asked the Minister of Labour what was the cost to the Exchequer for the 12 months ended 31st December, 1951, of the Institute of Houseworkers; and how many house-workers were trained at the institute during that period.

The cost of the Institute was £178,000, out of which £90,500 was spent on training and examination expenses. During the year, 563 persons began normal courses of training and 341 persons completed normal courses. In addition, a special short course of training was provided for 83 persons employed in the home helps services of certain local authorities.

asked the Minister of Labour which of the training centres of the National Institute of Houseworkers are to be closed; and if he will give full particulars of the areas affected and state what other arrangements to make such training available are to be made.

As an economy measure it has been necessary to reduce the financial provision made for the Institute to an extent which will not permit of more than one training centre on present lines being retained. The Institute is considering how best its work can be re-organised within this limitation, and I am not yet in a position to state details of future arrangements.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has made an estimate of the effect which the recent reduction on the allocation of steel for shipbuilding will have on unemployment in the shipbuilding industry.

No, I am unable to make this estimate but so far the effects have been negligible.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of persons unemployed in Sunderland at the latest available date and a list of classes of employment mainly affected.

4,075 at 11th February. The industries with the largest numbers unemployed were shipbuilding and repairing, engineering and electrical goods, building and contracting, the distributive trades and catering hotels, etc.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons are registered as disabled in the borough and rural district of Newcastle-under-Lyme; and how many of them are at present unemployed.

Of 1,794 disabled persons registered at local offices in the borough and rural district of Newcastle-under-Lyme, 150 were unemployed at 18th February, 1952, including 28 severely disabled persons classified as unlikely to obtain employment except under sheltered conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of persons resident in Midlothian and Peebles at the most recent date who are registered applicants for admission to hospitals.

Complete statistics of this kind are not readily available. If the hon. Member will let me know of any particular point he has in mind, I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how his present plans for school building will affect the shortage of school places in 1953 and 1954, in infants, primary and secondary departments of Scottish schools.

The delay in starting buildings not yet begun is not likely to affect the number of new school places becoming available in 1953. It is not possible so far in advance to give any estimate of what the actual shortage of places in infant, primary and secondary departments respectively will be in 1954.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in obtaining a supply of prefabricated timber houses for erection in Scotland in the 1952 programme; and whether he will make a statement.

I hope to be able to make a statement about this shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the amount of the subsidy to be paid for the current year on every hill-sheep breeding ewe in the hill farms of this country.

It is proposed to lay before the House at an early date a Statutory Instrument fixing a rate of 2s. 6d. per breeding ewe. In terms of The Hill Sheep (Scotland) No. 2 Scheme as amended by The Hill Sheep (Scotland) No. 2 (Extension) Scheme, 1951, payment will be calculated on the number of eligible sheep in the flock at 4th December, 1951. The 2s. 6d. rate will apply to England and Wales as the standard rate, and also to Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the opposition of the graduates of the Royal Colleges of Massage and Chiropody of Scotland to the recommendations relating to chiropody and physiotherapy contained in the Cope Commission Report on Medical Auxiliaries; and to what extent he proposes to take any action on those recommendations.

I have received observations from these bodies on a possible system of registration of medical auxiliaries, based on the recommendations of the Cope Committees. These will be considered along with observations from other organisations interested in this problem before anything further is done.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Joint Exchequer Board, set up under the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, last met; and how many meetings were held during the last 10 years.

19th October, 1949. No other meetings have taken place during the last 10 years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that by imposing an additional tax on petrol he is making it impossible for London taxi-cabs to operate without loss; and what action he is proposing to take to enable this service to continue its operations.

The additional duty will mean, in the case of a vehicle doing 15 miles to the gallon, an extra cost of ½d. per mile. I regret that it was necessary to make this increase, but I have no evidence that it will involve discontinuance of the London taxi service.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the desirability of Purchase Tax rebate, if he will consider a scheme which will alleviate the hardship to the trading community of a change in Purchase Tax rates.

This matter has been exhaustively examined with the trade associations concerned during the past few years, but I regret to say that so far no fair and workable solution to this difficult problem has been found.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of the £180 million loss to the Treasury by Income Tax reliefs is accounted for by the exemption of 2 million people from tax liability and by the relief to those in the following income groups: £500-£700, £700-£1,000, £1,000-£2,000 and £2,000 and over, giving separate figures for earned and unearned income.

The total Income Tax relief to the two million taxpayers exempted from liability altogether is estimated at £5 million this year and £6 million in a full year.The table below shows the estimated total Income Tax relief given to the taxpayers in each income range. It is not possible to give separate figures for earned income and investment income as very often a taxpayer has both forms of income.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the number of taxpayers in the following income groups: £500–£700, £700–£1,000, £1,000–£2,000 and £2,000 and over, giving separate figures for earned and unearned income.

The table below shows the number of taxpayers who are estimated to be in the specified income groups at the present time. It is not possible to give separate figures for earned and unearned incomes as a taxpayer often has both types of income.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the allocation of dollars for the importation of United States music royalties into this country in view of the present dollar deficit.

No. It has always been the practice to allow dollar transfers in respect of current transactions and I should not feel justified in making an exception in the case of music royalties.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the extent of the Government grant to the Scottish Film Library and the Scottish Film Council in 1951–52; and the comparative cost of the Welsh Film Library during 1951–52.

In 1951–52 the Scottish Film Council received grants of £4,800 from the British Film Institute, plus £500 from the Institute for the Festival of Britain, and £200 from the Scottish Education Department. The Scottish Film Library received a grant of £5,000 from the Scottish Education Department for the purchase of educational films. The Council and the Library partially perform in Scotland the work done in England and Wales by the Educational Foundation for Visual Aids.In addition, the Scottish Film Council received a payment of £2,500 from the Central Office of Information for the distribution of official films by the Scottish Film Library and will receive an estimated further sum of £500 to cover incidental cost of despatching films to customers, making approximately £3,000 in all from the Central Office of Information for about 8,800 borrowings.The Welsh Film Library is organised on different lines, being in fact part of the Central Film Library maintained by the Central Office of Information. The cost comparable with the £3,000 mentioned above is estimated at approximately £1,500 for about 4,500 borrowings, but the Library's total cost includes a share of general Central Office of Information overhead costs as well.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to provide employment in the Southend-on-Sea area for the growing number of people anxious to work in that district.

I am aware of the fact that the amount of industry in Southend-on-Sea is small compared with the size of the working population, but this is of course normal in a seaside resort. We will consider carefully any proposal to start new industry for defence, exports or other essential needs, but, as my hon. Friend knows, we cannot afford to use our limited resources on schemes which will not help us to achieve these aims.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the location of the five new factories approved for building in the North Eastern Development Area; the dates on which approval was given; the estimated dates on which construction will begin; and the numbers estimated to be employed in each on completion.

The locations and the dates for which Industrial Development Certificates were granted for the proposed five new factories in the North Eastern Development Area are as follows: Darlington, 29th August, 1951; Tynemouth, 29th August, 1951; Felling, 24th October, 1951; Consett, 24th October, 1951; and Easington, 31st October, 1951. Only in the case of the proposed development at Consett has a formal application for a building licence been received and this is now being considered.It is not the practice to disclose information, which has been supplied to the Board of Trade in confidence, about the estimated number of workers to be employed in individual factories.

asked the Minister of Pensions what increase is proposed in the pensions for the widows of officers, non-commissioned officers and men.

I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Pensions if, in considering the allocation of the £10,000,000 available for the purpose of improving the position of war pensioners, he will bear in mind the ageing war pensioner and the pensioner over 50 years of age with an amputated limb.

These pensioners, in common with all war disablement pensioners, will benefit from the rise in the disablement pension rates recently announced.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether the allowance of 16s. per week at present paid for the wife of an unemployable disabled ex-Service man will now be assimilated to the rate of 21s. 6d. per week proposed for the wife of a retirement pensioner.

I propose to consider this matter when my right hon. Friend the Minister of National Insurance has worked out his proposals.

asked the Minister of Pensions to what extent the basic pension payable to disabled non-commissioned officers, warrant officers and commissioned officers will be increased in view of the addition of 10s. per week now proposed in the standard basic pension.

The increases in the case of non-commissioned officers (including warrant officers, class I) will be 10s. a week, the same as in the case of privates and equivalent ranks, and £25 a year in the case of commissioned officers, with proportionate amounts in each case for degrees of disablement below 100 per cent.

asked the Minister of Pensions to what extent the basic allowance of 10s. per week at present paid for the wife of a disabled ex-Service man not in receipt of the unemployability supplement will be increased, in view of the universal rise in the standard basic rate for the war-disabled and industrially-injured and in all family allowances.

I do not consider that the recently announced increase of the standard basic rate of itself calls for an increase in the additional allowances, including wife's allowance.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will state the number of pensioners in Wales who are in receipt of 100 per cent., 75 per cent., 50 per cent., and 20 per cent. disability pensions, respectively.

About 2,400, 10, 2,870 and 11,170 respectively.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will increase the allowance for motorcars and initiate an allowance for motor chairs used by war pensioners to meet the cost of motoring as a result of the proposed increases of tax.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will grant an additional allowance to pensioners in receipt of motorcars or motor-propelled tricycles to compensate for the increased cost of petrol.

The present allowance of £52 10s. a year represents a substantial contribution by the Government towards the maintenance and running costs of motorcars supplied to war pensioners. I am not convinced that in the present circumstances an increase in the allowance is warranted nor would I be justified in initiating an allowance for war pensioners using motor chairs, which are maintained by the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Pensions what provision is made for totally disabled persons to get to their work when their Ministry of Pensions car is undergoing repairs.

When the pensioner is unable to make his own arrangements, every effort is made to supply him with a spare motor tricycle.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the band of the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was not allowed to take part in the ceremony in the city of Lincoln of proclaiming the accession of Her Majesty.

There is no question of this band not having been allowed to take part in the ceremony at Lincoln. Arrangements were originally made for the band to attend a similar ceremony at Nottingham on the day before that at Lincoln. In the event, both ceremonies were postponed and took place on 8th February at 2 p.m. at Nottingham and 2.30 p.m. at Lincoln. I understand that the authorities of the city of Lincoln, when they finally decided on the time of their ceremony, were aware that the band could not then be available. I regret what happened, but I know that the local military authorities did what they could to avoid it.

asked the Secretary of State for War the ratio of staff to students at the military colleges and schools mentioned on page 198 of the Army Estimates.

The ratios of staff, both for instruction and administration, to students in residence are as follows:

• Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst—1:.92;
• Staff College—1:.54;
• Military College of Science—1:.41;
• Army Apprentice School, Arborfield—1: 1.9;
• Royal Military School of Music—1: 4.94.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consider amending Army Order 138 of 1946, so as to enable a proportional gratuity to be paid to the dependants of a soldier who dies other than on active service before completing his engagement.

No. This gratuity is awarded to the soldier himself when he leaves the Army to help him to re-settle in civilian life, and is not payable to his dependants. Provision for them is a separate matter.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are taken to instruct the units of the Armed Forces being sent to join the United Nations Forces in Korea in the purposes for which the war in Korea is being waged; and what efforts are being made to acquaint our troops of the history and purpose of the war.

I think it of great importance that all ranks of the Army should have a clear understanding of these matters, and a number of pamphlets, diagrams, etc., are distributed to units. Furthermore, one period a week is set aside for the discussion of matters of this kind. Special courses for officers are organised and troops going to Korea receive lectures during the voyage.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is holding up a reply to a letter, dated 29th January, addressed to his Department from the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North, respecting 22406731 Gunner T. D. Mullock and his re-call to the Forces when the man was said to be suffering from epilepsy.

The reply is held up because the completion of the medical investigation into this soldier's condition has been delayed by his absence without leave on two occasions since he was admitted to hospital.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will publish the report prepared by the city treasurer on mismanagement by the Salford City Council, and which is now in his possession.

This report was, my right hon. Friend understands, made by an officer of the council to the council. There is, therefore, no question of publication by him.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what measures are being taken to protect the woods at Onwich Bay, Gower, Glamorgan, which were originally planted by the Penrice Estate for amenity purposes and have since attained a great measure of public popularity; and if he will take steps to preserve these fine examples of sylvan scenery from destruction by reckless cutting and felling for commercial gain.

A tree preservation Order covering these woods has been submitted to my right hon. Friend for confirmation by the Glamorgan County Council. A local inquiry is being held on 26th March into the objections and representations made on the Order. My right hon. Friend must await report of the inquiry before reaching any decision.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what are the allocations of steel for Southampton for the first quarter of 1952, for the purpose of reconstruction of bombed areas; and what was the comparable figure for 1951.

As my right hon. Friend has previously stated, it is not the practice

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has considered a communication made to him by the Hackney Borough Council protesting against the suggested development of a site at Cazenove Road Geldeston Road, Hackney, for

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will state in table form for each new town development corporation, the number of dwellings built and persons in occupation; the number of dwellings under construction and the estimated number of persons to be housed therein; the number of new industries completed and under construction; and the estimated labour force employed and required, together with the amounts advanced to date to each corporation.

The following table gives the information so far as it is available:The position at 29th February, 1952, was as follows:the future use of the Post Office and pointing out that the site is in a residential area and could be developed for housing purposes at an early date; and as there is an alternative site available near by, which becomes vacant on the demolition of temporary bungalows, at the same time as the Post Office requires the same, what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend is in consultation on this matter with his right hon. Friend the Minister of Works and he will be writing to the borough council as soon as he can.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that the Hackney Borough Council undertook to re-house a number of families from Marlborough Court, by arrangement with officers of his Department, who undertook to arrange the rehousing of the remainder of ex-Hackney families, and that, whilst the Hackney Borough Council have honoured this arrangement, his Department have failed in their undertaking; and what steps he now proposes to take to re-house these people.

My Department have not failed in their undertakings. Offers of alternative accommodation have been made but refused. The accommodation is being held in the hope that the people will change their minds.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will issue a circular giving guidance to housing authorities and indicating that when requisitioned property is released, licensees shall not be evicted until adequate alternative accommodation has been offered and refused.

I do not think a further circular necessary at this stage. I am satisfied that local authorities will pay proper regard to the interests of the occupants before deciding to release requisitioned dwellings.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will circularise local authorities that, when housing applicants are recalled to the Services their names should not be deferred on the housing list owing to their living temporarily in Service accommodation.

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of a circular I addressed to all local housing authorities on 31st January last about applications from serving men.

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the occupation by the Ministry of Food of the requisitioned premises of the R.U.A. Club in Aberdeen is causing inconvenience to its hundreds of members; that there are other suitable premises available for the Ministry of Food; and if he will now take immediate steps to restore to the club their club premises.

I appreciate the inconvenience caused in many directions by the continued retention of these premises but the alternative accommodation so far considered has proved unsuitable for rehousing the staff of the Ministry of Food.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will increase the £100 free limit for repairs in order to keep this allowance in line with the rising costs.

This factor, with others, will be taken into account in deciding on the amount which may be spent without licence in the period beginning 1st July, 1952.

asked the Minister of Works the value of the two building licences issued to Messrs. Lamb, Woodford, excluding the one issued for £11,200.

£4,500 and £520.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state the comparative cost of houses erected by his Department and those erected by local authorities.

The houses built under contract by my Department are frequently of a different standard from local authority houses. In many cases they are in small groups and in remote areas. All these conditions make any direct comparison impracticable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware that the Birdingbury Agricultural Hostel is now vacant; and whether he will consider its release for housing by the Rugby Rural District Council.

I have been asked to reply. The Birdingbury Agricultural Hostel has been offered to the Rugby Rural District Council for housing purposes, and I await their decision.