asked the Minister of Works if he will make a statement about the licensing of photographers and corn sellers in Trafalgar Square.

I am studying this problem in consultation with the other authorities and am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Works whether he can now make a statement about the future of Watnall Hall, near Nottingham.

I had hoped to acquire and repair Watnall Hall, but I have recently been advised that the house is likely to be damaged by mining subsidence and that the estimated cost of the scheme would be higher than was at first thought. I have therefore felt obliged to accept the recommendation of the Historic Buildings Council for England that I should not acquire the property.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the National Health Service (Medical and Pharmaceutical Service Committees and Tribunal) (Scotland) Regulations, 1948, do not permit counsel, solicitor or other paid advocate to conduct the case for any person whose case is being investigated by one of those committees and that as a result such cases are not always fully presented and injustice is thereby done to aggrieved persons and to the committee which is thereby handicapped in its adjudication; and if he will take steps to amend the Regulations so as to rectify these defects in them.

I am considering this matter in the light of the recommendations contained in the Report of the Committee on Administrative Tribunals and

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will reconsider and alter his refusal to extend the time for appeal by Mr. Allan, particulars of whose case have been sent to him, from the adjudication on his case by the Medical Service Committee which sat under the National Health Service (Medical and Pharmaceutical Service Committees and Tribunal) (Scotland) Regulations, 1948.

While I have every sympathy with Mr. Allan in his very sad loss, I regret that I can find no justification for entertaining this appeal after a period of more than six months had elapsed from the last date on which as Mr. Allan was aware an appeal should have been lodged.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the White Paper on Local Government Finance in Scotland, Command Paper No. 208, has caused disquiet in Scotland; and if he will undertake not to introduce legislation to enact the proposals contained in it before the matter has been debated in this House.

I am aware of the views held by the local authority associations and other interests.The White Paper was debated in the House on 29th and 30th July and the Second Reading of the Bill to give effect to its proposals is, of course, to be debated today.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when major reconstruction work on the Tarbert—Rodel road in the Isle of Harris under the Crofter Counties Programme was discontinued and why; and when it is intended to complete the rest of this road on a major reconstruction standard.

A scheme under the Crofter Counties Programme covering five miles of this road was authorised in 1950. Since this was completed a scheme for another three-quarters of a mile has been authorised and work is now in progress on it.I understand that Inverness County Council is reviewing the priority of Crofter County schemes within the county, and when I receive its recommendations, and also the recommendations of the Highlands Advisory Panel on the road programme in the Highlands generally, I will consider when further work can be authorised on this road.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the people of Quidinish, Isle of Harris, have been denied a village road for nearly 100 years; whether he has yet agreed to the request for a grant towards its cost from Inverness County Council; and what are the reasons for his decision.

I am aware of the need for a road to serve this township and I hope to be able to make an offer of grant to the county council for this road very shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the shortage of dental treatment facilities in the Isle of Lewis; and what measures have been, and are being, taken to provide adequate service in accordance with his statutory obligations under National Health Service legislation.

The county council is advertising for an additional school dental officer for Lewis and a firm of dentists practising in Stornoway is advertising for an assistant. I have authorised the executive council to meet the additional expenditure incurred by any mainland dentists who visit and treat people in Lewis while there is a shortage of dentists on the island.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received to date protesting against his action concerning the wage claim of the National Health Service clerical employees.

To date I have received, either directly or through hon. Members, 57 letters, mostly from branches of staff organisations, on this subject. My right hon. and learned Friend, the Minister of Health, and I have also received deputations from the Administrative and Clerical Whitley Council and the Staff Side of the General Whitley Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement on the housing position in the burgh of Culross, Fife.

In connection with the council's scheme of 24 houses, the plans for one site have been agreed and it is hoped that those for the other two which are to be developed will shortly be adjusted.The report on a public local inquiry held into the objections lodged against a compulsory purchase order made by the council in respect of an additional site is at present under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the discussions with the medical profession for additional multiple packs, to which only the 1s. charge should apply, are complete; and why they have lasted over a year.

The discussions on the suggestions that have so far been made for multiple packs are complete, and a proposal for a new dressings pack is now under consideration by the manufacturers. The profession and the health departments have agreed that it would be impracticable to devise a pack for diabetic and T.B. patients or a dressings pack for colostomy patients that would meet the varied needs of a sufficient number of patients to make their production useful.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he has circulated to local authorities which have received applications for housing accommodation from persons to be evicted from decontrolled houses in October, 1958, under the Rent Act, 1957.

While I have not felt it necessary to give any specific advice, I asked local authorities last June to do everything they could to assist people who might be affected by the Rent Act.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what it would cost to bring into operation the legal advice provisions of the Legal Aid and Solicitors (Scotland) Act, 1949.

No estimate is available of the cost of bringing into operation the legal advice provisions of the Legal Aid and Solicitors (Scotland) Act, 1949.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what he estimates to be the need, amongst the aged in Scotland, for permanent hospital or institutional care.

The hospital authorities and the local authorities assess the local requirements and try to meet them as resources permit. I have not therefore sought to make any national estimate of this kind.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to increase the number of day-release students attending Scottish schools.

I am using all means at my disposal to encourage employers and students to take advantage of day-release courses. I am glad to say that there is a steady increase in the numbers attending, and I am urging education authorities to expand facilities by pressing on with a building programme designed to produce, a substantial number of new local technical colleges by the early 1960s.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of day-release students at present enrolled in Lanarkshire schools; and how this number compares with the two previous years.

The number of day-release students was 4,331 in session 1956–57, 4,075 in session 1955–56 and 3,695 in session 1954–55.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number of day-release students now enrolled in Scottish schools; and how this number compares with the two previous years.

The number of day-release students was 31,648 in session 1956–57, 28,118 in session 1955–56 and 25,326 in session 1954–55.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will specify the powers he possesses under legislation which can be exercised only under the affirmative Resolution procedure.

The information asked for is not readily available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the largest primary class, respectively, in the non-fee-paying schools of education authorities and in fee-paying schools under these authorities, and in other schools receiving grant aid.

I regret that the statistical returns do not enable me to say precisely on any given date what is the size of the largest primary class in each of these categories.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what are the fees charged in education authority schools giving separate figures for primary and secondary pupils in each such school;(2) the number of pupils in each education authority school in which fees are paid, giving separate figures for primary and secondary pupils.

I have sent the hon. Member a statement giving the details for which she asks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will name the independent schools and the fees paid by pupils in these schools.

I am sending the hon. Member a list of the 159 independent schools in Scotland known to my Department, together with a statement of the fees payable in those which receive grant. Fees in independent schools which are not in receipt of any financial aid are not a matter for me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the need for industry in the Easter Ross area of Ross-shire caused by the closing of the Admiralty base at Invergordon, and the threat of increased unemployment in the area; and what action he proposes to take.

I have been in close touch with the Admiralty and the Board of Trade about employment opportunities in the Invergordon-Tain district, and I hope that negotiations at present in progress with a number of industrial firms will result in the productive use of facilities which have become available owing to the closure of the Admiralty base.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the security of tenure provisions contained in the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act, 1949, operating in conjunction with the Scottish law on bequest of, and succession to, agricultural tenancies, have come close to conferring perpetual tenancy rights; and whether he will introduce legislation to remedy this anomalous position.

Yes, I agree that the present position is open to criticism and I can assure my hon. Friend that the Government intend to deal with this matter in the forthcoming agricultural legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for seeking additional powers to initiate, develop or support measures to mitigate damage caused by stream or river flooding in rural or urban areas of Scotland.

Proposals are under consideration for conferring powers on town and county councils in Scotland to carry out local schemes for the prevention or mitigation of flooding in their areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent he proposes to continue the policy of approving grants for fee-paying schools under education authorities; and what differences in curricula, quality of teachers or size of classes his inspectors report compared with similar classes in non-fee-paying schools.

In charging fees in a limited number of their schools education authorities are exercising a power conferred on them by the Education (Scotland) Acts, and it is therefore proper that expenditure on such schools should be taken into account in calculating the main grant payable to authorities. In general there are no marked differences between fee-paying and non-fee-paying public schools as regards curricula, quality of staff or size of classes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what grounds the contracts for cast iron lining for Whiteinch Tunnel in Glasgow were not placed with the firm offering the lowest price.

I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to my reply today to the hon. Member for Stirling and Falkirk (Mr. Malcolm MacPherson).

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that last year 18,411 Italian motor cycles were imported by the United Kingdom, whereas owing to the severity of Italian import restrictions only 119 British machines were imported by Italy; and what representations he is making to the Italian authorities in order to achieve greater parity.

Yes. We are continually pressing the Italian authorities to ease their restrictions on the import of British motor cycles; and shall continue to do so.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what advice or recommendations he has received from the Welsh Board of Industry during the last two years as to the advisability of light industries being steered into centres in Radnorshire and North Breconshire as a means of curtailing the drift of young people from these areas.

None. But the needs of these areas, which are not generally attractive to industry, are fully understood in the Board of Trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many theatres and cinemas have closed in this country during 1957, up to the latest convenient date.

The provisional number of cinemas that have closed between 1st January and 12th December, 1957, is 160. No Government Department collects complete statistics of theatres.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cinemas, which had closed before the reduction in Entertainments Duty in the last Budget, have now re-opened, following the granting of relief.

Nine since 5th May last, on the latest information.

asked the President of the Board of Trae whether he will consider amending the Companies Act so as to restrict the issue of voteless shares.

My right hon. Friend does not think the present position calls for amending legislation but he will continue to watch developments.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quotas are at

The main items still subject to restriction when imported from Western Europe and those freed from such restriction over the past two years are set out in Table I below. Our percentage liberalisation of imports from O.E.E.C. countries, calculated on imports in 1948 as base year, has increased from 85 per cent. to 94 per cent. over this period. Corresponding information for imports into Western European countries is given in Table II. It would not be practicable to list the numerous changes which have taken place in individual quotas over this period.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what control he exercises over the granting of import licences for machinery which has to be paid for in dollars when similar machinery is being produced in this country.

Applications for import licences for machinery paid for in dollars are normally approved only when the Board of Trade is satisfied that the machinery will reduce costs and that no alternative United Kingdom machine offering roughly similar advantages is available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take urgent steps to try and interest other firms in the Keadby area of Lincolnshire, in view of the closing of the Southern Oil Company's margarine factory which, following the closing of the Kraft factory, is causing concern for future employment in that area.

I understand that the Ministry of Labour considers that those displaced from this factory have good prospects of finding other employment in the neighbourhood. I recognise that this area would benefit from more industry giving employment to women, and my officers will bear this in mind when discussing with industrialists sites for new projects.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will so time the proposed importation of £100,000 worth of apples from the Lebanon as not to clash with the normal marketing of the home crop.

No, but licensing of imports under the special Lebanese quota did not begin until 21st November.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, unlike those from Canada, crates of apples from Italy do not have the weights stamped on them; and if he will negotiate with the Italian authorities for this to be done, so as to remove the possibility of shopkeepers, or others, in this country receiving short measure.

Neither Canadian, apples, nor Italian apples, nor indeed apples from other countries, are generally imported in boxes stamped with the weight of the contents.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the concern of the Scotch whisky industry at the threat to the exports of Scotch whisky to France caused by recent developments; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I am aware of the situation and I can assure my hon. Friend that I shall do my best to secure an increase in the bilateral quota for 1958.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the present provision that calendars and greeting cards bearing reproductions of paintings executed more than 100 years ago are liable to Purchase Tax at 60 per cent., whereas calendars and greeting cards bearing reproductions of paintings executed less than 100 years ago pay Purchase Tax at 90 per cent., operates to the disadvantage of living artists; and if he will review this matter at an early date with a view to remedial action.

My hon. Friend is in error in thinking that this provision applies to greeting cards. As regards calendars, I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave him on 19th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, under the rules relating to Purchase Tax on Group 23 goods, shopping baskets are exempt from Purchase Tax if open, but are subject to tax if fitted with lids or if they can be closed, or are suitable for attaching to a bicycle or perambulator; whether he will now consider exempting from Purchase Tax all shopping baskets, whether closed or open or otherwise adapted for the convenience of the shopping public; and what has been the yield for each of the past three years in respect of Purchase Tax on shopping baskets.

As regards tax yield, traders are not required to make separate returns of tax paid on individual types of articles and no figures are therefore available. On the other points I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to his Question on 19th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the exemption from Purchase Tax of perambulators is limited to those which have a minimum vertical handle height measured from the top of the handle grip to the floor of not less than 33½ inches, whereas perambulators, the handle height of which is less than 33½ inches, are chargeable with tax at 30 per cent.; whether he will abolish or modify this distinction at an early date; and what is the approximate annual yield at the present time of Purchase Tax in respect of these small perambulators

This is a distinction, based on trade advice, between toy and other perambulators. On the second and third parts, my Answer to my hon. Friend's previous Question applies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the desirability of legislation to constitute the Council on Prices, Productivity, and Incomes as a statutory body.

Legislation in this case is not necessary and when it is not necessary it is seldom desirable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what inquiries he has caused to be made into the effect of the Trustees Act, 1925, upon the market value of trust moneys since 1947; and what action he has in mind to protect the interests of those for whom such moneys are held in trust.

No special inquiry is necessary to show that inflation causes depreciation in the value of money invested in trustee stocks. The best means of protecting the interests of those for whom money is held in trust is to stop inflation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rate of Income Tax in the £ sterling is represented by the total payments of taxpapers' money made by him to local authorities under the Housing Acts, 1919, 1924, 1946, and 1949; what is the total annual sum of these payments; what categories of Her Majesty's subjects are calculated to benefit from the payment of these sums; and upon what principle such categories are selected.

The answer to the first part of the Question is about twopence. As for the second part of the Question I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government on 26th November.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the total annual national revenue from all forms of taxation is represented by the revenue from entertainments tax on cinemas; and what proportion of the cinemas' annual gross box-office receipts is taken by this tax.

About one-half of 1 per cent. and 29 per cent. respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, although theatregoers attending performances of the Bolshoi Ballet on its recent visit to this country paid no entertainments tax, cinemagoers in London, where a film of the identical performances is being shown, have to pay entertainments tax; and if, to avoid such anomalies, he will now abolish the cinema tax.

Yes, but this is not an anomaly and I cannot anticipate my Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of Post-war Credits now owing at the latest convenient date; and what is the approximate annual amount now being repaid.

About £450 million and £18 million a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will repay Post-war Credits at an early date to all those who undertake to use the money for the purpose of buying a house or dwelling or, alternatively, if he will repay at least those who wish to buy their dwellings because of decontrol of their housing next year.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government have now reached a decision regarding the payments due at the end of this month under the financial agreements with the United States of America and Canada, dated 6th March, 1957.

Yes. Her Majesty's Government have decided to take a deferment of the instalments due on 31st December, 1957, and have advised the two Governments accordingly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of dollars and other foreign currency earned by British films in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he is satisfied that this form of export is not being handicapped by the reduction in the size of the home market caused by the increasing closure of cinemas in this country due to the high rate of entertainments tax.

I regret that there are no figures available of the overseas earnings of British films, but I am satisfied that the present rate of Entertainments Duty is not a significant handicap to film exports.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) the percentage increase in consumers' expenditure from 1948 to 1956; what was the increase in consumers' expenditure, per head of the population, for the same period; and what was the percentage increase in the gross domestic product for the period from 1948 to 1956, all in terms of 1948 prices;(2) what percentage of the gross domestic product was domestic consumption in 1948; and what was the percentage in 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956, all at 1948 prices.

Between 1948 and 1956 consumers' expenditure increased by 16 per cent.; per head of population it increased by 14 per cent.; and over the same period the gross domestic product increased by 28 per cent., all in terms of 1948 prices. Consumers' expenditure—which I assume the hon. Member meant when referring to "domestic consumption"—at constant 1948 factor cost was 70 per cent. of the gross domestic product in 1948; in 1953, 1954, 1955 it was 66 per cent.; in 1956 it was 65 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer with regard to the £304 million contributed by employers to the National Insurance Fund in 1956, which categories of employers paid the £89 million which was not paid by employers in the private trading sector; and what relief of taxation they received in consequence of this sum being treated as a trading expense.

The central Government, local authorities, public corporations and private individuals not engaged in a trading activity.Probably less than £½ million.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware that Accrington Town Council has had to suspend its scheme of loans for house purchase because of the Government's policy of a high Bank Rate; and how many other local authorities are now in the same position.

Local authorities do not have to inform me if they decide to suspend loans for house purchase. I can see no general cause why they should take such a decision.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the approximate number of properties that have been purchased by local authorities in London and Middlesex for the housing of elderly people during the years of 1955, 1956 and 1957.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether his attention has been drawn to a number of cases of deaths and suicides resulting from the operation of eviction notices under the Rent Act, 1957; and whether he will take the necessary action, in view of this new indication of hardship and suffering being experienced by many families, to grant security of tenure after 1958.

I have sought to investigate the facts of each such case coming to my notice. In each one of which I have been able to obtain details, the tenant's security of tenure was, in fact, not affected by the Rent Act. I emphasise again that tenants should obtain reliable information about the effect of the Act on their property. Any tenant who is in doubt about his position can do that by applying to his local authority or to a citizens' advice bureau.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether his attention has been drawn to the refusal of the London County Council to allow the Gaumont Cinema in the Haymarket to be replaced by an office block above a cinema; whether he is aware that from 1949 to 1956 the total loss sustained in operating the present cinema was about £100,000; and, since this policy must have the effect of forcing the owners of unprofitable cinemas and theatres, either to continue to operate them at a loss or to leave them derelict to the detriment of the localities concerned, if he will direct that the application be referred to himself before any final decision is taken.

The applicants appealed to me against the council's decision. I arranged for an inquiry to be held on 28th November and am awaiting my Inspector's report.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government why he has advised the Tynemouth Council to dezone Thrift Street, North Shields, as an industrial area.

This land is part of an area bought by the council in 1955 for housing purposes. Later they decided to allow the land to be used for industry, and granted planning permission accordingly. Having done this, they found that the industrial permission had materially enhanced the value of the land. The council therefore came to the conclusion that the fair course would be to sell the land back to the original owners at the price they had paid for it, plus costs.As required by statute, they sought my authority to the disposal. The Housing Acts however, require a local authority, when selling land bought for housing which they no longer need, to sell "at the best price … that can reasonably be obtained"; and accordingly I felt unable to agree to the Council's proposal. In the special circumstances I sympathised with the Council's wish to resell to the original owners at a price based on the value of the land for housing purposes, and suggested to the Council that if they were willing to revoke the industrial permission that would enable them to sell the land without the value created by the permission, and thus achieve their object without infringing the law.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether fluoride has been added to the water supply of Bingley, Yorkshire.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what arrangements exist under his regulations to enable members of local valuation panels to claim travelling and subsistence allowances.

Members may claim these allowances, in the same circumstances in which members of local authorities may claim them, under Part VI of the Local Government Act, 1948, and the Local Government (Allowances to Members) Regulations, 1954 (S.I. 1954 No. 397) made under that Act.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what difficulties he is experiencing in the provision of cinemas in new towns; and if he will consult the Chancellor of the Exchequer concerning ways and means of attracting cinema proprietors to these areas.

No new cinema has yet been built in a new town, but the towns are still young. I am in hopes that the construction of the first new cinemas will begin soon. I do not think it necessary to consult with my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what is the present position as regards the plan for St. Paul's precincts.

I am considering it and will give my decision as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the powers, functions and constitution of the proposed Council of State in Kenya.

No, not yet.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reasons the Indian publication Forum is proscribed in Uganda.

This publication as such is not proscribed in Uganda, but one issue, Volume 10, No. 34, dated 17th May, 1953, has been proscribed because it carried an article on the Kenya emergency which, it was considered, was liable to provoke inter-racial strife.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a full list of the newspapers, periodicals, books, and other publications which are proscribed in Uganda.

Publications whose importation into Uganda is proscribed are as follow:—

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made for farmers living in the Bugisu area of Uganda to dispose of their coffee crop; what price they receive for this coffee; and how this price is fixed.

The Bugisu Co-operative Union buys all coffee grown in the area and sells it by auction in Nairobi. Primary co-operative societies affiliated to the Union make two payments to growers. The first payment is based on a price fixed by the Bugisu Coffee Board, which is normally related to the price likely to be obtained in the world market; if the Union makes a profit, a subsequent payment is then made to primary societies. The following are the details of some recent prices.The following are prices paid in 1956–57 and 1957–58 for No. 1 parchment and No. 2 parchment respectively:1956–57. Initial payments 2s. and 1s. 50 cents. Total payments 2s. 56 cents and 1s. 84 cents.1957–58. Initial payment 2s. 30 cents and 1s. The total payment is not yet known

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any further statement to make about the present position in British Honduras.

I have nothing to add to the statement I made in reply to the Question by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetlands (Mr. Grimond) on the 12th December.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, whether he is aware that 45,000 children of school age in the copperbelt of Northern Rhodesia are receiving no education; and what steps are being taken by the Northern Rhodesian Government to increase the provision of secondary schooling as a step towards the supply of more teachers.

Yes. I referred to the problem of the urban areas in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 4th July, and dealt with Government measures to expand African secondary school education in the adjournment debate on 8th November. I would add that the Northern Rhodesia Government invited representatives of municipal, mining, commercial and African educational organisations to a conference on 4th December to investigate ways and means, particularly financial, of meeting the shortage of schools for Africans in the larger municipal and mining towns. The recommendations of the conference—of which I have sent a summary to the hon. Member—will shortly be considered by the Government there.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many acres of land in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland have been purchased by South African companies or companies with South African directors in the past three years.

I can answer only for Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. I have asked the Governors for this information and will write to the hon. Member as soon as I have it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why it is necessary to continue in force Defence Regulations in Antigua, Montserrat, St. Christopher Nevis, Trinidad, Tobago, Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos Islands or the Cayman Islands.

The Defence Regulations in these territories include inter alia, regulations governing exchange control, import and export control and price control. These controls are a continuing requirement and, until permanent local legislation has been enacted governing them, it is necessary for authority to be continued under the Defence Regulations currently in force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much is being allocated during 1957 from Colonial Development and Welfare Funds to the British West Indies, British Honduras, Fiji, and Mauritius, respectively.

Allocations under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act are not made on an annual basis. The sums so far allocated under the 1955 Act to the Colonies named are:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what grounds five Lebanese citizens have been expelled from Sierra Leone after 25 years' residence in that country.

The Sierra Leone Government took this action because they considered that it was in the public interest.

asked the Minister of Health under what circumstances money credited to the account of a high-grade mental patient, accumulated from savings from the 7s. 6d. weekly allowance, can be withdrawn under his Regulations without seeking permission from the patient concerned to purchase essential clothing for the patient.

The normal practice is for high-grade patients to spend their own money or for purchases to be made for them with their consent. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind and will send me particulars I will look into it.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement about the progress that is being made with the site works and road works of the Welwyn Garden City/Hatfield Hospital.

The Regional Hospital Board expects these to be completed early in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will give an assurance that the building of the Welwyn Garden City/Hatfield Hospital will proceed as planned in the capital works programme of the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, and will not be deferred because of the overall financial position.

That is certainly our intention.

asked the Minister of Health the estimated expenditure which will be incurred in the building of the Welwyn Garden City/Hatfield Hospital during the current financial year and during the financial years 1958–59, 1959–60, and 1960–61.

About £100,000 this year and £120,000 next. I have not yet received the Regional Hospital Board's estimates for later years but expenditure can be expected to approach £400,000 in 1959–60 and to exceed that figure in 1960–61.

asked the Minister of Health how many finalised architectural drawings for the building of the Welwyn Garden City/Hatfield Hospital have been received by his Department; what proportion these form of the total which will be needed; and how many have been approved.

Until the Regional Hospital Board submits bills of quantities which can be studied with the working drawings, no question of approval can be settled. My officers have seen all the architectural working drawings for the main building which they need at this stage and the board has been sent comments on them.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of nurses employed in mental hospitals and mental deficiency hospitals on 30th September, 1956, 31st December, 1956, 31st March, 1957, 30th June, 1957, and 30th September, 1957, respectively.

The numbers of nursing staff employed in mental hospitals and mental deficiency hospitals at 30th September, 1956, and 31st March, 1957, respectively, were as follows:

asked the Minister of Health how many clubs licensed for the sale of alcoholic liquor existed in hospitals under his direction in each of the years 1951 to 1956.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of administrative and clerical officers employed by the National Health Service and if he will state the number who are employed by each of the three branches of the service, local authorities, hospitals and executive councils, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motoring offences have been reported on

At 31st December, 1956, 30,705 were employed by hospital authorities and 5,623 by the executive councils, joint pricing committees and Dental Estimates Board, a total of 36,328 for England and Wales. Information is not available in regard to local health authorities.

asked the Minister of Health what has been the general death-rate from all diseases in each of the last 20 years in North Shields and South Shields; and what was the infantile death-rate in those areas during that period.

Separate figures for North Shields are not available. In the following table figures are given for South Shields County Borough and for Tyne-mouth County Borough which includes the area known as North Shields.the West Cromwell Road extension in Brentford and Chiswick since 1st November, 1956; and how many of these have related to exceeding the speed limit.

In the period from 1st November, 1956, to 10th December, 1957, 229 motoring offences were reported, including 194 offences of exceeding the speed limit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of exceeding the speed limit on the West Cromwell Road extension have been reported since the new 40 miles-per-hour limit came into force.

Up to 10th December, 19 drivers had been reported for exceeding the 40 miles an hour speed limit.

asked the Postmaster-General how many post boxes in Brent-ford and Chiswick he is proposing to recite during 1958; and whether he proposes to increase or decrease the existing total.

There are no plans for any changes in 1958 in the sites or numbers of posting boxes. If my hon. Friend has in mind any particular point of difficulty, I will gladly look into it if he will let me have details.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what is the estimated total cost of the proposed transfer of the Civil Aviation Signal Training Establishment from Bletchley to Croydon, including any new building programme at Croydon necessitated by the change.

If this transfer takes place its total cost will be about £50,000.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give a list of members of nationalised boards appointed by him who also serve on the boards of public companies, listing the companies concerned.

The members of nationalised boards are shown in the White Paper on Public Boards and the directorships which they hold are given in public works of reference.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has now given further consideration to the new Park Lane Improvement Scheme; and if he will make a further statement.

I am most anxious that we should not under-insure against future traffic density at this most important junction and I was impressed by the strong support from both sides of the House for the construction now of both tunnels of the under-pass to provide for two lanes of traffic in each direction. I will, therefore, consider with the L.C.C. whether we ought to provide for four lanes of traffic in two tunnels from the beginning rather than at a later stage.

asked the Secretary of State for War why Craftsman Ward, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers has been posted to a camp at Billericay which was closed down two years ago.

Because a clerical mistake was made in the unit from which Craftsman Ward was posted.