asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that midwives are using to the fullest extent the apparatus available for inducing analgesia.

No; the use of the available apparatus is capable of some expansion, and is indeed expanding.

asked the Minister of Health if he can now supply a bone conduction hearing aid to Mr. G. Blue, of 12, Claremont South Avenue, Gateshead, who has been on the waiting list at Sunderland Royal Infirmary since 3rd March, 1949.

This patient receives some benefit from an air-conduction aid supplied to him two years ago. There are other patients who cannot benefit at all from an air-conduction aid and who must therefore take priority. I cannot therefore say yet when his turn will come.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the services of Mr. A. H. Barber, the Oldham gynaecologist, are made available within the ambit of the National Health Service.

It would not be right for me to put forward the claims of individuals. It is open to Mr. Barber to apply for any suitable appointment that is advertised.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied with the working of nurses and staff councils in hospitals; and what representations have been made to him to ensure their improved effectiveness and value.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Joint Consultative Committees that have been set up under a Whitley Council agreement. Certain features of the model constitution have been criticised, but in general I understand that the Committees are shaping satisfactorily. Their value will, of course, continue to depend entirely on the spirit in which they are used by both management and staff.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the county borough of Gateshead is the black spot for tuberculosis on the North-East Coast; that the clinic in use is inadequate; and if he will take urgent steps to see that a new building with up-to-date equipment, large enough to cope with present-day needs, is provided.

Both the regional hospital board and I myself are fully aware of the urgent need to provide a new chest clinic for Gateshead. This must, however, be fitted in with other urgent demands on the board's limited capital allocation.

asked the Minister of Health what special provision he is making for the capital needs of the mental hospitals in the South-West Regional Board area for the coming year.

The total net capital allocation to the South-West Regional Hospital Board for 1953–54 is just under £350,000. The distribution between hospitals is the responsibility of the Regional Board who are proposing to allocate 31 per cent. to mental and mental deficiency hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health what capital allocation has been made to the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board for the year 1953–54; and how this compares with the previous year.

The Board have been authorised to spend £420,800 on capital works in the year 1953–54. This compares with an original allocation of £384,000 for 1952–53, but it has later been possible to authorise an expenditure of £472,760 for the year.

asked the Minister or Health what progress has been made in providing additional facilities for thoracic surgery in the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board area.

A new 40-bed unit has recently been opened at Seaham Hall Sanatorium and the theatre accommodation at the Holywood Hall unit is being greatly improved. Major extensions and adaptations at the Shotley Bridge unit are in progress, but it will be some time before these are complete.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons suffering from tuberculosis now receiving domiciliary treatment; and the number listed awaiting admittance to Bradford hospitals.

Twenty Bradford residents are receiving active domiciliary treatment for tuberculosis. Seventeen, none of whom is regarded as of first priority, are awaiting admission to sanatoria.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in the provision of accommodation for blind people in single rooms with communal facilities in house or hostels in England and Wales; and approximately how many are being thus accommodated.

Precise figures are not available, but local authorities and voluntary organisations are conscious of the need for accommodation of this type, and of the additional accommodation for 1.093 blind persons provided since 5th July, 1948, a substantial proportion is in accommodation of this kind.

asked the Prime Minister if he will abolish the Ministry of Materials now that the International Materials Conference has almost completed its work.

When I have any announcement to make on this and cognate subjects I shall be careful to inform the House in good time.

asked the Minister of Education the average cost per school meal in England in 1946, 1948, 1950 and 1952.

The average gross cost per school meal in England in each of the financial years stated is:

				d.
1946–47	…	…	…	11.14
1948–49	…	…	…	12.32
1950–51	…	…	…	14.35
1952–53	…	(estimated)		17.22

asked the Minister of Education what information she has obtained in respect of the decline in the number of meals served to school children and the number of parents who have applied for assistance to meet the increased charge.

asked the Minister of Education the percentage decline in the number of schoolchildren receiving school meals on payment since the recent increase in price; and whether she will give separate figures for London, New-castle-on-Tyne, Stockton-on-Tees and Warwickshire.

I have no information on these points. I am asking local education authorities to let me know the numbers of school dinners provided on a day in June.

asked the Ministei of Education the average cost of each new school provided in 1952; and what were the corresponding figures for each of the last five years.

The average net cost per place of new schools started in the following years is:

—			Primary	Secondary
			£	£
1946–1949	…	…	195	320
1950	…	…	158	276
1951	…	…	138	242
1952	…	…	135	240

asked the Minister of Education the total cost of new grammar school building since the war to the end of 1952.

£9.1 million. This includes some expenditure on schools which are only partly grammar schools.

asked the Minister of Education how much of the new grammar school building since the war has been in replacement of old buildings and how much is additional.

Expenditure of £2.3 million has been approved for new premises for existing grammar schools and £6.8 million for entirely new schools. These totals do not include the cost of extending existing schools.

asked the Minister of Education the number of children from five to 15 years of age attending schools under her jurisdiction to the nearest available date; and the comparative number for the same date in 1951 and 1952.

Exact figures are not yet available, but I estimate that the figure for maintained and assisted schools for January, 1953, was 5,874,000 compared with 5,624,000 in January, 1952, and 5,419,000 in January, 1951.

asked the Minister of Education whether she is now in a position to make a statement on the reduction of grants for adult education.

No. I have not yet completed my consideration of the information submitted to me, and my discussions with the bodies concerned.

asked the Minister of Education if she will consider the institution of a new award at national level of a first degree in technology.

I have asked the National Advisory Council on Education for Industry and Commerce to give further consideration to the question of an award in technology for students trained in technical colleges.

asked the Minister of Education to circularise all education authorities recommending that the ban on known Communists and Fascists for the position of head teachers shall be extended to all teachers.

No. I have imposed no such ban.

asked the Minister of Education if she will consider advising local education authorities that the payment of tuition fees should be an integral part of all university awards, major and minor.

In all but a very small proportion of cases, local education authorities' awards already cover tuition fees.

asked the Minister of Education whether she will ascertain from the education authorities the present number of pupil hours spent annually in this country on the study of French; whether she will equally ascertain the number of children and young persons leaving school each year who are considered capable of reading French or conversing in that language; and the approximate amount of money expended on teaching French in this country.

No. I do not think that the value of this information would be commensurate with the labour involved in obtaining it.

asked the Under secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps he took in 1952, and what steps he proposes to take in 1953, to reduce the cost of carrying out the duties of his Department.

In 1952 considerable reductions were made in the number of staff employed by the Department. All other forms of expenditure have been subjected to rigorous examination in the preparation of the annual estimates, and it is particularly to be noted that the provision made for communications, which is a substantial item in the expenditure of an oversea Department such as the Commonwealth Relations Office, has been reduced from £257,000 for 1951–52 to £219,000 for the coming year. Further steps to secure economy will be taken in 1953 and all items of expenditure will continue to be kept under close and continuous scrutiny.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, since the Constitution of Southern Rhodesia contains no provision for the taking of a poll to decide upon the alteration of the Constitution, whether he will seek Parliamentary approval for the now projected poll.

No. The proposed referendum does not of course operate to amend the Southern Rhodesia Constitution. Its purpose is to ascertain the views of the Southern Rhodesian electorate on the Federation proposals. The machinery by which this is done is for the Parliament of Southern Rhodesia to decide.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will propose that in any new Federal Public Service that may be set up for Central Africa, all grades shall be open to applicants of all races.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraph 112 of the Federal Scheme (Cmd. 8754), which states:

"No person domiciled within the Federation who is a subject of Her Majesty or a person under Her Majesty's protection will on grounds of race only be ineligible for employment in the service of the Federal Government. In appointing or recommending persons for such employment regard will be had only to their competence, experience and suitability, and in determining suitability regard may be had to the circumstances of the locality in which a person would be employed."

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Common wealth Relations if he has now come to a decision as to who is to be invited to represent the Bamangwato tribe of Bechuanaland at the Coronation.

In view of the unavoidable limitations on numbers it is impracticable for all the tribes in the territories to be represented at the Coronation. The Bechuanaland Protectorate will be represented by Chief Kgari Sechele of the Bakwena tribe, the senior Chief of the Protectorate. Basutoland and Swaziland will likewise each have one representative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now consider taking steps to encourage trading motor cars with Brazil in exchange for bananas.

No. Her Majesty's Government do not consider that such barter deals are the way to solve the problems of Anglo-Brazilian trade. I would add that the new Brazilian Free Exchange Law, as I understand it, forbids the Bank of Brazil to issue import or export licences in connection with such barter deals.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to make an announcement about the independent Committee to review the question of the duty-free entry of machinery into the United Kingdom.

After consultation with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I have decided to set up an independent Committee to review the long-term problem of the duty-free entry of machinery. The terms of reference of the Committee are:

"To consider and report whether it is in the national interest to provide for the duty-free admission into the United Kingdom of machinery, either by classes or in individual consignments; and, in this connection, to review the provisions of 5>ection 10 of the Finance Act, 1932, and their administration, and to recommend what, if any, changes should bo made."

I am glad to say that Sir Henry Wilson Smith has agreed to be the Chairman of the Committee. The other members comprise three industrialists with experience mainly as makers of machinery, three with experience mainly as users of machinery, a trade union representative and an independent. The full list of members is:

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much new factory building has been started in Scotland since 1st January, 1953; how much was completed; and how much closed down in the same period.

According to the latest available information, the number of new factories and extensions of over 5,000 sq. ft. started in Scotland since 1st January, 1953, is six, the estimated cost of these totals £590,000 and the area 224,000 sq. ft. Eight projects are known to have been completed since that date at an estimated cost of £247,000 and with an area of 169,000 sq. ft. These figures are liable to later amendment, since more complete information may subsequently be obtained. The Board of Trade do not keep comprehensive records of the closing down of factories.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations about the future of the International Materials Conference he made to the United States Government during his recent visit to Washington.

The future of the International Materials Conference as such was not discussed with the United States Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of the proposed reductions in entertainments tax listed in the schedule submitted to him by the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association.

About £3¾ million a year if, as the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association propose, cinema admission prices remained unchanged. In so far as admission prices were reduced, the cost to the Exchequer would be increased.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the Treasury lays down the scale of the car allowance made to members of advisory bodies, such as the Southern Electricity Consultative Council, when travelling on official business; and if he is satisfied that 9½d. a mile is an appropriate allowance for owner-driven cars having in mind that 6d. a mile is commonly adopted in business firms.

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

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if the limit to the value of gift parcels, which members of the Forces serving overseas are allowed to send to this country free of Customs charges, can now be increased.

Yes. I am glad to announce that members of the Forces serving overseas will in future be able to send home, free of Customs charges, gift parcels not containing tobacco, liquor or scent, up to a value of £1, instead of 10s. as hitherto. I understand that notification of this concession will be effected in the appropriate Service Orders in the near future.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider altering the governing body of the Imperial College of Science since its elevation to the status of a technological university with a view to representation from the nationalised industries.

I do not propose to initiate any change.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will now make a statement on the means whereby farmers who have flooded land are to be helped in returning it to full production.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made yesterday by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Home Affairs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what advice or instructions his Department has yet issued to farmers whose land was recently flooded by the sea.

Farmers whose land was flooded with sea water have been urged not to start any cultivations until they are advised that it is safe to do so by the National Agricultural Advisory Service or the county agricultural executive committees. Analytical tests of soil for salt content and damage to soil structure are proceeding rapidly. The advice that will be given to each farmer will depend primarily on the results of these analyses. A new advisory leaflet has been prepared to guide people whose land has been flooded and will be given a wide distribution.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the approximate number of sheep killed by dogs during 1952.

According to reports from county councils, 5,844 sheep were killed by does in Great Britain during 1952.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the increase of rents being made to allotment holders in many parts of the country: and whether he will make grants to local authorities to enable them to let allotments free, or at a nominal rent, so as to encourage a greater supply of fresh home-grown food in order to avoid the heavy cost of transport and importation expenses and thus help to rectify the balance of trade.

No. I have no knowledge of any general increase in allotment rents, the great majority of which are very small. I am satisfied that the rents usually charged are not a deterrent to cultivators, and Local Authorities already have power under Section 10 of the Allotments Act, 1950, to let land at a reduced or nominal rent if special circumstances warrant it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make a further statement on the vacancies for students at farm institutes and the arrangements made for the postponement of military service in suitable cases.

To help to overcome the difficulties experienced by farm institutes in the current session, my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service and I have made new arrangements covering the admission of men to the institutes for the session beginning next Michaelmas. Most men who become 18 this year can have their call-up deferred to enable them to take a farm institute course and, if they have been granted agricultural deferment as agricultural workers they may go to an institute without prejudicing their continued deferment after the course, provided that they return to the same job, or, where this is not practicable, to a similar one.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make it a matter of priority to secure a suitable bacteriologist to undertake research into American and European foul brood disease in bees.

I have this question well in mind, and I am asking the Agricultural Improvement Council to advise whether any special measures should be taken to encourage the recruitment of scientific staff for research into this disease.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of acres in the possession of his Department and farmed by the agricultural executive committees on the 25th March, 1952.

On 25th March, 1952, the area was 20,778 acres. Since that date the figure has fallen to approximately 7,500 acres.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make available to the Independent Growers' Association a list of growers entitled to vote on the Apple and Pear Marketing Scheme.

Only growers on the register compiled by the Apple and Pear Marketing Board are entitled to vote on the scheme. The compilation of the register is the sole responsibility of the board, and I cannot therefore make such a list available. There is, however, a right of public access to the register under paragraph 35 of the scheme which requires that the register shall be open for inspection and that any person shall be entitled to be supplied with a copy of the register, or any part thereof, on payment of a fee.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the landings of fish by British trawlers from Icelandic waters for January 1951, 1952 and 1953, respectively.

In January 1951, 1952 and 1953, the landings were 78,978 cwt. 19,093 cwt. and 88,649 cwt., respectively. Catches vary between one time or season and another according to natural fluctuations in fish stocks, intensity of fishing, and the weather. The small landings in January, 1952, were due mainly to exceptionally bad weather off Iceland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are being taken to co-ordinate the activities of the various river boards and other authorities whose duty it will be to improve sea defences, in order to avoid any repetition of the recent flooding; to what extent the advice will be sought of engineers and scientists experienced in these problems; to what extent the aid of Government research organisations will be invoked; and whether he will ensure that, in arranging for preliminary work to be started, the plans can be altered, if necessary, in the light of such advice as may be tendered by the Waverley Committee.

The immediate task is, so far as possible, to restore the East Coast Sea Defences to their pre-flood standards by next autumn. River boards are carrying out this work in direct consultation with my Department, which is responsible for approving schemes and for general co-ordination. Appropriate engineering and other technical advice including that of Government research stations is being obtained. Full regard will be paid to any relevant recommendations of the Waverley Committee, but urgent work now being planned or in progress must not be delayed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the cost of replacing household goods lost or damaged in the recent floods, including furniture, carpets, curtains, crockery, blankets and all other moveable essentials, but excluding structural repairs to buildings; and if he has now made an estimate of the proportion of this cost already covered by insurance.

I am afraid that this information is not available and that there is nothing I could usefully add to the statement I made yesterday on compensation problems arising from the recent floods.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities in the country ban the employment of policewomen.

There are now no police forces in England and Wales which do not have an authorised establishment of policewomen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the police arrangements for Coronation day in order that the public who wish to greet Her Majesty should not be subjected to the inconvenience that will arise from the present proposals.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has recently reviewed the detailed arrangements with a view to seeing that inconvenience to the public is kept to a minimum, but in the light of previous experience does not feel that any modification either in the arrangements or the advice already issued to the public would be justifiable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in recognition of the valuable public service rendered by the railway police both in London and elsewhere, he will make arrangements with the British Transport Commission for their representation among police detachments lining the route on the occasion of Her Majesty's Coronation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he proposes to make with

Authority	Scheme			Estimated Cost
WATER				£
Tees Valley Water Board	Water Supply	…	…	6,383,201
SEWERAGE
Seaton Valley Urban District Council.	Brier Dene	…	…	6,277
Bishop Auckland Urban District	(1) Coundon and Leasingthorpe	…	…	42,758
Council.	(2) Binchester Blocks	…	…	9,020
South Shields County Borough	Whiteleas	…	…	121,900
Sunderland County Borough	(1) Castletown	…	…	129,409
	(2) Silksworth Lane	…	…	54,936
Spennymoor Urban District Council.	Kirk Merrington	…	…	16,212
SEWERAGE AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL				£
Durham Rural District Council	(1) Framwellgate Moor	…	…	12,130
	(2) Coxhoe and Bowburn	…	…	164,374
Felling Urban District Council	South and South-East portions of Felling Urban District Council.			202,000
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Urban District Council.*	Privy Conversions	…	…	7,000
	Total 12 Schemes	…	…	7,149,217
* Further consideration is being given to these Schemes.

The powers of police from other areas lining the route on this occasion derive from Section 25 of the Police Act, 1890, which makes provision regarding assistance by one police force to another. This Section does not apply to members of the railway police and, in the circumstances, it was decided with regret that contingents of railway police could not be employed to line the route.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give the details of the schemes in the North-East Development Area which have been rejected for grant under Section 3 of the Distribution of Industry Act, 1945, since the issue of Circular 54/52; and what was the total estimated capital cost of such schemes.

Schemes in the North-East Development Area rejected for grant under Section 3, Distribution of Industry Act, 1945, since the issue of Circular No. 54/52 are:

asked the Minister of Labour what progress is being made in the provision of presentable new protective masks for women in factories; and what action will be taken to encourage factory managements to adopt such masks to ensure the utmost protection to women and girls.

I am not aware of any general action on this subject. If the hon. Member will be good enough to send me information as to the particular case or kind of work he has in mind, I will have inquiries made.

Date				Barnsley			Hayes
				Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
16th October, 1950	…	…	…	391	83	474	121	107	228
13th November, 1950	…	…	…	408	63	471	108	80	188
11th December, 1950	…	…	…	395	54	449	81	59	140
15th January, 1951	…	…	…	407	61	468	115	69	184
12th February, 1951	…	…	…	365	60	425	107	64	171
12th March, 1951	…	…	…	324	44	368	91	45	136
16th April, 1951	…	…	…	286	69	355	75	60	135
21st May, 1951	…	…	…	298	122	420	60	55	115
18th June, 1951	…	…	…	279	52	331	27	30	57
16th July, 1951	…	…	…	295	90	385	25	52	77
13th August, 1951	…	…	…	319	72	391	59	65	124
17th September, 1951	…	…	…	319	89	408	59	68	127
15th October, 1951	…	…	…	339	143	482	55	65	120
12th November, 1951	…	…	…	331	182	513	43	61	104
10th December, 1951	…	…	…	324	389	713	53	60	113
14th January, 1952	…	…	…	361	350	711	98	89	187
11th February, 1952,	…	…	…	387	325	712	88	100	188
17th March, 1952	…	…	…	360	330	690	132	128	260
21st April, 1952	…	…	…	399	333	732	137	111	248
12th May, 1952	…	…	…	372	347	719	102	146	248
16th June, 1952	…	…	…	357	343	700	75	114	189
16th July, 1952	…	…	…	356	387	743	84	114	198
11th August, 1952	…	…	…	384	424	808	151	171	322
15th September, 1952	…	…	…	387	360	747	122	164	286
13th October, 1952	…	…	…	359	359	718	129	164	293
10th November, 1952	…	…	…	414	441	855	124	159	283
8th December, 1952	…	…	…	335	207	542	160	130	290
12th January, 1953	…	…	…	355	332	685	180	145	325
16th February, 1953	…	…	…	351	192	543	181	108	289

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the strike at the iron and steel works of Dorman Long's, Redcar; and whether any approach has yet been made to his Department for assistance to bring about a settlement of the dispute.

asked the Minister of Labour to publish in HANSARD a table showing the monthly total of unemployed for each month, from October, 1950, until the latest convenient date, for Barnsley, Hayes and Harlington.

There is no employment exchange at Harlington, which is in the area of the Hayes Employment Exchange. The following table shows the numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of the Barnsley and Hayes employment exchanges and youth employment offices from October, 1950, to February, 1953:

A strike of some 400 maintenance craftsmen at the Warrenby Steel Works, Redcar, of Dorman Long and Co. Ltd. began on 8th March. The stoppage is unofficial and arises out of dissatisfaction with an agreement recently made with the unions concerned regarding a revised tonnage bonus. No approach has been made to my Department. I trust that the men concerned will accept the advice of their unions that the agreement made on their behalf must be honoured and that they should resume work on that basis.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware of the lack of community centres in our cities' housing estates; and if he will take steps to see that new housing sites are now provided with communal meeting places with a view to encouraging the friendly and co-operative spirit of these new communities.

Yes. I am seeing what more can be done to encourage the

IMPORTS OF FLOUR
Cwts.
	Gold Coast				Nigeria
Source	1938		1952		1938		1952
	Wheaten	Other(*)	Wheaten	Other(*)	Wheaten	Other(*)	Wheaten	Other(*)
U.S.A	128,137	10	525,027	27	45,272	96	280,044	…
Canada	5,555	14	18,618	—	1,573	1	53,378	…
U.K.	2,741	180	1,009	76	1,526	40	315	…
Other Countries	380	22,399	—	835	213	98	992	…
Total	136,813	22,603	544,654	938	48,584	235	334,729	1,735
	(*) Includes meal.		— Nil.		… Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the composition and the functions of the Tanganyika Coffee Curing Company; and what representation on the company is allocated to co-operative organisations.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 22nd January, 1953; Vol. 510, c. 58] supplied the following additional information:The present Directors of this company are:Mr. W. H. Baldwin, Chairman, representing the Tanganyika Coffee Growers' Association.Mr. A. L. B. Bennet, O.B.E., D.F.C., representing the Moshi Native Coffee Board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) the total quantity of flour imported into the Gold Coast from the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom and all other countries, respectively, in 1938 and in 1952;(2) the total quantity of flour imported into Nigeria from the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom and all other countries, respectively, in 1938 and in 1952.

The information required is as follows:Mr. R. S. W. Malcolm, Commissioner for Co-operative Development, representing the Moshi Native Coffee Board.Mr. Casimir Kiwia, an African representative from the Moshi Native Coffee Board.Mr. H. Marsland, representing the Tanganyika Coffee Growers' Association.Mr. F. A. F. Schmid, representing the Tanganyika Coffee Growers' Association.The Alternate Directors are:Mr. C. J. McGregor, representing the Moshi Native Coffee Board.Mr. E. Pappas, representing the Tanganyika Coffee Growers' Association.Mr. M. Tsoukas, representing the Tanganyika Coffee Growers' Association.The Chairman is elected in alternate years from the Coffee Growers' Association and the Native Coffee Board.The Manager of the Curing Company is a European, Mr. H. I. Munk.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the amount of the 100 per cent. disability pension in payment to Nigerian limbless ex-Service men and the rate of constant attendance allowance to the more severely disabled.

The monthly rate of pension payable in Nigeria in respect of a 100 per cent. war disability ranges from 60s. in the case of a private to 97s. 6d. for a regimental sergeant major. I have no information about the payment of a constant attendance allowance, but I am making inquiries of the Governor and will inform the hon. Member when I have received his report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies by what method Africans are chosen to serve on the standing advisory boards which deal with labour conditions in Nyasaland; and how far these boards have power to fix minimum or other wages.

African members of these boards are nominated by the Provincial Commissioners. The boards are only advisory; after considering their recommendations, the Governor-in-Council has power to fix wage rates either generally or for specified areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in view of the fact that he has requested the Scottish Building Costs Committee not to continue their investigations, he will discharge the committee.

In view of the accumulated information now available to my Department about building costs, I have told the Committee, who have made so material a contribution, that the time has come when their task can be regarded as having been completed. I am grateful to the Chairman, Sir George Laidlaw, to the members of the Committee, and also to the hon. Member who was himself a member for some time, for their work.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what capital allocation has been made to the South-East Scotland Regional Hospital Board for 1953–54; and how this compares with the allocation for 1952–53.

The amount allowed for expenditure on capital account in 1952– 53 was £547,500; the amount for 1953–54 is £592,300.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the amount of aid advanced by Her Majesty's Government to the Yugoslav Government by way of loan and free grant, respectively, and segregated as between economic and military assistance, for each of the years since 1948; and what further commitments have been entered into.

The following is the reply:

—			Loans and similar aid	Grants	Military Assistance
			£ million	£ million	£ million
1949	…	…	13	—	—
1950	…	…	3	—	—
1951	…	…	6	10	3·25
1952	…	…	—	4·5	1·5
No further commitments have been entered into.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that there are no public telephone facilities on the Mackworth estate, Derby, which is a matter of inconvenience to the residents; and if he will give prority to the installation of public telephones to this growing estate of over 800 houses.

There is one kiosk on the older part of the estate and I hope that two more will be provided in July. Three others will be erected when new cables are laid later in the year.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the present position with regard to the development of arrangements for the exchange of television programmes between Great Britain and France.

This is a matter for the B.B.C. who inform me that they are in close touch with the French Broadcasting authority, Radiodiffusion et Télévision Françaises, and have a standing arrangement for discussion of possible exchanges of television programmes at meetings of the Anglo-French Television Liaison Committee. Discussions are now going on with a view to relaying the B.B.C.'s broadcasts of the Coronation ceremonies in France, among other countries on the continent, and technical tests are to be carried out for this purpose in April. The B.B.C.'s part in these relays will be confined to providing a link as far as Dover.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many Africans are at present studying at Sandhurst for a full Queen's commission.

Four African cadets are now at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. A further two passed out recently.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many Africans possess the full Queen's commission as officers in the colonial forces.

Fifteen African officers now hold Queen's commissions in the West African Forces.

asked the Minister of Works whether the scaffolding will be removed from the Victoria Tower before the Coronation.

The work on the Victoria Tower is a long job and the scaffolding is unlikely to be removed before 1956.

asked the Minister of Food to give details of the imports of other food from the United States of America given in the Trade and Navigation Accounts as totalling £14 million in value in 1952; and the reasons why it was necessary to spend dollars on any of these foodstuffs except lard.

Of the total of £14 million, £13.8 million arises from imports of the following commodities:

		£'000 c.i.f.
Bladders and casings and sausage skins	…	1,472
Dried fruits	…	2,581
Lard	…	8,552
Premier jus	…	1,070
Molasses	…	169

The reason for the expenditure of dollars on these commodities other than lard was that the necessary supplies were not obtainable except for payment in dollars or else were obtainable only at much higher prices. Imports of molasses are not the responsibility of my Department.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make available in the Library of the House of Commons a copy of the agreement regularising and defining the status of Consolidated Refineries at Haifa that was initialled on 25th February, 1953, at Tel-Aviv by representatives of the Government of Israel, Consolidated Refineries and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

No. The agreement has so far only been initialled, and is subject to ratification by the Knesset. Whether the text will subsequently be published is entirely a matter for the parties.

asked the Minister of Materials to publish in HANSARD a table of figures showing the general percentage rise or fall in the price of articles and commodities since October, 1951, for which his Department are responsible.

It is not feasible to construct a general index of price movements covering the entire range of commodities with which the Ministry is concerned. In the following table, however, the change

PRICE INDEX NUMBERS OF MATERIALS FOR INDUSTRY 30TH JUNE, 1949 = 100
				October, 1951	February, 1953	Percentage Rise (+) or Fall (-) since October 1951
Basic materials (excluding fuel) for non-food manufacturing industry	…	…	…	182·0	150·5	-17
Aluminium, virgin ingot	…	…	…	137·8	184·4	+34
Copper, H.C. electrolytic	…	…	…	193·2	242·6	+26
Zinc.G.O.B.	…	…	…	243·6	110·2	-55
Lead	…	…	…	213·4	118·4	-45
Tin, ingot min. 99·75 per cent.	…	…	…	178·1	169·8	-5
Nickel, refined	…	…	…	202·7	215·6	+6
Imported softwood	…	…	…	155·5	151·3	-3
Imported hardwood	…	…	…	151·0	132·3	-12
Woodpulp for papermaking	…	…	…	224·4	98·4	-56
Raw Cotton	…	…	…	186·6	142·1	-24
Raw Wool	…	…	…	183·3	161·9	-12
Raw Jute,"Mill Firsts"	…	…	…	239·1	101·7	-57
Sisal, E. Africa No. 1	…	…	…	245·5	103·2	-58
Sulphur, crude	…	…	…	202·8	190·5	-6
Rubber, No. 1 RSS	…	…	…	455·2	227·0	-50
Hides and Skins	…	…	…	146·8	106·7	-27
Fertilisers	…	…	…	184·9	175·7	-5
Rosin gum, W.W	…	…	…	168·0	130·4	-22
Molasses	…	…	…	240·0	139·7	-42