asked the President of the Board of Trade to state for the calendar years 1938, 1951 and 1952, respectively, the quantities of raw cotton imported into the United Kingdom from United Kingdom Colonial Territories in Africa, excluding Sudan, from United

asked the hon. Member for Salisbury, as representing the Charity Commission, whether the requisite information has been received for revising and completing the draft scheme for the re-organisation of the charities of Presteigne; and whether the Commissioners will proceed with putting the new scheme into operation at an early date.

The making of a scheme for the future administration of the 13 charities in question, the areas of

The following is the answer:benefit of which now comprise many civil parishes, has admittedly been under consideration for a long time. The case presents formidable difficulties, and to ensure satisfactory administration in the future it is important that the scheme should be one that is likely to command general acceptance. The draft of the scheme has recently been revised and copies of the revised draft have now been sent for publication in the locality. Subject to the consideration of objections or suggestions that may be received as a result of publication it is hoped that the scheme will be established at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate legislation to permit local authorities to prosecute individuals defacing walls in their area.

This matter can be dealt with by good rule byelaws which county councils and borough councils have power to make under Section 249 of the Local Government Act, 1933. In the Metropolitan Police District the matter may be dealt with under Section 54 (10) of the Metropolitan Police Act 1839.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that only lower grades of coal are available in East Ham; and what action he proposes to take

I have no reason to believe that in East Ham house coal supplies are of lower quality than in other parts of London.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement setting out the contributions made by each Government to the Technical Agency of the United Nations Organisation for aiding backward areas.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the United Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance. The following statement gives the sums pledged by the contributing Governments for the year 1953.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the Civil Service Union can expect to receive a reply to their pay claims for engineer technicians and traffic operators employed in the diplomatic wireless service.

It is hoped to make an offer to the Civil Service Union very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the diplomatic wireless service is failing to nominate traffic operators for establishment when an agreement exists covering this procedure.

The agreement in principle to establish a number of traffic operators in the diplomatic wireless service was dependent upon a review of the scales of pay. It is hoped to reach agreement shortly on the new salary scales and it will then be possible to proceed with the establishment scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what guarantees have been received from President Synghman Rhee that the South Korean Government will not resume hostilities after the political conference has met.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply which the acting Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Aston (Mr. Wyatt) on 22nd July and to the statement issued by Mr. Dulles on 22nd July, of which I informed the House in the foreign affairs debate on 22nd July.

asked the Minister of Transport what sums yearly have been allocated by his Department for agreed preliminaries of Forth and Tay road bridges; and what further sum is allocated for 1953–54 period

No scheme for such a Tay road bridge has been submitted to me and the question of a grant towards preliminary works on it therefore does not arise. Grants totalling £230,400 have been made towards preliminary works on the Forth Road Bridge. Payments have been made as follows: 1946–47, £4,050: 1947–48, £9,450: 1949–50, £22,500: 1950–51, £18,519. From these amounts repayments totalling £10,658 have to be deducted, making net payments up to date £43,861. Payments this year will depend on requisitions by the Joint Board against the grants already made.