asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he proposes to raise the speed limit for heavy goods vehicles from 20 to 30 miles an hour.

I am in touch with both sides of the industry on this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to authorise the provision of a vehicle testing station for the county of Monmouth.

I have no plans for opening further testing stations in advance of any general scheme of vehicle testing which may be instituted if Parliament gives its assent to the proposals on this subject which I have tabled for inclusion in the Road Traffic Bill.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many councils have urged to him the need for legislation entitling all school children under fifteen years of age to cheap fares; and if he will make a further statement.

None I have considered this matter carefully and have concluded that further general legislation is unnecessary.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects that the present operations affecting the traffic in Lea Bridge Road, Leyton. will cease and the road revert to normal usage; and what permanent alterations to this thoroughfare have been applied for.

If normal progress is maintained it is expected that the bridge which the Lea Conservancy are constructing will be completed by June, 1956. No grant application has been received in re spect of permanent alterations to this road in the vicinity of the bridge, but one has been received for the construction of dual carriageways at the eastern end of the road near Forest Rise.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether his attention has been called to the plans of the West German Government to spend about £3,000 millions during the next ten years on building 1,500 miles of new roads including 870 miles of new autobahns, 1,400 bridges and 3,400 miles of new cycle tracks; and whether he will arrange for some experts from his Department to examine this scheme in detail with a view to improving the present arrangements for an expanded roads programme in Great Britain.

These plans, like the road improvement plans of other countries, are examined by my Department to see what we can learn from them. The hon. Member no doubt realises that our own roads programme is planned to cope with a somewhat different set of requirements than those found in Western Germany.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to consult the National Farmers' Union when deciding the line of the Medway towns by-pass or of any other new road or by-pass.

As my predecessor said in reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 22nd July last, my Department, in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has undertaken to discuss with the headquarters of the National Farmers' Union and the Country Landowners' Association the broad effects on agricultural interests of the proposals for the motorways included in the programme which was announced on 2nd February, 1955. I shall arrange for discussions to take place with the headquarters of the two organisations about the proposed Medway towns bypass and alternative proposals before a scheme is published.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when the scheme for road improvement at Sinderby Bridge and approaches in Yorkshire, authorised on 14th February, 1955, will be commenced.

I hope that the statutory procedure in connection with the making of Orders under the Special Roads Act, 1949, and the Trunk Roads Act, 1946, and the negotiations for land acquisition will be sufficiently advanced to enable work to start on the scheme this Summer.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he will move to set up a Select Committee to inquire into present methods of ordering and producing aircraft, and to make recommendations for any changes which may be necessary

No. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Woodford (Sir W. Churchill) said to the House in February, 1955, there appears to be no need to add to the machinery which exists and on which the House relies for the examination and investigation of public expenditure.I understand that this machinery is, in fact, being used now for the purpose described in the Question.

asked the Minister of Defence to announce the new rates of pay for officers in the dental branches of the three Services, which were omitted from the White Paper on Service Pay and Pensions, published last month.

Yes. The new rates of basic pay for non-specialist officers in the dental branches of the three Services are set out below. These will take effect from 1st April, 1956.

asked the Minister of Defence when legislation will be introduced to amend the terms of service of the Armed Forces to meet the changed conditions announced in Command Paper No. 9692, Service Pay and Pensions; and whether he will make a statement.

I am advised that no legislation is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is now in a position to make a further statement about the detailed arrangements for the transfer of Africans in connection with the scheme for the construction of the Karibadam; and the provision being made to ensure that the land to which they are to be transferred is suitable and accessible.

I would refer the hon. Member to the interim statement on this subject which was laid by the Secretary for Native Affairs before the Legislative Council of Northern Rhodesia on 9th March. I have placed a copy in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the sales from consumer co-operative societies in Malaya have fallen from 1952 to 1954; and what steps are being taken to remedy this.

Sales by consumer co-operative retail societies in the Federation of Malaya trebled between 1952 and 1954, but sales by the Malayan Cooperative Wholesale Society to the retail societies fell in the same period from $4·8 million to $3·4 million, mainly because the retail societies have not recognised any obligation towards it as their mother society but have purchased supplies from private wholesalers. Action is being taken to develop a sense of loyalty to the Society among the retail societies and to limit its sales to essentials which can be offered at competitive prices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement concerning the rioting in Singapore on 18th March; how many people were killed or wounded; and how much damage was done to property.

Yes. An all-party political rally took place at the disused Kallang airfield on 18th March. A breakdown of the public address system and the collapse of the platform erected for the speakers caused the rally to be abandoned and the speakers left. It then began to rain and the great majority of the crowd of 40,000 dispersed, though others went to the terminal building for shelter. A dissatisfied crowd of some 3.000 to 5,000 remained in the vicinity of the terminal building. There were Communist songs and dances and a section of the crowd started throwing stones at the building and at the police on duty. The police, who behaved with exemplary restraint, made three baton charges and the crowd dispersed. Twenty police and eleven civilians were treated for minor injuries. There were no other casualties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what tax is paid by the European coffee growers of Tanganyika comparable to the Native Authority cess on coffee; whether the coffee export tax is the same for European and African coffee growers; and how the Native Authority cess is collected.

No comparable tax is paid by the European growers. The Native Authority cess is collected either at Native Authority markets or by the local marketing agency, often a cooperative. The proceeds are at the disposal of the Native Authority concerned for local development expenditure. A tax of 10s. per ton is levied on all exported coffee, regardless of the race of the grower, and the proceeds are expended by the Tanganyika Coffee Board in the interests of producers of all races.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the proposals which have been submitted to him for constitutional reform in Gibraltar.

Not yet, but I hope to be in a position to do so shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decision the Government of Kenya has now reached regarding the cancellation of the registration of the Federation of Labour.

The position is still as stated in the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 12th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the names of the members of the Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the Cocoa Purchasing Company of the Gold Coast have yet been announced; and what action has been taken to ensure, in the interests of the international standing of the Gold Coast, that the Chairman is someone from the Commonwealth unconnected with Gold Coast politics.

The Government of the Gold Coast have announced the appointment of Mr. Justice Jibowu of the Federal Supreme Court of Nigeria and Mr. Ronald F. George, a Partner in Messrs. Deloitte, Plender, Griffiths & Co., to compose the Committee of Inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the prospects of exploiting the goldfields of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.

There has been a revival of interest recently in the Gold Ridge area of Guadalcanal as a result of recent investigations by the Government geological survey, and further prospecting will shortly be undertaken by a mining Company.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now make a statement on the proposed cocoa project to be started in conjunction with Levers Pacific Plantations in the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.

Unfortunately, soil surveys of various sites on Kolombangara Island showed big differences in soil fertility and indicated that reasonable yields of cocoa were unlikely to be obtained. Soil conditions in the Solomon Islands are, in general, different from those in New Guinea where cocoa has proved successful. In these circumstances it has been agreed that it would be unwise to proceed with a major scheme until further trials over the next three to four years have been carried out in likely areas, both by the Protectorate Government and by Lever's Pacific Plantations Limited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many loans and to what total amount have been made by the British Solomon Islands Protectorate Agricultural and Industrial Loans Board.

Three loans totalling £18,120 (Sterling) have been made by the Board, and further applications are being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what Colonial Territories do not have universal adult suffrage; and if he will specify in each case the qualifications which restricts the franchise.

There is no elected membership in the legislatures and, consequently, no franchise, in the following territories:Aden Protectorate, Brunei, Cyprus. Hong Kong, North Borneo, St. Helena, Sarawak. Somaliland Protectorate, Tanganyika, Uganda, Western Pacific and Zanzibar.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Africans from Tanganyika, Uganda, and Kenya, respectively, are at present studying in Great Britain; and how many are at Makerere College.

In the 1955–56 session there are sixteen Africans from Tanganyika, 155 from Uganda and fifty-nine from Kenya studying in the United Kingdom; and 131, 148 and 163 respectively at Makerere College. In the new academic year which will begin at Makerere under revised arrangements in July, there are expected to be 167 from Tanganyika, 208 from Uganda and 211 from Kenya.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many African students in Tanganyika passed the Cambridge School Certificate Examination in 1955; and what opportunities they received for higher education.

One hundred and forty-two passed the examination. Of these thirty-seven have been offered vacancies at the University College of Makerere and fifteen are expected to enter the Royal Technical College at Nairobi. Seven are continuing their theological training.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Government employees from Tanganyika, Uganda, and Kenya, respectively, have received training in Great Britain in the last five years; and what steps he is taking to expand these training facilities.

The figures which the hon. Member requires are not readily available. I will send them to him as soon as they can be assembled.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many civilians of all categories are employed at the Royal Naval Air Station, Anthorn; and what was the total cost of their wages and salaries in the last financial year.

One hundred and eighty-six during the last complete financial year, at a cost of £78,250.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty to extend the titles in the new rank structure contained in paragraph 73 of A.F.O. 1/56 to commissioned officers, senior commissioned officers and lieutenants on the retired list.

This is under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in view of the fact that the target date for the completion of the removal of the Royal Observatory from Greenwich to Herstmonceux was the end of 1953, and that the work is still far from completed, what has occurred to cause this delay; whether special steps can now be taken to expedite this work; and by what estimated date he anticipates that the building will be finished and the telescopes set up.

Although it was originally hoped that the move would be completed in 1953, it was not possible for the Admiralty to give any undertaking as to the money which could be found from Navy Votes from year to year, for this or any other particular project.The necessary work at Herstmonceux has proved far more extensive than was originally contemplated and there have been technical difficulties connected with the domes. In addition, the fact that the castle is an ancient monument has slowed down the work.Of the four stages of the work, the first two are virtually completed, the third is due to finish this year, and the fourth next year. The telescope of the Solar Group is already in place and the installation of those in the Equatorial Group should begin after the end of this year when the domes are completed.

asked the Postmaster-General what quantity of paint his Department has purchased from Government surplus stocks offered by the Ministry of Supply or the War Department since 1st January, 1954; on what dates orders were placed; and how many gallons of paint have been purchased by his Department during the same period from other than Government sources.

None. The paint referred to by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply in his reply of 12th March was low quality ammunition paint unsuitable for Post Office use: 10,700 gallons were purchased from other sources.

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

In accordance with an agreed list, the Ministry of Supply advise the Post Office, in advance of public auction, of the surplus stocks most likely to be of use to the Post Office so that we can check their suitability. As regards other items, careful scrutiny is made of auction catalogues.The Answers to the other two parts of the hon. Member's Question are £90,000, and 12th March. 1956, respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has any further statement to make regarding the inquiries into the post office mail bag robbery which took place at Eastcastle Street, W.1, on 21st May, 1952.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General to consult the French Government and ascertain whether arrangements can be made whereby domestic telephone calls in Paris can be interrupted in order to connect cross-Channel calls from Loidon in the same way as domestic telephone calls in London are interrupted in order to connect cross-Channel calls from Paris.

No. As recently as May, 1955, the French Administration informed us that it was not their policy to interrupt local calls in favour of international calls.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones are outstanding in Wales, and how these figures compare with the figures for March. 1955.

Figures for Wales itself are not readily available but in Wales and the Border Counties the number of applications at present outstanding is 19,380, as compared with 21,118 in March, 1955. Approximately 6,000 of the applications outstanding are either in course of being met or under inquiry.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone kiosks have been put into operation in each of the Welsh counties during the past year; and how many applications for the erection of such kiosks are now awaiting approval.

Following are the figures:

asked the Postmaster-General (1) to give the names of the telephone exchanges which cover the county of Brecon, in which telephone subscribers who reside over three miles from an exchange have recently been asked to pay extra rentals;(2) why telephone subscribers residing three miles outside exchanges covering Breconshire are being asked to pay increased rentals; for what period arrears are being claimed; why an erroneous rental was imposed in the first place; and what procedure is being utilised to explain this mistake and indicate the correct rental to be paid.

I regret that the charges to certain subscribers on Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil telephone exchanges were under-assessed as a result of failure to check their distance from the exchange. In the unusual circumstances all arrears up to 1st January, 1956, will be waived. The subscribers were visited and the position was explained to them, but they will now be told by letter of the decision to waive the arrears.

asked the Postmaster-General when work is to begin on the new Enfield automatic telephone exchange.

In February next, on present plans.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is yet in a position to make a comprehensive statement on the information in his possession provided by the Australian Meteorological Service relating to trials of the assessment of fall-out patterns resulting from nuclear test explosions, and the danger of radio- active fall-out from being carried from the place of test to inhabited areas.

The forecast of fallout patterns can be made only in relation to the meteorological situation prevailing immediately before the proposed time of firing. I am not, therefore, in a position to make any statement on the lines suggested by the hon. and learned Member. As my hon. Friend told him in reply to his Question on 15th February, the decision to fire will be made only when both the scientific director and the Australian safety committee agree that conditions are safe.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will state the amount spent on guided missiles for each of the past three years or other convenient period.

It would not be in the public interest to give this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to state the cause of the recent attempted escape from Winson Green Prison, Birmingham; and whether, in view of the number of escapes and attempted escapes from local prisons during the last year, he will institute a special inquiry into the present unsatisfactory conditions inside Her Majesty's prisons.

Last month four prisoners in Birmingham prison were found to be in possession of prohibited articles which appeared to be intended for use in an attempt at escape. I do not think that they had any particular motive beyond the natural one of a desire for freedom. The number of escapes and attempted escapes from local prisons during the last twelve months was not abnormal and I do not think that any special inquiry is called for into conditions therein.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantity of paint his Department has purchased from Government surplus stocks offered by the Ministry of Supply or the War Department since 1st January, 1954; on what dates orders were placed; and how many gallons of paint have been purchased by his Department during the same period from other than Government sources.

The Home Office has made no purchases of paint from Government surplus stocks; 1,777 gallons have been purchased from other than Government sources since 1st January, 1954.

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

The notifications are carefully examined and, where it is thought that any item may be worthy of purchase, the Ministry of Supply is consulted and inspection may take place. The Home Office has made no purchases since 1st January, 1954.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many Royal Air Force officers were prematurely retired from the service in the last half of 1955.

Between 1st July and 31st December, 1955, thirty-seven Royal Air Force officers were compulsorily retired before reaching the normal age for their rank. Eighteen of them left the Service on medical grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he is aware that the non-publication of the Taylor Report is causing much indecision throughout the Air Training Corps; when the Report will be published; and how many of the recommendations will be implemented.

I have arranged for the Report to be discussed on the two Air Cadet Councils before final decisions are reached in the Air Ministry. An announcement will be made when these decisions have been taken.

asked the Minister of Health how many State-registered nurses gave up their employment in hospitals under his control during the twelve months up to the latest convenient date.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what quantity of paint his Department has purchased from Government surplus stocks offered by the Ministry of Supply or the War Department since 1st January, 1954; on what dates orders were placed; and how many gallons of paint have been purchased by his Department during the same period from other than Government sources.

None; my Department does not purchase paint.

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

All lists are examined in relation to current requirements and the goods are purchased when they satisfy the Department's needs. The value of such purchases since 1st January, 1954. is £1.081. The last order was placed in February, 1956.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the total amount in the Public Works Loan Fund in 1950, 1954, and on the latest date; what were the total repayments made to the fund in 1950, 1954, and on the latest date; and what was the amount of the principal and interest for the same years, respectively.

I have been asked to reply. As shown in the Local Loans Fund Accounts 1950–51 and 1954–55 (House of Commons 46 of 1951–52 and 154 of 1955–56 respectively) the total principal outstanding in loans administered by the Public Works Loan Commissioners on 31st March, 1950, was £1,135,433,895, on 31st March, 1954, £2,495,341,455, and on 31st March, 1955 (the latest date for which figures are available) £2,827,714,722. The total repayments of principal to the Fund of loans administered by the Commissioners were £24,808,178 in 1950–51 and £53,546,004 in 1954–55. The interest paid to the Fund on loans administered by the Commissioners was £38,692,285 in 1950–51 and £88,864,754 in 1954–55.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to state the total expenditure on interest on the National Debt for the financial years, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55 and his estimate for the current year.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, in the case of one company engaged in promoting greyhound racing, details of which have been supplied to him, the Treasury received last year in taxation £1,672,000, whereas dividends to shareholders were less than £75,000; and whether he will therefore consider reducing the 10 per cent. pool betting duty on greyhound racing.

I have seen the figures to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers, but he will not expect me to anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the average weekly earnings of male wage-earners in industry in 1938, and from 1946 to 1955; and the value of these at constant 1938 retail prices.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the duties of the Civil Service Commission today account for the employment of nearly three times as many staff as in 1938, despite previous attempts at economy.

The responsibilities of the Commission have greatly increased since 1938. In particular, it now undertakes central recruitment of the wide range of specialist staff—scientific, professional and technical—required in the modern Civil Service. Before the war recruitment in these fields was small, and the employing departments made their own arrangements. With full employment it is also necessary for the Commission to offer more frequent opportunities for entry to the largest Service- wide classes. There are six competitions each year for the Executive Class, and seven for the Clerical Class, by comparison with one and two, respectively, in 1938: and each examination is now held at twice as many centres.The staff of the Commission which reached a peak of 1,000 in 1948, has been reduced to about 460.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, as in previous years, he will suspend the call-up of agricultural workers during the harvest period.

Yes. After consultation with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, I have arranged for the call-up of agricultural workers to be suspended for a period of 14 weeks during the year's harvest time. The dates will vary according to the needs of the different areas, and they will he determined later in the light of the position in each area.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give a list of the agreements made up till now between the Atomic Energy Authority and private firms in connection with the production or use by private industry of nuclear fuels or atomic energy what is the particular subject of each agreement; on what date each was concluded; and what further agreements are under negotiation.

This is, of course, a matter for the Atomic Energy Authority. They inform me that, apart from the case referred to in my reply to the hon. Member on 22nd February no agreements of the kind described in the question have been or are being negotiated.

asked the Lord Privy Seal the total numbers of persons employed in the atomic energy research and production divisions, respectively, during each of the financial years from 1945–46 to 1955–56, inclusive; what are the planned numbers for the year 1956–57; and what, for each of these years, were the numbers in each division of senior personnel, junior technical and supervisory staffs and operative grades, respectively.

The total number of staff employed by the Authority is at present of the order of 22,000. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the detailed information for which the hon. Member asks, since it would give an indication of the numbers engaged in weapon development and production.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received the Sixth Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of the National Research Development Corporation.

Yes, and I have arranged for these documents to be laid before the House as required by the Development of Inventions Act, 1948.