asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are taken to ensure that Army officers know their duty in cases where offences against civil law are committed by military personnel.

Officers are given instructions in military law and the Army Act, Section 41 of which deals with civil offences. There are full instructions on the subject mentioned in the Question, and as close a liaison as possible is maintained between the military and civil authorities, both between commanding officers and the civil police and between the military and civil police.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that battle-dress is frequently too hot and uncomfortable to wear in the United Kingdom during the summer months; and whether he will take steps to ensure that troops are not required to wear battle-dress blouses unnecessarily in warm weather in this country.

During the summer months shirt-sleeve order may normally be worn at the discretion of officers commanding units.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning when the Schuster Committee, on the scope of planning and the qualifications necessary or desirable for persons engaged in it, is likely to be presented.

I hope in September.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning the amount per annum which it is estimated will be borne by the Exchequer in meeting 25 per cent. of the cost of the restoration of the land after the extraction of iron-ore.

Probably about £30,000.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what steps are taken by the Central Land Board to find out whether there is any prospect of a building licence being issued within a reasonable time before the appropriate development charge is assessed and collected from the owner of a plot of land who wishes to build a house for himself.

Before assessing development charge, the Board's officers make inquiries of the local authority responsible for issuing building licences.

asked the Minister of Labour how many days work have been lost owing to industrial disputes in the five years preceding 1st July, 1950, and in the corresponding period after the First World War.

The total number of working days lost through industrial disputes causing stoppages of work during the five years preceding 1st July, 1950, was about 10¾million. The corresponding total during the five years immediately following the First World War was about 178 million.

asked the Minister of Labour how many advisory committees he has appointed under the powers conferred on him by section 1 (2) of the Employment and Training Act, 1948; and what are their duties.

Three hundred and eighty-two local employment committees and 142 youth employment committees. Their duties are to advise and assist the Minister in the performance of his functions under the Act.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT the full statement of his speech at the recent International Labour Office Conference on the question of equal remuneration of men and women.

The speech which I made to the recent session of the International Labour Conference covered a wide variety of topics. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT an extract dealing with the subject to which the hon. Lady refers.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men registered as unemployed in Wales, Glamorgan and Cardiff respectively, have been out of work for 12 months and six months respectively; and how many are disabled or suffering from industrial diseases.

The following table gives the information desired:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will now announce the particulars of the procedure governing appeals under the Electricity (Staff Compensation) Regulations, 1949.

Appeals under Regulation 12 of the Electricity (Staff Compensation) Regulations, 1949, against the decision of an Electricity Board are heard by compensation appeal tribunals appointed by myself. Details of the procedure governing appeals of this kind were published in the "Ministry of Labour Gazette" for April, 1950, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will now announce the names of the members of the tribunal or tribunals appointed under Regulation 12 of the Electricity (Staff Compensation) Regulations, 1949; and if he will now publish the panels from which the tribunals are selected.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the more favourable dollar position, he is now in a position to allow emigrants to Canada to take the same funds as allowed before the restrictions of 1947.

I am afraid that it is still not possible to increase the total amount which emigrants may transfer to Canada or to any other hard currency country.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of

The following list gives the information desired:the pound sterling on 1st June, 1950, as compared with its value on 1st September, 1939, on the assumption of a purchasing power of 20s. on 1st September, 1939.

About 10s. 6d. on 16th May, 1950, the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the number of persons whose remuneration is directly or indirectly a charge upon public funds employed in the United States of America on 1st May, 1938, and 1st May, 1950, respectively; and what was the total cost thereof upon each of the above dates.

One hundred and ninety-six and 1,465 at a cost of £144,000 and £2,382,000, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many temporary clerks employed in the Civil Service were receiving a wage of £4 16s. a week or less at the last convenient date.

I regret that this information is not available centrally. I can say, however, that no male temporary clerk, Grade III, over 24 years of age is paid less than £5 a week in London, less than £4 18s. a week in the larger towns excluding London, or less than £4 16s. a week elsewhere.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider raising the making-up ceiling price of Cotton Utility 3057 to a higher figure than that for Spun Rayon Utility 1006, in order to make the export of the former cloth a practical possibility.

If, as I assume, the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the maximum price for utility dresses made from utility cotton cloth X3057, the answer is "No." It is not proposed to raise the maximum prices for utility dresses made from utility cotton cloths by reason of the relationship between prices for those cloths and prices for other fabrics.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what commitments he has entered into for the export of newsprint to Australia and other countries in the coming year; and how the export price compares with the cost of imported newsprint.

His Majesty's Government has not entered into any specific commitments for the export of newsprint in 1951. The general practice of United Kingdom newsprint mills, who fix the export prices themselves, is to quote f.o.b. for export at the current controlled price for home sales, plus the cost of export packing. Freight charges would be additional and would naturally vary according to the destination. Comparison with the cost of imported newsprint is difficult since purchases by importers are made c.i.f. and the prices paid in different supplying countries are understood to vary considerably.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he now proposes to take to ensure that cotton and rayon utility fabrics are of the required specifications.

There is no reason for supposing that there is any appreciable sale of cotton and rayon utility fabrics not complying with the appropriate specifications. We are always prepared to consider complaints, and are at present investigating certain cases which have just been brought to our notice. If the necessary evidence is available in those cases, proceedings will be instituted.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, as the uses of nylon yarn are increasing, the hosiery industry will benefit in only a small degree by the promised increased supplies; and whether, in view of the disappointment of women that more nylon stockings will not therefore be available, he will ensure that larger supplies are sent to hosiery firms rather than to those who can make up garments from alternative materials.

We are aware that several industries are developing the use of nylon yarn; these are often leading to hard currency exports and we regard such developments as important. Nevertheless, deliveries of nylon yarn to the hosiery industry are now 4½ times their level at the beginning of last year. Anxious though we are to increase the supply of nylon stockings to the home market, we are not prepared to do so to the extent of losing valuable exports or of frustrating other promising industrial development.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the first shipload of timber from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will arrive in this country; what quantity of timber it will bring; and what percentage will be suitable for building houses.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the price paid for the Russian timber is higher than the price originally asked by Swedish exporters in November, 1949.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Lewes (Major Beamish) on 6th July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total quantity, kind and value of textiles imported from Italy for the years 1945 to 1949, respectively; what are the comparable figures, to date, for 1950; what are the figures for the remainder of 1950; and what are the estimated figures for 1951 and 1952.

I am sending the hon. Member details of textile imports from Italy in the years 1945 to 1949 and the period January to May, 1950. Practically all textiles, except silk, may now be

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much timber was imported from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the last year and for the years 1935-39 separately; and if he anticipated being able to reach the pre-war import figures in the foreseeable future.

I cannot forecast future export availabilities in the U.S.S.R. The following are the figures of timber imports from the U.S.S.R., Estonio, Latvia and Lithuania in the years 1935 to 1939 and from the U.S.S.R. in 1949:imported from Italy under Open General Licence and it is not possible to state what future imports will be. Silk yarns and silk piece goods are still subject to quota, but the Italian quotas for the second half of 1950 have not yet been determined.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent representations to the United States Government have been made for the substantial reduction of its Custom tariff, with a view to the furtherance of freer multilateral trade.

Multilateral negotiations for the reduction of tariffs will take place, under the aegis of the contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, between a number of countries, including the United Kingdom and United States, at Torquay this autumn. In that connection and in accordance with the agreed procedure, we submitted to the United States Government on 15th June a list of requests for reductions in their tariff. No other representations of a more general character have been made recently. The hon. Member will, however, no doubt recall the statement by the United States Government in the joint communique issued at the end of the Tripartite discussions in Washington last September, that they would reduce obstacles to the entry of goods and services from debtor countries and that high tariffs were clearly inconsistent with the position of creditor countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what basis he is consulting with the Cotton Board concerning the Congo Basin Treaties; and whether he is in a position to make a statement on the discussions.

No consultations are taking place with the Cotton Board on the Congo Basin Treaties, but the Cotton Board have drawn the attention of my Department to Lancashire's concern in respect of these treaties, particularly as regards the position of Japan.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the figures for the export of telephone equipment for 1949 to dollar and non-dollar countries.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. Langford-Holt) on 25th May, 1950. Telegraph and telephone equipment are not distinguished in the Trade Returns.

asked the President of the Board of Trade approximately how much of the 338,478 standards of softwood in stock at 28th February is suitable for house building.

About two-thirds of the softwood stocks at 28th February were suitable for use in housing.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the case in which an Edinburgh citizen, a contributor to the National Health Service, while engaged on public business in London, broke a tooth and damaged spectacles; what arrangements are made for emergency treatment of such cases; and if he will make a statement as to emergency health services generally.

I cannot identify the particular case, but application for emergency dental treatment or for the repair of spectacles may be made direct to any dentist (or hospital with dental facilities) or optician and special administrative arrangements have been designed to enable such cases to be dealt with quickly.

asked the Minister of Health what measures are being planned to provide main water supplies to the country areas in the Parliamentary borough of Hastings; and by what date it is estimated that each of these projects will be completed.

Schemes are being discussed or designed to improve water supplies in the parishes of Ashburnham, Battle, Brede, Brightling, Broomhill, Dallington, Fairlight, Guestling, Icklesham, Mountfield, Pett, St. Thomas the Apostle Winchelsea, Sedlescombe, Watlington and Westfield. I am afraid that I am unable to estimate when all these schemes will be completed.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the distress occasioned in the area of Brede, Sussex, by reason of the lack of a main supply of water; whether he is able to give a firm date as to when this district will have such supplies made available; and what are the factors that are delaying the project.

I am aware of the position in Brede, but improved supplies cannot be brought to the parish until the mains to serve Guestling and Icklesham have been laid. I hope that the Brede supply will he provided within two years.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what steps he is taking to reduce the pollution of the River Eden, which is caused by the combination of effluent from the sewage works at Carlisle and hot water from the power station;(2) what steps he is taking to reduce the pollution of the River Tyne by the discharge of untreated sewage at Wylam;(3) what steps he is taking to reduce the pollution of the River Dee by the discharge of untreated sewage at Mold;(4) what steps he is taking to reduce the pollution of the River Severn by the discharge of untreated sewage at Welsh-pool;(5) what steps he is taking to reduce the pollution of the River Lune by the discharge of factory effluents and sewage at Middleton;(6) what steps he is taking to reduce the pollution of the River Ribble which is caused by the discharge of factory effluents into the Calder tributary at Burnley.

Enforcement of the Rivers Pollution Prevention Acts is one of the statutory functions of the new river boards which are now being established. A river board is already in operation for the River Severn and it is proposed to establish further boards shortly covering the other rivers referred to. Pending the setting up of these boards responsibility for administering the Rivers Pollution Prevention Acts rests with the local authorities or with existing joint boards, such as the Lancashire Rivers Board whose area includes the Rivers Lune and Ribble. I am prepared to give such assistance as lies within my power in furthering action taken by these authorities to reduce pollution, if my assistance is needed, and also to approve proposals by local authorities for the provision of improved sewerage and sewage disposal facilities to the full extent that national resources permit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many looms there are in Hong Kong capable of producing cotton cellular cloth; and what is their annual output.

Both the number of looms and their output are difficult to assess since changes to the machinery can be made very rapidly to meet market requirements. The following is an approximate estimate of the looms available:1.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions he has given the British representative on the Security Council with regard to the proposal to establish a unified command under United States auspices to conduct the campaign in South Korea.

On 7th July the Security Council adopted a resolution requesting the United States to designate a commander for all forces operating in Korea in response to the Council's resolution of 27th June and recommending all members providing such forces to place them under this unified command. The United Kingdom Representative to the Security Council was authorised to sponsor this resolution jointly with the French representative.

asked the Minister of Works what, since 1945, to the most recent convenient date, is the total figure, respectively, for licences issued for industrial, office and housing development; and if he will divide such figures to show what were attributable to development on war damaged sites.

The value of licences issued for new industrial building, new offices and new housing since 1945, is not available, but for the period March, 1947, to May, 1950, inclusive the figures were:New industrial work£338 million.New offices£25 million.New private housing£15 million.In addition to the £115 million of new housing work licensed, it is estimated that approvals for new housing work to be carried out by local authorities and Government Departments amounted to about £650 million in the same period. The proportions of this work attributable to development on war damage sites is not known.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of outstanding orders for telephones in the borough of Cheltenham; and when he anticipates supply will meet demand.

The number outstanding is 678, and 148 are in the course of being met. Supply during the past 12 months exceeded new demand. Additional exchange equipment and local cables will become available for service this year and next. I cannot give a firm date when all applications will be met.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to ensure that every community of 100 or more in the Driffield, Bridlington and Holderness rural districts has a separate telephone kiosk.

Under a scheme agreed last year with the Rural District Councils' Association a quota is fixed annually of kiosks to be provided in rural areas. The quota is the highest possible under present restrictions on capital expenditure. Location of the kiosks is arranged on the recommendation of the county branch of the Association.

asked the Postmaster-General for what reason male telegraph operators, to whom Scales L and P are applicable, appointed to the cables and wireless service of the Post Office after 1st January, 1947, are restricted to a maximum salary of £456 in the option offered to them, either to remain under the conditions formerly operated by Cable and Wireless, Limited, or to transfer to the Post Office service, whereas under the scale in force in Cable and Wireless, Limited, the maximum annual salary for those in this grade is £585.

Under an agreement between Cable and Wireless, Limited, and the staff associations concerned telegraph operators appointed to the grade on or after 1st January, 1947, are entitled to a maximum pay of £456. The Post Office is not restricting to a maximum of £456 staff who were entitled to a maximum of £585 when in the employ of the company.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why the large deep sea trawlers are excluded from the Government's proposals to help the fishing industry.

As the landing capacity of these vessels is greatly in excess of market requirements I do not consider that the payment of a subsidy would serve any useful purpose.

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he is aware that Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, recommended as a National Nature Reserve in Command Paper No. 7122, is advertised for sale by auction on 13th July; and whether he will take steps to protect this island.

Yes. The Nature Conservancy are watching the position. They will, if necessary, use the powers conferred on them by the National Parks and access to the Countryside Act, 1949, to ensure that the special natural and scientific features of this island are protected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why his Department has made no progress with the marketing scheme for cucumbers during the last two years.

The Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Scheme was the first scheme under the Agricultural Marketing Acts to be submitted since the war. It therefore required careful examination and progress was further delayed by the Agricultural Marketing Bill of last year and by the General Election.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have now, how ever, agreed with the promoters' various modifications to the scheme as originally submitted to us. We hope to lay the modified draft scheme before Parliament this week.