asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, having regard to the shortage of potatoes, particularly the kind used by fish friers, and the consequent increases in price, he is now satisfied that it is desirable to permit supplies to be imported.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the approximate number of people employed now in the production and shipment of bauxite and alumina in Jamaica; and how many more are expected to be employed when the Canadian programme for expanding the production of alumina is completed.

One thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five people are employed at present. A further 350 are expected to be employed on completion

This matter is under urgent consideration and I expect to issue a statement tomorrow.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what bulk purchase or long-term agreements affect the procurement of foodstuffs.

The information is as follows:of the expansion programme of Alumina Jamaica Limited, a local subsidiary of Aluminium Limited. Expansions by the two United States companies (Reynolds Jamaica Mines and the Kaiser Bauxite Company) are expected to provide employment for a further 400.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how it is proposed that compensation payable to the Sierra Leone Selection Trust Limited, under the recent agreement concerned with diamond mining, will be met; and on what basis the compensation has been calculated.

The Sierra Leone Government are now considering the best way of providing the compensation. Its amount was based on expert advice having regard to the changes in the future earnings of the Sierra Leone Selection Trust which might be expected as the result of its surrender of extensive rights.

asked the Minister of Defence the total cost to the Exchequer of the new education allowances for Service children; and what would be the extra cost of starting these educational allowances at 9 years of age in place of 11 years of age.

The best estimate that can be made at present is that it may cost about £700,000 in a full year and that it might cost a further £200,000 if the age limit of children eligible for these allowances were reduced from 11 years to 9.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislative or administrative machinery exists for the control of excessive noise and vibration; and what Regulations are at present in force for this purpose.

The answer is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been instituted in respect of offences involving excessive noise or vibration during the last ten years.

The following gives the only figures available—those for prosecutions of noise offences in connection with motor vehicles. I regret that it is not possible to sub-divide these to show separately offences against Regulations 20, 77, 81, 82, 84, 85 and 91 of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1955.

asked the Minister of Education when he intends to introduce a Teachers' Superannuation Bill which will contain provisions to raise the teachers' contribution to 6 per cent.

Today.

asked the Minister of Health which are the four local authorities in England and Wales, and one in Scotland, which are planning to demonstrate the effects of fluoridation of public water supplies.

In England, Andover, Darlington and Watford. In Wales, Anglesey, and in Scotland, Kilmarnock.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number of houses and sites for private ownership which have been sold in new towns.

Up to 30th June, 1955, the latest date for which information is available, 167 houses and 353 sites for houses have been sold to private owners in new towns. In addition, sufficient land for 880 houses has been sold to private building developers.

asked the Postmaster-General when he contemplates beginning the extension to the telephone exchange at Rugby.

Additional equipment filling the present building to capacity will be ready for service by the end of next month. We plan to start enlarging the building in the spring of 1957 and hope to complete a further extension of equipment by the end of 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tenants of the East Kilbride Development Corporation have been taken direct from the housing lists of local authorities in the Clyde Valley area; the local authorities involved; how many tenants each authority has exported to date; and whether the authorities in question have been invited to contribute towards the rate subsidy in East Kilbride.

Of the first 2,800 tenants accommodated in the new town approximately 47 per cent. came from Glasgow, 39 per cent. from Lanarkshire and the remainder from different local authority districts. The development corporation estimates that at least a third of all these tenants were previously on the waiting lists of the local authorities from which they came; but these figures are incomplete and more up to date information is being obtained by the development corporation.No tenants have as yet been nominated by local authorities in circumstances which involve the payment of contributions by those authorities to the East Kilbride Development Corporation.