asked the Minister of Health how many general practitioners employed in the National Health Service have lists of between 3,000 and 3,500, how many between 1,000 and 2,000 and how many under 1,000.

I regret that information is not available precisely in the form requested but the following figures may be helpful. On 1st July, 1956, the number of general practitioners in England and Wales with lists of between 2,500 and 3,500 patients was 5,385; the number with lists of between 1,500 and 2,500 was 5,218; and the number with lists of 1,500 or under was 5,500, of whom about 540 had lists of 500 or under.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the rabbit pest is again becoming serious in various parts of Kent; and if he will make suggestions as to how this pest can now be eradicated.

My right hon. Friend is aware that there has been some increase in the number of rabbits in Kent, particularly in woodlands on the North Downs. Kent has been designated a rabbit clearance area under the Pests Act and it is the responsibility of occupiers to destroy rabbits on their land. My right hon. Friend would again stress the importance of taking action before it is too late. The Agricultural Executive Committee and the pests officers in Kent will continue to provide advice and, where appropriate, to take enforcement action.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the average weekly earnings of adult male workers in manufacturing industries in October, 1945, and in October of each subsequent year, beside columns showing the rise in weekly earnings based on 100 in October, 1945, and similar figures for productivity.

The following table gives the figures in respect of average weekly earnings.

Date		Average weekly earnings of adult male workers in manufacturing industries
		s.	d.	Index
July, 1945*	…	126	7	100
October, 1946	…	126	7	100
October, 1947	…	134	5	106
October, 1948	…	143	4	113
October, 1949	…	148	1	117
October, 1950	…	156	8	124
October, 1951	…	172	1	136
October, 1952	…	184	9	146
October, 1953	…	196	7	155
October, 1954	…	212	3	168
October, 1955	…	231	1	183
October, 1956	…	245	7	194
* Figures of average weekly earnings in October, 1945, are not available.

As regards the last part of the Question, the term productivity has different meanings and its precise measurement is difficult but I understand from the Board of Trade that indices of output per man-year obtained by dividing indices of manufacturing production by the average number of male and female workers employed in manufacture are available for the years 1946 to 1956, but not for 1945. These are:

1948 = 100
1946	…	95	1952	…	109
1947	…	94	1953	…	115
1949	…	105	1954	…	121
1950	…	111	1955	…	125
1951	…	113	1956	…	123

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date Her Majesty's Government were first informed of the French proposal to include French, Belgian, and Dutch overseas territories in the plan for a common market.

The question of the relationship to the Common Market of those overseas territories which have constitutional or economic links with the metropolitan Powers involved was first raised by the French Delegation at the Venice Conference of the six Messina Powers which met on 30th-31st May, 1956, to discuss future action on the Report of the Brussels Inter-governmental Committee (the Spaak Report). No proposals were put forward and the whole question was referred to experts for further study.