asked the President of the Board of Trade the basis on which claims arising out of the German bonds referred to in the Distribution of German Enemy Property Act will be calculated.

The amount for which eligible claims arising out of any of these bonds will rank for dividend will be ascertained by multiplying the capital outstanding on 3rd September, 1939, by the figure specified against that bond in the second column of the Schedule to the Distribution of German Enemy Property (No. 2) Order, 1951. This method of calculation follows the recommendation of the Advisory Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to ensure that visitors to this country for the Coronation are well received and accommodated and will have the best facilities which can be provided.

I have informed the Chairman of the British Travel and Holidays Association that the Government look to the Association to take the lead in co-ordinating the various problems which will arise in connection with the accommodation and entertainment of overseas visitors to the Coronation. The Association will of course work in close co-operation with existing organisations; and I am confident that the hotel industry and private householders will play their full part in ensuring that visitors from the Commonwealth and elsewhere overseas are warmly welcomed and are suitably accommodated and entertained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the hardship caused to the manufacturers of pianos by the sudden closing of the markets in the Argentine, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia and the effect on the home market of the high Purchase Tax on pianos and the uncertainty of the future Purchase Tax position, he will make an early announcement of his intentions.

I am aware of the difficulties to which the hon. Member refers but have no statement to make on the subject of Purchase Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that there is a heavy crop of fruit in prospect, much of which will be, wasted through shortage of sugar to the canning industry; and whether he will release dollars in order that the crop may be processed and put into store as a reserve against the possibility of a crop shortage next year.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer to the answer given yesterday by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food to my hon. Friend the Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Renton); as regards the second part, my right hon. Friend regrets that our position does not permit the release of dollars for additional purchases of sugar.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the possibility and the desirability of making the financial year end on 31st December instead of on 31st March.

I do not think there is any need for a change in the dates of the financial year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the value of the building work at present under construction at Durham University; and the amount for the corresponding period last year.

The total estimated cost of the buildings under construction at Durham University in May, 1952, the latest date for which returns are available, was approximately £445,000; the amount for the corresponding date last year was approximately £585,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of science teachers and technologists at present engaged in teaching in Britain; how these figures compare with the 1939 figures; and what efforts he is making to increase the supply of such teachers.

I would point out that this answer relates only to teachers in institutions other than schools. Questions regarding teachers in schools are for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education.Of the full-time graduates teaching in grant-aided establishments of further education in England and Wales in 1951, 1,444 had degrees in mathematics or natural science and 776 in engineering or technology. There were also 37,500 part-time teachers, many of them with degrees in these subjects.In technical colleges in Scotland there are 158 full-time science teachers and 229 teachers of technology. No details are available about part-time teachers. In the universities of Great Britain there are approximately 3,100 teachers of science and technology.I am advised that generally speaking the present arrangements for the supply of these teachers appears to be satisfactory.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of officials employed in the United Kingdom in collecting Customs duties.

I am not quite clear as to the scope of this Question. The total staff of the Customs and Excise Department on 1st April, 1952, was 14,803. No separate figure of staff concerned with collection of Customs duties is avail- able since, within the Customs and Excise Department, there is no clear-cut segregation of Customs, Excise and Purchase Tax work or of staffs, who also carry out services for other Government Departments.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many horses were working on farms in England and Wales in 1938 compared with the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to ensure that enough horses are retained at work on the farms to prevent farming from being brought to a standstill in the event of a serious shortage of petrol.

The number of horses used for agricultural purposes in England and Wales was 562,000 in June, 1938 and 222,000 in December, 1951. My Department encourages the maintenance of a breeding stock of heavy horses by giving grants to societies travelling stallions, but it would be impracticable to ensure that enough horses were retained on farms to provide for every emergency.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware of the apprehensions of small farmers following the recent Farm Survey; and what special directions he has given to the county executive committees concerning the grading of small farms.

I am not aware of any apprehensions of small farmers, or, for that matter, any other farmers, about the Farm Survey; nor can I see any reason for them. The main purpose of the Survey, which has now been in operation for three years, is to discover those holdings where potential production is not being realised so that they can be given the advice and guidance of members of county and district committees and the advisory services. No special directions have been given to C.A.E.Cs. about the grading of small farms, but I have recently stressed to committees the importance of the Farm Survey in obtaining increased output and greater efficiency, and have suggested means of carrying it out more speedily and of making more effective use of it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what recommendations his Department has received from international bodies concerning the control of foot-and-mouth disease.

The most recent recommendations, which were made at a meeting in Paris in May (and of which I am sending a copy to the hon. Member) were directed to countries which control foot-and-mouth disease by means of vaccination or slaughter combined with vaccination, and were designed to improve the effectiveness of these methods. They do not apply to this country. Earlier recommendations have been in favour of a slaughter policy in countries where the disease is not endemic, and have advocated compulsory notification of the disease and various control measures all of which are already in operation in this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a further statement on the success of measures taken to deal with foot-and-mouth disease in the South-West of Scotland; and if he will state the number of cattle, sheep and pigs, respectively, slaughtered in each of the three counties since the recent outbreak of the disease.

The only part of South-West Scotland in which foot-and-mouth disease is now active is the Dumfries infected area, which includes a small part of Kirkudbright and Cumberland. There have been 42 outbreaks of disease in this area since 2nd June, and 46 in the whole of South-West Scotland, including the Dumfries area, since 13th May. My veterinary officers are confident that the situation in this area is under control though owing to delay in reporting existence of disease in one or two cases some further outbreaks must be expected.Since the present series of outbreaks began in South-West Scotland on 13th May, 3,272 cattle, 5,166 sheep and 1,027 pigs have been slaughtered in Dumfriesshire; 302 cattle, 201 sheep and 177 pigs in Kirkcudbrightshire; and 494 cattle, 562 sheep and 32 pigs in Wigtownshire.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) if he is satisfied that veterinary officers, and their subordinates, who are engaged in the slaughter policy concerned with foot-and-moth disease, and who can visit any farm at any time, and without notice, subject themselves and their vehicles to thorough disinfection and thus prevent any risk of spreading infection;(2) whether he will ensure that every person authorised by his Department to inspect farms, in areas where foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks have taken place, should bear some official pass so that occupiers of holdings may have some assurance that unauthorised persons do not have access to herds and other animals showing no symptoms of disease;(3) what precautions are taken when slaughterers are employed by a contractor to kill non-contact animals on a farm infected by foot-and-mouth disease to ensure that after the work is completed they do not carry infection elsewhere.

The Foot-and-Mouth Disease Order provides that any person (including a veterinary officer) entering any place in which a diseased or suspected animal is or has been recently kept, shall wear suitable overall clothing and boots which are capable of being disinfected, and shall, before leaving the place, thoroughly cleanse and disinfect the clothing and boots, and also his hands. This rule is scrupulously observed by my inspectors and they or the police supervise the disinfection of other persons, including slaughtermen who are brought onto farms infected with foot-and-mouth disease to slaughter any animals. The tools and tackle of slaughtermen are also disinfected. When visiting other farms in connection with foot-and-mouth disease duties, my inspectors wear protective clothing which is thoroughly disinfected both before going on to the farm and on leaving. As a further precaution, inspectors with duties on an infected place do not visit other farms, save in exceptional circumstances.The only vehicles allowed to go to an infected place are those which are essential in connection with slaughtering, and these are not allowed to leave until they have been disinfected under the supervision of a veterinary officer.All officers of my Department who inspect farms in connection with foot-and-mouth disease carry a certificate authorising them to inspect animals and poultry. Visits by officers for purposes other than the control of animal diseases are reduced to a minimum in infected areas.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why the Animal Health Division of his Department gave permission for Royal Air Force personnel to take part in exercises which required them to walk over grass fields and farm roads for long distances thereby adding to the risk of spreading foot-and-mouth disease in Huntingdonshire, which is a restricted area.

I presume that my hon. Friend is referring to a recent small-scale exercise held within a radius of 15 miles of Upwood airfield in Huntingdonshire. On the days in question Upwood aerodrome was 25 miles s outside the nearest infected area and 40 miles from the nearest infected farm. My veterinary officers did not consider that in the circumstances there was any appreciable risk of the exercises causing spread of disease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the net area of land acquired by the Forestry Commission since 30th September, 1951; and how much of the land acquired during this period is classified as plantable.

The total area acquired out of the Forestry Fund since 30th September, 1951, is 67,631 acres, of which 52,568 acres have been or will be, placed at the disposal of the Forestry Commissioners. Of this area 44,683 acres are classified as plantable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of forest fires which have occurred since 30th September, 1951; and how many have been caused by railways.

There have been 966 fires, of which 681 were caused by railways.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons, born in England, are in prison in this country, after having been convicted by courts in the Channel Islands.

Thirteen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of crimes accompanied by violence for which sentences were imposed during the year 1947 and the year 1951, respectively.

The numbers of persons found guilty in England and Wales of robbery, rape, and such offences of violence against the person as murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, wounding and indictable assaults were 2,717 in 1947 and 4,274 in 1951.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police constables have complete discretion when taking action in regard to unattended parked vehicles in the streets of London and must satisfy themselves that obstruction has arisen in each particular case, or to what extent instructions are given to them on certain days to take action in regard to all unattended vehicles in particular streets whether or not specific obstruction by such vehicles is being caused at the time.

The general instructions issued to Metropolitan police within which they have discretion to act, are that they must make every effort to reduce to a minimum the interference with traffic circulation caused by stationary vehicles; in doing so, they must have due regard to the traffic conditions prevailing and to the purpose and length of time for which vehicles are left waiting. If, through the presence of unattended vehicles, traffic conditions in particular thoroughfares became very bad, local instructions would be issued to pay special attention to those streets.

asked the Minister of Labour the national total of dockworkers unemployed at the latest convenient date and similar figures for London dockworkers, showing in each case the number of tally clerks unemployed.

The total number of registered dockworkers surplus to the requirements of the day on 1st July was 8,207, of whom 3,304 were on the London register. These figures include 405 and 170 tally clerks, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the concern felt by dockworkers at the increasing unemployment in their industry; and what action he proposes to take to bring about full employment in this industry.

As I informed the hon. Member on 22nd April, it is the responsibility of the National Dock Labour Board to adjust the numbers of registered dockworkers to meet normal requirements. I understand that the Board has ceased to recruit new dockworkers and have the situation under constant review.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his regulations allow the sale of Coronation souvenirs, by way of sample, to wholesalers before 1st January, 1953.

The restriction on the sale of Coronation souvenirs of a permanent character incorporating Royal emblems before 1st January, 1953, applies only to retail sales to the general public and there would be no objection to their sale by way of sample to wholesalers before that date.

asked the Minister of Health for an assurance that no liability exists, or will exist, under his regulations for a hospital officer to be surcharged in cases where the shilling charge for a prescription has been waived as the result of the exercise of the discretion of the hospital authority.

Hospital authorities have no power to waive these charges, and the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will issue to the citizens advice bureaux, for further distribution to voluntary bodies, the posters which give information as to the assistance available where hardship is caused by the payment of charges under the National Health Service.

A full note of the arrangements has already been sent to the National Council of Social Service for use in citizens advice bureaux and the same information is being given to other voluntary bodies. This will, I think, be more helpful than the posters which are not altogether adapted for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Education whether she is aware of the continued difficulty caused to both teachers and local education authorities by the imposition of Purchase Tax on educational equipment; and whether she has taken this matter into consideration in connection with her drive for economy in the education service.

I am well aware of the views of the authorities and teachers on this subject. As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the statement recently made by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary during the Committee stage of the Finance Bill.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities have notified her Department that they propose to stop providing school meals on Saturdays and during holidays in accordance with paragraph 15 of her Circular 250, 18th April, 1952.

Of the 91 local education authorities who have so far replied to Circular 250, 63 were not providing school meals on Saturdays or during holidays. Of the remainder two Authorities are proposing to discontinue school meals on Saturdays, and two are proposing to discontinue holiday meals.

asked the Minister of Education the percentage reduction in the estimates of the 94 local education authorities to whom she has written, as compared with the forecasts.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Return which I made to the Order of the House dated 22nd May last.

asked the Minister of Education whether she is now in a position to give authority to Newcastle-under-Lyme Education Committee to provide home tuition for Eileen Mitchell, 65, Heath Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

I have now received further information, including a specialist's report, from the Education Committee, and I am asking them to reconsider their decision not to give this girl home tuition.

asked the Minister of. Education how many places remained vacant in teacher training colleges at their opening in October, 1951; and how many are as yet unfilled for October, 1952.

In October, 1951, there were about 300 places vacant for women students and none for men. On 1st July this year there were 1,065 vacancies for women students and 378 for men.

asked the Minister of Education, in view of the distribution to organised parties of schoolchildren of propaganda leaflets, samples of which have been sent to her, if she will issue a circular to local education authorities calling their attention to the desirability of preventing the dissemination of such leaflets to organised parties of schoolchildren under their care.

I strongly disapprove of the distribution of political propaganda to organised parties of schoolchildren; but local education authorities are already well aware of my view that no part of the educational service should be used as a medium for the dissemination of political propaganda of any kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many acres of agricultural land in Scotland have been taken for housing, playing fields and kindred purposes since 1945; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of good land, as opposed to ground of small agricultural worth, included in this figure.

Between 1st January, 1945, and 30th June, 1952, approval was given for the use of 21,666 acres of agricultural land in Scotland for local authority housing and of 2,885 acres for industry. In addition, some 4,000 acres of land have been earmarked for urban development in the new towns of East Kilbride and Glenrothes. I regret that I am unable to say how much land has been taken for the other purposes referred to, but the area involved is relatively small. The greater part of the land taken for urban development is of good or fairly good quality.

asked the Secretary of State for War when a decision may be expected in respect of the application for compassionate release of Private Bartholomew whose case has been brought to his notice.

My hon. and learned Friend will now have received a letter about this case. A decision could not be given earlier owing to the need for full investigation of the grounds on which the application was made.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that district auditors are approving local authority expenditure on salaries which differentiates between recipients according to whether they are or are not members of a trade union; and if he will issue instructions that such differentiation should form the subject of a surcharge.

District auditors have no power to disallow expenditure on salaries except in so far as it is contrary to law. The decision whether or not to make a surcharge is one for the district auditor, and my right hon. Friend has no legal power to issue instructions such as my hon. Friend suggests.