asked the Minister of Supply whether he will publish figures showing the amount of sickness in Royal Ordnance factories during years preceding and following the introduction of full pay for employees absent owing to sickness.

asked the Minister of Supply why it is proposed to import 51 American excavators of 2½ cubic yards capacity at a cost of nearly £2 million for opencast work due to complete in 1952 when similar machinery could be obtained from Germany for only £1 million.

I am discussing the question of importing excavators for opencast work with my colleagues concerned and no decision has yet been taken. If it should prove necessary to import the machines, the possibility of obtaining some of them from Germany will be taken into account.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the shortage in Scottish housing schemes of cast-iron piping, and particularly of pipe bends; and what steps he is taking to increase production.

Yes. There is a genera] shortage of cast-iron pipes and fittings. Annual production has increased since 1947 by about 100,000 tons and it

The following table shows the percentage of working days lost by industrial employees in the Royal Ordnance Factories on account of sickness absence covered by medical certificate in the years preceding and following the introduction of the Industrial Paid Sick Leave Scheme in September, 1948. The Scheme provides for the issue of full ordinary time-rate pay less the amount of any National Insurance benefit.is hoped that there will be a further increase of over 30,000 tons in 1950.

asked the Minister of Supply what has been the production of foundry pig-iron for the 12 months ending on the nearest convenient date this year; what was the production in the preceding 12 months; and what is the outlook for the next 12 months.

One million five hundred and thirty-two thousand one hundred and forty-seven tons of foundry pig-iron were produced in the United Kingdom during the 12 months ended October, 1949. For the similar period ended October, 1948, the production was 1,387,080 tons. A further increase to 1,550,000 tons is expected during the 12 months ending October, 1950.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many excavators have been purchased in the United States of America during the past three years; and whether any machinery so purchased has not yet been imported into this country.

Between 1st January, 1947, and 31st October, 1949, imports into the United Kingdom from the United States of excavators and similar digging machinery, including levelling machinery, amounted to £10,200,000. There is no information available as to the number of excavators purchased and not yet imported.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Export Credits Guarantee Department is refusing cover for personal trips by business men to the United States of America; and if he will give an assurance that due care is taken to see that such refusals do not mean the curtailment of the dollar drive.

The Export Credits Guarantee Department's facilities in support of the dollar drive insure exporters against loss in respect of well-planned business propositions designed to increase trade with the dollar markets. These propositions involve exporters in financial outlay on specific projects in the hope of future financial return and can consequently be placed on an insurable basis, and an appropriate premium can be charged. Such a basis does not exist in the case of exploratory business trips, which are a normal part -of the ordinary operations of United Kingdom exporters to all countries and the Department does not, therefore, offer specific guarantees to cover the expenditure involved. I do not consider that the absence of guarantees in respect of exploratory trips to the dollar markets in particular will in any way be detrimental to the dollar drive.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now state the date on which it is proposed to remove the maximum price control on fish.

I cannot say at the moment, but I hope to be able to make an announcement at an early date.

asked the Minister of Food the number of plants in Great Britain now in operation for the deep or quick freezing of fruit and vegetables; the number of plants under construction; and if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the names and location of the said plants.

There are 52 privately owned plants for deep or quick freezing fruit and vegetables operating, and one plant under construction. I am arranging for a list showing the names and location of these plants to be sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Food when he anticipates starting negotiations with Iceland and Norway in respect of the fish import arrangements for the coming year.

Trade negotiations with Norway will begin at the end of January, 1950. No date has yet been arranged for the negotiations with Iceland.

asked the Minister of Food the volume and value of frozen fruit and vegetables imported in the 10 months ended 31st October, 1949.

Imports of frozen vegetables in the 10 months January to October, 1949, amounted to 1,365 tons, valued at £191,760 c.i.f. I regret that figures of total imports of frozen fruit are not available from the Official Returns.

asked the Minister of Food in what proportion of cases is the national flour supplied for national bread bleached by the gas known as agene; whether he is aware of the danger of poisonous effects arising from this gas and that its use has now been forbidden in the United States of America; and if he will take similar action in the provision of our national bread.

In the year 1948, 95.5 per cent. of national flour was treated with agene. As to the second and third parts of the Question, I hope to be able to make a statement soon on the findings of the Scientific Committee under the chairmanship of Sir Wilson Jameson which has, as the hon. Member knows, been reviewing the whole question of this and other flour improvers. But I should point out that even in the United States, under the most rigorous tests, agenised flour has not been found to have any harmful effect upon human beings.

asked the Minister of Food what further cuts in coffee allocations to the trade are to be expected.

None, I hope.

asked the Minister of Food what plans his Department has for selling East African coffee in dollar markets; and what part of any resultant profits will accrue to the coffee producers.

The sale of part of the Ministry's stocks of East African coffees in dollar markets is proceeding satisfactorily. The question of diverting future supplies to dollar markets and the disposal of any profits that may be realised on present and future sales is being discussed with the producers' organisations.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will now sanction a small sugar allowance to shop and office workers who already get a milk and tea allowance for their duty tours.

No. The additional sugar needed would cost us dollars, which we cannot afford.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that stocks of China tea in this country are deteriorating; and what steps he is taking to prevent this.

I am not aware of any deterioration in stocks of China tea.

asked the Minister of Food what were the qualifications and previous employment of all the persons employed in his Covent Garden office; and whether Mr. Lewis is still so employed.

Before joining the Ministry of Food in November, 1942, the Senior Area Officer in this office was employed for six years as a departmental manager of a firm of fruit and vegetable wholesale merchants. The Assistant Area Officer who joined the Ministry in October, 1945, has had many years experience in the fruit trade in Australia and in this country. The four remaining members of the office are clerical and typing staff. There is no Mr. Lewis employed in the Covent Garden office.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many pits have been closed down in Great Britain since nationalisation in each region.

The number of coal mines in each Division closed and not re-opened between 1st January, 1947, and 12th November, 1949, are as follow:

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to prevent the publishing in the public Press of interviews with the relatives of condemned persons, whereby their guilt is conveyed to the public in spite of the fact that an appeal in the case is still pending.

No. Under the existing law the courts already have sufficient power to grant a writ of attachment for contempt of court if a publication is calculated to prejudice the administration of justice.

asked the Minister of Works how far, when determining the amount of a discretionary rehabilitation allowance and assessing the time normally required for carrying out the work of repair, he makes an allowance either for time required to secure licences and permits or for unavoidable delay in securing necessary labour and materials.

I have been asked to reply. No such allowance of time is made. The rehabilitation allowance is based upon the period within which the repairs would probably be carried out under normal conditions, subject to a maximum of two years in the case of agricultural land and six months in the case of developed property.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how much land he has taken over from the Forestry Commission, the Service Departments, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Supply, respectively, since July, 1945.

Under the Forestry Act, 1945, all land in England and Wales formerly vested in the Forestry Commissioners became vested in me and land subsequently acquired under that Act is also vested in me. The greater part of these lands has been placed at the disposal of the Forestry Commissioners, but about 30,000 acres have been retained for agricultural use and are under the control of the Agricultural Land Commisison.No properties have yet been transferred to me by orders under Section 88 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, from the other Departments, but in anticipation of orders I have taken over from the Air Ministry the management of thirty-four redundant airfields comprising about 14,000 acres. I am in addition still managing about 90,000 acres of requisitioned land on behalf of the Service Departments.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how much land he has taken over to date under subsections (1) and (2) of Section 85 of the Agriculture Act, 1947.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has yet been able to reach a decision regarding a remission of the remainder of the sentence imposed by a court martial in the case of the soldier, full particulars regarding whom have been given to his Department by the hon. Member for Newcastle, Central, especially having regard to the fact that the soldier spent about a year in prison in the Middle East before being handed over to the British Army authorities and has now served a considerable part of the court martial sentence subsequently passed upon him by the Army authorities.

My hon. Friend will by now have received a letter from me concerning this case.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is now the permissible maximum edible fat ration, per person per week, in the British zone of Germany.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer 1 gave him on 2nd November.

asked the Minister of Transport how many persons in the London traffic area for the 12 months ended 31st December, 1948, were killed, and how many injured, while boarding or alighting from stationary tramcars at tram stops; and in how many of these cases were proceedings subsequently taken against the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.

In 1948, 76 persons were injured by motor vehicles while boarding or alighting from stationary tramcars at tram stops in the London Traffic Area. In addition two persons were killed and 123 injured by falling while boarding or alighting from tramcars whether stationary or moving. I regret that the number of prosecutions taken against the drivers of the motor vehicles involved is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is now in a position to make a statement in regard to the restoration of road traffic between Denchworth and Grove across the Grove Airfield; and why the terms of his letter of 15th July last to the Berkshire County Council have not been implemented.

A scheme has been devised in consultation with the County Surveyor to restore road communications between Denchworth and Grove by making use of airfield runways and perimeter tracks. It has not been practicable to proceed with this scheme because there was some prospect that the airfield would again be required for flying. I understand that this is now not so, and I will see what can be done, having regard to present economic conditions, to make a start with the road works. Pedestrians and most vehicles now enjoy permissive use of a route across the airfield.