asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to remove the sea defences still remaining on the shore at Dungeness and Littlestone, since the iron is now distintegrating and constitutes a danger to the public using the beaches.

The clearance of military works on beaches and foreshores cannot be undertaken by the War Department; it is normally carried out by the local authority, the cost being met by my Department. Proposals for removal were submitted by the Borough of Lydd on 20th January, 1948, and they are now being examined.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is continuing to pay gratuities to all men who joined the Army after the cessation of hostilities and whose term of service was conditioned by the words, "for emergency then existing," when they are demobilised.

To enable a soldier to qualify for an award of war gratuity, he must have rendered a period of not less than 180 days' reckonable Colour service up to 15th August, 1946, after which date service ceased to reckon for the award.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware of the shortage of accommodation for families of soldiers serving in East Africa; how many families have sailed for East Africa under War Office auspices since 1st January, 1948; what steps are being taken to overcome the accommodation shortage in East Africa; and whether he is aware that the shortage is in some cases causing further separation of husbands and wives, who, because of military exigencies, have only been able to spend three months together in the last five and a half years.

I am fully aware that there is unfortunately a world wide shortage of married quarters. Seventy-two wives and 72 children have been sent to East Africa under War Office arrangements since 1st January. All commands, including East Africa, are doing their best to provide the maximum number of married quarters within the means at their disposal. The possibility of improving the position is limited largely by the availability of labour and materials, and by equally urgent demands for other kinds of accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the Army authorities in Palestine had any previous information that an armed Arab band was preparing to cross from Transjordan into Palestine on 24th January; and what measures were taken to prevent their entry.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the troops guarding the Jordan bridges at the time of the infiltration of over 700 armed Arabs on 24th January were all British or whether some were troops of the Arab Legion.

I have called for a report on this matter from the military authorities overseas. When it has been received I will write to my hon. Friends.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now make a statement on the arrangements which are being made for parents to visit the graves of ex-Service men buried overseas.

As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State indicated in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Solihull (Mr. M. Lindsay) on 27th January, there are now no restrictions on visits to war graves in any countries in North-West Europe except Germany. As regards the scheme previously mentioned as under consideration for providing limited financial assistance from public funds for visits by near relatives in necessitous cases, I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will exempt from payment of Income Tax all individuals from East Africa who served in the British Forces during the war on a United Kingdom war establishment, under the same ruling as he has exempted those in government employment who so joined the Forces on a United Kingdom war establishment.

I regret that I cannot see my way to extend the concession under which in certain cases the Service pay of persons from the Dominions or Colonies serving in Forces paid from United Kingdom funds was taxed by reference to Dominion or Colonial Income Tax rates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what part of the Item II, B. 12, in Table II (Capital account) in the White Paper, United Kingdom Balance of Payment, represents capital investments in the sterling area; in what countries they have been made; and for what purpose.

I cannot at present elaborate the note on this item in Cmd. 7324.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, further to the figures published in Table 1 of United Kingdom Balance of Payments Cmd. 7324 showing payments abroad in the form of interest, profits and dividends, Item 4, he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the countries and amounts to which these payments were made in each of the years 1938, 1946 and 1947.

Following is a statement of what information is available.The following figures for interest, profits and dividends are not necessarily complete. They include, to some extent, interest paid through London on sterling securities not the liability of the United Kingdom. No information is available for 1938. The main elements included under Item 4 of Table 1 in Cmd. 7324 are:

—		1946.	1947.
		£	£
		millions.	millions.
U.S.A.	…	15½	21½
Canada	…	3½	5½
Europe	…	17	25
Rest of World	…	41	42
Totals	…	77	94

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what number of films for major showing have been produced by the Central Office of Information Films Division since 1946 in addition to "The Bridge," "Cumberland Story" and "The World is Rich," what is the number of No. 1 and No. 2 circuit cinemas at which each of these films has been shown; what is the time taken to produce such films and the cost of each; what is the shortest time taken by the Central Office of Information Films Division to produce any of their shorter films; and what is the total number of such films made since the formation of the C.O.I. on 1st April, 1946.

Thirty-four. The highest number of commercial bookings for any one film to date is just under 1,000. The time taken to produce has varied between five months and 24 months and the cost between £1,165 and £63,500. One hundred and forty-four minor films have been made since 1st April, 1946. One short film was completed in two weeks.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the recent publication of the figure of 677 executives employed by the Central Office of Information he will issue a short statement explaining the reasons for the retention of such a large body of executives in comparison with the numbers that would be employed by a commercial undertaking carrying on a similar volume of work.

The staff of the Central Office of Information is no larger or more highly graded than would be employed by a commercial undertaking carrying out work of similar nature and volume.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that HANSARD of 9th February containing the Debate on the National Health Service Act is out of print; and what steps he is taking to make ample supplies available both to Members and to the general public.

A reprint was available on 21st February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there has been any further withdrawal of extra-statutory wartime concessions given in the administration of Inland Revenue duties, of which a list was published in Command Paper 6559 of 1944.

Notice of the withdrawal as from the beginning of the year 1947–48 of certain of the concessions relating to Income Tax and Death Duties was given by my predecessor on 4th February, 1947 (OFFICIAL REPORT, V01. 432, C. 310–1, of Written Answers). I have now had the remaining concessions under review and I have decided that the following concessions in the White Paper regarding Income Tax and Death Duties shall be withdrawn as from the end of the current financial year:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether contributions made by individual bookmakers to propaganda funds set up to oppose the imposition of further taxation upon bookmakers will be treated as a legitimate business expense allowable as such for the purpose of Income Tax returns.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade which industries have been given an export target expressed in percentage of their total output and what the percentage is in each case.

The export targets which were published on 12th September, last year, were all expressed in terms of value and not as percentages of total output. They superseded the original export targets which had been fixed for a number of industries in percentage form. It would, however, be misleading to give a list of such percentages since they are not uniformly applied, as the contribution of individual firms to the overall value target for their industry must depend, to a large extent, on the circumstances of each particular case. These will vary according to such factors as, for example, the composition of a firm's order book where products with a long delivery date are in question, the importance of the home demand and the time required by some firms to build up an export trade in their products.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if the negotiations with U.S.A. on the rubber clause in the Geneva Trade Agreement have now been restarted with the object of restoring the position which was thought to have been achieved at Geneva.

No. As I explained in reply to a Question on 4th February by my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. T. Reid), the legislation which authorises the existing rubber regulations in the United States is due to expire on 31st March. Meanwhile, it would be premature to re-open negotiations on this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is proposed to deal with an application by the Bective Shoe Company of Northampton to import from Messrs. F. C. Phillips Incorporated, Stoughton, Massachusetts, U.S.A., a quantity of golf spikes required for the completion of a large Canadian order; why no action was taken upon letters dated 15th December, 1947, and 26th January, 1948; and why on 11th February, the representative of Messrs. Bective was kept waiting for over an hour when he called by appointment and was then informed that his application had been mislaid.

A licence was issued on 16th February. I regret the delay in this case which was due to the papers having been mislaid.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the concern felt by cigar manufacturers in Jamaica that the engagements entered into under the Geneva Agreements may prejudice their interests in the British market and if he will give an assurance on this subject.

No. We have not under this Agreement undertaken any reduction of the current margin of Imperial Preference in respect of cigars.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now consider making a special allocation of clothing coupons to farmers boarding agricultural workers, for replacement of sheets, pillow cases and towels.

Farmers are allowed coupons to make an initial purchase of three sheets when first taking in an agricultural worker; application must be made in the first place to the county agricultural executive committee. No coupons can be given for towels or for replacement of sheets, for which provision should be made out of the worker's personal ration. Pillow cases are not rationed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value of American tobacco exported after processing from this country to countries in the Colonial Empire in 1947.

I regret that separate records are not maintained of American tobacco exported from this country after processing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the production of Orb-mark stamped Harris tweed in the Outer Hebrides in the past twelve months; what proportion was exported to dollar areas; what was the output of unstamped Harris tweed during the same period and the dollar area export proportion; and what was the value in each case.

The production of Harris tweed stamped with the Orb-mark during 1947 was four million linear yards (29 inches wide). Figures are not available of the proportion exported to dollar areas but it is estimated that not more than 60 per cent. of total exports or one-fifth of the total production of stamped tweed was so exported. No figures are available for the production of unstamped Harris tweed, but it is estimated that this was about 1½ million linear yards. The proportion exported to dollar areas is not known, nor can any estimate of value be made in either case.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many looms are estimated to be active in the Outer Hebrides in the making of Harris tweed, what is the total known number of looms in the outer islands; and how many persons are estimated to be engaged in this work in the area.

I have no accurate figures for the number of looms in the Outer Hebrides, but it is estimated that there are about 1,600 in use. As my hon. Friend will be aware, many persons in the Hebrides combine weaving as a part-time occupation with other work such as crofting and fishing, and moreover the same loom may be used at different times of the year by different members of the family. It is, therefore, not possible to estimate with any accuracy the total number of persons in the Outer Hebrides engaged whole-time or part-time in weaving, but the number is probably rather greater than the number of looms in use.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement as to the reason for the return of the Northern Ireland ex-Service men from Huddersfield Corporation's new reservoir at Digley last week, and in particular how the price of their lodgings compared with what had been promised.

Forty-nine unemployed workers in Northern Ireland (only 12 of whom were ex-Service men) agreed to take employment on the Huddersfield Corporation's Digley Reservoir job. After arriving on the site of the job 37 of these workers refused to start on the ground that the camp accommodation provided by the contractors was unsatisfactory. Before leaving Northern Ireland each of the selected candidates was informed that the charge for board and lodging at the Digley Camp would not exceed 35s. per week. The actual charges made amounted to 33s. per week.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trades operatives in Wallasey were unemployed at 31st January, 1948, or at the nearest convenient date.

Two hundred and twenty-three at 12th January.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trades operatives in Liverpool were unemployed at 31st January, 1948, or at the nearest convenient date.

2,041 in Liverpool and Bootle at 12th January.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trades operatives in Birkenhead were unemployed at 31st January, 1948, or at the nearest convenient date.

206 at 12th January.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state in convenient tabular form, by industries, the average weekly output per worker since July, 1945.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many employees of Miles Aircraft Limited were discharged from 1st October last to the latest convenient date; how many of these are still registered with Reading employment exchange as unemployed; and what steps he is taking to deal with this matter.

Between 27th September, 1947, and 31st January, 1948, 2,429 employees of Miles Aircraft were discharged or left the firm. The number still registered at the Reading employment exchange as unemployed is 157. Active steps are continuing to find alternative employment for the discharged workers who are still unemployed and 34 are under submission to employers.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of insured workers employed by firms having quota obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act in Liverpool; the numbers of registered disabled persons and the numbers of such persons unemployed in the Liverpool district; and the quota which would need to be observed to reduce unemployment amongst the disabled to that obtaining for all insured workers in the Liverpool district.

The information requested in the first part of the Question is not available. The number of persons registered as disabled in the Liverpool district is 20,333 of whom 2,852 were unemployed on 19th January last. It is not possible to make the calculation asked for in the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will inquire into the position of the employment exchange at Great Harwood where 13 registered disabled men have been unemployed for more than 52 weeks and 9 being unemployed for 26–52 weeks; and what evidence is there that able bodied unemployed have been placed into employment that could have been performed by a disabled man.

Yes. The efforts of the employment exchange have succeeded in reducing the number of disabled unemployed from 55 to 31 during the last five months. I can assure the hon. Member that every possible effort will continue to be made. Many of the men in question are near or over 60 years of age and some are seriously disabled. There is no indication that able bodied persons have been engaged in this district, contrary to the Disabled Persons Employment Act, for jobs for which these men might have been engaged.

asked the Minister of Labour if information can be given regarding the six severely disabled unemployed at Great Harwood, the length of unemployment, the nature of their disabilities; and whether consideration has been given to placing them into the training schemes.

One of these six men has now been placed in employment. Particulars of the other five are as follows:

Age.	Disability	Period since last employed.
64	Severe bowel operation	4 months
53	Double leg amputation	16 months
52	Myocarditis and injuries to spine and pelvis	6 months.
58	Rheumatoid-Arthritis	2 years 9 months
56	Leg Paralysis	2 years 4 months

These disabilities are such as to make it exceptionally difficult to fit them into suitable employment, but special efforts will continue to be made. In so far as vocational training may be required for any available job within their physical capacity facilities will be arranged.

asked the Minister of Labour how many women were enrolled in the month of January in the Women's Royal Army Corps, the Women's Royal Air Force and the Women's Land Army, respectively.

I have written to my hon. Friend explaining that these figures can only be furnished by the respective Service Departments, Ministry of Agriculture and Scottish Office.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will take every possible step to avoid the staggering of working hours next winter in view of the hardship and inconvenience this causes to the families of industrial workers.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. Shephard) on 12th February.

asked the Minister of Labour why a member of the staff of the "Lymington Times" was refused information by the Lymington Employment Exchange as to the number of unemployed in the district and the number registered under the not gainfully employed order.

Unemployment statistics are compiled at regular intervals and when the representative of the "Lymington Times" called on 22nd January, he was offered particulars of the number of unemployed on 12th January, the latest date on which a count had been taken. With regard to the numbers registered as not gainfully occupied a registration extending over a week was in progress and the numbers could not be given until it was completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the difficulty experienced by landowners who wish to respond to appeals to increase their acreage of timber and who are finding it impossible to complete their planting programmes owing to their inability to obtain materials to erect rabbit-proof fences; and what steps he is taking to remedy the shortage of fencing materials and particularly of plain galvanised fencing wire No. 8 gauge.

I am not aware that landowners wishing to increase their acreage of timber have met with difficulty in obtaining permits for materials for rabbit-proof fences. There is however, a shortage of all forms of wire and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply is investigating how far it is practicable to increase production generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any report to make on his investigation into the decline of the herring fishing in the Firth of Forth.

No. The data so far collected are insufficient to enable any conclusions to be drawn. The conversion of the Admiralty vessel acquired for herring research has, however, recently been completed and she has started intensive work in the Forth. The work will be pressed on as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the shortage of mole catchers in Ayrshire, and what steps he intends taking to prevent their calling up for military service.

Yes, and as a measure of assistance my Department's pest-control staff in that county is being increased. Deferment of call-up for military service, however, is a question for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour, but mole catchers are not included in the special arrangements made for agricultural workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can assist the local authorities interested in the planning of Ayrshire by informing them on the probable future development of Prestwick and Heathfield Airports.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and I met representatives of all the interested local authorities in Prestwick on Friday last. The future developments in question were fully discussed and a further meeting between technical officers has been arranged. In addition my hon. Friend intimated the Minister's intention to appoint, in consultation with the local authorities, a standing consultative committee for Prestwick Airport on which the local authorities concerned will be represented.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to increase the supply of women's labour for the land in Scotland.

The demands for women's labour for the land in Scotland are being adequately met at present under the Women's Land Army organisation. I shall, however, continue to keep a close watch on the general position, with particular regard to the seasonal demand.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether a war widow who is in receipt of a pension, emigrating to the Dominions, will continue to receive her pension; and whether it will be paid in the currency of the Dominion concerned.

A war widow emigrating to a Dominion will normally continue to receive her pension: but if the place of emigration is Canada or Newfoundland, which are outside the sterling area, payment is subject to the Exchange Control Regulations. Payment is usually made in the local currency equivalent of the sterling award.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will consider granting school railway warrants to children of widows.

When a child qualifies for an education allowance under the provisions of the Royal Warrant, the Ministry pays any reasonable expenses incurred in travelling to school, if such expenses cannot be met by the local education authorities under the Education Act, 1944.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will provide all pensioners, who are paralysed and confined to bed, with the new American apparatus, which will turn the pages of a book.

One of these appliances has recently been introduced into a Ministry hospital and I hope shortly to have a report on it so that I may make up my mind as to its merits. I will then get into touch with the noble Lord.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if consultation and exchange of results on experiment and research are being maintained between his Ministry and the Agricultural Ministry of Eire, with a view to increased effort to stimulate agricultural production and increase of food supply; and what official machinery is now operative with this objective.

These purposes are achieved not by direct contact between the two Ministries but through the medium of the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux organisation. This organisation consists of eleven bureaux and two institutes and is jointly financed and governed by the several countries of the Commonwealth and Empire through a representative Council. Eire and this country are represented, also, on the Standing Committee of the British Commonwealth Scientific Official Conference which provides another means of consultation and exchange of information on scientific matters.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that all available agricultural land within the boundaries of the trading estate and proposed new town at Aycliffe, Co. Durham, is being used for food production.

I have no reason to believe that the agricultural land in question is not being properly used for food production.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of smallpox and deaths from that disease were recorded in England and Wales in 1946 and 1947 and the ages of the cases and deaths.

The following is the information:

CASES OF SMALLPOX.
Age Groups.			1946.	1947.
0—	…	…	3	2
5—	…	…	8	6
15—	…	…	24	35
45—	…	…	10	14
65 and over	…	…	2	26
Age unknown	…	…	9*	—
Total all ages	…	…	56	83
Figures are provisional but effect has been given to any re-diagnosis notified to date.
*Notifications from Port Health Districts.

DEATHS FROM SMALLPOX.
1946:	14; aged 4, 5, 12, 15, 17, 20, 21, 24, 29, 31, 32, 37, 42 and 50 respectively.
1947†:	15; aged 7, 27, 49, 69, 70, 70, 72, 75, 75, 75, 76, 78, 79, 79 and 86 respectively.
† Figures are provisional.

asked the Minister of Health whether the attempt to produce a minority report by the members of the Working Party on the Recruitment and Training of Nurses has been abandoned, or when he expects to receive this report.

I understand that the member of the Working Party who felt unable to sign the majority report, intends to submit a minority report by the end of April.

asked the Minister of Health when he hopes to make a decision about the extension of the burial ground at Blunsdon near Swindon.

Loan sanction has been given and a starting date will be given, I hope, within a few days.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now grant a licence to build a house to Mr. Robert Rowe, of Swaffling, Suffolk, in view of the extenuating circumstances as communicated to him by the hon. Member for Eye and the Blyth Rural District Council and of the fact that Mr. Rowe is, himself, a jobbing builder and sufficient off licence timber might be obtainable.

On the information available I am unable to alter my previous decision.

asked the Minister of Health what representations he has received from railwaymen's organisations about the difficulty of transferred railwaymen in securing housing accommodation at the new stations; and whether he will consider according these key workers the same priority for houses as is given to other classes of essential workers.

I have received representations from the National Union of Railwaymen. On the information before me I think needs would best be met by consultations with local authorities in particular areas. I am ready to arrange for such consultations on being informed where the problems mainly arise.

asked the Minister of Supply what sums are owing to the national Exchequer by Miles Aircraft Limited; and what action he is taking about them.

The firm owes the Ministry of Supply £170,000 in respect of rent and materials, but it is estimated that a similar amount is due to them in payment of contracts. I understand from the firm that there is, in addition, a claim from the Inland Revenue, but the exact amount due is under discussion between the present management and the Commissioners. As my hon. Friend was informed yesterday, the management is preparing a scheme and this will include proposals for the settlement of debts.

asked the Minister of Supply why Mr. Henry Ford has been refused the necessary permits to extend and modernise his factory at Dagenham.

It is Government policy to encourage industrial expansion as far as possible away from the already overcrowded Greater London area. Subject to this, and to the present need to restrict capital investment, everything possible is done by the Ministry of Supply to help the Ford Company to carry out their plans at Dagenham.

asked the Minister of Supply what arrangements have been made for the disposal of the outflow from the cooling plant of the Atomic Energy Development Station at Didcot; and whether he is satisfied with these arrangements.

Thorough precautions are being taken by the Ministry of Supply to ensure that the Thames water used at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell is returned to the river free from risk of harmful radioactivity. These precautions are being adopted after close consultation between its own experts and experts of the Ministry of Health, the Metropolitan Water Board and the Thames Conservancy, and on the advice of the Medical Research Council's Research Committee on the Medical and Biological Applications of Nuclear Physics.A certain amount of radioactivity in drinking water can be tolerated by human beings, and the tolerance laid down by the Medical Research Council for the Thames water are such that the medical and biological effects due to the consumption of water during the life span of human beings would be for all practical purposes negligible.Roughly one million gallons of water a day will be involved. The greater part will be used for the cooling of plant and ordinary domestic requirements at the Establishment. The remainder of the water will be used for research processes, some of them radioactive, and a carefully controlled separate water system will be installed to deal with it. The most highly active portion will be segregated and will not be returned to the river. The rest of the process will be delivered to storage tanks where it will be tested by Medical Officers for compliance with the agreed tolerances, treated for chemical impurities and then mixed with the domestic waste water before being discharged into the pipe which takes it back to the Thames at Sutton Courtenay.The system of treatment and examination has been designed so that several operations have to be carried out before the water actually passes into the six mile discharge pipe. Moreover, a new weir is being constructed at the point of discharge into the Thames, and the Harwell water will thus be turbulently mixed with much greater quantities of river water immediately it joins the main stream.These safeguards have received the approval of the Ministry of Health. The Thames Conservancy have decided to raise no objection to the proposals, so far as their interests are concerned, in view of the safeguards agreed upon and having regard to the assurances they have received from the Ministries concerned. By arrangement with the Ministry of Supply, the Thames Conservancy will be able to have samples taken at regular intervals for test purposes. The Ministry of Supply is providing facilities for testing samples taken at a small riverside laboratory where Ministry of Supply scientists will themselves take sample tests and assist the Thames Conservancy in theirs.The answer to the last part of the question is "Yes."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when the owner of Nos. 18 and 19, South Parade, Southsea, may expect to receive the agreed payment for dilapidations during Admiralty occupation, in view of the fact that he has had to pay for the rehabilitation of these buildings.

I am informed that the surveyors acting respectively for the claimants and the Admiralty have only reached general agreement on the amount due for dilapidations in the course of the past few days, and though one or two minor points in the claims require further consideration, the Department expects to be in a position to make payment at an early date. On a claim of this kind, the Admiralty would have been willing, on application, to make a payment on account before final agreement was reached, and, in case the outstanding points should cause some further delay, arrangements are being made for a substantial advance on account to be made forthwith.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of chief and other classes of mechanician serving at the Port Divisions of Chatham, Devonport and Portsmouth, respectively, at the latest available date.

The numbers of chief and other classes of mechanician serving in the Port Divisions of Chatham, Devonport and Portsmouth on 3rst December, 1947, the latest date for which figures are available, were as follow:

—	Chief Mechanician.	Mechanician 1st Class.	Mechanician 2nd Class.	Total.
Chatham	32	107	31	170
Devonport	19	129	32	180
Portsmouh	34	133	35	202
Total	85	369	98	552