asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a public health inspector died recently of polio encephalitis after having been refused vaccination against this disease; and if he will place amongst the priorities for anti-polio vaccination doctors, nurses and public health officials whose work brings them into contact with polio cases.

I am aware of the case.Advice on priorities for vaccination is given by a committee set up by the Central and Scottish Health Services Councils. Vaccination is already available to hospital staff treating poliomyelitis cases in the infectious stage and will shortly be offered to general medical practitioners and to ambulance staff. Public health inspectors are not at present included, but the extension of the priority arrangements to new groups is kept under frequent review.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to encourage recruitment into the nursing profession.

Recruitment into the nursing profession is being continuously stimulated in a variety of ways, notably by the provision of careers talks in schools, by providing facilities for feature writers for the Press, radio and television, by the use of mobile nursing exhibitions, by local recruitment campaigns, and by the use of posters, leaflets and other publicity material. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service maintains a nursing appointments service in a large number of employment exchanges throughout the country for the guidance of nurses seeking employment and of persons wishing to train as nurses.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Soviet Government officially claim to have found a complete cure for malaria, consisting, in part, of the use of a new preparation, Khinocide, used in conjunction with biogoumal or akrikhin; and whether he will seek information on this subject from the Soviet Government and arrange, if necessary, imports of khinocide so as to make this remedy available to malaria sufferers in Great Britain.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is "No." I am advised that the remedies available here are highly effective in treatment of cases in this country but I will certainly make inquiries about the first drug referred to by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Health on what date the award to Health Service employees above £1,200 will be come operative.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to administrative and clerical staff. The answer is 1st October, 1957.

asked the Minister of Health his estimate of the yearly cost of the 3 per cent. increase recently unanimously agreed by the Whitley Council to administrative and clerical workers, hospital staffs, consent to which he refused.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 11th November.The House will recall that I made it clear in debate on 6th November that the Departmental representatives on the Management Side opposed the offer.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that over 4,000 people of 75 years of age and over met their death from falls last year; and if he will state the cause of these falls in the institutions under his care, and the number thereof.

I am aware that of the 3,798 deaths of this nature in England and Wales in 1956, 761 occurred in institutions of all kinds, but I have no detailed information as to the causes or numbers of those occurring in hospitals in the National Health Service.

asked the Minister of Health the composition of the Joint Consultants Committee; and, in particular, how far it includes any representatives of full-time consultants in hospital practice, of hospital registrars, or senior hospital medical officers.

The Committee represents the Royal Colleges, the Scottish Royal Corporations and the British Medical Association. Its composition is a matter for these bodies and not one for which I have any responsibility.

asked the Minister of Health the average cost of each prescription dispensed in the National Health Service as at the latest available date; and how this compares with the cost 12 months previously.

Approximately, 5s. 8d. in September, 1957, as compared with 5s. 0d. in September, 1956.

asked the Minister of Health why comprehensive figures of the number of persons employed in the clerical and administrative staffs of the National Health Service are not available between 1948 and 1951.

Comprehensive returns of the staff of Executive Councils were not obtained during that period.

asked the Minister of Health how far it is essential for its efficiency that Salk Vaccine should be kept within a 3° and 7° centigrade range of temperatures until one hour of its use; and to what extent the same applies to the British vaccine.

I am advised that both British and Salk poliomyelitis vaccines should be stored at a temperature of between 2° and 10° centigrade and that while limited exposure to higher temperatures is not harmful, temperatures over 20° C should be avoided, as also should freezing. These conditions should be maintained to eliminate any risk of loss of potency.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the financial difficulties of doctors in the National Health Service who have to advance a trainee's monthly salary, for which they are reimbursed quarterly in arrear; and whether he will ask executive councils to make these refunds monthly in future.

No case of difficulty has come to my notice. Arrangements have recently been made for doctors to receive the main part of their remuneration monthly if they wish, and this should help to relieve any difficulties that may have arisen in the past.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in obtaining the views of the authorities and associations on the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Mental Illness and Mental Deficiency; and what improvements he proposes to make where this can be done by administrative action.

I cannot at present add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 11th November.

asked the Minister of Health what consideration has been given to the production of lighter and more effective hearing aids than the present issue; what are the future prospects in this connection; what is the present stock of Medresco aids; and what further supplies of the present types have been ordered.

Field trials of a transistor aid were held earlier this year and improvements of the prototype model have since been made. This aid will be issued in the first place to children, and a first contract has been signed. Approximately 570,000 Medresco valve aids have been issued to new patients in England and Wales and the number of serviceable aids in stock is approximately 86,000. About 50,000 aids of present types have still to be delivered on orders already placed.

asked the Minister of Health how many student mental nurses are required in order to obtain the proper care of the mentally sick.

The proper care of the mentally sick depends on an adequate nursing staff of all grades, and cannot be

NEWCASTLE REGIONAL HOSPITAL BOARD
MEDICAL STAFF IN MENTAL AND MENTAL DEFICIENCY HOSPITALS
Hospital	Present Approved Establishment					Strength
	Cons.	SHMOS.	(Juniors)			Cons.	SHMOS.	(Juniors)
			SR.	Reg.	Others			SR.	Reg.	Others
*Cherry Knowle	3	2	—	1	2	3	2	—	1	2
*Garlands	3	1	—	—	2	3	1	—	—	2
*Dovenby Hall	—	1	—	—	1	—	1	—	—	1
Winterton	6	2	—	1	1	5	3	—	1	—
St. Mary's	2	2	—	1	2	2	2	—	—	—
*Northgate and District	1	1	—	—	1	1	1	—	—	1
*Prudhoe and Monkton	1	1	1	—		1	1	1	—	—
St. Nicholas	3	3	1	2	2	3	3	1	2	—
*St. George's	4	1	1	1	2	4	1	1	1	2
St. Luke's	3	2	1	1	1	2	2	1	1	2
*Aycliffe	1	1	—	—	1	1	1	—	—	1
The hospitals which have their approved establishment of medical staff are marked*.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the ruling of the Lord Chief Justice in the case of Regina v. Head, in which he defines a moral defective under the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, and, in view of the comments of the Lord Chief Justice on the possibility of other unlawful detentions, what action it is proposed to take to review the cases of all those detained under Section 1 (d) of this Act relating to moral defect with

asked the Minister of Health what mental hospitals in the North-Eastern Regional Board Area have reached their establishment of medical stall; what mental hospitals within the area have not reached their establishment; and if he will give the figures for each hospital separately.

Following is the information:a view to discharging as soon as possible those who are unlawfully detained.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 11th November to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Dr. D. Johnson).

asked the Minister of Health how many patients in mental institutions, at the latest convenient date, are held as certified mental defectives on the ground of being found neglected when they were at the time already in the care of the local authorities or of an approved charitable organisation; and in what circumstances persons are so certified.

On 1st December, 1957, 4,455 mental defectives were detained in Mental Deficiency hospitals in the circumstances mentioned. They were sent to these hospitals in pursuance of Orders made by Judicial Authorities in accordance with Section 6 of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913.

asked the Minister of Health how long Mr. J. J. Allgood, a patient, has been at the Darenth Park Mental Hospital, Dartford; where he was

IMPROVEMENTS DURING LAST TWO YEARS IN OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENTS IN GENERAL HOSPITALS IN DURHAM COUNTY
APPROXIMATE BUILDING COSTS (INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL FEES AND EXCLUDING FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT)
Name of Hospital	Scheme	Cost
		£
Sunderland Royal Infirmary	Improvement to casualty and out-patient department	41,000
Sunderland General Hospital	Erection of new dental out-patient department	16,500
Havelock Hospital, Sunderland	Conversion of part of ward 1 into dental clinic	4,220
West Hartlepool General Hospital	Adaptations to provide casualty and out-patient department	950
Chester-le-Street General Hospital	Conversion of part of administrative block into consultative out-patient department	725
Dryburn Hospital	Alterations to provide out-patient facilities and electro-encephalography	1,900
Darlington Memorial Hospital	Provision of plaster and X-ray rooms for out-patient department	3,500

asked the Minister of Health the financial allocations to the South-West Regional Hospital Board for the current financial year; and what allocations are proposed for the financial year 1958–59.

The allocations for capital purposes are £964,000 for 1957–58 and £879,090 for 1958–59. The Board's revised estimate of revenue expenditure in 1957–58 is £20,445,000, but the sum which can be made available in 1958–59 for revenue purposes has not yet been settled.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in

I have written to the hon. Member about the details of this case.

asked the Minister of Health what improvements have been made within the last two years in the out-patients departments in the general hospital service in Durham County; and what was the cost of such improvements.

Following is the list:the completion of plans for the proposed Cornwall area hospital.

Revised sketch plans have recently been discussed with officers of the Regional Hospital Board and the consulting architect. Following this discussion I understand that the architect has now produced a new plan for a first phase of the new hospital, and that this plan is being considered by the Board.

asked the Minister of Health (1) the nature of structural defects existing at the Manchester Royal Infirmary; when these defects were first discovered; how many wards have been closed; and what services have been curtailed in consequence:

The structural defects consist of roof and wall movement and corrosion of steel joists in the buildings opened in 1908. Signs of the defects were first discovered in 1928, but became more marked in 1954. Two medical wards have been closed resulting in an overall reduction of work on the medical side of the Infirmary. I am afraid I am not yet able to give a date for the commencement of what will inevitably be a large and expensive scheme of repairs and modernisation.

asked the Minister of Health if he will establish on a permanent basis a Ministry of Health Organisation and Methods Service of a size adequate to cover the hospital service as a whole.

I am at present considering the future of the Ministry of Health Organisation and Methods Service, which has hitherto operated on an experimental basis.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to enable objective criteria other than the numbers and types of beds in their group or hospital to be taken into account when assessing the salaries of hospital administrators.

This is one of the questions dealt with in Sir Noel Hall's Report, which is at present before the Whitley Council concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the renewed tension existing on the borders of Israel and Jordan, and the possibility of relaxing the tension by a solution of the refugee problem, he will take steps, either through the United Nations or by a direct approach, to call a conference of Middle East Governments in order to reach an arrangement satisfactory to all the countries concerned.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Peyton) on 27th November.As regards the possibility of a direct approach to Middle East Governments, in view of the known attitudes of all the Governments concerned, I do not think this would at present help towards the successful solution of this problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a further statement on his discussions with the United States of America regarding the supply by them of nuclear weapons to the Middle East.

My right hon. and learned Friend has now studied the exact text of Dr. Malik's speech to the Lebanese Parliament, to which the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) referred on 4th December. Dr. Malik's precise words were that he could assure the Lebanese Parliament that the Lebanon could obtain from the United States all the defensive material of which it had need and which it was capable of using. Later on, after referring to the Lebanese Government's serious preoccupation to establish in the Lebanon the most modern means of defence, he said that they hoped they would not have too long to wait before tele-guided missiles formed part of their military material.Her Majesty's Government are not of course answerable for speeches by the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs in his own Parliament, but I should point out that there is no mention in the speech of nuclear weapons. I can also reaffirm, as my right hon. and learned Friend said on 4th December, that he had no discussion with the United States on the possibility of the provision of nuclear weapons to the Middle East.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the recent visit of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Middle East.

As a result of discussions with the Jordanian and Israel authorities, Mr. Hammarskjöld has achieved the resumption of the Scopus convoys subject to United Nations control and thus removed the immediate cause of tension. The question of the Government House area is sub judice in the Security Council. He will doubtless soon make known his ideas on how to deal with the fundamental differences in the areas in question so as to avoid further friction. He can be assured of Her Majesty's Government's support for any steps he proposes which will enhance the authority of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation to keep the peace.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Cairo Radio is still broadcasting anti-British propaganda; and in what British territories these broadcasts can be heard.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent Cairo Radio now broadcasts propaganda against Great Britain and her Allies and Commonwealth partners and against British rule in African territories; and whether he will make a statement.

Cairo Radio broadcasts about thirteen hours daily on the international high-frequency broadcasting band and can normally be heard all over Africa and the Middle East. Programmes for South-East Asia are also provided.The tone of the broadcasts is hostile to this country and to the Western Allies generally; attacks are also made on other Arab States. Her Majesty's Government deplore these broadcasts which can only serve to increase tension in the Arab world and beyond.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will propose at the United Nations that all air, space or outer-space above this planet beyond three miles shall be regarded as under the jurisdiction of the United Nations, as far as earth-launched missiles or other contrivances are concerned.

If the hon. Member has in mind some means by which there might be international control of the type of missile or contrivance using outer space, I would remind him that the Western proposals for disarmament, recently endorsed by the United Nations, provide for joint study of an international inspection system designed to ensure that the sending of objects through outer space will be for exclusively peaceful and scientific purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how the United Kingdom delegate to the United Nations voted on the resolution passed by the General Assembly recommending that an economic commission should be established for Africa to help foster and co-ordinate economic development.

The United Kingdom delegate voted for the resolution.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which way the United Kingdom delegate voted on the Algerian question at the United Nations.

The United Kingdom representative supported the resolution which was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly on 10th December, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will ask Her Majesty's representative at the United Nations to raise the question of further United Nations assistance for the Algerian refugees in Morocco and Tunisia; and what financial contribution Her Majesty's Government is prepared to make to help with this problem.

No. Her Majesty's Government contribute £100,000 annually to the funds made available to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and are not considering any increase.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when the Seventh Report of the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Vietnam will be published in this country.

It is expected that this Report will be published simultaneously in London and Moscow very shortly.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the high percentage of National Service men who defer their applications for National Service grants until they join their units, with consequent delay and hardship to their families; and what action he is taking, in consultation with the Minister of Labour, to make effective the arrangements for such applications to be initiated at the time of medical examination prior to call-up;(2) whether he is aware that the average time taken for the assessment and issue of a National Service grant by his Norcross office is nine days in only 40 per cent. of cases, which, added to the time taken in the remaining procedural processes, adds up to a total of some three weeks in dealing with a normal case; and what steps he is taking to reduce this time lag in both the normal case and the remaining 60 per cent. of cases in which the issue of the grant takes more than three weeks.

The responsibility of my right hon. Friend in connection with National Service grants is confined to taking steps to assess and pay them on behalf of the Service Departments on receipt of an application from the man concerned. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour that in fact the summons to a medical board prior to call-up refers to these grants, and that a reminder is given when the man actually attends the board. I am satisfied that our arrangements for assessing and paying these grants when the applications are received are as speedy as possible. Delay is sometimes occasioned by circumstances outside our control, the most common cause being the failure of the applicant to make a voluntary allotment from his Service pay, which is a condition precedent to the making of a grant to a single man.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many doctors were in receipt of unemployment insurance benefit on the latest convenient date.

I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and National Service that on 12th December there were 32 doctors on the Professional and Executive Register in receipt of unemployment benefit.

asked the Paymaster-General what alteration he proposes to make to the regulations on safety in mines, in view of the two recent mine explosions.

The accidents to which the hon. Member refers are still under investigation and I cannot therefore say whether they will lead my noble Friend to amend the Regulations.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he is aware that there is a surplus on the home market of blacksmith's coal or slack, and that there is a desire on the part of the Government of the German Democratic Republic to import this surplus coal; and what action he proposes to take to export coal of this category to Eastern Germany.

I have no knowledge of the desire of East Germany for this type of coal, but if they are interested I have no doubt the National Coal Board could make supplies available for export through the normal trade channels.

asked the Paymaster-General what advice he has received recently from the Iron and Steel Board about the need to construct a new strip mill.

The Board has advised my noble Friend that in its view the construction of a new strip mill is required to meet the future needs of the economy.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will ask the Iron and Steel Board to review the present prices of steel, in view of the recent increases in share dividends of all the major steel companies, and in particular to reconsider the last permitted increase in prices.

No. The Iron and Steel Board keep steel prices continuously under review as part of its normal responsibilities, and I see no reason to ask it to make a special review on the ground suggested. When the Board last raised maximum prices on 29th July, 1957, it stated that this was to enable the industry to meet increased costs of production and to support the major investment programme of modernisation and expansion.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he is satisfied with the progress which has been made to date in the development plans of the iron and steel companies approved by the Iron and Steel Board; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. My noble Friend is satisfied that the schemes approved by the Board are generally progressing well.

asked the Paymaster-General the net increase in coal consumption estimated by the Central Electricity Generating Board for the period between 31st December, 1957, and 31st December, 1965.

About 6 million tons, after allowing for increased efficiencies and for the displacement of some of the oldest stations.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of the Government's policy on wages, salaries and prices, what action he proposes to take to restrict the increases of salary of the members of the Area Gas Boards.

I assume that the hon. Member refers to the increases which took effect from 1st July and were part of the general revision of salaries, including those of Members of this House, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 4th July. If so, the answer is "None".

asked the Minister of Supply the basic conditions for the payment of gratuities to Royal Ordnance factory workers on retirement on account of age, ill-health, or redundancy; when these conditions were laid down; and to what extent they differ from the Regulations previously in force.

These employees are civil servants, and the payments which may be made to them are governed by the Superannuation Acts, 1834–1957, which apply to both industrial and non-industrial civil servants. The provisions of the Acts and Regulations made under them cannot conveniently be summarised within the scope of an Answer to a Parliamentary Question, but I am sending the hon. Member a statement of the main facts and I should be glad to give him any further information he may require.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware of the nuisance caused to residents in Woolwich by the burning of stocks of cordite in the Royal Arsenal; and what action he proposes to take.

The programme of work, from which the burning of ammunition fillings is inseparable, employs a large number of workers and I am reluctant to terminate it prematurely. Every effort is made to minimise inconvenience to local residents.

asked the Minister of Supply why more people are employed in the production of conventional arms in private industry than in Royal Ordnance factories.

This is not the case for those conventional arms which the Royal Ordnance factories are equipped to produce; I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 13th December to the hon. Member for Edmonton (Mr. Albu).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that under the present enforcement procedures of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, open defiance of planning control may be persisted in with impunity over a period of several months; and what he intends to do about this.

Yes, I am aware of the limitations of these enforcement provisions. Any alteration would require legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the resolution of the United Nations Trusteeship Committee calling on countries administering dependent territories to estimate the date on which they expect those territories to attain self-government or independence.

The Resolution was confined to Trust Territories and I invite my hon. Friend's attention to the reply on this subject given to the hon. Member for Wembley, South (Mr. Russell) on Thursday, 12th December.

asked the Minister of Defence the terms of the agreement with the United States of America about setting up ballistic missile ranges in Great Britain.

I have at present nothing to add to the answers I gave on 12th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the figures of £92 millions and £6 millions, given in the Sixth Annual Report of the Colombo Plan, as the sums made available by the United Kingdom Government under the plan, for the full period and for last year, respectively, so as to show separately the amounts of grants, loans, credits and technical assistance; and whether he will state the rates of interest where applicable.

The information is as follows:

—	Cumulative total for full period	1956–57 only
	£m.	£m.
Grants:
Technical Assistance	2·58	0·76
Colonial Development and Welfare grants	9·60	1·15
Other Exchequer grants	24·38	1·06
Loans:
Malaya War Damage Loan	14·00	—
Colonial Development Corporation investment	10·86	0·51
*Releases authorised from United Kingdom subscription to International Bank	20·20	2·26
Credits:
Pakistan Credit (1953)	10·00	—
	91·62 (£92m.)	5·74 (£6m.)
* The loans are made by the International Bank which calls up the United Kingdom subscription as necessary to finance that part of the loan which is covered by the United Kingdom release.

The Malaya War Damage loan is interest free; the rates of interest on the Colonial Development Corporation loans vary according to the date and circumstances of the individual transactions; on the Pakistan credit the rate is 4 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cinemas were closed in the financial year ending 5th April, 1957; and how many cinemas have been closed in the present financial year, to the latest date for which figures are available.

244 cinemas were closed during the year ended 31st March, 1957. The provisional figure for the period 1st April to 12th December, 1957 is 108.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will consider allowing Her Majesty's Dockyards to tender for non-Admiralty work.

The possibility of taking on commercial work will be considered if and when it would help ensure an even flow of work in any particular yard.

asked the Postmaster-General what special service exists to enable a member of the public to ensure that, even during exceptional periods such as that immediately preceding Christmas, a letter is delivered to the addressee with the minimum normal delay.

We do everything we can to get all letters delivered quickly, but some delay is unavoidable before Christmas when traffic reaches an enormous peak. Various express services are available for letters requiring special treatment: the House of Commons Postmaster will be glad to help my hon. Friend with details of these if he cares to consult him.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent it is the policy of his Department to welcome suggestions from civil servants for improvements and economies in his own Department which have not first been screened by Whitley Councils.

The staff of my Department are constantly encouraged to make suggestions for improving methods of work and increasing efficiency. They have been told that proposals for securing economies are particularly important. The committee which considers suggestions includes representatives of the official and the staff sides of the Departmental Whitley Council, but the Council does not screen its recommendations.