asked the Minister of Works why the Mantegna cartoons at Hampton Court are housed in the Lower Orangery where the reflections from the windows makes it impossible to see them; and why a charge is made for entering the building where they are hung.

The Lower Orangery was the only accommodation in which the air conditioning necessary for the cartoons could be suitably installed. I agree that the existing lighting, coupled with the high wax polish given to the cartoons, causes an undesirable reflection, and the possibility of remedying this is being discussed with the Surveyor of The King's Pictures. The charge of 3d. goes towards the cost of the air conditioning system.

asked the Minister of Works on what basis charges of admission are made to various parts of buildings in his charge.

In fixing admission charges to buildings in the Ministry's care regard is had to many factors, e.g., the need to make some contribution to the cost of maintenance, the amount there is to see, the interest of the exhibit, and the desire to encourage visits of educational value.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power who owns the pipeline that supplied the Haifa oil refineries; and if he will give an estimate of the amount which would have been refined each year and of the effect on home supplies had the refineries been in operation.

The pipeline is owned by the Iraq Petroleum Company. The Haifa refineries are capable of producing about 3¾ million tons of petroleum products a year of which American companies have the right to about 25 per cent. The supplies available to British companies would probably have been used to replace purchases of dollar oil rather than to increase the level of home supplies.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what quantity of crude oil was refined in the United Kingdom in 1946, 1947, 1948 and so far in 1949; what has been the annual approximate saving in dollars as a result of the increased refining capacity; what plans there are to increase this capacity; and whether he is satisfied that the United Kingdom can reach the target suggested by the Oil Committee of the Organisation for European Economic Recovery and approved by the Council of the Organisation.

The quantity of oil refined in the United Kingdom for these years was, respectively, 1946, 2.5 million tons; 1947, 2.6 million tons; 1948, 4.5 million tons, and for the first eight months of 1949, 3.9 million tons.It is not possible to estimate precisely the dollar saving involved, because this depends on the source from which the increases in refined products would otherwise have been obtained. But the gross value in dollars of the increased output expected for the year 1949 over 1946 is about 60 million dollars against which must be set dollar expenditure incurred, for example, on refining equipment. As regards plans for expansion, I have no reason to suppose that the refinery capacity of about 19 million tons approved by O.E.E.C. will not be achieved.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he has taken to bring about world agreement on the allocation of oil supplies.

None. His Majesty's Government are not convinced that allocation of oil supplies on a world-wide basis is practicable at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why supplies of oil have not been obtained by pipeline from Iraq so that the Haifa oil refineries could be operated; and how long the refineries have not been in use.

Supplies have not been obtained because the Iraqi authorities have not so far allowed oil to flow down the pipeline from Iraq to Haifa. The refineries, which stopped functioning on 1st April, 1948, have been working again since 14th October.

asked the Minister of Food what steps are being taken to commence importing carcass pigs from Kenya; and what progress has been made.

We are discussing the possibilities with a representative of the Pig Industry Board of Kenya, who has just arrived in London.

asked the Minister of Food how many prosecutions have been initiated since May, 1949, against United Kingdom residents for importing rationed foods from Eire; how many have been successful; how many are still pending; and what penalties have been imposed for this offence.

Since 1st May this year there have been 13 prosecutions, of which 12 were successful, while nine prosecutions are pending. The fines imposed and costs awarded amounted to £367 10s. 6d. and £19 6s. respectively.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the complaints received by the Portsmouth Grocers' Provident and Protection Association with regard to the condition of the eggs supplied to the association's members; to what extent similar complaints have reached him from other parts of the country; and what action he is taking to improve matters.

I am inquiring into the complaints from Portsmouth and will write to the hon. Member. There have been some other complaints but their number is too insignificant in relation to the supplies distributed, to indicate any general fault in the distribution arrangements.

asked the Minister of Food on what date the sale of Algerian wine to Germany was finally concluded; and in what currency payment is to be made.

The sale of Algerian wine to Germany was completed on 4th October last. Payment will be in sterling.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the large quantities of fruit which it will otherwise be necessary to pulp, he will grant permission for the purchase of an extra pound per head per month of sugar for the purpose of jam-making.

No. I have already allowed 7 lb. of sugar per ration book for home jam-making this year, and as extra sugar would cost dollars we cannot afford any further releases.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of cooking and eating apples have been imported since 1st August last; and whether he will make a report on their quality.

Imports of apples into the United Kingdom since the 1st August consisted only of a small shipment of 650 tons of eating apples from Nova Scotia, which arrived a fortnight ago. All were of good quality and in sound condition.

asked the Minister of Food why the price of glucose in this country is approximately £60 per ton, as compared to the equivalent price in America of £30 per ton.

American glucose is produced from Home grown maize while the raw materials used for glucose production in this country have to be imported and often from dearer sources than the United States of America, because of our lack of dollars. Since devaluation American glucose, would cost us about £54 a ton ex-store and excluding import duty, while the net cost to British exporters is now £57 11s. 8d. a ton. So the difference is not great. Moreover we have made available some glucose for dollar export purposes at £40 a ton.

asked the Lord President of the Council to what extent his recent programme for the expansion of television has been affected by the economy programme.

I have been asked to reply. It is not yet possible to say how the B.B.C.'s plans for the extension of television will be affected by the economy programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what was the total cost of the British mandate for Palestine since it began; and how long will it be before the sums due to this country in repayment for certain expenditure are paid.

His Majesty's Government made payments of approximately £25 million to the Palestine Government during the 26 years of the mandate. These payments comprised £24,751,499 in respect of Grants-in-Aid and about £170,000 from the Colonial Development Fund. These payments were made in the course of administration in Palestine and in accordance with the policy of His Majesty's Government. It is not considered that any claim can be made for their repayment.In addition, His Majesty's Government have so far made available about £15 million for the expenses incurred in the winding-up of the mandate. Negotiations are now in progress at Tel Aviv concerning this and other financial questions arising out of the termination of that mandate. It is not yet possible to say when these negotiations will be completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the newspaper, "Der Sturmer," is still being published in the Western zone of Germany.

Not so far as I am aware.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any arrangement has yet been completed through the United Nations organisation for the future safeguarding of the Holy Places in Jerusalem; and what progress has been made towards the international control of the Holy City.

No arrangements have yet been completed by the United Nations for the safeguarding of Holy Places in Jerusalem or elsewhere.The resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations of 11th December, 1948, instructed the Palestine Conciliation Commission to present to the fourth regular session of the General Assembly detailed proposals for a permanent international regime for the Jerusalem area, including recommendations concerning the Holy Places in that area, and to call upon the political authorities of the areas concerned to give appropriate formal guarantees as to the protection of Holy Places outside the Jerusalem area and access to them, these undertakings to be presented to the General Assembly for approval.The Conciliation Commission has prepared a Draft Instrument Establishing a Permanent International Regime for the Jerusalem Area and a Draft Declaration concerning the Holy Places, religious buildings and sites in Palestine outside the Area of Jerusalem. The latter has been submitted to the Arab States and Israel.The present Session of the General Assembly is expected to consider both the Draft Instrument establishing an international regime in the Jerusalem area and the Conciliation Commission's report on the action taken by the Arab States and Israel regarding the Holy Places outside the Jerusalem area.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he now has as to the health and conditions of living of Cardinal Mindszenty; and what action he is taking in view of Hungary's obligations under the Peace Treaty to secure adequate information.

I regret that I have received no reliable information on the subject, nor is it open to His Majesty's Government to take any specific action to secure such information. As the hon. Member will be aware, the general issue raised by the failure of the Hungarian Government to observe the Human Rights clauses of the Peace Treaty is at present being considered by the United Nations.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to obtain consideration and acceptance of the draft convention of 1935 to put an end to oil pollution by ships inside territorial waters.

The draft International Convention of 1935 was drawn up by an Expert Committee of the League of Nations, but consideration of it by the various countries concerned had not been completed by the outbreak of war. International discussion of the problem would be appropriate to the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organisation when it is established. When the time comes I will consider putting it before them. I might add that the discharge of oil within British territorial waters is an offence under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1922.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now consider amending the law restricting utility vehicles to a permanent speed limit of 30 m.p.h.

I am not opposed in principle to a concession to utility vehicles other than those used wholly or mainly as goods carrying vehicles which ought not in my view to be exempted from the 30 m.p.h. speed limit. The difficulty is to produce a workable definition and I am trying to find one.

asked the Minister of Transport how many C licences for vehicles were taken out before the war, in 1948, and in 1949 to date.

The last recorded pre-war figure of the number of vehicles authorised under C licences was 365,025 at 30th June, 1938. The net number of additional vehicles authorised under C licences issued during 1948 was 103,365 and in the first nine months of 1949, 69,239. On 31st December, 1948, and 30th September, 1949, the total number of vehicles authorised to operate under C licences was 590,516 and 659,755 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will begin on the installation of the traffic signals at the junction of Putney High Street and Putney Bridge Road, a scheme for which was submitted to him in January, 1947.

I understand that delivery of the equipment will be completed by the end of this year and that the work of installation will start in January, 1950. As the hon. Member knows, considerable difficulty in devising and manufacturing a satisfactory system of control has contributed to this unfortunate delay. Meanwhile traffic at the junction is being controlled by police.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the sum calculated as still due to this country by Egypt for services rendered, works, goods supplied, and other outgoings since 1939.

The latest figures available in this country of the amounts due from Egypt to the Service Departments are £E.4,432,841 for stores and services and £E.142,011 for fixed assets of which prices have been agreed. Agreement has still to be reached on the prices of other assets which have been handed over and also on various claims and counterclaims between the Egyptian Government and the Service Departments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to amend the Finance Act, 1894, so as to empower Customs officers to act as agents for the Principal Probate Registry in dealing with estates not exceeding £2,000 in gross value, instead of £500 as at present.

This suggestion has been noted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the advisability of paying rewards to persons giving information of offences against the Exchange Control Act; and with what result.

Yes. I am prepared in suitable cases to sanction the payment of rewards for information which on investigation proves to be of value in detecting or preventing evasions of the Act.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a statement on the results achieved in raising the milk yield of dairy cows as a result of more scientific farming; and the measures taken by his Department to eradicate disease.

It is estimated that for the United Kingdom as a whole the average annual yield of milk per cow in milk or in calf has increased from 509 gallons in 1946–47 (June to May) to 566 gallons in 1948–49. Milk yields are influenced by a number of factors, and it is not possible to say to what extent the increase is due to those referred to in the Question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what proportion of staff economies in the Women's Land Army has been among wardens and other working personnel; and what proportion in the visiting supervisory staff.

Both administrative and hostel staffs have been kept under continual review in the light of the reduction in the strength of the W.L.A. County supervisory staffs numbered 144 on 1st October, 1949, as compared with 202 a year previously. Hostel staffs over the same period were reduced from 2,537 to 1,451, largely because of the closing of hostels.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many Government Departments send representatives to Women's Land Army hostels; and for what reasons.

Representatives of Departments other than my own, for example, the Ministry of Works, normally visit W.L.A. hostels only in connection with services provided by them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has now any statement to make about the future of the Women's Land Army.

The Government have had under review the question of the continuance of the Women's Land Army. Hon. Members will be aware that the W.L.A. was created to meet a war time need. The labour difficulties of the agricultural industry since the war have, however, made it necessary to prolong the life of the organisation, and I stated in the House on 26th January, 1948, that we must be ready to keep the W.L.A. in being for a few more years. The supply of regular workers in agriculture has steadily improved and the prospects of further recruitment seem reasonably satisfactory. Concurrently, the strength of the Land Army has fallen from 54,000 in September, 1945, to under 15,000 in September, 1949. In this situation the Government have been obliged to consider whether the purpose for which the W.L.A. was established has been achieved, and whether the time has not come to set a term to the existence of the Land Army organisation. It has now been decided to maintain the W.L.A. for a further twelve months and to bring it to a close at the end of November, 1950. Recruitment for work with county agricultural executive committees has been stopped; but within the limit set by demand, girls will be accepted up to 31st March, 1950, for employment with individual farmers. The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to add that similar action will be taken in Scotland in regard to the Scottish W.L.A.I would emphasise that the winding-up of the organisation, and of the privileges at present attaching to membership of it, does not mean that existing members will lose their employment. On the contrary, I hope that as many of them as possible will decide to remain permanently in agriculture in company with the many other women workers in the industry. Consideration will be given during the coming months to the question whether there is a call for any special provision for the welfare of the ex-W.L.A. members remaining on the land after 1950.The W.L.A., besides serving emergency needs, has introduced many women brought up in the towns to a career in agriculture and the countryside. A means of continued access to the industry for such women will be afforded by the vocational training scheme, which is now being put on a permanent footing by the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1949.Lastly, I should like, on behalf of the Government, to take this opportunity of thanking past and present members of the W.L.A. and officers of the organisation for their loyal and devoted service through so many difficult years.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he is aware that persons working in the mandated territories and in the Control Commission for Germany are not entitled to claim insurance benefits; and if he will take steps to ensure that they are accorded the same benefits as persons working in the Dominions or Eire.

Mandated territories are treated in this respect in the same way as other parts of His Majesty's dominions, but it would not be practicable to extend the concession to cover territories temporarily administered by His Majesty's Government.

asked the Attorney-General which parts of the Legal Aid scheme are to be deferred; and on what date it is proposed to introduce the remainder.

The provisions of the Legal Aid and Advice Act, 1949, which are to be deferred are those in Part I which provide legal advice and legal aid in proceedings commenced in courts other than the Supreme Court, and the whole of Part II. The Law Society were planning to be in a position to administer the whole of Part I of the Act by 1st July, 1950, but now this plan will have to be completely revised. It is not at present possible to forecast whether the provisions of the Act providing legal aid in proceedings commenced in the Supreme Court can be introduced at an earlier or only at a later date than the date originally planned.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will make a statement about the further disposal of motor vehicles in Germany; and approximately how many still remain in various parks.

There has been no change in the methods of disposal of these vehicles since I answered the hon. Member's Question on 13th December last [OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 459, C. 832.] Since that date 18,000 motor vehicles have been sold and about 1,200 are awaiting disposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will present a return showing the total number of electors on the register now in force in each parliamentary constituency in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in each local government area in England and Wales; and the number of women on each register.

These figures for England and Wales will be published in due course by the Registrar-General in his Annual Statistical Review, except that it is not practicable to give separate figures for women. Meanwhile, as this is the first register prepared under the Representation of the People Act, 1948, I am arranging exceptionally for the early publication of provisional figures showing the total electorate and the number of Service voters in each parliamentary constituency.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how industrial plant dismantled in Germany and allocated to various firms in this country is valued; on what basis is the allocation made; and to whom is payment made.

Industrial plant acquired from Germany as reparations is sold only through Government disposal channels at prices roughly equivalent to those ruling in the United Kingdom for corresponding equipment in the same secondhand condition. Where possible the price is determined by competitive tender, but where there is only one applicant or the national interest demands that the plant should be allocated to a particular firm, it is sold either by means of independent valuation accepted by both sides, or if this is not possible, at the best price obtainable by negotiation. Steel works plant, when it cannot be disposed of by competitive tender, will be dealt with by a special valuation panel of experts about to be set up, on which the industry will be represented. Payment is made to the Ministry of Supply, who arrange the disposal contract.