asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the growth of a private monopoly in road transport of meat; and what steps he is taking in the matter.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, "No," and the second part does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how far tenders received for the disposal of meat-carrying road vehicles show evidence of ring activities and the quotation of common prices.

Tenders made to the British Transport Commission are confidential, but the Commission has not asked for my consent to reject any tender on the grounds that acceptance would result in undue restriction of competition.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what is the total amount received to date by the British Transport Commission by the sale of property other than road motor vehicles, disposed of under the provisions of the Transport Act, 1953.

The total amount received up to 11th September for the sale of such property otherwise than in transport units is about £130,000. It is not possible to give a figure for property sold with motor vehicles in transport units since the purchase price is for the unit as a whole.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the total number of road goods motor vehicles sold to date by the British Transport Commission under the provisions of the Transport Act, 1953, and the total amount received by the sale of such vehicles.

The number of motor vehicles so far disposed of is 10,009. I am informed that the purchase prices of the units totalled about £12·9 million, which includes sums paid for rights obtained by purchasers and for property other than motor vehicles included in units.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will amend the Transport Act, 1953, to stop further sales of British Road Service lorries, in view of the estimated loss of £20 million that will be incurred.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give an estimate of the number of horse-drawn vehicles still on the roads; and if he will take steps to bar all horse-drawn vehicles from entering the congested areas of large towns, in view of the delay caused thereby and the increasing cruelty and suffering of the horses which are forced to try and compete with modern motor traffic.

The number is not known but the recent traffic census shows that the proportion of horse-drawn traffic is very small and is diminishing. In Inner London horse-drawn vehicles are prohibited in a number of important streets at busy times. In the circumstances I do not think there is a case for a general ban.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that in the newly-issued Highway Code a person riding a horse is advised, by paragraph 69, to keep to the left, a pedestrian is advised, by paragraph 3, to walk on the right if there is no footpath, whilst in paragraph 70, which deals with a person leading an animal in the road, no advice is given as to whether he should use the right or left-hand side; and what are the requirements of his Department so far as concerns riders leading horses on the road and pedestrians leading horses on the road, respectively, and which side of the road they should use.

Persons leading horses, whether they themselves are riding or on foot, should keep between the traffic and the led horse. Rule 70 of the Code, which was approved by this House on Monday, advises people leading horses to keep on the traffic side of the horse.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that the noise from the running of aircraft engines at night at London Airport has not lessened during recent months, and has become worse since the transfer of services from Northolt; and if he is now able to announce plans for a reduction in the noise and, in particular, when the acoustic wall will be brought into operation.

I am fully aware of the importance of this problem. Below are particulars of the measures being taken at London Airport to mitigate noise:

Improved measures for reducing noise from aircraft under maintenance are the subject of continuing experiments. The existing acoustic wall at London Airport will be extended this month. A tree planting scheme there will begin this year. British Overseas Airways Corporation aircraft will use the acoustic wall whenever practicable after they have been transferred from their old maintenance base to their new building in No. 1 Maintenance Area. The transfer of some of them has already taken place. The new British European Airways hangar is already being used as an acoustic screen. B.E.A. aircraft requiring engine running while under maintenance are now positioned on the apron west of this building, which itself constitutes a very effective noise screen for the residential area east of the Airport. In pursuing the above measures the Ministry maintains regular contact with the London Airport Standing Consultative Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will now consider allowing larger capital expenditure on major road improvements in the London area.

I have well in mind the importance of such works in the London area, but I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why the removal of the roundabout at Brent Bridge on the North Circular Road, Hendon, is taking so long to complete; how many men are employed on the scheme; and the total cost of the road-works and of installing traffic signals.

The work has had to be done more slowly than I would have liked because of the need to do it in a way which would cause the least interference to the very heavy traffic using this junction. This also restricted working space. The total cost is £19,896. The cost of installing traffic signals is £1,500.

asked the Minister of Defence what effect this country's offer of troops made at the nine-Power Conference will have on our period of National Service, as far as can at present be foreseen.

At the present time I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) on 19th October last.

asked the Minister of Defence when it is proposed to disclose to the House the results of the comprehensive review of defence occasioned by the impact of atomic weapons of attack.

In accordance with normal practice, a Statement on Defence for 1955 will be issued in the early part of next year. The results of the Government's review of defence policy will be set out in that statement. Certain specific measures will be announced in the near future.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he will make a further statement on Her Majesty's Government's attitude to the suggestion put forward by the South African Minister of Defence on the need for a defence organisation in Africa.

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member on 1st November.

asked the Minister of Defence why, in the redeployment of forces from the Suez Canal area, no consideration is being given to the Island of Sokotra as a secondary base.

The Island of Sokotra is not suitable as a military base for forces deployed in the Middle East.

asked the Minister of Defence how many Members of the Government have visited the Imperial Defence College during the last 12 months; and how many of these Ministers were Members of the Cabinet.

Seven in all, of whom two were Members of the Cabinet.

asked the Minister of Defence what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to obtain a standardised term of National Service for members of the armed forces of the Powers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

It is the view of Her Majesty's Government that the period of compulsory military service adopted by the various member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisa- should be adequate to enable them to fulfil their obligations to that organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the growing importance of duties being performed by British delegates to the Council of Europe and particularly their new responsibilities in connection with the Council of Western European Union, he will arrange for them to report at least annually to this House.

In recent years opportunity has been afforded in debates on European affairs to discuss the Council of Europe. Every effort will be made to afford similar opportunities in future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the improved Anglo-Russian relations, he will seek permission from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Government for British journalists to visit that country more freely and to report on conditions in Russia with the same freedom that foreign journalists can report conditions in Britain.

My right hon. Friend is always ready to support applications by British journalists for permission to visit the Soviet Union. Frequent representations to the Soviet authorities about outstanding visa applications by British journalists have been made in the past year. Some seven British correspondents have been able to visit the Soviet Union, apart from the large party of sports writers which accompanied the Arsenal football team. Reuters resident staff at Moscow has been increased from one to two.The position however is still far from satisfactory. Some applications for visas are still outstanding. Moreover, it is difficult for British newspapers to maintain resident correspondents at Moscow owing to the unfavourable and artificial rouble exchange rate and the continued existence of the Soviet Press censorship.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made towards the conclusion of visa abolition agreements between Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of Spain and Portugal.

The Spanish Government indicated in January, 1953, that they were not prepared to conclude a visa abolition agreement with this country. So far as I am aware, they have not changed in their attitude.As regards Portugal, I cannot yet add anything to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, Central (Mr. Bishop) on 1st November, but I hope that a mutually satisfactory agreement will soon be reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken by the Mauritius Government and elected representatives of its people to deal with their problem of overpopulation, which is about 750 to the square mile.

I have nothing to add to the reply which was given to a question by the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. J. Johnson) on 10th March last.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the shortage of nursing staffs in the hospitals in Jamaica and, further, that private hospitals in the United States of America are offering, through United States official agencies, first preference immigration status and substantially improved wages and conditions of service to Jamaican nurses who accept posts in that country; and what steps he proposes to take to improve the pay and status of nurses in all the British West Indies.

I do not know of any special immigration status granted to Jamaican nurses as such in the United States, but it is true that some Jamaican nurses have gone there during the past year. The pay and status of nurses in British West Indian Territories is a matter for the Governments of those Territories. The Jamaica Government has recently raised the pay of its nurses and it is hoped that this will help to relieve the shortage which certainly exists.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many village councils have been established on the island of Antigua; and what measure of success has been secured by the village councils which have been operating for some time.

Thirteen village councils were established in 1946 and 1947. They have unfortunately not been successful. I am, however, glad to say that local institutions are growing up in other ways.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the outcome of the official conversations he has had with the Jamaican Government about the large uncontrolled influx of Jamaicans into this country.

There have been no official conversations. Opportunity was however taken during the recent visit of the Governor of Jamaica to discuss with him informally the difficulties about the migration of Jamaicans into this country and to acquaint him with the apprehension felt in many quarters on this subject. The authorities in Jamaica have been doing what they can to discourage migration of Jamaican workers to this country by drawing attention to all the difficulties which arise from it, particularly for the workers themselves.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will discontinue payments to informers in British Guiana in view of the fact, disclosed in the Report of the British Guiana Constitutional Commission, that the information received from these sources is second-hand or even third-hand.

No. It is the normal practice for police forces to use and reward informers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he is taking as a result of his recent talks with the representatives of the West Indies banana industry.

I have the needs of this industry under examination in the light of my talks with its representatives, but the issues involved are complex and far-reaching and I am not in a position to make a statement at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Kenya Government has forbidden the import of the monthly journal "Socialist Asia."

The import and circulation of this journal was considered by the Governor-in-Council to be contrary to the pubic interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what compensation the Government of Kenya proposes to provide far European families compulsorily evacuated from exposed areas in order to facilitate the operations of the security forces.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the first part of the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. George Craddock) on 20th October.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when it is his intention to begin the appointment of multi-racial juries in Kenya.

This is a matter about which I would wish to consult the Governor. I will do so and write to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken to bring to the notice of employers in Kenya the need to ensure that when employees are detained as Mau Mau suspects but are subsequently cleared, their wages, housing conditions and seniority, on reinstatement, are not less good than they previously were; and what example is set in the public services.

Workers in permanent Government employment who are detained as Mau Mau suspects and subsequently cleared are fully reinstated. The Kenya Government has sought to persuade private employers to adopt a similar procedure, and there is no reason to believe that most responsible firms have not done so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many detention orders have been made in Kenya under the Emergency Powers Regulations; how many such orders have been enforced; how many detainees have exercised their right to appear before the advisory committee under those regulations; in how many cases the advisory committee has recommended release conditionally and unconditionally, respectively; and in how many of these cases such recommendations were followed by actual release.

24,533 Orders have been made, and 24,206 enforced. 772 detainees have appealed to the advisory committee, which has recommended that one should be released unconditionally and 16 conditionally. That advice has been followed in all but four cases which are still being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has considered the report by a Singapore doctor, a copy of which has been sent to him, concerning the Buli Sim Sim Mental Hospital, Sandakan, North Borneo; and whether he is aware that in this hospital men and women run about naked, accommodation is in solitary cells with bare boards, that there is neither running water nor proper sanitary accommodation and that the building is not mosquito proof; and if he will have an inquiry made into the conditions in this institution with a view to an improvement being brought about.

This report was made to the Governor of North Borneo and has not yet reached me. I understand that it contains no statement of the kind in the second part of the Question. Conditions in this hospital are, however, admittedly unsatisfactory and it was to advise upon plans for spending a substantial sum on a new hospital that the author of the report was invited to North Borneo. He has said of these plans:

"Very adequate arrangements are in hand to build and equip a most up-to-date and modern hospital for the housing and treatment of patients."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies approximately how many smallholders are engaged in rubber production in Malaya; the average size of their acreage; and what attention has been given to the special needs of this class of cultivator, particularly in view of the strong competition of United States and German synthetic rubber.

There are nearly 400,000 smallholdings of an average area of under 4½ acres. No estimate of the persons engaged on smallholdings is available.The Rubber Research Institute of Malaya has for many years operated a smallholders' Advisory Service to provide planting material and technical assistance. In addition the Federation Government have established a scheme, financed from a cess on rubber exports, under which it is intended to replant with high-yielding trees 500,000 acres of smallholders' rubber by the end of 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many rubber research stations in Malaya are Government-owned; the amount of financial assistance given annually by the Government for the purpose of rubber research; and, in the interest of the future economy of Malaya, to what extent the Malayan Government themselves have considered plans to promote the future development of the rubber industry and a substantial increase in production per acre.

None. Rubber research in Malaya is financed by the producers. The future development of the industry is under consideration in connection with the Mudie Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies approximately how many persons are employed in workshops and factories in Hong Kong; how many are engaged in piece work in their own homes in order to supply manufacturers; and when consideration was last given to the question of factory and workshop conditions and hours of work in Hong Kong.

According to the latest information available here, there were about 100,000 workers in registered factories and workshops in March, 1953. No figure for domestic piece workers can be given, but the numbers engaged in small cottage industries as a whole were estimated in 1953 at 50,000. Present-day figures are probably higher. Measures for improving working conditions and for regulating hours of work are under constant review and under most difficult circumstances inspectorate staff do their best to enforce factory law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will allow the Kabaka to return to Uganda, in view of the recent judgment.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave on Monday to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. J. Johnson).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decisions have been taken on constitutional changes in Buganda.

I am not yet ready to make a statement but hope to do so shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made with the acquisition by the Government of further areas of estate land in Nyasaland.

The Nyasaland Government are currently engaged in negotiations on the lines envisaged in my predecessor's statement to the House on 24th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that certain of the recommendations on salaries and conditions contained in the Lidbury Commission's Report will operate unfairly, and have caused dissatisfaction among responsible organisations in East Africa; and what action he intends to take on this report in order to allay the apprehensions of these organisations.

The East African Governments have modified some of the Lidbury Commission's recommendations after consultation with staff associations. In Kenya the Commission's Report is still under consideration. My information is that, bearing in mind the many and complicated issues involved, there is a large measure of agreement, and I see no need to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that a resolution has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of Malta protesting against the decision to enact an ordinance under reserved powers to provide for Custom privileges for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation personnel in Malta; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. I have received a copy of this Resolution, which both the Governor and I have under careful study. The passage of the Ordinance is, however, unavoidable as a defence matter arising out of Her Majesty's Government's obligations, as a member of N.A.T.O. From the course of the debate in the Legislative Assembly, I gather that the objection is against the use of the Governor's power to legislate on "reserved matters," not of course against N.A.T.O. itself, and I am quite prepared in the light of the Legislative Assembly's Resolution, to discuss the constitutional implications of the action taken as one item in a general discussion with Maltese party leaders about the Home Office offer which as the hon. Member knows, I have proposed to the Prime Minister of Malta.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a statement on the conversations now taking place with the South African Government on the future of the naval base at Simonstown.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the replies which I gave on 27th October, 1954, to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South-East (Mr. Callaghan).

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many houses and flats are being built in the Portsmouth area for officers and ratings. respectively, in the year ending April, 1955.

Contracts have already been let during this financial year for 65 officers' and 204 ratings' houses in the Portsmouth area. Plans and contract particulars are at present being prepared for a further 192 officers' and 922 ratings' houses and flats, and it is hoped that contracts for these will be placed by, or shortly after, April, 1955.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how far his Department has succeeded in meeting the demand for new telephones in Berwickshire.

One hundred and seventy-one telephones were connected in the past 12 months and only 26 applications are outstanding, apart from 34 in course of being met or under inquiry.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how far his Department has succeeded in meeting the demand for new telephones in the county of East Lothian.

Nearly 450 telephones were connected in East Lothian during the past twelve months. One hundred and thirty-four applications are outstanding, excluding 86 in course of being met or under inquiry.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to meet the shortage of telephones in Cardiff in general and in Llanishen, in particular.

A new automatic exchange was opened in Llanishen in September; new cables are also being provided. This should enable a large number of waiting applicants to be given service by next spring. In Cardiff as a whole the order list was reduced by nearly 400 during the last 12 months.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware of the poor reception of wireless and television in the Hastings area; that on a standard set even with a high aerial after dark it is not possible to receive for any duration adequate entertainment or home news; and whether he will take steps to improve the standard;(2) whether he will take notice of the poor wireless reception in the Hastings area in comparison with the rest of the country and grant rebates to licence holders in this district.

Television reception at Hastings, which is on the fringe of the reception area from Alexandra Palace, is certainly difficult at present, but will be much better when the transmitter moves to the Crystal Palace site. The B.B.C. tells me that there should be no difficulty in receiving the Home sound programme satisfactorily from the Bexhill transmitter on 206 metres or the Light Programme from Droitwich on 1,500 metres. My noble Friend regrets he is unable to adopt the suggestion with regard to licence rebates.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps he proposes taking to refund their licence fees, paid to his Department, to those viewers in West Sussex who are now to be deprived of television reception through the removal of the Truleigh Hill booster station at Shoreham-by-Sea.

My noble Friend understands that the British Broadcasting Corporation now proposes to continue the Truleigh Hill station in service for the present. A change of frequency will be required, however, involving small modifications to people's sets and, in some cases, to their aerials also.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what information he has about a station in the Eastern Zone of Germany which is broadcasting in such a way as to interfere seriously with radio reception in North-Western England; and what representations have been made to the Governments concerned to abate such interference.

I know there is this interference with reception of the Northern Home Service programme in parts of North-West England, and we are doing everything possible to stop or reduce it. It comes from Hildburghausen, which is working on a frequency not allotted to it under the Copenhagen Plan. This matter, as well as the interference with the Welsh Home Service, to which the hon. Member for Anglesey (Mr. C. Hughes) referred in his Question on 20th October, is now in the hands of our High Commissioner at Bonn. I understand that reception of the Light Programme in the area is satisfactory.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions the Phillips Committee has met during the past 12 months; and on what dates it is to meet between now and Christmas Day, 1954.

I understand that since October, 1953, the committee has held 26 meetings and I have no doubt that it will continue to meet regularly until its report is completed.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, considering the special circumstances surrounding old-age and war pensioners at this time, he will authorise an ex gratia payment of £1 per head to be paid to them as near as possible to Christmas.

No. I think a Christmas bonus of this kind would be wholly inconsistent with the purpose underlying the Royal Warrant for War Pensions and the

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many war widows now draw increased pensions on account of age; and whether he will extend this precedent to disabled ex-Service men and women at the same age.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the provision of the Royal Warrant under which certain widows received less than the standard rate of pension until they reached the age of 40. I regret that the number of widows in this category is not known. In any event I would not regard the provision as one which would be appropriate to disability pensioners.

asked the Minister of Health the number of full and part-time specialists serving in the National Health Service at the latest available date; and how these figures compare with those of 12 months ago.

The information at present available is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors were serving in the National Health Service, respectively, as trainee-assistants, as assistants and otherwise as general practitioners at the latest convenient date this year and at comparable dates in each of the last three years.

The most nearly comparable figures available for England and Wales are as follows:

asked the Minister of Works if he will now replace the doors on all secretarial rooms in the Palace of Westminster, in view of the marked preference of Members for using rooms with doors.

These doors were removed as an experiment at the request of the Select Committee on House of Commons Accommodation. As conditions have now improved and there is a general desire for the doors to be replaced they are being put back.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give, in tabular form, the numbers of retired teachers, men and women respectively, in receipt of pensions of under £150, £150 to £200, and so on by grades of £50 up to £500 and over.

The work involved in extracting from the existing records the information asked for would not in my view be justified, but I hope that by the spring of 1955 certain changes which are being made in the method of maintaining the records will enable such information to be readily provided. The numbers of retired teachers in receipt of pensions and the average amount of the pensions in 1953 are given on pages 108 and 54 of the Annual Report of the Department (Cmd. 9141).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government to give the names of the housing authorities in Wales which have not so far operated Part II of the Housing Act, 1949, and allowed grants for the improvement of houses.

Of the 168 housing authorities in Wales, 151 operate the provisions of Section 20 of the Housing Act, 1949, or are prepared to operate those provisions if applications are received. Seventeen authorities are not prepared to make grants at present, namely: Merthyr Tydfil C.B.C., Conway B.C., Llandovery B.C., Pembroke B.C., Aberdare U.D.C., Abertillery U.D.C., Bettws y Coed U.D.C., Brynmawr U.D.C., Ogmore and Garw U.D.C., Pontypool U.D.C., Risca U.D.C., Caerphilly U.D.C., Cwmamman U.D.C., Hay U.D.C., Llanfairfechan U.D.C., Llwchwr U.D.C., and Mountain Ash U.D.C.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government to give the names of the housing authorities in Wales which have not built houses since October, 1951.

Colwyn R.D.C., Cow-bridge B.C., Knighton R.D.C., Llangollen U.D.C., New Quay U.D.C., and Penmaenmawr U.D.C.