asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the cats to be used for tests with streptomycin, on behalf of the Medical Research Council, will be allowed to recover from the effects of the anæsthetic, in order that the result of the experiment may be seen.

In the tests to which I think my hon. Friend refers, the cats are not allowed to recover from the anæsthetic; but it is not accurate to describe these tests as being carried out on behalf of the Medical Research Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the rents charged to N.F.S. occupants of Acton Fire Station houses and flats, and show, separately, the rents charged to other occupants not now members of the N.F.S.

Serving firemen who are entitled to free quarters as an emolument of service pay no rent. Some serving firemen at Acton who are not so entitled pay 17s. 6d. a week for single men's quarters. A rent of 30s. a week is charged to persons who are not members of the Service for family quarters which they are continuing to occupy until they can find accommodation elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the widow and family of a recently deceased Acton N.F.S. officer has had the rent of her flat raised by the N.F.S. to 30s. a week; that this rent is in excess of the economic rent and far in advance of the rents paid for comparable accommodation upon the local council's housing estates; and if he will take steps to lower this rent to a more reasonable figure.

No question of an increase of rent arises in this case, since the deceased fireman to whom my hon. Friend refers was entitled to free quarters as an emolument of his service and therefore paid no rent. This entitlement ceased at his death; and until she can find other accommodation the widow will be asked to pay a rent for the quarters. The sum of 30s. a week is a provisional figure, pending the usual expert assessment. It is in conformity however with the assessments already made in respect of rather similar quarters on the same station. It includes rates and electricity consumption.

asked the Minister at transport what are the special orders issued by his Department to the effect that schoolchildren from Northern Ireland who attend schools in Great Britain are to have priority for sailing tickets.

I am glad to have the opportunity of making more widely known the arrangements which the companies concerned have made for the issue of sailing tickets to school children. Sailing tickets for children going to and from school may be reserved in advance of the normal period. Principals of schools or parents may apply for sailing tickets marking the applications in red ink "school children" so that they may be identified and dealt with quickly by the staff at the ports. In the case of the Belfast Steamship Company, Ltd., the applications should also be marked "for the personal attention of the manager."

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the tobacco tax concession granted to certain categories of State pensioners will also cover those who receive pensions from private concerns in which they were formerly employed, who are over 65 years of age in the case of men and over 60 years in the case of women and who were National Insurance contributors during the period of their employment.

As I indicated when introducing the relevant Clause of the Finance Bill the precise categories of pensioners to benefit by the relief are to be defined by regulations, but it is not intended to exclude any pensioner within those categories on the ground that he also receives another pension from his former employers

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the shortage of grates is preventing the Crediton Urban District Council from completing 16 houses on the Barnfield estate; and what steps he is taking to expedite the delivery of these grates.

Yes. The type of grate specified by the urban district council cannot be delivered until October. A similar type can be delivered almost at once, and my officials are in touch with the council to ascertain whether they will accept the alternative.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been drawn to the need for the provision of medical teaching films in accelerating the education of medical students; and if he will consider the allocation of part of the grant to the University Grants Committee, or part of the Special Supplementary Grant for Medical Education, to be earmarked for the provision of medical-teaching films.

This is primarily a matter for consideration by the medical schools, and I should not think it appropriate to earmark grant for this purpose. It is, of course, open to the universities to include expenditure under this head in the estimates for medical education which they submit to the University Grants Committee

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether in view of the increasing interest of the Scottish Universities in higher agriculture education, any arrangements have been made for placing expert advice on agricultural matters at the disposal of the University Grants Committee.

Yes. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries in answer to a Question yesterday, the University Grants Committee have recently appointed an agricultural sub-committee This subcommittee was set up primarily in connection with the changes in England and Wales referred to in the Minister's statement, but for the reason advanced in my hon. Friend's Question, I thought it desirable to ask that the sub-committee should include experts from Scotland. The University Grants Committee readily accepted this view and the sub-committee has accordingly been suitably augmented.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will take steps to see that C/J X375502 A/B D. C. Smith, who was demobilised in April, 1946, receives the back pay due to him without further delay.

It is regretted that there has been delay in settling this account, owing to the loss of A/B Smith's pay documents in transit from the Middle East and of his Service Certificate. These have now been reconstructed and payment made in full.

asked the Minister of Defence what value of warships and war equipment generally has been disposed of since the end of hostilities to other nations, particularly India; and what payment has been received in return for such goods.

I have been asked to reply. The value of warships disposed of to other nations since the end of hostilities with Japan is about £9,850,000. Payments for these so far amount to about £4½ million, but many of the accounts have not yet been settled. I am unable to give a figure for the value of war equipment disposed of, or the price paid, for several reasons: some has been supplied on terms of deferred payment, some as unspecified parts of broad settlements; some as a result of small local transactions not yet reported or not recorded in detail; and in many cases no distinction can be made between sales before and after the end of hostilities. A laborious investigation would be necessary before even approximate figures could be given. With regard to India, the bulk of the war equipment supplied since the end of the war consists of British-owned stores remaining in India on 1st April, 1947, when wartime financial arrangements came to an end. The final settlement for these stores awaits the conclusion of the negotiations on the Indian sterling balance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give the names of organisations in the U.S.S.R., sponsored by Soviet citizens, whose purpose is the encouragement of friendship and understanding between the United Kingdom and the U.S.S.R.; and the paper allocation given to the publications of such organisations by the Soviet Government.

To the best of my knowledge there are no organisations serving this specific purpose in the Soviet Union, The Government-sponsored organisation Voks, the All Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, which handles scientific and cultural exchanges, has an English section. No information is available regarding its paper allocation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what were the total numbers of Displaced Persons in the British zone of Germany as at 1st June last, giving their nationality in categories as far as possible; how many of these persons have now come to the United Kingdom or to British Dominions to fill appointments; and what steps have been taken to advertise in camps and other centres the kind of work for which there are vacancies in the United Kingdom.

There were 246,000 displaced persons in the British zone of Germany on 1st June, 1947. Their nationalities are:

Poles	113,700
Latvians	40,500
Lithuanians	20,200
Esthonians	10,800
Yugoslavs	14,900
Roumanians	3,000
Hungarians	2,900
Others and un-determined	40,000

Under the "Westward Ho" scheme approximately 16,000 volunteers have reached this country. Of these 8,404 have arrived since 1st June. A small number of displaced persons have left the British zone for Canada under the close relatives scheme. I regret that exact figures are not available. The contracts on which displaced persons are recruited do not specify any particular type of employment, but there has been no lack of volunteers. Posters will shortly be exhibited in displaced persons camps giving details of our various undermanned industries.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that a large number of the huts at the R.A.F. Station, Compton Bassett, are badly in need of repair; and when action will be taken in the matter.

The outside walls and roofs of the huts at Compton Bassett are in good condition, but a good deal of redecoration and repairs to the interior walls are necessary. This work is now being carried out and will be completed as quickly as supplies of materials and labour allow.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that there is considerable dissatisfaction among airmen at the R.A.F. Station, Compton Bassett regarding messing conditions, owing to the food being badly cooked and to the long queues in order to get meals; and whether he will take steps to improve these conditions.

Officers of my Department recently inspected the messes at Compton Bassett; they found that the kitchens and dining halls are clean and well organised, food is properly cooked and meals are quickly served. There was, however, some delay in service early this month when one of the five dining halls was closed for a week for repairs. The station messing committee, on which all ranks are represented, meets weekly; the minute book shows that no major complaint has been recorded for a considerable time.