asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in order to stimulate the growth of new enterprise in Dominica, he will introduce a Pioneer Industries Bill, giving certain tax reliefs in connection with the establishment of new industries along the lines of legislation in other parts of the West Indies

Yes. Local legislation is being prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the functions and powers of the Dominica Banana Association; and what steps are being taken to ensure that persons requiring bananas for manufacturing purposes are able to purchase their raw materials through them freely and at a fair price.

The functions and powers of this Association are described in Dominica Ordinance No. 21 of 1952, of which there is a copy in the Library. The Ordinance provides as far as possible for manufacturers' needs as well as for those of exporters of fresh bananas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made by the Government of Brunei in the carrying out of administrative reform; and whether the advisory committee has yet been set up to assist the Government.

I have asked the High Commissioner to report about progress in this matter and will write to the hon. Member when I have his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reasons for the dissatisfaction which has been expressed with the Government of Brunei; and what are the objections of the Government to the holding of processions.

So far as I am aware the Government has no objection to orderly processions, and would only prohibit those likely to provoke disturbance of the peace.As regards the first part of the Question, I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I receive the reply for which I have asked the High Commissioner by telegram.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that some television sets cause interference with the reception of sound broadcasts; and what steps he proposes to take, by way of promoting legislation or otherwise, to control the manufacture of television sets, so that purchasers may not find themselves unable to use them without breach of a condition of their receiving licences.

I am aware of this difficulty, but I do not think we need power to control manufacture of television sets. Radio manufacturers are fully alive to the problem and I am confident that, in their own interests, they will produce sets that meet the licence conditions.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will publish a White Paper on the methods by which frequencies are allocated by his Department.

No. This would involve giving information affecting national defence.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General (1) whether he has considered the possibility of extending the 87·5 to 100 m/cs. frequency band in order to make possible its use for television; and whether he will make a statement;

The Television Advisory Committee, in its first report, said that this band was too narrow to be of much use for television and proposed that it should be left for the provision of additional sound services. My noble Friend considers that their suggestion, which does not mean disturbing fire and police radio services, is the practical course to follow.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether the examination by independent and impartial experts of Sir Bruce White's proposal to build a road bridge over the present Forth railway bridge has now been carried out; and if he will make a statement.

After consulting the Institution of Civil Engineers I have decided to appoint a panel of civil engineers to carry out this investigation. I hope to announce full details next week.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in re-signposting roads from London all distances can, in future, be measured from Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square.

The mileage from London on all new signposts is to be measured from Charing Cross.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will reconsider his decision not to impose a speed limit for vehicles on the East Lancashire Road up to the Liverpool City boundary, on Woolton Road, between Taggart Avenue and Rose Brow, and on Mather Avenue, between Rose Lane and 30 yards north of Heath Road, in view of the case presented to him by the Liverpool Watch Committee.

I quite recently reconsidered the case for a speed limit on these three roads and came to the conclusion that it would not be justified. I see no present ground for reopening the question.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why he has abandoned the proposal to make an Order under the Trunk Roads Act, 1946, for the construction of a new road to by-pass Biggleswade and St. Neots; and what alternative is now proposed to alleviate the traffic congestion on this stretch of the Great North Road.

Because the proposed new London—Yorkshire motorway would eventually take a large proportion of the future through traffic. Less costly proposals are being investigated for shorter local by-passes at Biggleswade and other points on this length of the Great North Road.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many men are employed on road repair works in progress in Market Street, Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire; and when he expects the interruption of traffic in this narrow stretch of trunk road to end.

Twenty-seven men are now employed on this work, which I expect to be completed by the middle of November. I regret, however, that there will continue to be some interruption of traffic until the end of the year because of emergency repairs to Hepton New Bridge, which a recent inspection showed to be necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if his attention has been called to the increase in road accidents this year in the area of the Medway towns, reported on by the Chief Constable of Kent; and if he will now give orders to commence the Rochester by-pass road.

I am aware of and I am very sorry about the increase in accidents to which the right hon. Member refers but, as explained by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary in the debate on the Adjournment on 2nd July, I cannot forecast when it will be possible to start this very expensive scheme.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what consideration has been given during the past few months to the provision of a helicopter passenger station in London; and what progress has been made.

Agreement has been reached with the London County Council on the use of a site on the South Bank for occasional landings by existing helicopters over the period of the next few years, until the site is needed for other purposes. Progress on the selection of a permanent site must await more information on the performance of multiengined helicopters likely to be used for future commercial operations.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what estimate he has made of the number of times in the last 12 months that aircraft have used Gee navigational stations to determine position.

I estimate that civil aircraft have taken over 100,000 Gee fixes in the last 12 months. In addition, considerable use is made of the facility by Service aircraft.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number of civil aircraft equipped with Gee navigation receivers.

One hundred and seventeen United Kingdom registered civil aircraft were equipped with Gee navigation receivers on 30th September, 1953.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what proposals he now has to deal with the problem of London traffic congestion.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to add anything to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. Langford-Holt) on 20th May last.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what estimate he made of the likely reduction of staff which would follow from the abolition of the various executives of the British Transport Commission.

I made no such estimate. As I told the House on 29th July, my decision was taken in the light of advice from the Commission that the abolition of the Executives, other than London Transport Executive, would help them in the discharge of their duties.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation under what circumstances grants are available for the provision of ferry services.

In recent financial circumstances it has not been practicable to make grants from the Road Fund available for the provision of ferry services.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will introduce legislation so as to amend Section 1 (4) of the Road Transport Lighting Act, 1929, as to define the hours of darkness during which lights must be shown as half an hour after sunset throughout the year.

This question has been considered by the Committee on Road Safety, whose Final Report, dated May, 1947, recommended no change. I agree with this view.

asked the Minister of Food if he will publish in HANSARD a complete and up-to-date list of food price increases, consequent on the Government's decision to reduce subsidies, since he took office.

The price increases arising directly from the Government's decisions to reduce the subsidy ceiling from £410 million in 1951–52 to about £220 million in 1953–54 were as follow:

asked the Minister of Food the total consumption of full price liquid milk by the public in August, 1953; and what are the comparable figures for 1951 and 1952.

About 108 million gallons in 1953, and 110 and 112 million gallons in 1952 and 1951 respectively.

asked the Minister of Food the average weekly milk consumption per person for the first six months of 1953; and how this compares with 1951 and 1952.

4·65 pints in 1953, and 4·73 and 4·83 pints in 1952 and 1951 respectively.

asked the Minister of Food whether he has considered the recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry into the Slaughter of Horses; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Food whether he has now considered the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Slaughter of Horses; and what action he proposes to take.

As my right hon. and gallant Friend informed the Member for Ayr (Sir T. Moore) yesterday, he is considering the Report in consultation with other Ministers concerned. He will make a statement to the House as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Food when he expects to make the next distribution of salmon; if he is aware that Brandon Co-operative Society, County Durham, have not had any salmon since 16th March, 1953; that this dish is very popular in the country; and if he will make a statement on the recent Canadian talks on this subject.

The last issue of canned salmon was made in March this year and another issue cannot be made until further supplies are available early next year. A Trade Mission from British Columbia is looking into the possibility of buying in this country some of the equipment and material used by the salmon fishing and canning industries and Her Majesty's Government welcome this initiative. The more goods we can sell to Canada the more food and other commodities we shall be able to buy from her.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the potential dangers to public health arising from his recent action in sanctioning the sale by public auction of condemned and inedible meat and offals from slaughterhouses throughout the country; that there is no statutory obligation on the purchaser to remove the danger by a method of processing; that the meat can be taken from one authority to another to be sold for human consumption; and if he will take steps to discontinue this dangerous practice and have the meat processed in such a way as to render it harmless before it is sold by auction.

This meat and offal is stained green before despatch from slaugher-houses. It would be an offence under the Food and Drugs Act to sell or offer to sell such meat for human consumption, and I have no evidence that any such sales have taken place.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give a list of the quantities of the various foods held by him on 31st July, 1953; what was their cost price; and what is the present market price of these stocks.

For reasons of commercial prudence, no.

asked the Minister of Food if he is satisfied that the standing instruction of 1st January, 1950, that the slaughter of cattle by the Jewish method should be allowed only at those places where local Jewish communities have installed an approved casting pen, is being carried out.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the distributed stocks of house coal at the latest convenient date, and the total distributed coal stocks at the same date compared with the respective stocks one year earlier; whether house coal stocks including imports are ade- quate as far as can be foreseen to provide for winter requirements; and whether he will now make a statement on the domestic solid fuel position, including coke.

The stock position has improved considerably in recent weeks and at the 10th October total distributed stocks amounted to 18·1 million tons compared with 19·1 a year before and 16·2 on the same date in 1951. Corresponding figures for merchants' stocks of house coal are 1·66, 1·84 and 1·07 million tons respectively.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the total tonnage of large coal to be imported from Continental sources; what quantity has arrived to date; and what balance remains for shipment and when it is expected.

The National Coal Board have purchased approximately 600,000 tons of large coal from Continental sources for import into this country. Some 365,000 tons have already arrived and the balance is expected before the end of the year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence by how much the cost of living has risen since the present rates of Service pay and allowances were fixed; and if he will bring forward proposals for increasing these rates.

The Interim Index of Retail Prices for September, 1950 (from which date increased rates of Service pay and allowances took effect) was 114; the corresponding figure for August, 1953, the latest available, was 140. Her Majesty's Government keep the rates of Service pay and allowances under constant review.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Defence if, in the light of recent award of increased