asked the President of the Board of Trade when the corrigendum to Statutory Instrument, 1951, No. 400, was published; and why no date was printed upon it.

The corrigendum to S.I. 1951, No. 400, was issued on 29th March, 1951, to rectify a printer's error in the published copies. As regards the second part of the Question, as the hon. Member was informed on 6th July, 1948, by my right hon. Friend the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the dating of corrigendum slips is unnecessary and might lead to confusion since it might be assumed that the date of the slip was the date of the Order.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he takes to ensure that the supply of rayon yarn available in this country is first used to enable existing rayon looms to achieve the full production of which they are capable before authority is given for the export of such yarn.

Exports of staple fibre and of continuous filament rayon yarn are being restricted by agreement between the producers and the Board of Trade. The quantities permitted to be exported are settled in consultation with the interests concerned in the light of pro- duction prospects, but it is necessary to take account not only of the needs of weavers and other users in this country, but also of our responsibilities to the industries of the Commonwealth which depend on the United Kingdom for supplies, of our commitments to other countries in return for which we receive supplies of scarce materials, and of the need to maintain so far as possible a footing in markets where long-term prospects for our trade exist. Exports of spun rayon yarn are relatively small, and I am considering what action it may be necessary to take in respect of them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the total raw material imports came from non-dollar areas of the Commonwealth in the last half-yearly period for which figures are available.

45.1 per cent. by value of our imports of raw materials came from non-dollar areas of the Commonwealth in the half-year ended 31st December, 1950. The raw materials referred to are those included in Class II of the monthly accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to state the percentage of our total exports going to the Commonwealth, including Canada, and to the Commonwealth excluding Canada, respectively, in the most recent half-yearly period for which figures are available.

47.2 per cent. by value of United Kingdom exports went to the rest of the Commonwealth, including Canada, in the half-year ended 31st December, 1950, and 41.3 per cent. went to the rest of the Commonwealth, excluding Canada, in the same period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the percentage of our total imports coming from the Commonwealth including Canada and excluding Canada, respectively, in the most recent half-yearly period for which figures are available.

41.6 per cent. of our imports by value come from the Commonwealth, including Canada, in the half-year ended 31st December, 1950, and 34.7 per cent. came from the Commonwealth, excluding Canada, in the same period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the percentage rise in the cost of raw materials during the last 12 months; how this compares with the rise in the cost of manufactured articles in the same period; and to what extent and by what dates he expects this rise in the cost of raw materials to be fully reflected in the cost of manufactured articles and in the cost of living index.

The import price index of raw materials rose by 71 per cent. between February, 1950, and February, 1951, while the index of wholesale prices of basic industrial materials rose by 109 per cent. between March, 1950, and March, 1951. The index of manufactured articles published by the Board, which relates to finished industrial materials, rose by 13 per cent. in the latter period. The dates when higher costs of raw materials may be expected to be reflected in the Interim Index of Retail Prices published by the Ministry of Labour and National Service will differ from material to material and will not be the same for all products made from the same material, and it is not possible to say when all movements which have taken place in the last year will have been "fully reflected."

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the memorandum, presented to him recently by a deputation from the City of Westminster and the Boroughs of Paddington and St. Marylebone, concerning the prevalence of prostitution in certain localities in London and suggesting various remedies; and whether he has any announcement to make.

The representations made by the deputation, who were accompanied by my hon. Friend, deal with a very difficult problem and I am not yet in a position to say whether it is necessary or desirable to appoint a committee of inquiry into this controversial question. In the meantime, arrangements have been made by the Commissioner of Police, with whom I have been in consultation, to increase the number of women police employed in the Paddington area with a view to exercising greater supervision in that area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the Essex County Council have made a new by-law to permit schoolchildren over 13 years of age to undertake gainful employment at 7 a.m. on Sunday mornings; and, in view of the fact that it is undesirable for children to be employed without breakfast at this early hour winter and summer, whether he will refuse confirmation of this by-law.

Parliament has conferred on local education authorities power to make bylaws with regard to the employment of children on Sundays, and as the bylaws to which my hon. Friend refers were validly made under this power after consideration by the authority of local circumstances, I did not feel justified in refusing confirmation. I accordingly confirmed the bylaws on 8th February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) to what extent the implementation of the Oaksey Committee Report on Pay and Conditions in the Police Force, has aided recruitment in the force; and if he is satisfied that the rate of recruitment is now meeting the needs of police authorities;(2) in how many police authorities the number of men is short of the establishment; and what steps are being taken to recruit up to the agreed number.

Between 1st April, 1949, and 28th February, 1951, the number of men in Police Forces in England and Wales increased from 57,756 to 61,025, representing a net increase of 3,269 since the improvements in police conditions, recommended by the Oaksey Committee in Part I of their Report and accepted by the Government, began to exercise appreciable effect. The number of vacancies on 28th February was 10,194 and 124 forces were at less than full strength. This cannot be regarded as satisfactory but 5,552 of the vacancies were in five forces and in 62 forces the deficiency was less than 10 per cent. While I would like to see a further improvement in the position, I have no reason to think that appointing authorities are neglecting any reasonable steps to discharge their responsibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why neither acknowledgement or comment has been conveyed to the Police Federation of England and Wales in reply to representations of 23rd November, 1950, and resolutions of January and February, 1951, regarding the dissatisfaction in the police on pay conditions.

Representations on this subject were made verbally at the meeting of the Police Council on 23rd November and were discussed at that meeting. I am unable to trace any resolutions on the subject in either January or February, but I have recently received, and an now considering, a request from the Joint Central Committee that an early meeting of the Police Council should be called to discuss the need for increases in police pay.

asked the Under-secretary of State for the Home Department by what amount it is proposed to reduce the expenditure of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on grants to graduate scientists for training in research in the year 1951–52 as compared with 1950–51; the anticipated reduction in the number of these grants for the same period; and the grounds for this reduction in view of the general shortage of trained scientists in industry and in research institutions and the serious difficulties which arose in the last war on account of the dearth of experienced scientific research workers.

There will be no reduction. In fact the estimates provide £246,000 compared with £230,000 for last year. This will allow for about 350 new awards in 1951, compared with the 374 in 1950. The sum provided in any one year has to cover not only new awards but also those continued from previous years. In answer to the last part of the Question, the present estimate of 350 awards in 1951 should be compared with the 80 or so new awards made annually in the years before the war.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires have occurred during each of the last three years; what percentage occurred in private houses; what was the main cause of the fires; and if he will consider instituting some campaign to make the public take greater care.

The number of fires attended by local authorities' fire brigades in England and Wales (excluding chimney fires) was 57,000 in 1948, 93,000 in 1949, and 63,000 last year. About one out of five occurred in private houses. Fires spreading from open grates were the main cause. A fire prevention exhibition is about to begin a tour of the provinces and a short fire prevention film is being released this month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the Ilchester Committee was set up; when it will report to him; what were its terms of reference; and if he will make its report public in view of the country-wide interest in wild bird protection and preservation.

The Home Office Wild Birds Advisory Committee was first set up in 1920 to advise the Home Office on matters connected with the administration of the Wild Birds Protection Acts. It was reconstituted in February, 1948, with Lord Ilchester as chairman and the same terms of reference. It is not customary to publish the recommendations made from time to time by a standing committee of this kind, but if, as I assume, the hon. Member has in mind the proposals for new legislation on which the Committee has been working, I will consider making a statement with regard to them when I have received them—as 1 expect to do this summer.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that two farms at Hauxley, Northumberland, on which opencast mining finished in October, 1950, have not yet been reconditioned for farming although the occupants were told that they would be able to sow this spring; and if he will take the necessary action to see the work is set in hand at once.

I am aware that on the two farms in question, in common with others, restoration of the land after opencast coal working has been interrupted by the wet weather. I regret that this should be so, and as soon as the weather improves sufficiently the work will be resumed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in order to provide an incentive to the production of quality milk, he will grant a bonus to all producers of milk with a butter fat content in excess of 9 per cent.

No, but my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food and I are giving active consideration to the problem of basing payment for milk on its quality including the butter fat content.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the growing shortage of horses and the large number now being slaughtered for human consumption, he will arrange for all horses to be licensed or registered after reaching the age of one year and prevent any being so destroyed without his authority.

No. I do not consider that control of the slaughter of horses, such as my hon. Friend suggests, is either necessary or desirable.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning what instructions have been issued by his Department to local authorities regarding the hygienic cleansing of pig bins used for the collection of kitchen waste, particularly during the summer.

I have been asked to reply. No general instructions have been issued, but my Department is always prepared to give advice to local authorities on the subject in consultation with the Ministry of Health.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the average price paid by farmers for wheat meal and dairy cake for poultry and cattle food, respectively, for each of the years since 1945.

Prices paid by farmers for dairy cakes and wheatfeed (which I assume the hon. Member has in mind rather than wheat meal as such) vary from farm to farm according to the quantities purchased, the distances from store to farm, and, in the case of dairy cakes, the differing constituents of the cakes. Average prices, delivered to farms, since 1945 have been approximately as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture how far the rise in the price of milk and eggs, respectively, since 1945 has allowed farmers to recoup themselves for the increased costs of feedingstuffs and other costs of production over the same period.

I regret that information is not available to allow of a direct comparison, on a United Kingdom basis, of price and cost increases of individual products over a period of years. Higher labour costs and higher prices of requisites are to a considerable extent offset by improvements in efficiency and by changes in seasonality of production. The trends in production since 1945 suggest that profit margins, especially for milk, have been satisfactorily maintained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of emigrant funds transferred to the Canadian dollar account in 1948, 1949 and 1950.

£8.8 million, £4.8 million and £3.4 million, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that his regulations, which forbid manufacturers of certain categories to post parcels of taxed merchandise to retailers without adding the cost of postage and freight to the price of the goods on the invoice before calculating the Purchase Tax due, are unfair to retailers who are distant from their suppliers; and whether he will adjust this anomaly at the earliest possible moment.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Sir W. Darling), on 5th April last.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the retail price of foreign imported sweet biscuits is taken into account in computing the cost of living index.

No.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trade workers were registered as unemployed at the employment exchanges of Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy on the latest date for which figures are avail able; and how many of these workers have been unemployed for more than three months.

Nineteen at Cowdenbeath, 14 at Dunfermline and 14 at Kirkcaldy at 12th March. The returns do not distinguish the numbers who had been unemployed for more than three months.

asked the Minister of Labour how many colonial and other coloured persons are signing on as unemployed; and what steps his Department are taking to assist them to obtain suitable employment.

No separate records are kept of the number of colonial and other coloured persons who are registered as unemployed. The normal machinery of the employment exchange service is available to help them to find suitable employment.

asked the Minister of Labour how many coloured seamen have been removed from the shipping pool of seamen; and what steps his Department is taking to obtain alternative employment for these men.

I am informed that 94 coloured seamen were recently removed from the unestablished register on 7th March because there seemed no reasonable prospect of their obtaining further employment afloat. Thirty-four are now in work ashore.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that Mrs. Esther Ravenscroft, Brighton Street, Salford, has been registered for an ear-aid since February, 1949; and when she is likely to receive her Mk. A.V.C. ear-aid promised some time ago.

I understand that none of the existing aids is powerful enough for this patient and I cannot say when further improved models, of a kind to suit her, will be available.

asked the Minister of Health when bone conduction hearing aids will be available in sufficient numbers to meet the known need.

I regret that I cannot yet estimate the date.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he is aware of a shortage of gauze at present affecting some hospitals; and what steps he is taking to remedy it;(2) if he is aware of a shortage of methylated spirit at present affecting some hospitals; and what steps he is taking to remedy it.

Yes. I am in touch with the hospital authority concerned and I shall give them all the help I can as soon as I know the details.

asked the Minister of Health how far the pricing of National Health Service prescriptions is now in arrears; whether the arrears are being overtaken; and when he expects the pricing to be up to date.

The average is about nine months. Arrears are not yet being overtaken in all areas and I am therefore at present unable to answer the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will now make a further statement to reassure those registrars whose services were threatened with termination in accordance with Circular R.H.B. (50) 106.

I should prefer to await the outcome of discussions now proceeding.

asked the Minister of Health the grounds upon which the nomination of the North Eastern Metropolitan Regional Board of Mr. Carus Wilson to serve as a governor on the Board of the Post-graduate Group at Hammersmith was rejected by him.

I have asked the Board to reconsider their nomination because I think it would be undesirable to appoint the secretary of a teaching hospital as a member of the governing body of another teaching hospital.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to provide more accommodation in homes and institutions for mentally-defective children.

The provision of this accommodation is a function of regional hospital boards. Their attention has been specially directed to the urgency of this problem and the available accommodation will be increased as fast as resources and the needs of other essential services allow.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to recruit more nursing staff for homes for mentally-defective children in the north west.

The hospital management committees concerned are recruiting nurses from France and hope to be able shortly to open many of the closed beds.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the long delay which occurs in supplying dental plates under the National Health Service is driving the public to accept their dental treatment under private practice, at extra expense to themselves; and what steps he is taking to expedite the dental services.

I am not aware of any delay in recent months in the provision of dentures for normal patients under the National Health Service.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to agree retail margins for chemists dispensing for the National Health Service.

The matter is with the appropriate Whitley Council. I cannot say when they will reach a decision.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an estimate of the number of chronic sick in London awaiting admission to hospital.

On 31st December, 1950, there were 1324 patients on the waiting lists for admission to chronic sick beds in National Health Service hospitals in the county of London.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present position of his discussions concerning the possibility of tuberculosis patients being treated in Switzerland under National Health Service arrangements.

Arrangements are now being worked out for the use of about 160 beds in Switzerland for suitable patients from England and Wales suffering from respiratory tuberculosis, and it is hoped to start sending patients out in a few months' time.

asked the Minister of Health what information he published with regard to the right to make confidential returns under the Census Regulations, 1950; and why this information was not printed upon the form for making returns.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Somerset, North, on 1st February. The Press, both national and local, and the B.B.C. have since given the widest publicity to the right to make a separate confidential return. The Census Officers and the enumerators have also explained the position as necessary. A reference to the right, as it affected the householder, was included in the form.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will now approve the inclusion of a second secondary school for the Boreham Wood district in the 1951 building programme, in view of the shortage of school accommodation in the area.

A project for the extension of the existing Boreham Wood secondary school was included in the 1950 programme. A new secondary school is included in the reserve list to the 1951 building programme.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will issue a direction to the Middlesex County Council in connection with their decision to refuse employment to certain school teachers on political grounds.

I told representatives of the Middlesex local education authority last December that I regretted the authority's decision and that I should have to take action if as a consequence of it the educational service was, or appeared likely to be, disrupted. Such a situation has not arisen.

asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to get local education authorities to adopt a uniform standard for making awards of scholarships under the new examinations system.

I have urged local education authorities to include in their schemes of university awards the procedure recommended by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of Universities and the Associations of Local Education Authorities. Under this procedure candidates will normally be required to have reached the advanced standard in two subjects in the examination for the General Certificate of Education, but great emphasis is also placed on admission to a university and on the recommendation of the university authorities. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of two circulars, No. 221, 19th June, 1950, and No. 234, 1st March, 1951, which deal with this matter.

asked the Minister of Education how many university scholarships have been awarded in each academic year since 1945 by his Department to adult scholars and to students of technical colleges, respectively; how many of each type it is expected will be awarded for the next academic year; and what percentage these awards represent of all university awards made by his Department in these years.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will have an independent inquiry made into the effect of agenised bread, involving the use of nitrogen tri chloride, upon human beings.

No. This whole question was exhaustively reviewed recently by a special scientific committee, under the chairmanship of the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, which reported that there was no evidence that the use in bread of nitrogen trichloride had any toxic effect on human beings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much Malayan rubber was received by China in 1950, and the first three months of 1951, respectively.

Exports of rubber from the Federation of Malaya and Singapore to China amounted in all to 77,624 tons in 1950 and are estimated to have amounted to 46,500 tons in the first quarter of 1951.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is estimated to be the increased demand for domestic fuel for

Following is the answer:open fires and for a boiler consequent upon the construction of a new house; and what additional demand would be made for the supply of electricity and/or gas over a 12-months period.

It is impossible to form a reliable estimate of the increased demand for fuel consequent upon the construction of a new house. Assuming that the occupation of a new house entails an additional registration with a coal merchant, the occupier is of course allowed to purchase coal within the appropriate permitted quantities. The demand for unrestricted solid fuel, gas and electricity per household would vary considerably; it depends on the type and construction of the house, its size and location, the appliances installed, and the habits, size and income of the family.

asked the Minister of National Insurance (1) what steps she is prepared to take to increase old age or retirement pensions;(2) to state her decision regarding an increase in the rate of earnings capable of being earned without affecting a retirement pension.

I would refer my hon. Friend to Command Paper No. 8208 which gives the proposed changes in the National Insurance Scheme; copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether she has yet been able to give any consideration to the suggestion that in order to encourage elderly people to remain at work, the maximum amount they are allowed to earn without deduction of pension should be increased.

I would refer the hon. Member to Command Paper No. 8208 which gives the proposed changes in the National Insurance Scheme; copies are available in the Vote Office.

asked the Postmaster-General when it is expected that the reception of the British Broadcasting Corporation's Third Programme to the Merseyside area will be adequate.

Edwards: I understand from the B.B.C. that in addition to the service provided by the local transmitter (wavelength 194 metres), reception of the Third Programme in Merseyside should have been improved from 8th April by the introduction of a new aerial and a more powerful transmitter at Daventry (wavelength 464 metres). There may, however, still be some fading of the Third Programme in parts of the area.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers have been sentenced by courts-martial in Korea; and what were the crimes and the sentences.

I have called for this information and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the training and retraining required, it would be possible for men of the Royal Engineers and Pioneer Corps to do some of their practical training in building bridges and roads in the more remote areas, and particularly in the Highland area of Scotland.

I am always prepared to look into opportunities for improving the training of the Army such as those to which the hon. Member refers; but, in view of the heavy military duties falling on all units of the Regular Army at present, I cannot say more.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many civilian hourly-rated aircraft mechanics are employed at No. 23 Maintenance Unit, Royal Air Force, Aldergrove; how many of these are registered dilutees; and how many were formerly so registered who are now classified as craftsmen.

The number of metal working craftsmen employed on the repair and modification of aircraft at No. 23 Maintenance Unit, Aldergrove, is 147, of whom two are registered dilutees. The number of craftsmen recognised as fully skilled who were formerly registered as dilutees is 13.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation what alterations and amendments have been made to the Consol Radio Navigation Aid since the publication of M.C.A.P. 59, Consol, 2nd edition, 1950; and if he is satisfied that the call-sign of the Bushmills transmitter is being correctly transmitted at all times.

No alterations or amendments have been made. Transmissions are monitored each hour and the call-sign is being correctly transmitted.

asked the Prime Minister (1) when he anticipates that he will be in a position to make a statement giving the Government's decision concerning the recommendation of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire that Cardiff should be the capital city of Wales;

It would be premature to make a statement on this subject until there has been sufficient time for Welsh opinion to express itself, and of course the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire only made their recommendation on 3rd April. I hope that the consultations with the Welsh Parliamentary Party will take place shortly.