asked the Secretary of State for War how many Sherman, Valentine, and Centurion tanks were captured by British and French forces in the recent action in Egypt.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for War what arms and munitions, in addition to the 420 Lee Enfield rifles and four British six-pounder guns captured in Egypt, were of British manufacture and supplied to Egypt by Great Britain.

This information is set out in the table which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Defence circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT last Wednesday in reply to a related Question by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many coal miners were called up as reservists in the recent emergency; and whether he will give them some priority in release.

We estimate that about 600 of the reservists called up were employed in the coal mining industry. Some were specially released some time ago. We are now releasing as quickly as possible all reservists who are no longer required but the Army's needs must normally take precedence, and I cannot promise priority of release for any particular occupation. Any individual application for release on the grounds of civil employment will, however, be considered.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many qualified opticians with the rank of sergeant are employed in the Royal Army Medical Corps; and how many vacancies exist in this rank within the present establishment.

There are 17 such posts; one is at present filled by a soldier of lower rank.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent Her Majesty's Government are willing to provide, whether by loan, lease, or sale, up-to-date fighting equipment to the United Nations for use by its forces in any combatant duties in Egypt.

Her Majesty's Government are willing to assist the United Nations Emergency Force to the best of their ability, including the provision of equipment. My right hon. and learned Friend informed the Secretary-General on 21st November that in response to a request from him, the Anglo-French command would provide the United Nations force with military transport, medical supplies and transport, fuel and food.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at what time on Monday, 29th October, the Government were first informed of the Israeli invasion of Egypt; and in what manner this intimation was delivered to Her Majesty's Government.

The first official report of the Israeli invasion of Egypt was received by emergency telegram from Her Majesty's Ambassador in Tel Aviv which was available, after deciphering, at approximately 8.30 p.m.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement on the progress of restoring law and order in Cyprus.

As a result of operations by the security forces in the Troodos area last month, a mountain group and two village groups were broken up, three wanted men captured, a number of suspects detained and quantities of arms and ammunition recovered. During November E.O.K.A. activity has been increasingly indiscriminate but there has also been an increase in the number of terrorists killed or captured in the act of terrorism and in arrests of members of the organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he intends to publish Lord Radcliffe's proposals for constitutional development in Cyprus.

I have nothing to add at present to what I said on this subject in the course of the debate on 13th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state the reasons for, and the specific circumstances in which, there has been a change in the offences for which the death penalty can be awarded in Cyprus.

In recent weeks, there have been increased and in- discriminate murders by E.O.K.A., including the ruthless murder of a doctor, whilst called out to give medical aid to a patient, who was acting in collusion with the murderer and the murder of a young journalist recently arrived from this country. The new regulations impose sterner penalties upon the terrorists and their associates, as an increased deterrent and as a reassurance to the public in Cyprus that the Government intend to protect citizens from these wanton and ruthless crimes.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on the purpose and achievements of the Scottish Transport Council.

The terms of reference of the Scottish Transport Council were given by my right hon. Friend in a reply of 7th February to my right hon. Friend the Member for Renfrew, West (Mr. Maclay). I understand that the Council has already held four meetings at which it has examined a number of questions of common interest to its members.

asked the Minister of Defence what consultations he had with the general officer commanding Middle East Land Forces and the senior military officer, Port Said, before the cease-fire was ordered.

There has been full consultation between Her Majesty's Government and the Allied Commander-in-Chief at all stages of the recent operations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the decision to ration oil fuel will affect the proposed conversion grant to owners of fishing vessels under the White Fish and Herring Industries Bill.

It is the Government's policy to encourage the conversion of suitable coal-burning vessels of the near and middle-water fleet to the use of oil fuel. But it is clearly undesirable that conversions which would come into effect in the next few months should be put in hand while measures to reduce oil consumption are being taken. For the time being therefore owners should not make contracts for conversion in the expectation of receiving approval for a grant under the Bill. The White Fish Authority and the Herring Industry Board are being asked not at present to approve applications for loans for this purpose under existing legislation.Plans for conversions to be carried out when the situation becomes easier could nevertheless usefully be discussed now with the Authority or the Board. The date from which grants will become available and loans will again be offered will be decided later in the light of the situation as it develops.

asked the Lord Privy Seal the present state of development of the atomic breeder station in the North of Scotland; and if he will indicate the number of workers, the spheres of work in which they are employed and the nature of the accommodation and amenities provided for them.

The construction work on the Dounreay fast breeder reactor is proceeding according to programme and is two-thirds completed. There are 646 Authority employees and 1,500 contractors' employees at Dounreay. In addition there are 250 contractors' employees working off the site, for example, on housing development. The permanent operating staff are living in Authority houses and hostels or in local accommodation. Half of the contractors' employees live locally and travel to the site daily: the remainder are accommodated on the site in hutted camps. There is a church on the site, and among amenities provided at the camps are a recreation building, licensed canteen, cinema, post office, general store, and a football pitch.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what surveys have been made for the discovery and working of uranium and thorium in Great Britain; and with what result.

The geology of the United Kingdom has been mapped in greater detail than any other area of comparable size in the world. Pockets of uranium occur in Cornwall, and small quantities in the Isle of Man. Recently, continuing efforts by the Geological Survey Museum have located further deposits in these areas but neither these nor the deposits discovered earlier justify the erection of a treatment plant. No thorium deposits have been discovered in the United Kingdom.

asked the minister of Works if he will now make the Westminster Hospital Site available as a car park.

Yes. I am now making arrangements for part of the site to be used temporarily as a public car park. I hope that it will be available for this purpose early in the New Year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the fall in the value of the £ sterling from one year to another since 1938, taking the index of 100 for that year.

The figures are as follows:

1938	100
1939	97
1940	81
1941	71
1942	66
1943	63
1944	62
1945	61
1946	59
1947	55
1948	51
1949	50
1950	48
1951	45
1952	42
1953	41
1954	41
1955	39
1956 (average of ten months)	38

Figures for 1938 and 1946 to 1955 are based on the Consumer Price Index. The figure for the first ten months of 1956 is a provisional estimate based on the movement of the Index of Retail Prices since 1955. The revised series for the Consumer Price Index is not available for the period 1939 to 1945, and the figures for these years are therefore approximations only.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been made to the Government of the United States of America on the possibility of waiving repayment of the American loan pending the recovery of the United Kingdom economy.

As I informed the House in my reply to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) on 7th February, 1956, exchanges have taken place from time to time between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the United States as regards the conditions of repayment of the United States Line of Credit of December, 1945. The decision to claim a waiver of the interest payments on the loan is a decision for Her Majesty's Government to take in the light of all relevant considerations and no decision has yet been taken as regards the payment due on 31st December, 1956.