asked the Minister of Works, what is the total number of building trades operatives working in the direct employment of his Department on jobs with the Mobile Labour Force and receiving Mobile Labour Force wages and conditions though not officially enrolled in the force itself.

None. But temporary workers recruited locally receive terms and conditions of employment laid down by the National Joint Council for the Building Industry, subject to certain provisions common to industrial workers in Government employment.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that Mr. T. W. Bramhill, of Westwood, Brigsely Road, Waltham, near Grimsby, a pensioner of the first war, has received a letter, dated 7th June, from his regional licensing officer at Nottingham, because he built a greenhouse, for the production of food, with the help of another ex-Service man out of old bricks and timber after the Grimsby Rural District Council had given permission, but contrary to Regulation 56a of which he had no knowledge; and will he either alter Regulation 56a to prevent such cases, or instruct his officials to carry out their duties in a more courteous manner.

Yes. I understand that Mr. Bramhill carried out building work without obtaining a building licence and my Regional Officer wrote to ask for particulars. I cannot agree that my officials carried out their duties discourteously, or that there is reason for altering the Regulation.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the brass tablet in the cloisters of Old Palace Yard marking the site of the Star Chamber is badly worn and its lettering barely decipherable; and whether he will take steps to have it renewed.

Yes, and I am arranging for the tablet to be renewed.

asked the Minister of Works why, at a recent zonal conference of local authorities concerned with municipal housing and convened by his Ministry, the attendance of representatives of the Press was prohibited.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health on 17th June to the hon. Member for Caernarvonshire (Mr. G. Roberts), to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Minister of Works if, in view of recent representations made to his Ministry regarding the acute shortage of cement in the Llandudno and Conway areas and to the Penmaenmawr Granite Co. who manufacture concrete bricks for local use, he will consider a reorganisation of present distribution of cement supplies to Caernarvonshire so that housing schemes in the Llandudno and Conway areas may no longer be handicapped in their progress by reason of shortages of cement supplies.

There have been local and temporary shortages of cement in the Llandudno and Conway areas, but my Materials Officer in North Wales has been able to arrange for special deliveries, and the housing sites now have supplies of cement. A special load of cement has also been delivered to the Penmaenmawr Granite Co.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if he has considered a resolution from the Loganba No. 6 Branch of the Scottish Area, National Union of Mineworkers, dealing with the mass killings in Greece, and of which a copy was sent to him; and what answer he has made thereto.

A protest against the alleged "mass killings" in Greece was addressed on 19th May last to my right hon. Friend, by the Secretary of the Branch mentioned. A formal acknowledgment of receipt was sent. I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave on this subject on 10th May.

asked the Minister of Food the offences for which a butcher's licence may be revoked; the authority which decides on such revocation; and whether there is any appeal against such a decision.

A licensed butcher like any other food trader, may have his licence revoked for offences against the regulations affecting the sale, distribution or manufacture of food which compel the Minister to regard him as an unsuitable link in the chain of distribution and therefore unfit to deal in controlled foodstuffs, the decision to revoke a licence is the personal responsibility of the Minister and is final.

asked the Minister of Food if, as a result of his visit, he is satisfied with the progress of the East African Groundnuts Scheme.

My right hon. Friend informs me that while he was impressed by the progress made, neither he nor the directors of the Overseas Food Corporation will be satisfied until this major scheme has reached its full development.

asked the Minister of Food how many tons of olive oil, and at what price delivered in London, he has bought recently from Greece; and at what price he has sold it to the trade in Britain.

No purchases of Greek olive oil have been made recently by the Ministry of Food. During the past year olive oil has been imported privately through the Olive Oil Importers Association.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that it has been announced in St. Helier that Jersey potatoes bought on his instructions are being shipped to Germany while Danish and Polish potatoes have been arriving in British ports; and if, in view of his appeal to Jersey farmers to grow as many potatoes as possible to relieve the shortage in Britain, he will make a statement.

Some Jersey new potatoes which, because of our early season were surplus to our own requirements have been sent Germany, the first ship having left on 10th June. The last foreign shipment of old potatoes which were bought some time ago reached this country on 7th June. Growers in Jersey were encouraged to increase production to meet the anticipated shortage, which did not arise as the warm weather brought forward the new crop very early.

asked the Minister of Food what is the difference in price which is paid under the milk in schools scheme for milk produced from T.T. herds, and milk produced from non-attested herds.

There is generally no difference in the price paid.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of maize was sold for delivery abroad during the calendar year 1947; and what were the respective values of the sales.

147,114 tons of maize were sold and shipped for delivery abroad during the calendar year 1947 at a selling value of £2,772,923 f.o.b. In addition 59,785 tons were shipped to Holland and Belgium for the production of starch for the United Kingdom, the maize remaining the property of the United Kingdom; and 144,075 tons were shipped to Eire at a value of £2,384,441 f.o.b. under agency arrangements.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now include dustmen in the list of occupations entitled to the extra cheese ration.

Dustmen and scavengers regularly employed in rural areas can get the special cheese ration. My right hon. Friend regrets he cannot extend the concession to those employed in urban areas.

asked the Minister of Food whether European volunteer workers living in agricultural hostels continue to receive agricultural rations during periods when they are unemployed.

There is no differentiation between European volunteers and British workers. In either case, if more than 60 per cent. of the workers living in an agricultural hostel are actually employed in agriculture they will get the industrial scale; but they will not get it if less than 60 per cent. are employed in agriculture or if the majority are unemployed.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent his regulations governing the manufacture of cheese prevent the use of goats' milk for this purpose; and in what circumstances a licence is necessary.

There are no regulations which prevent the use of goats' milk for the manufacture of cheese and no licence is necessary.

asked the Minister of Food if he will grant extra rations for the Orpington Baptist Church Centenary which takes place on 28th June.

No.

asked the Minister of Food what total head of home-produced fatstock under their separate headings were purchased in the years 1940 and 1947, respectively.

Following is the fat-stock purchased by the Ministry of Food from producers in Great Britain in 1940 and 1947:

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that on the disbandment of the National Pigeon Service in September it is estimated that 70,000 owners, the majority of whom are members of the National Homing Union, will be trying to maintain their lofts on the amount of feedingstuffs previously allocated to only 20,000 members of that Service; and what proposals he has in mind to meet this position.

It is the case that after September roughly the same total quantity of national pigeon mixture as at present is to be distributed among a larger number of pigeon owners. Unfortunately no significant increase in quantity is possible without curtailing the allocation of pulses and grain for more important uses.

asked the Minister of Food if he will increase the allotment of pigeon food promised by him to the members of the National Homing Union.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Royton (Mr. Sutcliffe) today.

asked the Minister of Food how much canned beef has been purchased or contracted for from the Eire Government; how much was offered; and at what price.

We have purchased 5,000 tons out of the 10,000 tons which we were offered. I am not prepared to disclose the price paid. We have reduced our purchases of canned meat from Eire and other sources in favour of purchases in a form suitable for either issue on the ration or manufacture into sausages and other products.

asked the Minister of Food what request for the purchase of canned horseflesh has been made to the Eire Government; whether any purchases have been made; whether this meat is for human consumption; and how it is labelled.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "None." A private importer desired to import canned horseflesh for human consumption at the end of 1947 but the scheme was not proceeded with when, in response to our request for their views, the Eire Government stated that they did not wish to issue export licences for this product. The rest of the Question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that in some parts of Gloucestershire surplus hay and straw is available for sale from farms, but cannot be sold because there are no licensed merchants in the locality able to truss and transport the produce for feeding on other farms or for paper-making; that no new licences have been issued for years; and whether he will consider revising the whole policy of issuing no licence except to those who have been in business before 1939.

New licences to buy hay and straw from growers are granted where existing approved buyers cannot adequately serve a particular area and I will look into any complaints of local difficulty which my hon. Friend may send me. My information is that in general there are enough approved buyers in Gloucestershire but that one application for a buyer's licence is being re-examined.

asked the Minister of Food when the people of Fairfield, Derbyshire, will receive a special allocation of food; whether it will consist of fresh prime beef; in what way his Department obtained permission from Fairfield, New Zealand, that other areas might share in the gift; and why his Department's decision to intercept the gift was not notified to the Vicar of Fairfield until he wrote to inquire why the gift had not arrived.

Instructions for the despatch of the food for Fairfield will be given next week. It will include canned meat, cheese and fruit; as I told the hon. Member on 7th June, fresh meat can normally be distributed only as a part of the ration. My Department was not aware that the Vicar of Fairfield knew of this gift until he communicated with them.

asked the Minister of Food if he has any information as to what progress has been made with the pig breeding scheme in Queensland.

The responsibility for providing information about the progress of the scheme rests with the Overseas Food Corporation, and I have, therefore, passed the hon. Member's inquiry to the Corporation who are, I understand, communicating with him.

asked the Minister of Food whether His Majesty's Government has forwarded, as requested, to the Food and Agricultural Organisation their programme for increasing food production in this country, together with details of supplies required in the way of tractors, fertilisers and farm machinery.

The hon. Member probably has in mind the periodic progress report for 1947–48 which the United Kingdom will be making to F.A.O. as required by Article XI of the Constitution and which Governments have been asked to submit by 1st July. This report is in course of preparation and will be sent at an early date.

asked the Minister of Food the last date on which biscuits were exported to Australia and Canada, respectively, whether he is aware that Huntley and Palmer's biscuits are being re-exported back in the form of presents to this country; and if he will make a statement.

As biscuits are being exported continuously to many countries, including Australia and Canada, it is impossible to say when the last consignment was despatched. I can well believe that generous Australians and Canadians occasionally include British made biscuits in food parcels sent to this country. My right hon. Friend made a statement in July of last year about his export policy. He asks me to circulate a further statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT

asked the Minister or Food if he will make a statement on the freeing of the sale of milk in recent weeks; and the reason for the re-imposition of the ration.

As a result of favourable weather and other conditions, seasonal production increased rapidly this year and sufficient milk became available both for unrestricted liquid consumption and for essential manufacture. At the end of May supplies began to fall, and as it became impossible to meet all demands we had to impose restrictions again.

asked the Minister of Food why he has allocated an extra 3½ per cent. of brewing materials to industrial areas and seaside resorts in their locality, and rejected the claim for similar assistance to the seaside resorts of Sussex and the South.

No claim by a brewer in Sussex or in the South generally has been rejected where it can be shown that the extra beer is to be distributed to industrial and agricultural areas or to places where there is a holiday demand from workers.

asked the Minister of Food if he will take the necessary steps to increase the supply of hard soap, as distinct from soap powders, etc., available for sale in the shops in and around Nottingham.

We arranged for the distribution of domestic hard soap to be increased by approximately 7 per cent. from 1st March last, and the general supply position has already improved. We have had no complaints of shortage of hard soap from the Nottingham area for some months but it my hon. Friend knows of a shortage in a particular district I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether German prisoners of war remaining in this country are encouraged to have democratic camp committees with the right to make representations to and consultations with county agriculture committees in respect of conditions, work, transference and other matters.

Yes. Elected Residents Committees are being established at all county agricultural executive committee hostels, and these are represented on the Central Welfare Committee of the A.E.C. These arrangements apply to German ex-prisoners of war as to other committee workers

asked the Minister of Agriculture, whether he aware that the dispute about the unsatisfactory scale of salaries for the veterinary staff of his Ministry is still unsettled; and if it has been decided whether negotiations on this matter can continue, following the issue of the White Paper about limitation of salary increases.

I do not agree that the scale is unsatisfactory. Taken as a whole it is at least as favourable as the scale for the scientific officer class In any case the circumstances described in the White Paper on Personal Incomes preclude any revision at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the cropping targets which the county agricultural executive committees have been asked to reach for the 1949 harvest; and to what extent he expects the production of pigs and poultry to be increased in the coming year.

The 1949 objective for England and Wales is a total area of 10,256,000 acres under tillage, which includes 2,340,000 acres under wheat; 1,001,100 acres under potatoes; 391,700 acres under sugar beet; and 200,000 acres under linseed. A significant increase in numbers of pigs and poultry has already occurred, but I am not at present prepared to make a quantitative forecast of production next year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will take steps to ensure that farmers maintain an adequate proportion of their land under crops and do not revert unduly to the system of grassland farming that was prevalent before the war.

Yes. Our present economic position requires that we should produce an increasing proportion of our food from our own soil and for the next few years we shall need to grow relatively high acreages of grain, potatoes and other crops. The Government greatly appreciate the voluntary response which farmers have made to the crop targets set for 1948 and are confident that they can rely on the great majority for a continuation of their efforts to meet the country's needs. They do not propose to seek emergency powers to direct farmers to grow specific crops: farmers will still be free to decide which crops are best suited to their land and other conditions on their farms and plan their production accordingly. Neither is it proposed to serve directions generally for the maintenance of the tillage area. I am however satisfied that it is necessary, not only in the national interest but in the interests of the willing farmers themselves, to seek powers which will enable county agricultural executive committees to deal with the unwilling. The Government have, therefore, decided to seek the authority of Parliament to use the powers in Section 95 (2) (d) of the Agriculture Act, 1947, to enable directions to be given to farmers to keep not more than a specified acreage of their land under permanent or temporary grass.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many acres are being farmed by each of the county agricultural executive committees in England and Wales, with the comparable figures for June, 1947, 1946 and 1945.

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer on 17th June to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Sevenoaks (Colonel Ponsonby).

asked the Minister of Agritulture to what extent the Strain 19 vaccine for immunisation against contagious abortion is being produced by manufacturing chemists in this country; and by how many firms and to what extent it has been supplied or used.

Information is not available as to the quantities of Strain 19 vaccine produced by manufacturing chemists, but 520,000 doses of the vaccine were issued in 1947 by the Ministry's Veterinary Laboratory.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the approximate number of horses now used for agricultural purposes; what were the corresponding numbers for 1947 and 1938; and whether he is satisfied that farmers are able to obtain as many as they require.

In England and Wales the number of horses, including mares for breeding, was 562,000 in June, 1938, and 403,000 in June, 1947. The June, 1948, figures are not yet available. I have not heard any complaints of shortages.

asked the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether he is aware that the Tiptree, Essex, Parish Council approached his Department as long ago as 1946 to accept the trusteeship of a memorial field and hall in the parish and that the Deed of Gift was recorded in the books of the Commission on 4th June, 1947; and when the Commission will be able to prepare a suitable scheme which will place the memorial project on an adequate legal basis.

The application without which the Commissioners could not proceed was not received by them until 19th January, 1948. The scheme has been drafted and will be forwarded for publication as soon as printed.

asked the Minister of Transport what subsidies are now being paid from public funds to the shipping industry in respect of coastwise traffic, short sea routes and other categories.

Subsidies towards the cost of maintaining the steamship services between the Western Highlands and Islands amount to approximately £14,500 a month. To enable liner freight rates in the coastwise trades to be maintained in reasonable relationship with railway rates payments are made to the shipping lines concerned totalling about £41,500 a month. No subsidies are paid in respect of other shipping.

asked the Minister of Transport how much of the £3,275,000 paid for hire of ships in the 1947, 1948 and 1949 timber seasons has been recovered from the Timber Control.

The hire for these vessels is payable monthly and £3,275,000 was the amount paid in hire up to the date of my previous answer. Of this sum approximately £1,600,000 accrued in the period during which the vessels were engaged in carrying timber, and is included in the charge on the Timber Control.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take in order to overcome the difficulties referred to in the Report of the Working Party on the Turn-Round of Shipping, arising from the tendency for shipping traffic to be concentrated too closely on a few ports to the exclusion, or only partial use, of facilities existing in other ports; and whether he will cause a review to be made of the facilities available, particularly at smaller ports or in ports only partially used for merchant shipping purposes, with a view to traffic through our ports being more widely spread, the turn-round of shipping expedited and the fullest possible use made of available dock labour, equipment and installations.

The Working Party recommended in their Report that shipowners and major importers and exporters should consider the possibility of saving ships' time by the greater use of ports not at present working to full capacity. All organisations concerned have been asked to co-operate in implementing the Working Party's suggestions. Special attention is being drawn to this particular recommendation. As the Working Party has only recently reported I do not consider any further investigation necessary at present.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the average number of hours worked by Trinity House pilots in the Isle of Wight service at the present time is 95 per week; and what steps he proposes to take in conjunction with the other authorities concerned to ensure more reasonable conditions of work for these men.

I have received representations on this matter and arrangements have been made for the position to be examined at a meeting on the 29th of of this month with representatives of the pilots, the Trinity House and the shipowners.

asked the Minister of Transport if the additional services operated by the Eastern Counties Bus Company in the Ramsey area have resulted in a reduction of the services on other routes; or what additional buses and operatives have been secured by the Eastern Counties Bus Company adequately to cover the new Ramsey routes.

The improvements have not reduced services on other routes, no additional vehicles have been required, and only one extra crew.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that omnibus companies in the North East are refusing to allow passengers to use a return ticket in the same direction, although passengers have been doing this for many years; whether he will state the reason for this change of policy, through which irritation is caused to passengers and conductors; and whether he will advise the Traffic Commissioners that the previous practice should be restored.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that omnibus companies in the North East are insisting that a return bus ticket cannot be used twice in the same direction; that this is causing confusion and annoyance to both passengers and conductors; and as there is no advantage in insisting upon this procedure whether he will advise the Traffic Commissioners to dispense with this regulation.

In advising operators that return tickets should be available for one outward and one inward journey, and not for two journeys in the same direction, the Licensing Authority for Public Service Vehicles is simply drawing attention to conditions attached by him to road service licences which were not being observed. I have no power to vary a condition, except on appeal.

asked the Minister of Transport what amount of hard-wood is allocated to garages for repair purposes of private cars; and, in view of the fact that many now being overhauled and repaired were made before the war, he will arrange for an increased supply to be available.

In the first half of 1948, 900,000 cubic feet of hard-wood were allocated for the repair and maintenance of public service vehicles, goods vehicles, private cars and trailers. I regret that separate figures for private cars are not available. I am not aware that the allocations have proved inadequate.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in setting up the area consultative committees, he will ensure that these subsidiary bodies under the Central Transport Consultative Committee are built up on a representative basis as a result of local selection rather than that the members should be appointed either by the Minister of by the Central Transport Consultative Committee.

The Transport Act, 1947, provides that the members of the area committees shall be appointed by the Minister of Transport, but before the Minister appoints the members of such a Committee he is under the obligation to consult those bodies representative of the interests in the area which the Act requires to be represented upon it.

asked the Minister of Transport whether it is under regulations made under Section 98 of the Transport Act that the interest on the Southern Railway Savings Bank deposits has been reduced from 4 to 3½ per cent.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, if he is aware of the shortage of children's socks greater than size 8; and if he will take steps to remedy this shortage.

I am aware of this shortage, which is due mainly to lack of manufacturing capacity, and I am doing all I can to help to improve the position.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why, notwithstanding his instructions, immigration officers required passengers, embarking on 29th January in s.s. Stirling Castle for short visits to South Africa, to surrender their clothing ration books.

I am advised by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department that immigration officers did not ask for clothing ration books to be surrendered on the occasion mentioned. There may, however, have been some misunderstanding in the minds of passengers due to the requirement that food ration books should be surrendered by people going abroad for more than three months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why, in view of the great difficulty in finding accommodation of any sort, he has refused to allow a grant for the purchase of a house for the Chief Fire Officer for the Cheshire County Fire Brigade; and what assistance will he give to the County Council in their efforts to find accommodation.

It is the policy of the Government when property is acquired for the public service not to authorise the payment of prices in excess of those calculated in accordance with the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947. The price paid by the Cheshire County Council was much in excess of this figure. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his Question on 16th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when will he make a decision on the allowances to be paid to Chief Fire Officers in lieu of the provision of a house.

Appropriate provision on this point has already been made in the Fire Services (Ranks and Conditions of Service) Regulations, 1948, under which the amount of the allowance is determined by the Fire Authority, subject to my right hon. Friend's approval. There is, therefore, no need for any further general decision upon it at present.

asked the Minister of Transport if any regulations made by him authorise the London Transport Executive to claim 10 per cent. of the value of property lost by passengers on their system as a condition of restitution of the said property to its owner.

Yes, under regulations made by the Minister of Transport in 1933 this charge is payable on articles worth £1 or more, and the proceeds go to a general fund for the benefit of London Transport staff.