asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what steps he is taking to ensure that all official charts of the seas round the coasts of Britain, used by British fishermen, are maintained in a condition of up-to-date accuracy.

Admiralty official charts are published primarily for navigational purposes and are on sale to mariners. They contain all the information necessary for safe navigation, and are kept corrected up to the date of sale.Information received after printing which affects safe navigation is promulgated by Admiralty Notices to Mariners, which are issued periodically and are available on request without cost, to those who hold Admiralty charts. When the information is sufficiently important, it is promulgated by broadcast warning to mariners. Information which is not directly relevant to safe navigation is incorporated when charts are revised.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why he refuses to state the price of the table centre bought for the Admiralty Board room.

No table centre has been bought for the Admiralty Board Room. If the hon. Member is referring to the Dolphin centre-piece which was bought by the Admiralty three years ago for the Dolphin Room in Admiralty House, the answer is that it is contrary to wellestablished Government practice to disclose the prices at which purchases by Government Departments are made.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty why the decision has been taken that local purveyors of foodstuffs shall not, in future, supply Royal Naval barracks.

Supply Officers are required to obtain most foodstuffs from naval victualling yards, Admiralty contractors and the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. The supply by local traders of certain items such as fresh produce is not excluded however provided that prices are reasonable and both the quality and variety of the goods are of the required standard.At Portsmouth Barracks it has recently been found to be more advantageous generally to purchase from the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, but Supply Officers will continue to consider tenders from private traders.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty how many Royal Naval families have been accommodated under the naval hirings scheme.

On 30th September, 1955, 539 officers and 1,605 ratings were accommodated under the naval furnished hirings scheme.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty to give an assurance that the wages of the workers in Her Majesty's Dockyards will be increased when wages in the shipbuilding industry are increased.

The wages of Admiralty industrial employees are negotiated on the Shipbuilding Trades Joint Council and any wage movements in the shipbuilding industry and other comparable industries are taken into account in accordance with the Fair Wages Resolution of this House.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) what representations he has had regarding the provision of beer on Her Majesty's ships;(2) why beer has not been made available to naval personnel on sea-going ships.

For some time commanders-in-chief have had discretion to authorise the provision of beer on exceptional occasions, for example when ships are required to operate for long periods out of reach of ports. The Admiralty has been considering how far this might be extended and has received reports from commanders-in-chief. The difficulty in making supply freely available at all times is that storage on board of the heavy weights and bulk involved would be quite impracticable; but it has been decided that some improvement can now be made.Commanders-in-Chief have, therefore, been granted discretion to authorise supply wherever this may be found practicable so long as there is not such an encroachment on weight and space as to hamper the operational efficiency of ships.Whilst the circumstances in which supply will be found possible will vary between commands and between ships, it will, in general, not be practicable to arrange it during periods at sea except when ships are on specially arduous duty; nor will beer be supplied when ships are alongside within easy reach of shore amenities. The new arrangements will, however, permit more liberal provision than hitherto.

asked the Postmaster-General when it is proposed to change the Rubery, Birmingham, telephone exchange to the automatic system.

About 1962, on present plans.

asked the Postmaster-General when it will be possible for his Department to provide telephone kiosks in the Mayfield district of the new town of Newbattle, Midlothian.

There is already one kiosk in this district and one on the fringe of it. Another is expected to be in service by August of next year.

asked the Postmaster-General when the A-D section of the London Telephone Directory will be issued to subscribers; if he is aware that the last issue was made in September, 1954; and what steps he is taking to ensure a more frequent issue.

This section of the Directory will be distributed early in the New Year, when the postmen have dealt with the Christmas and New Year mail. I cannot hold out hope of a more frequent issue.

asked the Postmaster-General when it will be possible to provide pillar-boxes at Addiewell and Lime-field, West Calder, Midlothian.

I am having inquiry made and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General by what time the first delivery of letters in Brentford and Chiswick should normally be completed; whether he is aware that in some cases addressees have not, in recent months, been receiving the first mail until well after 9.0 a.m.; and whether he will consider what steps can be taken in the new year to speed up the first delivery of letters in this postal area.

The first delivery is due to finish in Brentford at 9.15 a.m. and in Chiswick at 9 a.m., but owing to shortage of staff, sick absence and late mails it has not been possible to complete all the deliveries to time. We shall continue to do all we can to eliminate these delays.

asked the Postmaster-General to review the recent increase in postal rates on books.

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer today to the hon. Members for Cardiff, West (Mr. G. Thomas) and Goole (Mr. G. Jeger).

asked the Postmaster-General what proportion of the firms which supply telecommunications equipment to the Post Office are foreign owned; if he is satisfied that their prices are reasonable; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that by the term "foreign owned" my hon. Friend is referring to Standard Telephones and Cables Ltd. The other firms concerned in the manufacture of the three main classes of telecommunications equipment are wholly or largely British-owned.Allegations were made in the recent debate on the Post Office and Telegraph (Money) Bill, to the effect that Standard Telephones and Cables had obtained a dominating and privileged position in the United Kingdom telecommunications industry and charged excessive prices to the Post Office. I am glad of this opportunity of stating that these allegations are entirely without foundation.The company has nothing approaching a monopoly in the supply of equipment to the Post Office, whether under the Bulk Supply Agreements, or other arrangements. As regards prices, I would mention, in particular, that those for transmission equipment, so far from being ten times higher, as was suggested in the debate, are below those charged for comparable American equipment.I am glad to acknowledge the notable contribution the company has made to the development and efficiency of Post Office services, and of the United Kingdom telecommunication industry, both at home and abroad.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air whether his attention has been called to the destruction of large quantities of wardrobes, chairs and other furniture at Padgate, Royal Air Force Station; and whether he will arrange for this to be stopped and for all suitable pieces of furniture to be offered of sale to the public.

I have had a full report, and I am satisfied that only furniture which is past repair and which it is not worth putting up for sale to the public is being destroyed.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what action he has taken in respect of the complaints made to him by the hon. Member for Erith and Cray-ford, on misuse of aircraftmen and materials from the Royal Air Force Camp, Lichfield.

As I have explained to the hon. Member in correspondence, a full investigation into these complaints has not established that there was any misuse of airmen or materials from the R.A.F. Station, Lichfield.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air to what extent Royal Air Force vehicles have recently been parked in private streets in Dumfries; and what steps he is taking to compensate the owners of the streets for the damage done.

I have called for a report on this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many nations have now ratified number 76 of the International Labour Conventions, also known as the Seattle Conventions, dealing with wages, hours of labour, and manning on board ship; how many have ratified the Safety of Life at Sea Convention and the Loadline Convention; and if he will give the names of the maritime nations that have not signed these conventions.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, "One"; to the second, "Forty and fifty-five, respectively." As regards the third part of the Question, only Australia has ratified I.L.O. Convention No. 76 on Wages, Hours of Work and Manning (Sea), and only Australia, Cuba, the Philippines and Uruguay have ratified the revised Convention No. 93 on this subject.As regards the last part of the Question, the only maritime countries with more than 150,000 gross registered tons of shipping which have not yet ratified or accepted the 1948 Safety Convention are Argentine, Australia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Turkey and Venezuela. I understand that Argentina, Australia and Brazil have in hand the necessary legislation to enable them to ratify the Convention. All countries with more than 150,000 gross registered tons of shipping have ratified or acceded to the 1930 Load Line Convention.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the total tonnage of British shipping at any convenient date in 1935, 1939, 1945, 1950, and 1955; and what percentage of the

			United Kingdom Register		Total for all British Registers		World Total Million Gross Tons
Year			Million Gross Tons	Percentage of World Total	Million Gross Tons	Percentage of World Total
1935	…	…	17·3	27%	20·3	32%	63·7
1939	…	…	17·9	26%	21·0	31%	68·5
1947	…	…	17·8	21%	21·3	26%	83·5
1950	…	…	18·2	22% (26%)	22·1	26% (32%)	84·6
1954	…	…	19·0	20% (23%)	22·8	23% (27%)	97·4
NOTES
1. The figures in brackets show the equivalent percentage if the U.S. Government's reserve merchant fleet is excluded from the world total.
2. The first post-war year for which figures in this series are available is 1947; figures for 1955 have not yet been published.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether all the derelict huts and other useless buildings in Heathfield Airfield have now been removed; or when completion of the business may be expected.

Nineteen of the buildings have been demolished and cleared away; a further eight for which we can see no further use are in course of demolition. Of the remaining buildings some are occupied and the future of the rest which may have a lettable value will be settled after my right hon. Friend obtains the title to the land.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what action he is taking to assist the development of civil aviation in Wales.

My right hon. Friend is always ready to consider applications made by airline operators, through the total world tonnage these figures represent.

The following published figures are for ships of 100 gross tons and over and relate to June of the years shown. The total for all British registers include those of all countries and territories within the Commonwealth whose ships are entitled to be registered as British, while the world total includes, in the post-war years, the Merchant ships held inactive in the U.S. Government's reserve fleet.machinery of the Air Transport Advisory Council, for the operation of new services to, or within, Wales. He has already approved the operation by Cambrian Airways Ltd. of a wide network of services from Cardiff. My Department has helped in this development by providing and operating the airport at Cardiff (Rhoose), which is also used by Aer Lingus for their service to Dublin.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that beneficiaries of the pension supplements scheme introduced by the Transport Commission last April, and approved by him, may not earn more than £1 a week before their earnings are deducted from their pensions; and whether he will take steps to raise the limit of earnings permitted without deduction from pensions to the national level of £2 a week.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes." This scheme of pension supplements for retired salaried staff, the revised terms of which my right hon. Friend announced to the House on 27th April last, was introduced by the British Transport Commission under their own powers. As to the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend is in touch with the Commission on the general problem of assistance to pensioners.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now give a revised estimate of the loss on disposal of vehicles by the British Transport Commission; and when it is proposed to terminate the transport levy.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Transport (Disposal of Road Haulage Property) Bill which was given a First Reading on Thursday last.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he proposes to terminate the appointments of the members of the Road Haulage Disposal Board.

Not at present.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the average waiting time in the Wolverhampton district of an applicant for a driving test.

Approximately twelve weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that the fact that the British Transport Commission recently placed orders for diesel locomotives with private firms has aroused widespread anxiety among the personnel of British Railways workshops; and whether he will issue a general direction to the British Transport Commission to grant priority on equal terms to British Railways workshops in the placing of such orders.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for the Hartlepools (Mr. D. Jones) on 14th December.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will take action to prevent railway locomotives, carriages and trucks, remaining without lights during the hours of darkness where rails are laid down on roads.

I am not aware of any general difficulties of this nature, but my right hon. Friend is looking into the position at Poole, about which I know my hon. and gallant Friend is concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission that all passenger train carriages and their material contents should be constructed of fireproof material in order to prevent recurrences of recent fatal accidents.

I do not consider it necessary to give a general direction about the construction of passenger train carriages, because it is already the policy of the British Transport Commission to build these vehicles of fireproof materials so far as is practicable. Increasing numbers of all-steel passenger carriages have been built since the introduction in 1951 of the British Railways standard coaches, but owing to difficulties in obtaining steel it was not until the end of 1953 that the building of composite wood and steel carriage bodies could be finally discontinued. The capacity of the Commission's carriage shops is now fully absorbed in the construction of all-steel passenger rolling stock and in addition large orders have been placed with the industry. It is the Commission's policy to use the maximum available building capacity until the wood-framed vehicles have been eliminated, but the controlling factor has been and continues to be the availability of steel.Up to the present 7,200 all-steel vehicles have been built, representing 17 per cent. of the total stock; 20,660, or 50 per cent., are of composite wood and steel construction, leaving 13,900 vehicles, or 33 per cent. of the total stock, with bodies wholly of wood on steel underframes. The Commission envisages the replacement of all the wholly wooden bodies within the next seven years, but it must necessarily take longer to replace the comparatively modern rolling stock which has composite steel and wood bodies. In addition to the main body structure, fire-resisting materials are being used to the maximum practicable extent in all new construction.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement concerning the position of railway clerical staff grade I pensioners; and whether he will arrange for help to be given to this class of pensioners at an early date.

As I informed the House on 30th November in reply to Questions from the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. F. Noel-Baker) and the hon. Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward), I am in touch with the chairman of the British Transport Commission on the general problem of assistance to pensioners.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if, in order to relieve the congestion of traffic leaving Hyde Park at Hyde Park Corner on weekday mornings, he will try the experiment of making the centre gate an exit gate between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m.

No. Such a change would not improve the situation. Traffic in both directions is about even, and a queue inside the park does less harm than one across the junction outside the park.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what consideration he is giving to the proposal made to him for the construction of a road alongside the Thames Embankment from Blackfriars to Chelsea; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what examination he has made of the plan put forward to him to build a road adjoining the Embankment from Black-friars to Chelsea.

This is an interesting proposal, though it has plainly many difficulties. We will gladly, in conjunction with the London County Council, who are of course the promoters of schemes in London, consider it with the many other proposals for road works in London now before us.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that the no-waiting restrictions in Jermyn Street, W.1, fail to prevent lorries from parking on both sides of the street to deliver goods, leaving room for only one line of traffic in between; that this frequently brings traffic to a complete standstill, resulting in much waste of time; and if he will now introduce one-way working.

I agree that traffic conditions in Jermyn Street are often difficult, and we are discussing with the Commissioner of Police and the Westminster City Council the possibility of an experiment with one-way working here.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what objections there still are to the restoration of a road between Fareham and Lee-on-Solent; what is the nature of the objection by the water company; and what are the prospects of progress with this road.

I understand that there is a possibility that the objection from a local resident referred to in my right hon. Friend's Answer to my hon. Friend of 29th November may be withdrawn. The water undertaking has objected that closure of the highways will prejudice access to their apparatus within the airfield, and the Admiralty are trying to make satisfactory arrangements with them and other statutory undertakers in a similar position. Subject to this, my right hon. Friend will be able to make the Order and authorise the highway authority to proceed.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what modern snow-clearing equipment his Department has stationed in the Highland area to deal with severe snowstorms.

The Ministry-owned snow clearing equipment stationed in the eleven northerly counties for use primarily on trunk roads, is as follows:

Mack lorries fitted highwing snow ploughs	14
Heavy ploughs not fitted to lorries	1
Bulldozers	2
Smaller ploughs	40

The counties provide additional equipment themselves for non-trunk roads.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects the completion of the Crofter Counties Scheme and how many miles of roads have still to be completed and in which counties.

About 538 miles have been completed and 658 miles remain to be completed, in the following counties:

Caithness	…	…	4
Sutherland	…	…	118
Ross and Cromarty	…	…	71
Inverness	…	…	233
Argyll	…	…	232

The completion of the programme depends on the funds available. My right hon. Friend has no statement to make about this at present.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in view of the fact that traffic signs with a red face are often seen with the back of the sign also coloured red, he will take the opportunity of regularising the position by revising the Traffic Signs (Size, Colour and Type) Regulations and General Directions so as to prescribe the use of a neutral colour for the backs of traffic signs, which would agree with the recommendations of the United Nations Road and Motor Transport Convention, Article 6, paragraph 3, of the Protocol on Road Signs and Signals, 1949, and Article 3, paragraph 2, of the 1952 Draft Protocol.

I will consider this point with the many others made by organisations consulted on the draft Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number of fatalities and personal injuries, respectively, occurring in road accidents on the Glasgow-Carlisle road near Hart-hope Viaduct in each of the past four years.

The following are the figures:

CASUALTIES IN ROAD ACCIDENTS ON THE GLASGOW-CARLISLE ROAD WITHIN HALF-MILE OF HARTHOPE VIADUCT
Year		Deaths	Injuries
1952	…	1	2
1953	…	—	—
1954	…	—	3
1955 (to 5th December)	…	3*	7
*These three deaths occurred in a single accident.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that a fatal accident occurred recently on the Glasgow-Carlisle road near Harthope Viaduct; and whether he will consider making improvements to the dangerous S-bend at this point.

I am aware of this regrettable accident and I am arranging to have the warning signs and carriageway markings improved. Although it is not apparent that the accident was due to skidding, I am also arranging to have the skidding resistance of the road surface measured by the Road Research Laboratory. The programme of road works agreed with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State provides during the next few years for considerable works along this road at an estimated cost of over £3 million. It has not been possible, however, to include in this short-term programme the road diversion which will eventually be provided near Harthope Viaduct, because there are so many other lengths of this road where the need for substantial improvement is more urgent.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will indicate the stage reached by the Inter-Service Committee, presided over by Lieut.-General Sir Colin Callander, in their studies of suitable ceremonies to mark the Victoria Cross centenary which falls on 29th January, 1956; what suggestions they have put forward; what outside bodies and persons they have proposed to co-opt to assist them; who are the members of this Inter-Service Committee; and on what date this committee was appointed.

An Inter-Service Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Military Secretary, War Office, and composed of senior officers from the Service Ministries, was set up in September this year to make proposals for the suitable celebration of the centenary of the Victoria Cross. This Committee has now made very considerable progress and agreement in principle has been reached on several of their proposals. As discussions are still proceeding with other interested authorities, including those of the Commonwealth, I am not yet in a position to announce the particular functions suggested by the Committee, but I hope that a full statement on this subject will be made early in the new year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have now been made to find residences at reasonable rents in Gibraltar for families of British Service men.

I am now informed that the report of the local committee, to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend's Question on the 9th November, has been delayed but is expected to be ready early in January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement following consideration with the other Departments concerned in respect to the Gibraltar Port Development Scheme.

I regret that I cannot yet add to my reply to the hon. Member's Question on the 14th December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken to give the Maronites of Cyprus the building they require in Nicosia; and what alternatives have been offered to them.

Before this building could be transferred to the Maronites alternative accommodation must be found for the mediaeval section of the Cyprus Museum which is housed there. So far, the search for an alternative building either for the Maronite Church or for the Museum has been unsuccessful; but it will continue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what Press or journalistic qualifications and experience are held by the person, of whom he has been informed, aged 23, who has been appointed Assistant Press Officer to Field Marshal Sir John Harding, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Cyprus; what other journalists experienced in colonial affairs were interviewed for this post; and what salary and local allowances attach to this appointment.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. W. W. Hamilton) on 14th December, to which I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what date the Governor in Council in Kenya decided that import of the book "The Trial of Jomo Kenyatta" was undesirable in the public interest; and what steps were taken to notify the publishers that removal of the names of prosecution witnesses would not affect this decision.

The order banning the book was made on 20th May and published on 24th May. In reply to an inquiry dated 1st September, the Kenya Government, after careful consideration, informed the publisher that the ban would not be lifted if the names of certain prosecution witnesses were omitted from a revised edition.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many pupils are enrolled at the multi-racial school in Nairobi; how many there are of each race; what is the total cost of running the school; and how it is financed apart from the Government grant.

There are thirty-one pupils, including nine Africans, sixteen Asians and six Europeans. The total cost of the school from September, 1953, to June, 1955, was £4,228 capital and £3,739 recurrent expenditure. During the same period the school received £950 in fees the only non-Government source of income.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies by what means detainees in Kenya, who have been tried for offences under the Emergency Regulations and found not guilty either in the original court or on appeal, can secure their liberation.

Any detained person, in addition to his right of appeal to an advisory committee, may secure release by satisfying the authorities that, through his rehabilitation, the reasons for his detention no longer obtain.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the conditions of the living-in shop assistants in Malaya are unsatisfactory; if he will arrange to hold an inquiry into the wages paid, the food and accommodation provided, and their general conditions, with a view to establishing a trade board for this industry; and why this trade was excluded from the Employment Bill passed on June last.

The Government of the Federation of Malaya recognises that the conditions under which some shop assistants are accommodated in shops are unsatisfactory. They are considering the creation of a Wages Council for the retail industry. The Employment Ordinance was deliberately framed to enable the Government to bring shop assistants within the scope of all or part of it. It is intended to use the Ordinance in this way as soon as it comes into force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to see that the conditions of the workers on the rubber plantations in Malaya are not affected in view of the increased production of synthetic rubber in the United Kingdom.

The Government of the Federation of Malaya fully realise that natural rubber must be able to compete with synthetic. They have therefore reduced export duty on natural rubber at prices comparable with the prices of synthetic rubbers and have instituted replanting schemes designed to improve the efficiency of the industry and output per worker.

asked the Minister of Works by whom the recent fire at the Admiralty was first discovered.

Mr. Robert Jones, a member of the public.

asked the Minister of Works what inquiry was made into the recent fire at the Admiralty; what was the cause; and what was the total cost of the damage.

Investigations by officers of my Department are still in progress and it is not yet possible to state the cause. The total cost of the damage is provisionally estimated at between £20,000 and £30,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the fact that the only doubt in connection with the ban on the manufacture of heroin concerns the legality of the action proposed, he will introduce the necessary legislation to resolve such doubt during the present Session.

I have nothing to add to the statement I made on 15th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has completed his consideration of the report of the committee he appointed to consider a new Queen's Hall; and whether he will make a statement.

This valuable report has been carefully considered, and I would like to express appreciation of the able way in which the Committee have fulfilled their task.It has been decided, in the light of the Committee's closely reasoned arguments, to abandon the Queen's Hall project. It has also been decided to accept their recommendation that a comprehensive survey of the needs for cultural building in London and the rest of the country is needed, and I am glad to say that the Arts Council are willing to undertake this task. This decision should not be taken as indicating that increased funds will necessarily be forthcoming in the future for these purposes, but it will be valuable to this and future Governments to have expert advice as to the order of priorities between the many claimants for assistance. This survey will include within its scope the London Society's plan for a music centre in Regent's Park.In due course, any loss to the Commissioners of Crown Lands in respect of the Queen's Hall and St. George's Hall site which is attributable to the intervention of the Government will be assessed and the House will be invited, if necessary, to vote a compensatory payment to the Commissioners to offset that loss.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to bring up to date the table published on 19h November, 1954, showing how the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling has varied month by month, taking the value in October, 1951, as 20s.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave him on the 18th November. The figure for November is 16s. 9d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reduce the Purchase Tax on weed killers on account of their importance to agriculture.

Weed killers are not chargeable with Purchase Tax.

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what increases of Purchase Tax are to be levied on badges of rank and other distinguishing badges necessarily worn by officers and seamen of Her Majesty's Navy.

I have been asked to reply. Under the provisions of the Finance Bill, the Purchase Tax on these badges is increased by one-fifth.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury to state the total financial assistance given from public funds to date to Polish, other European, West Indian, and any other racial group of immigrants into this country, respectively, for housing, training, rehabilitation or any other purpose.

I regret that this information is not available, as much of the expenditure in question is not separately identifiable.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many incubators for premature babies are available under the National Health Service; and which types are most in use;(2) which areas in the United Kingdom are not adequately equipped with incubators for premature babies, available under the National Health Service.

I will, with permission, answer this and Question No. 87 together. My right hon. Friend regrets that detailed information about numbers and types is not available, but he is not aware of any areas in the United Kingdom where arrangements for the care of premature babies—including incubators where necessary—are inadequate.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent dosemeters, as used by radiologists in the National Health Service, have been under-registering when measuring the strength of radiations given off by X-rays; how long these dosemeters have been faulty; when the discovery of this defect was made; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is advised that as a result of scientific research both in this country and in the U.S.A., early in 1953, it was found desirable to calibrate dosemeters in terms of a modified standard, differing from the old standard by a few per cent. This does not mean that dosemeters themselves were faulty. As regards hospital treatment, the radio-therapist will still give the same dose as he would have done before 1953, knowing the new calibration. The scientific work leading to the changes is now well known and is the basis of current calibration.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the position of the Lancashire cotton industry, he will issue a circular to hospital management boards calling attention to the desirability of their specifying manufacture in the United Kingdom as an essential for all requirements containing cotton manufactures.

My right hon. Friend sees no reason for any special instruction. Hospital authorities themselves purchase the textiles and made-up goods they need for hospital purposes and he has no reason to believe that they buy unwisely. It is their general practice to purchase cotton manufactures from manufacturers or merchants and my right hon. Friend is satisfied that where a suitable cloth made in the United Kingdom is available they do not normally purchase imported goods.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to indicate the formula by which he calculates the need of a locality for houses before deciding whether to permit the Scottish Special Housing Association to undertake a building scheme.

By Statute, the Scottish Special Housing Association can build as owners only in areas of greatest housing need. "Need" is determined broadly by reference to the number of new houses required in relation to population.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the average percentage of his grants towards sewerage schemes in relation to their total cost over the last available period.

For the period from the 1st January, 1946, to the 30th September, 1955, the average percentage was 46.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authorities are now operating the scheme to guarantee to house-purchasers an advance of up to 95 per cent. of the cost of a post-1918 house costing not more than £2,500; and how many houses are involved in each case.

The local authorities listed below have obtained my approval to operate the house-purchase guarantee scheme. Information about the numbers of houses involved is not at present available, but I propose to call for a return at the end of the year.

LIST OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHICH HAVE RECEIVED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S APPROVAL TO GIVE GUARANTEES OF ADVANCES UNDER SECTION 77 (2) OF THE HOUSING (SCOTLAND) ACT, 1950
Town Councils
Aberdeen.	Greenock.
Aberfeldy.	Hamilton.
Annan.	Hawick.
Ardrossan.	Helensburgh.
Ayr.	Johnstone.
Ballater	Keith.
Banff.	Kelso.
Barrhead.	Kilmarnock.
Blairgowrie/Rattray.	Kingussie.
Brechin.	Kirkcaldy.
Bridge of Allan.	Kirkcudbright.
Buckie.	Kirkintilloch.
Campbeltown.	Kirriemuir.
Coldstream.	Largs.
Crieff.	Lochgilphead.
Cromarty.	Lochmaben.
Cupar.	Lockerbie.
Dalbeattie.	Lossiemouth.
Doune.	Milngavie.
Dumbarton.	Monifiefh.
Dumfries.	Peebles.
Dunbar.	Perth.
Dunfermline.	Peterhead.
Dunoon.	Pitlochry.
Edinburgh.	Port Glasgow.
Elgin.	Rutherglen.
Elie.	Saltcoats.
Falkirk.	Stevenston.
Falkland.	Stirling.
Fortrose.	Stornoway.
Galashiels.	Tain.
Girvan.	Wick.
Grantown-on-Spey.

County Councils
Aberdeen.	Kinross.
Angus.	Kirkcudbright.
Banff.	Lanark.
Berwick.	Midlothian.
Clackmannan.	Nairn.
Dumfries.	Peebles.
Dunbarton.	Perth.
Fife.	Renfrew.
Inverness.	Roxburgh.
Kincardine.	Wigtown.

Note.—The scheme announced in D.H.S. Circular 47/1955 of 14th September, 1955, applies to houses built both before and after 1918, costing not more than £2,500. The maximum advance for pre-1918 houses is 90 per cent.; that for post-1918 houses is 95 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has come to a decision regarding approval of the proposal by the East Kilbride Development Corporation to provide further omnibus shelters in the new town, and what advice he has given to the Corporation about the provision of these amenities.

I have been unable to approve the proposal because the general provision of bus shelters in new towns is not a responsibility of the Development Corporations.

asked the Lord Advocate to state the number of prosecutions for speeding with heavy and light motor vehicles, respectively, in Kirkcudbright Sheriff Court during the first six months of 1949, and the number also in each case, reported by the police to the Procurator Fiscal in which no proceedings were taken.

There were prosecutions for speeding in respect of seven heavy vehicles and twelve light vehicles in Kirkcudbright Sheriff Court during the period in question. All cases of heavy vehicles reported by the police for speeding were prosecuted: there was one case of a light vehicle being reported for speeding which was not prosecuted.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the nature of the letter he sent to the Association of County Councils in Scotland as to its attitude towards the Local Government (Street Works) (Scotland) Bill; and what was the reply.

On 17th November the Scottish Home Department asked the County Councils' Association if I should be justified in assuming that they still did not wish the Bill to apply to county councils, and on 19th November the Association replied that they adhered to their previous view that the Bill should not apply.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the Potato Marketing Board will implement the Agriculture Act guarantees for potatoes under the Support Price System.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I expect shortly to enter into an agreement with the Potato Marketing Board, under which the Board will implement the guarantees in Great Britain on behalf of the Government. A copy of the agreement will be placed in the Library for the information of the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the estimated cost per ton of production of the 1955 crop of home-grown strawberry pulp; and how many tons are still available for sale.

I have no figures of the costs of production of home-grown strawberry pulp. I understand that only a relatively small tonnage from the 1955 crop remains unsold.

asked the Minister of Education what progress has been made towards the general acceptance by training college principals and governors of the recommendations set out in Appendix B of the Working Party Report on Grants to Training College Students.

Last May I asked the authorities of all training colleges to review their practice in this matter in the light of the recommendations of the Working Party and to make any necessary adjustments. This process has been started, but it is bound to take time to complete.

asked the Minister of Education, in view of report No. P35/23857, especially paragraph 1 of Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools and Education on 28th June, 1955, on St. Patrick's Roman Catholic School, Wellington, Shropshire, which shows that both the building itself as well as the sanitary arrangements therein are inadequate for so many children, and since the school must take in at least 40 more children by Easter, 1956, if he will now permit a proper school to be built in accordance with the full plans which have been in his department for eight years.

I cannot for the present agree to the complete replacement of this school, but, in order to relieve the pressure of numbers, I have agreed that an instalment of the new school should be built, and I hope that this will soon be put in hand.

asked the Minister of Education if he can estimate how long it will be before he receives the recommendations of the Burnham Committee in respect of the teachers' present application for revised scales of salary; and if he can give an assurance that payment of the award to be recommended will be retrospective to the date of application or award, irrespective of the date of implementation.

No. I can only say that I shall be ready to consider at any time and without delay any recommendation that the Committee may submit to me. The remuneration of teachers is governed by Orders made under Section 89 (1) of the Education Act, 1944, and I have no power to make such an Order with retrospective effect.

asked the Minister of Education to what extent he is in a position to expedite the findings of the Burnham Committee.

I have no reason to believe that the Burnham Committee requires any prodding.

asked the Minister of Education to introduce further legislation to assist the widows and next of kin of teachers.

I am considering this matter, but I cannot yet add to what I said in the debate on the Superannuation Bill on 6th December.

asked the Minister of Education what representations he has received from the National Union of Teachers regarding the proposed increase of one per cent. in their payments to the superannuation fund; and what was his reply.

I have received some 60 letters from branches of the National Union of Teachers. I have asked them to consider the arguments for the proposals in the Teachers' Superannuation Bill which I set out in my speech on the Second Reading on the 6th December. These proposals must, of course, be considered together as parts of a settlement of a financial problem of unique character.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received from the Swindon Corporation regarding the effect of the Housing Subsidies Bill; and what action he proposes to take to meet these representations.

I am examining the points made in the Town Clerk's letter which the hon. Member has passed to me. An opportunity to discuss them should present itself during the further proceedings on the Bill.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government to make a statement about the new valuation lists recently sent to rating authorities; and what statistics he proposes to publish showing the increases in rateable values.

The new valuation lists have now been deposited in many areas and the remaining lists will be in the hands of rating authorities not later than 31st December. The lists will be open to inspection by ratepayers at times announced by the rating authorities. The new assessments will come into force on 1st April next, after which proposals for amending them may be made.As soon as all the valuation lists have been sent to the rating authorities, I shall issue a statement of the total rateable value for England and Wales, and the totals for each county, county borough and metropolitan borough. At a later stage, when the necessary statistical analyses have been completed, I propose to publish a White Paper giving comparative tables of rateable values in the new lists as deposited and in the current lists as at 1st December, 1955. The tables will give, for each county, county borough, and metropolitan borough, separate totals for the following classes of property: houses and flats; shops; other commercial and miscellaneous premises; Crown property; industrial hereditaments, apportioned between industrial and non-industrial purposes; and freight-transport hereditaments, apportioned between transport purposes and non-transport purposes.I should like to take this opportunity to emphasise that an increase in the rateable value of a district will normally result in a reduction of the rate in the pound and will not therefore necessarily imply an increase in the amount payable. Individual ratepayers or group of ratepayers will consequently not be able to judge how the new valuation lists will affect them until the rates in the pound are announced by the rating authorities about the beginning of April. A leaflet containing further information will be available at the places where the lists are open to inspection.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that the new towns with their provision of lucrative employment attract farm workers from the land when these towns are situated in rural areas; and if he will give consideration to this hindrance to farmers when approving the sites for any new towns.

The New Town Corporations produce houses as nearly as possible in step with the labour needs of expanding industries; and in the towns which are providing for decentralisation the employers are asked to recruit the workers they need from the congested areas. As for future new town sites, I am at present concentrating the main effort on the expansion of existing towns.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent, in placing contracts for cotton goods and for materials containing cotton, it is a condition of Government contracts that the goods should have been made in the United Kingdom.

It is not the practice of my Department to make home production a condition of tenders for cotton textile goods; but in the case of large tenders for such goods, it is the practice to ascertain where the various processes of manufacture will be undertaken.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware of the feasibility of fireproofing fabrics and wood; and to what extent, under his Regulations, contractors working on aircraft orders for his Department use such fireproofed materials.

My Department has carried out a considerable amount of research into the fireproofing of fabrics and wood, and has this subject under continual review. Contractors are required to render fireproof the cockpit padding, upholstery and all fabric materials used for curtains and covers in aircraft ordered by my Department. Wood is little used in modern aircraft, and only on parts of the aircraft where fires are unlikely to start.

			January-March		April-June		July-September
			('000 tons)	(£'000)	('000 tons)	(£'000)	('000 tons)	(£'000)
Manufacturers' sales of Home Production:—
Canned	…	…	101·5	Not available	97·4	Not available	95·0	Not available
Deep freeze	…	…	Not available quarterly; production in 1954 was 14,200 tons
Retained Imports:—
Canned	…	…	21·8	99·6	11 ·4	57·0	37·7	163·7
Deep freeze	…	…	·4	3·1	·6	4·8	1·1	7·3

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether at the next meeting of the members of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade he will raise the question of flag discrimination in the shipping industry and Government subsides to shipbuilding operated either in open or disguised form by a number of foreign countries.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that wholesalers quoting for garage equipment, including aero engine testing apparatus and parts for Government use, are not permitted to quote for or to supply equipment and parts made by manufacturers who are not members of the existing ring; and what action he proposes to take.

The Ministry normally purchases garage equipment and aero engine testing apparatus directly from manufacturers. I am not aware that any suitable firm has been precluded from tendering.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to give the figures for the sales of canned and deep-freeze vegetables, quarter by quarter, since December, 1954, both for home-produced and those imported.

The information available is as follows:

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade does not extend to shipping questions, and it would not be appropriate to seek to raise the question of flag discrimination with the contracting parties.The subsidy provisions of the Agreement, however, are in general terms which Could cover subsidies for the building of ships. Under these provisions any member granting a subsidy which operates to increase exports or to reduce imports of any product, and which causes or threatens serious prejudice to the interests of any other member, shall upon request discuss the possibility of limiting the subsidisation. If the shipbuilding industry have evidence to show that any member of the G.A.T.T. is applying a subsidy which has these effects, I shall be glad to examine it and to consider whether to take the matter up as my hon. Friend suggests.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to now make a statement as to the progress of the efforts to provide alternative employment for the men at present employed at Llanberis 31 Air Ministry Maintenance Unit, Caernarvonshire.

We are continuing to do everything we can to find new industry for North-West Wales. A number of possibilities are being pursued, but I have nothing further to announce at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many tons of strawberry pulp are being permitted to enter this country from Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland, respectively, for this year; and how the figures compare with the years 1953 and 1950.

About 57 Ions of strawberry pulp has been licensed so far this year for import from Bulgaria, none from Hungary and about 980 tons from Poland. Complete information about the amounts licensed in 1950 and 1953 is not readily available, but 660 tons of pulp of a number of varieties, including strawberry, were licensed in 1953 for import from Poland against a quota of 750 tons.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of agricultural machinery and implements produced in the United Kingdom in 1939, 1946 and the latest year for which figures are available; and what were the exports during the same periods.

The information is as follows:

VALUE OF PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL TRACTORS, OTHER AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY, AND SPARES
		£ million
		1938*	1946	1954
For home use	…	3·3	20·14	50·20
For export	…	1·2	6·14	57·65
TOTAL	…	4·5	26·28	107·85
*The last complete pre-war year; figures for the whole of 1939 are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to introduce legislation to ensure that hire-purchase agreements are compelled to contain full details of bank charges or other charges involved in making payments.

No. I am not aware that hire-purchase agreements stipulate a method of remitting instalments which compels the customer to incur bank charges for collection, and I understand that it is open to the hirer to make his remittance direct to the finance company concerned or its Agent, if he prefers.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to make a statement about the recommendation by the Wilson-Smith Committee on the Duty-Free Entry of Machinery, in favour of the extension of the duty-free licensing provisions to plant.

Yes. I announced on the 29th July last year in reply to my hon. Friend that the Government proposed to explore this matter further with the Consultative Committee as soon as it was appointed. After a full examination of the matter, the Government have now decided, in the light of the advice received from the Committee, that, on a balance of the practical considerations involved, there is not a case in the national interest for extending the duty-free licensing arrangements to plant. Accordingly they are not proceeding with this recommendation of the Wilson Smith Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he will introduce his proposed Monopolies Bill.

My right hon. Friend hopes to introduce the Bill as soon as possible after Parliament reassembles.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now prepared to refer for the consideration of the Monopolies Commission the activities of the Association of Manufacturers of Garage Equipment which now comprises the overwhelming majority of the manu-

COTTON CLOTH IMPORTS IN YEAR ENDED 30TH NOVEMBER
SQUARE YARDS
			1952	1953	1954	1955
From India:
Grey cloth	…	…	11,742,391	11,290,295	119,855,450	137,796,299
All other cotton cloth	…	…	538,519	514,182	4,490,065	6,370,211
TOTAL	…	…	12,280,910	11,804,477	124,345,515	144,166,510

From Hong Kong:
Grey cloth	…	…	1,922,877	511,574	15,257,099	47,541,185
All other cotton cloth	…	…	750,683	1,288,912	1,730,423	2,619,773
TOTAL	…	…	2,673,560	1,740,486	16,987,522	50,160,958

asked the President of the Board of Trade to state the number of spindle hours worked in the spinning section of the Lancashire cotton industry for the most recent period of four weeks for which figures are readily available; and the numbers worked in the corresponding periods of 1953 and 1951.