asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent he anticipates the costs of Government Departments will increase in the current financial year as a result of the increased postage and telephone charges,

No precise figures are yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the public concern arising from the increase in the cost of living in the last two months; and, in view of the hardship this causes and the fear that this tendency is likely to continue, what new proposals he has to grapple with the situation.

I have nothing to add to the full statement which my right hon. Friend made to the House a week ago.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the injury done to the country by the provincial omnibus strike.

There was very little interference with production. It is impossible to measure the cost in personal inconvenience and hardship, but I have no doubt that it was considerable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the sum of money collected annually by reason of the Purchase Tax on sports equipment; and if separate figures are available for the tax collected on football and cricket sports gear.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider remitting purchase tax on the newly available product marketed by Imperial Chemical Industries for the treatment of lungworm disease in cattle, known as husk, as this product is of use to farmers in controlling the disease, for which no other product is available.

An application for the inclusion of this product in the list of drugs and medicines which are exempt from Purchase Tax has recently been submitted by the manufacturers and by the National Farmers' Union and is under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has given further consideration to the request for a review of the rating assessments in Exmouth, made to him 5,000 citizens of that town; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have watched the position closely in the light of the findings of the local Valuation Court and of the Lands Tribunal and am satisfied that there is no justification for a general review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long he proposes to continue the practice of the Special Commissioners not to give Surtax directions under Section 245, Income Tax Act, 1952, in the case of a trading company which maintains a rate of dividend accepted as reasonable for periods before June, 1947, even though the company's profits have since increased.

I have come to the conclusion that this practice, which was announced by my predecessors in June, 1947, and July, 1948, should now be discontinued. In dealing with accounts made up for periods ending after the date of this Answer, the Special Commissioners will not regard themselves as bound by these statements, but will make directions in appropriate cases by reference to the statutory test, namely, that the company has failed to distribute a reasonable part of its income from all sources, having regard to the current requirements of its business and to such other requirements as may be necessary or advisable for the maintenance and development of that business.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will reinstitute a National Lottery, in view of the success of Premium Bonds, with prizes more closely resembling those payable by football pools.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that whereas a person having a bet on the totalisator at greyhound racing tracks has to pay a 10 per cent. duty, a similar bet, on a similar totalisator, art a horse racing track carries no tax whatsoever; to what extent he estimates this 10 per cent. tax could be reduced if a flat tax on both horse racing and greyhound totalisators was instituted to ensure the same revenue for the Treasury, based on the latest six months of figures for totalisator returns on horse and greyhound race tracks; and whether he will consider this new form of tax in preparing his next Budget.

I am aware of the fact mentioned in the first part of the Question; for the reason explained to the hon. Member in reply to his Question on 6th March last, I cannot give the estimate he asks for in the second part; as regards the third part, my right hon. Friend will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will, before the preparation of his next Budget, agree to meet a deputation of the interested parties in greyhound racing to discuss some system whereby the present 10 per cent. tax on totalisators at greyhound tracks is replaced by a fairer system of taxation, which will abolish the present method of discriminatory taxation against this form of sport.

I shall be prepared to consider, at the appropriate time before the next Budget, representations which any interested parties may wish to make on this subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will cause an inquiry to be made into delays in customs facilities for goods passing through London Airport.

Perhaps my hon. Friend will let me have details of the delays which he has in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to make the proposed arrangements for insurance of Ministers and other hon. Members.

A Warrant applying to Ministers the provisions of the Injury Warrant, 1952 comes into operation today.As regards other hon. Members, arrangements have been made for a personal accident policy, the premiums for which will be met from public funds, to cover the risk of death or injury on any day on which a Member is travelling away from the Palace of Westminster on the business of the House, in the United Kingdom or abroad. The business of the House for this purpose means service on a Parliamentary Committee or delegation which has been set up directly by the House, Committee of Selection or Mr. Speaker. The policy will not cover flights in private or private charter aircraft, nor flights in prototype aircraft or test flights.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an assurance that he will not take any action during the Parliamentary Summer Recess which will have the effect of reducing or curtailing any of the social services.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given him today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what profit or loss has been made on the printing of 1,172,000 copies and the sale of 1,130,000 of this total of the booklet, "The Rent Act and You"; and whether, in the event of a profit being made, he will reduce the price of this booklet.

There has been a small loss on sales to date.

AGRICULTURE (IMPROVEMENT OF ROADS)ACT, 1955
Schemes submitted by County Councils in Wales and Monmouthshire for the financial year ending 31st March, 1958
County council					Number of schemes submitted	Number of schemes approved in principle	County councils' Estimates of the cost of schemes approved in principle
							£
Brecon	…	…	…	…	14	5	18,720
Caernarvon	…	…	…	…	25	11	21,690
Cardigan	…	…	…	…	18	6	22,785
Carmarthen	…	…	…	…	29	8	27,960
Denbigh	…	…	…	…	54	16	27,800
Flint	…	…	…	…	17	3	9,700
Glamorgan	…	…	…	…	10	4	12,800
Merioneth	…	…	…	…	36	8	26,769
Monmouth	…	…	…	…	15	3	7,360
Montgomery	…	…	…	…	19	7	36,000
Pembroke	…	…	…	…	17	3	21,900
Radnor	…	…	…	…	27	14	17,500
Total	…	…	…	…	281	88	£250,984

In addition, 52 schemes have been submitted by urban highway authorities in Caernarvon. Glamorgan and Monmouth, of which 8 have been approved in principle at an estimated cost of £15,972.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the conditions which will be imposed on the export of eggs from the United Kingdom to Western Germany and other continental markets in which Denmark and Holland are particularly interested.

Individual licences will be required only for the export of eggs to countries listed in the Schedule to the

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will indicate the number of schemes each of the county councils in Wales have submitted for grants under the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads)Act. 1955; how many have been approved for the current financial year; and what are the estimated costs.

The following table gives the information:Open General Licence issued by the Board of Trade. Licences, which will be valid for a limited period, will be issued freely for the export of hatching and other unsubsidised eggs but at present it is not intended to license exports to these countries of any eggs which have benefited from subsidy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will require eggs to be stamped with the date when they are laid, by the farmer, so that housewives may know the age of the eggs they buy, or if he will require that the eggs be stamped at the packing station, as it is not sufficient to date the case, which the housewife practically never sees.

This is a matter for the British Egg Marketing Board to decide, but my right hon. Friend understands that at the present time they do not consider date stamping of eggs to be practicable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the estimated daily percentage of normal quantities of produce that has been effectively handled at Covent Garden during the current strike.

My right hon. Friend has no statistical information on the quantity of produce handled at Covent Garden from day to day. Any estimate of the daily quantities handled during the current stoppage as compared with the quantities which might have been handled in normal circumstances could only be conjectural. Supplies to the public have been well maintained.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now state what action he intends to take, or has already taken, with regard to the recommendations contained in the Report by the Natural Resources (Technical)Committee on Forestry, Agriculture, and Marginal Land.

As my right hon. Friend said in his reply to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey)on 11th April, 1957, the Government have already recognised the importance of integrating forestry and agriculture in hill and upland areas. When my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland in conjunction with the Forestry Commission have completed their examination of the Committee's detailed recommendations, a further statement will be made at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that certain villages in Radnorshire cannot be supplied with liquid milk; and whether he will arrange for his officers to visit these villages with a view to securing facilities for a supply of liquid milk, bearing in mind that there is no lack of milk.

My right hon. Friend is aware that there are a few small villages in Radnorshire without a supply of liquid milk. He understands that in the case of two of these villages retailers are unwilling to deliver milk because of the relatively high transport costs for the small amount of milk required. My right hon. Friend is not responsible for the supply of milk to any particular consumers, but he would be prepared to have particular cases looked into if the hon. Member will let him have details of the villages which have asked for help.

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food, in view of the typical wet British weather, whether he will make a statement as to the various methods of drying grain, with recommendations.

The various methods of drying grain are fully described in the Ministry's Bulletin "Farm Grain Drying and Storage" (Bulletin No. 149)published by H.M.S.O. price 5s.It is not possible to make general recommendations about particular drying methods since so much depends on the circumstances of the farm concerned; however, the Ministry's advisory staff are available to advise individual farmers on the kind of drying plant best suited to their requirements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will impress on the agricultural executive committees the importance of carrying out their duty in prosecuting those owners who are responsible for allowing rabbits to breed on their land and are taking no steps to destroy them.

Yes. My right hon. Friend will not hesitate to take proceedings in suitable cases reported to him by the County Agricultural Executive Committees where persons wilfully ignore their statutory obligation to destroy rabbits.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give particulars of the deficiency pay-

WHEAT
Accounting period	Seasonal standard price per cwt.		Ascertained average price per cwt.		Deficiency payment per cwt.		Quantity qualifying for deficiency payment	Total payments
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	million cwt.	£ million
1st July—30th September, 1956	27	6	22	11·7	4	6·3	8·8	2·0
1st October—30th November, 1956	29	0	22	11·5	6	0·5	16·1	4·9
1st December, 1956–28th February, 1957	30	8	25	5·3	5	2·7	10·4	2·7
1st March—30th April, 1957	32	1	22	6·8	9	6·2	7·2	3·4
1st May—30th June, 1957	32	6	19	10	12	8	9·6	6·1
Payments in respect of the first four periods have already been made. Payments for the period 1st May to 30th June, 1957 will be made in August apart from a few certificates which are still under query.

RYE
—	Yearly standard price per cwt.		Ascertained average price per cwt.		Deficiency payment per cwt.	Quantity qualifying for deficiency payment	Total payments
	s.	d.	s.	d.	d.	million cwt.	£ million
Cereal year
1st July, 1956 to 30th June, 1957	23	3	22	3·9	11·1	0·32	0·015
No advance payment has been made on rye. Payments at the full rate will be made in August apart from a few certificates which are still under query.

BARLEY
—	Yearly standard price per cwt.		Ascertained United Kingdom average "at farm" price per cwt. for lower priced barley		Price deficiency per cwt.		Deficiency payment per acre			Acreage qualifying for deficiency payment	Total payments
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	million acres	£ million
Cereal year
1st July, 1956 to 30th June, 1957	26	2	21	9·25	4	4·75	4	10	7	2·32	10·5
An advance payment at the rate of £2 15s. 0d. per acre has already been made to most barley growers following the announcement made on the 21st December, 1956. The final payment to these growers will, therefore, be at the rate of £1 15s. 7d. per acre. Payment will begin immediately and will be completed during September or October.

The particulars of these payments are as follows:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the Disciplinary Committee of the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board has imposed fines on registered producers before the Committee was properly constituted; and what steps he proposes taking to see that producers who were illegally fined have their fines remitted.

No. It would be for the courts to decide whether or not the Disciplinary Committee was properly constituted, or whether fines have been imposed illegally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the dispute which exists between the Aden Trades Union Congress and the management of the firm of Cory Brothers on the discharge of permanent staff and their replacement by daily labour at rates of pay and conditions of employment which are inferior to those now obtaining and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

I am aware of a recent dispute between the firm of Cory Brothers and certain of its employees concerning redundancy. The subsequent employment of daily rated labour was due to exceptional conditions on the wharves arising from the bulk arrival of goods and was quite unconnected with the discharge of permanent staff. Settlement of any outstanding differences is primarily for the parties concerned and I see no reason to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many teachers of Egyptian nationality are at present serving on contract with the Aden Government.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 9th July, 1957; Vol. 573, c. 205], supplied the following information:There is one teacher of Egyptian nationality at present serving on contract with the Government of Aden: she is a Coptic lady of long and faithful service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what newspapers have been suppressed under the Aden Press Ordinance: and what was the reason for withdrawing the right of publication.

I am consulting the Acting Governor of Aden and as soon as I have his reply I shall write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that Mr. G. S. L. Griffiths, a former British Regular Army officer seconded to the King's African Rifles, was cashiered following court martial in 1954 and served three years and four months in prison in the United Kingdom, earning full remission for good conduct; if he is further aware that Mr. Griffiths has now been declared a prohibited immigrant by the Kenya Government and refused permission to visit his wife at their farm in Nanyuki; and whether in these circumstances he will now instruct the Governor of Kenya to grant Mr. Griffiths a temporary permit to return to his wife and home in order to wind up their affairs in that colony.

Under Section 11 (2)of the Kenya Immigration Regulations, 1957, temporary entry passes are issued at the discretion of the Principal Immigration Officer and I am not in a position to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many scholarships are offered annually by the Government of Kenya to African students to take a diploma course at Makerere which would qualify them for posts as agricultural officers.

I am consulting the Governor and will write to the hon. Lady.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why there has been no Minister for Education in the Gambia since the expulsion of Mr. P. S. N'jie from the Executive Council in January, 1956; and what provision has been made by the Government of Gambia for a representative of the United Party in Bathurst to take the place of Mr. P. S. N'jie on the Executive Council.

In the absence of any further members of the Legislative Council who are both qualified and willing to accept the appointment, the Governor has felt obliged to make no further appointment. A member of the Executive Council who is an elected member of the Legislative Council is however acting as the Governor's adviser on education matters. There is no representative of the United Party in the Legislative Council other than Mr. N'jie and the second part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals have been made by the Governments of British West Indian territories for the development of technical education; and what facilities now exist in each territory, respectively.

The Government of Jamaica propose to establish a technical college near Kingston. The Government of Trinidad, I understand, propose to build a technical institute at Port of Spain.There are at present five institutions for technical education in the British Caribbean. Three of them, the Kingston Technical School in Jamaica, the Belize Technical College in British Honduras and the San Fernando Technical Institute in Trinidad, play a double rôle in that they ace technical schools by day and technical institutes by night. The remaining two institutions, the Richmond Technical Institute in Barbados and the Georgetown Technical Institute in British Guiana, are what in this country would be described as institutes for further education. In addition to these five institutions, some of the West Indies Governments run trade training courses and apprenticeship schemes for the part-time training of employees in industry. A number of the larger industrial and commercial undertakings throughout the region have established their own training schools and training courses and, in general, are willing to grant employees part-time day release in order to attend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is satisfied that the Texas Corporation is carrying out to the satisfaction of the Government of Trinidad the undertakings which it gave before taking over the Trinidad Oil Company; and if he will make a statement.

I am consulting the Acting Governor and will write to my hon. Friend when I have his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in agricultural rehabilitation in Grenada since the hurricane of 1955.

Good progress has been made. Two thousand acres have been replanted in cocoa and 7,000 acres in bananas. Much has also been done on the longer-term job of restoring nutmeg production. Of the £1·2 million and £0·65 million available for grants and loans for agriculturists and for other agricultural activities respectively, about £0·7 million and £0·25 million had been expended by 30th June, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now arrange for a Parliamentary Mission to visit Cyprus.

I have nothing at present to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 8th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what conversations are now taking place about the future of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend told the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson)on 11th July, the Governor came here on 6th July for discussions on current matters relating to Cyprus. These discussions have now been completed and the Governor returned to Cyprus yesterday. I have no statement to make at this time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why Mr. G. Lordos, of Famagusta, has as yet received no payment for land acquired for the extension of Famagusta harbour in November, 1954. and for development of military cantonment near Karaolos in August, 1955.

I have asked the Governor to look into this and will write to the hon. Member when I have his report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many Cypriots have left Cyprus since April, 1956; and to which countries they have emigrated.

The figures for the period 1st April, 1956, to 30th June, 1957, were:

Australia	590
Other Commonwealth Countries	104
Turkey	13
U.S.A	122
Other countries	101
Greece	72
United Kingdom	4,548
Total	5,550

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the regulations regarding the use of the Rediffusion in Malta by non-Governmental organisations; and what redress such organisations have when the Maltese Government refuse them permission to obtain broadcasting time.

I am advised that there are no such regulations nor any special procedure for appeal against refusal of permission by the Maltese Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has now received from the Governor of Uganda the information concerning alleged loss of revenue on coffee which he promised to obtain.

I sent this information to the hon. Lady yesterday and I am sorry that it has taken so long.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to establish a co-operative credit and savings bank in Uganda.

The establishment of a Co-operative Bank in Uganda is not contemplated at present. Credit is provided for co-operative societies and individuals through the Uganda Credit and Savings Bank and the African Loans Fund, as well as, to a small extent, to members of primary societies through their respective Co-operative Marketing Unions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is now in a position to state the Colonies in which prisoners are still kept in chains; and when he estimates that this method of treating prisoners will be abolished throughout all British Colonies.

I will send a full report of the present position to the hon. Member very shortly and copies will be placed in the Library of the House. I cannot say when the complete abolition of this form of restraint in all territories will be possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what facilities exist to enable technical colleges in overseas territories to obtain advice from experts in technical education in the United Kingdom.

In 1949 the then Secretary of State constituted an Advisory Committee on Colonial Colleges of Arts, Science and Technology to advise him and responsible authorities in the Colonies on the development of Colonial Colleges of Arts, Science and Technology. One such college whose development was fostered by this Committee was the Kumasi College of Technology in the Gold Coast.In order that the services of the Committee may continue to be at the disposal of that college and other similar institutions in the newly emerging countries of the Commonwealth, should their Governments still wish to avail themselves of these facilities, the constitution and terms of reference of the Advisory Committee have been altered.The new body, with the title of the Council for Overseas Colleges of Arts, Science and Technology, will enjoy the right of direct communication with the Secretaries of State for Commonwealth Relations and for the Colonies.The constitution of the new Council provides for 17 members and three co-opted members. Of the 17, the Secretaries of State acting together appoint the chairman and seven members: the remaining nine are appointed by the Council itself. The members of the Council are ready not only to advise on technical education but also to visit Colleges overseas and to serve on their Councils.The chairman is Sir David Lindsay Keir, the Master of Balliol College. The Council's secretariat carries out a number of services on behalf of the colleges, the most important of which is the recruitment of staff.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the inhabitants of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean were consulted before the decision was reached to transfer the island from the Singapore administration to that of the Australian Government.

Christmas Island has no indigenous population. The island is populated only because of the activities of the Phosphate Commission. Practically all the adults there have been recruited as labour, mainly from Singapore, under terms of service which permit them to return to the place of their recruitment on leaving the Commission's employment. Their present citizenship rights will remain unaffected by the transfer of the island's sovereignty, and they will continue to be free to return to their own territories. In addition those remaining in the island will be eligible to acquire Australian citizenship. For these reasons Her Majesty's Government did not consider it necessary to consult them before deciding on this transfer.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that Sir John Moffatt, the specially appointed member for African interests from Northern Rhodesia upon the African Affairs Board of the Central African Federation, has been refused an assurance by the Federal Government that, under their new franchise proposals, elected African members in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland will be elected by voters who can collectively be designated as representatives of Africans; and what advice he has given to the Government of Northern Rhodesia regarding these proposals.

Yes; I have read a report of the proceedings in the Federal Legislative Assembly on 16th and 18th July. As for the second part of the Question such advice as I have given to the Governor of Northern Rhodesia has been in connection with the resolution debated by the Legislative Council on 18th June and in this connection I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway)on the 9th July. So far as the present constitutional position is concerned, relating to the Federal Constitution Amendment Act, I would refer the hon. Member to what my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State, said in the debate on the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation)Bill last night.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the progress so far made in discussions regarding Northern Rhodesian constitutional reform; when he will appoint a commission; and what will be its terms of reference.

The consultations to which I referred in my replies to the hon. Member on 6th and 13th February are continuing in private, as has been stated by the Governor in his Address to Legislative Council on 17th June. The Governor has not proposed the appointment of a commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that a large number of cars on the roads at the present time do not carry suitably placed rear lights in accordance with the regulations and have lost their red reflectors; and whether, in view of this potential cause of road accidents, he will take steps, within the sphere of his responsibility, to enforce the administration of the revised law relating to rear lights and reflectors.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that there is no widespread disregard of the regulations relating to the carrying of rear lights and reflectors. When offences come to notice the police take appropriate action. This often takes the form of an oral warning, but last year 43 persons were prosecuted and 213 received written cautions for offences relating to the carrying of reflectors. In the first six months of the operation of the regulations requiring two rear lights to be carried 45 offenders were prosecuted and 500 received written cautions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will hold a further inquiry to determine whether there is any ground for thinking there may have been any miscarriage of justice in the conviction of Timothy John Evans for murder.

I have carefully considered this case, but I do not think that a further inquiry would serve any useful purpose. All the relevant facts are on record, and there is no reason to believe that any new information would be forthcoming.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will inform the House of the number of murders which have been committed in this country since 31st May last.

The number of murders which became known to the police in June was 34. I regret that figures for July are not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now state the number of murders known to the police in England and Wales during the month of June, 1956.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given today to a Question by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Ayr (Sir T. Moore).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken by his Department in the London area to enforce compliance with the Construction and Use Regulations, 1955, requiring scooters and motorcycles to have effective silencers.

The Metropolitan Police have the duty of enforcing the regulations. The Commissioner of Police informs me that during the fifteen months ended on 31st March, 1957, 1,383 cases involving noisy motor vehicles, mostly in respect of defective silencers, were dealt with by prosecution or by written caution, and there were many other cases in which an oral warning was considered sufficient. Separate figures for scooters and motor cycles are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions are given to the Metropolitan Police to uphold pea.—ful picketing among strikers and to prevent violent breaches of the law.

Standing instructions issued by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis cover the provisions of the law relating to strikes and trade disputes and the action to be taken by the police when offences come to notice. At the beginning of the present strike in the markets the attention of all police officers was drawn to their duties and powers In relation to pickets.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take to prevent breaches of the peace during strikes and to safeguard the right of those who wish to do so to continue at work.

I am satisfied that the law relating to trade disputes and defining the limits of peaceful picketing gives the police all the powers they need.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the comments of Mr. Justice Finnemore at the Old Bailey on 19th July, when sentencing two Maltese to terms of imprisonment in connection with brothel-keeping, to the effect that such people should be prevented from entering this country and staying here; and whether, in view of the repeated comments of judges in this sense, he will now consider taking action in the matter.

Yes, but I cannot add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend on 18th July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of convictions for living on immoral earnings in the United Kingdom, involving aliens, for the period 1951 to 1956; and what is the number of deportations of such offenders.

During the period mentioned twelve such cases were reported to the Home Office. One of the offenders (against whom a deportation order had already been made)left the country voluntarily and four others were deported. Of the remaining seven aliens involved, two were stateless and not deportable; and in a third case it has not vet been possible to secure the alien's recognition by the country of his presumed nationality. In the four remaining cases it was decided on compassionate grounds that deportation should not be proceeded with.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges arising from violence and hooliganism in the provincial omnibus strike have been made to date; and how many convictions have been recorded.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made to date by the Metropolitan Police on charges arising from violence and hooliganism in the present London market and ancillary dispute; and how many convictions have been recorded to date.

Twenty-seven arrests have been made. There have been 10 convictions and in the remaining 17 cases the persons concerned have been remanded on bail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider making arrangements far any prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons or Borstal institutions who do not desire to have the allowance of tea to be able to have cocoa, as an alternative, at any meal.

No. Arrangements already exist for the variance of the prison diet where this is justified on religious or medical grounds, and vegetarian prisoners may have a vegetarian diet. It is not practicable to vary the diet further to satisfy individual preferences.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what total amount has been paid out for loans, grants, maintenance, and pensions to evicted British nationals from Egypt from 1st November, 1956, to the last date up to which figures are available.

The approximate amounts up to 30th June last are as follows:

	£
Loans	11,000
Grants	300,000
Maintenance (a)in hostels	350,000
Maintenance (b)outside hostels	240,000
Pensions	66,000
Total	£967,000

The Anglo-Egyptian Resettlement Board, which has been responsible for the greater part of this expenditure, has just published a brief report of its work which hon. Members may be interested to see. I have placed copies in the Library and in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the men detained in Brixton prison, who were recently vaccinated because of a supposed smallpox contact having been in the prison, were allowed to decide whether to be vaccinated or not; and whether compensation is payable for any ill-effects of the vaccinations.

The prisoners were offered vaccination and those who declined the offer were not vaccinated. No untoward effects have been reported.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what plans Her Majesty's Government have in mind for the future use of the Nash Terraces in Regent's Park.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Grimond)on this matter on 25th July.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what proposals the Crown Estate Commissioners have to demolish some of the best examples of the work of the famous architect Nash, around Regent's Park; and to what extent it is their policy to maintain the facades and have modern flats constructed behind, as has been done in Eaton Square.

The new Board of Crown Estate Commissioners is carefully considering the future of the Nash terraces around Regent's Park but no decisions have yet been taken. My hon. Friend can rest assured that the possibility of building modern flats behind the existing facades has not been overlooked.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether, now that the time has expired during which United States interests had a first refusal to negotiate for the implementation of the Volta project, Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have yet decided the proportion of the financial burden involved which they propose to undertake.

No. As I indicated in a supplementary reply to the hon. Member on 4th July, the matter rests at the moment with the Ghana Government.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what representations he has had this year from the Government of India or Pakistan regarding the operations of jute control in the United Kingdom.

My noble Friend has received no representations this year from the Government of Pakistan on this matter. There have been frequent discussions on it between the Indian authorities and the Board of Trade and my noble Friend has himself received representations from the Government of India.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what representations he is making in the interests of the British jute trade to the Government of Pakistan with regard to the desirability of reducing the world price of raw jute and preventing its excessive fluctuation.

I am sure that the Government of Pakistan and Pakistani exporters are well aware of the importance of marketing their raw jute at a price which will make the manufactured product competitive with jute substitutes, especially in the light of the Measures recently announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. I doubt whether further representations are needed to draw their attention to this.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education whether he will make a statement on the proposed three form entry Catholic school for juniors in the Southwick parish of Sunderland.

My noble Friend hopes that it may be possible to start work on a Roman Catholic junior school at Southwick during the year beginning 1st April, 1959. This will depend on further discussions between his officers, the Sunderland local education authority and the Roman Catholic authorities about the future organisation of Roman Catholic schools in Sunderland as a whole.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education by how many the number of children taking school dinners has fallen since 1951, following the increase in price from 7d. to 1s., in Salford and nationally, respectively.

The number of day pupils taking the school dinner in England and Wales rose by 285,000 between the autumns of 1951 and 1956, when the charge was 7d. and 10d., respectively; but, because of the increase in the school population, the proportion taking the school dinner fell from 49·9 per cent. to 47·9 per cent. In Salford, the number fell by 1,460 over the same period, representing a reduction from 47·5 per cent. to 39·9 per cent. The first return following the increase of the charge to a shilling will be that to be submitted in October.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if, in view of the fact that fewer children are taking school meals since the last increase in charges, he will consider reviewing the income scales under which children receive free or part paid meals.

The number of children taking the school dinner since the increase in the charge in April will not be known until local education authorities submit their annual return in October. My noble Friend does not think that any general review of arrangements for the remission of the charge is necessary, but he is always ready to consider proposals from authorities to adjust their scales.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education whether he has yet reached any agreement with the Atomic Energy Authority with regard to the pension rights of teachers who subsequently become employees of the Authority.

Yes. My noble Friend hopes shortly to issue rules which will provide for the preservation of the superannuation rights of persons who transfer from pensionable service under the Teachers (Superannuation)Acts to pensionable service under the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, or vice versa.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what percentage of children in the Hampshire local education authority area go to grammar and technical schools and what percentage go to secondary modern schools; and how this percentage compares with the rest of the country.

PROPORTIONS OF ALL THIRTEEN-YEAR OLD PUPILS IN JANUARY, 1956 FOR WHOM LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES WERE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE.
—	Type of secondary school attended
	Grammar and Technical	Modern
England and Wales	24·9	64·5
Hampshire	17·2	75·0

NOTES:1. "Grammar and Technical" includes the grammar and technical streams of bilateral and multilateral schools, and places at direct grant and independent schools for which local education authorities are responsible.2. In some areas, including Hampshire, some secondary technical schools recruit their pupils at too great an age for them to be included in the table. If the number of 14 year old pupils in secondary technical schools is substituted for the number of 13 year olds, the figures in the first column of the table become 26·2 for England and Wales and 18·2 for Hampshire.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education whether he has finished his investigations into the question of the fees charged by the Northumberland County Committee to parents of children who have not secured any of the limited number of free places in the direct grant schools but, having secured scholarships in the county secondary grammar schools, choose to attend at a denominational direct grant school on religious grounds: and if he will make a statement.

Not yet.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of. Education in his investigations into the fees charged to parents of children who choose to send their scholarship children to direct grant schools on religious grounds, what estimate he has made of the extra cost in Northumberland to the County and to his Department, respectively, if all such scholarship children were given free places in the direct grant schools.

About £1,500 in the first year, of which rather more than half would fall on the local education authority and the rest on my Department. The total would rise to about £7,500 in the fifth and subsequent years.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what decision he has reached in regard to reducing the fees charged to parents of county scholarship children where they choose to send such children to direct grant schools on religious grounds, in view of the fact that these fees have remained unaltered since 1945, and cause increased hardship even where the income has increased in proportion to the increased cost of living.

My noble Friend does not contemplate making any change in this matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what steps are being taken at the present time by his Department to encourage a greater proportion of girls to take up scientific and technological careers in this country; and what plans he has for intensifying those plans in the near future.

My Department's main responsibility is to see that girls have the chance of a sound scientific education. I believe that school authorities generally are very ready to give the Youth Employment Service and representatives of industry facilities for interesting girls in scientific and technological careers but I am glad to take this opportunity of emphasising how important it is that they should do so.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what grants his Department made to the Governors of the Camborne School of Metalliferous Mining for each of the last three years.

Grants from the Ministry for the financial years 1954–55, 1955–56 and 1956–57 were £13,000, £16,000 and £21,100 respectively.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what recent proposals for expansion his Department has received from the Governors of the Camborne School of Metalliferous Mining; and what action has been taken about them.

I understand that the Governors are considering the future needs of the School in the light of advice given to them by H.M. Inspectors at a recent inspection. No formal proposals have been made to the Department.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education if he will make a statement indicating what progress has been made by each of the designated colleges of advanced technology as regards their new activities.

For many of the colleges the 1956–57 session has been largely one of planning and preparation. At Bradford, Salford and the Welsh College of Advanced Technology, Cardiff, new governing bodies have been set up and at the other colleges the schemes of government have been modified in various ways in order especially to give better representation to industry and commerce and other outside interests. At three of the colleges, new principals have been appointed and at all extra staff are being recruited.In the 1957–58 session the three colleges in London and Loughborough College will all be concentrating entirely on advanced work. The other colleges must dispose of their lower level work more gradually, in some cases after the completion of building schemes now under construction or being planned.All the colleges have been actively promoting new advanced courses, especially sandwich courses. The courses shown below have been recognised by the National Council for Technological Awards for the Diploma in Technology. A number of new courses due to start next session at Battersea, Northampton and Chelsea Polytechnics and at Birmingham will be similarly recognised.Large scale building developments are actually in progress at Salford and Birmingham while at Bradford, Cardiff and Loughborough plans are being urgently prepared for new buildings.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation on what basis he has estimated £40 million as being the cost of changing our road traffic signs to the Continental system.

My hon. Friend was misreported. What he said was that the total cost was reckoned to be more than £4 million.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what decision he has reached concerning the re-imposition of a speed limit on the Ashbourne Road, Derby, and its extension to the borough boundary, in accordance with the request made to him by a deputation consisting of representatives of the County Borough Council, the Road Safety Committee and the Chief Constable in January last.

As I explained to the right hon. Gentleman in a letter I sent him yesterday, I do not think the reimposition of the 30 m.p.h. speed limit on this stretch of road would make any real contribution to safety.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will take steps to see that on the issue of a licence for the use of a motor cycle, attention is drawn to the requirements of the regulations with regard to effective silencers.

There are practical difficulties in giving effect to this suggestion but in any case I do not think I should be justified in drawing special attention to this one requirement.

—	Class of Licence					Totals
	A	Special A	Contract A	B	C
1933Act
British Transport Commission
British Railways*	3,911	—	—	—	467	4,378
British Road Services	1,422	—	1,157	—	140	2,719
Other B.T.C. undertakings	30	—	—	—	55	85
	5,363	—	1,157	—	662	7,182
Other Operators	44,613	—	22,177	69,871	1,045,066	1,181,727
TOTALS	49,976	—	23,334	69,871	1,045,728	1,188,909
1953 Act
British Transport Commission
British Railways*	11,927	—	—	—	792	12,719
British Road Services	4,883	7,765	—	—	173	12,821
Other B.T.C. undertakings	40	—	—	—	445	485
	16,850	7,765	—	—	1,410	26,025
Other Operators	—	17,082	—	—	—	17,082
TOTALS	16,850	24,847	—	—	1,410	43,107
GRAND TOTAL	66,826	24,847	23,334	69,871	1,047,138	1,232,016
* Railway Collection and Delivery Vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will instruct the airport management at London Airport to conduct an investigation into delays in handling goods by airport staff, since goods flown from Paris to London in an hour are now taking several days before they are delivered.

I am satisfied that the airport staff handle goods consigned by

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the number of A, A Special, A contract, B and C licences which were, respectively, current at the latest available date; and if he will give separately those held by the British Transport Commission.

The number of goods vehicles authorised by carriers' licences issued under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, and the Transport Act, 1953, at 30th June, 1957, as notified by the licensing authorities, was as follows:air expeditiously but if the hon. Member has any information to the contrary I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Paymaster-General under what statutory authority the Minister of Power acted in sending a protest to the Chairman of the National Coal Board about a Coal Board official's public references to an hon. Member of this House; and whether he will make a statement.

My noble Friend does not need any statutory authority to convey to a Chairman of the Board of a nationalised industry his views on public statements made by one of the Board's employees.

asked the Paymaster-General whether any appointments have yet been made to the Electricity Council and Central Electricity Generating Board to be constituted under the Electricity Act, 1957.

Yes. My noble Friend has appointed the following members of the new Authorities with effect from the 1st September:

Electricity Council

Chairman: Sir Henry Self, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.B.E.

Deputy Chairmen: Sir Josiah Eccles, C.B.E., M.M., Professor R. S. Edwards.

Central Electricity Generating Board

Chairman: Sir Christopher Hinton, K.B.E., F.R.S.

Deputy Chairman: Mr. C. R. King, C.B.E.

Members: Mr. F. H. S. Brown and Mr. E. Long.

All the gentlemen will serve full-time with the exception of Professor Edwards. Lord Citrine has accepted appointment as a part-time member of the Electricity Council as from the 1st January, 1958, the day after the dissolution of the Central Electricity Authority. Further appointments to the two new bodies will be announced in due course.

asked the Paymaster-General (1)if he is aware of apprehension in South Wales that plans for replacing older steel and tin-plate works by modern works may not be implemented soon or at all; and if he will make a statement;(2)if he will make a statement about the future development and expansion of the iron, steel, and tin-plate industries in South Wales.

As the Iron and Steel Board's Development Report, 1957, shows, the Board has approved schemes which will raise steel production in South Wales by nearly 40 per cent. in the next five years. Large expansions to the modern sheet and tinplate plants in South Wales are already replacing some of the old handmill works and further schemes for replacement and expansion are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider plans for reconstructing the bridge at Braidwood, Lanark, in the interests of road safety.

Plans for the reconstruction of this bridge and the realignment of the approaches are being considered in consultation with the British Transport Commission, but I cannot say yet when the work will be carried out.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road accidents have occurred at Braidwood Bridge, Lanarkshire, since the war; and the number of persons injured, and fatally injured.

From 1st February, 1946, to date, there have been 17 accidents at or near Braidwood Bridge, in which 7 people were injured, none of them fatally.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the large breeding stock of cattle and sheep on the Isle of Rhum will remain there after the Nature Conservancy take possession of the island.

The position is that the present grazing tenant of Rhum has renounced his lease. I understand that the Nature Conservancy do not propose to make any fresh grazing arrangements for the present; but that it intends to review the matter in two or three years' time when the vegetation has been rested and re-established and its research programmes have been organised and developed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the circumstance of the road accident at Halfway House, Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, on the Glasgow-Carlisle road on 12th July; and whether he will take steps to improve the surface of the road in the interest of safety.

I understand that the full circumstances of this accident are not yet known as the police have not yet been able to interview all the persons who were injured. As the hon. Member may be aware, there was a collision between a mechanical shovel which was travelling north and overtaking two lorries, and a southbound private car. The five occupants of the car were injured, three of them seriously. I am informed that the surface of the road is considered to be in satisfactory condition.