asked the Minister of Food whether a farmer's son who contracts to work for his father for a weekly wage is permitted to qualify for the extra rations of cheese and bread issued to agricultural workers.

No. I am sorry, but I cannot extend the special cheese ration to members of a farmer's family, who can usually go home for a mid-day meal if they wish.

asked the Minister of Food how many ration books were held by individuals resident in the borough of Widnes in December, 1939, and December, 1946, respectively.

The estimated civilian population in the borough of Widnes was 41,540 in December, 1939, and 45,850 in December, 1946. All these people would have held ration books on those dates.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent economies in wheat and flour have been secured as.a result of bread rationing.

Since bread rationing the deliveries of flour have been almost exactly 10 per cent. lower than the delivery for the corresponding weeks in the year before. This compares with an estimated saving of 7 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will ensure that nursery stock held by his Department will be offered for sale for what it will fetch in the open market, rather than be burnt, even though it may disturb the prices fixed by the nurserymen's association.

No nursery stocks are held by my Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will investigate the holdup in deliveries of Fordson tractor power-lifts in North Lancashire; and if he will expedite deliveries in readiness for the pea and root-crop harvesting.

The power-lift is not fitted as standard equipment, and the demand has greatly exceeded expectations. For this reason, and because of material shortages and other production difficulties, delivery has fallen behind. I understand, however, that output is steadily increasing and the Ford Motor Company hope to deliver a considerable number during the next few months.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on the result of the sinkings for the foundations of the Severn Bridge whether these have been found satisfactory; when the work on the main part of the bridge will be started; and how long it will take to complete.

The main borings both in the river and on land have now been completed. Some subsidiary borings are in hand and should be finished in about a month or six weeks. The borings have established the fact that good foundations are available for both the main anchorages and the main piers, and it is hoped that contract drawings for the piers will be ready towards the end of this year with a view to their commencement next Spring. It is expected that the time of construction will be about five years.

asked the Minister of Transport what percentage of accidents in the Glasgow area takes place in Dumbarton Road; and what type of vehicle is most involved.

3·5 per cent. of road accidents in the Glasgow area occur in Dumbarton Road. The type of vehicle most involved is the double-decked omnibus.

asked the Minister of Transport which locality in the Glasgow area has the largest traffic accident rate; and which particular type of vehicle is most involved.

The business area in the centre of the city has the largest road accident rate in the Glasgow area. The type of vehicle most involved is the private car.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will call for a report on the section of the Great West Road opposite Henley's garage, in view of the number of recent accidents that have taken place there.

I find that during the past six months only two accidents involving personal injury have occurred on the section of the Great West Road to which my hon. Friend refers. In one case a pedal cyclist collided with a tree and in the other a motor cyclist, who was a learner fell off his machine. I intend to super-elevate the bend in the road when other works contemplated near this point can be put in hand.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any arrangements have yet been made for cheap day fares, as carried out last year during mid-week, to Southend-on-Sea, commencing with the summer school holidays.

Cheap day fares on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between populous towns and places within a radius of 20 miles or so are still in operation. Owing to the necessity for saving fuel no day excursions are being run this summer.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that on the troopship s.s. "Orbita," which sailed on 2nd April from Liverpool to South Africa carrying service families, there was no milk provided throughout the voyage and no suitable food for young children; that two adults and six children paying first-class fares were crowded into one cabin; and what action he proposes to take to improve conditions in the future.

There are standing instructions that, on account of the service families travelling in transports, adequate supplies of infant foods are to be available on board. The store lists for this voyage of "Orbita" confirm that there were adequate supplies of milk and baby food for the children carried. No complaints of the food were made on board. Most of the accommodation on the "Orbita" consists of cabins or dormitories containing eight or more berths. I am bound to make full use of all this accommodation in view of the great demand for passages. No first-class fares are charged on this vessel; for accommodation graded in the highest class the charge is substantially below first-class commercial fare. Proper provision for service families is being made in the planning of the postwar trooping fleet; but meanwhile we have to make do with the ships available.

asked the Minister of Supply what measures he proposes to take to encourage the collection of scrap iron, including obsolete tanks and guns and discarded vehicles at present disfiguring town and countryside, as a means of meeting the present scrap shortage and of economising in coal consumption.

All dumps under my Department's control are being cleared as quickly as we can get labour and transport to do the work.

asked the Minister of Supply on what principle, other than availability, are purchases of motor-cars made for Government Departments, embassies and legations; and if he will take steps to ensure that such purchases shall be designed to encourage the production of suitable models for the home and export markets.

Yes. My Department does this by purchasing standard models.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the total output, from January, 1946, to date, of manufacturers in this country of electrical equipment and accessories; what was, and is, the allocation of these goods for export and home consumption, respectively; and how much of the latter was allocated to Aberdeen.

Following is the answer:

asked the Minister of Supply to state approximately, in money, how much surplus stores being public property have been disposed of without any prices having been fixed in advance; and on what general grounds is this method adopted as the best method of disposal.

The only surplus stores disposed of in this way were those transferred to the Governments of Italy and India as part of general settlements with those countries. The terms of the settlement with the Italian Government were set out in the White Paper (Cmd. 7118), the value of surplus stores handed over to the Italian Government being estimated therein at £75 million. By arrangement with the Government of India, stores in India declared surplus at or after 1st April, 1947, became the property of the Government of India. This transfer has not yet been completed. It is not possible at the present time to estimate the value of the stores affected by this arrangement.

asked the Minister of Supply why the buildings on the site of the Magnesium Electron Works, Hapton, Lancashire, remain full of various types of stores, many of which are in short supply at the present time; and why these stores cannot be disposed of and the buildings made available for industrial use.

Stores are continually coming into this factory and going out as they are sold. As my hon. Friend was informed on 10th July, the whole of the factory must be retained for the production, if required, of materials of strategic importance and it is not possible to release it for industrial use.

asked the Minister of Supply why he asked the Cheltenham Town Planning Committee on 25th June to defer a decision on the removal of the embargo on production from the factory of Roy Fedden, Limited, Stoke Orchard, near Cheltenham; and, as the employment of hundreds of workers is being affected, if he will now say that he has no objection to its removal.

This Government-owned factory was allocated to Roy Fedden, Limited, for research and development. In the view of the Departments most concerned, there are objections to the use of the factory for any substantial measure of production, and my Department therefore decided that it could not proceed with the application to the town planning committee.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that thousands of steel poles have been rusting at the signals ordnance depot near Pool-in-Wharfedale, having been made available to his Department in November, 1945; why have these poles not been put at the disposal of British industries; why has there been such delay; how many poles still remain; and if there are similar dumps elsewhere in the country.

About 12,000 tons of these poles were thrown up for disposal and nearly all have been sold for re-use by the trade. There remain about 650 tons unsold at this depot and 500 tons elsewhere. Those not sold for re-use in the near future will be sold for scrap.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is now in a position to make a statement about future employ- ment at the storage and breakdown factory of his Department at Rotherwas Hereford.

So far as can be foreseen, there is unlikely to be any substantial change within the next two years in the number of persons employed at this depot.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give further particulars of the intended use by his Department of Odstone Down, near the White Horse Hill on the Berkshire Downs, for dropping incendiaries and parachute release containers, other than high explosives, on a bombing target near the village of Ashbury; how far co-operation in these activities has been achieved with the Air Ministry; whether the use of this area for bombing will interfere with agricultural production; to what extent is it intended to make use of this range by day and night, respectively; and what signals will be given to warn local inhabitants.

The use of Odstone Down is at present being considered by the Interdepartmental Committee on Services Land Requirements. If permanent retention of the range is approved, it will be shared between the Air Ministry and ourselves. The present warning system of flag flying to indicate danger and of warning notices set up on the range boundaries will remain in force. It is not possible at the moment to estimate the extent of the interference with agricultural production

asked the Minister of Supply whether it is with his approval that would-be buyers of vehicles who, at the advertised invitation of his Department, may visit the site of the auction at Elstow, Bedfordshire, for pre-sale inspection purposes, are subjected to the indignity of personal search on leaving the premises; and whether he will issue immediate instructions for this practice to cease.

In order to stop pilfering, notices have been exhibited at the entrances to the depot stating that visitors are liable to be searched on leaving Searches have in fact only been made occasionally.

asked the Minister of Works what present use is the London Museum put to; and when will it be open to the public again

Lancaster House, where the collections of the London Museum were formerly shown, is at present used by the Foreign Office for conferences, with the exception of certain storage and office space still used by the Museum. It has proved impossible so far to find suitable alternative accommodation either for the Museum or the Foreign Office, but the search is continuing.

asked the Minister of Works why he refused permission to build lavatories at Tattershall Castle, Lincolnshire, which is visited by thousands of people every year, after his inspector had recently agreed to the plan.

I have no knowledge of any such proposal.

asked the Minister of Works if he is satisfied with the rate of progress in the servicing of sites for temporary houses by the Corporation of Edinburgh; and whether progress is sufficient to allow him to proceed with the work of erection.

No, I am not satisfied with the rate of progress made. Out of a total allocation of 4,000 temporary houses, site servicing still remains to be completed for 2,594 houses, many of which cannot yet be started. With a view to expediting the delivery of houses, arrangements were made by my Department, in agreement with the Corporation of Edinburgh, for the preparation of foundations for 1,710 houses to proceed concurrently with site servicing, but the work of erection is generally being seriously retarded by slow progress on site development. In regard to the balance of 884 house sites, the progress on site development is not yet sufficient to enable my Department to proceed with the erection of houses.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that there is still a cement shortage in South-East Cornwall; and how much cement has been delivered to Cornwall during June and the first week in July.

I am aware of the cement shortage in South-East Cornwall, which is due largely to transport difficulties. I regret that no separate records are available of the supply of cement to Cornwall.

asked the Minister of Works whether cement is being manufactured to capacity, or whether fuel rationing is still adversely affecting production; and whether he will ensure that those on the priority list are not receiving cement surplus to their requirements to the detriment of those manufacturers of concrete products used for building who are not included on the priority list and are, in consequence, forced to close down.

Production of cement is still limited by fuel supplies. As regards the second part of the question, my officers are checking deliveries of cement to priority jobs to ensure that they do not receive more than their essential needs.

asked the Minister of Works (1) how much cement was delivered by ship, rail and road to Plymouth in June and the first week in July;(2) how much cement was allocated to the city of Plymouth during June and the first week in July; and how much of this cement was made available for housing and how much for road work.

There are no fixed allocations to Plymouth or other cities. Deliveries are made in accordance with orders received, available supplies and transport, with due regard to priorities. I have no record of the amounts delivered to particular areas.

asked the Minister of Works to which Government Department he is proposing to assign the Bishop's Palace, at Gloucester, when it has been vacated by the A.E.C.; and for what purpose.

Then the agricultural executive committee leave the Bishop's Palace, Gloucester, the accommodation will be required to meet new demands, to relieve congestion in existing buildings and to release premises required for industry or other Government purposes. The precise details have not yet been settled, but the Government Departments concerned include the Ministry of National Insurance, the Board of Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Pensions.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the Gloucester County Council urgently need the Bishop's Palace, at Gloucester, for the accommodation of their staff; and if he will give further consideration to the request that it be handed over to them for this purpose.

Yes. I am aware of the needs of the Gloucester County Council, but in view of the requirements of a number of Government Departments I regret I am unable to release the accommodation.

asked the Minister of Works what are the main reasons for the decline in the number of workers employed in the building industry during May, 1947; and what steps he proposes to take to reverse this trend.

No firm figures are yet available of the total numbers employed in the building and civil engineering industries in May. Provisional figures, estimated on a sample census, indicated a slight decrease from the previous month, but this may not be confirmed when the final figures are available.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for India if he is now in a position to make a statement on the future of British and Gurkha officers and other ranks of the Gurkha Brigade.

I have nothing at present to add to the statement which I made on 10th July, 1947, during the Second Reading of the Indian Independence Bill, in reply to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for Perth tnd Kinross (Colonel Gomme-Duncan).

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many spindles and looms, respectively, of the Japanese cotton textile industry are in existence; how many are in operation; and what is the total labour force now employed in the industry.

According to information supplied by the occupying authorities in Japan, about 3,750,000 cotton spindles and 120,000 looms are in existence; 2,150,000 spindles and 75,000 looms are in operation. About 70,000 workers are now employed in the Japanese cotton mills

asked the President of the Board of Trade what amount of timber is used annually for film production; what amount has been recently acquired by Sound City Studios, Shepperton; and why such timber is not allocated for local housing needs.

The amount of timber used for film production varies according to demand and the supplies available. During the first half of 1947 the quantity licensed was 1,050 standards of softwood, 1,250 cubic feet of hardwood, and 400,000 sq. ft. of plywood. The amount licensed to Sound City Studios, Shepperton, in the half year was 210 standards of softwood, 165 cubic feet of hardwood, and 77,000 sq. ft. of plywood Timber is allocated to the film industry in view of the importance of increasing the production of films in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that there is a definite shortage of hardware goods, such as buckets, zinc washing tubs, and brushes in the Normanton (Yorkshire) and Wakefield areas; and if he will inquire into this shortage with a view to remedying it.

There is, unfortunately, a general shortage of buckets and zinc washing tubs but the manufacturers are doing their best to increase supplies. A shortage of household brushes in these areas has not previously been brought to my notice. I am looking into the position.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements have been made to continue employment at No. 2 M.R.D., Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees when the present recovery of aluminium from crashed aircraft comes to an end; and when it is anticipated that this will take place.

Agreement in principle was reached last September for Morris Motors, Limited, to take over this factory as the work for the Ministry of Supply comes to an end, thus providing continuity of employment. It is not expected that the Ministry of Supply work and labour employment at the factory will decline before the early part of 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the arrest and detention for two days of Mr. Harry Ridge, Ball Inn, Ecclesfield, near Sheffield, by the French authorities; and if he proposes to protest to the French Government and seek compensation for Mr. Ridge.

I am looking into his matter and will write to my hon Friend.

asked the Minister of Health if he is prepared to direct local authorities to disregard the first 20s. of a war disability pension in ascertaining the income of a tenant of accommodation in requisitioned premises where the economic rent cannot be paid and a lower contribution is assessed.

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a circular which explains the basis on which charges are made to occupiers of requisitioned premises. Any rebate is a matter for the local authority to decide in accordance with the circular in each individual case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what classes of aliens may be considered for British naturalisation without having lived for five years on British soil; and, in particular, whether any such consideration may be given to a former member of the Polish Resettlement Corps, now working in British industry who married three years ago a woman of British nationality.

No classes of aliens are eligible for naturalisation unless they can comply with the statutory requirement of five years' residence or five years' service under the Crown, with the exception of minors and British-born women who lost British nationality on marriage to an alien. Marriage to a British-born woman does not exempt the husband from this statutory requirement.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the total amount by which Lancashire textile mills have failed to receive their entitlement of coal under the present allocation scheme.

The Lancashire textile mills have received an average of 51,100 tons of coal a week against an allocation of 44,400 tons since the present allocation scheme came into operation on 2nd June.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power at what date it is intended to close Towneley pit, Burnley.

I am informed by the National Coal Board that this pit will be closed by stages, concluding early in 1948.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has considered the complaints sent to him by the Banbridge Urban District Council regarding the non-delivery of coal in Banbridge during June; and, in view of the fact that the Ministry of Commerce, Northern Ireland, and the Divisional Petrol Controller have stated that they cannot help without his permission, if he will now give orders that sufficient petrol is allowed to the firm of Ross Thompson and Company, Banbridge, to enable them to deliver coal to their customers in Banbridge and district.

I have received the hon. Member's letter about this complaint. I am having inquiries made and a reply will be sent to him as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of dollar exchange was expended during the last financial year on U.S. literary publications of all types.

3,200,000 dollars.