asked the Minister of Supply what precautions he is taking to deal with any threat of sabotage at atomic research or re-armament industrial plants.

Our security measures include special precautions against sabotage.

asked the Minister of Supply how many new cars have been allocated to car hire firms by his Department for each of the years 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1951.

As I explained to the hon. Lady in reply to her Question on 23rd June, the Ministry of Supply does not allocate motor cars. It has, however, since 1948 supported from time to time requests for early deliveries to car-hire firms nominated by the British Travel and Holiday Association, where it can be shown that this will bring in foreign currency. In 1948, requests for 326 cars were supported in this way, in 1949, 210, in 1950, 942, and in 1951, 2,050.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether, in view of decreasing money values, it is proposed to raise the limit beyond which old age pensioners drawing supplementary allowances may earn wages for part-time work without affecting their supplementary pensions.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Bartley) on 12th May.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many persons in Bolton were in receipt of National Assistance on 1st January, 1952; and how many were in receipt of such assistance upon the latest available date.

The number of recipients of weekly allowances from the National Assistance Board's Bolton Office (which covers a wider area than the county borough) was 8,667 at 18th December, 1951, the nearest date to the 1st January, 1952, for which figures are available, and 9,326 at 27th May, 1952.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many persons in Bolton were in receipt of unemployment benefit on 1st January, 1952; and how many were in receipt of such benefit on the last available date.

Figures for 1st January, 1952, are not available. On 21st January, 557 persons were receiving unemployment benefit at Bolton Employment Exchange and Youth Employment Office and on 23rd June, 1952, the number was 8,851.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many refugees to the United Kingdom since 1945 are receiving National Assistance.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many persons have been prosecuted under the National Assistance Act for persistently neglecting to maintain themselves.

Seventy-nine persons, some of them on more than one occasion.

asked the Minister of Food what amount, per head of population, is involved by increases in prices of unrationed foods since last October.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. and gallant Friend gave to the hon. Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mrs. Mann) on 25th June.

asked the Minister of Food for details of his calculation, showing that the increases in prices of unrationed foods average 1s. 6d. per head.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and gallant Friend to the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd) on 23rd June. The estmate of 1s. 6d. per head per week covers increases in prices of subsidised foods, both rationed and unrationed.

asked the Minister of Food how many protests he has received from the Housewives' League about increases in food prices: and what replies he has made.

Five. Four replies explained the reasons for increases: the fifth pointed out that there had been a reduction in the item referred to.

asked the Minister of Food what conditions are imposed on the holders of a catering licence under that licence; and to what extent an obligation exists under the licence to serve any customer while the establishment is open and food is available.

It is a general condition that control over the business must not be exercised by a person who has had a food licence revoked. Special conditions apply in certain cases—for instance to schools, canteens and clubs—but licences do not place an obligation on a caterer to serve any customer. I am advised that my right hon. Friend has no power to impose such an obligation.

asked the Minister of Food what action it is proposed to take regarding the decision of the Food and Agriculture Organisation about a world food reserve.

A proposal to establish an Emergency Food Reserve for use in the relief of famine has recently been considered by the Council of the Food and Agricultural Organisation. The problems involved are to be examined by a body of experts set up by the Organisation and we must await their report.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that since the recent increases in the price of meat many persons are unable to afford to take their rations; and what action he is taking to remedy this.

No. My right hon. and gallant Friend has no evidence that the public are not buying their meat ration at the new prices.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will so rearrange the present sugar ration so that a bonus will be available at the time that soft fruit comes on the market.

My right hon. and gallant Friend has already provided for two bonuses during the soft fruit season—in May and July, respectively. I doubt whether a further bonus at the expense of the ration would be generally welcomed.

asked the Minister of Food why he has issued to food offices new advice and instructions regarding the issue of ration books; and what arrangements are being made to replace the safeguards provided by the use of national identity cards.

Apart from arrangements for the annual issue of new ration books, the only recent instructions have related to the evidence required instead of identity cards or of travel documents from the Republic of Ireland. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the safeguards employed.

asked the Minister of Food why the egg allocation in Ilford for the last period amounted to one egg per book only per week; and why an improved allocation cannot be made during the summer months.

Egg production, and in consequence the allocation rate, dwindles once the spring is past. In general, allocations are even throughout the country but in any given week they may vary somewhat from district to district. If my hon. Friend will give me further details, I will look into the position in Ilford.

asked the Minister of Food the provisions regarding compensation to retailers allocated unclean dried fruit.

The retailer claims on his wholesaler whose claim, through his supplier, is dealt with by the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Food whether, as the preparatory work on the proposed new foods and drugs legislation has been completed, he can now state when he proposes to introduce amending legislation.

A Bill to amend the Food and Drugs Acts will be introduced when Parliamentary business permits.

asked the Minister of Transport when the investigation into the Gillingham bus accident by the Standing Committee on Road Safety is to be published.

I hope that the report of the Committee on Road Safety on the Gillingham bus accident will be published in a few days.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take to make good to the British Transport Commission the reduction in railway passenger revenues arising from his intervention in railway passenger fare charges.

I do not consider it necessary to take any steps to make good this reduction in railway revenue.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps are taken to see that the regulations regarding silencers on motor cycles are being carried out.

I have been asked to reply.The responsibility for enforcing the regulations governing this matter rests with individual chief officers of police and I am satisfied that within the limits of the available police manpower they do what they can to secure observance of the regulations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the average exports of coke, excluding manufactured fuel and metallurgical coke, to Denmark for the combined years 1937 to 1939, inclusive, as compared with the years 1949 to 1951, inclusive.

Exports of metallurgical coke are not recorded separately in the trade returns. United Kingdom exports of coke of all kinds (including breeze) to Denmark in 1937 to 1939 averaged 993,000 tons, valued at £1,385,000 a year, and were 941,000 tons, value £4,214,000 in 1949, 1,043,000 tons, value £4,215.000 in 1950 and 296.000 tons, value £1,001,000 in 1951. These figures exclude manufactured fuel. The pre-war average includes exports to the Faroe Islands which at that time were included with Denmark in the trade returns. Trade with the Faroe Islands is now recorded separately and exports of coke to them were 1,622 tons, value £8,582, in 1949, 2,863 tons, value £13,803 in 1950 and 2,226 tons, value £12,569, in 1951.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the authorities in Denmark are constructing coke ovens which they intend to operate with coking coal from Poland to the detriment of the exports of coke from this country; and if he will make representations to the Danish authorities to forgo this proposal in the interests of future reciprocal trade and friendship between this country and Denmark.

The only new coke oven of which we are aware is the one at Aarhus. The plant was supplied by a United Kingdom firm; and, whatever the source from which the operators will buy their coking coal, we see no grounds on which we could properly intervene with the Danish authorities as regards the construction of coke ovens in Denmark.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now review the quantities of tomatoes permitted to be imported into the United Kingdom during the period of suspension of open general licence, since imports of Dutch tomatoes last month were more than treble the quantity for May, 1951, and Clyde Valley growers are now selling in Glasgow at prices equal to or below their production cost.

The quantities of tomatoes permitted to be imported during the period of suspension of the open general licence are constantly under review, and changes will be made promptly should circumstances warrant it. The Dutch authorities have taken steps, which will become effective as from today, to restrict exports of tomatoes to the United Kingdom during the present period of heavy supplies of home grown tomatoes.

asked the Secretary for Overseas Trade, as representing the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what is the annual cost for care and maintenance of the Magnesium Elektron Factory at Lowerhouse, Burnley; how many persons are employed on this work; and what amounts have been paid annually since 1944 to the firm which managed the factory on an agency basis during its productive period from 1943 to 1944.

Actual expenditure on care and maintenance of the Ministry's magnesium factory at Lowerhouse during the financial year 1951-52 was £43,365. The current estimates provide for £50,000 for this work. The average number of directly employed persons on this work is 65. During the period December, 1944-November, 1946, the fee paid to the firm which previously managed the factory on an agency basis was £1,200 per annum. Since then the firm has not been employed on the care and maintenance of the factory and has therefore received no fee.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence the annual amount it would cost to raise the retired pay of all officers of the Armed Forces who retired before 1st September, 1950, to the rates applicable to officers who retired after that date and which were published in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Appendix I to Command Paper 8323, 1st July, 1951.

About £2,100,000.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will introduce this autumn the revised conditions of entry for the General Certificate Examination, including a distinction mark at the advanced level.

I am anxious that the more flexible arrangements should take effect at the first suitable opportunity, but in the light of advice recently given me by the Secondary School Examinations Council I have concluded that the balance of educational advantage is against making an abrupt change on the occasion of an autumn or winter examination which has generally been regarded as supplementary to the main examination in the summer. I have therefore decided that no change should be made in the published arrangements for this year, but that the new conditions should be introduced for next summer's examination.As regards the award of distinctions, the Council have pointed out that, since for practical purposes there are no advanced level examinations in the autumn, the change could have general value only in relation to the summer examinations, which for this year have already begun. I have decided, therefore, that this change also should be made next summer.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will advise all hospitals to exempt from payment of any prescription charge all out-patients who are in receipt of National Assistance benefit or are suffering from a war disability to avoid the hardship that may be caused by insisting on initial payment with a right of reimbursement.

No initial payment is contemplated in these hospital cases on production of the appropriate evidence and hospital authorities have so been advised.

asked the Minister of Health how many children were immunised against diphtheria in 1950 and in 1951.

517,436 and 589,349, respectively.

asked the Minister of Health the date of the introduction of boosting operations for diphtheria immunisation.

Boosting operations under the scheme of mass immunisation which started in 1941 began about 1945.

asked the Minister of Health in what year immunisation of children under one year of age started.

Mass immunisation against diphtheria of children under fifteen started in 1941 in England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of diphtheria and deaths from that disease have been recorded in 1950 and 1951 in persons of 15 years of age and over.

In 1950—299 cases and 14 deaths; in 1951—173 cases and nine deaths. These figures relate to England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of poliomyelitis in children and in adults were recorded in 1950.

In children aged less than five years—2,688 cases; in children aged between five and 15 years—2,636 cases; in adults aged 15 years and over—2,397 cases. In addition, there were 39 cases for which no age was reported. The figures relate to cases notified in England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that the ambulance cover at Redhill is adequate, in view of the transfer of the ambulance station from Redhill Hospital to Smallfield.

I have no evidence that this change has resulted in Redhill being without proper cover, but I understand that the local health authority consider that the arrangements for emergency calls (which have continued to be dealt with by a station in the borough) require to be improved and they have arranged for improvements to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees have entered the United Kingdom since 1945; and what are their nationalities.

In the period between the end of the war and 31st March of this year 302,396 foreigners who can be regarded as refugees either entered the United Kingdom or, having entered the United Kingdom during the war, were allowed to remain here. Well over 80,000 of these foreigners have, however, returned to their own countries or emigrated to some other country.The following figures show the nationalities of the bulk of those admitted:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the complete list of all licensing districts in which an extension of permitted hours to 10.30 p.m. has been granted on weekdays, either for the whole year or a lesser period, indicating where such extensions were newly granted at the last annual licensing meeting.

I am sending my hon. Friend the information for which he asks.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many thefts of mail bags have occurred since 1st November, 1951, to date; and what is the total estimated amount of money involved in these thefts.

Out of roughly 250 million mail bags in transit from the 1st November, 1951, to date, some 370 are recorded as missing. The estimated total loss of money during this period is about £25,000 over and above the loss of £236,750 in the recent mail van robbery.

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation whether he will arrange for the checking and overhaul of aeroplanes at Northolt to be carried out before midnight, as the constant noise after that hour is proving a nuisance to those living in the vicinity.

It is necessary to carry out some aircraft engine running at night in order to have aircraft serviceable for operations the following morning. The operators have been asked to keep such engine running to a minimum.