asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many officers of the agricultural, game, sleeping sickness and other technical Departments have been assigned to specific duties in connection with the resettlement of Africans displaced by the Kariba hydroelectric power scheme in Northern Rhodesia.

Five officers have been specifically assigned to agricultural duties, two to tsetse control and two to water development. Three officers of the Public Works Department have also been posted for duties in connection with the resettlement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are to be taken to increase the pensions of retired Mauritian Government employees in view of the resolution moved by Mr. Raymond Rault and carried in the Legislative Council on 16th December, 1955.

The resolution to which the hon. Member refers concerned the position of ex-Government officers who opted for a reduced pension and gratuity as an alternative to a full pension, and did not relate to any general increase. It would be premature to introduce any variation in the existing legislation until the Government Actuary has completed his survey of the existing pension liabilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to receive the Governor's observations on the report of the Principal Auditor on the 1954 accounts of the Seychelle Islands.

I am now studying the Governor's observations in the Principal Auditor's Report and I hope to be able to write to the hon. Member soon about these matters to which he has previously drawn attention.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of individuals assessed to Income Tax for 1938–39, and for each year thereafter.

Formal assessments to Income Tax are not made in a great many cases, either because the correct tax is deducted under the P.A.Y.E. system or because tax is deducted at source from interest, dividends, etc. Figures of the numbers assessed each year would, therefore, be of no value. The following table shows, for each year from 1938–39 onwards, the estimated number of persons actually liable to tax, after taking account of the personal allowances and reliefs :

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of individuals assessed to Surtax for 1938–39, and for each year thereafter.

The numbers assessed to Surtax from 1938–39 are as follows :

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what advice or instructions were given to the British Government representatives on the Suez Canal Maritime Company regarding the company's order to its employees to declare, by 15th August last, whether or not they wished to remain in the service of the company ; (2) what advice or instructions were given to the British Government representatives on the Suez Canal Maritime Company regarding the company's offer to employees remaining in its service after 15th August last of three years' guaranteed full salary plus a full pension ; (3) what guarantees have

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now give details about the imports of the various categories of wine into the United Kingdom for 1955–56.

The following table shows, for the year ended 31st March, 1956, the quantities of imported wine retained for consumption in the United Kingdom and the principal countries from which consigned :—been given by Her Majesty's Government through its representatives on the Suez Canal Maritime Company or otherwise to ensure that the terms offered to British citizens remaining loyal to the company will be honoured in full ; (4) if he will publish in a White Paper or otherwise a full statement of all the instructions and advice given to the British Government representatives on the Suez Canal Maritime Company during the period from 26th July, 1956, to date.

It has never been Her Majesty's Government's practice to disclose confidential instructions or advice given to the Government Directors of the Suez Canal Company. As my right hon. and learned Friend has stated the policy of Her Majesty's Government has been to encourage the Company to persuade its staff to stay at work as long as the London Conference and the mission of the Committee of Five Nations to Cairo continued, and in order to afford every opportunity of reaching an agreed settlement of the Suez Canal issue by these peaceful processes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give a detailed list of the economic sanctions or restrictions at present in force against the Egyptian Government or Egyptian citizens and in relation to the assets or income of the Suez Canal Maritime Company.

I have been asked to reply.The general purpose of the present restrictions was announced by the Prime Minister in his Statement of 30th July (HANSARD, col. 922). The detailed effect of the restrictions imposed under the Exchange Control (Payments) (Egyptian Monetary Area) Order, 1956 (S.I. 1956 No. 1163) is that payments from Egyptian accounts are not allowed except :

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he has taken to facilitate the transfer of the assets and property of the Suez Canal Maritime Company to the State of Egypt so that compensation for the British Government's shares in the company can be received immediately in accordance with Article 1 of the Egyptian Government's Nationalisation Law.

I have been asked to reply. The answer is "None".

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the deadlock which has arisen over the Suez Canal question, the British Government will now take the initiative in requesting the Secretary-General of the United Nations to convoke a Special Session of the General Assembly so that the latter can make recommendations for the resolution of the question in accordance with its responsibility under Article 13 for promoting international co-operation in the economic field.

No. The position of Her Majesty's Government in this matter was stated by the Prime Minister and by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary in the debate yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many British subjects have been prosecuted for criminal offences in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the past 10 years to the nearest convenient date ; how many were convicted ; and what were their sentences.

Six British subjects are known to have been prosecuted for criminal offences in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the past 10 years. Of these, four were convicted. The remaining two (who were members of the subordinate staff of Her Majesty's Embassy) were granted exit visas by the Soviet authorities after they had appeared before an examining magistrate and the preliminary investigation of their cases had been completed. Of the four who were convicted, one (a member of the subordinate staff of Her Majesty's Embassy) was tried in absentia and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and a fine of 6,000 roubles. He remained within the confines of that Embassy from 1948 to 1953, when the Soviet authorities agreed to apply to his case the provisions of an amnesty which was contained in a Decree of the Supreme Soviet of 28th March, 1953. The three others who were convicted were merchant seamen who were sentenced to one year's imprisonment each. Two of them had their sentences commuted to expulsion from the Soviet Union, and the third was released after six months under the terms of the amnesty contained in the Supreme Soviet's Decree of 28th March, 1953.On some occasions, the Soviet authorities have failed to notify the Embassy of arrests of British subjects. It therefore cannot be excluded that other British subjects may have been prosecuted and convicted for criminal offences without the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Minister of Health if he will consider the provision, for reasons of hygiene and safety, of a cover for Nelson knives issued for the use of disabled persons.

Covers can readily be improvised and I doubt the justication for their official provision.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what advice or instructions he has given to British shipping companies regarding the manner and destination of the payment of tolls on ships passing through the Suez Canal since 26th July last.

None. I understand that the General Council of British Shipping has advised its members that payment of transit dues should continue to be made by owners to the Suez Canal Company in accordance with their established practice.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many ships of the British merchant fleet are at present under requisition by his Department ; and of what total tonnage.

The number of requisitioned ships necessarily fluctuates with variations in requirements, and any statement of the total tonnage would be misleading.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what is the rate of compensation payment being made for merchant ships requisitioned by his Department; and what is the total amount of such payments made or due to date.

The terms and conditions of compensation for requisitioned ships are different for different classes of ships and in some cases are still under consideration. Advances are being made to owners pending final settlement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a statement on the nature of the statutory scheme which will be introduced to replace the British Film Production Fund.

No, except that it will be comparable in purpose with the British Film Production Fund.