asked the Minister of Health what progress has been achieved by the Committee, appointed by his predecessor, to examine the need for the registration of opticians; and whether he will make a statement.

I understand that the Committee have finished taking evidence and hope to present their report early next year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has now initiated discussions with the chiropodists and other professions dealt with by the Cope Committees; and whether the memorandum which his Department proposed to send to the professional bodies concerned has yet been despatched.

Discussions with the professional bodies concerned have not yet started, but I will send them a memorandum as a basis for discussion during the next few weeks.

asked the Minister of Labour the percentage of days lost through strikes in private and nationalised industries, respectively.

As all the industries concerned were not nationalised on the same date the information asked for by my hon. Friend is not readily available for earlier years. During the period 1st January, 1950, to 30th September last, about 35 per cent. of the number of working days lost in stoppages of work through industrial disputes was lost in industries which have been nationalised since 1945, and about 65 per cent. in other industries.

asked the Minister of Labour when buildings operations will commence for the new disabled persons factory at Cleator Moor, Cumberland.

I understand from Remploy Limited that plans for the new factory have been drawn up and that permits for buildings are now awaited.

asked the Minister of Labour how many unfilled vacancies there are, at the latest date for which figures are available in the Royal Ordnance factories in the counties of Staffordshire and Cheshire; and how many in the coalmining industry in the same area.

At the beginning of November there were on the books of the employment exchanges approximately 600 unfilled vacancies in the Royal Ordnance Factories and 2,000 in the coalfields in the two counties.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to provide an effective employment service for older people who are now having difficulty in getting work.

All employment exchanges have been instructed to give special help to older people who register for employment and to bring them to the attention of employers when they are suitable for the work.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take on the recent White Paper concerning the London Docks.

I am at present studying the Report of the Leggett Committee.

asked the Minister of Education what distance pupils in the primary schools in Radnorshire are expected to walk to school; how many prosecutions have taken place during the last 12 months against parents for not sending their children to school; and how many children there are who have not yet attended school because of the lack of suitable transport arrangements.

The normal walking distance for pupils in the primary schools of Radnorshire is two miles for those under eight years of age and three miles for those over eight years of age. During the last 12 months there have been 10 prosecutions against parents for not sending their children to school. There are, I understand, three children who have not yet attended school because of the lack of suitable transport arrangements.

asked the Minister of Education what were the circumstances in which Mr. A. Bowkett, Cwm Farm, Pains-castle, Radnorshire, was prosecuted twice for not sending his children to school; how many times the school attendance officer visited the parents before the first prosecution took place; and whether the Education Committee of Radnor drew the attention of the Radnor Highways Committee to the bad state of the roads on which the children are expected to travel.

The local education authority have a duty to institute proceedings wherever, in their opinion, it is necessary for the purpose of enforcing school attendance. The authority's action in this case was taken in the exercise of that duty: the school attendance officer visited the home on one occasion before the first prosecution; and the education committee did not specifically draw the attention of the highways committee to the state of any roads affecting the case.

asked the Minister of Education what steps she proposes to take to assist the voluntary schools, particularly in respect of the problem of displaced pupils.

My right hon. Friend is considering the question of extending, within the framework of the Education Acts, the assistance at present available to voluntary schools; but she will not be in a position to make any statement until this matter has been considered in the light of all the circumstances and after discussion with the various interested parties.

asked the Minister of Education what cuts are planned in the school building programme.

asked the Minister of Education what restrictions are to be placed on new school building.

Until the Government have completed the review of capital expenditure in 1952, which was announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 7th November, no decision will be taken to alter the educational building programme.

asked the Minister of Education what effect the decision not to grant new starting dates within the next three months will have on the building of schools urgently needed in London.

It is impossible at this stage to assess the effect on the London school building programme of the decision to which the hon. Member refers. If the Government's object of relieving the overloading of the building industry is achieved, schools already started and those whose starting dates are delayed may be brought into use earlier than would otherwise have been possible.

asked the Minister of Education, in view of the proposed restrictions on new buildings whether she will give an assurance that the school meals service will be maintained at its present level.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Education her plans for increasing the number of school dentists.

My right hon. Friend hopes that the salary scales fixed earlier this year by the Dental Whitley Council will attract more dentists to the school dental service.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will bring forward legislation to increase financial grants to church schools.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, South (Mr. Maude).

asked the Minister of Agriculture the profit or loss on farms run by county agricultural executive committees since the end of the war.

It was not possible to prepare full trading accounts for county agricultural executive committees before the financial year 1948–49. The accounts of the committees for the financial years 1948–49 and 1949–50 appeared in the annual volumes of Trading Accounts and Balance Sheets for those years and disclosed losses on farming operations of£909,913 and£680,322, respectively. The volume for 1950–51 has not yet been published, but the accounts forwarded to the Comptroller and Auditor-General disclosed farming losses of£197,761. These losses were arrived at after charging overheads, including depreciation. administration and interest on capital.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many acres of land in Huntingdonshire are considered by the county agricultural executive committee to be unnecessarily prevented from being cultivated owing to the presence of derelict aerodrome and hutted camp foundations and structures, etc.; and what steps are being taken to bring such land into production.

I am informed that in Huntingdonshire about 1,200 acres of agricultural land are sterilised by concrete runways hut bases and other structures associated with airfields and military camps. To remove these obstructions would cost far more than would be justified by the gain in food production.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will hold a supplementary price review this autumn; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd).

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent the output of British agriculture declined in the first nine months of 1951 compared with the previous year.

There has been some reduction this year in the output of milk and eggs, but meat output has been maintained. Among crops, the production of wheat and oats this year is appreciably less than that of last year, but there was a somewhat heavier production of barley and mixed corn. Production of potatoes and sugar beet are both lower than last year. The fruit crop, particularly that of apples, has been heavier than in 1950.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will introduce legislation to prevent accidents arising from the faulty use of electric milking apparatus; how many cases have been reported to him; and what steps are being taken to prevent any recurrence.

I understand that a few cases of cows having been electrocuted in byres in recent years have been reported. Under Regulations, electricity boards require any installation to comply with certain safety standards, and I am not satisfied that further safety provisions are needed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if his attention has been called to the discomfort and inconvenience caused to many citizens of York by the flooding of the River Ouse; if he will consider with all the authorities concerned what can be done to prevent or reduce the risk of a recurrence; and in particular if he will consult with the Forestry Commission as to the possibility of improving the position by further afforestation.

I am advised by the Yorkshire Ouse River Board, which is the responsible land drainage authority, that the recent flooding in York resulted from an abnormally heavy and continuous rainfall in the two weeks ending 11th November, which caused the river to rise some 14 feet above its normal summer level. My Department will consider with the River Board whether remedial works to alleviate this flooding are practicable. Afforestation on such a scale as would have any significant effect on the run off into the River Ouse and its tributaries would not seem to offer a practical solution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what ways he proposes to recast the existing system of taxation on industrial and commercial profits.

These are matters which will come under review in connection with the Budget, and I must ask the hon. Member to await my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the difficulties caused to schools through the effect of Purchase Tax on school exercise books, pencils, drawing paper and other necessities; and what steps he proposes to take to relieve these difficulties.

I appreciate that Purchase Tax does have the effect of increasing the cost of stationery and some other articles used in schools. It is, however, a general principle that Purchase Tax is charged irrespective of the use to which the taxable article will ultimately be put. Even if it were practicable to exempt articles bought for use in schools, this departure from principle could hardly be made in isolation from other cases which could be claimed to deserve special consideration, and it would be impossible to set a justifiable limit to such exceptions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been drawn to the disabilities suffered by co-operative societies due to the existing restrictions on the total individual shareholding of members; and whether he will introduce early legislation to bring the present limitation more into line with current values.

The important issues raised in this Question are now being carefully considered, but I am afraid that I am not today in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the total value, c.i.f., of the imports of tobacco, wines, spirits and petroleum products on which Customs Duties were levied; and the total of such Customs Duties for 12 months ended 31st March, 1951.

The figures for values c.i.f. and Customs Duty payments in respect of tobacco, wines, spirits and petroleum products for the year ended 31st March. 1951, are as follows:

YEAR ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1951
Commodity	Total value c.i.f. of imports	Total duty paid on clearances for home consumption*
	£	£
Tobacco	62,584,708	604,259,549
Wines	10,504,773	18,093,636
Spirits	8,423,635	38,735,410
Hydrocarbon oils:
Crude	83,905,929	138,872,008
Refined	125,471,517
* The duty figures relate to clearances for home consumption during the year in question, and not to goods actually imported during that year. For the most part, these goods are not duty paid at time of importation but subsequently when cleared for home consumption. As regards hydrocarbon oils there is the further point that the duty on refined oils (excluding most of the heavy oils) is chargeable on such oils produced in this country from imported crude

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether lie will grant facilities for duty-free parcels to be sent by men on active service in Korea.

The men on active service in Korea, in common with all troops serving abroad, are allowed to send home presents other than tobacco, scent and liquor to the value of 10s. free of customs charges. Gift food parcels weighing not more than 22 lb. are also admitted duty free.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will consider the establishment of executive and legislative councils in the High Commission Territories of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland.

His Majesty's Government's aim is to develop representative and responsible institutions in the High Commission Territories. At their present stage of development the main emphasis is on local government. But all three Territories have advisory councils with territory-wide representation, which are consulted by the Resident Commissioners on important matters of concern to the inhabitants. Until further progress has been made, it would be premature to consider the grant of executive and legislative powers.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will consider the need of appointing a Royal Commission to inquire into the constitutional and economic conditions of the High Commission Territories of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland.

No.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he can make a statement in respect of the Bamangwato chieftainship; what developments have taken place; and what is now the policy of His Majesty's Government.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is carefully studying the complicated problem which Bamangwato affairs present. Until he has made himself conversant with it, I can make no statement on his behalf.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will arrange to issue a White Paper on the subject of the visit to this country of the Paramount Chieftainess of the Basutos.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what subjects were discussed during the visit of the recent delegation from the Government of Basutoland to the British Government; and what was the result of the visit.

His Majesty's Government do not feel a White Paper is called for. The Paramount Chieftainess of Basutoland, accompanied by 11 of her principal chiefs and advisers, spent a month in this country. His Majesty's Government arranged for the party to see as much as possible of life and work in this country, especially agriculture, water storage, power production and local government, which are all relevant to Basutoland's progress. During their visit, the Basuto delivered a loyal address to His Majesty the King which contained a prayer for continued protection.At a meeting with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, a number of problems affecting the administration and development of Basutoland were discussed. These included financial assistance, local government, the Jones Report on Medicine Murders, the system of Legal Appeals, Basutoland imports and mechanised Agriculture. The Basuto asked the Secretary of State for an assurance that the administration of their Territory would not be transferred to the Union of South Africa without their consent. In reply, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State reiterated the pledges given by His Majesty's Government during the passage of the South Africa Bill through this House in 1909, and since repeated frequently by spokesmen of various United Kingdom Governments, namely, that no transfer should take place until the inhabitants of the Territory have been consulted and until this House has been given opportunity to express its views.The Paramount Chieftainess has expressed her thanks to His Majesty's Goverment for the facilities and courtesies afforded during the visit and she and her party returned home with an enthusiastic desire to apply to their own problems the knowledge gained from their visit.I will gladly supply any additional information about the Basutos' visit and discussions here which the hon. Members may want if they will ask me for details.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he has yet received a report from the three investigators who were sent by his predecessor to Bechuanaland; and when will their report be available.

Yes. The three observers who were sent to the Bamangwato Reserve to report on the attitude of the tribe to the question of Tshekedi Khama's return presented their reports in September to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is at present studying these and other reports on Bamangwato affairs, and I am not yet in a position to answer the last part of the Question.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether Mr. Tshekedi Khama has yet been granted permission to return to the house of his fathers.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether it is now proposed to introduce legislation dealing with the points covered by the Committee on Weights and Measures.

I am studying the Committee's Report and will make a statement later on the question of possible legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will propose an amendment to the law concerning cruelty to children so as to increase the maximum punishment for parents found guilty of neglecting their children or of treating them cruelly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the many cases of cruelty to children in their own homes that have occurred recently; and what steps he is taking to secure early notification so that preventive action may be taken before irrevocable damage has occurred.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will institute an inquiry as to whether the law needs strengthening in relation to the prevention of offences of cruelty to children and to the punishment of such offences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the inadequate penalties recently imposed in cases of vicious cruelty to children, he will review the maximum penalties that can be imposed in the different courts, with a view to legislative action.

Although the public conscience has been shocked by reports of certain serious cases, there is no evidence that there has been any marked increase of offences of ill-treatment or neglect of children, or that the maximum penalties provided are inadequate. Most offenders are dealt with in magistrates' courts, who can impose a sentence of up to six months' imprisonment.But on conviction on indictment an offender may be sentenced to up to two years' imprisonment; and it is for those responsible for instituting prosecutions to consider in any particular case whether they should, instead of applying to the magistrates' court for summary trial, invite the justices to consider the question of committing for trial. It is also for the prosecuting authority to consider in cases where injuries are deliberately inflicted whether a charge should not be brought under the Offences against the Person Act, 1861, which provides even more severe penalties.I do not think that there is occasion for a committee of inquiry or for amendment of the law. On the question of prevention, the measures taken to coordinate the efforts of statutory and voluntary services concerned with the welfare of children neglected in their own homes were described in Chapter III of the Sixth Report of the Work of the Children's Department of the Home Office published last May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the National Association of Retired Police Officers concerning the level of police pensions; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received no representations from this Association, but I have carefully reviewed the representations which were made to my predecessor. These were to the effect that police pensions should be re-assessed in the light of the prevailing cost of living and that pensions granted to police widows whose husbands died before 5th April, 1949, should be increased to the new rates introduced with effect from 1st July, 1949, in accordance with the recommendations of Lord Oaksey's Committee on Police Conditions of Service (Cmd. 7674). The first proposal affects all classes of public pensioners, and I would not feel justified in suggesting exceptional treatment in this matter for police pensioners.As regards the second proposal, amendments to a pensions scheme are normally introduced as from a specified date, and I regret I cannot see my way to propose any alteration of the provisions of the Police Pensions Regulations in this respect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the wife of a retired police officer who marries him during the course of his retirement does not qualify for pension at his decease; and what steps he is taking to provide for such cases.

This point was fully considered by the Oaksey Committee on Police Conditions of Service, who reached the conclusion that the considerations which justify special provison for the widows of police officers do not apply where the marriage takes place after the husband has retired. I agree with the Committee's conclusion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department approximately how many postal votes were cast at the recent General Election; or, alternatively, when the figures will be published.

I have not yet received figures from all the returning officers. I will publish a summary as soon as they are available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the large number of electors in Ely, Cardiff, who were disfranchised at the General Election by the name of their street being left off the register; and whether he will institute an inquiry into this matter.

This is the responsibility of the electoral registration officer, and I have no power to take any action. I have, however, been in communication with the electoral registration officer, who Worms me that a number of newly constructed houses in this street were unfortunately overlooked in the process of the house to house canvass. This omission was also not observed by the electors themselves or by the party agents when the lists were published for claims and objections to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now give instructions that men in the fire service shall be treated for payment purposes on the same level as the police.

Section 17 of the Fire Services Act, 1947, provides that the Secretary of State may make Regulations, inter alia, as to the pay and allowances of persons employed as members of fire brigades maintained by local authorities.A National Joint Council for local authorities' fire brigades has been set up in England and Wales to consider questions arising as to the conditions of service of persons employed as members of such brigades. The Secretary of State has recognised this Council as the proper body for the consideration of such questions, and in pursuance of the Act he is accordingly obliged to consult the Council before making any Regulations.The constitution of the Council provides that in the event of any disagreement between the employers' side and the employees' side the matter in dispute shall, at the request of either side, be referred to the Minister of Labour and National Service for submission to one of the forms of arbitration provided by the Industrial Courts Act, 1919.The National Joint Council has recently had under consideration a claim submitted by the employees' side for increased rates of pay. I am informed that the two sides have unhappily failed to reach agreement on the claim and that the matter in dispute has been reported to the Minister of Labour and National Service.In the circumstances the question of action on my part does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to investigate the financial relationship between England and Wales, on the lines of the Catto Committee investigation into Scottish finances.

When the Government have received and considered the Report of the Committee referred to they will consider whether it would be advantageous for a similar investigation to take place as regards Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of the Welsh Advisory Council represent Monmouthshire.

Individual local authorities are not represented as such on the Council. It so happens that there is at present no representative of Monmouthshire among the local authority representatives on the Council, but two other members of the Council have close associations with Monmouthshire.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy he proposes to adopt in connection with the Welsh Advisory Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what respects he contemplates changes in the status, constitution or programme of work of the Council for Wales.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make any statement on this subject, but it must not be assumed that any fundamental changes are contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to prevent landlords and their agents interfering with the freedom of tenants of small houses using them as committee rooms during general or local elections.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that Thomas Kavanagh, aged 15 months, was taken from this country on 6th November with his parents' consent and if he will investigate this matter.

It is the duty of the police to investigate when they have reason to suspect that a criminal offence may have been committed. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that this child's parents both state that they consented to his journey to America for a holiday of three months at the end of which time a further decision would be taken about the boy's future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal more drastically with persons convicted of driving vehicles under the influence of drink

I have no powers in this matter. It is entirely for the courts, on the evidence of all the circumstances, to assess what is the appropriate penalty in any particular case, and it would not be proper for me to offer them guidance in this matter. The maximum penalties prescribed by law are heavy, and the courts, have an ample reserve of power to deal with the most serious cases. The Lord Chief Justice, in a recent case before the Divisional Court, took the opportunity of calling the attention of magistrates to the fact that driving under the influence of drink was one of the worst offences which it was possible to commit and I have no doubt that courts will pay proper attention to this advice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to make a statement of the Government's intentions on the question of electoral reform.

I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the debate on the Address on 6th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that there are at present no approved schools for epileptic children and that disposal in such cases by the juvenile courts is therefore difficult; and whether he will take steps to make accommodation available for delinquent epileptic children.

Approved schools deal with a number of children and young persons suffering from minor epilepsy, but the schools are not designed to give the specialist and long-term medical treatment required by the few persons suffering from major epilepsy who are sent to approved schools. I am in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Minister of Education about the question of the appropriate provision to be made for these cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the remand and detention centres envisaged by the Criminal Justice Act, 1948, will be provided.

Owing to the restrictions on capital investment it is not possible to provide new building in the immediate future for the purpose of remand and detention centres. Remand centres require new building, and in present circumstances no progress with them can be made. The Prison Commissioners are, however, proposing to set up one or two experimental detention centres in adapted premises and it is hoped that the first may be ready for occupation next spring.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the rates of infant and maternal mortality in Scotland for each of the five years, respectively, preceding and succeeding the Second World War; and what were the causes of these differences.

The infant mortality and maternal mortality for the years 1934–38, and 1946–50, are as follows:

	Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births)	Maternal Mortality (per 1,000 live births)
1934	77·7	6·2
1935	76·8	6·3
1936	82·3	5·6
1937	80·3	4·8
1938	69·5	4·9
1946	53·8	2·3
1947	55·8	2·1
1948	44·7	1·6
1949	41·4	1·3
1950	38·6	1·1

Many factors have contributed to the general improvement, including better living conditions flowing from a generally higher level of employment, better standards of maternal care, and the treatment of infections by new drugs including the antibiotics. It is not possible to set down in order of importance specific causes for the general improvement, but it may be accepted that deaths from diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections contributed largely to the set-backs in infant mortality in 1936–37, and 1947.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that a 10 per cent. reduction on the maintenance of roads in Bristol recently made by him will reduce the standard of public safety on the roads as well as affect the efficiency of the vehicles using them; and if he will now withdraw his requirement to cut this expenditure.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Circular No. 672 issued to local highway authorities on the 26th October last asking them to limit their expenditure on unclassified roads in the remainder of the current financial year to 90 per cent. of the unspent balance of the provision made in their budget for 1951–52 and asking them to budget for an expenditure on unclassified roads in 1952–53 not exceeding 90 per cent. of their estimate for the current year. This was a request, not a formal requirement, but in view of the need for strict limitation of capital expenditure I hope that local highway authorities will comply with it, subject to any further guidance that may be given them when the Government have been able to review the position in more detail.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how far the recent alterations to retirement pension increments have been successful in inducing men over 65 and women over 60 to remain at work; and if he will publish the relevant statistics.

It is too early to have any reliable information on this point. It will in any case always be difficult to isolate the effects of a particular provision which is only one factor among several influencing a person who is considering whether to stay on at work or to claim retirement pension.

asked the Minister of Works if, in applying the restriction on building work for the next three months, he will arrange for those towns that were heavily damaged in the war to receive some priority for their re-building in order that they may restore business to normal as quickly as possible.

No. On taking office the Government found that more buildings had been started than could be economically completed with the labour and materials available. Accordingly the temporary restriction on fresh building work was imposed in the general interest so that this over-loading could quickly be corrected and better progress made on work already in hand. It is, therefore, in the interests of the war-damaged towns that we should make this period as short as possible by allowing exceptions only for cases of extreme urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the cost, for the year 1950–51, of the establishment maintained by his Department at Bahrein; and what were the comparable figures for the year 1946–47.

The net cost to the Foreign Service Vote of maintaining the establishment at Bahrein for the year 1950–51 was approximately£54,500. The comparable figure for 1946–47 when the post was maintained by the Government of India was approximately£56,500.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent he proposes to cut building construction work other than housing; and what priority is to be given to factories, schools, public amenities and renovations or readjustments of older buildings.

Decisions on these matters will emerge from the review of the building programme which, as I informed the House in my speech on 7th November, is being undertaken.

asked the Minister of Food if he is satisfied that the supply of national full cream dried milk will remain available for babies: and if this will be of the same quality and quantity and at the same price as at present.

We certainly intend to maintain the quality and quantity of national dried milk which we regard as an important part of the welfare foods service. I cannot, of course, promise that there will never be any change in the price but we have no present intention of altering it.

asked the Minister of Health what is the annual cost of treatment of tuberculosis in hospitals and sanatoria, and in the home.

I regret that this information is not available. Much tuberculosis treatment is comprised within the work of general hospitals and it would be hard to separate its cost. Nor is it practicable to keep separate account of how much of the cost of the general practitioner service is attributable to domiciliary treatment of tuberculosis patients.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the delay which now ensues between the prescribing of a deaf aid to be supplied under the National Health Service and the actual provision of the aid, he will issue a direction to hospital authorities that patients shall be told how long it will be before they receive their deaf aid, thus giving them an opportunity if they so desire to purchase this privately.

I regret the delay that still continues but I do not think this is a matter calling for any general direction by me.

asked the Minister of Health what discussions have been started with the professions covered by the Cope Committee on Medical Auxiliaries.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to the hon. Member for Barking (Mr. Hastings).

asked the Minister of Health the date on which construction will begin on the new training hospital at Cardiff.

I cannot yet say when building will begin, as the stage of preliminary planning has not yet been completed.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of small 10-ton locomotives now used below grounds in mines; and what encouragement of the use of electric battery and diesel locomotives of this and smaller weight for haulage in mines at or near the coal face has been officially given by his Department.

latest available figures relate to 31st December, 1950, when there were 313 locomotives of 12 tons weight or less used below ground in coal mines. The reply to the second part of the Question is that the installation of locomotives in coal mines is not a matter for my Department but for the N.C.B., who must have regard to the lay-out of the mines, the size and gradients of the roads, the safety with which they can be used, and other factors.