asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the frequency of meetings of the Central Advisory Committee during the three years preceding the merging of the Ministry of Pensions with the Ministry of National Insurance; the number of occasions on which the committee has been convened since the merger was effected on 31st August last; and to what extent the status of the committee, and war pensioners' interests, have been altered since the merger.

In the three years before the merger on 31st August, 1953, there were six, three and four meetings. respectively. Since the merger there has been one meeting. As regards the last part of the Question, there has been no alteration.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make a statement on the resumption of negotiations with the New Zealand authorities for a reciprocal agreement on social security.

Negotiations have now been resumed and my right hon. Friend discussed the matter personally with Sir William Bodkin, the New Zealand Minister of Social Security, at the end of last month

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons are in receipt of National Assistance in the area of Bolton; and how many of these are old-age pensioners.

At 30th March, 1954, about 11,250 regular weekly grants of National Assistance were being made by the Board's two Bolton area offices, which cover a wider area than the county borough. Of these grants, about 8,250 were in supplementation of retirement and non-contributory old age pensions and some of them covered the needs of more than one pensioner.

asked the Minister of Pension and National Insurance whether he will consider what arrangements can be made for old-age pensioners who also receive National Assistance benefit to draw such benefit with their pensions at the post office.

This is already the arrangement.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of persons for which his Department has financial responsibility who have not received any increase in their pensions or allowances since 1946.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when regulations will be made under the Industrial Diseases (Benefit) Act. 1954.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how soon he expects to be able to make the necessary regulations under the Industrial Diseases (Benefit) Act, 1954.

The preparation of schemes under this Act is well advanced and my right hon. Friend hopes shortly to consult interested organisations about the detailed proposals. I cannot yet say when it will be possible to seek Parliamentary approval.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many cases of pneumoconiosis have appeared before the board each year since 1950 in Durham, Northumberland and Cumberland; how many, each year, were rejected; and how many, each year, were determined as suffering from this disease.

The precise figures asked for by the right hon. Member are not available. The Pneumoconiosis Medical Panel at Newcastle covers a rather wider area, but it was only established in November, 1951. The following table gives the cases dealt with by the Newcastle Pneumoconiosis Medical Panel.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he has considered a copy of the resolution passed by the British Legion in Newport indicating their growing dissatisfaction at the basic rate of pensions remaining at 55s. in spite of the increase in cost of living during the last few years, particularly amongst the poorest members of the community; and what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend has received and taken note of a resolution from the Monmouthshire County Committee of the British Legion concerning the basic rate of war pensions. On this subject, I am afraid that I cannot usefully add to what I said in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Sedge-field (Mr. Slater) on 17th May last.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have applied for, and been granted, political asylum in Britain in each year since 1932; and how many such requests have been refused.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the policy of Her Majesty's Government in granting political asylum to those aliens who apply for it; and from what authority the power to grant or refuse such asylum is derived.

Her Majesty's Government follow the traditional practice of United Kingdom Governments in granting political asylum in appropriate cases. The normal criterion for deciding whether a foreigner is entitled to be regarded as a political refugee is whether there are good grounds for thinking that his life or liberty would be endangered because of his political opinions if he were required to leave the United Kingdom. It is the right of any sovereign State to grant asylum: the power to refuse to allow a foreigner to remain in the United Kingdom is derived from the Aliens Order, 1953, made under Section 1 of the Aliens Restriction Act, 1914, as amended by the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1919.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many aliens resident in Britain are stateless; how many such persons have been accepted for permanent residence in each of the years from 1945; and what principles govern the policy of Her Majesty's Government in accepting such persons for permanent residence.

On 31st December, 1953, 1,398 aliens were registered under the Aliens Order as stateless, but this is not necessarily the number of aliens resident in the United Kingdom who are actually stateless: since an unknown number of others may have lost their nationality since registration. I regret that the figures requested in the second part of the Question are not available. Apart from persons in strictly defined classes, including stateless people who are treated in the same way as others who are allowed to enter on compassionate grounds, foreigners are not normally admitted to the United Kingdom for permanent residence in the first instance. Stateless persons who have been resident for some years may, as may other foreigners, have conditions limiting their stay to a fixed period. removed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of men and women, respectively, who have been certified in prison during the last three years under the Lunacy Acts and under the Mental Deficiency Acts, respectively; what is the number of such persons committed to Broadmoor and how many were under 21 years of age; and on what principle certified prisoners are selected for committal to Broadmoor.

The following table shows the number of persons certified insane in prisons or Borstal Institutions in England and Wales and removed to Broadmoor Institution or to a local mental hospital under Section 2 of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884, during the years 1951, 1952 and 1953. The table does not include persons found insane on arraignment or guilty but insane The figures for 1953 are provisional.

Two of the persons removed to Broad-moor Institution, both male, were under 21 years of age.The following table shows, for the years 1951, 1952 and 1953, the number of persons certified mentally defective while detained in prisons or Borstal institutions.

Persons so certified are not sent to Broad-moor, but to appropriate institutions for mental defectives.Each case is considered according to its particular circumstances, but, in general, persons who are certified insane while serving sentences of imprisonment or Borstal training are not sent to Broad-moor Institution unless they are considered to be unsuitable for removal to a local mental hospital, by reason of the violent and dangerous character of their insanity, or of their previous history, or of the nature of the offence of which they have been convicted.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when the hon. Member for Uxbridge can expect a reply to his letter of 5th April regarding the decision to widen the Ruislip—Ickenham road/railway bridge.

I replied to the hon. Member on 10th May.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has made an estimate of the effect on the road traffic along the Bath Road from the Great West Road which will result from the transfer of services from Northolt and other airports to London Airport; and whether he is satisfied that the present roadway can efficiently carry the traffic.

Yes. The Bath Road will for some time be adequate to carry the additional traffic resulting from the transfer of Northolt services to London Airport. I am examining the question of whether improvement will be necessary at a later stage to deal with traffic when it reaches its peak.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what services will be transferred from Blackbushe and Bovingdon to London Airport; and when the transfers will take place.

Hunting Clan Air Transport Limited, now based on Bovingdon, and Airwork Limited, now based on Blackbushe, have been granted permission in principle to operate services from London Airport from October onwards. The exact scope of these services has yet to be settled.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to some funeral directors and the distress to mourners when the assembly point is sandwiched between two zebra crossings or near a "no-waiting" street; and whether, in placing traffic signs or crossings, he will give special consideration to the needs of funeral directors.

I have received representations from the National Association of Funeral Directors that in certain cases the no-stopping zone on the approach side of zebra crossings may cause distress and inconvenience. On the strongest grounds of road safety, however, I cannot agree to make any exemptions from this no-stopping rule. If a funeral director is able to arrange for the police to control a zebra crossing at the time of a funeral, the no-stopping provisions cease to apply while a police officer is in control. Orders and Regulations for "no-waiting" streets almost invariably allow stopping for loading or unloading and for picking up or setting down passengers. In placing traffic signs or crossings, for which, except on trunk roads, I am not directly responsible, I have no doubt that the authorities concerned take into account any special needs of funeral directors which may be brought to their attention.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission to make a thorough review of our railways system; to improve the present service; and to stop the rise in fares which is causing concern.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the number of livestock producers in England and Wales, respectively, who have had in their possession livestock in excess of six head of cattle. 10 sheep and eight pigs at any time during the preceding 12 months.

I regret that there are no statistics giving the information desired by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture for an estimate in pounds sterling of the annual sales, to the last available date, of pigs, cattle, and sheep, respectively, in England and Wales, respectively.

It is estimated that in the year ending 31st May, 1953, the values of annual sales in England and Wales together were £84 million for cattle, £35 million for sheep, and £128 million for pigs. It is not practicable to give separate figures for England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a statement about the latest spread of myxomatosis among rabbits in Wales.

Since the outbreak of myxomatosis in Radnorshire which I reported to the House on 20th May, the existence of three outbreaks in Anglesey and two in Pembrokeshire has been established. So far there has been no appreciable spread of the disease at any of these outbreaks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what representations he has received from Wales concerning his decision to retain the gin trap; and whether he is aware of public disapproval of his decision.

My hon. Friend appears to be under a misapprehension. As I announced on 27th May in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford the Government propose, with the approval of the House, to fix 31st July, 1958, as the date after which the use of spring traps other than approved traps should be prohibited.