asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that Her Majesty's Stationery Office paper has recently been on sale at a bargain price in a Battersea shop; and what is the policy of Her Majesty's Stationery Office in disposing of paper.

On the few occasions when H.M. Stationery Office has had surplus paper for disposal it has been sold by competitive tender. A sample of the paper referred to by my hon. Friend indicates that it was part of a surplus of wartime substitute paper of very low quality which was disposed of by the Stationery Office in 1948.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is prepared to take to prevent the control of the Trinidad Oil Company from passing into foreign hands.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made to the House on 14th June.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will include in his list of fuel-saving plant which he proposes should qualify for investment allowances, downjet furnaces, steam and electric oil heaters, pass-out turbines and their ancillary equipment, oil separators, steam accumulators and all types of oxygen recorders and pyrometers, whether or not used to measure flue gas temperature; and whether he will given an assurance that any list which he approves initially in this connection will not be final and that arrangements will be made to permit additional items to be introduced from time to time without difficulty in the light of technological changes.

On the advice of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Fuel and Power, I have decided to include pass-out turbines and their ancillary equipment and also steam accumulators in the list. My hon. Friend's other suggestions will be carefully considered. As regards the last part of the Question, the terms of Subsection (4) of Clause 12 of the Finance Bill were designed to meet the point my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will state the progress that has been made in establishing rights of way for the Pembrokeshire coastal footpath.

The total length of this coastal path will be about 167 miles. Agreements have been made by the district councils concerned covering about 30 of the 64 miles over which there were no public rights of way when the path was approved.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) if he has yet approved the Essex development plan; and whether he will make a statement;(2) what provision has been made in the Essex development plan for a site for light industry in Maldon.

The Essex development plan raises important and difficult issues which are being discussed between my Department and the county Council; and it will be some time before the plan can be cleared. As submitted the plan does not include detailed proposals for the use of land in Maldon, but I understand that a town map will be submitted later.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware of the practice whereby certain private Members, or other persons, have been informed of intended changes in taxation in advance of any intimation to the House; and if he will instruct all Ministers concerned that this practice must cease.

I am aware of the right hon. Gentlman's concern in this matter. As to changes which may be proposed during discussion of the Finance Bill, as of any other Bill, nothing should ever be said about Government intentions in circumstances where that could result in private gain. Subject to that, I think that Ministers must be allowed to use normal discretion, and that no fresh instruction is necessary.

asked the Minister of Labour what changes he proposes to make in the immediate future in the regulations relating to call-up for, and deferment from, National Service.

As regards call-up, the Answer is none. As to deferment, the arrangements are under continuous review and are modified in detail from time to time. No material change is planned in the immediate future.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 300 workers, to whom notices were issued recently by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, have registered as unemployed; how many have been found work by his Department; and how many have been offered alternative employment at other factories of the Birmingham Small Arms organisation.

At various exchanges in or near Birmingham my local officers had been able towards the end of last week to identity 140 workers from the Birmingham Small Arms Factory who had registered as unemployed. Sixteen of these had so far been submitted to jobs in their home area by the employment exchanges and 105 were then still unemployed. The company is unable as yet to state the number to whom offers of work in other factories associated with the company can be made.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will seek powers to enable him to instruct those employers who intend to introduce automated processes into their factories first to discuss their plans with the appropriate trade unions.

Consultation between employers and workpeople in this country has always been on a voluntary basis. It would be wrong to try to enforce it by legislation.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will seek powers to enable him to obtain from those employers who intend to introduce automated processes into their businesses, the numbers of workers who will be rendered redundant, and the types of occupation which will disappear.

No. My right hon. Friend feels sure that in such cases employers will recognise the need which he has repeatedly emphasised for giving the employment exchanges timely warning of expected redundancies, and that he can count upon their voluntary co-operation.

asked the Minister of Labour what instructions are issued to factory inspectors regarding the giving of notice to factory occupiers of intended visits; and whether he is satisfied that these instructions are being carried out.

Inspectors are instructed that they should not, except in special circumstances, give advance notice of an intended visit. As a general rule, all visits should be surprise visits. I have every reason to believe that these instructions are being fully carried out.

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements he makes for securing accommodation for immigrant workers for whom the employment exchanges find employment.

When overseas workers are brought to this country under schemes organised by my Ministry, we make sure that the prospective employers have made suitable arrangements for their accommodation. When the employment ex- changes find work for persons who have come from overseas on their own iniative, they do not accept responsibility for finding accommodation for them. As my right hon. Friend explained, however, in reply to a Question by the right hon. Member for Belper (Mr. G. Brown) on 12th June, the exchanges are often able to help workers to find accommodation when they move from one part of the country to another.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that a dispute on overtime has recently reduced the output of crude steel by 6 per cent.; and what proposals he has for bringing this costly dispute to an end.

I am aware of this dispute and my officers have been in touch with both sides from an early stage. The dispute arose on 7th March when the trade unions representing the maintenance craftsmen in the steel industry rejected the offer of the same wage increase as had been accepted by the production workers. The employers have proposed that the dispute should be referred to arbitration in accordance with the practice of the industry, but the unions have so far been unwilling to follow this course. Since 28th April, they have been operating an overtime ban which has caused a serious loss in steel production. There appears to be no further action which my Department can take at this juncture.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that steel production for May was 20,612,000 tons against 21,896,000 tons for April, and 22,141,000 tons in March; how far this reduction is due to the ban on overtime by the maintenance workers; when and why the ban was imposed; what are the average wages of the men involved; and what steps he is taking to end the dispute so that greater production may once more be achieved.

The figures which my hon. Friend quotes refer not to monthly output, but to the annual rate of production in the months concerned. I am informed that the reduction in output in May was largely due to the ban on overtime by the maintenance craftsmen which was imposed on 28th April, following failure to agree on the unions' wages claim, although the Whitsun holidays fell in that month. I understand that the average weekly earnings of the men concerned are approximately £15 and that their average weekly hours are 49.On the last part of the Question, would refer to my earlier reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. W. J. Taylor).

asked the Minister of Labour, if he will state the reasons for the recent increase in the cost-of-living index figure; by what percentage this figure has risen since October, 1951; and how much of this increase was due to the Government's action in removing food subsidies, reducing housing subsidies, increasing Purchase Tax and increasing the Bank Rate.

The reasons for the rise in the index of retail prices between mid-March and mid-April have been published in the May issue of the Ministry of Labour Gazette. The index has risen by approximately 22 per cent. since mid-October, 1951. I cannot estimate what would have been the current prices of the various commodities and services included in the index had there been no changes in subsidies, Purchase Tax and Bank Rate during this period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is yet in a position to issue to local authorities the explanatory memorandum on the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads) Act, 1955, for which they are waiting.

No, but I expect to be able to do so very shortly. Restrictions on capital expenditure make it extremely unlikely, however, that I shall be able to offer any grants in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to publish the Report of the Committee appointed to review all aspects of local government finance, including industrial derating, when they have concluded their deliberations.

These questions are being given preliminary study by the Departments concerned, with a view to discussion as soon as possible with the local authority associations. There is therefore no question of publishing a report at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action has been taken to attract industry to the Cumbernauld New Town.

A number of inquiries have been received by the development corporation from industrial firms interested in the new town, and negotiations for the establishment of a substantial industrial project on a large industrial site recently acquired by the Corporation are at an advanced stage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the net income per annum from the 1s. prescription charge since its inception; and whether he will take steps to abolish the charge in the near future.

Net income has averaged £665,000 per annum for the three complete financial years since the charge was introduced. I can hold out no hope of its early abolition.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what grants and loans are available to crofters and other farmers for the provision of electricity in the Highlands and other sparsely populated areas; and to what extent these apply to transmission and installation of light and power;(2) to what extent grants and loans are available to crofters and others for the installation and transmission of electricity without prior commitments to instal agricultural electrical equipment.

Grants may be paid under the Hill Farming and Livestock Rearing Acts towards the cost of connection with a public electricity supply provided this forms part of a comprehensive improvement scheme. Internal wiring may be included in the improvement or erection of buildings for which grant and loan assistance may be provided under the Crofters (Scotland) Act, 1955. No conditions regarding the installation of electrical equipment are attached in either case.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many doctors, who are licentiates of Apothecaries' Hall, are employed in the National Health Service in Scotland.

I have been able to identify only one doctor practising in Scotland whose sole registrable qualification is that of Licentiate of Apothecaries' Hall, Dublin, and a second who also holds an additional registrable qualification, but there may be others.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received the Report from the Working Committee of Scottish local authorities on Scottish housing finance; and if he will make a statement.

I have just received a Report made to the local authority associations and to me by a Working Party consisting of local authority officials and officers of my Department. I shall be meeting the local authority associations again shortly to resume my discussions with them in the light of this Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is yet in a position to make a statement about a Forth crossing.

I met representatives of the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board on 15th June. The Board is unanimously of the opinion that the crossing should take the form of a bridge, as recommended by the Expert Panel; and, after careful consideration, the Government agree with this view. The Board is, therefore, being informed that, subject to discussion of the financial and technical matters to which I shall refer, the preparatory work and plans should now be completed up to the contract letting stage. It remains the Government's intention to authorise a start on the scheme within the four-year period referred to in the statement made by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation on 2nd February, 1955. In deciding the precise date of starting, regard must naturally be had to general economic circumstances.Since the Order of 1947 was enacted, the estimated cost of the bridge and approach roads has risen from £6.2 million to something between £10 million and £15 million. It has, therefore, been agreed that local authority and Departmental officers will review the methods of financing the project as a matter of urgency and report to the Government and the local authorities concerned. The Government do not rule out the possibility of assuming responsibility for the project as a trunk road scheme subject to tolls.It has also been agreed that local authority and Departmental officers will re-examine, as a matter of urgency, some aspects of the plans—mainly in regard to access roads.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the result of the negotiations between his Department and Glasgow Corporation regarding the acquisition of the site at Duke Street Prison by the corporation.

Negotiations on this matter are still going on.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the basis of composition of the Food Hygiene Advisory Council for Scotland; to what extent the persons appointed to this council are intended to be representative of various interests; and whether he will give particulars with regard to such representation.

The basis is that laid down in Section 25 (2) of the Food and Drugs (Scotland) Act, 1956. Accordingly the members include a number who appeared to me after due consultation to be representative of food traders and workers, but the majority were chosen for their qualifications to represent the interests of the public generally. My reply to the hon. and gallant Member for South Angus (Captain Duncan) on 31st May last indicated the relevant experience of those appointed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the National Coal Board has asked the permission of the Glenrothes Development Corporation to display notices asking tenants in the new town to take in miners as lodgers; and, in view of this, if he will give urgent reconsideration to the policy involving a cessation of all new house building in the town.

I understand that this arrangement is a purely temporary one designed to give miners from outside Fife an opportunity of seeing Glenrothes before deciding whether to transfer. As regards the second part of the Question, I am keeping the whole position under close review.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects a decision to be reached in the case of Captain J. M Allison, Royal Army Education Corps, 69393, who has now been denied his proper entitlement of pay for nearly four years.

Very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for War why the father of 22561235 Sapper Williams has never been officially notified of the serious accident to his son in Hong Kong four months ago; and if he will see that the parents or relatives of Service men are notified when they are involved in a serious accident.

It is our practice only to notify the next-of-kin officially if a soldier is on the dangerously or seriously ill list, if he loses an eye, limb, hand or foot, or in certain circumstances such as emergency operations, when he is unable to write to his family himself. Sapper Williams did not come into any of these categories. In all other cases of injury or sickness, we think it better to let the soldier write home to his family himself explaining in his own words what has happened rather than to cause undue anxiety by a formal notification. Help in writing, if needed, is readily available from hospital staff and voluntary workers. From long experience, we are satisfied that these arrangements work well. My right hon. Friend reviewed them last year and decided that no alteration was necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will relax the conditions governing compassionate release in cases of soldiers who are in medical category III.

In considering compassionate release we must, in fairness, apply the same standards to all soldiers who are fit to continue to serve in the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been drawn to the case of bribery and corruption at Bielefeld, Germany, concerning frauds in arranging contracts for the British Army; and whether he will make a statement explaining to what extent British personnel were concerned.

I assume that the hon. Member refers to the recent trials of German citizens in the German courts for offences connected with contracts for the British Army which had been arranged and paid for by the German authorities. The evidence produced does not indicate that any charges lie against British soldiers or civilians.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether the members of the Women's Royal Army Corps, employed as ticket checkers and door attendants at the Antique Dealers' Fair on 13th June, were so employed with his authority; and whether he will state the period and conditions of such employment.

Nine members of the Women's Royal Army Corps volunteered for this work. They are acting as ushers between 11.0 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. on weekdays with breaks for lunch and tea and during the afternoon. Their fares are paid and meals provided by the organisers of the exhibition and a generous contribution is made to the Women's Royal Army Corps Benevolent Fund. These arrangements, which had not previously come to my right hon. Friend's notice, were wrongly authorised because of a misunderstanding of the regulations and will not be repeated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what negotiations or consultations have taken, or are likely to take, place between Her Majesty's Government and the present Government of Ceylon in respect of trade between the two countries.

We are in constant touch with the Ceylon Government on matters affecting trade between our two countries. No general negotiations or consultations have taken place or are in contemplation at the present time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much of the existing labour force in the cotton textile industry is directed to supplying the home trade, and how much to supplying the export market.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested by my hon. Friend. About one-fifth of the output in 1955 of the spinning and weaving sections of the cotton industry was produced for export in the form of yarn or cloth. Nearly one-third of the cloth, including imported cloth, finished in the industry, was exported.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to consider widening the powers contained in the Distribution of Industry Acts in order to enable him to encourage industrial development in those areas likely to be most affected by unemployment in consequence of the effects of industrial modernisation.

The powers are wide enough to cover the situation envisaged by the hon. Member. In practice, the likelihood of unemployment is greater if we neglect industrial modernisation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the price of heavy steel scrap increased on 7th May from 151s. per ton to 201s. per ton and cast-iron borings from 118s. 9d. per ton to 138s. per ton; and why this increase was approved by his Department against the opinion of the scrap merchants.

The Iron and Steel Scrap Order, 1956, increased the maximum prices for heavy steel scrap by 50s. a ton and for cast-iron borings by about 20s. a ton. The reason for the increase was explained by my right hon. Friend in answer to the right hon. Gentleman on 12th June.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the proposed economy in Government expenditure on factories provided under the Distribution of Industry Act will apply to the Cumbernauld New Town.

These economy measures apply to the Development Areas generally. My right hon. Friend certainly could not undertake to give exceptional treatment to new towns in Development Areas.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what arrangements are being made for the celebration of Trafalgar Day, 1956.

In accordance with custom, the Royal Navy will mark the anniversary by dressing ship and hoisting Lord Nelson's signal. I have no doubt too that representatives of the Royal Navy will accept invitations to take part in parades and ceremonies organised by the Navy League to commemorate this time-honoured occasion. At Portsmouth, the usual service will be held on board Her Majesty's Ship "Victory".

asked the Minister of Supply from what area of sea shipping will be excluded for the purpose of the proposed hydrogen bomb test explosions to be held next year.

The danger area to be announced is not yet decided.

asked the Minister of Supply what estimates have been made of the cost of the proposed hydrogen bomb test explosions to be held next year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Ladywood (Mr. Yates) yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the Medical Research Council's recent report into the hazards to man of nuclear and allied radiations and its findings regarding the danger of strontium 90, he will now seek international agreement with the major Powers concerned at least strictly to control all future atomic and thermo-nuclear tests.

As the Prime Minister said on 7th June, Her Majesty's Government are prepared to discuss methods of regulating and limiting test explosions which take account of their position and that of other Powers and will seek every opportunity to put this policy into effect. My right hon. Friend pointed out on that occasion that Her Majesty's Government had already put forward proposals which will, no doubt, be considered by the Disarmament Commission next month.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will promote legislation to ensure that X-rays in shoe fitting will be abandoned unless prescribed for orthopaedic reasons; and that watches and clocks should not be made with radio-actively luminous dials except for necessary usage.

I assume that this Question arises from suggestions made in the Report of the Medical Research Council on "The Hazards to Man of Nuclear and Allied Radiations". This Report has only just been received, and it is too early to say what action will be taken. But I can promise the hon. Member that the views of the Council on these two points will be closely examined.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether Federal legislation in Lagos regarding complete freedom of assembly for trade unions, which was recommended to the three Regional Governments, has yet been adopted.

The Federal legislation has not yet been adopted by the Regions. But I understand that in fact there is no restriction in any of the Regions on the meetings of members of trade unions, which are regarded as private meetings. Licences are required only for public meetings or processions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the secondary schools for girls at Macharre, Moshi District, and Mbeya, respectively, were turned into intermediate schools; and whether Tabura is now the only girls secondary school for approximately eight million Africans of Tanganyika.

The institutions for girls at Machame, Moshi and Mbeya have never been more than middle or intermediate schools combined with women's teacher training centres. The two existing secondary schools for girls in the territory have so far been able to absorb all those girls considered to have reached the educational standard, to be of the right age to benefit from secondary education, and allowed by their parents to attend. In neither the original nor the revised ten-year plan for African education was it proposed to establish more than two secondary schools for girls by 1956. Proposals for the next five years are now being considered.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the numbers of administrative and non-industrial staff employed by the National Coal Board at the end of 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, and 1955, respectively; and what percentage increase is represented by the 1955 figures over 1946.

Comparable figures are only available from 1948 and are as follows:—

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will introduce legislation to exempt small pick-up vehicles which have a pay load of between 5 to 10 cwt. from the maximum speed limit of 30 miles per hour when outside built-up areas.

No. I do not think there are sufficient grounds to treat these vehicles differently from other small goods vehicles as regards the speed limit, even if it were practicable to devise a workable legal definition of them for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that learner drivers who have not passed their driving test but hold a provisional driving licence may drive their cars or motor-cycles at high speeds on the public highway; and if he will take steps to introduce a 30 m.p.h. speed limit at all times for learner drivers.

I do not consider that, on balance, it would be either justifiable or desirable to restrict the holders of pro- visional driving licences to a maximum speed of 30 m.p.h. at all times as this would interfere with traffic flow.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make an order limiting the period over which a learner driver may hold a provisional licence, without taking a driving test, to 12 months.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the proposals as to provisional driving licences contained in the Road Traffic Bill.