asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is satisfied with the work which is being done in County Durham to restore to food production agricultural land which has either been lost to agriculture or is producing only inferior crops due to coalmining subsidence damage.

The treatment of land damaged by mining subsidence presents one of the most difficult problems of land reclamation. I am satisfied, however, that the National Coal Board is undertaking as much of this work as is reasonably economic.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of farmers who, during 1952, sold or relinquished the tenancy of their agricultural units while they were subject to Supervision Orders made in accordance with the Agriculture Act, 1947.

I regret that the statistics my hon. Friend desires are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to give an estimate of the loss of livestock in the West Riding of Yorkshire as a result of the recent severe weather.

No precise estimates of the losses in the West Riding can be made, but inquiries do not suggest that they have been high taking the area as a whole.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are being taken to prevent a repetition this year of the deficit on the Pool Labour Scheme of the county agricultural executive committees.

The scheme is being terminated. The number of counties running it has already been reduced from 14 last year to three this year, and arrangements for ending the scheme in these counties at an early date are now being made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what proportion of the seed corn sown in the United Kingdom has been cleaned; what proportion of corn sown is obtained from seed merchants; and whether any encouragement can be given to farmers to obtain recognised cleaning plant for their own use.

No information is collected from farmers about the amount of seed corn sown that has not been cleaned. It is estimated that rather more than half the corn sown is obtained from merchants, whose common practice is to sell cleaned seed. Farmers are encouraged by the advisory services to sow pure seed of suitable varieties, but it is for farmers themselves to decide whether they should acquire cleaning plant for their own use.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) why the Forestry Commission in Wales is permitted to acquire more land in Cardigan-shire and elsewhere, whilst 38,000 acres already owned by it are not planted; and whether he is satisfied that more marginal land should be acquired for afforestation whilst so much land owned by the Forestry Commission is wholly unproductive;(2) what programme of planting is planned for the 38,000 acres owned by the Forestry Commission in Wales which are not planted; in which years were these acres acquired; and whether he is aware that rural Wales is disturbed by the action of the Forestry Commission in acquiring more land in Cardiganshire and elsewhere whilst so much of the land already owned by the Forestry Commission is wholly unproductive;(3) the location of the 38,000 acres owned by the Forestry Commission in Wales which are not planted; and the 9,000 acres owned by the Commission and considered by it to be unplantable.

The Forestry Commission's planting programme for Wales is at present some 12,000 acres a year. A substantial reserve of unplanted land is required to maintain an orderly forestry programme of this magnitude. The reserve has already been reduced to three times the annual rate of planting, compared with a figure of 10 times considered necessary before the war. The land is not, however, unproductive since a large part of it is let for temporary grazing. The reserve is distributed in relatively small blocks scattered throughout Wales and the 9,000 acres of unplantable land is intermingled with it. Full details of the location and the date of acquisition of these hundreds of small areas cannot be given without very extensive research, but I will write to my hon. Friend at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any decision has yet been made concerning the proposal to supplement benefits payable under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Acts to members of the Auxiliary Fire Service who are injured on duty.

This is a complicated question and I have not yet completed the necessary consultations, but I hope that a decision will be reached in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed during the period of the suspension of the death penalty, from 16th April, 1948, to 10th June, 1948; and how many murders were committed during the same period of each year from 1945 to 1952.

The number of murders committed during the period in question in each of the years 1946 to 1951 was as follows; 1946, 24; 1947, 30; 1948, 28; 1949, 17; 1950, 25; 1951, 19. The provisional figure for 1952 is 25. I regret that the figures for 1945 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes, in which the criminals carried arms, took place during the period of the suspension of the death penalty, from 16th April, 1948, to 10th June, 1948; and how many similar crimes took place during the same period of each post-war year.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has with the authorities concerned in regard to the provision of living accommodation for those prison officers who are evicted from official quarters upon retirement.

Although I am prepared to look into particular cases of hardship, it would not be proper for me to take up general housing questions with the local authorities, who have a statutory responsibility to discharge in the selection of their tenants.

asked the Minister of Health the estimated requirements of the South-West Regional Hospital Board for 1953; what was the amount allocated in 1952; and what is the reason for the difference.

I am not clear what figures the bon. Member has in mind. The amount allocated to this Board for meeting maintenance costs in the hospital service for 1953–54 is £15,593,000 (compared with the Board's forecast estimate of £15,844,552, based on price and wage rates at the end of August, 1952). The amount allocated for 1952–53 was £15,189,000. The difference is accounted for partly by continued development and partly by increased costs.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the difficulties experienced in providing facilities for neurosurgery at Springfield Mental Hospital; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that this treatment is more readily available.

I understand that the difficulties referred to occurred in 1951 and satisfactory arrangements were subsequently made.

asked the Minister of Health why it is necessary for his approval to be given before additional junior domestic staff are engaged by the board of governors of a teaching hospital.

My approval is required only to increases in total staff numbers. The purpose of this, as of other similar measures adopted from 1950 onwards, is to ensure that hospital staff are not increased above the number needed for the efficient care of the patients.

asked the Minister of Health the number of bone-conduction hearing aids issued by the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle. at the latest convenient date: and the number of applications still outstanding.

At 20th February the numbers were, respectively, five and 11.

asked the Minister of Health what financial saving he now estimates will result from the charge for prescriptions; how much of this saving will result from a fall in the number and cost of prescriptions; and how the savings compare with the estimate given at the time of the introduction of the Health Service Act. 1952.

The estimated amount of the prescription charges paid or to be paid in 1952–53 by patients in England and Wales is about £5 million. The number of prescriptions dispensed during the year is not now expected to be less than in 1951–52; this is due to the abnormal rise in the number issued due to the recent fogs and the influenza epidemic. The average cost per prescription is this year continuing the upward trend of previous years.On the assumption that the charges would operate for a full year and that the number of prescriptions dispensed in 1952–53 would be 10 per cent. fewer than in 1951–52, it was originally estimated that patients' payments in 1952–53 would amount to £6.8 million, and that the further saving due to a reduction in the number of prescriptions would be £3.9 million.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet been able to fill the vacancies in the medical appointments to the Woodberry Down Health Centre; and what are the reasons for the delay.

Local doctors have been asked which of them would wish to practise from the centre, but the abnormal calls on their time recently have delayed them in meeting to consider the matter. It is hoped they will do so shortly.

asked the Minister of Health what agency services the Department of the Registrar-General maintains in Northern Ireland; what is the purpose of such services; and what is the annual cost.

None.

asked the Minister of Health the number of deaths in England and Wales caused by diphtheria in 1952 or the latest year for which the figures are available; and further, if he will state the number of deaths from diphtheria in the year that preceded the introduction of general immunisation.

The number of deaths from diphtheria in England and Wales in 1951 was 33; the figure for 1952 is not yet available but will probably be about the same. The number of deaths in 1940 which was the year preceding the introduction of general immunisation was 2,480.

asked the Minister of Education if she will provide free transport for children from Penhill Estate to Pinehurst School, Swindon, in view of the distances involved and the fact that many of the children are mere infants.

No. I understand that no child travelling on foot from the Penhill Estate has to walk as much as one mile to reach Pinehurst School.

asked the Minister of Education when she will be able to let the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street have a reply to his letter of 2nd January, 1953, in regard to a proposal submitted to her Department in May, 1952, about the transport of pupils.

The hon. Member will now have had a letter from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary explaining the position.

asked the Minister of Education if she will reconsider her decision not to make special provision for independent schools to watch the Coronation, in view of the fact that this constitutes discrimination between different types of schools.

I have considered this matter carefully, but I do not feel justified in asking the local education authorities concerned to make special provision for children attending independent schools. It is a matter for decision by the individual authorities.

asked the Minister of Education what sums have been included in the education Estimates per year, since 1933, for research or aid to local education authorities and teachers for improving the teaching of reading to young children, excluding the expenditure connected with the 1948 investigation of reading ability published in 1950 as Ministry of Education Pamphlet No. 18.

The cost of any such aid would fall under a number of different sub-heads, without appearing as specific sums in the Estimates of my Department

asked the Minister of Education what representations she has received from national bodies expressing concern at the fact that backward reading in schools is as widespread as one in three of the pupils; and what action she is planning to improve reading ability.

I have recently received two resolutions expressing concern at the evidence of backwardness in reading suggested by an investigation held in 1948, which was summarised in Pamphlet No. 18 published by my Department in 1950. The issues raised in the second part of the Question are too wide to be dealt with in answer to a Parliamentary Question.

asked the Minister of Education to give an assurance that the recently announced cuts in adult education grants will not affect the amount of grants made to residential colleges under the Further Education Grant Regulations for the year 1952–53.

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of 19th February to the hon. Member for Oldbury and Halesowen (Mr. Moyle).

asked the Minister of Education what protests she has received from Wales concerning her proposal to reduce her grant for adult education classes by 10 per cent.

Three from branches or special meetings of the W.E.A. and one from a trades council.

asked the Minister of Education whether she has considered a resolution from the Blackburn Teachers' Association protesting against the proposed reduction in grants for adult education; and what reply she has sent.

Yes. I have considered this resolution and am sending the hon. Member a copy of the reply that has been sent.

asked the Minister of Education how much she expects to save by applying the 10 per cent. cut in grant for adult education to classes in Wales.

As I am still in discussion with the organisations concerned about the precise amount of grants to be paid for next year, I cannot yet answer this Question.

asked the Minister of Education if she is now able to announce the result of her further discussions with representatives of the Universities Council for Adult Education and of the Workers Educational Association on the grants to be paid to them by her Department.

Yes. I have asked that before taking any final decisions about the grants for next year I may be given some further information about the position and commitments of the individual responsible bodies. Their representatives have agreed to my request and I am now awaiting to hear from them further.

asked the Minister of Education when, and in what circumstances, her proposals for reducing the grants for adult education classes were communicated to the responsible bodies, and what reference was made to the Press publicity which had been given to these proposals when she received a deputation last week.

After the informal discussions mentioned in my answer of 12th February, to the hon. Member for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs (Mr. Malcolm MacPherson), I informed the Chairman of the Universities Council for Adult Education and the Secretary of the W.E.A. six weeks ago that I was proposing to reduce the grant to the bodies responsible for adult education classes for the academic year 1953–54. This information was given them so that the various responsible bodies might begin their examination of my proposals with a view to further detailed discussions with me or my officers. The spokesmen of the deputation that I received last week told me that they regretted that publicity had been given to the matter while they were expecting to meet me for further discussions.

asked the Minister of Education the number of adult education classes in Wales that were abandoned last year due to her standstill regulation with regard to financial assistance: and by what number she estimates that these classes will be reduced by imposing a 10 per cent. cut in grant allowed.

I regret that I have not the information asked for in the first part of the Question. The reduction if any in the number of classes which would result from a reduction in my grant would vary according to the circumstances of the individual responsible bodies concerned, and in particular according to their ability to increase their income from other sources, such as students' fees.

asked the Minister of Education (1) the average cost per head per annum of the education of pupils in England and Wales in maintained grammar schools;(2) the cost of education per head per annum for a child in a maintained primary school and a maintained secondary modern school, respectively.

The returns received from authorities do not enable me to give separate figures for particular types of maintained secondary schools. On the basis of the revised estimates of authorities for 1952–53, the average cost per pupil for all pupils in maintained secondary schools is a little under £54. The corresponding figure for pupils in maintained primary schools is about £30.

asked the Minister of Education how many university awards were made by local education authorities to students entering universities and university colleges for the first time in October, 1952.

9,623 new awards made by local education authorities were taken up at universities and university colleges in October, 1952.

asked the Minister of Education what is the known number of spastic children in Cardiff; and what educational facilities are available for them.

I cannot say, because I do not collect separate figures for spastic as distinct from other physically handicapped children. Some spastic children can attend ordinary schools; the local education authority send the others, in so far as they are educable, to special schools in England or arrange for them to be taught at home. I hope that work will start this year on the new boarding special school for physically handicapped children which is to be provided in Glamorgan.

asked the Minister of Education how many spastic children of school age are known to the education authorities in Norfolk and Norwich, respectively.

I do not collect separate figures of spastic as distinct from other physically handicapped children. I suggest that the hon. Member should ask the two authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Education what correspondence she has had from the National Association of Local Education Authority Youth Service officers regarding the allocation of seats on the Coronation route to members of youth organisations controlled by education authorities; and what reply she has made.

The Chairman of the Association wrote to my Department on 23rd January; I am considering the matter, but a reply has not yet been sent.

asked the Minister of Education, in regard to the Sophia Evans Foundation Scheme for the benefit of girls in Presteigne, Radnorshire, whether she will sanction the application of Clause 13, subsection (1) (c) of that scheme to such objects as educational visits to museums, books for school libraries, and games equipment, where boys might incidentally share the benefit with girls, bearing in mind the increased importance of this clause now that there is no longer a church school.

The objects mentioned are within the scope of Clause 13 (1) (c) of the Scheme, which is for the benefit of girls only. I am therefore prepared to sanction the application of income to those objects and I would not raise objection if, in that application, there was incidental benefit for boys. I am, however, precluded from sanctioning any proposal that would benefit boys ex professo.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities are sending boys and girls to public schools under the terms of the Fleming Committee recommendations.

My approval is required under the Scholarships and Other Benefits Regulations of the Education Act, 1944, to the general arrangements made by local education authorities for assisting pupils to attend independent schools, but I do not require local education authorities to keep me informed of the extent to which they give such assistance.

asked the Minister of Education if she is aware of the shortage of accommodation in schools for mentally-retarded children in the North-West; and what steps are being taken to improve the situation.

I am aware of the shortage of special school places for educationally sub-normal children, both in the North-West and in the country generally. I have told local education authorities that I will give particular attention to the needs of these children in compiling the building programme.

asked the Minister of Education the percentage failing in their examinations at various stages among State and local education authority-aided students, in each of the universities and university colleges of England and Wales, as compared with the percentage of all students failing.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Education how many boys and girls over the age of 16 years there are in full-time education.

In January, 1952, there were 71,000 boys and 58,000 girls of 16 and over in England and Wales attending grant-aided schools and independent schools recognised by my Department as efficient. During the Educational Year 1951–52 there were, in addition, 6,000 boys and 9,500 girls aged 16 and under 18 in grant-aided and recognised establishments of Further Education.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to help the export of herring.

I am naturally very ready to consider any practicable suggestions which the industry might make on ways in which my Department can help it in its efforts to increase its overseas sales. We have already succeeded, in our negotiations with certain countries with which we have bilateral trade arrangements, in securing markets for our herring industry; and we shall continue to pay full attention to the needs of the industry in such negotiations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now take steps to amend the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Act, 1948, to allow the Government to require the Monopolies Commission to examine the nationalised industries.

I would refer my hon. Friend to what I said during the debate on the Address on 5th November last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer bow far the receipts from entertainment tax on cinema attendance for the year 1952–53 came up to his expectations; and how these takings compared with the previous year.

Receipts of entertainments duty on admissions to cinemas in the financial year 1952–53 are likely to be some 3 per cent. below the estimate and less than I per cent. below receipts in 1951–52.

the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what principle the amounts of Government grants are decided after disasters such as at Lynmouth and the recent storm damage.

It is not possible to lay down a general principle for dealing with events which differ so much in their scale and effect.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated expenditure per head of population per week of the expenditure of the Ministry of Supply and of the Ministry of Defence which cannot be allocated to any one of the Service Departments.

One shilling.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to postpone the Whit Monday Bank Holiday this year by one week until Monday 1st June.

No.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether H.M.S. "Formidable "has yet been sold.

H.M.S. "Formidable "is being handed over to the Ministry of Supply. She is at present at Portsmouth, having some of her equipment removed. I expect that she will be ready for towing to a shipbreaker's yard within the next few weeks.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what future is intended for H.M.S. "Campania."

H.M.S. "Campania" is being laid up at Sheerness.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what action has been taken by the Government in relation to the matters provided for in paragraph 26 (f) of the White Paper on Broadcasting, Command Paper No. 8550.

Paragraph 26 (f) in the White Paper has been embodied in Articles 12 and 20 of the B.B.C. Charter. The B.B.C. has been advised that the Postmaster-General does not propose to exercise his powers to specify the information to be included in the Annual Report and Accounts, on the understanding that he will be notified if the Corporation proposes to provide information differing substantially in form or scope from that in the Report and Accounts for last year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence if he will arrange for all members of Her Majesty's Forces who have worked on the effects of the floods to be given special leave, new clothing, etc., and other special recognition.

I appreciate the spirit which prompted the hon. Member's suggestion. The tribute which has been paid by the House and elsewhere to the magnificent work done by members of Her Majesty's Forces has already been conveyed to them. It is customary for the Forces to give assistance in time of national emergency, and I do not think that they would expect, or even desire, special recognition. Wear and tear of clothing arising from this work will be made good without cost to the men concerned. Unit and formation commanders are well aware of the extra work and loss of leave caused by these special duties and are taking all possible steps to make it good.

asked the Minister of Food the total monthly consumption of free milk in schools in England.

The average monthly consumption during 1952 was about 3.45 million gallons.

asked the Minister of Transport in how many cases in 1951 and 1952 he has failed to validate experimental police traffic notices in the Metropolitan Police District after the experimental period has expired.

Two. In both cases the position has now been duly regularised.

asked the Minister of Transport how long the work of widening A5 at Elstree will take; how much time has been lost owing to bad weather; and when north bound traffic will be restored to its normal route.

This work has been delayed for about two weeks by bad weather. I expect that north bound traffic will be restored to its normal route in about three weeks' time and that the whole work will be completed about the end of March.

asked the Minister of Transport the relative merits of sand and gravel for making icy road surfaces less slippery; the comparative cost of these two materials; and their effect on rubber tyres.

Experiments show that sharp sand and sharp small gravel are equally effective for the treatment of icy roads. Costs vary in different parts of the country, but generally sand is the cheaper of the two. Tyres are liable to be damaged by large gravel, but are not appreciably affected by sand or small gravel.

asked the Minister of Materials from what sources we are now receiving woodpulp or paper; what are the main categories of allocation to home consumers; and in what quantitative proportions these are distributed.

Woodpulp is imported mainly from Sweden, Finland, Norway and Canada. These countries, together with the Netherlands and the United States of America, are also our main sources of supply of imported paper and board. The total amount of currency available for the import of woodpulp for paper-making is shared among the paper and board mills in proportion to their actual consumption of woodpulp in either the second half of 1951 or the second half of 1952, whichever was the greater. Firms may use their quotas to import any type of woodpulp for paper-making and have complete freedom to choose their source of supply.The currency available for the purchase of each type of paper and board (excluding newsprint) is shared between importers (who may not necessarily be the consumers) in proportion to their actual imports of paper and board in the period 31st December, 1950, to 3rd November, 1951, when imports were on open general licence. Separate quotas have been established for the principal types of paper and board, and dollar imports of some of these types are permitted within limits. Non-dollar quotas may be used to import from any country outside the dollar area; the dollar quotas may be exchanged, if the importer wishes, for quotas from nondollar countries.

asked the Minister of Materials the general percentage increase or decrease in the value of the articles and commodities purchased by his Department during the year 1952 in comparison with the years 1950 and 1951.

Taking 1952 as 100, the corresponding figure for 1951 would be about 115, and for 1950 about 80. But these figures should not be treated as an authoritative index of price movements because the quantities, types and qualities of the materials purchased by the Ministry varied over the three years covered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking regarding technical education and training in the Nigerian railway following the report of the committee appointed by the chief mechanical engineer, published in January, 1952.

I have not seen this Committee's report, but I am told by the Nigerian Government that its recommendations are being carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the failure of the fishery experiments of the Colonial Development Corporation, what other attempts to open up fisheries in colonial waters have been abandoned.

None, that I know of.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number and names of the local authorities who have entered into arrangements with his Department under paragraph 4 of the Ministry of Health Circular No. 20/46 with regard to the control and management of huts on former camp sites.

The number of local authorities who have entered into these arrangements is 192. If my hon. and gallant Friend would like details about any particular authority I will gladly let him have them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation to make adequate pension provision for families of firemen killed on duty, and to make such provision retrospective.

There is already provision for the payment of special pensions or allowances to the dependants of both whole-time and part-time firemen who are killed on duty. In the case of part-time firemen the arrangements were revised last December, but I regret that there is no power to give the revised arrangements retrospective effect.