asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which British Services were represented in the three-day Conference recently held in Athens by Admiral Conolly, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Naval Forces in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why it has been decided that the heads of the British Military and Police Missions shall in future attend meetings of the so-called Greek Supreme Council for National Defence; and how this affects his repeated undertakings to withdraw all British Forces from that country as soon as possible.

Article 3 of the Greek Decree Law No. 730 of 15th December, 1945, which established the Greek Supreme National Defence Council, provides for the participation of the officers commanding the British Military, Naval, Air and Police Missions at the Supreme National Defence Council without the right to vote whenever the Council desires their presence on any particular subject. I am not aware of any new decision on this subject. As regards the second part of the Question, I stated, in the course of my speech on 22nd January, that we are prepared to withdraw the small detachment of British operational troops from Greece once her Northern neighbours honourably agree to leave Greece alone. There is nothing to add to that statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he is taking to ensure proper educational facilities for European children in Nyasaland, in view of the increasing congestion in the schools of Southern Rhodesia.

It is considered advisable on medical grounds that European children over to years of age should continue their education in a temperate climate. To that end the Government of Nyasaland provides financial assistance to parents of European children over that age who leave the Protectorate to be educated in nearby territories. So far sufficient vacancies for these children have always been available in Southern Rhodesian schools and negotiations are in train to secure a continuance of this arrangement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) when he expects that the recommendations of the Pearson-Mitchell Report on Nyasaland will be implemented;(2) when he expects to publish the Debenham-Griffin Report on flood control and the possibilities of irrigation and hydro-electric development on the Shire River and Lake Nyasa.

The Pearson-Mitchell Report showed that the most satisfactory method of controlling insect pests of cotton in the Lower River districts of Nyasaland would be to delay the planting of the crop, but that this could be done only if some system of river control could be adopted and seasonal floodland and irrigation made available. It was decided that a survey should be carried out by an expert to determine the possibilities of such control.In 1946 surveys were made by Mr. A. E. Griffin, M.C., M.I.C.E. and Professor Debenham who reported that between 130,000 and 150,000 acres of potentially productive land were flooded and recommended that investigations be made by a hydrological survey unit over three years to obtain data essential to the planning of measures for stabilising the level of Lake Nyassa and controlling floods in the Shire River. This proposal has been incorporated as an integral part of the Nyasaland Ten Year Development Programme and a grant of £15,400 has been made under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act, 1945, to cover the whole cost of the survey. The irrigation engineer in charge of the survey is now on his way to Nyasaland and work will start immediately he arrives. Owing to pressure of work in the Printing Department in Nyasaland it is not possible to publish the reports by Mr. Griffin and Professor Debenham locally. Consideration is being given to publishing these reports in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give details of the action taken in Nigeria as a result of the memorandum on Colonial Mining Policy of 1946; and of any new leases which have been granted, since the publication of the memorandum, in West Africa, Tanganyika and British Guiana.

The most important recent development in Nigeria has been the formation of the Cameroons Mining Corporation, Limited. This Company has been formed jointly by the Government of Nigeria and the London Tin Corporation to carry out prospecting in the British Cameroons. The voting control will rest with the Government of Nigeria, which will appoint the chairman and half of the directors. I could not give, without reference to the Governors, particulars of all other leases that may have been granted in West Africa, Tanganyika or British Guiana in recent months, but in drawing up any leases the Governments will no doubt have been guided by the principles set out in the memorandum.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the salary scales for judges and stipendiary magistrates in the West Indian Colonies; whether there is such a variation as leads

asked the Minister of Food why it is intended in present times of food shortages in Great Britain to issue export licences in respect of ox-tongues, sausage and meat products canned in this country; if he will clarify an announcement by an official of his Department that only the best quality would be used for this purpose, in view of the fact that the type of meat normally allocated for manufacturing purposes is of manufacturing quality; and whether it is the Ministry's policy that the best grades of meat should be used as ration meat and retained for consumption in Great Britain.

These exports are in keeping with the Government's policy of increasing exports of manufactured foods which earn a good return in foreign currency. I have no knowledge of the statement referred to, but the meat which goes into these packs is of manufacturing quality: it is the final product which is of a high quality. The answer to the last part of the Question is, "Yes."

asked the Minister of Food upon what basis the current controlled price of Group 1 apples was fixed; whether it takes into account the costs of operating and maintaining gas storage plants; and if he will increase the price to a figure which represents an economic return to the grower.

The present maximum prices for Group 1 apples include an allowance which covers the cost of gas storage even if the apples are stored over a full season. The controlled price (in the Chichester area) is 95. 4d. per cwt. more than last season and I am satisfied that all growers who have gas stored these apples are receiving a very fair return.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why are 25 per cent. of the expert technical staff at the recently completed £750,000 Torpedo Research Establishment being transferred from Fort Matilda to Teddington, Middlesex.

It is necessary from time to time for members of the Royal Naval Scientific Service to be moved from one establishment to another as the needs of the research and development programme require. The number of transfers from the Torpedo Experimental Establishment at present contemplated is considerably less than 25 per cent. of the expert technical staff of the Establishment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will include the proposed changes in the conditions of service, etc., of warrant officers in the explanatory memorandum to the Navy Estimates.

I regret it will not be possible to include a statement of any proposed changes in the conditions of service of warrant officers in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Navy Estimates, but I hope to be in a position to make a statement during the Debate on Navy Estimates.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when he will be able to give information to the parents of John Black P/MX 724753 as to where he is buried; when they may visit his grave; and what steps have been taken to secure compensation from the Italian Government and punishment of the Italian Customs Official who deliberately shot and killed W.T.R. John Black a year and a half ago.

Writer Black's mother was informed on 28th October, 1946, by the Commodore Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth, that her son was buried in the British part of Savona Cemetery. Information was received in the Admiralty on 18th February, 1948, that Writer Black had been re-interred in Genoa Cemetery and Mrs. Black has been informed of the details. This cemetery can be visited at any time.The Italian finance guard, who fired the shot that killed Black, was tried on 29th May, 1947, in the Italian Courts on a charge of murder and acquitted. In view of this the Italian Government are not liable for compensation; moreover even if he had been found guilty, I understand that, during the armistice period in any situation where either His Majesty's Government or the Italian Government might claim compensation from the other in respect of damage or injury to its employees or property, a knock for knock agreement was in force. Mrs. Black was invited to apply to the Ministry of Pensions for the award of a parent's pension.On the other hand, His Majesty's Government are not satisfied with all aspects of the trial at which no representative of the dead man was given an opportunity to be present, at which no British witnesses were called and of the outcome of which they were not informed until 21st October, 1947, despite repeated inquiries. The question of the steps now open to His Majesty's Government is under consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General why the London Telecommunications Region, West Area, is refusing to give details of private subscribers' telephone charges.

Details of individual trunk calls are supplied on request, but if more complete details are required regularly a small charge is made to cover the additional clerical work involved. A recent case of refusal by the London West Area to give details arose from a regrettable error which has now been corrected.

asked the Postmaster-General how frequently telegrams are delayed from the stoppage of pneumatic tubes and, other than the refund of the cost of the telegram, what compensation is payable as a result of loss arising out of departmental inefficiency.

On average, a pneumatic tube has less than one stoppage a year and the proportion of telegrams delayed from this cause is negligible. No compensation is payable for any consequential loss.

asked the Postmaster-General what it would cost to reduce the postal charges for letters and postcards by a halfpenny and, as the profit for last year was 22½ million pounds, will he consider making this reduction as a contribution to bringing down the cost of living.

The annual cost at prevailing levels of traffic would be about 8,500,000 and I am afraid that this exceeds the Department's present forecast of the postal commercial surplus for 1948–49.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will improve the service at the Newington telephone exchange, where urgent calls from, and to, Keycol Hill Hospital, Sittingbourne, are often delayed for five minutes or more, in spite of frequent representations having been made locally.

I am not aware of any general deficiency in the service at Newington exchange, but I regret that there has been delay on individual calls, including some to Keycol Hill Hospital. Steps have recently been taken to ensure closer attention, both at the exchange and at the hospital, and I hope that there will be no further cause for complaint.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is satisfied that there is a sufficiency of overcoats at all demobilisation centres to supply all men who ask for an overcoat to receive one in preference to mackintoshes which they do not wish to have.

The approved outfit for the Service man on release includes a raincoat, not an overcoat. A limited number of overcoats was, however, provided and offered as an alternative to the raincoat, over which supply difficulties arose owing to shortage of material. A few thousand overcoats only are left and I regret that it will not be possible to supply all men who ask for them in preference to raincoats. The raincoat has throughout the scheme been in much greater demand than the overcoat.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will issue in the form of a table the estimates which were prepared by Territorial and Auxiliary Forces Associations in the summer and autumn of last year concerning expenditure necessary during the coming financial year, and showing to what extent the decision of the Government to enforce the restriction of capital investment, Cmd. 7268, will reduce the estimates of each association respectively.

As I informed the hon. Member in reply to a previous Question on 17th February, the estimates prepared by Territorial and auxiliary Forces Associations will bear little relationship to expenditure in the coming financial year. In these circumstances I do not consider that it would be worth while now to issue a table of those estimates, particularly as the preparation of such a table would involve a considerable amount of work.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that petrol is being allowed to some people merely to take the mother out in the car to get fresh air because the mother suffers from asthma; that others get petrol to take an old man to the barber; others to take a child to the grandmother's every morning whilst the mother goes on business; and what steps he is taking to prevent such allowances being given.

Allowances are granted for a number of compassionate purposes, which in certain circumstances might include those to which my hon. Friend refers. If he will send me details about any particular cases he has in mind in which he thinks allowances should not have been granted I will make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now reply to a letter to him from the hon. Member for Merioneth, dated 11th December, 1947, dealing with the alleged use of transport by an official of his Department.

I have now written to the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the necessity of many users of Aladdin lamps in the rural areas where electricity is not available, to obtain Loxon chimneys for these lamps, he will make available a more adequate supply; and what is the reason for the present shortage.

The limiting factor in production of Loxon chimneys is the shortage of skilled labour for notching their bases. Special machinery has now been imported for this operation and I hope that production will now gradually increase both for home use and for export.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether import licences for any classes of British goods are now being refused by the Governments of the United States, Canada, Argentina or other South American States.

In the United States very few commodities require an import licence and I know of no class of goods for which such licences would be refused. In Canada, for currency reasons, a prohibited list has been set up which prevents the importation from any country of specified goods. These restrictions do not greatly affect United Kingdom exports. All the South American Republics exercise control of imports either by means of an import licensing system or through the operation of exchange regulations. In general, except in Venezuela, goods of a luxury nature or which are considered to be non-essential are either totally prohibited or their importation is more or less restricted. The detailed regulations issued by the countries concerned may be consulted at the Export Promotion Department of the Board of Trade and are published from time to time in the Board of Trade journal.