asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further action he proposes to take on the Report of the Royal Commission on the Taxation of Profits and Income.

My right hon. Friend will be reviewing the outstanding recommendations of the Royal Commission before his next Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes he proposes to make in the present form of Purchase Tax in this country as a consequence of the implementation of the European Free Trade proposals.

It is too early to say what changes, if any, might be desirable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent under his regulations printing and stationery used by local government authorities is liable to Purchase Tax; and what is the approximate annual revenue received from that source.

Chargeable stationery purchased by local authorities bears purchase tax. Where it is manufactured by such an authority, the chargeable process provisions of the Finance Act, 1946, apply by virtue of the Purchase Tax (No. 1) Order, 1951. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the relevant notice (No. 77D). No figures of tax paid on stationery used by local authorities are available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Capital Issues Committee has refused to sanction the increase of a company's capital by the issue of bonus shares from its reserves.

In making recommendations regarding bonus issues, the Committee is guided by the following criteria: that the application should relate as a single operation to the capitalisation of true reserves and is one which will benefit the stability, credit or efficiency of the undertaking; that it does not take a form which will enable tax liabilities to be reduced, and that it is in the public interest having regard to the general directions of the Committee.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a breakdown of the figure of overseas earnings from banking, insurance, merchanting and brokerage in the United Kingdom in 1956.

The approximate breakdown is as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards the realisation of the free trade project between this country and Canada and if he is still working to secure this arrangement.

This proposal remains open so far as the United Kingdom is concerned. The Canadian Government have so far had relatively little time to form any final view since this long term proposal was put to them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates will be the total Income Tax relief given to contributors to the National Insurance Schemes in 1958–59 arising from the increased contributions; and how much this will represent to the individual contributor who will be paying the standard rate of Income Tax.

Assuming that rates and allowances' remain the same, £50 million for all insured persons and £4 6s. for an adult male employee if his income is wholly subject to the two-ninths earned income relief.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, taking the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling as 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 18s. 4d. by November, 1953, and 16s. 9d. by November, 1955 and what was the comparable figure for November, 1957.

Yes: 15s. 7d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will call for a report from all Departments of Government as to the extent to which their expenditure can be reduced owing to the recent substantial falls in the cost of a wide range of imported materials; and if he will give a summary of what prospective reductions have already been reported to him.

Departments are required to seek all possible economies; it would not be practicable to distinguish those which are due to changes in import prices.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to give the House a progress report on the European discussion for the setting up of a Free Trade Area.

I cannot add at this stage to the Answer which I gave on 12th December, 1957, to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. J. Harrison).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a list of the members of the Capital Issues Committee, showing, respectively, the businesses of which they are directors.

The hon. Member will find the information he requires in standard works of reference.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he will not propose in the forthcoming Estimates the payment of token sums out of Exchequer Funds to the part-time personal assistants of Ministers in order to bring such persons within parliamentary control.

Because accountability to this House does not depend on Estimate provision.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the decline in admissions to British cinemas during 1957, he will take the necessary steps to ensure that entertainments tax is abolished.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget.

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury if he will include in the next White Paper on Public Boards, in addition to the lists of members and of those holding more than one appointment, a list of other directorships held by them on other than public boards.

No.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many names are on the panel as arbitrators under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948; when the panel was last revised; and whether the names are available to the public.

There are now 273 names on the panel, which was last revised in 1954. The answer to the last part of the Question is "No".

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many arbitrators were appointed under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948, by his Department in 1956 on rental and other matters; how many of those appointed were members of the Land Agents Society and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors; and what was the average number of cases dealt with by individual arbitrators.

In the year ended 28th February, 1957, 117 arbitrators were appointed to deal with 232 cases, an average of two each. Six of the arbitrators were members of the Land Agents' Society, 48 members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and 18 members of both.

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food what arrangements to replace the County Agricultural Service have been made for growers and farmers to continue to receive grants towards small schemes, such as grubbing-up fruit trees, where the cost is less than £100.

Marginal producers continue to be eligible for assistance under the Marginal Production Scheme. Other producers may obtain ploughing grant, lime and fertiliser subsidies on certain types of schemes costing less than £100, including those for the reclamation of derelict orchards.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of implementing the guaranteed prices for cereals in the last three years; and if he will compare those figures with the estimated savings on pig and egg guarantees as a result of the operation of the feeding stuffs formula.

The cost of implementing the guaranteed prices for cereals for the three crop years 1954, 1955 and 1956 was £33·1 million, £27·9 million and £34·2 million respectively. The information required to answer the second part of the Question is not readily available, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that in the Adamawa Division of Northern Nigeria there is one post office for about 1 million people; and what plans there are for the increase in the number of post offices.

One post office and four postal agencies serve the 800,000 people Adamawa Division of Adamawa Province. The amount of business done at the agencies is small and the Federal Government, who are responsible for Posts and Telegraphs, consider that the Province is adequately served.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that on the plateau in South Adamawa there live about 54,000 people and about 250,000 cattle without means of ingress or egress by road; and what plans there are for building a road.

I think my hon. Friend must have in mind the Mambila plateau. At present there is a dry season track to it from the Southern Cameroons. For the past eight months British consulting engineers have been surveying a route for an all season road from Yola, and it is hoped that work may be started on it before 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, since the Bauchi Light Railway has recently been closed, the road from Jos to Zaria will soon be tarred.

By 1960 the Federal Government propose to tar nearly a third of their section of the road, which is from Jos to Pambeguwa, and the Northern Regional Government propose to tar nearly a half of their section, which is from Pambeguwa to Zaria.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on how many occasions during the past 12 months permission has been refused to Africans to hold meetings in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

In Nyasaland there have been twelve such refusals, out of 383 applications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what stage has been reached in the consideration of proposals for constitutional advance in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

As my right hon. Friend informed the House on 25th November, the two Governments are still holding local consultations preparatory to making proposals to him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the future of Nyanza Textile Industries Limited in Uganda, with, particular reference to the proposed purchase by the Uganda Government of the shares at present held in this company by the Calico Printers' Association and the Bleachers' Association.

The following is a statement on the subject made by the Uganda Minister of Finance in the Legislative Council on the 18th November.

"The Government has agreed with the Calico Printers Association and the Bleachers Association, subject to the approval of the Legislative Council and of the Boards of the two Companies, for the purchase of their interests of 58½ per cent. in the Nyanza Textiles Ltd., Jinja, amounting to £1,057,229 for £792,922, i.e., at the rate of 15 shillings in the pound. The remaining holdings in the Company belong to the Uganda Development Corporation, Ltd. The result of these arrangements will be that the Government becomes virtually the sole shareholder. This step has been taken because of difficulties outside its control which the Company is experiencing in the present stage of development. The Government believes that in time these difficulties will be overcome and that it is justified in further injections of public funds, including provision of £150,000 as additional working capital, into the financing of what it regards as a national asset. Arrangements are being made with the Calico Printers Association to continue provision of technical assistance and advice to the Company."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what change there has been in the Uganda Government interest in the Uganda Fish Marketing Corporation; and what the Government's policy is for the future of fish marketing in Uganda.

The Uganda Government have no direct interest in the Uganda Fish Marketing Corporation (T.U.F.M.A.C.), but the Uganda Development Corporation, of which the Government are the sole shareholders, was the majority shareholder in T.U.F.M.A.C. until recently when it sold 33,000 £1 shares at par to Fresh Foods Limited and converted 85,000 ordinary £1 shares into 6 per cent. cumulative redeemable preference shares. Fresh Foods Limited now holds a controlling equity interest and is also providing the management.Government policy is to develop fish marketing by Africans, who already handle 90 per cent. of the fish from Uganda lakes, by improving efficiency in transportation, distribution, storage and handling methods and by issuing loans to fishermen and fishmongers through the African Loans Fund.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total number of district officers in Uganda and the number of Africans holding this position; and what efforts are being made to fill vacancies in the public service by local candidates.

There as 123 District Officers in Uganda, of whom 10, including eight Assistant Administrative Officers, are Africans. Two African students from Makerere will shortly be offered provisional appointment as District Officers on probation. The Governor has recently asked the Public Service Commission to make a special review of the field of candidates born in and normally domiciled in Uganda who are qualified for appointment on probation as District Officers or Assistant Secretaries in Ministries, and advertisements inviting applications have been issued. I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave him on the 29th October about the training of Africans for senior posts in general.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the case of Mr. E. M. K. Mulira, who was expelled from the Lukiko in July, 1956, has yet been settled.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the right hon. Member for West Bromwich (Mr. Dugdale) on 1st May last, since when Mr. Mulira has taken no further action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further action has been taken in the case of Mr. M. Mugwanya since 21st January, 1957.

A plaint was filed in the High Court against the Katikiro of Buganda claiming that the provisions of the Buganda electoral law were not complied with in the election of Mr. Mugwanya and that the election was therefore null and void. Mr. Mugwanya applied successfully to be joined as co-defendant in the case with the Katikiro, and the Saza Chief who conducted the election has also been joined as a co-defendant on the plaintiff's application. The High Court ruled on 16th December that the case should be transmitted for hearing in the Principal Court of Buganda.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply has been sent to the request from engineering students in Uganda for a college of technology to be set up in Uganda to provide the professional training in engineering which is not available at the Royal Technical College, Nairobi.

This and other issues were raised in a letter addressed to my education adviser, who has recently visited Uganda. A reply has been sent to the effect that he was able to discuss these matters with the Uganda authorities before his departure and understands that a statement of Government policy is to be issued shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now make a statement about a new constitution for Malta.

My right hon. Friend will not be able to make any further statement until the result of Her Majesty's Government's consideration of the points left outstanding in the recent negotiations in London have been communicated to the Maltese Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the shortage of consumer goods on the Island of Pemba; and what steps are proposed for dealing with this matter.

Temporary shortages of certain imported goods occurred in Pemba following the large influx of labour for the clove picking season. I understand the shortages were never serious and that supplies are now returning to normal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he will take, either nationally or internationally, to explain to the peoples of Africa, and oversea territories in general, the implications of the provisions of the Common Market and the Free Trade Area.

The Governments of our overseas territories are being kept closely in touch with our thinking both about the Treaty of Rome and the proposals for a European Free Trade Area. The official overseas information services have been, and are, making available for use in overseas territories a wide range of information and comment on both subjects.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what date Her Majesty's Government decided that it had become necessary for all the Governments of territories in the Commonwealth for which he has responsibility to assume direct responsibility for local security forces; and whether he will make a statement.

It has been the policy of successive Governments in the United Kingdom that Colonial Governments should be primarily responsible for raising and maintaining their own security forces. An exception was made during the last war when most of the colonial land forces were transferred to War Office control for the more effective prosecution of the War. Since 1955 Her Majesty's Government have consulted the Colonial Governments concerned on the reversion of the major War Office-controlled colonial forces to local control.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state, the Colonial Territories and Protectorates in which judicial process is normally obligatory before a British subject or British protected person is deported from or rusticated within the Territory or Protectorate, and the Colonial Territories and Protectorates where there is no provision for such judicial process.

According to my latest information, eleven Territories have no provision for prior judicial process in the case of either deportation or restriction of a British subject or British protected person: two Territories provide for such process in the case of restriction but not deportation, and a further four in the case of deportation but not restriction.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which Colonial and Protectorate Governments have since October, 1952, provided by legislation that judicial process should normally be obligatory before a British subject or British protected person is deported from or rusticated within the Territory or Protectorate.

Since October, 1952, legislation of this kind has been passed by St. Lucia in respect of deportation and restriction, and by Uganda in respect of restriction only.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government of Dominica have agreed to the request of the Labour Party that there should be a unique and exclusive symbol for each political party during the forthcoming Federal elections and all subsequent elections so long as illiteracy among the electorate makes the use of symbols necessary.

Yes. The necessary legislation is being passed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that considerable numbers of otherwise qualified electors found during the elections in Dominica in August last that their names were not on the register; and whether he will ensure that a new register is made available for the Federal elections in March next.

I understand that only a relatively small number of people were inadvertently omitted from the existing list. I am told that no complaint was made locally, and ample opportunities are given under existing legislation for anyone not enumerated to have his name registered. The existing electoral list will accordingly be used for the Federal elections next March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the declaration of a programme for achieving constitutional reform in Cyprus has now to await the results of new talks with the Greek and Turkish Governments.

The offers which we have made over the years to discuss self-government with Cypriot leaders remain open and can be taken up at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement in respect of the recent disturbances in Cyprus.

I gave an account of the recent disturbances in Cyprus a week ago in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mrs. Jeger). Since then there have been some incidents in the same pattern but on a lesser scale, and the security forces have continued to exercise the same restraint in dealing with them. The Governor has met leaders of both communities and has spared no effort to obtain their co-operation in preventing communal disturbances. While the situation naturallly gives cause for anxiety, there are grounds for hope that the good sense of the great majority in both communities, and the arrangements made by the Cyprus Government to check communal strife and to deal with demonstrators, will prove adequate to avert a further deterioration of the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to ensure that there will be adequate numbers of teachers being trained for African secondary education in Kenya.

The policy is to recruit teachers locally, so far as possible, from among graduates at Makerere. The supply of suitable students to Makerere is limited only by the number academically qualified for entry; their tuition and residence costs are fully supported by the Kenya Government. Unfortunately, however, the competition among employers for Makere graduates is so fierce that the Kenya Government are not able to fill more than a proportion of their teacher vacancies with African graduates and the remainder have to be filled by recruitment overseas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reason the branch of the Tanganyika African Union at Iringa was closed in November.

This action was taken because the branch was attempting to subvert the authority of the Central Government and of the local Native Authority by encouraging cattle owners in the Iringa District to disobey the law relating to cattle dipping.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the estimates of the Northern Rhodesian Government for the service of police and African education, respectively, for the year 1957; and what was the amount spent in the first six months for these two services, respectively.

Provision for recurrent expenditure in the year ending 30th June, 1957, on these two services was £1,420,344 and £1,800,280, respectively; for the current year it is £1,593,277 and £1,969,685, respectively. The amounts spent in the first five months of this year (the figures for June are not yet available) were £635,350 and £691,122.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state the names of all South African firms which are undertaking the mining of uranium in Northern Rhodesia.

The only company mining uranium in Northern Rhodesia is the Rhokana Corporation Ltd., which is registered in Northern Rhodesia and is a subsidiary company of Rhodesian Anglo-American Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a further statement about the future of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

In my reply to the hon. Member on 6th June I announced the Government's decision to transfer Christmas Island to the Commonwealth of Australia. This transfer will take some time to effect, since legislation is needed both in Australia and in this country. The island will, however, be detached from Singapore by an Order in Council made by Her Majesty in Council on 13th December and, as an interim measure, will be administered as a separate dependency of the United Kingdom. It is proposed that the Order should be brought into effect on the 1st January, 1958, when the promised sum of 20 million Malayan dollars will be paid over ex gratia to the Government of Singapore.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Gambia official Press release, dated 9th December, stating that the Gambia Regiment is to be disbanded, was made with his knowledge and authority; and whether he will publish a copy of the statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

The decision had my right hon. Friend's approval. He did not see the actual text of the Governor's announcement. The following is the Governor's announcement:

"This morning the Governor addressed a special parade of the Gambia Regiment at Cape St. Mary. He was accompanied by Brigadier Orr, the Commander of the Combined Sierra Leone and Gambia District. At that parade His Excellency informed the troops that with great regret this Government had decided that it could not continue to maintain the existing company of the Gambia Regiment. The Governor explained' that changes in the policy of Her Majesty's Government had made it necessary for all the Governments of territories in the Commonwealth to assume direct responsibility for the local security forces. In the case of Gambia and after considering advice from the military adviser to the West African Governments, it was regretfully decided that the costs of maintaining a small independent army formation were too high for the limited resources of the Gambian Government. The serving personnel of the Regiment would therefore be discharged during the early part of next year, after payment of their full pension or gratuity entitlements. In its place, a special auxiliary police force would be raised, trained in a manner similar to that of the Gambia Regiment. It was hoped that many of those now serving with the Gambia Regiment would carry over its tradition's and reputation by enlisting in the new auxiliary police force. The Regiment itself would not be formally disbanded, but would be placed in suspended animation. His Excellency closed his address to the Regiment by reading to them a special message of good wishes sent personally by the Secretary of State for the Colonies."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is to be the future of the air service between Zanzibar and Pemba; and what colonial development and welfare funds are allocated for this purpose.

The East African Airways Corporation operates sixteen services weekly between Zanzibar and Pemba. The number will be reduced to fourteen in April, 1958, and thereafter the frequency of services will be adjusted according to the traffic offering. The Corporation operates on a commercial basis and the question of an allocation of colonial development and welfare funds does not arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will re-examine the Lotteries Act with a view to amending it so as to enable newspapers to publish the details and results of lotteries.

No. I do not share the view that there is anything in the Small Lotteries and Gaming Act, 1956, or in the Betting and Lotteries Act, 1934, to prohibit the publication of the results of a lottery lawfully conducted.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now considered the suggestions regarding prisoners on the escape list made to him by the hon. Member for Shoreditch and Finsbury; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have considered the hon. Member's suggestions very carefully, but for the reasons given in my recent letter to him I do not feel able to adopt them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in the preparation of legislation to permit local authorities to establish home safety committees.

I am bearing in mind the possibility of including a provision on this subject in any suitable Bill which may be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will state the number of prosecutions and convictions, respectively, of vendors of motor fuel for attempting to obtain payment for motor fuel in excess of the amount supplied during each of the years 1955, 1956 and 1957; and(2) if he will state the number of prosecutions and convictions respectively, of drivers of vehicles for defrauding their employers in connection with the purchase or consumption of motor fuel in each of the years 1955, 1956 and 1957.

I regret that the statistics in my possession do not enable me to distinguish the offences to which the hon. Member refers from other forms of larceny or fraud.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that, despite the apologies tendered by his Department and the Prison Commissioners for the failure of the Brixton Prison authorities to provide facilities for the Rev. Oscar Smart, Crayford Baptist Church, to have a private interview with a prisoner parishioner, the Rev. Smart has now had a similar experience with the Governor of Her Majesty's Prison, Eastchurch, Sheerness; and what action he is taking to see that the governors of all Her Majesty's prisons are acquainted with the standing instructions of the Prison Commissioners and their obligations in matters of this nature.

I understand that the incident at Eastchurch of which the hon. Member complains was not due to disregard of the Prison Commissioners' instructions but to shortage of accommodation. I have written to the hon. Member explaining the matter more fully.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement upon the recent disturbance at Dartmoor Prison; and what action he will take to prevent a recurrence; and(2) if he is satisfied with the standard of food at Dartmoor Prison; and if he will make a statement.

I made a full statement about this matter on 12th December in my reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, North (Mr. Hyde). Since then the prison has been following normal routine and there have been no further incidents. I would only add that I am satisfied that the quality of the food was and is satisfactory and was not related to the real cause of the demonstration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the remarks of the Lord Chief Justice in the case of Williams versus Gibbs regarding the need for revision of the law concerning indecent assaults; and if he will take steps to amend the law accordingly.

The point to which the Lord Chief Justice drew attention has been noted for legislation when an opportunity occurs, but it is not an entirely simple matter, and I cannot say when it will be possible for legislation to be introduced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that on 22nd November, 1957, at about 12 noon Dr. B. Rogol was urgently called to visit the National Heart Hospital in Westmoreland Street and having tried without success to park his car for a considerable time, found a space in New Cavendish Street without realising that it was too close to a pedestrian crossing to leave the car, and that when he came out of the hospital 10 minutes later for further urgent visits he found his car had been driven away by the police, even though they knew it was a doctor's car; and if he will issue instructions to the police not to take away doctors' cars in such circumstances.

I am aware of the incident mentioned by my hon. Friend, but as there is a possibility of court proceedings I cannot comment upon it. As regards the general question, while the difficulties experienced by doctors in finding parking space in central London are appreciated and the police give all the help they can, they must be free to remove a doctor's car in an appropriate, case when the owner cannot be traced It would obviate the need for removal in most cases if doctors having to park in a busy area were to adopt the practice recommended by the Commissioner of Police of leaving a note on the windscreen giving the owner's name and the place where he can be found.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that two policemen living in Knockholt, Kent, and formerly carrying out their duties there, have been put on duty in Farnborough while the policing of Knockholt is carried out by police motor-cycle patrols from Farnborough; whether he will emphasise to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis the practical and traditional value of the village policeman in the Metropolitan area; and if he will require him to restore these policemen to their former duties in Knockholt.

With the spread of mechanisation, substantial changes in the policing of outer London must be accepted in the interests of overall efficiency. I am aware of those which have been made at Knockholt, which are a matter for the Commissioner of Police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that many pepole, including some hon. Members, have been annoyed by letters inciting to race hatred purporting to come from the Ku Klux Klan; and what steps he will take to control this nuisance, which is liable to result in breaches of the peace.

I am aware that such letters have been received and have caused annoyance to the recipients. These activities have been on a very small scale, but are being carefully watched. If they seem likely to lead to a breach of the peace appropriate action will he taken at once.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for nuisance caused by smoke emission from motor vehicles have been made since 1st April last under the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1955 and 1957; and how many of these have been successful.

During the six months ended 30th September, 1957, seventeen in the Metropolitan Police District; a conviction resulted in each case. Figures for other areas are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will agree to the demolition of the air-raid shelter at Long Lawford, Rugby, since there are now plans for the development of the land behind it.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take the necessary action to enable the Registrar-General to keep records and to publish details of numbers of suicides, analysed by categories of ascribed motive.

No. I do not think that motives could be ascribed with sufficient accuracy to produce an analysis of any value.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent he estimates the recent action taken by the French Government to reduce the imports of Scotch whisky is likely to affect the whisky export trade.

The action to which the hon. Member refers is not likely to affect the whisky export trade as a whole by more than one per cent., but exports to France may be reduced to some 20 per cent. of the 1956 level.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements have been made for his Department to take part in the forthcoming inquiry by the British Association into the practical implications of a change-over to the metric system in this country,

The expert knowledge of my Department will be at the Association's disposal. I welcome the initiative which the British Association has taken in this important matter; we shall be very interested to know in due course the results of its investigation.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will make a statement on the disposal of the Crown built slaughterhouses.

Arrangements are in hand for the sale to local authorities of three of these seven slaughterhouses. In two other cases negotiations for sale to the local authorities concerned are proceeding. In the two remaining cases the question of disposal is being treated as an urgent matter.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what arrangements exist for providing abstracts of technical literature in the chemical field.

In the debate on scientific information services on 7th June last, I said that we in the United Kingdom are now relying on a United States service for abstracts of chemical literature. My statement only applied to the field of pure chemistry. The Society of Chemical Industry publishes in its Journals abstracts, scientific papers and literature in the field of applied chemistry. Some research associations and D.S.I.R. establishments also publish abstracts in this field. I am advised that those concerned with pure chemistry are at no practical disadvantage through having to use American abstracts.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the total sum of money provided in the 1957–58 Naval Estimates for the pay and allowances of uniformed personnel in the Royal Navy and also for civil employees of his Department, showing in the latter case the figures for industrial and non-industrial staff separately.

Yes. The figures are as follows:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps are being taken by organisations for which Her Majesty's Government are responsible to promote the study of the English language in Commonwealth countries.

As the White Paper on the Overseas Information Services (Cmnd. 225) pointed out, "the English language is a commodity in great demand all over the world" and "the demand for the teaching of English greatly exceeds the supply". This is likely to increase since English is the lingua franca of a great part of the world of technology and trade. In paragraphs 26–29, the White Paper described a number of additional steps which the United Kingdom proposes to take to assist in meeting this demand.In independent Commonwealth countries, the British Council will be the body responsible for carrying out the White Paper's recommendations in consultation with Commonwealth education authorities. A start has already been made. British Council specialists in the teaching of English are already in post in India, Pakistan and Ceylon, to provide advice and assistance, and one such specialist has been attached to the staff of the Allahabad Institute in India to assist in the training of Indian teachers of English. Additional specialist teachers are being appointed. Within the last three months, Edinburgh University has established a School of Applied Linguistics for research and training in the teaching of English, and two experts from the Commonwealth, one from India and one from Pakistan, are participating in the first year's work. In addition, the Ministry of Education have established a unit to assist in recruiting United Kingdom teachers for overseas posts and to help in placing teachers on their return. They have circularised local education authorities emphasising the importance of a proper supply of suitably qualified teachers to take up key posts overseas.Next year, in accordance with the White Paper, the British Council plan to send several more specialists in English teaching to India and Pakistan, and to Malaya. It will also second three of its officers to serve on the staff of the Indian Central Institute of English Language Teaching which is expected to open at Hyderabad in 1958. In addition, it is hoped next year, to send a number of United Kingdom teachers to teach English in Commonwealth countries, their salaries being supplemented where necessary by the British Council, and to bring, on British Council scholarships, 15 selected individuals from the Commonwealth to study English language teaching in the United Kingdom. The British Council is planning, in addition, to increase the supply of text-books, book exhibitions, etc., on the English language. The British Broadcasting Corporation will substantially expand its "English by Radio" courses.These are some of the ways in which we are stepping up our share of the effort needed to meet the demand throughout the independent Commonwealth for greater facilities for the study and teaching of the English language.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent the adverse effects which primary vaccination may have on the fœtus, if done during the first three months of pregnancy, may also occur in connection with inoculation with anti-polio vaccine.

I am advised that there is no good evidence of any adverse effects on the fœtus, apart from the extremely remote risk of generalised infection associated with smallpox vaccination; and that even this risk is not present in the case of poliomyelitis vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health what consideration he has given to the Report of the Inter-Departmental

The recommendations made by the Committee were considered at the time, but action was deferred by the war. Such recommendations as are my right hon. and learned Friend's concern have been largely implemented since the Committee reported by the improvements in the social and economic factors relating to childbirth and the availability of free maternity services under the National Health Service. He is, however, keeping under constant review the measures needed to reduce avoidable maternal deaths, including those due to abortion.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the unemployed figures for Leicester City by trades for September, October and November, 1956, and for September and October, 1957, and by trades and by sex for November, 1957.

The following table gives the information desired.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the shops in the new town centre at East Kilbride will be ready for occupation.

I understand that the first six of the 29 shops comprising the initial phase of the town centre development at East Kilbride are likely to be occupied by mid-March; and the others soon thereafter.