asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the total allocation of petrol, expressed in gallons per month, to officials of the National Coal Board in their capacity as such.

Officials of the National Coal Board who have to use a car or motor cycle in connection with their work are granted allowances of petrol on individual application to the appropriate regional petroleum officer in the ordinary way. As these applications are not segregated from other applications, I can give no total figure for them.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why the Midland Regional Petroleum Officer at Birmingham refuses the necessary petrol to bring labour to build council houses in the Droitwich area; and whether he is aware that work on these houses had to be temporarily stopped as a result of this decision.

The necessary petrol has not been refused, and I am advised that work on the houses was not stopped.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has now reached a decision as to the possibility of granting supplementary petrol allowances to persons in remote rural areas to meet social needs where public transport services are not available.

I have given very careful and sympathetic consideration to this matter, but regret that I cannot extend the scope of the supplementary allowances beyond their present limits.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the Mineral Development Committee has yet reported; and when the report will be available to the House.

This Committee has not yet made its report and I am informed that it will be some time yet before it does so.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what horse-power cars are used by officers of his Department in the Eastern Counties.

There are no cars owned by the Ministry in use in the Eastern Region. Of the privately owned motor cars authorised for use on official business, 14 are of 10 h.p. and under and seven of 12 h.p. and over.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent a cut has been made of additional generating plant capacity originally intended to become available to meet the anticipated load in the years 1950, 1951 and 1952; whether the cut has the approval of the Central Electricity Board and the Electricity Commissioners; and to what extent, if the cut is insisted upon, the shortage of generating plant capacity will continue for the next five years, having regard to the best estimates made of future demands.

I must ask the hon. Member to await the White Paper on the Capital Investment Programme, which is to be published in the next few days.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent he has surveyed the potential sources of water power in this country and what estimate he has made of costs and potential output.

The generating capacity now in course of development from water power is 400,000 kilowatts. The estimated cost of construction is £19 million and the estimated average annual output is 802 million units. Additional capacity estimated at 400,000 kilowatts has been surveyed but is not yet being developed. Estimates in respect of 308,000 kilowatts of this show a construction cost of £15·5 million (at 1944 prices) and an average annual output of 520 million units. It is estimated that the Severn Barrage Scheme would cost £47 million (at 1944 prices) and would provide an average annual output of over 2,000 million units. For a general appraisal of the position I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made in my Third Reading speech on the Electricity Bill. [OFFICIAL REPORT of 30th June, 1947, Cols. 972–3.]

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether in estimating the 1948 motor spirit requirements of the sterling area, at 9,400,000 tons, allowance was or was not made for restoring the basic petrol ration in Great Britain during that period.

In preparing this estimate, allowance was not made for restoring the basic petrol ration.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now issue instructions under which medical and veterinary men will be allowed to use their cars without restriction for all purposes, having regard to their long hours of work and their need for occasional relaxation, provided always they can be quickly recalled in the event of any emergency.

No, but I fully appreciate the special difficulties which members of these professions may experience and I am in touch with the British Medical Association and the National Veterinary Medical Association on the matter.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, bearing in mind that alcohol can be obtained from soft currency areas, he has considered alleviating the petrol shortage by using a mixture of petrol and alcohol, a system which was used considerably before the war.

I understand from my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade that practically all our requirements of industrial alcohol have to be drawn from dollar sources and that only small quantities can be obtained from soft currency areas. The supplies available are needed for essential industry and there is, therefore, no immediate prospect of alleviating the petrol shortage from this source.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that twelve aircraft are employed at the present time in transporting mandarines, tangerines and clementines from Spain, to be sold at prices of about 1,000 per cent. above their cost abroad; and whether these planes are re-fuelled at British airports.

I have no information on this matter, but charter aircraft registered in the United Kingdom are granted an allowance of aviation spirit for business purposes and they are, of course, entitled to undertake any legitimate air transport operation.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent the nationalised coal industry is still paying brokerage to coal brokers; how much per ton is paid; and what service is rendered in exchange for this payment.

As regards the first part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes) on 20th November. In reply to the second part of the Question, the services rendered by the distributor range from assuming financial responsibility for sales of coal to making complex arrangements for shipping, transport, screening, etc., and the margin varies accordingly.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how soon the stocks of coke allocated to distributors will be sufficient for them to meet the allowances to householders under current regulations he has laid down; and what percentage of allocations in the country are being honoured.

There is, as I have already stated publicly a severe shortage of coke because of the increased needs of industry, and I can give no assurance as to how soon and to what extent it will be possible to meet all demands for coke within the permitted quantities. Those quantities relate, of course, to group 2 fuels as a whole, which include anthracite, dry steam and manufactured fuel as well as coke. I regret that information regarding the percentage of allocations delivered to merchants is not available.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he has authorised the regrading of Dalkeith Blackband coal from grade 4 to grade 2, with a consequent advance in price of 10s. 8d. per ton to consumers.

Dalkeith Blackband coal was recently regraded as grade 3, with an increase in price of 6s. a ton, because the quality of the coal has been improved by picking out the hard coal, which is sold separately.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the average age of coal-miners both overall and at the face for each year from the date when information was first available to the present.

Information about the average age of face workers on colliery books is not available, but the estimated average age of all wage-earners on colliery books has changed as follows between 1931 and 1946:

Year					Average age in years
1931	…	…	…	…	35.7
1937	…	…	…	…	36.3
1942	…	…	…	…	38.9
1943	…	…	…	…	39.1
1944	…	…	…	…	38.9
1945	…	…	…	…	38.7
I946	…	…	…	…	39.1

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what promise has been made to British film producers of new legislation to cover the employment of children in that industry; and if he will, before introducing such legislation, set up a public inquiry so that any organisation or persons interested may give evidence on this subject.

It has been publicly stated that the employment of children in the film industry has been noted as one of the subjects to be dealt with when legislation to amend the law relating to the employment of children is practicable. I will consider before introducing legislation what inquiry is desirable as regards this particular form of child employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue advice to the public as to what should be done with their gas masks.

I have nothing to add to the reply given on 28th October to a similar Question by the hon. Member for East Ealing (Sir F. Sanderson).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present total capacity of Borstal institutions in this country, and how many youths were undergoing sentence in them at the latest date for which figures are available.

Borstal institutions provide at present accommodation for approximately 3,440 boys and 340 girls. The population of the institutions on 18th November, 1947, was 2,859 boys and 217 girls.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many boys and girls separately were flogged in approved schools and remand homes during 1946; what was the average number of strokes given in each case; and the greatest number given in any one case of a boy and a girl; to what extent a record is kept of the reason of the punishment and what are the principal crimes.

Apart from canings (not exceeding two strokes on each hand) given for minor offences committed in the school-rooms of Approved Schools by boys or girls under fifteen, of which no central record is available, the information asked for is as follows:

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that on 20th October, Mr. John A. Hannington, of Caroline Buildings, Bath, was directed to work as a carpenter at Messrs. Wilson Lovatt and Sons, of Tiverton, without being offered any alternative employment; and whether he will see to it that such offer of alternative employment is made to him.

I very much regret that a direction to employment—at Twerton, near Bath and not to Tiverton as stated—should have been issued to Mr. Harrington. While the action taken prevented a serious delay on the work of an important housing contract the issue of the direction was not justified under my policy and I am arranging for it to be withdrawn and for Mr. Harrington to be given a reasonable choice of jobs on essential work.

asked the Minister of Health what policy is followed by his Department in dealing with local authorities who authorise building repair licences in excess of the standards.

Guidance is given by means of circulars or regional conferences, and local authorities normally accept and carry out the policy laid down. Any case of difficulty would be dealt with in the light of the particular circumstances.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered a communication from the Bridport Town Council, protesting against the instructions recently issued to local authorities to confine the provision of new houses to miners and agricultural workers; and, having regard to the large number of applications received by the Council from people at present living in deplorably overcrowded conditions, what action he proposes to take.

Yes. The circular referred to, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy, does not confine the provision of new houses to miners and agricultural workers; the housing proposals of the Town Council are under consideration in accordance with the principles stated in the circular.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the interim Report of the Consultative Committee on Publicity for Local Government, which recommends that full facilities should be given to the Press through the taking in open council of all business of public interest; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. I arranged for the publication of the Report. I do not propose any other immediate action. I support the recommendation and I hope it will be widely adopted.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Ministry has suggested a model standing order to district councils to the effect that if any question arises at a meeting of the council as to the appointment, promotion, dismissal, salary or conditions of service, or which involves the conduct of any persons employed by the council, it shall be considered by the council in committee; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. This model standing order has found a place in the model series since it was first issued in 1934, but the hon. Member has omitted the last five words of the model standing order which run "unless the Council otherwise resolve." Since local authorities have an unfettered discretion to vary and revoke their standing orders at any time I do not think that any action on my part is called for.

asked the Minister of Health in view of the lack of accommodation for mental defectives, the small amount of materials needed and the fact that a medical superintendent has already been appointed, when the conversion of hutments at the Barnsley Hall Emergency Hospital is going to commence.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given this afternoon to the hon. Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Tolley).

asked the Minister of Health what is the reason for the delay in issuing a timber licence to Messrs. Sutcliffe (Builders), Ltd., of 6, Chats-worth Parade, Petts Wood, Kent; and why no reply has been received by Messrs. Sutcliffe to their letter of 4th or 5th November, particulars of which have been sent to him.

I have given instructions for the issue of the amount of timber necessary for immediate requirements and my Department are in communication with Messrs. Sutcliffe as to the total amount which will be required.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will give some priority to building village halls, social centres, and social clubs in village communities, where schemes of this kind are submitted to and approved by local authorities, in view of the need to increase the numbers of our agricultural workers, and concurrently to give further amenities to village communities.

I regret that, in order to avoid conflicting demands on labour and materials, all major proposals for village halls, youth clubs, community centres and the like, must be deferred for the time being. But projects making limited demands on labour and materials, including the temporary village halls provided by means of advances from the Development Fund to the National Council of Social Service, will be sympathetically considered in the light of the local building situation.

asked the Minister of Education what powers of autonomy he has granted to the regional office he has established at Cardiff; and what is the estimated cost for a year's maintenance and the number of staff employed.

I am sending to my hon. Friend a copy of the Welsh Circular No. 8 which describes the powers and functions of the Cardiff office of the Welsh Department. The cost of this office for a year is estimated to be £5,350 in salaries of staff and £300 for rent and maintenance of the building. The number of staff at present is II.

asked the Minister of Education what is the total expenditure on school buildings in Wales sanctioned up to December, 1948, and what were the figures of such expenditure for the year 1938.

My Department has approved in principle programmes of school building work expected to be put in hand by December, 1948, and the total estimated cost of major projects included in these programmes for Wales and Monmouthshire is £1,727,954. Up to November, 1947, actual building work has been sanctioned on jobs estimated to cost £458,760. In addition to these major projects, minor building works costing £71,814 have been approved so far during the current year. Capital expenditure on school building work in Wales and Monmouthshire approved during the financial year 1938–39 amounted to £597,201.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities are not paying at the present time for posts of special responsibility as laid down by the 1945 Burnham award.

The schemes of allowances submitted by local authorities for each of the three years 1945–48 have been agreed to with the following exceptions:—

	1945–6.	1946–7.	1947–8.
Primary and Secondary Schools	2	13	22
Establishments for Further Education	3	20	17

Seventeen local authorities have not yet submitted their primary and secondary school schemes for 1946/7 and 53 are outstanding for 1947/8. For establishments for further education the relevant figures for the three years are:—

1945/6	…	…	…	3
1946/7	…	…	…	16
1947/8	…	…	…	35

Salaries of teachers are paid by local education authorities and I have no definite information of those areas in which teachers are not actually being paid allowances.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware of the concern felt by men awaiting admission to emergency colleges as a result of statements that his Department is pro-posing to close down certain of the men's colleges; and whether, in order to relieve anxiety, he will make the position clear.

In view of the acute shortage of women teachers, a certain number of emergency colleges for men will be converted into women's colleges. This does not imply any intention of turning away men who have already been accepted for emergency training. It may, however, have some effect on the waiting period, particulars of which will shortly be communicated to waiting candidates in a bulletin issued by my Department.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the fact that allowances at vocational centres and at rehabilitation schools have been increased by ten shillings per week for those over twenty, he will now consider the necessity for revising the scale of allowances paid to students undergoing courses in emergency training colleges.

The circumstances are entirely different. Allowances to students in emergency training colleges are based on the rates paid to students taking courses under the Further Education and Training Scheme at the universities and other places of further education. These rates were increased as recently as August, 1946, and I have no evidence of the need for a further increase at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations the number of former members of the Secretary of State for India's Services and former members of non-Secretary of State's Services, respectively, who have applied for employment through official and semi-official organisations, and the number for whom satisfactory employment has been obtained.

The number of Secretary of State's officers who have applied for assistance in obtaining further employment is 829. Of these a substantial number are still serving in India, Pakistan and Burma and are not yet available to take up new posts. The number who have so far actually found fresh employment is 221 and a large number of others are under consideration for various vacancies. I regret that no figures are available for members of the non-Secretary of State's Services.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he is aware of the difficulties being experienced by officers of the late Imperial Services in India in withdrawing the savings due to them from their Provident Funds; and, in view of the fact that this money represents compulsory savings, deducted from serving officers' pay and repayable on retirement, if he will take steps to see that it is repaid without further delay.

I regret that some complaints have reached my Office about the delay in payment of Provident Fund balances of members of the Secretary of State's and analogous Services. The necessity of calculating the amounts due on hundreds of accounts which have matured simultaneously must have imposed a severe burden on the accounts offices concerned; but the United Kingdom High Commissioners in India and Pakistan have been asked to make inquiries and to take what steps they can to ensure that payment shall be made without undue delay. If the hon. Member has any case in mind in which there has been undue delay, and if he will be good enough to let me have particulars, I shall be glad to take it up.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the effect on prices of utility goods of the withdrawal of subsidies on leather, cotton and wool.

The removal of the subsidies on utility cotton and wool cloth is equivalent to an increase in the price of the cloth itself of the general order of 35 to 40 per cent. which is roughly equivalent to an increase of 15 to 20 per cent. in the costs of the garment makers. The rise in the price of the various types of leather will be by no means uniform but the removal of the subsidy on hides will probably lead to an increase of the order of 15 per cent. in the manufacturing costs of both utility and non-utility footwear. I am now considering what changes in maximum prices may be necessary because of these increases in cost.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state, to the nearest convenient date, the quantity of sugar exported this year to Eire from this country.

During January to October, 1947, exports amounted to 8,780 tons. This is sugar purchased in Peru by the Eire Sugar Company and refined for them in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that shops in Ceylon are amply supplied with consumer goods such as stair carpets and tweed suitings which are unsuitable for use in a tropical climate and which might be exported to more suitable markets; what steps are being taken to divert from the Colonies in the tropics unsuitable exports of this kind; and whether goods such as these have been paid for, or are sent out on consignment to be paid for when sold.

I understand from His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in Ceylon that while supplies of the goods mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member are available in the shops in Ceylon, there is a market for them in that country, and they are not available in excessive quantities. As regards the second part of the Question, these goods are not normally shipped on a consignment basis.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of imports of American photographic bromide paper in the last convenient period; and whether this paper is treated as an essential import.

Certain small quantities of photographic paper have been licensed for import from the United States during 1947, and consigned to the Press, as a free gift from the Associated Press of America. Certain other small imports have also been licensed for experimental purposes. The precise value of the imports is not distinguishable in the monthly trade returns.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is intended to offer for sale the trainee factory at Wymering; whether it will be sold by auction, by private tender, or in what way; and if he will give an assurance that no single tender will be accepted unless at a competitive price.

The Ministry of Labour still require this centre for training purposes and there is no likelihood that it will become surplus to Government requirements in the near future.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the importance of all companies complying as soon as possible with provisions of the new Companies Act relating to accounts; and whether he will make an order to bring those provisions into force as soon as practicable.

Yes. I regard it as of great importance that all companies should comply with these important provisions as soon as possible, but I recognise that it would not be practicable to bring them into force without reasonable notice. I, therefore, take this opportunity of announcing that the requirements will be brought into full operation on 1st July, 1948.

asked the President of shortage of saucers, small plates, and the Board of Trade if he is aware of the buckets in the mining towns within the Normanton Parliamentary Division; and will he take steps to remedy this.

I am aware of the shortage of crockery and buckets in the Normanton area. Further investigations will be made, however, and if the level of supplies is substantially worse than the average, I will try to arrange for special consignments to be sent. The shortage is general and I am doing all I can to help manufacturers to produce more so far as the raw material and labour positions allow.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a statement about the renewal of trade negotiations with the Soviet Union.

Yes, as has been previously stated, His Majesty's Government are willing for their part to resume the trade negotiations as soon as a reasonable basis for resumption can be found. When that point has been reached, I am prepared to visit Moscow at short notice, but in the meantime it is felt by both Governments that further discussions should first take place through diplomatic channels. These discussions are now proceeding.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will in future take steps to keep a record and publish figures periodically of the amount of cargo space leaving this country empty, and to which countries.

No. I am sure the hon. Member would not want me to require the shipping industry to fill up more forms.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that a number of business concerns owning their own transport service for the delivery of their own merchandise have pooled their transport resources to avoid unnecessary overlapping in deliveries, and, in consequence, are saving thousands of gallons of petrol per annum; and will he advise the local petroleum officers to take steps on similar lines wherever possible to develop such pooling arrangements.

Yes. In present circumstances, proposals of this kind will be considered sympathetically by regional transport commissioners.

asked the Minister of Transport seeing that the 30th November is on a Sunday, if he will arrange with local authorities to make a refund for the month of December to private car owners who are laying up their car after that date, provided that the old licence is posted on the 1st December.

The Statutes require in effect that the licence should be surrendered by midnight, which means in practice that an application bearing the postmark of the first post on Monday, 1st December, will be acceptable. This has been notified in the Press.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, in the last few months there has been so much delay by the Estate Duty Office in dealing with accounts and communications in connection with estates of deceased persons; and whether he will direct that in the interests of all concerned, especially His Majesty's Treasury, the business of collecting revenue be expedited.

The delay to which the hon. Member refers arose through the dislocation of work caused by the transfer of the Estate Duty Office from Llandudno to Harrow. The position has now much improved and the work on examination of accounts is progressing satisfactorily.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any statement to make on the conclusion of a monetary agreement between this country and Belgium.

A new Monetary Agreement replacing the Agreement which expired on 5th October, 1947, between His Majesty's Government and the Belgian Government was signed on 14th November. The text of the Agreement has been presented to Parliament and copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of chip baskets for the 1948 fruit season; and what priority is to be granted for their manufacture and that of 12 lb. chips for tomatoes.

Every effort is being made to obtain adequate supplies of timber for next season. Unfortunately supplies of home-grown timber have been severely reduced and those from Europe would not be sufficient to make up the loss. The purchase of timber from other countries, which involves dollar expenditure, is at present under consideration. Every assistance will be given to overcome difficulties if and when they arise.

asked the Minister of Food the figures of export of rice from Siam for the periods April to June, 1947, and July to September, 1947; and what amount of rice has been supplied against the contract for 1,200,000 tons made by Lord Killearn announced in May, 1946.

Exports of rice from Siam in April-June, 1947, were 134,035 tons, and in July-September, 1947, 83,488 tons. The Tripartite Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom, U.S.A. and Siam was revised in December, 1946, and substituted a target figure of 600,000 tons for the previous figure of 1,200,000 tons, to be delivered between 1st January, 1947, and 31st August, 1947. The official amount of rice shipped during the time the Tripartite Agreement was in operation, that is to say, between 1st May, 1946, and 31st August, 1947, totalled 599,596 tons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has yet received from the Governor of the Malayan Union the proposals for the further education and training of members of locally enlisted Forces referred to in his letter of 9th June to the hon. Member for Hornsey; and if he has any statement to make on the subject.

The Governor of the Malayan Union has reported that inquiries made in that territory have failed to produce any members of the locally enlisted Forces who can claim to be entitled to the benefits of a further education scheme designed to assist those who were prevented from beginning, or suffered interruption in, their careers due to military service. In the absence of local candidates the Governor does not propose to institute a local scheme. Particulars of five applications which have been received from ex-members of Malayan local Forces, who are at present in the United Kingdom, have been forwarded to the Governors of Singapore and the Malayan Union with the suggestion that the applicants should be interviewed on behalf of those Governments by the Panel which functions in connection with the Colonial Office Further Education Vocational Training Scheme. If that were done, the Panel would submit recommendations for the Governors' consideration. The local Governments could then consider the provision of assistance ad hoc if the cases merited such treatment. The five candidates in question are not eligible for the benefits of the Colonial Office scheme as they have not served in the United Kingdom. I understand that they could be considered under the United Kingdom scheme administered by the Ministry of Labour and National Service if they intend to follow careers in this country.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered the use of scrap metal from many of the obsolete bombs at present dumped into the sea by the Service Departments; and what steps are taken to utilise this metal.

Yes. Bombs declared to the Ministry of Supply as surplus are broken down, whenever possible, to recover scrap metals. Only those which it would be unsafe to break down are dumped in the sea.