asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much British, French and native-owned land in the New Hebrides is at present undeveloped; and what steps are being taken to make this land available to native communities suffering from shortage of land.

I regret that it is impossible to provide an answer to the first part of the Question as settled titles exist only in the Southern Islands and as there are no figures for developed and undeveloped areas. Native communities have been adequately provided for by the allocation to them under the Protocol of inalienable native reserves and by the placing in trust of a large extent of land by the missions; and there is no evidence that they are suffering from a shortage of land.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what change is contemplated in the present condominium system operating in the New Hebrides.

The question of future constitutional arrangements for the New Hebrides is now under active review in my Department. I am unable at present to make any further statement. As my hon. Friend knows any alterations in the existing system would, of course, require the concurrence of the French Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to improve educational facilities in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate and in the New Hebrides.

As regards the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, a Director of Education and an Inspectress of Schools have been recently appointed and are now conferring with mission bodies to decide on a policy to coordinate measures for educational progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if members of the Palestine Police Force invalided out have the right of appeal for pensions in the same way as members of His Majesty's Forces.

Not in the same way because the basis of entitlement to pension is different. For members of His Majesty's Forces the matter is governed by Royal Warrant whereas members of the Palestine Police Force come under local pension laws. It is, however, always open to a member of the Palestine Police Force to appeal in any matter relating to pension either to the High Commissioner for Palestine or through the High Commissioner to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made to implement the federation of Malaya.

I hope to make a statement very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he intends to resume the issue at intervals of reports on the economic and social conditions of the more important constituent parts of the Colonial Empire.

Yes. These reports will be published annually in respect of each territory. I hope that some reports for 1946 will appear next month, others are being printed or, in a few cases, still in preparation.

asked the Postmaster-General how many outstanding applications for telephone installations there are in the Solihull Urban District, and what progress is being made in providing them.

The Solihull Urban District is served by eight telephone exchanges, most of which also serve surrounding districts. There are 2,923 outstanding applications for service from these exchanges but it is not possible to say, without examining all the applications, how many are from the Solihull district. During the past year 1,057 new lines have been connected to these exchanges.

asked the Postmaster-General how many outstanding applications for telephone installations are there in Birmingham, and what progress is being made in providing them.

There are about 13,600 applicants waiting for telephone service from exchanges serving the City of Birmingham. During the past year 6,460 new lines have been connected to these exchanges.

asked the Postmaster-General how many days notice was given to the public before the price of airmail letters to the Forces overseas was increased from 1½d. to 6d.

Ten clear days; in addition to which a fortnight's grace was allowed before letters which continued to be prepaid 1½d. were diverted to the surface mails.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty in what circumstances men serving on Regular engagements with the Royal Navy are permitted to purchase their discharge; how this compares with the practice in 1938; and what is the reason for the difference in practice.

At present Naval ratings and Royal Marines serving on Regular engagements are in general permitted to purchase their discharge only on exceptional compassionate grounds. In certain branches, however, where there is an overbearing of chief and petty officers, men of those rates may be granted discharge on compassionate grounds even though the circumstances are not exceptional. Applications from boys under training are also given special and sympathetic consideration.The normal practice in force in 1938 allowed applications not only for compassionate reasons but also on general grounds provided the applicant had good and substantial reasons for seeking discharge and the application was recommended as being in the real interests of the man, but this practice is at present in abeyance because of the shortage of men serving on Regular engagements. It is explicitly stated in the regulations that discharge cannot be claimed as a right and that it is within the power of the Admiralty to suspend discharge by purchase at any time or to refuse discharge in a particular case.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why, in view of the fact that rankers of the Army and the Royal Air Force are permitted to leave and enter barracks in civilian clothes, such permission is not also granted the men of the Royal Navy.

The changes forecast in my reply of 2nd April last to the Hon. Member for Bolton (Mr. J. Lewis) have since been introduced, and plain clothes may now be worn on short leave by all ratings except those under training and by all ratings when on leave over 24 hours. Chief petty officers, petty officers and senior N.C.O.s, Royal Marines, are permitted to leave and enter shore establishments in the United Kingdom in civilian clothes and it is at the discretion of Commanders-in-Chief to extend the privilege to shore establishments abroad.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether any changes are contemplated in the system whereby chief and E.R.A's. enjoy the privilege of separate messes on His Majesty's ships.

Yes. Certain changes in the arrangements for messing of chief and petty officers of all branches are under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether any change is contemplated in the present messing arrangements for chief and E.R.A's. at R.N. Barracks, Chatham, and Portsmouth, respectively.

Yes. As in the case of the Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport, to which I referred in reply to my hon. Friend's question on 5th November last, chief petty officers and petty officers of all branches will eventually share their respective messes in the Royal Naval Barracks at Chatham and Portsmouth.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what are the numbers and percentage comparisons of officers and men demobilised from the Royal Navy in the middle of 1946 and 1947, and of civilian workers discharged from dockyards and other naval establishments by the same dates, with an estimate of the position in both categories at 1st January next.

Between 18th June, 1945, when the Release Scheme came into force and 1st July, 1946, 498,000 officers and men were released from the Royal Navy and a further 193,000 were released between 1st July, 1946, and 1st July, 1947. It is estimated that a further 41,000 will be released by 1st January, 1948. It would not be possible to give the figures for civilian discharges over the same period without expending an undue amount of time and labour, but details based on—(a) the reductions in the total number of officers and men serving in the Royal Navy on 18th June, 1945; (b) the reductions in the total number of civilians employed on 1st July, 1945, are as follows:

NAVAL OFFICERS AND MEN.
Date.	Numbers serving.	Reduction on Numbers serving on 18th June, 1945.	Percentage Reduction.
18th June, 1945	790,000	—	—
1st July, 1946	349,000	441,000	55·8
1st July, 1947	188,000	602,000	76·2
1st January, 1948	162,000*	628,000*	79·5*

INDUSTRIAL AND NON-INDUSTRIAL CIVILIANS SERVING IN THE ADMIRALTY, ROYAL DOCKYARDS, AND NAVAL ESTABLISHMENTS (excluding local entrants abroad).
Date.	Numbers borne.	Reduction on numbers borne on 1st July, 1945	Percentage Reduction.
1st July 1945	209,000	—	—
1st July, 1946	153,000	56,000	26·8
1st July, 1947	138,000	71,000	34·4
1st January, 1948	132,000*	77,000*	36·8*
* Estimated.

Conditions arising from the aftermath of war, and the rapid run down of the naval forces, have resulted in the slower percentage reduction in the number of civilian employees, both industrial and non-industrial.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that quinces were retailed at Amersham at 10d. per lb. while at Pinner the price was 1s. 6d. per lb. on the same date; and, since prices of fruit and vegetables at these two places show a wide variation, whether he will impose controls on the prices of vegetables and fruits in good supply.

I have no information about quince prices—the supplies of this fruit are quite negligible. I have, however, looked into the prices of a number of fruits and vegetables in the neighbourhoods mentioned and these do not seem to show more variations than would be expected. In any case I do not necessarily regard price variations as bad—it all depends on the direction in which the prices vary.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of herrings have been supplied for consumption in Britain in the current year; and what quantity of oil has been obtained from herrings for the manufacture of margarine.

Up to 15th November, about 173,000 tons of herrings have been supplied to the home market, either fresh or processed. Up to 30th September about 500 tons of oil had been extracted from herrings in this country, but the scheme is still in the experimental stage and the quality of the oil, although improving, is not as yet generally good enough for making margarine. It has been used to replace imported oil for other purposes.

asked the Minister of Food if it his intention to stabilise the meat ration at its present value of 1s. per adult during the remaining weeks of 1947 and during 1948.

I cannot enter into speculations as to possible future ration changes.

asked the Minister of Food whether an increased meat ration will be available for Christmas week; and, if so, to what amount.

I am not yet able to make a statement about Christmas bonuses.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is satisfied that, in regard to the allocation of eggs and milk for children under three years, retailers are fulfilling all their obligations; and whether he will make known to the public, by further advertisements of various kinds, their rights in this matter.

We give considerable publicity to the extra allowances available to young children. If my hon. Friend will let me have particulars about any difficulty I will gladly make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give an undertaking that no more of this year's potato crop will be exported.

Yes—with the exception of potatoes for the Services, the civilian population in Gibraltar and about one-tenth of our 1945–46 exports of seed for meeting contracts.

asked the Minister of Food whether he can now extend to building workers in towns, who have no canteen facilities, the extra cheese ration granted to rural building workers.

I am afraid there would be no justification for treating building trades workers employed in towns differently from other workers.

asked the Minister of Food (1) what stocks of the principal unrationed foods are in hand at the nearest convenient date and a comparable date in 1946 and 1945; and to what extent imports of any of them are to be reduced in the next 12 months;(2) what stocks were in hand at the nearest covenient date and a comparable date in 1946 and 1945 of the principal rationed foods; and by how much imports of any such rationed foods are to be reduced in the next 12 months.

I repeat that it would not be in the public interest for me to publish stock figures.

asked the Minister of Food what are the reasons for the breakdown in supplies of dried milk for priority consumers to food offices in the Midlands; and what immediate steps are being taken to hasten distribution.

Stafford food office was out of stock of national dried milk for five days, but supplies were sent there on 17th November. I am not aware of any other food office in the Midlands being without stock, but if the hon. Gentleman will send me fuller particulars I shall be glad to have further inquiries made.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent increased imports of food and other commodities may be expected from Eire; and if details will now be given.

This information was given in a full statement published on 13th November, and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that there are large stocks of sugar in the country and, since the imports of sugar are bound to continue whether he will increase the sugar ration to housewives and confectioners so that the shortage of energy and heat producing foods, emphasised by the essential cut in potatoes, may, as far as possible, be compensated during the winter.

Our stocks of sugar are good and imports will continue, but as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer informed the House on 23rd October, the cut in the sugar ration and in supplies to manufacturers was made with the object of saving dollars.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will give an assurance that he is in a position to take effective remedial action if following the auction of the nuts held by his Ministry prices to consumers reach an exorbitant level; and what reply he has sent to the Chairman of the Edible Nuts Executive Panel which had undertaken to ensure distribution at 2s. 6d. a pound.

No. The Edible Nuts Executive Panel could not control retail prices and I have had no offer from them to do so. This Panel pressed for the decontrol of the price of nuts. Their present dissatisfaction appears to be based upon the fact that we refused to reserve the trade to the members of this Panel, but have opened it freely to all comers.

asked the Minister of Food what cut he has made in the allocation of potatoes to fish fryers; and if he is satisfied that it is fair as compared with the cuts to other consumers and that it will not cause undue hardship.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) and to the hon. and gallant Member for Newark (Mr. Shephard) on 24th November.

asked the Minister of Food why, although requested by the Savoy Hotel, his Department has so far failed to give any ruling whether meat coupons should be cancelled in ration books of the residents and the staff, to whom no meat could be offered owing to the unlawful intervention of third parties; and what is the position.

In these special circumstances we have ruled that the meat coupon need not be cancelled.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to ensure that the Savoy Hotel shall receive the quantity of rationed meat due to it.

I do not feel called upon to take any special steps in this matter.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent Christmas puddings are being exported from this country; and in what proportion ingredients are allocated for this purpose compared with those for the home market.

Exports of Christmas puddings have been approved to a figure which represents just over 1 per cent. of the total quantity that will be available for sale in this country. The quality of Christmas puddings for export must, of course, be competitive with that of the products of other countries, and sufficient ingredients have therefore been allocated to ensure that British manufacturers can maintain the established prewar standard of their products. As I explained to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Joynson-Hicks) on 14th July last, we allow the export of certain manufactured foods because they are of high money value in relation to the quantity of foodstuffs which they contain.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the extent of demobilisation of the Services and other reasons, any increase has been made in the allocation of ingredients to manufacturers of Christmas puddings.

Sufficient ingredients have been allocated to manufacturers of Christmas puddings to allow a production appreciably higher than that of 1946.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in order to make available as many trucks as possible on railways for coal and other essential commodities, he will arrange for potatoes to be delivered to merchants by road transport.

In conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport I have already made arrangements for a large-scale diversion of potatoes from rail to road and sea transport, which it is estimated will save about 70,000 wagon journeys this season.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many officers and airmen have been recruited to the Auxiliary Air Force and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

On 1st November, 1947, 234 officers and 738 airmen and airwomen had been recruited to the Auxiliary Air Force, and 643 officers and 471 airmen to the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that disturbance to residents and damage to property in the area of Brocton are being caused by blast and vibration from the R.A.F. bombing range on Cannock Chase; what action he proposes to take; and what compensation is granted to citizens who make claims.

Six pounds is the maximum weight of high explosives detonated at any one time on the range at Cannock Chase, and tests have shown that explosions of this size, at a distance of two to three miles, should neither disturb people in the Brocton area, nor damage their property. The particular case to which my hon. Friend has drawn attention has been specially investigated and there is no evidence that the damage complained of has been caused by these explosions.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will consider extending the forty-eight hours' leave given to airmen by the period of time it takes them to travel from their camps to their homes, so that they may obtain the full benefit of this short leave and not be compelled to pass much of this time in travelling.

No. These weekend passes are an addition to the normal leave of 30 days a year.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that a dwelling house, "Sandy," Butter-worth, Penang, belonging to Mr. M. F. Gythwyn-Stewart, who urgently requires it for his own occupation, is being unreasonably retained by the R.A.F.; and will he take steps to derequisition this property at once.

This house is being used as sick quarters for the R.A.F. Station, Butterworth, and there is at present no other suitable accommodation. It will not be retained longer than is essential, but I regret that I cannot at present say when it can be derequisitioned. I am, however, calling for a report as to what steps can be taken to provide other sick quarters as quickly as possible, and I will communicate with my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what action he is taking to make available to farmers wood, corrugated iron and asbestos from disused aerodromes, much of which is either being burnt as waste or is becoming useless through neglect and exposure.

Any of these materials which are no longer needed by the R.A.F. and would be useful to farmers and others are declared to the responsible disposals department, who deal with all inquiries for their purchase. I will gladly investigate any case which the hon. Member may bring to my notice where useful materials for which the Royal Air Force is still responsible are being burnt or allowed to deteriorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the present establishment of education officers and N.C.Os. acting as education officers in the Middle East; and what number of R.A.F. personnel come under their administration for education.

I regret I am unable to give the hon. and gallant Member the information for which he asks, as this would involve disclosing the strength of the R.A.F. in the Middle East, which is contrary to normal practice. I can, however, inform him that the ratio of education officer posts at stations to the number of men who have applied to receive education is about 1: 45.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that wheels and tyres, batteries and tools, rolls of linoleum, cloth curtains and brass taps were recently stolen from the Strubby aerodrome, Lincolnshire; if he is satisfied that adequate steps are taken to protect Government property; and if there was any negligence in this case.

Yes. The thieves were caught and have been convicted and all the property has been recovered. A court of inquiry has examined the matter and has found that there was no negligence on the part of the R.A.F. detachment guarding the station.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what expenditure is contemplated for the future development of Prestwick aerodrome.

No estimate of the cost can be given at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is satisfied that the Foreign Office staff employed in Morocco are given sufficient pay and allowances to enable them to purchase sufficient food to enable them to work efficiently.

A Foreign Service inspector is at present in Morocco examining the question of pay and allowances of Foreign Office staff and it is expected that his recommendations will shortly be received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that persons detained for suspected war crimes at Hamburg Fishbeck are liable to be returned to the country of origin of the person against whom the offence was committed; and how he reconciles this practice with the accepted ruling that war criminals are to be tried in the countries where the crimes were committed.

No. It is the practice for war criminals to be tried in the countries where the crimes were committed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why it has been decided to remove the major portion of Messrs. Blohm and Voss's armament equipment from Hamburg to India; and whether he will arrange for such machinery as can only be used for armament purposes to be destroyed.

The special purpose equipment of Blohm and Voss which can be used only for armament purposes will be destroyed in accordance with quadripartite rules. Equipment capable of general purpose use from five Blohm and Voss plants has been allocated by the Control Council and the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency. India has been allocated about one-fifth by value of the equipment from one of these plants.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any decision has yet been taken about the disposal of tools taken from the Kolibri comb factory in Germany and transferred to this country.

Yes. One machine is being retained in the United Kingdom for testing. The remainder are being returned to Germany. I am having an inquiry made into the reason why these additional machines were sent.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will investigate the claim that the German firm, of which particulars have been sent him, has had its machinery dismantled and shipped to its competitors in this country; and if he can give an estimate of how far such cases are occurring.

No machinery from either of the two firms mentioned by my hon. Friend has been removed from Germany. Both plants are scheduled for total removal under the Anglo-American reparations plan, but have not yet been allocated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the character and functions of the administration that has taken over control from the North German Coal Commission.

Yes. In implementation of the agreed report which was published as a result of the conversations in Washington in August, the North German Coal Control was formally wound up on 19th November, and the following arrangements made. The German Bizonal Economic Authorities have been instructed to set up a Department of the German Economic Administration at Frankfurt, to undertake the functions normally exercised by a Government Department in respect of the coal industry. A German Coal Management has been set up at Essen and is responsible to Military Government for the efficient operation of the industry and for the distribution of its products. Herr Heinrich Kost, who has spent his life in the industry, has been appointed general director. He will be assisted by six departmental directors and by an advisory committee consisting of six representatives of the individual mine managements and six representatives of the trade unions. The departmental directors and the members of the advisory committee will be selected for their technical qualifications.Directives to the German Coal Management will be given by Military Government through a United Kingdom—United States Control Group at Essen. This will have an integrated staff with joint British and American chairmen. The British chairman is Mr. H. E. Collins, senior production director of the North German Coal Control and previously the chief mining agent at Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries. The American chairman is Mr. R. R. Estill, vice-president of the Frick Coal Company of Pittsburg. The United Kingdom—United States Control Group has the power to veto decisions of the German Coal Management which are not in accordance with Military Government policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the extent and purpose of the censorship of books and periodicals sent by private persons in this country to private persons in the British zone of Germany.

No such censorship is exercised.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under what convention reparations may be exacted from a conquered nation before peace has been declared.

There is no international convention governing this question. "Reparations" is the word customarily used to denote payments by the vanquished to the victor State after the termination of hostilities. They may be provided for in a treaty of peace or any other arrangement made to adjust the relations between the parties to a war.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government is in a position to announce the date of the termination of the Mandate for Palestine.

No; but failing a solution of the Palestine problem agreed by the Jews and Arabs, the Mandate will be surrendered before 1st August, the date for which the final withdrawal of British troops is planned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Mr. Gore, ex-postmaster of Bangor, Co. Down, and Messrs. Wills and Lyons, ex-postal officials acting with a head constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, at the Censorship of Mails in Room 22 of Belfast G.P.O., receive any salaries for this work, in addition to their Civil Service pensions; and whether they do any ordinary postal work.

My right hon. Friend understands that the persons named are now employed and paid by the Government of Northern Ireland and that they do not perform any ordinary postal work. They are in receipt of pensions from the General Post Office which are subject to abatement by reason of their present employment with the Northern Ireland Government.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what instructions were given to his agents in assessing the yield of ware potatoes; and why he based his estimate for this year's crop at about 7 tons per acre.

Estimates of the yield of the potato crop in England and Wales are made by my Department on the basis of reports received at intervals beginning on 1st September from about 300 local crop reporters, who are instructed to forward the best possible estimates indicated by current crop prospects. The figure quoted by the hon. Member is the 10 year annual average yield, which is 7.1 tons per acre. This figure has never been given as an official forecast of this year's crop.

asked the Minister of Agriculture in view of the regulations which prohibit civil servants from being concerned in outside employment for personal profit, why a director of four companies, whose name has been given to him, is employed by his Department at a salary of £1,500 a year, although one of the companies is engaged in the production of chemical fertilisers and the other companies are interested in finance and agricultural production.

The regulations referred to have been suspended during the war and post-war period, in order that Government Departments might obtain the valuable assistance of many able business men. The officer to whom the hon. Member refers was good enough to agree to serve my Department in an advisory capacity for the period of the war and is continuing his services up to the end of the current year at my special request. I am satisfied that his private interests have in no way conflicted with his official duties.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether the Inter-departmental Committee on Services Requirements for Land to which was referred last February the proposed compulsory acquisition of territory in the Hundred of Manhood, West Sussex, for bombing ranges, has yet reported; and whether he has any statement to make on the subject.

The Inter-Departmental Committee have not yet reported on the proposals referred to which must be considered together with other proposals of the Service Departments in the Solent area which have not yet been fully examined by the Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of British currency withheld from conversion by the Bank of Spain in order to assist the financial position of this country during the crisis; and if acknowledgment of this courtesy has been conveyed to the Spanish Government.

QUANTITIES OF HERRINGS EXPORTED FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM AS REGISTERED FROM 1ST JANUARY TO 31ST OCTOBER, 1947
Country of Destination.		Fresh or Frozen.	Canned.	Cured or Salted not Canned.	Total.
		Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.	Cwts.
Eire	…	20	—	1,144	1,164
Channel Islands	…	486	119	1,211	1,816
Gibraltar	…	83	33	520	636
Malta and Gozo	…	—	354	1,509	1,863
Cyprus	…	—	1,297	8,065	9,362
Palestine	…	1,832	4,018	17,431	23,281
West Africa	…	33	808	707	1,548
South Africa	…	128	5,030	12,197	17,355
East and Central Africa	…	21	1,020	783	1,824
India	…	—	1,593	549	2,142
Burma	…	—	207	38	245
Malaya	…	—	1	417	418
Ceylon and dependencies	…	—	432	133	565
Hong Kong	…	—	296	327	623
Australia	…	21	20,766	17,420	38,207
New Zealand	…	293	2,748	2,608	5,649
Canada	…	—	289	260	549
West Indies, etc.	…	—	2,188	1,822	4,010
Finland	…	—	—	40,415	40,415
Poland	…	—	2,051	86,293	88,344
Germany	…	184,480	357	269,566	454,403
Netherlands	…	—	—	39	39
Belgium	…	—	—	441	441
France	…	—	20	—	20
Switzerland	…	—	—	41	41
Italy	…	—	76	38,371	38,447
Austria	…	—	—	26,084	26,084
Hungary	…	—	—	71	71
Czechoslovakia	…	—	3,516	—	3,516
Greece	…	—	90	22,761	22,851
Syria	…	—	—	267	267
Lebanon	…	—	—	88	88
Transjordan	…	—	39	—	39
Egypt	…	12	2,949	39,636	42,597
Iraq	…	—	25	292	317
Iran	…	—	297	86	383
U.S.A.	…	1	6,082	2,095	8,178
Cuba	…	—	—	169	169
Brazil	…	—	—	310	310
Uruguay	…	—	2	259	261
Bolivia	…	—	—	340	340
Argentine	…	—	—	851	851
Other Countries	…	—	436	361	797
		187,410	57,139	595,977	840,526

I regret that I am unable to disclose information regarding Spanish holdings of sterling.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what quantity of herrings have been exported in the current year to other countries, and the quantity to each country concerned.

Following is the answer:

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware that there is a dearth of stenographers in the Court of Criminal Appear so that transcripts of proceedings are much delayed; that prospective appellants in some cases have to serve three or four months additional imprisonment while awaiting the hearing of their appeals, which inflicts injustice, particularly on those whose convictions are quashed; and if he will take steps to remedy these injustices.

Owing to the great increase in the number of appeals heard by the Court of Criminal Appeal and the shortage of qualified shorthand writers, the time taken to prepare transcripts of shorthand notes is greater than before the war, and in the average case is now just under two months. It is only in very exceptional cases that it is as much as four months. Advantage will be taken of any increase in the available supply of shorthand writers of the requisite standard. There is no other means of reducing the period in question except that, by agreement between counsel wherever possible, in order to avoid delay, irrelevant parts of the shorthand note are not transcribed. When an appeal is dismissed, the time spent by the appellant in prison before the hearing may be taken into account by the Court.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether in view of the need for obtaining the maximum cooperation of the motoring public, he will issue as soon as possible a statement setting out clearly the reasons which have led to his decision that petrol properly obtained against basic coupons may not be used by any motorist after 30th November, unless he is entitled to use non-basic petrol as well.

As it was necessary to stop the use of petrol for non-essential motoring as soon as possible a time limit had to be set, and I think that the allowance of the two months October and November provided reasonably for the use of petrol acquired with the basic ration coupons issued for earlier months. After the 30th November it will be illegal to use basic ration petrol for such motoring whether or not the user is entitled to petrol for other purposes.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is now in a position to give the names of the Chairmen and Deputy-Chairmen of the Area Boards under the Electricity Act, 1947.

On 21st August, my predecessor announced that he had invited the following to be Chairmen designate of the Area Boards stated, and in that capacity to serve on the British Electricity Authority as soon as the Area Boards concerned have been constituted:

• Mr. J. Eccles—Merseyside and North Wales.
• Alderman W. Lewis—Midland.
• Mr. J. S. Pickles—South-West Scotland.
• Mr. H. J. Randall—London.

After consultation with the British Electricity Authority, I have now also invited the following to become Chairmen designate of Area Boards: