asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what special circumstances have been found to account for the increased numbers of fish in northern waters in recent weeks.

There is evidence of a good brood of young fish and of an early seasonal appearance of older fish.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has now considered the Report which he has received from the Nature Conservancy on the Fame Island seals with reference to the damage done to fishing interests; and whether he will make a statement.

The Report recommends the continuance of protection, more effective control measures at the salmon fishing grounds, encouragement of marking experiments and a further review after one or two seasons. I am arranging for the Report and recommendations to be discussed with the interests concerned. I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of the Report and am placing another in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Labour what consultations he has had with the National Coal Board regarding the Government's policy of giving favourable consideration to applications from retired officers and other ranks of the Armed Forces for positions for which their experience and qualifications fit them.

The National Coal Board notifies my Department of vacancies of a professional, administrative and executive type, and ex-Regulars are included among the candidates put forward for its consideration. As regards industrial grades, the Board has undertaken to engage annually up to 6,500 ex-Regulars.

asked the Minister of Labour in view of the labour shortage in certain railway operating grades, which causes frequent and recurrent railway freight transit delays, what representations he has had from the British Transport Commission on the subject, and what assistance he proposes to give.

My Department keeps in close touch with the British Transport Commission on various aspects of railway labour supply, and my local offices give British Railways every possible help in meeting their labour requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent changes there have been in the qualifications which have to be fulfilled before an alien may submit an application for naturalisation.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place, during the last twelve months for which records are available, for breaches of the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations governing the emission of smoke or visible vapour in London, and in England, respectively.

During the year ended 30th September, 1955, five in the Metropolitan Police district. Figures for other forces in England are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has read the pamphlets "How to break an Elephant's Heart" and "The Truth about the Circus," which have been sent to him; and whether he is satisfied that the present regulations to prevent cruelty are sufficient.

Yes. My right hon. and gallant Friend has read the pamphlets. The Protection of Animals Act, 1911, makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal, and the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act, 1925, requires the registration of animal trainers and exhibitors, and confers powers of entry and inspection of premises where animals are trained and exhibited or kept for training and exhibition. My right hon. and gallant Friend has no reason to think that the existing statutory provisions are inadequate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that the terms of reference of the proposed committee to inquire into the working of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, will permit an examination of the age of criminal responsibility and of ways of treating delinquent children, which would avoid appearance in court, or lead to their appearing as in need of care or protection.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long traffic lights at the junction of Savoy Street and the Embankment have been hand-operated; and how many police man-hours a week are used for this purpose.

These lights have been hand-operated since May, 1939, and take up eighty-four man-hours per week.

asked the Minister of Education when the first meeting was held of the Hives Committee on Awards in Technology, the establishment of which was announced last July; and how many meetings have been held to date.

The National Council for Technological Awards first met on 19th December. Its Executive Committee met on 16th January, and will meet again on 24th February. Both Boards of Studies met on 15th December. Their Joint Steering Committee met on 30th January and 13th February. The Boards will meet again on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Education if he is now in a position to announce revised income scales for grants to students taking courses in art, music and associated subjects.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a circular which 1 sent to local education authorities last May. In it I made recommendations as to their grants to full-time students over 18 taking courses of high standing elsewhere than at universities. Most of the authorities are following my advice.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations with which Commonwealth countries consultations took place before the latest tariff negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

In accordance with our normal practice, we have been in touch with all other Commonwealth Governments regarding these negotiations and will continue these contacts either direct or through their delegations at Geneva.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations the date on which the Migration Board last met; and whether an early meeting of the board is contemplated.

The Oversea Migration Board met four times during 1955, the last meeting being on 7th July, and in addition a limited meeting was held on 1st December. The full Board will meet again on 22nd February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what porgress has been made in discussions with representatives of the Danish Government in respect to the import of bacon.

The negotiations are still in progress.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive the Report of the Monopolies Commission on Heavy Electrical Plant.

My right hon. Friend expects to receive this Report about the middle of the year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the Fife County Council has recently received identical water pipe tenders from three companies, the names of which have been sent to him; that these three firms are the only manufacturers in the country of the pipes required; and if he will therefore refer the matter to the Monopolies Commission.

I know of the matter referred to by the hon. Member. The subject of common prices and agreed tendering was referred to the Monopolies Commission in October last.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when it is intended to introduce legislation to permit the imposition of countervailing and anti-dumping duties on imported goods in accordance with the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

The Government attach importance to the early introduction of this Measure but I cannot at present say when Parliamentary time will be available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement regarding the future control over the number of pages printed by newspapers.

On 15th August last I announced the Government's intention to remove all statutory controls over the delivery of newsprint and the size of newspapers, provided that satisfactory arrangements could be made among the newspapers to meet the needs of the small users. All the newspapers, however, with one exception have asked that rationing by statutory control should be continued for the time being, and have told me that they are unable to safeguard the position of the small users. In such circumstances I have decided that the necessary Order continuing the control should be laid before Parliament. I propose, however, to license an increased number of pages for The Times. I am doing this because this newspaper now intends to use exclusively a type of paper other than newsprint, which will be obtained entirely from new capacity, and will release to other newspapers all the newsprint it would otherwise have used.

asked the Secretary of State for War what provision is made by his Department for Service personnel who prefer a vegetarian diet.

At home or abroad the vegetarian is allowed an additional 4 oz. of bread, 1 oz. of margarine, 1 oz. of cheese and 3 oz. of tinned milk daily in place of the normal meat and bacon rations.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now make a statement about the future of the British Commonwealth Forces in Korea.

Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, in consultation with the other Commonwealth Governments concerned, have now made arrangements for the further reduction of the British Commonwealth forces in Korea. The United Kingdom Government will still maintain a contribution towards the United Nations forces which will consist of one infantry battalion and supporting units. About 3,000 United Kingdom troops will thus be released.The reductions are planned to start on 15th March, and Headquarters, British Commonwealth Forces, Korea, which is located in Japan, will in due course close down. The title "First Commonwealth Division" will be discontinued, and the forces remaining will be known as "Commonwealth Contingent, Korea." The Commander will be a United Kingdom brigadier whose headquarters will be in Korea.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many more civil servants will become answerable to him when the powers of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation with regard to roads and bridges are transferred to the Scottish Office on 1st April.

105 non-industrial civil servants will be engaged in my Department on functions relating to roads and bridges in Scotland from 1st April.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will consider allowing ratings to wear civilian clothes when on shore leave from Her Majesty's ships away from their home port.

All ratings over 17½ years of age, other than those undergoing training on first entry, are allowed to wear plain clothes when on leave in the United Kingdom. They may also wear them when proceeding on leave from, and returning to, shore establishments. The privilege of changing into plain clothes on board Her Majesty's ships, as opposed to shore establishments, before proceeding on leave is restricted to chief petty officers, and is permitted at a number of ports in addition to the home ports.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will investigate the overcrowded conditions in H.M.S. "Apollo" when the Third Sea Lord and his staff are aboard.

The Third Sea Lord and his staff are accommodated in the Admiralty, and I assume that my hon. and gallant Friend is referring to conditions in Her Majesty's Ship "Apollo" when the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, and his staff are aboard. They were embarked for 76 days during 1955 and some temporary overcrowding resulted in some of the messes. Improvements are being made during the ship's current refit to make conditions more comfortable on similar occasions in the future. These include improved washing and sanitary facilities and a modernised galley.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give a general direction to the gas boards not to participate with private firms in price-fixing agreements.

No. In this matter gas boards are in the same position as private firms and I see no reason why they should be treated differently.

asked the Minister of Health what alteration he proposes in the regulations under the National Health Service Act, 1946, to enable aggrieved parties in cases dealt with by National Health Service Executive Councils, to have a right of appeal to the courts or to an independent tribunal.

I have no proposal under immediate consideration.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he has noted the method by which miners in South Africa are examined and assessed for loss of faculty due to lung disease which arises in and out of their employment, and where X-ray changes are not noted; and whether he will institute similar examinations for men suffering from asthma and emphysema in certain occupations.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the system in South Africa to which the hon. Member refers but knows of no occupations in relation to which asthma and emphysema would satisfy the statutory conditions for prescription as occupational diseases under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what percentage of cases examined by the pneumoconiosis panels are assessed at 1 per cent.; and the number so assessed.

Since the same rate of benefit is payable for all assessments of 10 per cent. or less it is not necessary for the pneumoconiosis medical boards to give precise assessments within this range. The information asked for is accordingly not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether his attention has been drawn to the undesirability of assessing loss of faculty due to pneumoconiosis at less than 20 per cent.; and what changes he proposes to make in the methods of assessment.

My right hon. Friend knows it has recently been suggested that 20 per cent. should be taken as the lowest limit of recognisable disability for pneumoconiosis. However, the present system which provides a special rate of pension for penumoconiosis if the disablement is assessed at 10 per cent. or less is based on the recommendations of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council whose report on pneumoconiosis was published in 1953 and my right hon. Friend sees no reason to alter it.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones were met in Wembley during 1955; and if he will give the comparable totals for the five previous years.

The figures are:

1955–871, 1954–1,024, 1953–1,195, 1952–1,337, 1951–2,273, 1950–1,232.

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

Nine. Subject to the approval of the local authority, two will be sited at Wembley Central Station and one at each of the following places: junction of Bridge Road and Forty Avenue; North Wembley Station; junction of Grasmere Avenue and Ambleside Gardens; car park, Regal Cinema; outside 553, High Road; outside 266–268, Tokyngton Avenue; and Southway, Wembley Hill Estate.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent the reconstruction work on the Glasgow—Stirling road has now been authorised; what percentage of the work thereon has now been completed; and whether he is yet able to indicate approximately by what date the work will be completed.

Work has been authorised between Stepps and Muirhead in Lanarkshire and, in Dunbartonshire, between the Lanarkshire boundary and a point south-west of the proposed Cumbernauld Diversion. On the first section work is 85 per cent. completed and will, it is hoped, be finished early in the summer of this year. It is hoped to start work on the second section in the coming summer and to complete that section by the middle of 1958. Preparation of the schemes of improvement for the remainder of the road is in hand, but I am not able to say at present when the works will be put in hand or completed.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now authorise for inclusion in the 1956–57 programme of road works the urgent proposed improvement between Duffryn Road and Ebenezer Road, Rhydyfelin, on the Cardiff—Merthyr trunk road, A 470, which scheme was approved in 1953 and subsequently withdrawn; if he is aware that there is no footpath on the east side of this heavy trafficked road where is situated the local post office which serves a neighbourhood with over 5,000 people; and if he will make a statement.

A scheme for improving traffic conditions has been prepared. I hope that the work can be authorised in the coming financial year, but I cannot yet say for certain.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now increase the pensions of railway pensioners on lines comparable with the proposals in the Pensions (Increase) Bill.

As I informed the House on 24th and 25th January, 1956, in my Answers to Questions from my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward) and from the hon. Member for Itchen (Dr. King) and the hon. Member for Kensington, North (Mr. G. H. R. Rogers) I am having discussions with the Chairman of the British Transport Commission about the possibility of further assistance being given to their pensioners, but am not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in his next Budget, he will consider a reduction in the tax on petrol and diesel oil.

I shall, of course, be considering these Duties in my review of taxation generally before the Budget.