Written Answers of 2 May 1946

  INDUSTRIAL INJURIES INSURANCE (STAFF)
  Mr. Channon
  asked the Minister of National Insurance when he intends to start recruiting for dealing with industrial injuries insurance; what is the number of staff which he anticipates will be needed; and what specific arrangements will be made to give priority to the staff of friendly societies in the recruitment arrangements.

  Mr. J. Griffiths:
  I cannot yet say what number of staff will be required for this purpose or when recruitment will commence. This branch of work is not one of those in which friendly society staff has in general been engaged, but opportunities for appointment will, I expect, be made available to that staff as part of the arrangements for general recruitment which are now under discussion with their representatives.

  HOUSING (DUAL RESIDENCES)
  Mr. A. Lewis
  asked the Minister of Health, whether, in view of the present housing shortage, he will consider introducing legislation to make it illegal for people to have more than one place of residence, such as at present where many people have town and country houses.

  Mr. Bevan:
  I think that adequate powers have already been delegated to the clerks of local authorities, including the power to requisition houses only intermittently occupied.

  RATES (REMISSION)
  Sir H. Morris-Jones
  asked the Minister of Health in view of the fact that rates are assessed on the occupational value of property and not on the income of the occupier, whether he will issue regulations instructing local authorities on how the term poverty is to be interpreted in the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, it order to prevent the local authorities applying for distress warrants against occupiers of property who have very limited incomes.

  Mr. Bevan:
  I have no power to issue instructions of this nature, but in any
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  case I have no evidence that local authorities are acting unreasonably in exercising their powers to remit rates.

  BROOKWOOD MENTAL HOSPITAL
  Sir E. Graham Little
  asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of new evidence submitted to him reflecting upon the behaviour of the present matron of Brookwood Hospital, including a resolution passed by the Brookwood Hospital Committee, he will now institute an inquiry independently of the Surrey County Council.

  Mr. Bevan:
  I have not received any evidence on this subject since I wrote to the hon. Member on 23rd February, but if he has any fresh information and will send it to me I shall be pleased to consider the matter further.

EDUCATION

  Released Teachers (Employment)
  Mr. G. Thomas
  asked the Minister of Education whether she is aware of the rapidly increasing number of qualified teachers released under Class B who are finding considerable difficulty in obtaining employment; and what steps she proposes to take to place these teachers in employment.

  Mr. Hardman:
  I am aware that a very few such cases have arisen, but not that the number is rapidly increasing. Any qualified teacher released from the Forces under Class B knows that if he finds difficulty in obtaining a post he can secure information as to vacancies from the regional appointments officer of the Ministry of Labour. He can also obtain help from the Appointments Board operated jointly by the National Union of Teachers and the Association of Education Committees, from other agencies, or from advertisements in the educational press.

  Emergency Training (Men)
  Mr. G. Thomas
  asked the Minister of Education how many men teachers trained in the Emergency Training Colleges will be qualified this year; and

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  whether appointments are guaranteed to these students.

  Mr. Hardman:
  At the present time there are 466 men in courses at Emergency Training Colleges which are due to finish within the current year. Appointments to teaching posts are made by local education authorities and not by the Ministry of Education, but in view of the general shortage of teachers I should not expect these men to have any difficulty in finding posts.

  LOCAL EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEES
  Mr. Medland
  asked the Minister of Labour if it is his intention to reconstitute local employment committees and, in particular, Plymouth Employment Committee.

  Mr. Isaacs:
  Yes, Sir.

  ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES (DORSET)
  Lieut.-Colonel Byers
  asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of dwellings in the Parliamentary Division of North Dorset which have main electricity supply and the number which have a private electricity supply.

  Mr. Shinwell:
  In the North Dorset Division, 8,334 consumers take electricity from the public supply. Information is not available as to the number of dwellings which have a private supply.

  DISABLED PENSIONERS (TRANSPORT)
  Mr. Howard
  asked the Minister of Pensions what measures are taken by his Department to assist limbless ex-service men in obtaining small motor-cars and meeting the cost of adapting the control mechanism in a manner appropriate to their particular disability.

  Mr. Wilfred Paling:
  A badly disabled war pensioner who by reason of his disability requires special transport to enable him to obtain or keep employment is entitled to be supplied by my Department al State expense with a motor propelled invalid vehicle. Any necessary repairs are carried out at State expense and where needed and practicable a suitable garage
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  is provided free of cost at the man's home. Moreover, in the case of pensioners who have suffered double leg amputation of which one at least is above the knee these arrangements apply even if the machine is for use only as an amenity.

  If a pensioner desires to provide himself with a motor car he can, I understand, always obtain advice from the Disabled Drivers' Motor Club in regard to any necessary adaptations.

  HANSARD (SALES)
  Mr. Callaghan
  asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury how many daily and weekly copies of HANSARD, respectively, are sold.

  Mr. Glenvil Hall:
  The average sales during April were 7,000 copies of the daily part and 14,75o copies of the weekly edition.

  MISSING WOMEN
  Mr. Callaghan
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the numbers of young women and girls between the ages of 14 and 20 years, who have been reported as missing, for all years from 1939, and who have not been traced.

  Mr. Ede:
  The figures, so far as the Metropolitan Police District is concerned, are as follow: 1939–1943, Nil; 1944, two; 1945, six. Figures for the rest of the country are not available without special inquiry, and I am reluctant to add to the work of the police by making such inquiry at the present time.

  U.N.R.R.A. EXPORTS (UNITED KINGDOM GOODS)
  Mr. Eccles
  asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of goods exported from the United Kingdom in each of the first three months of 1946, both in respect of the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom and in respect of imported merchandise re-exported, which were consigned to Germany and to all destinations on U.N.R.R.A. account; and to what extent these figures are included in the tables given on pages 5–8 of the Accounts relating to Trade and Naviga-tion of the United Kingdom for March, 1946.
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  Mr. Belcher:
  Exports by U.N.R.R.A. are included in the Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom, but are not separately recorded. Precise figures cannot therefore be given, but the recorded value of all exports by U.N.R.R.A. of the produce and manufactures of the United Kingdom was roughly £1,500,000 in January, £2,500,000 in February and £2,000,000 in March. Exports by U.N.R.R.A. of imported merchandise during the same period averaged about £500,000 per month. Exports by U.N.R.R.A, to Germany during these months were negligible.

  BICYCLE SPARE PARTS
  Mr. Carson
  asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware of the shortage of bicycle spares in the town of Sandwich, cycle tyres, tubes, wheels, rims, freewheels, pedals and saddles being particularly short; and if he will take action to remedy this as soon as possible.

  Mr. Woodburn:
  There is still a general shortage of bicycle spares, but we have already taken steps to ensure that Sandwich receives its fair share of available supplies.