asked the Secretary of State for War what was the purpose of the visit to Greece of General Sir John Crocker, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.

As the soldiers of the British Military Mission in Greece come under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Land Forces, it is part of General Sir John Crocker's normal duties to visit Greece.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the average percentage of headquarters staff throughout the Army already saved by the economies recently announced; and what further percentage will be saved in the current financial year.

The hon. Member will, by now, have received a letter from my right hon. Friend giving him the required information.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Regular Army personnel in overseas theatres serve for a period of three to three and a half years, as compared with two and a half years in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force; and though it may be difficult under existing conditions to reduce the overseas tour of duty for Regular Army personnel, if he will consider making some compensation, such as additional leave on return home from an overseas tour of duty.

Consideration has previously been given to reducing the overseas tour for the Regular Army to the same period as that for the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, but owing to the different conditions prevailing this was not found to be practicable. It has, however, been arranged that with effect from early in 1950 the basic overseas tour for the Regular Army will be stabilised at three years and detailed instructions will shortly be issued. On ' reversion to the home establishment, after service overseas, Regular Army officers and other ranks are eligible for disembarkation leave, the length of which varies with the period of overseas service. The scale of disembarkation leave for the Royal Air Force is the same as that for the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the negligible entry into the Army of medical and dental officers makes it difficult to maintain a satisfactory standard of efficiency in those branches of the Service; what steps are being taken to make conditions of service more attractive; and if he will increase the present rate of emolument received by medical and dental officers in the Army, which compare unfavourably with those obtaining in the National Health Service.

The present shortage of medical and dental officers in the Army is well recognised. A joint investigation into the problem is being made by the three Service Departments with the Ministry of Defence.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that officers promoted to full colonel from the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Army Veterinary Corps retain that rank for a maximum of four years, whereby promotion to colonel is kept fluid; and if he will consider applying the four-year limit to officers promoted to full colonel from the Royal Army Dental Corps, where there is at present no such limit, and consequently a block in promotion to colonel where numbers are small.

The establishment of full colonels from the Royal Army Dental Corps was greatly increased in 1948 and it is considered that the prospect of promotion to this rank is now satisfactory without the introduction of a four-year limit for the retention of the rank.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has any statement to make on the withdrawal of the Polish official observer from the court martial of von Manstein and on the allegations against the conduct of the defence made by the observer on his withdrawal.

As the trial of Field-Marshal von Manstein is still proceeding, it would not be proper for me to make a statement on this matter.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he is aware that the National Coal Board are proposing to sink an exploratory borehole in land which has been endowed by public subscription as a war memorial at Downs Banks, Barlaston, Staffordshire; and whether he will now, in the light of public indignation, take steps to prevent this action.

This proposal has been abandoned.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if he is aware of the hardship caused by the delay in returning pension books left with the Department for endorsement or similar reasons; and what steps are being taken to avoid such delays in the future.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary has expressed his regret for the delay in the issue of a pension order book in the particular case brought to his notice by the hon. Member. There is no general delay in these matters and we do our best to ensure that pension books are re-issued in time to avoid any gap in payment. Where, exceptionally, delay occurs no question of hardship should arise as a pensioner can obtain interim payment if he so wishes.

asked the Minister of National Insurance by what number the total number of references to regional medical officers for the 12 months ended on 20th September, 1949, fell short of the total number of references by approved societies in 1938.

During the war this service was largely suspended and was only restored in a modified form in 1945. References by approved societies, which in 1938 had reached about 496,000, did not exceed about 150,000 in any of the years between 1945 and 1948. In the 12 months ended 30th September last. 230,255 cases of sickness and injury benefit were referred by my officers. In the last quarter references were being made at the rate of about 330,000 per annum and I anticipate that the number of references will continue to increase for some time to come.

asked the Minister of National Insurance (1) how the number of weeks for which sickness benefit has been paid compares with that expected according to the tables of sickness rates used in the official estimates of the cost of sickness benefit;(2) if the excessive resort to doctors in the National Health Service has been reflected in an excessive number of claims for sickness benefit.

Close comparison with the estimates in the Government Actuary's Report on the Bill, to which I assume the hon. Member is referring, will not be possible until adequate statistical material is available. Several special inquiries have, however, been made and the information available gives me no reason to think that either the number or duration of claims to sickness benefit are in excess of what was expected.

asked the Secretary of State of Scotland whether he is aware of the disparity between the salary scales of hospital sisters and the lower salary scales for matrons of residential nurseries and children's homes, which constitutes a deterrent to suitable applicants; and whether, in view of this unsatisfactory situation, he will do his utmost to expedite the consideration of the salary scales for matrons and nursing staff in residential nurseries and children's homes by the Whitley Council.

The Nurses and Mid-wives Whitley Council, in the course of its review of nurses' salaries, reached agreement in June, 1949, on general hospital grades up to and including ward sister, and in September, 1949, on comparable grades in maternity and mental hospitals. In the consideration of other nursing grades, including posts in residential nurseries and children's homes for which nursing qualifications are required, regard will have to be had to Government policy on wage stabilisation

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the population on the Island of Stroma are entirely without medical services, that the passage to the mainland is hazardous and is frequently interrupted by storm; and if he will take immediate steps to have a competent nurse installed in the island so that first aid at least is available.

This is a matter primarily for the Caithness County Council, who are attempting to arrange suitable accommodation for a nurse on the island.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress which has been made in the simplification of Customs procedure in the United States of America for the encouragement of foreign traders to sell and ship goods to the United States of America, as forecast in the tripartite communique issued after the recent Monetary Conference at Washington.

A series of meetings was held at the Bureau of Customs at Washington from 31st October to 8th November. The talks were at the official level, mainly between Customs representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. They concerned Customs procedures and compared the systems of the three countries in such fields as classification and valuation of goods, assessment of penalties, marking requirements, auditing and accounting, sampling, weighing and testing and treatment of currency exchange practices.It is early yet to look for specific results. Indeed the nature of the meeting was rather that of exchanging views and comparing experience. But it was felt by those who took part that the discussions had been of great value as leading towards the common goal of Customs simplification and facilitation of legitimate foreign trade, and I think we can be well satisfied with the tenor of them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the interests of national cleanliness, he will abolish or reduce the Purchase Tax of 66⅔ per cent. on dish cloths.

There are practical difficulties as I explained at the Committee stage of the 1948 Finance Bill. But I will consider the matter again when the tax is next under review.

asked the Chancellor o f the Exchequer (1) for what purpose or purposes the War Damage Commission is continuing to use the records of local authorities concerning the damage by enemy action sustained by properties within their area;(2) what is the purpose of Circular 82/49 directed to all housing authorities and asking for the retention of the records of local authorities on the subject of the repair of war damage, in view of the fact that the War Damage Commission refuses to accept local authority records as evidence that war damage has in fact taken place.

The records of local authorities relating to the repair of war damage are of value to the War Damage Commission as evidence of work carried out by the authorities for which they have received payment from the Commission. They are also of use as a check on information relating to war damage already in the Commission's possession.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the fact that the dollar rate fixed by him of 2.80 dollars is not achieving the desired results, he will now free sterling and allow it to find its own level.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the net amount of income left after deduction of Income Tax and Surtax applicable to earned income of £5,000 and upwards to £50,000, in £5,000 rests, for the financial years 1913–14, 1938–39 and 1948–49.

The following table gives the desired information in the case of a married man with two children.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if foreigners are eligible to receive rewards for informing against British subjects who are suspected of committing currency offences.

This is a question which will be decided, if it arises, on the merits of the case.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to express the thanks of the people of this country to the Australian people for their new generous gift of £8 million and the general appreciation felt for the three goodwill financial gifts sent during the past three years.

When the Acting High Commissioner for Australia handed me the cheque for £8 million sterling on 16th November, I thanked him warmly, and through him the Government and people of Australia for this further generous gift.I am glad to have this opportunity of repeating in this House the expression of our deep gratitude. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said in a message which he sent to the Prime Minister of Australia on learning of his Government's decision, it will be recognised by the people of this country not only as a substantial and welcome material form of assistance to them at a time when we are facing grave economic problems, but equally as significant evidence of the spirit in which Australia again shows herself ready to make her contribution to the solution of the difficulties which face the whole world, and to support measures taken to promote the recovery of Europe.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will appoint a committee to inquire into the recent speculative activities on the Stock Exchange which have the effect of lowering the value of Government securities, and to recommend means of maintaining Government securities at their true valuation and of keeping the long-term rate of interest at a reasonably low level.

No. This is a matter with which the Government can and will deal in the future as in the past.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether the strict interpretation of law, whereby it is an offence for a person in this country to accept from an American soldier a cigarette that has been imported duty-free into this country, will be modified by administrative action.

Our concern is with the prevention of trafficking in dutiable articles, which would not include such a trivial technical infraction of the law as the hon. Member mentions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he cannot provide the figures for profits made in recent years by the distilling industry as he has done for the brewing industry.

As I announced in the House on 29th March, it is proposed to publish the Inland Revenue profits statistics next year in broad trade groups. The publication will cover about 40 main groups and I cannot give information relating to individual trades within these groups. Figures for the brewers' profits have been published regularly since 1922 but similar information for other individual trades has always been refused and I am not prepared to depart from this practice.

asked the Minister of Works to state the details of what will be the new work authorised for Newport following the recent capital expenditure cuts.

I am unable to give this information.

asked the Minister of Works how far his statistics show that the old approximate rule about housing work, that one building trade operative built one house in one year, still holds; and what is the approximation today.

The rule that one building trade operative built one house in one year seems to have been no more than a convenient and approximated method of expressing output on housing work in general, without reference to the type of house. Man-hours required to erect houses and flats vary with the type of building and the size. A crude calculation indicates that the figure might be about thirteen or fourteen months for houses of the standard being built today, but the change in standard is such as not to permit of a comparison being drawn with the earlier figure.

asked the Minister of Works seeing that in the past the majority of building trade operatives were trained by the smaller builders, what alternative arrangements he is providing that will ensure sufficient building trade operatives now that the Government have largely stopped smaller builders and private building.

It is not the case that the Government have largely stopped the smaller builders or private building. Some reduction in the labour force may result from the curtailment of public as well as private building, but the balance of the programme will provide ample work suitable for the training of apprentices. I am in close touch with the Building Apprenticeship and Training Council which has the question of recruitment of operatives under continuous review.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will furnish a list giving, for each of the trade agreements currently in force with the countries of Eastern Europe, the total amount contemplated in each agreement and the total value, reckoned to the nearest convenient date of the deliveries made on the British side and conversely, on the part of the several countries concerned.

No, for the reasons which I give later. There are three trade agreements currently in force with Eastern European countries. They are the Agreement with Russia of December, 1947, and the agreements concluded during the present year with Poland and Czechoslovakia. The Agreement with Czechoslovakia is too recent for any question as to the volume of deliveries to be relevant at this stage.Comparison between deliveries from, and to, the United Kingdom will give a false picture. Whereas on the Eastern European side the deliveries to be made to the United Kingdom are closely defined, these countries prefer the mention of a few important commodities only on our side and to be free to use their sterling earnings within the wide area of choice open to them not only in the United Kingdom but in the rest of the sterling area. Accordingly estimates of their contemplated purchases from the sterling area are not available. A statement of deliveries effected from the whole sterling area could only be obtained after considerable research.The Agreement with Russia contemplated delivery of 750,000 tons of grain worth about £20 million and in the event 764,000 tons were delivered. The Agreement with Poland made provision for the supply of a wide range of foodstuffs and timber, among other goods, and deliveries in 1949 were estimated to reach about £18 million. Deliveries of many of these items are seasonal and it is too early yet to assess progress.For our part we delivered to Russia the 25,000 tons of steel rails provided for, and tenders were submitted for practically all the items of capital equipment specified in the Agreement. According to the latest information the Russians have elected to place orders for about £4 million worth of this equipment and in addition they have placed orders for about £17 million worth of equipment not specified in the Agreement. Moreover they made considerable purchases of raw materials from the rest of the sterling area. As regards the commodities specified on our part in the Agreement with Poland, available information indicates that Polish purchases of wool, rubber and tin and other commodities are being made at the annual rate envisaged in the Agreement. but offers of other goods, e.g., rubber conveyor belting and crude oil have not been fully taken up. I am not aware of any dissatisfaction on the Polish side with the general progress of orders for capital equipment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the prescribed 80 per cent. of the import cost of the precious and semi-precious stones imported during 1948 has now been recovered by way of re-export.

Yes. A check is kept on the performance of each exporter and in the event of a failure to achieve the export target the firm's licence would not normally be renewed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he is aware of the great demand for North Staffordshire manufactured pottery in the United States of America and Canada and that there is a desire to meet this demand; and what urgent action does he intend taking to facilitate the needs of the industry.(2) if he will take action to ensure a fair distribution of pottery export rejects; and if he will allow a limited number of firms to manufacture decorated pottery for the home market on condition that they promote equitable distribution throughout the country.

So far as concerns the urgent need to take action more fully to meet the demand for our domestic pottery from the dollar markets, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for the Forest of Dean (Mr. Philips Price) on 1st November last. Because the main factor holding back a quick expansion in this industry's dollar exports is still the extreme scarcity of decorating labour, I regret that we cannot agree to allow, as my hon. Friend suggests, a limited number of firms to employ this labour for the production of ware for sale at home. Indeed I would like to take this opportunity of making clear that in the prevailing circumstances it does not look as though it will be possible to relax the present restrictions on the sale of decorated ware in the shops at home for a long time to come.'Export rejects are normally distributed by manufacturers to their customers in proportion to each customer's total purchases.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much oilfield machinery has been exported during the last full year; how much of this has gone to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and how much has been offered to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Machinery intended primarily for use in oilfields is not separately distinguished in the United Kingdom Trade and Navigation Accounts, and information as to exports to any particular country is not, therefore, available. Production of this specialised equipment is at present insufficient to meet all the requirements of British oil companies who are still having to meet part of their needs from the United States. I should doubt, in these circumstances, whether any of this equipment can have been offered to Russia.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will institute negotiations for a separate allocation for the export of pressed felts to Sweden, in view of the fact that orders are lost owing to their not being classified as such in the trade agreements.

Talks on Anglo-Swedish trade in 1950 are at present proceeding. We have well in mind the advantages of securing, if possible, adequate provision for the import of pressed felts into Sweden.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that felt exports are excluded from Norway and other countries because of their omission from the trade agreements; and what action he proposes to have this difficulty removed.

It does not necessarily follow that because a particular item is not mentioned specifically in a trade agreement, imports are excluded; but our negotiators have well in mind the importance of securing where possible adequate provision for the goods mentioned in the hon. Member's question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the continued increased demand for pottery throughout the world and the confidence that it will last for many years, if he will now refuse his official support to applications for licences for further extensions of old pottery factory buildings and give his support in future to licences for the erection of new buildings on the industrial sites provided by the City of Stoke-on-Trent or on other mutually acceptable sites in the North Staffordshire area.

No. Each application for a building licence must be considered on its merits. We must make the best and most economical use of all the resources available to us; and it is often no less important to facilitate extensions and improvements to existing potteries than to erect entirely new ones. I would add, however, that, of four applications received since the end of the war for pottery buildings on entirely new sites, three have been granted; the fourth was withdrawn by the applicants.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why it is open to consumers of veneers to purchase from France without restriction but not to purchase stocks lying in British warehouses without a consumer's licence.

The Control of Timber No. 52 Order, which took effect yesterday, puts an end to the control over the consumption of veneers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in what capacity Miss W. M. Breed, of 93, Lennard Road, Beckenham, Kent, is employed by his Department.

As a distribution officer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what considerations led him to decontrol utility moquette for the furniture industry; and if he is satisfied that the supply position warrants this action.

With the removal of controls on the wool industry on 31st October, it became necessary to review the allocation of moquette, which was dependent on them. Supplies of cover- ing materials generally for utility furniture are not scarce and although wool moquette is certainly the most popular material and the demand for it considerably exceeds the supply, there is no justification for creating a new form of control, which would require additional staff, for the allocation of this material alone.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is proposed to introduce regulations amending the existing Hire Purchase Order.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a new order shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to make a statement about the new Trade Agreement with Japan; and how it is proposed to make up the difference in the payments during last year's trade agreement due to our purchasing more from Japan than they purchased from us.

The new sterling area Trade Agreement with Japan was signed today. It is expected that Japan will spend a total of £55 million in the sterling area countries concerned in the arrangement while the latter will spend £45,500,000 in Japan. No figures have been set against individual items, but the agreement lists the principal commodities to be bought on either side. The most important supplies to Japan will be wool, rubber and oil. The largest single import from Japan will be cotton grey cloth, mainly for the Colonies. Under the plan the deficit on last year's Trade Agreement will be made up by the sterling area taking £9,500,000 worth of goods less than it is due to supply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the refusal of the Building Industry Distributors' Association to admit either the Aberdare or Rugby Co-operative Societies to membership despite the fact that they are properly engaged in the trade of builders' merchants; and if reference already made to the Monopolies Commission in connection with rainwater goods, soil goods and builders' castings can be extended to cover restrictive practices adopted by the Building Industry Distributors' Association.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, Yes. As regards the second part, the reference in question already requires the Monopolies Commission to investigate any restrictive practices, which may be operated by the Building Industry Distributors or any other body, in respect of the supply of the goods referred.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the waste of glass bottles and jars of all types at the present time; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this matter, and thereby prevent the diversion of labour into unnecessary channels.

There are already efficient recovery and reconditioning arrangements for milk and beer bottles and other glass containers which lend themselves to regular collection in uncon-taminated condition. Similar arrangements cannot readily be made for other types of container, and I am not prepared to attempt to press packers to use recovered containers in the place of new ones whose cleanliness and sterility must normally be more reliable. I understand that, in general, the labour needed to collect, sort, cleanse and, where necessary, sterilize used bottles and jars would be as great as that needed to make new ones.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what limit has been fixed to the losses which the Raw Cotton Commission may make by guaranteeing the master cotton spinners against day-to-day fluctuations in the price of raw cotton; and if this guarantee applies only to export yarns.

The guarantee applies only to export yarns so that the cost to the Commission will be governed in the first place by the quantity of yarn offered for export, and in the second place by the extent of the upward day-to-day fluctuation which may occur in the Commission's prices. I understand from the Commission that no specific limit has been fixed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give an assurance that the pamphlet of instructions now being issued to taxi drivers free by the Metropolitan Police is amended to date, and that all rules arising out of the conditions of horse-cab days have been removed from it.

I presume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the abstract of the laws relating to London cab drivers. This handbook has been revised up to this year and no longer contains provisions relating solely to horse-drawn cabs.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many civil servants were receiving car maintenance allowances and mileage allowances at the latest date for which figures are available.

The information is being collected and, with permission, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.