asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the anxiety of local road safety committees in regard to an increase in the general speed limit of heavy commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement on his proposals in this respect.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 22nd March to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for West Coventry (Mr. Edelman), of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport now that Kerne Bridge, Walford, and its approaches have been acquired by the Herefordshire County Council, if it is the intention of the Council to free the bridge of tolls.

Yes, but I have authorised the Council to continue the tolls until the end of June, by which time works required to make the approach roads suitable for unrestricted traffic should have been carried out.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is now prepared to give the London Transport Executive his approval under Section 4 (2) of the Transport Act, 1947, for the completion of the electrification of the Alexandra Palace line, having regard to the serious traffic congestion in this district.

I am informed by the British Transport Commission that they are preparing a programme of development, to be settled on lines to be approved by me under the terms of Section 4 (2) of the Transport Act. Any such programme must have full regard to other urgent works and the need to restrict capital investment, so I cannot say at present when this particular work can be undertaken.

asked the Minister of Transport why parties of children taking school camping journeys are not allowed party rates and, if between the ages of 14 and 15, must pay full adult monthly return fares.

These are matters for the British Transport Commission, and I am bringing my hon. Friend's Question to their notice.

asked the Minister of Transport how many registered dock workers were employed in the Port of London; what was the estimated tonnage handled by them in 1938; and if he will give the figures for 1947.

It is estimated that before the war, there were about 35,000 men on the London Port register or employed at wharves and undertakings now within the London dock labour scheme. The present number of registered dock workers is about 27,000. The total tonnages of goods imported into or exported from the Port of London (including transhipments) were about 42 million tons in 1938 and 35 million tons in 1947, but not all of these goods were handled by registered port workers.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the shortage of barges in the Port of London; and what is the estimated number required to meet any such deficit.

I am informed by the Port of London Authority that the supply of barges is generally sufficient to meet requirements at present. Occasional delays in providing barges at peak periods have been due mainly to slow turn-round of craft at destination, and this matter is now being watched by a lighterage consultative panel set up by the Authority.

asked the Minister of Supply the average price received for Rolls-Merlin aero-engines disposed of since the end of the war; and if a record is kept by his Department of those to whom these engines were sold.

At the present time it is not in the public interest to disclose the price. A record of the buyers is kept in the Department.

asked the Minister of Supply what are the functions of the Iron and Steel Board at the present time; and why is an increase of staff necessary.

The Board's responsibilities are, broadly, to consider plans for the development and modernisation of the iron and steel industry, including foundries; to exercise general supervision over production; to administer the current controls over production, distribution and imports; and to advise on general price policy and on the fixing of prices for controlled products. More staff is needed because the work has increased in volume and complexity.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that there is a shortage of flat and half-round files at the Crewe locomotive depot of the London and Midland region of the Railway Executive; and what steps are being taken to improve the situation.

No; and I have had no approach from the Railway Executive on this matter.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the basis of priority by which motor-car dealers allocate commercial vehicles after the demands of the coal, food and building industries have been satisfied; what evidence he has that this is being carried out; what consideration is given to other essential users; and whether in order of priority of application.

There is no priority in the distribution of commercial vehicles for the coal, food and building industries. The motor industry is paying equal attention to the requirements of all essential industries.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is prepared to take to remedy the shortage of iron and steel supply to rural blacksmiths.

Rural blacksmiths normally obtain their iron and steel from merchants. Efforts are being made both to expand supplies and to divert more to the merchants.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will discontinue using his powers under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939, to obtain premises for Government Departments at less than the rent payable under free market conditions.

As the hon. Member knows, rental compensation for requisitioned premises is now payable at current market values, subject only to the maxima prescribed by the Requisitioned Land and War Works Act, 1948. I cannot give any general undertaking to refrain from requisitioning on the terms so recently approved by Parliament, but it is not, in fact, my practice to use my requisitioning powers where the public interest can reasonably be secured in other ways.

asked the Minister of Works what was the expenditure by his Department in 1947 and what is the estimated expenditure in 1948. upon hostels for agricultural workers.

The cost of providing and equipping hostels for agricultural workers in 1947 was about £900,000. Expenditure in 1948 is estimated at roughly £2,100,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that Herr Heinrich Wilhelm Kopf, Premier of Lower Saxony, has been appointed to represent Western Germany at the 16-Nation Marshall Plan Conference; that this man is regarded by the Poles as a war criminal; that the Polish Government is demanding his extradition so that he may be brought to trial; that the Nuremberg Tribunal declared that the organisation of which he was administrator was criminal, and that its leaders should be regarded as war criminals; that he is described as such by the United Nations War Crimes Commission; and whether he will take steps to prevent this person representing the German people.

Herr Kopf has not, as alleged by my hon. Friend, been appointed to represent Western Germany at this or any other conference; nor, as further alleged by my hon. Friend, was the organisation of which he was administrator declared criminal at Nuremberg; nor is he listed as a war criminal by the United Nations War Crimes Commission. The last part of the Question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has been provided by the Soviet authorities with their report on the Gatow air crash; and if he will make a statement.

No, but I have seen the text as published in the Soviet controlled Press. I have no wish to comment on this document, except to say that the account given of the disaster and of its causes is totally inaccurate. The accusation in it that the British court of inquiry manipulated the evidence is also totally false and unfounded.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is proposing to endeavour to bring the signatories of the Brussels Pact into the standardisation of arms scheme now existing between the U.S.A. and Great Britain; and whether it is proposed that staff conversations between the signatory Powers and the U.S.A. shall take place.

There is no formal scheme of the kind referred to by the hon. Member in the first part of his Question. As was announced after the meeting of the five Foreign Ministers in Paris recently, a permanent Military Committee will be set up in London.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Parliament will be invited to consider legislation to ratify and regulate aid received by the United Kingdom under the Marshall Plan.

The United States Economic Co-operation Act of 1948 provides that, in order to be eligible to receive aid, each country participating in the recovery programme shall conclude an agreement with the United States Government confirming adherence to the purposes of the Act. I am advised that the agreement will not involve any legislation. It will, however, be laid before the House. If legislation is necessary in connection with the receipt of aid from the United States, that matter will, of course, come before the House in the ordinary way.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the amount in gallons of milk which was returned by dairymen to producers as being unfit for human consumption, by reason of having gone sour, for the months of April to September last, respectively.

The quantities of milk returned by dairymen to producers in England and Wales for any reason other than poor chemical composition in the summer months of 1947 are approximately as follow:

			Gallons.
April	…	…	27,500
May	…	…	247,000
June	…	…	504,000
July	…	…	531,000
August	…	…	653,000
September	…	…	142,500

Separate figures are not available for milk returned as having gone sour, and the above figures include milk rejected on account of taint or because on test it was found to be of poor keeping quality

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now increase beyond 20,000 the number of German prisoners of war allowed to remain as civilian agricultural workers, apart from those in the two special classes already allowed in excess of this figure; and if he will give an assurance that prisoners of war waiting to be absorbed into this scheme will not be repatriated while the matter is still under consideration.

No. I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Maldon by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 25th March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how far his estimate of £50,000,000 for farmers' expenditure on agricultural machinery, has now been revised; and what is the revised estimate.

The estimate for 1948 remains at about £50 million.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that the Herts. A.E.C. has dammed a back water of the River Lea near Dobbs Weir; and since the blocking of this natural waterway aggravates the flooding round Nazeing, what steps he is prepared to take with the Herts. A.E.C. to get the dam removed.

The side stream was dammed by the Committee some years ago in the interests of food production on some 80 acres of land. I am unable to accept the suggestion that this dam materially increases the quantity of water flowing down the main navigation channel of the River Lea, or that it could have any significant effect on the flooding problem at Nazeing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in view of the decision by the King's Bench Division in the case of Allingham and Anr. against his Department he will now consider setting up a tribunal to consider all cases of dispossession for disobedience to directions of the committees.

The decision referred to does not affect cases of dispossession.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many persons have been engaged during the last twelve months to enter the National Agricultural Advisory Service; and from what services are they recruited.

Two hundred and six persons have been appointed to the National Agricultural Advisory Service during the past twelve months. A number of these were recently qualified students, and most of the remainder were recruited from the staff of county agricultural executive committees, universities, colleges and research institutes, local authorities, and from industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture for what reason he has recently removed from county agricultural executive committees those members who have hitherto represented independent scientific opinion; and what arrangements will be made henceforward to ensure that county agricultural executive committees have adequate scientific advice of an independent nature.

Changes in the constitution and functions of county agricultural executive committees brought about by the Agriculture Act have, unfortunately, made it impossible for me to find room on the new committees for all the scientists who served on the war committees, though I am glad to say that there are still a number of committees which contain an agricultural scientist. Committees are at liberty to invite scientists to serve on their sub-committees; and many of them have done so. As a result, several scientists who were formerly on executive committees are now serving on sub-committees, so that their advice is still available to committees. Further, the National Agricultural Advisory Service and the other technical services of my Department are available to provide committees with scientific advice and guidance.

asked the Attorney-General when he expects to receive the Committee's Report on Leasehold Reform; whether he is aware of the anxiety caused to present tenants by unreasonable landlords; and if he will expedite this matter.

The Leasehold Committee have not yet been able to indicate when they will be ready to submit a Report to my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, but the Committee, as well as my noble Friend and myself, are aware of the public interest in the questions which have been referred to them and the necessity of dealing with them urgently. There is, however, a considerable amount of evidence which the Committee must consider before they can submit a Report of any value, and I understand that they are in the process of collecting that evidence. I do not think, therefore, that a useful purpose would be served by asking the Committee to expedite their Report.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that parcels of food sent from Canada and Australia for the aged people are now lying in the warehouses of this country; what is the reason for the delay in distribution; and if he will take the necessary steps to pass this food on to the people for whom it was intended before it becomes unfit for human consumption.

I can assure my hon. Friend that there is no avoidable delay and no evidence of deterioration. My Department have distributed more than a million cases of gift food during the past two years. The present distribution amounts to 120,000 cases and we now have in store about 30,000 cases towards the next distribution, which begins next month.

asked the Minister of Food what representations he has received from the grocery trade respecting the accumulation of heavy stocks of jam as a consequence of many customers taking sugar in lieu of their preserves ration; and if he will consider the reduction of these stocks by authorising an off-the-ration allocation at an early date.

In consequence of the present stock position my right hon. Friend has decided that during the four weeks beginning 23rd May, the preserves ration, when taken as jam, shall be increased from 1 lb. to 2 lb.

asked the Minister of Food if he will convene regional conferences of food executive officers for the rural areas to ensure uniformity in the granting of agricultural food allowances.

We are considering this possibility.

asked the Minister of Food if he will consult with the working party on agricultural food allowances and the Advisory Committee of the Trades Union Congress, with a view to the publication of the working party's recent recommendations to him.

No. In view of the fact that the recommendations of the working party were not accepted either by my Ministry or by the Advisory Committee of the T.U.C. I do not think that their publication would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Minister of Food what is the total number of motor cars provided for the use of his Department's personnel.

One hundred and sixty-eight cars are provided for the use of the Ministry of Food staff in this country, and a further 23 cars for representatives overseas.

asked the Minister of Food how many motor cars are provided for the use of food inspectors; and what is their average monthly petrol allocation per vehicle.

Fifty-two cars are provided for the use of enforcement inspectors, and 28 cars for other food inspectors. The average monthly allocation of petrol per vehicle is 32 gallons.

asked the Minister of Food what raw materials are used in the manufacture of milk cartons; and what is the monthly consumption of these expendable containers.

The raw materials used are: (1) Waxing cartridge (paper); (2) Wax; (3) Steel for the closures. The monthly consumption of cartons is, as near as we can estimate, 7 million.

asked the Minister of Food whether he has considered the complaint sent to him by the hon. Member for Oxford from the Retail Fruit Trade Federation, Oxford and District Branch, of the Ministry selling them oranges at above the maximum price owing to short weight; and what action has been taken in the matter.

I received the complaint from the hon. Member on 22nd April and will make inquiries into the allegation if he will furnish me with the name of the retailer and his supplier, the date on which the oranges in question were received and the shippers' code number on the packages.

asked the Minister of Food why the price to fish-paste manufacturers of cases of salmon has recently been raised from 73s. per case to 93s. 6d. per case, in view of the Government's policy of price reduction.

This increase in the price of imported canned salmon to manufacturers, which was initiated before the announcement of Government price policy, was part of a general revision of canned fish prices to accord with current costs and was adopted to avoid loss to the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Food what was the nature of the gentleman's agreement he came to with those in the tomato trade when price control was removed; and if the understanding has proved effective as far as the interest of the consumer is concerned.

The agreement to which my hon. Friend refers was between traders, and not with my Department. This voluntary control scheme broke down on 26th March.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that, owing to the fact that there will be no general re-registration for meat and groceries when the new ration book comes into operation, housewives will be deprived of the opportunity of changing their retailers for a period of 16 weeks; and whether he is prepared to shorten that period.

Owing to the pressure of work which always falls upon food offices during the eight weeks preceding and the eight weeks following the issue of new ration books I had to decide regretfully that the option to change retailers for meat and groceries should be withdrawn during that period. I realise, however, that this may be a hardship to some consumers and I propose therefore to reconsider the position as soon as the distribution of ration books is complete, to see if we can shorten the period without putting excessive strain on food offices.

asked the Minister of Food how much Cuban sugar during the past year to the latest available date has he bought at 5 cents per lb. or over.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 12th April.

asked the Minister of Food how much sugar there was in this country at the latest available date; how much more he has bought, or is in transit; and how long the present ration can be maintained on the basis of these supplies and arrivals.

It would not be in the public interest to disclose details of our food stocks, but I am satisfied that the present arrangements for supplies of sugar will enable the present ration to be maintained throughout this year.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will make a statement as to the resumption of travel facilities in Yugoslavia; and whether he anticipates that the present restriction will be removed in the near future.

We expect soon to resume negotiations with the Yugoslav Trade Delegation. Until their outcome is known, it is impossible to reply to this Question.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the fact that the decision not to reintroduce basic petrol until 1st June runs counter to the Government's campaign for staggered holidays and, in view of the hardship already suffered by the tourist industry, he will consider advancing this measure to a date, before Whitsun.

I regret that the measures recommended by the Russell Vick Committee for controlling the black market will not be sufficiently advanced to enable my right hon. Friend to permit the use of the standard ration at any date, or for any purpose, before 1st June.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what advantages E petrol coupons confer on their recipients over S petrol.

Since the ending of tyre control, none. For this and other reasons, my right hon. Friend has decided that as from 1st June all issues of supplementary allowances for private cars and motor cycles will be made by means of the same type of coupon.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will state, in linear feet, the amount of conveyor belting used in the mining industry during the 12 months ended 31st March, 1948; and the quantity of used conveyor belting salvaged during the same period and disposed of for further manufacturing processes.

I am advised by the National Coal Board that the latest figures they have relate to the year 1947, during which 7·9 million linear feet of new conveyor belting were put into use. I regret that the information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what guidance he is giving allocation committees which are to be set up under the National Health Service Act in regard to all persons who are entitled to medical treatment but who have not selected a doctor and who may not wish to avail themselves of treatment as insured persons.

The benefits of the National Health Service are not dependent on insurance qualifications. Allocation committees will deal only with persons who ask to be allocated. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a model scheme prepared for the executive councils, which deals with this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to make any statement about the composition of the new Board of Wales and Monmouthshire Estates, Limited.

Yes, Sir. I have appointed the following gentlemen to be directors of the Company:

• Mr. E. Brunning, C.B.E.—Chairman.
• Alderman Huw T. Edwards—Vice-Chairman.
• Colonel Sir Gerald T. Bruce, K.C.B.
• Mr. John S. Fulton.
• Mr. George H. Hoare, J.P.
• Mr. W. E. Hopkin, O.B.E.
• Mr. William Jones, C.B.E.
• Mr. Cliff Prothero, J.P.
• Alderman Thomas Waterhouse, C.B.E., J.P.
• Sir Robert Webber, J.P., D.L.
• Councillor George Williams, C.B.E.
• Alderman T. Lloyd Williams, J.P.

The new Articles of Association of the Company provide for a maximum of 12 directors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of infants born in Glasgow have been vaccinated during each of the last 40 years.

The following table gives the desired information for the years 1911–46. Figures for earlier years are not available.

PERCENTAGE OF INFANTS BORN IN GLASGOW WHO WERE VACCINATED.
Year of birth.		Percentage Vaccinated	Year of birth.		Percentage Vaccinated.
1911	…	65·9	1929	…	58·9
1912	…	64·0	1930	…	58·1
1913	…	61·5	1931	…	55·7
1914	…	59·2	1932	…	51·0
1915	…	62·8	1933	…	48·0
1916	…	61·5	1934	…	47·4
1917	…	61·2	1935	…	46·1
1918	…	60·7	1936	…	45·3
1919	…	66·6	1937	…	44·1
1920	…	81·1	1938	…	41·9
1921	…	70·6	1939	…	42·8
1922	…	69·9	1940	…	47·0
1923	…	69·8	1941	…	55·5
1924	…	70·6	1942	…	65·9
1925	…	69·0	1943	…	61·2
1926	…	67·5	1944	…	61·0
1927	…	65·7	1945	…	60·2
1928	…	63·2	1946	…	62·9

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many aliens have become naturalised British citizens since 1st January, 1946.

Since 1st January, 1946, up to 17th April, 1948, inclusive, 28,189 certificates of naturalisation have been granted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement regarding war damage compensation in the Malayan territories and Hong Kong.

Yes. The following are the texts of public statements which are about to be made by agreement with His Majesty's Government, by the Malayan Governments and the Government of Hong Kong: