asked the Postmaster-General whether he can make any estimate of the degree to which the current waiting list of applicants for telephone service is due to shortage of engineering labour as distinct from shortage of equipment.

About 6 per cent. of the outstanding applications for telephone service are held up on account of shortage of Post Office engineering labour.

asked the Postmaster-General what the aggregate number of waiting applicants for telephone service was at the latest convenient date; how the figure compared with the number six months before; and at what rate new applications for service are being received.

552,415 applicants were waiting for telephone service at 30th September last. This is 7,855 less than the number who were waiting at the end of March. New applications are being received at the rate of 29,500 a month.

asked the Postmaster-General what the salary for sub-postmasters in country districts is; and what increase in that amount he proposes to make.

Sub-postmasters receive a scale-payment based on the amount of Post Office business done, subject to certain minimum payments, which covers the provision of accommodation and any indoor assistance required. It ranges from £85 a year, in the case of the smallest country offices, to over £1800 a year for urban offices. The scale was comprehensively revised in agreement with the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters at the beginning of 1948; and no further general revision is at present contemplated.

asked the Minister of Food how many dead rabbits have been imported this year and from what countries; and if he will take immediate steps to preclude the import of any more foreign rabbits.

Up to the end of September, some 38 million rabbits were imported from Australia, about three million from New Zealand and about three-quarters of a million from the Irish Republic, less than one rabbit per person in this country. I would not dream of prohibiting the import of this useful food.

asked the Minister of Food how he has disposed of the 250 tons of bacon refused by one London wholesaler on the grounds that it was stale and riddled with maggots.

The firm in question, which had no facilities for dealing with the superficial condensation due to storage, refused 1½ tons of bacon only. This was not riddled with maggots, and after being washed and smoked was pronounced by a meat inspector to be perfectly fit for human consumption. It was accordingly issued for the ration.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that inconvenience is caused to officials of the Meat and Livestock Group by the instruction to food officers that they should issue their authorisations on the basic ration of 1s. 4d. per adult per week and impose upon the area officers of the Meat and Livestock Group the duty of making the necessary adjustments; and whether he will arrange for the adjustments to be made in the food office.

The arrangement referred to is a simple and convenient method of dealing with temporary fluctuations in the weekly meat ration, calculated to save the work which would be necessary in food offices if each butcher's permit had to be recalculated in detail on each occasion. I am not aware that the arrangement, which has been used on many occasions, causes any difficulty to my officials.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many hutted camps, unused since the end of the war, are still in possession of his Department; and what steps he is taking to dispose of the huts.

There are no hutted camps which have been entirely unused since the end of the war but the number of sites containing huts at present unoccupied is 612. Of these 40 are required for long-term use by the Royal Air Force, 49 are being cleared of buildings which are required elsewhere and 523 have been declared to the Ministry of Works for disposal of the buildings and fittings.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what negotiations are taking place with the United States Government for the loan of B-29 aircraft to the Royal Air Force.

The question of supplying B-29 aircraft to the Royal Air Force has been under consideration in connection with the U.S. Military Aid Programme, but I regret that I can make no statement at present.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what amount of money has been spent to date on the London Airport; and what is the estimated total amount required for the completion of present plans.

From early 1946, when the London Airport was taken over from the Air Ministry, to its completion as a dual runway airport with terminal buildings, maintenance services, hangars and workshops so far planned, the capital cost of works services has been provisionally estimated at £26 million. This does not include money previously spent by the Air Ministry on the cost of purchase of land, diversion of roads or the reprovision of houses. By the end of September, 1949, approximately £10.5 million had been spent on works, including £2.75 million by the Air Ministry during the war. In addition land has been purchased to the value of £455,000. Later as traffic develops a further system of runways will be required but it is much too early yet to hazard a forecast of the expenditure which this would involve.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how many houses have been demolished to date in the development of London Airport; and what is the total number which it is estimated will be demolished before the completion of present plans.

One hundred and sixteen, while it is estimated that a further 110 will have to be demolished south of the Bath Road.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what is the present average of hourly and daily aircraft movements at London Airport; the present maximum capacity; and the number of aircraft movements with which it is estimated the airport will have to deal by 1953.

During the 12 months ended July last the daily number of movements at London Airport averaged 89. The number of movements per hour varies widely according to the time of day and season of the year. The capacity of the airport varies according to weather conditions. It is not possible to forecast with accuracy the future movements, but there are indications that the number of movements may be doubled by 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether His Majesty's Government have accepted the invitation from Dr. Malan to a conference on African problems.

I assume that the hon. Member refers to the African Regional Scientific Conference which was recently convened by the Union Government at Johannesburg. The Conference was held from 17th to 28th October, and was attended by representatives of the United Kingdom and Colonial Governments in Africa, as well as by representatives of Southern Rhodesia, France, Belgium and Portugal.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether His Majesty's Government was consulted before the announcement by the American Supreme Commander in Japan of the abolition of floor prices for Japanese exports, except silk; and whether they have assented to this step.

We were informed, about two weeks before the Supreme Commander's announcement, that this step was contemplated, but our assent was not requested and is not required. I am considering whether there is a need to make representations to the Supreme Commander as to whether the safeguards in regard to dumping and unfair trading practices should be strengthened.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he can make an announcement regarding the pay and other conditions of service for the nursing services of the Armed Forces in view of the revision early this year of the salary scales of certain grades of civil nurses.

1. On 1st February, 1949, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps was constituted as a Corps of the Army under the Army and Air Force (Women's Service) Act, 1948; Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service will similarly be incorporated in the Royal Air Force. On the same date increased rates of pay were granted to the lower grades of civil nurses. For both these reasons it was necessary to review the pay and other conditions of service of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces, including Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service, and it was decided some time ago that in principle they should be assimilated as closely as possible to those of the other Women's Services. The following detailed arrangement gives effect to this decision.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will specify the undertakings which will be affected by the proposed reduction by £6 million in the expenditure of his Department.

My right hon. Friend's statement referred to preliminary estimates of my Department's expenditure which would have reflected the cost of developing as well as maintaining present services. The full effects will, therefore, result partly from a deferment of development and partly from an acceleration of economies already under consideration. The main headings under which the economies will be effected are, in addition to those mentioned by my right hon. Friend, the disbandment of the Women's Land Army, slowing down the programme for replacement of agricultural and land drainage machinery held by county agricultural executive committees, a number of miscellaneous savings at the county agricultural executive committees and in headquarter's services and a temporary deferment of the introduction of the proposed scheme for the eradication of tuberculosis in cattle on an area basis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give in tabular form the amounts and details of outstanding loans made by Great Britain to other countries.

Details of outstanding loans to or for Colonial and other Governments, other than those arising out of the 1939–1945 War, are to be found on pages 70, 71 and 72 of the Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom 1948–49. In addition, loans to Allied Governments arising out of the 1939–1945 War are outstanding as shown in the statement below.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to state in each year concerned from 1945 to the latest convenient date the amount re- leased by His Majesty's Government from sterling balances; and in each such period the amount made available for transferable and convertible commercial transactions.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to his Question of 24th May. Total releases in the first three quarters of 1949 to the countries named, with the addition of Israel, were £206 million. I assume the last sentence of the Question relates to the amounts which were permitted to be spent in hard currency areas under the various net ration agreements. The amounts agreed between 1947 and 1949, for periods of varying duration, amounted to £68 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding his decision on Article 6A of the Final Act of the Paris Conference on Reparation.

Yes. This question concerns the claims of United Kingdom pre-war creditors of German debtors to have their claims met so far as possible, out of any assets of their debtor which may be in the hands of the Custodian of Enemy Property. I have taken this occasion to consider a larger issue: the disposal of all German assets in the hands of the Custodian.By the decisions taken at the Potsdam Conference in July, 1945, and at the Paris Conference on Reparations in November-December, 1945, we are entitled to seize these assets as part of our share of reparations. Up to now no decision has been taken on this matter and the alternative courses of action which the Government could take were outlined by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury when this subject was debated on 20th January last.I have carefully considered the matter and have come to the conclusion that the precedent established on the Treaty of Versailles should be followed and that the assets should be used, so far as they will go, to meet the pre-war contract claims which our creditors have on residents in Germany and the former German Reich Government. The dividend payable will not be large.The question has been raised in this House of the position of those creditors who, but for the war, would have been in a position to proceed against and, if successful, attach the property of their debtors. My proposal is that these creditors should be given the alternative of claiming against these assets or of taking their place in the general distribution to which I have just referred. In so far as claims are admitted against particular assets, there may be some advantage to our other reparation receipts because of the operation of Article 6A of the Final Act of the Paris Conference to which the hon. Member refers.The task of distributing the assets amongst the various classes of creditors will not be an easy one and will require legislation. A Bill will accordingly be introduced in the near future. This Bill will provide for the appointment of an Administrator who will be responsible for the execution of the scheme and will be clothed with adequate powers to make a final disposition of the property. It is my intention to appoint a representative Advisory Committee before the scheme comes fully into operation to advise the Administrator generally on the classes of debts to rank for payment, the scheme of division, what priorities, if any, should be established, and any other matters of a like kind on which the Administrator considers their advice might be useful.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the amount of money spent on the construction of new power stations, the number of such power stations on which work has commenced, including the number of hydro-electric schemes since 1945 and since nationalisation.

During the 27 months 1st January, 1946, to 31st March, 1948, £51 million was spent under the programmes for the construction of new thermal and hydro-electric power stations and the provision of additional generating capacity at existing stations; in the 19 months since vesting date, £58 million has been spent. Fifty-eight new stations or extensions were begun in the first period and 19 since. The first figure includes nine and the second four hydro-electric power stations.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give the average weekly percentage of absenteeism for each month

The following statement shows the absenteeism figures expressed in percentages of working time lost for various causes in respect of all industrial employees in the Royal Ordnance Factories.