asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many miners have been dismissed since the National Coal Board took over; and in which areas have dismissals chiefly taken place.

The total number of miners dismissed (including dismissals due to the closure of pits) during the three years 1947, 1948 and 1949 was about 49,000. The average rate of dismissals per year, has been about 2.3 per cent. of the wage-earners on the colliery books. Many of the men dismissed have, in fact, been re-engaged at other pits. The dismissals have happened in all the areas; the highest rates have been in Lanarkshire and in North and South Staffordshire.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the total cost up to the last available date of opencast mining; the total income derived from the sale; and the net cost per ton of the fuel produced.

My Department took control of the opencast mining of coal on 1st April, 1945. It is estimated that from that date until 31st March, 1950, the cost, including establishment charges, depreciation, overheads, compensation, and restoration of the ground, will amount to £117,300,000. The revenue will amount to £103,500,000. The average cost per ton over the five years has been 44s. 10d.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that a surplus of fresh milk is appearing, and is likely to become greater in the coming months; and what steps he is taking to increase the farm and factory production of cheese from this surplus.

I know that during the next few months there will be ample milk supplies and I have already arranged for both farm and factory capacity to be used to the fullest possible extent for making cheese. It is estimated that these measures will give us a 50 per cent. higher production of home cheese in 1950 compared with 1949.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent potato consumption has increased since 1948, when potato rationing was abolished.

Probably by about 10 or 12 per cent.

asked the Minister of Food how many of the further 1,000,000 boxes of gift apples sent to this country by the fruit growers of British Columbia have been distributed entirely free to school children; at what price have the remainder been sold to the public; what were the freight charges incurred; and what profit or loss has resulted.

The shipments are only just beginning to arrive, but I am happy to say that 500 cases have already been distributed to schools and children's homes in South-East London. The apples that are not given to the children will be sold on the same terms as other imported apples and the prices realised will, of course, depend on their condition. We expect that freight charges and handling costs will amount to about 12s. 6d. a box, which is more than half the Ministry's selling price, but I cannot say what the financial result will be until all the apples have been distributed.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the fact that research recently carried out in Zurich University shows that Brazil nuts contain vitamins A and B in abundance, and are therefore particularly suitable for children and that a supply of 100 calories is contained in 14 grammes of Brazil nuts, as against 104 grammes of walnuts, he will take steps at an early date to meet the demands of British importers for increased facilities to import Brazil nuts into this country.

The quantity of Brazil nuts we shall be able to import this year depends on negotiations at present in progress with Brazil. However, I should be extremely interested to hear about the Zurich experiments, if the hon. Member will send me details.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will ensure that the crates of grapefruit at present held at Avonmouth Docks, Bristol, owing to a dispute, will be released to the public before there is any possibility of their deteriorating.

Distribution of the grapefruit at Avonmouth Docks is not held up by any dispute. It is moving in the normal way as orders are received from the trade and there is no deterioration. But I must report that there is, at the moment, some falling off of public demand for grape fruit.

asked the Minister of Transport when a gentleman, resident in Spalding, whose name has been communicated to him, may expect to receive a reply from the Eastern Traffic Area Office at Cambridge to letters which he addressed to them on 30th December, 1949, and 12th January, 26th January and 9th February, 1950, the last one being registered.

I am obliged to the hon. Member for calling my attention to this case. The delay was inexcusable and the official concerned has been severely reprimanded. Everything possible is now being done to expedite the matter, and I would add my apologies to those which have already been conveyed by the licensing authority to the gentleman concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement as to the directions of a general character he will issue to the British Transport Commission instructing them not to include proposals for nationalisation when formulating area schemes for road passenger transport.

I do not propose to issue a direction of the nature suggested.

asked the Minister of Transport what, up to the most recent convenient date, is the total sum paid by way of compensation to A and B licence holders; what sum still remains outstanding; and by what date it is hoped to complete payment.

The British Transport Commission have informed me that up to 28th February last sums totalling £13,685,175 had been paid to road haulage undertakings compulsorily acquired by the British Transport Commission. There was, on that date, a balance of £4,270,000 outstanding in respect of provisional ascertainments of compensation recently computed on the basis of information supplied by transferors. Some £2,500,000 of this will be paid when the next issue of Transport Stock is made on 1st April. The remainder will be settled as soon as the necessary legal formalities connected with the transfer of assets have been completed. Completion of further provisional ascertainments of compensation depends on the rendering by transferors of accounts and other essential information. The date by which the completion of all payments may be expected will depend largely on the speed with which such necessary information is furnished and on the number of the cases to be dealt with by the Transport Arbitration Tribunal.

asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to the fact that clear cellulose lacquer with which the walls of the corridor had been sprayed caused the rapid spread of fire on the Edinburgh—King's Cross express on 23rd June, 1949; whether he can give an assurance that all coaches sprayed with this material have been withdrawn; and whether he will see that no lacquer of this kind is used on any public transport vehicles.

The answer to the first two parts of the Question is in the affirmative and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the inspecting officer's report, which has already had considerable publicity. The attention of the Railway and London Transport Executives has been drawn to the recommendations in the report, and I am also arranging for it to be brought to the notice of the associations concerned with the manufacture and use of passenger road vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport what are his plans for improving the reconstruction of the main Midlands—South-West road between Gloucester and Bristol; and whether in this connection he has given consideration to the maps showing where accidents have occurred on that road which have been prepared by the Gloucestershire County Council.

The carriageway of the trunk road between Gloucester and Bristol will be widened to 30 feet where practicable, with diversions as necessary. With the limited funds at my disposal I cannot carry out this large-scale improvement at present, nor do anything beyond such small improvements as appear to be most urgent. In this connection the accident record to which my hon. Friend refers is being considered. I have already decided to put in hand this year some works at Almondsbury and Filton Park Halt Bridge. This road will eventually be relieved by the Bristol—Birmingham motor road.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is satisfied that manufacturers of all nationalities have had equal opportunity to tender for contracts connected with the building of the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Roland Robinson) on 13th March. We are carefully examining the present system of allocating contracts.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made in obtaining compensation for expropriated British interests in Burma.

An agreed settlement between the Government of the Union of Burma and the Rangoon Telephone Company Limited was reached in April, 1949, on compensation for assets of the Company taken over by the Government on 1st January, 1946. Settlement was for rupees 20 lakhs, convertible into sterling (approximately £150,000). This sum has been paid and remitted to the United Kingdom.An award to the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company was made on 7th January, 1950, by a special Commission set up by the Government of the Union of Burma, of compensation for assets of the Company taken over by the Burmese Government on 1st June, 1948. The award was of rupees 41 lakhs, convertible into sterling (approximately £307,500), as against the Company's claim of nearly £1,500,000. This award is subject to appeal to the Burmese Supreme Court and the Company's decision on whether they will accept the award has not yet been announced.No offer of payment has yet been made by the Burmese Government to British timber firms for assets taken over by that Government on 1st June, 1948. An agreement for payment of compensation was reached previous to the take-over between the British timber companies and the Burmese Government in respect of assets taken over by the Government on 31st January, 1949. In this case compensation is to be in the form of logs delivered to the British companies' saw mills in Rangoon, but owing to the interruption of river communications by disorders only half of the logs have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of our intimate treaty relations with the Kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan, he will open negotiations, apart from our mutual treaty obligations, about the closing of the Haifa oil pipeline and the consequent immobilisation of the refineries in view of the fact that this is one of the principal causes of the continued rationing of petrol in Great Britain which should not indefinitely be prejudiced by the wider issues between the Arab States and Israel.

Representations on this subject have repeatedly been made to the Government of Iraq and all other governments concerned. They are well aware of His Majesty's Government's desire to reopen the pipeline to Haifa but feeling in these countries is very strong and they have not so far been able to agree. The governments concerned are, of course, those of independent and sovereign states who take their own decisions in these matters. At the same time, we shall take every suitable opportunity to press our point of view upon them. 'The question of the rationing of petrol in this country is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Fuel and Power.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he intends to take to counteract the effect on employment by the decision of Royal Air Force Transport Command to curtail orders for aero engines from the Bristol Aircraft Company, Bristol.

My Department has discussed with the Bristol Aeroplane Company various possibilities of future work for the engine division, which should go some way towards mitigating the effect of the recent cuts.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the value of Government stores, the property of his Department, that have been lost in transit on the railways each year since the railways were nationalised.

In 1948, £44,144; in 1949. £21,346.

asked the Minister of Works when repairs to Westminster Hall will be completed; and when the new House of Commons Chamber will be ready for occupation.

The repairs to the roof and the erection of the new fleche on Westminster Hall will be completed and the scaffolding cleared away by the end of April. It is hoped that the new House of Commons Chamber will be ready for occupation in October.

asked the Minister of Works if his attention has been called to the scamped or inexpert craftsmanship to be seen in much of the outside stonework of the new House of Commons, particularly in the window mullions; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy these faults.

My Ministry has not found any evidence of scamped or inexpert craftsmanship in the finished stonework of the new House of Commons. Perhaps my hon. Friend will visit the site with the architect (Sir Giles Scott) and show him the work which he considers to be defective.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will take immediate steps to improve the lighting and other amenities in the public places of the Palace of Westminster.

The lighting in the Palace of Westminster has been improved to the limits of the capacity of the present installation. It is now up to pre-war standard except in the Central Hall where the main chandelier cannot be used until a new switchboard has been installed for the new Chamber. Some further small improvements will be possible when A.C. supply is available later in the year. I am not sure what other amenities my hon. Friend refers to in his Question.

asked the Minister of Works how many building workers were employed on 1st January on building work for the Armed Forces.

At the end of December, 1949, it is estimated that there were 30,750 building and civil engineering workers employed on work for the Service Departments.

asked the Minister of Works the amount allowed by licence to be spent on the restaurant at 101 Hope Street, Glasgow; and when completed what was the total amount spent on the alterations, decorations and furnishing of the premises and also the amount of licence granted for Guy's licensed premises in Hope Street, Glasgow.

The building licence for the premises at 101 Hope Street, Glasgow, was for work costing £9,900. This work was sponsored by the Ministry of Food, and has not yet been completed. My Department is concerned only with the building work at the premises and I have no information as to the cost of the furnishings and fittings. The amount of the building licence granted for improvements to the kitchen, dining room and toilet accommodation at Guy's Restaurant, Glasgow, was £16,000.

asked the Minister of works how many buildings in Lancashire, and of What total capacity, are now held under requisition by his Department? and how much of such space was formerly used for housing accommodation.

My Department holds on requisition in Lancashire 204 buildings with a total area of 2,930,000 square feet. Of these, 23 buildings with a total area of 74,000 square feet (17 large and 5 small houses, and I flat) were formerly used for housing.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware of the mess left in Bushy Park by the partial removal of Government huts; and whether he will arrange for this part of this royal park to be restored to public use and enjoyment.

Yes. I have given instructions for the removal of the huts and the restoration of the land.

asked the Minister of Works what is the policy of his Department towards providing building repair staff for the maintenance of temporary housing estates owned or managed by other Departments; and whether the management staff on such estates are free to ask for competitive tenders from contractors or are bound in all cases to employ his repair staff without any estimates of the cost being given.

The policy of my Department, when invited by another Department to maintain its housing estates, whether temporary or otherwise, is to employ either Ministry of Works depot labour, a maintenance contractor appointed in competition, or to invite competitive tenders, according to the type of work involved and the location of the estate. It is not the practice to delegate to an estate manager authority either to negotiate contracts for maintenance, or to employ labour to do maintenance work.

asked the Minister of Works what type of materials used for the building of houses are still in short supply in Scotland.

Cast iron goods, particularly gutters, are in short supply but I am satisfied that, provided orders are placed in good time, and that reasonable use is made of the alternative materials available, housing work in Scotland will not be held up for lack of these components.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers and other ranks have voluntarily left the Territorial Army during the current financial year.

From 1st April, 1949, to 28th February, 1950, 125 officers and 3,368 other ranks voluntarily left the Territorial Army. Of this number 34 officers and 1,265 other ranks joined the Regular Army and 213 other ranks joined the other Services.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many Regular commissions have been granted in the current financial year; how many were granted in the previous financial year; and how many cadets passed through the Royal Military Academy in each year.

During the period 1st April, 1949, to 28th February, 1950, 1,185 regular Army commissions were granted, of which 615 were given to cadets passing out of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. The figures for the whole financial year 1948–49 were 1,631 and 864 respectively.

asked the Minister of Education the total amount of financial assistance given by his Department from September, 1945, to 31st December, 1949, or the most recent convenient date, in respect of cash grants and tuition fees paid for further training and all educational assistance granted to ex-Service men and women.

During the period from 1st April, 1945, to 31st January, 1950, the total amount paid by my Department under the Further Education and Training Scheme in respect of maintenance allowances to students was approximately £30,600,000, and in respect of tuition fees £8,600,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what expenditure has been incurred to date in developing the poultry project in Gambia.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Colonial Development Corporation, who are carrying out the project.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of sterling balances on which agreement for use has or has not been reached respectively, by His Majesty's Government with the holding country concerned at the latest convenient date; and how these figures compare with 1st January, 1949.

I would ask the hon. and gallant Member to await the forthcoming issue of the Economic Survey, which will contain the figures and the explanation that he desires.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there has been a recent increase of Purchase Tax from 33⅓ per cent. to 100 per cent. on calendar pads; and whether in view of the large proportion used by school children in drawing lessons at Christmas time he will favourably reduce the present rate.

The rate of Purchase Tax on certain kinds of calendar pads was increased from 33⅓ per cent. to 100 per cent. by the Purchase Tax (No. 7) Order, 1949, which came into operation on 1st February. In response to representations by the trade, I am reviewing the effect of this Order and will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will set out the current rates of the Road Fund licence, the wear and tear and initial allowances for Income Tax in respect of a tractor on rubber tyres purchased on 1st January, 1950, costing £400 and weighing two tons used in farming only; in forestry only but including journeys on the public road drawing timber and other forest products; on agricultural repair and maintenance work including journeys on the public road; and in the amusements trade hauling cocoanut shies or similar equipment on the public road between fairgrounds, respectively.

The current rates for vehicle excise licences for a tractor weighing two tons are as fo11ow:

(a) Farming only: 5s. save in very exceptional circumstances where the rate would be f12;

(b) Forestry only, including hauling of timber on the road: £25;

(c) Agricultural repair and maintenance work: 5s.; £12 or £25 according to circumstances;

(d) Amusement trade, showmen's tractors: £25.

The relevant provisions are set out in Section 4 and paragraph one of the Sixth Schedule of the Vehicles (Excise) Act, 1949, the rates being shown in the Third Schedule.Current rates of allowance for Income Tax purposes are as follow:Initial allowance (all cases)—40 per cent.Wear and tear allowance (farming)—22½ per cent.Wear and tear allowance (other cases)—20 per cent.The wear and tear rates set out above are basic percentage rates applicable on the normal (reducing balance) method. Where this method is adopted the first annual allowance is computed by applying five-fourths of the basic percentage rate to the capital expenditure on the machinery or plant, and subsequent annual allowances by applying five-fourths of the basic percentage rate to written-down value.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what provision is being made for the parking of cars underneath new buildings now being built upon bombed sites.

Detailed information is not available. I understand, however, that in Central London, where the problem is most acute, the local planning authority is trying to secure this provision where conditions permit.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will make an order under the Town and Country Planning Act to permit a change of user of private house property to that for the purposes of a private school not subject to a development charge.

A proposal to convert a house into a school is, in my view, sufficiently important to require the permission of the planning authority.

asked the Minister of Health if he will arrange that special foods prepared for diabetic people shall be supplied as medical necessities under the National Health Scheme.

No. I am afraid this is not possible. The Act of 1946 authorises the provision of all proper or sufficient drugs and medicines, but does not cover the provision of foods.

asked the Minister of Health how many villages in England are without any piped water supply; how many are to have such supply under schemes already submitted to him for approval; and how many such schemes have been submitted since 1945, how many approved, how many begun and how many completed.

My records relate to parishes and not villages. In 1943, 2,914 parishes in England had no piped water supply. Since the end of the war until 28th February, 1949, 2,373 schemes have been submitted to me designed to serve 5,911 parishes in part or in whole. Of these 1,992 have been approved and 1,740 have begun. Figures are not available of the number of schemes completed.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what were the approximate numbers of officers and ratings, respectively, borne in shore establishment on 1st January, 1950.

The numbers of officers, and ratings and other ranks respectively, borne in shore establishments on 1st January last were approximately 8,700 and 62,600. These figures include officers and men on passage.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what were the numbers of officers and ratings, respectively, borne on the books of ships in full commission, seagoing ships employed on training duties,

—		Ships in commission(other than those on training duties or in reserve)	Seagoing ships employed in training duties	Ships in reserve
Officers	…	3,000	800	850
Ratings and other ranks	…	40,700	8,600	10,750

These numbers do not include officers or ratings on passage.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) what were the numbers of nonindustrial and industrial civil servants, respectively, in the service of his Department, other than those employed in dockyards at home and overseas, on 1st January, 1950;

—	Dockyards		Other than Dockyards		Total
	Home	Overseas	Home	Overseas
Non-industrials:
1st October, 1949	5,320	2,710 (a)	23,420	1,350 (b)	32,800
1st January, 1950	—	—	—	—	33,758 (e)
Indutrial:
1st January, 1950	51,670	32,050 (c)	46,490	6,810 (d)	137,020

The approximate numbers of officers and men borne on 1st January last in the three categories were as follows:(2) what were the numbers of industrial and non-industrial civil servants, respectively, employed in dockyards at home and dockyards overseas on 1st January, 1950.

I regret that for non-industrial staff, it is not at present possible to provide figures divided as between dockyards and other establishments for a date later than 1st October, 1949. The following table gives the information available: