asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to receive the Report from the Committee of Inquiry into Inland Waterways.

:I cannot add anything at present to the Answer I gave the hon. Member on 3rd July.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will ban the use of motor horns in London.

:As my hon. Friend will be aware, motor horns may not be used in built-up areas by a stationary vehicle at any time or by any vehicle at night. I see no reason to extend the present prohibitions.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many alternative plans for easing traffic at Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner are now being considered; when consideration of these plans started; and when a decision is likely to be made and implemented.

:To get the best solution of the traffic problem at these points and at the same time do the least harm to amenity has entailed consideration of all the possible traffic engineering methods, and that is why the matter has been under active consideration since the beginning of last year. I cannot say yet when I shall be able to announce a final decision, but it will be as soon as possible in view of the importance I attach to the need for improving traffic conditions.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what proposals there are for by-passing Baldock on A1; and how soon they will be implemented.

:A by-pass of Baldock is contained in the Hertfordshire development plan which is being considered by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government. I cannot say when the by-pass will be built.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether his attention has been drawn to the dangerous nature of the section known as the Pescodlyn bends, on the Brecon-Abergavenny trunk road; and what plans he has for immediate improvements to avoid further accidents.

:I have authorised the use of a special sign warning motorists of the bends. I hope later on to widen and re-align the road, but I cannot yet say when this work can be put in hand.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many road casualties were reported in Brentford and Chiswick during the six months ended 30th June; how many of these were fatal; and how these totals compare with those during the similar periods in 1954 and 1955.

:The figures are as follows:

ROAD CASUALTIES IN BRENTFORD AND CHISWICK
—	Number of casualties
	Killed	Injured	Total
1956—(January-June)	2	210	212
1955—(January-June)	1	228	229
1954—(January-June)	3	196	199

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the area and cost of the land purchased for the fly-over at Burlington Road on the Kingston Bypass the cost of which is estimated at £300,000.

:I am considering the future layouts for the junctions of Burlington Road and Merton Spur with the Kingston By-pass, but I cannot yet say what land will be required or what its cost will be. The only land at present acquired is about 4 acres in extent at the Merton Spur junction, which was bought many years ago at a cost of £11,000.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will state the area and cost of the land purchased for the purpose of the Black-wall Tunnel, North Approach Road, underpass at East India Dock Road, which comprehensive scheme is estimated to cost £1,640,000.

:I am informed by the London County Council that of the land required for the whole scheme, including the underpass, about 4½ acres have so far been purchased at a cost of £95,000.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) the approximate value of wreck delivered by receivers of wreck in England and Wales to owners of such wreck during each of the past fifteen years, respectively;(2) the approximate value of wreck delivered by receivers of wreck in England and Wales to the persons entitled to receive such wreck as set out in Section 525 (1) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, during each of the past fifteen years, respectively.

:I regret that this information, which in any event is not available for the years before 1944–45, could only be assembled by an undue expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number of persons who have delivered to receivers of wreck in England and Wales statements containing particulars of title and an address to which notices may be sent as required by Section 524 (1) of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894.

:376 persons whose claims have been admitted. No record is kept of the number of persons whose claims were not substantiated.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the approximate value of wreck taken into the possession of receivers of wreck in England and Wales during each of the past fifteen years, respectively.

:For the fifteen years 1939–40 to 1953–54 the figures are as follows:

Year.				Approximate value of Wreck.
				£
1939–40	…	…	…	23,445
1940–41	…	…	…	17,319
1941–42	…	…	…	21,679
1942–43	…	…	…	22,620
1943–44	…	…	…	12,920
1944–45	…	…	…	16,130
1945–46	…	…	…	12,988
1946–47	…	…	…	20,051
1947–48	…	…	…	21,796
1948–49	…	…	…	10,406
1949–50	…	…	…	20,220
1950–51	…	…	…	6,710
1951–52	…	…	…	21,339
1952–53	…	…	…	14,030
1953–54	…	…	…	64,367

These figures do not include the value of property returned to owners, the value of Government property salvaged, the full value of wreck sold to salvors free of salvage award or the value of wreck abandoned to salvors in lieu of salvage. The year 1953–54 is the latest complete year for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what representations he has received since the beginning of this year from associations of railway superannuitants about the financial hardships of their members; and what action he will take.

:I have received representations from various organisations on behalf of railway superannuitants. Some of these representations were met by the new scheme of pension supplements which the British Transport Commission introduced in April last. Representations received since that date have been mostly concerned with the limitations of the new scheme, and particularly with the fact that persons entitled to National Insurance pension from voluntary contributions do not benefit. The Commission are fully aware of these representations.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many aircraft, other than those owned by the nationalised corporations, were registered in each year from 1950 to 1955.

:The numbers of aircraft, other than those owned by the nationalised corporations, registered in each year from 1950 to 1955 are:

Year	First registrations (new aircraft and aircraft not previously registered in the U.K.)	Re-registrations (including aircraft reregistered on change of ownership)	Total
1950 (Sept-Dec.)*	80	143	223
1951	170	499	669
1952	194	394	588
1953	307	402	709
1954	249	390	639
1955	172	424	596
* Figures for 1950 earlier than September are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he has taken on the Report of the Principal Auditor on the departmental accounts of the Seychelles for the year 1954, with particular reference to those parts of his Report dealing with the inadequate maintenance of books, records, and accounts and the erroneous assessment of customs duties.

:I have asked the Governor for his observations on the Principal Auditor's Report. When his reply is received I will write to the hon. Member about those matters to which he has drawn attention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state for the last five years, in respect of the Seychelles, the amounts of expenditure in excess of the Estimates; and in how many cases expenditure requiring his prior approval was undertaken when his approval had not yet been given.

:The gross expenditure in excess of amounts provided under separate heads of the Colony Estimates was in

					£
1951	…	…	…	…	71,165
1952	…	…	…	…	91,626
1953	…	…	…	…	29,484
1954	…	…	…	…	22,633
1955	…	…	…	…	42,131

Under-expenditure of the amounts provided under separate heads during the same period totalled:

					£
1951	…	…	…	…	10,524
1952	…	…	…	…	23,758
1953	…	…	…	…	17,059
1954	…	…	…	…	20,904
1955	…	…	…	…	12,062

The figures for 1955 are subject to audit.In reply to the second part of the Question the Governor has power to approve additional expenditure of up to £375 (Rs.5,000) on any subhead. He also has discretion when the matter is urgent to approve expenditure of over £375 on any individual sub-head without seeking my prior approval which would otherwise be required. No case can be traced of any improper exercise of that discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the language used in the schools of the Seychelles Colony was changed from English to French; and for what reason.

:There has been no change. English is the official medium of instruction in all schools in Seychelles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the progress of the economic discussions with the Malta Government.

:I am at present in consultation with the Maltese Government about the terms of reference of the Commission suggested in my statement of 29th June, and I shall shortly be making proposals to them regarding its membership.If I am in a position to do so, I shall inform the House before it rises of the final arrangements made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made concerning the new Constitution for Malta; what parties, other than the Maltese Government, are being consulted; and whether he will give an assurance that the present system of proportional representation for Maltese elections will not be abandoned without the agreement of the Maltese Opposition.

:On the first part of the Question, preliminary work on the new Constitution is going forward in the Colonial Office, but the stage has not yet been reached for consultation. As regards the second part of the Question I would invite my hon. Friend's attention to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Brigg (Mr. E. L. Mallalieu) on 2nd May, 1956, to which I have nothing to add at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what recommendations he has made concerning the appointment of a commission to examine the grievances of the Maltese doctors against the Maltese Government; and what is the present position.

:In accordance with the agreement reached between the Maltese Government and the Medical Officers Union in Malta, the membership of the proposed Commission has to be approved by both parties. I was asked to recommend an independent Chairman, which I have done. I have no doubt that, as soon as they have reached agreement, the two parties concerned will announce the composition of the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what he is doing to implement the recommendation of the East Africa Royal Commission that a medical commission should be sent out to make recommendations as to the control of endemic and epidemic disease and preventive medicine generally.

:A Committee, under the chairmanship of Professor Frazer of Birmingham University, has investigated the medical and health services in Uganda and its Report will shortly be debated in the Uganda Legislative Council. The Governments of Kenya and Tanganyika see no present need for a visit by an expert body. In Tanganyika a draft plan for the development of the medical services over the period 1956–61 is now before the Legislative Council. I share the view of the East African Governments that in these circumstances the recommendation referred to need not be followed up.I take this opportunity of informing the House that two White Papers on the Royal Commission Report will be available in the Vote Office at 4.0 p.m. today. One contains the despatches from the Governors and the Administrator, and the other a commentary on those despatches, which are the result of exhaustive examination of the Report in East Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to determine the cause of death in those who die in prison and concentration camps in Kenya.

:I deprecate the term "concentration camps". Inquiries into the causes of death of persons in prisons and detention camps is obligatory under Kenya legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he proposes to take, in view of further representations made about the disquiet regarding administration in Kenya to allow an impartial investigation to be made by judicial or representative persons from this country.

:I do not consider that any of the representations which I have received and am considering warrant an investigation of the kind proposed by the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has now given consideration to a memorandum dated 8th June, 1956, submitted by British subjects of all races domiciled and resident in the settlement of Malacca; and whether he will make a statement.

:The memorandum was not submitted to me but to the Constitutional Commission, which is at present examining constitutional arrangements throughout the Federation of Malaya. It would not therefore be proper for me to comment on its contents, to which I have no doubt the Commission will give full consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will break down the figures shown for the Malayan area in table 22 paragraph 522 of Command Paper No. 9769 so as to show the respective sterling balances lying to the credit of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore, respectively, at the end of 1955.

:I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Fenner Brockway) on 18th July. When the information promised then is assembled, I will send a copy to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many women are imprisoned in Cyprus without charge or trial; and what accommodation has been provided for them.

:Two women are detained under the Detention of Persons Law. The women's section of the Central Prison in which they are accommodated has been cleared of prisoners for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what control the Government of Cyprus has over the radio station in the island run by the Near East Association Limited; how far the terms of its licence grant to the Government of Cyprus any control over the nature of its broadcasts; and to what extent material authorised by the Government must be transmitted from this station.

:Under the terms of the licence granted by the Government of Cyprus to the radio station of the Near East Association Limited, the Governor has the power to determine the licence at any time by one month's notice in writing. The licence also gives powers to inspect the station and to take the station over in an emergency.The licence does not require the station to broadcast material authorised by the Cyprus Government; its programmes are exclusively in Arabic and are all directed outside Cyprus itself.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what wavelength the commercial station in Cyprus, run by the Near East Association Limited, operates; and when the licence was granted.

:The Station to which my right hon. Friend refers operates on the following wavelengths:

Medium-wave	…	…	470·2 ms.
Short-wave	…	…	49·02 ms.
			25·6 ms.
			44·18 ms.
			31·09 ms.
			48·62 ms.

The station has been licensed by the Cyprus Government since 1948. The most recent licence was granted on 25th May, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further progress he has made in the payment of compensation to the owners of orange trees felled by security forces in the Famagusta area.

:Offers have now been made to all the owners concerned and payment is being made on demand to those who have accepted. An Arbitration Board is being set up under the relevant Emergency Regulation to hear the outstanding claims.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will estimate the approximate gross annual cost to the Treasury of government in Cyprus at the current level of expenditure including the payment and equipment of British Forces stationed in the island.

:I regret that this information is not readily available. I am having an estimate prepared and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what information he now has as to the numerical strength of the organised terrorist forces engaged in Cyprus; over how wide an area they are operating; and if it is known whether they are centrally organised and directed throughout the island.

:My information is that the hard-core terrorists are relatively few in number. They have active supporters in the towns, who are mainly youths inflamed with nationalist ideas by their teachers and their priests. In rural areas there are small numbers of supporters in the villages who are stirred to action from time to time. The hard-core of terrorism operates mainly in mountainous areas but the pattern of terrorist activity throughout the Island is centrally controlled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decision has been reached regarding direct voting, or a common roll throughout Uganda in next year's elections for the Legislative Council.

:No decisions have been taken beyond those outlined in the Governor's statement of the 24th April of which there are copies in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what facilities are available for blood transfusion services in the Lagos area of Nigeria;(2) what vacancies exist at present for blood transfusion officers in the Lagos area of Nigeria.

:There is a small blood bank at the Lagos General Hospital and there are facilities for direct blood transmission from a Red Cross panel of donors.On the assumption that the present blood transfusion officer does not resume his duties, there will be a vacancy for one officer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give further particulars in respect of the difficulties existing between the Governor and the Premier of the Eastern Region of Nigeria.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the disturbances in Nigeria and the Cameroons indicating the causes and steps now being taken to resolve the differences and conflict of view between the Governor and Dr. Azikiwe.

:I have nothing to add to my statement of yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the results of the Gold Coast elections, if he will make a statement in respect of future constitutional development.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many seats were won in Ashanti by the Convention People's Party; and whether, in view of the overall election results in the Gold Coast giving 71 seats of 104 to that party, he is now able to give the date upon which the Gold Coast may achieve independence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now name a date for granting independence to the Gold Coast.

:As I made clear in my statement on 11th May, the next stage, following on the General Election in the Gold Coast, is that the newly elected Legislature should debate a motion calling for independence within the Commonwealth. I understand that the new Legislative Assembly will meet on 30th July.The Convention People's Party won eight out of twenty-one seats in Ashanti.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in view of the rapid resurgence of the peoples of the Colonies and the growing disquiet arising out of this urge for self-government, he will convene a conference of representatives of all our Colonies for the purpose of discussing with them their various needs and the possibility of a more rapid development towards self-government at an early date.

:No. I do not consider that such a conference would serve a useful purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what grounds Isaac Jere was deposed as Chief Tereka in the Fort Jameson district of Northern Rhodesia; and why the head of his family, Paramount Chief Mpeseni, was threatened with deposition.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why no Africans have been appointed to the committee set up to inquire into the problems created by the unauthorised occupation of Crown Land in Northern Rhodesia under General Notice 815 of 1956; and when the findings of the committee will be published.

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

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what directions he has given under Section 5 of the Northern Rhodesia (Crown Lands and Native Reserves) Order in Council regarding the disposal of Crown Lands to Africans.

:None. There is no legal division of Crown Land between Africans and Europeans and no legal obstacles to African ownership of Crown Land. The issue of any special directions by me is therefore unnecessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent it is planned to use earth-moving equipment for contour ridging and other heavy work in the resettlement of Africans displaced as a result of the Kariba scheme; and what attempt is being made to ensure the provision of technical personnel in connection with the resettlement of Africans displaced by the Kariba scheme.

:Earth moving equipment will be used to whatever extent proves necessary.Every possible effort is being made to recruit technical personnel both in the United Kingdom and locally. In addition, technical staff are being transferred to the Kariba area from other parts of Northern Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government relating to the constitutional future of Togoland.

:The Trusteeship Council is at present discussing the affairs of the Trust Territory including its constitutional future.Her Majesty's Government have conveyed to the Council their view that the results of the plebiscite held on 9th May indicate a clear majority in the Trust Territory as a whole in favour of the union of that territory with an independent Gold Coast.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is his policy about methods of escaping from submarines.

:The methods of escape from sunken submarines have been reconsidered in the light of the most recent progress. A method has now been developed by which men trapped in a sunken submarine can escape in rapid succession in immersion suits by floating to the surface through canvas trunks which extend down into the submarine from escape hatches. A system for providing purified air to the men before they escape is built into the submarine.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what other duties are performed by the officer holding the post of Flag Officer, Royal Yachts; and what vessels, other than Her Majesty's Yacht "Britannia", are included in the Royal Yacht Service.

:The Officer has no duties other than those connected with his full-time appointment of Flag Officer Royal Yachts. Her Majesty's Yacht "Britannia" is the only vessel manned by the Royal Yacht Service.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty the reasons for the delay in replying to a request contained in a letter from the hon. Member for South Antrim, dated 2nd July, that the period of leave of a certain rating, of whom particulars have been supplied, should start before the due date of 30th July in order that his marriage might take place on 28th July; and if he will now grant the request.

:I have already written to my hon. Friend explaining why this request cannot be granted. To enable the request to be properly considered, it was necessary to obtain a report from the man's commanding officer, and there was no undue delay either on the part of the commanding officer or within the Admiralty.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty to what extent the proposed economies in Her Majesty's Dockyards will affect the mumbers of industrial workers in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport.

:So far as my noble Friend can say at present, the reductions in naval expenditure recently announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer are not likely to involve any discharges of industrial workers in Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will make a statement on the future of the Rosyth Dockyard.

:So long as naval commitments remain substantially as at present, no change in the functions of Rosyth Dockyard can be foreseen.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress has been made towards a more up-to-date and efficient telephone service, which will enable a large number of potential subscribers to obtain telephone facilities in the City of Bradford with particular reference to the Low Moor district.

I am anxious to extend the telephone service in Bradford, as elsewhere, and we are engaged on a big programme of development. This includes a new automatic exchange at Low Moor, where installation of the new equipment has started; the equipment at three exchanges in Bradford has recently been extended, and extensions of the equipment at three others will be completed next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many of the 98 officers of the rank of air vice-marshal and upwards are serving with Royal Air Force units abroad; how many are on active duties at home stations; how many are in diplomatic posts; and how many are otherwise employed.

:Seventy-six are in R.A.F. posts at home, including eight with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Supply; sixteen are with R.A.F. commands overseas; one is with the British Joint Services Mission in Washington; and five hold appointments either with N.A.T.O. or with Dominion Air Forces.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many of the 98 officers of the rank of air vice-marshal and upwards are in flying practice on jet aircraft.

:Twenty of these officers belong to the ground branches. Of the remainder, over half fly jet aircraft. Most officers of these ranks who are fit for full flying duties are in flying practice on either jet or piston-engined aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what basic training in the handling and use of rifle and Sten, Bren gun and revolver, is given to Royal Air Force National Service men before they enter a zone of active service operations.

:All airmen are given instruction on the rifle and the Bren light machine gun during recruit training. This includes practice on the firing range. Continuation training, and further range practice, with both weapons is given annually. Airmen who are armed with a Sten Machine Carbine or a pistol are given extra training on these weapons.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will state the future policy for the basing of United States air forces in this country in view of the fact that the Royal Air Force is now armed with aircraft capable of performing the same rôle as United States aircraft operating from Britain.

:The existing policy will continue so long as is necessary in the interests of world peace and security.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what trainer aircraft it is intended should be ordered to succeed the Provost; and when the order will be placed.

:This matter is still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many Britannia aircraft he proposes to order for Transport Command; and when the order will be placed.

:Ten Britannias have already been ordered for Transport Command. I cannot yet give an answer to the last part of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal with the problem of prostitution in Dagenham.

The Commissioner of Police tells me that special police patrols have been posted to the area in which soliciting has taken place and that there has recently been a marked improvement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to safeguard the position of those employed in shops and offices on the lines recommended in the Gowers Report.

:I cannot yet say when it will be possible to introduce legislation.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will give an estimate of the amount that would be saved if the Government decided to ban all hydrogen bomb tests.

:It would not be in the public interest to give such an estimate.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many salmon were caught in England and Wales in 1952 and 1953; and what percentage of these were caught in nets of various kinds.

:The returns of river boards, which are partly estimated, show that in England and Wales 53,278 salmon were caught in 1952 and 44,470 in 1953. Of these, approximately 69 per cent. and 65 per cent., respectively, were caught by nets of various kinds.

asked the Minister of Defence if he can now say when the return for the June, 1956, quarter of Armed Forces recruiting, prolongations of service and structure will be ready.

:I hope to make copies of this return available in the Vote Office tomorrow.

asked the Minister of Education which art schools in Cornwall under his control provide full-time courses to enable students to work for the National Diploma in Design.

:The Penzance and Falmouth Schools of art; but I am suggesting that the course at Penzance be discontinued.

asked the Minister of Education what reductions he has called for in courses at art schools in Cornwall; and how much he expects to save thereby.

:I have suggested to the Cornwall Authority that the full-time courses at the Camborne and Penzance Schools of Art and certain of the courses at the Falmouth School of Art should be discontinued as from next session. I cannot yet give an estimate of the savings which may result.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give the approximate average price which schools have to pay for Argentine beef, and the average price they have to pay for home-produced beef.

:I cannot give my hon. Friend average figures for the country as a whole, but I am writing to him.

asked the Minister of Education how many men and how many women entered the teaching profession in 1955; how many men have entered the teaching profession in each of the last five years; if he is satisfied that the numbers of men entering the teaching profession year by year are sufficient to staff both the primary and secondary modern boys' schools; and if he will make a statement.

:Firm figures are not yet available for 1955, but I estimate that the net increase of teachers will have been at least 7,000 (2,100 men and

Section				1st July, 1953			1st July, 1956
				In post	Vacancies	Total	In post	Vacancies	Total
Radiochemical	…	…	…	31	—	31	40	5	45
High Polymers	…	…	…	15	1	16	15	4	19
Corrosion	…	…	…	16	—	16	15	2	17
Organic	…	…	…	30	—	30	31	—	31
Microbiology	…	…	…	16	1	17	16	—	16

asked the Minister of Health what was the average cost per prescription under the National Health Service in each full financial year since the Service began based on constant prices in the first year.

:On present information, for the reason given in my reply of 4th July, which I am explaining more fully in a letter to my hon. and gallant Friend, I regret that it is not possible for me to provide the figures asked for.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what are the present staff numbers for the radiochemical, high polymers, corrosion of metals, organic and microbiology groups, respectively, in the Chemical Research Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; what were the numbers in 1953; and what expansion is proposed for each of these groups by 1959.

The staff allocated to these sections of the Chemical Research Laboratory is shown below.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the nature of the changes desired by the United States in the jurisdictional provisions of the agreements relating to United States defence in the Caribbean and South Atlantic, as foreshadowed in Command Paper No. 9812.

:I cannot predict what form the United States proposals will take. The United States Government no doubt have in mind the wider powers of jurisdiction they enjoy over their service and civilian personnel in the United Kingdom.