asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will restore to the employees of the National Forestry Commission the privilege of killing foxes and receiving a bonus for proof of death.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 25th June to a Question by the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Hayman).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the present arrangements for annual and special Price Reviews for agriculture; and if he will make a statement.

The White Paper on this year's Annual Review stated that the Government would consider the possibility of providing more effective long-term assurances of support for agriculture than are afforded under present arrangements. Discussions on this have now started between representatives of the Government and the three farmers' unions. Associated with these discussions will be the examination of the whole basis and procedures for special reviews of which the Government gave notice when agreeing to a special review last February.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the number of allotments in cultivation this year compares approximately with the numbers in 1938, 1946 and 1951.

On 30th September, 1955, the latest date for which there are statistics, there were 925,651 allotments as compared with 1,022,191 in 1951 and 781,652 in 1938. No figures are available for 1946.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of his coming visits to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Commonwealth of Australia, he will also visit the Republic of Eire after the visit of Mr. Nehru to Dublin.

I have no such project in mind at the present time.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the failure to secure agreement at the recent meetings of the United Nations Disarmament Commission, he will now make direct proposals to President Eisenhower and Marshal Bulganin for the limitation and eventual abolition of hydrogen bomb tests.

As regards limitation of nuclear test explosions, I have already stated that, if progress cannot be made in the context of the disarmament discussions, I do not exclude other methods of discussing this question with those concerned. I have this under consideration.The banning of nuclear test explosions is another question. The statement of the Soviet Foreign Minister, which has not been formally communicated to us, is being studied. But a ban on tests does not mean that stockpiles of nuclear weapons necessarily cease to exist or to increase. It offers no safeguard against one country acquiring or maintaining an advantage over another. It would be wrong to delude public opinion on this point. This is why we took the initiative, with the French Government, in tabling the comprehensive Anglo-French Disarmament plan. It remains our view that the prohibition of nuclear tests should be linked with prohibition of the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

asked the Prime Minister what are the duties of the Commissioners of Crown Lands; and where they are set out.

The Commissioners of Crown Lands are appointed for the purposes of the Crown Lands Acts, but their general duties are not prescribed by statute. In their management of the Crown Estate they are responsible to the Sovereign for its capital value and to Parliament for the annual income accruing. In exercising their functions, they pay full regard to the obligations normally expected of a good landlord. The relevant provisions of the Crown Lands Acts are summarised in Appendix E of the Report of the Committee on Crown Lands.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will enlarge the terms of reference to the Committee on Administrative Tribunals and Enquiries to include Disciplinary Committees of Agricultural Marketing Schemes set up under the Agricultural Marketing Acts, 1931 to 1949.

No.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will take steps to make it permissible for applicants for deferment from military service to have legal representation before hardship tribunals.

No. The existing rules have worked well for many years and I can see no justification for altering them.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he has considered the system prevalent in the United States of America of employers' supplementary payments to work people dismissed from employment, details of which are in his possession; and whether he will bring this method to the notice of employers' organisations through the National Joint Advisory Council.

I am aware of the collective agreements concluded in 1955 by trade unions in the United States with various employers, including the three big motor corporations, and known as the Supplementary Unemployment Payments Plan, and so also are the British Employers' Confederation and the Trades Union Congress who are represented on the National Joint Advisory Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the required strength of the Metropolitan Police force; the present strength; and how many Metropolitan policemen are engaged on duties concerned with road traffic.

As regards the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 28th June to a Question by the hon. Member for Rossendale (Mr. Anthony Greenwood); and as regards the last part, I would refer him to the reply which I gave on 26th April to a Question by the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery). The strength of the Metropolitan Police on 30th June was 15,684 men and 507 women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how far below establishment strength are the police forces of the Lancashire county and the borough of Bolton.

The authorised establishment of the Lancashire county police force is 2,871 men and 94 women. On 30th June there was a deficiency of 167 men and 27 women. The authorised establishment of the Bolton borough police force is 255 men and nine women. On 30th June there was a deficiency of 19 men.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recruits are needed, both men and women, to bring the police force in Staffordshire up to the number it is considered necessary by the chief constable for efficient policing in that county.

The authorised establishment of the Staffordshire county police force is 1,135 men and 75 women. The deficiency in strength on 30th June was 84 men and 20 women. The question whether an increase in the authorised establishment is desirable is in the first instance a matter for the Standing Joint Committee, who have not submitted to me any proposals for an increase.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much extra it would cost to backdate police pay to 8th September, 1955, in accordance with the award of the arbitrators.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 5th July to a Question by the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. G. Thomas).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now reached a decision on the steps necessary to amend the Police Act, 1919, so as to enable retrospective pay awards to be implemented in all cases in future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the local authorities have declared themselves in favour of retrospective pay for the police force; and why he is unable to introduce legislation to make this possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in his consideration of the legal position in respect of the award of the Police Arbitration Tribunal of 31st May, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, when he has explored the possibility of amending legislation in connection with police pay awards, he will give further consideration to coverage for the recent award.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration he has now given to the problem of implementing the award of the Independent Police Arbitration Tribunal; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Members to the statement which I made on 12th July, to which I cannot add anything at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date in 1953 promises were made to the Police Federation to remedy the defects of the Police Act, 1919, which is said to prevent back pay being made to certain sections of the police force.

At a meeting of the statutory Police Council on 5th November, 1952, at which a number of questions relating to the setting up of new negotiating machinery were discussed, my predecessor (Sir David Maxwell Fyfe as he then was) said that one of the matters for which he thought that provision should be made in the legislation setting up the new machinery was to allow agreements or awards on police pay to be given retrospective effect in suitable cases. No undertaking was given to introduce legislation dealing with this point alone. It has not yet been found possible to introduce legislation relating to negotiating machinery generally and the Police Council for Great Britain has functioned on a voluntary basis.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he will now introduce legislation which, while retaining the death penalty, will amend the law in certain respects and modify the procedure connected with the passing of the death sentence;(2) whether he will consider the introduction of the Scottish law relating to murder in England and Wales.

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in reply to the hon. Member for Nelson and Colne (Mr. S. Silverman) on 17th July, the Government are considering the whole question of capital punishment. I would ask the hon. Lady to await the statement which my right hon. Friend proposes to make before the end of the Session.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet considered the petition to him in the case of Terence George Mercer; and whether he will now make a statement.

I have carefully considered this petition, and I share the regret at the disaster which this young man has brought upon himself. Nevertheless perjury by a policeman in whatever circumstances is an offence of which the most serious view must be taken, and I can find no ground for interfering with the sentence which the judge in the knowledge of all the facts thought it right to impose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce amending legislation relating to the licensing of clubs.

I regret that I can hold out no prospect of legislation on this highly controversial subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a survey of the work of the probation service.Major Lloyd-George: The work of this important service is under constant survey by my Department, which has the help of the Probation Advisory and Training Board and the advice of universities and other specialised training organisations on policy and practice relating to the training of probation officers.In addition, various aspects of the work of the probation service have been recently or are likely to be the subject of recommendations by bodies appointed to inquire into matters with which the service is concerned. On the information at present before me, I do not consider that there is need for a general review, but I shall be glad to consider any matters which the hon. Member may wish to bring to my notice in this connection.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the increase in crimes of violence, he will introduce legislation to permit flogging as punishment in suitable cases.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkdale (Mr. N. Pannell) on 26th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the total number of successful prosecutions for female soliciting in the Metropolitan Police area for each of the following years: 1900, 1905, 1910, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1950, and 1955.

I regret that the figures for convictions are not available for the years 1935–1950. For this period the figures for arrests are given instead. The figures relate to prostitutes dealt with for soliciting to the annoyance of the inhabitants or passengers or behaving in a riotous or indecent manner, and are as follows:

asked the Minister of Education what progress has now been made with the project to build a new Roman Catholic school in Wolstanton in the excepted district of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

This school has now been approved and work can begin as soon as the promoters are ready.

asked the Minister of Education when the present scale regulating the fees to be paid by parents who sent their children to direct grant schools was established; what the income of a one-child family was required to be in 1946 when a fee of £2 per annum had to be paid; how much was this weekly sum above the workers' average industrial earnings of 120s. 9d. per week in 1946; how many parents were paying fees that year; and how many are paying fees now in Northumberland.

The income scale for the parents of the holders of residuary places in direct grant schools was introduced in 1945. In 1946 a fee of £2 per year was payable in respect of a family with one child whose income was between £7 10s. and £8 a week, or from 29s. 3d.–39s. 3d. above the figure of 120s. 9d. a week. I have no information which would enable me to answer the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Education what the parent of a one-child family has to earn now when sending his child to a direct grant school, if he be charged an annual fee of £2, £6, or £10; and how much in each case the parent's earnings will be below the average earnings of industrial workers of 222s. 11d. per week.

He would have to earn from £7 10s. a week to pay annual fees of £2, over £9 a week to pay £6 and over £10 a week to pay £10. These figures are respectively 72s. 11d., 42s. 11d. and 22s. 11d. less than 222s. 11d.

asked the Minister of Education what he estimates to be the increased fee payable today at a direct grant school for a one-child family who paid £2 per annum in 1946, where the father's wages have increased by 60 per cent. to correspond with the increase in the cost of living and on the basis that his only child at home was, and is, in the direct grant school.

An increase of 60 per cent. on an income in 1946 of £7 10s. to £8 a week (£390–£416 a year), on which a parent would in 1946 have paid an annual fee of £2, would bring the income to, approximately £624–£650 a year, on which he would be liable to pay an annual fee of about £20.

asked the Minister of Education what is the estimated shortage of science teachers; how many students he estimates are undergoing training for the teaching of science; when he estimates that the supply will catch up with the demand both in the teaching profession and industry; and what special steps he is now taking to encourage young people to take up this special training.

This topic is discussed in Chapter II of my Department's Report for 1955. I cannot say how soon the supply of science teachers will match the demand. Between 600 and 700 graduates in science and mathematics are preparing for teaching at university departments of education, and some 500 other graduates in these subjects are likely to enter the schools this autumn. Two hundred and fifteen students have enrolled for third-year courses in science and mathematics at training college, compared with 59 a year ago. The new salary scales for teachers should have a stimulating effect on recruitment.

asked the Minister of Education the number of nursery places created within the last twelve months; and how many are planned for the forthcoming year.

One nursery school providing 80 places has been opened within the last twelve months. I do not expect local education authorities to plan any new nursery school places in the forthcoming year.

asked the Minister of Education how far, before the decision was taken to raise the cost of school meals, the National Food Survey Committee's Reports concerning school children were considered; and if he will make a statement as to the cost per family of three, per week.

My right hon. Friend was aware of the findings in the annual Reports of the National Food Survey Committee. Next September the full weekly charge for three children taking the school dinner will rise from 11s. 3d. to 12s. 6d.; but local education authorities remit the standard charge to avoid financial hardship in accordance with income scales which take account of the number of children in the family.

asked the Minister of Education what programme he has now prepared for building secondary modern schools in Norfolk in order to complete the reorganisation of education.

Eight new secondary schools for rural reorganisation are now being built in Norfolk, and three more are due to be started next summer. The authority know that I cannot add any projects to their programme for this purpose under paragraph 4 of Circular 306, nor can I yet say how soon further projects can be started.

asked the Minister of Education what provision for secondary modern education he intends to make for the senior children in Bintree, Bawdeswell and Sparham, pending the building of a new secondary school in the Reepham area.

These children will continue to attend their present schools for the time being.

asked the Minister of Education how many school projects in Staffordshire which were included in the 1955–56 building programme have not yet been started; and what are their names.

Five. They are the Chesterton Secondary Modern School and the Wolstanton Roman Catholic School in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the Quicksands Secondary Modern School in Aldridge and the secondary modern school in Warslow and Rocester.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the existence of a price ring fixing the price of cricket balls; and if he will refer this matter to the Monopolies Commission.

Such a price ring would come within the scope of the Restrictive Trade Practices Bill and would not therefore be suitable for reference to the Monopolies Commission.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will indicate the trends and conclusions which have emerged from his inquiries into the intentions of industrialists over investment.

As announced in the Board of Trade Journal for 7th July, forecasts of fixed capital expenditure during 1956 show that industrialists expect to invest 20 per cent. more than in 1955. Preliminary estimates of capital expenditure during 1957 are now being received, but sufficient information is not yet available to enable me to make an estimate of what industrialists expect to invest next year. I will publish this estimate as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Works what offers he has had to buy the grain silo at Rugby.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 16th July.

asked the Minister of Health how many children under one year of age died from accidental suffocation in the home during the last year; in how many the cause of death was choking; and in how many smothering, through turning over in bed or cot.

There were 410 such deaths in 1954; of these, 234 were assigned to choking and 176 to accidental suffocation in bed or cradle. Of the latter it is not possible to say how many died through turning over.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the basic retail price, without Purchase Tax, of two types of two-seater three-wheeler petrol-driven cars is less than the basic retail prices, without Purchase Tax, of at least two single-seater invalid carriages, namely, No. 52 and No. 55, supplied by his Department; and what consideration has been given to the advantages of providing two-seater vehicles in future for disabled people, in view of this fact.

Yes, but the two-seaters now on the market are not designed for use by disabled persons. I am reviewing this matter at the present time.

asked the Minister of Defence to publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the male recruiting by engagements for the periods April to June, 1955, and 1956, in the same form as set out in Parts A and B of his periodical return entitled "Quarterly Armed Forces Recruiting, Prolongations of Service and Structure by Length of Engagement (Other Ranks only)."

Yes. I hope to be able to make the figures available in the course of next week.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authorities have responded to his appeal to appoint road safety committees.

I asked all town and county councils on 11th May to take part in road safety propaganda and education; and on 16th July to assist with the autumn campaign for child safety. I understand that there are now 66 road safety committees in existence, of which one has been formed since the May circular.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what gross tonnage of new merchant ships was completed in shipyards on the North-East Coast in the first half of 1956; and how this compares with the first half of 1955.

In the first half of 1956 about 310,000 gross tons of merchant ships were completed in shipyards on the North-East Coast as compared with about 241,000 gross tons in the comparable period of last year.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what gross tonnage of new merchant ships was completed in British shipyards in the first half of 1956; and how this compares with the first half of 1955.

In the first half of 1956, about 804,000 gross tons of merchant ships were completed in British shipyards as compared with about 660,000 gross tons in the comparable period of last year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if, in the mutual interests of householders and those whose duty it is to deal with appeals against the new assessments, he will state in simple terms the basis of assessment of dwelling-houses in order to assist in the submission of reasonable proposals.

Generally, the gross value of a dwelling-house is its 1939 letting value, but there are various qualifications which are set out in Section 2 of the Valuation for Rating Act, 1953, and it would not be desirable for me to attempt to paraphrase the Statute. Anyone who is in doubt about his position may find it helpful to consult the valuation officer in his area.