asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to open discussions with the National Union of Miners with a view to offering employment for Hungarian refugees in the coalfields.

I am grateful for my hon. Friend's suggestion but this is a matter for the industry and cannot appropriately be dealt with by a general direction.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been make in providing a fire station in the new town of East Kilbride.

Further discussions have taken place this week between representatives of the responsible authority, the Lanarkshire Fire Brigade Joint Committee, and of my Departments; and I hope that the difficulties in connection with the acquisition by the Joint Committee of a site for a new fire station at East Kilbride will be resolved in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when a new police station, adequate to the needs of the new town, will be built at East Kilbride; and what has been the cause of delay hitherto.

I understand that the responsible authority, Lanarkshire County Council, has under consideration the erection of new police offices at the town centre in East Kilbride, but I have not yet received any proposals in the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects work to begin and to be completed on the proposed joint drainage scheme for the villages of Brainwood and Crossford, Lanarkshire, which is urgently needed for housing development.

I understand that the county council is about to invite tenders for the sewer from Braidwood to Crossford, and that the sewage purification works are at present being designed. The whole scheme would take at least two years to complete.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the County of Lanark is represented on the Scottish Advisory Committee to consider problems affecting the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) (Scotland) Act, 1951; and what other counties are represented.

No county is specifically represented on the Advisory Committee. As required by the Statute, persons were appointed, after consultation with interested bodies, to represent local authorities, agriculture, fisheries, industry and other interests. Those consulted included the Association of County Councils in Scotland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet considered representations about British participation in the European area of partial free trade from the textile industry in Scotland, in particular the manufacturers of chenille, nylon hosiery, knitwear and shirts in Lanarkshire.

I have not received any representations direct from the textile industry in Scotland. I have, however, consulted and received representations from the main industrial organisations, which have analysed the views of their member industries including those of most of the main textile trades. I am taking these representations fully into account.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will have made, in conjunction with all other authorities and interests concerned, a comprehensive investigation of the traffic arteries on the four sides of Victoria Station, and issue a report with recommendations before further projected developments are undertaken in this area.

This is primarily a matter for the London County Council as planning authority, but I am, of course, always ready to discuss with them the traffic implications of any projected development.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that, despite the statement by his Department that the basic fuel ration for commercial vehicles is based on 50 per cent. of their normal consumption of petrol, many trade associations are maintaining that the basic ration, as announced, will not enable their members to operate for much more than one day a week; whether he will make an early statement as to what steps can be taken to waive all restrictions on the use of commercial vehicles, and what principles will be adopted with regard to supplementary rations.

The basic ration for goods vehicles is not based on the normal consumption of individual vehicles but it amounts in total to one-half of normal consumption of petrol and one-third of normal consumption of derv for the goods fleet as a whole. The individual ration is based on the unladen weight of the vehicle. Supplementary rations will be issued as necessary to permit essential traffics to be carried. Fuel issued in basic and supplementary rations combined will amount in total to 75 per cent. of normal consumption both of petrol and derv, but the individual ration may be either above or below this figure according to need.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent he has given consideration to having one of his Department's driving examiners at each driving-test centre to conduct tests for the driving schools.

As I stated in my reply on 28th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. du Cann) and to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Hayman). I am sorry that I cannot break the general rule that at the moment all tests are suspended, apart from those for disabled drivers.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many of those who lost their lives during the 1939–45 war still have no permanent headstones over their graves; what are the causes for delay; and when he hopes that these memorials will be completed.

Of the 333,500 Commonwealth graves of the 1939–1945 war requiring permanent marking by the Imperial War Graves Commission about 13,500 remain to be so marked. These are located mainly in districts which are remote or politically disturbed, where local resources are scanty or where soil conditions and climate are unfavourable. For these reasons there has inevitably been delay in completing the Commission's lengthy task.It is not yet possible to forecast when the permanent headstones will be erected. All graves on which headstones have not yet been placed bear temporary crosses and are maintained under the Commission's supervision.