asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now define the present Government's policy towards the Development Areas.

It remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to encourage industrial development in areas scheduled under the Distribution of Industry Acts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the trade talks in Madrid in December.

The trade talks were concerned mainly with the working of the arrangements made for 1956 and with the fixing of quotas to apply to imports into Spain from the United Kingdom in 1957. Arrangements generally similar to those operating in 1956 were made for 1957.As regards the individual quotas for imports into Spain in 1956, the Spanish authorities gave assurances that their commitments would be fulfilled by the end of the year. Full details of the licences issued under each quota have not yet been supplied to us but Her Majesty's Embassy at Madrid are pressing for them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for how many Supreme knitting machines, model M.L.C., for the manufacture of heavy industrial fabric, import licences have been authorised or issued.

No licence to import a Supreme knitting machine, Model M.L.C. as such has been issued during the past two years, but in the same period licences have been granted for some 14 Supreme knitting machines with the model unspecified.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government now accept the recommendation of the Council of Wales to appoint a Secretary of State for Wales.

The Government intend to study carefully the recommendations made by the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire and are taking into account the opinions expressed during the debate on Welsh affairs last week. I am not yet ready to announce any conclusions.

asked the Prime Minister if in view of the publication of official histories of various aspects of the last war, he will consider publishing a history of the House of Commons' part in the war, in particular, facsimile copies of documents issued to Members in 1940, when preparations were made for the evacuation of Parliament, details of the place to which the Government and Parliament were to be evacuated, the reasons for not carrying out the evacuation, with full details of the discussions that preceded that decision, and the other wartime activities of the House, such as fire watching and the Home Guard.

I do not think that the design of the official histories now in course of publication would readily accommodate a volume exclusively devoted to the part played by the House of Commons in the last war.

asked the Prime Minister if in the light of the recent statement of foreign policy by M. Shepilov, he will reconsider his decision not to go to Moscow to meet the Soviet leaders after his meeting with President Eisenhower.

No. I have informed Mr. Bulganin through the Soviet Ambassador that I will keep in mind his suggestion of a new date for a visit to Moscow. I also informed him that when it seemed possible to fix such a date, I would communicate with him again.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will arrange to set up a separate Ministry of Technical Education.

No. A separate Ministry would have no advantage over the present arrangements.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will discuss with President Eisenhower the Soviet proposals to ban all future tests of the hydrogen bomb; and whether he will make a statement.

While appreciating the importance of this question, I would prefer not to specify the subjects which I will discuss with the President at Bermuda.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set aside a greater allocation of dollars to allow British nationals to visit Canada for social, recreational and educational purposes.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackley (Mr. E. Johnson) on 7th February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement giving details as to what extent he anticipates achieving the saving of £100 million in Government spending during the current financial year.

I have nothing to add to the replies given on this subject to the hon. Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton) on 18th December last and to the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 29th January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the national income has been spent by the Central Government of the United Kingdom during each of the last five years.

The percentages are as follows:

1951	…	…	…	…	31·9
1952	…	…	…	…	31·6
1953	…	…	…	…	30·6
1954	…	…	…	…	28·1
1955	…	…	…	…	27·3

Central Government expenditure includes current and capital expenditure on goods and services and all subsidies, grants, interest payments and other transfers to local authorities, the National Insurance Funds and other sections of the community; it excludes expenditure by the National Insurance Funds. The figures are expressed as percentages of the gross national product, and are defined as in National Income and Expenditure, 1956.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the national income has been spent by local authorities in the United Kingdom during each of the last five years.

The percentages are as follows:

1951	…	…	…	…	…	9·6
1952	…	…	…	…	…	10·0
1953	…	…	…	…	…	10·2
1954	…	…	…	…	…	9·9
1955	…	…	…	…	…	9·6

Part of this expenditure is financed by grants from the Central Government, and was therefore included in the figures of Central Government expenditure stated in my reply to Question No. 56. Excluding such expenditure, the percentages are:

1951	…	…	…	…	…	6·9
1952	…	…	…	…	…	7·2
1953	…	…	…	…	…	7·4
1954	…	…	…	…	…	7·1
1955	…	…	…	…	…	6·7

In this reply, expenditure of local authorities includes current and capital expenditure on goods and services, and all subsidies, grants, interest payments and other transfers. The figures are expressed as percentages of the gross national product and are defined as in National Income and Expenditure, 1956.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will appoint a committee to investigate and report on the functioning of Britain's monetary system and to make recommendations for the evolvement of an efficient mechanism for implementing financial policy.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond) on 12th February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why Mr. Gardner of Bristol, who claims to have discovered a method of heating a house by solar heat at a cost of 2s. a week, has been told that he would be taxed on the savings he would make compared with the use of normal heating.

I cannot comment on the affairs of individual taxpayers, which are confidential.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for lodging allowances to Service men to be free of Income Tax.

No. The lodging allowances to Service men are fixed on the basis that they will be chargeable to tax.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the total sum contained in the Supplementary Estimates for increases in salaries and wages; and what percentage this is of the total Supplementary Estimates.

It is not possible to give a precise answer without undue expenditure of time and labour. Very approximately the Civil Supplementary Estimates presented last July and early this month include £54½ million on account of increases in salaries and wages. This is about 44 per cent. of the total Civil Supplementary Estimates.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the difficulties of the small cinemas where the maximum seating charge is 1s. 6d., of which 5½d. is tax; and, in view of the fact that these small cinemas are a vital factor in the social life of the rural and small industrial areas, if he will consider their plea for tax relief in his Budget.

I have received representations on behalf of small and other cinemas and am considering them in the course of my review of the Entertainment Duty, but I cannot anticipate my Budget Statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why, in view of the need for wage and salary restraint, the salary of the Prime Minister's Public Relations Officer was increased from £2,750 to £3,000 per annum.

The salary of the officer who serves my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as well as the Primp Minister has been fixed with regard to salaries of Information Officers in the Civil Service, which have been increased since the salary referred to in the Question was settled.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent approaches he has received from the Housewives League protesting against the continual rise in the cost of living.

None.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has yet received a petition addressed to him and signed by 174 tenants on the Mayville Estate, Islington, complaining of the dampness in the flats on this estate; and what steps he has taken in the matter.

Yes. This is wholly a matter for the London County Council, who own these flats; but inquiries have been made of them and I understand that successful remedial measures have already been taken in respect of most of the flats and that, given co-operation on the part of the tenants concerned, treatment of the remaining few should be completed at an early date.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures showing the total number of houses in the county borough of West Ham which will be liable to rent increases under the Government's Rent Bill; the amounts of such increases; the number affected in each category of rent increase; and how many will be liable to decontrol.

As I said in reply to the hon. Member on 12th February on a similar Question he put to me about the borough of Lewisham, I am not able to give separate estimates for individual local authority areas.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government on what date he received a letter from Mr. George Lowthian, General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Building Trade Workers, concerning the Government's Rent Bill; and whether he will publish in HANSARD this letter, together with his reply.

On 4th February; a reply was sent on 15th February. I do not propose to publish the correspondence, but I should have no objection to the union doing so if they so desired.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give the names of the two local authorities which have written to him specifically to dissociate themselves from criticism of the Government's Rent Bill; and whether he will publish their letters in HANSARD.

The number is now three: the councils of the City of Westminster, the Royal Borough of Kensington, and the Borough of St. Marylebone. I do not propose to publish their letters, but I should have no objection to their doing so if they so desired.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will consider giving financial assistance to local authorities to deal with private street works where a charge on the frontagers would constitute hardship or would be in other ways unfair.

Local authorities have power to contribute the whole or part of the cost of private street works if they think fit. I do not think that there is any need for grant from the Exchequer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received from the Gateshead Borough Council on the Rating and Valuation Bill; and what was his reply.

The council have protested against Clause 1 of the Bill. Their letter has been acknowledged.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if it is proposed to include the Government grant to police authorities towards police expenses in the proposed block grant towards local authority expenditure.

No. This is one of the exceptions to which I referred in my statement of 12th February, where technical considerations appear to make it not possible or desirable to replace the specific grant by a general grant.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what was the total amount of Government grant paid to local government authorities, including police authorities, in the last complete year for which figures are available; and if he will give an estimate of the amount had his proposals for the reform of local government finance then been in operation.

The total of Government grants and reimbursements to local authorities in England and Wales for 1954–55 (the last year for which figures have so far been published) was £.466·2 million. Details are given in the Local Government Statistics, published by the Stationery Office.It is not possible to estimate what the amount would have been had the new proposals then been in operation. The effect of these proposals on the total of grants will depend on matters that have still to be discussed with the representatives of local authorities.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what public services operated by local authorities will be considered to fall outside the scope of the new grant formula.

The main specific grants which I had in mind in making my statement of 12th February, as being neither possible nor desirable to replace by the general grant are the housing subsidies, and the grants for highways and police and, in the education service, advanced technology, school meals and milk.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will give details of his present proposals for the erection of new towns in the home counties in order to help relieve the housing shortage in London and Middlesex.

No further new towns under the New Towns Act, 1946, are contemplated for this purpose at present.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what information he has as to the working of Section 8, paragraph 1, of the Rating and Valuation Act, 1955, in so far as it affects friendly societies; and whether he will make a statement.

I have seen the published reports of decisions in the courts. I propose in due course to collect information about the operation of Section 8 and present the results to Parliament, but it is too early to undertake this yet.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the shortage of work, which has resulted in short-time working and a consequent loss to Great Britain's export trade, in the engineering firm of R. G. Garvil and Sons, Aberdeen; and if he will ascertain and state the precise causes of this, and take steps to rectify and solve the relevant problems.

Yes. I understand that the short-time working was caused by the cancellation of an Egyptian order. Full-time work has now been resumed.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that unemployment in the northern region showed an increase of 5,300 on 14th January, 1957; and what steps he intends to take to reverse this tendency.

Yes, this increase was only slightly more than the normal seasonal increase which takes place in this month and, with the exception of 1956; unemployment was lower last month than in any January since the end of the war.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an assurance that any increase in the ultimate cost of the Forth road bridge over the currently estimated £14,300,000 will be borne wholly by Her Majesty's Government.

As indicated in the statement which I made on the 29th January in reply to a Question by the hon. Member, the local authorities and the Government will contribute £500,000 and £4,650,000, respectively, to the approved cost of the bridge and the balance will be advanced by the Government by way of loans which will be repayable from the proceeds of tolls.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will revise certain regulations in Circular M.D.B. 34 which have been brought to his attention, and which adversely affect resident medical officers of Aberdeen hospitals.

No. This circular sets out an agreement between the two sides of the appropriate Whitley Committee. I understand that the Committee are considering difficulties which have arisen over

SCOTTISH POLICE FORCES
—			Male			Female
			Authorised Establishment	Actual Strength	+	Authorised Establishment	Actual Strength	+
					-			-
April, 1949	…	…	7,317	6,926	-391	158	127	-31
September, 1949	…	…	7,304	6,815	-489	162	123	-39
April, 1950	…	…	7,374	6,965	-409	164	136	-28
September, 1950	…	…	7,383	7,060	-323	168	138	-30
April, 1951	…	…	7,440	7,044	-396	170	142	-28
September, 1951	…	…	7,508	7,036	-472	171	148	-23
April, 1952	…	…	7,539	7,202	-337	180	155	-25
September, 1952	…	…	7,558	7,255	-303	180	157	-23
April, 1953	…	…	7,559	7,267	-292	180	167	-13
September, 1953	…	…	7,581	7,275	-306	191	166	-25
April, 1954	…	…	7,589	7,330	-259	214	186	-28
September, 1954	…	…	7,598	7,312	-286	214	196	-18
April, 1955	…	…	7,702	7,313	-389	216	197	-19
September, 1955	…	…	7,847	7,416	-431	224	200	-24
April, 1956	…	…	8,457	7,666	-791	242	223	-19
September, 1956	…	…	8,467	7,758	-709	244	229	-15

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an approximate starting date for a new public school at Chapelhall, Lanarkshire.

It is expected that work on this school will start in September, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has now considered reconstituting the Advisory Council on Education in Scotland, which has been in abeyance since 1952.

I have decided, in view of the nature of some of the educational problems with which we shall be faced

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the figures for the authorised establishment, the actual strength, and the numbers over-strength and under-strength, male and female, of the Scottish police forces at the end of April and September each year since September, 1949.

The following are the figures:—in the near future, to reconstitute the Council for a period of three years. I am very glad to say that Principal T. M. Knox of St. Andrews University has accepted my invitation to be Chairman. Sir James Robertson, Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School, has agreed to serve as Vice-Chairman and the following as members:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many houses and tenancies in the city of Aberdeen will be liable to rent increases under the Rent Bill; the amount of these increases individually and in total; the number in each category of rent increase; and how many will be liable to decontrol.

I am informed that there are about 25,000 let controlled houses in the city of Aberdeen with rateable values up to £40, but I have no information how many of these will satisfy the qualifying conditions for rent increases under the Bill.I have no means of estimating the amounts of these increases or the number in each category of rent increase, but the maximum weekly increases will be 3s. 10d. for the 1956 Act increase, 7s. 8d. for the revised repairs increase of one-half, and 1s. 6d. in respect of the raising of the repairs increase from two-fifths to one-half of the 1954 recoverable rent.About 400 let controlled houses in Aberdeen will be subject to decontrol under the provisions of Clause 9 (1) of the Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what assistance this country is making available to the four British subjects being tried in the Egyptian criminal court.

Before Egypt broke off diplomatic relations, Her Majesty's Embassy in Cairo gave the usual consular assistance, including visits and help in arranging for defence counsel. Since then, the Swiss authorities have acted on Her Majesty's Government's behalf.We are at present doing what we can to arrange for British and Swiss lawyers to attend the trial, as well as a representative of the Swiss Legation in Cairo. The Egyptian authorities have agreed in principle to the presence of a Swiss observer and to the return to Cairo of Mr. Edwardes-Ker, the defendants' British solicitor.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who are the members of the United Kingdom Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly; and the qualifications for which each is included.

The names of the United Kingdom Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the United Nations General Assembly were given in the reply to a Question by the right hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Younger) on 12th December last. My right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs has since then also gone to New York as a Delegate. These Delegates and Alternate Delegates are assisted by advisers and supporting staff from London and by the staff of the United Kingdom Permanent Delegation in New York. My right hon. and learned Friend regards them all as fully qualified for the duties which they are carrying out in New York.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he has yet been acquainted formally with the latest proposals of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in respect of international tension and of Middle East problems in particular; and whether Her Majesty's Government has yet given consideration to these proposals.

Yes. As the Prime Minister informed the House on 14th February, the Soviet proposals are being studied with care in consultation with our American and French allies.

asked the Minister of Supply what experiments have been made at the Chemical Defence Station, Salisbury Plain, on the use of atropine as an antidote to nerve gases; what is the purpose of these; to what extent volunteers were used for the experiments; what proposals he has for issuing this drug to soldiers to be used for self-injection; and if he will make a statement.

Comprehensive experiments have been carried out over a number of years by the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment to assess the value of atropine as an antidote against nerve gases and to determine the tolerance of effective dosages by men. The results of these trials, which included experiments with volunteers, have been published in the scientific Press from time to time. No decision has yet been taken to issue this drug to soldiers for self-injection.

asked the Minister of Health what part of the extra receipts arising from the imposition of separate charges for each item on medical prescriptions he estimates to have been derived from old-age pensioners.

I regret that the information necessary to make an estimate is not available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many vessels suspected of carrying slaves have been searched by Her Majesty's ships in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea in each year since 1945; in how many cases their suspicions have proved to be correct; and how many slaves have been released as a result of these searches.

Two such vessels have been searched since 1945. These were intercepted in the Red Sea in 1948. Nothing suspicious was found.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers are under his supervision in West and East Sussex under Part II of the Agriculture Act, 1947.

Nine.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the increasing quantity of milk that now has to go into manufacture, if he will consider requiring that only tuberculin tested milk is sent into the liquid market.

It is my hope that all our milk will eventually be tuberculin-tested, but there is not yet sufficient milk of this quality to meet the needs of the liquid market.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, as there is now an increasing quantity of milk being produced, he will consider whether it is undesirable to have a scaling down of the differential between summer and winter prices in the southeast region.

This is a question for the Milk Marketing Board, which is responsible for fixing the monthly producer prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the increasing quantity of milk having to go to manufacture, if he will request the Milk Marketing Board to revert to the original scheme whereby milk is paid on a regional basis.

The Milk Marketing Board for England and Wales continues to prescribe the price to producers on a regional basis.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he ceased to carry out periodic surveys to classify the standard of husbandry on individual farms in West and East Sussex.

The West Sussex Agricultural Executive Committee discontinued their complete survey of farms in April, 1954, and the East Sussex Committee in July. 1956. As regards my general policy in regard to farm surveys, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply I gave on 4th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Maidstone (Sir A. Bossom).

asked the Minister of Agriculture., Fisheries and Food in view of the severe damage done by starlings, particularly to recently-sown corn, if he will have an investigation made as to the best ways of keeping down these birds, and advise farmers accordingly.

I have had no reports of serious damage by starlings to young corn, but I would be glad to investigate any evidence which may have been brought to the notice of my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the report of the Committee on Welsh Diploma Courses to be available.

I have received the Report and it will be published tomorrow. I am glad of this opportunity of expressing my indebtedness to Professor Seaborne Davies and the members of his Committee for their thorough inquiry. I intend to obtain the views of the various organisations and interests concerned before reaching any decisions on the Committee's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the meteorological service is now recording sunshine intensity in this country; and what records are now being kept of rainfall duration in addition to quantity.

The intensity of sunshine at the earth's surface is recorded by the Meteorological Office at six stations. Records of the duration of rainfall, in addition to its quantity, arc received from two hundred and fifty-five stations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many persons are at present in custody in the prison in St. Helena; how many of them are of non-indigenous origin; and, in the case of the latter category, from what countries or territories they originate.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 6th February, 1957; Vol. 564, c. 61–2], supplied the following information:There are no prisoners in common gaols in St. Helena. Three prisoners are at present in a special gaol, having been removed from Bahrain recently under the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act, 1869.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which United Nations or other international agencies are assisting development schemes in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, respectively; what are the schemes; and what is the nature and cost of the assistance in each case.

The United Nations and the Specialised Agencies plan to provide assistance to these territories in 1957 as tabulated below:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the position in each colonial and Trust Territory and Protectorate with regard to the minimum ages for paid employment for boys and girls, provisions for part-time employment with or without attendance at school, the number of children under 14 years of age employed in part-time or full-time work, the maximum hours of labour under 14 years of age or other specified ages, applied in each case to each sex, respectively, the minimum wages paid to either sex, and the industries in each territory in which children may be employed, and regulations governing their employment, respectively.

The information will take considerable time to collect together, but I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the composition of the Committee set up by the Legislative Council of Northern Rhodesia to examine constitutional changes for the Colony; and what are its terms of reference.

I have not been informed by the Governor that such a committee of the Legislative Council is being set up. I am inquiring from him, and, when I have his reply, will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of skilled and semi-skilled European workers employed in the Copperbelt area of Northern Rhodesia for the years 1950–1956, respectively; and the proportion of European to African workers for the years 1950 and 1956, respectively.

I am asking the Governor for the information requested in the first part of the Question and will circulate the reply in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The answer to the second part is:

—	Average numbers in service in each year
	Europeans	Africans
1950	4,604	34,814
1956 (January to July)	7,017	37,617

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the detailed composition of his estimates of £270 and £220 for repatriating from Gibraltar the body of 23178973 Private G. Elvins.

The following are the details requested:

If crating of coffin required (estimated weight 220 kilograms)
	£	s.	d.
Air transport Gibraltar—London	126	10	0
London—Birmingham	14	10	0
Oak coffin	75	10	6
Metal lining	35	0	0
Miscellaneous expenses	2	15	6
Exhumation	7	0	0
Crating	15	0	0
Total	276	6	0

If crating of coffin not required (estimated weight 150 kilograms)
	£	s.	d.
Air transport Gilbraltar—London	86	5	0
London—Birmingham	14	10	0
Oak coffin	75	10	6
Metal lining	35	0	0
Miscellaneous expenses	2	15	6
Exhumation	7	0	0
Total	221	1	0

NOTES: Air transport is costed at standard air freight charge of 11s. 6d. a kilogram. Rail transport from London to Birmingham (110 miles) is costed at 2s. 8d. a mile.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will institute a full scale inquiry into the loss of two soldiers of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, and the serious wounding of six others in the Aden Protectorate on Sunday, 3rd February; and what steps are to be taken to punish those responsible.

I have called for a full report on this incident but, on the facts available, I see no reason for an inquiry. The Government of Aden have already taken steps to punish the tribesmen responsible. I should like to express my deep sympathy with the relatives of the soldiers who were killed or wounded in this regrettable incident.

asked the Secretary of State for War haw many years' stocks of bicycles, binoculars, and chairs, respectively, it is his policy normally to hold for the Army's use.

We need to hold sufficient bicycles and chairs to meet the Army's requirements for between three and fifteen months and enough binoculars for between six and eighteen months. This is in addition to any necessary war reserves.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers of the rank of brigadier and upwards there now are in the Army; and by how much that number has risen or fallen since last July.

There are now 537 officers of the rank of brigadier or above on the active list. This is one more than the figure given by my predecessor in answer to a similar Question by the hon. Member on 10th July last year. There is, however, a true reduction of eleven because fourteen officers are now on leave pending retirement, whereas there were only two last July.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many National Service men whose parents live in Swindon have been casualties in Cyprus since 15th November, 1956.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for War what casualties have been suffered by the 1st Battalion, the Wiltshire Regiment, since 15th November, 1956.

One private soldier wounded but not seriously.

asked the Minister of Works if he will state, for the latest convenient date, the number of employees in his Department, working in the House of Commons, who have not received an increase in their wages or salaries since the date when Members of Parliament commenced to receive the sessional allowance.

None.