asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he is aware of the delays caused to incoming and outgoing airliners at Northolt airport; how these delays were incurred; and what steps are being taken to remedy the situation.

Yes, Sir. There were unusually severe delays to aircraft movements at Northolt during a spell of instrument flight rule conditions on 14th June, the day after new procedures were introduced in the Metropolitan control zone. Advantage has been taken of the experience gained in instrument flight rule conditions since the system was inaugurated to introduce certain modifications, and this process will continue as necessary.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary now satisfied that in future these delays will not occur? Is he also satisfied that as a result of the alteration in the control system in regard to the stacking of aircraft a good safety margin is now given?

I hope we shall never be satisfied until we reach perfection, which will take a long time. We are satisfied, in regard to organisation and procedure, that the slight element of risk which previously existed, because of the proximity of the two airports, has been eliminated. With the progressive use of the new procedure, I hope that delays will be reduced.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how many aircraft were delayed in the week commencing 13th June at Northolt airport by the new system of air traffic control and for what total period; and what are the comparable figures for the week commencing 19th June.

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate details in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

May I, nevertheless, ask whether this system of traffic control is intended only for Northolt, or whether it is being installed elsewhere?

No, Sir. This system has been dictated by the close proximity of the two airports, London and Northolt.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he will make a statement naming the civil airports which are to be in use for the next five years within a radius of 40 miles of London.

I have nothing to add to the statement I made in the Debate in Committee of Supply on 1st March last.

But that statement was very unsatisfactory to civil operators. It is surely up to the Ministry to make definite plans, within the limits of the country's economy, so that operators know their tenure at airports? When will the Parliamentary Secretary be in a position to come to an early decision in the matter?

That decision has already been indicated. We shall de-requisition Blackbushe at the earliest possible moment, which will be in 1951, if not earlier; it will be derequisitioned in 1952 at the latest.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation when a direct through air service to Israel will be established.

The matter is still being considered, and I will give the House further information as soon as possible.

Cannot we have some action in the matter instead of merely consideration, as the airlines of other countries are making handsome profits out of routes to this country?

We are providing communication three times a week—once to Lydda and twice to Haifa.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation when it is proposed to introduce the Lisbon-Azores-Bermuda route of British South American Airways Corporation.

The resumption of this service will be reviewed as soon as the aircraft position permits.

That is another unsatisfactory reply. Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that this route could be a great dollar earner? Will he give the matter his most urgent consideration with a view to getting something on the route?

Yes, Sir; but the only satisfactory aircraft is the Stratocruiser, which costs dollars to buy. The Constellation would only operate on the route with a very reduced payload compared with the North Atlantic operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received and studied the plan for retaining the August Thyssen steelworks in the German economy, recently presented to the Regional Commissioner for North-Rhine-Westphalia by the German Land Premier, Herr Arnold; and whether, as this advocates control of the organisation by an international committee, he will remove this plant from the list of those to be dismantled and allow this experiment to be tried out.

Despite Press reports to the contrary, Dr. Arnold's own proposals were not submitted to the Regional Commissioner until the morning of Saturday, 25th June. I have not yet studied them, but at first sight they appear to conflict with the recent inter-governmental agreements on reparations and industrial disarmament.

When my right hon. Friend is considering this matter will he bear in mind the very serious unemployment problem which now exists in this part of Germany, and will he, if possible, and if it seems to be at all reasonable, meet the point of view of Herr Arnold?

I cannot lead the German people to believe that the adoption of any subterfuge will alter these agreements. They have been worked out with great care and they are intergovernmental agreements. It is misleading the Germans to let them assume that these war industries are going to be restored to Germany.

In considering this matter will the Foreign Secretary consult with the German Trade Union Congress, and will he also bear in mind the fact that this plant may be useful for turning out steel houses? Will he give every consideration to these points before he orders the destruction of plant which can be turned to good account for Europe?

We have gone into every point. I am not concerned only with the trade unionists of Germany, but with the people of Europe who have suffered German attacks, and this House must always bear that in mind when dealing with these war industries.

The right hon. Gentleman has spoken of the necessity for destruction on the ground of security. In view of the fact that the loss of the plant would largely kill the industry, will not the right hon. Gentleman give the matter careful and sympathetic consideration.

I will give the matter careful and sympathetic consideration, but I am not going to be led into a position, after these months and months of negotiation, where German propaganda and pressure can make me alter my mind. That would only mislead the Germans and would lead to our never clearing up this problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at what date the occupying Powers intend to hand back control of the German film industry to the Germans on a Laender governmental basis.

I am looking into this and will write to the hon. Member.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that if it takes place, the occupying Powers will maintain an effective power of censorship?

I would like notice of questions about censorship in Germany, once the government is established. I would not like to answer off-hand, but I will look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will seek the advice of the Council of Industrial Design and other industrial advisory bodies in the United Kingdom to assist those engaged in the development of secondary industries in the Colonies in order to improve the design and marketability of their products; and whether, wherever practicable, local facilities will be provided for training suitable personnel in the management of such enterprises.

It is common practice to obtain expert advice on technical questions affecting the Colonies and I should certainly consider taking such advice on any specific question on the design and marketability of articles made in the Colonies that may arise. As regards the second part of the Question, it is the general policy to provide or encourage facilities for training the people of the Colonies to take an increasing share in the operation of secondary industries.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that makers of West African furniture have not had the benefit of the advice on utility furniture from the Council of Industrial Design and that they have lost certain markets for furniture in this country?

I am most anxious that they should have the benefit of the best advice we can obtain for them. The suggestion in the Question is very much in our mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to publish the Colonial Empire Annual Report, 1948–49.

The report was published at 4.30 p.m. yesterday as Command Paper No. 7715.

Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that no undue distress was caused to his Department by the early birth of this Report?

No, Sir. I promised last year that I would get the report out as expeditiously as possible, and that I have done this year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement about the Gold Coast immigration regulations.

As I informed the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Sir P. Macdonald) on 23rd March, the "Gazette" notice and directive were withdrawn by the Gold Coast Government for re-framing. The representations made by the interests concerned have been fully taken into account, and after discussions in which the Attorney-General of the Gold Coast took part, the Gold Coast Government published a revised notice in the "Gazette" of 18th June. A copy of the revised document has been placed in the Library of the House.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that the revised regulations are designed in the true interests of the Colony and not as a mere sop to ill-informed agitation?

I think we have tried to keep in mind in the redrafting of this directive, the criticisms which were formerly made, and that the general principles of policy previously laid down have been adhered to in the latest draft.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the person responsible for the original drafting of these regulations was reprimanded or taken to task for issuing such documents?

I do not accept that as a description of the procedure which was followed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Gold Coast Education Department intends to take over the Church of England junior schools in Accra now closed down through lack of funds.

I have asked the Acting Governor for information and will write to my hon. Friend.

Can we take it that the children who failed to receive education are not receiving it now owing to lack of funds and that we shall accommodate these people when the schools open?

That question raises very difficult points of policy. The matter is within the competence of the local government, and we are watching the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what opportunities are being provided for African members of the Kenya Legislative Council to have knowledge of the proposals for improving European agriculture as described in the Agrarian Bill before the Bill comes before the Legislative Council.

The Agrarian Bill has not yet been drafted, but a memorandum describing the proposed substance of the Bill has been made available to all members of the Legislative Council, including the African members.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals are envisaged for the provision of cheap finance and other assistance for African farmers in Kenya comparable to the measures proposed to aid European farmers under the new Agrarian Bill.

A Committee is at present considering the ways and means of providing agricultural credit for African farmers.

Is it not the case that these proposals only came before the African members of the Legislative Council long after the proposal had appeared in the Press as the result of my right hon. Friend's discussion with the European farmers? Will he see that what funds are available for agricultural development are fairly shared between the communities according to need?

My hon. Friend must appreciate that the whole system under which the African peasant works is fundamentally different from the system in regard to European agriculture and stock-breeding, and consequently the proposals which are made relate to the specific problems of European farming and do not necessarily apply to African farming. The suggestions which have been made by the Government are in the hands of the Africans through their representatives on public bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that racial discrimination in hotels and restaurants is still widespread in Kenya; and if he will request the Government of Kenya to consider following the precedent set in Nigeria, where licences are refused to hotels imposing a colour bar.

The Government of Kenya are doing what is possible and practicable to break down colour discrimination in the Colony. It is not considered that the introduction of legislation on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend would at present be the best line of advance.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the great harm which is being done by this continuing affront, which is very deeply resented by educated Africans in particular?

Yes, Sir, and I discussed the whole of the question with the Governor of Kenya when I was in Nairobi the other day. I hope some progress will be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what opportunities he is providing for the public to see the detachment of the Gold Coast police now in this country.

The detachment, which provided an informal guard of honour when His Majesty The King inaugurated Colonial Month on the 21st June, has come to this country to take part in the exhibition "Focus on Colonial Progress." The men can be seen on duty at the exhibition in Oxford Street daily.

Could not the right hon. Gentleman give the public other opportunities to see these fine figures of men who have a fine record in war and peace? Can he say how long they will be in the country?

It may be that the period of their stay here must come to an end within a week or so, but they have been fully employed at the exhibition apart from one or two other duties which they have undertaken. We are most anxious that the public should have every facility for meeting them, and in a number of cases we have been able to provide that.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the general satisfaction and pleasure expressed by the public at the methods adopted to present to the people the development in the Colonies during the past few years, and will he take steps to extend the duration of the Colonial Exhibition?

That is another problem which is full of practical difficulties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for how many hours a day the colonial stewards, specially recruited for the Colonial Exhibition, are on duty; and at what rates of pay.

All the colonial stewards are volunteers. They are normally on duty for single periods of four hours, though in some cases they have volunteered to do two periods, amounting to eight hours in all. An honorarium of 5s. for each four-hour period of duty is paid to the stewards for out-of-pocket expenses.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many ratings and other ranks of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines completed their first period of service during the past 12 months; how many have not signed on to complete their time for pension; and of these how many were chief and petty officers and equivalent ranks.

During the 12 months ending 30th June, 1949, 4,249 Naval ratings and other ranks of the Royal Marines, including 2,932 chief and petty officers and equivalent ranks, will complete their first period of continuous service. According to reports so far received in the Admiralty, 2,849 of these, including 1,860 chief and petty officers and equivalent ranks, have not signed on to complete time for pension, and have taken their discharge. In a substantial number of cases reports of the men's decision to sign on to complete time for pension or to take their discharge have not yet reached the Admiralty.

Can the Minister tell us what steps are being taken in view of this very serious situation? As one step, would he consider paying a gratuity of £100 to the man who stays in after his first period of service instead of paying it, as under the present arrangements, to the man who goes out?

We are considering a number of possible alternatives, and the one which has been mentioned by the hon. and gallant Gentleman will be taken into account along with many others. I hope that we may get some results.

In view of the figures given by the right hon. Gentleman, does he recall that in the Debate on the Navy Estimates I suggested that the Admiralty might consider the American scheme of shorter periods of re-engagement and that during the Report stage he said that he would consider the point? Has he come to a conclusion yet?

That is one of the points which is being specifically considered along with the others which I mentioned.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it is an extremely alarming situation in which these men, who are absolutely the key men in the Fleet, are going out after having learnt their seamanship and the arts of naval warfare? Is it not essential to take steps to make careers in the Navy attractive to these men?

I must remind the hon. Gentleman that we have one difficulty which was not experienced before the war, namely, that we have full employment now, which was unknown before the war.

Can the right hon. Gentleman give any estimate of the cost of replacing a man leaving at the completion of his first period of service?

No, Sir, not without notice.

In view of the right hon. Gentleman's claim that the reason is full employment, is it not truer to say that this indicates the complete failure of the new pay code and the conditions behind it?

No, Sir, certainly not.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many ratings and other ranks of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines will complete their first period of service of 12 years in 1949, 1950 and 1951, respectively.

During 1949, 4,271 Naval ratings and other ranks of the Royal Marines will complete their first period of continuous service. For 1950 the figure will be 5,588 and for 1951, 7,069.

In view of these figures which in the light of the reply to the previous Question make the matter look even more serious unless some improvement can be obtained, can the right hon. Gentleman say whether we have yet reached the position of not being able to man ships for either home or foreign service because of this problem?

No, Sir, we have not.

In view of the terrifying shortage of what used to be described as prime seamen, will the right hon. Gentleman take steps, whatever may be his views about the cause of it, to see that the Fleet is kept efficient by retaining key men in it?

Certainly, Sir. As I have said, we are examining every possible method we can because we realise the seriousness of it and we are determined to get an adequate number of fully trained men.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will now make a statement regarding improved pay and allowances for officers serving in the Department of the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the recommendations made by the Madden Committee in regard to the conditions of service of officers in the Naval Ordnance Inspection Department have now been accepted.

I cannot at present make any statement regarding improved salary scales for the officers serving in the Naval Ordnance Inspection Department, but I am hopeful that revised salary scales for these officers will now be settled shortly.

Is it not really disgraceful that there should be this continual delay? It has been going on now for years. Is it not just plain dishonesty by the Government to have enticed these men into this job and not to have fulfilled the promises made to them? May I also ask why the Civil Lord is answering this Question? Has the Parliamentary Secretary run out of answers after the many times he has been answering this subject, including an Adjournment Debate? Why has it now been turned over to the Civil Lord?

The answer to the second part of the supplementary question is that the Civil Lord has always answered these Questions. He certainly answered the Question on the last occasion, as the hon. and gallant Gentleman will see if he looks at HANSARD. As to the suggestion of dishonesty, there is nothing dishonest about this. The Government are trying to settle this matter in a fair and proper way, and consideration tion must take some time because not only the Admiralty, but other Departments have to be consulted.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the salary scales of some of these officers today are lower than they were in 1931, and will he expedite the remedying of this very unfortunate state of affairs?

I can assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that we are doing everything possible to expedite it and we are a little bit more than hopeful that something definite will be announced within two or three weeks.

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether the Madden Committee recommended a substantial increase in the rates of pay and improved conditions in this very important branch of the service?

The Madden Committee certainly made recommendations among which were improved rates of pay for the Department. Obviously that has to receive consideration in the Government.

Is it not the case that the Madden Committee reported 18 months ago, making these recommendations, and that the Civil Lord has now given the House an answer which is even less optimistic than the answers he was giving three months ago?

I have not given a less optimistic answer. What I said was that we are going into the question as quickly as we possibly can and that we hope to give something definite within two or three weeks' time.

Is it not the case that this matter has been under active consideration by the Government for four years? Will the hon. Gentleman really do something about it now?

That is what we are doing.

In view of the unsatisfactory state of affairs, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what was the number of fatal accidents which occurred at the air training establishment in Elgin in 1948, and in 1949 to the latest available date.

I regret that it would be contrary to long-established policy to give the information requested.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary look into this matter and at a later stage give an assurance that there is not an undue proportion of fatalities in this training centre, and will he give a further assurance that the number of fatalities that have occurred have not arisen as a result of dual operational control in that area?

Yes, I can certainly give that assurance.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider publishing these figures for the whole of the Naval air service in addition to one station?

No, I would not. As I have said, it is contrary to established policy to publish them generally and in individual cases.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the policy of his Department with regard to resuming grants of commissions to suitably-qualified professional Merchant Navy officers.

I am glad to inform the House that following discussions with the Ministry of Transport and representatives of the shipowners and of the officers' and men's organisations, it has been decided to reconstitute the General Service Section of the Royal Naval Reserve and it is hoped that recruiting will re-open in the near future.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what are the numbers involved?

Yes, the establishment we propose to have will be: General Service, 1,400 officers and 2,000 ratings, and Patrol Service, 600 officers and 2,000 ratings.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this decision, which it has taken a long time to reach, will be received with a great sense of relief by the country as a whole?

May I ask the Parliamentary Secretary how much training is it suggested these officers should have over any given period? Are they to go straight in and be given R.N.R. commissions, or have they to qualify and in subsequent years to undergo a further period of training?

That will be worked out in due course and I can let the hon. and gallant Gentleman know later.

In view of the long period that has been taken in arriving at this decision, can the Minister assure the House that full particulars of the scheme will be promulgated in the various shipping companies?

Most certainly, and that was why I was anxious that it should be announced in Parliament before it was announced anywhere else.

In view of the particulars given by the right hon. Gentleman, will the conditions generally be similar to those that were in force before the war?

As I say, we have not worked out in detail what the conditions will be, and I would prefer to await the final working-out before making a definite announcement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what was the number of personnel discharged from the Navy suffering from tuberculosis in 1947 and subsequent years; and whether such discharged personnel receive X-ray examinations at the time their medical unfitness for further service is determined.

As the answer to the first part of the Question contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. With regard to the second part of the Question, all who are under treatment for tuberculosis are given progressive X-ray examinations prior to the decision to invalid them.

Would my right hon. Friend say whether naval personnel may at their own request receive an X-ray examination at such time as they suspect that they may be affected by this disease?

They do; they are always examined.

At their own request?

Yes, they could be examined at their own request now.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there are men being discharged without an X-ray examination at present who afterwards discover that they are suffering from T.B.? If they make a claim, will he accept liability?

That is quite another question. We should have to consider individual cases.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he has any further statement to make concerning the issue of prize money.

It is estimated that up to the end of last week about 430,000 applications had been received at the Admiralty. The qualifying service of many of the applicants has been confirmed and payment is beginning at once. It will inevitably take many months to dispose of all the claims. I am glad to be able to take an opportunity to inform the House that the result of the latest calculations has enabled my noble Friend to fix £4 4s. instead of the £4 stated in the Press as the value of a unit share of prize money.