asked the Minister of Agriculture the incidence of industrial diseases among agricultural workers arising out of the use of various fertilisers, insecticides and weed killer products; and if he will hold an inquiry.

There are no statistics showing the incidence of industrial diseases from these causes, but as the information available suggests that it is small, there do not seem to be grounds for holding an inquiry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will arrange for the early publication of a revised reprint of the card entitled "At a Glance," for the benefit of farmers, in view of recent increases and variations in the grants and services listed in this publication.

Yes. This is already in hand.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will have an investigation made to ascertain what proportion of agricultural workers return to agricultural employment after the conclusion of their period of National Service.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service has already done so. A questionnaire was recently sent to 1,302 men called up from farms in Great Britain in November, 1951. Of 1,036 who answered it, 692 had returned to agriculture at the end of their National Service. 561 of these, and 29 of the others, were working in agriculture a year later.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) if he is aware that officers of the West Riding Agricultural Executive Committee have been inspecting farm premises without giving prior information to the farmer, have been making expensive recommendations with regard to the alteration of farm premises beyond the requirements laid down in Statutory Instrument No. 1588, 1949, and in correspondence have linked the carrying out of these unnecessary alterations with the granting of tuberculin-tested licences; and whether he will make a statement;(2) the number of farms inspected in 1954 in the West Riding of Yorkshire by the district milk production officers; in how many cases they made recommendations which were not covered by Statutory Instrument No. 1588, 1949; in how many cases the county agricultural officer linked the carrying out of such alterations with the issuing of a tuberculin-tested licence; and if he will give an estimate of the unnecessary expense to which farmers in the West Riding have been put by these officials.

Between 4,500 and 5,000 dairy farms in the county were visited in 1954 by milk production officers. As these officers give general advice on milk production methods as well as on the statutory requirements of the milk regulations, they may occasionally recommend as desirable improvements beyond the bare minimum needed to satisfy the Regulations. Information is not readily available on the number of these cases but I have no reason to believe that farmers in the West Riding have been put to unnecessary expense on such improvements or that these have been required as a condition of the grant of a tuberculin-tested licence.To avoid the possibility of confusion, my right hon. Friend has given instructions (a copy of which has already been sent to my hon. and gallant Friend) that a clear distinction should be drawn in advisory letters between what is recommended as desirable and what is necessary to comply with the Regulations. Instructions have also been issued that prior notice of visits to dairy farms to inspect the premises should always be given.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what percentage of the total number of farms of 50 acres or more are still without electric light and power.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Barry (Mr. Gower) on 31st March, a copy of which I am sending him.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what negotiations have been reported to his Department regarding the importation of poultry from the United States of America; and whether he will give an undertaking that the measures taken to guard against fowl pest being introduced into this country will be strictly maintained.

There have been informal approaches to Departments by representatives of the American poultry industry. The importation of poultry carcases from the United States is prohibited for disease reasons, and my right hon. Friend certainly sees no grounds for a change of policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give consideration to granting a subsidy on potash used for agricultural purposes.

My Department has considered the possibility of a subsidy on potash from time to time but the balance of arguments so far has been against it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the result of his discussions with the Welsh Agricultural Organisation Society on the problem of group contracts as a means of overcoming the difficulties of getting work done in remote areas as recommended in paragraph 27 of Command Paper No. 9014, on rural Wales and whether he will make a statement.

The Society has made a helpful analysis of the causes of delay in carrying out improvement schemes; but this has led me to conclude that quicker progress can be made by fuller use of existing organisations and facilities than by the establishment of an entirely new organisation, as the Society recommends.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what assistance he is in a position to render to tenants who desire to make use of the Marginal Production Scheme, to grub up uneconomic orchards, but are refused permission by their landlords.

My power to give consent to improvements for which the landlord's consent has been refused does not extend to the grubbing up of orchards except where this can be construed as reclamation of waste land or the removal of obstructions to cultivation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what special action his Department has undertaken since the publication of the Command Paper No. 9014, on rural Wales, to enable upland farmers to receive technical advice and help from the National Agricultural Advisory Service as recommended in paragraph 59 (6).

The National Agricultural Advisory Service has been intensifying its activities in upland farming districts. Particular emphasis has been placed on demonstrations bearing on grassland improvement and management and grass conservation. Experiments of special interest to the upland farmer have been initiated, and advice has been given extensively in connection with the Livestock Rearing Act and similar schemes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what progress has been made towards the control of virus yellows in mangolds, fodder beet and sugar beet.

Good progress is being made, thanks to the co-operation of all the interests concerned. Research under the auspices of the Sugar Beet Research and Education Committee is being extended and effective control measures exist for the sugar-beet seed crop. Voluntary action is yielding promising results with the other root seed crops.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a statement on his recent discussions with the White Fish Authority and the British Trawlers Federation about the development scheme of the Distant Waters Fishing Vessel Owners.

These discussions are still in progress, and I cannot make any statement at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture (1) whether he will give the present average rents of the houses in each of the Forestry Commission's districts in Wales and the amount of increase asked recently; and what consideration has been given to the protests that have been made against such increases;(2) the reasons for increasing the rents of Forestry Commission houses; from what date such increases are to take effect; what basis is used to determine the percentage of increase; and what provision there is for appealing against such an increase.

The rents of the Commission's pre-war properties have until now not been raised from the maximum of 4s. which was first charged when the wages of forest workers were about 38s. per week. The rents charged for houses built since the war, though not so low, have not all been in line with the general level of rents. The maximum rent so far charged in Wales for Commission houses built since the war has been 10s.The Commission has rightly felt that this situation ought not to be allowed to continue, and that its rents should be based on those charged by local authorities, allowance being made for deficiencies in accommodation or services, and for exceptional isolation. In Wales the increases will take effect from 1st April, 1955, in the case of cottage properties let on a weekly basis, and from 1st October for forest workers' holdings let on 364 day tenancies.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has considered the corespondence from Mr. A. V. Baker, concerning the price of bread for small bakers and delivery charges; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

Yes. The position of the small bakers has been eased materially by the increase of the profit margin which was announced on 27th January.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the total number of staff employed by the Ministry of Food at 31st March, 1955.

The non-industrial staff employed by the Ministry of Food at 1st April totalled 5,510.

asked the Minister of Food if he will instruct his supervisors at bacon factories to tighten up grading procedure as a whole, in view of the lack of uniformity which exists as between various bacon factories.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Faversham (Mr. P. Wells) on 6th April.

asked the Minister of Food the maximum weekly ration of meat, bacon, butter, fats, sugar, tea, sweets and eggs between August, 1945, and October, 1951; and the average weekly consumption of these foods in 1954.

Following is the information:

		Maximum ordinary ration between Aug., 1945, and Oct., 1951—(Per head per week)	Estimated average consumption in 1954 (a)—Per head per week)
Meat	oz.	about 15 (b)	17·6(f)
Bacon	oz.	5	5·3 (f)
Butter	oz.	4	4·1 (g)
Margarine	oz.	4	4·8 (g)
Cooking fats	oz.	2	2·2 (g)
Sugar	oz.	12 (c)	17·0
Tea	oz.	2·5	2·8
Sweets	oz.	6·5 (d)	8·5
Eggs		(e)	(e)
(a) Provisional estimates of household consumption from the National Food Survey for all foods except eggs (see note (e)) and sweets, for which the estimate has been based on supplies to retailers expressed in ounces per head per week.
(b) The maximum value of the ration, 2s. 2d., was reached in one week only in September, 1951. Average purchases at this time are estimated at about 15 oz. per head per week.
(c) An additional issue of 4 oz. per week was made available for jam-making preserving for varying periods in each year.
(d) Temporarily derationed 24th April–13th August, 1949.
(e) Eggs were not rationed, but distribution was controlled by means of an allocation scheme. The highest level of consumption during the period 1945–1951 was reached in in 1950, when total supplies represented 28·2 lb. per head per annum. This compares with a provisional estimate of 26·8 lb. for 1954.
(f) Not derationed until 3rd July, 1954.
(g) Not derationed until 8th May, 1954.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will have consultations with the Trades Union Congress regarding the establishment of national consultative machinery within the undertakings of Remploy Limited.

This is a matter for Remploy Limited who, I understand, are giving consideration to the question of establishing consultative machinery at national level to cover all their employees.

asked the Minister of Labour what changes have been made in the present year in the terms of employment of the Principal Medical Officer of Remploy Limited.

This is a matter within the discretion of the Board of Remploy Ltd., and I see no reason for inquiry into it.

asked the Minister of Labour by what percentage the number of non-industrial employees employed by local authorities has decreased during the last four years.

I regret that the statistics required by my hon. Friend are not available but I have written to him explaining the position.

asked the Minister of Labour the percentage increase in the total number of local government employees between 1952 and 1954.

The numbers employed by local authorities, including police forces, at June, 1952, and at June, 1954, were 1,448,291 and 1,486,677 respectively. This represents an increase of 2·7 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men are on strike in the newspaper dispute; their average weekly earnings for the last 12 months; how much extra they are demanding; and what reasons were given to justify their refusal to go to arbitration after the newspaper proprietors had agreed to this course, and agreed also to accept the arbitrators' award.

These are matters within the purview of the Court of Inquiry which is inquiring into the causes and circumstances of the newspaper dispute, and I suggest that my hon. Friend should await the Court's report.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consider a return to the system of general deferment of agricultural workers for this year.

No. The difficulties caused to farmers this year by bad weather have been specially recognised by the suspension until 14th May of the call-up of agricultural workers. I am discussing with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries the arrangements for the suspension of call-up during the harvest period later in the year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what understanding now exists with the United States authorities in respect of affiliation orders against members of the United States Forces in this country or in respect of other arrangements for the assistance of their illegitimate children.

The courts in this country have the same power to make and enforce affiliation orders against members of the United States Forces here as they have in relation to British subjects. Arrangements are in force whereby any failure by a United States Service man to pay sums due under an affiliation order is brought to the notice of the United States Service authorities, and this is usually sufficient to secure payment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will cause inquiries to be made with a view to ascertaining the total number of coloured persons now resident in this country; and if he will set up machinery to ascertain any increase or decrease in such total year by year.

Any attempt to obtain these figures would be attended by great difficulties, and I am afraid that I cannot regard my hon. Friend's suggestion as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will grant political asylum to Mr. Richard Sedlacek who arrived in this country on 1st April.

Mr. Sedlacek was given leave to land by the immigration officer for a visit of two months. If Mr. Sedlacek applies for permission to remain, I shall be prepared to consider his request.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to relieve the congestion in certain of the Metropolitan magistrates' courts.

I came to the conclusion that the most effective and economical way of providing relief would be the appointment of an additional Metropolitan magistrate to sit in the spare court room at Clerkenwell Court. This second court at Clerkenwell will be opened on 25th April, and at the same time there will come into force an alteration in the court boundaries in favour of the courts that are most pressed.

asked the Minister of Education what decisions have been reached in the consideration given to the recommendation of the Central Advisory Council for England in respect of the early leaving at grammar schools; and what action is to be taken in respect of increasing maintenance allowances.

I am not yet able to add to my answer of 10th March.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has yet received the Report of the Burnham Committee on equal pay; and whether he will make a statement.

I have informed the Burnham Committee that I approve its recommendations for the introduction of equal pay by seven annual stages, begining on 1st May.

asked the Minister of Education what he estimates would be the cost to the Exchequer and local authorities, respectively, of implementing the principle of equal pay for women teachers next year.

About £8·5 million to the Exchequer and about £5·7 million to the local authorities.

asked the Minister of Education if he will now make a further statement on the question of equal pay in the teaching profession.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey).

asked the Minister of Education how many all-Welsh primary schools have been opened in the past two years; and how many such schools it is proposed to establish in the next year.

Two Welsh language primary schools, two departments and one class were established in 1953 and 1954. I have to date received proposals for the establishment this year of one school, one department and one class.

asked the Minister of Education how many classes in the primary and secondary schools in Bristol are classified by his Department as overlarge; the number of students in the largest; the average for these classes; and what steps are being taken by him to improve this position.

In January, 1954, there were 391 junior classes with more than 40 children and 359 senior classes with more than 30. The largest junior class held 51 and the largest senior 49. Average class sizes were 37·2 for juniors and 31·8 for seniors. In Bristol, as elsewhere, new school building and the employment of more teachers are leading to an improvement in the size of classes.

asked the Minister of Education when he will introduce a minimum three-year training period for teachers.

I cannot say when this will be possible.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will discontinue the use of the word "special" in the official names of schools for handicapped children.

The term "special school" is embodied in the Education Acts and there are advantages in its use in school attendance orders and similar documents of a formal character. But it need not be used in other correspondence or on school name boards.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities have adopted, and how many have partially adopted, Administrative Memorandum 425 and Circular 252 for major awards.

All but four of the 146 local education authorities have adopted wholly or substantially the rates of grant recommended in Circular 252 and Administrative Memorandum 425. About 12 authorities used an income scale which diverges considerably from that recommended in Administrative Memorandum 425.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the pupil-teacher ratio for each local education authority in England and Wales giving separate figures for primary and secondary schools, respectively.

I am sending the figures to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Education to give an estimate of what would be the additional cost of paying the tuition fees of all State scholarship holders and making the necessary adjustments in parental contributions.

Full payment of the tuition fees of all State scholars would have cost the Exchequer about an additional £50,000 in the last financial year.

asked the Minister of Education to give an estimate of what would be the additional cost to his Department if differential rates of grant were abolished and all recognised local education authority expenditure were subject to a Government grant of 65 per cent.

If the present education grant had been replaced by a flat 65 per cent. grant on all local authority expenditure on Ministry of Education services during the financial year which has just ended, the additional cost would have been nearly £10 million.

asked the Minister of Education whether, since the Government is the gainer on the present method of calculating the main grant, he will consider raising from £6 to £7 the amount paid per unit of average number on registers.

No.

asked the Minister of Education what action he proposes to take, and when, to remove the anomaly of art teachers in training receiving lower grants than student teachers in other subjects.

The anomaly to which the hon. Lady refers exists only for art students who are being trained as teachers in university departments of education. The recent Working Party on Grants to Training College Students has recommended a revision of the grants for these art students. I am now considering that Report.

asked the Minister of Education, with regard to technical education, what plans are now in progress for the County of Durham.

The local education authorities within the County of Durham have in hand, or expect to start before next April, seven technical college building projects. I am considering a further eight for starting in 1956–57.

asked the Minister of Education (1) to give, in respect of Stockwell School, Lambeth, London, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof, and its rateable value at the time of purchase;(2) to give, in respect of Earlsfield School, Wandsworth, London, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof, and its rateable value at the time of purchase;(3) to give, in respect of Hoxton House School, Shoreditch, London, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof, and its rateable value at the time of purchase.

Following is the information:

Proposed school	Area of site acquired	Cost of acquisition	Rateable value
	acres	£	£
Stockwell	8·25	72,000	1,883
Earlsfield	9·0	24,000	(a)
Hoxton House
(b)	2·08	Under negotiation	1·011
(a) This site is part of a larger area, which was previously valued as a whole. No apportionment of value has yet been made.
(b) The complete site, as approved in principle, comprises about eight acres. This includes the 2·08 acres now being acquired, 3·7 acres in respect of existing school sites, and approximately 2·2 acres which are not required at this stage.

asked the Minister of Education (1) to give, in respect of Whitley Abbey School, Coventry, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof, and its rateable value at the time of purchase;(2) to give, in respect of Green Farm School, Coventry, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof, and its rateable value at the time of purchase;(3) to give, in respect of Foxford School, Coventry, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof, and its rateable value at the time of purchase;(4) to give, in respect of Coundon Court School, Coventry, the area of land required for the school, the cost thereof. and its rateable value at the time of purchase.

Following is the information:

School	Area of site acquired	Cost of acquisition	Rateable value at time of purchase
	acres	£	£
Whitley Abbey	43·8	4,575	—
Green Farm	32·4	12,590	18
Foxford	18·6	Under negotiation	—
Coundon Court	23·5	4,000	229

NOTE: Much or all of the land comprising these sites was agricultural and therefore not assessed for rating at the time of purchase. This accounts both for the absence of figures in two places in the last column of the table and for the smallness of the two figures given there.

asked the Minister of Education whether, following his meeting with the responsible organisations, he is now in a position to make a statement about the Ashby Report.

Yes. This is a most valuable Report and I am able to agree to almost all its recommendations. My main reservation is with respect to the proposal that I should attempt, with the help of an advisory committee, to establish priorities in the matter of subjects taught. In this respect I prefer to leave the bodies free, as they have been hitherto, to decide the subject matter of their courses for themselves within the field of liberal studies.I hope to make available increased grants for carrying out certain of the recommendations in the Report, notably those proposing higher salaries and fees for certain lecturers. I have also told the organisations that I hope to provide grants for a strictly limited expansion of their work from next autumn in a few areas which have special claim for some additional help. But I have told them that I expect some further contribution towards the increased cost of this service, whether in the form of higher fees from students where these are still unreasonably low, or in other ways.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will place in the Library copies of the paper "The Warrior" for the production of which certain teachers in Basutoland have been dismissed.

Yes, as soon as they can be obtained from the High Commissioner.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps are being taken to end differential rates of salary, based on race and not on qualifications, in the public service in the High Commission Territories.

Salaries in the public service in the Territories are determined by the need to recruit officers of the required calibre. In the case of European officers it is necessary to take account of salaries paid in comparable employment in other Colonial Territories. Her Majesty's Government do not consider that they would at present be justified in increasing African salaries artificially. The difference is offset to some extent by the fact that Africans in the High Commission Territories do not pay Income Tax.

asked the President of the Board of Trade at what intervals the British Standards Institution reports to him on its activities; and how far its report is made with special reference to the grant.

The British Standards Institution does not report to me. It published its Annual Report and Statement of Accounts last September, and these Accounts are open to the inspection of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the functions and scope of the International Customs Tariff Bureau; and which other countries contribute to its maintenance.

The International Convention for the Publication of Customs Tariffs established the Bureau in 1890 for the purpose of publishing, in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the Customs tariffs of all countries of the world and such modifications as might be made to them from time to time. The Contracting States to the International Convention which contribute to the Bureau's maintenance are as follows:

Albania.	Iran.
Argentina.	Iraq.
Australia.	Italy.
Austria.	Japan.
Belgium.	Lebanon.
Belgian Congo.	Luxembourg.
Bolivia.	Mexico.
Brazil.	Netherlands.
Bulgaria.	Nicaragua.
Canada.	Norway.
Chile.	Pakistan.
China.	Panama.
Colombia.	Paraguay.
Costa Rica.	Peru.
Cuba.	Philippines.
Czechoslovakia.	Poland.
Denmark.	Portugal.
Dominican Republic.	Roumania.
Ecuador.	Siam.
Egypt.	Spain.
El Salvador.	Sweden.
Finland.	Switzerland.
France.	Syria.
German Federal Republic.	Turkey.
Greece.	Union of South Africa.
Guatemala.	United Kingdom.
Haiti.	U.S.A.
Honduras.	U.S.S.R.
Hungary.	Uruguay.
India.	Venezuela.
Indonesia.	Yugoslavia.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the approximate purchasing power of the £sterling today, as compared with 1935.

Taking the internal purchasing power of the £as 20s. in 1935, it is estimated that the corresponding figure for February, 1955, was 7s. 10d. This estimate is based on the Ministry of Labour's Cost of Living Index between 1935 and 1938, the Consumer Price Index between 1938 and 1954, and the Interim Index thereafter.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if, in view of the deterioration of the bungalow residence of Mrs. J. E. Stapleton, at Furzedown, Mundon, Chelmsford, Essex, and the conflicting evidence about the causes of this deterioration, he will cause a fresh inquiry to be made with a view to assessing war damage compensation.

I regret that, in accordance with the practice followed ever since the War Damage Commission was set up in 1941, I cannot undertake to answer Questions about individual war damage cases. I am, however, making inquiries of the Commission about this case and will certainly write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress has been made in the consideration given to the regulations relating to property found by members of the public on public transport.

My right hon. Friend has had some preliminary discussions with the operators. In the light of this he is referring the question to the Central Transport Consultative Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that before British vessels are sold abroad, British owners are signing on crews in this country on the understanding that there will be no repatriation from the port where the ship is delivered to the new owner, and that this action leaves the crew stranded in a foreign country; and if he will take powers to stop this practice.

I have made inquiries and I can find no evidence of the practice to which the hon. Member refers. When a British vessel changes ownership in a foreign country and a seaman does not wish to continue to serve in her, the master is already bound by law to provide for his repatriation, and no further powers are necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the result of his inquiry into the problem of traffic congestion caused by road repairs, resurfacing, or excavations being carried out in heavily-used thoroughfares; and what replies he has had from the different authorities concerned to the suggestion that the work be carried on during the full 24 hours of the day as far as possible.

I am not yet a position to make a statement.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what percentage of officers and men are registered, respectively, as Church of England, other denominations, Roman Catholics, Jews and Agnostic or Rationalist; and what is the classification of those who are normally religiously indifferent.

The latest information available relates to the end of

Type of school	Maintained Grammar	Independent	Direct Grant	Nautical	Total
Number of candidates	123	120	26	12	281
Number who passed preliminary Boards	34	52	6	8	100

The final results of the competition are not yet available but will be published shortly.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what proportion of household coal delivered in the year ended 31st March, 1955, was imported.

3½ per cent.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many tons of coal have been imported from abroad during the 1951, when the percentages were as follows:

Church of England	73·4
Roman Catholic	10·4
Presbyterian	7·1
Methodist	4·9
United Board	2·2
Other Christian denominations, rationalists, agnostics, etc. (not recorded separately)	0·5
Jewish	0·04
Other non-Christian religions (mainly locally-entered personnel abroad)	1·46

The Regulations provide that, if a man in declares himself on entry to be an atheist or to have no religion, the word" None" should be shown on his Service Certificate.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many boys born between 2nd January, 1939, and 1st May, 1939, made applications for scholarships at Dartmouth; how many were from grammar schools and public schools, respectively; how many from each type of school passed the preliminary examination; how many from each type of school passed the final examination; and to what extent any pass list is issued by his Department.

The following is the reply:last 18 months up to the latest convenient date; how much these imports have cost; and how many dollars have been involved in this expenditure.

In the 18 months ended 28th February, 1955, 4·8 million tons were imported at a c.i.f. cost of £27·7 million, of which about £2·6 million was payable in dollars.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the average annual production of coal, 1935–39 and 1950–54.

229·9 and 222·6 million tons a year, respectively.

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

The figures required are shown below:

MANCHESTER COUNTY BOROUGH
Houses and flats completed
Period	Permanent houses
	Local authority and housing associations	Private builders	Total
1st April,* 1945 to 31st Oct., 1951	8,467	1,456	9,923
1st Nov., 1951, to 31st Dec., 1954	7,394	1,048	8,442
TOTALS	15,861	2,504	18,365

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has yet issued any model by-laws applying to sanitary and water supply fittings.

Yes; and I am sending copies to my hon. Friend,

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to publish a table showing the principal reasons, including non-diagnosis of the disease, and existence of an underlying entitlement to workmen's compensation for which 7,006 claims made between 10th March, 1952, and 7th November, 1954, under the Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Scheme were disallowed; and a similar table for the 2,096 claims made and disallowed between 8th November, 1954, and 26th March, 1955.

The information is as follows:

Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Scheme
I. Analysis of claims (a) disallowed 10th March, 1952–7th November, 1954.
Refused a certificate of total disablement	5,081
No reasonable cause for suspecting that the claimant is totally disabled by pneumoconiosis or byssinosis	1,374
Employed in a scheduled occupation since 5th July, 1948	355
Entitled to workmen's compensation or damages	118
Scheduled occupation condition not satisfied	78
Total	7,006

II. Analysis of claims (a) disallowed 8th November, 1954–26th March, 1955.
Refused a certificate of partial disablement	582
Refused a certificate of total disablement (allowance for partial disablement in payment)	75
No reasonable cause for suspecting that the claimant is totally or partially disabled.by pneumoconiosis or byssinosis	1,170 (b)
Employed in a scheduled occupation since 5th July, 1948	180
Entitled to workmen's compensation or damages	89
Total	2,096
(a) Includes second and subsequent claims by the same claimant.
(b) Includes 1,028 claims rejected after an X-ray report had been obtained from a member of the Silicosis Medical Board.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General why airmail letters take up to 12 days to reach Bermuda from London; and what steps he is taking to improve the service.

Airmail letters should not normally take more than two to three days to reach Bermuda from London. The two letters of which my hon. Friend has sent me the envelopes were delayed owing to an unfortunate error in sorting, which I much regret. I am arranging for a refund of the air postage to be made to the senders.

asked the Minister of Supply whether in view of the importance of research into flying at very low speeds, he will arrange for the wind tunnel testing of the Budig flapping wing.

I have at present no information about Herr Budig's whereabouts or activities, but I am making inquiries. I am, of course, interested in any new techniques, and if Herr Budig or his authorised representative makes any such proposal, I will gladly consider it.

asked the Minister of Supply how many motor vehicle chassis have been produced each month for the last 12-month period.

During the 12 months ended 31st December, 1954, 80,097 commercial vehicle chassis and 3,771 passenger car chassis were delivered as such from United Kingdom factories: of these 55,152 and 3,547, respectively, were exported. I am unable in the time available to provide a break-down month by month of these figures.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many helicopters, and of what types, are at present being used by the Army other than for experimental purposes; and for how many machines, by types, firm orders have been placed.

Forty-two helicopters are available to the Army other than for experimental purposes. Thirty-four are flown by the Royal Air Force, of which 13 are Sycamores, 17 Whirlwinds and four Dragonflies. The Royal Navy provide eight S55's for our use in Malaya. All orders for Royal Air Force helicopters are placed at the instance of my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Air, and the number which will be made available to the Army will depend upon the results of trials at the Joint Experimental Helicopter Unit and future operational requirements.

asked the Minister of Works the value, in the 12 months ending on the last convenient date, of orders, on Government account, for products of the light iron-casting industry; and what was the value of such orders placed in Scotland.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Works if he will consider issuing a brief interim explanatory guide book for Monk Bretton Priory in time to be used by summer visitors; and when he expects the full guide to be ready.

I am arranging for a leaflet giving a brief history of the monument to be available this season. I regret that I cannot give a firm date for the publication of the complete guide book.