asked the Minister of Civil Aviation if he can now make a statement outlining his policy for Scotland, both in the operational and manufacturing fields.

I am not yet in a position to make a statement on air service policy for Scotland. Manufacturing policy is the concern of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply.

While thanking my hon. Friend for those doubtful crumbs, may I ask him to bear in mind that Scotland today feels that she is being treated as a kind of Cinderella in the civil aviation line and, therefore, when he has time, will he do everything he can to dissipate that feeling?

I am quite certain my hon. and gallant Friend will realise that I am the last person to consider Scotland as a Cinderella in any way, and he will know that the question of air service policy for Scotland and otherwise is under my very close attention at the moment.

It is not quite clear whether the Question refers to the hon. and gallant Gentleman's predilection for private air lines but, if it refers to public services, may I ask the Minister if he is contemplating some general policy, including helicopters, and a general service for the outlying parts of Scotland?

Quite clearly the whole question of civil air policy is under active consideration.

asked the Minister of Supply his plans for developing the design and manufacturing unit at Prestwick Airport so as to enable Scotland to play her proper part in designing and producing aircraft within Scotland.

Scottish Aviation Limited, to which I assume my hon. and gallant Friend refers, is a private firm. It has been, and will be, allocated a fair share of the work which the Ministry of Supply controls and for which its facilities are suited. Primary responsibility for developing its design and manufacturing resources rests, however, with the firm.

May I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what you think is the explanation—[Interruption.] I am waiting for the noise to subside, but I was asking you, Mr. Speaker, what is the explanation of the reluctance on the part of successive Governments to entrust the design and building of aircraft to Scotland?

That is not a matter for me.

May I, then, refer that question to the Minister himself? What is this reluctance? Scotland has been building ships to sail the seven seas, and why cannot she design and build aircraft?

As my right hon. Friend said yesterday in reply to a similar question, there is no such reluctance.

Is the Minister aware that, unfortunately, during the economy period, I had the duty of curtailing the development of aircraft at this airport, and is he further aware that it is quite impossible for a full-scale aircraft development establishment to be built near Prestwick without destroying it completely as an international airport? [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Would he take into account the uniting of several firms in Scotland with a view to trying to form one unit for the building of aircraft in Scotland under the development programme?

I will have a look at what the right hon. Gentleman suggests.

Do I understand the Minister rightly in thinking that Prestwick has been awarded a fair share of contracts, and may I ask him how that squares up with the answer given the other day by the Minister of Supply, who said that he had no right to guide contracts to Prestwick or any other airport?

The hon. Gentleman did understand me rightly, but he did not understand my right hon. Friend aright.

Is the Minister aware that the best possible way in which to help Prestwick Airport is for the hon. and gallant Member for Ayr, to travel there occasionally by air, like the hon. Member for South Ayrshire?

Does the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes), because he represents coal miners, live down a coal mine?

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation when it is anticipated that pressurised aircraft will become available to British European Airways for operation on the scheduled services between London and Nicosia.

I cannot at present add to the answer given to the hon. Member for the Cities of London and Westminster (Sir H. Webbe) on 5th March.

Is the hon. Gentleman satisfied that a similar degree of priority will be given to re-equipping this route as is given to other routes operated by the Corporation?

Perhaps I might remind my hon. Friend that I said in my previous reply that improved air services between the United Kingdom and Cyprus with pressurised modern aircraft are to be introduced within the next few months.

Is it not a fact that B.O.A.C. are flying pressurised aircraft landing at Nicosia but, under some arrangement with B.E.A., are not allowed to take passengers? Will he look into this and regularise it, as it seems a sheer waste of money and effort?

I can only add that talks on this matter are now proceeding between all the interested parties.

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the continued separate existence of the British European Airways and the British Overseas Airways Corporations.

No change in the separate existence of the two Corporations is under consideration.

Is the Minister aware that this reply will give widespread satisfaction on both sides of the House, and is he also aware that it will do much to allay apprehensions that have been caused in one of the Corporations by recent rumours?

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation if he is now satisfied with the rate of recruitment of air-line pilots; and what steps he is taking to publicise the opportunities now offered to enter this profession through initial air-crew training as a National Service man.

I understand that the Corporations are generally satisfied with the present rate of recruitment but other operators are finding difficulty in satisfying their requirements. Arrangements have been made with the Admiralty and the Air Ministry to bring the opportunities offered in civil aviation to the notice of serving pilots and the Air Training Corps: the University Appointments Boards, the Public Schools Appointments Board and the Central Youth Employment Executive have also been invited to help.

I am sure the Minister agrees that it is absolutely essential for us to have the right quantity of recruits and the right type, but will he also agree that it is a matter of getting our young people to know that it is possible to enter into this profession through their National Service training as a first step?

Yes, I fully appreciate the importance of these points, and I know the hon. Member's past interest in this matter.

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation by what dates he expects the Comet II, the Viscount and the MRE 175 aircraft to be ready for operational service.

I am informed that provisional plans are based on bringing the Comet Series II aircraft into service towards the end of 1953, the Viscount aircraft at the end of this year, and the Bristol 175 aircraft about the end of 1954.

Will the Minister give this his personal attention to ensure that these machines get the priority they deserve and are not pushed down the scale through the re-armament effort in other directions?

Obviously I am as keen as anybody can be that these planes should come into operation at the earliest possible opportunity.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been drawn to the backward state of education in Northern Nigeria compared with the Eastern and Western regions; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this.

Yes, Sir. The main need is for many more trained teachers. The current programme, stated in 1948, is designed to provide enough teachers to double the number of children in primary schools in Northern Nigeria by the end of 1953. Also the training of non-graduate secondary school teachers is now beginning.

Is the Minister aware that the Resident of Northern Nigeria is refusing to give permission for the building of schools in Northern Nigeria and that only 100,000 children are being educated there, whereas in Eastern and Western Nigeria, whose combined populations are much less, 900,000 children are being educated? These appears to be some hold up in development in Northern Nigeria.

I think that the Moslem population have not been attracted in the past as they should have been by the benefits of modern education.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that restrictions on freedom of speech, freedom of movement and freedom of collective bargaining are now imposed in the Ilorin Division of Nigeria; who is responsible for this; and to what extent the Nigerian Government has power to over-ride these restrictions.

I have asked the Governor of Nigeria for information on this matter and will write to the hon. Member when I receive it.

Does that mean that the right hon. Gentleman has no information in his possession at present about this very serious interference with the freedom of speech?

Under the provisions of the Native Authority Ordinance, a native authority may control the migration of natives from or to its area and prohibit any act or conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. I have not the full information, which I am very ready to obtain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the qualifications of Mr. A. A. Josey which led to his appointment as head of the radio station in Malaya in 1948.

Mr. Josey was appointed assistant editor in the Malayan Broadcasting Department in February, 1949. He has experience of journalism and broadcasting and was controller of programmes in the Palestine Broadcasting Service from 1946 to 1948.

Is not my right hon. Friend aware that the T.U.C. protested at the time of Mr. Josey's appointment and that he is a man of known Communist sympathies? Is his appointment to be terminated in the near future?

I should like, first, to make it clear that Mr. Josey's contract is not being renewed; but there is no reflection whatever upon his personal integrity or professional conduct.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action is being taken by the Government of the Federation of Malaya to encourage thrift, credit and producers' co-operatives which would assist the smallholders in the replanting of rubber.

Although there are 19 co-operatives concerned with rubber marketing, there is none at present specifically organised for replanting of rubber. Replanting by smallholders is to be provided for from the proceeds of the cess on rubber exports of which the estimated share of the smallholders to date is some£3 million. The board set up to administer the fund derived from the cess will consider whether co-operatives can be utilised in the furtherance of replanting schemes for smallholders.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the smallholders in Malaya produce a very large amount of rubber, which produces dollars for us? Will he do everything possible to prevent them from being driven out of business and assist to prevent them from falling into the hands of the local moneylenders?

That is the object of raising this cess—to assist the smallholders to replant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the Malayan War Damage Commission is demanding fees, in connection with appeals against awards, to be received in Malaya within one month from the date of dispatch of demand from Kuala Lumpur, failure to comply in time resulting in loss of all rights of appeal; and if he will inquire into this, having regard to the very short time allowed for communications over long distances.

Claimants outside Malaya are allowed one month from the date on which they receive the award to ask for a statement of the ground on which it was made. They have a further three months from the date on which they receive the assessment board's reasons to lodge an appeal. Fees are ascribed for both processes, as is usual and reasonable.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have here a copy of a letter in which case one month was allowed, not from the date of the receipt of the letter, but from the date of the posting of the letter in Kuala Lumpur, and that that is too short a time to allow for communications to go backwards and forwards?

I shall be glad to have any individual case investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what African representatives from Southern Rhodesia. Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, will be invited to the resumed negotiations on the proposal for a Central African Federation; and how these African representatives will be selected.

The question of representation from Southern Rhodesia is a matter for the Government of that territory. As I explained in the debate on 4th March, the African Representative Council in Northern Rhodesia and the African Protectorate Council in Nyasaland, respectively, have been invited to send deputations to London some time before the April conference to discuss with me African views on federation. I hope that some members of these deputations will stay on as delegates to the April conference. The method of selecting delegates has not yet been decided.

Will the right hon. Gentleman use his influence with the Government of Southern Rhodesia to see that African representatives are eligible for invitation to the conference? Secondly, will he apply what is known as the Griffiths formula so that nonofficial African bodies can be consulted as well as official bodies?

In reply to the first part, I can only repeat that that must remain a matter for the Southern Rhodesian Government. On the second part, I think the hon. Member will agree that I must confine my invitations to the official bodies.

I said "consultations."

Does the right hon. Gentleman feel that it would be appropriate to have African representatives only from Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and does he believe that his influence is without any importance at all regarding Southern Rhodesia?

I should welcome African representation from Southern Rhodesia, but I cannot answer for their Government.

How many African delegates have promised to come?

So far, I have received acceptance only from the African Protectorate Council. I am still awaiting an answer from the African Representative Council.

Can my right hon. Friend assure the House that nothing will be done to derogate from the constitutional responsibility of the Governors of Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia to represent the point of view and interests of Africans and other communities in the two territories?

indicated assent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made with immigration legislation in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

The Northern Rhodesian Government are considering a general revision of their immigration laws, but have not yet reached final conclusions on the matter. The problem in Nyasaland is different in kind, but the Government of Nyasaland also have their immigration laws under review.

Will the right hon. Gentleman encourage both Governments to press on to a final decision, and a speedy one, in this matter?

I am very anxious, as is the hon. Gentleman, to see this matter pressed forward, but I do not think we should under-rate the complexities of the subject, even though it is desirable that a conclusion should be reached.

What is holding up this legislation, because preparations had reached an advanced stage last year?

Merely the many complexities which are still under discussion. The Governments have not reached conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action has been taken to implement the Aden Town Planning Ordinance of 1948; and how many houses have been built for manual and professional workers.

The townships of the Fortress and Sheikh Othman have been declared planning areas under the Ordinance, but the preparation of a town planning scheme must await a cadastral survey of the existing development. This requires staff which so far has not been obtainable.

In view of this somewhat scanty performance, especially for professional workers, and in view also of the continued abominable housing conditions in Aden Colony generally, does the right hon. Gentleman think that it is right to proceed with the building of a new Government House costing£45,000?

The thing that is keeping back the plan is the absence of professional staff. The Government of Aden have advertised widely to try to obtain candidates for these posts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the plan for a new hospital at Aden has been abandoned; and when the tuberculosis wards to be built at Khormaksar will be ready for use.

The plan has not been abandoned: it is still proposed to construct a new 480-bed hospital at Khormaksar as rapidly as difficulties of finance and shortage of technical staff can be overcome. A sum of£600,000 is included in the present Aden Colony Development Budget towards the building of this hospital. Tubercular patients are already adequately provided with wards at the present hospital, and will probably remain there until the major part of the new hospital has been built.

Would the right hon. Gentleman say when he expects that the T.B. part of it will be ready for use?

I can only say that I am a politician and not a prophet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the composition of the Labour Advisory Board in Kenya; the number of employees' representatives; and how they are chosen.

A chairman and 14 members, of whom three represent commerce, six agriculture and five the interests of employees. Members are selected by the Government on the advice of the Labour Commissioner.

Does the right hon. Gentleman think that is an adequate representation of the employees?

The representation is, one African and one Indian employee; the assistant industrial relations officer, who is an African and deals with trade unions in the territory; Mr. Mattu, African member of the Legislative Council; and the Chief Native Commissioner. I think the answer to the hon. Gentleman's Question is, "Yes."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of electors in each of the 14 European constituencies provided for under the new proposals for amending the disposition of seats in the Kenya Legislative Council.

This information is not available in the Colonial Office. I am asking the Governor of Kenya to supply it and will write to the hon. Member when I receive his reply.

Would the Minister arrange for the information to be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT?

Perhaps the hon. Member would put down a Question and I will then make a reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what machinery of negotiation exists in respect of conditions of employment of agricultural and dock workers in Kenya and Tanganyika.

I am consulting the Governors on this matter and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what increases in wages and improved welfare facilities have resulted from the increase in the price of export sugar granted to Jamaica for 1952.

I am asking the Governor for this information. When I have his reply I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to increase rice cultivation in Jamaica.

The Jamaica Government are anxious to increase the production of rice. I am asking the Governor for details of what is being done and will write to my hon. Friend when I have a reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many district and administrative officers in the African colonies are African; what percentage of the whole this represents; and what progress is being made in the Africanisation of this service.

The information is not immediately available, but I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in addition to the report on differential racial treatment in the laws of British African territories, any report has been issued in respect of discriminatory administrative practices.

Although the report already available in the Library is primarily concerned with legislation, it also covers administrative practices and gives instances of differentiation for which no legislative sanction exists.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have scrutinised the document very carefully and that there is little reference in it to discriminatory administrative practices as such? Is there not a separate report dealing with that subject?

I think there is no other report. This is the only one. I quite agree with the hon. Gentleman that the instances given are illustrative rather than comprehensive.

Will my right hon. Friend tell the House, when a question on racial discrimination comes up for discussion, whether the phrase, "discrimination" means discrimination by the white against the black or discrimination by the black against the white?

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will direct additional steel supplies to the Sunderland shipyards in view of unemployment arising there due to steel shortage.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5th March to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. F. Willey). I am advised that the steel shortage is not causing unemployment in the Sunderland shipyards.

Is the hon. Member aware that the figures given yesterday by the Minister of Labour about the unemployment position in Sunderland constitute a denial of the statement he has just made? Will he take steps to see that steel is supplied to the shipbuilding industry to obviate the continuance of unemployment existing there, or is the present policy of the Government to revert to the distressed area conditions that obtained under Tory administration before the war?

I have made careful inquiries and I think that the hon. Member will find it is not due to the shortage of steel.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how the allocation of steel for shipbuilding for the current quarter compares with the previous allocation.

The level of allocation of steel for shipbuilding, shiprepairing and marine engineering for the period 4th February to 31st March, 1952, is slightly less than the allocation for the first quarter of 1950, the last full quarter for which allocations were previously made.

Does not the hon. Gentleman appreciate that the shipbuilding industry is a highly competitive industry in highly competitive world markets, and that the only way the British yards can compete with foreign yards is through speedy output, and that at the moment they are seriously prejudiced and will be prejudiced in those world markets?

Certainly the importance of this industry is fully appreciated and its needs for steel receive most sympathetic consideration.

As the hon. Member has stated that there is a reduction in steel allocation, will he now tell me what the unemployment is due to, having said in a previous answer that it is not due to the reduced allocation of steel?

The hon. Member will be aware that there are other factors in the shipbuilding industry besides the steel shortage, and if he will make inquiries I think he will find that they are the reason for the unemployment.

Will the hon. Member state one other factor responsible for this rise in unemployment?

The hon. Member will be aware, for instance, that far more tankers are being produced than was the case, which tends to lead to unbalance as between the finishing trade and others, and there is always a seasonal fluctuation in employment in the shipbuilding industry.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been drawn to the shortage of shipwright apprentices in Her Majesty's Dockyard; and what steps he is taking to rectify this matter.

Yes, Sir. A new method of recruiting apprentices, introduced in 1950 as an experiment, has produced a marked increase in the number of recruits. Other long-term proposals are under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what steps have been taken to prevent foreigners residing in this country approaching the perimeter of Service units, including radar stations, in the United Kingdom.

Adequate security measures are in force at all defence establishments to prevent the entry of unauthorised persons, and such steps as are possible are taken to ensure that secret equipment cannot be seen from outside perimeters.

As certain foreign diplomats are being given special permission to travel to certain parts of the country, will my hon. Friend ensure that they are routed clear of these units?

Present regulations take account of all relevant factors.

Wyatt asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what estimate he can give of recent Soviet reinforcements to their troops based on Eastern Germany; and how far the total of these troops now exceeds the previously officially-estimated 22 divisions.

There has been some increase in the number of Soviet troops stationed in Eastern Germany during the past few months. It would not, however, be in the public interest to disclose the information that we have on this subject.

Would the hon. Gentleman bear in mind that it is extremely important, if the country is to continue to support the arms programme, that we should be kept informed as fully as possible about any troop movements there may be in Eastern Germany or nearby, of Russian or satellite troops?

I appreciate the point, but the hon. Gentleman will realise the importance of not compromising our sources of information.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence the basis on which pensions for long service are calculated.

Long-service pensions for the Armed Forces represent the sum of two elements. One is calculated on the length of a man's total reckonable service. The other depends on his length of service, if any, in the ranks of leading rating or corporal and above. In addition, there is now a terminal grant, also based on rank and service, to help with resettlement. Details are given in the Appendices to Cmd. 6715 of December, 1945, and Cmd. 8323 of July, 1951

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that two rates of pension are payable, that those who retired before September, 1950, get a lower rate than those who retire now, and that that particularly affects those who served during two wars? Will my hon. Friend consider how this anomaly can best be put right?

My hon. and gallant Friend will have heard the remarks on this subject made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer during his Budget speech. At the moment I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend said then.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence what has been the expenditure up to date on research into bacteriological warfare.

It would not be in the public interest to give this information.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that I have in my hand a cutting from the reliable French paper, "Le Monde," in which it says that we have a Dr. David Henderson carrying out experiments for the preparation of bacteriological warfare at Porton, and that he is co-operating with scientists in Detrick, Maryland, U.S.A.? Is it not a fact that we are preparing this vile form of warfare, which can only destroy humanity?

The hon. Gentleman asked a Question on this matter on 9th June, 1948. The then Socialist Minister of Defence answered:

"The possibility that bacteria may be used in a future war is not being overlooked. Researches are being conducted so that we may be ready to meet any situation which may arise."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 9th June, 1948; Vol. 451, c. 2165.]

Does the hon. Gentleman argue that bacteria are a deterrent, as well as atom bombs?

asked the Minister of Food the average time taken for home-produced eggs to reach the consumer.

Approximately two and a half weeks.

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether this time shows any improvement—whether it is shorter or longer than it was a year ago?

It is approximately the same as it was a year ago.

In arriving at the figure of 2½weeks, does the Minister take into account the age of those elderly and unfertile eggs discharged with ignominy from incubators which are now being sold freely in retail shops?

This is the average time for the average egg.

asked the Minister of Food why he failed to honour the domestic butter ration in Sheffield for the week ending 1st March; and, since this is the second time this has happened this year, if he will take steps to maintain an adequate stock of butter in Sheffield to prevent a recurrence of this inconvenience to Sheffield housewives.

My right hon. and gallant Friend is not aware that the domestic butter ration has not been honoured in Sheffield. Stocks of butter are at a seasonal low point and we have had to make delivery arrangements less convenient to traders than those we usually operate. This has on a previous occasion delayed issue of rations for a day or two, but there have been no complaints from consumers relating to the week to which the hon. Member refers.

Is not the hon. Gentleman aware that his own Department at Sheffield issued an official statement to the local Press trying to explain why it was that the Sheffield housewives who went on Thursday, Friday or Saturday for their butter had to wait until the middle of the following week? Will the hon. Gentleman take steps to see that this does not happen again?

There is involved at this time of the year here and there a short delay, with the result that the consumer cannot always obtain the ration on the first two days of the week. It is infrequent. We are doing our best to deal with it.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that it was at the end of the ration period that the housewives were unable to get their butter and will he see that Sheffield is not selected for this treatment, because one does not hear of the same complaint in other parts of the country?

I assure the hon. Member that there is no attempt to deprive Sheffield of its butter.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the opening of discussions on meat with the Argentine.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. and gallant Friend gave to the hon. Member for Sunderind, North (Mr. F. Willey), on Monday, 10th March.

Is the Minister aware that I have seen that reply, and can he confirm that, on behalf of his Department, the Foreign Office is now negotiating for meat in the Argentine?