asked the President of the Board of Trade how many clothing coupons are issued per person to emigrants proceeding to Australia.

The normal issue is 30 coupons for all, except children under 14, who get 15.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the continued shortages of woollen underwear which are causing hardship to elderly and delicate people; and if he will take steps to ensure more adequate supplies.

I am aware that the supply position of woollen underwear is not very good and if the hon. and gallant Member will send me particulars of any such cases of hardship, I will see what can be done to help.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that several buildings suitable for factory purposes are still vacant in South Wales; and what steps he is taking to obtain tenants for these places.

Only one or two Government buildings remain unoccupied in South Wales. These will require substantial alteration to convert them into factories, but this work will be done as soon as a suitable tenant can be found.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to state in detail the foreign countries to which rail locomotives and parts and carriages, wagons and trucks and parts were exported during the nine months ended 30th September, 1947, giving the weight and value of the respective exports.

The foreign countries to which rail locomotives and parts and carriages, wagons and trucks and parts were exported during the nine months ended 30th September, 1947, were as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industrialists have withdrawn their application for factory space in South Wales owing to shortages of raw materials; and what steps are being taken to deal with the matter.

Twenty-one industrialists have informed the Board of Trade that, owing to the shortages of raw materials, they will be unable to occupy factory space allocated to them in South Wales. Of these, 10 have been replaced by other projects. It is Government policy to give certain preferential treatment in the allocation of controlled raw materials to firms establishing themselves in the Development Areas, but since a number of these materials are in seriously short supply at the present time, it has not been possible to meet all requirements.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much we paid in subsidising the importation of finished leather from hard currency countries and from soft currency countries, respectively, since the inception of the subsidising of leather imports.

The payments in respect of imported leather to date have been £860,000 of which nearly 40 per cent. concerned imports from hard currency sources. As my hon. Friend will be aware, imports of leather are restricted to essentials and the payments have been made for the purpose, not of subsidising importation, but of keeping down the price of footwear.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether a standard has been set for the quality of goods for export trade; and whether export licences will be cancelled where firms are guilty of exporting goods of poor quality.

We attach the greatest importance to maintaining the high quality of goods for export, but do not consider that it would be practicable to set or apply any formal standards of quality. The second part of the Question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he can yet announce the total sum for which His Majesty's Government is prepared to grant licences for the erection and expansion of film studios; and over what period these licences are to be spread.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much shampoo made in America has been imported from the United States during the past 12 months; and what was the amount of dollars spent on this.

This information is not available as imports of shampoo are not separately distinguished in the trade returns. No licences have been issued for any such imports involving payments in dollars.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many Christmas cards have been imported from America, a sample of which has been sent him; and what was the amount of dollars involved.

Christmas cards are not separately recorded in the trade accounts, but the total imports of greeting cards, of all descriptions other than postcards, from the U.S.A. for the period January to September, 1947, amounted to £2,452.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that the importation of American films has been cancelled and it is estimated that about 250 cinemas will have to close, he will consider using these cinemas as warehouses for goods awaiting export.

No. It is too soon, for one thing, to assume that cinemas will have to close.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he is now in a position to say if approval in principle can be granted to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to proceed with all the necessary work, including test borings to ascertain if the prospective site is suitable, to construct a ship model testing tank in order to carry out the important research work needed to keep shipbuilding in the United Kingdom well abreast of new developments; and whether in considering this matter he will take into account the Third Report of the Select Committee on Estimates on Research Development.

Approval has been given to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to proceed with the necessary preliminary work to determine whether the proposed site is suitable for the construction of the new ship model tank.

asked the Lord President of the Council how many prototypes of the two-piece deaf aid now being manufactured for free supply to the deaf were produced; how many were tried out on deaf persons, and for what periods of time; and if these persons were given an opportunity of comparing the Government deaf aid with the best types of deaf aid currently available.

For the final tests, four working models were made of the hearing aid designed by the Electro-Acoustics Committee of the Medical Research Council. These models were tested at clinics in London and Manchester on 27 persons with various degrees of deafness and well practised in the use of aids. The individual tests of the aid lasted about three hours. Comparison was made in each case with the patient's own previously prescribed aid, and also with a highly recommended American instrument. Twenty of the patients heard best with the new aid, and three others equally well. All the subjects commented on the new aid's exceptionally good reproduction of speech and preferred it on that account.

asked the Minister for Economic Affairs whether an Economic Survey for 1948 is in course of preparation; and when it will be published.

Work has been proceeding for some time on an Economic Survey for 1948, but considerable changes in this have been required by the decisions which have been taken recently in connection with the problems of our balance of payments. It is hoped to publish the Survey as soon as possible, certainly not later than in January.

asked the Minister for Economic Affairs if he is aware of the large stocks of timber piling up in the yards of timber merchants throughout the country which they are unable to dispose of for lack of licences; and why the Cabinet Materials Committee does not increase the supply available for the building industry.

Yes. This is the normal season for stock building to meet requirements during the period when imports are necessarily reduced because ports of shipment are closed by ice. It is more than ever necessary to husband our resources this year in view of the reductions which have already had to be made in the future timber import programme in order to save dollars.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) how many men at present in the Polish Resettlement Corps have not yet volunteered for work in any of the undermanned industries; and how long such men are going to be maintained in unemployment;(2) how many men at present in the Polish Resettlement Corps have volunteered for work in each of the undermanned industries, respectively; and what is stopping their immediate employment.

Fifty-six thousand members of the Polish Resettlement Corps have been resettled. Placing of the remainder continues at the rate of about 1,200 a week. The number of men who have not yet been relegated to civilian employment, repatriated or emigrated is 45,000, including 12,000 officers. The latter constitute a special problem, for the solution of which a number of steps are being taken or are in preparation. The principal factors Which have in practice limited the placing of the men to a rate of about 1,200 a week are the capacity of industries to absorb them, the provision of adequate living accommodation in the area of employment, the necessity to maintain a reasonable degree of administration in the Corps itself as it runs down.

asked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been called to the intervention of the Amalgamated Society of Woodworkers with the result that ten Polish carpenters have been dismissed from building work on a site near Portsmouth; and, in view of the Government's call for production, if he will give the reasons for this intervention, and make a statement.

Yes, and I am in communication with the Society on the general question of the employment of Poles possessing the requisite experience and skill in occupations with which the Society are concerned.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that Flight-Lieutenant Dance has been refused a grant under the Education and Training Scheme, because having resigned from the Palestine Police Force to enter the R.A.F. he has been told he must rejoin the Palestine Police Force, but they have refused re-engagement on the ground that he is now married; and as this case has been before his Department since June why an immediate decision cannot now be taken.

As the hon. Member has been informed, the reason for refusal of a grant under the Further Education and Training Scheme in this case is that the applicant's war service did not interrupt a course of study or training undertaken before his war service began.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give a firm assurance that the Government's plans for reorganisation of industry will not lead to further delay or curtailment of the approved programme of the Disabled Persons Employment Corporation Limited, to establish Remploy Factories for the employment of severely disabled persons.

While I cannot give the categorical assurance asked for by my hon. Friend, I can assure him that the Government appreciates fully the importance of these factories and will facilitate their completion to the maximum extent consistent with the needs of the present economic situation.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of severely disabled persons now employed in Remploy Factories; and the number of registered disabled persons who are unemployed and deemed fit only for sheltered employment in these factories.

The Disabled Persons Employment Corporation now employs 608 severely disabled persons. There are 10,413 unemployed registered disabled persons who are classified as eligible for sheltered employment; but the provision of sheltered employment is not limited to the Corporation's factories.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that mine- workers whose public duties such as attendance as members of the local council oblige them to take time off from work, lose the bonus which they would other wise earn; and if he will make recommendations to the National Coal Board that the bonus should be paid in appropriate cases.

No. I cannot intervene. This is a matter which falls to be dealt with by the two sides of the industry.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress is being made by the Committee which is inquiring into the probable requirements of scientific man power in this country during the next few years with special regard to the requirements of each particular branch of science and technology; and whether with a view to ensuring that the capacity of the universities is employed to the best advantage the conclusion of this inquiry can be expedited.

These inquiries which are being conducted by the Technical Personnel Committee of which Lord Hankey is Chairman, are proceeding as quickly as possible. Those concerning chemical engineering, micro-biology, entomology, architecture and surveying, have been completed, and others regarding the demands for physicists, geologists and engineers are still in progress. A further inquiry into the demand for chemists and metallurgists will be commenced in the near future.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of men and women in insured employment in the City of Portsmouth at the present time, or the nearest convenient date, and at the same date in 1938 distinguishing between those

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 95 temporary postmen dismissed in Glasgow in June, 1947, have now been successful in securing employment through his Department.

Of the 95 temporary postmen referred to, only 75 registered for employment. Sixteen have been placed in jobs by my Department and in addition 17 have ceased to register.

The numbers of insured persons in employment and unemployed in the principal industries were as follow:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the unfair treatment accorded to owners of property requisitioned during the war period by reason of the fact that the compensation payable under Section 2 (1) (a) of the Compensation (Defence) Act, 1939, is limited under Section 45 of the Requisitioned Land and War Works Act, 1945, to an amount not exceeding the level of rental value obtaining in respect of comparable land on 31st March, 1939, or on 24th February, 1946, whichever is the lower; and what steps are being taken to increase this compensation to the level of current market values in view of the fact that the compensation payable on the compulsory acquisition of land is now based on those values under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947.

This matter is under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made at each university in the country in its programme of expansion to meet the requirements of the Barlow Report; whether in each case he will give some indication of the amount of constructional work which has to be completed in this connection; and by what date its completion may be anticipated.

I hope soon to publish University student numbers in the various faculties for the present term. As regards the construction programme, I cannot at present add to the replies of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 10th" March to the hon. Member for London University (Sir E. Graham-Little) and on 28th October to my hon. Friend, the Member for King's Norton (Mr. Blackburn).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider increasing the tax on cosmetics with a view to adding to the national income and bringing them more into line with such heavily taxed articles as tobacco.

The hon. and gallant Gentleman will not expect me to anticipate my Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an assurance that information obtained from letters which are opened or X-rayed by enforcement officers when leaving this country is treated as confidential.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Knutsford (Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport) last Thursday.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what are the general principles under which State employees are allowed or forbidden for payment to write for publication on technical matters peculiar to their specialisation; and what differences are there in the particular cases of the Royal Air Force and the Air Ministry, the National Coal Board and decentralised coal units, and the Medical Services and the Ministry of Health when the appointed day is past.

A Crown servant must obtain the consent of the head of his department for the publication of any work the subject-matter of which is connected with his official duties or those of other public servants. In cases where the work is considered to owe its value exclusively to the author's ability and research, no special financial arrangements are made. In other cases the Government may either arrange for official publication or stipulate that copies should be supplied for the public service at a special rate. These rules apply to the Royal Air Force, the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Health. I have no information about the arrangements in the coal industry, which are a matter for the National Coal Board itself. I understand that no rules have yet been made for employees of the new bodies set up under the National Health Service Act.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that scientists in production departments in the Ministry of Supply and Admiralty perform such duties as control of laboratory analyses, investigation and development, in addition to duties connected with control of large-scale manufacture, and as these duties are similar to duties performed by scientists in departments assimilated to the Scientific Civil Service, why these scientists are excluded from the pay, prospects, and career values offered to the Scientific Civil Service; and if he will rectify this position.

The main responsibilities of the staff in question are directly connected with production and are distinguishable from research performed by the Scientific Civil Service in research establishments. With regard to the pay and conditions of service of these officers I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for the University of Wales (Professor Gruffydd) on 30th October.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the difficulty which is being experienced by housewives in obtaining deliveries of coke by lorry or cart unless such deliveries are of substantial quantities; and if he will take steps to improve the position.

I have had no report of the difficulties mentioned by the hon. Member, but if he will send me particulars of any specific case with which he is familiar I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of complaints, by letter, telephone and personal visit, made by registered consumers at the fuel office, Wandsworth, during each of the last four weeks, who had not received 10 cwt. and 5 cwt. of domestic coal, respectively, of their 15 cwt. allocation for the six months ended 31st October.

Following is the information: The numbers of complaints about coal supplies made to the fuel office, Wandsworth, by telephone, letter or personal visit in the four weeks ended 1st November, were as follow:

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of domestic coal consumers in the Borough of Wandsworth previously registered with Mr. J. H. Dorrington who were trans ferred to C. Crowhurst, Limited, on 1st October; the number to whom the latter merchant has delivered only 4 cwt. of the summer allocation of 15 cwt.; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that these consumers receive at least 10 cwt. for the six months ending 31st October.

The number of domestic consumers in Wandsworth who accepted registration with Messrs. Crowhurst after this firm took over Mr. Dorrington's business on 1st October is 1,139. With regard to the remainder of the Question, an assurance was received from Messrs. Crowhurst that they would make every effort to ensure that consumers' receipts would be brought up to 10 cwt. by the end of October. Arrangements were also made to deal with any special difficulties in obtaining supplies. It has not been possible in the time available to make a full analysis of deliveries in October, but I am advised that Messrs. Crowhurst have done their best to implement their assurance, and I hope there will be few cases in which the total deliveries during the six months amounted to less than 10 cwt. Any cases of hardship will be dealt with by the local fuel overseer on application.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the numbers of domestic consumers in the Borough of Wandsworth registered for coke with the Wandsworth and District Gas Company, and what has been the average delivery of the 20 cwt. coke allocation per registered premises, by the company in the borough, during the six months ending 31st October.

The number of domestic consumers in the Borough of Wandsworth registered with the Wandsworth and District Gas Company for coke is 4,159. Particulars of the average delivery per domestic registration by the company cannot be given for the borough separately, but I am informed that the company's average delivery to all their registered customers during the five months ended 30th September was 14 cwt. Later figures are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the proposals made by the Stretford Electricity Board, Lancashire, to give a discount to householders if they save at least 10 per cent. electricity, and whether if this scheme is successful he will consider taking action to extend it to other parts of the country.

The answer to both parts of the Question is "Yes."

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if electric passenger vehicles will be permitted to be used after 30th November; or why not.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is in a position to assure the farming community that sufficient stocks of paraffin and vapour-ising oil will be available for tractors during the coming year.

Provision has been made in our import programme to meet all requirements for tractor fuels in 1948 and farmers should have no difficulty in obtaining supplies.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will amend the regulations to permit car owners who have petrol left in their tanks to use their cars up to 31st December.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will allow petrol still unused, to be used in cars in December, in order that those living in rural areas may foregather for Christmas.

The time limit of 30th November was fixed after full consideration and I am afraid that I cannot agree to extend it. I am, however, considering whether it is possible to make some concession to persons in remote rural areas to meet social needs where public transport services are not available.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many new officials have been appointed to his Department as the result of the abolition of the basic petrol ration and appeals arising therefrom.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Stockport on 3rd November.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that it is estimated that his decision to abolish the basic petrol ration will cause a loss of £300,000,000 per annum of business of private motoring and its associated expenditures; and in view of the fact that the saving will be less than ⅓ of 1 per cent. of our foreign trade deficit and that it cannot be justified on economic grounds, will he reconsider his decision.

I know of no reliable estimate of the loss of business that may be entailed by the abolition of the basic petrol ration, though I would agree that the urgent measures necessary to put right our balance of payments may well diminish turnover for those supplying goods and services to the home market which we cannot any longer afford. As I stated in my reply to an earlier Question, the saving due to the abolition of the basic ration represents approximately 2 per cent. of the dollar deficit at the present price of petrol. I explained to the House in the Debate on 29th October why this saving is considered essential, and I regret that the matter cannot be reconsidered.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is prepared to consider the re-introduction of a small allowance of basic petrol early in the new year.

I regret that I cannot say when it will be possible to re-introduce a basic petrol ration. This must depend on how soon we can afford the dollar expenditure involved.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much coal brought from America to Avonmouth at a cost of £8 per ton has been exported to Eire or Northern Ireland; and what price was paid for it by Eire or Northern Ireland.

No American coal has been imported into this country at a cost of £8 per ton and no American coal imported at Avonmouth has been re-exported to Eire or Northern Ireland. The last part of the Question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the great hardship being caused to ex-Service men in St. Marylebone operating car hire services and in particular to the Minerva Garage of 7, Buller Road, A. Morland, 3 Quebec Mews, the Bernard Hire Service, 16 Weymouth Mews, by the refusal of his Department to grant an allocation of petrol to these people; and will he favourably reconsider such applications.

I am afraid that I cannot authorise an increase in the number of special allowances granted for car hiring except to meet a public need, or where I am satisfied that such an allowance offers the best prospect of resettling a disabled person. I am making inquiries into the cases mentioned in the Question and I will let the hon. Member know the result as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what petrol allocation is to be given to young farmers' clubs and their members to enable them to carry on with their programmes.

Allowances of petrol are granted to members of local and county committees of the National Farmers' Union, and to members of Young Farmers' Clubs, to enable them to attend meetings of their respective organisations where other means of transport are not reasonably practicable. The quantity of petrol granted depends on the circumstances in each case.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the plans of his Department to ensure that there will be no shortage of coal supplies during the current winter in any particular part of the country owing to interference with the road and rail transport of coal by adverse weather conditions, such as snow and frost.

Transport plans are, of course, the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport, but neither he nor I can give an absolute guarantee that shortage of coal supplies may not result from the effect of bad weather on road and rail transport. The existence of widely distributed stocks at a level well above that of last year does however considerably reduce the risk that this may occur.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will allow medical practitioners, with the limited amount of time at their disposal, and who have to be on call all day and every night, to use their cars for all purposes within a radius of ten miles of their consulting rooms, in order to permit them some measure of relaxation and yet remain within speedy recall.

This matter on which I have received certain representations from the British Medical Association is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why the National Coal Board propose to reverse the policy of their predecessors and work coal under the village of Shuttington, Warwickshire; what estimated subsidence and damage will be caused to the village; and if he will direct that this work shall not proceed.

These are matters for the National Coal Board and I have no power to intervene.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many opencast undertakings are now in production in the anthracite area of the South Wales coalfield; what is the weekly output from each; and if he has any plans for the development of additional sites in this coalfield.

Two opencast undertakings are now in production in the anthracite area of the South Wales coalfield. Their average weekly output during the 14 weeks ended 1st November were 5,095 and 1,527 tons respectively. There are plans for development in this area during the course of the next nine months of sites with total resources of 500,000 tons.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he can provide further details about the undertakings which have been given to Count Sforza with regard to British coal exports to Italy; and whether there is any possibility of Italian miners coming to this country to assist in the production of Italy's coal requirements.

As regards the first part of the Question, I have nothing at present to add to the statement issued by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary following his recent talks with Count Sforza. He stated that the export of coal by the United Kingdom was discussed and attention was drawn to the statement in the Report of the Committee of European Economic Co-operation that the United Kingdom would resume exports of coal after April, 1948, assuming that the programme contemplated in that Report was realised. In that case Italy would receive a share of such exports. With regard to the last part of the Question, I am informed by my right hon. Friend that the possibility of Italian miners coming to this country was mentioned in the course of these talks and that he is awaiting definite proposals from the Italian Government. Any such proposals would, of course, be carefully considered by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service in consultation with the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what progress has been made by the National Coal Board in establishing lighting facilities in the railway sidings owned by the Board, so that coal loaded in wagons can be uplifted from those sidings by the railway companies during the hours of darkness.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 13th March last, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to state what assistance he proposes to give to the work of the National Marriage Guidance Council.

The necessary consultations are not yet completed. As soon as I am in a position to make a statement, I will inform my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the police of the special branch of Scotland Yard visited a man, whose name has been supplied to him, and questioned this man about a statement he was alleged to have made at a meeting of the Lambeth Trades' Council concerning Fascist activities; whether it is the practice of the police to behave in this inquisitorial way, especially as the meeting was a private delegate meeting, and there can have been no suggestion of an imminent breach of the peace; and whether he will take steps to see that this kind of action is not taken again.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was with his authority that the police of the special branch of Scotland Yard informed a member of the Lambeth Trades' Council, whose name has been given to him, that if he attended meetings at Rushcroft Road, Brixton, and trouble ensued, he would be the first to be arrested; and if he will take steps to prevent such occurrences in future.

The attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions was called to a report published in the Press of a statement alleged to have been made by the man referred to, in which he advocated the use of violence to smash up Fascist meetings. The Director, in pursuance of his duty, instructed the police to interview the man and ascertain whether the newspaper report was accurate. The man when interviewed admitted, after being cautioned, the accuracy of the Press report, but said that he had spoken in the heat of discussion and did not realise that in making that statement there was a danger of incitement to violence, and also said that he would in future refrain from any such remark or action. The police then warned him that any attempt to implement threats of violence or to threaten violence in public would render him liable to prosecution. However detestable a doctrine may be, the law does not allow the use of violence or threats of violence as methods of countering it, and I can find no ground for any action on my part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in view of the great increase of the work being dealt with by magistrates in all parts of the country, he will consider what steps can be taken to enable solicitors to be engaged in presenting cases on behalf of the police.

I recognise that in the great volume of cases coming before magistrates' courts there is a considerable number in which it is desirable that the police should be legally represented, and particulars of police prosecutions received from all police forces in England and Wales show that over the last few years there has in fact been a general increase in the percentage of cases where legal representation is employed. The question whether any further steps can be taken to secure that the police are legally represented in appropriate cases is receiving consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage of increase of cases coming before magistrates in England in the first six months of this year compared with a similar period in 1939.

The number of offences dealt with by magistrates' courts in 1939 was 745,148, and in 1946, 587,512. For the first six months of 1947 the figure is 308,326.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has come to any decision on the application made by the Bournemouth Town Council for permission to establish a separate police force.

Yes. After consulting the Hampshire Standing Joint Committee I have informed the Bournemouth Council that I am prepared to agree that the Order constituting the Hampshire combined police force should be amended so as to enable Bournemouth to establish its own separate police force as from 1st April next. In coming to this conclusion, I have had in mind the fact that Bournemouth is a county borough with a population of over 100,000 and that if it had had a separate police force when the Police Act, 1946, was passed, there would have been no power, in view of the proviso to Section 4 (1) of that Act, to make a compulsory scheme amalgamating Bournemouth with Hampshire for police purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be in a position to entertain applications for naturalisation from Polish subjects.

There is nothing I can add at present to my replies of 27th October and 31st July to the hon. and gallant Members for Newark (Mr. Shephard) and East Renfrew (Major Lloyd).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the aliens branch has further delayed the consideration of applications for naturalisation, some of which have already waited for 18 months, until after the Royal Wedding on the ground that the Special Branch who investigate these applications are too pre-occupied.

As shown by the number of certificates granted there has been no delay on the part of the Home Office in dealing with applications for naturalisation, but as the majority of applicants five in the London area there are still heavy arrears of London cases awaiting disposal. Naturalisation inquiries are, of course, only part of the duties which fall on the Special Branch but none the less the number of cases on which the Branch has submitted reports to the Home Office was much larger in September and in October than the monthly average for the last ten months. Every effort is being made to expedite disposal of the cases awaiting action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to say what action he proposes to give effect to any of the recommendations made in the Report of the Joint Committee of the British Medical Association and the Magistrates' Association on the problem of the unstable adolescent girl.

I am keeping in mind the contents of the Report in so far as it affects my Department in connection with the continuous efforts that are being made to develop the most effective methods of treatment for such girls.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the current electoral register contains numerous errors of double entry, inclusion of minors, retention of the names of persons long deceased or removed from the area, omission of residents of long standing, and is the worst register of recent years; and if he will take all possible measures to remove these faults in the next register.

I am aware that such errors occur, but I have no evidence that they are specially numerous in the current register. As my hon. Friend will know, the present system is temporary and the forthcoming electoral Bill will include fresh provisions on registration which will, I hope, take effect in 1949.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were known to the police to have been committed in England and Wales during the years 1946 and 1947 up to the present; how many persons were tried for them; how many found guilty; how many sentenced to death; how many were executed; and how many were reprieved.

The answer is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake to make further inquiries regarding the matter of entry and search of premises in Pages Walk, Bermondsey, by a police officer, in view of the written evidence supplied to him from one of the occupiers of the premises searched that permission to enter was only given to recover property lodged in trees at the rear of the premises entered; and will he issue instructions that no police officer should conduct a search of premises aided by a person not a member of a police force, and not having a warrant to do so.

I cannot trace having received any statement from either of the occupiers of the premises in question. I shall be prepared to consider any such representations, but on the facts now before me I cannot usefully add anything on this point to my reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 30th October. As regards the second part of the Question, the police officer concerned in this case was not assisted by anyone when he searched the premises and I see no occasion for issuing instructions in the sense suggested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedure has been devised to enable former members of the British Forces in Austria to obtain permission for Austrian women, of whose children they are the fathers, to enter the United Kingdom in order that they may marry.

A British subject ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom who wishes to arrange for his Austrian fiancee to come here from Austria to marry him should advise her to apply to the British Passport Control Officer in Vienna for a visa for the journey. It will save time, if he sends her also a letter giving his nationality and full personal particulars, stating where he is ordinarily resident and whether he is free to marry and intends to marry her as soon as she arrives. Corroborative evidence that he is free to marry should if possible toe enclosed in the form of a letter from a clergyman or other responsible person to whom he is well known.

asked the Minister of Health how many children of aliens became British subjects since 1945 by being born in this country.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what is now the position with regard to making available financial assistance to local authorities for approved proposals for improving existing houses as mentioned in his statement on 31st July.

There is no prospect of legislation for this purpose in the present session.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a subcontractor working on a housing site under the Wayland R.D.C. refused to take advantage of supplies offered through the Ministry of Works in order to expedite the finishing of certain houses; and what action he proposes to take in this matter.

The case has been reported to me. The final remedy is in the council's hands as parties to the contract and I am assured they will exercise it if it is necessary to prevent further delay in completion.

asked the Minister of Health what progress is being made in the further recruitment of girls for the nursing service; what percentage of probationers fail to complete their training and fail in the final examination, respectively; approximately how many trained nurses are working part time; and what is the number of trained nurses and sisters at the present time compared with a year ago.

On 30th June, 1947, the number of student nurses, pupil or probationer assistant nurses, and pupil mid-wives in hospitals in England and Wales was 48,384. I regret that figures compiled on the same basis are not available for earlier dates for purposes of comparison. According to the Report of the Working Party on the Recruitment and Training of Nurses, the percentage of student nurses starting training during the years 1937 to 1943 who failed to complete it was about 54 per cent. Over the past year the percentage of the entrants for the Final State Examinations who failed was about 19 per cent. The number of trained nurses and midwives employed part-time in the hospital service on 30th June, 1947, was 3,716. The number employed full-time in the same service (including sisters) was 43,076. I regret that comparable figures are not available for the previous year.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent overcrowding of patients exists in public mental hospitals; what is the present shortage of staff and closing of beds compared with a year ago; and the present approximate number of voluntary patients who cannot be accommodated.

In January patients exceeded the available recognised accommodation by some 16,600 out of 112,000, and 3,000 beds were out of use through staff shortage. Comparisons with other years are useless, as accommodation standards were revised in 1946. I have no returns on the last point mentioned.

asked the Minister of Health whether regulations exist under the National Health Service Act, 1946, for Regional Hospital Boards to arrange for Refresher Courses for any of those in their employ; or what steps he proposes to take to secure for them these facilities.

Such regulations are unnecessary. I shall see that the boards encourage their officers to keep up to date by whatever methods are most appropriate, and they will be able to allow leave with pay for attending suitable conferences and courses.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present position with regard to water supplies for the main cities of the country; and whether he has any plans to deal with the position during the winter if conditions do not improve.

It has been reported to me that the reserves of several large undertakings with upland sources in the North and West of England and in Wales are very low. My officers are in close contact with the undertakers who are aware of the emergency powers under which I can authorise temporary augmentation of supplies. It cannot, however, be too strongly stressed that considerable help would be afforded to water undertakers if consumers would avoid waste and unnecessary use of water.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Minority Report on the Nursing Service is available to the general public; if not, whether and when it is to be made available.

No. I have no information on the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Health when it is expected that a decision will be reached on the representations of the Chelsea Borough Council to acquire the necessary land (of civilian war graves) in Putney Vale and Morden Cemeteries to provide a suitable memorial.

I am looking into this matter and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish as early as possible before the Second Reading of the Local Government Bill a White Paper setting out the following data in respect of each rating authority and county in Great Britain in respect of the financial year 1946–47: unweighted and weighted population, average rateable value per head of weighted population, total expenditure with and without account taken of the saving on transferred services, amount of general exchequer contribution actually received, amount of the equalisation and transitional grant which would have been received under the Bill, rate poundage actually charged, and rate poundage which would have been charged if, instead of the general Exchequer contribution, the equalisation and transitional grants had been received.

Appropriate estimates have been made in relation to county boroughs, and to counties as a whole, of the effect on rates levied in 1946–47 if in that year the proposed transfers of services and the proposed new system of grants had been in operation. These estimates include estimates under the various heads referred to by the hon. Member, and I am prepared to publish them as a White Paper. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland proposes to publish a statement giving the corresponding figures for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps so to amend the L.C.C. General Powers Act (1947) as to enable civic authorities to sponsor and support theatrical productions given under cover as well as in the open air, bearing in his mind the vagaries of the English climate.

This is a local Act and any question of petitioning Parliament for its amendment would be a matter for the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what has been the total and inclusive cost to date of Lord Killearn's organisation in Singapore; what was the total of the European employees of this organisation on the 30th June, 1947; and from what date it ceases activities.

The total expenditure incurred up to 30th June last was £424,300. This includes a sum of £159,300 for the purchase, building and repair of living accommodation but it excludes the cost of the Broadcasting Unit. The total number of Europeans employed, excluding the Broadcasting Unit, in March last was 146. Information regarding expenditure up to the end of October and the number of Europeans employed on 30th June is being obtained. There is no question of the cessation of the organisation of the Special Commissioner in South-East Asia at Singapore. It has been decided, however, in the interests of economy, that the posts of Special Commissioner and Governor-General, Malaya, shall be amalgamated some time in the first half of 1948. From then on, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald will assume the functions of both offices, the exercise of which will continue unimpaired.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the estimated saving in dollars by the restriction of the use of cars by members of the Control Commission for Germany to official purposes.

In view of the almost complete lack of public service transport in Germany, the use of cars by members of the Control Commission for Germany is not restricted to official purpose only.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what quantity of petrol is consumed monthly by members of the Control Commission in Germany; and what measures to secure economy have recently been taken.

As regards the first part of the Question, the necessary figure is being obtained from Germany and I will communicate with my hon. Friend. Orders have been given to effect a saving of 25 per cent., beginning on the 1st October, on the whole amount of petrol used for the Control Commission, and a higher percentage saving on passenger vehicles is anticipated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reduction in calories was imposed on the exodus refugees who decided to remain in Germany; how many of them decided to remain there; and how many accepted the offer of His Majesty's Government of transport to France.

The exodus refugees are now entitled to the same ration scale as the Germans. 4,233 decided to remain in Germany; two volunteered to go to France.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he intends to open negotiations with the Italian Government for the abolition of visa formalities for British travellers to Italy and vice versa.

As announced in the communiqué issued on the conclusion of talks between my right hon. Friend and Count Sforza, it was agreed that an agreement should be concluded in the immediate future for the abolition of visas for British subjects travelling to Italy and Italian citizens travelling to the United Kingdom. Negotiations will be started at once.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British Council recently advanced £38,000 to motor car manufacturers for new cars; and whether he approved this transaction.

I presume that the transaction to which the hon. Member refers was an advance of £38,000 made by the British Council at the end of the financial year 1945–46 in respect of cars of which the majority were not delivered until the following financial year. This step was taken with the consent of my department. The cars were urgently needed and in the absence of any ruling to the contrary it was considered that the British Council, as a grant-aided body, could properly make use of savings on the grant for the year 1945–46 thus to anticipate expenditure in the following year. My right hon. Friend has, however, ruled that this procedure is not to be repeated.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any steps will be taken to restrict the use of petrol for nonessential outings by private coaches and charabancs.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Collins) on 30th October.

asked the Minister of Transport when the workmen's fares on the Ribble bus services between Preston and Leyland can be restored from a weekly to a daily basis.

The weekly workmen's tickets were introduced on the bus services between Preston and Leyland in order to give priority to workpeople using the services regularly. The need for such priority and, therefore, for the weekly tickets still exists.

asked the Minister of Transport whether in view of the refusal of the Somerset County Council to take any further action regarding the erection of road safety barriers outside certain schools in Clevedon, he will now make an order authorising the Clevedon Urban District Council to erect such barriers at its own expense.

No, Sir. This matter should be settled locally between the authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is satisfied that the reduction of the labour force on road maintenance by 20,000 will not have a serious effect upon the vehicles using the roads which will ultimately cause loss of manpower on repairs and retard the speed of essential transport; and if the road transport associations were consulted before a decision on this matter was made.

I appreciate the force of my hon. Friend's suggestion. This consideration was taken fully into account when the decision was taken that road maintenance work must be reduced and I can assure him that the situation will be kept constantly under review. The answer to the second part of the Question is, "No."

asked the Secretary of State for War why three firemen are permitted to feed continuously a high pressure boiler at the Highland Hotel, Strathpeffer, to provide heating for two soldiers' families.

This hotel is used as a hostel for homeless Service families returning from overseas. The central heating system, which is the only form of heating in the hostel, has to be used whatever the number of families in residence. It is stoked by three firemen working in shifts of eight hours. There are now six families in residence, in addition to the permanent staff, and the hostel will be filled to capacity as further families arrive from overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the high prices realised for Scottish wool at the recent auction sales in Edinburgh which were on the average about 1s. per lb. in excess of the present prices paid to the producer by the Government, he proposes to make a further distribution to the producer in respect of the 1947, and to revise the price for the 1948, clip.

It is not proposed to revise the schedule of prices payable to producers for the 1947 wool clip. It was decided, after consultation with the producers' organisations, that these prices should be maintained at the levels operating in 1946 irrespective of the ultimate realisation values. As regards the 1948 clip, it has already been announced that producers will receive a special bonus of 9d. per lb. in respect of wool of hill types and 6d. per lb. for wool of other types.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is prepared to increase the allocation of sugar to British manufacturers of pharmaceutical products who are resuming normal peacetime production after six years of restriction of their output to medicines and anæsthetics required for His Majesty's Forces.

I am not aware that any British manufacturer of pharmaceutical products whose output has hitherto been restricted to medicines and anæsthetics required for His Majesty's Forces, has subsequently been refused an increase in his sugar allocation. If, however, my hon. Friend has information to the contrary and will send it to me, I will have the matter investigated.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will make a statement on the importation of Australian flour into this country; and why it is not intended to import the high quality flour.

The bulk of Australia's exportable surplus of flour since the last wheat crop was harvested at the end of 1946 has been required to meet the needs of our Far Eastern Colonies and other territories in South-East Asia where flour has now to be used because of the deficiency in rice which is the staple diet. It was, however, found possible to ship several cargoes of Australian flour to the United Kingdom during the early part of 1947. As is done in the case of flour imported from Canada, the Australian flour is mixed in with our home produced national flour, the extraction rate of which is 85 per cent. compared with 70 per cent. for the Australian. It is intended that a large quantity of flour (as well as wheat) shall be purchased for shipment when the new Australian crop, due to be harvested at the end of this year, is available. This flour will also be applied primarily to meeting the requirements of the rice-deficiency territories. If, however, there proves to be more than is needed for this purpose it will be brought to the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is satisfied that the committee which advises the Comptroller of Customs in the Gold Coast on publications is adequate to its task in view of the difficulty, in the absence of a lawyer, of deciding whether matter is seditious or not.

As I informed my hon. Friend in the reply given him on 24th October, the final decision in these cases rests with the Governor, who would, no doubt, first consult his legal advisers whenever a point of law was involved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reasons Colonel Bernard Ferguson resigned from the Palestine Police; and whether his resignation was requested by any official authority in Palestine.

Colonel Ferguson voluntarily tendered his resignation from the Palestine Police Force by letter to the Government of Palestine dated 4th July, 1947. He gave no reason for his action. As regards the last part of the Question, the answer is in the negative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the composition of the Board of Inquiry into the suspension from duty of Mr. Charlton, the Governor of Acre Prison; when did it issue its report; and what were its recommendations.

The Committee of Inquiry appointed to inquire into this case comprised the Solicitor-General of Palestine (Mr. M. J. Hogan), an Under-Secretary of the Palestine Government (Mr. C. T. Evans), and an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Mr. F. W. Syer). The Committee made its report to the High Commissioner on 7th September. It is not the function of such a Committee to make recommendations, but to inquire into and report on the facts. After consideration of the Committee's report in Executive Council, the High Commissioner ordered the officer in question to be reduced from the rank of Senior Assistant Superintendent of Prisons to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Prisons. I have confirmed this decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the tonnage of corvettes and merchant shipping, respectively, now at the disposal of the Palestine Government for the interception of the unauthorised entry of Jewish immigrants.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to his Question on this subject on 30th July. The number of ships then available for the transfer of illegal immigrants from Palestine to Cyprus has now been reduced by one ex-corvette of 1,300 gross registered tons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what has been the cost of maintaining illegal immigrants in Cyprus up to date; who bears the expense; and whether any part of the cost has been recovered from those responsible for the attempted immigration.

The approximate cost to date of building the camps in Cyprus and of maintaining the illegal immigrants is £2¼ million. The cost is met by the Government of Palestine. As regards the latter part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Spen Valley (Mr. Sharp) on 29th October.

asked the Minister of Education whether any decision has yet been reached as to the future basis for the distribution of education grants to local education authorities.

Yes. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a Circular which I am issuing today to local education authorities, announcing the new education grant formula, which is intended to come into operation as from 1st April next. I am having copies of this Circular placed in the Library for the use of hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what difference the restrictions on building regulations will make to the development of the Stevenage satellite town.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Economic Affairs on 23rd October, that work on the New Towns during the coming year would in general be limited to the provision of basic services. This means that while the development of Stevenage as a New Town will continue, constructional work will in general be limited to the provision of water and sewerage services and of roads.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of sub-post offices in the Silvertown Division of West Ham; the number of personnel employed in each, and if he will make special inquiries to obtain the annual turn-over at each office for 1945 and 1946, respectively.

The offices and persons employed are as follow: