asked the Minister of Supply how many civil servants in his Department are rendered redundant by the decision to allow the British Air Corporations to order aircraft direct from manufacturers instead of through his Department.

Few civil servants are likely to become redundant by the change in procedure. My Department will still be responsible for ordering prototypes and for development generally; and there will be work in connection with aircraft already on order for the Corporations.

May we take it that the Minister will miss no opportunity to reduce the somewhat swollen and expensive staff of his Department?

I do not accept that the staff of my Department is swollen, but we are always careful to see there is no redundancy.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the approximate quantity and value of the stores awaiting disposal by the British Stores Disposal Mission in Egypt.

About 10,000 tons of stores and 1,500 vehicles are in process of disposal. Further considerable tonnages are expected to be declared surplus during the year. It is not possible to estimate their sale value in advance.

asked the Minister of Supply what were the numbers and grades of the British personnel employed by the British Stores Disposal Mission in Egypt on 1st January, 1949.

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the reduction entirely due to the smaller quantity of stores now awaiting disposal or has some redundancy been discovered?

There is still a substantial amount of stores for disposal, but the amount is decreasing a little and we have been able to reduce the staff.

asked the Minister of Works the amount of rent paid by his Department for 23, St. Hilda's Terrace. Whitby.

It is not the practice of the Ministry to disclose the rents paid for premises.

Can the Minister give some assurance that there is no truth in the local report that his Department pays over £400 a year for this house, the gross rateable value of which is £70 and which changed hands recently at £2,600?

The figure being paid for this house is perhaps a little more than normal because of the conditions under which it was taken, but I cannot give the facts.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will now permit the use by motor traffic of the roads in Richmond Park.

All except four of the roads in Richmond Park are now open to motor traffic. I hope to re-open the roads from Roehampton Gate to Richmond and Robin Hood Gates as soon as cultivation ceases in the park, or deer can be prevented from breaking into the crops. For the time being the use of the roads from Ham Cross to Robin Hood Gate and Sheen Cross is confined to cyclists, pedestrians and horses.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give any indication of when the various conditions which he mentioned will be satisfied and the remaining roads re-opened?

I think probably the use of the park for cultivation purposes may end in a year to 18 months' time.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will consider scheduling, under the provisions of the Acts relating to ancient monuments, the mark stone, known as the Weald Stone, in the High Street, Harrow Weald, in view of its unprotected position and historic significance to Harrow.

The stone to which my hon. Friend refers appears to be a natural boulder, with no sign of human workmanship. It may, however, have been used as a boundary mark in medieval and later times. I feel that its protection by local effort would be more appropriate than scheduling under the Ancient Monuments Acts.

Does the scheduling under these Acts depend on the definition of monuments? Will my right hon. Friend ask his Department to have another look at this, as there are distinct signs of monumental workmanship?

I should be prepared to consider any evidence with regard to monumental workmanship, but it is not my function to preserve natural objects.

asked the Minister of Works why the combined London office of the potato and carrot division has been moved from Imperial House, Kingsway, to Mayfair Court, Stratton Street; and what is the cost to the taxpayer of this move.

The move of this office of the Ministry of Food from Imperial House to Mayfair Court will enable us to release for private use part of Imperial House now held on requisition. The cost of the move was £20.

Is the Minister aware that the best service he could render to the public would be to refuse office accommodation for the continuation of this farcical work of the potato and carrot division of the Ministry of Food?

No Sir, I am not aware of that. My function is to provide the accommodation required by other Departments.

asked the Minister of Works how many buildings are under construction in the Manchester area for use as Government offices; and how this compares with the number and size of buildings licensed by him in the same area for construction as private offices.

Four buildings, of which three are temporary, are under construction in the Manchester area and will provide Government office accommodation of about 236,000 sq. ft., and a further four, providing about 22,000 sq. ft., have been completed—a total of some 258,000 sq. ft. This compares with four buildings, including damaged buildings now being reconstructed, which have been licensed for construction as private offices with an area of office space of about 207,000 sq. ft.

Does the Minister realise that this vast extension of Government office space in the Manchester area will cause great concern to the Manchester business community, who are so desperately short of suitable office accommodation?

On the contrary, it should be very welcome to the people in Manchester, because these new offices are required mainly for releasing requisitioned premises.

Could the right hon. Gentleman give us any idea of what will be the accommodation in the requisitioned premises which these completed Government buildings will release for use by private firms?

As we shall be able to bring together separated departments I should think it quite likely that more space will be released as a result of the new Government building than will be provided in the new buildings.

asked the Minister of Works how many Government office maintenance workers are being threatened with redundancy; and, in view of the fact that private firms are employed to do much of the work in Government buildings, whether he will consider retaining these workers and employing them on carrying out the work done by outside firms.

I assume that the hon. Member refers to engineering maintenance workers in the Inner London area. The number of redundant men will depend on the rate of progress in releasing requisitioned premises, and I cannot give an exact figure. The number of men at present affected is about 130, but it may increase. It is normal practice to do routine engineering maintenance by direct labour. Direct labour is also employed on urgent works of repair and adaptation whenever its use would make for economy and speed, but I cannot authorise work to be done by direct labour merely for the sake of avoiding redundancy. I have, however, reviewed the arrangements for deciding which jobs should be done by contract and which by direct labour, and I am hopeful that in consequence the size of the redundancy problem will be lessened.

asked the Minister of Works to what extent he is responsible for the maintenance of the Palace of Westminster.

My Department provides all the maintenance services, and their cost is charged to the Civil Estimates, Class VII.

asked the Minister of Works what special steps have been taken to review apprenticeship in the building industry.

Yes, Sir. The Building Apprenticeship and Training Council, al my request, has recently considered in detail certain problems that have arisen in connection with the recruitment of apprentices in the building industry. The Council has submitted to me two Reports entitled "Building Apprenticeship: Recruitment and Training" and "Recruitment of Masons," and these Reports were published by His Majesty's Stationery Office this morning. I am most grateful to the Council and I hope that all concerned with the well-being of the industry will study the reports carefully.

In so far as the Council's recommendations affect my own Department exclusively, I am in complete sympathy with them and will take steps to give effect to them. As regards the other recommendations, I am consulting those of my colleagues who are affected with a view to decisions being given as soon as possible.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that youth employment officers in some areas are having great difficulty in placing boys who want to be apprenticed in the building trade because of the reluctance of employers to train them? Will these reports indicate that this problem will be dealt with?

I think these reports will help considerably in that respect, and I have also been taking up with the building industry the question of the further taking on boys in this work.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that building apprentices in Scotland are being called up for military service though they are much more needed on their jobs, and will he make representations to his colleagues to stop this?

That is another subject altogether.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now take the initiative in reviewing the International Wheat Agreement which was abrogated by the U.S. Government in the last Congress.

A Conference is at present being held in Washington to negotiate an International Wheat Agreement. The Conference is attended by representatives of the Governments of all the principal wheat exporting and importing countries. including the United Kingdom.

Could my right hon. Friend tell me whether it is going to take very long to bring into being again this extremely valuable co-operation?

I cannot say how long it will be, but, of course, the first job will be to review the abortive 1948 agreement.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to stop the importation of Italian cauliflowers, which, without any advantage to consumers, endangers a home industry which has been officially encouraged.

The retail price of cauliflowers is substantially above what it was a year ago and during the past few days there has been a rise in wholesale prices. I cannot therefore accept the hon. Member's contentions.

Is the hon. Lady aware that the district of Kingsbridge in South Devon produces the best broccoli in this country, that we could provide it for the public much cheaper and fresher than the Italians can, and that we cannot now sell all that we grow?

Is the Minister aware that the Devon and Cornish producers cannot play their full part in the drive for more British food, and neither can they give full employment to workers in the industry unless the restrictive clauses in the Geneva Tariff Agreement are revised, so as to permit higher duties on supplies of foreign imported broccoli, and would the Minister consult the President of the Board of Trade with a view to early action?

The hon. and gallant Gentleman surely cannot be aware of the facts. The duty plus freight charges on Italian cauliflowers amount to 17s. 6d. per cwt., whereas the freight charge on cauliflowers from the West of England is 3s. 3d.

asked the Minister of Food what was the average cost price to his Department, including expenses, of the carrots his Department offered for stockfeed in a letter dated 12th January, 1949, at 56s. 6d. per ton delivered loose, or 64s. per ton in 1 cwt. sacks.

The average cost of these carrots, bought to implement the guarantee to growers, is £9 5s. per ton loose, and £9 12s. 6d. in sacks.

In view of these figures, may I ask the right hon. Lady how much longer is the Ministry of Food going to be allowed to gamble at the taxpayers' expense, and would it not be better if all these attempts to control carrots and potatoes were left to the growers, the distributors, the public and the housewives?

The hon. Gentleman has a very short memory. Perhaps he has forgotten that it was not my right hon. Friend who introduced this guarantee; it was introduced at the beginning of the war when we realised that the

asked the Minister of Food how many applications by his Department to export a part of this season's potato crops to Spain have been refused; and for what reason.

None, Sir.

Is the right hon. Lady aware that there was a considerable crop of potatoes exported to Spain before the war, that recently a Spanish merchant

asked the Minister of Food to state, in categories, the quantities of soft fruit imported monthly during last season for direct consumption.

It is impossible to distinguish imports for direct consumption from those for manufacture and processing. As the answer includes a table of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Can the right hon. Lady help us by saying whether it is likely that this season there will be more or less imports of fruit than there were last season?

That depends upon the weather.

I think that the hon. and gallant Gentleman is a little confused. He is mistaking seed potatoes for ware potatoes. Ware potatoes are sold by my Department, and we made a competitive quotation to Spain when they asked us for about 70,000 tons of ware potatoes. So far as seed potatoes are concerned, we have exported all that Spain has asked for.

Does not the right hon. Lady realise that Spain has obtained the seed potatoes she is talking about from Holland, and that they will grow crops of potatoes from those seeds which will be imported into this country through her Ministry?

I am afraid that the hon. and gallant Gentleman does not know the facts. If he will have a word with me afterwards, I will tell them to him.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent the present crop of Royal Kidney potatoes, grown in the Wisbech area, is being or has been exported to Spain, as has been the long-established custom; or what is being done with this season's crop.

The customary export to Spain from the Wisbech area is of Royal Kidney seed potatoes and although these are private trade transactions, from the information available, it appears that most, if not all, the Royal Kidney seed grown in this area will be exported to Spain.

Is it not a fact that the export of seed potatoes from the Wash ports has been stopped by the Board of Trade?

The hon. and gallant Gentleman is quite wrong. We have sponsored all the licences of the potatoes which are going to Spain.

asked the Minister of Food whether he has now devised a scheme for a recasting of the basis of allocation to traders of supplies now regulated by the datum year 1938 in view of the hardship inflicted on new entrants to the food trades by the present system which confers a quasi-monopoly on those traders already established.

No one method can replace the datum system of allocation, but over a wide range of activities it has already come to an end. My Department is examining a number of schemes with trades still subject to this procedure.

Will my right hon. Friend consider the point that, with regard to the 1938 allocation, many of the men not in the trade who desire to go into the food trade were still at school in 1938, and if trade supplies are to be regulated by that Order, the position becomes almost absurd.

I think that my right hon. Friend and I have often explained to the House that we are not satisfied with this method of allocation, but my hon. Friend must realise that while certain foods are in short supply there is no alternative.

Is it not the case that the trade is opposed to a system whereby unrationed food can be supplied to traders according to their registrations for registered food; and would not such a system overcome a good deal of the inequality which now exists?

I expect my hon. Friend remembers that only two or three months ago we did tie many of the pointed foods which housewives need, to registrations.

asked the Minister of Food whether in view of the fact that supplies of linseed are obtainable from Canada at a lower price than from other sources from which we are obtaining supplies, he will make further endeavours to purchase this Canadian linseed and thus help to satisfy the need at the present time for increased supplies.

Unfortunately the dollar shortage prevents us from buying Canadian linseed.

Is the right hon. Lady not aware that linseed is the greatest asset in increasing milk production and is of vital necessity throughout the country for cattle feedingstuffs and other uses; and why not buy the linseed instead of some of the other things that we are buying today? Linseed should be priority No. 1. Why not do something about it?

I am aware that the country would like more linseed, but the hon. Gentleman has forgotten one very important point: that America has declared linseed a surplus commodity, and that therefore we shall not be allowed to buy it from Canada with E.R.P. dollars.

Then is it not possible to get an alteration, in view of the vital need of this country for linseed? Surely we are not to continue with this sort of thing indefinitely. We shall never recover if we continue under the handicap this treatment places on us.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in connection with the handling, distribution and storage of foodstuffs for sale to the public in shops, restaurants and cafes, he will confer with the Minister of Health with a view to giving guidance for the hygienic handling of all foodstuffs from producer to consumer.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Members for East Harrow (Mr. Skinnard) and St. Marylebone (Sir W. Wakefield) on Monday, 24th January.

Is the right hon. Lady not aware that that reply did not satisfy them, and that it does not satisfy me; and could not she give a little more thought to this all-important matter.

I am always thinking about it.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make arrangements, similar to those in force for bananas, to ensure that small children will have priority in securing unrationed sweets at lower prices.

I am grateful for my hon. Friend's suggestion and will bear it in mind. but I hope it will not be necessary.

If my right hon. Friend finds that it is necessary, will she take steps to ensure that children have priority for unrationed sweets?

We shall certainly consider it when the time comes.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the improved sources of supply of sugar throughout the world, he will consider taking sugar off the ration altogether, especially having regard to the shortages of meat and bacon from the present ration.

My right hon. Friend would be delighted to do this if we had enough sugar.

Is not the Minister aware that there is no shortage of sugar throughout the world; if the Dutch people can have sugar off the ration, although they have to spend hard currency the same as ourselves, why cannot we in this country have it off the ration? Are we never to have anything sweet from this Government?

Is the right hon. Lady aware that there is really no difference in taste between sugar and saccharin?

asked the Minister of Food if he will authorise an allowance of sugar for tea to editorial and office workers when they are working on their newspapers.

No, Sir, not until sugar for tea can he made available to all workers, and we cannot do that at present.

Is the right hon. Lady not aware that sugar is already provided, quite properly, to the mechanical side of newspaper staffs; and as the amount involved is very small cannot she go the whole way and give it to everybody?

I do not think the hon. Member has realised that the energy output factor enters into this. If newspaper office workers are to have it I see no reason why civil servants should not have it. At the moment there is not enough sugar for everybody.

Is it not a fact that any newspaper office, or any other type of office, which runs a canteen is entitled to sugar for tea?

If a canteen is run. certainly.

In her original reply was the right hon. Lady suggesting that inadequate energy is used on editorial staffs in newspaper offices?

It is mental energy as opposed to physical energy.

There is no sugar shortage at all.

asked the Minister of Food whether any overseas food parcels have recently been sent to old age pensioners in the Brixworth Rural District; and when they will have some.

Brixworth Rural District receives its share, and in fact, a distribution is in progress of a gift of cooking fat from the New Zealand Patriotic Fund, Wellington. The members of the local council, in conjunction with representatives of the churches and welfare organisations, decide who shall receive a share of this gift, but my hon. and learned Friend may rest assured that the old age pensioners will be very much in their minds.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the inadequate lighting of streets in the Metropolitan Police area is helping criminals and making the work of the police more difficult; and if he will consult with the Minister of Fuel and Power with a view to arranging for full normal lighting to be restored immediately.

The views of the police are taken into account in applying any necessary restrictions on street lighting. The hon. and gallant Member will be aware that street lighting this winter was improved from 50 to 75 per cent. of the pre-war level, and I am in touch with my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Minister of Fuel and Power on the question.

Are we to understand from that answer that the police do not recommend improved lighting where it is possible.

I should not like to say that; but while they may be in favour we have to take other matters into consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to improve signposting upon roads for the benefit of long-distance traffic.

The signposting of trunk roads is being brought up to an adequate standard as rapidly as possible. Local highway authorities are responsible for the signposting of other roads and are assisted by grants from my Department in respect of signs on classified roads. I have encouraged them to improve their signposting in accordance with the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on Traffic Signs, whose report was published in 1946. New signs are being put up at the rate of about 50,000 a year. During the past two years about 50 comprehensive route indication schemes have been prepared, and many of these are now in operation.

asked the Minister of Transport why a sign indicating the 30 mile per hour speed limit has not yet been placed at either approach to the village of Morfa Bychan. near Portmadoc, Caernarvonshire.

No speed limit is in force here. The initiative rests with the Caernarvonshire County Council, who will no doubt submit an order for my consideration if they think it necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport what arrangements have now been made for the transfer to public ownership of bus companies in Scotland.

The British Transport Commission have now acquired the important road passenger undertakings in Scotland of the Scottish Motor Traction group of companies in which they formerly had a part interest as successors to the railway companies.

What price has been paid? Does the Minister think it is reasonable?

If the hon. Member cares to put a Question down, and it is passed by the Table, I will give it consideration.

In view of the long time that was taken to complete this negotiation and of what appears to be the high price that has been paid for the acquisition of this concern, will the Minister consider ceasing to acquire bus companies by negotiation and proceed by making passenger area schemes, and acquire, where necessary, by compulsion?

No, Sir. This process is a much quicker way of realising the objects of the nationalisation Act than the procedure of area schemes.

Is it not more expensive?

No, Sir.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications for smallholdings, approved by the county councils in England and Wales, are outstanding; and if he is now able to authorise the councils to provide new holdings for experienced farm workers.

There are some 3,000 approved applications for smallholdings in the hands of county and county borough councils in England and Wales. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Hollis) on 24th January.

While the Minister is awaiting the report of his Advisory Committee, could he have inquiries made to see how much land being farmed through the county committees would be suitable for smallholdings and can be released?

We might look at this problem once the Committee's report is in my hands, which will be in a few days.

How many of these 3,000 applications also involve applications for houses as well as holdings?

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications for smallholdings, approved by the Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, are outstanding; and what plans he has in hand to assist county councils in their endeavours to provide more smallholdings at an early date.

The numbers of approved applications for smallholdings in the hands of these county councils are: Norfolk, 461; West Suffolk, nil; East Suffolk, 12. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Hollis) on 24th January.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is now in a position to announce the formation of river boards areas.

A draft order defining a river board area for the existing catchment are of the River Severn is in preparation. As regards other parts of the country, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health and I await the views of the River Board Areas Consultative Committee. The Committee is at present in consultation with the local interests mainly concerned as to the alternative area boundaries which might be adopted, and will make recommendations in the light of the local views thus obtained.

Is it not a fact that the Consultative Committee has been provided with the Minister's proposals for boundaries, and does he not think that the general public are also interested in this matter and should be given a chance to express their views?

That is exactly why these consultations are going on strictly in accordance with the terms of the Act, under which the local associations and interested persons must be consulted before areas are finally defined. If it is of any interest to the hon. Member, I can assure him that the Nene and Welland Catchment Boards are amongst the boards which have now been consulted.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his Department was consulted by the Minister of Food in connection with the agreement with Holland concerning imports of onions; and what steps were taken to consult onion growers in this country.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave on 24th January to the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Ely (Major Legge-Bourke), and the reply which my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade gave on 20th January to the hon. Member for Mid-Bedford (Mr. Lennox-Boyd).

Can the right hon. Gentleman do something about the Evesham growers, who are in a desperate position, because they are not able to dispose of their onions, a large part of which are deteriorating? It is a very important matter. Can I have a reply?

If the hon. Member insists upon an answer, I will give him the only one that can be given—when in 1947 agreements were entered into for the importation of onions, the growers in this country agreed. The same acreage was dealt with in 1949, and when it was announced in this House in March by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, there was no reaction on the part of the producers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many applications have been submitted for grants for improvement schemes under the Hill Farming Act in Devonshire; what are the separate figures out of that total for Exmoor; and how many schemes have received his Department's approval for work to commence in respect of the above.

Thirty-one proposals for improvement schemes under the Hill Farming Act in Devonshire have been received, of which 22 relate to farms in the Exmoor district. Twelve of these proposals, including 11 in the Exmoor area, have been approved in principle, but no detailed schemes have so far been submited and no authority for work to begin has yet been given.

Can the Minister say why it is that no work has yet been approved or no permission given to start the work? Is it on account of the complexity of the schemes or the difficulties of making the application?

I suppose many of these schemes are highly complicated, and in the first place some sort of scheme is sent in for examination. When the final report comes from the Ministry's county agricultural executive committees, then the final detailed scheme is submitted. As fast as the detailed schemes are submitted, approval is given by my Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the proposal to flood many areas of valuable agricultural land at Hanningfield in Essex for the purpose of making a reservoir; that the scheme can only be of temporary value for a local water supply; and what steps he is taking for the conservation of first class agricultural land in view of the four-year plan and further long-distance plans for the expansion of agriculture in this country.

I am aware that the construction of a reservoir at Hanningfield is being considered by the South Essex and Southend Water Companies. If proposals are formally submitted by the water companies to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, my Department will be consulted and the scheme will be carefully examined from the agricultural point of view. Meanwhile preliminary inquiries are being made by my Department about the likely effect of such a scheme. In reply to the last part of the Question, there are administrative arrangements under which my Department is consulted on all important development proposals in order that full weight can be given to the agricultural considerations involved.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that when a water company sets out to try to discover where there is water available, it will try to find the cheapest way of getting the water, and the question of the value of the agricultural land does not come into it? At what point is my right hon. Friend consulted?