asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that canned fruit and vegetables are being imported into this country at prices well below cost; that our own canners have to comply with standards that are not required from importers; and if he will take steps to protect the British canner.

I cannot say whether any of these private imports are being made at prices below cost. I know that imported products do not have to comply with standards required of the home industry. We are examining how to set up common standards, but this will take some time. In the meantime the production of a better article is the British canner's best protection against foreign competition.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that the export of tinplate is seriously affecting English canners of fruit and vegetables, who are restricted in the amount of tinplate they may use.

We cannot fairly blame tinplate exports. Exports are about one-half of their pre-war volume, whereas allocations of tinplate for fruit and vegetable canning are well above pre-war.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is satisfied that there will be sufficient tinplate available to can the fruit and vegetables which he has allocated to canners.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery).

asked the Minister of Food whether he will circulate a copy of the precise instructions which have been given to those responsible for the inspection of imported fruit with a view to ensuring that strawberries coming into this country have not been rendered dangerous to consumers by unskilled use of new insecticides.

As I told the hon. and gallant Member on 8th May, my right hon. Friend is considering whether special advice should be given to medical officers of health at sea and air ports on this matter, but the necessary investigations are not yet complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions were given to His Majesty's senior representative at the United Nations Organisation in the discussions on Mr. Trygve Lie's proposed visit to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and on the extent of his authority to discuss with Marshal Stalin international questions involving the United Kingdom.

There have been no such discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now make a statement on negotiations with the Egyptian and Iraqi Governments regarding the opening of the Suez Canal and the pipeline for the conveyance of oil to the British-owned refineries at Haifa.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on the 19th April and to the reply given to the hon. Member for Paddington, South (Mr. Somerset de Chair), on 20th March,

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many employees of the British Council have had to leave Czechoslovakia as a result of the closing by that Government of the British Council and the British Information Service offices; and how many employees of the Czech Embassy in London have left this country as a result of the measure of retaliation taken by His Majesty's Government.

Fifteen employees of the British Council will have to leave Czechoslovakia as a result of the Czechoslovak Government's recent action. Two have already left and the remaining 13 will leave before 3rd June. No employees of the Czech Embassy in London were specifically connected with the work of the Czechoslovak Institute, and consequently none have left this country as a result of the measures taken by His Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what work which was formerly done by the British Council or the British Information Service in Prague has now ceased, following their closing down; and what work formerly done by these organisations will now be done by the British Embassy.

All work formerly done by the British Council in Czechoslovakia will cease as a result of the Czechoslovak Government's action in closing down the British Council's Institutes and none of this work will be taken over by His Majesty's Embassy. Similarly, all our public information activities in Czechoslovakia will cease as a result of the closure of the British Information Offices. The Embassy will, however, take over functions such as Press-reading which have hitherto been performed by these offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, arising out of the recent decisions of the International Court of Justice, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Roumania have now appointed representatives to the commission proposed for the investigation of the Human Rights clauses of the Peace Treaties concerned.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the report of the county surveyor of Devon for 1949 in which the need is emphasised for the present make-do-and-mend policy with regard to roads to be replaced as soon as possible by a more progressive programme of road works with improved surfaces; and if he is now in a position to give some indication as to when it will be possible for county surveyors to make more satisfactory plans with regard to the roads for which they are responsible.

My attention had not previously been drawn to this report. As regards the last part of the question, I would refer to the answer that I gave to the hon. Members for Aberdeenshire, East (Mr. Boothby) and Horncastle (Commander Maitland) on 15th May, of which I am sending the hon. and gallant Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he proposes to take any steps to improve the bad signposting of the main routes out of London.

I have had this matter under consideration and propose to ask the Commissioner of Police, the Metropolitan boroughs, and the motoring associations to collaborate with my Department in preparing a scheme for improving the signposting of the main routes out of London.

asked the Minister of Transport why he has selected midsummer, when many visitors are coming to London and traffic is heavy, to take up the road at Hyde Park Corner.

I approved the Westminster City Council's proposal to do this work now because the Council have a heavy programme of work this year in preparation for the Festival of Britain and roadworks in the summer months are more quickly done. The work should be finished by 19th June.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement as to the settlement of a policy of education and training with the British Transport Commission as required in Section 4 of the Transport Act, 1947.

Section 4 (3) of the Transport Act requires that in the exercise and performance of their functions as to training and education, the Commission shall act on lines settled from time to time with my approval. After a thorough examination by a special Committee of the Commission and the Executives of the facilities already available, and of the extent to which they should be widened and improved, the Commission submitted to me in April, 1949, proposals as to the lines on which they should proceed. I approved these proposals. They provide a comprehensive scheme for vocational training, background training, voluntary training and further education which I am satisfied will do much to further the efficiency of the staff of the Commission's undertakings. The scheme has the approval of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education. The trade unions concerned have expressed their general agreement with its principles, and the Commission have announced their intention of giving the fullest opportunity through joint machinery for consultation with the staff on matters affecting it.

asked the Minister of Supply how many saloon motor cars were recently sold at auction by his Department at Elstow, near Bedford, where, in many cases, the prices realised were from £50 to £75 above the list price; for what reasons these motor cars were not reallocated to Government officials, in order to avoid the necessity of supplying the latter with new motor cars; and what is the average period for which motor cars are normally maintained in Government service before disposal.

Four hundred and two saloon cars, which were either unsuitable for Government use or could not be economically repaired, were sold at the recent Elstow auction. The average period for which cars are normally kept in Government service is seven years. Cars are not, however, disposed of until they are beyond economical repair.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware of the dislocation in building construction on council house sites in Kidderminster and Bewdley and the difficulties in farm maintenance work in the Martley, Kidderminster and Tenbury Wells rural areas of western Worcestershire arising from long delays in delivery of cement; and whether he will investigate the supply and distribution position in this area.

I am aware of only one site in this area needing cement, and I understand that the necessary supply has been delivered. Such inquiries as it has been possible to make have revealed no further difficulty.

asked the Minister of Works if he has completed his investigation into the causes of the delays and irregularities in the delivery of cement in the rural districts of Essex and elsewhere; if, in particular, he is aware of the difficulties experienced by members of the Maldon and District Association of Building Trades Employers; and what steps he is taking to improve the situation.

Delays in delivery have been due in the main to lack of stocks following an exceptionally high rate of usage during a mild winter. Increased supplies are now reaching East Anglia and I am not aware of any essential work being held up for lack of cement.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that continued irregularity in deliveries of cement is delaying the progress of housing contracts let by the Wolverhampton Corporation; and if he will instruct his regional office to take further steps to ensure more regular deliveries.

I understand that there has been some interruption in the laying of rafts and in road construction on abnormal sites, where the use of cement is exceptionally high, but that otherwise work on all housing sites is going ahead. Deliveries of cement to Wolverhampton have been increasing and are higher than last year.

asked the Minister of Works what steps he is taking to alleviate the shortage of cement in Birkenhead and Wallasey.

I am not aware of any special complaints about shortage of cement in Birkenhead and Wallasey. In any case the deliveries of cement to this part of the country are now increasing.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the shortage of cement in North Staffordshire is retarding the building of houses; and what steps he will take to deal with the problem.

No, I have not had reports of any housing work being delayed in this area for lack of cement.

asked the Minister of Works how many tons of cement is represented by two per cent. of the total supplies to London; and what is the amount of cement used in the building of a £1,300 house.

Two per cent. of the total supplies to London is approximately 500 tons per week. The amount of cement needed for a £1,300 house varies according to the site and type of construction, but for a normal brick built

HOTELS IN CENTRAL LONDON WITH 50 OR MORE BEDROOMS REQUISITIONED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
Department		Hotel	Present Use
Ministry of Works	…	Balmoral, 35/39, Queens Gate Gardens, S.W.7	Hostel.
Ministry of Works	…	Victoria, Northumberland Avenue, W.C.2	Offices.
Ministry of Works	…	Upper Floors, Red Court, 17/20, Bedford Place, W.C.1	Hostel.
Ministry of Food	…	Ground Floor and Basement, Red Court, 17/20, Bedford Place, W.C.1.	Civic Restaurant.
Ministry of Health	…	Royal Palace and Empress Rooms, Kensington High Street, W.8.	Converted into flats.
Ministry of Health	…	Belvedere, 5, 6, 7, Granville Gate, 10, Empress. Gate, Kensington.	Hostel.
Ministry of Health	…	Queen's Gate, 96, 97, 98, Queen's Gate, Kensington	Hostel.
Ministry of Health	…	Norland, 77/85, Gloucester Place, St. Marylebone	Hostel.
Ministry of Health	…	Grafton, Tottenham Court Road, W.1	Nurses' Home.
Ministry of Health	…	York, Berners Street, W.1	Nurses' Home.

BLOCKS OF 20 OR MORE FLATS IN CENTRAL LONDON REQUISITIONED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
Department		Address				Present Use
Ministry of Works	…	Oakwood Court, Holland Park	…	…	…	Hostel.
Ministry of Works	…	11/11a, Portland Place	…	…	…	Nurses' Home.
Ministry of Works	…	43, Portman Square (Portman Court)	…	…	…	Offices.
Air Ministry	…	Viceroy Court	…	…	…	Hostel.
Air Ministry	…	Princes Gate Court	…	…	…	Offices.
Air Ministry	…	Hallam Street	…	…	…	Offices.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the number of licences for building and alterations house on a level site 7½ tons should be sufficient.

asked the Minister of Works if he will tabulate the large hotels and blocks of flats under requisition in Central London, with information as to what use each is now being put, and indicating which he intends to derequisition in time to be renovated to provide additional accommodation for the Festival of Britain.

A table showing the hotels with 50 or more bedrooms and blocks of 20 or more flats held under requisition in Central London is being circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT. It is contemplated that one or two of the hotels, two of the blocks of flats and part of another block will be derequisitioned by the Departments concerned in time for the Festival of Britain but I cannot say whether they will be used to provide additional accommodation for the Festival.

Licences have been granted as follows:

• Year ended 31st March, 1946: 2 Licences, value £945.
• Year ended 31st March, 1947: 2 Licences, value £2,610.
• Year ended 31st March, 1948: 2 Licences, value £2,700.
• Year ended 31st March, 1949: 5 Licences, value £1,027.
• Year ended 31st March, 1950: Nil.

asked the Minister of Works what is the policy of his Department with regard to the clearance of foundations from sites requisitioned during the war from which the buildings have since been removed.

It is the policy of my Department to clear foundations as rapidly as possible from all privately-owned requisitioned sites where it is expedient in the public interest that this should be done. The rate of progress is governed by the financial provision which it is possible to make for this service.

asked the Minister of Works if he is yet in a position to make a statement regarding the future of Haverfordwest Castle.

I have asked the Ancient Monuments Board for Wales to advise me on the future of Haverfordwest Castle. Their report is expected early next month.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is satisfied that the stocks of softwood are sufficient to avoid dislocation in the building industry in the next few months; and what is the lowest stock of softwood which is sufficient to maintain adequate distribution to the building industry.

I am assured by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade that stocks should be sufficient to meet the requirements of the approved building programme. The lowest stock required to maintain adequate distribution to the building industry must depend upon the level of the building programme at the time, the demands for other services, and other fac- tors, which make it impossible to give any precise answer to the last part of the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Minister of Works how much softwood will be required to enable all reasonable commitments in the United Kingdom to be met during 1950; how much of it is to be obtained from home grown timber resources; and how much is to be imported.

I have been asked to reply. The rate of licensing of consumption of softwood in the latter part of the year has not yet been determined, but should suffice to meet all reasonable requirements. At least 30,000 standards of home-grown softwood will be available. The balance will be obtained from imported timber.

asked the Minister of Works when the repair and cleaning of the front of the National Gallery is to take place.

Repairs will begin during June; cleaning will follow and should be completed by the autumn.

asked the Minister of Works what are the comparative costs, as between 1939 and 1949, in regard to bricks, cement, timber, light castings, rainwater goods and general ironmongery used in house building.

The prices of building materials vary according to the quantity, type, specification, distance from source of supply, etc., but it is estimated that at a recent date, the average increases in the delivered-to-site price of the materials mentioned were:

	Per cent.
Bricks (all types)	110
Cement (in bags, delivered London)	72
Timber (building softwood)	250
Rainwater Goods	75
Light Castings	150
General Ironmongery	117

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the number and proportions of building workers, excluding self-employed men, engaged on the construction of new houses, the repair and maintenance of houses and on non-housing work respectively in Great Britain in 1938, 1948, 1949 and the latest available date in 1950.

The numbers and proportions of building workers, excluding

BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY
NUMBER OF MALE OPERATIVES AGED 16 AND OVER
(Thousands)
—	1948 Average		1949 Average		March, 1950
	Total	Per cent.	Total	Per cent.	Total	Per cent.
New Housing	268	25·3	247	23·5	258	24·5
Repair and Maintenance of Houses	335	31·6	313	29·7	288	27·3
Non-Housing Work	457	43·1	493	46·8	508	48·2
Total	1,060	100·0	1,053	100·0	1,054	100·0

Statistics of the employment of labour on various types of work were not collected before the war and corresponding figures for 1938 are not directly available. However, it has been estimated from other sources that the distribution of building workers between types of work in that year was roughly as follows:

		Per cent.
New housing	330,000	32
Other new work	375,000	36
All repair and maintenance	325,000	32
	1,030,000

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the final cost of houses built at Heston by his Department in connection with the extension of London Airport.

Sixty-nine houses have been erected at a total cost of £116,224, excluding the cost of roads and services.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the number of Airey rural houses for which his Department has been responsible; and their average cost.

My Department has been responsible for the manufacture and supply of 20,054 sets of components for Airey houses for local authorities, and for

asked the Minister of Works when he expects to publish the full version of his Department's proposed booklet on site costing.

The question of site costing is under discussion with the industry and I am at present unable to give a date when my Ministry may publish a booklet.

asked the Minister of Works what progress has been made by the Advisory Service for the Building Industry in the eastern region; how many applications for assistance for local builders it received in 1949; and whether the service is being extended to other regions.

The Cambridge Advisory Service was instituted as an experimental measure to assist in discharging, in the regions, the Ministry's responsibility for encouraging the adoption by the industry of the results of research and development in building. Two technical officers were employed on the service. One of their functions was to deal with inquiries relating to technical or site organisational problems and, during 1949, 72 such inquiries were received from contractors, in addition to those from local authorities, technical colleges and Government Departments. The arrangements were reviewed in 1949, and after consultation with the industry it was decided to establish in all regions in England and Wales and in Scotland a technical information officer. The duty of this officer is to cooperate with the industry and professions in encouraging the adoption of the latest developments in building practice and in making the results of research widely known.

asked the Minister of Work's what results have been achieved by the Sub-Committee of the Building and Civil Engineering Joint Committee to consider the simplification of forms used by Government departments in operating controls and collecting statistics.

The Sub-Committee reviewed in 1947 the forms used by my Department in operating controls and collecting statistics and, as a result, the forms were then considerably simplified and their number reduced. Since then the Sub-Committee has been consulted on further reductions in the use of forms, and it has been found possible to dispense with three forms, to simplify two others, and to reduce the frequency of a statistical return from quarterly to annual intervals.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the value of the building and civil engineering work, valued at 1938 levels of prices, carried out in 1948 and 1949 in work on factories and industrial premises, storage and warehouse premises, coal mines and opencast mining work, transport, water, electricity and gas, agricultural work, shops and commercial premises, schools, universities and hospitals, permanent house construction, temporary house erection, other housing work, and other work, respectively.

The Statistical Digest publishes figures for 1948 and 1949 of the value of building and civil engineering work in these categories carried out by the main contracting firms, but there are no available estimates for these separate categories in terms of 1938 prices.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the total volume of building and construction carried out during 1949, and how this figure compares with his Department's forecasts drawn up in 1948.

The total value of such work carried out during 1949 in Great Britain is estimated to have been £1,246 million. A forecast in terms of 1948 prices and relating to the United Kingdom was given in Table 7 of the Economic Survey for 1949 (Cmd. 7647) and amounted to £1,225 million. Exclusion of Northern Ireland and adjustment for the difference between 1948 and 1949 prices would have reduced that forecast to about £1,200 million.

asked the Minister of Works if he is satisfied with the results obtained from the Bonus Incentive scheme used by the mobile labour force, and to what extent this Bonus Incentive scheme is used in the construction of houses for the Forestry Commission.

I am satisfied that the bonus incentive scheme used by the mobile labour force has achieved savings both in manhours and in the cost of work done by the force. The force was engaged on building Forestry Commission houses between July, 1947, and January, 1949. The incentive scheme was introduced in January, 1948, on an experimental basis. Its application to Forestry Commission houses varied both according to the stage of construction of individual houses at January, 1948, and with the development of the scheme to include a greater number of operations as experience was gained.

asked the Minister of Works how much per thousand the price of bricks will be increased owing to the raising of the railway freight charges.

I cannot forecast any particular increase.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will give some indication of the percentage increase of motor spirit and diesel oil consumption for commercial and public transport uses since 1938.

The percentage increase in motor spirit and diesel oil consumption by commercial and public transport vehicles since 1938 cannot be accurately estimated because no reliable estimates of consumption by different classes of road vehicles are available for that year. The increase in the consumption of motor spirit and diesel oil is believed to be about 50 per cent.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will authorise an increase in the maximum petrol ration to commercial travellers covering an extensive rural area, in order to enable them fully and efficiently to perform their duties.

As I said in answer to a recent Question, petrol allowances to commercial travellers were reviewed in February, 1949, and a useful increase was then made in their allowance. Since then, the distance they can travel by car has been increased by about 2,000 miles a year, as the result of the decisions made by the Government about the standard ration. In view of the strong claims of other motorists who draw supplementary allowances, I regret that I am unable to carry out the hon. Member's proposal, much as I sympathise with the purpose which he has in mind.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much petrol per month is allocated to Ministers of the Crown.

No fixed allocation of petrol is made to Ministers. As was stated on 4th May by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the 38 cars allotted to Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of Cabinet rank consume on an average 2,700 gallons of petrol a month. Other Ministers use the pooled cars of the official car service or of their Departments, and no separate records are kept of the petrol so used. Ministers receive petrol allowances on the same terms as other right hon. and hon. Members from the Fees Office for constituency and other approved purposes. The aggregate monthly issue to all Ministers for these purposes is estimated at 1,000 gallons.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that the review of supplementary petrol allowances by his South-East Regional Officer is dislocating the work of local professional and commercial men; and what steps he is taking to mitigate this.

No. But if the hon. Member will bring any particular cases to my attention, I will gladly look into them.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will arrange that future announcements of changes in the price of petrol have reference to the additional price differentials chargeable in the outer and general zones.

Yes. Announcements of changes in the price of petrol issued by my Department will continue to refer to the additional price differentials chargeable in the outer and general zones, as they have done hitherto.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that many persons residing in North-East Lancashire find it impossible to obtain their full allocation of coal; and what steps he will take to remedy this position.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the dissatisfaction in Blackburn, due to the fact that winter coal allocations to coal merchants fell considerably short of promised deliveries and were very inferior in quality; and what were the reasons.

I am aware that there has recently been some dissatisfaction in North-Eastern Lancashire both about the amount and the quality of household coal supplies. As to the reasons, I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wavertree (Mr. Tilney) on 15th May. On the general question of the supply of coal for household consumption, I informed the House on 20th and 29th March that this was under urgent consideration and I have as yet nothing to add to what I said then. As regards quality, I described the action being taken to improve the position in my reply to a question on 8th May.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he intends to take to deal with complaints from the Birkenhead and Wirral districts regarding the quality and condition of house coal; and when larger allocations of better quality house coal may be expected in these districts.

I understand that the complaints referred to arise from the fact that, in order to prevent a serious shortage in Birkenhead and Wirral in the three months February to April, it was necessary to include a higher proportion of Lancashire coal and a lower proportion of West Midlands coal in the allocation for these districts during this period. This, however, was only a temporary arrangement, as is explained in the enclosures in the letter sent to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary on 3rd May. I am advised that the proportion of West Midlands coal included in this allocation has now been restored to the normal level for this time of year,

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the poor quality coal being delivered to Nos. 22 and 26, B Site, Moreton Valence, near Gloucester; and what steps he proposes to take to improve matters.

As I have said in reply to previous Questions, the settlement of individual complaints about the quality of coal rests not with my Department but between the buyer and seller in accordance with normal commercial practice, and I regret I cannot intervene. As regards the general problem of coal quality, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Southport (Mr. R. S. Hudson) on 8th May.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the fact that differences in the price of domestic coal frequently bear no relation to differences in its quality, he will say how domestic coal is graded and priced.

The retail price of domestic coal is made up of a pithead price, the actual cost of transport from the pit to the retail merchant's depot and the costs of distribution from the depot to the household consumer. The National Coal Board fix the pithead price having regard to the quality of the coal and consequently differences in quality are always reflected in the retail price. It is true, however, that occasionally price variations due to quality are obscured by price variations due to the cost of transport from the pit as it is sometimes necessary to supply a consuming area with coals of a similar quality from pits at varying distances.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what was the percentage of fatal accidents to the men engaged in the coal mining industry during the years 1945–50.

The number killed per 1,000 persons employed at mines (other than ironstone mines) as defined by the Coal Mines Act, 1911, in the years 1945 to 1949 was—0.75, 0.76, 0.84, 0.62 and 0.61 respectively. The annual rate for the first 18 weeks of 1950 was 0.54.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that coal merchants in east Berkshire are experiencing increasing difficulty in obtaining their allocation of Phurnacite; and whether he will inquire into the distribution of this fuel in this area.

Phurnacite is not distributed under a system of allocation, as in the case of house coal. I am, however, informed by the National Coal Board that the difficulties in meeting demand are general, and not confined to any particular areas.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps are being taken to increase the supply of Phurnacite, in view of the increasing number of Aga and similar cookers which are being installed.

I am informed by the National Coal Board, who are the makers of Phurnacite, that they are doubling the plant capacity for its production, and that the new plant is expected to be ready early next year. Coke, which is plentiful in most districts, is a suitable alternative for nearly all cooking stoves, and I am advised that the Aga cooker was designed to burn coke.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that Mrs. Philip Best, Keeper's Cottage, Birstwith, Harrogate, was without coal for five weeks during the recent cold spell notwithstanding the fact that she complied with all requests had that she had a medical certificate in support of her request; and if he will take steps to simplify the method of application so that this sort of thing does not occur again.

Full inquiry has been made into this case, the facts of which have been conveyed to the hon. and gallant Member in a letter from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when he hopes to derequisition the airfield at St. David's.

It has recently been decided that this airfield is no longer required by the Navy. No decision has yet been reached as to the future of this airfield, but as it is equipped with hard runways it would, normally, be purchased. If it is found that the airfield is not required for any other Government purpose, it will be handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries so that as much as possible of the land may be used for agricultural purposes.

asked the Minister of Health what documentary evidence has to be produced by an applicant wishing to obtain from a local food office a new identity card as a result of changing his name.

Either a marriage certificate or a formal declaration that he or she has assumed and intends to continue to use the new name.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to encourage authorities responsible for housing to specify water fittings which comply with British standard specifications.

I am sending the hon. Member copies of circulars sent to housing authorities asking them to ensure that water fittings and other house components (listed with the circulars) comply with the British Standard Specifications

asked the Minister of Health which hospitals in the London area commence washing patients in the mornings at the earliest and latest times, respectively; and what such times are.

I leave such matters to the discretion of the hospitals concerned and I have no detailed information on the subject.

asked the Minister of Health whether he can now make a statement with regard to Dr. Voeller's treatment for Parkinson's disease.

The medical report, which I have now received, needs careful study and it will be some time before I can make any statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether any of the land claimed by the Suk tribe in Kenya is in European occupation.

I am in communication with the Acting Governor on this matter and will write further to my hon. Friend when I have his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will cause an African lawyer to be appointed to the Commission inquiring into the Suk riots.

No. The Commission has already been appointed by the Acting Governor of Kenya as from 9th May, 1950. It consists of the following two members:

• Sir Claud Seton, M.C. (Chairman).
• E. B. Hosking, Esq., C.M.G., O.B.E.

Sir Claud Seton was, before his retirement, Chief Justice of Fiji. Mr. Hosking was Chief Native Commissioner, Kenya, from 1937 to 1944, when he retired. The Commission thus combines judicial experience with local knowledge.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a decision is going to be arrived at by his Department and the War Damage Commission in connection with the claim of Sandown and Shanklin Urban District Council for repairs to Chine Road, Shanklin, which has been outstanding since 1943.

I regret that I cannot undertake to answer questions about individual war damage claims. The War Damage Commission have looked into the case and are sending the hon. Member a statement of the position.

asked the Secretary of State for Air to what extent the Canberra has been accepted for Service use; and when production aircraft of this type will be delivered to Royal Air Force squadrons.

Orders for the Canberra were placed over a year ago. Squadrons equipped with this aircraft should be in service next year.

asked the Attorney-General when the Report of the Committee on Leasehold Reform is to be expected; and whether he will undertake that, when received, it shall be considered immediately, with a view to early legislation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I have today given to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr Donnelly)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give for England and Wales for each of the years 1939 to 1945, inclusive, in all cases of murder brought to trial, the number of victims who were less than one year old and the number of one year and over, respectively.

The following table gives the number of victims in such cases:

——			One year and over	Under one year
1939	…	…	75	5
1940	…	…	64	—
1941	…	…	75	1
1942	…	…	77	8
1943	…	…	62	3
1944	…	…	53	3
1945	…	…	70	4

asked the Minister of Education whether he will give an assurance that the shelters at the Andover Grammar School will not be left indefinitely, and that a real effort will be made to remove them by May, 1951.

As I have already explained to the hon. Member, I can at present authorise the removal of shelters, only in those cases where it is absolutely necessary to do so.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that Mr. F. T. Charretie, of 50, Swinburne Road, S.W. 15, has been waiting for an invalid chair for nine weeks and whether, in view of the fact that this pensioner has been unable to leave his house at all during the whole of that period, he will accelerate delivery of the vehicle or arrange for the temporary loan of a substitute.

The motor-propelled tricycle supplied to Mr. Charretie in March, 1948, is being replaced and it is anticipated that the new machine, which has to be specially adapted for his requirements, and which is on order from the makers, will be delivered to him very shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of abolishing the means test in respect of non-contributory old age pensions.

I have been asked to reply. About £40 million a year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has taken steps to investigate how far the trade's undertaking to stabilise charges for men's hair-cutting is being satisfactorily observed; and what has been the result.

I am glad to say that the vast majority of the 40,000 men's hairdressers have followed the advice of the principal trade associations against increasing the charges which were being made in August last. There have, however, been some increases and I have considered whether I should make a statutory Order. I have decided not to do so at present, because the establishments which have raised their charges constitute only a very small proportion of the whole trade and I propose to see whether customers' resistance to higher charges, together with the influence of the trade associations, will suffice to prevent any widespread increase. Should there be signs of any general upward movement in these charges, I shall reconsider the question of making a statutory Order.