asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will take steps to increase considerably the proportion of teachers on the various governing bodies of the colleges engaged in the training of teachers.

This matter has been noted for favourable consideration when new regulations to amend and consolidate the regulations for the training of teachers are prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why £245,000 is spent out of public funds to promote the sale of herrings.

The bulk of the provision referred to is in respect of the cost of converting herring to oil and meal, and only £50,000 is provided to assist the Herring Industry Board in promoting the sale of herring and kippers. The central problem of the herring industry is one of markets, and grants for sales promotion have been authorised by the Herring Industry Acts ever since 1935.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for improving the proportion of farmers who can farm their holdings efficiently.

The three agricultural colleges in Scotland provide a highly efficient advisory service free of charge, to any farmer who feels in need of advice on his farming problems. We hope to raise the general standard of farming efficiency by means of this advisory service, and the various forms of assistance that are given to farmers by way of State grants. The dispossession, in the last resort, of the persistently bad farmer will also help to achieve this aim.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give further details of the warning notices that are to be served on inefficient farmers in Scotland.

A warning notice served on an inefficient farmer in accordance with the provisions of section 27 of the Agricultural (Scotland) Act, 1948, specifies in detail the grounds on which he is not fulfilling his responsibilities to farm the holding in accordance with the rules of good husbandry as laid down in Sixth Schedule to the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will take steps to extend statutory protection to owner occupiers who want to engage in rehabilitation schemes by allowing loans from the Land Improvement Company to be second instead of first charged.

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture who is also concerned in this matter. We are in agreement that the change proposed would not be desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new schools have been started this year in Scotland how many have been completed which were started prior to November, 1951 and what is the total number of place provided by such completed schools.

The latest date to which statistics are available is 30th September Twenty-two schools had at that date been begun this year. Nine which were begun before November, 1951, have been completed and have provided 3,320 places.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional school places he expects to provide in schools begun this year; and how far this provision will keep pace with the number of places required.

About 16,400. The average number of places to be provided each year from 1953 to 1956 is, however expected to be about 25,000. We believe this will meet the demand arising in the years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have now responded to his circular calling for economies in educational expenditure; and what is the estimated total saving expressed as a percentage of total education expenditure.

All education authorities have now indicated what action they propose to take in response to the economy circular. Their estimated savings amount to approximately 0.7 per cent. of their estimated expenditure on education.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with local authorities concerning their detailed education estimates; how many authorities have not made any economies in their expenditure; and what suggestions he has made to such authorities.

I have not yet had any discussions with education authorities about their detailed estimates, which are now being considered. Two education authorities did not propose any economies. Suggestions for economies will be made to them, if necessary, when their detailed estimates have been examined.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local educational authorities have reduced their estimated expenditure on administrative costs in response to his economy circular; and what is the total amount of such saving.

Five authorities have so reduced their expenditure by a total amount of 1,800.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is yet in a position to make an announcement on the appointment of a new chairman for the Glenrothes Development Corporation.

I am glad to say that Sir Garnet Wilson, a former Lord Provost of Dundee, has accepted an invitation to take over the Chairmanship of the Glenrothes Development Corporation.

asked the Assistant Postmaster General the limits of construction work authorised for providing telephone service to farmers in Scotland.

Normally the limit is about half a mile of new pole construction, provided sufficient engineering labour is available. This limit may be waived in individual cases on the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture. This limit applies to Post Office construction and not, of course, to construction by farmers under the self-help scheme, announced by my noble Friend in another place on Thursday, 26th June, 1952.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he has taken to ascertain the number of cases where headstones supplied by the War Graves Commission have been left lying in cemeteries throughout the country for periods up to 15 months or more without being erected; and in how many such cases the inscribed stones have had to be returned to the Commission because relatives have lost patience and provided their own headstones for the graves.

I have ascertained from the Commission that it is very rare for a headstone to be left unerected for so long as 15 months and I do not feel justified in suggesting a special inquiry to determine actual numbers. The particular case about which the hon. Member has written to me arose out of a special difficulty and steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement on the agreement reached at the Tripartite Military Conference in Quebec with special reference to any decision arrived at for the standardisation of small arms ammunition.

I would refer the right hon. Member to my reply to a Question on this subject by the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis), on 19th November.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many National Service men have now passed into the Territorial Army.

Up to 30th September this year the total was 118,324 in the Territorial Army and 66,600 in the Army Emergency Reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give an assurance that Territorial units sending contingents for Coronation duties will include officers as well as other ranks.

In the case of all R.A.C. and infantry units of the Territorial Army I can give this assurance. There are, however, very numerous units of varying size which form part of the corps and services. In this case I cannot undertake that every individual unit will be represented by an officer as well as by other ranks.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the price of Army socks to serving soldiers in the Canal Zone has risen from 3s. 9d. per pair to 7s. 5d. per pair; that this increase is causing resentment, as five pairs of Army grey socks, warm woollen mixture, are obtainable at 9s. 11d. in England; and if he will make inquiries about this matter.

I have looked into this matter. There was a sharp rise in the price of socks early this year, but I do not think that this has caused hardship to the soldier. His clothing allowance for 1952 was fixed on the price of socks at April last, i.e., 7s. 5d. a pair and no reduction is made in the allowance because of any subsequent drop in cost.Clothing allowance is reviewed annually in April and any change in the cost of socks is reflected in the allowance then fixed, and the price on which the allowance is calculated is charged to the soldier throughout that year. There is likely to be a marked fall in the price fixed for socks in 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for War what proportion of Army personnel who are qualified as electors are entered on the electoral register.

93.5 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the estimated cost of civilians in his Department has increased from £45,610,000 in 1951–52 to £50,300,000 in 1952–53; and what relation these sums bear to the fighting personnel of the Army.

The figure for 1952–53 is not £50,300,000, as quoted by my hon. Friend, but £48½ million; this gives an increase of £2,890,000 for the later year. This increase is accounted for by increases in pay. The number of civilians employed is lower this year than last. As regards the military strengths to which this figure is related, details are given in Vote A on page 8 of Army Estimates 1952–53.

asked the Secretary of State for War why it is necessary to spend £29,300,000, or £6,530,000 more than last year's figures, on moving troops and stores.

The activities on which the money is spent are set out in some detail in the explanatory notes to Army Estimates 1952–53, pages 111 to 115. The greater part of the increase is for movement of stores by sea and arises both from the movement of increased tonnage and from higher rates. Rail and hired road transport rates and dock charges have all increased since the previous year.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that discharges from the Army for stomach ulceration between August 1914, and the end of 1915 were only 709 whilst in a comparable period in the Second World War they amounted to 23,574; and what inquiries are being undertaken, in conjunction with the civil health authorities, to ascertain the reason for this increase and to set on foot researches directed to some remedial action.

I am aware of these figures, but the incidence of this disease in the Army is lower than in the civil population. The Army medical authorities carefully watch the trend and keep in very close touch with all research work going on in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent potato requirements of the British Army of the Rhine are being met by purchases of the substantial surplus of home grown ware potatoes of the 1951 crop and from foreign sources, respectively.

The surplus of the 1951 crop grown in this country was all cleared by July of this year and there is no substantial quantity available for the British Army of the Rhine supply.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total staff of his Department employed at Greener House, Haymarket; and what are their duties.

The premises are used by the War Office Staff Training Branch. The instructional and clerical staff number 19. The staff of the branch run courses of instruction for civilian and military staff of the War Office and for civilian staff from outstations. In addition, they are responsible for the supervision of civilian training in outstations.

asked the Secretary of State for War why 38,270 persons are employed at a cost of £12,400,000 as workmen in Royal Army Ordnance Corps establishments in this country.

These civilian employees, together with the officers and other ranks of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, are employed in the receipt, storage, maintenance, repair and issue of Army equipment in central and command Ordnance depots and ammunition depots in this country. There is at the present time a heavy load under the Army's re-armament programme.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men who joined the Home Guard in the first three months of its formation have subsequently retired.

Returns for these months only showed variations in total strength, so these figures are not available.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now introduce legislation to restore to the universities their Parliamentary representation.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for West Ham. North (Mr. Lewis) on 19th November.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how the staff of 816 in his regional organisation compares with the staff in 1938–39.

The Board of Trade had no regional organisation before the war.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what explanation he has to give of the sudden and acute shortage of nylon stockings in this country.

The average weekly deliveries of nylon stockings to the home market last month were 11 per cent. less than in the second quarter of this year, when supplies were plentiful. The decrease was accounted for by a welcome recovery in exports which must continue to have first call on our production.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken during 1952, and what steps he will take in 1953, in order substantially to reduce the costs of his Department; and if he will take steps to stop all trading activities.

All practicable steps to reduce the costs of the Department have been and will be taken. For example, Utility schemes have been abolished, price controls reduced, census of distribution work deferred and many administrative economies effected. Notwithstanding extra work which has had to be undertaken, we expect a staff saving of about 1,000 out of 8,300 in the current year.The Board of Trade are not now engaged in any trading activities.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will refer the international oil agreements of British oil companies to the Monopolies Commission for the specific purpose of investigating information which Her Majesty's Government consider contrary to international courtesy to produce to the United States Department of Justice.

No. I would point out that under the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948, a reference to the Monopolies Commission which sought information about the affairs of the companies marketing oil in this country would have to be limited to the supply and processing of oil products in the United Kingdom and exports of oil products from the United Kingdom.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans his Department have drawn up for building Government-sponsored factories in the new North-East Lancashire Development Area or in other scheduled Development Areas of Lancashire, including West-houghton, which are desperately in need of a wider range of industry.

We wish to secure new industries for the proposed Development Area in North-East Lancashire and some preliminary inquiries have already been received. We shall continue to do our utmost to attract suitable projects to this area and to the other Development Areas. When the Order has been made adding the new area to the Schedule, we shall have the power to build Government financed factories.If suitable applications are made by industrialists for such factories to be provided either in North-East Lancashire or in any of the Development Areas where additional employment is much needed, we shall consider them sympathetically on their merits. North-Western Industrial Estates, Limited, will act as agents of the Board of Trade in the proposed new area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent official proposals have been made to Brazil with the purpose of securing a settlement of that country's indebtedness to British exporters.

As my right hon. Friend has already explained to the House in answer to Questions on 13th November, the difficult situation which has been reached in Anglo-Brazilian trade is causing Her Majesty's Government considerable anxiety and is engaging our constant attention. No official proposals have been submitted to the Government of Brazil, but there have been discussions between Her Majesty's Ambassador in Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Minister of Finance on this difficult problem. I am not, however, in a position to make any further statement at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement arising out of the recent discussions between the United Kingdom delegation and the other contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade at their seventh Session.

A comprehensive account of the principal items of the recent Session was contained in the Board of Trade Journal of 15th November.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to develop employment in the Development Area of Lanarkshire.

Everything practicable is being done to develop employment in Lanarkshire, as in other areas where there is a need. As the hon. Member knows, a great deal of new industry has been introduced since the war, and we are continuing to encourage suitable new enterprises to set up in the area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage the export of agricultural machinery.

Her Majesty's Government have encouraged the expansion of agricultural machinery exports in many of the ways used to promote export production and trade generally. These include favourable treatment of the industry's steel requirements, issue of building licences, provision of market information and export credit facilities.I am glad to take this opportunity of emphasising the important contribution made to the export drive by the agricultural machinery industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many people are employed on Kilmarnock Industrial Estate; how many of these are on short time; and how this compares with October, 1951.

There are only three firms located on the Kilmarnock Industrial Estate and I regret that I could not give this information without violating the principle of treating information relating to individual concerns as confidentia.l

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of wooden furniture production for the latest available date, and the figure for the corresponding period last year.

The figures available cover only those firms which are licensed to manufacture Utility furniture, and show the value of sales of wooden furniture, and not the value of production.For the quarter April-June, 1952, the value of these sales was £23,783,000, compared with £32,048,000 in April-June, 1951 (when activity in the furniture trade was abnormal). Complete figures are not yet available for the quarter July-September, 1952, but it is estimated that the value of sales will be found to be about £23 million compared with £23,505,000 in July-September, 1951.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount obtained in tax from boxing promotions since the new tax was imposed, up to date, and the amount for the same period in 1950 and 1951; how many promotions have changed from the tax yielding to charity shows; and how many have closed down altogether since the new tax.

I can give figures only for calendar months and so cannot give complete figures for the period since the increase in duty on 13th September. The figure for October was £13,812.I regret that no figures are available for earlier years, or on the points raised under the second and third parts of the Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, for the purpose of tax collection, he will consider widows receiving a 10s. a week non-contributory pension as married women, and thus allow them to receive the additional Income Tax benefit.

I am afraid that I could not agree that the widows to whom my hon. and gallant Friend refers should be given special Income Tax relief exceeding that due to a single person.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of revenue derived by the Treasury during the first six months of this year due to the incidence of Purchase Tax on new cars.

Receipts of Purchase Tax from passenger motor cars in the first six months of the present financial year amounted to about £26 million.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total assistance per university undergraduate per annum by way of grants to the university or scholarships to the undergraduate.

The estimated cost of Exchequer grants to universities and colleges in the present financial year is £25,354,500 (including £7 million for non-recurrent capital grants). These grants form part of the resources from which the universities have to finance not only the teaching of undergraduates but also research and other original work and the supervision of graduate students. It is not possible to estimate the cost of these functions separately, and it would be meaningless to express them as a figure per caput of undergraduates. The total number of full-time students in the year 1950–51 was 85,314.I understand that in the current year the direct charge on the Vote of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education for awards to students at universities amounts to some £4 million. In addition she admits for grant the expenditure of local education authorities on awards to university students. The grant charge for 1951–52 is estimated to be about £3 million; no later figures are available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he anticipates being able to give a date for the commencement of payments under Part 2 of the War Damage Act, 1943.

I am afraid I cannot at present give any undertaking on this subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement about the designs for the new coinage.

Yes. With the gracious permission of Her Majesty the Queen I have asked Mr. Speaker to accept a set of proof pieces for the denominations half-crown to a farthing for exhibition in the Library of the House.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the total staff of the Public Relations departments of all Ministries in 1952–53; and the comparable total in 1938–39.

On 1st April, 1952, the total was 743 in the Home Departments and 1,430 in the Overseas Departments. These figures, which will be reduced in the course of the present financial year, include staff locally engaged overseas and clerical and typing staff, but not other ancillary staff such as messengers. The Central Office of Information is not included. Approximate comparative figures for 1938–39 were 300 staff in the Home Departments and 20 in the Overseas Departments.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will inquire into the circumstances under which the Hackney Borough Council expelled, on 15th November, Mr. Keogh from a flat in the house in Lauriston Street, Hackney, of which Mr. Keogh was the owner.

My right hon. Friend has made inquiries. The house was requisitioned in 1945 and converted into two flats. The present owners bought it in 1951. At their request the Council in October, 1952, considered releasing it, wholly or in part, but found themselves unable to do so. Mr. Keogh then forcibly entered the house and was evicted as a trespasser.My right hon. Friend is doing all he can to expedite de-requisitioning and has much sympathy with owners who want their houses back, but they cannot be allowed to take the law into their own hands. In the circumstances of the case he does not think the Council could have acted in any other way than they did.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government which local authorities in Middlesex come within the definition of A(i) of the Report on Requisitioned Properties and will be asked to release requisitioned properties by 10th December, 1953; and which come within the definition of A(ii) and will be asked to release requisitioned properties by 10th December, 1954.

According to records furnished by local authorities, the reply to the first part of the Question is "None," and, to the second part, "the Uxbridge Urban District Council."

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will make a statement in relation to development charges which have been assessed since his announcement of the proposed amending legislation and which are at present unpaid.

The Bill introduced last Tuesday proposes to free from development charge all development commenced on or after 18th November. The Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend have asked the Central Land Board to suspend the collection of development charge in these cases pending the passing of the Bill. It is only in cases not affected by the Bill—where development commenced before the date mentioned—that development charge is still being assessed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of the fact that prolonged search has failed to find any other immediately available source, he will give his agreement to the use of water from Mytton Dingle to supply the proposed nucleated village at Snailbeach

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the average annual cost of operating a rent tribunal.

About £2,000.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number of schemes approved, the number completed and the amount of Government grant paid, during each year of operation of the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Act, 1944.

The following water supply and sewerage schemes for rural areas in England and Wales have been approved since the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Act, 1944, came into force.Supplies and Sewerage Acts have been made in each year as follow:and other properties in the vicinity in the Clun rural district, on the understanding that periodical tests for contamination be made and that equipment for removing lead be immediately installed in the event of any traces of lead being discovered.

My right hon. Friend agreed to this on 11th August. The Council are about to sink a trial borehole.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has yet reached a decision on the boundaries of the proposed North Yorkshire Moors national park.

My right hon. Friend hopes to announce the decision in a few days' time.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the total value of the new licences to be issued for reconstruction work in bombed cities in 1953 which will provide for the increase of £2,500,000 in the work actually to be done during that year.

About £2½ million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will consult the 18 local authorities concerned before he makes a statement on the allocation of the £2,500,000 reconstruction work in 1953 for the 18 bombed cities.

I have not specifically consulted the authorities about the distribution because I have from the cities all relevant information about their needs and programmes and I have taken account of this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how he proposes to distribute the amount of £4,500,000 among the bombed cities.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how soon he will be able to state the number and value of new licences to be issued for reconstruction work, in particular bombed cities, in 1953; and upon what principles the division between particular cities is to be made.

As stated in the reply to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. J. J. Astor) on 18th November, the Government aim at the completion in the year 1953 of £4½ million of work in the blitzed cities sponsored by my right hon. Friend's Department.

asked the Minister of Works (1) the amount of time and labour involved in obtaining the information of the total number of licences issued for reconstruction in the county borough of West Ham for each of the years from 1945 until the latest stated date; and the total value of the work covered by these licences for each respective year;(2) the total number of licences issued for reconstruction in the county borough of West Ham during the last two years; and the total value of the work covered by these licences for each respective year.

My London licensing office does not keep records by boroughs and about 85 man-weeks of clerical labour would be involved in extracting and summarising this information for the years 1945–52 and about 25 man-weeks for the last two years. I do not think that this amount of time and labour would be justified.

asked the Minister of Works the current prices of the following building materials and the August, 1939, prices: Bricks—Kent stocks, first hard,

asked the Minister of Works what steps he has taken during 1952, and what steps he will take in 1953, in order substantially to reduce the costs of his Department; and if he will take steps to stop all trading activities.

I have taken a number of steps to reduce the costs of my Department. The results of the economies already made is shown in the reduction in my non-industrial staff by over 1,000 in the last 12 months. In spite of the additional work of the Coronation preparations further economies are being made. Most of my Department's work is done for other Departments and very large savings can only be achieved if they reduce their requirements.My Department is not engaged in trading activities.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will exempt bombed towns from his new raising of the limits of repair work permitted to builders.

No. Since there is no great demand for minor repair work, this would not help the blitzed cities.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will consult the appropriate local authority before applying his

Following is the statement:proposed new limits of repair work permitted to builders in any area.

No. While local authorities would, naturally, advance views based on their own areas I have to consider the building industry as a whole and to make an instrument which defines the same limits for everybody. My decision was taken after consultation with the industry and with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.

asked the Minister of Works whether the licence granted to a cinema in Lime Street, Liverpool, for rehabilitation after a fire, made provision for the addition of the costly metal statuary which has now been put in place; and the direct or indirect dollar cost of the metal involved.

No licence has been issued by my Department for the provision of this statuary and I have no information about its composition or cost.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what proposals were made in the joint memorandum submitted by the Director of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Medical Research Council on the study of human factors in industry; and what action has been taken to implement them.

The proposals in question are for the setting up of two joint committees, one on individual efficiency and the other on human relations, to advise on matters relating to the study of human factors in industry. The composition of the proposed committees is at present under consideration and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, the conditions under which grants for research are made to the textile industry; and, in view of the necessity of developing this industry to the highest peak of efficiency, if he will give encouragement financially and otherwise to the textile research institutes.

The conditions under which revenue grants for research are made to the eight research associations in the textile industry (cotton, felt, hosiery, jute, lace, linen, rayon and wool) are published in the annual reports of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In the current year the grants to the eight research associations account for more than £280,000 of their total income of nearly £1 million.Research associations are also eligible for capital grants for buildings and large equipment.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, to give particulars of surveys of resources, research into the production and use of raw materials initiated by the Government during the last years; and how this compares with the year 1951.

Surveys of resources are constantly being made by the Geological Survey, the Development Commission, the National Coal Board, the Colonial Geological Survey and other bodies. Similarly, research into the production and use of raw materials is being carried out by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Research Establishments of certain Ministries, the Colonial Products Research Council, the universities, the research associations, grant aided research institutions and industry.For further information I would refer the hon. Member to the reports published by the bodies mentioned. It would be difficult to make a comparison between the work done in the last years and that accomplished in 1951, and the results would almost certainly be misleading.

asked the Minister of Labour the estimated proportion of the weekly wage earner's income that is spent on food, clothes and rent, respectively.

The information asked for by my hon. Friend can only be obtained by means of a comprehensive inquiry covering household expenditure and income. Following the recommendation of the Cost of Living Advisory Committee, an inquiry of this kind is being started within a few weeks.For the purpose of the Interim Index of Retail Prices, the percentages of total family expenditure assumed to be devoted to food, clothes and rent, including rates, at the present time are approximately 42, 9 and 7, repectively.

asked the Minister of Labour how many workers are registered as unemployed at the Sheerness Employment Exchange; and how this compares with the number unemployed at 30th September, 1951.

305 at 10th November, 1952, and 138 at 17th September, 1951.

asked the Minister of Labour how many workers are registered as unemployed at the Faversham Employment Exchange; and the number registered on 30th September, 1951.

141 at 10th November, 1952, and 72 at 17th September, 1951.

asked the Minister of Labour when the needed employment exchange in the Hainault estate is to be opened.

The opening of an employment exchange in the Hainault estate is not at present contemplated.

asked the Minister of Labour what number of persons in Dagenham were stood off who were unable to draw unemployment insurance during factory holidays last summer.

No claims for benefit were made at the Dagenham Employment Exchange by any employees of the two largest firms in Dagenham during the two weeks' holiday last summer. I understand that the firms paid wages during the holiday to those employees who qualified; those employees who did not qualify and did not wish to take the holiday were given other employment by the firms so far as work was available. The number of workpeople who did not qualify for holiday pay and for whom alternative employment was not available is not known, but in view of the fact that no claims for benefit were made it is probable that the number was very small.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were registered as unemployed in York; and how many of those persons were registered as handicapped by disablement at the latest date for which figures can conveniently be given.

Four hundred and nineteen males and 176 females at 10th November, including 98 males and 10 females who were registered under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act.

asked the Minister of Labour how many agricultural workers, of both sexes, are registered as unemployed at the Faversham and Sitting-bourne Employment Exchanges.

The numbers of persons whose last employment was in agriculture registered as unemployed at 10th November were 33 males and 37 females at Faversham, and 17 males and 37 females at Sittingbourne.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate lighting is provided on that section of the Stirling-Glasgow road which passes through Cumbernauld.

The Dunbarton County Council, who are the lighting authority, have asked me to contribute towards the cost of improved lighting on this section of the trunk road. I agree that improved lighting is desirable, but the funds from which grants can be made are limited and I shall not be able to offer a contribution during the present or ensuing financial year.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the proposed diversion of the Brighton Road in connection with the Gatwick project will be eastwards or westwards; the cost; and the estimated period before this work is expected to be completed.

I am unable to make any statement on this question until discussions with the local authorities concerned have been completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to give figures of the estimated crops of blackcurrants, raspberries and strawberries for the United Kingdom in 1952; and comparative figures for 1950 and 1951 and an estimate of crops in 1952 remaining unpicked.

As the reply contains a series of figures, I am setting out the information in tabular form. No reports have been received of any crops of these fruits remaining unpicked. Following is the table: