asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many doctors will be required within the next ten years to meet the medical needs of the people of Tanganyika.

Since Tanganyika achieved full internal self-government on 1st May, this matter falls within the exclusive responsibility of Tanganyika Ministers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has now considered the recommendations of the Report on Technical and Commercial Training in Northern Rhodesia from the Committee under the chairmanship of Sir David Lindsay Keir; and what action he proposes to take.

I have nothing to add to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for West Bromwich (Mr. Dugdale) on 6th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reports he has received from the Governor of Northern Rhodesia concerning the proceedings of the recent congress of the United National Independence Party.

The Governor has reported that the U.N.I.P. held a conference from 9th to 11th July, which passed a resolution rejecting the new Constitution and gave Mr. Kaunda full authority to conduct a non-violent campaign against it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what plans he has for Jeanes School, Kenya.

The Jeanes School, at Kabete, has been closed and the Kenya Government intend to use the main buildings for the Institute of Administration which will accelerate the localisation of the Kenya Civil Service. But the Community of Development Training Centre at the Jeanes School will be retained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the statement made by his predecessor in the Adjournment debate on the independence of Kenya on 22nd April, 1959, still represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government in this field.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Hong Kong Government have yet made a decision on the main recommendation of the Hong Kong Electricity Supply Commission's Report, dated January, 1960, to take into public ownership the two electric supply companies in the Colony; and whether some alternative arrangement has been concluded.

I cannot yet add to the reply given to the hon Member on 11th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in consideration of further constitutional development in Aden, Colony, the basis of enfranchisement has come under review; what proposals in respect of this have been made by political organisations in Aden Colony; and if any of those organisations have proposed the enfranchisement of women.

Not yet. But this will no doubt be considered in the forthcoming discussions in Aden of which I informed the hon. Member on 13th July. Various suggestions for revising the present franchise have already been put forward but, no political organisation has proposed the enfranchisement of women.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make administrative arrangements within his Department to reduce the time between receipt of applications to prevent dumping and action upon them.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State gave him on 21st February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the prevailing level of the common external tariff of the European Economic Community in sugar, dried fruit and tobacco.

The common external tariff has not yet come into effect; the member countries of the E.E.C. are in process of adjusting their individual tariffs towards the eventual level of the common tariff.The rates of duty in the common external tariff on different kinds of sugar range from 15 per cent. to 80 per cent., and on dried fruit from 5 per cent. to 20 per cent. The duty on unmanufactured tobacco is either about 15 per cent. or about 30 per cent., according to the value of the tobacco.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the full list of raw materials and foodstuffs which are dutiable under the common external tariff of the European Common Market, but which at present enter the United Kingdom duty-free either from the Commonwealth or from all sources.

I am sending the hon. Member a list of raw materials which are dutiable under the common external tariff but at present enter the United Kingdom duty-free either from the Commonwealth or from all sources. With minor exceptions, all foodstuffs are subject to duty under the common external tariff. All foodstuffs, with the exception of products subject to the revenue duties of sugar, coffee, chicory, cocoa, hops, beer, wine and spirits, enter the United Kingdom duty-free either from the Commonwealth or from all sources.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in order to assist the United Kingdom balance of trade without reducing aid to the emerging countries of the Commonwealth, he will consider reimposing restrictions at least temporarily upon non-essential imports.

No. As I said in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Louth (Sir C. Osborne) on 11th July, we must seek the remedy for our present problems in the expansion of exports rather than the restriction of imports.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what were the opening and closing dates for receipt of applications for re-equipment grants under the terms of the Cotton Industry Act, 1959; and what will be the cost to the Treasury of valid applications received to date.

The Cotton Industry Act provides that applications must be submitted not later than 8th July, 1962, and may relate to expenditure incurred since 24th April, 1959. Applications from the spinning, doubling and weaving sections were invited in March, 1960, and applications from the finishing sections were invited this month. The likely cost to the Treasury of applications so far is about £6·7 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he accepts the recommendation of the Monopolies Commission that resale price maintenance does not operate against the public interest so far as the cigarette and tobacco industry is concerned nor may be expected to do so; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that due regard is had to the Monopolies Commission's investigations into this matter in connection with the inquiry which his own Department is currently making into resale price maintenance generally.

I would ask my hon. Friend to refer to the Answer that I gave on this subject to the right hon. Member for Battersea, North (Mr. Jay), and to the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt), on 11th July. With regard to the latter part of the Question, I will, of course, bear in mind what both the majority and the minority of the Monopolies Commission have said on the subject of resale price maintenance in the tobacco industry when I receive the results of the inquiry that I am having made into resale price maintenance generally.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the interim arrangements to continue preference for the products of the Southern Cameroons till the end of September, 1962, what plans he has for dealing with this matter after this date.

The intention is that preferences will continue until the 30th September, 1962, in order to provide time to consider what further arrangements should be made. I cannot therefore say at this stage whether preferences would be continued or what arrangements will be necessary after 30th September, 1962.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in tabular form the average prices of the principal raw materials imported for manufacturing industry, the average world prices and the prices charged to the main using industries for the following years, namely, 1929, 1939, 1946, 1950, and on the latest convenient date.

I regret that figures on the lines requested are not available. I am, however, sending the hon. Member certain information about international market prices for the principal raw materials concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in tabular form the percentage of their total production and the value exported of the main industries for the years 1929, 1939, 1946, 1950 and on the latest convenient date.

Figures of the value of production are not available for the years requested. The following table shows figures of the total gross value of production for major groups of industries in respect of the nearest years for which Census of Production statistics are available; the values of United Kingdom exports of relevant commodities are also shown.

£m
Main industries	Total Production	U.K. Exports
Chemicals and allied industries
1930	200	35
1935	215	30
1948	760	120
1954	1,690	290
1958	2,270	360
Metal manufacture
1930	215	65
1935	250	50
1948	970	160
1954	1,880	195
1958	2,320	280
Engineering and allied industries
1930	660	125
1935	750	90
1948	3,060	625
1954	5,630	1,190
1958	7,380	1,570
Textiles, leather and clothing
1930	710	175
1935	720	125
1948	1,970	345
1954	2,930	385
1958	2,770	315

The figures of production are aggregates of gross outputs of firms with no deductions made for the double-counting of components and semi-manufactured goods produced by one manufacturer and incorporated in the products of another. The figures for 1958 are on a different basis from those for earlier years as a result of the reclassification of firms in that year. Figures for all years contain estimates for firms not making returns or making unsatisfactory returns.The export figures relate to commodities mainly produced in the industries specified. Figures for 1930, 1935, and 1948 have been estimated and are not directly comparable with later years. Because of the differences between the two series the export figures cannot be related directly to the figures of production; the duplication in the latter tends to make the ratio between the two sets of figures understate the export performance of broad sectors of industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the light of recent developments and all relevant circumstances, he will now reconsider his refusal to advise the setting up of a Royal Commission to review, and make recommendations upon, the financing of the social services

INCREASES IN WAGES AND SALARIES AND PRODUCTION
		Wages		Wages and Salaries		Production
		£ million	Per cent.	£ million	Per cent.	Per cent.
1957 to 1958	…	115	1½	345	3	½
1958 to 1959	…	270	3½	565	4½	2½
1959 to 1960	…	n.a.	n.a.	930	7½	4½

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will call for a wage freeze for a period; and, at the same time, in the interests of fairness and impartiality, if he will call for a salary freeze so as to obviate the implementation of automatic salary increases during the same period.

I must ask my hon. Friend to await the statement which my right hon. and learned Friend will be making on 25th July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much, in money terms before the deduction of tax, wages increased from January, 1946, until the last convenient date; and if he will give the corresponding figure for dividends.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much in money terms before the deduction of tax, wages increased in each of the last three calendar years; what percentage increase was involved in each year; and to what extent in each year this was balanced by increased production.

The table below gives the information. As separate figures for wages are not yet available for 1960, figures for wages and salaries combined have also been given. The increase in production has been measured by the change in the total gross domestic product, estimated from expenditure data valued at 1954 prices.

Between 1946 and 1959 wages rose by £4,730 million (144 per cent.). Separate figures for wages are not yet available for 1960, but wages and salaries together rose by 7½ per cent. between 1959 and 1960 so that wages alone probably reached a figure about 160 per cent. above that for 1946. Between 1946 and 1960 ordinary dividend payments rose by £584 million (164 per cent.).All these figures are in monetary terms and before deducting taxes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have been held within the framework of the International Monetary Fund on the United Kingdom's future relationship with the European Economic Community.

The International Monetary Fund is of course concerned with the whole range of world financial and economic problems, but there have been no specific discussions in the Fund on the United Kingdom's future relationship with the Six.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will set out in tabular form the total national income for 1947, the amounts paid in loans and subsidies to each service and industry during the

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES AND LOANS
£ million
—	1960		Total 1947–1960
Subsidies:
Housing	91		998
Agriculture and food	257		4,451
Fuel and power	—		17
British Transport Commission	78		78
Other transport and communications	6		117
Other industry and trade	1		126
Total subsidies	433		5,787
	Loans	Repayments	Loans	Repayments
Loans to private industry, etc.:
Agriculture	—	—	4	3
Fisheries	6	3	25	8
Aluminium and magnesium production (Canada)	—	—	24	—
Uranium production (South Africa)	—	3	17	11
Industry in Development Areas	6	—	27	4
Fuel saving equipment	—	1	5	3
Schools and universities	1	—	9	2
Building societies	37	—	45	—
Other (1)	—	3	3	21
Total	50	10	159	52
Net lending to Public Corporations:
Fuel and power industries	245		1,553
Transport and communication	201		903
Housing and New Town Corporations	25		352
Iron and Steel	9		182
Other Corporations (2)	3		113
Total	483		3,103
(1) Includes advances and repayments under the Trade Facilities Acts, advances and repayments in Northern Ireland for private housing and education, the capital element of Northern Ireland land annuities (repayments), and repayments under the Land Settlement Acts.
(2) Includes the Raw Cotton Commission, the National Film Corporation, the National Research Development Corporation, the Colonial Development Corporation, the Overseas Food Corporation and the Sugar Board.

The gross national product, at factor cost is estimated at £9,387 million in 1947 and £22,292 million in 1960. The table below gives the information requested in respect of subsidies and loans for the calendar year 1960 together with cumulative totals for the years 1947 to 1960 inclusive. Loans to local authorities and to overseas Governments have been excluded. All the figures and definitions correspond to those used in the National Income Blue Books.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will set out in tabular form the total cost and percentage of the national income of national Government and local authorities, respectively, for

£ million
—	1938	1946	1950	1960
Central Government
Expenditure	995	3,853	3,483	5,983
Percentage of gross national product at factor cost	19·2	43·9	29·8	26·8
Local authorities
Expenditure	561	724	1,105	2,351
Percentage of gross national product at factor cost	10·8	8·2	9·4	10·5
Local authority expenditure financed by central Government grants (excluded from central Government expenditure and included in local authority expenditure in the figures above)	142	253	315	787

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will announce his remaining appointments to the Horserace Betting Levy Board, and his appointments to the new Totalisator Board.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bebington (Sir H. Oakshott) on 6th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take to tighten up the controls over experiments on animals following the representations recently made to him by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on this matter.

As I have informed the Society, I have decided to appoint an additional Inspector under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876. I have also given the Society the assurance that every care

The table below gives the information required. The years 1938 and 1946 have been substituted for 1935 and 1945 for which comparable figures are not available.is taken to ensure that the requirements of the Act are duly observed in all respects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a statement of Government policy arising out of the recent White Paper on compensating the victims of crimes of violence.

As the preface to the White Paper states, the Report of the Working Party has been published with a view to eliciting further opinions on the several questions of principle and the many practical difficulties which would have to be resolved before a decision could be taken to introduce any scheme of compensation. Time must be allowed for a careful study of the Report to be made and for these opinions to be expressed before consideration can be given to making a further statement of Government policy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, having regard to the present level of wages, if he will now increase the maximum allowance from £8 10s. per week to £13 per week payable as compensation to a Civil Defence volunteer sustaining injury while performing duties in a peace-time emergency.

The amount payable under the National Insurance (Industrial In juries) Acts and the Civil Defence Corps (Sick Pay) Warrant varies according to the volunteer's family circumstances, and the figure of £8 10s. a week applies only to a single man. These payments are designed to obviate hardship, and I have no reason to suppose that they are inadequate for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to provide a central police station in Orpington.

The present intention is to erect a police station in the new civic centre planned by the Orpington Urban District Council. The starting date will necessarily depend to some extent on the progress made by the council with its plans, and while I hope that it may be possible to begin work during the financial year 1962–63, I cannot be certain that this will be practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hostels, used for the purpose of accommodating boys or girls on remand, are now in use; how many are under construction; when he expects to have sufficient to meet current needs; and, as these are one of the methods in use to combat crime and to train young people, if he will give priority to the provision of these hostels.

Remand homes are primarily places for the temporary custody and observation of persons under 17 years of age pending an appearance before a court. There are at present fifty-one such homes. One new home is to be opened shortly. Several local authorities are considering the provision of further new homes and plans are in hand or under examination for the extension or replacement by larger establishments of eleven existing homes. These measures include emergency arrange- ments to adapt existing buildings for use as remand homes. They are being pressed forward urgently in conjunction with the responsible local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is proposing to take to stop the disturbance caused to residents and others in Taunton Place, Boston Place, Balcombe Street and surrounding streets in St. Marylebone by the large numbers of minicabs, due to the accelerating of engines and banging of doors at all hours of the night, and also the congestion caused by these vehicles being parked, sometimes in double and treble bankings and on the footway.

Appropriate action is taken by the police when an offence is disclosed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what decision has been made to curtail the extension of the United Kingdom scheme for handicapped refugees entering this country.

More than 1,100 refugees have been accepted for residence here as a result of the schemes announced during World Refugee Year. Apart from a few residual cases now under consideration the World Refugee Year schemes have now ended.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why officers of the Metropolitan Police, on duty at the Royal Palaces, are not allowed to wear the shirt-sleeves order that has been issued to them; and if he will authorise this concession in hot weather, at least to those on duty out of doors at the Palace of Westminster.

At the Palace of Westminster, police officers on outside duty may, at the discretion of a senior officer, wear shirt-sleeves order in hot weather. The Commissioner of Police does not consider that this would be appropriate for officers on duty at other Royal Palaces but these officers are issued with lightweight uniforms.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking within the metropolitan area to safeguard the drivers of minicabs and their families from the attacks and intimidation to which they have been subjected.

I am assured by the Commissioner of Police that no special instructions on this matter are necessary. Any cases which come to the notice of the police will be adequately dealt with.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further reports he has received from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about violent incidents involving minicab and taxicab drivers; and whether he will make a statement.

Between 28th June and 17th July, six allegations of assaults on minicab drivers came to the notice of the Metropolitan Police. In one case the Metropolitan Police have instituted proceedings for common assault, among other charges. In another the Ministry of Civil Aviation Police have instituted proceedings for causing actual bodily harm. Inquiries are continuing in a third. In the remaining cases police inquiries were unsuccessful or those concerned were advised to consider seeking civil remedies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he anticipates removing the borstal girls presently confined within the precincts of Durham, Cardiff, Exeter and Manchester prisons to more suitable accommodation.

In March, 1962, the completion of the new borstal at Bulwood, Essex, will enable three of these four borstals to be closed if the number of inmates remains as at present. Exeter will probably have to be retained until a further new borstal is provided; a site for it is being sought.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from people who object to the increasing use of footpaths for parking purposes in the London area, and the consequent danger to pedestrians; and if he will publish his replies in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Since 1st January, 1959, some twenty-five letters on this subject have been received in my Department. The replies have in general explained that enforcement of the law is a matter for the police, and that they are doing what they can, within the limits of available manpower, to deal with the problem.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the delay in passing through immigration control experienced by passengers arriving in Newcastle from Denmark on board the "Parkeston"; and what plans he has to combat this delay.

I do not think that, in general, the time taken by the immigration control to clear passengers arriving at Newcastle from Denmark on the "Parkeston" is unreasonable. As it is not practicable to board the ship at the mouth of the Tyne, the clearance time could be reduced only by "on passage" working from Esbjerg or the deployment of additional immigration officers. The volume of traffic does not justify these steps.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he received an application for a licence, under the Explosives Act, for the manufacture of rocket fuel at Rossall School to enable the boys there to send up an experimental rocket.

I have received no such application.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a table of figures relating to crimes in Orpington, similar to, and bringing up to date, the table given by him on 18th December, 1958.

Offence			1958			1959
			Crimes	Crimes cleared up	Arrests	Crimes	Crimes cleared up	Arrests
Burglary	…	…	21	10	5	14	1	—
Housebreaking	…	…	109	24	16	103	53	23
Shopbreaking	…	…	98	15	16	92	26	32
Attempted breakings	…	…	14	4	4	13	7	6
Total	…	…	242	53	41	222	87	61

offence			1960			January-May, 1961
			Crimes	Crimes cleared up	Arrests	Crimes	Crimes cleared up	Arrests
Burglary	…	…	6	2	2	—	—	—
Housebreaking	…	…	81	16	10	22	22	1
Shopbreaking	…	…	100	19	13	46	12	8
Attempted breakings	…	…	4	1	—	5	2	2
Total	…	…	191	38	25	73	36	11

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the new cases of drug addiction known to his Department in the last two years for which figures are available arose in the course of medical treatment; how many were non-therapeutic; and how many involved persons under 30 years of age.

The available information suggests that in 1959 103 new cases were of therapeutic origin and 14 of non-therapeutic origin. The number of persons involved under 30 years of age was 8. The corresponding figures in 1960 were 49, 39 and 18.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of continuing public concern, he will require the Metropolitan Police to enforce more strictly the law regarding excessive noise from imperfectly silenced motor vehicles, motor bicycles and scooters.

The following are the figures:

The Metropolitan Police are alive to the need to enforce the law in this respect and devote such attention to the matter as the limitations of manpower permit. During 1960 summonses were issued in 1,508 cases, and 276 cases were dealt with by written caution.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he has received any further communication from the United Nations Committee on South-West Africa since 10th July; and what arrangements he is now making to help the Committee to fulfil the task imposed upon it by the Assembly of the United Nations.

In further correspondence, Her Majesty's Government have again made it clear that they remain willing to provide the facilities originally requested by the Committee for a visit to Bechuanaland, subject to confirmation of the understanding referred to in my hon. Friend's reply of 10th July.

asked the Minister of Education by what authority an advertisement was put in the Macclesfield Press, which referred to the closing of the Henbury Primary School, in the form of a notice to parents which stated that the new school would be opened on 28th August.

On the authority of the Cheshire local education authority. My right hon. Friend has not yet reached a decision on the proposal to close the Henbury Church of England Primary School.

asked the Minister of Education what was the percentage of senior pupils in maintained and assisted schools in oversize classes at the latest available date; and how this figure compares with the corresponding figures for each of the last five years.

Following is a table which I think will be helpful to the hon. Member:

PERCENTAGE OF PUPILS IN MAINTAINED SCHOOLS WHO WERE IN OVERSIZE CLASSES IN JANUARY OF EACH YEAR
—		Junior	Senior	Junior and Senior
1955	…	37·6	59·4	44·7
1956	…	34·1	62·0	43·5
1957	…	32·2	62·1	42·6
1958	…	29·7	62·1	41·5
1959	…	24·2	64·2	39·9
1960	…	21·7	62·9	38·5

asked the Minister of Education why Newcastle Library School were refused permission to open a course for people aiming at the Fellow of the Librarians Association qualification; and whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to students by his Department's delay in reaching this decision.

My Department gave approval to the running of this course in March, 1959, on condition that adequate support was forthcoming. In fact, the number of students coming forward has not hitherto been large enough to justify starting the course.

asked the Minister of Education how many teachers joined superannuation schemes which cover independent schools under the Teachers Superannuation Acts during 1957–58 and 1958–59.

1,332 teachers in 1957–58 and 1,259 teachers in 1958–59 joined the superannuation scheme under the Accepted Schools Rules, 1956. The numbers joining this scheme under earlier provisions or joining the separate "1926" scheme are not known, but are almost certainly less than 1,000 in any one year.

asked the Minister of Health the present rate of pay for a laboratory technician employed under the National Health Service at the commencement of full-time employment following qualification by five years' apprenticeship and after five years of employment.

£595 and £720 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the fact that an additional ward at the Boundary Park Hospital, equipped two years ago, remains unopened, as well as the ward in the geriatrics department, and that both are due to failure to recruit nurses, what further steps he has in contemplation for the recruitment of nurses in Oldham; and what is their nature.

I will write (to the hon. Member as soon as I have completed the inquiries mentioned in my reply on 13th July.

asked the Minister of Health if he will arrange for the collection of models, plans and documents illustrating the 10-year programme of the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board, as exhibited at the Medical School, Birmingham University, to be placed on view in this House.

No.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the concern among staff and patients about the shortage of staff at South Ockendon Hospital, Essex; and what steps are being taken to obtain additional staff for this hospital.

The ratio of staff to patients at this hospital compares favourably with that at similar hospitals.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state for each authority in Wales the number of unfit houses to be demolished under the five-year programme, and the number actually demolished.

The slum clearance programme for each authority is shown in "Slum Clearance (England and Wales)"—Cmnd. 9593, presented to Parliament in November, 1955. The number of houses demolished or closed between 1st January, 1955, and 31st December, 1960, are shown in the Appendix to the Housing Return for 31st March, 1961 (Cmnd. 1348).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) how many unfit houses were scheduled for demolition in Wales under the five-year programme, and how far the programme has been realised;(2) what progress has been made by authorities in Wales in the five-year programme for slum clearance, compared with the progress made in England.

21,544 unfit houses in Wales were scheduled by local authorities for demolition in the programme for the first five years. The number actually demolished or closed between 1st January, 1955, and 31st December, 1960, was 10,577.The corresponding figures for England are 373,505 scheduled for demolition and 285,344 actually demolished or closed.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now authorise the provision of a pedestrian crossing in Ballard's Road, Dagenham, near the Leys Baths, in view of the large number of children and adults desiring to cross there.

The provision of a crossing at this point does not seem to be justified. There are two school-crossing patrols operating in the vicinity. Traffic signals are to be installed at the nearby Oval Road North junction and the breaks they create in the traffic flow will make it easier for pedestrians to cross at Leys Baths.

asked the Minister of Transport how many inspectors' reports on public inquiries are now before him; and what is now the average length of time between an inquiry and the announcement of a decision.

I have twenty-six reports of inquiries and hearings under consideration in connection with highways schemes and proposals; acquisition of land under compulsory powers for highway purposes; road closure orders, and appeals against the decisions of Traffic Commissioners. Since 1st January, 1961, the average time between the holding of the inquiry and the announcement of my decision has been 10½ weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will complete his studies of his inspector's report on the public inquiry held in April into the Port Talbot by-pass scheme in time for an announcement to be made as to his decision before the Summer Recess.

I will do my best to announce my decision before the Summer Recess.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science whether any official research is being carried out on the relationship between nutrition and behaviour and the factors that determine food habits; and whether he will enlarge on that part of the statement in the 1960 annual report of the officially supported Chester Beatty Research Institute which speaks of protection against carcinogenesis by nutritional means.

No Government-supported research is at present being undertaken on the relationship between nutrition and behaviour, but data on food consumption and expenditure by different groups of the population is recorded in the National Food Survey, and changes in food habits can be deduced from this.Work at the Chester Beatty Research Institute has shown that the incidence of certain types of cancer in mice can be reduced by restricting the number of calories in the diet and that the experimental induction of cancer of the liver in rats can to a certain extent be prevented by supplementing the diet with protein and the vitamin riboflavin. As a result of these leads, experiments are now in progress to determine the degree of protection afforded by a wide variety of dietary modifications against cancer-producing agents.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what Government or officially supported research is at present being conducted on cell division and its inhibition with special reference to inhibiting the growth of cancer formations; and where it is carried out.

Studies of cell division in plant, animal and human material, and of the inhibiting effects of many types of chemical agent form an important part of the work of the Chester Beatty Research Institute, which receives considerable financial support from the Medical Research Council. These studies have led to the development of a number of drugs with useful, if limited, application in the treatment of special types of cancer. Work on cell division is also being undertaken in many university departments of zoology, particularly in London and Edinburgh.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will amend the prescribed form of abstract of accounts of Scottish County Councils so as to show as income in the rating accounts of each special district such proportion of the Exchequer equalisation grant as effeirs to the expenditure incurred for the purpose of that special district.

No. Under Section 9 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act, 1954, all equalisation grant payable to a county council—other than the part apportioned to the district councils within the county—must be applied towards meeting expenditure which would otherwise be raised by means of the county general rate. No part of the grant therefore effeirs to expenditure incurred for special district purposes.