asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that ex-Staff Sergeant Robert Bennett, M.M., Grenadier Guards, of 355 Meadow Lane, Oxford, at present on release leave from the Army, has been awarded the Greek Military Cross; that the citation affirms that this British non-commissioned officer has been serving with the Greek Commandos for over three years past and that he has helped with the training of Greek raiding forces and participated in tasks which they undertook; and whether he will give an assurance that no other British Service personnel have been or will be so employed in Greece.

I understand that, as stated by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Mile End (Mr. Piratin) on 2nd March, a Greek Corps Commander made an unauthorised award of the Greek Military Cross to this noncommissioned officer. This amounts to an unofficial memento only, as all Greek awards are subject to confirmation by Royal decree, and this award has not been so confirmed.The non-commissioned officer served as an instructor with a British liaison unit attached to a Greek Corps from April, 1947, until he left Greece in January, 1949. He did not personally engage in operations. The mission is in Greece at the request of the Greek Government, to give assistance in training the Greek National Army. No member of the mission has been or will be authorised to take an active part in operations.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that during an investigation into alleged thefts in the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Salonika in January last certain men were questioned throughout two and in some cases three nights in succession, and kept awake and set to work during the whole of the day, thus having no sleep for 48 or 72 hours, and were repeatedly falsely informed that other men had made confessions implicating them, and that this questioning was illegal in other respects also; and whether he will give directions that such practices shall cease and that no statements obtained by such methods shall be used before any court martial.

I was not aware of these allegations. I have called for a report from the military authorities in the Middle East. All members of the Royal Corps of Military Police and particularly the Special Investigation Branch are fully instructed in the correct procedure to be observed in the conduct of investigations.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the Huddersfield Trades Council have decided unanimously not to support the Territorial recruiting appeal; and what special steps does he propose to take to counteract the bad effect locally that this decision must have on his recruiting campaign.

I understand that the vice-president of this trades council has stated that the council had decided not to support the Territorial Army recruiting campaign. Action was immediately taken by the local recruiting committee to give publicity to the fact that the campaign has the whole-hearted support of the Trades Union Congress.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the approximate establishment of the Territorial Army during the 1948 training season; and what was the approximate number of all ranks who attended at least eight days training in camp.

The approximate strength of the Territorial Army during the 1948 training season was 49,000 all ranks. Approximately 41,000 attended annual camps.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will now make a statement on his proposals for a new town in the Congleton area.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member for Leek (Mr. Harold Davies) on 15th February.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he is aware that George Michael, aged 71, of South Somercotes, Lincolnshire, who received a National Assistance Board pension of 26s. a week for nearly a year, had his pension stopped in July, 1948, and was instructed to appear before a tribunal within 21 days; that though he replied immediately, he has not yet received a reply as indicated in the correspondence sent to the Department; and if he will have this matter investigated at once and make a statement.

The Board have asked me to express their regret for the delay in this case. It will be brought before the next sitting of the tribunal, which will be arranged forthwith.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if his regulations

Industry			Males	Females	Total
Agriculture and Horticulture	…	…	4	48	52
Coal Mining	…	…	22	—	22
Woollen and Worsted	…	…	4	16	20
Building and Civil Engineering Contracting	…	…	42	1	43
Distributive Trades	…	…	16	70	86
National Government Service	…	…	20	6	26
Local Government Service	…	…	32	3	35
Sport, Betting, etc	…	…	9	38	47
Catering, Hotels, etc	…	…	9	77	86
All other Industries and Services	…	…	115	272	387
Total—All Industries and Services	…	…	273	531	804

The normal service of the employment exchange continues to be available to assist unemployed men and women to find suitable work; in this connection I understand that a number of new building projects are planned in the area. For the

I assume that the hon. and gallant Member has in mind insurance under the National Insurance Acts. These Acts make no distinctions on grounds of nationality, and foreign workers generally are insured while employed in this country. There is, however, a special exception for persons ordinarily resident abroad who work in this country for an employer in another country and are insured under a comparable scheme in that other country. Such persons are exempt from insurance under the National Insurance scheme for the first twelve months in this country but must be insured under the Industrial Injuries scheme.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give details of the present number of men and women unemployed and registered at the Doncaster employment exchange; the industries or trades for which they are available; and what is being done to utilise their services, especially those recorded on the Disabled Register.

The following table shows the number of unemployed persons on the registers of the Doncaster employment exchange at 14th February, 1949, distinguishing the principal industries.disabled the employment exchange service is reinforced by the Quota Scheme under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act and negotiations are now taking place for a site for a remploy factory for 100 severely disabled men.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of employment exchanges in Stockton-on-Tees, Bishop Auckland, Shildon, Barnard Castle,

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES IN THE UNDERMENTIONED TOWNS AT 12TH DECEMBER, 1938 AND 6TH DECEMBER, 1948
		12th December, 1938		6th December, 1948
		Number of unemployed insured persons on registers at 12th December, 1938	Number unemployed as a percentage of the number of unemployment books exchanged at the employment exchanges in question*	Number of unemployed persons on registers at 6th December, 1948	Number unemployed as a percentage of the number of insurance cards issued to employees at the employment ex-exchanges in question*
Stockton-on-Tees	…	6,898	17·1	1,512	2·6
Bishop Auckland	…	4,157	35·5	446	3·8
Shildon	…	1,274	32·0	96	1·8
Barnard Castle	…	204	15·5	41	1·5
Middleton-in-Teesdale	…	122	18·8	17	2·3
Cockfield	…	865	39·9	66	3·6
*Unemployment figures relate primarily to the areas in which the unemployed persons reside. Unemployment books or insurance cards issued to employees relate more closely to the areas in which they work. The percentage figures for different areas are not therefore strictly comparable.

asked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been called to the recent dismissals at the Bell Punch works, Uxbridge, and the E.M.I. works at Hayes; what effect this has had on the unemployment situation in the Uxbridge area; and what plans there are for absorbing the redundant men.

In recent weeks over 700 workers have been discharged by these two undertakings. Of these only 21 men and 16 women remained registered last week at Uxbridge, Hayes and Southall for full-time work. The Employment Exchanges, through the normal machinery, are assisting them to find suitable employment.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is now in a position to undertake the inclusion in the Ministry Middleton-in-Teesdale and Cockfield, respectively, at December, 1938 and 1948; and whether he will express these as percentages of the total insured population at these exchanges.

The following table gives the information desired:of Labour Gazette of the regional percentage rate of unemployment about which he was questioned on 21st September last.

The regional percentage rates of unemployment will be given in the March issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amounts of tax collected week by week since the beginning of the year, respectively, from greyhound bookmakers and totalisators installed on greyhound tracks.

Exact figures are not available for separate weeks, but since the beginning of the year the weekly receipts of Bookmakers' Licence Duty have averaged about £48,000, and of Pool Betting Duty from the totalisators at greyhound racecourses about £150,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to announce the date when he will introduce his Budget.

My right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will announce the date in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the Bank of England refused the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals representatives the necessary currency required in carrying out their recent investigations in Belgium into the importation of British horses into that country, arrangements can be made for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to make a small grant to the Belgian animal protection society in order to repay that society for the expenses they incurred.

No, Sir. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Newport (Mr. Peter Freeman) on 3rd March.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the principles on which men and women are discharged from Government offices in Blackpool on grounds of redundancy; and whether the same principles are in operation in other Government Departments.

The principles governing the discharge on redundancy of temporary non-industrial Civil Servants generally, including those employed in Government offices in Blackpool, are laid down in a National Whitley Council agreement of 1945, and these principles have been applied departmentally by separate Departmental Whitley Council agreements. The broad effect of the agreements is that redundant staff in higher grades are discharged in reverse order of usefulness; those in lower grades are discharged in order of shortness of service, except that the first to go are any who are found unable to carry out the duties of their grade with due efficiency. In accordance with a long-standing Government pledge, preference for retention in temporary Government employment is given to ex-Service men of the 1914–18 war.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that cash registers, assembled in the United Kingdom from parts imported from the United States of America, are being exported to Australia and are there being granted a 75 per cent. Empire preference duty; that the National Cash Register Company, which is undertaking this business, is a British subsidiary of an American corporation; that this practice is harming the legitimate trade interests of British cash register manufacturers; and whether he will accordingly cease to permit the export of complete cash registers which have been assembled from imported spare parts.

Cash registers enjoy the benefit of Empire preference when imported into Australia if they achieve a 25 per cent. British content. I understand, however, that the National Cash Register Company has made substantial progress in the manufacture of cash registers in this country and that further progress may be expected. In any case, I am satisfied that to subject them to export control would not be the best way to promote our export trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what machinery now exists for keeping all firms affected by trade negotiations with other countries informed of the results and of what action they should take, as a consequence, in the national interest.

As much information as may be made available about the results of trade negotiations is given to industry as soon as possible after the conclusion of a negotiation, mainly through the Production Departments. Where guidance to industries about action is required this will be given by either the Production Department concerned or the Commercial Relations and Exports Department of the Board of Trade, and I would refer my hon. Friend to an article published in the Board of Trade Journal on 10th January, 1949 (page 81) which indicates the division of functions between Departments on matters of this sort.As His Majesty's Government is not always at liberty to publish indications by other Governments concerned in trade negotiations of the general pattern of their import programmes from the United Kingdom, where these have been drawn up in negotiations, any information which can be given to industry about the arrangements affecting a particular product is generally communicated confidentially by the Production Departments to the trade association and/or export group concerned for any necessary action with regard to their members. Individual firms or manufacturers who are members of a trade association or export group will, therefore, probably find it most convenient to keep in touch with their association or group. Individual firms or manufacturers who are not members of an association or group, and who would like information as to whether detailed arrangements which may be of concern to them have been made in trade negotiations, should as a rule address their inquiries to their Production Department. Press notices are issued at the conclusion of trade negotiations and a notice is also published in the Board of Trade Journal.

asked the President of the Board of Trade by what means the Production Departments keep in touch with firms who are not adequately represented by their trade association or who are not members of any association.

The principal means by which Production Departments keep in touch with firms who are not adequately represented by their trade association or who are not members of any association, are by official Press notices, personal visits, correspondence, and in certain cases, by inviting trade associations to pass information to non-members. The particular method adopted in any case will depend on the industry and the special circumstances. It is of course always open to any firm to approach the Production Departments on any matter within their competence.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that Miss Krini Pavlides, Cypriot-born, 19 years of age medical student, who is a British subject, together with four other students, has been sentenced to death by a military court in Athens; and whether he will lodge an immediate protest with the Greek Government and demand that the sentence be annulled.

Since the arrest of Miss Pavlides, His Majesty's Ambassador has afforded her the proper protection due to a British subject, and has, on the instructions of my right hon. Friend, drawn the attention of the Greek Government to the severity of the sentence imposed upon her. An appeal against the sentence has already been lodged and we must await the result of this appeal. The House will, however, appreciate that a person cannot expect, by virtue of being a British subject, to claim immunity for offences in a foreign country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will arrange for a copy of the verbatim report of the proceedings relating to the trial of Cardinal Mindszenty, published in English by the Hungarian State Publishing House, to be placed in the Library of this House.

There is, I am informed no verbatim of the proceedings; but I am arranging that copies of the English edition of the so-called "Black Book" on the proceedings relating to the trial of Cardinal Mindszenty be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Education what arrangements are made for the teaching of English to the European voluntary workers in this country.

Instruction is being provided by local education authorities, the Women's Voluntary Services and other voluntary organisations, supplemented by teaching on more informal lines by hostel authorities. The National Coal Board has provided an intensive full-time course for coal-mining recruits before their dispersal to the coal fields, where further training becomes a matter for the local education authority.

asked the Minister of Food how much of the 750,000 tons of coarse grain, delivered by the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, has been distributed to farmers and how much remains in stock.

About 49 per cent. has been distributed through the animal feedingstuffs ration and the balance remains in stock.

asked the Minister of Food if he has considered the resolution of the Hartismere Rural District Council of Suffolk of which a copy has been sent to him which expresses concern at the inadequacy of the rations available to farm workers most of whose meals are taken in the form of sandwiches; and if he will review their rations and place them on a standard comparable with those of heavy manual workers in other industries.

I have considered the letter from the clerk to the Hartismere Rural District Council, setting out the council's views on this matter, but I am afraid I cannot at the present time consider any increase in agricultural workers' rations. Farm workers get the same individual rations as heavy manual workers in other industries, with the single exception of underground miners, who receive an extra allowance of meat. Most also qualify for an extra 10½; oz. of cheese to meet their special need for sandwich fillings. The allowances of rationed foods granted to canteens on farms and to caterers who arrange packed meals services for farm workers are on the same scale as those granted to canteens catering for workers in heavy industries. Moreover, seasonal allowances of certain rationed foods are made available to farmers for supplementing their workers' meals at times of heavy pressure during the year.

asked the Minister of Food what are the prospects of increasing the supplies of home-produced cheese; and how present production compares with that in 1938.

I am happy to say that as the result of the improvement in our liquid milk supplies we expect an increase of about 20 per cent. in the manufacture of home-produced cheese this year as compared with 1948. On this basis production will be approximately 70 per cent. of 1938 production.

asked the Minister of Food how it has been possible to reduce the prices of sweets; and to what extent the prices of ingredients are subsidised by his Department.

The reduction in prices has been made possible by increased production, lower prices for cocoa beans, and the use of hard and soft fats in place of the much more expensive cocoa butter. Ingredients for sweet making are not subsidised.

asked the Minister of Transport how many men were employed on road work comprised in the Crofter Counties scheme in 1939; and how many at the latest available date.

2,898 men were employed on such work in January, 1939, and 300 in January, 1949.

asked the Minister of Works if he will take steps to mend the road at Kingston House, Kingston Bagpuize, which has been broken up by vehicles of his Department to such an extent as to cause serious risk of injury; and if he will give instructions that in future this road shall not be used as a parking area.

Only minor repairs to the road surface are needed and these are being put in hand. The road has not been used for parking for the last six months.

asked the Minister of Health how many applications have been received from residents in the borough of Finsbury for Medresco hearing aids; and why there is a six months' delay before the applicants are tested.

The figures are not available. The delay is due to the excess of demand over present supplies.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will give an assurance that coal which was exported last year was clean.

Not all coal for export needs to be cleaned or screened. In conformity with the terms of contracts with foreign purchasers, considerable tonnages of uncleaned coals were exported in 1948.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how information regarding the numbers of persons killed and injured by accidents in mines and quarries in Great Britain is made available for information to the public.

Figures for the numbers of persons killed at all mines and quarries appear monthly in the Ministry of Labour Gazette and annually in the "Provisional Statement of Number of Deaths by Accidents at Mines and Quarries in Great Britain." The latter is published by my Ministry as soon as possible after the end of each year. The Gazette and the Board of Trade Journal also publish quarterly the figures for the numbers of persons killed at mines under the Coal Mines Act and the numbers of persons injured in accidents which, because of their nature or the severity of the injury are required (by Section 80 of the Act) to be reported immediately.Details of the numbers of persons killed and seriously injured at mines under the Coal Mines Act are repeated in the Annual Report of His Majesty's Chief Inspector Mines and in the Ministry of Fuel and Power Statistical Digest. The latter publication also includes figures for the numbers of all persons injured and disabled for more than three days at mines under the Coal Mines Act. The figures for these minor injuries (for which benefit is payable, but which are not required to be reported at the time they occur) are necessarily published considerably in arrear.