asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the reason for the refusal of the application for registration of the Basutoland Workers' Union by the Registrar of Trade Unions in Basutoland.

The application for registration has not been refused.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has received the Report of the Commission of Inquiry set up to inquire into the disturbances which occurred in Zanzibar on 1st June; and if he will make a statement.

, pursuant to his reply, [OFFICIAL REPORT, 30th November, 1961; Vol. 650, c. 610], supplied the following information:The Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the disturbances in Zanzibar in June 1961 was published yesterday by H.M.S.O. as a non-Parliamentary paper. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what were the reasons for the refusal of a passport to Mr. N. N. Kasule by the Uganda Government; (2) what were the reasons for the withdrawal of the passport of Mr. A. W. Wagoina by the Uganda Government; (3) what were the reasons for the refusal of a passport to Mr. V. G. Wachira by the Kenya authorities; (4) what were the reasons for the refusal of a passport to Mr. Ochwada by the Kenya Authorities; (5) what were the reasons for the withdrawal of the passport of Mr. Gachago by the Kenya authorities.

It is not the practice of Governments to disclose reasons for the refusal or withdrawal of passports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on his recent conversation with Dr. Cheddi Jagan; and why he is seeking to delay the implementation in British Guiana of the right of self-determination.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway) earlier today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether a decision has yet been reached on the representations made by Major D. F. Robinson of the West India Regiment on the subject of his pay and allowances; and what would be the extent of the cost which would fall on the Exchequer as a result of the granting of the request.

It has been agreed that certain aspects of Major Robinson's claim should be allowed and he has been so informed.Major Robinson claims that for a period of over eleven years while serving with the Jamaica Battalion he had been underpaid in regard to basic pay and allowances. In essence his case was based on the fact that a Jamaica law of 1939 which was not repealed until 1958 laid down that when called up for service members of the local forces were entitled to rates of pay and allowances not less than the corresponding pay and allowances granted to officers and men of H.M. Regular Army. New and higher rates of pay and allowances were introduced for the British Army in 1946: in subsequent negotiations for increased pay for members of the Jamaica Battalion this provision of the Jamaica Law was overlooked and consequently members of the Jamaica Battalion did not benefit to the full extent to which by law they were entitled.

asked the Postmaster-General what proposals he has for improving the automatic dialling system of telephones in the Greater London area.

Many more circuits are being provided to cater for the rapidly increasing traffic. If the hon. Member has any particular difficulty in mind and will give me details my right hon. Friend will gladly have full enquiries made.

asked the Postmaster-General if, in view of the fact that there are six telephone areas in Great Britain and Northern Ireland with waiting lists of more than 2·5 per cent. of the total number of subscribers in the area, he will introduce a special scheme in those areas to reduce the waiting lists to at least that level.

My right hon. Friend is already giving special attention to these areas, within the limits of our resources, and I assure my hon. Friend that he will continue to do so.

asked the Postmaster-General when a telephone connection, application for which was made approximately two years ago, will be given to Mr. Pereira, of 35 Stowe Croft, Lichfield.

Mr. Pereira applied for a telephone at his home on 20th October, 1960, but the present Lichfield exchanges are full, and it is unlikely that we shall be able to give him service until next summer when a new exchange will be opened.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the 100,000 calls made for meal recipes by telephone since the service was started at Birmingham last July, if he proposes to extend this facility to serve housewives in other parts of the country.

My right hon. Friend is glad that this service is proving popular. There are technical difficulties about its early extension to other centres, but we are looking into these in the light of the Birmingham experiment, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the number of applicants for telephones in the Blyth constituency at the latest available date, and the number for a similar period 12 months ago; and when those at present on the waiting list will be provided with telephones.

On 30th September, 1961, there were 56 applicants waiting for telephones, and 86 other applications under inquiry or in course of being met. Twelve months ago the figures were 37 and 82. About half the present applications will be met in the next two months, and nearly all the remainder by September, 1962. Three hundred and twenty-five new telephones were installed during the past 12 months.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the total number of telephone subscribers on the Crawley exchange on 1st December, 1961; what was the comparable figure for 1st December, 1960; and how many applicants, respectively for business telephones and private telephones, are now on the waiting list.

The number of subscribers at 1st December, 1961, was 4,144 compared with 3,724 a year earlier. There are no business applications on the waiting list, and 25 for private telephones.

asked the Postmaster-General how the waiting lists for telephones on the exchanges serving the Chigwell parliamentary constituency compare with the waiting lists at the end of 1960.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Postmaster-General how many stamps of each value were issued in connection with the recent Post Office Savings Bank Centenary and the Commonwealth Conference issues.

Issues to Post Offices so far are:Post Office Savings Bank:

asked the Postmaster-General when his Department expect to commence research into the use of space satellites for transatlantic communication; how much will be spent on this work; how it will be financed; and when he expects contracts to be put out to tender.

Arrangements have been made in co-operation with the United States for experimental tests of transatlantic communications via satellites. For these tests, which will take place next year, the Post Office is providing a ground station at Goonhilly Downs, Cornwall. Substantial contracts for the equipment have been placed with British industry. The cost of the station is estimated at £600,000, and this will be financed from Post Office funds.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the overall staff shortage in his Department in London and in the United Kingdom as a whole, respectively, on 1st December, 1960, and at the latest convenient date.

The overall shortages on 1st December, 1960, and 1st December, 1961, were about 6,900 (or 2 per cent.) and 6,200 (or 1·7 per cent.), respectively. The corresponding figures for London were about 4,100 (or 3·3 per cent.) and 3,000 (or 2·3 per cent.).

asked the Postmaster-General within what radius next weekday delivery of parcel post is now guaranteed; when it will be possible to guarantee it within a radius of 100 miles; and when it will be possible to guarantee next-day-but-one delivery of parcel post to all destinations within the United Kingdom.

Our aim is generally to deliver parcels next weekday to destinations within a radius of 100–150 miles from the place of posting, and on the next weekday but one in most other cases. We are not at present doing this to anything like the extent we would wish, but I can assure my hon. Friend that, in collaboration with the British Transport Commission, no effort is being spared to improve matters.

asked the Postmaster-General why letters are being stamped by his Department with a message commemorating a jubilee of the British Broadcasting Corporation; and what sum was paid by the British Broadcasting Corporation to the Post Office for this service.

The postmark impression referred to by my hon. Friend was used at the request of the B.B.C. Our policy is to provide such facilities on request, and, subject to certain conditions, in connection with events of general interest. The cost to the B.B.C. is about £1,750.

asked the Postmaster-General why it costs more to send an unsealed Christmas card a few miles inland than it does to send it to the United States of America.

The present charge of 2½d. for Inland printed papers was introduced by my right hon. Friend in order to make the service economic. The effect of this, and other tariff changes announced in July last, was to give the Post Office sufficient income for immediate purposes. Because of this, and with the export trade particularly in mind, my right hon. Friend decided to leave unchanged the Overseas printed paper tariff at the uneconomic charge of 2d.

asked the Postmaster-General when the Pilkington Committee was appointed; how many times it has met; what has been the cost of its deliberations; and in what month he expects its report will be published.

The Committee's terms of reference and the appointment of the Chairman were announced in the House on the 13th July, 1960, and the appointment of the other members was announced on 8th September, 1960.I do not know the exact number of times the Committee has met so far, although I understand that the full Committee has had over 65 full-day meetings; there have also been subcommittee meetings and an extensive programme of visits. The total expenses of the Committee will be published with its Report.As I informed the House on 7th November, 1961, I hope the Committee will be able to let me have its Report in the spring. The Report will be published as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Postmaster-General what are the services rendered to various Government Departments and other public authorities by the Post Office which have now to be paid for directly by the Exchequer or from rates which were not paid before the Post Office Act, 1961; and what is the estimated annual amount to be recovered for each of these services.

The following is the reply:

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will publish the figure of the annual cost to the fishing industry of telephone, teleprinter and other charges, and the additional cost of the new charges announced in July.

My right hon. Friend regrets that this information is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will consult the Minister of Education with a view to the exercise of his powers under Section 15 (4) of the Licence and Agreement of the British Broadcasting Corporation to require them to stop all broadcasts to schools on the subject of the Common Market.

The B.B.C. have traditionally been given independence in the day-to-day administration of their affairs, including programmes. My right hon. Friend sees no reason to intervene.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what requests he has had from the Government of Nigeria for the provision of audiometers and hearing aids for schools for the deaf.

None.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what steps he is taken to encourage British universities to provide special courses for overseas students to study the development of agricultural, credit and consumer cooperative societies.

I am not aware of any demand for this type of study which cannot be met by the Co-operative College, Loughborough, or the Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Oxford University. The provision of special courses would be a matter for the universities.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what facilities exist to enable trainees from underdeveloped countries to reach Great Britain in order to take advantage of the practical training facilities provided free of charge to accepted trainees by British co-operative societies.

In certain cases the cost of travel can be met from funds at the disposal of my Department.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what reduction he is now proposing in the overseas information expenditure.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what reductions in expenditure on Government information services overseas have lately been made or are contemplated; in which countries these services are to be reduced, either by actual cuts in expenditure or because extra funds are not being made available to meet rising costs; and why these services are now regarded by Her Majesty's Government as relatively unimportant.

In response to my right hon. and learned Friend's call last July for economies in expenditure overseas, I expect some £600,000 less will be provided next year for the information services at present authorised. The issue of risen costs remains to be decided. The importance we attach to these services is clearly shown by the 36 per cent. increase in the provision we have made for them during the last three years.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what plans his Department has for assisting in the provision of trained teachers of the deaf in Uganda.

I am aware of the needs of Uganda for trained teachers of the deaf; but up to the present Uganda has not asked for training for such teachers in this country or for a trainer of such teachers to go to Uganda.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what action Her Majesty's Government proposes to take to help developing countries overseas to meet their need of material for educational television programmes.

I am very pleased to be able to say that a Centre for Educational Television Overseas will shortly be established in this country. Its function will be to give advice and help to developing countries on the use of television for educational purposes.At the suggestion of Her Majesty's Government the Nuffield Foundation took the initiative in bringing together people interested in launching this project. The Foundation has played a leading part in bringing the Centre into being and is putting up £100,000 over five years towards the cost. The Independent Television Companies are also subscribing £100,000; and a number of firms and trusts are between them putting up about a further £50,000.The B.B.C. has also offered full support in the form of technical facilities and other services.I should like to pay tribute on behalf of the Government to all these bodies.Her Majesty's Government is also contributing £100,000 over a five-year period, which is an indication of the great importance which it attaches to the establishment of the Centre.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will now make a statement on the question of decimalisation of currency.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make a statement on the introduction into this country of a decimal currency.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make his promised statement on decimal coinage.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now make his promised statement upon the proposal to introduce a decimal currency system.

I would refer hon. Members to the statement I made at the end of Questions today.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the £59 million increase in gold reserves for November was due to further imports of hot money; by how much the United Kingdom's internal physical reserves were increased or reduced; and what he estimates as the real increase in the United Kingdom's notional economic position after allowing for these two factors.

It is not possible to say how far the increase in our reserves in November was due to an inflow of "hot money"; part may have been due to the reversal of changes in the timing of payments which took place earlier in the year. No figures are available of the changes in stocks during November. It is thus not possible to answer the third part of the Question; but further improvement in our underlying balance of payments position is certainly still needed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a breakdown of the £56 7s. 9d. which the visit of the Prime Minister to Glasgow on 3rd November cost public funds.

The fares of the two officials accompanying the Prime Minister cost £33 16s. 0d.; special telephone facilities cost £22 11s. 9d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review in detail the incidence of betting taxation, in view of the considerably changed circumstances now obtaining as a result of the recent Betting Act.

I cannot add to the reply my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave to the hon. and gallant Member on 1st August, 1961.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he is proposing to remove at the end of the current financial year the countervailing subsidy on Formula I and Intercontinental Formula racing cars which has been available since 1950 and of assistance to small companies competing in Grand Prix and other motor races.

My right hon. Friend does not consider that in present circumstances it would any longer be justifiable to maintain the special concession of a refund of purchase tax on racing cars; the motor industry will no doubt be prepared to give motor racing their support to the extent that they consider would be warranted by the benefits which it would bring to the industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when his discussions will take place on renewing the quota for leather article imports from Bulgaria.

Trade negotiations with Bulgaria are expected to take place in March of next year, when the import quotas for Bulgarian leather articles will be reviewed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has considered the information collected by the National Industrial Conference Board of America which has recently estimated comparative costs in the United States of America at 100, United Kingdom at 84, Germany at 85, and the other five members of the Common Market at 105, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Louth; what calculations he has made of such comparative costs in view of their importance in the context of the United Kingdom's application to join the Common Market; to what extent his calculations agree with these estimates; and if he will give them wide publicity so as to encourage British manufacturers who fear they will not be able to compete in the Common Market.

My right hon. Friend was very interested to see the report of these cost comparisons, but he does not think they can be taken as representative of British industry as a whole. Relative costs in different countries vary from product to product and firm to firm and there are considerable difficulties in comparing costs of manufacturing similar products.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the importance to United Kingdom trade, he will take steps to ascertain the average world market price per foot for dressed sheepskin, the number of skins required to make a sheepskin coat, and the price at which made-up Bulgarian sheepskin coats are being sold in this country.

No. There is no world commodity market for dressed sheepskins; and sheepskin coats vary in type, size and quality.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he rejected the application of the Milk Marketing Board for an anti-dumping duty on dried milk.

Because after most careful consideration of the facts my right hon. Friend decided that the dumped imports were not causing or threatening material injury to the milk producers or to the milk powder manufacturers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what provision is made for the attendance of members of the Local Government Commission or representatives of Government Departments at local inquiries held under the Local Government Act, 1958, in connection with the proposed disappearance of counties or major territorial changes suggested by the Commission.

None. The inquiries are into objections to the Commission's proposals. Their purpose is to ensure that the Minister is fully informed of the objectors' views before deciding what orders he should make and lay before Parliament. The Commission have no further function in any area once they have made their report, giving full reasons for their proposals. Government Departments have no responsibility for the proposals and it would be wrong for departmental representatives to appear at inquiries into objections to them.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the fact that a local authority, which is interested in acquiring property and land within another local authority's boundary, is entitled to send officials to seek information about the ownership of such property when a local inquiry is pending to decide whether or not such acquisition is to be allowed, and in view of the recent case in which the Birmingham City Council took such action, six weeks before an inquiry took place, in the constituency of the hon. Member for Bromsgrove, including the threatening of householders with compulsory purchase orders and requests for the completion of detailed forms, details of which action have been sent to him and of the anxiety thereby caused to residents in the Bromsgrove division, if he will re-examine the situation with a view to introducing amending legislation to alter the present procedure.

As I understand the position, the city council were doing no more than seeking information about the ownership and tenure of land. They have informed me that they began this before they knew that an inquiry was to be held and stopped when they learned that there would be one. I do not think that amending legislation is required.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many authorities possessing powers of compulsory acquisition have, up to a convenient date, availed themselves of Section 13 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1959, now Section 30 of the Land (Compensation) Act, 1961; and what is the total amount of money that has been paid under this Section.

My right hon. Friend regrets that this information is not available

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what acreage of the 40 acres of undeveloped bombed sites in the City of London has been allocated to housing and to office accommodation, respectively.

Approximately 25 acres are allocated to housing, 4 acres to mixed housing and commerce, 8 acres to offices and the remaining 3 acres to commerce and a car park.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what acreage of the undeveloped bombed sites in Greater London has been allocated to housing and office accommodation respectively.

As I informed the hon. Member on 12th December, I have no figure for the acreage of undeveloped bombed sites in Greater London. Consequently I cannot give the allocation between housing and offices.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the estimated population for 1962 for Bedfordshire and the proposed Luton county borough area, respectively.

389,190 and 143,580, respectively, assuming the population increases at the same average rate as over the past nine years.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the estimated rate product for Bedfordshire for 1961–62; and what proportion of this is represented by the rate product from the proposed Luton county borough area.

:£22,621 is the aggregate of the Penny rate estimates of the county district councils in Bedfordshire. Of this about 42 per cent. would, on the basis of the Local Government Commission's estimate, be attributable to the Luton County Borough area which the Commission have proposed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has yet reached any conclusion about the timing of the adjustments of receipts and payments in accordance with the transitional scheme under Section 15 of the Local Government Act, 1958, in respect of the years 1959–60 and 1960–61.

A third estimate of gains and losses has now been made and is intended to be conclusive. After consultation with the associations of local authorities I have decided that local authorities who must make a payment by way of adjustment of contributions for those years and 1961–62 should pay either the full amount or the product of a 6d. rate, whichever is less, next year, and either the balance due from them or the product of a 6d. rate in the following year. In both cases the 6d. rate product will be as estimated for 1961–62. I propose to consult the associations again in 1963–64 about the small number of local authorities who will not have completely discharged their debt by the end of that year.Under this arrangement local authorities who are entitled to receive money by way of adjustment for past years will get about 79 per cent. of it in 1962–63 and a further 16½ per cent. in 1963–64.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he proposes to make to reimburse those local authorities which are losing authorities under the general grant system of financing local government for the expense put upon them by his recent decision to charge them for the whole cost of postage in connection with electoral registration.

No special arrangements are proposed. As a consequence of the Post Office Act, 1961, the Post Office looks to electoral registration officers, in common with all other public authorities, to pay for services rendered. A sum representing the estimated charges for electoral registration forms sent through the post was included in the relevant expenditure in fixing the general grant for the years 1961–62 and 1962–63.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs why, in view of the Government's wage pause policy, he will not introduce legislation to prohibit rent increases.

The rents of most privately-owned dwellings are still restricted to twice their 1956 gross value which is based on 1939 values. To freeze all rents at their present level because of the pay pause policy would not be justified.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what requests have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the South African Government to allow a representative of Her Majesty's Government to interview Anderson Ganyile and his two colleagues, who were allegedly kidnapped by South African police whilst within the British Protected Territory of Basutoland on 26th August.

We have no grounds for asking to interview a South African citizen.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the amount of the present provision being made in cash and in kind to the United Nations' High Commission for Refugees for the maintenance of Algerian refugees in Tunisia and Morocco and for refugees from their native villages who are homeless in Algeria; and whether, in view of the increase in numbers and in destitution, he will make further provision for these purposes.

In 1961 a total of 2·2 million dollars in cash and ten thousand dollars in kind were made available to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in response to his appeal on behalf of the refugees from Algeria in Tunisia and Morocco. Refugees who are homeless in Algeria are not his responsibility.As I informed the hon. Gentleman the Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 7th June, Her Majesty's Government offered to match a percentage of contributions by other Governments. The ceiling to that offer has now been set at £30,000 of which some £18,000 has now been paid. I understand that contributions attracting the balance of our offer have now been received and we may expect to make a further payment of about £12,000 in the near future.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the present contribution being made from public funds to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund; and what was the corresponding figure in 1952, both figures being stated in 1952 prices.

Her Majesty's Government are contributing £335,000 to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in 1961. In 1952, they gave £50,000. Using the United Kingdom consumer price index as a measure of the change in the value of the £, it can be said that the United Kingdom has raised its contribution about five and a half times above the 1952 level.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he proposes to take steps to draw the attention of the United Nations to the fact that 87 of its members are in arrears of contributions; and whether he will suggest the disenfranchisement of those countries two or more years in arrear.

The fact is already well known to the General Assembly and accounts for the present precarious financial position of the Organisation. No member can, however, be disenfranchised until its arrears equal or exceed the total of contributions due from it for the preceding two years. No member is yet so far in arrears that this sanction can be invoked.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether, in the context of his negotiations with the countries of the European Economic Community, Scotch whisky is classified as an agricultural export from this country.

Whisky is not one of the products to which the special provisions of the common agricultural policy would apply.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if, in view of the continued famine in Tanganyika, he will make further urgent allocations of food and equipment to that country.

I have received no request from the Government of Tanganyika for such supplies.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will consult the Prime Minister of the Central African Federation with a view to establishing more effective control over the passage of arms between federal territory and the Congo.

I shall continue to maintain close contact with the Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, (1) how many local authorities employ social workers with social science qualifications in their health and welfare services, other than qualified psychiatric social workers;

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities employ qualified psychiatric social workers in their health and welfare services.

One psychiatric social worker is so employed by a Scottish local authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement about the Report of the Guthrie Committee on Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings.

The Government accept in principle the Guthrie Committee's recommendation that, in place of the present arrangements for the provision of poor persons' defence, there should be statutory provisions for the grant of legal aid in criminal proceedings on the lines of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act, 1949. The Committee thought, however, that the Act would require considerable amendment before it could be brought into operation in relation to the criminal courts and the Committee's detailed recommendations in this regard are being studied with a view to the preparation of amending legislation.

asked the Prime Minister to which Minister Questions about technical assistance to overseas countries should be addressed.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary for Technical Cooperation answers Questions dealing with the provision of technical assistance to overseas countries both dependent and independent. The term technical assistance covers training in the United Kingdom and overseas; the provision of experts, administrators and other professional men and women; the provision of advisory technical and consultant services and expert missions; and the supply of equipment for training, demonstration, pilot schemes or surveys. This definition excludes all forms of capital assistance.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the difficulties in taking, on the farm, samples of milk for the Hortvet test and if he will now arrange for this to be done.

I am not aware that Food and Drugs Authorities have any difficulty in taking samples of milk on the farm for the Hortvet test. But as my right hon. Friend said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Kershaw) on 8th December, 1961, there are technical difficulties to be overcome before the test can be accepted legally as proof of the presence of added water in milk.

asked the Minister of Defence when the report of the Committee appointed to inquire into the management of research carried out by Government Departments will be available; and whether he will make a statement.

This Report, which has been presented to my noble Friend, the Minister for Science, is published today and is available in the Vote Office.The Committee was appointed in 1958, by the Lord President of the Council "to enquire into the techniques employed by Government Departments and other bodies wholly financed by the Exchequer for the management and control of research and development carried out by them or on their behalf, and to make recommendations."

asked the Minister of Education (1) if he is aware that in 1961 501 children sat for the 11-plus examination in the Cheadle Rural District Council area and 90 places were offered; and what steps he is taking to increase the places offered in 1962, 1963 and subsequent years;(2) if he is aware that in 1961 in Leek Urban District Council and Rural District Council areas 525 children took the 11-plus examination and that 119 places were offered; and whether he is taking immediate steps to improve this position by offering more places in 1962, 1963 and subsequent years;(3) if he is aware that in the Kids-grove Urban District Council area in 1961 322 children took the 11-plus examination and were offered only 61 places; and what steps are being taken to increase the number of places offered to the children of Kidsgrove in 1962, 1963 and subsequent years;(4) if he is aware that in 1961, 212 children sat for the 11-plus examination in Biddulph Urban District Council area and only 57 places were offered; and whether he is taking steps to offer more places in 1962, 1963, and subsequent years.

The figures are in each case those I gave in my reply of 12th December and they relate to the numbers of pupils who qualified for places in selective schools. The distribution of places between selective schools and other types of secondary schools is a matter within the discretion of the local education authority. A new grammar school at Cheadle is being built and is expected to be available next September. Another grammar school at Blythe Bridge is also included in the major building programme.

asked the Minister of Education why Mr. C. A. Bentley, a teacher, whose claim to a pension was stated in 1948 by a previous Minister of Education to have been accepted, has not yet received any pension.

Mr. C. A. Bentley has been in receipt of a pension under the Teachers (Superannuation) Acts since 1948.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what estimates have been made of the costs of per-

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board's recent figures for hospital appointments showed that, of 459 junior posts available under the National Health Service, 38 were vacant, 178 were filled with British doctors and 243 with doctors of overseas origins; and if he will give similar figures for all other regional hospital boards throughout the country, indicating in particular the number of overseas doctors, with their countries of origin.

The following table gives the figures at 31st March, 1960 (the only date for which they are available) for hospital junior medical and dental posts at all hospitals, including teaching hospitals, situated within each of the other regional hospital board areas. No breakdown is available of the nationalities included in Column 5 of the table.manent and temporary storage, respectively, of low-level and of intermediate-level radioactive waste.

No detailed estimates have been made. The Government are satisfied that the controlled disposal of such wastes, after appropriate treatment, as at present carried out in this country, is the safest practicable way of dealing with them.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science when he expects to be able to announce further details of the two new major projects of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research announced by the Minister on 15th November.

The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research announced details of one of the new projects on 14th December. This is the development contract for a machine for grinding large gears up to 150 ins. diameter incorporating entirely novel mechanical principles, and embodying some of the latest techniques developed at the National Engineering Laboratory. It should be capable of grinding gears faster and more accurately than any existing machine.It is hoped to announce particulars of the second project in the New Year.