asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, with the view of relieving loan indebtedness of local authorities and the State, he will now consider schemes by which local authority tenants in Scotland may buy the houses which they occupy.

No. It is still necessary that as many houses as possible should be kept available for letting by local authorities to those in greatest need.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the boatslip at Sheildaig on which work is proposed in the programme of Highland development set out in Command Paper No. 7976.

The County Council of Ross and Cromarty have been consulted about the list of piers and boatslips in the Highland development programme but so far no proposal has been received from them for works at Sheildaig.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why accounts of the revenue and expenditure of the Isle of Man Customs for the year ended 31st March, 1950, were presented in dummy on 28th June; and when the full accounts will be available.

The Customs Duties (Isle of Man) Act of 1866 requires that the accounts of revenue and expenditure of the Isle of Man Customs shall be laid before Parliament on or before 30th June each year if Parliament is sitting then, or, if not, within one week of reassembly. These complicated accounts cannot in practice be prepared and audited in time for presentation by 30th June. They have, therefore, for many years past been laid in dummy to comply with the statutory requirement. I regret I am unable to say when the full accounts for the year ended 31st March, 1950, will be available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has considered the recommendations made by the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments in paragraph 8 of their Special Report of 24th July, 1950; and whether he proposes to give instructions for the insertion in all future statutory instruments of the date or dates of all ministerial signatures.

Yes; instructions to this end were issued on 11th September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is today's nominal value, including accrued interest, of a National Savings Certificate, purchased in August, 1945, for 15s.; and what is its real purchasing power allowing for the subsequent drop in the internal purchasing power of the pound.

A Savings Certificate bought for 15s. in August. 1945, is now worth 17s. 7d., and would now have a purchasing power in terms of 1945 prices of about 14s. 2d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the recently increased dollar and gold reserves results from United Kingdom trading; and how much from efforts by the rest of the sterling area.

I would refer the hon. Member to Cmd. 8065, Table 10.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances the pensions of Service officers' widows are stopped or reduced to meet claims of the Inland Revenue.

If the widow is liable to Income Tax, tax is deducted from the pension under P.A.Y.E. In no circumstances would the pension be stopped to meet Inland Revenue claims.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to pay compensation rights under Part 6 of the Town and Country Planning Act. 1947.

I assume that the hon. and gallant Member is referring to the distribution of payments under Section 58 of the Act. The act requires these payments to be made not later than 30th June, 1953. I cannot say now what the precise date of payment will be.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the proposed new reassessment for rates will necessitate corresponding alterations for Schedule A assessments; and what will be the final difference between those assessments.

The reassessment of property for rating will not automatically result in an alteration of values for Income Tax, Schedule A. A reassessment for Schedule A cannot be undertaken without legislation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if post-war credits are included in the estate of a deceased person for assessment of duty when the person dies before reaching the age at which repayment can be made.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the increased expenditure on armaments which will affect the Budget, what cuts in Government expenditure will be made now to ease the otherwise growing burdens of the taxpayer.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 19th September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any statement to make about the policy of the Government for dealing with the serious increase in the cost of living.

The official index of retail prices remains for Mid-September at the figure of 114 at which it has stood now for several months, apart from a fall to 113 in August. The recent rise in the prices of many of our raw material imports, however, which is itself to a large extent the consequence of the generally higher level of defence expenditure in most of the world, is likely to produce a small rise in the index in the next few months.In order to limit the effects of higher world prices upon our own cost of living, it will be necessary to continue the present disinflationary policies including price control and food subsidies and to achieve at the same time the highest possible level of production and saving.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will appoint a judicial committee to investigate and report upon the cost-of-living index structure in view of the conflicting views recently expressed on behalf of the Treasury and the trades unions respectively on the trend of the cost of living, upon which claims for increased wages for many workers are at present under negotiation.

The method of construction of the Interim Index of Retail Prices was worked out in 1947 by a technical sub-committee of the Cost of Living Advisory Committee. The proposals were fully endorsed by the Advisory Committee on which the trades unions and the Co-operative Movement were represented and were accepted by His Majesty's Government as the basis for preparing the present Interim Index. I therefore see no reason for appointing a judicial committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the withdrawal by His Majesty's Customs and Excise of the Customs sufferance hitherto held by the Hull Forge Wharf Company Limited, is a threat to the livelihood of an ex-Service man who has invested his life savings in that company; and if he will see that the sufferance is restored.

No sufferance privilege has been withdrawn and, therefore, no question of restoration arises. The owners of this wharf have been seeking authority for its extended use, but this has not been granted as adequate facilities are available elsewhere in the Hull docks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent appropriate measures to secure adequate stocks of materials essential in war-time have now been taken.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made during the Defence Debate on 13th September last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which gas consultative councils he has received representations regarding Purchase Tax on gas water heaters; and what reply he has given to such representations.

Representations have been received from the Northern, Northwestern and East Midland Gas Consultative Councils. The reply was that, while we could not contemplate relief for gas water heaters just now, their representations would be considered on the next review of the tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decision has been reached as a result of his further consideration of the question of the issue of Purchase Tax coupons to holders of Central and South American passports, in addition to holders of United States of America passports.

It was decided for the present to continue to issue these coupons only to holders of United States and Canadian passports.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply he intends making to the memorandum, on the methods by which rearmament should be financed, that he has received from the Association of British Chambers of Commerce.

It would be contrary to normal practice to send a detailed reply to this memorandum. The matters which it covers will clearly have to be considered from all points of view in the coming months, and in the preparation of next year's Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the sums received under the Anglo-Italian Payments Agreement for the service of Italian debts to this country to the latest convenient date; and the figure that it is estimated would have been received in the period concerned if the servicing of the debts had not been reduced through the Anglo-Italian Payments Agreement.

The Anglo-Italian Payments Agreement does not prescribe what is to be paid for the service of Italian debts to the U.K. Arrears of principal and interest on Italian sterling bonds due to 15th September, 1947, were paid to United Kingdom bondholders at full contractual rates in accordance with the provisions of the Anglo-Italian Financial Agreement, No. Ill of 17th April, 1947. The rate of service from 16th September, 1947, has been determined by negotiations between the Italian Government and the bondholders' representatives.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of sterling balances released to members of the European Payments Union to the latest convenient date.

As announced yesterday, approximately £5.8 million has been used by other members to settle their deficits with the Union up to 30th September, 1950. In addition, £14.6 million was used by France to repay debt to the U.K.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state, at the latest convenient date, the total, respectively, of blocked and unblocked sterling balances.

On 30th June, 1950, rather under £1,300 million was held on accounts restricted under agreements, and rather under £2,200 million on unrestricted accounts.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether, in view of the fact that the United Nations Monthly Bulletin of Statistics has replaced the Foreign Trade Statistics formerly published, he will arrange for supplies of the Monthly Bulletin to be placed in the Vote Office.

No. A copy of the Bulletin is available for reference in the Library.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider abolishing Income Tax on the first £2,000 of purchase money for annuities, thereby bringing this into line with the existing tax exemption on Death Duties.

The treatment of purchased annuities for tax purposes comes within the terms of reference of the Tucker Committee on the Taxation Treatment of Provisions for Retirement.

asked the Economic Secretary to the Treasury if he will make a statement of His Majesty's Government's policy in respect of the claim now being put forward by the Select Committee for claims against Japanese frozen assets on behalf of the Far East Prisoners-of-War Social Club.

The policy of His Majesty's Government remains as stated by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for War in the Debate on the Adjournment on 13th June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the percentage of cotton textile exports in the first part of 1950 as compared with 1937.

The rate of export of cotton textiles in the first half of 1950 was 214 per cent. by value of the rate of export in 1937. In terms of volume, allowing for price increases, the rate of export this year was about half the 1937 rate.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how long the large factory on Western Avenue, Cardiff, has been empty; and when it may be expected to go into production.

The factory which was substantially completed in November, 1949, has been empty since that date. In September, 1950, it was allocated to a Birmingham firm, and it is expected that they will be in production early in the New Year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to encourage the salvage of paper, particularly through local authorities.

I have asked the Waste Paper Recovery Association, which is the trade body which handles these salvage schemes, to let me have a practical plan for encouraging local authorities to resume or increase collections. Final details are being worked out by the Association, but it has already been agreed in principle that the scheme will provide for a minimum price guaranteed by the mills until the end of 1951, while leaving to local authorities the advantage of the current market price whenever that is higher.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many tons of seed potatoes were exported from the United Kingdom to Italy during 1948, 1949 and the first six months of 1950, respectively; and how many tons of Italian potatoes were imported into the United Kingdom during the same periods.

There were no United Kingdom exports of seed potatoes to Italy in 1948 or 1949; in the first six months of 1950 exports amounted to 10 tons. There were no imports of seed potatoes from Italy in any of these periods, but imports of new potatoes from Italy were approximately 15,000 tons in 1948, 275 tons in 1949 and 19,200 tons in the first six months of 1950.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give a list of the current retail prices of the principal commodities for which his Department is responsible, together with the prices prevailing in 1945.

For the principal commodities for which my Department is responsible it is not practicable to compile a detailed list showing current prices and prices of comparable items in 1945. For the types of goods, however, which are represented in the Interim Index of Retail Prices, clothing prices rose by 21 per cent. and prices of household durable goods by 13 per cent. between the middle of June, 1947, and the middle of September this year. The limited information available suggests that the increase for these groups between 1945 and 1947 was probably about 3 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the undesirable practices in the industry, he will request the monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission to investigate the Edge Tool Manufacturing Association.

This matter will be considered, together with many others, when further cases are being selected for reference to the Monopolies Commission.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to secure increased supplies of hessian for British roofing felt manufacturers so that an adequate quantity of reinforced roofing felt can be made available for housing requirements.

The allocation of hessian for roofing felt is the maximum that can be made available in the present difficult supply conditions, and I can hold out no promise of any immediate increase.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the deterioration in the newsprint supply situation, he will consider asking for a postponement of our export commitments for 1951 until April of that year, in order to ensure that adequate reserves of newsprint are maintained during the winter months.

Until I know exactly what supplies Canada can deliver to us before the end of March it would be premature to consider asking other Commonwealth countries to agree to the postponement of deliveries from the United Kingdom. If the necessity arose I should, of course, have to consider with the Commonwealth countries concerned whether anything could be done on the lines suggested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps have been taken to impose an effective control on the transhipment of strategic items such as molybdenum originally exported to the United Kingdom.

I informed the hon. Member in reply to his Question on 18th September that steps had been taken by the Governments concerned to make control in the country of origin, where the first responsibility lies, as effective as possible. I am not yet in a position to make a statement about the control of transhipment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much extra timber he would require to purchase to achieve a target of 300,000 houses per year.

About 145,000 standards a year, on the present scale of timber usage.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the difficulties in securing china and some woollen goods, and since the only available supplies are rejects from the export market, he will take steps to ensure that the public of this country are given larger allocations in the immediate future.

No. The reason for shortages on the home market is our continuing need to earn dollars.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now reconsider the method of allocation of glycerine to the paint and allied industries.

From time to time the method of allocation of glycerine to the paint and allied industries has been reconsidered in consultation with representatives of the paint and synthetic resin industries. The basis of allocation was amended in the last quarter of 1949. I am prepared to consider any proposals put forward by these industries for improving the present system.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she will draw the attention of the National Assistance Board to the necessity for giving wider discretionary powers to the officers of the board in the granting of special fuel allowances for old age pensioners living alone.

The Board have ample powers to adjust allowances to meet special circumstances. Their officers are well aware that these special circumstances may include the need for additional expenditure on fuel. Where this need is established it is taken into account in determining the allowance.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why the London compositors, whom the employers say they have dismissed, are being refused unemployment benefit.

I understand that certain claims for benefit arising out of the printing dispute have been disallowed by the insurance officer under Section 13 (1) of the National Insurance Act, 1946, on the ground that the men concerned have lost employment by reason of a stoppage of work due to a trade dispute. Appeals have been or may be made to the local appeal tribunal and I cannot comment further.

asked the Minister of Labour when he hopes to establish a Remploy factory at Cardiff.

As my hon. Friend knows, it is proposed to open a Remploy factory in Cardiff for the special employment of tuberculous persons, but the Remploy building programme continues to be held up for reasons which I have previously given to the House. In these circumstances I am unable to say at present when it will be possible to make a start on the building of this factory.

asked the Minister of Labour why officer deserters from the Russian forces, allowed into this country after screening, are compelled by his officials to accept manual labour regardless of their qualifications or desires, or else be deported, in view of the fact that this treatment tends to discourage Russian officers from undertaking the risks involved in desertion.

Provided the interest of British subjects are not prejudiced, my Department endeavours to place these and any other aliens in employment of the kind they are most likely to be able to secure; this is often employment of the kind they desire. If the hon. and gallant Member has a particular case in mind, I will gladly look into it if he will send me particulars.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the number of unemployed persons in Cardiff at the latest convenient date; the number registered as disabled; the number over 50 years of age; and the number who have been unemployed for a year or longer.

The following Table gives the information desired, so far as it is available:

asked the Minister of Labour how many people are now unemployed in Scotstoun; and how do these figures compare with each of the preceding five years and with each of the five years after the 1914–18 war, respectively.

Statistics are not available in respect of Parliamentary divisions. The greater part of the Scotstoun division is in the area of the Partick employment exchange, which also covers a large part of the Hillhead division. The following table shows the numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of the Partick employment exchange in September of the years 1945–1950 and 1922–1923. Figures are not available for 1919–1921:17th September, 1945, 554; 16th September, 1946, 1, 714; 15th September, 1947, 1,254; 13th September, 1948, 1,172; 12th September, 1949, 1,098; 11th September, 1950, 935; 25th September, 1922; 7,521; 24th September, 1923, 7,619.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the strength, as at the latest convenient date, of the Factory Inspectorate; and how many vacancies there are.

The approved strength of the Factory Inspectorate is 373 and on 1st October, 1950, 312 were in post, leaving 61 vacancies. As a result of a recent open competition appointments to 15 of the vacant posts are being offered to successful candidates, and another open competition is about to be announced.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take to call to the attention of the London Master Printers Association that, by locking out nearly 5,000 London compositors, they are infringing the conditions of the Employment and Arbitration Order.

This matter is in the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions and my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General. It must not be assumed that only one side to the dispute in the printing trade may be in breach of the Conditions of Employment and National Arbitration Order, 1940.

asked the Minister of Labour when he expects to receive the report of the inquiry into the difficulties which have arisen between the London printing trade and the compositors.

The report has been presented to Parliament as a Command Paper and copies are now available in the Vote Office

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of people registered as unemployed in Wallasey on 14th September, 1950, or the nearest convenient date.

Seven hundred and fifty-two males and 642 females at 11th September.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the total of the Road Fund for the financial year ending April,. 1950; how much of it was spent on the roads; how much for other purposes; and what were they.

The total of the Road Fund for 1949–50 was £26,168,000, of which £1,658,000 was the balance in hand at the beginning of the year. Expenditure of £25,896,000, which was entirely on roads or purposes connected therewith, left a balance of £272,000 at 31st March, 1950.

asked the Minister of Transport why he is refusing the corporation of Glasgow powers to proceed with the Whiteinch-Linthouse tunnel.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have very recently discussed this matter with representatives of the corporation of Glasgow. We indicated that in present economic circumstances the restrictions on capital investment made it impossible to forecast when the commencement of a scheme of this magnitude could be authorised. We did, however, undertake to consider the question further in the light of the discussion and of additional information to be submitted by the corporation.

asked the Minister of Health if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the amount of subsidy per house provided by the local authority and by the Government respectively for ordinary housing and for slum clearance houses for the period 1920 to 1950 inclusive.

The many provisions governing the payment of subsidies for houses from 1920 to 1950 are contained in the following Acts—the Housing, Town Planning, etc. Act, 1919, the Housing (Additional Powers) Act, 1919, the Housing etc. Act, 1923, the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1924, the Housing Act, 1936, the Housing (Financial Provisions) Act, 1938, the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1946 and the Housing Act, 1949. I regret that it would not be practicable to give in a form suitable for circulation in the OFFICIAL REPORT a summary of these provisions which would not be misleading.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses which will be allocated to the Orpington Urban District Council and the Dartford Rural District Council for building in 1951 respectively.

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

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Burderup Camp, near Swindon, which the Highworth Rural District Council had hoped to use for housing purposes, is to be acquired by the United States Forces; and whether, in view of that, he will increase the allocation of new houses in the district.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes" and to the second "No" since the council have not yet obtained tenders for 92 of then-present allocation of houses.

asked the Minister of Health the number of houses for which applications have been made for reconditioning grants under Sections 15–36 of the Housing Act, 1949; how many of those applications have been granted; and how many refused.

Applications in respect of 1,878 dwellings have been received. Grant has been approved for 333 and refused for 513. The applications in regard to the remaining 1,032 are under consideration or have been withdrawn.

asked the Minister of Health if he will introduce legislation to prevent housing authorities from refusing permission to tenants to erect television aerials.

This is a matter within the discretion of local authorities and I have no power to interfere.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he has taken in conjunction with the Medical Research Council to obtain a substantial production of cortisone for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis.

The production of cortisone must be limited in this country by the availability of the essential raw material, for which I am advised that no alternatives are in immediate prospect. I must emphasise that the use of this drug is still experimental. Limited supplies are being imported for use in hospitals, and arrangements for its production will be considered as soon as practicable.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take, and when, to facilitate the import of aureomycin and terramycin from the United States of America.

Aureomycin is already being imported. The import of terramycin will be considered if the need arises.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that, although the county agricultural committee have approved an area, Rams-gill Moor, near Patley Bridge, for the eradication of bracken, they have refused to give a grant because the bracken has been cut with an Allen scythe instead of being hand cut; and if he will take steps to see that where bracken is adequately eradicated a grant will be made.

My right hon. Friend is looking into this case and will write to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the terms of compensation to be paid to farmers on account of petrol tax refund for farm machinery; and when the first payment will be made.

The necessary statutory instrument will be laid very soon and will give details of the grants and how they will be made. It is intended that the first payment under the scheme should be made in January, 1951.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has now come to a decision about the former tank training area at Burton Wold, near Burton Latimer, particularly 114 acres formerly occupied by Mr. P. Herbert of Harpuns Lodge Farm.

Proceedings for the purchase of this land under Section 85 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, have been put in hand.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the damage done by wintering sheep to inland pastures, allotment gardens, coppice woods and young plantations; of the impossibility for the ordinary citizen to catch and impound these sheep; that the Lancashire Agricultural Executive Committee have no powers in this matter; and whether he will, in the interests of good husbandry, issue regulations to the effect that such sheep are marked in a manner to be identified on sight, that the person wintering the sheep should herd them at intervals on his own land, and that the sheep should be provided with fodder in hard weather.

While I am aware that some damage is done from time to time to crops and plantations by straying sheep, I have received very few complaints from Lancashire in recent years. I have no power on good husbandry grounds to make regulations designed to prevent sheep straying from the land on which they are kept nor on my present information do I consider that it would be desirable to require the compulsory marking of sheep in the area in which the hon. Member seems to have in mind.