asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how soon he anticipates that it will be possible to fulfil the promise that Makerere College is to be a University College for all the peoples of East Africa; and what has been the result of the recent discussions with the University of London.

I cannot at present state exactly when Makerere will achieve university college status. Negotiations with the University of London are proceeding and with the valuable help of the Colonial Inter-University Council I am hopeful that the College will soon take a considerable step forward towards full status.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the anxiety and eagerness which exists about this matter, and can we take it that he will not, like the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, attribute every humanitarian impulse of this or any other kind to Communist propaganda?

We are all very anxious that the College should acquire university status as quickly as possible, and all efforts to that end are being made.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is much more important that the standards should be university standards before the status is granted, than that the status should be granted in the minimum period of time?

I thoroughly agree with what the hon. Gentleman has said, and that explains the somewhat slow progress that is being made.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that one of the reasons for the standard not being achieved is because dons, or whatever they are called, are not being given a sufficient attraction in the way of salaries to take them out there?

No, I do not think that that is the explanation of it at all.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will instruct colonial governors that, in industrial or political disturbances involving danger to life and property, the police are not to use firearms until other more humane methods for restoring order have been used in vain.

I addressed all Colonial Governors in this sense over a year ago. The use of humane methods of restoring order, with recourse to fire arms only as a last resort, is the accepted Colonial practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in which territories have officially sponsored beer clubs been instituted.

I am not clear what my hon. Friend has in mind. If he will let me know what he has in mind, I will make any necessary inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in view of the importance of increasing gold production in the Colonies what steps he is taking to help the industry to recruit the necessary labour required for expansion.

The Governments concerned are fully aware of the importance of gold production and will, I am sure, be ready to consider any requests for assistance, having regard to the labour needs of other industries.

Are the Governments concerned making sure that the local populations fully understand the importance of the gold mining industry as a dollar earner?

Yes, Sir. This matter has been discussed on two or three occasions both with finance committees and legislative councils.

Will my right hon. Friend take steps to see that no local coercion is used to drive the local population into the gold mines?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is prepared to make a statement on the effect of devaluation in the Colonies; and what arrangements have been made to counter inflation in those Colonial territories in which increased sterling income may be expected.

It is too early to say precisely how the change in the sterling/dollar exchange rate will affect the different Colonies or the degree to which inflationary conditions may arise in any of them. Colonial Governments are, however, fully alive to the importance of avoiding inflation by employing appropriate methods in the local circumstances.

In his consideration of this matter will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the devaluation policy is really a wangle on the part of all bankers everywhere to make the people everywhere poorer?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many senior administrative and technical posts in the Colonial Service are now vacant; and whether he will consider creating a pool of specialist senior officers which could be drawn on for short periods of service by Colonial Governments.

The number of vacancies of all kinds for expatriate staff in higher grade posts stood at 1,198 on 30th September, as against 1,395 at the end of June. The system of creating central pools of specialist officers, which can be drawn on by Colonial Governments to carry out particular undertakings, has already been adopted in various fields of research, notably in medicine and agriculture. There are also central organisations for dealing with land and geological surveys. This pooling system is one which may well be extended in the future to other specialised services.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him whether his answer does not tend to discount his denial that there was centralised Colonial Service recruitment in this country?

I am not aware that I have ever denied that there is such a thing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present population of Hong Kong; and what percentage is British and what Chinese.

The civil population was estimated in June, 1949, to be 1,860,000 of which about half per cent. was British and 99 per cent. Chinese. Of the Chinese, it is estimated that between 20 and 30 per cent. are British subjects by virtue of birth in the Colony.

Is the Minister going to take any steps to consult the Chinese about affairs in Hong Kong?

Yes, there is the Legislative Council already, on which the Chinese are represented.

Do those figures include Kowloon and the leased territories?

I think I should need notice of that question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present dollar deficit in Hong Kong; what is the extent and nature of the dollar imports which have caused this deficit; and what steps are being taken to reduce it.

I regret that the information in reply to the first part of the Question is not available. The value of the imports into Hong Kong from the United States and Canada in 1948 was £27.1 million. The nature of these imports can be seen from published trade returns, and I am sending my hon. Friend an extract. The dollar imports for essential purposes in the Colony are strictly controlled by import licensing. Dollar goods for the entrepôt trade with China and neighbouring countries are financed without drawing on the sterling area dollar pool.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that the dollar imports intended for internal trade are not being retained in Hong Kong?

I am not aware of that.

Would the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the Treasury only permitted the open market in dollars in Hong Kong because there was a net intake of dollars from the influx of raw materials from China? Will he look over the whole of that matter now, to see whether that arrangement is necessary?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what progress has been made towards the design of a type of frigate adequate for the performance of anti-submarine operations under present conditions.

The design of a new anti-submarine frigate has been completed and it is hoped to lay down the first of its class this financial year.

Will the matter be treated as one of urgency?

How many conversions for this purpose have been made?

The hon. Member will have to put that question on the paper.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what progress has been made with the provision of married quarters to ranks and ratings at the home ports.

It is not Admiralty policy to build married quarters at the home ports. Priority is being given to building quarters at isolated naval establishments where there is little or no chance of naval personnel obtaining accommodation through the local authorities.

Has the Civil Lord found very unsatisfactory conditions in the married quarters in the home ports, in view of the great effect that this matter has on recruiting and upon retaining in the Service those who might otherwise leave it?

I cannot agree with either of the points mentioned by the hon. Member.

Can the Civil Lord inform the House when he proposes to implement the undertaking which he gave in his speech on the Estimates with reference to the Royal Devonport Naval Barracks?

That is an altogether different question from married quarters.

Does the Civil Lord's statement mean that such married quarters as exist at present in the home ports will be abolished?

No, Sir.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how far it is now possible to repair merchant ships in Malta.

Facilities at Malta have for some time been available for the repair of merchant ships, and any such work within the dry dock capacity of the dockyard will be welcome.

Will the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that any ships which the Maltese may have bought for themselves in order to facilitate emigration will be repaired, if repairs are necessary?

We shall consider every application made for the use of the dockyard for merchant ship repairs.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware of the strong desire in France for the return to that country of the "Implacable," as the only ship in the world having lasted 160 years; and if he will reconsider his decision in order to meet this desire.

Before the decision to sink this vessel was reached, it had been ascertained that no other proposal, involving the towage of the hulk elsewhere, would be practicable, owing to the grave risk of its foundering in circumstances which would make it a danger to navigation.

During the past twelve months there have been many suggestions from France for taking over the hulk, none of which was pursued when the physical difficulties were explained. The Admiralty is at present in correspondence with the French Naval Attaché in London about French representation at the sinking of the vessel, and the offer of a commemorative relic to the French Government.

I would like to take this opportunity of announcing that although it was originally intended to carry out the sinking off the Channel Islands, we have found that the state of the ship renders this impossible. She will be sunk as near to Portsmouth as practicable.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent industry is represented on the Television Advisory Committee; and how he ensures that all radio manufacturers are kept informed of policy decisions on television made by his Department.

In view of the appointment of the Broadcasting Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Beveridge, to consider the wider aspects of broadcasting, including television, the Television Advisory Committee has recently been reconstituted, and its terms of reference are now:

"to advise the Postmaster-General on current development problems of the B.B.C.'s television service."

The members of the reconstituted Committee include Sir William Coates (who is deputy-chairman of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.), and Mr. I. A. R. Stedeford, the chairman of Tube Investments, Ltd., as well as Mr. J. A. Ratcliffe of the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, with senior officials of the Treasury and the Post Office and the Director-General of the B.B.C. Of the independent members of this Committee, none of whom has been appointed to represent any sectional interest, two have wide experience in industry.

The Committee has, on a number of occasions, met representatives of the Radio Industry Council and will be meeting them again this week.

Will the Postmaster-General ask the Committee to pay special attention to the importance of seeing that the radio industry itself is informed of the decisions which the Committee takes?

I think one can be pretty sure that it will do that.

As the policy of this Committee cannot really be framed without knowing the manufacturing capacity of the industry itself, would it not be prudent and advisable to have the industry directly represented on the Committee?

If it wants that information I suppose it will ask for it.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can now state when television will be made available in Wales.

I am sorry that I am unable to give a date at present.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether a site for the main distributing station in South Wales has been settled, and, if not, when it will be decided?

Suitable sites have been explored.

asked the Postmaster-General if the economies in capital expenditure to be made by his Department involve any reduction in expenditure on the development of the television service.

The Post Office expenditure is confined to the provision of the programme links which will connect the B.B.C. television stations. In this connection I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Glasgow, Central (Colonel Hutchison) on 31st October.

In any economies which my right hon. Friend is contemplating, will he make quite sure that this particular service, at any rate, is not affected, because economies in this direction would only ultimately have the effect of severely handicapping the export trade?

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the application submitted to him on 8th October, 1949, by the Engineering Officers (Telecommunication) Association; and whether, in view of the fact that the membership of this association exceeds 40 per cent. of the total of organised staff in the technical officers grade, he proposes to grant recognition to this association.

When this Association's earlier claim for recognition was rejected on 27th August last, they were informed that the matter would be reconsidered in the light of membership figures at the end of the year, assuming that in the meantime there was no change in the principle on which claims for recognition were considered. I am at present reviewing the basis on which recognition by the Post Office should be given to new staff associations and pending a conclusion of that review I regret I am not in a position to take a decision on the present claim.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the claim of the association referred to in my Question establishes that they now number 40 per cent. of the organised members of this grade, and has not that figure previously been treated as entitling anybody to recognition?

They have made a claim to that extent, but with regard to the figures only, I must examine the claim of the other union also.

Inasmuch as the existing rules governing recognition, in which the 40 per cent. level figures, have operated very satisfactorily for a very large number of years in the Post Office, can the Postmaster-General tell us what Le has in mind in saying that he is contemplating a revision of those rules?

The question of the multiplicity of unions brings in its train difficulties for the Post Office itself also, and I should like to examine the question in the light of the difficulties.

At all events, will the right hon. Gentleman give us an assurance that his review is not being undertaken for the exclusion on political grounds of a union whose basis of membership is otherwise adequate for recognition?

I am undertaking this review in the interests of the Post Office generally and of the men themselves.

Oh.

Is it not a fact that this organisation now numbers 40 per cent. of the members in the grade, and that the rule granting recognition in such cases is still in effect? On those two assumptions, can the right hon. Gentleman say why recognition is now refused, even if the matter is to be reviewed again?

It is not a Communist union.

I have already said that the union has made a claim. At the moment I am not disputing their figures—

The right hon. Gentleman is not?

—but I must have regard to the figures submitted by the other union also.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that eight temporary postmen employed at the Southend-on-Sea Post Office have been warned that they are to receive notice terminating their employment, as the Post Office have orders to cut down their staff; to what extent these temporary postmen have had to work overtime in view of the amount of work to be undertaken; and how the work is to be carried out without the extra help especially in view of the near advent of the Christmas season.

Six temporary postmen at Southend-on-Sea, who have been employed on account of seasonal work and other temporary causes, were recently advised informally of the possible termination of their employment. One, an ex-Regular Service man, is now under consideration for a permanent appointment and work will be available for the others until after Christmas. Four of the temporary postmen have performed overtime during the past four weeks, ranging individually from three and a quarter hours to nine hours for the whole period.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will amend the regulations for the standardisation of postal services so that the town of Watchet, Somerset, may benefit by a later collection at night and an afternoon delivery.

No, Sir. The postal facilities at Watchet are in line with the general standard which is governed by the need to conserve manpower, and I regret that in present circumstances I am unable to depart from it.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that according to members of the local council facilities were superior in the days when the mail was taken by horse vehicle to Bridgwater, which is some 20 miles away; and has the time not come when the general facilities should be improved throughout the country?

I have already stated that it is a question of manpower.

Horsepower.

asked the Postmaster-General why an inquiry about the non-delivery of a registered letter has to be accompanied by a 3d. stamp.

The charge is made to cover part of the cost involved in proving delivery. If the registered letter under inquiry has not been delivered the fee is returned.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that last July, for example, two registered letters which I posted went astray and cost me several pounds, and that when they were finally delivered no explanation or apology of any sort was made; and surely the person who registers a letter is entitled to expect that it should be delivered and that he should not be called upon to pay for it if it is delivered late?

I am sorry that the hon. Member has had such an experience, but it quite frequently happens that the letter has been delivered and it is necessary that we should charge this fee.

If the letter is delivered with a delay of ten days, has the person who posted it no redress whatever?

If the hon. Member has a question of that kind he had better let me have it.

asked the Postmaster-General when Nurse Jennett, of 58, Gresford Avenue, Hoylake, Cheshire will be supplied with a telephone.

I regret that no firm date can be given until consent is received for erection of the necessary pole. Discussions on this matter are proceeding with the local authority concerned and I hope that they will see their way to grant consent at an early date.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the controversy about this lady's telephone has been dragging on for many months and that in view of her occupation it is highly desirable that she should have a telephone quickly?

I do not think it is our fault that the matter has been dragging on. We have done our best to try to get it done.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware that the villages of Thorton Watlass, Clifton, Thirn and Rookwith, which are in the North Riding of Yorkshire, are allotted a postal address at Ripon, which is in the West Riding of Yorkshire; that this causes confusion and inconvenience; whether he has considered the petition from the inhabitants of these villages asking for their postal address to be changed; and what action he proposes to take;

(2) whether he is aware that the villages of Gatenby, Londonderry, Leeming and Leeming Bar, which are in the vicinity of Bedale and within the area of Bedale rural district, have their postal address at Northallerton, some six miles away; that this causes confusion and inconvenience to the inhabitants of these villages; whether he has considered the petition from these villages asking that their postal address should be changed; and what action he proposes to take.

I am aware that the postal address of each of the villages named includes the name of a post town which is some distance away, but I am satisfied that this arrangement ensures the best postal service, while the alteration proposed would provide a less efficient service which would be wasteful of manpower. I have given careful consideration to the petitions addressed to me by certain residents in these villages but, for the reasons which have been communicated to the hon. Member by letter, I should not be justified in authorising the proposed change of postal address.

Does the Minister derive satisfaction from the fact that not only all the local authorities, but the majority of the inhabitants also, have made the request contained in my Question; and on whom does he rely for his local knowledge when such great inconvenience is caused by having to include in postal addresses the name of a town in a different part of the country to that in which the village is situated?

The Post Office have a lot of experience in handling mail and know a great deal about it.

Will the Postmaster-General always give particular attention to the needs of Londonderry wherever it may be?

asked the Minister of Defence what instructions have been given to the British Joint Services Mission to the Anglo-American Combined Chiefs of Staff Board in Washington, consequent upon the official announcement that the Soviet Union had discovered the secret of the atomic weapon and that it had this weapon at its disposal.

It would be contrary to policy to disclose confidential Government communications.

May I ask a supplementary question which indicates that some of these matters can be dealt with publicly? Will the right hon. Gentleman now withdraw the British Joint Services Mission and make it quite clear to the Americans that we are contracting out of their vile war plans, bearing in mind that we shall be at the receiving end for atom bombs from all quarters once another war starts?

It might be as well on a question like that to adopt the answer Mr. Vishinsky made the other day:

"The Soviet Government does not announce in advance what it will do."

In view of what happened at the weekend, are proper arrangements being made to ensure the defence of the Minister of Defence when he goes to Sheffield?

I am quite capable of looking after myself.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he will now state, the allocation between the three Service Departments and the Ministry of Supply of the £12,500,000 savings to be made on the current year's expenditure.

It is too early in the financial year to evaluate precisely each of the many measures of which the estimated saving of £12½ million will be the cumulative effect. Whilst I can say that the Army and Air Force votes will make the major contributions, it is not possible at this stage to give precise figures, but the overall saving from the expenditure which would have been incurred in the financial year by the three Service Departments will be at least £12½ million.

How does the right hon. Gentleman know that, unless he has some idea of what each Service Department will save?

I said that I cannot give precise figures, but I can say at this stage that the larger part will be borne by the Army and the Air Force Votes.

Is the right hon. Gentleman handicapped by a shortage of chartered accountants in these Services, and if he is, will he borrow some from the Ministry of Health and the Scottish Office?

Chartered accountants can usually be precise on figures which have already been spent, but they cannot be so precise on estimates.

Does it not show very sad neglect of their duties for the Government to propose cuts in the Estimates for the Defence Forces if they have no idea how much each of the Services will be affected?

That is not the position. If the hon. Gentleman will read my answer tomorrow morning, he will see that that is not the position.

asked the Minister of Defence if the promised review of the Defence Services in the interests of economy has yet proceeded far enough for him to be able to announce the economies proposed in the future operation of the National Service scheme.

As I informed the House in reply to the Question last Wednesday by the hon. and gallant Member for Ayr Burghs (Sir T. Moore), National Service remains an essential feature of our defence policy, though we shall continue to keep its practical working under close review to ensure that it meets the needs of the Services as efficiently as possible. I have nothing of substance to add to this except to say that recent speculation in the Press as to major changes in the present scheme of National Service is not well founded.

Will the Minister say that the Government have definitely no intention of introducing the selective ballot?

I have nothing to add to my answer.

Will my right hon. Friend reject the idea of a selective ballot because of the great discontent it would arouse?

Would the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that if any change is intended in the present system he will make an announcement to the House before that change is put into operation?

The House of Commons is the ultimate controller of policy of this kind, and at the proper time whatever recommendations the Government may have to make will be laid before the House.

Can the Minister give the House an assurance that whatever is the outcome of this review, it will be communicated to the House in the form of a White Paper in good time to enable adequate discussion to take place in this House at the earliest moment?

There is bound to be a White Paper on Defence and hon. Members will get that in adequate time.

Do I understand from the right hon. Gentleman that the scheme of National Service will not be reviewed? I understood from the Prime Minister that this was to be included in a general review of the Services?

The Prime Minister did not say that. My right hon. Friend said that it would be wrong for the questions referred to the Inter-Services Inquiry to be prejudiced by decisions taken to meet the immediate pressure for economy,

asked the Minister of Defence what was the dollar expenditure on food and oil on behalf of the Defence Services for the first half of 1949; and what is the estimated expenditure on these items for the second half of the year.

Part of the food for the Defence Services is supplied direct to the Forces overseas and part is included in the United Kingdom import programme. Dollar expenditure on the former category accounted for approximately half the sums quoted in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Swingler) on 26th October. The records of the dollar cost of the United Kingdom import programme do not distinguish that part representing food to be consumed by the Forces but my hon. Friend will realise that the total dollar expenditure on food for the United Kingdom is not affected by whether or not a proportion of those fed are in uniform.

Oil is obtained from both dollar and sterling sources, and sterling companies incur dollar expenditure. For these reasons it is difficult to allocate dollar expenditure accurately between civil and military users. However, provisionally £2 million could be taken as the Services' share of direct dollar expenditure on oil in the first half of 1949. The Services' share in the second half of 1949 is estimated provisionally at slightly less than £2 million. These figures have not been adjusted to take account of the dollar production costs by sterling companies.

asked the Minister of Food what increases he proposes to make in the price of meat.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Eastern Norfolk (Brigadier Medlicott) on 31st October.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman, arising out of that semi-audible answer—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] In deference to hon. Members opposite I withdraw the "semi." Can the right hon. Gentleman now give an assurance that there will be no increase in the price of meat before the general election?

I have nothing to add to my former answer.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the London area has received a smaller proportion of meat offal than the rest of the country during the last few weeks; and what steps he is taking to correct this disproportion.

Yes, Sir. The diversion of home-killed meat and offal from London during the recent difficulties at Smithfield resulted in the proportion of offal issued in London being less than the proportion issued in the rest of the country, but the loss to the London consumer will be made up.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of meat is stored in the five refrigerated ships held by his Department at a monthly cost of £56,668.

Eighteen thousand tons.

Could the Minister say how long he thinks this large expenditure will go on?

It depends on the rate of home killings and the rate of arrivals from overseas. The home killings, unfortunately, will fall off at the end of the year.

Does the use of ships for this purpose at all reduce the capacity of the transport into this country?

Yes, but I am glad to say that we have no shortage of refrigerated tonnage to bring us meat at the moment.

Is it not time that the distribution of meat was put through the normal channels of pre-war days when it was never necessary to have this expensive method of storage?

Is it not a fact that this marine storage costs at least five times as much as storage in land stores?

No, it is not as high an addition as that.

Can the Minister state how much per ton his Department pays for meat storage on land?

The figures are 27s. on land and 62s. 6d. in these ships.

asked the Minister of Food if he is prepared to reconsider the present arrangement under which hotels and boarding houses providing bed and breakfast only are entitled to take the complete food ration card of their residents even although they are under no obligation to provide them with the quantities of food which the ration card allows.