asked the Minister of Defence what request he received from the Director of Operations in Malaya for reinforcements of Canberra jet bombers and of a squadron of the Parachute Regiment

The Canberra bombers were sent to Malaya to enable operational trials of the aircraft to be carried out in tropical conditions. The squadron of the Parachute Regiment will be a valuable reinforcement in the successful operations now proceeding in the deep jungle into which the hard core terrorists have been driven.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Director of Operations has said that he was baffled by the War Office statement that he had made an urgent request for these reinforcements, and does not he think that the Government would be better occupied in trying to bring an end to the fighting on the lines suggested by responsible members of the Malayan and Chinese community in Malaya?

There may have been some confusion. The provision of the reinforcements did not reflect a reverse. The move was made in order to take prompt advantage of the improvement in the situation and to exploit a success.

asked the Minister of Defence whether the evacuation of the British Forces from the Suez Canal Zone is proceeding satisfactorily; and if he will make a statement on the present position

The withdrawal of British Forces from the Canal Zone is proceeding satisfactorily. The Egyptian authorities continue to give us their full co-operation.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that gratifying reply, may I ask him whether it would be right to assume that this satisfactory progress is due to the increasing good will of the Egyptians and/or to the tact and discretion shown by the British authorities on the spot?

I am sure that it reflects a general all-round improvement in the situation.

Does the right hon. Gentleman recognise that the statement he made in reply to the hon. Member's Question was in very general terms, saying that the evacuation is proceeding satisfactorily? Can he give any indication how many men have actually been returned to this country?

The Question was in general terms and, therefore, I answered it in general terms.

asked the Minister of Defence what efforts are made by his Department to inform British subjects entering this country from the Dominions and the Colonies, of the opportunities which exist for enlistment in the Armed Forces on Regular engagement

No special measures are taken. The opportunities for British subjects, including those from overseas, to join the Forces are given ample publicity. Further information may be obtained from Service recruiting offices and Ministry of Labour employment exchanges.

In view of the large number of immigrants in these days, and particularly the splendid record of men from the Colonies during the last war, will not the Minister make a special effort in this matter and not, as it were, let it go by default?

I do not think that anything very special is required.

If a man becomes officially liable for service when he arrives here is he so informed?

I should like notice of that question.

Has the Minister any information about the society that is working in Jamaica providing money on a repayment basis to the men who wish to come to this country, and loaning more money for the purpose of enabling them to find housing accommodation here? Has the right hon. Gentleman any knowledge of this traffic, and, if he has not, will he make inquiries and find out whether there is any truth in this assertion?

I must say that that question is not relevant either to the Question on the Paper or to my Department.

asked the Minister of Defence with what countries standardisation of the new rifle, adopted for use in the British Forces, has so far been achieved and on what dates; with what further countries he hopes to achieve standardisation; and what are the grounds for such hopes

Belgium adopted the rifle in 1953; the Australian Government announced their intention of doing so last month. I understand that Canada is likely to adopt it when troop trials are completed. New Zealand and South Africa are also taking part in the trials and other countries are showing an interest.

But is not the Minister aware—have not they told him yet?—that the Belgian rifle has been redesigned in inches and so therefore the British one will not be interchangeable in its parts with the Belgian rifle? And as it will not be accepted by Canada or by the United States there will be no standardisation with any country, not even with Belgium and Luxembourg?

The hon. Gentleman is drawing false deductions from false premises.

The right hon. Gentleman cannot get away with this. Surely he is aware now that there is no question of standardisation in view of the adjustments which have taken place in the rifle? Will he now agree that there is no possibility of standardisation in the foreseeable future?

I answered the Question. It is that some countries have adopted the rifle and other countries are considering it.

Would not the Minister agree that the Commonwealth countries which he mentioned were long ago standardised on the British rifle and that if we had adopted it—if the decision had not been reversed—we should now have the rifle in service for our own Army?

That is another question.

Does not the Minister realise that it is quite misleading to pretend that there could be standardisation with Belgium on a rifle which has been altered in its design in measurement so that the parts can no longer be interchangeable with the Belgian rifle?

That is not a true statement. There can be standardisation and there is a possibility of this rifle being accepted throughout the Commonwealth.

asked the Minister of Defence what machinery exists in his Department for the allocation of aircraft between the three Services

No formal machinery exists, nor does it seem necessary. If any particular problem arose, my Department would deal with it, in consultation with the Departments concerned, as part of its normal function of allocating resources.

Would not it help in assisting to sort out the muddle in defence which the Minister has been brought in to clear up if there were some central authority which could evaluate new aircraft for all three Services so that we could avoid a situation in which the Royal Air Force object to the D.H. 110 and it is then accepted by the Navy, although regarded by the Royal Air Force as being unable to meet the conditions of modern warfare?

I will consider the suggestion of the hon. Gentleman, like any other, but I do not think that any kind of formal machinery of this kind is required. The Ministry of Defence and the Service Departments work together for this purpose.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that one of his primary functions is to allocate equipment as between the three Services?

Certainly, it is part of the normal function of my Department to allocate resources. That is why I do not think—although I will consider the point—that any special kind of machinery is required for that purpose.

Should not the Minister be pleased that no formal machinery exists to allocate the aircraft, as no aircraft exist either?

asked the Minister of Defence the estimated yearly cost in foreign exchange, of maintaining four British divisions and the Second Tactical Air Force in Germany

About £70 million to £80 million in a full year.

In view of the continued weakness of sterling on foreign exchanges, will the right hon. Gentleman keep to a minimum this expenditure which entails a burden of many more millions on the British taxpayer?

We shall do everything to effect all possible economies.

asked the Minister of Defence the estimated additional local cost of maintaining our forces in Germany for 1955–56 and 1956–57, respectively, compared with the cost in 1954–55, based on the assumption that the Paris treaties will be ratified

I would refer the hon. Member to the note on financial arrangements contained in Command Paper No. 9304. The precise answer to his Question depends both on the date of ratification of the Paris Agreements and on the outcome of future negotiations with the Government of the Federal German Republic.

May we take it from that reply that steps will be taken by the Government to reduce this additional cost from the figures indicated in the financial note?

Yes. I tried to explain in the debate some of the methods which we will try to follow.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is aware that members of Her Majesty's Forces are being penalised financially in the matter of the education of their children having regard to the difficulties which service conditions impose upon them; and what action he proposes to take

I am afraid that I cannot at present add to the reply I gave on 16th February to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Beswick).

Will my right hon. Friend attach great importance to this subject, because it affects recruitment for the Regular Forces? Will he bear in mind that the Select Committee on the Army and Air Force Bill paid particular attention to this matter and drew it to the attention of this House?

I will bear that in mind.

Will the Minister look again at the Hansard report of the last Air Estimate debate to see the arguments advanced at that time?

I have already done that.

asked the Minister of Defence if Her Majesty's Government are now able to make a statement about the future of the Swift aircraft

asked the Minister of Defence when he expects to be able to say whether the production of the Swift aircraft will be continued

As has already been announced, Marks I, II and III of the Swift cannot be brought up to an acceptable operational standard. After further tests on the Mark IV, it has been decided that the production of this Mark shall be restricted to a limited number, and that we shall rely mainly on the Hunter, which was developed as a parallel project and has proved a fine aircraft capable of further development. Development work on other Marks of the Swift, intended for certain specialist roles, will continue.

Will my right hon. Friend say when this aircraft was first ordered and how many prototypes were ordered afterwards?

I think that two prototypes were ordered in the first instance. Of course, the ordering of those was before I or any of my colleagues had any responsibility in this matter.

But had it not been known for a long time that whereas the Hunter had the makings of a first-rate fighter, the Swift had no such possibility? If that be so, why was the wasteful production of the Swift continued?

Curiously enough, that is exactly the question I asked myself when I first came into these affairs, but I found that had we done what the hon. Gentleman suggests we should have done exactly the wrong thing, because all the earlier reports, up to fairly recently—a year or 18 months ago—were that the Hunter would not be so successful as the Swift.

While regretting that this aircraft has not proved to be as successful as we should have liked, may I ask if the right hon. Gentleman would agree that he and his colleagues fully endorsed the decision of the previous Government to go ahead with this aircraft, described then as one of the finest potential fighters in the world?

Yes, and that is why I am confidently looking to those on the Opposition Front Bench not to make party capital out of this.

Was not the implication of the right hon. Gentleman's reply to the previous supplementary question an indication that he was trying to make political capital out of it? May I ask if he has seen the reply to a Question put to his right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Supply who, when asked about our air defences, said that they were the best in the world—[HON. MEMBERS: "Night defences."]—our defence system was the best in the world—[HON. MEMBERS: "Night defences."]—all right, our night defence system was the best in the world; and that he was surprised that we should criticise it because we had been responsible for ordering the aircraft?

That is the Question next on the Order Paper.

Why does not the Minister now abandon the Swift instead of trying to turn it into a wholly unjustifiably expensive fighter aircraft to be used only against ground targets?

While not wishing to interrupt any debate between the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues on the Front Bench, I think we had better leave this rather technical subject for detailed discussion in the course of the forthcoming debate.

asked the Minister of Defence the nature of the defence against air attack at night refered to in the White Paper on the Supply of Military Aircraft, Command Paper No. 9388

The night fighter squadrons of the R.A.F. operating in conjunction with the early warning radar network and its corresponding ground control system.

As we have no guided missiles to replace Anti-Aircraft Command, and as we have no night-fighter with sufficient speed in hand to catch the Russian bomber in use at present, is it not thoroughly misleading to pretend to the nation that we have the best night-fighter defence in the world when all that is meant is that no one has a night fighter defence?

No, it is not misleading. The statements made in the White Paper were made after full consultation with those who could best advise me, and I profoundly believe them to be true.

asked the Minister of Defence how many Service men are still posted as deserters or missing in Korea

All Service men formerly classified as missing have now been presumed dead for the reasons given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War in this House on 2nd November last year. I will let the hon. and gallant Member have as soon as possible the number of men still posted as deserters.

In view of the fact that there are still a number of deserters who are posted as missing, will the right hon. Gentleman make it unnecessary for the next of kin to go to the court, as was the case only the other day, to ask leave to presume the death of a husband?

Yes, Sir. I think that the hon. and gallant Gentleman knows that there is a painful pull about what one ought to do. If one puts down a man as definitely dead too early, it is very painful and may be very difficult, but if we leave it too long there are other bad results. I think that in present circumstances we must try to act as the Secretary of State is doing and clear up the matter before posting these men as definitely killed.

asked the Minister of Defence what experiments he intends to carry out with the use of hydrogen bombs; and where these experiments will take place

There is no information that I can give the hon. Member at this stage.

In view of the very alarming effects of these experiments with the hydrogen bomb, may we have an assurance from the Government that no experiments will take place without the express approval of Parliament?

I am afraid I am not prepared to add to the answer which I have just given.

As the Government have decided to manufacture the hydrogen bomb, can the Minister tell us whether any estimate was taken of its cost? Can he tell the House what is the cost of manufacturing the hydrogen bomb?

No, Sir. I am afraid that I am not capable of making that reply.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he will make a further statement on the prospect of a defence agreement with the Union of South Africa

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to the prospect of a defence organisation in Africa. I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave him on 1st November last year.

Why is the Minister so cagey about this question? Was not the matter discussed at the recent Commonwealth Conference? Will he give a specific assurance that such an organisation will not be used as a backstairs method to give back these Protectorates to what is, in effect, a Nazi Government?

I tried to answer the Question as it was put, and I have nothing to add to what I said before.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply has been sent to the resolution, sent to him on 31st January, by the 87 ex-Nazi generals and officers on the question of German unification; and how many of these officers are now employed in a military capacity

These former German officers did not address their appeal to my right hon. Friend. So far as I know, no list of their names has been published.

Is the Minister aware that I am aware that no such appeal was addressed to the Foreign Office? But the appeal was given wide circulation in our own Press, and if he cannot give us a list, can he assure us at least that General von Paulas was the leader of the appeal? Can he have circulated in the Official Report any further information about any generals who headed this list?

On a point of order. I understood that an hon. Member was responsible for the accuracy of his Question. Now that the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) has admitted that he knew that the inference behind his Question was untrue, was he in order in placing that Question upon the Order Paper?

I did not understand the hon. Member to make that admission.

I should like to give the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) any information I have. I can assure him that General von Paulus was present, and I understand that also included among those present were a former chief supply officer to the Russian Zone police, a former S.S. leader, who was deputy to Himmler in 1944, and a former S.A. leader, who was at one time adviser to General Chiang Kai-shek.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a conference of parliamentarians from East and West Germany and from East European countries was held at Warsaw on 6th February and that a resolution was passed calling for the reunification of Germany through free controlled elections on the basis of the electoral law envisaged in the plan put forward by him at Berlin; and whether he will approach the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to find out how far these proposals represent the views of the Soviet Government with a view to reopening negotiations on this basis

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes," and to the second part of the Question, "No."

Is the Joint Under-Secretary aware that the resolution passed at this conference of parliamentarians from Soviet satellite countries went much further than the Soviet broadcast of 15th January in accepting the plan for free German elections put forward by the British Foreign Secretary at Berlin? If there are ever to be any successful four-Power talks on Germany, does not the hon. Gentleman agree that it would be a good thing for us to start now to try to clarify the Soviet position and find out whether the Russians will accept these proposals?

I find it difficult to assume that the views of this conference necessarily represent the views of the Soviet Government, but, as my right hon. Friend reminded the House on 31st January, Her Majesty's Government are still awaiting a reply from the Soviet Government to our Note of 29th November, which asked them to submit concrete proposals.

Can the hon. Gentleman confirm that any members of the West German Parliament attended this conference, and, if so, from what party?

I understand that in the whole conference there was one representative from Western Germany.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary bear in mind that at the Berlin Conference, which unfortunately failed, the Western Powers put forward certain proposals about free elections for the whole of Germany, which the Soviet Union at that time rejected—at any rate in any form acceptable to the Western Powers—but that since then there has been a whole series of official or quasi-official statements from the Soviet Union which make it appear to me that the Soviet Government have changed their attitude about this? Are the Government now afraid to inquire whether they have made such a change in case it should turn out that the Russians have agreed with them?

I have been asked a Question about a certain conference that took place. I cannot regard any resolution of that conference as an official, or even semi-official, statement of the Soviet Government. We are still awaiting an official reply from the Soviet Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will seek an assurance from the Bonn Government that they will not employ in any position of control or authority in the new German Army anyone who has had connections with the Nazi Party, and particularly that no one who was convicted as a war criminal will receive any appointment in this new German Army

No, Sir.

Will the Minister explain why he will not adopt the suggestion contained in the Question, because it is obvious that everyone in this country, whether for or against German rearmament, would like that assurance?

The selection of officers for the new German Army will be a matter for the Federal Government after the Paris Agreements come into force, but the Federal Government have made it quite clear that their intention is to screen the new officers' corps thoroughly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the official Soviet proposals on 21st January, 1955, defined free elections as freedom to put forward electoral lists, and also urged national armed forces for Germany; and, in view of the general misconception of these proposals, if he will have them published and make copies of these proposals available to Members in the Library

On the assumption that the hon. Lady is referring to the statement broadcast on 15th January on Moscow Radio, I am having a translation of this statement put in the Library.

Could the hon. Gentleman go a little farther? Quite a number of hon. Members will not avail themselves of this statement. Is he aware that some of us are getting pretty sick of the constant whitewashing of Russia and the presentation to our people that Russia is against the rearmament of Germany? Will he not take steps to let the people of Britain know that the Russian proposals are not against German rearmament; they are against Western European rearmament and they are for national armed forces for Germany?

I sympathise and agree with the hon. Lady. I have noted with some pleasure the way in which she made that fact quite clear in a recent issue of the "Daily Herald." I believe that the answer to this Question—and this Question itself—will also serve that purpose. In fact, the broadcast statement did lay down the militarisation of all Germany, as indeed did the Soviet Note of 9th April, 1952. The Soviet Note laid down that there should be national armed forces for Germany. That was nearly identical with the statement in their Note of 10th March, 1952.

Since this broadcast is a very important international document which has been discussed a great deal, would it not be of advantage to print it as a White Paper available for all Members, and might not the Note of 9th April, 1952, be reprinted with it?

If it is put in the Library, every hon. Member can read it—

They do not want to read it.

—and I also understand that it is published in "Soviet News."

Surely hon. Members will want to take such a document away with them and compare it with previous documents. A White Paper would be obviously a great convenience to Members.

Would my hon. Friend consider publishing at the same time a report on the progress made in the rearmament of Eastern Germany since 1948? Many of us are sick of having the problem of Western German rearmament, German rearmament, and East German rearmament completely confused by many Left-wing people in this country.

A statement was made, I think last July, showing the progress made in the militarisation of Eastern Germany, but I will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement explaining the delay in the implementation of the federation of the West Indies, indicating, in particular, what obstacles now remain to be overcome

I outlined the next steps in my statement on 2nd February. These could not be taken until all the legislatures concerned had accepted the federal plan in general.

Is it a fact that a conference on this subject will take place next week, and, if that is so, can the Minister say what the agenda will be, who will attend, which Colonies will attend and who the representatives will be?

There has already been an announcement to the effect that my noble Friend Lord Lloyd, the Undersecretary of State, who is at the moment in the West Indies, will be presiding over the conference on the control of movement of persons between member territories of the proposed federation, and this conference, which will open in Trinidad on 13th March and will last until 18th March, will deal with a very important aspect of the proposed federal plan.

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether British Guiana and British Honduras will be represented, at any rate by observers, at this conference?

As the announcement made clear, this conference is at this stage limited to proposed members of the federation. As to later accessions to the federation, I dealt with that point in the statement which I made on 2nd February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the numbers employed in growing limes and processing them, respectively, in Dominica, in each of the last three years

The estimated number employed in growing limes during 1952 was 6,000, and during 1953 and 1954 5,400. The estimated numbers engaged in processing during these years were 650, 470 and 400.

What is the cause of the decline in the numbers employed?

My hon. Friend has a Question on that matter shortly, when I will deal with the point. I am glad to say that, although the lime situation is serious, the increase in banana production has rather more than offset the loss of revenue caused by the drop in lime exports.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the effect in the British West Indies of placing United Kingdom imports of lime oil and orange juice under open general licence

Since the easing of the restrictions on United Kingdom imports of lime oil and orange juice prices have declined, so that B.W.I. exporters now have difficulty in selling in this market. The lime-oil industry has been particularly badly hit. I am awaiting further information on these problems from the fact-finding mission of inquiry into the West Indian citrus industry, whose report should be available shortly.

Can my right hon. Friend give an indication of the action which is likely to be taken to remedy this situation?

I must, of course, await the report, but I have already given an undertaking that if the citrus industry as a whole runs into serious difficulty Her Majesty's Government will take effective action to safeguard the position.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the best way to help West Indian growers today is by a long-term trade agreement? Could not he possibly give it consideration?

I am certain we are all anxious to give long-term security, but that by no means presupposes long-term trade agreements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made in the building of a new teachers' training college in Cyprus

The site and general lay-out have been approved, and financial provision made for building to start this year, as soon as the architects' plans and tenders are completed.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him for an assurance that he will press forward with this building as quickly as possible, and that he will consider the provision of facilities for the advanced study of science and the arts in the new building, which might form the nucleus of a university college which would be of great value?

We are fully aware of the importance of pressing on with this teachers' training college. As regards the suggestion that it might develop into a university college for Cyprus, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply of my noble Friend Viscount Chandos on 29th July, 1953, to a Question. We certainly have the possibility of setting up a university college in Cyprus well in mind, but there are many difficulties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decision has been taken on the application to provide a broadcast and entertainment relay service in Cyprus

The Cyprus Government already operate a broadcasting service. An application was recently made to the Government by a commercial undertaking for a licence to operate a wired service in Nicosia and certain other towns, and this application is being considered.

Can my right hon. Friend not encourage these broadcasting organisations to give an accurate history of Cyprus as one of their leading features?

The Cyprus Broadcasting service has been reorganised. There is a new Director of Broadcasting, and I am sure that the point of view of my hon. and gallant Friend will be taken into consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the Kenya Government have forcibly removed large numbers of Kikuyu from Nairobi to the reserves, despite the fact that they are known to be innocent of any offence; that they have neither work nor the means of subsistence; and if he will take immediate steps to end this policy and substitute for it one which will provide the people with both work and adequate food

No, Sir. Only those found in Nairobi without pass books, or who have committed other offences, have been moved to the reserves, where relief work is provided for those in need.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that acts of gross injustice of this kind, which are reported by reliable people like members of the Church and judges, make it impossible for matters in Kenya to be peacefully settled? Will he say what representations he makes to the Government of Kenya in matters of this kind?

The hon. Member's supplementary question must have been arranged in his mind before he heard my answer.

When is the Secretary of State going to consider proposals that are put to him from this side of the House? Is he not aware that the only way to end the emergency in Kenya is to provide effective African leadership? Would he give consideration to the convening of a conference in London and inviting equal numbers of Europeans, Asians and Africans?

As the right hon. Gentleman knows, I gave a very long answer to him a few days ago in regard to a large number of suggestions that had been made by the Parliamentary Commission, of which the right hon. Gentleman was a member. I fully recognise the importance of getting good African leadership. The multi-racial Government set up by my predecessor, Lord Chandos, is an indication of the importance that we attach to it.

In the debate on Kenya last week the Secretary of State was asked a particular thing about calling a conference and he gave no answer. He has given no answer now. Will he not try to consider the propositions put to him?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent further financial help will be made to the Government of Kenya in the near future

I propose to make a statement on Kenya at the end of Question Time.