asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many candidates were successful in the third competition for Royal naval scholarships; and how many came from county secondary schools, direct grant grammar schools, and public schools, respectively.

Thirty-two candidates were successful, of whom five came from maintained grammar schools, three from direct grant grammar schools, nineteen from independent schools and five from nautical schools.

Is the Minister aware that most of these selected candidates come from fee-paying boarding schools? Is the selection by interview only, and if so, will the hon. Gentleman not ask the Admiralty to be honest about the matter and advise the non-paying grammar schools that they had better end the farce of submitting candidates?

The final board accepted roughly the same proportion of candidates from each type of school who appeared before it—about 60 per cent. I can assure the hon. Member that the test is not by interview only and that everybody has the same fair chance.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will make a statement about the future use of the Royal Marine Barracks, Chatham.

I can now confirm that the main part of the existing buildings could not be converted satisfactorily or economically for any naval use. The possibility of using the site for a combined dockyard technical college and apprentices training centre is therefore being further examined. This scheme would certainly offer many advantages; it would, however, be costly and it will be necessary to study it in detail before any decision can be reached. There is no possibility of its inclusion before the 1957–58 works programme, for which the scheme would have to be considered on its own merits and in competition with other items.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that statements of this kind have been made before, to the effect that either the Army or the Admiralty was going to use the Royal Marine Barracks? Is he aware that the barracks have been lying idle for nearly five years, resulting in great waste of public money? Would he consider referring the matter to the Prime Minister as a further indication of a waste of public money, so that some kind of examination could be made?

We are most anxious to use the site, and there is quite a good chance now that we have found a good use for it as a new dockyard school.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty on what date discussions commenced in respect of the proposal to allocate oil bunkerage space from Government installations in Gibraltar for commercial purposes and what decision has been reached.

Discussions with the commercial interests concerned began a year ago. It became clear in May, 1955, however, that their participation depended on a decision being reached on the port development scheme as a whole, as a deep water berth was necessary for the bunkering scheme. As a result of the decision announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies on 1st February, 1956, the discussions were at once resumed. I can assure the hon. Member that we are ready to start work as soon as they can be concluded.

Is the hon. Gentleman seized of the fact that Gibraltar is battling for its economic life against the unfriendly attitude of Spain? Can he give some hope of an early decision, and is he aware that this matter was being discussed in 1954?

The Admiralty is most anxious to help Gibraltar in any way it can. We have pushed ahead in these discussions, and have actually made an offer.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the nature of the markings upon the buttons, to be worn by officers on the special duties list promoted from the lower deck, which will distinguish such officers from others.

Following representations from commanders-in-chief, it has been decided not to introduce distinctive buttons for Special Duties officers. There will, therefore, be no distinction in uniform between officers of the General List and the Special Duties List.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the announcement that he has made will be cordially welcomed by all those who object to snob distinctions imposed upon people who come up the hard way, with a view to distinguishing them from people who have come from Dartmouth? Is he further aware that he is to be congratulated on having overridden the original intention of some barnacled old brass hat?

This distinction was never intended to mark any difference in status, but only a difference in qualifications and training.

So far from congratulating the Parliamentary Secretary, may I ask him what on earth possessed the Board of Admiralty ever to introduce such a farcical distinction, which is unworthy of a great Service?

Answer.

Would my hon. Friend not agree that this is another example of the way in which a sensible decision can be reached as a result of discussions and representations made by those concerned who know what they are doing?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state what are the average earnings in Her Majesty's dockyards of mechanics, skilled labourers, and labourers, respectively; and what percentage of the industrial employees are able to participate in incentive payments by results and fixed schemes of prices, respectively.

In the latest week for which figures are available, average earnings of men in the professional departments of the four main dockyards were £10 11. 6d. I regret that separate figures for mechanics, skilled labourers and labourers are not available.

Whilst realising that this matter is really one for the trade unions, may I ask my hon. Friend if he is aware of the fact that these unskilled labourers are trying to live on under £7 a week when it has been stated that the average figure for manual labour in the country is about £9? Are any negotiations going en in an effort to improve their circumstances?

The hon. Lady should draw a distinction between the wage packet and wage rates. Wage rates compare well with those outside, but there is, on the whole, less overtime worked in the dockyards.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty in what respect the functions of Her Majesty's Royal Marines have been changed since their definition by the Admiralty in 1950.

The functions of the Royal Marines remain unchanged.

May I thank my hon. Friend for that statement, which I am sure will be very reassuring, particularly for young officers who are worried about the position at the moment?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the annual cost of maintaining the four King George V class battleships and H.M.S. "Vanguard" in reserve; and the estimated cost of bringing these ships to a state of operational readiness.

The annual cost of keeping Her Majesty's ship "Vanguard" in reserve is about £700,000. The annual cost for the four ships of the "King George V" class is £46,000. Most of this is being spent on the "King George V" herself.

In view of that reply, can the hon. Gentleman now say whether any decision has been taken as to the future of these ships and whether they are at last going to be scrapped?

There is no question of scrapping the "Vanguard." The other four battleships are in extended reserve, and I think it would be unwise and imprudent to scrap them until it is certain that they have reached the end of their lives.

Can my hon. Friend say in the case of H.M.S. "Vanguard" whether the state of readiness to which he referred is a state of readiness for limited warfare or for the more severe forms of warfare?

Ships in operational reserve can be sent to sea quickly in any kind of warfare.

Has the hon. Gentleman been up to Gareloch to see the ships for himself and, if so, is he satisfied with the amount of expenditure taking place there?

We are not spending much on the four "King George V" class battleships. I have not been to see them myself, but I know more or less what condition they are in.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware of the difficulties of providing structural steel of the requisite notch toughness for welded ship construction; that the relevant problems were discussed at a conference of classification societies in Paris last April and at a further conference in Zurich last September; that these problems affect ship builders, ship owners and steel makers throughout the world; that it is desirable to achieve substantial international agreement on requirements for shipbuilding steels suitable for modern conditions; and what steps he has taken and intends to take to achieve such international agreement.

Yes, Sir, but this problem is not confined to shipbuilding and affects all users of structural steel. Much research is going on in many countries, but much still remains to be done before the phenomena of the brittle fracture are fully understood.

Whilst thanking the Minister for that comprehensive reply, may I ask if he is aware of the very real problem arising from the fact that, owing to the high price of scrap, many ships are being scrapped but are not being replaced owing to the high price and the bad allocation of steel? Will he attend to that aspect of the matter in the interests of our maritime trade?

I am aware of the steel position in the shipbuilding industry, but that is a somewhat different problem. My noble Friend has been in consultation with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on this subject.

Will the hon. Gentleman kindly define "notch toughness"? It is humbug.

asked the Postmaster-General to state the volume of the Christmas mail this year; and how it compares with the volume in 1950.

It is estimated that 735 million letters and cards were handled during the 1955 Christmas pressure period, an increase of 27 per cent. over the 1950 figures.

Does my right hon. Friend appreciate that members of the public consider this to be a remarkable achievement in the present labour shortage and that this miracle performed by the Post Office is no less a miracle because it is an annual one?

I am grateful for the tribute of my hon. Friend to the work of the Post Office in this immensely difficult task.

Has not the Christmas card racket become rather a nuisance?

That is not a subject upon which I am called to comment.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the standard hours of work of postmen and the average hours of overtime, giving the figures for London and the provinces separately.

Forty-eight hours gross. The average weekly overtime is eight hours in the London area and six in the provinces.

asked the Postmaster-General the amount of accommodation vacated by the London Telecommunications Department consequent upon the transfer of the Telephone Manager's Department, N.W., to Shoot Up Hill, N.W.2, and the net saving in cost to his Department.

Forty-six thousand square feet, mostly in requisitioned buildings. When the new building was opened in 1953, the saving as compared with previous rental payments was estimated at about £2,000 a year.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is a justification of the previous Administration, and will he look around for other parts of Britain where similar rationalisation of building space could be effected?

I am glad to hear what the hon. Gentleman has to say. This is an excellent building, and I do not deny it for one moment.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if he will give an estimate of the cost of establishing a sub-post office at Ditton, Kent;

The additional cost of opening a sub-office at Ditton would be about £200 a year. The size of the community and the distance from the nearest post office, taken together, are the main factors in deciding whether a new office is to be opened. I am looking again at the circumstances in Ditton.

Is the Postmaster-General aware that many of my constituents living at Ditton—including mothers and old-age pensioners—have to travel well over a mile to go to a post office? Is he further aware that they have been petitioning for a post office ever since 1913? Is he further aware that the population has more than doubled in that time, and will he, in the kindness of his heart, examine this matter again and grant a sub-post office?

I am again looking at the circumstances in Ditton.

Have any representations been made by the hon. Gentleman to the bishop in that area?

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to offer more opportunities of extended employment to postal workers after the retirement age of 60; and, in particular, what are the nature and extent of the commitments and responsibilities which he has undertaken towards men disabled in the First World War.

It is Post Office practice to employ for as long as practicable all workers who are willing, fit and efficient. In recruiting postmen first preference is given to registered disabled persons and to ex-Service men.

Will the Postmaster-General bear in mind that not only in his, but in every other Department and, indeed, in nearly every other industry, schemes are in operation to meet the problem of those who in their later years cannot carry out the arduous duties connected with the most energetic part of work in an industry? Is he not aware that nevertheless we are now facing a special problem in that the average age of disabled men from the First World War is nearly retiring age? Will he consult his right hon. Friends the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Pensions to see that the Government lead in this matter is consistent all round?

I am concerned with the particular problem which the hon. Gentleman puts forward in relation to the Post Office, and I am reviewing the arrangements in that respect.

Is it not a fact that the Post Office has done everything possible to try to meet the position arising from the disabilities of these people and to get them fitted naturally and without any penalty into the ordinary day-to-day work of the Post Office.

In general, that is true. One or two of these hard cases appear from time to time. The hon. Member for Paddington, North (Mr. Parkin) has raised one of these cases with me, and I am trying to deal with it, in consultation with the union, as sympathetically as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he is taking to find employment in his Department after the age of 60 years for a war-disabled man whose case has been submitted to him.

I am in touch with the Union of Post Office Workers on this case.

While not wishing to say anything which would make these discussions less hopeful, may I ask the Postmaster-General to bear in mind that this is a fairly typical example of the sort of problems which he will have to face in the coming years? Is he not aware that it is nonsense in these days, when everyone preaches full employment, to claim that it is clever to take people out of the labour market when they want to stay in it? Is it not monstrous to refuse extended employment to a man of 60, solely on the ground that he has a disability—[Horn. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—I did not know that this was something at which to jeer—

Speech.

We should get on better if hon. Members did not interrupt questioners and if the questioners confined themselves to asking questions.

I intended my supplementary question to be, is it not monstrous that a man should be denied extended employment at the age of 60, solely on the ground that he suffers from a disability as a war-disabled man from which he suffered on the day he was enrolled as a fully-established postman twenty years ago.

The case is not so simple as the hon. Member puts it, but I will not allow his supplementary question to interfere with my sympathetic approach to this case.

While sharing to the full my hon. Friend's anxiety about any of these disabled people, may I ask whether it is not also the fact that it is quite impossible, in a service like the Post Office, where so many physical considerations have to be kept in mind, to keep every disabled man, irrespective of the effect of that on the particular office in which he is working? While I should be very glad if the Postmaster-General could do anything for individuals in need, I would ask him whether it is not a fact that neither he nor the House must start interfering with a practice which has produced such good results in the past?

I have said that I propose to look again at these arrangements in general and at the individual case in particular. I think I should be wise to leave matters there.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of telephone exchanges which are at present full and cannot be extended; and the number of new telephone exchanges to be built during 1956.

About 470, including exchanges where only priority applications can be accepted. We expect to complete about 420 new exchanges in 1956.

In view of the amazing progress which has been made, will the right hon. Gentleman look specially into the needs of the industrial areas, where most of the exchanges are so full that they cannot be extended, and where there is a grave shortage of telephones which inconveniences the business community?

I am much alive to the point raised by the hon. Gentleman, which bears with particular force on certain areas. In 1956, however, we propose to complete 420 exchanges as compared with 272 the previous year, thus giving us added opportunity to do what the hon. Gentleman has in mind.

Will the Postmaster-General give an undertaking that the building of these exchanges will not be held up by the Government's capital development restriction programme, and that there will be no delay in starting the Enfield exchange?

I should require notice of the point about the Enfield exchange. On the other point, the programme of telephone extension will remain as stated in the White Paper.

asked the Postmaster-General whether his intention has been called to the unfair incidence of the recent increases in the quarterly telephone rentals on private residences, in that they amount to 50 per cent. for an exclusive and 66⅔ per cent. for a shared line; and what action he proposes to take to remedy the grievance.

The reasons for the differing incidence of the increases on various classes of subscriber are set out fully in Section IX of the recent White Paper on Post Office Development and Finance (Cmd. 9576). Our object was to align rentals more closely with costs, and I could not justify an increase in the rebate of 30s. for shared service.

Will my right hon. Friend agree that a public-spirited subscriber who helps the Post Office by sharing his line with a friend has a genuine grievance at having to pay a higher percentage rate than a person who does not share a line? While it is admitted that a subscriber pays less for a shared line, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind, in view of the differential, that if he deducted 10s. per quarter from the charge to each subscriber on a shared line, the Post Office would still be making an extra 5s. per subscriber per quarter compared with the revenue from an exclusive line?

Broadly speaking, the sum of 30s. still represents the lesser cost to the Post Office in the case of a shared line, but I would draw the attention of my hon. Friend to the fact that the annual loss on current rental in the case of a provincial residential shared line is still about £3 2s. per year.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to discontinue charges made in respect of necessary inquiries to telephone exchanges.

The only such charge is that for advice on the duration of and charge for a trunk call, and I could not justify its discontinuance. If the comparatively few subscribers who use this service did not themselves pay the cost it would have to fall on telephone subscribers generally.

Will my right hon. Friend agree that it is rather absurd that a person should have to pay when he merely inquires the cost of a service? Does the Post Office regard subscribers as customers, to be treated as such, or as awkward people who ought to be thankful for small mercies?

My hon. Friend is not accurate in the statement that he makes. Anyone can inquire, without cost, the charge of a telephone call to a certain exchange. What we are dealing with here are inquiries in relation to a specific telephone call—the time it has taken—and, in large part, the object of those inquiries is for the internal purposes of the organisation concerned—quite proper purposes—including the allocation of the cost between one department and another. As the cost is about 3d. a time, it seems reasonable that the Post Office should make such a charge.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Postmaster-General why he has refused to erect a telephone kiosk in the Church Kirk district of Church, Lancashire; and whether he will now reconsider this request.

There is already a kiosk within a quarter of a mile of the centre of this district, and it has been thought that the traffic would not justify another. I shall be glad to discuss the matter with the hon. Member.

I appreciate that offer and gladly accept it. May I ask the Minister to bear in mind that this matter has been in negotiation since December, 1953, when difficulties were made?

I am aware of that. I have looked again at the papers and I deliberately designed my Answer so as to suggest that the matter is not closed. I shall be glad to see the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will withdraw the licence from the Independent Television Authority in view of repeated and calculated breaches of the Act in presentation of news and films.

No, Sir. I do not accept the sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations in the second part of the Question.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that both the I.T.A. and the production companies are bringing the law into contempt? Secondly, is he aware that the films shown are not predominantly British in accordance with the demands of the Act, and that there is further evidence that there has been alteration in the presentation and the timing of the news, and that this was one of the reasons why there was the trouble over the resignation, or threatened resignation, of the news editor? This is contrary to the spirit and terms of the Act, and the right hon. Gentleman cannot really take refuge in a pure negative.

I submit, Mr. Speaker, that wide and general allegations of that sort serve no useful purpose. I shall be very happy to see that specific complaints or allegations are inquired into, but the hon. Gentleman has made so wide and sweeping a generalisation that I cannot usefully comment on it except to say that it is unjustified.

Will my right hon. Friend make it clear that there will be no return to monopoly as implied by the Question?

Will the Postmaster-General ensure that, while the House is making provision for the existence of commercial television, the companies and the I.T.A. conform with the provisions of the Act? Will he ensure that there is no repetition of what happened in Birmingham?

The Act lays fairly and squarely on the Independent Television Authority the responsibility in the sphere which has been under question. If there are complaints as to how that responsibility is being carried out, I will see that the Authority looks into them. However, these generalities serve no useful purpose.

I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman is aware that in the course of the opening at Birmingham the rules were absolutely left aside and there was a double amount of advertising. Was that with his approval?

It is not my responsibility to monitor programmes. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] Yes, that is so. If the right hon. Gentleman has specific complaints to make about what happened at Birmingham on a certain day and will give me details, I will see that they are conveyed to the I.T.A. for examination; but generalities serve no useful purpose.

asked the Postmaster-General what account he requires from the Independent Television Authority of moneys advanced to them under Section 11 of the 1954 Act; and to what extent he requires their detailed application to be submitted to him for approval.

No question arises of the Independent Television Authority's accounting for moneys under Section II or its application of them, because no payment has been made to the Authority under that Section.

In view of the information given to the House last week by the right hon. Gentleman in regard to the establishment of a separate news sergive run by the I.T.A. and the organisation of political programmes by the I.T.A., would any money expended in that way out of grants provided by Parliament require the approval of the Postmaster-General?

Yes, Sir. There are two sets of grants or payments. The first is under Section 11 of the 1954 Act, which is the annual, or possibility of an annual, payment of £750,000 a year. Such payments can be made only on the decision of the Postmaster-General with the concurrence of the Treasury. They would be elements in an Estimate or Supplementary Estimate, and would come before the House in that form.

Are we to understand from the right hon. Gentleman's reply that the accounts in relation to the provision of £2 million capital for the I.T.A. are only to be seen within the accounts of the Consolidated Fund?

I was referring particularly to grants under Section 11. Under Section 12, which deals with capital payments, those sums need to be accounted for within the ambit of Section 15 of the Act.

asked the Postmaster-General what consultations were held with the Independent Television Authority under Section 4 (5) of the 1954 Act in regard to the proposed method of advertising, whereby advertisers will be able to state the programme and the part of the programme with which their products shall be associated; and what directions he has issued under Section 4 (5), in view of the fact that the proposal constitutes a breach of Rule 1 of the Second Schedule to the Act.

None, Sir. There is nothing in the Act to prevent the fixed time booking of advertisements, so long as Section 4 (6) on sponsoring is observed. A proviso to Section 4 (6) recognises that advertisements may be included in programmes to which they are related in subject matter. The Independent Television Authority is bound under Section 4 (3) to ensure that programme companies comply with Rule 1 of the Second Schedule, and Section 4 (5) does not empower me to issue directions on this point.

As the commercial companies are already announcing that they will permit thirteen weeks' block bookings, fixing the spot at which the plugs will occur, and in view of the obvious influence upon the type of programme which such block bookings have, will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to ensure that his advertising rules are tightened up, and that he himself accepts responsibility for sponsoring?

The advertising rules to which the right hon. Gentleman refers are specifically stated in the Act. There is nothing in the Act to prohibit fixed-time booking or block booking. What is prohibited under Section 4 (6) of the Act is sponsoring. If the right hon. Gentleman or anyone else has complaints to make or allegations to put forward about the issue of sponsoring within the meaning of Section 4 (6), I will, of course, see that they are investigated, but the aspects of advertising to which the right hon. Gentleman refers are not of themselves precluded by the Act provided that there is no breach of Section 4 (6).

Is my right hon. Friend aware that these Questions about the I.T.A. arise from the fact that the I.T.A. has so far been extraordinarily successful? Will he take courage from the fact that the people who can receive both programmes will back him all the way through in the support which he gives to I.T.A.?

My rôle is not to support the I.T.A. or the B.B.C., but to see that the Act is fully carried out.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that when advertising is associated over a long period with programmes which are known beforehand, that in itself is bound to affect the nature of the programme? [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Unless the nature of the programme is disclosed thirteen weeks' beforehand, how can the advertiser select his spot? Is not the right hon. Gentleman in this case under an obligation to carry out the undertakings given by his predecessor that there shall be no sponsoring?

I readily agree that it is conceivable that a prolonged association between a certain advertisement and a certain programme would be in conflict with that part of the definition of sponsoring which, to paraphrase it, refers to there appearing to be a relationship between the two. I am fully alive to that. The announcement or newspaper report which the right hon. Gentleman has in mind clearly indicated that the I.T.A. was also fully alive to that point.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the failure to have a meeting with the East German representatives, what further steps he is asking the British Broadcasting Corporation to take to avoid the interference on the Welsh Regional station.

The B.B.C. has provided two V.H.F. stations in Wales and is now building another. Of the two planned for a later stage, one will replace the temporary station at Penmon. These transmissions offer to large numbers of listeners in Wales a positive means of avoiding the foreign interference with the Welsh Home Service.

asked the Postmaster-General what facilities will be made available to hon. Members who desire to give evidence to the British Broadcasting Corporation Welsh Service Committee of Inquiry to obtain copies of scripts in which they allege bias has occurred.

The National Broadcasting Council for Wales informs me that the scripts or notes of news bulletins, talks and discussions in the B.B.C. Welsh Service are available at B.B.C. Headquarters at Cardiff for hon. Members to consult or study. The volume of material is very large and spare copies of most scripts do not exist.

Does that mean that hon. Members will have to go to the regional headquarters of the B.B.C. to study these documents, or will they be available for hon. Members in the Library of the House?

My information is that these documents are available in Cardiff. I have conveyed to the Welsh Broadcasting Council the suggestion that they ought to be more conveniently and widely available, including in London. This is not a matter upon which I can or would wish to direct the B.B.C., but I will, of course, bring to the notice of the Corporation any suggestions which hon. Members may make.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that this will cause very great difficulty? Will he use his influence with the B.B.C. to make available for Members copies of isolated scripts relating to particular dates on which bias is alleged to have been shown? In addition, will he arrange that copies of scripts shall be available in the Library or in some convenient part of the House, so that they may be consulted by hon. Members?

I am glad to have the right hon. Gentleman's support. I shall, of course, seek to persuade the Corporation and the Welsh National Broadcasting Council to make this material available in the form most convenient to hon. Members.

Will the Postmaster-General make available in the Library or in London scripts of broadcasts made in the Welsh language.

The Question and Answer cover not only the English language but the Welsh language.

asked the Postmaster-General whether the inquiry relating to bias on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Welsh service will be conducted in public or in private.

The Committee will hear evidence in private.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what recent representations he has made to United States Air Force authorities for them speedily to make adequate provision for married American military personnel, and their wives, who are stationed at Greenham Common, Newbury, in order to relieve the housing difficulties experienced by the local civilian population.

I understand that the United States authorities have plans for providing married quarters at this airfield when funds are available.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that he has made all possible representations regarding the speedier erection of married quarters, since the lack of them is causing a great housing shortage in the district and also ill-feeling between the civil population and the American airmen?

I am very well aware of the situation. The United States Air Force is anxious to put up quarters, but Congress has to provide the money first.

Surely the 1,500 houses which the Secretary of State spoke about will go some way to relieve the position here and elsewhere, in East Anglia and Lincolnshire?

I was talking about houses for the Royal Air Force. This relates to houses for the American Air Force.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the number of the contract under which York aircraft MW 232, MW 137 and MW 178 were refurbished.

Number 6260.

Will the Minister investigate a 2,000-word report which I have here showing that these and other York planes were refurbished at Fairey's at Ringway, Manchester, in 1951; that there were eleven extremely serious and dangerous departures from the scheduled procedure, and that a telegram was sent to the Air Ministry reporting the fact? Have any of these York aircraft since crashed or suffered major mechanical breakdowns?

None of the aircraft in this contract, of which there are twenty-four, has been involved in any accident in which fatal casualties were caused. If the hon. Gentleman will send the report to me, I will gladly study it. I hope he will recollect that an aircraft cannot fly after one of these refurbishing contracts without receiving a certificate of airworthiness.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the total number of civilians at present employed by his Department in Northern Ireland.

The number is 1,269.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied with the security arrangements for the selection of these employees?

That is a different question. Perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman will put it on the Order Paper.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will take steps to increase the pensions of railway superannuitants and pensioners on a scale equivalent to the increases announced for other public servants.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in view of the broad principles embodied in the proposed Pensions Increase Bill, he will now use his powers under Section 98 of the Transport Act, 1947, to amend the pensions of railway employees who were retired prior to nationalisation.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he can yet make a statement about his discussions with the British Transport Commission on the subject of railway superannuitants.

My discussions with the Commission about further assistance to retired staff are not yet complete but I will make a statement as soon as I can.

I wish to express my appreciation of that Answer and the letter which I received earlier from the right hon. Gentleman. May I ask him whether he will do his best to speed up a decision on this matter, and to date any increase in pension from the time that public servants receive an increase, in view of the dire necessity of many of these people?

I hope that we are getting nearer a solution of this very difficult problem.

Can the Minister say whether the talks he has mentioned cover members of the voluntary railway pension funds and people who were not members of pension funds as well as railway superannuitants?

I could not answer that question without notice.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the total numbers of railway superannuitants; and what would be the annual cost of increasing their pensions to an extent commensurate with the increases given to other public servants by successive Acts since 1944.

I am informed by the British Transport Commission that there are approximately 33,000 superannuitants of the main line railway, railway clearing system and London Transport salaried staff superannuation funds. I understand that the annual cost of applying the terms of the Pensions (Increases) Acts, 1944–52, as proposed to be amended by the Bill now before the House, would amount to about £2 million.

asked the Prime Minister when it is proposed to introduce legislation to permit the imposition of countervailing and antidumping duties on imported goods.

I have been asked to reply.