asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet reached a decision on the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Slaughterhouses.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 9th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton) and to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Dodds).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to ensure that all animals slaughtered for human consumption have been properly inspected.

Local authorities are responsible for inspection and I am satisfied that despite real difficulty in some cases they are doing their best to achieve full inspection of meat and animals. Power has been given in the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, to require the inspection of all meat and animals, and as soon as practicable I intend to make regulations to this effect, in association with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take immediate action to prohibit the deliberate dispersal of rabbits which are free from myxomatosis.

I have no powers at present to prohibit the spreading of rabbits but a Private Member's Bill on the subject is expected to be introduced shortly in another place. My existing powers to require the destruction of rabbits will be used without hesitation in any case where it is known that some have been deliberately released.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet fixed a final date when the sale of agenised flour must cease.

The arrangements made by the flour millers and flour importers provided for nitrogen trichloride in any form to cease to be used in flour by the end of last year. I have been given assurances by the leaders of both the flour milling industry and the flour importers that these arrangements have been fully honoured.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the average selling prices for fat pigs in King's Lynn market on 6th and 13th December, 1955, respectively.

The average selling prices at King's Lynn for porkers, cutters and baconers on 6th December, 1955, were 32s., 28s. 6d. and 26s. 6d. per score live-weight respectively. The corresponding figures for 13th December of that year were 30s., 27s. and 22s. 6d.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average prices for the main grades of fat cattle realised in Norwich market on 25th February, 1956, and the comparative prices for the same week in 1955.

Average cattle prices at Norwich on 25th February, 1956, were Grade "A" 139s. 6d., Grade "B" 132s. 0d. per live cwt. Comparable figures for 26th February, 1955, were Grade "A" 169s. 6d., Grade "B" 164s. 4d.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement of the nature and extent of the fishing results which he is now collecting for the purpose of determining the amount of the new fishing subsidy rates to come into force when the present White Fish Subsidy Scheme expires on 31st July, 1956; and if he will also indicate the manner in which he plans to use those fishing results in order to avoid loss to the fishing industry and increased cost to the consumers of fish.

We shall have regard to the annual trading accounts of the trawling fleet and the costs and earnings of the inshore fleet as shown by a special investigation now being made. Conclusions from this material must await its completion and study.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an estimate of the value of reciprocal health benefits obtained by British nationals overseas for the latest convenient period.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health the rent paid by the Leeds Regional Hospital Board for the Queen's Hotel, Harrogate; and how many more years this lease has to run.

£4,000 a year. Twenty.

asked the Minister of Health what was the cost of maintaining the gardens and greenhouses at the Leeds Regional Board headquarters at Harrogate during 1955; and what has been the total expenditure on these gardens since the Regional Hospital Board moved to the Queen's Hotel.

£1,342 2s. 10d. in 1955 and a total of £6,002 18s. 8d. since the Board moved there.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the further evidence of the effect of cigarette smoking on cancer of the lung, if he will now undertake to publicise these dangers.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 27th February to the hon. Member for Northfield (Mr. Chapman).

asked the Minister of Health when he last received advice from the Central Health Services Council on the question of association between heavy smoking and lung cancer; and when he expects to receive a further report from the Council.

Last October. The Council and the Standing Medical Advisory Committee are watching developments but my right hon. Friend does not yet know when he will receive further advice from them.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make available funds for the provision of a television microscope for biological research into cancer.

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any case for doing so at present.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a further statement on the administration of the anti-poliomyelitis Salk-type vaccine.

When the decision to proceed with immunisation this year had been taken on expert advice, detailed technical information was made available to medical officers of health of local health authorities—who are the people charged with performing the task—and this information was also given to the medical Press. This weekend, I have issued technical information to all general practitioners—although they will not themselves be performing the task in the first stage—so that they will be well informed to deal with any requests for advice from their patients. Already 105 local health authorities in England and Wales have applied for approval of their plans.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the anxiety felt by shrimp fishermen round Morecambe Bay and elsewhere as to the effect upon their livelihood of Clause 7 of the Food Hygiene Regulations, 1955, No. 1906; and what proposals he has to help them.

Yes. In conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food early consideration will be given to the representations made on this matter.

asked the Minister of Health what facilities are available at the City General Hospital and the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary for the men and women who suffer from pneumoconiosis; and what specialists are available for such people.

There are 46 beds for chest diseases at the City General Hospital and beds are available also at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary for patients not needing sanatorium treatment. There are nine chest specialists.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the further letters from the North Staffordshire Area National Union of Mineworkers and the National Society of Pottery Workers which have been sent to him dealing with the growing concern over pneumoconiosis and the need for a treatment, research, and rehabilitation centre in or near the City of Stoke-on-Trent; and what reply he has sent.

Yes. The regional hospital board considers that there are adequate facilities for treatment in North Staffordshire. The results of the research undertaken at Llandough Hospital are made available elsewhere and there would be no gain in duplicating this work. My right hon. Friend is replying to the letter in this sense.

asked the Minister of Health how many of those tuberculosis patients who are waiting to go into hospital are requiring surgical treatment.

This information is not separately available.

asked the Minister of Health what is the national average weekly cost per patient spent upon food in mental hospitals at the latest convenient date; how this compares with patients in other hospitals; and how the figures for the Birmingham Regional Board compare with the national average.

Figures for patients excluding staff are not available. The average weekly cost of provisions per person fed in the principal groups of non-teaching hospitals in the year ended 31st March, 1955, was:

asked the Minister of Health what further action he has taken concerning the shortage of cooks in hospitals under the control of the Dudley Road, Birmingham No. 24 Group, Hospital Management Committee; and what reply he has received following his submission to the appropriate Whitley Council.

I understand that the staffing position in these hospitals has now improved. The Whitley Council has recently agreed to pay increases for all ancillary workers, and is also further reviewing the rates for cooks.

asked the Minister of Health what action has been taken arising from the recommendations of the Working Party set up to consider the training which registered nurses and enrolled assistant nurses should undertake prior to their employment on home nursing duties and the means by which this should be provided.

The Report has been considered by the County Councils' Association, the Association of Municipal Corporations and the London County Council, with whom my right hon. Friend intends shortly to discuss it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) if he is now prepared to state the initial sum which Her Majesty's Government considers necessary to be subscribed before the proposed Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development comes into existence; and how much Her Majesty's Government is prepared to contribute to the initial capital of the fund in view of the promises made by certain European countries;(2) whether, in view of the savings in arms expenditure by various Governments, Her Majesty's Government will now take concrete measures to start the Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development.

Her Majesty's Government support the principle of a fund when resources become available as a result of internationally supervised worldwide disarmament. These conditions do not yet exist. We cannot yet say what the capital resources of a fund should be. Nor can I indicate the amount Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to contribute in hypothetical circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when Her Majesty's Government will ratify the European Convention on Establishment: by what procedure; and whether he will publish the text in a White Paper.

The Convention will be published as a White Paper shortly. Thereafter it will be ratified in accordance with the usual procedure.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the value of the retirement pension in proportion to the average wage earned in 1946, and at the nearest convenient date.

Taking the Ministry of Labour figures of earnings of men manual workers as a basis, the percentages are about 21 for 1946 and 18 at October, 1955. For women the corresponding percentages are 40 and 35.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will estimate the cost of compensating retired pensioners for the increased price of bread and milk due to removal of the subsidy.

The cost of increasing the weekly rate of retirement pensions by 4d. would be about £4 millions a year at present.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that the proposed increase in the price of bread and milk will cause hardship to old-age pensioners; and if he will increase pensions to meet this.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Accrington (Mr. H. Hynd) on 27th February.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will increase the pensions and allowances given to disabled ex-Service men and their widows.

I have no statement to make on this subject.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) the number of widows in Shettleston division of Glasgow, drawing 10s. per week pension; and the number who draw supplementary benefit in addition from the Assistance Board;(2) the number of persons who have applied for clothing grants from the Assistance Board in the Shettleston division of Glasgow, and the number refused during 1955, respectively; and the cost of such grants during the same period;(3) the number of old-age pensioners in the Shettleston division of Glasgow, and the number applying for National Assistance in addition to pension; and what is the annual cost of supplementation.

I regret that there are no statistics of this kind in respect of Parliamentary constituencies.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will extend to war widows the increased children's allowance he is proposing to make for other categories of widows.

The recent Report of the National Insurance Advisory Committee, which is the basis of the Government's proposal, did not deal with the position of war widows with children. Their case requires separate consideration.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when the hon. Member for Ince can expect a reply to the letters and papers sent to his Department on 1st November, 1955, on the subject of compensation.

An interim reply was sent the hon. Member on 18th November, 1955, and my right hon. Friend has now sent a further reply.

asked the Minister of Supply on what date the prototype of the single engine Prestwick Pioneer aircraft now in service in Malaya first flew; on what date a production order was placed; what percentage of this order has been delivered to the Royal Air Force for the use of the Army; and on what date the order will be completed.

The prototype of the version of this aircraft powered by a Leonides engine, which is the version now in service in Malaya, first flew on 5th May, 1950. The Air Ministry decided to order the aircraft in May, 1953, and the first production contract was placed in June of that year. This order and two others placed subsequently have been completed and the aircraft delivered to the Air Ministry. Deliveries against a further order will be completed in the next two months.

asked the Minister of Supply why the decision has been made to discharge workers from the toolroom of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Birtley; and the total number of those to be discharged.

It has become necessary to discharge toolmakers at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Birtley, because of a fall in Service requirements for the products of the factory. Eighteen toolmakers will be discharged.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware that there is increasing public disquiet over the losses incurred by the sale of surplus Government stores; and if he will now review the arrangements for both purchasing and selling all types of Government stores.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Dodds) and the hon. and gallant Member for Brixton (Lieut.-Colonel Lipton) on 1st March.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is satisfied that Mr. A. Rigby, 378 Meadway, Lea Hall, Birmingham, was treated in accordance with the normal practice in not being offered employment which would enable him to live at home, so that he resigned from his Department; and if he will reconsider the decision not to grant Mr. Rigby a gratuity after his 18 years' service.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes". As an established mechanic examiner, Mr. Rigby was liable to be transferred at any time to any part of the country when required to do so. By his resignation Mr. Rigby forfeited any claim to an award under the Superannuation Acts, and I have no discretion in the matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that, in some cases, Women's Royal Naval Service officers are not being allowed to stay on in the service for a short period to qualify for retired pay when they have practically completed 15 years' service; and if he will make a statement.

Officers of the Women's Royal Naval Service are normally granted retired pay on the completion of a minimum of 20 years' reckonable service. A special concession is made, however, to certain officers who, in the interests of the Service, were entered above the normal age. These officers may be granted retired pay provided that they have completed 15 years of reckonable service before compulsory retirement. My noble Friend regrets that he is unable to extend this concession by retaining officers beyond the age of compulsory retirement when their retention is not essential for Service purposes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the cost to the Exchequer of increases of pension granted under the Pensions (Increase) Acts, and the corresponding Prerogative Orders for each financial year from 1947–48, and the estimated cost of such increases in the current financial year.

The cost to the Exchequer is not shown in the Appropriation Accounts. The following figures have accordingly been drawn from the annual Estimates:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount received in Surtax in the last financial year; and how much of that sum represents tax levied on net incomes up to £5,000 per year.

The total amount received by the Exchequer in the financial year 1954–55 in respect of Surtax was £134,700,000. Of this, it is estimated that about £30 million was paid by taxpayers with incomes not exceeding £5,000, after deduction of expenses and charges but before deduction of Income Tax and Surtax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what amount was borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board in 1951 and 1955, excluding housing loans; and what the total interest repayments will be in each year over the period of the loans;(2) what amount was borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board by local authorities for new housing in 1951 and 1955; and what the total interest repayments will be in each year for the duration of the loans.

The total amounts borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board by local authorities for new permanent housing schemes in the calendar years 1951 and 1955 respectively were £261 million and £276 million. The total amounts borrowed from the Board for other purposes in these two years were £129 million and £191 million respectively. The remaining information for which the hon. Member asks is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is now able to give further information regarding the Report of the consultant appointed to consider and advise on the redevelopment of the area around St. Paul's Cathedral, which it was understood would be ready in the autumn of 1955; and whether he is aware that the delay continues to cause hardship and financial loss in respect of developments in the vicinity of St. Paul's which have now been held up for almost a year.

I understand that the Report is likely to be received shortly. I am not aware that any assurance was given that it would be ready in the autumn of 1955, but I fully appreciate the importance of avoiding any needless delay in reaching decisions.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what steps he is taking to reduce the high and increasing accident rate on the A.1

I am having an analysis made of the nature and position of the accidents on this road. Until that is completed I cannot say to what extent road conditions may be an important factor. I have, however, already arranged for the construction of a diversion at Glenfin, where there is an acute hairpin bend, and for the improvement of the road between Heughhead and Leamingtondean.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the numbers of private cars registered in the county of London and each of the Home Counties in September, 1938, and the corresponding date in each year since 1946.

The following are the figures: