asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he is aware of Greek indebtedness to this country, and that there are about fifteen stocks upon which interest and sinking funds are greatly in arrears; and what steps he is taking to expedite a settlement;(2) whether he is aware that the Greek loans issued under the auspices of the League of Nations, and with special reference to the Greek Government 7 per cent. Refugee Loan, 1924, and the 6 per cent. Stabilisation Loan, 1928, are considerably in arrears in the payment of interest; and, in view of the material improvement in her economic life, what steps he is taking with a view to the resumption of service.

Her Majesty's Government have made plain to the Greek authorities their interest in a settlement of Greek external debts. It is their earnest hope that the Greek Government will soon make acceptable proposals to the bondholders' associations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a second Budget and Finance Bill during the current financial year.

My right hon. Friend is not at present disposed to envisage anything so far-reaching as my hon. Friend suggests.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, following his recent announcement that the Inland Revenue will give advice to firms wishing to introduce profit sharing, if he will arrange for similar advice to be available for firms wishing to introduce co-partnership, pension, sickness and injury schemes.

Yes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take to reduce the cost of living.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statements made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the debate on the Address on 16th June.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that in certain parts of the country people are offering to buy strains of rabbits free from myxomatosis; and whether he will use his powers to control the movement of rabbits to ensure that this traffic is prohibited.

Recent inquiries have disclosed no significant traffic in healthy rabbits except for domestic purposes. I have no power to control the movement of rabbits but I can require their destruction. I shall not hesitate to use my powers against any person who is found to have brought wild rabbits on to his land.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now prepared to sanction the erection of a sugar-beet factory in west Sussex.

No. I am still of opinion that a new factory in that area cannot be justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Horticultural Marketing over which Viscount Runciman is presiding.

I do not think I would be justified, at this early stage, in asking the Chairman of this Committee of Inquiry to forecast the length of time he and his colleagues will require for their complicated and wide-ranging task.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the widespread damage by birds to fruit tree buds, what progress has been made in the research into this problem.

Investigations are continuing, but I am afraid there is nothing I can, at present, add to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 16th March.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet received the report of the Working Party under the chairmanship of Professor Zuckerman on the risks to wild life arising from the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture.

Yes. The Report is published today and copies are available in the Vote Office. This third Report of the Working Party completes its survey of the precautionary measures needed in using toxic chemicals in agriculture. The Secretary of State for Scotland and I would take this opportunity of thanking Professor Zuckerman and his colleagues for the valuable contribution they have made to this important and difficult subject.The view is expressed in the Report that in a normal season in Britain the number of casualties to wild birds and animals caused by spraying is not particularly high compared with other causes of death. The Working Party does not consider that further legislation is needed at present.The Working Party recommends that the knowledge of the subject it was asked to review should be extended urgently by further research. It recommends that risks to wild life, both flora and fauna, arising from the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, should be kept under review by the Inter-Departmental Advisory Committee set up in accordance with the recommendations of the second Report of the Working Party, and that the Committee should include representatives of nature conservation interests.Finally, it is recommended that the importance of certain precautionary measures should be clearly made known to spraying contractors, farmers, growers and bee-keepers.

asked the Minister of Education on what grounds he has refused permission for the building of the proposed Catholic primary school, Our Lady of Lourdes, on Bradley Boulevard, Huddersfield.

I cannot at present approve this school because there are sufficient school places available or under construction to provide for all the children in the area.

asked the Minister of Education how many case of prosecution have been instituted by the Radnorshire Education Committee for the non-attendance of children at school during the last 12 months; and how many of these cases were dismissed.

The local education authority tells me that it has instituted ten such cases in the last year, none of which has been dismissed.

asked the Minister of Education when he proposes to bring Part III of the Education Act, 1944, into operation.

My right hon. Friend's predecessor announced that Part III would be put into force in about 1957. The necessary preparatory work is being put in hand.

asked the Minister of Education in how many new secondary schools building was completed in 1954–55; how many were begun in this year; and how many he will begin to build in 1955–56.

During the year ended 1st February, 1955, the latest date for which figures are available, 161 new secondary schools were completed and 222 started. A further 558 were scheduled to start between 1st February last and 31st March, 1956.

asked the Minister of Education to publish statistics for each of the post-war years showing the progress made in the recruitment of teachers in Wales.

The following figures show how the total number of teachers in Wales has increased each year since 1947:

asked the Minister of Education whether he will publish statistics showing improvements in the school dental service in Wales since 1951.

Local education authorities in Wales were employing on 1st January the equivalent of 40 full-time dentists in 1952, 48 in 1953, 51 in 1954 and 56 this year. I am sending my hon. Friend further information about dental inspection and treatment extracted from the published Reports of the Chief Medical Officer of my Department.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give figures showing the extent of overcrowding in primary and secondary schools in the rural districts of Atherstone, Tamworth and Meriden in the County of Warwick, and if he will list particularly bad localities; and the prospects of improvement.

The extent of overcrowding in these schools cannot conveniently be summarised statistically, but the localities where pressure is severe are Castle Bromwich and Kingshurst on the Birmingham border, Kingsbury, Hurley, Polesworth and Dordon, where there has been rapid development in the coal mining industry, Meriden and Eastern Green. Additional accommodation is being built or will soon be started at all these places except Meriden, where the authority is considering how best to meet the needs.

asked the Minister of Education (1) the estimated capital cost of bringing into operation Section 43 of the Education Act and setting up county colleges;(2) how many extra secondary school places will be needed to implement Section 35 of the Education Act, raising the school-leaving age to 16; and the estimated capital cost involved;(3) how many extra places in training colleges will be required when the three-years' course becomes the minimum qualification for entrants to the teaching profession.

The answer to these Questions would depend very largely on the dates which one assumed for the various changes and on other uncertain factors. I can not, therefore, give any useful estimates at the present time.

asked the Minister of Education if he will make a statement about the acquisition of the Butler Bowdon Cope by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

This early fourteenth century cope, which is finely embroidered with work known as opus anglicanum, is the only known example of its kind remaining in private hands in this country. It has been strongly represented to me that the cope is of the highest national importance and that special Exchequer help should, if necessary, be given towards its purchase, so that it may remain in this country.The price is £33,000. The National Art-Collections' Fund and the Pilgrim Trust have generously offered to contribute £5,000 and £3,000, respectively, and I am also indebted to the kindness of City companies for offers of donations towards the cost. The Museum has been able to find about £15,000 from its own resources, leaving £9,000 which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has agreed, subject to the approval of Parliament, to find through an addition to the Museum Purchase Grant for the current financial year. The payment for the cope will be made through an advance of this sum from the Civil Contingencies Fund and a Supplementary Estimate will be laid before the House very shortly.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what consultations he has had with the Australian Government about the effect of the proposed increase in shipping freight rates on the cost of our exports and imports to and from Australia.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he proposes to take to secure international agreement for the control of nuclear and atomic weapons.

Her Majesty's Government are taking all possible steps to secure a comprehensive disarmament agreement providing for the total prohibition and elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, as well as for major reductions in conventional armaments and armed forces, with a really effective system of international control. As stated by my right hon. Friend on 13th June, Her Majesty's Government will pursue their aim at whatever level this vital question is considered.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that the International Law Commission, held at Geneva in May, 1955, at which Britain is represented, has made recommendations relating to the regulation of fisheries on the high seas which affect British fishing rights; and if he will make a statement on the subject.

The International Law Commission has as yet made no recommendations; it is still in session and its draft Articles are open to amendment till it concludes its work. When the Articles are passed to Governments for their comments, Her Majesty's Government will give them careful consideration in the light of United Kingdom and colonial fishery interests.It is not strictly correct to say that Britain is represented at the International Law Commission. The Commission consist of persons sitting in their individual capacity as experts on international law, and not as representatives of Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the immunities and privileges accorded to officers and staffs of the diplomatic corps and international organisations; which persons have these immunities and privileges extended to their families; which organisations with offices in this country now qualify for these privileges; and how many people now in this country are regarded as entitled to these benefits.

Heads of foreign diplomatic missions in London, and members of their staffs, whose names are recorded in the list prepared in the Foreign Office under the Statute 7 Ann. Cap. 12, are entitled to claim diplomatic immunity from the jurisdiction of the English courts. The number of such persons whose names are at present recorded in the list is 2,522, of whom 688 are servants employed in the households of the heads of missions and in the chanceries. In addition, wives and families of the entitled persons are by custom regarded as sharing the immunity if resident with and dependent upon the entitled person.Her Majesty's Government also accept and apply in relation to the Diplomatic Corps the principles of inviolability of person and residence and freedom of communication.The fiscal privileges accorded to the members of the Diplomatic Corps are exemption from liability to United Kingdom Income Tax, and, on a basis of reciprocity, personal Customs franchise in respect of the importation or withdrawal from bond of dutiable goods destined for personal or family use or consumption, partial relief from payment of local rates on official premises and official residences, exemption from payment of motor car licence duty and from the payment of fees leviable for certain licences.The immunities and privileges accorded to international organisations, their officers and staffs and their respective families, are in each case regulated by the terms of the relevant international agreement; and by the consequent Orders in Council made under the International Organisations (Immunities and Privileges) Act, 1950 (14 Geo. 6 Ch. 14).Orders in Council under the Act are at present in force in relation to the undermentioned Organisations having offices in the United Kingdom:

asked the Attorney-General whether he will now publish the detailed evidence given before the Leasehold Committee and, in particular, that of the ten Government Departments which opposed leasehold enfranchisement.

No.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will arrange for a chemist dispensing National Health prescriptions to be open in Northampton each night after 7 p.m.

It is for the local Executive Council to make arrangements, subject to my approval, for providing that one or more chemists on the pharmaceutical list shall at all reasonable times be open. The Council has not asked me to approve any change in the existing arrangements which are similar to those in force elsewhere in the country and which I see no grounds for altering.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now able to announce the membership of the Working Party which has been set up to examine the field of work, recruitment and training of social workers in the local authorities' health and welfare services.

Yes, I am glad to say that the following members have accepted invitations from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself to serve on this Working Party:

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unfilled vacancies in the coal-mining industry in North Staffordshire and at the Royal ordnance factories at Swynnerton and Radway Green at the latest date for which figures are available.

There were 442 vacancies for men and boys in the coal-mining industry notified to employment exchanges in North Staffordshire and remaining unfilled at 1st June, 1955. The numbers of vacancies notified by the Royal ordnance factories at Swynnerton and Radway Green and remaining unfilled at 15th June were 84 and 13 respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he proposes to authorise the beginning of construction of the new motor highway from Watford by-pass to Rugby.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the first section of the London—Yorkshire motor road between St. Albans By-pass and Ashby St. Ledger near Rugby, with a spur to Dunchurch. Until the necessary statutory procedure has been completed I am unable to add to the statement which I made on 2nd February, 1955.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men whose call-up under the National Service Acts has been deferred for occupational reasons since 1st November, 1951, and who since this date have been called up while they were engaged in unofficial strikes.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the inadequacy of the existing import duties in their effect on regulating imports of strawberries during the early part of the English strawberry season; and if he will take steps to remedy this.

No; it is too early yet to judge the adequacy of the increases in the rates of duty which were imposed last year.