asked the Minister of National Insurance if he will give a list, in table form, of all benefits to insured contributors under the National Insur-

I will, if I may, arrange for a list to be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why Mr. A. Good-child, of I, Salisbury Court, Salisbury Road, Hove, Pension No. 09538482, who qualified for old age pension on 1st February last as a voluntary contributor has not yet received any pension; and why his letters of complaint about this have not received attention.

The hon. Member will be glad to know that a pension order book for Mr. Goodchild was issued on 28th February, and has been received by him. Mr. Goodchild's pension was not awarded until after he reached age 65 on 1st February, because he did not claim until 19th January, 1948.Claimants for pension have repeatedly been asked to make their claims as early as possible in the four months before they reach pension age. If Mr. Goodchild had followed this advice his claim would have been decided and his pension book issued before his 65th birthday.

asked the Minister of Pensions how many wives of soldiers killed in Palestine during 1947 are in receipt of pensions; how many parents of such soldiers are in receipt of pensions; how many applications from parents have been refused; and what is the total cost to the British taxpayer.

Of the soldiers killed as the result of the disturbances in Palestine in 1947, nine were married, and in each case pension has been awarded to the widow. Applications for pension have been received from 17 parents, five of whom have been awarded pension. In 10 cases pension has not been granted as need does not exist but the parents have been informed that should their circumstances deteriorate they can re-apply. The remaining two cases are under consideration. The annual cost of widow's pensions, children's allowances and education allowances, and parents' pensions now in payment is about £1,525.

asked the Minister of Pensions what steps have been taken to obviate the persisting delays in the supply of medical and surgical appliances to war pensioners.

The principal contractors to my Department have from time to time been given assistance in obtaining additional labour and materials and in addition new and larger premises have been secured for one of them. As a result, there is a marked improvement in deliveries, the time now taken to supply surgical boots and other appliances being about three weeks and six weeks, respectively, although some individual appliances with difficult features may take longer.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether any official welcome is contemplated for officers and men of the 6th Airborne Division on their return to the United Kingdom from service in Palestine.

As this Division will be returning in comparatively small parties over a period of months I regret that it would not be practicable to arrange an official welcome. I feel sure, however, that the House would wish to take this opportunity of once more paying a tribute to the officers and men not only of this Division, but of all units of the British Army in Palestine for the magnificent way in which they are carrying out their thankless task.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are the liquor entitlements for personnel serving in the British zone of Germany.

There is no entitlement to liquor for Service personnel in the British zone of Germany, but N.A.A.F.I. distribute according to the amount that is made available by the trade.

asked the Secretary of State of War what assistance is given to wives and unmarried mothers in respect of claims and maintenance orders against men serving in the Forces; and whether wives are normally entitled to know the exact whereabouts of their husbands in order that they may if necessary see them on domestic matters.

As the answer is necessarily rather long, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many prisoners of war were repatriated from Great Britain and the Middle East, respectively, during February, excluding the 2,500 who left the Middle East on 1st February.

Some 26,700 German prisoners of war were repatriated from the United Kingdom during February. The total repatriated from the Middle East, excluding those referred to in my reply to a Question by my hon. Friend on 10th February, was approximately 1,700.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to encourage a spirit of initiative, he will consider the abolition of Income Tax on a patented invention when that invention is sold by the patentee.

No.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury why the Agriculture Act (Commencement) (No. 1) Order, 1948, S.I., 1948, No. 342, which was made by Order in Council on 24th February, 1948, and brought Parts II and III of the Agriculture Act, 1947, into operation on 1st March, 1948, was neither printed and circulated, nor made available in the Vote Office before 2nd March, 1948.

This Order was published on 1st March and copies were available at the Vote Office on the same day.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what are the present proposals regarding the 290 permanent, 415 temporary and 45 part-time civil servants now employed at the Chief Inspector of Taxes, Departmental Claims Branch, offices at Llandudno, following the projected removal of that branch from Llandudno to Cardiff; and, in view of the housing and other domestic difficulties that will be encountered by such civil servants in the event of removal to Cardiff, if he will reconsider the question of his branch remaining at Llandudno.

It is intended that the move shall be started this summer and completed by the autumn. As it is clearly in the interests of Departmental efficiency I do not think it should be postponed. The Board of Inland Revenue are discussing with the appropriate staff associations how best to minimise the personal difficulties and to help the transferred officers.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is satisfied that the British textile machinery makers are capable of manufacturing all the machinery required by the cotton and woollen industry in the next five years.

It is not possible at present to say what textile machinery will be required in the next five years. In the meantime, everything possible is being done to improve the output of the machinery makers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade at what price is caustic soda being sold to the Argentine under the new Trade Agreement.

The price of caustic soda to be supplied in 1948 from the United Kingdom to the Argentine under the Andes Agreement will be negotiated through ordinary commercial channels.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the hardships which arise from the difficulty in providing clothing for growing children; and whether he will increase the number of clothing coupons allowed for children.

I am satisfied that the needs of growing children are already provided for by supplementary coupons as generously as the supply position permits.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the hon. Member of the Central Division of Leeds can expect a reply to his letter of the 2nd January and his further letter of 2nd February in regard to the firm of Wilkinson and Warburton Ltd.

A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 4th March. I regret the delay, which was due to the loss of the original letter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the trade agreement with Belgium replacing that which expired on 31st December, 1947, will be signed.

Discussions are still proceeding, and I am not yet in a position to add to what I said on this subject in the course of the Debate on Trade Policy on 2nd March.

asked the Minister of Transport the policy of the nationalised transport services in regard to granting special paid leave to employees, who belong to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, to enable them to attend annual cruises and camps; and if he has given directions on this matter.

My right hon. Friend has given no directions to the British Transport Commission on this matter, but I understand that they are examining existing practice in the undertakings for which they are responsible.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of Industrial Rehabilitation Centres in operation in Great Britain; the numbers of such centres approved; the numbers of registered disabled persons estimated to be in need of industrial rehabilitation; and the approximate date by which it is expected that all such persons will have been placed in a centre.

One Industrial Rehabilitation Centre is in operation at Egham, Surrey. Plans have been approved and are in hand for establishing another residential centre, one centre with residential and non-residential facilities, and eleven non-residential industrial rehabilitation centres in various parts of the country. It is not possible to make the estimates for which the hon. Member asks in the last two parts of the Question, as the number needing such rehabilitation is constantly changing.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of registered

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of establishments formerly providing training which have been closed during the past 12 months; the numbers of establishments now providing training for the disabled in connection with Section 2 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944; the numbers of disabled persons awaiting training; and the approximate date by which it is expected that the waiting lists will be cleared.

Since February, 1947, 12 Permanent and 38 Emergency Government Training Centres have been closed, and 8 permanent and 2 emergency centres opened. The result is that 40 centres are at present open, all of which provide training facilities for the disabled. Training under Section 2 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, is also given at four establishments catering solely for the disabled and a number of individual training arrangements have been made at various Technical Colleges and other institutions. Two thousand, two hundred and twenty-seven Disabled Persons are at present awaiting training, but I am unable to make the estimate for which the hon. Member asks in the last part of the Question, as this number is constantly changing and as allocations to

The required statistics are set out in the following table:training necessarily vary widely for different trades and in different parts of the country.

asked the Minister of Defence the number of Scots at present in the Armed Forces.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many colliery undertakings employing 30 men or under are now in production; what is the total number of men employed; and what was the output in 1947.

Excluding approximately 140 small mines where the production of coal is incidental to the getting of other minerals, there were 344 coal mines employing less than 30 wage-earners on 21st February, 1948. The total number of wage-earners employed at these mines was 4,300, and the total tonnage of saleable coal produced by them in 1947 was 1,060,000 tons.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the position of anthracite supplies throughout the North of Scotland is unsatisfactory, and whether any action will be taken to improve the shortage of supply to merchants.

I am aware that supplies of anthracite are not sufficient to meet consumer demand in full, but every effort is made by the National Coal Board to ensure as fair a distribution as possible and no complaints of exceptional difficulty have been received from the North of Scotland. If the hon. Member has any specific cases in mind and will bring them to my notice I shall be glad to have them investigated.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what progress has been made by the Committee inquiring into mining subsidence; and when it is expected that this Committee will present its report.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Ilkeston (Mr. Oliver), on 29th January to which at present I have nothing to add.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many persons appointed to Area Electricity Boards have had experience as practical work-people engaged in the supply industry, with their names and areas.

I would remind my hon. Friend of the provisions of the Electricity Act, 1947, in regard to the qualifications requisite for chairmen and members of Area Boards. The Act provides that appointments to these posts shall be made by the Minister, after consultation with the Central Authority, from amongst persons appearing to the Minister to be qualified as having had experience of, and having shown capacity in, electricity supply, local government, industrial, commercial, agricultural or financial matters, applied science, administration, or the organisation of workers.My hon. Friend will observe from the list of the members of Area Boards, as now constituted, which I announced in this House on 26th February, and a copy of which I am sending him, that nearly all the chairmen and deputy chairmen and a fair proportion of the part-time members have had long practical experience in the electricity supply industry, or in work closely associated therewith, and that one or more members of each Board have had experience in the organisation of workers, whether in the industry or otherwise. I could not say, without inquiry from each individual member, how many Board members have at one time or another had actual practical experience as workpeople in the industry.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether in pursuance of the policy of preventing further rises in prices it is proposed to fix at the present level the price of fuel oil for the use of industry.

The inland selling prices of fuel oil are dependent upon world prices over which I have no control and in these circumstances I cannot undertake that they will remain at their present level.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to meet the request of the Shetland County Council that the replacement of indoor call offices by kiosks and the provision of new indoor call offices should be postponed until the urgent need of districts at present without any telephone facilities have been met, in particular West Burrafirth, Dale of Walls, Westing, Funzie, Stromfirth and Bardister, which are considered next in order of priority to those mentioned in his letter to the County Council dated 19th January, 1948; and whether he is taking any steps to make use of the poles left by the Service Departments in various parts of Shetland.

The proposals made by the Shetland County Council, including the possible use of poles surplus to the needs of the Service Departments, are being examined and I will communicate the result to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of motor coaches that were hired during the month of January to take R.A.F. personnel on leave from the R.A.F. Camp, Yatesbury; the places from which they were hired, and the number from each; the number of miles they had to travel empty; and the total cost.

These motor coaches were not hired by the R.A.F. or at a charge to public funds. The airmen using them travelled at their own expense under arrangements similar to those made for the general public in other parts of the country.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the East Sussex County Council are proposing to improvise health centres, out of premises which they originally provided as maternity and child welfare clinics and which are unsuitable to supply the services specified in Section 21 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, and in view of the policy stated by him in Circular 3, 1948, what instructions he proposes to issue to the County Council.

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. There is no question of improvisation. The County Council propose to continue to use the premises in question for their maternity and child welfare service. I have no evidence that they are unsuitable for that purpose.