asked the Minister of Works if he can make any further statement with regard to the financial results achieved by the Festival Gardens at Battersea to date; and whether he proposes to take any specific action to encourage greater attendance.

No, it is too early to assess the financial results. I have confidence in the Board of Festival Gardens, Ltd., and am satisfied that they are doing everything possible to attract the public to the Gardens.

asked (1) the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number and approximate value of applications received, and granted, by his Department, by regions, for permission

I have been asked to reply to the hon. Member's first Question. No applications were received or granted in the period for extensions to clay roofing tile yards. One application was received and granted for a licence for an extension to the value of £3,000 for a concrete roofing tile yard in the Southern Region.The following table gives the applications received and licences issued for brickyards in the period 1st January to 31st May, 1952.

asked the Minister of Labour what percentage of young people, placed in employment by the Youth Employment Service during the past period for which figures are available, were placed in agriculture; and what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that as many people as possible take up farming as a career.

1·7 per cent. of the total placings made by the Youth Employment Service in 1951 and the first four months of this year were in agriculture and horticulture; 5·1 per cent. of the total of young people entering insurable employment in the same period went into these industries. Information about opportunities in agriculture and the training facilities available is given to all suitable young people by the Youth Employment Service, and particulars of openings known to the Service are brought to their notice.

asked the Minister of Labour how far he has evidence of any unemployment among building labourers and apprentices in or near Glasgow; and what is the cause when building demands are high.

On 12th May, 1952, there were registered at 16 employment exchanges in and around Glasgow 1,152 labourers whose last employment was in building or civil engineering. Only about 20 per cent. of these were regular building trade workers; the remainder have had short spells of employment on building work and are available for any kind of general labouring work. The demand for building labourers is at present not very high but the numbers unemployed have recently been falling and are less than half what they were three months previously. I have no evidence of any unemployment amongst apprentices.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases the sites allocated for schools by Glasgow Corporation have been below the minimum standard recommended by the Scottish Education Department.

For the last five years nearly all the sites allocated for primary and secondary schools in Glasgow have been below the standard recommended.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can now state what specific arrangements he is making for the further development of technical education.

Important extensions have been completed at the Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh, and Robert Gordon's Technical College, Aberdeen. An extension to the Dundee Technical College is due to be completed in time for next session. A very large extension of the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, is now proceeding and a further extension of the Heriot-Watt College has just commenced. Plans are now being prepared for an extension of Paisley Technical College.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure incurred in 1951 on school buildings as a result of dry-rot.

From the information available to me, I estimate that the expenditure was at least £150,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions the total number of wholly disabled ex-Service men in Scotland; bow many of these have been provided with cars; and how many complaints he has received in the past 12 months concerning the efficiency of these cars.

About 4,500 ex-Service men in Scotland are receiving pensions from my Department at the total disablement rate. Of these 178 have been supplied with motor cars, 74 with all-weather motor tricycles and 40 with other types of motor tricycles.As regards the last part of the Question, I regret that I am unable to state the number of complaints because no record of this sort is maintained.

asked the Minister of Pensions if he will consider the possibility of supplying to wholly disabled ex-Service men cars in which a second seat is provided.

I have considered such a possibility in relation to invalid motor tricycles, to which I assume the hon. Member refers, but in present circumstances, and bearing in mind the technical and other difficulties, I can hold out no hope of supplying an invalid tricycle with two seats.

asked the Minister of Pensions whether he will consider the granting of a special allowance related, but additional, to the disability pension paid in accordance to the table of assessments for specific injuries to the limbless survivors of the 1914–18 war.

Existing medical advice provides me with no ground for discriminating in this way between the limbless and other classes of war pensioner. However, as I said in my reply to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Merton and Morden (Captain Ryder) on 20th May, I will gladly look into any individual case in which it is felt that a limbless pensioner is suffering a greater degree of war disablement than that reflected by his pension assessment.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will reconsider the claim of Mr. W. Jones of 57, Anson Road, West Bromwich, for an exemption from his Z Reserve training, in view of his experiences in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp.

My right hon. Friend has nothing to add to his letter of 18th June about this case.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the special campaign pensions, previously awarded to veterans of the South African and previous wars, and reduced or cut by the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, because of other State provision for old age, may be restored.

No. These special campaign pensions are compassionate awards payable if the recipient is in need. The award is, therefore, adjusted if his circumstances change.

asked the Secretary of State for War what classes of aliens resident in Great Britain are eligible, under his regulations, for enrolment in the Home Guard and what are the regulations governing their enrolment; how far it will be possible to enrol them in groups based on nationality; what special training they are to be given for military duties, either in this country or overseas; and how they are to be officered.

An alien is eligible for enrolment into the Home Guard provided that he first came to the United Kingdom more than three years before the date of his application for enrolment and that his stay is not subject to a time limit. The detailed conditions are contained in Regulations for the Home Guard, 1952, paragraph 62, as modified by the amendments which were laid before the House yesterday.Since the Home Guard is a force for local defence in the area of the individual's home, it is not practicable to enrol aliens in units based on nationality, and they will enrol like others in their local battalion and receive normal training for home defence. There will, therefore, be no special arrangements as regards officers.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the most recent date upon which he received representations from the Plymouth City Council upon the queston of building a war memorial on Plymouth Hoe.

My right hon. Friend has received no representations on this matter from the Plymouth City Council.

asked the Secretary of State for War how far the 47 acres of Plymouth Hoe, acquired by the Crown in 1671, still serve any serious military purpose; and whether the Government will consider presenting the land to the Plymouth City Council as a tribute to the special part played by the City of Plymouth during the late war and as part compensation for the failure of the War Office to restore other properties within the city boundaries now owned by the War Office.

Some 19 acres are occupied by the Army and are currently in use. The remaining 28 acres were leased to the Plymouth Corporation in 1886 for 99 years, subject to the right of the War Department to resume occupation for military purposes.The present arrangement seems the most suitable way of making the area available to the public and at the same time safeguarding military needs. Moreover, as my right hon. Friend stated in his reply to a Question on 24th June, this land is vested in the Commissioners of Crown Lands, to whom it would revert if the War Department interest were to be terminated.

Beach asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that a considerable amount of Bailey bridge equipment formerly used for the South Bank Festival has been unused for a considerable time; and whether he will allocate it for sites of bridges still not reconstructed which were demolished by enemy action in the war.

This Bailey bridge equipment is to be removed next month, but will still be needed by the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he has now examined the possibility of extending the grounds on which compassionate home leave may be granted from the Middle East, when surplus air space is available; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have, however, decided that a scheme on these lines would be unworkable. The essence of the compassionate leave scheme is that, where a case is approved, my Department undertakes to get the man home as quickly as the circumstances demand. To depart from this principle by an extension of the scheme dependent on the availability of surplus air space would present obvious difficulties. Moreover, every effort is made in air movement planning to make full use of the aircraft and there is rarely surplus space unless something altogether unforeseen occurs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the recent increased imports of fruit pulp authorised by his Department are being used by processers in an attempt to compel home fruit-growers to accept uneconomic prices; and whether, in view of the altered circumstances, he will now cancel the recent increase in imported pulp and forthwith ban all imports of pulp until the home crop is absorbed by processers.

The answer to both parts of the Question is No. These imports will be restricted on account of our balance of payments, but it would not be right to use import licensing powers to ban imports for the purpose suggested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he consulted the Minister of Agriculture before granting permits for increased quantities of strawberries and fruit pulp to be imported this season.

The Board of Trade consulted the Ministry of Agriculture about the total permitted imports of strawberries for the period from June to December, 1952, in order to make sure that the total was not so large as to require special seasonal restrictions such as were in force during June and July, 1951. We did not consult the Ministry about the additional licences for imports of fruit pulp for the period ending 30th June, 1952, since these imports were being restricted on account of our balance of payments and the total licences issued, including the additional licences, were less in value than in the corresponding period of the previous year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the Monopolies Commission's report on insulated electric wires and cables will be published; and if he will make a statement about the report.

The Report was published today. The Commission have found that about three-quarters of the whole supply of these goods is accounted for by the members of two Associations —the Cable Makers' Association and the Covered Conductors' Association—who operate arrangements restricting competition in the industry.In the case of certain types of cable there is virtually no independent production. The member firms agree together on the types and qualities of cable to be manufactured, and on common manufacturers' prices and conditions of sale. There are also "sales quota" arrangements; and there is some central "allocation" of orders.As regards the distribution of certain types of cable, there are special terms for buyers who undertake to deal exclusively with Association firms; only exclusive buyers are given wholesale terms; and other special inducements to buyers include aggregated quantity rebates and rebates to certain dealers' associations.The Commission consider that, although the production of first quality cable is by no means confined to Association companies, the Cable Makers' Association has played a predominant part in establishing the reputation and the export trade of the British industry. The high standard of quality control has been of great benefit; and the requirement (found to have been reasonably administered) whereby Association members must submit new designs and types for approval is recognised as a necessary concomitant.Other features of the Commission's conclusions are:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now able to state the progress made in the selection of certain technical colleges for university status.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the statement which I made in reply to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. G. Longden) on 11th June. I cannot add to that statement at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any further statement to make about the official negotiations with India on double taxation relief.

I regret that I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend's Question on this subject on 27th May.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the military and administrative expenditure carried under items A6 (a) and (b) of Table I of Command Paper No. 8379 was spent in Germany in 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 and the first quarter of 1952, respectively.

The amount under Item A6 (a) was negligible in 1946 and about £100,000 in 1947; for 1948–51 the amount was the same as under the like Item in Cmd. 8505, which, as the hon. Member was informed on 17th June, was about £100,000 in each year. The amount under Item A6 (b) of Cmd. 8379 and 8505 was about £100,000 in 1950 and 1951 and negligible in the other years.As regards the first quarter of 1952, it is not the practice to issue such information in advance of the publication of the Balance of Payments White Papers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what are the intentions of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the further development of the new town of Basildon.

To carry on with the development of the new town.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what special steps he proposes to take in the case of the Chorley Borough Council, where the waiting list of unsatisfied applicants for houses is increasing at a greater rate than elsewhere.

My right hon. Friend's information does not support the statement that the borough council's waiting list is lengthening. His regional officers will continue to help the council all they can to expand the local housing programme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that the present financial arrangements for housing in respect of travel and subsistence allowances have the effect of withdrawing building labour from those areas where housing is most urgently required; and what action he is taking to remedy this state of affairs.

Additional payment to contractors for such expenditure is made only exceptionally where, for reasons of national importance, houses must be added to the local housing programme in an area where labour is already scarce and, if labour were not imported to build them the local housing programme would be prejudiced.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government under what considerations licences for the conversion of large houses into flats, providing valuable additional accommodation, are issued on a temporary basis for 10 years only.

I am not aware of the condition to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, but if he will send me details of any particular case I will look into it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if his attention was drawn to the lack of shopping facilities at Newton Aycliffe during his recent visit to that area and when adequate facilities will ensue.

The present position should be relieved in September, when 11 permanent shops will be opened in addition to the existing two temporary shops. My right hon. Friend has no doubt that the Development Corporation will do their best to ensure that the provision of shops matches the provision of houses.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what progress is being made with the Pennine Way and the Thames riverside footpath.

The local authorities concerned are now negotiating the new rights of way needed to complete the Pennine Way.To repair and complete the Thames riverside walk would, my right hon. Friend is afraid, cost a lot of money. An estimate has been got out and the National Parks Commission are, he understands, considering this; but it may be that they will conclude that action must be deferred.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what limit has been placed on the authorised, expenditure of the Norfolk County Council under the Private Street Works Acts in the making up of unadopted streets within the county of Norfolk during the next two financial years.

There is no fixed limit; but my right hon. Friend is compelled to ask all local authorities to keep their submissions to a minimum for the time being.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, to what extent Her Majesty's Government now has jurisdiction over the Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust, under which ex-Service men of the 1914–18 war occupy trust cottages in the Republic of Ireland; to what extent they have entered into any agreement with the Government of the Republic of Ireland about this trust; and what are the terms of such agreement.

The Irish Sailors and Soldiers Land Trust is a United Kingdom body, one of the Trustees being appointed by the Irish Republican Government; the procedure of the Trust is governed by Treasury Regulations. The Trust has made proposals for selling cottages to qualified tenants and devoting the proceeds to building new cottages, and after discussion with the Irish Republican Government it has been agreed that the Trust should be given the powers necessary to undertake such a scheme. This involves legislation here, and as the hon. and learned Member may be aware, a Bill has accordingly been introduced in another place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has considered the change which has been brought about by recent legislation in the status of citizens in any part of the British Commonwealth, especially those in Great Britain and the Colonies, whereby a citizen of Great Britain and the Colonies cannot be deemed a prohibited immigrant even when designated an undesirable person; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that all such persons are everywhere treated as citizens of Great Britain and the Colonies.

The hon. Member presumably has in mind the British Nationality Act, 1948, which created the status of citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies. I am advised that such citizens, like all other British subjects, must comply with the requirements of the local immigration laws on entering a colonial territory, and that the Act does not in this respect vary the previous position.The British Nationality Act does not give immunity to any person from being considered a prohibited immigrant under local immigration laws.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion, per cent., Civil Service pensions were of the estimated total national income for each of the financial years 1938–39, 1944–45 and 1951–52; and what is the corresponding estimated figure for the current financial year.

About one-fifth of 1 per cent. in each of the years mentioned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants serving in Scotland, in Departments other than the Scottish Departments, have been discharged during 1952.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in how many Colonies in the West Indies has the Governor, as President of the Legislative Council, an original vote and a casting vote in addition to his powers of veto; and why the present Governor of Trinidad has been given these votes.

None. The second part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proportion tea forms, in volume and in value, of the exports from Nyasaland.

The following table gives the answer:

This information is not available centrally and I am afraid that it could be obtained only at the cost of a disproportionate amount of work.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the priority given to services connected with enemy mines, he will expedite delivery of training equipment to the Royal Naval Mine Watching Service; and, in particular, meet the deficiencies in the Tyne area.

A limited amount of training equipment is available and in use in commands. All practicable steps are being taken to ensure the early delivery of more of this equipment, and I am hopeful that it will not be long before further issues can be made.