asked the Minister of Works what has been the percentage increase in the cost of building materials and wages in the building industry, respectively, since the date at which he first fixed at £10 the financial limit at which he permitted building repairs to be carried out without a licence.

Since the limit of £10 on building work permitted without a licence became applicable to the whole country on 1st August, 1945, the Board of Trade Index of Wholesale Building Materials prices had risen 36 per cent. by December, 1947. During the same period, standard hourly wage rates for building craftsmen and labourers rose by approximately 25 per cent. to 28 per cent., according to the grading of the district in which wages were payable.

asked the Minister of Works on what grounds he has authorised increases in the prices of cement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to increases in the maximum prices of ordinary and rapid hardening cement which were authorised on the 7th and 13th January. The first, of 1s. per ton, was to cover increased costs of fuel and coastwise freights; the second, of 1s. per ton for delivery of cement in paper bags, was necessitated by an increase in the price of Kraft paper, from which the bags for packing are manufactured.

asked the Minister of Works, in connection with Table 2 on page 3 of Cmd. 7304, what is the average cost per house of local authorities' staff or consultant's costs included in item 1, namely, Site Work and Erection; what is the average cost per house of fee or commission paid to various managing contractors or to Messrs. Arcon, UniSeco, Tarran, Spooner, Universal, Phoenix, Orlit, or Miller; the average cost per house of expenses and fees paid to the managing contractors in connection with distribution and transport; and the average cost per house of expenses and fees paid to managing contractors in connection with the production of superstructure and shed.

Local authorities incurred no expenditure on site works and erection of temporary houses. The fees payable by the Ministry of Works to private architects and quantity surveyors are included under the heading of Ministry of Works departmental expenses (Item 8 of Table 2 in Cmd. 7304) and amount to about 10 per cent. of that item. The average cost per house of fee or commission paid to the managing contractors is about £3 6s. covering the whole of their services; it is not possible to apportion the figure between production, and distribution and transport.

asked the Minister of Works when he will make a decision about the offer from the Brentford and Chiswick Borough Council and the Middlesex County Council to transfer Chiswick House to his Ministry; when he expects to receive the architect's report upon this building; and whether he will publish this report.

The reports on this building have just been completed and a decision on the offer will be made as soon as possible. I will, at a suitable time, make known the substance of the reports.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is, approximately, the number of persons engaged in each of the three sections of the Industry Division of the Control Commission for Germany, described as disarmament, decartelisation and the revival of peaceful industry, whose total is stated to be 784.

One hundred and ninety-eight persons are employed on disarmament and liquidation of war potential, and 44 on decartelisation and the breaking down of combines. The remaining staff of the Industry Division is engaged on supervisory work connected with the revival of essential industry under the level of industry plan.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it was with his approval that persons detained at Neuengamme internment camp in Germany were told they are not permitted to write to Members of Parliament in this country.

There is no ban on letters from internees at Neuengamme to Members of Parliament nor, I am informed, have the internees been told that such letters are forbidden.

asked the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs why the factory and office building known as Alkett in the Spandau district of Berlin are due to be demolished; and whether he is aware that a proposal has been made to convert the building, which is in excellent state of repair, into flats for the local population.

The building is being demolished as a war plant. It is of exceptionally heavy construction, and was specially designed for tank production. It is considered unsuitable for conversion into any form of living accommodation, and I am not aware of any proposal to convert it into flats.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps His Majesty's Government are taking to implement the recommendations of the Select Committee on Estimates of last Session relating to Germany.

These recommendations have been carefully examined and active steps have been taken to implement many of them. A White Paper will shortly be published embodying the Department's replies to the recommendations and describing in detail the action taken to implement them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the serious food situation in the bi-zonal area of Germany, he will instruct the Regional Commissioners in the Länder of the British zone to take action to ensure strict observance by the Länder Governments of Military Government Ordinance No. 88 which requires them to obey instructions issued by the bizonal German economic organisation in Frankfurt.

The obligation of Länder Governments to carry out the orders of the economic administration has been categorically re-affirmed, and Regional Commissioners will, as in the past, do everything in their power to ensure effective compliance with this obligation. No new instructions appear to be called for.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he received from the American Secretary of State to his recent appeal for foodstuffs to ease the shortage in the British zone of Germany.

I am not yet in a position to make a full and complete reply.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the French and Soviet Military Governments had not been advised of all the details of the American-British proposals relating to the new charter for the combined zone of Germany; and whether he will ensure, for the future, that no decisions of a fundamental and radical character relating to the government of Germany shall be taken, other than by way of quadripartite agreement.

The Allied Control Council in Berlin was informed by the British and United States Military Governors on 20th January of their proposal to reorganise the Bizonal Economic Administration in Frankfurt. The occasion was the first meeting of the Control Council since the proposals were conceived. As to the second part of the Question, His Majesty's Government will continue as they have in the past to work for Four Power agreement on the establishment of German unity on a sound and democratic basis. In the absence of that unity for reasons outside their control, His Majesty's Government, in agreement wherever possible with any of the other controlling Powers, will continue to take such practical steps as are necessary in the area of Germany under their control towards the attainment of the objectives agreed between the four occupying Powers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied with the current rate of provision of grain storage and drying facilities in the light of the necessity of forestalling the effects of possible rainy weather during this year's harvest.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Food and I are not satisfied with the current rate of provision of grain storage facilities and we are considering, in consultation with the interests concerned, what steps can be taken to ensure that the maximum possible increase in facilities is provided in time for this year's harvest. As regards grain drying equipment, I am aware that there is at present some months' delay in delivery, but my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Supply, is doing everything possible to reduce this delay.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in view of the importance of growing the maximum quantity of food this year, he will encourage the ploughing up of more grassland and of cropping this land, when possible, for the 1948 harvest; and whether he will instruct county agricultural executive committees to fix targets in each county for this purpose.

Every possible encouragement has been and is being given to the ploughing up of suitable grassland and to maximum crop production for the 1948 harvest. The grant for ploughing up grassland has been doubled and other measures to this end include the increased acreage payments and crop prices announced last August, the setting of high national and county targets for priority crops, and an intensive campaign by county agricultural executive committees and the headquarters and county branches of the farmers' and farm workers' organisations to secure the attainment of these targets.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will set up a committee to review the working of the Agricultural Marketing Acts with special reference to horticulture.

The Lucas Committee has just reported on this subject and the Fruit and Vegetable (Marketing and Distribution) Organisation is now at work. I see no need to appoint another committee of inquiry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what was the average yield per acre of corn crops on those sites in the Wentworth district which are now in cultivation after being used for opencast coal mining.

I am informed that the average yield from the first corn crop grown on restored sites in the Wentworth Woodhouse area is estimated at 10 to 12 cwt. to the acre. The hon. Member will appreciate that the usual procedure in the restoration of land after opencast coal working is to seed the land to grass first of all to develop a pasture which can be grazed. It is only in a few exceptional cases that, because of the urgent need for an increase in cereal crops, it has been decided to risk taking a first crop of corn.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in view of the economic position of the country and the urgent need for the production of home grown foodstuffs, he will take action either by Order in Council, or legislation, to safeguard allotment holders from having their allotments derequisitioned for a definite period.

By an Order in Council made under the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act, 1945, land requisitioned for allotments may be held until December, 1950. I have urged local authorities to retain such land, but it is sometimes necessary in the national interest to release wartime sites for approved development, mainly housing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the tonnages of carrots grown in the United Kingdom in 1947 and the five previous years.

The best available estimates of the production of carrots in the United Kingdom in each of these years are as follow:

					000 tons
1942	…	…	…	…	393
1943	…	…	…	…	270
1944	…	…	…	…	381
1945	…		…	…	364
1946	…	…	…	…	431
1947	…	…	…	…	359*
* Provisional

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give the total estimated production in tons of eggs in shell in Great Britain during 1946 and 1947.

Total egg production in Great Britain is estimated at 187,000 tons in the farm year 1945–46 and 190,000 tons in 1946–47. These figures include hatching eggs and domestic and other noncommercial egg production, and are given in terms of weight in shell. Deliveries of hen eggs to packing stations, which are known more exactly, were 76,000 tons and 73,000 tons, respectively.

asked the Minister of Food if he will state the number of eggs delivered to packing stations by British poultry farmers during the last quarter of 1947; and how this compares with the corresponding period in 1946.

Deliveries to packing stations in the United Kingdom were 13.2 million dozen eggs in the last quarter of 1947, compared with 15.1 million dozen in the last quarter of 1946, a reduction of about 13 per cent.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement on the increase in the price of fresh eggs.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 4th February to the hon. Member for Mile End (Mr. Piratin).

asked the Minister of Food what was the number of pigs sold by British farmers to approved slaughter houses during the last quarter of 1947; and how does this figure compare with the corresponding quarter in the previous year.

The Ministry of Food purchased 106,000 pigs from home producers for slaughter during the last quarter of 1947, compared with 241,000 in the same period of 1946.

asked the Minister of Food the cost per lb. of producing homegrown sugar.

The latest available figures are those for the 1946–47 manufacturing season, when the cost per lb. of producing refined home-grown sugar was 4.30d.

asked the Minister of Food (1) upon what average yield per acre the current prices paid to potato growers are based;(2) upon what estimated average cost per acre of growing potatoes the current prices paid to potato growers are based.

The prices paid to potato growers are not based on arithmetical calculations of costs per acre for particular acreages, but are fixed after consultation with producers' representatives at such a level as will in the Government's view be sufficiently profitable to a number of growers to give reasonable certainty that the target acreage will be achieved.

asked the Minister of Food why potato growers in Hunts, are being paid 5s. per ton less than potato growers in Beds for potatoes of similar quality grown on similar types of soil; and whether he will take steps to raise the prices paid to potato growers in Hunts to the same level as those paid in Beds.

The scale of prices now prescribed for potatoes is based on accepted trade values and practice. My right hon. Friend cannot agree to an alteration of the system.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that East Africa could produce the United Kingdom's requirements of dried peas and beans; and what action he is taking to see that this is done.

The possibility of establishing a trade in white beans and white splitting peas from East African Territories is now under consideration. The managing agency for the East African Groundnut Scheme has also been asked to look at the possibility of including these and other pulses among the crops to be grown in rotation with groundnuts. It will, however, be necessary to overcome the problem of insect infestation before East Africa can produce peas and beans of a quality suitable for the United Kingdom market.

asked the Minister of Food why registered customers of United Dairies in Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, have not been permitted to change their supplier following upon the adoption of pasteurisation by United Dairies for their supplies to this area on 1st December.

Changes of dairymen to enable consumers to obtain a particular class of milk can, at present, only be allowed in the circumstances set out in the reply given on 7th May last year to my hon. Friend the Member for The Hartlepools (Mr. D. Jones), of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Food what increase would be necessary in personnel or in cost if free choice of milkman was re-introduced.

I regret that we do not know.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that Merchant Navy personnel on leave in this country, who have been issued with a temporary ration card, R.B.12, which covers food requirements, including fresh milk, are refused milk by dairy suppliers and told that they are not entitled to any milk at all; and if he will take steps to remedy this.

Merchant Navy personnel on leave in this country should be able to obtain milk against their temporary ration documents. If the hon. Member is aware of any case of difficulty and will let me have particulars, I shall be glad to make further inquiries.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of broccoli from abroad he has contracted for to come into this country; and how much of that remains to be landed here.

My Department is not purchasing broccoli. These are imported on private account under licence which limits the quantity that may be imported.

asked the Minister of Food whether he has yet arranged with the authority responsible for fixing the rate of duty applicable to imported broccoli that that duty shall be increased without delay so as to afford adequate protection to Cornish and other home producers.

My right hon. Friend has not considered it necessary to make such a suggestion.

asked the Minister of Food what is the minimum increase of population taken into account in revising allocations of food supplies to particular areas; and how often are changes in population reviewed for this purpose.

The minimum increase is about 5 per cent. based on a quarterly review of the population.

asked the Minister of Food whether he has considered the views of the Sunderland Food Control Committee regarding the terms of allocation of supplies to confectioners; and whether he has reviewed the terms of this allocation with particular reference to the hardships imposed on towns such as Sunderland which are in areas formerly designated distressed areas and whether he will make a statement.

Sunderland received an increase of 14 per cent. in its allocations of oils and fats, sugar and meat for manufacturing purposes early last year to meet the point raised by the Food Control Committee.

asked the Minister of Food what is the average amount of meat issued daily from the Newcastle Depot; how many men the depot manager employs to examine the meat on each day of issue for delivery to retailers; and how far the inadequacy of the system of supervision on the part of the depot staffs is the cause of bad meat being issued for Wallsend.

About 70 tons of meat are issued per day. No men are employed solely to examine meat before issue, but it is the duty of all the staff to guard against the issue of unsound meat, the manager taking final responsibility. All meat is open to inspection by the meat inspectors of the local authority. In my view the arrangements are adequate.

asked the Minister of Food when the hon. Member for Uxbridge can expect a reply to his letter of 30th October, 1947, asking for the separate consideration of the South Ruislip area for Food Control purposes.

I apologise for the delay in the reply which has now been sent to the hon. Member. Our investigation has taken some time but my right hon. Friend is now satisfied that the special circumstances justify an additional retail and manufacturing licence for flour confectionery at South Ruislip.

asked the Minister of Food what tinned foods for which the guaranteed period of their good condition has expired, are still being put into distribution by his Department.

The only tinned foods which are being distributed for which a warranty period may have expired are surpluses returned by the Service Departments. The warranty expiry date indicates the period for which the manufacturer will accept responsibility for fitness for human consumption, irrespective of the climatic conditions of storage; it does not represent the limit of the keeping qualities. The quantity of these goods still awaiting disposal is approximately 10,000 tons, the greater part of which is overseas and comprises fish, fruit, jam, meat, milk and vegetables.

asked the Minister of Food whether the fruit and vegetable organisation has now concluded its investigations or reached any interim conclusions; and if he will make a statement.

No, Sir; the organisation is still receiving evidence.

asked the Minister of Food if he will classify in detail the length of imprisonment sentences awarded to black market offenders during 1947.

The following schedule classifies the prison sentences awarded during 1947 to the offenders against food regulations as detailed in the reply to the hon. Member on 4th February.

SENTENCES OF IMPRISONMENT IN 1947.
Sentence.	Persons.	Charges.
Up to One month	47	177
Up to and including 3 months.	79	358
Up to and including 6 months.	41	182
Up to and including 12 months.	12	101
Over 12 months	5	30
Total	184	848

asked the Minister of Food if he will publish in HANSARD a table showing the increases and decreases of points values during 1947.

No. Details appear in the Statutory Rules and Orders already laid before the House and to reprint the details would absorb valuable space in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I am sending the hon. Member copies of the relevant Orders.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will reconsider his refusal to allow special trains for such purposes as enabling football supporters to travel to away Cup and League fixtures, and thus make it possible to cut down the use of long distance motor coaches.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on this subject on 5th February.

asked the Minister of Transport how many locomotives have been converted to oil burning so far on each of the former systems of the G.W.R., L.M.S., L.N.E. and S.R.; and to what extent it is proposed that oil-burning shall supersede coal-burning locomotives in future policy.

Thirty-seven, 24, one and 31 respectively. Future policy is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport by how much the increase in railway revenue during the last three months of 1947 falls short of his estimate of £15½ million; whether he has now revised his estimate of £65 million increased revenue for 1948; and what is the new figure.

The figure for the yield in 1947, of the increases in charges brought into operation on 1st October, 1947, is not yet available but will be published in the White Paper showing the results of the Pool Account for 1947. The estimate of a yield of £65 million in 1948 was based on estimates of traffic receipts supplied by the railway companies. The total traffic receipts of British Railways for the first four weeks of 1948 have already been published, but I am not in a position to give my hon. Friend a fresh forecast of what the yield from increases in charges will amount to over the whole year.

asked the Minister of Transport the number of diesel electric locomotives engaged as at 31st December, 1947, in traffic operations on each of the former systems of the L.M.S., L.N.E.R., G.W.R. and S.R., and the number of such locomotives then under construction.

The numbers in traffic at 31st December, 1947, were:—45 on L.M.S., 1 on G.W.R., and 3 on S.R. The numbers then under construction were:—3, 6 and 11 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport how many pre-1921 goods brake vans are now in use on the British railways, stating the 1921 owning companies.

I have drawn the British Transport Commission's attention to my hon. Friend's Question. They have informed me that the information is not available without considerable research.

asked the Minister of Transport whether it is his intention to issue a direction to the Transport Commission to continue the present priority scheme of sleeper reservations.

No. The system of reserving sleeper berths on the basis of departmental recommendations which grew up during the war and has been continued since, will come to an end after the night of the 29th February, and applications for such berths thereafter must be made direct to the railways at the usual stations. I have, however, arranged with the British Transport Commission for the present arrangements for Members of Parliament, Peers and Ministers to continue, and a representative of Messrs. Thomas Cook and Sons will be available to assist Members as hitherto.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations he has received from the Chamber of Commerce and citizens of Willesden asking for the installation of traffic lights at Neasden Circle, Willesden; and whether he proposes to acquiesce to these requests.

None, so far as I am aware, but as a result of discussion with Willesden Town Council the question whether a pedestrian subway under the North Circular Road should be provided is being considered. I do not think that the installation of traffic lights would be the best course to adopt.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that, of the 56 sets of traffic lights on the London bus route No. 88, more than half are out of action; and when they are likely to be restored.

An inspection carried out on 4th February showed that only two signal installations on this route were out of action at that time, on account of repairs which should be completed in a few days.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will re-open to the public the road from Helhoughton to Weasenham St. Peter, Norfolk, which has remained closed since the war and causes considerable inconvenience to the residents in the area.

The Air Ministry want to retain West Raynham airfield permanently and have made application to me, under the provisions of the Requisitioned Land and War Works Act, 1945, for closure of parts of the Helhoughton—Weasenham St. Peter road and of certain other roads. Before publishing a draft order as required by the Act, I am considering what alternative road facilities ought to be provided.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will allow the Wells—Scunthorpe road improvement scheme at Fakenham, Norfolk, to which the Norfolk County Council is committed and towards which he has agreed to make a substantial grant, to proceed.

I have not agreed to make a grant towards this scheme, and in present economic conditions I regret that, on the information at present available, I would not feel justified in allowing it to proceed.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will give details of films and film strips produced by or for the Central Office of Information on the national effort to bridge the gap between our imports and exports.

Yes. Following is the list:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that Indian made webbing receives more favourable treatment from the point of view of Purchase Tax than British made webbing made in its traditional colours of black and white, and whether he is prepared to remit the Purchase Tax on British made webbing provided it is manufactured only in black and white or natural colour.

The effect of the existing distinction for Purchase Tax purposes between dyed and undyed fabrics of certain kinds will be considered in the review of the tax which I have undertaken to make in connection with the forthcoming Budget, and I will bear in mind the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount proposed to be spent on factory building in each of the Development Areas; and the amount by which these sums will be reduced as a result of the cuts in the capital investment programme.

Information about the value of new factory buildings approved and under construction in each of the Development Areas is published in Table 84 of the January Issue of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" to which I would ask my hon. Friend to refer. The information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available as the review of factory building announced in the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948 (Cmd. 6278, page 12) is not yet completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to state how many sets of electro-cardiographic apparatus for the diagnosis of heart diseases exist in each of the four West African Colonies; and where they are located.

The only set in the four West African Territories belongs to a private practitioner in Freetown. The Governments of Sierra Leone, Nigeria and the Gold Coast have ordered this equipment on behalf of their Medical Departments—the Gold Coast as long ago as July, 1946—but in present conditions of supply delivery is expected to take at least two years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to how much per head does the total revenue of the central government of Nigeria amount; and at what rate is the total population increasing annually.

No general census has been undertaken since 1931, when the figure was 19,928,171. Estimates of increase since that date are necessarily approximate but the population has probably increased by 1,500,000 over the past six years and the present total population is unlikely to be less than 23 millions. The Estimated Revenue for Nigeria for 1947–48 (exclusive of Colonial Development and Welfare Grants) was £16,165,870, and therefore the figure per head is almost exactly 14s. per annum.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present strength of the European element of the Police Force in Nyasaland; and what proposals he has to strengthen it.

The establishment and present strength of the European element of the Police Force in Nyasaland are:

	Establishment.	Strength.
Commissioner	1	1
Assistant Commissioner	1	1
Superintendents	2	2
Assistant Superintendents	5	5
Inspectors	11	10
	20	19

Following on a review in 1947 it is proposed to add seven European officers to the establishment and as a first step provision has been made in the 1948 Estimates for four additional appointments in the grade of Inspector which will be filled from personnel becoming available from Palestine.