asked the Minister of Education the number of local education authorities grants exceeding £100 per annum which were made to university students during the past year.

I regret that detailed information is not available.

Is the Minister aware that many of these authorities are giving grants below £20, which are quite inadequate for the student's needs? Would he examine this subject again?

Yes, but I have no information which would enable me to answer this Question. I am aware of the position mentioned in the supplementary question.

What is the Minister doing about it?

asked the Minister of Education if he has considered the memorandum submitted to him by the National Union of Students on the raising of the grants to recognised students who are following courses at university teacher training departments and at teachers' training colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, Sir. I intend to abolish the special four-year grants for intending teachers as soon as it is clear that the number of normal university awards is sufficient to make this possible, and I am in consultation with the National Advisory Council as to the precise date. I also propose to consider improvements in the grants for training college students as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the Minister of Education what representations he has made to local education authorities which insist on a knowledge of Welsh being compulsory for entrance to a secondary grammar school; and whether he will make a statement.

I have made no representations on this matter to Welsh authorities, of whom five, I understand, require some questions in the Welsh language to be attempted, but I am keeping their arrangements for conducting this important examination under observation. It seems to me that this is a matter which the Welsh authorities themselves might well consider through the Welsh Joint Education Committee.

Will the Minister bear in mind that, where the child comes from a home where the mother is English speaking, it is a great injustice to deprive the child of secondary grammar education because it is not fluent in the Welsh tongue?

Will the Minister also bear in mind that this matter should be left for the Welsh education authorities themselves to decide?

Is the Minister aware that any matter of injustice is a matter for this House?

asked the Minister of Education the number of spastic children in Wales; and what advice he is giving to the Joint Education Committee for Wales on this subject.

I have no separate figure distinguishing spastic from other physically handicapped children. There were in January last 52 physically handicapped children sent to special schools (excluding hospital schools) by Welsh local education authorities, and 179 further children in Wales, whose names had been put down by authorities for admission to special schools for the physically handicapped. I have given no specific advice to the Joint Education Committee for Wales on this subject, but I should be glad to arrange for my officers to discuss with that body the whole problem of making adequate special school provision for physically handicapped children in Wales.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that most helpful reply, may I ask him to bear in mind that there are a fair number of these spastic children in the City of Cardiff alone and that they are quite bright mentally but are handicapped physically and need some special provision?

It is for that reason that I have asked the whole of the local authorities, both in England and Wales, to consider jointly the provision of schools for children of this type.

asked the Minister of Education (1) if he will provide a national school of ceramics in or near the City of Stoke-on-Trent; and, in view of developments, if he will ensure that it provides for all branches of pottery work, building materials, refractions, abrasives and new and synthetic materials;

(2) what steps it is proposed to take that will ensure full provision for technical and artistic training for the pottery and allied industries, greater provision of apparatus and training in laboratories where experience could be gained in the examination of pottery bodies and other materials; and

(3) if he is aware that in 1937 a deputation representing the City of Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire Education Committee after a visit to continental pottery and art colleges during May and June, 1937, recommended the construction and organisation of a national ceramic school, the provision of training facilities for key people in the pottery, building and other industries; if he has given consideration to the recommendations; and what action he proposes to take, with a view to implementing them.

Proposals for a national school of ceramics at Stoke-on-Trent were considered both before the war and after. In 1947 the industry was informed of my readiness to establish such a college, but at that time sufficient support was not forthcoming from industry. The local education authority for Stoke-on-Trent have now made considerable progress with plans for a college of ceramics at an estimated cost of £400,000 to include provision of the type which my hon. Friend has in mind. I am considering whether this can be included in the 1951 programme with the limited resources available.

Will my right hon. Friend inform me if he is receiving support from the industry? In addition, in view of the fact that a university is being provided, would it not be a good thing to link these two projects together?

The difference between the method of dealing with this question through a national college and dealing with it through the local authorities is that if it is dealt with by means of a national college the industry is expected to put up a good deal of the money. If there is now a desire on the part of the industry for that, I am prepared to look at it again.

Would the Minister say whether the organised workers have been considered in this matter and, if not, will he take an opportunity of discussing it with them?

The organised workers are consulted through their trade union organisation, but I have not discovered that they have a lot of financial backing for a college of this kind.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware that one in every eight grammar schools in the Midlands cannot give proper religious instruction because of a shortage of Bibles; what is the position in schools as a whole; and what steps he is taking to remedy this shortage.

I have read statements in the Press to the effect indicated in the first part of the Question. They arose, I understand, from an interim report of an inquiry conducted by the University of Birmingham Institute of Education on the basis of information collected in 1948. I have no evidence of any present shortage of Bibles in the schools. The publishers assure me that they have large stocks of school Bibles and can meet any demand without delay.

Will the Minister take steps to see that the schools are adequately provided?

I have already taken those steps.

Is the Minister aware that the complete responsibility for the requisitioning of text-books rests with head teachers of schools, and that if there is any difficulty in connection with Bibles a great many of us would soon help to obtain them?

asked the Minister of Education what religious or Biblical study is given or required of students in teachers' training colleges.

I have laid down no requirements, but courses in religious or Biblical study are available in all training colleges, and these subjects may be offered as part of the final examination.

What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that students and teachers do not use their positions for the purpose of Communist propaganda? May I have an answer?

asked the Minister of Education how many trained teachers are now awaiting posts; and what are the circumstances that have caused this temporary unemployment.

I have no information about the total number of teachers now awaiting posts, but I am aware that a number of men who have recently completed courses at emergency training colleges are in this position. This has happened mainly because relatively large numbers of men have been seeking em- ployment at the same time in the same areas and because many of them find it difficult to move to areas where they are more urgently needed.

Can the Minister say how long it will be before these men are put into suitable positions, particularly in view of the fact that many of them are suffering great financial hardship. In those circumstances will he not only answer the first part of the Question, but indicate what will be done to meet the special needs until posts are secured?

I do not think we should attempt to aggravate this problem. Of the 1,700 men who left the emergency colleges since last December, 225 were recently reported to me as being still without posts, but 125 of these men ended their courses only last week. Thus, it will be seen it is not a big problem, and I am doing what I can to meet it.

How can there be unemployment among teachers since, as we know, there are upwards of 50 pupils both in primary and secondary school classes?

I have explained on more than one occasion the difficulty that there is in finding places for people in their home towns. There is plenty of room for the teachers, but not in the places where all the teachers want to go.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the cause of this failure and the consequent hardships on the teachers is largely due to the failure of the Minister of Health to get on with a proper housing programme?

No, I think that is a travesty of the situation.

Has any special provision been made for these men, some of whom are married and are suffering great hardship, which will continue until they find jobs? In the circumstances, I give notice that I will raise this matter again at the earliest possible opportunity.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give an assurance that the present instructions from officials of his Department to those in charge of small children's homes throughout the country, to the effect that the children should not be taught to say "Please" and "Thank you," will be rescinded.

asked the Minister of Education why the principal of a school, of whose name he has been informed, was instructed to cease to teach the children to say "Please" and "Thank you"; and if he will reverse these instructions.

It is not part of the duties of His Majesty's inspector to instruct, but to observe, discuss and sometimes to advise. We all like children to say "Please" and "Thank you." But experience in good normal homes, on which we should all wish to base our practice, suggests that individual and friendly training is more effective and more appropriate with very young children than anything in the nature of drill or routine.

Will the Minister please make sure that every encouragement is given to ensure that the children are trained in both courtesy and kindness? Does he realise that the one aim of my life is to spread a little ray of sunshine?

Does my right hon. Friend consider that the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Mr. De la Bère), is an arbiter of good and bad behaviour, and is he also aware that evidently there must have been a great lapse in his Department in the past, because it has undoubtedly failed to educate most hon. Members opposite?

Can I please ask the right hon. Gentleman whether his very long answer, which, I must confess, to some of us seemed almost incomprehensible, meant that these instructions were or were not given by an official of his Department?

No instructions were given, but advice was offered by the inspector concerned. For the benefit of the House I should like to say that I have gone to a lot of trouble to find out exactly what happened and I have full confidence in the inspector. Might I also point out that these children, about whom such a song and dance is being made, were three years and three months old.

Could the expressions "Please" and "Thank you" be used by Members of Parliament at Question Time?

Is not the leaving out of any mention of the word "obedience" or manners or sense of duty in the curriculum of school children having a most disastrous effect at the present time?

I would point out that this was a school in the nature of a nursery. If children have been waiting four hours between one meal and another, and somebody suggests that the only basis upon which they will be allowed to obtain their dinner is if they say "Thank you"—[HON. MEMBERS "Why not?"] I am telling hon. Members why not. There are far better methods of teaching a child to say "Thank you" than by insisting that it should say it before it gets its dinner.

Thank you very much.

asked the Minister of Education how many county and county borough education authorities, other than Middlesex County Council, gave schoolchildren a holiday to celebrate Empire Day.

Without making special inquiries I could not say. I have no doubt, however, that Empire Day was generally marked either by a holiday or in some other suitable way.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that some education authorities do not recognise Empire Day in this fashion, and does he not think that the day is of sufficient importance to warrant a holiday for all children in the land? Is there any better way of fixing the importance and significance of the Empire in the minds of young people than by celebrating Empire Day?

Commonwealth Day.

There are differences of opinion as to whether a holiday is the best method of marking Empire Day. I am quite certain that it was recognised.

asked the Minister of Education whether the appropriate sub-committee of the Burnham Committee has yet reported to him on the proposed extension of the London allowance to districts in the London area in which this is at present not paid.

As I have already stated, negotiations in regard to salary scales for teachers are expected to open in the near future. I have no doubt that the question of the London area allowance will be brought under review during these negotiations.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what has happened to consideration of this matter by the appropriate sub-committee, about which he informed the House a year ago?

There is no appropriate sub-committee. It is not being considered by a sub-committee but by the Burnham Committee.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say why he told the House, a little more than a year ago, that it was being considered by a subcommittee?

I did not tell the House it was; I said it would be considered by this Committee.

asked the Minister of Education what degree of agreement has been reached between the educational authorities and the universities on the qualifications required in the new public examination, as a condition for university entrance.

University entrance requirements in terms of the General Certificate of Education are entirely a matter for the universities' decision. I understand that the universities of England and Wales have reached general agreement regarding minimum entrance requirements and the inter-availability of these.

Does this mean the provincial universities, or does it include Oxford and Cambridge?

It includes Oxford and Cambridge, except that these two universities, as the hon. Member knows, require qualifications additional to those required by other universities.

What are the additional qualifications?

A knowledge of either Latin or Greek.

asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to expedite the extension of existing technical colleges and the creation of new technical colleges in Birmingham and throughout the country.

Local education authorities are well aware of the need to improve the accommodation of technical colleges, and I am doing everything I can to help them. Last year projects estimated to cost £5,700,000 were started and further projects to the value of £10 million are in various preparatory stages. The Birmingham authority have begun work on two branch technical colleges, each estimated to cost a quarter of a million pounds, and are about to begin the first instalment estimated at three-quarters of a million pounds of a new central technical college.

While congratulating my right hon. Friend on the very fine work that has been done, may I ask him whether he is, nevertheless, aware that today trade follows technicians rather than the Flag, and that it is of vital importance to redouble output if we can?

That is the reason for the encouragement that has been given to the local authorities.

asked the Minister of Education what are the principal objects of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's Conference at Florence.

This is the Fifth Session of the General Conference of U.N.E.S.C.O. Its principal object is to determine the policies and the main lines of work of the Organisation with particular reference to the budget and the programme of work for the coming year.

Are arrangements made for making known the activities of U.N.E.S.C.O in the schools?

Yes, Sir. We try to get as much factual information as is possible to the authorities so that it may be included, wherever possible, in the school curriculum.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware that instructions have been given to the staff at Burderope Park Training College, near Swindon, to vacate the premises by 31st August; whether he will state for what new purposes the premises will be used; and what members of the staff will be reemployed.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes," but the staff have also been informed that requests to continue in occupation of quarters for a short time in cases of real need will be considered so far as possible. After the closure of the training college, the premises are not to be used for any other purpose within the sphere of my Department.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the amount of remuneration paid to each member of the National Film Finance Corporation; whether these appointments are whole time; and what qualifications the members possess for this work.

With the exception of the managing director, all the members of the National Film Finance Corporation are employed on a part-time basis. Remuneration is as follows: Chairman, £2,500 p.a.; managing director, £4,000 p.a.; other members (3), £500 p.a. each.

The qualifications required by the Act are experience and shown capacity in matters relating to finance, industry, commerce, administration or law, qualities which are possessed by all the members of the Corporation in their respective spheres.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further information he has received since the publication of the Gater Report from British film producers on costs of production in the industry; and if he will make this information available to hon. Members.

At my request the four main production organisations have recently supplied detailed information about both the costs and earnings of films made by them during the last two years. This information has been given to me in confidence.

In view of the great importance of this information for a proper assessment of the difficulties of the film industry, can the Minister give some further information to the House in advance of any further discussions on the industry's problems?

I will consider what can be done, but I have given the assurance that there will be no figures given relating to individual companies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement with regard to his talks with Mr. Eric Johnston for a renewal of the Anglo-American Film Agreement.

The talks are still proceeding, and it is not possible to make a statement at present.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether something will be done during these negotiations to en- courage a wider distribution in America of British-made films?

I am sure it is the desire of all Members that we should get a wider distribution of British-made films, but these negotiations are being conducted by American producing interests who, under the new arrangements in America, do not own cinemas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many payments have so far been made in respect of claims for loss of personal effects submitted by civilians who went to Malaya and Hong Kong after 3rd September, 1939, and who subsequently fell into Japanese hands.

Payments so far made to persons shown by our records to have been interned total 335 in the case of losses in Malaya, and 241 in the case of losses in Hong Kong. It is not possible to say how many of these persons went to the territories concerned before or after 3rd September, 1939.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that a large number of people who put in claims for the period mentioned have not yet had them settled? Is he further aware that some four years have elapsed since the claims could be submitted, and does he not think the Government have been extremely dilatory in effecting settlement in cases where people have suffered hardship at the hands of the Japanese?

No, Sir. There have been many difficulties in settling them. I can assure the hon. Member that the rate of settlement is now going on much more quickly. There is another Question on the Order Paper relating to the speed of settlement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why no clear and separate reference to the trade in petroleum products is made in his monthly Report on Overseas Trade.

The Report on Overseas Trade is designed to give mainly a broad picture of our overseas trade. It is based on the monthly Trade and Navigation Accounts to which the hon. Member should refer for details of trade in individual commodities.

In view of the great importance of the British trade in petroleum products, cannot the right hon. Gentleman exercise his not inconsiderable statistical ability to secure a separate entry in these returns?

I am surprised that the hon. Member does not exercise his statistical ability by looking up the Trade and Navigation Returns.

I did exercise that ability and found it very difficult successfully to distinguish the figures for vegetable oils, fats and resin from petroleum products. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will tell us how we can so distinguish them.

I think that what the hon. Member is after is something that would not be dealt with even in the most detailed accounts in the Report on Overseas Trade. If he will inform me what he is concerned to get, I will see if it can be made available to him.

If the information is already in the Trade and Navigation Returns, why do we produce another publication?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the average total monthly steel export to all countries; and what percentage of that total is represented by exports to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and to Canada, respectively.

I am not quite sure what the hon. Member would include in the term "steel." But if he has in mind "finished steel," that is, figures taken from Groups IIIC and IIIS of the Trade Returns after making the appropriate exclusions, then these exports averaged 174,000 tons in January to April, 1950, of which exports to Canada represented 3.9 per cent. and to the Soviet Union 0.008 per cent.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman how it was he told us on 1st May that Canada could not take all the steel he offered to her, whereas on 20th April he said we should have liked to send more steel to Canada but the trouble was that the industry was not doing enough to meet our requirements here? Is that an example of his statistical ability?

The statement on 20th April related to a period at the end of the war when we were not able to send all the steel we wanted because of our limited supplies. My statement in the Debate on Anglo-Canadian Trade related to what we were doing in the concluding months of 1949 and what we were in a position to do in 1950. The whole position is somewhat different compared with that of a year or two ago.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present method whereby timber merchants obtain releases from the 38,000 standards reserve; and what simplification he proposes in that method.

Timber is released from this reserve only when a user has satisfied an area officer of Timber Control that he cannot meet his essential requirements, as authorised on his consumption licence, from stocks already in merchants' hands. The release is made through a merchant nominated by the user. I do not propose to make any alteration in this arrangement.

Does the Minister realise that under present arrangements it is sometimes necessary for a consumer to approach 50 or 60 separate merchants before he can satisfy the area officer? Will he therefore look at the matter again?

No, Sir, I am not aware of any such arrangements, but if the hon. Member will submit cases I will have a look at them.

Will the right hon. Gentleman follow the example of his colleague, and begin to make some experiments in freedom in this matter?

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the attempt I made to secure freedom in the case of the timber trade, where I had great difficulties with private traders who wanted to keep on rings and controls after I took off control.

Will the right hon. Gentleman speed up the supply of timber? There are houses still uncompleted owing to lack of timber, while timber is stacked in reserves ready for use.

If the hon. Member can give an indication of such cases, I will see that the timber is made available from these reserves for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the introduction of lightweight uniforms of material, such as drill, for use by the police during the summer months.

Following the comprehensive inquiry into police clothing by a committee of the Police Council, on which all ranks of the police service were represented, arrangements have been made to introduce an open-neck serge jacket, and I should wish to have fuller experience of this new type of clothing before considering further innovations. I feel some doubt whether the occasions in the average English summer calling for the use of special lightweight uniforms are sufficiently numerous to justify the very substantial expenditure which would be entailed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the frequent traffic hold-ups at Hyde Park Corner; and if he will arrange for a police officer to be avail able to direct traffic at the Royal Artillery Memorial at these times.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that three constables are employed on traffic duty at Hyde Park Corner from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight daily, and that one of these is posted at the Royal Artillery Memorial. The points are, therefore, normally covered during peak traffic hours, but the officers are naturally liable to be called away to accidents or other emergencies.

Is the Home Secretary aware that the policeman is positioned in the wrong place? If the right hon. Gentleman would drive round Hyde Park Corner in the early morning and at about five o'clock in the afternoon, he would find that there is no policeman directing traffic coming from Piccadilly or traffic coming up Grosvenor Place. Would he inquire into that matter?

I will draw the attention of the Commissioner to the information contained in that supplementary question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why two police constables were warning motorists with a view to summonses for obstruction in Tothill Street on the morning of 17th May.

The constables were on this duty because of the many complaints received by the Commissioner of obstruction by unattended cars in Tothill Street. Whenever possible, cases are dealt with by caution or warning, but where a case shows a complete disregard of the convenience of traffic it is the practice to apply for a summons.

Why, then, did they neglect this street from about 17th January, when they caught me, until 17th May, when they did not?

I have no doubt they thought that, so big a fish having got into the net, the net had better be properly examined to see whether it would stand further strain.

Does the right hon. Gentleman not realise that this is a complete waste of police manpower, and that this street is the same every day; that once every three months they catch a certain number of people and issue summonses, and then leave it completely alone?

No, Sir. This is a street that I know fairly well, and I think it is one that calls for police supervision.

As my right hon. Friend knows the street fairly well, will he give some consideration to The Broadway, at the end of the street, which, as its name implies is a very wide street, where there is room for cars to park tail on to the kerb and still leave plenty of room? As, once a quarter, as the hon. Member for Croydon, East (Sir H. Williams) has said, the police come along and "pinch" a few people who park there regularly every day, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that in this part of Westminster, which is very busy, there are virtually no official parking places at all?

I am quite certain that the police do their very best in the difficult circumstances of this area to be fair to all people, and, at the same time, to keep the wheels moving.

Is the Home Secretary aware that I was recently summoned and fined for parking my car in The Broadway within an inch of the pavement?

I do not know whether I am being asked to recommend an exercise of the Royal Prerogative.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he is taking to encourage the attestation of beef herds.