asked the Minister of Labour why he directly intervened in the strike during May on the Festival of Britain site; and why he has not directly intervened in dealing with other strikes.

The hon. Member is under a misapprehension. Neither I nor officers of my Department intervened in the strike during May on the Festival of Britain site. The second part of the Question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Labour how many ex-miners suffering from pneumoconiosis are registered as unemployed in South Wales; what was the comparable figure a year ago; and how many new cases have come on to the register during that time.

The number of ex-coal-miners registered as disabled by pneumoconiosis in South Wales and Monmouth and known to be unemployed on 17th April, 1950, was 3,888, compared with 4,636 at the end of April, 1949. Figures of the number of new registrants during the period are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount in dollars spent by American owners on the purchase of oil tankers in Great Britain since the end of the war.

No tankers built in this country to American order have been delivered since the end of the war. Particulars of the amount of dollars paid on account of such tankers now under construction are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that at Northolt Aerodrome travellers leaving the country are frequently asked how much money they are carrying, both by customs officials and by the special currency control; and whether he will take steps to ensure that travellers will not be asked the same question twice over.

The duty of enforcing the currency prohibitions is laid to both customs and immigration officers. The procedure provides a double check against evasions, and I am not prepared to modify it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to remove restrictions of currency between this country and France.

No. The financial arrangements between this country and France cannot be considered independently of the discussions now proceeding for a European Payments Union.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the mileage allowance granted to civil servants who use their own cars in the public service.

For regular users, that is those whose annual mileage on official business is expected to exceed 2,000, 3½d. a mile is paid, plus an annual allowance of £52. For casual users, that is those whose annual mileage on official business is not expected to exceed 2,000, 7½d. a mile is paid, dropping to 3½d. a mile if and when the total annual mileage reaches 3,120. These arrangements are now under review in the light of the new situation created by the increase in the price of petrol and the abolition of petrol rationing.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the note by the Egyptian Government to His Majesty's Government on the settlement of sterling balances, released to the Press on 19th June, 1950, was received by the Treasury; and what reply has been made.

No such note from the Egyptian Government to His Majesty's Government has been received.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in the case of court maintenance orders, he will review the rules for payment of income tax or Pay As You Earn, so that the tax will, in fact, be paid by the offending party and not by the injured party.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been or are being taken to implement the recommendation of Section XI of Report of a Committee, appointed by him, for houses of outstanding historical or architectural interest; and if he will make a statement.

The Report is under consideration, but the Committee's recommendations cover a wide field, and will no doubt be the subject of discussion by the public so that it will be a considerable time before any decisions will be reached.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what was the cost to public funds of investigating and pursuing a claim for £17 4s. 6d. in respect of arrears of Income Tax alleged to have arisen as the result of the failure of the Army authorities to make proper deductions in 1946 from the Service pay of a Surbiton resident, particulars of whom have been sent to him.

I regret that it is not possible to estimate the cost of dealing with a particular liability.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the working so far of the personal export scheme, which allows visitors to make purchases free of tax.

The Personal Export Scheme has recently been under review in the light of experience of its working, and its machinery has been simplified in certain respects. Under the Scheme, a visitor to the United Kingdom may now have his purchases delivered free of Purchase Tax to the ship or aircraft by which he is leaving the country, provided that the purchase amounts to £5 or more. Complete information is not yet available, but the indications are that retailers' sales to visitors, and especially North American; visitors, this summer are likely to show a substantial increase over last year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a list of Government holdings and their market value in joint stock companies.

Information on the Suez Canal and Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Holdings will be found in the list of estimated assets on page 60 of the Finance Accounts, 1948–49. But a comprehensive list of all holdings is not readily available, and to collect it would involve more time and labour than would be justified by the result.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now in a position to make a statement on the proposed increases in the maximum prices for the various categories of utility wool clothing.

The Board of Trade has now made an Order (S.I. 1950 No. 1002) which provides higher maximum prices for a number of utility wool cloths and introduces some new descriptions of utility cloth. Until there have been discussions with the clothing manufacturers, it is not possible to say to what extent these changes will affect utility clothing prices.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the purpose of the recent ban on the importation of comic supplements.

As was announced at the time, the purpose of this ban is to save dollars.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that with regard to machine tools German prices bear no relation to marketing costs and even vary from one customer to another; that in some instances German firms consistently quote prices 20 per cent. to 30 per cent. below British prices; and whether he will make a statement on the policy of His Majesty's Government.

No. But if the hon. Member cares to let me have any information he has received in this matter, I should be glad to examine it.The Allied High Commission has powers under the Occupation Statute to intervene in respect of any proved instance of unfair trade practices in Germany. Subject, however, to the avoidance of such practices, we have to recognise that Germany must, if she is to pay her way again and to play her full part in the economic recovery of Western Europe, rebuild her trade in the export markets of the world; and His Majesty's Government do not intend to use their position as an Occupying Power to prevent an expansion of German exports, provided this is achieved by fair means.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps are being taken to secure a supply of high quality palm fibres for the manufacture of hats within the sterling area.

We have had no approach on this matter from the trade, but inquiries which have been made have revealed no known source of Panama hat fibre (Carludovica Palmata) within the sterling area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Australian Government has increased the British preferential tariff from l½d. per square yard to 1s. 6d. per square yard on woven piece goods containing more than 50 per cent. of rayon by weight; what is the attitude of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to this increase; and what representations they have made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement as to the reply he has received from the Government of Australia to his representations on the subject of the proposed new duties to be imposed upon rayon goods imported into the Dominion.

I regret that at the moment I have nothing to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to similar Questions on Thursday last.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will publish a table showing the prices to be paid to the Soviet Union for the different qualities of sawn softwood of which it is hoped to take delivery this year;(2) if he will publish a table showing the quantities and prices of sawn softwood for which contracts have already been placed and for which the prices were not agreed in advance under the terms of the trade agreement with Sweden.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the statement I made about contracts in the reply I gave to his Question yesterday regarding imports from Finland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what goods we are exporting to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in return for the imports of timber.

We are not committed to supply Russia with particular goods in return for the timber we buy. The timber is paid for in sterling which the Russian authorities can use to buy manufactured goods and raw materials from the sterling area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade at which United States ports free trade zones exist; whether he is aware of their benefit to exporters to the United States; and whether His Majesty's Government will make representations to extend their number.

Foreign Trade Zones exist in the following United States Ports: New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle. I am well aware of the valuable services they offer to exporters taking part in the dollar drive, and I would draw the hon. Member's attention to an article on the subject in the Board of Trade Journal of 18th February last.In reply to the last part of the Question, the Wayne Taylor Mission of the Economic Co-operation Administration were informed last year that we hoped it would be possible for the existing facilities to be further extended. We do not think it necessary or appropriate to make further representations on the subject, and we understand that other zones are in fact contemplated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will institute an inquiry into the increases in the prices of nets and line hooks, which are essential equipment for most Cornish fishermen, with a view to controlling these.

The increase in fishing net prices is due to substantial increases in the cost of cotton, sisal and other raw materials which have to be imported at world prices. The Central Price Regulation Committee already control prices of herring drift nets, and they have received no evidence that the prices of other types are out of line with the herring net prices. The Committee are making inquiries about the price of hooks.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total capital value of the Government owned factories built in the South Wales Development Area since 1945.

Including the expected expenditure on factories begun since 1945 but not yet completed, the total capital value will be £11 million approximately, against which just under £10 million has been spent to date.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the report of the committee, presided over by Mr. W. F. Crick, on, the Form of Government Accounts; and what steps he proposes to take to implement the recommendations in the Report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes in the method of presenting Government accounts the Government proposes to make, in view of the Report of the Committee on the Form of Public Accounts, Command Paper No. 7969.

As I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd), on 20th June, this Report deals with a wide variety of topics, many of them of a highly technical and complex nature. A thorough examination of the various recommendations is being undertaken, but it will necessarily be a very considerable time before I am in position to make a further statement.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many of the 2,100 officials in the Ministry of Fuel and Power and in the Ministry of Transport who have been rendered superfluous by the abolition of petrol rationing are still employed in the Civil Service; and in what Government Departments.

The 2,067 temporary staff made redundant by the abolition of petrol rationing have been given notice of the termination of their services. Those who register at the local offices of the Ministry of Labour and National Service for further employment are being considered for any vacancies which occur in Government Departments or elsewhere; 153 of these staff have so far obtained employment in 21 other Government Departments, a list of which is as follows:Ministry of Labour and National Service, Board of Inland Revenue, Ministry of Pensions, Ministry of Works, National Assistance Board, Ministry of National Insurance, Ministry of Town and Country Planning, Customs and Excise, Central Land Board and War Damage Commission, His Majesty's Stationery Office, Ordnance Survey, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Regional Boards for Industry, General Post Office, Ministry of Civil Aviation, War Office, Board of Trade, Ministry of Supply, Ministry of Food, Department of Health for Scotland, Scottish Education Department.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will state in regard to the present position of Government offices how many Departments have been and eventually will be decentralised;

Department		Numbers of Staff Involved	Proposed Location
Admiralty	…	4,000	Bath
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries	…	600	To be determined
Air Ministry	…	2,000–3,000	Gloucester
Customs and Excise	…	950	Southend
Ministry of Education	…	500	To be determined
General Post Office	…	13,000	Sheffield
		1,550	Chesterfield
General Register Office	…	800	Southport
Home Office	…	Up to 300	To be determined
Inland Revenue	…	1,500	Cardiff
		2,400	Worthing
Lord Chancellor's Department and Land Registry	…	2,000	Durham
Ministry of Pensions	…	6,000	Blackpool
Board of Trade	…	550	To be determined
Ministry of Transport	…	250	Cardiff
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research	…	Uncertain	Hemel Hempstead
Ministry of Civil Aviation	…	1,700	To be determined
Ministry of Food	…	1,200	Guildford
Ordnance Survey	…	3,300	Wellingborough-Kettering
Ministry of Supply	…	Not yet decided
War Office	…

The numbers in all cases, and the locations in some, are still provisional, and most of the moves are not likely to take place for some time. The following moves have, however, already taken place: Ministry of Food to Guildford (700 staff), Inland Revenue to Worthing (212 staff). In addition, staff of the Admiralty, Ministry of Pensions and Inland Revenue are already, in varying numbers, at their long-term dispersal locations, these being the same as their evacuation centres during the last war.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury which Government Departments he has requested to consider the new towns in their plans for decentralisation; how many have expressed their willingness to move; and how many civil servants will be moved to the new towns.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is being asked to consider the possibility of moving between about 1,400 and 1,800 staff to Bracknell as an alternative to the earlier provisional choice of the Chalfont-Latimer area. It had also been agreed to move about 600 staff of the Ministry of Works Chief Scientific Adviser's branch to Hemel Hempstead, but this is being re-examined in the light of

The Departments involved in the Government's plan for the dispersal of Headquarters staff from the London area to the provinces are:the transfer of the work to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are the reasons for the delay in dealing with the claims for housing allowance made last year by the employees of his Department at Singapore; and what steps he is taking to expedite the negotiations with the union concerned.

I have given instructions that the claim is to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to reach a decision as to the future position of the 397 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Territorial Army; and what is the reason for the delay.

I hope that a decision will be reached on the future position of 387 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Territorial Army, which I presume my hon. Friend has in mind, in the near future. Delay has been caused by efforts to reconcile conflicting views on this question.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make his promised statement on the case of Private Gordon Kenneth Linsell, 1st Battalion, Black Watch, who was recently tried for and convicted of murder by court-martial in Germany, the conviction and sentence being later not confirmed by the confirming authority.

I will make a statement tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that, owing to the delay in informing youth organisations that no further military equipment will be available for their summer camps, it is now not possible for those organisations to obtain that equipment from contractors and whether, in view of that, the request of youth organisations could be re-examined in cases of necessity.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Hornsey (Mr. Gammans).

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning how many Tree Preservation Orders he has confirmed; and how many acres of woodland have been affected in each of the counties in Wales.

My predecessors and I have made 13 Orders in Wales affecting 397 acres of woodland, of which 66 are in Anglesey, 17 in Brecknock, 74 in Denbigh, 108 in Glamorgan, 24 in Merioneth and 108 in Pembroke.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he is yet in a position to make any statement on the proposed Thames River Walk.

I have discussed this attractive and interesting proposal with Sir Jocelyn Bray, Chairman of the Thames Conservancy Board. Sir Jocelyn is also in touch with the National Parks Commission, who are already considering this project.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning how many people of continental or foreign origin are employed in the social economic section of his Department's research division.

Three were born on the Continent, but all are British Subjects.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning to what extent the social development officers of the new towns are responsible to the social and economic section of his Department's research division.

The social development officers of the Development Corporations are responsible to their respective Corporations and not to anyone in my Department.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what expenditure he proposes to allocate to Liverpool in 1950 and 1951 for the rebuilding of the bombed central area.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for the Sutton Division of Plymouth (Mrs. Middleton) on Tuesday last.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning how many new town development corporations exist in the United Kingdom on which no member of the local borough, rural district or urban district council sits.

Two, but in each case there is a member of the Corporation who, when originally appointed, was a member of one of the neighbouring rural district councils.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what the ultimate estimated rate-borne and Exchequer cost of each of the designated new towns will be, including the cost of redeveloping existing layout and compensation costs.

This information is not available. There may be no ultimate cost to the Exchequer. That depends on the value of the assets created and in due

NEW TOWNS
New Town				Dwellings completed (1)	Dwellings under construction (2)	Estimated Dwellings completed (3)	Estimated Dwellings under construction (4)
				On 24th June, 1950		On 31st December, 1950
Aycliffe	…	…	…	94	156	210	270
Basildon	…	…	…	—	—	—	180
Bracknell	…	…	…	—	—	—	50
Corby	…	…	…	—	—	—	—
Crawley	…	…	…	36	205	240	450
Cwmbran	…	…	…	—	—	—	—
Harlow	…	…	…	72	249	140	660
Hatfield	…	…	…	—	—	—	100
Hemel Hempstead	…	…	…	22	284	200	520
Peterlee	…	…	…	—	—	—	250
Stevenage	…	…	…	24	119	130	600
Welwyn	…	…	…	—	95	60	230
				248	1,108	980	3,310

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what is the average erection cost of the various sizes of houses built in the new towns; and how that compares with the national average.

For houses so far completed, a two-bedroomed house £1,113; a three-bedroomed £1,447; a four-bedroomed £1,638. According to the Girdwood Committee's Report the cost of the average size traditional three-bedroomed house completed in October, 1949, was £1,321.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what will be the effect on the new towns of the refusal of the city of St. Albans to give planning permission to the Gas Board's proposals to extend its works at that city; and what steps he proposes to take in view of this refusal.

St. Albans have not refused planning permission, but I have

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what is the housing programme for 1950 for each of the new towns; and the number of houses so far completed.

The information is as follows:directed the Gas Board's application to be referred to me for determination, in consultation with my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Fuel and Power. A public local inquiry will be held, and my right hon. Friend and I shall then take our decision.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what provision is made for children, or for parents of children, who are invalids from an early age and who cease to be eligible for children's allowances on reaching the age of 15; and whether she will give an undertaking that the position of such children will be considered when the present insurance schemes come up for general review.

If through inability to attend school an invalid child has ceased to qualify for family allowances at age 15, his father, when not fully employed, may claim National Assistance in respect of him. At 16 the child may apply for National Assistance in his own Tight. The position of these children will be considered further in any future review of the schemes.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she will give an estimate of the cost involved in the abolition of the five-year time limit for pneumoconiosis compensation.

I regret that I have no information on which I could base any such estimate.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what arrangements have been agreed between her Department and the Service Departments regarding the payment of contributions during periods when men and women in the Auxiliary Forces attend training camps.

For Reserve' training of more than 72 hours, when the training covers the beginning of a week, the Service authorities will obtain from my Department a special training card and will stamp it with the National Insurance contribution. The civilian employer will retain the ordinary National Insurance card so that he can stamp it with the industrial injury contribution if he is continuing to pay wages.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the Report of the Economic Commission for Europe to the Economic and Social Council, resulting from the recent Conference at Geneva; and what undertaking was given at that Conference respecting additional trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of Eastern Europe.

The Report of the Economic Commission for Europe to the Economic and Social Council is divided into five Sections. The first deals with general points. The second summarises the work done by the constituent Committees of E.C.E. during the past year. The third contains a brief record of the discussions during the last Session of the Commission. The fourth contains the resolutions adopted by the last Session of the Commission, and the fifth is a draft resolution to be submitted to the Economic and Social Council requesting them to take note of the report and to recommend the allocation of funds for implementing the Commission's decisions.As regards the second part of the Question, no undertaking was given at the Conference about additional trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of Eastern Europe.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the annual contribution from the United Kingdom of the cost of the United Nations Organisation in the United States of America; and what system of control exists to limit British Treasury contribution towards these costs.

The annual contribution from the United Kingdom towards the cost of the United Nations is fixed at 11.37 per cent. of the total budget. For 1950 the amount of the United Kingdom contribution is £1,680,000. The proportion of the cost which falls on the United Kingdom Exchequer is fixed by agreement with the other member nations and the resulting provision is subject to Parliamentary approval in accordance with the ordinary Estimate procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what has been the total sum paid by the Treasury towards the costs of the United Nations Organisation since its inception; and to what extent this country has been called on to make good the failures of other member States to pay their shares in accordance with the scales laid down.

The total United Kingdom contribution to the expenses of the United Nations was £4,059,753 at the end of 1949. This country has not been called upon to make good the failures of other member States to pay their full contributions.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent the American oil companies have agreed to supply this country with the extra petrol required under decontrol of petrol; if he has any estimate of the probable value of this petrol; and if he will give an assurance that the sterling so acquired will be entirely spent on purchasing tankers.

The United States oil companies have agreed to supply for sterling their share of any increase in consumption of petrol arising from the abolition of petrol rationing. If, as has been estimated, consumption in the U.K. increases by one million tons per annum, the share of the United States companies would be 350,000 tons per annum, and would cost about £5 million.As I told the House on 26th May, the companies have undertaken to spend this sterling in the sterling area on additional goods and services to be used by them in their oil operations, or on the building of tankers here. There is no question of their spending all the sterling on building tankers, and it would be unreasonable to restrict their freedom to spend sterling in the way which the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what amount of steel was allocated in 1949 for the supply of poles for electricity transmission; and whether the allocation is decided in relation to the availability of home grown timber for these purposes.

No allotment of steel was made in 1949 for steel poles to carry overhead electricity conductors but some 600 tons of steel were allocated in that year for the manufacture of reinforced concrete poles for that purpose. The size of the allocation was largely due to the shortage of both home grown and imported wooden poles during the first part of that year.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will consider allowing a greater proportion of machine tool production to be allocated to the home market.

No. The Government consider that present arrangements afford the best balance between the needs of home industry and the need that the machine tool industry should make the maximum contribution to exports, particularly to hard currency areas.

asked the Minister of Transport how many vessels were lost during 1949; how many of the losses were caused by mines; and how many lives were lost.

During 1949 64 British vessels registered in the United Kingdom, of which 29 were of over 100 gross tons, were lost involving the deaths of 49 persons. In addition 10 deaths were reported from marine casualties which did not result in the loss of the ships involved. Only one of the ships referred to was lost as a result of striking a mine, with the loss of one life.

asked the Minister of Health how many dwellings in the counties of Berkshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire, respectively, have been reported by the various local authorities to his Department as having had demolition orders served upon them since 1945; and during the same period and in the same counties how many new houses have been built to let as council houses.

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is not included in the returns furnished to my Department and is, therefore, not available. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the Quarterly Housing Return.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an undertaking that before this country is committed to approval of any international sanitary regulations this House will be consulted.

When new International Sanitary Regulations are adopted by the World Health Organisation they will not come into force until after a period probably of 12 months in which any member State may reject the Regulations or make reservations. If it appears that acceptance of the Regulations will involve substantial amendment to our National Regulations, the House will be consulted.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the value of sewerage schemes, in connection with housing, that have been held up since October, 1949, as a result of the capital investment programme being reduced; how many schemes are involved; and how many houses built, building or planned, will be, or have been, affected.

I am not aware that any sewerage schemes which are essential for new housing have been deferred.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state, with regard to rural water schemes in England and Wales, the value of schemes submitted to him for approval; of schemes approved in principle, but not yet authorised to go to tender; of schemes authorised for commencement, but not yet completed; of schemes completed; of grants paid in respect of these schemes; and of grants promised, but not yet paid, in respect of schemes, respectively, up to the latest convenient date.

The following details relate to the period from the end of the war to 31st May, 1950. Information of the value of rural water supply schemes actually completed during that period is not available.

	£
(1) Value of all rural water schemes submitted for approval	52,712,228
(2) Value of schemes approved in principle but not yet authorised to go to tender	13,558,396
(3) Value of schemes authorised for commencement (completed and uncompleted)	17,359,554
(4) Grants promised finally or conditionally under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Act, 1944	6,028,930
(5) Portion of (4) paid to 31st May, 1950	879,167

asked the Minister of Health if he has yet had an opportunity of considering the details of the scheme for providing the parishes in the Ripon and Patley rural district with piped water; if the scheme is practicable; and how long will it be before he makes a final decision.

I am still waiting for certain information about this scheme from the rural district council. When I have received it I will consider whether a local investigation of the proposals by one of my inspectors should be made. I am unable to say when this further investigation will be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he proposes to take to increase the strength of the Colonial Forces in the East and Central African territories; and whether he will state the policy of His Majesty's Government towards them.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to land Forces. The policy of His Majesty's Government is that the Colonial Forces in East and Central Africa should be adequate for the local defence and internal security of those areas. The existing Forces are regarded as adequate for that purpose, and it is not at present intended that they should be increased.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what amounts of beer, spirits or other intoxicating beverages

IMPORTS OF BEER, SPIRITS, ETC., INTO WEST AFRICA
—		1939		1949
		Thousand Gallons	£	Thousand Gallons	£
Nigeria—
Beer, Ale, Stout and Porter	…	408	65,140	2,388	838,000
Cider and Perry	…	1	242	4	2,237
Spirits	…	88	71,592	100(a)	150,000
Wine	…	28	13,870	26	36,215
GOLD COAST—
Beer, Ale, Stout and Porter	…	572	85,080	2,754	974,260
Cider and Perry	…	2	547	4	2,243
Spirits	…	81(a)	79,635	188	268,145
Wine	…	41	13,791	335	150,926
SIERRA LEONE—
Beer, Ale, Stout and Porter	…	199	36,916	276	103,707
Cider and Perry	…	*	77	N.S.E.	N.S.E.
Spirits	…	11	10,544	24(a)	37,973
Wine	…	38	10,201	134	66,545
GAMBIA—				Year 1948
Beer, Ale, Stout and Porter	…	13	2,128	19	7,620
Cider and Perry	…	N.S.E.	N.S.E.	*	56
Spirits	…	2	2,327	2	3,428
Wine	…	12	1,580	7	4,230

NOTES:(

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Select Committee of the Northern Rhodesia Legislative Council has yet reported on the draft Immigration Bill.

I understand that the Report of the Select Committee was laid before Legislative Council on 12th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the reports by Colonial Governments on the extent of legislation establishing racial discrimination have now been analysed; and whether he will now make a statement on the position.

The information asked for is as follows:

The surveys of this subject by Colonial Governments have not yet been fully analysed, but I hope to have the results shortly and will decide what further action I should take after I have had an opportunity of studying them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many students at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad, were engaged in studying agriculture and forestry respectively as at 31st May, excluding students engaged upon research work.

There are 54 students at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad, studying agriculture. The Imperial College does not train students in Forestry.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make representations to the British Broadcasting Corporation under section 4 of Clause 4 of the Licence and Agreement as to the desirability, in the national interest, of not broadcasting any information which involves our military developments.

I have no reason to think that representations are necessary; if the hon. Member has evidence to the contrary, and will let me have details, I will be glad to look into the matter.