asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what greater powers of autonomy have been granted the Welsh Office of his Department at Aberystwyth since the assurance given by the Government on 4th February, 1952, and 22nd January, 1953; and what services in Wales are now responsible direct to Whitehall.

As explained in January, 1953, the Welsh Secretary's status has been raised and special arrangements made to see that he is brought into consultation on all matters in which Wales has a special interest. In addition increased responsibilities on questions of land use have been devolved on him. The National Agricultural Advisory Service and the Agricultural Land Service in Wales are responsible to directors in Wales who, in their turn, are responsible to the Departmental heads of their respective services.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is in a position to make a statement about the Report of the Agricultural Land Commission on the Brue Valley and Northmoor areas of Somerset.

I am grateful to the Agricultural Land Commission for its Report on the Somersetshire Moors. I agree with most of the conclusions reached in the Report, which will be discussed with the authorities concerned.

asked the Attorney-General, in view of the fact that Archbishop Makarios is a British subject of Her Majesty's Colony, the Island of Cyprus, whether Her Majesty's Government will allow him, or require him, to stand for trial to answer the alleged criminal charges preferred against him by the Governor in the name of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied that there have been no ill-effects amongst school children resulting from their inoculation with polio vaccine; and if he will make a statement.

Vaccination has not yet started, but I am satisfied that the safety tests which the British vaccine will undergo should preclude any danger to school children or others who are to be vaccinated. In the United States and Canada, which have the largest experience of using poliomyelitis vaccines, there have been no untoward reactions with the use of vaccine which has passed the present stringent safety tests.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps are being taken to expedite planning decisions in regard to the rebuilding of the area around St. Paul's Cathedral.

Sir William Holford's Report on the re-planning of the area around St. Paul's Cathedral is being published today.At the request of the Improvements and Town Planning Committee of the Corporation of the City of London, I am inviting representatives of the City and the London County Council to discuss with me the best methods of expediting consideration of this problem.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to state, for each of the years 1951 to 1955, the percentage of total United Kingdom exports which went to, and the percentage of total United Kingdom imports which came from, the Commonwealth, the sterling area, the European Payments Union area, the

asked the President of the Board of Trade the figures for imports of each kind of fruit pulp in 1955.

Imports of those kinds of fruit pulp which are separately distinguished in the Trade Returns are given below:

asked the President of the Board of Trade under what heading imports of industrial diamonds and dollar area and the United States of America, respectively.

Following are the percentages:diamond dies are shown in the Trade and Navigation Accounts; and if he will give the chief sources of imports of these materials, together with the quantities and values from each, as far as is practicable, for 1953, 1954 and 1955.

Diamonds are not included in the Trade Returns. Diamond dies for wire-drawing are included by value only under the heading "Implements and tools and parts thereof-all other sorts" in Division D. 14 of the Trade and Navigation Accounts. Our imports in the last three years are shown below.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects the new road between Yeovilton and Limington to be completed.

The Somerset County Council has started negotiations for acquiring the necessary land and has agreed to construct the road. Provided no difficulties arise over the acquisition of the land, I expect the new road, which will include two small bridges, to be completed in the spring of 1958.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, pending any final decision about the marking of the centre lines of three-lane highways to control overtaking, he will as a matter of urgency take steps to eliminate on trunk routes the maintenance of three lanes at dangerous points and at humps and dips which restrict visibility.

The Department's Memorandum on the Lay-out and Construction of Roads already lays down that three-lane carriageways should be marked with one continuous central line where the visibility distances at bends, or near junctions or at changes of gradient fall below given values. These values vary according to the speed rating of the road.If my hon. Friend has any particular cases in mind where this system has not been followed I will gladly have them examined.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when it is planned to start work on new construction at Gatwick Airport.

Site clearance is well advanced and work on the road diversion has begun. Tenders for the first large aerodrome contract covering the runway construction and associated drainage and earthworks are being invited next month.

asked the Minister of Works what action is taken by his Department on receiving notification by the Ministry of Supply of public auctions of Government surplus stocks; the extent of purchases made by his Department from these surplus stocks since 1st January, 1954; and the date of the last order to be placed.

The range of goods which my Department buys of course overlaps to some extent that of goods disposed of by the Ministry of Supply, but although the Ministry of Supply's auction catalogues have been examined, it has not been thought that the goods available have been of a suitable type, specification, or condition for transfer. One thousand five hundred gallons of paint were, however, purchased on 7th March, 1956.