asked the Minister of Works how many workmen are employed in the removal of the concrete bases of sheds formerly used by the Auxiliary Territorial Service at Shoeburyness.

No workmen are at present employed at Shoeburyness removing the bases of sheds formerly used by the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Last month four men were employed for one week to remove the bases of five huts, which were erected to accommodate personnel employed on building houses at Shoeburyness.

asked the Minister of Works on which site in Eagle Street a new office block is to be built; when it is intended the work shall be completed; what is the intended floor area: and how much of it will be available for private business occupation.

The new building will be erected on the site of 28–34, Eagle Street and 68–70, Red Lion Street and should be complete by August, 1951 the net floor area excluding the basement will be 47,250 square feet, of which 7,685 square feet will be available for private business occupation.

asked the Minister of Works which sites in the Borough of Holborn are being considered for purchase to become Crown property and on which offices are to be built for Government use during the next five years.

I am considering the purchase of a site at the corner of Theobalds Road and Southampton Row. No other sites in the Borough of Holborn are being considered for purchase for the erection of offices in the next five years by my Department.

asked the Minister of Works what licences he has granted for the immediate building of office blocks in the Borough of Holborn for private business occupation; and at what addresses.

Three office buildings in Holborn are at present being constructed under licence for private business occupation and a fourth has been licensed but not started. They are at 22–24, Ely Place, 88–89, High Holborn, 1–7 Stone Buildings, Lincolns Inn, and 49. Red Lion Street.

asked the Minister of Works at what date the new Colonial Office, on the site of Westminster Hospital, will be completed.

According to present plans, the new Colonial Office will be completed in 1955.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will afford greater representation to the rural districts on the Consultative Council of the Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Board.

I am at present considering the appointment of some additional members of the Merseyside and North Wales Electricity Consultative Council; I hope to increase the number of members from rural districts.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many additional coal face workers it is estimated are at present wanted in the North Staffordshire coalfield: and whether the position is improving.

I regret that 1 am not in a position to give estimates of the shortage or surplus of face workers in particular areas at particular dates.

asked the Minister of Food (1) how long he has been negotiating with the New Zealand Government to settle the prices of meat: when he expects to conclude the negotiations; and what is the reason for the delay;(2) how long he has been negotiating with the Australian Government to settle the prices of meat; when he expects to conclude the negotiations; and what is the reason for the delay.

Negotiations with the Australian and New Zealand Governments about meat prices for the coming year are still in progress. They began in May but have inevitably become to some degree linked with discussions on the wider issue of the long term plans being made by those Governments to increase meat exports to this country. In the circumstances I do not think that there has been any undue delay.

asked the Minister of Food how long he has been negotiating with the Argentine Government to settle

ESTIMATED SUBSIDIES ON FOODSTUFFS, 1950–51
Commodity	Home Produced	Imported	Total	Increases in average prices required to eliminate subsidy
				Unit	Home Production		Imports
	£m.	£m.	£m.		s.	d.	s.	d.
Bacon	24·7	13·5	38·2	lb.	1	6¾		7¼
Bread	19·7	69·5	89·2	3½ lb. loaf		5¼		5¼
Flour (other than for bread)				7 lb.	1	1	1	1
Shell eggs (a)	23·3	3·0	26·3	doz.	1	5½		3¼
Meat (a)	37·3	2·8	40·1	lb.		5		¼
Milk	72·0	—	72·0	quart		2¾	—
Butter (b)	1·7	38·5	40·2	lb.	1	0½	1	0½
Cheese (b)	3·8	15·1	18·9	lb.		9¼		9½
Margarine (domestic)	—	14·0	14·0	lb.	—			4
Lard and cooking fat (domestic)	—	4·7	4·7	lb.	—			2¾
Potatoes (c)	15·4	—	15·4	7 lb.		2	—
Sugar (domestic)	3·1	7·0	10·1	lb.		1¼		1¼
Tea	—	17·3	17·3	lb.	—			9
Miscellaneous	2·5	Cr. (24·0)	Cr. (21·5)
	203·5	161·4	364·9
Welfare and Milk in Schools
Schemes	35·0	2·6	37·6
Fertilizers	7·5	—	7·5
	246·0	164·0	410·0

(

asked the Minister of Food if he will now allocate more tin to the British canning industry.

Negotiations opened in April and are still going on. I would not like to forecast when they will be concluded. Besides meat, the negotiations involve intricate questions of finance and commerce and are bound to take some time.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the estimated amounts to be paid in subsidies for 1950–51 on each individual item of food that is subsidised, giving home-produced and imported foodstuffs separately; and the increase in the price of each com modity which would result from the abolition of these subsidies.

As I told the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. J. P. L. Thomas) on 2nd May, I can see no prospect of being able to do this at present, I am afraid.

asked the Minister of Food what was the cost per lb. of mutton delivered during recent weeks under current contracts with Australia, New Zealand, the Argentine and Uruguay, respectively.

It would not be in the public interest for me to disclose these prices.

asked the Minister of Food the ratio of imported mutton to imported lamb in the stocks held by his Department at the nearest convenient date.

On 30th June, stocks of imported ration quality mutton and lamb respectively were almost equal, with just slightly more lamb.

asked the Minister of Defence what is the cost to date to the taxpayer in employing troops to distribute food in the recent strikes in the London area.

None.

asked the Minister of Labour within approximately how many hours the present unofficial strike in the meat section of the Smithfield Market spread to the poultry section at Smithfield and to the markets at Kingston, Croydon and Islington.

Smithfield porters ceased work on Monday, 3rd July, between 9.45 a.m. and 10 a.m. The stoppages at Kingston, Croydon and Islington took place at 11 a.m. approximately. In each case the stoppage coincided with the arrival of Service personnel to handle meat. The workers in the poultry section at Smithfield Market stopped work between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on the same day.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make it obligatory for left-hand drive vehicles to carry some sort of mechanical, electric or manual signal arms.

I intend eventually to require direction indicators and stop lights to be fitted to motor vehicles generally. I have no evidence that left-hand drive vehicles not so fitted are an appreciable source of accidents and I should not feel justified in treating them specially in this respect.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has considered the sign-posting plan for London sent to him by the motoring organisations; and when he proposes to give it his approval.

This plan, for which I am grateful, is proving of great help for the purposes of a temporary sign-posting scheme which I hope will be ready in time for the Festival.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider giving special assistance for the upkeep of roads to those counties in which there are no trunk roads.

No. The rates of grant to the maintenance of roads are fixed by reference to the through-traffic value of the roads as indicated by their classification. The allocation of grant money and the expenditure to be incurred on trunk roads in a county are determined by such considerations as the general condition of the roads and the weight of traffic using them.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent the accident rate on the Coleshill Road and Bradford Road in the Castle Bromwich district of Birmingham is unusually high; and what steps he proposes to take to reduce it.

Taking into account the heavy traffic using this by-pass route the accident record is not abnormal. It has, however, risen since 1947 and I have therefore decided to have conditions on the road fully investigated by my divisional road engineer in consultation with the police and local authorities to see what can be done to improve safety.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the serious loss caused to the public by traffic delays during road repairs; and if he will arrange for road repair work on main London thoroughfares to be done by night as well as by day wherever practicable.

I am anxious to reduce as far as possible any inconvenience caused by road repairs, but as I have explained in my answer of today to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. John Rodgers), there are serious difficulties in the way of doing such work by night.

asked the Minister of Health what are the intentions of the regional hospital board regarding the future use of the White Oak Hospital at Swanley.

I understand that the Board propose to use the hospital for ophthalmic and other treatment of children and for a tuberculous eye unit.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that the expected influx of visitors for the Festival of Britain will not exacerbate London's housing difficulties; and whether he is considering taking any steps to safeguard the position of those people who are compelled to take furnished accommodation.

I see no reason to anticipate any insuperable difficulty.

asked the Minister of Health when the property at 192, Ashley Gardens, used during the war as offices and recently vacated, will be returned to use for residential purposes; and what steps his Department has taken to this end.

The future use of these premises is a matter for the owners in the first instance. If it is proposed to continue their use as offices, consents will be required under Defence Regulation 68cA and the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he is aware that his Tunbridge Wells branch have failed to implement their promise to provide an artificial leg for Dennis Brewster, of 23B, Wilbury Road, Hove, before the end of June; whether he is aware of the distress and hardship this delay is causing; and whether he will ensure immediate action.

I am very sorry that Mr. Brewster has had to wait a little longer for his artificial limb than was expected. I am glad to say that the limb makers have promised that the completed artificial leg will be delivered to my Tunbridge Wells limb fitting centre on 12th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how soon the property at Princes Gate Court, now occupied by the Royal Air Force, will be de-requisitioned as recommended by the Select Committee on Estimates on 23rd November last.

It is hoped to de-requisition this property before the end of August.

asked the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will give particulars of the total wages bill in relation to the waiters, waitresses and kitchen staff in employment at 31st December, 1945; also the same comparative figures for 1947 and 1949.

The figures are as follows, for the weeks covering 31st December in each year:

asked the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will give particulars of the wage scales, male and female, for waiters, waitresses and kitchen staff in employment at 31st December, 1945, and the same comparative figures for 1947 and 1949, showing how they compare with the agreed rates under the Catering Wages Act.

:

—	1945			1947			1949
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Waiters and waitresses (no gratuities).	5	10	0	5	10	0	5	10	0
	to			to			to
	6	10	0	6	10	0	6	10	0
Kitchen staff (all grades).	3	10	0	3	10	0	3	10	0
	to			to			to
	10	10	0	10	10	0	10	15	0

Agreed minimum rates as per Catering Wages Act are:—For kitchen staff—£2 15s. 6d. to £3 18s. 0d.For waiters, waitresses (with gratuities)—£3 8s. 0d. to £4 18s. 0d.

asked the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will give details of how many waiters, waitresses and kitchen staff were on the permanent staff and others listed as casuals or part-time at 31st December, 1945; also the same comparative figures for 1947 and 1949.

As the House did not sit on 31st December in any of the years given no part-time or casual labour was employed on those particular dates. Part-time and casual labour is employed as circumstances demand if the management are able to obtain suitable persons. At the present time 159 staff are employed of whom 32 are part-time, that is, 21.3 per cent. of total staff. In addition, a few casual waiters, porters, and cleaners are employed from time to time.

asked the hon. Member for Bristol, North-East, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, if he will give particulars of the administrative and clerical staff in employment at 31st December, 1945, and the aggregate costs related to total annual takings and per — of sales for 1945; also the same compartive figures for 1947 and 1949.

:

—	1945	1947	1949
Number of staff	13	10	10
Per cent. cost on return	9·5	4·4	5·5
Per cent. per £ of sales.	22·8d.	10·56d.	13·2d.

asked the Prime Minister whether in view of the numerous problems in the Far East which may, during the next few months, call for coordinated decisions by all members of the Commonwealth, he will now arrange to establish in London or at some other convenient point, some special organisation or committee which will be able to deal rapidly with the various decisions which may have to be taken.

I have been asked to reply. There is already close and continual consultation between Commonwealth Governments on all major Far Eastern problems and in the view of the Government such consultation would not be facilitated by supplementing the existing machinery on the lines suggested by the hon. and gallant Member. As regards the general question of Commonwealth consultation, I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister to a question on this subject on 29th June, and to the statement which I made in the Adjournment Debate on 4th July.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many persons within the area of the Carlisle office of her Department are in receipt of disablement allowances, showing employees of British Railways separately.

I regret that this information is not available. I hope, however, to be able to publish later in the year an analysis of claims for injury and disablement benefit in respect of the different regional areas of the Ministry

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what restrictions he places on professional money-lenders in respect to loans for speculative purposes.

Loans by professional money-lenders like all other classes of loan come under the Control of Borrowing Order, 1947. The Treasury does not issue consent to loans for speculative purposes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present position regarding finance for export promotion and scientific research in connection with the wool textile industry; and whether he regards the position as satisfactory.

Hitherto, finance for export promotion has been provided from a fund established from a war-time statutory levy imposed under the Defence (Encouragement of Exports) Regulations, but this fund is now exhausted. Finance for scientific research is at present provided by voluntary contributions. It is necessary to put these activities on a more stable financial basis, and I therefore propose shortly to seek Parliamentary approval for a levy or levies to be imposed on the industry, under Section 9 of the Industrial, Organisation and Development Act, 1947, for the purposes of export promotion and scientific research.

asked the Minister of Supply what was the output of rolled strip and fillet from the Royal Ordnance factories and the Royal Mint for the three months ended 30th June, 1950, in each of the following metals: bronze, nickel brass, cupro nickel, copper, brass, nickel and other alloys, respectively.

The output of rolled strip and fillet from the Royal Ordnance Factories and the Royal Mint for the three months ended 30th June, 1950, was, in tons. Bronze, 59; Nickel brass, 164; Cupro nickel, 775; Copper, 18; Brass, 2,739 Nickel,—Other alloys, 136.

asked the Minister of Education how many new schools of each category were built in the five years immediately preceding the war; how many have been built since the war; how many were built to satisfy the needs of new housing estates; and what was the total capital cost under each heading, both pre-war and post-war.

:The information desired, in so far as it may be obtainable, could be given only at the expense of considerable time and labour which cannot be justified in present circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any power to pay compensation to parents of children who die from the effects of vaccination.

:No.

asked the Secretary of State of Scotland what compensation will be paid to the nurses or to the relatives of nurses who contracted smallpox in consequence of the wrong diagnosis of a case of that disease at a fever hospital in Glasgow.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 4th May. Any claim from a nurse for compensation would fall to be dealt with similarly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what illnesses the Robroyston smallpox staff suffered from while engaged in nursing the smallpox cases.

Two nurses had colds from which they have recovered.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what were the average prices, including subsidy, received by fishermen for cod and haddock, respectively, landed at the Anstruther district ports during the three months prior to the removal of price control this year; and what were the average prices received for the same types of fish during the three months subsequent to de-control;(2) what were the total landings of white fish, excluding shell fish, in the Anstruther district ports during the two periods, namely, the three months prior to, and the three months subsequent to, removal of price control this year; and what proportions of these totals represented cod and haddock, respectively.

The following table gives the particulars requested for the three months ending on 14th April when fish prices were de-controlled, and for the period from 15th April to 24th June.

ANSTRUTHER DISTRICT
PERIOD FROM 16TH JANUARY, 1950, TO 14TH APRIL, 1950
—	Landings	Percentage of total	Average Price (including subsidy)
	Cwts.		s.	d.
All white fish	6,566	100	51	10
Cod	4,844	73·7	43	10
Haddock	426	6·5	53	6

PERIOD FROM 15TH APRIL, 1950, TO 24TH JUNE, 1950
—	Landings	Percentage of total	Average Price (including subsidy)
	Cwts.		s.	d.
All white fish	8,396	100	57	0
Cod	5,800	69	46	9
Haddock	1,309	15·5	67	5

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what methods are used by his Department to determine the actual costs of transporting white fish from the ports of landing to the points of sale; from whom such figures are collected; whether they distinguish between road and rail transport; whether they include road transport from the ports to local markets; and to what extent these costs, for road and rail respectively, have changed since the date of the removal of the flat rate transport subsidy in the case of Scotland as a whole, and of the Anstruther district ports in particular.

My Department estimate the cost of sending fish to market from the port of landing on the basis of information obtained from the merchants as to quantities, means of transport and destinations and from the transport undertakings as to freights. For the year ended 30th November, 1949, the actual cost thus estimated of transporting fish from the Anstruther district was about £3,500. At current freights the cost would have been about £4,100. The transport levy actually paid was £9,827. None of these figures takes account of local cartage. I regret that similar figures for the whole of Scotland are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the complete list of all licensing districts in which an extension of permitted hours to 10.30 p.m. has been granted on week-days, either for the whole year or for a lesser period, indicating where such extensions were newly granted at the last annual licensing meeting.

I am sending the hon. Member the information for which he asks.

asked the Lord President of the Council what is the estimated number of visitors who can be accommodated on the South Bank Festival of Britain Exhibition at any one time in fine weather and wet weather respectively; and whether any decision has yet been reached as to how visitors coming from a long distance to see this exhibition will be able to obtain entry without undue waiting in queues.

The estimated capacity of the South Bank Exhibition at any one time is 60,000. It might be expected that in very wet weather this figure would be reduced—perhaps by 25 per cent. The scheme of admissions now under consideration provides for the sale of a large number of advance tickets affording guaranteed admission to the holders during a certain period of the day. This should enable visitors coming from a long distance to obtain entry without queueing.