asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Lord President of the Council, the amount of money spent on agricultural research in each of the years 1950 to 1955, inclusive.

Over the six years in question Government expenditure on agricultural research has nearly doubled.In the years 1950 to 1955, inclusive, the amounts spent on agricultural research co-ordinated by the Agricultural Research Council, and in the Agricultural Department's own establishments were, approximately:

				£
1950–51	…	…	…	2,189,000
1951–52	…	…	…	2,673,000
1952–53	…	…	…	3,075,000
1953–54	…	…	…	3,642,000
1954–55	…	…	…	4,297,000
1955–56	…	…	…	4,182,000

asked the Minister of Supply when the squadron of Britannia aircraft will be available for Transport Command.

During the latter part of 1958.

asked the Minister of Supply 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.

Seven, of whom four have had experience as journalists.

asked the Minister of Supply when the Scimitar and the Sea Vixen aircraft will become available for squadron service in the Royal Navy; and how many are on order.

Deliveries of the Scimitar to the Royal Navy will start this year. The Sea Vixen will be later. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the size of the orders for these aircraft or to state more precisely when the aircraft are expected to come into squadron service.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the tendency of the price paid to producers of milk to fall, what special steps he is taking to bring to the notice of producers that they are likely to be better off with a herd average of 700–800 gallons produced by home-produced feedingstuffs than with one of 1,500 or more gallons produced by bought feedingstuffs.

My advisory officers are laying special emphasis on the advantages of the maximum economic use of homegrown feedingstuffs. Low cost production, however, depends on a number of factors and advice must necessarily vary according to the circumstances of the individual case.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to establish in Wales a hospital specialising in the treatment of patients suffering from cancer; and whether he will make a statement.

No special hospital is planned, since I am advised that treatment can best be provided in units at or attached to general hospitals, and this is already being done.

asked the Minister of Health the death rate from cancer of the lungs in Wales for each of the years 1950 to 1956, inclusive.

The death rate for 1956 is not yet available. The rates were as follows for the years 1950–55:

Year	Deaths from cancer of the lung and bronchus Rate per million persons living
1950	…	…	…	…	207
1951	…	…	…	…	252
1952	…	…	…	…	255
1953	…	…	…	…	295
1954	…	…	…	…	299
1955	…	…	…	…	329

asked the Minister of Health what contribution is made by his Department to those undertaking research into the causes and cure of rheumatism.

Exchequer expenditure by hospital authorities on particular schemes of clinical research of this kind other than those financed by the Medical Research Council, is likely to be about £50,000 in the current financial year. In addition, much investigation into the subject takes place in the ordinary course of hospital work, particularly at the ten special rheumatism centres.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the lack of uniformity in enforcement of food hygiene regulations by local authorities; and what he is doing to improve the position.

There is a great variety of local circumstances in trades and premises and complete uniformity cannot be expected. I will always make inquiries where it appears that widely differing requirements are being unnecessarily imposed in parallel circumstances. But differences about interpretation in particular cases can only be finally settled by the courts.If the hon. Member has any particular case in mind, perhaps he would like to draw it to my right hon. Friend's attention.

asked the Minister of Health if a decision has yet been reached in respect to the two applications made by the hon. Member for Erith and Cray-ford to visit Miss Ivy Mary Betteridge, detained in the St. Margaret's Mental Hospital, Great Barr Park, Birmingham.

Apart from certain special rights of adult relatives or guardians, the decision about visiting rests—under the Mental Deficiency Regulations, 1948—with the Medical Superintendent.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that claims for damages for negligence against a hospital board, which may well succeed upon their merits, are sometimes met by a defence under the Limitation Act; and upon which principle instructions are given to raise or not to raise this defence.

I see no reason to deprive hospital authorities of the protection made available by Parliament to all and they are normally expected to raise this defence wherever it applies.

asked the Minister of Health how many nurseries for the daytime care of children under five years of age were being provided by local authorities at any convenient date in each of the years 1951 to 1956.

The following are the details:

Number of Day Nurseries provided by Local Health Authorities 31st December
1951	…	…	…	832
1952	…	…	…	797
1953	…	…	…	724
1954	…	…	…	628
1955	…	…	…	583
1956	…	…	…	Not yet available

asked the Minister of Health what direction and advice has been given to local authorities by his Department as to charges to be made and administration of day nurseries during the last three years.

No general direction or advice has been given.

asked the Minister of Health what evidence he has of the transmission of poliomyelitis in untreated sewage or water contaminated with it; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that untreated sewage contains large amounts of poliomyelitis virus when infection occurs in a community, and that polluted water is assumed to be a constant risk. But there is no definite evidence in this country of the transmission of poliomyelitis from these sources.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the recent condemnation by the World Health Organisation of the over-use of tranquiliser drugs; and if he is aware that these drugs are being prescribed on a markedly increased scale in the National Health Service; and what steps he proposes to take in this matter.

Yes. While responsibility for prescribing must rest with the doctor I shall shortly be issuing an edition of Prescribers Notes summarising the latest available information on treatment with these drugs.

asked the Minister of Health the number of deaths registered as being caused by any form of cancer during each of the years 1950 to 1955, inclusive; and the comparative figures for Wales in the same period.

The number of deaths registered in England and Wales as being caused by any form of cancer during the years 1950–55 and the comparative figures for Wales are as follows: —

Year			England and Wages	Wales
1950	…	…	85,270	4,964
1951	…	…	86,080	5,315
1952	…	…	87,642	5,190
1953	…	…	87,924	5,202
1954	…	…	90,095	5,431
1955	…	…	91,340	5,486

asked the Minister of Health the total number of patients treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, in each of the years 1950 to 1955, inclusive.

Following is the information:

Patients treated at Royal Marsden Hospital,1950–55
The numbers of in-patients treated (discharges and deaths during the year) are as follows:—
1950	…	…	…	…	2,178
1951	…	…	…	…	2,073
1952	…	…	…	…	1,976
1953	…	…	…	…	2,019
1954	…	…	…	…	2,334
1955	…	…	…	…	2,409

It is regretted that total numbers of all outpatients treated are not available. The numbers of patients attending out-patient consultative clinics for the first time in each year are given below, though the figures before 1954 are not reliable.

1950	…	…	…	…	2,159
1951	…	…	…	…	2,137
1952	…	…	…	…	2,176
1953	…	…	…	…	3,847
1954	…	…	…	…	3,116
1955	…	…	…	…	2,814

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what progress has been made towards the drafting of regulations by the General Dental Council which will facilitate the registration of those dentists with foreign qualifications, to whom reference was made during the passage of the Dentists Act; and if, in view of the toll which time is taking of these dentists and the fact that only 12 are now affected, he will ensure that there is no further delay in dealing with this matter.

I cannot yet add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Kirkdale (Mr. N. Pannell) on 18th February.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, how many refugees from Hungary have applied and have been placed on the United Kingdom dental register.

I understand that three have applied to the General Dental Council for registration in the foreign list of the Dentists Register and that their applications are under consideration. One of the three has also applied for and obtained temporary registration to enable him to take up a hospital appointment.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, the amount of money spent on medical research in each of the years 1950 to 1956, inclusive; and the proportion spent on research into the causes and cure of cancer for the same period.

The total expenditures from all sources by the Medical Research Council in each of the years 1950–56, together with the corresponding figures for expenditure on cancer research were:

—	Total Expenditure	Expenditure on cancer research	Percentage of total spent on cancer research
	£	£	per cent.
1950–51	1,741,720	157,000	9
1951–52	1,747,248	200,000	11
1952–53	1,992,108	395,000	20
1953–54	1,982,836	335,000	17
1954–55	2,177,247	289,000	13
1955–56	2,480,656	327,000	13

In addition to expenditure by the Medical Research Council further substantial sums are spent on medical research in general and on cancer research from private and also from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many non-British subjects are still in sanctuary in Her Majesty's Legation in Budapest; and of what nationality they are.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what advance notice was given by the Hungarian authorities of their intention to cordon off Her Majesty's Legation in Budapest on 25th February; how long the cordon was in place; and what action Her Majesty's Government has taken about it.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Scotstoun (Sir J. Hutchison) on 6th March.An assurance has since been received from the Hungarian Government that they had no intention of making any demonstration against the Legation or of interfering in any way with its work or its contacts with the Hungarian people. The Hungarian Government have stated that Her Majesty's Legation will continue to be given facilities for all normal diplomatic activities.The most recent report from Her Majesty's Minister at Budapest stated that there had been no further cases recently of persons being detained as a result of visiting the Legation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government have taken in furtherance of Recommendation 115 of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe concerning mass deportations from Hungary.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Motherwell (Mr. Lawson) on 15th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will propose on behalf of Her Majesty's Government at the United Nations that some replacements of troops for the United Nations emergency force should be recruited as individuals instead of through national contingents.

No. We have no proposal of this nature in mind at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which nations offered to supply contingents to the United Nations emergency force; which were accepted; and what reasons were assigned for the non-acceptance of those which were not accepted.

So far as Her Majesty's Government are aware the following countries have offered to supply contingents for the United Nations Emergency Force: Afghanistan, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Ceylon, Chile, Colombia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Roumania, Sweden and Yugoslavia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Four-Power working group set up in Washington to discuss the possibility of German reunification.

The Four-Power Working Group met in Washington from 6th March to 15th March. Its report is now being submitted to the Governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent Her Majesty's Government has jurisdiction over the citizens of Bahrain.

In addition to the cession of jurisdiction to Her Majesty's Government by the Ruler for specific purposes, Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Bahrain exercise joint jurisdiction in "mixed" cases involving Bahraini nationals and persons not normally subject to the jurisdiction of the Ruler of Bahrain.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent Her Majesty's Government are concerned in the maintenance of law and order within the State of Bahrain.

In accordance with long-standing arrangements Her Majesty's Government afford the Ruler such assistance as he may from time to time require for maintaining law and order within Bahrain.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps have been taken to make clear to the Egyptian and other Arab Governments that Her Majesty's Government will not agree to a situation in the Sinai Peninsula which would permit the continuation of raids into Israeli territory.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the present position in the Gaza Strip; and what representations Her Majesty's Government have now made to prevent the recurrence of attacks from the Gaza strip on Israel.

I have at present nothing to add to the full statement on the position in the Gaza Strip which my right hon. and learned Friend made on 14th March. The Secretary General is due to go out to the area very soon and we should await the results of his visit.We have made it quite clear in the General Assembly that it must be the Assembly's task to see that hostilities do not break out again and that new attacks across the armistice lines, whether by Israel forces or Egyptian forces or fedayeen elements, cannot recur. Our view has been that the United Nations Force should be so deployed as to prevent a recurrence of such attacks. The Force is now in position on the Israel-Egypt armistice line in accordance with Resolution II of 2nd February, and one of its chief tasks is to prevent raids and to assist in maintaining peaceful conditions. As members of the United Nations we shall of course do all we can to encourage the Force to carry out these functions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who is the United Kingdom representative on the Preparatory Commission of the International Atomic Energy Agency; what meetings have been held by the Preparatory Commission; and when and where the first International Conference of the Agency will be convened.

The United Kingdom was represented until the end of February on the Preparatory Commission by Sir Alec Randall. His place has now been taken by Mr. R. D. J. Scott-Fox of the United Kingdom Permanent Delegation in New York, with Mr. M. I. Michaels of the Office of the Lord President of the Council (Atomic Energy) as alternate delegate.The Preparatory Commission has so far held twelve formal meetings. On 4th March a Working Committee of the whole assembled in New York to discuss and make recommendations on the initial programme of the Agency. This Committee has just completed the first stage of its work.As regards the last part of the Question, it has been decided to hold the first General Conference in Vienna and the Preparatory Commission have tentatively set 19th August as the target date for the opening of the Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date Her Majesty's Government ratified the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Her Majesty's Government have not yet ratified the Statute.A White Paper containing the text of the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency will be laid before the House tomorrow. Arrangements will be made to deposit an instrument of ratification with the United States Government in accordance with Article XXI of the Statute as soon as possible after the statutory period is completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he has received to the representations he has made to the United Nations Organisation in respect of the discriminatory steps taken by Egypt against Jewish residents of British nationality in Egypt; and whether he will make a statement on the present position.

As I told the hon Member on 4th March, the United Kingdom representative at the United Nations last December drew the attention of the General Assembly to the treatmnt of British subjects in Egypt. We did not single out any one category of British subject. We had received through the United Nations an Egyptian Government assurance that

" generally speaking the deportations could be considered a closed chapter".

Nevertheless indirect pressures continued and are continuing still.Since then we called on the Egyptian Government on 27th January through the protecting power, to end the measures taken against British subjects. The Egyptian Government have not replied. We are satisfied that the Swiss authorities have done all they can to relieve the situation.

asked the Attorney-General if he will initiate a prosecution on the grounds of public nuisance caused by the emission of black smoke by the gas works situated in the Ashley Hill and Eastville district of Bristol.

No. I have no evidence that a criminal offence has been committed.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will consider amending the National Insurance Acts in order that widows who reached the age of 60 years during the transitional period of five years between 1948 and 1953, who are drawing an alternative pension, should be able to receive the full contributory pension, without reduction, in the same way as widows reaching 60 years of age after 1953.

No. This is one of the transitional arrangements connected with the introduction of the National Insurance scheme, and I think treats pensioners in this category very fairly and indeed generously in comparison with other contributors to the Fund.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what the old-age pension would be worth on each of the dates when it was increased, on the basis that the first pension of 5s. per week on 1st January, 1909, had a purchasing value of that amount, after allowing for the depreciation of the purchasing value of the £; and what is the relative value of the pension at the latest stated date on this basis.

I presume that the reference is to the non-contributory old-age pension which has always been subject to a test of means. Following is the information asked for:

Date	Maximum rate of pension		1909 equivalent
	s.	d.	s.	d.
1st January, 1909	5	0	5	0
10th August, 1917	7	6	4	0
2nd January, 1920	10	0	4	3
4th October, 1946	26	0	12	2
January, 1957	26	0	7	7

No official price indices are available for the years before 1914, so that unofficial estimates of price changes have had to be used in the calculations as regards the period 1909 to 1914.

asked the Paymaster-General how many power stations are situated in the Greater London area as defined by the Metropolitan Police district; and what percentage of sulphur oxides are being removed from the flue gases of each of these.

Forty-nine. Sulphur oxides are removed from the flue gases only at the Battersea and Bankside stations, where the approximate percentages removed in 1956 were 87 and 97 respectively.

asked the Paymaster-General the current rate of consumption of motor fuel in the United Kingdom expressed as a percentage of normal consumption.

About 80 per cent.

asked the Paymaster-General if he is aware that the continued uncertainty about petrol rationing is creating a feeling of frustration and anxiety, and that it is causing people to break the law by selling and purchasing petrol without coupons; and if he will state his future intentions now that oil is flowing through the pipeline and the necessity for rationing has diministed.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made today after Questions.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he has now reconsidered his refusal to include ex-company gas pensioners and ex-company electricity pensioners in the recent pensions increase regulations.

Yes. My noble Friend, after further consideration, has informed the Central Electricity Authority and the Gas Council that he is prepared to approve the comprehensive proposals put forward by the two industries.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will now reconsider the decision not to approve an increase of ex-company pensions in the electricity supply industry.

Yes. My noble Friend is ready to approve the C.E.A.'s proposals to increase ex-company pensions from 1st April, 1956.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he is aware that the great majority of the consumers of gas and electricity in this country are not aware of the machinery available to them to put forward their grievances through the Consultative Councils of the Gas and Electricity Boards; and whether he will give a general direction to these Boards to make available further funds in order to make such councils better known and more effective.

While I am grateful to my hon. and gallant Friend for drawing attention to the valuable work which these Councils are performing I have no evidence that their efforts to improve their usefulness are being held up by lack of funds.

asked the Paymaster-General what allowances of petrol will be granted to municipal candidates and their agents in the forthcoming municipal elections.

Block allowances are issued for necessary journeys up to and including polling clay, including the conveyance of voters to the poll. For boroughs and burghs divided into wards the maximum allowance per ward for each party or independent candidate varies according to the number of electors as follows:

Number of electors in the ward				Gallons
less than 5,000	…	…	…	30
5,000 to 10,000	…	…	…	40

An additional 15 gallons will be allowed for each 5.000 electors, or part thereof, in excess of 10,000 electors.For boroughs and burghs not divided into wards the maximum allowance is 50 gallons.

asked the Paymaster-General what percentage of sulphur is contained in the principal varieties of smokeless fuels; and how this compares with that contained in an average sample of coal or coke.

About 1 per cent. by weight in anthracite and from 0·4 per cent, to 7·0 per cent. in coke and other manufactured smokeless fuels, varying with the sulphur content of the coal from which they are produced. The average sample of coal or coke contains about 1·6 per cent. of sulphur.

asked the Paymaster-General, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what was the amount of money spent on atomic research for military purposes in each of the years 1950 to 1955, inclusive.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total expenditure on wages and salaries provided for in the Civil Estimates and Supplementary Civil Estimates for the year 1956–57, to the nearest £10,000,000.

I regret that the information for which the hon. Member asks is not available, and could not be obtained without a disproportionate amount of work. As regards the salaries and wages of non-industrial civil servants, however. I would refer him to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) on 1st March last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what rate of consumption of motor fuel expressed as a percentage of normal consumption the level of receipts from tax on hydrocarbon oils, including the current shilling increase, would exceed the level of receipts from that tax in a period of normal consumption without such increase.

A little more than 70 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, ignoring any possible switch to betting with bookmakers which might occur, by what amount the present 10 per cent. pool duty on totalisators at greyhound tracks could be reduced if a flat-rate duty were imposed on both greyhound and horse racing on the basis of ensuring the same return of revenue to the Treasury, using the totalisator turnover on greyhound and horse racing for the year 1955–56.

The present 10 per cent. duty could be reduced to about 7 per cent., under the assumptions set out in the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that, whilst public catering establishments are required to provide hygienic food storage facilities below 50°F., only about 8 per cent. of electrically-wired homes possess a domestic refrigerator, and that the average family is denied at home the hygienic food storage conditions it enjoys in public catering establishments because of a 60 per cent. Purchase Tax and a 50 per cent. hire-purchase deposit upon domestic refrigerators; and if in the interests of health and hygiene, he will consider drastically reducing the Purchase Tax and easing the hire-purchase restrictions upon domestic refrigerators when framing his Budget proposals.

I will bear this point in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what increase in the minimum and maximum salary of assistant university lecturers results from the new scales.

£150 and £200 respectively.I should like to take this opportunity of making the following minor corrections to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson) on 12th March:

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether further arrangements have now been made with the United States Government for the import of tobacco for sterling and for the building of houses for United States forces in this country.

Yes. We have agreed with the United States Government on a transaction under Public Law 480 involving $6 million worth of tobacco for sterling. This is an extension of the transaction announced in June, 1956, which involved $12 million worth of tobacco and the arrangements will be identical in character. The proceeds of the transaction will be appropriated to the United Kingdom Defence Budget. The United Kingdom Government for their part undertake to provide houses for United States Service personnel and their families in this country at an equivalent cost. The houses will be let to the United States authorities at a nominal rent for so long as they are required but will remain the property of the United Kingdom Government. This is a special measure to help to meet United States military needs. The tobacco will go into companies' stocks and its acquisition will not cause any reduction of United Kingdom purchases of tobacco from Commonwealth countries. We have not accepted any undertakings as to the 50 per cent. shipping requirement in connection with this transaction.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury taking into consideration the changes in the cost of living, of taxation, of family allowances, and other relevant factors, what gross salary would a married man with three children have to earn today to have the same spending power as a man in similar circumstances would have had in January, 1952, whose salary at that date was £500, £1,000 or £1,500, respectively.

A married man with three children would require a gross salary of £571, £1,081 or £1,623 at the present time to secure the same purchasing power, after deduction of Income Tax, as a man in similar circumstances in January, 1952, with a gross salary of £500, £1,000 or £1,500, respectively. These represent increases of 14 per cent., 8 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively. These figures take account of the increases in family allowances as well as of changes in taxation and of the increase in prices based on the movement in the consumer price index.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the average increase during the past five years in salaries which stood at approximately £500, £1,000, and £1,500, respectively, in January, 1952.

No detailed statistics are available about changes in salary rates. However, between the average of the years 1951 and 1952 and the year 1955 the average earnings of all salaried employees in manufacturing industry rose by about 17 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many information officers are on the strength of his Department; and how many of them have had experi-

—	Georgetown and New Amsterdam	Country districts
Groceries and hardware, dry goods and drug stores Clerks (including counter assistants) and porters.	$15·60 per week (£3 5s. Od.)	$13·20 per week (£2 15s. Od.)
Unskilled female workers	$1·80 per day (7s. 6d.)	$1·44 per day (6s. Od.)
Cinemas General staff	$15·17 per week (£3 3s. 2½d.)	—
Laundries
Washers—Male	$2·41 per day (10s. 0½d.)	—
Female	$1·73 per day (7s. 2½d.)	—
Watchmen	$1500 per week (£3 2s. 6d.) Demerara, Essequibo (excluding Pomeroon and North West District)	$13·50 per week (£2 16s. 3d.) Berbice. Pomeroon and North West District.
Sawmills
Unskilled labourers	$2·52 per day (10s. 6d.)	$2·20 per day (9s. 2d.)
	All districts
Hire car service Chauffers	$15·00 (£3 2s. 6d.)
Building trade Labourers	32 cents per hour(1s. 4d.)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decontrol of rent has been introduced in Uganda; what are the amounts of increases which are permitted and the standard of rents

There are ten members of the information officer class employed in the information division of the Air Ministry, of whom six have had experience as journalists with newspapers or news agencies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the statutory minimum wages in British Guiana.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 6th March, 1957; Vol. 566, c. 63], supplied the following information:The adult statutory minimum wage rates in force in British Guiana are:of dwelling-houses; and if the increases will apply equally to dwellings owned or rented by Africans and Europeans, respectively.

Business premises, premises first occupied on or after 1st January, 1957, and dwelling-houses and business cum dwelling-houses which became vacant after 1st January, 1957, provided the landlord has not obtained possession for occupation by an employee, are all exempted from rent control. Dwelling-houses belonging to the Government-controlled Bugishu Coffee Scheme and on Government African housing estates are also exempted from control but rents are in general lower than the standard rent would be if applied to these dwellings. Certain maximum increases which have been permitted apply irrespective of the race of landlord or tenant, and vary, according to the date of occupation, between 50 per cent. over the standard rent for certain dwelling-houses and 200 per cent. for some premises which include living quarters. The standard rent, in the case of a dwelling-house or premises which were occupied on and prior to 1st January, 1942, is the rent obtaining at that date. In other cases it is determined by a rent board.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if his attention has been called to the provisions in the regulations adopted for the House of Representatives and the Municipality of Freetown, Sierra Leone, debarring from becoming candidates persons who have been convicted for an offence in a court of law or who have been debarred from following their professions; and, in view of the fact that persons with records of public service whose offences have arisen from patriotic motives will in consequence be excluded from these representative bodies, if he will take steps to ensure that these regulations be rescinded or amended.

These provisions were incorporated in the Freetown Municipality (Amendment) Bill on the recommendation of a Select Committee and subsequently passed unopposed by the Sierra Leone Legislative Council. Similar provisions were incorporated in the Sierra Leone (House of Representatives) Order in Council, 1956, at the request of the Sierra Leone Government. I understand that the matter is to be debated in.the Legislative Council later this month, and I would prefer to make no further comment until then.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers have been prosecuted for exceeding the speed limit in Whitton Avenue, Greenford, Middlesex, in the last six months; and if he will give a brief summary of the results of the prosecutions.

68 drivers were prosecuted and convicted. Fines of £2 were imposed in 53 cases, of £3 in 14 cases and of £4 in one case.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education the number of African students from the Union of South Africa who have received scholarships from United Kingdom public funds in whole or in part to study in the United Kingdom for the years 1950 to 1957, inclusive; and under what authority the selection of scholarship students is made.

The benefits of the Education Acts are confined to the people of England and Wales. No students coming from South Africa have, therefore, received scholarships during the years 1950–57 from the funds of my Department. I am informed by my noble Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations that during the same period 14 scholarships of ten months' duration have been awarded by the British Council to South African nationals all of whom were of European extraction. The initial selection of candidates was made by the Committee of University Principals in South Africa and the final selection, based on academic suitability, was made by the British Council.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he will take steps to increase the grants under the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937, from £2,000 to 3,000.

I assume the Question relates to village halls. £2,000 is sufficient in most cases to cover a third of the cost, the proportion normally borne by the Ministry in voluntary schemes of this kind. Where a village wants some special amenity my noble Friend thinks it reasonable that it should find the extra cost itself, having regard to the need to distribute as fairly as possible the public funds available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) the current figures of local authorities' financial resources and explain what changes will be made in these by the Government's new proposals; and if he will lay a White Paper;(2) the total amount of central Government grants to local authorities for the current or last convenient year; how much of this amount was in respect of specific grants which are to be excluded from the proposed general grant; and how much in respect of each such specific grant;(3) what will be the total increase or decrease of central Government grants to local authorities consequent on the Government's new proposals.(4) what will be the net increase in the financial resources of local authorities attributable to his proposed increase of the rate contribution of industry and freight transport and what would be the net increase if that rate contribution were raised from 25 per cent. to 100 per cent.;(5) what are the objective factors, by reference to which he proposes to distribute the general grant among local authorities in England and Wales; what weight will be given to each such objective factor; and how the distribution will be allocated;(6) if he will so tabulate the amounts of present and proposed grants to local authorities as to identify the services and amounts which at present are not included in any general grant-in-aid and form five-sixths of total Exchequer grants and those which he does not propose to include in his general grant and which will form one-third of total Exchequer grants;

The statement which I made to the House on 12th February summarised conclusions which the Government have now to discuss in detail with the local authorities preparatory to legislation. Discussions have begun; but until they are completed there are many matters which cannot be finally resolved. One is the formula for distribution of the general grant, on which so much will depend for the individual authority.I do not think that it would be appropriate or useful—or indeed fair to the local authorities—to lay a White Paper at this stage. It would inevitably be incomplete. But my present intention is to do so when the discussions with the authorities have been concluded. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I aim to do this before the summer recess.I may, however, say that in my statement of 12th February I had in mind the following key figures for England and Wales as broad estimates of the current position:

	£
Rates	490 millions
Grants in aid of specific services	508 millions
Exchequer Equalisation Grants	73 millions
Rents, fees and other charges	436 millions

The increase in rates consequent on the re-rating of industry and freight-transport to 50 per cent. will depend on the rate poundage at the time but the addition should he something upward of £25 millions.On grants, as I explained in my statement of 12th February, with a few exceptions where technical considerations make it not possible or desirable, specific grants will be replaced by a general grant. The main exceptions which I had in mind are the housing subsidies, and the grants for highways and police and, in the education service, advanced technology and school meals and milk. The effect, at current levels, would be that approximately £280 millions out of the £508 millions at present tied to specific services would be distributed by way of general grant. Adding to this the equalisation grants, there would be £353 millions of general grants-in-aid, leaving some £228 millions tied to specific services.On the question what grants are not at present included in any general grant-in-aid I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the Local Government Financial Statistics for England and Wales for 1954–55, that being the last year for which these statistics have so far been published.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement on the development plan for Somerset.

I shall be ready to approve the plan as soon as the maps have been revised to give effect to modifications which I intend to make.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will make a statement on the proposal contained in the development plan for Somerset to make a ring road in Yeovil.

As many of the problems covered by the Somerset Development Plan, including the Yeovil Inner Ring Road, are inter-related, I think it would be better to give my decision on the plan as a whole, as soon as I am in a position to do so, than to make any separate announcement about this proposal.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government 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.

Five, of whom four have journalistic experience.

asked the Minister of Labour 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 three members of the information class in my Ministry; two of them have had journalistic experience.

asked the Postmaster-General 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.

Four and two respectively.