asked the President of the Board of Trade how much X-ray film has been imported in the latest month for which figures are available.

X-ray film is not separately recorded in the import statistics; but I understand that small quantities of medical X-ray film are being imported from Belgium and of dental X-ray film from the United States.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the average rise in the prices of dollar commodities such as cereals, cotton, tobacco, oil seeds, copper, lead and zinc, since April, 1951.

Price changes between April, 1951, and last week of representative grades of the dollar commodities mentioned, for which reliable price quotations are available, were as follows:—

					Increases per cent.
Wheat	…	…	…	…	8
Maize	…	…	…	…	4
Copper	…	…	…	…	12
Lead	…	…	…	…	12
Zinc	…	…	…	…	11
					Decrease per cent.
Cotton	…	…	…	…	6

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the average fall in the prices of sterling products such as wool, cocoa, rubber, tinand hard fibres since they touched peak prices in April, 1951.

Though in several cases the peak price was reached earlier than April, 1951, the reductions in price from then up to last week, for representative grades were as follows:

			Per cent
Crossbred wool	…	…	57
Merino wool	…	…	49
Cocoa	…	…	25
Rubber	…	…	28
Tin	…	…	18
Jute	…	…	27
Sisal	…	…	14

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will arrange for a representative of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to serve on the Working Party dealing with Air Raid Precautions for farm animals.

The working party is an inter-Departmental body and it is not proposed to extend its scope at present. Interested organisations, of which the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is one, will be invited to give their views at a suitable stage.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the criticism by the Lord Justices in the recent case of Budge v. Hicks of the Regulations made under Section 26 of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948; and whether he will take steps to remove ambiguity.

I am aware of the judgments in this case and I am considering whether the Regulations should be amended.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of schemes which have been approved and the amount of subsidies which has been granted for Durham County under the Hill Farming Act, 1946, and the Livestock Rearing Act, 1951, for the years 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951.

The information is as follows:

—	1947	1948	1949	1950	1951 (to 31.10.51)
Number of schemes approved	None	2	3	20	8
Amount of grant paid	—	—	—	£1,411	£3,765

asked the Minister of Agriculture what is the acreage of agricultural land in Durham County which is so damaged by coalmining subsidence that it is either wholly or partially lost to the cultivation of crops or to the grazing of cattle.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what evidence he has as to the point of origin of the feedingstuffs used on farms whose animals have been affected by foot and mouth disease.

The importation of animal feedingstuffs that would be likely to bring the infection of foot and mouth disease into this country is prohibited, and there is no reason to think that feeding-stuffs may have caused any of the present series of outbreaks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when he expects that arrangements will be completed for the sale of attested cattle at Newbury market.

The plans for providing accommodation for attested cattle at Newbury market are being examined by my Department and, subject to a few minor adjustments which might prove necessary, are likely to be approved shortly. The council will then have to apply for a building licence in the normal way, but with the present restrictions on building work of this kind it seems unlikely that a starting date can be given for some time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to what extent his officers have been instructed to cooperate with the farmers in reducing losses caused by foxes in Merionethshire.

My officers have instructions to give every possible assistance, and to encourage co-operation between farmers. The county agricultural executive committee has a staff specially appointed to destroy foxes and from January to October of this year accounted for no less than 1,173. There are two fox destruction societies in the county who are assisted in their endeavours to destroy foxes, and they, in the same period, have accounted for a further 326 foxes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been drawn to the decision of another place to annul the Wye and Usk River Board Area Order. 1951, made on 22nd May, 1951; how many objections were received from the counties of Brecon, Hereford, Monmouth and Radnor against the order; and if he will consult with the Minister of Housing and Local Government in regard to this matter and make a statement as to the Government's intentions.

Yes. Petitions of general objection against this Order were lodged by the Wye Board of Conservators, the River Wye Catchment Board, the Hereford County Council and the Hereford and Leominster Borough Councils, together with the Councils of 10 districts in the County of Hereford.The Radnor County Council and five county district councils in Radnorshire, four county district councils in Monmouth and two in Brecon had objected to the draft Order earlier but did not present petitions to Parliament. The Government decided to accept the Motion for the annulment of this Order, because of the strong local opposition and the likelihood that a single board for this area would not work harmoniously in practice, whatever arguments on paper might be advanced in favour of it. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government and I propose, in due course, to place on deposit draft Orders providing for separate River Board Areas for the Wye and Usk.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps his Department is taking to secure that the opportunity of hiring machinery to increase production shall be available for small farm occupiers who have not sufficient resources to own much machinery and whose holdings are not large enough to do other than hire machines.

A Government machinery service is still being maintained, though on a greatly reduced scale, in 43 counties in England and Wales to assist small farm occupiers, usually by doing work for them on contract and in some cases also by hiring machinery. In those counties which are not now operating a machinery service the agricultural executive committees satisfied themselves that assistance for small farmers would be available by other means.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps he proposes to take to encourage the greater use of fertilisers.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement on this subject which I made at the end of Questions today.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will ban the present export of cattle from Folkestone and Lympne airport to Europe while his Department examines the circumstances of these exports, and cases of suffering, which on 17th November led to the intervention of an inspector from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

I presume that my hon. Friend is referring to the case of a steer that was injured while in transit from Norwich to Folkestone and which was slaughtered after an R.S.P.C.A. Inspector had drawn attention to its condition. I am not at present aware of any other recent cases of injury or unnecessary suffering amongst cattle intended for export from Folkestone or Lympne airport, or any circumstances that would justify a ban on this trade, but I have some inquiries still to make, and I will write to my hon. Friend giving him a fuller account of the circumstances under which the animals are being exported.

asked the Minister of Agriculture when he expects to announce the special price review for agriculture.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made today in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd).

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will give the latest figure of smallholdings that have been taken up under the County Councils Smallholdings Act.

Nine thousand five hundred and thirty-two full-time and 9,473 part-time smallholdings provided by smallholdings authorities under the various Smallholdings Acts were let to tenants on 31st March, 1951.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the £300,000,000 wage increases already granted this year or still under consideration he estimates can be absorbed by the increased national productivity; and how far it must be reflected in a higher cost of living.

In October, 1951, weekly wage rates in the principal industries and services of the United Kingdom are estimated to have been 10 per cent. above their average level in 1950. It should be observed that this is a measure of changes in weekly wage rates and not necessarily in actual earnings, about which current information is not yet available. The total estimate of my hon. Friend of course includes increases which are now the subject of negotiations, which I should be reluctant to prejudice by forecasting the resulting increase. Moreover exact information as to production in the industries affected is not available to me.For all those reasons I am unable to calculate the amount which is likely to increase the cost of living. I may say however that as compared with the 10 per cent. increase in wage rates mentioned above the level of industrial production recently is estimated at about 4 per cent. above the average level of 1950 and part of this is due to an increase in the numbers employed. It is evident therefore that increase in production has been only a small proportion of wage increases this year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he has directed that banks shall discontinue or abate the practice of allowing overdrafts in the cases of the holders of personal accounts who have deposited scrip or share certificates.

My right hon. Friend has not, since he took office, given any fresh direction on the subject of bank advances. But the banks remain fully aware of the importance of discouraging, in the public interest, any advances which, like those mentioned by the hon. Member, may be inflationary in character.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to deal with the lack of public confidence in Government securities.

I am not aware of any lack of public confidence in Government securities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new students have entered universities this term; how many are grant-aided; and what is the estimated total university population in England and Wales for the current academic year.

The answer is as follows:The following figures relate to universities and university colleges in England and Wales.The number of full-time students admitted for the first time in October. 1951, was 18,616.It is not known how many of these are grant-aided, but of the 69,322 full-time students in university institutions in the academic year 1950–51, 51,810 (about 75 per cent.) were assisted by awards, whether from public or private funds, providing wholly or in part for the payment of their fees and other expenses.The number of full-time students enrolled in October, 1951, was 67,782 Usually, the number increases after October and it is expected that the total for this current academic year (1951–52) will rise by about 1¼ per cent. over the October figure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the recent recovery in the three months transferable sterling rate in New York, he will make a statement on the possibility of freeing the sterling-dollar exchange rate and allowing sterling to find its own level.

While I have been glad to note the tendency referred to in the first part of the Question, I do not think an arrangement such as is proposed in the second half would serve the public interest.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the official talks with the United States authorities regarding the fall in sterling commodity prices, and the rise in dollar commodity prices since April, 1951, and their effect upon the sterling-dollar exchange rate.

I am fully aware of the fact that recent movements in the relative prices of dollar and sterling area commodities have added substantially to our dollar difficulties, but I am not in a position to make a statement at present.

asked the Secretary for Overseas Trade, as representing the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what representations he has made to ensure that the anhydrite deposits at Billingham on Tees-side will be used for the production of sulphuric acid.

asked the Secretary for Overseas Trade, as representing the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what action is being taken to use the large deposits of anhydrite in the area of Teesside for the manufacture of sulphuric acid to meet the world shortage of sulphur.

There is already a substantial production of sulphuric acid from anhydrite in the Tees-side area and plans are in hand for a considerable increase in this output.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to protect the public from the ill-effects that in certain cases have followed hypnotism in public entertainments; and whether he will consider forbidding the use of hypnotism except by registered medical practitioners.

I have no power to prohibit such performances: my right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for

			Strength at 31st October, 1951		Number of persons who between November 1949, and 31st October, 1951, have
—					Joined the Service		Left the Service
			Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
England & Wales	…	…	7,055	3,632	8,293	4,660	1,238	1,028
COUNTY OF LONDON:
A Division	…	…	73	45	120	23	47	13
B Division	…	…	60	17	94	16	33	4
C Division	…	…	56	20	85	8	31	8
D Division	…	…	109	32	152	26	38	15
Headquarters	…	…	17	141	18	292	5	70
TOTAL	…	…	315	255	469	365	154	110

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that young men desiring to enter the Fire Services are being refused on the ground that their Scotland will no doubt consider the suggestion contained in the last part of the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the present strength of the Auxiliary Fire Service; the number of men and women who have joined and left the service since December, 1949; and gives separate figures in each case for each of the four divisions of the County of London.

The following figures show for England and Wales and for the Headquarters and each of the divisions of the London Fire Brigade, the strength of the Service at 31st October, 1951, and the number of men and women who up to that date had joined and left the Service since recruitment began in November, 1949. The present strengths of the London divisions are affected by transfers from one division to another as well as by the numbers who have joined and left the Service.statutory obligation to serve in the Territorial and Auxiliary Services is in conflict with the duties of a member of the Fire Services; and whether he will introduce legislation to provide that volunteers for the Fire Services are released from their obligation to serve in the Territorial and Auxiliary Services.

I am aware that some fire authorities refuse recruits on account of obligations for service with the Armed Forces, but this is far from being a general practice.Arrangements have already been made under which firemen who are volunteer members of the Territorial Army will not be liable to embodiment except where they have specially valuable Service experience. Legislation would not be required if, in the circumstances of the time, it were decided that some National Service men performing part-time service in the Territorial Army and Reserve Services ought to be retained in the Fire Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he took to advise local fire authorities, during the recent dispute, that instructions sent to them by unauthorised associations should, under no circumstances, be put into operation.

The only advice which I have given to local fire authorities is that of which I informed the House in answer to Questions on 15th and 20th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he proposes to issue to local authorities regarding the handling of disputes in the Fire Service.

If the hon. Member refers to disputes such as the recent dispute about the pay of firemen, that is not a matter for individual local fire brigade authorities but for the National Joint Industrial Council, and, in the event of failure to reach agreement, for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service, and the question of my giving advice to them does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the film "Rommel—Desert Fox" which glorifies a general who upheld the Nazi creed has led to incidents likely to induce a breach of the peace; and what action he proposes to take in regard to this matter.

I have no power to take any action in the matter. Licensing authorities under the Cinematograph Act, 1909, have power to attach conditions about the character of films exhibited in theatres licensed by them and I understand that in London the London County Council attach a condition to their licences prohibiting an exhibition of any film which is likely to lead to disorder, and providing that if the licensee is notified by the Council that it objects to the exhibition of a film on this—or any other—ground specified in the licence the film shall not in any circumstances be exhibited.It is of course the duty of the police to take such action as they can to prevent breaches of the peace at the exhibition of any film which is allowed to be exhibited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts of motor vehicles have been notified to the Metropolitan Police during the current year; and how many of these vehicles have been recovered up to date.

During the first 10 months of 1951, 5,988 motor vehicles were stolen or driven away without the owners' consent in the Metropolitan Police District. 3,965 were private motor cars, 1,112 were goods vehicles and 911 were motor cycles.5,112 of these vehicles have been recovered—3,438 private motor cars, 1,040 goods vehicles and 634 motor cycles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to identify the aircraft that flew under Tower Bridge on Sunday, 25th November, and to proceed against the pilot.

I have no responsibility in this matter since the Tower Bridge is in the City of London police area, but I am informed by the Commissioner of Police for the City of London that the pilot has been identified, and that proceedings against him are being instituted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why journalists are no longer allowed access to the Immigration Hall at London Airport.

The examination of passengers by immigration officers is necessarily of a confidential nature and, as a result of a recent review of the arrangements for the control of passenger traffic at London Airport, it was decided that journalists should no longer be allowed to use the outgoing immigration hall as a passageway. Accredited journalists at the airport have other means of access, to the final departure lounges and I am satisfied that the new arrangement does not hamper them in carrying out their duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any decision has yet been taken about the duration of summer time in 1952.

The Government propose that summer time in 1952 shall extend from 20th April to 26th October. A draft of the Order in Council necessary under the Summer Time Act, 1947, will be laid before Parliament in due course.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in the provision of bone-conduction hearing aids; and when the allocation of these aids may be expected.

Large-scale clinical trials of an experimental model are now going on. If, as I hope, these trials are satisfactory, I shall arrange for supplies as early as possible, although I cannot yet give a date.

asked the Minister of Health what is now the period a patient must wait before being fitted with a hearing aid under the National Health Service; and when Mrs. Matthews, 27, Oswald Street, Clapton, E.5, who applied as long ago as January, 1949. can expect to receive her aid.

The period varies from centre to centre and according to the patient's priority. I am glad to say that Mrs. Matthews was due to receive her aid yesterday.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients suffering from tuberculosis have so far been sent to Switzerland for treatment; and how many per month will go in the future.

One hundred and thirty patients from England and Wales have gone to Switzerland for treatment within the National Health Service. This is the full number of beds contracted for in Swiss sanatoria, and no more patients will go out until the time comes to replace those now there.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that applications have been made over several months to the appropriate hospital authorities by Dr. Carmichael Mackie of Stourport-on-Severn, to secure, in accordance with a circular issued by the Midlands Regional Hospital Board, cortisone for treatment of his patient Miss Winnie Calder of Shrawley, Worcestershire, who is suffering from severe arthritis; when Miss Calder will receive the cortisone treatment; and why the long delay has already occurred, in view of the urgency of Miss Calder's case.

The use of this drug is still experimental, and accordingly only a small number of patients can be treated, Miss Calder's name is on the waiting list but I am afraid it is not yet possible to say when she will receive treatment.

asked the Minister of Health if he will require all regional hospital boards to arrange that when at any hospital the only obstetrician available is unwilling on account of his or her religious beliefs to perform operations or undertake treatment in accordance with normal medical usage in this country, the services of an alternative obstetrician willing to undertake such work is available to patients.

I am not satisfied that the circumstances call for any such arrangements.

asked the Minister of Health whether, following the evidence submitted to him of the circularising of ex-patients reminding them that a two-year period had elapsed since they last had their sight tested and offering appointments should they desire re-examination, and as a fee of £1 is payable for an examination of the eyes, involving the expenditure of public money, he will take action to eliminate this by making the sending of such circulars a breach of the terms of the ophthalmic service.

Where this is a form of advertising and refers directly or by implication to the supplementary ophthalmic services it is already a breach of the opticians' terms of service.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make inquiries with a view to determining how many colonial nurses who have completed their training in British hospitals have been appointed as ward sisters; how many coloured medical students have found appointments in British hospitals; and in what hospitals adverse colour discrimination exists.

None of this information is readily available, but if the hon. Member can give me evidence of discrimination in particular cases I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Health whether, under his Regulations, nationalised hospitals are still entitled to accept private contributions and donations towards their Christmas and other special funds.

Yes, but under Section 59 of the National Health Service Act, 1946.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an assurance that there will be no cuts in the hosiptal, clinic and sanatorium building programme of West Ham, in view of the fact that this is the worst bombed borough in the country.

It is for the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board to determine the priority of hospital building projects in their region within the share of the hospital capital investment programme allocated to them.

asked the Minister of Health what information or records exist not only in respect of the decline in infant and maternal mortality, respectively, but also of the approximate percentage of cases where the mother has lost her life through pregnancy or childbirth; and of the instances where either the mother or the child has had to be sacrificed in order that one shall live.

Full information about infant and maternal mortality, including the number, but not the percentage, of cases in which women have lost their lives through pregnancy or childbirth appears year by year in the Registrar General's Statistical Review. I am sending the hon. Member a summary of these figures. Information on the lines of the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the need of securing greater financial assistance for cancer research; and what steps he proposes to take in this connection.

My Department has this problem constantly under review, in consultation with the Medical Research Council.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the danger of a shortage of milk in the near future in the Bristol area as a result of the increase in the slaughter of milking cows; and what steps he is taking to ensure that this region receives an adequate supply.

If milk should become short in the Bristol area supplies would be moved from other regions to meet the shortage.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will state in non-technical language the purpose of treating flour with agene, and how far its use affects or improves the colour and keeping quality.

Flour treated with agene yields a dough which has more uniform baking qualities and is more easily handled by the baker; the resulting loaf is whiter and of superior lightness and texture. Agene treatment has no effect on the keeping quality of the flour.

asked the Minister of Food what functions are performed respectively by the Eggs Division of his Department and National Egg Distributors Association Limited; what is the number of persons employed in each of these organisations and the aggregate so employed; the total estimated cost of these organisations during the year to 5th April, 1952, including all overhead and administrative charges; and what future plans he has for these organisations.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, Monday, 12th November, 1951: Vol. 493, c. 630] supplied the following information:

The functions performed by the Eggs Division of my Department and by the National Egg Distributors Association Limited are as follows:

(A) The Eggs Division is responsible for the purchase of home-produced and imported shell eggs and imported egg products and for arranging their equitable distribution through trade channels to consumers.

(B) N.E.D.A.L. is responsible, subject to the general direction of the Ministry, for the collection and distribution of eggs from packing stations and ships, supplying boxes and packing materials and making payments to home packers, arranging transport, inspecting imported eggs and carrying out certain accounting duties.

The number of persons employed by each of these organisations is as follows:

Eggs Division	160 (including 43 industrial staff)
N.E.D.A.L	954 (including 707 industrial staff)
TOTAL	1,114 (including 750 industrial staff)

The total estimated costs for the financial year 1951–52 are as follows:

Eggs Division	£1,036,000
including administrative overheads and a proportion of the cost of regional and local food offices mainly in connection with allocation.
N.E.D.A.L.	£327,500
including overheads.

The arrangements for dealing with eggs are being examined in relation to present needs, and the Government's obligations under the Agriculture Act. 1947.

asked the Secretary of State for War why 22584047 Trooper K. Palmer, 66th Training Regiment, has been ordered to the Middle East after less than 12 weeks' training.

It has not yet been decided to which unit this soldier will go at the end of his basic training. He would, however, if required, be eligible for posting to the Middle East on 30th November, having completed not less than the 10 weeks' training and 12 weeks' service necessary under the current rules.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government to what extent the increase in interest rates charged to local authorities will reflect itself in the weekly rents of council houses; and if he will raise the housing subsidy to the same extent as the interest charges to prevent the burden falling upon the tenants.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop), on 27th November.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that the increase in loan charges under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act will discourage people from purchasing their own homes; and if he will take steps to see that this extra ½ per cent. is not placed on these special loans.

No. My right hon. Friend believes that loans under these Acts will still be made on sufficiently favourable terms to attract persons who want to buy their own homes.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how far preliminary survey has been made for a railway leading from Bechuanaland to Walvis Bay; and what were the results.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations when the pilot projects will begin to investigate the Okovango swamps of Bechuanaland.

I have been asked to reply.The hon. Member is no doubt referring to a preliminary survey of the Okovango area financed from Colonial Development and Welfare funds, described by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's predecessor in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 14th June, 1951. This survey is still in progress and will not be completed before 1953.