asked the Minister of Food whether he will now cause to be published the written evidence submitted to the Northumberland Committee of Inquiry into the Slaughter of Horses.

I do not think this is necessary since all the evidence given to the Committee, including oral evidence of which no verbatim record was kept, is summarised in the Committee's Report.

asked the Minister of Food why he is arranging for fish to be supplied to the London market at higher prices than the wholesalers can deliver it.

I am making no such arrangement. Fish was freed from control in April, 1950.

asked the Minister of Food what qualifications officials of his Department who visit slaughterhouses and knackeries have to enable them to judge by the condition of the carcases whether the horses have been bled with the object of selling the horsemeat as veal.

The officials who visit slaughterhouses are either veterinary surgeons or qualified meat inspectors. Those of my officers who visit knackeries are concerned solely with the enforcement of staining requirements and the question of professional qualifications does not arise.

asked the Minister of Food how many unheralded visits have been paid by officers of his Department to slaughterhouses and knackeries in the last six months; and whether they invariably examine the humane killers to ensure that they are in current use and in good condition.

None. The responsibility for ensuring the observance of the Slaughter of Animals Act rests with local authorities.So far as slaughterhouses used by my Department are concerned I am satisfied that my officers are taking all necessary steps to ensure that the statutory provisions are observed.

asked the Minister of Food how the prices paid to producers by the egg packing stations, from April to November this year, have compared with those paid last year; and what reduction there has been in distributive margins consequent on the larger total supplies of eggs handled by wholesalers and retailers.

The average price paid to producers by egg packing stations from April to November of this year is 4s. 4¼d. per dozen. This compares with 4s. 5d. a dozen for the corresponding period in 1952. Since eggs were decontrolled distributive margins have been entirely a matter for the trade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will have reprinted Command Paper No. 6174, the Report of the West India Royal Commission; if he will publish the Commission's correspondence with the Secretary of State; and if he will also have reprinted Command Paper No. 6656, the Report on the Action taken on the Recommendations in the Royal Commission's Report, Command Paper No. 6174.

The Report of the West India Royal Commission was Command Paper No. 6607, not No. 6174. A copy is available in the House of Commons Library. The Commission's correspondence with the Secretary of State is contained in Command Paper No. 6174. Both this Paper and Command Paper No. 6656 are still obtainable. I am not prepared to arrange for reprinting the main Report.

asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether he will relax import duties on new machinery and raw materials going into the West Indies, in order to encourage industrial development.

It is for the West Indian Governments to decide on changes in import duties. Certain Customs concessions are among those granted to new industries under their "pioneer industries laws."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the possibility of establishing free port areas at Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and at Port Royal in Jamaica.

This question is at present under consideration by the Governments concerned as one of the proposals of the mission of United Kingdom industrialists which visited the West Indies last year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the outcome of negotiations with representatives of the Government of Sierra Leone on the subject of taxation of the diamond mining company in that country.

The Sierra Leone Government and the Sierra Leone Selection Trust have not yet ratified the conclusions reached by their representatives in negotiation.

asked the Secreatry of State for the Colonies, in view of the misunderstanding by members of the recent Nigerian Conference in respect of their assumption that he would consider determining the position of Lagos only within the scope of four stated alternatives, if he will make it clear that he will welcome discussion between representatives of the Northern Region and representatives of the other regions in order that they may reach amicable agreement on the question of Lagos; and whether the matter can be reconsidered at the January conference.

There was no room for misunderstanding, nor was there any reference to "four stated alternatives." Her Majesty's Government would always welcome discussions between political parties and regions in Nigeria likely to promote its interests and unity.On Lagos, I have already made it clear that if the majority parties of the three regions freely agree among themselves on some alternative solution, I shall be willing to consider it on its merits and in the interests of Nigeria as a whole. But the onus for initiating any such discussions rests with the party which is seeking to secure an alteration in arbitral award which I made at the request of all the parties on the understanding that they would all accept my decision, whatever it might be.The question whether the position of Lagos can be discussed at the January conference will be a matter for the conference, which will, I imagine, be guided by the outcome of any discussions in the meantime. It would be fruitless to reopen this subject if there were no prospect of an agreed and durable settlement on different lines.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the decisions of the Nigerian and Gold Coast Cocoa Marketing Boards, in regard to the selling price of cocoa, the price paid to the producer and the allocation and rate of expenditure of their reserve funds are subject to control by Her Majesty's Government.

The powers of the Nigerian and Gold Coast Cocoa Marketing Boards are conferred by local legislation, and Her Majesty's Government exercises no control over the decisions to which the hon. Lady refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the recent and current disorders in Nyasaland, stating the causes as far as they are known to him, numbers of people, white and coloured, respectively, involved; and how many of each have been killed, injured and arrested.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made to the House on 21st October.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress he has made towards arranging for an all-party delegation of Members of Parliament to visit Kenya to consider conditions there and report on them; and when he expects that delegation will arrive in Kenya.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to my reply to the right hon. the Leader of the Opposition on 1st December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the offences for which the punishment of Mau Mau members is the confiscation of land and trading plots; and whether such punishment will apply only to Mau Mau terrorists who have been tried and convicted or killed in fights with the authorities.

There are no such offences at present, but a Bill has been published which, if it passes into law, will empower the Governor to make Forfeiture Orders and Setting-apart Orders, forfeiting land or interests in land of—

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Kenya Government has issued Notice No. 1151 to replace Notice No. 709, and thereby worsen the position of African workers.

The position of African workers has not been worsened by the new Notice, which is based on a practical reassessment of health requirements, administrative feasibility and the attitude of recruited workers themselves.

asked the Secretary of State fox the Colonies whether he has considered the declaration by the leading Protestant churches of Kenya concerning administration in that area, a copy of which has been sent him; and what action he proposes to take.

I have not yet received a copy of the document to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Africans, in Kenya, have been proved to have been shot in the back; and of how many of those who have been shot it has been officially stated that they were shot while attempting to escape.

This information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why it is proposed that three more battalions of the Malay Regiment should be formed by 1962.

This is part of the planned development of the military forces of the Federation of Malaya which, in its advance towards self-government, must assume a greater share of the responsibility for internal security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many non-Malayan and, in particular, how many Chinese have been appointed to the administrative branch of the Malayan Civil Service in the last year since the Service was open to all races.

Three Chinese and one Ceylonese have been appointed to the Malayan Civil Service in the last year. Two other non-Malays could have been appointed if suitable candidates had come forward.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the purposes of the work of the British Council in British Colonial and Commonwealth Territories.

The purposes of British Council work in the territories with which I am concerned are to promote understanding between the British and oversea peoples; to help forward social and educational progress by passing on our own experience and traditions; and to improve relations among all races.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give a list of commodities on which an export duty is charged in the Colonial Territories; and the amount of duty in each case.

A detailed list would run into many pages of Hansard, but I shall let the hon. Gentleman have soon the latest information available in the Colonial Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what official public services are used to convey to foreign countries and to members of the Commonwealth information concerning both recent incidents in British Guiana and Uganda and the political and economic developments that have taken place in those colonial areas.

Material on these matters is regularly included in the official information services maintained in foreign and Commonwealth countries respectively by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will intervene with the Kenya Government to prevent the reappointment as a temporary district officer in Tanganyika of Mr. Brian Hayward.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will intervene with the Kenya Government to prevent the reappointment as temporary district officer of Brian Walter Hayward, now serving a sentence of three months' imprisonment for ill-treating Kikuyu tribesmen.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the proposal to re-employ Mr. Hayward, in Kenya.

I have already received some information on this case from both Governments and am expecting a further report following a meeting between their representatives which was due to take place yesterday. Meanwhile, I have discussed the case with the Governor of Kenya and no final decision will be taken until he has reviewed it on his return. I will inform the House of the final decision eventually reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the proposed reappointment of Mr. Brian Walter Hayward as a temporary district officer in Tanganyika; and if, in view of the judge's comments on the extent to which this man's mind has been affected by his previous experiences, he will ascertain what facilities for psychiatric treatment exist in the prison in which he is incarcerated, and whether he is undergoing such treatment.

On the first part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have given today to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Donnelly).As regards the second part, Mr. Hayward is not in prison, but is employed on outside work under Section 88 of Tanganyika Prisons Ordinance. Mr. Hayward is not undergoing any treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Tanganyika Government failed to exercise the proper and effective supervision of the methods used by Brian Walter Hayward, of Kenya, in his investigation of Kikuyu tribesmen in Tanganyika.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to receive the reports he has called for from the Kenya and Tanganyika Governments on the Kenya screening team, which was recently tried in Tanganyika; and whether he will make these available to hon. Members.

I am awaiting further information from the Kenya and Tanganyika Governments and cannot decide the question of publication until this is available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the petition of the Meru Citizens' Union of Tanganyika to the Trusteeship Council in which it is stated that Government officials destroyed coffee trees, banana plants, corn and beans on the boundary fixed by the Government between the land of a white settler and the Wa-Meru and that a large area of land was transferred to the settler by force: and if he will make a statement.

This petition relates to a case in which a European settler has taken legal proceedings to evict Meru squatters from part of his farm which has been his freehold property for over 30 years. A survey of the farm boundary was carried out in September in the presence of the District Commissioner. No crops were destroyed and the allegations made in the petition are completely false.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will set up a development finance corporation in connection with the British Guiana 10-year development plan.

The Governor has already announced his intention to establish a Credit Corporation as soon as the necessary legislation can be passed. Inquiries are already being made about staff.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many people are now detained under the emergency regulations in British Guiana; how many have brought their cases before the tribunal; and with what result.

Five persons are held under detention orders. One has brought his case before the Advisory Committee appointed to hear objections against detention orders. The other four have refused to appear before the Committee, but three of them have submitted statements to it. Two of these persons are being prosecuted for holding illegal meetings. The Governor has not yet received the recommendations of the Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the insult offered to Sir Frank McDavid, a distinguished citizen of British Guiana, when he sought hotel accommodation in Bermuda, of which he has details, and was refused it on racial grounds; and what steps he is taking to end such discrimination.

I conveyed my regrets to Sir Frank McDavid when this incident was reported in July. Her Majesty's Government have always been strongly opposed to the colour bar, but I am advised that its maintenance in certain hotels in Bermuda is essential to the tourist trade on which the people of the Colony as a whole depend for their livelihood.I have informed the Governor of my views and of my hope that everything possible will be done to reduce, and, finally, to eliminate, this practice of colour discrimination in Bermuda.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what gift of cash the Colony of Singapore has made to the United Kingdom during the last year.

In December, 1952, the Legislative Council of Singapore voted a grant of £1 million as a contribution to imperial defence.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many applications he has received since 1st January, 1953, for licences for the export of dredgers to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Poland; and what reply he has made to the applicants.

None. The second part of the Question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he has yet decided whether the orders offered to British shipbuilding yards to build ships for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be accepted; what is the extent of these orders expressed in terms of money, kind and number of ships involved; and where they will be executed.

As I informed the House in reply to the Question asked by the honourable Member for Dartford (Mr. Dodds) on 25th November, it has been decided that contracts for about 30 trawlers and fish factory ships can now be accepted. No contracts have yet been signed but negotiations are taking place.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many launchings he expects on the Wear this year; and how this figures compares with 1951 and 1952.

Twenty-seven merchant ships totalling 191,700 gross tons are expected to be launched on the Wear in 1953 as compared with 25 ships of about 181,000 gross tons in 1951 and 25 ships of 162,000 gross tons in 1952.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty the estimated cost of the latest type of aircraft carrier; and to what extent the cost is likely to exceed that of the original estimate.

I am not yet in a position to state the total cost of H.M.S. "Centaur," the latest carrier to be completed. I hope that an estimate of the figure will be available for inclusion in the forthcoming Navy Estimates for 1954–55.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps are being taken to provide telephone facilities to about 1,000 applicants at present waiting in Newport, in view of the fact that many of them have now been waiting for over two years.

Four hundred telephones have been fitted during the past 12 months and we hope to make a substantial increase on this number next year. As many new applications continue to be received and additional cables are required in some parts of the town, I cannot say when the waiting list is likely to be cleared.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will increase the allocation of telephone kiosks to rural areas in Wales.

The proportion of our resources allotted to kiosks is already greater in Wales than elsewhere, and we hope to allocate even more for Wales next year. The cost of installation, however, is rising as we deal with more remote kiosks and, for this reason, I doubt whether we shall be able to provide a greater number of new kiosks next year.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, now that substantial progress has been made with the provision of additional exchange facilities for Sale telephone exchange he will ensure that additional underground cables are installed to enable would-be subscribers to be connected.

That is certainly our aim, and good progress is now being made. Six hundred and four new lines have been connected since the extension of the exchange in the autumn and in just over a year the waiting list has fallen by 726, despite a new demand of over 800 during the same period.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when Mr. F. Berriman, of Fairburn, near Leeds, the secretary of the West Riding Cricket League Umpires Association, may expect to have the telephone which he was told was allocated to him in September, 1952.

I am very sorry there has been so much delay in providing this telephone. It was installed on 4th December.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones in the borough of Barry are still outstanding; what was the comparable figure a year ago; and what progress he anticipates during this year in meeting requirements.

279 applications are outstanding compared with 298 a year ago. 125 new applications were received during this period. 120 applicants have been connected so far this year and we hope to increase the number to 200 next year.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will make a statement upon the future of television in the Principality of Wales.

It is too soon to make any statement about additional B.B.C. television stations for Wales. As to competitive television, I would draw the attention of my hon. Friend to paragraph 15 of the White Paper on Television Policy (Cmd. 9005); none of the initial stations is likely to be in Wales.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he can make a statement on the technical possibilities and difficulties in the introduction of subscription television.

In subscription television, the station broadcasts its programmes in a scrambled form and a viewer wanting to see a programme puts a coin or special token into a decoding apparatus connected to his set. There are no great technical problems in providing such a service but I can see no scope for it at present in this country.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will now give the reasons in detail for the failure to provide service from a permanent television transmitter in Northern Ireland during 1954.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General to what extent the delay in setting up the permanent television transmitter for Northern Ireland is due to failure by the manufacturers to deliver the equipment on schedule.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General to what extent the fact that the permanent television transmitter for Northern Ireland cannot now commence service before 1955 is due to delay in constructing the road at Divis.

As I informed my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Down, South (Captain Orr) on 2nd December, the B.B.C. has a big programme of work during the next two years and the Government are satisfied that it is being pressed on at all points as quickly as possible. There is no question of delay at Belfast; preliminary engineering work for this station is proceeding so that, in common with the other six stations authorised by the Government in July last, it will be in service on a permanent basis before the end of 1955.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many ships of British flag use amplitude modulation radio services, as compared with the 300 ships of United States flag now using frequency modulation services.

About 500 British vessels are licensed to carry very high frequency amplitude modulated equipment. I understand that the corresponding figure for United States vessels of all types carrying frequency modulated equipment is in the region of 2,200.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what report the Television Advisory Committee has made on the relative merits of frequency modulation and amplitude modulation (very high frequency); and if he will publish this report before the Postmaster-General makes a decision on the type of modulation to be adopted.

My noble Friend expects the Television Advisory Committee to report on this matter within the next week or so, and he will then consider the question of publication.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when he will permit the British Broadcasting Corporation to proceed with plans to provide television coverage for the Carlisle area.

It is too early to say.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the estimated cost of the British Broadcasting Corporation's television service, including development financed from revenue, during the year ending April, 1954; and what net revenue the British Broadcasting Corporation received from that part of the licence fee revenue allocated to television.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what the exact licence for television only would have been in 1952 to cover the total expenditure on television services by the British Broadcasting Corporation; and what the fee would have been in 1953 to cover the estimated expenditure on such services.

It is not the practice to give forcasts of B.B.C. expenditure, but the Corporation's published accounts for 1952–53 show that the cost of the television service during that year was £4,334,474, of which £933,432 was for capital additions and £3,401,042 for revenue expenditure. The total television income calculated on the assumption that the £2 broadcast receiving licence fee, which is a combined fee for sound and television, is divided equally between these two services, amounted to £1,679,845; of this, £1,679,007 represents 85 per cent. of half the net revenue from £2 broadcast receiving licences and £838 comes from receipts from the sale of assets taken out of service. The balance of expenditure, namely, £2,654,629, was financed from reserves and other income.The income of £1,679,007 from television licences represents 15s. 9d. per licence; the Corporation would have needed £2 0s. 8d. per licence to cover its total television expenditure. To give the Corporation this sum per licence would have meant raising the £2 broadcast receiving licence fee to roughly £3 10s.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will insist on an inquiry by an independent body to see what economies can be made within the British Broadcasting Corporation before he considers their request for an increase in the licence fee to be charged to the public.

The B.B.C.'s capital investment is subject to the normal machinery of Government control, but in the matter of programmes and of day-to-day expenditure, successive Governments have allowed the Corporation full autonomy subject to periodical investigations by outside committees. The most recent of these, the Beveridge Committee, which exhaustively examined all aspects of the B.B.C.'s working, gave high praise to the way in which the Corporation keeps a "grip on income and expenditure."

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps are being taken to clear the third channel in Band III as recommended by the Television Advisory Committee; and how soon will it be available for use as envisaged at the Atlantic City Conference of 1947.

The possibilities of making more channels in Band III available for television are being studied. This involves transferring existing services from Band III to other bands without interfering with services already in or near those bands. The problem is difficult and complicated and it will take some time before we know when a third channel in Band III can be brought into use.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he has yet considered the recommendations of the Television Advisory Committee made to him in May, 1953;and if he will now inform the radio industry of the channels in Band III which will be allocated to an alternative television service.

Yes. The recent White Paper on television policy indicated that the new public corporation would be given the use of two channels in Band III. But the radio industry will need to know more than this before television sets and adaptors can be designed which will be capable of meeting, with only minor adjustments, all likely requirements for some years ahead.I therefore take this opportunity of saying that if Parliament approves the plans for competitive television it is my noble Friend's intention eventually to make available the whole of Band III for television, to be used either by the British Broadcasting Corporation or the new corporation or both. It would take seven years or so to move some of the existing users in this band.The radio industry will also need to know what choice of programmes is to be offered to viewers; during the next five years, my noble Friend does not foresee any likelihood of set designers having to cater for more than three programmes in any one area.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the inconvenience and financial loss experienced by industrial concerns using mobile radios by frequency changes; and whether he will ensure that these changes are avoided in the future.

I am aware that frequency changes are inconvenient and involve expense; but they have to be made from time to time in order to make effective use of the frequency spectrum. I see no prospect of securing immunity from change for any particular class of radio user, but the maximum possible notice would, of course, be given of any change.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General why registered letters do not bear any time stamp; and why they are treated differently from ordinary letters.

Unlike ordinary letters, registered letters must be handed in at Post Office counters; the time of disposal from the counter is included in the records. The time of acceptance is entered on the certificate of posting on request.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in view of the fact that he cannot, in the interests of productivity, increase the permissive speed of heavy goods vehicles to 30 miles per hour until there is agreement between employers and employees concerned about consequential changes in conditions of employment, and that there is, at present, no recognised machinery for negotiations about such matters between the employers and drivers of the heavy C-licensed vehicles, constituting over half the vehicles affected, he will convene a special conference to bring together representatives of all employers and drivers concerned to agree about the principles to be applied with regard to such consequential changes.

I do not believe that the difficulty is due to inadequacy in the negotiating machinery. If, however, I have reason to think my intervention would be helpful, I am always ready to assist, in consultation with the Minister of Labour, in bringing both sides together.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what representations he has received from interested bodies pressing him to exercise the power vested in him to direct the British Transport Commission to dispose of some of its holdings in passenger transport services, as provided for in Section 18 (6) of the Transport Act, 1953; and whether he will keep the House advised of such representations by interested parties.

No. I cannot undertake to report to Parliament all representations I receive from interested or other parties as regards the exercise of this or other powers.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has yet considered the application of the British Transport Commission for authority to abandon the Welsh section of the Shropshire Union Canal from Llantysilio to Hurliston; and if he will refuse his consent to the abandonment, in view of the beauty and amenity of the waterway.

The closure of this section of the Canal to navigation was authorised by the London Midland and Scottish Railway (Canals) Act, 1944. I have received no application for its abandonment for other purposes.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will abolish the restrictions on the use of lorries for the transport of workers, so that hired or owned lorries with appropriate safety control can be used at all times of the year for such purposes as carrying workers from the towns for seasonal crop-picking, instead of farmers being compelled to hire a bus at much greater expense.

There is no restriction on a farmer using his own lorries to carry his workers provided that no charge is made and that normal safety precautions and the necessary insurance requirements are observed. As my hon. Friend will be aware, provision was made in the Emergency Laws (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953, for the carriage on hired vehicles of persons to or from agricultural work during the period 1st June to 30th November in any year without the need for licences under Part IV of the Road Traffic Act, 1930. I do not consider that there is need for an extension of this arrangement to the rest of the year.

asked the Undersecretary of State for Air why those airmen who joined the Service prior to the introduction of the new ceremonial cap have had to pay 15s. 3d. each for the same.

Airmen are given clothing free when they join, and receive a clothing allowance from which to replace articles as they wear out. No airman has to buy a new pattern cap before his old one wears out, and the price of the new cap (15s. 10d.) is taken into account in fixing the rate of clothing allowance.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what special insurance is effected on the lives of test pilots employed by the Royal AirForce or on loan from the Royal Air Force to the Ministry of Supply.

None.

asked the Under-secretary of State for Air what action he has taken in connection with the Order No. 444 issued by the commanding officer at No. 1 Wing, 10 School of Technical Training, Royal Air Force, Kirkham.

It is being withdrawn.

asked the Under-secretary of State for Air what reply he has made to the representations from the Lindsey Association of Parish Councils contained in their letter of 19th November, regarding the bombing range at Saltfleet, Lincolnshire, used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation on what grounds he makes his decision to publish, or to withhold publication, of the report following an inquiry into a civil aircraft accident; and to what extent he follows the same procedure with regard to reports forwarded to him by the investigating authorities of other States who have occasion to inquire into accidents involving British aircraft.

In deciding whether to publish reports of accidents investigated in accordance with United Kingdom regulations by a public inquiry, my right hon. Friend is guided by the undertaking given in Lord Pakenham's memorandum in Command Paper 7564. As regards reports by the investigating authorities of other States on accidents to British aircraft overseas, the same procedure is adopted after consultations with the investigating authority unless there are special considerations which would make publication undesirable.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to be able to make a statement about the future of British Commonwealth Pacific Airways; and whether he will give an assurance that along the route now served by British Commonwealth Pacific Airways he will retain such traffic rights as may be necessary for the possible use of British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Until the plans discussed in Christchurch in October for the future operation of Pacific and Tasman air services have been fully studied by Governments and conclusions reached, my right hon. Friend is unable to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the estimated cost of the proposed road bridge over the River Tay, near Dundee.

The construction of such a bridge is not likely to be justified in the foreseeable future and no estimates have been prepared.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics his Department has for any recent period showing how many road accidents have been caused wholly or partly by dazzle.

According to police reports dazzle by the lights of another vehicle was regarded as the primary cause in 1,272 accidents out of 171,757 in 1952.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what complaints have been received about flashing beacons at pedestrian crossings; and whether he has considered as an alternative lighted beacons which floodlight the actual crossing.

Although I have received a few complaints from members of the public I have received none from any of the organisations representing road users. Floodlighting was one of the alternatives tried before the flashing beacon was decided on. It was not adopted because it is ineffective in wet weather.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the reason for the delay in making electrical connections to the flashing beacons on pedestrian crossings in Carlisle.

The lighting of these beacons, which are now all working, is a matter for the Carlisle City Council, who, I understand, experienced some difficulty in getting them connected to electrical supply.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is now in a position to make his statement about the programme for the major improvement and modernisation of the road system of this country.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made in the House yesterday.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to make charges for the use of parking facilities on the public highway by means of coin-operated parking meters.

I am still considering with my colleagues the report of the Working Party on Car Parking in the Inner Area of London, which includes a proposal to introduce parking meters in London.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what steps have been taken to improve the standard of lighting on Eastern Avenue, especially at the intersection with Whalebone Lane.

My Department has contributed to the cost of a lighting scheme on Eastern Avenue in Wanstead and Woodford and will contribute to another scheme shortly to be installed in Ilford. It has not yet been possible, from the funds available tome, to contribute to a scheme submitted by the Dagenham Borough Council which would include the Whalebone Lane junction, but I will carefully consider the possibility of doing so next year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he has considered the adverse effect on safety of life at sea in searching for ships in distress, of the proposal to alter the present system of very high frequency radio services on ships which permits ship-to-aircraft communication, to a system that will prevent such communication; and how he proposes to overcome this difficulty.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13th July to Questions by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Down, South (Captain Orr) and the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes).Full use of very high frequency short-range communication between ships of all flags and with shore stations in all countries cannot be made until agreement has been reached internationally on the modulation system to be employed. As the hon. Member knows, the proposal to favour frequency modulation is considered to offer the best basis on which to resume international discussions.I can assure the hon. Member that any possible advantages to be derived from further means of direct communication between ships and aircraft will not be overlooked.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what plans have been made for a meeting between the maritime countries to discuss the problem of oil pollution.

Invitations are being sent to some 40 countries to attend an international conference on the subject in London next April.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that marine engine builders are importing steel plate from the Continent at high premium rates; and what action he will take to secure adequate supplies from British manufacturers.

Yes. I am aware that a number of users, including some marine engine builders, have supplemented their supplies of steel plate by imports from countries where prices are higher. Steel plate production in the United Kingdom, however, increased in the first nine months of this year by nearly 200,000 tons over production for the same period in 1952; a further improvement is expected in 1954.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement of progress with the rehabilitation of Camptoun Smallholdings Scheme, Drem, East Lothian.

Proposals for rehabilitating the houses and steadings on the Camptoun Smallholdings Scheme are still under consideration, but I hope to be able to give my hon. and gallant Friend more definite information on the subject shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to remove the disadvantage under which Scottish teachers are at present placed in comparison with English teachers in respect of the possibility of their being elected to local councils under the education committees of which they serve.

The associations of local authorities concerned were consulted about the recommendation of the Select Committee on Estimates that Scottish local authorities should be given the same power as English and Welsh local authorities to co-opt teachers and have indicated that they regard the proposed change in the law as unnecessary and undesirable. I am considering the recommendation further in the light of these views.

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will make a statement on the British successes in the World Wheat Seed Championships at the Toronto Royal Agricultural Fair; and the possibilities of expanding the export of seed to North America.

I am glad to inform the House that of 129 British entries for the Seeds Competition at the 1953 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto, 102 won awards, including the Championship Ribbon for Winter Wheat and the Reserve Championship Ribbons for Flax and Pea Seeds respectively. I am sending the hon. Member a list of the British awards. I hope that increased exports of British seeds will follow.

asked the Minister of Agriculture the Government's policy on the production of home-produced cattle feeding stuffs.

The general objectives of the Government's policy for home grown feeding stuffs have been frequently stated to be to secure an expansion of the tillage area and an increased output of coarse grains and fodder crops; and to secure also the improved management of grassland and more efficient conservation, of grass.

asked the Minister of Agriculture how many tons of dried grass meal was produced in this country in 1938, 1946, 1952 and 1953, respectively.

Returns of production of dried grass were not obtained before 1950 and the figures for 1953 are not yet available. The production of dried grass in England and Wales in 1938 has been estimated at about 13,500 tons and in 1952 it was 224,000 tons. The production of dried grass meal in 1952 is estimated at 100,000 tons: no figures are available for the other years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of recent developments in the Sudan, he will state Her Majesty's Government's policy for safeguarding the interests and future prospects of British officials in the Sudan.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what guarantees are being given by Her Majesty's Government to present members of the Sudan Civil Service so that their skill and knowledge can remain available for the benefit of the Sudan.

Her Majesty's Government recognise the great value of the loyal services rendered to the Sudan by British officials during the past 50 years. They realise that the policy of Sudanisation which has been pursued by the Sudan Government for many years past will now proceed at an accelerated rate, and that the consequent uncertainty must cause great anxiety to British officials.Her Majesty's Government believe that any Sudanese Government will want to deal fairly with their officials, though it is impossible at this stage to predict what arrangements will be made to safeguard their interests. It will, of course, be a matter of close concern to Her Majesty's Government that they should receive fair treatment, and, in particular, that those who continue to serve the Sudan during this difficult transitional period, should not be prejudiced thereby.The extent to which their skill and knowledge will remain available to the Sudan will depend to a great extent on the views of the Sudanisation Committee and of future Sudanese Governments. Meanwhile, Her Majesty's Government are investigating the problem of reemploying those who leave.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received the Fourth Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the National Research Development Corporation.

Yes, and as required by the Development of Inventions Act, 1948, I have laid these documents before Parliament. As the Report states, legislation to make further provision for borrowing by the Corporation will be necessary before June, 1954. I have accordingly arranged for a Bill for this and other purposes connected with the Corporation, to be introduced tomorrow.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he is taking with regard to the thousands of houses in many parts of the country now kept vacant and out of rent control by the owners, with a view to bringing the houses back into use and so decreasing the housing shortage.

Local housing authorities have ample powers to purchase such houses, either by agreement or compulsorily, if they are needed to meet the housing needs of the district.