asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has accepted the resolution of the Executive Council of the Sudan that Arabic should be the official language; and what steps are being taken to further the teaching of Arabic in the Southern Provinces.

On 27th October the Sudan Legislative Assembly passed a resolution recommending that "Arabic should eventually become the only official language of the country, and that the necessary steps to make this possible be speeded up as far as possible without prejudice to efficiency and economy." The Executive Council of the Sudan has taken note of this resolution but has not yet reached any decision regarding it.The Executive Council has recently decided that Arabic should ultimately become the language of instruction up to and including intermediary schools in the Southern Provinces of the Sudan, and the Legislative Assembly has endorsed this policy. The speed with which this policy can be implemented will naturally be governed by the supply of qualified teachers of Arabic.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what changes have been made in the ownership and administration of the Gezira Scheme.

No changes have yet been made. The Sudan Plantations Syndicate's concession terminates on 30th June, 1950, and thereafter the Gezira Scheme will be owned and operated solely by the Sudan Government. The form which the administration of the scheme will take after this date is at present under consideration by the Sudan Government, whose principal object is to take over the scheme with as little disturbance as possible to its efficiency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the reason for the delay in completing the negotiations with the United States Government for the establishment of guided-missile checking stations in the Bahamas; and when it is expected these discussions will be ended.

There has been no delay. The negotiations are progressing normally. I cannot say when they will be completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has now received a report of the Governor of British Guiana on the petition to the Legislative Council on behalf of workers formerly employed at the United States air and naval bases in the Colony, praying that steps shall be taken to negotiate with the United States Government for the payment to them of appropriate compensation in accordance with the recent ruling of the United States Supreme Court; and what action it is proposed to take in this matter.

I have not received any such report. I do not propose to take any action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is yet in a position to make a further statement on the petition from Penang for secession from the Federation of Malaya.

No.

asked the Secretary of-State for the Colonies if he will make a further statement on the attack on the Governor of Sarawak and intimate to what extent this occurrence represents any widespread political dissatisfaction.

It is with very deep regret that I have to inform the House of the death on 10th December in Singapore of Mr. Duncan George Stewart, Governor of Sarawak, as a result of the attack made on him at Sibu on 3rd December. Hon. Members will join me in expressing the deepest sympathy for Mrs. Stewart and her children.The House will wish to know that following the incident vigorous measures in connection with this crime were taken by the Officer Administering the Government, Mr. C. W. Dawson. Two Malay youths, both members of the Pergerakan Pemuda Malayu have been arrested and charged with murder and 12 other members of the Association have been arrested on suspicion of complicity.The Association which was located in Sibu and the surrounding area and represented the younger and more advanced elements of the Anti-Cession movement has also been declared illegal. Warrants have been executed for the search of the premises of all Malay Anti-Cession Associations and of the houses of their principal officers. The Acting Governor reports that the action taken has had a reassuring effect and has been welcomed by the public.This outrage was not the result of any widespread political dissatisfaction, but seems to have been a crime perpetrated by a few violent and misguided persons led astray by Anti-Cession propaganda. Declarations expressing horror at the outrage and loyalty to His Majesty have been received from all sections of all communities throughout Sarawak, and letters have been received from the Secretaries of four Anti-Cession Organisations in Kuching expressing disgust at the attack and sympathy for the victim. Apart from the isolated tragic outrage at Sibu there have been no incidents of any sort and the country is as quiet as it was before the attack took place.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is satisfied with the present pay and conditions of service of the Royal Naval and Royal Marine recruiting service; and whether he has such conditions under review.

As I informed the House in reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Chelsea (Commander Noble) on 13th July last, this matter is under consideration. I regret that I am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why ships' personnel who were taken prisoner, as a result of the sinking of H.M. Submarine "Undine," were deemed to be ineligible for the Atlantic Star and for prize money, in view of the precedent already established that a prisoner of war period of captivity counts for qualifying period for a medal.

Under the terms governing the award of Campaign Stars and Medals, which are the same for all three Services, prisoners of war are covered by the rule that six months' operational service qualifying for the 1939–45 Star must have been completed and service qualifying for one of the other Stars begun before capture, in order to allow time spent in captivity to count towards that Star.When His Majesty's Submarine "Undine" was sunk on 6th January, 1940, none of the ship's company, all of whom were taken prisoner, had completed the six months' service afloat which would have qualified them for the 1939–45 Star. The time spent as prisoners of war could, not, therefore, count towards the qualifying period for the Atlantic Star although it did count towards the 1939–45 Star.Under the Regulations in the Royal Proclamation of 4th March, 1949, time spent as a prisoner of war is not qualifying service for the purpose of entitlement to prize money.

asked the Minister of Defence how soon legislation is to be introduced in relation to the reform of courts-martial procedure.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for King's Norton (Mr. Blackburn) on Wednesday, 30th November.

asked the Minister of Defence for what reasons the welfare services hitherto rendered to the personnel of all three Services and to their parents and families by the commissioned welfare officers of the Army, who acted without pay or allowances, were discontinued and the officers disbanded; and what steps in substitution he proposes to meet the welfare requirements of serving men.

The Army Welfare Organisation was formed to deal with the exceptional problems of welfare during the wartime period. It was mainly an Army Service though it was also used to some extent by the Navy and Royal Air Force. The officers concerned were voluntary workers, but were entitled to claim travelling and other expenses.The welfare of Service men and women and their families has always been primarily the responsibility of their officers and N.C.O.'s, supplemented by the work of the standing voluntary organisations such as the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association. After a review of present requirements and for reasons of economy it has been decided to restore this position and accordingly to discontinue the special wartime arrangements.I should like to pay tribute to the excellent and conscientious work carried out by the voluntary workers in the Army Welfare Organisation on behalf of all three Services and to the relief they brought to the urgent needs and anxieties of the men and women in the Forces during the wartime period.

asked the Minister of Food what is the total cost of advertising Food Facts No. 495 entitled "Christmas Extras and Ration Increases."

The cost of space for this advertisement was approximately £5,400.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the fact that many old age pensioners do not take advantage of the tobacco voucher scheme, he will, in the case of those who do not apply for such vouchers, grant them a small extra sweet ration.

No.

asked the Minister of Food what steps he has taken as a result of an appeal by the National Union of Small Shopkeepers concerning the shortage of rusks for babies; and what is the reason for this shortage.

We have had no general complaint of any shortage of rusks, except in the case of one manufacturer's products. As our advice is that rusks are not essential for the feeding of babies, we cannot give them any special priority in the allocation of scarce ingredients, like sugar. The National Union of Small Shopkeepers has been so informed.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the numbers of civic restaurants in operation in England immediately after the passage of the Civic Restaurant Act; the number in operation each subsequent year; and the number in operation at the latest known date.

Nine hundred and ninety-two Civic Restaurants were in operation in England on 29th March, 1947, 728 on 3rd January, 1948, 646 on 26th March, 1949, and 587 which is the latest available figure, on 15th September, 1949.

asked the Minister of Food to what factors he attributes the slackening in demand for herring in the home market during 1949.

It is difficult to be precise on this matter, but contributory causes were probably the increased landings of white fish during the summer and the greater variety of other foods available, the unusually warm summer; the more than usual irregularity of the catches; and the poor quality of some of the herring at the opening of both the Scottish and East Anglian seasons.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that recently, in six days, from 18th to 24th November, 1,095,580 stone of fish were landed in Hull and 463,490 were left unsold, the unsold portion being sent to fishmeal factories; and if he will make arrangements that, in future, any unsold wholesome fish shall be transferred to the consuming public at not less than the fishmeal factory price.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, Yes. I am afraid it would be impracticable to set up an organisation such as would be needed to ensure that fish surpluses, which may be only local and temporary, and are perishable and unpredictable, should be distributed only to the consuming public on the lines suggested.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make an immediate issue of dried eggs on points for seasonal baking in the home, in order to meet the public demand.

I regret that this is not possible as dried eggs of suitable quality in packets for domestic consumers are available only from dollar areas.

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of public disquiet, he will issue an up-to-date statement on his present policy of storing meat in refrigerator ships, and give an estimate of the cost of so doing and an indication of the deterioration to the meat which is likely to result.

Home-produced meat reaches its maximum supply in the autumn and is scarce in the first six months of the year. It is necessary, therefore, to plan to build up the stock of imported meat in the cold stores towards the end of the year. The temporary use of additional storage in refrigerated ships became necessary this year because supplies of meat have been heavier tha'n was expected. Storage conditions in the ships are satisfactory and no deterioration of the meat is likely. The average cost is 70s. per ton per month.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that parcels posted in the Knuts-ford area take two days to reach London, and sometimes never arrive at all; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the service.

My right hon. Friend is not aware of delay to parcels for London posted in the Knutsford area, or that parcels from Knutsford have failed to reach their destination. If the hon. and gallant Member will let him have details of the delay and losses referred to, he will have inquiry made.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that telegrams sent from the House of Commons to a telephone address at 11.15 a.m. in the Chelsford relief area do not reach their destination until 8.50 a.m. next morning; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the service.

My right hon. Friend is sorry that the hon. Member should have cause to make this complaint about the telegraph service. His inquiries have failed to identify any recent telegrams bearing the times stated, but a telegram has been traced which was handed in at the House of Commons at 11.05 p.m. on 27th October, 1949, for an addressee at telephone number Chelford 51. This telegram was duly received at Manchester at 11.26 p.m. and an unsuccessful attempt was made to deliver the telegram that night by telephone to the new number—it had recently been changed to Chelford Relief 251. In view of the late hour, the telegram was held over and delivered by telephone early the next morning. My right hon. Friend much regrets any inconvenience arising from this unavoidable delay.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the considerable delay in delivering letters to Bramhall residents, and that as a result their mail does not reach them until the afternoons; and whether in any event, he will make full inquiries into the whole position to see if it can be improved.

My right hon. Friend very much regrets that the first delivery of letters at Bramhall has at times been seriously delayed because of difficulties in providing substitutes for postmen who have failed, without notice, to attend for duty through sickness and other causes. All practicable steps are being taken to improve matters.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has now concluded his consideration of the rules which he intends to apply to the recognition of staff associations; and what is the present position of associations which have applied for recognition and have satisfied him that they include in their membership 40 per cent. of the organised workers in a grade.

No; this matter is still under consideration. The second part of the hon. Member's Question refers, I presume, to the Engineering Officers (Telecommunication) Association. Their claim to recognition will be further considered by my right hon. Friend in the light of all the relevant factors, including the extent of their membership. On this latter point, as my right hon. Friend has previously indicated, a check is to be made of the figures for 31st December, 1949.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give, separately, the figures for the number of wireless licences now current in Wales, including Monmouthshire, Scotland and England.

On 31st October, 1949, the approximate number of broadcast receiving licences current in Wales and Monmouthshire was 590,000, in Scotland 1,120,000, and in England (excluding Monmouthshire) 10,220,000.

asked the Postmaster-General the gross annual income derived from wireless licence holders in Wales and Monmouthshire.

On the basis of the number of licences in force at 31st October, 1949, in Wales and Monmouthshire, the current gross licence revenue is approximately £585,000 a year.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the acute shortage of telephone exchange equipment in most parts of Huntingdonshire; and what steps he is taking to overcome the shortage and enable the considerable number of premises requiring telephones to have them.

Yes. My right hon. Friend regrets that in Huntingdonshire, as elsewhere, it is not possible to meet all demands for telephone service. This is largely due to restriction of supplies of telephone plant for home* use, in order to permit of maximum exports. There are about 400 waiting applicants in the county at present, and I hope that some additional equipment will be available during the next few months to ease the position.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent the duties of the Television Advisory Committee include advising him on the plans for television development in the near and distant future.

The Television Advisory Committee advises my right hon. Friend to the fullest extent on all development problems of the B.B.C.'s television service requiring current consideration, including of course the further extension of the service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now give the precise dates of the opening of the television stations referred to in the official programme for television extension.

My right hon. Friend regrets he is not yet able to give precise dates for the opening of all the television stations referred to. The Sutton Cold-field Station opens on 17th December and it is hoped to open Holme Moss about the middle of 1951.

asked the Postmaster-General where the proposed low-power television station in Northern Ireland will be situated; and what will be its effective range.

My right hon. Friend regrets he is unable to say at present—the site has not yet been chosen.

asked the Postmaster-Gentral when normal television reception will be available in the area containing Skegness, Wragby and Woodhall Spa.

The B.B.C. hopes to provide fairly reliable television reception in Wragby and Woodhall Spa when the Holme Moss Television Station opens in the middle of 1951. It is too early to say when a satisfactory service will be available in Skegness.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will estimate with what clarity television programmes will be received in the Macclesfield and Congleton areas when regular television programmes are broadcast from the new transmitter at Sutton Coldfield.

The B.B.C. estimates that the Sutton Coldfield transmitting station will provide a reliable television signal of medium strength in the Macclesfield and Congleton area.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is satisfied that the jet aircraft, with which Royal Air Force auxiliary squadrons have been re-equipped, are of the latest type, and comparable with those used by the regular squadrons.

The auxiliary squadrons are being re-equipped with the same types of jet aircraft as the Regular squadrons, namely Meteors and Vampires. While the newest marks of these aircraft are going to the Regular squadrons the marks issued to the auxiliary squadrons are high performance aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many of the candidates for the Royal Air Force Cadet College, Cranwell, who were recently selected to fill the 44 vacancies passed the written examination.

Eleven. The other 33 already had qualifications which exempted them from the written examination.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why in view of the fact that the Treasury authorised some years ago the payment of extra responsibility allowances in lieu of promotion, such extra allowances have only been paid to the lowest grade in the Meteorological Office; and why experimental officers, who have been doing senior experimental officers' jobs, have not received the extra responsibility allowance.

These allowances have been payable where the Department is satisfied that the occupant of a post in a higher grade is performing the full duties of that post, although he has not enough experience for general promotion. In the Meteorological Office these conditions have been regarded as satisfied only in a certain number of cases where scientific assistants have been filling senior scientific assistant posts. Payments of such allowances have been made in agreement with the appropriate staff representatives under normal Whitley Council arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what was the date when the Treasury authorised the full payment of the rate for the job when an officer carried out the full duties of a higher grade post; and why he is not applying this principle in the Meteorological Office.

The authority was given on 23rd August, 1949. The method of applying this authority within the Meteorological Office is a proper subject for Whitley Council machinery and is at present under discussion with the appropriate staff representatives.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if in view of the loss on the Wings Pageant in the summer of 1947, when the expenditure included £20,057 for the hire of motor transport, he will cease ventures of this nature.

There have been no such pageants since 1947 and none is contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that, by the transfer of the families from the married quarters at Steamer Point to Aden, the wives in this country of airmen who have been on the waiting list of the latter place for a considerable period have been prevented from joining their husbands; that this delay in providing accommodation is creating a feeling of frustration; and if he will take immediate steps to deal with this problem.

Married quarters in Aden are now allocated from a central waiting list instead of from lists previously maintained separately for Steamer Point and Khormaksar. The introduction of this combined list has increased the delay in providing quarters for the families of airmen serving at Khormaksar, but it has reduced the waiting period for the families of other airmen and it ensures that all airmen in Aden come under the points scheme regardless of the fortune of posting.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what is the present number of married quarters available at home and overseas to the Royal Air Force; how this compares with the number available at the outbreak of war; and whether the proportion of married quarters to the strength of Regular officers and airmen is higher or lower now than it was at the outbreak of war.

There are approximately 13,200 married quarters as compared with 7,200 in September, 1939. The number of Regular officers and airmen then and now is about the same. The proportion of married quarters to strength is therefore considerably higher now than it was in September, 1939. The number of married quarters in 1939 was inadequate, because of the rapid expansion of the Royal Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what was the nature of the official discussions which he had with Mr. Stuart, Assistant Secretary of the United States Air Force, during his recent visit.

I had no discussion with Mr. Stuart during his visit to this country, which was for the purpose of visiting reserve and auxiliary units.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many unestablished civil servants remain to be established in his Department; and whether he has now agreed with the Staff Side of the Departmental Whitley Council as to the method by which these should be selected.

245 vacancies for establishment of temporary clerks in the Air Ministry remain to be filled under the current establishment scheme and agreement has been reached with the Staff Side of the Departmental Whitley Council as to the method by which candidates should be selected.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what steps he is taking to improve conditions for officers and men serving in the Middle East especially in the Suez Canal area; and if be will make a statement,

The great majority in the Suez Canal Zone are living in fully hutted camps or in pre-war barracks and less than one-fifth are in camps with tented sleeping quarters. We are improving existing living conditions and further improvements are being planned. There are already 476 married quarters in this zone and a further 38 will shortly be available. A certain number of flats will also soon be available in the town of Ismailia and it is hoped in other places in the Canal Zone as well. Improvements in accommodation are also being made and planned at other places in the Middle East.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what is the total cost of research on civil aviation problems estimated for the current financial year.

Research is carried on in the Ministry of Civil Aviation into air traffic control and aerodrome utilisation problems. The cost of staff engaged in this research in the current financial year is about £14,000.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what were the details of the expenses incurred in the inquiry into the Prestwick air disaster.

Details of the expenses incurred so far are:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what is the policy of His Majesty's Government with regard to the future operation by British Overseas Airways Corporation of flying-boats.

Three Princess Flying Boats are on order for British Overseas Airways Corporation. These will not come into use before 1953. In the meantime, British Overseas Airways Corporation plan to replace the Solents which are in service on the African routes by the more economical, speedier and pressurised Hermes aircraft.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation at what places in the Commonwealth His Majesty's Government maintains or enjoys facilities for the handling and operation of British flying-boats.

Following is the list:

Facilities for the handling and operation of civil flying-boats exist at the following places in the Commonwealth:

• Australia—Bowen, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Karumba, Port Adelaide, Rathmines, Sydney, Townsville.
• Canada—Gander, Halifax, North Bay, Ottawa, Patricia Bay, Vancouver.
• Fiji—Lauthala Bay.
• New Zealand—Auckland, Wellington.
• South Africa—Vaaldam.
• Southern Rhodesia—Victoria Falls.
• North Borneo—Labuan, Sandakan.
• Singapore—Kallang.
• Uganda—Kampala.
• Kenya—Kisumu, Lake Naivasha, Mombasa.
• Nyasaland—Cape Maclear.
• Bermuda—Darrell's Island.
• United Kingdom—Southampton.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the growing anxiety caused to Catholics by the financial demands of the present Education Act; and, in view of the fact that the Government cannot carry out its short-term policy in regard to finance, whether he is prepared to have an early conference with Members of Parliament so that they may have his considered views on long-term policy to enable Catholics to meet their financial obligations imposed by the Act.

My right hon. Friend has received representations to this effect from the Roman Catholic Hierarchy as well as from a number of Roman Catholic associations and individuals. He does not follow his hon. Friend's reference to the Government's short-term policy in regard to finance. The Education Act, 1944, is essentially a long-term measure and the reforms for which it provides are bound to be spread over a number of years. The latter is one of the factors which have led him to the conclusion that the Hierarchy are taking an unduly pessimistic view of their financial position under the Act.My right hon. Friend is always glad to meet hon. Members but he can hold out no hope at all that the Government will be prepared to introduce legislation which would fundamentally alter the basis of the Act of 1944 in so far as it relates to voluntary schools.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the serious dissatisfaction amongst teachers caused by the refusal of the Burnham Committee to raise their salaries; and if he will take measures to meet this position.

The Teachers' Panel made their position quite clear in the statement issued after the meeting of the Burnham Committee to which the hon. Member refers. The answer to the second part of the Question is, No.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of contracts for furnished lettings have been reported to each of the tribunals under the provisions of the Furnished Houses (Rent Control) Act, 1946; in what number of these cases at each tribunal the rent payable by the tenants has been reduced; and by what approximate percentages.

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a statement showing the position on 30th September, 1949.

asked the Minister of Health why a material known as "Fibrecored Steel," a substitute for bricks and timber, has been rejected by his Department in connection with the building programme.

Proposals for the use of this material have never been accepted as technically sound, as has been explained in the letter to the right hon. Member on 8th July, 1949.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Sanderson-Wells Prize Fund, Weymouth and District Hospital, was specifically an educational gift to the nurses, and not to the hospital, which had no function other than to ensure that the prizes were properly awarded; and under what authority he has diverted this educational gift to purposes not designed by the donor.

I am advised that the Sanderson-Wells Fund was immediately before 5th July, 1948 (i.e., the appointed day under the National Health Service Act, 1946), held by trustees for the purpose of providing prizes for nurses at the Weymouth and District Hospital, whether by way of further instruction or not, that this is a hospital purpose within the meaning of the Act, and that accordingly the Fund was properly transferred for inclusion in the Hospital Endowments Fund under the provisions of Section 7 of the Act.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make retrospective the arrangements by which urgent cases who were prescribed spectacles after the middle of April may obtain them quickly.

These arrangements have been made by the optical trade but I understand that in individual cases of special urgency they can be applied retrospectively. It is for the optician to apply for priority in any particular case.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether a person employed as managing director under a minute of the board of directors or under a service agreement is regarded as self-employed, or otherwise, under his regulations.

The question whether, in any particular case, a managing director of a company is an employed or self-employed person for the purposes of the National Insurance Act can only be determined by reference to the conditions under which he works for the company, including the terms of his appointment by the board and any written agreement between the director and the company. It is not possible to give a general ruling.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is prepared to reconsider his refusal of an increased petrol allowance to Mr. V. J. Chapman, of Down Row, Debenham, Suffolk, in view of the fact that Mr. Chapman put his savings into his garage, but now finds he is unable to make a living owing to the fact that he has not sufficient petrol to fulfil all his orders.

I am satisfied that an additional hire car is not at present required to meet public needs at Deben-ham, and in the circumstances I regret that I cannot authorise the grant of an additional petrol allowance to Mr. Chapman for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the total expenditure on his Department's road safety campaign since its inception in 1946; and to what extent he estimates that road accidents have been reduced as a result of the campaign.

The payments made from the Road Fund since the inception of the road safety propaganda campaign in November, 1945, are shown below. It is impracticable to segregate the effect of propaganda from that of other factors which tend to reduce road accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will reconsider his decision and allow a local operator the facilities to run a coach of fair capacity in Framlingham, Suffolk, to satisfy the needs of the' local residents to attend local functions such as football matches.

As there are already 12 operators with vehicles based reasonably near Framlingham, I regret that, with the pressing need to limit dollar expenditure, fuel for additional facilities cannot be authorised.

asked the Minister of Labour how many successful prosecutions, within a convenient recent period, have been launched by the Board of Inland Revenue on anonymous letters; and how many on letters where the informant disclosed his identity.

I have been asked to reply. Since the beginning of 1948 the Board of Inland Revenue have launched one successful prosecution as the result of information furnished anonymously, and seven as the result of information furnished by people who gave their names.