asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what procedure should be followed by those traders who wish to seek protection against eviction by invoking the new machinery.

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend hopes to issue a statement on this subject in the course of this week.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the unsatisfactory quality of so called iced herring landed in bulk by Lowestoft drifters in 1947, he will take steps to see that in 1948 iced herrings will only be allowed to be landed if boxed at sea.

The Herring Industry Board isued a Direction on 22nd March covering the period until 10th May prohibiting the landing of herring over one day old unless they had been properly iced in boxes at sea. The Board have fully in view the need to secure that herring are landed in proper condition and I am informed that they will consider making a similar Direction for the autumn fishing.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the satisfactory results of the trial of herring gutting machines at Yarmouth in 1947, any steps are being taken to make these machines available at Lerwick and other herring fishing ports during 1948.

Six herring gutting machines which were tried out at Yarmouth in 1947 have been acquired by the Hering Industry Board who have made arrangements with curers at Stornoway for their use during 1948 at that port where the shortage of gutting crews is more acute than elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the experimental exportation of dry cured herrings to Africa in 1947 has proved a success; and whether steps will be taken to exploit this market in 1948.

The Herring Industry Board sent samples of dry cured herring to a number of places in Africa at the end of 1947 and the reports so far received indicate that this is an acceptable article of food. The Board are alive to the desirability of developing the African market and further steps are being taken to explore the possibilities but it is too early yet to judge whether dry cured herring can be sold on a commercial scale.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if there has been any decision as to the route to be taken by H.M.S. "Vanguard" in connection with the Royal visit to Australia.

As has been announced in the Press, under present arrangements the outward voyage for the Royal visit to Australia and New Zealand next year will be via the Panama Canal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has now been taken by His Majesty's Government in view of the fears expressed by France and the Benelux countries at recent conferences, at the size of Britain's wartime sterling debts, to effect a proper settlement of these debts so that sterling can participate in a Western European currency agreement.

I have heard no such fears expressed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that orders placed for herring nets eighteen months ago are still unfulfilled, owing to the inadequate quota of cotton allowed for making nets for the British fishing fleet; and if he will consider increasing the quota so that no fisherman may be debarred through lack of nets from augmenting the nation's food supplies during the forthcoming herring fishing season.

I am aware that in some cases orders placed for herring nets eighteen months ago are still unfulfilled, but this is due to shortages of labour in the weaving of the nets and the subsequent processes of rigging, mounting, etc. The question of increasing the quota of cotton does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether, with the object of preventing a recurrence of the fire which recently destroyed two Airey houses in the Cheltenham rural district, caused by the use of inflammable insulating material on the instructions of his Department, he will circulate to all local authorities erecting these houses particulars of the occurrence and prohibit the further use of this material as insulation between the inner and outer walls of Airey houses.

Appropriate instructions are being issued for the replacement of the insulating materials in question which were not an integral part of the Airey system of construction.

asked the Minister of Health the gross average cost to local authorities in each of the regions of each of the permanent non-traditional houses listed in Table II of the housing return; and similar figures of the permanent aluminium house.

Final costs are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Health the average cost in each of the regions, of a brick house to local authorities.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health the ceiling cost of a brick house allowed to private enterprise builders.

The selling-price of a house of the maximum size of 1,000 square feet must not normally exceed £1,300 freehold (£1,400 in the London Region), including the cost of roads, sewers and other services, but the limit may be raised where the cost of the developed site is substantially and unavoidably above the normal.

asked the Minister of Health (1) the average expected grant per house to local authorities for each of the types of permanent non-traditional houses listed in Table II of the housing return; for the permanent aluminium house provided for in the Civil Estimates for the year ending 31st March, 1949; and a similar figure provided for a permanent brick house;(2) the average subsidy per house paid during 1947 to local authorities on each of the permanent non-traditional houses listed in Table II of the housing return; for the permanent aluminium house; and similar figure for a brick house.

The average amount of capital grant paid in 1947 for the non-traditional houses which are eligible for such grants was—

	£
Airey Rural	175
British Iron & Steel Federation	244·5
British Steel Construction	50
Cussins	148
Dykes CCC	95
Laing's Easiform	112
Orlit	109
Spooner	72
Steane	65
Tarran	110
Unity	114
Wates	108
Wimpey	83
Woolaway	94
Permanent aluminium bungalows	708

It is anticipated that the same amount of grants will be paid during the present financial year in respect of the houses which have been included in approved proposals.In addition Howard and Swedish houses were sold to local authorities under Section 3 of the Building Materials and Housing Act, 1945. Payments to the Building Materials Fund from the Ministry of Health vote are £490 for each Howard house and £505 and £475 for each Swedish A and D house respectively.No capital grant is paid on brick houses since the grant is intended as a contribution towards the excess cost of nontraditional over that of brick houses.

asked the Minister of Works the timber and steel content respectively in each of the non-traditional houses listed in Table II of the housing return; and similar figures for a brick house.

I have been asked to reply. The timber and steel contents of the various types of houses are as follow:

Type of house.	Softwood Standards.	Steel.
		Tons.	Cwt.
Airey Urban	1·51	—	10
Airey Rural	1·5	1	9
B.I.S.F	1·38	4	10
British Steel Construction	1·6	1	—
Cornish	1·7	—	11
Cussins	1·25	3	6
Dyke C.C.C.	1·6	1	12
Howard	2·0	3	8
Laing Easiform	1·59	—	7½
Lamella	1·9	1	5
L.C System	1·6	2	8
Orlit:
Pitched root	1·55	1	6
Flat roof	1·3
Spooner	1·75	1	14
Steane	1·17	4	—
Tarran	1·5	1	18
Trusteel	1·3	3	10
Unity	1·5	1	6
Wates	1·69	1	4
Wimpey 'No-fines'	1·61	—	8
Woolaway	1·65	—	14
Hill frame	1·6	2	4
Swedish Timber	5·0	—	3
	(approx.)

The softwood content of a traditional house varies according to the size of the house, but is limited to 1.6 standards per 1,000 sq. ft. of floor area; 3 to 4 cwts. of steel are used in the construction of the normal brick house.

asked the Minister of Health if he has yet designated the teaching hospitals; and will he publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of these hospitals.

Copies of the Order designating the provincial teaching hospitals will be available in the Vote Office on Wednesday, 7th April. The designation Order for the London teaching hospitals will be made and published as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health what was the average time that elapsed in cases brought before the courts under the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act, 1876, in the years 193o to 1939 between the initial application to him for consent to prosecute, and the reaching of a decision by the county court.

I regret that the information is not available. There is nothing in the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act, 1876, to require local authorities to furnish me with the results of proceedings in the county courts and I have, therefore, no records of the decisions reached by the courts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present position of the 14 men arrested in Uganda, and deported, in 1945; and

POSITION ON 23RD MARCH, 1948.
Preliminary Proposals.							Detailed Schemes.
Counties.		Received.	Approved provisionally.	Rejected.	Withdrawn.	Still under considera-	Received and under consideration.
Brecon	…	67	1	—	—	66	—
Caernarvon	…	87	10	13	—	64	—
Cardigan	…	77	29	11	—	37	2
Carmarthen	…	27	6	—	—	21	—
Denbigh	…	94	5	5	1	83	1
Flint	…	3	—	2	—	1	—
Glamoraan	…	51	—	1	—	50	—
Merioneth	…	194	5	8	—	181	—
Monmouth	…	7	—	1	1	6	—
Montgomery	…	97	2	1	—	93	—
Pembroke	…	49	7	12	—	30	—
Radnor	…	28	—	1	—	27	—
Totals	…	781	65	55	2	659	3

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he proposes to introduce legislation to limit the rents that may be charged for grazing land.

No. It is already provided under Section 35 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, that where grazing land is let on an annual tenancy or for a greater interest the rent may be settled by arbitration.

The position remains as stated in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for West Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 18th February. I understand that the Governor is now engaged on the usual quarterly review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many proposals for improvement schemes have been received under the Hill Farming Act, 1946, for each of the counties in Wales; and how they have been dealt with.

The following table shows the position on 23rd March, 1948.

asked the Minister of Health what is the reason for the protracted delay in implementing the award for increased prewar basic salaries to Registration Officers made by the National Joint Council in July, 1947; and whether he will consider quickening the procedure adopted for dealing with this matter.

Before the local authorities could be invited to submit proposals on the basis of the National Joint Council's recommendations it was necessary to consult the representative associations concerned. As stated on 25th March in reply to the hon. Member for Salford, South (Mr. Hardy), the recommendations of the National Joint Council cannot become operative except by a formal amendment of the statutory Scheme in force in each area. Amendment schemes are now being prepared by councils in consultation with the Registrar-General.

asked the Minister of Labour how many Government trainees were, as at the last most convenient date, unemployed, and what is the average length of such unemployment.

This information is not available as separate records are not maintained of the employment of persons who have at any time passed through the Vocational Training Scheme. The numbers who have completed training and are awaiting placing in their training trade is approximately 3,700. Many of them are, of course, employed in other work, pending placing in the trade for which they were trained. Over 67,000 have been placed in their training trade since the inception of the scheme in 1945.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to encourage the shorter apprenticeships in industry which he advocates.

The importance of this matter has been brought to the notice of all the major industries both in writing and at meetings where discussions have taken place on the question of improved recruitment and training schemes. These industries have been urged, in connection with their arrangements for the recruitment and training of young people, to adopt more systematic methods with a view to shortening the period of apprenticeships to such extent as may be consistent with the attainment of the required standard of craft skill.

asked the Minister of Labour what training centres are now operated by the National Institute of Houseworkers; what is the average length of the training period; how many domestic workers were trained during 1947; and at what average cost to his Department.

Training centres are now open at Chilton Cantelo, Oxford, Bridge of Allan, Keighley and Swansea. The average length of training in the centre is six months for students over 18, nine months for students under 18. No trainees were due to complete their training in 1947. The scheme is not yet sufficiently developed to enable figures as to average cost per student to be given.

asked the Minister of Labour how many factories are now operated by the Disabled Persons Employment Corporation in the West Riding of Yorkshire; where these are; how many disabled persons are employed at each; what is the nature of the work; and what other factories will be opened during 1948.

There are two factories now operating in the West Riding of Yorkshire—at Halifax where 31 severely disabled persons are employed in the manufacture of electrically heated pads and at Pontefract where five persons are making agricultural woodwork. The Pontefract factory has just been opened and is still in process of engaging workers. It is expected that factories will be opened during 1948 at Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield. There is also a possibility that factories may be ready for occupation at Doncaster and Rotherham.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the basis of his estimate, including the number of British workers involved, that £750,000 may be spent during 1948–49 in transferring persons to the Dominions and Colonies.

The figure of £750,000 is based on an estimate that, having regard to the transport available, 5,000 eligible persons with their dependants will go to the Dominions and Colonies under the Free Passage Scheme, which is confined to men and women who served in the Armed Forces and the Merchant Navy during the recent war.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what the position is with regard to the payment of com- pensation by the Chinese Government for damage done to British property during the course of the riots in Canton on 16th January; and whether any compensation has so far been paid.

Despite repeated representations by His Majesty's Embassy at Nanking, no progress at all has been made, and the position remains as stated in the answer given to the hon. Member for Brighton (Mr. Teeling) on 16th February. No compensation has yet been paid.