asked the Minister of Health what hospital accommodation is now available in England and Wales; and what was the position when the National Health Service came into force.

The total number of staffed beds in hospitals now in the National Health Service was 440,231 on 30th June, 1948, and 458,363 on 31st December, 1950.

asked the Minister of Health how many hospitals there are available for the treatment of adult spastics; and what accommodation they provide.

Hospital units are seldom, if ever, allocated specifically for adult spastics and the number of beds in fact occupied by such patients could be ascertained only by inquiry of all hospitals concerned.

asked the Minister of Health how many radio receivers have been supplied under the National Health Service; and what is the life of those supplied.

Radio receivers are not supplied centrally in the National Health Service. I regret, therefore, that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what the nominal number of beds, the nominal establishment of junior resident medical staff, and the actual number of staff was, on Thursday, 5th April, 1951, in the following hospitals: Peterborough Memorial Hospital, Birmingham Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham General Hospital. Birmingham Selly Oak Hospital, Dudley Guest Hospital, Hereford General Hospital, Stafford General Infirmary, Walsall General Hospital, West Bromwich General Hospital and Wolverhampton Royal Hospital, respectively.

I am obtaining this information and will communicate with the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons issued with free spectacles and dentures, respectively, in 1948, 1949 and 1950, respectively; and the total cost in each case in each of these years.

Precise information is not available but I estimate that in England and Wales the number of dentures and spectacles supplied (including those for which the patient paid a contribution) were approximately as follows:

——				Patients supplied with Dentures	Number of pairs of Spectacles
1948	…	…	…	200,000	1,500,000
1949	…	…	…	2,300,000	7,250,000
1950	…	…	…	3,450,000	8,250,000
				5,950,000	17,000,000

I have no separate figures of cost.

asked the Minister of Health what is the procedure of the Welsh Regional Hospital Board for the dealing of applications by local health authorities for the admission of patients to institutions for mental defectives; how many are awaiting admission; how many of these have been recommended by local justices for urgent admission; and what is the responsibility of the board with regard to difficult cases pending admission.

Applications are dealt with in the order of relative urgency; 650 cases are awaiting admission; I am not aware that the magistrates make recommendations of the kind suggested; difficult cases awaiting admission could be provided with emergency accommodation under Section 15 of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913.

asked the Minister of Health how soon he contemplates consolidation or amendment of the Mental Deficiency Acts.

This matter is receiving active attention, but I am not at present in a position to say when it will be practicable to introduce legislation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many horses and ponies were slaughtered for food in the United Kingdom in 1949 and 1950, respectively.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what cost was incurred by the Central Office of Information in producing the film entitled "The Farmer's Horse"; and why it is considered necessary to spend public money to encourage farmers to make use of horses.

The expenditure incurred by the Central Office of Information in the making of this film was £4,013 of which £1,800 was defrayed by a grant received through the British Horse Society. The object of the film is to demonstrate to farmers the extent to which there are jobs which could still be done economically by the horse as an auxiliary to the tractor.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will devise means of giving further incentive to small-scale domestic food production in local areas, such as is being encouraged, for example, by the Norwich and District Food Production Council.

I feel that this is a matter which can best be left to the various organisations of domestic food producers who are, I know, alive to the importance of stimulating interest in domestic food production.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requests the Canadian Government has made to His Majesty's Government to increase the present amount of transferable funds for emigrants; when such requests were made; and what action His Majesty's Government has taken.

No formal request has been made on this subject by the Canadian Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now review the position regarding restrictions of transferable funds by emigrants to Canada as undertaken by his predecessor on 9th April.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. Langford-Holt) on 17th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in view of the estimates that 35,000 emigrants might go to Canada in 1951, and that only a small percentage of these would have funds avail able to transfer in excess of £1,000, what is the Treasury estimate of additional dollars which would have to be found if the former £5,000 fund limit was reinstated.

No precise estimate can be made but the amount would almost certainly come to several million pounds a year, with an additional heavy outlay at the beginning in respect of emigrants already in North America.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will recall immediately from the Argentine the Economic Secretary to the Treasury since it is contrary to the nation's dignity that he should be kept waiting for so long for a settlement of the meat prices dispute.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which my right hon. Friend made to the House on 24th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now able to make a statement regarding the progress of the negotiations with the Argentine Government concerning future meat supplies.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which my right hon. Friend made to the House on 24th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Treasury makes an assessment for Income Tax purposes on gratuities earned by railway employees.

These gratuities are liable to Income Tax under the law, and the Inland Revenue take such steps as are practicable to secure that tax is charged accordingly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the reason for the proposed reduction in staff of the Organisation and Methods Division of the Treasury from 81 to 73 in the current year.

The reduction is being made in the number of junior officers because the nature of the work on which the Division is likely to be engaged this year does not call for their services. I am quite satisfied that the change will not reduce the Division's effectiveness.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the intention of the Post Office to make up the pay of reservists called up to the Forces to their civilian rates.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 23rd April to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. A. Lewis).

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the recruiting policy of the Civil Service Commission is resulting in 15 years of age pupils leaving grammar and secondary schools before completion of the covenanted period; that this is causing concern to headmasters and headmistresses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It is the policy of the Government to relate the age limits for recruitment to the Civil Service to the ages at which education at the various levels is normally completed. Competitions with a minimum age limit of 15 years are not primarily designed for secondary grammar pupils. But the Civil Service Commission has no power—nor do I think it should have power—to refuse to accept applications from children whose parents decide to take them from school before the end of the covenanted period. But it should be realised by parents of grammar school children who so desire to curtail their education that the Civil Service posts for which they are eligible at 15 offer less good pay and prospects than those open to them at higher ages.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what was the total amount, and the individual amounts for each chief Department of State, paid to the British Transport Commission in the financial year 1950–51 for the rail transport of civil servants on official business; to what extent this traffic is paid for at special rates; and what is the difference between the total amount paid and what would have been paid, if this traffic had been charged at the rates payable by the ordinary public.

Government Departments have, for many years, in the interest of economy, made use of the concessions for bulk travel which operate, subject to certain conditions, also in the case of traders and their employees travelling on business. The detailed information asked for is not readily available and time spent in its collection would not be justified.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can yet announce the Government's intentions as regards the recommendations of the Gowers Committee on Historic Houses.

Yes. I should like, first, to repeat my predecessor's thanks to Sir Ernest Gowers and his colleagues on the Committee for their able study of the problem. His Majesty's Government agree that many of the country houses of Great Britain are important national assets of substantial aesthetic, historic and educational value. The Government also agree that unless special steps are taken, the decay and destruction of these houses will continue because the owners cannot any longer maintain them; and they agree, therefore, if this part of our national heritage is not to be lost for ever, the State must accept some further responsibility in this field.Much is now being done under the powers given by the Town and Country Planning Acts to my right hon. Friends the Minister of Local Government and Planning and the Secretary of State for Scotland. Buildings which ought to be preserved are identified, and their demolition or disfigurement is prevented where this is threatened. A great debt is owed in this respect to the work of the Committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Eric Maclagan which advises my right hon. Friend the Minister of Local Government and Planning.However, these powers are all negative: they prevent harm being done, but they do not provide for positive action to be taken where the owners or occupiers of houses of value cannot maintain them.The chief measure proposed by the Committee to deal with the situation was a series of exemptions from taxation for the private owners and occupiers of specified houses. The Government are unable to accept this proposal, which would amount to a subsidy to a special class of persons—namely, those who owned and occupied such houses—over which Parliament would have no direct control. Moreover this would run counter to a general taxation principle which we have always tried to maintain—that a man's liability to tax should not be measured by his particular choice of commitments. This does not imply any opposition to the private occupation of these houses, on which the Committee set store; but special relief from taxation would not, in the view of the Government, be an appropriate method of dealing with the problem.The Government prefer, instead, that any action taken by the State should be positive in character and under full Parliamentary control. They therefore propose to introduce Legislation next Session to empower my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works to assist in the preservation of outstanding houses. My right hon. Friend is the most appropriate Minister for this purpose, since he already has comparable responsibilities in relation to Royal Palaces and to ancient monuments, and employs an expert staff for this purpose. A separate Bill will be required for Scotland, where the responsibility will be shared with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Details of these proposals will be announced at a later date. At this stage I will only say that my right hon. Friend will be empowered, provided certain conditions are fulfilled by the occupier, to do work themselves or make loans or grants in order to preserve the structure of these houses. They will work in close collaboration with local authorities, and with the National Trusts, which are already doing such admirable work in this field.Among the conditions would be undertakings by the owner to maintain the house properly and to make it accessible to the public as may be prescribed.The burden of defence and the existing financial situation makes it impossible for us to contemplate spending more than a very small sum on this work for the present, and therefore the number of houses in respect of which work can be done will be equally limited. But the machinery will be set up and, as conditions allow, it will be possible for more to be done later.I think it would be appropriate that the National Land Fund set up by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Local Government and Planning, when he held my Office, under the Finance Act, 1946, should be used to meet the cost of any houses and their contents that are to be acquired.I also propose that the present provisions for taking over land and houses in payment of Estate Duty and for reimbursing the Commissioners of Inland Revenue out of the National Land Fund should be expanded so as to enable chattels to be taken over in the same way, when they are ordinarily kept in houses so taken over or already in the possession of the Crown or the National Trusts. This facility will, I hope, make it easier for houses to be preserved with their contents intact.His Majesty's Government have carefully considered the Committee's further proposal that Historic Buildings Councils should be created with executive powers, but are unable to accept it. It is their view that normal Ministerial responsibility and Parliamentary control of expenditure must be maintained in this field. There is, however, a strong case for Advisory Councils to assist the Ministers in this work and the legislation which my right hon. Friends propose to introduce will provide for the setting up of such councils with wide terms of reference.Since it is intended that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works should exercise these new responsibilities, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Local Government and Planning has agreed that the Bill should transfer to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works the powers at present exercised by him in relation to buildings of special historic or architectural interest under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947. It is plainly convenient that the two sets of powers, for negative preservation and for positive assistance, should be exercised together; and that the powers relating to historic buildings should be brought together with those relating to ancient monuments. Corresponding, but rather different, powers will be required for Scotland, where the responsibility will be shared with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.The provisions which I have mentioned so far will have to await future legislation. But I propose to take the opportunity of the Finance Bill which I am about to introduce to make certain changes in regard to Estate Duty which bear upon this question. Their intention is to make it easier for noteworthy houses and their contents to be transferred or bequeathed to the Government, the National Trusts or other public bodies. Such transfer is one of the best ways of securing their preservation and, as the experience of the National Trusts shows, is wholly compatible with private occupation where this seems desirable. I propose to provide for the exemption from Estate Duty of the contents of houses given or bequeathed to the Government, the National Trusts or other public bodies; and the exemption of gifts or bequests to public bodies of houses and land and of endowment funds accompanying them (an exemption which already applies to similar gifts and bequests in favour of the National Trusts).I hope that these proposals, taken as a whole, will help us to preserve for the benefit of future generations this valuable part of our national heritage.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered that part of the Annual Report of the Scottish Tourist Board and Tourist Association of Scotland for the year 1950 dealing with the Catering Wages Act; and what steps he intends to take the meet the views of the Board.

Yes. The matters referred to are, however, for the statutory authorities appointed under the Act. The Licensed Residential Establishment and Licensed Restaurant Wages Board is responsible for matters connected with the existing wage regulation order. I am considering proposals for modification that have been submitted to me.The question of a separate wages board for Scotland is a matter for the Catering Wages Commission, whose attention has already been directed specially to this point. I understand that representations have recently been made to the Commission by the Scottish Tourist Board.

asked the Minister of Labour the earliest year for which he has reliable records of the numbers of unemployed.

If by "reliable" the hon. Member means "a reliable measure of the total number unemployed," the year is 1921. It is probable that many persons who were unemployed prior to that date did not register at the employment exchanges, as they were not covered by unemployment insurance schemes.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the eye strain suffered by girl workers making the new sheer nylon stockings, owing to the fineness of the fibre; what research work is being carried on to relieve the strain with a view to such work being undertaken without injury to health.

I understand that skilled processes of this kind, whilst involving no risk to eyesight, do give rise to complaints of fatigue, usually by workers in training or with uncorrected visual defects. Very fine work in industry has been the subject of much expert study by ophthalmic surgeons and others, and I understand that further investigations on several lines are in progress.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he is taking to stimulate the recruitment of nurses for tuberculosis sanatoria.

There is a continuous campaign for the recruitment of nurses, and in the past two years the staff of tuberculosis hospitals and sanatoria has increased by nearly 1,600, an increase of 23.5 per cent. This general effort will be continued.

asked the Minister of Education what reply he has sent to the National Association of Head Teachers' protest against the call-up of its members under the Z and G schemes especially where the men are 40 years of age.

I have received no such protest direct from the National Association of Head Teachers, but in reply to representations from other bodies I have stated that I am unable to intervene.

asked the Minister of Education what steps are to be taken with regard to the teaching profession to implement the decision of His Majesty's Government that it is desirable to postpone the retirement of older people and to remove all obstacles which prevent those physically capable of continuing at work from doing so.

Local education authorities were informed over 18 months ago that it was no longer necessary for them to obtain the approval of my Department to the continued employment of a teacher beyond the age of 65 as previously required by the Regulations. I am also examining the Teachers Superannuation Acts to see how far their provisions may tend to restrict the continued service of older teachers, and, if so, what amendments may be desirable.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is now in a position to make any announcement about the supply of meals from school kitchens for the benefit of old people.

I sympathise with the object which my hon. Friend has in view and have given this matter full consideration. I am not aware of any powers under which a local education authority could provide meals for a section of the populace who are not concerned in any way with an educational institution for which that authority has specific or implied powers. If, however, the local authority are satisfied that they could properly make meals available for a voluntary organisation or other competent committee to distribute to old people and the meals can be spared from a school kitchen, having regard to all the circumstances I should not feel called upon to offer any observations provided that the following conditions to safeguard the School Meals Service were strictly complied with:

(a) payment received for the meals must cover the gross cost of producing them, including a reasonable sum for depreciation of plant and equipment, and no net charge in respect of these meals must be included in the authority's school meals account;

(b) meals can be supplied only on days when the kitchen is open for the production of school meals and the production of the meals for old people on such days must not interfere in any way with the quality of the service provided for school children; and

(c) the voluntary organisation or other committee must take full responsibility for supplying containers for the old people's meals, transporting them from the kitchen and returning the containers to be used another day.

asked the Minister of Education what effect the increase on the cost of school meals, from 6d. to 7d., has had on attendance at meals since 1st April, 1951, in Glamorgan; and whether he will publish relevant statistics for Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and Merthyr, respectively.

No statistics are available at present. I have asked all local education authorities for a return by the end of May showing the numbers having school dinners on the earliest convenient date in that month.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware of the continued shortage in the supply of science teachers; and what action he proposes to remedy this problem.

I am aware that some schools are having difficulty in filling vacancies with suitably qualified graduate science teachers. The matter has been engaging my close attention in consultation with the National Advisory Council for the Supply and Training of Teachers and I propose to bring to the notice of the university authorities all the relevant facts as set out in the Council's forthcoming report.

asked the Minister of Education when the Annual Report on Education may be expected.

I expect the Report to be published at the end of June or early July provided that there are no unforeseen delays.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, in view of Mr. F. M. G. Wheeler not having yet received £5,767 14s. 7d. agreed by the Government of India to have become due to him on 15th December, 1949, from the railway provident fund, or any interest upon the said sum, he will now implement his guarantee in Command Paper 7192 of 1947, supplemented by letter dated 29th January, 1948, pay the full amount now due to Mr. Wheeler and claim reimbursement from India.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15th February, 1951. The Government of India agreed last February to pay what is due to Mr. Wheeler. I understand they have the matter in hand, and I hope he will not have to wait much longer for payment.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what assistance His Majesty's Government have offered to the Government of India to meet their present food shortage.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies which I gave to the hon. Members for Hornsey (Mr. Gammans) and Jarrow (Mr. Fernyhough) on 5th and 19th April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is yet in a position to state how he intends to remove the discrimination against imported Canadian Purchase-Tax-paying rubber footwear caused by the bringing of identical and similar British-made footwear into the tax-free utility scheme.

We are still working on this matter in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the President of the Board of Trade at what c.i.f. prices he is permitting the importation of sulphuric acid from continental countries at the present time; and how these prices compare with the maximum permitted prices for home produced acid.

The c.i.f. values of the sulphuric acid so far imported vary between £16 and £28 per ton dependent on the strength and purity of the acid. These are estimated to be around three to four times the prices charged for similar acid produced in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has now investigated the cause of the irregularity in the laying of Statutory Instrument 1951 No. 413 before this House.

Yes. S.I. 1951 No. 413 brought into force two new Related Schedules and continued in force four Related Schedules. In accordance with the practice followed for some years the Board of Trade laid the Order together with the two new Related Schedules: they did not lay the four Related Schedules which were being continued in force and had previously been laid.

asked the President to the Board of Trade why, in connection with Statutory Instruments 1951 Numbers 649, 650, 660 and 661, the respective Related Schedules were not attached to the Orders.

The practice of issuing schedules containing detailed specifications and prices separately from the Order which gives them legal force has been followed for many years and has been a great convenience to traders. It is designed to help them to find what they want quickly and economically. For instance, under the present system a person carrying on business as a men's outfitter need buy only a copy of one Order and one Related Schedule of 27 pages instead of buying an Order with a schedule of about 90 pages, or it may be that the office staff require copies of both the Order and Related Schedule, while the factory or warehouse staff may require only copies of the Related Schedule which gives specifications of the goods which may be made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in the interests of consumers, he will instruct the Raw Cotton Commission to sell their purchases at cost or near cost and not at replacement values.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give an assurance that any agreements made at Torquay will not be ratified before they have been discussed in the House of Commons.

The Torquay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which is the instrument incorporating the results of the tariff negotiations, will not be signed on behalf of the United Kingdom until the House has had an opportunity to study the White Paper which it is hoped to table before the middle of next month. As the hon. Member was informed on 23rd November last by my right hon. Friend the then President of the Board of Trade, changes in the United Kingdom tariff can, of course, only be made by legislation or by Orders which are subject to Parliamentary discussion.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give an undertaking that the period for the denunciation of the General Treaty on Trade and Tariffs will not be extended beyond the existing period of 60 days.

The question of such an extension will not arise unless and until it is proposed to apply the General Agreement definitively instead of, as at present, only provisionally. As stated by my right hon. Friend the then President of the Board of Trade, on 8th February in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. J. Hudson), the undertaking given in 1948, that opportunity would be afforded for debate in Parliament before any decision by His Majesty's Government to ratify the General Agreement would be implemented still, of course, stands.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give an assurance that newspapers in this country will this year be allowed to purchase from the home mills at least as much newsprint as last year.

The newspapers will, I hope, receive as much newsprint from the home mills in 1951 as in 1950, but I can give no positive assurance of this as production is dependent on raw material supplies.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total amount claimed under the War Damage Act, 1941 (Part 2) Business Scheme; what amount is now outstanding; when it is likely to be paid; whether he will now pay the interest on outstanding claims annually; and how the premiums received to cover the risks compare with the amount of losses.

The total amount of the claims under the Business Scheme, as assessed, is £92 million, of which £54½ million has been paid out and £37½ million now remains deferred. As regards the third and fourth parts of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 20th March to the hon. Member for Holland-with-Boston (Mr. Butcher) and on 19th April to the hon. and learned Member for Hove (Mr. Marlowe). As regards the last part of the Question, the total amount received in premiums under the Scheme is rather less than £77 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will, under the Merchandise Marks Act, ensure that containers of all imported wood flour are marked with the name of the country of origin.

The marking of a specific class of imported goods with an indication of origin can be required only by an Order in Council under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, and Orders in Council can be made only after an application by a substantial trade interest has been the subject of a favourable recommendation made after a public inquiry by a Standing Committee appointed under the Act. There is no such Order in force affecting wood flour.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning in view of difficulties arising from the desire of a tenant who has more than adequate accommodation being forbidden by his landlord to sub-let rooms the tenant is not using or does not need, whether he will take steps to prevent this waste of accommodation by empowering local authorities to take action in such cases.

Subject to provision against overcrowding, a tenant wishing to sub-let may do so, if he registers the accommodation with his local authority. This is laid down under Defence Regulations (68CB).

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning how many local authorities in the London region during last month did not issue licences for the repair, maintenance and conversion of dwellings up to the total amount of the monthly quota allowed to them.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Works tells me that all these returns have not yet been received.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning on what grounds a grant was refused to the Cardiff City Council to facilitate the building of a new corporation swimming bath in Wood Street.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Education tells me that no application of a grant has been received.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider authorising, where electricity is available, the erection of a blinker light over the educational torch sign, with a switch inside the school to operate when children are likely to cross the road to and from school.

No. I prefer the employment of adult patrols to see children safely across the road to and from school.

asked the Minister of National Insurance what pensions will be granted, under the proposed new regulations, to men aged 65 to 70 years of age starting work at weekly wages of £2, £2 10s., £3 and £3 10s., respectively.

In so far as a pension granted to a man aged 65–70 on retirement is affected by earnings rules, it would in future only be reduced by the excess of net weekly earnings over £2. But the amount of the pension will depend, among other factors, on the date and age of retirement in the individual case.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what were and are the sources of the crude petroleum imported into the United Kingdom amounting to 1,900,000 tons in 1929 and 9,500,000 tons in 1950; and the refineries from which the refined petroleum amounting to 6,100,000 tons in 1929 and 9,400,000 tons in 1950 emanated.

The sources of crude petroleum imported into the United Kingdom in 1929 and 1950 were as follows:

	Thousand statute tons
	1929.	1950.
Iran	1,359	2,383
Other Middle East	—	5,270
Netherlands W. Indies	148	1,093
United States	—	78
Rest of America	439	441
Rest of World	3	58
	1,949	9,323

Information is not available about all the refineries from which refined petroleum products were imported into the United Kingdom. But approximately three-quarters of the total of these imports in 1950 came from the following refineries operated by British or British-Dutch companies:

asked the Minister of Food what is the cost to the country in storage and in loss through rats, rot and deterioration, of barley and other grains stored in aircraft hangars and other requisitioned temporary accommodation in Norfolk in 1950.

The average cost of storing grain in Ministry depots on airfield sites and other requisitioned premises is about 5½d. a ton per week. I cannot estimate the loss of grain from the particular causes mentioned but my latest information shows that losses from all causes do not exceed one-half of one per cent. of the grain stored.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give the percentages in monetary value of the manufacturing meat issued to general butchers, Group 2, and to manufacturers comprised in each of Groups 1, 3 and 4, in the week ended 18th March last.

The estimates are as follow:

• General Butchers, Group II—38 per cent.
• Manufacturers, Group I—34 per cent.
• Manufacturers, Group III—1.5 per cent.
• Manufacturers, Group IV—26.5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases are at present awaiting admission to mental deficiency hospitals.

Approximately 1,200 names are on the waiting lists for admission to mental defective institutions in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average hospital bed and in-patient expenditure for each quarter, each half-year and the full year during the year ended 31st March, 1951, for general and mental hospitals, respectively.

I regret that this information is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many lunatics were boarded out in the year ending 31st March, 1950; and how this figure compared with the number for the two previous years.

Forty-nine lunatics were boarded out during the year ending 31st March, 1950 (27 males and 22 females). The numbers boarded out during the years ending 31st March, 1949, and 31st March, 1948, were 32 (19 males and 13 females) and 29 (15 males and 14 females), respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland under what conditions lunatics are boarded out and what supervision is exercised.

Lunatics are boarded out either with their own relatives or with unrelated guardians. In the case of lunatics boarded out with unrelated guardians the aim is to provide a home life in suitable surroundings; men are usually placed on small farms or crofts and women in cottages in villages. Not more than four patients can be placed with any one guardian.The homes are usually found by the local health authority and the sanction of the General Board of Control must be obtained to the placing of any patient with the guardian selected.The General Board of Control exercise supervision over the patients who are visited at least once a year, and oftener in special circumstances, by a deputy medical commissioner. In addition the patient is visited four times a year by a doctor, and twice a year by the local authority welfare officer acting on behalf of the regional hospital board.