 Church Street, Heckmondwike, acknowledged by his Department on 14th January, has not yet been met; and when this allowance, together with arrears of payment, will be paid.

An award notice and order book have now been issued. The circumstances of this case are rather exceptional. I am writing to my hon. Friend about it.

asked the Minister of Labour how many vacancies in the coal-mining industry have been notified to the employment exchanges in each coalfield at the latest available date; and how many miners were registered as unemployed in each coalfield at the same date.

I am having the figures extracted and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour if he proposes to permit the cotton, wool, textile and hoisery trades to employ a quota of European volunteer workers; and if he will state the numbers in each trade.

Following agreement with the industries concerned, my officers are already placing European volunteer workers in employment in the cotton and wool textile industries and in the hoisery trades. It is not proposed to fix quotas for the numbers who will be placed in each industry, but to relate intakes to the numbers who can be absorbed at any one time with due regard to the availability of British workers.

asked the Minister of Labour if the committee appointed under the Catering Wages Commission to inquire into the fee-charging agencies in the catering industry has completed its inquiries; and when the report will be published.

No, not yet, but I understand the commission have reached an advanced stage in their inquiries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the policy of His Majesty's Government on equal pay.

I hope to make a statement tomorrow.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange that the taxation of widows shall not exceed that of married persons in any details of taxation assessment.

No. This would be quite unfair to married couples.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the large number of high-powered U.S. motor cars that have been imported into this country; whether these were at the cost of dollars; and what action he proposes to take to prevent this in the future.

No. Very few such cars are imported, and hardly any of them cost us dollars.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the order proposed to be made under the Exchange Control Act will permit the switching of dollar securities from Canada and the U.S.A. and vice versa in the same way as is now permitted in other parts of the Empire.

I cannot yet give particulars of what this order will permit.

asked the Prime Minister if he will form a Ministry of Economic Planning in order that industry can be mobilised to obtain the best results, to prepare economic development, to allocate all resources in the national interests, and to plan and organise to secure a higher standard of living for the people.

No. The tasks of economic co-ordination which my hon. Friend has in mind have been entrusted to the inter-departmental planning staff under the supervision of the Chief Planning Officer, of which I gave particulars on 27th March; and it is unnecessary to set up a Ministry for this purpose.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many factories or other establishments concentrated in Scotland during the war still remain concentrated; and, of those deconcentrated, how many have resumed their prewar manufacturing activities.

Thirty-six firms in Scotland, distributed amongst six industries, are still concentrated. The remainder of the firms which were previously concentrated have all resumed their prewar manufacturing activities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make any forecast of the total amount of hardwood and softwood timber which will be imported from Germany in 1947.

In the first half of 1947, arrivals from the original British zone in Germany of softwood, mainly in the form of logs, are estimated to amount to 263,000 tons and of hardwood to 21,000 tons. During the same period expected arrivals from the original U.S. zone are 22,000 standards of sawn softwood. Owing to the uncertainties of the conditions of the production and shipment of timber from Germany, I should hesitate to make a definite estimate at present of arrivals in the second six months, but I hope they will not be less.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the shortage of crockery in North Dorset; and what steps are being taken to improve production and distribution.

I am aware that at the moment crockery is short nearly everywhere; but the manufacturers' fuel allocations were increased at the beginning of this month, and their supplies to the home market should now steadily pick up. I am satisfied that the arrangements made with the manufacturers ensure that supplies are distributed as widely as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what bonus payment is now being made to stimulate the collection of waste paper; what is the procedure whereby this payment is made; whether recent collections compare favourably with those made during the war; and what action he is taking to persuade local authorities and other collecting agencies to increase their efforts.

A bonus payment of £1 per ton on every ton of waste paper collected and sold by local authorities in excess of 80 per cent. of the tonnage collected and sold in the preceding six-monthly period is being paid to stimulate collections. Payment is made on the basis of returns of sales by local authorities properly certified. Recent collections have not compared favourably with those made during the war, the tonnage having declined from the peak of 433,403 tons in 1942 to 221,318 tons in 1946. They have, however, been increasing slowly since 1st January, 1945, when the bonus system was introduced. Further measures are under consideration to bring home to the public and local authorities the continuing importance of salvage through Press publicity and other means.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of bed linen in Scottish hotels owing to the run-down in stocks and the reduction in laundry facilities; and, in view of the desirability of increasing the tourist trade, what steps he is taking to make further dockets available to hotel keepers for the purchase of sheets, pillow slips, etc.

We are fully aware of the difficulties of hotels all over the country in these matters. Under a scheme announced on 5th December, 1946, a substantial measure of help was given in preparation for the 1947 season to certain classes of hotels and similar establishments, including those of special importance to overseas visitors. We are in touch with the British Tourist and Holidays Board with a view to some further limited help being given over sheets. Pillow slips are not rationed and special arrangements cannot be made for their supply to hotels.

asked the Secretary of State for War why 933885 Sergeant Trevor Tomlins, 348 Railway Operating Company, R.E., B.A.O.R., who, as the War Office knows, has fulfilled all necessary conditions, cannot get leave to marry his German fiancee, who has also passed her necessary tests.

I regret the delay in this case. Urgent action is now being taken to deal with Sergeant Tomlin's application, and I hope to let my hon Friend know the result shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) why Private E. M. Wilson, R.A.S.C., was kept in close arrest from 3rst January to 26th June, 1945. awaiting trial, although all the evidence before the court was in the hands of the authority concerned the day he surrendered; and why, after all this delay, he was tried by an emergency court of three officers on the grave charge brought;

Private Wilson was tried by a field general court martial composed of a major and two other officers, which is the normal court for the trial of a case of this nature. The following were contributory causes of the delay in bringing Private Wilson to trial: the principal witness for the prosecution, a Military Police corporal, was detained in hospital suffering from a gunshot wound inflicted on him by the accused; the accused was thought to be involved in a number of thefts and it was necessary to carry out extensive investigations before the trial commenced. These investigations took a considerable time and it must be remembered that active operations were still in progress at the time; the accused was himself detained in hospital from 15th February to 3rd March, from 10th to 18th April, and from 19th to 24th June.The Rules of Procedure quoted by my hon. Friend apply to charges laid in the alternative. The two charges to which Private Wilson pleaded guilty were: (1) Deserting His Majesty's Service, (2) Committing a civil offence, wounding. These charges were naturally not laid in the alternative. Private Wilson pleaded guilty to both charges and the court were bound in law to award one sentence in respect of both. The sentence awarded to the soldier was in no way effected. The case has been reviewed recently and is due for review again this month.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many units of Army welfare committees, including other ranks in their membership, have been formed.

As my right hon. Friend said in reply to a number of Questions on this subject on 1st April, the development of unit welfare committees in the Army is still in the experimental stage, and no Army Council Instruction of universal application has so far been issued for their introduction. My right hon. Friend is obtaining a report on the results of the trials which commanding officers are conducting. When it has been received, he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give instructions to all Army personnel to reduce by every possible means the use of public highways by Army vehicles with caterpillar tractors during hot weather and thus avoid undue damage to tarmac road surfaces.

Regulations are already in force reducing the use of public highways by tracked vehicles to a minimum and confining such vehicles, where possible, to minor and secondary roads.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he has considered the representation from Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport asking for the removal of the Pioneer Corps now stationed at Burlish camp; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

I regret that it is not possible at present to consider removing the Royal Pioneer Corps Depot from Burlish Camp. It must continue to occupy the camp for the time being, as there is no suitable alternative accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will derequisition the Royal Borough of Kensington playing fields at Northolt.

I regret that it is not possible to derequisition the Royal Borough of Kensington playing fields as the camp built on them is still required for accommodating the military personnel of the Central Ordnance Depot. Greenford.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the area quartering commandant, Denbigh, has rejected the application made by the Conway Borough Council for the use of two huts in Morfa Camp, Conway, to accommodate demobilised Polish men whose labour on local building sites is urgently needed; and if he will intervene to secure a review of this decision so that the local building programme now retarded by lack of labour may proceed.

The huts at Morfa Camp, Conway, are required by my Department until the end of August. Thereafter, they will become surplus to War Department requirements and will be made available for the Conway Borough Council, subject to the claims of other Government Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for War why bodies of war dead are being transferred from the English cemetery at Den Helder, Holland, and the adjacent area; whether relatives have been consulted; and whether bodies are similarly being removed from civilian consecrated burial grounds.

Of the graves found in the Den Helder area, some were in the cemetery and others scattered round the precincts. Amongst them were British graves, including those of R.A.F. crews, and also some German graves. In order to arrange re-burial of R.A.F. crews together, it was decided to concentrate all British graves to Bergen-op-Zoom, where re-burial has now been completed. It is not the normal practice to consult the next-of-kin when re-burial takes place, but they are notified as soon as reports are received from overseas. Those buried in civilian consecrated cemeteries in France and the Low Countries are not normally moved except in special circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that on 20th May the officer commanding No. 236 Battery, M.E.L.F., stated that men under his command had no right to write to a Member of Parliament; and whether he will take the necessary steps to ensure that the officer commanding that battery is properly informed as to the rights of soldiers serving under his command in this matter.

I am having inquiries made into this and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War how the prices of N.A.A.F.I. food available to families of service personnel in Germany compare with food prices at home.

Service families in Germany obtain their food from the Army on repayment and do not, therefore, need to buy normal food supplies from N.A.A.F.I. As regards the prices charged by N.A.A.F.I. for special items such as baby food and condiments I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newton (Sir R. Young) on 25th March.

asked the Secretary of State for War if the undertaking given by his Department to a deputation of the National Temperance Federation, which waited upon the War Minister on 18th July, 1939, concerning the limitation of drinking facilities in military camps and establishments still operates.

Since 1939 the whole character of Army canteens has changed. The policy now is that these canteens should serve as clubs for the soldier and provide facilities comparable to those available in civilian clubs. A limited space only is provided for the sale of beer, but there are no restrictions on consumption on the premises.

asked the Secretary of State for War on what date Savernake Forest will be cleared of ammunition

I hope that ammunition in the Savernake Forest will be cleared by early 1949, but I cannot promise that this will be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will arrange for the red flags to be taken down on the Sennybridge range access roads and other roads in the county of Brecon when firing does not take place.

Instructions to this effect are already in force. As, however, a 67-mile circuit has to be covered to visit all the flags flown at the Sennybridge range it necessarily takes some time to lower them after firing and to raise them again before firing.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that notices forbidding access when the red flag is flying are exhibited on public roads in the parish of Cray, Breconshire; that local farmers are afraid to undertake their normal work, roadmen cannot repair roads and women cannot proceed to market and other business; and if he will make a statement why live ammunition should be used in this district when a W.D. range is only a short distance away.

Yes. These notices and red flags are exhibited to prevent the public from entering training areas on which live ammunition is used, when firing is taking place. This particular training area is required in addition to the War Department range. Its retention by the War Department is at present under consideration by the Inter-Departmental Committee on Services Land Usage.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, and under what conditions, men would be released from the Services subject to their joining the T.A.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No." The second part does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether all the British subjects who were liberated by the Red Army or who came into contact with the Red Army have been satisfactorily accounted for; what is the number of those not yet accounted for; and what steps are being taken to trace them.

All but 15 of such British Army personnel have been accounted for. All possible inquiries for the missing men are continuing through their comrades and through military attachés in the countries concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many official and unofficial applications he has received from British women who wish to marry prisoners of war; and what disciplinary action has been taken against the men involved.

I have received 54 written applications from British women wishing to marry German prisoners of war. No disciplinary action has been taken against any of these prisoners of war on the basis of information contained in letters of inquiry received.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total amount received by the Government from farmers and from other employers, respectively, in payment for work performed by prisoners of war; the total cost of administration of prisoner-of-war camps and affairs; and whether arrangements will be made to increase the cash amounts paid to prisoners of war in this country.

It is estimated that, after deduction of certain expenses, such as cost of transportation, arising out of their employment, the total receipts in respect of prisoner-of-war labour during 1947–48 will amount to £21,000,000—including about £14,000,000 in respect of prisoners working in agriculture. The expenses in question do not include the cost of pay, maintenance and administration of the prisoners: such costs are brought to account under many different Votes and the total expenditure could not be ascertained without a considerable amount of labour. As regards the last part of the Question, my right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement shortly

asked the Secretary of State for War how many prisoners of war were repatriated from Great Britain and the Middle East, respectively, during the month of May; and whether he will give the total repatriated from each area since 1st October, 1946, together with the balance still remaining to be repatriated.

During May, 15,457 German prisoners of war were repatriated from the United Kingdom and 1,485 from the Middle East; 125,990 have been repatriated from the United Kingdom since 26th September, 1946, and 13,954 from the Middle East since 1st October, 1946; 275,342 remain in the United Kingdom and 82,036 in the Middle East.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total number of German prisoners of war who have been repatriated to the nearest available date; what proportion of German officers who are prisoners of war have elected to perform useful work; and how many of the prisoners of war who surrendered during the special armistice at Dunkirk have been repatriated.

125,990 German prisoners of war have been repatriated from the United Kingdom; 28 per cent. of German officer prisoners of war in this country are doing useful work; the information asked for in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will further relax the restrictions on German prisoners of war so as to permit them to travel by train or omnibus if travelling to or from civilian homes where they are being entertained, if accompanied by their host; and to permit of their attending a theatre or cinema if accompanied by their host.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he can now make a further announcement relaxing the restrictions applied to prisoners of war.

Further relaxations of the restrictions on German prisoners of war are now under consideration and I hope to make a statement on the subject shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the proficient recognised rifle club members form an integral part of the scheme of national defence; and whether the existing scheme of control and restriction over ammuni- tion and rifle ranges now in force signifies that they are now considered of no value.

Members of rifle clubs are a valuable source of potential assistance to national defence by virtue of being proficient rifle shots. The importance of rifle clubs is fully recognised and it is certainly not the case that they are considered to be of no value.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are the prices at which ·303 rifle ammunition and ·38 revolver ammunition are supplied to the National Rifle Association by his Department; whether he is aware that the Kent County Rifle Association was recently offered by his Department ·303 rifle ammunition at £8 10s. per 1,000 rounds; and if he will arrange for the sale of rifle ammunition direct to county rifle associations at the same price as charged to the National Rifle Association.

With the exception that a free issue of rifle and revolver ammunition is made to the National Rifle Association for expenditure at their annual meeting at Bisley, the Association is charged a price which represents the cost of the ammunition. The current price for ·303 rifle ammunition and ·38 revolver ammunition is approximately £10 3s. and £10 4s. per 1,000 rounds respectively. I am not aware that any offer has been made by my Department to the Kent County Rifle Association, but if that Association has applied to purchase rifle ammunition from my Department the price quoted would have been the price current at the time. The Kent County Rifle Association can already buy rifle ammunition at the same price as that which would be charged to the National Rifle Association by my Department.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that before the war the Kent County Rifle Association received a free annual supply of ·303 ammunition, but that this is now refused; and if he will give the reason for this refusal.

Before the war a Territorial Army divisional commander was allotted ammunition for each man armed with a rifle on the strength of such of his units as belonged to the Territorial Army Rifle Association. He could sub-allot it for use by Territorial Army personnel at the Territorial Army Rifle Association central meeting, or at County Rifle Association or Regimental Rifles meetings in his divisional area at which Territorial Army rifle competitions took place, provided that the programme met with his approval. The quantity issued did not exceed the number of rounds required for members of the Territorial Army taking part in the competitions. Until the Territorial Army Rifle Association is revived the question of renewing the allocation of ammunition under this arrangement cannot be considered. So far as I am aware, there has never been a direct issue of free ammunition from the War Office to County Rifle Associations.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he is taking to counteract the campaign of anti-British propaganda now being carried on by means of charges of maltreatment of Jewish prisoners of war by our troops in Palestine, in view of its inflammatory effects upon Jewish opinion throughout the world; whether he has considered the copy, sent to him by the hon. Member for Bosworth, of a letter from the Jewish Legion; and whether he will make a statement on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now able to make a statement in pursuance of the inquiry he promised into the allegations of inhuman treatment by British representatives of terrorist prisoners, notably of a certain Mordecai Alkachi.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 23rd May, 1947; Vol. 437, C. 322], supplied the following information:I have now received a report on these allegations, which were completely unfounded. Mordechai Alkachi was one of four Jews arrested after attempting to break through a military road block on the night of 29th December, 1946. They were all armed, and ammunition, explosives and two whips were found in their car. During the time they were in military custody they had the same food and medical treatment as military personnel. They were, however, handcuffed for security reasons. At no time were they ill-treated after their arrest and they made no complaints to the officers who visited them. Alkachi was tried by a military court and sentenced to death, the sentence being carried out on 16th April, 1947. Denials of untruthful reports such as that which my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Mr. A. Allen) was good enough to bring to my notice, are sent to the local Press and to representatives of the world Press in Palestine.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) when he expects the first atomic energy plant for the production of power for industrial purposes to be in operation;(2) if he will publish authoritative data from which could be made a provisional assessment of the prospects of atomic power for industry in this country.

It is too early to make any reliable forecast.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give the proportionate allocation of resources between civil and military development work in the use of atomic energy.

It is not possible to make such a division, since development work over almost the whole field of atomic energy is of both civil and military significance.

asked the Minister of Food the basis upon which consumer need is assessed when a decision is reached to grant or refuse a licence to open a shop under the Licensing of Retailers Statutory Order, No. 131, 1945.

Consumer need, defined as the necessity for an additional distribution point for the purpose of avoiding hardship to consumers, is assessed on the following considerations:

(a) The number of other businesses of like character within a reasonable distance and the accommodation provided by those businesses in relation to the population;

(b) any change in the conditions of the area concerned which justifies the provision of further facilities, e.g. needs of holiday makers;

(c) the extent to which the provision of further facilities is being made or is likely to be made in the future by the issue of licences on priority grounds.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that for the last four months the supply of soap, other than toilet soap, for household purposes has been in short supply in Croydon and that the ration in this respect has not been met; and what steps he proposes to take to make good the deficiency.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Collins) on 9th June.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many ex-Service men are now drawing a pension as a result of losing a limb in the 1914–18 war; and how many as the result of losing a limb in the 1939–45 war.

Approximately 27,800 and 8,900, respectively.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is intended that the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine shall be controlled by his Department when the National Medical Service Act comes into operation; and what is the present relationship between the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine and his Department.

The Lister Institute is a non-profit-making institute which, like other manufacturers of therapeutic substances, holds licences from the Minister of Health under the Therapeutic Substances Act, to manufacture certain substances to which the Act applies, and by special arrangement provides for the Minister supplies of lymph required for public vaccination against smallpox. The National Health Service Act will not affect the relation of the Institute to the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Health how many death certificates on which death was ascribed to croup have been received each year for the last ten years; or under what cause, or causes, are they classified by the Registrar General.

Figures showing the number of cases in which death is ascribed to croup are not available, but the term is rarely used without qualification and if so used is the subject of further inquiry. Deaths due to membranous, diphtheritic or inflammatory croup are classified as diphtheria. Deaths due to catarrhal, laryngeal, spasmodic or stridulous croup are classified as laryngitis.

asked the Minister of Health how often the medical officer of health for Scunthorpe had been vaccinated; and what was the interval between his last vaccination and his development of smallpox.

My information is that the Medical Officer referred to was vaccinated in infancy and re-vaccinated on 2nd April last, and that the interval between his last vaccination and his development of modified smallpox was four days.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is receiving from local authorities all over the country returns as to diphtheria immunisation; and for what periods and in regard to what ages of children are the figures sent in.

Annual returns for the year ended 31st December, 1946, are now being received. These returns show inter alia, the number of children who had completed a full course of immunisation at any time up to 31st December, 1946, and were under the age of 15 years at that date. The returns are divided into the age-groups of under 1 year, aged 1, 2, 3, and 4 years respectively, aged 5 to 9 years, and aged 10 to 14 years. Returns are also obtained from local authorities for each half-year ending 30th June and 31st December showing the number of children who completed a full course of primary immunisation in the authority's area in the half-year, and who were aged under 5 years, and 5 to 14 years, respectively at the date of final injection.

asked the Minister of Health whether medical officers all over the country ascertain, in the case of a child taken from one area to another who dies of diphtheria, whether that child has been immunised in another district.

Yes, in order to make accurate returns to me, medical officers of health do their best to ascertain whether a child who died from diphtheria had or had not completed a full course of immunisation.

asked the Minister of Health what method the Registrar-General adopted in his revision of the death rate from diabetes since 1931; and how many death certificates were examined in order to reach a conclusion as to the percentage of certificates in regard to which some disease other than diabetes was chosen as the real cause of death.

I am informed by the Registrar-General that the method used is set out on pages 98 to 100 of his Statistical Review (Text Volume) for 1938 and 1939, published by His Majesty's Stationery Office; the number of certificates with mention of diabetes which was examined was 29,720.

asked the Minister of Health, whether he is aware of the danger to public health arising from the use of dirty filling materials; and whether he now proposes taking action to implement the April 1946 recommendations of the Interdepartmental Committee on the Rag Flock Acts.

I am aware that dirty filling material may constitute a potential danger to health; as regards the second part of the Question, I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 25th November.

asked the Minister of Health the number of applicants for local authority houses in the borough of Newark and the rural districts of Bingham, Southwell and Newark.

The following approximate figures have been provided by the local authorities concerned: Newark Borough, 780; Bingham Rural District, 850; South-well Rural District, 1,100; Newark Rural District, 368.

asked the Minister of Health, if he will consider controlling the selling price of small houses built before the war, in view of the fact that in many cases a 300 to 400 per cent. increase in price is being asked for houses which cost under g1000 before the war.

The general subject was considered by the Inter-departmental Committee on the Selling Price of Houses whose report (Cmd. 6670) was published in August, 1945. In view, however, of the practical difficulties involved, to which the Committee themselves drew attention, there is at present no prospect of legislation to implement the recommendations they made.

asked the Minister of Health what is the population of the Administrative County of London and of the rural areas outside Greater London.

The Registrar-General's estimates of the civilian populations, at 31st March, 1947, are as follow:Administrative County of London, 3,296,720; Rural Districts outside Greater London, 7,631,451.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) the reason for retaining licences for the retail of paraffin, in view of the fact that no application for such a licence has been rejected in the last 12 months;(2) the number of people employed in considering applications for licences for the retail of paraffin, all of which have been granted for the past 12 months.

The licensing system was introduced to ensure that the paraffin requirements of priority consumers were met, but the question of substituting a simpler system to achieve the same objective, so long as supplies of paraffin oil have to be restricted, is under consideration. Two people are engaged on the work which forms only part of their duties.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether in choosing the counties to receive large allocations of household coal for the period May to October, he made use of the information obtainable as to local conditions from the Meteorological Office.

The zoning for coal allocation purposes is by regions, not by counties, and is based on Meteorological Office data about general climatic conditions over a long period of years. The maximum permitted quantities are on an annual basis and the distribution of supplies during the May-October period is governed largely by transport and stocking considerations and not primarily by consumption needs during that period.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many of the 18 new power stations in the programme of the Central Electricity Board are situated at the pithead or within short haul distance of pits supplying the coal required; and what are the technical reasons which justify the establishment of other coal-burning stations at long distances from the pithead.

The answer to the first part is, "Nine." The principal factors which determine the position of power stations are:

(1) Cost of transmission to the electricity load centres.

(2) Adequate supply of cooling water throughout the year.

(3) Source of suitable coal supplies.

(4) Sea or rail transport facilities for coal.

Sites are chosen to give the lowest overall cost, having regard to these and other technical considerations. Generally speaking the transport of coal is less costly than the transmission of electricity, and this applies to the six new stations in the London and South-Eastern area.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has studied the possibility of siting new electricity generating stations underground; and with what results.

Underground power stations would be prohibitive in cost and would in any case require a chimney of normal height. I do not, therefore, regard them as practicable.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can now give an undertaking that all money spent by the railway companies on propaganda against the Transport Bill will be deducted from any compensation payable in respect of the nationalisation of the railways.

As I have previously informed the House, expenditure on propaganda incurred by the railway companies would not fall upon the Control Account with the Government under the Railway Control Agreements. I have not thought it necessary to deal with the points expressly in the provisions of the Transport Bill. I have no doubt that the railway companies will deal properly with any such expenditure in their accounts.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the policy of His Majesty's Government concerning the granting to Merchant Navy cadets of commissions in the Royal Naval Reserve.

As I intimated in my reply to the hon. and learned Member for St. Ives (Mr. Beechman) on 14th May last, the future organisation and functions of the Royal Naval Reserve are still under active consideration and no entries are being made at present. I therefore regret that I am not yet in a position to make any statement on the granting of commissions in this Reserve.