asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the two African members of the Northern Rhodesia Legislative Council are British subjects or British-protected subjects.

The two members were. British protected persons. I do not know whether they have become naturalised British subjects but the Governor is being asked for this information and I will pass it on, when received, to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what stage has been reached on the Immigration Bill in Northern Rhodesia; and whether it is still the intention of the Government of Northern Rhodesia to proceed with its proposal to exclude intending immigrants whose presence might prove prejudicial to the interests of the present inhabitants ()L. to peace and good order in the territory.

The Northern Rhodesian Legislative Council, at their meeting in January, 1950, referred the draft Immigration Bill to a Select Committee for further consideration. My right hoc. Friend is awaiting a further report from the Governor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the circumstances under which Mr. J. Morris was expelled from the Northern Rhodesian Executive Council; and in what circumstances the Council has powers to expel members.

In practice the Governor makes recommendations for the appointment of Unofficial Members of Executive Council on the advice of their colleagues on Legislative Council, although, if there are strong reasons, he is entitled not to accept this advice. The same principle applies to resignations.In September. 1949, the Elected Members informed the Governor that more than two-thirds if their members had lost confidence in Mr. Morris as an Unofficial Member of Executive Council. The Governor was satisfied that the differences which had arisen between Mr. Morris and his elected colleagues were major differences of such a character as to interfere with the smooth working of the Legislative and Executive Councils. After careful consideration and consultation with my right hon. Friend's predecessor, he called upon Mr. Morris to resign from the Executive Council. Mr. Morris refused to do so and his appointment was terminated under the Northern Rhodesia Order in Council.The Executive Council has itself no powers to determine the appointment of any of its members.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress is being made in finding a suitable site for the television station which is to serve Wales.

Up to the present B.B.C. engineers have made tests at three sites in the Bristol Channel area. The results are now being analysed, but it has not yet been decided which is the most suitable or whether further tests will be necessary.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps the Television Advisory Committee has taken to discuss the requirements of the association for the protection of the copyright in sport; and, in view of the serious effect of the ban on the million viewers and the growth of the television industry, what steps are his Department or the Television Advisory Committee now going to take.

While day-to-day matters relating to the televising of sporting events are for the B.B.C. and the promoters to settle, the issue of copyright raised in the question would involve legislation. I understand that both the B.B.C. and the Association have submitted evidence to the Beveridge Committee which will no doubt give some guidance in its report.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the membership figure of the Engineering Officers (Telecommunications) Association as at 31st December, 1949, has been checked; and whether that figure constitutes more than 40 per cent. of the total organised workers in the grade concerned.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now grant recognition to the Engineering Officers (Telecommunications) Association.

The general question of recognition of staff associations in the Post Office is still under review, and for the present I am not in a position to make any statement beyond saying that I do not accept the interpretation of the Post Office rules implied in the Questions.

asked the Postmaster-General if he has considered details which have been sent him about granting recognition to the Engineering Officers (Telecommunications) Association; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to the hon. Members for Derbyshire, West (Mr. Wakefield), and Wembley, South (Mr. Russell).

asked the Postmaster-General on how many days in the week pensions are paid at post offices in the

Day	Pension	Department
Monday	First and Second War Widows' etc., pensions.	Ministry of Pensions.
	Metropolitan Police Widows' pensions	Receiver for the Metropolitan Police.
Tuesday	First and Second War dependants' etc., pensions.	Ministry of Pensions.
	Retirement pensions (Widows over 60)	Ministry of National Insurance.
	Widows' Pensions
	Orphans' Pensions
Wednesday	First and Second War Disability pensions.	Ministry of Pensions.
	Pensions to Sailors	Admiralty.
	Pensions to Soldiers' Widows	Army Paymasters.
	Pensions to Soldiers	" "
Thursday	Retirement Pensions (age under 70 men, 65 women).	Ministry of National Insurance.
	Pensions to Sailors' Widows	Admiralty.
	Pensions to Airmen	Air Ministry.
Friday	Non-Contributory Old Age Pensions	National Assistance Board.
	Retirement Pensions (age over 70 men, 65 women).	Ministry of National Insurance.

asked the Postmaster-General how many daily deliveries and collections of mail there were in Westminster in 1939; what, approximately, were then the last hours of delivery and collection; how many such daily deliveries and collections there are today; and what are the last hours of them.

In 1939 Westminster had seven deliveries and 13 collections of letters, the last of these being at 8.30 p.m. and midnight respectively; the corresponding figures today are three deliveries and eight collections, and the times, 3 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General how long letters posted from Central London take to reach Paris; and what advantage there is in stamping such letters with a 5d. stamp and marking them airmail.

Pensions are paid every weekday; they are payable on the due date shown on the order form or on any weekday thereafter within three calendar months of the due date. Following is the list of pensions paid.

Letters posted in Central London up to the times given below are delivered in Paris by the first delivery the following weekday.

	Monday to Friday	Saturday
London Chief Office, King Edward Street, E. C.1	8.00 p.m.	11.30 p.m.
E.C. District Street posting boxes	6.30 p.m.	6.30 p.m.
Head District Offices	5.00 p.m.	7.00 p.m.
Head District Street posting boxes	4–4.30 p.m.	6.30 p.m.

There is no Sunday delivery in Paris. Letters posted in time for the normal Sunday collections in Central London are delivered in Paris during Monday. No advantage is gained by prepaying letters at other than the ordinary rate of postage (namely 3d. for the first ounce and 2d. for each additional ounce), or by marking them airmail.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated revenue from the sale of money orders, postal orders and stamps sold in connection with football pool transactions; and what is the estimated profit from these transactions.

It is estimated that the average gross revenue during the present football season is about £165,000 weekly, and the average profit about £55,000 weekly.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applicants are waiting for telephones in Accrington, Rishton,

Exchange Area	Exchange lines provided during				Outstanding applications at 31st March, 1950
	1946	1947	1948	1949
Dartford	327	259	227	374	595
Erith	528	236	141	523	995
Bexleyheath	368	651	1,740	1,034	1,701

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent the short religious services broadcast to the Soviet Union every Sunday have been jammed; and what steps he is taking to overcome the interference.

The first of these experimental programmes on 12th February was not jammed; subsequent programmes have been subjected to jamming. The B.B.C. is striving to make such transmissions less susceptible to jamming.

asked the Lord President of the Council if, to remove misunderstanding, he will state the total amount of cement to be used on the Festival of Britain site as compared with the total weekly production of cement in Great Britain.

I take it that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the site of the main exhibition on the

Twenty applicants are waiting in Rishton; and 480 in the other areas named which are all served by the Accrington exchange. Figures for these four individual areas are not available.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephones have been installed in Dartford, Erith and Crayford in 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949; and how many applications are still outstanding.

The following table gives the particulars for the Dartford, Erith and Bexleyheath exchanges, from which the three areas named are mainly served:South Bank of the Thames. The total amount of cement to be used by the Festival Office on this site is about 7,000 tons. In addition, the London County Council expect that less than 12,000 tons will be used on the Concert Hall and the river wall for which they are wholly responsible. The amount of cement to be used on the site by all authorities for all purposes is therefore about 19,000 tons, or some 450 tons weekly at present, compared with a total weekly rate of production of cement in Great Britain of some 177,000 tons.

asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement giving the results of the experiments and investigations conducted by, or under the auspices of the Medical Research Council, into the use of cortisone, compound E, in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and allied diseases.

It is too early for any results to be available, although useful progress has been made. The supply of this scarce substance from America has hitherto been in minute quantities sufficient only for experimental purposes, but amounts are now being received which will allow tests to be made on a small group of specially selected patients.

asked the Minister of Food the retail prices of Danish Blue cheese on 1st March, 1950, 4th March, 1950, 8th March, 1950, and at the latest available date.

The controlled maximum retail price of Danish Blue cheese on 1st March, 1950, was 3s. 4d. a pound. Price control was removed on 2nd March. I have no detailed information about prices since then, but I am told that it is now selling in the shops at prices varying from 3s. 2d. to 3s. 6d. a pound.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will take steps to reduce the high cost of peanuts.

Peanuts, in common with other nuts in shell, were removed from price control in July, 1947, and I cannot see any adequate grounds for reimposing this control.

asked the Minister of Food what consideration is being given to the provision of seaweed meal for animal-feeding purposes.

My Department does not supply this product, but there is nothing to prevent private producers or traders from doing so if there is a demand for it. Dried seaweed meal can also be imported under open general licence from a number of countries.

asked the Minister of Food what dates have been fixed for the rest of 1950 for the importation of fruit and vegetables from abroad.

The dates were published in the announcement circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 29th March.

asked the Minister of Food what proportion of our total supplies of sugar are allocated to restaurants, catering establishments, canteens, schools, and hotels, outside the domestic ration.

About seven per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make a statement about the failure of Coastal and Bomber Command to co-operate efficiently in the recent Home Fleet exercises.

I can assure the hon. Member that there was no failure on the part of either Bomber or Coastal Command to co-operate efficiently in these exercises. Both Commands made a valuable contribution to the exercises which, I am advised, were most successful. During the exercise Bomber Command were asked for and carried out 24 sorties involving a total of 255 flying hours, of which two sorties were abortive owing to radar unserviceability. Coastal Command carried out 61 sorties, out of 63 asked for, involving a total of 589 flying hours. Eight sorties were abortive owing to radar unserviceability.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that his Department's huts on Fordoun Aerodrome in the county of Kincardine are left unguarded and in some cases unlocked; that his Department's property is being taken, including live small arms ammunition; and whether, in the interests both of economy and public safety. he will accelerate the removal of these stocks and in the meantime ensure that the property of his Department is adequately safeguarded.

All the small arms ammunition at Fordoun and some other stores are being removed as fast as possible, and most of the ammunition has already gone. The remainder of the stores will be removed as soon as other accommodation becomes available. The depot, which covers 107 acres, is patrolled throughout the whole of the 24 hours, but to attain full security against theft would take much more manpower than can be afforded. Two civilians were recently apprehended by the civil police and charged with stealing a small quantity of blank ammunition, which has since been recovered. This is the only case of suspected theft since May, 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will give orders that jet and fighter aircraft flying in the vicinity of Airway Green One, carry distinctive identification radar, so that civil aircraft can be warned of their proximity.

The question of control of jet and fighter aircraft in relation to airways is being urgently studied by my Department and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Fighter aircraft already carry identification radar, but I am advised that this in itself is not a solution to the problem.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the size and dates of recently granted loans to, and sterling balances of, Egypt, Israel and Iraq.

I cannot disclose details of our sterling liabilities to individual countries.On 2nd December, 1949, agreement was reached in principle that facilities for the borrowing of £3 million should be made available to the Iraq Government. They have not yet availed themselves of these facilities. In addition, the recent settlement with the Government of Israel in respect of certain claims by His Majesty's Government, includes a provision that a sum of nearly £3 million shall be paid over a period of 15 years, with interest at 1 per cent. per annum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken by His Majesty's Government to implement the report of the Expert Committee of the United Nations' organisation on measures for national and international full employment.

The report of the Expert Committee was considered by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations at its meeting in February, when the United Kingdom representative warmly praised the effort made in the report to find ways of ensuring stability of employment at a high level. The Council passed a resolution commending the report and inviting its members to express their considered views on the proposals contained in it at its next meeting in July. His Majesty's Government are considering the recommendations in the report accordingly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consult with the fishing interests with a view to setting up a white fish board, in view of the advantages derived from the Herring Board.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the views of the white fish industry on this question, which he has constantly under review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the threatened dispossession of 450 allotment holders on the Heath Estate, Cardiff; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter.

I am aware that certain proposals as to the future of the Heath Estate, Cardiff, are under discussion, but I understand that, even if agreed, they would not affect the allotment holders for some considerable time. The interests of the allotment holders will of course be kept in mind when the proposals are being considered.

asked the Minister of Supply what are the recommendations made by the Organisation for European Economic Recovery as to the allocation of exports of textile machinery.

The Organisation for European Economic Co-operation has made no such recommendation, apart from urging participating countries to take full advantage of supplies available from European sources, which should be broadly sufficient in quantity to meet their needs.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many men over 65 years of age and women over 60 years of age are continuing in employment and contributing to an increased old-age pension.

The insured persons concerned are those who have attained pensionable age since 5th July, 1948. They are under no obligation to notify my Department until they retire and claim a pension. It is therefore difficult to arrive at the precise number who remain at work and contribute for an increased pension, but I hope shortly to be able to give a provisional estimate.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation whether he has yet been successful in his efforts to arrange for the restoration of the Airmet service on a wavelength which can be received on ordinary private sets.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gosport and Fare-ham (Surgeon Lieut.-Commander Bennett) today.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is now in a position to announce the Government's policy with regard to the reform of court-martial procedure.

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War to the hon. and gallant Member for Tonbridge (Mr. G. Williams) on 21st March.