asked the Minister of Food whether he will now make arrangements for a better provision of milk for elderly people, particularly those living alone or without a family.

I am afraid that I still cannot see my way to give old people a special allowance at the expense of other consumers. I am glad to say, however, that the non-priority milk allowance will be increased to three pints a week from 6th March next, and old people will benefit, with other consumers, from the increased supplies.

asked the Minister of Food why his Department is informing traders that because of the heavy supplies of carrots more will be available than are required for human consumption, and that in order to avoid wastage the Department is arranging to sell them for stock feeding; and whether he is aware that as a result of this and of the terms of the Ministerial guarantee in respect of carrots, sound standard grade carrots are being loaded for stockfeed whilst inferior carrots more suitable for such purposes are going to waste.

Owing to the heavy yield of our crop more carrots are available than people can eat, and the best way of disposing of the surplus is for cattle feeding. Ample supplies of standard grade carrots will be available both for human consumption and for stock-feeding. Under the terms of the Guarantee my Department is committed to buy standard grade carrots only.

asked the Minister of Food (1) in view of the fact that with the proposed de-control of poultry about June next, it will be necessary for importers and dealers to secure advance contracts for supplies in sterling or hard currency countries; when he will indicate the facilities for the trade to negotiate business and contracts for the July to December supplies; and if the licences to import will be open to competitive trading or confined to pre-war importers;(2) whether he is aware that, as a result of the Polish and Eireann trade agreements, importers and wholesale dealers in poultry are uncertain about advance buying at competitive prices for supplies to be delivered after June next; and if he will clarify the position so that importers may negotiate contracts for the latter half of the current year.

I am considering all these problems and shall make an announcement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he has taken to limit the quantity of flour delivered to Sunderland; and how that quantity compares with that delivered during a corresponding period in 1948 and 1939.

Flour deliveries in all parts of the United Kingdom including Sunderland are, in general, limited to the quantity delivered in the year ended 26th June, 1948. In the Sunderland area this quantity has been increased by special authorisations totalling 148 tons since July, 1948. Comparable figures for 1939 are not available but it is certain that Sunderland is receiving substantially more flour now that in 1939.

asked the Minister of Food if his attention has been called to the fact that shopkeepers are finding it difficult to sell stocks of Seville oranges because housewives have no sugar for making marmalade; and if he will consider issuing some additional sugar to housewives for the purpose of making marmalade.

I am afraid I cannot add to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Westmorland (Mr. Vane) on 31st January.

asked the Minister of Food whether on the de-rationing of sweets it will be possible for shopkeepers to sell sweets without a licence.

No, they will continue to require a licence under the Food (Licensing of Retailers) Order, 1948, at any rate, until supplies are available to stock new shops as well as to cover the increased demand under de-rationing.

asked the Economic Secretary to the Treasury what benefits have resulted to date from the grant of £25,000 to the Anglo-American Council on Productivity.

The Council has only been in operation a few months, and it is too early to assess the benefits which will undoubtedly accrue.

asked the Economic Secretary to the Treasury if he will give percentage details of the allocation of British steel production in 1948, including that made to individual industries.

No. It has never been the practice to give details of such allocations.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the average fee paid for the medical examination of candidates for the Civil Service and for which the total payment during the present financial year is estimated to be £90,000.

The normal fee paid for medical examination of a Civil Service candidate is 25s. but in some cases it is necessary to have an examination by a specialist for which a fee of 2½ guineas is paid. Approximately six per cent. of the candidates require specialist examination and the average fee would be therefore about 26s. 6d. a candidate.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of non-industrial and industrial civil servants, respectively, in the service of the Admiralty, other than those employed in dockyards at home and overseas, on 1st January, 1949.

The numbers were as follows: Non-industrial—25,260 (including approximately 500 locally entered abroad); industrial—55,610 (including approximately 8,150 locally entered abroad). The comparable figures for 1948 for non-industrial staff locally entered abroad were 580. These figures were not included in my reply to the hon. and gallant Member on 23rd February, 1948, because, as I explained on that occasion, the comparable figures for 1939 were not available. The figures given for industrial staff for 1948 included 11,980 locally entered abroad.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of industrial and non-industrial civil servants, respectively, employed in dockyards at home and dockyards overseas on 1st January, 1949.

The numbers were as follows: