asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will make a statement on the staffing of his Departments' pensions offices in and about the City of Aberdeen, indicating, in particular, how many employees, and of which grades, were employed there during each of the last five years and including the year 1957,

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what weekly increase in National Assistance expenditure has taken place in Wales due to higher rent charges imposed under the what redundancy now exists, and why it has occurred.

In common with all offices of my Department the duties, numbers and grades of these staffs are kept under constant review in the light of the needs of the work. I expect that by the end of March, 1958, the decrease in the volume of the work in the National Insurance Office and in the War Pensions Office at Aberdeen will permit a reduction of two in the staffs of each office.

Up to 18th January about 12,000 weekly Assistance grants in Wales had been increased by 5s. a week on average to provide for rent increases under the Rent Act. I explained to the hon. Member in reply to his Question on 18th November last why it is not possible to calculate the additional expenditure on this account.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount of National Assistance granted for special clothes allowance and for nourishment, respectively, in Wales during the years 1955, 1956, and 1957 separately.

The National Assistance Board informs me that during 1955, 1956 and 1957, grants totalling £62,597, £58,027 and £56,148, respectively, were made in Wales to meet exceptional needs, mostly but not entirely for clothing. Information about additional allowances included in weekly grants to provide for special diets or other special needs is obtained annually on the basis of a sample examination of cases. It is

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons are drawing allowances under the Workmen's Compensation and Benefit (Supplementation) Act, 1956; and how many of them reside in the Borough and Rural District of Newcastle-under-Lyme.

At 31st October, 1957, the latest date for which information is available, about 8,650 allowances were in payment. The information asked estimated that in November, 1955, about 44,000 weekly grants in Wales included additions for special diet averaging 6s. 10d., and in November, 1956, 48,000 at an average of 6s. 11d. The similar information for 1957 is not yet available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the number of recipients of National Assistance, in the area covered by the Parliamentary constituency of Kelvingrove, for each of the months from October, 1951, until the latest convenient stated date.

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that figures are not available for the Parliamentary constituency of Kelvingrove, but I am publishing below figures for the Board's area office which serves the whole of this constituency and part of another.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what consideration is being given to improving the scale of allowances under the Workmen's Compensation and Benefit (Supplementation) Act, 1956.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for East Ham, North (Mr. Prentice) last Monday.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent fresh and canned deciduous and citrus fruit to be bought from the United States of America under a recent agreement was unobtainable within the Commonwealth or Colonial Empire.

Commonwealth and Colonial supplies of canned grape fruit and fresh lemons are insufficient and imports of canned peaches and fruit cocktail from the United States will represent only 3 per cent. of our imports of canned fruit. None of these imports will cost us dollars. I could not agree that supplies should be restricted solely to Commonwealth sources.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of applications for improvement grants have been approved in Wales, and in Glamorgan, respectively; and how these proportions compare with the proportion approved in the United Kingdom as a whole.

At the end of December, 1957, the proportion of applications finally approved was 10·3 per cent. in Wales and Monmouthshire, 9·1 per cent. in Glamorgan and 16·4 per cent. in the United Kingdom as a whole.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much money his Department spent during the last financial year on research into farm buildings.

The sum of £3,226.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will give a general direction to the Central Electricity Authority to arrange for the by-passing of private electric meters and the direct tapping of cables in the vicinity of all serious rail and air accidents, in order to enable rescue work to be carried out.

The Electricity Boards have their own emergency services and do, as a matter of course, assist the police and rescue services by providing power supplies on being asked. I am, however, getting in touch with the boards and with the departments concerned to ensure that the means of obtaining the boards' assistance in emergencies are known to all concerned.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will give a general direction to the Gas Council and the electricity boards to study the problems involved in joint meter readings with a view to effecting economies.

As my noble Friend explained in another place on 5th February, he has decided to set up a Committee to examine the possibility of co-operation between area boards in the two industries in the performance of this sort of function.

asked the Paymaster-General what steps the Government intend to take to protect the public against the risks of radioactive contamination resulting from the operation of nuclear reactors by bodies other than the Atomic Energy Authority.

The Government intend to introduce legislation to ensure, by a system of licensing and inspection, that nuclear reactors on land are made effectively subject to control in the interest of public safety. All owners of such reactors will be subject to the same duty as the Atomic Energy Authority of preventing damage to property or personal injury from radioactive contamination. They will, therefore, be liable to pay compensation for such damage even if it is due to an unavoidable accident, except of course to the extent that the claimant injured has been guilty of contributory negligence. In order to make this provision effective a reactor owner will be required to insure his liability or to show that he is holding adequate liquid assets. In these circumstances, the Government have decided that it would be right to put some limit on the amount of compensation which reactor owners might have to pay in respect of any one incident. They propose, therefore, to include in the legislation a provision fixing this limit at £5 million in respect of each installation, a figure which they are advised is much more than adequate to cover any reasonably foreseeable risk.The insurance market has informed the Government that it is ready to provide the necessary cover.The liability of the Atomic Energy Authority will be unaffected.Problems of reactors in ships, submarines and aircraft require further study having regard particularly to the international aspects.

asked the Paymaster-General what would be the resultant annual saving to the finances of the National Coal Board if production of the most expensive 10 million tons of annual output were stopped; and what type of coal would be affected.

The latest figures available are for 1956 when the National Coal Board estimate that the saving would have been about £14 million, representing some 2 million tons of anthracite, 4 million tons of carbonisation coals and 4 million tons of general-purpose coals. In that year however home production could not have been so substantially reduced without resort to more costly imports.

asked the Paymaster-General how much has been granted to the National Coal Board under Section 11 (b) of the-Coal-Mining (Subsidence) Act. 1950, towards compensation for coal-mining subsidence.

In total £1,250,000.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board, or himself take steps, to appoint a committee of inquiry to examine the whole question of grading and pricing of coal.

No. The National Coal Board customarily consults my noble Friend before making general price changes. In addition it discusses its proposals with consumers' organisations, including the Industrial and Domestic Coal Consumers' Councils. On the grading of house coals it has the advice of the distributive trade.

asked the Minister of Supply what arrangements have been made for the disposal of Army surplus during the current financial year.

The disposal of surplus Army stores is proceeding as in previous years, but on an increased scale owing to the changes in the defence programme. The arrangements were described in a statement made by the then Prime Minister on 16th May, 1956. I am sending the right hon. Gentleman a copy.

asked the Minister of Health the normal staffing proportion of nurses during night and day, respectively, for a ward of twenty chronic sick elderly patients.

Conditions vary so widely between hospitals that there is no staffing proportion that could be regarded as normal for chronic sick elderly patients generally.

asked the Minister of Health how many tuberculosis patients were in Welsh hospitals at the latest convenient date; and how this figure compares with 1950.

On 1st February, 1958, the number was 1,852, and in 1950 it was 2,295.

asked the Minister of Health at which centres in this country equipment is available for the surgical closure of ventricular septal defects in young children; and how many such operations on young children have been performed.

I circulate below a list of the centres at which according to my information such equipment is available or shortly to become available. I regret that I am unable to supply the information asked for in the second part of the Question.

asked the Minister of Health how many people were waiting to enter hospitals in Wales at the latest convenient date; what is the average waiting period; and how these figures compare with the figures for six years ago.

30,547 at the end of September as compared with 40,003 at the end of 1951. I regret that information as to the average waiting time is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what instruction or guidance have been given to the hospital management committees on the searching of staff or property of staff by the police when carrying out investigations into alleged felonies.

None.

asked the Minister of Health how far he has given advice or instruction to hospital management committees to require the assurance from local fire authorities that satisfactory fire-exits are provided in the additions to hospital buildings or new hospital buildings.

The attention of hospital authorities has been drawn to a number of publications on fire precautions, including a study by a panel appointed by the Nuffield Provincial Hospitals Trust, which gives advice on the provision of exits and urges early consultation with fire authorities. Hospital authorities are also required to consult planning and byelaw authorities.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to approve the extension of the National Heart Hospital, Westmoreland Street, London, W.1, the plans for which were originally forwarded to his Department in 1949.

This is a large and expensive scheme which has been subject to considerable revision since it was first submitted by the Board of Governors in 1950. I hope to be able shortly to authorise the board to proceed with its latest proposals.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the urgent need for more male nurses in Cardiff hospitals; and what steps he is taking to recruit the necessary numbers.

Yes. The hospital authorities are seeking to recruit the nurses they need and the vacant posts have been advertised locally and nationally.

asked the Minister of Health the number of aged people who are chronic hospital cases in Cardiff and who have also been certified insane during each of the past five years.

No chronic sick hospital patients have been so certified.

asked the Minister of Health the number of general hospitals in Wales where Part III accommodation is provided for elderly homeless people; and whether he will make a statement.

There are 13 hospitals in Wales at which Part III accommodation is provided for persons, including aged persons, in need of care and attention. The number of persons in need of care for whom accommodation is provided by local authorities in hospitals under a transitional provision of the National Assistance Act is slowly declining but it is not at present possible to say when these arrangements can be brought to an end.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the treatment of disseminated sclerosis by the Margolies-Shubladze vaccine; to what extent the results obtained by its use have been successful; and whether he will make a statement.

I know of this vaccine, but am advised that the evidence at present available is not sufficient to enable an opinion to be given on its efficacy or safety in treatment.

asked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to the new Russian vaccine which is reported to ease if not cure those people suffering from multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Barking (Mr. Hastings) today.

asked the Minister of Health how many domiciliary visits were made by consultants and senior hospital medical officers for which claims for payment have been submitted to the four metropolitan regional hospital boards during 1956–57 in respect of general medicine, general surgery, gynaecology, anasthetics, diseases of the chest, paediatrics, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, otorhino-laryngology, pathology, physical medicine, psychological medicine, radiology, tropical medicine, and urology, respectively.

The number of domiciliary visits in the area of the metropolitan hospital boards in 1956, the last year for which figures are available, was as follows:

asked the Minister of Health if he can give a precise date when supplies of polio vaccine will be available in the Harrow and Wembley areas in sufficient quantities for the vaccination of schoolchildren.

No, but increased supplies of vaccine are now being distributed regularly to local health authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he is discussing, and with what countries, for altering the present laws regarding the admission of aliens to this country as a result of the participation by Great Britain in a European Free Trade Area or European Common Market; and what conclusions have so far been reached.

In the negotiations at present proceeding in Paris for the establishment of a European Free Trade Area there has been some consideration of the question whether, as regards the admission of aliens, it would be desirable and appropriate to make some modifications of administrative practice as a result of our participation in the Area, but at present no proposals are under discussion which would involve an alteration of existing legislation on the subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the cost of civil defence in West Sussex during 1957; how many persons were engaged in full-and part-time civil defence duties during that year; and how these figures compare with 1956 and 1946.

In the financial year 1956–57 expenditure by the West Sussex County Council on civil defence functions for which I am the responsible Minister was £38,262. The corresponding figure for 1955–56 was £41,148. In 1946–47 when the local authorities did not have their present functions under the Civil Defence Act, 1948, expenditure of £20,230 was incurred by the County Council and by County District Councils in winding up the war-time organisation concerned with functions for which my Department was responsible.On 31st December, 1957, the County Council employed seven persons on full-time duties as civil defence officers and instructors, which was one more than a year before. In addition some 100 persons were available in each year for occasional duty as instructors. Figures for 1946 are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many blankets have been sold by his Department during the past two years, to the latest convenient date; and how much money was obtained.

During the calendar years 1956 and 1957 the Prison Commissioners sold 200 prison-made blankets for £266; and 318 blankets were sold from the civil defence stockpile for £228 11 s. 6d.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many blankets have been bought by his Department during the past two years, to the latest convenient date; and how much has been paid for them.

During the calendar years 1956 and 1957, 78 blankets were purchase by district police training centres at a cost of £135 8s. A further 137 blankets, costing £358, were bought for hotels in the Carlisle and District State Management Scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the estimated cost of the charge on public funds for maintaining Eloisa Carbajo's child until the age of 16 years.

I hope that this woman will not abandon her child. If she does, the charge, if any, to public funds will depend on the arrangements made for its care.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will stop the importation of Alaskan blue peas for canning purposes, and so give the Lincolnshire farmers a fair chance of selling their traditional pea crop instead of having the pea acreage reduced by 50 per cent.

No. Home growers are in any case protected by the tariff.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the offer by the Federal Government of Germany of an interest free payment of £100 million to finance arms purchases in this country instead of paying support costs for our troops in Germany.

No. The offer made by the Federal German Government is at present under consideration and it would be inappropriate for me to say more at present.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury the estimated yield for a full financial year of the hydrocarbon oil duties at a rate of tax of 2s. 6d. per gallon; and what the tax would work out per gallon if the estimated yield was spread over the whole field of users of such oils.

My right hon. Friend, the Member for Monmouth (Mr. P. Thorneycroft) estimated at the time of his Budget on 9th April, 1957, that, at the rates of duty he then introduced—viz., 2s. 6d. a gallon for imported oils and is. 3d. for indigenous oils—and allowing for the higher rates previously in force, the yield of the hydrocarbon oil duties in the present financial year would amount to £340 million. Spread over the total quantity of hydrocarbon oils expected to he delivered for use in this country in the same period, this amount would represent about 1s. 1d. a gallon.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish his estimate of the loss to the United Kingdom and sterling area of the fixing of the price of gold at the 1938 level of $35 per ounce.

I regret that it is impossible to make a reliable estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on what basis he makes foreign currency available for boxers attending world and other championship fights in this country; and what boxing organisations he consults before making this foreign currency available as prize money;(2) what recent approaches he has received from British boxing promoters to enable boxers from overseas to enter this country and win purse money, which money is eventually transferable out of the country and into foreign currency.

Those boxers who are allowed to come here and take part in fights in this country are also permitted by the Exchange Control to remit overseas any prize money they receive.It would not be in the public interest for me to disclose individual applications which may have been made to the Exchange Control for such permission.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on plans for the Slough by-pass; when it is proposed to begin construction; and when it is anticipated the by-pass will be in use.

I hope to publish in about two months' time a draft Order setting out my proposals for alterations to the side roads affected by this by-pass. Provided there are no serious objections to this Order and no unusual difficulties in the acquisition of land, construction of the by-pass should begin in the summer of 1959 and be completed in about two years.

asked the hon. Member for Woolwich, West, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, the weekly takings for the Members' Dining Room for each week since the beginning of the present session.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary of of State for Air the names of the three wing commanders in the Education Branch of the Royal Air Force who are not on engagements under which they can continue to serve until they are 60 years of age.

I am writing to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Education if he will publish in HANSARD a table showing the present staffing ratios

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the recent stoppage of work at the Pressed Steel Company's factory, near Swindon.

About 1,100 workers employed by the Pressed Steel Company Limited, Swindon, ceased work on 4th February in connection with a wages claim which has been rejected by the firm. I understand that the strike was unofficial. Work was resumed today 10th February, to allow negotiations under the agreed procedure to continue.

asked the Postmaster-General how many new subscribers were connected to the telephone system in in secondary grammar and secondary modern schools, respectively, in each county and county borough of England and Wales.

I am sending these figures to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of unemployed, showing male and female separately, signing the register at White-haven, Cleator Moor, and Millom Exchanges, at the latest available date in January, 1958, and for the corresponding dates in 1957 and 1956, respectively.

The following table gives the information desired:North Down between 1st January and 31st December, 1957, or in such other convenient period of twelve months as indicates recent progress in telephone development.

Six hundred and seventy-eight new subscribers' lines were connected in North Down during 1957.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications by those desirous of becoming new telephone subscribers were outstanding in North Down on 31st December, 1956, and on 31st December, 1957, respectively.

The figures were 490 and 363 respectively. More than half the latter were under inquiry or in course of being met.

asked the Postmaster. General how many new telephone kiosks for public use were installed in North Down between 1st January and 31st December, 1957, or in such other convenient period of twelve months as indicates recent progress in telephone development.

Three kiosks were installed during 1957. We expect to provide seven more this year.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent the radio-iodine content in the atmosphere increased in the London area following the Windscale atomic reactor accident; by how much it has now decreased in activity; and whether he will instruct the Medical Research Council to report to what extent it may have proved harmful genetically to all who were affected by it.

I have been asked to reply.Radioactive iodine was detectable in the atmosphere over London after the Windscale accident on 11th, 12th and 13th October, 1957, but in very much smaller amounts than in the Windscale area. By 14th October, 1957, the level had fallen below the limits of detection.At the Prime Minister's request, the Medical Research Council considered possible hazards to human health, including genetic hazards, arising from the accident. Its report, published as Annex III of the White Paper on the accident (Cmnd. 302), concluded that it was

asked the Prime Minister whether the Medical Research Council has monitored fall-out on the Pennine range in the same detail as it has on the Welsh mountains; what fall-out of strontium 90 has been recorded; and to what extent it has been found in sheep bones.

I have been asked to reply.Although monitoring of fall-out in the Pennines has not been done in the same detail as in certain areas of the Welsh mountains, samples have been taken from two sites there and arrangements to increase this number are in hand. The data on fall-out of strontium 90 and the amounts found in sheep bone samples are contained in periodical reports published by the Atomic Energy Authority, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House as they become available.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in view of the fact that the aircraft-detection frigate "Lincoln", laid down in 1952–53, is still on the stocks and the anti-aircraft frigate "Leopard" launched in 1955, is still nowhere near completion, whether he is satisfied that, whilst there have been no cancellations in the frigate programme, there have been no undue delays in the completion of these two ships; and if he will make a statement.

H.M.S. "Lincoln" was in fact laid down in June, 1955, and not in 1952–53. An earlier start was prevented owing to the prior claims of merchant shipbuilding on the shipyard.H.M.S. "Leopard" which was launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in May, 1955, is expected to be completed this year. Progress has been affected by the priority demands made on the dockyard's resources by the immense task of reconstructing and fitting out the aircraft carrier "Victorious."