asked the Minister of Food whether he will give a list of the 40 long-term contracts for food, together with brief details giving terminal dates, provisions for price review, quantities of produce delivered to date and estimated supplies for 1949.

I am afraid the answer is too long for the OFFICIAL REPORT, so I am sending my hon. Friend a copy and placing another in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Food what number of rations books were issued in 1948 in replacement of those notified as lost.

The number of food ration books issued to replace those reported lost, stolen or destroyed during

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the main details which comprise the total sums of advertising by Government Departments and bodies during 1947–48 and 1948–49 in the "Daily Mail," "News Chronicle," "Daily Herald" and "Daily Worker" newspapers, respectively.

The following table illustrates the sums spent by Government Departments on major advertising campaigns in the newspapers mentioned. These figures embody some small corrections to those which I circulated on 20th January.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of Poles in the Polish Resettlement Corps, R.A.F.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bexley (Mr. Bramall) on 2nd February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any statement to make on the continuance of the ban on political processions in the Metropolitan Police district.

Yes; the existing order comes to an end on 6th February. The Commissioner of Police has informed me that in the light of present circumstances he does not propose to ask for my consent to a continuation of the order.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give for 1947 and 1948, separately, the figures of those higher clerical and clerical officers and temporary clerks who left the employment of his Department through, respectively, death, retirement, voluntary resignation and discharge, including in the case of temporary clerks, discharge on redundancy.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained by the expenditure of time which cannot be regarded as justified.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what proportion of the married persons receiving old age pensions are in receipt of supplementary allowances; and what is the average amount of supplementation.

Supplementary allowances are in payment to about one in eight of the married couples who are in receipt of retirement or old age pensions (including blind pensions). The average amount of supplementation is 10s. 9d. a week per married couple.

asked the Minister of Education how many new school buildings have come into use during the period from 1st April, 1945, to 31st December, 1948; and how many school buildings blacklisted in 1925 were still in full use at 31st December, 1948.

In answer to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the senior Member for Southampton (Mr. Morley) on 16th December last. Figures showing the position on 1st February will be available at the end of March. The number of schools blacklisted in 1925 that were still in use on 31st Deecmber, 1948, was 644.

asked the Minister of Education what decision has been reached on the building of a planetarium in London and some of Britain's main cities.

It has been decided that a planetarium should be established in London, and provision will be made for it to be erected eventually on the proposed new Centre Block of the Science Museum.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what Government sponsored credit facilities exist for commercial pig breeders desirous of expanding their production.

Under the Agricultural Goods and Services Scheme my county agricultural executive committees can give credit for the purchase of feedingstuffs and other requisites needed by pig breeders, thus releasing cash for financing the expansion of their herds.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the lowest grade of civil servant to qualify for a first-class passage on the North Atlantic sea routes; what is the total emolument of such a civil servant; what is the lowest rank of Service officer to qualify similarly; and what is the emolument of such an officer.

In general civil servants on grades whose salary scale rises to £650 or more are entitled to first-class passages on official journeys by ship, but on the "Queen Mary," "Queen Elizabeth," "Mauretania" and "Caronia" first-class passages are not at present provided for civil servants whose annual salary is less than £2,000. All Forces officers are entitled to first-class travel, but first-class passages on the ships named are at present restricted to officers of the rank of major-general and above and to officers of equivalent rank in the other two Services. The minimum pay and allowances of a major-general, if married, are £2,482 a year together with Service rations or ration allowance in lieu. An unmarried major-general would normally receive £2,007 a year together with accommodation and Service rations. Some relaxation of these rules is at present under consideration both for civil servants and Forces officers.