Written Answers To Questions
Friday, 28th April, 1950
Betting (Taxation)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the separate items which comprise the revenue from the taxation of gambling, as shown in the Financial Statement for 1950–51, page 25, Table XII—Betting.
The details requested are as follow:
| 1949–50 | |||
| Head of duty | Budget estimate | Receipts (provisional) | 1950–51 Estimated Receipts |
| £'000 | £'000 | £'000 | |
| Betting:— | |||
| Pool Betting Duty: | |||
| Greyhound totalisators | 8,000 | 8,224 | 7,750 |
| Football and similar pools | 18,000 | 15,557 | 14,750 |
| Bookmakers' Licence Duty | 2,500 | 2,620 | 2,500 |
| Total Betting | 28,500 | 26,401 | 25,000 |
Retirement Pensions, Hartlepool
asked the Minister of National Insurance (1) how many retirement pensions are being paid in the borough of Hartlepool; what is their total weekly value; how many of the recipients of retirement pensions are in receipt of a supplementary allowance; and what is the average amount paid per person per week;(2) how many retirement pensions are being paid in the county borough of West Hartlepool; what is their total value; how many of the recipients of retirement pensions are in receipt of a supplementary pension; and what is the average amount paid per person.
I regret that the information asked for in the first, second and last parts of these Questions is not available. It is estimated that there are approximately 2,100 retirement pensioners whose pensions are being supplemented in the area served by the National Assistance Board's West Hartlepool office, which also covers the municipal borough of Hartlepool and some adjacent territory.
Civil Defence (Recruitment)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the policy of His Majesty's Government regarding the recruitment into the Civil Defence and allied services of persons employed in public services, such as gas or electricity or key industries, such as coal-mining.
There is no general reason why persons employed in the industries referred to should not join one of the Civil Defence services for training in peace-time and for part time duty in war-time during periods when not engaged in their normal work.
Housing
Wandsworth
asked the Minister of Health the amount of private housebuilding licences allocated to the borough of Wandsworth in each of the years since 1945; and the amounts actually taken up in each period.
I would refer my hon. Friend to the statistics in the Quarterly Housing Returns.
Allocations (Local Authorities)
asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement about the allocations of houses to be made in the light of the decision of the Government to remove the cut on housing.
Yes. Allocations to local authorities are made by my Principal Regional Officers under standing administrative procedure. I also make within the total housing programme appropriate arrangements with my colleagues for the requirements of new towns and for houses to be built for the programmes of other Government Departments. The total allocations which will in due course be made for 1951 will be designed to secure the completion of houses in England and Wales at an annual rate of approximately 175,000 houses a year. In making allocations to individual local authorities account has to be taken of a number of factors, including the amount of work outstanding from previous allocations at the time when the allocation is made. The individual allocations can be judged, therefore, only in the light of full knowledge of the local circumstances on which they were based. Publication of such figures would be misleading and cannot give such a reliable picture of local progress as is already available in the published returns in Appendix B which show every three months both the number of houses under construction in each district and the number of houses in tenders approved or licences issued which have not yet been started.
Food Supplies
Farm Workers (Rations)
asked the Minister of Food what changes in the special extra rations and points for agricultural workers when doing harvesting, hoeing root crops and other heavy work are being made by him in view of his recent announcement of changes in points.
Three ounces of bacon a week, or ½ oz. a day, will be provided in place of the former allowance of points.
Sugar
asked the Minister of Food what quantity of sugar was exported from Great Britain to New Zealand in 1949.
Exports of refined sugar from the United Kingdom to New Zealand in 1949 amounted to 8,494 tons.
Coal Prospecting, Long Ashton
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the misgivings felt by the people of Bristol and the surrounding districts over the prospecting for coal carried out by his Department at Abbots Barn, Long Ashton; and what developments he anticipates.
The results of the prospecting work have so far been disappointing, and there seems to be little likelihood of finding coal in quantities which would justify opencast operations.