asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent action he has taken to improve and extend British trade; and what action he proposes to take to increase trade and commerce in the next six months.

In the first half of this year the total of our export trade has risen by 6 per cent. in value and 3 per cent. in volume. Whether or not these increases can be attributed in part to the activities of my Department, I leave to the hon. Gentleman to judge. Our efforts will continue unabated.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in tabular form the names of the Special and Development Areas, the population in each area, the number of new works, factories, etc., since the Act of 1934 came into effect, and the number since 1945, the total number employed in the new

SCHEDULED DEVELOPMENT AREAS
	Resident(1)Population mid-1956	Industrial Building Schemes(2)completed 1945/Sept., 1956				Gross Expenditure by the Board of Trade(3)under the Distribution of Industry Act, 1945 to 30.6.57
Development Area		No.	Estimated Additional Employment
			Males	Females	Total
	(Thousands					£
North Eastern	2,411·0	784	47,819	32,342	80,161	16,441,405
West Cumberland	158·4	68	4,123	2,391	6,514	1,847,156
South Wales and Monmouthshire	1,741·0	553	40,335	24,947	65,282	21,127,506
Wrexham	89·4	31	373	117	490	772,726
South Lancashire	375·8	143	4,856	3,611	8,467	1,826,868
Merseyside	1,244·5	317	14,576	11,395	25,971	2,959,601
North East Lancashire	180·9	64	2,941	1,969	4,910	1,600,669
Scottish(4)	2,642·0	830	42,017	26,380	68,397	24,843,209
	8,843·0	2,790	157,040	103,152	260,192	71,419,140
(4)Resident population including Armed Forces.
(2)New buildings and extensions to existing buildings, over 5,000 square feet, in manufacturing industry. The additional employment is that estimated by the firms' concerned when making application for approval of a scheme.
(3)Expenditure by other Government Departments in these Areas under the same Act is borne on the Votes of these Departments.
(4)Includes Central Scotland, Dundee and Highlands Development Areas.

The Distribution of Industry Act, 1945, repealed the Special Areas (Development and Improvement)Acts, 1934 and 1937, and created the four Development Areas set out in the First Schedule to the Act. These were larger than the pre-war Special Areas, and further Development Areas have since been added to the Schedule. The table below sets out the information asked for in respect of the present Development Areas.Comparable information on new works, factories, etc., in the Special Areas in the period 1934 to 1945 is not available.Gross expenditure under the Special Areas (Development and Improvement)Acts, 1934 and 1937, was as follows:

1934 to 15th June, 1945
	£
Commissioner for the Special Areas (England and Wales)	16,249,080
Commissioner for the Special Areas (Scotland)	4,562,529

asked the President of the Board of Trade the value of United Kingdom exports to, and imports from, Israel, respectively, for the first half of 1957 and for each half-year of 1955 and 1956, respectively.

The following is the Answer:

£ million
—	Imports	Exports and Re-exports*
1955 1st half year	6·7	4·4
2nd half year	1·0	5·4
1956 1st half year	7·8	5·5
2nd half year	1·2	5·1
19571st half year	9·6	5·6
*Excluding rough diamonds re-exported to Israel. No exact figures can be given, but the value of this commerce is estimated at about £3 million a year over the period in question.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether a reply has yet been received to the memorandum handed to the United States Ambassador on 31st May regarding the size of the duty quota for 1957 for woollen fabrics entering the United States of America.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received the following reply:

"The Government of the United States has given consideration to the request of the Government of the United Kingdom, contained in its memorandum of 30th May, 1957, for reconsideration of the decision on the size of the 1957 tariff quota on certain woollen fabrics. This tariff quota was imposed under terms of the note to item 1108 of Part I of Schedule XX of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

In arriving at the decision regarding the 1957 tariff quota, which was announced by the President on 24th May, 1957, the United States Government carefully considered all facts and views presented by the interested parties as to the appropriate size of the tariff quota. While appreciating fully that the tariff quota may be causing problems for exporters in the United Kingdom and other countries, as well as for importers in this country, the United States Government sees no feasible basis for revising the decision so recently made.

Recognizing the many and varied concerns expressed over the operation of the tariff quota on woollen fabrics, the United States Government intends, at an appropriate time, to make a complete appraisal of all aspects of the operation of this tariff quota. It is hoped that this study of actual experience under the tariff quota would enable this Government to determine future actions with regard to the tariff quota which would best serve the interests of all concerned."

My right hon. Friend has indicated to the United States Ambassador that Her Majesty's Government are greatly disappointed that the United States Government should still find themselves unable to increase the size of the tariff quota for this year. He has asked that the full review of the operation of the quota, which the United States Government have undertaken to carry out, should not be long delayed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the deep concern felt by tenants at having to pay, in addition to the 6d. for a G Form under the Rent Act, 1957, a 25 per cent. Purchase Tax on such forms, and that this inclusive charge of 7½d. per form is causing hardship to old-age pensioners and others of limited means; and whether, as a means of combating inflation, he will arrange to remove purchase tax on these forms.

The answer to the first part is, "No"; the second does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates he will receive in the current financial year from the Purchase Tax chargeable on the various forms which are detailed in the Rent Act, 1957, and legally presentable under that Act when there is a proposed variation in the tenants' rents.

No estimate is possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what delay there has been in the publication by Her Majesty's Stationery Office of its monthly catalogue in each of the last three issues.

The monthly catalogues for March, April and May were issued on 1st May, 31st May and 2nd July, respectively. The June catalogue is being issued this week.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to new methods of providing finance for road construction: and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the speech of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport in Committee of Supply on 22nd July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the high association between cigarette smoking and the incidence of such diseases as cancer of the lung, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the esophagus, duodenal ulcers, aortic aneurysm, cancer of the bladder, coronary artery diseases and cancer of several other sites and the lower association between cigar smoking and pipe smoking and such diseases, he will reduce the excise duty on cigars and pipe tobacco and increase it on cigarettes in such a manner as to bring no loss of revenue to the Exchequer.

The duty is not charged upon the various tobacco manufactures but upon the leaf.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take on the formal suggestions made by the Prime Ministers of Canada and India regarding Commonwealth economic development and capital investment.

We shall have a further opportunity of discussing such matters at the meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers which is to take place at Ottawa in September.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the amount of British investment, grants, and loans, respectively, made by the United Kingdom Government to Commonwealth countries and Colonies, respectively, since 1946.

During the eleven years 1946–56, inclusive, loans by the United Kingdom Government to Colonial Governments were £29 million, grants amounted to £234 million, and official investment to £82 million. Payments to the territories now part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and to the High Commission Territories in South Africa are included in these figures. Official investment in other parts of the Commonwealth, including capital transactions concerning uranium and loans through the Export Credits Guarantee Department, were £54 million. Inter-Government loans not included in this total and grants were negligible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is now the total amount outstanding in respect of post-war credits; and by what year he anticipates the last of such credits will have been paid.

The amount of post-war credits now outstanding is estimated at £461 million. The rate of repayment, under the present statutory conditions, is just over £17 million a year. I cannot anticipate what conditions will apply in future years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions lands of occupiers who have not destroyed their rabbits have been entered to enable the destruction to be carried out; what machinery there is for reporting the presence of rabbits on land; and how many times it has been used in Lincolnshire.

Since the autumn there have been seventeen occasions when land has been entered to destroy rabbits after the occupier had ignored requests to carry out his statutory obligations under the Pests Act, 1954. My Department's pests staff carry out regular surveys in search of rabbits, frequently with the help of local voluntary committees of farmers and others. Surveys are constantly going on in Lincolnshire.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many private owners of woodlands share the grants amounting to £580,000 provided in this year's Estimates; and what is the largest grant to any one owner.

The figures are 2,490 and £28,222, respectively. The latter figure is quite exceptional, the average grant being about £230.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will consider the setting up of a commission of inquiry into the economic potentialities of Mauritius.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to a question by the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. J. Johnson)on 18th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the number of acres in Mauritius which are leased by the Government for stag-stalking; the amount charged per acre; and the number of Mauritians who lease land for this purpose of the Hindu, African, Muslim, Indian, and white sections of the population, respectively.

I am consulting the Governor and will write to the hon. Member when I have his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will reconsider the decision not to name a date for the independence of Nigeria in view of the demand of political parties in the Colony for the inauguration of independence on 2nd April, 1960.

No. The question was fully discussed at the Conference and the reasons for the inability of Her Majesty's Government to set a date now for independence are set out at length in paragraphs 48–54 of the Report. (Cmnd. 207).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the amount of land acquired by compulsory purchase by the Government of Cyprus or the Defence Departments in the Famagusta area in 1955 and 1956; and what were the total sums originally offered by the Government and the sums actually paid for the land after submission to arbitration.

The following is the Answer:1. 678 donums of land at Famagusta were acquired by compulsory purchase in 1955 and 1956. Of this, 182 donums were acquired by the Cyprus Government and 496 donums by the War Department. (Figures are to nearest donum, which is approximately one third of an acre).2. Details of sums offered and paid by the Cyprus Government are:—

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the resumption of negotiations about the future of Cyprus in view of the recent exchange of correspondence between an Ethnarchy representative and Her Majesty's Ambassador in Athens on the question of Turkish-Cypriot participation.

I have nothing to add to what was said in the last reply sent to the Ethnarchy representative.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the report of the inquiry ordered by the Minister for Local Government in Kenya into the proposed increase in rents of African houses in Nairobi has not been published.

The inquiry was departmental and the report was to Ministers. It has led to discussions between the Kenya Government and the Nairobi City Council which are still proceeding..

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many houses for Africans have been built by Nairobi City Council in the past two years.

1,218 single room dwellings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Government of Malta will not give permission for the College of Parish Priests to obtain broadcasting time on the rediffusion in Malta.

This is entirely a matter for Maltese Ministers who, I understand, did not give any reasons for their decision to refuse permission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government of Northern Rhodesia will now follow the precedent adopted by the Government of Kenya and abolish penal sanctions for breaches of labour contracts.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has now studied the Report of the Second Inter-African Conference on Nutrition in Africa South of the Sahara held in 1952; if he is aware that the conference agreed that malnutrition in many areas of Africa is the cause of ill-health and disease, and that these occur in people whose diet is deficient in quantity and quality of its protein content; what steps are now being taken to put the recommendations of the conference into effect in those parts of Africa for which he is responsible; and when the next conference is to be held.

I am well aware of the pronouncement in question, which, with the other findings of the conference, was brought to the notice of the Governments concerned some years ago. Following the conference an international panel of nutrition correspondents was set up under the auspices of the Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa South of the Sahara (CCTA)and a great deal of work in this field has since been done by the local health, agricultural and education services, by various international agencies, by the Applied Nutrition Unit and by the Human Nutrition Research Unit of the Medical Research Council. The third conference was held in Luanda in October, 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of public anxiety at the firing of air-guns near rights of way; and if he will introduce legislation to strengthen the powers of the police in checking the dangers arising from this practice.

I have received a few complaints about the mis-use of air weapons, but have no indication that this is a matter giving rise to any considerable public anxiety. The police already have wide powers to control the use of these weapons in public places, and, as at present informed, I can see no need to strengthen these powers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the deputation of hon. Members concerning the level of annual grant to the National Marriage Guidance Council; and if he will make a statement.

The deputation, which I received on 28th May, made representations for a further increase in Exchequer grants to the National Marriage Guidance Council and other organisations in the marriage guidance field. I was glad to assure them that I was well aware of the valuable work done by these bodies and that, while there could be no question of increasing the provision made in this year's estimates, I hoped that it might be possible later to provide more generously.The deputation also supported a recommendation of the Royal Commission on Marriage and Divorce that local authorities should be empowered to contribute to marriage guidance agencies without obtaining Ministerial approval on each occasion. This is being considered in connection with the review of controls exercised by the central government over local government which was announced in the recent White Paper on Local Government Finance.In the meantime, I propose to address a circular to local authorities calling attention to the importance attached by the Royal Commission to marriage guidance work, and indicating that favourable consideration will be given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government to applications for consent to contribute towards the expenses of agencies affiliated to the National Marriage Guidance Council and the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that motor vehicles are being parked almost throughout the day on both sides of Down Street, W.1, despite the fact that there is a notice in the street prohibiting waiting or unloading on one side from 11.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Monday to Friday; and if he will consult the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis with a view to preventing this practice.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that cars park for short periods on the prohibited side of Down Street from time to time. The police do what they can within the limits of their resources to keep the street clear for the passage of traffic and take appropriate action against offenders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what stocks of choke neck tunics are still held by the Metropolitan Police; how soon he expects to be able to discontinue the use of this type by special constables; and whether he will arrange for its immediate withdrawal from special constables of the Thames River Police and its replacement by a garment more easily removable in water.

The Commissioner of Police has informed me that there are sufficient stocks of the old type of jacket to last a number of years, and I would not at present be justified in authorising the purchase and issue of jackets of the new type. I am not aware that difficulties have arisen in the Thames Division, but I will gladly look into any special points that the hon. Member may have to raise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider introducing legislation to transfer responsibility for giving authority for appeal to the House of Lords from the Attorney-General to the Court of Criminal Appeal.

The merits of the present procedure were fully debated in a Committee of this House in 1948, when an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill proposing a change in the law in this respect was rejected. I have no reason to think that the arguments which led the Committee to reject the proposal then are of any less force today, but I would be prepared to listen to any suggestions put forward.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider introducing legislation to enlarge the bases of appeal to the House of Lords in criminal causes; and if he will make a statement.

I will be glad to consider any specific proposals which my hon. Friend may have in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are considered the Iron Curtain countries from the point of view of his regulations with regard to visits to this country of their subjects; and whether Formosa is included as Communist China, or as a non-Iron Curtain country.

The rule of practice to which my hon. Friend is referring is applied to person travelling on non-national travel documents (including a certificate of identity which would be needed by a person travelling to the United Kingdom from Formosa and not in possession of a passport recognised as valid by Her Majesty's Government)and to holders of passports issued by the Governments of Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Jugoslavia, Poland, Roumania, the Chinese People's Republic, and the U.S.S.R.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests for assistance from the Metropolitan Police have been received from provincial police forces in ensuring adequate protection to non-strikers exercising their legitimate right to work; and what action has been taken.

No such request has been received.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what answer was given by Her Majesty's Government to the protest made to them by the South African Government about the recent British Broadcasting Corporation's "Panorama" programme on South Africa.

During his visit, the South African Minister for External Affairs raised this matter with my noble Friend, who explained that the B.B.C. has always enjoyed independence in regard to the content of its programmes.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what representations he has received from the Leyton Committee for Education and the Essex Education Committee in respect of the free provision of milk to children, especially in necessitous cases, during holiday periods; and if he will now concede some modification in respect of charges when milk is supplied at the discretion of local education authorities.

These bodies have urged the continuance of the arrangements, which came to an end in August, 1956, whereby in certain areas free milk was made available to school children under the milk in schools scheme during holiday periods. Local Education Authorities have the power, with the approval of my noble Friend, to make arrangements for the supply of milk to school children on payment at weekends and in holiday periods, the charge being remitted in necessitous cases.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education whether he will take steps to grant regional status to the South-East Essex Technical College so that it can meet the need for more advanced courses in the district.

The courses at this college do not meet the special conditions required for the payment of advanced technology grant at the rate of 75 per cent. There are, however, a number of advanced courses which my noble Friend hopes will develop in step with local demand.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what new schools the Cornwall Education Committee wish to build in the financial year 1958–59; and which have been sanctioned.

The local education authority wished to build five secondary modern schools for rural reorganisation, to extend two grammar schools, and to build four small primary schools mainly to replace existing schools. My noble Friend has agreed to the inclusion of four of the five modern schools and the two grammar school projects in the authority's building programme for 1958–59.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education why the Pond Park Primary School in Chesham was removed by him from the building programme of 1958–59, despite top priority accorded to it by the local divisional Executive.

The Buckinghamshire Local Education Authority did not give this project the highest priority when submitting to my noble Friend their proposals for the 1958–59 building programme, though they have asked him to reconsider his decision not to approve it. The purpose of the proposal is to improve conditions in existing primary schools. While it is highly desirable that this should be achieved as soon as possible, my noble Friend regrets that he cannot yet make resources available to this end.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what recent advice he has received from the Welsh Joint Education Committee; and whether, in considering the recommendation of the Advisory Council for Wales and Monmouthshire on educational policy, he will bear in mind that the views of the Welsh Joint Education Committee were not invited.

The Welsh Joint Education Committee has asked my noble Friend to consider the appointment of a permanent Welsh speaking officer in the Cardiff office of the Welsh Department to act as deputy permanent secretary of the Welsh Department of the Ministry. The committee has also recommended that responsibility for special services and the training of teachers in Wales should be transferred to the Welsh Department. The Government will certainly give full weight to these recommendations.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what was the percentage of primary school pupils who gained entrance into grammar schools in each of the thirteen counties of Wales.

In January, 1956, the proportion. of 13 year old pupils in eleven of the administrative counties of Wales in grammar schools maintained and assisted by local education authorities, or in the grammar streams of bilateral schools, or holding places at direct grant grammar schools for which the local education authority was responsible, is given below. The figure for Breconshire is not comparable because 26 per cent. of the children of secondary school age there go to comprehensive schools. In Anglesey all children go to comprehensive schools.

Local education authority			Grammar school percentage
Caernarvonshire	…	…	44·7
Cardiganshire	…	…	63·3
Carmarthenshire	…	…	34·5
Denbighshire	…	…	34·1
Flintshire	…	…	26·0
Glamorgan	…	…	28·9
Merioneth	…	…	63·5
Monmouthshire	…	…	26·7
Montgomeryshire	…	…	39·6
Pembrokeshire	…	…	44·6
Radnorshire	…	…	33·0

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what has been the reduction in the number of children taking school meals in Abertillery, Nantyglo, Blaina, Abercarn and Newbridge, respectively, since the recent increase in the cost of meals.

I regret that this information will not be available until local education authorities submit their annual return in October.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education why he has refused the request of the Education Committee of the County Borough of West Ham that, in view of the fall-off in the number of children taking school meals since the various price increases, the charge for dinners for children in nursery and infant schools should be reduced below that paid by children in junior and secondary schools; and, in view of the fact that these young children eat less than the older children, whether he will reconsider his decision.

There is very little difference between the cost of providing a school dinner for children in infant and nursery schools and that for older children, and my noble Friend would not therefore be justified in imposing a lower charge.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he will confer with the British Transport Commission with a view to securing an extension of cheap travelling facilities for young people over 18 years of age who are still pursuing academic courses at schools or colleges, particularly in the London Transport area.

No.

asked the. Minister of Supply (1)what use will be made of the Royal Ordnance factory at Thorp Arch, subsequent to its closure as a filling factory;(2)what is the number of workers of all grades employed at the Royal Ordnance factory at Thorp Arch; and whether he will estimate the rate at which employees will become redundant as a result of the decision to close the factory.

Some 1,500 people are at present employed at the Royal Ordnance factory, Thorp Arch. I expect production to have ceased in about twelve months' time. How redundancies will be spread over the period is at present being worked out and information will be given to the employees as soon as possible. In the meantime, we shall try to find some other user for the factory, and I take this opportunity of inviting inquiries about it.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the wages or salaries in 1914 for skilled engineers, general engineering workers, skilled railwaymen, dockers, miners, journalists higher national and local government officials, and the percentage changes in such earnings since 1914, for the years 1929, 1939, 1949, and at the latest available date.

I am having the available information extracted and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of people engaged in employment in the sewing of jute bags; in which towns they are employed; and how many are employed on the sewing of bags from new jute and old jute, respectively.

I regret that statistics giving the information desired are not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will indicate the respective amounts of their present level of the grants listed in paragraph 16, Command Paper No. 209.

The estimated amounts of the specific grants for the financial year ended 31st March, 1957, are (to the nearest £100,000):

	£ million
Education (excluding school milk and meals)	260·1
Agricultural education	0·7
Health services under the National Health Service Act, 1946	23·5
Fire	4·9
Child care	6·8
Town planning (excluding grants for blitz re-development	0·3
Road safety	0·2
Traffic patrols	0·4
Registration of electors	0·8
Physical training and recreation (£36,000)	—
Residential accommodation and temporary accommodation under the National Assistance Act. 1948	0·1
School crossing patrols	0·3
	298·1

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons were in receipt of retirement pensions in the Abertillery Division at the most recent available date.

Retirement pension records are held centrally and separate figures of the numbers of pensioners in particular localities are therefore. I air afraid, not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the recommended rate of pay for schoolchildren engaged in potato gathering; and when this recommendation was made.

The recommended rate of pay for school children exempted from attendance at school to assist in potato lifting for the 1957 harvest has been fixed at 1s. 6d. per hour. The proposed increase from 1s. 3d. per hour was approved by the Committee on Assistance by Schools and intimated to the National Farmers' Union of Scotland on lath May, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will show in tabular form the provision that has been made for the payment of costs in legally aided cases in Scotland over the last five years; and with what result.

I presume that the hon. and learned Member is referring to expenses awarded in favour of legally aided persons. In the five years to 31st March, 1957, awards of expenses in favour of legally aided persons in Scotland amounted in total to £520,728. Under such awards in the same period the Law Society of Scotland recovered £272,183.

asked the Postmaster-General what has been the revenue from Commonwealth Press telegrams for the year to date.

The total amount collected in the United Kingdom in 1956–57 was £122,000 (provisional).

asked the Postmaster-General what extra annual revenue would accrue to the Post Office if Press telegrams were charged at the present full ordinary rates and at the new rates already announced, respectively.

The effect on traffic would in either event be so severe that no precise estimate of the results can be attempted. It would, however, be unsafe to assume that on balance overseas telegraph income would be increased.

asked the Postmaster-General when he anticipates that an alternative British Broadcasting Corporation television service or an independent television service will be available to viewers in the counties of Devon and Cornwall.

The Government have deferred consideration of an alternative B.B.C. programme anywhere until next year. The development plan includes a station to serve Devon and Cornwall, but they do not envisage it being available before 1960.