asked the Minister of Food if he will give in tabular form the description, quantity and price of all home-produced foods, showing the total cost of each item; and also the world price and world cost of each item.

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of the 25,000,000 per annum growth in world population and the demand by coloured peoples for a

As indicated in my reply to a Questin by the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South-East (Mr. Champion) on 6th May, it is not possible to make accurate comparisons between the prices paid for home-produced food and for similar imported supplies, unless differences in quality and variations in the terms of purchase are taken into account.

I am very conscious of the broad problem to which my hon. Friend refers. We are collaborating with other Commonwealth countries and with such international agencies as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation in plans for increasing world production. I must, however, remind my hon. Friend that in the immediate future the maintenance of the British standard of life depends primarily on our own ability to increase production and to develop sufficient exports to pay for the goods we need from abroad.

asked the Minister of Food what changes the White Fish Industry Commission propose with regard to transport and unification of prices at ports.

The White Fish Authority are at present working out the details of a scheme for equalising transport charges. The marketing arrangements at the small ports are also under consideration.

asked the Minister of Food how far butter and margarine rations are uplifted, respectively.

These rations continue to be fully taken up at the wholesale level.

asked the Minister of Food when he expects to increase the weekly amount of the cheese and meat rations.

Changes in the ration levels will be announced at the appropriate time.

asked the Minister of Food the annual tonnage of condemned cheese sent to the factories for reprocessing; and how far the product of this reprocessing is reserved for the ration.

No cheese condemned as unfit for human consumption is processed for the ration. In the year ended 30th April, 1952. a total of 2,512 tons of ration cheese fit for human consumption but not suitable for issue on the ration owing to damage, quality or condition was processed. The whole of the product of this processing was issued for the ration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what assurance as to the chance to begin a new life as ordinary citizens was given in the leaflets dropped in the jungles of Malaya recently appealing to the bandits to abandon their useless struggle; and what has been the result of this appeal.

No explicit assurances of this kind have been given. Surrendered terrorists have often co-operated with the Government in encouraging their comrades to follow suit and the High Commissioner is satisfied that practical examples of this kind carry more weight than general assurances which could only be in the broadest terms.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will grant Federal citizenship to all men who apply for it in Malaya after they have completed their period of national service.

Under the new citizenship legislation which was passed by the Federal Legislative Council on 8th May, the High Commissioner may grant Federal citizenship to any person who has been honourably discharged after three years' full-time or four years' part-time service in the Federation Forces and who intends to settle permanently in the Federation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies approximately how many colonial nurses and doctors, respectively, trained in this country are now following their vocations in British Colonies: how many of these are in private and not private service; and how many who have finished their training here have not returned to their own colonial areas.

Approximately 260 doctors and 40 nurses from colonial territories have completed their training in this country since the war and have returned to work in their own areas. I cannot say what proportion of these have entered Government and private service respectively. A small number of doctors and a larger number of nurses have remained in this country after finishing their basic training, a good many in order to obtain further professional experience and qualification.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what offences corporal punishment is still inflicted by law in British West African territories.

The following is a list of the offences in the West African territories for which corporal punishment may lawfully be inflicted by the courts, excluding native courts, about which the information in my possession is insufficient to enable me to include them:GAMBIA

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further conference there is to be on Central African Federation: and where it is proposed to hold it.

It is proposed to hold a further conference in the last quarter of this year, to review the draft federal scheme produced by the Conference which has just ended, in the light of public discussion and of the Reports of the three Commissions—Fiscal, Judicial and Civil Service Preparatory—which it has been agreed to appoint.The place has not been decided, but it will probably be in Central Africa.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what proportion of the contracts for supplying stone for reconstruction work at Brawdy Airfield has been allocated to quarries within Pembrokeshire.

About one-third of the stone so far delivered to the site has been supplied from local Pembrokeshire quarries. It is expected that the whole available output of suitable stone from these quarries will be taken up as the work progresses.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that the additional period of service required from sailors at the end of their normal engagements is much longer than in the case of the other two Services; and what steps he is taking to reduce this burden.

Yes. I explained in the debate on Navy Estimates that the Navy requires, for the expansion needed to meet the emergency, a higher proportion of senior ratings of long experience and high technical ability and that the additional numbers of such men can only be found by retaining them at the end of their engagement for a period of additional service.I also gave the assurance that this period of additional service will be reduced as soon as possible and that our present intentions are to begin that reduction in 1953 for all ratings except those special Service men who have an automatic reserve liability on the expiry of their engagement. The progressive reduction will be as rapid as the circumstances in 1953 permit, but I regret that I cannot be more precise at the moment.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how far it is his policy to refuse applications for employment in the Royal Dockyards to persons who might have had past associations with the Communist Party; and what is the machinery by which he conducts this investigation.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will consider instituting the award of bars to the Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve decorations.

Yes. I certainly will consider it.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty for what reason the rates of local overseas allowance in Malta for officers are now as much as 3s. 6d. a day below those of noncommissioned officers, and chiefs and petty officers; why that for officers has recently been reduced by up to 3s. 9d. per day at the same time as that for men has been increased by up to 1s. 9d.

The reason is that the difference between the cost of accommodation in the United Kingdom and in Malta is far greater for married ratings than for married officers. The rates of local overseas allowance for officers have been reduced mainly because, since the rates were fixed previously, there has been a marked decrease in the difference between rents in Malta and rents in the United Kingdom for officers. There has been no similar decrease in the comparative rents paid by ratings.Lieutenant commanders and junior officers, and leading seamen and below receive the basic rates to which additions are made in the case of senior officers and ratings. These additions vary according to the amount of the basic rate.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware that although telegrams can be handed in at any time at the London Airport, there are no facilities for delivering telegrams there on Sundays; and what action he is taking in the matter.

I am glad to say that we have now made arrangements at the London Airport for a 24-hour service, including Sundays, both for handing in and for delivering telegrams. This extended service has been in operation since 9th March.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that some two months have elapsed since he invited the associations affected by the Terrington Committee Report to comment on its recommendations and gave them a month in which to do so, he will now announce the decision of the Postmaster-General on the recommendations of this report and on outstanding claims for recognition from various associations of Post Office employees.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is now in a position to make a statement on the claims for recognition made by the Engineering Officers (Telecommunications) Association.

The comments on the Report, which amount to some 130,000 words, are being carefully examined. My noble Friend has not yet reached decisions on the complex and difficult problems involved, but he will announce his conclusions at the earliest possible moment.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he is aware that some time ago numbering of postal districts was sought for the City of Bradford; and if he will now give his consent to this proposal.

The proposal has been approved in principle, subject to the preparation of a satisfactory scheme, details of which are now being worked out.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, in view of the recent rise in certain air mail rates to Is. 3d., he will now meet the convenience of the public by issuing a postage stamp of that denomination.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. and gallant Member for Crosby (Captain Bullock) on 7th May.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will make arrangements to enable people with Post Office Savings Bank accounts to pay Income Tax and telephone accounts of over £3 from their accounts without having to apply to the Central Post Office for authority.

My noble Friend regrets that he is unable to introduce such arrangements, which would certainly entail an increase in staff, particularly as such a concession would undoubtedly be followed by demands for the payment of other accounts by the Savings Department. In any event, it would mean the Savings Bank doing something for which it was never intended.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is now in a position to make a statement about the renewal or alteration in the Charter of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will now make a statement of the Government's views and the arrangements they propose to make with regard to broadcasting after the present agreement with the British Broadcasting Corporation terminates.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when it is proposed to publish the White Paper on the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The Government's proposals will be presented to Parliament tomorrow.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will bring forward the opening of the service for television in Wales, so as to include the period of the National Eisteddfod and the Welsh Festival in August.64. Mr. Gower asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether the date for the opening of Wenvoe television transmitter may be advanced to the first week of August next to synchronise with the Welsh National Eisteddfod.

The opening date is a matter for the B.B.C., who do not, on present progress, think it possible that the station can be opened before 15th August. Quite apart from this fact, there would be very great technical difficulties in transmitting direct from Aberystwyth to Wenvoe.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what results have been obtained by the issue of the questionnaire to sports organisations and others by the Sports Television Advisory Committee as to the effect of televising sporting events on other events, and on the events themselves.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General on what date the questionnaire was sent out to sporting organisations, as advised by the Sports Television Advisory Committee.

The Report presented by the Sports Television Advisory Committee shows that they did not issue questionnaires to sports organisations, but made use of questionnaires issued by the sports organisations themselves. On behalf of the Committee the B.B.C. issued questionnaires to 1,450 viewers of television in November, 1950, and the Committee took the answers into account in reaching their conclusions.In July, 1951, a questionnaire was sent by post to some 20,000 viewers, but the Committee have not yet reported the result.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what were the recommendations made by the Sports Television Advisory Committee; and how far these recommendations were acted upon.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what was the date on which the Sports Television Advisory Committee made an interim report to his predecessor; and what was the nature of that report.

The Sports Television Advisory Committee presented a first report in May, 1951, which gave an account of the investigations made into the direct and indirect effects of televising sports events. For details of the main conclusions I would refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave in the House on 5th March to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, North (Mr. C. I. Orr-Ewing).The report recommended that a questionnaire should be sent by post to some 20,000 viewers of television. The questionnaire was issued in July, 1951, but the Committee have not yet reported the result.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what terms his Department has prescribed for the employment of aliens by the British Broadcasting Corporation for the purpose of their overseas services.

The terms applying are: (1) No alien shall be employed unless the Corporation is fully satisfied, after consulting the appropriate Department of the Ministry of Labour and National Service, that a British subject with qualifications required for the post is unobtainable.(2) Subject to condition (1), aliens may be given temporary employment in the foreign services without individual authority from the Postmaster-General, provided the appointment concerned complies with the terms of the relaxation of the Nationality Rule applied to civil servants.(3) Permanent employment of aliens may be given only with the specific written authority of the Postmaster-General. Such an appointment should be regarded as requiring special justification. The fact that a suitable qualified British candidate for a permanent post is not at the moment available should not in itself be considered sufficient reason for the permanent filling of it by an alien, although it could be temporarily filled in accordance with (2).

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the number of applicants awaiting telephone installations on 1st May, 1952, for the City of Bradford.

The latest figures available, i.e., at 1st April, are 2,530 applications outstanding and 450 in course of being met or under inquiry.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General approximately what the total amount will be of the increased credit which his Department will receive in respect of Departmental telephones and ancillary apparatus arising out of increased charges for such equipment contained in Statutory Instrument No. 673 of 1952.

The estimated additional credit to be taken in the Commercial Account for 1952–53 in respect of use of the telephone service by Government Departments is £950,000.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what consultations he had with industrial and commercial telephone users before introducing Statutory Instrument, 1952, No. 673, the Telephone Amendment (No. 2) Regulations.

None.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what consultations he had with the Post Office Advisory Council before introducing the Telephone Amendment (No. 2) Regulations, Statutory Instrument, 1952, No. 673.

None.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what stage his negotiations with the Amalgamated Engineering Union for a modifica- tion of the Relaxation of Customs Agreement of 1939 have now reached.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 30th April, 1952, to my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley (Mr. J. E. Crowder). The Amalgamated Engineering Union have since accepted my invitation to further talks and we are now waiting to hear from them when it will be convenient to meet.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that trade unions to which men employed in maintenance sections belong have different rules as to deregistration of dilutees after serving a certain time in skilled grade, that, in consequence, some men are handicapped in promotion by the union to which they belong; and what steps he is taking to ensure that all who were recruited as dilutees receive equality of treatment.

I am aware that the views of the craft unions on the treatment of dilutee workers are in some respects divergent. I hope to discuss shortly with the Amalgamated Engineering Union all the problems affecting dilutees which arise from the operation of the Relaxation of Customs Agreement, 1939.

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation whether arrangements have now been completed for the future management of the London Airport workmen's camp.

Yes. Arrangements have been made for another contractor to take over the management of the camp when the existing contract expires.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what points agreement has still to be reached in the truce negotiations in Korea; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement which my right hon. Friend made in the House on 7th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what stipulations have been made in the talks now proceeding at Bonn between the German Federal Republic and the three Occupying Powers with regard to research with atom weapons, or production of such weapons, being carried on within the territories of the German Federal Republic.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. E. Fletcher) on 12th May. This answer also covers research into atomic weapons.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which agreements, to which we are a party, provide for assistance to Germany by the United States of America in the event of an aggression against that country.

In New York in September, 1950, the French, United Kingdom and United States Governments declared that they would treat any attack against the Federal Republic or Berlin from any quarter as an attack on themselves.In Lisbon, in February of this year, as I informed the House on 28th February, the North Atlantic Council agreed that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty would apply in the event of an attack upon any member of the European Defence Community. A Protocol in that sense will be signed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Powers when the European Defence Community Treaty has been signed and will become effective when that Treaty becomes effective.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, when considering the extent to which imports of fruit will be restricted during the remainder of this year, he will bear in mind the prospect there now is of a very satisfactory harvest of home-grown fruit, and ensure that the home grower is adequately protected.

Quotas for the import of most kinds of fresh fruit from Western Europe and certain other non-sterling countries during the second half of 1952 were announced on 15th April. On account of the balance of payments, imports in 1952 are being severely restricted as compared with 1951.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what number of staff is engaged on the compilation of the Census of Production and the Census of Distribution; and what is the annual cost of these two undertakings.

The number of staff employed on census work necessarily varies from year to year according to the scope of the censuses in hand. At the present time 503 staff are employed on work in connection with the Census of Production (215 on the 1951 census and the remainder on the preparation of reports on censuses for other years) and 508 on the Census of Distribution. As was explained in the reply given on 8th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Darwen (Mr. Fletcher-Cooke), a substantial reduction of staff will take place during the rest of the financial year.Work on the Census of Production costs at present approximately £215,000 a year. The total cost of the Census of Distribution will have amounted to about £710,000, which will have been spread over three and a half years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the special virulence of foot-and-mouth disease in certain areas, including North Staffordshire, he will temporarily reopen more slaughterhouses to avoid the total loss to the meat ration of many condemned though uninfected animals.

All animals slaughtered on account of foot-and-mouth disease are slaughtered on the infected premises and my right hon. and gallant Friend could not agree to any animals being moved from such premises to slaughterhouses. Whenever possible, the carcases of animals slaughtered on the farm and not infected are salvaged for human consumption.

asked the Minister 0f Agriculture what effect it is estimated that the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease will have upon meat and milk supplies.

My right hon. and gallant Friend estimates that the amount of meat lost in the past six months by the slaughter of animals is of the order of 2,000 tons or approximately 0.5 per cent. of home output during that period. He cannot give a quantitative estimate of the effect on milk supplies, but it will be slight.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what counties have suffered outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in the years 1938 to 1951, giving in each case the number of animals affected and slaughtered and the cost, and indicating the months of those years when the outbreaks occurred.

As the reply is lengthy, I will send my hon. Friend a statement, and will place a copy in the Library. A good deal of the information desired is contained in the reports of proceedings under the Diseases of Animals Acts which are published by my Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what special emergency measures are now operating to relieve the congestion in the marketing and disposal of livestock in disease-infected areas.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Deedes) on 8th May. No general emergency measures are in operation but special steps are taken, so far as practicable, to meet the particular circumstances of each infected or controlled area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will expedite his review of the rationing of feedingstuffs and the system of their allocation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Belper (Mr. G. Brown) on the 10th April.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will consider a scheme for assisting financially the development of marginal and semi-marginal land.

Various schemes are already in operation for assisting the development of marginal land. These include the Livestock Rearing Act, 1951, the hill cattle subsidy, the Marginal Production Scheme, and the assistance available to all farmers for field drainage, water supply, lime and phosphatic fertilisers as well as ploughing grants.

asked the Minister of Health the cost per head of National Health Service prescriptions for people in Sunderland for each of the years 1949 and 1950.

The approximate average cost per person on doctors' lists was 14s. 3½d. in 1949 and 17s. O½d in 1950.

asked the Minister of Health what was the average cost of prescriptions issued in the area of the Durham County Executive Council for 1948, 1949 and 1950: and the cost per person for whom doctors prescribe in the same years.

The average cost per prescription and the average cost per person for whom doctors prescribe are as follow:

asked the Minister of Health what were the total number of National Health Service prescriptions for people in Sunderland for each of the years 1949 and 1950.

1,009,244 and 1,130,073 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health the number of trainee assistants employed in general medical practice in 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951, respectively.

The numbers of trainee assistants employed in general medical practice at 31st March, 1949, 1950 and 1951, were: 119, 303 and 359, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has come to any decision on the scheme for linking

No. The necessary technical investigations have had to be continued over an extended period, and I have not yet received the report upon them.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will publish details of the receipts into and payments out of the Exchequer in the year ended 31st March, 1952, in respect of Other Debt, similar to those published on page 6 of the Financial Statement, 1951–52.

The required details are given in the following statement:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an estimate of what will be the increase during the financial year 1952–53 of foreign interest liability as a result of the increase in the Bank rate.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind our interest liability in respect of the sterling balances of countries overseas. This will depend on the level and composition of these balances during 1952–53 and on how far the rates of interest they earn are influenced by the changes in the Bank rate. None of these factors can be predicted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of revenue was raised respectively by McKenna duties (New Import Duties 1915), the Safeguarding of Industries Act, 1920, the Safeguarding duties imposed between 1925 and 1928, the Import Duties Act, 1932, the Ottawa Agreements Act, 1932, and the Beef and Veal duties, during the year ending 5th April, 1952.

The Mckenna duties and the Safeguarding during of 1925–28 are not now in force, having, in general, been superseded by duties under the Import Duties Act, 1932.The receipts of revenue during the financial year ended 31st March, 1952, from the duties imposed under the Import Duties Act, 1932, and the other enactments in question, were as follow: