asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what percentage of world tonnage was launched in British shipyards in 1957; and what was the corresponding percentage in 1956.

16·6 per cent. in 1957; 20·7 per cent. in 1956.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many orders for new tonnage to be built in British shipyards have been cancelled in the last six months; and what was the total value of the orders so cancelled.

Orders for eighteen vessels, totalling 120,563 gross tons were cancelled during the last six months of 1957. The estimated value of these cancelled orders was about £13 million.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what was the number of orders placed with British shipbuilders and the amount of tonnage ordered during the last six months as compared with the number and amount for the corresponding period twelve months ago.

New orders for 90 vessels, totalling half a million gross tons, were placed with British shipbuilders during the latter half of 1957, as compared with orders for 199 vessels, totalling one and a half million gross tons during the latter half of 1956.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the total sum spent by his Department on recruiting campaigns for the Regular Army in the last ten years.

The expenditure from Army Votes on recruiting publicity for the ten-year period up to the end of March is estimated at £355,000. The hon. Member will realise that most recruiting advertisements are published by the Central Office of Information, whose expenditure on behalf of the Army in the last ten years was just under £2 million.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many premises and what acreage of land were held by his Department on requisition at the latest convenient date and one year previously.

On 31st December, 1957, we held on requisition 150 buildings and about 24,000 acres of land. In the previous December, our holdings were 237 buildings and about 34,000 acres.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he will take to find alternative employment for civilian workers who become redundant as the Royal Army Ordnance Corps Stores and Depôt, at Kembrey Street, Swindon, close down.

The depôt is to be run down gradually and closed in about three years' time. Established employees will be offered other posts. We hope also to find vacancies locally for a certain number of the unestablished staff. We shall co-operate closely with the local offices of the Ministry of Labour and National Service. In particular, prospective employers will be given facilities to interview staff on our premises during the run-down period.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of his intention to increase the maximum permissible weight for books posted for abroad at the printed paper rate from 6½ lb. to 11 lb., he will make a similar increase in respect of books posted to inland destinations.

No. Books exceeding the printed paper maximum of 2 lb. and weighing up to 15 lb. can already go by inland parcel post. They go more cheaply by this post than they would at the printed paper rate if the present scale were extended to admit these higher weights.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the number of outstanding applications for telephones in the Borough of Barry at the latest convenient date; how many of these have been outstanding for one and two years, respectively; and when he anticipates these applications will be satisfied.

On 1st January, 105 applications were outstanding, of which 40 were in course of being met. Fifteen had been waiting over two years and a further 13 over one year. We need to provide new cables in parts of the town before we can satisfy all the applications. One such scheme is in hand now, which will enable about half the existing applications to be met.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement on the accident on 28th February at the Royal Air Force Station, Greenham Common, Newbury, in which B.47 bomber aircraft were involved.

I understand that a U.S.A.F. B.47 bomber developed engine trouble after taking off from Greenham Common at about 4.30 last Friday afternoon. The pilot was obliged to jettison the wing tip fuel tanks, which fell into an emergency "dropping zone" where they would not normally have caused any harm. In this case, however, they unfortunately bounced into another B.47 aircraft on the ground and against a hangar and burst into flames. Two American airmen have since died from burns; eight others are injured. The bomber on the ground was destroyed, and the hangar severely damaged.The U.S.A.F. authorities have asked me to express their appreciation of the prompt assistance given by the local fire brigades who, with the R.A.F. and U.S.A.F. station fire services, brought the fire under control in about an hour.The U.S.A.F. take every practicable precaution to avoid risk from incidents of this kind and the fire at no time presented any danger to the local population. Civilian interests will be give full consideration during the Service Inquiry.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will state the percentages of the national Budget expenditure and national gross product, respectively, devoted to defence in each of the last twelve years.

Central Government current expenditure on military defence as a percentage of the gross product is estimated as follows:

1946	…	…	…	…	17·8
1947	…	…	…	…	9·9
1948	…	…	…	…	7·1
1949	…	…	…	…	7·0
1950	…	…	…	…	7·0
1951	…	…	…	…	8·3
1952	…	…	…	…	10·4
1953	…	…	…	…	10·3(a)
1954	…	…	…	…	9·8
1955	…	…	…	…	9·0
1956	…	…	…	…	9·0
1957	…	…	…	…	8·0
					(provisional)

As a percentage of total Central Government current expenditure (excluding expenditure of the National Insurance funds) current expenditure on military defence is estimated at:

1946	…	…	…	…	38·2
1947	…	…	…	…	28·5
1948	…	…	…	…	23·4
1949	…	…	…	…	23·0
1950	…	…	…	…	24·8
1951	…	…	…	…	29·8
1952	…	…	…	…	34·9
1953	…	…	…	…	35·7
1954	…	…	…	…	35·2(a)
1955	…	…	…	…	33·9(a)
1956	…	…	…	…	34·3
1957	…	…	…	…	31·9
					(provisional)

The figures marked (

asked the Minister of Defence why the retired pay of Regular officers who were commissioned after 30th June, 1949, will be abated when they qualify for National Insurance retirement pensions on reaching the age of 65 years; how the amount of reduction is assessed, and why; and when officers of the three Services were notified that their retired pay would be so reduced.

After the introduction of the National Insurance scheme in 1948, it was decided that retired members of the Civil Service and the Armed Forces who were receiving old-age pensions should have some deduction made from their Service pensions or retired pay. The rate of abatement for the Armed Forces is 4d. a week for each year of service reckonable for retired pay. This rule was adopted and published by the Service Departments in 1949 and applies to those who entered the Services after June of that year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what discussions he is now holding, and with whom, about the future of Cyprus.

A start has been made in the discussions foreshadowed in my right hon. and learned Friend's statement to the House on 18th February. But I cannot give any details at this stage, and I would hope the House would

	13th February, 1956			11th February, 1957			17th February, 1958
	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
Agriculture and Horticulture	4	—	4	14	—	14	15	2	17
Building and Civil Engineering Contracting	12	1	13	57	—	57	35	—	35
Distributive Trades	7	3	10	14	2	16	12	7	19
Catering, Hotels, etc.	5	19	24	13	20	33	10	15	25
Other Industries and Services	49	3	52	90	13	103	89	19	108
All Industries and Services	77	26	103	188	35	223	161	43	204

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons in the Borough of Barry have been registered as unemployed for at least three months and six months, respectively; and how many notified vacancies existed in Barry at the latest convenient date.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made in the implementation of Recommendation 155 of the Council of Europe relating to a European Civil Service.

The Ministers' Deputies had a preliminary discussion about this Recommendation at their meeting on 4th February and will resume their examination of it when they meet on 24th March.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of unemployed in the Bridport area on 31st January in each of the last three years; and what were the main categories of those unemployed.

The following are the numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of Bridport Employment Exchange:

A detailed analysis according to duration of unemployment is only obtained quarterly. At 9th December, 1957, there were 56 persons on the registers of Barry Employment Exchange and Youth Employment Office who had been unemployed from three to six months and 61 for more than six months. The number of notified vacancies remaining unfilled at 12th February, 1958, was 129.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that many Americans and others visiting Europe avoid this country because of the quarantine regulations; and whether he will take steps to extend the quarantine kennel facilities at London Airport which can accommodate two or three dogs only for short stays for passengers in transit.

My right hon. Friend is not aware that the quarantine regulations to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers have any significant influence on the number of overseas visitors to this country. It is not the policy of Her Majesty's Government to establish and operate quarantine kennels. There are five within comparatively easy reach of London Airport. I understand that the facilities at the Airport itself are intended only to serve as a transit centre where imported dogs and cats may be left for not more than 48 hours.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now able to say what action he proposes to take on the proposed plan of the Milk Marketing Board to import Charollais bulls into this country.

In view of the present incidence of foot-and-mouth disease in France, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have decided that no importation can be permitted for the time being. The question of permitting a limited importation for experimental purposes will be reviewed early next year in the light of all the circumstances then prevailing.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans have been prepared by his Department for stimulating civil employment in the event of an international agreement to disarm.

It would not be useful to prepare specific plans at least until the shape of a disarmament agreement is known. But in solving any employment problems that may arise, we would be able to draw on the considerable experience gained in the post-war period.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders became known to the police in England and Wales during January.

The number of murders recorded as known to the police in England and Wales in January, 1958, was 11. This figure includes cases which may later be found not to be murders.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many murders became known to the police during January.

Three cases of murder made known to the police in Scotland were reported in January, 1958.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether the recent inspection of Wickford car park, which was made before the decision to impose no waiting restrictions was made, was undertaken on a market day; and whether he will arrange for such an inspection to take place on a market day.

The inspection in question was not made on market day. A further inspection, made on the morning of market day, 3rd March, showed that the car park was full and that some 80 cars were parked in nearby side streets, but no parking was permitted in the Broadway or High Street. No traffic difficulties were encountered under these arrangements.