asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his estimate of his loss in trading in cereals for 1957–58; and in what circumstances this loss arises.

£755,000. This comprises £700,000 arising from final settlements with millers under the financial arrangements between the Ministry of Food and the milling industry relating to the period of Government control, and £55,000 in respect of the drying and storage service for home-grown grain operated at the Government silos.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when in his Departmental correspondence with Members of Parliament or others he gives important information that would be beneficial to agriculturalists, if he will send a brief note of this to the "Kent Farmer" and other agricultural magazines or papers so that they may include this in their news columns.

We make every effort to ensure that important information which would be beneficial to agriculturists is made available to the Press whether or not it has been the subject of Departmental correspondence. If my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind where this has not been done, perhaps he would let my right hon. Friend know.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many potatoes are expected to be surplus this year, to the nearest 100,000 tons; and what steps he is taking to dispose of them.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement on the reorganisation of the Meteorological Service.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the fact that it has proved impossible to conduct a review of the China embargo through the Committee of the Consultative Group and that this organisation is proving a serious liability to British commercial interests in that information is being supplied to foreign competitors to the detriment of British industry, he will take some steps to change the present procedure.

As the House was informed on 1st April, we are hopeful that further consultations with our friends and allies will enable agreement to be reached on the arrangements for controlling trade with China. Information given to the Group about United Kingdom exports is regarded as strictly confidential by all member Governments. Similar information is, of course, provided to the Group by the other member Governments and there is no question of United Kingdom firms being at a disadvantage in comparison with their competitors in the other member countries.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will indicate which of the hospital farms in Wales have been sold; what was the price obtained; and how many were sold back to the local authorities who owned them in 1948.

Farms have been sold at the following hospitals in Wales for the prices shown:

	£
Whitchurch Hospital, near Cardiff	7,250
South Wales Sanatorium, Talgarth	18,400
Mid-Wales Hospital, Talgarth	13,930

In addition, the Brithdir Uchaf farm at Drymma Hall Hospital has been transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and arrangements are proceeding for disposal of other land at Whitchurch to other Government Departments.The South Wales Sanatorium farm was formerly owned by the King Edward VII Welsh National Memorial Association; in no case was the farm sold to a local authority.

asked the Minister of Health how many barring certificates were issued by medical superintendents of mental hospitals in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

I regret that this information is not available but I understand that these certificates are seldom issued.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what payments have been made, either out of the rates or from Exchequer funds, to cover the cost of vaccination against smallpox since the operation of the National Health Service Act in July, 1948;(2) how payments are made for inoculating against diphtheria, whooping-cough and for any other inoculations carried out under the Health Services; the total amount of payments for the materials used in these inoculations since the National Health Service Act came into operation in July, 1948; and how much has been paid out of State funds for carrying out these inoculations or for supplying local authorities with a record of the inoculations performed.

Vaccinations and inoculations carried out by general practitioners in the National Health Service are covered by their remuneration from capitation fees, etc. In addition they receive 5s. from the local health authority for each record submitted. No special fee is paid for vaccinations and inoculations carried out by medical practitioners employed full-time by local health authorities; those employed part-time are paid on a sessional basis.The gross expenditure incurred by local health authorities in Scotland in respect of vaccinations and inoculations carried out under the National Health Service from July, 1948, to the end of March, 1957, is £598,000, half of which falls on the Exchequer and half on the rates. This expenditure is in respect of record fees, staff costs and materials not supplied centrally. In addition, during the same period my Department incurred expenditure for vaccines and other immunising materials issued free to local health authorities amounting to £111,000.Separate figures in respect of the different vaccines are not available. Nor is the cost of vaccines dispensed by chemists on the prescriptions of general medical practitioners separately recorded.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many girl students were studying for engineering and allied technological qualifications at the higher levels at the last most convenient date.

In October, 1956, the number taking courses of university or Higher National Certificate level was 17.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any further information to give to the House about the relaxation of the Emergency Regulations in Cyprus.

Yes. The Governor announced yesterday certain relaxations of the Emergency Regulations and certain other steps which he has now decided to take with a view to creating conditions favourable to a peaceful settlement Details are as follows:

The Emergency Regulations are being amended so as to abolish the death penalty for all offences under these Regulations except those of discharging a firearm at a person, carrying a firearm without lawful authority or excuse, and throwing or using a bomb or other explosive with the intention of causing death or bodily harm. In cases which are already the subject of inquiry or legal proceedings and which involve offences other than those excepted above, the effect of the amendment will be to substitute the punishment of imprisonment for the death penalty provided the case has not proceeded to the stage of an information having been signed against the accused.

As for cases which have already proceeded beyond that stage the Governor will consider the cessation of violence as a relevant consideration of a public nature to be taken into account in the exercise of the prerogative although it would not he the only or decisive factor.

The Emergency Powers (Control of Sale and Circulation of Publications) Regulations, 1956, will be revoked.

The Bishop of Kitium and the Secretary of the Ethnarchy will be released from house detention.

A further review will be undertaken of the cases of all detained persons with a view to releasing any who can now be set at liberty without serious prejudice to public safety and order.

The Orders providing for the control of taxis and the various prohibitions on the use of bicycles will be revoked.

The Governor will consider further relaxations of emergency measures as conditions in the Island make it safe to do so.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in considering a review of the entertainment duty in his forthcoming Budget, on the live theatre, cinemas, etc., he will bear in mind that, notwithstanding the pleas of the theatre owners, etc., the actual entertainment duty is paid by the patrons of this type of entertainment and that any relief proposed should be conditional upon this being passed on, either wholly or in part, to those who purchase the admission tickets to this form of entertainment.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.