asked the President of the Board of Trade which countries have been the main purchasers of wool tops for the years 1953, 1954 and 1955, respectively; and what was the sterling values of tops shipped to these countries in each of these years.

In each of the three years, the main purchasers have been Canada, India, China and Finland. Details of exports of wool tops to these and other countries in 1953, 1954 and 1955 appear on pages 157–8 of the recently published December issue of the Accounts relating to the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether in view of the difficulty of achieving reductions in the number of civil servants by reason of the inability of Government Departments to take a sufficiently drastic view of their staffing requirements, he will consider the desirability of appointing a number of business and industrial consultants to review the staff problem in every Ministry and to recommend what reductions can be achieved without loss of efficiency.

Government Departments do not determine the size of their staffs in their own sole discretion. They have to keep within limits worked out every six months in agreement with the Treasury, which by general reputation is not a soft-hearted body. The use of business and industrial consultants in suitable circumstances is by no means ruled out, but I have no doubt that, in general, staff economy and efficiency are most successfully promoted from within the Service, by those charged with this responsibility.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the long period of delay there is before a decision is given as to whether the employment of a civil servant will be continued after he has reached the age of 60 years; and whether he will take steps to expedite such decisions.

No. But if the hon. Member has any particular case in mind and will give me the details, I will gladly look into it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer at current rates of taxation of implementing that part of the recommendations in Chapter 6 of the Report of the Committee on the Taxation Treatment of Provisions for Retirement, upon which the Committee was unanimous, namely, that superannuation tax relief should be extended to those self-employed persons who, deriving their remuneration from a profession or vocation, are taxed under Case II of Schedule D, and upon what assumptions the estimate has been made.

It is not possible to say exactly what classes of the self-employed would, under my hon. Friend's suggestion, be entitled to claim relief. If all those who might be said to carry on a profession or vocation claimed the maximum relief the cost might be of the order of £7 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in connection with the coming Budget, he will give sympathetic consideration to the position of those professional self-employed persons who are excluded from sharing in the advantages of statutory superannuation schemes with a view to granting them equality of treatment in respect of taxation and so give effect to the recommendations of the second Tucker Committee Report and its final report published in June, 1955.

I am carefully considering the recommendations of this Committee, but my hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the grants given by the Government for university education for 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, and the latest year for which figures are available, respectively, and the total Government expenditure on research for the same years, including the cost of research establishments.

Grants for university education in the years in question were as follows:

Financial Years			£
1937–38	Actual payment	…	2,116,300
1938–39	Actual payment	…	2,209,527
1945–46	Actual payment	…	4,265,224
1946–47	Actual payment	…	6,485,513
1947–48	Actual payment	…	10,045,050
1948–19	Actual payment	…	12,642,180
1949–50	Actual payment	…	17,562,322
1950–51	Actual payment	…	21,473,415
1955–56	Estimate	…	32,225,000

Figures for estimated expenditure on research are given in a table which, from 1948–49 to 1954–55 inclusive, was appended to the Estimate for Grants for Science and the Arts (Class IV, 10), and in 1955–56 appeared as Appendix A to the Memorandum by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on the Civil Estimates. No figures are available for the years before 1948–49; nor is actual, as distinct from estimated, expenditure available for any year. The relevant figures for the years asked for, from 1948–49, are set out below. These figures do not include any part of the grants to universities listed above, because although part of those grants is spent on research it is not practicable to distinguish it from the total amounts involved.

Research and Development—Estimated Expenditure
Financial Years				£
1948–49	…	…	…	75,469,951
1949–50	…	…	…	96,072,533
1950–51	…	…	…	114,647,441
1955–56	…	…	…	196,354,683

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the loss on the disposal of food stocks during 1954–55 was 14 per cent. compared with 8 per cent. during the previous year.

The percentages quoted relate the provision in the accounts for expected loss on disposal to the total of the stocks on hand at the end of the year of account. The percentage increases because the total stocks get less and the remaining stock tends to be that which is most difficult to sell without loss.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet entered into negotiations with the National Egg Packers Association about a revision of their allowances.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what circumstances 1,398 tons of cheese, valued £210,260, had to be condemned.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 14th February last to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Dodds) for an explanation of the circumstances in which 900 tons of Cheshire cheese became unfit for human consumption. In addition, 400 tons of Cheddar cheese deteriorated after grading owing to the contamination of the water supply of the two creameries in which the cheese was made.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects to complete his study of the report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Slaughterhouses and of the comments of the organisations that have been consulted about it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the concern felt in many parts of the country in relation to future slaughterhouse arrangements; and if he will now make a statement of the Government's policy in this matter.

I fully appreciate that the issues dealt with in this Report are of great importance to a number of interests; and it is because of this that we are anxious to ensure that our policy is founded on the widest possible measure of agreement between them. Before reaching a decision, therefore, my right hon. Friend is arranging further consultations with organisations that have commented on the Report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated annual increase or decrease in Government expenditure incurred on grading and other administrative work at livestock markets as a result of decontrol.

Grading and other administrative costs in the markets during control amounted to about £1,600,000 compared with about £600,000 at present.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he anticipates receiving the Runciman Report.

I understand that, as evidence is still being received, the Committee are not yet in a position to say when they expect to report.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has considered a case, details of which have been sent to him, where a wholesaler has refused to supply tinned salmon to a retailer he has previously supplied since rationing was in force and this commodity was issued on a permit; and, in view of these facts, if he will now reconsider his refusal to re-institute distribution control in the case of foods in short supply.

My right hon. Friend has considered the case referred to by the hon. Member, but he is not prepared to intervene, since a wholesaler is free to sell his canned salmon as he thinks fit. We have no evidence that the trade generally is not distributing the available supplies as fairly as possible, and we are not prepared to re-introduce distribution controls.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the reasons for the notice given to certain Iraqi students to leave the United Kingdom; and whether he will reconsider this decision.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has requested I. S. Nuri, N. A. R. Hussain, and M. M. Mustafa to leave the United Kingdom.

I am unable to add anything to the Answer given on 24th January to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances, under his regulations, taxis displaying the sign "For Hire" in the Metropolitan area are obliged to accept passengers as fares.

The obligation of the driver of a London taxi to accept a hiring is laid down not in regulations made by me, but in the London Hackney Carriage Act, 1853. I have no authority to give a ruling on a point of law, but I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the decision of the High Court in the case of Hunt v. Morgan ([19481 II A.E.R., 1065).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to open remand centres for children and young persons up to the age of 21 years, as provided by Section 48 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1948.

I regret that the need to restrict expenditure on Government building makes it impossible for me to say when I shall be able to provide remand centres.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision there is for the detention of young offenders in the north-east of England; and what plans he has to remedy the present situation.

At the present time there is no detention centre serving north-east England. Provision for the acquisition of premises in the north of England suitable for adaptation into a detention centre has been included in the 1956–57 Estimate. As regards remand centres I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Hyde).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to report on the inquiries being made into certain cases in which fees in excess of those recommended by the British Medical Association for the signing of cremation certificates B and C were being charged.

Yes; my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health has informed me that his inquiries show that, in a few instances, fees slightly higher than those recommended by the British Medical Association have been charged. I am bringing the results of these inquiries to the notice of the Association but, in view of the very small number of complaints which have reached me, I see no reason at present to consider the use of my statutory powers to regulate the fees for these certificates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will recommend the appointment of a Royal Commission or Departmental Committee to inquire into the relationship between the statutory and voluntary social services dealing with the family.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now reached a decision on the request made to him by the Magistrates' Association to set up an inquiry into the working of the juvenile courts and the treatment of children coming before them.

My right hon. Friends and I have considered with care and sympathy the proposals made by Mrs. Fisher's deputation in July last year, for a general inquiry into the social services concerned with the family, and by a deputation from the Magistrates' Association in November that the suggested inquiry should be coupled with a review of the working of the Juvenile Court system in England and Wales. Mrs. Fisher's deputation drew particular attention to the need for better co-ordination of the services in question. This matter has already received much attention in the Departments concerned, and we propose to follow up, by means of departmental study and administrative action, the steps already taken to improve coordination of the local services at all levels and to secure a combined approach to a family's problems. As regards the proposals of the Magistrates' Association for a review of the work of the juvenile courts and the treatment of children coming before them, I have come to the conclusion that the time is ripe for a new study of this subject, and I propose to set up a Committee to consider and make recommendations regarding the working of the relevant provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, as amended.Both deputations also drew attention to the need to pay more attention to pre ventive work; and the Committee's terms of reference will include consideration of the powers and duties of local authorities under the Children Act for preventing the suffering of children neglected in their own homes. The membership and exact terms of reference of the Committee will be announced in due course. In order that interested organisations may have time to consider what evidence to submit to the Committee, I contemplate that it should not start work before the autumn. We believe that the action which I have announced will meet the situation and will be of more practical value than a wide-ranging general inquiry at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that when traffic is dense in London omnibuses are frequently brought to a halt by their drivers in the middle of road intersections, thus making it impossible for vehicles to cross the road when the traffic lights change in their favour; and if he will instruct the Commissioner of Police to consult with the London Transport Executive in order to find a way of ending this practice.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that obstruction arises at busy traffic-signalled junctions when vehicles admitted to an intersection have been unable to turn right before the lights change, or because the amber light has been ignored or traffic ahead is held up. This does not necessarily imply any fault on the part of the driver, and bus drivers are no more to blame than others. When possible, more police assistance is being given at the busiest junctions to ease the difficulties, and the Commissioner will consider whether he can usefully approach the London Transport Executive in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider the desirability of publishing the annual report of the Police Laboratory, which deals inter alia with tests for the alcohol content of the blood in those involved in road accidents.

I am not aware of the existence of any such report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the Home Office Committee which is investigating the relation of alcohol to road accidents has considered the findings of the Police Laboratory in this connection.

I presume that the hon. Member is referring to a Working Party of police officers and officials which has been examining the particular question of the recognition of intoxication and proving it to the satisfaction of the courts in connection with road traffic offences. It has not been concerned with investigating the relation of alcohol to road accidents. So far as necessary the Working Party has taken account of the experience of the forensic science laboratories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in the Metropolitan police district were convicted of criminal offences relating to their official duties and of other criminal offences during the year 1955 and the year 1938.

In 1955, four officers were convicted of criminal offences relating to their official duties, and twenty were convicted of other offences. In 1938 the numbers were respectively three and twenty-two.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state particulars of all redecoration and reconstruction of the licensed premises of his State Management Scheme in the City of Carlisle that have been put in hand during the last six months of 1955; and what are his plans for further redecoration and reconstruction of such premises.

It is the practice every year to fix a programme of works to be carried out in the properties of the State Management Districts. Under the 1955 programme redecorations or reconstructions were, in the last six months of the year, put in hand in 24 premises. I expect that during 1956 redecorations will be carried out in some 15 to 20 public houses as well as redecoration and reconstruction in others.STATE MANAGEMENT PREMISES IN THE CITY OF CARLISLE: REDECORATIONS AND RECONSTRUCTIONS PUT IN HAND 1ST JULY-31ST DECEMBER, 1955

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue instructions that matches be readily available for sale at all times during licensed hours in all the redecorated and reconstructed premises of his State Management Scheme in the City of Carlisle.

My information is that matches are available in those public houses in the State Management District of Carlisle where there is any demand for them but I am making inquiries to see whether there is any need to improve the existing arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue instructions that potato crisps be readily available for sale at all times during licensed hours in all the redecorated and reconstructed premises of his State Management Scheme in the City of Carlisle.

I am informed that potato crisps are available in all the State Management public houses in Carlisle where there is any demand for them and I do not think that any action is called for on my part.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds have documents from a prisoner, authorised by him in November last, been withheld by him from the prisoner's Member of Parliament.

The prisoner in question sought authority to send out of prison documents connected with an application for a writ of habeas corpus either to his mother or to his solicitor or to the hon. Member for Perry Barr (Mr. C. Howell). He was told that he might send them to any one of these, and I understand that he elected to communicate them to his solicitor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now had consultations with his colleague about the charges made against the British Broadcasting Corporation in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General, who is arranging for an inquiry to be held.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the fact that the McNair Report on Teachers' Salaries has never been fully implemented, he will now implement this Report, thus offsetting the shortcomings of the Burnham Committee's findings, before proceeding with the Teachers' Superannuation Bill.

The McNair Committee's recommendations were in general terms. My hon. and gallant Friend will know that the Burnham Committee have decided to begin at once negotiations for new salary scales for teachers to come into operation on or before 1st October next, and that I have tabled an Amendment to the Teachers' Superannuation Bill to postpone its coming into effect until that same date.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has considered the Report of the Committee on Maladjusted Children; and when a statement will be made on his policy and intentions with regard to the recommendations in the Report.

My right hon. Friend has not yet completed his consideration of this Report.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that there are in many parts of the country gipsy caravan dwellers who have lived this kind of life for generations without interference; that they are law-abiding citizens but are being harassed almost daily by being driven from their camping grounds; and if he will set up a committee of inquiry to investigate their plight with a view to finding some method by which they can live peaceably.

I am not aware that there is a widespread problem which would justify my setting up a committee of inquiry, but I am always ready to look into particular difficulties.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why he has not replied to the letter from St. Pancras Borough Council, dated 9th November, followed by repeated reminders, asking him to receive a deputation.

I am sorry about the delay in this matter. The request for a deputation to be received has now been considered and I am seeing one on Monday.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to receive the report of the fatal accident inquiry into the collision outside Burnwood Camp, Carluke, on 18th December, 1955.

The inquiry is to take place on 17th February. It is held by the Sheriff in public, and a public verdict is returned by the jury. No formal report is made to me, but my hon. Friend may be assured that I shall study carefully both the proceedings and findings of the court.

asked the Minister of Health, in the inquiries which have been made into the illness of a large number of babies at Liverpool and other towns in recent weeks, in how many cases it has been ascertained whether these infants had been recently vaccinated or inoculated.

During the recent outbreak of respiratory illness 125 infants under one year were observed in hospital in Sunderland. Thirteen had been vaccinated against smallpox, three had been immunised against diphtheria, one had been both vaccinated and immunised and one had been inoculated with B.C.G. vaccine. Similar information is not available for Liverpool.

asked the Minister of Health how many were employed on the administrative and clerical staffs of hospitals in the National Health Service in 1949 and in 1954.

23,797 at the end of 1949, and 26,963 at the end of 1954. Both figures include part-time staff; in the second they are reckoned at their whole-time equivalent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which county police forces are under strength and by how many men and women in each case; and which counties have refused permission to police volunteers to undertake temporary duties in Cyprus.

With regard to the first part of the Question, the information requested is given in the table below. With regard to the second part of the Question, I have no information other than Press reports that Lanarkshire County Council

ESTABLISHMENT, STRENGTH AND DEFICIENCY IN NUMBERS IN SCOTTISH COUNTY AND COMBINED POLICE FORCES AT 31ST DECEMBER, 1955
Force	Men			Women
	Establishment	Actual Strength	Deficiency	Establishment	Actual Strength	Deficiency
Angus	140	134	6	6	2	4
Argyll	105	97	8	4	4	—
Ayr	285	267	18	6	6	—
Berwick, Roxburgh and Selkirk	128	120	8	2	2	—
Caithness	37	32	5	1	1	—
Dumfries and Galloway	158	144	14	7	5	2
Dunbarton	263	232	31	11	11	—
Fife	452	396	56	24	22	2
Inverness	85	85	—	3	3	—
Lanark	425	384	41	20	14	6
Lothians and Peebles	304	287	17	6	6	—
Orkney	18	18	—	1	1	—
Perth and Kinross	124	116	8	—	—	—
Renfrew and Bute	252	246	6	6	5	1
Ross and Cromarty	75	67	8	—	—	—
Scottish North Eastern Counties	289	265	24	4	4	—
Stirling and Clackmannan	304	288	16	12	12	—
Sutherland	22	19	3	—	—	—
Zetland	16	13	3	—	—	—

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the records at Gretna distinguish between marriages of persons under 21 ordinarily resident in Scotland and those who cross the border from England to take advantage of the Scottish law which does not require the same parental consent to a marriage between minors; and how far the number of such latter marriages has shown an increase during recent years.

Marriages of persons under 21 who have crossed the border from England and have been married at Gretna can normally be identified by reference to the age of the parties and their usual residence, both of which are recorded in the marriage register. No such marriages have been identified in the registers for the years 1943 to 1950, inclusive, or for the years 1952 and 1953. Four have been identified in 1951, 37 in 1954 and 133 in 1955.