asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that many errors have been made in the notices and letters about call-up for Z Reserve training sent by his Department to Mr. G. V. Hawkins, 132, Lincoln Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme; and if he will post-pone further action until he is sure that this is not a case of mistaken identity.

The original warning notice for training sent to this officer contained some errors. As soon as this was pointed out a corrected warning notice was sent to him. I regret this mistake and can assure the hon. Member that there is no case of mistaken identity.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the purpose of the new form, Army D 406 (RO) which a number of Army Z reservists have been receiving from Record Offices.

Class Z and similar reservists are subject before recall to occupational screening by the Ministry of Labour and National Service. This screening started in August, 1950, and since that time many reservists will have changed their jobs and some will have obtained new qualifications. It has therefore been decided that all these reservists should be re-screened; and that is why this new form, containing a revised questionnaire, is being sent out.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent, in the selection of Z reservists for call-up, he takes into account Territorial Army service before 1939.

Voluntary service in the Territorial Army before 1939 affects the selection of reservists in so far as those who served in the voluntary forces before the war benefit from the application of the principle of "last out—first back."

asked the Secretary of State for War what arrangements are made for payment to soldiers serving in Germany of the £50 bounty due to those signing on for an extension of Regular service; and what delay occurs normally before payment is made.

Normally no undue delay occurs in the payment of these bounties. There is, however, no automatic payment of them in Germany to men serving there, because their local spending is restricted under the Exchange Control Act, 1947; their bounties are paid to a nominated account in this country. Where exceptional necessity or hardship justifies immediate payment in Germany, special arrangements are made.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the wives of a number of soldiers serving in the Suez Canal Zone were recently notified that their marriage allowances and allotments were to cease at once, although their husbands still had some time to serve; and what emergency steps were taken to prevent inconvenience and hardship.

Owing to a clerical mistake by the unit due to receive 52 supplementary reservists of the Royal Engineers who are expected to return to this country on 10th May, the regimental paymaster was led to believe that the soldiers had already returned and had been discharged. As a result, action was taken to withdraw payment of allowances to the 53 dependants concerned as from 28th April. However, the paymaster soon discovered the mistake in 35 cases and avoided delay in payment to these dependants. His inquiries with the unit brought to light the remaining 18 cases on 28th April and postal drafts were sent to these dependants on that day.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent Z reservists will be eligible for non-commissioned officer and commissioned ranks in the Home Guard.

Z reservists who are not prevented by their Reserve liability from joining the Home Guard will be subject to the normal rules for appointment to commissioned and non-commissioned ranks in that force. These rules are embodied in Regulations for the Home Guard, 1952, of which a copy is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the hon. Member for Birkenhead will receive a reply to his letter of 19th March about the case of Mr. L. Wilson.

The hon. Member will now have received a reply from my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the hon. Member for Keighley can expect a reply to his letter of 25th March with regard to J. Robertsham, 2 Hardgate Cross Roads, Keighley.

The hon. Member will now have received a reply from my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for War when a death certificate will be issued in respect of Gunner J. O'Leary, missing in Malaya since March, 1951.

Application for leave to presume the death of this soldier has been made to the High Court, Pahang, and I will let the hon. and gallant Member know as soon as I learn the outcome of this application.

asked the Secretary of State for War for what reason British troops were confined to barracks during recent disturbances in Tokyo.

This was a normal precaution to avoid possible incidents in view of the conditions in the city.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received with regard to practices adopted to evade the objects of the Hire-Purchase and Credit-Sale Agreements (Control) Order, 1952; and if he will take all requisite steps to put an end to such practices.

It has been alleged that some traders are infringing the Order by offering agreements which purport to be agreements for hiring, but which are in fact hire-purchase agreements in which the option to puchase the goods is not in writing. Such cases are being investigated. My right hon. Friend has also received representations to the effect that there has been an increase in credit sale agreements for a period of less than nine months and other methods of giving credit have been brought to our notice. The Order does not apply to some of these agreements, and he is considering whether it is desirable to extend control over credit trading in the goods concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantity of Portuguese slates have been imported into Scotland during 1952; and whether under his regulations an import licence is required.

I regret there are no figures available of the quantity of Portuguese slates imported into Scotland. The value of imports to the United Kingdom as a whole during 1952 was £14,368, of which a little over three-quarters was for roofing slates. The open general licence was withdrawn on the 12th March and individual import licences are now required.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the estimated annual saving due to the cancellation of the import licences for importing fondant sugar from the Continent announced last November.

Imports of fondant from Western Europe during the calendar year 1951 are estimated by the Ministry of Food to have cost £8 million. Licences have been issued for imports from Western Europe for the eight-month period 1st November, 1951, to 30th June, 1952, to a total value of £1.2 million and a quota of £750,000 has been announced for the six-month period 1st July, 1952, to 31st December, 1952. These figures are not strictly comparable with those of the estimated imports in 1951, since the licences and the quota cover also certain ton-sterling countries outside Europe; but imports from these countries are expected to be small.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total value of textile orders recently placed in Scotland to alleviate the increasing unemployment and short-time working.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Members for Accrington (Mr. H. Hynd) and Leek (Mr. Harold Davies) on 1st May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, under the Mutual Defence Act, Britain was allocated $122 million by the United States Government, for 1949–50 and 1950–51, towards the cost of re-armament; that, by the end of March, 1952, only $18 million of this amount had been received; and when he anticipates receiving the remainder.

Yes. The allocation of $122 million was mainly for the purchase of machine tools from U.S.A. and can be used only as the machine tools become available. As for receipt of the remaining amount, I would refer the hon. Member to the speech of the Prime Minister on 5th March, 1952.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, under the Mutual Security Act, Britain was allocated $300 million for the economic support of the British defence programme by the United States Government; that only $1 million have so far been received; and when he anticipates receiving the remainder of this allocation.

Receipts in respect of the $300 million allocation amounted at the end of April to $20 million. In regard to future collections I have no reason to vary the estimate given by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 10th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an estimate of the amount which will be contributed to the Exchequer during the current financial year by road users in respect of the duty on hydrocarbon oils and Purchase Tax and licence duty upon motor vehicles; what he estimates will be the total expenditure on road maintenance and development in Great Britain during the same period; and what proportion thereof will be borne by the Exchequer and by local authorities, respectively.

The share of road vehicles in the estimated receipts for 1952–53 from the hydrocarbon oil duties is approximately £228 million. Estimated receipts from Purchase Tax on motor cars, motor cycles and commercial vehicle chassis are about £43 million, and from the vehicle licence duties £64 million. Total expenditure on road maintenance and development in Great Britain should be very approximately £67 million, of which £33 million will be paid by the Road Fund and the balance by local authorities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Treasury of a reduction in the standard rate of income tax of 6d. in the £ and of 1s. 6d. on earned incomes, respectively.

A reduction of 6d. in the standard rate of Income Tax from 9s. 6d. in the £ to 9s. 0d. in the £ with pro rata reductions in the reduced rates would cost £83 million this year and £95 million in a full year. A reduction of 1 s. 6d. in the standard rate from 9s. 6d. in the £ to 8s. 0d. in the £ in the case of earned income only would cost £96 million this year and £120 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the limit of time within which a member of Her Majesty's forces serving abroad and who has purchased a motor car in the country of his service is allowed to bring home the motor car free of Purchase Tax on the expiration of his duty.

Hitherto, a car which has been imported on a bona fide change of residence has been admitted free of Customs charges if it has been in the importer's ownership and use abroad for at least two years and if it is to be retained in his possession for at least two years in this country. Following a review of this concession, the qualifying period of ownership and use abroad has now been reduced to 18 months with effect from 30th April, 1952. The overall period of four years' possession and use before disposal remains unchanged.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the proceeds of the Purchase Tax on church silver during 1951–52 and whether he will now take off this tax.

I regret that the information requested in the first part of the Question is not available. Silverware installed in a church as a war memorial is relieved of tax under Section 19 of the Finance Act, 1950. While I sympathise with the object of this Question, there would be very great difficulty in providing other relief in respect of particular users.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many licences for new projects in the reconstruction area of the city of Plymouth have been issued since 25th October, 1951.

None.

asked the Minister Housing and Local Government when will make a statement on the licences be issued this year for new projects the reconstruction area of the city of Plymouth.

My right hon. Friend regrets that under present conditions it is not possible for him to sponsor any new work in the reconstruction areas of the blitzed cities. He is, however, fully alive to the cities' needs and he is keeping the matter constantly under review.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the amount paid annually under the Local Government Act, 1947, by way of Exchequer Equalisation Grant and Exchequer Transitional Grant to the county boroughs of Merthyr Tydfil, the non-county boroughs of Durham, Hemel Hempstead and Whitehaven and the burgh of Dumbarton.

The amounts paid to the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil are as follows:

—	Exchequer Equalisation Grant	Exchequer Transitional Grant
	£	£
1948–49	234,000	Nil
1949–50	295,571	Nil
1950–51	271,694	Nil
1951–52	282,257	Nil

Neither Exchequer Equalisation Grant nor Exchequer Transitional Grant is paid to non-county boroughs in England and Wales.I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State that the figures for the burgh of Dumbarton are:

—	Exchequer Equalisation Grant	Exchequer Transitional Grant
	£	£
1948–49	33,147	Nil
1949–50	49,062	Nil
1950–51	44,053	Nil
1951–52	34,672	Nil

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has yet reached a decision on the disputed route for the southern end of the Pennine Way.

Not yet.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will grant to industrial employees a second week's paid holiday this year, particularly for Government factories working on important work in and around Sheffield.

The question of allowing a second week of paid leave to all Government industrial employees, including those working in factories of the Ministry of Supply, is now being discussed with the trade unions concerned.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government which items he classifies essential and which as less necessary for the purposes of his Circular 37/52.

My right hon. Friend has asked local authorities with their knowledge of local requirements to make their own choice.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will take steps to give local authorities power to prevent builders insisting that the holders of private licences for whom they are building should take out mortgages with a specified building society.

No. My right hon. Friend has no evidence that such a power is necessary.

asked the Minister of Works if he will make a statement on further changes in the licensing system, particularly a relaxation of the £100 a year free limit in building.

I am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Works the number of building trade workers who have received notice to terminate their employment at the Liverpool Department of the Ministry of Works; and the reason for such notice.

asked the Minister of Works what was the respective costs of work done by his department at 60–62, Soho Street, Liverpool, and work done by contract, which decided him to dispense with nine men engaged at Soho Street.

Twelve building trade workers have received notice of discharge from the Department's building maintenance depot in Liverpool. The reduction in staff is largely the result of a reduction in the total amount of maintenance work in Liverpool. In the year 1951–52 the cost of building maintenance carried out by my Department was £83,200 of which £61,400 was by direct labour. General experience shows that for work other than day to day maintenance it is more economical to do work by contract where suitable contractors are available and this policy is being applied in Liverpool.

asked the Minister of Works whether the buildings in London which were floodlit last summer can be floodlit this year during the tourist season from 1st June to 4th October.

This is an attractive suggestion, but I shall have to discuss ways and means with the various interested authorities.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will arrange for an identification, and marking with inoffensive labels, of the more important trees and flowering shrubs in St. James's Park.

It is my Department's policy to label the more interesting and unusual trees and flowering shrubs in the Royal Parks, and a few specimens in St. James's Park are already labelled. Shortage of labour and heavy arrears of ordinary maintenance have delayed the work, but we will get on with it as quickly as we can.

asked the Minister of Works whether he has yet received an application for a licence to rebuild the west side of Grosvenor Square; for what purpose it is to be rebuilt; and at what estimated cost.

No such application has been received by my Department.

asked the Minister of Works when repairs to the Crypt Chapel will be completed so that the normal services, including the celebration of Holy Communion, can be resumed.

It is hoped that repairs to St. Mary-in-the-Crypt will be completed by the end of September. The decision about the resumption of services rests with the Lord Great Chamberlain.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will in future prohibit the import of cattle to Scotland from any country, including England, in which an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed.

The importation of cattle into Great Britain is prohibited except from a few specified countries which are normally free of foot-and-mouth disease. The importation of cattle from those countries would be prohibited if necessary should an outbreak of the disease be confirmed. My right hon. and gallant Friend has power to control the movement of cattle within Great Britain and will continue to use it to prevent the spread of disease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what restrictions are now in force on the movement of chicks owing to fowl pest; and how far these affect movements from the north of England to Scotland.

There are no restrictions on the movement of chicks in Scotland. Those in force in England and Wales are set out in the Live Poultry (Restrictions) Order, 1952, which also prohibits the movement of poultry, day-old chicks and hatching eggs into Scotland from any part of England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture in what parishes and counties are the 32 farms listed in Farming Incomes in England and Wales, 1949–50, Series No. 3, published in 1952, as being light land arable breck.

Twenty of the farms are in Norfolk and 12 in Suffolk, but I do not know in which parishes they are situated. The university responsible for the collection of income data acts under seal of confidence and is not free to divulge information which might, as in this case, lead to the identification of individual farms.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is prepared to take any action to bring the rates of railway superannuitants up to the retirement allowances under the National Insurance Scheme existing at the present time

I cannot yet add to the reply my hon. Friend gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Merton and Morden (Captain Ryder) on 31st March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what amount has accumulated in the marketing board in Nigeria; and what sterling balances stand to the credit of the Nigerian Government at the latest known date.

There are four marketing boards in Nigeria, the Cocoa, Cotton, Groundnuts and Oil Palm Produce Marketing Boards. The following figures, which will be published in their next annual reports, show total reserves at the end of the last crop year (which varies with the crop):

• Cocoa Marketing Board. £33,001,420.
• Oil Palm Produce Marketing Board, £21,638,740.
• Groundnut Marketing Board, £12,366,833.
• Cotton Marketing Board, £3,243,909.

With regard to the second part of the Question, particulars of the sterling balances of the Nigerian Government as

at the 31st December, 1951, have recently been given in the Nigerian House of Representatives as follow:

asked the Minister of Food how the prices now being paid to British farmers for the main foodstuffs for human consumption and coarse grains compare with the cost of similar imported supplies, in the case of barley giving the weighted average price realised by farmers xi the sale of home-grown barley; and if he will give a calculation showing how much British farmers taken as a whole would stand to gain or lose if they received the same prices for their commodities as are paid for imported supplies.

It is not possible to compare the prices paid to farmers for home-produced foods and coarse grains with the cost of similar imported supplies, owing to significant differences in quality and to variations in -terms of purchase.

asked the Minister of Food for an estimate of the amount of food subsidy which would be saved, giving the figures separately, by increasing by ld. the price per pound of bacon, meat, butter, cheese, cooking fats, margarine, tea, and a quart of milk and by increasing the price of a dozen eggs by 6d.

I am not prepared to give estimates which would facilitate speculation about future ration levels.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General for the names of those associations of postal servants which were invited to submit within one month any observations they might wish to make on the Terrington Report, and which have failed so far to send in their observations.

A copy of the Terrington Report was sent to the individual associations named below on 19th February and they were informed that if they wished to offer comments the Post Office would be glad to receive them within a month:—

1. Association of Postal Controllers and Assistant Postal Controllers, G.P.O.

2. Government Overseas Cable and Wireless Operators' Association.

3.—(a) Institution of Professional Civil Servants and the following Branches of the Institution:—

(b) Post Office Branch.

(c) Staff and Regional Engineers Branch.

4. National Guild of Telephonists.

5. Postal Inspectors' Association.

6. Post Office Clerks' Association (N. Ireland).

7. Society of Telecommunications Administrative and Controlling Officers.

8. Society of Telecommunication Controllers.

9. Telecommunications Traffic Association.

10. Telephone Managers' Committee.

11. Engineering Officers (Telecommunications) Association.

12. National Guild of Motor Engineers.

13. National Association of Postal and Telegraph Officers.

14. National Association of Telephone Supervising Officers.

Of these the Associations numbered 1, 3 (a), 3 (c), 8 and 10 have not replied.In addition to the associations mentioned above, the Staff Sides of the two Post Office Departmental Whitley Councils, representing the following Associations, were invited to forward comments. and these have been received.