asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many applications, during a period of 12 months to the most recent convenient date, for permanent commissioned rank have been made by officers holding temporary or extended temporary commissions; and how many have been granted.

Six hundred and sixty-seven non-permanent officers of the Royal Air Force were appointed to permanent commissions during the year ended 31st October, 1951. Three hundred and seventy-three of these appointments were to commissions offering normal prospects of promotion to higher rank. The grant of these commissions is based on recommendations from senior officers, and no provision is made for officers to apply themselves.The other 294 officers were appointed to permanent commissions in the Aircraft Control and Fighter Control branches. These appointments offer only limited prospects of promotion above the rank of flight lieutenant and applications for this type of commission are permitted. During the period 519 such applications were received.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air how many officers serving in the Royal Air Force at the most recent convenient date have upwards of seven years' commissioned service and have not been granted permanent commissions.

On 1st November, 1951, the number of non-permanent officers who had more than seven years' continuous commissioned service was 4,022.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the amount of gratuity and rate of pension payable to a squadron leader having 22 years' commissioned service and retiring with and without permanent commissioned rank, respectively.

A permanent squadron leader who is retired after 22 years' reckonable service receives a terminal grant of £1,000 and £500 a year retired pay.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that private hire omnibuses are no longer available for the Royal Air Force personnel at Leconsfield Gunnery School: and what steps he will take to see that alternative means of transport are made available.

Yes. I am looking into this matter.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air if he will give an estimate of how much public expenditure would be involved if all Royal Air Force pensioners were to receive an increase in their pensions equivalent to that recently awarded to men who left the Service after 1st September, 1950; and what action he is proposing to assist those Royal Air Force pensioners who did not receive the recent increase.

The cost of bringing the pensions of all Royal Air Force pensioners into line with those awarded to men leaving the Service after 1st September, 1950, is estimated to amount to £500,000 a year. This estimate does not include terminal grants which were introduced with the latest improvements in pension terms.On the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the Prime Minister on 20th and 21st November, 1951.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement on the progress of recruiting for the Royal Air Force.

Recruiting for the Royal Air Force has risen sharply since the increases in pay and improved careers were announced just over a year ago. Men recruited on Regular engagements between 1st October, 1950, and 30th September, 1951, totalled 48,009 compared with 15,428 during the previous twelve months. Corresponding figures for women are 3,911 compared with 2,739 for the previous year.This upward trend in recruiting, coupled with the retention of Regulars for a longer period than that provided for in the Estimates, will make it necessary to ask the House to approve a Supplementary Vote for number in the current financial year.While this improvement is very welcome, the need for recruits is still great. Particularly needed are aircrew, and women for the control and reporting system, while junior N.C.O.s and aircraft-men with previous Royal Air Force experience would be a great asset in manning the ground trades.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the need for the maximum home production of food, he will review the use of land by his Department.

I do not consider that any special review is necessary, since the Air Ministry always makes as much land as possible available for food production, and all units at home are alive to the importance of using such land to the full.Any new land required is obtained in accordance with the provisions of Command Paper No. 7278. This ensures that the appropriate agricultural department is consulted beforehand.

asked the Secretary pf State for the Colonies why no factory inspector has yet been appointed in Barbados; and when such an appointment will be made.

A suitable candidate is in view, and the approval of the Government of Barbados has been sought for the terms for which he has asked. I hope it will be possible to make an appointment before long.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies his reasons for putting into effect in Hong Kong Article 99 of the Emergency Regulations, 1945, which empowers the police to search civilian houses, intercept and search transport, arrest residents and confiscate their personal belongings, goods and documents.

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to Regulation 99 of the Emergency (Principal) Regulations, 1949. It was brought into force by the Governor of Hong Kong, on the advice of his Executive Council, to meet the abnormal conditions created by the presence of the very large refugee population in Hong Kong.Serious attacks on the police and the difficulty of locating in advance illegal arms and home-made bombs has made this Regulation essential if the police are to carry out their duties promptly and effectively.The powers in question would be used only with the specific authority of a senior police officer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the delay in settling pensions for widows of men killed on active duties in the police force in Singapore; that the anxiety caused by it is having a detrimental effect upon the morale of the men; and if he will take steps to hasten such settlements.

The Governor has been asked for a report on all the matters covered by this Question and I will write to the hon. Member when I have received it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) to what extent the Government has provided family quarters attached to police stations, or granted as an alternative an adequate rent allowance for the police force in Singapore;

The Governor has been asked for a report on all the matters covered by these questions and I will write to the hon. Member when I have received it.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if a decision can now be given in reply to the application for an increase in the colonial allowance submitted on behalf of the Agreement Men's Association, His Majesty's Dockyard, Hong Kong.

It is hoped that full settlement of the foreign service allowances payable at Hong Kong will not now be long delayed. Meanwhile, interim increases in the allowances for certain categories of staff have been granted.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what percentage of the Navy requirements of canned vegetable products were placed with canners in South Wales.

Under 1 per cent.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if, in the case of time-expired naval personnel, retained for a further 18 months, and subsequently killed in action, the full gratuity that would otherwise have been due will be paid to the next of kin.

No, the widows or, in certain circumstances, other dependants of ratings killed in action, receive a pension, which is the proper form of compensation. The gratuity is a personal payment made only to the man to enable him to resettle in civilian life.

asked the Minister of Food what, in view of the increases in wholesale costs of cheese, bacon and eggs, is his intention in regard to food subsidies; what will be the estimated increase in the index of retail prices: and when he expects these increases to take effect.

In order to maintain the existing level of food subsidies, increases in retail prices will have to be made from time to time, as a result of increased costs, and my right hon. Friend will announce them when necessary.

asked the Minister of Food why Mr. W. C. Richards, 159 Forest Lane, E.7, has on two occasions been refused a confectioner's licence, whereas another shopkeeper within the vicinity has had his later application granted; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is having inquiries made and will reply to the hon. Member's letter as soon as possible.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will give an estimate, taking the present postal rate for air parcels to Germany as the basis for His Majesty's Forces overseas, of what would be the additional cost per annum if each man were to get one 2–1b. parcel per month.

About £1½ million.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General why Mr. and Mrs. Hackleton, the parents of a Coventry soldier serving in Korea, have had to pay a fee of one guinea before the local post office would release a parcel, containing their son's three years old civilian suit, sent from Hong Kong.

I have been asked to reply. I am having inquiries made into this case and when they are completed I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to the people of Arlingham, Gloucestershire, owing to the fact that the post office does not handle money orders; and whether he will remedy this state of affairs.

I am looking into this matter and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will arrange an earlier delivery of mail in the business area of Leeds.

The first delivery in the business area of Leeds is due to be completed by 9.15 a.m.; if the hon. Member will let me have details of any failures I will gladly look into them.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to state the total value of the projected post office and telephone development cancelled or postponed under the new building restriction scheme.

The scheme will result in deferment of about £8 million worth of works scheduled to begin this financial year and £13 million worth planned to begin in 1952–53.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the number and value of trunk calls made by the Ministry of Supply during any recent convenient accounting period.

On the basis of samples of traffic, it is estimated that the Ministry made 1,939,000 trunk calls in 1950–51 at a total value of £462,000.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how may applications for telephones are outstanding in Stoke-on-Trent; and what is being done to overtake the arrears.

1,972. Additional exchange equipment and subscribers' cables are being provided as quickly as our limited resources permit.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many applications there are for new telephones in the city of Birmingham and the Solihull Urban District, respectively; and what is the average waiting time.

13,450 in Birmingham and 1,369 in Solihull. Service is provided in a few weeks in priority cases and in a few months in other cases where plant is available; no estimate can be made of the average time where new plant is required.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will cause an inquiry to be made into the circumstances in which people in North Lincolnshire cannot have the North Regional Home programme because of constant jamming from overseas; and if he will take steps to enable the programme to be heard.

The main cause of interference with the B.B.C.'s North Home Service, wavelength 434 metres, is a broadcasting station in the U.S.S.R. It can be heard in this country at considerable strength during winter evenings.I am informed by the Soviet Administration that the station is beyond the eastern boundary of the European Broadcasting Area. It is thus outside the scope of the Copenhagen Convention. There it no reason to suppose that the interference is deliberate, and I am asking the Soviet Administration whether they can reduce the trouble.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will assure the House that no licence to receive television pictures at public cinemas will be granted until the House has had an opportunity of considering the terms under which such licence is granted.

No licences for showing television programmes to paying audiences at public cinemas will be granted until the Government have informed the House of their views on the public showing of television.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, in view of the small proportion of listeners who listen to the Third Programme of the British Broadcasting Corporation and the much larger proportion to whom their own regional programme cannot be made available owing to the insufficient allotment of wavelengths, consideration will be given to the transfer of a wavelength from the Third Programme to the regional service.

No. The B.B.C. informs me that the two wavelengths used for the Third Programme are required to give a reasonable coverage.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, in view of the recent visit of the delegation from Basutoland, if he will give an assurance that the Government will not transfer the South African Protectorates without consulting the natives of the Territories.

I have been asked to reply. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Prime Minister on 22nd November to a Question by the hon. Member for Maldon (Mr. Driberg).

asked the Minister of Supply what clothing for the Armed Forces is being made abroad; and if, in view of the unemployment in the clothing industry in the West Riding, he will see that in future all contracts go to Yorkshire rather than to Holland, Greece, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

No woollen cloth has been bought abroad, although some clothing is being made up on the Continent from cloth supplied from this country. A number of cotton cloths have been bought and some of these are being made up abroad. Recently supplies have become more plentiful in this country and my right hon. Friend is now reviewing the policy relating to the placing of further orders.

asked the Minister of Supply what was the cost of the Brabazon; how many miles it has flow; and what it is going to be used for.

The first aircraft cost about £4 million and has flown for 350 hours. On the future of the aircraft I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Macclesfield (Air Commodore Harvey) last Monday.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements now exist, following the cuts announced in the imports of food, for the import of flowers from abroad.

Imports of flowers have been subject to import licensing control for the last few years, and they are not directly affected by the recently announced restrictions on imports. It is our intention to honour the existing quota arrangements entered into with other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many graduates of the present police college have been appointed to posts of chief constable.

One, but it should be borne in mind that until this year courses at the college have been in the main confined to officers holding ranks outside the normal range of selection for appointment as chief constable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many graduates of the pre-war Hendon Police College have been appointed as chief constable.

Sixteen since the Hendon College was established in 1934.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in order to prevent undue anxiety on the part of families of British prisoners of war in Korea, he will instruct his public relations department to give the fullest publicity to any facts which come to his knowledge concerning these men.

All possible steps are and will continue to be taken to allay the anxiety of relatives of prisoners of war by informing the next-of-kin immediately when any information is received.

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation what is the total acreage of airports in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively, in 1951; and what was the acreage in 1939.

If, by airports, my hon. Friend means civil aerodromes with Customs facilities, the total acreage in Scotland, England and Wales is 1,350, 9,500, 200 respectively. The corresponding figures for 1939 were approximately 95, 4,400, 100. The area of all aerodromes in Scotland, England and Wales could not be calculated without very considerable expenditure of effort.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give the number of houses and flats originally intended for completion in the borough of Deptford during 1951; the revised number under the new policy of the Government; and the number to be allocated in 1952.

Deptford Borough Council were given a housing allocation for 1951 of 85 dwellings. The Council's provisional allocation for 1952 is 85, this allocation was made in October, 1951. I am considering a request to increase this figure.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether his attention has been drawn to the remarks of Lord Chief Justice Goddard in a recent case with reference to the inaccuracy of certain information given in this House; what inquiries he has made in the matter; and what action he has taken to ensure that information given to this House by his Department is correct.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) and the hon. and gallant Member for Wembley, North (Wing Commander Bullus) on 26th November, 1951.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the inadequate coal stocks in Birkenhead and the fears of the joint house coal officers for the Wirral area, that unless supplies and stocks are increased they will be unable to meet the allowances to consumers as recently announced; and what steps he is taking to remedy the position.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Members for Accrington (Mr. H. Hynd) and Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on the 12th November.