asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the Government's policy as regards laying cats-eye reflector studs on new roads for which his Department is responsible; and if he will press ahead with the fitting of these studs to all main roads in view of their great usefulness in conditions of fog and bad weather.

It is our policy to encourage the use of these studs in the appropriate places on all roads of traffic importance where vehicles have to use their headlights after dark.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give details of research into the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis carried out either by the Colonial Office or by Colonial Governments.

A great deal of research into the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis is being carried out in many of the Colonial Territories. Proposals are under consideration for the establishment of a Tuberculosis Research Unit in West Africa to which Colonial Development and Welfare funds would contribute, but most of the work in this field is carried out and financed by Colonial Governments themselves. Full information on all that is being done is not readily available, but I am arranging for it to be assembled and will gladly send it to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now make available to hon. Members the Report of the Rees Committee on the Constitutional Development of the Smaller Colonial Territories.

This question relates to a confidential and informal inquiry which was instituted by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Wakefield (Mr. Creech Jones) when Secretary of State. The report was made in confidence and was not drafted in a form designed for publication. I have no intention of publishing it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the overcrowding and out-of-date conditions in most of the hospitals in the towns of Malaya; that no hospital is under construction at the present time in the Federation; and what steps are being taken to meet the medical and surgical needs of this country.

As the full facts are not at present available here, I am asking the High Commissioner for a report and will circulate the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to mechanise the production of rice in Malaya; what grants have been made for this purpose from the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund; and how many full-time men are employed in the Department of Agriculture dealing with mechanised cultivation of this commodity.

The Agricultural Department in the Federation of Malaya has a well-established Agricultural Engineering section which undertakes investigations into all aspects of rice mechanisation. The Rural and Industrial Development Authority maintains a school for tractor drivers, at which some 500 drivers have so far been trained. Last year a Colonial Development and Welfare grant of £31,900 was made for further experiments in the mechanisation of rice production. I have asked the High Commissioner for information about the last part of the Question and will write to the hon. Member when I have a reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies by what authority, and in what way, he restricts the movement of Cypriots from Cyprus to the United Kingdom; and in what other territories, and by what authority, he imposes similar restrictions.

The movement of Cypriots out of Cyprus is subject to the Cyprus law entitled "The Natives of the Colony (Regulation) Law of 1938." This requires Cypriots leaving Cyprus to be in possession of a passport and a passage ticket, unless exempted. Since 1936, Cypriots applying for a passport endorsed for the United Kingdom have been required by the Cyprus authorities to produce evidence as to their knowledge of English and prospects of employment and to furnish guarantees against possible

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the future of Togoland under British Trusteeship.

The General Assembly of the United Nations considered last December the Memorandum submitted by Her Majesty's Government on the future of the Trust Territory of Togoland under British administration, and accepted the suggestion that the opinions of the inhabitants of the Territory on their future should be ascertained.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what welfare or other provision is made from his Department's funds in this country and from Government of Cyprus funds for British subjects from Cyprus; and how much was spent each year for this purpose since 1950.

Provision is made from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds for the training of Cypriot students and Government officials in this country. The Cyprus Government maintains a London Office which has as one of its functions the promotion of the general welfare of the Cypriot community, and provides an Amenities Fund for students.The following are the figures:The Trusteeship Council has now decided to send a Mission to British Togoland later this year to study the problem.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will take action to improve the format and legibility of "Guiana Diary," issued by the Government Information Services, British Guiana.

The "Guiana Diary" is produced by the Government of British Guiana and I have not hitherto heard of any complaints about it. I will inform the Governor of my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply has been sent to the petition of Egbert Joseph Farley, who was compulsorily retired by the Education Department of British Guiana, in May, 1954, at 55 years of age.

The petition has not yet reached me. I understand that it will be despatched from British Guiana shortly with the Governor's comments.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the workers in Her Majesty's Dockyards may expect to receive the increase of wages recently granted to the shipbuilding industry; and if he will arrange for these increases to be dated back to the date of award.

Industrial employees in Her Majesty's Dockyards will receive, with effect from 14th March, a similar increase in wages to that recently granted to employees in the shipbuilding and engineering industries. Payment of the increase will, in most cases, be made on 1st April.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will consider allowing single men in the Royal Navy who are based at ports where their families reside ration allowance on the same basis as married men in order that they can have their meals at home instead of in the mess rooms.

Single men are already allowed to receive ration allowance, on the same basis as married men, when they are permitted to live out for specific and substantial compassionate reasons.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what percentage of lieutenants, Royal Navy, with seniority dating 1919, reached flag rank.

3·7 per cent. for lieutenants of all branches.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will now increase the total annual allocation of new telephone kiosks in Welsh rural areas.

It is planned to spend about £27,000 on rural kiosks in Wales during the next 12 months. This is about one-fifth of the expenditure for the whole of the United Kingdom and an increase in this proportion would not be justified.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many farmers in Caithness and Sutherland are waiting for telephones; and how many applied in or prior to 1950 and in each succeeding year.

Fifty-three farmers are waiting, of whom

2 applied in or prior to 1950

3 applied in 1951

5 " " 1952

12 " " 1953

31 " " 1954

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he will provide a telephone kiosk for the housing scheme at Libberton, Lanark.

Kiosks in the rural parts of Scotland are provided in accordance with a programme drawn up by the county councils. No request has been received for a kiosk at Libberton, and as there are only 15 tenancies in the hamlet, five of which have telephones, it is doubtful whether one could be justified in view of the prior claims of other places.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether, in view of the poor reception of British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts in many parts of Wales, and in view of the fact that efforts to achieve agreement with the East German authorities have been unsuccessful, he will now consider whether some additional wavelength may be allocated to Welsh Regional broadcasts.

Unfortunately the number of medium wavelengths allotted to the United Kingdom is too small to provide an additional wavelength for Wales.

asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many representations he has received in the past year upon the poor quality of the reception in many parts of Wales of British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts; and what steps will be taken to improve reception.

There have been 51 representations in all. In my answer to the hon. Member for Anglesey (Mr. C. Hughes) on 2nd February, I explained the troubles which have arisen in the Welsh Home Service and described the steps being taken by the B.B.C. to improve reception. Since then, I understand that the Corporation have met a number of hon. Members from Wales and have gone into the position in detail with them. They also explained their plans to deal with the situation—these have now been extended to include an early increase in power at the Wrexham station and a low-power VHF station in Anglesey, to serve North Wales, which my noble Friend has approved, will be provided towards the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the concern at the length of time it is taking to announce policy in regard to the siting of slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement giving details of progress made.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) on 14th March.

asked the Minister of Food whether a decision has yet been reached about an advance payment on account of the deficiency payments for oats and mixed corn.

The weighted average market price for home-grown oats is so near the standard price that it is uncertain whether there will be any deficiency payment on the 1954–55 crop of oats and mixed corn. After consulting the Oats and Barley Deficiency Payments Advisory Committee, on which the principal interests concerned with the production and marketing of oats are represented, I have come to the conclusion that no advance payment can be made. If the market price for oats for the season turns out to be lower than the standard price, the deficiency payment will be a small one and will be paid about the end of September.