asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how many British information officers there are in Ghana; and what is the scope of their work and the extent of their staffs.

There are two United Kingdom based information officers in Ghana, both stationed in Accra. Their task is to keep Ghanaian opinion informed of United Kingdom policy, its background and motives, and to promote understanding of the British way of life and the latest developments in this country. They do this through every medium of publicity available to them, including the Press, broadcasting, films, and posters. They are assisted by ten locally-employed staff—three Europeans and seven Africans.

asked the Minister of Education if he will supply figures to show to what extent the number of young people staying on at school after the school-leaving age has increased over the past few years; and how far he anticipates increases in the next few years.

The following is the information:—

Number of pupils aged 15 or over in maintained and assisted schools
January	…	…	…	No.
1954	…	…	…	228,476
1955	…	…	…	238,643
1956	…	…	…	245,810
1957	…	…	…	258,101
1958	…	…	…	287,000
1959	…	…	…	318,600
1960	…	…	…	361,600

The total number of children aged 15 to 18 was falling slightly between 1954 and 1957. The estimates for 1958 to 1960 take account both of the estimated increase in the size of the 15–18 age-groups and also assume the continuance of the recent trend towards more staying on at school.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the percentage of children in grammar schools in Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight, for the latest available date.

The percentages of thirteen-year-old pupils for whom the local education authority was responsible following courses in grammar schools or the grammar streams of bilateral and multilateral schools in January, 1957, were as follows:—

Hampshire	…	…	17·6
Isle of Wight	…	…	12·2
Bournemouth	…	…	17·3
Portsmouth	…	…	19·3
Southampton	…	…	18·4

asked the Minister of Education the percentage of children in grammar schools in Wales and in England, respectively, for the latest available date.

In January, 1957, 19·6 per cent. of the thirteen-year-olds for whom English local education authorities were responsible were following courses in grammar schools or the grammar streams of bilateral or multi-lateral schools. The comparable figure for Welsh authorities was 30·0.

asked the Minister of Education the numbers of secondary school children in grammar, secondary modern, secondary technical, other secondary, and all-age schools, for the latest available date.

Of the senior children in maintained or assisted schools in January, 1957, 558,645 were in grammar schools, 1,424,041 in modern schools, 94,469 in technical schools, 109,342 in other secondary schools and 165,329 in all-age schools.

asked the Minister of Education the number of new teachers, the number who ceased to teach, and the number of these entering training colleges, for each of the years 1949 to 1957.

The following are the figures:—

1	2	3	4
Year	New teachers	Ceasing to teach	Entrants to training colleges (other than emergency colleges) and university departments of education
1949	21,500*	12,700	13,500
1950	18,800*	12,000	14,100
1951	15,200*	9,300	15,000
1952	15,700	10,000	15,200
1953	16,500	10,300	15,000
1954	16,900	9,300	15,400
1955	17,400	10,900	15,300
1956	16,800	9,800	16,000
1957	17,150	12,100	17,000
(provisional figures)
Notes:
(1) The figures in columns 2 and 3 refer to maintained and assisted primary and secondary schools.
(2) The figures marked * include respectively 7,500, 6,000 and 500 teachers trained under the Emergency Training Scheme.
(3) Column 2 includes the net increase, of married women returned to teaching.

asked the Minister of Education the number of children taking a fifth-form course in secondary modern schools in 1949, 1953 and 1957; and what percentage these numbers were of the appropriate secondary modern age-group of each of these years.

The information is as follows:—

Year (January)	Approximate number of pupils in their fifth year at a modern school	Percentage of the appropriate modern school age-group
1949	9,000	3·5 percent.
1953	14,000	4·5 per cent.
1957	21,000	7·0 per cent.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities are making use of their discretionary powers under Section 78 (2) of the Education Act, 1944, and are arranging for the medical inspection of pupils at independent schools.

This information is not available: arrangements made under Section 78 (2) do not require my approval.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens were injured by criminal assault or injured by endeavouring to apprehend wrongdoers in the years 1956 and 1957; and if he will give examples of the minimum and maximum compensation paid ex gratia by the State to a citizen during this period.

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is not fully available. A special return for the three months February—April, 1956, showed that in that period in England and Wales 3,209 persons were the victims of indictable offences involving personal violence.The Criminal Law Act, 1826, gives the superior courts a power to order the sheriff to pay compensation in certain circumstances to persons who have been active in the apprehension of offenders convicted of certain offences or to the family of a person killed in endeavouring to apprehend such offenders. I understand that during the period 1956–57 the minimum and maximum awards made by a court in exercise of these powers were £5 and £15, respectively. The order of the court does not usually indicate whether the recipient was injured or not. I know of no other payments from Exchequer funds of the kind to which the Question refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of children, arranged for legal adoption by local authorities, who were not previously in the care of the local authorities.

I regret that the figures for which the hon. Member asks are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of children legally adopted since 1926, the number of these arranged by local authorities, and the number by voluntary bodies.

Up to the end of 1956 about 295,000 adoption orders were registered. I do not know in how many cases the arrangements were made by a local authority or a registered adoption society; but I estimate that in recent years between one-quarter and one-third of legal adoptions have been arranged by one or the other, the majority by adoption societies.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent he expects difficulties in school-leavers obtaining suitable employment during the next 10 years in the County of Warwick, and in what particular localities.

It is not expected that school-leavers will have any great difficulty in obtaining suitable employment during the next ten years in the County of Warwick.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of school-leavers in the County of Warwick who will be seeking employment, during the years 1958 to 1962, inclusive.

The numbers of school-leavers who will be seeking employment in the County of Warwick is estimated as follows:—

1958	…	…	…	6,500
1959	…	…	…	7,600
1960	…	…	…	7,200
1961	…	…	…	7,500
1962	…	…	…	8,300

These figures relate to maintained schools only.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many weekly grants have been increased by the National Assistance Board in the county of Derbyshire as a result of the operation of the Rent Act, 1957; and what is the resulting additional charge upon public funds.

The National Assistance Board informs me that statistical information is not available in respect of the County of Derbyshire since eight of the twelve offices which serve areas in the county also serve areas outside it.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many applications for increased grants have been approved by the Kennington and Brixton offices of the National Assistance Board arising from higher rents under the Rent Act, 1957.

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that, up to 1st February, 1,369 weekly assistance grants had been increased to provide for rent increases under the Rent Act in the area served by the Board's offices in Kennington and Brixton.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons were approved by the then Secretary of State on 20th December, 1956, to act as chairmen of disciplinary committees of agricultural marketing boards; what were their names and for which boards were they approved; and which of these persons had already functioned in that capacity without the approval required by Parliament.

Two persons, Mr. V. R. M. Gattie, C.B.E., J.P., and Mr. M. A. L. Cripps, D.S.O., were approved on 20th December, 1956, by the then Secretary of State for appointment by the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board as Chairmen of the Disciplinary Committee of the Board. As to the last part of the Question I can only refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the marketing board concerned.

asked the President Of the Board of Trade how many British trade commissioners there are in Ghana; and what is the extent of their staffs and the scope of their work.

There are two United Kingdom trade commissioners in Ghana with an assistant trade commissioner and seventeen junior staff. They are responsible for promoting United Kingdom exports to Ghana and for other matters affecting United Kingdom trade interests. The senior of the trade commissioners is also Economic Adviser to the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Ghana.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet made a decision about the quota of British films to be shown by exhibitors during the year beginning 1st October, 1958.

Yes. After consulting the Cinematograph Films Council I have decided not to make any Order this year to amend the Cinematograph Films (Quotas) Amendment Order, 1950, but to leave the prescribed quotas at 30 per cent. for first-feature films and 25 per cent. for the supporting programme, for the exhibitors' quota year beginning 1st October, 1958.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury how many of the houses in the Borough of Ilford, or in such convenient geographical unit as most nearly approximates to the Borough of Ilford, which are valued for rating purposes, are occupied by taxpayers who pay Schedule A tax on their property as owner-occupiers; and what proportion such owner-occupied property bears to the total number of residential properties valued.

I regret that the information is not available.