asked the Minister of Labour what representations he has received from the Over Forty-Fives Association Limited, regarding the difficulties experienced by men over the age of 45 in obtaining suitable employment; and what action he proposes taking.

I have been unable to trace the receipt of any representations from this association. I am, of course, well aware of the problem but, as I have said on various occasions, the solution depends on a change in the outlook of individual employers which we are trying to bring about. In the meantime, the local officers of the Ministry continue to take every opportunity of persuading employers to consider older men on their merits.

Is it possible to regard this as a national problem and make an appeal through the Federation of British Industries to their members in order that they may, in turn, regard this as a national problem and give priority to these men over 45?

We have done that through the British Employers' Confederation. They have given their support, but they cannot bring pressure to bear on individual members.

Is the Minister aware of the deep feeling on this matter in many parts of the country? Does he know, for example, that in my constituency while there are practically no unemployed males under 55 years of age, there are 30 or 40 on the register above that age? Would it be possible for the Government to consider some kind of percentage for those who are aged?

That raises a very difficult question. We have had a little experience ourselves of trying compulsion on workers, and I do not know what would happen if we tried it on the employers.

Has the Minister issued any instructions to the nationalised industries to give a lead in this matter?

No, Sir, no instructions have been issued to them, but conversations have taken place with them and they are co-operating very cordially in the matter.

asked the Minister of Labour the extent of present unemployment and short-time in the furniture industry; and what steps he proposes to take to ease the situation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Messer) on 29th June, a copy of which I am sending him.

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that the figures given on that occasion represent a very considerable increase in recent weeks; is he aware that certain furniture factories have closed recently, and that the men in the industry are most concerned about the future? Will he do everything he can to help?

Certainly. If my hon. Friend will give me details, I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Minister of Labour to how many American artists playing in British theatres at the present time have licences to work in this country been allotted; and to what extent British artists with similar qualifications are being displaced.

Without special inquiry it would not be possible to give the information asked for in the first part of the Question; in regard to the second part, applicants for permits to employ foreigners are required to give a guarantee that no British subject will be displaced or excluded in consequence of the engagement of such foreigners.

my right hon. Friend say on what basis a decision is made to grant these licences, and what steps are taken by his Ministry to ensure that similar facilities are permitted for an equal number of British artists to earn their living in the United States?

That is another question. I could give the information if a question was put on the Order Paper.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) the percentage unemployed registering at Coatbridge employment exchange; and what information he has as to the reasons for unemployment in the tinplate and Woodside factories;

The number of unemployed persons on the registers of the Coatbridge employment exchange at 12th June represented about 6 per cent. of the total number of employees in the area. I am informed that the Woodside iron works and the Coatbridge tinplate company are no longer able to compete with the more modern rolling mills. They have been working short time and are expected to close down shortly. I understand that normal production has been resumed at the Coats and the Waverley iron works, which employ some 380 workers.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that his reply is completely contrary to that given to me last week by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply who said:

"There is no competition with Belgian steel…and I have no reason to suppose that further orders for lapwelded tubes will fall below the present level."—{OFFICIAL REPORT, 4th July, 1950; Vol. 477, c. 257.]

I was not aware that this inquiry was in reference to Belgian steel. I was merely asked for the facts about unemployment and that is the Question I have answered.

Would my right hon. Friend communicate these facts to the Ministry of Supply so that we may have less ignorant replies from that Ministry, and so that something may be done for the heavy industries of Coatbridge?

I will most certainly communicate with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply. I assure the hon. Lady that the Government are most anxious to do what they can so far as Coatbridge is concerned.

Is not it unreasonable to expect good planning between Socialist Ministries?

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent supervision is exercised by him over agencies arranging for the engagement in domestic service of girls from the Continent of Europe; and what prior inquiries he requires to be made abroad concerning the character and antecedents of such girls.

I have no power to control the activities of private employment agencies. A prospective employer of a foreign domestic worker from abroad is advised by my Department, before he applies for a permit, to ensure, among other things, that her health and character are satisfactory.

Does that reply mean that no supervision at all is exercised over these agencies?

No. Sir. We have no power to exercise supervision over an agency unless it operates in an area where the local authority have taken the necessary powers to themselves.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements he has made for securing that the necessary building licences are issued for the construction by industrial concerns of canteen facilities for their staffs recommended by his officers.

There are arrangements for consultation between factory inspectors and officers of Departments concerned with applications for building licences for work connected with factories. If the hon. Member has in mind any particular case of difficulty and will send me particulars I will be glad to look into it.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider, in the light of that suggestion, the case of a firm in my constituency where the local officer has recommended the erection of a canteen and the Ministry of Works have turned it down?

There are three cases in the hon. Member's constituency where such a state of affairs has arisen, and where our inspectors have stepped in and have been able to ensure that what was absolutely necessary was done. If the case the hon. Gentleman has in mind is not one with which we have already dealt, I will look into the matter.

I am much obliged.

asked the Minister of Labour how many man-days have been lost each year from 1945 to 1949 by reason of official and unofficial strikes, respectively.

As the reply includes a table of figures I will, if I may, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Can the right hon. Gentleman explain why the proper constitutional machinery for negotiation is ignored on such a large scale nowadays?

That is another question.

Is not it a fact that there have been no official strikes in this period?

There has only been one, and that was by coach builders some time ago.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements he has made to secure alternative employment for all those whose posts will become redundant when the Solent flying boats cease to operate from the marine air base at Southampton.

There are good opportunities of alternative employment in the district, and the employment exchange service will assist redundant workers who register to obtain suitable work.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the status of the local joint overtime committees of the building trade; and what is the statutory authority of their decisions.

These overtime committees are established under the constitution of the National Joint Council for the building Industry, which is the voluntary machinery established by the two sides of the industry for the negotiations of wages and conditions of employment, and their decisions have no statutory authority in themselves. By virtue of the provisions of the Conditions of Employment and National Arbitration Order (S.R. & O. 1305 of 1940), however, these decisions may form part of the "recognised terms and conditions of employment" which must be observed under Part III of that Order.

Will not the Minister consider using his influence with these tribunals, and with both sides in industry, to persuade them to undertake overtime in the house building section of the building industry, so that a quicker rate of building can be achieved and more houses provided for homeless people?

I think it is true to say that, except for a certain case that was advertised very widely, and which was misunderstood, a little while ago, a considerable amount of overtime is worked and expedition is shown.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the average number of registered unemployed in Britain in the five years ending 30th June, 1950, and for the corresponding period after the First World War.

The available figures are given in the issues of the Ministry of Labour Gazette, copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Minister of Education to what extent the settlements made by the Burnham Committee for the salaries of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses are approved by the members of the profession concerned.

The procedure between the panels of the Burnham Committees and the associations represented thereon is not my concern.

Does the right hon. Gentleman get many letters expressing dissatisfaction with the results of these negotiations?

I get letters of dissatisfaction about a lot of things.

Does the right hon. Gentleman get them about this, particularly?

No.

I will send a few.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware that the Burnham Committee's next recommendations will not be made known before April, 1951, and that the question of readjusting teachers' salaries to the changed value of money is too urgent to wait until that date; and what action he proposes to take in order to rectify the matter at the earliest possible date.

I do not know when the Burnham Committee will be submitting their recommendations for salary scales. It will be my duty to consider their recommendations when they are submitted, but it would not be proper for me to take any action of the kind suggested by the hon. Member while the matter is being considered by the Committee.

Has not experience in the last four years shown clearly that the Burnham Committee machinery is too slow to keep pace with the rising cost of living; and will the right hon. Gentleman, in view of his responsibility for our educational system and the need for a quick adjustment in this matter, please reconsider the whole question of how teachers' salaries are to be fixed in future?

The Burnham Committee procedure was laid down in the Act of 1944, and when the hon. Member suggests that it has not been satisfactory I would point out to him that there was an agreement reached as late as 1948.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that in grammar schools there is the utmost difficulty in obtaining teachers under what is regarded as the miserable salary permitted under the Burnham award? Surely he will have regard to the seriousness of this matter.

That is an entirely different question from that on the Order Paper.

Will my right hon. Friend not cut down teachers' salaries, as hon. Members opposite did?

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the salaries paid to graduate teachers, and especially to science graduates, are not likely to attract recruits to the teaching profession, and are lower than those paid in industry and private enterprise?

All that the hon. Member says may be true, but I would point out that all the facts are known to the Burnham Committee, who are dealing with this matter in the usual way.

asked the Minister of Education how many diocesan schemes he has in preparation under Section 86 of the Education Act, 1944; and when they will be completed.

Nineteen draft schemes, of which 12 are concerned with complete dioceses and seven with parts of dioceses, are now in preparation. They are at various stages of completion and will take from one month to about nine months to complete.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise that the length of time during which some of these applications have been in his Department is causing great difficulties in the dioceses concerned, and can he do anything to expedite the preparation of these schemes?

It is a question of manpower and, as the hon. Member knows, difficult legal problems are involved. A big increase in manpower at my Ministry would be required to produce the expedition he requires.

asked the Minister of Education what is the estimated loss to date caused to diocesan funds through the reversion of educational foundations under the School Sites Act, 1841, owing to delays in the preparation of diocesan schemes under Section 86 of the Education Act, 1944; and what steps he is taking to reimburse the diocese.

Owing to the number of dioceses and the large number of endowments in each diocese to be dealt with, the Section 86 schemes, although well under way, will take some considerable time to complete. But even if every Section 86 scheme had been prepared and completed no reverter in a case where the reversioner is known could be prevented unless that person consents to relinquish his rights. There is, therefore, no question of loss to the diocese and no question of reimbursement consequently arises.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that it is the delay in the preparation of these schemes which has enabled reverters to take back their own foundation properties and that, in some cases, this is costing dioceses up to £10,000?

No action on my part could have prevented that.

Will not the right hon. Gentleman agree that that would have been prevented if his Department had acted with greater promptitude before the reversioners had stepped in?

If I had acted with great promptitude and appointed the number of people required, I can imagine the shout which we would have had from hon. Gentleman opposite about increasing the number of civil servants in my Department.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say how many people are employed in this Department?

Not without notice.

Cannot the right hon. Gentleman give us some idea of the loss? Surely he must have some idea.

I have some idea, but cannot give the answer without notice. If the hon. Gentleman will put a Question down, he shall have it.

Does not the answer mean that requests for information by his Department are to be financed by the Church.

No, it does not mean that at all.

asked the Minister of Education how many applications he has received for schemes to transfer endowment funds from controlled to aided schools; how many he has granted; how many he has refused; and if he will make a statement.

The answer to the first three parts of the Question is "None," though I have received one or two inquiries whether such endowments could not be included in the Section 86 schemes. Owing to shortage of staff, I can at present only make such schemes for the sale of disused schools or schools about to close and for the application of their proceeds for diocesan purposes.

Does the right hon. Gentleman's answer mean that he is prepared favourably to receive applications for the endowment funds of controlled schools being transferred to aided schools?

Yes, in the main, I think that could be deduced from what I have said. Where a school can be sold for diocesan purposes, we try to speed up the matter.

Has the Minister got this right? The Question does not relate to the schools themselves, but to the endowment funds of controlled schools. Can these be transferred to aided schools, because, so far, the Department are not agreeing to any schemes set up?

This is a very complicated matter, as I have said before, to discuss at Question Time. If the hon. Gentleman will come round to the Department to discuss it with myself and the lawyers there, we shall do our best to meet him.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware that as a result of the Government's decision to discontinue grants towards the erection of village halls, considerable injustice is being caused among village communities which had previously entered into financial commitments with architects, solicitors, etc., which they still have to meet with nothing to show for the outlay; and whether, in view of this, he will reconsider his decision in respect of local communities which he is satisfied fall into this category, with a view to carrying out the original financial obligation in these particular cases.

I regret the necessity for holding up approval to village hall and similar projects, which is due entirely to the limited resources at my disposal, and I am aware that commitments of the kind suggested by the hon. Member have been entered into. I am anxious that there should be some relaxation of these restrictions, but I am not yet in a position to make any announcement.

Can the Minister say how long it will be before he can make up his mind, so as to reassure village communities that they have not been throwing their money away on these projects?

I have made up my mind already. It is a question of how I can apply that to which I have made up my mind.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give special consideration to those villages which have been collecting money for a very long time, and have not yet been able to get a licence?

I shall give full consideration to all; I am just as anxious as any hon. Member of the Opposition to get this moving.

Will my right hon. Friend see that village halls do not take precedence over the rebuilding of the shocking village schools which still exist?

asked the Minister of Education how many educationally subnormal children there are in the country; how many are receiving specialised training at State schools; and how many are being educated at private specialised schools.

At the beginning of this year, there were 27,577 children in England and Wales who had been ascertained by local education authorities as requiring education in special schools for educationally sub-normal children; of these 15,030 were attending approved special schools and 63 were being sent by local education authorities to independent schools. The remaining 12,484 were awaiting places in special schools.

Is the Minister aware that there are some areas in the country where these facilities are not available? Can he say what steps he intends to take to try to overcome these difficulties in the rural areas?

We have had consultations with local education authorities all over the country about this problem, which is not an easy one to solve. I would point out to the hon. Gentleman that, in the last four calendar years, 1,750 additional places have been provided for these children, and that work in 1950 and 1951 is expected to produce over 2,000 places.

Can the Minister say how many of these children are in mental hospitals and institutions, and how many are there now in mental hospitals and institutions who could not possibly be classified as sub-normal, and who would derive benefit from special training but who are not receiving it?

None of those to whom I have referred.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will now arrange that reasonable representation be afforded to the National Association of Schoolmasters upon the Burnham Committee.

My Department has from time to time received representations from several associations of teachers, of which the National Association of Schoolmasters is one, claiming that they should be represented on the Burnham Committee. All these representations have been very carefully considered, and in some cases the matter has been discussed at personal interviews. I consider that the present composition of the teachers' panels on the Burnham Committee is already wide enough to ensure that the general views of teachers are represented, and I do not think that the addition of individuals from these minority associations would facilitate negotiations. Having regard particularly to the definition of the powers under Section 89 of the Education Act, 1944, I am not prepared to insist on the inclusion of representatives of this Association.

Does the Minister not consider that it might assist the Burnham Committee to have at least one representative of 12,000 teachers who are not otherwise represented?

It is not a question of one representative. If one of these minority organisations is included, then immediately a claim is set up by the others.

asked the Minister of Education if he is satisfied that no child between the ages of five and six is now being excluded from school owing to lack of accommodation.

I have no information as to the number of children between the ages of five and six now excluded from school owing to lack of accommodation, but it is estimated that just over 91 per cent. of the five year old age-group were in maintained primary schools in January, 1950, this being a higher percentage than in any other post-war year.

Is it not a fact that there is not sufficient accommodation at Reigate, Muswell Hill, Hackney and Holley, Surrey, to admit all infants when they reach the age of five, and will my right hon. Friend assist these areas?

If my hon. Friend will send me that information, it will help us in making inquiries in those areas. I would point out to him that there are occasions on which, after a school has opened, facilities are available for children excluded at the beginning of the session.

asked the Minister of Education if he is satisfied that by 1953 there will be sufficient teachers in the schools under his jurisdiction to staff such schools so that no class shall exceed 40 on roll in primary schools and 30 on roll in secondary schools; and when he anticipates that there will be sufficient to ensure that no class either in primary or secondary schools shall exceed 30 on roll.

It will not be practicable to require by 1953 that no class in a primary or secondary school shall exceed the maximum numbers prescribed by grant regulations. A reduction in the size of classes depends on an adequate supply both of school accommodation and of teachers, and for some years to come our main efforts must be directed to providing sufficient accommodation and teachers to meet the needs of the rising school population. I am, however, constantly seeking to improve the ratio of pupils to teachers, and in January, 1950, this was estimated to be 27.1 compared with 29.4 just before the war. It is not possible to forecast when there will be a sufficiency of accommodation and teachers to ensure that no class shall exceed 30 on roll.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware of the uncertainties and difficulties which have arisen in consequence of the absence of any authoritative publication or pronouncement relating to the establishment, maintenance and development of the comprehensive school; and whether he is in a position to make a statement.

I have stated my views, about the organisation of secondary education generally in the pamphlet "The New Secondary Education," and in Circular 144 I have made particular reference to comprehensive schools. I am sending copies of both documents to the hon. Member.

Is the Minister aware that official publications of the Ministry —including even that fine publication, "Our Changing Schools"—speak consistently and persistently of the comprehensive or multilateral school? Does that not imply a confusion of thought?

It is not only my circulars on which confusion of thought arises, but every question that is put on this matter.

asked the Minister of Education how far the number of trained teachers available is sufficient to meet the national need.

I would refer the hon. Member to Circular 222, dated 29th June, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Education whether his attention has been called to the recent report of the education authority on modern language teaching in Yorkshire, which stresses the difficulty of obtaining competent teachers of modern languages; and whether he will improve the facilities for modern language training in teachers' training colleges.

No, Sir, but I have seen an article in the Press which may be what the hon. Member has in mind. The facilities for modern language training in training colleges are being continuously improved.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if he studies his own report he will see that the demand for modern language teaching is also increasing with great rapidity, and that the question is whether the supply is increasing at the same rate as the demand?

I have read my own report. I realise that what the hon. Member says is true, and that is the reason for the continuous improvement in the training colleges.

The report is not an improvement in itself.

asked the Minister of Education if he will make arrangements to second officials of his Department to local authorities in order to widen their experience of educational problems.

I have every desire to make such arrangements if the practical difficulties can be overcome. Suggestions for an exchange of staff with one large local education authority are, in fact, at present being considered by my Department.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make a statement as soon as possible as to whether there are any practical difficulties in this, or whether such arrangements can be made? I am sure we shall be glad to hear from him on this point.

Yes, when we come to a conclusion about the one we are seeking to negotiate.

asked the Minister of Education what advice his Department gives to local education authorities about the inclusion of boxing in the physical training syllabus at boys' schools.

asked the Minister of Education whether boxing in national boys' schools is among the sports approved by his Department.

It is not my practice to say whether boxing or any other subject of instruction should be included in the school curriculum, which is a matter for the local education authorities and the schools to determine. I have issued no published advice about the teaching of boxing in schools, but it is, in fact, taught on a voluntary basis at many, but by no means all, maintained secondary schools for boys.

Will the Minister pursue this sensible policy and impress on his colleagues that the greater the success which the Minister of Education has in ensuring physical fitness, the less work there will be for the Minister of National Insurance to do?

I do not think that the prejudices of the Minister of Education should enter into the fixing of the curriculum; otherwise, I might be tempted to substitute soccer for rugby.

Will the right hon. Gentleman resist any attempt to substitute for this manly sport lectures on the rule of law?

I should resist any attempt to interfere with the right of the local education authorities and the teachers to determine their own curricula.

Is the only training for physical fitness to be found in the knowledge of how to deliver good, hard punches and how to knock another man's eye out?

Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind in this connection the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility?

It is no good putting these questions to me; I am not an authority on the subject.

asked the Minister of Education what were his reasons for terminating the emergency training of teachers scheme for ex-members of the Regular Armed Forces; and in view of the fact that there are still many men in need of such grants, if he will reopen it.

The emergency scheme for the training of teachers was not designed specifically for ex-members of the Regular Armed Forces, but was part of the general arrangements for resettlement of men and women who had been engaged in some form of National Service during the war. It is now necessary to establish the arrangements for the recruitment and training of teachers on a permanent footing.

Is the Minister satisfied that it is fair that ex-members of the Regular Forces should be prevented from getting justice when they are most anxious to enter the teaching profession?

To the extent that it is possible to take into consideration the question which the hon. Member has raised, I will certainly consider what can be done to meet the needs of the more mature candidates, including, if necessary, ex-members of the Regular Armed Forces, when framing future arrangements for teachers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will arrange for trade returns in future years to distinguish between the eastern zone of Germany and the western zones.

Yes, Sir.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken or proposes to take to satisfy himself that the timber which he is buying from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has not been felled and prepared by slave labour or under conditions which would contravene the fair wages agreements which he would demand if the timber were being purchased by the Government from supplies in this country.

I am afraid that it is not realistic to expect that His Majesty's Government could satisfy themselves as to the conditions in which timber is felled and prepared in the Soviet Union.

Is it not rank hypocrisy for the right hon. Gentleman to lay. down the most stringent conditions under which timber shall be cut in this country, and, at the same time, to be quite indifferent as to how it is cut abroad? Does he realise that the conditions under which timber is cut in the Soviet Union would revolt the human conscience?

By far the larger proportion of the timber bought in this country is bought by the merchants, and not by the Government.

Is the Minister aware that if we bought more timber felled in Canada—of which we could get more if there were a keener sense of getting it than of getting timber from Russia —there would be no doubt about the conditions?

As the hon. and gallant Gentleman knows perfectly well, the amount bought from Canada is limited by dollars.

Why not give them the high grade steel which they want?

The Question is about timber from Soviet Russia.

Will my right hon. Friend attempt to get more timber from Russia or anywhere else if that will help to improve the housing situation in this country?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for the use of the Corpach ex-naval base for industrial development.

This base is on land requisitioned by the Admiralty, and it is not yet known whether it will be available for industrial development.

Can the Minister say what steps he is taking to secure this base for industrial development, bearing in mind that it is a first-class place for the establishment of suitable industries?

I am in the course of discussion with my noble Friend the First Lord of the Admiralty about it, but I am sure the noble Lord will realise that there will be considerable difficulty in persuading private industries to set up there.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the causes of the present recession of trade in the furniture industry; and if he will take steps to stimulate its recovery.

In the first three months of this year, manufacturers' and retailers' sales of utility furniture showed increases on the corresponding period of last year of 30 per cent. and 17½ per cent., respectively. Although later figures show that retail trade has been well maintained, I understand that retailers' orders from manufacturers are falling.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that there is considerable unemployment and recession of trade in the furniture industry at the moment, and much anxiety about future orders? Will he consider whether he can help by improving present hire purchase arrangements in the trade, and whether he can widen the utility range of furniture? In particular, will he ask the Furniture Industry Development Council to set up immediately machinery for market research?

As I have made clear, purchases of furniture this year have been considerably above those of last year, but I am looking into the question raised by my hon. Friend about hire purchase.

Is not the reason for this recession the failure of the Minister of Health to build houses?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the fully-fashioned nylon stockings sold in this country are seconds; and when does he expect to increase the supply of perfect stockings to the home market.

The necessity to meet the export demand for the highest quality of fully-fashioned nylon stockings has meant that the home market has, so far, received a greater percentage of stockings which are below the high standard which will apply when production more nearly approaches the level of total home and export requirements. The percentage of "perfects" at present going to the home market is about 50 for fully-fashioned nylon stockings and about 67 for circular-knitted nylon stockings.

Can the Minister say when this supply of nylon yarn will be increased sufficiently to allow only perfect goods to be put on the home market?

It would be very difficult to give any categorical answer to that until we know more about the success of the manufacturers in pushing their sales in hard currency areas.

Will the Minister bear in mind that the women of this country are getting very tired of being fobbed off with second-grade articles? Will he also bear in mind that the impression is being created in this country that our own manufacturers cannot produce first-class goods, which is quite untrue?

Would my right hon. Friend make inquiries to see what percentage of nylon stockings in this country are of the fishnet or locknit variety? Would he do more to get that type of stocking on the home market?

I should want notice of that, but I am pursuing inquiries into a number of questions about nylon manufacture, and more particularly about conditions of distribution of nylon stockings.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the provisional figure for the export of newsprint from this country during the year 1950; and how does this figure compare with the total exports of newsprint during 1949.

The estimated figure for the export of newsprint in 1950 is 100,000 tons, as compared with about 60,000 tons in 1949.

How does the right hon. Gentleman reconcile these increased exports—probably reduced imports—with the present size and threatened size of the newspapers?

The newspapers were left quite free some months ago to settle the size of their papers, within broad limits. In the event, their estimates of newsprint available proved far too optimistic, and the increase to seven pages, originally made for the election period, could not be maintained.

Does the Minister propose to allow this quantity of newsprint to be exported despite what has happened?

Yes, Sir, and if the hon. Gentleman knew the importance attached to this question by Governments in other parts of the Commonwealth—because almost the whole of our export is to Commonwealth countries—I do not think he would press me to reduce the figure.

Did not the right hon. Gentleman persist in refusing to allow any newsprint to be brought from Canada, so that we had to break our contract and cannot now get what we should have?

Our dollar position was such that we could not afford dollars for newsprint from Canada until two or three months ago. These dollars have been allocated but, so far, the newspapers have been unable to buy the newsprint they thought they would be able to get.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the response to his appeal last October for the reduction of our costs of production; by how much have they been reduced; and if he is now satisfied with regard to our competitive position in world markets.

Although wage rates have been steady for some months, one important component of costs, imported raw materials, has risen substantially in price since September, 1949. The increase in United Kingdom export prices since devaluation reflects these increased costs but the promising course of export trade does not suggest impairment of our current competitive position. Indeed, there is evidence that in the most difficult markets the prices of our exports are highly competitive. In the longer run, however, our standard of living must depend on our competitive power and there will have to be reductions in our relative costs of production if we are to preserve our export position in an increasingly competitive world.

Can the Minister tell the House by how much our raw materials have increased since last October? Is it a greater increase than the saving we have been able to make in productive industry by increasing our efficiency?

If the hon. Gentleman will put the question down, I will certainly give him the figures of the Board of Trade Index of Wholesale Prices.

Would the Minister not agree that our competitive power depends very largely upon the maintenance of the internal purchasing power of the pound sterling? What steps does he propose to urge upon his colleagues to that end?