asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the extent of the decline in National Savings operated under the schools scheme since the beginning of the year.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the current number of old-age pensioners who take advantage of the duty rebate on tobacco; and what is the estimated cost of this concession in the current year.

Just over 2½ million pensioners are at present getting this benefit, and the estimated cost for the year 1956–57 is about £15½ million.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will give details of the number of days leave per year granted to the different grades of the Civil Service in each Government Department.

There are many hundreds of different grades, each with its own leave allowance. The following table gives the leave allowances operating hitherto for established members of a number of specimen general service categories based on a six-day week:

Category	No. of days leave per year
Messengers	14
Copy Typists	18, rising to 21 after 5 years' service
Clerical Officers	24
Executive, Administrative, Professional and Scientific Officer Classes	36

The Royal Commission on the Civil Service recommended, among other things, reductions in leave allowances for most of the Service. Proposals to this end have been negotiated with the National Staff Side, and await ratification.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why he refused loan sanction for Bristol City Council to erect a public library in Southmead.

This refusal is in accordance with the Government's decision to place a six months' embargo on local authority loans for all but the most urgent purposes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the qualifications of the person to be appointed by him to hold a public inquiry in north Lincolnshire regarding the reorganisation of water authorities.

The inquiry will be held by an engineering inspector from the Department with experience of holding inquiries under the Water Acts.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women, respectively, are now unemployed or working short time in Stoke-on-Trent; and of these how many are pottery workers.

The last available figures are those relating to 12th March. Those for 16th April will be available in a few days and I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has noted that the incidence of tuberculosis among female pottery workers in Stoke-on-Trent is five time as high in towers and fettlers and three times as high in other clay workers as it is in decorators; and what action he is taking to enforce the Pottery Health and Welfare Regulations on dust prevention and extraction.

I have seen the figures to which the hon. Member refers. Close attention is paid by factory inspectors to dust suppression, and the standard of compliance with the Regulations will be further looked into during the forthcoming survey of the pottery industry. I would also refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Question on 12th April about dust extraction.

asked the Minister of Labour how many bricklayers have left building sites in Glenrothes, Fife, in the last three months; and what steps are being taken to stop this drift.

There has been a net loss of 12 bricklayers since the middle of January for which no replacements were sought from my local office.

asked the Minister of Labour whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the National Dock Labour Board refuses to employ male nurses; and whether he will arrange for this policy to be reconsidered.

I understand that it has been the normal but not the invariable practice of the National Dock Labour Board to employ female nurses. The policy on this question is the responsibility of the Board.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has now completed the inquiry into the figures of unemployment and short-time in the furniture and cabinet making industry; whether he is aware that the trade unions concerned now report a considerable increase in these numbers; and what action is being taken in this regard.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 19th April to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis). According to reports from my local offices, the number of workers in the furniture industry affected by short-time has increased by about 1,000 since the middle of March. As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. and learned Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade to the hon. Member for Shoreditch and Finsbury (Mr. Collins) on 27th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland for how many days the main road over Soutra Hill has been totally blocked and partially blocked by snow during each of the last three winters.

In the winter of 1953–54 the road was not blocked at all; in 1954–55 it was totally blocked for 2½ days and open to single lane traffic only for 11 days; in 1955–56 it was blocked on two occasions for about 1½ hours each by vehicles which got into difficulties during snow clearing operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what reply has been received from the Fife County Council concerning recently-announced Government policy on the future of Glenrothes; and what future action is contemplated.

I have recently received a reply from the county council, which I am now considering. It raises a number of points which I propose to discuss with them and the Glenrothes Development Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is, as regards Scotland, the number of cattle, including calves, sheep and pigs, that have been slaughtered during each of the last 10 years under his Foot-and-Mouth Disease Regulations; the amount of compensation paid in each year; the value of each class of animal slaughtered in each of those years for human consumption; and the quantity of milk produced during each of the last 10 years, and its value each year.

Following is the Answer:

Year (1st June to 31st May)	Numbers of animals slaughtered in Scotland on account of foot-and-mouth disease, and compensation paid				Value of meat produced in Scotland (£'000)			Milk produced in Scotland*
	Cattle (including calves)	Sheep	Pigs	Compensation £	Cattle (including calves)	Sheep	Pigs	Quality (Million gallons)	Value (£'000)
1945–46	16	34	694	5,886	12,814	5,619	2,026	191	20,593
1946–47	243	331	701	13,928	12,804	6,437	1,915	192	22,442
1947–48	—	—	—	—	14,368	6,363	1,966	199	25,086
1948–49	—	—	—	—	15,232	8,355	3,007	215	28,336
1949–50	—	—	—	—	17,344	9,448	5,351	230	32,803
1950–51	—	—	—	—	18,723	9,935	6,434	231	33,246
1951–52	1,980	4,407	219	134,794	20,198	9,743	9,991	237	35,431
1952–53	6,008	8,514	1,601	598,064	23,047	12,792	13,766	250	39,545
1953–54	—	—	—	—	24,074	12,928	14,427	257	41,166
1954–55	—	—	—	—	30,240†	13,922†	15,232†	255†	40,454†
* Includes farmhouse consumption and milk made into butter and cheese on farms.
† Provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the hardship likely to be caused to the small dairy farmers in Ayrshire as a result of the subsidy on milk not having been sufficiently increased in the recent Price Review; and what plans he has in mind to assuage their anxiety.

While the recent increase of ½d. per gallon in the level of the milk price guarantee may involve some reduction in profitability, it would not necessarily involve hardship. With regard to the second part of the Question, the Government are considering whether any practicable method can be devised for providing more effective longer-term assurances to agriculture, including the small dairy farmer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Ayrshire farmers on milk prices; what representations he has received from them; and what estimate he has made of the effect which his Price Review will have upon milk production in Ayrshire and Scotland, respectively.

I have had no separate discussions with Ayrshire farmers on milk prices, nor have I had any direct representations from them, though I have seen reports of views expressed by them. There is still a slight upward tendency in milk production both in Ayrshire and in Scotland as a whole which, at the time of the Review, appeared likely to continue this year. It is too early to say what the effect of the Review determination regarding milk will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent requests he has received from the Cumnock Town Council and the new Cumnock District Council for permission to borrow money; what were the sums involved; and what are his reasons for refusing to sanction the borrowing.

Applications from Cumnock Town Council to borrow £972 in order to reconstruct the lavatory accommodation at the Town Hall, and from New Cumnock District Council for £1,700 to add cloakroom and lavatory accommodation at the New Cumnock Town Hall were recently refused on the ground that the work is not urgently necessary in present circumstances.

asked the Minister of Works what organised suggestion scheme is in operation in his Department; how many suggestions are received from employees through that organisation annually; how many are adopted; what awards are made for such suggestions; and what he estimates to be the savings made by the adoption of employees' suggestions.

The staff are encouraged to make suggestions for improving efficiency, and these are considered by a joint committee of the Departmental Whitley Council. About 200 suggestions are received annually and about one in six is adopted. The officer's record of service is noted when his suggestion is adopted and monetary awards are made in suitable cases. It is not possible to estimate the financial benefits of the scheme.

asked the Minister of Works the total production of sand and gravel in the years 1953, 1954, and 1955; and what further steps are to be taken arising from the Monopolies Commission's Report on these products.

The total production of sand and gravel in the years 1953, 1954 and 1955 was 42 million, 44 million and 48 million cubic yards. The Monopolies Commission investigated supply only in Central Scotland. So far as action on the Report is concerned, I would refer the hon. Member to the last paragraph of the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 23rd March last to my hon. Friend the Member for Scotstoun (Sir J. Hutchison).

asked the Secretary of State for War what further proposals he has for disbandment, or amalgamation, of Territorial or yeomanry units.

The future of most major Territorial Army units will be made known shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War when agreement was last reached with the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes about prices, rates of rebates and discounts, and the amounts to be distributed annually from any surplus profits.

N.A.A.F.I's price policy and rates of rebate and discount are kept regularly under review. The rates have not been altered for some years. The amounts to be distributed annually from any surplus are agreed each year with the Service Departments.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers of the Syrian, Israeli or Egyptian armies are receiving instruction at any War Department establishment.

Ten.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to receive a report of the investigations being made into complaints about the behaviour of British troops in Phrenaros, Cyprus.

The detailed investigation of the individual complaints is bound to take time, and I cannot yet say when it will be completed.

asked the Secretary of State for War on what conditions certain parts of the Stanford battle training area in Norfolk are let for cultivation or grazing; and what is the annual income received.

There are four full agricultural lettings and seventeen grazing licences with permission to plough at the licensee's own risk. Some other grazing of sheep is allowed. The permission of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the limited grazing licences has been obtained under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948. The total income is about £3,000 a year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the quantity and value of wheat, oats and barley for seed purposes exported to France and other continental countries in the past three months.

Cereals for sowing are not separately distinguished in the Trade Returns. The table below shows United

—				Barley		Oats		Other sorts (including wheat)
				cwt.	£	cwt.	£	cwt.	£
To
France	…	…	…	9,580	17,307	500	875	393,151	924,483
Other continental countries:
Finland		…	…	34,260	45,500	—	—	—	—
Sweden		…	…	0	1	4,933	7,125	—	—
Norway		…	…	10,000	12,625	5,000	7,344	—	—
Denmark		…	…	123,465	158,917	46,780	57,738	700	1,380
West Germany		…	…	431,085	556,243	—	—	—	—
Netherlands		…	…	136,911	181,131	13,538	14,217	—	—
Belgium		…	…	1,056,202	1,370,810	—	—	30,463	62,995
Switzerland		…	…	6,500	8,500	—	—	—	—
Yugoslavia		…	…	—	—	—	—	496	700
Total "Other continental countries"				1,798,423	2,333,727	70,251	86,424	31,659	65,075

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent he expects the output of fertilisers in Britain to be increased in the near future to meet increased demand.

Over the next two or three years, increased output of fertilisers resulting from plans now in hand should be broadly sufficient to meet the increased expansion in United Kingdom demand which it seems reasonable to expect. There is, of course, in the United Kingdom no output of potash; our supplies are all imported.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the average net price of a case of Scotch whisky in dollars, free on board, United Kingdom port, in 1939 and 1955, respectively, and how this compares with the price paid in dollars for a lb. of tobacco at the same dates.

Expressed in dollars, the average value per proof gallon of whisky exported free on board United Kingdom port was $6·51 in 1939 and $8·20 in 1955; the average c.i.f. value of a pound of imported American tobacco in those years was 28 cents and 72 cents, respectively.

asked the Minister of Education whether the Government will act upon the proposal of the Advisory

My Department is ready to give help and advice in any such cases, and I will consider if any more formal arrangements should be made.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, during the forthcoming visit of the Soviet parliamentary delegation, he will ensure that these parliamentarians are enabled to visit British workshops, mines, factories, etc.; and whether he will inquire from the Soviet Government the places that these visitors would like to see, with a view to meeting their wishes, if at all possible.

The delegation from the Supreme Soviet will be coming here in response to invitations from the Lord Chancellor and Mr. Speaker. I understand that the British Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union has been invited to prepare a programme for their visit.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the fact that much of the danger in the Middle East arises from the endeavour of Powers to safeguard their supplies of oil, if he will propose to the nations concerned that a study be made of the proposals put by the International Cooperative Alliance before the United Nations Association and elsewhere, that the oil resources in the Middle East area should be developed by an international consortium.

Most of the oil resources in the Middle East are already being developed by international consortia, and through the equal sharing of profits the oil-producing countries are effective partners in the enterprise. The alternative arrangements suggested by the hon. Member would be impracticable.

asked the Minister of Health what are the countries on whose experience he is relying in his conclusion that the effect of poliomyelitis vaccine will be the same on children as on monkeys and other sub-human animals; and over what period the inoculations took place.

The United States, where between May and mid-November, 1955, over 10 million children were vaccinated, and Canada where over 1 million children were vaccinated between April and December, 1955.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the adverse criticisms, particularly from many members of the medical profession, whether

—						Red varieties	White varieties
						(per cwt.)
1956	(19th April)	…	…	…	…	40s. to 42s.	35s. to 39s.
1955	Maximum controlled prices					18s. 9d. to 19s. 3d.	17s. to 17s. 6d.
1954						18s. 6d. to 19s.	16s. 9d. to 17s.3d.
1953						17s. 6d. to 18s.	15s. 9d. to 16s. 3d.

As regards the last part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Feltham (Mr. Hunter) and the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) on 16th April.

No.

asked the Minister of Health what stock has been sold from the Mid-Wales Mental Hospital Farm and what price was received; upon what date farming operations ceased; what food production activities are now taking place; and what is his policy with regard to the future of the farm.

258 head of live stock and all "dead" stock surplus to hospital requirements were sold for £5,703 and £3,729 respectively. Farming operations ceased at 31st December, 1955, but market gardening at the hospital is continuing. It is intended to sell or let the farm land and buildings.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the wholesale price of potatoes in the Bolton area in April, 1956, and the corresponding dates in 1955, 1954, and 1953; and if he will consider reintroducing some form of price control.

The wholesale prices of main crop potatoes in the Bolton area at the dates in question were:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the percentage of cattle known to be free from bovine tuberculosis, at the latest convenient date, in England, Scotland, and Wales, respectively.

At 31st March last 56 per cent., 81 per cent. and 85 per cent. of the total cattle in England, Scotland and Wales, respectively, were attested. The greater part of the cattle not yet attested are free from tuberculosis, but exact statistics are not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he can yet announce the model byelaws for slaughterhouses.

The model byelaws for slaughterhouses were issued to local authorities on 17th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the dollar earnings of exports from Singapore and Malaya for each of the years from 1950 to 1955 together with the expenditure on dollar imports.

I regret that only figures relating to the Malayan area are available. They therefore contain small amounts for North Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak. They are as follows:

—	1952	1953	1954	1955
	£m.	£m.	£m.	£m.
Imports f.o.b.	12	7	9	10
Exports f.o.b.	89	56	52	84

Figures for 1950 and 1951 are not available. Further details are available in the Secretary of State's Annual Report to Parliament for 1954–55 (Cmd. 9489).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the East African Goan National Association has yet been registered under the Societies Ordinance in Kenya.

No. The Association was refused registration on the ground that it appeared likely to be used for purposes prejudicial to, or incompatible with, peace, welfare or good order in the Colony. An appeal against this refusal has been dismissed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what ground lawyers with Indian qualifications are not allowed to practise in Northern Rhodesia when they are given these facilities in the courts of East Africa.

Legal practice in Northern Rhodesia is restricted to barristers and solicitors of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.Lawyers with Indian law qualifications are permitted to practise in East African courts because the East African legal system includes and has always included many fundamental Indian statutes and other laws. Indian nationals also are and have always been an important element numerically and commercially in East Africa. None of these considerations apply in Northern Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that collection of the Native Authority Cess on coffee by Co-operatives in Tanganyika which are Government sponsored is confusing to the African farmers and prejudices the development of the co-operative movement; and if he will alter the method of collection so as to avoid this difficulty.

My right hon. Friend understands that it has not been found that the system causes confusion to the African farmer, nor that it is prejudicial to the development of the co-operative movement which is expanding rapidly. If, however, the hon. Member has any evidence to the contrary, my right hon. Friend will be pleased to consider it.

asked the Minister of Defence what appeal exists from the decisions of Service Departments for officers of the Armed Forces; and how far, under Service Regulations, officers of the Armed Forces are entitled to a quasi-judicial procedure from their departments in the event of disputes.

The rights of officers in the Army and Royal Air Force are set out in Sections 42 of the Army and Air Force Acts and of naval officers in Article 1851 of Queen's Regulations and Admiralty Instructions. The present procedure in the Army and Royal Air Force was reviewed recently by the Select Committee on the Army and Air Force Acts and virtually no changes have been incorporated in the new legislation which is due to come into force on 1st January, 1957.