asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the extent of the Hungarian refugee problem is yet known; and whether Her Majesty's Government are prepared to accept further refugees, without qualification, should it be necessary.

The latest estimate of Hungarian refugees who have crossed into Austria is 82,000. In addition some hundreds of refugees are believed to have entered Yugoslavia but the exact number is not known.As announced on 23rd November, Her Majesty's Government have decided to waive the limit on the number of refugees admitted to this country and to accept them without individual interviews.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the situation in Hungary in the light of British relief.

I regret to inform the House that the situation in Hungary is still grave. The Soviet armed forces continue to repress and intimidate the people; the House will have heard the shocking news of the abduction of Mr. Nagy. The Kadar government are still pouring out a mixture of promises and threats in an effort to win the confidence of the Hungarian people, but the widespread strike of Hungarian workers goes on.All this is causing growing misery and distress amongst the Hungarian people, and thousands of them continue to cross the border into Austria in spite of attempts by Soviet forces to stop them. Her Majesty's Government have, as my hon. Friend stated in a Written Answer on 21st November, made contributions to various relief funds totalling £110,000. In addition over £895,000 has been contributed by the public.I am glad to say that a steady stream of supplies is now going into Hungary through the International Red Cross, but the Hungarian and Soviet authorities persist in their refusal to allow United Nations observers to enter the country.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the substantial response by the public to appeals for voluntary subscriptions to relieve distress in Hungary, what further proposals Her Majesty's Government have to augment their contribution.

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend to a Question by the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. G. M. Thomson) on 21st November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to state the task of the United Nations Force now in Egypt.

The Resolution which the General Assembly adopted on 5th November defined the task of the United Nations Force as follows:

"to secure and supervise the cessation of hostilities in accordance with all the terms of the resolution of the General Assembly of 2nd November, 1956."

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will state the requirements which Her Majesty's Government consider essential to enable the United Nations Emergency Police Force effectively to discharge its tasks in Egypt.

I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal in the House on 22nd November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why he rejected the proposal of the Egyptian Government to continue negotiations on the Suez Canal question at Geneva on 29th October or at some other convenient place and time.

The statement that my right hon. and learned Friend rejected a proposal of the Egyptian Government to continue negotiations is incorrect. The position in mid-October was that the Egyptian Government had accepted the six requirements set out in the Security Council's resolution of 13th October, But it had neither accepted the 18-nation proposals nor put forward any other comprehensive scheme meeting the six requirements and providing equally effective guarantees for the users of the Canal. It was scarcely possible to continue the interchanges which my right hon. and learned Friend had been having in New York until the Egyptian Government put forward such proposals.My right hon. and learned Friend stated publicly in his speech at Liverpool on 20th October that we were ready to meet a representative of Egypt as soon as the Egyptian Government put forward such proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will urge the United Nations to recruit teams of international salvage technicians to ensure the rapid clearing of the Suez Canal.

The question of the rapid clearance of the Suez Canal by international salvage technicians is now being considered by the United Nations Secretary-General, who is aware of the views of Her Majesty's Government. In this connection I have nothing to add to the interim statement made by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on 22nd November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what communications he had with the United States Government prior to 30th October, in relation to the use of force in the Suez Canal dispute.

I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend's reply of 5th November to the hon. Members for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes) and Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the number of men, women and children who lost their homes in Port Said; how many have been evacuated as destitute persons; and what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to relieve the suffering and hardship caused by the recent fighting.

1,960 men, women and children lost their homes in Port Said. All are being accommodated by welfare organisations under arrangements made by the Red Cross. No general evacuation has been considered necessary, but at the request of the Governor of Port Said, about 500 women and 1,700 children who have applied to leave will be allowed to do so. The British forces in the area have made available food and other supplies for the relief of the civilian population, and ample reserves are held in the port.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what endeavours are being made through the United Nations or otherwise to secure reliable information in respect of distress among Egyptian civilians arising from recent military action in the Port Said area; and what action is being taken to ensure the provision of relief and medical aid through the United Nations.

Reliable information on conditions in Port Said is available to Her Majesty's Government from the Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces. Information is also available independently to the United Nations through the presence in Port Said of United Nations observers who have been there since 12th November. The Allied Forces have ample medical and food supplies for the relief of civilians in the area, and the International Red Cross has been given facilities to bring further supplies into Port Said even though they were not strictly required. No action by the United Nations is therefore necessary in this respect, and I am not aware that any such action has been proposed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will give details of the reports furnished to the joint representatives of the signatories of the Tripartite Declaration on arms proposed to be supplied to Israel during the months of September and October last; and what information Her Majesty's Government possess on the arms eventually supplied.

As has been frequently stated in this House, we discuss with our co-signatories of the Tripartite Declaration and other friendly Powers the questions of arms exports to the Middle East. I am not prepared to give details of such confidential discussions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date Her Majesty's Ambassador at Tel Aviv made enquiries of the Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs and urged restraint as instructed by Her Majesty's Government on 25th October.

Instructions were sent to Her Majesty's Ambasador on 27th October. He was not able to see the Israeli Foreign Minister until noon on the 29th October, when he carried out his instructions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further action is being taken to persuade the United Nations to establish machinery to supervise the application of slavery conventions.

Her Majesty's Government believe that the existing machinery of the United Nations will be adequate. They will seek every opportunity to ensure that it is used to secure effective application of slavery conventions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made to the United Nations organisation for the establishment of a permanent directly-recruited police force.

I have nothing to add to the replies given to the hon. Member for Wembley, South (Mr. Russell) on 14th November and to the hon. Member for Huddersfield, West (Mr. Wade) on the 21st November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now able to give details of the agreement made by the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, with the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Forces, concerning the case of the refugees in the Gaza area.

Yes. This agreement is recorded in an exchange of letters of 9th November. The Israeli Government confirm that they would like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency to continue its assistance to the Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip and to this end will afford all the facilities required by the Agency so that it may carry out its task.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give an approximate figure of the total cost for the support and maintenance by the United Nations of the refugees in the Gaza area since 1948.

No. The published statistics of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency do not give details of expenditure on the support and maintenance of the Palestine refugees in particular areas and no figures are available in respect of Gaza.According to the most recently published figures, a total of 179,731,000 dollars was spent on relief between the beginning of relief operations in 1948 and 30th June, 1956, the end of the last fiscal year. This expenditure relates to the total Palestine refugee population which in September this year numbered 922,279. Out of this total 216,971 were living in the Gaza area.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the Government's policy with regard to the Anglo-Jordanian Treaty.

I have nothing to add to the replies given to the right hon. Member for Blyth (Mr. Robens) on 30th October and to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Fenner Brockway) on 1st November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the AngloJordan Treaty, in view of the recent military arrangements between Jordan and Egypt.

I would refer to the reply which I gave today to the hon. and gallant Member for Brixton (Lieut.-Colonel Lipton).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will instruct our representative at the United Nations to propose that the United Nations should immediately outline a five-year peace plan for the Middle East which will have for its purpose the organisation of work for the Arab refugees and the raising of the standard of life of all the Middle Eastern countries.

No. But as I told my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Teeling) on 19th November, Her Majesty's Government certainly want to settle the Palestine problem on a basis of justice. We must also have a settlement of the Palestine refugees. Her Majesty's Government will play their part in seeking such a solution through the United Nations, where the Palestine question is on the agenda of the current session of the General Assembly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in the light of recent events, he will state our policy in relation to the Bagdad Pact.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, South-East (Mr. Benn) on 19th November.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware of the protest made by the Breconshire Welfare Committee against the proposed closure of the reception centre at Hay-on-Wye, established by the National Assistance Board; in view of that centre's recently increased use, what arrangements are now contemplated for the accommodation of the wayfarers within this district; and whether he will make a statement.

The National Assistance Board informs me that after considering carefully the views of the local authority it is satisfied that owing to the very small use—averaging 1·2 persons a night—made of this centre its retention cannot be justified. The centre will not be closed until after a period of notice and it is hoped that in the unlikely event of an occasional wayfarer subsequently applying for accommodation he will be looked after by the local authority.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the average cost-of-living index figure for the three months prior to 1st December, 1954, when the Minister announced the increase of pensions; what he estimates to be the percentage increase in the cost of living when using the same cost-of-living index and taking the average of the three months July, August and September, this year; how much he estimates that a similar percentage rise in pensions would give to the single and married pensioners; how much the increased pension would be in percentage above that of 1946 level; and how much this rise would be below the general rise of earnings for the same period.

The average level of the Retail Prices Index for the three months prior to 1st December, 1954, was 144. The average for July, August, and September of this year showed a rise of nearly 9 per cent. above this level. An increase of this order in the rate of pension payable in December, 1954, would have given a single pensioner an extra 2s. l1d. and the married couple an extra 4s. l1d., bringing their pensions to about 39 per cent. above the 1946 level. In fact, since then the single pensioner has had an extra 7s. 6d. and the married couple an extra l1s. and pensions are about 55 per cent. above what they were in 1946. The rise in the index of rates of wages since 1946 is about 67 per cent.; in the average earnings of manual wage earners, which include overtime and bonus payments, it is about 96 per cent.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many who were receiving the National Insurance pension for the financial year ended March, 1955, had applied for National Assistance; and to what extent the number has increased for the year ended March, 1956.

At the end of the financial year 1954–55 about 1,005,000 weekly National Assistance allowances were being paid to supplement retirement pensions. At the end of the financial year 1955–56 the number was about 899,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what provision has been made in the current estimates for rent allowances for persons receiving National Assistance.

I am afraid it is not possible to give a separate figure for this item in the provision for National Assistance.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the cost to the Exchequer of rent increases under the Housing Repairs and Rents Act in respect of tenants in receipt of National Assistance.Mr. Boyd-Carpenter afraid the information asked for is not available. The National Assistance Board, however, has informed me that up to 30th August, 1956, about 30,000 weekly assistance grants had been increased for varying periods by an average of about 3s. a week in consequence of increases in rent made under the Act.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that when a person works after pensionable age the additional pension on retirement is taken into consideration by the National Assistance Board when considering a supplementary pension, thus depriving the pensioner of the benefit of the extra years of work; if he will amend the regulations so that a pensioner, having paid Income Tax during the extra years of work, is entitled to the additional pension without it being deducted from a supplementary pension; and whether he will make a statement on the case of Mr. Deasy, of Leicester.

Supplementary assistance grants are based on need, and the Assistance Board is bound, under the National Assistance Act, 1948, to take into account the amount of a National Insurance pension as it does other income, except that which it is required by the Act to disregard, in assessing need. The amount paid in an individual case is not in any event a matter for me, but, as the hon. Member may be aware, the amount paid to the gentleman to whom he refers was fixed by the National Assistance Appeal Tribunal.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to state the number of old-age pensioners who are receiving supplementary allowances from the National Assistance Board; and the number who receive rent allowance.

As at 25th September, 1956, the latest date for which this information is available, about 911,000 retirement pensioners and 153,000 non-contributory old-age pensioners were receiving weekly grants of assistance. Information is not available for this date about the number of allowances to retirement or non-contributory old-age pensioners which made provision for rent or for outgoings borne by owner-occupiers, but at 2nd November, 1955, about 980,000 or about 94 per cent. of such allowances then made such provision.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware of the disadvantages to which graduates of universities doing research work are placed through lack of benefits from National Insurance; and if he will introduce legislation to enable the benefits to be given to full-time research students in the same way as if they had been earning a salary and could contribute towards the Scheme.

As I announced in this House on 16th April, research students holding post-graduate awards for training in research methods or for studying under supervision for higher degrees will in future be treated for National Insurance purposes on the same basis as other students. I do not think it would be fair to other contributors to the scheme to go further than this.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has yet approved the comprehensive scheme for improvements in the pensions of electricity supply pensioners submitted to him by the Central Electricity Authority.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what representations he has received and made in respect of an increase in pensions for ex-employees of former electricity undertakings; and whether he now has any information respecting the granting of the increase by the board.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he proposes to give his approval to the pensions increases proposed by the Central Electricity Authority for pensioners with whom electricity boards are concerned.

I have now received the Central Electricity Authority's proposals. I am considering them and shall give my decision with the least possible delay.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is now able to make a statement on retrospective payment of the pension improvements approved by him for ex-company pensioners in the electricity supply industry which he informed the hon. Member for Cleveland on 18th June last was still under consideration.

Yes. I have agreed that the improvement should take effect from 1st November. 1955.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if plans for the design and construction of the first nuclear power stations have yet been submitted; and what decision he has reached about expanding the programme for the development of atomic power plants.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Warbey) on 12th November. 1956.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what he anticipates Britain's oil requirements will be over a future period of twelve months; what proportion of these requirements will be met; and from what sources.

On a normal basis of consumption oil requirements in 1957 were expected to be about 29 million tons, excluding exports and bunkers. At present I am unable to estimate the likely deficiency or to say from what sources supplies will be obtained.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what allowance will be made to driving schools in his proposed scheme of petrol rationing.

The basic ration will be available for all driving school cars. In addition, regional petroleum officers will issue supplementary allowances on application.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will take action, similar to that taken by the French Government on 12th November, to restrict the sale of high octane petrol, bearing in mind that this would result in substantial economies in the use of petroleum products.

The oil companies have agreed to discontinue the sale of 100 octane grade petrol when existing stocks are exhausted.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, in view of the need to obtain the maximum production of fuel oil from home sources, he will consult with the Scottish shale oil industry to discover to what extent its present production of fuel oil can be immediately increased.

The company informs me that the throughput of the industry is already at a maximum and could not be increased without large-scale reorganisation which would take several years to carry out.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent supplies of aviation fuel are affected by the present emergency; and if there will be a rationing system for civil or military aircraft.

Stocks of aviation fuel are good. The R.A.F. and the Ministry of Supply are arranging to reduce consumption, but deliveries to civil airlines are not at present being cut.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he will take to minimise British dependence upon the Middle East for supplies of oil.

British oil companies are developing sources of supply in many countries outside the Middle East, and they and other interests are actively searching for new sources in areas where oil has not yet been proved.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the additional cost of the oil supplies having to be shipped around the Cape of Good Hope instead of through the Suez Canal.

Although they cannot yet be accurately estimated the additional freight costs of shipping oil around the Cape of Good Hope may be of the order of £2 a ton.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what arrangements he is making for petrol supplies to be available to overseas visitors to this country, in particular those from dollar areas.

Arrangements for providing overseas visitors with petrol coupons are now being considered and will be announced as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to make a statement on the coal situation in the United Kingdom; and what arrangements have been arrived at with the European Coal and Steel Community for coal exchanges in the January-March quarter.

Output in the past few months has been disappointing, but in the last fortnight there have been signs of some recovery. Coal stocks at 10th November stood at the satisfactory level of 23 million tons, 1·3 million tons more than a year earlier.As regards the second part of the Question, it is expected that the Community will provide in this period about 400,000 tons of grades of coal required in the United Kingdom while United Kingdom exports to the Community will be about 500,000 tons.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to what extent reduction in fuel oil supplies will affect production of coal from opencast workings.

As I explained in my statement last Tuesday, minimum requirements for coal production will be maintained.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to give a general direction to the nationalised boards for which he is responsible, that traffics are to be sent by rail instead of road transport wherever economically practicable.

I am satisfied that the boards are already doing all they can to reduce their demands on road transport.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is satisfied that, following the conflict in Egypt, the present stocks and supply of fuel are sufficient to keep those engaged in British steelworks, factories and railways in full employment; and if he will make a statement.

The arrangements I have announced are designed to maintain production to the greatest possible extent, and with the full co-operation of the public and of all concerned with industry they should enable us to avoid serious employment difficulties.

asked the Minister of Supply how many P.1 aircraft have been ordered and when the order for the batch of 20, placed in October, 1956, will be delivered.

A development batch of 20 aircraft was ordered in February, 1954. Delivery of these aircraft should begin within the next twelve months. Materials and jigs and tools for production aircraft were ordered in November, 1955. An initial production order has now been placed, but it would not be in the public interest to disclose its size.

asked the Minister of Health the circumstances in which a candidate, without any experience in hospital administration, was appointed to the post of secretary to the Pwllheli, Portmadoc, and Ffestiniog sub-group of hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health what representations he has received from the staff side secretary of the Whitley Council concerning the recent appointment of group secretary to the Pwllheli, Portmadoc, and Ffestiniog group of hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received representations on behalf of the Institute of Hospital Administrators and the National and Local Government Officers Association. The Hospital Management Committee made the appointment after interviewing a short-list of seven candidates, and the Regional Board, which made inquiries at his request, was satisfied that it did so in the belief that this was the best candidate. That being so my right hon. Friend does not feel justified in intervening; but hospital authorities in Wales have been reminded of his view that experience in hospital administration is an essential qualification for the post of hospital secretary.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of male and female nurses in our mental hospitals, and that partly trained and untrained nurses are undertaking duties which normally they would not perform; and what steps are being taken to improve the staffing, conditions of service and wages in order to encourage both men and women to enter this profession.

Yes. An account of the measures taken to improve the staffing position is given below.The Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council has agreed as from 1st April of this year increased salaries for all grades of mental nursing staff, with higher increments for most grades and substantially increased training allowances for student mental nurses. Conditions of service are at present under review by the Council.The hospital authorities, who have the primary responsibility for staffing have been urged to pay special attention to the following matters:

asked the Minister of Health what communications the Board of Control have received from Mr. John James, of Stonehouse Park, Little Aston, Sutton Coldfield; and whether they can now supply him with the copy of the certificate under which he was detained in Winson Green Hospital, Birmingham, and St. Andrew's Hospital, Northampton, to which he is entitled under Section 82 of the Lunacy Act.

A number of letters have been received. A copy of the justice's Order under which he was detained under the Act was sent to him on 26th January, 1955.

asked the Minister of Health if he will exclude persons on sick benefit or sick injury benefit from paying charges on prescriptions.

No. But I would refer the hon. Member to the general position explained by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Jarrow (Mr. Fernyhough) on 21st November.

asked the Minister of Health what reply he has sent to the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society to its letter on the adverse effects of the new charge of 1s. for each item in prescriptions in the health services, and urging that they should not be put into operation until further discussions have taken place.

My right hon. Friend has said that discussions have already taken place and are continuing on the practical application of the scheme but that he is not able to defer its introduction beyond 1st December.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that when nasal drops are prescribed a glass dropper has also to be used; and whether, under his regulations, the patient must pay a separate and extra shilling for this article.

A single charge will be made to cover both dropper and drops, when prescribed on the same form.

asked the Minister of Health when the diabetic pack was first made prescribable under the National Health Service; and how many such packs have been dispensed to the latest convenient date.

A urine sugar analysis set became prescribable on 1st December, 1950. Information about the number dispensed is not available.

asked the Minister of Health, taking the £ as having a purchasing value of 20s. in 1949, what the comparative figures for the drug bill and the average cost per prescription form under the National Health Scheme in 1949 would be today, making an allowance for the depreciation in the purchasing value of the £ sterling since 1949.

The cost of the pharmaceutical services in 1949–50 was £31·5 million and the average cost per prescription form in 1949 was 4s. 6d. Recalculation of these figures on the basis suggested by the hon. Member produces figures respectively of about £4225 million and 6s.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the increase made on 28th October, 1956, in the basic price of raw sugar sold by his Department was due to an increase in the subsidy to British producers, or a change in the negotiated price, or to any other cause.

The recent increase in my Department's raw sugar price to cover its costs on sugar during the current financial year was due in the main to a rise in storage costs and freight rates. No Government subsidy is paid to growers of sugar beet in the United Kingdom and there has been no change over the last two years in the negotiated price paid for Commonwealth sugar.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisher Food whether the Government have now decided their future policy for the pig industry in the light of the Report of the Reorganisation Commission for Pigs and Bacon; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, the Government's policy, which is designed to improve the technical efficiency of the industry in production, processing and distribution, so as to enable it to face foreign competition without the need for substantial Government support, is set out in a White Paper which is being published today.The Government have accepted in principle the recommendation of the Commission that a Pig Industry Development Authority, on which all sections of the industry will be represented, should be established with wide powers to carry out services for the technical improvement of the industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the present emergency caused by the Suez crisis, if he will take powers to prevent increases in the prices of meat, tea, bread, sugar, butter, and other basic foods.

Supplies on hand or in sight should be amply sufficient to check any general tendency for prices to rise because of temporary delays in arrival brought about by the closing of the Canal.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to facilitate and encourage an increase in the size of ships carrying iron ore for the iron and steel industry.

The iron and steel industry makes its own arrangements for the shipment of iron ore. The Iron and Steel Board have given information in paragraph 48 of its "Annual Report for the year 1955" showing what arrangements have, or are being, made by the steel industry for the provision of larger ore carriers.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he will arrange to have placed in the Library of the House of Commons, photographs of the military activities and the results thereof in Port Said, and other Egyptian towns and villages.

With the exception of Port Said itself and the transmitters of Cairo Radio, allied action was limited to airfields and other military installations. I am arranging for aerial photographs indicating the results of our action to be placed in the Library.

asked the Minister of Defence what military co-operation took place between the Anglo-French forces and the Israeli forces on or after 29th October.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what amount is spent from public funds on research into poultry problems; what percentage this represents of the total sum spent on agricultural research; and what sum has been allocated to that section of disease which is being dealt with at Houghton Grange for which the Agricultural Research Council are responsible.

The respective figures for the current financial year are, approximately £147,000; 3½ per cent.; and £30,000 (including £10,000 capital expenditure).

asked the Postmaster-General how many new telephones will have been installed in the Borough of Solihull during 1956; how many applications will be outstanding on 1st January, 1957; and how many he expects to install during 1957.

It is estimated that over 1,300 telephones will be installed in Solihull this year and about 2,000 next year; 1,650 applications are expected to be outstanding on 1st January, 1957.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what are his recommendations as to widths of roads, pathways and road verges on housing estates; and whether he is satisfied that the varying conditions of traffic in large housing estates and in small villages are adequately taken into consideration.

I am sending to my hon. Friend a copy of the Schedule of Suggested Minimum Street Widths for Carriageways and Footways which was issued by my Department in 1951 for the guidance of local planning authorities. The document shows only the minimum widths recommended, and emphasises that the width of carriageways and footways should be varied to suit local circumstances. As far as I am aware the varying conditions of traffic are adequately taken into consideration, but if my hon. Friend knows of any difficulties I shall be glad to consider them.