asked the Minister of Works (1) when the Atomic Energy Unit of the Geological Survey will be moved into more adequate accommodation;(2) whether he is aware of the inadequacy and unsuitability of the accommodation provided for the staff of the Geological Survey; and what steps it is proposed to take to remedy this.

The Atomic Energy Division is to move about the end of this month into new accommodation which has been prepared for it near Kensington High Street. This will relieve the congestion in the main building at South Kensington and make conditions more comfortable for the staff generally.

asked the Minister of Works when Big Ben will be stopped for overhaul.

Big Ben will be stopped early in July so that the clock and bell hammers can be overhauled. The clock faces will be reglazed. This work will take about three months.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what are the Government's plans for a National Science Centre.

In 1952 it was stated that the planning of the Science Centre had had to be deferred, and I regret to say that that position is still unchanged. Plans for a new Patent Office and Scientific Reference Library on the South Bank are, however, under discussion between the Departments concerned.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what is the estimated capital expenditure for the provision of adequate accommodation for a national reference library of science and invention.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 8th November last, to which I have at present nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for War why a considerable convoy of large Army lorries and excavators was sent along the South Circular Road, London, at the height of the traffic rush on the morning of Friday, 13th April.

This convoy consisted of only ten vehicles belonging to a unit which was moving from Maidstone to the Stanford training area in Norfolk. The route and timings were arranged in consultation with the Metropolitan Police who escorted the convoy during the whole of its journey in the London area. I am satisfied that care was taken to cause as little inconvenience as possible to other road users.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the sentence of 84 days imposed on a private in the Parachute Regiment for disobeying an order to make a parachute descent from a balloon; and whether he will take steps to annul the sentence.

A man who joins a parachute unit has to pass physical and mental stability tests and if he does so is sent on a six weeks' course. It is made clear to the man that at any time during his training, which includes balloon descents, he may honourably withdraw. It is also made clear that the soldier who completes his course joins an airborne unit and thereby incurs an obligation to make parachute descents as required in the course of duty. In recognition of this he receives 4s. a day extra pay. It is well known that refusal to jump after training is a serious offence.

I have been into the whole matter and I am convinced that the present system is justified by the exceptional task which these men have to perform. In accordance with normal procedure this sentence will come up for review next month.

asked the Secretary of State for War what new conditions have been agreed to by Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan for the employment of British officers with the Arab Legion or otherwise in the service of Jordan.

As has already been announced, general agreement has been reached, but until the few outstanding points have been settled I cannot give details.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why, in his Department's Estimates, the estimate for the acquisition of land and the erection of buildings in Development Areas is £1 million less than in 1955–56.

We propose to build fewer factories this year because the low level of unemployment in many of these areas enables us to make a useful economy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that shirts marked "Empire Make" are being sold in Accrington; whether he will investigate the extent to which Empire trade facilities appear to be abused by the use of Hong Kong for the export of cotton goods actually made in foreign countries; and what action he proposes to take to stop cheap imports of this kind during the present crisis in the British cotton industry.

I am aware that woven shirts of Commonwealth origin are being sold in the United Kingdom, The possibility that foreign-made goods might be entering the United Kingdom as goods of Commonwealth origin has been investigated, but there is no evidence that this has been happening. The last part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what change of Government policy towards the cotton textile trade has taken place as a result of the written representations made to him by aldermen and councillors in north-east Lancashire.

My right hon. Friend has given careful consideration to these representations, but the Government's policy remains as stated in my reply of 28th February to the hon. Lady the Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle).

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the questionnaire sent out to sections of the film industry by the National Film Finance Corporation regarding the future of legislation affecting the industry was drafted with his approval.

My right hon. Friend did not ask to be consulted about the questionnaire, and he was not consulted.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what instructions he gave to the National Film Finance Corporation regarding discussions with sections of the film industry about future legislation; and if he will publish the Corporation's report to him on the subject.

As was intended, the National Film Finance Corporation have consulted the main trade interests, though they were given no detailed instructions on this point. My right hon. Friend has at present no intention of publishing the report which the Corporation will be making to him.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory in hire-purchase transactions for the vendor, when quoting the number and amount of instalments, also to indicate the rate of interest being charged.

No. Existing legislation already provides that agreements to which the Hire-Purchase Act, 1938, applies must show the cash price as well as the hire-purchase price and other particulars, and it is not considered necessary to make this further requirement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received the Report of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission on the supply of rubber footwear.

Yes. I received this report on 7th May. It will be laid before Parliament in due course in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the cost in a full year of a rebate of the full duties on hydrocarbon oil supplied for use for vehicles driven by diesel fuel and licensed as public service vehicles.

About £30 million in the first full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that 50-foot lengths of stranded galvanised wire marked "Clothes Line" have a 30 per cent. tax, whereas the same wire without those words is tax-free; and whether he will take the necessary action to rectify this anomaly.

Wire and rope are not liable to Purchase Tax. But clothes lines made up for sale asś such are chargeable as domestic hardware. My right hon. Friend sees no need to alter this.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants are at present engaged in the collection of entertainment tax.

The majority of the civil servants engaged on the collection of Entertainments Duty do this work in conjunction with their other revenue responsibilities, and I regret that the information requested is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the internal purchasing power of the £ in terms of 20s. in 1945, each time the price of domestic coal has increased since nationalisation; how far inflation is due to higher prices; and how inflation can be ended if coal prices continue to rise.

The answer to the first part of the Question is that general increases in the pithead prices of domestic coal occurred in September, 1947, January, 1948, February, 1951, December, 1951, March, 1953, May, 1954, and July, 1955. At those dates the internal purchasing power of the £, in terms of 20s. in 1945, was 18s. 1d., 17s. 5d., 15s. 6d., 14s. 1d., 13s, 9d., 13s. 7d. and 12s. 11d., respectively.

On the second and third parts of the Question, inflation cannot be attributed to the increase in the price of any particular commodity and can be ended only by removing its root cause, which is the unbalance between our resources and the demands made upon them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the general rise in the cost of living, in addition to the rise in the cost of the services which they are compelled to use in the course of carrying out their Parliamentary duties, such as postage and telephones, is making it difficult for Members of Parliament satisfactorily to carry out their duties to their constituents; and whether he will, therefore, arrange for Members of Parliament to have telephones calls from the House of Commons free of charge.

Telephone calls to the London area from the House of Commons are already provided free. I do not think it would be a desirable change to extend this arrangement to longer distance calls, and the possibility has been rejected by successive Select Committees.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he anticipates introducing legislation to amend or abolish the Rent Restrictions Act.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 9th March.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will review his decision to approve a grant of £65 19s. 9d. per annum to the Hackney Borough Council in respect of the purchase of 74 Alkham Road, Hackney, since the exclusive rent of £130 per annum exceeds the true annual rental available to a private landlord by £40 per annum, and his estimate of the cost of repairs, maintenance and management is not related to the actual expenditure incurred by the council for this type of property, and in view of the rate of contribution to be borne locally.

I will write to the hon. and learned Member about this complicated case, on which I am still in communication with the borough council.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in the circular that he is issuing to guide local authorities in introducing differential rent schemes, he will include advice that rent differences should not be based on the character or location of the tenant's employment.

The circular referred to, which I expect to issue in about a week's time, does not include any advice on this matter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the total of grants made to local authorities in the Leek Parliamentary Constituency for rural water supplies and sewerage; and how many schemes have been put forward to his department by local authorities, and how many postponed.

Since the war, grants of a total capital value of £158,157 have been paid, or undertakings have been given, towards the cost of nine schemes. Three other schemes have been postponed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what steps are being taken to encourage local authorities to install machinery for extracting recoverable materials from their refuse.

While I fully appreciate the importance of recovering valuable materials, and particularly ferrous scrap, from refuse, I cannot undertake to sanction loans for additional plant for this purpose at present.

asked the Minister of Labour what special consultation he is having with the management and unions of the British Motor Corporation in regard to the pattern of future employment now that short-time working is not decreasing at the works of the Austin Motor Company.

My local officers in the course of their day-to-day work are in close touch with the company, but no special consultations have taken place.

asked the Minister of Labour how many people he estimates will be directly affected in their employment by automation; how long it will be before they are affected; and if he will use the Central Office of Information to explain the facts of the situation to those workers directly concerned.

The development of automation may be expected to continue to be gradual, but it is not possible to forecast the rate at which it will be introduced or the number of workers whose employment may be affected. As regards the second part of the Question, the Government will take steps to make factual information about automation known generally. It is, as I said in the House on 8th May, for individual firms which are contemplating its introduction to consider how it will affect their workers and to bring them into early discussion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on political developments in the Gold Coast.

:The Governor announced this morning in his speech at the opening of the Legislative Assembly that after consultation with Dr. Nkrumah he proposed to dissolve the Assembly after the end of this sitting. The dates of the General Election will be announced by Proclamation shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will bring in a Bill to carry out the recommendations of the Gowers Committee in reference to the Sunday opening of shops in view of the importance of doing this before the Summer season next year.

This is part of the wider subject of the closing hours of shops on which I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave on 10th May to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler).

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the operations of the National Coal Board create a charge upon public funds, he will now take steps to alter the present practice so as to enable Members of Parliament to ask Questions about this industry in the same way as they can about Departments of the public service.

The arrangement whereby the capital requirements of the National Coal Board are met by advances from the Exchequer has operated since the creation of the Board; and there is nothing in that arrangement which calls for any modification of the rules governing Parliamentary Questions about the Board.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number of diesel-engined public service vehicles and the number of goods vehicles, respectively, with licences current at the latest available date.

The numbers of vehicles with excise licences current in the quarter ended 30th September, 1955, the latest period for which figures are available, were as follows:

—	Goods vehicles	Public service vehicles
Diesel fuel	109,339	60,278
Petrol	978,812	14,428
Other fuels	20,342	—
Total	1,108,493	74,706

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what compensation or pension will be paid to the widow of Commander Crabb.

I understand that Commander Crabb left no widow who could benefit under any of the schemes for which my right hon. Friend is responsible.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to move to appoint a Select Committee to examine the whole system of unemployment pay where inequalities and anomalies have arisen owing to recent decisions enabling some workers earnings from £12 to £15 a week for three or four days' work to draw benefits from a fund which is partially maintained by agricultural workers with a basic wage of £7 for a five-and-a-half-day week.

The National Insurance Advisory Committee recently examined the question of unemployment

DECISIONS OF MEDICAL APPEAL TRIBUNAL, BIRMINGHAM 1954 and 1955
	Appeals by claimants			References by direction of the Minister
	Appeals	Favourable to claimant	No. change or un-favourable to claimant	References	Favourable to claimant	No change or un-favourable to claimant
	1954
TOTAL	993	497	496	350	99	251
Accident	925	465	460	323	92	231
Prescribed disease	68	32	36	27	7	20
	1955
TOTAL	1,017	459	558	488	128	360
Accident	952	436	516	440	120	320
Prescribed disease	65	23	42	48	8	40

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many cases were referred to the Medical Appeals Tribunal in Birmingham in 1954 and 1955, giving a breakdown of the types of case dealt with according to the disease or injury involved and stating, in each category, how many appeals were allowed and how many rejected.

I regret that an analysis in the precise form requested is not available; the information to hand is set out in the following table: