asked the Minister of Health to what extent his regulations made under the National Health Act make it compulsory for expectant mothers to go to a maternity clinic.

I have made no regulations which make it compulsory for expectant mothers to attend clinics. I hope, however, they will realise that it is very much in their interest to do so.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that in the Borough of Finsbury there is only one doctor to every 3,678 of the population, compared with one for each 2,935 in Islington and 2,429 in Holborn; and what action he is taking to bring the number of doctors in Finsbury up to the level of the best London borough.

Redistribution of the available supply of doctors in accordance with the best interests of the public must be done gradually. The method of remuneration under the National Health Service, coupled with the powers of the Medical Practices Committee to close over-doctored areas to new entrants, should be sufficient to bring about the desired result.

asked the Minister of Health what additional cost to the State in a whole financial year will be caused by a free issue to hospital patients of soap, toothpaste, razor blades, notepaper, newspapers and magazines, etc., and the loan of towels, hairbrushes and night and day clothing, etc., and the services of a barber, as laid down in National Health Service circular entitled Supply of Personal Necessities to Hospital Patients, dated 31st May, 1949.

I regret that the information for which the hon. and gallant Member asks is not available. I should not be justified in carrying out the detailed investigation necessary to make an estimate of the additional cost involved.

asked the Minister of Health the number of rheumatism clinics in Wales; and the designated grade of the doctor in charge in each case.

One clinic in charge of a senior-hospital medical officer deals exclusively with rheumatism. In addition, treatment is given in the special departments of 23 hospitals and by arrangement at four spas.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mr. Ramsden, of The Close, Pateley Bridge, Yorkshire, has been waiting since 25th August last for a pair of spectacles; and what steps does he propose taking to put an end to the delay immediately.

I am making inquiries and will let the hon. Member know the result.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement with regard to the causes for the increase of over 3,890 admissions to mental hospitals in England and Wales during the first three months of 1949, as compared with the same period in 1948.

The increase is due partly to the increase in the general population and partly to the greater readiness of persons to enter mental hospitals voluntarily for treatment.

asked the Minister of Health at what date the 1948 allocation of houses for Cardiff was completed.

The 1948 allocation of houses to the Cardiff County Borough Council was disposed of when the last contract was agreed on 8th March, 1949.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a room in the maternity and child welfare centre at Bramley, Leeds, is being used by the Labour Party for a committee room at the West Leeds by-election; and whether such use has his approval.

I have made inquiries and I find that the room is a spare one which it has long been the custom to make available on hire. It has never been used by the centre itself. The local authority have power to do this, and no consent of mine is required.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that for the first time in medical history delegates to the International Gynaecological Congress will see televised operations; and what precautions are taken to ensure that the patients who undergo these televised operations or their relatives give their full consent.

I understand that the operation was televised by land line to a lecture theatre in the medical school to which delegates from the Congress were invited. It was therefore a purely private occasion, and the operation was not "broadcast"; furthermore this method avoids all the difficulties and possible dangers to the patient of the alternative normally used, i.e., to have groups of spectators in the operating theatre itself.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the children attacked by infantile paralysis in the Redruth area had been vaccinated or immunised within the past five years; what percentage of the infants born had been vaccinated against smallpox; and what number of children under five years of age had been immunised against diphtheria for each of the past 10 years for which the figures are available for the town of Redruth and the area from which the infantile paralysis cases came.

These particulars are not immediately available. I am making local inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Education how many children are retained at school at present as a result of the raising of the school-leaving age to 15 years.

In January, 1949, there were just over 330,000 more children in maintained and assisted primary and secondary schools as a result of the raising of the compulsory school age to 15 years.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has considered representations from the combined staffs of Cardiff High Schools concerning the state of the education service in Cardiff; and what reply he has sent.

I have received from the combined staffs of the Cardiff High Schools a copy of a resolution passed at their general meeting on 11th July, and have suggested that their representations should be made in the first place to the local education authority.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware that there is no suitable playing field available for the school children of Halesworth, Suffolk, during the long summer holiday; and will he take steps to arrange for the Bungay Road playing field to be used during that period for this purpose for which proper supervision will be provided by the local authority.

I have very recently received representations from the district council, and I am having inquiries made.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will postpone execution of any further death sentences arising from ritual murder trials in Basutoland until he has had a report on the matter from an anthropologist.

No. I think it would be unwise to adopt the course proposed by my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he is aware that Mr. Hugh Romilly Abercrombie, J.P., who has been engaged to give lectures under the auspices of the Central Office of Information, is the editor of the only English newspaper in South Africa that supports the policy of racial segregation, and was a candidate at the last general election in South Africa, standing as a protagonist of Apartheid and of the Nationalist Party's colour policies generally; and if he will at once cancel this person's speaking engagements.

The hon. Member has been misinformed. Mr. Abercrombie has not yet been engaged under the auspices of the Central Office of Information. The latter part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a statement on the progress reached in the Trade Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe.

The Second Session of the Trade Committee which met last May instructed the Executive Secretary to complete certain studies on methods of expanding trade between east and west Europe which had been remitted to him in February. Until these studies have been completed and have been considered by the Trade Committee it would not be appropriate to make any statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what new action he is taking to encourage the collection of waste paper in view of the recent 25 per cent. cut in imports of newsprint from hard currency areas.

No decision about the level of newsprint imports from dollar sources has yet been taken, but I hope that any reduction which may be necessary can be made good by increased home production, possibly supplemented by imports from other areas. This will not, however, entail any particular increase in waste paper consumption.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to conclude another Anglo-Soviet Trade Agreement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton (Mr. Turton) on 19th July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make arrangements for the payment of Part II, War Damage Claims, to those limited companies whose final liquidation is held up pending the settlement of war damage claims, with consequent hardship and inconvenience to shareholders.

As I have already informed my hon. Friend, I am prepared to

asked the Attorney-General what are the numbers of county quarter sessions within England and Wales ordinarily presided over by the county court judge for the area concerned and by practising barristers

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will list the retail prices of the principal items of food in November, 1922, and July, 1949, respectively.

The list is as follows:respectively; and how many of the latter perform this function as chairmen of the sessions without payment.

This information is being obtained and I will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will recommend to local highway authorities that the policy of the City Corporation in repairing certain busy roads during weekend or other quiet periods should be adopted, with a view to alleviating traffic congestion caused when streets are under repair.

There is much to be said for the City practice, but the circumstances of other highway authorities are different from those of the City. My right hon. Friend is, however, reviewing the present practice with a view to reducing as much as possible the inconvenience caused on important traffic routes.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of people registered as unemployed in Wallasey on 14th July, 1949, or the nearest convenient date.

Seven hundred and sixteen males and 363 females at 11th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he proposes to take with reference to the educational and other expenditure in our Colonies, recommended in the Report of the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations organisation.

Governments of trust territories are already spending on education a high proportion of their revenues and of the financial assistance they receive from His Majesty's Government. The expansion of educational facilities recommended by the Trusteeship Council must therefore largely depend upon an increase in the revenues of the territory by economic development.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that the National Coal Board is proposing shortly to start opencast mining on valuable dairyland, near Amble, Northumberland; and if he will consult with the Minister of Fuel and Power with a view to preventing the loss of this land to agriculture.

I have been in consultation with my right hon. Friend on the proposal to work the Dandsfield site, near Amble, for opencast coal. After carefully considering the extent of the probable damage to agricultural interests in relation to the quantity of coal which it is expected to obtain, I have reluctantly decided that I must agree that the land should be worked for coal.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the officials in charge of the Cadet Force were not informed earlier of the change made in the place of venue of their annual camp, so as to enable them to make alternative and satisfactory arrangements.

The county cadet authorities were informed of the altered circumstances at the earliest possible date. The Essex County Cadet Committee, for instance, discussed the problem on 12th June.