asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total contributions of men to the National Health, Pensions and Unemployment Insurance Schemes for 1938, 1946, 1948 and 1954.

Figures to show the total amounts contributed in these years by men are not readily available, but the total ordinary weekly contribution rates of employed men under the National Health, Pensions and Unemployment Insurance Acts, and the National Insurance Acts, in the years stated were as follows:

Year			Weekly contributions
1938	…	…	1s. 7d.
1946	…	…	1s. 10d. to 7th January
			1s. 11d. to 30th September
			2s. 10d. from 30th September
1948	…	…	2s. 10d. to 5th July
			4s. 7d. from 5th July
1954	…	…	5s. 5d.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the annual cost of conceding the claim of the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association for an extra allowance for the ageing limbless ex-Service men.

I presume the hon. Member has in mind the claim for an additional 10s. a week for 100 per cent. disablement and proportionately smaller amounts for other degrees of disablement. The annual cost of applying such an increase to all 1914-War limbless pensioners, if it could be restricted to them, would be about £400,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will now make a statement on the future position of the widows now receiving the 10s. pension; and how soon he expects to receive the report from the Insurance Advisory Committee on this matter.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what steps he is taking to expedite the report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee on widows' benefits.

I cannot add to the reply given to the hon. and learned Member for Middlesbrough; West (Mr. Simon) and the hon. and gallant Member for Portsmouth, West (Brigadier Clarke) on 31st October, which indicated that the Committee is understood to be nearing completion of its Report.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of pensioners affected when the earnings limit was raised from 20s. to 40s. in 1951.

The number of pensioners with reduced or extinguished pensions due to earnings in 1951 was something like 50,000. But an unknown number of these will have had earnings large enough to extinguish pension whether the limit was 20s. or 40s., so that the change could not have affected them.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) whether he will state the reasons militating against an increase in the limit of earnings of old-age pensioners between 65 and 70 years of age, from 40s. per week to 80s. per week;(2) what steps he is now taking to survey the effect of the earnings rule, limiting the weekly wage of retirement pensioners to 40s. per week until they reach the age of 70 years, upon such pensioners continuing full-time employment; and, in view of the need for additional industrial workers, notably in the Midlands area of Kidderminster, Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, and the Black Country, what additional incentives he proposes to offer retirement pensioners to remain in full-time industrial employment.

The National Insurance Advisory Committee will, no doubt, cover matters of this kind in the review which, as I said in reply to the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt) and my hon. Friends the Members for Hertford (Lord Balniel) and Barry (Mr. Gower), they are being asked to undertake.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what aggregate sum of money during a full year, ended on the latest convenient date, was mulcted from the retirement pensions of the 50,000, approximately, men and women who suffered pensions deductions under the limit of 40s. per week earnings provided under the earnings rule; and how many men and women had their retirement pensions extinguished by the level of their earnings.

I do not understand my hon. Friend's use of the word mulcted but it is estimated that the deductions from retirement pensions amount to about £2 million a year; in about two-thirds of the cases in which reductions are made the pension is extinguished for a period.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of retirement pensioners, between the ages of 65 and 70 years, are now having deductions made in their pensions on account of earning more than £2 per week: what this proportion was before the permitted earnings of retirement pensioners were increased in 1951; and if he will make a statement.

About 4 per cent. of men retirement pensioners between the ages of 65 and 70 have deductions made from their pensions at some time in the course of a year. I regret that the corresponding proportion in 1951 is not known.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of widows' pensions are now being reduced on account of the earnings of the recipients; how this figure compares with the proportion in 1951; and if he will make a statement.

About one in seven widow pensioners have deductions made from their pensions at some time in the course of a year. I regret that the corresponding proportion in 1951 is not known.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many people in the areas of Glamorgan and Barry, respectively, were receiving retirement pensions at the last convenient date; how many of these, in each case, had deductions made in their pensions on account of earning more than £2 per week; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will extend the number of hours for which a person who has reached normal retiring age may work and still be deemed to have retired, to more than twelve hours per week.

No. I have no power to vary the statutory provisions governing title to retirement pension but I would point out that the rule referred to is only one of the criteria used by the National Insurance Commissioner in interpreting these provisions.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the cost of increasing old-age pensions by 10s. per week.

The cost to the National Insurance Fund of increasing all retirement pensions by 10s. a week would be about £115 million a year immediately, rising to nearly £200 million a year in 25 years' time.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will introduce the necessary legislation for the purpose of granting to all old-age pensioners a 15s. per week rent allowance, in addition to their old-age pension.

No.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if, in view of the Government's proposal to increase the pensions of retired public servants, he will now take steps to increase the old-age pension.

The Government's announced intention to improve the position of retired members of the public service affords no ground for increasing National Insurance pensions which have been substantially increased since the last Pensions Increase Act.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what representations he has received from the Trimdon Branch of the British Legion and from other branches of this organisation in the County of Durham on the inadequacy of ex-Service pensions.

No trace has been found of any recent representations from the branches of the British Legion to which the right hon. Member refers but as I have said today, in reply to the hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Slater), my right hon. Friend has received representations from the British Legion headquarters and is shortly receiving a deputation.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will examine the possibility of an increase in war pensions.

This is a matter that deputations from ex-Service men's organisations will shortly be putting to my right hon. Friend, who will of course listen carefully to what they have to say. As the hon. Member is aware, however, the basic rates of war pensions were increased substantially in February last.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation to increase the amount of the disregards under the National Assistance Act, 1948.

No. To increase the disregards would be of no help to those most in need.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the Regulations issued by the National Assistance Board, and approved by him, to the area officers for the replacement of clothing to those who are in receipt of National Assistance.

The only Regulations relating to this point are the National Assistance (Determination of Need) Regulations, 1948. The scale rates as amended by subsequent Regulations are intended to provide for all normal needs including clothing, but power is given in Regulation 6 to make a special grant in case of exceptional need.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the percentage of applicants on National Assistance who received grants for exceptional needs and the total amount granted during 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954; and what estimate of the percentage and grants for 1955 has been made by the National Assistance Board.

The following figures give the information asked for.

—		Number of regular weekly allowances current at end of year	Approximate total number of exceptional needs grants made in the year	Approximate total amount of such grants
1951	…	1,462,000	153,000	£580,000
1952	…	1,667,000	160,000	£650,000
1953	…	1,761,000	147,000	£530,000
1954	…	1,796,000	169,000	£570,000

The number and amount of exceptional needs grants during 1955 to the end of October (when the regular weekly allowances in payment numbered 1,598,000) are approximately 120,000 and £400,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount of pension and National Assistance available weekly to a man and wife of pensionable age, after allowing for rent and with no other income.

At least 63s. after rent is paid.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what increase there has been in the number of old people receiving supplementary benefit from the National Assistance Board since 30th June, 1955.

The numbers have gone down, not up. At the end of September about 11,000 fewer Assistance supplements to retirement and non-contributory pensions were being paid than at the end of June. The numbers of such supplements at the end of October are not known but it can be stated that the numbers of Assistance grants generally which are paid at post offices were further reduced during that month.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that people in Part III accommodation have 7s. a week pocket money for small amenities; and if he will take that figure as an essential, over and above the cost of maintenance, for old-age pensioners and non-contributory pensioners, living in their own homes, and take action accordingly.

No. The circumstances of pensioners in Part III accommodation and those in their own homes are not at all similar. The latter have available to them in case of need National Assistance supplementation on a cash basis which leaves them some choice in their expenditure.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will appoint a committee specially to inquire into the different needs and special provisions required for the different categories of disabled persons.

I am not clear what kind of cases the hon. Member has in mind; there are already a number of advisory committees, and I am not aware of any need to appoint a further one.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance his estimate of the number of pensionable persons suffering equal disability to that of the aged limbless persons on whose behalf the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association submitted a claim on 8th November; and what would be the cost of providing them with equal benefit to that claimed.

The numbers of war and industrial pensioners whose disablement is assessed at 40 per cent. or more are at present about 255,000 and 35,000 respectively. The cost of increasing the pensions of these persons by 10s. weekly for 100 per cent. disablement and proportionately smaller amounts for the lower degrees of disablement would be about £4 million in the case of war pensioners, and £½ million for industrial pensioners.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that a great many sufferers from byssinosis are still excluded from industrial injury benefit; and whether he will now consider the introduction of regulations to provide benefits for all genuine sufferers from industrial disease.

The provision made for byssinosis under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Acts is at present under consideration by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when steps will be taken to extend the period during which family allowances are payable for children who remain at school after the age of 16 years.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statements on this subject which I made in the debate on the Address on 14th June and which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made in the debate on the Motion put down by the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Lewisham, South (Mr. H. Morrison) on 31st October last. I cannot yet give the date on which the necessary legislation will be introduced.

asked the hon. Member for Finchley, as representing the Church Commissioners the approximate value of church property.

I can only answer for property owned by the Church Commissioners. The real estate which they own is thought to be worth about £75 million, but most of it has not been valued.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the present position of stocks of coal and coke for domestic and industrial users; and what are the prospects for the winter.

At 29th October last, the larger industrial firms had 4,377,000 tons of coal and 562,000 tons of hard coke in stock. Merchants held 1,776,000 tons of house coal, anthracite, and boiler fuel and 203,000 tons of coke. If the recent improvement in coal output is maintained and industrialists respond to the Government's call for greater fuel efficiency, we should be able to get through even a cold winter without serious difficulty.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) to ensure that Cardiff docks will not suffer a disproportionate share in the reduction of coal exports decided upon by Her Majesty's Government; and whether he will take steps to see that this reduction is fairly shared among the coal exporting ports of the country;(2) why the whole of the reduction of 3,000,000 tons in coal exports is to be in Welsh coal; whether he is aware of the consequences of this decision to Cardiff dock workers; and whether he will make a statement.

It is expected that exports next year will be reduced by about five million tons. The distribution of exports among individual ports is made by the National Coal Board and is largely determined by the type and source of the coal being shipped. I am informed that probably less than a third of the reduction will affect Welsh ports.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what emergency plans he has for assisting old-age pensioners to obtain an adequate supply of coal during the forthcoming winter.

Local fuel overseers have been instructed to pay particular attention to the needs of old people; to issue licences for the purchase of additional coal wherever warranted, and to arrange for coal to be delivered promptly to those in urgent need.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what he estimates the trend of coal production will be between now and 1960; what he estimates the energy requirements of the economy to be over the same period; to what extent he has made preparations to supplement coal production from other sources; and what these sources are.

I have nothing to add at present to my right hon. Friend's statement in the debate on 20th July, 1955.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to arrange that coal merchants should regularly report to their local fuel officers the number of customers waiting more than 10 days for deliveries of household coal, owing to lack of transport facilities or supplies of coal.

No. The established machinery for reporting shortage of supplies is by merchants to the local representatives of their own organisation, the House Coal Scheme, through whom local fuel overseers can keep themselves continuously informed about delivery problems. Householders who are in difficulties about their coal supplies can always approach their local fuel overseers direct.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to give instructions that where a local fuel officer is a part-time official and not normally present in the fuel office to answer inquiries, his name and address shall be prominently displayed at the local fuel office and customers informed that they are entitled to take their difficulties to him.

No. This should not be necessary, but, if my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind, I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that railway station waiting rooms when re-equipped are being left or filled with extravagant open fires; and whether he will consult with the British Transport Commission to find means of ensuring that in all such improvements economy grates or stoves will be installed.

If the right hon. Gentleman will let me have particulars of any specific instance. I will arrange for them to be passed to the Chairman of the British Transport Commission whose organisation has been fully co-operative in promoting fuel efficiency.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power on how many occasions he has met representatives of the National Coal Board to discuss the Turner Report on Mining Subsidence since October, 1951; and how many such meetings he will hold in the next three months.

My right hon. Friend is constantly in touch with the National Coal Board on this and other matters of current importance.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, in view of the revaluation of dwelling-houses for rating purposes, at 1939 prices, which increases substantially the valuation of all properties built before 1939 and will therefore exclude from the compensation category many properties at present eligible for such compensation under the mining subsidence provisions, he will introduce legislation to amend the Mining Subsidence Act before these new valuation lists become operative.

As my right hon. Friend said in his reply to the hon. Member for Eccles (Mr. Proctor) on 26th July, there is no need for further legislation, but, when the new valuation lists are available, he will consider making an order to vary the limit of rateable value included in the Act.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power his estimate of the economy effected in the use of coal during each of the last three years owing to the adoption of modern grates or stoves; and what consideration has been given to the advisability of offering financial or other inducements for the replacement of wasteful forms of the domestic consumption of coal by more economical devices.

No estimate of the total savings is practicable, but the increasing use of more efficient appliances is certainly helping to make better use of coal. There are already various inducements for the substitution of improved for inefficient appliances.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether, as a result of new research and development since the publication of the programme of nuclear power, Command Paper No. 9389, he is able to give revised estimates of electrical output and cost per unit in the case of the nuclear power stations to be constructed under the programme.

No.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent his Department makes tests to determine the respective advantages of electricity and gas for domestic and other purposes in order to offer objective guidance to the public in their choice of alternatives apart from the sectional advocacy of the separate gas and electricity undertakings.Mr. Joynson-Hicks: None; but the National Industrial Fuel Efficiency Service provides large-scale users with a comprehensive advisory service.

asked the Minister of supply the expenditure in setting up the centralised workshops of the Ministry of Supply; how many have been closed down, and how much of the total expenditure was expended upon those which have been closed down; and, in respect of any such workshops being now carried on, how the costs per repair compare with the prices paid by him to free enterprise repairers for comparable repairs.

£571,000 was spent on adapting and equipping Government-owned premises as central vehicle repair depots, and, in addition, surplus Government-owned plant and equipment which originally cost £266,000 have been provided. One depot, for which the coresponding figures are £7,600 and £11,800, has been closed. For comparable work and conditions central repair depots are competitive with the free enterprise repairers.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is yet in a position to state what was the cost to public funds of the liability in respect of the Swift.

No. It is still too soon to say what the cost to public funds will be.

asked the Minister of Supply the expenditure to date from public funds on research and development of the vertical take-off aircraft.

It would be contrary to the established practice, which is based on considerations of public interest, to disclose figures of expenditure on individual research or development projects.

asked the Minister of Supply the cost to public funds of the decision to cancel the orders for the development and production of the V.1000.

The decision to cancel the V.1000 and order Britannias instead will in fact save public money as their cost, even when added to any expenditure incurred on the V.1000 will be substantially less than the estimated cost of

Type of aircraft	(1) Nett development expenditure, cost of prototypes, etc.	(2) Number of aircraft ordered		(3) Date of ordering	(4) Number of aircraft delivered		(5) Number of aircraft still capable of flying, i.e. holding current certificate of airworthiness
		Prototypes	Others		Prototypes	Others
	£
Shetland	1,000,000	2	10	1941	1	0	0
Apollo	1,250,000	2	0	1946	2	0	1
Brabazon	6,500,000	2	0	1945	1	0	0
Sandringham	120,000	4	15	1945	1	15	at least 1
Solent	100,000	0	18	1946	0	18	8
Tudor	650,000	4	101	1944–1948	4	35	at least 10
Hermes	1,300,000	4	25	1944–1947	2	25	at least 17
Air Horse	350,000	2	0	1947	2	0	0
V.1000	2,300,000*	1	6	1953–1954	0	0	0
Princess	8,000,000*	3	0	1946	1	0	1
Comet I	4,250,000*	2	19	1947–1952	2	9	0
Comet II		2	37		1	0	1
Comet III		1	10		0	0	1
* To date.
NOTE.—The Apollo, 5 Tudor IX' s (Ashtons) and 1 Hermes are flying under service control and have been included in column 5, although they do not hold a certificate of airworthiness.

asked the Minister of Supply the cost to Government funds of work to date on the development and production of V.1000.

asked the Minister of Supply the cost to date to public funds of the design and development of the V.1000 transport aircraft.

About £2·3 million.

asked the Minister of Supply what amount of public money has been expended on the Short Shetland, the Armstrong Whitworth Apollo, the Bristol Brabazon, the Saunders-Roe Princess, the Short Sandringham, the Short Solent, the Avro Tudor, the Handley-Page Hermes, the de Havilland Comet, the Saunders-Roe Air Horse, and the Vickers 1000 aircraft; how many of each type were ordered; what were the dates on which orders were placed for each; how many of each type were delivered; how long they were in service with the British Overseas Airways Corporation; and how many of each type are still capable of flying.

Following is the Answer:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will introduce legislation to safeguard the health and provide for the safety and welfare of those employed in agriculture and forestry.

It is hoped to introduce legislation at an early date.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will issue a statement showing all allowances, guarantees, subsidies, and grants made to farmers and the agricultural industry during the last year, showing how many farmers benefited under each item.

It will not be possible to state how many farmers benefited under every item, but I will circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as possible giving such information as is available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will impress upon county agricultural executive committees the need for action to be taken to eliminate ragwort in their area, in view of the danger it constitutes to grazing animals.

Agricultural executive committees have standing instructions to remind farmers that they must destroy ragwort and to serve statutory notices on them if necessary.

asked the Minister of Health to make a statement regarding the proposed sale of farm lands attached to the St. George's Hospital, Morpeth, and St. Mary's Hospital, Stannington, near Morpeth.

No farm land attached to St. George's is to be sold. At St. Mary's I have accepted the recommendation of the regional hospital board that 266 acres should be sold.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to avoid the necessity of expectant mothers living in Redditch having to travel to Evesham for their confinements.

Additional beds are being provided at the General Hospital, Bromsgrove.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what new hospital buildings, extensions, renovations and modernisation it is intended to carry out in north Staffordshire to cater for the needs of, and the proposed increase in, the mining population; and if he will give an assurance that the percentage grant allowed to this area is fully proportionate to that allowed to other similar areas;(2) if plans have yet been prepared for the urgently required accommodation for persons who attend for orthopaedic treatment at the North Staffordshire Infirmary; on what date it is intended to start building; and when the accommodation will be ready;(3) if he is satisfied with the hospital accommodation, service and food provided in north Staffordshire; what, improvements have been introduced since he received the report on the investigation; and what further action it is intended to take.

I am aware that the casualty accommodation here is inadequate. The regional hospital board has plans for new casualty and out-patient departments and an accident unit at the Royal Infirmary, but work is unlikely to be started in the next year or two. Priority is awarded to schemes according to urgency and there is no separate allocation to individual localities.I do not know to which report the hon. Member is referring, and neither the board nor I have had any recent complaints about the service in hospitals in this area or of the food provided.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the inconvenience caused to people using hearing aids who have to carry heavy batteries; that in some parts of the country light batteries are issued under the National Health Service while in other parts only heavy ones are available; and if he will take steps to issue light batteries wherever they are needed.

The Mark III aid, with batteries about half the weight of those for earlier models, is available in all parts of the country and is issued to patients who need it. An even lighter monopack model has just passed its clinical field trials, and will, I hope, be available for distribution to children in about a year's time.

asked the Minister of Health how many motorised invalid chairs are available in the Macclesfield district for loan to disabled persons while their own vehicles undergo repairs; and whether he is satisfied that the number is adequate for the demand.

Macclesfield draws spare machines as required from Manchester, where there is a pool of 39 machines. In view of the difficulties in one case to which my hon. and gallant Friend has drawn my attention, I am looking into the position and will write to him.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that under the present regulations mobile invalid carriages cannot be provided to disabled persons who have retired from work; and whether he will reconsider the whole position with regard to such vehicles.

No; if a person is otherwise eligible retirement makes no difference.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the bad conditions at the Wombourn, Staffordshire, Infant Welfare and Maternity Clinic which is held in a dilapidated building having no seating accommodation for mothers, expectant mothers or children; and if he will assist the local health authority to make better provision for this service.

Yes, but I am informed that the county council have now found better premises in Wombourn.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths were registered in 1954 as due to vaccination, vaccinia, postvaccinal encephalitis, generalised vaccinia, or any other complication of vaccination; and what were the ages of the victims.

Of the deaths registered in 1954 one (aged three months) was due to the effects of vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health what reply he has given to recent protests of the medical profession made to him against the proposed banning of the manufacture of heroin.

That I did not feel justified in departing from the advice I had given to the Home Secretary, after consulting the Standing Medical Advisory Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many Foreign Office and Foreign Service officers were temporarily suspended from service, and for what periods, following the inquiries instituted after the escape of Messrs. Maclean and Burgess; how many officers thus temporairly suspended were subsequently reinstated; and how many have been transferred since their re-instatement, or promoted.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "None". The other parts of the Question do not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what financial settlements were reached with, or lump sum payments made to, Foreign Service and Foreign Office officers who were dismissed, or permitted to resign, as a result of the inquiries instituted following the escape of Messrs. Maclean and Burgess;(2) how many Foreign Service or Foreign Office officials were dismissed, or transferred, or asked to resign, or permitted to resign as the result of the inquiries instituted following the escape of Messrs. Maclean and Burgess.

No officials were dismissed or transferred as a result of the inquiries into the Maclean and Burgess affair. One was asked to resign in consequence of such inquiries and received a financial settlement in accordance with the terms of his engagement. One was permitted to resign in view of his relationship to one of the persons involved, and was given a gratuity.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to bring about a settlement of the dispute in the Hawker aircraft factory in Blackpool, in view of the likelihood that the strike will spread to other areas which might involve 30,000 men.

As the hon. Member is no doubt aware, this strike has now ended and work was resumed on Friday, 18th November, 1955.

asked the Minister of Works what is now the anticipated output of electrical energy from the six additional atomic reactors announced last June; and when they are expected to come into operation.

The capacity of the six additional atomic reactors to be erected by the Atomic Energy Authority will be about 200 megawatts. It is too soon yet to say exactly when they will come into operation, but it is likely to be in 1959 or 1960.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many officials are at present engaged in spot-checking motor vehicles.

231 examiners, whose duties comprise amongst other things carrying out spot checks on the condition of commercial vehicles.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further action he proposes to take on the recommendations of the Phillips Committee.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Langstone (Mr. Stevens) on Thursday, 10th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now free local authorities from the conditions applying to Treasury consents under the Control of Borrowing Order, 1947, whereby no mortgage can be issued on terms providing for repayment before a date seven years from the date of issue and shall be for a definite term and shall not be allowed to run on at notice after the expiration of that term; and thus allow local authorities a freedom of action according to market conditions, which they had previously enjoyed.

My right hon. Friend is considering representations which have been made to him on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the estimated total cost of the Volta Dam project; how much has so far been spent; when the work will actually begin in building the dam; and when power is expected to be available after the start of work on the dam.

It is hoped that the Report of the Volta River Preparatory Commission containing revised estimates of the cost of the project and of the time of construction before power would become available, will be published about the middle of next year. I cannot anticipate its contents nor the decision of the parties concerned whether to proceed with the project.The Preparatory Commission had spent £530,000, up to 30th September last, one-half of which will be met by Her Majesty's Government. Of the total, £430,000 was the cost of engineering investigations and designs. The rest was the cost of investigations and surveys carried out by the Preparatory Commission.In addition, other expenditure has been incurred by the aluminium companies and the Gold Coast Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the result of the investigations made by the Rural Wages Committee of the Kenya Government into the position of the African workers.

The Committee is still collecting and analysing information. and its Report is not expected before April, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent recent experience has shown that the Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act has met with success in achieving its object.

Since the Act came into force on 6th June only one complaint has reached me. I understand that three other works have been brought to the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions and that in none of these cases did my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General consider that proceedings were called for.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many persons, men and women, were employed at the Bridgend Trading Estate in January, 1955, July, 1955, and on the latest convenient date.

Figures of employment on the Trading Estates are now aggregated only for the end of February, May, August and November. For February and August, 1955, employment in the factories on the Bridgend Estate was:

—	Men	Women	Total
End-February, 1955	2,690	2,714	5,404
End-August, 1955	2,623	2,451	5,074

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the decision of the Craigpark Cable Company, Flemington Street, Glasgow, to close down their factory in December, 1955, with the consequent paying off of 350 employees, what steps he proposes to take in introducing a new industry in the factory.

My officers bring this factory to the attention of industrialists who are seeking new quarters. I understand that only three men and six women of the 281 workers so far declared redundant remain on the register of unemployed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to introduce a Weights and Measures Bill.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on this subject to my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, Central (Sir F. Medlicott) on 3rd November last.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is aware that the allowances allowed by some education committees to schools for writing paper, exercise books, text books, etc., are used up by schools before the next allowance is due, so that pupils have to provide their own stationery; and whether he will inquire into this stringency and, if necessary, see that more adequate funds are provided.

If the hon. Member will let me have particulars of any case in which pupils are having to provide their own stationery, I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the Central Fire Area Joint Committee for Stirling and Dumbartonshire has issued a notice to those who have huts, garages and allotments at Beechwood, Dumbarton, to quit within 14 days; and, in view of the fact that many have been in occupation for many years and there has been no prior notice of intention, if he will have this notice withdrawn and other and more reasonable arrangements made for the siting of the new fire station.

I am informed that the letter referred to is being withdrawn. I am writing to the hon. Member.