asked the Minister of Transport why Scotland is eliminated from any share in the Atlantic passenger shipping services.

The Transatlantic passenger ships which served the Clyde before the war are no longer available, and I am informed that while the serious shortage of passenger ships persists there are no other ships that can be diverted to this service.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) what steps he is taking to facilitate the unloading of transport lorries at the various dockyards; and is he aware that the delay in unloading is holding up the transport of export goods;(2) if he is aware that transport organisations are contemplating increasing their charges because of the delay in the unloading of lorries at the docks; and what action he intends to prevent such increases having a serious effect upon the woollen export trade.

A Working Party is investigating the position at Liverpool and Birkenhead. Difficulties have occurred from time to time in unloading lorries at other docks but I am not aware of any serious delays at the present time. Increases in road haulage charges do not require my authority but it is open to any person upon whom such a charge falls to challenge it under the Road Haulage and Hire (Charges) Orders.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps are being taken to augment the storage area facilities and other overdue improvements at Newport docks by the provision of new sheds, the erection of electric cranes particularly for iron ore and other necessary requirements including the removal of the bottleneck between the main North and South docks for the effective dealing with the increasing imports and exports now developing.

These are matters for consideration by the British Transport Commission and I am bringing my hon. Friend's Question to their attention.

asked the Minister of Transport if the London Transport Executive has an Advisory Council; what is the total number of members; what are their names and whom do they represent; and whether they include Members of Parliament or representatives of consumer interests.

The London Transport Executive has no advisory council, but there are several committees on which appropriate representation for considering transport problems in the London area is secured, and I have sent my hon. Friend particulars. I hope soon to be in a position to appoint a Consultative Committee for London under Section 6 of the Transport Act, 1947.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the quantity of motor fuel authorised for use by motor coaches available for private hire during the last quarters of 1946 and 1947, respectively, or during similar comparative periods.

Separate figures for this type of operation are not available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now make arrangements to clarify the position with regard to the parking of cars in non-restricted streets in the Metropolitan area; and whether signs can be erected to indicate clearly to motorists whether they may park their cars on either side of such streets.

The legal position is, I think, quite clear. In non-restricted streets no person in charge of a motor vehicle or trailer shall cause or permit the motor vehicle or trailer to stand on a road so as to cause any unnecessary obstruction thereof. Authorised parking places on the public highway are indicated by the authorised parking place sign.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) whether the present supply of steel scrap represents an increase or decrease in that available for this time last year; and what steps are being taken to build up stocks in view of the increase in steel output;(2) whether steps are being taken to obtain steel scrap from the British zone of Germany.

The current rate of scrap deliveries to steel works is higher than a year ago. Stocks are, however, lower. A special appeal has been made to industry for the maximum possible release of scrap, while this is being supplemented by intensified efforts to secure additional supplies from surplus equipment and stores and by imports from Germany and elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the general shortage of steel for tingles, particularly in Newport, and that the new quota is only 10 per cent. of the prewar allocation, which is causing serious hardships and difficulties to the boot and shoe repairing industry; and whether he will make a substantial increase in the coming quarter.

There is still a shortage of certain types of wire, including wire for boot and shoe grindery, and I fear that the general situation is likely to remain difficult. I am having inquiries made into the present position at Newport and will write to my hon. Friend later.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will publish a list of manufacturing and commercial activities in connection with the light and heavy engineering industries from which new entrants are excluded by reason of allocations of raw materials, rights to trade, or supplies being dependent upon performance at some date in the past.

No. Applications are accepted or rejected on their merits.

asked the Minister of Supply what proportion of unwrought zinc it is proposed will be purchased in the ensuing 12 months from United States sources; and what proportion from Empire and other resources respectively.

The extent of the purchases which we shall need to make from North America is at present uncertain, since it will be dependent on what quantities we are able to obtain from suppliers elsewhere with whom we are in negotiation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will assure the House that the Thames Conservancy Board have declared their ability to accept the increased flood water which will be discharged into the River Mole by the proposed drainage plan for the Crawley new town area without detriment to other interests in the lower course of this river.

The development of the new town will necessitate works on the upper reaches of the River Mole and its tributaries, the Gatwick Stream and Crawter's Brook which in their present state are not in a condition to receive additional flood water. I am not therefore in a position to give such an assurance as the hon. and gallant Member asks for, but I can assure him that the Development Corporation and the Thames Conservancy are in consultation about the works that will be necessary as the Corporation's development proposals proceed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in view of the increasing need to make this country self-supporting in foodstuffs, he will inquire how, in Denmark, one acre can support two persons as regards the provision of food, whereas in this country the approximate figures are one person to one and a half acres.

The number of persons that can be supported per acre depends upon such factors as standards of consumption, dietetic habits, wage levels, soil, climate, farming efficiency and intensity of land utilisation. The hon. Member's method of comparison would, therefore, be misleading.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the shortage in this country of agricultural machinery for use with Fordson Major Tractors; and what steps are being taken to make increased supplies available.

I am not aware of any special shortage, apart from the supply of hydraulic lifts, for which increased production has been arranged by the manufacturers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will extend the regulations governing the allocation of basic poultry food coupons to those not in actual possession of land but keeping poultry on other holdings with the permission of the owner.

No. It would create confusion if rations were issued to any person other than the occupier of the holding who is responsible for making the statutory returns of numbers of poultry kept.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that farmers in the East Riding of Yorkshire are still seriously held up at this present moment for delivery of ploughshares; and will he take steps still further to increase the production of this essential equipment.

Production of plough shares is increasing steadily, and the manufacturers have assured me that available supplies are distributed as evenly as possible. If the hon. Member will let me have particulars of farmers in the East Riding who are held up for want of shares, I will see what can be done to assist them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what expense has been incurred up to date in the draining of a field of approximately four acres at Fishweir Lane, Bradpole, Bridport, Dorset; how many manhours have been involved in this work; and how much petrol has been used in the transport of labour to and from the field.

I assume that the hon. Member refers to a field of about 5.8 acres formerly derelict owing to waterlogging, upon which reconditioning work, including the laying of tile drains, was started by the Dorset Agricultural Executive Committee, on behalf of the owners, last February. The cost of the work to the owners will be of the order of £40 per acre, towards which a Government grant of £7 10s. per acre will be payable. Prisoners of war from a hostel four miles away have been employed on the work, which has occupied 5,670 man hours. It is estimated that 76 gallons of petrol have been used in conveying them, with other labour engaged on work in the vicinity, between the hostel and the site.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Government have made a profit of between 50 per cent. and 75 per cent. on the prices paid to the producers for the 1947 wool clip; and whether he will, in future, give the farmers a guaranteed minimum price for their wool.

Nearly 30 per cent. of the 1947 wool clip was sold at a loss before sale by auction could be arranged, but I am aware that a similar quantity has since been sold at a substantial profit. About 40 per cent, of the clip awaits disposal, and until this can be cleared no reliable estimate can be made of the final result of the year's trading. As regards the second part of the Question, a guaranteed price for the 1948 clip has been announced which will represent a substantial increase over existing levels, but I cannot yet say what arrangements will be made for subsequent years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the total of subsidies paid to farm water supplies in 1947; and what were the expenses of such subsidisation, in respect of preliminary investigation, administration, wages, transport, etc.

The payment of grants totalling £430,000 was authorised in 1947 in respect of completed farm water supply schemes in England and Wales. It would not be possible, even with extensive research, to separate out figures of the administrative and other expenses incurred by executive committees on this part of their many responsibilities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider reducing the number of plans and forms required to enable work to be commenced for a supply of water to a 200 acre farm in view of the fact that this at present entails the use of 41 square feet of paper together with eight foolscap forms.

I am not aware that any unnecessary documents are required in connection with applications for grant on farm water supply schemes, but if the hon. and gallant Member will let me have details of the particular case he has in mind which appears, on the face of it, to be exceptional, I shall be glad to look into it from this standpoint.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when he expects that county agricultural executive committees will be appointed in their peace time form and at work throughout the country; and what accounts for the delay in their establishment.

I hope to constitute the new committees on 16th February. I am particularly anxious that these committees, in view of their very important duties, should include the best people available from all sections of the industry. This has involved making a good many inquiries and considering a large number of names, which naturally has taken some time. But there has been no undue delay.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has considered the fresh evidence which has been sent to him concerning the complaints of Mr. E. H. House and of his treatment by the agricultural committees; and will he make a full statement in dealing with all the points raised by Mr. House.

I have considered the complaints put forward by the hon. Member on behalf of Mr. House and the facts as far as I can ascertain them are as follows.In September, 1946, the East Sussex War Agricultural Executive Committee informed Mr. House that with my consent they were proposing to terminate on the 25th day of March, 1947, the tenancy of Great Strudgates and Newhouse Farm on the ground that the holding was not being cultivated in accordance with the rules of good husbandry. Mr. House appealed to the Tribunal, presided over by Mr. A. M. Latter, K.C. Mr. House was represented by solicitor and counsel and after a hearing on 12th and 13th December, 1946, including an inspection of the farm by the Tribunal, the decision of the committee was upheld.Mr. House did not comply with the direction to vacate the farm on 25th March, 1947. In accordance with regulation 62(2A), on or about 5th April, 1947, the police entered the farm with a view to giving vacant possession to the landlord, in accordance with the Tribunal's decision.In the meantime on or about 13th February, 1947, Mr. House was adjudicated bankrupt, and accordingly any chattels on the holding or in the house were vested in the trustee in Bankruptcy, to whom, on entry by the police, possession was given. After entry, therefore, neither the police nor the committee were responsible for the premises or anything therein or thereon. I am satisfied that the steps taken in regard to Mr. House were proper steps and that I cannot accept any responsibility in regard thereto. Mr. House had full and ample opportunity of arguing his case before the Tribunal and I am not prepared to re-open this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will set up a local public inquiry into the annual flooding of good agricultural land at Llandrinio, Montgomeryshire and Melverley, Shropshire.

I am fully aware that abnormal weather has now caused flooding in this part of the Severn Valley in three successive years. My Department is in close touch with the Catchment Board, and I am satisfied that the board is fully seized of the problems and needs of the area. Indeed, works are already in progress and further projects have been or are being submitted to my Department for sanction, one of which is about to be approved. Whilst I have the fullest sympathy with the people in the area affected, I do not think a public inquiry would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will arrange that notice of at least a week will be given to local farmers before prisoner of war labour is withdrawn owing to the closing of hostels.

It is normal practice to give employers at least one week's notice of the withdrawal of prisoners of war.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many of the 474,343 acres under the control of county agriculture committees were taken compulsorily from dispossessed farmers and smallholders.

I regret that the information is not readily available, and I do not consider that the expenditure of time and labour involved in searching local and central records, dating back over eight years, would be justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps have been taken to intensify the drive for food production among allotment holders and gardeners, and will he see that the efforts are maintained as long as the food crisis lasts.

Local authorities have been urged to continue their cooperation in furthering the food production drive in every possible way, both as regards the acquisition and retention of land for allotments and the particular need for the maximum production of potatoes this year by allotment holders and gardeners. I am making a further appeal to the public at a Press conference on 4th February and other publicity measures are being undertaken during the next few weeks and will be continued while the present food crisis lasts. I should add that the National Allotments Society has already organised 11 conferences in large towns up to the end of January and several more will take place in the next two months.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that veterinary surgeons experience six weeks delay in obtaining delivery of supplies of anti-abortion vaccine from the Veterinary Laboratory at Weybridge; and what steps are being taken to improve the position.

Normally there is no delay in the despatch of anti-abortion vaccine from the Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge. Owing to unavoidable mishaps in the preparation of this very delicate substance, however, supplies have, for a time, been short of requirements. The position has now improved, and arrears are being rapidly overtaken.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now announce the rate of hill cattle subsidy for England and Wales for 1948.

Yes, I have decided that the rates of subsidy shall be the same for 1948 as for 1947, namely, £3 15s. 0d. per head for breeding cows and heifers' suckling calves and £2 15s. 0d. per head for other eligible cattle. The necessary Order under Section 14 (3) of the Hill Farming Act, 1946, will be laid before Parliament shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that dung forks are in short supply; and whether in their absence he is suggesting some other way of spreading manure efficiently.

Yes, I am aware that dung forks are scarce. Following recent consultations with the trade, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply has arranged that increased supplies will be made available and will be sent to areas where supplies are particularly short.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the total expenditure on the eradication of bovine tuberculosis made under the Agriculture Act, 1937; and the percentage of attested cattle in each county in England, Wales and Scotland.

During the period from 1st April, 1938, when Part IV of the Agriculture Act, 1937, came into operation, to 31st December, 1947, payments made to owners of attested herds under Section 20 of the Act amounted to £2,590,000. In addition, the cost of tuberculin tests carried out by part-time veterinary inspectors was £1,094,000. It is not practicable to assess the cost of tests carried out by whole-time veterinary inspectors as part of their duties.The percentage of attested cattle in each county in England, Wales and Scotland at the end of 1947 was:

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he can give any details of the financial assistance to be provided for cooperative grass-drying centres.

Yes; schemes for providing financial assistance for grass conservation will require legislation for which proposals will be laid before the House in due course; but, subject to the necessary authority being granted, I can now give details of the first of these schemes, which provides for grants and loans to co-operative grass-drying centres. Grants will normally amount to one-third of the total approved capital cost of centres established by farmers' co-operative societies or marketing boards before June, 1950. In the current year, when co-operative grass-drying is being tried on a substantial scale for the first time in this country, a slightly higher rate of grant is justified, and, therefore, plant which is in operation by 1st June, 1948, will be eligible for grant of two-fifths of total approved cost. Grants will be conditional on approval of the project generally, on co-operative working for four years with an approved contract with the participating farmers, and on dealing with a minimum acreage at each centre. Short term loans at 3 per cent. will also be available for an additional one-third of approved cost. In order to qualify for grant or loan these centres must dry grass as a service to the farmer on a nonprofit-making basis. The scheme is intended for farmers with small acreages of grass who put forward a project through a suitable organisation, which appears likely to develop into a sound method of obtaining a high quality feeding stuff for use on their own farms.I understand that similar arrangements applicable to Scotland are being made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, with any modifications necessary to suit the different conditions in that country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will supply particulars of the amount of petrol granted to agricultural executive committees, their subcommittees, their staff and their workers, both for administrative work and farm operations, including the transport of workers and equipment; and how much petrol has been granted by the Petroleum Department to members, staff and employees of agricultural executive committees and their sub-committees during the past twelvemonth.

During the past year approximately 12 million gallons of petrol were supplied to the agricultural executive committees for all purposes. I have no information as to how much petrol was granted by the Petroleum Department to members, staff and employees of the committees and their sub-committees.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many tractors and ploughs are owned and used by the agricultural committees on contract to private farms, or on lands administered by the committee.

Ten thousand, three hundred and eighty-eight tractors and 10,724 ploughs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to diminish the number of otters on trout and salmon rivers in England and Scotland, in view of the widespread damage to fishing which an increase in their numbers is causing.

None. I am not aware that otters are causing widespread damage. In any case the preservation of trout and salmon fisheries is the responsibility of fishery boards and owners of fishing rights.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why the existing arrangements for the wholesale distribution of Ordnance Survey Maps in Scotland were dispensed with prior to the completion of arrangements for the establishment in Edinburgh of a Wholesale Ordnance Survey Maps, Sales and Issue Department, and when he expects such a department will be established.

The present emergency scheme was introduced because the arrangements made by the former wholesale agents of the Ordnance Survey Department in Edinburgh were inadequate to meet the requirements of the trade and Government Departments in Scotland satisfactorily. Every effort is being made to hasten the establishment in Edinburgh of a Map Sales and Issues Depot or another wholesale agency, but no firm date can yet be given.

asked the Minister of Works whether progress has been made in erecting a temporary office block in Waterhouse Lane, Chelmsford, in order to accelerate the process of freeing the Essex Institute of Agriculture at Writtle for the purpose for which it was originally built.

Yes. Reasonably good progress is being made with the building. I am aware of the need for freeing the Essex Institute of Agriculture at Writtle quickly and all possible steps are being taken to this end.

asked the Minister of Works what is the total value of building licences issued in Stoke-on-Trent since June, 1945, for the building, repair and reconstruction of factories and other industrial and commercial premises.

I regret that the information is not readily available and could not be extracted from the records without a disproportionate expenditure of labour and time.

asked the Minister of Works if he will define his responsibility for the maintenance or dismantling of the buildings on Peplow air station, Shropshire.

My Department has been asked to dispose of the huts from six camp sites attached to this airfield. It has no other responsibility.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that his decision to include the labour of the permanent staff of farms in the cost of minor building works will prevent the economical employment of farm workers during slack periods in winter; and whether he will reconsider this decision.

There is no new decision in this matter. Under Defence Regulation 56A it has always been necessary to include the cost of labour used, in assessing the total cost of work, even if such labour consists of farm workers. Licences are readily granted for work on farm buildings, particularly if farm workers are available to do the work.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the acute shortage of glass, and hard wall plaster is delaying the completion of a considerable number of houses in Edinburgh; and if he will take action to expedite deliveries.

Supplies of sheet glass have been increased during the past two months and I have now arranged for a further increase. A shortage of plaster in Scotland was caused by a temporary breakdown in a plaster factory in Glasgow; at my request, English manufacturers agreed to despatch additional quantities to Scotland.

asked the Minister of Works if his attention has been called to the case of Messrs. H. P. E. Neave, Limited, prosecuted on 26th January, at North Walsham, because they used old materials for a drawing office for their own staff; and if he will amend the regulations in order to prevent such prosecutions.

I am aware of this prosecution which was undertaken by the local authority on account of failure to obtain a building licence. I see no reason to amend the regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will now permit British ex-Service men and civilians married to German women still living in Germany to return to their wives and families when they desire to do so, although fully aware of the conditions prevailing in Germany.

Yes. This is normally permitted in the British zone if accommodation is available and there is a reasonable assurance that the person concerned will not become a burden on the community. Admission to other than the British zones is, of course, a matter for the respective occupation authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what evidence the Regional Commissioners of Schleswig-Holstein and Rhine-Westphalia have decided that the People's Congress for German Unity is a disguised Communist organisation and have banned its meetings on this account, and since this is an act which interferes with the democratic rights of the German people, if he will issue an instruction to the Commissioners to stop this political discrimination.

The People's Congress purports to represent all parties and sections of the population. In fact it has been officially repudiated by all the recognised political parties except the German Communist Party. Its organisers were almost all either members of the German Communist Party or persons with known Communist sympathies. This organisation represents an attempt by the organisers to circumvent the provisions of Military Government Ordinance No. 10, the object of which is to ensure that political activities are conducted honestly and openly and that the sponsors of such activities and the policies they advocate should be clearly identified.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the unanimous decision of the London conference on 10th December, 1947, to accept the transfer to public ownership of various industries as a means of breaking up the dangerous concentration of economic power in Germany, he will resume the policy of the nationalisation of the heavy industries.

Since the socialisation of German heavy industries has been and continues to be the policy of His Majesty's Government, the question of resuming such a policy does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what arrangements are made, whether through I.R.O. or otherwise, to assist or afford legal protection to the refugee or deported Roumanians, estimated to exceed 50,000, now in the British and other western zones of Germany and Austria.

The various authorities who are responsible for refugees and displaced persons in the Western zones of Germany and Austria provide assistance and legal protection on the merits of each individual case and the various categories of persons coming from Roumania are treated in exactly the same manner as the corresponding categories of persons of other nationalities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Herr Kopf, the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, was a member of the Nazi Party; whether he was in 1939 a guardian of confiscated Polish and Jewish estates in Upper Silesia; and whether any foundation has been found for the accusations made against him by the Polish military mission in Berlin.

Herr Kopf was dismissed from office by the Nazi Party in June, 1933, as politically unreliable and there is no evidence that he was ever a member of that Party. In 1939 the firm of estate agents in which he was partner was given the business of registering and managing the estates of Poles who had fled from the town of Königshutte before the German advance. Herr Kopf states that in 1941 he was ordered against his will to take over the position of Head Custodian at Lublinitz and that, despite his protests, his firm was ordered to maintain him there until September, 1942. As the formal application for Herr Kopf's extradition was not received until 30th January and has not yet been examined I am unable to comment on the Polish charges. The Lower Saxony Cabinet have, however, passed a vote of confidence in Kopf and when the charges were debated in the Landtag on 28th January all but the Communist delegates endorsed the Cabinet's attitude.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why he is providing military government staffs for D.P. camps in Austria when His Majesty's Government has already made substantial contributions to I.R.O. to provide this same service.

The per capita charge levied against I.R.O. covers the cost of the Military Government staffs engaged in the displaced persons camps in Austria, and such cost is part of the item shown under "Appropriations and Aid" in the Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what grounds I.R.O. propose to discriminate in its administration between D.P. camps formerly run by U.N.R.R.A. and other camps, and to provide the former with a higher scale of medical equipment and amenities.

I am not aware of any such discrimination. The policy of I.R.O. is to arrange administration on an equal basis for all eligible displaced persons, whether from ex-U.N.R.R.A. or other camps. I shall, however, be glad to investigate any specific point which the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how often prisoners of war who have been classified C+ have their cases reviewed for revision to a better category; and what is the total number of men so classified at the 31st December, 1947.

The cases of all C+ prisoners are reviewed at least every six months. On 31st December, 1947, there were 180 such cases in this country and 233 in the Middle East.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give particulars of the joint arrangements between His Majesty's Government and the American and Canadian Governments respecting payment for wife maintenance and affiliation orders by servicemen; to what extent court orders respecting British cases will now become enforceable in the U.S.A. and Canada; and whether consideration will be given to the possibility of extending such an arrangement to cover British servicemen who have been involved with German and Austrian women.

With regard to the United States, I would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to similar Questions which were asked by him on 12th November and 1st December last, and also to the replies given to Questions on the same subject which were asked by the hon. and gallant Member for Macclesfield (Air-Commodore Harvey) on 19th November, and by my hon. Friend the Member for Spen Valley (Mr. Sharp) on 20th November.I regret that, apart from cases where the man concerned is still in receipt of an apportionable allowance from a United States Government Department, it has not been possible to make any arrrangement with the United States Government in respect of payments by a United States serviceman or ex-serviceman for the maintenance of his dependents in this country. There are also no means by which maintenance or affiliation orders issued by a United Kingdom court can be enforced in the United States.I am glad to say, however, that the arrangements whereby welfare organisations and other unofficial bodies in the United States assist in trying to induce United States servicemen and ex-servicemen to recognise their obligations to which reference was made in the reply to my hon. Friend's Question of 12th November, have been completed and are now in operation.The position in Canada is as follows:Arrangements for the mutual enforcement of maintenance orders have been made with the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan under the provisions of the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act, 1920. This Act, however, expressly excludes affiliation orders, for the enforcement of which in Canada no arrangements exist, and in this connection I would again refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the Question which was asked by the hon. and gallant Member for Macclesfield on 19th November.As regards British Servicemen who have been involved with German and Austrian women, I have nothing to add to the reply given by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 23rd October, 1946, to the hon. Member for Bucklow (Mr. Shepherd) in which it was explained that there was no facilities for legal proceedings in cases of this kind and that even if affiliation proceedings were possible no maintenance order of a German court, or indeed of any foreign court, could, under the Army Act be enforced against a British soldier.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in what countries other than Austria and Germany officials paid by him are deprived of part of their pay at the end of the first month of their service in order that a fixed deposit may be held by him against possible over-issues or over-drawings overseas.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, what is the reason for the delay in coming to an agreement with the Government of China regarding the liabilities of the Shanghai Municipal Council in so far as they concern British subjects, in view of the undertakings given by the Chinese Government under the Treaty of 1943.

The matter is still under negotiation, and I regret, therefore, that I am unable to give any details at present. I can, however, assure the hon. Member that the British Adviser to the Liquidation Commission and the British Authorities in China have pressed, and will continue to press, the case as strongly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the trouble which has arisen over the evictions at Kowloon, he will issue a White Paper setting out the history of the communications which have passed between the British and Chinese Governments since the Treaty of 1898 under which the City of Kowloon was to remain under Chinese Civil Adminis- tration; and whether there are to be any further negotiations between the British and Chinese Governments with a view to a final settlement in this matter.

Discussions are at present in progress. When these are concluded my right hon. Friend would be willing in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies to consider the advisability of issuing a White Paper.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he has taken to carry out the recommendations of the Scarborough Report.

As the answer is necessarily long and detailed I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that, by the recent suppression and dissolution of the Hungarian Independent Party, which won 48 out of 411 seats in the Hungarian elections last August, nearly 700,000 citizens of that country have been deprived of Parliamentary representation; and what action he proposes to take in view of this and similar acts of suppression in Roumania and Bulgaria which are in conflict with the guarantees of the human rights articles of the Peace Treaties with those countries.

Yes. I have learnt with deep misgiving that some 13 per cent. of the Hungarian electorate have been disfranchised by the dissolution of the Independent Party, particularly as Hungary has hitherto had a democratically elected Parliament. My right hon. Friend has already made clear his increasing disquiet at the progressive loss in South-Eastern Europe of the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Peace Treaties. His Majesty's Representatives in Bulgaria and Roumania, as well as in Hungary, have repeatedly notified the Governments of those countries that they are bound by the Treaties to ensure to their peoples the basic democratic right of political association and representation.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will give an assurance that next season, in view of the failure of his Department's policy of rationing potatoes, the policy will be a high flat rate for all potatoes, which will cut out the varying prices according to grade and month and make certain that an adequate supply of potatoes will be available to the housewives for the future.

No. Such a proposal would certainly ensure a very full supply at the beginning of the season, but it would give no inducement to market or even to grow supplies for consumption in later months, by which time storage costs and other charges have to be met.

asked the Minister of Food how many British-grown potatoes of the 1947 crop have been sent, or are about to be sent, to Germany.

None.

asked the Minister of Food why the application of Mr. G. Walker, Stockport Road, Hyde, to be upgraded for the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables was refused.

This application was refused because, after careful examination of the figures which Mr. Walker himself supplied, the local distribution committee were unable to regard the extent of his current trade in fresh fruit and vegetables as sufficient to qualify him for a higher grade according to the scale laid down by the committee and approved by my Department. I have since had the figures re-examined and I can find no justification for interfering with the committee's findings.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that all members of the Manchester and District Fruit and Vegetable Distribution Committee are wholesalers; and if he will add some retailers to the committee.

If my hon. Friend is referring to the committee responsible for allocating our imported fruit to retailers in Manchester and the surrounding districts, it comprises 12 members, six of whom are retailers.

asked the Minister of Food why he has allowed the import of carrots from Denmark; and what effect this had had on home produced carrots in both price and deterioration.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Howdenshire (Mr. Odey) and the hon. and gallant Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Lieut.-Colonel Clifton-Brown) on 26th January.

asked the Minister of Food what are the comparative prices and tonnages and the relative nutritional values of maize and carcases of meat carried in ships of similar tonnages; and what are the total tonnages of each shipped from the Argentine to this country in the last six months.

During the six months July-December, 1947, 341,000 tons of maize and 165,000 tons of meat were shipped from the Argentine at an average price per ton f.o.b. of £17 and £68 respectively. One ton of maize carried in bulk requires 45 cubic feet of space, and one ton of meat requires 85 cubic feet. Used for direct human consumption maize has a nutritional value of 1,658 calories and 41 grams of protein per pound, compared with 1,335 calories and 59 grams of protein for Argentine meat. When maize is used as a feedingstuff for animals the net yield in calories for human consumption varies according to its use between 8 per cent. and 25 per cent. of its original value as human food. On the basis of a mean value of 15 per cent. the calories obtained per pound sterling and per hundred cubic feet of shipping space for these shipments are as follows:

asked the Minister of Food how much meat, received from the Argentine, is being re-sold to France; and what is the cost of this transaction to Britain in dollars.

We are not selling any meat to France.

asked the Minister of Food why he took no action to protect growers of broccoli in Berkshire and elsewhere from heavy imports of Italian broccoli at the time when the home crops were ready for market; and if he is aware that some growers, to avoid further financial loss, have had to feed good quality crops to cattle or allow them to waste on the ground.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that imports of Italian broccoli are proving highly injurious to the producers of broccoli in this country; and whether he will take immediate steps to curtail such imports in order to prevent disaster from overtaking the Cornish industry.

I am glad to take this opportunity to correct the impression that Italian cauliflower imports were so heavy as to be responsible for the lower prices recently. They were in fact only a minor part of our total supplies which I am very glad to say were much heavier than normal for the time of the year. This was due partly to the overlapping of supplies of our own early broccoli and autumn cauliflower resulting from weather conditions.

asked the Minister of Food if he will insist on the prices per lb. of meats, lamb, mutton, and fish when offered for sale by butchers, and fishmongers, being displayed on, or alongside the food as the present method of hanging up a price list in the shops cannot be seen or read by the customers, and they are thus overcharged.

All retailers must display the meat and fish price schedules in a conspicuous position where they can be easily read by the customers and I am afraid that is as far as we can go in this matter.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will make an order requiring all persons purchasing seed potatoes, in small quantities as well as large, to sign a form giving their address and agreeing that the potatoes shall be used for planting only.

This is already necessary under Article 6 of the Potatoes (Control of Supply) (No. 2) Order, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Food why, in view of the shortage of railway rolling stock and of shipping, he is transporting large quantities of sugar 70 miles from Peterborough to Grimsby, and then 200 miles by sea to London, when the direct railway journey to London is only 80 miles.

This movement is part of the programme of movement of sugar from sugar beet factories to the refineries which was planned as a whole in consultation with the railways. The use of direct rail from Peterborough would have involved transfer to river craft in London, and added to railway difficulties.

asked the Minister of Food what is the function of the Wholesale Meat Suppliers Association in the distribution of meat to the public; what remuneration does this association receive and to what extent the meat is handled by them.

The Wholesale Meat Supply Associations, of which there are eight, undertake the wholesale distribution of all home-killed and imported meat and offals as the agents of the Ministry of Food. They are responsible for the physical handling of the meat and offals from the time that they are received from slaughterhouse or cold store until they are sold to the retailers. The Associations are paid on a commission basis. During 1946–47 they received £3,666,838. Out of this, they had to meet all their expenses, the balance being available for distribution to their members as remuneration for their services.

asked the Minister of Food how and to whom the generous gifts of food sent from New Zealand were distributed.

Approximately 70 per cent. of the food is sent to local authorities in all parts of the country for the benefit of aged and needy people living in their areas. The remaining 30 per cent. is allocated to hospitals, residential charitable institutions of all kinds, and workers' rehabilitation centres. Allocations to local authorities are based on population, and those to hospitals and institutions on bed accommodation.

asked the Minister of Food if it was on his authority that parcels of food purchased by the Sunday school children of Wellington, New Zealand, for distribution among the Sunday school children of England were seized and diverted from the recipients for whom they were intended; and if he is aware of the unfortunate impression created in New Zealand by this action.

The food gift to which the hon. Member refers has not been seized or diverted. The scheme under which it was sent was introduced in 1946 at the suggestion of the Deputy Prime Minister for New Zealand but was not intended to apply to Sunday schools. We have now arranged to include them if specifically desired by donors, and instructions for delivery of this particular gift were issued by my Department on 24th January. We are extremely grateful for these gifts and should certainly not do anything to discourage them.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that during the Christmas week 17 chilled lambs weighing 598 lbs. delivered to the butchering department of Wallsend Co-operative Society were condemned by the sanitary inspector; that other butchers in Wallsend in the same week received large quantities of lamb in a poisonous condition; that on 11th January Wallsend Co-operative Society received 920 lbs. of beef that was unfit for human consumption; what is the point of transit at which meat for Walls-end is finally examined, and how many days before delivery to retailers; and what new steps have been taken to prevent this happening in future.

A small quantity of imported meat was condemned at Wallsend during the period mentioned. All meat is issued from the local meat depot to the retailers under the supervision of the depot manager whose duty it is to prevent as far as possible the issue of any unsound meat. No delay occurs in delivery. I am satisfied that this is the best practicable arrangement, and that every reasonable care is taken.

asked the Minister of Food what charge he is making for the non-returnable bags in which imported carrots are sold; and what is the profit margin allowed to the wholesalers on the sale of imported carrots and of homegrown carrots, respectively.

The charge for bags is at the rate of 10s. per ton of carrots. The margin allowed to town wholesalers on imported and home-grown carrots sold by my Department is 17s. 6d. per ton in each case.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that Service patients at the Harefield County Hospital receive a meat ration valued at 2s. 9d. per week, but civilian patients are restricted to a meat ration of 1s.; and in view of the need for building up resistance to tuberculosis, will he arrange for civilian hospital patients to be granted a meat ration more in accordance with that provided for Service patients.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this matter and I am looking into the whole question of the ration scale allowances for Service and civilian patients in hospitals.

asked the Minister of Food what regulations and Government restrictions at present bar new entrants to the chocolate and sweet manufacturing, distributing and retailing industries respectively.

All persons in the chocolate and sweet trade who were obliged to stop trading because of the war are allowed to resume trading. New entrants to the manufacturing and wholesale sections are confined to disabled persons within the meaning of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, who are regarded as suitable for rehabilitation in the food trades after consultation with the Ministry of Labour. New entrants to the retail sections are approved only where there are insufficient shops to meet consumer demands. Preference is then given to disabled persons.

asked the Minister of Food what was the average daily consumption of milk per head of the population in Birkenhead in the year 1935 and in the year 1947.

I am sorry to say that there is no information about the consumption of milk in Birkenhead in 1935, and in these circumstances I do not think that the work involved in getting out figures for 1947 would be justified at the present time.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of biscuits and Christmas puddings, respectively, exported from Britain in 1947 were returned by the U.S.A.; what use has been made of them since their return and why they cannot be released for home consumption; and what was the amount of the loss incurred.

Approximately 25 tons of biscuits and five tons of puddings were returned to this country from the U.S.A. Some of the puddings have been reprocessed and the rest which had gone mouldy have been used for animal feeding; the biscuits are being sold for consumption in canteens and other establishments. The financial loss incurred is borne by the manufacturers.

asked the Minister of Food the total amount of animal feedingstuffs, in tons, made available to the agricultural industry in 1946 and 1947 from imported goods, including offals and residues; and the total feedingstuffs made available, including offals and residues, from home-grown crops.

The total amount of animal feedingstuffs made available to the agricultural industry through the Feedingstuffs Rationing Scheme was 2,860,000 tons in 1946 and 2,804,000 tons in 1947. These quantities include imported feedingstuffs and residues derived from imported materials totalling about 1,884,000 tons in 1946 and 1,968,000 tons in 1947. The balances were provided from grains and residues from home grown crops. The above quantities take no account of home grown feedingstuffs retained on farms, or feedingstuffs supplied outside the rationing scheme.

asked the Minister of Food if he has considered details which have been sent to him about the dates of apple price controls, and the advisability of altering those dates, when forced rhubarb and Cape fruit is finished; and if he will make a statement.

I have considered the suggestion referred to by the hon. Member but cannot accept it. We do not want to encourage storage beyond the natural term, and there will be other fruit, including home-grown rhubarb, on the market when apple prices go down.

asked the Minister of Food how many demonstration kitchens and similar vehicles are owned by his Department; what is their capital cost; how many persons, men and women respectively, are employed; and what is the annual cost of this service.

Twenty-one demonstration vans are owned by my Department and used as part of the Food Advice Service. Their depreciated capital cost at 31st March, 1947, was £12,800. I cannot give figures of employment or annual cost, as the vans form an integral part of the Food Advice Service and their staffing and cost are not separately recorded.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the high prices which are being charged for soap substitutes; and whether he will take steps to control them.

Retail prices of soap substitutes are controlled by my Department under the Soap Substitutes (Labelling and Prices) Order, 1943. Prices are high because raw materials and packing materials are expensive, but if my hon. Friend has in mind a case in which the price charged is considered excessive, I should be glad to have it investigated.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will take steps to secure simplification of the present arrangement for sending parcels of food and clothing to the Continent, particularly in respect of the present insistence on recording the separate value and weight of each article of food in each parcel and the country of origin.

The formalities in connection with the despatch of parcels for the Continent, including the record of the value and weight of the articles which they contain, are necessary in order to meet the requirements of the Customs authorities in the country of destination and also to enable a check to be placed on parcels which contravene the current export regulations. I regret that I am not in a position to authorise any modification of the existing procedure.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the discontent existing amongst the staff employed at Vickers Armstrongs factory at Squires Gate, Blackpool, at the failure of the Government to announce the future use of the factory; that 3,800 persons are employed manufacturing prefabricated houses; that there are 1,500 persons unemployed already at Blackpool; and whether he will agree to meet a deputation from the joint shop stewards employed at this factory to consider its future use.

Every effort is being made to find some further suitable productive use for this factory and I am fully informed about the labour position in the area. As regards the last part of the Question, I would inform my hon. Friend that discussions are taking place with the trade union representatives concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is the Government's intention to introduce legislation during the present session of Parliament to deal with trusts and combines which pursue anti-social practices.

My right hon. Friend hopes to introduce a Bill this Session, if Parliamentary time permits.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware of the continued delay in the assessment of duty on documents submitted to the Adjudication Section of the office of the Controller of Stamps; how far this delay is due to shortage of staff in the Section; and what measures are being taken to bring the staff up to the requisite numbers.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave on 27th January last on this subject to the hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs.

asked the Minister of Health what estimate he has made of the number of new houses to be provided by the local authorities to meet the needs of the agricultural population of England; to what extent a programme has been drawn up for 1948, 1949 and 1950; and whether there will be any proportionate limitation on building by private owners for agricultural needs.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the Question raised by the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) on 22nd January, a copy of which I am sending him. As regards building by private owners, each case will be considered on its own individual merits.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give early consideration to the remuneration of the higher grades of the Civil Service.

Yes. I have appointed a Committee to advise the Government on this matter, with the following terms of reference:

"To advise Ministers as to the general level of remuneration of the higher posts of the Civil Service—administrative, professional, scientific and technical—and on any particular principles involved."

• The Lord Chorley.
• Sir Frederick Bain, M.C.
• George Gibson, Esq., C.H., LL.D.
• Sir Hector Hetherington.
• The Lord Layton, C.H., C.B.E.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware that the delay in deciding the appeal of Miss Alice Blakeman of 401, Kettering Road, Northampton, Reference O.A.P. 35574149, against the rejection on 30th September, 1947, of her claim for a contributory pension, is causing her hardship and injury to her health; and if he will take steps to expedite the hearing of this appeal.

I have made inquiries and find that the Referee allowed Miss Blakeman's appeal on 28th January. A pension order book and a payment in respect of the arrears of pension due, were issued on 29th January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made for continuity of co-ordination in marine fishery research and experimentation between the East and West African Colonies and the Union of South Africa.

No specific arrangements for co-ordination with the Union of South Africa have so far been made as fishery research and experimentation in East and West Africa is still only in the early stages of organisation, but arrangements for co-ordination certainly will be made when a more advanced stage is reached.

asked the Attorney-General what action he proposes to take regarding a pamphlet entitled "Why You Should Vote Socialist" to which his attention has been drawn, and which only bears the imprint of a monomark and a small mark 2194-F.L.

In view of the nature of the printed matter, I do not consider that proceedings should be instituted, but the publisher and the printers have been informed that these imprints are not sufficient compliance with the provisions of the Newspapers, Printers and Reading Rooms Repeal Act, 1869, and they have been warned that in the event of any future offence proceedings will be taken. It appears to have been thought that the imprint 2194-F.L. constituted a sufficient compliance with the law. This mark indicated that the printers were registered with the London Master Printers' Association, who are associated with the Federation of Master Printers, but in my view it would certainly not convey to the public the information which the Statute requires to be made available to them. I am assured that neither the Association nor the Federation have ever represented or advised that this mark constituted an imprint which would comply with the law. No question therefore arises of any breach of the law by them, nor has any warning been addressed to them.