asked the Minister of Food how many tons of sugar he estimates would have to be purchased per annum from dollar sources to facilitate abolition of sugar and sweets rationing in the United Kingdom.

To lift all controls on all uses of sugar would, we estimate in present circumstances, require additional dollar purchases of about three-quarters of a million tons in the first year and half a million tons thereafter.

asked the Minister of Food what categories of animal fat are now released by his Department to tallow manufacturers.

The only materials so supplied are the condemned and inedible meat and offals from Government slaughterhouses. These include a certain amount of inedible fat from cattle, sheep and pigs.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will make the necessary arrangements for making additional quantities of sugar available in 1953, in order to ensure that the housewife is able to make the best advantage of United Kingdom soft fruits for jam making, and thereby to ease some of the difficulties being experienced by soft-fruit growers.

I shall certainly do what I can to help, but I am afraid I cannot hold out hope that domestic sugar consumption can be increased materially while we are still dependent on dollar sources for additional supplies.

asked the Minister of Food is he will consider a revision of Forms L.L.P. 49 and L.L.P. 49A setting out the regulations for the issue of licences to slaughter to self suppliers of pigs, bearing in mind that the present regulations are most stringent and necessitate the completion of more forms than under the rules which operated during the 1939–45 war.

I will consider this when the scheme comes up for annual review in the spring.

asked the Minister of Food if he will now make a statement about his consultations with representatives of the fishing industry on the price of fish.

My right hon. Friend and I met representatives of the Grimsby and Hull trawler owners and fish merchants last Thursday. We received their assurance that everything would be done by the industry to maintain maximum supplies.

asked the Minister of Transport how many applications have been received during 1951 for the restoration of the speed limit to roads which had been derestricted; and in how many cases the application was granted.

28 applications were received of which 12 were granted and two are still under consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport how many orders for a speed limit have been made under Section 1 (4) (a) on roads without a system of street lighting by local authorities during 1951; and how many such orders have received his consent.

52 such orders were made with my right hon. Friend's consent under Section 1 (4) (a) of the Road Traffic Act, 1934, as the result of applications submitted by local authorities in 1951. Thirty-eight other such orders were proposed to be made by local authorities last year, but did not receive the necessary consent.

asked the Minister of Transport when the rails are to be taken up on the Victoria Embankment and the road relaid out for traffic.

This is still under consideration with the local authorities primarily concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will improve the sign-posting in London and on the routes leading into the Metropolis, with a view to these improvements being completed before the Coronation.

We have recently received a valuable report of a working party on the signposting of London. My right hon. Friend is considering this report and hopes to announce a decision about its recommendations in the near future. It will not be practicable to carry out a comprehensive scheme before the Coronation, but we are considering the issue of a map of through routes in the London area which should be of assistance to visitors.

asked the hon. Member for Woolwich, West, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, whether, in view of the small use made by the Members of the Front Opposition Bench of the table reserved for them in the Members' Dining Room, he will make this table available for any hon. Members who desire to use it.

The Kitchen Committee do not exercise any control over seating arrangements in the Members' Dining Room. Members choose their own seats. It has, however, been the custom for the two large oval tables in the centre to be used by the Members of the Government Front Bench and the Front Opposition Bench.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) how long it is intended to continue the subsidy in respect of iron and steel scrap recovery;(2) how far the estimated increase, from £370,000 in 1951–52 to £490,000 in 1952–53, in respect of administration and transport of iron and steel scrap, is now likely to be realised.

The Government have not for a long time paid any subsidy for scrap. However, it collects and sells to the British steel industry Government-owned ships for scrapping and scrap lying overseas. Owing to an increase in the amount of such scrap which has become available, it is estimated that the costs of recovery will rise to about £600,000 in 1952–53. The amount to be paid by the steel industry for this scrap will of course greatly exceed these costs.

asked the Minister of Supply whether, in view of the Twelfth Report of the Select Committee on Estimates, it is intended to dispose of Woolwich Arsenal.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers) on 24th November.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether, in the light of investigations made by medical inspectors of his Department into the case of Mr. Joseph Dearden, 57, Shaw Lane, Prescot, Lancashire, whose health has been ruined by cadmium poisoning following his employment at British Copper Refineries Limited, he will now schedule cadmium poisoning as an industrial disease.

I am informed that the investigation of the circumstances of Mr. Dearden's employment by the Medical Inspectorate of Factories did not disclose anything to indicate that his health has been affected by cadmium poisoning. The case does not therefore support the suggestion that cadmium poisoning needs to be prescribed as an industrial disease.

asked the Minister of National Insurance why the National Assistance Board in Aberdeen are moving from 51, Regent Quay to 41½, Union Street; and what rent is being paid for the new premises.

I am informed by the Board that they are not giving up the office in Regent Quay. But as they require additional accommodation in Aberdeen the Ministry of Works are providing it in a building leased by them in Union Street. It is not the practice to disclose the rents paid for Government premises.

asked the Minister of National Insurance whether he is aware that there is no area office of the National Assistance Board in the borough of Stoke Newington; that considerable hardship is caused to residents in the borough who must apply to the area office in Tottenham; and whether he will take steps to remedy this state of affairs.

It is not necessary for a person to attend at the Board's office in order to apply for Assistance, as application can be made by filling up a simple form obtainable at any Post Office. The Board, however, inform me that the provision of an office nearer Stoke Newington would be considered if suitable premises could be found; and in the meantime arrangements have been made for personal inquiries about Assistance to be dealt with at my local office at 191, Stoke Newington High Street.

asked the Minister of National Insurance how many individuals who have been voluntary contributors in approved societies and have paid all their contributions under the National Insurance Act, 1946, will not be entitled to receive all National Insurance benefits; and what he proposes to do to put right this injustice.

I regret that I cannot give the information asked for in the first part of the Question. As regards the second part, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to my reply to his Question of 10th November.

asked the Minister of National Insurance, how many cases of misrepresentation or non-disclosure of material facts have been brought to the notice of the National Assistance Board since 1948; what have been the amounts recovered compared with those recoverable; and how many questions as to the amounts recoverable have been referred to the appeal tribunal.

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that up to 31st March last there had been about 14,000 cases where deliberate misrepresentation or non-disclosure of material facts was suspected, and the amount overpaid was about £220,000. The records of the recoveries of overpayments do not give a separate total for these cases. The number of appeals in the period was nine.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that the North-East have been left out of the National Coal Board's scheme to provide off the ration small coal; that this has caused dissatisfaction; and what measures he intends to adopt to rectify this.

Although supplies of this coal are not available for the house coal market in Northumberland and Durham, the National Coal Board are doing their best to make certain quantities of other off-ration coals available to domestic consumers there.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will make regulations to provide the same increases in pensions for retired local government officers who were employed in local government electricity undertakings before nationalisation as are provided under the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1952.

The Pensions (Increase) Act, 1952, does not apply to nationalised industries, but I am considering whether I should make Regulations under the Electricity Act, 1947, to give equivalent benefits to ex-municipal pensioners.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the quantities of suitable domestic fuel available of a reasonable standard of combustibility and ash content for high efficiency stoves and domestic hot water boilers where smokeless combustion is expected.

Under the Small Anthracite Supply Scheme drawn up by the National Coal Board, appliance manufacturers and coal distributors, adequate supplies of anthracite of the appropriate sizes are made available for certain types of stoves and boilers which cannot operate efficiently on any other fuel. Other types of high efficiency stove and domestic boiler can work efficiently on coke of which there is at present no shortage.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many miners in South Wales have been certified to be suffering from pneumoconiosis since 1st January, 1952; how many have remained in employment at the collieries; and how many have been employed elsewhere.

In the first half of 1952 there were 456 new cases under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act and 53 new cases under the Workmen's Compensation Acts. I regret that the available statistics do not enable the subsequent employment history of these men to be traced.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations why the United Kingdom delegate on the Political Committee of the United Nations voted for the South African resolution declaring that the United Nations was not competent to consider the policy of racial segregation.

The vote of the United Kingdom delegate was cast in accordance with the policy indicated in my reply to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire on 23rd October, namely, that it is the view of the United Kingdom that the matter lies essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of the Union Government and is, therefore, outside the competence of the United Nations.

asked the Minister of Materials what action he is taking to ensure an increase in the production of sulphur and sulphuric acid.

Encouragement has been given to the erection of plant to produce sulphuric acid from pyrites and native anhydrite instead of sulphur. By the end of 1952, new capacity of this kind to produce 227,000 tons of acid will be working, and another 460,000 tons in 1953. A plant for recovering an additional 17,000 tons of by-product sulphur a year will be working in 1952, and another 12,000 tons in 1953.

asked the Minister of Materials what steps he proposes to take to assist Colonial Governments to exploit their raw material deposits.

As the publication of the White Paper on the Volta River Aluminium Scheme shows, the Government are anxious to encourage worthwhile and sound development of Colonial raw material deposits. What can and should be done must be considered carefully in relation to the position of each raw material.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in view of the uncertainty arising from the proposed alteration in the Purchase Tax on furniture, which is adversely affecting production and the prospects of employment in the furniture trade, he will announce the date when details of the D Scheme will be published.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a further statement on this matter shortly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the nation's capital investment programme is represented by the £2½ million of reconstruction work which he proposes to allow the bombed cities.

£2½ million of reconstruction work represents about one quarter of 1 per cent. of the nation's investment programme of new building work in 1953. Our target for blitzed city reconstruction work to be done in 1953 is £4½ million. If this is achieved it will be more than in any year except 1952.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether Her Majesty's Government will sponsor and guarantee a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for schemes of development in the Highlands of Scotland such as the Spey Valley Drainage Scheme, water supply schemes and improved roads and other communication facilities.

No. As has been already explained to my noble Friend by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, this proposal would be inconsistent with the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of Government staff engaged in implementing Section 28 of the Finance Act, 1931; and the approximate annual cost of maintaining the same.

About 130 at a cots of about £50,000 a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the annual cost of printing Form L(A)-451 in connection with Section 28 of the Finance Act, 1931.

About £400.

asked the Minister of Education the number of children in elementary schools on 31st March, 1903, in the following categories of schools: board schools, Church of England and national schools, Roman Catholic schools, British schools, Methodist schools and other voluntary schools.

The average numbers of pupils recorded on the registers of public elementary schools during the year ended 31st August, 1903, were as follows:

Council or Board Schools	…	2,875,709
Church of England Schools	…	2,333,587
Roman Catholic Schools	…	337,596
Wesleyan Schools	…	157,403
British and other Schools	…	263,573

asked the Minister of Education the number of children in public elementary schools on 31st March, 1944, in the following categories of schools: council schools, Church of England schools, Roman Catholic schools, and other voluntary schools.

No statistics are available for the war years. During the year ended 31st March, 1938, however, the latest date prior to the 1944 Education Act for which information is available, the following numbers of pupils were recorded as being on the registers of public elementary schools maintained by local education authorities. The second column shows the numbers in January, 1946, the earliest date after the 1944 Act for which figures are available, of pupils on the registers of maintained schools, other than grammar, nursery or special schools:

—	1938	1946
Council schools	3,540,512	3,255,700
Church of England schools	1,125,497	879,600
Roman Catholic schools	377,073	338,200
Other voluntary schools	44,403	43,200

asked the Minister of Education the number of children in primary and secondary schools, other than grammar schools, on 31st March, 1952, or on the nearest date for which statistics are available, in the following categories of schools: county schools, Church of England voluntary aided schools, Church of England controlled schools, Church of England special agreement schools, Roman Catholic voluntary aided schools, Roman Catholic controlled schools, Roman Catholic special agreement schools and other voluntary schools, distinguishing in this last category between voluntary aided, controlled and special agreement schools.

In January, 1952, of the pupils on the registers of maintained or transitionally assisted schools, other than grammar, nursery or special schools, 4,065,435 were in county schools, 964,984 in Church of England schools, 398,014 in Roman Catholic schools and 35,237 in other voluntary schools. Information showing the number of pupils on the registers of voluntary schools of different categories is not available: an appreciable proportion of voluntary schools have not yet had their status determined.

asked the Minister of Education whether she is aware that the Radnorshire Education Committee received a deputation on 23rd May protesting against the closure of three primary schools; whether she will explain her action in not acceding to the request of the Committee to eliminate from this year's programme the proposal to build a new school to serve the three village schools; and what were the terms of her reply to this request.

Yes. I encouraged the authority to proceed with their proposal to build a new school at Rhosgoch because I considered this would be the best way of meeting the educational needs of the area. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the letter.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will name the primary schools in Radnorshire which she has approved for closure in accordance with the Education Committees development plan; if she will state the number of children at each of the schools at the time the development plan was submitted and the number at the present time; to what extent the parents of the children or the managers of the schools were consulted in each case; and what protests were made against the closures.

Out of all the schools proposed for closure in the authority's development plan I have approved the closure of the following three schools to take effect when a new school is built at Rhosgoch:

Name of School	Number of Pupils as shown in the Authority's Development Plan	Number of Pupils on 1st January, 1952, the latest date for which information is available
Llandilo Graban Primary	16	20
Newchurch County Primary	12	20
Painscastle Primary	33	39

Notices of the proposed closure of these schools were published by the Local Education Authority as required by Section 13 of the Education Act, 1944.In the case of Llandilo Graban, objections were made to me by ratepayers and local government electors; and by ratepayers and the school managers against the closure of the two other schools.

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation the total acreage of airports and aerodromes in civil use in the United Kingdom.

The total acreage of airports and aerodromes in civil aviation use in the United Kingdom under the control of my Department is 19,500. There are also 59 aerodromes under the control of other Departments which are available for civil aviation use. These aerodromes involve approximately 28,000 acres. In addition, there are 64 licensed and eight unlicensed civil aerodromes, the acreage of which could not be calculated without very considerable expenditure of effort.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the total acreage of aerodromes in the United Kingdom in operational use or otherwise, held by the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force.

The airfields in active use held by the Air Ministry total 170,640 acres. The remainder, which are available for unrestricted agricultural use, total 70,180 acres.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the substantial reduction in the number of poultry in Scotland, what special measures he proposes for increasing the supply of eggs in Scotland.

There has been no substantial reduction in the number of poultry in Scotland. The peak figure was reached in 1950 and the numbers in 1952 are little short of it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to make a statement on the results of the recent conference between the British Federation of Trawler Owners and representatives of the Icelandic Government.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the statement which my right hon. Friend made on this matter on 20th November.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make it obligatory that the sale of day-old chicks shall be by the proxy or blackboard method.

Under the Live Poultry (Restrictions) Order, 1952, there is a general prohibition on the holding of a market or sale of day-old chicks, but there is an exception for the sale by auction on market premises of day-old chicks which have been produced at a hatchery and which, at the time of sale, have not been moved from the hatchery premises. These provisions have led to the method of sale mentioned by my hon. Friend. The Order is designed to reduce the risks of the spread of fowl pest and will be amended or withdrawn when the restrictions are no longer necessary on disease grounds. I am not satisfied that it would be desirable to make the method of sale by description obligatory, and in any case I have no powers to control this matter other than those derived from the Diseases of Animals Act.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Middlesex County Council proposes to increase the charge for day nurseries from 2s. per child per day to a maximum of 9s. per child per day; how far this is in accordance with Government policy; and whether, to avoid hardship, he will cause these charges to be reviewed.

Yes, I am aware of the proposed increase, which is authorised by Section 5 (2) of the National Health Service Act, 1952, and appears to be within the limits of charge which I have approved generally. It is for the local health authority to have regard to the means of the parents when applying the charges.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that it is the practice to charge 1s. on the bottle for drops, medicines, lotions, etc., needed to treat injuries to the eyes sustained by workers at work; and if he will reconsider the imposition of charges in such cases.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the charge made for prescriptions dispensed under the National Health Service. For the general reasons given during the discussions on the National Health Service Bill earlier this year, I am unable to make an exception in the class of case to which he refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will amend the Police Pensions Regulations, 1949, so that in determining the pensions payable to the widows of deceased police officers no account is taken of the date upon which the husband died, and the widows of all deceased officers may receive the rates of pension payable to officers who died after 6th April, 1949.

The draft Police Pensions Regulations, 1952, which have been laid before Parliament provide for an increase in flat-rate police widows' pensions awarded between 4th July, 1948, and 6th April, 1949, up to the level of flat-rate pensions awarded on or after the latter date. The increase is subject to conditions similar to those provided by the Pensions (Increase) Acts.I have not, however, felt justified in proposing increases in the pensions awarded to police widows whose husbands died before the introduction of the new National Insurance scheme on 5th July, 1948, of such an amount as would put these widows in the same position as if they had been granted a National Insurance pension in addition to a police widow's flat-rate pension at the current rate.

asked the Minister of Works if he will consider displaying at the Annexe to Westminster Abbey, with similar prominence to that given to the Queen's Beasts, emblems representing the various parts of the Commonwealth, and thus pay visual tribute, not only to our history, but also to the unity of so many States beneath the British Crown.

Yes. Arms and Badges of members of the Commonwealth will be displayed on the walls of the Annexe.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can now make a statement about the future of the Clothing Industry Development Council.

Yes. My right hon. Friend has decided, subject to the approval of Parliament, to make an Order under the Industrial Organisation and Development Act, 1947, for dissolving the Clothing Industry Development Council. A draft Order to this effect has been laid today.I am glad to say, however, that representatives of the employers and trade unions in the clothing industry have agreed to set up as soon as possible a voluntary body consisting of representatives of both sides of the industry. Its functions will include research into problems affecting production, marketing and distribution, materials, equipment and methods of production, the provision of advice to individual undertakings on methods of increasing efficiency and productivity, the promotion of export trade, the improvement of quality and design, and the training of persons engaged in the industry.In order to assist the new voluntary body in the exercise of these functions, my right hon. Friend intends, in accordance with the provisions of the Dissolution Order, to make available funds from the surplus assets of the Council, which are expected to be substantial. Further, my right hon. Friend has expressed his willingness, after the Council has been dissolved, and subject to the approval of Parliament, to make an Order under Section 9 of the Industrial Organisation and Development Act, 1947, providing for a levy to be raised from the industry to finance the joint body's work in scientific research, promotion of export trade or improvement of design.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the numbers of withdrawals and the total amounts withdrawn from the Post Office Savings Bank for each of the 12 months, June, 1951 to May, 1952, inclusive; and how these figures compare with past experience.

The numbers and amounts of withdrawals from the Post Office Savings Bank for each of the 12 months June, 1951 to May, 1952, inclusive, together with similar details in respect of the 12 preceding months (June, 1950 to May, 1951, inclusive) are shown in the table below:

Date		Number of Withdrawals	Amount
1950			£
June	…	4,089,509	35,801,524
July	…	4,177,805	38,581,075
August	…	4,303,405	34,595,053
September	…	3,823,891	32,872,289
October	…	3,507,505	31,723,162
November	…	3,474,711	31,426,083
December	…	4,596,797	37,964,497
1951
January	…	3,063,054	29,535,100
February	…	2,978,452	36,784,959
March	…	3,613,734	38,599,443
April	…	3,359,576	36,893,144
May	…	3,800,305	43,961,446
June	…	3,981,942	40,904,262
July	…	4,114,225	41,495,290
August	…	4,200,846	37,376,422
September	…	3,330,698	29,188,988
October	…	3,266,502	30,377,194
November	…	3,318,861	32,327,641
December	…	4,502,673	39,137,159
1952
January	…	3,046,382	34,508,745
February	…	2,834,104	35,788,158
March	…	3,239,235	36,251,352
April	…	3,460,508	30,723,294
May	…	4,003,035	40,142,553

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General which six Members of Parliament have broadcast the greatest number of times in the external services between 1st July, 1950, and 30th September, 1952; and how many times each has so broadcast.

This is a matter for the B.B.C. and I suggest that the hon. Member takes the matter up with the Corporation direct.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many complaints of disrepair of houses were lodged with the Stoke-on-Trent local authority in the years 1947 to 1951, inclusive; and how many statutory notices were served and proceedings by enforcement taken.

The figures supplied by the local authority are 29,869, 14,518 and 649, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total cost to date of the university at Ibadan, Nigeria; what proportion of the cost has been borne by the United Kingdom and by the Colony, respectively; how much of this has been in architects' fees and material exported from the United Kingdom; and when all building will be completed.

Up to 31st October, 1952, the total cost of the University College (exclusive of expenditure on the new Teaching Hospital) was about £2½ million, of which approximately £1½ million has been capital expenditure.About 55 per cent. of this total has been provided by the United Kingdom Government from the Colonial Development and Welfare Vote, and 30 per cent. by the Nigerian Government. The balance has come from various sources such as fees. There is an endowment fund already totalling nearly £3½ million to which the Nigerian Government has contributed £2¼ million and the Nigeria Cocoa Marketing Board over £1 million. Interest on this fund amounts to approximately £130,000 per annum.Fees totalling £49,636 have been paid to the College's consultants from the United Kingdom; this includes architects' fees on the R.I.B.A. scale of charges. Precise figures in respect of material exported from the United Kingdom are not readily available but I will send them to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.It is hoped that building under the present scheme will be completed by October, 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the fact that the part of Ethiopia in which Brigadier Thomas F. Given was killed is the Reserved Area of Ethiopia under British military administration, whether he will give instructions for the withdrawal of British troops from the area in consequence of this fatality and of the desire of the inhabitants of the Reserved Area for the termination of British military administration.

No. The implication contained in the last part of the Question is not in accord with the reports which I have received.