asked the Minister of Health when he will be in a position to announce the new salary scales for senior and administrative nursing staffs in the public health field.

The appropriate Whitley Council has begun to examine these scales, and I shall not be able to make any announcement until they have reached agreement.

asked the Minister of Health whether any record exists of the number of cases of paralysis developing in the inoculated limb, one, two or three months after immunisation.

Details are available for 1950. In that year 46 cases of paralysis developing in the inoculated limb after immunisation were reported. Of these 35 occurred within one month, 10 in the second month and one in the third month after immunisation.

asked the Minister of Health the annual cost of the diphtheria immunising agents used in diphtheria immunisation campaigns; and how much has been paid annually to doctors and/or nurses for immunising children.

Details of the cost of diphtheria immunising agents from 1940 to the end of March, 1948, were included in the particulars furnished in reply to the Question asked on 31st January, 1949.The figures from that date are

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that in the southern counties of Britain there are thousands of acres of common land, remote from centres of population and little used for recreational purposes, which could be utilised for pasturage by neighbouring farmers if bull-dozed and re-sown; and if he will introduce legislation enabling him to effect this.

A good deal of common land, both in the southern counties and elsewhere, is no doubt capable of improvement to provide better pasturage. The matter is one to which I am giving attention, but it presents considerable difficulties.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many cases of the American virus type of fowl pest have been reported in the United Kingdom since 1st December, 1950; how many fowl have been slaughtered under direction of his Department's officers since that date as a result of this type of fowl pest; and what is the aggregate compensation payable.

There have been nearly 300 outbreaks of the sub-acute type of fowl pest since 1st December. About 145,000 birds have been slaughtered, involving compensation of approximately £192,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the weight of dead poultry imported from countries known to have fowl pest for the years 1949 and 1950 respectively, and the percentage these figures are of the total annual supply of dead poultry, both home produced and imported, for these years, respectively.

The weight of dead poultry imported during the years 1949 and 1950 from countries known to have fowl pest was 6,764 and 8,050 tons respectively, or 5.3 per cent. and 6.3 per cent. of the total supply of dead poultry from all sources for these years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied that the standard of violet crystal vaccine produced in this country is sufficient to afford immunity from swine fever.

Yes. Extended trials which were made of the vaccine before it was issued showed that when used correctly it confers a good measure of protection against swine fever.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the spread of disease through the present system of marketing and dealing in poultry, he will take urgent steps to initiate a marketing scheme that would eliminate such dangers and be more satisfactory to both producers and consumers.

No. I have no power to initiate a marketing scheme. Under the provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Acts, such schemes must be initiated by the producers themselves. It should not, however, be assumed that organisation of producers under the Agricultural Marketing Acts provides the most effective means of dealing with the spread of disease in the poultry flocks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the negotiations with Belgium for a tax relief scheme similar to that negotiated with France.

Negotiations with Belgium have been in suspense for some time by mutual agreement in view of a projected reform of Belgian taxation law. Changes have now been made and the possibility of resuming negotiations on double taxation between the United Kingdom and Belgium is accordingly being considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will, having regard to the peculiar conditions of service of those concerned, consider allowing tax-free tobacco and cigarettes to those members of the Trinity House Service who are stationed on lightships and also on lighthouses off the coasts of the United Kingdom.

No. Whilst I appreciate the onerous nature of the work in this important Service, I fear I cannot single out these men on this account for a special Revenue concession.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give consideration to seeing that the call-up of bona fide fishermen who served in the Army in the last war and are now on Z Reserve is deferred in the interests of vital food production, and to arranging that in the event of a national emergency such fishermen should have an opportunity to serve in the Royal Navy, particularly those who have since the war obtained their certificates either as skippers or second hands from the Ministry of Transport.

It is intended that such fishermen should, in general, be available in the event of an emergency for naval service only, and should not be recalled for training with the Army.

asked the Minister of Labour when he will announce the method by which students with assured places at universities are to apply for priority release after 21 months' National Service.

Applications by such students will be made, as last year, through their commanding officers. The necessary instructions will reach all concerned by the beginning of March.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the objections felt to the ruling that civil servants may not accept office in ex-Service men's organisations; and if he will arrange for the early withdrawal of this prohibition.

I am not aware of any general ruling which forbids civil servants to accept office in ex-Service organisations.

asked the Minister of Labour what proportion of unemployed men between the ages of 41 and 50 and women between 50 and 55, respectively, who have been unemployed for 12 months are skilled workers; what proportion are unskilled; and what proportion are office workers.

I regret that statistics giving the information in the detail requested are not available. The total numbers of men aged 41 and under 51 and women aged 50 and under 56 on the registers in Great Britain at 11th December who had been continuously unemployed for more than 12 months were 7,081 and 811, respectively.

asked the Minister of Education how far he anticipates that he will be able to improve the school dental service in Lewisham during the year and thus reduce the waiting period for the children involved.

I am sure that the local education authority will do all it can in 1951 to improve the school dental service in Lewisham. If the present negotiations on the Dental Whitley Council result in a satisfactory settlement, I hope that there will be a substantial improvement in the school dental service generally.

asked the Minister of Education the number of dentists in full-time equivalent employment by local authorities at the end of 1950.

The number of dental officers in the school dental service at the end of 1950 was equivalent to 717 full-time officers.

asked the Minister of Education the average annual cost of providing education for a child at a State school.

For the last complete financial year the estimated net expenditure per pupil in maintained primary schools is about £25, including the ancillary services such as school milk and meals and social and physical training. The corresponding figure per secondary school pupil is about £45.

asked the Minister of Education why a member of the teaching profession who left an independent school to serve in the 1914–18 war and who, subsequently, joined the staff of a grammar school, is not allowed to count for pension the period of his war service; and how many men are affected by this rule.

War service by a teacher during the 1914–18 war cannot be treated as pensionable service under the Teachers' Superannuation Acts unless the teacher was recognised at the time as a certificated teacher, or was employed in recognised service immediately before the beginning of his war service. These conditions are contained in a Statutory Rule from which I have no power to depart, the broad purpose of which is to continue the pension rights which a teacher enjoyed when he entered on war service. I have no information of the number of teachers whose war service does not satisfy the conditions of the Rule.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware that in certain instances candidates for headships in non-Church schools are asked to indicate their religious beliefs; and, in view of the prejudicial effect this may have, whether he will take steps to prevent the making of such inquiries.

One instance has been brought to my notice where a candidate for a headship of a county school was asked to declare on the form of application with what religious denomination he was connected. I find on inquiry that the local education authority concerned recently revised their form of application for a post of head teacher and that an obsolete form which had applied to voluntary as well as county schools was used because the revised form had not been received from the printers. In view of the terms of Section 30 of the Education Act, 1944, such questions should not, in my opinion, be asked of candidates for appointment to teaching posts in county, controlled, or special agreement schools, other than as reserved teachers in controlled or special agreement schools.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is satisfied that there is an adequate supply of teachers to meet the demands of the new certificate of education.

This demand is one of the reasons for seeking to improve still further the staffing of secondary schools, but it is not possible to measure the adequacy of school staffs in relation to this one requirement.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the wide disparity that exists between local education authorities in the provision of grammar school and technical school places and in the methods of selection of children for grammar and technical secondary education, he will set up a committee to examine these problems.

No. The problem is largely one of accommodation. The admitted disparity in available places cannot be overcome immediately because of the necessity for devoting educational building resources to meeting the needs arising from the increased birth-rate and the movement of population. Appropriate provision is, however, proposed in the local education authorities' development plans and these will be implemented as soon as circumstances permit. I am already examining local education authorities' arrangements for the selection of pupils for transfer to different types of secondary school.

asked the Minister of Education what action he proposes to take in cases where local authorities make no use of the pool for the augmentation of teachers' salaries in especially desirable cases.

I assume that the Question refers to the recommendations for revised salary scales for teachers in primary and secondary schools. Although I have not yet received the Burnham Committee's detailed recommendations, the selection of individual teachers to receive allowances from the area pool is likely to be a matter entirely within the discretion of the local education authorities.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will circularise all school authorities in Brighton, Eastbourne and Worthing to the effect that schools receiving a Government grant are not allowed to make vaccination a condition of admission.

I am not prepared to issue a general circular on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will ban the export of rubber and tin to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The quantities of rubber exported to Russia from this country and British Colonial Territories are closely watched. Exports have been running at normal levels and no drastic action of the kind suggested by the hon. Member is contemplated. Exports of tin to the Soviet Union are negligible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what negotiations, whether by the United Nations organisation or this country, in conjunction with other European countries, have taken place with Indonesia regarding her co-operation in the allocation of vital raw materials.

I am not aware that any such negotiations have taken place with Indonesia, but the hon. Member will know that it is proposed to set up a number of international groups for dealing with individual raw materials of which there are world shortages, and Indonesia will no doubt be invited to cooperate in this work.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much whisky has been imported from Denmark during the 12 months ended 31st December, 1950.

Whisky is not separately distinguished in the import statistics of the United Kingdom but 13,000 proof gallons of unsweetened spirits of all kinds (including whisky) to the value of £25,000 were imported from Denmark in 1950.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what subsidies have been notified to him as to be paid by the United States Government on United States exports of citrus products.

I am informed that the benefit payments to United States exporters of surplus citrus fruits and fruit juices during the fiscal year 1950–51 will be at the rate of 50 per cent. of the export sales price free alongside ship United States port, in respect of shipments to countries participating in the European Recovery Programme, subject to certain prescribed maximum rates of payment. I give below lists of the maximum rates of payment and of the countries to which the arrangements apply:(a)

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantity of softwood was imported from the United States of America in 1950, and what quantity is expected in 1951; and what quantity of softwood was imported from all sources in 1950, and what quantity is expected from all sources in 1951.

Of the total imports of 902,000 standards of softwood during 1950, 19,000 standards were imported from the United States. I cannot give an exact forecast of imports in 1951 but considerably more softwood is expected from the United States this year; total imports are also expected to be larger.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now postpone the taking of the census of distribution, in view of the armament programme and of the proposed mobilisation of manpower for defence purposes.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is proposed to close down the activities of the Dollar Exports Board.

The Dollar Exports Board is an entirely independent body set up by industry. Their future is, therefore, not a matter for Government decision. I understand, however, that the Board will continue in its present form for the next few months and that any subsequent changes will be such as to enable the work it is doing to continue on a more permanent basis.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons were adjudicated bankrupt during the years 1946 to 1951 inclusive.

Five thousand four hundred and twenty-five.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest total for Civil Defence volunteers; how many are required; and if he will make a statement on the position.

At the end of December the number of volunteers in England and Wales was approximately: 99,000 in the Civil Defence Corps, 8,000 in the Auxiliary Fire Service and 10,000 in the National Hospital Service Reserve, making a total of about 117,000. The number enrolled in the Corps represents between one-quarter and one-fifth of the aggregate provisional peace-time establishments of the local divisions of that Service. The immediate recruiting target for the Auxiliary Fire Service in England and Wales is approximately 60,000 auxiliaries and for the National Hospital Service Reserve about 30,000 members. Recruits are therefore urgently required now for all Services, particularly the Auxiliary Fire Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has in hand for recruiting and training Civil Defence volunteers at industrial and business premises in connection with fire fighting and fire watching duties; and whether he has any statement to make.

These matters will be considered as part of the plans for the Civil Defence organisation in business premises which, as I have previously stated, we are working out with representatives of both sides of industry and commerce.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of making a film of Wakefield model prison; and why it was withdrawn before being shown.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the film "Four Men in Prison," part of which was made in Wakefield Prison. The full cost of the film was £20,100. It has not been withdrawn; it was produced to be shown to magistrates and other people concerned with the administration of justice, and it will be used for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities have responded to the invitation in his Circular 157/50 of 31st July, 1950, and appointed a coordinating officer and what progress has been made in the prevention of ill-treatment or neglect of children in their homes.

Over two-thirds of the local authorities concerned have adopted the suggestion that they should designate a co-ordinating officer and I hope that those authorities who have not yet reached a decision will shortly do so. The response to the circular shows that, in general, local authorities are alive to their responsibilities and, with the co-operation of voluntary organisations, are anxious to do all that they can to prevent the ill-treatment or neglect of children.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to give effect to the Act of Parliament to fix the date for Easter Day.

While I can see great advantages in the fixing of Easter, there is no immediate prospect of agreement on this matter among the Christian Churches and until this is reached no Order in Council bringing the Easter Act, 1928, into force can be made. The position remains exactly as it was when the subject was last debated in this House on 25th March, 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in view of the fact that the ratio of instructors and staff to students at the Bruche Police Training Camp, near Warrington, is one to two-and-a-half, whether he is satisfied with the ratio at this establishment;(2) what is the net cost of the Bruche Police Training Camp, near Warrington, including the maintenance and heating and lighting costs of the building, for the nearest convenient 12 months; and what is the average weekly cost of training each student.

This Centre accommodates 360 resident students. In addition to the Commandant and Deputy Commandant, there are 21 instructors in police duties and four in physical education; 11 civilian administrative and clerical staff and 73 indoor and outdoor domestic staff. For the financial year ended 31st March, 1950, the net cost of the Centre was £77,830 and the weekly cost for each student trained was £4 17s. 7d. For the financial year ending 31st March, 1951, it is expected that these sums will be reduced. I am satisfied that the staff is not excessive and that the Centre is efficiently and economically conducted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been given to the position of German ex-prisoners of war now working in this country in respect of the desertion and non-maintenance of their wives and families in Germany; and if he has consulted the German authorities in respect of this problem.

No. I have no evidence that the problem is a large one, and no action can be taken without legislation. The provisions of the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act, 1920, are applicable only to territories in the Commonwealth and do not apply to foreign countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered aliens are now resident in the United Kingdom; how many have been granted British nationality since 1945; and how many are now seeking to obtain British nationality.

On 31st December, 1950, the number of aliens over 16 years of age registered with the police as having been in the United Kingdom longer than two months was 429,329. From 1st January, 1945, to 31st December, 1950, 53,710 aliens were naturalised and on 1st January, 1951, approximately 2,650 applications for naturalisation were under consideration.

asked the Minister of National Insurance, in view of the necessity for increased manpower and the steady improvement in general health and mortality rates of the nation, she will raise the limit for those who wish to continue working after reaching pensionable age and increase the maximum of £1 or the amount allowed to be earned without loss of pension.

The reasons for the earnings rule to which my hon. Friend refers were explained in the answer given to the hon. Members for Wycombe (Mr. Haire) and Edinburgh, West (Lieut.-Commander Hutchison) on 5th December, of which I am sending him a copy. My right hon. Friend will, however, bear the point in mind in connection with any review of the scheme.

asked the Minister of Food, in view of the grave position existing in the markets of this country dealing in vegetables and the concern expressed by the growers and the general public at the high prices, if he will take immediate steps to remedy this state of affairs.

The retail prices of most vegetables are at or below the controlled maximum prices which were in force some years ago. I do not know what immediate steps my hon. Friend has in mind but the present system of marketing is being examined by the Government with a view to reducing the costs of distribution. This is a complex problem of which no early or simple solution can be expected.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give a table showing the total, in tons, of animal feedingstuffs available to the agricultural industry during 1950 and an estimate of the total likely to be available in 1951, under the following headings: wheat, wheat offals, barley, oats, maize, oil cakes and meals, other imported feedingstuffs and other homegrown feedingstuffs, stating where appropriate the amounts imported.

The following table and accompanying footnotes show the quantities of rationed animal feedingstuffs distributed in the United Kingdom during 1950. These supplies exclude homegrown grains retained on farms by growers, sugar-beet pulp returned to growers of sugar beet and also any purchases of unrationed feedingstuffs dealt with outside the scope of the Rationing Order. The figures also exclude such items as grass, hay, strawroots, chat potatoes, kale and similar farm crops which have not been controlled in distribution.

asked the Minister of Food if he will include in his Department's future publications on preserving pulped fruit a method, details of which he has been sent, and which he has admitted makes a considerable saving of time.

I do not feel able to do this. This method which is by no means new, has been frequently and carefully studied by my Department. The trouble is that while it may, as claimed, save time when used by an exceptionally expert housewife, there is a danger that the fruit will not be completely sterilised. Our policy must be to recommend only methods which can be successfully and safely followed by all housewives, inexperienced or expert.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement on the sentence of 10 years' imprisonment and dismissal from the service pronounced on Private Fargie for shooting a Korean while on sentry duty in Korea.

The proceedings of the court-martial which tried Driver Fargie have not yet been confirmed and the case is sub judice. My right hon. Friend cannot, therefore, comment at this stage on the case.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether cadets who are bona fide residents of Northern Ireland and who pass out of the Army Cadet Force in Northern Ireland and have obtained Certificate A (Parts I and II) or Certificate A (Part I) combined with Certificate T, are placed in a special squad, as National Service men who possess these certificates are, and watched with a view to being trained for commissions if they join the Regular Army.

In the case of both National Service men and volunteers for the Regular Army, recruits are placed in a special squad, with a view to being trained for a commission, only if they are considered to be potential officers. Possession of Certificate A, Parts I and II, or Certificate A, Part I, combined with Certificate T, though an important factor which is taken into consideration in the initial selection procedure, does not constitute the sole qualification for selection as a potential officer. This applies to men who join the Regular Army from Northern Ireland equally with others.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he has come to a decision on the application of the West Gloucester Water Company to obtain water from Alderley.

No.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning what are the results of the tests for the water supply of Hepple, Northumben land.

Satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning when he expects to be in a position to indicate the Government's intentions in respect of a revision of the structure of local government.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning if he can now make a statement of the intentions of the Government regarding changes in the structure of local government.

I am glad to hear that the local authority associations are discussing this question, and I shall await with interest their conclusion.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he will give guidance to the Edmonton Borough Council designed to discourage them from making compulsory purchase orders in respect of land situated in the urban district of Cheshunt.

No.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning if he has considered a communication from the Louth Rural District Council regarding the deterioration of property with low controlled rentals which are uneconomical and leave no margin for necessary repairs; and if he will introduce legislation in the near future to enable rents to be adjusted so that houses may be properly maintained.

My predecessor replied to the Council on 10th January. I cannot at present add anything to this.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he is aware that local authorities have to include work classed as improvements ranking for grant under the 1949 Housing Act in their ordinary repairs quota; and what increase in their quotas have been made to the Horncastle and Spilsby rural district councils consequent upon the 1949 Housing Act coming into operation.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes." As to the second part, £1,453 for Horncastle and £2,150 for Spilsby.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning to what extent the permanent staff, who have heretofore dealt with housing matters, will continue to do so and be transferred to his Department; and whether their salaries will be unaltered.

For the time being until the details of the merger are worked out this staff will continue to do so. Salary scales are not affected.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning if he is aware of the burdens inflicted upon large cities that were severely damaged by enemy action, by virtue of the fact that they have to repay loans and interest on money borrowed from the Treasury to purchase land which is lying derelict and likely to remain so for some time; and if he will relieve such authorities by making this a national charge until facilities are obtained to put this ground into use.

In such circumstances a local authority may apply to the Public Works Loan Commissioners for authority to defer payment until redevelopment can take place. On re-development, substantial grants, equal to 90 per cent. of loan charges during the early years, are payable under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947. These grants will take account of interest on expenditure incurred in making these advance acquisitions.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning what is his policy regarding decisions to reconvert allotment areas to recreation grounds.

I am always prepared to consider proposals of this kind, but my hon. Friend will realise that the relative needs in particular cases must be borne in mind.

asked the Lord President of the Council in what European countries has expenditure been incurred to publicise the Festival of Britain.

Money has been spent on advertising, either directly or indirectly, in nearly every European country except those controlled by the U.S.S.R.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the number of persons awaiting passage to the West Indies from the United Kingdom and from the West Indies to the United Kingdom, respectively; and what is the average delay in obtaining a sea passage in each case.

As the booking of passages to and from the West Indies is in the hands of the shipping companies and agencies, the information asked for is not in the possession of the Government. I am, however, aware that in the course of the next few months a considerable number of people are anxious to travel from the West Indies to the United Kingdom. The delay in obtaining a sea passage depends on the demand, which is seasonal, and on the class of passage required, and I have no information on which to base an estimate of the average delay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will investigate the nutritive value of the fruits of Gulielma utilis with a view to introducing this palm as a garden crop for native peoples in territories where it is not at present cultivated.

The possibility of trial propagation of this palm in British Colonial Territories is being examined. At present, so far as I am aware, it is grown only in Trinidad.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what records there are of the King's African Rifles, to in- clude the date of formation and the period since when it has been part of the British Army.

Various East African units were formed under local legislation from about 1890 onwards and were subsequently merged into the King's African Rifles. The first recorded battle honours are in 1900. There are records of the force in the War Office, the Colonial Office and the various East African territories but it would not be possible without considerable research to say just what records exist. If the hon. Gentleman will inform me what particular point or points he has in mind, I will do my best to help him. The King's African Rifles are not part of the British Army.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the approximate tonnage of rubber exported from British territories in the Far East to China during the past six months; how this figure compares with a similar period a year earlier; and to what extent rubber not grown in British territories has been re-exported to China through Hong Kong during the same two periods.

Approximately 70,700 tons of natural rubber were imported into China from United Kingdom territories in the Far East during the last six months of 1950. Imports for the corresponding period of 1949 were 15,881 tons. The increase in imports may be due (a) to Chinese imports of rubber during the first half of 1950 being much below normal and (b) in view of the large increases in the price of natural rubber during the past six months to a possible Chinese desire to protect themselves against a rising market. I regret that the information to answer the second part of the Question is not available.