asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that the Oldham Borough Corporation have been refused an increase in their allocation of corporation house building on the ground that they have not completed their current programme; and, as the necessity for a balanced building programme means that there must always be licences not taken up at any given date, whether he will reconsider the matter.

No. The council have received approval to all the tenders they have submitted this year; and I am prepared to consider any further tenders they wish to submit.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed registered in the County Borough of Stockport on 16th October, 1955.

At 10th October there were 614 persons on the registers of the Stockport and Reddish Employment Exchanges and the Stockport Youth Employment Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce legislation for the official registration of opticians.

I regret that I cannot forecast when Parliamentary time for such a measure may be available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an assurance that effective river boards exist to control and limit pollution in the rivers Dee and Don, Aberdeenshire; and whether he is satisfied that adequate powers are available and are being used for these purposes.

A River Purification Board was established by an Order which I made on 10th December last for the Dee and Don area. It has not yet met because the local authorities concerned were not agreed on the terms of the administrative scheme, including their respective representation on the Board. A settlement has now been negotiated and after this has been confirmed by the various local authorities, an agreed scheme will be submitted for my approval.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that it is not permissible for a person in Scotland to have National Health Service lenses fitted to privately purchased spectacle frames unless the total cost of both lenses and frames is paid; and whether he will now amend the regulations so as to bring them into line with the regulations in force in England which allow this service subject only to the customary statutory charge for the lenses.

Amending Scottish regulations in the sense proposed by my hon. and gallant Friend are in preparation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the deficiency on establishment of the police force in Scotland.

At 30th September, 1955, there was a deficiency of 431 regular male officers and 24 female officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to speed up the regional water scheme for Easter Ross and the Black Isle owing to the serious effects which the drought is having, endangering both health and agricultural production; and what investigation his Department has made.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of State has agreed to meet representatives of the county council and the local branch of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland at an early date to discuss this matter. I shall carefully consider any representations made at the meeting and inform the hon. Member of the result.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered some suitable method of commemorating the bicentenary of the poet Robert Burns; and if he will make a statement.

I have every confidence that suitable arrangements for commemorating the bicentenary of Robert Burns, which takes place in 1959, will be made by the Burns Federation, whose work in connection with the poet's memory we all admire.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has taken, or intends to take, to protect individuals from ill-advised purchase of older houses likely to be included in slum clearance schemes.

With this object in view, my Department now ask local authorities to give publicity to slum clearance proposals approved under the Housing (Repairs and Rents) (Scotland) Act, 1954, and from recent inquiries which I have made, I am satisfied that local authorities readily give advice to prospective purchasers who are in doubt on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether any firm decision has yet been reached on the precise nature of a road crossing of the Forth; and what effect the restriction of public expenditure is likely to have on the possibility of proceeding with the projected crossing within the next three years.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation and I are awaiting the Report of the panel of experts who are considering the respective merits of the proposed tube scheme and the bridge scheme. As regards the second part of the Question my intention remains as indicated by my right hon. Friend in his statement of 2nd February last.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reduction of planned capital investment during this year and next year he has arranged in respect of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electricity Board in order to secure conformity with the present economic policy.

I am at present discussing their capital investment programme with the Board and with the South of Scotland Board.

asked the Prime Minister the result of the Treasury Circular requiring all Departments to review their lists of office holders, with reference to the membership of the present House of Commons.

Returns are in from all the Great Britain Departments and examination of them is nearly complete. It was thought advisable to extend the inquiry to the Northern Ireland Departments and the returns from Northern Ireland are not yet in. When all the returns have been fully examined a statement will be made if any action by the House is found to be necessary.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will publish, as a White Paper, an account of the conversations and correspondence between the Government, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the Independent Television Authority and the leaders of the political parties, in connection with the introduction of the 14-day rule limiting the period during which certain subjects may be discussed.

No.

asked the Prime Minister if he will leave it to the British Broadcasting Corporation and Independent Television Authority to arrange political broadcasts so long as an adequate balance is maintained between various points of view.

If the hon. Member is referring to party political broadcasts on behalf of the leading political parties, I consider that the existing arrangements are generally satisfactory, and I believe it to be essential for the choice of speaker to rest in each case with the party concerned.

asked the Prime Minister if he will now state the names of the chairman and members and terms of reference of the Royal Commission which has been appointed to undertake a comprehensive review of the present law on common land in England and Wales.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Sir William Ivor Jennings as Chairman of the Royal Commission which is to be set up to inquire into the law relating to common land in England anal Wales. Its terms of reference are:

"To recommend what changes, if any, are desirable in the law relating to common land in order to promote the benefit of those holding manorial and common rights, the enjoyment of the public, or, where at present little or no use is made of such land, its use for some other desirable purpose."

asked the Prime Minister if his attention has been drawn to the resolution, details of which are in his possession, passed at the July Conference of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, urging the publication of comprehensive statistics of the present use of all land in this country and the preparation of analyses of the development plans now being submitted for approval; and if he will implement this suggestion, particularly in view of the importance of ascertaining what will be the loss of food-producing land under the development plans now in preparation.

My attention has been drawn to the Resolution. As my hon. Friend knows, comprehensive statistics of the present use of all land do not exist and would entail very much labour to obtain. But in the meantime my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Housing and Local Government are preparing analyses of the development plans, and will publish the results when they are available.

asked the Prime Minister which Minister is responsible for keeping under review the actual and contemplated changes in land use, with a view to ensuring that land available is put to the best use in the national interest.

The Ministers responsible are my right hon. Friends the Minister of Housing and Local Government, for England and Wales, and the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Minister of Works if he will now name the day upon which Dover House will be ready for re-occupation by the Scottish Office.

Monday, 28th November, 1955.

asked the Minister of Works at what time the gates of Hyde Park are locked each night.

Midnight.

asked the Secretary of State for War the maximum number of rounds of ammunition per head, per rifle, Sten and Bren, authorised to be kept in training units.

Holdings of small-arms ammunition are not calculated on an overall capitation rate.

asked the Secretary of State for War what instructions were issued prior to 13th August, 1955, by the War Office in regard to the arming of sentries; and whether he will make a statement on the raid at Arborfield.

Owing to incidents in which civilians have been shot or injured, sentries in the United Kingdom are not normally armed with loaded rifles. Instructions in force at that date permitted the employment of armed military guards in exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances were not considered to obtain at the time and incidents such as I.R.A. raids had not occurred for a considerable time in Great Britain. Since the raid my right hon. Friend has had general instructions issued for more stringent security precautions against the possibility of further incidents.

asked the Secretary of State for War what safety precautions are taken in siting armouries and magazines in War Department establishments.

The siting of armouries and magazines depends upon local geography and conditions but certain broad principles are followed. They are sited so as to permit continuous supervision by guards and as necessary are protected by locks, bars, wire, etc. At the same time safety rules must be observed and magazines must not be situated too close to living quarters.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether his Department will assume responsibility for the success of British display at the most important overseas trade fairs, in view of the national efforts made by other countries, for example, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, for purposes of national prestige.

No. The primary purpose of industrial displays at overseas trade fairs is to sell goods. That is a function of industry and not of government. The Board of Trade provides information stands at a number of overseas fairs and, in addition, at selected fairs arranges small exhibits of various kinds to back up the industrial display. In this matter my right hon. Friend has the advice of an Exhibitions Advisory Committee representing industry. The expenditure of public money on overseas trade fairs for purposes of national prestige and not for commercial purposes is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that at the recent St. Eric Industrial Fair in the Olympic Stadium, Stockholm, of the 14 countries officially represented, the British exhibit was the smallest, being only 70 square metres, whilst six other countries had between 1,000 and 3,000 square metres; and if he will take steps to encourage a greater British participation on future occasions.

At St. Erik's Fair this year goods from more than 100 British firms were displayed in the trade sections in which industry generally consider they can show their goods more effectively. The small Board of Trade stand was an information and inquiry centre and not a national exhibit. While the Board of Trade have always encouraged participation in St. Erik's Fair it is not our policy to spend public funds on national prestige exhibits at this Fair.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the kite mark of the British Standards Institution has been brought into disrepute as the result of a motor cyclist's death; that not only in crash helmets is the standard of such marks too low; and whether, as the British Standards Institution receives a grant of £100,000 per annum from the Government, he will now give the Institution authority to raise standards where necessary.

My right hon. Friend does not accept the hon. Member's statement about the kite mark and does not agree that standards generally are too low. The British Standards Institution does not require any authority from the Board of Trade to raise standards where it considers this to be desirable.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is prepared to amend the Hire-Purchase Act, 1954, so that not only the cash price but the amount of the deposit, the number of instalments and the amount of each must be stated clearly on all postal and newspaper advertising.

My right hon. Friend is not yet satisfied that legislation of this kind is necessary, but he is considering the matter further in consultation with the trade associations concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Consumer Advisory Council set up by the British Standards Institution with Government support has no power to deal with consumer complaints; and what steps he proposes to take to give the Council such power.

The purpose of the Advisory Council is to inform the British Standards Institution on matters where consumers have expressed a desire for standards to be established, and its interest in consumers' complaints is primarily to help to judge where standards are most required. My right hon. Friend does not think it would be desirable to interfere with this arrangement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the practice in the cinema industry of restricting competition by barring certain exhibitors from showing current films and of the unfair position in which this puts small independent exhibitors; and whether he will promote legislation to protect the small exhibitors from this restrictive practice.

I see nothing inherently unfair in a distributor's agreeing to give an exhibitor the exclusive right to exhibit a film in his area for a period. There is no element in this of a collective boycott and, therefore, my right hon. Friend sees no reason for legislation on this specific point.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what yardage of Japanese textile material has been imported into this country, and re-exported as British, in the last 12 months.

Imports of cloth of all types from Japan in the 12 months ended September, 1955, were 92 million square yards, nearly all of cotton and rayon. Of this quantity, about one-half was imported against orders from the Colonies for processing and re-export and about one-half under the provisions of the United Kingdom trade and payments arrangements with Japan, virtually all of which was also for re-export.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to transfer the cost of compensation paid to former colliery shareholders from the revenues of the National Coal Board to the Exchequer.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to make a further statement regarding the effect of Entertainment Duty on the living theatre.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an assurance that there will be no reduction on grounds of economy of the programme for new road construction and major road improvements.

As I informed the House in the course of the Debate on the economic situation on 26th July, the road programme already announced will go on.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what will be the effect of the Government's policy of cutting public expenditure upon schemes already announced including school and hospital building, road construction, and atomic station development;(2) what the effect of Government policies will be upon capital developments already announced in the nationalised industries, including the modernisation of the railways;(3) what is the total saving in public expenditure which the Government's present financial policies are designed to effect.

I will ask the hon. Member to await the statement which I shall be making tomorrow in Committee of Ways and Means.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the names of the iron and steel undertakings, the voting stock of which is still in the control of the Realisation Agency.

Names of Companies in which I.S.H.R.A. have direct holdings of equity capital, as at 21st October, 1955:

• Bairds & Scottish Steel Limited.
• Barrow Ironworks Limited.
• Barrow Steel Works Limited.
• The Briton Ferry Steel Co. Limited.
• Brymbo Steel Works Limited.
• Burnell & Co. Limited.
• The Byfield Ironstone Co. Limited.
• The Bynea Steel Works Limited.
• The Coleby Ironstone Co. Limited.
• Consett Iron Co. Limited.
• The Cranford Ironstone Co. Limited.
• Darwen and Mostyn Iron Co. Limited.
• Gjers, Mills & Co. Limited.
• The Glynhir Tinplate Co. Limited.
• The Gorse Galvanizing Co. Limited.
• The Hodbarrow Mining Co. Limited.
• J. J. Habershon & Sons Limited.
• John Baker & Bessemer Limited.
• John Lysaght's Scunthorpe Works Limited.
• The Kettering Iron and Coal Co. Limited.
• The Llanelly Steel Co. (1907) Limited.
• The Loddington Ironstone Co. Limited.
• The Millom & Askam Hematite Iron Co. Limited.
• Nassington Barrowden Mining Co. Limited.
• The Neath Steel Sheet & Galvanizing Co. Limited.
• The New Cransley Iron & Steel Co. Limited.
• Normanby Iron Works Co. Limited.
• The Park Gate Iron & Steel Co. Limited.
• Partridge Jones & John Paton Limited.
• The Patent Shaft & Axletree Co. Limited.
• Pinxton Coking Co. Limited (in voluntary liquidation).
• Raine & Co. Limited.
• The Renishaw Iron Co. Limited.
• Richard Thomas & Baldwins Limited.
• Skinningrove Iron Co. Limited.
• South Durham Steel & Iron Co. Limited.
• The Staveley Iron & Chemical Co. Limited.
• The Steel Company of Wales Limited.
• The Upper Forest & Worcester Steel & Tin Plate Works Limited.
• William Beardmore & Co. Limited.
• W. Wesson & Co. Limited.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the securities of iron and steel undertakings, formerly vested in the Iron and Steel Corporation, now remains in the hands of the Realisation Agency.

The companies whose equity capital is still held by the Agency account for about two-fifths of the activities for which the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain were formerly responsible. In addition, the Agency still hold prior charge securities of some companies whose equity has been sold.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the dollar cost of film feature material imported for use on the Independent Television Authority's service since its commencement; and whether he will arrange, in future, for a separate record to be kept of material imported from overseas for such purposes, in order that assurance may be given of the Authority's compliance with Section 3 (1, d) of the Television Act, 1954.

I regret the figures are not available. Nor do I think that such a separate record would be an appropriate way of dealing with this matter.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the acquisition by the National Gallery of a painting by E1 Greco.

The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art considered an application for a licence to export the painting by E1 Greco known as "The Dream of Philip II." The Committee decided that the picture ought to be retained in this country and, on their recommendation, I have agreed that a special grant of £30,100 should be made to the National Gallery towards the purchase price of £42,500, the balance being found by the National Gallery Trustees from their own resources. An advance has been made from the Civil Contingencies Fund and a Supplementary Estimate will be presented to the House in due course.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial provision is being made for participation by the United Kingdom in the proposed International Geophysical Year.

The Royal Society have informed me of the discussions in which they have taken part under the auspices of the International Council of Scientific Unions on this subject. It is proposed that there should be an International Geophysical Year in 1957–58 in the course of which simultaneous records of a wide variety of meteorological and other phenomena would be made in many parts of the world. The Government have agreed in principle that the United Kingdom should participate in this major international scientific effort. Part of the cost of United Kingdom participation will be borne on the votes of Government Departments. The rest will be met by a grant-in-aid which it is proposed to make to the Royal Society for this purpose. Most of the expenditure will fall in the financial year 1956–57. Particular attention is being paid in the International Geophysical Year to a study of the Antarctic Continent, and as part of this programme the United Kingdom has undertaken to establish a scientific station at Vahsel Bay. The establishment and administration of this station will be undertaken by the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey on behalf of the Royal Society, who will be responsible for the scientific programme. It will be necessary to establish this station during the coming Antarctic summer months and preparatory expenditure of about £120,000 will be incurred during the current financial year. A Supplementary Estimate will be presented in due course. Until this can be done any necessary expenditure will be met from the Civil Contingencies Fund. An advance of £20,000 was made for this purpose in August.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that a mother, sentenced recently to three months imprisonment for larceny, was not allowed to take her four months old baby into prison with her; and whether he will have the regulations revised so that in such circumstances infants may receive the same consideration that would have been given to them if they had been born in prison, that is to say, they are allowed to stay with the mother until nine months old.

There is nothing in the present practice to prevent a nursing mother received into prison having her child with her under the same conditions as if it had been born while the mother was in prison. In the case which I think the hon. Member has in mind, the baby was bottle-fed, and the mother at no time, as I am informed, showed any desire to have it with her in prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the sounding of motor car horns has been forbidden in Paris with the result that not only has there been greater peace and quiet in the city but there has been a substantial reduction in the number of accidents; and whether he will ask the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to study the working of these regulations.

Yes. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has studied the working of these regulations but does not consider that in London there is any abuse of motor horns sufficient to justify him in recommending a corresponding prohibition. It is already an offence in this country to sound a horn on a stationary vehicle or in a built-up area between 11.30 p.m. and 7 a.m.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Her Majesty's Government advised civil servants not to attend the International Conference on Regional Planning and Development at Bedford College, London, at the end of September.

Almost all of the civil servants invited to this conference were invited in an official capacity, usually as departmental representatives. Her Majesty's Government did not approve of such departmental representation because participation by civil servants in activities organised by this Association might give rise to misunderstanding since some of the organisers responsible for the conference are Communists or Communist sympathisers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the inquiry into the Jack Comer trial.

Following on police inquiries, three persons have been charged with conspiring with other persons to defeat the course of justice at this trial, and it would be improper for me to make any comment.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that light-weight motor-cycle crash helmets are being sold as safety helmets, whereas they are useless for the purpose; and if he will make it illegal to offer for sale so called safety helmets which do not reach an agreed standard of construction.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the road tragedies caused by the sale of shoddy helmets to motor cyclists, who believe them to be safety helmets as advertised; and what steps he has taken.

A great deal of research has recently been undertaken into this subject by the Road Research Laboratory and others. Helmets complying with British Standards Specification 2001 of 1953 give excellent protection and although the complete figures are not available, it appears that a large majority of the helmets sold comply with this specification. In view of certain misunderstandings I would add that the fact that in a severe accident a helmet is damaged is no indication that it has failed to do its job. In fact a helmet so constructed that it did not give under very severe impact would be very dangerous. I have no powers to interfere with the sale of other makes of helmets but I would advise motor cyclists to buy those conforming with the British Standards Specification.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will make a further statement on the policy of the Government in regard to the reduction of the period of National Service.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Poole (Captain Pilkington) and the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis).

asked the Minister of Defence what other sites in less populated areas in Great Britain were fully examined and technically surveyed before Her Majesty's Government announced the proposal to establish a guided missile range in the island of South Uist; what acreage of land and what number of crofters and others will be adversely affected; whether he has considered the objections of many local people and others to the project; and if he will make a statement.

The safety requirements for a guided weapon range demand not only that it should be in one of the less populated areas of Britain but also that it should avoid congested air and shipping routes and extensively fished areas. It must also be associated with radar and airfield facilities. These considerations narrow down the choice of sites in the United Kingdom. After information had been collected about a number of possible places, it was clear that only a site in the Outer Hebrides would be likely to meet all the requirements. South Uist was chosen after a reconnaissance of the islands in the Outer Hebrides. A full survey is now taking place.Detailed plans of the possible disposition of the various facilities for the range will be drawn up in the light of the survey report. When these are complete, specific proposals will be formulated and all the interests which are affected will be informed and given every opportunity to lodge objections. If there are objections of substance a public local inquiry will be arranged.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what changes have taken place in the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the supply of arms to countries in the Middle East;(2) what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to Egypt concerning the purchase of arms from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Her Majesty's Government's policy has been and continues to be based on the Tripartite Declaration of 1950 and the need to prevent an arms race. Representations were made to the Egyptian Government by Her Majesty's Ambassador on 1st and 6th October. Their purpose was to warn the Egyptian Government of the dangers inherent in accepting assistance of this kind from Communist countries.

asked the Attorney-General when the Report of the Royal Commission on Divorce will be published.

The Royal Commision hopes to report before next year commences and the Report will be published as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what arrangements he has made to reduce the promotional advertising expenditure of the nationalised gas and electricity boards; what aggregate sum of money has thus been economised; how far such sums will now be devoted to capital projects of a production character; and how he proposes in future to control and regulate promotional advertising expenditure of the nationalised gas and electricity boards.

For the current financial year the gas and electricity industries, taken together, are reducing their expenditure on advertising by nearly £½ million which will be available to finance capital investment. I do not propose to regulate this advertising, but I shall continue to confer with both industries on this subject as occasion demands.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, what reduction of planned capital expenditure during this year and next year he has arranged in respect of the nationalised gas and electricity industries, in conformity with the present economic policy; to what extent gas and electricity production will thereby be affected; and in what manner reduction of capital investment has been achieved.

The whole question is at present under review and figures are not available, but it is already clear that capital projects amounting to several million pounds have been slowed down or postponed. In revising their capital investment programmes both industries have full regard to the need to maintain essential production of gas and electricity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many advisory and informative leaflets, circulars, letters and postcards were sent by his Department to farmers in 1954–55; on what subjects; and at what cost.

A large part of the work of my Department, particularly of the provincial and county staff, consists in giving advice and information to farmers, and I am afraid that it would be quite impracticable to give the figures for which the hon. Member asks.