asked the Minister of Agriculture how the number of volunteers under the Volunteer Agricultural Camp Scheme compares with previous seasons; what is the approximate cost per head of feeding them; and whether he will consider some additional expenditure in order to provide more variety in the food and encourage volunteers to come again next year.

The bookings of volunteers at Volunteer Agricultural Camps in 1950 are equivalent to 113,500 weeks as compared with 129,000 weeks in 1949; the small reduction is due to a decrease in the need for their help during the summer months. The approximate weekly cost of food at wholesale prices, exclusive of catering services, is 14s. per person. I have no evidence that the existing standard of feeding is keeping volunteers away.

asked the Minister of Agriculture for what tonnage animal feed-ingstuff coupons were issued by the agricultural executive committee, Lincolnshire, from 1st April to 31st August, 1949, and for the corresponding period in 1950.

In the whole of Lincolnshire the total tonnage issued was 44,600 tons in the 1949 period and 58,500 tons in 1950.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he has yet decided whether Defence Regulation 62A will be included among those to be continued by the proposed extension of the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act, 1945, for a further year.

This Regulation is covered by the Motion proposed by the Lord President of the Council on the 18th October praying that the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act, 1945, be continued in force until 10th December, 1951.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent it is his policy to maintain the present minimum standard of pay for agricultural workers; and whether it is intended that this should remain constant during the period for which the Government has already announced the guaranteed price for milk, eggs and similar articles of food.

Responsibility for the determination of minimum rates of wages for workers in agriculture rests with the Agricultural Wages Board.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he now estimates the total gain of output relatively to employment, namely, of productivity, during the last three years at more or at less than 1¾ per cent.

Over the three years ending June, 1950, the increase in the output of the manufacturing, building, mining and public utility industries was about 30 per cent. The increase in the numbers employed in the same industries over the same period was 5 per cent. No official estimate of output is available for other sectors of the economy.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will extend the concession whereby civilians leaving the United Kingdom for residence overseas for 12 months and over can purchase goods free of Purchase Tax, to members of the Armed Forces and their families who are likely to fulfil the residence qualification.

There is no discrimination against members of the Armed Forces in this matter. Generally, if they are going abroad for more than 12 months they may purchase goods, in the same way as civilians, free of Purchase Tax for delivery to the ship or aircraft by which they are leaving this country. The arrangement is not, however, available to members of B.A.O.R., or to civilian staff of the Control Commission in Germany and Austria, who are able to return regularly to this country on leave.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the improvement of the position of gold reserves, it is proposed to make any relaxation in the currency control regulations.

This question is under constant review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to make a statement regarding the steps which the Government propose to take to carry out the recommendations of the Gowers Report.

Not yet.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why taxation is heavier on speedway racing than or other non-betting sports; and if he will consider the introduction of more equitable treatment.

Payments for admission to speedway racing are taxed at the same rates as for other forms of motor racing. Betting is not a factor in determining liability to Entertainments Duty and I cannot, therefore, accept the suggestion that the absence of betting at speedway racing is a ground for change.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the interim report of the Government Actuary upon the operation of the National Insurance Act, 1946, during the period ended 31st March, 1950, will be laid before Parliament.

About the end of the year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give figures of the receipts of the betting for football and similar pools for the year 1950 up to date.

The monthly figures of receipts of Pool Betting Duty during 1950 from football pools (together with other similar pools included under the same heading) are as follow:

				£
January	…	…	…	1,358,409
February	…	…	…	1,663,565
March	…	…	…	2,026,731
April	…	…	…	1,505,321
May	…	…	…	1,228,230
June	…	…	…	131,914
July	…	…	…	57,528
August	…	…	…	144,972

I regret that the figure for September is not yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many British cars sold abroad and re-imported into the United Kingdom, Customs Duty has been charged at the port of entry; and how many refunds of such duty have been made.

I regret that the information requested is not available. Customs Duty (as distinct from Purchase Tax) is not normally charged on re-imported British cars except in the case of cars assembled abroad from British-made parts, and then only on the full value of the car less the value of the parts.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what length of time elapses between the closing date for applications for Civil Service vacancies and the notification of results.

The time varies according to the number of candidates and the nature of the competition. The results of competitions which depend upon interview only can be declared within three or four weeks. In the case of some larger competitions consisting of written examinations followed by interviews, and in which there may be nearly 2,000 candidates, seven or eight months may elapse before the final table of results can be issued. The hon. Member will, of course, appreciate that, in accordance with the principle of open competition, all applicants must be tested on their merits, in order that only the best may be selected.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will explain the reason for the retention of the high number of executives employed by the Central Office of Information and reduce them to the numbers that would be employed by a commercial undertaking carrying on a similar value of work.

The staff of the Central Office of Information is no larger or more highly graded than would be employed by a commercial undertaking carrying out work of similar nature and volume.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will consider amalgamating the duties of public relations officers and Press officers in order to effect a saving in personnel.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question on 23rd March.

asked the Minister of Health for how long he proposes to continue making it compulsory for a person to prove that he is in need of his own house before consideration can be given to allowing him to re-occupy it.

If the hon. Member has in mind houses controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts, the granting of orders for possession is within the discretion of the county courts and I have no jurisdiction.

asked the Minister of Health, with a view to relieving loan indebtedness of local authorities and the State, if he will now consider schemes by which local authority tenants may buy the houses which they occupy.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 16th March last to Questions by the hon. Members for Bristol, North-West (Lieut.-Commander Braithwaite) and Norfolk, Central (Brigadier Medlicott), a copy of which I am sending to him.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total number of houses owned by local authorities in England and Wales.

The total number built since 1919 under the various Housing Acts is 1,691,018. In addition, a relatively small number have been erected or acquired under other statutory powers, but details are not available.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average cost of all local government authority owned houses?

Detailed figures are not available but I would refer the hon. Member to the First and Second Reports of the Girdwood Committee on House Building Costs.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an estimate of the cost to the taxpayers and ratepayers of the 160,000 houses that are to be provided by local authorities for rent in the year 1951.

The statutory contributions to be made out of taxes and rates for houses provided by local authorities are set out in the Acts of 1946 and 1949.

asked the Minister of Health what he has done and is doing towards increased allocation of houses to districts where workers in large proportion are engaged in dollar-earning industries.

In consultation with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Labour and National Service, the Minister of Supply and the President of the Board of Trade, I have selected certain districts in which there are important dollar-earning industries and I have arranged for additional numbers of houses to be allocated for building in them where practicable. I am not yet in a position to give details of these arrangements.

asked the Minister of Health how many grants for reconditioning rural and other houses have been approved under the 1949 Housing Act.

In rural districts improvement grants in respect of 204 houses have been approved. For other areas the figure is 93.

asked the Minister of Health what was his reply to the application of the Liverpool housing authority for an increased allocation to build more houses than he has already granted them.

The Corporation were informed that the amount of work now on contract and the current rate of progress do not justify further commitments at present. It is estimated that even at an improved rate of completion the work in hand at 31st December next would represent 20 months' work. I am, however, prepared to reconsider the matter if and when an accelerated rate of completion has been achieved.

asked the Minister of Health (1) the number of houses which will be allocated to the Stroud, Gloucestershire, Rural District Council for building in 1951;(2) the number of houses which will be allocated to the Stroud, Gloucestershire. Urban District Council for building in 1951;(3) the number of houses which will be allocated to the Dursley, Gloucestershire. Rural District Council for building in 1951;(4) the number of houses which will be allocated to the Thornbury, Gloucestershire, Rural District Council for building in 1951;(5) the number of houses which will be allocated to the Gloucester Rural District Council for building in 1951;(6) the number of houses which will be allocated to the Nailsworth,. Gloucestershire, Urban District Council for building in 1951.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Hardy), on 28th April last on the general subject of allocations, of which I am sending him a copy.

asked the Minister of Health at what date were the hostels for persons repatriated to Britain from the Middle and Far East set up; and how much has been spent on them to the latest available date.

The hostels were brought into use for this purpose at various times in 1945 and 1946. The net cost of maintaining the hostels to 31st March, 1950, was about £177,000.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that married soldiers sent to Korea forfeit their prospects of Army married quarters, with resulting hardship to wives and children; and whether he will make regulations directing housing authorities to give such cases special and favourable consideration.

The first part of the Question is a matter for the Service Departments concerned. As regards the second part, I have no power to make such regulations. Local authorities are required to allocate the tenancies of their houses on the basis of the relative needs of applicants, and I hope they will give due weight to the considerations to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Minister of Health what amount of house extension work, to be carried out under licence, was allocated to the Tredegar Urban District Council for 1950.

Tredegar Urban District Council have been informed that they may issue licences for building work to private dwellings up to a total value this year of £3,538.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is prepared to act upon the resolution, a copy of which has been sent him, put forward by the Electrical Trades Union, Birmingham, at the annual meeting of the West Midland Regional Council of the Labour Party on 14th and 15th October, 1950, to the effect that wholehearted support should be given to groups of tradesmen within the region, constitutionally set up with the approval of the trades concerned, for the purpose of building their own houses.

The issue of licences for the building of new houses is a matter for the local authorities and it is for them to assess the relative merits of the applications made to them.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will allow rural district councils discretion to permit the construction of limited numbers of agricultural cottages over and above their main allotment of licences in cases where they are satisfied that such construction could be undertaken by local resources without diluting supplies of labour or material needed for the main housing effort, and providing that the appropriate county agricultural executive committee approves each cottage as essential to agricultural production.

I am willing to consider individual applications on their merits.

asked the Minister of Health if he will recommend to local authorities that they assist Service families returning from overseas to obtain houses by the allocation of extra points.

The guidance already given to local authorities should be adequate to ensure that the position of such applicants is not prejudiced by their absence abroad.

asked the Minister of Health what importance his Department place on the blood transfusion service in the event of any atomic warfare; and what steps he will take to see that the units of this service are not all concentrated in the centre of what appear to be likely target areas.

I regard this service as of the first importance, and I am asking regional hospital boards to plan for its expansion and to take the first steps for establishing duplicate centres where required.

asked the Minister of Health whether the Whitley Council have yet finished their consideration of the award of the Industrial Court upon the salaries of public health nurses; and from what date the salary increases will operate.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the Whitley Council circular giving revised salary scales for whole-time non-resident public health nurses which take effect from 1st February, 1949. Resident and part-time grades are still under discussion.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that medical practitioners are, under the National Health Scheme, unable to prescribe special foods for infants suffering from digestive troubles; that in certain areas local health authorities operate a means test in considering whether an infant shall be provided with these special foods; and what steps he is taking to remedy this position.

The pharmaceutical services provided under the National Health Service are limited to drugs and medicines. Local health authorities have power to make a charge for baby foods supplied by them where they consider this to be justified by the parents' means and I see no reason to alter this arrangement.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, owing to the shortage of nurses and hospital accommodation, many expectant mothers must have their confinements at home, and that the maternity benefits paid to them are the same as to those who are confined in hospitals; and whether he will consider taking steps to give extra financial assistance to expectant mothers confined in their own homes to cover additional expenses involved as compared with confinements in hospitals.

I have no powers under the National Health Service Act which would enable me to make grants towards expenditure incurred privately. If my hon. Friend has in mind the possibility of a change in National Insurance maternity benefits, that is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Minister of National Insurance, but I would remind him that at her request the National Insurance Advisory Committee is now engaged in a review of these benefits.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the difficulties experienced in Bristol in obtaining supplies of B.C.G. vaccine used in tuberculosis prevention; and if he will make it available to all who require it in addition to workers at sanatoria and family contacts.

I am advised any general or indiscriminate use of this vaccine would not at present be wise.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage of the total output of bi-focal spectacles has been exported during the past year.

I regret that precise information is not available, but the quantity of spectacles is trivial. There are exports of bi-focal lens blanks, but these do not affect the supply of bi-focal spectacles in this country.

asked the Minister of Health what repair service there is for people who own glasses which were made before the new Health Service was introduced.

Glasses obtained before July, 1948, can be repaired through the Health Service, if spare parts of the type supplied in the Service can be used.

asked the Minister of Health what steps have been taken to overcome shortage of accommodation for tubercular patients in the County of Hampshire.

The Regional Board concerned have made 250 more beds available for their area including Hampshire since they took over, and have plans to provide another 400 as soon as staff can be found.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the long waiting for accommodation in tuberculosis sanatoria, he will reconsider his decision not to allow financial aid where tubercular patients can obtain a bed in a private sanatorium.

I have no power to give financial help in this way.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the serious delays which arise in connection with the obtaining of approval from his Department for the purchase of property by regional hospital boards; that in connection with the proposed purchase of the Sheringham Hotel by the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board, whereas the owners were informed in May, 1949, that a proposal to purchase had been approved by the Board, it was not until May, 1950, that his Department decided that the purchase could not be proceeded with; and whether, in view of the fact that these delays involve serious losses for the owners of the property concerned, he will take steps both to expedite the procedure and to arrange for suitable compensation to be given in those cases where it can be shown that excessive delay in negotiation has caused loss.

The unusual delay in this case was due to the need for finding out in some detail the relative cost to public funds of this proposal and of other alternatives. This was not known until March, and a decision was given in May. I regret any inconvenience caused, but cannot undertake to pay compensation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will provide for free lip-reading tuition within the National Health Service for those deaf people who are unable to benefit from a hearing aid.

A number of hospitals already provide training in lip-reading. While it may be possible to extend in a limited way, training in lip-reading is, strictly, a function of the education rather than of the hospital authorities.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to restore St. Thomas's Hospital.

Repairs have been in progress continuously since the hospital was damaged. The board of governors have prepared a scheme for the entire reconstruction of the hospital on which preliminary work will start this year.

asked the Minister of Health when bone conduction receiver hearing aids will be available under the National Health Service.

Experiments with the Medresco aid modified for use with a bone-conduction receiver are not yet complete and I cannot yet say when they will be generally available.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that Mr. Walter Sargent, of Westbourne, Marshchapel, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was examined for a hearing aid over 12 months ago; and, since this agricultural worker is practically stone-deaf and has to work amongst farm machinery, if he will take steps to expedite delivery of the hearing aid.

I am advised that this patient has no special claim to priority treatment.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Leicester and Leicestershire mental deficiency institutions are overcrowded and that there is a considerable waiting list of patients; and what steps he intends to take to remedy this position.

Yes. My Department is in communication with the regional hospital board, who are aware of the importance of providing more accommodation as practicable.

asked the Minister of Health to state separately the amount spent in the National Health Service on ophthalmic services for sight testing and for supply and repair of glasses and the amount of remuneration of services during the financial years 1948–49 and 1949–50.

The total payments to opticians and Medical practitioners for supplementary Ophthalmic Services in England and Wales were:

	1948–49	1949–50
	£000	£000
1. Sight testing (Medical Practitioners and Ophthalmic opticians)	4.298	4.736
2. Supply and repair of glasses (Ophthalmic and dispensing opticians)	6.863	16.998

The amounts in item I represent gross professional fees out of which practice expenses and overheads have to be met.Separate figures of the dispensing fees included in item 2 are not available. It is estimated that the actual cost to opticians of the glasses supplied represents rather less than half the total amount, the balance being gross remuneration out of which overhead expenses have to be met.

asked the Minister of Health when he intends to introduce legislation to stop people from overseas coming to Britain specially to secure free medical treatment.

Instructions have been issued to immigration officers that where they are satisfied that the sole purpose of an alien's visit is to secure free medical treatment leave to land should be refused.

asked the Minister of Health if he is prepared to approve by-laws made by statutory water undertakers which prescribe the use of the M.O.H. brass water fittings.

If, as I assume, the hon. Member refers to water taps, the reply is "No."

asked the Minister of Health what has been the nature of the complaints he has received from home or overseas in respect of the M.O.H. brass water fittings sponsored by him.

I have had no complaints about specific failures, but have frequently had it brought to my notice that statutory water undertakers regarded taps made to the 1924 M.O.H. specification as too light in construction.

asked the Minister of Health the reasons for refusing the grant for provision of water on Holy Island, Northumberland.

No such refusal has been given.

asked the Minister of Education whether the Report of the Foundation for Educational Research on the inquiry into punishments and rewards of children has now been received; and when it will be published.

The National Foundation for Educational Research recently received the findings of the two research officers appointed to carry out this investigation. I am informed that the material is not in such a form that it could be published without a good deal of editorial work and I am afraid I cannot say when the official report will be ready for publication.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the shortage of sites for all purposes in many urban areas, he will consider modifying the rule which provides for the construction of single storey schools.

There is no such rule. My Department has in fact taken steps to encourage local education authorities to build schools on more than one floor in appropriate cases.

asked the Minister of Education what arrangements exist for the exchange of teachers between this country and the British zone of Germany.

The junior assistant scheme has been extended to Germany and 34 German assistants from the three western zones are now in English schools. Fourteen assistants from England and Wales are in German schools in the British zone. I hope that it will be possible to arrange for assistants to go to schools in the other western zones. I also hope that arrangements will be made to extend the senior assistants scheme to Germany.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has now received any recommendation from the Burnham Committee in regard to teachers' salaries; and when he anticipates making a statement.

The answer to the first part of the question is "No." I cannot make any statement until the Committee's recommendations have been received and considered.

asked the Minister of Education what instructions or suggestions his Department has sent to local education authorities to effect economies by eliminating swimming from the subjects taught at council schools.

None. In asking local education authorities in Circular 210 for a reduction in expenditure under Section 53 of the Education Act, 1944, I had in mind the less essential or more costly activities, outside the normal school curriculum.

asked the Minister of Education if his attention has been called to the evidence given by 237 head teachers of London schools to Sir Graham Savage, education officer of the London County Council on 18th September, 1950, at County Hall, concerning Communist propaganda in State schools; to what extent this is typical of the country as a whole: and what action he is taking to eradicate Communist propaganda in the schools under his administration.

The London County Council has sent me a copy of the report of the meeting. This indicates that there is no cause for anxiety over activities in and about London County Council schools. I have no evidence that Communist propaganda is being disseminated in schools under my jurisdiction in other parts of the country. If any such case were brought to my notice I should at once take action.