asked the Secretary of State for Air the average cost per hour of flying a single-engined jet aircraft.

The cost varies widely for different types of aircraft but in the United Kingdom is on the average about £110.

asked the Secretary of State for Air to what extent the Middle Eastern Air Command structure announced last year is to be altered, in view of the fact that Jordan and the Canal Zone are no longer operational bases for the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement.

Political developments in the Middle East have not yet altered responsibilities within the Middle East Air Command sufficiently to warrant a change in its structure.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what economies he proposes to make in air expenditure in the coming year; and under what headings these economies will come.

I must ask the hon. Member to await the Defence White Paper and the presentation of the Air Estimates.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education how many children in grammar schools entered for the General Certificate of Education at ordinary level in each of the last five years; and how many of these gained five passes or less, giving the numbers successful at each number of passes.

The numbers of children in maintained and grant-aided grammar schools who entered for the General Certificate of Education in each of the last five years were:

1952	…	…	124,430
1953	…	…	145,847
1954	…	…	144,362
1955	…	…	150,034
1956	…	…	156,000 (provisional)

I cannot distinguish between children taking papers at ordinary level only, at advanced level only or at both ordinary and advanced levels; and candidates may take different subjects at the same level in different years. I regret that I have not the information necessary to answer the last part of the Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer his latest estimate of the annual total of salaries paid to civil servants.

For the year ending 31st March, 1957, the estimated cost of the salaries and wages of non-industrial civil servants is £425 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer his latest estimate of the annual total of travelling allowances and transport provided for public servants.

The annual cost of travelling expenses and subsistence allowances for non-industrial civil servants, together with the cost of official transport, is about £16 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that taking the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling as 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 18s. 7d. by January, 1953, and 17s. 8d. by January, 1955; and what was the comparable figure for January, 1957.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes". The Answer to the second part is 16s. 1d. These calculations are based on the Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the price charged to the public for a photostat copy of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884.

The price charged to the public for photographic copies of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884, is 13s. for the first copy, 6s. 6d. each for subsequent copies ordered at the same time.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons in the Borough of Southwark were in receipt of National Assistance at the most recent date and for the same period in 1956; and what was the average amount of assistance for each applicant.

The National Assistance Board regrets that the numbers asked for are not available as the Borough of Southwark is served by two offices which between them cover both Southwark and the Borough of Bermondsey. Information about the average amount of Assistance is not available for particular localities.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make arrangements for persons who are abroad for health reasons at the time that they become eligible for retirement pensions to draw those

IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM IRON AND STEEL, SCRAP AND WASTE, FIT ONLY FOR THE RECOVERY OF METAL
Country of consignment		1954		1955		1956
		Tons	£	Tons	£	Tons	£
Canada	…	162,832	2,306,002	133,467	2,350,605	53,424	1,227,778
Western Germany	…	174,005	2,915,770	13,112	194,438	14,964	232,236
Netherlands	…	30,643	380,251	12,646	198,594	46,018	1,030,150
Belgium	…	83,828	1,067,176	16,493	325,692	50,019	1,175,857
Morocco	…	17,537	231,143	17,310	290,176	48,611	1,152,324
United States of America	…	106,991	1,367,557	909,138	15,626,735	554,335	12,674,678
All other countires	…	183,796	2,670,770	169,554	2,814,233	214,859	4,607,614
Total	…	759,632	10,938,669	1,271,720	21,800,473	982,230	22,100,637

An insured person who is abroad can qualify for a retirement pension in the same way as one who is in this country. He can have his pension paid to a bank or other agent or he can allow it to accumulate until he comes back to this country. If he is living abroad permanently, his pension can be sent to him there.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of our exports of rough, waste, broken and crushed glass, of the kind recovered by some local authorities from refuse, in 1954, 1955 and 1956.

Following are the figures:United Kingdom exports of rough glass in the mass, waste and broken glass and crushed glass (in powder, including chips):

				£
1954	…	…	…	188,839
1955	…	…	…	232,208
1956	…	…	…	168,239

asked the President of the Board of Trade to give a list of the chief countries from which we imported iron and steel scrap in 1954, 1955 and 1956, together with the quantity and value from each.

Following is the information:

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether he is aware that, because of financial difficulties, a number of Members of Parliament, in order to save expenses, are being compelled to refrain from attending the House of Commons; that this is depriving their constituents of true and democratic representation in the House of Commons; and what action he proposes to take to rectify this anomaly;(2) whether, in his consideration of the financial position of Members of Parliament, he will take into account the fact that they are the only people working in the Palace of Westminster who have not received an increase in salary since 1954; and that, further, they are the only section of the State and Civil Services who are in this position.

I am aware that hon. Members have their difficulties. On the general question of Members' expenses, all relevant matters are being taken into consideration, but I have at present nothing to add to what I and my predecessor have said in the past.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he is aware that the amount of medical research being done into the causes of rheumatism, arthritis, and its kindred diseases, is in- adequate; and what plans he has for considerably enlarging the amount of such research by the Medical Research Council.

The future support and development of major research projects in rheumatic illness are at present under active consideration by the Medical Research Council advised by its Clinical Research Board in consultation with the Ministry of Health. The Medical Research Council will not hesitate to undertake any further research which, as a result of the consultations mentioned above, seems likely to be practicable and useful.

asked the Minister of Health what has been the average length of stay in hospital of each in-patient during the last convenient twelve months.

The figures are:

Category of patient	Average length of stay of patients who died or were discharged in 1955 (days)
Mental illness—
Treated under Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts	552·1
Others	103·9
Mental deficiency	4,123·1
Diseases of the chest	139·8
Chronic sick	172·5
All others	15·7