asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to provide employment for men being laid off in the brick making industry and the building trade in the county of Dumbarton.

My local officers are doing everything possible by submitting unemployed workers to such vacancies as are notified to them.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the numbers of unemployed in the Gateshead Borough at 31st January in each of the last three years.

Date	October, 1938		October, 1946		April, 1947		October 1957
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
Average Weekly Earnings of Adult Male Manual Workers	69	0	120	9	123	5	251
Above expressed as an index-October, 1938=100	100		175		179		365
Above expressed as an index—April, 1947=100	—		—		100		205
Cost of Living Index:
On basis October, 1938=100	100		130		130		†
Retail Prices Index:					June, 1947
On basis June, 1947=100	—		—		100		164
* Provisional figure.
† The Cost of Living Index was based on the standard of living of the working classes in 1914 and differs considerably in scope and content from the Interim Index of Retail Prices and the present Index of Retail Prices. It cannot therefore be satisfactorily linked to these indices which have operated since June. 1947.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) if he will give the number of unemployed in the City of Norwich at 31st January in each of the last three years;(2) if he will give the number of building trade workers unemployed in the City of Norwich at 31st January, in each of the last three years.

Unemployment figures are only available for a date in the middle of each month. On 13th January, 2,247 were unemployed. Corresponding figures for 14th January,

1,219 at 13th January, 1958, compared with 1,136 at 14th January, 1957, and 974 at 16th January, 1956.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will pubish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the average weekly earnings of male adult employees in industry in 1938, 1946 and 1957, showing 1946 as a percentage against 1938, and 1957 as a percentage against both earlier years; and if he will show alongside comparable figures for the cost-of living index.

The following is the reply:1957, and 16th January, 1956, were 1,772 and 1,129, respectively. Of these totals 341 in 1958, 326 in 1957 and 166 in 1956 were building trades workers.

asked the Minister of Labour if, in view of the heavy increase in unemployment in Norwich arising mainly from the financial policies of the Government, and recognising the special difficulties in this area in finding alternative employment, he will consult his right hon. colleagues with a view to taking special steps to stimulate employment.

I recognise that unemployment in Norwich has increased more during the last two years than in the country as a whole, though I cannot accept that this is mainly due to the Government's financial policy. I am in constant consultation with my colleagues about the needs of areas with special employment problems, and a close watch will be kept on the situation in Norwich which however compares favourably with a number of other areas.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will direct the Corporation of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes not to permit the extension of honorary membership of any club under its control to alien civilian officials working in the vicinity unless such membership is also extended to British civilian officials.

The Corporation of N.A.A.F.I. does not control the honorary membership of the clubs overseas which it operates on behalf of the Services. Subject to certain rules, this is a matter for the club committee representing members of the forces in the area concerned. If the hon. Gentleman will send me details of the case he has in mind, I will make inquiries to see if it arises from the regulations or from a decision of the club committee.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that Article 679 (b) of the Royal Warrant for Pay of the Army, 1940, which provides that an officer who retires voluntarily before he has served for three years in his highest permanent rank only qualifies his widow in the event of his death for a pension in the next lower commissioned rank held, and that this does not apply to the widows of officers of the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force; and, in view of the policy that all officers of the three Armed Services are to be treated the same in regard to retired pay and pensions, if he will end this anomaly and bring the Army into line with the other two Services in this respect.

Yes. The rule will be amended. It applies only to widows of Army officers who retired voluntarily before 1st September, 1950. The revised rate of pension will be effective from 1st January, 1958, and will be issued as soon as possible. No applications from the widows concerned will be required.

asked the Secretary of State for War what plans he has for increasing the long-service pension for retired Regular Army personnel.

I have nothing to add to the statement in the White Paper on Service Pay and Allowances (Command 365).

asked the Postmaster-General when it is expected that the Molesey manual telephone exchange will become automatic or when it will be replaced by a new automatic exchange.

There are no plans, as yet, for changing over the Molesey exchange itself. But it is proposed to transfer about one third of the Molesey subscribers to a new automatic exchange at Teddington Lock in the latter part of next year.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state, to the latest available date, the number of private telephone subscribers who have withdrawn from the telephone system since the announcement of the increase in charges of July, 1957.

During the six months ended 31st December, 1957, 139,000 private subscribers' lines were given up. These cessations should not all be attributed to the increased charges, since there were 50,000 in the previous six months. In the six months ending 31st December last, just under 100,000 new private subscribers' lines were connected.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the number of applicants for private telephones on 1st July, 1957 and the outstanding number at the latest convenient date.

There were 177,000 applications for private lines outstanding on 1st July, 1957, and this number had been reduced to 132,000 on the 31st December, 1957.

asked the Postmaster-General why the General Post Office is replacing trained women sorters by untrained men.

Sorting is regarded as men's work and women are employed on it only to cover temporary shortages of men. As suitable men become available, the women are released.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what criteria are applied in deciding whether to grant or withhold permission for the installation of pedestrian-operated traffic signals at particular crossings.

Decisions depend on conditions at particular sites, in particular the character and density of vehicle and pedestrian movements. Our aim is to reconcile considerations of safety for all road users with the demands of traffic flow.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement of Government policy in dealing with the problem of road accidents.

As the hon. Member knows, there is no single, or simple, solution of the problem of road accidents and, within the resources available to us, it is our policy to attack it on all possible fronts.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation why he has approved the erection of one "Halt" sign at the junction of Coatswarth Road and Whitehall Road, Gateshead, after repeated requests that two "Halt" signs were required having regard to the accident record.

"Halt" signs are appropriate only when visibility is severely restricted. This applies to the eastern area of this junction; but conditions on the western area can be better dealt with by some minor improvements which have been agreed between my officers and the borough council.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what further improvements are to be carried out where the Weddington road joins the A.5 road at the Royal Red Gate, Caldecote, in the County of Warwick; and when.

In addition to other recent minor improvements carried out at this junction, I hope shortly to provide new and better advance direction signs. I am planning later to construct a roundabout, but I cannot yet say how soon I shall be able to fit this into my programme.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he has now decided whether to have a roundabout or a stretch of dual carriageway at Grendon, in the County of Warwick, in order to improve the safety of the A.5 road there.

I have now decided that it would be best to construct a roundabout. Diversion of Spon Lane and Boot Hill will be necessary, and a draft Order showing my proposals will be advertised in the near future.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will take the necessary steps to enforce a minimum standard of street lighting on all roads for which his Department bears financial responsibility.

Where I consider that a trunk road should have a better standard of street lighting I am ready to make a contribution to the lighting authority of 50 per cent. of the cost of improvement and subsequent maintenance, but I would not normally be prepared to proceed without the collaboration of the local lighting authority.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement on the preparation of a Bill to consolidate the enactments relating to highways.

A draft Bill has been prepared which will be examined by a Committee which the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs and I have set up with the following terms of reference:

"To examine, with a view to consolidation, the public general enactments relating to highways, streets and bridges in England and Wales, other than enactments designed to regulate traffic or applying exclusively to London; to consider which of the enactments should be consolidated and what amendments not of substantial importance (including consequential amendments of the common law and the general enactment of non-controversial provisions commonly found in local Acts) are desirable, in connection with the consolidation, either to improve the form of the law or for the removal of anomalies, inconsistencies and ambiguities, for abrogating provisions which are obsolete or otherwise unnecessary or for modernising procedure; and to report whether in the opinion of the Committee the draft Bill submitted to them, either as submitted or with such alterations as they think fit to suggest, satisfactorily achieves such a consolidation and embodies no amendment of the law of such importance that it ought to be separately enacted."

I am glad to say that the Most Hon. the Marquess of Reading, G.C.M.G., C.B.E., M.C., T.D., Q.C., has agreed to act as Chairman.The other members are:The hon. Member for Buckinghamshire, South (Mr. Ronald M. Bell).The hon. Member for Liverpool, Edge Hill (Mr. Arthur J. Irvine).Mr. J. G. Barr, Solicitor and Parliamentary Officer, London County Council.Mr. P. C. Davie, City Remembrancer, Corporation of London.Mrs. E. A. Eadie, A Deputy Counsel, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in what circumstances privately owned and charter aircraft are permitted to land at London Airport.

Subject to certain conditions, which are published in the U.K. "Air Pilot", privately owned and chartered aircraft may be allowed to land at London Airport. But London Airport is normally reserved for use by aircraft engaged in scheduled commercial operations, and permission will generally have to be refused during peak hours or if congestion is likely to be caused on the aprons.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, in view of the substantial growth of air traffic since 1952 and the strong position of the nationalised air Corporations, he will now review the policy in respect of air transport in the light of modern requirements and in order to see that the needs and convenience of the users of air transport in various localities are more adequately met.

I am satisfied that the present policy is flexible enough to allow the air transport needs of various localities to be met.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is now prepared to permit the independent airlines to operate in their own rights and not as associates. of the two nationalised Corporations; and if he will set up a statutory licensing authority for air transport in order that more adequate air services can be provided for centres other than London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Prestwick.

The operation of scheduled services by independent companies otherwise than as associates of a Corporation would be contrary to Section 24 of the Air Corporations Act, 1949. The second part of the Question does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is satisfied that at all airports where Elizabethan aircraft land, and for which he is responsible, there are available satisfactory facilities for inspecting the top of the aircraft wing in wintry weather conditions, in view of the fact that the top of the Elizabethan wing cannot be seen by the pilot from the cockpit, nor from the ground in front or behind the aircraft, and in view of the joint responsibility both of the dispatching authority and the pilot to satisfy themselves that there is no hoarfrost, snow or ice on the wing which will hinder or impede airflow, affecting the lift of the aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for seeing that the wings and control surfaces are free from ice or snow rests, under the provisions of the Air Navigation Order, 1954, on the person in command of an aeroplane and its operator. It is the operator's responsibility to provide any necessary equipment for this purpose. I understand from B.E.A. that means of inspecting the top wings of the Elizabethan are available at the aerodromes which this aeroplane normally uses.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will agree to make a further statement on the Munich air disaster, in which the Manchester United Football Club and many journalists were involved, when British European Airways has completed its own inquiry into the cause of the accident.

No. It would be improper to anticipate in any way the official inquiry which is being conducted by the German Federal Government.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will arrange for a survey to be made over an adequately representative period of the amount of goods carried by C licensed vehicles, of the distances carried, and percentage of mileage run loaded and empty, respectively.

The survey to be taken in the seven days beginning Monday, 21st April next, of which informed the hon. Member in answer to his Question of 19th February, will provide most of this information, but will take me time to analyse.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the composition of C licensed fleets, showing those comprising less than 10 vehicles and progressively above that number in units of 10 or in any other convenient form.

I am afraid that this information is not available and could not be obtained except at a disproportionate cost in time and labour.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the composition of C licensed fleets by unladen weight of vehicles showing those comprising vehicles of less than two tons only, and progressively by units of one ton or in any other convenient form.

The information asked for is as follows:

NUMBER OF GOODS VEHICLES AUTHORISED UNDER "C" CARRIERS' LICENCES ACCORDING TO UNLADEN WEIGHT CATEGORIES AS AT 31ST DECEMBER. 1957
Unladen Weights in Tons
Exceeding	Not Exceeding
—	2	…	…	…	750,908
2	3	…	…	…	238,409
3	4	…	…	…	45,337
4	5	…	…	…	16,939
5	6	…	…	…	8,118
6	7	…	…	…	3,900
7	8	…	…	…	3,142
8	9	…	…	…	1,895
9	10	…	…	…	1,047
10	—	…	…	…	506
Grand Total		…	…	…	1,070,201

No analysis of the number of operators owning the vehicles in each weight category is available.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give consideration to the removal of the 30 miles-per-hour restriction on pick-up vehicles.

I see no reason why the speed limit of pick-up vehicles should be different from that of other small goods vehicles.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress he has made in dealing with the application made to him in respect of the new connecting railway line to the National Coal Depot at Kirkless, Ince, near Wigan, which, when completed, will do away with two dangerous level crossings at Manchester Road and Belle Green Lane.

The plans of this line have only recently been submitted to my Department, and they have been approved.

asked the Minister of Defence when he expects to be able to make a statement about the results of discussions by the North Atlantic Council on the financial conditions on which British forces are stationed in Germany.

I have nothing to add to what my right hon. Friend the Paymaster-General said on 20th February.

asked the Minister of Supply if he is aware of the danger of unemployment at the Bristol Aeroplane Company's factory as a result of the Government's action in discontinuing support for the production of the Orion engine and by the running down of existing contracts; and what steps are being taken to prevent this by using this engine in other transport aircraft.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the danger of unemployment, and he considered any possible uses for the Orion before reaching his decision, but he could not escape the facts that this engine is no longer required in the immediate future either by one of the Coroporations or by the Royal Air Force; and that there is no assurance of a requirement for the Services or the Corporations emerging in the longer term. Given the pressing need for financial savings, therefore, my right hon. Friend decided that there was no alternative to withdrawing further support from the engine, notwithstanding its unquestioned technical merits. This will save several millions of pounds, which we should not be justified in spending in the absence of a clear requirement.

asked the Minister of Supply what private offers he has received for the Princess Flying Boats; why they have not been accepted; and what use is now to be made of these aircraft.

My right hon. Friend has had one serious private offer which he was unable to accept because it threatened to entail a further net expenditure of public funds. He has not yet reached a decision concerning their future use.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the numbers of male workers employed in December, 1936, and December, 1957, respectively, in unskilled jobs in Northern Ireland;(2) what were the numbers of female workers employed in Northern Ireland in December, 1938, and December, 1957, in textiles and in other employment, respectively;(3) what were the numbers of skilled men employed in Northern Ireland in December, 1936, and December, 1956, respectively.

These are matters for the Government of Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to rename the Farm Water Grant the Local Authorities Water Grant, in view of the fact that the money available is directed to their benefit rather than to farmers.

I do not accept the suggestion that these grants are directed to the benefit of local authorities. The grant is paid to owners or occupiers of agricultural land in respect of the costs of installation of a farm water supply, and it is the farmers who derive benefit from the supply whether this is drawn from a public or a private source.

asked the Minister of Education what would be the estimated annual savings to be expected from a penny increase in the cost of school meals.

About £2 million if the number of pupils paying for meals remained constant.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how far works of art, accepted in settlement of Estate Duty, have been transferred to London or preserved in houses outside London and, in particular, whether any have yet been transferred from Hardwick Hall. Derbyshire.

No works of art have been, or are to be, transferred from Hardwick Hall to London. Like the great majority of other works of art so far accepted in settlement of Estate Duty, the contents of Hardwick Hall are being accepted under Section 30 of the Finance Act, 1953, the express intention of which is that the objects in question should remain associated with the particular house or building with which they have been connected.Collections of works of art, etc., in the following other houses have been accepted and preserved under the Finance Act, 1953, in the building with which they were associated:—

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that, in future, Government Departments make a thorough double reconsideration of their annual requests for appropriations before sending them to the Treasury to avoid the large number of Supplementary Estimates which have now become regular.

Departments are instructed to take all practicable measures to ensure that their Estimates are as accurate as possible, and I am satisfied that they do so. It must be remembered that Estimates are submitted to the Treasury sixteen months before the end of the period to which they relate, and it is impossible to forecast accurately all eventualities so far ahead; and also that the purpose of many Supplementary Estimates is not so much to obtain sanction for additional expenditure as to seek Parliamentary authority for savings on some items to be offset against excesses on others. But I fully share my hon. Friend's desire to see in future years a substantial reduction in the total amount of Supplementary Estimates.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what estimate the Medical Research Council has arrived at in regard to the amount by which radiation must increase before the doubling of the genetic mutation rate takes place.

In their Report on "The Hazards to Man of Nuclear and Allied Radiations" (Cmd. 9780), the Medical Research Council expressed the view that the best estimate it could make, in the light of present knowledge, was that the value of the dose of radiation that would double the mutation rate in general lay somewhere between 30 roentgens and 80 roentgens, although the possibility of it lying outside this range could not be excluded. The data that has become available since the publication of the Report in June, 1956, is in line with this assessment of the situation.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what recommendations the Medical Research Council has made as regards a safe minimum level of radiation or threshold below which there is no increase of somatic conditions such as leukaemia and bone cancer.

The Medical Research Council does not consider that there is sufficient evidence upon which to express an opinion whether there is a threshold level of radiation below which no increase in somatic conditions, such as leukaemia or bone cancer, is likely to occur.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average number of visits to or by general practitioners per head of the population for the latest convenient period.

Exact information is not available, but various surveys, none of them very recent, have indicated that under the National Health Service the average number of visits per patient is rather more than five a year, about three by the patient to the doctor and about two by the doctor to the patient.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what emergency action he intends to take to counter the increased and increasing unemployment in West Fife consequent on the recent closure of four factories and the threatened redundancy in the Royal Naval Aircraft Yard at Donibristle.

I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour that unemployment among men in West Fife remains very low. I recognise that more employment for women is needed there, and I will bring the available factory space and other facilities to the attention of suitable industry seeking new quarters.The decision to close the Royal Naval Aircraft Yard at Donibristle was announced last week. The run-down in the numbers employed will extend over eighteen months. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour and I will do all we can to help all those unemployed in the area to find jobs.