asked the Minister of Education what steps have been taken by his Department to prevent deterioration in the school dental service.

I would refer the hon. Member to 'the answer which I gave last Thursday to the hon. Members for Sutton Coldfield (Sir J. Mellor) and Mile End (Mr. Piratin).

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware that, as a result of devaluation, British teachers at present in the United States of America on a 12 months' exchange of posts with American teachers, will suffer a one-third cut in salary and be subjected to financial hardship; and what action he proposes to take to avoid the breakdown of this scheme.

I am aware that the change in the sterling-dollar rate will reduce the dollar value of the funds which were available to these teachers when they reached the United States of America, except in so far as they may have converted them into dollars before the change took place. I am therefore taking steps Ito see that each teacher has at his or her disposal sufficient sterling funds to produce the minimum number of dollars which they were originally informed they would need for the period

asked the Minister of Education by how much the physical and nutritional standards of children of school age have improved by comparison with 1938.

Between 1938 and 1948 the average height of children in England and Wales increased by between ¼ and ½ an inch, and the average weight by about 2 lb. In 1938 the nutrition of 14.5 per cent. of children inspected was classified as "excellent" and 74.2 per cent. was classified as "normal," the remainder being "slightly sub-normal" or "bad." In 1948, under a different classification, the nutrition of 35.8 per cent. was classified as "good" and of 59.6 per cent. as "fair," the remainder being "poor."

asked the Minister of Education the number of children registered as suffering from the effects of malnutrition for the nation as a whole, and for the county borough of West Ham four years after the end of the First World War, as compared with four years after the end of the Second World War.

I have no separate figures for West Ham earlier than 1937. Under the broad assessments of nutrition made at routine medical inspections, the nutrition of the children was classified in 1937 and 1948 as follows:

asked the Minister of Education if he will arrange for an up-to-date list of vacancies at schools for the deaf and other special schools to be kept at his Department, so that it will no longer be necessary for a local authority to write to all the schools in the country when it requires a vacancy.

If there were evidence of a general demand on the part of local education authorities for such a list, I would be prepared to consider whether the hon. Member's suggestion were practicable, but I am not sure that its possible advantages would justify the considerable correspondence involved and the extra staff required.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent timber imports from European countries will be increased in the next six months; and what is the present trend of prices.

Imports of timber from Europe in the next six months are expected to show the usual seasonal fall, mainly due to the freezing up of the Baltic ports. The trend of European prices appears to be downwards.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many inspectors are employed by his Department to visit local authorities with a view to obtaining statistics relating to receipts from the use of public conveniences.

None, but in a number of cases local authorities have volunteered statistics on this subject as being in their opinion one of the best guides to the number of visitors to holiday resorts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the reason for the delay on the part of the Metropolitan Police in taking up the sites offered by the Hornsey Borough Council for the building of police quarters.

The Hornsey Borough Council have offered no sites to the Metropolitan Police but drew attention to the possibility of using 10 different sites which were not suitable for the Council's own purposes. Six of these sites were found to be unsuitable for police housing purposes and three were found not to be available. The completion of negotiations for the purchase of the remaining site has been delayed owing to the illness of the owner.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of the parish council elections for England and Wales this year; and what was the average cost in respect of each parish.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a new electoral register will come into force.

The next electoral register will be published on 15th March, 1950, and will come into force on the following day.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has refused the request of the cab section of the Transport and General Workers' Union to limit the number of London taxicabs to the present figure of 6,300 with 8,500 drivers; and whether, in view of the present national crisis and the need to save manpower and petrol, he will reconsider this matter.

In view of the opposition of some sections of the cab trade to these proposals, I could not see my way to adopt them. I have, however, asked the Working Party, which I recently set up to examine the law relating to hackney carriages, to consider the general question of limitation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will extend the subsidy for ploughing up grassland to cover grassland ploughed for crops to be grown in 1950.

Grassland ploughed for 1950 crops before 31st December next will attract grant on the usual conditions. The date on which this subsidy ends is fixed by Statute and I have no power to extend it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the fact that meat production in the United Kingdom was estimated at 860,000 tons in 1948, what steps he is taking to correct the inaccurate figures in the Monthly Digest of Statistics, Issue No. 42, which gives an annual figure of 784,000 tons.

Neither figure is inaccurate. The 860,000 tons which I gave to the hon. Member on 14th July was an estimate of total United Kingdom meat production and included meat produced and consumed by self-suppliers operating under Ministry of Food licences. The Statistical Digest figure, which is 794,000 tons, does not include self-supplier's meat, and there are also other small differences. The scope of the Digest figures is explained in a Supplement on Definitions published by His Majesty's Stationery Office in 1947, to which I would refer the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the proposal of the Corporation of Norwich to extend the boundaries of the city by taking in a thousand acres of land at Arminghall; and, as this land is of great agricultural value, what steps he is taking to cause the local authorities concerned to modify their proposal.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what representations have been made to him regarding the proposal of Norwich City Council to acquire 1,000 acres of land at Arminghall for housing purposes; and whether, when considering these representations, he will also give consideration to the housing needs of Norwich and to the views of the Norwich County Council, and the Norfolk members of the National Union of Agricultural Workers.

My Department has been consulted by the Norwich City Council about their proposals and has also received representations on the subject from the National Farmers' Union. Discussions with the Council are still proceeding. While I am only directly concerned with the effect of this proposal on agricultural interests, I shall be happy to consider any relevant information on the matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the hardships to poultry breeders as a result of his decision to issue supplementary rations for accredited flocks for the year 1949–50 on the basis of the Autumn, 1948, count, or the Autumn, 1949, count, whichever is the smaller; and why, in view of his desire that breeders should increase their stocks, the trade was not fully consulted before this decision was reached.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies which I gave on 7th July to the hon. Members for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) and Barkston Ash (Colonel Ropner) and on 14th July to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. J. Morrison).

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will consider setting up a committee to inquire into the practice of the Association of Nursery Gardeners of issuing price lists for a wide variety of trees and plants, with a view to restoring competition in this trade.

I have seen these price lists which are issued annually by the Horticultural Trades' Association to its members. The prices are described as recommended values for first quality stocks and I understand that their adoption is purely voluntary so far as members of the Association are concerned. I do not think that the arrangement is one to which exception can reasonably be taken, or that there is any need for a committee to inquire into it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to restore the 375,140 acres of land now under the control of county agricultural committees to British farmers and bring to an end the control of these acres under the committees and of his Department.

I am at present reviewing all lands in possession of county agricultural executive committees to decide when and whether they should be released and what lands should be purchased under Section 85 of the Agriculture Act, 1947.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make a statement as to why Mr. T. Elliot of Farm Dyke House, Stamfordham, Northumberland, is being turned out of his farm on 13th May, 1950, by the Land Tribunal.

Mr. Elliot received notice to quit from his landlord. The landlord applied for my consent to the operation of the notice on grounds of hardship, and on consent being withheld, he exercised his right of reference to the Agricultural Land Tribunal. The Tribunal decided that the landlord had made out his case and accordingly consented to the operation of the notice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why private firms and farmers are no longer granted licences for the processing of kitchen waste in the York area; at what price the processed waste is sold by York Corporation; and what complaints he has received as to the quality of the processed waste so sold.

Presumably the hon. Member is referring to licences granted by me for the collection of kitchen waste. After the setting up of a central sterilising plant by the York Corporation in accordance with a direction of the Board of Trade in 1944, the York area was brought within the scope of the Kitchen Waste (Licensing of Private Collectors) Orders and the claims of old established collectors were considered and licenses granted. Following the customary procedure no licences are granted to newcomers after the scheduled date if the local authority can collect from the premises concerned. The processed waste is sold by York Corporation at £6 per ton ex-plant, plus certain additions for small lots. No complaints of the quality of the product have been received either by my Department or the Board of Trade.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now make a statement on the working of the arrangements for the hill cattle and other subsidies.

The arrangements for the payment of hill cattle and other subsidies are, so far as I am aware, in general working satisfactorily, but if there are any defects which the hon. and gallant Member wishes to bring to my notice, I shall of course be happy to consider them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when he proposes to hand back commons to commonholders; and whether, when he does so, he will take the necessary steps to prevent their reversion to their pre-war condition.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) on 20th October. If common land is derequisitioned, I have no powers to ensure continued cultivation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when he expects to publish the accounts of county agricultural executive committees for the financial year ended April, 1949.

The preparation of summary accounts of the trading activities of county agricultural executive committees for the year ended 31st March, 1949, is proceeding as a matter of urgency and it is hoped to submit them in the near future to the Comptroller and Auditor-General. After audit the accounts will be published in the volume of Trading Accounts and Balance Sheets, 1948–49.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps were taken by him with regard to pigs in purported pursuance of the Improvement of Live Stock (Licensing of Bulls) Act, 1931, before the said Act was applied to pigs on 24th October, 1949, by S.I., 1949, No. 1895; and what redress he proposes for persons affected by such unlawful exercise of power.

The steps taken under the Improvement of Live Stock (Licensing of Boars) (England and Wales) Regulations, 1945, were to require all boars over six months old since 1st April, 1946, in England and Wales to be licensed. Statutory Instrument 1949, No. 1895 was made to remove any doubt whether the application to pigs of the Live Stock (Licensing of Bulls) Act, 1931, was effective by virtue of the 1945 Regulations, but I am not prepared to agree that action taken under those Regulations was unlawful, and I do not propose to take any action in respect thereof.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the annual intake of one-year, two-year and three-year students in institutions under his control for agricultural education; and how many unsatisfied applicants there are for places in each such institution.

In England and Wales for the present academic session there are 29 County Farm Institutes offering one-year courses with a total annual intake of 1,664 residential students; six Temporary Training Centres offering one-year courses for ex-Service men and women only with an intake of 251 residential students; and four Agricultural Colleges offering two-year courses with an intake of 496 residential students. Non-residential students are also accepted, in varying but small numbers, for the courses at County Farm Institutes each year, and there is provision for a total annual intake of 395 nonresidential students at the four Agricultural Colleges. Three-year courses of agricultural education are offered at University level only and are not under my control.County Farm Institutes and Agricultural Colleges are grant-aided by my Department but are directly administered by local education authorites and independent governing bodies respectively. I cannot give details of the number of unsatisfied applicants for places at each of these institutions, but there are waiting lists.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what progress has been made in the consultations with the National Farmers' Unions about a wool marketing scheme, and the proposal to add wool to the list of products for which prices are guaranteed under the Agriculture Act, 1947.

The National Farmers' Union of England and Wales, the National Farmers' Union of Scotland and the Ulster Farmers' Union have submitted to my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself, a scheme under the Agricultural Marketing Acts, 1931 to 1949, to regulate the marketing of wool in the United Kingdom. This scheme is now being advertised in accordance with the Act to afford an opportunity for any objections and representations to be received and considered.In the course of the consultations with the Farmers' Unions which preceded the submission of this scheme, my right hon. Friends and I agreed that in the event of such a scheme coming into operation we would, subject to the necessary Parliamentary approval, make an order under Section 6 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, to add wool to the list of commodities in the First Schedule for which prices are guaranteed. We have also agreed with the Unions that in that event the following financial arrangements should apply to fleece wool grown in the United Kingdom:(1) At the annual February review the guaranteed average price for fleece wool for the year starting 1st May following will be negotiated.(2) The Government will guarantee this average price per lb. for all wool clipped in that year plus an allowance per lb. for marketing costs. This allowance for marketing costs will be based initially on the actual costs incurred by my Department in the marketing of the United Kingdom wool clip.(3) The Marketing Board will draw up each year a schedule of maximum prices for each type of wool which will be so calculated as to produce in the aggregate result the average price, exclusive of marketing costs guaranteed by the Government. If the Board's calculations are inaccurate, it will be at their risk and will not affect the Government's guarantee.(4) The Marketing Board will maintain complete records of all transactions, including sales, and will make these available at all times to the Agricultural Departments.(5) If the proceeds from the sale of wool exceed the amount guaranteed by the Government, the surplus will be dealt with in the following way:—If in any year there is a surplus, 10 per cent. of that surplus will be retained by the Board and the balance will be placed in reserve.At the end of each period of five years the annual surpluses (in excess of the 10 per cent. to be retained by the Board) and deficiencies will be aggregated and any net surplus will be retained by the Board.(6) The provisions of Section 5 (2) of the Agriculture Act, 1947, will apply to fleece wool as for the commodities mentioned in that subsection to enable minimum prices to be guaranteed ahead.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is proposed to extend the sterling currency allowance for holiday travel so as to include Czechoslovakia; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. As the hon. Gentleman will no doubt be aware from reports in the daily Press, the basic travel allowance became available for use in Czechoslovakia with effect from 19th October.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there has been any material alteration in the internal purchasing power of the pound sterling since 24th May, 1949, when it was about 84 per cent, of its value in July, 1945; and what is its present value to the nearest convenient date.

At 13th September last, the value of the pound was about 82 per cent. of its average value for 1945.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the fact that the supply of steel is becoming greater than the demand, he will arrange for steel to be made available for use as framework for houses.

I am not prepared to accept the assumption made in the first part of the hon. Member's Question. There is, therefore, no need for any special steps to encourage the use of steel for the framework of houses on any scale, though some small quantities of steel have been allowed for development purposes of this sort. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is prepared to consider proposals put forward by local authorities for nontraditional methods of house construction, including those involving the use of steel, where costs are comparable with those of brick and timber.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his recent correspondence with the Trades Union Congress and the Federation of British Industries asking these two organisations jointly to meet him to consider the position arising from devaluation; and why his request was refused.

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. There has been no refusal of any request of my right hon. and learned friend. My right hon. and learned Friend made a suggestion to four employers' organisations and the T.U.C. for meetings to discuss the dollar export problem. The discussions, which have been almost entirely oral and are not yet complete, have been concerned with what form of meeting would best realise the end in view. The organisations concerned with such little correspondence as there has been agree with my right hon. and learned Friend's view that its publication would be quite inappropriate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the Select Committee on Estimates on the subject of No. 2, Park Street.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer given on 25th October by my right hon. and learned Friend to a Question on the same subject by the hon. Member for Kingston-on-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the total sum collected by the Inland Revenue authorities during each of the last three financial years as arrears of tax alleged to be due in respect of Army, Navy and Air Force pay; and what proportion of each of these sums has subsequently been found to be based upon incorrect assessments.

I regret that the information for which the hon. Member asks is not available. Cases of the kind that he has in mind have been rare; incorrect assessments have generally been adjusted before collection of the tax.

asked the Economic Secretary to the Treasury when the Departmental Committee inquiring into the use of timber substitutes is expected to report; and whether their conclusions will be published.

The results of our examination do not support the suggestion that it would me profitable in terms of dollars to substitute timber for steel and other materials.Firstly, a ready market for steel of all types does not exist in Canada and other hard currency countries. These countries in the main wish to buy specialised types of steel, which, in general, would not be released by timber substitution.Secondly, if, as we expect, steel output is sufficient in two or three years time to meet both export and home needs, substitution would ultimately mean importing more timber, without any compensating increase in dollar exports of steel and steel manufactures, which could by then be achieved without timber substitution. There would therefore be an actual dollar loss, in so far as any timber imported to effect the substitution cost of dollars.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the total number of Government employees resident in the United States of America at the present time; and what were the corresponding figures 12 and 24 months earlier.

On 31st August this year (the latest date for which figures are available) the total number (including members of the Armed Forces and staff locally recruited) was 1,533. The corresponding numbers 12 and 24 months earlier were 1,554 and 1,976 respectively. In addition there were in August this year 108 British Service officers serving with units of the United States Forces in exchange for a roughly corresponding number of American officers employed in this country, Eighty-four British Service officers were similarly exchanged in 1948. Particulars of the number of officers so exchanged in 1947 are not available.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the exact nature of the relationship he has with the trustees of the British Museum.

Under the Act of Incorporation responsibility for the direction of the affairs of the Museum rests with the trustees. In matters of finance and staffing the Museum is subject to normal Treasury control; and Treasury Ministers answer for the Museum in this House.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the total quantity of spirits made at home during the year ended 31st March. 1949; and how much was made in distilleries using malt only, how much in distilleries using malt and other cereals, how much was distilled from imported high spirit for gin making, and how much was industrial and methylated spirit.

The total production of spirits in the United Kingdom during the year ended 31st March, 1949, was 94,099,100 proof gallons. It is not possible, without an undue amount of work, to subdivide this total on the lines suggested in the second part of the Question. Separate figures for the quantities produced during the year ended 30th September, 1949, at distilleries using (a) malt only, (b) malt and other materials, and (c) molasses only, will be available by January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many dollars have been made available for the payment of royalties in the United States of America to the owners of the formula of mica mix, used in the manufacture of ceiling papers.

I cannot identify the case from the information given by the hon. Member; but in any event it is not my practice to give details of particular transactions which I have authorised.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the abolition or reduction of the Purchase Tax on sports gear, in accordance with a resolution, a copy of which has been sent to him, by the Kent Playing Fields Association.

Consideration will be given to the matter when the next general review of the Purchase Tax Schedule is made.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what is the annual intake of one-year, two-year and three-year students in university institutions for agricultural education; and how many unsatisfied applicants there are for places in each such institution.

I append a table showing for the academic year, 1947–48, the latest year for which figures are available, the number of full-time students in agriculture at the institutions stated who were in that year in the first, second, or a later year of their course. The information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if intending emigrants requiring X-ray are able to obtain this service under the National Health Scheme.

No.

asked the Minister of Health what information he has about wrong dispensations being made by chemists taking part in the National Health Service; the total number of prescriptions dispensed during the quarter ended 30th June, 1949; how many of these prescriptions were actually checked; and what proportion of those checked disclosed inaccurate and improper dispensation, respectively.

The number of prescriptions dispensed in England and Wales during the quarter ended 30th June, 1949, was about 46 million. This included 1,753 test prescriptions of which 96 were referred to the Pharmaceutical Service Committees of Executive Councils for further consideration. The results are not yet fully available.

asked the Minister of Health what policy he has advised hospitals to adopt in regard to electrical installations and maintenance work in hospitals and ancillary buildings controlled by them.

No general instructions have yet been issued, but guidance has from time to time been given about special precautions in operating theatres and anaesthetic rooms, a copy of which I am sending the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board informed the Town Clerk of Louth last February that estimates were being obtained for carrying out work necessary to reduce the smoke nuisance at the Louth County Infirmary; that no actual steps have been taken to abate this smoke nuisance; and if he will look into the matter and have something done forthwith.

The main proposals are at present awaiting a report from a consulting engineer. Meanwhile, I am informed that certain adjustments have been made in the plant at the hospital which have effected substantial fuel economies and should reduce the smoke.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the deaths of three young healthy children following anti-measles inoculation, he will take steps to inform the public of the danger of this treatment.

I am not advised that any public misgiving would be justified.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the need for further dental treatment both preventive and curative; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of those undergoing training for the dental profession.

Existing training facilities are fully occupied. Universities, dental schools and hospital authorities have been asked to consider how these facilities can be extended and are actively doing so.

asked the Minister of Health what assistance is granted to student nurses in respect of their proceeding to their homes on vacation during training; and what differentiation is made between student nurses joining hospitals through the Ministry of Labour and those who do so by direct personal application to hospitals.

Holiday travel allowances are given by the Ministry of Health only to ex-Service student nurses taking special intensive courses of training at a few selected hospitals. I understand that, under a general transference scheme which applies to all classes of workers placed in vacancies of the first importance and urgency, student nurses placed away from home by the Ministry of Labour qualify for a return railway warrant to their homes twice yearly at a cost of 7s. 6d. on each occasion. These arrangements will shortly be reconsidered.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of representations made to him by the local hospital management committee, local authorities and others concerned as to the urgency for the provision of a new general hospital at Bangor to serve the counties of Caernarvon, Anglesey and Merioneth, he has yet made any decision to commence the erection of such a hospital; when is it hoped to commence building; and at what site.

The Regional Hospital Board is examining alternative sites, but I cannot say when building may begin.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that children in Newark are waiting for periods of over nine months for the removal of their tonsils; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this situation.

Here, as elsewhere, tonsillectomies have been postponed while poliomyelitis is prevalent. They will be resumed when it is desirable to do so.

asked the Minister of Health how many medical practitioners, on leaving the Forces, were granted supernumerary appointments in hospitals and other medical establishments; and how many of these appointments have been terminated since 5th July, 1948.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he has now prepared a scheme to arrange for the return of empty medicine bottles.

The present arrangement involves a reduction in the allowance paid to chemists for containers from 2½d. to 1¼d. a prescription, coupled with an appeal to the public to return medicine bottles. This was preferred by the representative organisations of chemists to the alternative of a deposit system, on the grounds that it would obviate difficulties between chemists and patients which arose under the old insurance scheme when a deposit system was in force.

asked the Minister of Health how many tuberculosis cases are awaiting admission to sanatoria in the Liverpool Regional Hospital Board area; how many tubercular cases are in the general hospital wards; and what steps are being taken in the region to provide the essential tubercular case beds.

I am informed that 431 patients are waiting, and 535 are in general hospitals. Every effort is being made to recruit nurses to open closed beds: 124 beds have recently been opened and when building conditions allow 690 further beds will be provided.

asked the Minister of Health on what grounds a layman has been appointed to the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Regional Hospital Board in place of a doctor with wide administrative experience, thus reducing the medical representation on the Board, and within that representation reducing the general medical practitioner representation.

I think it is a good thing to introduce new blood into the boards from time to time, without the slightest reflection on any retiring members. As to medical membership, this is still more than a quarter of this particular board.

asked the Minister of Health what approximate number of pairs of spectacles were supplied in the United Kingdom during each of the two years ending 1st September, 1948 and 1949, respectively; and what the approximate estimate is for the current year.

The figures for the years ended 1st September, 1948, and 1949 respectively are 4.4 million pairs and 6.9 million pairs. I think that supply in the following year will be at least 9 million pairs.

asked the Minister of Health what subsistence allowance is payable to patients whose treatment under the National Health Service necessitates absence from home for any period.

I have no power to pay these allowances.

asked the Minister of Health whether the practice of National Health Service women patients making British Legion poppies for sale at the ex-British Legion sanatoria at Preston Hall, Maidstone, Douglas House, Bournemouth, and Nayland, Suffolk, has been stopped; and what proper occupational therapy is now being given in these Ministry of Health sanatoria.

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of National Health Service women patients now in the ex-British Legion sanatorium at Nayland, Suffolk; the number whose homes are outside the East Anglian region; and whether arrangements can now be made to confine admittances to the region, instead of from as far away as Yorkshire and Surrey.

Of 165 patients 116 are from outside the East Anglian Region and 103 are from one of the four metropolitan areas. It is contrary to National Health Service policy to confine hospital admissions to persons living within the boundary of the Regional Board administering the hospital in question, especially where the hospital is a specialised one.

asked the Minister of Health why National Health Service women tuberculosis patients at Nayland Sanatorium, Suffolk, are sent some 50 miles away and back to Preston Hall, Maidstone, for operations; and whether, in future, Nayland patients will be sent to the East Anglia region, or nearby hospitals, for operations.

Most thoracic surgery on Nayland patients is now done at Pap-worth in the East Anglian Region. To reduce waiting periods some operations are still done at Preston Hall, and this must continue until alternative facilities are available in East Anglia.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of his undertaking that there shall be free choice of patients by doctors and of doctors by patients, he will state why and under what regulation he assigns patients to doctors, and doctors to patients.

The power to assign patients to doctors is conferred by Regulation 13 of the National Health Service (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations, 1948, made in purpursuance of Section 33 (2) (c) of the National Health Service Act, 1946. Persons are assigned only at their request.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered a resolution sent to him by the Borough Council of Wokingham asking him to permit local authorities to sell their council houses to any tenant who desires to purchase, such facilities to be extended to a prospective tenant, providing the letting of houses to the most needy is not affected thereby; and if he proposes to allow local authorities to use their discretion in this matter.

Yes. The council has been informed that it is contrary to the Government's policy to agree at the present time to the sale of council houses in view of the importance of ensuring that as many houses as possible are available for letting to persons most in need of them.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that Regular soldiers, on completing their service with the Army, are being evicted from married quarters, and are experiencing great difficulty in obtaining accommodation, as no particular local authority is responsible for them; and if he will request local authorities to give some degree of priority to these men.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes.", Advice bearing on the last part was given in Circular 109/45 and in a report by my Central Housing Advisory Committee issued to all housing authorities of which I am sending copies to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health how far his regulations allow public health departments, when issuing orders for work to be carried out by householders, to require them to employ specified contractors.

I am not aware of any such requirement, but if the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I shall be pleased to make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that building operatives are leaving housing prejects near Amble, Northumberland, to take over bricklaying work in the mines; and how this will affect the building programme in that area.

Yes, but it is not possible to estimate precisely what effect this will have on the housing programme in the area.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the decision of the Kensington Borough Council, of which a copy has been sent to him, to demand rents from council dwellings as high as three guineas per week for five rooms and £1 15s. 6d. for three rooms; and, in view of the impossibility of many working-class families in need of a home being able to pay such rents, whether he will introduce legislation to give him power to reduce rents fixed by local authorities.

I understand that the rents mentioned relate to particular estates and include rates and in one case central heating and hot water. I have no intention of introducing legislation such as the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Minister of Health what was the main object of his recent official visit to Italy.

I visited Italy, at the invitation of the Italian Government, to study hospitals, health centres and sanatoria and to see what lessons could be learnt from Italian experience which would be of value in this country.

asked the Minister of Health what was the death rate, birth rate, infant and mortality rates at the nearest convenient date and in 1933 and 1938; and by how much the expectation of life has increased compared with 1938.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to the resolutions passed during recent months by Women's Institutes in many parts of the country urging the need for improved water supplies and sanitary arrangements in rural areas; and what special plans he has for meeting this situation.

Yes, and I have discussed the question with a deputation from the National Federation. The numerous schemes under construction or about to be put in hand will improve conditions in many areas. The local authorities are responsible for preparing plans, but I am always ready to consider whether they should be pressed to act if representations to them by local residents fail to produce results.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many persons are now in receipt of retirement and old age pensions; the average period of time such pension is drawn and the average age of the recipients, as compared with 1938.

The total number of persons in receipt of retirement or old age pensions is approximately 4,540,000. As retirement pensions only started to be drawn in October, 1946, it is not possible to state the average duration of such pensions. The only significant change in the average age of pensioners as compared with 1938 is that arising from the reduction of the pensionable age for women to 60 in 1940.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the estimated revenue received in this country from British-owned business firms in Hong Kong in each of the years 1937, 1938, 1947, 1948 and 1949.

No official estimates of the revenue received in this country from British-owned business firms in Hong Kong have been prepared and I am unaware that any unofficial ones exist.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the estimated value of all British assets and investments in Hong Kong.

No official estimates of the value of British assets and investments in Hong Kong have been prepared. The last unofficial estimate known to me was made too long ago to be of use (estimate for 1929 made by Professor Remer in his "Foreign Investment in China," 1933).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has received the Governor's comments about the report of the Constitution Revision Committee in Fiji; if he has had time to consider the correspondence sent to him by the hon. Member for Orpington on the Colony's political constitution; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for East Harrow (Mr. Skinnard) on 26th October. I have taken note of the correspondence sent to me by the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consultations have taken place with General MacArthur or with the Japanese Government regarding schemes of emigration of Japanese to North Borneo, or for the repatriation to that country of former Japanese residents.

None.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will look into the case of Lieut.-Commander R. Wolfenden, R.N.R., who suffered an injury to the spine as a result of war service which was aggravated by the delay of six months of the required operation; who was afterwards told to report to the Admiralty for post-operational treatment, which he did not receive until two years later, and who is now disabled; and as this officer has not yet been awarded a permanent pension and was invalided out of the Navy in October, 1946, why his Department has not yet submitted full medical details to the Ministry of Pensions.

The Admiralty has already investigated the allegations of negligent medical treatment represented by Lieut.-Commander Wolfenden through parliamentary and other channels and has formally repudiated liability. This officer is in reciept of a disability pension authorised by the Ministry of Pensions at the maximum rate of £306 per annum tax free. In this connection the relevant medical documents were forwarded to the Ministry of Pensions and the last part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Transport what percentage of public service vehicles operating in Fife have been in service for 12 years and over.

Forty-two per cent. of the public service vehicles based in Fife have been in service for 12 years or longer.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number and the average age of the public service vehicles in Fife suspended from service by his examiners due to mechanical and bodywork defects during the 12 months ended 10th July, 1949.

During the period 11th July, 1948, to 10th July, 1949, the public service vehicle licences of 31 vehicles operated from depots in Fife were suspended by public service vehicle examiners on account of mechanical or bodywork defects. The average age of these vehicles was 17 years.

asked the Minister of Food why he has increased the freedom with which wholesale potato merchants' licences can be obtained; and what steps are to be taken to ensure that the resultant multiplication of distributive facilities is matched by a relaxation of controls in this field without which efficiency may be impaired and the cost of distribution of this product increased.

We are licensing more merchants in order to get freer competition in this trade. The cost which may be charged against the consumer for distribution of ware potatoes is limited by the fixed grower's price on the one hand and the maximum retail price on the other.