asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware of the lack of available writing materials for members of His Majesty's Forces in Egypt, causing distress for parents who miss regular correspondence with their sons; and if he will remedy this at once.

No shortages of writing materials in the Canal Zone have been reported. There may, however, be local shortages, since under present conditions the normal distribution of N.A.A.F.I. goods to units has been to some extent interrupted and supplementary purchases from civilian shops are no longer possible. If the N.A.A.F.I. stocks in the theatre which were sufficient to meet the increased demand have been recently depleted by looting or fire, the shortage will be made good.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that 22598003 Sapper W. Dodds, 3rd Training Regiment, Royal Engineers, Guillemot Barracks, Gore, Hampshire, was deprived of his right to vote in the recent General Election having been registered as a voter at his home address 13 Lord Street, Westhoughton, and having made application for a postal vote to his commanding officer on 4th October, 1951; and if he will inquire how this happened.

When a soldier joins his unit, his voting rights are explained to him as part of the normal enlistment procedure. I am afraid, however, that this soldier cannot have clearly understood his position since, while he completed a Service Voter's Declaration Card to ensure his inclusion on the electoral register as a Service voter for 1952, he failed to apply to the Electoral Registration Officer of his home constituency so that he might exercise his vote by post in the impending General Election.

asked the Secretary of State for War, if he is aware that troops who returned from active service in Korea on board the "Empire Royal," which reached the United Kingdom early in November, did not have any opportunity for recording their votes in the recent General Election; and whether he will take steps to ensure that all men now serving in Korea are given an opportunity to have their names put on their electoral register.

Full facilities are afforded to men serving in Korea, as elsewhere, to be included in the electoral register. Appropriate instructions setting out the responsibilities of commanding officers are issued annually and this important matter is brought to the notice of all ranks by special information leaflets. Those who were serving and made their declaration by the closing dates for the 1951 Spring electoral register and who reached the age of 21 years by 15th June, 1951, could record their votes by proxy in the recent General Election. I know of no reason why the proportion of those registered as Service voters amongst those on board this vessel should be much lower than the figure of some 70 per cent. which is found elsewhere in the Army.

asked the Minister of Defence the number of those entitled to be registered on the Services electoral register; and the number actually listed during the last Election.

I am having inquiries made, and will circulate details in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the Rugby Borough Council have protested against the instructions to remove two-thirds of the pedestrian crossings in the town, particularly those in the neighbourhood of schools; and what action he proposes in this matter.

The Council have asked that four uncontrolled crossings should be approved for retention in addition to the eleven selected as representing one third of the initial number. Of these four I am prepared to authorise two, at Railway Terrace and Hillmorton Road. The other two were laid down primarily to serve schools. I consider that an adult patrol is the best means of seeing school children safely to and from school. I understand that a patrol is already provided outside one of these schools and I hope that similar arrangements can be made for the other.

asked the Minister of Transport what applications he has received from the British Transport Commission for authorisation of an increase in railway freight charges.

The Commission have drawn my attention to the actual and prospective rises in their costs due to increases in wage rates and in prices. They have applied for my authority, under Section 82 of the Transport Act, to increase existing railway freight charges by 10 per cent. subject generally to a maximum increase of 10s. per ton, charges for small parcels by goods train by about 20 per cent., charges for the carriage of returned empties by 50 per cent., dock and canal charges by 10 per cent. As required by the Act, I have sought the advice of the Permanent Members of the Transport Tribunal acting as a Consultative Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the anxiety caused to the inhabitants of the Cowal coast towns and villages of Innellan, Kim, Hunters Quay, Kilmun and Strone by the policy recently announced, namely, to terminate the steamer services to the piers of these places as from 7th January, 1952; and what ends he had in view in referring this matter to the appropriate consultative committee.

Yes, and in accordance with my powers under Section 6 of the Transport Act I have formally referred this matter to the Transport Users Consultative Committee for Scotland for their urgent consideration.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of X-ray films in hospitals in North-West Kent necessitating the postponing of examination in some cases until supplies become available; and what action is being taken to deal with this problem.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Dr. Jeger) on 26th November.I have no reason to suppose that essential examinations are being delayed at hospitals in North-West Kent, or that these hospitals are not receiving a fair share of the available X-ray film.

asked the Minister of Health when Miss Mary Willett, of 18 Franklyn Road, Haywards Heath, may expect to receive her hearing aid, which was applied for on 5th July, 1948, through the Haywards Heath Hospital.

I understand that, according to the hospital's records, this lady applied in July, 1950. I regret that it is not possible to say when her aid will be fitted.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that when old age pensioners come under the residential care of the welfare service department of a local authority, the whole of a pension awarded to them for the loss of a son killed in action is taken into account towards maintenance; and what action he proposes to take to alter this.

Yes. Resources to be disregarded in whole or in part in assessing a person's ability to pay are specified in the Second Schedule to the National Assistance Act, 1948, and legislation would therefore be required to alter the position.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of administrative employees and the number of operative employees engaged in the nationalised electricity industry; the amount of electricity produced for the latest convenient period; and the corresponding number so engaged and amount of electricity produced before nationalisation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the information published in the Annual Reports of the British Electricity Authority and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and in the Ministry of Fuel and Power Statistical Digest.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of administrative employees and the number of operative employees engaged in the nationalised gas industry; the amount of gas produced for the latest convenient period; and the corresponding number so engaged, and amount of gas produced before nationalisation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the information published in the Annual Reports of the Gas Council and Area Gas Boards and in the Ministry of Fuel and Power Statistical Digest.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Report of the United Nations Economic Mission to the Middle East completed in 1949–50 has been published; what is the total estimate of expenditure in this report for developing territories for the settlement of Arab refugees and what proportion of this they recommended should be shared by the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively.

The Report of the United Nations Economic Mission for the Middle East was published by the United Nations on 28th December, 1949. It included no estimate of the total cost of developing territories for resettlement of the Arab refugees. A programme of direct relief and relief works was recommended, but no proposals were made regarding the proportion of the cost to be borne by the United Kingdom and the United States respectively.