asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is yet in a position to make a final and comprehensive statement as to the relations between the Trinidad Cement Company Limited and the local trades unions concerning the matters in issue between them.

Since my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member on 11th May that a settlement had been reached between Trinidad Cement Limited and the trade union, he has received from the Governor a copy of the memorandum of agreement between the parties providing for the termination of the strike as from 9th May and the establishment of trade union bargaining machinery. Under the agreement the reemployment of the workers is being phased according to a programme outlined by the company and is to be completed by 15th July. I have placed a copy of the agreement in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give details of the basis of valuation for the estates and farms already purchased by the Kenya Government for their land settlement scheme.

Any land purchased will be on a willing buyer willing seller basis. The Settlement Board applies the 1959 valuation of the land concerned, adjusted as necessary to conform with variations in produce prices between 1959 and the year of purchase. The price offered will be the sum of the valuation of the land and fixed improvements with a ceiling value fixed for dwelling houses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the revision of land rentals for leasehold in the Kenya Highlands has now been completed; and if he will give details of the new rates.

The valuation of all lands in the Highlands and elsewhere, leased by the Crown for agricultural purposes, to determine rents to be payable during the 30 year period commencing 1st January, 1961, was completed in 1960. The revised rent from 1st January, 1961, is one per cent. of the unimproved value of the land as valued in 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what the 15 registers, which recently disappeared from the Public Registers of Malta refer; and whether they have yet been found.

The missing volumes contained notes by Public Notaries recording details of deeds executed by them in relation to immovable property and other matters. Duplicate volumes are available. In the course of their investigations the police discovered torn pieces of the missing volumes near the sea and it has been presumed that they were destroyed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the rate of four pence per mile paid to officials of the Maltese Government was established in 1948, and that the refusal to vary this rate has led to the employees to stop using their private cars for official business; and, in view of the fact that the staff side of the joint council has indicated that it is prepared to negotiate a revised fair mileage rate, if he will take steps to convene a joint committee for the purpose of examining the position and reaching an agreement on the matter.

I am aware of this situation, but I have nothing to add to my Reply to him on the 14th February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to set up an elected Advisory Council for St. Helena.

I am prepared to arrange for the present nominated Advisory Council to be replaced by one consisting of eight elected, two ex-officio, two nominated official and four nominated unofficial members provided he is assured that the people of St. Helena have sufficient interest in the change to take part in the elections and sufficient good will to make it work. The Governor has not yet been able to give such an assurance.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the decision of the Gwembe Native Authority to spend part of the money, granted to it as compensation for the evacuation of its people from their Zambesi Valley homelands, on a secondary school; and how much expenditure the Government of Northern Rhodesia is saved by this decision.

The proposal is for the cost of this school to be borne by the Gwembe Special Fund, not the Tribal Compensation Fund. There is no saving to the Northern Rhodesia Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has approved the Edinburgh Corporation's proposals to change traffic regulations at the west end of Princes Street; and whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to road users by the continual changes at this crossing.

The regulation of traffic at this busy road junction raises problems of considerable complexity and the corporation, which has the primary responsibility, has decided to introduce an alternative scheme of traffic light control. It has been informed that the question of grant assistance will be considered when there has been sufficient experience of the scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Her Majesty's Government are considering applying to Scotland the encouragements, such as freedom from tax and stimulation to industry, which are now offered to, and in operation in, Malta.

No. The Government's instrument for dealing with local unemployment in Scotland and elsewhere in Great Britain is the Local Employment Act, 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the building will commence of the overhead bridge on the A.8 at Salsburgh; and when it is expected it will be in use.

The fabrication of the bridge is well advanced and erection should start next month and be completed early in September.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now state when it is intended to link the partly constructed road at Loch Portain in the Isle of North Uist with the main island road.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 11th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what decisions he has taken, in the light of the further representations from the local authorities and fishermen made to the Under-Secretary of State at the recent meeting in Stornoway, about the need for more adequate protection against the depredations of foreign and British vessels fishing illegally in inshore waters.

I am considering, in the light of the representations made at the meeting, whether somewhat different measures may be necessary or appropriate, and particularly whether the use of a motor fishery vessel would be practicable and whether such a vessel might be likely to provide more effective protection. Meantime, I am continuing to ensure that a high degree of protection is given to the area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the recent decision to initiate an inquiry into various problems of the teaching profession.

I have agreed in principle with the Educational Institute of Scotland that early steps should be taken to initiate a comprehensive review with the bodies concerned of the position of the teaching profession in the Scottish educational system. This review will include certain problems arising on teachers' conditions of service but will not cover the question of the employment of non-graduate men teachers which is being discussed under separate arrangements, or questions relating to teachers' salaries. The form and scope of the review have still to be worked out, but it is likely to begin in the autumn and to be conducted by several working parties representing the various interests concerned and dealing concurrently with particular questions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in 1960 foreign trawlers were observed fishing in the Moray Firth and the Firth of Clyde in contravention of the Trawling in Prohibited Areas Prevention Act, 1909; and how many of these trawlers were Icelandic or Faroese and how many were Belgian or French.

Twelve Belgian trawlers were observed fishing on 38 occasions in the Moray Firth. In the Firth of Clyde, 49 trawlers were observed on 128 occasions. They included 43 French trawlers observed on 109 occasions. No Icelandic or Faroese trawlers were observed in either case. I should explain, however, that the Act does not prohibit foreign trawlers fishing in these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give a date for work to commence on the Conon Bridge diversion in Ross and Cromarty.

I regret that I cannot meantime say when work on this diversion is likely to start.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many demon-

—			Total Nursing Staff			Trained Staff
			All Hospitals	Mental Hospitals	Mental Deficiency Institutions	All Hospitals	Mental Hospitals	Mental Deficiency Institutions
1950	…	…	20,773	4,381	783	7,561	1,980	352
1955	…	…	22,938	4,487	855	8,551	2,225	384
1960	…	…	26,561	5,038	1,237	9,252	2,282	426

These figures relate to 30th September in the years in question. They include part-time staff, counted as half units.

Fifty-two, seven of them on more than one occasion.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if there is a shortage of radiographers in the hospital service in Scotland; if there are difficulties in recruitment; and if he will make a statement.

At 30th September, 1960, the latest date for which figures are available, 44 out of 467 hospital posts for radiographers were vacant. The annual intake of recruits to the five training schools in Scotland is about 80. Recruitment for training is not generally difficult, but there are substantial losses by marriage of trained female staff. Some expansion of training facilities is in prospect, and publicity is planned with the object of attracting back to hospital work as many trained married women as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many nurses were employed in Scottish hospitals in 1950, 1955, and 1960; and what were the numbers of trained staff;(2) how many nurses were employed in mental hospitals and mental deficiency institutions in 1950, 1955, and 1960; and what were the numbers of trained staff.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list each individual scheme for new hospital buildings, extensions and improvements approved in principle by the Department of Health for Scotland from April, 1960, to date; and if he will state, where possible, the permissible starting date in each case.

A comprehensive list of individual schemes throughout Scotland approved in principle by my Department since April, 1960, would include so many projects of such varying significance that it would not serve any useful purpose. The main schemes due to start before 1965 were set out in my reply to the hon. Member for Lanarkshire, North (Miss Herbison) on 1st February last. If the hon. Member has any particular scheme

TABLE
Crime	1958		1959		1960
	Cases Made Known	Persons Proceeded Against*	Cases Made Known	Persons Proceeded Against*	Cases Made Known	Persons Proceeded Against*
Cruelty to and neglect of children	383	365	323	331	242	244
Lewd and libidinous practices towards children	963	345	1,041	379	1,301	466
Defilement of girl under thirteen	19	9	21	9	68	7
Defilement of girl under sixteen	214	58	159	54	277	60
Abducting girl under eighteen or defective or lunatic	1	—	1	1	—	—
Persons having custody of girl under sixteen causing her seduction, etc.	1	—	1	1	2	3
Exposing children under seven to risk of burning	12	2	7	—	3	1
* This column cannot be strictly related to the previous column: for example, it is not possible to distinguish cases in which more than one person was proceeded against for a single offence, or one person was proceeded against for more than one offence.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the police authority of Ross and Cromarty have refused to pay the members of the force weekly, despite a reference showing a large majority in favour of that course; and what action he proposes to take under Regulation 34 of the Police Regulations, 1956.

Yes. The police authority decided that the introduction

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a table showing separately the number of cases of cruelty to children, child neglect, and offences against children reported to the police for each of the last three years at any convenient date, and the number of cases in each group in which proceedings were taken

The information for the more serious offences is given in the table below. In addition, there are a few minor offences specifically defined as involving children, and if the hon. Member is particularly interested in any of these I will try to supply the information.of weekly pay for the Ross and Cromarty constabulary was impracticable because of staffing and other difficulties. Regulation 34 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations leaves the decision with the authority, but I have asked them to keep the position under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost, per trainee in residence, of training, free board and allowances at the Forestry Commission's two year training course; and whether all such trainees enter employment with the Commission only.

The net cost for each student on the last two-year course at the Forester Training Schools in Great Britain was £1,034. Of the 60 students who completed the course, 41 joined the Forestry Commission, 12 had been nominated by the Government of Northern Ireland, three had been nominated by Colonial Governments and four took up employment elsewhere.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is yet in a position to announce the result of his further consideration of his proposals for increases in teachers' salaries in Scotland.

I have written today to the National Joint Council informing them of my intention to amend the present Teachers Salaries Regulations by prescribing from 1st July revised salary scales and allowances for all teachers in primary and secondary schools and in further education.The revised scales will follow the general lines of the proposals I sent to the N.J.C. on 26th April, but will include some adjustments in the salaries of both graduate and non-graduate teachers and to the allowances paid to teachers in posts of responsibility. These will involve an increase of £5·25 million instead of £4·6 million, on the present annual expenditure on the salaries of teachers employed by education authorities whose remuneration is prescribed in the regulations. The total addition to the salary bill for all teachers employed in grant-aided educational establishments will be about £6·6 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the Treasury receipts from pool betting duty collected on greyhound totalisators for the months of January, February, March, April and May, 1961; and if he will give similar figures for bookmakers' licence duty for the same months.

The following is the reply:

1961	Pool betting duty receipts from totalisators	Bookmakers' licence duty receipts
	£	£
January	408,278	107,583
February	411,864	103,386
March	545,822	137,636
April	548,191	130,842
TOTAL	1,914,155	479,447

The figures for May are not yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of greyhound racecourses at present operating a totalisator; and what is the number which have ceased to operate since 1st January, 1948, when the 10 per cent. pool betting duty was imposed.

On 1st May, 1961, there were 98 greyhound racecourses in Great Britain operating a totalisator; this was 40 fewer than in January, 1948.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer since the £ sterling has fallen to $2·79, the lowest for 1961, old Consols to 40 and War Loan to 55, being in both cases the lowest level recorded, if he will call both sides of industry into conference and appeal for a rigid restraint in wage, salary and dividend increases and institute a new major reduction in Government expenditure so as to require the nation to live within its income, and so reduce the annual strain on sterling; and if he will make a statement.

I stated my views on these important matters in my Budget speech and have taken several opportunities of repeating them since. I do not think a conference would be useful at this stage.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply he has given to the letter he has received from the National Union of Manufacturers regarding the effect which the increased taxation in his Budget will have on industry by making it more difficult to compete in overseas markets.

My reply is too long to quote in full, but I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a statement on the application of the Steel Company of Wales to buy coal from the United States of America.

I have nothing to add to the Reply which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power gave on 15th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro).

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value and number of cars exported from the United Kingdom in the last five years, indicating the principal countries to which they were sent.

The figures for total exports are as follows:

EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM OF NEW CARS (INCLUDING TAXIS, STATION WAGONS AND ESTATE CARS) ASSEMBLED AND UNASSEMBLED
Year	Number	Value
		£
1956	308,030	114,509,686
1957	401,188	152,010,173
1958	454,042	180,828,748
1959	539,343	215,747,231
1960	537,867	218,192,476

An analysis by country of consignment is given in considerable detail in the December 1958 and December 1960 Trade and Navigation Accounts at pages 289–290.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value and number of cars exported from the United Kingdom in the first five months of this year, indicating the principal countries to which they were sent.

Figures for May are not yet available. Total expots of new cars (including taxis, station wagons and estate cars) assembled and unassembled, for the first four months of this year, were 113,624 cars valued at £46,841,406. An analysis of country of consignment is given in considerable detail in the April Trade and Navigation Accounts at pages 289–291.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the value and number of cars imported into the United Kingdom in the first five months of this year, indicating the principal countries of origin.

Figures for May are not yet available. The information for the period January to April, 1961, is as follows:

IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM OF NEW CARS (INCLUDING TAXIS) ASSEMBLED AND UNASSEMBLED
—	Number	£
Total Imports	6,289	2,466,546
Imports from—
Canada	378	184,622
Sweden	525	259,199
Germany (Western)	4,010	1,441,162
France	517	210,402
Italy	539	179,713
United States	97	115,380

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans there are for the establishment of new industries during the next twelve months in the designated areas under the Local Employment Act in Haltwhistle and Prudhoe.

In the Haltwhistle area one firm which has recently established itself is still recruiting, labour, and there are other new jobs in prospect from local expansions. One application for financial assistance under the Local Employment Act has been approved and three more are under consideration. In Prudhoe, the facilities offered by the area have been shown to a number of firms, though none has yet reached a decision to go there. The regional office of the board will continue to do all it can to draw the attention of industrialists to both these areas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for Treasury assistance have been received to date from firms anxious to provide employment in Coatbridge and Airdrie; how many were successful; and what was the longest period involved in determining any one of them.

The Board of Trade has received eight applications for financial assistance under the Local Employment Act, 1960, for projects in Coat-bridge and Airdrie. One applicant subsequently moved for technical reasons to another site in Scotland. Of the others, two have received assistance, three have been rejected and two are under consideration. The longest period between the receipt of a full application and the decision upon it has been 5½ months, but for part of that period the committee were awaiting necessary information from the applicant. In the other cases, the time taken by the Committee on investigation and consideration has been less than half that period.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs on how many occasions this year the rotten fish smell arising from a local chemical plant has afflicted Stockton-on-Tees; and what action is being taken to prevent it.

I understand that there have been two short incidents this year. Arrestment plant has been fitted and the firm exercise careful supervision and maintenance in order to reduce the risk of smell to a minimum.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what progress has been made with proposals for giving councillors adequate repayment for time lost owing to council work and for fares within their authority's boundaries incurred in council work.

The rates of the allowances which members of local authorities may claim for loss of earnings are being considered. Provision to remove restrictions on claims which members may make for travelling expenses for journeys within their authorities' boundaries is included in the Public Authorities (Allowances) Bill now before Parliament.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has put in hand the investigation which is required to be made this year under Section 14 of the Local Government Act, 1948, into the working of the system of rate deficiency grants; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes. The local authority associations have all agreed to be represented with my Department on a working party to undertake the preliminary investigation. The working party will, I hope, hold its first meeting shortly. Any memoranda for their consideration should be sent to my Department.

asked the Minister of Health what standards he requires for temporary accommodation for those rendered homeless through fire and floods.

No standards are laid down: they must depend on the circumstances.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors from British Colonial Territories are at present employed in the British National Health Service and the hospital service.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what is the national average acceptance rate for polio vaccination for children; and which areas have acceptance rates substantially below the national average.

Seventy-seven per cent. in England and Wales at 31st March. The local authority areas with acceptance rates estimated to be lower than 70 per cent. were:

Under 50 per cent
Bootle.
50 per cent.-59 per cent
Birkenhead.	Darlington.
Bury.	Liverpool.
60 per cent.-69 per cent
Durham.	Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Isles of Scilly
Lancashire.	Rochdale.
Barnsley.	Salford.
Blackburn.	Sunderland.
Bradford.	Wakefield.
Dudley.	Walsall.
Halifax.	Warrington.
Ipswich.	West Bromwich.
Manchester.	West Hartlepool.
Merthyr Tydfil.	Wigan.
Middlesbrough.	Wolverhampton.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if, in view of the fact that it was won by a Royal Air Force pilot in a Royal Air Force aircraft, he will ask the Royal Aero Club to lend the Schneider Trophy for exhibition in the entrance hall of his Department.

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his suggestion, which I will certainly consider.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the present unemployment rate in the two designated areas under the Local Employment Act of Haltwhistle and Prudoe.

At 15th May, 3·8 per cent. at Haltwhistle and 2·7 per cent. at Prudhoe.

asked the Postmaster-General which member of the Independent Television Authority he appointed to represent the interests of Wales; what was the date of the appointment; and for what period.

Mr. J. Alban Davies was appointed a member of the Independent Television Authority, with the interests of Wales and Monmouthshire as his special care, on 4th August, 1956, for a period of four years. I reappointed him on 4th August, 1960, for a further four years ending on 29th July, 1964.

asked the Minister of Education if he will publish a White Paper setting out the Government's proposals to deal with the training and supply of the mathematicians in general and of mathematics teachers in particular, in view of recent widespread anxiety on this subject.

The Government have already taken action in a number of ways to help meet the shortage of mathematics teachers in the schools. As a result of my Department's request to the training colleges to give greater prominence to mathematics in their work, the annual number of students studying mathematics as a main subject has more than doubled in the last five years from 770 in 1955–56 to 1,650 in 1960–61. The three-year course will greatly help to raise academic standards. Colleges should thus be sending forward to the primary and secondary schools more and better mathematics teachers I expect their numbers to rise even more with the expansion of the training colleges. At the same time the colleges are providing one-year courses for substantial numbers of serving teachers to enable them to improve their qualifications. Various other shorter courses are also available for serving teachers and for members of mathematics staffs in the training colleges. Advanced courses in the technical colleges leading to a degree or diploma in technology are also being expanded. This not only increases the total stock of mathematicians but also provides people who would make very useful additions to a school staff.The main problem, however, is a shortage of mathematics graduates, particularly those able and willing to teach. Mathematicians in schools and universities have been actively discussing this question and canvassing possible solutions. The university side of the problem is most important and I have made sure that the gravity of the shortage of teachers and the need for action are known to the university authorities. To this end my Department has been working for some months with the Teachers Advisory Council, and the universities have been approached through the Vice-Chancellors' Committee; it is proposed that a conference should be held at an early date under university auspices to examine the evidence which has been collected and consider what action should be taken. I will bear in mind my hon. Friend's suggestion of a White Paper.