asked the Minister of Education what is the amount saved since the grants towards distinctive school clothing were discontinued; and whether he will now restore them.

I have recently been able to resume payment of grant on the provision of distinctive school clothing under conditions announced to local education authorities in Circular 210 (Addendum No. 1) dated 12th July, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware that Mr. Thomas R. Slater, 9, Neville Road, Forest Gate, E.7, who successfully completed a course of training under the Emergency Training Scheme at the Camden Emergency Training College, has, so far, been unsuccessful in obtaining employment in the teaching profession; and what action he proposes to take to rectify this position.

The Ministry of Education is not an employer of teachers and I have no information about individual teachers. In Circular 222, dated 29th June, a copy of which I am sending to my hon. Friend, I have informed local education authorities of the number of teachers who will be available in the coming year and have advised them to appoint teachers now against requirements for the school year as a whole.

asked the Minister of Education the names of the local authorities who have not yet adopted the new financial basis for university scholarships recommended by the working party.

The local education authorities named below have not, as yet, adopted either wholly or substantially the new financial arrangements for their major awards.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how soon he expects to be able to publish details of the relaxation of Purchase Tax on hotel equipment, in view of the need for the hotels to place their orders now for delivery of equipment before 31st March, 1951.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 13th July.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the names of those foreign newspapers whose sale is forbidden to the public in Britain.

So far as I am aware, there are no restrictions on the sale of foreign newspapers in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of pairs of women's shoes imported from Czechoslovakia in the first three months of 1949 and the first three months of 1950.

1,682 dozen pairs were imported in January-March, 1949, and 8,744 dozen pairs in January-March, 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detention centres have now been provided; and what proportion of the courts concerned have been notified by him that a detention centre is available for the reception of persons ordered to be detained there.

Owing to the restrictions on capital investment, it is not possible to provide new building for this purpose in the immediate future. The Prison Commissioners are however proposing to set up one or two experimental centres in adapted premises, and it is hoped that these may be ready for occupation next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decision has been reached on the application of Mr. Ilya Ehrenburg to enter the United Kingdom.

An application for a visa was made on 11th July and the visa was authorised on 19th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what purpose the three Russian scientists, for whom special visa arrangements were made, are at present visiting this country.

Visas to enable three Soviet delegates to attend the Fourth World Power Conference held in London were applied for on 8th July and were authorised on 10th July. No special arrangements were made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Communist meetings publicly held in the Metropolitan area this year were attended by the police; and, approximately, how many persons attended each meeting.

Some hundreds of Communist Party meetings have been attended by the police this year but I should require further notice to obtain the exact figure. Attendances have varied from nil to a few hundreds.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange to pay the fares and/or out of pocket expenses of candidates for the Metropolitan Police when attending for medical examination.

Arrangements already exist for the refund of travelling expenses of rejected candidates who live 50 or more miles from London, and for candidates who have to spend a night in London to obtain food and accommodation at the recruiting centre at nominal prices. The question whether any further improvement on these arrangements should be made is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the average length of time taken in Devonshire to approve a water scheme for a farm; and how many such schemes are at present awaiting approval.

For the schemes approved by the Devon Agricultural Executive Committee in the past three months, the average length of time between receipt of the application and approval of the scheme was 16 weeks. The answer to the second part of the Question is 174.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to state the percentage of farms in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, with a piped water supply in 1945 and at the latest available date.

The latest available information about the number of farms in England and Wales connected to a piped water supply is that given in the National Farm Survey Report, which was based on information collected between 1941 and 1943. I gave the hon. Member this information in reply to his Question on 30th July, 1948, and I regret that it is not yet possible to bring it up to date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to state the percentage of farms in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, with a mains electricity supply in 1945 and at the latest available date.

The only relevant information available is as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consult with the Minister of Town and Country Planning with a view to taking special measures to protect farmers who have tuberculintested attested herds from the consequences of carelessness by persons using public footpaths leaving gates open which results in cattle straying and thus neutralising the regulations affecting attested herds with consequent financial loss and damage.

My Department has already been in touch with the National Parks Commission on the general question of the conduct of visitors to the countryside. The points considered include the danger to which livestock are exposed if gates are left open. I understand that the Commission is preparing a code for the guidance of visitors.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether the experiments to test the efficiency of the more humane Sawyer rabbit trap have been completed; and whether these now justify the prohibition of the use of gin traps.

Further tests with the Sawyer trap have recently been completed. There has not yet been time to make a detailed study of the reports on these tests, but a preliminary examination leaves little doubt that the Sawyer trap is not so efficient as the gin for catching rabbits.

asked the Minister of Health if he is now in a position to make available evidence as to the percentage of deaf people who continue to use their Medresco hearing aids after an initial period of six months.

Not yet.

asked the Minister of Health when Mrs. F. Carlisle, of Holterle-Clay, near Grimsby, can expect to receive the hearing aid for which she was examined in November, 1948.

:I understand that an appointment has been made for her for 24th July.

asked the Minister of Health what is the period of waiting for hearing aids in Bristol, Gloucester, and in the county of Gloucestershire, respectively.

The information is not available separately, but in the area generally the period varies from 10 weeks according to the degree of priority.

asked the Minister of Health when Mrs. Hattersley, of 40, Gillmans Road. Orpington, Kent, may expect to receive her deaf aid apparatus, particulars of which have been sent to him.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health how often a person may have his sight tested under the supplementary ophthalmic services.

As often as necessary. But I am relying on ophthalmic medical practitioners and ophthalmic opticians not to test a person's sight unless they feel that he really needs it and that different spectacles may be required.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to prevent the specially built maternity unit at the West Herts Hospital from being closed down; and if he will also take appropriate action to ensure that patients in this area may be attended by their own family doctors.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health how many people are employed in hospital administration under the National Health Service; and how many were so employed before its inception.

No figures are available before the Service started, but the total administrative and clerical staff at 31st December last was 26,848.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mr. F. S. Woodcock, who teaches mechanical drawing at Huntingdon Secondary School, had his eyes tested for new glasses in April, 1949, but has not yet received them, and has therefore had to give up the teaching of mechanical drawing; and whether he will expedite the supply of Mr. Woodcock's spectacles, so that he may resume the teaching of mechanical drawing.

If the hon. Member will let me have the name and address of the optician through whom the glasses have been ordered, I will make inquiries.

asked the Minister of Health (1) why it has been found necessary to discharge domestic and orderly staffs from Salford Royal Hospital;(2) what reductions it is intended to make in the administrative and medical lists to create economies at Salford Royal Hospital.

I am informed that no staff has yet been discharged, but the hospital management committee is reviewing all types of staff with a view to economy.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what is the number of persons suffering from tuberculosis and awaiting admission to hospital or sanatorium in the areas of the South-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board and the average period of waiting;(2) what is the number of aged sick cases awaiting admission to hospital and the average period of waiting in the area of the South-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.

The figure for tuberculosis is about 1,750, including 150 already in sanatoria, but awaiting thoracic surgery. The average wait is about six to nine months. The figure for aged sick is about 1,650, but waiting periods vary so much that no average has much meaning here.

asked the Minister of Health if he will consider giving physiotherapists of long standing and established practice the same eligibility to apply for appointments under the various health boards as members of the Charter Society of Physiotherapy.

At the present time employing authorities are free themselves to determine what qualifications they require for employment on their staffs as physiotherapists.

asked the Minister of Health if, in order to reduce the danger of low-quality surgical boots being provided under the National Health Service, he will give the same freedom to purchase better quality boots from any supplier as in the case of spectacles, artificial limbs and teeth, provided the extra charge for the higher quality article is paid privately.

No; the surgical boots supplied under the National Health Service are made to strict specification requiring first-class workmanship and best quality materials: quality is further, safeguarded by technical inspection.

asked the Minister of Health whether, when local authorities have received their housing allocations for 1951, they can apply the one-in-five; ratio for private building licences to any balance of their 1950 allocation.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 6th July to the Question asked by the hon. Member for Wembley, South (Mr. Russell) and the supplementary questions, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a considerable number of people wish to build their own houses in their spare time; and if he will make provision for additional building materials for this purpose.

If such persons are successful in obtaining licences to build, the necessary materials will be available.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the asbestos cement flue pipes which were incorporated in the Unity-type permanent prefabricated houses recommended by his Department for use by local authorities have proved to be dangerous and their continued existence in such houses, on account of the number of fires which have taken place as a result, is causing concern; and what steps he proposes to take in this matter.

I am aware of certain risks, and the matter is under urgent investigation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Banstead Urban District Council has recently refused to accept from the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames transfer of a building licence to enable a resident in the Royal Borough living under overcrowded conditions to erect a bungalow on a plot of land owned by him within the Banstead Urban District Council area; that no reason has been given for this refusal; and what action he proposes to take to overcome such obstruction of his policy on the transfer of licences.

This is a matter essentially for mutual agreement between the local authorities concerned, and I cannot undertake to intervene in individual cases.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the application from Liverpool for increased allocation for houses; and what reply he has made.

I have received no such application.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total number of civil servants, administrative and technical, employed on housing by his Department on 30th June. 1950.

Eight hundred and seventy-seven, including 119 technical staff.

asked the Minister of Health whether, having regard to the difficulties experienced by members of His Majesty's forces in securing the inclusion of their names on the housing waiting lists, he will make arrangements with the Minister of Defence for a general list of applicants for houses to be kept by the three Services to enable Service men on discharge to be allotted a priority on the housing list of the local authority in whatever district they eventually find work.

As has already been explained in writing to the hon. Member, I do not think such arrangements would be practicable.

asked the Minister of Health what advice is given to long-service men, about to leave the Forces, on obtaining housing accommodation for themselves and their families in view of the fact that, because of their service, they have no claim on any particular housing authority.

Explanatory leaflets and forms of application are provided by the Service authorities to serving officers and men. These indicate that, if accommodation cannot be obtained privately, application should be made to the appropriate local authority, which will normally be that of the area in which the Service man will be working on return to this country.

asked the Minister of Health what recent recommendations he has made to local authorities to overcome the difficulty experienced by members of the Regular Armed Forces in obtaining consideration of their claims for council houses on discharge owing to lack of residential qualifications.

I am sending the hon. Member copies of a recent Report by my Central Housing Advisory Committee and of the covering circular sent to all housing authorities, which include recommendations bearing on this subject.

asked the Minister of Health how the quantity of timber covered by licences issued by housing authorities in the first six months of 1950 compares with the quantity issued in the same period of 1949.

Licences for softwood timber issued for housing purposes amounted to 163,007 standards in the first six months of 1950, and to 160,702 standdards in the corresponding period of 1949.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the concern being felt at the disparity between the real building cost of houses and the hypothetical costs laid down by him for the purpose of assessment under Part IV of the Local Government Act, 1948, which will result in the better-class houses subsidising the rates of the smaller properties; and what steps he is taking to remove the anomalies.

The statements of 1938 costs required by the 1948 Act have not yet been made. As they will be based on 1938 building costs they are bound to differ from current costs but I see no reason to expect the consequences stated in the Question.

asked the Minister of Health what provision he has made to re-house all the families evacuated from the Stanford battle area; and when he expects this task to be completed.

In the time available it has not been possible to obtain a report showing the progress made by the local authorities concerned with the provision of the new houses required but I will communicate with my hon. Friend in due course.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Station House and four cottages, the property of the Railway Executive, at Geddington, Northamptonshire, are only supplied with drinking water in cans brought by vans carrying miscellaneous merchandise from Kettering; that the hon. Member for Kettering has, since January, 1950, been in correspondence on this matter with the Railway Executive, the Kettering Rural District Council and the Mid-Northamptonshire Water Board; and whether he will take steps to ensure that some one or other of those authorities shall carry out the obligations imposed by the Water Act, 1945, Section 28, and make available a sufficient supply of wholesome water for domestic purposes.

I understand that improving the supply to these properties presents difficulties which have recently between discussed between the Water Board and Railway Executive officials, and which are still being investigated. I am afraid that at this stage I am not in a position to take any action under Section 28 of the Water Act, 1945. I am informed that the cost of connecting the properties to the main would be about £2,000.

asked the Minister of Health what schemes have been submitted to him to develop water supplies in the Mitford and Lounditch rural district, particularly in those villages where grave shortages have occurred in recent years.

The council have submitted no detailed proposals but have submitted in broad outline tentative proposals for a comprehensive supply to all parishes in their district. Discussions will shortly take place between the council and my officers as to expediting progress.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give statistics of the number of cases of food poisoning for the last 12 months to the latest convenient date.

Six thousand three hundred and twenty-one cases of food poisoning were notified to medical officers of health in the 12 months to 31st March, 1950.

asked the Minister of Health the number of sewerage schemes in Gloucestershire which have been deferred on his instructions.

Five, and parts of two others. Many more schemes are of course already in progress in Gloucestershire: 10 sewerage schemes have been allowed to go on since the beginning of 1950, including seven rural schemes.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish details of the experiments which have been carried on during the last 20 years in this country in connection with the manufacture of vaccine lymph in hen's eggs.

I would refer my hon. Friend to a report published by His Majesty's Stationery Office in 1939 (Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects, No. 87). I am aware of no significant experimental work in this field since that time.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many coast protection authorities have submitted schemes for defence against erosion in the last 12 months; how many have been accepted; and how many refused;(2) what is the estimated cost of coast protection schemes accepted by his Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of this charge has been met by the Exchequer.

Proposals from 21 authorities, estimated to cost £687,000, have been accepted in this period. No proposals have been refused but some have been modified. The proportion of total cost to be met by the Exchequer has not yet been finally determined.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the correspondence that has passed between his Department, the Russian News Agency, Tass, and the Friern Barnet Council which concluded with permission being granted to Tass to occupy Oakleigh Park as a radio monitoring station; and whether he is aware that this decision has been the cause of widespread adverse comment.

I see no advantage in publishing the correspondence in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and am unaware that my decision has caused widespread adverse comment. The permission granted merely continued a use of premises which has existed since 1941. I have not received a single protest.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the average age of persons at present being appointed as factory inspectors; and how this compares with the average age during past years.

The average age of persons appointed as factory inspectors for the 10 years before the war was 27.1. The average age of persons appointed since the war is 31.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent factory inspectors are at present being appointed from amongst persons who have academic qualifications but little industrial experience.

I have not had an analysis made of the academic qualifications and the degree of industrial experience of the factory inspectors now in post but the conditions of eligibility in this respect remain unchanged.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons are now unemployed in the City of Aberdeen; how many of these are in the shipbuilding industry; how do these figures compare with the corresponding periods in 1949, 1948 and 1947, respectively; and what is being done to find employment for those who are at present unemployed there.

The answer to the first, second and third parts of the Question is given in the table of figures below. As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply of my hon. Friend the Secretary for Overseas Trade on 20th June.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building operatives were unemployed in England, Scotland and Wales on 30th June, 1950.

The number of males registered as unemployed at 12th June whose last employment was in the building industry was as follows: England, 14,989: Scotland, 3,905; Wales, 2,131.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will arrange to have people suffering from spastic paralysis taught a trade.

Persons suffering from spastic prarlysis are already admitted to courses of training provided for the disabled.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consider the setting up of committees to assist elderly persons to obtain employment.

This is one of the functions of local employment committees, which have been in existence for many years.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has any statement to make on the subject of night baking.

Yes. Following representations made to me for the abolition of night baking by the trade unions representing operative bakers employed in the baking industry in England and Wales and in Scotland, I have had discussions with them and with the employers.As the House will be aware, the Baking Industry (Hours of Work) Act, 1938, made certain provision for restricting the circumstances in which night baking could be carried on. These restrictions have not come into effect as the Act does not come into operation until an Address has been presented to His Majesty by both Houses of Parliament, which has so far not been done. The trade unions have made it clear to me that in the conditions now prevailing, the provisions of the Act are in their view inadequate and I am satisfied, in the light of my discussions with both sides of the industry, that an impartial examination of the whole problem is desirable. Certain important questions are involved affecting the community as a whole and I have therefore consulted with the other Departments concerned. As a result, I have now decided to appoint a Committee to inquire into the matter with the following terms of reference:

asked the Minister of Works whether his attention has been drawn to the large number of accidents caused by unguarded electric fires to old people and children; and whether he will consult with the trade with a view to ensuring that guards may be available to purchasers of electric fires.

The question of accidents in the home is being examined by an Inter-Departmental Committee and I will consider an approach to the trade in the light of any recommendations the Committee may make.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether agreements have yet been reached with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Roumania and Bulgaria, for payment of compensation to British subjects for the loss of property in nationalised industries.

A compensation agreement was concluded on 28th September, 1949, with the Czechoslovak Government in respect of British property, rights and interests nationalised or otherwise expropriated by the Czechoslovak Government. No compensation agreement has been concluded with Bulgaria. Roumania, Hungary or Poland.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the text of the Council decision of 31st January, 1950, as noted in Article 52 of the European Payments Union Agreement.

As the document in question is rather long, I think it would be more appropriate it copies were made available to members in the Library. I am making the necessary arrangements for this to be done.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recent outbreak of infantile paralysis in West Fife; and if he will indicate the connection between infantile paralysis, immunisation against diphtheria and whooping cough.

In Fife there have been 12 cases of poliomyelitis, occurring in separate localities, widely apart. As regards the second part of the Question, I am advised that there may be a slightly increased susceptibility to poliomyelitis for a short period following inoculation. But this is not clearly established, and detailed studies are continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action has been taken to implement the silvicultural research programme prepared by the Forest Department, British Guiana, and referred to in the Forest Department Report for 1948, paragraph 87.

Steady progress is now being made as new staff acquires the local experience necessary before it can undertake research. Subordinate field staff have been recruited and are being trained. Regeneration studies are being undertaken in greenheart and other types of forest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) in view of the fact that the Nigerian Groundnut Marketing Board, having the monopoly of the export sale, now obtains £53 per ton c.i.f. in the United Kingdom, what is the fixed price it is now agreed shall be paid to the Nigerian grower; and to what purpose is the difference in price devoted:

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply of 1st May, and to paragraphs 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the copy of the Nigera Gazette of 9th March then sent him. The Annual Report and Accounts of the Board referred in that reply have not yet been published.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps it is proposed should be taken to give the fullest distribution to films produced by the Colonial Film Units of both the Colonial Office and the Colonial Governments.

Films made by the Colonial Film Unit or the Film Units of Colonial Governments are designed primarily for educational use and public information in the territories themselves. Arrangements already exist by which, in suitable cases, wider distribution can be effected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what plans for economic development and social services have been prepared by the Government of the Federation of Malaya.

The draft of a comprehensive six-year development plan was published in Malaya last week. I would invite the attention of hon. Members to copies of this plan which have been placed in the Library of the House. The Federation Government has also decided to set up a Rural and Industrial Development Authority whose projects will, it is hoped, supplement the draft development plan.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research into the fire on a train last autumn in the Penmanshiel tunnel near Berwick disclosed that the lacquer paintwork was 16.7 per cent. nitro-cellulose and 75 per cent. solvent; how far conditions in the recent fatal fire on the Birmingham—Glasgow train were similar; and what action he proposes to take in this connection.

I am aware from the report which was made to me by the Inspecting Officer of Railways who conducted the inquiry into the train fire at Penmanshiel last summer that the composition of the clear lacquer concerned was substantially as stated by the hon. Member. I am sending him a copy of the report from which it will be seen that the coaches which had been sprayed with this particular cellulose lacquer were withdrawn from service immediately after the accident. Other coaches in which cellulose lacquers of any kind may have been used are being tested for fire risk as they pass through the shops for repair, and preventive precautions are being taken as may be suitable. The whole question of the interior finishing of railway coaches in relation to fire risks is under review with the Railway Executive.The fatal fire near Beattock of 8th June this year is under inquiry by an Inspecting Officer of Railways and it will be appreciated that until his report is received, I am not in a position to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Transport on what grounds has it been decided to remove the No. 268 pattern radar from merchant ships at present on hire from the Government, which are giving complete satisfaction; what will be the loss of rental; and for what reason have shipowners been informed that these sets may not he purchased at valuation.

Type 268 radar sets were made available for hire to the Merchant Navy at the end of the recent war as a stop-gap until sets designed for Merchant Navy use became available. Although they have been very useful in the absence of anything better, they fall considerably below the standard of my Department's specification for navigational radar with which current types of specially-designed British sets comply.It has always been a condition of hire of a type 268 set that, subject to a minimum period of hire, it would be liable to withdrawal when a satisfactory type of radar specially designed for use by the Merchant Navy became generally available. It is because that condition has now been fulfilled that systematic withdrawal of type 268 sets is now being considered. There is no intention of depriving any vessel of a 268 set before an up-to-date set is available. Some 40 sets have already been voluntarily surrendered. These sets are not being made available for purchase at valuation because of their shortcomings in performance and because stocks of certain spare parts will soon be exhausted. The loss of rental when all the sets have been withdrawn will be about £37.500 per annum.

asked the Minister of Transport if, when he requires direction indicators and stop lights to be fitted to motor vehicles generally, he will also require red reflectors to be fixed on the rear of all motor vehicles and bicycles to ensure against the failure of the rear light.

The desirability of requiring all motor vehicles, including motor cycles, to carry rear reflectors is under consideration. New legislation would be necessary and I cannot therefore undertake that such a requirement, if agreed, would come into operation at the same time as the contemplated new Regulations requiring direction indicators and stop lights to be fitted on motor vehicles generally.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning how far, when worked out, ironstone areas are taken over by the local authority at a low value or nil, the original owner of the land will receive payment normally made under contract in lieu of restoration.

This question will not arise because the local authorities will take over land already returned to its owner.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning what authority is to be set up in ironstone extraction areas to decide the degree of restoration, levelling or planting for afforestation; and what is its representation to be.

I shall be responsible for deciding the degree of restoration and I am setting up a small committee, to advise me on difficult cases.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will give an assurance that landowners and tenants, mineral and agricultural, in ironstone extraction areas, are to be relieved of development charge in order to make the contribution proposed by him.

No. But this matter will be dealt with in the forthcoming legislation.

asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning if he will give an assurance that levied land will not be levied with a development charge for full restoration to agriculture on account of its being an improvement of conditions and a change of use from mineral land to agricultural land or afforestation.

Yes.