Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Friday, 22nd February, 1957

Nigeria

Trade With Japan

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the figures for the last twelve-monthly period of Japanese imports into Nigeria, and Nigerian exports to Japan.

For the twelve months ending in October, 1956, the latest period for which figures are available, imports totalled £20,289,797 and exports £7,206.

Cayman Islands

Turtles

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the volume and value of turtle products exported by the Cayman Islands in 1955–56; what was the average weight and landed cost of a turtle; and what was the average gross profit per reptile taken.

The Governor of Jamaica has supplied the following figures for the export of turtle products from the Cayman Islands in 1955 and 1956:

—			Volume	Value
			lbs.	£
1955	…	…	656,432	51,290
1956	…	…	650,721	42,309

The average weight per turtle was 150 lb. I am asking the Governor whether any details of average landed cost and gross profit per reptile are available, and will write to my hon. Friend when I get the reply.

Cyprus

Deaths

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state separately the number of Cypriot civilian men, women, and children killed during each month since 27th July, 1956.

The figures required are being obtained and I will send them to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to state separately the number of Greek and Turkish Cypriots, including members of the Security Forces and civilians, killed in each month since April, 1955.

The information for the latter part of this period is as follows:

Month	Greek-Cypriot	Turkish-Cypriot
1956—
July (since 22nd)	7	Nil
August	12	1
September	8	2
October	14	nil
November	9	1
December	12	nil
1957
January	7	nil
February (to 20th)	2	nil

The earlier figures are being obtained and will be sent to the hon. Member in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of British civilians killed in Cyprus in each month since 27th July, 1956.

The figures of British civilians killed in Cyprus since 27th July, 1956, are as follows:

August	…	…	…	none
September	…	…	…	1
October	…	…	…	none
November	…	…	…	4
December	…	…	…	1
January, 1957	…	…	…	4
February	…	…	…	none

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will list the number of members of the armed forces and police killed in Cyprus during each month since 27th July, 1956.

The information requested is as follows:

Month	Service	Police
1956—
July (from 27th)	none	none
August	none	1
September	7	3
October	6	none
November	16	4
December	1	1
1957—
January	1	2
February (to 20th)	4	1

Prisoners And Detained Persons

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) the number of persons in prison waiting trial or after conviction; and the number of persons under detention in Cyprus in each month since April, 1955;

Month				Convicted in prison^*	Unconvicted and waiting trial in prison	In detention under Detention of Persons Law	In detention under Emergency Regulations
1955:
April	…	…	…	311	32	None	None
May	…	…	…	322	14	None	None
June	…	…	…	309	23	None	None
July	…	…	…	297	8	13	None
August	…	…	…	304	17	70	None
September	…	…	…	286	30	102	None
October	…	…	…	301	29	103	None
November	…	…	…	341	33	135	None
December	…	…	…	349	21	140	129
1956:
January	…	…	…	367	17	152	134
February	…	…	…	370	16	171	131
March	…	…	…	367	19	206	109
April	…	…	…	369	22	239	92
May	…	…	…	378	24	279	87
June	…	…	…	387	30	348	82
July	…	…	…	399	34	441	70
August	…	…	…	388	35	468	56
September	…	…	…	365	37	482	57
October	…	…	…	368	27	554	57
November	…	…	…	375	14	636	57
December	…	…	…	384	20	720	44
1957:
January	…	…	…	395	20	805	32
^*Total prison population, for all offences.

Canings

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of Cypriots whipped in each month since April, 1955.

The number of Cypriots caned each month since April, 1955, are as follows:

May-November, 1955	…	…	nil
December, 1955	…	…	1
January, 1956	…	…	6
February, 1956	…	…	11
March, 1956	…	…	22
April, 1956	…	…	13
May, 1956	…	…	28
June, 1956	…	…	12
July, 1956	…	…	33
August, 1956	…	…	15
September, 1956	…	…	nil
October, 1956	…	…	7
November, 1956	…	…	14
December, 1956	…	…	4

Acts Of Violence

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of

(2) how many Cypriot civilians were in prison or under detention in each month since April, 1955.

The information requested is as follows:acts of violence which occurred in Cyprus in each month since April 1955.

The information requested is as follows:

April, 1955	…	…	…	45
May	…	…	…	4
June	…	…	…	53
July	…	…	…	25
August	…	…	…	30
September	…	…	…	64
October	…	…	…	74
November	…	…	…	217
December	…	…	…	187
January, 1956	…	…	…	134
February	…	…	…	99
March	…	…	…	246
April	…	…	…	234
May	…	…	…	395
June	…	…	…	276
July	…	…	…	66
August	…	…	…	123
September	…	…	…	285
October	…	…	…	129
November	…	…	…	416
December	…	…	…	96
January, 1957	…	…	…	161
February	…	…	…	259

Complaints Of Ill-Treatment

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many complaints were submitted to the authorities in Cyprus regarding ill-treatment by members of the security forces of Cypriot civilians, including persons in prison or detention, in each month since April, 1955.

I have asked the Governor for this information and I will send it to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Archbishop Makarios

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will publish a full report from the two officials of his Department who travelled to Mahé to see Archbishop Makarios in December.

I gave a report on the mission of the two officials in my reply to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 29th January, and I made a further reference to it during the debate on 19th February. I have nothing to add.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now liberate Archbishop Makarios in view of the declared intention of the leaders of E.O.K.A. to cease acts of violence in Cyprus immediately the Archbishop is released.

I know nothing of any such declaration.

Mr Niko Cranidiotis (Telephone Service)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what date instructions were given to disconnect the telephone at the home of Mr. Niko Cranidiotis, Nicosia; for what reason; and when the telephone will be reconnected.

On 19th September last for reasons of public security. It will be reconnected as soon as the Governor is satisfied that there is no risk to public safety and order.

Archbishopric, Nicosia (Seized Documents)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what documents were seized when the Archbishopric at Nicosia was searched by members of the security forces; and why he has not returned these documents to the Archbishopric or published their contents.

I understand that the documents consisted of minutes of the Ethnarchy council and bureau, certain correspondence and various accounts and financial records. The minutes, correspondence and some of the accounts have been returned to the Archbishopric. The other accounts were retained for further investigation.

Captured Documents

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now publish a complete translation of all documents captured during operations against E.O.K.A. in Cyprus.

No. The documents contain much material which is of value to the security authorities and cannot at this stage be made public.

The "Times Of Cyprus"

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what date the Governor of Cyprus proposes to implement his decision to proscribe the Times of Cyprus; and if he will state the reasons for this action.

The Governor has taken no such decision.

Police (Mobile Reserve)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many officers and men are now serving in the mobile reserve of the Cyprus police; and how many of these are Greek and how many are Turkish.

32 officers and 551 men of whom none are Greek Cypriots (although the mobile reserve is a volunteer force open to all) and 560 are Turkish Cypriots.

Malta

Emigration

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of persons who emigrated from Malta during 1956 and each of the preceding five years, together with the estimated population of the Colony at the beginning of each year or at some other convenient date in each year.

Emigration is a matter which falls within the competence of Maltese Ministers. I am informed by them that the population of Malta on the 1st January, 1956, was 313,195 and that approximately 4,000 persons emigrated during 1956. The figures for each of the preceding five years are as follows:

Year			Population on 1st January	Emigrants
1951	…	…	312,447	7,217
1952	…	…	312,646	4,326
1953	…	…	316,764	3,593
1954	…	…	320,613	10,497
1955	…	…	315,952	7,706

East Africa

Income Tax (Commission's Report)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the Report of the Commission appointed to inquire into income tax in East Africa has now been published; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

The Report has not yet been published, but when it is I will arrange to have a copy placed in the Library.

Education

Secondary Education

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education (1) if he will state the number of grammar school places filled by primary school students during the year 1956, in the South of England, and North of England, respectively;

(2) what percentage of those who fail to secure a grammar school place enter secondary modern, technical, and commercial schools, respectively.

I am writing to the hon. Member.

Secondary Modern School Pupils (Gce)

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education how many students of secondary modern schools, county by county, enter for the General Certificate of Education examination; and with what results.

The information is not available by counties. Provisional figures for England and Wales indicate that in 1956 nearly 9,000 secondary modern school pupils entered for the examination. They were successful in about half the subjects for which they entered.

Hospitals

Mental Diseases (Alcohol)

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an estimate of the number of cases of mental disease admitted into hospitals under his direction during 1955 in which alcohol was the principal or contributory cause, respectively.

During 1955 there were 1,053 admissions to mental hospitals which were recorded as principally due to alcoholic psychosis or alcoholism. No estimate can be made of the number of admissions to mental hospitals in which alcohol was a contributory cause.

Home Department

Drunkenness, London

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of proceedings and convictions for drunkenness in the Metropolitan Police district, and/or the County of London, and in the City of London, respectively, during the calendar year 1956; and the comparable figures for 1955.

The numbers for the County of London are not yet available. Those for the Metropolitan Police district and the City of London are as follows:

—	Metropolitan Police district		City of London
—	1955	1956	1955	1956
Proceedings for drunkenness	20,462	24,038	132	164
Convictions	19,903^*	23,245	131	164
^* Revised figure.

Employment

Swindon

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons are now unemployed in the Borough of Swindon; and how many unfilled vacancies have been brought to the attention of his officers there.

At 11th February there were 333 males and 179 females on the registers of the Swindon Employment Exchange. The numbers of vacancies notified to that office and remaining unfilled at 6th February were 478 for males and 251 for females.

Trade And Commerce

Monopolies Commission (Report On Electrical Machinery)

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission's Report on the Supply and Exports of Electrical and Allied Machinery and Plant will be published; and if he will make a statement about its contents.

The Report was published today. It covers three classes of goods which fall under the following broad headings:

(a) steam and water driven turbo alternator plant;

(b) generators other than those in (a) and electric motors (except that in both cases there is a minimum limit of output);

In 1952 the value of United Kingdom manufacturers' sales of machinery in the three classes amounted to £88 million. Home sales of class ( a) machinery were £11 million while exports were £12 million, a total of £23 million. Home sales of class ( b) machinery amounted to £31½ million and exports to £10½ million, a total of £42 million. The corresponding values for class ( c) machinery were £14 million, £9 million and £23 million.

A number of restrictive agreements are operated by United Kingdom manufacturers. Nearly all the manufacturers who are parties to these practices are members of the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers' Association (B.E.A.M.A.). The practices are not operated by the B.E.A.M.A. and not every member of the Association who makes these products is a party to the practices. The practices are operated under agreements of the "Trade Groups" or, in some cases, under agreements sponsored by the International Electrical Association Ltd. (I.E.A.). The agreements of the groups which are administratively associated with, but distinct from, the B.E.A.M.A. cover the home market and part of the export market. The main provisions of the agreements include all or some of the following arrangements:

(i) Notification, that is the central notification by signatories of specified particulars of inquiries, and subsequently of orders, received for machinery or plant the subject matter of an agreement. This information, or some part of it, is circulated among signatories and enables them to discuss relevant technical or commercial matters.

(ii) Compensation, that is the payment by the successful tenderer of a sum of money to be used to compensate other tenderers who are members of the group for the expenses involved in tendering.

(iii) Common minimum price, that is a price for specified machinery or plant below which all signatories have agreed not to quote, except as otherwise provided by the agreement. The minimum is in practice normally the actual price quoted. This does not mean that the prices quoted by all signatories to an agreement in response to a particular inquiry will necessarily be Identical. For some of the more complicated machinery they are in fact unlikely to be so, since the operating characteristics offered by the various signatories will differ and these technical differences will be reflected in price adjustments which are provided for in the agreement. If, however, all tendering signatories were to offer machines of identical performance (though not of identical design) their prices would also be identical unless any of them exercised their right to quote above the minimum. In the case of larger machinery which is supplied under contract this practice is often called "level tendering".

(iv) Supplementary provisions relating to such matters as uniform conditions of contract, main contractor's handling charges, discount and price maintenance on resale; in their general effect these provisions support the main price arrangements.

The agreements sponsored by the I.E.A., to which British and foreign manufacturers belong, cover broadly that part of the export market not covered by the group arrangements. Both British and foreign members are parties to agreements for the notification of inquiries and orders. In addition, compensation arrangements are operated between British members of the I.E.A. for certain types of machinery (for which these members also agree common prices) and are the counterpart of the arrangements for compensation for tendering expenses under certain group agreements.

Except in isolated cases, only the British members of the I.E.A. have made arrangements for common minimum prices. The I.E.A. now operates only one formal agreement expressly providing for the maintenance of common minimum prices on all inquiries notified, but ad hoc price arrangements may follow notification of individual inquiries for other types of machinery. From time to time cooperation between members of the I.E.A. has taken the form of protection of exporters. A manufacturer may, for instance, claim a prior interest in a contract, usually because he supplied the original machinery to the power station concerned. Other manufacturers may agree to quote a higher price or longer delivery period or else to refrain from tendering at all. These protection arrangements in which foreign members have participated in some cases relate mostly to certain machinery in class ( a).

The Commission finds that the conditions to which the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948, applied prevail as regards both the supply and exports of machinery in each of the classes ( a), ( b) and ( c).

The Commission's principal finding on the industry's arrangements is that the common price system whether operated through the groups or the I.E.A. is against the public interest in relation to the supply and exports of machinery in

each of the three classes ( a), ( b) and ( c). (One member dissents from this conclusion in so far as it relates to exports.) In arriving at this conclusion the Commission has had regard to differences in market conditions as between one type of product and another and as between supply in the United Kingdom and by export. As far as the home supply of machinery in classes ( a) and ( c) is concerned, the Commission has paid particular attention to the situation arising from the unification of the electricity supply industry and to the relations of the manufacturers with the Central Electricity Authority and the area electricity boards.

Certain other arrangements are also found to be against the public interest in as much as they support the common price system.

The following arrangements would operate against the public interest in the absence of a common price system:

(i) compensation of unsuccessful tenderers in relation to the supply and exports of mast machinery in class (a) and certain machinery in class (b);

(ii) notification of inquiries and orders in relation to the supply of machinery in classes (a), (b) and (c), and also in relation to exports of such machinery in so far as overseas manufacturers participate;

(iii) differential prices in relation to the supply of machinery in classes (a), (b) and (c) in so far as they are obligatory or involve the listing of individual buyers entitled to allowances, and the arrangements in relation to the supply of certain machinery in classes (b) and (c) for discounts and rebates based on the aggregation of purchases, or on buying a given proportion of requirements, from a number of manufacturers;

(iv) protection arrangements in relation to exports of certain machinery in class (a);

(v) common conditions of sale and contract in relation to the supply and exports of machinery in classes (a), (b) and (c) in so far as they are obligatory;

(vi) a number of minor practices.

The Commission recommends that all the group and I.E.A. agreements in which are embodied the common price arrangements or any of the arrangements which it has found operate or may be expected to operate against the public interest should be terminated, and that the United Kingdom manufacturers should not in future enter into any agreements or arrangements with one another, or set up any other organisation, for these purposes.

The Commission sees advantage, as regards both supply and exports of all classes of machinery, in co-operation between the manufacturers in technical matters. It also sees advantage in the pooling of market information in respect of exports; for this reason it finds that the notification arrangements for exports would not operate against the public interest in the absence of a common price system, provided that overseas manufacturers did not participate. It also sees no objection to recommended model conditions of sale and contract under any of the heads of its reference.

The Central Electricity Authority (C.E.A.) purchased about four-fifths of the class ( a) machinery supplied in the United Kingdom in 1952. Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co. Ltd., and The British Thomson-Houston Co. Ltd., which are subsidiaries of Associated Electrical Industries Ltd. (A.E.I.), accounted for about two-fifths of such machinery supplied in the United Kingdom in the same year. The Commission has found nothing adverse to the public interest arising from the special positions of C.E.A. and of the subsidiaries of A.E.I.

The Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956, prohibits the Board of Trade from taking any action under Section 10 of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Act, 1948, in respect of any agreement made subject to registration by the Act of 1956. Agreements which relate to exports and which do not contain any registrable provision relating to the home market are not subject to registration. I am invitine the industry to send me their comments on the report as soon as possible.

National Finance

Pool Betting Duty (Receipts)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to give the monthly totals of the revenue received from the pool betting duty on totalisators on greyhound and horse racing tracks, for the year ended 31st December, 1956; and how these figures compared with the year ended 31st December, 1955.

The monthly receipts of pool betting duty charged at 10 per cent. on bets with greyhound race- track totalisators during 1955 and 1956 were as follows:

—		1955	1956
—		£	£
January	…	334,180	365,179
February	…	355,187	325,387
March	…	460,394	459,059
April	…	494,194	494,691
May	…	490,069	642,955
June	…	684,250	545,590
July	…	544,668	565,529
August	…	642,806	717,879
September	…	581,070	508,112
October	…	449,331	496,841
November	…	448,290	489,010
December	…	425,708	370,063
Total	…	5,910,147	5,980,295

Bets made with totalisators operated on horse race-courses under the authority of the Racecourse Betting Control Board are not liable to pool betting duty.

Members (Salaries)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to state, for the latest convenient date, the numbers of Members of Parliament who are not drawing their salaries; and the gross and net saving to the Treasury.

On 18th February, 1957, two Members were not accepting their Parliamentary salaries. The saving from the beginning of the current financial year until the end of last month was £1,389 0s. 10d.

Members' Fund (Exchequer Grant)

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any further consideration has been given to the possibility of an Exchequer grant to the Members' Fund.

On 12th July last Sir Anthony Eden stated that if the Trustees of the Members' Fund wished to propose an increase in the maximum grants and the total income limits within which grants may be made, and if such increase could not be met from the present revenue of the Fund, sympathetic consideration would be given to the possibility of an Exchequer grant.I understand that it is the intention of the Trustees to move at an early date a resolution to provide for higher maximum grants and total income limits. Estimates of the cost of these improvements have been furnished by the Government Actuary and it is clear that they could not be effected without a substantial increase in the present annual income of the Fund.The Government accordingly propose to make an annual grant of £10,000 per annum to the Fund. An enabling Bill will be introduced at the first convenient opportunity. Pending legislation provision is being made in the Estimates for the House of Commons Vote for 1957–58 —to be published on 12th March—so that the Trustees may introduce the new scales, if the House approves, with effect from 1st April, 1957.As the Fund will in future be financed from the Exchequer grants and from contributions by Members, which qualify for relief from Income Tax, it would not be right that the benefits should continue to be disregarded for tax purposes. It is proposed therefore to include in the Finance Bill provision bringing them within the pay-as-you-earn system, with effect from the beginning of the next financial year. Tax will not of course be payable unless the recipient's total income is above the exemption limit.

British Army

Units, Germany (Evacuation)

asked the Secretary of State for War what progress has been made in the evacuation of military units from Durkoppwerke, Kusebeck, West Germany; and what will be the approximate date of evacuation.

Because of difficulties connected with the cost of new building and in finding a suitable site for the accommodation of one of the units at present in this factory, I regret that I can give no date for its release. It will, however, be vacated as soon as possible.

Volume 565: debated on Friday 22 February 1957