asked the Minister of Labour what proposals he has for revising the Dock Regulations, 1934.

This matter is under consideration and my officers are to discuss it with the Docks and Harbour Authorities' Association in the near future.

When is "the near future" likely to be? Is the Minister aware that the Court of Appeal has expressed great concern about the ambiguity of Regulation 2 (b)? Is he also aware that apparently a number of dock authorities have ignored part of the Regulations for nearly fifty years, with consequent possible loss of life?

I assure the hon. Member that the near future is within sight. The Docks and Harbour Authorities' Association has been considering the matter and had its final meeting yesterday. It will now be ready to meet my officers about the matter. I also assure the hon. Member that we are determined to do everything we can to secure a more satisfactory state of affairs.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has concluded his consideration of the Report of the Committee of Inquiry on the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons; which of the recommendations he accepts; and what steps he proposes to take to effect their implementation.

This Report, which covers a wide and complex field, concerns other Departments besides my own. Its recommendations are being examined, but I cannot yet say which of them the Government will decide to accept.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary recommend to the Minister at least the administrative changes, which could be put into operation without undue delay? Will his Department represent to the Treasury that the financial assistance which is recommended should be regarded as an investment?

We value this Report highly. The committee for co-ordinating consideration—namely, the Standing Rehabilitation and Resettlement Committee—has already had one meeting on the matter. I think that on balance we shall probably decide to take the Report as a whole, but I assure the hon. Member that we shall not let the grass grow under our feet.

asked the Minister of Labour what investigation is being made by or through his Department into the possibility of interchangeability between superannuation schemes, so that as far as practicable employees may carry with them into fresh employment the benefits of accrued superannuation contributions previously paid.

This matter is of general interest. Arrangements are being made to collect information about existing occupational pension schemes, including the number of workers they cover.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that a measure of interchangeability would be of great help to all kinds of workers, and would also help the community in making our total labour force much more mobile than at present?

I agree with my hon. Friend. The Government set a very good example in this direction, because there are schemes between the Civil Service and various public authorities—the National Health Service, the National Coal Board and others—for such interchange without loss of rights on transfer, I should like to see such arrangements very much extended.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will discuss with the National Joint Advisory Council the possibility of adapting to the general industrial pension schemes the transfer principle agreed upon by the Engineers' Guild.

I have seen brief statements in the Press about a pension scheme which has been drawn up by the Engineers' Guild for its professional members and I am making further inquiries about it.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this question has the same point as did Question No. 7, that is, the possibility of the transfer principle obtaining? Can he say whether any progress has been made through the nationalised industries or in any way to expedite the implementation of this principle? I myself raised the question in March, and I know that others have done so.

As I tried to indicate in answer to a supplementary question by my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, Central (Sir F. Medlicott), we are doing all we can, particularly in the Government services and those services which are linked with Government services, to give a lead in this matter. The scheme to which the hon. Member particularly draws my attention seems to me, although I have seen only Press reports of it, to be an extremely interesting one, and one which I should like to inform myself about fully.

asked the Minister of Labour what special arrangements are being made in Dagenham to deal with the issue of unemployment pay; and to assist in finding work for those thrown out of employment in the motor car industry.

To deal with the immediate problem, temporary arrangements have been made with the firms concerned for claims for unemployment benefit from workers on short time in the motor car industry in Dagenham to be made on the employers' premises. and for the firms to make payment of unemployment benefit when due

The employment exchange will do everything possible to assist those seeking alternative employment.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make a special point of assisting people to move into other industries, if they desire to do so?

indicated assent.

asked the Minister of Labour to make a statement on the progress in finding suitable employment and living accommodation for the refugees whom this country has welcomed from Hungary, and in particular how many families and single men are likely to be settled most appropriately in agriculture; and what offers of farm employment and accommodation have already been received through farming organisations.

asked the Minister of Labour how many offers to employ refugees from Hungary have been received; how many of the 11,000 refugees in the country are now in employment; what steps are being taken for the welfare of such employed persons; and if he will make a general statement with regard to the employment of such refugees from Hungary.

Over 1,000 employers have notified one or more vacancies for Hungarian refugees. Up to 8th December some 500 refugees had been placed by my officers in employment with suitable accommodation. Approval of employment has been given in other cases where the refugees have secured work through friends or relatives.

Many of the refugees wish to go on to Canada and other countries. If they are unlikely to get passages in the near future, efforts are being made to find temporary employment for them.

The National Farmers' Union and individual farmers have notified many vacancies for agricultural work, but very few of the refugees have yet been identified as agricultural workers.

As regards welfare, in addition to the care given to them through the normal arrangements made both by industry and by local offices of my Department, I understand that the British Council for Aid to Refugees has made arrangements with the national voluntary organisations who specialise in family case work.

While we should all wish to pay tribute to the very fine work which the voluntary organisations are doing in helping these people to get jobs and accommodation, may I ask my right hon. Friend how many more Hungarian refugees he hopes to see settled within the next fortnight or by the end of this month?

The position, as my hon. Friend knows, changes all the time. I am trying to get the latest information, and it may be possible to give the House the latest information concerning labour matters in the debate which, I believe, we are to have next Thursday. If I can do so I will.

Is the right hon. Gentleman keeping the trade unions concerned informed in order that they can help in expediting the taking of these people into the various industries?

I think that the trade unions have been most helpful throughout.

While we are all willing to help and anxious to do so, may I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman will ensure that when these men and women are placed in jobs the established trade union rate of wages is paid by the employers?

Yes. It is a condition of employment for anyone in this country, no matter whence he comes, that he shall not be employed at rates of wages lower than those which would normally be paid.

Will my right hon. Friend give special encouragement to the voluntary bodies so that when they make offers of employment to the refugees such offers can be taken up?

That is a very important point. An undertaking as great as this can be carried out only if there is true partnership between the State, the trade unions and the voluntary bodies concerned.

Can the Minister say, in the event of there being a new Government in Hungary and a proper settlement there, how many of the refugees coming from Hungary will wish to return immediately to their homes?

I cannot answer that question without notice, but my interviewing officers, at the second stage, that is, when the reception and documentation have been undertaken, do make that sort of inquiry of the refugees coming to this country. We shall be able in due course to give the House such figures as become available.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he is taking to find employment for the British subjects expelled from Egypt; the total number now in Britain; and, of these, how many have been temporarily housed in Swynnerton, Staffordshire.

About 1,000 British subjects have recently arrived here from Egypt, and 370 of them—men, women and children—are at present at Swynnerton. My local officers are interviewing at the hostel those who are seeking employment, and have informed them of a wide selection of vacancies in many parts of the country. Arrangements have also been made for employers to pay personal visits to the hostel.

Is the Minister aware—I am sure he is—that great appreciation is felt by the British subjects expelled from Egypt at the treatment which they have received up to date? However, will he bear in mind that some of them are young people who were about to embark on university careers or who were in the middle of technical education courses? Will he approach the Minister of Education to see that those who would have had a university or technical education are not robbed of their opportunities?

Yes, I shall be very glad to make a point of taking that matter up with my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) in view of the fact that the excessively large pool of chronic unemployment in Scotland greatly exceeds the average for Great Britain, what special steps he intends taking to reduce it;

(2) what special steps he intends taking to reduce under-employment in Scotland.

The Government will continue their efforts to foster a healthy economy in Scotland and in this way develop opportunities for employment. My particular responsibility is to provide through the Employment Exchanges an efficient service for those who are looking for work.

I have asked these Questions because we on this side of the House think that the Government are not doing enough in Scotland. These Questions are about what more ought to be done for Scotland. Does the Minister agree that chronic, long-term unemployment is the most serious form of unemployment? Is he aware that we have more than 50 per cent. of this in Scotland, and that it has persisted over many years? As to the Question about under-employment, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that if Scotland's population were to be as fully employed as are the English and Welsh populations we should have to have another 100,000 more jobs available in Scotland than we have at present?

I understand the hon. Gentleman's anxiety, but I really think that he over-simplifies the position when he puts it in the way that he does in the latter part of his supplementary question. There are special difficulties, as he knows and as I know very well, in Scotland. What matters is the way in which the trend is going. I make no party point when I say that I am sure the whole House is happy to know that the unemployment figures at the moment in Scotland have never been lower, with the exception of last year, and the trend is becoming increasingly favourable to Scotland. That is an excellent thing which the Government will do everything they can to encourage.

Does the right hon. Gentleman not appreciate that it is because hon. Members on this side of the House note the trend that they are so perturbed? In spite of what the Government have done, the trend during recent years shows that Scotland is getting a diminishing share of the increasing economic activity of the United Kingdom as a whole. We are asking whether the Government will take steps to ensure that Scotland gets a proper share, so that her unemployment problem will not be reduced by people leaving Scotland but by having new, additional jobs available in Scotland.

I do not accept all that the hon. Gentleman says. The trend to which I referred has been a reduction for many years past in the figures of unemployment in Scotland. I ant delighted to see that. They have gone down year by year for some years. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman likes to see that as much as I do. If there is anything which we can do to accelerate that trend, then of course we shall be glad to do it, but the hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that there are no dramatic powers, such as direction of labour or of industry, which would help in these circumstances. We are doing everything we can through my services and those of my right hon. Friends.

Is the Minister aware that the term "scheduled area" has no meaning for eastern Scotland?

asked the Minister of Labour if, in view of the economic crisis and the need for employing the maximum amount of labour in essential industries, he will introduce legislation to repeal the National Service Acts.

No, Sir.

Is that not a rather unimaginative answer to come from a potential Prime Minister? Does the right hon. Gentleman not realise the importance of getting more skilled labour into British industry during the present crisis? Will he take an opportunity of reading a recent study of this subject of National Service by two eminent and distinguished research students of Glasgow University?

The answer to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question is "No," and to the second and third parts "Yes."

In view of the fact that Britain has now probably renounced the idea of "going it alone", are there any discussions taking place at N.A.T.O. with a view to rationalising the whole of national service throughout the European countries?

I think the right hon. Gentleman knows that the question of N.A.T.O. forces is, not surprisingly, being discussed in N.A.T.O. at the present time.

Are we to take it that the right hon. Gentleman is the best potential Prime Minister that the other side of the House has?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Report of the Council for Wales and Monmouth on Government Administration in Wales will be published.

The Council's Third Memorandum, of which this Report is a part, is being printed and will be published as soon as it is available. I cannot give a firm date but I hope it will be possible for it to be published in time for hon. Members to have it when the House reassembles after the Christmas Recess.

Is it not the case that there is generally a great delay between the time when these reports on Welsh affairs are made available to the Minister and the time of their publication? Will not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman do something to hasten the publication of this important Report?

I cannot say any more than that it is being printed at the moment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the proposals of the Liverpool Corporation to create a source of water supply by flooding the Treweryn Valley, Merioneth; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what protests he has received from Welsh authorities and persons against the plans of the Liverpool Corporation for additional water supplies, involving the flooding of the Treweryn Valley in Merionethshire and the submerging of the village of Capel Celyn; and if he will make a statement.

I have been informed of a resolution adopted by the Association of Welsh Local Authorities registering concern at the proposal of the Liverpool City Council and I have received twenty-four letters of protestation from individuals and groups of people. This proposal forms the subject of a Private Bill which the Liverpool City Council has already deposited. My colleagues and I are well aware of the strong feeling of the local people.

Is it not one of the functions of the Minister for Welsh Affairs to indicate to the Government the feeling in Wales on matters of this kind, and advise the Government?

Of course it would be. but I am not quite sure whether the hon. Member expects me to think that this feeling is intense. As I have said, I have received twenty-four letters, and I would not call that an expression of very intense feeling. In any case, there is the Private Bill procedure which can be followed, by which people who are protesting can make their views known.

If, as now seems to be the case, this project is opposed not only by some local people but by Merioneth County Council and most local authorities in the vicinity, will my right hon. and gallant Friend reconsider what he should do in his capacity as Minister for Welsh Affairs? Does he really think that the Private Bill procedure is the correct method to pursue in matters of this kind, which affect a part of the United Kingdom that successive Governments have already recognised as not just another part of England?

I do not think that the Private Bill procedure is as bad as all that. I remember that when I first came to the House a similar proposal was put forward by another city, and it was defeated. In any case, I have asked the Council for Wales to look into the matter. as the House probably knows, and to see what advice it can give on the whole question.

When the Minister receives advice from the Council for Wales, which he has asked to consider the problem of rural depopulation—a problem not unconnected with schemes of this kind—may I take it that when the House considers the Private Bill, the report and advice tendered to him by the Council for Wales will be available to the House for its guidance?

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will allow me to look at that point. I am most anxious that this matter should be looked at because it is of tremendous importance. This is not purely a matter of sentiment. There is a great deal of practical politics in it. There are times of the year when the country is not big enough to hold the water that comes down. I want this matter dealt with reasonably and rationally. As soon as I get advice, I shall consider it carefully.

Is the Minister aware that the three county councils of the area in which this valley is situated are greatly exercised in mind because of the threat which this proposal presents to their plans for future industrial development, and as that region has the highest unemployment figure in the country, will he please bear it in mind so that this side of the matter, as well as the human tragedy involved, is properly considered?

Yes, Sir, I certainly will. I am well aware of the problems attached to water conservation and of taking water to other places, and I am also well aware of the effect that it may have on other localities.

Is the Home Secretary aware that Liverpool Corporation took great care to see that difficulties were out of the way from a personal point of view before the Bill was brought forward, and that on no occasion would those responsible meet the Water Committee to have the matter discussed fully in order to reach agreement?

I was under the impression that the Water Committee did not meet them but that they went to meet the Water Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence his Department has given to the Royal Commission on the law relating to mental illness in respect of the working of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884.

None, Sir. The Royal Commission's terms of reference excluded the consideration of Broadmoor patients and hence of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884.

Can my right hon. and gallant Friend give this Act his personal consideration, in view of what he has just said? Is he really happy about such a case as that of Mr. John James, on which I asked a Question last week, when a man, who is sentenced to a short term of imprisonment, is certified in prison by doctors who see him there, and at the expiration of his sentence is detained indefinitely merely on a justice's certificate? Would my right hon. and gallant Friend look at this matter very carefully and ask himself whether he can embark on a revision of this very antiquated legislation?

I certainly will.

If the Minister looks into this question, will he pay particular attention to the far wider grievance felt by many families of juvenile delinquents who may be certified under the mental deficiency Acts whilst inmates of remand homes and Borstal institutions, without legal representation or even independent medical examinations, and then be detained for many years?

Answer.

As soon as the hon. Member for Westhoughton (Mr. J. T. Price) sits down, I will do so. The matter which he raises is slightly apart from the Question on the Order Paper. I was asked what evidence my Department had given, and the Answer was "None, Sir". Of course I will look into the matter raised by the hon. Member for Westhoughton.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the numbers of Metropolitan Police officers, etc., in attendance at a meeting addressed by the hon. Member for the Exchange Division at Dagenham on 5th November.

As my hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State stated in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 15th November, seven police officers were on duty at the meeting and 43 police officers, including three mounted officers, were held in reserve. The total of 50 included officers of all ranks. My hon. Friend further stated that two police vans were used. I regret that this statement was based upon incomplete information. In addition to the two vans near the meeting, there were two vans stationed some distance away. Two senior police officers used cars to go to the meeting and a wireless car was stationed nearby.

While thanking the right hon. and gallant Gentleman for the corrected information, may I ask whether he is aware that the reason I asked my supplementary question on the last occasion was that I knew that his Department's information was incorrect? Will he take steps to see that when he answers Questions he obtains correct information before giving a reply to an hon. Member?

I stand rebuked, but I do not think that it can- often be said that information given by my Department is incorect.

Were the Minister and his Department and the police expecting a revolution?

No, Sir. This was just an exercise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, as a result of his discussions, he is now in a position to make a statement about the persistent parking of cars in the Metropolitan area.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation yesterday in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. G. Wilson). As regards police action in relation to parked cars, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 25th October.

Is the Home Secretary aware that I and others who live in the street which he knows are appreciative of the interest that he has taken in that matter? As to what was published yesterday, is the right hon. and gallant Member aware that a map shows that street as an oasis of white in pink, blue and yellow, and that that makes the position even worse? Could he make representations to that effect?

I have not had the opportunity of looking at the rainbow, but it sounds a very attractive colour scheme to me. We had better first study this Report, which is very important. In any action taken after consultation, I shall certainly not forget to look at the oasis.

Can my right hon. and gallant Friend say why no action is taken about persistent parking on pavements? Is he aware that this is a dangerous practice which forces pedestrians into the road, particularly those who are wheeling prams?

I should be glad to look at it, but the question of obstruction is a different matter altogether.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement upon fee-charging employment agencies as a result of further consideration by the Government.

It is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce the necessary legislation to secure the ratification of the International Labour Organisation Convention No. 96 but I regret that there is no prospect of the introduction of this Measure during the present Session.

Is the Minister aware that this matter, which concerns Coventry, was transferred to him from the Minister of Labour? Is he aware that the trade unions are very concerned, and that they feel that agencies in Coventry have prior knowledge about jobs becoming vacant? Is he aware that we are told that these agencies charge not only a registration fee but a proportion of the first week's wages when a job is obtained? In view of the position in Coventry, could the right hon. and gallant Gentleman look at the matter, without waiting for the I.L.O.?

I am having consultations with the local authority associations and as soon as they are completed I will have consultations with the trade unions as well.

Will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman join with the Minister of Labour in advertising the much better service that can be obtained from the employment exchanges than through these fee-charging agencies, and the fact that there is a far greater possibility of the trade unions and employers using the exchanges rather than those agencies?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that George Dean, a prisoner at Parkhurst Prison, was suffering from an incurable disease for some months, and died in prison on 17th November; and why he was not permitted to die outside prison.

Consideration was given during the final stages of Dean's illness to the possibility of authorising his release from prison, but in view of the fact that he had no home to go to and the medical advice that discharge would not promote recovery and that continued imprisonment would not shorten his life, it was decided that his release would not be justified.

Is the Home Secretary aware that this man had friends who were willing to receive him, and that when I saw him in October he was not expected to live many weeks? In view of the fact that he was one of thirty-seven prisoners who have died in Parkhurst Gaol in the past five years, not one of whom was allowed to die outside the prison, will the right hon. and gallant Gentleman look into this matter?

Of course I will look into any matter which the hon. Gentleman raises. I am allowed, if there is a chance of some improvement, to grant release temporarily for medical reasons, and there is also the Royal Prerogative. In the circumstances of this case, however, I do not think that any good purpose would have been served in view of what I have said—that it would have had no effect on his recovery. The number of prisoners who have died in Parkhurst is not surprising as many prisoners go to Parkhurst because of the state of their health and because they have a long period of detention.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the privilege whereby G. Howison, an artist imprisoned at Parkhurst Gaol, was allowed to send drawings and paintings made at his own expense to his home has been discontinued and in what circumstances prisoners may be permitted under his regulations to send to relatives articles which have been made in their cells at their own expense.

Prisoners are not permitted to send out during their sentence drawings or paintings done in prison. This prisoner was originally allowed to do so because of a mistaken interpretation, which I regret, of the governing circular.

Is not the Home Secretary aware that this man's pictures are displayed throughout Parkhurst Gaol, and that he was allowed to send home over 1,000 pictures as a means of helping him to become rehabilitated when he leaves prison? If there is no abuse, why cannot he be allowed to continue to send them?

The Advisory Council on the Treatment of Offenders advised in 1949, and it has been confirmed since, that this should not be done. In this instance he was allowed to do so by mistake, and I am sure the hon. Gentleman will appreciate that this practice could lead to tremendous abuses if it were allowed.

Can the right hon. and gallant Gentleman tell the House whether the rule to which he referred applies also to taking out works of literature or art at the end of the sentence? There is a feeling that it is one of the more depressing features of modern administration, that whereas in the past many works have been completed in prison and have subsequently seen the light of day, that does not seem possible nowadays.

They are allowed to take them out.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will abandon the proposal to provide a junior and a senior detention centre for the North of England in 1957–58 and use any available funds for the provision of remand centres under the Criminal Justice Act, 1948.

No, Sir. Apart from considerations of policy, the cost of one remand centre would be so much greater than the cost of two detention centres, that no useful purpose would be served by such a course.

But would not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman agree that detention centres were regarded as experimental, and will he not await the Report of the Committee on Children and Young Persons before he opens any more? If the Home Secretary has money to spare in his Estimates, would it not be much better to spend it on remand centres, for which there is such a tremendous demand?

I agree, but there is a queue and we have to judge where the place should be in the queue. The fact remains that one remand centre, the smallest, would cost about £400,000 and the largest about £700,000 and that we could probably get two detention centres from converted houses for about £150,000. I am anxious to get two more to complete the scheme, which would serve the North of England, and that is very important.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Joseph Grech was wrongly imprisoned as a result of a criminal conspiracy for which Ben Canter and Police Sergeant Robertson are now serving sentences of imprisonment; that Joseph Grech who is seeking a retrial of his case needs a copy of the proceedings of the trial of Canter and Robertson; that the Court of Criminal Appeal has decided that Grech, although the victim of this conspiracy, is not an interested party within Section 16 (1) of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907, and so is not entitled to a copy; that his depart-morn has refused to provide Grech with a copy; and what he now proposes to do so that Grech can obtain a transcript.

I do not accept the assertion in the first part of the Question. As regards the transcript of the case referred to, Grech's solicitor applied for a copy of it in August and again in November without on either occasion giving any grounds for his request. The greater part of the note of this long trial has not been transcribed and I was not prepared to incur the considerable expense of obtaining a transcript in order to lend it to a person for his private purposes.

Before the solicitor made his second application to me it had been suggested on Grech's behalf in the course of an application to the Court of Criminal Appeal that he proposed to petition for the exercise of the Royal Prerogative with a view to a reference of his case to the Court under Section 19 of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907, and that he required the transcript for that purpose. I, therefore, caused the solicitor to be informed that if this was his client's intention I should be prepared to consider what assistance I could give. The solicitor has now confirmed that it is his client's intention to petition, and I am accordingly arranging for a copy of the transcript to be obtained and lent to the solicitor for the purpose of preparing the proposed petition.

I am glad that has happened, but has it not taken a long time, and has the matter not thrown the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's Department into the position of referring this man to the courts and of the courts referring him to the Home Office?

The solicitor asked for the transcript on two occasions without giving any indication of what he wanted it for. As I have said in answer to the Question, when he said what it was wanted for, it was given. As the hon. Gentleman will appreciate, it is an expensive matter because a full transcript would cost about £200.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure that Communist agents do not enter this country under the guise of Hungarian refugees.

When the decision was taken, on 23rd November, to dispense with individual interviews with Hungarian refugees before admitting them to this country, it was realised that this involved certain risks, but these risks were deliberately accepted in order to give help as quickly as possible to the refugees and to the Austrian Government. It would not be in the public interest to give details of security arrangements but I can assure my hon. Friend that the point he makes has not been overlooked.

Whilst thanking my right hon. and gallant Friend for that Answer, and whilst it is highly desirable that the genuine refugees should get through as quickly as possible, may I ask if he is aware that it is equally highly desirable that the others should not come in?

It is also important, in view of the condition of many of these people, that nothing should be said which would tend to exaggerate their fears and suspicions, and that they should realise that they have at last got into a free country.

Would the Home Secretary not agree that it is very difficult to define Communists in relation to Hungary? Would he not agree that some of the strongest opponents of the Kadar Government are Communists, that there are Tito Communists, Gomulka Communists and Hungarian Communists, and that it would be grossly unfair to regard these as enemy agents?

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will withdraw his ban on the admission of Hungarian refugees and ask the local authorities' Civil Defence services and the Women's Voluntary Services to give their full support to caring for the Hungarian refugees, so that the billeting and resettlement of these refugees may be speeded up.

I have described the suspension as temporary but I regret that it is not possible for me today to make any definite statement as to the future. At the moment it is necessary to concentrate on settling in employment and private accommodation the refugees who are now in hostels.

The Women's Voluntary Services are already dealing, on behalf of the British Council for Aid to Refugees, with the many generous offers of accommodation in private households which have been received, and as a result of discussions which my officers have had with the representatives of the local authorities' associations arrangements are being worked out to facilitate co-operation between the local authorities, the voluntary bodies and the Ministry of Labour, which is helping to place the refugees in employment. I have been assured of the full support of the local authorities in this work.

I am sure that the House is very glad to hear that, but will the Home Secretary do everything he can to ascertain when he can lift the ban? Although we as a country have done very well in receiving refugees, surely we could speed up the work if we brought in the Civil Defence service? Is it not a fact that many of the refugees who have come here are in transit for overseas?

One of the difficulties—it was a peculiar one at the time—was that some of the barracks which wore being used were wanted for the Services, and that created something of a bottleneck. That matter is now being looked at.

In view of the generous undertaking by this country to receive these refugees without limit, an undertaking which has now had to be reviewed, and in view of the great financial burden which is falling upon Austria in that she is receiving almost unlimited numbers of these individuals, will my right hon. and gallant Friend consult his right hon. Friends as to whether financial aid can be given to Austria in lieu of our taking the refugees who would otherwise have been received in this country?

I will certainly look at that point. I would remind my hon. Friend that we first decided to limit to 2,500 the number of refugees that we would take, and it was because of a request which came from Austria that we removed the ceiling.

I appreciate what the Home Secretary has done and is doing in the matter, but does it not put the matter into fair perspective to point out that a few days ago Austria, which is a much smaller country than ours, was housing about ten times the number of refugees that we have so far? Does not the tremendous urgency of the situation in Austria have a bearing on the sort of sacrifice that we should try to make?

As the right hon. Gentleman will appreciate, we are only too anxious to do what we can in the matter. I do not think that the country need be ashamed of what we have done up to date. This trouble is a purely mechanical one, and I cannot go any further until it has been cleared out of the way. I shall give the House further information as soon as I can.

Am I right in thinking that the Home Secretary's reference to local authorities is an advance on the statement which he made in a Written Answer to a Question last Thursday? If so, will he give wide publicity to it and encourage people who wish to help to send their offers to the local authorities and so prevent some of the bottlenecks which are occurring because they are sending their offers of help to the Refugee Council in London?

Yes, Sir. The hon. Gentleman kindly came to see me some time last week, and one or two suggestions that he made were followed up immediately. I think he will realise from my Answer that we are in very close touch with the local authorities. I believe the situation there will be satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Hungarian refugees have now arrived in this country since the recent Hungarian rising; what facilities exist to enable all who do not wish to become residents in this country to emigrate to the country of their choice provided it is willing to receive them; and if he is satisfied with these arrangements.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is about 11,000. As regards the remainder, I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that urgent consideration is being given to the question of facilitating the emigration from this country of those refugees who want to go to countries which are willing to receive them. I will make a further statement as soon as I am in a position to do so.

Does not my right hon. and gallant Friend's reply show that no other country has acted so generously Or so promptly? [HON. MEMBERS: "What about Austria?"]At the same time, is my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that the fact that this country does not belong to the Inter-Governmental Committee on European Migration creates considerable difficulties as regards refugees who want to go to countries other than the British Dominions? Is there not a very strong case indeed for this country to join the main international agency handling this problem?

I will certainly look at the point. While we all appreciate that this country has done very well, we must always remember that the Commonwealth has been extremely generous in making offers to any of the refugees who want to go to Commonwealth countries.

Does our effort to accept Hungarian refugees cover desertions from the Russian Army, which are said to have been on a large scale? If so, what proportion of the refugees are deserters from the Russian Army who took the side of the Hungarian people against their Government?

I cannot answer that question. As the hon. and learned Gentleman would have realised if he had listened to my Answer to Question No. 28, we suspended the questioning which normally takes place of immigrants into this country. Therefore, the 11,000 refugees who came in simply came in. I dare say that in time the answer to that question will become known.

In view of the Answers given by the Home Secretary to the Oues- tions relating to Hungarian refugees, I beg to give notice that I shall try to raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the meritorious conduct of a prisoner in Winson Green Prison, Birmingham, in preventing the murder of a prison officer for which he was awarded a remission of his sentence by six months, if he will reconsider making a more generous award to this prisoner in accordance with the recommendation made to him by the prison governor supported by the Prison Officers' Association.

No, Sir. I appreciate the courage which the prisoner showed in going to the prison officer's assistance, and I gave full weight to this in deciding what remission to recommend. In considering how much remission should be awarded to a prisoner who has gone to the assistance of a prison officer it is necessary to maintain a just balance between the prisoner whose case is under consideration and others who have behaved meritoriously. Having regard to the amount of remission awarded in other cases the six months recommended in this case was generous, and I am not prepared to recommend that the award be increased.

In view of the fact that the governor of the prison himself recommended a twelve months' remission, and the facts were established before the court that the action of this man saved the life of a prison officer, may I ask the Home Secretary again to reconsider whether this is a generous allowance since it really means only a four months' remission of the man's sentence?

I have stated, and the hon. Gentleman appreciates, that I am not bound by any recommendation made to me by any officer. I have to look at all cases on their merits. I have looked at this one and I cannot say that the remission is other than generous.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to issue a White Paper on Civil Defence.

Civil defence will be included in the Statement on Defence, to be issued in February. The issue of a separate White Paper on the subject is not contemplated at present.

Is the Home Secretary aware that people throughout the country in the ranks of the Civil Defence organisation are very disheartened at its present nebulous state? If the Government really think that the propaganda which they have issued about the danger of war in the Middle East should be taken seriously, does not the Home Secretary think that Civil Defence here should also be taken seriously?

It has been taken seriously. I can only repeat my Answer, which is that in February we shall get the White Paper on Defence, which will cover Civil Defence. The reply to the hon. Gentleman's point about people being disheartened is that there has been a net increase in strength in the last three months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action Her Majesty's Government propose to take with regard to amendment of the law relating to British nationality and allegiance consequent upon the decision of the other House sitting in a judicial capacity in the case of Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what revision of the law he proposes to introduce as a result of the recent decision in the case of Prince Ernest of Hanover; and what estimate he has formed of the numbers affected by this decision.

It has been estimated that the number of persons affected by the recent decision may be of the order of 400. The effects of the decision are still being studied and I am not at present in a position to make any statement.

I appreciate the necessity for time to enable the Home Secretary and his advisers to consider the full implications of the case, but will the Home Secretary bear in mind the whole question of dual nationality whereby British citizens holding British passports and, presumably, owing allegiance to Her Majesty, also owe some sort of allegiance to other countries? Will he bear in mind also that an individual should make up his mind to whom he owes allegiance?

That is, of course, one of the many problems that arise as a result of the decision. I can assure the right hon. Gentleman that all these considerations are being borne in mind.

Does my right hon. and gallant Friend appreciate that some at least of the 400, now that they have been found to be British subjects, may well be traitors for having taken up arms against Her Majesty? Will he seriously consider initiating legislation so that any of these Royal or ex-Royal personages will have to apply for British nationality if they want it?

That is one consideration, but I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that it is only one of a lot of complicated possibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many males and how many females comprised the total of 4,417 persons under 21 years of age against whom the offence of drunkenness was proved in 1955; and what increase has taken place in either sex as compared with 1952, 1953, and 1954.

The figures are 4,183 and 234 respectively. For males, the increases were 902 compared with 1954 and 1,303 compared with 1953, The corresponding increases for females were 13 and 18. Corresponding figures for 1952 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the figures of the offences of drunkenness published by his Department for 1955 show, not only a considerable increase for persons under 21 years of age, but also that there is now a higher incidence of drunkenness among them than among persons over 60 years of age; and whether he will discuss clinical measures with the Minister of Health, and instruction measures with the Minister of Education, and take any other preventive measures necessary to stem the growth of drunkenness among the young.

Yes, Sir. As I indicated in reply to a Question by the right hon. Member for Come Valley (Mr. Glenvil Hall) on 21st June last, I will continue to keep a close watch on the question of drunkenness among young persons, and if it appears that any special steps are called for or would be helpful, I shall not hesitate to take them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what increase he has sanctioned in London taxi-cab fares.

I propose to make an Order authorising a surcharge of 6d. in respect of each hiring of a taxicab in the Metropolitan Police District to come into force on Friday, 21st December.

Has the Home Secretary imposed any conditions for this increase? For example, has he informed the trade that this 6d. has to be removed when the present price of petrol goes down by Is. 5d. a gallon?

I can now give an undertaking to review the Order when the increase of petrol duty ends—it is the duty which is the reason for this happening. The only other condition is that the charges should be prominently displayed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the approximate average fine for the offence of driving under the influence of drink has been progressively reduced from £17 10s. in 1953 to f17 5s. in 1954 and f16 16s. in 1955; that warnings have been given by the Lord Chief Justice, the Lord Chancellor and others concerning the inadequacy of the fines for the seriousness of the offence; and if he will introduce legislation to increase the statutory minimum fine.

If the hon. Member's figures are intended to indicate the average fine per conviction in a magistrates' court of driving under the influence of drink or drugs and are based on the Return of Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles it appears that his figure for 1955 should be £18, showing an increase on the previous years and not a decrease.

There are at present no statutory minimum fines for road traffic offences and I am not prepared to introduce legislation to prescribe such fines. I have, however, drawn magistrates' attention to the fact that during the debates on the Road Traffic Bill in another place the Lord Chancellor, while opposing the introduction of minimum penalties, suggested that magistrates' courts might be well advised to review the scale of penalties which they customarily impose in motoring cases.

asked the Minister of Education the number of children being educated in Anglican and Roman Catholic aided schools, respectively; and the number of new Anglican and new Roman Catholic schools built since the war, or now under construction.

As the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

As these figures will show that since the war the Catholic community has been making great sacrifices to provide schools for which it is responsible, and that even the Anglican Church is beginning to do so, will the Minister encourage both communities by putting back the church schools, especially the village primary schools, which he has cut out of the present building programme?

I agree with the hon. Member that the efforts made by the Churches are very great and very praiseworthy, but I cannot have a policy for the denominational schools different from that for the county schools.

asked the Minister of Education how many new Roman Catholic Schools have been cut out of local education authority building programmes for 1956–58 by his economy measures.

The effect of Circular 306, issued in June, 1956, was to postpone for a few months the start of a number of projects, including some Roman Catholic schools, in the 1955–56 and 1956–57 programmes. For 1957–58 local education authorities proposed 101 Roman Catholic Schools; of these I have accepted 21. Those rejected included many projects outside the building policy which has obtained since the war.

Does the Minister realise that for the Catholic schools those figures represent a cut of about 75 per cent. and in some parts of the country 100 per cent. in the building programme? Will he look at the case of some of the schools, like the Roman Catholic school that he has cut out of the Aldershot building programme, with a view to putting some of them back?

It is not a cut at all. Many of these schools put forward by the Churches, as they know quite well, are outside the present limits of the building programme, and could not be brought into the building programme in present conditions.

asked the Minister of Education whether he is satisfied with the quality of science teachers appointed in recent years; and if he will give statistics of appointments and type of qualification to substantiate his reply.

No, Sir. The position should improve following the recent recommendations of the Burnham Committee. This year for the first time prospective graduate teachers in mathematics and science who have a first or second class honours degree will be granted indefinite deferment from National Service.

I welcome that statement, but is it not a fact that the recruitment of both mathematics and science teachers in the past few years has been only half of what is needed to meet future demands?

Yes, Sir. It is a very worrying position, but it is improving slightly, and with the help of the teacher training colleges we may gain further improvement in the future.

Does the Minister mean to say that the quality is disappointing and not the quantity, or is it with both that he is disappointed?

I could wish for improvement in both.

asked the Minister of Education whether he has yet considered local objections to the construction of a new secondary modern school at Wilnecote, in the County of Warwick; and what conclusions have been reached for educational improvement in that area.

I carefully considered these objections before I approved, on 16th October last, the Warwickshire local education authority's proposal to establish a new secondary school at Wilnecote.