asked the Minister of Food what are the principles on which he acts in granting or refusing fish frier's licences in the City of Aberdeen; and what are the arrangements with regard to allocations of fat to such licence holders.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statements I made to the House on 20th September and 1st November, 1948. Fat allocations to new fish friers in Aberdeen are made on the same basis as for the rest of the country. The normal fat allocation for a new business is 4 cwt. per eight weeks.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the percentage of decrease or increase of stocks of food held in this country at the most convenient date in 1948, compared with the same dates in 1947 and 1946.

Stocks of food and feedingstuffs owned and controlled by my Ministry and those held by certain food processors, manufacturers and wholesalers, were 7 per cent. lower at the end of August, 1948, than at the same date in 1947 and 9 per cent. higher than at the same date in 1946.

asked the Minister of Food (1) what arrangements have been made for the importation of oranges from Palestine into this country;(2) what arrangements have been made for the importation into this country of this year's orange crop from Cyprus.

As in the past, oranges from Palestine and Cyprus are being imported by the Ministry of Food. I am glad to say that contracts have now been made with the interests involved, but I must warn the House that the Civil War in Palestine cannot but have affected the quantity obtainable from that source.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that housewives are concerned about having to surrender 12 points for 1 lb. of mincemeat; and, in view of the fact that this will deprive them of other necessary pointed goods, if he will reduce the number of points required.

There would not be enough mincemeat to meet the demand if the points value were reduced, therefore I am afraid I cannot adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion: to do so would merely lead to many consumers having no opportunity at all to buy.

asked the Minister of Food the amount of home-killed beef, mutton and pork, respectively, which is being exported to countries other than the British zone of Germany.

In the ten months to October, 1948, the quantities of home-killed beef, mutton and pork, including offal (fresh, frozen or chilled) exported were: beef and veal, 1 ton 9 cwt.; mutton and lamb, 5 cwt.; pork, 1 ton 16 cwt.

asked the Minister of Food the current price per ton of maize, barley and meat and bone meal being imported by his Department.

It would not be in the public interest to disclose the prices of the maize, barley and meat and bone meal currently being imported by my Department. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Central, regarding the price of maize and barley imported from the U.S.S.R. during 1948. The price of the relatively small quantities of meat and bone meal recently imported was about £25 per ton. c.i.f.

asked the Minister of Food what is the controlled retail price in this country for Australian apples and the corresponding price for British apples; and what arrangements were made to allow dealers to choose which type of apple they wished for retail sale.

As laid down in the Home Grown Apples (No. 2) Order, 1948 and the Imported Apples Order, 1948 the maximum retail prices in the greater part of England and Wales for both homegrown and imported apples are 1s. 1d. per lb. for large apples of the dessert varieties listed in Group 1 in the Orders and 8½d. per lb. for large apples of other varieties. To allow for the extra cost of transport slightly higher maximum prices are prescribed for Scotland and some districts in the North of England. There are no Australian apples at present available in any part of the country. Retailers are free to choose for themselves whether to sell home-grown or imported apples if supplies of both are available to them at the same time.

asked the Minister of Food on what basis he decides the price he will pay for whale oil; and whether he will in future allow private traders in competition to tender for whale oil contracts.

On the basis of ordinary commercial considerations. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No."

asked the Minister of Food why the price to be paid by his Department to Messrs. Salvesen and Co. for whale oil, after having been fixed at £80 a ton, was finally raised to £100 a ton; and what was the total amount paid to Messrs. Salvesen in the years 1946–47 and 1947–48 and the price per ton.

The price of £80 a ton for the 1946–47 catch was a minimum and the agreement provided that the final price should be that paid to the Norwegians, which was £100 a ton. The total amount paid to Messrs. Salvesen for their 1946–47 catch was £5,310,715 and for their 1947–48 catch £5,647,370. The price was £100 a ton for 1946–47, and £90 a ton for 1947–48.

asked the Attorney-General when he anticipates that the report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Irregularities in Government Departments will be completed.

I am unable to say.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now announce the names of the chairman and members of the Transport Consultative Committee for Wales.

I have already announced that Lieut.-Colonel Edmund Davies, K.C., has accepted my invitation to be chairman of the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Wales. Nominations for the Committee from the national bodies representative of the interests concerned are being invited.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether in the case of men claiming Roumanian nationality an exception is to be made to the general rule of repatriating all German ex-prisoners

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES
—	Numbers of staff employed on salary ranges						Numbers of weekly wage paid staff
	Up to £500	Over £500 to £1,000	Over £1,000 to £1,500	Over £1,500 to £2,000	Over £2,000 to £2,500	Over £2,500	Up to £5	Over £5 to £7 10s.	Total
1. Non-industrial staff of the Ministry (including Kew Gardens but excluding C.A.E.C. staffs)	2,022	2,211	427	97	9	1	1,407	1,532	7,706
2. Non-industrial staff of the County Agricultural Executive Committees	2,650	463	1	1	—	—	4,337	2,915	10,367
TOTAL, NON-INDUSTRIAL STAFF	4,672	2,674	428	98	9	1	5,744	4,447	18,073
3. Industrial staff of the Ministry (including Kew Gardens but excluding C.A.E.C. staffs)	—	—	—	—	—	—	339	182	521
TOTAL, NON-INDUSTRIAL AND INDUSTRIAL STAFF	4,672	2,674	428	98	9	1	6,085	4,629	18,594
Note.—Industrial staff attached to County Agricultural Executive Committees are locally employed, and are not included in these figures.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, having regard to the increasing use of combine harvesters, he has made an estimate of the number of additional grain driers which will be required for next year's harvest; and what is his policy for meeting this need.

The adequacy of provision for the drying and storage of grain is at present being considered in the light of the past season's experience and it is too early to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give in tabular form and in convenient salary and wage categories the number of staff, industrial and otherwise, in his employ at the latest available date.

The following statement sets out the position on 1st October, 1948.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he intends to refer to the new Coastal Shipping Advisory Committee the question of whether State subsidies for coastal shipping should be continued.

I propose, at this stage, to leave the Committee to consider and report on the matters which, in their opinion, are the most urgent. I have no doubt that these will include matters affecting the need for the subsidy to which my hon. Friend refers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the expenditure incurred by the National Savings Committee, by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and by universities and colleges, etc., Great Britain, was not covered by a vote of this House.

On the assumption that the Question refers to expenditure of public funds, the answer is "None," except for certain grants to Oxford and Cambridge Universities charged on the Consolidated Fund under the Crown Lands Act, 1866, and published on page 39 of the Finance Accounts, 1947–48.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, between 1932–33 and 1948–49, the estimate for the vote of the National Savings Committee increased from £100,000 to £1,100,000, for that of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, from £500,000 to £3,300,000 and for that of universities and colleges, etc., Great Britain, from £1,700,000 to £12,000,000; how much of these increases were covered by statutory authority, other than the Appropriation Act; and whether he will insist that in future similar sums shall be covered by statutory authority.

There is no statutory authority other than the Annual Appropriation Act, for the expenditure of these sums. The recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee in its Report dated 27th July, 1948, that statutory authority should be obtained, is under consideration by the Treasury. The result will be contained in the Treasury Minute that will be issued in the normal course in January next.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that, during 1946–47 there were substantial excesses of expenditure over income both at the hostels controlled by Government Departments and at those managed on their behalf by the National Service Hostels Corporation, Ltd., he will state the amount of profit or loss for 1947–48; and whether he will insist that these hostels shall in future be run on a self-supporting basis.

Full accounts for 1947–48 are not yet available, but the net cost of the hostels in question is expected to be between £2 million and £2¼ million. In addition, just over £1 million was spent in providing accommodation for European Volunteer Workers, Poles, and their dependants. It would not be practicable to run most of these hostels on a self-supporting basis, but their cost is kept constantly under review. I am satisfied that the value of the hostels to the national economy justifies any necessary loss on running them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what amount of the note issue of the Palestine Currency Board has been accounted for; how much still remains unaccounted for; and whether His Majesty's Government still carry any liability for its redemption.

Notes to the value of £12,436,000 have been redeemed since 15th May last. The total circulation on 15th November, 1948, was £47,761,000. No liability rests upon His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom in connection with the redemption of these notes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why, when asking the American Economic Co-operation Administration to provide Americans to fill 50 vacancies in the colonial topographical, geodetic and geological surveys, he did not advertise for British surveyors, nor apply to British universities, the Royal Geographical Society, or any of the British air survey firms.

The American Economic Co-operation Administration have been asked to provide 22 geologists and three chemists for short contracts of not more than three years to assist in carrying out geological work in colonial territories. These U.S. scientific officers are intended to fill temporarily vacancies in the establishments of the C.G.S.S. which cannot be filled by British candidates owing to the shortage caused by the break in training during the war. Every effort has been made, and is continuing to be made, to obtain the services of United Kingdom and Dominions geologists for permanent service with the Colonial Geological Survey Service. Contact with United Kingdom and Dominions geologists is maintained through the geological departments of the United Kingdom and Dominions universities, and through the Dominions appointments boards. Vacancies for particular posts are also advertised in the Press and scientific journals from time to time.It has been made plain as a result of exhaustive inquiry that it will not be possible to fill the establishment of the Colonial Geological Survey departments until about the year 1952. The reasons for this are that this Service is being expanded to a complement of about 170 geologists by 1952 from a pre-1939 figure of about 50 geologists. Only first class geologists are acceptable and their supply is not sufficient to meet the demand of British interests generally.The American Economic Co-operation Administration are also being asked to provide 24 to 30 geodetic surveyors to supply ground control for areas in the Colonial Empire for which air photography has already been taken by the R.A.F. or is now in progress. Every endeavour has been made to obtain British surveyors for this work and my requirements for surveyors have been continually notified to the universities and the Services as well as to any learned or professional societies connected with this profession. It is not clear to me how the private Air Survey firms could have assisted in the supply of such surveyors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how the emoluments to be offered to U.S. surveyors employed in British Colonies compare with those given to British surveyors.

The Economic Cooperation Administration has yet to give final approval to the scheme for the employment of U.S. surveyors to which the hon. Member is, I think, referring. I would take this opportunity of correcting a reply I gave on Wednesday, 24th November, arising from the Questions of the hon. Members for Mile End (Mr. Piratin) and Orpington (Sir W. Smithers). Discussions will proceed with the Americans regarding the salaries and allowances to be paid to these men. It is proposed that salaries should be met by the U.S. Government out of E.R.P. funds in dollars and local allowances met from a special sterling account, but no final decisions have yet been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to ensure that an adequate number of British scientists and technicians will be available within a few years to fill vacancies in the Colonial Surveys.

I invite attention to the reply made on 10th November to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Burslem (Mr. Edward Davies). Surveying is one of the branches for which a probationer Training Scheme has been introduced.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning the amount of salaries, expenses, and overhead charges which have been incurred so far in each of the proposed new towns; and what development has taken place up to date which has been sponsored by the corporations.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning (1) if he will give details of expenditure on all accounts to date of the Crawley New Town Development Corporation; and particulars of what concrete development there is to show for the expenditure;(2) if he will give details of the fees and salaries paid, respectively, to the planning consultant and each of the executives and administrative officers of the Crawley New Town Development Corporation; and what are the annual cost of their staffs and the annual administrative expenses.

The expenditure of the corporations and their development work are subject to general budgetary control and it is not my policy to seek to control their day-to-day activities. Information of the kind sought by the hon. and gallant Members will be available in the annual accounts and reports about the operations of the corporations which, under the provisions of the New Towns Act, must be prepared by each corporation and laid before each House of Parliament.In particular reply to the hon. and gallant Member for East Grinstead (Colonel Clarke), the total amount issued to date to the Crawley Development Corporation to defray expenditure on capital and revenue account is £72,000. I have arranged with the corporations that the creation of higher posts should have my prior approval and the information in respect of such posts in the Crawley Development Corporation is given below:Chief Executive—Salary range £2,500-£3,000.Deputy Chief Executive—Salary range £2,250.Chief Engineer—Salary range £1,750-£2,000.Chief Architect—Salary range £1,750-£2,000.Legal and Administrative Officer—Salary range £1,750-£2,000.Chief Finance Officer—Salary range £1,750-£2,000.Chief Estates Officer—Salary range £1,750-£2,000.

asked the Minister of Health how many families are at present lodged in London workhouses; and what weekly sum is charged for each individual accommodated.

I am informed by the London County Council that there are at present 163 families (of which 84 do not include the father) in accommodation provided by the Council under the National Assistance Act. The charges for board and lodging are in all cases at the minimum rates prescribed under the Act, that is to say, 21s. a week for an adult, 7s. 6d. for a child under 5, 9s. for a child between 5 and 11, and 10s. 6d. for a child between 11 and 16 years of age.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that since 5th July certain hospitals under the National Health Service, an example of which has been submitted to him, have relinquished the practice followed before that date, of sending a trained nurse with ambulances to fetch maternity cases to hospital, and have substituted untrained male attendants; and whether he will issue a directive on this subject.

Shortage of nurses makes it impracticable to allocate them in all cases for ambulances. Local health authorities are already aware that hospitals should be called upon to provide a nurse when necessary to accompany a patient.

asked the Minister of Supply why no provision was made in his Estimates for the Chairman of the Iron and Steel Board's salary of £8,500 a year; why no Supplementary Estimate was tabled; and why Treasury permission for the payment of this Chairman's salary was not asked.

This post was approved too late to be included in the 1946–47 Estimates but has been shown in later Estimates. No Supplementary Estimate was presented for the reasons stated in the Second Report from the Committee of Public Accounts, Session 1947–48. Treasury approval of the payment of the rate was given on 4th September, 1946.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give in tabular form and in convenient salary and wage categories the number of staff, industrial and otherwise, in his employ at the latest available date.

The numbers of civilian employees in my Department on 1st October, 1948, were as follow:

—		Non-Industrial	Industrial
1.	Headquarters	11,700	149
2.	Outstations—
	(a) Research Establishments	9,702	12,324
	(b) Royal Ordnance Factories	5,914	34,586
	(c) Inspection Directorates	3,821	5,579
	(d) Storage and Disposal Depots and Canteens	1,500	9,642
	(e) Miscellaneous	1,593	1,156
	Total	34,230	63,436

The analysis has been made on the basis of the subheads shown in Civil Estimates, 1948–49, Class X, Vote 1. The salary and wage categories of the non-industrial staff are set out in those Estimates. Similar details at 1st October, 1948, cannot be obtained without the expenditure of an undue amount of labour.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware of the acute shortage of joiners' folding rules in sizes two feet and three feet in the East Midland area; and what steps he proposes to take to increase the supply.

I am not aware of any general shortage of joiners' folding rules. If the hon. Member will let me have details of particular districts within the East Midlands area where he knows there is a shortage, I will arrange with the trade for supplies to be sent as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Supply why permission was granted to the National Coal Board to place an order for £2,000,000 for a mechanical coal cutter when similar machines are standing idle.

I have no responsibility for orders for coal cutters placed by the National Coal Board.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will now give an answer to the letter to him of 8th November from the hon. Member for Finsbury inquiring what regulations govern the activities of officers of the Regular Army who have been transferred to the Reserve.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 26th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if Mr. Evans, who was recently released from prison by the Roumanian Government, will now be allowed to return to this country.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Mr. Hastings) today.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the approximate cost in money and labour of producing stock letter No. Gen/14 by a hand-duplicating process; and what would be the cost of machine printing by modern methods.

The cost of producing six months' supply of this stock letter (about 14,000 copies) is £5 8s. 6d. by printing and £3 3s. by duplication. Of this total cost £3 8s. 6d. and 11s. 6d., respectively, represent the labour costs. Stock letters have been liable to revision owing to changes in the rationing procedure and it would have been unwise to print a sufficient number to last for a long time ahead. They are, however, printed whenever it is considered economical to do so.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the date of Import Licence No. M45632 Schedule A; for what purpose the licence was granted; and what is the value of the machinery to be imported.

Import Licence No. M/45632 is the second of the licences to which I referred in the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 25th November and was dated 3rd July, 1947. The licence comprised three Schedules, Schedule A being for chain machinery and accessories to a value of £9,546.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in what circumstances the Bureau of Current Affairs has allocated approximately 120 tons of paper to the West Riding County Council for the production and circulation of 400,000 copies of an illustrated brochure giving a survey of their development and achievements after his Department had previously refused the application.

The Bureau of Current Affairs receives an allocation of paper for the production of certain publications for the purpose of popular education in current affairs and citizenship. The West Riding County Council applied in July, 1948, for a special licence for paper for an educational brochure about the activities of the County Council. It was felt, however, that in view of the paper shortage special facilities could not be given to an individual local authority. Later, the Bureau sought to use part of their allocation to publish the brochure on behalf of the County Council and, as this did not involve the use of extra paper, no objection was raised. I understand that the Bureau will actually use substantially less than 120 tons of paper for the brochure.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons in his Department are engaged solely with the clothes rationing scheme; and how many are partially engaged in this work.

The number of persons in my Department, including ancillary staff, who were engaged solely with the clothes rationing scheme on 1st November, 1948, was 1,297. It is estimated that, in addition, about 200 people were employed for a substantial part of their time on work connected with clothes rationing as well as on other duties.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the reasons given for the transfer of British Nylon Spinners, Ltd., from Stowmarket, Suffolk, in view of the fact that this has caused local unemployment in an area where an increase in light industry is essential in the public interest.

In conformity with the Government's distribution of industry policy this Company has established their full scale plant at Pontypool in the South Wales development area where the large labour force required can more easily be recruited than at Stowmarket. I am not aware that unemployment has been caused or that any increase in light industry would be desirable in Stowmarket.