asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will make a statement on the size of the Royal Fleet Reserve.

A review of the Royal Fleet Reserve has been carried out and it has been decided to reduce the strength of the Reserve, which at present contains over 30,000 men, to about 5,000. The men concerned are being notified that they will be discharged from the Royal Fleet Reserve at the end of this month. Those discharged will still be subject to recall in emergency up to the age of 45 under the terms of the Navy, Army and Air Force Reserves Act 1954.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking this year to make more effective the campaign against the warble fly and so reduce the damage to hides.

My Department, with the co-operation of the National Farmers' Union and the Milk Marketing Board, is this year again giving extensive publicity to the statutory requirement to dress warble-infested cattle. Film shows have been arranged, leaflets and reminders are being distributed during the dressing season to cattle-owners in England and Wales, posters will be displayed at markets, and publicity will also be given by the B.B.C. and in the farming Press. In addition, the Department's veterinary and advisory staff have been instructed to remind cattle-owners of their obligations when visiting farms.

asked the Minister of Defence how many information officers are on the strength of his Department; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

The answer to the first part of the Question is one, and to the second part none.

asked the Minister of Defence what has been the cost during 1956–57, and what is the estimated cost for 1957–58, of the maintenance of defence projects in Hong Kong, Singapore, Cyprus, the Maldive Islands, Aden, Mombasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Freetown, the Caribbean, Malta, Gibraltar and other overseas territories, respectively.

The estimated maintenance costs of defence installations for 1956–57 are given below. No detailed estimates for 1957–58 are available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why barristers are allowed to keep the last year of their earnings before retirement free of tax; by what authority this is done; and whether he will introduce amending legislation to enable all of Her Majesty's subjects the same privilege, or otherwise alter these provisions to ensure that barristers receive no special tax privileges.

The Income Tax of barristers ceasing practice, like that of other trades and professions, is calculated in accordance with the normal provisions of the Income Tax Acts. Barristers' fees are, however, not earnings for which they can sue, and it is necessary always to assess barristers on a cash receipts basis. Fees received by barristers after the source of the income has ceased are accordingly not assessable to tax. As regards the latter part of the hon. Member's Question, I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what limits are imposed by the Inland Revenue Department as regards pensions and/or lump sums payable to beneficiaries under approved private pension funds operating under trust deeds, approved private pension schemes reinsured with life offices, deferred annuity policies taken out by self-employed persons under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1956, and non-contributory "Top Hat" schemes in which policies are effected in favour of individuals the cost of which is allowed as a working expense, respectively.

Unless there are special circumstances, the total value of the benefits afforded to an employee on retirement is limited, for tax purposes, to the equivalent of a pension of one-sixtieth of final salary multiplied by the number of years of service with the employer concerned. These limits apply in general to employers' arrangements of all the varieties referred to in the Question.Annuities for self-employed persons taken out under Part III, Finance Act, 1956, are limited by reference not to the amount of the annuity, but to the amount of the annual premium, as laid down in the Act.Funds which are wholly approved under Section 379, Income Tax Act, 1952, whether they are privately administered or their liabilities are reinsured with an insurance company, are precluded from paying any retirement benefits in lump sum form. This restriction does not apply to schemes which do not qualify for approval under Section 379. If, however, the lump sum exceeds a quarter of the actuarial value of the total benefit, they are not approved under Section 388; and in such a case, unless it fell within one of the classes specified in Section 387 as not requiring approval, there would be tax liability on the employee in respect of the employer's contributions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what protest he made to the Greek Government regarding the payment of money to E.O.K.A. by the Greek Consul in Nicosia, Monsieur Frydas; whether he requested this official's recall; and when Monsieur Frydas left Cyprus.

Monsieur Frydas is still in Cyprus. His recall has not been requested, nor has any protest been made to the Greek Government regarding his payment of money to E.O.K.A. As a result of the United Nations debate, Her Majesty's Government assume that activities of this sort will not recur.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the Fifth Report on the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and what additional steps he is taking, in accordance with Resolution 117 of the Council of Europe, to ensure that this country plays its full part in enabling the programme of the High Commissioner to be implemented.

The answer to the first part of the Question is. Yes.Her Majesty's Government contributed £180,000 in the first two years of the High Commissioner's re-settlement programme, and have undertaken to contribute £80,000 in 1957, plus a further £20,000 if total Governmental contributions for the year reach the figure of $3·25 million. This is independent of special assistance to Hungarian refugees, for whom the United Kingdom has so far contributed £93,000 to various foreign and international funds.While we are aware that in 1955 and in 1956 there was a shortfall in contributions to the High Commissioner's four-year programme, the United Kingdom contribution in 1956 ranked second among Governmental contributions. In view of this and of the additional expenditure incurred in respect of the Hungarian refugees both abroad and in this country, my right hon. and learned Friend does not think that any increase in the United Kingdom contribution to the four-year programme would be justified at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to Recommendation 115, 1957, of the Council of Europe which relates to mass deportations from Hungary; and what action has been taken to implement this recommendation.

The Minister's Deputies considered Recommendation No. 115 at their meeting on 24th January to 1st February. They found the Recommendation unacceptable and on 8th February informed the President and Representatives of the Assembly in the Joint Committee that it was not proposed to comply with it. No action, therefore, is called for by Mer Majesty's Government.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make as full a statement as possible on the infection of five patients who were operated on recently in the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, of whom two have died from infection by tetanus.

Tetanus has been diagnosed in five patients who were operated on at the North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary between 21st and 26th February. I greatly regret that two of these patients have since died, and I desire to express my sympathy with the relatives.The symptoms appeared in the first case on 26th February. Further cases developed symptoms on 28th February, 1st March and 3rd March. The theatre suite in question was closed from 28th February and will not again be brought into use until any necessary measures have been taken to prevent any risk of further infection. Arrangements were made for emergency operations to be performed in the City General Hospital. Investigations are in progress to determine the source of infection, but they are not yet complete. My officers are in close touch with developments.All those operated on between 21st and 26th February were given a protective dose of tetanus antitoxin on 1st and 2nd March except six patients who had been discharged, and their family doctors were advised to take the same action. I am satisfied that the hospital authorities have taken without delay the necessary action to deal with this unhappy occurrence.

asked the Minister of Health how many public relations and information officers are on the strength of his Department and subordinate departments; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

Six, of whom two have had experience as journalists.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many information officers are on the strength of his Department; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

There are four officers in the information officer class in the Home Department, of whom one has had experience as a journalist.

asked the Paymaster-General how many information officers are on the strength of the Ministry of Power and subordinate departments; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

Two. Both have journalistic experience.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many information officers are on the strength of his Department and subordinate departments; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

Three; they also serve the National Assistance Board. One has previous journalistic experience, and another previous experience in advertising.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many information officers are on the strength of his Department and subordinate departments; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

The numbers asked for are 11 and 8, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to authorise construction of the footpath which has been proposed at Stewart Street, Carluke, since before the war.

Certain financial and legal questions arising from this improvement are being discussed with Lanarkshire County Council. The work will be put in hand as soon as these questions are settled.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many information officers are on the strength of his Department and subordinate departments; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

The number of information class officers on the strength of the Board of Trade is fifteen, and one more officer of this class is on the staff of the Export Credits Guarantee Department. Of these, seven have had experience as journalists.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many information officers are on the strength of his Department and subordinate departments; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

Nine, of whom six have journalistic experience.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the reason for the recent irregularity in the delivery of service mail to Cyprus.

I regret that, in common with some civil mails, some of the surface mail sent to troops in Cyprus by overland routes during January suffered considerable delay because of a hold up on the Continent. This has been remedied and the service is back to normal. If my hon. and learned Friend has any other delay in mind, I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Works how far it is customary to grant quantity surveyors and others concerned a professional percentage upon the work executed under prime cost or prime cost sums for building contracts entered into by his Department, or for such contracts undertaken for other Government Departments.

It is the practice of my Ministry and of the Service Departments not to grant a professional percentage on prime cost sums included in bills of quantities prepared for them unless subcontract bills of quantities have been drawn up for the specific item or items, or professional skill has necessarily been exercised in connection therewith.

asked the Minister of Works if he will give details of cases where prime cost or prime cost sums are included in the contract price for any part of important building contracts for his Department or for works for which his Department acts on behalf of other Government Departments; and whether these sums are determined between his Department and the sub-contractor concerned, or are agreed by the quantity surveyor or the architects on behalf of the Government.

Most important building contracts placed by my Department include some prime cost sums, generally for work of a specialist nature. It is, however, the policy to reduce the number of prime cost items, and, to the greatest possible extent, to include specialist work in the working drawings, specification and bills of quantities of the main contract, placing on the main contractor the full responsibility for pricing and progress of the entire work. Where prime cost sums are included in the contract these are determined by the Department's quantity surveyor.

asked the Minister of Works how many information officers are on the strength of his Department; and how many of them have had experience as journalists on national newspapers or news agencies.

Nine, of whom six have; had experience as journalists.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will indicate the prospects of an electrical maintenance engineer being able to obtain employment in one of the new towns linked with Wembley.

Vacancies for such workers have recently been notified at the rate of about one a month.