asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken in each of the African Colonial territories to provide training of Africans for participation in local government.

I have not up-to-date information, though some training is going forward. I am writing the Governors and will inform my hon. Friend in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in the appointment of district accountants in Uganda, as part of the process of the development of local government.

As a start the Government of Uganda has asked for the appointment of three district accountants. It is hoped to fill these posts within the next two or three weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give the names of the three persons removed from Palestine under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act, 1884, before 15th May, 1948; and

The names of the three prisoners are George Ross, Godfrey Allen Stevenson and Arthur Edward Ake-burst. They were convicted of carrying firearms, ammunition and explosives contrary to Regulation 58 (c) of the Palestine Defence (Emergency) Regulations, 1945, and of being in possession of an armoured car and Bren guns, the property of the Government of Palestine, contrary to Regulation 143 (1) (d).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the composition of the Legislative Council in the Falkland Islands.

My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State explained the position to the hon. and gallant Member for Chelsea (Commander Noble) on 12th February, and I would refer the hon. Member to that reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what additional Income Tax has been imposed on the Falkland Islands for the year 1949 by the Legislative Council on 11th June, 1948.

Following is the detailed reply:allowances of £50 and £25 respectively have been introduced for a female relative taking charge of the children of a widower or a widow, and for the maintenance of an infirm relative. The standard allowance for each child is £25, and in addition an allowance of £125 for a child educated abroad has been introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in what circumstances police fired on unarmed plantation workers in British Guiana on 16th June, killing four and injuring 30; and what steps are being taken to settle the present labour unrest in British Guiana.

A strike of cane cutters on seven sugar estates began at the end of April. As recently as the middle of April the established unions made agreements with the Sugar Producers Association providing for increases in basic pay to cane cutters and increased war bonus for all employees on all estates throughout the Colony. The strike, which was called by a new union and is not supported by the unions representing the main body of sugar workers, was orderly until loth June, when some intimidation appears to have occurred. On 16th June large crowds assembled on the Enmore Estate, and a small body of police were attacked by a crowd armed with cutlasses, lead piping and sticks. They were obliged, I understand, to fire in self-defence. Fourteen casualties resulted. Two of the rioters were killed and three died subsequently. A Commission has been appointed to inquire into the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made for the review of the terms of repayment of the advances made to Fiji by His Majesty's Government during the war, in connection with defence expenditure in that Colony.

My hon. Friend has, no doubt, in mind the interest-free advances, totalling some £2,000,000, made to Fiji from the Vote of Credit in the years 1943–46. The question of the repayment of part of the advances was left over for review after the end of the war. It has now been decided that, having regard to the very substantial amounts spent from its own funds by the Fiji Government on defence expenditure during the war, the advances shall be converted into a free grant.

asked the Postmaster-General what cuts in the B.B.C. programmes are contemplated in the near future owing to the fuel situation.

None.

asked the Postmaster-General why copies of "The Times" and "Daily Telegraph" are available in New York at five o'clock on the day of issue, whereas air mail posted at, say, 12.30 p.m. on a Wednesday will not leave this country until some time after 5 p.m. on a Thursday.

I understand that bulk consignments of newspapers are carried by an American air service which is due to reach New York in the afternoon. Air mail correspondence, which has to be individually sorted before despatch, is forwarded daily by British air services; the latest posting time at the London chief office to connect with Wednesday's service is 12.15 p.m. and a letter posted at 12.30 p.m. on that day would, as the hon. and gallant Member suggests be forwarded by Thursday's flight.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered instituting a fast air mail for which a small surcharge would be paid in order to expedite delivery of important communications.

No, the policy of the Post Office is maximum acceleration of air mail as a whole, and conversations with that object in view are now proceeding with the United States Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General why Scottish pound notes are not accepted at their face value at post offices in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Post Offices have standing instructions to accept Scottish banknotes at their face value, subject to change being available. I was not aware of any failure by post offices in the East Riding of Yorkshire to comply with instructions, but I am having a reminder issued.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of applications for telephone installation outstanding in St. Marylebone to the latest convenient date.

In the Borough of St. Marylebone there were on 31st May last 71 outstanding applications for telephone service. A further 220 cases were in normal course of provision.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that there is widespread pilfering of parcels sent to this country from America; and what steps are being taken to remedy this state of affairs.

I am aware that pilfering of parcels from America, though small in relation to the immense volume of traffic, does occur; but I can assure the hon. Member that a vigorous effort is being made by all the authorities concerned to stamp out the thefts.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has any statement to make about changes in the overseas postal services, to be made on the entry into force of the Universal Postal Convention of Paris, on 1st July next.

Details of the changes are given below; but I should like to mention one, which I am sure will be welcomed by the House, namely, that letters, letter packets and postcards for European countries, excluding Germany, Poland and Iceland, will as from 1st July be sent by air at the ordinary international rates of postage, whenever this will result in earlier delivery.The most important of the changes affecting the public which will come into operation on 1st July, is the resumption of the prewar arrangement whereby first-class mail, i.e., letters, letter packets and postcards, for certain European destinations, prepaid at the ordinary international rate of postage were forwarded by air or surface route, whichever offered the earlier delivery. As from 1st July, this system will again apply to letters, letter packets and postcards for European countries with the exception of Germany, Poland and Iceland; no air mail fee will be payable and no air mail label will be required. Owing to the special nature and bulk of the traffic to Germany and Poland, these countries, together with Iceland, are not for the present included in the scheme, and correspondence for them will continue to be despatched by surface route unless it is prepaid for air transmission, and has an air mail label affixed. For the three countries concerned air postage rates, which are at present 5d. for the first ounce and 3d. for each additional ounce, will be altered to 4½d. and 3½d. respectively, the postcard rate remaining unchanged at ½d.In order to bring the international postal rates charged in this country into conformity with the provisions of the Postal Union Convention, certain other modifications in rates and conditions will also take effect from 1st July. There will be no change in the foreign letter rate of 3d. for the first ounce, but on letters weighing more than one ounce, the rate for each ounce after the first, at present 1½d., will be increased to 2d., and the minimum charge for commercial papers will be increased from 2½d. to 3d. There will be no change in the postage rate for printed papers, which remains at ½d. for every two ounces; but the maximum weight, at present 5 lb. to Commonwealth and 4 lb. to other overseas destinations, with the proviso that a printed volume for any destination sent singly may weigh up to 6½ lb., will be increased to 6½ lb. for all overseas destinations, the weight for an individual volume sent singly being raised to 11 lb.

asked the Minister of Defence if he is aware that N.C.Os. and men who were decorated in the 1939 war and who are in receipt of a disability pension get an extra sixpence a day; and whether he will now apply this rule to those in similar circumstances who were decorated in the 1914 war.

In 1945 certain awards were added to the list of those which carry with them an addition of 6d. a day to pension. It was made clear then, and it has been repeated since, that these changes applied only to awards made since September, 1939. It is not proposed to alter that decision now.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will consider making supplies of evaporated milk available through the summer months.

I am afraid we must conserve our supplies of evaporated milk during the summer months in order to build up stocks for distribution during the autumn and winter months when the need is greatest.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will consider replacing the cooking compound by pure lard; and making a slight increase in this ration.

We cannot get enough lard to replace compound cooking fat entirely. But when the Argentine supplies arrive, which will be shortly, we shall be able to replace some of it. I am afraid there is no prospect at present of an increase in the cooking fat ration.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will now consider granting an immediate increase in the sugar ration while there are sufficient stocks of this commodity in the country.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 26th April to the hon. Member for North Croydon (Mr. F. Harris). We cannot afford the dollars for additional supplies and our stocks are only sufficient to maintain the present rate of distribution.

asked the Minister of Food how much sugar he has released from August 1947, to date for export and for re-export, respectively; and to what extent our hard currency problem has benefited thereby.

The quantity of sugar exported from the United Kingdom from the 1st September, 1947, to the end of April, 1948, was 308,668 tons. Of this, 106,833 tons were shipped to the Colonies and other sterling area destinations, to minimise dollar expenditure by those countries, and 201,835 tons to other countries. There were no re-exports, as the raw sugar imported for the export trade is processed and exported as refined sugar. The extent to which our hard currency position has benefited by these sales, cannot at present be stated precisely, but the contribution is a most valuable one.

asked the Minister of Food when he proposes to abolish all controls governing the distribution and price of fish.

I am not prepared to remove all control of fish until I think that it can be done without the risk of a general increase in fish prices.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of potatoes he has been able to offer during the last six months for consumption and use in Germany and Central Europe; what proportion of those offered were drawn from home stocks; and what proportion from purchases abroad.

Forty-five thousand tons of old potatoes and 30,000 tons of new have been sold to the Control Commission for Germany, all during the past month. All the new and half the old were from home supplies and the rest from imported stocks.

asked Me Minister of Food what precautions are taken to secure that meat offered by regional depots to butchers for retail sale as lamb is in fact lamb and does not include a large percentage of mutton and also meat only fit for manufacturing.

Normally, where there is a danger of misdescription, the meat is examined by our distributing agents—who are experienced traders—before being handed over to the butcher's buying committees.

asked the Minister of Food what is the total expenditure incurred so far in connection with the Tanganyika groundnuts scheme; and how this compares with the original estimate of cost per acre, and separately, per ton.

Advances to the Overseas Food Corporation, required principally for development of the East African Groundnut Scheme, but also for the Queensland Development, amounted to £12 million up to 11th June, 1948. The accounts of the Corporation to be laid before Parliament will show how these and subsequent advances within the accounting period have been spent. Until these accounts have been prepared the kinds of comparison contemplated in the second part of the Question cannot be made.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the Eastern Counties Wholesale Fruit Merchants' Association has issued a notice to its wholesaler members instructing them not to sell potatoes at less than the maximum wholesale price fixed by him; and as this restricts competitive prices under the ceiling of the maximum price if he will immediately lower the maximum price in order that consumers may be protected from this restrictive practice.

I am aware that such a notice has been issued. The relevant order allows for competition within the limits imposed by fixed growers' prices on the one hand and maximum wholesale prices on the other, and I hope that, whenever possible, prices below the maximum wholesale prices will be charged and the benefit passed to the consumer. Maximum wholesale prices will be reduced twice a week until the end of June and weekly in July.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the anxiety which has been caused to farmers' wives in some parts of the country who are visited by persons purporting to be inspectors of his Department but who carry no credentials to indicate that they are on legitimate Government business; to what extent it is intended to continue or increase such visitations; and whether arrangements will be made for the inspectors to carry adequate credentials.

Visits to farms are an essential part of the work of food enforcement officers and must continue, but all our enforcement inspectors carry official warrant cards which they are instructed to show to the farmer or representative before beginning their inspection.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount paid during the last three years out of the Exchequer in connection with the Concentration Scheme under the Emergency Powers Act, 1942, in Northern Ireland, which scheme is in operation by the Ministry of Agriculture in Northern Ireland as agents for the Ministry of Food.

I have been asked to reply. £16,773 5s. 10d. was paid out in the three years to 31st March, 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what accommodation is used by the Royal Air Force V.I.P. Flight at Northolt; and how many aircraft and passengers have been cleared since 1st January, 1948.

The duties of the R.A.F. Special Flights Party at Northolt include the provision of transit facilities for passengers of Transport Command scheduled services, as well as for V.I.Ps. The office, reception rooms and living quarters used by the flight cover 6,800 sq. ft. Between 1st January and 31st May the flight cleared 952 aircraft and 7,711 passengers.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether his attention has been drawn to the discrimination shown to Maltese R.A.F. personnel in the matter of marriage allowances; and whether he will make a statement.

Representations which have been made about the rates of marriage allowance for certain Maltese airmen are under examination. As soon as this is completed an announcement will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the speech of Air-Marshal Sir Hugh Walmsley, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, at a display by No. 603 Auxiliary Squadron at Edinburgh on 12th June, was submitted to him for his approval; and if it represents the policy of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the declaration made at the Air Display of No. 603 Auxiliary Fighter Squadron on 12th June by Air-Marshal Sir Hugh Walmsley,

The answer is "No."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement on the proposal of B.E.A.C. to allow private companies to operate scheduled services, explaining whether any contracts have been placed, and to whom and on what terms.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how many air routes with one terminal in Great Britain have been made available to charter companies and other private operators as associated companies with B.E.A.C.; and on what terms and conditions.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Central Bristol (Mr. Awbery) on 16th June last. Since then two further inclusive tours have been approved, between Newcastle and Belfast and Croydon and Dinard respectively, and I give the details below. My noble Friend is actively considering all the issues of policy involved.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if, in the interests of safety and of regular airlines using London Airport and Northolt Aerodrome, he will withdraw his permission for the operation of joy-ride flights from these aerodromes and allow them only from other aerodromes in the vicinity of London.

No. My noble Friend is satisfied that the operation of aircraft for short pleasure flights from London and Northolt Airports is not prejudicial to the interests of safety or of the regular airlines using those airports.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation under what circumstances it has been agreed to grant permission to a French independent company to run a regular cargo service between Paris and London in so far as the Anglo-French bilateral agreement permits only Air France and B.E.A. to run reciprocal services; and whether, in view of this new situation, it is intended to provide equivalent opportunity for a British independent company to operate regular reciprocal freight services with France.

The Anglo-French Air Transport Agreement does not reserve the operation of regular air services between the United Kingdom and France to the British European Airways Corporation and Air France, out to those airlines of either country which are designated by their respective governments. Under the Civil Aviation Act, 1946, the operation of regular services from the United Kingdom is reserved to the three Corporations, their agents or associates.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the bicycle factory Baronia, Heidemann & Co. of Bielefeld, has been included in the dismantling list; and whether it has yet been dismantled.

The plant on the reparations list is not the Baronia Cycle Factory at Bielfeld but a much smaller subsidiary plant of the same firm at Kachtenhausen. This plant, which produced specialised equipment for military aircraft during the war, has been scheduled for reparations as a war plant surplus to the requirements of a peaceful German economy. Dismantling is almost completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that the house at No. 29 Feldstrasse, Peine, Hann, was requisitioned in the summer of 1945 when accommodation for many Germans was taken by a British officer and his wife and two children; that for eight months now the house has been standing empty; and whether he will now give instructions that the house is to be de-requisitioned and returned to its rightful owners.

Number 29, Feldstrasse, Peine, was requisitioned in June, 1945, for use as Army billets and was so used continuously until January, 1947. The premises were not occupied as a married quarter until 22nd January, 1947. They were handed over to the Control Commission by the Army on 18th March, 1948. It was then thought that they would be required for a civilian family, but this has now proved not to be the case and they have been de-requisitioned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will publish the text of the resolution unanimously adopted by the 19 member Governments of the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency, protesting at the failure of the Swiss Government to liquidate German holdings, estimated to total 100 million francs, and demanding that this sum be placed at the disposal of the Allies for the rehabilitation of countries devastated by the war.

Since the resolution has already been published by the Inter-Allied Reparations Agency, I see no point in further publication.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how much money owed to British subjects is held in blocked accounts by German banks; and when will payment be authorised.

We have no precise figures, but we estimate that the total is approximately RM. 175 million. Consideration will be given to releasing blocked moneys held in the Western Zones and freeing them for use in Germany by their owners as soon as the currency reform operation has been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the hardship caused by the devaluation of the German currency to British subjects who have property in Germany, on which the income has been blocked since the Hitler régime; and what action he proposes to take to deal with the matter.

The provisions for the treatment of bank balances under financial reform in Germany have not yet been announced. I am, therefore, unable to speak of their application to the British holders of such balances today.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government has yet accepted the International Wheat Agreement, Command Paper No. 7382; and which Governments have so far acceded to this Agreement.

His Majesty's Government have not yet formally ratified the International Wheat Agreement, but intend to deposit their instrument of acceptance with the United States Government by 1st July. According to our latest information only Canada has as yet deposited its acceptance. It is provided in the Agreement that acceptance shall be deposited by 1st July or, in certain circumstances, after that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps have now been taken to establish an International Rice Council since the F.A.O. Rice Meeting at Baguio.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation has circulated the draft constitution of the proposed International Rice Council to its member Governments for consideration. As far as we know no Government has yet announced its intention of accepting the Constitution and joining the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date were the terms of Section 115 of the Foreign Assistance Act, 1948, of the United States Congress first communicated to His Majesty's Government in London.

The Foreign Assistance Act was finally approved by the United States Congress on 3rd April. 1948, and immediately published.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that Brigadier Leash, a British brigadier, is in command of the Arab Legion forces in Jerusalem; and on what conditions he has been loaned or seconded to the King of Transjordan.

Mr. N. O. Lash, to whom my hon. Friend presumably refers, is not and never has been a British brigadier. He first joined the Arab Legion in 1934 and, in 1939, in order to enable him to qualify for a pension, was posted to the Palestine Government Service in which he attained the substantive rank of Superintendent of Police. He is one of the three individuals, mentioned in my right hon. Friend's reply of 26th May, who chose to terminate their connection with the Colonial Service at the end of the Mandate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reports he has received from the British Military Mission in Greece regarding the welfare of the two former Greek resistance leaders, General Sarafiz and Captain Venetzanopoulos, now detained on the Island of Makronisi.

The British Military Mission to Greece made no report about any particular individuals detained on Makronisi Island. My information is, however, that General Sarafis, who is no longer a serving officer, is detained in a civilian camp on that Island; and that Captain Venetzanopoulos was banished to the island of Seriphos.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reports he has received from the British Military Mission in Greece regarding the shooting incident on the Island of Makronisi on 29th February last when a number of military detainees were fired on and killed or wounded for alleged mutiny.

The British Military Mission to Greece has furnished no report on this subject, but the reports from His Majesty's Ambassador were summarised in the reply given to the hon. and learned Member for North Hammersmith (Mr. Pritt) on 31st May. I am glad to have this opportunity of correcting that reply, in the light of later information. The second incident took place on 1st March, and not on 14th March; and the total casualties were 16 mutineers killed, 62 mutineers wounded and 30 guards wounded.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government were invited to participate in the work of the American Mission of financial and trade experts now in Japan to study Japan's foreign trade and the problem of establishing international exchange rates for the yen.

No. But the Inter-Allied Trade Board in Washington on which His Majesty's Government are represented, was informed of the purpose of the Mission and therefore we have had every opportunity of making our views known.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the size of the staff of the British Embassy in Bangkok.

The staff of the British Embassy at Bangkok consists of 22 United Kingdom-based officers; 28 locally recruited clerks and 34 locally recruited employees of the messengers' grade.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the position of the Grenfell factory at Aberbargoed, Mon.; whether it is completed; whether a tenant is prepared to commence operations; the number of men suffering from silicosis and other diseases peculiar to mining in the immediate area surrounding the above factory, namely, New Tredegar, Pengam, Blackwood, Bargoed, etc.; and what are the prospects of suitable work being found for these men at that factory.

The Grenfell factory at Aberbargoed which is almost complete has been let and is expected to begin working within the next few weeks. It is estimated that the peak labour force will be 150 men and 24 women, and that at least one-half of the total will be pneumokoniosis cases. The number of men suffering from pneumokoniosis and silicosis who were unemployed on 17th May, 1948, at the places named was 300; separate figures for other mining diseases are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to make any statement as to the prospect of consolidating the local government statutes relating to Scotland.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 22nd June, 1948; Vol. 452, C. 1119] circulated the following information:The Committee is constituted as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport why he has required the Warwickshire County Council to reduce their compliment of roadmen, already reduced from the pre-war figure of 1,400 to 800, by a further reduction of 180; whether he is aware that the roads of that county are deteriorating; and whether he will give further consideration to the position.

This reduction is in accordance with the Government's intention that more labour should be available for the export and import-saving industries. The reduced number should be sufficient to prevent any undue deterioration in the state of the roads.

asked the Minister of Supply whether the assisted travel scheme, by which workers are brought from Brynmawr to the Pontrilas depot, can now cease in view of the expense of the scheme, and the readiness of local labour to be employed at the depot.

The termination of the assisted travel scheme at a number of establishments, including Pontrilas Storage Depot, is being discussed with the trade union side of the Ministry of Supply Joint Industrial Council. I hope it will soon be possible to fix a date for it to cease at Pontrilas.