asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total number of Jamaican immigrants to this country during the past three years.

The numbers of migrants who left Jamaica for the United Kingdom were approximately 2,000 in 1953, 8,000 in 1954 and 18,000 in 1955.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made with the Peasant Development Scheme in Antigua; and what has been the attitude of the sugar syndicate in that island towards this scheme.

There are 34 peasant settlements with a total area of 17,100 acres. Peasants are provided with facilities for obtaining loans, seeds, fertilisers, transport, mechanical cultivation, agricultural advice and direction. The creation of these peasant settlements has had a stabilising influence socially and economically, and has been supported by Antigua Syndicate Estates Limited, which, by sale and gift, has disposed of approximately one-quarter of its total land holding for peasant development.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the outcome of the discussions between the Governor of British Guiana and the political party leaders there in relation to his proposed constitution for a future election; and if Dr. Jagan was invited to take part in these discussions.

The Governor has discussed the constitutional proposals individually with all party leaders who have asked to see him. He hopes that the outcome has been a clearer understanding of our endeavour, by means of these proposals, to make progress towards a return to democratic institutions, while preventing the growth of a Communist one-party system. Dr. Jagan has not yet asked to see the Governor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made with the establishment of a broadcasting station in Gibraltar.

My right hon. Friend is still in correspondence with the Gibraltar Government on this subject and, in view of the difficulties raised by the Gibraltar Government's original proposal, he is considering whether it is possible to find some suitable alternative arrangement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Cypriots have emigrated from Cyprus during the past year; and to which countries.

The latest figures available relate to the period from January, 1955, to April, 1956. During this period of 16 months total emigration was 7,372. 5,743 emigrants came to this country, 1,247 went to Australia, 190 to other Commonwealth countries, 143 to the United States, one to Greece and 48 to other countries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will take the necessary action to enable Archbishop Makarios to visit this country and address an all-party meeting of both Houses of Parliament on the Cyprus problem.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the recent operations in the mountains of south-west Cyprus, including the number of casualties suffered and inflicted by the security forces, and of prisoners captured.

The operation consisted of an extensive sweep by security forces through the mountains and forests of the Troodos area, carried out by units of the Royal Marine commandos, the Army, the R.A.F. and the Cyprus police. It resulted in the capture of a complete E.O.K.A. gang and of quantities of weapons, ammunition, food, clothing, and documents. Other E.O.K.A. gangs in the area were seriously disrupted and Grivas, the terrorist leader, narrowly escaped capture.E.O.K.A. losses were seven men captured, including two leading terrorists. Among the security forces there were no casualties directly caused by E.O.K.A., but I regret that, as the House knows, 21 soldiers lost their lives and 16 were injured as a result of a disastrous forest fire.The security forces engaged in this operation displayed endurance and tenacity of a high order. The result has been a severe blow to E.O.K.A. and a substantial step towards the restoration of law and order in Cyprus.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will recommend a vigorous policy among the youth of Cyprus to interest them in pleasant pursuits; and discuss with our well-established youth organisations the possibility of active co-operation with the Governor to this end.

As I said in the debate on 14th May, I am not one of those who holds the view that the youth of Cyprus is lost irrevocably. Useful work in this field is already being done, with the encouragement of the Director of Welfare Services. I have always been very glad to take advantage of the help so readily made available by the principal voluntary organisations in this country, and I will certainly bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many children in Cyprus have been sentenced to whipping since the emergency; and what were the ages of the children concerned.

I am obtaining the information from the Governor and will publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the amount paid by the United Kingdom Government as rent for the Kenya Protectorate Coastal Strip leased from the Sultan of Zanzibar.

The Government of His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar receives an annuity of £10,000, which is paid by the Kenya Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the Kenya Government's policy for re-settling 11,000 landless Kikuyu families who have now returned to the Kikuyu reserves.

The Kenya Government are actively promoting reabsorption schemes in the Kikuyu Land Unit, such as the Mwea Tebere Irrigation project, and Forest Settlement and development schemes, while land consolidation is providing agricultural employment for an increasingly large number of the landless. There has also been encouraging progress in the return of Kikuyu to work on farms in the Rift Valley.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that during the first four months of this year new entries into prisons and detention camps in Kenya have been running at the rate of 800 per month; and under what regulations and for what offences these persons have been imprisoned or detained.

New detention orders under Emergency Regulation 2 (1) amounting to 1,386 in January, 967 in February, 628 in March and 247 in April were made, mainly in respect of convicts transferred from prisons to works camps for rehabilitation. During these four months the prison population was reduced by 1,246, and 7,600 detainees were released from detention and works camps.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement about the demonstration early in May by Africans at the village of Kapako in the Balovala district of Northern Rhodesia in which the District Commissioner was involved.

I am consulting the Acting Governor and, when I have his reply, I will circulate the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that under Northern Rhodesia Government Notice No. 55. 1956, it is not intended to grant exemption from those Mining Regulations which would involve a lowering of the standard of safety or an increase in mining hazards, he will take steps to alter Notice No. 55 accordingly.

Since I have been assured that no exemptions from compliance with the Mining Regulations mentioned by the hon. Member will be granted, I see no reason for the Notice to be amended.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement about the sentence of 18 months' hard labour passed by the resident-magistrate, Lusaka. Northern Rhodesia, on Private Daniel Libongonya, Northern Rhodesian Regiment, for assaulting two policemen, one of whom was a European; and, particularly, as regards the circumstances which led the Africans present to act in support of the accused against the police.

I am consulting the Acting Governor and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations have been made to the authorities in British Somaliland by the Somali tribe known as the Esa, who claim British protection, concerning a massacre of 189 men, 111 women and 118 children by an Ethiopian force last February; what investigations have been made into these representations; and what action has been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the visit to Hargeisa of a delegation of the Esa tribe from the former British Somaliland territory handed over to Ethiopia.

This morning I received a despatch from the Governor of Somaliland telling me that a delegation from the Esa tribe approached the Somaliland Government on 20th June and reported that last February the tribe had suffered a massacre at the hands of Ethiopian troops in Ethiopia, not in the territory known as the Reserved Area which was formerly under British administration. I am investigating this report and shall make a further statement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total number of administrative and other posts in Her Majesty's Oversea Civil Service unfilled at the present time.

The number of vacancies on the books of the Colonial Office was 1,486 on 31st May, 1956. 245 of these were in the Administrative Branch. The total figure includes contract posts for the filling of which I am responsible but which are not strictly speaking appointments in Her Majesty's Oversea Civil Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many members of the Colonial Civil Service in the Eastern Region of Nigeria have given notice of their intention to leave the service prior to their retiring age; and what proportion of the total this number represents.

Since the 1st October, 1954, 27 officers have given notice of their intention to retire; of these 18 have retired. This number represents about 10 per cent. of the pensionable oversea officers serving in the Region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number and acreage of native smallholdings producing tea in Malaya in the years 1930, 1938, 1950, and 1955.

The acreage of smallholdings in Malaya producing tea is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies his policy for the future of the smaller nonviable Dependencies, such as islands in the Pacific Ocean.

It is the aim of Her Majesty's Government to promote in every one of such territories the greatest possible economic and social advance and the fullest measure of self-government within the Commonwealth which is practicable in the particular local circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many permanent women civil servants of the administrative grade are in his Department.

Four.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Hides Improvement Service of North Nigeria is not under the Federal Department of Natural Resources.

It is the policy of the Federal and Northern Regional Governments to improve the quality of hides mainly through the field activities of the Veterinary Department of the Regional Government, of which this Service is an integral part.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the moorings for the boom defence vessels and nets at Scapa Flow are to be maintained, moved elsewhere as required or abandoned.

No moorings for boom defence vessels are laid at Scapa Flow. Boom defence equipment there will either be disposed of or used elsewhere.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the reason for increasing the charge for renting the swimming baths at the Royal Naval Baracks, Devonport, from 5s. per half hour to £1 per half hour for civilian swimming clubs.

I have called for a report from the local naval authorities and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take such action as will ensure that during the next six months there will be no increase in the costs of services supplied by his Department and thus assist in curbing the present inflationary spiral.

Yes, apart from those announced last April.

asked the Postmaster-General how many complaints about bad television reception have been reported to his Department in the Sheffield area this year; what is the cause of the trouble; and what is being done to improve reception of programmes.

810 complaints were received up to the middle of May. The trouble was generally due to electrical interference, most of which has been suppressed. Although Sheffield lies well within the normal range of the B.B.C.'s high power transmitter at Holme Moss, reception conditions in the area vary considerably because of the hilly nature of the country.

asked the Postmaster-General why more widespread publicity was not given to the increase in the printed paper rate which came into force on Friday, 1st June; how many packages were incorrectly stamped as a result; and if he will state the amount of money collected by the Post Office in excess postage.

As regards the first part of the Question I would refer to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr. Vaughan Morgan) on 13th June. The figures asked for in the second part could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Postmaster-General the cause of the breakdown in the telephone service which occurred in part of Wembley on 18th, 19th and 20th June.

This was due to corrosion of an underground cable. Completion of the repair was delayed because the cable manhole was flooded by an overflow of water from appliances attending a nearby fire.

asked the Postmaster-General how many times during the past year he has sent to Service men stationed in Cyprus asking them to affix a stamp on an enclosed form to cover the difference in postage on letters readdressed to them; and whether he will make a statement.

The hon. Member has written to me about a case in which extra postage was paid on a readdressed letter. This was an error and a refund is being made. I do not know of any other such case. I have written fully to the hon. Member about the general arrangements for dealing with under-paid correspondence for Service men in Cyprus.

asked the Postmaster-General why newspapers sent to Cyprus take four weeks to arrive; and whether he will make a statement.

Newspapers sent by airmail should normally reach Cyprus within three to four days of posting: by surface mail they take up to about three weeks. If the hon. Member will let me have details of any individual cases of delay I will gladly make inquiries.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will take steps to ensure that Post Office employees who object on grounds of conscience to Premium Bonds shall not be required to undertake duties in connection with their issue and sale and shall not be in any way prejudiced thereby.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which he received yesterday from my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the mail of Mrs. Lang is being delayed; and if he will state the reasons for this.

I am having inquiry made and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what action he proposes to redraft the regulations covering speed limits for light goods vans in order that the intentions of Parliament may be carried out.

If what my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind is that a goods vehicle which is subject to a speed limit when carrying goods shall be subject to the same speed limit when empty, provision to cover this point is contained in Clause 34 of the Road Traffic Bill at present before Parliament.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, in view of the protest made by the Chairman of the North Cotes Parish Council, a copy of which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Louth, if he will rescind the order just made stopping certain lengths of road and footpaths within the Royal Air Force Station, North Cotes, because this denies to the local inhabitants amenities they have enjoyed from time immemorial to reach the foreshore from the village.

Notice of the intention to make this Order has been given, but the Order is not yet made and is not now required to come into effect before the end of September. I appreciate the objections of the parish council and I am consulting my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air with a view to arranging in co-operation with those concerned locally alternative access to the foreshore.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the damage caused to property at Taff Mead Embankment, Cardiff, due to the diversion of public service vehicles through this road; and whether he will make a statement.

This diversion was authorised by the licensing authority in respect of whose decisions I can intervene only on appeal and there was no appeal in this case. I understand that neither the licensing authority nor the Cardiff City Corporation has heard of any complaint.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has now reached a decision as to the provision of a fly-over for north-south traffic over the northern embankment in connection with the reconstruction of the Albert Bridge.

I am afraid I cannot add to the Answer given to the hon. Member by my predecessor on 4th May, 1955.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what arrangements have been made for an air station in Central London for the operation of helicopters now that the regular services to the South Bank have been discontinued.

I am glad to say that I have had the agreement of the London County Council to the continued use of the South Bank site for helicopter landings, so long as the site is free from obstruction, probably until the end of this year. My Department will require adequate prior notice of intending flights to enable the air station to be properly manned.

asked the Minister of Defence to what extent radio-active fall-out results from those nuclear test explosions which cannot be detected.

As I indicated to the right hon. and learned Gentleman on 18th June. I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 28th February to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Warbey).

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is now prepared to allow newspapers and periodicals to be sent at concessionary rates to Service men stationed in Cyprus.

Postal concessions for the forces overseas are already costing nearly £1¼ million a year and I would not feel justified in present circumstances in adding to this cost by reducing the postal charges made for newspapers and periodicals.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will give an estimate of the cost of the granting a 75 per cent. reduction in mail charges on newspapers and periodicals sent to Service men stationed in Cyprus.

A 75 per cent. reduction in mail charges on newspapers and periodicals sent to Service men in Cyprus would cost £14,000 a year. But a reduction of this kind would have to be extended to newspapers and periodicals sent to Service men elsewhere abroad and the total annual cost would be of the order of £150,000.

asked the Minister of Defence if he is aware of the hardship caused to parents of soldiers serving abroad because of the high charges for sending parcels by air which amount to 16s. 6d. for 3 lb. to Cyprus and that there is no registration system to this island; and if he will take steps to reduce substantially the charges for parcels sent to serving soldiers abroad.

Parcels for Cyprus may be sent by surface mail at very cheap rates. A 3 lb. parcel for a Service man costs 1s. 3d. or less than one-fifth of the rate for a parcel of the same weight sent to a civilian by the overland route now in use. There are comparable reductions for heavier parcels. Parcels sent by surface mail should normally arrive in about three weeks, and, although they cannot be registered, they may be insured. A fee of 8d. provides cover up to £12.On the general question of concessionary rates, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. G. Thomas).

asked the Minister of Supply how far the nuclear tests carried out, and to be carried out, under British auspices were and will be directed to the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes; and what practical discoveries have resulted from those tests already held.

Experimental nuclear explosions are a necessary stage in the development of weapons and are not directed to peaceful purposes. With regard to the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal to the hon. Member for Barnsley (Mr. Mason) on 20th June.

asked the Minister of Supply what guided missiles now designed and constructed in the United States of America will henceforth be made in this country.

We keep in close touch with American development, but we have not yet arranged to produce any of their complete weapons over here.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that rabbits are reappearing in almost every part of Kent; and what steps he is taking to deal with the situation.

Yes. My county executive committee has sent a note to all occupiers of land in the county strongly urging them to take action before it is too late, and reminding them that the Pests Act, 1954, places a continuing obligation on them to deal with wild rabbits on their land. The county pests staff, with the help of district committees, are systematically surveying the county and advising occupiers on the measures to be taken.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an assurance that he will take such action as may be deemed necessary to ensure that there will be no increase in the costs of services supplied or controlled by his Department during the next six months, and thus assist in curbing the inflationary spiral.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 25th June by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Supply.