asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British people including Armed Forces were employed in the civilian internment camps in Germany in 1947 and on the latest available date in 1948; and how many civilians were interned on these dates.

On 4th January, 1947, 205 British personnel were employed in the civilian internment camps and the total number of internees was 35,689. Corresponding figures for 26th June, 1948, were 68 British personnel and 648 internees.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many civilian internees occupied the camps at Fallingbostel and 6 C.I.C. respectively; and how many British personnel were employed in the camps at the same time in early 1947 and in May, 1948.

The figures are as follow:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many tons of material designated for U.S.S.R. yet remain of the Kreigsmarine Arsenal at Wilhelmshaven; how many tons have already been sent to U.S.S.R.; and whether any British ships have been used for the transportation of this material.

12,400 tons of equipment allocated to the U.S.S.R. remain. 17,600 tons have already been despatched, but no British ships have been used for their transport.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any statement to make on the meeting of the Berlin Kommandatura of 1st July.

My right hon. Friend does not think he can usefully add anything to the statement issued by the British authorities in Berlin following the meeting on 1st July.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the report of the United Nations Sub-Commission on the Balkans has now been communicated to His Majesty's Government; and if he will arrange for it to be published.

The report is addressed to the General Assembly of the United Nations, and it is therefore for that body to make arrangements for publication. If the Assembly decide to publish, copies of the report will be made available to the House.

asked the Minister of Food whether the decision to restrict distribution of proprietary infant milk food to children under one year of age will now be relaxed, in view of the hardship thereby caused to children between the ages of one and two years.

I am afraid dried milk supplies still will not allow us to do this. But children of one to two years old can get these milk foods at a doctor's request.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will issue in addition to the specimen menus published in the Press, dishes suitable for sufferers from certain disabilities such as duodenal ulcers in accordance with the availability of supplies at the time.

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health and we are not prepared to do this, because sufferers from duodenal ulcers or similar troubles may need individual treatment and should seek advice on diet from a doctor.

asked the Minister of Food how many tons of coarse grains for animal feedingstuffs he expects to receive in 1949 from the joint scheme with the Queensland Government; and whether these supplies of pig feed to this country are to be on a 80–20 basis, or how such crops are to be divided.

The responsibility for providing estimates of production lies with the Overseas Food Corporation who are, I understand, communicating with my hon. Friend. The use of the crops will be decided in the light of commercial and other considerations from year to year.

asked the Minister of Food what percentage of the 53,700 tons of fresh meat produced in Northern Ireland during the 12 months ended 30th April this year consisted of beef, mutton and lamb, respectively; what percentage of the 31,000 tons of fresh meat sent to Britain consisted of beef, mutton and lamb, respectively; of the 22,700 tons retained in Northern Ireland what percentage consisted of beef, mutton and lamb, respectively; what percentage was allocated to manufacturers; and what percentage of the meat so allocated consisted of beef, mutton and lamb, respectively.

The 53,700 tons of fresh meat produced in Northern Ireland during the 12 months ended 30th April, 1948, consisted of 94 per cent. beef, 1 per cent. mutton and 5 per cent. lamb, exclusive of a negligible quantity of pork and manufacturing quality veal. The whole of the 31,000 tons of fresh meat sent to Great Britain consisted of beef in the form of live cattle. The 22,700 tons retained for consumption in Northern Ireland consisted of 85 per cent. beef, 2 per cent. mutton, and 13 per cent. lamb. Of the fresh meat retained in Northern Ireland 8 per cent., all of manufacturing quality, was allocated to manufacturers other than general butchers and of this allocation 99 per cent. was beef.

asked the Minister of Food if, in order to encourage the fruit canning industry in Suffolk, he is prepared to give an allocation of sugar to help small growers and canners, particularly those to whom a licence to can fruit has been given.

I regret that it is not possible to do this. In order to economise in hard currency expenditure we have had to place a limit on the amount of sugar to be used for manufacturing purposes. As far as fruit canning is concerned the sugar must be allocated to the established canning firms who will be able to make full use of it.

asked the Minister of Food if he is now prepared to take steps to change the controls in the fruit canning industry whereby no new canner established since the war can obtain an allocation of sugar unless he was a producer before 1939, in order to keep alive the spirit of competition and enterprise in this important food producing industry.

It has been possible to relax controls in the vegetables canning industry up to a certain point since the end of the war and I shall be glad to carry this still further and to throw the industry open to new entrants as soon as the time is opportune. At present however, we are still suffering from certain shortages, in particular of tinplate and sugar, which make it necessary to limit the amounts used by this industry. I am satisfied that in these circumstances the best interests of the country are served by giving preference to the established firms which are not only in a position to make full use of these scarce materials but also are best able to distribute their products widely through channels of trade which they have built up. I agree with my hon. Friend upon the desirability of keeping alive the spirit of competition and enterprise and it is my aim to free such industries as this from unnecessary restrictions as soon as it can be done without ill effects.

asked the Minister of Food why the application of Mr. David Lowe of Cratfield, Suffolk, for an additional allowance of sugar for fruit canning has been refused.

Mr. Lowe has been granted a licence for this year only to can 10 tons of fruit, without sugar, in the hope of saving all or some of his unmarketable surplus produce. We should have liked to make an allocation of sugar to Mr. Lowe and others who have been given similar facilities but unfortunately we cannot afford the dollar expenditure involved.

asked the Minister of Food which are the main ports handling meat imported for consumption in the West Riding of Yorkshire; what is the approximate proportion coming through London; and why this week's meat ration will include only 6d. worth of carcase meat.

About 55 to 60 per cent. of our meat supplies are imported through London and about 25 per cent. through Liverpool, the balance being spread over other ports including Hull. The West Riding of Yorkshire, in common with most other parts of the country, depends largely on London or Liverpool for its supplies of imported meat. The supplies of carcase meat available for the week ending 3rd July were insufficient to provide more than a 6d. ration.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the long delay often occurring on the Aust-Beachley Ferry over the Severn; and pending the erection of the new bridge if he will arrange for two or more boats to operate regularly.

Yes, Sir. But it has now been possible to man a second vessel and so enable a 30-minute service to be provided on four days a week subject to interruptions due to the tides.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated cost of the widening scheme of the Dumfries to Stranraer trunk road at Glenluce. Wigtownshire.

The cost of the improvement works now in hand at Glenluce is estimated at £10,550.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that Mr. Harry Borrill, of Kenwick Farm, Louth, purchased a Greener Mark III police gun from his Department which he finds quite useless because it is designed to fire only a special type of cartridge which is unprocurable in this country and that the suppliers have offered to take this gun off the farmer's hands at 20s.; and if he will take steps to end this unsatisfactory form of trading.

Rifles and guns are normally sold only to registered dealers, but this gun was sold as a result of a direct inquiry by Mr. Borrill. Ammunition is available, but it would be dangerous if used on a farm. I am, therefore, prepared to take back the gun and refund the purchase price.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that the Salford City Council cannot obtain a delivery of refuse collection vehicles which have been on order over 12 months; and in view of the fact that Salford is a fully built up area consisting of 175,000 people living in houses mainly two rooms up and two rooms down and that failure to collect the refuse is a menace to the health of the people, if he will expedite the delivery of these vehicles.

As I informed the hon. Member for Royton (Mr. Sutcliffe) on 21st June, arrangements have recently been made to enable many more of these vehicles to be produced this year than would otherwise have been possible. Distribution is left to the industry, but increased production should result in quicker deliveries to the Salford Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has investigated the complaints of Mr. L. J. Ockleton of 30 Park Street, Grimsby, which have been submitted to him, regarding conditions at the volunteer agricultural camp, Navenby, Lincolnshire; and is he satisfied that all such camps are adequately equipped and properly run.

The complaint to which the hon. Member refers has been investigated. The camp is structurally satisfactory but living conditions in certain respects needed improving, and this has now been done.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the total acreage of unproductive land that could be developed; and what steps are to be taken to bring it into full production.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to his Question on 16th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the shortage of steel supplies to village blacksmiths, for the making and repairing of agricultural machinery in North Lincolnshire, as detailed in the correspondence sent to him, and what steps he is taking to improve the supply.

I am aware that there are still shortages of the particular types of steel required by blacksmiths, but the supply is improving as a result of the efforts made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply. I am taking steps to help in the particular case mentioned in correspondence and will inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Minister of Agriculture in how many cases a grant of pig and poultry rations has been made under the special scheme for severely disabled ex-Ser vice men jointly devised by his Department and the Ministry of Labour; how many of these grants have been made since the beginning of the current year, and how many grants since the scheme came into operation and in the current year, respectively, have been made in Essex.

Since the inception of this scheme in July, 1945, rations have been allowed to 285 severely disabled ex-Service men, including 38 this year. The total of grants in Essex is nine, including three made this year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the acute shortage of spare parts for hay mowers in East Kent; and whether he will take steps to ensure a proper supply.

Yes. I am doing all I can to help manufacturers to overcome their difficulties so as to speed up supplies. I am advised that farmers in Kent are nevertheless getting on reasonably well with their mowing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that jackdaws are causing damage to crops in Suffolk, including peas and barley, and in view of the vital importance of securing maximum crops this year, what measures he has in mind to deal with this serious threat to the coming harvest.

I am aware that jackdaws are causing damage to crops in certain parts of Suffolk and in other counties but, at this time of the year, effective control is impracticable. In reasonable numbers jackdaws are, on balance, beneficial to agriculture, but when very numerous they may cause an appreciable amount of damage to crops. County agricultural executive committees have powers to deal with this bird.

asked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the great shortage of cement in the Durham, Spenny-moor, and other areas, he will consider ways and means of increasing the supply of cement and seeing that wholesale merchants are unable to meet requirements, and repair work cannot be executed, will he consider the installation of new plant so that production can be increased and orders fully met.

My Department have actively encouraged the erection of new cement works, and the extension or modernisation of existing works. The first new post-war works should come into operation next Spring.

asked the Minister of Works what buildings or huts situated on the Westwood Aerodrome, Peterborough, were allocated by his Department; on what date; to whom were they allocated; which Departments supported such allocations; and what capital cost will be involved in each case, due to alterations arising from such allocations.

I am having a statement of the allocations of accommodation at this aerodrome prepared and will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Works to state the terms of reference and composition of the Working Party on Building Operations in this country.

I have now appointed the Working Party. The terms of reference are: "To inquire into (a) the organisation and efficiency of building operations in this country, including those of the specialist and sub-contracting trades; (b) the position of the professions in relation thereto; (c) the arrangements for financing operations; and (d) the types of contract in general use, and to make recommendations. Questions of wages and conditions which are dealt with by the joint negotiating machinery in the industries will be outside the scope of the inquiry.I have appointed as Chairman Sir Thomas W. Phillips, G.B.E., K.C.B., who will be retiring from the public service at the end of this year. The other members are:

asked the Secretary of State for War why the sum of £7 16s. was deducted from the pay of Corporal Potter, D.R., S/ 14060625, R.A.S.C., now of 49, Bartram Avenue, Braintree, Essex, at the time of his demobilisation nearly three months ago; and why the Regimental Paymaster, R.A.S.C., Haig Lines, Crook-ham, near Aldershot, has made no reply to Mr. Potter's three communications asking for an explanation of this deduction.

The sum of £7 16s. 3d. was deducted from the release benefits of Corporal Potter during his release leave which ended on 21st June, 1948, because his account showed a debit balance of this amount at the date of release. On final audit certain adjustments to his account converted the debit balance into a credit balance and the sum of £17 4s. 11d. which included the £7 16s. 3d. withheld was sent to him at his home address on 29th June, 1948. Three communications were received by the Regimental Paymaster between 27th April and 3rd May, 1948, and an acknowledgment of the first was sent on 29th April, 1948, informing the soldier that the matter was having attention. I regret that the audit of his account took so long.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that farmers are unable to obtain sodium chlorate for killing weeds; and what steps he is taking to make supplies available.

It has not been possible so far this year to secure in full the imports of sodium chlorate which normally supplement home production, though I am hopeful of an early improvement in this respect. Meanwhile, on the advice of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, I am arranging for as much as possible to be reserved for the destruction of potato haulms and for weed killing on farmland. More will become available for the latter purpose as the demand for use on the potato crop diminishes.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will send a message of appreciation on behalf of His Majesty's Government and the House of Commons to the officers and men of all three Services who assisted in the maintenance of vital services during the dock strike.

Members of all three Services carried out the tasks required of them during the recent strike in an admirable manner, and a message of appreciation on behalf of His Majesty's Government has already been sent to the Service Departments to be conveyed to all those concerned. I do not think it is necessary to send any further message.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the inhabitants of Witheridge have no resident doctor within reasonable distance with whom they can register; and what steps is he taking to provide the service to which they are entitled under the Act.

I am making inquiries and will let the hon. Member know the result.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will give a list of the numbers and titles of all Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Memoranda issued by his Department in connection with the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, between the passing of that Act and the appointed day.

The following is a list of the numbers and titles of all Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Memoranda issued by the Ministry of Town and Country Planning in connection with the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, between the passing of that Act and the appointed day. The list also includes some Instruments issued by other Ministries in connection with the Act, some Instruments which have been made and are about to be published and

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a list of the numbers and titles of all Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Memoranda issued by his Department in connection with the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, 1947, between the passing of that Act and the appointed day.

The following Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Memoranda have been made or issued by the Secretary of State for Scotland in connection with the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, 1947, between the passing of that Act and the appointed day.

asked the Postmaster-General how many parcels within the series, including Post Office Reference X20372, have been observed during transit to be empty and no trace found of their missing contents; and what steps are being taken to minimise these losses.

No separate record is kept of parcels found without contents during transit, and the information for which the hon. Member asks could not be obtained without the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and labour. Every effort is made to associate and repack articles found loose in the mails with their original cover and packing, and full investigation is made in any case in which there is reason to suspect mistreatment in the post.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to encourage the production of cotton within the British Commonwealth; what are the present quantities and grades obtained from the several Colonies and Protectorates; and what are the indications as a result of a survey as to the increase of yields that can be obtained in each case.

The United Kingdom's imports of Colonial cotton at present come mainly from Uganda, Tanganyika, Nyasaland, Nigeria and the West Indies. Nigerian cotton is of a comparable staple length to American middling; Uganda cotton is mainly a substitute for Sudan G.L. and Egyptian; other East African cottons correspond to the longer American types; West Indian cotton is of the Sea Island variety which commands a special market. Detailed figures of United Kingdom imports, classified according to staple length, can be obtained from the accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom, copies of which are available in the Library of this House.An account of the prospects for increasing production of cotton in the Colonial Empire is contained in the Interim Report of the Colonial Primary Products Committee which was published as Colonial Paper No. 217; steps are now being taken, in conjunction with the Board of Trade and the Raw Cotton Commission, to follow up the Committee's recommendations. It is not possible to say precisely what increase in yields will result in each case but plans are being discussed for doubling Nigerian production over the next three years.The other main cotton-producing countries of the Commonwealth are India, Pakistan and the Sudan where I understand that cotton production is being given high priority. On the Indian Continent, I understand that the area under cotton is being increased to the maximum extent possible without encroaching upon the land required for food crops. Yields are also being raised by the extension of irrigation facilities, use of manure and improved seed. The proportion of the cotton acreage under improved varieties of seed increased from 19 per cent. in 1936–37 to 57 per cent. in 1944–45. In the Sudan, an extension of the Gezira Irrigation Scheme is being undertaken which will bring an additional 25,000 acres under cotton in 1951 with a production of about 10,000,000 lb. per year.

, asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been drawn to the position of the Colonial Medical Service in Nigeria, according to an official staff list revised on 1st July, 1947, and published in October of that year, in which the medically qualified administrative personnel includes one director, four deputy-directors, seven assistant directors, 10 administrative senior officers, to control 13 specialists and 109 general medical officers; whether he is satisfied that this proportion of administrative to clinical staff is necessary; if he is aware of the dissatisfaction in the ranks of the clinical staff, which is overworked as compared with the administrative staff; and if he will rectify this position.

In addition to the supervision of specialists and general medical officers, the Director of Medical Services and his administrative staff are responsible for the control of a staff of over 4,000 in hospitals, dispensaries, laboratories, X-ray departments and in sanitation, malaria, sleeping sickness and welfare units. This staff serves an area almost equal to the combined areas of the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, having a population of 22 million. It is considered that the distribution and ratio of senior administrative staff is not disproportionate. The administrative senior officers may be either Senior Medical Officers of Health; in charge of yellow fever research, malaria and sleeping sickness control; or performing medical liaison duties with other Departments and with local authorities. I am aware that all branches of the Medical Service in Nigeria have a very heavy burden of work, and the territory has received, and is receiving, priority in the recruitment of additional staff.

asked the Minister of Defence what percentage of Service personnel who were either held in readiness or used during the dock strike were volunteers for this duty.

In such a crisis volunteers are not called for. The necessary forces are detailed for duty.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) whether ex-airmen in receipt of disability pensions from his Department are now eligible, or will be eligible as from 5th July, 1948, for consideration for an unemployability supplement of 20s. a week; and how this should be claimed;(2) whether, as from 5th July, 1948, the allowance for the wife of an ex-airman in receipt of a disability pension from his Department, will be automatically increased, and to what extent.

Disability pensions paid from Air Force funds are governed by a Service Pensions Code and are not affected by the National Insurance Act, 1946. Ex-airmen who receive such pensions are already eligible for consideration for an unemployability supplement; and this is made known to every pensioner. Similarly, allowances paid from Air Force funds for wives of pensioners are not affected by the new Acts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount in 1947 and from 1st January, 1948, to the latest convenient date, respectively, of moneys released from sterling balances under agreements made by His Majesty's Government which have been utilised to purchase goods or settle debts in the United Kingdom and the sterling area, respectively.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th June, Vol. 452, c. 2013] supplied the following information: