asked the Minister of Health the extent of overcrowding of mental hospitals as at the most recent convenient date; and what steps are being taken to deal with this problem.

In England and Wales, 14 per cent. at the end of 1956. The percentage has been falling since 1953, and continued reduction is hoped for as the result of improved methods of treatment leading to earlier discharge; of the extension of out-patient and domiciliary and rehabilitation services; and of the provision of more beds in mental and other hospitals and in local authority homes.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state, as at the most recent convenient date, the number of beds in mental hospitals not available for use, being used for other purposes, awaiting renovations or repairs, or unusable because of shortage of staff.

In England and Wales at the end of 1956 3,005 beds were out of use, of which 1,221 were used for other purposes, 800 were awaiting restoration or redecoration, and 984 were unstaffed.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if, in the reorganisation which the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board is undertaking with either the present arrangements for the treatment of infectious diseases or radiotherapy treatment in North Lincolnshire, he will instruct it to bear in mind the transport difficulties of the area;(2) if he is satisfied that the proposed reorganisation of the Scunthorpe Memorial Hospital which affects the people in Gainsborough and the Isle of Axholme has the support of all the medical practitioners who will have to work under the new arrangements and if he will make a statement;

I am informed that the Regional Hospital Board is well aware of the transport difficulties of the area. It proposes not to close the Brumby Isolation Hospital but to reduce the infectious diseases and tuberculosis beds there in order to prepare the way for much-needed building work at the Scunthorpe War Memorial Hospital. The planning of these services is a matter for the Board, but the proposals have the support of the Scunthorpe Hospital Management Committee and the consultant radiotherapists concerned. I am aware that there is some local concern, and a full explanation of the reasons for the change will be given to the Isle of Axholme Rural District Council.

asked the Minister of Health, for the period of twelve months up to the most recent convenient date, the number of admissions to designated mental hospitals and the percentage of voluntary patients and the percentage of re-admissions.

In England and Wales during 1956 there were 83,994 admissions, of which 78·1 per cent. were voluntary patients and 43·5 per cent. re-admissions.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the concern felt by some of the disabled soldiers who have lost limbs and are now on a care and maintenance basis at Rookwood Hospital at the prospect of this hospital being transferred from his Department, he will make it a condition of such transfer that the privileges now enjoyed by these men shall not be reduced or interfered with in any way.

This hospital is not being transferred from my Department; it will in future be administered by the Regional Board and Hospital Management Committee on my behalf, but I shall continue to be responsible. It is a condition of these arrangements that the special facilities now provided for war pensioners, including those in residental care, shall be fully maintained.

REGIONAL HOSPITAL BOARDS: MEDICAL STAFF AND BEDS IN MENTAL ILLNESS AND MENTAL DEFICIENCY DEPARTMENTS AT 31ST DECEMBER, 1956(1)
Regional Board		Mental Illness Department (2)			Mental Deficiency Department
		Medical staff whole-time units (3)		Beds	Medical staff whole-time units (3)		Beds
		Consultants	Others		Consultants	Others
Newcastle	…	23	34	8,064	3	8	3,251
Leeds	…	22	39	11,756	5	5	3,835
Sheffield	…	34	52	10,702	6	7	4,151
East Anglia	…	13	22	4,799	3	3	1,470
North West Metropolitan	…	42	91	11,848	6	16	5,192
North East Metropolitan	…	23	52	9,058	4	12	3,166
South East Metropolitan	…	31	50	10,106	5	9	4,115
South West Metropolitan	…	61	169	31,061	11	33	8,026
Oxford	…	13	31	4,409	1	5	1,905
South Western	…	25	53	11,009	5	9	6,183
Welsh	…	21	43	9,136	2	4	2,051
Birmingham	…	36	60	13,758	8	10	5,431
Manchester	…	18	49	13,019	4	17	6,564
Liverpool	…	21	40	8,004	1	1	726
(1) Including beds in mental and mental deficiency hospitals and in special departments of other hospitals.
(2) Including child guidance and psychiatry.
(3) The staff figures exclude general practitioners and house officers.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will sanction finance for schemes for providing Part III accommodation where local authorities prefer to adopt this form of housing the old rather than to follow the provision of the circular sent to local authorities by him urging local authorities to build more houses for the old, with a view to helping with housing tenants of a certain age given notice to quit under the Rent Act, 1957.

My right hon. and learned Friend is always ready to give as sympathetic consideration as financial circumstances allow to any proposals by local authorities for providing additional

asked the Minister of Health the number of psychiatrists, in whole-time equivalents, employed by each of the regional hospital boards, and the number of mental and mental deficiency beds in each region.

Following is the information requested:accommodation under the National Assistance Act for persons in need of care and attention not otherwise available to them. Any questions on the housing circular are for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government, who issued it.

asked the Minister of Health the approximate cost of the new transistor hearing aids which he is hoping to provide shortly through the National Health Service; and how this cost compares with that of the Medresco hearing aid now being supplied.

It is contrary to Government policy to disclose the prices at which Government contracts are awarded.

asked the Minister of Health. whether he is aware of the increasing number of deaths and severe illness caused by young children being given peanuts; what is the number of these accidents; if he is aware that at least two coroners have made strong comment in regard to this practice; and if he will take steps to warn the public against this danger to young children and infants.

There are no figures available of the number of such accidents which would show whether the numbers were increasing, but I am aware of some recent cases through Press reports. Advice on the feeding of young children is already available through the maternity and child welfare services and I do not think any special steps are called for.

asked the Minister of Health what reliable information he has concerning the health or the number of deaths caused by radioactive deposits in Britain in 1957; if he will publish the evidence on which this is based; and what action is being taken to prevent or reduce these deaths.

I have no evidence of any deaths from this cause.

asked the Minister of Health the number of home teachers of the blind employed as welfare workers among the blind by local authorities and voluntary societies; and how many of these are blind or severely handicapped visually.

The number of home teachers employed at 31st December, 1956, the latest date for which information is available, was 712, of whom 76 were blind.

asked the Minister of Health how many chiropodists were granted inclusion in the list provided for by Section 3 (4) of the National Health Service (Medical Auxiliaries) Regulations, 1954, in each of the last three years.

The figures are: 1955, 4; 1956, 1; and 1957, 2.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied that a sufficient number of adequately qualified chiropodists is available to staff local authority and hospital appointments as they become vacant; and if he will make a statement.

I have no evidence that the number of chiropodists is insufficient to staff the services at present provided.

asked the Minister of Health the number of occupational therapists employed in hospitals and in other parts of the National Health Service, and the number of unfilled vacancies for these posts; and what steps are being taken to make good any overall shortage.

The equivalent of 1,453 whole-time occupational therapists were employed in the hospital service in England and Wales on 31st December, 1956. Figures for the local health authority services and for the unfilled vacancies in the National Health Service generally are not available. The salaries of occupational therapists were increased as from October of last year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how

PNEUMOCONIOSIS: CLAIMS FOR BENEFIT UNDER INDUSTRIAL INJURIES ACT
YEAR ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1957
ENGLAND AND WALES
Panel			Number of persons examined	Number of claims rejected on X-ray examination	Number of appeals against rejection on X-ray	Number of successful appeals
Cardiff	…	…	4,685	3,041	43	—
Swansea	…	…	2,430	1,814	21	—
Stoke-on-Trent	…	…	2,088	603	123	31
Sheffield	…	…	2,048	564	126	7
Manchester	…	…	942	212	32	—
Newcastle	…	…	999	142	15	—
London	…	…	187	44	6	1
Bristol	…	…	218	92	6	—
Totals	…	…	13,597	6,512	372	39

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how the standard rates of National Insurance benefits provided in October, 1951, and January, 1958, respectively, compared

—	Amount required to equal the value of 26s. in October, 1946		Rate payable	Percentage difference
	s.	d.
October, 1951	33	6
Retirement pensioners who reached the minimum qualifying age on or before 1st October, 1951, and widowed mothers*			30s.	-10
Other retirement pensioners and other beneficiaries for whom 26s. was provided in the National Insurance Act, 1946†			26s.	-22
January, 1958	43	1
Before increase			40s.	-7
After increase			50s.	+16
* Personal rate excluding amounts paid for children.
† The other benefits for which the 26s. rate was not increased by the 1951 Act were unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, and widow's pension.

Following is the information:with the value of the original rate of 26s. when it first became payable for pensions in October, 1946.

On the basis of the cost of living index for the period up to June, 1947, and the Retail Prices Index since that date the figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, the total amount to be paid by an employed man towards the cost of the National Insurance stamp as originally fixed in the National Insurance Act and the proportion of average earnings in industry it represented in October, 1946; and if he will give corresponding figures for October, 1951, and February, 1958, at current and proposed rates.

The amount of the worker's contribution originally fixed in the National Insurance Act was 4s. 11d. and the corresponding amounts in October, 1951, and in February, 1958, were 5s. ld. and 9s. 5d. The proposed increase for the National Health Service will bring the latter figure up to 9s. 11d. The proportion these amounts bore to average earnings at the relevant dates were respectively 4·1 per cent., 3·1 per cent., 3·8 per cent. and 3·9 per cent.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the number of people over pensionable age in receipt of National Assistance allowances for the nearest convenient date in 1958.

The National Assistance Board informs me that information of the kind asked for is obtained quarterly and that a figure in 1958 will not be known until after the end of March. Of the allowances last December about 1,235,000 were being paid to men over 65 or women over 60. Some of these allowances would also cover the needs of a wife over 60.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many American children, whose fathers are American Service men in Great Britain, are supplied with cheap welfare milk under the welfare scheme; and how many American Service men draw British family allowances in respect of their children resident in the United Kingdom.

So far as family allowances are concerned, while figures are not, I am afraid, available, I have no reason to believe the number is substantial. My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Health, who is responsible for the welfare food scheme, tells me that the position is the same with respect to these foods.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to what extent aliens are eligible for family allowances in the United Kingdom.

Under the Family Allowances (Qualifications) Regulations, 1946, to be entitled to family allowances an alien must have lived in this country for three out of the preceding four years. The children must also be in this country.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will make a statement as to the terms of reference, the composition, and the method of publication of the Report of the Committee to be established for the purpose of investigating means of improved co-operation between the gas and electricity area boards, and associated matters.

The terms of reference of the Committee which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my noble Friend have decided to appoint are:

"To consider ways in which, by co-operation between the Area and Scottish Electricity and Gas Boards in the performance of their respective statutory functions, the administration of the services of a like kind provided to the public by the two industries might be improved; and to make recommendations."

The following have accepted invitations to serve: Sir Cecil Weir, as Chairman and Mr. R. R. B. Brown, Mr. G. le B. Diamond, Sir Edward Herbert, Sir John Imrie, Sir Henry Jones, Mr. C. T. Melling and Mr. Austin Morley as members of the Committee. Another appointment is being made and will be announced in due course.The Secretary to the Committee will be Mr. W. R. G. Bell of the Ministry of Power, Thames House South, Millbank, London, S.W.1.The Report of the Committee will be presented to Parliament in the usual way.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he has considered the representations made to him in regard to the establishment of a nuclear power station in the Reydon district of East Suffolk; and what conclusion he has come to.

The Central Electricity Generating Board has not yet applied for my noble Friend's consent to a nuclear power station in East Suffolk, though I understand it is investigating a number of possible sites. If he receives such an application my noble Friend must decide in the light of all the circumstances, including any representations received for or against the proposal, whether to give consent to the construction of a station on the site chosen by the Generating Board. He cannot, therefore, reach a conclusion on representations at the present stage.

asked the Paymaster-General the estimated duration of opencast operations in South Wales and Monmouthshire.

It seems likely that we shall need some opencast coal production from South Wales and Monmouthshire for some years to come.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of the recent changes in prices of industrial coal, what changes in price he proposes to sanction in respect of domestic coal; and, having regard to the fact that United States coal imports are to cease this year, when arrivals will actually terminate in United Kingdom ports, thus relieving the balance of payments of this financial burden.

The National Coal Board has made no proposals to change the price of domestic coal. I understand that apart from a small quantity awaiting re-shipment at Rotterdam, all American coal imports have now arrived.

asked the Paymaster-General if he is aware that, whilst concessionary coal has become regarded as a traditional perquisite of miners, governed by certain individual arrangements between former colliery owners and their employees, such private arrangements were made before nationalisation; and if he will, therefore, now give a general direction to the National Coal Board to end forthwith the provision of concessionary coal to one section of the community while we still have to import coal from abroad.

No. Concessionary coal is part of mine workers' remuneration and as such is dealt with through the agreed conciliation machinery for the coal-mining industry. Imports of coal into this country have ceased save under existing contracts for a limited quantity, mainly from the Continent.

asked the Minister of Supply what contracts with Llandaff North Engineering Company have been cancelled by his Department; and whether he will make a statement.

This company manages and operates a Ministry of Supply central motor transport repair depot at Cardiff, and has given formal notice to terminate its contract for these services because of substantial reductions in the number of vehicles to be repaired for the Armed Forces. Since it is no longer possible to provide an economical load of suitable work, we do not propose to seek an alternative contractor for this depot, which will be closed. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour has been informed, and the premises, which are the property of the Ministry of Supply, will be offered for other uses.

asked the Minister of Supply why Mr. E. Dalton, 63, Fairwater Avenue, Welling, after being declared redundant at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, has been informed that he cannot accept employment in the Post Office without forfeiting his superannuation rights.

I am not aware that Mr. Dalton has been so informed. As soon as the Post Office can provide an established post for him, arrangements will be made for his transfer.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps have been taken by his Department to encourage the development in this country of earth-moving and construction plant, and to ensure that the Armed Forces are equipped with British machines.

By testing crawler tractors in the early stages of their manufacture in this country, the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment of the Ministry of Supply has done much to encourage their development and design. Similarly, and by means of development contracts, graders, scrapers, truck-mounted excavators and soil stabilization plant have been developed, primarily for the Services. Most of these machines have found a commercial market, and have been exported to the value of about £2 million annually. The Services have at the same time been able to replace many of their war-time foreign machines by modern ones of British design and manufacture.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent Her Majesty's Government accept the conclusions of the Cohen Report which call for wage restraint and a degree of unemployment; and what action he proposes to take with the tribunals and wage-fixing bodies to implement the Committee's proposals.

As to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. Friend, the Paymaster-General to the hon. Members for Sheffield, Park (Mr. Mulley) and Birmingham, All Saints (Mr. D. Howell) on 6th March. With regard to the second part of the Question, I do not intend to take any special steps to bring the Report to the notice of tribunals and wage-fixing bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the total amount so far authorised for farm improvement grants in Scotland; and how much of this figure relates to buildings.

At the end of February, grants of one-third under the Farm Improvement Scheme had been approved in respect of works estimated to cost £417,172. Of this total £321,267 represented the cost of building works.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether it is the practice at the Royal Air Force Station, Medmenham, to have a parade each Saturday morning; and how far this prevents the taking of week-end leave.

A full station parade is held at R.A.F. Medmenham on one Saturday in each month. Colour hoisting parades are held on two other Saturdays. On the remaining Saturday the station closes down except for watchkeeping staff and airmen are free to take the long week-end pass to which they are entitled each month. Where exceptionally an airman wishes to take his long week-end another week this may be permitted. Airmen are in any case free to leave camp after duty on Saturday morning at the end of the normal working week.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he will make a statement about the future of his Department's buildings at Tantallon, which are no longer required for their original defence purposes and which interfere with the amenity of the area.

An American light engineering firm, with the support of the East Lothian County Council as local planning authority, and of North Berwick Town Council, is anxious to have the use of these buildings for the immediate establishment of a new industrial enterprise of considerable importance to the district. I appreciate that it is undesirable to have buildings of this sort close to the ancient monument of Tantallon Castle, especially in a place of such natural beauty; I have, therefore, consulted my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, who has been in touch with the Scottish Council for Industry, the National Trust for Scotland and other interested authorities and organisations. He is of the opinion that the site should ultimately be cleared, but there is no early prospect of funds becoming available for this purpose. In these circumstances he does not feel justified in impeding the establishment of this new industry. The Admiralty has, therefore, agreed to lease the buildings to the firm for a period of seven years only. If permanent premises elsewhere become available before the end of this period, the firm will be able to terminate the lease at an earlier date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will prohibit the sale, without a doctor's prescription, of Vitrell Amyl Nitrite a stimulant drug, now widely peddled and used by prostitutes, procurers and other members of the organised vice racket in the West End of London and elsewhere; and if he will make it a criminal offence for anyone, other than a doctor, to administer this drug bearing in mind that it undermines moral resistance and is the first step to drug addiction.

Amyl nitrite is controlled as a poison, but the Poisons Board has not in the past considered that there was sufficient evidence of its abuse to warrant the application to it of the stricter controls which apply to the more dangerous poisons. I am, however, keeping the matter under close review and I shall be glad to have any evidence my hon. and gallant Friend can give me of the abuses to which he refers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what amount of pit timber was sold by the Forestry Commission to the South-Western Region of the National Coal Board, directly and through agents, respectively, for each year since nationalisation.

All sales of mining timber by the Forestry Commission to the South-Western Division of the National Coal Board have been through an agent. The amounts are:

—		Amount (in tons)
Year
1949	…	32,000
1950	…	56,400
1951	…	55,700
1952	…	65,100
1953	…	39,900
1954	…	45,000
1955	…	43,700
1956, 1st January—30th June	…	21,000
1st July, 1956–30th June, 1957	…	37,700

Records of the amount sold in 1947 and 1948 are not available. Owing to changes in contract periods the information for 1956 and 1957 is not readily available by calendar years.Some timber was also sold to merchants but it is not known how much was converted to pitwood and sold in turn to the Board.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of outstanding applications for telephones in the urban district council area of Basildon at the latest convenient date; how many of these have been outstanding for more than one year; how long the longest has been outstanding; and how long it will take for those who have been waiting for more than one year to have a telephone.

On 1st January, 695 applications were outstanding, of which 260 were under inquiry or in course of being met. The earliest application was made in March, 1953. I could not justify the detailed work needed to establish the date by which we shall be able to satisfy the 204 applications that have been outstanding for more than a year because of shortage of plant. We hope to join up 800 telephones this year.

asked the Postmaster-General the number of outstanding applications for telephones in the urban district council area of Brentwood, at the latest convenient date; how many of these have been outstanding for more than one year; how long the longest has been outstanding; and how long it will take for those who have been waiting for more than one year to have a telephone.

On 1st January there were 345 applications outstanding, including 144 which were under inquiry or in course of being met. The earliest outstanding application was made in November, 1953. I could not justify the detailed work needed to establish the date by which we shall be able to satisfy the 80 applications that have been outstanding for more than a year because of shortage of plant. We hope to join up about 650 telephones this year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will circularise advice to county councils that they should seek the co-operation of farmers to clear roads blocked by snow which, failing this co-operation, remain blocked much longer than need be.

No. County councils are fully alive to the possibilities of enlisting the help of farmers for snow clearance, but if my hon. Friend has any particular case in mind and will let me have details of it I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has considered the report on the Rural Transport Problem in Mid-Northumberland, a copy of which has been submitted to him by the Northumberland Rural Community Council; and what action he proposes to take to enable public transport services in that area to be maintained.

This is a most interesting report. I am studying it with care but I am not yet able to say more about it.