asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the figures showing the voluntary absenteeism in the cotton industry for the past three months.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the proceedings of a local appeal tribunal set up to hear the appeal of a person against direction to a particular form of employment will be open to the Press.

No. These local appeal boards are not judicial tribunals but advisory bodies to advise the Minister and the National Service officer. I must allow people reasonable privacy when they come to explain their personnal circumstances.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of insured workers employed by firms having quota obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, in Swansea; the numbers of registered disabled persons; and the numbers of such persons unemployed in the Swansea 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 Swansea district.

The information requested in the first part of the Question is not available. The number of persons registered as disabled in the Swansea district is 2,559, of whom 490 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 whether, in order to secure a larger inflow of agricultural trainees, he will issue instructions that persons who fail to qualify for further training at the end of their 12 months shall be given an opportunity to leave the industry if they so desire.

No. The object of the 12 months' training course is to enable a person without agricultural experience to become a useful worker in the industry, and not primarily to render him fit for further training. It is only in a limited number of cases that a trainee completes his course with such outstanding success that he is selected for training of a more highly specialised nature.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the total number of men and women in insurable employment, and unemployed, respectively, registered at the Doncaster Employment Exchange at the most recent date, distinguishing be-

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress made by the Scottish Advisory Council on Education in their report on Scottish library questions; and when this report will be published.

I understand that the Advisory Council on Education has now completed the taking of evidence relating to the comprehensive remit given to them on library questions, but it is not possible at this stage to say when their report will be submitted to me.

Estimates of the numbers of insured persons in employment are not available for any date later than July, 1947. The following table shows the approximate numbers of insured persons in employment in the area of the Don-caster Employment Exchange at that date, and the numbers registered at that Exchange as unemployed at 12th January, 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers and other ranks serving with the Parachute Regiment in Palestine and qualified for parachute pay are not actually in receipt of such pay.

I have no reason to suppose that any eligible officer or other rank is not in receipt of parachute pay. If my hon. Friend will send me details of any case about which he has information to the contrary I will have the matter investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement setting out the latest position as to recruiting to the Regular Army, showing progress in each arm and branch of the Service, separately, and, in particular, how many volunteers are still needed to bring each arm or branch of the Service up to its peacetime strength.

It would be contrary to present policy to publish information about the detailed¹ composition of the Army. As regards recruiting to the Regular Army as a whole, I would refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 9 to 12 of the Memorandum relating to the Army Estimates 1948–49 (Cmd. 7332).

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware of danger caused to local residents by the use by military traffic of the minor road leading from the main Dunmow-Thaxted road to Easton Lodge; when the road from Easton Lodge on to the main Dunmow-Bishop's Stortford Road will be repaired; and whether he is prepared to place a speed limit on Army traffic in this area.

If it is decided to retain permanently the Vehicle Reserve Depot at Easton Lodge the possibility of using the road referred to in the second part of the Question will be carefully examined. It would not, however, be desirable to spend money on making tip this road until a decision has been taken on the future of the depot. With certain exceptions Service vehicles are subject to the speed restrictions contained in the Road Traffic Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent he will continue to be responsible for discipline and maintenance in hostels occupied wholly or partly by Germans who are taking civilian status.

My responsibility for the discipline and maintenance of prisoners of war ceases directly the prisoners of war are granted civilian status.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the proposed raising of the conscription age, he will allow youths to join the Territorial Army before their call up, with full privileges.

Arrangements already exist by which volunteers may join the Territorial Army not less than a year before their call-up for national service is expected. A man accepted as a volunteer in these circumstances is discharged from his Territorial Army engagement on the day preceding his call-up under the National Service Acts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement as to the present position of trade negotiations with Denmark and the recent conversations between Mr. Ellis-Rees, Mr. Branses and Mr. Vestbirk.

These negotiations were concluded on the 23rd February. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement summarising their results which was issued to the Press on Friday evening last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that certain American film companies are exhibiting in Great Britain trailers of films which the British public will have no chance of seeing owing to the producers' anti-tax boycott of the British market; and if he will take steps to prevent this method of agitating for a change in our fiscal policy.

I am not sure that this is an agitation for a change in the import duty, but in any case I am sure that the public understand that we cannot afford to spend dollars on films at present.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state to the latest convenient date the total amount of payments made under the War Damage Act where repairs or rebuilding have been carried out and the total administrative costs of the War Damage Commission to the same date.

Up to 31st January last, payments in respect of work which has been carried out totalled about £508,500,000. Total administrative expenses of the War Damage Commission in respect of all their duties since 1941 have totalled about £6,800,000 to the same date, excluding allied services rendered by other Departments.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what were the total amounts spent in 1938 and 1947, respectively, on Government advertising in the Press, by posters, films or by any other means.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th February, 1948; Vol. 447, c. 188], gave the following information:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what were the totals of public relations officers employed by Government Departments and Government corporations, in the years 1938 and 1946, respectively; and what was the annual cost in both years.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 4th February, 1948; Vol. 446, c. 298], gave the following information:

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether in the event of a farmer electing to be assessed under the Herd Basis for 1947–48 the Inland Revenue authorities will be prepared to accept, if required, the closing valuations of the accounts for the accounting year prior to April, 1947, as the initial cost figures.

I am not clear as to the type of case the hon. Member has in mind but if he will send me particulars I will look into the matter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the uncertainty caused to farmers by the Tenth Schedule to the Finance Act, 1947, and whether he will give an assurance that investigations following the passing of the said Schedule will not give rise to reopening of tax computations for fiscal years prior to 1947–48.

The provisions of the Tenth Schedule to the Finance Act, 1947, do not apply in relation to Income Tax assessments for years before 1947–48, but I cannot give an assurance that tax computations for earlier years will not be reopened in any case where the facts require it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give full particulars both as to quantity and price of all the commodities agreed to be bought and sold under the Anglo-Danish Trade Agreement recently concluded.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will issue an interim report on Sir John Wise's Financial and Trade Mission to Brazil.

Negotiations are still in the opening stages and it would be premature for me to make any statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will tabulate the ranges of goods contained in the utility commodity groups; and whether he has in mind an extension of the utility factor as an instrument of price control.

The utility scheme now covers goods in the following categories: Bedding, blankets, cloth, clothing, footwear, furniture and household textiles. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the general level of prices for shoe repairs soled and heeled with best materials since he made his recent orders.

Under the Footwear Repairs (Maximum Charges) Order 1948 (S.I. 1948 No. 227) the maximum charges for shoe repairs are either the cash amounts set out in the schedule to the order or are related to the August, 1939, charges of the repairer who does the work. As charges varied very widely before the war, it is not possible to state any general level of prices at the present time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the anticipated annual saving by the removal of subsidies and clothiers' rebate on utility clothes; and what was the annual retail turnover on which this was previously granted.

The subsidies on utility cotton and wool cloth were estimated to cost £24,625,000, during the current financial year. The estimated cost of the final payments falling into the financial year 1948–49 is £2 million. The subsidies relate to utility cloth, but most of this cloth is sold by retail as utility garments. In the absence of the kind of information which a census of distribution would disclose, I cannot make any reliable estimate of the annual retail turnover of utility clothing.

asked the President of the Board of. Trade whether he has now completed his examination of the question of curtains; and, if, as a result, curtain materials and curtains are likely to be available for purchase without coupons in the near future.

Examination of this problem is not yet complete but I am bound to warn my hon. Friend that the result cannot in any case be to take curtain material off the ration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why Messrs. Milton Abelson, Ltd., of Mappin House, 156, Oxford Street, London, are not allowed to sell in the home market lace which they purchased for the export market but cannot sell there; whether he is aware that, as a result, many thousands of pounds spent in the purchase of this lace remains frozen with no means of earning profits; and what is his general policy as regards such capital tied up in goods which cannot find an export market and do not need coupons for sale in the home market.

I am not aware that this firm has made any special request for permission to sell, on the home market, lace which they purchased for export. On the general question of the sale of frustrated exports on the home market I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. Shephard) on 13th November, 1947, a copy of which I am sending him. The question whether or not the goods need coupons for sale on the home market is not relevant here. Our only object is to ensure that goods are not sold on the home market which, with some extra effort on the part of their owners or manufacturers, could be exported.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consider allowing books for re-export to be imported into this country in greater quantity than one per week; and whether he is aware that the delay at present experienced in corresponding weekly with the Customs officials on this matter is causing serious loss in foreign exchange to Hove booksellers who re-export.

The import of books for re-export is not limited to one per week. If the hon. Member will let me have the names and addresses of the booksellers to whom he refers, I will have inquiries made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what timber-growing representation is included in the sections of his Department which fix maximum timber prices and control felling licences; what increases in the price of standing timber have been allowed since the end of the war; and on what basis these increases have been calculated.

The views of representatives of timber growers are received, as may be necessary either directly or through the Forestry Commission, with which my Department is constantly in touch. The only increase in the price of standing timber since the end of the war has been one of 25 per cent. allowed in January, 1947. This was designed to provide among other things for increased costs of maintenance and replanting. In view of the great differences between the methods of different timber growers, the matter was necessarily dealt with on broad lines.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much paper has been allocated for the publication of the weekly newspaper "Union."

None, but any periodical is allowed to use in a four months' period up to 13⅓ per cent. of the paper it used in the 12 months ended 31St August, 1939.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that almost every clothing manufacturers' wholesale and retail houses that supply ladies' coats, costumes and dresses is stocked out so that if no further production took place for the next twelve months the present rate of purchases could be maintained; that thousands of girls will be dispensed with; whether coupon rates are going to be seriously reduced; or what is intended to meet this situation.

No, Any stocks of women's outerwear in the hands of manufacturers or distributors do not represent more than a couple of months' sales, and we do not propose to reduce the coupon values of these garments. The Board of Trade is assisting the trade to export surplus garments, and, as regards future production, is taking steps to redress the balance between cloths for men's and women's wear.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the publication of reports on the economic conditions of foreign countries will be resumed.

The preparation of a number of these reports for both foreign and Empire countries was put in hand last year and I hope that the first, that on Argentina, will be available early in April. Others will follow in rapid succession.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the continued increase in yarn production, what effective steps are being taken to avoid irregularity due to weaving capacity not keeping pace with revival in the spinning branch.

In co-operation with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Labour and National Service and the Minister of Supply, all practicable measures are being taken, such as the stimulation of recruitment and the improvement of weaving machinery and accessories supplies, to ensure that the weaving section of the cotton industry increases its effective capacity in step with increases of yarn output.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can now give any further information about the operations of the token import policy in 1948

As I explained on 18th December in reply to a question by my hon. Friend, the present policy is for the Token Import Scheme to apply in 1948 only to those countries which offer an adequate return within our general trade arrangements with them. In accordance with this policy and as a result of discussions which have so far taken place, we have agreed that the scheme should be applied to Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Holland, India, Italy, Pakistan, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The annual quota will remain 20 per cent. by value of each overseas manufacturer's pre-war trade with the United Kingdom. The inclusion of further countries in the scheme for 1948 will depend on the outcome of discussions with them.

asked the Minister of Works if he has decided on the future of the ex-prisoners-of-war camp at Somerhill, Tonbridge.

Yes. The whole of this camp is required to accommodate civilian agricultural workers.

asked the Minister of Works how many brickworks have been closed down since 1st January, 1947.

asked the Minister of Works whether a tender submitted by his Department in September, 1947, to the Forestry Commissioners for the erection of 10 cottages on Dartmoor was accepted; and at what price.

Local labour was not available so tenders were not invited for 10 houses required by the Forestry Commission at Bellever, Dartmoor. An estimate of £25,262 for building them by direct

Since 1st January, 1947, 53 brickworks have closed down. During the same period 77 brickworks have opened.

asked the Minister of Works the labour force, including prisoners of war, employed in the production of various building materials, with the items stated separately.

The labour force employed at the end of January, 1948, on the production of the various building materials for which my Department is responsible was as follows:labour was submitted by my Department and accepted by the Forestry Commission. A considerable proportion of this sum represents the cost of importing and housing the building workers, and of providing roads, sewers and main services at this particularly isolated site.

asked the Minister of Works if he has a further statement to make on the derequisitioning of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply of 1st March to the hon. Member for the Fairfield division of Liverpool (Mr. Moody).

asked the Minister of Health what preparations he has made to replace health centres, the provision of which is now indefinitely postponed.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to his Question on the same subject on 6th February last.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the facilities of the Aged Persons' Dwellings, in Sturminster Newton, are at present restricted owing to the delay in granting dockets for furniture; and whether he will hasten the necessary approval.

Units for the furniture needed for these houses have been issued and I am in communication with the Rural District Council about the soft furnishings.

asked the Minister of Health for how long he anticipates it will be necessary to maintain his prohibition against work under the Private Street Works Act.

Work on private streets must be kept down to the minimum consistent with public health and safety as long as conditions remain as set out in the White Paper on Capital Investment in 1948 (Cmd. 7268). There is, however, no complete prohibition on such works, and local authorities may wish to consider taking action under Section 19 of the Public Health Acts Amendment Act, 1907, where appropriate, for the temporary repair of private streets.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give in tabular form the number of industries covered by the term "Iron and Steel Industry" as used by his Department; the number of companies in each separate industry; and the approximate amount of capital and persons employed in each of these industries.

For purposes of administration the iron and steel industry it regarded as comprising undertakings engaged on a number of diverse production activities. The extent of these activities is indicated in Table I below, showing the number of undertakings engaged in each. Many undertakings are engaged in more than one activity and therefore appear under more than one heading in the Table. Details of the labour employed in the industry are given in Table II. Information concerning the capital employed in the different sections of the industry is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, how much of the 1946 crop of groundnuts still remains in Nigeria; and when he expects that shipment will be completed.

On 19th February there were still in Nigeria 47,500 tons of groundnuts from the production of the crop year ending in October, 1947, of which 14,000 tons were at port. I expect shipment to be completed by the end of April. Some 20,000 tons of the new crop now being collected have already been shipped.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can now make a statement regarding the changes contemplated in the administrative arrangements for Brunei.

Yes. Certain administrative changes have recently been agreed between the Governor-General and His Highness the Sultan and members of the State Council of Brunei, and approved by His Majesty the King. As the result of these changes the Governor of Sarawak will assume the duties of High Commissioner for Brunei, Heads of certain Sarawak technical departments will be available to act in an advisory capacity to His Highness the Sultan; and officers of the Sarawak Service will be seconded for service with the Brunei Administration in the same way as officers on the Malayan Establishment are now seconded. These changes are administrative and involve no alteration in the position of Brunei as a State under His Majesty's protection nor in the status and powers of His Highness the Sultan and his State Council.