asked the Minister of Food how many duck eggs were imported into this country in 1954.

Duck eggs are not shown separately in the trade returns and this information, therefore, is not available.

asked the Minister of Food, in view of the Government's repeated warnings against the use of duck eggs on health grounds and the fact that any illness attributable to duck eggs would be disastrous to the home-producer, he will suspend the import of these eggs pending investigation into the incidence of salmonellosis in the exporting countries.

I am advised by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Health, that, provided duck eggs are thoroughly cooked and used in the ways recommended by his Department, there is no danger to public health. In the circumstances, the Government would not be justified in suspending the import of duck eggs.

asked the Minister of Food when the Ministries of Food and Agriculture are amalgamated, if he will consult with the Minister of Health with a view to transferring the Food Hygiene Division, at present attached to his Department, to the Ministry of Health, as being the more appropriate authority to handle such matters.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Batley and Morley (Dr. Broughton) on 17th February.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what proportion of fatal accidents in British coalfields are due to breach of Regulations.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make an Order to include the blackbird and missel thrush in the Second Schedule to the Protection of Birds Act, 1954, for Kent, to enable growers to deal with these birds in areas where damage is being caused to cherries and soft fruit.

I have no information before me as to the need for such an Order, but if a case can be made out I will consider it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the scientific qualifications of each member of the Bird Protection Advisory Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department who are the members of the Advisory Committee appointed under the Protection of Birds Act, 1954.

The members of the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Birds for England and Wales are as follows:

Sir A. Landsborough Thomson, C.B., O.B.E., Miss P. Barclay-Smith, Mr. P. E. Brown, my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for East Grinstead, Mr. J. M. Craster, Mr. James Fisher, Mr. William Foster, Mr. Nigel Laing. Captain S. T. A. Livingstone-Learmonth, Mr. G. R. Mount fort, Mr. E. M. Nicholson, C.B., Major General A. G. O'Carroll-Scott, C.B., C.B.E., Mr. Peter Scott, C.B.E., D.S.C., and Mr. H. N. Southern.

The committee includes members able to speak for the point of view of sportsmen, landowners, farmers, fisheries and local authorities, as well as ornithologists, and in appointing them I had regard to relevant knowledge and experience rather than to specific scientific qualifications. But the Chairman is a scientist and ornithologist of distinction, and the members include the Director-General of the Nature Conservancy, a senior ornithologist of the Oxford University Bureau of Animal Population, the Honorary Director of the Wildfowl Trust, and other leading ornithologists.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action Her Majesty's Government propose to take concerning the Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations at its 18th session urging all Governments to prohibit the manufacture, import, and export of diacetylmorphine except for such small amounts as may be necessary for scientific purposes only.

Her Majesty's Government have given careful consideration to this Resolution and have decided to take steps to give effect to it. Accordingly the current licences for the general manufacture of diacetylmorphine under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1951, which expire on 31st December, 1955, will not be renewed. After that date licences will only be granted for the manufacture of such small quantities as may be required for purely scientific purposes and for the production of nalorphine, for the manufacture of which diacetylmorphine is required as an intermediate stage. Although the Resolution makes no reference to nalorphine the discussions which led up to it recognised that an exception for the manufacture of this drug would be required.I propose to authorise no further exports of the drug save where the export is requested by a Government for one of these two purposes. The import of diacetylmorphine will not be permitted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, compared with 1951, there has been a steady decline in the receipts from the Pool Betting Duty from greyhound race-track totalisators of £194,088 in 1952, £495,799 in 1953, and £871,814 in 1954; that, during the same period, the revenue from Pool Betting Duty on football pools has risen by £2,554,250 in 1952, £3,859,745 in 1953, and £5,088,128 in 1954; and whether he is aware that this alteration in the balance of revenue is due to the discriminatory nature of this tax. which enables punters to bet with off-course bookmakers and receive higher odds, at the expense of the Treasury's loss of revenue; and what action he proposes to take to alter this position.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the trend of receipts from pool betting duty on greyhound race-track totalisators and on football and similar pools. While he does not necessarily accept the explanation suggested in the third part of the Question he will review this duty, together with the other taxes, before the Budget.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General when a posting box will be erected for the sub-post office at Barr Hill, Bolton Road. Salford 6.

It is proposed to move the existing pillar box from the corner of Barrfield Road to the Barr Hill Sub-Post Office as soon as the final agreement of the local authority has been obtained. It is expected that this will be in about a fortnight's time.

asked the Secretary of State for War his latest estimate of the average cost of maintaining, equipping and training a National Service man during his two years of service.

About £740 for the two years. This figure includes pay and allowances and personal equipment. As much of the training of National Service men is done at units and cannot be separately costed I cannot give a figure for training.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men joined the Army on Regular engagements of three years with the Colours and four years with the Reserve between 1st November, 1951, and 31st December, 1951; and how many of these men were transferred to the Army Reserve during the period 1st November, 1954, to 31st December, 1954; and how many still remain with the Colours.

One thousand nine hundred and forty-four such enlistments were recorded in the last two months of 1951. Our normal statistics do not provide answers to the remaining questions. We are, however, carrying out a special examination of the records of the men who enlisted on the three-year engagement during the five months from November, 1951, to March, 1952, so as to discover how many have prolonged their service. The result will be available in May.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the numbers of Irish store cattle who died of exhaustion while being conveyed by rail from Holy head through Rugby to the South of England during 1954.

Records of the number of cattle dying in transit are not kept by the British Transport Commission, but they tell me that during 1954 four Irish cattle were found dead at Rugby. Two of these came from Holy head.