asked the Minister of Works whether he will ensure that the tops of the pillars on the Buxton Memorial Fountain now being re-erected in the Victoria Tower Gardens are cleaned of their soot.

No. The Memorial has been cleaned as thoroughly as the delicate condition of the stonework permits.

asked the Minister of Works what steps he is taking to place in his care the whole of Hadrian's Wall.

It is my policy to take guardianship of any part of the wall which is offered to me and I am trying to take into guardianship those few parts of the wall where serious deterioration is taking place. There are limits to the amount of work which can be undertaken at one time, and it will be necessary to proceed gradually towards the ultimate aim of having the whole of the wall in the Ministry's charge.

asked the Minister of Works whether the stones at Stonehenge are to be re-erected this coming year as recommended by the Ancient Monuments Board.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Question on 26th March, 1957.It is still my intention to re-erect the trilithon and two Outer Circle stones next year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the dangerous condition of Dancing Cairns Quarry, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, has cost loss of life and other injury to children living in the neighbourhood; that this quarry has remained inadequately fenced for years owing to the great cost of fencing and owing to the fact that it is the responsibility of more than one local authority; that unless he acts in this matter it seems likely to remain a source of danger to children living there; and if he will take urgent steps to take up the matter with the relevant local authorities and to share with them the cost of the necessary protective measures.

As the hon. Member knows, my right hon. Friend has no powers in this matter. He is informed that the County Council in whose area the quarry lies will be meeting Aberdeen Corporation in the near future to discuss what can be done.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1)the incidence of leprosy in Scotland for the last four years; and how many persons are undergoing hospital treatment;(2)how many of the persons suffering from leprosy in Scotland contracted the disease while resident in this country:(3)what is the incidence of leprosy in the children of persons suffering from leprosy.

Nine cases of leprosy were notified in Scotland in the four years 1953 to 1956 inclusive. All were aged over 15 years and in every case the disease had been contracted abroad. It is not known whether the parents of any of these people suffered at any time from the same disease. According to the information given me, one of these persons is receiving hospital treatment as an out-patient.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what communication he has received from the Ayrshire County Council about the need for a new maternity unit at Ballochmyle Hospital, Ayrshire; and what was the nature of his reply.

My right hon. Friend has received no communication from the Ayrshire County Council since he replied to the hon. Member's similar Question on 6th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when progress will be made in the Linlithgow High Street Widening Scheme on trunk road A9 now that the occupiers of the buildings to be demolished have been evacuated.

The remaining tenants of the houses covered by a compulsory purchase order made in 1956 have now been rehoused and I am considering what steps should be taken about the other premises still in occupation so that work may commence in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the average number of fishing vessels using Inverness Harbour for discharging cargoes, refuelling, victualling, and sheltering, or otherwise availing themselves of the harbour facilities during the fishing seasons of the years 1953–54, 1954–55. 1955–56, and 1956–57, respectively.

The daily average number of fishing vessels landing fish at Inverness during the local herring fishing seasons is set out below. I have no records about fishing vessels using the harbour for other purposes.

Season				Daily average number of vessels
1953–54	…	…	…	…	20
1954–55	…	…	…	…	13
1955–56	…	…	…	…	22
1956–57	…	…	…	…	22

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1)the figures, in tons, for the years 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, and 1956–57, respectively, of cargoes discharged in Inverness Harbour of cement, coal, grain, oil, spirit, lime, timber, rail tolls and general cargoes and miscellaneous traffic;(2)how many foreign vessels have discharged cargoes at Inverness Harbour during the last five years, together with their ports of registry;

I regret that the information asked for is not available from official records.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths from smallpox were registered in each of the years 1954, 1955 and 1956; and what were the ages at death.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths from vaccinia, post-vaccinal encephalitis, or any other result of vaccination were registered in each of the years 1954, 1955, and 1956; and what were the ages of the victims.

In 1954 one child died from generalised vaccinia and one from other complications of vaccination. In 1955 two children died from postvaccinal encephalitis. In 1956 one child died from generalised vaccinia. All the children were under one year of age.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland for each local education authority in Scotland for the latest convenient year, the number of pupils in junior secondary schools and the number of transfers that took place during the year to senior secondary schools.

Figures for all education authorities are not immediately available but I will send the hon. Member particulars as soon as I have been able to obtain them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the Board of Trade expects to receive an order of the court authorising the distribution of the surplus assets to the trust members of the Blackburn and District United Over-lookers Accident Society.

The matter is in the hands of the liquidator and his solicitors. The distribution of the surplus assets can proceed only when he has sent the order of the court to the Board of Trade, but my right hon. Friend does not know when he will do this.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cinemas are at present totally exempt from the provisions of the film quota; and what are their names.

For the quota year ending 30th September, 1957, 153 cinemas have been exempted from screen quota obligations. Since this exemption depends upon information about box office takings, which are a private matter, my right hon. Friend is not prepared to publish the names of the cinemas concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, the Customs Duties at present imposed on imported fertilisers.

Many materials subject to varying rates of duty are used as fertilisers. I am sending the details to the hon. Member.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the fertiliser industry was referred to the Monopolies Commission; and when he expects the report on that industry from the commission.

The reference was made on 29th October, 1955. On 30th August, 1956, after the passage of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, the scope of the inquiry was altered to comply with the conditions of the new Act. As my hon. and learned Friend stated on the 23rd May, I do not expect to receive the Report for some time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade his estimate of the extent to which our competitive trading position overseas has been affected since 1950 by the internal rate of inflation in the United Kingdom.

If our costs had not increased we should have had a larger export trade, but it is not possible to make any quantitative estimate of the trade lost through inflation. I should however point out in this context that there is some evidence that our prices have been on the whole in line with those of our competitors; but the effects of inflation are of course not limited to prices.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will ban the manufacture of plastic bibs for children, in view of their inherent danger.

I have no powers to do this and am not satisfied that the case requires legislation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he failed to notify factory canteen advisers who had been made redundant in the Ministry of Labour that vacancies for which they might reasonably be considered were occurring in the Treasury in April this year.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the vacancies which arose in the Treasury for a senior catering adviser and a technical catering assistant. These were filled by open competitions conducted by the Civil Service Commission and advertised in the usual way.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the fall in the value of British Government stocks and securities covering the period 1946 to 1956.

I have nothing to add to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount spent on importing films from the United States of America in 1956; and the amount received from that country in respect of British films exported there for the same year.

Rather more than £9 million, limited by the Anglo-American Film Agreement. No comparable figures are available for the United States earnings of British films.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of debt that fell due for redemption in each of the years from 1946–56.

The table below shows the amounts of debt redeemed or converted in each financial year from 1946–47 to 1955–56. The figures do not include redemptions of the Floating Debt (Treasury Bills, Treasury Deposits by Banks and Ways and Means Advances)or extensions of the life of National Savings Certificates.

Financial Year				£ million
1946–47	…	…	…	1,911
1947–48	…	…	…	1,110
1948–49	…	…	…	827
1949–50	…	…	…	1,538
1950–51	…	…	…	1,589
1951–52	…	…	…	841
1952–53	…	…	…	1,918
1953–54	…	…	…	2,308
1954–55	…	…	…	2,546
1955–56	…	…	…	1,472

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether, in view of Government policy about the grouping of water undertakings and joint water advisory committees, he will now agree to the proposal of the Breconshire County Council, made over nine years ago, for the setting up of a Joint Advisory Water Committee for the County or parts thereof,

My right hon. Friend does not think that a joint advisory committee would be useful. Discussions are now taking place with water undertakers in Breconshire about the possibility of setting up joint boards.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many applications were received from local authorities during the year 1956 asking for grants for improvements in water, housing and sewage; how many have been refused; and what was the chief reason for the refusal.

The number of applications for grant for water and sewerage schemes received during the year 1956 was 377–203 for water and 174 for sewerage—of which 163–105 for water and 58 for sewerage—have been refused. There were various reasons for refusal of such grant.Applications for grant from 144 local authorities involving 1,240 dwellings were approved under the Housing Act, 1949, during 1956. Information as to the number of proposals received is not readily available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when a decision may be expected on the question of the siting of the new school in Whitehaven arising from his inquiry held in January last.

My right hon. Friend's decision has now been issued and a copy of the letter containing it has been sent to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will reconsider the decision to demolish the St. James's Theatre, in view of the fact that it is now known that the land value of the site is £250,000 and that he has declared the compensation necessary to stop demolition is £50,000; and if he will make a statement following his talks with hon. Members.

It is the owners of the theatre, not the Government or the London County Council, who intend to demolish it, and revocation of the permission would not prevent its demolition. My right hon. Friend said that compensation on revocation might be upwards of £50,000. This was a very conservative figure; the amount payable might well be twice as much, but until detailed claims were made a closer estimate could not be given.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will have discussions with the metropolitan borough councils with a view to co-ordinating the steps being taken to prevent the overcrowding by coloured immigrants of houses in certain parts of London; and whether he will consider giving powers to provide temporary hostel accommodation which will enable the control of overcrowding to be effective.

If the metropolitan borough councils wish to make any representations to my right hon. Friend on this subject, he will certainly consider them.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has considered the letter from the Clerk of the Warwickshire County Council, sent to him by the hon. Member for Meriden, in which it is objected that the White Paper on Local Government Finance has been published so as to allow insufficient time for its proper consideration; and what is his reply.

Yes. The White Paper was published on 10th July, and in the opinion of my right hon. Friend the local authorities will have very adequate time in which to make representations, if they so desire, before legislation is introduced. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that there is a general desire that the Government's three White Papers on Local Government should be debated at an early date.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1)whether he will arrange to publish in HANSARD details of the names and addresses of the principal stationers and booksellers, in each of the major towns and cities, where form G under the Rent Act, 1957, is readily obtainable;(2)if he is aware that the hon. Member for West Ham, North has unsuccessfully attempted to obtain form G under the Rent Act, 1957, from eight principal booksellers and stationers, two town halls and two borough treasurers' offices; and what action he proposes to take to assist the hon. Member for West Ham, North, Members of Parliament and the general public to obtain these forms.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware that in many cities, such as Salford, not a single shop sells G forms on which tenants may apply for certificates of disrepair; that this is a matter concerning up to 4,800,000 families; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy the situation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he is aware of the continuing difficulty being experienced by tenants in obtaining the special form G under the provisions of the Rent Act, 1957; whether he will arrange for supplies of these forms to be made available to council offices, national and local newspapers, citizens' advice bureaux, poor man's lawyers, and Members of Parliament; and whether he will make a further statement on the Government's proposals to make these forms more readily available.

My right hon. Friend has invited all housing authorities to make copies of Forms A, G, I, T and U available for sale to the public from council offices. Details of the arrangements are given in Circular 42/57 which was sent to all local authorities on Friday. Copies are available in the Vote Office. Authorities were previously asked in Circular 32/57 to compile a list of the principal stationers and booksellers in their area known to have the forms on sale.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have, to date, made application for additional financial assistance under Section 5 of the Housing Subsidies Act. 1956; and to how many local authorities such assistance has been given.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many local authorities have applied for additional assistance under Section 5 of the Housing Subsidies Act, 1956; how many have been refused; and what are the criteria taken into consideration in determining these applications.

Twenty-one local authorities have made applications. Fourteen have been refused and the remaining seven are still under consideration. My right hon. Friend is at present reviewing the conditions under which this subsidy is payable.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that some landlords of decontrolled houses are asking tenants for rents three or four times the amount they are now paying, although the houses are in a bad state of repair; whether he is also aware that this is contrary to the advice which he has given to the National Federation of Property Owners; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that his advice is implemented.

A tenant of a house decontrolled by Section II (I)of the Act cannot have his net rent increased without his consent before 6th October, 1958; and no notice to quit can take effect before that date. Tenants now being made offers of new agreements therefore have adequate time in which to discuss new terms with their landlords. They have already been advised in the booklet "The Rent Act and You" to take professional advice if they are in doubt about current rental values, and also that the state of repair and the extent of the landlord's responsibility for repairs should affect the rent to be paid.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give the balances standing in the Mauritius Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund at the end of the years 1954, 1955 and 1956, respectively; what benefits the sugar workers are deriving from this fund; and whether he is satisfied that the monies are being spent to the best purpose.

The balances were: 1954, £1,378,000; 1955, £1,543,000; and 1956, £1,448,000. The fund finances varied facilities and amenities for sugar workers such as housing schemes, social welfare and community centres, playing fields and retirement benefits. I am satisfield that the money is being spent to very good purpose and I understand that it is hoped to extend the fund's activities in the most important fields, such as housing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reason the film "Iron Mistress" was considered unfit for African audiences when advertised for showing in Lusaka; and how long notice was given to the proprietor.

The Governor informs me that an African member of the Native Film Censorship Board recommended the banning of this film and was supported by the other members present because it depicted many violent scenes of stabbing with knives. The film arrived in Lusaka from the distributors on 29th May and was censored on 31st May. It was due for showing on 5th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of district agricultural officers employed by the Government of Nyasaland.

The Nyasaland Government at present employ twenty-four agricultural officers. Of these four are specialists, three are engaged on agricultural education, four are on training courses and the remainder are on normal field duties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proportion of the Malayan Federation is now scheduled as consisting of white areas and free from terrorists; and when he expects that conditions will justify the termination of the emergency.

Twenty-six thousand square miles—containing 44 per cent. of the population of the Federation of Malaya. The total area of the Federation is 50,000 square miles. I do not expect that conditions will justify the termination of the state of emergency before 31st August this year and thereafter it will be a matte for the Government of the independent Federation of Malaya to decide.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further information he has received in respect of the allegations of corporal punishment, imprisonment and arbitrary arrest of Nigerian workers in Fernando Po.

The Acting Governor-General of Nigeria informs me that corporal punishment of Nigerian workers in Fernando Po is not widespread or common and that adequate machinery

PRODUCTION OF COTTON YARN AND COTTON FABRICS IN HONG KONG
—	Production	Exports*		Percentage of production exported to United Kingdom
		Total	To United Kingdom
Cotton yarn (million 1b.)
1954	86·9	30·8	Nil	—
1955	93·4	32·4	2·5	2·6
1956	99·4	31·0	4·7	4·7
Cotton fabrics (million sq. yds.)
1954	†	162·6	23·5	†
1955	†	164·7	54·4	†
1956	†	140·5	59·4	†
* Locally manufactured.		† Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in which of the British Caribbean territories statutory minimum wage rates have been established; the amounts of such rates in each case; and in which territories trade unions freely exist in all industries and have been established.

I am obtaining the information asked for in the first part of the Question and will write to the hon. Member when it is available. As regards the last part, industrial or general unions operate in all the principal industries in the Caribbean area. The hon. Member can find details in the list of Colonial Trade Unions which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the volume of production of cotton yarn and cotton cloth in the colony of Hong Kong in 1954, 1955 and 1956; and what proportion of this production, expressed as a percentage, was exported to the United Kingdom.

The information is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will set out in tabular form the main manufactured goods in weight and value imported into the Colonies from Japan or from other countries, which were manufactured in

TABLE 1.—VALUE OF PRINCIPAL MANUFACTURED GOODS OF JAPANESE ORIGIN IMPORTED INTO COLONIAL TERRITORIES—1952 AND 1956
£ thousands
		Kenya	Uganda	Tanganyika	Nigeria	Aden
Cotton fabrics	1952	853	883	1,249	4,563	n.a.
	1956	268	89	679	2,552	89
Other textile fabrics	1952	470	480	463	3,119	n.a.
	1956	1,442	1,031	1,489	12,082	92
Iron and steel	1952	204	453	414	2,582	n.a.
manufactures	1956	141	133	57	2,129	—
		Barbados	British Guiana	British Honduras	Jamaica	Trinidad
Cotton fabrics	1952	19	44	—	84	40
	1956	4	21	3	—	40
Other textile fabrics	1952	32	162	21	198	292
	1956	63	215	22	490	225
Iron and steel	1952	—	3	—	8	92
manufactures	1956	—	—	—	—	31
		Hong Kong		Malaya
		(1)		(2)
Cotton yarn	1952	409		—
	1956	2,185		—
Other yarns	1952	559		—
	1956	4,789		—
Cotton fabrics	1952	5,399		4,799
	1956	10,458		6,490
Other textile fabrics	1952	3,624		8,968
	1956	10,533		7,107
Building materials	1952	1,350		1,648
	1956	1,456		1,619
Iron and steel	1952	2,003		4,765
manufactures	1956	4,453		2,584
Miscellaneous metal	1952	3,291		2,146
manufactures	1956	2,732		2,117
n.a. = not available.
— = nil or insignificant.
(1)Strictly consigned from Japan.
(2)Including Japanese goods consigned from Hong Kong.

Table 1 below sets out information in value terms for the years 1952 and 1956: figures are shown for the main importing Colonial Territories. It is not possible to provide, in a concise form, comparable quantity figures but if the hon. Member would like to put down a Question about any particular commodities or territories I will see what can be done.The small value of imports of Japanese goods in 1948, as compared with 1952 and 1956, is shown in Table 2 without commodity details.

asked the Minister of Labour what provision is being made in Lanarkshire for school-leavers in 1958, 1959 and 1960 to engage in skilled apprenticeships: and what proportion such vacancies will bear to the total of boys leaving school.

The provision of apprenticeships is a matter for industry but as the hon. Member no doubt knows the adequacy of existing training arrangements in the country as a whole, in the light of the forthcoming increase in the number of school-leavers, is at present being considered by a Sub-committee of the National Joint Advisory Council of which I am Chairman.

asked the Minister of Labour what has been the overall percentage increase in wages and salaries, and changes in hours of working, in the principal industrial countries of the world covering the period 1946 to 1956, on the basis of the information made available to him by the statistical organs of the United Nations Organisation and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation.

I regret that comprehensive figures are not available for 1946 or 1947, nor are figures for salaried workers available for most countries. The percentage change in the average earnings of wage earners—excluding social benefits —and in average hours worked in manufacturing industry are given in the following table:

PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN THE AVERAGE EARNINGS OF WAGE EARNERS (EXCLUDING SOCIAL BENEFITS)AND IN AVERAGE HOURS WORKED IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
	Percentage change 1948 to 1956
	Average weekly wage earnings			Average hours worked per week by wage-earners
Canada	+ 62			- 3
United States	+ 48	(1)		+ 1
India	+ 25	(2)	(3)	Not available
Japan (4)	+320			+ 2
Belgium	+ 32	(5)	(6)	Not available
France	+ 130	(7)		+ 2
W. Germany	+ 110			+ 13
Italy	+ 50	(6)	(8)	+ 2
Netherlands	+ 50	(9)		+ ½(9)
United Kingdom	+ 70			+ 2½
(1)Production and related workers.
(2)1948–54.
(3)Wages per month.
(4)Includes salaried workers.
(5)Men only. Per day.
(6)Approximate.
(7)Standard hourly rates.
(8)Per hour.
(9)1948–55.

Source: Year Book of Labour Statistics 1956 and International Labour Review, June, 1957.

asked the Minister of Labour when Her Majesty's Government proposes to ratify the Convention to ban forced labour adopted by the International Labour Organisation in Geneva on 21st June, 1957, after endorsement by 78 countries.

The question of the ratification of this Convention is at present under consideration.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what action he proposes to take about the reabsorption into other naval establishments of those Admiralty employees thrown out of employment by the closing down of H.M.S. "Hornet"; and what action he is taking about the disposal of the property.

Established personnel will be absorbed in vacancies in other establishments as they occur. Efforts will be made similarly to reemploy hired work-people, although discharges may be necessary. No decision has been reached on the future of the property. It will be disposed of if no further economical naval use can be found for it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what contribution the Admiralty made to the Argyll County Council towards the capital cost of the houses built by the Council for the Admiralty at Succoth, Arrochar; and what annual grant they make towards the maintenance of the houses.

The Answer to both parts of the question is "None."

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths from vaccination, vaccinia, post-vaccinal encephalitis, or any other results of vaccination were registered in 1956; and what were the ages of the victims.

On present information, four; two aged three months, one six months and one three years.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will specify the denominations in which Premium Bonds were held on 1st July, 1957.

The Premium Savings Bonds participating in the July prize draw were divided among the denominations as shown in the following table.

PREMIUM SAVINGS BONDS ELIGIBLE FOR THE SECOND DRAW. JULY, 1957
Bond Denomination					Value of Eligible Bonds
£					£
1	…	…	…	…	1,599,203
2	…	…	…	…	750,704
3	…	…	…	…	510,498
4	…	…	…	…	262,682
5	…	…	…	…	3,407,040
6	…	…	…	…	168,030
7	…	…	…	…	132,755
8	…	…	…	…	127,608
9	…	…	…	…	107,118
10	…	…	…	…	6,771,700
20	…	…	…	…	1,836,640
30	…	…	…	…	508,440
40	…	…	…	…	407,240
50	…	…	…	…	5,425,100
60	…	…	…	…	244,320
70	…	…	…	…	309,610
80	…	…	…	…	197,680
90	…	…	…	…	159,660
100	…	…	…	…	8,227,900
200	…	…	…	…	4,750,800
300	…	…	…	…	1,782,000
400	…	…	…	…	1,380,000
500	…	…	…	…	14,686,000
Total			…	…	53,752,728

NOTE: The amounts of bonds wholly or partly repaid have been deducted. Partly repaid bonds retain their original serial numbers and denomination prefixes.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of telephones installed in the Borough of Ilford at the last convenient date.

Approximately 24,300. Over 1,500 were installed during the past twelve months.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the number of telephones installed in the Borough of Twickenham at the most convenient recent date.

Approximately 24,200. Over 1,600 were installed during the past twelve months.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of applicants for new telephones still outstanding in Rugby; and what was the number on the comparable date 12 months ago.

The figures are 398 and 364 respectively. 53 applications are in course of being met.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will publish or failing that place in the Library of the House of Commons a copy of the Report he received from the London and Home Counties Advisory Committee on restrictions on waiting vehicles within the Metropolitan area.

I am arranging for a copy of the relevant parts of this Report to be placed in the Library of the House.