asked the Minister of Transport whether he has now come to a decision on the question of exempting dual-purpose vehicles from the need for C carrier's licences when used by doctors, veterinary surgeons or dentists in the normal course of their professional duties.

Draft regulations on this subject, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy, were circulated last week to interested organisations for comment.

asked the Minister of Transport what short-term proposals he has in view to remedy the chaotic traffic conditions at St. Giles Circus at the juncture of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street.

I have no short-term proposals in view. The London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee, in their recently published report on London Traffic Congestion, have suggested a scheme for the construction of slip roads to enable a roundabout system to be operated at this junction. This scheme would cost about £2½ million and must be regarded as long-term. The matter is primarily one for the consideration of the London County Council as improvement authority and I am inviting their views.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has yet received the report which, in February, 1949, he asked the Transport Commission to submit on the question of occupational level crossings; what steps he proposes to take to bring the legal position of people using such crossings into line with modern practice; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received a full and tar-reaching report on this subject from the British Transport Commission. The problem is one of very long standing involving issues of considerable complexity, and, if the Commission's recommendations are accepted, legislation will be required to alter the respective rights and obligations of the Commission and highway authorities and others who have an interest in the crossings. This is a matter which requires careful examination and until this is completed I shall not be in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport what arrangements he has made concerning the rebuilding or strengthening of the bridge carrying the Uxbridge to Slough Road, A412, over the Grand Union Canal, where at present traffic is restricted as to speed and weight.

The Slough Borough Council are preparing plans for the reconstruction and widening of this bridge. Any application for my approval of the scheme and for assistance from the Road Fund will have my careful consideration in relation to the other claims on the Fund and the investment programme.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement as to the directions of a general character he will issue to the British Transport Commission instructing them to have a comprehensive survey made of the railway system in order to ascertain which railway lines are incapable of bearing the cost of operating the traffic on them.

I do not feel it is necessary for me to issue any such directions to the British Transport Commission. The Transport Act places on the Commission the general duty of providing or securing or promoting the provision of an economical and properly integrated system of public inland transport, and the fulfilment of this obligation will involve questions of the type which the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that substantial capital and other initial expenditure on civil work undertaken by his Department has not been recovered; and how much in this manner has been lost.

Yes. The published accounts of the Royal Ordnance Factories show surplus materials and unabsorbed capital expenditure to the value of £920,261 at 31st March, 1950, on cancelled or reduced civil work orders. £305,000 of this has already been recovered and action to recover further sums is proceeding.

asked the Minister of Supply why he continues to operate three steel-making agencies which last year resulted in a net loss of £632,379; where they are situated; and how many people they employ.

The works in question were retained in operation after the end of the war to assist in meeting the heavy post-war demand for steel. The works at Barrow, Barrow-in-Furness, employ about 2,000 people, those at Paisley now employ 200 people and the works at Leeds have ceased operation.

asked the Minister of Supply why a price-fixing policy for imported finished steel has been adopted; and why a loss on this account of £6,282,064 was transferred from the trading account to capital account.

Imported finished steel costs more than home-produced steel, and the extra costs, including Import Duty, have as a matter of policy been borne by public funds in order to secure maximum imports and to maintain uniform steel prices to United Kingdom consumers. The additional cost in question is written off by transfer to the capital account since it does not arise from ordinary trading operations and is not recoverable in future sales.

asked the Minister of Supply whether, in view of its effect upon the delivery of milk in bottles, he will reconsider the cut in the supply of zinc to metal crate makers.

I regret that I can hold out no immediate prospect of increasing the supply of zinc to the gal- vanisers of milk bottle crates. There are, however, substitute materials which can be used or the crates can be used un-galvanised and I have no reason to suppose that the delivery of milk in bottles will be affected.

asked the Minister of Supply what arrangements it has been possible to make to pool United States and British resources for the type testing of lubricating oils and hydraulic system fluids for vehicles and aircraft.

There is close collaboration between the authorities concerned in this country and the United States for the production of standard methods of tests in this field.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps are being taken to assist small firms to obtain a share of available metal in short supply; and in cases where works have to close down what machinery exists whereby such firms can be put into touch with larger undertakings doing a similar class of work and employed on Government contracts.

We have made arrangements with the suppliers to see that applications from firms who need small quantities of metal essential to the production of engineering goods are dealt with sympathetically, subject of course to the terms of the recent Copper and Zinc (Prohibited Uses) Orders.The Ministry's regional offices are always available to small firms who are in difficulties owing to shortages of supplies. In cases where unavoidable scarcities of metal may force firms to reduce or cease production, the regional offices have instructions to assist by putting the firms into touch with larger factories and with manufacturers holding main Government contracts who are likely to require additional capacity. There is close liaison between the regional controllers and the main firms and the former will do all in their power to assist in the placing of sub-contracting work with suitable smaller firms whose production has been, or is likely to be, affected by metals shortages.

asked the Minister of Supply whether this country now possesses the technical knowledge required for the manufacture of atomic bombs.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Supply whether active steps will be taken to build an aircraft capable of regaining the world speed record, in view of the valuable experience designers and technicians would obtain from the project.

Not with the world speed record as its sole, or even its main, objective.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will take steps to control the price of aluminium scrap.

Yes. An order controlling aluminium scrap prices will shortly be made.

asked the Minister of Supply how many aluminium ingots and how much aluminium scrap were exported from Great Britain in the last three months of 1950.

Seven hundred and twenty-one tons of aluminium ingots were exported during the last quarter of 1950, but much of this was in respect of licences already granted. Exports of aluminium ingots are now restricted to a small token quota. Shipments of aluminium scrap are not separately recorded in the Trade and Navigation Accounts, but an export licence for a quarter of a ton was issued during the same period.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will increase the supply of wire to hop growers who are finding it impossible to maintain existing acreage on existing allocations.

Distribution of galvanised wire of the type used by hop growers is not controlled by the Government. I understand, however, that despite the shortage of zinc, the principal manufacturers expect that deliveries to hop growers will be maintained at last year's level.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is taking to secure that, wherever practicable, orders are given to the National Association of Workshops for the Blind.

In accordance with the Government's policy, the National Association of Workshops for the Blind, in common with certain other non-profit making institutions, is given as large a share as possible of suitable work.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he has taken to ensure that none of the jet aircraft which we have sold to foreign Governments have been passed on to other countries.

Assurances are sought, where necessary, from the foreign Government concerned, through diplomatic channels.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give an assurance that the establishment of additional troops in the British zone in Germany will not lead to further evictions of German tenants for the purposes of requisitioning their premises.

No. Athough every effort will be made in conjunction with the German authorities to provide other means of accommodating these additional troops, I cannot guarantee that further requisitioning of private houses can be wholly avoided.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made to the Chinese Government in regard to the application of the Geneva Convention to British personnel captured by the Chinese forces in Korea.

None; but as the hon. and gallant Member for Macclesfield (Air Commodore Harvey) was told on 12th February, His Majesty's Government are taking every possible step to help the International Red Cross Committee in obtaining permission to enter North Korea, and the Central People's Government are well aware of the interest of the United Kingdom in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he has concerning the circumstances in which Mr. Leonard McCombe, a British subject, was arrested in the Argentine; and why he is still detained.

Mr. McCombe was arrested on 28th February together with an American colleague for having taken photographs of the demonstrations which took place on 27th February. Mr. McCombe and his colleague were released on 1st March as a result of representations made by the British and American authorities in Buenos Aires.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the visit to this country in July, 1950, by a Parliamentary delegation from Israel, he will arrange for a return visit to be paid to Israel by a Parliamentary delegation from this country.

An invitation has been received from the Chairman of the Israel Knesset for a similar delegation from this country to visit Israel towards the end of March. This invitation has been accepted with pleasure, and a delegation will leave on 25th March, spend eight days in Israel and return on 3rd April.The composition of the delegation will be as follows:—my right hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Glenvil Hall), (Leader); my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd); my hon. Friend the Member for Leith (Mr. Hoy); my hon. Friend the Member for Stalybridge and Hyde (Mr. Lang); the hon. Member for Derbyshire, West (Mr. Wakefield); the hon. Member for Runcorn (Mr. Vosper); the hon. Member for Cathcart (Mr. John Henderson); the noble Lord, the Viscount Samuel.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why no reply had, on 21st December, 1950, been sent to the Comptroller and Auditor-General regarding the amendment of Statutory Regulations to enable payments of benefit made in error to be recovered from the recipient.

The question raised by the Comptroller and Auditor-General did not relate to the recovery of benefit but, as amplified in evidence before the Public Accounts Committee, to the power to review awards of benefit on the ground that they were wrong in law. Claims to benefit are decided by special statutory authorities under a Commissioner appointed by the Crown. Any proposal which might reflect on the independence and finally of their decisions obviously raises important questions of principle. It was therefore decided to keep the matter under review for a time to obtain a clearer view of the extent of the problem. It is hoped to send a reply shortly.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if she will ask the National Union of Mineworkers to check, through their branch secretaries, the number of ex-miners who are disqualified from pneumoconiosis compensation by the five-year time limit.

My right hon. Friend is already in touch with the National Union of Mineworkers on this and other matters affecting pneumoconiosis in mine workers.

asked the Minister of National Insurance if she is aware of the instruction issued to National Assistance offices, in areas where dockers have been on strike, that no assistance must be given to strikers' families; what arrangements were made with the Docks Labour Board; and if she will make a statement.

The National Assistance Board inform me that no such instruction has been given: applications for assistance for the families of dockers during the recent dispute were dealt with in accordance with the regulations made under the National Assistance Act. The arrangements with the Docks Labour Board were made to ensure that in cases of necessity advances against wages would he paid at the earliest practicable date after the men had returned to work.

asked the Minister of National Insurance the number of pensioners in Cardiff whose sole income is the basic old age pension; and what proportion they form of the total number of old age pensioners in Cardiff.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of National Insurance (1) to what extent National Assistance Board officers are required by General Circular (1948), No. 111, to admit members of the public to their homes; and what facilities are available for attention to public business at the residences of the officers concerned;(2) whether she will consider meeting the requirements of the National Assistance Board for a 24-hour service by a scheme of voluntary duty instead of the existing requirements of General Circular (1948) No. 111, relating to dealing with callers at the private residences of officers.

asked the Minister of National Insurance (1) how many applicants for National Assistance have been dealt with at the homes of officers of the Board since the issue of General Circular (1948), No. 111; and how many officers were concerned;(2) whether she is aware that the issue of General Circular (1948), No. 111, by the National Assistance Board continues to be a source of dissatisfaction to the staff side of the National Assistance Board Whitley Council; and whether she will request the Board to review the requirement that certain local officers must be prepared to deal with callers on official business at their private residences;(3) by what power the National Assistance Board are requiring area officers and executive officers on the staff of area offices to deal with calls by members of the public on official business at the private residences of the officers.

Circular No. 111 (1948) informs area officers and executive officers that they will be expected to take any necessary action in an urgent case coming to them outside office hours, but they have not been instructed to admit callers to their homes. In the 2¼ years to December, 1950, about 2,200 persons called at the homes of 169 officers (out of about 2,500 officers possibly concerned); about 660 callers applied for assistance of one kind or another. Apart from telephones installed at the public expense in some officers' homes, no special facilities have been provided, nor are any considered necessary.This matter has been discussed on many occasions by the Departmental Whitley Council of the National Assistance Board, and it is regretted that the two sides of the Council have been unable to reach agreement. An attempt to provide a voluntary service has been made but failed because there were not enough volunteers in all areas. The Board are satisfied that the present arrangement is within their power and is the best that could be made in the public interest. The Board's officers are paid on a case basis for this work.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what steps she is taking to prevent the overlapping of insurance benefit and assistance grant payments.

I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 91 of the Comptroller and Auditor-General's Report of 13th December, 1950, on the Civil Appropriation Accounts.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she is satisfied that she has now obtained all the local accommodation needed to carry out the work of her Department expeditiously and to the greatest convenience of the public.

No. Although most National Insurance local offices are satisfactory and in situations convenient to the public, the shortage of office accommodation in general makes it necessary in some cases for my Department to continue the temporary use of unsuitable premises. In these cases other premises, will, in the public interest, be taken as and when they can be secured.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what was the British inland consumption of oil in 1938 and in 1950 for industrial purposes; and the amount consumed in each of these years on industrial traction.

The consumption of refined petroleum products in Great Britain for industrial purposes other than traction is estimated to have been 2½ million tons in 1938 and 5½ million tons in 1950; the amount consumed for industrial traction (including agricultural traction) was approximately 2 million tons In 1938 and 3½ million tons in 1950.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that rebates are to be given to firms and businesses who, because of power cuts and fuel economy, do not use the minimum quantity of electricity specified in their contracts; and whether some rebate can be given to households who reduce their own consumption of electricity substantially compared with past years.

As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Mr. Higgs) on 26th February, I understand that the area electricity boards are giving sympathetic consideration to any application for a minimum guarantee to be suspended during the period of the present fuel economy campaign. This applies to domestic consumers as well as to firms and businesses. Other domestic consumers who reduce their electricity consumption will automatically reduce their bills. The question of giving them an additional rebate would be a matter for the area boards, who would have to take into account the administrative and other difficulties involved.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the amount of saleable coal raised in the South-Western Division on the first six Saturdays of 1951; and how this figure compares with the figures for the first six Saturdays of 1950.

On the first six Saturdays of 1951, 238,700 tons of coal were raised in the South-Western Division; on the first six Saturdays of 1950 the amount was 107,300 tons.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that on Wednesday, 14th February, a delivery of 1 cwt. of coal, price 4s. 7d., to Mrs. Sansley, of Pontesbury, Salop, contained 35 lbs. 7 ozs. of stone in lumps varying from 9 lb. 5 ozs. to 3 lbs. 15 ozs.; an what steps he is taking to see that the quality of coal is improved.

Individual complaints about quality are matters for settlement between buyer and seller, following normal commercial practice. Merchants are well aware of the agreed procedure for taking up with the National Coal Board any cases of badly prepared consignments and should themselves, as principals, deal with any complaints from their customers, making genuine efforts to meet genuine grievances. As regards the general question of quality of coal, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 13th November last in reply to a Question from the hon. Member for Heeley (Mr. P. Roberts).

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) the number of registered domestic coal consumers in Birmingham; and the number of applications for additional coal for aged and sick persons made to the Birmingham fuel overseer since 1st January last;

There are about 352,000 registered domestic consumers in Birmingham. Since 1st January the local fuel overseer has received about 5,300 applications for help over coal supplies for sick and aged persons. In about 2,600 of these cases, an additional supply of coal was considered necessary. Arrangements were made by the local fuel overseer for priority delivery of the additional amount in about 1,400 cases where an immediate supply was necessary to avoid distress. In the other 1,200 cases, licences for additional coal were issued for delivery in the normal way. The balance of the 5,300 applications were met by expediting a normal delivery. With the co-operation of the merchants, the local fuel overseer has, throughout the winter, been able to arrange for relief to be given in every case of difficulty which has been brought to his notice by or on behalf of the sick and aged.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the difficulties still being experienced by householders in Malvern and the surrounding districts in obtaining supplies of coal, he can now state what steps he has taken during the past two months to ensure more adequate supplies being made available.

I am making inquiries into the latest position in Malvern and district and will write to the hon. Member as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that a number of consumers in East Anglia and elsewhere have not had their full allowance of fuel during the winter; and if he will allow them to make up their quota during the summer months.

As I have explained on previous occasions, there is no ration of coal which all consumers are entitled to receive. Maximum quantities are fixed up to which householders may purchase coal, if supplies are available. I regret that it is not practicable to make good in one period deficiencies which arose in a previous period. But where hardship would otherwise arise, the local fuel overseer is empowered to authorise an extra supply.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the cost of freight included in the retail price of coal at Wadebridge, Cornwall.

The cost of freight in the current retail price of coal at Wadebridge is approximately 34s. per ton.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give the number of miners on the books of the National Coal Board at the last convenient date; and the percentages of the total employed in the categories of work at the coalface, ancillary work at the coalface, underground haulage, others underground and surface, respectively.

The number of wage-earners on colliery books at all coal mines on 17th February, 1951, was-699,100. On 10th December, 1949 (the latest date for which information is available), the percentage of effective wage-earners employed by the National Coal Board in various categories was:

	Per cent.
Coal-getters	19.0
Other face workers, excluding haulage hands	20.8
Haulage workers: at the face	1.4
elsewhere underground	16.7
All other underground workers	19.6
Surface workers	22.5
	100.0

The National Coal Board employ about 99 per cent, of the wage-earners on colliery books, the balance being employed in the small "licensed" mines.

asked the Minister of Food how many local authorities have now adopted the model bylaws on the handling, wrapping and delivery of food, and sale of food in the open air, issued by his Department in October, 1949; how many have taken preliminary action; and how many have taken no action.

Up to 25th February this year I have confirmed bylaws made by 1,062 local authorities and am expecting shortly to do the same in a further 193 cases. I have no information about the remaining 189 authorities.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that many butchers in Kent are not getting, regularly, enough meat to enable them to honour their rations week by week for all their registered customers; and what action he proposes to take to correct this situation.

No. I am satisfied that butchers are receiving enough meat to honour their customers' rations provided that they exercise their trade skill in cutting. I would point out that each allocation is increased by 5 per cent. on top of what is needed for the ration, to cover cutting losses.

asked the Minister of Food from what countries he has imported sardines and the respective quantities; what is the maximum time he retains sardines in stock; what stock was held at the end of 1950; what is the current rate of release for distribution; and if he will distinguish in each answer sardines packed in olive oil.

During the past three years sardines have been imported from the followng countries: French Morocco, 18,572 tons; Portugal, 10,606 tons; Spanish Morocco, 193 tons; Jugoslavia, 1,598 tons.Those from Jugoslavia and Spanish Morocco were packed mainly in olive oil. Sardines are normally released during the year after they are packed, but sometimes they may be retained for a longer period. This does not affect quality. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the stocks held. Traders can now get all the sardines they want, and there is no fixed rate of release.

asked the Minister of Food the quantity of apple juice imported into this country each month since September, 1950, until the latest convenient date.

Ninety-eight gallons in October, 1950; none in November, and one gallon in December. Later returns are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Food what kinds and quantities of foodstuffs he has arranged to import from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in tins as a result of his agreeing to the export of 1,800 tons of tinplate to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

About 3,200 tons of salmon, and about 800 tons of crabmeat.

asked the Minister of Food how much tinplate has been supplied to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the canning of crabmeat.

About 400 tons; the balance of the allocation was used to pack canned salmon.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities of food packed in tins is expected to be imported from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and of what description during the first quarter of the current year; and what quantities are expected during the second quarter similarly.

About 2,100 tons of salmon and about 800 tons of crab in the first quarter, and about 1,100 tons of salmon in the second quarter.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the Government's desire to keep all men and women in employment as long as they can give useful service, irrespective of their age, he will cancel his office memorandum No. 55, dated 21st June, 1950, which states that all temporary staff must retire at the age of 65 years of age.

Sixty-five will remain the normal retiring age for temporary staff in my Department. But we are considering the circumstances in which people who wish to carry on can be retained, irrespective of their age, provided that they can do their work efficiently—and, of course, are needed for essential work.

asked the Minister of Food (1) whether he will publish an analysis of average factory income and expenditure per hundredweight of white sugar or white sugar equivalent produced by the sugar beet factories, on a comparable basis with Table XXXV of the Greene Report, 1934–35, for the year 1938–39 and each of the post-war years;(2) what were the average manufacturing costs per ton of sugar beet in sugar beet factories, expressed on a comparable basis with Table XIX of the Greene Report, 1934–35, in 1938–39 and in the post-war years.

It is not the practice of my Department to publish figures of costs or income and expenditure of individual food undertakings. But I understand that

TOTAL EXPORTS (UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS) IN THE TWO YEARS 1949 AND 1950 TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES
Commodity	U.S.A.	Canada	Argentina	Denmark	U.S.S.R.	Japan	Germany	Spain
	Tons	Tons	Tons	Tons	Tons	Tons	Tons	Tons
Meat of all kinds (except poultry and game):—
Fresh, chilled or frozen (including offals)	0·50 (b)	Under 1 cwt.	Nil	1·25 (c)	Nil	Nil	4·60 (c)	Nil
Salted, pickled, etc. (except bacon and ham)	Nil	Nil	Nil	9·60 (c)	Nil	Nil	18·90 (c)	Nil
Meat of all kinds and poultry and game, tinned, canned, etc. (a) (except bacon and ham)	72·0	447·0	Nil	66·70 (d)	Nil	0·79	54·15 (d)	Nil
Poultry and meat pastes, poultry liver (except raw liver) whether mixed or not, sausages tinned canned, etc. and meat pies (a)	0·45	14·00	Nil	3·65 (d)	Nil	0·95	86·65 (d)	Nil
Sausages of all kinds other than tinned, canned, etc.	Nil	0·20	Under 1 cwt. (in 1949)	4·20 (d)	Nil	Nil	6·20 (d)	Nil
Notes:—
(a) Consisting mainly of meat, but including other ingredients.
(b) The main item being 5 cwt. of ox suprarenal glands.
c) Largely goods returned, or re-exported, by private importers as unsuitable for the home market (e.g., privately imported pork offals).
(d) Presumably re-exports or returns. Not home produced goods.

asked the Minister of Food what quantities and types of meat were exported during the past two years from this country to the United States of America, Canada, the Argentine, Denmark, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Japan, Germany and Spain, respectively.

Following is the information, which is based on the Official Trade Returns, except for meat and meat products packed in tins or other containers. These commodities are not all separately recorded in the Returns and the relevant figures are mainly derived from the records of my Department.

asked the Minister of Food to state in convenient categories the amount and value of meat, rabbits and other foodstuffs that were destroyed, or used for other purposes than human consumption, since January, 1950; and what was their value.

The amount of meat and rabbits destroyed or used for purposes other than human consumption during the first nine months of 1950 is as follows:

Meat	Quantity (in tons)	Approximate Cost	Per cent, (by value) of Total Turnover
		£
Home killed	4,848	845,100	0·74
Frozen	327	34,200	0·03
Canned	272	51,800	0·34
Poultry	9	2,800	0·04
Rabbits	74	6,600	0·12
Note: Final figures are not at present available for the last three months of 1950.

The range of other foodstuffs is so wide, including many handled by private traders, that it is not possible to give accurate and comprehensive figures. As far as commodities handled by the Ministry of Food are concerned, the total loss (after making allowance for money recovered by means of realisation and claims) was about £1,005,800, representing about 0.07 per cent. of the total annual turnover.

asked the Minister of Food what is the price charged per gallon for milk in Scotland and England, respectively.

Maximum retail prices of milk are the same in Scotland as in England, namely 3s. 4d. per gallon for ordinary or pasteurised milk, 3s. 8d. for tuberculin tested milk and 4s. 4d. for certified or farm bottled milk.

asked the Minister of Food if his attention has been drawn to the waste of sugar while unloading the ship s.s. "Bolbeg" in the East Harrington Dock, Liverpool; if he is aware that his sugar control officer in Liverpool stated nothing could be done about it when he was informed: and if he will see that steps are taken in future to prevent the loss of food in this way.

The cargo of this vessel, which was held up by the unofficial strike of dockers at Liverpool, arrived in a very bad state. Its condition was at once reported to my Department, and I am satisfied that, under the direction of my sugar control officer at the port, every effort has been made to minimise loss by mending bags and gathering up loose sugar.

asked the Minister of Food what is the nation's cold storage capacity; how much of this was used for meat storage as at 31st January, 1950; and how much was used for meat storage on 31st January, 1951.

The total cold storage capacity suitable for frozen food, including that owned by manufacturers and wholesalers, is about 55 million cubic feet. It would not be in the public interest to supply the information requested about meat storage.

asked the Minister of Food how much sugar he has recently purchased from Hong Kong for Great Britain.

None.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of the exportable surplus of Argentine beef, mutton and lamb was purchased by his Department between July, 1949, and July, 1950, and July, 1950, to 31st January. 1951.

Shipments from Argentina on United Kingdom account:July, 1949 to June, 1950, inclusive:

				Tons
Beef	…	…	…	275,179
Mutton	…	…	…	19,612
Lamb	…	…	…	48,004

July, 1950, to January, 1951, inclusive:

				Tons
Beef	…	…	…	8.007
Mutton	…	…	…	242
Lamb	…	…	…	754

asked the Secretary of State for Air what progress has been made towards finding an alternative bombing target to Heligoland.

A number of sites, including some off the German coast, are being examined for ranges to take the place of Heligoland. I am glad to say that the Chancellor of the Federal German Republic has agreed to facilitate the establishment of an alternative range or ranges on some sandbanks off the northwest coast of Germany, if survey shows they are suitable for bombing practice. It will, however, inevitably take a considerable time to get a new range established.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether his attention has been drawn to the report made by the district auditor for the year 1948–49 into the financial returns of the Glamorgan County Council, particulars of which have been sent to him, in which he alleges that nearly two-thirds of the members' claims examined at audit were found to be defective in more or less important details; and whether, as the findings of the district auditor have been publicly criticised by the chairman of the Glamorgan County Council, and in fairness to the individual councillors concerned, and to the ratepayers of Glamorgan, he will take steps to institute an inquiry under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921.

There has been no appeal to me from the district auditor's decision, and the matter is not, therefore, before me.

asked the Minister of Education what are the reasons for the proposal to break the trust deed under which the St. Marylebone Grammar School is at present administered by the London County Council; and if he is aware that the governors of the school. supported by local opinion, are unanimous in their objection to the proposal.

The St. Marylebone Grammar School was municipalised by a scheme made by the Board of Education in 1908, under which the London County Council were appointed trustees of the school. If the school is to be maintained by the local education authority under the Education Act, 1944, it must become either a county school or a voluntary school, and either course will involve amendment of the scheme of 1908. I am aware of the objections raised by the governors to the proposal that the school should become a county school, and I am at present considering their application that it should become a voluntary controlled school.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the race prejudice which is displayed in clubs, hotels and restaurants, if he will introduce legislation to prevent racial discrimination in Great Britain.

While I fully share my hon. Friend's view as to the undesirability of this form of discrimination, my right hon. Friend can—as at present advised—hold out no hope of the Government introducing legislation on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is intended to implement Sections 19 and 22 of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1949.

No date has yet been fixed for bringing these Sections into force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is proposed to bring into operation Part III of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1949.

No dates have yet been fixed for the coming into force of the various provisions of Part III of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to be able to make his intended statement about the reorganisation of the Gambia poultry scheme.

My right hon. Friend would prefer not to tie himself to a precise date. It is important that the Board of the Corporation should be allowed sufficient time to formulate considered proposals. They have assured me that they will lose no time in doing this, and for my part I shall naturally wish to make my further statement as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the report of the Co-operative Mission, which went at his request to the Gold Coast, is, unlike the Nigerian report, unobtainable at the office of the Crown Agents for the Colonies.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 21st February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the total of native grown groundnuts produced in Tanganyika in each of the years from 1935 to 1950.

The estimated production of native-grown groundnuts in Tanganyika was as follows:

Year				Tons
1946	…	…	…	14,140
1947	…	…	…	21,200
1948	…	…	…	16,750
1949	…	…	…	10,880

I regret that figures for 1950 and the years 1935–45 are not available.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will give the figures of the total expenditure on public social services in the financial years 1948–49 and 1949–50, respectively.

Replying to my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. Haire) on 25th April, 1950, when I gave the figures for public social services for 1947–48, I said that I was reviewing the question how information about expenditure on public social services could best be made available in future. In my view this can best be done by adding revised tables to the Annual Abstract of Statistics published by the Central Statistical Office. Figures were not ready for the last issue of this publication but will be available shortly. To avoid a long delay in publication they will be included, on this occasion, in the Monthly Digest of Statistics. As soon as the tables are ready, I will send a copy to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is now able to relax the restrictions on the allocation of feedingstuffs for those wishing to set up poultry farms.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Dorset, North (Mr. Crouch) on 8th February. I regret that I am not at present in a position to increase or extend the rations for poultry.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated cost of negotiating an agreement and maintaining the records when a telephone subscriber takes over an existing installation.

On average, about 11s.

asked the Attorney-General how many of the 25,246 applications received under the Legal Aid Scheme up to 31st January last, were in respect of divorce proceedings.

No information is available in respect of the types of proceedings for which applications for legal aid are made, but of the 8,018 certificates issued up to 31st January, 6,572, or 81.9 per cent., were in respect of matrimonial proceedings.