asked the Minister of Food whether he is yet able to state the quantity of bananas he anticipates importing this year from the Canary Islands.

Yes. We hope to import about 12,000 tons.

asked the Minister of Food what proportion of the production of tinplate is earmarked for use in the canning industry.

About 21 per cent. in 1949.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that canners are at present being allocated insufficient tinplate to permit them to can the quantity of vegetables allocated for canning by his Department; and what he is doing to remedy this position.

My Department does not allocate any vegetables for canning. I know there is a general shortage of tin-plate, but we are placing as many cans as possible at the disposal of the canning industry.

asked the Minister of Food on what grounds Mrs. Cundle, 271, Greasby Road, Greasby, Wirral, has been refused a licence to retail sweets.

A licence was refused because it was considered that there were already enough sweet shops in Greasby to enable the local people to buy their ration without difficulty.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that during the unloading of the cargo of grain which he had stored for some months in the sailing ship "Pamir" some 8,000 rats were destroyed; and to what use the cargo was put.

As I have already told the hon. Member, I know that this vessel was found on discharge to be badly infested with rats, but I do not know how many were destroyed. The barley unloaded was in good condition and will be used for feeding animals, which is the purpose for which it was imported.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that boiled ham is being sold at 10s. per lb; and whether he intends to control the price of this commodity.

Yes, but I do not think it would help to control these small un-subsidised quantities; this would only drive canned ham off the market.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the fact that 12,000 gallons of milk were recently wasted at Frampton on Severn, he will consider the advisability of giving up responsibility for the sale and disposal of milk and restoring it to the Milk Marketing Board, which is an expert authority for handling milk.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member for Renfrew, East (Major Lloyd), on 17th May.

asked the Minister of Food what changes in the regulations for sending food parcels to Germany are contemplated now that the points system is ended; and if he will make an early announcement in view of the anxiety of many people here to resume sending parcels to friends with small children who are in need.

I am afraid I cannot yet add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Willesden, East (Mr. Orbach), on 28th June.

asked the Minister of Transport why it is not possible to extend the 30-mile speed limit on the A.40 Brecon to Abergavenny Road so as to include Dorlangoch and an exit road from a busy military training centre.

There are very few buildings along this stretch of trunk road which has a good alignment with excellent visibility. There is an adequate footpath. I do not think that an extension of the speed limit would be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that there are 15 British seamen, including two officers of the Mercantile Marine now in Durban. South Africa, awaiting passages to the United Kingdom, that some of these men's families are suffering hardship as the seamen are earning no wages; and if he will take the necessary steps to obtain passages home for these men.

I am informed that all these officers and men have now been re-employed on board ship or have been provided with passages home. When I have fuller information I will communicate with the hon. and gallant Member.

asked the Minister of Transport when was the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for the London area established; what is the area affected; when were the members appointed, and for what periods; what are their qualifications; and what steps have been taken to draw the attention of the transport-using public of the area to the existence of this committee as a possible medium for the redress of their grievances, if any.

The Transport Users' Consultative Committee for the London Area, which represents the area covered by the London Transport Executive, was appointed on 22nd February, 1950. The members were appointed for a period of three years. A list of members indicating the interests they represent was circulated with my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Mr. Albu) on 13th March, 1950, and I am sending the hon. Member a copy. Press notices were issued drawing attention to the appointment of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the action he proposes to take on the new charges scheme for the London area confirmed and published by the Transport Tribunal.

The Transport Tribunal have given only a preliminary decision on the draft London Area (Interim) Passenger Charges Scheme. They are meeting to consider it further on 26th July. Section 78 of the Transport Act provides that if they confirm the Scheme, with or without alterations, it shall be published in such manner, and shall come into force on such date or dates, as may be specified by them, I have no power to take any action in regard to a confirmed scheme, except that I may subsequently require the Tribunal, under Section 80 of the Act, to review the operation of the Scheme.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce legislation to increase the "B" licence holder haulage contractors' operating distance when their centre is a country town in a sparsely populated area.

The operating distance on the "B" licence is determined in the first place by the licensing authority, but I presume the hon. Member refers to the 25-mile limit in Section 52 of the Transport Act, 1947. This provision was fully debated at the time, and I see no reason for amending legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport when train crews and control points on the railway system are going to be equipped with short wave wireless sets for inter-communication for the greater safety of the public, the speeding up of operation, and the replacement of the present obsolete means of drawing attention to the fact that an accident has taken place.

The use of short wave wireless for operational purposes is a matter for the British Transport Commission. I am advised that its extensive provision in trains and signal boxes would be extremely costly, of little, if any, value as a safety measure, and would not be justified for the purpose of reporting accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport how many people have been killed and how many injured on the roads in Britain since 1926 to date.

Between 1st January, 1926, and 30th June, 1950, 156,516 persons were killed in road accidents. Excluding the years 1939 to 1941, when injuries were not recorded, 3,795,258 persons were injured.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the different types of road surfaces in use in the United Kingdom, together with figures showing to what extent they are skid-proof.

The main types of road surface are asphalt, bituminous macadam, concrete, stone setts, tarmacadam, water-bound macadam and wood blocks. There are variations of each type. In addition, there are various kinds of surface dressing and thin carpets. Resistance to skidding depends upon a number of factors, and for information as to the tests which have been carried out I cannot do better than refer the hon. Member to the published reports of the Road Research Laboratory.

asked the Minister of Transport what recent report he has received from his representative on the committee dealing with the co-ordination of the highways systems of Europe; and whether his Department will propose the creation of a Channel tunnel as a means of improving the links between the British and European highway systems.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Working Party on Highways of the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe. As this Working Party completed its work in July, 1949, there has been no reason for me to receive any recent report from my representative on it. My Department would not, in any case, propose the creation of a Channel tunnel.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the continued growth of the Belmont housing estate, Hereford, with a large child population, he is prepared to reconsider his decision not to alter the speed limit signs to include the road opposite this estate.

I have carefully reconsidered this matter, but I am still of the opinion that an extension of the speed limit is not justified.

asked the Minister of Transport how many fatal and nonfatal accidents have been reported on the road between Knockholt and Sevenoaks, Kent; whether he will take further measures to prevent speeding and dangerous driving; and if the projected by-pass will be given a high priority among road building schemes.

I assume that the road referred to is the section of Route A21 between Knockholt Station and Seven-oaks—a length of about five miles. In the year ended 30th June, 1950, there were 67 accidents, of which three were fatal on this road. The proposed Seven-oaks by-pass would supersede a part of the section of road but the scheme is not one which, having regard to other more urgent projects, can be given high priority. I will investigate the traffic conditions on this road to see whether any measures can be taken to improve safety. Enforcement of the law relating to dangerous or careless driving is a matter for the police.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the percentage mileage of trunk roads in each county in Wales which have road reflector studs; and what action he is taking with regard to those which have no reflectors.

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is given in the table below:

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the extreme and persistent congestion of traffic in Albemarle Street, W.1, largely due to the inadequate exit across Piccadilly; and if he will take steps to ease this.

I am aware of the traffic conditions in Albemarle Street and my technical officers are examining how best they can be improved.

asked the Minister of Supply what incentive schemes are in operation at the Royal ordnance factory in Irvine for the workers employed there.

Safety considerations prevent the introduction of an incentive scheme for the normal work at this factory, and it has not been thought practicable to introduce the standard incentive scheme for the temporary work which is being carried on there.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the total amount of public money contributed to the development of the multiple nylon stocking machines which have been under construction in this country for several years; and what is the date by which it is now expected that these machines will be operating perfectly and available to British manufacturers.

My Department has not contributed to the cost of development of any such machine. But manufacture of a fully automatic machine designed by William Cotton, Limited, is taking place at the Royal ordnance factory, Nottingham, under a contract with that company. The manufacture, which was temporarily suspended last year while a part of the machine was being redesigned by the company, has been resumed and, according to my information, British stocking manufacturers can now place orders for these machines with the firm. Some of these machines are already working in hosiery factories.

asked the Minister of Supply what percentage of cars manufactured in July will be available for the home trade.

The motor manufacturing industry has not been asked to release to the home market a fixed percentage of its output in any given month, but it is estimated that about 20 per cent. will go to the home market in July.

asked the Minister of Works what is the number of men in the London area employed in constructing non-residential Government buildings and new houses, respectively.

The number of men in the London region employed in constructing non-residential Government buildings and new houses at the end of May, 1950, is estimated to have been as follows:

asked the Minister of Works what check was made on the credentials of Gerald O'Brien, Ministry of Works gardener when he entered Government service.

Gerald O'Brien was a labourer employed in St. James's Park. Applicants for employment as labourers are not required to give references.

asked the Minister of Works what is the average percentage of the total resources of the building industry devoted to the building of houses during the past five years; and the corresponding percentage for the five years to the most convenient date in 1939.

The building of new houses has represented about 30 per cent. of the value of the output of the building industry as an average over the past five years. There is no corresponding figure for the five years up to 1939.

asked the Minister of Works when Pollington airfield, near Goole, will be cleared of huts and other buildings and be handed back for agricultural use.

The main site of the airfield at Pollington has been handed back for agricultural use. The hangars and administrative buildings are being retained for storage and other official purposes. The living quarters on the dispersed sites, which are held on requisition, are gradually being cleared. These sites will be released as quickly as circumstances permit.

asked the Minister of Works why his Department has not yet removed the large heaps of barbed wire and other débris which clutters up the Marram Hills and beach on the Norfolk coast at Hemsby.

The barbed wire and other débris from the coastal defence works near Hemsby, Norfolk, have already been removed from their original sites, and arrangements are being made by my Department to deal with the dumps, many of which are now on land not held on requistion or otherwise subject to Government control.

asked the Minister of Works what tenant is now in occupation of Redford Collegiate School, Bristol; why these premises have not been derequisitioned; for what purpose he is still holding them; and when he proposes to restore them to their owners.

Bristol Corporation, who are the owners, are in occupation of Redford Collegiate School, Bristol, and the premises are being used as a permanent teachers training college. My Department are negotiating with the Corporation on the payment to be made for improvements effected to the property. As soon as these negotiations are complete the premises will be derequisitioned.

asked the Minister of Works if he will give details of the types of building materials and the quantities manufactured by the Govern-men in each year since the sum of £100,000,000 was voted for this purpose in 1946.

I would refer the hon. Member to the published annual Accounts of the Building Materials and Housing Fund.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware of the growing shortage of bricks; and what steps are being taken to remedy the situation.

I am aware that there is a shortage of bricks in certain parts of the country. In conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour every effort is being made to increase the supply of labour at existing brickworks. In addition, brick companies are being urged to reopen closed brickworks in anticipation of a steady demand assured by the Government's announcements about the future programme.

asked the Minister of Works what consideration he has given to the resolutions passed by the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives regarding the nationalisation of the building industry; and if he will publish a White Paper setting out the Government's policy with regard to the future organisation, development and encouragement of this industry.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the recent Conference of the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives at Ayr. I am not aware that any resolutions about nationalisation were before this Conference, but I understand that a report on the subject was referred to the Executive Committee for further examination in the light of the discussion that took place. In these circumstances, it would clearly be premature for me to make any statement on the matter.As regards the second part of the Question, I have for some time been discussing with my National Consultative Council the Reports of the Building Industry Working Party and the Building Productivity Team; our latest meeting was held last Friday. It is not at present my intention to issue a White Paper.

asked the Minister of Works what work licensed by him is now in hand at the Communist Headquarters, King Street, Covent Garden.

None.

asked the Minister of Works why a licence to build was refused Mr. Milnes in respect of his premises, 1 to 3 and 18 to 22, Clowes Street, Salford, when permission had been granted under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, for the reinstatement of these premises destroyed by enemy action.

It has not so far been possible to grant a licence to rebuild this war damaged property because of the restrictions on capital investment announced by the Government last October, and I cannot at present indicate when I shall be able to do so.

asked the Minister of Works if he can give the number of compensation claims received from property owners owning property adjacent to opencast mining sites, which have been damaged by blasting, c.; the number of claims which have been settled; the number awaiting settlement; and the amount of money involved in payment of claims.

1,563 claims have been received, of which 829 have been settled, leaving 734 outstanding. The sum of £49,361 has been paid in compensation.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the high price of imported cement is increasing the cost of house building; that the present estimated delivery of home produced cement is 22 weeks; and whether, in view of these facts, he is prepared to stop the export of cement until the home demand is satisfied.

No. I do not think that the imports of cement can be having any appreciable effect on the cost of house building since they are mostly being brought in under special arrangements providing for sale at the same price as home produced cement. I am not aware of delays in delivery so serious as is suggested by the hon. Member, and I should not regard the extreme course of a stoppage of exports as justified.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the contractor for 36 houses at Powick and eight houses at Madresfield, Worcestershire, will have to cease work unless further supplies of cement are forthcoming; and if he will take immediate steps to have this position rectified.

The circumstances had not been reported to my Department. I have, however, made inquiries, and I understand that a load is being despatched on 24th July.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the main user categories of cement in 1948, 1949 and the early months of 1950, showing the quantities consumed by the principal classes of users, including house-buildings and exports.

There are no statistics of the quantities of cement delivered to particular classes of user in these periods. The total production and the amount exported have been as follows:

asked the Minister of Works why he has refused to grant a licence to rebuild St. Andrew's Church Hall, Balaclava Road, Surbiton, which was destroyed by enemy action in 1944.

There is nothing I can add to the letters I wrote to the hon. Member on the 9th and 16th May. In view of the restrictions on capital investment, I have had to refuse applications in other no less deserving cases, and this is a considerable scheme requiring an amount of softwood that could not be spared at present.

asked the Minister of Works what sum of money was received by his Department for the sale of the buildings on the site at Dalmore Farm, Alness, Ross-shire.

It is not the practice to disclose such information.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is yet able to make a statement on the disposal of the reserve funds which belonged to the former local authority electricity undertakings in south-east Scotland.

I regret that I cannot yet add anything to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member a little while ago.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he expects to complete the consultations that he is now having with the regional electricity authorities on the subject of the cuts in capital expenditure.

The responsibility for co-ordinating the programmes of area electricity boards rests with the British Electricity Authority. My responsibility in regard to the electricity investment programme is a general one; I am in continuous consultation with the British Electricity Authority, and I now await the Authority's conclusions resulting from their consultations with the area boards.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that present-day quality coke does not burn satisfactorily in many cookers and that only the most recently manufactured cookers are designed to burn coke; and if he will take steps to ensure a sufficient supply in the south-east area of the small anthracite known in the trade as peanuts to prevent the wasteful and unsatisfactory use of coke.

I am not aware of the difficulties to which the hon. Member refers, but if he will let me have particulars of the types of cooker which he has in mind, I will look into the matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on the recommendations in the Final Report of the Committee on the Form of Government Accounts.

No. As my right hon. and learned Friend has previously explained, the examination of these recommendations will necessarily take a very considerable time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was collected under the War Damage Insurance Schemes; and what is the total amount of claims paid or accepted for payment.

I am afraid that I can give figures only for contributions and payments under Part I of the War Damage Act, 1943, as other schemes do not come under my responsibility.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the acute shortage of surgical suture needles in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, he will assist manufacturers to increase supplies as a matter of urgency.

I am aware that there are shortages and my right hon. Friend has been taking steps to assist the manufacturers to increase supplies.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases there are in the county borough of West Hartlepool of children in need of institutional treatment awaiting places in suitable institutions; how long the oldest case has been waiting; and whether he will give directions to the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board to expedite schemes for the provision of additional institutional places.

Eight children in the county borough of West Hartlepool are awaiting places in suitable institutions. One of these has been on the waiting list since July, 1947; but available vacancies are, of course, allocated solely on the degree of urgency. Efforts are being made to provide additional accommodation as expeditiously as the financial situation permits.

asked the Minister of Health what is the definition of a smallpox-infected country; and whether any part of Great Britain is smallpox infected at the present time.

The International Sanitary Conventions do not define a smallpox-infected country. No part of Great Britain is infected at the present time.

asked the Minister of Health how many places were available in suitable institutions for the reception of mentally defective children in the years 1939, 1945 and 1949; and when he anticipates additional places will be made available.

Separate figures are not available for accommodation reserved specially for children; but of about 55,000 places some 7,500 are now occupied by patients under 16 years of age. Additional accommodation is being made available as quickly as financial resources and staffing allow.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to announce the constitution, terms of reference and powers of the advisory committee for the reimbursement of Purchase Tax to dollar earning businesses in the hotel industry.

I am not yet in a position to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Mr. Keeling) on 6th July.

asked the Attorney-General how many wholesale and retail fruit and vegetable dealers became bankrupt in the years, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and so far in 1950.

The following are the figures: