asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he has any statement to make on the recent stoppage of work by porters, loaders and drivers employed by the British Overseas Airways Corporation.

No. I have nothing to add to the statement issued to the Press on 28th October by the National Joint Council for Civil Air Transport, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation which British Colonies are not supplied with a regular British air line service; and when is it anticipated Mauritius will have a scheduled British air service in addition to the present French air service.

British Colonies not at present served by regular British air line services are Brunei, Falkland Islands, Mauritius, St. Helena, Sarawak, Seychelles and the Western Pacific Islands. The provision of a British air service connecting Mauritius with the mainland is under consideration in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies, but I cannot at present state whether, or when, such a service will be instituted.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what answer he has made to the letter from the South Wales Civil Air Bases Committee protesting against the withdrawal of the air services between Cardiff and Bristol and Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare; whether this was done after consultation between the Corporation and the local bodies concerned, in view of the fact that when this service was run by the Cardiff Corporation this airport dealt with 39,000 passengers which proves the demand for such services; and if he will again give considration to this matter.

I regret that I have not yet been able to reply to the letter from the South Wales Civil Air Bases Committee which was written to me on the 30th October. As to the rest of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newport (Mr. Peter Freeman) on 29th October.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reasons the Kikuyu who participated in a demonstration at Government House, Nairobi, last February have been required to sign a bond to keep the peace; why they are still in custody; and what offences have been committed by the men.

Nine persons were arrested for creating a disturbance and refusing to leave the grounds of Government House after the Governor had addressed a party of 250 Kikuyu about their grievances. Later a magistrate bound them over in their own recognisances to keep the peace for twelve months, but they have consistently refused to sign the necessary bond despite frequent explanation of the position to them both by officials and by an African member of the Legislative Council. The law requires that they be kept in custody until they sign or the period of the bond expires.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that 18 African passengers from the Gold Coast were refused admittance to the waiting rooms at Nairobi airport on 13th August, although European passengers were admitted and served with refreshments; and what steps are being taken by the Governor of Kenya to terminate colour bar practices of this kind.

I understand that the only reason for the non-admission of these African passengers was that the waiting room was already full of other passengers. I am assured that East African Airways exercise no discrimination on the grounds of the race to which their passengers belong.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken on the Kenya Government railway to grade wages and salaries on the basis of work performed instead of on the basis of European Asian and European scales.

This matter will be considered by the Commission, now in East Africa, which was appointed at the end of last year to review the structure and remuneration of the Civil Services of the East Africa Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Jewish community in Palestine have been asked to make available alternative quarters for the police, now occupying the Carmel Mission School at Haifa, so that the school may be released for its proper purpose, namely, the education of Arab children, thousands of whom are at present being deprived of any school life.

No such request has been made since the Palestine Government are satisfied, after exhaustive inquiries, that there is no other accommodation near the East Haifa police station which is suitable for billeting British police under present conditions. My right hon. Friend and the High Commissioner greatly regret the necessity for the retention of the Carmel Mission School under requisition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to abolish indentured labour in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate; and what alternative source of labour is contemplated.

No steps have yet been taken to abolish in this territory the system of indentured or contract labour The possibility of replacing it with a system involving the settlement of married labourers' in villages is now being examined by the High Commissioner.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that, since the banning of foreign travel for pleasure outside the sterling area, there is a greatly increased demand for travel facilities to such places as Cyprus, Ceylon, Bermuda and Malta; and what is the policy of his Department in this connection, both generally and with regard to each particular Colony.

My right hon. Friend is naturally anxious to encourage tourists to visit the Colonies and to ensure that adequate travel facilities are available for this purpose as soon as they can be provided. If the hon. Member has in mind particular cases in which the existing facilities are inadequate and will let me have particulars of those cases I shall be pleased to consider whether improved travel facilities can be provided.

asked the Minister of Food how many tons of potatoes he bought in Great Britain of the 1946 crop; how many tons were paid for of which delivery was not taken; and what was the amount of money thus involved.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 3rd November.

asked the Minister of Food what steps are being taken to prevent a shortage of potatoes in Greater London this winter.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement shortly on the potato supply position.

asked the Minister of Food, how many tons of fish have been dumped back into the sea since 1st January, 1947, to the latest available date.

Only 609 tons of fish (which is 0.07 per cent. of landings) were dumped back into the sea between 1st January and 25th October, 1947.

asked the Minister of Food what is the total average issue of bread unit coupons, per four-weekly period.

During an average four-week period it is estimated that 862 million bread unit coupons are valid for use.

asked the Minister of Food if he will grant permission to the Leicester Rotary Club, which has been meeting weekly for 30 years, to entertain for lunch their normal number of up to 130 members and guests.

No. Since the Government's recent decision that the service of meals at social functions must be restricted, other organisations of this kind have stopped holding such meetings or have limited the attendance. I am sure that the Leicester Rotary Club would wish to co-operate in the same way.

asked the Minister of Food why Mr. Woodward of Messrs. J. H. Tustin of Milton, Oxon, was refused a licence to deal in hay and straw and to whom the licence was transferred.

Mr. Woodward was refused a licence to buy hay and straw from growers, as he did not trade as a principal during the datum period and there are already sufficient licensed buyers in his area; feedingstuffs licences are not transferable documents

asked the Minister of Food whether he is prepared to reopen negotiations with Australia and New Zealand with the object of ascertaining whether a small increase in the prices paid to those Dominions for pig-meat would assist them in stimulating production and so enable them to make a greater contribution to the food requirements of this country.

We are only too anxious to obtain from Australia and New Zealand all the meat they can send us whether it is pork, mutton or beef, and the Governments of those countries are well aware of this. If they had thought that a higher price would increase the quantity available for export, I feel sure they would have asked us for it and we would have willingly considered it at the recent trade discussions.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent pears are still being imported from the United States.

Since 1st July when the open general licence was cancelled, the only pears imported from the United States have been the small balances of purchases made by traders for which they had already paid.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty by what means it is proposed to reduce the Royal Navy to 140,000 men

The reduction of the strength of the Navy to approximately 140,000 officers and men will be achieved almost entirely by an acceleration in the rate of dispersal of men in age and service groups.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will state, in respect of each principal Royal Dockyard installation in Great Britain, the number of slips vacant at the present time capable of accommodating the construction of ships of over 1,000 tons; and what is his attitude to the construction of merchant ships in the Royal Dockyards.

Vacant slips in the principal Royal Dockyards in Great Britain capable of use for constructing ships over 1,000 tons are as follows:—Devonport 1, Portsmouth 1, Chatham 1. The Royal Dockyards in this country are equipped primarily for warship repairs and are not laid out for extensive new construction. Nevertheless, the Admiralty are always willing to consider undertaking merchant new construction in any particular case provided it does not prejudice the main function of the dockyards, that is, the maintenance of the Fleet.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in respect of each principal Royal Dockyard installation in Great Britain, the number of berths at present vacant and capable of being used for the repair of merchant shipping.

There are at present no vacant repair berths in any of His Majesty's Dockyards in Great Britain.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many retired officers are employed in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.

On 31st October, 389 retired officers were employed in the Royal Navy and four in the Royal Marines. It is the intention progressively to reduce this number so that most of the retired officers will have been released by the end of March, 1948.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of commissions granted from 23rd April, 1947, to date, in the electrical branch; and indicate how many of these came from the lower deck, and the branch from which they came.

Seven commissions have been granted in the electrical branch from 23rd April, 1947, to date. Six were warrant electrical officers promoted direct to the rank of lieutenant (L). Of those six, two were formerly telegraphist ratings, two electrical artificers and two torpedo ratings. The other commission was granted to a petty officer radio mechanic. In addition, a further 44 officers already commissioned have been transferred during the same period from other branches of the Royal Navy and from the R.N.V.R.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will favourably consider and authorise reopening to the public the Devils Point and Longroom areas of Stonehouse, Plymouth, in view of the fact that this open space has always, between wars, been available to both residents and visitors.

The Devil's Point and Longroom areas referred to are owned by the Crown. Devil's Point is in the occupation of the War Department and Longroom in the occupation of the Admiralty. Both areas formed the subject of lettings to the Plymouth Corporation at nominal rentals in prewar years. The readmission of the public to a part of the Longroom area is at present being negotiated between the town clerk and the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. Readmission of the public to the Devil's Point area is properly a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many of those employed in Rosyth Dockyard are at present engaged in civilian production; and what type of work is being undertaken.

The total number of men at present engaged in civilian production as Rosyth Dockyard is 57. Their work consists of the manufacture of patterns and castings for coal cutting machinery, parts for the conversion of locomotives to oil burning, and small components for switchgear, together with the machining of forgings and castings. In addition, 306 men are engaged on work on two weather reporting ships which are being prepared for the Air Ministry.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether any decision has yet been reached concerning the provision of a separate mess for all chief and engine room artificers in the proposed plan for the reconstruction of Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport, to conform with the regulations contained in article 626 K.R. & A.I.

Careful consideration has been given to the provision of a separate mess for chief and engine room artificers, but for the reasons given in the reply to my hon. Friend's Question of 26th February last, it has been decided that chief petty officers and petty officers of all branches shall share their respective messes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many former sea cadets have, on being called upon since 1st January, 1947, for National Service, been compelled to serve in the Army instead of being allowed to serve in the Navy; and whether he will give an assurance that members of the cadet forces will in future be allowed to enter the service in which they have obtained reasonable proficiency as cadets.

I regret that the figures asked for in the first part of the Question are not available. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence on 2nd July last. So far as the Navy is concerned, the number of National Service men who express a preference for naval service compared with the number who can be entered, does not permit the acceptance of all those with sea cadet service.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will give the names of those ships which have been equipped, since 16th April, 1947, with galleys up to the U.S. standard.

Since 16th April, 1947, seven more vessels, making a total of 57, have been fitted with electric galley ranges. They are: cruiser, "Newcastle"; stokers' training ship, "Imperieuse" (ex "Resolution"); depot ship, "Forth"; destroyers, "Battleaxe," "Scorpion," "Crossbow," "Corunna."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will give the names of those ships in which improvements in air-conditioning have taken place since 16th April, 1947.

Since 16th April, 1947, improvements in air-conditioning have been made in six of H.M. ships in service: the aircraft carrier "Vengeance," cruisers "Diadem," "Mauritius" and "Ceylon," the submarine depot ship "Forth," and the destroyer "Battle-axe." Further improvements have been made to the air-conditioning in three ships to which I referred in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend on 16th April last. They are the cruisers "Newcastle" and "London" and the destroyer "Aisne."

asked the Postmaster-General how many ex-Service men were recruited for established appointments as postman between July, 1946, and January, 1947; and what proportion of those so recruited were, respectively, ex-Regulars and ex-hostilities only.

The number is estimated at 6,500. No figures are available centrally as to the proportion of ex-Regulars and ex-hostilities men, but ex-Regulars have preference.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress has been made during the last two years towards the provision of motor vans for the delivery of letters and parcels in Dorset.

In the last two years 12 vehicles have been added to the postal motor fleet in Dorset bringing the total up to 103. In the main, the additional vehicles are being used for the delivery of letters and parcels.

asked the Postmaster-General why the Post Office is opening up cable communication with certain European countries where alternative means of communication by wireless exist in view of the high transit charges on these cables and the fact that balance of trade payments to these countries has to be paid in gold.

An efficient international telecommunication system requires the use of both line and radio circuits. Radio circuits are liable to interruption by electrical disturbance, and a basic system of line communication is essential for the maintenance of a regular service. A general diversion of traffic from line to radio circuits for the purpose of reducing transit out payments would result in increased expenditure on wireless plant, less economic use of submarine cables partly or entirely British-owned, and a deterioration in the reliability of the services. Moreover, the number of wireless frequencies available is strictly limited. The necessity for economy in foreign currency outpayments is, however, always in mind.

asked the Postmaster-General in view of the large number of applications for telephone facilities and the difficulty of satisfying the demand, what steps he has taken to popularise party lines; and what response there has been to the appeal to present subscribers to share existing lines.

Two-party line service is now being offered in suitable cases where we are not able to provide exclusive lines and the number of party-line subscribers has risen from 8,000 to 36,000 in the past 12 months. Many of these are subscribers who have agreed to share their existing lines, but the exact number cannot be stated without detailed inquiry.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will inform the House as to the economy in manpower achieved in fixing the last posting time in suburban London at 6 p.m.; and what increase in staff would be required if district sorting offices received letters up to 9 p.m. for delivery in the principal towns the next morning.

I assume that in referring to suburban London my hon. Friend has in mind the London postal sub-districts. Withdrawal of the late evening collections in the sub-districts is estimated to have produced a saving of between four and five hundred postmen; to restore a late collection at 9 p.m. would require a similar number.

asked the Postmaster-General when it is proposed to restore the cut in late hour broadcasting in view of the fact that many workmen do not get home till 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock at night.

I understand that the B.B.C. does not at present propose to make any alterations in the hours of broadcasting and I see no reason to dissent from their view.

asked the Postmaster-General in what areas the B.B.C. Third Programme is obtaining a satisfactory reception; and what steps are being taken to arrange that the Third Programme is relayed to the whole of Great Britain.

The B.B.C. Third Programme can be satisfactorily heard at present by about one-half the population. The transmitter at Droitwich on the wavelength 514.6 metres has a range up to about 80 miles. There are also 23 low power transmitters on the wavelength 203.5 metres affording local reception in London and the following areas:

Aberdeen.	Leeds.
Belfast.	Liverpool.
Bournemouth.	Manchester.
Brighton.	Middlesbrough.
Bristol.	Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Cardiff.
Dundee.	Plymouth.
Edinburgh.	Portsmouth and Southampton.
Exeter.
Glasgow.	Preston.
Huddersfield.	Redruth.
Hull.	Sheffield.

In view of the serious shortage of medium and long wavelengths available for broadcasting in the European Region, it is unlikely that more than slight increases in the coverage area can be obtained at present. Frequency modulation broadcasting on very short waves is expected to provide the long term solution, but it may be some years before the labour and materials are available for transmitters to cover the country generally. Work has, however, started on the apparatus for the first experimental transmitting station for the new system.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Soviet Government have now fulfilled their agreement to sink the German submarines alloted to that Government at Potsdam.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the German submarines alloted to the Soviet Government for destruction in accordance with the Potsdam agreement have yet been duly destroyed.

An intimation has been received from the Soviet Government that they have fulfilled their obligations to destroy units of the German Fleet.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of staff of all grades, showing shopmen separately, employed by the four main line railway companies in 1938, 1944 and the nearest convenient date in 1947.

The answer is as follows:

—	March, 1938.	March, 1944.	March. 1947.
Number of staff of all grades employed (excluding workshop staff).	459,671	476,885	502,909
Workshop staff	121,730	114,924	128,540
	581,401	591,809	631,449

asked the Minister of Transport whether any steps have been taken to ensure that all highway authorities throughout the country will have made adequate preparations before the winter to provide for the ample gritting of danger spots following the onset of frosty weather; and whether arrangements have been made for the roads to be gritted immediately the surfaces become dangerous.

Discussions on this subject have taken place with the highway authorities, who are fully alive to the importance of gritting road surfaces at an early stage. Arrangements are being made for the necessary supplies of gritting material to be made available.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the present approximate labour force employed on the maintenance of roads in this country; and what percentage reduction in this force will be involved by the proposal to divert 20,000 men to agricultural work.

About 90,000 men are at present employed on the maintenance of roads. A reduction of 20,000 is equivalent to 22 per cent. of the present strength.

asked the Minister of Transport what consultations have taken place with the highway authorities with regard to the further reduction in road maintenance personnel; and whether there is to be any corresponding reduction in road maintenance grants.

My right hon. Friend intends to consult the representative associations of highway authorities on the best means of putting into force the Government's decision. There will be a reduction in the amount of maintenance grants next year.

asked the Minister of Transport what European countries have failed to subscribe to the European Central Inland Transport Organisation; and what member states have failed to pay their subscriptions.

Membership of the European Central Inland Transport Organisation was purely voluntary. It was not open to ex-enemy countries. The member countries who have not paid their subscriptions in full are Russia, Yugoslavia and Poland.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent the Royal Ordnance Factories are undertaking the repair of railway locomotives and wagons.

Heavy repairs to general service wagons are being carried out at the Royal Arsenal as fast as supplies of timber and components allow. While the Royal Ordnance Factories are not equipped for the complete overhaul of locomotives, four of them are working on spares and components for three main line companies.

asked the Minister of Supply if he can make a statement in regard to the progress of the construction of the Brabazon aircraft and the Saunders Roe flying boat; and when it is anticipated that these aircraft will undergo flying trials.

Satisfactory progress has been maintained in the construction of these aircraft and the fuselage and centre section of the first Brabazon prototype were moved into the assembly hall on 4th October. Present indications are that the first flight of the Brabazon with Centaurus engines will take place in the summer of 1948, but any estimate of the date can still only be tentative. The construction of the Saunders Roe flying boat is less advanced and it would be premature to prophesy when it will fly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state, concerning the construction of new factories in the City of Portsmouth and extensions to existing factories, particulars for each of those projects for which approval has been granted by his Department since 16th April, 1947.

No new factories have been approved for Portsmouth and district since 16th April, 1947, but approval has been granted for the construction of the following extensions to existing factories:

Location.	Production.	Size.
		Square feet.
Portsmouth	Bakery	8,000
Portsmouth	Aircraft parts	8,750
Gosport	Bakery	13,000

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will so reduce the paper allocation to football pool promoters that the delivery, either by post or by canvassers, of sample coupons and similar material to members of the public by way of advertisement, will cease.

The allocation of paper to football pool promoters is being reduced by a further 15 per cent. approximately, thus bringing the figure allowed to less than 1½ per cent. of prewar. This covers their supplies for coupons, entry forms, advertising matter and other purposes, and the principal promoters have already voluntarily agreed to discontinue the use of canvassers, the issue of copy coupons and the public distribution of advertising matter. The free distribution of entry coupons is prohibited.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is aware that the withdrawal of the married allowance to commissioned officers in the Forces who have not attained age 25, and who are told they must attain that age before qualifying for allowance, has caused much dissatisfaction, especially as this discrimination is not made in the case of other ranks; and, as representations made by the Naval and Military Committee of the British Medical Association to the three Service Departments protesting against this discrimination, have had no effect, will he rectify this injustice.

The Post-War Code of Pay and Allowances (Cmd. 6750) provided that the age at which an officer qualified for marriage allowance should be reduced from the prewar limit of 30 to 25. As the hon. Member will be aware, however, it has since been decided that married officers below that age shall receive an allowance at the modified rate of 45s. a week, which is equivalent to the highest rate of marriage allowance paid to other ranks. With this addition the remuneration of officers under 25 does not compare unfavourably with that of civilians of similar age and qualifications. It is not, therefore, proposed to alter the present arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many of the Territorial Army and Air Force Associations include representatives of trade unions in their membership.

Eighty-one.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware of the length of time taken for correspondence between this country and serving soldiers in Palestine; and if he will arrange for a speedier service.

There is a daily air service for mail to troops in Palestine. The average time is now four days from collection in the United Kingdom to delivery in Palestine. It is not feasible to arrange a speedier service.

asked the Secretary of State for War why young Poles coming into this country from Palestine and Egypt are not allowed to continue the technical training in which they had started while abroad.

Many of these Poles, who range in age up to 24 years, have been undergoing technical training for four or five years and are well qualified to take their place in British industry. They are therefore, being so placed, where suitable. It is further hoped that a number of the younger ones will now join British Army Technical Schools and ultimately be absorbed into the British Army. A certain number of the more outstanding are being allowed to continue their studies under arrangements made by the Committee for the Education of Poles in Great Britain.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries applied to have dollars made available during the period when sterling was convertible; what amounts were made available to each of those countries; and whether these sums were on current account alone.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I am circulating today in reply to a question by the hon. Member for East Aberdeen (Mr. Boothby).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much sterling was converted by each foreign country prior to 15th July last, and between 15th July and 20th August.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 28th October, 1947; Vol. 443, c. 43], supplied the following information:The first section of the following table shows the amounts of sterling converted into U.S. dollars or transferred to American account, between 1st January, 1947, and the suspension of convertibility in August, 1947, by countries with which monetary agreements were in force providing for convertibility through the Transferable Account procedure. The figures are gross; that is to say, they are not reduced by any receipts of U.S. dollars from the countries concerned or transfers of sterling from American account to account of the countries concerned. Nor do they include payments in dollars to or receipts in dollars from Canada or countries (e.g., Denmark, France) with which this procedure for convertibility was not in force.Because of the provision made for the transferability of sterling between third countries, the amounts converted by any

one country were not necessarily related to direct trade between that country and the sterling area. The whole procedure was, however, confined to payments for current transactions. The second section of the table gives the estimated changes

£ m.	Sterling and United States dollars transferred.			Change in sterling liabilities.
	1st January–30th June.	1st July–20th August.	Total.	1st January–30th June.	1st July–31st August.	Total.
Argentina	18·7	23·3	42·0	+9·3	-7·5	+1·8
Belgian Monetary Area	18·3	34·4	52·7	+21·6	-23·2	-1·6
Brazil	5·0	7·5	12·5	+5·0	-2·9	+2·1
Finland	—	2·8	2·8	+2·9	—2·2	+0·7
Italy	1·3	1·3	2·6	—7·7	+4·1	-3·6
Netherlands Monetary Area.	1·1	2·7	3·8	+4·3	-4·0	+0·3
Portuguese Monetary Area.	4·7	2·9	7·6	-1·8	-0·6	-2·4
Other Countries	0·2	0·9	1·1	—	—	—

asked the Minister of Health what was the number of infants vaccinated in each of the years 1936 to 1945; and what was the number of infants born in each of those years.

The number of infants whose births were returned to vaccination officers as registered in England and Wales in each of the years mentioned and the number of those infants who were vaccinated are as set out below:

Year.			Births.	Number Vaccinated.
1936	…	…	605,051	211,436
1937	…	…	610,520	207,323
1938	…	…	621,200	211,500
1939	…	…	614,187	197,267
1940	…	…	596,752	187,839
1941	…	…	583,391	204,465
1942	…	…	654,812	259,140
1943	…	…	678,046	272,505
1944	…	…	742,725	296,104
1945	…	…	687,165 (provisional)	278,453 (provisional)

asked the Minister of Health on how many occasions he has exercised his powers under the Water Act, 1945, to amalgamate two or more undertakings into a joint board, and to transfer an in the short-term sterling liabilities of the United Kingdom to the countries named between 1st January, 1947, and 31st August, 1947, the date nearest to 20th August for which figures are available.undertaking from one local authority to another, from a company to a local authority, and from a local authority to a company, respectively.

I have exercised my powers under the Water Act, 1945, on the following numbers of occasions for the purposes indicated:To amalgamate two or more undertakings into a joint board—None.To transfer an undertaking:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state, in each case, the number of notes of protest which have been addressed by His Majesty's Government since the German surrender, either directly to the then Provisional and subsequently to the recognised Governments of Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Roumania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and Albania, or indirectly through the chairman of the appropriate Allied Control Commission.

I regret that the search into the archives of several missions dating back over two years, which would be needed to establish how many of the numerous communications to these Governments could be classed as notes of protest, would involve an unjustifiable expenditure of labour.