asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has completed his consultations with persons and organisations interested in the Clean Air Bill.

The initial round of consultations is now nearly completed. Early next Session, I hope that I may be in a position to make a further statement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how much money was spent on rural sewage disposal in 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954.

I regret that figures of the money spent are not available. Figures of the total capital cost of the rural sewerage schemes started in England and Wales in these years are as follows:£3·1 million,£4·3 million,£5·8 million,£3·4 million,£4·9 million, and£7·2 million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how much money was spent on rural water supplies in the years 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954.

I regret that figures of the money spent are not available. Figures of the total capital cost of the rural water supply schemes started in each of these years in England and Wales are as follows:£6 million,£74 million,£6· 3 million,£66 million,£59 million, and£82 million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses were completed in the county borough of Stockport during the four months ended 30th April.

Figures for the first quarter of the year will be published in the Housing Return on 10th May.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many new houses were built in Huntingdonshire in the years 1949 to 1951 inclusive and in the years 1952 to 1954 inclusive.

Nine hundred and sixty-eight and 1,400, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour how many wholly unemployed were registered in the county borough of Stockport on 6th December, 1954, and 14th March, 1955, respectively.

At 6th December, 1954, 516, and at 14th March, 1955, 489. The figures relate to the Stockport and Reddish employment exchanges and the Stockport Youth Employment Office.

asked the Minister of Labour what increase has occurred in the number of safety committees in the 235,000 factories that the Factory Inspectorate is responsible for since November, 1953.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Works what Government offices there are in the City of Lincoln.

Offices are provided in Lincoln for 17 Government Departments housed in 21 sets of premises. I will send the hon. Member details if he so wishes.

asked the Minister of Works what plans he has for building

LABOUR EMPLOYED IN THE BUILDING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN
Monthly Averages
—	Total (all Building and Civil Engineering Work	New Work
		Houses		Schools		Industrial Building (a)
	Thousands	Thousands	Per cent.	Thousands	Per cent.	Thousands	Per cent.
	(i)	(ii)	(iii)	(iv)	(v)	(vi)	(vii)
1951	990	230	23	38	4	129	13
1952	974	264	27	36	4	124	13
1953	988	311	31	34	3	120	12
1954	978	315	32	31(b)	3	119(b)	12
These figures exclude the building trades workers directly employed by local authorities, public utilities and private firms in other industries.
(a) The figures include the contractors' labour force employed on the erection of factory and storage premises and on gas, electricity, transport, and communications.
(b) Figures for the last quarter of 1954 have been estimated.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the embarrassment caused to young Army officers of modest means by the present system under which the wearing of mess kit is left on a voluntary basis, he will consider the desirability of issuing new instructions to each regiment, indicating what mess kit should be worn by all officers and providing adequate allowances to enable officers to buy such kit.

The erection of a new Government office building at Kendal, estimated to cost£43,250, began in November, 1954. I have no other building proposals for Kendal.

asked the Minister of Works how many building workers were employed on average in the construction of houses, schools and industrial projects in each category in the year 1951 and for each subsequent year to the nearest convenient date; and what percentage each bears to the total building labour force.

The following is the information:—

I would like to take this opportunity of making it plain that any National Service officer who does not possess any other dress is entitled to dine in battledress; and the lack of mess kit, No. 1 Dress or Service dress need cause no embarrassment. An existing Army Council Instruction makes this clear, and I am having the rules brought once again to the notice of commanding officers.

asked the Secretary of State for War what units have grooms on their establishment; what is the number of grooms allowed in each case; and what are their duties.

Grooms are included in 13 establishments. The details are given below. These soldiers are employed on grooming, exercising, preparation for ceremonial occasions and the general care of the animals under their charge. The following is the list of units:

Unit	Number of Grooms
	Military	Civilian
H.Q. London District	1	—
Regt. H.Q. Household Cavalry	1	—
Household Cavalry Training Cadre	8	—
Two horse squadrons, Household Cavalry (4 each)	8	—
King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery	1 (RAVC)	—
R.H.Q. for each Regiment of the Foot Guards (2 each)	10	—
Horse Transport Training Company, R.A.S.C.	2	—
81 Pack Transport Troop R.A.S.C.	—	3
R.A.V.C. Training Centre and Depot	13	14
1 Veterinary, Remount and War Dog Unit, R.A.V.C., B.A.O.R.	5	—
V. & R. Establishment, Moascar	—	1 (also 1 for every 3 animals held)
Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst	—	2
School of Infantry Tactical Wing	—	2
	49	22 plus

asked the Secretary of State for War why two Welsh Guard regimental grooms in uniform were instructed to act as horse holders at the paddock and start on 9th April last at the South Oxfordshire Hunt point-to-point races, on which occasion the starter was Major J. Miller.

The two guardsmen concerned are voluntarily employed part-time in the Brigade of Guards Saddle Club. This arrangement is permitted by a long standing rule. They volunteered to attend the South Oxfordshire Hunt point-to-point races to help in the paddock and at the start.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Empire Theatre, Dewsbury, which is the only live theatre in the district, was obliged to close down last week, and that one of the reasons necessitating this course was the absence of any relief from entertainment tax for the living theatre in the Budget; and whether, in view of the substantial number of theatres which have been obliged to close down recently, he will cause a special review to be made by his officials of this problem.

I have seen reports in the sense of the first part of the Question. For the reasons I explained in my Budget statement, I did not feel able to make any general reductions in indirect taxation on this occasion. I have, however, arranged for the duty on admissions to theatres and other entertainments to be kept under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total reduction in direct and indirect taxation, respectively, since October, 1951; and approximately how many people have benefited under each group.

Direct taxation in 1955–56 is estimated at£780 million less than it would have been on the basis of the 1951 tax schedules. The reductions in personal taxation are estimated to have affected about 19 million taxpayers, counting husband and wife as one. Reductions in indirect taxation total about£30 million net. There are no records on which it would be possible to base an estimate of the number of people who have benefited under this head.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum of money has been received in respect of entertainments duty on boxing for the 12 months up to the latest convenient date.

In the 12 months ended 31st March, 1955, Entertainments Duty received in respect of boxing amounted to approximately£106,000.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the provision in Circular 296 that where the need for new school provision in education areas is less imperative a start should be made with the replacement of unsatisfactory school buildings, local authorities in England and Wales will be allowed the same opportunity as Scotland; and if he will make Circular 283 consistent with Circular 296.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to what I said about school building in last Tuesday's debate on the Estimates.

asked the Minister of Education when he anticipates that he will be in a position to make a statement concerning the plans of the Cardiff Local Education Authority to remedy overcrowding at Cathays High School for Boys; and whether he is aware of the need for immediate action.

I have nothing to add to the reply which my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave on 21st April.

asked the Minister of Education how many new places in schools were provided in Huntingdonshire in the years 1949 to 1951 inclusive, and the years 1952 to 1954 inclusive.

The answer is 490 and 1,445.

asked the Minister of Health what proposals the Whitley Council made to his Department for new scales of pay for pharmacists in the hospital service.

The agreement reached by the Whitley Council provides

Grade			Salary scale under agreement of 1952	Salary scale under agreement reached on 20th April, 1955
Pharmacists	…	…	£400 at age 21;£425 at age 22;£450 at age 23+ 25—£575	£500 (no age link) + 25—£575+ 30—£725
Senior Pharmacist	…	…	£525+ 25—£625	£575+ 30—£725+ 25—£775
Chief Pharmacist
At Category I hospitals	…	…	£575+ 25—£675	£625+ 30—£835+ 15—£850
At Category II hospitals	…	…	£625+ 25—£725	£675+ 30—£885+ 40—£925
At Category III hospitals	…	…	£680+ 25—£780	£730+ 30—£880+ 40—£1,000
At Category IV hospitals	…	…	£735+ 25—£885	£785+ 30—£935+ 40—£1,055+ 45—£1,100
At Category V hospitals	…	…	£785+ 25—£935	£835+ 40—£1,155+ 45—£1,200

The salary scales for Deputy Chief Pharmacists at Category IV and V hospitals (the only hospitals for which provision for Deputy Chief Pharmacists is made) are the same as those for Chief Pharmacists at Category I and Category II hospitals respectively.

The category of the hospital is determined under a formula which takes account of the number of occupied beds and in appropriate cases of the number of out-patient attendances.

Assimilation to the new scales will be on the corresponding points basis, with the proviso that in no case shall the increase on assimilation exceed£125.

The foregoing scales are basic scales. Pharmacists employed in the Metropolitan Police Area also receive "London weighting" of from£20 to£50 a year according to age or salary level. In addition, a pharmacist with a qualification higher than the usual may qualify for a Higher Qualification Allowance of£25 a year. The Chief Pharmacists at certain teaching hospitals receive special allowances of from£100 to£200 a year.

asked the Minister of Health the cost to the Exchequer for dentures, spectacles and prescriptions during the period from July, 1948, until October, 1951; and what was the cost for the same articles between October, 1951, and the nearest convenient date.

Information in exactly the form requested is not avail-

Period		General Dental Services	Supplementary Ophthalmic Services	Pharmaceutical Services
		£m.	£m.	£m.
England and Wales
5th July, 1948 to 31st October, 1951	…	121·291	58·528	107·638
1st November, 1951 to 31st March, 1955	…	78·024	22·828	144·260
Scotland
5th July, 1948 to 31st October, 1951	…	15·943	6·565	12·603
1st November, 1951 to 31st March, 1955	…	8·970	2·142	17·757

NOTES:

1. Charges to patients for dentures and spectacles were introduced on 21st May, 1951, and for dental treatment and prescriptions from 1st June, 1952.

2. The amounts included up to 31st March, 1954, are derived from the statutory accounts, and those for the year 1st April, 1954, to 31st March, 1955, from the Parliamentary Estimate.

3. Separate figures for similar services provided by hospitals are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of convictions for offences relating to the circulation of obscene literature for the five years prior to 1939 and the past five years, respectively, secured not under the Common Law but under Acts such as the Post Office Act.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1)

OBSCENE PUBLICATIONS
PROCEEDINGS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954
Obscene Publications Act,1857
Number of destruction orders	39	33	44	66	11	67	271	115	154	132
Number of articles ordered to be destroyed—
Books and magazines	900	1,506	5,314	24,727	3,006	40,404	65,277	31,842	44,130	167,293
Photographs	8,347	11,492	8,737	2,064	344	7,182	28,956	8,329	20,141	10,803
Postcards	78	7,784	Nil	17	Nil	297	11,662	16,029	32,603	16,646
Miscellaneous	176	705	622	5,006	7	160	2,150	2,546	1,950	18,609
Common law misdemeanour—
publishing an obscene libel Mumber of persons found guilty	39	18	31	39	7	19	51	34	49	111
Total amount of of fines …£	1,048.15	244	675	370.15	69	451	5,938	906	2,786	12,677
Range of sentences	6 wks-12 mths	6 mths-2 yrs	1–6 mths	1 mth-2 yrs	12 mths	3–12 mths	6 wks-2 yrs	6–18 mths	3–12 mths	3–18 mths

The following are the figures. The consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions is not required for these proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will circularise returning officers suggesting that where they want extra help they should try and fit in suitable disabled ex-Service and other persons as presiding officers, etc., during the forthcoming General Election.

I have made this suggestion in a memorandum issued to acting returning officers last month.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many overcrowded classes there were in primary schools and secondary schools, junior and senior, in each year since 1945.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the total number of oversize school classes, primary and secondary, in each year from 1950 to 1954, inclusive.

The following table shows for each of the years 1946 to 1954 the numbers of classes of different types in which the number of pupils exceeded

			Total		School Buildings		Further Education Buildings
—			Value of work started	Value of work completed	Value of work started	Value of work completed	Value of work started	Value of work completed
			£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand	£ thousand
1946	…	…	910	583	863	578	47	5
1947	…	…	2,403	800	2,337	775	66	25
1948	…	…	4,416	977	4,256	906	160	71
1949	…	…	3,484	2,532	3,221	2,409	263	123
1950	…	…	5,351	3,662	4,389	3,494	962	168
1951	…	…	6,974	3,380	6,611	3,068	363	312
1952	…	…	3,753	2,693	3,186	2,400	567	293
1953	…	…	5,910	4,674	5,613	4,322	297	352
1954	…	…	7,795	6,947	7,599	6,657	196	290

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new school places have been provided in each year since 1945; and how many of those provided each year since October, 1951, were begun before that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the value of work started in school building and the value of work completed in each year since 1945.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much educational building was begun in each year since 1948.

The following table shows the value of the educational building work started and completed in each year from 1946 to 1954.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new schools were begun in each of the last nine years; how many were completed in each of those years; and how many new places were provided.

The following table shows the number of new schools started, the number completed and the number of new places provided, including places provided by the extension of existing schools and the H.O.R.S.A. scheme, in each year from 1946 to 1954.

—		Number of new schools		Number of new places provided
		Started	Completed
1946	…	Nil	Nil	1,210
1947	…	13	1	9,295
1948	…	26	4	26,915
1949	…	17	8	17,440
1950	…	47	24	17,774
1951	…	37	29	19,925
1952	…	28	24	15,635
1953	…	42	34	27,254
1954	…	53	45	34,410

Approximately 19,800 of the places provided in 1954 were in projects started before 31st October, 1951. Comparable figures for 1952 and 1953 are not available, but it may be assumed that most of the places provided in these years were in projects started in or before 1951.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total amount spent on technical education building in each of the last eight years; and what proportion of each year's total expenditure on educational building this represents.

The information is given in the following table:

—	Expenditure on building for technical education	Total expenditure on educational building	Column (1) as a percentage of Column (2)
	(1)	(2)
	£	£
1947	16,000	1,150,000	1· 39
1948	78,000	2,217,000	3· 52
1949	83,000	3,091,000	2· 69
1950	139,000	3,445,000	4· 03
1951	141,000	3,870,000	3· 64
1952	180,000	4,902,000	3· 67
1953	218,000	5,117,000	4· 26
1954	243,000	5,913,000	4· 11

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the pupil-teacher ratio in primary and secondary schools, respectively, in each year since 1948.

The following table gives the available information:

PUPIL-TEACHER RATIO
—	In all Schools	In Primary Departments	In Secondary Departments
1948*	24· 9	—	—
1949*	24· 7	—	—
1950*	24· 2	—	—
1951	23· 7	29· 1	16· 8
1952	23· 8	29· 3	16· 8
1953	23· 9	29· 5	16· 7
1954†	23· 5	29· 7	15· 5
* Separate figures for primary and secondary departments are not available for these years.
† Owing to a change in the date of the annual count of pupils in 1954 the figures for that year are not strictly comparable with those for earlier years.