Monday, 24 October 1949
The House met at Half past Two o'Clock
[Mr. SPEAKER in the Chair]
asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the holder of a substantive licence to drive any group or groups of motor vehicles is compelled to take out a new licence on becoming qualified...
asked the Minister of Transport what action he intends to take to improve the Manchester Ship Canal bridges and to construct the urgently-required new bridges; where it is proposed that the new...
asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will appoint a committee of investigation into the need for the modernisation of transport within a 50 miles radius of Manchester; (2) what steps are...
Mr. De la Bère: asked the Minister of Transport when the regulations under Section 101 (1) of the Transport Act, 1947, requiring the Commission to pay compensation to officers in certain...
Lieut-Colonel Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: asked the Minister of Transport what has been the extent of damage by fire to agricultural crops this summer caused by railway engines; and to what extent...
asked the Minister of Transport if his attention has been called to the danger to pedestrians who have to cross the Bath Road by the London Airport, especially that stretch which is unrestricted...
asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the number of railway accidents which took place during the years 1947, 1948 and during the six months ended 30th June, 1949,...
asked the Minister of Transport what arrangements he is making to ensure the delivery to Canada of Austin motor cars ordered by Canadian customers.
asked the Minister of Transport the total freight charges for the conveyance of traffic on the inland waterways for the years 1947, 1948, and the first six months of 1949; and if he will indicate...
Mr. H. D. Hughes: asked the Minister of Transport what was the overall loss incurred on British Railways in 1948, including operating costs, central administration and capital charges; and what...
asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether, since the British Transport Commission has now reported that the scheme of their London Plan Working Party for the expenditure of £340 million on...
asked the Minister of Supply if he will now enable the London Metal Exchange to reopen for all appropriate business.
asked the Minister of Supply if he is prepared to reconsider the policy of his Department in granting licences for the manufacture of slot machines for the sale of contraceptives thereby...
asked the Minister of Supply what has been the cost to the Exchequer of the sick pay scheme in Royal Ordnance Factories since it was introduced in September, 1948; what was the rate of sickness...
asked the Minister of Supply how many scientists are now being recruited for atomic energy research.
asked the Minister of Supply why materials are not made available for private individuals who desire to construct caravans for their own use, although similar materials are made available to...
asked the Minister of Supply (1) whether officials of nationalised industries are permitted to buy their cars through the official pool without payment of Purchase Tax; (2) what has been the...
asked the Minister of Supply what quantities of steel billets were exported to France in the first six months of 1949; and whether, in view of the shortage of steel, further exports have been...
asked the Prime Minister, in view of the present grave financial and economic situation of Britain, whether he will abolish either temporarily or permanently, some of the present Ministries.
asked the Minister of Works when he expects to remove the huts from Knole Park; and from what date access was provided to remove the huts for his Department.
asked the Minister of Works whether his regional research officer has reported on his visit to investigate the claim of a Bradford builder's labourer that any bricklayer can lay 1,000 ordinary...
Colonel Dower: asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that, in accordance with details sent to him, Members of Parliament and others have been circularised by his Department by means of...
asked the Minister of Works when the Hans Crescent Hotel ceased to be used as a transit centre for European volunteer workers; to what use it has been put since; when it is expected to be...
asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that his Department last year informed the owner of certain requisitioned land at Hemingford Park, Huntingdonshire, that the Ministry would deliver...
asked the Minister of Works if he is aware that his Nottingham surveyor promised the Louth National Farmers' Union in June that the fencing surrounding the buildings of the Ludford Magna...
asked the Minister of Works what progress the Professional Institutions' Committee on improved methods of steel utilization has made; and when it will be issuing its first report.
asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware of the risk of unemployment among wood and stone carvers; and whether he will issue sufficient licences to avert this.
Mr. H. D. Hughes: asked the Minister of Works if he will arrange to retail to the public at reasonable prices plants and cuttings from the Royal Parks as they become available in the course of...
asked the Minister of Works the number and amounts of licences granted to Lewis's Stores at Liverpool since the end of the war.
asked the Prime Minister if he will issue instructions to all Ministers of the Crown to make important announcements to the House of Commons before doing so to any other organisation.
asked the Lord President of the Council what action has been taken arising out of the recent Report of the Royal Commission on the Press.
asked the Lord President of the Council if he will make public the terms of the draft memorandum addressed to him by the Festival of Britain 1951 Committee.
asked the Lord President of the Council what research is being carried out by the Medical Research Council into the claims made as to the effectiveness of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) therapy for...
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs now that the Berlin air-lift has ended, to state the total cost of goods and transport and the proportion borne by the British taxpayer.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what protests he has made to the Soviet authorities regarding the organisation and equipment of military and para-military German forces in the...
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on German reparations.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent food and fodder have been imported into Western Germany from the Soviet zone since the conclusion of the trade agreement between...
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether facilities are available to Germans in the British zone to emigrate permanently to other countries; and whether Britain is included in the...
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what inquiries, criticisms or protests he has received from the Governments of the European countries within the sterling area in regard to the...
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what grants have been paid in recent years to the Emir of Cyrenaica; what other privileges and facilities have been granted to him and his family;...
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British soldiers are detained by the Soviet authorities in Germany and Austria, respectively; and for what periods and reasons they have...
asked the Minister of Works where the upholstery for the new Commons Chamber has been manufactured.
asked the Minister of Works if he is now prepared to restore normal lighting in all parts of the Palace of Westminster, including the lamps on the Terrace river front.
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he has refused to examine complaints concerning the quality of opencast coal distributed by the National Coal Board as his agents.
Mr. De la Bère: asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, with a view to reducing the number of forms that farmers have to fill in, he will abolish Form R,(MS)6 for red petrol for...
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what consideration he has given to the purchase of petroleum from Poland; and with what result.
With your permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a statement to the House. The Government have made it clear that any advantages to be reaped from the devaluation of the pound might easily be...
Motion made, and Question put,
Resolution reported: That for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to amend the law relating to the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, it is expedient to authorise the...
Considered in Committee.
4.25 p.m.
I beg to move, in page 2, line 32, to leave out "Army Council," and to insert: the competent Naval, Air Force or Military Authority. Under the Clause any scheme prepared under Section I of the...
I beg to move, in page 4, line 22, to leave out the first "Corps," and to insert "Force." This is a drafting Amendment in order to use the proper nomenclature for the Army Cadet Force.
I beg to move, in page 6, to leave out lines 22 to 24. This Amendment would delete paragraph (c) from Clause 5. I believe it is most apposite that it should be moved today in view of the fact...
Amendment made: In page 8, line 3 leave out from "period," to end of line, and insert "of embodiment' to 'section.'"—[Mr. M. Stewart.]
I beg to move, in page 8, line 27, at the end, to insert: so that one of the Vice-Chairmen shall be chosen from amongst those members of the association who shall then be serving or shall have...
6.45 p.m.
I beg to move, on page 12, line 33, after "out," to insert "for overseas service." As the Committee will be fully aware, the absence of these words is due to a pure inadvertence, because without...
Amendment made: In page 14, line 33, leave out "to (d)," and insert "and (c)."—[Mr. M. Stewart.]
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
7.36 p.m.
7.42 p.m.
Resolution reported: That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to amend the law of Scotland relating to the probation of offenders, and the powers of courts under the Children and...
Resolution reported: That, for the purposes of any Act of the present Session to reconstitute the General Nursing Council for Scotland (hereinafter referred to as 'the Council') it is expedient...
Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—[Mr. Wilkins.]
Debates in the House of Commons are an opportunity for MPs from all parties to scrutinise government legislation and raise important local, national or topical issues.
And sometimes to shout at each other.