asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much land has been leased to the Colonial Development Corporation for ranching in Tanganyika.

None, so far.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) how much land is being used in Tanganyika for co-operative settlement of Africans from overcrowded areas in Tanganyika and Kenya;(2) how many acres of land have been leased for private settlement by Europeans over the last two years in Tanganyika under the Land Settlement Board; and how much settlement of Africans has taken place in the same period.

172,856 acres have been leased to Europeans during the past two years. I regret that no accurate figures are available of the acreage involved in African settlement, but the various resettlement schemes most certainly involved many hundreds of square miles. No co-operative settlement is being attempted at present, since no tribe in Tanganyika is yet ready to abandon its traditional system of cultivation based on the family unit. There is no proposal to move Kenya Africans to Tanganyika.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now make a statement about the signature of the Convention relating to the Port of Beira.

The House will recall that in reply to a question put by my hon. Friend the Member for Leominster (Mr. Baldwin), I said on the 24th May that negotiations were continuing with the Portuguese Government for the conclusion of a Convention governing the development of the Port of Beira in East Africa. I am glad to confirm the press reports and to announce that this Convention was signed in Lisbon on the 17th June by His Majesty's Ambassador on behalf of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of Southern Rhodesia and by the Portuguese Minister for Foreign Affairs on behalf of the Government of Portugal. It is the belief of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that the Convention will make an important contribution to the solution of the transport and economic problems of the British Central African territories, and that it will strengthen still further the close ties between His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of Portugal.The text of the Convention and of certain Exchanges of Notes with the Portuguese Government relating to the Convention will be presented in due course to the House as a Command Paper in the Treaty Series.I should like at the same time to pay a tribute on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to the personal interest of his Excellency Dr. Salazar, the Portuguese President of the Council, in the negotiations leading up to the signature of the Convention and to express my appreciation of the work of His Majesty's Ambassador at Lisbon.

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of the danger of a world glut of sugar, he will arrange for an immediate increase in the sugar ration.

As I have already said, there is no prospect of a world glut this year.

asked the Minister of Food what proportion of the 226,600 tons of breakfast food produced and sold in Britain are so produced from dollar-purchased maize and wheat; and what proportion of breakfast foods consumed in Britain are entirely British grown and processed.

None of the maize products included in this total was derived from dollar maize. As most of the wheat based cereal breakfast foods were derived from a varying mixture of non-dollar and dollar wheats, I cannot state the precise proportion produced from dollar wheat,

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when the Report of the Pilcher Committee on Court Martial Procedure in the Navy will be published.

I would refer my hon. and learned Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Boyd-Carpenter) on 22nd March.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when the hon. Member for Lewisham, West, may expect a reply to the letter he wrote

As the hon. Member knows, I replied to him on 15th June. The delay arose from the very careful consideration that was given to Mr. Light's case.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has given any consideration to the provision of television services to central Wales and with what result.

The provision of television service in a mountainous area such as central Wales presents very difficult problems and I think that we must have experience of the services already projected before we can reach conclusions on the possibilities.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that business firms in the Goswell Road area do not receive their first post before 9.10 a.m., and that it is often delivered considerably later; and if he will endeavour to provide earlier delivery to an area approximately only three-quarters of a mile from Post Office headquarters.

Recent increases in the amount of correspondence for delivery in the Goswell Road area have caused some failures to complete the first delivery by the scheduled time of 9.0 a.m. Remedial action has now been taken.

asked the Postmaster-General at what hour in the morning delivery of mail in the Thorpe Bay area is completed.

The first delivery is completed by 9.15 a.m.

asked the Post master-General in order to give the public a better postal service, if he will so reorganise his staff arrangements that a later collection of mail than 5.30 p.m. may be provided in the King's Park and Govan districts of Glasgow.

The final weekday collection from posting boxes in these districts is already made at 6–6.45 p.m., except in the case of one box which is cleared finally at 5.45 p.m. These facilities compare favourably with those provided in urban areas elsewhere, and I regret that I cannot at present provide a later collection.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will reintroduce the night counter service at the General Post Office, Spring Gardens, Manchester, which was discontinued in 1940 due to the man power shortage.

As this would involve an expenditure of over £1,000 per year, it is not possible to accede to this request.

asked the Postmaster- General how long he estimates it will take to install telephones to satisfy out standing applications in Wallasey, assuming the rate of installations during the last 12 months is maintained.

About two years; the rate of provision last year is not a reliable basis, since all outstanding applications cannot be met until new cables are provided. In view of our limited resources, I cannot estimate when this work will be undertaken.

asked the Postmaster- General how many of the outstanding applications for telephones in Wallasey are business; how many are private applications; what is the date of the earliest of these applications; and how many of the applications are in that and in each succeeding year, respectively.

The desired particulars are as follows (the figures exclude 166 applications in course of being met):

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of applications for telephones outstanding in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; how many of these applications are for commercial and business premises; what was the total number of telephones supplied to the City in 1948 and 1949 respectively; and whether he is satisfied that Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the northeast region generally is receiving its fair share of new installations.

The number outstanding is 2,294, of which 834 are for business purposes. The numbers installed in 1948 and 1949 were 583 and 726. Additional plant will be ready for service this year and next. I am satisfied that Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the north-eastern region generally are receiving a fair share of our limited resources.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will reconsider his decision with regard to the installation of a telephone kiosk at Sizewell, in view of the fact that this is an isolated village on the coast of Suffolk, and the absence of a telephone causes the inhabitants considerable inconvenience, especially at times of emergency.

This is a small village in which seven residents are on the telephone. There are many other places where the need for a public telephone is much greater and, in view of our limited resources, a kiosk cannot be provided at Sizewell for the present.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if he has made any progress towards the re-establishment of the Airmet broadcasting service.

I have been asked by my hon. Friend to reply. A request made under the provisions of the Copenhagen Broadcasting Convention to share with a distant broadcast station the use of a frequency in the long-wave broadcasting band for the Airmet service has I regret to say been refused. In view of the general interest apparent in this service, the B.B.C. is examining whether the content of its present weather forecasts can be more local in character. This is of course a matter within the discretion of the Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why, in view of the shortage of manpower generally, and of men with technical training in particular, his Department when advertising appointments specify that candidates should be below 50 years of age.

Candidates for technical posts in the United Kingdom are not required to be below the age of 50. As regards technical posts which carry an overseas liability, however, candidates are normally required to be under the age of 50, and in these cases, other things being equal, my Department does give preference to men below that age.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if, in view of the present shortage of houses at the disposal of local authorities in Kent, he will take steps to provide service accommodation for Royal Air Force personnel and civilian employees stationed at wireless stations.

Service accommodation is provided for all Royal Air Force personnel serving at wireless stations in Kent. So long as the present shortage of married quarters exists, I regret it will not be possible to consider the provision of Service accommodation for all civil servants employed at R.A.F. stations. Their housing is the normal responsibility of the local authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Air when the Relaxation of Customs Agreement made on 21st October, 1939, is to be terminated, and new arrangements substituted abolishing dilutee status.

No decision has been taken to terminate this agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will publish each day a report on the previous day's weather forecast given by the meteorological Department of his Ministry with some explanation of what went wrong on days when the forecast turns out to be substantially inaccurate.

To do this properly would be a considerable undertaking, in view of the fact that the Meteorological Office issues weather forecasts four times a day for 48 land and coastal areas, not counting forecasts for special purposes. It would not simply be a matter of labelling forecasts "right" or "wrong," because they cover wind, weather and temperature, and may be right for one and wrong for another. I do not think there is enough public demand to justify issuing such comparisons, or that the Press and the B.B.C. would have room for them. It is already the practice to give the Press and the B.B.C. an explanation of incorrect forecasts if they ask. I should add that the Meteorological Office itself invariably compares forecasts with actual conditions, so that the causes of failures can be studied.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) how many Air Training Corps cadets are receiving flying training at flying clubs in this country;(2) how much money has been paid to flying clubs in this country since 1st April, 1950, under the scheme for the training of Air Training Corps cadets.

As yet no cadets have commenced training under the flying scholarships scheme and no payments have been made to the flying clubs. The first batch of cadets for training have, however, been selected and contracts with clubs are about to be concluded. I hope that actual training under this scheme will commence at the beginning of next month.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many senior experimental officer posts are vacant in the Meteorological Office; and if he will give an assurance that the large number of candidates within the Meteorological Office who have the practical experience and academic qualifications, and many who are performing senior duties, will be given priority for these senior posts before outside candidates who have no experience in this office.

Of the 153 senior experimental officer posts in the Meteorological Office, 10 are vacant. Senior experimental officer vacancies in the Meteorological Office are filled by promotion from within the Office and there is no intention of filling any of the vacancies from outside.

asked the Secretary of State for Air in what districts his Department has a number of housing estates for all the staff employed in the neighbour-hood; and how many of the meteorological staff have houses in each of these estates.

The Air Ministry has housing estates at Cosford, Brize Norton, Lichfield, Llandow, High Ercall, Milton, Fauld, Kirkbride, Hailton, Carding-ton, Little Rissington, Lyneham, Thorney Island, Tern Hill and Silloth. Most of these estates serve units at which no meteorological staff are stationed but one meteorological assistant has a house on the Thorney Island estate and two meteorological staff are on the waiting list at Silloth.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what provision is going to be made for housing Air Ministry Meteorological Office staff situated on civil airports, of which there are a large number, several being in isolated areas.

Like other civilians, meteorological staff working on civil airports make their own living arrangements, but I am advised that the Ministry of Civil Aviation have been able to provide accommodation for a few meteorological staff working on remote stations. The assistance of that Ministry will be sought whenever it is in a position to help staff who are experiencing difficulty in finding accommodation.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if the helicopter service between Liverpool and Cardiff operated by British European Airways Corporation is permanent or experimental; and to what extent it is expected to run without making a loss.

This service is experimental. A financial loss will be incurred but experience of great value for the future of helicopter operations will be obtained.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why Aquila Airways was refused a licence for a flying-boat service from Southampton to South Africa.

The application was refused by my noble Friend, on the advice of the Air Transport Advisory Council, because it did not meet the conditions governing the approval of associate services set out in his Directive to the Council.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what amount of money his Department has spent in the United States of America on the purchase of aircraft and spare parts during the past five years.

The amount spent by my Department is £226,787.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation how many aeroplanes manufactured by British companies and how many of foreign origin are now operating with the British air lines.

The operating fleet of the British Overseas Airways Corporation at 1st June, 1950, consisted of 32 British built aircraft, 21 American built aircraft, and 22 Argonauts, aircraft built in Canada but equipped with British engines. The operating fleet of British European Airways Corporation at the same date comprised 61 British built aircraft, 31 American built aircraft and 3 American built helicopters.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation why permission to land at Northolt was recently refused to an American-chartered aircraft bringing G.I. brides on a visit to this country.

There is no question of permission having been refused because no proper application for permission for the aircraft to land at Northolt was received.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (1) in view of the fact that a loss of £4,210,551 was written off for 1948–49 by his Department, what steps he is taking to reduce this loss in future; and what improvement there as been to date;(2) in view of the Comptroller and Auditor-General's criticisms in Section 10 and 11 of the Trading Accounts and Balance Sheeets, 1948–49, what steps he is taking to keep the accounts in a more satisfactory way.

The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General on these trading accounts will shortly be considered on behalf of this House by the Select Committee on Public Accounts, and it would be undesirable for me to deal with any specific points in it at this stage.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what tenders he has invited from the British Overseas Airways Corporation for transport by air of Service men and women between the United Kingdom and West Africa between July, 1950, and April, 1951; and what reply he has received from the British Overseas Airways Corporation.

British Overseas Airways Corporation and a number of charter companies were recently invited, on behalf of the War Office, to submit tenders for charter flights for the transport of Service men and women between the United Kingdom and West Africa. It would be contrary to established practice to disclose their reply.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the fact that feedingstuffs cost £32 a ton this year as compared with £18 a ton in the spring of 1949, he will review the prices and conditions of production of the turkey and poultry industries.

Turkeys and table poultry are not included in the First Schedule of the Agriculture Act, 1947, which provides for assured markets at guaranteed prices. When price control terminates on 1st July next, the price of these commodities must find its own level, and my right hon. Friend can see no purpose, therefore, in conducting the suggested review.

asked the Secretary of State for War what claim is to be made against the Japanese as compensation for the men who were taken prisoners in Singapore and Malaya and made to work on the railway in Siam.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my statement of 13th June.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the claim for salary increases and housing allowance was submitted to his Department at Singapore by the Army Civil Service Union; and what was the nature of his reply.

A claim for salary increases was put forward by this Union last year; it was not possible to accede to the claim. A claim for housing allowance, as an alternative to the provision of accommodation, was put forward in December, 1947; this claim was refused, but was repeated last year and is now being re-examined.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he can give particulars as to cost and construction of the new glider which is being planned by his Department to take part in the Olympic Games in Finland in 1952.

An order is to be placed shortly for three two-seater high performance sailplanes to a design which won the Duke of Sutherland's prize competition in 1946, one of which is expected to be entered for the international gliding contests in Finland in 1952. The Ministry of Supply proposes to contribute a sum not exceeding £4,250, part of which will be recoverable to public funds, in the form of a grant to the Kemsley Flying Trust, who have undertaken to contribute an equal amount. The Trust have arranged with the British Gliding Association to invite tenders on terms which have been agreed with the Ministry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of persons wholly employed on Purchase Tax matters by the Customs and Excise Department; the number of persons partially employed on Purchase Tax matters by the Customs and Excise Department; and the estimated departmental cost of administration and collection of the tax.

The number of staff wholly employed on Purchase Tax matters by the Customs and Excise Department is approximately 900 but no precise figure of staff partially employed in dealing with the tax can be given because in many instances this work is done in widely varying degrees by the staff of the Department along with their other duties. It is accordingly not possible to give a separate figure for the cost of administering and collecting this tax.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what was the cost of printing motor fuel standard ration books for the rationing period June to November, 1950.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th June to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Channon).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider transferring the work of Central National Registration to local authorities; and how much he estimates that the cost of such transfer would be.

The maintenance of a Central Register, which is an essential feature of National Registration, could not be undertaken by local authorities. I have no reason to think that the associated local work, at present carried out by food offices at an estimated cost of £70,000 a year in salaries and wages, could be done more economically by local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give separately the numbers of Atholl, Blackburn and Weir houses completed each month for 12 months ending on the last available date.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to give the estimated number of man hours necessary for the erection and work on the Atholl, Blackburn and Weir houses on the site after completion of the necessary preparation to start erection.

I have obtained the following estimates from the firms:Weir Housing Corporation: 400 man hours for the site work; but this estimate excludes a large amount of work carried out by sub-contractors.Blackburn (Dumbarton) Ltd.: 1,045 man hours.Atholl Houses Ltd.: About 2,000 man hours in normal conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of houses the Atholl, Blackburn and Weir firms estimate as possible for them to produce per month.

I have obtained the following estimates from the firms of their monthly capacity:Weir Housing Corporation: 200 complete houses and components for 120 more.Blackburn (Dumbarton) Ltd.: 400 complete houses and components for 400 more.Atholl Houses Ltd.: 165 complete houses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations contained in the Report on Secondary Education of the Advisory Council on Education, published in 1947; and what recommendations have not so far been implemented.

As this report contained more than a hundred recommendations, I can give only a general reply. Effect has already been given to a number of these recommendations in the Schools (Scotland) Code, 1950, which was laid before Parliament on 6th June. Many more have been adopted in circulars already issued or in a series of memoranda on the organisation and curricula of secondary schools now in course of publication. The more important of the recommendations not accepted relate to the institution of a School Certificate and a Higher Certificate. The adoption of others not at present feasible will be considered as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a statement of the annual expenditure and receipts for the farm of Ballinaby, Islay, since 25th November, 1944, to the latest convenient date, differentiating between further improvement or capital expenditure and ordinary farming expenditure and receipts.

For the period from 28th November, 1944, to 31st March, 1950,

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the acquisition of the farm of Ballinaby, Islay, has been completed; and what was the capital sum which was paid to the former proprietor.

The purchase of that part of the farm of Ballinaby which was requisitioned in 1943 on account of bad husbandry was effected in 1948. The capital sum paid to the former proprietor was £4,500.