asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that although a signalman, whose number is 23184759 and of whose name he has been informed, is in Catterick Hospital, his parents have twice been notified that he is absent without leave; and whether he will make a statement.

I am going carefully into the cause of this unfortunate mistake. I would like to express my regret to his parents.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he had about his proposal to cut or abolish the import duty on woodware; whether he is aware of the alarm this has caused to the skilled workmen and their employers in the Chesham area; and whether, in view of the nature and importance of this small handcraft industry, he will resist any such proposal at Geneva.

Requests for reductions in the United Kingdom tariff have been discussed with the trade associations concerned. Their views will be taken fully into account, but as my right hon. Friend said on 26th January, we cannot anticipate the outcome of the tariff negotiations now going on at Geneva.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of racehorses imported into and exported from this country during 1954.

Racehorses are not separately distinguished in the Trade Returns. In 1954, the value of imports of stallions, mares and geldings was £5,287,000, and of exports £5,018,000. The figures include horses imported or exported only temporarily, for example, for racing, and do not, therefore, give any reliable indication of payments made for imports or earnings from exports.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of revenue received each month during 1955 from the 10 per cent. Pool Betting Duty levied upon greyhound racing totalisator bets; and how this compares with any similar duty paid in connection with totalisators operating on horse racecourses.

The monthly receipts of Pool Betting Duty charged at 10 per cent. on bets with greyhound racetrack totalisators in 1955 were:

	£
January	334,180
February	355,187
March	460,394
April	494,194
May	490,069
June	684,250
July	544,668
August	642,806
September	581,070
October	449,331
November	448,290
December	425,708
Total	5,910,147

Bets made by means of totalisators operated on horse racecourses under the authority of the Racecourse Betting Control Board are not liable to Pool Betting Duty.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury the revenue obtained by his Department from the duty levied on football pools in 1953, 1954 and 1955.

Receipts of Pool Betting Duty charged on football and similar pools during 1953, 1954 and 1955 were £21·1 million, £22·3 million and £20·4 million respectively.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will now make a statement on the effects of the new valuation lists; and what further action he proposes to take.

It is too soon to judge the effects.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will introduce legislation to redress the hardship caused by the compulsory acquisition of property in the possession of owner-occupiers.

This week.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he is taking to remedy the unemployment arising from the redundancy of over 200 workers at works, the names of which have been supplied him, at Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare.

The local employment exchanges are making every effort to place the redundant workers in other employment. No great difficulties are anticipated at Aberdare but at Merthyr Tydfil the prospects are much less bright. To allow more time the firm has agreed to postpone the discharges until 10th February.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for mobile police to control traffic in East Lane, Wembley, when the General Electric Company's factory closes in the evening, to minimise the danger of accidents to employees when leaving.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that he has made arrangements for police with public address equipment to attend at this spot for a period at the evening rush hour to assist and give advice to pedestrians and others. But I hope that pedestrians will also assist by exercising restraint instead of attempting to rush across the road regardless of the traffic on it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers have been prosecuted in recent months for exceeding the speed limit in East Lane, Wembley.

Fourteen during the last twelve months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the value of unclaimed totalisator dividends held by the Racecourse Betting Control Board; how long such dividends are held by the board; and what ultimately becomes of them.

Under the Board's rules, winnings are payable for a period of 10 days after the day of issue, but claims after the expiry of that period may be paid by concession. At the end of each year, the sum representing the winnings unclaimed and out of time is paid into the Totalisator Fund and is available for distribution in accordance with the statutory provisions. The amount so paid in respect of 1955 was £35,534.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the total amount invested with the totalisators operated by the Racecourse Betting Control Board during 1954 and 1955; and how much money went in each year to the improvement in the breeding of racehorses and how much to racecourse managements.

The information is as follows:

—	1954	1955
	£	£
Totalisator turnover	24,822,498	23,862,716
Amounts paid to race course managements; Out of the Race-course Fund under schemes approved by the Home Secretary	294,245	420,707
In respect of site rents and facilities	124,305	123,483

The sums paid to racecourse managements include contributions to prize money amounting to £103,413 and £119,937 for 1954 and 1955 respectively. These sums indirectly help to improve the breeding of racehorses. In addition, a sum of £22,000 was paid in each year to the Hunters Improvement and National Light Horse Breeding Society.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are still outstanding in Brentford and Chiswick; and how long he anticipates it will be before all the existing applications are met.

324; in addition, there are 364 in course of being met or under inquiry. I expect about 650 telephones to be installed in Brentford and Chiswick this year, but I cannot forecast with accuracy when all existing applications will be met.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones were met in Brentford and Chiswick during 1955; and how this figure compared with the comparable totals for the five previous years.

The figures are: 1955, 569; 1954, 536; 1953, 506; 1952, 583; 1951, 636; and 1950, 601.

asked the Postmaster-General how many new telephone boxes it is proposed to install in Brentford and Chiswick during 1956; and where it is intended to site them.

Six. Subject to the approval of the local authority, four will be sited in the vicinity of Heathfield Terrace, one at the junction of Chiswick High Road and Belmont Road, and one near South Acton station.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many appeals against refusals to grant planning permission have come before him between January, 1952, and December, 1955; how many are still pending; in how many cases the appeal has been upheld; and the average length of time taken to dispose of each case from the day the appeal was lodged.

The number of appeals lodged with me during the period referred to was 555. Of these 171 were sustained, 157 were dismissed, 122 were withdrawn, and 105 were still under consideration at the end of 1955. Apart from certain exceptional cases the average time taken to dispose of an appeal was 4 to 6 months.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether a decision has yet been reached to construct a fly-over from the western end of the Cromwell Road extension to meet the Great West Road; whether, under this plan, it is proposed to leave Wellesley Road, W.4, open to traffic; and what he anticipates will be the cost of such a fly-over should it be constructed.

I am reconsidering the layout at the junction of the western end of the Cromwell Road Extension and the Great West Road. Until detailed plans are prepared I cannot say whether Wellesley Road can be left open to traffic or what the cost will be.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is now in a position to announce the appointment of the Scottish Transport Council; and whether he will state its terms of reference and composition.

Yes. After consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, I have appointed the Scottish Transport Council with the following terms of reference:

"To examine questions of common interest to the transport undertakings which are nationalised, controlled by a nationalised undertaking or State-aided, for the purpose of assisting the persons carrying on those undertakings in the consideration of plans for developing an efficient and co-ordinated system of public transport in Scotland, and to consult as necessary with other transport interests."

The composition and membership of the Council is as follows:

C. J. D. Shaw, Esq., Q.C., Chairman.

William Hughes, Esq., O.B.E., J.P., Lord Provost of Dundee and T. G. Robinson, Esq., Independent members.

Captain Sir Ian Bolton, Bart., O.B.E., representing the British Transport Commission.

Sir Patrick Dollan, D.L., LL.D., J.P., representing the British European Airways Corporation.

Ian P. R. Napier, Esq., M.C., representing D. MacBrayne Ltd.

Robert Taylor, Esq., J.P., representing the Scottish Advisory Council for Civil Aviation.

Sir John Erskine, C.B.E., D.L., J.P., representing the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland.

M. M. Stuart, Esq., C.I.E., O.B.E., Secretary.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the number of staff employed by his Department at the latest convenient date as compared with 31st December, 1938.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to civilian staff. About 105,000 industrials and non-industrials were employed on 31st December, 1938, and 181,300 at 1st October, 1955. These figures include staff entered abroad.