asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours a week the average prisoner does manual work.

The working week varies with the type of prison. At the end of 1952 the average working week was over 38 hours in the separate corrective training prisons; over 37 hours in the regional prisons and the central prisons for the Star class; and about 25 hours in local prisons.

asked the Minister of Labour the average daily surplus of national and of London dockworkers, respectively, in the last week of January, 1951 and 1953; and the percentage of the register that this accounts for in each case.

I would refer the hon. Member to the figures given to him on 12th February in reply to a similar Question, and to the statement subsequently forwarded to him.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the members appointed to serve on the four committees established under the Licensed Residential and Catering Establishments Board; if he will indicate the chairman of each committee; and which members are drawn from Scotland.

The following is the reply:

asked the Minister of Health the numbers, per 1,000 of population, of notifications of tuberculosis and deaths from tuberculosis in England and Wales as a whole, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, respectively, during 1952.

1952 figures are not yet available. The death rates from tuberculosis in 1951 were 315 per million for England and Wales and 425 per million for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The notification rates were, respectively, 1.13 and 1.71 per thousand.

asked the Minister of Health what facts or figures are in his possession to show whether tuberculosis is imported into this country by aliens coming to reside here; and to what extent they show this to be a source of danger to the inhabitants of this country.

I have no comprehensive figures or information on this problem, but it is being considered by my Standing Tuberculosis Advisory Committee.

asked the Minister of Health on what grounds the Baylis Court Nursery, Slough, is to be closed.

The Buckinghamshire County Council propose to close this nursery because only 29 children are attending the two day nurseries in Slough and these can all be accommodated in the other day nursery at Manor Park, Penn Road.

asked the Minister of Education if she is aware that the Workers Educational Association makes an important contribution to the cultural life of small communities; that this work will be undermined by the cuts in Government grant which she has announced: and if she will restore the cuts.

I am aware of the valuable work which the Workers Educational Association is doing in small communities as well as in larger centres. With regard to the second and third parts of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to my answer of 26th February to the hon. and gallant Member for Norfolk, Central (Brigadier Medlicott).

asked the Minister of Education to make a statement on her recent discussions with representatives of adult education organisations concerning the grants for 1953–1954.

asked the Minister of Education if, in the light of representations made to her by the bodies concerned, she will now reconsider her proposed 10 per cent. cut in grants to bodies in adult education.

asked the Minister of Education whether she has now received the further information about adult education she requested from the individually responsible bodies; and if she will now make a statement on the reduction of grants for adult education.

I would refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 26th February to the hon. and gallant Member for Norfolk, Central (Brigadier Medlicott). Not all the bodies concerned have yet sent me the information which I requested, and I am therefore not yet in a position to make any further statement.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will recommend that a certain number of the courses for teachers, arranged by or under the auspices of her Department in 1953, be devoted to the Atlantic community.

The programme of short courses for teachers to be held in 1953 has already been drawn up, but in arranging future programmes my Department will be including courses of wider application in which inter alia the aims and achievements of the Atlantic community will be studied. It may be possible later on to run courses specifically concerned with the Atlantic community on an international basis.

asked the Minister of Education what percentage of children in all the schools of the borough of Merthyr Tydfil were taking school dinners in each of the years 1948. 1949. 1950, 1951 and 1952; what was the number of children paying for their dinners in each of these years: and what was the cost per dinner in those years.

The following is the answer:

STATISTICS OF SCHOOL DINNERS IN MERTHYR TYDFIL ON A PARTICULAR DAY IN OCTOBER FOR STATED YEARS
Year		Percentage of children taking dinners	Number of children taking dinners on payment	Cost per dinner charged to parents
				d.
1948	…	69·3	4,466	4
1949	…	68·3	4,408	4
1950	…	55·5	3,223	6
1951	…	57·1	3,293	7
1952	…	58·1	3,472	7

asked the Minister of Education what measures have been taken, or will be taken, during 1953 to facilitate the exchange of professors, teachers and students, between universities and schools of the United Kingdom and those of other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Arrangements for the exchange of teachers between this country and a number of other countries including countries which are members of the Organisation exist already and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the administrative memorandum setting out details for 1953–4. Similar arrangements for linking of schools, school correspondence and exchanges of visits have for long been encouraged. University exchanges are not my responsibility.

asked the Minister of Education the total number of pupils being educated at the public schools by means of scholarships from local education authorities.

The information is not available: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 26th February.

asked the Minister of Education if she will issue a circular to the local education authorities urging the undesirability of principal employees of such authorities taking part in political controversy.

No.

asked the Minister of Education (1) how many students entering the universities in the years 1951–52 and 1952–53, respectively, were granted major awards, and minor awards; and how many had no grants from the local education authorities:(2) how many university students have had their tuition fees paid by the local education authorities; and how many by the State; and how many students pay their own fees.

A total of 19,047 students entered universities in England and Wales in 1951–52 (including students from overseas). Of these 2,569 held State Scholarships or other awards given by my Department and 10,285 held awards from local education authorities, of which 8,830 were major and 1,455 minor awards. The corresponding figures for 1952–53 are not yet available, but for the autumn term they are 17,967, 2,866 and 9,623 (8,049 major and 1,574 minor awards). All but a very small proportion of students holding awards from my Department or from local education authorities have their tuition fees paid. I cannot say how many of the remainder pay their own fees or have their fees paid from other sources.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the numbers of new projects started in Scotland in Development Areas in years 1945, 1950 and 1952, respectively.

Nineteen new projects were started in Scotland in Development Areas in 1945; 48 in 1950; and 26 in 1952. The increase of three in the figure for 1952 over that given in my reply to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) on 19th February is due to the inclusion of additional information which has reached us since that date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many factories there are in Scotland, built in part or wholly from public funds, which are unoccupied or will shortly be available; and where such factory space is located.

At present two publicly financed factories at Port Glasgow, one at Chapelhall and one at Newhouse are unoccupied. In addition, one factory at Newhouse and part of one at Dundee will be vacated shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the report on the Northern Region, issued by the North-East Development Association, he will reconsider his policy regarding the construction of advance factories.

I have not seen the report, which I understand has not yet been published; but I have promised that I, or my hon. and learned Friend the Parliamentary Secretary will receive a deputation from the North-East Development Association at a suitable time after the publication of the report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the weight of manufactured meat products imported in 1951 and 1952, respectively.

Imports of manufactured meat products, including canned meats, in 1951 and 1952 amounted to 234,000 tons and 202,000 tons, respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why import licences were given to Rival Lamps Limited to import 62 cylinders of gas from France when the necessary supplies could not be obtained in this country as the firm was engaged in a wage dispute.

This company has neither applied for nor received a licence permitting the import of these gases. Compressed gases are freely admissible from France under the open general licence.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to make an announcement about the purchase arrangements for raw cotton in the coming buying season.

Yes. The Government have decided that "cover" should be made available to the cotton industry in the 1953–54 buying season on terms broadly similar to, though not necessarily identical with, those provided this season by the Raw Cotton Commission. A number of problems arise, however, with regard to the operations of the Raw Cotton Commission and to the precise terms and methods whereby the "cover" scheme is to be worked. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Materials and I, after discussion with the organisations which were represented on the Cotton Import Committee, have therefore decided to set up a Review Committee with terms of reference as follows:

"To consider whether, within the framework of the Report of the Cotton Import Committee, any change would be desirable in the obligations and duties at present imposed on the Raw Cotton Commission, with respect in particular to the supply of cotton and provision of 'cover' to the United Kingdom cotton industry; and to make recommendations."

I am happy to say that Sir Richard Hopkins has again consented to act as Chairman of the Committee and that its composition will be substantially the same as that of the original Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to increase the scale of penalties for persons found guilty of offences under Section I (2) of the Exchange Control Act, 1947.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will revise his existing instructions to the banks to enable them to advance the funds urgently required by firms which suffered damage in the recent floods and which require additional loans to make good the damage and to meet the continuing overhead costs.

The provision of short-term credit for such purposes as my hon. Friend has in mind is part of the ordinary business of the banks, and is not precluded by the terms of the Chancellor's request to them to restrict credit to essential purposes. I have no doubt that the banks will be sympathetic towards applications for loans from firms in the flooded areas.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what part of the Flood Relief Fund will be used to compensate those victims of the floods who were not insured or whose insurance companies are contending that damage was due not to tempest but to flood; and, if the money is not sufficient, whether he will consider a further grant to cover such sufferers.

Payments of compensation and for the relief of individual distress are being met by the Lord Mayor's Fund. It is for the Lord Mayor to decide how the Fund should be distributed and, as the House will be aware, an announcement has been made on his behalf setting out the basis on which payments will be made for the time being. It deals specifically with the position where policies of insurance exist. It is too early to say whether the Lord Mayor may be able to widen the present basis of payment and this will clearly be affected by the response to his appeal. To the last part of the Question, I can say no more today than that Her Majesty's Government are watching the position carefully.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the £ for £ grant from the Government for flood damage takes into account funds collected locally, including those already disbursed, which have not and cannot be accounted for, in the general account.

No. As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made clear on 19th February, the £ for £ grant applies only to ordinary payments to the Lord Mayor's National Flood and Tempest Distress Fund.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what form the compensation to public limited liability companies for property damaged during the recent floods will take.

The question of what types of person or body are to receive payments for the relief of distress is primarily a matter for the Committee set up by the Lord Mayor. No arrangements have been made for payments to public limited liability companies since their position differs in many ways from that of individuals or small firms. In any case in which distress to individuals is involved, application can be made to the Lord Mayor's Fund.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the affairs in Spain of the Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company and its subsidiaries; and, in particular, on the interpretation which has been placed in the proceedings in the Spanish courts on the Agreed Minute signed by Her Majesty's Ambassador in Madrid on 11th June, 1951.

As regards the second part of the Question, paragraph 3 of the Agreed Minute stated that the British and Canadian representatives in the Madrid discussions had been informed of a statement which had been made by the Spanish Minister of Industry and Commerce and which had referred to "irregularities of all kinds" by this group of companies. In certain legal proceedings in Spain in August, 1951, it was implied that in the paragraph quoted the British representatives had associated themselves with the allegations of such irregularities. There are no grounds whatsoever for such an interpretation of the Minute, and in December, 1951, the attention of the Spanish Government was drawn to the unjustifiable use to which the Minute had been put and the hope was expressed that, if, as seemed possible, the decision of the judge in the case in question had been influenced by the distorted interpretation which had been placed on the Minute, the Spanish Government should take urgent steps to clear up any misapprehension. Since the Spanish Government stated in reply that they did not consider such action necessary, I am glad of this opportunity to make known the position of Her Majesty's Government.Generally, on the affairs of this group of companies, I would express the hope that a settlement can be reached between the parties concerned which should take account of the legitimate interests of the Barcelona Traction shareholders and of those who have legitimate claims against the company and its subsidiaries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what assistance will be given to enable flooded allotments to be freed from salt

The rate at which soil that has been flooded with sea water can be freed of salt depends primarily upon the amount of fresh water that is subsequently applied to it either by rain or artificial irrigation. Advice by county agricultural executive committees and the National Agricultural Advisory Service on the treatment of such soils is freely available to local education authorities for the benefit of allotment holders. I understand that as a rule it would be most unwise to attempt any cultivation this year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will introduce legislation to amend the Agriculture Act, 1947, to enable dispossessed farmers to have the right of appeal to a traditional English court of law, not only on a point of law, but on points of fact and merit.

In the light of experience of the working of the Act during the last five years, I am considering what amendments should be made to it when Parliamentary time allows. I will examine this suggestion among others in consultation with representatives of the industry itself. Amendment on these lines has not yet been proposed by any of the leading representative organisations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of live horses imported from Eire and Northern Ireland into this country during each of the five years ended in 1952; the average length of the sea voyage on each route used, from embarkation to disembarkation; the number of hours approximately taken for the voyages; the ports of embarkation and disembarkation; the number killed and injured each year on board ship or through accident en route; the average distance from the port of disembarkation to the place of slaughter in this country; and the number of horses imported expressly for slaughter for human consumption in this country from Eire and Northern Ireland, in each case.

The figures asked for in the first and last parts of the Question are not available. Imports of horses not intended for food from the Republic of Ireland into the United Kingdom during each of the five years were:

1948	…	…	…	16,937
1949	…	…	…	15,633
1950	…	…	…	14,734
1951	…	…	…	17,029
1952	…	…	…	15,060

The figures include temporary importations for racing or breeding. The trade returns of animals imported for food do not contain separate figures for horses; neither do they distinguish between imports from the Republic of Ireland into Great Britain and Northern Ireland respectively. There are no statistics of imports into Great Britain from Northern Ireland.Particulars of the main routes are as follows:

—	Distance in nautical miles	Average duration of voyage (hours)
Cork—Fishguard	126½	9
Waterford—Birkenhead	189	19
Dublin—Holyhead	57	4
Dublin—Birkenhead	112	10
Belfast—Birkenhead	135	12
Belfast—Heysham	126	8
Belfast—Glasgow	104	10
Limerick—Birkenhead	445	43

I understand that horses seldom travel on the last-named route.Casualties on the voyage during the period in question were as follows:

—		Died	Injured but not slaughtered	Slaughtered because of injury or other reasons
1948	…	9	1	9
1949	…	6	—	5
1950	…	2	1	2
1951	…	22	—	11
1952	…	1	—	4

I have no information as to the average distance between the port of disembarkation and the place of slaughter of horses imported for food.

asked the Minister of Agriculture to state, in tabular form, the acreage under control of the county agricultural committees at the latest available date, showing the profit or loss on their farming operations.

For figures on profit and loss, I would refer my hon. Friend to Volume II of the Trading Accounts and Balance Sheets 1951–52. The reply to the first part of the Question is as follows:

LAND UNDER THE CONTROL OF COUNTY AGRICULTURAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES IN ENGLAND AND WALES AT 31ST JANUARY, 1953
Committee	Land held by Committees	Land held by Service or Supply Departments	Total
	Acres	Acres	Acres
ENGLAND
Bedfordshire	206	401	607
Berkshire	414	228	642
Bucks	296	1,968	2,264
Cambs.	380	707	1,087
Cheshire	2,649	536	3,185
Cornwall	898	342	1,240
Cumberland	—	728	728
Derby	940	215	1,155
Devon	263	52	315
Dorset	743	—	743
Durham	4	—	4
Essex	1,814	3,324	5,138
Gloucester	570	—	570
Hants.	743	—	743
Hereford	736	540	1,276
Hertford	608	—	608
Hunts. and Soke of Peterborough	57	1,234	1,291
Isle of Ely	—	701	701
Kent	1,588	—	1,588
Lancashire	50	—	50
Leicester	274	1,494	1,768
Lincs. (Holland)	—	319	319
Lincs. (Kesteven)	264	251	515
Lincs. (Lindsey)	2	2,289	2,291
Middlesex	35	—	35
Norfolk	311	1,714	2,025
Northampton	678	964	1,642
Northumberland	22	210	232
Notts.	78	794	872
Oxford	218	140	358
Salop	—	918	918
Somerset	703	—	703
Staffs.	12	520	532
Suffolk, East	208	2,218	2,426
Suffolk, West	1,725	1,054	2,779
Surrey	1,232	—	1,232
Sussex, East	622	—	622
Sussex, West	36	1,989	2,025
Warwick	126	532	658
Wilts.	278	785	1,063
Worcester	607	—	607
Yorks.—
East Riding	—	1,238	1,238
North Riding	345	1,126	1,471
West Riding	382	757	1,139
WALES
Anglesey	41	—	41
Cardigan	145	—	145
Denbighshire	—	134	134
Flint	165	—	165
Glamorgan	86	—	86
Montgomery	6	—	6
Pembroke	—	567	567
Radnor	186	—	186
TOTAL	21,746	30,989	52,735

asked the Minister of Agriculture the prices now being paid in respect of the items for which the Government have determined the minimum prices for the years 1954–55 and 1955–56.

The following is the reply:

EXPECTED AVERAGE PRICES 1952–53, FOR COMPARISON WITH MINIMUM PRICES FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS, 1954–55 AND 1955–56
	Expected Average Price in 1952–53
Milk, average wholesale price, per gallon	3s. 0¼d.
	(including production bonus)
Fat Cattle—steers, heifers and cow heifers, average per live cwt.	124s.7d.
	(including quality premium)
Fat Sheep and Lambs, per lb. d.c.w.	2s. 7d.
	(including headage payment and spring lamb bonus)
Fat Pigs, clean pigs in quality premium range, per score d.w., including quality premiums	56s. 6d.
Hen Eggs, per dozen	4s. 7d.
	(first quality only)
Duck Eggs, per dozen	3s. 3½d.
Wool per lb. for fleece wool	4s. 6d.

NOTESThese average prices relate as nearly'as possible to the minimum price commodity specifications for 1954–55 and 1955–56. They do not, therefore, necessarily agree exactly with the prices suggested for 1952–53 by Appendix VI of Cmd. 8556. In the case of fat cattle, the 1952–53 expected average price includes cow heifers whereas the minimum price guarantee relates to steers, heifers and a class of special young cows. The quality premium range for pigs for minimum price purposes differs from that in current use.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how much money has been spent in each year since 1945 in the country as a whole, and in Dorset in particular, on the examination by his officers of apiaries suspected of European foul brood disease among bees; and how much money has been spent on research into this disease during the same period.

Apiaries are examined for both American and European Foul Brood Diseases and it is not possible to give separate figures for the cost of inspection where European Foul Brood Disease was suspected. Research work on a variety of bee problems is carried out at Rothamsted Experimental Station, and since 1948 the Agricultural Research Council has been making a special research grant to the Station to enable a research worker to carry out investigations on European Foul Brood Disease. Up to the end of September, 1952, these grants totalled £1,902. A further grant of £549 has been authorised for the year commencing 1st October, 1952.

asked the Minister of Agriculture why representatives of his Department are not available to give evidence with regard to objections to the use of agricultural land for development at relevant public inquiries.

It is the practice for representatives of one Government Department not to give evidence at an inquiry held by another Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what further measures he proposes to take to ensure the restoration of all East Coast sea defences.

We have closed nearly all the gaps in our defences and are now engaged in strengthening them to withstand the storms and high tides that may be encountered in the next few weeks. I. should like to pay a warm tribute to the river board engineers who have planned and directed this work. The country owes a great debt to them for their untiring energy and resourcefulness.Between now and autumn we have to restore our defences along 1,000 miles of coastline and make them strong and ready to withstand the tides and storms of next autumn and winter. In six or seven months we must plan and carry out works that would normally be spread over many years.The Government have decided to pay the full cost of all sea defence works undertaken before the end of September that are required so as to provide the same standard of protection as existed before the 31st January. Where important industrial plants or large numbers of dwelling houses are affected, we cannot take risks and must forthwith plan to give greater protection than existed before. In such cases we shall negotiate an appropriate rate of grant with the river board.While the work of strengthening the sea walls is going on continuously my Department and river boards are working speedily together in completing plans for more permanent works and putting them into execution. I am setting up an inter-Departmental Working Party to speed up the help that other Departments may be able to give and that any problems the works may raise for them are swiftly resolved.When these plans are ready, there must be no delay in acting on them, and a Bill will be introduced shortly to give river boards special emergency powers until the end of this year to acquire land for erecting sea defences and flood embankments and, where necessary, for securing clay or other material to build them.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the number of deserters from the Royal Navy who have been absent for a period of more than five years.

At the end of January, 1953, 1,487 men who had deserted from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines had been absent for more than five years. This figure does not include pre-war deserters from the Royal Marines, whose number cannot now be ascertained.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department adheres to its original specifications in the production of aircraft for the Fleet Air Arm.

Changes in Staff requirements for naval aircraft, involving changes in the original specification, may become necessary to meet new strategic or tactical needs, to provide for the incorporation of new or improved weapons or equipment, or even to meet limitations imposed by design. It would therefore be quite impossible for the Admiralty to undertake never to alter a Staff requirement. I can however, assure my hon. Friend that the implications of such changes are always fully examined before the changes are authorised.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the individual values of the 57 building projects submitted by regional hospital boards in Scotland which have been approved and started; the sums in respect of each individual project to be expended in 1953; the individual projects which will be started during 1953, and the value of each; and the sums in respect of each of these individual projects to be expended in 1953.

The information requested can be summarised as follows:

MAJOR WORK STARTED IN OR BEFORE 1952 AND CONTINUING IN 1953
Value of individual projects	No. of projects	Total Cost	Probable Expenditure in 1953
		£	£
Over £200,000	2	448,233	140,000
£150,000–£200,000	—	—	—
£100,000–£150,000	4	433,100	129,400
£50,000–£100,000	9	651,948	195,320
£25,000–£50,000	13	475,762	183,700
£10,000–£25,000	29	466,745	151,387
Total	57	£2,475,788	£799,807

MAJOR WORK WHICH IT IS HOPED WILL START IN 1953
Value of individual projects		No. Of Projects	Total Cost
			£
£100,000–£150,000	…	3	323,000
£50,000–£100,000	…	14	876,250
£25,000–£50,000	…	11	382,900
£10,000–£25,000	…	13	176,900
Total	…	41	£1,759,050

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the discontent amongst members of the Civil Defence force in Scotland caused by the high prices which they have to pay for equipment of which he has been given details; if he will take steps to have these prices moderated; and if he will make a statement.

No. Members of the Civil Defence Corps are not required to pay for any equipment issued to them. Training equipment is supplied on free loan to the responsible local authorities and it is available for purchase by industrial and commercial firms who have formed industrial Civil Defence units. The expenditure incurred may be expected to be admitted as a deduction in computing trading profits for Income Tax purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total area of agricultural land taken over since 1945 by local authorities for housing in Scotland and in Lanarkshire, respectively; and the number of new dwellings built in both cases.

In the period 1945 to 1952, inclusive, the areas of agricultural land approved for local authority housing in Scotland and Lanarkshire were 23,154 and 5,336 acres, respectively. During this period 176,948 houses were built of which 22,045 were in Lanarkshire, but some of these were built on land acquired by local authorities before 1945 and were built on non-agricultural land. The figures for Lanarkshire do not include land acquired or houses built by the Corporation of Glasgow.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total area of agricultural land diverted since 1945 to building other than housing in Scotland, and in Lanarkshire, respectively.

I regret that the information desired is not readily available since the matter is very largely in the hands of local planning authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total area of agricultural land diverted since 1945 to factory building in Scotland, and Lanarkshire, respectively; and the total area of factory space and the volume of new employment so provided in both cases.

I am unable to say how much agricultural land has been used for factory building in Scotland and Lanarkshire since 1945. With regard to the provision of new factory space and consequent new employment, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the President of the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) on 19th February. For convenience, I am sending a copy of that reply. This deals with Scotland as a whole, and I am asking my right hon. Friend to supply information in respect of Lanarkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the Eastern House of Assembly in Nigeria has passed a vote of no confidence in six Ministers who had previously resigned and subsequently withdrawn their resignations; that these Ministers have refused to vacate office; and what action he proposes to take to end the deadlock in the business of the Assembly which has consequently occurred.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. T. Reid). As regards the last part of the Question, the Governor has not asked me to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will instruct the Kenya Government to provide safe-conduct passes for witnesses required by the defence in the trial of Jomo Kenyatta and others at Kapenguria.

The Kenya Government have given every assistance to the defence to secure attendance of witnesses required by them at Kapenguria, frequently at very short notice, and will continue to do so. It cannot, however, give a binding undertaking that a witness at present outside the Colony will be immune from the process of the law if he comes within jurisdiction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what discussions, following the grant of financial assistance to the Government of Malta, Her Majesty's Government have had with that Government about the emigration programme; and with what result.

No discussions have yet taken place, but Her Majesty's Government are awaiting proposals from the Maltese Government for a programme of emigration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps the Government of Hong Kong are taking to provide facilities for higher education, based on Chinese as the medium of instruction, for refugees from China.

An evening school of high Chinese studies was opened in March, 1951, and gives three-year courses in arts, commerce and journalism. The report of a committee in Hong Kong dealing with higher education in Chinese for refugee students is now under consideration in the Colony and I am awaiting the Governor's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reason for the reduction in the output of canned pineapples in Fiji; and what scope there is for increasing this industry to replace canned pineapples previously obtained from dollar resources.

The weather in Fiji during 1950 and 1951 was bad for pine apples. Exports of canned pineapple increased substantially in 1952. I am afraid there is little scope for increasing this industry to replace canned pineapples from dollar sources, because Fiji does not normally export canned pineapples to the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom does not get very much canned pineapple from dollar sources. The shortage of canned pineapple in the United Kingdom is due mainly to decreased exports from Malaya, where the industry has not yet recovered from the devastation caused by the Japanese occupation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the transfer of the Western Pacific High Commission Administration to the British Solomon Islands has been completed.

The High Commissioner and the majority of his staff have now moved from Suva in Fiji to Honiara in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, which from the 1st January, 1953, became the headquarters of the High Commission. Only a small staff now remains in Suva to clear up the High Commission's affairs there.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has given consideration to that part of Mr. Guillebaud's report on African wages and labour conditions in Northern Rhodesia which comments on the non-implementation of the Dalgleish Report; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

The Arbitrator's report has not yet been communicated to me by the Governor, and I have nothing to add at present to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. J. Johnson) on 26th November last.

asked the Minister of Materials to publish a statement showing the quantity and value of all materials,

MATERIALS PURCHASED FROM OVERSEAS BY THE MINISTRY OF MATERIALS (a)
—	1951			1952
	Purchases		Arrivals (b)	Purchases		Arrivals (b)
	Quantity	Value (f.o.b)		Quantity	Value (f.o.b.)
	Tons '000	£'000	Tons '000	Tons '000	£'000	Tons '000
Aluminium	183·9	21,222	172·6	232·7	34,041	241·9
Copper, Blister and Electrolytic (c)	338·5	71,754	352·3	347·0	83,376	382·3
Lead (d)	192·1	29,437	170·3	62·1	9,551	123·3
Zinc (e)	135·9	22,641	120·9	225·2	32,557	224·9
Chrome Ore (f)	7·2	57	7·2	—	—	—
Other non-ferrous metals (g)	5·0	4,645	4·8	10·5	11,208	10·1
Timber (h)	2,334·3	51,724	2,391·8	1,248·6	37,936	1,351·5
Raw Materials for Textiles	216·6	49,725	214·3	154·0	24,032	144·0
Materials for Fertilisers and for the manufacture of Sulphuric Acid (i)	2,363·9	17,528	2,336·9	1,462·2	10,209	1,479·5
	5,777·4	268,733	5,771·1	3,742·3	242,910	3,957·5
(a) The figures for the year 1951 include purchases by the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Supply of goods which, since July, 1951, have been the responsibility of the Ministry of Materials. Purchases for strategic reserve are excluded throughout.
(b) Arrivals include some items ordered previous to the year for which they are shown.
(c) Excluding refined copper returned from toll refining overseas of Ministry copper and copper scrap.
(d) The figures for 1952 allow for adjustments made in contracts as part of the termination of public trading. Lead reverted to private trade on 1st October, 1952.
(e) Zinc reverted to private trade as from January, 1953.
(f) Chrome ore reverted to private trade on 21st November, 1950.
(g) These figures relate to purchases of magnesium and tungsten which were brought on to Government purchase from May and July, 1951, respectively.
(h) Softwood reverted to private trade partly in January, 1951, and wholly in January, 1952. Hardwood reverted to private trade in January, 1950. Plywood reverted to private trade partly in May, 1950, and wholly in January, 1953. Pitwood reverted to private trade partly in January, 1951, and wholly in July, 1951.
(i) Fertiliser materials reverted to private trade in July, 1952.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the capitalised values of the present subsidies for houses, flats, and flats in high blocks with lifts, where the developed site costs between £2,000 and £3,000 an acre; and what are the corresponding values where the developed site costs between £9,000 and £10,000 an acre. except foodstruffs, bought in bulk from overseas by Government Departments during 1951 and 1952, together with a statement of the respective deliveries.

The information requested is given in the following table:

The capitalised values of the combined Exchequer and rate fund contributions in respect of houses and of flats built to a density of not less than 30 and not more than 40 to the acre are £769 for houses and £1,520 for flats without lifts and £1,860 for flats in high blocks with lifts where the developed site cost is between £2,000 and £3,000 an acre. The corresponding figures where the developed site costs is between £9,000 and £10,000 an acre are £1,222, £1,697 and £2,038.

asked the Minister of Works how many Scottish firms of soap manufacturers are included in the list of firms from whom soap supplies are purchased by his Department: and whether he will give their names and the most recent date upon which an order of this sort was placed with a Scottish firm.

Nine Scottish soap manufacturers are regularly invited to tender for purchases made by my Department. Tenders were last invited on 24th May, 1952, for a 12 months' period contract of an estimated value of £35,000, of which £4,500 was awarded to a Scottish firm. It is contrary to Government practice to disclose the names of contractors.

asked the Minister of Works the total area of the space still under Government requisition in the City of London and in the City of Westminster, respectively; and what is the total staff accommodated in these premises as at the most recent date for which figures are available.

On the 1st January, 1953, Government Departments held on requisition 79,500 square feet of accommodation in the City of London, of which 64,500 square feet was used as office accommodation for about 700 staff, and 1,253,000 square feet in the City of Westminster, of which about 800,000 square feet was used as office accommodation for 7,380 staff. The figures given for office accommodation include committee rooms, registries, libraries, welfare rooms and some canteens.

asked the Minister of Food the tonnages of rationed feedingstuffs made available to the agricultural industry in the United Kingdom last year; and what were the quantities of barley, maize, oats, sorghums. offals, low protein cakes, high protein cakes, animal protein, unmillable wheat and miscellaneous feedingstuffs, respectively, made available, showing the quantities of home produced and imported goods separately.

The following table shows the quantities of rationed animal feedingstuffs distributed in the United Kingdom during the calendar year 1952:

	Imported	Thousand tons
—		Home-grown or Home-produced	Total
Wheat of feeding quality	129	50	179
Wheat offals (a)	96	939	1,035
Barley	839	218	1,057
Oats	126	144	270
Maize	1,058	—	1,058
Sorghums	104	—	104
Oilcakes and meal (b)—
Low protein	22	260	282
High and medium protein	384	318	702
Animal protein	75	100	175
Other feedingstuffs (c)	260	238	498
TOTAL	3,093	2,267	5,360

NOTES:

asked the hon. Member for Finchley, as representing the Church Commissioners, whether he will defer the closing of Holy Trinity Church, Lambeth, for a further period.

The proposal was considered in May, 1951, by the independent Special Committee set up under the Reorganisation Areas Measure, 1944, for the purpose of hearing appeals of this nature. This tribunal rejected the appeal. Every effort has been made by the bishop of the diocese and by the Commissioners to settle the matter by agreement. This has failed and the Church Commissioners therefore have decided that they cannot extend the period of deferment of the closing of Holy Trinity, Lambeth.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations the composition of the proposed Migration Board; and their terms of reference.

The terms of reference of the Migration Board will be:

"To consider and advise the Secretary of State upon specific proposals for schemes of emigration from the United Kingdom to other Commonwealth countries, and upon any matter relating thereto which may be referred to it by him."

I hope to be able to make a statement giving the names of the members of the Board at an early date.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what talks he has had with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for the extension of immigration schemes to those Dominions.

As a result of Governmental discussions which took place in 1951, the United Kingdom—Australia Assisted Passage Scheme was extended to the end of March, 1954. The scheme of assisted migration to New Zealand operates at the expense of and to the extent desired by the New Zealand Government. In the circumstances, there has been no recent occasion for discussions of the kind referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the relative proportion of sulphur dioxide and other noxious fumes discharged into the atmosphere from the complete combustion of the same weight of house-coal, coke and commercial fuel-oil.

I am advised that the proportions of sulphur dioxide discharged into the atmosphere from the complete combustion of the same weight of the average types of house-coal, coke and commercial fuel-oil are approximately 1:1:1½. With complete combustion there are no other noxious fumes.