asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in the campaign against locusts in Africa.

I am glad to say that vigorous efforts against locusts in Central and East Africa have achieved signal success.In Central Africa an international campaign against the red locust under a Belgian director assisted by Belgian, South African and British technical staff was carried out at the beginning of the year and was so successful that it has entirely put an end to a cycle of outbreaks which might have caused very serious damage over a wide area. His Majesty's Government bore the cost of necessary buildings and British Colonial Governments bore 40 per cent. of the running costs.In East Africa the chief enemy is the desert locust. Over the last five years campaigns against it have been carried out in Kenya, the Somalilands, the Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Arabia. These have succeeded in preventing serious encroachment on the main cultivated areas. The swarming cycle seems now to be ended but plans have been made to keep a watch for further outbreaks. The cost of much of this work has fallen on His Majesty's Government, but I am satisfied that it has been fully worth while.In West Africa the French authorities have a team engaged in work against the migratory locust and we are co-operating fully with them.A large part of the credit for the successes so far achieved is due to the Anti-Locust Research Centre in London, under the leadership of Dr. Uvarov backed up by the splendid work which has been done in the field.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what export duties are at present imposed on their major products by Colonies; how far their object is to finance their Governments by taxes levied indirectly on foreigners; and how far the export duties are shared with the exporters of the products.

The information for which my hon. Friend asks in the first part of his Question covers too wide a field for an oral reply. I will, therefore, with his permission send him a copy of Colonial Office Miscellaneous Publication No. 512 containing details of the export duties in force in the Colonial Empire at a recent date.The object of these duties, which are imposed irrespective of the country to which the products are exported, is simply to raise Government revenue and the proceeds are not shared with the exporters. It is impossible to say in general terms whether they represent indirect taxes on overseas buyers. Where the price of a product is determined in a fully competitive market, the burden of export duties ultimately falls on the producer; but where competition is imperfect they may be shared in varying proportions between the producer and the consumer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reports have so far been presented by the Indian and Arab Settlement Board in Kenya on the economic position of Indian farmers already established in Kenya; and what information he has received on the standard of farming and conservation of natural resources.

My right hon. Friend regrets that he has no report available from the Indian and Arab Settlement Board in Kenya. It will be recalled that on 30th June in reply to a Question put by the hon. Member for East Harrow (Mr. Skinnard), it was stated that a report had been received about the settlement of Arabs in the coastal belt. This was a report submitted by the Coast Titles and Arab Settlement Board, which is a different organisation from that now under reference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in view of the change of naval base from Hong Kong to Singapore, he will give an assurance that there is no change contemplated in the status of Hong Kong as a Crown Colony.

Yes. I would like to add also that there will be no change in the character of Hong Kong as a naval base; as has been recently announced in the Press, Hong Kong will remain the operational and training base of the Fleet in the Far East.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is yet in a position to make a statement regarding the future arrangements governing the award of pensions to the widows of officers.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is now in a position to state if widows' pensions will be payable in all cases where retired officers have remarried after retirement.

I regret that I am not yet able to make a statement on the future arrangements which will govern the award of these pensions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that the present system of weekly training nights for the R.N.V.R. is very inconvenient for many volunteers; and if he will consider introducing longer periods of training to be held fortnightly or monthly, or intensive week-end courses, in lieu of weekly training nights.

The present system of R.N.V.R. training is designed to suit the convenience of the majority of officers and men. The difficulties experienced by those who live at a distance from a divisional headquarters are, however, receiving careful consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what were the reasons which led to the decision to transfer British Naval Headquarters in the Far East from Hong Kong to Singapore.

The transfer of the shore Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief British Pacific Fleet from Hong Kong to Singapore, where the Command Headquarters of the other Services are already located, was decided in accordance with the policy of His Majesty's Government that in principle the Headquarters of the Commanders-in-Chief of the three Services overseas should be located together.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is now the Government's policy to refuse commissions in the R.N.V.R. and R.N.V.W.R. to men over 35 years of age irrespective of their war service and previous experience in the R.N.V.R.; and on what grounds this decision is based.

No. Each application by a former temporary officer to enter the permanent R.N.V.R. or the R.N.V.W.R. is considered on its merits, having regard to the officer's qualifications and former service and the needs of these Reserves.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why unmarried shipwrights working in the dockyard in Gibraltar are to lose £1 0s. 6d. foreign service allowance, whereas married men are to receive an additional £1 per week; and if he will take steps to rectify this anomaly.

The changes mentioned by the hon. Member are the outcome of a comprehensive review. The new rates bring the local allowance into a proper relationship with the actual expenses of the various classes of Admiralty employees under current conditions in Gibraltar. There has, therefore, been no discrimination against unmarried employees.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty in which hospitals under Naval control are dieticians employed.

None, but an experimental appointment of one dietician will shortly be made at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why only 25 cadets have been accepted for the first new scheme entry to Dartmouth; and not 29 as previously announced.

As a result of the educational examination and tests for personal qualities, 30 candidates were found suitable for entry, but three were medically unfit and the vacancies in the branch for which the other two were candidates were already filled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation prohibiting the holding of political meetings during recognised church hours on Sunday.

The law contains provisions enabling those who disquiet or disturb public worship to be dealt with and my right hon. Friend is not aware of any reason for making further provision or for discriminating against political activities in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that the particulars given in Table C of the White Paper on Capital Punishment, issued on 28th May, 1948, are correct.

I much regret that a mistake was made in the White Paper. The figures for 1945 and 1946 in Table C should have shown that in each of these two years 15 persons charged with murder were found insane on arraignment and also that in each year 16 were found guilty but insane, but as printed, the figures for these two years unfortunately included all cases in which persons were found insane on arraignment and guilty but insane and not only cases where the charge was murder.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury when the National Insurance (Transfer of Assets) Regulations, 1948 (S.I. 1948, No. 1408), which came into operation on 1st July, were available in the Vote Office and in the Stationery Office, respectively.

Copies were in the Vote Office on 1st July and on sale at the Stationery Office on 2nd July.

asked the Minister of Works if he will now consider the suggestion that solid fuel cookers and other similar appliances should be quantity produced and installed in new houses being built by local authorities; and if he will consider making these installations part of the housing subsidy.

I have been asked to reply. Arrangements have been made for increased production and where local authorities propose to use solid fuel cookers, they are given every encouragement to instal the modern type in new houses. As to the last part of the question the housing subsidy is paid in respect of the whole house and not for particular installations.

asked the Minister of Health whether his Department will grant a permit for the building of a community centre on the College Hill Estate, Hereford.

No application has been made to me by the local authority. In considering any such proposal at the present time I should have to take into account the effect of the use of labour and materials for this purpose upon the provision of houses.

asked the Minister of Health if he will receive a deputation representative of the Gipping Rural District Council and the Needham Market Parish Council to discuss the best measures to deal with the serious pollution of the River Gipping.

I should be glad to arrange for my officials to meet a deputation from the two councils if they would care to arrange an appointment.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that, owing to the bad road surfaces in Birmingham, the City Transport Committee has recently been faced with greatly increased expenditure upon the repair of damaged vehicles; that the average weekly casualties include 70 broken springs, 36 loosened radiators, 4 broken chassis and 20 wheel repairs; and whether he intends to insist upon the recent proposals that the Birmingham road maintenance staff of 1,348 should be cut by 271.

Yes; but I cannot accept the suggestion that the increase in damage is entirely due to the state of the roads. In response to my request that roadmen should be released to make more labour available for the export and import-saving industries, the Birmingham Corporation have reduced their road maintenance staff by 255, and I do not propose to press for a further reduction.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the present costs per head for cattle, sheep and pigs, respectively, between farm and collecting centre and between collecting centre and abattoir; and the slaughtering costs.

The responsibility for taking animals to collecting centres from farms rests on producers and I have no information about the costs incurred. The present average costs per animal in the United Kingdom of the other two items are estimated to be as follows:1. Freight, transport and droving of fatstock from collecting centres to slaughterhouses, including feeding and lairage before and during transit:

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an assurance that it is not his intention to repatriate, against their will, German ex-prisoners of war who have applied to continue agricultural work, provided that the conduct of such ex-prisoners is satisfactory.

I have been asked to reply. The possibility that German ex-prisoners of war may be required in agriculture after the end of 1948 is at present being examined by the Departments concerned. They consider that it is too early yet to assess with any precision their manpower requirements after the end of this year or the extent to which they can meet these requirements by offering employment to displaced persons, to whom, I feel sure my hon. Friend will agree, we have greater obligations. German ex-prisoners of war will, unless offered a continuation of their employment beyond the end of 1948, be repatriated in the normal way.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what part of the 6s. 2d. contribution paid by he self-employed man goes to the Unemployment Fund.

None. The self-employed contributor is not insured against unemployment and no part of the 6s. 2d. contribution covers that risk. The Unemployment Fund has been absorbed into the National Insurance (Reserve) Fund and all contributions under the National Insurance Act, 1946, fall to be paid into a single National Insurance Fund.