asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the average increase of rent which will be permitted under the Rent Bill on tenanted and controlled houses remaining under control in Glasgow, in other parts of Scotland and in Scotland as a whole; and over how many houses in each case is the average reckoned.

My right hon. Friend has no means of estimating the average increase in rent which will be permitted under the Rent Bill but the increases throughout Scotland will range from about 1s. to a maximum of 4s. per week in the case of the "1956 Act increase"; and from about 2s. to a maximum of 8s. per week in the case of the revised repairs increase under the 1954 Act.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that on Saturday, 24th November, worried and angry tenants from all over Scotland will descend on St. Andrew's House to protest against the Bill? Will the hon. Gentleman consider its withdrawal?

I am afraid that we cannot possibly consider the withdrawal of the Bill. I would point out to the hon. Lady that, out of 640,000 houses, the increase will apply only to houses that are in good and tenantable repair and not in any other respect unfit for human habitation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the joint memorandum on housing subsidies from the Convention of Royal Burghs, the Association of County Councils and the Counties of Cities Association; and what action he proposes to take thereanent.

My right hon. Friend has not yet received the memorandum from the local authority associations.

Will the hon. Gentleman ask his right hon. Friend, when he receives that memorandum, to refuse to give it sympathetic consideration but to act upon it instead?

I do not think that I can make any comment on the memorandum until it is received.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses in Scotland fall within the ambit of the Rent Restriction Acts; and how many of these he estimates will be released from control under Clause 9 of the Rent Bill.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper published on 16th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received respecting the provision of traffic lights at the junction of roads A80 and A73 at Cumbernauld; and what action he proposes to take.

The County Council of Dunbarton has recently asked that the possibility of making this junction safer should be examined again, and my Department is in touch with the council.

May I thank the hon. Gentleman for the information that something is to be done, because there have been several serious accidents there, a few of which have been fatal? Will the hon. Gentleman do everything he can to see that traffic lights are provided, or something done to prevent a recurrence of the series of accidents which have occurred in the past?

We recognise that and we are in close touch with the county council and will try to do something that we are commonly agreed upon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a detailed statement on the progress of the work of reconstruction of the Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, indicating how much has been done, and how much remains to be done; and if he is in a position to state when the work will be completed.

Work is proceeding satisfactorily and so far amounts to about 15 per cent. of the contract, which provides that the work must be completed in thirty-two months from 1st May, 1956.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the complaints about the danger to pedestrians caused by the condition of the footways, and the demand for some system of control lights in order to protect pedestrians until the work is completed?

Yes, Sir. I gather that there is a point there, and it is in hand.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that a successful operation was performed for the first time in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, on a haemophilic patient; what was the nature of the operation; and what report thereon he has received from the Medical Research Council.

The case to which the hon. Member no doubt refers is not, I understand, the first of its kind, atlhough I am glad to say the treatment has been successful. It is not usual to disclose publicly the details of such treatment, but a report is being sent by the hospital to the Medical Research Council because of its interest in such patients.

If it is not in the interest of the public to disclose such details, is the hon. Gentleman aware that every newspaper in the land has been claiming that for the first time in history a haemophilic has been operated on successfully for appendicitis? My information is that this claim is utterly false. Are haemophilics to be misled into believing that they can now be operated on, and cannot the hon. Gentleman do something to counteract these misleading statements in the newspapers regarding patients in infirmaries?

I think that the hon. Lady's Question and the reply which I have just made will draw sufficient attention to the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many convictions have been obtained in the last five years under the Fabrics (Misdescription) Act, 1913.

This information is not available for Scotland as a whole, but I understand that in the four counties of cities there has been no conviction in the past five years.

Arising from that Answer, does my hon. Friend agree that this Act has discouraged manufacturers from the manufacture of non-flammable materials because of the fear of prosecution? Will he consider abolishing the Act and producing something more modern and up-to-date?

I believe my hon. and gallant Friend has a Question to ask the President of the Board of Trade on this matter. I think that then an effective Answer may be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the East Kilbride Development Corporation took steps to dismiss. Mrs. Judith Hart from its service immediately on learning that she had been nominated for selection as a prospective Parliamentary candidate.

In carrying out part of the task for which. Mrs. Hart had been temporarily engaged, she was to undertake house-to-house visits for social survey purposes. The corporation considered that this could not suitably be done by a person publicly and locally committed to a particular political party, and decided that the visits should not take place. Mrs. Hart's engagement was terminated when her services were no longer needed for the completion of the task.

Is the Minister aware that the information on which his Answer is based is misleading, and that in fact the interviewing part o. Mrs. Hart's job was not normally part of her duty but occupied only two hours of her work over many months? Is he aware that the job on which she was engaged was not finished when she was dismissed, and that there is the clearest evidence that this dismissal was because of her political views?

I am afraid that I must disagree with the hon. Member. The first part of her job was to sit in an office and deal with the results of the social survey. The second part was to follow up visits to people who had not completed the questionnaire. Completion of the task can be done and will be done by some very junior official.

Does the Minister realise that the reasons which he has given for the dismissal of. Mrs. Hart are completely inadequate, and that this looks very like a case of political discrimination against her because she is a Labour candidate? Will the hon. Gentleman make public fuller facts in regard to this matter?

I think that on reflection the hon. and learned Member will agree that a known Parliamentary candidate of any political party is not the best person to get the best co-operation from households of varying political views.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter again at the earliest possible moment on the Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what areas in the Outer Hebrides and what percentage of the population are now served by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board; what areas are not yet supplied; and when the Board's programme will be completed.

I am informed that approximately 80 per cent. of the total population of the Islands of Lewis, Harris, South Uist, Benbecula and Eriskay are now supplied with electricity by the Board. The Board is not able to say when all potential consumers in these islands and in Barra and North Uist will be connected.

Will the Joint Under-Secretary approach the Chancellor and the Treasury and try to get them to reconsider this very mean economy, considering the fact that in the Island of Harris the poles and wires are already up in some villages and come past the doors of the houses, many of which are wired? There is no real economy in not providing this electricity in Barra, where much of the equipment is already on the spot and where there is some local unemployment. Will the hon. Gentleman ask the Chancellor to reconsider a very petty economy, which in fact is no economy at all?

The need for national economy has had some effect, I admit, but the completion of the programme in these islands and the extension to Barra and North Uist must be governed by the financial position of the Board as well as the request of the Government to reduce capital expenditure.

Was this economy on the initiative of the Board, or under the credit squeeze?

The Board has played its part.

Can my hon. Friend say how much the difficulties of the Board in bringing electricity to these remote areas was caused by the exorbitant capital charges it demands, which are far too high? Surely that and not the credit squeeze is the cause?

That is another question.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when work on the North Ford Causeway in the Western Isles is to begin; the estimated total cost; and what financial contribution is to be made by his Department towards this.

I understand that Inverness County Council has now invited tenders. The estimated total cost of the work is £337,000, of which my Departments will contribute 90 per cent.

Can the hon. Gentleman give an assurance that this work will in fact begin as soon as it is possible for the county council to complete all the preliminaries? Will he have regard to the point that the so-called economy envisaged four years ago means that whereas the cost would have been £160,000 on the old estimate, the work will now cost £337,000? Does he realise that to delay any longer means a further dead loss?

Of course that applies to everything done this year which might have been started ten years ago.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department intends to provide a safe and adequate road to the community at Eoligarry, Isle of Barra, in place of the present tidal sand-track.

This road would link two sections of Class III road and would be built by Inverness County Council as the highway authority. I regret that in view of other competing demands on the funds available it has not yet been possible to authorise a grant towards its cost, but if the county council puts it forward as a case of special urgency my right hon. Friend will do his best to approve it in the near future.

Why is the whole of the onus laid on the county council in view of the fact that this is a responsibility of the Department of Agriculture on one of its estates? Cannot this work be undertaken as part of ordinary estate management? Is it not part of the work of the Department and not of the county council?

It is not quite that. This is part of the programme for which the county council has responsibility. There are not enough funds available to enable it to do everything that it wants done, but if it puts this work on a higher priority we shall be prepared to play.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospital regions have now completed their cancer registration and follow-up arrangements.

My right hon. Friend regrets that it has been possible in only two of the five regions to organise a reasonably complete system of cancer registration The difficulties elsewhere appear to be mainly medical and statistical and my right hon. Friend has, therefore, asked the Cancer Committee of the Scottish Health Services Council to inquire into them and suggest ways of overcoming them.

While thanking the Joint Under-Secretary for that statement, which is helpful, may I ask him to impress upon his right hon Friend the urgency of this information for research purposes? I understand that research is likely to be delayed unless this information is provided.

Yes, Sir

Will the hon. Gentleman see that medical officers of health who are keen to push on with this work receive every co-operation from the Scottish Office, and get every encouragement in the provision of material, where that is necessary?

Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the White Paper relating to mental illness and mental deficiency in Scotland; whether he has come to a decision to amend the law; and if he will make a statement.

A number of interested bodies have still to formulate their views on the important questions raised by this White Paper, and my right hon. Friend is, therefore, not yet in a position to make a statement.

Will the Joint Under-Secretary of State impress on his right hon. Friend the urgency of this matter—an urgency which, in view of the latest returns, is growing and is giving great concern to the authorities?

My right hon. Friend appreciates the urgency, but when the White Paper was published in December, 1955, no time-limit was fixed for sending in observations, and it is desirable that all bodies should have ample time, in view of the importance of the issues involved.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the committee appointed to review all aspects of local government finance, including industrial derating, has yet completed its deliberations; and if he intends publishing the Report.

No, Sir. I cannot at this stage add anything to what was said in the Most Gracious Speech.

Does this Committee comprise the same personnel as considered the housing subsidies and rents? if so, I can assure the hon. Member that the Committee is quite capable of producing evidence suitable for the Government's policy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when legislation is to be introduced to deal with drainage in a comprehensive manner in the Highlands of Scotland.

My hon. Friend will appreciate that drainage problems in Scotland are not confined to the Highlands. Discussions are still proceeding but I am not able to forecast when legislation may be possible.

Could the Joint Under-Secretary of State say why there is this interminable delay? Recent floods would have been much less severe had there been a comprehensive scheme. This matter has been discussed many times in the House in the past few years. When is the Minister going to take some action?

As has been repeatedly said in the House, the difficulty is to get agreement between the parties interested.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road improvement schemes in Scotland under the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads) Act, 1955, he has so far approved; and the total cost involved.

Local authorities have been invited to submit applications and so far sixteen authorities have done so. As my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member for Hamilton (Mr. T. Fraser) on 24th July, however, in view of the need to limit capital expenditure no grants are being approved at present.

Does not that make nonsense of what the Government said a few months ago? Could he say when the Government intend to get on with this job?

No, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that in the schools under his jurisdiction, sewing mistresses are teaching girls to make nightdresses from the material that causes the highest death rate from burning accidents in Scotland; and if he will ensure that this practice is discontinued.

My right hon. Friend is aware that in some schools nightdresses are made from inflammable materials and he is considering what action should be taken in the matter. It is of course the case that very many fabrics in common use are inflammable.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the campaign "Mind that Child" in regard to road accidents and also of carelessness in regard to highly flammable materials? Is there not an opportunity to introduce Winceyette processed as a new non-flammable fabric? Will he encourage a little propaganda about home accidents during sewing-class meetings?

I am very much obliged to the hon. Lady. That suggestion will be taken into account.

Is my hon. Friend aware that a large sum of money is being spent by the National Health Service every year in treating in hospitals accident cases involving burning, and that that money could be saved if the manufacture of non-inflammable materials were encouraged?

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to state, for each of the education authorities in Scotland, the percentage of their children on the school rolls aged 13 years and over who were this year exempted from school attendance to attend the potato harvest; and if he will state the average period of exemption for each authority.

As the Answer consists of a table of figures, I shall, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children from Dundee schools, including the Dundee High School, obtained exemption to attend the potato harvest this year; which schools they came from; and the average period of exemption.

As the Answer includes a table of figures I shall, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consult education authorities for the purpose of initiating a campaign under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation gift coupon scheme through which schools and other organisations can adopt schools or educational projects in other countries, especially in Hungary and Egypt.

In a circular issued to education authorities on 12th October in connection with the celebration of United Nations Day, it was suggested that special attention might be given by schools to the U.N.E.S.C.O. Gift Coupon Scheme. Lists of projects approved by U.N.E.S.C.O. as requiring assistance are circulated to Scottish schools, but I am informed that these have not so far included any in Hungary or Egypt.

In such a campaign as is suggested, does not the Joint Under-Secretary appreciate that excellent opportunities would be provided for lessons in international co-operation and extending practical help to victims of aggression? Even refresher courses might be provided by local authorities for Her Majesty's Ministers to help them to a better understanding of the aims and principles of the United Nations Charter?

We are entirely in favour of that, and the circular to which I have referred the hon. Member, of which I shall be glad to give him a copy, indicates that we are very much in favour of this gift coupon scheme, but the arrangements are—and always have been—that it is only for those projects approved by U.N.E.S.C.O. that coupons are used.

Will the Joint Under-Secretary of State see that such help is extended to the two countries mentioned?

I think that is a matter for U.N.E.S.C.O. It is not appropriate for the Secretary of State to suggest to U.N.E.S.C.O. what it ought to do.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the shortage of teachers of mathematics and science, he will examine the possibility of television making the best teaching available to all school children.

The British Broadcasting Corporation and the School Broadcasting Council have arranged, with the concurrence of my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education, for an experimental school television service to start in the autumn of 1957, in order to find out what contribution television can make to the teaching of school subjects.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the experiments in the use of closed circuit television teaching in schools in the United States of America; and whether steps will be taken to ensure the speedy application of the results of such experiments to the benefit of Scottish education.

These experiments will be followed with interest, but it is not yet possible to say how far this device will be suitable for adoption here.

Referring to both Questions Nos. 17 and 18. would the Secretary of State consider the possibility of earlier experiments, such as those suggested in Question No. 18, which would be at less expense and less universal than complete broadcasts? This could be done within some of the larger schools, and different experiments could be carried out in different schools. It might provide earlier information for both the B.B.C. and the Secretary of State. Would the right hon. Gentleman consider that? I understand that the apparatus is available from the manufacturers.

Whatever the right hon. Gentleman suggests we will consider, but on the matter of television in the schools it is thought by those best qualified to judge that it needs a good deal of preparation and that it will not be until next year that the full experiment can be started. I will bear in mind what the right hon. Gentleman has said.

Is my hon. Friend aware that on the Western seaboards of Ross-shire and in the Islands there is no likelihood of having television at all, and that, despite the fact that there is a shortage of teachers in Kyle of Lochalsh, there is absolutely no hope of getting television, according to the latest announcement of the B.B.C?

My hon. Friend should address that question to the Postmaster-General.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Association of Head Masters of Senior Secondary Schools dealing with the shortage of fully qualified teachers of mathematics and science, particularly in Glasgow; and what proposals he has to make on the matter.

I have received a copy of the Association's Report, which was published in the Press on 15th November, and I have arranged to discuss it with representatives of the Association. I am meeting them, I hope quite soon. A number of steps, including the recent increases in salaries, have already been taken to overcome or mitigate the shortage, and my right hon. Friend is considering what further action may be possible.

When the Joint Under-Secretary of State discusses the matter, will he remember that between this year and 1961, 9,000 pupils will enter secondary schools in the city of Glasgow, that there will be insufficient teachers and that the result will probably be that teachers will be withdrawn from the junior secondary schools to staff the senior secondary schools to meet the increased number of pupils? Would he consider urging on local authorities the need to appoint an administrative assistant in each secondary school so that the headmaster can be relieved of much of his administrative work and be free to undertake part of the teaching?

I am obliged to the hon. Gentleman. We will look at that idea.

Would the hon. Gentleman again refer to Questions Nos. 17 and 18 and consider making those experiments in Glasgow in order to make the best use of the science and mathematics teachers available?

On a point of order. My Question refers to a shortage of teachers and not to a shortage of mechanical aids.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will consult the Government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland with a view to increasing the pensions of members of the 1st Battalion of the Rhodesian Rifles who have served, or are now serving in Malaya.

It is for the Government of the Federation, and not for me, to decide what pension rates ought to be provided for their own forces.

Is the Minister not aware that Her Majesty's Government make a contribution towards these pensions? Is he satisfied that an Askari who has a 20 per cent. to 50 per cent. disability should receive a pension of only 2s. 9d. per week and that an Askari with a disability of 80 per cent. and over should receive a pension of only 5s. 2d. per week? Is it not the duty of Her Majesty's Government to see that these African soldiers are treated decently?

The hon. Member knows that these troops are the responsibility of the Federation Government. Her Majesty's Government are not in a position to interfere with the administration of these troops

But is not the Minister aware that when he was at the Colonial Office it was said that both the Colonial Office and the Commonwealth Office would make representations and, we understood, they made strong representations? Are we to understand that those representations have been ignored, because the whole position of the Askaris, both those now serving and those disabled in the war, is a matter which gives great concern to the House, and if those representations are to be ignored that does reflect upon the Government of the Federation?

I have not said that the Federation Government have necessarily ignored representations. I am sure that the Federation Government will take note of what has been said in the House today.

asked the Secretary of State for War what economies in military personnel will be made in Kenya due to the withdrawal of troops from active operations.

In anticipation of the withdrawal of the Army from active operations in Kenya, British troops in the territory have been progressively reduced during the last year by about 4,500. This process will continue. The House will, I am sure, join with me in paying tribute to the fine work of our troops, which has brought military operations to an end and made possible the withdrawal of Armed Forces.

The House, of course, is not aware of how many troops there are in that area, as we have not had official information, but would it be correct to say that there are large numbers of troops out there who could very well be used, either for the strategic reserve—although that probably no longer exists—or to relieve reservists who have been called up to meet other obligations?

As I said in my Answer, we are further reducing this force, and by April of next year the plan is to have about a battalion, with a few ancillary troops, in Kenya; that is all.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many of the 10,000 rifles captured from the Egyptians at Port Said were British Lee Enfields; and how many British six-pounder guns were captured.

One thousand three hundred and fifty-eight rifles of all kinds were captured in Port Said. Four hundred and twenty of them were Lee Enfield rifles. Four British six-pounder guns were also captured.

I thank the Minister for that reply. Can he say why no information has yet been given about the British arms which have been supplied to the Egyptians? Can he further say how many other types of guns and munitions were supplied to the Egyptians and used by them against our boys there?

No. As the hon. Member knows, under the Tripartite Declaration of 1950, certain arms were supplied in accordance with the terms of that Declaration. I share with the hon. Member the regret that British-made arms were used against British troops, but that was a risk inherent in the Declaration, which in fact provided for the supply to both the Arab States and to Israel of limited quantities of arms for their internal security.

Can the Secretary of State for War say how many of these arms were sent before, and how many after the members of the Government, other than the President of the Board of Trade, knew that large supplies of Russian arms were going to Egypt?

If the right hon. Gentleman cares to put down a Question, I will try to answer it.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement on the Army's rôle in the Port Said landing, including times of departure from Malta and Cyprus; and whether he will make a statement on the existing situation.

Some troops left Malta for the Eastern Mediterranean late on the night of 30th October. Others left Cyprus for Egypt on 4th and 5th November. As the House has already been informed, the commando and parachute Brigades have now been relieved.

It would be invidious to distinguish between the three Services in what was essentially a combined operation. A battalion group of 16 Parachute Brigade made an airborne assault on Gamil airfield on 5th November. Within seven hours this force had secured and cleared the airfield for our aircraft to land and had advanced two miles to the outskirts of Port Said. On 6th November one squadron Royal Tank Regiment supported the assault by 3 Commando Brigade. The remainder of the Parachute Brigade landed following the assault and within a few hours advanced 24 miles down the causeway from Port Said to El Cap.

The success of this operation against determined resistance by the equivalent of a brigade group supported by Russian tanks and assault guns was due to meticulous planning, to splendid tactical air support from the R.A.F. and the Royal Navy, and to the fighting quality of the troops concerned, which was worthy of the highest standards of our military tradition.

May I, for my part, and I am sure on behalf of my hon. Friends, pay a tribute to the courage and devotion to duty of these troops? Having said that, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman the following question? First, has his attention been drawn to the statement that the civilian casualties in Port Said were much heavier than the Government have said? Has he seen the statement by Mr. Nehru that the casualties, killed and wounded, are of the order of 3,000? Will the right hon. Gentleman also be good enough to say why the operation planned for air drop and landing at first light on Tuesday was changed to air drop on Monday, commando landing on Tuesday? Will he also say whether the military commanders on the spot were consulted before British troops were left in the nonsensical tactical position in which they now find themselves?

It is a little difficult to answer all the hon. Gentleman's questions. He had the courtesy to tell me about one of them in advance: that is, the question of civil and military casualties. I have seen the rumour to which he has referred and which appeared in the Press. I have no further information than that which was supplied from our own Allied Force Headquarters, that the killed Egyptian civilians numbered 100, and wounded 540, and I know of nothing to lead me to suppose that those figures are not accurate.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers and how many other ranks, respectively, have purchased their discharges in each of the last five years, to the latest convenient date.

Officers are not eligible to purchase their discharge. The numbers of other ranks for each of the years 1952 to 1955 are 397, 735, 1,811 and 1,574 respectively. That for the first nine months of 1956 is 854.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, arising out of the visit of the Swiss representatives, he can now give fuller information about the safety of the employees of the Suez Base contractors now interned in Egypt.

The Swiss Representative in Cairo has only now been allowed to visit the contractors' employees and his report just received discloses a most unsatisfactory state of affairs. The employees are interned in three storeys of the Khedevia School in Cairo. Each person has a bed and a mattress, one towel, two woollen blankets and two pillows. The beds are close together. There are no tables or chairs and they have to eat on their beds. Food is insufficient (between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day) and not good. Sanitary facilities are inadequate. The internees possess only the clothes they wore on arrival. The strongest possible pressure is being brought to bear on the Egyptian authorities and we hope that world opinion will reinforce our representations.

While that is a distressing report, I am sure that the relatives will be glad to know that the 450 internees are not in the Citadel, as was rumoured, but are in a school. Would my right hon. Friend give an assurance that British troops will not leave Egypt until these men are rescued? Also, would he recommend to his colleagues that if these men continue to be interned in Egypt, some Egyptians should be interned?

I do not think that I could make a statement on the lines suggested by my hon,. Friend, but I should like to make one thing clear. As I said in my Answer, I hope that the expression of opinion in this country and in the world will impress upon the Egyptian" that they are behaving in an utterly scandalous way.

Would the Minister tell us what danger these gentlemen were in before British troops went into Egypt?

That is not the Question which is on the Order Paper, so far as I know.

Arising out of the original Answer, may I ask the Secretary of State whether it was not implicit in the arrangements which were made for the occupation of the Base by the contractors' staff that, whatever might be the circumstances, the persons involved in the preservation and supervision of that Base were to receive proper treatment at the hands of the Egyptian Government?

The right hon. Gentleman is quite correct, so far as I know.

Can my right hon. Friend say whether the Secretary-General of the United Nations, when he was in Cairo recently, took any steps to safeguard these British subjects?

I think that the trouble has been that the Swiss Government, who are the international authority acting on our behalf, have had the greatest difficulty in getting any information at all. I, personally, only got this information early this morning. Therefore, I do not think that the facts were known to the Secretary-General.

asked the Secretary of State for War the estimated value of the military institutions in the Suez area taken over by the Egyptian Government; and what was the original cost.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the military installations?

indicated assent.

The estimated value of those installations which until recently were operated by the Suez Base contractors is about £2 million. Their original cost is not readily available, but it may be roughly estimated at £9 million.

Is the Secretary of State for War aware that the War Office itself made a statement in the Press, in which it estimated the present value at £40 million? How did this statement come to be made? And are we to regard this as a gratuitous addition to Colonel Nasser's heterogeneous collection of international arms; or does he regard it as a supplementation of the tanks, aeroplanes and destroyers with which right hon. Gentlemen opposite, when they were wooing Colonel Nasser, insisted on endowing him, in anticipation of a nuptial settlement?

The hon. Member is mistaken. That is why I particularly asked him if it was to military installations that he referred. My Answer did not include the value of stores held in the installations. That is estimated at a figure of between £40 million and £50 million. I think that that is the figure which the hon. Member had in mind.

But can the Minister say what kind of stores they are? Why did we leave £40 million worth of stores lying there after the evacuation?

They are munitions, workshop installations and so on, all of which were extremely difficult to move.

Would not the Minister agree that his Answers to this and the previous Question completely show the total failure of the Government's action in one of its main purposes which, we were told, was to protect British life and British property in the Canal Zone? It has obviously done neither.

The right hon. Gentleman can say what he likes, but we have stopped a war.

asked the Secretary of State for War when his Department first received information of the intended Israeli attack upon Egypt; and what action was taken thereupon.

My Department received no advance information of the Israeli attack, and the second part of the Question does not therefore apply.

Would the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries of his hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, West (Mr. H. A. Price), who told us that news of a planned Egyptian attack was received in September, and of his right hon. Friend the Prime Minister who, apparently, on 16th October, was discussing the matter with the French Government, when the decision was made to send contingents of French aircraft to drop napalm bombs upon Arab men, women and children; and was any notice taken of the possibility of blinding and burning women and children, and igniting British installations?

All I can say is that the hon. Gentleman is merely repeating worthless gossip.

Always having regard to whether newspaper reports are correct or not, has the attention of the Secretary of State for War been drawn to the statements in Washington that the State Department has now said that it has evidence of British, French and Israeli collusion and co-operation before the Israeli action in Egypt?

Order. The Minister cannot be asked about statements made in Washington unless they were made to Her Majesty's Government. The right hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) did not state that they were so made.

With great respect, Mr. Speaker, you will be aware that I tried to put down a Private Notice Question on this subject and you disallowed it. This is a matter of very great importance to the nation. These statements have been made, and I want to know from the Government whether they have paid any attention to those statements and whether they have any statement to make?

The right hon. Member's Private Notice Question was disallowed for precisely that reason. The Government are not responsible for any statement made by people in other countries unless the statement is a message from another Government to Her Majesty's Government. Then they can be asked about it. That is the rule about Questions. I did not make it, but I am bound to keep to it. That is why I had to disallow the right hon. Gentleman's Private Notice Question, and it is also the reason why, if it is not in order as a Private Notice Question, it is not in order as a supplementary question.

Of course, I accept that Ruling, Mr. Speaker, but am I to understand from that that only after a very tedious and delayed process are the British people, who are the only people who really matter in this connection so far as we are concerned, to be allowed to know—at the very end, when everybody else has discussed the matter?

There are other methods of discussing the matter apart from Parliamentary Questions.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. This seems to be a very important Ruling indeed. Where a State Department or a Foreign Office abroad makes a statement, surely it has always been in order to ask the Government whether they have seen it and whether it is true? I am sure that I have seen that sort of Question asked on a large number of occasions.

The hon. and learned Member is mistaken, I think. It is not an important or new Ruling; it is a very old one. It has been adhered to in the House for a very long time. No doubt, with the assistance of the learned Clerks, an hon. Member can sometimes frame a Question so that it has some connection with Her Majesty's Ministers, but merely to ask whether a report of some statement made abroad is correct or not is not a proper subject for a Parliamentary Question. If the right hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes), as I advised him, had consulted about the form of the Question, it might be possible for him to get an answer. That I cannot say, but in the form in which he has asked it, I could not pass it.

While naturally accepting your verdict, Mr. Speaker, may I ask whether in the process of coming to your decision you also bore in mind the statement in the Press that French pilots manning French aeroplanes took part on the Israeli side against Egyptians? Surely that also shows collusion?

That is nothing to do with me. I did not take that into account because I did not hear it until the right hon. Gentleman uttered it. It would have nothing to do with the rules of order.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As the War Office now employs public relations officers, and as these public relations officers and other officers make statements to the Press on the events of the day, surely these public relations officers make the Minister responsible for their statements? Are we not, therefore, entitled to probe the question whether these statements are accurate or not? Are we not entitled to ask the Minister, when we see a two-column front page statement in the Manchester Guardian this morning, whether it is correct or not?

That is another question. The statement about which the right hon. Member for Ipswich was asking was, as he said, made by someone in America and not by a public relations officer at the War Office.

Further to the point of order, Mr. Speaker. Surely the Government have a responsibility here if these French aircraft, as it is alleged, flew from a British airfield and were supplied with British petrol?

That is certainly not a point of order. There is nothing in this Question about French aircraft. I have never heard of them before in this connection.

Surely the question is when the War Office received information of the intended Israeli attack upon Egypt. My right hon. Friend the Member for Ipswich (Mr. Stokes) asked his question as a supplementary to that Question. What he did was to ask whether, in view of what had been published in America, the War Office could give further information by way of amplifying its reply to the original Question. Surely that is in order?

As the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, North-East (Sir L. Ungoed-Thomas) has said, the Question asked when the Secretary of State's Department first received information. The Minister answered that Question. There was then an attempt to tack on to that—I do not say it in any critical spirit—a question whether something said in America was true or not. That is why I had to intervene. I did not make the rule.

asked the Secretary of State for War what number of Army reservists have been released from emergency service since 2nd August, 1956.

Nine hundred and sixty-six have been released on compassionate grounds and 612 because they were required as key industrial or agricultural workers. In addition, some reservists were found to be medically unfit and were relegated again to the Reserve. The actual number will not be available for some days, but I will write to the hon. Member.

I am much obliged for that information. Does that mean that 1,500 have been released because they should not have been called up at all, or that none have been released because the emergency is regarded as at an end?

I hope to be able to say something about the future release policy in a statement at the end of Questions.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) if he will make a statement on the conditions under which the Army is entitled to use United States Military equipment supplied under the mutual security programme;

(2) what representations he has received from the United States Government about the use of United States military equipment, supplied under the mutual security programme, in Army operations in Egypt; and what reply he has made;

(3) what items of United States military equipment, supplied under the mutual security programme, have been used in Army operations in Egypt.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence explained in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Dudley (Mr. Wigg) on 14th November, these conditions are set out in the Mutual Defence Assistance Agreement of 1950 which was published as Command 7894. The equipment referred to by the hon. Member is inextricably intermingled with British equipment throughout our forces, and I cannot say what items provided under the programme may have been used for operations in Egypt.

The United States Government issued a Press statement in Washington to the effect that the use of United States aid equipment was subject to restrictions, and I understand that a copy was sent to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence. I am not, however, aware that any more direct representations have been made to the Government on this matter.

Is the Secretary of State for War aware that the 1950 Agreement with the United States laid down that this equipment may be used only in accordance with defence plans formulated by N.A.T.O., recommended by the N.A.T.O. Council, and agreed to by the two contracting parties, and that otherwise it may not be used except with the prior consent of each contracting party? Is it not, therefore, clear that this equipment has been used in violation of this Agreement with the United States? What explanation has been afforded by Her Majesty's Government for their failure to ask for the prior consent of the American Government and their failure to maintain proper account of this equipment?

I quite see what the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) is getting at. The difficulty, the House must believe, is that some of this equipment was in the Middle East; we cannot tell yet whether, in fact, any was used in Egypt. It is a most difficult question to answer.

May I ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War what quantity of arms and ammunition was sold by the Labour Government to Egypt during their term of office; and further may I ask if he does not think that the Opposition show enormous concern for Nasser and none for our own troops?

I cannot think that the present Secretary of State for War is responsible for what happened before he or his Government took office.

Will the Secretary of State for War please explain what answer his Government are going to make to the United States' representations on this matter? We fully appreciate that he cannot distinguish this equipment and whether it is being used or not; but, in that case, ought he to have undertaken the operations without consulting the United States, in direct contravention of this Agreement?

I will draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence to what the right hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Strachey) has just said.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the proposed increase in the retail price of milk, he will introduce legislation to amend Section 7 (1) of the Sale of Food (Weights and Measures) Act, 1926, with a view to ensuring that a dairyman shall have milk in half-pint bottles available at all reasonable times.

No, Sir. It would be outside the scope of the Weights and Measures law to require a trader to keep milk available in any particular quantity.

Is the Minister aware that a firm like the Express Dairy Company, a very wealthy firm, is now refusing to supply old-age pensioners with milk in half-pint bottles, and is he aware that that is a considerable hardship to people who have no mechanical means of keeping milk cool? If he has no power, will he at least ask his right hon. Friend to express to the company Her Majesty's Government's disapproval of this particularly harsh and mean action?

I will certainly draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture to what the hon. Member for Deptford (Sir L. Plummer) has said.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to ensure that packages and containers are required clearly to distinguish soap products as distinct from synthetic detergents.

No, Sir. I do not think that there is a public demand for this step, which would require legislation.

Is the Minister aware that it is alleged that some of these articles are injurious to the hands and to limbs, whereas pure soap products do not have that injurious effect; and is it not desirable that people should be saved from possible dermatitis, if so caused?

The question, I think, is whether it is in fact so caused, and the health aspects are being studied by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to repeal the Fabrics (Misdescription) Act, 1913, which has the effect of discouraging manufacturers from developing non-inflammable textile materials, and introduce new legislation to encourage them to do so in co-operation with the British Standards Institution.

My right hon. Friend agrees that the provisions of this Act may need re-examination by the light of modern conditions, but he would prefer to await the results of the current consideration of textile flammability by the Committee of the British Standards Institution before reaching any conclusion on the point.

May I ask my hon. Friend when the conclusions of that Committee will be reached, and when he can get on with this matter?

The Institution is making a very wide investigation, and I am sorry that I cannot give the information which my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for South Angus (Captain Duncan) requests.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is yet in a position to state the effect which the recent restrictions in the use of oil and petrol are having on industry and employment in Scotland.

My information is that the recent restrictions on oil and petrol have not had any appreciable effect on industry or employment in Scotland.

Are the Board of Trade or the Government taking any steps or precautions to avoid the damage to industry and employment which is occurring in Scotland?

We have no information of any such damage occurring as yet.

To ask the Prime Minister, whether he will give details of the communications, resolutions and deputations he has received supporting and opposing the Government's action in Egypt.

May I first ask your permission, Mr. Speaker, to say how sorry we are to learn of the Prime Minister's indisposition, and to wish him well; and to say that if he finds the cares of office too heavy we should be only too pleased to give him permanent leave of absence?

I think I should be right to respond to the former part of the remarks made by the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis).

I have been asked to reply to the Question.

No, Sir. It is not my right hon Friend's practice to give details of his correspondence. And he must resist the temptation on this occasion.