asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) who were the members of the court which tried Baron Kurt von Schroeder in the British zone; what were their qualifications for inclusion in a de-Nazification panel; and whether he is satisfied that they should continue to be so included;(2) what is the value of Baron Kurt von Schroeder's estate; and what action is proposed with regard to it, in view of his active participation of Nazi governmental, party and S.S. activities, and in view of the fact that much of his wealth was acquired after Hitler seized power.

Von Schroeder was tried, not by a de-Nazification panel, but by one of the special German Tribunals set up to deal with members of the organisations declared criminal at Nuremberg. The-tribunal was composed of a permanent presiding judge named Bobbett and two lay assessors named Schnatwinkel and Ott. Bobbett is a professional judge from, the ordinary German Courts. The lay, assessors were selected from a list of persons nominated by the Land Government, North Rhine Westphalia, in conjunction with the trade unions. All three members of the court had been cleared by a de-Nazification panel.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that in Table II of the Eighth Report from the Select Committee on Estimates, page 39, there is a reference to a consumer group described as "Wehrmacht"; that this group numbered 91,500 in May, 1947; that the calorie entitlement allotted to this group, namely, 2,698, is equal to that granted to heavy workers; and whether he will make a statement on the matter.

The term "Wehrmacht" was wrongly used in referring to Dienstgruppen who, in May, 1947, were, in fact, surrendered enemy personnel, employed by the Forces of Occupation for essential heavy work for which British labour was not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether German prisoners of war who do not wish to be repatriated to the Soviet Zone of Germany will be compulsorily repatriated.

German prisoners of war are repatriated to the zone in which they state their home is located. No question of compulsion has arisen.

asked the Minister of Food what is the basis on which his Department sanctions the import of port wine and other wines into this country; and if he will reduce these imports to the lowest reasonable amount in order to curtail excessive expenditure of foreign currency on non-essential commodities.

I can assure my hon. Friend that purchases of wine will only be sanctioned in so far as they do not prejudice supplies of more essential commodities.

asked the Minister of Food (1) whether he is satisfied that the rationalisation of milk deliveries scheme is working satisfactorily; and whether it enables surplus milk to be put to good use;(2) whether he will ascertain from Cardiff dairymen and milk distributors the quantity of milk wasted in Cardiff during the past year owing to the restrictions imposed by the rationalisation of milk deliveries scheme.

The schemes for the rationalisation of retail deliveries of milk were introduced to secure economies in manpower, vehicles and petrol. I am satisfied that the schemes generally have worked satisfactorily and that they have not led to waste of milk in Cardiff or elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that California pears are on sale in Cardiff shops; and when the last import of these pears was made.

Small quantities of pears are still coming in from the United States. They were purchased and paid for by private traders before the cancellation of the open general licence on 1st July last.

asked the Minister of Food if he has considered the report of the Lucas Committee in so far as it affects the distribution of food; and if he is prepared now or at a convenient date to make a statement.

I am, of course, considering the report, but it will be for my right hon. Friends the Agricultural Ministers to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Food through what agency he proposes to distribute to retailers the Christmas supply of fowl and turkey.

Turkeys and other poultry produced in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, will be marketed through the normal trade channels. Imported supplies are being distributed through the Association of Wholesale Distributors of Imported Poultry and Rabbits Ltd.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will take steps to improve the processing of tinned hake in order to make it more palatable.

Imports of canned hake can no longer be permitted because of currency difficulties. The small quantity at present in the shops was not imported by the Ministry of Food, but by private traders under an open general licence which was withdrawn last May. They made their own arrangements with the overseas suppliers.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that his Department's decision to cease the distribution by the Red Cross of tinned foodstuffs sent by the Dominions for flood victims has resulted in unequal distribution in the West Riding of Yorkshire, where supplies were late in arriving; and whether he will authorise a further distribution to the parishes of Brayton, Burn, Wistow, Cawood, Chapel Haddlesey and West Haddlesey to equalise the distribution made in these districts with those made in the Selby Urban area.

The distribution to flood victims of food received from Red Cross Societies overseas has been undertaken by the British Red Cross Society and not by my Department. I understand that a further distribution will shortly be made in the parishes mentioned by the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been called to a statement that approximately 150 applications are made every day at Bristol food office for new ration books to replace those lost; what percentage of such number are found and returned; and whether he will seek powers to impose penalties of imprisonment without option of a fine for wrongful detention of books by finders, when such are detected.

Applications for forms to apply for the replacement of ration documents average 135 per day at the Bristol food office, but the number of books actually issued to replace those lost, destroyed or defaced average 43 per day. The average number of books returned as found is three per day. The imposition of penalties is a matter entirely for the courts to decide.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the present potato shortage, he intends to allow the continuation of the sale of hot potatoes from barrows in the streets.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Food what progress has been made in discussions with the Roumanian Government regarding the purchase of feeding-stuffs for livestock; and what is the cause of the continued delay.

The Roumanian Government have now prepared lists of the foodstuffs and other commodities available for export from Roumania and the imports they desire to obtain from the United Kingdom. As soon as the detailed lists have been received and examined I hope that negotiations will be undertaken for the purchase of feedingstuffs and other articles.

asked the Minister of Food what is the basis of allocating rationed food to displaced persons' hostels; and how, under the present system of allocation, the amount received by each resident compares with the amount received by each civilian under the present rationing scheme.

Hostels for displaced persons receive exactly the same allocations as those for any other hostels. Each resident receives the equivalent of the normal domestic rations and if engaged as an industrial worker, extra meat, fats, bread unit foods, potatoes, sugar and cheese, in common with similar workers taking meals in works' canteens.

asked the Minister of Food, in view of the high prices which retailers are being forced to charge for nuts, if he will now make public the prices he obtained per lb. for each class of nut recently sold by auction.

The average prices were: Bolivian brazils, 4s. 1d. per lb.; brazils, 6s. 6d. per lb.; filberts, 3s. 10d. per lb.; walnuts, 4s. per lb.

asked the Minister of Food the number of wholesale licences issued by his Department since V. J. Day specifying the number issued to natural born British subjects, ex-enemy aliens and ex-Service men, respectively; and the conditions to be fulfilled before any wholesale licence is granted.

Licences to trade by wholesale in controlled foods are granted to bona fide wholesalers who were forced to discontinue trading owing to the war and, exceptionally, to disabled ex-Service men to whom this type of trading offers the best means of livelihood. Otherwise no licences have been granted to anyone who could not produce documentary evidence that he was trading regularly by wholesale in the commodities concerned during the period September, 1939, to August, 1941, when licensing control was first introduced, except in the case of fish and fresh fruit and vegetables, where licences are granted to suitable applicants who have the necessary premises. The analysis asked for by my hon. Friend would involve the scrutiny of a very large number of files, and I hope that he will agree with me that the work would not, in present circumstances, be justified.

asked the Minister of Food whether in view of the cases of large-scale slaughtering of sheep, pigs and cattle suitable for breeding, he will impose a ban at all collecting centres on all entries of stock suitable for breeding.

It would not be practicable to impose such a ban. Many female animals are sold for slaughter in the normal course of events and the farmer is the only person who is in a position to decide, in the light of all the relevant factors, whether a particular animal should be slaughtered or should be kept for breeding purposes. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture has appealed to farmers to retain all suitable animals for breeding purposes.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the tonnage of linseed oil, and linseed being imported this year and what amount is being available for industry.

We expect to import during 1947 about 112,200 tons of linseed oil and 42,900 tons of linseed. This is equivalent to a total of 126,000 tons of crude oil. This oil will be allocated for industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give an undertaking that Agricultural Societies will be allowed to hold their annual shows during 1948.

I have no powers to give or withhold consent to the holding of agricultural shows.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make a statement with regard to the steps he intends to take to assist local authorities to provide permanent allotments.

Many local authorities are already doing everything necessary, and I intend to continue to encourage all of them to implement their obligation under the Allotments Acts, to satify demands for permanent allotments. The advice and help of my Department is always available, and development planning under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, will be of assistance in the future.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the shortage of potatoes, he will seek the cooperation of farmers in granting permission to people to glean potatoes from their land after the main crop has been lifted.

Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food would raise any objection to the gleaning of potatoes with the consent of the farmer, but, after lifting, the land is normally harrowed and the potatoes collected and added to the clamp, or if some time has elapsed, used for stock feeding Generally, therefore, there should be few potatoes left to glean.

asked the Minister of Agriculture at what date he notified the Ministry of Food of a shortage of potatoes.

Indications of the size of the potato crop were received in stages during the season and were communicated to the Ministry of. Food from time to time. Figures of acreage planted were not available until the latter part of August, and showed a decline of over 90,000 acres in the United Kingdom. The shortage of potatoes is, however, preponderantly due to low maincrop yields, and while a tentative estimate was made and sent to the Ministry of Food about the middle of September, a reasonably reliable estimate, of which the Ministry of Food were immediately advised, could not be made until early October.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent reports from the agricultural executive committees show that the farmers will reach the target of 1,015,000 acres of potatoes for the year 1948.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Northern Norfolk (Mr. Gooch), on 24th November, to which I have nothing yet to add.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what acreage of potatoes was planted and what was the average yield per acre in 1946 and 1947 in the County of Essex.

The following table shows the acreage and the estimated average yield per acre of potatoes in Essex in 1946 and 1947:

asked the Minister of Agriculture what are the numbers of pedigree cattle, sheep and pigs respectively exported from this country in the past 12 months; and whether he is satisfied that such export is not excessive in relation to our own needs to upgrade livestock.

The number of pedigree cattle, sheep and pigs exported in the last 12 months is not separately available. Breeding animals, almost all of which were pedigree stock, exported from the United Kingdom between November, 1946, and October, 1947. amounted to 1,443 cattle, 1,274 sheep, and 802 pigs. I am satisfied that these exportations will not unduly diminish our foundation stock, and that the export of first-class breeding animals for this country is an important and justifiable contribution to our export drive.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what acreage of their own woodland in the county of Merioneth has been replanted by the Forestry Commission since 1st August, 1945; how much fresh land has been acquired by the Com mission in the county since that date; and how much land it proposes to acquire in the next three years.

The answer to the first part of the Question is 183 acres, and to the second part 644 acres. As regards the third part, the acquisition programme for Wales in the next three years is 99,000 acres, of which a proportion is expected to be in Merioneth.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the total to date of poultry deaths through fowl pest; what this loss represents in money; and, approximately, in annual egg output.

About 173,000 poultry have died or have been slaughtered because of fowl pest, at a total value estimated to be in the neighbourhood of £185,000. It is difficult to give a reliable estimate of the loss in egg output since some of the birds were not being kept for egg production, and others, no doubt, were approaching the end of their laying life. The best estimate I can make of the loss is approximately 14 million eggs per annum.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when it is intended to bring into force those Sections of the Agriculture Act, 1947, dealing with pest and weed control.

I cannot yet say when the Sections of the Act relating to pests will be brought into force. The Section dealing with injurious weeds became operative on 1st October last.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has considered the Report of the Lucas Committee in so far as is affects production of food; and if he is prepared to make a statement now or at a convenient date.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have today given to the hon. Members for Bridgwater (Mr. Bartlett) and Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton).

asked the Minister of Transport on what grounds the Southern Railway has withdrawn from postmen and other wage-earners who normally work late shifts the right to buy workmen's tickets, while extending their issue to men and women who work late shifts for the purpose of spreading the power load.

I am glad to say that this concession, which was limited to Post Office uniformed staff who enjoyed it in 1941 and who travel on the Southern Railway, is being restored to those who lost it under the revised arrangements, but I regret that it cannot be extended further.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the railways to and from the North of Scotland are unnecessarily overburdened by carriage of goods for and from that area which could be delivered by sea at and from Scottish ports; that these ports are ready and willing to deal with all such Scottish traffic; that it is desirable in the interest of both ports and railways that these ports should be fully used; and will he take steps to rectify the present practice.

It is the Government's policy to relieve rail transport by encouraging the use of ports nearest the destination or inland origin of goods and by transferring traffic from rail to coastwise shipping. This has been done with marked success especially in the case of coal, but I shall be glad to consider any specific complaints.

asked the Minister of Transport what repairs are needed to the large number of goods wagons standing on the Hull and Barnsley line between Thurnscoe and Wath-on-Dearne.

All kinds of repairs. Most of the wagons have now been moved to shops and the rest will follow in a short time.

asked the Minister of Transport why, in view of the success of his appeal for a quick turn-round of wagons some 130 wagons have been allowed to stand idle for about two months, on the line between Straford-on-Avon and Alcester; and what he intends to do about it.

These wagons need heavy repairs and will be moved into repair workshops as soon as capacity is available.

asked the Minister of Transport if the estimate of £9 million net revenue for the four main line railway companies for the year 1947, given on page 26 of Command Paper 7161, is likely to be exceeded.

No. Present indications are that the net revenue will fall considerably short of this estimate.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the reason for the consistent late arrival at St. Pancras of the 9.5 p.m. express train from Glasgow, St. Enoch.

In addition to delays due to speed restrictions and other engineering difficulties, the journey time has been increased since 12th November by a diversion from the main route made necessary by the collapse of a bridge at Kildwick in Yorkshire.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the reason for the change in the departure time of the night express from St. Pancras to Glasgow, St. Enoch, from 9.30p.m. to 9.10 p.m.; and

asked the Minister of Transport if he will arrange for coaches to be hired for the purposes of supplementing 'bus services in rural areas, wherever these are inadequate.

Bus operators are aware of this method of adding to their services, and a number of them are hiring vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the private if he is aware that many regular passengers are being seriously inconvenienced by this advance in the schedule.

This train has had to be re-timed to leave 20 minutes earlier in order to allow for speed restrictions made necessary by deferment of track maintenance and work on the tracks. I regret the inconvenience to passengers but it cannot be avoided.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give figures showing the increase or decrease in the income from railway passengers and goods traffic, respectively, since the latest increase in fares and charges, compared with the same period last year.

The table below gives the increase or decrease in the gross receipts. of the four main line railways (including joint lines) for the eight weeks ended 23rd November, 1947, compared with the corresponding period of 1946. As fares and charges were increased from 1st October, 1947, the figures for 1947 include two days at the previous level of charges.hire of motor-coaches has been restricted in the interests of economy.

There has been no general restriction, but regional transport commissioners have been asked to see that there is no wasteful use of fuel.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give details of road schemes for Development Areas commenced in 1947; and also detailed proposals for new schemes for 1948.

I attach a detailed list of schemes commenced in 1947 on trunk roads or with the assistance of a grant

asked the Minister of Transport what additional transport facilities have been put into operation to compensate for the withdrawal of private motor vehicles due to the abolition of the basic petrol ration.

There has been an increase in omnibus and other similar services since the end of September, but I from the Road Fund, but similar details for 1948 cannot be given as it is not yet known what funds will be available.

asked the Minister of Transport how much money has already been spent on the Severn Bridge scheme and what proportion of this, if any, will produce no useful result.

Payments to date amount to £90,033 mainly in respect of surveys, trial borings, and the preparation of detailed design of the bridge and its approaches. All the expenditure incurred is a necessary preliminary to the building of the bridge no matter at what date work is started.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will arrange for a notice to be displayed in buses operated in London by the L.P.T.B. specifying the number of standing passengers who may be carried between stated hours.

The Board intend to do this as soon as the necessary printing and other arrangements can be completed.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is now in a position to say whether the journeys made by oil tankers JTU 54, JAM 19 and EBU 9 on the night 15th–16th November, 1947, in order to deliver fuel oil to an hotel in London, were within the purposes for which fuel was authorised.

The journeys of the first two vehicles were covered. Fuel had not been authorised for vehicle EBU 9 for deliveries to the London area. The district transport officer has been instructed to caution the operators.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will reply to a letter from the hon. Member for Brentford and Chiswick forwarding a resolution from the Brentford branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union, sent to him on 9th October.

The letter referred to a proposal to raise the speed limit of Heavy Goods Vehicles. This is still under discussion and a definite reply to the letter cannot be sent until the outstanding points are settled.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the cost to this country last year and what is the estimated cost this year of hiring American oil-tankers; what was the total tonnage of British tankers serviceable just before and just after the war; how many tankers have been acquired from the United States since the war and at what cost; whether it is proposed to purchase any more, and what is the present production of British tankers compared with before the war.

The answer is as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport what reports he has received from the British Consul at Lourenco Marques regarding the treatment of passengers and crew aboard the s.s. "Attiki," on her passage to that port during November.

I have received reports from Port Said, Mombasa and Lourenco Marques about conditions aboard this ship and I am taking immediate steps to deal with the position.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that a Danish steamer recently discharged a cargo of Polish coal at Leith to be transported by rail to Dundee; and why this coal was not shipped direct.

Because all the cargo was not intended for Dundee. It was only one of 13 depots on the London, Midland and Scottish, and London and North Eastern Railways, to which this coal was distributed.

asked the Minister of Supply how many C.I.E.M.E. centres are still in operation, including Foxberry, Oakwood, Walsingham, at Chislehurst, the Cloisters, Bickley, the Concert Hall, Blackheath, and Regis House and Adelphi, London; how many persons are employed; what is the cost to the taxpayer; and when will these offices be returned to Woolwich Arsenal.

There are at present 16 C.I.E.M.E. centres, which include only two of the seven buildings mentioned in the Question—"Foxberry" and "Walsingham." Six hundred and fifty-three non-industrial and 1,001 industrial workers are employed, at an estimated cost for the current financial year of £628,000. The Headquarters staff were formerly housed in Woolwich Dockyard and not in Woolwich Arsenal. It is improbable that they will return to Woolwich.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that the Dulci Company, Limited, in partnership with another, purchased by tender some 43,000 meters from his Department; that full delivery has not been made, as the sixth months' correspondence sent to him indicates; and, in view of the delay, if he is satisfied that his Department has conducted this transaction efficiently.

These meters were sold as an approximate quantity and the condition of sale provided for the price to be adjusted according to the number actually delivered. This adjustment has already been made and I am satisfied that the transaction was conducted efficiently by my Department.

asked the Minister of Supply what stocks of spare parts are available in respect of ex-War Department American Mach 6 x 6 tractors recently made available to local highway authorities for snow clearing purposes; if any such stocks are still retained by the War Department; and could they be made available to the highway authorities concerned as required.

The Ministry of Supply has a limited quantity of chassis parts, springs and starting handles, which we should be glad to sell to highway authorities. I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War that the Army has only a small stock of spares, which cannot be released as they are needed for their own maintenance purposes.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent the steel industry is short of metallurgical coke; and what action is being taken to meet all demands.

The programmed supply of coke to blast furnaces during the winter months is at present 199,000 tons a week. Although deliveries of coke have been increased to a record level, supplies are still running somewhat below the programmed figure, but steps are being taken to increase deliveries.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that the April production of file steel was approximately 400 tons and that the requirements of the file trade is 1,000 tons per month and, since production to-day is even less than it was in April, what steps are being taken to increase production of file steel in this country before the supplies of American billets are exhausted, having regard to the fact that, due to the shortage of file steel, redundancy in the industry is being created in Sunderland.

Re-rollers are now receiving imported billets in quantities which should enable them to meet current demands for file steel bars. It is hoped to continue to meet demands by imports and so avoid diverting high carbon steel from other important needs which cannot be met by imported material.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the total tonnage of aluminium used in the construction and equipment of the aluminium house; and the market price of scrap aluminium at the latest date.

Two tons of aluminium are used in the construction of the aluminium house. Secondary ingot—that is, ingot metal recovered from scrap—used for the house at present costs £76 or £74 a ton according to the specification. Prices of scrap aluminium range from £37 to £66 a ton, according to type and quality.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has now received the report of the Courtney Committee on the Tudor Aircraft.

No.

asked the Minister of Supply the number of types of aircraft on order for the three Corporations; and what additions and cancellations to these orders have been made since 1st August, 1947.

Twelve types of aircraft are on order for the three Corporations. Since 1st August, 1947, additional Solent and Sandringham flying boats have been ordered for B.E.A.C. On the other hand, B.E.A.C. have cancelled their requirement for Concordias and reduced their requirement for Vikings and the necessary contract adjustments are being made.

asked the Minister of Supply how many new cars have been allocated to Government Departments in the last three months.

During the three months ended 22nd November, 1947, 487 new cars were delivered to Government Departments.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the production of concrete fence posts needed on council housing schemes in Norfolk is being held up owing to inability of the contractors to obtain supplies of reinforcement iron; and if he will take steps to increase such supplies at an early date.

The shortage of steel is so acute that I could not increase the amount allowed for reinforcement for concrete fence posts, but if the hon. Member will let me have particulars of the cases he has in mind I will see what help can be given.

asked the Minister of Works what targets he has for the monthly rate of production of bricks, cement, plasterboard and rainwater goods during the years 1948 and 1949; and how the proposed levels compare with the current monthly rate.

I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 7 of the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948. The statement there made with regard to bricks and cement applies also to plasterboard and rainwater goods, and I cannot add to it.

asked the Minister of Works by how much the building licence granted to Robinson and Cleavers, Bournemouth, in the sum of £1,674 was exceeded; and whether a retail drapery and clothing store previously existed on the site.

The £1,674 expenditure authorised by the licence granted to Robinson and Cleaver's, Bournemouth, has not been exceeded. I am informed that before the wartime requisitioning the premises in which the shop is situated were used as a motor showroom and offices.

asked the Minister of Works why the building licence granted to Daniel Neal's, Bournemouth, in the sum of £4,316 was exceeded; and whether there previously existed a retail outfitting and shoe shop.

The £4,316 expenditure authorised by the licence granted to Daniel Neal's, Bournemouth, has not been exceeded. I am informed that, before the wartime requisitioning, the premises in which the shop is situated were used as a motor showroom and offices.

asked the Minister of Works how much of the expenditure of £6,505 that was licensed for "Cwrt-yr-Aber," Aberedw, Radnorshire, was authorised by the Colwyn Rural District Council; what protests they made against the issuing of licences; and what explanation he has for this waste of labour and material.

In September, 1946, the Colwyn Rural District Council authorised £55 to be spent on work in connection with the water supply. In June, 1947, the Council protested against the issue of a supplementary licence to cover the cost of work which had been authorised by my Department in July, 1946. All this work was recommended by the War Agricultural Executive Committee and by the Ministry of Agriculture, and I cannot agree that there has been a waste of labour and materials.

asked the Minister of Works (1) what representations he has received from the President of the Board of Trade regarding the conversion of the Embassy Cinema, Bolton, into a retail distributive store to withdraw the licence or put a stop to the work now going on pursuant to the granting of the licence, on the grounds that mistakes have been made by one or both Departments in this matter;(2) if he is aware that in a letter addressed to the hon. Member for Bolton, the President of the Board of Trade made it clear that the Board of Trade did not specifically approve the granting of a licence by his Department for the conversion of the Embassy Cinema in Bolton into a retail distributive store; and if he will make a detailed statement on the relationship between the two Departments in regard to matters of his kind, specifying the procedure adopted and the extent to which a project of this kind would have to be sponsored by the Board of Trade before a licence would be granted by his Department;(3) since the granting of a licence by his Department for the conversion of the Embassy Cinema, in Bolton, into a retail distributive store will have the effect of drawing labour from the cotton mills and is thus in direct conflict with the declared policy of His Majesty's Government, who are seeking to reverse the process, if he will state what action he intends to take in the matter.

The letter from my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade explained that his Department when first approached by the company informed them that consideration would be given to a detailed application if it were prepared with due regard to the need for the utmost economy in controlled building materials, and if the work could be carried out without detriment to more important schemes in the district, and that the subsequent application for a building licence was forwarded to my Regional Officer with a covering letter from his Department intimating that they saw no reason for discouraging the project. The licence was granted last June; the work is in progress, and about half the expenditure involved has been incurred. In the circumstances, I cannot agree that there has been any mistake in my Department, or that I should be justified in revoking the licence. With regard to the labour situation in the area, I canot add to what was said by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade on 2nd December. The arrangement for consultation between my Department and the Board of Trade is that applications for the erection of new shop premises or the expansion or rebuilding of shops are referred for sponsorship to the Board of Trade before a licence is issued. Where it is a question of the repair or alteration of existing pre-raises my Department may consult the Board of Trade if consumer need is in question.

asked the Minister of Works whether the Wallpaper Manufacturers Company Limited at Derby are going to be granted a licence in order that they may build a new factory and so be able to stop work at their present factory in Derby from which mica dust is being thrown into the air to the discomfiture of the inhabitants in the vicinity of the present factory.

No application for a building licence has been made to my Ministry. Under the terms of the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948 the issue of licences for new industrial buildings will be limited for at least six months to projects of exceptional importance and I am advised that the Board of Trade are not prepared to support the issue of a licence at the present time.

asked the Minister of Works upon what principle requisitioned buildings becoming vacant are allocated between Government Departments, local authorities and private individuals, firms or businesses who may require them; and why no steps are taken to fill such buildings until they become vacant, even when it is apparent several months in advance that they are about to be vacated.

The principle is to make buildings available to meet the most urgent need. Thus, as soon as buildings such as small houses and flats can be freed, they are made available for housing. Similarly, schools, hotels, etc., which have high priority are derequisitioned without being offered to any other Department. Buildings which are of lower priority for release may be retained for use by another Department. Departments are asked to give my Ministry the longest possible notice of release of premises so that their future use can be settled.

asked the Minister of Works what is the cost of the erection of the garage it is proposed to build in York Terrace, Regents Park, N.W.; and, as the building of the garage is contrary to the undertaking given to preserve the character and amenities of York Terrace, he will give an assurance that the proposal will be abandoned.

In order to avoid parking cars in the Outer Circle and to help preserve the amenities of the Terraces, I am considering the possibility of providing a temporary car park by removing some derelict buildings and levelling a bombed site at the corner of York Terrace. It is not proposed to build a garage. The Crown Estate Paving Commission and the Commissioner of Police are being consulted about the scheme.

asked the Minister of Works how many dwelling houses in Edinburgh are still requisitioned and how many of these will be derequisitioned when the temporary government offices at Sight-hill are completed and occupied.

Twenty-seven dwelling houses in Edinburgh are still held on requisition by my Department and I hope it will be possible to release at least three of them, in addition to other buildings, when the temporary office building at Sighthill has been completed and occupied.

asked the Minister of Works how much cement was used, and what were the labour costs in repairing "Cwrt-yr-Aber," Aberedw, Radnorshire.

About 36 tons of cement were used on the work carried out at "Cwrt-yr-Aber." I have no information as to labour costs.

asked the Minister of Works if the allocation of priorities of steel for building construction in the near future has as yet been determined and whether information regarding the plans of his Ministry have as yet been forwarded to the Royal Institute of British Architects, Notts., Derby and Lincoln Society.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Paymaster-General on 20th November. Replies have been sent to those hon. Members who have forwarded to me representations from the Society.

asked the Minister of Works what change has been made in his arrangements for research in the field of building and civil engineering.

The Government has recently had under consideration the arrangements for building research, and has now decided that my Department should bear the main responsibility for reviewing the whole field of building research, identifying gaps and problems requiring further research, determining their relative priorities, and bringing them to the notice of the appropriate research organisation. My Department will also continue to keep the technical development of the building industry under review, to promote the final stages of technical development, and to encourage within the industry the use of the results of research and of technical development generally. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research will continue to be responsible for carrying out scientific research within its field including initial development in building, and to be free to initiate research. It will also be free to undertake investigations at the direct proposal of industry. The Ministry of Works will, for the time being, retain the primary responsibility for sociological and economic research in the building industry. Close contact will be maintained between the two Departments.To advise in the carrying out of these responsibilities, I have appointed an Advisory Council on Building and Civil Engineering Research and Development including persons engaged in the building and civil engineering industries, in the professions and in scientific work, together with assessors appointed by the Government Departments concerned. I will circulate the terms of reference and a list of the members. The Council will take the place of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Works, and I would like to express my appreciation of the work that the Committee has done in the two years of its existence.

asked the Minister of Works how many men members of his Mobile Labour Force are at present unemployed.

None.

asked the Minister of Works how many bricks were exported from Britain to Belgium in the first eight months of 1947; and what was the price per thousand received by the British exporters.

So far as I am aware no bricks were exported from Britain to Belgium in this period.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will now state when the promised White Paper on the Services' Land Requirements will be published; and whether he is aware that the delay in giving effect to settlements provisionally arrived at with the Service Ministries concerned is, in some cases, interfering with the effective use of the land.

It is hoped that the White Paper will be published in a few days. As to the second part of the Question, I do not think there has been any avoidable delay.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that construction of houses in the County of Norfolk is being impeded by a shortage of mild steel rods used as reinforcement for concrete; and if he will take steps to increase the supply of these articles.

My right hon. Friend is not aware that any special difficulties are being experienced in Norfolk, but owing to heavy priority demands it is possible that supplies may not always be readily available. Production has already reached a high level and all possible steps will be taken to increase it.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent properties on Crown land are exempt from the provisions of the Rent Restriction Acts; and what steps it is proposed to take to ensure that the principles of the Rent Restriction Acts are nevertheless applied to such cases.

The Courts have decided that property on Crown land is not subject to these Acts and the point has been noted for consideration when legislation to amend the Acts can be introduced. There is, however, no early prospect of legislation and meantime I am prepared to authorise the exercise of requisitioning powers in order to avoid the creation of hardship.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that an appreciable area of agricultural land will before long be threatened by the advance of the sea at Caister, on the coast of Norfolk; that unless action is taken soon there will be a danger of the whole of the tidal area of the Norfolk Broads being inundated by the sea within a measurable time from now; and what support he is giving to the East Norfolk Rivers Catchment Board in its efforts to protect the catchment area for which it is responsible and, in particular the scheme submitted to him by the Board on 10th March, 1947.

In response to a request made to him on 3rd December, my right hon. Friend has agreed to take over from the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries the consideration of this problem, and officers of the Ministry of Health have arranged to meet representatives of the catchment board and the local authority this week in order to find out what needs to be done.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the value of exports from the United Kingdom to the Soviet Union since V.E. Day, and the value of imports from the Soviet Union to the United Kingdom; and if he

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the justification for the reduction of Imperial Preference agreed to at Geneva, consider-

Most of the information which the hon. and gallant Member requires is included in the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford (Mr. Austin) on Tuesday last, of which I am sending him a copy. The following statement contains the figures from May-December, 1945:ing that these reductions have been conceded in perpetuity whereas the reductions in the United States tariff obtained by our negotiations in return are liable to be cancelled at some future date by the United States legislature.

The hon. Member appears to be under a misapprehension. The essence of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade is that it is a mutually advantageous bargain. In the unlikely event of the United States, or any other party to the agreement, cancelling their side of the bargain, clearly we should be free to deal with ours.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there is now prospect of assistance from his Department for the establishment of a new industry at Blaenau Ffestiniog, Merioneth.

The possibility of furthering a project for the establishment of a new industry in this area which has recently been brought to my notice and which will not involve any new building, is now under consideration.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when the quarterly statistical statement of the costs of production, proceeds and profits of the coalmining industry, for the first quarter of 1947, will be presented to Parliament.

The statement for the first and second quarter of 1947 will be published shortly by the National Coal Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will consider the issue of a statement setting forth the views of His Majesty's Government on the solution of the Palestine problem as decided by U.N.O.

I shall be making a statement in the course of the Adjournment Debate on Palestine on Thursday and Friday this week. Copies of the report to the United Nations of the ad hoc Committee on the Palestine question, which contains the plan approved by the United Nations for the future of Palestine, have been laid in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give an assurance that it is now the established custom to appoint no senior officers in the Colonial Office who have not had personal experience of service in at least one of the Colonies.

Nearly all the senior administrative and advisory officers in my Department have served in Colonial appointments or have visited Colonial territories in some official capacity. As more staff becomes available the system of seconding administrative officers overseas will be extended, and I hope that in time all senior posts will be held by officers with personal experience in a Colonial appointment. But I could not give an assurance that in no circumstances would a senior appointment be filled by an officer who has, not had that experience.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what properties his Department still owns or occupies in the Isle of Wight; and if he will give particulars in each case showing when it is intended to derequisition these properties in order to make them available to provide temporary emergency accommodation for the civilian population before the winter.

Three sites in the Isle of Wight on which huts have been put up for housing airmen are still held on requisition by my Department. One is occupied by the R.A.F. and will be needed in the future; the second is also to be retained, but it is not at present occupied, and the living quarters are therefore being released; the huts at the third site have already been handed over to the local authority.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what properties his Department still owns or occupies in the Isle of Wight; and whether he will give particulars in each case as to when it is intended to derequisition these properties in order to make them available to provide temporary emergency accommodation for the civilian population before the winter.

Thirty Admiralty freehold and leasehold cottages and houses and four requisitioned wooden bungalows or beach huts are held by the Admiralty in the Isle of Wight. Twenty-five of the Admiralty properties are occupied by civilian tenants or as married quarters by Naval personnel. The future of the remaining five is under urgent consideration. The four requisitioned bungalows are no longer required and will be derequisitioned as soon as certain stores have been removed. The local authority have declared these buildings unfit for habitation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the exact industries which are composed under the headings "Utilities, Coal, Steel, etc." in the table on page seven of Cmd. 7268; and how the original investment forecast of £590 millions for 1948 was divided between the categories (a), (b) and other machinery in this table respectively.

The table on page seven of Cmd. 7268 refers to investment in different groups of plant and machinery, and not in different groups of industry. The types of specialised machinery included in the figure against the heading "Utilities, Coal, Steel, etc." are: Coal-mining machinery, iron and steel-making plant, electric generating plant, Gas Works' plant, Railway rolling stock and permanent way, civil aircraft, telephone and telegraphic equipment and agricultural machinery. The original forecast for 1948 cannot be divided in this way.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware that dissatisfaction is felt by teachers in State schools performing school duties out of school hours, who find that no additional allowances in respect of such work are to be made in the new Burnham recommendations; and whether he will make representations to the local education authorities that in the application of the proposed Burnham awards, high priority in the allocation of special responsibility allowances shall be conceded to such teachers, from whom additional services and extra responsibility are demanded.

No. The duty of deciding on posts of special responsibility rests primarily with the local education authorities on such grounds as special qualifications or work of advanced character.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is proposed to transfer jurisdiction over the Registration of Deeds, and the Registration of Title to Land in Northern Ireland, to the Government of Northern Ireland, pursuant to Sections 8 and 9, respectively, of the Northern Ireland Act,1947.

It is hoped to make the transfer on 1st April, 1948.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many civilian motor drivers are employed by the Royal Navy now compared with a year ago, at what weekly wage; and why these posts cannot be filled by Service drivers.

The number of civilian motor drivers employed by the Admiralty at establishments at home is at present approximately 3,300 as compared with 4,100 a year ago, and the number will continue to fall. The current weekly wage varies according to locality, efficiency and service, but lies within a range of 97s. 6d. to 109s. 6d. inclusive of industrial bonus and load pay. It is general Admiralty policy to employ civilians in lieu of Service personnel on duties which can be performed equally well by civilians in shore establishments as by uniformed personnel, and for which the extensive specialised training of naval personnel is unnecessary.