asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much of the 1956 wheat crop remained unsold at the end of June, 1957.

Market reports suggest that virtually all the crop was cleared by that date. About 2·4 million tons of millable and potentially millable wheat were delivered off farms by the end of the crop year out of a crop of 2·7 million tons in England and Wales. The balance is thought to have been mostly nonmillable wheat which will have been used for stock feed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet been able to assure the milk distributors that, in future, any change of milk prices will operate from a Sunday, in order to avoid the confusion and difficulty to the distributors, the public, and the milk roundsman.

The possibility of making changes in the retail price of milk on a Sunday has often been discussed in the past; but I shall be glad to arrange for the difficulties involved to be re-examined with representatives of the milk distributors if they so wish.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will arrange that those employed at Swynnerton Royal Ordnance factory who are due for discharge shall be retained until other satisfactory employment is arranged.

No; but I shall do what I can to help by giving the longest possible notice of discharge.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the dangers threatening the British people by the disease known as Asiatic flu, and that a new type of respirator, details of which have been sent to him, has been designed to protect the wearer from germs; and what steps he is taking to make this type of respirator available to the British public.

There is still no evidence of any material spread of influenza in this country. I am making further inquiries about the respirator but it hardly seems to be a practicable method of protection for general use.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement concerning the incidence of poliomyelitis in Wales and Monmouthshire; and what steps he has in mind to combat a wider outbreak.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement about the poliomyelitis epidemic in Abertillery.

101 cases have been notified in Wales and Monmouthshire this year up to 13th July, including 13 in Abertillery. In recent weeks there have been local concentrations of cases in Newport and Abertillery. The usual measures of control are being carried out.

asked the Minister of Health the number of reported poliomyelitis cases in Wales at the most recent available date; and what were the numbers for the same month in the five previous years.

Thirty-eight cases were notified in Wales—including Monmouthshire—in the four weeks ended 13th July; the figures for the corresponding period in 1952–56 were 11, 13, 7, 13, 3 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health the number of reported poliomyelitis cases in Monmouthshire at the most recent available date; and what the numbers were for the same month in the last five years.

Twelve cases were notified in Monmouthshire in the four weeks ended 13th July; the figures for the corresponding period in 1952–56 were 1, 0, 2, 0, 0 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health the number of reported poliomyelitis cases in Abertillery at the most recent available date; and the numbers for the same month in the last five years.

Ten cases were notified in Abertillery in the four weeks ended 13th July; no cases were notified in the corresponding period in the preceding five years.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage of the money spent on our health services is expended on preventive research work; if he is satisfied there is sufficient under the present conditions; and what steps are being taken to improve and extend this side of our social life.

Expenditure by the Medical Research Council is the equivalent of about ½per cent. of the Exchequer cost of the National Health Service. Much of this expenditure relates immediately to prevention and most medical research has that ultimate aim.I am advised that my noble Friend the Lord President of the Council is satisfied that development of this work is proceeding as rapidly as financial and other considerations permit. Much research takes place all the time in hospitals, but no separate figure can be given for this.

asked the Minister of Health how many doctors have more than 2,000 patients on their lists; how many have more than 3,000; and what is the average at the present time.

I regret that information is not available exactly in the form requested. On 1st July, 1956, the number of general medical practitioners with lists of over 1,500 was 13,582, while 8,364 had over 2,500 patients and 2,979 had over 3,500; at the same date the average list was 2,272.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to improve the compilation of statistics relating to mental health.

My right hon. Friend is considering the Royal Commissions' recommendation on this subject together with its other recommendations.

asked the Minister of Health whether the source has been traced of the infection of smallpox in the two cases recently detected in the greater London area; how many cases of smallpox in the United Kingdom have been notified during recent months; and whether the patients had been vaccinated.

Four cases have been notified recently, all in the greater London area. The original source of infection in three cases is believed to have been a traveller from Lagos. The source in the fourth case could not be identified and laboratory confirmation of the disease was not obtained. Of the four cases, one was vaccinated at age five and one after exposure to the infection.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been directed to the conflict of evidence as to the cause of the death of Mrs. Mary Shaw at Walthamstow, the Medical Officer of Health having diagnosed the illness of Mrs. Shaw to be smallpox, but the virus laboratory stating she had not had smallpox; and, in these circumstances, what is to be the cause of death sent to the registrar.

The certified cause of death, based on clinical findings by the hospital medical staff concerned, is smallpox, although laboratory examination of specimens did not positively confirm this diagnosis.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths from smallpox were registered in 1956, and what were the ages at death.

None.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will seek the advice of the Central Health Services Advisory Council on the dangers attaching to the indiscriminate use of tranquillisers.

I am continuing to study the position but I do not think that further advice is required at the moment.

asked the Minister of Health what communication he has received from the Confederation of Health Service Employees regarding the working of overtime by mental hospital staff; what is the nature of his reply; and whether he will make a statement.

The Confederation has informed me that it is banning overtime working by its nurse members in selected mental and mental deficiency hospitals as from 1st September. I regret this, but I am confident that, should it be carried out, the hospitals concerned will do everything possible to minimise its effect on the services provided for patients.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will discuss with the local health authorities what further financial encouragement he can give for an increase in their welfare provision for the elderly confused or senile.

Perhaps the hon. Member would let me know more precisely what he has in mind.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of fourth-year and fully-trained senior registrars in the National Health Service; and what was the number of additional consultant appointments, in terms of whole-time equivalents, made in the last twelve months' period for which figures are available.

At June, 1956, the number of Senior Registrars in England and Wales other than those in first to third year posts were as follows:

In 4th year training	136
Completed 4 years of training and awaiting higher posts	90
Holding 5th and 6th year training posts in certain specialties	13
Holding part-time posts (most hold also other part-time posts as Consultants or Senior Hospital Medical or Dental Officers)	26
Holding, before July, 1948, hospital posts of unlimited tenure graded as Senior Registrar in July, 1948	17
University staff holding honorary appointments in hospitals	78
Others holding miscellaneous appointments of a kind not included above	40
Doctors from overseas temporarily in this country and holding posts graded as senior registrar	8
	408

It is estimated that in the year ending 30th June, 1956, paid consultant appointments in England and Wales increased by about 65 whole-time equivalents.

asked the Minister of Health the present average weekly consumption of welfare milk per child; and what was the consumption for the equivalent period last year.

The average weekly consumption of welfare milk—including National Dried Milk—by expectant mothers and children under five years of age in England and Wales during April. 1957, was about 6¾ pints per head.The corresponding figure for 1956 is not available, but the total consumption of liquid welfare milk was 12·08 million gallons in April, 1956, and 12·20 million gallons in April, 1957. In addition, the liquid equivalent of the National Dried Milk supplied in the four-week period in April, 1956, was 1·32 million gallons as compared with 0·91 million gallons in April, 1957.

asked the Minister of Health his present estimate of the population of the North Staffordshire area; and how this compares with the figures for 1945 and 1934.

On the assumption that the North Staffordshire area comprises the County Borough of Stoke-on-Trent, the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, the Urban Districts of Biddulph, Kidsgrove, Leek and Stone, the Rural Districts of Cheadle, Leek, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stone, together with the Urban District of Alsager in Cheshire, the mid-year population as estimated by the Registrar General was 459,892 persons in 1934, 447,851 in 1945, 499,250 in 1956. The 1945 estimate excludes any members of the Armed Forces stationed in the area.

asked the Minister of Health as representing the Lord President of the Council, what action he is taking to increase the number, and improve the terms, of scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Medical Research Council to research workers studying mental disorder.

The number of scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Medical Research Council in the field of mental health is dependent upon the quantity and quality of the applicants who come forward. Recent changes in the terms of these awards and in the maintenance and family allowances paid to scholars and fellows will, my noble Friend hopes, encourage larger numbers of workers to take up research in this field.

asked the Minister of Health when the plans for the new Cardiff teaching hospital will be finalised.

I am not yet able to add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Barry (Mr. Gower)on 3rd June.

asked the Minister of Health whether the construction of a new mental hospital in Wales is now contemplated.

Not at present.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the principle he intends to apply in Scotland to his proposed change in the day selected for payment of retirement pensioners in Scotland; to what extent he proposes to change or increase the number of the offices in Scotland where such pensions are paid; and what steps he proposes to take to provide free transport for such pensioners to and from their homes to the offices where their pensions are paid.

The proposed change in the retirement pension pay-day to Monday—which would not affect any existing pensioners—would apply in Scotland in the same way as elsewhere. Its purpose is to enable post offices to give a better service to pensioners and others by encouraging the encashment of more pensions on a day when there is less business. In reply to the second and third parts of the Question, this change does not in any way involve the need to provide additional facilities as suggested.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation empowering the National Assistance Board to make a once and for all grant to old-age pensioners who own their own house towards the cost of modernisation when the sum obtainable under the Housing (Rent and Repairs)Act has been collected.

As my hon. Friend is aware the National Assistance Board in appropriate cases can and does in assessing the needs of an owner-occupier include an allowance in respect of necessary repairs. I am, however, very doubtful whether the making of capital grants of the kind suggested would be an appropriate function of National Assistance.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much it would now cost per annum, everything else being equal, to raise the basic old-age pension to £3 a week.

The cost of raising the retirement pension to £3 a week would approach £250 million a year immediately and would rise to something approaching £400 million in twenty years' time. These costs take no account of any consequential increases in other benefit rates.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the loss in purchasing power at the latest convenient date of the £2 per week retirement pension since the last increase in 1955.

To restore the purchasing power of the present single rate of pension to the same level as at the time it came into effect an increase of 4s. 2d. would be required.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that many old-age pensioners and others in receipt of National Assistance grants are receiving notices from their landlords that they will be liable as tenants for interior decorations in future and that failure to carry out decorations will result in eviction; what draft regulations have currently been submitted to him under Section 6 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, to meet this need; and, in view of the fact that such persons cannot afford the expenses involved, if he will exercise his powers under Section 6 (3)of the Act to ensure that they may be reimbursed for the moneys that they will be compelled by law to spend on decorations.

No. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government informs me that the only notice prescribed under the Rent Act as a result of which the tenant can be made responsible for internal decorations is one to be sent by the tenant himself if he objects to the landlord's assuming responsibility for internal decorations. The remainder of the hon. Member's Question does not therefore appear to arise.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will arrange for the area officers of the National Assistance Board to give guidance and help to old-age pensioners who seek advice regarding their position as tenants under the new Rent Act.

No, but the Board's officers will of course be prepared to advise persons receiving National Assistance about the effect of rent increases on their assistance grants.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what further representations he has received in respect of hardship suffered by pensioners through increased rents under the Rent Act and the necessity of increasing the weekly amount which pensioners are entitled to earn without a reduction in their pension; and, in view of the inability of pensioners both to pay the increased rent and to purchase an adequate amount of food within existing restrictions, if he will now sanction an increase in their permissible earnings.

No representations have been made to me that the earnings disregard should be increased on account of the Rent Act. The hon. Member will in any event be aware that the earnings limits were raised substantially as recently as last year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners in the Abertillery Division were in receipt of National Assistance benefits at the most recent available date.

The National Assistance Board regrets that the information asked for is not available. The Board's office at Abertillery serves an area which not only does not completely cover the whole of the Abertillery Parliamentary constituency but also does include parts of three other constituencies.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of retirement pensioners with dependent children; and the number of these who are in receipt of National Assistance.

There are about 17,000 pensioners, including widows over 60, drawing allowances for dependent children, and it is estimated that about 6,000 of them are receiving National Assistance.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of the fact that the electricity authorities and the Gas Boards suffer no outside competition, if he will give general directions to them to reduce their expenditure on advertising the respective merits of electricity and gas.

No. The electricity and gas authorities are well aware that my noble Friend expects them to exercise reasonable restraint in their advertising expenditure; but it is for them to decide what forms of advertising are economically justified.

asked the Paymaster-General what sum had to be borne by the National Coal Board during the last twelve months as loss on resale of imported coal.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro)on 15th July.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will now deration coal.

Not at present.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the grounds, apart from the possible expense to the Exchequer, for his refusal to revoke the planning permission to demolish the St. James's Theatre; and if he will make a statement following his talks with hon. Members.

The demolition requires no planning permission. The permission given was for the construction of offices on the site and its revocation would not prevent demolition.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will require the Advisory Council for Wales and Monmouthshire to consult with the Welsh Joint Education Committee before giving official advice to the Government on education policy in Wales.

I would prefer to rely on the Council to use its own discretion.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is now able to announce his decision about the route to be followed by the new D-ring road through Middlesex.

Not yet, but I hope that my decision will not be long delayed now.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he is aware that the proposals put forward in the White Paper on Local Government Finance to institute a general fixed grant for financing local government services in place of the present method of percentage grants for the expenditure on specific services will mean there will be no special provision by the Government for the development of colleges of technology; and whether he will make a statement of his policy in this regard.

My noble Friend is fully satisfied that the arrangements outlined in the White Paper on Local Government Finance (Cmnd. 209)will allow for the necessary development. The expansion of facilities for technological education will be one of the factors which will be taken into account in determining the amount of the general grant from time to time.

asked the Minister of Labour (1)what plans he has for the diversion of workers from Sywnnerton to other jobs;(2)if he will hold a conference in Stoke-on-Trent to discuss with local authorities and business representatives ways and means of transferring workers from Swynnerton factory to other jobs.

Until it is known at what rate workers are to be discharged, it is not possible to make detailed plans. I have already available to assist me in this matter the local employment committee, which advises me on local employment questions and consists of representatives of local employers and workpeople and other prominent people in the locality.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applicants from within and outside the Civil Service were interviewed before an appointment was recently made to the position of chief information officer of his Department; and how, and at what salary, this position was advertised.

Eight applicants from within the Civil Service were interviewed after circulation of the vacancy, following normal procedure, to all Departments which employ Chief Information Officers. One of these candidates was found suitable so that it was unnecessary to advertise the post outside the service. The scale of salary of the post, which is graded chief information officer (A), is £2,100–£2,700 per annum.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will set out in tabular form the numbers unemployed and on short time, and the percentage of insured workers, respectively, on the latest date, for each Development Area, the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and the North Staffordshire area respectively.

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES IN THE UNDERMENTIONED AREAS AT 17TH JUNE, 1957
Area	Males	Females	Total
			Wholly unemployed	Temporarily stopped	Total
					Number	Per cent, of the total number of employees in the area
Development Areas
North Eastern	10,316	4,580	14,704	192	14,896	1·4
West Cumberland	767	292	1,044	15	1,059	1·8
Scottish	19,032	10,656	28,252	1,436	29,688	2·5
South Wales and Monmouthshire	8,623	5,429	13,534	518	14,052	2·0
Wrexham	525	345	857	13	870	2·4
South Lancashire	1,017	1,199	2,164	52	2,216	1·5
North-East Lancashire	490	466	822	134	956	1·1
Merseyside	12,125	4,931	16,916	140	17,056	2·8
County Borough of Stoke-on Trent	1,735	1,225	1,940	1,020	2,960	1·9
North Staffordshire	2,662	1,755	3,217	1,200	4,417	2·0

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the numbers employed in the pottery industry in 1937 and 1957.

The estimated number of employees in employment in the china and earthenware industry in Great Britain at the end of May, 1957, was 70,900. Comparable figures are not available for 1937, but it is roughly estimated that the number in that year was about 12.000 higher than the figure for 1957.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons, expressed numerically and as a percentage of the employed population in the district, are employed in factories, works, etc., in the

Statistics of the total numbers of persons working short time are not available for the areas in question. Such persons are classified as "temporarily stopped" if they register at employment exchanges, and in the following table the numbers registered as uneemployed have been sub-divided to distinguish that category from the numbers wholly unemployed.North Staffordshire area constructed between 1934 and 1945, and since 1945, respectively.

The number of persons employed in factories erected since 1945 in North Staffordshire is 5,140. This represents 2·3 per cent. of the present number of insured employees in the area. Information is not available for factories built before 1945.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British refugees from Egypt are still accommodated in camps; and what has been the cost to date.

There are 2,300 British subjects from Egypt at present accommodated in hostels by the Anglo-Egyptian Resettlement Board. It is estimated that the cost of running these hostels from the beginning of last December up to the end of June has been about £350,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be in a position to reply to the letter of 6th June to his Department from the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme about Franciszek Kata's visa application.

This case required and received very careful consideration. A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 16th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a further statement about the proposed committee on the pay and conditions of certain grades in the Prison Service.

Yes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I offered the Chairmanship of the Committee to Mr. Justice Wynn-Parry, and I am pleased to be able to say that he has accepted it. The other members are Dr. Mary B. Cairns, of the University College of North Staffordshire; Sir Charles Geddes, of the General Council of the T.U.C. Mr. John Sullivan, of the South Scotland Electricity Board; Mr. J. R. Wade, formerly Principal Establishment Officer, War Office, and Mr. R. L. Webster, of Hoover, Ltd.The Joint Secretaries are Mr. M. T. Leddy of the Prison Commission and Mr. J. J. Topping of the Scottish Home Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many psychiatrists are employed in Cardiff and Swansea prisons, respectively.

None. In appropriate cases the senior medical officer at Bristol prison, who has a general oversight of Cardiff and Swansea, may be called in, or the prisoner may be transferred elsewhere for treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the propensity of arsenical colours in ancient wall papers to liberate the poisonous gas, dimethylamine; and what steps he has taken to make such form of poisoning notifiable.

I am not aware that there is any serious danger from this source. If my hon. Friend has any information to the contrary I shall be glad to consider it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what slipways or repair facilities there are for vessels in Inverness Harbour.

There are two slipways, one 200 ft. long, suitable for drifters and similar craft, and the other 40 ft. long, suitable for motor boats and launches. Engineering facilities are available for repairs to ships of this size.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Civil Lords' Committee on the application of nuclear power to ship propulsion has decided which yard is to build the first ship.

My Committee, which includes representatives of Industry, the Atomic Energy Authority and Departments concerned, has now under immediate consideration a number of schemes but is not yet in a position to make a recommendation. It follows that no decision has been made on the building of the first ship.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many officials and members of the Cyprus Workers' Federation, which is affiliated to the International Federation of Free Trade Unions, are still in detention without trial in Cyprus.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 16th July, 1957; Vol. 573, c. 940] supplied the following information.There are now in detention 66 members and 11 officials of the Cyprus Workers' Confederation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the Florence Nightinglae Memorial British Red Cross Society Scholarship awarded to nurses in Lusaka is open to nurses of all races on their merits; what was the salary paid to Miss Charity Munjoma, the Staff Nurse at Lusaka African Hospital who won this scholarship for 1957–58; and what salary is paid to European nurses in the same grade.

The National Florence Nightingale Memorial Committee Scholarship awarded by the British Red Cross Society in the United Kingdom is open to locally domiciled nurses from any Colonial Territory irrespective

—			Education	Health	Roads	Total ordinary expenditure
1938–9 £ million	…	…	60	1	22	944
Per cent.	…	…	6·36	·11	2·33	100
1945–6 £ million	…	…	101	1	9	5,565
Per cent.	…	…	1·81	·02	·16	100
1950–1 £ million	…	…	243	395	27	3,455
Per cent.	…	…	7·03	11·43	·78	100
1956–7 £ million	…	…	383	501	53	4,738
Per cent.	…	…	8·08	10·57	1·12	100

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer salary rates for journalists employed in the Civil Service; and how these compare with wage rates of the

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the delivery of goods via the Post Office would qualify as delivery outside the United Kingdom for the purpose of Clause 21 (2)(a)of the Finance Bill.

I am advised that if a company purchased in this country goods for resale abroad and the goods were sent by post to that company outside the United Kingdom and the contract of sale required that they should be delivered outside the United Kingdom, the company would not be disqualified under Clause 24 (2)of the Finance Bill by reason of that transaction.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the national Budget was devoted to education, health and road services, respectively, in the years 1938. 1945, 1950 and 1956.

The figures, which are based on the Financial Statements for the respective years, and relate to Exchequer provision only, are:Newspaper Proprietors' Association and the Newspaper Society.

Journalists in the Civil Service are employed in the Information Officer Class, and are paid on scales identical with those paid to comparable grades of the Executive Class.The scales are as follows:

asked the Minister of Defence whether it is proposed to retain the Women's Royal Naval Service, Women's Royal Army Corps, and Women's Royal Air Force in the new all-Regular forces.

Yes, most certainly. There are many tasks in the Services that women can perform as well as men, and some that they can do better.In the new all-Regular forces, we shall more than ever have need of the Women's Services at home and overseas; and our aim will be to increase their numbers, particularly in those trades for which women are especially well suited.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of fishing vessels registered at the port of Inverness for the years 1953–54, 1954–55. 1955–56. and 1956–57, respectively.

I have been asked to reply.The number of fishing vessels newly registered at the port of Inverness in those years was 10, 17, 20, 24 respectively. The total number on the register there on 31st December was 159, 172, 176 and 175, respectively.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of new pottery factories erected in North Staffordshire since 1937 and the number since 1945.

One hundred and seventy-one industrial building schemes of over 5,000 square feet are known to have been completed by the pottery industry in the North Staffordshire area since 1945. This total includes five new buildings on new sites, the rest being extensions to existing premises. Similar information for the period since 1937 is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of new factories, works, etc., constructed in the North Staffordshire area between 1934 and 1945, and since 1945.

Three hundred and twenty industrial building schemes of over 5,000 square feet are known to have been completed in the North Staffordshire area since 1945. This total includes 36 new buildings on new sites, the rest being extensions to existing premises. Similar information for the period 1934 to 1945 is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, for the periods from 1934 to 1945 and since 1945, respectively, the public expenditure incurred, either through local offices of his Department or centrally, in connection with the development of industry in the North Staffordshire area.

No public funds have been applied specifically by the Board of Trade to promote industrial development in this area.