asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken by the Government of the Falkland Islands to establish conciliation machinery for the settlement of industrial disputes.

My right hon. Friend is in communication with the Governor on this matter and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the high prices of essential food, clothing and housing in the Falkland Islands; and what steps are being taken either to reduce prices, or to raise wages.

I am informed that the cost of housing and local foodstuffs has not risen appreciably. The cost of imported foodstuffs and clothing depends on circumstances outside the control of the Falkland Islands Government. The Governor has set up a committee to examine the cost of living; meanwhile an interim increase of 2d, an hour on the present cost-of-living bonus has been granted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the shooting of plantation workers on the Enmore Sugar Estate, British Guiana, will be published; and in what circumstances lawyers acting for the workers withdrew from the inquiry.

My right hon. Friend has referred this inquiry to the Governor, who has just returned from a visit of duty to this country, and will communicate with my hon. Friend on receipt of his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has now received the further information on the Caura Dam, Trinidad, to which he referred on 22nd September; and in particular whether the auditors' report on the dam will be published.

No, but arrangements have now been made for the Consulting Engineer to visit the Colony next February. The Auditor's report is to be published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the estimated financial loss to Malta owing to the reduction of B.O.A.C. staff at Luqa Aerodrome, and the reduction of expenditure by passengers who will in future land at Castel Benito, as a result of the decision largely to discontinue the use of Luqa Aerodrome.

The Governor of Malta has estimated that the transfer of certain of the B.O.A.C. services from Malta will result in a loss of £32,000 annually.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether free passage for wives of naval personnel serving at the West Indies Station is only granted to petty officers or higher ranks and to seamen rating over seven years man's service.

Naval ratings serving ashore on foreign stations may be granted family passages whatever their rating or length of service. Family passages for those serving afloat are restricted to petty officers and above irrespective of their length of service, and to lower ratings with not less than seven years man's service.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the total authorised bearing of chief and E.R.A.s and chief and mechanicians, respectively, during the financial year 1947–48; and the total authorised bearing of these ratings which is contemplated when present arrangements to increase the proportion of mechanicians to E.R.A.s are fulfilled.

The Navy was decreasing during the financial year 1947–48, and the authorised bearing of the various branches, therefore, changed in the course of the year. Excluding ratings under training, the authorised bearing of the categories mentioned at 31st December, 1947, was:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the annual number of vacancies for direct entry E.R.A.s for 1949 and succeeding years for which requirements have been provisionally estimated; and whether such entries will be on a continuous or special service basis.

The strengths of the various branches of the Navy for 1949 and succeeding years have not yet been fixed, and the rate of recruitment cannot, therefore, yet be decided. It is probable that direct entry E.R.A.s will continue to be recruited on special service engagements.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of E.R.A.s entered on continuous service engagements under the direct entry system during 1946, 1947, and 1948, respectively; and the number of authorised vacancies for this entry in these years.

The numbers of direct entry E.R.A.s who entered on continuous service engagements in the financial years 1946, 1947 and 1948 were as follow:

asked the Minister of Defence whether for greater accuracy he will circulate a revised edition of Appendix I to Command Paper No. 6715.

Yes. This is in preparation.

asked the Minister of Food how much extra flour the co-operative societies will need to utilise the recently granted increase of sugar for flour confectionery purposes; and from what source it will be obtained.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the first part of a Question put by the hon. and gallant Member for Pudsey and Otley (Colonel Stoddart-Scott) on 24th November.

asked the Minister of Food whether the recent increase of sugar granted to the co-operative societies for flour confectionery purposes was based on the increased number of their customers who purchase flour confectionery only or upon the basis of increased customers in unrelated trades.

It was based on their retail food trade.

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of complaints about recent supplies of mandarines and tangerines, he will inquire if supplies are available from Crete, where they are of good quality.

Mandarines and tangerines are imported by private traders, and Crete is one of the places whence they are free to import them. If the hon. Member has evidence of malpractices on the part of these private traders I shall be happy to inquire into any cases with which he furnishes me.

asked the Minister of Food the amount of bacon imported from Eire so far during 1948; and whether any imports are anticipated from this country during the next 12 months.

None. I discussed this matter with the Eire Government during my recent visit to Dublin and I hope that we shall be able to get the export of bacon from Ireland resumed by the end of 1949.

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of the short fall in the imports of Danish bacon, he has any further statement to make on the probable course of the bacon ration.

Yes. The ration will be two ounces per week for the Christmas period, that is the two weeks beginning on 19th and 26th December. I regret, however, that in view of the continued delay in shipments mainly from Canada, which will not now be able to send us more than 81,000 tons out of the 100,000 contracted for in 1948, it will be necessary to reduce the ration again to 2 ozs. per fortnight from the week beginning 2nd January. I trust that this further period on the lower ration will be for four weeks only but this depends upon an early recovery in arrivals.

asked the Minister of Food why his regulations only allow Canadian producers of canned foodstuffs, who have for many years had organisations in this country and used to import large quantities to market token shipments in the United Kingdom; and whether he is aware of the resentment caused in Canada by this action.

I think it is generally appreciated in Canada that we cannot afford to spend dollars on canned foods outside the token import arrangements.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the urgency for an increase in bacon production, he will give farmers freedom to feed or sell for feeding purposes all cereals harvested in 1949.

Present cereal prospects would by no means allow us to do this; we shall be making an announcement about 1949 crops in due course.

asked the Minister of Food whether his attention has been called to the case of a baker at Sheffield who was fined for selling jam tarts containing mineral oil; and what steps he is taking to draw the attention of the bakery and confectionery trade to the fact that mineral oil is detrimental to health.

Yes. This case has been widely reported in the national newspapers and will, I am told, be reported in greater detail in the trade Press. I do not think, therefore, that it is necessary for me to give further publicity at the moment.

asked the Minister of Food how many tons of onions have been imported and in what quantities from each country since 15th November, 1948, when imports of onions into the United Kingdom were prohibited.

I regret that official figures are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Food how many tons of foreign onions have been imported this summer and autumn before the present embargo on imports was imposed.

During the period June to October, some 49,000 tons of onions were imported—virtually all before the middle of August when the home crop begins to come on the market. During the period from 15th August to 15th November, during which imports of dry bulb onions were prohibited, some 1,600 tons of pickling onions came into the country.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the fact that the number of customers registered with Mr. J. W. Taylor, family grocer of Southsea, has increased to 500 since September, 1947, and that he is still receiving dried fruit vouchers for only 197 customers and canned goods vouchers for only 265 customers, he will authorise an increased allocation to Mr. Taylor, proportionately consistent with that granted to the co-operative societies on the grounds of their similar increases in trade.

The voucher scheme for the allocation of dried fruit and certain canned goods applies equally to co-operative societies and private traders. A general re-issue of vouchers will be made at intervals to take account of fluctuations in registrations, but it has not so far been found practicable to make interim revisions in the entitlement of individual traders, owing to the heavy additional burden of work which would be placed on wholesalers and first-hand distributors. My Department is now engaged on a review of the Scheme, in consultation With traders' representatives.

asked the Minister of Food if he is now prepared to reconsider an increase in the meat ration for agricultural workers, in particular during the winter months and during the sugar beet season in addition to the special rations for harvesting which are often in short supply in villages in East Anglia and other parts.

I am sorry, but as I have previously stated, we have not enough meat to permit of an increased ration for agricultural workers.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to alter the regulations governing matters of compensation, so that the Post Office will pay compensation for loss due to its own negligence, as in the case of Miss P. E. M. Goodman, of 41, Littleheath Road, Selsdon, Surrey.

No; but having reconsidered the very exceptional case to which the hon. Member refers, I propose to authorise an ex gratia payment, about which I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will look into the matter of delay in postal deliveries in the London area and letters going astray, with a view to remedying these grievances.

I am not aware of any general delay in deliveries in the London area, or that letters are going astray. If the hon. Member will let me have particulars, I will gladly have inquiry made.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the many cases where all the adult members of families are now absent from home during normal business hours, he will consider instituting a parcels delivery at about 8 a.m. in the Greater London area.

No. The bulk of the postmen required to perform the first delivery of parcels do so after completing the first delivery of letters. Any other arrangement would be too costly in manpower.

asked the Postmaster-General whether cables to wives and children of service personnel in B.A.O.R. at a Service address can be sent at the reduced rate.

No. The B.A.O.R. service may be used only for telegrams to service personnel; but it is always possible, of course, to transmit a message to a soldier's wife or children by sending a B.A.O.R. telegram containing it to the soldier.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of congestion and overcrowding at the main post office in Newport which is causing increasing difficulties; what steps are being taken to rebuild these premises; and whether it is his intention to instal a new automatic telephone service at the same time.

Yes. Plans were prepared in 1946 for an extension of the Head Post Office building at Newport. The scheme was agreed to by the Corporation and was designed to relieve present congestion and to provide for a new automatic exchange. Work on the new building is scheduled to begin in October, 1949, but unfortunately, within the last three months, the Corporation has made proposals for easing traffic conditions in the locality. Adoption of these new proposals might well wreck the Post Office scheme, but in any case would involve re-casting of the plans. I trust, therefore, that the Corporation will find it possible to adopt other means of solving this traffic problem so that work on the much-needed improvement of the town's postal and telephone services may proceed without further delay.

asked the Postmaster-General how many skilled technicians have left the Post Office service in the London Telecommunications Area since August, 1946; and how many have been recruited.

Since August, 1946, 120 technicians in the London Telecommunications Region have left the service through voluntary resignation. During the same period, 478 men have been appointed technicians in the region, in addition to the initial appointments made in 1946 when the grade of Technician was first created. There has been no direct recruitment to the grade from outside the service, vacancies being filled by the advancement of skilled workmen.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that air mails from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong take 10 to 14 days, and that surface mail posted in London between 12th August—15th September, 1948, was received in Hong Kong on 17th November; if he will state the reasons for these delays; and what steps he is taking to bring about improvements.

I much regret that there has been appreciable delay recently in both the air and surface mail services to Hong Kong. The twice weekly air mail despatches are scheduled to reach Hong Kong in six days, but accidental delays to aircraft en route have on occasions caused this time to be appreciably exceeded. I am in constant touch with my noble Friend, the Minister of Civil Aviation, on the question of improving and accelerating the air mail services generally. The surface mails to which the hon. and gallant Member refers were forwarded via the U.S.A. and were delayed by a strike on the Pacific Coast.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that letters sent by air mail to Malaya still frequently fail to reach their destination; and what steps he is taking to improve the service.

I have no evidence of frequent failures of air mail correspondence for Malaya to reach its destination, but if the hon. Member will let me have particulars of any missing letters I will gladly have inquiry made.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the unrest amongst the men who carry out the technical work of installing, maintaining and servicing the nation's telegraph and telephone systems, owing to the absence of a satisfactory reply to the wages application submitted by the Post Office Engineering Union some seven months ago; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the dissatisfaction prevailing among members of the Post Office Engineering Union owing to the long delay in dealing with their claim for increased wages; and when he anticipates that a new wage agreement will be arrived at.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that his offer of 12th November in respect of the wage claims put forward by the engineering and supplies department of the Post Office has led to much dissatisfaction, and would in many cases leave the wages of skilled post office workers below the minimum wages of non-skilled employees in other Government engineering industrial establishments; and whether he will reconsider this offer.

I am aware that there is dissatisfaction, but while discussions are in progress between my Department and the Union I prefer not to make a statement.

asked the Postmaster-General how many skilled men have left the Post Office engineering department and stores grade, respectively, during the year ended March, 1948.

About 2,300 skilled men in the engineering department and 250 in the supplies department left the service during this period. The figures refer to rank-and-file grades and include retirements, resignations and dismissals.

asked the Postmaster-General when his Department acquired the building in Western Avenue, Cardiff, outside which a sign "Post Office Depot," now appears; and for what purpose it is intended to be used.

The property in Western Avenue, Cardiff, was acquired by the Post Office in May, 1948. The office portion of the building is already occupied by Post Office staff, and as soon as the necessary internal alterations have been completed, the main building will be used as a garage and repair workshop, and stores and engineering depot.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent the research station, the name of which has been communicated to him, is now engaged on defence research work; and when it ceased to be wholly engaged on peacetime research.

The station to which my hon. Friend refers is engaged on research work covering all aspects of telecommunications and other Post Office services. Some part of its work is naturally always adaptable for defence purposes, but the proportion cannot be assessed at any particular period.

asked the Postmaster-General whether it is proposed to extend the telephone exchange at St. Albans to cope with increased demand: and when the work will be carried out.

An interim extension of equipment at the St. Albans telephone exchange is already in hand and will be completed in about two months: a further extension, involving building operations, will I hope be available in 1951.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many disability pensions are administered direct by his Department.

Five hundred and fifteen.

asked the Secretary of State for Air 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.

As the number of pensioners is small it has been possible to tell each pensioner of any changes in entitlement which appear to benefit him. Furthermore a pamphlet will be sent to each pensioner giving a comprehensive list of benefits and explaining the conditions attaching to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many N.C.O.'s and airmen who were trained at Halton have purchased their discharge from the R.A.F. since the end of the war.

I assume that the hon. and gallant Member refers to ex-apprentices who were trained at Halton. The number is 744.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will suggest to the other Brussels Treaty Powers that Eire be invited to join them so that all Irishmen may share in the defence of democracy and liberty.

No other Governments have, as yet, given any indication that they wish to accede to the Brussels Treaty, and the question of accessions has, therefore, not arisen.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now able to give an assurance that the ownership of the Ruhr industries will be determined at the Peace Conference and not before.

It is clear that every aspect of the security problem in relation to Germany will be a proper subject for discussion at the Peace Conference. It will be open to any Government present at the Conference to propose that administrative measures taken or permitted in any zone of occupation prior to the peace settlement should be modified or revised. I cannot however give any assurance in terms which might give the misleading impression that, at the Peace Conference, His Majesty's Government might be prepared to adopt an attitude on the question of ownership of the Ruhr industries different from that which is implicit in the preamble of the Trusteeship Law—namely, that the question is one for decision by a freely elected democratic German Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the number of private cars now in Berlin, belonging to officers and Control Commission officials who have been posted away from Berlin on duty since the beginning of the blockade; and what steps are being taken to return these cars to their owners.

The number of these cars is not known. The method of moving them from Berlin where this is asked for is being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the Soviet authorities are still permitted to use the Berlin radio station, situated in the Western sector, for their own propaganda purposes.

The Soviet authorities were given permission to use the Radio Berlin Station at the beginning of the occupation in 1945. Events have shown that its propaganda is completely discredited and its influence on the Berlin population negligible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that parents visiting their sons' war graves in Germany resent being charged 10s, each for a military permit to enter the country; and will he take steps to abolish this impost forthwith.

My right hon. Friend agrees that exemption from paying these fees ought to be granted for relatives visiting war graves. This is a matter for the Combined Travel Board, which is a tripartite body, and my right hon. Friend will have this matter raised on the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will cause to be placed at the head of the agenda both of O.E.E.C. and the Committee for European Unity a resolution to co-ordinate as a matter of urgency the policy of the Western Powers regarding the sale and delivery of strategic materials, raw and manufactured, to the U.S.S.R.

No. The subject is not within the terms of reference of these bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assurance that His Majesty's Government will not recognise the existence of Israel nor support Israel's application for membership of the United Nations organisation until Ceylon, Eire, Transjordan and Portugal have been admitted to membership of U.N.O.

His Majesty's Government have always adhered to the view that applications for membership of the United Nations must be considered individually on the basis of the criteria laid down in Article IV of the Charter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if be will now make a full statement on the incident which occurred on 23rd September, 1948, when a civilian aircraft was shot down by a fighter and two British subjects lost their lives as a result of this attack; and what further action is contemplated by His Majesty's Government.

The Acting Mediator has now made a report on this incident to the Security Council and a copy is available in the Library. Briefly, the conclusions of this report are that the Arab Airways' aircraft was three times attacked by a Jewish fighter once over Jewish-held territory and twice over Transjordan territory, on which it crashed. The Acting Mediator has allocated responsibility as follows. In his opinion the Government of Transjordan are guilty of a breach of the Truce in allowing one of their civil aircraft to fly over Jewish-held territory, although it is stated in the body of the report that the Arab Airways claim that they received oral authority to do so from one of the United Nations' observers; while the Jewish authorities are responsible for a serious breach of the Truce, as a result of unjustified attacks made by a Jewish fighter upon a Transjordan aircraft resulting in the deaths of three persons, and of the incursion upon Transjordan territory by the Jewish fighter. This report has only just been received and it has not yet been possible for His Majesty's Government to consider what if any further action may now be desirable.

asked the Minister of Transport what are his present powers and duties in regard to the prevention of, and investigation into, railway accidents.

No passenger railway or any new work affecting a passenger line may be brought into public service without my right hon. Friend's approval, based on an inspection by one of the Inspecting Officers of Railways. Under the Railway Regulation Act, 1871, and the Railway Employment (Prevention of Accidents) Act, 1900, all accidents to trains on passenger railways and all those involving fatality or injury on railway premises are reported to my Department. My right hon. Friend is empowered by these Acts to order an Inquiry into any of the accidents so reported. Reports of such inquiries are published and include recommendations for future prevention where necessary. Under the latter Act also, my right hon. Friend can make rules with the object of reducing or removing the dangers and risks incidental to railway service.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for the figures relating to aviation spirit to be shown separately from other motor spirit in the monthly Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation, as is now done in the annual statement.

I regret that for security reasons I am unable to comply with the hon. Member's request.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what procedure a purchaser may recover Purchase Tax on an article sent by a retailer direct to an address outside the United Kingdom.

There are means by which a retailer can supply, or arrange for the supply of, tax free articles direct to a foreign address. But to arrange for the repayment of tax on goods in retail stock which have already borne tax would involve more elaborate machinery than the volume of such trade would justify.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an estimate showing the figures for gross and net capital investment in Britain from the end of the war to 30th June, 1948, valued at September, 1945, price levels.

Estimates of capital investment are not available in the form required by my hon. and gallant Friend. Gross investment in fixed capital, at 1948 prices, was estimated to be roughly £1,550 million in 1946; £1,900 million in 1947 and are expected to be £2,000 million in 1948.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is proposed to issue a White Paper showing the projected capital investment programme for 1949.

The capital investment programme for 1949 will be dealt with in the Economic Survey for 1949 which will be published next year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the number of cases in which the salaries of local government officials have been increased since the issue of the White Paper on Personal Incomes; whether his policy as laid down in that White Paper is intended to apply to local government officials also; and if he will draw the attention of local authorities to this.

The salaries of local government officers are not in general subject to the control of the central Government, but the attention of local authorities was specially drawn by a Ministry of Health circular of 2nd April last to the White Paper on Personal Incomes, Costs and Prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what authority did customs officials at Dover in September ask Miss L. S. Hawkins, Kelston Cottage, Frensham, her reason for going abroad; and for how long she was going.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 7th December to a number of Questions on this matter generally.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now give a favourable reply to the letter sent to his Department on 27th November by the Mirfield Urban District Council about the transfer of funds to France to permit the erection of a War Memorial to the Fallen of the 49th West Riding Division.

As I stated on 7th December in reply to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Perth (Colonel Gomme-Duncan), I am now prepared to allow the transfer of a sum not exceeding £5,000 to cover the total expenditure, either in cash or in goods, on the erection of a Divisional Memorial in a country whose currency is soft, so long as that currency remains soft. A letter in these terms has been sent to the Clerk of the Mirfield Urban District Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what representations he has made, or proposes to make, to the Government of Ceylon urging that until the lifting of the blockade of Berlin by the U.S.S.R. no purchases of rubber by the U.S.S.R. will be permitted in the island; and what reply has so far been received.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Darwen (Mr. Prescott) on 4th November. Since then the Prime Minister of Ceylon has stated publicly that the Ceylon Government are not intending to sell rubber to Russia. No question, therefore, arises of any representations to the Ceylon Government in this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what are the reasons for the losses incurred by the Forestry Commission on their thinning operations.

I am not aware of any avoidable losses. If the hon. Member will state the particular plantations he has in mind, I will look into the matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to facilitate the thinning of younger plantations which the Forestry Commissioners' latest annual report states to be needed.

Thinning in the State Forests is done as and when necessary within the limits of the labour available. Arrears in the thinning programmes accumulated during the war years but these are steadily being reduced.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a report on the investigations made during the past year into the failure of the winter herring fishing in the Firth of Forth; and what further investigations are contemplated.

The Research Vessel "Clupea" made a special survey of conditions within and in the neighbourhood of the Forth between 24th February and 16th April, 1948, and operated off the East Coast of Scotland in the Summer months: other ships also made observations from time to time in the Forth. The investigations have not yet been carried far enough to enable firm conclusions to be drawn. Very poor herring catches, the absence of echoes characteristic of herring shoals in an extensive echo sounding survey, combined with a complete absence of herring larvae from a series of 112 Plankton collections confirmed the scarcity of herring over the whole area. Water temperatures were normal and well within the range favoured by herring which spawn in the early Spring months. In fact, no unusual conditions were observed in the Spring of 1948 which might deter herring from using the grounds in or near the Forth Estuary as a spawning place. The Forth Spring spawners are distinct from other spawning communities in Scottish waters. None of the many samples of herring from the East or North-East Coast of Scotland examined during the Summer of 1948 included herring which showed any close "race" affinities to the Forth spawners. Whilst the evidence is still too limited for firm conclusions to be drawn there is no reason so far to suspect any geographical displacement of the Forth herring stock.