asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations have been made to him for the establishment of a separate Rivers State in Nigeria.

The Rivers Chiefs and Peoples Conference have asked for an opportunity to present their claim for a separate Rivers State to the forthcoming Constitutional Conference and have discussed their claim with the Governor of the Eastern Region.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made with oil development in Eastern Nigeria.

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway) on 30th January, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to provide Freetown with a modern airport.

A lot of money has been spent during recent years on developing Lungi Airport, including a new runway costing about £205,000. The possibility of finding a site for a new international airport nearer Freetown is being investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if any decisions have yet been reached in the negotiations between the Sierra Leone Government, British Titan Products and Columbia Chemicals Limited of the United States of America for a concession to mine ruffle in Sierra Leone.

Not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make a statement on the suppression of the Factory and Shopworkers Union in Singapore.

The registration of this union was cancelled on the 14th February in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Trade Unions Ordinance on the grounds that the union was used for purposes inconsistent with its objects and rules and that funds totalling $103,000 (some £12,000) were expended on objects not authorised by the union's rules. The union was given two months' notice to show cause why its registration should not be cancelled, but failed to do so to the satisfaction of the Registrar of Trade Unions. It is open to the union to appeal against the Registrar's order.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further negotiations he has had with Mr. Lin Yew Hock on the plan for self-government for Singapore; and if he will make a statement on the progress of such negotiations.

I began discussions with a delegation from Singapore on Monday, and I will make a statement after they have been concluded.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which detention camps in Kenya it is hoped to close within the next six months.

The present intention is to close Mageta Island, Makobe and Ngulot Detention Camps during the next six months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the present rate of release of detainees from camps in Kenya and the rate of release of Mau Mau convicts whose sentences have been reduced; and if he will make a statement on the policy now being pursued.

During the three months ending on 31st January, the average gross monthly release rate of detainees was 1,898 and the net monthly reduction 1,612. Thirty-three Mau Mau convicts had their sentences remitted in November, 57 in December and 113 in January. Rehabilitation policy rests on the principle that every detainee must have his chance to work his way back into normal life. Those who seem to remain obdurately attached to Mau Mau beliefs present the biggest problem but a bold new experiment to deal with this category has recently begun and is showing considerable success.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consultations have been held with Colonial Governments on the relationship of British Colonies with the European Free Trade Area.

Colonial Governments have been and will continue to be kept fully informed of developments on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to state the Colonies in which prisoners are still kept in chains; and when he estimates that this method of treating prisoners will be abolished throughout all British colonies.

My right hon. Friend is asking Colonial Governments for a full and up-to-date report and I will write to the hon. Member when it is received. I cannot say when it will be possible to abolish the use of this form of restraint completely in all Territories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reasons the Government of Northern Rhodesia withhold official recognition of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress.

The Government of Northern Rhodesia has not withheld official recognition from any political organisation in Northern Rhodesia. It recognises the existence of the African National Congress as a political organisation, assumes that it expresses the views of its members in matters covered by its constitution, but does not recognise it as representing the views of all Africans in Northern Rhodesia.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how far the terms of the federal franchise proposals of the Central African Federation affect the qualification for the franchise in respect of the territorial legislatures of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland; and whether these proposals will continue to be based on a common roll in these two territories

My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations informs me that no franchise proposals have been published by the Federal Government, nor have I yet received any from the Government of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement regarding the present circumstances of the African trade union officials in Northern Rhodesia who were forcibly arrested by the police on 11th September and later released upon an application of habeas corpus only to be banished from the Copper Belt; and, in particular, what happened to Matthew Nkoloma, the General Secretary of the African Mine Workers Union, who was put on trial and recently acquitted.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the 31 officers and members of the African Mine Workers Trade Union who were detained under the Emergency Regulations and are now restricted from entering the Copper Belt. I have nothing to add to my previous statements to the House on 24th and 31st October last year, and to the detailed reply I have given today to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway). I have received no report from the Governor about Mr. Nkoloma who is one of those at present restricted, but will make inquiries and write to the hon. Member when I receive the Governor's reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply was given to the Sharif of Beihan's request for protection again Yemeni attacks.

The Sharif of Beihan has been assured that Her Majesty's Government will continue to protect his territory by all effective and necessary means.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what plans have been proposed or carried out by the Government of Mauritius under their development programme for increasing the opportunities for employment of seasonal workers in the Colony.

The Capital Expenditure Programme is designed to strengthen and diversify the economy of Mauritius, and thus provide additional employment both for seasonal workers and others; for instance, field workers should benefit under the agricultural provision in the programme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further progress has taken place in respect of the constitution of British Guiana; to what extent wage levels have been raised during the past two years; what is the extent of unemployment or short-time; and what is the present attitude of the Government of British Guiana to the Federation of the West Indies.

The British Guiana (Constitution) (Temporary) (Amendment) Order in Council, 1956, was made on the 19th December. The first elections under the amended Constitution are due to be held in August this year.Information on the recent movement of wage levels is not readily available in London, but I am looking into the position in consultation with the Governor and will write to the hon. Member.With regard to unemployment or short-time, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which the then Minister of State gave to his Question on 25th April, 1956. The survey of unemployment and under-employment has just been completed and the report will he published later this year.A statement was made by the Governor on 25th July, 1956, clarifying the position of British Guiana in relation to the Federation of the West Indies. He explained,

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the estimated influx of refugees and others into Hong Kong in 1956; approximately how many persons returned to China or elsewhere during that period approximately how many squatters still remain to be rehoused and of these how many are now living in caves; how many are unemployed; and what relief is now being given to the destitute.

1,437,000 Chinese of all categories were recorded as entering Hong Kong during 1956, and 1,338,000 as leaving. 334,000 squatters await resettlement; about 100 of them live in caves. No reliable figures are available for unemployment. Relief is given to destitute people through Government relief centres, food kitchens and camps, and by voluntary agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he proposes to take to make concubinage in Hong Kong illegal.

Modern ideas are gradually doing away with concubinage and I think that may prove to be the best way to deal with it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many juvenile delinquents were charged with offences in Cyprus in 1956; how many are now detained; in how many cases corporal punishment was inflicted on delinquents in 1956; what maximum number of strokes is permitted; whether there is an age limit for this punishment; for what type of offences it is inflicted; whether the number of instances of this punishment has now declined; and how many of these delinquents were attending school.

The reply is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to set up an independent judicial inquiry to investigate the irregularities in the administration of justice in Cyprus to which his attention has been drawn.

I assume that the hon. Member is not suggesting irregularities in the courts. There have been certain allegations of irregularities in the treatment of arrested persons, but I have no reason to believe that a judicial inquiry is called for to investigate these complaints.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make available in the Library copies of Government leaflets issued in Cyprus and copies of captured Eoka leaflets with translations.

There are many hundreds of such leaflets. A selection will be placed in the Library. If the hon. Lady finds any particular one she wants is not included, I will do my best to add it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is satisfied with the investigation by the Governor of Cyprus of the complaint of Miss Maria Lambrou, in which none of the complainant's witnesses was interviewed; whether Miss Lambrou and her lawyer will be allowed to see the medical reports of Dr. Taliodoros and Dr. Zenon; and if he will place in the Library a summary of the evidence considered by the Governor in the course of this investigation.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is Yes, I am fully satisfied. All persons who had anything to do with Miss Lambrou whilst in custody, as well as the two doctors who saw her afterwards, were interviewed. The doctors' diagnosis is a matter between her and them and of course she and her lawyer are free to ask for the medical reports. I will see that a summary of the evidence is placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply he is making to the memorandum sent to him by the Cyprus Bar Council in regard to the treatment of prisoners in Cyprus.

I have not received any such memorandum. The only document of this nature which I have seen is a copy of a memorandum sent on 27th February on behalf of the Greek members of the Nicosia Bar Association to the Administrative Secretary for the consideration of the Governor, to which the Administrative Secretary has replied.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what percentage of the children of school age attend Government schools in the Protectorate of Gambia; and what proposals have been made for increasing educational opportunities and establishments in Gambia.

About 6 per cent. of children including boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 12 attend Government or Government-assisted schools in the Protectorate. The capacity of the Government boarding school is to be more than doubled. A co-educational secondary school is to be set up into which the secondary schools run by Missions agreeing to participate will be merged. Government is considering building 8 more primary schools.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he proposes to introduce an unemployment pay and sick pay scheme in Barbados, where at present none exists.

This is a matter for the Barbados Government. They inform me that they are considering sickness benefits, a need which is at present partially met by friendly societies, in connection with proposals for a joint provident fund, made in a report by Professor Richardson, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many secondary schools there are in Tanganyika; what proportion of the children of secondary school age receive secondary education; and how many children were entered for the general certificate examination last year.

There are 69 secondary schools in Tanganyika and it is estimated that just over 1 per cent, of children of secondary school age receive secondary education. Figures for 1956 are not immediately available, but in 1955, 225 candidates sat the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate examination.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will look into the refusal of a passport to Miss Mavis Rose Evans, a dressmaker, of Hanover, Jamaica, who wishes to travel to Britain to train as a nurse, who has never belonged to any political party yet who was told she was a security risk because she had assisted a candidate whom she had known since her schooldays in his election campaign to the House of Representatives in 1954; and if he will make a statement.

On the advice of his Executive Council, the Governor of Jamaica issued a passport to Miss M. R. Evans on 28th January. In June, 1956, she had been refused one for security reasons, but the Governor of Jamaica tells me that the facts of this are not altogether as given in the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many tenants of Admiralty-owned houses in Fife have received notification of increased rents and notification of eviction, respectively; what are the amounts by which rents are to be increased; and what percentage increase this represents on existing rents.

There has so far been no general increase in the rents of Admiralty houses. In the last six months the rents of three tenants (two of whom have been given notice to quit) have been raised on their leaving Admiralty employment. While serving as officers of the Admiralty Constabularly they had previously been charged a special concessionary rent and not the appropriate rental value.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) what increase there has been in the naval meat ration since the end of civilian meat rationing;(2) what action he intends to take to improve naval rations.

Under naval systems of messing there are no fixed scales of rations and consumption of food is regulated on the basis of cost and daily money allowances. While rationing was in operation, consumption of nationally rationed foods was restricted; when rationing ended the restrictions were removed. The improvement of naval rations is being considered in an Inter-Services' review on ration scales which has been taking place, and I regret I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) if he is aware that an oil tanker of 100,000 tons deadweight and several others of 60,000 tons are on order, and that one of 80,000 tons is now in commission; how many dry docks in this country are capable of accommodating these; and what action the Government are taking to provide such accommodation or to finance ship-repairing companies to do so;(2) if he is aware that of the three dry docks constructed during the past ten years not one is capable of accommodating the large oil tankers now under construction; that ship-construction has outstripped repairing accommodation: and if he will make a statement on future Government policy in this regard.

I am aware that the three dry docks most recently completed in this country would not be large enough to dock the largest oil tankers on order. Only one dry dock in this country could accommodate tankers up to 80,000 tons deadweight and one other up to 60,000 tons. The provision of further dry docks for commercial purposes is primarily a matter for the ship-repairing, shipbuilding and port interests in the country. As the Prime Minister told the hon. and gallant Member for Horncastle (Commander Maitland) on 14th February, Her Majesty's Government are studying the various aspects of the problems posed by the trend towards bigger and wider ships.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how much he estimates will be sent on improving old workshops and repairing roads within Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport, in 1957–58.

The provisionally estimated costs during 1957–58 of improving old workshops and repairing roads in Devonport Dockyard are £35,000 and £40,000 respectively.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the cost per foot and the total lengths of the new walls being constructed round Her Majesty's Dockyard, Devonport; and for what purpose this building is taking place.

The cost per foot is about £12 and the total length will ultimately be 8,400 feet. The new wall is needed for reasons of security.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the discontent at the wireless reception in the Burgh of Jedburgh; what investigations have been made; and if he has any statement to make as to possible improvement in reception either by V.H.F. or other means.

Yes. Although the Light Programme is received fairly satisfactorily, the Scottish Home Service is not strongly received and reception is to some extent spoiled by interference from a station in Spain and more recently from one in Hungary. We are doing what we can to clear this, but so far with little success. A V.H.F. station to serve this area is planned, but it is not yet possible to give any indication when it will be constructed.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the number of applicants on the waiting list for telephone service on the Feltham and Hounslow telephone exchanges.

Six hundred and eight at Feltham and 2,000 at Hounslow, on the 31st December, 1956.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give instructions that hon. Members may telephone without payment to local authorities within their respective constituencies.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will arrange for hon. Members to use the Official Paid envelopes, Code 22–59, for correspondence with local authorities and the boards of publicly-owned enterprises.

Hon. Members may already use the envelopes for writing on matters arising from their Parliamentary duties to the headquarters, regional, area or local offices of nationalised industries. The arrangement does not apply to hon. Members' correspondence with local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what proposals he has for re-forming the 612 (County of Aberdeen) Auxiliary Fighter Squadron to man rocket defences.

It will be some time before our guided weapons system is functioning, and it is impossible to say at this stage whether it would be possible to make use of auxiliary or reserve personnel in manning and supporting it or how its deployment will correspond with that of the auxiliary fighter units.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he has yet reached a decision on the inquiry by Dr. Touch into the Vulcan bomber accident at London Airport, containing the recommendation that military aircraft should not land at civilian airports in bad weather conditions; and whether instructions have now been issued to this effect.

As I explained to the hon. Member on 6th February, any proposal involving military aircraft of advanced design, to which alone Dr. Touch's recommendation related, will be considered specially in each case.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if, in the interests of road safety, he will make it compulsory, within a reasonable time from now, for all motor cars and other road vehicles to have two windscreen wipers.

No. I do not regard this as a suitable subject for compulsion. Most new motor cars and many other vehicles are fitted with two windscreen wipers, the second of which can make a useful contribution to road safety. But on many vehicles it is not practicable and on others it is unnecessary to fit more than one windscreen wiper.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that the chances of survival of a shipwrecked sailor depend largely upon the provision of signal devices, fresh water, and protection from cold when in the lifecraft; what experiments have taken place in the use of such devices to protect seamen; and what steps are being taken to instal them in all life-craft on ocean-going vessels.

Yes. My Department takes a close interest in all new developments of life-saving devices. Many different experiments have been carried out. Fresh water and signalling devices are carried in all lifeboats and in inflatable liferafts. The special virtue of the liferaft, with its canopy, is the protection it gives against exposure.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what further consultations he has had with the oil industry and the port authorities on the provision of dock and dry-dock accommodation for the large oil tankers of 60,000 and 80,000 tons which are now under construction or in contemplation.

I have myself held discussions with the interests concerned with Milford Haven, and important developments are in prospect there. A number of schemes at other places, including those to which I referred in my Answer on 5th December to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Horn-castle (Commander Maitland), are also being actively pursued in consultation with my Department and the Admiralty.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to take steps through the International Labour Office to convene a conference of the maritime nations associated with it for the purpose of considering the reasons for, and the effects of, the transfer of ships to flags of convenience particularly to the flags of nations that are not regarded as maritime.

Aspects of this Question of concern to the International Labour Organisation have already been the subject of discussion at the Preparatory Technical Maritime Conference of the Organisation held in London in September-October, 1956, when a draft recommendation and a draft resolution were prepared for submission to a special maritime session of the General Conference of the Organisation which is due to meet in 1958.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what transfers he is at present contemplating of civil airports to service aerodromes; if he is satisfied that joint control is practicable and to the best interest of passengers using civil aircraft; and if he will make a full inquiry from all interests concerned before embarking upon any transfer scheme.

My colleagues and I have always in mind the possibility of making greater joint use of the aerodromes in our charge. In particular, we are now tentatively investigating joint use of the R.A.F. aerodrome at St. Athan as the civil airport for Cardiff, and of the Royal Naval Aircraft Yard at Sydenham as the civil airport for Belfast. Although joint civil and military user of aerodromes can be, and often is, perfectly satisfactory, I am not yet satisfied as to the technical and economic advantages of these arrangements. I shall naturally reach no decision until I have fully consulted all interested parties.

asked the Minister of Defence whether his attention has been draw to the recent decisions in the cases of Nagley v. Spilsby and Evans v. Richardson; whether he is aware that certain subsistence allowances paid to civil servants whilst serving temporarily away from their normal places of employment are not regarded as giving rise to tax liability; and whether he will arrange for similar payments to be made to serving officers which will not attract liability to tax, and so remedy the hardship which was the subject of judicial comment in the cases mentioned.

I am aware of these decisions. There is no analogy between subsistence allowance paid to civil servants and lodging allowance paid to members of the Services. Civil servants receive subsistence allowance only for those periods when temporary duty takes them away from their home, and the purpose of the allowance is to reimburse them for the extra expense involved. Members of the Forces, on the other hand, are entitled to accommodation, and lodging allowance is payable in lieu when accommodation is not available. The fact that lodging allowance is taxable is taken into account in fixing the amount.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he has yet received any reply from the Western European Union to his proposals for the reorganisation of the British Forces in Germany; and if he will now inform the House what those proposals are.

The proposals are still being considered in Western European Union. I regret, therefore, that I cannot yet make a statement.

asked the Minister of Defence how many thermonuclear test explosions by foreign nations have been recorded by agencies under the authority of Her Majesty's Government.

It would not be in the public interest to give this information.

asked the Minister of Defence if, in view of the publication of a similar document by the Federal German Government, he will publish figures of British casualties in the two world wars together with the casualties of her allies and the opposing forces so far as these are available from British records.

Figures for British casualties have been published. No authoritative information is available in British records from which the casualties of other countries could be compiled.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to propose through the United Kingdom representation of the Agency that Category A non-governmental organisations should have the right to appoint observers to attend meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency, receive documents and working papers, make oral statements, have relevant statements and memoranda circulated by the Secretariat, suggest appropriate subjects for the consideration of the Agency, and consult with an appointed liaison officer of the Agency.

Her Majesty's Government will study this proposal sympathetically in the light of Article XVI A of the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which provides authority for the establishment of appropriate relationships with any organisation whose work is related to that of the Agency.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he has yet received the report of the Research Committee investigating the relationship between alcohol and road accidents; and whether he will publish this Report.

I regret that I have, at present, nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 30th January, 1957.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the cause of the change in colour of 47 phials of the recent batch of poliomyelitis vaccine.

The change of colour was due to faulty containers and consequent discoloration of the contents by a microorganism, which is, however, completely harmless.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what protests he has received about the proposal to acquire land compulsorily for the establishment of a rocket range in South Uist; and what was the nature of his reply.

As reported in the Press, I have had recent communications from clergymen in South Uist including a note of the resolution passed at last week's meeting in Benbecula. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of my reply to these letters. Apart from letters from a few individuals in other parts of Great Britain, notice of a resolution by an area council of the Scottish National Party and a telegram from the Scottish Covenant Association, I have received no other representations since detailed plans for the range were circulated to the local authorities and other bodies last summer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent negotiations he has had with the Ayr County Council on the question of housing workers likely to be employed at Killoch, Ayrshire; and what decision he has come to.

I have had discussions with representatives of the county council and have indicated that, if Parliament approves the Housing and Town Development (Scotland) Bill, I shall be prepared to make the special subsidy of £30 a year available under Clause 2 (2) (b) for this purpose. I understand that discussions are now taking place between the county council and the National Coal Board.

asked the Paymaster-General what improvement in the allowances of petrol to commercial travellers and manufacturers' agents will be authorised on the commencement of the next rationing period.

The extent to which these allowances can be improved depends on the Supply prospects, which are now being reviewed by my noble Friend.

asked the Minister of Supply what is the size of the production order of the P1 aircraft; when these are likely to be in squadron service; and, in placing the order, what account was taken of the rate of development of ground-to-air missiles.

As I stated on 25th February, 1957, in reply to a similar Question by the right hon. Gentleman, it would not be in the public interest to disclose the size of the production order or to state when the aircraft is expected to come into service. In placing the production order full account was taken of the progress made with the development of ground-to-air missiles.

asked the Minister of Supply how many thermonuclear test explosions his Department is proposing to make this year.

It would not be in the interests of national security to give this information.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the complaints against the present method of allocating basic potato acreages; and what steps he is taking to remedy these grievances.

I have received no complaints about the method of allocating basic potato acreages, prescribed by the Potato Marketing Scheme and administered by the Potato Marketing Board. Under the Scheme, any producer who is aggrieved by an act or omission of the Board has a right to arbitration. The second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he is aware of the practice of some education authorities of publishing in the local Press the names of children for transfer to grammar schools at 11-plus; and whether he will examine this practice, with a view to having it discouraged because of its tendency to glamourise the effect of grammar school selection.

My noble Friend deprecates this practice, but he does not consider that it is a matter on which he should circularise local education authorities.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education to make a statement showing the number of transfers from secondary modern schools to technical schools in 1955–56; and whether he is satisfied that sufficient attention is given to specialised courses in secondary modern schools where particular conditions prevail, such as mining, engineering, pottery, and textiles.

The number of transfers is not recorded. My noble Friend is anxious that courses in secondary technical and secondary modern schools should be broadly related to the main activities of the communities they serve, without being narrowly vocational. He is satisfied that many schools are making good progress on these lines.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the total annual amount received from the weekly Health and Insurance contribution from all insured persons over the last annual period for which figures are available.

The period covered by the last published Accounts of the National Insurance Fund is 1954–55, in which year total receipts from contributions paid by employers and insured persons were respectively £225 million and £265 million.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proportion of the total annual amount received from the weekly Health and Insurance contribution is allocated for the payment of old-age pensions.

Receipts from contributions paid by insured persons and employers are not allocated for the payment of particular benefits but are paid into the National Insurance Fund, from which all National Insurance benefits are paid.