87.
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
Friday, 10th December, 1948
GENEVA TRADE
AGREEMENT
(PREFERENCES)
Mr. Lennox-Boyd asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the preferences that have been climinated as a result of the agreements reached at Geneva and Havana.
Mr. H. Wilson: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to preferences granted by Commonwealth countries. Details of the previous rates and the rates agreed upon as a result of the Geneva negotiations were published in various issues of the Board of Trade Journal, par- ticulars of which I am sending the hon. Member. I am also sending him details of the tariff items in respect of which mar- gins of preferences were eliminated. As I informed the House during the debate on the Geneva Tariff Agreement on the 29th January last, the total trade covered by the elimination of these preferences is only about 24 per cent. The final act of the Havana Conference which established the text of a Charter for an International Trade Organisation did not itself involve any change in preference rates.
HISTORIC HOUSES,
PRESERVATION
(COMMITTEE)
Mr. Chetwynd asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any statement to make about the preservation of houses of national importance.
Sir S. Cripps: Yes. On more than one occasion in the last year or so it has been necessary to make special provision from public funds in order to secure for the nation certain houses of national importance which might otherwise have been in danger. The Government think, however, that it is unsatisfactory to have to deal with such cases in a piecemeal way and that it is necessary to work out a general policy. In order that the various issues may be fully ventilated before any general decisions are reached, I have decided to appoint a Committee with the following terms of reference:
"To consider and report what general arrangements might be made by the Govern- ment for the preservation, maintenance and use
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of houses of outstanding historic or archi- tectural interest which might otherwise not be preserved, including where desirable the preservation of a house and its contents as a unity."
The Members of the Committee are:
Sir Ernest Gowers, G.B.E., K.C.B.
(Chairman).
Lady Anderson.
W. H. Ansell, Esq., M.C., F.R.I.B.A.,
A.R.E.
Professor A. F. Blunt, C.V.O.
Sir Cyril Fox, F.B.A., F.S.A., Litt.D. J. D. Imrie, Esq., C.B.E. J. C. Little, Esq., C.B.E.
RURAL HOUSING (RECONDITIONING)
Mr. Granville asked the Minister of Health when it is intended to introduce foreshadowed legislation for the recondi- tioning of rural houses.
Mr. Bevan: I am not yet in a position to give a precise date.
MINISTRY OF SUPPLY (CONVICTIONS)
Sir W. Smithers asked the Minister of Supply how many cases were brought and how many convictions obtained since July, 1945, against employees of his De- partment on charges of bribery or cor- ruption; and how many persons thus convicted are still in the public employ- ment.
Mr. G. R. Strauss: Six cases, including three overseas, have been brought against employees of my Department on charges of bribery or corruption since July, 1945. Five convictions were obtained, but one was subsequently quashed on appeal. None of the persons concerned is still employed by my Department.
TEACHERS' TRAINING SCHEME (WITHDRAWALS)
Mr. Platts-Mills asked the Minister of Education how many students undergoing training as teachers under the Emergency Training Scheme have been sent down or otherwise rejected as unsuitable during their last term; what is the total value of
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Written Answers
10 DECEMBER 1948
residual portion of maintenance grants that has been recovered; and, in view of the hardship to the individuals concerned, whether he will no longer re- quire these refunds to be made.
Mr. Tomlinson: Separate figures of withdrawals during the final term of training are not available. The total number of withdrawals from all causes since the inception of the Scheme up to the 2nd of this month is 870. The total sum refunded by students in respect of
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Written Answers
90
grants overpaid owing to withdrawals could not be ascertained without a dis- proportionate expenditure of time and labour. The grants made to the students are made to enable them to pursue their approved courses of training and I can- not agree that where students have not attended for the full period for which an instalment of their grant has been paid in advance, they should be allowed to retain the balance, except in cases of real hard- ship. Such cases are dealt with sympa- thetically on their merits.