asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which traps he has formally approved under Section 8 of the Pests Act, 1954, for use against rabbits after 31st July, 1958.

None. But I hope that it will be possible to make a statement shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to reply to the hon. Member for Arundel and Shoreham in the matter of water supplies to Mr. N. S. Liverman's Nurseries at Littlehampton, raised with him on 18th October.

A reply will be sent to my hon. Friend as soon as possible, but as I have explained to him, the case is complicated and special inquiries have been necessary on some of the points he has raised.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications for improvement grants have been received from landowners and farmers in Cumberland; and how many of these have been approved as at the last convenient date.

Up to 21st November, 460 applications for grants under the Farm Improvement Scheme had been received from landowners and farmers in Cumberland. Thirty-three had been rejected and two withdrawn. Of the remainder, 61 had been approved; 81 were ready for approval subject to the submission of satisfactory plans, specifications or tenders; and in 30 more cases a statement had been sent to the applicant of the improvements the Ministry was prepared to approve.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the type of farm building which qualifies for grant under the Farm Improvement Scheme.

Any long-term improvement to agricultural land consisting of the erection, alteration, enlargement or reconditioning of permanent farm buildings other than dwelling-houses may be eligible for grant under the Farm Improvement Scheme, subject to the conditions set out in Part II of the Agriculture Act, 1957. I am sending my hon. Friend copies of the leaflet and application form which give full details.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangement he has for notification of accidental poisoning by insecticide amongst agricultural workers and others.

The Agriculture (Poisonous Substances) Regulations, 1956, require an employer to notify one of the Ministry's inspectors if there are reasonable grounds for thinking that an employee may be suffering from poisoning from a substance specified in the Regulations or, in certain circumstances, if an employee who has been working with a specified substance is absent from work for more than three days.My Department and the Department of Agriculture for Scotland have issued advisory leaflets which describe the main symptoms of poisoning by certain substances and stress the importance of medical attention. Employers are recommended to arrange for the regular medical supervision of workers using the more poisonous substances.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amounts by which each of the sugar-producing countries who are party to the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, will benefit in 1958 as a result of the increase in the negotiated price.

The increase in sales proceeds arising from the higher negotiated price to the sugar-producing countries party to the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement is estimated to be approximately as follows in 1958:

		£
British West Indies	…	1,085,000
British Honduras	…	15,000
Australia	…	520,000
Fiji	…	210,000
Mauritius	…	580,000
South Africa	…	250,000

It is not possible to give exact figures as the price varies with the degrees of polarisation. It is also not possible to be certain that each country will export the tonnage allotted to it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is yet in a position to make a statement about potato imports.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given today to the hon. Member for Hillsborough (Mr. Darling).

asked the Minister of Supply whether it is still his policy to maintain Short and Harland's, Belfast, as a fully balanced aircraft production unit; and if he will give an assurance that there is no intention to reduce it to a dependency or agency factory by the break up of its design team.

It is the Government's wish that Short and Harland's shall continue as a fully balanced aircraft production unit and everything practicable is being done both by the firm and the Government to this end. Success, however, must depend primarily on the quality and cost of the company's work relative to that of other companies; and the Government cannot be expected to place contracts even with their own firm regardless of this consideration.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give consideration to ending the detention of mental-defective children at the Rampton Mental Hospital, in view of the harmful atmosphere to curative treatment created by the policy of detaining there adult mental-defectives of violent and dangerous criminal types and of the fact that the staff are members of the Prison Officers' Association.

Boys of dangerous or violent propensities are admitted to a special villa at Rampton when they cannot safely be kept in other mental deficiency hospitals. This is separate from the main hospital and the children do not mix with adult patients. I do not understand what appears to be some reflection on the staff in the last part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Health why all adult mental-defective patients at Rampton have to go to bed at 8 p.m. during the summer months; and, since many are high grades and in good health, if he will give consideration to extending the hour in appropriate cases.

Because of considerations arising out of staffing and security. The practicability of extending the hour in appropriate cases is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health if he will amend the Regulations with regard to linen and bedding on hospital inventories so as to save the time of senior officers and other staff spent on checking these items, as at present required by Regulations.

Bedding and linen are particularly liable to loss and the preparation and checking of inventories of these goods, in conjunction with other safeguards which I have recommended, seems to me necessary to discharge my responsibility for safe keeping of public property.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what consideration he has given to the future use of the High land Moors Hospital, Llandrindod Wells, now that it is no longer required for tuberculosis purposes;(2) whether, in considering the future use of the Highland Moors Hospital, Llandrindod Wells, which is no longer required as a tuberculosis hospital, he will bear in mind the recommendation of the Rural Development Panel of the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire on Mid-Wales Spas, Command Paper No. 53, paragraph 14, that a hostel should be established for patients requiring spa treatment.

Full consideration has been given by the Regional Hospital Board to the possibility of finding an economical future use of this property in the hospital service. It has, however, reached the conclusion that no such use can be found, and I share its view.

asked the Minister of Health how many mental and mental deficiency hospitals are affected by the ban on overtime; how many nurses are involved; and what is the reason for the ban.

Hospital			Number of trained nurses employed*		Number of trained nurses regarded as an adequate establishment†
Manchester Royal Infirmary	…	…	Whole time	162	230
			Part time	23
St. Mary's Hospital for Women and Children	…	…	Whole time	80	114
Withington Hospital	…	…	Whole time or equivalent	214	251
Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute	…	…	Whole time or equivalent	90	117
Crumpsall Hospital	…	…	Whole time or equivalent	168	207
Wythenshawe Hospital	…	…	Whole time or equivalent	83	96
Baguley Hospital	…	…	Whole time or equivalent	57	72
Manchester Ear Hospital	…	…	Whole time or equivalent	12	15

NOTES:

* The figures include both registered nurses and enrolled assistant nurses, since the establishments approved by the boards do not distinguish between the two grades.

†The establishment figures for the non-teaching hospitals are subject to review in the light of the report of a working party which was set up by the regional hospital board to consider standards of nursing staff for hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health for what reasons the Manchester Regional Hospital Board has not yet determined the amount which the South Manchester Hospital Management Committee may spend on maintenance during the current financial year.

I am informed that the H.M.C. has now been notified of the amount.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop) on 25th November. The number of hospitals affected remains unchanged and about 1,900 nurses are involved.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state, in respect of the Manchester Royal Infirmary, St. Mary's Hospital, Withington Hospital, The Christie Hospital, Crumpsall Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, Baguley Hospital, and the Ear Hospital, the number of fully qualified nurses employed, and the number regarded as being an adequate establishment in each case.

The information, in so far as it is available, is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement as to the outcome of his further investigations into the shortage of radiographers in the hospital service; and what positive steps he now proposes to take to remedy the situation.

I am aware of the shortage and I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Remnant) on 11th November. The salaries of radiographers were substantially increased and their staffing structure improved a year ago and, in order to improve recruitment, I have recently authorised hospital boards in certain circumstances to pay training grants to student radiographers.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of pharmacists; and what steps he is taking to alleviate this shortage.

I am aware that there is a shortage in the hospital service. In consultation with the Standing Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee and the Central Health Services Council, I am now considering what advice might be given about the re-organisation of pharmaceutical departments to make the best use of available manpower.

asked the Minister of Health when it is proposed to commence building the new dental hospital in Birmingham; and when the building is likely to be completed.

I am not yet able to say.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients are at present on the waiting list at the Birmingham Dental Hospital; why the waiting list for fillings was recently closed; and how long patients must at present wait before receiving treatment.

2,217. The waiting list for fillings was recently closed because of pressure on the hospital. The waiting time for treatment varies according to the department: urgent extractions may be done on the day of application, but the waiting time for conservation may be as long as nine months.

asked the Minister of Health how many places will be available for students at the Birmingham Dental Hospital in 1958; how many applications for such places have been received; and what action he is taking to ensure the training of more dentists.

In 1958 there will be 40 places available at Birmingham for students in their first year of dentistry. More than 100 applications for these places have so far been received.The University Grants Committee is at present consulting universities about additional places for dental students in the light of the Report of the McNair Committee on Recruitment to the Dental Profession.

asked the Minister of Health why the scheme designed to provide proper accommodation for outpatients at Corbetts Hospital, Stourbridge, accepted two years ago, has not been proceeded with; and if he will request the regional hospital board to expedite the matter.

The details of this large scheme are still under consideration, and certain additional information is required before authority can be given. I am in touch with the Regional Board on the matter.

asked the Minister of Health when he will introduce legislation to ensure that ophthalmic opticians and ophthalmic optical students receive more instruction from qualified medical men on the lines of the recommendations of the interdepartmental committee which reported in 1952.

The Bill for the registration of opticians introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Wembley, South (Mr. Russell) provides for a General Optical Council which, among other functions, would be responsible for settling appropriate standards of training and qualifications for opticians.

asked the Minister of Health the percentage of coal miners in North Staffordshire who avail themselves of the services of the mass radiography unit which examines the men at the pit-head; and how many cases of pulmonary tuberculosis have been detected among the men since the inception of the survey.

About 75 per cent., or 15,000, of the mineworkers in North Staffordshire were X-rayed by the Regional Hospital Board's mass miniature unit during its recent surveys. 63 were found to have active pulmonary tuberculosis.

asked the Minister of Health why the Brighton Fish Market has not been renovated to comply with the Food Hygiene Act, which requires such renovation before June, 1957; who is responsible for carrying out such renovation; and to what extent the cost of such renovation will be reflected in an increase in rent, compatible with the means of the fishermen.

The Brighton Corporation owns the fish market and is responsible for enforcing the Food Hygiene Regulations and for ensuring that its own premises comply. It has decided, I understand, that it would not be justified in spending the money necessary to reach minimum hygiene requirements. It would be for it in the first place to consider how far the cost of any renovation should affect market charges.

asked the Minister of Health what standards he has laid down for freedom from infectivity in the water of public bathing places, including rivers and the sea at coastal resorts.

A report on the purification of water used in swimming baths built and equipped for the purpose was published in 1951. No standards are—or could readily be—laid down for uncontrolled bathing places in open waters.

asked the Minister of Health what official research is in progress to establish the extent to which protozoal, bacterial and virus diseases, especially poliomyelitis, can survive in heavily-polluted sea water and can infect persons immersed in this fluid.

A committee of the Public Health Laboratory Service is making a survey of the degree of bacterial pollution of sea water on various sections of the coast of England and Wales. At the same time it is trying to find out whether any relation exists between the occurrence of enteric disease, including poliomyelitis, in England and Wales and recent bathing in heavily polluted sea water.

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements he has made for the vaccination of children up to the age of 15 years and of pregnant women against poliomyelitis.

I have asked local health authorities to make arrangements to offer vaccination to these groups before next summer and am sending the hon. Member a copy of the circular addressed to them.

asked the Minister of Health in view of the fact that the vetoed award of 3 per cent. by the Whitley Council to the health workers was regarded as an interim award pending the decision on the Report of Sir Noel Hall which was then awaited, and that that Report has been published, what steps are now being taken to remove the existing stalemate in this industry by giving effect to both awards simultaneously.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he is aware that a male clerical worker in the National Health Service on a maximum salary grade of£440 per annum in 1948 is only in receipt of£597 per annum in 1957, whereas a civil servant clerical worker in receipt of£450 per annum in 1948 is now receiving£725 per annum; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that National Health Service workers receive an increase of 61 per cent. in their salaries similarly to civil servants, in place of the 35½per cent. already received, in view of the publication of Sir Noel Hall's Report;(2) whether he is aware that a higher executive who was receiving£800 per annum in 1948 has had this salary increased by 601 per cent. to£1,285 per annum, whereas an equivalent graded worker in the National Health Service on£760 per annum in 1948 has only had his salary increased by 29½per cent. to£983 per annum; and what action he proposes to take to increase the salaries of these higher executives by 31 per cent., in view of the publication of Sir Noel Hall's Report;(3) whether he is aware that an executive grade worker in the Civil Service in 1948 received£650 per annum, and that this rate has been increased by 61½per cent. to£1,050 per annum, whereas the equivalent grade in the National Health Service of£660 per annum in 1948 has only been increased by 30½per cent. to£862 per annum in 1957; and what action he proposes to take to grant a further 31½per cent. increase in the salaries of these workers in the National Health Service, in view of the publication of Sir Noel Hall's Report.

I am aware that the salary scale maxima referred to have been increased as stated, although the grades concerned are not related. In 1948 the Civil Service grades received in addition regular overtime pay and extra duty allowance, which have now been abolished while these payments continue to some extent in the National Health Service. The adjustment made in Civil Service earnings reduces the percentage increase from about 61 per cent. to 49 per cent. I have undertaken to review my decision on the recent Whitley Council agreement—which is not correctly described as a veto—after an appropriate interval. On Sir Noel Hall's Report, I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave on 18th November to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop).

asked the Minister of Health how many general practitioners are now engaged solely in private practice; and what would be the additional cost if those doctors registered for the treatment of National Health Service patients.

The number of general practitioners engaged solely in private practice is not known precisely but is believed to be about 600 in England and Wales. I fear it is not possible to make any exact estimate of the additional cost to the Exchequer in the hypothetical event of all these doctors joining the National Health Service.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to receive the Report of the Commission on Doctors' and Dentists' Salaries.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South (Mrs. L. Jeger) on 11th November.

asked the Minister of Health if he will report the progress being made in the post-operative investigation of leucotomy cases which his predecessor, in an Answer on 5th December, 1955, stated was already started by his Department.

A great deal of information has been collected and is now being analysed.

asked the Minister of Health the number of deaths that have occurred from accidental poisoning due to insecticide used in agriculture over the past 10 years, on the basis of the information supplied for the returns of the Registrar General.

Accidental deaths by poisoning are classified by the Registrar General according to the poisonous substance causing death and no information from that source is available to distinguish deaths due to poisoning by insecticides in particular.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he has received from the Russian authorities concerning his claim for compensation for the gear of fishing vessels damaged in incidents during the summer months.

Sixteen claims arising out of these incidents were presented to the Soviet authorities on 15th July. On 14th October, the Soviet authorities replied that they accepted liability in one of these cases and that three of them could not be investigated as the Soviet vessels allegedly involved were not identified. The remaining cases were stated to be under investigation.The separate claim made by the owners of the "Bilsdean" was rejected by the Soviet authorities in July on the grounds that no Soviet vessels were in the area concerned at the time of the incident. This reply has been passed on to the owners of the "Bilsdean".

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what discussions he had during the recent conversations in France with the French Foreign Minister on the Anglo-American delivery of arms to Tunisia.

I have nothing to add to the reply my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member on 28th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will arrange for Britain to make an extra contribution to the special£3,500,000 programme for refugees proposed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Yes. The United Kingdom representative informed the United Nations General Assembly's Third Committee on 4th November that Her Majesty's Government proposed, subject to Parliamentary approval, to make a special contribution of£100,000 to the United Nations Refugee Fund (U.N.R.E.F.), payable in 1959.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will arrange for National Insurance contributions now paid at full rate by students employed part-time to be adjusted according to the number of days worked.

I think all part-time workers should be dealt with on the same basis. I hope shortly to lay regulations to increase to 8 hours for part-time workers the present 4-hour period of work which in any one week involves the payment of contributions as an employed person.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the latest available figures of persons receiving National Assistance in the division of Chester-le-Street, as compared with the figures covering the relative period for 1956.

The National Assistance Board informs me that the precise information asked for is not available, but that the number of National Assistance grants issued from its Chesterle-Street area office, which serves the Parliamentary division apart from the urban district of Washington, was 2,910 on 29th October, 1957, compared with 2,923 on 30th October, 1956.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in connection with the forthcoming changes of rates in National Insurance benefits, increases will be made in the benefits of hospital in-patients.

Yes. I have now signed the National Insurance (Increase of Benefit and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations under which beneficiaries in hospital will receive appropriate increases. Thus, a beneficiary with a dependent wife who has remained in hospital for 8 weeks and who now receives 57s. 6d. a week, will have this increased to 70s.; similarly a beneficiary without a dependant who now receives 25s. a week after 8 weeks in hospital will get 30s. a week; and the minimum rate of 7s. 6d. payable to those who have been in hospital for at least a year will be increased to 10s. a week.

asked the Paymaster-General how many directions of a general character and in the national interest have been issued to the Gas Council.

None.

asked the Paymaster-General what estimate he has made of the fuel saving which would result if old and inefficient gas and electric heating appliances in domestic premises were replaced by up-to-date appliances such as heaters working on the convector principle.

In the case of gas fires, a saving of up to one-third for the same amount of useful heat. I have no information about the number of inefficient gas heaters installed or the extent to which they are used. There would be no saving in the case of electric fires since these are 100 per cent. efficient.

asked the Minister of Defence the names of those invited, under the chairmanship of Sir James Grigg, to serve on a Committee seeking to establish the reasons which affect the willingness of men and women to join the Regular forces; what are the terms of reference; whether the Committee's report will be published; and when it is expected that the Committee will report.

The terms of reference of the Committee on Service recruiting are:

"To examine the factors bearing on the willingness of men and women to serve in the Armed Forces, and to make recommendations."

The membership of the Committee is as follows: Sir James Grigg, Mr. Desmond Bonham-Carter, Mr. Hugh Cudlipp, Mr. Alexander Howard, Sir Philip Morris, Mr. Robert Openshaw, and Dame Felicity Peake.I cannot say how long it will take the Committee to prepare its report, which will, of course, be published.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is yet in a, position to announce any measures to remedy anomalies and grievances relating to allowances for the Armed Forces.

As my hon. Friend is aware, the Government are studying the whole problem of pay and conditions of service for the Armed Forces. In the meantime, they have decided to remove certain anomalies and grievances.Many married personnel serving in Aden, the Persian Gulf and Habbaniya are unable to have their families with them owing to the shortage of married quarters or other suitable accommodation. It has now been decided to grant them leave to the United Kingdom at public expense once during a tour of duty of at least two years, as is already done for personnel in Cyprus and Kenya.Disturbance allowance is payable once during each posting to cover some of the incidental expenses incurred in moving a family. Since it is sometimes necessary for families to move more than once during a posting this allowance will henceforth be paid as often as a family is required to move for Service reasons.Three free travel warrants are allowed annually to all Service personnel in the United Kingdom but their use is, at present, restricted to periods of long leave. It would frequently be more convenient for these warrants to be used at other times and the present restriction is accordingly being removed.A widower with one child normally draws only half the normal rate of marriage allowance. The full rate will in future be paid.Under present regulations, married personnel serving in Her Majesty's ships, but living temporarily with their families while in port, are not entitled to draw ration allowances or to obtain a refund of daily travelling expenses, unless their ship is at more than 48 hours' notice for steam. These allowances will now be paid whenever night leave is given for four consecutive nights.Married unaccompanied personnel on temporary duty overseas are not now entitled to draw more than the single rate of local overseas allowance until after 61 days, unless it is known, at the outset, that the tour of temporary duty will exceed that period. This qualifying period will now be abolished and Local Overseas Allowance at the married unaccompanied rate will be paid from the start.Rations for married personnel in Germany are at present supplied through the Royal Army Service Corps and ration allowance is calculated on that basis. This restricts freedom in buying food and is unpopular. This system will be changed as soon as possible, and the rates of ration allowance and Local Overseas Allowance will be revised.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what standards exist limiting the bacterial or virus content of sewage effluents discharged into rivers or the sea.

None; and sewage effluent is constantly flowing with such variations in volume and character that I am very doubtful whether standards are practicable. I am keeping in touch with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health on this whole subject.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures showing the Income Tax benefits that have been received by Surtax-payers since October, 1951, and the Income Tax benefits received by the wage and salary earner in receipt of£2,000,£3,000,£4,000,£5,000 and£6,000 per annum for the same period.

The difference between the amounts actually paid by way of Income Tax and Surtax since October, 1951, by persons liable to Surtax and the amounts which they would have been liable so to pay if the 1951–52 rates had remained in force is not known.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in 1955 and 1956 fines were imposed without time to pay being given under the Money Payment Act, 1935, and in how many of such cases the person concerned was sent to prison.

I regret that the number of persons not given time to pay fines is not available. The number of persons received in prison for nonpayment of fines who had not been given time to pay was 2,537 in 1955 and 2,426 in 1956. These figures represent respectively 55 per cent. and 51 per cent. of the total number received in prison for nonpayment of fines in each of those years.

asked the Postmaster-General when subscribers on the Sloane Exchange will be able to dial direct to exchanges in the outer London area.

From 1st January, 1958.

asked the Postmaster-General what number of persons are on the waiting list for telephones in the Borough of Twickenham now, as compared with 1st November, 1957.

On the 30th November the figure was 1,786, as compared with 1,809 at the beginning of the month.

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the newly defined local areas are not fully equipped with automatic dialling telephones.

There are 1,200 manual exchanges distributed throughout the country and each of the newly defined local call areas includes one or more of them. None can therefore be said to be fully equipped with automatic dialling telephones. In the country as a whole 80 per cent. of the exchanges are automatic.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fatal and non-fatal accidents, respectively, have occurred since the end of the war at Cander Bridge, Stonehouse, Lanarkshire; and whether he is satisfied with the road safety provisions there.

Between 1st January, 1946, and 26th November, 1957, there have been one fatal accident and two collisions not involving injury at this bridge.The bridge is on a classified road for which Lanarkshire County Council is highway authority. I understand that adequate advance warning signs are provided on the approaches to the bridge and that reflector posts have recently been erected.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new dwellings have been built by the East Kilbride Development Corporation each year since the Corporation was appointed.

Following are the figures for the financial years up to 31st March, 1957:

				Number of houses completed each year
1948–49	…	…	…	Nil
1949–50	…	…	…	68
1950–51	…	…	…	180
1951–52	…	…	…	95
1952–53	…	…	…	58
1953–54	…	…	…	1,008
1954–55	…	…	…	1,011
1955–56	…	…	…	1,006
1956–57	…	…	…	739

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what staff vacancies exist at Law Hospital; and how long they have remained unfilled.

There are five vacancies for junior medical staff, one of two years' and the others of four months' standing. There has been a long-standing shortage of nurses with vacancies in most grades.