asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is now able to announce the date on which work will be commenced for the provision of television facilities for the Plymouth area.

No. A general statement on television will be made shortly.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether the British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts to the Far East are received in Korea on the medium waveband or the short waveband; and whether the British Broadcasting Corporation has any local radio transmitter or booster in Korea.

The short waveband. The B.B.C. has no stations in Korea.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, before final arrangements are made for the commencement of sponsored television programmes, he will make an inquiry as to whether the

Region or Directorate		Number of deposit obtained	Number of cases where service was terminated for non-payment of a deposit	Total value of deposits obtained
Home Counties	…	883	65	6,732
London	…	583	1	6,612
Midland	…	358	25	2,303
North Eastern	…	914	49	5,448
Northern Ireland	…	125	—	760
Northwestern	…	798	81	4,852
Scotland	…	908	22	4,776
Southwestern	…	730	65	5,498
Wales and Border Counties	…	288	9	1,760
TOTALS	…	5,587	317	38,741

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are still outstanding in the borough of Wandsworth; and when he anticipates the back-log will be cleared.

If the various interests concerned agree to live performances on Sundays, we should certainly look into the legal position but I cannot, of course, say whether the Government would consider it necessary to amend the law.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the number of cases in each region where subscribers have to pay a deposit in order to obtain a telephone service; the number of cases where the telephone service has been discontinued because of a refusal to pay a deposit: and the total amount of money collected in telephone deposits during the last financial year.

The totals for alt. regions for the last financial year are: 5,587, 317 and £38,741.The details for each region are as follow:

Wandsworth covers 4 exchange areas and parts of 3 others, and precise figures for the borough are not, therefore, readily available. We estimate that about 3,500 applications were outstanding at 31st March, 1953. Some new exchange equipment and cables will be brought into service this year and I hope that there will be an appreciable reduction in the waiting list.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if his attention has been drawn to the disappearance of the clock in Pinner post office; on whose authority, and by whom, it was removed; and if he will replace it with a reliable and up-to-date model.

The clock was removed for repair on 22nd April. It was replaced on 11th May, and I trust that it will now give reliable service.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he has received from our representative in Formosa that ships owned by Chinese Communists and trading with Communist China are flying the British flag.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many members of the Diplomatic Corps are to be provided with accommodation to watch the ceremony of Trooping the Colour: and where this accommodation is to be.

Seats on the parade ground to watch the ceremony have been made available by the Major-General Commanding the Household Brigade for the use of the heads of foreign diplomatic missions in London and their wives, who have been invited to attend as the guests of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. Invitations have been issued to 115 persons, but all the replies have not yet been received.My right hon. Friend the Minister of Works is making available for purchase by other members of the Diplomatic Corps seats in the stands erected for the Coronation in the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens, from which a view of the processions to and from the ceremony may be obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further representations have been made to the Hungarian Government concerning the retention of Mr. Edgar Sanders in prison; and with what result.

No opportunity has-been lost of impressing on the Hungarian Government that the imprisonment of Mr. Sanders remains a serious issue in the relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Hungarian Government. There have been no new developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action has been taken consequent upon the report of the British joint committee of inquiry into the settlement of Arab refugees in the Near East.

There has been no British joint committee of inquiry into the settlement of the Arab refugees. In 1949, the United Nations sent an Economic Survey Mission to the Middle East under the Chairmanship of Mr. Gordon Clapp. Her Majesty's Government were represented on this Mission by Sir Desmond Morton. As a result of their report, the United Nations General Assembly set up the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which is now working on a three-year programme for the settlement of the refugees.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what addition by the United Kingdom has been made to the payments to the International Refugee Organisation which amounted to £21,715,086 up to September, 1951, besides an interest-free loan of £1 million to Jordan specifically for refugees and further payments of £1,100,000 and £1 million made to the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and the Relief and Works Agency, respectively.

Total payments by the United Kingdom to the International Refugee Organisation amounted to £21,715,322. A further provision of £100,000 was made to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on 27th June, 1952. The total amount contributed by Her Majesty's Government for the relief of Palestine refugees is £1,100,000 to United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and £12 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the total moneys paid either direct or through the United National Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East from British Treasury sources; and how much has been paid by other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries, respectively.

Her Majesty's Government have contributed directly to the United Nations Agencies for the 'relief of Palestine refugees up to June, 1953, the following sums:£1,100,000 to United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees.£12,000,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (of which £8,500,000 has been paid so far).In addition, in 1949 Her Majesty's Government made an interest free loan of £1,000,000 to Jordan specifically for refugees.The Director's reports to the General Assembly show that, up to the end of the Agency's financial year 1951–52 (which ended on 30th June, 1952), other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries had contributed in cash to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency as follows:

			$
U.S.A	…	…	57,450,000
France	…	…	4,857,143
Canada	…	…	894,313
Denmark	…	…	58,000
Netherlands	…	…	25,000
Luxembourg	…	…	2,000

The figures for any contributions made by other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries to the refugees other than through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will now state the present position of the Icelandic fisheries dispute.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the statement I made on this subject today.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he has taken to bring about the abolition of visas for travel between the United Kingdom and Germany.

The Federal Government have decided as from 1st July, 1953, to dispense with the requirement of a visa for nationals of countries which are members of the Council of Europe or the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation in cases where the stay in Germany does not exceed three months. Her Majesty's Government consider that any such relaxation of travel restrictions between nations is desirable, and welcome this decision as far as this country is concerned. One effect of this will be to put British subjects on the same footing as American citizens in this respect.In present circumstances it is, unfortunately, impossible for us in return to waive the visa requirement for all holders of Federal German passports, but the visa issuing authorities in the United Kingdom and the appropriate British visa issuing authorities elsewhere are being instructed (with effect from 1st July, 1953) to make no charge for visas granted to German nationals holding valid Federal German passports who have occasion to travel to any part of the United Kingdom. Her Majesty's Government hope that this will substantially assist in promoting travel between the Federal Republic and this country. In addition, Her Majesty's Government have agreed that holders of Federal German ministerial, diplomatic and Service passports need not obtain visas to enter or pass through the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Food (1) what proportion of English and imported eggs, respectively, in cold storage are intended for future consumption as shell eggs; and what proportion he intends to break out for sale in liquid form to the baking and manufacturing trades;(2) how many English eggs have been put into cold storage since 1st April.

About 60 million home-produced eggs have been put into cold store; but some are not suitable for keeping in shell until next winter. I expect about 60 per cent, will be sold in shell and the remainder broken out. I also have about 7½ million imported eggs in store, all of which will be sold in shell.

asked the Minister of Food how much milk is to be allocated for cheesemaking this summer compared with the two previous years.

About 83 million gallons compared with 59 and 78 million gallons in the summer periods of 1951 and 1952 respectively.

asked the Minister of Food what answer he has sent to the letter which he has received from the South Shields and District Butchers' Association complaining that the meat the Association's members receive at the beginning of each week is quite unsuitable to meet the demands of their customers and suggesting that more beef should be made available.

The Association has been informed that home killed meat forms a large part of the ration and has to be distributed as it becomes available, in order to avoid congestion at slaughterhouses and depots.As much beef as possible is being issued, but the total quantity available at this time of year is not always sufficient to satisfy demand and the supplies are distributed as fairly as possible throughout the country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the Government's future policy regarding the Colonial Welfare and Development Fund after the termination of the operation of the present Colonial Welfare and Development legislation in 1956.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make a statement on this subject in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement regarding the defence conference that has been held in Lagos between representatives of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the British West African Governments.

The Defence Conference at Lagos between representatives of Her Majesty's Government and the four British West African Governments, of which I was Chairman, took place as arranged. A draft report containing a summary of the conference's work and its recommendations is now being studied by the participating Governments who will, I hope, be able to approve it in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement about the receipt of the Report of the Commission on Higher Education for Africans in Central Africa.

My right hon. Friend regrets that, speaking from memory, he misinformed the House in this matter when replying to the hon. Member's Question on 6th May. Roneod copies addressed to the Central African Council came through the Colonial Office on 16th February. These were sent out to the Central African Council and to the three Central African Governments, who were obliged to consult each other about printing and publication. It was eventually arranged that the printing should be done in the United Kingdom. The report will be published tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many tin mines have been closed down in Malaya during the past three months; and what steps are being taken to provide for the men who are thrown out of employment.

Forty-six mines have been closed, involving 1,605 workers. Most of these mines were speculative concerns floated when tin prices were high and employing casual labour. Some of the workers displaced are being paid a retention fee by the mine owners, and others have taken up mining for themselves or have been reabsorbed into other occupations such as agriculture.No serious unemployment and no real distress exists, but the Government of the Federation of Malaya are watching the situation closely and, as my right hon. Friend told the hon. Member on 22nd April, they have plans to provide as much productive work as possible if serious unemployment develops.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the Ritson Commission, inquiring into the various allowances paid to the Singapore Government employees, has started its work; if it is to be held in camera; and when he expects the report to be submitted.

The Commission began work on 9th May, in camera, and is expected to report about the middle of June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Tanganyika Government will not agree to the introduction of a route licensing system for their road services.

The development of communications in Tanganyika was reviewed in 1950 by a local committee, which concluded that it would be premature and not in the public interest to limit competition between road transporters or to introduce transport monopolies by licensing until the traffic density on the roads was far greater than it then was. The Government of Tanganyika concurred in this opinion and has, so far, seen no reason to change it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the general conclusions and recommendations of the committee appointed in Tanganyika to inquire into the incidence of sentences of corporal punishment; and, in particular, African opinion on this matter.

I have not yet received the report of this committee. I am asking the Governor when it may be expected.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provisions have been made by the Uganda Government in connection with racial discrimination in hotels and restaurants; and whether he will bring these to the notice of other Governments in East and Central Africa.

The Hotels Ordinance,. 1952, includes a clause providing that hotel-keepers shall receive and lodge all travellers unless they have reasonable ground to refuse them accommodation. The new liquor rules of 22nd January,.1953, provide that no licensee shall refuse to sell non-spirituous liquor to any person without reasonable grounds.I will draw the attention of the Governors of other East and Central African territories to this Question and reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the composition of the Fish Marketing Board in Hong Kong; and to what extent the Registrar of Co-operatives has succeeded in developing this Government initiated Board into an independent co-operative society.

The Fish Marketing Organisation in Hong Kong is not a board though I find that it was inadvertently referred to as such by my right hon. Friend when replying to a question by the hon. Member for Trades-ton (Mr. Rankin) on 23rd July last year. It is administered by the Registrar of Cooperatives, who is also Director of Marketing, assisted by co-operative and marketing department staff common to both the Fish and Vegetable Marketing Organisations. In addition, staff employed exclusively on fish marketing include an executive officer in charge, an adviser and organiser of the salt fish processing section and an officer in charge of the collecting and distribution centre.Among the fishermen progress in cooperation has been slow, owing partly to their own resistance to new ideas, and partly to the effect on the fishing community of the unsettled conditions obtaining in neighbouring territory. One credit society has, however, been registered and its progress is expected to be closely watched by other groups of fishermen.In its present form the Fish Marketing Organisation continues to benefit producers in many ways, and is fully self-supporting. It is so planned that eventually it may be taken over by the fishermen and run as a fully co-operative organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what grounds Mr. Mwicigi, President of the Federation of Registered Trade Unions, Mr. Nyamu Marah, General Secretary, Transport and Allied Workers Union, Mr. James Wainaina, Treasurer of the Transport and Allied Workers Union, and Mr. Rufus Kinuthia. General Secretary of the Domestic and Hotel Workers Union, have been arrested in Kenya.

Mr. Marah has been detained as one of the chief members of the K.K.W. or "Council of Freedom," the central organisation for the direction of Mau Mau. The others have been arrested as members of the K.K.W. subcommittee which was responsible for the penetration of workers' organisations by the movement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he is aware that in Kenya on 17th April, 1953, one Kimani wa Karanja was arrested and detained in custody overnight; that the next day he was seen by a number of witnesses, still in custody, at the Gachigos eating-house and that at about 4 p.m. on that day his body was found 50 yards from the Ngong Kijabe road; and whether he will make a statement as to how this man died:whether he is aware that authenticated statements allegedly made by persons present at the shooting of one Chege wa Kahembie or in the vicinity thereof, have been handed to the Kenya police and copies sent to the Governor of Kenya; that these statements allege that Chege. while in custody, was shot by a European officer; and whether, in these circumstances, he will order a full inquiry to be made into the allegations;whether he is aware that, on 4th May, 1953, Mr. Peter Evans, who was on 8th May declared a prohibited emigrant in Kenya, arranged for there to be interviewed by the Kenya police witnesses who desired to make statements in order that appropriate charges could be preferred against persons allegedly responsible for the death in custody of one, Kimani wa Karanja, and one, Chege wa Kahembie; and whether, under these circumstances, he will now make representations to the Government of Kenya urging them to allow Mr. Evans to return in order to assist in the investigations of these deaths.

On 11th May, my right hon. Friend received from the Governor copies of the documents sent to him by Mr. Evans about the deaths of these persons and was assured that the allegations would be fully investigated. Until the inquiry is complete I am unable to make any statement about the cause of their deaths.As I informed the House last week the order to Mr. Evans to leave Kenya was in no way connected with this matter. Although the decision to cancel the passage was not taken until 4th May the Governor, in fact, reported on 10th April that Mr. Evans was going to be asked to leave the Colony within a stipulated period. That was at least a week before these particular incidents are alleged to have occurred. I am satisfied that they will be fully investigated and I do not propose to make representations to the Government of Kenya that Mr. Evans should be allowed to return to Kenya to assist in the investigations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, if his attention has been called to paragraph 7. page 6 of the Annual Report of the Colonial Development Corporation regarding the future of the Corporation: and what steps he is taking in this matter.

My attention has been called to the passage in question in the Corporation's Report for 1952. No specific reply has been made to the suggestion in paragraph 7 (4), but two questions at once arise: first, whether such a procedure would be compatible with the provisions of the Overseas Resources Development Act, 1948; and, secondly, whether schemes of the kind referred to are not better financed from other sources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies his reasons for dispensing with the services of Professor Arthur Lewis as a member of the Board of the Colonial Development Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reasons for the decision to inform Professor Arthur Lewis that his appointment as a director of the Colonial Development Corporation has expired.

It is quite wrong to speak of "dispensing with" Professor Lewis's services. The appointment which he was offered, and which he accepted, was for two years, which expired on the 30th April, 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent Maltese exports enter other Commonwealth countries at preferential rates of duty; and what representations he has received from the Government of Malta on this matter.

The extent to which Maltese exports enter other Commonwealth countries at preferential rates of duty varies from country to country according to the provisions of the relevant Ottawa Agreements of their successors.No representations have been received from the Government of Malta on this matter recently.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he proposes to take so that the Government of Malta can reconsider their decision not to be represented at the Coronation by their Prime Minister.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement with regard to the refusal of the Prime Minister of Malta to attend the Coronation and as to the reasons for that refusal, stated by the Prime Minister in the Parliament of Malta.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Soli-hull (Mr. M. Lindsay), and others.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what recent consideration he has given to the desirability of restoring to naval aviation the title of Fleet Air Arm by which it has been better known for many years; and what special inquiries he proposes to make to discover the opinion of those who serve in that branch of the Royal Navy on this question.

The term "Naval Aviation" which is used at present has the merit of emphasising that those specially concerned with flying in the Royal Navy are an integral part of it. While still adhering to this concept, the Admiralty have, nevertheless, considered the revival of the title "Fleet Air Arm" and have now decided that it should be reintroduced.In reaching this decision the Admiralty have been greatly influenced by the strong appeal which this title, with its glorious wartime associations, makes to many of the naval aviators of today, and to many members of the public.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will make permissible the wearing of crash helmets by ratings when riding motor cycles.

The wearing of crash helmets by ratings riding motor cycles is compulsory when on duty and permissible when off duty.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is in a position to make a statement about H.M.S. "Conway," now beached in the Menai Straits, and its repair or replacement.

The "Conway," which has for very many years been on loan to, and under the administration of, the governing committee of the school ship bearing that name, is reported to be a total loss. Before deciding what, if anything, remains to be done or can be done by the Admiralty, my right hon. Friend is awaiting a report of the inquiry set up by the governing committee. Any question of replacement will be for the school ship authorities to decide.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what progress payments have been made to the company, the name of which has been given to him, during the last two years; and if he is satisfied that deliveries against the contracts involved are now being made satisfactorily.

Over 90 per cent. of the equipment ordered by the Admiralty from the firm in question has been received and deliveries are proceeding satisfactorily. Appropriate progress payments have been made in accordance with the terms of the contract.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is satisfied that his inspectors are abiding by normal practice in their duties in the case of the company, the name of which has been given to him, where a supervising staff strike has now reached its fifteenth week.

Yes. The Admiralty inspectors are, of course, concerned with ensuring that the equipment produced by the company complies with Admiralty specifications and technical matters of that kind. They have no responsibility in the field of staff relations.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the plans of his Department to celebrate the Coronation by sending ships of Her Majesty's Fleet to Aberdeen and other ports in the North and North-East of Scotland.

Present arrangements allow for visits by about 25 ships to 16 ports in the North and North-East of Scotland. These arrangements include the proposed visit of Her Majesty's ship "Largo Bay" to Aberdeen from 30th May to 4th June.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that export work in the United Kingdom shipyards accounted for only 27 per cent. of the 2,133,000 tons of shipping under construction on 31st March, 1953, and was the lowest proportion of work building for overseas account since the war; what was the reason of this decrease; and what steps are taken to augment the supply of ships for foreign markets.

Yes. It is the practice in the shipbuilding industry to execute contracts in their regular order, and variations in the home and export proportions of the tonnage actually under construction at any one time are, therefore, to be expected. The export proportion of the total tonnage building and on order but not yet started is 41 per cent. No special preference is given to export orders, as it is quite as advantageous to the balance of payments to build ships for British owners as for export.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many wartime camps, or hutments, are still being used by local authorities in Scotland to house families; how many people are still living in these camps; and how this compares with the figure in May, 1951.

108 wartime camps accommodating 2,005 families are still in use in Scotland. The number of persons living in these camps is not known. The corresponding figures in May, 1951, were 142 and 3,616 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many school dinners were served in each of the months of January, February, March and April, 1953, in the counties of Fife, Midlothian and Ayrshire, respectively.

The daily average numbers of midday meals served to pupils in Ayr, Fife and Midlothian were as follow:

—		January	February	March	April
Ayr	…	18,385	17,621	17,716	15,502
Fife	…	15,801	15,613	11,925	12,313
Midlothian	…	4,524	4,693	3,504	3,417

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of school dinners consumed in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, respectively, in each of the months from January to April, 1953.

The daily average numbers of midday meals served to pupils in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee and the number of meals served in Glasgow on the monthly census days were as follow:

—		January	February	March	April
Glasgow	…	57,931	58,823	52,996	52,718
Edinburgh	…	18,412	17,859	16,399	15,623
Aberdeen	…	5,651	5,622	4,672 I	4,928
Dundee	…	8,964	8,840	8,242	7,917

asked the Minister of Labour the number of National Service men called up in Scotland in 1952.

19,326.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that visitors to London from Scotland, arriving after 6 a.m. on Coronation Day, will have facilities to cross London from main termini to the point at which they have arranged to see the procession.

The police will endeavour to give all reasonable facilities to any person wishing to reach a particular section of the processional route, but no guarantee can be given that in every case access to a particular section of the route can be ensured to late-comers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the restricted powers of children's committees which only enable officers to act when a child is deprived of normal home life, what further action has been taken to encourage local authorities to employ their permissive powers to undertake preventive work and domestic rehabilitation in the interest of child welfare; and to what extent the placing of children with foster parents has been practised by local authorities in accordance with the Select Committee's recommendation.

A joint circular was sent in 1950 by the Home Office and the Ministries of Health and Education to local authorities, urging co-ordinated use of local statutory and voluntary services concerned with the welfare of children. These arrangements are of value in enabling some children to remain with their parents instead of being received into public care.Nineteen thousand two hundred and seventy-one children were boarded out by local authorities at the end of 1949, 24,319 in 1951 and 26,277 in 1952, representing 35 per cent., 39 per cent. and 41 per cent. of the number of children in care.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the rent allowances, in lieu of accommodation for Metropolitan police officers, compares with the rents charged by the local authorities for similar accommodation.

In general, the rent allowance of individual members of the Metropolitan police force covers the rent and rates charged them by local authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport how soon he expects to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme about the property of Messrs. F. H. Burgess, Limited, at the junction of Friars Street and Goose Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, about which the hon. Member wrote to him on 28th February last.

In a few days. I regret the delay, but this is a difficult case in which my Department have been trying patiently to arrive at a satisfactory settlement in the face of repeated failures to comply with provisions made for the protection of trunk road traffic and road safety. I am now making a new proposal which will, I hope, settle the matter.

asked the Minister of Transport if, when considering proposals for the deviation of roads in connection with the safety precautions for aerodromes, he will bear in mind the possibility of introducing a system of traffic lights on existing roads in order to save the expense of such deviations.

I always bear in mind the possibility of traffic control as an alternative to road diversions. Traffic lights have been installed at some places for this purpose, but other forms of control, for example pickets with "Stop" signs, are sometimes more satisfactory. I am at present arranging, in conjunction with the Secretary of State for Air, for an experiment with a mechanically operated gate.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to-take on the Report of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee that unless prompt action is taken stagnation in London traffic will result in the not very distant future.

The Committee have suggested two main remedies. The first is the carrying out of road improvements which I cannot authorise at the moment, but some of which I hope to be able to consider as soon as the financial and economic position becomes a little easier. The second is the adoption of the recommendations recently made by the Working Party on Car Parking in the inner area of London. These are now having my careful consideration in consultation with the other Departments and authorities concerned.Among minor measures some further relief may be obtained by extending the unilateral waiting regulations, if the present experiment is successful, as recommended by the Committee, and also-by prohibiting waiting near important intersections controlled by traffic lights.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to give his observations to the British Transport Commission on the particulars of the superannuation scheme proposed for the locomotive footplate staff of British Railways.

I will send to the British Transport Commission, in the course of the next few days, my observations upon the outline proposals for a pension scheme for wages grades.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to permit farm tractors to take part in Coronation processions in agricultural areas without exacting additional road traffic licences.

I have no power to remit any extra duty to which vehicles may become liable if used for purposes for which they are not licensed. I have, however, suggested to local licensing authorities that no proceedings should be taken where agricultural tractors or farmers' goods vehicles which have been taxed at the preferential rates applicable to such vehicles have become liable to a higher rate of duty by reason solely of their use for local Coronation processions and festivities which are publicly organised. The owner of any such vehicle used in this way must ensure that it is covered by a valid insurance against third party risks while it is being so used.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement about the loss of the m.v. "Guava" which was posted at Lloyd's as a missing vessel on 11th March, 1953.

The "Guava," a motor vessel of 285 gross tons built in 1945, left Lowestoft on the morning of 30th January for the North Sea fishing grounds with a crew of 11 on board. She last reported her position about 10 p.m. on the following day. Nothing more was heard from her and it must be assumed that she and her crew became victims of the great storm which continued to rage throughout that night and the following day. Searches were made by naval vessels and aircraft, but no trace of the "Guava" was found.I have no reason to think that this vessel was not in a seaworthy condition and properly equipped when she left Lowestoft on her last voyage. Her hull was last examined by an independent surveyor after she had grounded at New-come Sands on 9th January of this year and no damage was then found.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence whether he will make a statement in regard to the implementation by Her Majesty's Government of the policy officially announced on 23rd April by the Canadian Minister of Defence Production to the effect that the Canadian Government, when buying abroad, try to buy from the British market in preference to any other.

Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom warmly welcome Mr. C. D. Howe's statement and will play their full part in furthering a policy which is so greatly in the interests of both the United Kingdom and Canada. Every effort is being made to secure Canadian orders and a number of measures have been decided on to this end.One important step we are taking is to appoint two new officers to the staff of the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Canada, one from the Ministry of Supply and the other an additional Trade Commissioner. These officers will be concerned with the requirements of the Canadian armed forces for military and civil types of equipment respectively. They will take up their posts early next month.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence whether he will publish a White Paper setting out the details of installations together with amounts and categories of the £200 million equipment at present stored in the Canal Zone.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the information about the Canal Zone base which my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State gave the House in his speech on 12th May.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in connection with the recent cases of smallpox in Lancashire and Yorkshire, he has considered the views of the late Dr. Ricketts and more recent pronouncements of doctors with experience of smallpox, that vaccination during the last part of the incubation period of smallpox only adds to the patient's troubles; and if he is now prepared to advise a cessation of vaccination at this late stage.

My right hon. Friend's medical advisers are well aware of these views, but do not consider that they justify any alteration in present practice.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the official announcement of the Argentine Ambassador that the aim of the Argentine Government is £100 million worth of trade a year between Great Britain and the Argentine, and that every pound sterling earned by the Argentine on the sale of meat or selling grain has been, and will always be, spent on the products of British industry; what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure the implementation of this undertaking during the current year and future years; and what share, in particular, of the British exports to the Argentine will be made up of cotton piece goods.

I have seen a report of the statement made by the Argentine Ambasador and I warmly welcome it as indicating a desire on the part of the Argentine Government to see trade between our two countries restored to something like its traditional volume.Arrangements were made in the Protocol concluded on 31st December last about our sales of oil, coal and tinplate and the Anglo-Argentine Mixed Consultative Committee in Buenos Aires recently settled the quotas to be allowed for our exports of less essential goods. The Committee is now examining the trade possibilities for our other exports.So far as cotton piece goods are concerned, I cannot add to the reply which I gave on 12th May to my hon. Friend the Member for Clitheroe (Mr. Fort).

asked the Secretary of State for War what investigations have been made into allegations of irregular practices in a unit of the Women's Royal Army Corps at Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, details of which have been drawn to his attention.

I understand that a very careful investigation was carried out when these incidents came to light. But, as I informed the hon. and gallant Member in my reply to his Question on 19th May, I have personally called for a report. I will write to him as soon as I have considered it.