asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has considered the Report of the Committee on Slaughterhouses; and what action the Government propose to take in the matter.

The associations of local authorities recently furnished their views on the Report and my right hon. Friend will be having discussions with them and, as required, with the trade and other interests concerned as soon as possible.

Does my hon. Friend recognise the need for an early decision in this matter, which is causing considerable anxiety to the farming community?

Yes, Sir. We realise to the full that it is desirable to reach decisions as soon as possible, and that the matter is a very difficult one.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that difficulties are still being met in finding crews to man the herring fleet; and whether he will cause an inquiry to be made into the working of the present share system, the general question of prices, and the financial structure of the herring industry as a whole, with particular reference to the burden of debt.

My right hon. Friend is aware that in a few cases difficulty is being experienced in finding crews for herring boats, but he has no evidence that this difficulty is general or widespread. I have, however, arranged to pay an early visit to the north-east herring ports to see the position for myself. As regards the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend has asked the Herring Industry Board for its views on the points referred to.

In view of the monumental muddle that is now being made of the summer herring fishing, does my hon. Friend realise that the sooner he visits the north-east ports the better?

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that as well as other matters there is also the question of markets? Is he aware that this summer there were much better landings in Shetland, but the people are very concerned that there shall be no confusion, as there was last year, when the port was closed? Can he assure us that there will be a market for the good quality herring which are now being landed?

I do not think that one could give that assurance. The Herring Industry Board is doing all it can to sell larger quantities of fresh herring—which is the right answer to the problem. We should all like to see that and we hope that it may be achieved.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the difficulty which is being experienced by fishermen on the West Coast in their endeavours to persuade the Herring Industry Board to be more lenient in the question of the repaying of loans? This debt is a very serious burden indeed.

That is not the general experience of the Board. but if my hon. and gallant Friend would give me any special examples I should be glad to look into them.

When my hon. Friend is looking at the fishing ports will he also bear in mind the question of seasonal workers in connection with the people who work in the herring fleets?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the present position regarding the proposal to demolish Duke Street Prison, Glasgow.

The Corporation of Glasgow is prepared to acquire the whole of the premises of Duke Street Prison, and the terms of transfer are being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take regarding complaints sent to him from local authorities, hospital boards and other bodies relating to the operation of price rings in the submission of tenders.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made on 16th June by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.

Will the Minister indicate precisely what action he proposes to take in these cases? We already have a list of five different items, involving regional boards, local authorities and even private firms. What action does he propose to take?

The correct action, as I understand it, is to report the matter direct to the Board of Trade. To be frank, I do not like this any more than the hon. Gentleman does, but I am sure he would not ask me to prejudge these matters. My right hon. Friend has received no specific complaints from local authorities. I hope that the authorities concerned will bring to his notice any such cases.

Am Ito understand from that reply that the reason for submitting these matters to the Board of Trade is so that the President of the Board of Trade may submit them to the Monopolies Commission? If that is so, it will be 1984 before we reach that stage.

That is a different question altogether.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he anticipates being able to give a decision regarding the development of Cumbernauld New Town.

As required by the New Towns Act, my right hon. Friend is consulting the local authorities concerned with a view to the publication of a draft order designating the new town area. If objections are made to the order, a public local inquiry will be required and I cannot say, therefore, when he will be able to reach a final decision.

Is the Minister aware that this matter has been before him for over two and a half years, and in view of the gravity of Glasgow's housing problem and the imminence of the exhaustion of sites, will be take speedy action to bring the order into effect?

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are doing everything that we can. We shall take as speedy action as is possible under the procedure of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will amend the Representation of the People Act, so as to avoid in future the confusion which arose at the recent Election regarding the right to postal vote by ministers attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

No, Sir. The Registration Appeal Court has decided that ministers of the Church of Scotland who are required to attend the General Assembly in circumstances similar to those arising at the recent General Election are entitled to a postal vote under the existing law.

Is my hon. Friend aware that there was considerable confusion at the last Election about this matter, and, as this may happen again, would it not be better to make the position abundantly clear by amendment of the Act?

No, Sir. I am afraid, although I appreciate the point, that if legislation were undertaken it could not be confined to ministers of the Church of Scotland, and no legislation on this subject is at present contemplated.

Does the Minister realise that there is no reason why it should be confined to the ministers? Does he realise that in many cases the ministers' wives have an official task to perform there, and also that the elders have to be there by virtue of their appointment?

That is a wider question, and I think that we should be wise to see how the Act goes on.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Report of the Departmental Committee whose recommendations are to form the basis of the legislation on the law of valuation and rating proposed in the Gracious Speech will be made available to Members of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will specify the Departmental Committee referred to in the Gracious Speech whose recommendations are to form the basis of legislation to amend the law relating to valuation and rating in Scotland.

The Report of this Committee, of which Lord Sorn was the Chairman, was laid before the House on 19th October last (Command 9244).

Is the Minister aware of the confusion—which may be our fault—arising from the description of the Lord Sorn's Committee as a "Departmental" Committee? We were unaware that Lord Sorn's Committee was not a public committee appointed by the Minister. We take it now, from what the Minister said, that it is Lord Sorn's Committee which is referred to in the Gracious Speech.

That is correct.

Are we to take it that Lord Sorn's Committee was a Departmental Committee?

That is the normal way of referring to a committee appointed by a Minister.

Is it not a fact that neither Lord Sorn nor Sir Ronald Thomson was a member of the Department? Does not this fact raise a constitutional issue?

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the shortage of certificated teachers in Scotland is being met by an increase in the supply of uncertificated teachers.

Ninety-eight more uncertificated teachers were employed on the date of the count in October, 1954, than were employed on the corresponding day in 1953. In October, 1954, the latest date for which figures are available, 1,038 uncertificated teachers were employed, as compared with 940 in October, 1953.

Does the Minister mean, in his reply to my right hon. Friend appealing for more boys and girls to continue their education, that he is making sure that uncertificated teachers will be provided to give them the education?

Again, I invite the hon. Gentleman to consider how this result is made up. More than 60 per cent. of the uncertificated teachers are university graduates, or trained teachers, but not certificated in Scotland—they were trained in England, and so on—or people skilled and qualified in particular practical subjects.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to investigate more efficient and economical treatment of sewage and waste industrial products, for example the possibility of purification by radioactive agencies; and if he will ensure that river purification boards will be kept abreast of results.

Research into questions of water pollution and sewage purification is undertaken by the Water Pollution Research Board of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The results are published in the Board's annual reports and in technical and scientific journals, and are thus readily available to river purification boards.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will ensure that sewage purification authorities in Scotland are fully advised of the possibilities of the recovery of methane gas for heating or lighting purposes as a byproduct of purification; and what developments already exist in Scotland.

These possibilities are fully discussed in a Government Report on the Treatment and Disposal of Sewage Sludge published last year and brought to the notice of technical officers of local authorities likely to be interested. They are kept fully in mind by the Department in the examination of proposals for new sewage purification works. The local authorities at present using methane from the hot digestion of sewage sludge are Lanark County Council and the town councils of Airdrie, Coatbridge, Johnstone, Motherwell and Wishaw, and Renfrew.

Have steps been taken to get these local authorities who are now considering, under the new dispensation, improving their sewage disposal, to visit places in Scotland where this is taking place, and even to see the more modern institutions in Germany, where a whole town is lit by gas from this source?

In reply to the first part of the right hon. Gentleman's supplementary question, the answer is that we are doing everything we can. As to the second part, we are aware of the Ruhr experiment where methane gas is being mixed with the town lighting gas, and being used for general lighting and heating purposes. This has been examined in Scotland—in Lanarkshire and in Airdrie Burgh—but we feel that the German practice is not an economic proposition for this country.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now instruct local authorities to proceed with the demolition of surface air-raid shelters.

No, Sir. As stated in the White Paper on Defence, the Government are at present reviewing their policy on shelter. Until this review is complete, it would be unwise to embark on a programme of shelter demolition.

Does not the Under-Secretary recognise that these shelters are now becoming quite filthy and a complete public nuisance, and are unlikely to be used to serve the purpose for which they were originally intended, by virtue of the new circumstances of atom bombs, and the rest?

I think the hon. Gentleman knows that in cases where it is shown that shelters are unhealthy or against the interests of public health, steps are taken to demolish them. If hon. Gentlemen know of particular cases, I shall be prepared to look into them.

Does the Under-Secretary really think that surface air-raid shelters from the last war have any possible use in a nuclear period? Does he not think that it is fantastic to keep them?

I do not think it would be wise to adopt the suggestion of the hon. Gentleman and to abolish them all. They are, after all, shelters of some kind, and they are better than no shelters.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the fact that the Convention of Royal Burghs in Scotland representing all town councils, including the cities, and the District Councils' Association for Scotland, representing all the landward areas, have submitted to the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs the need for an inquiry into the structure and functions of local authorities, if he will reconsider his decision not to appoint a committee of inquiry.

My right hon. Friend has received no representations on this subject from the Convention of Royal Burghs, and I regret that I cannot add to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member last week.

Has not the Under-Secretary's right hon. Friend read the Report of the Royal Commission on Scottish Affairs, in which it was made clear that the Convention of Royal Burghs and the District Councils' Association asked for the inquiry? Since these associations represent authorities covering the whole population of Scotland, why were their representations not considered?

Of course, my right hon. Friend has read the Report. Paragraph 263 of the Report mentions the evidence given by the Convention of Royal Burghs, which was not supported by oral evidence. It went on to add that the Association of County Councils was emphatic that the existing arrangements should be left undisturbed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many men and women suffering from tuberculosis are waiting for hospital beds in Scotland; and how many are on the waiting list in Glasgow. and how many in Lanarkshire.

At 30th April last, 334 men and 199 women suffering from respiratory tuberculosis were waiting for hospital beds. For Glasgow the figures were 111 men and 59 women and for Lanarkshire 36 men and 13 women.

Would it not have been possible to send some of those who are waiting for accommodation in Scotland to Switzerland, instead of keeping them waiting for beds?

The physicians are finding it extremely difficult to fill the beds in Switzerland which are available for us. As the hon. Lady knows, there are 120 beds available for us at the sanatorium at Mont Blanc.

Would the hon. Gentleman tell us why these people are waiting for beds? Is it due to the absence of beds or to lack of nurses to attend the beds?

We have made a vast improvement. We have reduced a figure of 1,872 last year in Scotland to 533, and the waiting time for urgent cases is not more than seven days. The position, therefore, is that there are beds for urgent cases, and the waiting time in Glasgow for non-urgent cases is three months and in Lanarkshire two months.

With respect, the point was rather different. Whatever may be the cause now, some time ago it was the absence of nurses and not the lack of beds which was responsible for the waiting list. Is it still a lack of nurses or is it a lack of beds in Scotland?

I speak subject to correction, but I believe it is the lack of beds.

Since it is the lack of beds, can the Minister give us the reason why the medical staffs in Scotland are finding difficulty in filling beds in Switzerland when we have these people in Glasgow and in Lanarkshire perhaps infecting many more people?

Everybody who is prepared and suitable to go to Switzerland can go there, as the hon. Lady knows.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a detailed statement on the methods used to reduce the waiting list of patients who are suffering from tuberculosis.

The main factors that have led to the decline in waiting lists are the availability of more hospital beds, advances in treatment techniques leading to shorter average periods of stay in hospital, and more extensive use of domiciliary treatment in suitable circumstances. With permission, I will circulate a detailed statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that there is much feeling about this matter in Scotland, and that many inquiries are being made about how these figures have been so greatly reduced in such a short time? Since many people feel that domiciliary treatment is being used more than it ought to be, can the hon. Gentleman assure us that that is not so?

I think the hon. Lady should await the statement, and if, after reading it, she wants to put down another Question, I hope she will do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the proposed distribution of duties between the three Joint Under-Secretaries of State.

The hon. Member for Glasgow, Craighton (Mr. J. N. Browne) has taken over the duties formerly allocated to my noble Friend who is now Minister of State, namely, housing and allied subjects, health and local government.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he authorised the issue of a Press notice stating that the period for heather burning was to be extended.

Weather conditions had given little opportunity of burning during the normal period, and after consultation with the interested organisations my right hon. Friend decided to extend the period. A Press notice intimating this extension was issued in accordance with the requirement of section 23 (3) of the Hill Farming Act, 1946.

Would not the Minister agree that it is important that this Press statement should have been widely published? Is he satisfied that this was done? As I understand, the extension applies to the whole of Scotland. It has important effects on the agreement between landlords and tenants, and many people are unaware of it.

Every effort was made to obtain the fullest publication. The Press notice was distributed to all agricultural papers, all dailies and all weeklies, including the "Shetland Times, "the" Shetland News, "the" Orkney Herald "and the "Orcadian."

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made towards the provision of a gallery of modern art in Scotland.

A site in Queen Street, Edinburgh, has been earmarked for this purpose, but I regret that I cannot yet say when building will begin.

Has not the site been earmarked for many years? Cannot the Government give any indication when the building will be started?

This is a long-term project, and we have considered it to be in the public interest to get on with other things such as housing, but in due course it will find its place.

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that there is a fervent hope in Scotland that if this matter is delayed long enough modern art may have come to its senses?

When the building is complete, will my hon. Friend consider approaching my right hon. Friend the Member for Woodford (Sir Winston Churchill), who has a remarkable example in his possession?

Perhaps he does not want to show it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will arrange with the White Fish Authority for further experiments into the catching and processing of dogfish and basking sharks.

Last year the Authority financed an experimental voyage for catching porbeagle sharks and have published a full report. The Authority is also looking into the possibility of developing a basking shark fishery and will be glad to consider any proposals which interested fishermen may wish to make for the commercial development of these fisheries.

Is not the difficulty the disposal of the catch? Is it not true that the Norwegians make hundreds of thousands of pounds out of these fish caught in Scottish waters? Will the hon. Gentleman see if he can arrange, with private firms perhaps, for the disposal of the catch in this country?

That is exactly what the Authority is trying to do. It has made its examination and is in touch with local catchers and processers, but we have not met the enterprising firms who will take on the job.

Are dogfish and basking sharks a favourite dish in Scotland?

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set up a committee to report on the problem of financing local government expenditure.

As was stated in answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Kelvingrove (Mr. Elliot) on 16th June, the Government intend to review the method of determining the equalisation grant in Scotland at once in consultation with the associations of local authorities.

Does not the Joint Under-Secretary realise that all these administrative refinements are as nothing at all and quite trivial when compared with this increasing burden of finance? What concerns the local authorities at the present time is where this money is to come from, and the increasing of the rates in Scotland is so heartbreaking that it just cannot go on.

I do not know that I should call the implementation of the proposals of the Sorn Report administrative refinements. I think the hon. Gentleman should realise that that goes too far.

May I ask the hon. Gentleman whether, bearing in mind the fact that all wealth comes from the application of labour to the land, he will not exclude from his examination the rating of site values as a means of increasing local revenues, which is the obvious way out of the difficulty?

Surely the Minister realises that the Report of the Sorn Committee, which the House has not yet discussed, does no more than spread the burden? [Interruption.] It may be very difficult for English hon. Members to understand Scottish accents. Surely, the Minister realises that all that Report does is to propose a different spread of the burden?

The basic situation may be changed by the implementation of the Sorn Report, and there is very little point in having an inquiry immediately.

May I have an answer to my Question?

Yes, Sir; I have taken note of what the right hon. Gentleman said.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on the provision of new hospital accommodation in north Ayrshire in the last three years; and how much it is proposed to expend on this purpose this year.

A new out-patient department at Kilmarnock Infirmary was completed in 1953 at a cost of £30,000, and new nurses' home in 1954 at a cost of £18,000 at Glenafton Sanatorium. The area is relatively well served by existing hospitals and no expenditure is contemplated this year on new hospital accommodation as such, apart from some expenditure from endowment funds on operating theatre provision at Kilmarnock Infirmary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the duties of the Regional Civil Defence Officers; how many there will be in Scotland; and when they will be appointed.

It is not proposed to appoint such officers in Scotland. The duties they will perform are already undertaken by my right hon. Friend's Departments in Edinburgh and by the two zone controllers, who have been in the saddle for some time. The Civil Service staff employed is reviewed and adjusted as necessary.

Since Civil Defence is essentially a United Kingdom, or at least a Great Britain, problem, what link is there between English and Welsh regional officers and these mounted Civil Defence officers in Scotland?

I should explain that there is no need for the appointment of these officers in Scotland, where Civil Defence is the direct responsibility of the Secretary of State, who makes contact with the authorities in England.

Mr. Simmons.

Hear, hear.

On a point of order. Are we to understand from the interruptions by hon. Gentlemen opposite that some resentment is being expressed about the length of Scottish Questions?

I did not hear any interruptions, but hon. Members who represent Scottish constituencies have been singularly sparing in their supplementary questions today, and we are very grateful.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much technical education building was started, and how much completed, in each of the financial years 1953–54 and 1954–55; how much has been begun, or will be begun, in the current year; and to what extent such provision will meet the demand for such technical facilities.

I shall, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the value of projects started, the value of work done and the value of projects completed in the years 1953–54 and 1954–55 together with estimated figures for 1955–56. It is estimated that the additional provision which will result will meet the known demand, but it is our view that the amount of technical education should be expanded still further and education authorities have been urged to expedite their plans for local technical colleges and to consider what further facilities are need in their areas.

Could the Minister be a little more explicit and give specific examples of encouragement to local authorities to speed up their provision of technical facilities; and will he indicate whether his Department has made representations to the Treasury to cut interest rates in order to encourage local authorities to get on with their building?

As to the second part of the supplementary question, that has not been done as the rate is part of the Government's policy. As to the first part, if the hon. Gentleman will look at the circular which we issued in December, 1954, he will see a specific example of urging local authorities to get on with this particular job, and we kep on pressing them.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps have been taken, or are contemplated, to implement the recommendations of the Appleton Committee on the supply of mathematics and science teachers.

The recommendations relating to salary are being considered by the National Joint Council on Teachers' Salaries in Scotland, and the observations of the Appleton Committee on matters concerning the universities are being examined by the universities. My right hon. Friend is considering the comments which have recently been submitted by the associations of local authorities, the Educational Institute of Scotland, and the other bodies who were invited to comment on the Report, and he will announce decisions on the various recommendations as soon as he is in a position to do so.

Does the Minister realise that the facts and figures revealed by the Report of the Appleton Committee were representative of a very serious situation, and in view of that may we urge upon the Minister and the Government to give opportunities in the Scottish Grand Committee or elsewhere for a full debate on this and related matters in education?

As the hon. Member knows, it would not be proper for me to comment on that suggestion. That is a matter for the usual channels.

Is the Minister aware that probably the best solution of this problem lies in the thousands of children who are quite capable of taking higher leaving certificates and university courses but who are by-passing those educational facilities just now because of lack of desire, or the fact that they do not get sufficient encouragement in the schools; and is the right hon. Gentleman looking into that side of the matter to see if he can retain more of these children and increase the number of places?

I agree with the right hon. Gentleman, and we are doing everything that we can to encourage them to stay on longer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now consulted the educational bodies concerned about the dissatisfaction with the present School Leaving Record; and with what form he has decided to replace it.

After consulting the educational bodies concerned, my right hon. Friend has reached the conclusion that the present School Leaving Record should be discontinued and that no standard form of leaving record should be prescribed.

Is the Joint Under-Secretary aware that the decision will give general satisfaction to those concerned? What consideration is being given to the issuing of a certificate at the age of 16 comparable with the G.C.E. certificate issued in England?

That matter is now under very active consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of primary and secondary classes in Glasgow where the roll exceeds the maximum number of pupils prescribed by the Schools Code.

On 4th February, 1955, the latest date for which information is available, 353 primary classes and 189 secondary classes were over the maximum size prescribed in the Schools (Scotland) Code, 1950.

Does the Minister not agree that, in view of the very rosy picture painted by the Prime Minister last week, this is a ghastly figure, and not at all in keeping with the picture he painted for English education? Is the hon. Gentleman further aware that the figures are made even worse by the fact that the maximum number prescribed by the English Code is much lower than that prescribed by the Scottish Code?

Nobody particularly welcomes these figures, but we may as well get them into perspective. Of these oversize classes, 94 per cent. exceeded the Code by five or fewer children.

Surely the Minister is aware that when the Code prescribes 40 pupils in the primary schools, an increase of five is very serious?

The primary school figure is 45 and not 40.

That admission by the Joint Under-Secretary makes his answer even worse.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recommendations the National Joint Council on Teachers' Salaries have made to him regarding equal pay for women teachers.

The Council has recommended the introduction of equal pay by instalments over the next seven years, and draft Regulations with an explanatory circular will be published this week. I will send the hon. Lady copies of the Regulations and the circular.

Can the Minister tell us anything about the non-graduate women teachers? Are they going to be put on the same level as the non-graduate men who are regarded for salary purposes as graduates?

The Council was not able to reach unanimous agreement on the matter of non-graduate women teachers. The draft Regulations will in substance reflect the recommendations of the authorities' side, but the hon. Lady will no doubt be hearing the details.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what type of new schools it is proposed to build in Kilmarnock this year.

The education authority hopes that Grassyards Roman Catholic Senior Secondary School will be opened towards the end of this year.

Surely, the Scottish Department appreciates the difficulties arising in Kilmarnock's new housing areas, and the problem there of the lack of school accommodation, apart from the need of further technical education—as instanced in the Answer to Question No. 6—especially necessary in Kilmarnock, which is a very important engineering centre? Is the hon. Gentleman entirely satisfied with the present position in Kilmarnock? [Interruption.] It may well suit interrupting hon. Gentlemen opposite that a model lodging house is still used for teaching primary children in the town, but is the hon. Gentleman aware that we in Kilmarnock are not so satisfied?

As the hon. Member no doubt knows, projects are at present under consideration for building in Kilmarnock the Onthank primary school and a new technical college. One hopes that they will go ahead.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is being carried out by his Department on grass staggers in cattle in Scotland; how many deaths of cattle have taken place this spring from this disease; and whether he is now able to give official advice to farmers as to how to prevent it.

I am advised that this disease is associated with a deficiency of magnesium in the blood stream. Research into the problem is continuing at the Moredun Institute, Edinburgh, and at some centres in England. Losses can be heavy but, as the disease is not notifiable, the exact number of deaths is not known. Farmers are recommended to consult their veterinary surgeons or the advisory officers of the agricultural colleges with a view to adopting any possible means of increasing the intake of magnesium by cattle.

Is my hon. Friend not aware that we know the cure for this disease if we can get at the cow before it dies, because it dies very quickly when it gets the disease? What we want to know is how to prevent the disease. Is my hon. Friend not in a position to give advice to farmers officially as to how to prevent the disease occuring at all?

If my hon. Friend would advise farmers to get in touch with their veterinary surgeons or the advisory officers, they would get information on this subject. I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to an article that appeared in the issue of the magazine "Scottish Agriculture" of autumn, 1954, on hypomagnesemia and tetany of cattle and sheep.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the incidence of calf mortality in the north-east of Scotland is high; and what special research is being conducted by his Department in regard to this matter.

I am aware that the incidence of calf mortality in the north-east of Scotland is unduly high. There has been an increase in the numbers of farmers undertaking calf rearing in this area, and the advisory officers of the Agricultural College are intensifying their efforts to improve the methods of calf rearing among the farmers concerned.

Are the Government aware of any particular cause of this calf mortality, or does it lie, in their opinion, largely through the inexperience of farmers in raising calves?

At the moment there is no evidence of any particular cause, and, as I have said, the advisory officers are doing their best to raise the standards of agriculture generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that lack of adequate bus services is making it impossible to retain the manpower necessary to maintain full agricultural production in many parts of Scotland; and what steps he proposes to take.

I am aware that rural localities are not all equally well served but I have no evidence that lack of bus transport is having a serious effect on agricultural manpower.

Is it not clear to my hon. Friend, from representations made by Members of Parliament and also by the N.F.U. and other bodies, that this problem of bus transport goes right to the root of contentment in the hill areas, and in view of that will not the Government consider the possibility of making a subsidy available in approved areas?

I am sure that my right hon. Friend will be prepared to consider any means of dealing with this problem of which we are aware, but we have no evidence that it is having an effect on agricultural manpower. If my hon. Friend will bring any evidence of that to my attention, I shall gladly look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many families are still occupying former Service camps; and what further steps have been taken to rehouse them as a result of his discussions with the local authorities.

At 1st June, the number was 700, which compares with about 1,200 a year ago. My right hon. Friend is in close touch with the local authorities concerned about the rehousing of the remaining families so as to secure the closure of the camps and the release of the sites at the earliest possible date.

What extra steps were taken following the consultation with the local authorities 15 months ago?

We have done very well so far. We shall not be satisfied until all these families are cleared. The remaining families are, of course, more difficult, but every step will be taken to try to solve the problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if it is still the intention of Her Majesty's Government that exclusion of houses provided by a housing association from the Rent Restrictions Acts will only apply in cases where there was an agreement with the local authority and where Exchequer subsidies have been paid.

This matter is regulated by Section 25 of the Housing (Repairs and Rents) (Scotland) Act, 1954. The Section in effect excludes from rent control not only the categories of houses mentioned by the right hon. Member but also houses belonging to a housing association registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, 1893, which have been provided as part of its business before the commencement of the 1954 Act.

Does the Northern Housing Association in Dundee, which is at present attempting to raise its rents under these Acts, come in one of these two categories?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why he is now refusing to approve the building of houses by local authorities unless these houses are built in accordance with certain economies laid down by his Department.

A relatively small proportion of tenders is rejected, not because of the local authorities' failure to adopt the recommended space standards, but because the prices of the houses are too high.

Will the hon. Gentleman have another look at what his own Department is doing and ascertain if that Department is telling local authorities in Scotland that plans cannot be approved unless the houses are built to an economy standard laid down by the Department?

I sympathise with the hon. Gentleman's question. I have looked at this matter, and the answer is "No." The standards are not obligatory, and many houses have been approved, at reasonable prices, where the recommended standards are exceeded in one respect or another.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that it was reported to me that his noble Friend, now the Minister of State, Scottish Office, informed the Clackmannan County Council that its houses would not be approved unless built to the new economy standards? That may be a misunderstanding, but would the hon. Gentleman look into the matter again, because it would be deplorable if the Department were forcing down the standard of houses against the will of local authorities?

I have been in touch with the county council in question, and that is not the case.

Besides getting in touch with the county council, will the hon. Gentleman look at some of these substandard houses? He might then change his mind.

I will.

asked the Minister of Works if he will take steps to have the numerous pictures, photogravures and documents to be found in the Commons precincts of the Palace of Westminster catalogued and displayed in some sort of chronological order.

My right hon. Friend expects to receive at an early date the Report of the Committee appointed to look into the selection and display of works of art in the Commons. When he does so he will bear in mind the hon. Member's suggestions.

While I would not call them all works of art, could it not be arranged that on certain anniversaries objects which would be of public interest should be given a special display; and would the Minister consult the chief librarians of some of our local authorities, because municipal librarians can give lessons to many amateurs on the job?

Yes, Sir; no doubt, we have a mixed bag, but I think it would be wise to wait for the Report of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Works if he will arrange for the ventilators fitted in the telephone boxes adjacent to the Members' Lobby to be connected with the ventilation plant.

There is no ventilation plant anywhere near the telephone room to which the boxes could be connected. My right hon. Friend agrees, however, that the ventilation is bad, and he proposes to have fans installed in the windows of the room and to have louvres fitted in one or two boxes as an experiment.

Can the Minister explain in that event why the ventilators were installed in the boxes? Secondly, is he aware that fans will be of very little use unless there are some windows there that will open?

The first part of the hon. Gentleman's question is a matter of history, and has nothing to do with my right hon. Friend. The nearest ventilation plant is about 100 feet from and two floors below the telephone room. To connect the boxes, would cost far too much.

As hot air always goes up—[HON. MEmBERs: "Hear, hear."]—would it not be possible to leave a window in the top open so that the hot air can get out? It is quite simple.

asked the Minister of Works what arrangements exist in his Department for custodians employed in the Custody Service, who have reached 65 years of age, and who do not desire to retire, to remain employed by the Department.

Custodians who reach the age of 65 years and desire to carry on may do so, provided they are still capable of carrying out their duties.

Can the Minister explain why at Stanmore certain custodians above the age of 65 have recently been told that their employment is to be terminated on 1st October, in spite of the fact that there is no redundancy?

No, but I will very gladly go into that matter. The general position is that if men who reach the age of 65 want to continue and are capable of continuing, they may do so. If the question of redundancy arises, men over 65 years of age are the first to go, in accordance with an agreement with the trade unions. This appears to be a special case, and I should be glad to look into it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what investigations are being made into the effect of fumes from diesel engines as a contributory factor in cancer of the lung.

Under the auspices of the Medical Research Council, the exhaust products of diesel engines under different running conditions are being examined for cancer-producing substances. Information is also being collected to discover if there is any statistical relationship between the presence of various atmospheric pollutants and the incidence of lung cancer.

is the Minister aware that the increase in the number of cases of cancer of the lung has coincided in a quite remarkable way with the increase in the use of oil as engine fuel, and that it was stated at a recent meeting of the British Medical Association that, although it may appear to be only a coincidence, it is too sinister to be disregarded?

At the moment, it is simply a coincidence. It is known, however, that diesel exhaust fumes contain a great deal of soot, which in turn contains certain hydrocarbons, which can induce cancer of the skin. It is not yet established that they can produce cancer of the lung.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that in America experiments showed that the increase in cancer of the lung is going on as rapidly in the country areas as in the towns?

asked the Secretary of State for War to make a statement on the new webbing equipment cleaner that has replaced blanco.

As a result of research in the Ministry of Supply a new formula for a new web equipment cleaner was devised and given troop trials. These were satisfactory and the new cleaner was introduced into the Army in the spring. It proved neither popular nor fully efficient. Further research has shown that the manufacture is not entirely in accordance with specification and a new version of the cleaner has now been introduced. It is hoped that this will prove more popular and efficient.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the new cleaner which is being introduced will be as inflammable as the other cleaner was, because the latter was recognised as a great danger in tents and wooden huts? Will it also be cheaper? One of the complaints which I have received is that it costs 4s. 4½d. a week to keep the equipment clean, compared with 1s. 3d. for the old blanco.

We intend to give it a trial. The question of cheapness really involves how long one dressing lasts, and we hope that one dressing of the new cleaner will last for a long time. As far as I know, it is not inflammable.

asked the Secretary of State for War under what conditions under his regulations traders are permitted to call on and supply tenants of married quarters in War Department establishments; and how far permits are freely issued.

When married quarters are directly accessible from a public road, no restrictions of any kind are placed on tradesmen. When quarters are inside a barracks, any tradesman is at liberty to deliver goods ordered from his shop, and permits are given freely for the sale inside barracks of goods not already on sale in family shops inside barracks.

Will my right hon. Friend please ensure that those instructions are fully understood as, according to my information, there appear to be attempts in a number of barracks to give N.A.A.F.I. a monopoly in such married quarters?

Yes, Sir. If there is a N.A.A.F.I. inside barracks which has been erected at considerable expense, we do not let tradesmen in to sell those goods which are already on sale inside the barracks.

Why not?

Private enterprise.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is now in a position to make a further statement regarding the proposed scheme to provide special facilities for officers and other ranks to purchase houses during or immediately on termination of their service.

We intend to start a scheme on 1st September. It will be linked with the present Forces Savings Scheme and involves the contribution of a fixed yearly sum which is converted into National Savings Certificates. A pamphlet giving details of the scheme will shortly be issued by the Forces Savings Committee.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this news will be very greatly welcomed, particularly among long-service soldiers, who are always anxious about their prospects of obtaining houses at the end of their engagements?

asked the Secretary of State for War what progress has been made with the disbandment of Anti-Aircraft Command; and whether he will make a statement as to the reorganisation carried out as a result of this decision.

Disbandments, amalgamations and transfers of units to other rôles started in March and will for the most part be completed by 1st August. On that date responsibility for all remaining anti-aircraft units stationed in the United Kingdom will pass to Home Commands. The headquarters of Anti-Aircraft Command and of anti-aircraft groups will close down soon after. Details of the reorganisation were given in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall) on 8th March.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say a little more than that? How many volunteers has he been able to retain and how many has he lost as a result of this disbandment of Anti-Aircraft Command?

That does not arise out of the Question. I will give the accurate figures if the right hon. Gentleman will give me notice of the question.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the drop in recruiting figures for the Regular Army; and whether, in view of the detrimental effect this is likely to have on the noncommissioned and warrant ranks, he will consider the advisability of moving to appoint a Select Committee of the House to investigate and report on possible action to remedy the situation.

Recruiting figures have remained remarkably steady at about 25 per cent. of the National Service intake. I presume, however, that the right hon. Member refers to the retention of an adequate number of men on long-term Regular engagements, which presents a problem to which both I and my Service colleagues have given considerable study. Last year's selective pay increases had satisfactory results in certain sections of the Army but a number of other measures have been under consideration.

Is it not true that the recruiting figures show that if they continue at this depreciated rate then the non-commissioned ranks and the ranks of long-service volunteer Regulars in the Regular Army will be in serious jeopardy? Has the right hon. Gentle. man any new plans for recruiting those long-service volunteers?

The recruiting figures are not seriously disturbing. One always wants them to be better, but ever since the start of the short-service scheme they have remained steady at about one in four of every man called up. The figure has remained remarkably steady throughout. I do not think there is any need for undue alarm about recruitment at the moment.

In view of the grave situation which the right hon. Gentleman himself recognises—that of being unable to obtain sufficient experienced non-commissioned officers—is it not time the Government reviewed the pay code? Obviously we cannot expect these men to remain in the Army if their conditions and pay are not comparable. or at any rate nearly comparable, with those of civilians outside?

It is a complicated subject but I think that the right hon. Gentleman has over-simplified it, because in certain respects the retention rates are very good. I think that the point which causes concern at the moment is that of the number of men taking on after their three-year engagement has been completed. Those are the figures which the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg) is so keen to know. The full figures will give the definite trend, when it is possible to arrive at them. We are trying to get them at the earliest opportunity. In my opinion, that presents a problem about which certain measures will have to be considered very seriously. Indeed, they have been considered.

When that "earliest opportunity" arises, will not the Secretary of State give us the recruiting figures in terms of man-years, because that is the only way in which we can get a valid comparison?

I have several times given the House figures in terms of man-years.