asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has any statement to make on the granting of a franchise for the laying of a new pipeline from Iraq to Haifa.

There is no question of granting a concession for the laying of a new pipeline. Negotiations are, however, in progress between the Palestine Government and the Iraq Petroleum Company for the grant of permission to the Company to bring oil through their existing pipeline from the area covered by a concession recently granted them in Transjordan and from two new areas in Iraq.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the High Commissioner for Palestine will leave Palestine on 15th May; and who will be in operational command during the final withdrawal of our troops from that country.

The High Commissioner for Palestine will leave Palestine on the termination of the Mandate. The General Officer Commanding, Palestine, will remain in operational command, under the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Land Forces, during the final withdrawal of our troops.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many students from Cyprus undertook full-time courses of study in this country beginning in 1945, 1946 and 1947, respectively, and what subjects did they choose to study.

According to records available in the Colonial Office, the number of students from Cyprus pursuing full-time courses of study in this country for the academic years 1945, 1946 and 1947 were 81, 114, and 139, respectively. I am circulating a table showing the distribution of these students over the various courses of study.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is satisfied that the social services in Cyprus are sufficient to meet the needs of the population.

No, but provision is made for a considerable development of social services in Cyprus under the Ten-Year Plan; and my right hon. Friend is satisfied that this work, to which he and the Governor attach great importance, is being pressed on as urgently as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that Victoria Hospital, Bathurst, Gambia, which provides hospital service for 300 Europeans and 15,000 Africans cannot provide facilities for blood transfusions, has only one clinical thermometer and the solitary chemist in the Colony is unable to provide one and that the drug indent on the United Kingdom is two years in arrears; and what steps does he intend to take to overcome immediately this unnecessary and dangerous lack of medical equipment, drugs and dressings.

My right hon. Friend is informed that whole blood transfusions can be, and have been, provided at the Hospital, though this is done only when plasma or other transfusion would not suffice. No "blood bank" has been established in the Colony owing to local difficulties over collection and storage. Although the local chemist has at present no clinical thermometers in stock, twelve dozen are held in the Colony and 28 of these are on issue. It is not correct that the drug indent on the United Kingdom is two years in arrears. Certain items have occasionally been in arrears owing to supply and shipping delays, but the Governor reports that there is and has been no dangerous deficier.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when it may be expected that he will send a reply to the formal request of Mr. Justice T. A. Brown, Judge of the Supreme Court in Singapore, dated 21st November, 1947, for the Certificate of the Secretary of State regarding the status of the Sultan of Johore.

My right hon. Friend has just received from Malaya a material document for which he was waiting and will now give his reply to the Court.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will publish a list setting out the military bases within the British Empire leased to the U.S. Government; the bases in respect of which there is an agreement for joint use by the British and U.S. Armed Forces; and the bases, ports, and harbour installations which have been made available to any of the U.S. Armed Forces during the past six months.

Information about bases leased to the U.S. Government will be found in the White Paper on Bases Leased to the United States of America (Cmd. 6259) As regards the remaining parts of the Question, there are no agreements for joint use of bases by British and U.S. Forces, but the United States Navy has, in accordance with normal procedure, paid visits to a number of British ports during the past six months.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate supplies of baskets and other containers will be available for soft fruits to be delivered to the public this summer.

Timber is still scare but we hope to meet growers' and wholesalers' requirements for making chip baskets for soft fruit and other fruit. If my hon. Friend is aware of any difficulty and will let me have particulars, I will gladly look into it. As to other types of basket, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Maidstone (Mr. Bossom) on Wednesday, 11th February, by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Food the difference in freight and loading costs per ton between Canary bananas and those purchased from Jamaica; and whether this accounts for the difference of £14 per ton between the prices paid to Spain and Jamaica for bananas.

The freight rate on bananas from Jamaica is approximately £2 per ton higher than on bananas from the Canary Islands. I have no information on relative loading cysts. The Jamaican price for 1948 was agreed with representatives of the Industry and we fell in with the strongly expressed desire of the Jamaican producers for a long-term contract. The price for this year was maintained instead of dropping as provided under the existing contract, and the Ministry of Food have undertaken to purchase the entire exportable surplus for a further five years.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been drawn to the shortage of Nestlés Milk in Brighton and Hove; why there is such a shortage of supplies of evaporated milk for babies, convalescents and delicate folk in the South of England and not in the North of England; and whether he will take steps to make an equal distribution throughout the country.

Condensed milk will be one of the first commodities to come under the new arrangements for linking the distribution of certain points foods to ration registrations and this will help to prevent inequalities in distribution.

asked the Minister of Food the approximate amounts of tea, margarine, meat, sugar, dried whole eggs and fruit cake, or the ingredients from which some of these are manufactured,

EXPORT ALLOCATIONS OF CERTAIN FOODSTUFFS.
Commodity.	(a) Estimated Exports in 1948.	Remarks
Refined Sugar	400,000 tons	Raw sugar is bought for refining and re-export to selected destinations.
(b) Sugar for exports in processed form.	20,000 tons
(b) Margarine or Other Fats	4,000 tons	Margarine is also available for export as margarine to approved destinations. It is not yet possible to form an estimate of the amount involved.
(b) Meat (Manufacturing Grade).	4,000 tons
(b) Spray Dried Whole Egg	140 tons	The Dried Egg 111 Parcels for Dollars is supplied from Canada under private arrangements and does not come from stocks available in England. Dried Egg as such is not available for export.
Fruit Cake	82 tons	Manufactured from allocations of raw materials, some of which are listed above.
Tea	1,200 tons	Tea is imported specifically for re-export under private arrangements.
(a) Figures for Dried Egg, Fruit Cake and Tea are based on performance in the first 3 months, 1948. Others are estimates.
(b) These commodities are being exported in processed form, and not as raw materials.

asked the Minister of Food if the granting of a catering licence is conditional on the applicant undertaking to serve all and sundry regardless of race or colour provided food is available.

No. But the very serious step of revoking a licence has to be taken if the holder has proved himself an unworthy link in the chain of distribution. I should take the view that a deliberate policy of racial discrimination on the part of a caterer would constitute him an unworthy link in the chain of distribution.

I will circulate the answer to the first part of the Question in the OFFICIAL REPORT. Less than of one per cent, of our food exports is now being used in parcels for dollars schemes, which have earned ir8,5oo in hard currency in the few months since they were approved.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in order to clear up old stocks of China tea, which are now accumulating and tending to deteriorate in warehouses, he will allow consumers to draw, where desired, an extra quarter of China tea during one specified four-week period.

I am afraid that the stocks of China tea at present held in this country would not be nearly enough to permit of the extra ration as proposed. I have no evidence that there is any deterioration in these stocks.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications were made in the last twelve months by parents to withdraw savings certificates registered in the name of a child under seven years of age; of such applications how many were refused; and what were the total respective sums involved.

The number and amount of these applications are not recorded but it is estimated that the number of applications during the last twelve months was about 45,000, that payment was made in 36,000 cases, and that in 9,00o cases the application was either dropped on inquiry or was refused. The amount paid is estimated to have been £424,000 and the amount not paid £107,000.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of telephones installed in the years 1945–46–47 compared with 1936–37–38; and the number of applications awaiting installation.

Following is the answer:

Calendar Year.	Telephones installed (excluding transfers of telephones in situ).	Outstanding Applications (as at December).
1936	390,331	925
1945	389,553	299,843
1937	400,608	6,053
1946	697,579	350,332
1938	379,520	4,123
1947	624,809	423,152

NOTEPre-1946 returns of outstanding application, include some relating to more than one line

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the great increase in mountaineering in Great Britain; and if he will review the telephone service available in such districts in order to give general service and especially for the summoning of help in cases of accident.

The value of telephone service to isolated rural communities, including those in mountaineering districts, is fully recognised and the Post Office is extending the service to them as rapidly as possible, within the limits of its resources.

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the food parcels sent by the people of Tasmania addressed to the Secretary, Headquarters, British ex-Service League, London, England, for the use of needy families of the British Legion, were returned to Tasmania instead of being delivered; and what charge was made for the return postage.

asked the Postmaster-General why the Post Office authorities refused to accept parcels sent from ex-Service men in Tasmania addressed to the British ex-Service League and returned them to Tasmania.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement regarding 24 parcels sent by the Returned Soldiers' League of Tasmania to the Headquarters, British ex-Service League, London, marked "Gift Food Parcels"; why all these parcels were returned to the senders as insufficiently addressed; and why the senders had to pay 5s. 10d. each.

So far as I have been able to ascertain, 10 parcels from Tasmania addressed "The Secretary, Headquarters, British ex-Service League, London," were treated as undeliverable last year, because efforts to trace such an organisation proved unsuccessful. No instructions had been given by the senders for disposal in the event of non-delivery, and the parcels were therefore returned to the senders in conformity with the regulations governing the International Parcel Post Service, the senders becoming responsible for the return postage of 5s. 10d. on each parcel. I am glad to say that subsequently arrangements were made some months ago by agreement with the Australian Post Office for food parcels from Australia which cannot be delivered as addressed, and which have not been marked for return to the sender, to be handed to the Ministry of Food who have arrangements for appropriate distribution, e.g. to charitable and other needy institutions. I hope to extend this arrangement to other countries.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the expenditure in 1947 by his Department and what is the estimated expenditure in 1948 upon hostels for agricultural workers.

I regret that the information is not available and could not be obtained without extensive local inquiry.

asked the Postmaster-General approximately how many pillar boxes and wall letter boxes that have been approved are held tip for lack of steel.

Delivery of about 700 posting boxes of various types is outstanding. The delay is due to various difficulties connected with labour and raw materials but I regret I am not able to say how many boxes are held up specifically for lack of steel. I am glad to say the supply position is improving.

asked the Postmaster-General what conditions he has prescribed for the employment by the B.B.C. of persons who are not British subjects.

The following are the conditions prescribed for the employment by the B.B.C., in the conduct of the services, of persons who are not British subjects:

1. No alien shall be employed unless the Corporation is fully satisfied, after consulting the appropriate Department of the Ministry of Labour and National Service, that a British subject with qualifications required for the post is unobtainable.

2. Subject to condition 1, aliens may be given temporary employment in the foreign services without individual authority from the Postmaster-General, provided the appointment concerned complies with the terms of the relaxation of the Nationality Rule applied to Civil Servants.

3. Aliens may be given temporary employment in Departments other than those dealing with foreign services only with the specific written authority of the Postmaster-General.

4. Permanent employment of aliens in any Department may be given only with the specific written authority of the Postmaster-General. Such an appointment should be regarded as requiring special justification and should, if possible, be confined to the foreign services. The fact that a suitable qualified British candidate for a permanent post is not at the moment available should not in itself be considered sufficient reason for the permanent filling of it by an alien, though it could be temporarily filled in accordance with 2 or 3 above.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the strike of African workers in Bulawayo.

The Southern Rhodesia Government have informed me that on 14th April a strike of African workers for better wages, including commercial, industrial, municipal, Government and domestic employees, but not railway workers, commenced at Bulawayo against the advice of responsible African leaders. On 16th April the strike spread to Umtali, but by 19th April practically all workers at both towns were back at work. In Salisbury and Cwelo all municipal and many industrial, commercial, Government and domestic workers came out on 19th April, and there was a strike for a short time in Que Que, but by 22nd April work had been resumed at these places also, My latest information is that all African employees have returned to work except for one small mine and one farm. The Southern Rhodesia Government further informed me that African Labour Boards were being appointed forthwith for all interests affected except domestic servants and that sittings commenced in Bulawayo on 21st April.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will tabulate the diet of Royal Air Force aircrews in calories and weight.

I will circulate it the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement showing the total value, in calories, of the daily diet of R.A.F. aircrews. Particulars or their diet, by weight, are shown in a number of detailed tables, which I am

R.A.F. AIRCREW RATIONS.
Rations in terms of calories.	HOME.		OVERSEAS.		PALESTINE
	From 1st February, 1948.	From 15th May, 1948.	From 1st May, 1948.	From 1st August, 1948.
Daily Basic Ration Scale	2,227	2,231	3,392	3,395	3,420
Estimated Calorie Intake from other than fixed or nationally controlled items (e.g., fish, vegetables)	680	680	—	—	—
Supplementary Ration	434	434	604	604	604
TOTAL	3,341	3,345	3,996	3,999	4,024

Notes: 1. In addition to the above, aircrews when engaged on long flights receive "energy foods" such as barley sugar, chocolate and raisins. These are provided from a cash allowance on the following basis:
Duration of Flight.	Cash Allowance	Caloric Value.
4–8 hours.	1s. per man.	600
8–15	1s. 6d. per man.	900
2. The slight increase in calorie value from 15th May at home and 1st August overseas arises from increases in sugar, fats and bread to compensate for reductions in meat, bacon and cheese.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will arrange for the buoys now moored in St. Austell Bay, Cornwall, to be removed, as they are a danger to shipping.

Instructions have been given for four of the seven R.A.F. buoys and moorings in St. Austell Bay to be removed pending a decision on the future of the range there. The others must, however, be retained for the present; if they endanger navigation, my Department will take such steps as are advised by the Ministry of Transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will give instructions for the removal of a large R.A.F. target from the beaches at Woolacombe before the coming tourist season.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he proposes to make use of the Percival Prentice to train the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

No. The present intention is to use the Prentice for the first stage of the new syllabus for pilot training in the Regular Air Force. As regards aircraft for the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, I would refer my-hon. Friend to my answer of 14th April to the hon. and gallant Member for Macclesfield (Air-Commodore Harvey).

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the number of fatal accidents at the R.A.F. station at Topcliffe is above the average; and which of the types of machine used there are now old and out of date.

It would be contrary to long-established policy to publish comparisons between the number of accidents at an individual R.A.F. station and the average for other stations. The Anson Mk. I and Wellington Mk. X, which are used at the Air Navigation School at Topcliffe, are standard navigation training aircraft for the R.A.F.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what are the daily payments, allowances and expenses paid to the following service personnel in the R.A.F., Egypt Command: sergeants, flight-lieutenants and squadron leaders in married quarters in camp; and what are the payments, allowances and expenses paid to

PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF R.A.F. PERSONNEL—MARRIED AND ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR FAMILIES—IN EGYPT.
Rank.			Marriage Allowance (Taxable).	Overseas Family Allowance* (Taxable).	Ration Allowance.	Local Overseas Allowance.
	Pay (Taxable Daily Rates.					Living in private accommodation.	Living in Service M.Q.
	General Duties Branch		12/6d. a day (if aged 25 years or over). 45/- a week (if under 25 years of age)	5/- a week for each child after the first	6/11d. a day	27/-a day.	13/-a day.
Squadron Leader	35/-
after 2 yrs.	37/-
"4 yrs-	39/-
"6 yrs.	41/-
"8yrs.	—
"10 yrs.	—
Flight Lieutenant	23/-
after 2 yrs.	25/-
"4 yrs.	27/-
6 yrs	29/-
	Pay (Daily Rates).
	Group A.	Groups B, C and D.
Sergeant	12/-	10/6d.	40/- a week	5/- a week for each child after the first.	6/11d. a day.	17/- a day.	10/6d. a day.
after 4 yrs.	12/6d.	11/-
"8 yrs.	13/-	11/6d.
"12 yrs.	13/6d.	12/-
"16 yrs.	14/-	12/6d.
* Overseas Family Allowance is payable to officers and airmen serving overseas in lieu of the family allowance to which they would be entitled under the Family Allowances Act of 1945, if serving at home.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he will consider seeking powers, similar to those in operation in the case of British seamen stranded abroad, in order to protect British airmen similarly stranded abroad.

Yes. This question will be considered.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil

Following is the answer:Aviation whether he intends to direct B.E.A.C. to resume the daily return air service from Aberdeen to London.

No.

asked the Minister of Supply the present strength of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough in technical, scientific, administrative and industrial staff, and the percentage allocation of resources to civil and military researches, respectively.

It would not be in the public interest to give detailed information about the number of staff employed at this Establishment. A large proportion of the staff is engaged on work of a general character which has both civil and military application, and it is not possible to estimate the percentage of resources allocated to civil and military research, respectively.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered complains sent to him both from the management and men of the Pontymister, Mon., steel works about the insufficient supply of pig iron, both basic and hematite; if he is aware that 1,000 tons basic pig iron is required weekly to keep five out of the seven furnaces going and 200 tons of hematite to keep one out of the two acid furnaces going, whereas only 600 tons is the weekly amount allocated; and if he will see that this material is forthcoming so that production can be increased and full employment found.

Yes. These complaints have been very fully considered. There is a general shortage of pig iron. We are doing our best to increase supplies of pig iron by running blast furnaces to their maximum capacity and by imports, but I fear it will be some time before the full effect of these measures is felt. In the meantime Pontymister is getting its fair share of available supplies.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the British Military Mission which was established in Syria in 1945 to reorganise and re-equip the Syrian Army, completed its task; and what was the date of its recall.

There has not been a British Military Mission in Syria in 1945 or subsequently. The small British Army training team which was sent there in July, 1945, to help to train the Syrian Gendarmerie was withdrawn without replacement in the Spring of 1946.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of potential officers examined by his Department's selection boards in the United Kingdom during the past year; the number who have passed these selection boards; and whether he will give figures showing each of his Department's selection boards separately.

During 1947 9,132 candidates for emergency commissions were examined by the War Office selection boards; of these 3,098 (33·9 per cent.) passed. Two thousand, one hundred and forty-nine candidates for Regular commissions were examined by the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Selection Board. Of these 978 passed; 592, who were not considered suitable for Regular commissions, were recommended for emergency commissions. The figures, for each War Office selection board are as follow:

JANUARY-DECEMBER, 1947.
Board No.	Examined.	Passed.	Percentage Passed.
1	1,054	433	41·1
2	1,380	410	29·7
5	l,473	510	34·6
6	673	179	26·6
10	1,303	354	27·2
11	1,264	497	39·3
18	1,011	323	31·9
32	974	392	40·2
	9,132	3,098

It became apparent during 1947, that the differences between boards were larger than could be accounted for by differences in the standard of candidates seen. Remedial action was taken in September, 1947, and the figures for October, 1947, to February, 1948, are as follow:

OCTOBER, 1947-FEBRUARY, 1948.
Board No.	Examined.	Passed.	Percentage Passed.
2	661	260	39·3
5	557	196	35·2
10	650	234	36·0
11	564	181	32·0
18	406	133	32·7
32	472	175	37·0
	3,310	1,179

Boards Nos. 1 and 6 had been disbanded.

asked the Economic Secretary to the Treasury why British Transport and British Electricity Stocks have not been placed on the Post Office Register.

Because they are not Government Stocks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is intended that private enterprise will function in respect of goods and food purchased by participating countries under the Marshall Aid Plan.

Yes, as far as appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the regulations dealing with the infliction of corporal punishment on board the training ship "Arethusa"; and to what extent this punishment has been inflicted during the past year.

My right hon. Friend understands that corporal punishment, which can be awarded only by the captain, is governed by rules which prescribe from twelve strokes down to one stroke with a cane according to the offence. My right hon. Friend is making inquiries, and will communicate with the hon. Member as to the corporal punishments awarded during the past year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will publish a ċomplete list and approximate circulations of the newspapers, periodicals and magazines published in this country for the purpose of increasing Anglo-Soviet friendship and giving Soviet views, news and opinions; and if he will give a list of the comparative publications fulfilling the same functions for this country in the Soviet Union and the circulations of such publications.

The following English-language newspapers and periodicals are published by the Soviet Embassy in the United Kingdom with the object of familiarising the British public with Soviet news, policy and opinions:

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that medical practitioners filling important offices as chairmen of hospital boards and in other hospital services, find, as exemplified in a case submitted to him, that the allowances now allotted to them do not permit use of their cars for any other purpose than the services mentioned, and as they are thus deprived of the opportunity now conceded to use basic petrol for other than professional duties, if he will rectify this position.

Under the new system which comes into operation on 1st June every motorist will be entitled to a standard allowance sufficient for about go miles motoring per month. This allowance may be used for any purpose. For reasons which were fully explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Osborne) in the Adjournment Debate on 20th April this standard allowance will not be additional to the existing supplementary allowances, but will be deducted from all supplementary allowances as they are issued.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether under the new petrol rationing scheme a motor bicycle equipped with sidecar, is to receive the same petrol allocation as a solo machine, although the addition of a sidecar considerably reduces the mileage which is done per gallon.

For the purpose of the standard ration, as with the previous basic ration, vehicles have to be graded according to their capacity, and no account can be taken of sidecars, which may be attached or removed at will. Motor cycles are divided into two groups, those up to 250 c.c., which will receive a standard ration of nine gallons for six months, and those over 250 c.c., which will receive 13 gallons. Motor cycles with sidecars will normally fall into the latter group, and will therefore receive the higher allowance. In assessing supplementary allowances regional petroleum officers have authority to take into account the need for the use of a sidecar, where this can be shown, and to increase the coupon issue accordingly.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps are being taken to ensure that coal shipped for export is properly screened.

Not all coal for export needs to be screened. But on the arrangements being made for improving the quality of coal for sale both at home and abroad I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Chairman of the National Coal Board on 18th March, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why there is such a lack of fencing wire in East Scotland that farmers even with permits are being told they must wait 18 months for delivery.

I am not aware that the delay in obtaining delivery of fencing wire is so great as the hon. and gallant Member suggests. There is, however, a shortage of all forms of wire and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply has taken steps to increase production and has undertaken to look into the cases of shortages reported to him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will expedite the release of a consignment of books, valued £45, held in bond at Holyhead and purchased by the Staffordshire Educational Book Company, of Litchfield from Eire, as these books are educational and technical books badly needed by university students in the Midlands.

Books of the kind referred to by my hon. Friend are licensed for import on a basis of 200 per cent. by value of pre-war imports. The importers have been asked for a statement of their pre-war trade and when this is received, the question whether a licence can be granted will be considered.

asked the Minister of Works whether in view of the public interest in matters relating to Parliament, he will arrange for a model of the new Commons Chamber to be exhibited where it can be inspected by the many visitors to the Palace of Westminster.

Under present conditions there is no place in the Palace of Westminster where a model could be inspected by visitors without increasing congestion.

asked the Minister of Education if he will inquire into the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of an ex-Service man invalided from the Services in 1945, who, a year ago, took an appointment as a temporary teacher and now wishes to achieve the status of qualified teacher, but has been unable to secure a vacancy in an emergency or other training college for the training which has been accorded to temporary teachers wishing to improve their status; and if he will rectify this position.

The candidate about whom the hon. Member has written to me applied for admission to the Emergency Teacher Training Scheme, but was not considered suitable for training under that scheme. The selection of candidates for admission to training colleges, other than emergency colleges, is a matter for the authorities of each college and I cannot properly seek to influence them in their choice.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he is aware of the anxiety felt in Bristol at the lack of progress in the re-construction of the city; and if he will make a full statement as to the present position.

Yes, and I share that anxiety. As there may have been some misunderstanding about my attitude to the re-construction of Bristol, I welcome the opportunity of making a statement. I believe that the misunderstanding has arisen through confusion between the plan for the reconstruction of the city, which I have never sought to curtail, and the programme for carrying out the plan which must be related to practical possibilities. The City Council of Bristol have submitted to me compulsory purchase orders for approximately 100 acres of war damaged land. In view of our present economic difficulties I have asked them to reconsider the application and to restrict it for the time being to land which they will actually need in the next few years. I am satisfied that their powers under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, will enable them to exercise effective control meantime over the remainder of the land.This does not mean that I disapprove of their ultimate plans or that I am not willing to give them every help in my power to make an effective start on reconstruction, as many other cities are doing. But I am bound to ask them to stage the work and to spend public money only as and when they need to do so. As soon as the Council let me know what land they think they need for making an effective start on their first stage, I hope to enable them to buy it.In spite of these necessary—but, I hope, temporary—limitations upon the activities of the blitzed towns I urge local authorities not to be discouraged, to make a start with which I am only too anxious to help them, and to prepare their plans so that they can be ready for their opportunities when they come.