asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Bretons have been asked to leave this country during the 12 months ending 30th April this year; and how many were allowed to remain here during the same period.

The records kept in my Department do not subdivide French citizens on a regional basis, and the information asked for is therefore not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether in order to give Germans the opportunity to see something of the British way of life, he will now permit visits by Germans to friends in this country; and what arrangements will be made for payment of fares and for transport.

Yes, Sir. Visas will be authorised in suitable cases to enable Germans to pay short visits to relatives or friends in this country. All the expenses of the visit must be borne by the prospective host, who should send the intending visitor a letter of invitation showing that maintenance and accommodation are available for the period of the visit; this should be produced when application is made in Germany for the visa. An exit permit must be obtained from the occupation authorities before the visa can be issued. The prospective host must make his own arrangements for transport through a travel agency, and the visitor will not be entitled to any priority of travel. These facilities for visits do not modify in any degree the current restrictions on immigration.

While expressing my keen appreciation of that answer, may I ask my right hon. Friend to whom these intending visitors should make application for visas?

In the British zone to the burgomaster, in the French or American zone to the nearest British Passport Control Officer or Consul, and in the Russian zone to the British Passport Control Officer in Berlin.

Do these arrangements start forthwith; will my right hon. Friend indicate if there is any limit to the time for which visitors may come to this country; and can all questions relating to ration cards be suitably met at a local food office?

Obviously the last part of the question is a matter for the local food office. Applications for these facilities can be made straight away. As far as the length of visit is concerned, for adults the time will have to be limited, but for persons of school age and young persons an extended visit can be arranged if satisfactory reasons for desiring it can be given.

Is this not a contradiction of the policy of the Government in allowing people only £5 when they leave the country, because they can now bring a German friend over here for probably six weeks or two months, which will cost a great deal more than a visit to Germany?

Yes, but that money would be spent inside this country. I am not responsible for sending people out of this country, to any large extent; but I am responsible for the terms under which they come in.

Did the Home Secretary indicate or imply that the whole cost of travel must be borne by the host in this country?

What I said was that the prospective host must make his own arrangements for transport through a travel agency, and the visitor will not be entitled to any priority of travel. Who pays for it is no concern of mine.

Has the Home Secretary the concurrence of the Russian authorities in this matter?

That is another question.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will follow up Circular 138/45, paragraph 2 (i), which empowers local authorities to issue building licences authorising the rebuilding of cost-of-works houses by a further circular instructing local authorities that special consideration should now be given to the cases of persons who have been given only value payments in respect of their war-destroyed homes, except in those cases where the sites upon which such houses previously stood come within reconstruction areas.

I have asked my principal housing officers to give sympathetic consideration to a proposal from a local authority to issue a building licence to a person who wishes to use a value payment to build a new house for his own occupation on the site of his destroyed house, provided that there are no town-planning objections.

Can the Minister say how far the granting of licences for these value payment houses will be limited in amount?

They would have to come out of the quota of houses to the local authority in the area, because that allocation is based on the supply of materials and labour which is available.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that bomb-damaged property in Cardiff is being rebuilt and then sold with vacant possession at the current inflated prices; and if lie will take steps to ensure that the former tenants are given the opportunity for re-tenancy.

I was not aware of these exact particulars. The answer to the second part of the Question is, "No, Sir." It would require legislation, and I can hold out no prospect of that.

If I send my right hon. Friend some information about the first part of the Question, will he take action to prevent what has become a racket in people having rebuilt at public expense houses which had been completely demolished and then gaining profit by selling them at the current inflated prices?

I will certainly examine particulars if my hon. Friend will send them to me. I am afraid, however, that further knowledge on my part will not help in any way. There is no reason why people who have had their houses destroyed should not be able to sell them as well as people whose houses were not destroyed.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact, which has been drawn to his notice, that members of the National Master Builders' Association have adequate stocks of materials to hand to build houses for private sale, he will look into this matter with the object of utilising these urgently-needed materials for the housing schemes that are being held up by shortages of such materials.

If the members of the Association have got materials on licence then, no doubt, they will use them for the work for which the licence was issued. If they have got controlled materials without licences then I should be pleased to have details so that an investigation can be made.

Can the Minister say why master builders are so keen to build houses for private sale instead of for public schemes?

I expect my hon. Friend knows the answer as well as I do. There are, of course, a number of master builders in different parts of the country who continually say that they have all the materials they need to build houses. If I can get hold of one of them, I will deal with him.

If my right hon. Friend can find any surplus materials will he try to divert them for urgently needed repairs to existing property?

Certainly, but the materials, including timber, steel and other things of that sort, are in short supply. As I have said before, although there are considerable stocks of timber in the country, these stocks are now being run down rapidly.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that his eastern regional office is, in some cases, requiring local authorities to submit priced bills of quantities of building materials before granting approval for the building of council houses; that this involves a large amount of unnecessary clerical work and much delay; and whether he will take steps to ensure that bills of quantities are not demanded in future before approval.

A normal building contract requires the contractor to provide a priced bill of quantities. It is not unreasonable to ask the local authority to include this in the documents submitted to the principal housing officer.

Does not the Minister agree that it causes further administrative delay to ask for bills of prices and quantities of building materials; and is it not a fact that if the contract price is exceeded all the time-sheets, bills and invoices have to be produced before an extra demand is met on the contract price? For that reason, would it not be better to get rid of this somewhat dilatory procedure?

I cannot accept the argument that administrative delays are holding up the building of houses. As some moon houses were put through administratively a year before they were started to be built, it cannot be argued that administration has held up the building of houses. What held up the building of houses was the fact that the houses were spread out too thinly. In regard to the last part of the Question, it has always been usual to have prices and quantities quoted because then the housing officer knows which items are likely to cost too much.

If I send particulars of any houses which have already been started and have had their completion delayed due to these administrative reasons, will the Minister look into them?

This Question relates to prices and quantities, and if the hon. Member can show a case where this has been holding up completion I will look into it.

Is the Minister aware that in building under private enterprise it is common practice for a quantities surveyor to submit a bill of quantities to the builders.

Yes, Sir.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the United States there is no question of any prices and quantities being quoted?

I am not prepared to emulate the American housing programme.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the leaflet, a copy of which has been sent to him, published by the Leeds and District Work-people's Hospital Fund promising eleven benefits to those who continue their subscriptions; and since most of these eleven benefits are available under the National Health Service Act, if he will publish a leaflet making it clear that it is only beneficial to pay to workpeople's hospital contributory schemes where the benefits are those not covered by the Act.

Yes, Sir. This pamphlet is misleading. Many of the services offered will be available, anyway, under the new Act. But I think that if people will study the leaflet which I have already issued to householders they will see quite clearly what the Act covers.

Will the Minister publish also a leaflet showing the facilities under the Act which will not be available on the 5th July? Will he bring pressure to bear on his colleagues so that the weekly contribution, some of which is to go towards the cost of the Health Service, is reduced in proportion to the facilities which are not available?

The hon. and gallant Member once more misstates the position. Although he was a member of the Committee which considered the Act he does not seem to understand it, even now. The Health Act is not based upon contributions. It is non-contributory. The hon. and gallant Member's question, therefore, is entirely misleading. Furthermore, the resources under the Act will always be limited by the resources of the medical profession.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered representations from the Joint Emergency Committee of the optical profession asking that provision should be made by legislation for the registration of opticians; and what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I propose to set up an Inter-departmental Committee to consider and advise whether such legislation would be to the public advantage and, if so, how registration could best be carried out and what qualifications should be required as a condition of registration. We shall in due course be consulting the professions concerned as to the constitution of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state at the last convenient date, the number of classes in both primary and secondary schools which have over 3o, 40 or 5o pupils, respectively.

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

asked the Minister of Education how many graduates have left the teaching profession in 1945, 1946, and 1947.

I regret that this information is not available. There was, however, no significant change between March, 1946, and March, 1947, in the number of graduates known to be teaching in grant-aided schools and other educational institutions, the figures being 34,234 and 34,423, respectively.

As there has been a steady loss of graduates into the universities, does the Parliamentary Secretary think that the steps taken to deal with the situation and the remedies are satisfactory?

Yes, Sir, we are satisfied, and we think we have found the remedy.

asked the Minister of Education the salary paid to the senior instructor for co-ordinating catering education throughout the country; what staff has he under his immediate control; and how much is he allowed for quarters from which to conduct his activities.

One of His Majesty's inspectors, whose salary is £1,470 per annum, among many other duties, collaborates with the catering industry and advises my right hon. Friend on matters concerned with the development of catering education. Ten of His Majesty's inspectors, who also have many other duties, are associated with him in this. No special quarters or allowances are involved.

Is this the total amount allowed to this officer, and does he not do his work in his own home because he has no quarters?

I understand that this is the total amount. I was not aware that this officer was doing some of his work in his own home.

asked the Minister of Education to what extent financial and other assistance is being, or will be given, to public education authorities towards arranging visits of British children to the Continent; and to what extent such visits are likely to take place this year.

Expenditure properly incurred by local education authorities in assisting visits to the Continent is recognised for grant by the Ministry. No estimate can at present be given of the probable number of such visits this year. The newly established Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges is now surveying the work being done in this field.

Can my hon. Friend say whether education authorities have arranged with bodies abroad to provide suitable accommodation for these prospective visitors?

The local authorities and the other bodies concerned are working through the Central Bureau, but I am afraid that we have not yet got a complete picture of the situation.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say what is the percentage of grant being made, and can he give an assurance that no local authority will be prevented from sending children abroad because the grant is insufficient?

I am not prepared at once to give the percentage of grant which comes from the Ministry. I can assure the hon. Member that if we do find that the percentage is too small we shall certainly rectify it, because we believe very much in this work.

asked the Minister of Education the number of education authorities in England and Wales, respectively, which provide for the maintenance of pupils at boarding schools; and whether he is satisfied with the arrangements made.

Sixty-six local education authorities in England and one in Wales are known to have arrangements for assisting pupils to attend fee-charging schools as boarders. My right hon. Friend's approval is required to authorities' general arrangements for the purpose and this is not given unless they are satisfactory.

Is my hon. Friend aware that considerable hopes were raised in connection with the 1944 Act, and that there is now confusion on the part of parents who believed they were entitled to send their children to boarding schools? Will he ask his Department to deal with this matter in the case of Wales?

We are aware of the present situation in Wales. This is a matter which was considered in some detail at a meeting of Welsh working parties. So far as local authorities are concerned, all the arrangements are laid down in the principal Act.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied with the response made by local authorities to the offer of places by fee-paying schools?

Yes, Sir, I think we are satisfied with the offers. No doubt as we learn from experience the response will grow.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons, male and female, are employed at Messrs. Little-woods Store, in Deansgate, Bolton, who are covered by the Control of Engagement Order; and how many of these persons are ineligible for any reason for employment in the cotton mills, specifying the employees who fall into this category and stating, specifically, the reason in each case for their ineligibility for work in the mills.

The Control of Engagement Order affects only persons seeking employment. The second part of the Question, therefore, does not arise.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade received a specific undertaking from this establishment that, in view of the mistake made in granting them a licence to convert a cinema into a store, they would not employ any person eligible for work in the cottonmills? In view of that, why is he not in a position to say how many people have applied at the employment exchange to be employed by this Littlewoods store?

That seems to be a different question. I have been asked about the Control of Engagement Order, which does not apply.

Is it not a fact that if any person wishes to be employed by Little-woods he has to go to the employment exchange to get permission? That being so, can my right hon. Friend say how many people applied to the exchange for permission to be employed at this store?

If my hon. Friend will put that question on the Order Paper I will answer it.

asked the Minister of Labour how many operatives in the building trade were unemployed on the last date for which he has statistics.

22,009 at 12th April.

Can the Minister say if the total number of unemployed in the building industry is as great as it was when the Government took office?

From June, 1947, to December, 1947, there was a fluctuation —we use this term to mean men going in and out of jobs—of between 13,000 and 21,000 per month. The average has been about the same.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Minister of Works has taken the price control off bricks, and that there is a quantity of timber available? Will he have a chat with the Minister of Health, with a view to enlarging the building programme?

We have anticipated that question, and consultations are now taking place.

Can my right hon. Friend say how many vacancies there were on the date he has just given to the hon. Member for Maidstone (Mr. Bossom)?

Not without notice, but there were quite a number.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the Fulbourn Mental Hospital, Cambridge, are short of staff on the female side; that the number of nurses to run the hospital properly should he 75 female nurses; that the present staff is made up of 32 permanent staff, plus 33 temporary who equal about 16 full time nurses; and what steps he is taking to help the hospital.

The position is substantially as stated by my hon. Friend. The vacancies at the hospital have been brought to the notice of all Nursing Appointments Offices and the Ministry's Liaison Office in Dublin. The general shortage of nurses and the reluctance of many persons to enter mental nursing increase the difficulties, but my officers will continue to do their utmost to help the hospital.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I raised this matter last December, when I was told that it was being given attention at a high level with a view to improvement? Is he aware that the position is now worse? How can the 1,000 or more people in this institution get the attention to which they are entitled if there is no staff to look after them?

The position is not worse than it was when my hon. Friend asked his previous Question.

It is in this institution.

The number of full-time nurses is the same, and the number of part-time nurses has increased from 15 to 28. I admit that that is not a very acceptable increase. We are finding people very reluctant to go into mental nursing. We have the European Volunteer Workers to come in, and we are considering a special arrangement with the Austrian authorities in an effort to get persons who are willing and capable of doing this work.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the word "Cambridge" in this Question should be "Cambridgeshire"? There is no need for mental hospitals in Cambridge?

asked the Minister of Labour if he will initiate a system of grants for travelling expenses to unemployed men in areas where there is little or no local employment and where long journeys have to be undertaken to look for work.

No, Sir; the employment exchanges were set up in order to obviate the need for men to travel the country looking for work. Where work has been found for a man, arrangements already exist for the payment of travelling expenses to such work.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that in suburban areas, where there is little work, many men have to find employment for themselves, and are incurring almost unbearable expense in looking for jobs?

I cannot accept that. The employment exchanges keep a register of employment within their areas. Men are told to go elsewhere if there are no vacancies in their own area and if they do their expenses are paid.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that tilers and steel erectors often travel from 10 to 20 miles a day to find work for themselves, at a cost of perhaps £I a week? Will he look into this matter?

If any example of that kind is brought to my notice, I will inquire why it is that a vacancy known to exist in one area was not notified to another area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the approximate areas occupied by factories and industrial establishments in 1939 in Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Oxford, Derby, Reading, Chelmsford, Bristol, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton and Hull; and the approximate areas thus occupied in these cities which were wholly or in part devastated by enemy action.

I will send my hon. Friend such information as is available as soon as it has been collated.

Could my right hon. Friend indicate to the House what special steps he is taking to rehabilitate the economy and industrial development of blitzed cities in ways comparable to those being applied to cities that did not suffer during the war?

It would be impossible to give an answer to that within the limits of question and answer, but I gather that there will be an opportunity after the Recess of going into this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent increased costs of production of raw cotton are responsible for the recent and frequent increases in the prices charged by the Raw Cotton Commission; what is the approximate percentage charge made to cover the costs of the administration of the Commission; and why he approved the decision to make a fourth price increase within a period of three months, in view of its disturbing effect on home and overseas trade.

It is for the Commission to determine what charge they make to cover costs of administration. As to the remainder of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the full statement I made in the Debate on the Motion for the Adjournment yesterday, and to the replies given to my hon. Friend on 25th March and to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Osborne) on 6th April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade who are his Department's representatives on the governing body of the British Standards Institution; and how many meetings they attended in 1947.

The Board of Trade are represented both on the General Council of the British Standards Institution and on its Executive Committee by an official holding the rank of Assistant Secretary. During 1947 the Board of Trade representative attended four of the five meetings held by the Executive Committee.

In view of the very handsome contribution which the Board of Trade makes to this institution, totalling £37,000 last year, is he satisfied that this work is proceeding on a systematic rather than on a piecemeal basis?