asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that the British Embassy building in Monrovia, Liberia, is in a lamentable state of disrepair, and that a new building is required which would compare favourably with other embassies in that capital; and what action he proposes to take.

I am aware that this embassy is not all that could be wished, but a good deal has been and is being done to maintain it despite its age and the climate. A new embassy will be built as soon as more urgent requirements elsewhere have been met.

asked the Minister of Works if he will explain in detail the main items included in the total estimate of £1,000,000 in Civil Estimates, Class VII, for the year ending 31st March, 1956, in respect of proposed works, under Foreign Office, Item 4, Washington: Erection of embassy offices.

It is proposed to build offices to house the staff of the embassy and other United Kingdom missions in Washington, including the British Joint Services Mission.

asked the Minister of Works if he will explain in detail the main items included in the total estimate of £1,500,000 in Civil Estimates, Class VII, for the year ending 31st March, 1956, in respect of Works in Progress, under Commonwealth Relations Office, Item 11, "New Delhi: Acquisition of site and provision of residential and office accommodation for High Commissioner and staff."

The intention is to construct offices for the mission, a residence for the High Commissioner and accommodation for most of the staff. The work will be carried out over a number of years.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement with regard to the incident which occurred during military exercises in Austria on Friday, 11th March, 1955, when some members of the Middlesex Regiment lost their lives and others were severely injured.

The Court of Inquiry into the causes of this fire has not yet been completed because some of the men who were injured are still not fit enough to give evidence. I am glad to say that the injured men who were flown home to the Cambridge Hospital, Aldershot, are making satisfactory progress.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the farmers and owners of the intervening land between both the Trecastle and Llanfianghel Nantbran gun sites and Sennybridge Range refuse to negotiate and allow his Department to have firing rights over this land; and under what authority he intends to proceed.

My hon. Friend fully explained the position about firing over this land in the debate on the Adjournment on 17th March.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to consider advance factory building in areas of declining industrial employment in Scotland.

No. My right hon. Friend does not consider that the building of Government-financed factories in advance of demand would be justified in present circumstances.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the growth of renting agreements under which firms seek to evade the regulations governing hire-purchase and which provide for interest charges greater than the regulations permit and for the restoration of articles to the company concerned on the death of the hirer; and what regulations he proposes to make to safeguard persons who are misled into signing agreements of this nature.

No. The Hire-Purchase and Credit Sale Agreements (Control) Order, 1955, does not control renting agreements or interest charges. My right hon. Friend sees no reason to change the existing law on the subject of misrepresentation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the sale of umbrellas in this country and their export abroad have been affected by imports from overseas countries and by overseas competition in world markets; and what are the main sources of these imports and competition.

I have no evidence that the home sales of umbrellas manufactured in this country have been adversely affected by imports, of which the main source is Hong Kong. Exports have fallen from 31,100 dozen in 1952 to 22,298 dozen in 1954, but I have no information how far this decline is due to competition from other countries and how far to an increase in home demand. Foreign competition overseas comes mainly from Japan but also from Italy and Germany.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to make a statement on the present arrangements in regard to cable firms of this country tendering for contract for cable developments in New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries; and if he will take steps to prevent the collaboration which at present takes place between such cable firms.

My right hon. Friend is aware of these allegations, and will take account of them in selecting further matters for reference to the Monopolies Commission.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the Australian import cuts, what steps he is taking to expand our exports to the level necessary to avoid a crisis in our balance of payments.

The measures I took recently to moderate the expansion of demand at home were expressly designed to encourage exports. I fully recognise the importance of the Australian market to our exporters. But, from the point of view of strengthening sterling, it is most important that the sterling area as a whole should improve its position with the non-sterling world.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to endeavour to arrange a conference with the Australian Government with a view to taking measures to avoid balance of payment difficulties between the United Kingdom and Australia.

There is such regular and intimate contact that no such conference is necessary; nor can I accept the position as being quite accurately described by the hon. Member.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, in view of the impossibility of assessing whether the Pensions Increases Acts have met the increased cost of living and restored the purchasing power of the £, on what terms he discussed the problems of those covered by these Acts when he met a deputation from the Public Servants Pensioners Council.

I listened to what the deputation had to say, and I promised to convey their views to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses and flats were completed by the local authorities and by private builders, respectively, in the Blackley Parliamentary Division of Manchester, during each of the periods October, 1945, to October, 1951, and October, 1951, to the latest convenient date.

The number of houses built by each local authority is published quarterly in Appendix B of the Housing Return. I do not receive separate figures for constituencies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the fact that a public inquiry was held in Bristol on 23rd November last concerning land for the building of houses, and in view of the urgency of this problem of housing, if he will announce his decision as speedily as possible so that the work can be proceeded with.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that the Hackney Borough Council have not been given any reasons for his action of derequisitioning 46, Osbaldeston Road, N.16; and if he will now make a statement.

The hon. Member is still under a misapprehension. I did not de-requisition 46, Osbaldeston Road, though I did request the council to do so.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will set up a Departmental committee to inquire into the operation of the Private Street Works Act, 1892, with particular reference to the advisability of introducing a system of grants to local authorities to assist them to contribute to the cost of such works.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what expenditure he authorised under the Private Street Works Act, 1892, in the year 1954; and what proportion of this expenditure was borne by local authorities.

In 1954 my predecessor and I authorised private street works in England and Wales amounting in value to £2,215,000. This is not a complete figure, as, since the revocation of the relevant Defence Regulation, I only know what a local authority intends to spend on private street works if it comes to me for loan sanction. I have no record showing what proportion of the authorised expenditure was borne by local authorities.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received, since December, 1954, from representatives of the principal retail organisations on the incidence of the Valuation for Rating Act, 1953; and what action he proposes to take.

I have received various representations, and I met representatives of the organisations yesterday. There is nothing I can add, however, to the statement I made on 6th December last in reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn, West (Mr. Assheton).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he can now state when the Land Board will commence authorisation of immediate payment of compensation under Part of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954, to persons whose land has been acquired by local authorities and others at restricted price under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, and whose claims for compensation have been previously agreed with the Land Board.

The Central Land Board have already made 1,761 payments amounting to nearly £4 million to persons whose land was sold at a restricted price. Many more payments of this kind have been determined and will be made as soon as the statutory time for appeals has expired.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have complained to him about the higher housing costs resulting from the recent increase in interest charges; and what has been the general tenor of his replies.

Up to yesterday seven. Only one reply has so far been sent. It referred the council to my statements in the House on this subject.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government in view of the representations made to him by the Rural District Councils Association, on behalf of their members, concerning the cut in housing subsidies and the increase in rates of interest on loans from the Public Works Loan Board and the effect it will have on their housing revenue account, if he will now consider assisting these local authorities.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8th March to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the total expenditure on housing, highways, sewerage, water and all other ancillary services in the new town of Harlow since October, 1951.

Information is not available in this precise form. However, the published accounts of the Harlow Development Corporation show that since 1st April, 1952, the corporation has received advances from the Exchequer totalling £13,827,000.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will introduce legislation regarding the distribution of the equalisation grant before the coming into force of the new valuation lists on 1st April, 1956; and whether he will amend the Local Government Act, 1948, so as to bring about the abolition of capitation payments and re-substituting a system of direct grants to county district councils.

I would refer the hon. Member to the White Paper Cmd. 9270 issued in September last.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of men and women employed, of unfilled vacancies and of unemployed in Manchester at the latest convenient date; and what were the corresponding average figures for the period between October, 1946, and October, 1951.

The table below gives the information desired about vacancies unfilled and unemployment.

NUMBERS OF VACANCIES NOTIFIED TO EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES IN MANCHESTER AND REMAINING UNFILLED AND THE NUMBERS OF PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT THOSE EXCHANGES
—	Males	Females	Total
Notified vacancies remaining unfilled:
(a) At 9th March, 1955	3,149	5,955	9,104
(b) Average of figure at quarterly dates from October, 1946–October, 1951	3,842	6,399	10,241
Numbers of persons registered as unemployed:
(a) At 14th March, 1955	2,828	872	3,700
(b) Average of monthly figures from October, 1946–October, 1951	4,087	1,160	5,247

The latest date for which figures of employment are available was at end of May, 1954, when the total numbers of employees in employment in Manchester (including Stretford) were, approximately, 290,000 males and 180,000 females. Precisely comparable figures are not available for the whole of the period 1946–51, but at the end of May, 1951, the total was approximately the same as in 1954.

asked the Minister of Labour to take note of the employment difficulties which will be caused in the motor industry when the Australian import cuts become effective; and what action he is taking in face of this problem.

There is at present a shortage of labour in the motor industry which is reflected in a substantial number of vacancies not yet filled by the employment exchanges. In view of the unsatisfied demand, there is no reason to anticipate serious difficulty in finding alternative employment for any workers in the industry should they become redundant.

asked the Minister of Labour to give instructions for a special investigation of the amount of short-time in the Lancashire industrial area and particularly the cotton industry, in view of the fact that figures taken on one day of the week only may give a misleading view.

The short-time which is at present being worked in the cotton industry in the North-Western Region is already being kept under close review. There is no reason to suppose that the numbers of temporarily stopped workers registered at employment exchanges on the day when the count of the unemployed is made do not reflect trends in short-time working.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the maintenance costs of Swedish timber houses in Scotland are higher or lower, on the average, than those of similar houses of traditional construction.

Complete information on which to base an accurate comparison is not available. A sample investigation suggests, however, that the cost of maintaining Swedish timber houses may be somewhat higher than for traditional houses mainly because of the desirability of treating them with wood preservative periodically.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what complaints he has received of excessive deterioration taking place in the fabric of Swedish timber houses in Scotland; and how far these complaints are general or are confined to specific areas or to specific consignments.

I have had no such complaints. Some apparent deterioration of the external fabric of houses in one county, reported last year, was found to be superficial weathering having no deleterious effects.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what efforts have been made to bring new industries to the proposed new town at Cumbernauld.

A decision to proceed with developments at Cumbernauld, including industrial projects there, depends on the outcome of my negotiations with Glasgow Corporation which I hope will be settled soon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to give an estimate of the numbers of sheep lost through snow storms since 1940 in the counties north of Argyll and of the estimated number of lambs thrown as the result of these storms.

I regret that this information is not available. It is not possible to isolate the effect of sheep losses due to snow storms from losses resulting from other weather effects and from other factors such as disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to state the evidence and information on which he estimates that very few deaths of sheep were attributable to recent snow storms; and what is the number of sheep that have died from cold and starvation this year.

Estimates have been based on the results of sample investigations carried out by officers of my Department. These inquiries were representative of the worst hit districts in the north of Scotland. They showed that, in general, actual deaths are not likely to exceed the normal rate. It is not possible to isolate deaths from snow storms from deaths due to other weather effects and to other causes such as disease.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland by what authority he licences local authorities in Scotland to erect omnibus shelters.

Town councils may erect bus shelters under Section 110 of the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act, 1892, as extended by Section 104 (2, b) of the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act, 1903: no licence from the Secretary of State is required.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many whales have been stranded in the north of Scotland in each of the last five years; if they were all killed or died; what happened to the carcases; and what commercial use was made of them.

There were two major strandings in 1950 and 1955 involving 100 and 63 whales, respectively. In all, 15 whales were killed to prevent suffering. In 1950, carcases were either disposed of at sea, burned or buried; and in the recent case they have been anchored off shore pending final disposal at sea. In neither case was it possible to dispose of the carcases to commercial interests.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number of cases of food poisoning in Scotland during the last five years, with the alleged sources of contamination; and how many cases are thought to have originated in catering premises, schools, hospitals, and private houses, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available as food poisoning is not a notifiable condition in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is now in a position to furnish information with regard to the issue by local authorities of certificates under the Housing (Repairs and Rents) (Scotland) Act, 1954, in connection with the state of repair of controlled houses.

Following is a summary of the returns received from local authorities for the period from the commence- ment of the Act up to 31st December, 1954:

I.—CERTIFICATES OF DISREPAIR (ISSUED UNDER SECTION 18 (1) OF THE 1954 ACT)
Number of applications for certificates of disrepair	Granted	Refused	Withdrawn or still under consideration
1,751	1,254	128	369

Of the 1,751 applications for certificates, 727 were in respect of houses which had been the subject of a notice of repairs increase under the 1954 Act, and 1,024 were in respect of houses where no repairs increase had been claimed.

Number of applications for revocation of certificates of disrepair	Granted	Refused	Withdrawn or still under consideration
78	66	10	2

II.—CERTIFICATES OF SERVICE OF NOTICES REQUIRING EXECUTION OF WORKS UNDER SECTION 7 OF THE HOUSING (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1950 (ISSUED UNDER SECTION 18 (2) of THE 1954 ACT)
Number of certificates issued	11

III.—CERTIFICATES OF REPAIR AND CERTIFICATES OF REFUSAL TO GRANT REPAIR CERTIFICATES (ISSUED UNDER SECTION 20 AND THE SECOND SCHEDULE OF THE 1954 ACT)
Number of applications for certificates of repair	Granted	Refused	Withdrawn or still under consideration
68	18	48	2