asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will arrange for the Medical Appeal Tribunal to reconsider the claim for disablement benefit made by Mr. George Taylor of 47, Rough Hay Road, Darlaston, Staffordshire.

As was explained to the hon. Member by the Joint Parliamentary Secretary on 29th July, I have no power to interfere with the operation of Medical Appeal Tribunals. As was pointed out to the hon. Member, it is open to Mr. Taylor to make an application to the determining authority for a review of the decision on any of the grounds laid down in the Act.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will take some action to improve the position of the 10s. widow.

Following a careful review of the position of these widows a number of them were given additional benefits under the Family Allowances and National Insurance Act, 1956, and I do not think there would be any justification for reopening this matter.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when he proposes to increase the retirement pension and bring it up to date with the cost of living.

As soon as possible after the Bill now before Parliament is law.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when he proposes to make an announcement regarding an increase in pension to the war disabled.

I refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the statement which I made in the House on 6th November, the detailed particulars of which appear in HANSARD at columns 165 and 166.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of tenant occupiers in Liverpool who have received increased rent allowances since the inception of the Rent Act; and if he will state the total weekly increase now being paid.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind increases in assistance grants. Up to 26th October, 1957, the National Assistance Board's Offices in Liverpool had increased about 5,600 weekly assistance grants to provide for rent increases under the Rent Act. The increased assistance averaged about 6s. a week but as some of the recipients of such grants will have ceased to require assistance since these increases were granted, the figure asked for in the latter part of the question is not known.

asked the Pay master-General the tonnage of colliery stocks of small coal during October this year, on the basis of figures supplied to him for use in his Statistical Digest.

About 6½ million tons including unscreened and inferior coal.

asked the Pay master-General if he has yet decided upon the appointed day when the use of in flammable belting in coal mines shall be prohibited.

My noble Friend is not yet in a position to fix the appointed day. He is, however, satisfied that, despite the absence of compulsion, fire resistant belting is being installed as rapidly as possible wherever conditions permit.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is in consultation, or will enter into consultation, with agricultural organisations in Caernarvonshire on the special difficulties and anxieties of sheep farmers affected by the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the county, particularly the problem of cynefin.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the acclimatisation problem to which the hon. Member refers and I understand it has been taken into account for the purposes of valuation. My right hon. Friend does not think any useful purpose would be served at this stage by consulting agricultural organisations, since there is a well-established procedure for appeals against valuations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state how many individual farmers have so far suffered losses from the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Caernarvonshire, the number of animals which have so far been slaughtered as a result of the outbreak, and the basis on which compensation is paid.

Some 420 producers have been involved in the outbreak and almost 7,000 animals have been slaughtered so far. Compensation is based on the market value of the animals as arrived at by a professional valuer who is normally familiar with local conditions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his attention has been drawn to the alarming increase in the rabbit population in Kent; and if he has any proposals for dealing with the situation.

My right hon. Friend is aware that there has been an increase in the numbers of rabbits in many areas, including Kent. Where occupiers are failing to comply with their responsibility to deal with rabbits on their land, C.A.E.Cs. are taking action. My right hon. Friend is considering, in consultation with the various interests concerned, whether any further steps can be taken to assist occupiers to carry out their responsibilities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will favourably consider the adoption of the progeny testing method for taking the length measurement in connection with the grading of bacon pigs.

My right hon. Friend will certainly consider at the next Annual Review the possibility of using the same points of length measurement for grading bacon pigs as are used by the National Pig Progency Testing Board. He is most anxious that there should be uniformity, but since the present length measurement is taken into account in paying premiums for quality, no change can be made before the next fatstock year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of the 11,548 producers registered with the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board in 1950 were entitled to vote on the initial poll to determine whether the Scheme should come into force; how many of them voted; whether this number was sufficient to satisfy the requirement that not less than half of those entitled to vote did so; and whether the number voting in favour of the Scheme amounted to the minimum requirement that one-third of those entitled to vote should be in favour as laid down in the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1931.

As my right hon. Friend explained in reply to Questions by my hon. Friend on 28th February, 1957, he has been informed by the Board that, out of the total of 11,548 producers who registered with the Board in 1950, 8,582 producers were entitled to vote at the initial poll. The number of registered producers who voted at the poll was 5,433. Of these, 4,685 representing 88 per cent. of the productive capacity of those voting, voted in favour of the Scheme. This was greater than the two-thirds majority of those voting that is required by statute. There is no such minimum requirement in the Marketing Acts as that mentioned in the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the present number of dogs and other animals compulsorily accommodated in quarantine kennels at the present time; how often these establishments are subject to veterinary inspection; and what arrangements have been made to ensure that the animals are properly fed and humanely treated.

913 dogs and 95 cats are at present in approved quarantine kennels in Great Britain. These kennels are under the control of fully qualified veterinary surgeons who are responsible for the care of the animals. There are arrangements for the inspection of these premises by the Ministry's veterinary officers at least every three months and by the police at least once a month.My right hon. Friend has no reason to think that dogs and cats in quarantine kennels are not properly fed and humanely treated.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many estate owners have been served with supervision orders by county executive committees since February, 1956; how many of these cases were finally recommended for dispossession; how many were dispossessed; and if he will give similar figures for tenant farmers for the same period.

Since February, 1956, estate management supervision orders have been served on 8 owners, and husbandry supervision orders on 23 occupiers. None of these has been recommended for dispossession.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further reports he has received of unnecessary cruelty in the transport of cattle.

My right hon. Friend has received no reports recently of specific cases of cruelty in the transport of cattle.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Lord President of the Council, to what extent, and where, research into the causes and the possibility of early detection of foot-and-mouth disease is conducted by his Department.

Research on the virus which causes foot-and-mouth disease is being carried on at the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Institute at Pirbright, Surrey. This is a large institute which has been considerably expanded recently and now employs twenty-three scientists working on many different aspects of the problem of this disease.The Institute is a recognised world centre for the examination of material from suspected outbreaks and for the rapid confirmation of the existence or otherwise of the disease. Methods are now available for rapid diagnosis and confirmation of the type.

asked the Minister of Supply why he considers it still too early to state when the English Electric P.I.B. fighters will be ready for entry into squadron service.

I have been asked to reply. The first of the development batch aircraft is expected to make its first flight very soon, and there will follow an extensive programme of flight trials. At this stage in the development it would be premature to state the date by which the aircraft will come into squadron service.

asked the Minister of Supply how many aircraft and engine projects were cancelled by his Department as a result of the cuts announced in Command Paper No. 124; how many scientific and technical officers were previously employed in his Department on work connected with these projects; and how many of those officers have been transferred to other work within his Department, transferred to other Departments, and released to industry, respectively.

I have been asked to reply. Three aircraft projects and one engine project have been cancelled as a result of the cuts announced in Command Paper No. 124, and in addition work on other engine development related specifically to these aircraft has been stopped. Most of the scientific and technical officers in the Ministry of Supply who were working on these projects were also engaged on other work. However, since Command Paper No. 124 was issued, there has been a reduction of 84 in the numbers of scientists and technicians employed on air research at headquarters and in the Air Research Establishments of the Ministry of Supply. Of these, 43 have been released to industry, 8 have been transferred to other Government Departments and the remainder covers resignations, retirements and deaths.

asked the Minister of Supply what reductions of staff have taken place in his Department since the Defence White Paper was published; and what is the total number employed at the latest convenient date compared with this time last year.

I have been asked to reply. In the period of six months since the Defence White Paper was published, the number of civilians employed by the Ministry of Supply has been reduced by 7,237. The number at 1st October, 1957, was 89,595, which was 12,292 less than the comparable figure a year earlier.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to ensure that medical officers of health are treated for salary increases in the same way as general practitioners.

Responsibility for considering the salaries of medical officers of health rests with Committee C of the Medical Whitley Council for the Health Services (Great Britain).

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the need to arrange for emergency dental treatment in Dagenham; and what steps he is taking to establish this.

I am aware of correspondence between the borough council and the Essex Executive Council about this. There seems to be some misunderstanding locally and I am in touch with both these authorities.

asked the Minister of Health the estimated annual cost of the administration of the Merit Award Scheme, and the amounts paid annually from public funds to the chairman and other members of the committee concerned.

£4,600, including £2,100 paid to the chairman of the committee; £400 to the vice-chairman and £30 to those members who have retired from practice.

asked the Minister of Health, when he expects to receive the Report of the Royal Commission on doctors' pay.

The date cannot be forecast yet.

asked the Minister of Health the factors taken into consideration by executive councils in choosing candidates for the filling of general practice vacancies.

It would not be possible to give an exhaustive list of all the factors taken into consideration. The decision must turn on the suitability of each candidate in comparison with others for the particular vacancy.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the reasons for his veto of the salaries award made to employees of the Health Service by the Whitley Council; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to what I said in the House on 6th November.

asked the Minister of Health the total annual amount involved to the Treasury in the recent three per cent. Joint Industrial Council award to the health workers.

The estimated cost of the agreement would have been £604,000 in a full year.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent the hospital service was short of radiographers in 1955, 1956 and 1957.

At 31st December, 1956, there was an estimated deficiency of 523 whole-time radiographers in England and Wales—i.e. 14·8 per cent. of establishment. The corresponding figure at 30th June, 1957, was 563—i.e. 15·7 per cent. of establishment. The actual numbers employed fell by only 3 during this period. Comparable figures for 1955 are not available.

asked the Minister of Health when he intends to publish the Report of Sir Noel Hall on the administrative structure of the hospital service.

In about a fortnight.

asked the Minister of Health at how many hospitals members of the staff wear similar uniforms to those of prison warders; and what are the names of the hospitals where this applies.

The provision of uniforms for members of hospital staffs is a matter left to the individual employing authority, and no return is made to me in the matter.

asked the Minister of Health what action has been taken to make voluntary care available for mental defectives in suitable cases; and why the practice of voluntary care in long stay cases that once operated has been discarded in recent years.

The legal position has not been free from doubt, but the practical implications of the Royal Commission's recommendations on this subject are at present being discussed with the hospital authorities and local authority associations.

asked the Minister of Health at how many hospitals members of the staff are also members of the Prison Officers Association; and if he will give a list of hospitals where this applies.

Members of the staff at the three State Institutions are represented by the Prison Officers Association, but I have no information whether staff at other hospitals are members of that Association.

asked the Minister of Health why it is taking so long to supply the information asked for by the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford in respect of the cases of two mental patients, Mr. G. G. Allgood and Mr. A. J. Conolly.

Replies were sent to the hon. Member about these cases on 31st October.

asked the Minister of Health what decision has been reached in respect of the consideration given to the censoring of mental patients' letters.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a circular sent to medical superintendents on 30th July last.

asked the Minister of Health why Members of Parliament are not included in the list of persons to whom mental patients are allowed to write; and if consideration will be given to their inclusion.

Section 41 (1) of the Lunacy Act, 1890, and Regulation 44 of the Mental Deficiency Regulations, 1948, which deal with the correspondence of patients, do not mention Members of Parliament among the list of persons and bodies to whom letters written by patients must be forwarded unopened. The question of including Members of Parliament in such a list is under consideration in connection with new mental health legislation.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients have escaped from the Rampton Mental Hospital since 1st October, 1957; how many have been recaptured; and what are the names of those still at large.

Two. Both were returned to the hospital the morning after escape.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that many patients at Rampton rarely have visitors because, with the considerable distances to be covered and the high cost of travel despite the reduced fares for such purposes, it is beyond those in poor circumstances: and if he will consider introducing a better method so that near relatives will not be prevented from visiting patients, in view of the importance of such visits to patients.

In addition to the arrangements for reduced fares, assistance may be obtained from the National Assistance Board in special cases.

asked the Minister of Health on what date the ban was imposed on relatives visiting patients at Rampton Mental Hospital; why the ban was imposed; and when it is likely to be lifted.

On 23rd September because of the influenza epidemic. The ban was lifted on 4th November.

asked the Minister of Health at what time in the summer months adult patients at the Rampton Mental Hospital are required to go to bed.

At 8 p.m.

asked the Minister of Health how many hospitals have banned visitors because of the influenza epidemic; and if he will give the names of the hospitals where this has taken place.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he can now say how many of the 40,000 doctors involved in the Medical Research Council's smoking survey have ceased to smoke since the findings which were revealed in June, 1957.

An investigation is at present taking place to obtain information on the current smoking habits of the doctors included in the Medical Research Council survey originally undertaken in 1951, but the results are not yet available.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the effects of radio-activity in the Cumberland area.

I have been asked to reply. I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the recent accident at Wind-scale. The effects of the accident on the surrounding area are fully set out in the White Paper laid on 8th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what existing diplomatic contact there is with Albania; and what steps he contemplates to establish a formal diplomatic relationship with that country.

None. British interests in Albania are looked after by the French Legation there. Her Majesty's Government are not at present contemplating any steps to establish diplomatic relations with Albania.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what conclusions have been reached by Her Majesty's Government regarding the future of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency operating among Arab refugees in Jordan and Gaza.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency is, by resolution of the General Assembly, to continue in being until 1960. It is too early for Her Majesty's Government to reach conclusions on what should happen to it after that date, and its future is in any case a matter for the General Assembly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is being done to increase the number and scope of radio broadcasts to South America by direct transmission and by extending transcription services.

There is to be no increase in the number and scope of radio broadcasts to South America by direct transmission.The British Broadcasting Corporation are in future to spend annually an additional £50,000 on increasing their transcription services to all areas served by their external broadcasts; and they are at present preparing detailed proposals for using this sum. A proportion of it will be used for transcriptions intended for Latin America.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will give figures showing the extent to which Scottish barley sales are influenced by the demand of Scottish distillers for Scotch barley; and what steps he proposes to take to stimulate this demand in the interest of barley producers.

Production from the Scottish barley crop of 1956 amounted to 268,000 tons, of which 65,000 tons were sold to Scottish distillers.In a free market there is no action that my right hon. Friend can take to compel the use of Scottish barley for distilling; but the National Farmers Union of Scotland initiated discussions with the Scotch Whisky Association last September and it is hoped the results will be helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date he approved the appointment of Mr. M. A. L. Cripps, D.S.O., to act as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board.

Mr. Cripps was approved on 20th December, 1956, by the then Secretary of State, for appointment by the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Board.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total number of new students enrolled at the central institutions this session; and what were the corresponding figures in each of the preceding three sessions.

The numbers of full-time students enrolled for the first time were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will pay for the widening or improving of existing roads to make a route no less suitable than the road through Aldergrove airfield, which is now closed for general use; or if he will only pay for the creation of a new road.

The Air Ministry would meet the cost of a new road or of adapting existing roads to the standard of the road now closed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the evidence submitted to him by the hon. Member for Brigg concerning the conditions to which monkeys imported in connection with prophylaxis against poliomyelitis have been subjected, he will call an international conference with a view to providing all such animals with protection against unnecessary cruelty.

The evidence supplied by the hon. Member consisted of a report in a French newspaper relating to monkeys at Berlin airport en route from India to Russia. I do not consider that this calls for action by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made in the preparation of a special cost-of- living index for pensioners.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Wembley, North (Wing-Commander Bullus) on 13th March, 1956, which explains fully the reason for not having more than one official Index of Retail Prices. As then promised, full details of the expenditure of certain groups of pensioners have been included in the recently published Report of the inquiry into household expenditure.

asked the Minister of Labour how many times in the last two years arbitration awards have been rejected by employers, trade unions, officially, trade unions, unofficially, and the Government, respectively.

I have no information of any rejections of awards given through statutory arbitration machinery in the last two years. The National Union of Railwaymen rejected the majority finding of the Railway Staff National Tribunal of 19th March, 1957, but no other instances have come to my notice.

asked the Attorney-General, in view of the criticism of the qualifications of medical members serving on pensions appeal tribunals, what action is being taken to implement the recommendation by the Franks Committee that each tribunal should include a practitioner with recent clinical, as distinct from administrative, experience, and that as far as possible that experience should be directly related to the type of disability before the tribunal.

My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor has this matter under consideration.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make available cheap tobacco concessions to elderly people who are of retirement age but not in receipt of a retirement pension.

It would not be practicable to extend the tobacco token scheme in this way. But it is recognised that the scheme is open to criticism as unfair between pensioner and pensioner and, as the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance announced on Wednesday, 6th November, the Government therefore propose to end it when the proposed increases in pension come into force. Legislation for this purpose is now before the House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) the total number of new students enrolled at the universities and university colleges this session; and what were the corresponding figures in each of the preceding three sessions;(2) the total number of new students enrolled at the Scottish universities this session; and what were the corresponding figures in each of the preceding three sessions.

The numbers of new students enrolled this session will be available in about three weeks' time. I will send the hon. Member the information for which he asks.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when sanction will be granted for the widening of road A338 at Hungerford Newtown, so as to provide greater safety for the traffic passing through the village and more width for pedestrians and cyclists at that spot.

I cannot say at present, but I will bear the scheme in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many accidents, fatal and non-fatal, respectively, have been recorded up to the latest convenient date in places where parking without lights after dark is permitted when street lighting is on in the Metropolitan police district and in the rest of England and Wales, respectively.

Separate figures are not available of accidents occurring in places where parking without lights after dark is permitted, but the Metropolitan Police, in whose area parking without lights after dark is permitted in most places, state that a study of the day and night time casualty figures for 1956 revealed no evidence that the concession has had an adverse effect on casualties.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the increased postal charges will fall heavily on those people who play chess by post; and whether he will consider making a concession in such cases by allowing them to pay the printed paper rate.

The increased charges fall no more heavily on postal chess players than on many other users of the post, and I am sorry I cannot make a special concession in their favour.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the fact that, before his recent increase in charges, a franked envelope bearing an embossed 2½d. stamp cost 3d., or ½d. for the cost of the envelope, and that the cost of an embossed envelope is now not 3½d. but 4d., why he has permitted a 100 per cent. increase in the cost of an envelope.

Although the charge for a single envelope is 1d. plus postage, they can be bought in packets of 8 at a cost of ¾d. per envelope plus postage. i.e., at 2s. 6d. a packet. The increase in price is necessary to meet rising costs.