asked the Assistant Postmaster-General if he will make a statement on the coverage it is hoped to obtain for the new commercial television stations which are to operate from London, Birmingham, and Manchester.

:Coverage is a matter for the I.T.A., and their estimate for the Croydon station has recently been published in the Press. The Authority have informed me that they will make a similar statement about the range of the other two stations as soon as they can. I am informed that the effective radiated power from the aerial at Croydon will be 60kW.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to ensure that television sets are adequately suppressed or screened to prevent their causing interference to sound radio reception.

Where a television set causes interference with sound receivers which are themselves in proper order and condition, the owner of the television set is liable to have his licence withdrawn if he refuses to have the trouble put right. The problem of designing television sets so as to avoid any such interference is primarily one for the radioindustry to solve. They are fully alive to it, and the Post Office is co-operating with them to the full.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, with a view to encouraging the sharing of lines, the Post Office will make a more effective reduction in telephone rentals.

:The rebate in rental for shared lines was increased in July, 1952, to nearly three times the previous figure and the present rental is so far below the cost of providing the service that a further increase in the rebate cannot be justified.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how much longer he estimates that the residents of parts of the Sheffield 6 postal district will have to wait before they can be provided with telephones, in view of the fact that some of them have now been waiting for five years.

The difficulty about this area has been the need for a new cable scheme to meet the large increase in demand. Now that the capital sum has been further increased, the scheme is being started almost at once, and it will now be possible to overtake the waiting list by stages.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whythe Home Counties Post and Telegraph Region make 62 the effective age at which members of the Post Office staff in the supervisory grades are compulsorily retired, contrary to the policy of Her Majesty's Government for the rest of the public service.

The practice followed in the Home Counties Region of the Post Office conforms with the Government's policy, namely, that all fit and willing civil servants who are fully efficient shall be employed as long as is practicable.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pan-eras, South, can expect a reply to her letter of 25th January about traffic congestion in Leather Lane, E.C.1.

I am sorry not to have been able to write to the hon. Member earlier, but the points raised in her letter required, in my judgment, a very full investigation. This has been completed, and I wrote fully to her yesterday.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give the estimated cost to the Exchequer and, where appropriate, to the local authority, of each road and tunnel scheme given in the lists of schemes most recently announced.

:I am afraid it is not possible at this stage to give my hon. and gallant Friend figures sufficiently precise to be of value.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects that Birkwood Bridge, Blackwood, in the county of Lanark, will be reconstructed and the main Carlisle-Glasgow trunk road realigned to enable traffic to flow freely and safely.

I have nothing to add at present to my statement of the 2nd February for the reasons which I then gave.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what action he is taking with respect to the accident at London Airport on 16th January to a British European Airways Viscount aircraft.

After considering my Chief Inspector of Accidents' preliminary report, I have decided to order a public inquiry into this accident.

asked the Minister of Defence what steps he is taking to guard against the accidental explosion of an atom bomb or hydrogen bomb in this country while in storage or undergoing transhipment.

While I cannot go into details, I am informed that there is no risk of accidental explosion.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on how many occasions during the past 12 months the Allied Security Board has drawn the attention of the West German Federal Government to violations of ordinances restricting the manufacture of ships, aircraft, armaments, or machinery; and what action has been taken in each case by the Federal authorities and by the High Commissioners or the Security Board.

On two occasions. In the first case, the Military Security Board took proceedings against the firm and the parts concerned and tools for their manufacture were confiscated by order of the court. In the second case certain ore was found by analysis to be subject to licence. No proceedings were taken as there was doubt whether the infringement was intentional. The Federal Government were informed in each case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement about the unrest which exists in the sugar industry in Jamaica.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the disturbances in the sugar industry in Jamaica.

There have been no disturbances. Some stoppages of work have taken place in particular areas for special or local reasons. All sugar factories are now working. Negotiations on a wage claim were recently opened between the unions concerned and the Sugar Manufacturers' Association, and I understand that they are being continued.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements are made for education and medical attention in the resettlement villages in Malaya; and what sums have been allocated for this purpose.

:All except a few of the smallest new villages either have their own schools or are within reach of one in a town; and every new village has either a dispensary or a maternal and child health centre. The Government have spent nearly $6 million on school buildings alone and have made grants towards the costs of equipment and teachers' salaries. In 1954 medical work in the new villages was provided for by grants of $2,500,000 to the Governments of the States and Settlements, and $1,350,000 to the Red Cross, the St. John Ambulance Brigade and the Missions, all of which have since 1952 been making a magnificent contribution under emergency conditions in the rural areas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the qualifications for enfranchisement in Malaya; and what proportion of the population is entitled to vote.

:Any citizen of the Federation of either sex who is over 21 years old and has lived in a constituency for the previous six months may register there as a voter. Those so qualified are believed to amount to about 27 per cent. of the population. About 50 per cent. of the population are under 21 years of age and not qualified to vote. Only about 23 per cent. of the population are adults not qualified to vote, and most of them are alien immigrants of the first generation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what recent steps have been taken to bring about a termination of the Emergency Regulations in Malaya.

:No fresh steps have been taken, though of course the surrender offer still remains open. The Regulations have been greatly relaxed in the "White" areas, which now exist in every State and Settlement and contain more than a third of the total population. These areas are extended as fast as circumstances permit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to bring about a Malayanisation of the Civil Service in the Federation of Malaya; and how many senior posts are now held by non-Europeans.

Malayans are now being recruited to the Public Service as fast as fully qualified and otherwise suitable candidates can be found. By last year 587 out of 2,387 officers in Division I posts were Malayan.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to form a multi-racial regiment in Singapore.

The Singapore military forces are already recruited from all races in the Colony.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the illegal coffee sales in Bukoba; and if, in view of the apparent reluctance of some growers to market through the present compulsory organisations, he will give consideration to arrangements which would permit the Bukoba Native Cooperative Union to market coffee similarly to the Kilimanjaro Co-operative Union.

There have been illegal sales, but since November last the Bukoba Native Co-operative Union have been marketing coffee in precisely the same way as the Kilimanjaro Co-operative Union.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) why the book called "The Keys of Heaven" has been banned in Northern Rhodesia;(2) why the periodicals named "Jungle Comics," "Jumbo Comics" and "Fight Comics" have been banned in Northern Rhodesia.

The import and circulation of these publications were considered by the Governor in Council to be contrary to the public interest.

askedthe Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that three English sailors were recently sentenced to deportation by a Kingston court in Jamaica for being drunk and for failing to sail with their ship; and if he will promote legislation to give him similar powers to deport from this country British citizens not belonging to this country who are guilty of serious crimes.

I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies is unaware of the case referred to in the first part of the Question but is making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend. As regards the second part of the Question, I regret that I cannot yet add to the answer given to my hon. Friend on 27th January.

asked the Minister of Supply the estimated hours of test flying to be carried out under the auspices of his Department by the Britannia aircraft for the first three months of this year; and what flying hours have been achieved to date.

The Ministry of Supply's contract with the Bristol Aeroplane Company for Britannia development provides that it is the company's responsibility to obtain a certificate of airworthiness for the aircraft. The number of hours to be flown for this purpose is a matter for the Air Registration Board. The actual hours flown from 1st January to 14th March were 373.

asked the Minister of Food what stocks of frozen beef are still held by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the total supplies of frozen beef now available for consumption.

About 66,000 tons on 4th March. In addition, the trade holds a much smaller quantity of privately imported frozen beef. We have written to the butchers' organisations asking that customers' attention be drawn to the ample supplies of frozen beef now available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has yet made an Order under Section 2 (4) (a) of the Protection of Birds Act, 1954.

Not yet; but on 4th March, after consulting the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Birds for Scotland, I advertised in the Press, and communicated to county councils and the town councils of large burghs, my intention to make an order listing the following birds as birds (in addition to those included in the Second Schedule to the Act) whose eggs may be taken in Scotland without penalty:

Blackbird.	Redshank.
Chaffinch.	Robin.
Coot.	Skylark.
Greenfinch.	Hedge Sparrow.
Black-headed Gull.	Mistle Thrush.
Common Gull.	Song Thrush.
Linnet.	Pied Wagtail.
Moorhen.	Willow Warbler.
Oyster-catcher.	Wren.
Meadow Pipit.	Yellowhammer.

I have asked that any objections or representations in connection with the making of this Order should be submitted not later than 26th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that Glasgow Corporation Housing Committee has unanimously recommended that if he would withdraw the request for a contribution to the over-all deficit of the proposed new town at Cumbernauld, this corporation would be prepared to pay the statutory rate contribution for 10 years, or such shorter period as the tenant remains in occupancy, in respect of each house let to a tenant nominated by the corporation; and if he is prepared to accept this compromise as a solution to the dispute between himself and the corporation.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to him yesterday.

asked the Lord Advocate to what extent the principles of Scottish law are applied in drawing up Government contracts to be placed with Scottish firms.

Itis not the policy of the Government to exclude the application of the law of Scotland in contracts between Government Departments and Scottish firms. The method of applying Scots law in "The Standard Conditions of Government Contracts for Store Purchases" where Scottish firms are concerned is under consideration.

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware that trade association courts are acting in support of conspiracies in restraint of trade; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

:Section 2 of the Trade Union Act, 1871, provides that the purposes of any trade union shall not, by reason merely that they are in restraint of trade, be deemed to be unlawful, so as to render any member of such trade union liable to criminal prosecution for conspiracy or otherwise. I am not aware of any actions by trade association tribunals in restraint of trade which are not protected by this Section, and I do not therefore propose to take any action in the matter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will now say what will be the timetable for the deposit of the new valuation lists and subsequent procedure under Sections 35 to 38 of the Local Government Act, 1948.

Under the Act of 1948, as amended by the New Valuation Lists (Postponement) Act, 1952, and the New Valuation Lists (Postponement) Order, 1954, the new valuation lists have to be transmitted to the rating authorities not later than the end of December next.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what stage entertainments have been exempted from Entertainments Duty under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1946, during the past six months; and by whom they were provided.

:The entertainments concerned number many hundreds, and I regret that all the information for which the hon. Member asks could not be supplied without disproportionate work and expense. Someinformation about the types of entertainment and the number of organisations which benefited under these provisions in 1953–54 is, however, contained in the answer I gave yesterday to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Knutsford (Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport), to which I would refer the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what change he proposes to make in the rate of interest payable on tax reserve certificates.

:I have agreed to the issue of a new Tax Reserve Certificate (Sixth Series), which will bear interest at the rate of 1½ per cent. per annum tax free instead of 1¼ per cent.per annum tax free, the other terms being similar to those of the current issue. The new certificates will be available as from Monday, 21st March. The Bank of England are issuing a prospectus containing the full terms of issue today.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take on the Report on Restrictive Business Practices prepared by a Committee of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

I am not yet in a position to indicate the attitude we shall wish to adopt when the Report is discussed by the Economic and Social Council at its meeting starting on 16th May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what steps are taken to enforce an order to keep a dog under control; and if he will consider introducing legislation to make the penalty more severe for owners of dogs caught worrying sheep.

I understand from my right hon. and gallant Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department that the police would normally take further proceedings if it came to their knowledge that a court order to keep a dog under control was not being observed. As to the second part of the Question, I think we should have more experience of the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act, 1953, before considering whether further legislation is required.

asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will request the British Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast once more a warning about dogs worrying sheep.

The B.B.C. are aware of the importance of this problem, and I am assured that they will continue to refer to it as suitable opportunities occur.

asked the Minister of Agriculture what progress has been made with the research to be undertaken by his Department on the problem of damage by birds to fruit tree buds.

:The birds that do most damage appear to be the bullfinch and the house sparrow. Investigations into the use of scaring devices and chemical repellants have met with little success so far, but are continuing. Studies of the behaviour of the birds are now being made in the hope of finding better methods of control.