asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what investigations have been made into the causes of the serious flooding from the River Hull and the failure to give a red warning before the flooding, at the last equinoctial high water spring tide on 20th March, 1961; what is the result of the three months' study of these problems; and what steps are now to be taken to prevent further similar flooding and ensure a red warning before exceptional high tides.

As I have explained in answer to previous questions the flooding on 20th March, was due to exceptionally high water levels in the River Hull, following a tidal surge which caused the overtopping of and seepage through wharves. The hon. and gallant Member already knows that a survey is being carried out by the Hull Corporation and they are to consider at a meeting this month the service of Notices on the owners of defective wharves. The forecasting of the height of exceptional tides is never easy. At the time in question the tidal surge had certain unusual features. From experience it did not appear that a red warning following the amber warning already given was justified.The investigation of the unusual circumstances of this tide has been of value to the technical officers responsible for forecasting the behaviour of tidal surges, and proposed improvements to the East Coast Flood Warning System are now being considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food till when the Hull and East Yorkshire River Board will accept as satisfactory wooden capping and sand bags for flood prevention work on the wharves of the River Hull; and when the Board will stipulate that such future work must be of a permanent nature and in concrete or sheet steel piling and cross-sections.

So far as I am aware neither the River Board nor the Hull Corporation have powers to require the wharf owners themselves to adopt any particular type or standard of construction. Under the Hull Corporation Act of 1925 the wharf owners may only be required to raise their wharves to a certain height.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the outcome of the conference of representatives of the county councils and his Department convened to review the sheep dipping regulations and remove anomalies.

These Regulations have been discussed with all the interests concerned including representatives of the county councils. I am now examining the provisions of the Regulations following on the comments that have been made. I will make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what conclusions he has reached on the issues discussed in paragraphs 308 to 321 of the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Fishing Industry and, in particular, on the future rôle of the Sea Fisheries Committees.

The Secretary of State for Scotland and I are expecting to publish a White Paper giving the Government's conclusions on the Fleck Report before the House rises for the Summer Recess.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet received recommendations from the Milk Marketing Board and the National Farmers' Union concerning a new price structure for the milk industry; and whether he will make a statement.

The technical examination of the problem has taken rather longer than expected, and the President of the National Farmers' Union, as Chairman of the Joint Committee of the Farmers' Unions and the Milk Marketing Boards, has asked for an extension of time beyond the date of 31st July mentioned in the Annual Review White Paper. This my right hon. Friends and I have agreed to, and the Joint Committee will be reporting as early as possible in the Autumn.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to issue new regulations on the description and composition of soft drinks about which the Food Standards Committee reported in February 1959.

I expect to issue proposals for regulations in the near future.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the recent statement by the Hong Kong textile interests that they will not agree to an extension of the existing agreement which limits imports of Hong Kong cotton goods into the United Kingdom, what action he is taking to bring the Lancashire and Hong Kong interests together before the present agreement expires; and if he will make a statement.

As I informed the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) on 11th July, the Government's proposal that the present Undertaking by the Hong Kong industry should be extended, with certain modifications, until 31st December, 1962, has been conveyed by the Hong Kong Government to the Hong Kong Trade Associations concerned. Until the Government of Hong Kong has reported the outcome of the discussions with the Associations, no further statement can be made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what requests he has received during the past three months for the grant of licences for the sale of arms to Portugal.

It is not the practice to disclose details of export licences for the supply of defence equipment to other Governments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a list of development districts at present scheduled by him as eligible for assistance under the Local Employment Act, 1960.

The following is the answer:ENGLAND

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken, in connection with plans for increasing trade between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United Kingdom, to evaluate the adverse effect on various British industries of increasing the import into this country of low-priced Russian consumer goods; and what steps he proposes to take to consult such industries before concluding any new Anglo-Soviet trade agreement.

I have no reason to believe that imports of Soviet consumer goods, all of which are subject to quota, will have an adverse effect on British industries. Following the normal procedure, before new quotas are negotiated for the year 1962 industry will be consulted directly by my Department and through the Consultative Committee for Industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he now has for the submission of further references to the Monopolies Commission.

I propose to refer to the Monopolies Commission for investigation and report the supply of wallpaper in the United Kingdom.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what special action he intends to take to deal with the economic situation; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend proposes to make a statement on the economic situation in good time for it to be debated before the House rises.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has now had an opportunity to consider the 31st Annual Report of the Bank of International Settlements, and in particular the references contained therein to the tax structure in the United Kingdom which is shown to work against the growth of the high productivity industries; and whether he will undertake to consider the present heavy rates of taxation imposed on certain consumer durables before his next Budget, with a view to remedial action on the lines suggested by the bank.

I have noted the views on United Kingdom taxation expressed in this Report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the aggregate current value of British investments of all kinds by the Ruler of Kuwait and his family; what form such investments take; whether they are convertible; and whether they are included in sterling area resreves.

It would be contrary to policy to reveal details of the sterling holdings of individual countries. The United Kingdom places no restriction on the use of Kuwaiti holdings of sterling. These holdings represent reserves for Kuwait; they are part of the United Kingdom's overseas sterling liabilities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the figure of £236 millions stated as a balancing item in the General Balance of Payments for July-December 1960, Command Paper No. 1329, throws doubt on the validity of all the other items in the account, and that this is the largest figure for some years; whether he will have investigations made to determine which items are accurate and which are estimated; and if he will communicate the result to the House.

The balancing item for the second half of 1960 was abnormally high and was associated with the exceptionally large inflow of funds during that period. I do not accept that this throws doubt on the validity of all the other items in the Accounts. My noble Friend will find that the methods of compiling the balance of payments statistics are already described in the Notes and Definitions annexed to each Balance of Payments White Paper.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons are employed at Her Majesty's Stationery Office, York House, Kingsway; and what is the total annual cost.

Forty-three. The total annual cost of the establishment is about £52,500, of which £37,000 represents staff costs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has taken note of the numbers of Government officials who can, with little or no notice, enter private property and investigate people's private affairs; and, in view of the fact that this is an unnecessary extension of intrusion into indivdual privacy, what steps he intends to take to curtail it.

My right hon. and learned Friend has noted the details, but he cannot accept that there has been any unnecessary increase in authorities to enter private premises.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons, listed by the Income Tax Commissioners as industrial workers, skilled and unskilled, now have a gross annual income of £1,000 or over.

I regret that this information is not available, but I would refer my hon. Friend to the figures of weekly earnings of manual workers published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette, April, 1961.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which streets were included in the directions issued by the Commissioner of Police that vehicles were not permitted to wait in the vicinity of St. Clement Danes Church in the Strand between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on 20th June, 1961, because of a wedding commencing at 4.30 p.m.

Aldwych East, from Kingsway eastward to Strand; Melbourne Place; and Strand, between Devereux Court and Melbourne Place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the approximate number of car parking spaces, usually available to the public, which were not available to them on 20th June, 1961, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., resulting from the directions of the Commissioner of Police closing certain streets in the vicinity of St. Clement Danes Church in the Strand, because of the wedding which commenced at 4.30 on that day.

While there are no authorised parking places in the streets or parts of streets in which waiting was prohibited by the Commissioner of Police on 20th June, space is normally available for about 160 cars.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the air-raid shelter in front of Mr. F. Mead's house at 145 Heathcote Road, Miles Green, Stoke-on-Trent, obscures the vision and darkens the room of a man whose disablement compels him to rest at home for many hours; and if he will grant permission to the local authority to demolish this shelter for compassionate reasons.

As the hon. Member has already been informed, arrangements have been made for this shelter to be demolished.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of private hotels in the Central London area have adequate means of escape in case of fire; and when a survey for the purpose of fire precaution was last made.

Under Section 35 of the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act, 1939, this matter is the responsibility of the London County Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to compel local police forces to secure the permission of the owners before erecting police telephone boxes on private property.

A police authority has no power to erect a telephone box on private property without the owner's permission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the costs which the defendant in Meek v. Fleming has been ordered to Pay will be borne by the Metropolitan Police Fund.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now consider reintroducing capital punishment for those who are found guilty of a murder and of rape, involving more than one young girl, in any period of 12 months.

I have taken my hon. and gallant Friend's suggestion into account, but it remains the view of Her Majesty's Government that it is too early yet to consider any amendment to the Homicide Act. The Homicide Act already provides in Section 6 for the retention of fie death penalty for two or more murders committed on different occasions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the supply of trained officers for appointment in the probation service is below the needs of the service.

Fifty-seven trained officers will be available for appointment next month; the immediate needs of the service are for about twice that number.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to make a statement about the possibility of setting up a committee to examine and report on legislation dealing with Sunday observance in England and Wales.

I have decided to appoint a Departmental Committee to review the law (other than the Licensing Acts) relating to Sunday entertainments, sports, pastimes and trading in England and Wales and to make recommendations. I am glad to announce that my noble Friend Lord Crathorne has agreed to act as Chairman and the following have agreed to be members of the Committee:

• Mr. John Arbuthnot, M.B.E., T.D., M.P.
• The Rt. Hon. J. Chuter Ede, C.H.. M.P.
• Mr. Robin Huws Jones. M.A., B.Sc.(Econ.).
• Mr. W. A. Morrison, O.B.E.
• The Hon. Sylvia Fletcher Moulton, C.B.E.
• Mr. Norman Pentland, M.P.
• Mr. Peter Rawlinson, Q.C., M.P.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what reports he has received on the official Commonwealth Institute Travelling Exhibition; and if he plans to repeat such exhibitions at regular intervals.

The Commonwealth Exhibition, sponsored by the Commonwealth Relations Office and the Colonial Office, to which I assume the hon. Member refers has visited in the last eighteen months twelve centres in Britain and will visit three more before it closes in November. So far it has been seen by about three-quarters of a million people, or one in six of the population of the places visited. More than half of these have been children. The reports I have received suggest that it has achieved its object of stimulating interest in, and understanding of, the Commonwealth. There are no plans at present to repeat this Exhibition, but I am considering other ways in which to follow up the interest in the Commonwealth which this Exhibition has aroused.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations why the information bulletin circulated from the High Commissioner's Office in Delhi is cyclostyled and not printed.

There are many information bulletins issued from the High Commissioner's Office in New Delhi and most of them are printed. The daily information bulletin issued by the British Information Services, however, to which I assume the hon. Member is referring, is intended mainly for reproduction in the Press and not for general reading. It is cyclostyled, since this can be done in two to three hours, as against printing which would take very much longer. I am told that the Press prefer it cyclostyled.

asked the Minister of Health when the additional geriatric ward at Oldham Boundary Park Hospital was completed and equipped; what was the cost to public funds; what staff is available; and when it is to be in operation.

This is a rehabilitation unit, completed 30th June and costing £17,500. I am inquiring into the staffing position and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of patients awaiting admission to the geriatric ward of Oldham Boundary Park Hospital at the most recent convenient date.

Twelve on 11th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he is aware that Mr. Kenneth Kaunda, a British protected citizen of Northern Rhodesia, was recently detained by the Federal authorities for five hours at Salisbury airport on arrival there from London; and, in view of the hardship caused to Mr. Kaunda by this exceptional treatment during which his personal and other papers, including official correspondence with the Governor, were forcibly confiscated without any reason being given, whether he will make representations on his behalf to the Federal Government.

I have seen various reports on this matter. I have also seen a statement issued by the Federal Government that only routine Customs investigation was carried out, during which a locked case was retained by the Customs officials for inspection when it could be opened in the presence of Mr. Kaunda or his representative, that Mr. Kaunda was held up by the Federal Customs authorities only for about three-quarters of an hour, and that his departure for Lusaka was not delayed. Customs matters in the Federation are the responsibility solely of the Federal Government. In these circumstances, there are no grounds for intervention by my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Education (1) what was the ratio of graduate physics teachers to pupils in secondary schools taking the General Certificate of Education in 1960; and what was the corresponding ratio in 1938;(2) what was the ratio of physics graduate teachers to pupils in secondary schools taking the General Certificate of Education in 1960; and what was the corresponding ratio in 1938;(3) what was the ratio of graduate chemistry teachers to pupils in secondary schools taking the General Certificate of Education in 1960; and what was the corresponding ratio in 1938.

The following table gives the relevant statistics for 1960, so far as they are available. An analysis of graduate teachers in 1938 between individual degree subjects is not available.

This information is not available and could not be obtained.

asked the Minister of Education what is the total cost of major school building programmes submitted by local education authorities for the year 1962–63; and how much of these programmes he proposes to approve.

Local education authorities put to me proposals to the value of £170 million for the 1962–63 programme. The value of work approved to start in that year is £65 million which is the highest total for any year.

asked the Minister of Education which local education authorities have exercised their powers under the Education Acts to establish boarding provision at maintained secondary schools; and how many boarding places have been provided in this way.

The following local education authorities in England and Wales maintain boarding secondary schools and hostels under the Education Acts:

• Berkshire.
• Reading.
• Buckinghamshire.
• Cambridgeshire.
• Cornwall.
• Cumberland.
• Derbyshire
• Devon.
• Dorset.
• Essex.
• Hampshire.
• Hertfordshire.
• Kent.
• Lancashire.
• Blackpool.
• Leicestershire.
• Lincolnshire: Kesteven.
• Lincolnshire: Lindsey.
• Lincoln.
• London.
• Norfolk.
• Northamptonshire.
• Peterborough J.E.B.
• Northumberland.
• Nottinghamshire.
• Oxfordshire.
• Shropshire.
• Somerset.
• Staffordshire.
• Suffolk, East.
• Suffolk, West.
• Surrey.
• Sussex, East.
• Sussex, West.
• Warwickshire.
• Birmingham.
• Westmorland.
• Wiltshire.
• Worcestershire.
• Worcester.
• Yorkshire (East Riding).
• York.
• Yorkshire (North Riding).
• Yorkshire (West Riding).
• Glamorgan.
• Merioneth.
• Pembrokeshire.

asked the Minister of Labour how many one-year courses will be available for apprentices in Government training centres in the next academic year.

By October I expect to have 24 classes in operation, providing 288 places, and by the end of the calendar year I hope to add an additional class, bringing the total of places provided to 300.

asked the Minister of Labour what is his policy as regards the standards of staffing for the Youth Employment Service; and whether he will introduce legislation to give him power to impose a staffing ratio on local authorities.

Through inspection and the examination of annual estimates I aim to ensure that the staff employed by local education authorities is adequate to provide a proper standard of service. Because local circumstances vary, however, it is not practicable to lay down a fixed staffing ratio.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the long delays in granting authorisation for the construction of the Bradshaw Way section of the Inner Ring Road in the County Borough of Derby, he will give an assurance that financial clearance for this scheme will now be granted.

I have now approved the Derby Inner Road scheme in principle and have authorised the issue of grant for both the Bradshaw Way section and the Willow Row/Bridge Gate section. The Derby County Borough Council will receive formal notification of this within the next few days.

asked the Postmaster General what was the number of applicants waiting for telephone service at the Feltham and Hounslow exchanges in June of this year; and what were the comparative figures for June, 1960.

Excluding orders under inquiry and in course of being met, there were, at the 30th June, 1961, 256 waiting applicants at Feltham and 117 at Hounslow. The figures for the 30th June, 1960, were 320 and 245, respectively. More than 1,700 telephones were installed in Feltham and Hounslow during the period.