asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that African opposition to the Beecher Report was not only due to the salaries of teachers but was also concerned with the limitation of primary school courses to four years and the heavy financial burden placed on the African community by the building and equipping of schools and the increased school fees; and whether he can therefore reconsider its implementation.

I am aware that the African members made a number of criticisms of the Beecher Report during the debate in Legislative Council. Africans are not, however, universally opposed to it despite criticism of sections of it. The Report will lead to a very considerable expansion and improvement of African schools at all levels and will involve greatly increased expenditure from central Government as well as local Government funds. The abandonment of the scheme would be a severe blow to African advancement. I do not therefore propose to suggest to the Government of Kenya that they reconsider their decision to implement the Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Annual Report of the African Affairs Department in Kenya for 1948 was not available to the public until November, 1950.

The delay was due to the illness of the editor of the Report while it was being drafted and to very severe pressure of work at the Kenya Government printers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the results of the African Transport Conference recently held in Johannesburg.

The recommendations, which are numerous and detailed, are now being considered by the participating Governments, including His Majesty's Government.The following is a summary of the more important recommendations as classified in the Final Act of the Conference:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the annual loss on the railway in Mauritius; and under what ownership and management the railway is conducted.

The loss on the Mauritius Railway was Rs.1,467,457 for the year 1948–49, which is approximately the same figure as for the preceding year. It is estimated that the loss for the year 1949–50 will be in the neighbourhood of Rs.2 million. The Mauritius railway is owned and managed by the Government of Mauritius.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the average length of time a prisoner is held in detention before trial in Nigeria; whether such persons are segregated; to what extent aid is available for discharged prisoners; and whether the Nigerian Government assist that aid.

I am asking the Acting Governor for information on the first two parts of the Question, and will write to my hon. Friend when I have his reply. As regards the last two parts, assistance is provided by the Nigerian Government in all prisons for the re-instatement of prisoners in civil life, by means of grants and, in certain cases, by the loan of equipment when the prisoner has received instruction in a trade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proof of financial means has to be furnished to the satisfaction of the immigration authorities in the Seychelles before a person is admitted as an immigrant.

Persons intending to carry on a trade or business are required to show that they have at their free disposal such sum up to Rs.10,000 (£750) as may be prescribed. For those proposing to engage in manufacture the figure is Rs.15,000 (£1,125). Members of prescribed professions are required to possess either sufficient capital or assured income to enable them to give effect to their intentions. In all these cases a banker's reference is accepted as proof of possession of the prescribed means. Those wishing to reside in the Colony without following any trade or profession are required to furnish either a banker's reference or other evidence of an assured income.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many men were dismissed in Singapore recently as a result of the corruption inquiry; and what steps are being taken to restore public confidence in our security measures and to prevent corruption in the Police Force in the Colony.

Eighteen policemen were recently dismissed. As regards the second part of the Question, the Governor is fully alive to the need of maintaining public confidence and, among other measures, he has set up a special organisation to watch for corruption in all branches of the Government service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what salaries and allowances are to be paid to African Ministers in the Gold Coast.

The emoluments of Ministers have not been announced and I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which Colonial Legislatures have discussed the proposals for closer association of the West Indian Colonies; and to what general conclusions they have come.

The Report of the Standing Closer Association Committee has been discussed by the Legislatures of Trinidad, the four Colonies of the Windward Islands, and the Presidency of Antigua in the Leeward Islands. All these Legislatures have voted in favour of accepting the recommendations of the Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what have been the annual receipts of the Government lottery in Gibraltar since its inception.

Receipts between October, 1947, when the first draw was held, and the end of that year were £16,000. Net receipts for 1948 were £64,000. I have not yet received final figures for 1949, but the revised estimate for that year was £79,000 and the estimate for this year is £80,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the newly-constituted Legislative Council in Gibraltar will be invited to consider the revision of the Trades Tax Ordinance, 1950, or to put forward alternative means of raising taxation.

I understand that the Gibraltar Government intend to make a statement on this subject when the Legislative Council meets on 15th December. I do not think I should anticipate this statement.

asked the Minister of Food if he has had comparisons made in the price of vegetables between Scotland and England; and why the price in Scotland is higher, namely, brussels sprouts, London 5d., Glasgow 9d. per lb.

Prices in Scotland of vegetables like brussels sprouts and cauliflowers, which are not grown extensively there, are usually higher because of the greater transport and handling costs involved in obtaining supplies from the main growing areas south of the Border. For example, only 820 acres in Scotland are given over to brussels sprouts, as against 45,000 acres in England and Wales. On the other hand, according to my information, prices of many other vegetables such as carrots, cabbages, onions, turnips, and swedes, compare quite favourably with those in London and the rest of England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will increase the shell egg allocation during the next three weeks or alternatively make dried egg available in order to enable those housewives who prefer to prepare their own seasonal Christmas delicacies to do so.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner), and Goole (Mr. G. Jeger) on 15th and 20th November.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many motor torpedo boats have been scrapped or sold since 1945; and how many of these were sold to foreign countries.

Two hundred and fourteen; of which 10 were sold to Norway.

asked the Postmaster-General what information he has received from the various sections of the community which formerly made use of the Airmet broadcasts as to the effectiveness of the recent amplified British Broadcasting Corporation's weather forecasts as a substitute for the former service.

None.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the difficulty in north-west England in hearing the radio programme transmitted on 434 metres wavelength in the Home Service owing to jamming from two foreign stations; whether these stations have been identified; and whether they are broadcasting on wavelengths different from those recently agreed at Copenhagen.

Yes. Madrid is transmitting on about 688 kilocycles per second which is not a frequency allocated by the Copenhagen Plan, to which Spain is not a party. It has not yet been established that the other foreign station is within the European Broadcasting Area and thus within the scope of the Copenhagen Convention. Representations have been made to the Russian and Spanish Administrations. The latter have replied and I hope that the interference from Spain will be removed.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to reduce the delays in the supply of telephone equipment in the Merton and Morden area both to those who require them for business purposes at home and at the important factory premises in that area.

Plans have been made for the expansion of the telephone system in the area, but I cannot at present say when the work of extension will be completed.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that four of the five telephone kiosks at the Newport station approach are being demolished to make room for the new Post Office; when they will be reinstalled; and whether he will provide additional kiosks temporarily in the entrance to the adjacent railway station or other suitable place meanwhile.

These kiosks are being removed temporarily to the pavement in Station Approach. Their permanent site is under consideration.

asked the Postmaster-General if applicants for telephones in Blackpool are provided with telephones strictly in rotation according to the date of application, or if two lists are kept one for private houses and the other for business or professional premises, or if some priority system is in force.

I would refer the hon. and gallant Member to my reply to the hon. and gallant Member for Cheltenham (Major Hicks-Beach) on 29th November, of which I am sending him a copy. Within priority category the date of application is the governing factor, subject to availability of spare plant and to the economic distribution of engineering labour.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone supervisors there are in the United Kingdom, excluding supervising allowance holders; and how many are women.

Four thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two, of whom 3,937 are women.

asked the Postmaster-General when he proposes to take action to enforce the compulsory fitting of suppressors to motor cars to avoid interference to television sets; and what is the approximate present cost of the device.

This position will be reviewed when I have received the advice of the Advisory Committee already set up under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1949. I understand that an ignition interference suppressor now costs about two shillings; but the number of suppressors needed varies with the design of the car.

asked the Postmaster-General how many slot machines now provide one shilling books of stamps; and whether he can make such machines available for more of the public.

Five such machines are at present in use experimentally: a further 100 of an improved design are now being purchased.

asked the Postmaster-General to what extent Post Office vans are being delayed in London on their scheduled routes as a result of the growing traffic congestion.

Traffic congestion in London today has not so far impeded Post Office van services more than was the case before the war.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will now permit the age limit for Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve pilots to be raised from 30 to 36 in view of the urgent need to strengthen all forms of our defence system.

The vital need of the R.A.F. is for younger pilots for operational duties, and it is not considered that any general raising of the upper age limit for R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve pilots would lead to a strengthening of our defence system. Applications from volunteers over the normal age limit are, however, specially considered in the light of their experience and qualifications and of current needs.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he intends to extend the temporary legislation which allows for foreign nationals in certain circumstances to be enlisted into the Royal Air Force; and if he is prepared to entertain an application for recruitment from citizens of Iceland.

The temporary legislation which permits aliens to be enlisted in the R.A.F. without restriction as to numbers has recently been extended by Order in Council until 10th December, 1951. The enlistment of aliens in the R.A.F. is, however, permitted only in exceptional circumstances and I cannot hold out much hope that applications for enlistment from Icelanders will be accepted.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the expansion of road passenger transport services, he will consider the introduction of regulations to make the provision of adequate public convenience facilities compulsory at all omnibus stations and termini.

I have no power to make regulations of this nature, nor has my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any further information on the scheme of development for Stromness Harbour.

I regret that I have at present no information to add to the correspondence which I have had with the hon. Member.