asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to arrange for the compulsory return of an appropriate number of petrol ration coupons in all cases where motor cars are not re-licensed for the first three months of 1957.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow, East (Mr. J. Harvey) on 3rd December last.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that many applications for supplementary petrol by persons living in remote areas unserved by train or omnibus are not being considered with sufficient sympathy by his petroleum officers; and whether he will consider issuing a further instruction in the matter.

I fully appreciate the difficulties of those living in the more remote parts of the country, and my regional officers will take them into account in considering claims for extra allowances required to avoid serious loss of production, livelihood or other exceptional hardship.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many Members of Parliament have applied for basic petrol ration; how many for supplementary ration; and how many have been refused the latter.

I do not know how many Members of the House have applied for the basic ration as not all of them have used the House of Commons Post Office, but 365 have applied to the Fees Office for supplementary allowances; and in each case some supplementary allowance has been granted.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, to prevent unemployment in the architectural profession and the building industry, he will give consideration to the allocation of petrol for architects and building superintendents for indispensable visits to the sites of projected building and those buildings actually under construction.

My Regional petroleum officers will consider applications from self-employed professional people whose livelihood would otherwise be substantially affected. In other cases, it will be for the employer to decide how his block allowance can best be allocated in the interests of maintaining production and employment.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to consider an allocation of petrol for men and women of Her Majesty's Forces who will be returning to Great Britain for their leave.

Members of Her Majesty's Forces who own cars are, of course, entitled to the basic ration, but present circumstances are different from those obtaining during the war and I do not think that special allowances to members of Her Majesty's Forces on leave would be justified.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is now in a position to give figures to show the extent to which coal transport is being switched to rail in the interests of fuel economy.

The National Coal Board inform me that by 17th December diversions at the pithead from road to rail transport had reached the rate of 40,000 tons of coal a week.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power his policy about the placing of nuclear power stations in the South of England as a means of saving transmission costs.

The selection of sites for power stations in England and Wales is for the Central Electricity Authority and I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to paragraphs 89–91 of the Authority's Eighth Report in which are set out the main considerations taken into account when sites are chosen.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he intends to publish his decisions on the extension of the electricity main with Upper Langdale, about which a public inquiry was held at Ambleside on 9th August, 1956.

My right hon. Friend's decision, agreeing with the recommendations of the Lake District Planning Board, is being issued today.

asked the hon. Member for Finchley, as, representing the Church Commissioners, why the Commissioners took steps to obtain the authority to raise rents in one part of Dibdin House which has no protection under the Rent Acts; by how much it is intended to raise the rent; how the old and new rents compare with those for similar accommodation in other blocks in Dibdin House; and what provision they have in mind to meet cases of hardship.

The Commissioners applied to the Rent Tribunal in respect of 59 flats in Dibdin House, because they thought that rents on these flats were too low; the Tribunal awarded new rents of more than double, but the Commissioners decided to make a first increase of only one-third of the increases awarded by the Tribunal, i.e. between 7s. 6d. and 3s. 6d. per week; the new rents exceed rents in other parts of Dibdin House by 2s. 3d. per week for the largest flats and 9d. per week for the smallest; any cases of hardship will receive sympathetic consideration by the Commissioners, but no such cases have yet been reported.

asked the hon. Member for Finchley, as representing the Church Commissioners, what applications for rate rebate have been made for premises in or about Dibdin House, on the grounds that they are used for purposes of religion.

One application has been made, in respect of the Commissioners' office, No. 12 Dibdin House, under Section 8 of the Rating and Valuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1955.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is aware that a Government factory for making tanks was, five years after its completion, sold to a private firm at a loss; what was the loss; and how many similar transactions have been indulged in by his Department during recent years.

My right hon. Friend gave the reasons for disposing of the tank factory in answer to a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for South Fylde (Colonel Lancaster) on 9th July last. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the reply. Building of the factory commenced in 1951 and it was completed in 1955. It is not the practice to disclose figures of individual transactions, but the sale was made at current market value and in pursuance with the agreement made with the firm concerned in September, 1951. One other rearmament factory has been sold recently.

asked the Minister of Supply to make a statement on the design and development of a jet and rocket fighter with vertical climb.

No development is taking place of any jet and rocket fighter with vertical climb. The hon. Member will recall that the existence of the Saunders Roe SR. 53 mixed power plant project, and the Short's vertical take-off aircraft was officially released on 12th November, 1955.

asked the Minister of Supply what consideration was given by his Department to the possibilities of developing the production of civil goods before making workers redundant at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green.

asked the Minister of Supply what capital expenditure has been undertaken to improve the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, in the last three years; and to what extent the machinery installed is suitable for the production of civil goods.

This factory has recently been equipped with plant for the manufacture of new types of ammunition. Capital expenditure for this and other purposes during the last three years has been just over £1 million and the factory will be well employed on Service orders at its reduced strength for as long as I can foresee at present. The plant is specialised and not suitable for the production of civil goods.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) how many workers have been made redundant at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, in the last two months; why this action was taken; and what steps have been taken by his Department to find alternative employment for these people;(2) what is his estimate of redundancy at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, for the first three months of 1957; and what action he proposes to take to ensure re-employment of the people so affected.

asked the Minister of Supply what action was taken by his Department, before making workers redundant at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, to ascertain that there was alternative employment for them in the locality.

asked the Minister of Supply what action is taken by his Department before making workers in Royal Ordnance Factories redundant to ascertain that alternative employment exists for them in their locality.

Five hundred and seventy workpeople will eventually be redundant at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Radway Green, because of a reduction in Service requirements. Two hundred and eighty-one employees have already left the factory and the remaining 289 will leave during the next three months. The workpeople concerned and the local officers of the Ministry of Labour and National Service are given as long notice as possible.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent redundancy at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, is due to the introduction of labour-saving machinery, reduction in the arms programme, the placing of contracts with private firms or other causes, respectively.

The redundancy at this factory is due solely to a reduction in Service requirements of ammunition.

asked the Minister of Supply how many workers were engaged at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Radway Green, in former years on the manufacture of goods for civilian consumption; what type of goods were manufactured; and to what extent it is now proposed to avoid redundancy by using plant and workers for this type of manufacture again.

At the beginning of 1948 about 1,000 workpeople were engaged on civil work, almost entirely on the manufacture of gas and electric cookers. It is not proposed to resume that type of work. The present plant is not suitable for it and will, in any case, continue to be used on Service orders.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps are now being taken or contemplated to decrease expenditure on military aircraft production.

Reductions in orders of Valiants, Hunters, Seamews and Shackletons have been made as announced in the Statement on Defence, 1956. Further reductions in the production of air stores, which include aircraft, have been made as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House on 26th June. As regards the future, I must ask the hon. Member to await the 1957 Statement on Defence.

asked the Minister of Supply whether some Government contracts can be given in Dagenham in view of the employment situation.

asked the Minister of Supply whether, in view of the unemployment and redundancy in the motor car industry, he will offer contracts for other engineering products to car manufacturing firms.

Apart from the special consideration given to Development Areas Government contracts are not allocated on a geographical basis, but firms in Dagenham and elsewhere who are on the Ministry's Trades Lists are given full opportunity to tender. Car manufacturers may apply to be considered for other engineering products.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) if he is aware that Messrs. Drake Motors, Plymouth, who have contracts with his Department, are not complying with the Fair Wages Clause in respect of those contracts; and what steps he is taking to ensure than the Fair Wages Clause is complied with;(2) why Messrs. Drake Motors, Plymouth, are still given contracts by his Department when they are not complying with the Fair Wages Clause in respect of existing contracts.

I am not aware that the firm is not complying with the Fair Wages Clause, but if the hon. Member will send me details I will inquire into the matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount of the annual subvention from public funds on account of statutory smallholdings in England and Wales; the total number of such holdings; and to what extent the difference between the rents and the charges incurred is met by his Department in each county.

asked the Minister fo Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he now has as to the possibilities of importing meat into this country from France.

The import of uncooked meat from France is prohibited on animal health grounds, and in view of the foot-and-mouth disease position there I see

The provision in the current Estimates for payments to small-holdings authorities in England and Wales is £744,500. These authorities now provide 17,757 holdings, of which 9,520 are full time.Contributions each year on individual schemes are fixed in advance on the basis of estimated losses. I do not know how far, in practice, actual losses are covered by these contributions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has now appointed an agricultural attaché to serve in Denmark, Sweden, and Holland; and in which other posts in the Commonwealth and foreign countries agricultural attachés are serving.

An agricultural and food attaché has now been selected to serve in Denmark and the Netherlands. He is expected to take up his appointment in Copenhagen in the course of January, 1957.Agricultural and food attachés are at present serving in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and in the United States and Argentina.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food taking the year 1950 as 100, what have been the percentage imports of meat from the Argentine and New Zealand for each subsequent year.

Following are the figures:no prospect of an early relaxation of the ban.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what study and inspection of the best overseas practice in the design, construction, and use of agricultural buildings and fixed equipment are at present being carried out by officers of his Department.

Publications and reports on overseas practice in these matters are systematically studied by officers of the Department; and officers are nominated as opportunity offers for overseas conferences, study courses and inspection tours. In these ways, every effort is made to keep abreast of new developments in other countries.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has received that the recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in coastal districts were caused by starlings or other birds migrating from the Continent.

There are several factors which suggest that the recent outbreaks in coastal districts may be connected with the movement of birds from the Continent. The affected areas are on routes taken by birds in migration; all the primary cases arose in cattle grazing in the fields; the virus found is of a type common on the Continent and different from that found in other recent outbreaks in this country; and careful inquiries into other possible origins have proved negative. Large flocks of starlings were seen on one of the farms a few days before disease was confirmed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the national income has been contributed by agriculture during each of the last three years.

The percentages are estimated to have been 5·0, 4·5 and 4·3 respectively in 1953, 1954 and 1955.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that since he removed price control on bread on 30th September flour millers have increased the price of home-produced flour on five occasions; that a 280-lb. sack of flour now costs 109s., which is 14s. more than the lowest price quoted in early October, whereas imported wheat has only risen by 7s. 6d. a sack; and whether, in view of this evidence, he will reimpose price control on flour and bread.

I would refer the hon. Member to replies given to the hon. Members for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) and Feltham (Mr. Hunter) on 6th and 10th December respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will hold an inquiry regarding the prices of home-produced beef.

No. I do not consider that in present circumstances the results of such an inquiry would justify the expenditure of time and money involved.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether improvement grants for farm buildings will be paid to companies as well as to individual owners.

Yes, subject to the general qualifications set out in the White Paper on Long Term Assurances for Agriculture (Cmnd. 23).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his attention has been called to the sale of a bottled drink, the name of which has been sent to him, the label on which describes it as being a non-alcoholic port-flavoured beverage; and whether, in view of the fact that the contents smell and taste of pear drops and have no resemblance in either sense to port, he will consider taking action in the matter under Section 6 of the Food and Drugs Act.

The Act places on local food and drugs authorities the duty of taking proceedings for alleged infringements of Section 6. I will however bring the matter to the attention of the authority concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet decided to accept the recommendations of the Food Standards Committee on the meat content of sausages.

I have not yet reached a decision but hope to do so within a few weeks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to require all butchers to mark clearly all meat from animals slaughtered by ritual methods so as to avoid sale of inferior quality bloodless meat by false pretences.

No. Slaughter by ritual methods does not adversely affect the quality of the meat.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, in view of the lengthy and extensive experiments designed to combat the common cold, if he can yet give any guidance that will serve to reduce the usual heavy toll from this complaint

I regret that I cannot as yet report the discovery of any new methods for the prevention or treatment of the common cold. Culture of the common cold virus was first reported three years ago but since that time efforts to repeat cultivation on a large scale, such as would be necessary for vaccine production, have been unsuccessful. Recent advances in the general field of virus research do, however, suggest new approaches to the problem and the Medical Research Council, in co-operation with my Department, is continuing its investigations.

asked the Minister of Health as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he is satisfied that the draft regulations submitted by the General Dental Council, providing for special examinations under Section 16 of the Dentists Act, 1956, will meet the requirement that the examinations should be of a practical character appropriate to the circumstances in which certain foreign refugee dentists, who have previously registered and practised abroad, are now applying for registration in this country; and if he will make a statement.

It is not yet clear that the General Dental Council's regulations as at present drafted entirely meet this point, and they are under discussion between the Privy Council and the General Dental Council.

asked the Minister of Health how many dentists are now in practice in England and Wales; and how many are over 55 years of age.

There are about 11,200 dentists in practice in England and Wales. Of the 9,800 dentists providing general dental services as part of the National Health Service about 3,800 are aged 55 or more. Information about the age distribution of the remainder is not available.

asked the Minister of Health how many dental students are now in training; and by how many that number falls short of the nation's requirements.

Comprehensive information about the number of students in the current academic year will not be available before February. The total number is however known to be considerably below the estimate of requirements made by the Committee on Recruitment to the Dental Profession, though there has recently been a welcome increase in the intake of new students.

asked the Minister of Health his plans for the creation of a deep-freeze bank of cornea for corneal grafting; and if he will make a statement on the present position with regard to corneal grafting in the United Kingdom.

I am advised that normally corneae cannot yet be preserved by deep-freeze methods in a condition which gives a reasonable chance of permanent restoration of vision after grafting.Corneal grafting is done at a number of centres in England and Wales, with eyes obtained mainly from patients who die in hospital. Most centres can obtain enough eyes, and further attempts are being made to improve supplies at the two largest.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement on the progress of the mass X-ray unit's investigation of coal miners in North Staffordshire.

Since May, 1956, nine of the collieries in the area have been visited by the mobile unit. Of their total manpower of 10,980, 8,516 attended for mass X-ray. One colliery is surveyed by the National Coal Board unit every two years and the remaining eleven collieries will be visited by the mobile unit in the first half of 1957.

asked the Minister of Health what types of apparatus are available in North Staffordshire for mass X-ray investigation; how many cases have been examined since the inception of the service; and what percentage of the population has taken advantage of the facilities offered.

A mobile unit using a 35 millimetre camera serves this area and part of Shropshire. Since it started in July, 1952, it has examined 216,000 persons or 30 per cent. of the population of the area it serves.

asked the Minister of Health what consultations he has had with the British Medical Association regarding the desirability of making burns and scalds which need medical attention notifiable by general practitioners and hospitals to medical officers of health.

I have no power to make burns and scalds notifiable, but exchange sible for treatment and prevention of of information between those responhome accidents may be arranged by local agreement, and is being encouraged.

asked the Minister of Health the annual cost to the National Health Service of treating casualties from burns and scalds, as in-patients or outpatients; and what proportion of patients are children.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of food poisoning have been officially reported in the latest annual period for which figures are available; and how many persons were affected.

8,961 during 1955: the number of persons affected is estimated at about 20,000.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the severe curtailment of facilities for chiropodic treatment in Woolwich; and if he will take steps to restore these facilities.

The London County Council recently rearranged its chiropody services to improve their distribution throughout the county, and this has necessarily involved a decrease in some areas. Regarding the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ince (Mr. T. Brown) on 19th November.

asked the Minister of Health whether droppers supplied with ear or eye drops are charged for as a separate item on National Health prescriptions.

A single charge is made to cover both dropper and drops when they are prescribed on the same form.

asked the Minister of Health the reason for delay in rebuilding blocks 1 and 2 of St. Thomas's Hospital; and when work on these blocks will start.

A recent structural survey has led the Board of Governors to review its reconstruction plans. I expect to receive its revised proposals early next year.

asked the Minister of Health the shortage of nurses and student nurses in the area of the North-Eastern Regional Board; in what hospitals, within its area, the shortage is acute; approximately, the number or percentage of nurses or student nurses who are of Commonwealth, foreign and Irish origin, respectively; and what efforts are being made to offer nursing training to suitable Hungarian women refugees.

The shortage of hospital nursing staff in the North-East Metropolitan area is estimated by the Regional Board to be about 2,700, including about 600 vacancies for student nurses. I am sending the hon. Member the figures for each hospital management group. Information concerning the nationality of nursing staff is not available. Arrangements have been made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service to offer nursing training to suitable Hungarian refugees.

asked the Minister of Health how many beds are unoccupied in the hospitals covered by the Tees-side Hospital Management Committee due to shortage of nursing staff; and what he is doing to recruit more nurses.

38 beds at one hospital. The hospital management committee is taking special measures to foster local interest in nursing as a career, and hopes that the introduction of new clinical services will also help to attract staff.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the shortage of nurses in the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board area and what action he is taking to enable the management committees to increase their recruitment.

Yes, but I am informed that the recruitment position is improving. The most serious shortages are in the mental and mental deficiency hospitals and I would refer the hon. Member to the very full answer my hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 26th November.

asked the Minister of Health what number of doctors are required to certify a person; how often, and for how long, the person has to be seen before certification can take place; and what are the minimum medical requirements of doctors entitled to function in the sending of a person to a mental home against the wishes of the person concerned.

One, in the case of a summary reception order by a justice of the peace; two for a reception order by a judicial authority on the petition of a spouse or relative. There is no statutory requirement about the number or length of the medical examinations, which are matters for the doctor to decide. A certifying doctor must be a medical practitioner duly registered under the Medical Acts and in the actual practice of the medical profession.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors were concerned in the certification of Mrs. Harriett Thornton which resulted in her detention in a mental home for 3½ years; and on how many occasions, and for how long, did each doctor see her before a decision was taken to send Mrs. Thornton to a mental home.

One, for the summary reception order by a justice of the peace made on the 30th March, 1953, which continued for a year, and one for each of the two statutory reports and certificates as a result of which the order continued until 25th October, 1956. With regard to the second part of the Question this is a matter of which I have neither knowledge nor jurisdiction.

asked the Minister of Health what representations he has had from hospital pharmacists regarding the extra clerical work imposed on them by charges for prescriptions; and what action he proposes to take.

I have received a very few letters suggesting that the new charges will involve some extra work for hospital pharmacists; it is too early to say whether any action on my part will be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs his policy in regard to the £10 million per year subsidy to Jordan.

This question is closely connected with the question of the future of the Anglo-Jordan Treaty, on which I cannot add to the reply given on 12th December to the right hon. Member for Bassetlaw (Mr. Bellenger).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why his Department has decided to close Her Majesty's Consulate-General in Nice; on what date this will take place; and what arrangements are being made to look after the interests of British subjects resident in Nice, in view of the fact that the nearest British Consulate-General is at Marseilles.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Teeling) on 12th December.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he anticipates that British Overseas Airways Corporation will be able to resume services to Cairo.

I do not know.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken to obtain for British civilians evacuated from Egypt full compensation for the losses sustained by them.

As the House will know, the Egyptian Government have sequestrated all British property in Egypt. It is not yet clear what the ultimate financial effect of these measures will be. The question of compensation to those who have suffered or may suffer losses as a result of this action by the Egyptian authorities will be raised by Her Majesty's Government in any settlement negotiated with the Egyptians. Meanwhile, steps are being taken to compile a register of British property in Egypt.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the estimated cost of restoring the Suez Canal to full use; and whether he will seek to arrange for this sum to be a first charge on the revenue earned by the canal when it reopens.

I am not yet able to give even an approximate estimate of the cost of restoring the Suez Canal to full use. The United Nations salvage forces have not completed their examination of the demolitions and obstructions south of E1 Cap. An accurate estimate will probably not be available for some time.The allocation of the costs incurred by the United Nations in clearing the Canal of the obstructions placed there by the Egyptian Government is one of the matters awaiting discussion by the General Assembly. It would be premature to say how the United Nations operation may be financed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will place in the Library of the House of Commons the scripts of the Foreign Office broadcasts which have so far gone out from the Sharq-al-Adna broadcasting station in Cyprus.

These broadcasts are made in Arabic and the local representatives of the station in Cyprus have discretion to amend or omit scripts and recordings which are prepared in London. At the present time, I am loth to authorise the considerable expenditure of time and money which would be required to translate and duplicate the definitive texts as they are put out by Cyprus. I have, however, arranged for the preparation of a full set of the English scripts from 7th November onwards as they were prepared in London, which I will gladly send to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at what conferences called by individual States Her Majesty's Government has been represented during the last five years.

Her Majesty's Government have been represented, by Ministers or by officials, at innumerable international meetings during the past five years. In the present conditions of international life, it is not always possible to determine whether the initiative comes from one or more Governments. It would therefore only be misleading if I attempted to provide an exhaustive list of the kind requested by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what day of what month Her Majesty's Government informed the United States Government that they no longer considered themselves bound under the Tripartite Declaration to defend Egypt against an armed attack by Israel; and what assurance they gave regarding their policy in relation to Israel in the event of an attack by Egypt.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the Answer given to the right hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Younger) on 22nd November. The view which we had held for some time that the Tripartite Declaration was inapplicable in Egypt's defence was stated in the course of meetings with the representatives of the United States and France on 29th October. There was general agreement with this view. In answer to the second part of the Question, no specific assurance on the point was sought or given, but Her Majesty's Government's position remains as so often stated in this House, and most recently in answer to the right hon. Member for Blyth (Mr. Robens) on 19th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply Her Majesty's Ambassador in Tel-Aviv gave to the assurances received from the Government of Israel on 29th October that Israeli forces would not attack Jordan.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on the situation in Kuwait.

Between 10.00 p.m. on 10th December and 2.00 a.m. on 11th December nine explosions occurred among oil installations belonging to the Kuwait Oil Company. As the hon. Members knows, the company is owned half by British and half by American interests. The explosions occurred at three oil wells, in the area of an underwater pipe line and on a gas pipe line to the town of Kuwait. There were no casualties and damage was minor except in the case of one well at Ahmadi where the fire was extinguished on 14th December. The effect on oil production in Kuwait has been negligible. This almost wholly unsuccessful sabotage was carried out under cover of very stormy weather conditions and my right hon. and learned Friend continues to have full confidence in the ability of the Kuwait authorities to protect oil installations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will consult Western European countries with a view to abolishing the need for passports between ourselves and them.

Her Majesty's Government consider that passports are the most satisfactory documents of identity for British subjects travelling abroad and are a necessary part of the United Kingdom system of control of aliens. They feel therefore that there would be disadvantages in their abolition at the present time.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many war pensioners who will receive the new comforts and ageing allowance are in receipt of National Assistance; and whether he will initiate legislation to include these allowances in the disregards under the National Insurance Acts.

I am afraid that precise figures are not available, but the number will certainly be small. The Answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether the ageing allowance for war-disabled pensioners will be granted to those war-disabled persons who are in receipt of alternative pensions; and what he expects the cost to be.

Yes, subject to the same conditions as I announced in my reply on 19th November to my hon. Friends the Members for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) and Withington (Sir R. Cary). The Answer to the second part of the question is £1,250 in a full year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will now reduce the qualifying age for an ageing allowance for war-disabled pensioners to 60 years; and what would be the cost of this change.

No. I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the full Answers I gave on this subject on 3rd and 10th December. The Answer to the second part of the Question is about £900,000 in the first full year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what increase in benefit has been granted since 1921 to the 270 war-disabled pensioners in receipt of an alternative pension; and what allowance is given in respect of the wife's maintenance.

These pensioners, where eligible for Constant Attendance, Comforts, and Clothing Allowances have shared in the improvements made in these Allowances, and will be eligible if the other conditions continue to be satisfied for the futher improvements in allowances which I announced on 19th November. The rates of alternative pensions, which do not include an allowance in respect of a wife have not been increased. The hon. Member will, however, be aware that recipients of these pensions are always eligible to transfer to standard pensions whenever it becomes advantageous to them to do so.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the exact procedure under his regulations for those not on Public Assistance who desire a refund of money paid for prescriptions; what inquiries are made; how long they usually take; how repayment is made if this is agreed to; and what is the approximate cost of each such inquiry.

By arrangement between the Health Departments and the National Assistance Board anyone not already receiving national assistance (or who has not already obtained a payment from the Board on the basis of immediate need to meet a prescription charge) obtains from the chemist an explanatory leaflet which includes a simple form on which to apply for a refund. Application can be made to the local office of the National Assistance Board by post or, if desired, by personal call. In the latter case the Board's officer will make the necessary inquiries as to circumstances and resources and a payment will be made then and there if there is need by National Assistance standards. If application is made by post, the Board's officer will call on the applicant at his own home and any payment due will be made by post without delay. These inquiries will be conducted in the course of the officers' normal duties and it would not be practicable to cost them separately.These arrangements do not apply to war disablement pensioners who can on application to my Ministry automatically obtain refunds of money paid for prescriptions for their accepted disability.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation to provide that the value of old-age pensions and National Assistance payments shall rise automatically in accordance with periodic rises in the cost of living.

No. I would add that experience in the past with other pensions which were subject to such adjustment does nothing to commend this proposal.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in view of the increased cost of living which will result from the increase in petrol tax by 1s. per gallon, he will now increase war disability pensions.

No. I do not accept the general premises on which the hon. Gentleman's Question is based. So far as the direct incidence of this tax on war disability pensioners using cars and invalid tricycles is concerned, the hon. Gentleman will no doubt be aware of the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health on 11th December.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in view of the increased cost of living which will result from the Government increasing petrol tax by 1s. per gallon, he will now increase old-age pensions.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to Answers given to a number of Questions on this subject on 3rd and 10th December.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to state the number of people who were, at the latest convenient stated date, in receipt of National Assistance in the area covered by the local area office of the National Assistance Board which, in part, covers the Parliamentary constituency of Lewisham, North; and how these figures compare with a similar date over the last five years.

The numbers of weekly National Assistance allowances current at the end of November in the area served by the National Assistance Board's Lewisham office were:

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to state the number of people who were, at the latest convenient stated date, in receipt of National Assistance in the area covered by the five area offices of the National Assistance Board, which includes the Parliamentary constituency of Carmarthen; and how these figures compare with a similar date over the last five years.

The numbers of weekly National Assistance allowances current at the end of November in the area served by the National Assistance Board's Area Offices at Carmarthen, Ammanford, Cardigan, Haverfordwest and Llanelly were:

asked the Minister of Defence on what date the Supreme Allied Command in Cyprus ordered the discontinuance of the transmission over the "Voice of Britain" of the British Broadcasting Corporation Arabic Service; for what reasons this discontinuance was ordered; on what date the service was resumed; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply. Relays of the B.B.C. Arabic Service began on 2nd November, and were suspended for operational reasons on 3rd November. They began again on 7th November, after the cease-fire, and are still continuing.

asked the Minister of Defence what proportion of all ranks in the three Services enjoy liquid milk as an item in their ration scale; what is the approximate total daily quantity; and what is the quantity per head.

I have been asked to reply. Liquid milk is included in the diet of all ranks of all three Services at home and abroad. If my hon. Friend wishes for detailed information of the practice of the individual Services, perhaps he will make inquires of the Service Ministers.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will increase the supplementary allowance of petrol to manufacturers of medical products who cannot switch to rail delivery at short notice owing to the difficulty in obtaining suitable containers for their products which normally go by road.

I have asked my Regional Transport Commissioners to give special consideration to applications for supplementary fuel rations for the movement of essential medical supplies.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what steps he is taking to minimise the difficulties, arising out of rationing, facing the operators of diesel-engined commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

The basic ration has been issued to all those who applied in time. Regional Transport Commissioners will at once proceed to issue an advance of supplementary rations to those who qualify for them under the criteria I circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 5th December. This will enable operators to carry on while a fuller examination of applications is being made. The amounts of derv available for issue as supplementary rations are in total greater than the total amounts issued in the basic ration. Supplementary rations will, as I have stated, be related to the work to be done and not necessarily to previous usage.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether it is his intention that all persons who currently hold provisional driving licences will be required in due course to pass driving tests before the issue to them of full licences.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has completed his discussions with the interests concerned with regard to the hardship caused to the owners and staffs of driving schools by the complete suspension of driving tests; and whether he will now announce proposals to alleviate the situation.

I am considering the representations which have been made to me in this matter, and will make a statement as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he proposes to resume driving tests on a limited scale; and whether he will announce the date on which he hopes to do so.

I am not in a position to announce a date for the resumption of driving tests.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to make a statement about the sinking of an oil barge in the River Thames on 8th December which resulted in the death of a large number of swans.

The barge "Stone Heath", in company with three other barges in tow, left Thameshaven on Friday, 7th December, with a cargo of light fuel oil. When the tug and tow reached Westminster Bridge about 3.30 a.m. on the following day the "Stone Heath" was seen to have taken a list to port. She heeled over on her side, her tow parted and she sank. The oil then escaped from the barge, caused extensive pollution of the river and considerable loss and suffering among the swans.I much regret what has happened, as do the Port of London Authority, who have informed me that a summons has today been issued under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1955, against the owners of the "Stone Heath". I have ordered a Preliminary Inquiry under the Merchant Shipping Acts into the cause of this casualty.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether the work now in progress on the West Cromwell Road extension in Brentford and Chiswick is keeping pace with the proposed schedule; and when it is anticipated the northern carriageway to the east of Chiswick Lane will be completed and open to traffic.

The contract works on the trunk road section of Cromwell Road extension are proceeding satisfactorily and it is hoped to complete the northern carriageway by the end of April, 1957. The southern carriageway will then, however, be closed until about November, 1957, in order that a pedestrian subway may be completed.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to state the expenditure incurred on the work now in progress on the West Cromwell Road extension in Brentford and Chiswick up to the latest convenient day; and how much remains to be spent on the road in this borough before the work is complete.

The expenditure incurred to date on the works in progress on the trunk road section of Cromwell Road extension is £280,000. The estimated cost to complete the comprehensive scheme, including the Gunnersbury Flyover, is about £1¼ million, excluding the cost of land and property.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the use in some sections of the fabric industry of the use of a radioactive element containing strontium 90 to keep cloth clean by counteracting static electricity; and what investigation he has made of the dangers of this process.

Yes. The Factory Inspectorate has kept in close touch with the development of this device which embodies appropriate safety precautions. Tests show that the dosage to which workers have been exposed is considerably less than the weekly maximum permissible dose set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection.

asked the Minister of Labour the percentage of persons in the United Kingdom insured against unemployment who come within the North-West Region; the total number of Hungarian refugees received in London to date; and what percentage of the Hungarian refugees who have been dispersed from London to various parts of the United Kingdom have been sent to the North-West Region.

The number of Hungarian refugees dispersed to different parts of the country has to be decided according to the availability of hostel accommodation, rather than on employment grounds. The percentage of persons in the United Kingdom insured against unemployment who come within the North Western Region is 13·6. The total number of Hungarian refugees received in the United Kingdom up to the 10th December, 1956, was 9,924. It is estimated that on the 10th December, 1956, about 4,500 had been dispersed to various parts of the United Kingdom and of these 114 men and boys had gone to the North Western Region.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the increasing cost of books and instruments, he will increase the allowances made by his Department to university and technical students for this purpose and also increase by a like amount the figure he has recommended to local education authorities as a guide for their grants under this heading.

The amount for the purchase of books, which is included in the standard figure of maintenance and was reviewed in 1955, seems reasonable in the light of recent information available to my right hon. Friend. Over and above the normal maintenance grant, grants towards the cost of instruments may be made on application by a student. These matters will be considered again at the next review in 1958.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware that hardship was caused to a number of students by the late payment this term of State awards; and if he will take steps to arrange for these to be paid in the first week of each term and also draw the attention of the local education authorities to the importance of paying their grants at the beginning of the term.

My Department normally sends the money in respect of State scholarships to the universities before the beginning of terms in all cases where we have received sufficient information to make the assessments. My right hon. Friend regrets that a number were not sent until after the beginning of this term, but he will ensure that this does not occur again. Local education authorities appreciate the importance of paying their grants as promptly as they can: my right hon. Friend is looking into some complaints about a few authorities who are alleged to have been late this term.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities are continuing to make loans to students instead of awarding scholarships to them; how many charge interest, and at what rate per cent.; if he is aware that the West Riding of Yorkshire made over 50 such loans in each of the last two academic years at three per cent. interest; and what steps he proposes to take to bring such local education authorities into line with the general practice.

Some local education authorities including the West Riding, make loans for special purposes, such as the purchase of instruments or to assist students who do not qualify for awards but who nevertheless embark on a course of study. My right hon. Friend thinks it reasonable to leave authorities free to make loans for these limited purposes, provided that they supplement, and do not replace, their other university awards.

asked the' Minister of Education to make a statement on the admission of grammar schools to the direct grant list.

Yes. The direct grant schools combine many of the best features of the maintained and independent school systems. No grammar school has been admitted to the list for eleven years and I have decided that the ban should now be lifted. I shall therefore be issuing a circular early in the New Year announcing the conditions on which I am prepared to consider applications from independent and transitionally assisted schools for admission to the list.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will publish the Report of the Wolfenden Committee on the Employment of National Service men.

The Report, together with the comments of the Army Council on its recommendations, is being published today as Command Paper 35. It is now available in the Vote Office. On behalf of the Army Council, I take this opportunity of expressing gratitude to the Chairman and members of the Committee for the very valuable work which they have done.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) what is the number of Suez contractors' employees interned in Egypt; and when he expects to possess the names of those concerned;(2) whether his Department has now been able to trace the whereabouts of Mr. Ernest Hicks who served in Cairo at the time of the armed conflict in the employment of the Suez Contractors Limited, London; and whether he will make a statement;(3) the number of British citizens interned in the English School, Heliopolis, Cairo; and when he expects to be able to obtain their release.

The number of Suez Contractors' employees in Egypt is reported to be 474; 448 of them, including Mr. Hicks, were recruited in this country and their names are known to us. The remaining 26 were engaged in Egypt by the Contractors and we have no record of their names.Two hundred of those interned are now living in the Victoria School at Maadi, Cairo and 274, including the locally engaged employees, in the English School at Heliopolis. There has been no marked change in their general health or living conditions since 28th November, when my hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs made a full statement. The Swiss authorities are doing what they can to secure satisfactory living conditions and Red Cross representatives have been paying regular visits and providing comforts. The Government are continuing to exert the strongest pressure on the Egyptian Government, through both the United Nations and the Swiss authorities, to release these internees immediately.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the types of nuclear reactor likely to be selected for power stations under his enlarged programme for commercial nuclear energy.

The reactors in the early nuclear power stations will be of the same type as those at Calder Hall but with considerably increased capacity. This type of reactor is believed to be capable of further development and should hold the field for some years. The Atomic Energy Authority is studying a number of other reactor systems for possible application in the later stages of the power programme, but it is not yet possible to say which types are likely to be selected.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consultations his Department has had about the provision of extra supplies of steel for the construction of further oil pipelines in the Middle East.

Discussions are taking place with the other Departments concerned and my right hon. Friend is, of course, in close touch with the Iron and Steel Board about steel plate supplies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the loss in revenue if the Entertainments Duty on cinema seats was reduced by 1d. at each seat price and abolished in the few cases in which the tax is 1d. or under.

About £4 million a year.

asked the Postmaster-General if in view of the poor wireless reception in the Scottish borders, he has any further statement to make about the establishment of a very high frequency station in the area to improve the service.

Parts of the borders will benefit from the V.H.F. stations to be opened at Sandale (Carlisle) and at Kirk o' Shotts in late 1957. These stations come in Stage II of the B.B.C. V.H.F. development plan which I announced on 1st August. Further stations must await completion of this programme. Meanwhile, we have made a renewed approach to the Spanish authorities about the interference which spoils reception of the Scottish Home Service in the borders.