asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) the total area of agricultural land under the control of the Agricultural Land Commission on 31st March, 1955; and what was the total area at the latest convenient date: (2) what progress has been made in the policy of selling agricultural land controlled by the Agricultural Land Commission, which was initiated in 1955; what is the total acreage of land now approved for disposal; what is the acreage of land of which the sale has been completed; of how many acres the sale has been agreed but not yet completed; what is the balance of land cleared for sale but not yet the subject of an agreed sale; and what is the period likely to elapse before this balance will be sold.

The total area of land under the control of the Agricultural Land Commission, including a small area not in use for agriculture, was 227,648 acres on 31st March, 1955, and 196,496 on 30th June, 1957. Since sales began in 1954, 79,000 acres have been approved for disposal. Of this, the sale of 26,106 acres has been completed, and price has been agreed but sale not completed in respect of a further 11,335 acres, leaving a balance of about 41,500 acres so far cleared for sale but not yet subject to an agreed sale. It is hoped to dispose of the greater part of this balance within the next two years, in the course of which further areas can be expected to be cleared for sale.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants were paid to local authorities in Cornwall for 1956–57 to meet the costs of inspecting meat for consumption outside their own areas of jurisdiction.

Payment has not yet begun but claims have been received from a number of authorities in Cornwall and are now being examined. It should be possible to make payments shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of Africans in Northern Rhodesia who are farming at a subsistence level and the number of African farmers who produce food crops for the market.

The number of Africans, including women, who are farming at a subsistence level is approximately 414,000 and the number producing food crops for the market is approximately 65,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what agreement has been reached between the Government of British Guiana and the Demerara Bauxite Company regarding the development of water power on the Essequibo River.

I understand that the report on the hydro-electric investigation carried out by the company states that hydro-electric development at Great Falls, Mallali and Tiger Hill is technically feasible but the cost would be high. In consequence, the company has reluctantly decided, on economic grounds, that is cannot proceed further with its application for a licence to develop hydro-electric power at these sites.The company is continuing its investigations into the possibilities of the Kaieteur-Amatuk area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many children of primary school age there are in Sierra Leone; and how many of these attend school.

It is estimated that there are about 430,000 children between the ages of 5 and 12 in Sierra Leone. In 1956 48,258 of these were attending school.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps the Government of Sierra Leone is taking to reduce the shortage of qualified teachers for secondary schools.

The Sierra Leone Government fully recognise the urgent need for more qualified teachers. They are considering what additional steps should be taken, in the light of proposals recently put forward by the Council of Fourah Bay College, and are to table a White Paper in the Legislature.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will publish the numbers of students from Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, and Nigeria, respectively, at present studying in the United Kingdom; and the percentage of the population this represents in each case.

The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

	No. of Students (1956–57 Academic Year)		Percentage of Population. (mid-1956 population estimates)
N. Rhodesia	…	74	·0034
Nyasaland	…	33	·0013
Kenya	…	651	·011
Tanganyika	…	229	·0027
Uganda	…	410	·0073
Nigeria	…	2,825	·0084

The numbers of students shown are for those known to be engaged in full-time study in this country. They do not include part-time students, or students whose courses of study have been completed or are still to be arranged.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what action he will take in conjunction with the Government's proposals for local government reorganisation to ensure that questions affecting the interests of local government staff receive consideration at the proper time.

My right hon. Friend will inform the staff associations at the same time as the local authorities of any specific proposals affecting staffs which it is proposed to include in the scheme and he will be ready to discuss such matters with the appropriate associations. Many of the questions affecting staffs, however, will be matters for discussion between the staff associations and the representatives of the local authorities as employers, and it would be inappropriate for my right hon. Friend to take any initiative in regard to these.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, as part of the Government's policy of improving local government services and in view of a widespread public desire to be better informed about local government affairs, he will consider introducing legislation to compel each local authority either to establish an information service or to publish a report upon their actions and proposals.

My right hon. Friend is anxious that local authorities should encourage and foster interest in local government affairs in any way they can but he would prefer to leave the methods to local authorities.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he has considered the letter sent to the Minister of Power by the hon. Member for West Ham, North, together with the communication from the secretary of the West Ham branch of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers, regarding a national pension scheme for gas workers; and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. and learned Member for West Ham, South, on Monday, 1st July.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet considered the petition from 5,481 residents in Aberdeen drawing his attention to the dangerous condition of Dancing Cairns Quarry; and what reply he has sent.

I have written to the hon. Member explaining that I have no powers in this matter, but that I have brought the petition to the notice of Aberdeenshire County Council in whose area the quarry lies. I am informed that the County Council is meeting Aberdeen Corporation in the near future to discuss what can he done.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what proposals he has for providing large traffic signs with large lettering and numbering for motorways.

This matter is at present under consideration.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what, of the improvement schemes for A.1 between London and Newcastle estimated by him to cost about £40 million, is the total cost of those already authorised.

About £7.500.000.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what is his present policy with regard to the creation and abolition of toll bridges in this country; and what is the present position with regard to priority for the expenditure of road funds on the freeing of toll bridges and the construction of new toll bridges, respectively.

My policy is to impose tolls on certain very costly new bridge and tunnel projects where the present inconvenience to road users will be heavily outweighed by the value of the new facilities. The priority given to these projects is governed by the same factors as apply to other major road schemes, except that without tolls they would probably not be included in the programme at all. In present circumstances I cannot give a high priority to expenditure for the redemption of privately owned toll rights on existing bridges.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in tabular form the main manufactured goods in weight and value imported from Japan or from other countries who have exported Japanese manufactured goods into Britain for 1948, 1952, 1956 and for the first six months in 1957, respectively.

United Kingdom imports are classified as received from the country of consignment which is not necessarily the country of origin and manufacture. Details of imports of Japanese goods from countries other than Japan are not therefore available. United Kingdom imports of the main manufactured goods from Japan were

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what the Advisory Council for Wales and Monmouthshire is now doing

The Council is meeting the Minister for Welsh Affairs this afternoon.