asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made with his arrangements for the distribution of deaf-aids under the National Health Act.

Supplies of the magnetic type of Medresco hearing aid were sent to four hospitals in England and Wales in time for them to begin operating the scheme on the 5th July. Supplies of the crystal type should begin to be available at the end of this month. The number of distribution centres will be increased to about 25 as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health how many past or present members of the Wirral Joint Hospital Board have been appointed to the Bebington and Wirral Area Hospital Management Committee.

One.

asked the Minister of Health what is the expected division of the revised housing programme between brick and all other non-traditional types on monthly basis of approvals from now until 31st December, 1949.

I regret that I have not the information on which to make an estimate.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will consider taking over the Royston P.O.W. Camp, Hertfordshire, for housing purposes.

The habitable part of this camp has now been offered to the Royston Urban District Council for housing purposes.

asked the Minister of Health to state the precise terms of reference for the local hearing into the application of the Metropolitan Water Board for authority under Section 8 of the Water Act, 1948, to survey and carry out borings on land at Brimpton; and to what extent the wider implications of the Board's proposal to flood the Enborne Valley are to be taken into account by the inspector holding this inquiry.

This local hearing will be limited to hearing the representations of those owners and occupiers who have objected under Section 8 to the proposal of the Water Board to survey their land. The application of the Board for authority to survey is all that is before me and consideration of any wider implications would be outside the scope of this hearing.

asked the Minister of Education how the figures showing the percentage of school children at maintained schools within the County Borough of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who regularly receive a mid-day school meal, compares with the national average percentage for county boroughs generally, and in particular, with the percentage provided with school meals in Leeds, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Sunderland.

In February last the percentage of children having dinner in maintained schools in Newcastle-upon-Tyne was 38.6 compared with a national average for county boroughs of 42.4 per cent.

asked the Minister of Education the number of boys and girls, respectively, in primary and secondary schools on 1st January, 1948; and the number of such children who were in infants' schools and departments at that time.

The analysis of the figures for January, 1948, is not yet complete, but the following provisional figures give the information asked for as nearly as it is available.

asked the Minister of Education the number of boys and girls, respectively, classified as seniors, juniors and infants and under 5's, respectively, covered by the estimates of requirements of teachers for the years 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953 set out in Table 1 of Circular 174, dated 16th June, 1948.

The following are the numbers of children on which the estimates of teachers required in 1948–53 set out in Table 1 of Circular 174, have been based.

asked the Minister of Education how many children entered the national schools; and how many left these schools during each of the four years since the passage of the Education Act, 1944.

My Department does not collect separate statistics about children entering school. The number of children leaving maintained and assisted schools, excluding those transferring to other schools, was 489,000 in the year ending 31st July, 1946, and 347,000 in the year ending 31st July, 1947. No figures were collected for the year 1944–45, figures for 1947–48 will not be available before the end of the present year.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give an estimate of the number of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses, respectively, who will be required to staff the primary schools and secondary schools respectively, for each of the years 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953; and how many of those teachers he estimates will be needed for infants' schools or departments.

I have given in Circular 174 as close an estimate of future requirements as is possible from present information.

asked the Minister of Education on what basis the rates of grant are made to students at Emergency Training Colleges; and what steps he takes to increase the grant in cases of hardship.

I would invite the hon. Member's attention to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South-West St. Pancras (Mr. Haydn Davies) on 1st July last.

asked the Minister of Education on what basis local education authorities make financial contributions to the salaries of youth leaders; how many make deficiency grants; and how many make a regular percentage contribution.

Financial contributions from local education authorities are normally assessed according to the quality and financial need of the applicant organisation. I have no comprehensive information as to the method of assessment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a statement of the Government's intentions with regard to the jute industry, following upon the issue of the Working Party Report and his subsequent discussions with the trade.

I have asked the members of the jute industry to give me their views on the recommendations contained in the Report of the Working Party, and I should prefer to make no further statement until I have received and considered their comments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what system is now operating for the distribution of cigarettes throughout the country; in particular what is the machinery for reviewing the distribution to see that all areas receive an equitable share; and how far the present distribution basis takes into account that the pre-war figures of cigarette consumption in Newcastle-upon-Tyne were much lower than the consumption for towns of similar population elsewhere due to unemployment within the area.

The distribution of manufactured tobacco goods is not controlled by the Government. The manufacturers inform me that, in distributing their products, they try to ensure that all areas are fairly treated, and I am satisfied that the effect of changes in demand due to such causes as those mentioned by my hon. Friend is not overlooked when supplies are allocated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will place in the Library of the House of Commons a copy of the U.S. Department of Commerce's list of goods which may not be exported to the Soviet Union or countries in Eastern Europe.

When a clear United States practice in this matter has been established, I will consider the best way of bringing it to the knowledge of the House.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why shops and merchants in the Eastern Counties cannot obtain supplies of sodium chlorate or agroxone for sale for weed destruction.

As regards sodium chlorate, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Molton (Mr. Lambert) on 5th July. Agroxone, which is a selective weed killer for use on corn crops, is not normally sold through shops. Supplies have recently improved and I understand that supplies for farmers can now be fully met through the usual marketing channels.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what basis allocations of paper are made to individual daily papers.

Allocations of paper are made to individual daily newspapers in accordance with a scheme prepared by a rationing committee of the newspaper publishers and approved by the Board of Trade. The present allocations in any four weeks' rationing period are equal to the permitted consumption during the four weeks 1st-28th June, 1947, reduced by the equivalent of one page per issue.

asked the Minister of Works what specific research is being carried out by his Department on brick construction in general and brick house construction, respectively.

My Department is carrying out the following research upon brick construction in general: (a) The use of jigs for brickwork; (b) The use of rising scaffold; (c) Trials of new appliances for transport and handling of bricks; (d) Method studies of detailed operations of bricklayers. My Department has also made a series of studies of brick house construction on different sites for the purpose of comparing costs.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will now publish a resume, followed by quarterly reports, of the research carried out by his Department on all forms of construction for the general guidance and use of the building industry.

A resume of the research carried out by my Department was contained in the Summary Report of the Ministry of Works for the period up to 31st December, 1946, and there will be a further resume in the Report for 1947. In addition reports of particular items of research will be published from time to time in the National Building Studies Series and articles will be supplied to the technical and professional Press of the building industry.

asked the Minister of Works which systems of non-traditional house construction are equal to or less than brick types of the same superficial area in total monetary cost per house.

My Department has been investigating the costs of various systems of non-traditional house construction in comparison with costs of traditional houses and a report will be published in due course.

asked the Minister of Works what progress is being made with the rebuilding of the House of Commons; and what is the latest estimate of the date by which this work will be completed and ready for occupation, so that the existing Chamber in use by the House of Commons can be made available to the House of Lords.

Progress on the rebuilding of the House of Commons is generally satisfactory. Although it is too early to forecast with certainty the date by which the work will be finished, it is hoped that the building will be ready for occupation in the Autumn of 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for War when arrangements will be completed for an A.G.I. family passage for the wife of Company Sergeant-Major Stubbs, now serving in East Africa, regarding which the hon. Member for Norwood wrote to him on 5th February and on three subsequent occasions.

When my hon. Friend wrote in February a family passage was not permissible, as this warrant officer was due to return to the United Kingdom within 12 months on completion of his overseas tour. As he has now deferred his return a passage is permissible and is being arranged.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has granted permission to Mr. Joe Louis for the transfer or use of any sterling balances from his recent visit to the Earl's Court Exhibition.

Yes. In accordance with normal practice, Mr. Louis has been granted permission to transfer part of his earnings.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the dissatisfaction in the Abersoch district of Caernarvonshire at the low proportion of home-killed meat supplied to the district; and if he will take steps to remedy the position.

We aim at spreading our supplies fairly among all butchers. This involves using home killed fatstock from the producing areas for distribution in the industrial areas. I am satisfied that Abersoch is getting substantially the same proportion of home killed, imported and canned corned meat as other districts

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the latest period covered by the most recent editions of the following handbooks published by the Stationery Office, namely, Harrison's Index to Tax Cases, Dowell's Income Tax Law, and Income Taxes in the British Dominions; and whether he will take action to have them brought up to date

The latest editions of the books referred to are:

asked the Minister of Supply whether it is proposed to impose an inclusive charge for meals and accommodation upon all residents in the Pale Manor Hostel at Malvern as soon as the dining room there is finished.

Yes.