asked the Secretary of State for War how many senior scientific officers have been recruited for a tour of duty with our forces in Malaya in order to study the tactical use of nuclear weapons in the jungle.

There is one senior scientific officer in the Army Operational Research Unit in Malaya. The function of this unit is to study general problems of jungle warfare worldwide, with particular reference to the development of suitable clothing, rations, weapons and equipment.

asked the Secretary of State for War how much was spent in 1956, and how much has been spent in 1957, on improvements to barracks and other living accommodation for the Army.

In 1956 we spent about £10½ million on living accommodation. In the first ten months of this year the expenditure was about £7½ million. These are broad figures because, as the hon Member knows, we normally calculate by financial years rather than calendar years.

asked the secretary of State for War how many Scottish officers are serving on the Army Council.

None at present.

asked the Secretary of State for War if it is his intention to recommend the appointment of serving officers to the positions vacated by the resigned colonels of the Highland Light Infantry and the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

The officers I shall recommend will be nominated by the regiments concerned. They may be serving or retired officers.

asked the Secretary of State for War how far the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the slowing down of the provision of housing accommodation and educational facilities, respectively, and the freezing of the incomes of those in the Government's employ, applies to the Army.

I do not accept the implications contained in the hon. Gentleman's Question. As far as the Army is concerned, Her Majesty's Government are continuing to improve conditions of service.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to have a telephone kiosk erected at Westcraig, Lanarkshire.

There is already a kiosk within ten minutes' walk of Westcraigs and another a little further away, and I would not feel justified in providing a third one in the district.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone subscribers in the Chigwell Urban District of Essex discontinued their subscriptions after the latest increase of charges; and how many have since renewed them.

Between 18th July when the increased charges were announced and 6th December, 1957, 555 subscribers in Chigwell discontinued their subscriptions and 66 have since renewed them. Not all of the 555 can be attributed to increased charges as during a similar period prior to the announcement 123 cessation notices were received. Over 250 new subscribers have been connected since 18th July.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone subscribers in those parishes of the Epping and Ongar Rural District of Essex, which are within the Chigwell Parliamentary Division of that county discontinued their subscriptions after the latest increase of charges; and how many have since renewed them.

Between 18th July when the increased charges were announced and 6th December, 1957, 89 subscribers in the Epping and Ongar Rural District discontinued their subscriptions and eight have since renewed them. Over 200 new subscribers have been connected in that period. Changes are going on all the time, and there were actually 21 fewer cessations between 18th July and 6th December than in the same period before 18th July.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications for telephones were outstanding in Wembley at the latest convenient date; what date is the earliest of these applications; and how the figures compare with the outstanding total at the corresponding date a year ago.

There are at present about 150 applications outstanding in the Borough of Wembley, of which all but a few are in course of provision. This compares with 380 a year ago. The earliest application is dated October, 1954, and will be met during the next two months.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress is being made with the proposal to modernise the post office at Ashington, Northumberland; and whether he will make a statement.

Plans for our landlord to extend the office are agreed subject to the settlement of the terms of a new lease, on which negotiations are well advanced.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the estimated cost per item of delivering mail in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen at the present time, and the estimated profits that will ensue in each city in a full financial yea: at current postage rates.

I regret that an answer to the first part of the Question could not be given without undue labour. As regards the second part, it is impossible to make a reliable apportionment of the national income and expenditure figures as between particular localities.

asked the Postmaster-General how many post offices and sub-post offices exist in the new town area of Basildon; how many of them have been opened since building of the new town began; and whether he is satisfied that the post office facilities are adequate for a town the size of Basildon.

Two Crown Offices and twelve sub-offices; one of each type has been opened since building of the new town began. I should like to open two more sub-offices straightaway, but this must wait until shops are built in which to put them. Other offices will be opened as necessary as the town develops.

asked the Postmaster-General how many requests have been made to his Department for the issuing of special stamps in the years 1955, 1956, and 1957; and to which of these requests he agreed.

In the three years January, 1955, to December, 1957, 105 requests have been received for 40 different issues of stamps. Nine of these requests concerned the three special issues which have been made or announced, viz. the World Scout Jubilee Jamboree; the 46th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference; and the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, 1958.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the average cost per item of delivering mail from Lairg to residents in outlying places in northwest Sutherland.

Direct costs, comparable with those quoted last week for Stroma, are about 6½d.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what compensation is being offered by Eagle Aviation to the next of kin of the Royal Air Force personnel who lost their lives in the air crash at Blackbushe last May.

No Royal Air Force personnel lost their lives in this accident. Compensation is in any case essentially a matter between the company and claimants.

Type of Commission			Group Captain and above	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant and below	Total
Permanent	…	…	13 (13)	38 (35)	126 (22)	76	253 (70)
Temporary	…	…	—	4 (4)	4 (4)	—	8 (8)
Short Service	…	…	—	—	14	608	622
Total "regular"	…	…	13 (13)	42 (39)	144 (26)	684	883 (78)
National Service	…	…	—	—	—	175	175
			13 (13)	42 (39)	144 (26)	859	1,058 (78)
NOTE.—The figures in brackets represent the numbers (included in the preceding figures) of officer, eligible to serve to the age of 60.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many officers of the rank of squadron leader, serving in the Education Branch of the Royal Air Force, were promoted to wing commander in the years 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957, respectively; and how many of these were serving on engagements under which they could continue to serve until 60 years of age.

Two in 1954; five in 1955; four in 1956; and eight in 1957. With the exception of two officers promoted in 1957, all are eligible to serve to the age of 60.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many officers were granted permanent commissions in the Education Branch of the Royal Air Force during the years 1955, 1956, and to the latest available date in 1957, respectively; how many in that branch have volunteered for premature retirement under the terms of Command Paper No. 231/1957; what were their respective ranks; and in how many cases were their requests granted.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many officers of the rank of group captain and above, wing commander, squadron leader, and below the rank of squadron leader, respectively, are now employed in the Education Branch of the Royal Air Force; how many of these, in each of these ranks, hold Regular commissions; and how many, in each rank, are on engagements under which they can continue to serve until they are 60 years of age.

The following are the figures:

The answer to the first part of the Question is twelve, nineteen and twenty, respectively; to the second and third parts, fourteen squadron leaders and one flight lieutenant and to the last part none.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement, giving figures, on the increase in the number of ships built in Britain which during the last 10 years have transferred from the British flag to flags of convenience and on the loss and damage thereby done to the British shipping, shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries; and what steps he has taken and proposes to take to stop this practice and to repair the damage done by it.

Over the ten years 1947–56, 181 merchant ships of 500 gross tons and over, built in the United Kingdom, were transferred from the United Kingdom or colonial registers to registry in Liberia, Panama, Costa Rica or Honduras. Twenty-two such ships were transferred during the first nine months of this year. Further details are given below.On the second part of the Question, while the growth of the flags of convenience is certainly a matter of concern to Her Majesty's Government, my right hon. Friend does not think that banning the transfer of U.K. ships to these registers would be an effective means of stopping their growth, nor does he consider that it would be in our interest to take such action.Ships of 500 g.r.t. and over, built in the United Kingdom, and subsequently sold off the United Kingdom or colonial registers to companies registered in Liberia, Panama, Costa Rica or Honduras:

Year		No. of ships	G.R.T.
1947	…	14	52,800
1948	…	2	3,100
1949	…	5	38,500
1950	…	17	96,100
1951	…	29	166,600
1952	…	24	114,000
1953	…	9	45,900
1954	…	23	108,800
1955	…	31	169,200
1956	…	27	143,900
1957 to 30th Sept.	…	22	117,900
		203	1,056,800

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress he now has to report in the study which the Government have undertaken into the threat to the British mercantile marine by the ever increasing fleet of vessels registered in certain South American States where taxation is much less than in this country and where conditions of service for crews leave much to be desired; and what interim steps he proposes to take in view of the delay involved in awaiting international agreement.

I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the fleets under flags of convenience. The problems created by the rapid expansion of these fleets are under consideration, and I can promise no early solution. Certain aspects, however, are being pursued in the international bodies concerned and will be considered at conferences to be held next year. In regard to the second half of the Question, the Government, as I said in answer to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 20th November, have already reduced the advantages which these fleets have over United Kingdom shipping by doubling the investment allowance for United Kingdom shipping.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what representations have been made to him regarding the adequacy or otherwise of the arrangements for taking account of Kingdom or colonial registers to companies local opinion in making decisions on registered Honduras: in Liberia, Panama, Costa Rica or omnibus stopping places; and whether he is now prepared to review the system.

I have received no representations of a general character, although complaints about individual bus stops are sometimes made. I have no evidence that leads me to propose any alteration in the system, which already provides for consultation with the police and local authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, in view of the inflationary effect, in certain circumstances, of wage increases in the nationalised transport industry, if he will consider the desirability of introducing legislation to make it ultra vires for the British Transport Commission to make wage increases which are not matched by national productivity and to assign a specific function to the Council on Prices, Productivity, and Incomes in assisting the Commission to shape its wages policy in the national interest.

I have nothing to add to the Written Answer which the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power made to a similar question by my hon. Friend on 25th November.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that as recently as 28th August, 1957, the French Government introduced an official decree that the minimum age for drivers of mopeds would be 14 years; and whether he will see that a similar arrangement is made in this country.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave on the 4th December to two Questions on this subject by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he has considered the Report of the Committee on Road Safety on the age for motorcyclists; and what action he proposes to take.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Croydon, North-East (Vice-Admiral Hughes Hallett) on 18th November.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he can now state when he expects to receive the report from the Committee of Inquiry into Inland Waterways.

I have nothing to add to the Answer given on 29th November to a similar Question by the hon. and learned Member for Brigg (Mr. E. L. Mallalieu).

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what subjects were dealt with in the two directions of a general character which have been given to the British Transport Commission.

On 15th April, 1952, the British Transport Commission were directed not to give effect for the time being to an increase in fares outside the London area. The second direction given on 12th August, 1952, cancelled the first.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) if he is aware of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council's concern about the increasing traffic problem in the centre of the borough; and what action he proposes to take to relieve it;

The borough council is discussing with the divisional road engineer possible ways of relieving congestion by traffic regulations, but any final solution of the problem must include the improvement of the trunk road. Our plans for this have had to be integrated with those for the redevelopment of the borough and the final order fixing the future line of the trunk road has only just been made. Every effort will be made to expedite this scheme, but I cannot yet say when it will be included in our programme.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is yet in a position to give final authority to the building of the Tyne Tunnel.

No. I am at present carefully considering the relative priorities of a number of very large schemes for early approval in the road programme, and the Tyne Tunnel is one of these. I shall announce my decision as soon as I can.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that, in 1956, no passenger was killed in a train accident and that, in the same year, there were 5,367 deaths from road accidents; and if he will take steps to extend the system of public inquiry to fatal road accidents in order to ascertain the cause and propose future safeguards as with the railways.

I agree that last year there were over 5,000 deaths on the road and none on the railways, but I am afraid we should not gain by adopting the hon. Member's proposal. All fatal road accidents are already investigated and reported on by the police. Serious accidents involving goods vehicles or public service vehicles are also investigated by officers of my Department. Under Section 23 of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, an inquiry can be ordered into any road accident, and this procedure can be adopted whenever it seems likely to produce useful results.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether the construction of the fly-over at the western end of the Cromwell Road extension in Brentford and Chiswick is proceeding as rapidly as planned; and whether he will make a statement.

Construction on some sections of the fly-over is proceeding more quickly and on others rather more slowly than planned. Work of this kind has to be planned to minimise interference with traffic and the contract provides that the temporary link road now in use between the existing section of the new road and the Chiswick roundabout shall not be closed until the new slip road on the north side of the fly-over is completed. This slip road is not yet ready and alternative traffic diversions to enable the temporary link road to be closed now, several months ahead of schedule, have been suggested.The Police and my Department are most anxious to do all they can to accelerate the construction of the fly-over and they have examined these suggestions very carefully. I am advised, however, that the traffic pressure at this junction is already severe and that the proposed diversions would create unacceptable congestion at the exits from the roundabout.I am assured that notwithstanding the delays which have occurred on some stages of this contract, there is no reason to fear that the work as a whole will not be completed within the contract period, i.e., by August, 1959.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement on the progress being made on the Brentwood by-pass.

The present Order fixing the line of this by-pass must be amended to enable the by-pass to be lengthened somewhat at each end. We will publish a draft amending Order as soon as we can.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now give a list of the more important new road improvement schemes which he hopes to be able to authorise during the current road programme up to 1962.

I have nothing to add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member on 31st July last.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission to give such priority to the installation of automatic train control on all British Railways main lines as will enable the time taken by the operation to be drastically reduced below the present schedule of five years; and whether he will include in the forthcoming estimates of his Department a grant in aid to the Commission to assist them to carry out his direction.

No. As the Chief Inspecting Officer of Railways said on Friday last, the Chairman of the British Transport Commission has assured me that the Commission will do all they can to accelerate the provision of automatic train control and other safety measures, notwithstanding the recent restrictions on capital expenditure. The second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Defence what is being done to standardise North Atlantic Treaty Organisation weapons and to eliminate wasteful duplication in production.

I have been asked to reply.The desirability of greater rationalisation of weapon development, and production is generally recognised. It is hoped that the present meeting of the North Atlantic Council will give a further impetus to this development.

asked the Minister of Defence what estimate he has made of the annual savings which would result if the Government accepted Mr. Khrushchev's offer of the withdrawal of all foreign troops, aeroplanes and equipment from Europe, so far as the withdrawal and disbandment of British troops in Europe are concerned.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has not made that calculation.

asked the Minister of Defence what machinery of consultation he has established with the United States Strategic Air Command in order to ensure full political control by the British Government over orders given to United States long-range nuclear bombers now standing by on British airfields ready to strike at 15 minutes' notice.

I would refer the hon. Lady to the Answers given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to Questions on this subject on 28th November and 3rd and 12th December.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the impending retirement of the Chief Inspector of Factories, Sir George Barnett, on 31st December this year, he will appoint a woman as Deputy Chief Inspector.

I take the view that promotion in the Factory Inspectorate should be based on merit alone, as it is in other grades in my Ministry. On this occasion I have decided, after careful consideration, to appoint a male officer who is considered to be the most suitable of the possible candidates for the post.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of bricklayers registering as unemployed in Ayrshire and in Scotland on the most recent available date, and at same time in 1955 and 1956.

The following are the numbers of bricklayers aged 18 and over in the building and civil engineering contracting industries registered as wholly unemployed in Ayrshire and in Scotland at the under-mentioned dates.

Date		Ayrshire	Scotland
14th November, 1955	…	4	40
12th November, 1956	…	2	74
11th November, 1957	…	26	212

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1) when work on the construction of the new electrical shop at Her Majesty's Dockyard, Sheerness, is to be resumed;(2) when the change from direct current to alternating current electricity supply to Her Majesty's Dockyard, Sheerness, will be completed.

These schemes have been deferred in common with many other projected improvements to Her Majesty's Dockyards. Their priority is not high in relation to other services competing for limited funds.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many persons are borne on Votes 8 and 10 for work in the administration and maintenance of lands, buildings and shore establishments held by his Department; and what is the total number of officers and men serving in the active fleet.

It is not practical to differentiate between the Vote 10 employees mentioned in the Question, and those engaged on new works, on disposals, on dredging of harbours, on N.A.T.O. projects and so on. The total number of Vote 10 employees is about 15,000.The numbers of Vote 8 staff are not separately calculated, but are estimated to be in the region of 4–5,000. These figures comprise the staff engaged on the maintenance, running and replacement of the electrical and mechanical installations in shore establishments, other than the Royal Dockyards themselves.The active strength of the Navy covered by Vote "A" is at present about 114,000.

asked the Minister of Supply what official plans exist for building a supersonic airliner in Britain.

Plans for the construction of a supersonic airliner in this country must await the outcome of the research study referred to in the reply which I gave on 18th November, 1957, to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Beswick).

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what were the total number of staff, in respect of both female and male employees, the total annual salaries and wages, and the total travelling expenses for the North Riding Agricultural Executive Committee for the year ended 31st March, 1957.

On 31st March, 1957, the non-industrial staff attached to the North Riding Agricultural Executive Committee totalled 124 (74 male and 50 female) and for the year ended on that date the cost of salaries and wages was £74,048 and of travelling and subsistence expenses £12,468.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the particulars of the 41 cases in which he has refused to give his consent to an application for a slaughterhouse licence.

Consent was refused to the grant of licences for proposed new private slaughterhouses in the following districts:

• Aberdare U.D.
• Alston with Garrigill R.D.
• Basford R.D.
• Belper R.D.
• Bingham R.D.
• Bishop's Stortford U.D
• Blackburn R.D.
• Bridgnorth B.
• Bridgnorth R.D.
• Bromyard U.D
• Camborne—Redruth U.D
• Chadderton U.D.
• Chard R.D.
• Cheadle R.D.
• Chislehurst and Sidcup U.D.
• Chorley R.D.
• Deben R.D.
• Ellesmere U.D.
• Erith B.
• Gipping R.D.
• Hexham U.D.
• Launceston B.
• Leamington Spa B.
• Loddon R.D.
• Mitford and Launditch R.D.
• Nantwich U.D.
• Orpington U.D.
• Plympton St. Mary R.D
• Poole B
• Rugely U.D.
• Runcorn R.D.
• Saffron Walden B.
• St. Faith's and Aylsham R.D
• Spennymore U.D.
• Tadcaster R.D.
• Tenterden R.D.
• Warrington R.D.
• West Lancashire R.D.
• Whitworth U.D.
• Witney U.D. (2 applications).

Consent was refused in these cases on the grounds that at the date of the applications the existing slaughterhouse facilities in the districts concerned appeared to be sufficient for local requirements.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what applications he has received in connection with Part II of the Agriculture Act, 1957, from farm tenants for consent under Section 50 of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948.

I regret that this information is not readily available, and its extraction would involve an excessive amount of work.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of occasions since 1st January, 1951, on which farm tenants following refusal by the landlord, have applied to him, under Section 50 of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948, for consent to long term improvements which they wish to have made on the farms they occupy; and if, since 1954, the number of such applications has increased or decreased.

Figures for calendar years are not available, but between 1st March, 1951, and 28th February, 1957, 242 applications were decided under Section 50 of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948, 103 were decided in the second half of this period and 139 in the first half.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give the main components of the sterling assets of the Colonies at the end of 1956, and to date, in the form set out in Colonial Paper 298, 1953, page 2.

These figures are published in the Digest of Colonial Statistics. Issue No. 35 gives the assets at the end of 1956 and at 30th June, 1957, the latest available date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the population figures of Zanzibar and Pemba, respectively; and whether he will provide for increased representation in the Zanzibar Legislative Council for the island of Pemba.

Estimates put the present populations of Zanzibar and Pemba islands at approximately 160,000 and 120,000, respectively. Of the twelve Representative Members of the Zanzibar Legislative Council, Pemba has four members, two elected and two nominated. Having regard to all the circumstances, I consider that at present Pemba interests are adequately represented.

asked the Minister of Education the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the replacement of out of date school buildings by new schools where necessary.

Her Majesty's Government hope to give projects of this kind high priority when economic conditions make this possible.

asked the Minister of Education what grants were paid for the year ended 31st March, 1957, and what grants have been offered to national voluntary organisations for the year ending 31st March, 1958, under the Social and Physical Training Grant Regulations, 1939, Article 1 (b) and (c) and under the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937.

The figures are:

Year	Social and Physical Training Grant Regulations		Physical Training and Recreation Act
	Central Council of Physical Recreation	All others	Central Council	All Others
	£	£	£	£
1956–57	66,297	102,500	29,028	22,911
1957–58	79,128	100,985	33,912	22,710

asked the Minister of Education what is now the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the future of grammar schools.

Her Majesty's Government intend that these schools should continue to play an important part in the nation's educational system.

asked the Minister of Education the average number of pupils in each class attending sandwich courses at technical colleges.

About 12 in 1956–57.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much financial aid under the present percentage grant system was received from the Government by the county councils of Fife, Lanark, Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, and Inverness, and the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee in each of the last six years.

The following table gives the information for the last four years. Figures for the two preceding years are not readily available and could not be ascertained without a disproportionate amount of labour.

GOVERNMENT GRANTS
Local Authority		1953–54	1954–55	1955–56 (estimated)	1956–57 (estimated)
		£000s	£000s	£000s	£000s
Counties
Ayr	…	2,300	2,499	2,649	2,819
Dumfries	…	622	687	876	930
Fife	…	1,910	2,188	2,401	2,699
Inverness	…	910	963	1,132	1,302
Lanark	…	3,733	4,156	4,519	5,014
Counties of Cities
Aberdeen	…	1,477	1,669	1,804	1,890
Dundee	…	1,209	1,382	1,491	1,557
Edinburgh	…	2,567	2,938	3,180	3,632
Glasgow	…	8,340	9,320	10,281	11,612

NOTES1. The figures include all Government grants to local authorities except (

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the educational expenditure, per 1,000 of the population, in the counties of Fifeshire, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire,

Education Authority			Educational Expenditure per 1,000 of the Population met from public funds
			1951–52	1952–53	1953–54	1954–55	1955–56	1956–57
			£	£	£	£	£	£
Fife	…	…	7,125	7,583	8,203	9,468	10,105	11,686
Lanarkshire	…	…	7,778	8,414	8,773	9,753	10,686	12,554
Ayrshire	…	…	7,515	8,096	8,273	9,166	9,770	10,970
Dumfriesshire	…	…	7,305	8,052	8,603	9,640	10,620	11,874
Renfrewshire	…	…	6,355	6,991	7,334	8,035	8,769	9,917
East Lothian	…	…	7,612	8,035	8,316	9,452	10,197	12,076
Perth and Kinross	…	…	6,903	7,329	7,576	8,385	9,123	10,304
Inverness-shire	…	…	9,358	10,058	11,233	12,024	12,984	14,813
Glasgow	…	…	7,865	8,649	9,073	10,118	11,217	13,004
Edinburgh	…	…	6,034	6,422	7,073	7,680	8,336	9,625
Aberdeen	…	…	9,155	9,874	10,288	11,419	12,276	14,018
Dundee	…	…	7,427	8,012	8,497	9,502	10,220	11,775

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount of money at present in the Land Fund; and for what specific purposes it has been used in the past six months.

On 16th December the Land Fund held cash and securities of a nominal value totalling £10,175,390. During the past six months the acceptance in settlement of estate duty of eight pre-eminent works of art from Chatsworth, of the Mark Hall Estate, Harlow, and of Berrington Hall, Herefordshire, and two payments to the Minister of Works under Section 7 of the Historic Buildings Act, 1953, have been financed through the Fund.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware of the financial hardship often caused to members of certain local

The information is given in the following table.authorities and valuation panels, etc., through the ruling that travelling and subsistence allowances are only payable to such people when engaged in duties which are more than three miles from their usual place of residence; and whether, in view of the frequent meetings and duties which take place at the present time, he will review the present position.

This is a statutory limitation contained in Part VI of the Local Government Act, 1948. I have received a number of suggestions proposing the amendment of this Part of the Act. I am considering the matter

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from taxi owners and organisations representing taxi owners and drivers, in the Metropolis about the activities of private hire cars which act as taxis but yet do not conform to the standards with which licensed taxi cabs have to comply.

None

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what was the cost of printing Pamffled N.I. 97 (W); how many copies have been printed; and how many specific requests for this form have been received in Wales, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Cardiff, respectively, up to the latest convenient date.

40,000 copies were printed at an estimated cost of £25. No record is kept of the number of specific requests for the leaflet, which is the version printed in Welsh of the leaflet which provides retirement pensioners and widows with the information necessary to enable them to take the action required to facilitate the punctual receipt by them of increased benefits.