asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to produce a satisfactory virus to wipe out as painlessly as possible the again increasing rabbit population.

I understand that, apart from myxomatosis, there are no prospects of a virus being produced that would be effective against rabbits only.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many persons have been prosecuted to date under the Pests Act for wilfully spreading myxomatosis; and how many fines have been imposed for first and second offences against this Act.

I am aware of only one case where proceedings were instituted under Section 12 of the Pests Act, 1954, against two persons for the deliberate spreading of myxomatosis. Both defendants were found not guilty.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information and instructions he has given to his county agricultural executive committees concerning the release of Service personnel to help with this year's harvest both in individual cases and generally.

County agricultural executive committees have been informed of the local arrangements under which farmers can apply for the help of Service men when no civilian labour is available. Committees will also be aware that a Service man may apply to his commanding officer for compassionate leave if his absence would cause severe hardship on his or his parents' farm.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what further action he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Balfour Committee on the export of cattle;(2) what arrangements have been made with France concerning the disembarkation and travel of cattle coming from this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what success he has had in his discussions with foreign Governments in regard to implementing the Report of the Balfour Committee on the export of live cattle.

I would refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) and the hon. Members for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) and Barking (Mr. Hastings) today.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will publish in HANSARD, a copy of the letter which he sent on 9th May, 1957, to representatives of various ex-Service Men's organisations in answer to the requests made by the deputation of the combined ex-Service organisations which he recently received, for an increase in war disability pensions.

I doubt whether I should be justified in seeking permission to reprint this letter, which has been extensively published, in the OFFICIAL REPORT, but for the convenience of hon. Members I am arranging to place copies in the Library.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners in the City of Dundee were in receipt of grants from the National Assistance Board at the most recent convenient date; and how this compares with the figures at the same date last year.

At 26th March last the two National Assistance Board offices in Dundee, which extend beyond the city boundary, were paying 3,187 regular weekly assistance grants in supplementation of retirement pensions and 481 in supplementation of non-contributory old age pensions. The corresponding figures for March, 1956, were 3,150 and 494. Some of the assistance grants also covered the needs of a pensioner wife.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is yet in a position to announce an increase in the rates of the basic retirement pension.

No.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he is now able to make a statement with regard to the future of the Royal Ordnance factories.

asked the Minister of Supply (1) if he will now make a statement as to the future of the Royal Ordnance factories;(2) what steps he is taking to make sure that the productive capacity of the Royal Ordnance factories is used to the full.

I have nothing to add at this stage to the replies which I gave on 25th March to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ellis Smith) and on 3rd June to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis).

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of disappointment in Coventry that item 1 of the phase 3 rebuilding programme at Stoney Stanton Road Hospital is not expected to be finished before July, 1958, and item 3 before October. 1958; and if he will make a statement on this delay.

My information is that satisfactory progress is now being made on both these items. They are large contracts, and I do not think it would be reasonable to expect earlier completion.

asked the Minister of Health whether, as completion dates of items 1 and 3 have now been amended, he will make a statement on item 4 of the phase 3 rebuilding programme at Stoney Stanton Road Hospital, Coventry.

As the hon. Lady knows, work on this item cannot start until item 1 and a substantial part of item 3 have been completed. The necessary planning is however being considered by architects concerned, the management committee and the regional board together.

asked the Minister of Health if he is now in a position to make a detailed statement upon items 5 and 7 of the phase 3 rebuilding programme at Stoney Stanton Road Hospital, Coventry.

Alternative sites for the dental department (item 5) are under consideration locally by the management committee and the regional board. The board has been authorised to negotiate a contract for a prefabricated building for the nurse training school (item 7).

asked the Minister of Health what representations he has received concerning hospital accommodation in the Ilford, Barking and Dagenham area; and what steps are being taken to meet the urgent requirements of this area.

Representations have been received from a number of local authorities, local organisations and others about the need for additional hospital beds in this area. The North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board has just brought up to date its review of the hospital services in this area and is actively considering proposals aimed at a reorganisation and extension of the services both from the long and short term points of view, in order to meet the admitted deficiencies in the service.

asked the Minister of Health what standard plans there are at his Department for the construction of twin operating theatres; what is the estimated time for construction; and how far regional boards and hospital management committees are advised on such plans.

It is not the practice to issue standard plans, but it is proposed shortly to publish a bulletin on the principles of designing operating theatre suites, and the advice of professional officers of the Department is always available to hospital authorities. The time needed to construct a twin-theatre suite varies according to the local circumstances, but planning and construction together might be expected to occupy on average two years.

asked the Minister of Health what inspection is made of nurses' homes or other living accommodation for nursing staff in hospitals.

Living accommodation for student nurses and pupil assistant nurses is included in the inspections carried out by the General Nursing Council's inspectors. Otherwise there is no special inspection of nurses' living accommodation apart from what the hospital authorities themselves may carry out for their own purposes.

asked the Minister of Health what provisions there are for return of examination fees for nurses; and to which examinations these apply.

Provision is made for the return of examination fees in certain circumstances in accordance with regulations made by the General Nursing Council, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is some similarity between the symptoms of Asian influenza and those of poliomyelitis; and what steps are being taken by local authorities and by his Department to guard against the difficulties and complications which may arise as a result of such similarity and to ensure the earliest possible diagnosis and treatment.

I am advised that differentiation between two virus infections of this kind may at first present some difficulty but that this should not continue for long in a particular case. Medical officers of health have been asked to inform general practitioners of the clinical signs caused by this type of influenza and laboratory facilities are available to assist in diagnosis.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been drawn to the increase in the number of deaths through coronary thrombosis in Great Britain in recent years; if he is satisfied that sufficient research into the causes of coronary thrombosis is being undertaken; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware that the number of deaths from coronary diseases is increasing. Research, which is in progress at a number of centres, is producing promising leads and the Medical Research Council is engaged on further developments.

asked the Minister of Health the number of persons suffering from leprosy in the United Kingdom at the present time and the number of fresh cases of leprosy in the United Kingdom during each of the past ten years.

239 cases are recorded. In the years 1952 to 1956 there were 68, 34, 34, 19 and 36 fresh cases respectively; I regret that the numbers in earlier years are not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to protect the home producer from the dumping of tomatoes and potatoes by foreign growers.

The Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957, exists to protect United Kingdom producers against the effects of dumping which causes or threatens injury. It is always open to producers to submit a case for the use of these powers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will call for a report from the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Virgin Islands upon the presence in the group of a Puerto Rican terrorist organisation.

The Administrator reports that there is no evidence that such an organisation exists, or has ever existed, in the British Virgin Islands or that members of it have sought asylum in the Colony.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of members of the Tanganyika African National Union who are serving prison sentences for breaches of the law, the nature of their offences and their positions in the Union.

Nine persons serving prison sentences are known to have been members of the Tanganyika African National Union. Their sentences relate to the following offences:

Robbery; uttering a false document; assaulting a police officer; illegal practice of medicine; stealing National Union funds; usurping judicial powers; false assumption of authority; assaulting local authority messenger; holding an illegal meeting, and running an unregistered school.

In some cases sentences are being served in respect of more than one offence.

Of these nine, five were ordinary members of the Tanganyika African National Union. The remaining four held the folowing positions at the time the offences were committed:-

Chairman. Bukoba Branch.

Propaganda Secretary, Tanga Provincial Branch.

Vice-Chairman, Tanga Provincial Branch. Clerk. T.A.N.U. Headquarters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he proposes to make a statement on the results of the Nigerian Conference.

The Conference, which concluded on the 26th June, dealt effectively with its complex tasks arid reached agreement on almost all matters discussed. I hope to lay before Parliament in a few days' time a White Paper containing its Report, which will be a full record of the conclusions reached.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provision has been made by the Government of Uganda for the training of Africans for senior Government service; what is the number of Africans at present employed in administrative positions; and what are the qualifications necessary for obtaining such positions.

I am consulting the Governor and will circulate the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent it is now proposed that the Colonial Development Corporation will, in future, be permitted to operate in the Federation of Malaya and other Colonial Territories which become independent.

Her Majesty's Government have decided that, as in the case of Ghana, the Corporation should not undertake new projects in such territories after independence. The Corporation will, however, be permitted to continue with schemes existing at the date of independence, and if necessary to provide further capital for these schemes after that date. It will also be enabled, on the request of the Government of any independent member of the Commonwealth, to undertake the management of any project on a managing agency basis without commitment of the Corporation funds.Her Majesty's Government intend to introduce legislation to give effect to these decisions as soon as possible by amendment of the Overseas Resources Development Acts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what facilities in the matter of customs and exchange control are accorded by Her Majesty's Government to senior officials travelling abroad on temporary official duty.

Officials travelling abroad on temporary official duty are entitled to draw foreign currency to cover their subsistence allowances and other expenses met from public funds, and also part of their net salary for the period in question. Otherwise, so far as Customs duty and exchange control are concerned, officials are subject to the same rules as other members of the public.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the original amount paid by His Majesty's then Government for their holding in the British Petroleum Company; and the present market value of that holding.

The amount originally paid by the Government for their holding in the British Petroleum Company was £5,001,000. The value of the Government holding at the close of business on Friday, 28th June was just under £462,000,000.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the possibility of using an electronic computer for pay-roll work in the Post Office as a means of securing economy.

Yes. Orders have been placed for the supply of two electronic computers, and associated equipment, for pay-roll work. They will be used initially to calculate the wages and salaries, and prepare pay-roll documents for the 112,000 Post Office staff in the London area. I hope that these computers will enable us to achieve an ultimate saving of about £100,000 a year.