asked the Minister of Labour the number of men, women and juveniles registering as unemployed at employment exchanges within the county borough of West Ham for each month from, and including, December 1951, up to, and including, December, 1952.

The numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of employment exchanges in the county borough of West Ham at the undermentioned dates are as follow:last six months after being declared redundant at the Electricial and Musical Industries works at Hayes; and what alternative employment is available to these individuals.

About 200 workers declared redundant at the Electrical and Musical Industries works registered during the last six months at Hayes and six other employment exchanges. The great majority of these have obtained alternative employment and the exchanges are hopeful of finding suitable work for the remainder who were discharged only a fortnight ago.

asked the Minister of Labour when a Remploy factory will be built in Brighton to assist the employment of disabled persons.

I can see no prospect of a Remploy factory being opened at Brighton in the near future. The company is not yet in a position to resume its programme of expansion.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers passed through the Musketry Camp at Purfleet during the last current period of 12 months; how many soldiers are employed on the permanent staff; and how many of these latter are National Service men.

58,650 officers and other ranks of the Regular and Territorial Armies used the rifle ranges at Purfleet during last year. Of these, 270 officers and 3,800 other ranks were accommodated in this camp. The permanent staff comprises 1 officer and 16 other ranks of whom 4 are National Service men.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the remarks of Lieut.-General Sir Philip Balfour, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, on 22nd January, to the effect that the standard of shooting in the British Army had fallen since the war; and to what factors this decline is attributed.

Yes. While the Army's best shooting is as good as ever, there was, I think inevitably, a falling off here and there in the general standard of shooting after the last war, which was aggravated by the shortage of trained instructors. It is bound to be difficult to get back everywhere to the standard of the pre-war Army, which consisted entirely of men serving on the longer engagements. But a number of steps have been taken which have already resulted in an improvement in the general standard.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that boys at Brancepeth Camp, County Durham, called for National Service, are being sent to Korea after 10 weeks' training, which includes one day practising the throwing of hand grenades; and, in view of the fact that, with such a short time in training, these troops are not fully qualified to face the ordeals in Korea, if he will take steps in future to ensure more adequate training.

Although the basic training period is 10 weeks, every soldier entering Korea must be at least 19 years old and have six months' service before serving there. Accordingly he gets further training in Hong Kong or Japan before he reaches Korea.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will take steps to provide married quarters for the Royal Inniskilling Dragoons, recently posted to Suez after active service in Korea.

The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards will receive their fair share of the married quarters at their station. Unfortunately, the number available will satisfy only a small proportion of the demand.

asked the Secretary of State for War the percentage increase made in salaries of officers who were receiving £1,000 per annum in 1946: and the average percentage increase made in the salaries of all officers since 1st April, 1946.

Owing to the great variety in rates of pay and allowances for Army officers and to the fundamental differences in the pay codes in force on 1st April, 1946, and now, no direct and precise comparison of the sort required can be made. Broadly, the average increase since 1st April, 1946, in basic pay and allowances in the range of £1,000 and above at that date is of the order of one third. For all officers the corresponding figure is of the order of one half.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of bankruptcies in Wales during 1952.

Seventy-one.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage increase in prices there has been on the cost of carpets, decorated pottery, silver plated cutlery, electric lamps, heavy and light kitchen equipment, furniture and washing soda, during the year ended December, 1952.

Most of the items set out in the Question comprise several commodities. The following figures represent average changes in the wholesale prices in the group concerned:

Item	Change between December, 1951 and December, 1952
Carpets	1½ per cent. increase
Silver plated spoons and forks	1 per cent. increase
Electric lamps	15 per cent. increase
Electric cookers (taken as a typical item of heavy kitchen equipment)	5½ per cent. increase
Domestic hollow-ware (taken as typical of light kitchen equipment)	9 per cent. increase
Washing soda	12½ per cent. Increase

No figures of wholesale prices of furniture are available but the current issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette states that the general level of retail prices changed very little during 1952.Decorated pottery on the home market at the beginning of 1952 consisted of "export rejects" or "frustrated exports" and there is no reliable basis on which to compare prices.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage Increase in price there has been on the cost of detergents and cleansers, glassware, floor polishes, ink, laundry charges, linoleum and floor coverings, metal polishes, paints and distempers, shoe polishes and toilet soaps, during the year ended December, 1952.

Most of the items set out in the Question comprise several commodities. The following figures represent average changes in the wholesale prices in the group concerned:

Item	Change between December, 1951 and December, 1952
Detergents	7 per cent. increase
Glass containers	4 per cent. increase
Other glassware	9 per cent. increase
Metal polishes	15 per cent. increase
Shoe polishes	No change
Floor polishes	9 per cent. increase
Toilet soap	11 per cent. increase
Ink	No average figure is available but there have been increases up to 25 per cent.
Linoleum	4½ per cent. decrease
Paint for building and decorating)	2½ per cent. Decrease

Corresponding figures for the movement in laundry charges are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the great reduction in revenue due to the recent imposition of increased entertainments tax on Rugby and Association football clubs; and if he will review the tax in time for next season.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No," and to the second part that the Entertainments Duty, together with other forms of taxation, will be reviewed before the coming Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement regarding his intention with regard to entertainments tax upon county cricket clubs; and if he is aware of the anxiety of the clubs because cricket is wholly dependent upon the weather.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Southampton, Test (Dr. King) on 29th January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Purchase Tax of 100 per cent. on religious figures wholly made of plaster is a cause of widespread criticism; and if he will exempt these religious figures from Purchase Tax or reduce the tax on them.

I will bear this suggestion in mind, but the hon. Member will not expect me to anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has considered the representations made to him on behalf of the National Union of Manufacturers concerning the serious effect of Death Duties on the control. ownership and management of small companies; and if he will provide some amelioration of the burden of Death Duties as it affects these concerns.

I am considering these and other representations which have been made to me on the same subject, but I regret that I cannot anticipate the Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement as a result of the discussions which recently took place at the Commonwealth Ministers' Conference about a revision in the value of monetary gold; and what representations he proposes to make in the first instance to the Government of the United States of America.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to the right hon. Gentleman on 16th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in view of the fact that many English business firms refuse to accept Scottish bank notes, he will introduce legislation to make Scottish and English bank notes equal and interchangeable legal tender.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the present dog tax of 7s. 6d. was first levied; and how many dogs there are in the United Kingdom for which licence is paid.

In 1878; and 2,927,426 licences were taken out in 1951–52.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how far he has addressed any fresh guidance to the Capital Issues Committee in connection with the recent Commonwealth Economic Conference.

I have today addressed the following letter to the Chairman of the Committee."DEAR LORD KENNET.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Government's policy concerning the preservation of historic houses.

I regret that I am not yet able to add anything to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mr. Colegate) on 20th January.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) for what reasons he made Statutory Instrument No. 2139, of 1952;(2) for what reasons he made Statutory Instrument No, 2140, of 1952.

Amendment of local Acts by Order is a well established practice and the amendments sought appeared to my right hon. Friend to be reasonable.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that the desires of parish councils to organise appropriate Coronation celebrations are hampered by the poundage limit of their precepts; and whether he will authorise an adequate additional expenditure for the purpose of local festivities.

My right hon. Friend is aware that some parish councils are already incurring expenditure on their statutory duties up to the prescribed limits. It would not be practicable to act as suggested in the second part of the question.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) the present net rateable value of all the properties, taken together, in south Kilburn, covering 24 acres, the freehold of which the Willesden Council has decided to purchase from the Church Commissioners for the sum of £200,000; and the properties affected, including those in Claremont Road, Salisbury Road, Kilburn Lane, Albert Road, Rupert Road, Denmark Road, Canterbury Road, Princes Road, Chichester Road, Cambridge Gardens, Oxford Road and Cambridge Avenue;(2) the present net rateable value of the half-acre of land at the junction of Mulberry Lane and Goring Road, Worthing, which the Worthing Town Council has decided to purchase for £5,000 for the purpose of providing a branch library.

This information can be obtained by inspection of the appropriate valuation lists.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why he is going to remove his regional office from Tunbridge Wells to London.

This move is being considered to save manpower and money and to simplify the organisation. Nothing has yet been settled.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why gypsies have had to leave the site at Rickling, Essex, where they have lived for 20 years; what assistance has been given in finding an alternative site; and if a satisfactory solution has yet been found to the problem.

My right hon. Friend understands that the county council are considering taking enforcement proceedings in respect of use of this site for caravans and tents without planning permission. As the proceedings might lead to an appeal it would not be right for him to make any comment at this stage.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government in what circumstances bulls may be run on rough grazing which has been scheduled as access land under Part V of the National Parks Act, 1949.

The provisions of Part V of the Act do not affect the owner's rights to run bulls on his land.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the total area of factory space for which manufacturing companies have made inquiries at each of the new towns in England and Wales, respectively, and the total area of factory space now being used or prepared for use at each, respectively.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 18th December, 1952.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government in how many cases he has permitted local authorities to erect houses on common land; and whether in all such cases a public inquiry has been held.

I regret that this information is not readily available. A public inquiry would ordinarily have been held on the rare occasions on which such cases have arisen.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will consider the inconvenience to local authorities emphasised by the decision in Becker v. Crosby Corporation, resulting from requiring notices to quit to be signed by an officer who may not work in the Department by which the management, regulation and control of the authority's houses is carried out; and if he will introduce legislation or give guidance to help in the matter.

I am not convinced that any inconvenience need arise out of the decision referred to. The requirement of Section 164 (2) of the Housing Act, 1936, does not of itself involve the clerk or his lawful deputy in any procedure leading up to the issue of a notice to quit; its purpose is merely that of authentification.

asked the Minister of Supply the value of the orders for equipment in connection with the re-armament programme already placed with the textile industry; and the value of the orders still to be placed.

Contracts to the value of £148 million have been placed in the United Kingdom by the Ministry of Supply for clothing and textiles under the defence programme. Contracts to the value of £36 million were placed overseas for clothing and textiles in 1950 and 1951. The Service Departments have so far placed demands on the Ministry of Supply for clothing and textiles amounting to £205 million and contracts for the remaining £21 million have still to be placed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that, in the interests of economy, the area of 300 new proposed police houses in Kent was reduced from 1,000 to 850 square feet, with a saving of some £45,000; if he is further aware that objections to this have been upheld and that the ratepayers of Kent will have to find another £45,000, particulars of which have been sent to him; and if he will make a statement as to what action he proposes to take.

I am looking into the matter and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the number of police and others employed in the Palace of Westminster, coming within the control of his Department, who have not received an increase in their wage or salary rate since 1946; what, on an average per cent., has been the increase to the remainder; how many were in the £1,000 per annum category in 1946; and the present remuneration of the latter.

There have been increases in pay since 1946 for all the grades of police officers who perform duty at the Palace of Westminster. The average percentage increases are 40 per cent. for constables, 37 per cent. for sergeants and 39 per cent. for inspectors No police officers who were so employed in 1946 received salaries of £1,000 a year or more.I have no responsibility for any other persons employed at the Palace of Westminster.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce Summer Time during the first week-end in April, and not, as hitherto, during the last week-end in that month.

The Summer Time Acts, 1922 and 1925, provide that Summer Time shall come into operation on the day following the third Saturday in April. Under the Summer Time Act, 1947, a different date may in any year be prescribed by Order in Council, but as I indicated in reply to a Question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Totnes on 11th December, 1952, the Government have decided not to propose any alterations in the statutory dates for 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement concerning the cause of the fire in the main chemistry laboratory of Cardiff Technical College on 24th January.

I understand that it is not yet possible to decide exactly how this fire originated. There is at present no reason for thinking that it was caused deliberately.

asked the Attorney-General the number of staff in his Department who have not had a salary increase since 1946; the average percentage increase in the salaries of those who were, in 1946, on £1,000 per annum; and how many of his staff have to meet the cost of postage, telephones, secretarial assistance and living away from home expenses incurred whilst performing their State duties from their respective salaries.

One member of the Department, who entered the Civil Service after 1st January, 1952, has not received any increase of salary; no present member of the Department was receiving a salary of £1,000 per annum in 1946; the expenses referred to in the third part of the Question are not met out of salaries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, for 12 months to the latest convenient date, the number of crimes of violence against the person, per 100,000 of population, in Kenya and Uganda, respectively.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 12th November, 1952; Vol. 507, c. 51], supplied the following information:

For the 12 months ended 30th September, 1952, the figures are 33.98 for Kenya and 27.2 for Uganda. The crimes included are murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, rape, indecent assault and aggravated assault amounting to felony in both cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of African growers of coffee in Kenya and how much they produced in the latest convenient period; what limitations are placed upon African growers; what price differentiation exists as between African and European growers for coffee of comparable quality; how far African growers are obliged to sell to the Kenya Coffee Marketing Board; what representation they have on that board; and what assistance they receive from its funds.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th December, 1952; Vol. 509, c. 216–7], supplied the following information:

At 30th June, 1952, there were 10,609 African growers. The value of their crop in 1950 was estimated at £70,700. In African land units coffee may be grown only in areas considered suitable by the Department of Agriculture, and the Director of Agriculture may stipulate that the coffee must be grown under certain conditions that are considered necessary for successful production. New European plantations are also subject to the approval of the Department. There is no price differentiation between comparable products of Africans and Europeans.

Both African and European parchment coffee must be marketed through the Kenya Coffee Marketing Board, and precautions are taken so that buyers and graders are unaware of the origin of particular lots. Africans have no direct representation on the Board, but there are two members appointed by the Governor.

Africans benefit equally with Europeans from the Board's success in promoting the welfare of the industry. They participate in contracts on an equal footing and share the advantages of marketing facilities which are highly developed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the number of African growers of sisal and the quantity and value of their output to the latest convenient date; what limitations are placed upon African growers; what price differentiation is observed as between African and European growers; how far African growers are obliged to sell to the Kenya Sisal Board; what representation Africans have on that board; and what assistance they receive from that board.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th December, 1952; Vol. 509, c. 216], supplied the following information:

No accurate figure for the number of African sisal growers is available, but there are certainly very many thousands. Neither can their total output and its value be stated since much is put to local use the value of which it is impossible to assess. The value of exports of sisal fibre grown by Africans is estimated at £344,000 in 1951. There are no limitations placed by law on African growers, and no price differentiations for comparable products.

The Kenya Sisal Board buys no sisal fibre: Africans and Europeans alike must export through a licensed agency. Africans have no direct representation on the Board, but there are three Government members including the Director of Agriculture. Africans benefit equally with others from the successes of the Board in promoting the industry, including agronomic research.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how far there has been a decline in the amount of building labour employed by the East Kilbride Development Corporation since October, 1952.

The numbers of building workers employed on work for the East Kilbride Development Corporation on 1st November, 1952, and 24th January, 1953, were 959 and 851 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reply he has received to his letter of 26th July, 1952, addressed to the Secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, on the subject of teachers' pensions.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a memorandum by the Educational Institute of Scotland containing their observations on the letter. This memorandum makes it clear that the Institute are generally opposed to the proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities used accommodation other than school buildings for the teaching of children in 1952; and what was the total amount paid in rent for those premises.

Twenty-eight education authorities used such accommodation in 1952. I regret that information about the amount paid in rent is not available.

asked the Minister of Food if he is yet in a position to make a statement about the decontrol and de-rationing of sweets.

No.

asked the Minister of National Insurance to what extent it has been found necessary to supplement the incomes of refugees admitted to this country since 1946.

I regret that this information is not available.