asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish an easily understandable explanation of the arrangements made under the Price Review for feedingstuffs, which many farmers are finding it difficult to comprehend.

My right hon. Friend assumes that my hon. Friend is referring to the arrangements for adjustment of the guaranteed prices for pigs and for eggs in accordance with a feedingstuffs formula. He will consider this proposal for a simplified explanation and will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many British observers have been officially invited to attend the official Moscow Air Show on 24th June.

A small party of R.A.F. officers has been invited to the Tushino Air Display on 30th June. Detailed arrangements have not yet been completed.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the nature of the replies received from Commonwealth Governments to the Secretary of State's communication on Commonwealth economic development, arising out of the representations made to him on this score.

The Government undertook to consult Commonwealth Governments regarding suggestions made by hon. Members during the debate on Commonwealth economic development on 30th November for a Commonwealth Development Agency which would carry out research into Commonwealth development and co-ordinate schemes where possible, and for an associated Commonwealth Bank to which Commonwealth Governments would contribute, and which would invest in development schemes.The views of Commonwealth Governments have now been received. In general, all Commonwealth Governments, while sympathetic to the motives which have inspired these suggestions, are doubtful of their value. A considerable contribution to the economic development of some Commonwealth countries has already been made by others, but having regard, in particular, to the fact that the United Kingdom is the only Commonwealth country which is a net overseas investor, most Governments point out that a Commonwealth Development Agency and a Bank would not in themselves increase the availability of capital for investment in the Commonwealth. Some replies emphasise the practical difficulty of a Commonwealth Development Agency allocating priorities and the undesirability of duplicating existing institutions and facilities for investment or for the collection and dissemination of information in this field.The United Kingdom Government agree with the conclusions embodied in these replies. It is our intention, however, to continue to seek, in consultation with Commonwealth Governments, other practical means of furthering our common objectives in the field of Commonwealth economic development.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will give in a list the names and number of beds in each case, of hospitals in the city of Birmingham and the city of Stoke-on-Trent; and the total capital expenditure on each hospital since 1946.(2) If he will give the number of hospital medical staff, general practitioners, consultants, and specialists, respectively, available per thousand of the population throughout the country, in the city of Birmingham and in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, respectively, in tabular form.

I am obtaining this information and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health the terms of reference and membership of the proposed committee to inquire into the reasons for the cost of the general pharmaceutical services provided under the National Health Service.

The terms of reference are:

"Having regard to the increased cost of prescriptions issued in the National Health Service, to investigate the factors contributing to this cost and to make recommendations."

The membership is:Sir Henry Hinchliffe, D.L., B.A. (Chairman). W. Brockbank, Esq., T.D.. M.D., B.Ch.,F.R.C.P., M.R.C.S.K. R. Capper, Esq., Ph.D., B.Pharm, F.P.S., D.I.C.H. C. Faulkner, Esq., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.F. E. Gould, Esq., M.B., Ch.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.D. V. Hubble, Esq., M.D., F.R.C.P.Professor C. A. Keele, M.D., F.R.C.P.Professor M. G. Kendall, M.A., Sc.D.A. M. Maiden, Esq., M.B., Ch.B.A. D. Stoker, Esq., T.D., M.B., Ch.B.Professor A. P. Thomson, M.C., M.D., F.R.C.P.One further appointment is to be made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state which categories of Hungarian refugees can still be admitted to this country and what the procedure is in each category; and how far there is a special procedure in the case of a wife and minor children in which the Hungarian refugees themselves can act as sponsors.

The bulk immigration of Hungarian refugees into the United Kingdom ceased with the arrival of the 5,000 from Austria who were admitted to replace those whom the Canadian Government had agreed to take from the United Kingdom. The categories of refugees now coming here are those accepted under the Distressed Relatives Scheme and others where the compassionate circumstances are such as to warrant exceptional treatment.The procedure in these cases is for the relative in the United Kingdom to invite his relative by letter to make his home with him in this country. This invitation should be taken or sent, together with the application for a visa, to the British Embassy or to the nearest British Consul in the country in which he is living.It has been agreed that the British Council for Aid to Refugees may accept responsibility for the accommodation and maintenance of the wives and children of Hungarian refugees whose re-settlement they have undertaken. A Hungarian refugee who is not in a position to act as sponsor because he is not yet self-supporting or able to provide accommodation for his wife and children should therefore apply to the Council. The Council are also prepared, where visas are granted, to help in arranging for the movement of these relatives to the United Kingdom and for their reception at the port on arrival.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent relatives other than a wife and minor children can be brought over under the Distressed Relative Scheme; whether in these cases the sponsorship of a British subject is required; what exactly is involved in such sponsorship; and how far these conditions apply to relatives, who have hitherto been prevented from leaving Hungary, who now believe that they are able to do so provided they can get admission to this country.

The categories of relative who may be admitted under the Distressed Relatives Scheme are set out in the Answer given to the hon. Member for Leeds, South-East (Miss Bacon) on 13th November, 1945, when the scheme was introduced. The main features of the Scheme remain unchanged, but it is the practice to grant applications in respect of relatives outside the categories laid down where there are special circumstances which justify exceptional treatment. This applies to relatives from Hungary as from other countries.Sponsors need not be British subjects but must have been accepted as residents in the United Kingdom and (except in the circumstances referred to in my Answer to the hon. Member's other Question) must be in a position to provide accommodation and maintenance out of their own resources.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of dock workers who ceased to be employed in Cardiff Docks during 1956; how many dockers, coal trimmers, weekly workers and riggers were affected; and whether he will make a statement concerning the future labour prospects in Cardiff Docks.

I attach a statement showing the net changes that occurred in the Cardiff Workers' Register during the

CARDIFF DOCKS
		Workers Register End, 1955			Workers Register End,1956			Net Change
		Daily	Weekly	Total	Daily	Weekly	Total	Daily	Weekly	Total
Dockers	…	625	77	702	478	164	642	-147	+ 87*	- 60
Checkers	…	37	—	37	33	—	33	- 4	—	- 4
Trimmers	…	124	—	124	106	—	106	- 18	—	- 18
Riggers	…	31	—	31	29	—	29	- 2	—	- 2
TOTALS	…	817	77	894	646	164	810	-171	+ 87	- 84
* Weekly workers are recruited from daily workers.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will give an estimate of the redundancies in industry arising from the implementation of the Defence White Paper.

There is nothing that I can add to the figures which I gave the House on 17th April.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, as Sir Christopher Wren's own design for the environment of St. Paul's Cathedral has been discovered since the tentative proposals for the treatment of this environment to be considered at the coming inquiry were made, and as these differ from Wren's own plan in practically every detail, if he will also invite for consideration proposals that are more in harmony with Wren's original plan, whilst caring for present-day requirements, and have

It is open to any person to represent at the public local inquiry to be held on 15th July that an alternative scheme would be preferable, and naturally this can relate to a scheme based on a design by Sir Christopher Wren. I am not certain what my hon. Friend has in mind in referring to a Wren design which has been discovered since Sir William Holford made his proposals, and perhaps he would let me know.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many houses at present enjoying the benefit of Section 2 of the Housing Act, 1936 (including houses in rural areas let at a rent not exceeding £16) will lose that benefit as a result of the Rent Act, 1957.

None. Section 2 of the 1936 Act will continue to apply to any contract to which it applies at the time when the Rent Act comes into force. irrespective of any increase in rent under that Act. In addition, Section 2 will apply to any new contract at a rent not exceeding £80 in the Administrative County of London and £52 elsewhere in England and Wales.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will make a statement on the experimental schemes employing the Lloyd-Mandeno single-wire earth return for rural electrification.

I understand that five experimental schemes are now in operation, but the boards are not yet in a position to reach general conclusions about the possible usefulness of the system.

asked the Postmaster-General why the custom of sending out telephone accounts under an On Her Majesty's Service label has been altered by substituting the words "Post Office Telephones" on the envelopes.

There has been no recent change, the present practice dating from 1933. The original purpose appears to have been to distinguish telephone accounts from letters sent on behalf of other Government Departments.

asked the Postmaster-General why the Government application form for Premium Bonds has omitted the word Christian names and substituted the word "forenames"; and to what extent it is now his intention to use the word "forenames" on all forms issued by his Department.

As my predecessor explained on 16th November last, the word "Forenames" was used as the shortest possible expression applicable to all members of the community. In reprinting the form this is being changed to "Christian names or Forenames," but it will be some time yet before the original stocks are exhausted. The revised wording will be used in all appropriate cases on Post Office documents.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes taking to ensure that the British electrical industry, as the nation's major exporter, obtains the fullest facilities for exhibiting at future fairs at Hanover; and if, in view of the fact that bookings have to be lodged by the end of this month, and all future exhibitors must contribute an interest-free loan of 170 marks per square metre of spaced booked, he will now make a statement.

It is for the British electrical industry to take the initiative in this matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade on what principle he is now refusing import licences for a number of East German goods which were, until recently, admitted into this country independently of barter agreements.

There has been no recent change in the policy as regards the import of goods from East Germany under other than barter arrangements. If the hon. Member will let me have details of the cases he has in mind. I will look into the matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he has taken on an application by the Potato Marketing Board and the National Farmers' Union for the imposition of a countervailing duty under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957, on imports of subsidised new potatoes from France.

As a result of discussions by Her Majesty's Government with the French authorities arising out of this application, the French Government have temporarily suspended their subsidy on exports of new potatoes to the United Kingdom. This satisfactory outcome was made possible by the willingness of the French Government to cooperate in this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what plans he has prepared for the improvement and enlargement of the Tolworth roundabout on the Kingston by-pass.

The results of a recent traffic survey at this junction are being studied. It is not yet possible to say what type of improvement will best meet traffic conditions, but I do not rule out the possibility of some form of flyover or underpass.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress is being made with the by-pass round Sandiacre and Stapleford on the A52 road.

Work on the detailed design of this scheme is proceeding and negotiations will shortly be started for the acquisition of the necessary land. Provided no exceptional difficulties arise, I hope that construction will start during the current financial year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will consider the use in this country of the system of facilitating movement of traffic used in Australia, whereby traffic going up hill on main roads is allotted, by means of a white line, double the space as compared with that descending the hill, thereby allowing faster traffic to overtake slower traffic up hill, while the faster-moving down-hill traffic is not impeded.

This is one possible application for the experimental double white line system, if I decide eventually to make wider use of it. It would, however, be unlikely to prove a safety measure unless the lines conveyed a positive prohibition, which motorists could be made to observe rigidly.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what estimate he has drawn up of the number of vehicles likely to be using Great Britain's roads by 1965; and how this number compares with the present position.

A long range forecast of this kind is necessarily highly speculative, but judging by the increase in recent years, the number of vehicles in use in 1965 might be of the order of 10 million, which compares with just over 6½ million at the annual census last September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the new £5 notes are causing confusion in banks, shops and amongst the general public at large owing to their similarity to £1 notes; and if he will now withdraw his approval of the new issue.

I have no evidence that confusion is being caused. On the contrary, I believe that the new note has been generally welcomed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by the working parties set up by him in his capacity as Chairman of the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation; whether he still expects them to present their reports on 15th June, as requested in their terms of reference; and if he will make a statement on the negotiations for a Free Trade Area associated with the Common Market and British participation therein.

The Council of the O.E.E.C. has considered the progress of the negotiations for the establishment of a Free Trade Area in Europe which have been going on in Paris for the past three months.Good progress has been made in these negotiations. The subject is, however, obviously one of great complexity in itself as well as being closely connected with the arrangements for a Common Market provided for in the Treaty of Rome, which has not yet been ratified. Some time must necessarily elapse before definite proposals will be available for consideration by Governments.In these circumstances, it is not expected that the various questions involved will have been sufficiently clarified to warrant a Ministerial meeting of the Council of O.E.E.C. in July, as had been envisaged, and it has been agreed that this should now be held at as early a date as is practicable in the autumn. This modification of the time-table will enable the negotiations in the three Working Parties which have been set up to continue into July.My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer was entrusted by the Council in February with the task of co-ordinating the negotiations and he will continue with this work and with informal conversations with other Ministers and with the Chairmen of the Working Parties.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the promised legislation to remove the anomalies regarding trustee status of local authority stocks and mortgages will be introduced.

It is hoped to deal with this matter in the legislation on local government foreshadowed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government on 12th February.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in order to avoid traffic dislocation, he will arrange for rehearsals for the Trooping the Colour Parade to be held in future on Saturdays.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave yesterday.