asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what percentage by value of weapons and engineering stores, other than ships and aircraft required by his Department, is at present being manufactured, respectively, by H.M. Dockyards, Royal Ordnance factories and private industry.

The Royal Dockyards are essentially large ship repairing establishments, and are not used regularly for the manufacture of either weapons or engineering stores.Approximately 2 per cent. by value of all the weapons, ammunition and explosives now on order for the Navy is being manufactured in Naval Armament Supply Factories, and a further 8 per cent. approximately in the Royal Ordnance Factories. The remaining 90 per cent. is being manufactured by private industry; as are practically all the engineering stores required by the Royal Navy.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will now make a statement about the first part of the Report of Sir Barclay Nihill's Committee.

Yes.The Board of Admiralty has now considered the first part of the Report of the Committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Barclay Nihill which has examined the organisation for handling the materiel requirements of the Admiralty, including the headquarters departments of the Controller and the Dockyards.As a result of this examination the Fourth Sea Lord, while continuing to perform his present duties in the field of supplies and transport, will, on behalf of the Controller, assume responsibility for superintendence of the Dockyards and maintenance of the Fleet. His title will be amended to "Fourth Sea Lord and Vice-Controller".

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, on the basis of figures available to him from his representatives in the United Nations or other international organisations, he will state the prices paid to farmers for potatoes in Canada, France, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom, including United Kingdom acreage payments, at the last convenient date.

The average price per long ton received by farmers for main crop potatoes in the U.K. in 1955–56 was approximately 17·8 and £11·2 in 1956–57. There have been no acreage payments since 1950–51.The figures for the other countries referred to can be found in F.A.O. publication "Prices of Agricultural Products and Fertilisers 1955–56" (ref. AGRI/112).There are no figures available for Canada.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many owners of agricultural land have, by reason of bad estate management, been placed under his supervision in England and Wales together and in Warwickshire, respectively, in each of the last four years;(2) how many occupiers of agricultural units have, on the grounds of bad husbandry, been placed under his supervision in England and Wales together and in Warwickshire, respectively, in each of the last four years;

	1954	1955	1956	1957 (to date)
Husbandry Supervision Orders made:
England and Wales	179	46	28	3
Warwickshire	11	7	1	—
Estate Management Supervision Orders made:
England and Wales	56	24	12	—
Warwickshire	6	1	—	—
Dispossession Orders under Section 17 made in respect of owner/occupiers:
England and Wales	6*	2	—	—
Warwickshire	—	—	—	—
Dispossession Orders under Section 17 made in respect of tenant-occupiers:
England and Wales	13	4	—	1
Warwickshire	1	1	—	—
Cases where compulsory purchase has been completed under Section 16:
England and Wales	2	2	3	1
Warwickshire	—	—	—	—
* This figure includes one occupier who owned only part of the unit.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the policy of Her Majesty's Government for the adequate equipment of farm land is being frustrated by certain local authorities which as a matter of principle refuse grants under the Housing Acts, 1949 and 1954, for the improvement of farm cottages; and if he will introduce legislation to amend the Agriculture Act, 1957, to include grants for the improvement of such cottages.

No. My right hon. Friend is not aware that any appreciable

The following table gives the information:number of rural district councils have as a matter of principle refused grants under the Housing Acts for the improvement of farm cottages.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make a statement about the approval of spring traps under Section 8 of the Pests Act, 1954.

An Order has been made under Section 8 (3) of the Pests Act, 1954, approving the following traps for use in England and Wales:

Imbra Trap Mark I	For killing or taking rabbits in rabbit holes and for killing or taking grey squirrels and stoats, weasels, rats, mice or other small ground vermin in artificial tunnels constructed for the purpose.
Imbra Trap Mark II
Juby Trap
Fenn Vermin Traps	For killing or taking grey squirrels and stoats, weasels, rats, mice or other small ground vermin in artificial tunnels set for the purpose or for killing or taking rats and mice in the open on their runs.
Mark I, Mark II
and Mark III
Fuller Trap	For killing or taking grey squirrels.

The Imbra Mark I, the Fenn Vermin and the Fuller traps are already in production and on sale, while it is understood that supplies of the Imbra Mark II and the Juby traps should be available for sale in about three months' time. Demonstrations in the use of these traps will be arranged by the Ministry's pests staff in England and Wales.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the land has now been acquired for the building of the Meteorological Office in Bracknell New Town; when it is anticipated that the building will be commenced; and when the staff will be transferred.

Financial approval has now been given for the acquisition of the site at Bracknell, and I understand that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works expects its purchase to be completed shortly and that building will start in the autumn of 1958. On this basis, staff will begin to be transferred during 1960, and it is hoped to complete the move in 1961.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the numbers, respectively, of officers and men below air vice marshal rank and of officers of air vice marshal rank and above serving in the Royal Air Force on 1st December, 1957, 1st December, 1955, 1st December, 1953, and 1st December, 1951.

Following are the figures:

—	R.A.F. Officers of the rank of Air Vice Marshal and above	R.A.F. Officers below Air Vice Marshal rank and airmen
1stDecember, 1951	101	256,517
1stDecember, 1953	103	262,720
1stDecember, 1955	98	238,505
1stDecember, 1957 (provisional)	105	198,242

The one Marshal of the Royal Air Force holding an active appointment is included.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the numbers, respectively, of officers and men below air commodore rank and of officers of air commodore rank and above serving in the Royal Air Force on 1st December, 1957, 1st December, 1955, 1st December, 1953, and 1st December, 1951.

Following are the figures:

—	R.A.F Officers of the rank of Air Commodore and above	R.A.F. Officers below air Commodore rank and airmen
1st December, 1951	237	256,381
1st December, 1953	245	262,578
1st December, 1955	237	238,366
1st December, 1957 (provisional)	244	198,103

The one Marshal of the Royal Air Force holding an active appointment is included.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consultation took place with the Representative Member attached to the Agricultural Department and with the Chamber of Commerce, the Clove Growers' Association and the United Agriculturist Organisation in Zanzibar before the composition of the trade mission to India was arranged.

Of the four members of the mission, one was nominated by the board of management of the Clove Growers' Association—the organisation which markets the clove crop—and the other three were accepted by that board. Direct consultation with the Chamber of Commerce was not considered necessary, as the views of members of the Chamber interested in the clove industry can be represented through the board of management of the Clove Growers' Association. As the problem with which the mission is concerned is commercial, not agricultural, its composition was not discussed with the Representative Member associated with agriculture, the Agricultural Department or the United Agriculturist Organisation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the principal crops marketed by co-operative societies in Tanganyika, the value of each of these crops in each year from 1948 to the latest available year and the percentages of the total crop which these figures represent;(2) whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the principal crops marketed by co-operative societies in Uganda, the value of each of these crops in each year from 1948 to the latest available year and the percentages of the total crop which these figures represent:(3) whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the principal crops marketed by African co-operative societies in Kenya, the value of each of these crops in each year from 1948 to the latest available year and the percentages of the total crops which these figures represent.

The compilation of the tables requested will take a little time, but I will circulate such information as is available as soon as possible in the Official Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the functions of the Mobile Unit in Northern Rhodesia; and how these have been discharged in the district of Mpulungu, in Namukolo's village and the villages of Chiefs Mpande and Nsokolo during the month of November.

The main function of the Mobile Unit of the Police Force is to provide a reserve force to assist in the maintenance of law and order; it can be used to reinforce police stations and to provide additional numbers of men when required for police purposes.A platoon of the unit accompanied the District Commissioner last month when he visited several villages in the Abercorn District where villagers had been acting in defiance of the Native Authority. The villages visited included Niamkolo but the information available to me does not show whether they included the others mentioned by the hon. Member which are, however, in the same area.

asked the Minister of Education the total estimated cost of the 117 Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools for which commencement of building has been approved.

The 117 schools referred to in the Answer I gave my hon. Friend on 29th November will cost about £9½ million.

asked the Minister of Education how many of the 117 Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools which have building approval are expected to start building in 1958, 1959 and 1960, respectively,

Seven have now started. About 60 are expected to start in 1958 and most of the remainder in 1959.

asked the Minister of Education how many of the 117 Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools which have building approval are special agreement schools.

The status of all these schools has not yet been settled, but special agreements have so far been proposed for 25 of them.

asked the Minister of Education (1) the total number of Church of England primary and secondary schools receiving building grant which have been erected, are under construction, and have been approved but not yet started, respectively;(2) the total number of Church of England primary and secondary schools, not receiving any building grant which have been completed, are under construction, and have been approved but not yet started, respectively.

The figures asked for will take some time to prepare, but I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as they are ready.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the crowded conditions at the Bollington Cross Primary School; and what steps he is taking to alleviate this problem and to agree to the recommendations of the local authorities to complete the new school, details of which are contained in a letter now in the hands of his Department.

I agree that this school needs another classroom. There are difficulties about long-term reconstruction of the premises and my Department has now suggested to the authority that it should build a temporary classroom to meet immediate needs. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as I have heard from it.

asked the Minister of Education what new schools were asked for by the Cornwall Education Committee for inclusion in the 1958–59 building programme; and which were sanctioned by him.

The Cornwall Local Education Authority submitted nine projects for new schools and its building programme for 1958–59 now consists of three of them.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet approved the recent Whitley Council agreements relating to clinical psychologists, supervisors in schools in mental deficiency hospitals and biochemists and physicists in the National Health Service.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I approved these agreements today.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent the Coleshill Hall, the Chelmsley, Marston Green, and the Weston Mental Hospitals, respectively, are understaffed in the various categories of employee; and to what extent overtime has to be worked to ensure the efficient working of these hospitals.

The information is as follows:

UNDERSTAFFING AT HOSPITALS IN THE BIRMINGHAM (MENTAL E) GROUP
Category of Employee	Coleshill Hall	Chelmsley	Weston
Medical	—	—	—
Nursing	6	37	25
Works and maintenance	1	1	—
Administrative and clerical	1	—	—
Professional and technical	1	3	—
Domestic and others	3	3	—

WEEKLY AVERAGE OVERTIME WORKED IN THE BIRMINGHAM (MENTAL E) GROUP
Category of Employee	Coleshill Hall (Hours)	Chelmsley (Hours)	Weston (Hours)
Nursing	288	376	117
Works and maintenance	45	40	4
Administrative and clerical	42*	16*	8*
Domestic and others	169	102	18
* This overtime is not being worked at present.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent the Coleshill Hall, the Chelmsley, Marston Green, and the Weston Mental Hospitals, respectively, are overcrowded; and if he will supply figures showing the number of patients actually being cared for in each hospital of this group.

The information is as follows:

NUMBER OF PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS IN THE BIRMINGHAM (MENTAL E) GROUP AND THE PERCENTAGE OVERCROWDING AS AT 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1957
Hospital		Number of Patients	Percentage over-crowding
Coleshill Hall	…	399	11
Chelmsley	…	716	25
Weston	…	229	21

asked the Minister of Health what proposals exist to provide the Colehill Hall, Chelmsley, Marston Green, and Weston Mental Hospital Group with a hostel for patients almost ready to return to normal life; and whether it is his policy that such a hostel should be provided.

The Regional Hospital Board has endeavoured to find suitable premises in the surrounding area for use as a hostel, but so far without success. I am in principle in favour of the provision of hostels of this kind.

asked the Minister of Health what buildings the first phase of the proposed area hospital for Cornwall will comprise; what is the estimated cost and when its completion is expected; how many other phases are planned; what are the estimated costs of each; and when it is anticipated that each of these phases will be completed.

I understand that the plan for a first phase which is now being considered by the Regional Hospital Board provides for a ward block with ancillary departments and for accommodation for doctors and nurses and that the estimated cost is about £850,000. I cannot say at this stage when a first phase or succeeding phases might be completed, how many succeeding phases there might have to be, or what each might cost.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of murders known to the police

(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Year	Number of victims of murder	Number of victims of coal gas poisoning included in col. (2)	Number of victims of poison other than coal gas included in col. (2)
1946	144	18	5
1947	171	18	4
1948	162	21	7
1949	131	19	3
1950	138	11	3
1951	124	20	—
1952	141	29	4
1953	141	24	3
			(including one case of phenobarbitone and coal gas)
1954	145	30	2
1955	133	27	4
			(including one case of aspirin and coal gas)
1956	150	28	8
			(including one case of sleeping tablets and coal gas)
1957 (Jan, to Sept.)	133	26	3
NOTES:
(1) The figures, which relate to England and Wales only, show the number of victims of offences recorded by the police as murder, excluding those which to date have been found to be some other offence, except that for the period since 21st March, 1957, the figures include cases of manslaughter under Sections 2 and 4 of the Homicide Act, 1957, in order that they may be as nearly as possible comparable with the earlier period.
(2) The figures for the current year are not exactly comparable with those for earlier years, because they necessarily contain a higher proportion of cases which have not been disposed of by the courts, some of which may be found not to be murders.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Abortion which was submitted in 1939; and what action he proposes to take to implement the recommendations of the Committee.

So far as my Department is concerned the Committee's principal recommendation was that, subject to certain safeguards, the law should be amended to make it clear that a doctor would not commit an offence if, in good faith, he terminated a pregnancy which he considered likely to endanger the mother's life or seriously to impair her

The following table gives the information for which my hon. Friend asks:health. Legislation for this purpose would be highly controversial and I have no reason to think that there is any practical need for it. I do not propose to introduce legislation to implement certain minor recommendations designed to facilitate prosecutions for criminal abortion.The recommendation that the Poisons Board should be consulted on the desirability of placing further restrictions on the sale of certain abortifacients was implemented in June, 1939; the Board did not recommend any action. The recommendation that a circular should be sent to coroners about the importance of the vigilant investigation of deaths resulting from abortion was implemented in October, 1939.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to give his approval to the recommendations made by the joint negotiating committee for the Probation Service, on 11th October, 1957, with reference to the salaries of officers holding supervisory posts in the Probation Service.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDERS CONFIRMED
			1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956
(a) Under Part V, Housing Act, 1936
Number	…	…	574	545	565	589	393	340	214
Acreage	…	…	4,460	4,987	4,880	4,550	3,460	2,217	852
(b) Under the Town and Country Planning Acts, 1944, and 1947
Number	…	…	51	49	42	41	48	46	33
Acreage	…	…	235	654	185	167	574	129	57

These revised figures supersede some of those already published in the Annual Reports of the Ministry.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what guidance he has recently issued to local authorities concerning the policy to be adopted in considering applications for grants for improvements to farm cottages under the Housing Acts, 1949 and 1954.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) on 3rd December.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will be able to announce the membership and terms of reference of the committee to be appointed to advise him regarding the rating of charities and similar organisations such as friendly societies.

Early in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Labour if, in view of the fact that the last directory of international co-operative

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government the number of compulsory purchase orders confirmed, and the acreage covered, under Part V of the Housing Act, 1936, and the Town and Country Planning Acts, respectively, in each of the seven years 1950 to 1956, inclusive.

The information requested is as follows:organisations was published before the war, and of the value of this publication, he will ascertain what steps are being taken by the International Labour Organisation to issue a new and up-to-date directory.

I am informed that a new edition of the international directory of co-operative organisations is likely to be published early in 1958.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement about the deferment of science and engineering graduates in 1958.

Yes. After consulting my Technical Personnel Committee, I have decided that science and engineering graduates with second class honours who have also taken a higher degree, and who complete a course of study or training in 1958, may be granted indefinite deferment on taking any employment in this country for which a science or engineering qualification of degree standard is required. Indefinite deferment will also be granted next year to graduates with third class honours or pass degrees in chemistry or one of the biological sciences, and to graduates with ordinary or general degrees in science, if they take an approved teaching post in a secondary school.These arrangements are additional to those which have applied to science and engineering graduates in 1957, which will he continued in 1958.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would he the estimated cost over each of the next 10 years of abolishing the means test for old-age pensioners over the age of 70 years and how many in each year would he expected to benefit thereby.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply on November 18th to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackley (Mr. E. Johnson), to which I am not able to add further details.

asked the Paymaster-General whether the experiment in making gas from liquid methane has now proceeded far enough to enable the placing of the contract for the building or chartering of a special tanker suitable for the purpose of transporting liquid methane.

It is the ocean transport of liquid methane which has yet to be proved and it is with this end in view that experimental shipments will be made in a small oil tanker now being converted for the purpose. Only if the experiment is a technical success and confirms the economics of the project will the building of a full-scale liquid methane tanker be considered.

asked the Paymaster-General the anticipated cost per therm of gas produced from liquid methane, as compared with average cost per therm made by gasification of coal.

For commercial reasons I am unable to disclose the estimated cost of liquid methane, but on present expectations the cost per therm of gas from large-scale imports would be less than the cost of coal gas. Future developments in the gasification of low-grade coal may considerably reduce the cost of gas made from coal, but detailed comparison between these two methods must await further research. Nor should it be assumed that in future it will be right to regard them as alternative methods of meeting the same demand.

asked the Postmaster-General what proportion of letters sent to residents in those streets in the Sudbury Ward of Wembley which are in the postal district of Greenford are wrongly addressed; if he is aware that some confusion is caused by the fact that these addresses are not described as being in Wembley; and if he will take steps to make postal addresses correspond more to municipal boundaries.

Ten per cent. to 15 per cent. of this correspondence is wrongly addressed. We have received no complaints in recent years about these addresses and I think that changing them would cause more difficulties than it would solve.

asked the Postmaster-General what progress he has made in setting up the new Committee that is to advise him on broad aspects of frequency allocation.

I am glad to be able to say that Sir Lawrence Bragg, O.B.E., M.C., F.R.S., has kindly consented to become the Chairman of the Committee to which I am also appointing members representative of the radio industry, users' organisations, and Government Departments. I expect the Committee will holds its first meeting as soon as the membership is complete which I expect will be early in the New Year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the number of inns and hotels certificates for the sale of exciseable liquor seven days a week granted or confirmed within the area of the County of Lanark has risen from 41 in 1954 to 45 in 1956; and what is the number held at the present time.

In December, 1954, there were 41 seven-day and 6 six-day certificates in force in respect of hotels in the area. In December, 1956 there were 43 seven-day and 4 six-day certificates, together with 2 provisional certificates for premises not yet completed. At present there are 42 seven-day and 4 six-day certificates, together with 3 provisional certificates for premises not yet completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the road safety hazards at Fiddler's Bridge, Braidwood, Lanarkshire, on A.73; and when the bridge is to be reconstructed.

I am aware of conditions at this bridge and hope to arrange for work to start next year on the construction of a new bridge.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road accidents, fatal and non-fatal, respectively, have occurred since the war at Fiddler's Bridge, Braidwood, Lanarkshire.

Between 1st January, 1949, the earliest date from which records are available, and 30th November, 1957, there have been three accidents involving injury to five persons at this bridge and twenty collisions not involving personal injury.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many accidents involving fatal and non-fatal injuries, respectively, have occurred on the Stirling-Carlisle highway, near Lee Lodge, Lanark, since the war.

Between 1st January, 1950, the earliest date from which records are available, and 30th November, 1957, there were two accidents at or near this point involving one fatality and three injuries, and one collision not involving injury.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what new safety warnings and other precautions he proposes to introduce on the Stirling-Carlisle highway, near Lee Lodge, Lanark, in view of the fatal accident which occurred there on 11th October, and the further accident, involving injury, which occurred near there on 2nd November.

A continuous white line warns traffic of restricted visibility on the trunk road near Lee Lodge, and I do not consider that any useful purpose would be served by further warning signs. The accident on the 11th October involved a vehicle emerging from a private road; I have received no report of any accident in the vicinity on 2nd November.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road accidents, fatal and non-fatal, respectively, have occurred since the war on the hill leading down to Hyndford Bridge, Lanark.

Between 1st January, 1950, the earliest date from which records are available, and 30th November, 1957, there have been three accidents on this hill involving injury to three persons and eight collisions not involving personal injury.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied with existing road safety provisions on the hill leading down to Hyndford Bridge, Lanark, in view of the accident which occurred there on 2nd November.

There are adequate warning signs on the approach to this bridge and road improvements were carried out some years ago at the northern junction of A.73 and A.70 and at the foot of the hill. I understand that the accident on 2nd November occurred when a lorry skidded on the ice and overturned. No one was hurt.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, before a final decision is made as to the site of the proposed hospital for Skye, the views of the people of Skye will be taken into consideration: and whether he will make a statement.

My hon. Friend can be assured that before a final decision is taken about the site of the proposed new hospital in Skye I shall take fully into consideration the representations from Skye which have been made to me. Until the consultations on the scope of the project which are now being undertaken with the Northern Regional Hospital Board are complete I will not he in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the low price for meal and oil at Ullapool in Ross-shire is causing the fishermen a lot of unnecessary sailing: and if he will regrade Ullapool in order to enable the fishermen to earn more.

I am aware that on occasion fishermen landing at Ullapool prefer to take their surplus herring for conversion to oil and meal to a factory port where the price offered is higher. Since the present herring subsidy replaced the former oil and meal subsidy the prices paid for surplus herring have been fixed by the Herring Industry Board on an economic basis.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when work will start on the scheme for supplying water to Portree and the surrounding area from the Storr Springs.

As I told my hon. Friend on 7th March, work on this scheme cannot proceed until the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the Inverness County Council have obtained the necessary statutory authority, the former to relinquish and the latter to obtain rights to water from the Storr Springs. No objections have been received to the water order advertised by the County Council, but objections have been lodged to the constructional scheme published by the board and these are at present under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when work will start on the Portree pier, in view of the fact that tenders were authorised to be sent out in March, 1957, and that there are, at present a considerable number of persons in Portree and the Isle of Skye now available for such work.

An offer of grant for the reconstruction of Portree pier was made by my Department to Inverness County Council on 7th March, 1957. The council submitted its plans and specifications for the work on 5th December and examination of them should be completed early in the new year. The starting date is a matter for agreement between the county council and the contractor eventually selected to do the work.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent he has considered the provisions for legal aid in connection with criminal proceedings contained in the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act, 1949; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend, the Lord Advocate and I have decided that an inquiry into this matter is desirable and I have appointed a Committee with the following terms of reference:

To review the provisions of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Act, 1949, so far as they relate to criminal proceedings and to consider whether and if so to what extent, they should be varied in the light of the experience gained of the operation of that Act in relation to civil proceedings and of any other relevant circumstances.

Lord Guthrie has accepted the Chairmanship and the other members are:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent he has considered the future of the Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act, 1949; and if he will make a statement.

I have decided to appoint a Committee with the following terms of reference:

"To consider whether there is need to continue after 31st December, 1958, the provisions of the Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act, 1949."

Mr. I. H. Shearer, Q.C., has accepted the chairmanship of this Committee and I hope to announce very shortly the names of the other members.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation is he will state, for the latest appropriate period, the number of persons who have suffered death, serious injury, and minor injury, respectively, on the railways of the United Kingdom.

During the period 1st January, 1957, to 30th November, 1957, 23 persons were killed, 41 sustained serious injury and 671 minor injury in train accidents in Great Britain. Casualties in connection with the movement of railway vehicles, excluding train accidents, during the same period were 198 killed, 534 seriously injured, and 5,175 slightly injured.The information about casualties before this period is contained in the Chief Inspecting Officer's of Railways Annual Reports to the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, copies of which are in the Library.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when it is expected to complete the widening and other changes of Hanging Hill Lane, Hutton, Brentwood.

I understand that Brentwood Urban District Council expect shortly to resolve certain objections by frontagers to details of the scheme proposed for the northern part of the lane, and that the work will be carried out as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Minister Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will now approve the construction of the proposed fly-over at Hammersmith.

Yes. I have always felt that this was a necessary part of the Cromwell Road extension. The London County Council, with the agreement of Hammersmith Borough Council, is now willing to go ahead with the scheme, and I hope to be able to make a grant of 75 per cent. towards it in the next financial year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has now given any further consideration to extending the lengths of dual carriageway on the new loop of the Brighton Road round Gatwick Airport; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I have decided to provide dual carriageways between the two existing stretches on the south-east and north-east bends of the loop.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will place in the Library a copy of the Report prepared for the European Conference of Ministers of Transport on the employment of transport by ancillary users on their own account.

The Report is being printed and I will put a copy in the Library as soon as it is available.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the progress made by the European Conference of Ministers of Transport in the preparation of a European Highway Code, as recommended by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in Resolution 138, 1957.

The Assembly of the Council of Europe drew attention to the fact that rules and regulations for road traffic still differ considerably from one country to another and proposed that a European Highway Code should be prepared in order to bring about greater unification. The Economic Commission for Europe has undertaken the preparatory work. I am unable to say when it will be completed.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will list the countries who have ratified the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic.

Notification has been received from the Secretary General of the United Nations that the following countries and territories have ratified or acceded to the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic:

• Australia.
• Austria.
• Belgium (together with Belgian Congo and Trust Territories of Ruanda—Urundi)
• Cambodia.
• Ceylon.
• Cuba.
• Czechoslovakia.
• Denmark.
• Dominican Republic.
• Egypt.
• Formosa.
• France (together with all French overseas Territories, Togoland, Cameroons under French mandate and Principality of Andorra).
• Greece.
• Israel.
• Italy.
• Luxembourg.
• Monaco.
• Morocco.
• Netherlands.
• Netherlands New Guinea.
• Norway.
• Peru.
• Philippines.
• Portugal (together with all overseas provinces except Macao)
• Surinam
• Sweden.
• Syria.
• Tunisia.
• Turkey.
• Union of South Africa (together with S.W Africa).
• United Kingdom.
• U S.A. (together with all territories for whose international relations U.S.A. is responsible)
• Vatican City.
• Viet-Nam.
• Yugoslavia.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if, in his discussions with representatives of British Overseas Airways Corporation, British European Airways and the Russian civil air delegation, he will seek adequate safeguards for British independent airlines and, in particular, for the development by British air services on routes between Great Britain and South America.

In all discussions both with the British air corporations and with the aeronautical authorities of other countries I shall continue to bear in mind the interests of our independent airlines. The talks which have just been concluded with a Soviet civil aviation delegation were concerned only with a reciprocal service between London and Moscow to be operated by British European Airways and the Soviet airline Aeroflot. As regards South America, I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave on 24th July to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. A. Roberts).

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent he has exchanged views with the Port of New York Authority about the noise of the new large jet aircraft intended for service on the North Atlantic route.

Yes, I am in close touch with the Port of New York Authority, as with the major European airport authorities, and we keep each other continuously informed. I understand that the New York Authority fully shares the view I have already expressed in the House that before these very powerful aircraft have unrestricted use of airports in built-up areas we must be satisfied that the level of noise is not such as to cause intolerable disturbance to residents in the neighbourhood.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the total amount lost by the Treasury, in the form of profit forgone on the basis of the premium at the commencement of dealings, as a consequence of the Government not having exercised its right to take up shares in the recent issue of British Petroleum.

No. The calculation would be altogether too hypothetical.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reply he has sent to the Sheffield City Council in answer to its resolution of 3rd December, which has been sent to him, asking for consideration to be given to a reduction in the tax on fuel oil used by public service passenger transport vehicles, in view of the increasing difficulties of maintaining an adequate transport service at reasonable fares.

The reply was to the effect that I had taken note of the resolution.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what relief in taxation a married man with no children receives in 1957–58 if his earned income is £8,000 per year, and he subscribes £1,000 per year to a company's staff superannuation scheme; and what relief in Profits Tax and Income Tax a company gets if it pays the same amount to the scheme in respect of such a member of its staff.

The answer to the first part of the Question depends or the nature of the scheme, and on various other factors. The relief to the company for an ordinary annual contribution of £1,000 would be £455.