asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when it will be possible to derequisition No. 11, Hindenburg-strasse, Peine, requisitioned in September, 1945, but unoccupied since March, 1948, and hand it back to its 85-year-old owner.

This house will be occupied this month by a unit of the International Refugee Organisation and I cannot say when it can be derequisitioned. Meanwhile its owner who lives alone has been accommodated elsewhere in Peine since 1945.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will place in the Library of the House a copy of the document relating to the Berlin currency question drawn up on 7th September last by the British and French Military Governors, but not signed by the American Military Governor.

Yes. I am placing in the Library a copy of this document together with a copy of a memorandum explaining its character with which it has been transmitted by the French and United Kingdom representatives to the members of the Security Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what requests the Governor of Cyprus has made for extra powers for the maintenance of law and order during the tenure of his office; and what answer has been made to these requests.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "None." The second part of the Question therefore does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is satisfied that the Governor of Cyprus possesses all necessary powers for the maintenance of law and order.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the proposed new railway links between Broken Hill and Mombasa and Mikindani, respectively; and what assistance is being given by His Majesty's Government in raising the necessary loans.

His Majesty's Government and the Colonial Governments concerned attach considerable importance to the construction of a north-south railway link, and they are of the view that this project should be prosecuted as rapidly as possible. To this end, it has been decided that comprehensive engineering and economic surveys, which are an essential preliminary to construction, should be made of the possible alternative routes Broken Hill—Mbeya—Dodoma—Arusha — Nairobi; and Broken Hill—Mbeya—Morogoro (or Kilosa)—Korogwe. In addition, but as a subsidiary operation, it is proposed to make a quick reconnaissance survey of a route linking Broken Hill with the groundnut railway to Mikindani with a view to ascertaining whether such a route is likely to be a practicable engineering proposition.As regards the second part of the Question, it is hoped to secure the assistance of the Economic Co-operation Administration in these surveys as regards both the financial arrangements and the provision of the necessary staff and that it will not be necessary to have recourse to loan. The question of finance for the construction of such a railway or railways does not arise at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what salaries are to be paid to the United States geologists and geodetic engineers, respectively, who are being engaged by the Colonial Geo logical Service and the Directorate of Colonial Surveys; whether these salaries were advertised or made known to British scientists; and whether payment of any allowances will be made.

I would refer the hon. Member to the written reply given to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Sir P. Macdonald) on 29th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any efforts have been, or are being, made to recruit geologists and geodetic engineers for work in Africa in any other countries besides the U.S.A.

Yes. Efforts have been and are being made to recruit geologists and geodetic surveyors in this country and in the Commonwealth.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what attempts have been made to employ Canadian specialists in Colonial Surveys; and whether Marshall Aid is available for this purpose.

No special attempt has been made to employ Canadian specialists. I am looking into the point raised in the second part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Food what is the rate of wages paid to the native workers engaged in the groundnut scheme in Tanganyika.

The responsibility for providing this information rests with the Overseas Food Corporation. I have, therefore, passed my hon. Friend's inquiry to the Corporation, who are, I understand, communicating with him.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the Overseas Food Corporation propose to recruit a uniformed police force of their own for service with the groundnut scheme in Tanganyika; and, since the police duties of the territory are the concern of the Government of Tanganyika, for what reason a private police force is to be set up by the Corporation.

The Overseas Food Corporation have been empowered under ordinance by the Tanganyika Government to create an auxiliary police force to protect its interest and its personnel within the development areas. The regular police force of the territory is not large enough to provide the increased services required. As regards the second part of the Question, the Overseas Food Corporation Security Department is not a private police force, the chief officer being responsible to the Commissioner of Police and to the Governor of the Territory.

asked the Minister of Food if the United Kingdom is now prevented by any international agreement from buying maize, barley and other coarse grains freely in the world's markets.

The United Kingdom has concurred with I.E.F.C. recommendations about the distribution of cereals (including coarse grains) for the period ending 30th June, 1949. But these recommendations are such that the United Kingdom will not be prevented from buying as freely as the balance of payments permits.

asked the Minister of Food in how many cases orders have been made under Defence Regulations 55G to control the grades of milk which may be sold in a specified area.

None.

asked the Minister of Food what proportion of feedingstuffs has been received in this country from the U.S.S.R. since the signing of the agreement; how much this represents; and how much remains to be delivered.

During the period January to October, 1948, United Kingdom imports of coarse grains from Russia totalled approximately 720,000 tons or 26.5 per cent, of all imported animal feedingstuffs. In addition 33.2 thousand tons of coarse grains were shipped under the Russian agreement, to areas of United Kingdom procurement responsibility. Deliveries of grain under the Russian contract have been completed.

asked the Minister of Food what is the cost per week of the "Food Facts" advertise ments in the national Press.

The average weekly cost of space for "Food Facts" advertisements during the six months ended 30th September, 1948, was£2,972.

asked the Minister of Food whether in view of the fact that stocks are accumulating, he will reduce the points value of condensed milk.

There is no general accumulation of stocks such as would justify a reduction in points values. If such an accumulation occurred we should of course be able to make a reduction.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement on the volume and value of voluntary gifts sent to this country by C.A.R.E., Inc. as at the latest convenient date; and if an expression of gratitude on the part of His Majesty's Government has been conveyed to the people of the U.S.A. through His Majesty's Embassy in Washington.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to pay tribute to the enormous amount the American people have done for this country in the way of food gifts; particularly as, at 11 a.m. today, an agreement under E.C.A. was signed at the Foreign Office, under which the United States Government will pay for the shipping and distribution of all relief goods sent to this country.Since the end of April, 1947, when deliveries started, up to the present day, C.A.R.E. have distributed in this country 319,277 gift packages, value approximately£800,000. In addition they have already delivered 900 special Christmas packages which include a turkey and plum pudding and anticipate delivering at least 7,000 in total by Christmas time, total value approximately£28,000. C.A.R.E. also gave this country last week 25,000 cans of special baby food in honour of the birth of the Royal Prince and have been responsible for adding over 1,700,000 dollars to Britain's dollar fund, in the payment of freight, including the Berlin airlift, food purchases and services. We take every opportunity to express appreciation 'of this magnificent help.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will arrange for the payment of pension, or retired pay, to be made to a bank for those temporary and commissioned officers who desire this method of payment, thus obviating unnecessary waste of time calling at a post office each week.

Temporary warrant and commissioned officers receiving retired pay are paid through a bank unless they wish otherwise. It is assumed therefore that the hon. Member is referring to pensioner ratings granted temporary warrants or commissions who continue to receive pensions on the ratings' scale, which are paid through the Post Office in the same way as other ratings' pensions. While for reasons of administrative economy I cannot agree to make payments to such officers through a bank, I should be willing to arrange for them to be paid by quarterly postal draft if they prefer it. Applications to change the method of payment should be made to the Director of Navy Accounts.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he has any statement to make on the future of the Boys' Training Centre, H.M.S. "Bruce," at Crail, Fife.

H.M.S. "Bruce," which was formerly the Royal Naval Air Station at Crail, has been in use temporarily as a Boys' Training Establishment since May, 1947. It has now been found possible to receive all the boy entries in the two regular Boys' Training Establishments and H.M.S. "Bruce" will close in the autumn of 1949 when the boys now under training have completed their courses. It will be maintained as a reserve air station.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what has been the result of the request to all commands on 8th March last to make suggestions for the name to be applied to the warrant officer classes; whether he is now prepared to make an announcement; and whether sub-lieutenant is to be substituted for warrant officer and lieutenant for commissioned-from warrant officer.

The question of the titles of warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers is still under consideration. I shall make a statement immediately I am in a position to do so.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether naval pensioners recalled for service in an emergency will be employed in the rank held at time of discharge to pension or release from previous mobilised service as pensioners.

Naval pensioners are liable to serve in any capacity or rating which the Admiralty requires. Chief petty officer rating will be given initially only to those who held it on a permanent basis at the time of their release, but otherwise pensioners recalled in any future emergency will, as a general rule, be employed in a rank or rating not inferior to that which they last held.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is intended in future, that naval pensioners over 55 years of age shall be liable to recall in an emergency.

The legal liability of naval pensioners for recall to service is not confined to those under 55, but it is the practice not to recall men over that age. There is no intention of changing this practice.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of candidates who failed the interview in the second new Dartmouth entry scheme and the number appointed as cadets; and if he will also give a list of successful candidates' schools.

Of the 72 candidates interviewed, 44 failed to reach the qualifying standard. Twenty-seven were appointed as cadets; the vacancies in the branch for which the twenty-eighth was a candidate were already filled. Following is a list of the successful candidates' schools:

• Ardrossan Academy.
• Bedford Modern School.
• Bishop's Stortford College.
• Brentwood School (2 candidates).
• Cirencester Grammar School.
• Derby School.
• Dover County Grammar School.
• Downside School, Bath.
• Dumfries Academy.
• Finchley Grammar School.
• Frimley and Camberley County Grammar School.
• Haileybury and I.S.C.
• Harrow County Grammar School.
• Huddersfield College.
• Huddersfield Roys Hall Grammar School.
• Leys School, Cambridge.
• Lowestoft Grammar School.
• Newtown Boys' Grammar School.
• North Manchester High School.
• Peter Symond's School, Winchester.
• Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School.
• Royal Grammar School, Lancaster.
• Solihull School.
• St. Joseph's College, London.
• Wellington Grammar School.
• H.M.S. "Fisgard" (R.N. Artificers' Training Establishment, Torpoint).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will give an assurance that animals involved in any atomic experiment will be rendered permanently unconscious or killed immediately after the first experiment has been made on any such animals, whether radio-activised or not, so that they shall not be left alive to suffer.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 10th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping (Mrs. Manning).

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many disability pensions are administered direct by his Department.

One thousand nine hundred and fifty-three.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what steps he has taken or proposes to take to ensure that all disability pensioners for whom his Department is responsible are made aware of all the allowances and services to which they may now be entitled.

In 1946 the Admiralty distributed to all Naval and Royal Marine disability pensioners a booklet explaining the allowances and benefits to which they were entitled. This booklet, corrected up to date, is also given to any pensioner newly awarded a disability pension. In addition, full information about the current regulations is published every six months in the Appendix to the Navy List.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reconsider his refusal to allow the northern area of the Road Haulage Association to frank their letters with the words "Road Transport under Free Enterprise," in view of the fact that this Association will be the only national organisation acting on behalf of hauliers who will continue to operate under free enterprise.

I have reconsidered the matter but I regret I cannot see my way to alter the decision.

asked the Postmaster-General how many technicians of the Post Office engineering department are at present in the maximum grade for salary purposes.

One technician is receiving the maximum of the scale of pay for the grade; this grade did not exist before August, 1946.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the minimum rate of pay and the average rate of pay for Post Office engineers; and how this compares with engineers of similar skill in other sections of the engineering industry.

I assume that the hon. Members refers to rank-and-file grades. The rank-and-file Post Office engineering grades are paid on incremental scales. The following table gives the minimum rates of pay at age 21 and at age 25 for a 44-hour week.

—	Minimum Rates
	At age 21				At age 25
	London		Provinces		London		Provinces
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
Labourers	83	0	79	0	95	0	91	0
Skilled Workmen Class II (B).	87	0	83	0	99	0	95	0
Skilled Workmen Class II (A).	93	0	89	0	105	0	101	0
Technicians	97	0	93	0	110	0	106	0

The minimum for Skilled Workmen Class I, which is independent of age, is 121s. in London and 116s. in the Provinces. The scales rise to the following maxima:

asked the Postmaster-General why post offices are continually refusing to accept books for posting to Germany, whereas there are arrangements for sending books at printed matter rate to the British, French and American zones; and will he give publicity to these facilities.

Printed matter, including books, newspapers and periodicals, is accepted for transmission to the British sector of Berlin, and to the British and American zones, but not to the French zone, of Germany. If my hon. Friend will let me know at which post offices packets due to be accepted have been refused, I will gladly have inquiries made. The service in question has been the subject of two separate Press and broadcast notices, and detailed information is published in the Post Office Guide. The special attention of post office counter officers is again being called to the availability of this particular service.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephones were installed in 1938; and what was the average rate at which telephones were then being installed annually; how many have been installed up to new; and what is now the average annual rate of installation.

379,520 telephones were connected during 1938, bringing the total up to 3,184,000 by the end of that year. At 31st October last 4,806,000 telephones were in service, of which 554,090 were installed during the preceding 12 months.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the cost of redesigning the covers of the new London Telephone Directories.

Approximately£50.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the present staff of the sales representatives of the telephone department; what additions he intends to make to the staff; and what is the salary he is offering new entrants.

The total number of sales representatives at present employed is 540, of whom 40 have recently been appointed. Another 200 are to be added within the next six months. The annual salary offered in London to entrants to the grade, aged 25 and over, is£330 (men),£290 (women), and the salary scales rise to maxima of£500 and£400 respectively. The salaries offered in the Provinces are somewhat less.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone kiosks have been erected in each of the counties of Wales since 1st August, 1945.

The desired information is as follows: Anglesey, 5; Brecknock, 8; Caernarvon, 33; Cardigan, 30; Carmarthen, 53; Denbigh, 25; Flint, 8; Glamorgan, 52; Merioneth, 14; Montgomery, 12; Pembroke, 30; Radnor, 14—total, 284. Thirty-five kiosks have been erected in Monmouthshire during the same period.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered a letter from Mr. Alfred C. Hall, complaining of the interference with a telephone call made by him to his Russian-born wife, Mrs. Clara Hall, on Friday, 19th November, 1948, through the British Consul in Moscow; and whether he will make a statement.

No trace can be found of the receipt of a letter from Mr. Alfred C. Hall regarding a telephone call made by him to Moscow on 19th November, 1948. The facts so far as they are known to the Post Office are, briefly, as follows: A personal call was established from Temple Bar 1200 to Mr. Brookfield in Moscow at 2.55 p.m. on 19th November. Satisfactory conversation proceeded for two minutes when the connection was observed to be subject to interruptions. The London operator ensured that communication was again established with Mr. Brookfield at 3.0 p.m. but after two minutes the connection was cut off in Moscow. The Moscow operator then stated that the line was out of order. The call was re-established at 3.30 p.m. to a number at the British Embassy in Moscow but this call also was subject to interruptions. None of the interruptions to this call were due to any cause within the control of the Post Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what steps he proposes to take to eliminate low flying over Wallasey, Cheshire.

I regret that some low flying is unavoidable in the Wallasey area when aircraft of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force are landing or taking off at Hooton Park, but such low flying is being kept to the minimum required for training purposes. Unauthorised low flying is contrary to regulations and is the subject of heavy penalties.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether any steps have been taken by the station-commander at Aden to improve the delivery and distribution of mails, particularly to the personnel at the R.A.F. Hospital, Steamer Point.

I understand from my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General that air mail arrives at the Aden Post Office from London in abour four days, and surface mail in about three weeks. Sorting and delivering mail for R.A.F. personnel after it has arrived at Aden normally takes only three to four hours from the time of receipt. The Air Officer Commanding has reported certain cases where air mail seems to have been held up two to four days in transit, and I am in corespondence with my right hon. Friend about them.

asked the Secretary of State for Air for what reasons permission has been granted to the U.S. Air Force to make use of seven R.A.F. bases in Great Britain; to base 60 Super-Fortresses in this country; and to bring 5,700 officers and men of the U.S.A.F. to this country.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 28th July. Additional facilities have been placed at the disposal of the U.S.A.F. since that date because of the requirements of the Berlin air lift.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will inquire into the case, details of which have been submitted to him, of a medical graduate of London University serving in the R.A.F., whose belongings were improperly sent to India instead of to Iraq, where this officer was to be stationed; that this luggage included irreplaceable medical text books, the loss of which is handicapping the officer; and that as these facts are acknowledged by the R.A.F., if he will arrange for proper compensation to be paid.

I am advised that this baggage was wrongly shipped to India from Port Said but there is no evidence that it ever reached India and inquiries of the shipping company concerned have failed to disclose the circumstances surrounding its loss. Under regulations, compensation is not payable from Air Force funds for losses in transit of the private property of Service personnel and the owner is normally left to pursue for redress through either the responsible carrier company or his insurers. It is presumed that in the present case the owner had not insured his baggage as advised in regulations and I am satisfied that no success would attend any attempt on his part to claim compensation from the shipping company. As, therefore, my Department cannot disclaim responsibility for wrong shipment, and as also the medical books concerned could be classed as a reasonable requirement for a medical officer on R.A.F. service, I am glad to say that compensation will be made and my Department is writing to the claimant to arrange a settlement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what steps are being taken to avoid or mitigate the nuisance of low flying aircraft over the areas of Richmond, Barnes, Kew, Mortlake and Sheen.

I regret that I can add nothing to the very full information given to the hon. Member by my noble Friend in his letter of 4th November last.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether his Department has acquired the aerodromes of which possession bas been taken by them; or when does he propose to acquire them; and, in particular, Southampton Airport.

Those aerodromes required for scheduled services and not already State-owned are being acquired gradually. None has yet been completely acquired by my Department, but negotiations are proceeding in a number of cases. Southampton Airport will be acquired and negotiations with the owners have commenced.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to ensure priority of supply for urgent cases, in view of the great demand for spectacles under the National Health Service.

My right hon. Friend is seeking to ensure that the supply of spectacles shall be equal to the demand. In the meantime he hopes opticians will distribute their available stocks in the best interests of their patients.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the severe hardships being suffered by doctors in all parts of the country as a consequence of inadequate remuneration under the National Health Service; and whether he will now fulfil the recommendations of the Spens Committee, which would partially remedy this position.

No. The remuneration of general medical practitioners in the National Health Service is based on the recommendations of the Spens Committee and was agreed with the profession. I am aware that the initial distribution of the total amount of money made available is giving rise to some temporary difficulties, which I am discussing with representatives of the profession.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that his directive to Executive Councils to the effect that it was not his intention that payments from the Inducement Fund should be made in cases where difficulty could be met by a fixed annual payment will, in fact, result in a general lowering of the capitation grant; and whether he will now withdraw this directive, and allow such payments to be met from the Inducement Fund.

I see no reason to alter these arrangements.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the increase of the pollution of the River Gipping, resulting in a growing number of complaints from farmers and local residents, what action his Department now proposes to take to deal with this serious nuisance and danger to the public health.

The hon. Member will by now have received a reply to the letter he addressed to the Parliamentary Secretary on this subject on 15th November, and I would refer him to the information given therein.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to ensure the early opening of the new spectacle lens factory in South Wales.

If, as I assume, the hon. Member is referring to the factory being built at Kidwelly by the Board of Trade for the British American Optical Company, this is now nearly complete and the tenant can start to move in within a few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for War what accommodation is at present under construction, separately, for other ranks and officers and their respective dependants at Fayid, General Headquarters, M.E.L.F.; how far this will go towards meeting current deficiencies; and why progress, to date, has been so slow.

There are no quarters at present under construction at Fayid, but plans to build 100 temporary married quarters in Egypt in the immediate future, including 40 at Fayid, are about to be put into operation. It is hoped to build further married quarters next year and a proportion of these will be at Fayid. There are at present 354 married quarters in this area. In Egypt there are 445 British Army officers and 720 other ranks on the immediate waiting list for quarters. It is not possible to give separate figures for officers' and other ranks' married quarters in Egypt, since some of the quarters there are interchangeable between the two categories. Progress on married quarters in Egypt has so far been slow because of the limited building capacity available, and the higher priority necessarily given to housing the Army and its installations.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware that a number of citizens, while being prepared to pay the weekly contribution to National Insurance, have refused to apply for registration from conscientious convictions; and whether he will supply such persons with cards before subjecting them to the measures required by Regulation 1274 of 1948.

I am not aware of such objections. But if a person prefers to give the Department the particulars necessary to determine whether he is liable or entitled to pay contributions either in a letter or orally at a local office of my Department rather than by filling up the standard form of application, he is at liberty to do so.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power on what grounds he has refused an adequate supply of petrol to the Langholm Dyeing and Finishing Co., Ltd., Langholm, Dumfriesshire, for ensuring the satisfactory introduction and distribution of the products of this factory.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary has already informed the hon. Member that the managing director of this firm, to whom I assume he is referring, is in receipt of the maximum quantity of petrol normally allowed for this type of business.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will explain the need for S.L, 1948, No. 2492, which is not apparent from the explanatory note.

The Electric Lighting Acts of 1882 and 1889 empowered various electricity supply companies to refuse to supply electricity to premises using certain kinds of motors. The Control of Machine Tools (Electrical Equipment) (No. 1) Order, 1941, prohibited the supply companies from refusing to supply electricity in such circumstances. S.I. 1948, No. 2492 was issued to revoke this order. I take this opportunity of apologis-

LIST OF HEDGING PLANTS TRIED
Botanical Name					Popular Name
Berberis Atrocarpa	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Berberis Darwini	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Berberis Gagnepaini	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Berberis Sanguinea	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Berberis Verruculosa	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Berberis Thunbergi atro purpurea	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Berberis Stenophylla	…	…	…	…	Barberry
Cotoneaster Simonsi	…	…	…	…	Rockspray
Crataegus Oxyacantha	…	…	…	…	Hawthorn
Fagus Sylvatica	…	…	…	…	Beech
Forsythia	…	…	…	…	Golden Bell Tree
Ilex Aquifolium	…	…	…	…	Holly
Lonicera Yunnanensis	…	…	…	…	Chinese Honeysuckle
Philadelphus	…	…	…	…	Mock Orange
Pyracantha Augustifolia	…	…	…	…	Evergreen Thorn
Pyracantha Gibbsi	…	…	…	…	Evergreen Thorn
Pyracantha Rogersiana	…	…	…	…	Evergreen Thorn
Pyracantha Yunnanensis	…	…	…	…	Evergreen Thorn
Rosa Canina	…	…	…	…	Dog Rose
Rosmarinus Officinalis	…	…	…	…	Rosemary
Taxus	…	…	…	…	Yew
Veronica Traversi	…	…	…	…	Travers' Speedwell

asked the Minister of Works what researches his Department has made as to the best kind of hedge to replace iron railings round London parks and gardens; and with what result.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 29th November, 1948; Vol. 458, c. 1608] circulated the following statement: