asked the Minister of Works if he is aware of the difficulty involved in trying to see the craftsmanship and beauties of the ceilings and higher reaches of parts of the Houses of Parliament; and if he will cause appropriate lighting to be installed.

Yes. A programme of improvement is already in hand but extensive re-wiring is necessary and the work will have to be spread over some years.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will provide some area of grass upon which children may play in the southern part of St. James's Park.

There is an enclosure for a children's playground in the south-west corner of St. James's Park, adjoining Birdcage Walk. The greater part of the enclosed area is grass; there is also playground equipment and a sandpit, but except on a few occasions it is not put to very great use.

asked the Minister of Works how far approvals of building licences have been held up owing to lack of timber; and to what approximate value.

No schemes which can be carried out within the framework of capital investment policy have been refused licences because of lack of timber, but economy in the use of softwood is insisted upon.

asked the Attorney-General when he will introduce legislation to give effect to the recommendations of the Porter Committee for amendment of the law of libel.

I am unable to say when it will be possible to introduce legislation to deal with the recommendations of this Committee.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will introduce legislation to revise the proportion of benefits derived on intestacy under the provisions of the Administration of Estates Act, 1925, having regard to the change in values since that date.

My noble Friend has decided to set up a committee to examine the matter. The committee will have the following terms of reference:

asked the Lord President of the Council what will be the position about the facilities for the supply and consumption of alcoholic drinks in connection with the catering arrangements for the Festival of Britain; and whether it is proposed to make any special arrangements in that connection.

No special arrangements are contemplated. Applications for licences to permit the sale of alcoholic drinks, subject to the usual restrictions, in certain catering establishments forming part of the Festival Exhibitions and the Festival Gardens will be made to the appropriate authorities in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date the Germans assumed power on the transfer of land in the British zone of Germany.

The Governments of the Laender in the British zone had not only the power but the duty to legislate on the subject of land reform as the result of Ordinance No. 103 of September, 1947.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further developments have taken place in regard to the possible appointment of Herr Wurmann as a German vice-consul in London, and if he will make a further statement on the matter.

The reply which I gave to my hon. Friend on 26th June was based on a statement issued on 22nd June by the German consul-general, a copy of which was communicated to the Foreign Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for what reason members of the Diplomatic Corps in Great Britain have now been placed in the category of non-residents for certain purposes; and what practical consequences flow from this with regard to the various taxes to which they are liable or from which they are exempt.

As regards the first part of the question, career diplomats and established members of foreign diplomatic missions and consulates in the United Kingdom are regarded for exchange control purposes as residents of the countries which they represent; this is because the permanent place of residence is outside the United Kingdom and this treatment enables them to have free transfer of their moneys between the United Kingdom and their country of origin. As regards the second part, the treatment of a person as non-resident for exchange control purposes does not affect his liability for the payment of taxes, which is decided in accordance with the relevant taxation rules.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) the final cost, in so far as it was borne by his Department, of replacing, repairing and reconditioning bridges, roads and river banks, destroyed or damaged by floods during 1948 in Berwickshire and East Lothian;(2) the original estimated cost to his Department of the work of rehabilitation of damage to transport facilities caused by the flooding of the Berwickshire and East Lothian area during 1948; and what were the terms of contract arranged for the carrying out of the work.

The estimated total cost of works requiring expenditure from the Road Fund was £281,724, the Road Fund's share being £176,285. Ninety-five works, estimated to cost £98,624, have so far been completed at a cost of £71,872. Of these:—two were the subject of ordinary contracts resulting from competitive tendering based on my Department's Standard Conditions of Contract; the final cost of these was £8,734, compared with an original estimate of £10,177; 15 works were the subject of contracts of the "time and materials" type, in which the contractor was paid at agreed rates for labour, haulage and materials actually used; the final cost of these was £16,866 compared with an original estimate of £26,700; 31 works were undertaken by contractors on the basis of net cost of labour, and in some instances of materials, plus percentages to cover overheads and profit; the final cost of these was £10,409 compared with an original estimate of £12,500; 47 works not let to contract were carried out by the direct labour organisations of the highway authorities themselves; the final cost of these was £35,863 compared with an estimate of £49,247.No expenditure on railways or river banks has fallen on my Department.

asked the Minister of Transport how many Transport Users Consultative Committees have now been appointed; and when it is proposed to appoint the others and in particular the one covering the Lincoln area.

I have appointed the Central Transport Consultative Committee and Transport Users Consultative Committees for Scotland, Wales and London. I hope shortly to announce the areas for which I propose to appoint Transport Users Consultative Committees in the remainder of England. These will include the area covering Lincoln.

asked the Minister of Transport whether any decision has yet been reached about the improvement of the bridge and level crossing on the Snaith—Rawcliffe road.

Negotiations with the Railway Executive are still in progress. I hope that they will shortly be concluded.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the fact that many of the experts who will be concerned with the operation of the new system relating to street works as provided for in the Public Utilities Street Works Bill have expressed themselves as unable to understand its meaning or how it should be operated, he will take steps, before this Bill is considered by the House of Commons, to make available an explanatory memorandum setting out in simple terms exactly what changes are proposed by the Bill.

I do not think that this is necessary. There has been some criticism that the Bill is complicated, but this view is by no means general. An explanatory memorandum will be issued when the Bill becomes law.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is satisfied that traffic on main roads, notably A.6 where it crosses Shap, is not being unduly obstructed by the transport by road of large and awkward loads which might more conveniently be moved either by rail or coastal shipping; and how the volume of such traffic on main roads today compares with 1938.

Inquiries I have made do not suggest that these loads are, in general, unduly obstructive, although they may on occasion cause inconvenience or delay to other road users. Information relating to 1938 is deficient, but the volume of such traffic is undoubtedly much greater now that it was then. On the London—Carlisle road over Shap there were 30 such loads in the first half of 1938 and 203 in the first half of this year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, owing to the inadequate staff available, only about one-third of those who lost all their personal possessions in British and ex-British territories in the Far East, and have subsequently returned permanently to this country to rehabilitate themselves here, have yet received consideration and settlement of their claims under the Extended Far Eastern Private Chattels Scheme; and whether, in view of the fact that nearly all these cases involve hardship, steps can be taken to increase the staff dealing with the claims made and in order to expedite settlement.

I am aware of the circumstances to which my hon. Friend refers, but in spite of the general shortage of staff the rate of payment is being somewhat accelerated. I am having the matter reviewed in order to see whether it is possible to accelerate the work still further.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for what quantities of sawn softwood contracts have been placed this year in Canada, the United States of America, Poland, Germany and Yugoslavia; what quantities have so far been delivered to the United Kingdom; and what is the total quantity which it is hoped to obtain from each of these sources this year.

It is not the practice to disclose our contract position or to anticipate future contracts. Imports of sawn softwood into the United Kingdom in the period January-May, 1950, from the sources named were:

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give in terms of volume and value the figures of exports of tinplate and refined sugar to Holland in the five months ended 31st May, 1950; and the corresponding figures for the same period of 1949.

Exports of tinplate to the Netherlands during January to May, 1950, were 2,425 tons, valued at £158,507 and in the corresponding five months of 1949, 387 tons, valued at £27,717. Exports of refined sugar, including candy, to the Netherlands during January to May, 1950, were 199 tons valued at £9,095 and 39 tons valued at £1,718 in the same period last year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the date on which the 11-months-old baby who died in the smallpox hospital at Glasgow on 3rd April was vaccinated; and whether the vaccination was performed before she was taken to the smallpox hospital, or afterwards.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 29th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what records he has concerning the re-vaccination in 1946 of one of the nurses who developed smallpox in the Glasgow outbreak, and of the re-vaccination in 1946 of the doctor whose mild attack of smallpox is included in the list of cases in the report by doctors Laidlaw and Horne.

The hospital records show that vaccination of the nurse was attempted unsuccessfully in 1946. There is no similar record for the doctor, the exact nature of whose illness remains in doubt, but he has stated that he vaccinated himself in 1946 and on numerous other occasions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that a 17-year-old part-time nurse who died during the Glasgow smallpox outbreak had been vaccinated on seven occasions, three times in infancy, twice in 1949 and again on 26th March and 29th March; whether in the case of three unsuccessful vaccinations in infancy a certificate of insusceptibility was given; and whether insusceptibility to vaccination is considered equivalent to insusceptibility to smallpox

I am aware that vaccination of this nurse, who was a full-time employee of the hospital, was attempted on the occasions stated. A certificate of insusceptibility was given in infancy. It cannot be said that insusceptibility to vaccination at one time is equivalent to permanent insusceptibility to smallpox.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the three nurses who died of smallpox during the Glasgow outbreak had been offered vaccination on their appointment to the nursing staff.

There is no definite record that vaccination was offered to these nurses. The recent instructions to hospitals, announced in another place on 22nd June, will secure that this is always done in this kind of hospital, and that adequate records are kept.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has had an opportunity of examining the scheme for extension at Stromness Harbour, and whether he will make a statement on it.

I regret that I am not in a position to make the desired statement. The latest proposals of the Stromness Harbour Commissioners were only received recently and are under examination.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that there is a shortage of fuel for Esse cookers in the Salisbury area; that the coke available is not satisfactory; and if he will arrange to make adequate allocation of the correct fuel.

I am advised that in general supplies of coke suitable for Esse cookers are available in the Salisbury area. If, however, the hon. Member has in mind any case of difficulty in obtaining a particular grade or size of coke and will let me have details, I will do what I can to help.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many miners in South Wales have continued their underground employment after being certified to be suffering from pneumoconiosis.

On 31st December, 1949, 2,372 men who had been given an assessment in respect of pneumoconiosis under the Industrial Injuries Act, 1948, were employed underground in the South Wales coalfield.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the fresh information given to him by the hon. Member for Bath, he will make a further statement in regard to the appointment of coal and coke merchants to positions on the Gas Consultative Councils.

As I stated in answer to a similar Question by the hon. Member on 1st May last, I have every confidence in the two nominees of local authority associations known to be connected with the coal and coke trade who are at present serving on Gas Consultative Councils. Nevertheless, while it is desirable that the Minister of Fuel and Power should be free to appoint the most suitable men, particularly the most suitable local nominees of local authority associations, I am ready to agree that—other things being equal—the appointment of coal and coke merchants to Gas Consultative Councils will be avoided in the future. What I have said applies generally, of course, to any nominees of people whose business interests might conceivably conflict with their views as members of Consultative Councils.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones from farmers in Caernarvonshire have been outstanding since 1946 or earlier.

Twenty-nine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the staffing ratio of warders to prisoners in His Majesty's prisons in 1939, 1945 and 1950.

The ratio of prison officers in the basic grade in relation to prisoners and Borstal inmates was on 1st April, 1939, 1 to 5 for both men and women; on 1st April, 1945, 1 to 8 for men and 1 to 11 for women, and on 1st April, 1950 (excluding 298 men and 37 women auxiliary officers under training), 1 to 7 for men and 1 to 6 for women. The figures are to the nearest unit.