asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement concerning the proposed new hospital in the Cardiff area.

Discussions are now taking place between the board of governors of the United Cardiff Hospitals, the University, and the City Council, about a site for a new teaching hospital and medical school, to replace the present inadequate premises of the Cardiff Royal Infirmary.

asked the Minister of Health what decision he has made on the question whether insured persons shall be entitled to receive alternative forms of treatment such as osteopathy, naturopathy and herbalism.

In accordance with the decision of Parliament, medical services under the National Health Service Acts are provided only by registered medical practitioners.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to deal with the situation described in the Survey of Sickness Prevalence published in the Monthly Bulletin of the Ministry of Health, which has revealed that the health of the people, especially those of working age, was poorer in the first six months of 1949 than a year previously.

The situation was mainly due to the influenza epidemic in 1949.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to care for Henry Ellis Holmes, 49, Highgate, Beverley, who is suffering from progressive muscular atrophy and has become unfit to be cared for at home.

I am informed that Mr. Holmes was admitted yesterday to the East Riding General Hospital, Driffield.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the great shortage of resident medical officers in Midland hospitals; and what immediate steps he intends to take to remedy this shortage.

I am making inquiries and will inform the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses erected in Cardiff during 1949; and the allocation granted by his Department to the Cardiff housing authority.

Statistics of completion are given in the Housing Returns. The initial allocation for 1950 is 1,000.

asked the Minister of Health when he intends to introduce legislation to revise the Rent Restriction Acts.

I can hold out no prospect of early legislation on this subject.

asked the Minister of Health whether he proposes to undertake a review of contributions as contemplated in Section 16 of the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1946.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average cost per superficial foot of the construction of houses to the order of local authorities calculated at the most recent convenient date.

I would suggest that the hon. Member should await the second report of the Girdwood Committee on House Building Costs, which will be published in the near future.

asked the Minister of Health why, when there are 700 families on the waiting list of the Calne and Chippenham rural district, he has cut the 1950 housing programme to eight council houses and two private enterprise houses.

The allocation takes account of the building capacity of the district and the large amount of work still outstanding from previous allocations. Forty-seven houses are under construction and another 71 are in approved tenders but not yet started.

asked the Prime Minister if he will consider the desirability of reverting to the former practice under which Ministers when speaking in the country refrained from giving a summary of statistical returns before those returns had been presented to Parliament.

So far as papers presented to Parliament generally are concerned, it is not, I think, the practice for their contents to be anticipated in Ministers' speeches before they have been presented to Parliament. If the hon. Member has in mind the custom which has been adopted of announcing certain trade figures prior to the publication of the Monthly Trade and Navigation Accounts, I would point out that the figures announced usually cover only the total imports and exports for the period concerned. As these total figures are available several days before the detailed Accounts, their early announcement has been generally welcomed by those interested.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the Government's attitude with regard to production of the hydrogen bomb; and whether he will take action to endeavour to ensure that production should he banned by international agreement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement in the House on 6th March.

asked the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to safeguard atomic research security in this country; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Prime Minister, in view of recent revelations in the courts, what fresh action is he taking to ensure that only reliable persons are employed in the service of His Majesty's Government.

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the public disquiet over the disclosures in the case of Dr. Fuchs, he will make a further statement.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the disclosure of secret information on atomic research by Dr. Fuchs and, in particular, state how it was that this leakage was detected by the American Secret Service and not by our own.

I have nothing to add to my statement in the House on 6th March in the Debate on the Address except with regard to the second part of the Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Hornsey (Mr. Gammans). As to that obviously it would not be in the public interest to discuss sources of intelligence available either to the Americans or to ourselves.

asked the Minister of Supply in what circumstances Dr. Klaus Fuchs, a member of the Communist Party and a former alien, was screened by the police, and permitted to hold security appointments.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Prime Minister during the Debate on the Address on 6th March.

asked the Prime Minister if, in view of the revelations in the Fuchs case, he will introduce legislation to amend the Official Secrets Acts with punishment to include the death penalty.

No.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in order to simplify administration, he will now consider transferring the responsibility for the Overseas Food Corporation from the Ministry of Food to the Colonial Office.

No. The operations of the Overseas Food Corporation arc not confined to colonial territories.

asked the Lord President of the Council what further steps he is taking to encourage the setting up of a Press Council by the profession itself.

asked the Lord President of the Council what steps have been taken to encourage the implementation of the recommendation of the Royal Commission on the Press that a Press Council should be set up on a voluntary basis.

I am glad to be able to tell the House that I have been informed by the Councils of the Newspaper Proprietors Association and the Newspaper Society that draft proposals for the formation of a Council of the Press have now been prepared, and are under examination by the two bodies.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the serious plight of the fishing industry caused by the steadily increasing price of boats, fuel, nets and rope; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with the situation.

I am aware that the prices of boats, fuel, nets and rope have risen, but I see no reason to intervene in view of the removal of controls on selling fish next month, which should set the industry free to make the readjustments necessary to overcome these disadvantages.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is satisfied that the new arrangements proposed for the control of imports of foreign tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits will, this season, ensure that first place in the British market is reserved for home-growers during the period of peak production.

The arrangements set out in the announcement of 12th February, 1950, for periods of suspension of the open general licence for the importation of various fruits and vegetables have been made after taking fully into account the position of the home growers, and I am satisfied that they should assist the marketing of home produce of good quality during the main seasons of production.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when he proposes to set up a central marketing advisory board for the marketing of agricultural and horticultural produce.

The Government do not propose to set up such a board.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make a statement on the progress of the February price review negotiations to settle the prices to be paid to farmers for crops and livestock products.

No. The review only started last week and it is too soon for me to say when I shall be in a position to announce the Government's decisions thereon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many schemes for improvement of hill farming land have been put forward; how many have been approved; and what is the amount of grant paid in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, under the Hill Farming Act, 1946, to the most convenient date.

The figures at 28th February, 1950, are:

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will now re-establish the Horticultural Advisory Council.

No. Circumstances have altered considerably since 1939 and the functions of the Council are now carried out in other more suitable ways.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of sterling balances were released in the year 1949.

Under arrangements made by His Majesty's Government with Brazil, Ceylon, Egypt, India, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Sweden and Uruguay, sterling releases during the year 1949 amounted to £218 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what purposes issues of £60 million were made to the Civil Contingencies Fund between the dissolution of the last Parliament and the end of February.

Issues have been made to the Civil Contingencies Fund from the Consolidated Fund to finance advances from the Civil Contingencies Fund in aid of Votes, in anticipation of the Supplementary Estimates presented to Parliament on 7th March last. Details of the separate advances from the Civil Contingencies Fund in aid of Votes are noted in the Supplementary Estimates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made by his Department as to the practicability of maintaining full employment during the forthcoming financial year of 1950–51.

I would ask the hon. and gallant Member to await the publication of the Economic Survey for 1950.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the basic allowance of foreign currencies to be allowed to British tourists for the year commencing 1st May, 1950.

Yes. The amount of the basic allowance will remain the equivalent of £50 for adults and £35 for children under 15 years of age during the 12 months beginning 1st May, 1950. The additional allowance for motorists will remain at £10 per car.I am glad to say that it has been found possible to add some countries to the list of countries in which this currency allowance may be used. The list will from 1st May comprise the following countries in which the allowance is already available: Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Western Germany—and the following new countries—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cyrenaica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Paraguay, Persia, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, the Free Territory of Trieste, Tripolitania, Uruguay and Yugoslavia.In the case of Switzerland total expenditure on tourist travel will be limited to about £5.7 million for the 12 months. There will be no limit to the number of people who may spend their basic allowance on travel in Belgium and Luxembourg during May and June, but expenditure in those countries from 1st July, 1950, to 30th April, 1951, will be limited to £1¼ million. The detailed arrangements for travel to Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg will be announced shortly.The House will be aware that as a result of the recent Uniscan agreement, Denmark, Norway and Sweden were put outside the scope of the basic travel arrangements as from 1st March, 1950. All reasonable amounts of currency are being granted for bona fide travel in these countries and such allowances will not affect the amount of the basic travel allowance available elsewhere.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give favourable consideration to paying post-war credits to those who are emigrating to other countries.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now exempt from tax the petrol used for the driving of tractors and other machines and vehicles used in agriculture.

The hon. and gallant Member will not expect me to anticipate my Budget Statement.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many Statutory Instruments were published by the Stationery Office during 1949.

1,834.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons have been directed to new employment, or to remain in existing employment, during the past six months; and why they were so directed.

In the past six months, no persons were directed to new employment. In the same period, 87 persons were directed to remain in coalmining and agriculture.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of registered disabled persons in Cardiff and the number unemployed at the nearest convenient date.

The number of registered disabled persons in the Cardiff area at 16th January, 1950, was 5,713, of whom 531 were unemployed, including 55 classified as unlikely to obtain employment except under sheltered conditions.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made in the provision of special employment for registered disabled persons in Cardiff.

There are facilities for the special employment of severely disabled persons at Treforest Remploy factory to which 34 registered disabled persons in the Cardiff area travel daily. As my hon. Friend knows, it was hoped to open another Remploy factory in Cardiff for the special employment of tuberculous persons, but as I announced on 7th July, 1949, this has had to be deferred.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will now alter the rule with regard to the age at which boys and girls can sit for the school certificate examination.

No.

asked the Minister of Education whether it has been possible to increase the number of teachers sufficiently to cope with the estimated increase in the school population by the end of 1950 without having recourse to increasing the size of the classes.

My plans for increasing the number of teachers, which naturally reflect the estimated increase in the school population, provide for a better staffing ratio for the schools.

asked the Minister of Education how many classes contained over 50, 40, and 30 pupils, respectively, at the last convenient date; and which of these were secondary and which were primary classes.

Following are the figures for maintained and assisted primary and secondary schools (other than nursery or special schools) in England and Wales in January, 1949:

asked the Minister of Education how it is proposed to find accommodation for the 120,000 extra children who will be in school by the end of 1950.

I do not understand the figure of 120,000 mentioned by the hon. Member. I think that in general the existing school provision and the new schools to be opened this year should be able to accommodate the additional children expected in the schools by the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Education whether, having regard to the financial provisions of the Education Act, 1944, for non-provided schools and to the new conditions now prevailing, he will re-open discussions on costs of building with the parties concerned.

Any amelioration of the position of the voluntary schools must be sought within the framework of the Education Act, 1944. I have already taken steps to reduce the cost of school building and conversations on other aspects of the matter are proceeding with representatives of the denominations.

asked the Minister of Food why some licences issued to private individuals to slaughter pigs specifically exclude permission to cure bacon or ham; and whether he will ensure that this proviso is excluded from all future licences that are issued.

None of the licences now being issued forbid curing, although those issued to certain institutions used to do so. If the hon. and gallant Member knows of a case where an out-of-date form has been used, I should be glad if he would send me details.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to ensure greater accuracy in the compilation of the Electoral Roll.

The electoral registration officers do their utmost to see that the register is accurate; and electors themselves can help by making sure at the proper time that their names are on the lists from which the register is compiled. The contents of the 1950 register have already been settled; but future registration procedure is to be discussed later this month by my Department with representative electoral registration officers, when they will discuss their recent experiences of the roll.