asked the Minister of Works if he was aware of the inconvenience and loss caused to the large numbers of members of the R.U.A. Club by the long continued occupation of the club premises at 5–7, West Craibstone Street, Aberdeen, by the Ministry of Food, of which he has notice; and when these premises will be restored to the club for their use.

I am aware of the inconvenience caused to the members of the R.U.A. Club, but in the absence of any alternative accommodation I regret that it is not possible to release the property until the new office building in Aberdeen is completed.

Is the Minister aware that there are workers and raw materials available to complete the building, and can he say when the new building can be finished so as to enable the club to make its own arrangements with regard to lease and things of that sort?

The contract for the building is, in fact, being let today, and, with luck, the building should be completed early in 1952.

asked the Minister of Works the size and disposition of the building labour force in Scotland as between housing and non-housing work as at 31st March, 1948, and 1950.

In March, 1948, there were approximately 66,000 engaged on housing work and 50,000 on non-housing work. The corresponding figures for March, 1950, were approximately 56,000 and 61,000 respectively.

My right hon. Friend will agree that the figures reveal a considerable decline in the number of workers engaged in housing work, and will he undertake to curtail the issue of licences in Scotland in order that local

asked the Minister of Works, whether he will now say how many hotels, large houses, small houses and flats, respectively, in the London Civil Defence Region, are at present requisitioned by the Government for other use than dwelling accommodation; and how many of each category have

No, Sir, I will not. The local authorities are getting all they want. What my hon. Friend does not realise is that there were 47,127 permanent houses and 50,655 temporary houses under construction in Scotland at that time, as compared with only 29,787 permanent houses in March, 1950. It is on account of the drop off in temporary houses that there has been the change in the incidence of labour.

asked the Minister of Works the total number and the value of civil building licences issued during the year 1949 in Scotland in the following categories: cinemas and music halls, hotels, public houses and restaurants, banks and offices, shops and warehouses, industry and miscellaneous, respectively.

As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate the details in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The overall figures are 10,141 licences for a total amount of £17,525,142.

At 31st March last 11 hotels, 495 large houses, 172 small houses, and 539 flats were held by Government Departments on requisition in the London Civil Defence Region for purposes other than family dwellings. Since 30th September, 1949, three hotels, 43 large houses, 30 small houses and 48 flats have been released. Seven of the large houses and six of the small houses have been transferred to the Ministry of Health for dwelling purposes.

In view of the shortage of accommodation in London, especially during the Festival of Britain, will the Minister give an assurance that these figures are kept under constant review?

I assure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that the policy of the Government is to derequisition as fast as possible, having regard to all the circumstances. I cannot make a better promise than that. I think he will agree that the figures show continuous progress in the right direction, though possibly the progress is not as quick as he would like.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that if these hotels are to be used for the Festival of Britain next year they ought to be derequisitioned now?

I know all about that but, as far as London is concerned, of 20 hotels under requisition, only two will be derequisitioned this year. It is not possible to derequisition more. The Government have very much in mind the whole problem of the Festival of Britain.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will now say how many hotels, large houses, small houses and flats, respectively, in the United Kingdom are at present requisitioned by the Government for any other use than dwelling accommodation; and how many of each category have been released for use as dwelling accommodation since 30th September, 1949.

The number of hotels held on requisition in the United Kingdom (including London) by all Departments at 31st March last, for use other than as family dwellings, was 68. On the same basis 1,010 large houses, 420 small houses and 598 flats were held by Departments other than the Health Departments. As regards the second part of the Question, 26 hotels, 235 large houses, 104 small houses and 45 flats have been released since 30th September, 1949, of which 12 large houses and 12 small houses have been transferred to the Ministry of Health for dwelling purposes.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that my supplementary to the last Question applies equally to this one?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Works what steps his Department takes to ensure that new industrial premises are used for the purpose for which a building licence has been granted.

I have no jurisdiction myself over the use to which a building is put once it has been erected. New industrial premises are only licensed with the support of the appropriate Government Department and, with one exception, I am not aware of any recent case in which a building licensed for a specific purpose has been put to other uses on completion.

Is not my right hon. Friend aware that the buildings which derive from these licences are, in fact, sold for purposes other than those for which the licences were granted, very often, I am told, at a very large profit, sometimes double the value of the building?

I have no evidence of that, but if my hon. Friend likes to send it to me I will certainly consider it. At present I have no authority.

asked the Minister of Works when it is proposed to remove from Westminster Hall the temporary offices and Members' cloakrooms which, at present, disfigure the building.

I hope to remove the temporary offices at the end of this year and the temporary cloakrooms early next year in time for the Festival of Britain, provided Members will accept restricted cloakroom accommodation in the Cloisters until rebuilding is completed.

As the right hon. Gentleman will agree that the beauty and dignity of the hall is destroyed by this clutter of buildings, could not he find a place, somewhere, sooner than next year?

The answer really turns on the amount of inconvenience that hon. Members of this House will put up with. If they are prepared to be a little bit overcrowded in the cloakrooms, I expect I can make quite quick progress, but it depends upon the House.

Can the Minister say how soon the screen at the head of the staircase will be removed?

Not without notice.

When is the new building to be completed? Surely, it is to be completed some time before the beginning of next year.

My hon. Friend is in error if he thinks that the completion of the House necessarily means the completion of all the ancillary services. The building, we hope, will be ready before the end of October, but I am making no promises. The "outlying districts" present a more difficult problem in many ways.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that non-delivery of cement is endangering the continuity of urgent work on new roads, sites and buildings in the Braintree Rural District, Essex, and, in particular, that Messrs. Geo. Tanner and P. O. Wicks, Limited, of High Garrett, Braintree, had received by 28th April none of the 96 tons of cement ordered by them between 7th March and 26th April; and if he will endeavour to ensure greater regularity in the supply of cement to these contractors.

I understand that the contractors have received a certain amount of cement which will, I hope, meet their most urgent requirements. My Department will give all possible help in connection with deliveries to important work that might otherwise be held up, if the contractors will supply the necessary details.

Could my right hon. Friend say why there has been this irregularity and delay in delivery, and is he aware of the very serious effects of it?

I know that there have been complaints from time to time. Wherever specific cases have been brought to my notice, they have been dealt with very promptly. I would point out that I control neither the distribution nor the manufacture of cement. I can only encourage both distributors and manufacturers to get on with the job, and that is what I am doing.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this shortage is general in Essex and particularly acute in southeast Essex, and that it is holding up building work? Will he say what he proposes to do about it?

I assure the hon. Gentleman that further deliveries to Essex are taking place this week. I think the fault really lies in distribution, and nothing else. There is plenty of cement.

Is not it true that the amount of cement produced is adequate and that the trouble lies with the distributors? Are not they the people who ought to be hurried up?

Yes, Sir. I would emphasise that there is some hitch in distribution. I am endeavouring to find out what it is, but, as everybody who has dealt with a complicated issue of this kind knows, one does not find the answer at once.

asked the Minister of Works what steps he has taken to alleviate the shortage of cement on Wolverhampton housing schemes, particulars of which were notified to the Regional Office of the Ministry of Health on 27th April by the Wolverhampton Corporation Housing Builders Committee.

Satisfactory deliveries have been arranged for all sites where the precise requirement has been reported.

Will the Minister look upon this as an urgent matter, because there is a shortage of cement throughout the country? If he has no control——

This Question deals with Wolverhampton, and not the whole country.

asked the Minister of Works what action he proposes to take on the Report of the Working Party on the Building Industry.

asked the Minister of Works what action he proposes to take to meet the criticisms of the Report of the Working Party on the Building Industry.

asked the Minister of Works what action he proposes to take on the Report of the Working Party on the Building Industry.

As hon. Members are aware, the recommendations in the Report are both numerous and detailed. In so far as they are exclusively for the Government to deal with, action has already been taken on a few of the recommendations and the others are under examination. The majority of the recommendations are directed to the industry and the professions and I propose to discuss these with their representatives at a meeting of my National Consultative Council this week. The Government will continue to do everything in its power to promote greater efficiency in the building industry.

Do the Government realise that if, by proper incentives, it had been possible to restore output even to pre-war figures we could have put up another 50,000 houses last year with the same labour force?

I am not prepared to accept that, because the houses built today are houses and not wigwams. I certainly understand the importance of incentive bonuses, but the industry does not lend itself to any rigid form of incentives scheme. The proposal needs to be examined in detail.

Can the Minister say how long the Working Party Report has been with his Department? If it has been there for several months already, why has not his Department put these recommendations into effect?

I have said that the recommendations, in so far as they concern the Government, are already on the move. The Report came to my Department in the middle of February. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that there was a General Election in that month and, also, that there was a change of Minister. It is important that the Minister should understand what all this was about. Prompt, energetic action is now being taken.

As this Report was completed on 11th January, can the Minister say why it was only published last week?

For the reasons I have just stated. It was obviously undesirable to publish it in the middle of an Election—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—not at all for the reasons which right hon. and hon. Gentlemen opposite have in their minds. The reason was that when the Report was handed to me I insisted on understanding what it was about before it was put out. That seems to me a reasonable course to adopt.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that when I put my Question down I addressed it to the Minister of Health, and that I would still very much like to know what the Minister of Health proposes to do about it?

I can only suggest that the hon. Gentleman should try again. I have no control over that.

asked the Minister of Works how much non-licensed work was performed on industrial premises and housing in 1949; and what checks are exercised to ensure that an undue proportion of building labour is not diverted from providing new housing accommodation.

The amount of non-licensed work undertaken by the building and civil engineering industry in 1949 is very roughly estimated to have been about £200 million. Separate figures are not available for industrial premises and houses. In reply to the second part of the Question, the control over building work is operated so as to provide as far as possible for the requirements of housing, and there has, in fact, been some increase in the last year in the number of workers on house construction and not a diversion.

Is not there a danger that some of the labour goes on to this non-licensed work to the detriment of house-building? Is there any arrangement whereby the Minister's Department confers with local authorities to ensure that the authorities get all the labour they need?

The figures show that the labour force on housing has been increased and not diminished. I assure my hon. Friend that there have been no complaints at all from local authorities to my Department on account of shortage of labour on housing.

Can my right hon. Friend explain why, in answer to an earlier Question of mine, he said that there has been a decrease in labour employed on Scottish housing work, and, why in answer to this Question, he said that there had been an increase?

Scotland is different. I have not got the figures in mind. If my hon. Friend puts down another Question, I will try to satisfy him.

asked the Minister of Works why his Department propose to make a charge for admission to the grounds of Hadleigh Castle.

An admission fee is charged at all ancient monuments and historic buildings under the care of my Ministry where their importance and the cost of maintenance justify it. The admission fee represents a small contribution by visitors to the cost of maintenance. At Hadleigh Castle local residents will be admitted free.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Hadleigh Castle is just a small pile of stones, and that, for generations, residents in the area have gone there not so much to see the ruins as to obtain a view of the Kent coast? Is he also aware that there is great local resentment that such a charge should be imposed, and will he reconsider it?

I do not think the hon. Gentleman has listened to my answer. I said that local residents are admitted free, that they will continue to be admitted free, and that a charge is only made for excursionists.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is consulting the Royal Fine Art Commission about the design of the new lamp standards, lamps and fog lamps for Parliament Square.

Design for the lamp-standards have been prepared by the architect responsible for the new layout in Parliament Square. They have been submitted to the Royal Fine Art Commission by the London County Council, which is the responsible authority. I understand that the London County Council are not proposing to instal fog-lamps.

asked the Minister of Works why contractors on house building in the northern area of Liverpool are having difficulties in obtaining supplies of bricks.

I do not know of any particular difficulty. Brick production in West Lancashire increased by nearly 3.7 millions during March, and at the beginning of April there were unsold stocks in West Lancashire of 680,000 facing bricks and nearly 8 million common bricks.

Is the Minister aware that, in Bootle and Liverpool particularly, house building is being held up because the contractors are not able to get supplies, as I personally know, and that the assertion is made in the locality—and I think there is some truth in it—that the bricks, instead of going for house building to the local contractors, are going for commercial and entertainment building purposes, which has caused the trade and the corporation——

This Question deals only with the shortage of bricks.

If the hon. Gentleman will send me particulars, I will have them looked into at once. The bricks are there, but there is something wrong with their distribution.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that, on Friday last, I rang up his Department in London with a complaint that housing schemes were being held up in Liverpool because of the shortage of bricks and cement? Has his Department reported that conversation to him?

Yes, that conversation has been reported to me, and action has been taken.

asked the Minister of Works when he hopes to be able to announce general agreement within the building industry to the extended adoption of systems of payment by result.

Payment by results has been generally permitted by joint agreement in the building industry since November, 1947, and the arrangements which were to be regarded as experimental are due for review. The Building Industry Working Party have expressed the hope that the result of this review will be to continue the operation of incentive schemes, subject to any modifications which may be necessary. This is a matter for joint agreement in the industry, which I shall do all in my power to help achieve.

Will the Minister bear in mind that the Working Party attached importance to incentives, and that they said:

"An appropriate system of incentive schemes is an imperative requirement if output in the industry is to be adequately increased."

I am perfectly well aware of that, but it is not so easy. The industry is not uniform, and these incentive schemes need to be varied in regard to practically every kind of contract.

asked the Minister of Works what is the value of the licence granted to build the Labour Club in Long Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool; how many building trades operatives are being employed; when the licence was granted; and when the building will be completed.

No licence has been granted to build a Labour Club in Long Lane, Fazakerley.

Is the Minister aware that his reply will give great satisfaction in Liverpool, particularly as it proves that the name I called the Member for the Kensington Ward of Liverpool is perfectly true?

I am obliged to the hon. Lady for her support.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will now consider making it unnecessary for a person to obtain a licence from the Fuel Office in order to obtain coke, in view of the fact that when such a licence is now granted unlimited supplies can be obtained.

Consumers may already order as much coke as they desire from their registered coal merchants, or they may be registered separately with a coke producer for direct supplies. In neither case is any licence required. Where a consumer cannot obtain supplies from his registered merchant or from the coke producer with whom he is registered, he must obtain a licence from the local fuel overseer to enable him to purchase supplies from another merchant. Such cases are rare; but, nevertheless, I propose to amend the Order, as the hon. Member desires, to enable a domestic consumer to buy coke from any merchant in the district in which he lives.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether one consequence of this changed Order will be that people in East Bedfordshire, who have had no coal for the last 10 days, will now get some?

This Question is about coke.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number and the extent of the sites to be prospected for opencast coal mining in the rural districts of Kidderminster, Martley and Tenbury Wells in the county of Worcester.

Ten sites are to be prospected; their total area is about 970 acres. This does not mean that the whole area will, in fact, be worked for opencast coal; experience has shown that the area worked is invariably much less than the area on which preliminary prospecting is required.

In view of the special amenities of this district and the large amount of agricultural production from it, details of which are already well-known to the Minister, could the right hon. Gentleman initiate some urgent conversations with the other Departments concerned to determine whether or not it is desirable to continue with this prospecting?

All the Departments concerned are consulted, and the local authorities are also consulted, before any rights of entry for prospecting are taken.

Is it not a fact that prospecting for coal in this area was undertaken several years ago, when it was decided that the coal that would be available simply was not worth taking up?

It may be that there is new evidence.

Are the local authorities' views accepted when they are given?

That depends on the circumstances.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why coal costs less than coke.

With respect, the hon. Member is in error, if he thinks that, in general, coal is cheaper than coke. The prices of coal and coke vary with the grade of the fuel, and the place where it is bought. As a rule, gas coke for domestic use is cheaper than the better grades of household coal.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will arrange for domestic coal to be delivered at a uniform price for each grade throughout Great Britain.

As the hon. and gallant Member must be aware, the costs of transporting coal to different places, and the costs of distributing coal to consumers in different places, vary widely. A system of uniform prices for domestic coal throughout the country could not, therefore, be introduced without a drastic reorganisation of the present system of distribution. I am afraid it would be unwise to attempt this reorganisation at the present time.

Does not the Minister realise that we now all own the coal and the transport, and that the old age pensioners and others in the South are no better off?

Imputations and arguments are not really in order in a supplementary question.

Whatever difficulties there may be in arriving at a uniform price, will the Minister look into the difficulty of getting any coal delivered in at least 20 towns and villages in the Eastern Counties at present?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will take steps to equalise the prices of coal throughout the country.

I am afraid that it would not be wise to adopt my hon. Friend's proposal to equalise the prices of coal throughout the country at the present time. There have always been wide variations of price in different places; they result from differences in quality, in the distance of different places from the coalfields, in the costs of distribution, and so on. They have become an accepted feature of the industrial and economic life of the country, and to disturb them would cause most serious repercussions of various kinds.

I am not concerned, in this Question, with the quality of coal but with the price of coal of comparable quality. Is my right hon. Friend aware that the calorific value of a ton of coal is equally the same in the north of England as it is in Plymouth, that wages are the same, and that there is no reason why Plymouth housewives should have to pay more for comparable coal?

My hon. Friend's Question is not confined to housewives; it deals with coal in general. Most industries in this country have been located near to the coalfields because the cost of transporting coal is thus very low. If we had a uniform national price, it would mean an overall increase for all those industries, with catastrophic results.

Can my right hon. Friend do something for the housewives?

Does the Minister realise that under private enterprise cement is delivered throughout the country at the same price?

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many miners have now been transferred from Lanarkshire to Fife; and how many of them have been found houses.

This is a matter for the National Coal Board. I am informed, however, that between the beginning of November, 1948, and 31st March, 1950, 767 miners from Lanarkshire had been transferred to the Fife and Clackmannan area. Houses had by then, been found for 661 of them; 57 were single men, who did not want houses; 49 had registered claims for houses on the local authorities' waiting lists.

Would not the Minister agree that this is a splendid example of the economic planning which is so much maligned by the party opposite?

Yes, Sir, it is making a very real contribution to the production of coal.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what special action is being taken to counteract the serious fall in manpower in the coalmines.

The manpower problem in the coal industry is not so much that of the total labour force available, as of the best use of the workers who are already engaged in it. In some cases, redeployment is being effected with good results; elsewhere, the provision of more houses would greatly help. Detailed schemes for more houses are now being worked out.

In spite of the overlaying of the answer, does not the right hon. Gentleman admit that this is a very good example of the dislike of the workers for a nationalised industry?

Not at all. Had the industry not been nationalised, there would have been very many fewer workers in it today.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the up-to-date position relating to prospecting for opencast mining in the areas of Borsdane Wood and Newbrook Road, Westhoughton.

I know of no proposals for the opencast working of coal at Borsdane Wood. At Boardman's Plantation, Newbrook Road, it is proposed to carry out prospecting operations for the Trencherbone seam, which has been found and worked at Brackley Zone.

Will my right hon. Friend be good enough to convey to the National Coal Board that Newbrook Road is one of the best residential areas in Westhoughton, and that there is a strong resentment there against even prospecting for opencast coalmining?

Yes, Sir, I will convey my hon. Friend's point to the National Coal Board.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will give an assurance that there will be no cut in capital expenditure in respect of electricity requirements.

I am glad to assure the hon. Lady that there is no intention to cut the total annual capital expenditure for electricity supply below the present rate. But the proposals put forward by the electricity boards must be considered in conjunction with proposals for capital expenditure on all other essential requirements, and I could not give an assurance that all their proposals will be accepted for immediate execution without amendment.

In view of the fact that Lord Citrine has stated that the industry is being planned out of existence, will the Minister consider handing it back to private enterprise before the lights go out?

I am afraid that that would not help. I recognise the great difficulties of the North-Eastern Division, for which the hon. Lady speaks, and I can say that the British Electricity Authority intend to make further increases in the generating plant. One station will come into operation this year, adding 50 megawatts.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will place in the Library a model of the proposed North Wales Hydro-Electric schemes, together with photographs of the landscape as it is at present.

Yes, Sir; after the Whitsun Recess I will place a model of the country affected, and of the proposed schemes, in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the estimated extra capital cost of the North Wales Hydro-Electric schemes over a coal-fired power station capable of producing a similar output; and how is this extra cost divided between civil engineering and generating plant.

I regret that the necessary surveys are not yet complete; I am unable, therefore, to give the hon. Member the estimates for which he asks.

In order that Members of this House may be able to make an accurate assessment of the position in North Wales, where there is great disquiet, will the right hon. Gentleman see that all the necessary information is placed before us?

At the proper moment, of course, all that will be done, but it cannot be done before the survey has been made.

In view of the small saving of coal through the adoption of this scheme—of which the right hon. Gentleman's predecessor gave us the figures in the last Parliament—and the havoc it will bring to the Snowdonia National Park, will the Minister give an assurance that he will reserve judgment on the scheme until we get the Bill?

Yes, Sir, the hon. Gentleman may be quite sure that I will jealously consider the natural beauty of the region.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when his regional petroleum officer, South-Eastern Region, expects to complete his review of existing supplementary allowances; when this review began; and how much petrol has been so far saved by it.

As the hon. Member will be aware, applications for supplementary petrol are staggered in six monthly groups. The special review began in November last. The saving on the claims reviewed in the first four months was about 50,000 gallons.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is on his instructions that this officer is now disallowing allowances which have been permitted for several years, although the circumstances of the applicant have not changed?

It has happened that mistakes have been made in the past, and they are now being put right.

Does the Minister's answer mean that every case in which an existing application is not renewed is an admission of a mistake by his Department?

I would be very glad if the hon. Gentleman will bring any special cases to my attention, and I will look into them, but, broadly, quite a number of mistakes have been made and they have been put right, I will not say with the approval of, but without active dissent from, the applicants.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the complexities of the petrol rationing scheme are such that in peace-time conditions it is not possible fairly to ration each person according to his need?

I am aware of the complexities of the scheme, but, on the whole, I think it is pretty fair.

Very much "on the whole."

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the maximum capacity of the British-owned refineries at Haifa for the refining of crude oil; and what was the value of crude oil refined there from 1st January, 1947, to 31st December, 1947, and from 1st January, 1949, to 31st December, 1949.

In normal conditions, the Haifa refineries can treat about 4 million tons of crude oil a year. American companies have a right to about a quarter of the products. The value of the British share of the products at present f.o.b. prices, was about £17,500,000 in 1947, and about £600,000 in 1949.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this means a loss to us of about 50 million dollars and also a loss of petrol; and will he or his right hon. Friends do something to clear up this very serious position?

Nobody can desire more ardently than I that the Haifa refineries should be restarted. It would be a major improvement in our international economic position. It is not my responsibility to do it, but I am sure that if my hon. Friend will make useful suggestions to my colleagues they will be very glad.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this refinery has a capacity of some 800,000 tons of petroleum which, together with the Chancellor's recent concession, would enable the Government to quadruple the petrol ration?

Certainly, it would be very important.

In view of this grave position, will my right hon. Friend consult his colleagues with a view to not lending any further moneys to those countries responsible for stopping this supply until they allow the oil to pass through the refineries?

I do not lend the money.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will arrange, in order to simplify work at garages, that coupons for diesel oil are valid for their face value and not for two-thirds of that value as at present.

The coupons issued to the owner of a commercial goods vehicle usually entitle him to draw either petrol or diesel oil, as he desires. But the mileage obtained from a gallon of diesel oil is greater than the mileage obtained from a gallon of petrol; it has been regarded as fair, therefore, that the face value of the coupons, when they are used for diesel oil, should be lower than when they are used for petrol. As all issues are now made in multiples of three, the difficulty which the hon. Member fears does not, in practice, arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the number of members in each grade on the staff of our High Commissioner in Germany who do not speak the German language and who have been given permanent appointments.

No permanent appointments are being made in the Control Commission, and I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to those officers who have been given engagements for periods up to 10 years. Of the 50 officers so far engaged all have some knowledge of the German language, but in 16 cases it is not considerable.

Does not my hon. Friend agree that it is highly desirable that the senior members of the High Commissioner's staff who are given long-term appointments should have a good knowledge of the German language, so as to avoid misunderstanding when dealing with the German authorities?

That may be true in a vast number of cases, but there are other technical and administrative posts which do not require a knowledge of German.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in what circumstances the British High Commissioner in Germany first vetoed the income tax law proposed by the Federal Government and then withdrew his veto.

The German Income Tax law provides for a reduction in tax rates, particularly for higher incomes. Since the Allied High Commission considered that its introduction would cause German budgetary deficits and increase German balance of payments difficulties they decided on 21st April to disapprove it provisionally until proposals for-compensatory action had been put forward. Discussions took place with the Federal Finance Minister, who provided fresh information on measures to avoid budgetary deficits, and gave assurances that additional taxation would be introduced. In the light of these assurances the Allied High Commission withdrew their provisional disapproval of the law.

Could not all these subsequent negotiations with the German Finance Minister have been carried out before the veto was originally made? Will the hon. Gentleman bear in mind, and impress upon his right hon. Friend, that a policy which is a combination of pinpricks and appeasement is hardly calculated to integrate Germany into the European system?

I would point out that the veto was a provisional veto. It was in order to obtain further information, and with a possibility that that might lead to not proceeding with the veto, that it was made provisional, and it was after further information was obtained that the veto was not applied.

Since the Germans have a very large number of unemployed is not a budget deficit a good thing, and ought not His Majesty's Government to apply to Germany the same theory as that applied to this country?

That is largely a question for the German Government. I would point out to the noble Lord that in this case the taxation was of a nature which does not commend itself to hon. Members on this side of the House, inasmuch as it was favourable to the higher levels of income.

Do we understand that the High Commissioner in Germany imposed a veto on certain fiscal measures suggested by the German Government because those measures did not happen to appeal to hon. Members opposite?

No, Sir. There are three High Commissioners, representing three separate countries. The decisions which are taken there are taken by the Allied High Commission and all factors put forward by the separate High Commissioners are taken into account.

If, in fact, disapproval of policy by hon. Members opposite did not enter into it why did the hon. Gentleman refer to it in his previous answer?

I did not say did not enter into it. I said it was not a determining factor inasmuch as there are three High Commissioners.

rose——

We had better push on to the next Question.