asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the report made to him by the regional psychiatrist of the East Anglian Regional Hospital Board referring to the need for two large hospitals, each with at least 1,000 beds, for mental defectives in the East Anglian Region who are in need of hospital facilities; and to what extent he is planning to meet this need.

I am aware of this report, and several schemes are in hand to provide more beds in this area. But as I have informed the Regional Hospital Board, I am unable to comment on the major proposals until I have received the report of the Royal Commission on the law relating to mental illness and mental deficiency.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to give sanction for the erection of an occupation centre for ineducable children in the Penarth and Barry area.

The County Council hope to include the scheme in their capital development programme for next year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has now agreed that half-glasses should now be made available under the Supplementary Ophthalmic Services and not only on clinical grounds, through the hospital eye service.

Yes, from 1st December.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a further report on the result of discussions regarding the cost of proprietary and non-proprietary drugs and appliances.

Discussions about the method of fixing the prices of proprietary preparations have continued. Proposals which had been framed by representatives of the industry have recently been revised by them in the light of these discussions, and I am at present examining in detail the revised proposals. With regard to standard drugs and the main types of surgical dressings, as I stated in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 13th June last, investigations of manufacturers' costs and profits in both these fields were concluded earlier this year, and I am satisfied that there is at present no call for intervention by the Government. Basic drugs, which cannot be dealt with separately from proprietary preparations, are still under investigation, and meantime the firms themselves have continued to reduce the prices of some important drugs. Since the price reductions to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 17th June last, I understand that the manufacturers have further reduced the prices of many penicillin products by about 12½ per cent., of streptomycin products by about 15 per cent., of chloramphenicol products by 2½ per cent., and of a number of hormone products by varying amounts ranging up to 50 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount paid over the last convenient period by British nationals for visas to Spain; how much has been paid by Spanish nationals for visas to Great Britain; and what attempts have been made to reduce or abolish these charges, and with what results.

It is estimated that during 1954 250,000 British subjects visited Spain and paid approximately £300,000 for Spanish visas. During the same period the 10,706 Spanish nationals who landed in the United Kingdom paid approximately £10,000 for their visas.Earlier this year the Spanish authorities were asked once more to consider the negotiation of a visa abolition agreement but replied that they are unable to contemplate this. They have also declined an invitation to reduce their fees to the level of those charged by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for what countries British travellers require to be in possession of passports with the appropriate visas.

British subjects require passports with the appropriate visas or their equivalent for travel to all countries except ones with which Her Majesty's Government have made arrangements for the abolition of visas.Following is a list of countries with which arrangements have been made for the reciprocal abolition of visas:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps he has taken to conclude visa abolition agreements with those countries which still require British travellers to them to obtain visas.

In April this year the Spanish Government were invited to conclude a visa abolition agreement but replied that they were unable to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will state the nature of the security checks imposed by his Department immediately following the departure of Burgess and Maclean from this country; and whether he is now satisfied that no disclosure of secret information is likely either at home or overseas.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to paragraph 27 of the White Paper Cmd. 9577.The answer to the second part of the Question is "Yes, sir."

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will amplify the statement in the White Paper that Maclean was under suspicion at the time of his disappearance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many officials have been dismissed, transferred or permitted to resign as a result of disciplinary measures arising from the disappearance of Burgess and Maclean.

It is proposed to have a debate on this subject at an early date. I would ask hon. Members to await that debate.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on his conversations with Mr. Dulles and his representations to the Egyptian Government on the supply of arms to Middle East countries.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the supply of arms to Egypt by Soviet Socialist satellite countries in view of the Tripartite Declaration of May, 1950.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the steps taken by Egypt, in impeding the passage of shipping through the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Akaba, in declaring that she is at war with Israel, a fellow member of the United Nations organisation, and in repeated statements that she is determined to attack Israel again, Her Majesty's Government will refrain from supplying further arms to Egypt.

As the House is aware, the conflict between Israel and the Arab States has created a dangerous state of tension in the Middle East. The decision of Soviet bloc countries to sell large quantities of arms to one party in the dispute has greatly aggravated this situation.My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary took immediate steps to consult with his American and French colleagues in New York on learning of this transaction, and later in New York and now again at Geneva has represented Her Majesty's Government's grave concern to the Soviet Foreign Minister. At the same time Her Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo has on two occasions warned the Egyptian Government of the dangers inherent in accepting assistance of this kind from Communist countries. I recently took the opportunity to speak on similar lines in New York to the Egyptian Foreign Minister.As to Her Majesty's Government's own policy regarding the supply of armaments to the Middle East, we and the other Western Powers have, as the House knows, done our best to limit supplies, to maintain a balance, to prevent an arms race and to create an atmosphere conducive to a settlement. This has been in accordance with our obligations under the Tripartite Declaration of 1950, which it is our intention to uphold.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Sherman tanks have been sold by this country to Israel in the last four years; how many were sold by this country to France in the same period; and what future sales of similar equipment are contemplated.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for the Isle of Wight (Sir P. Macdonald) on 26th of October.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on British policy regarding the offer by the Indian Government to supply small arms to Egypt in relation to the arrangements for preserving peace in the near East announced in the Tripartite Declaration of May, 1950; and what are the details of the offer.

I have no details of this offer. But my information does not suggest that the types involved are likely to have a significant effect on the general balance of armaments in the Middle East.So far as British policy is concerned, I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Cardiff. West (Mr. G. Thomas).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the composition of the delegation which is accompanying him to the conference at Geneva.

My right hon. Friend is accompanied by his Private Secretary and the advisers he considers necessary, together with appropriate secretarial and other staff. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State may attend part of the meeting.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why he advised foreign Governments not to be represented at the recent conference on regional planning and development.

My right hon. Friend had been asked by a friendly Government if the Conference was reputable. On learning that some of those responsible for organising the Conference were Communists or Communist sympathisers, he passed on this information to the Government in question and to a number of other friendly Governments.

asked the Secretary for Foreign Affairs why his Department requested the Central Office of Information to undertake distribution of posters and leaflets produced by the United Nations Association; the purpose of this distribution; and the cost to public funds.

The purpose of the distribution, which takes place annually on United Nations Day, is to bring before the British public the aims and achievements of the United Nations. The leaflet was prepared by the Central Office of Information and the poster by the United Nations. The total cost to public funds was £960.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that fourteen British Protectorate Somali elders have been detained in Harar Prison awaiting trial in connection with the murder of an Ethiopian Sultan, notwithstanding that the actual assassin has been sentenced and duly executed; and what steps he will take in this matter.

In August, 1954, these men were arrested, as was another man, who has since been tried and sentenced for the murder. The others were charged with complicity before an Ethiopian court, which acquitted them on 25th October; they have since been released. I have no confirmation that the execution of the other man has yet taken place.Her Majesty's Consul, Harar, made immediate investigations when the men were arrested, and satisfied himself that, although belonging to the Habr Awal a British Protected tribe, these men were by their own admission, dual nationals. He could not, therefore, intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has any further statement to make on the situation at Buraimi.

Since the information given by the Prime Minister in his statement of 26th October, we have learned that there was some resistance from dissidents led by three shaikhs who had gone over to the Saudis. This was, however, overcome and the shaikhs gave themselves up. The Oasis is now quiet. The Sultan of Muscat has appointed a governor for his villages and his forces are co-operating with the forces of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and with the Trucial Oman Levies.The members of the Saudi police group are back in Saudi Arabia.The casualties in the Trucial Oman Levies were two killed and three slightly wounded. So far as I know there were no casualties among the Saudis except the two slightly wounded who were mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement. Details of casualties to the dissidents are unknown but they are said to have declared that they had five killed.On the 27th of October, Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Jedda was handed a Note in which the Saudi Government protested at these events and requested the restoration of the status quo in Buraimi.On 28th October the Saudi Arabian Permanent Representative to the United Nations addressed a letter to the President of the Security Council reserving the right to request the President to call a meeting of the Council to consider this matter and to take any necessary measures. The United Kingdom representative to the United Nations has also addressed a letter to the President of the Security Council explaining the situation in similar terms to those used by the Prime Minister in his statement of 26th October.

asked the Attorney-General how many applications were made in 1954 for the Attorney-General's fiat for leave to appeal to the House of Lords from the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Eighty-eight.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that the rule which subjects widows' pensions to an earnings rule inflicts hardship in many cases; when this rule was made; and, in view of the rise of the index figure for the cost of living since then, what steps he intends to take to withdraw this earnings rule or to adjust it to the present cost of living.

No. The rule was enacted in 1946 as part of the provisions governing widows' benefits. These are at present under review by the National Insurance Advisory Committee.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what report he has received from the National Insurance Advisory Committee relating to the widowhood provisions of the National Insurance Scheme.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is now in a position to give information regarding the pensions of those widows who only receive 10s.

I understand the Committee are now considering the terms of their Report on this subject, but I cannot forecast the date of its receipt.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the present number of 1914–18 war pensioners in receipt of disability pensions with special allowances for limb amputations and the number who are 65 years of age or over.

The number of limbless pensioners of the 1914–18 War who are now in receipt of one or more of the four main supplementary allowances, namely, for unemployability, constant attendance, comforts and lowered standard of occupation, is about 2,100, of whom about 700 are 65 years of age or over.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the nature of the reply sent to the Fife Branch of the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association concerning their claim for compensation additional to the fixed pension assessments for amputations; and whether he can hold out any hope of meeting this request at an early date.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make a statement on the position of the pension provisions for limbless persons incapacitated during the First World War.

The resolution mentioned by the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) has been acknowledged. My right hon. Friend is always ready to consider individual cases where the war disability has worsened, but on present medical advice he cannot hold out any expectation of a change in the basis of the war pensions provisions so as to vary assessments according to age or to treat those with amputations differently on that account from other war pensioners.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the value of the current basic retirement pension in terms of the value of the pound in 1939.

On a comparison of the current interim index of retail prices with the 1939 cost of living index, 40s. now would be equivalent to 20s. 9d. in 1939.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will now modify the earnings rule for people drawing retirement pensions so as to permit them to earn more than 40s. per week before deductions are made from their pensions.

I cannot add to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 20th June.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware of the injustice done to many claimants under the National Health Service by the regulation that notice of incapacity or claims must be submitted within three clear days from the commencement of the incapacity; and what action he proposes to take to deal with the problem.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to claimants for sickness benefit under the National Insurance scheme. The regulations already allow substantially longer periods of notice to persons making a first claim and those who are, or have been, in hospital. All the time limits can be extended if there is good cause for delay. The provisions are those recommended by the National Insurance Advisory Committee after a special review of the subject in 1952, and my right hon. Friend sees no reason to change them.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what right of appeal exists under his regulations against a decision made by a commissioner who has been appointed by his Department to give a ruling regarding the physical condition and ability of an individual.

The National Insurance Acts provide that decisions of the National Insurance and Industrial Injuries Commissioners shall be final. The commissioners, who are lawyers of high standing, are appointed by the Crown and are of course quite independent of the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that National Assistance cannot be paid to handicapped children between the ages of 15 and 16 years; and whether, in view of the hardship caused, he will introduce legislation to amend the relevant provision of the 1948 Act.

Provision for these children's needs is already included by the National Assistance Board in any assistance allowance for which their parents may be eligible, and I see no necessity to amend the Act.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will state his policy in regard to the Report of the Departmental Committee appointed to review the Diseases Provisions of the Industrial Injuries Act.

Yes. My right hon. Friend has considered the Majority and Minority Reports of this Committee. The Majority recommended the continuance of the present system under which benefit is paid only for injury by accident and for diseases which are prescribed in regulations, and they endorsed the provisions which govern such prescription. My right hon. Friend has decided to accept these recommendations. The Committee also made recommendations affecting the future work of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council and the organisation of occupational health research. He is considering these recommendations in consultation with the Advisory Council and his Ministerial colleagues concerned.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what representations he has received from the National Assistance Board for an increase in the scale of National Assistance payments to compensate for increases in the cost of lighting and heating arising from the increases in the prices of coal and coke.

None. The Board are of course watching the position and can be relied on to submit proposals whenever they think the situation warrants it.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that communities losing social amenities such as a playing field or village common as a consequence of opencast coal-mining receive no compensation; and if he will take steps to ensure that compensation is paid in all cases.

Compensation for the requisitioning of playing fields or village commons for opencast coal production is payable to the owners and occupiers, including local authorities, in accordance with the Compensation (Defence) Act, 1939, and amending legislation.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make a statement as to the likely levels of stocks of domestic fuel in the Eastern Region at the beginning of the next winter as compared with the last three winters.

Stocks of house coal, anthracite and boiler fuel at merchants' depots in the Eastern Region should reach 100,000 tons by the end of October. Corresponding figures for 1954, 1953 and 1952 were 112,000 tons, 132,000 tons and 185,000 tons respectively. The flow of house coal to this region during the summer was specially affected by the Yorkshire miners' strike and the subsequent railway strike but steps have been taken to correct the position as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is now in a position to make a statement on his discussions with the National Coal Board about the recommendations of the Turner Committee on Mining Subsidence.

No.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the anxiety of coal distributors in Solihull about the winter fuel allocation; and whether he will make a statement.

I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what progress is being made with the £300 million programme of nuclear power development.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power where each of the proposed 12 new atomic power stations to be built in Britain during the next 10 years will be located; and which of them will be devoted to the production of atomic energy for peace and war purposes, respectively.

The primary purpose of all these stations will be to generate electricity for the country's general needs. So far progress has been mainly in station design work and the search for sites. The Central Electricity Authority have already selected sites for the first two of the twelve stations in the White Paper programme, one at Bradwell in Essex and the other at Berkeley in Gloucestershire; they have four more sites under urgent consideration and are pressing on with their search for others.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he expects the Committee under the chairmanship of Sir Edwin Herbert now investigating the organisation of the electricity supply industry to report.

I understand that this Committee expect to report by the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will state the present position of the proposal to erect a power station at The Leys, Glamorgan.

After holding a public inquiry and considering all the representations which he has received concerning this proposal my right hon. Friend has decided to grant the Central Electricity Authority's application for permission to build a station on this site.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that United States sources passed to this country, in 1952, information about the theory of aircraft construction known as Area Rule; and whether he is further aware that since that time, several United States aircraft have come into service embodying this principle with an increase in speed estimated to be of the order of 25 per cent. but that no British aircraft has yet been built to the specifications of his Department embodying the principle; and whether he will make a statement.

A report on the Area Rule was released to us by the Americans in January, 1953, and circulated by my Department to all designers of British military aircraft. The Area Rule is in effect a method of applying to the design of supersonic aircraft complicated mathematical theories of drag on which a great deal of work has been, and is being, done in this country. The increase in speed its application can give depends of course upon the quality of the original design of any given aircraft and the speed range for which it is intended. All current British designs have been examined in the light of the new rule but few improvements have resulted because it is of benefit only in the case of aircraft designed for supersonic speeds and because our supersonic projects have been found already to conform closely to Area Rule principles.

asked the Minister of Supply when the helicopter project, still in its experimental stage at Hunting Percival Aircraft Limited, was first sanctioned by his Department; what stage has now been reached; the total cost to public funds to date of this venture; and what it is ultimately hoped to achieve by these helicopter experiments.

The contract for the construction of this research helicopter was placed by my Department at the end of 1951. The object is to explore the possibilities of a new form of helicopter propulsion. The experimental aircraft is virtually complete, and ground running is expected to start very shortly. Unless any unforeseen snag occurs during ground running, it should start flying soon afterwards. It is not the normal practice to make public details of the sums of money paid to individual firms.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many markets in England and Wales have opened special sections for the sale of pigs from registered vaccinated herds.

Eleven.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will provide standards for the meat content of sausages.

I have asked the Food Standards Committee to review the position, and will consider the question of standards in the light of its recommendations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what approximate additional value of the last harvest was attributable to the absence of rabbits; and what steps he will take to ensure that a substantial part of this sum is reflected in reduced costs to the taxpayer and lower prices to the consumer.

Reports based on observation suggest that the increase in production of cereals in England and Wales may be worth some £10 million-£15 million at this year's prices. Changes of this kind should be reflected in estimates of aggregate farming net income and thus taken into account at the Annual Price Review together with all other relevant factors.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he is aware of the new difficulties caused by subsidence in recent months to the houses in the area of Woodhouse Lane, Beighton, in the Chesterfield Rural Council, which suffered by flooding last winter; and what is being done to give protection during this coming winter;

I understand from the Yorkshire Ouse River Board, that unfortunately the flooding cannot be materially lessened unless the River Rother can be deepened and enlarged throughout its length from Beighton to Woodhouse Mill, including a substantial lowering of the river bed beneath the Beighton Viaduct which carries a main line railway. To lower the river at this point would mean extensive reconstruction works, but at the request of the River Board the British Transport Commission are considering the extent to which the bed could be lowered, and the best method of underpinning the viaduct piers. Meanwhile the Derbyshire County Council as the highway authority have, with a contribution from the River Board, carried out a substantial raising of the Rotherham Road in Beighton to alleviate flooding, and the River Board itself has a major scheme prepared for work in the vicinity of Woodhouse Mill, about one mile downstream. It is hoped that this will be put in hand in the next financial year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the heavy damage sustained by fruit and flower growers by recent severe frosts, gales and rain; and what action he proposes to take where the losses are creating financial embarrassment.

I am aware that fruit and flowers have suffered damage in some parts of the country and I sympathise with the growers concerned. These risks are part of the normal hazards of agriculture and horticulture and no exceptional action by the Government would be justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made at the National Institute of Dairy Research in the experiments to produce frozen milk; and what are the prospects for producing it on a commercial scale.

A method has been devised at the Institute of freezing milk so that it can be maintained frozen for a considerable period during storage or transport and eventually thawed for use without separation of the fat occurring. A patent has been applied for. The patent rights are being assigned to the National Research Development Corporation who are already considering how best to secure the commercial exploitation of the invention. Meantime, experimental lots of milk have been frozen for transport for long distances by sea to test the efficiency of the process and the palatability of the products on thawing. Results so far are most promising.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the continued anxiety over the Evans case; and whether he will arrange for a public inquiry.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on 27th October to a Question by the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Hayman).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that there is at present neither adequate water nor enough auxiliary firemen to make the fire service an effective fire-fighting force against even conventional attack on the scale of the last war; and what action he is taking.

I am aware that much remains to be done. The manpower and water requirements of the wartime fire service are under consideration as part of the general review of civil defence in the light of the hydrogen bomb. In the meantime, however, excellent progress has been made during recent months in implementing the scheme for the training of R.A.F. class H reservists in firefighting, which was outlined in paragraph 113 of the Statement on Defence, 1955 (Cmd. 9391), and as a result a substantial improvement in the trained manpower available to the Fire Service in war is already in prospect.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to implement the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on the Summary Trial of Minor Offences.

The Committee's recommendations are being carefully studied. Legislation would be required to give effect to them, and I am not yet able to say when it will be possible for legislation to be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make a statement concerning the official recognition of Cardiff as the capital of Wales.

I shall consider, in consultation with my colleagues, the views put to me by a deputation from the Association of Welsh Local Authorities which I received recently. Meantime I am not able to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, before giving a decision on the Sutton Silica Company's appeal under Section 17 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, against Newcastle Borough Council's requirement of planning permission, he will hold a public inquiry on the noise and dust nuisance created by the company's works in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The sole issue before me is whether the change of use of this factory constitutes a material change in the use of land for which planning permission is necessary. Before I can reach a decision on this issue, I require further factual information, and for this purpose I am arranging for an inspector to visit the premises in the presence of representatives of the firm and of the local authority.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, in view of the recent developments which have taken place, he will now make a statement on his policy with regard to the graveyards in Nottingham which revert to the Crown on liquidation of the companies which own them.

As I stated on 25th October it would seem appropriate that the Nottingham City Council should assume control of the area of the cemetery. If, under the powers provided by the Open Spaces Act, 1906, the City Council should decide to take over this land and maintain it, subject to burial rights, as an open space, I am empowered by the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954, to make a contribution towards their expenses, and I will be prepared to do so.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that there has been for some time an emission of smoke and other solid matter from the chimney of West Reading Laundry, Reading, of such a volume as to constitute a nuisance to residents in the neighbourhood; and what action he proposes to take.

I understand that the Reading County Borough Council, with whom statutory responsibility in this matter rests, are in touch with the management of the laundry about ways and means of improving the position.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he has yet received the final report of the Committee on Synthetic Detergents.

I understand that the report is not likely to be submitted for some months.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that the continued rise in interest rates being charged on mortgage loans arranged by building societies is acting as a deterrent to persons purchasing their own houses; and whether he will initiate a scheme of housing loans to applicants for building and purchasing at interest rates not higher than 4 per cent.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government in respect of how many houses in England and Wales repairs increases have been made in terms of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954; in how many cases certificates of disrepair have been issued; and in how many of these cases they have been withdrawn subsequently or revoked upon appeal.

I have no means of obtaining the information asked for in the first part of the Question.As to the second part, returns submitted up to 31st March, 1955, show that 20,422 applications for certificates of disrepair had been made, of which 18,486 were granted, 1,089 refused, and 182 withdrawn, leaving 665 awaiting a decision. At the same date there had been 3,422 applications for revocation of certificates, 2,763 of which were granted, 263 refused and 1 withdrawn, the remaining 395 being then undecided.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to remove the legal prohibition on the provision of milk in one-third pint bottles to persons other than school children, in view of the desire of old-age pensioners to purchase milk in that quantity.

My right hon. Friend is reviewing in connection with possible future weights and measures legislation the existing provisions governing the sale of pre-packed milk.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the shortage of steel, partly owing to buyers laying in excessive stocks; and whether he will now resume powers to control the distribution of steel in order to take steps to end this practice.

Stocks of steel at consumers' works were no higher in relation to consumption at the end of June than they were at the end of 1954. Although the high level of industrial demand is causing some difficulties in supply, they are not such as to justify the reimposition of control.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to improve deliveries of steel plate to Sunderland shipyards.

I have not recently heard of difficulties in the delivery of steel plate to Sunderland shipyards. If the hon. Member will let me have details, I will ask the Iron and Steel Board to look into the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken to ensure that sulphur can be produced in sufficient quantity in this country to make up for any shortage from overseas.

I understand that capacity for the production of sulphur in this country, mainly from imported mineral oils, has been increased several fold during the last five years. The increase continues. Moreover, we are now better protected, against a shortage of sulphur from overseas, through the very large additions to our sulphuric acid capacity of plant using pyrites, anhydrite or spent oxide instead of sulphur.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement regarding the Colombo Plan Conference at Singapore.

The present Colombo Plan runs until 30th June, 1957. It was unanimously agreed at the Singapore Conference that the Plan should continue until the 30th June, 1961, and that the future of the Plan should be considered by the Committee at their 1959 meetings. In the discussions at Singapore, it was made very clear that technical assistance on a generous scale is of fundamental importance to the success of the Plan. In furtherance of this object, Lord Reading announced at the Conference the decision of Her Majesty's Government to increase their commitment for technical assistance to £7 million over a period of seven years from April, 1956. This announcement was well received as an indication of the importance which Her Majesty's Government attach to the purposes of the Colombo Plan.My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be presenting the Fourth Annual Report of the Consultative Committee to the House as a White Paper next month.

asked the Minister of Education what proportions of the total number of primary classes were classes with more than 40 pupils in January in each of the last 10 years.

In maintained schools the percentages of junior classes (other than nursery classes) which had more than 40 pupils in them were as follows:

			per cent.
January, 1946	…	…	36·7
January, 1947	…	…	31·8
January, 1948	…	…	32·1
January, 1949	…	…	31·8
January, 1950	…	…	31·2
January, 1951	…	…	28·9
January, 1952	…	…	31·9
January, 1953	…	…	34·7
January, 1954	…	…	33·8
January, 1955	…	…	29·9
(provisional)

Figures relating to junior rather than to primary classes are given because the term "primary" includes the senior classes in all-age schools.

asked the Minister of Education the numbers of primary and secondary classes with over 40, and over 50, pupils, respectively, in January, 1955; and how these figures compare with those for 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954.

The relevant figures (referring to maintained and assisted schools other than nursery or special schools) are set out in the following table:

Year (January)	Junior classes		Senior classes
	Over 40	Over 50	Over 40	Over 50
1951	30,662	1,034	4,441	89
1952	35,163	1,180	3,863	60
1953	40,046	1,330	3,156	50
1954	40,447	1,145	3,304	44
1955 (provisional)	37,010	916	3,736	37

pursuant to his reply to a supplementary question by Mr. H. MORRISON [OFFICIAL REPORT, 27th October, 1955; Vol. 545, c. 360], supplied the following letter:

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty for what offences boys are caned in the Royal Navy; and on how many occasions this punishment has been inflicted during the past year.

Boys and apprentices under the age of 18 may be caned for the following serious offences: theft, immorality, drunkenness, insubordination or gross and continued disobedience of orders. They may also be caned for desertion if the commanding officer is satisfied that the offence does not call for more serious punishment. Caning can be ordered only by the captain or by the officer acting for him when he is necessarily absent from duty for more than a day. In 1954, the last full year for which figures are available, caning was ordered on 378 occasions.