asked the Minister of Defence if he will state the weekly cost per head of the various defence Services.

In 1957–58 the weekly cost per head of the population will be Royal Navy 2s. 4d.; Army 3s. 0d.; Royal Air Force 3s. 8d. In addition, military expenditure by the Ministry of Supply costs 1s. 6d. per week.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, in view of the increase in traffic congestion in certain places in London and in many other cities and towns in Great Britain, if he will circularise all the authorities concerned drawing their attention to the desirability of refusing planning permission for any new building which is likely to make the passage of vehicles more difficult than at present.

I do not think a special circular is necessary. I am sure that local planning authorities have this consideration prominently in mind whenever they are dealing with applications for planning permission.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the total number of inland telegrams sent in the financial year 1956–57 compared with the figure for 1953–54.

The total number of inland telegrams was 16,844,000 in 1956–57 and 34,194,000 in 1953–54. These figures include Government, Press and railway telegrams.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take in order to prevent teachers who are living in schoolhouses from being at a disadvantage as compared with other tenants of local authorities as a result of the Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act, 1956.

No such disability should arise where the teacher occupies a schoolhouse which is "let under a lease" in terms of the Third Schedule to the Act. Doubts have, however, been expressed as to whether a teacher occupying a house without a formal lease is protected by the Act, and in a memorandum issued on 19th March I advised education authorities that they should, in such cases, enter into a formal lease charging the teacher a rent equivalent to the annual value of the house less the amount of the owner's rates payable in 1956–57. I understand that some authorities have decided not to accept this advice, and I have accordingly asked the National Joint Council to consider whether any amendment to meet this point should be made in the provision of the Teachers' Salaries Regulations which requires the annual value of any house made available to a teacher rent free to be included in his salary.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that taking the internal purchasing value of the pound sterling at 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 18s. 3d. by April, 1953, and 17s. 7d. by April, 1955; and what was the comparable figure for April, 1957.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is, yes. The Answer to the second part is 16s. 1d. These calculations are based on the Index of Retail Prices.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now place in the Library of the House of Commons a model of the proposed Park Lane Scheme.

I hope to place the model in the Upper Waiting Hall before the Whitsun Recess.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) whether he will make a further statement with regard to the negotiations for the purchase of the toll rights of the toll bridge at Selby;(2) in what year the bridge at Selby will be freed of tolls.

The negotiations are proceeding and subject to a satisfactory settlement being reached I still hope to be able to authorise, before the end of the financial year 1958–59, the scheme for building a toll-free bridge; but I cannot say at present when the tolls will be extinguished.