asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the interests concerned who have given to him their views on the recommendations of the Food Standards Committee in respect to the quantity of dairy produce used in the manufacture of ice cream; and whether he can yet state when a start will be made in improving the food value and quality of ice cream.

My right hon. Friend is considering the Committee's recommendations in the light of the comments he has received.Observations on the Food Standards Committee Report on the ice cream standard have been submitted by the following:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many cases in each year action to secure the readjustment of farm boundaries has been taken under the Agriculture Act, 1947.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many cases in each year tenants have succeeded in applications to county agricultural executive committees within the terms of Clauses 14 and 15 of the Agriculture Act, 1947, and directions have been served on landlords to carry out works, including the provision of fixed equipment considered necessary for the proper farming of the land.

I assume my hon. Friend has in mind the number of complaints by tenants which have led to the service of directions on their landlords, but I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the fact that they have ignored the provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Acts, 1931 to 1949, and of the scheme which they administer, if he will determine the appointments of those members of the Tomato and Cucumber Marketing Board who were appointed by him.

No, for the reason that I cannot accept any of the allegations contained in this Question.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement explaining the further experimental work which has been done on the alternative method of using a spray instead of dipping sheep, to prevent sheep scab.

Evidence has shown that thorough wetting of the skin is essention for the destruction of the parasites which cause sheep scab. Spraying is not a satisfactory alternative to dipping for this purpose because of the difficulty of treating unshorn sheep. No experiments have recently been undertaken in this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to the experience gained in Australia with regard to the spraying of sheep rather than dipping; and if he will publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT or circulate it to the appropriate authorities so that it can be widely read by farmers.

We have full information about Australian experience of the control of parasitic mites other than sheep scab. This coincides with our own experience and I do not therefore feel that the work of summarising it for publication or circulation would be justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultation his Department had with the National Farmers' Union between the announcement in the Gracious Speech regarding agricultural legislation and the introduction of the Agriculture Bill.

Following the Prime Minister's announcement, further discussions were held with the Country Landowners' Association and the National Farmers' Union on the provision for security of tenure, and agreement was reached on its terms. A number of bodies including the N.F.U. were asked to consider matters consequential on the decision to repeal the disciplinary powers, and to confer on various other points still under consideration, including the question of rental arbitrations; and were asked whether they had any suggestions of their own. The N.F.U. declined to take part in those discussions on the grounds that it was opposed to the Government's decision to repeal Part II and that legislation on rents was, in its view, premature.

asked the Minister of Health how many animals not covered by the restrictions of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, were used during the year 1956, in premises licensed under the Therapeutic Substances Act, 1925, for the purpose of producing sera and related substances.

About 480.

asked the Minister of Health when it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to implement the recommendations of the McNair Committee on Recruitment to the Dental Profession; and what progress has been made in this direction.

I have already implemented one of the main recommendations, which asked me to initiate the formation of a committee on dental publicity. Plans to expand the facilities for training dentists are under consideration with the Treasury and University Grants Committee. The other main recommendations are under discussion with the dental interests concerned.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to recruit health visitors.

This is primarily a matter for local health authorities as employers but the Ministry of Health assists by general encouragement of nurse recruitment and by subsidising the cost of training health visitors. Further measures are under consideration in consultation with the local authority associations and professional organisations following on the Report of the Working Party on Health Visiting.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the Maclean Report of the Metropolitan Water Board, which reveals the presence of parasitic infection in the stool specimens of 14 of the first 21

I am aware of the results of Dr. Maclean's investigations which have been published in a journal widely read in the public health service.I am advised that if the general hygienic precautions recommended in the Memorandum: "Safeguards to be adopted in the day-to-day administration of Water Undertakings" are followed, there should be no danger to the public health. I am informed that the Metropolitan Water Board has followed the advice in this Memorandum.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the analysis of the 1956 records of the mass radiography service in the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, setting out the incidence of active tuberculosis per 1,000 men born in the United Kingdom, the West Indies, Cyprus and Ireland, respectively.

No analysis giving this information has been made by the North West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. A study by a static mass radiography unit in the metropolitian part of the Board's area produced the following figures:

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of beds at Swindon Maternity Hospital; and what steps he will take to have the number increased.

The plans for later stages of the new hospital at Swindon include additional maternity beds, and the Oxford Regional Hospital Board is also considering whether there is need for some temporary additional provision.

asked the Minister of Health in how many hospitals there have been surveys made of out-patient departments, so as to suit the convenience of patients as much as is compatible with the efficient use of hospital staffs.

All hospital authorities were asked in June, 1954, to review the arrangements in their outpatient departments with a view to effecting improvements, in particular by reducing, so far as possible, the amount of time spent by patients in waiting before being seen by a doctor. No precise figures are available, but reports on the results of these reviews show that hospital authorities generally made a thorough investigation of their arrangements and that many have been able to secure improvements.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that patients sent to hospitals for X-ray examinations by doctors in the London area have to wait for long periods for the examination; and if he will make a statement on this matter.

I am aware that hospital radiological departments are in general working under pressure, but not of any undue delay in waiting time. If the hon. Member has a particular case of difficulty in mind I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the pamphlet entitled "The West Indies, a Nation in the Making", issued by the Central Office of Information, describes on page 22 the inter-island shipping service without any reference to the contribution made by the Colonial Development Corporation and its commercial partners.

This pamphlet is intended to give general background information about the territories constituting the West Indies, and an outline of the main events contributing to its creation. In a general review of this sort it was not possible in every context to give details of the kind suggested by the hon. Member. References to the Colonial Development Corporation's activities elsewhere in this pamphlet include, on page 32, specific mention of the Corporation's interest in transport among other basic services.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what long-term plans there are for the operation of inter-island shipping services in the West Indies.

The Canadian Government have decided, subject to the approval of the Canadian Parliament, to provide the West Indies with a ship to be used in the inter-island service. Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are most appreciative of this very generous offer, which has already been warmly welcomed by the Governor-General of the Federation.In the light of this offer and of the working of the present interim arrangements to which my hon. Friend referred in his reply on 18th February, the West Indian Shipping Board will make recommendations later this year to the Federal Government about long-term plans for the service.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware that there are considerable numbers of girls leaving sixth forms of secondary schools who have applied for places at teachers' training colleges for the coming session, 1958–59, and have not been accepted, and that this is causing anxiety to their parents; whether he will state the number of girls not accepted last year; what he estimates will be the number of applicants not accepted this year; and what action he intends to take in this matter.

I know that more girls are applying for 1958–59 than the colleges can take. I do not know the number of unsuccessful candidates for either 1957–58 or 1958–59. I have asked the colleges to take as many suitable students as they can.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the method of paying the pensions of disabled ex-officers of the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and the nursing services has been changed so that monthly cheques are now sent to these officers instead of the twelve cheques being sent together, thus increasing postal charges twelve times which, with the added clerical duties involved, means a waste of public funds; and whether he will take steps to-reverse this practice.

The change results from the introduction of a mechanised system of payment and accounting in the Paymaster-General's Office. Far from increasing clerical duties, the new system has led to a reduction in staff numbers and made possible an appreciable overall saving in administrative costs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he is aware of the inability of dental students to obtain places in London schools; and, having regard to the shortage of dentists and the likelihood that such shortage will increase, what steps are being taken to deal with the situation;(2) what steps are being taken to deal with the expansion plans put forward by the London dental schools.

I am aware of the difficulty to which the hon. and learned Member refers. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Health said on 10th March in answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Lady-wood (Mr. V. Yates) the Ministers concerned are now considering the recommendations of the University Grants Committee on the McNair Report

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to what leave African civil servants and civil servants of South African nationality, respectively, are entitled in Basutoland.

Leave entitlement of civil servants in Basutoland does not depend on race or nationality. Members of the senior service on permanent or long-term contract terms have vacation leave entitlement of 3½ days for every month of residential service. Members of the junior service on permanent or long-term contract terms have vacation leave entitlement of 2½ days for every month of residential service. In addition, members of both the senior and junior services may be granted occasional leave up to a maximum of 14 days in any one year.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what salary is paid, respectively, to a white medical officer and an African medical officer with similar qualifications in Basutoland.

The salary scale for a European medical officer in Basutoland is £940–£1,515 per annum. For reasons explained in my reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 15th April, 1957, the scale for an African medical officer is 75 per cent of that for a European

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why the aircraft carrier "Warrior" cannot be converted for use as an anti-submarine carrier in view of her extensive modernisation just over a year ago.

H.M.S. "Warrior" does not need to be converted for such use.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons in receipt of National Assistance who live in the areas of the Basildon Urban District Council and Brentwood Urban District Council, respectively, have so far received assistance arising from the operation of the Rent Act, 1957.

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that separate figures are not available for the areas of the Basildon and Brentwood Urban District Councils, but that in the Board's office at Brentwood, which serves those areas and a small part of another urban district, 198 weekly assistance grants had been increased up to 1st March to provide for rent increases under the Rent Act.

asked the Postmaster-General the cost of refunding, through local post offices to needy persons, the 1s, prescription charge which they have had to pay for medicine, etc., under the National Health Service since this charge was imposed.

In six years some £3,200,000 has been refunded through the Post Office.

asked the Postmaster-General what action is still being taken within his Department in connection with the £250,000 mail-bag robbery of 1952; and how many Post Office employees were dismissed in 1952 and 1953 and subsequently as a result of inquiries into this crime.

Inquiries into this crime were conducted by the Metropolitan Police, with whom my Department co-operated and will continue to cooperate. No Post Office employees have been dismissed as a result of the inquiries.

asked the Postmaster-General the quotas for telephone kiosks, with the allocation of quotas of expenditure, which are to be provided in rural areas in each of the counties in Wales for twelve months beginning on 1st April. 1958.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Supply the value of exports during the last five years of armoured fighting vehicles, the design and development of which have been sponsored by the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment of the Ministry of Supply.

In recent years, very large export orders have been received for vehicles designed and developed under the sponsorship of the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment of my Department. The value of the exports of these armoured fighting vehicles and parts in the five years 1953–57 amounted to over £105 million, of which £45 million was in dollars.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give comparative figures, with especial reference to fatal injuries, of the accident rate on British Railways during the period since nationalisation and during a similar period before nationalisation; and if he will make a statement.

The figures in the table below have been extracted from the Annual Reports of the Chief Inspect

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what rate of interest he has directed the British Transport Commission to pay on advances so far made under Section 2 (1)

I have issued a direction that interest on the advances made during the year ended 31st March, 1957, should be at the rate of 5 per cent.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what plans for the extension of the District Railway to Basildon have been submitted to him; and how soon the work on this project will be commenced.

None, but if the traffic potential justifies a rail service, consideration will be given to the possibility of serving Basildon by the London-Tilbury-Southend line which is to be electrified.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to alleviate the serious unemployment at Bideford, Devon.

I should like to see more opportunities for employment in Bideford and am using the influence of the Board of Trade to interest expanding firms in that attractive area.