asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now in a position to state the number of British business representatives who will be allowed to go to Japan now that private trade with that country is to be resumed.

The quota from the United Kingdom, the Colonies and Burma is 64 out of a total of 400. I do not yet know how this figure will be divided, but the United Kingdom will have at least 40 places. In addition, there will be representatives of shipping, banking and insurance interests, whose immediate entry into Japan has been agreed in principle, but whose total numbers have not yet been settled.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of factories completed and extensions made in each of the Development Areas under the auspices of his Department since June, 1945, at the latest convenient date; and the number of persons so employed in completed factories and extensions in each of the Development Areas.

One hundred and sixty-two factories and extensions (of 5,000 sq. ft. and over) had been completed or the firm was in occupation of the premises by the end of May. Of these, 51 were situated in the North Eastern Development Area, nine in West Cumberland, 34 in South Wales, one at Wrexham, five in South Lancashire, and 62 in Scotland. I am arranging for the particulars requested in the second part of the Question to be obtained and will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to relinquish all controls on the manufacture of goods other than those classed as essential, so that free enterprise may have an opportunity of proving its ability to produce goods the consumer needs.

Controls are intended to ensure that scarce materials and labour are available for essential uses, both home and export. They assist and do not interfere with production for essential consumer needs and for export. They are kept constantly under review.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cubic feet of hardwood were imported into this country from 1st January, 1946, to 1st January, 1947, and from 1st January to 1st June, 1947; and what percentage was allocated to the furniture industry.

Imports of hardwood into this country from 1st January to 31st December, 1946, totalled 14,870,000 cubic feet; and from 1st January to 31st May, 1947, were 7,062,000 cubic feet. Imported hardwood is not allocated separately from home-grown. About a quarter of the total hardwood allocated for all purposes in each of the two periods mentioned was allocated to the manufacture of furniture.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that the Straw Trading Company in Scotland pay merchants for wheat straw delivered by road to the paper mills £4 12s. per ton, and for straw f.o.r. £4 7s. per ton, whereas the Paper Control sell this straw to the paper makers delivered at the mills at £5 10s. per ton, what profit is made by the Straw Trading Company and by the Paper Control on the sale of such straw; and to what purpose is such profit devoted.

The Straw Trading Company is a non-profit making company and the selling price has not in fact enabled the Paper Control to make a profit. The price has indeed had to be raised from 7th July to £6. The difference between the buying and selling prices is largely accounted for by over-all cost of transport which has increased as a result of the shortage of straw in certain areas leading to larger hauls. In addition, a much lower price is charged for straw used in substitution for waste paper for making boards.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what principles it is decided whether raw material supplies are allocated through trade associations or through the agencies of Government Departments.

The underlying consideration has been to secure the greatest convenience and efficiency of distribution in the very varying circumstances of different materials; account is taken of the nature of the material, of their sources of supply and method of importation, of the distributive machinery available, and of conditions in the industries using them. The arrangements are kept under review in the light of changes in these circumstances.

asked the Minister of Labour the conditions under which a person employed away from home is entitled to a lodging allowance.

Full particulars of this scheme were given in a statement circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 16th April, 1946, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour it he will give the detailed results to date of the agreement concluded between him- self and the principal football pool promoters under which his Department was given facilities for endeavouring to persuade prospective football pool employees to enter more useful types of employment; the approximate numbers of full-time and part-time workers now employed by the six principal firms in the football pool industry; and if he proposes taking any further action to reduce such numbers.

The arrangement related only to single women, aged 19 to 40. During the few weeks that this has been in operation,108 have been interviewed, of whom 13 accepted more useful work Most of the others submitted medical evidence of fitness for light work only, or were available only for a short working week on account of domestic responsibilities. Information to enable me to answer the second part of the Question is not available. As regard the last part, I propose to continue to give the present arrangements a longer trial.

asked the Minister of Labour what age and service groups he anticipates will be demobilised during the months of September, October, November and December, 1947, respectively.

Details of the September releases were included in my statement of 18th March. I hope to be able to give the details for October to December very soon.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) what was the percentage of voluntary absenteeism for each of the six weeks following the introduction of the five-day week;(2) what are the percentages of voluntary absenteeism among coal-face workers for each of the six weeks following the introduction of the five-day week.

The following are the percentages of voluntary absenteeism, for each of the six weeks following the introduction of the five-day week, among all workers and among face workers separately:

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the cost of propaganda to the miners to stimulate and maintain output is paid for by his Department from a grant from the Treasury; or whether it is paid for by the National Coal Board.

Up to 30th September, 1947, the main part of the cost is being borne upon the vote of the Central Office of Information as an allied service to the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Some further publicity is being undertaken by the Uational Coal Board at their own cost.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make a statement on his proposals in connection with the research unit established by the South Wales and Monmouthshire coal-owners.

I presume my hon. Friend is referring to the research unit which was housed in and mainly staffed by University College, South Wales, and was chiefly concerned with the problems of dust estimation and suppression. The National Coal Board have arranged both for long-term research into these questions on a national basis, and also for the establishment in the South Western and other divisions of a Scientific Control Organisation to investigate local day-to-day mining problems and especially the measuring, control and suppression of dust. Provision has also been made for special research on the spot into problems of this kind which are peculiar to South Wales. The excellent work done by the research unit is, therefore, being carried on and extended by the National Coal Board within their own organisation.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the total estimated loss of output resulting from the stoppage of the 12 Lancashire collieries affected by the recent surface workers strike.

The total output of coal lost as a result of the stoppage of the 12 Lancashire collieries affected by the recent strike of surface workers, which was terminated on 30th June, 1947, is estimated to have been 59,000 tons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that on 25th June, at a Fascist meeting held in Hogarth Road, S.W.5, the chairman of the meeting called on a police constable to take down and hand to the said chairman the names and addresses of all hecklers and that the police constable did so, although he did not suspect any of the hecklers of any offence; and whether he will make clear to the Metropolitan Police that under Section 6 of the Public Order Act, 1936, they do not have to take names and addresses at a chairman's request unless they suspect an offence and in any case do not have to give them to the chairman.

The instructions given to the Metropolitan Police on this subject, which are based upon, and fully in accordance with, the words used in the Act, provide that a name and address declared to a constable under the Act may be given to the chairman in a case in which the police do not intend to institute proceedings, so that those responsible for organising the meeting may prosecute if they wish to do so. At the meeting in question the chairman asked for the name and address of only one person and only that name and address were taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the police pension increase, recently granted to widows of constables and sergeants, makes the total pension in some cases still less than is paid to widows under the National Insurance Act, to which they were debarred from contributing; and if he will consider removing this injustice.

The matter is receiving my consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to amend the law dealing with coroners courts.

I regret that I can hold out no prospect of legislation on this subject at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of Eire have taken up temporary residence or permanent residence in the borough of Widnes since September, 1939.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many boys and girls in approved schools who had not committed any offence absconded from these schools in the last 12-monthly period for which he has records; if they were then treated as having committed an offence; and how many have been sent to Borstal institutions.

I have not the figures asked for in the first part of the Question, but in the year 1946 there were nine boys and 32 girls who, having been sent to approved schools for reasons other than the committal of offences, were charged before the courts with absconding and sent to Borstal. Three of the boys and five of the girls were charged at the same time with other offences. The great majority of absconders are received back into the schools from which they run away. Some are transferred to other schools. Use is only made of the power to have an absconder who is over the age of 16 committed to Borstal if, after other methods have been tried, it is clear that he or she cannot be managed in an approved school.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many approved schools are provided by voluntary organisations; and what proportion of the cost of these schools is borne by public funds.

Of the 141 approved schools, 110 are under voluntary management. The cost of maintaining boys and girls sent to approved schools by the courts is borne in equal proportions by the Exchequer and the local authorities. Most of the voluntary schools have been provided from voluntary funds, but recently contributions to the provision of new schools have been made from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young persons are at present detained by order of court in approved schools provided by voluntary and public authorities, respectively; and whether he will introduce legislation to make impossible compulsory detention in an institution not under popular control.

On 31st May, 1947, 6,183 boys and 1,614 girls were detained in approved schools under voluntary management, and 2,284 boys and 136 girls in approved schools provided by local authorities. The voluntary schools are subject to the same inspection and control by the Home Office as the local authority schools; generally they have rendered and continue to render excellent service in this field, and experience does not suggest that there is any ground for limiting in the manner suggested the Home Secretary's power to approve suitable schools.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the policy of His Majesty's Government to issue entry permits to mothers of foreign nationality seeking domestic service in this country on condition that they do not bring with them their young children; and if he will now grant an entry permit to Romana Weilguni, who is a widow, and her small daughter aged five years so that mother and daughter shall not be separated.

Where a responsible householder wishes to engage a foreign woman for private domestic service, and is prepared to accommodate also a small child or children whom the mother wishes to bring with her, I do not propose to offer any objection. The answer to the second part of the Question is "Yes."

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to a sentence of one year's imprisonment passed on Mrs. Louisa Adsett, of Old Montague Street, Stepney, for stealing an Army Allowance book and getting £4 11s. by false pretences; and whether, in view of the fact that she has three children and needed the money to feed them as her husband had left her, he will remit some part of her sentence.

I have given very careful consideration to the circumstances of this case, in which, in addition to the offences charged, other offences of obtaining £2 5s. 6d. by means of the Army allowance book on each of four separate occasions, were taken into consideration. I regret that I have reached the conclusion that there are no sufficient grounds to justify me in recommending any interference with the sentence which the court thought it necessary to impose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to recommend the appointment of a Privy Council Committee to inquire into the form of government of the Island of Alderney; and if he will make a statement on the present position.

As the hon. Member will be aware, Alderney was evacuated in 1940 before its occupation by the Germans and converted by the Germans into a fortress as a result of which the land and buildings suffered serious damage and neglect. On liberation in 1945 the task of rehabilitation was immediately undertaken with assistance provided by His Majesty's Government. The period of rehabilitation is now nearing an end, and considerable concern is felt as to the ability of the islanders to meet the many difficulties which will confront them when the assistance at present being given comes to an end. I came, therefore, to the conclusion that a full inquiry into this matter was necessary and that the proper course was to recommend to His Majesty the appointment of a Committee of Inquiry by His Majesty's Privy Council. By order of His Majesty in Council dated 3rd July a Committee of the Council consisting of the Lord Ammon, the right hon. Member for North Leeds (Mr. Peake) and myself as chairman has been appointed to inquire into the State of Alderney with particular reference to the form of Government and its relationship with the neighbouring islands, its financial position and its economic prospects.

asked the Minister of Health whether the lymph used in vaccination against smallpox is still manufactured in the skins of animals; and whether the calves used for the production of lymph at the Lister Institute are slaughtered before the lymph is extracted.

I am advised that the answer to both parts of the Question is "Yes, Sir," except that sheep and not calves are used by the Institute.

asked the Minister of Health under what conditions the prescription, Johnson's Infants Preservative, which was said by the coroner at a recent Manchester inquest to contain morphia, is offered for sale.

I am making inquiries and will communicate with my hon. Friend later.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the fact that the incomes of county district nursing associations have been considerably reduced by the passing of the National Health Services Act, he will incur financial responsibility for deficits that may accrue until they are taken over on 1st July, 1948.

District Nursing Associations are not being taken over compulsorily next July. Local health authorities will be able to make arrangements with such associations to provide services under Part III of the National Health, Service Act, in return for agreed payments. If the hon. Member has information that any association sees difficulty in carrying on until the appointed day, I shall be glad to consider it.

asked the Minister of Health why, in view of there being two isolation hospitals and two general hospitals in the Isle of Ely, no member from the Isle of Ely has been appointed to serve on the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board.

Although every effort has been made to secure a reasonable balance of local knowledge on this and other boards, they are not intended to be constituted on a basis representative of particular areas or interests.

asked the Minister of Health how many appointments have been made to the Welsh Regional Hospitals Board; whether this number is fixed; and what procedure will be followed in tilling casual vacancies.

A chairman and 31 other members have been appointed in accordance with the constitution laid down in the National Health Service (Constitution of Regional Hospital Boards) Order of 24th June. Casual vacancies will be filled by the Minister of Health after consultation with the board and with any other bodies which appear to be concerned.

asked the Minister of Health what is the procedure followed in appointing regional hospital boards; and whether he is satisfied that an adequate proportion of suitable women representatives are being appointed to these boards.

The boards have been appointed after consulting all the principal organisations and bodies concerned, and the object has been to select the persons of best experience and qualification for the task—not representatives as such. However, the answer to the latter part of the Question is in the affirmative.

asked the Minister of Health what is to be done to assist doctors and pharmacists with foreign qualifications who are on the temporary register and who will be unable to continue to practise when temporary registration comes to an end in December next.

The Government will seek the approval of Parliament to legislation on this subject. We intend to introduce a Bill before the end of the Session, although it cannot be passed during the Session, in order to make the detailed proposals fully known as soon as possible; and I hope there will be general agreement with them.

asked the Minister of Health whether the scheme for the provision of free meals to school children will be extended so as to apply to children attending Occupation Centres set up under the provisions of the Mental Defici- ency Acts, and for whom tree milk is already provided?

This question will be sympathetically considered, when the scheme for the supply of free meals to school children is in operation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will now grant permission to the Fylde Water Board to construct part of the second line of aqueduct to bring additional water from the Hodder watershed to Blackpool and the Fylde district.

This matter is being reviewed and I hope shortly to be in a position to give a decision.

asked the Minister of Health how many temporary yellow identity cards have been issued to persons resident in the borough of Widnes since October, 1939; and in how many such cases have the holders been granted permanent cards in substitution.

The numbers are 277 and 45 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health in how many cases have local authorities granted the original owner readmission to a share in requisitioned premises; in how many cases a request for readmission has been refused; how many applications to sell the property to the local authorities have been refused; and what is his present policy in these matters.

These statistics are not available. I have no reason to doubt that, in considering applications from owners, local authorities have due regard to their interests as well as to their own need for housing accommodation. If the hon. and gallant Member has any particular case in mind I should be glad to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for War the reason for the long delay in obtaining any information about 14571498 Craftsman J. Barry, Royal Engineers, who has been reported privately as seriously injured with B.A.O.R. in May.

When a soldier is in an Army hospital notification is sent officially to his relatives only if he is dangerously or seriously ill. Lance-Corporal Barry's condition was not regarded as sufficiently serious at any time while he was in a military hospital to warrant his being placed on the seriously ill list, and it was for this reason that no official notification was sent to his next-of-kin by the Army authorities. He has now been returned to this country and had a period of leave from hospital. I regret that I had not previously informed my hon. Friend of this.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, due to manpower shortage and our financial difficulties, he intends to use the labour of prisoners of war to construct the new G.H.Q. for the Middle East.

The bulk of the labour used for the new G.H.Q., Middle East, has been, and is being, found from prisoners of war.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he hopes to be able to make an announcement as to any increase in the pensions of retired Regular Army officers who served in the 1914 War.

I am not contemplating the grant of any addition to service retired pay in respect of service in the 1914–18 War.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware of the hardship which is being caused by the continued delays in the granting of National Insurance benefits, especially to old age pensioners; and what action he intends to take improve this situation.

I would refer the hon. Member to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) on 17th June last.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the shortage of metal containers for foodstuffs and for other uses; and whether in the interest of building up adequate stocks of processed foods, he will arrange for canners to receive henceforward a larger allocation of the metal available.

Apart from a comparatively small amount required for oil containers, the total tonnage of prime tinplate is already being made available for food packing.

asked the Minister of Supply why an application by the North-West Region of the National Coal Board for the use of buildings on the site of the Magnesium Electron Works, Hapton, Lancashire, for a central maintenance shop for the collieries was rejected.

The whole of this factory is required for Ministry of Supply purposes. I regret it is impossible to make it available for other uses.

asked the Minister of Works what amounts of building materials he is purchasing or ordering under the Building Materials and Housing Act, 1945; and how much money has been advanced to him by the Treasury under Section 1 of the Act.

The following have been ordered: 102½ million Belgian bricks; 23½ million fletton bricks for sale in Scotland; 5,000 Swedish timber houses and fitments; 1,380 Howard houses and fitments; 20,000 sets of Airey house components. The sum advanced by the Treasury under the provisions of Section 1 of the Building Materials and Housing Act, 1945, is £4,750,000.

asked the Minister of Works why cotton sacks have been substituted for paper sacks in the cement industry; and what is the increased cost per ton of cement by reason of the change.

A limited number of cotton sacks are being used in order to alleviate the shortage of paper bags. The estimated increase in the cost of cement is about 2s. 1d. per ton.

asked the Minister of Works now much coal and coke is consumed annually in heating the Palace of Westminster; how many separate open fire-grates are available for use; and whether he intends, by an extension of central heating or otherwise, to make any reduction in this consumption of fuel.

In the year ending 31st March, 1947, 2,693 tons of steam coal were used in the Palace of Westminster to provide steam and hot water for central heating, domestic hot water, pumps and cooking apparatus. Separate figures for central heating are not obtainable, and no coke was used. There are 284 fireplaces, of which 127 were used, consuming 187 tons of domestic coal. When the House of Commons is rebuilt, a number of fireplaces will be replaced by central heating and new and more efficient oil-fired boilers will be installed.

asked the Minister of Works now much coal and coke is consumed annually in the Government buildings in London under his control; and whether he expects, by central heating or otherwise, to effect any reduction to this consumption of fuel.

The consumption of solid fuel for all purposes in the year ending June, 1947, in Government buildings in London for the heating of which I am directly responsible was 280,000 tons; I have no information as to the amount of fuel used in leased buildings where the lessor is responsible for heating. Subject to the available labour and equipment, central heating has been or will be installed wherever it results in significant fuel economies. My Ministry works in the closest co-operation with the Ministry of Fuel and Power in taking all possible steps to save fuel.

asked the Minister of Transport (I) on how many of the 1,200 locomotives to be converted to oil burners has work been completed; and the number which he expects to be converted by 1st October next or the nearest convenient date;(2) the estimated time taken to convert locomotives from coal to oil-burning; and if he will take all steps to expedite this means of saving coal.

Thirty-seven locomotives have so far been equipped for oil burning and nine are at present undergoing conversion. By the 1st August 49 will have been equipped, but I am not at present in a position to give a firm estimate beyond that date. The actual work of conversion occupies about 10 days, but it cannot be put in hand until the necessary storage installations are available, and these in turn are dependent upon deliveries of supplies and equipment. All practicable steps are being taken to expedite the completion of the scheme

asked the Prime Minister if the Cabinet instruction issued that all staffs in the Civil Service be reduced by 10 per cent. applies equally to all Departments.

No such instruction has been issued to Departments generally. Departments whose duties were not diminishing, and which were unable already to show substantial staff reductions, were asked to indicate how their departmental services would be affected if they were required to reduce staff by 10 per cent. by 1st October 1947. Their replies have been most carefully considered by His Majesty's Government, and I would refer the hon. Member to my statement on this subject on 24th June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are being made to finance the capital programme of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.

The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board has made good progress with its programme of development and construction, on which £2,650,000 has already been spent and commitments of £11,750,000 have been incurred. The time has now come for the Board to make its first issue of stock, in order to fund the bank advances and to cover the further capital expenditure that will mature in the near future. The Board has behind it the credit of the State, and its stock will be guaranteed by the Treasury. The issue, which will be offered to the public, will be for £5 millions of 2½ per cent. North of Scotland Electricity Stock 1067/72, at par. The full prospectus will be published on 15th July. The lists will be open on 17th July and close on or before 18th July. The issue will be open to the public throughout Great Britain. But special facilities will be provided through the Scottish Banks for subscriptions from Scottish investors, who will wish to take this opportunity to acquire a stake in this important contribution to the prosperity of Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any schemes have now been devised to establish regular recruitment of waterfront labour in Jamaica and Trinidad.

A scheme has been agreed between the Shipping Association of Trinidad and the Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Trade Union in an endeavour to regulate the employment of stevedores, launchmen and lightermen. The scheme is to be tried out experimentally for three months, and will be intro- duced from 1st August next. The ultimate aim is to establish a permanent registration scheme. The introduction of a similar scheme for dockers in the employment of the Department of Wharves and Harbours is under consideration. In Jamaica, after the labour dispute in Kingston last year, the Government suggested to the Shipping Association and to the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union that discussions should take place to draw up as quickly as possible a progressive scheme for the future operation of the port, including an improvement in the system of registration and method of engagement of port workers. No agreement has yet been reached by the parties concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will investigate a case, details of which have been submitted to him, of an ex-Service man who was dispossessed in favour of an employee of the Oxfordshire A.E.C. resulting in the destruction and sale of specialised fruit orchards established in 1887, and leaving the ex-Service man and his sons without employment after their term of service and without compensation which was refused by the Oxfordshire A.E.C.; and it he will make a statement.

The facts of the case are briefly as follow: In October, 1940, the tenancy of the holding was terminated under Defence Regulation 62 on the ground that it was not being cultivated in accordance with the rules of good husbandry. The landlords, the Oxfordshire County Council, then took steps to reclaim the land and relet it to a satisfactory tenant. I understand that the council first installed one of their own employees on the holding and carried out the initial work of reclamation during the winter of 1040. Then they let it to an employee of the Oxfordshire War Agricultural Executive Committee for a year under an arrangement requiring further improvements. At Lady Day, 1942, the holding was let to the present tenant who is not an employee of the Committee.There is no provision for the payment of compensation under the Compensation (Defence) Act, 1939, to a tenant whose tenancy is terminated under Defence Regulation 62, and any claim under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1923, lies entirely against the landlord. The tenant in this case was accordingly referred to the council. I am informed that the fruit trees which were the main subject of dis- pute were planted by the tenant's father in contravention of an express prohibition in the terms of his tenancy agreement. The council took the view that there was no legal claim for compensation for these fruit trees, and that anyway the dilapidations far exceeded the value of the trees to an ingoing tenant.