asked the Paymaster-General if he is aware that for some time now large numbers of railway wagons have not been available for transport of coal from collieries as they are already full of unsaleable coal; and whether he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to dispose of this coal by whatever means as soon as possible.

The Board informs me that the mild weather and high production have led to some local difficulties but that there is no shortage of empty wagons for moving output. This matter is one of day-to-day operations best left to the Board.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will now increase the value of petrol coupons during the present rationing period, owing to the large stocks of petrol held throughout the country.

No. Stocks are rather below the seasonal normal and we must conserve them against the day when rationing can be abolished.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he is aware that commercial travellers and manufacturers' agents are receiving barely 40 per cent. of their normal petrol consumption; and whether he will make a statement.

Applications for petrol for commercial travellers and manufacturers' agents, whether made by the self-employed or by employers, are not dealt with by reference to a percentage of normal consumption, but on their merits, and the allowances issued vary according to the circumstances of each case.

asked the Paymaster-General the maximum amount of petrol allowed monthly for a political agent and a political agent who has a prospective candidate, in urban and rural constituencies, respectively.

Allowances to the three main political party organisations in respect of all constituency activities may not exceed the following limits:

——	Maximum allowance Miles per month
	Borough constituency	County constituency
Party holding the seat and Opposition Party with no prospective candidate	875	1,750
Party with a prospective candidate (other than the sitting Member)	1,250	2,500

The limit for a county constituency of more than 150,000 acres may be increased by 10 per cent, for each additional 50,000 acres up to a maximum of 400,000 acres.

asked the Paymaster-General how many commercial travellers in the North-Western Region have applied for extra petrol allowances; and what has been the average monthly amount allocated.

I regret that this information is not available and could only be obtained at the expense of other more essential work.

asked the Paymaster-General by how much he estimates that the national fuel requirements will have increased by 1965, and from what sources he expects to get this additional power after allowing for the equivalent 18 million tons of coal or 5,000 megawatts from his planned atomic power stations.

By 50 to 60 million tons of coal equivalent a year, the difference being met by increased production of coal and increased imports of oil.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to end the present discrimination by which concessionary coal is denied to miners working underground who are not householders whereas it is given to office workers who are.

Concessionary coal, which is traditionally a part of the remuneration of the employees of the coal industry, is supplied in accordance with local agreements between employers and workers. Any change in these agreements must be negotiated between the parties concerned.

asked the Minister of Supply what consultations have been or are taking place between his Department and the British aircraft manufacturers to meet the future needs of airliners for British Overseas Airways Corporation, and British European Airways.

I am in close touch with a number of aircraft companies with a view to meeting the requirements of both Corporations. I am also, of course, in close touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation.

asked the Minister of Supply the value at cost of capital equipment supplied by the Government to various aircraft companies since 1951; and what payments have been received from the aircraft companies in respect of such equipment.

The value at cost of capital equipment, including buildings, supplied by my Department for aircraft development and production since the beginning of the financial year 1951–52 is, in round figures, £100 million. Payments received by the end of this financial year will total about £20 million.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will review his decision not to allow Royal Ordnance factories to change over to the manufacture of civil goods.

There are serious difficulties in the way of changing the Royal Ordnance Factories over to civil work on a large scale, but some such work is being, and will continue to be, undertaken by them.

asked the Minister of Supply how many razor blades have been sold at public auctions since 1st January, 1956; what was the total sum realised; how this compares with the purchase price; and how the average selling price, per blade, compares with the cost of purchase.

Since 1st January, 1956, 7,513,580 razor blades have been sold for £3,680. They were bought during the war and it is not now possible to ascertain the original cost.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of civilians who suffered serious disability as a result of enemy action in the United Kingdom during the 1914–18 war.

I regret I am unable to give the complete figures. Under a Government scheme of ex gratia awards to civilians or their dependants for death or disablement through enemy action, 422 applications were received in respect of injury and 221 awards made.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the concern which is being caused by the gradual reduction in the facilities provided by local authorities for the daytime care of children up to five years of age; and if he will consider the possibility of reversing by legislation or otherwise the present trend of policy in this matter.

This is a matter which must be determined by the local health authorities themselves in the light of local needs and circumstances.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will ask for further information from the Medical Research Council on the problem of X-ray examination of the hip, lumber spine, lower abdomen and pelvis; and whether he will revise the figure of 22 per cent. of radiation received by the gonads given in the report of the Council of June, 1956, in the light of more recent consideration.

This is being considered by the Committee under the Chairmanship of Lord Adrian which is reviewing present practice in diagnostic radiology.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will call for a special inquiry into the cost of prescriptions following the introduction of new charges in December, 1956.

I do not think that a special inquiry would be likely to add to the information available in the ordinary course from pricing returns and the regular analysis of a representative sample of prescriptions.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the large number of expensive cortisone preparations now coming on the market and the advertising campaigns being undertaken in medical circles; and whether he will consider further steps to protect the public, in view of professional doubts that have been expressed about these preparations.

Yes. Information supplied by the Medical Research Council about cortisone and its uses was circulated to doctors in "Prescribers' Notes" when the product was first released and further information on related products is under consideration for the next edition.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will indicate the difficulties which prevent him from accepting the recommendations of the Rural Development Panel of the Council of Wales and Monmouthshire having refer- ence to Llandrindod Wells, particularly when some facilities are now obtainable under the National Health Service.

The recommendations are that all out-patients referred for treatment should have their travelling and subsistence expenses met. I have no power to meet the latter. Travelling expenses can be met, wholly or in part, according to need; and in present circumstances I could not contemplate the additional cost of making them payable to all.

asked the Minister of Health why dentists have to obtain permission before treating cases of trench mouth under the National Health Service.

Urgent treatment should be given straight away but as the fee must be fixed according to the amount of treatment required approval must afterwards be sought from the Dental Estimates Board.

asked the Minister of Health whether it will be within the terms of reference of the Royal Commission on doctors' and dentists' remuneration to consider the abolition of merit awards.

The Royal Commission will normally be concerned with levels of remuneration, not with methods as such. Whether or not questions such as that referred to by the hon. Member are within its terms of reference must rest with the Commission itself to decide.

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements have been made for an interim settlement of the doctors' pay claim, other than for hospital staff up to the grade of registrar.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop) on 4th March.

asked the Minister of Health his future policy regarding provision for the elderly, such as hostel building schemes and care of the aged in their own homes.

I intend to encourage all forms of suitable provision as financial and other circumstances permit, but I think the main aim should be to make adequate provision wherever possible for the care of old people in their own homes.

asked the Minister of Health to give particulars of the death rate from cancer of the lung in each year from 1950 to 1955.

The rates were as follows:

				Deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus
Year				Rate per million persons living
1950	…	…	…	279
1951	…	…	…	302
1952	…	…	…	323
1953	…	…	…	343
1954	…	…	…	369
1955	…	…	…	389

This modifies the information given to the hon. Member on 4th February.

asked the Minister of Health the proportion of general practitioners who at the latest available date where working single-handed as opposed to working in partnership or group practice; and whether this is higher or lower than a year previously, and by how much.

On 1st July, 1956, 34·42 per cent. of the general practitioners providing unrestricted medical services in the National Health Service were in single-handed practice. This figure is 1·33 per cent. lower than the corresponding figure for a year earlier.

NURSING STAFF IN MENTAL HOSPITALS
—	Male		Female
	Whole-time	Part-time	Whole-time	Part-time
Employed at 30th September, 1956 (latest available date)	10,709	197	9,649	6,740
	Male		Female
Estimated shortage (in terms of whole-time staff):—
At 30th September, 1956	2,900		4,500
At 31st December, 1955	3,100		5,150
At 31st December, 1954	3,000		5,350

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he is aware of the inadequacy of hospital facilities for chronic sick patients in Cardiff; and whether he will make a statement;(2) the number of chronic sick people awaiting admission to hospital in Cardiff; and the number who have been awaiting admission for six months or more.

117 patients are awaiting admission to chronic sick accommodation, three of whom have been waiting more than six months. The services available for the chronic sick are under review.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied with the standard of catering in mental hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

My predecessor made £500,000 available for improvements in catering at mental and mental deficiency hospitals in the current financial year. For next year, I have allocated sufficient money to meet the cost in a full year of these improvements and a further £400,000 for the same purpose.

asked the Minister of Health how many male and female nurses are at present employed in mental hospitals; how far these figures fall short of establishment; and what were the comparable deficiencies in 1954, 1955, and 1956.

The Answer is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health the number of staff now being engaged throughout the hospital service on the new costing scheme; and whether the numbers are additional to present establishment of administrative and clerical staff.

I regret that the information to the first part of the Question is not available, but some additional staff will certainly be required.

asked the Minister of Health when the projected building extensions to the Caernarvon and Anglesey Infirmary and the St. David's Hospital, Bangor, will be commenced.

The working drawings for the extensions to the Caernarvon and Anglesey Infirmary are under discussion, but I am not able to say when work will start. The new boilerhouse and new nurses' accommodation at St. David's Hospital have started, the calorifier room, pathological laboratory and connecting corridor will start in May, 1957, and the new out-patient department will start as soon as revised costs are agreed and satisfactory tenders are received. Provision for the start of a new operating theatre at this hospital in 1958–59 is included in the Welsh Regional Hospital Board's building programme for that year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government intend to take part in the work of the Committee of Government Officials set up under Resolution (56) 22 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to study the simplification of frontier formalities in Member States, more particularly in view of the fact that this question was included by the Committee of Ministers in the programme of work of the Council of Europe.

No. The first two proposals remitted for consideration to this Committee are the use of identity cards instead of passports as travel documents, and the substitution of sample checks for a check on all travellers. Her Majesty's Government could not accept either of these proposals; and the other proposals which the Committee is to consider relate to matters in which Her Majesty's Government have already taken action or which are at present under consideration by other international bodies. It is in these circumstances that Her Majesty's Government have felt that it would not be useful for them to participate in the Committee's work.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will direct Her Majesty's Government's representative on the Council of Ministers to indicate Her Majesty's Government's acceptance of Recommendation 102 of the Consultative Assembly on European Co-operation in the field of Posts and Telecommunications; and if he will make a statement.

Recommendation No. 102 of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe is to be discussed by the Ministers' deputies at the meeting which is now in progress at Strasbourg. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything further on this question until they have concluded their deliberations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the proposal made by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in Recommendation 124 that a Draft European Multilateral Convention on Extradition be prepared; and what action Her Majesty's Government are taking upon this recommendation.

This recommendation is at present under consideration in Strasbourg by the Committee of Ministers' Deputies. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything further on this question until it has concluded its deliberations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware of the proposal made by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in Recommendation 125 that a uniform law on the liability of innkeepers, based on the Hotel Proprietors Act, 1956, should be proposed to the member governments of the Council of Europe and a convention be executed as a consequence; and what action Her Majesty's Government are taking upon this recommendation.

This recommendation is at present under consideration in Strasbourg by the Committee of Ministers' Deputies. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything further on this question until it has concluded its deliberations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to implement the recent resolution of the United Nations General Assembly with regard to Cyprus.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he is taking to implement the United Nations resolution on Cyprus.

Her Majesty's Government have taken careful note both of the satisfactory outcome of the debate on Cyprus at the United Nations and of the significant improvement in the security situation in Cyprus which has been brought about by recent successful operations against the terrorists. They are giving these matters their close attention and hope to make a statement in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest steps which have been taken by Her Majesty's Government with the United Nations organisation in relation to free passage of Israeli ships through the Suez Canal when this is reopened and through the Gulf of Aqaba; and what is the present position in the above respect.

So far as the Suez Canal is concerned, Her Majesty's Government are working for freedom of transit for all ships without discrimination. On 13th of October, 1956, the Security Council agreed that any settlement of the Suez question should meet, amongst others, the requirement that there should be free and open transit through the Canal without discrimination, overt or covert.So far as access to the Gulf of Aqaba is concerned, my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister of State defined Her Majesty's Government's position in the United Nations General Assembly on 4th of March. It is the view of Her Majesty's Government that the Straits of Tiran must be regarded as an international waterway through which the vessels of all nations have a right of passage. The Government will assert this right on behalf of all British shipping and are prepared to join with others to secure general recognition of this right. Support for the principle of freedom of passage through the Straits was given by the United States and a number of other delegations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what agreement has now been reached between the United States of America, United Kingdom, and French Governments as to the future operation of the 1950 Tripartite Declaration.

In view of the position as explained in my right hon. and learned Friend's reply to the right hon. Member for Grimsby (Mr. Younger) on 11th February, no new agreement would appear to be necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why a husband, but not a wife, may travel on a joint passport; and whether he will take steps to remedy this anomaly.

The passport is issued to the husband and if he is accompanied by his wife and children their particulars are included in his passport as a matter of convenience.At international conferences on passport and frontier formalities it has been agreed that

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Gaza strip and other Egyptian territory, Her Majesty's Government will formally propose the retention of the United Nations Emergency Force on the borders of Israel and Egypt to ensure that the provisions of the Armistice Agreements are being scrupulously observed as provided in the General Assembly Resolution of 2nd November, 1956, until a final peace settlement is secured.

At this stage, No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what statement has been made to the United Nations by the Egyptian Government with regard to their right to request the withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force from their territory.

Her Majesty's Government are not aware that the Egyptian Government have made any specific statement to the United Nations with regard to the withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force from Egyptian territory, apart from the declaration contained in the aide memoire annexed to the Secretary-General's report of 20th November. This said that the Government of Egypt, when exercising their sovereign rights on any matter concerning the presence and functioning of the United Nations Emergency Force, would be guided in good faith by their acceptance of the General Assemble Resolution No. 1000 (ES/1) of 5th November.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will give, for the latest convenient stated date, the number of persons who are only in receipt of the basic retirement pension, and each of the other National Insurance benefits, respectively.

I regret that for the reasons explained by my right hon. Friend in his reply on 27th February to a similar Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, West (Mrs. McLaughlin), this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in view of the fact that some old-age pensioners do not smoke and of the inadequacy of existing pensions, he will, pending an increase in pension scales, enable all old-age pensioners to draw in cash a weekly sum equivalent to the value of the tobacco tax relief and to replace the tobacco tax relief.

No. My right hon. Friend has no power to make such payments.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what arrangements he is making for a refund of prescription charges in the case submitted to him by the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East.

I have been asked to reply. The National Assistance Board is making inquiries and my right hon. Friend will be writing to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have now been taken to amend the censorship rules and restrictions on the freedom of the Press in Cyprus.

The Governor has agreed in principle to make certain amendments in the Press Regulations brought into effect last November, if legally practicable. This is being considered as a matter of urgency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what powers have been taken by the Government of Cyprus to refuse permission to persons detained by the security forces to see their legal advisers before being interrogated; and if he will now give instructions that this permission shall always be granted in future.

All persons in custody are given facilities for obtaining legal advice. Following established practice, however, facilities for a lawyer to interview a person in custody may be temporarily withheld if, in the opinion of the officer in charge of the police division, that would be likely to hinder urgent inquiries or to prevent further arrests. I see no reason to give any instructions in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what date the minutes of the Ethnarchy Council and Bureau were seized from the Archbishopric in Nicosia; when they were returned; whether copies were kept; and whether he will now publish a full translation.

These documents were seized on 9th March, 1956, and were returned by the middle of August. The reply to the third part of the Question is, Yes. As to publication, I am having the matter looked into.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the quantity of immature whisky which is being exported to the detriment of the reputation for quality of Scotch whisky properly matured; and what steps he will take to preserve the value of this important dollar earner.

I am aware that exports of immature whisky have increased over the last year; but exports of matured whisky also, both to the dollar area and elsewhere, have increased substantially, and I see no need for any action by the Government in this context.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) to state the number of higher executive officers of the Civil Service employed by his Department today as compared with the figure in 1938 and the comparative annual cost to the Exchequer;(2) state the number of senior executive officers of the Civil Service employed by his Department today as compared with the figure in 1938 and the comparative annual cost to the Exchequer.

For the number of senior executive officers and higher executive officers in the War Department on 1st January, 1957, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to my Answer to his related Question of 4th March. The cost of the two grades in the coming year is estimated to be £145,000 for senior executive officers and £535,000 for higher executive officers. In 1938 there were 35 officers in grades approximately equivalent to senior executive officer, the annual cost of whom was about £25,000; and 120 in grades approximately equivalent to higher executive officer, the annual cost of whom was about £73,000.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what has been the total expenditure on H.M.Y. "Britannia" up to 28th February; what was the average weekly cost during 1956; and his proposals for economy on this ship.

Since she was completed the total expenditure on Her Majesty's Yacht "Britannia" to 28th February, 1957, was approximately £416,000. The average weekly cost during 1956 was £3,000 approximately, plus pay, allowances and victualling of the crew which amounted to about £4,000 per week. Like all naval expenditure these costs are constantly subject to close scrutiny.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Hungarian refugees are now being taught English in the refugee camps: and whether a sufficient supply of dictionaries and text books is available.

I am informed that classes in English have been organised by the Y.M.C.A. in collaboration with the local education authorities, at the larger hostels. In addition, with the help of the B.B.C., textbooks and long-playing records have been provided in hostels to supplement the more normal methods of teaching. Comprehensive phrase sheets have been made available freely and I am advised that these have proved by experience more useful than the normal dictionary for present purposes.

asked the Prime Minister what reply he has sent to the resolution sent to him on 2nd March, 1957, by the Quarterly Meeting of the Swindon Methodist Circuit calling for a suspension of proposed nuclear weapon tests in the Pacific Ocean.

I sent the Chairman the following memorandum:

Her Majesty's Government announced in 1955 that in addition to their programme of manufacture of atomic bombs they had decided also to manufacture the hydrogen bomb. Sir Anthony Eden explained in a television broadcast in January. 1956, that Britain was making these thermo-nuclear weapons because they were "the most powerful deterrent to war that exists in the world at the present time."

Sir Anthony Eden said then, and he repeated in his statement to the House on 7th June, that the holding of tests is an essential part of the process of providing ourselves with such weapons. The United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have already held tests, and the Government have decided to carry out a limited number of them in 1957.

In this same statement the then Prime Minister emphasised that the Government had given full weight to the anxiety that existed about the indefinite continuance of tests without control or limitation. While Her Majesty's Government would prefer to continue to discuss in the Disarmament Commission, within the context of a comprehensive disarmament agreement, methods of regulating and limiting nuclear test explosions, if progress cannot be made there they are prepared to discuss the matter separately with other powers concerned. This policy was explained by Sir Anthony Eden on July 12 and subsequently reaffirmed both by him and by the Foreign Secretary in the House of Commons.

On 24th October the Foreign Secretary stated in the House of Commons that Her Majesty's Government were working on possible ways m which a limitation of nuclear tests might be achieved. This study of complex, technical questions is continuing.

The banning of nuclear test explosions is quite a different problem from their limitation. A ban on tests does not mean that stockpiles of nuclear weapons necessarily cease to exist or to increase. As Sir Anthony Eden explained in the House of Commons on 19th July, it offers no safeguard against one country acquiring or maintaining an advantage over another. It is for this reason that, as the then Prime Minister emphasised on 23rd October in the House of Commons, the question of banning nuclear test explosions should, in Her Majesty's Government's view, be treated as an integral part of a comprehensive disarmament plan. On 24th October the Foreign Secretary, also in the House of Commons, said that he did not see how a total ban on these tests could be accepted unless there were adequate means of enforcing it.

As regards the radiation dose to human beings arising from the testing of megaton weapons at the present rate, Sir Anthony Eden informed the House of Commons on 13th February that Her Majesty's Government and the United States Government shared the conviction that this dose was insignificant compared with that received from natural causes. Since then the report of the Committee set up by the Medical Research Council on "The Hazards to Man of Nuclear and Allied Radiations" has been published. On the effects of test explosions of nuclear weapons this report states that "the genetic effects to be expected from present or future radioactive fall-out from bombs fired at the present rate and un the present proportion of the different kinds are insignificant". With regard to the effect on the individual, the maximum permissible concentration of radio-active strontium in bone at present tolerated for those who may have to deal with the substance is 1,000 units. The Committee considered that for the general population the amount should not exceed 100 units and that immediate consideration would be required if the level showed signs of rising greatly beyond 10 units. The report makes it clear that measurements so far made show that the highest level noted up to now in this country is about 1 unit.

The Prime Minister's view is therefore that nuclear weapons are, as they have for some time been, the main deterrent to war and that tests are indispensable to the development of these weapons. Nevertheless the Prime Minister is prepared, inside or outside the United Nations Disarmament Commission, to discuss methods of regulating and limiting test explosions; Her Majesty's Government are working on possible ways in which such a limitation might be achieved.

The Prime Minister's objective is the ultimate prohibition of the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons, as part of a comprehensive disarmament plan. Mr. Macmillan will continue his efforts to achieve this aim and will strive towards a situation in which nuclear

energy is developed solely for peaceful purposes.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the number of civil servants who were on 1st March, 1957, in a similar position to Members of Parliament, of only receiving approximately half of the relative purchasing value of the salaries which they received on the date in 1911 when salaries for Members of Parliament were first introduced.

The purchasing power of a Member of Parliament's £1,000 salary is now equivalent to about 57 per cent. of that of the £400 salary when introduced in 1911, or 73 per cent. if Sessional allowance is taken into account. Owing to changes in the structure of the Civil Service since 1911, it is not possible to state how many civil servants today have salaries with similarly reduced purchasing power.