asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent effective collaboration is now taking place, as recommended by the Turner Committee, between structural engineers, his Department and the National Coal Board, in order to establish a comprehensive building code for coalmining areas.

The National Coal Board, the Ministry of Works and the professional bodies are working together and have much work in hand. For results so far, I would refer the hon. Member to the report by the Institution of Structural Engineers in September, 1949, and of a Committee of the Ministry of Works in September, 1951.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what consultations took place between his Department and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government when the Housing Repairs and Rents Bill was drafted, with a view to hastening the procedure in disputes about repairs to houses dilapidated by mining subsidence.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the procedure under the Coal Mining (Subsidence) Act, 1950. I have not had representations that this procedure is working badly, but I will be glad to investigate any particulars he may care to send me.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power for figures showing the comparative stocks of household coal in Scotland today and a year ago.

204,000 tons last year and 260,000 tons on 14th November this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take to assist refugees in Trieste to find permanent homes overseas.

As I informed the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Parker) on 11th November, the emigration of refugees from Zone A of Trieste is making good progress. Voluntary agencies, including the World Council of Churches, the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the Tolstoy Foundation, the International Red Cross and others have in hand a programme for the resettlement of several hundreds in countries in Western Europe which should be completed before the end of the year. In addition, Allied Military Government is in touch with other Governments who are willing to accept refugees, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and with the Inter-Governmental Committee for European Migration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) how many of Her Majesty's ambassadors were educated at public schools;

Since the definitions of the categories of schools mentioned by the hon. Member overlap to some extent, I am circulating below a list compiled from available records of the schools attended by Her Majesty's Ambassadors.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which Minister or Ministers will represent the British Government at the Political Conference on Korea.

An announcement will be made at the appropriate time. It would clearly be premature to make anystatement while the place and date for the Conference have not even been settled.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what evidence he has that the restrictions of earnings forfull pension discourages older people from working and earning and encourages them to ask for supplementations from the National Assistance Board.

None.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons in receipt of retirement pensions are also in receipt of supplementary payments from the National Assistance Board at the latest date; and what proportion this represented.

At 29th September, 1953, the National Assistance Boardwere paying about 912,000 regular weekly grants to retirement pensioners. In some cases, these grants covered the needs of a household containing more than one pensioner. Grants were being paid to just over one pensioner household in every four.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of persons in receipt of retirement pensions in Scotland at the latest date.

About 392,000 at the end of October, 1953.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total increase in expenditure on retirement pensions in the first full year resulting from the National Insurance Act, 1951, and the Family Allowance and National Insurance Act, 1952, respectively.

The increases are estimated at just over £40 million and just under £30 million, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will publish a table showing how many British Guianian citizens of each main racial grouping were employed in each grade of Government service in British Guiana in 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945 and 1950; and what institution existed for training such Government servants for promotion from onegrade to another.

The figures are not available in the form asked for. It has never been the practice to list the British Guianese in Government service by their racial groupings. Race is not a factor which is taken into account for appointment or promotion. The total establishment (excluding employees of subordinate status) in the Government Service is 2,141, of which only 108 are not Guianese and of these 11 are West Indian. Of the 26 departmental heads nine are Guianese, six West Indian other than Guianese and 11 are overseas officers.No separate institution exists for training Government servants for promotion from one grade to another, except the Government Technical Institute which provides classes for technical staff. Government servants receive training in the course of their duties and many

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many blinking beacons, at an estimated annual cost of £4 per beacon, are in operation at the present time; and to what extent this number is to be increased.

There are about 25,000 beacons at pedestrian crossings, and I do not expect any substantial variation in this number. Most of the beacons are now lit and the lighting of the remainder should be completed this winter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the total amount of capital expenditure approved under the New Towns Acts in each of the 14 new towns in Great Britain at the nearest convenient date in respect of housing development, factory development and other activities of the development corporations, respectively.

The information asked for as at 31st October, 1953, is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government for a statement of progress at the latest convenient date in respect of each of the 14 new towns in Great Britain under the heads of: number of houses completed, numbers of houses under construction, floor area of factories completed, number of persons to be employed in factories completed, floor area of factories under

Progress on housing and factories in each new town at 31st October, 1953, is shown in the following table. Information on the two new towns in Scotland has been provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence the lowest, the highest and the average pension, per annum, paid to the 359 officers still surviving on 20th January, 1953, which were given in 1919 and were to vary with the cost of living.

The lowest rate of retired pay received by any of the officers in question was £787 10s. 0d. a year and the highest £1,300 a year. The average was about £950 a year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence how many of the retired officers of the Armed Forces receiving pensions at 9½ per cent. below the 1919 rates are receiving pensions below £300, between £300 and £400, between £400 and £500, between £500 and £600, and over £600 respectively.

All Service officers receiving retired pay stabilised at 9½ per cent. below the 1919 level are in receipt of over £600 a year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is now in a position to make a statement about the horticultural tariff.

Yes. An Order has been laid today and will come into operation tomorrow giving effect to the decisions of Her Majesty's Government in respect of the import duties on certain fresh and preserved fruit and vegetables.I have also laid today a White Paper which sets out the general background to the case submitted by the National Farmers' Unions for increased tariffs on horticultural produce and which shows in detail the decisions taken by Her Majesty's Government. These decisions have been taken after full consideration of the evidence submitted by producers, importers, distributors and other interested organisations, and after taking fully into account the interests of consumers.In accordance with the procedures established under the waiver recently agreed by the contracting parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Her Majesty's Government duly notified, where this was necessary, their intention to increase these tariffs. Upon the expiry of the 30 days required under these procedures, consultations had been requested in respect of only two items—dried peas, where consultations were requested by the Netherlands Government and by the United States Government, and plums, by the United States Government. Agreement was reached with the Netherlands Government, before the expiry of the 30 days, that in the circumstances at present foreseen the waiver should apply. I am also glad to say that the United States Government have withdrawn their request for consultation on dried peas. A supplementary Order covering this item will therefore be laid as soon as possible. Discussions are still taking place with the United States Government about their request for consultation in respect of plums.Quantitative restrictions, including seasonal restrictions, will be removed tomorrow on imports of the range of goods covered by the decisions recorded in the White Paper, when imported from Western Europe and certain other foreign countries. A Notice to Importers which is being issued this afternoon contains full details of these relaxations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, in view of the fact that he has decided to appoint a commissioner to inquire into the disposal of Crichel Down, if he will place in the Library the agricultural executive committee's accounts for the Crichel Down area.

I think my hon. Friend must have in mind the farming accounts of the Agricultural Land Commission in respect of the property known as Crichel Down. Although I doubt whether these accounts have any relevance to the subject matter of the forthcoming public inquiry about the property, I am placing in the Library copies of the relevant accounts for the period 1st April, 1950, to 31st March, 1953. There are no completed accounts available after this date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in drawing up the scheme for the marketing of livestock, he will ensure that it provides for adequate production in this country both of pork pigs and bacon pigs; and that all possible steps are taken to arrange that British bacon factories can obtain, in this country, a regular supply of properly-graded bacon pigs, so that imports of foreign bacon can be kept at the lowest level possible in the interests of the national economy.

The price guarantees for fat pigs under the arrangements outlined in the White Paper on the Decontrol of Food and Marketing of Agricultural Produce will be determined so as to encourage the production from home sources of the fat pigs, whether for the pork or bacon markets, required in the national interest. These arrangements will also ensure that pigs sold for bacon curing continue to be bought on grade and deadweight so as to maintain and improve the quality of British bacon.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will examine the possibilities of re-introducing the pre-war National Mark Egg Scheme.

The main object of the pre-war National Mark Egg Scheme was to encourage the sale of eggs by weight and quality grades, and this object is secured by the present interim arrangements. The experience of the National Mark Scheme will certainly be taken into account in framing long-term arrangements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the reason for the increase from two to 12 in the number of Technical Class, Grade I, in the Land Drainage and Water Supply Division.

This increase in the 1953–54 Estimates was to provide sub-professional assistance to the regional drainage engineers. Up to the present no appointments have been made.