asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the activity of the Soviet bloc in the London market, in Egypt and Burma; and whether he will now make a further Statement of Government policy on goods still embargoed and the changing economic relations of the free world in the Middle and Far East.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the concern felt by industrialists and trade union leaders at the increasing unemployment in this country and the fears being expressed of the adverse effects on British trade as a result of the United States trade recession; and whether he will take the necessary action to secure an immediate lifting of all trade embargoes between East and West and take the necessary action to increase trade between Great Britain and the eastern countries, in general, and between Great Britain, China, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the German Democratic Republic, in particular.

I am aware that members of the Soviet bloc are active in these and many other markets. Our policy in the review at present proceeding in the Paris Co-ordinating Committee is to confine the embargo lists to goods which still are of strategic significance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases antidumping duties have so far been imposed under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957; which commodities are concerned; and in how many more cases inquiries are now being pursued on evidence of complaint.

One, on silicone fluids manufactured by a particular firm in France.Applications for duties in respect of lighter flints from Germany and Austria, aluminium from the Soviet Union and butter from Finland, Sweden, the Irish Republic and Austria have been advertised and are being examined.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the increased hire-purchase and credit sales in the year 1957.was attributable to the sales through the retail shops of the gas and electricity authority.

About 3 per cent.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the figures for the total hire-purchase and credit sales effected separately by the gas and electricity authorities in each of the years 1956 and 1957.

The figures for 1956 and 1957 respectively are: gas boards, £15 million and £17 million; electricity boards, £15 million and £19 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the reasons which led to the appointment of an administrative officer with no professional qualifications to be Comptroller-General of the Patent Office.

The functions of the Patent Office extend beyond the administration of the Patents Acts to the administration of the Acts relating to trade marks, designs, and copyright, as well as to other matters such as international negotiations and agreements about industrial property. The staff of the office comprises a large non-professional element—about two-thirds of the whole—as well as professional officers.The size of the office—a staff of 1,200 costing over £1 million a year—and the complexity of the management problems which it faces because of the pressure of work and the shortage of scientific staff make the appointment of a Comptroller-General of particular importance at this time. After weighing carefully the many considerations involved I decided that the primary need was for a Comptroller-General with qualities of leadership and wide administrative and managerial experience. The appointment will be without prejudice to the selection of future Comptrollers-General from staff within the office.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the total of men and women employed in factories controlled by the North Eastern Industrial Estates Company at 1st March, 1958, 1st March, 1957, and 1st March, 1956.

Information on employment in these factories for 1958 is at present available only for the end of January, 1958. Employment figures at that date and at the end of January and February, 1956, and 1957 were:

—	Male	Female	Total
End January, 1956	21,869	30,544	52,413
End February, 1956	21,704	29,490	51,194
End January, 1957	22,956	30,177	53,133
End February, 1957	22,239	29,233	51,472
End January, 1958	23,394	30,630	54,024

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, taking the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling at 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 19s. 5d. in February, 1952, 18s. 5d. in February, 1954, and 16s. Md. in February, 1956; and what was the comparable figure for February, 1958.

Yes, 15s. 7d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the categories of persons who are excused from paying the petrol tax; and whether he will resist the suggestion now being proposed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, that American Service men in Great Britain shall be excused payment of this tax.

As individual users, those entitled under diplomatic privilege, and, since 1st March, members of the United States forces using their private cars on duty journeys. The latter concesesion is on a ration basis. The initiative for it did not come from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the annual amount of personal saving, including life funds and superannuation schemes done on behalf of persons, in the three years 1949–51 alongside figures for 1955–57, also showing these figures as a percentage of the nation's disposable income and as a percentage of total annual savings; and how these figures compare with the average of the years 1936–38.

Yes. The following is the table:

—	Personal saving (1)	Personal saving as per cent. of:
		Personal disposable income (2)	Total national saving (2) (3)
	(£ million)
1938	281	6·0	55·5
1949	239	2·6	12·6
1950	218	2·3	8·9
1951	286	2·8	10·4
1955	1,070	7·7	31·5
1956	1,510	10·1	39·2
1957 (first nine months	1,305	11·3	—
(1) Before providing for depreciation, stock appreciation and tax reserves.
(2) Before providing for depreciation and stock appreciation.
(3) The figures relate to the total saving of persons, companies, public corporations and public authorities.

Comparable figures are not available for 1936 and 1937, nor is full information yet available for 1957. The figures are derived from information given in the National Income Blue Book for 1957 and the Monthly Digest of Statistics for February, 1958.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total of tax-free motor fuel estimated to be consumed by United States forces stationed in Great Britain during a full year; and what steps he is taking to prevent any diversion of such motor fuel into the normal channels of consumption.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind recent arrangements affecting fuel used by members of the United States forces in their private cars on duty journeys. This will be issued only from stocks controlled by the United States authorities, under rationing arrangements agreed with the Customs. It is estimated that the total quantity involved is about 8 million gallons per annum.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the precise reasons for maintaining the Customs duty on port wine at more than 16½ times the rate applied in 1920.

I cannot anticipate my Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the totals of personal expenses which the Board of Inland Revenue has accepted as deductible from corporate profits and personal incomes, respectively, for the purpose of taxation assessments for the years 1945 to 1956.

I regret that this information is not available and could not be extracted without undue expenditure of time and money.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he received a communication from the British Radio Valve Manufacturers' Association concerning Purchase Tax on television cathode ray tubes; on what date he acknowledged this communication; and what was the date and nature of his reply thereto.

The Association wrote on 27th January, and an undertaking to bring its representations to my attention was sent from my office, in reply, on 29th January.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with a view to encouraging greater hygiene and less waste in domestic kitchens, he will at an early date reduce or eliminate the Purchase Tax on refrigerators; and what was the revenue obtained from purchase tax on refrigerators for the last twelve months for which figures are available.

My hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my Budget statement. The annual revenue is about £5 million.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that temporary civil servants proceeding to take up an appointment overseas are allowed free travel from the port of embarkation only, and that this causes hardship in the case of people who live a long way from the port of embarkation; and if he will take steps to remedy this hardship.

Temporary staffs who are transferred overseas are paid their travelling expenses on the same basis as established staffs. The rules provide for payment of expenses from the last official station within the United Kingdom. But officers who have not previously served in appointments within the United Kingdom and are specially recruited for temporary posts overseas are paid their expenses only from the port of embarkation. This practice has been in force for at least thirty years and I am not aware that it causes hardship to the officers concerned or leads to recruitment difficulties.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action he has in mind to ensure that landlords offer suitable alternative accommodation to tenants of decontrolled properties before giving them notice to quit under the provisions of Section 11 of the Rent Act, 1957.

I hope that all landlords who can offer suitable alternative accommodation will do so, but it would not be reasonable to make this a requirement in every case.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will take powers to enable him to arrange for the rehousing of persons evicted under the provisions of the Rent Act, 1957.

Local authorities already have adequate powers to arrange for the housing of any persons in need.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that, on the expiration of a tenancy of a dwellinghouse which has become decontrolled under the Rent Act, 1957, the occupier can be ejected after 6th October, 1958, and his effects removed from the dwellinghouse by the landlord without an order being obtained for this purpose from a court unless the occupation is protected owing to a provision of the Landlord and Tenant Act, 1954; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with the position by amending the law relating to possession.

I am advised that, because of legal difficulties, landlords would not in fact find it practicable to enforce a valid notice to quit unfurnished premises without obtaining an order for possession from the Court.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action he intends to take to safeguard from eviction the families of Mildwater, 35, Mitchell Road, Palmers Green. London, N.13, Mackenzie, Eastgate, Orient Drive, Gateacre, Liverpool, Smith, 10, Norwood Grove, Liverpool, 6, and Miss S. Miller, 85, Grove Hall Court, London, N.W.8, where in each case, details of which have been sent to him, the owners are acting harshly against the long resident tenants.

I have already warned landlords who have not yet made agreements with their tenants that they should now negotiate on reasonable terms. It is only fair to add, however, that according to the particulars the hon. Member has sent to me one tenant has been offered a new agreement at 2½times the gross value: one has not, in fact, been given notice to quit: and another has been given by the landlord the chance of purchase at a sum less than ten times the present annual rent, which itself is equal to 1½ times the gross value.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that, in spite of his warning, some landlords in central London, details of whom have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, are asking as new rents for property decontrolled under the Rent Act, 1957, six times the gross rateable value of the premises; and whether he will take steps to safeguard the interests of the tenants concerned.

The hon. Member sent me details of two cases, in one of which 4¼ and the other 5 times the gross value was asked. In both cases it seems that the circumstances were exceptional because of the high level of values in the area for business purposes. I have already warned any landlords who have been asking excessive rents that they may regret it, if they do not now reach agreement on reasonable terms.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is satisfied that tenants in unfurnished accommodation not separately assessed for rating purposes but in a house with a rateable value above the decontrol limits are sufficiently apprised of their position under the Rent Act, 1957; and if he will make a statement.

A brief explanation of the position is given in the answers to Questions 2 and 3 of the "Rent Act and You". I am, however, obliged to my hon. Friend for enabling publicity to be given to a more detailed exposition.Decontrol applies only to accommodation separately let unfurnished which has a rateable value of more than £40 in London, or £30 elsewhere in England and Wales. Where a family occupy only part of a house, it is the rateable value of that part and not the rateable value of the whole house which decides whether their accommodation is decontrolled. If the premises let have no separate assessment in the valuation list, the landlord cannot serve a notice to quit until he has shown either by written agreement with the tenant or by a decision of the county court, that the rateable value to be attributed to the premises is above the decontrol limit.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will give consideration to the need for emergency action to house persons evicted under the provisions of the Rent Act, 1957.

I have recently warned landlords that wherever possible they should make new agreements on reasonable terms with their tenants. I think the right course now is to allow time for this advice to have effect.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs why he has refused to allow the Thorne Rural District Council to build houses for general need.

As I made clear in Circular 54/57, it is for each authority to decide how the houses they build will be used, though I did express the hope that none would stop building for slum clearance purposes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many houses the Knottingley Urban District Council wished to build during 1958; and for how many he has given permission.

The council tells me that it wishes to start 80 houses in 1958. I have said it may start 28. This compares with 36 starts approved in 1957, 21 in 1956, and 21 in 1955.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware of the distress that has been caused by his refusal to allow more than 50 houses to be built this year by the Goole Town Council, although its plans were for 169 dwellings, as part of its slum-clearance proposals; and whether he will reconsider his decision.

The council's proposals would have involved starting in one year nearly half its entire slum clearance programme for five years, and to have allowed it to do this would have been unfair to authorities with greater and more urgent needs.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many houses remained requisitioned by local authorities at the latest convenient date.

On 31st January, 1958, local authorities held on requisition 23,763 properties comprising 40,226 dwellings.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will take steps to amend the Public Health Act, 1875, in the light of the heavily increased cost of roadmaking that is falling on the owner-occupiers of houses in unmade roads.

My right hon. Friend has considered suggestions on these lines, but he is not satisfied that the present law regarding liability for private street works is unreasonable, and he cannot hold out any prospect of introducing amending legislation

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps are taken to ensure that British firms are not barred by local authorities from tendering for fittings for houses which are being built under subsidy and in respect of which the tenders are required to be approved by his Department.

Details of tenders are within the field of local authority responsibility and do not ordinarily require my approval.I have no reason to think that British firms are barred from tendering for local authority projects.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the number of houses in Middlesex built by local authorities in 1957; and if he will give an approximate figure of the number they are likely to build this year.

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is available in the Appendix to the Housing Return for 31st December, 1957. The best guide to the number of houses likely to be completed by local authorities in Middlesex during 1958 is the number of houses under construction at the end of 1957, and this information also is given in the Housing Return.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what recommendations have been made to local authorities on the composting of household refuse and sewage.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a Report on the various methods of treating sewage sludge which was circulated to local authorities in 1954. It is for each local authority to decide what method best suits its own circumstances.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that the planning and public health powers available to local authorities in relation to caravans have proved to be ineffective, with the result that in many cases there is no way in which the conflicting interests of the owners of property, houses, caravans and the general public can be reconciled; and whether he will appoint a working party or take other administrative action to remove the anxieties arising from, and the unsatisfactory features of, the present position.

My right hon. Friend is aware of difficulties in certain areas but he does not accept that local authorities' existing powers have proved to be ineffective for reconciling conflicting interests. He is not convinced that the appointment of a working party would serve a useful purpose, but he is ready to consider taking up with the authority concerned any particular local problem which is brought to his notice.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware of the inadequate accommodation provided in the women's section of the Ministry of Labour Employment Exchange, Prescot, Lancashire, of which details have been furnished to the Minister of Labour; and when he intends to take action on the request of the Ministry of Labour, made in April, 1956, to remedy the position.

Yes. It is intended to build an extension to the Prescot Employment Exchange when funds permit.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland from which of the Scottish islands the air ambulance service has been withdrawn; for what reasons; and if he will make a statement about future plans for this service.

The air ambulance service has been withdrawn from Colonsay, Coll, Sanday, Stronsay, Westray and North Ronaldsay because the condition of the emergency landing strips on these islands does not permit operating to acceptable standards of safety. The future of this service is being considered as a matter of urgency: and I am in close consultation about it with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation and with British European Airways.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now extend to the islands of the Outer Hebrides, without air fields, the use of helicopters for emergency air ambulance service.

The present arrangements, whereby a Services helicopter may be called upon in cases of extreme emergency, cover all islands in Scotland without regular airfields, including those of the Outer Hebrides.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the evidence in his possession shows that Scottish industry still needs to be diversified by the introduction of light industries.

In spite of the fundamental strength of the traditional Scottish industries the Government recognise that Scotland still needs further industrial development and diversification. It is the aim of distribution of industry policy to encourage new industrial projects of suitable types to settle in those areas which most require them.

asked the Postmaster-General why he has refused the request of Mr. F. J. Pearson to see the inspector's report on which he based his decision to reject Mr. Pearson's appeal against the compulsory purchase of No. 25, Worple Road, Wimbledon.

To have published this report would have been out of line with Government policy. It did not prove practicable to adopt retrospectively the Franks Committee recommendation on publication. Copies of reports on inquiries, from now on, will be made available on request in accordance with the statement made to the House by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 31st October, 1957.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has considered the statement made by spokesmen of the workers in television and the cinema regarding the increasing amount of violence depicted, a copy of which has been sent to him; and what action he proposes to take under Article 15 (4) of the British Broadcasting Corporation Licence and Agreement and Section 9 (2) of the Television Act, 1954.

I have seen the Press reports of the comment made at the conference of the Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians, one of which the right hon. Lady sent to me. This is a matter for the B.B.C. and I.T.A. and no action by me is called for.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many ships were laid up on the Tyne on 8th March; what were the reasons; and what steps he proposes to take in this matter.

Ten. They were laid up for commercial reasons. It is not the Government's policy to interfere in the commercial operation of shipping.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total cost of family allowances in the last complete year for which records are available.

The total cost of family allowances in the year ending 31st March, 1957, was nearly £114 million.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why fast patrol boats are still under construction in view of the virtual abandonment of this type by the Royal Navy.

The Royal Navy has not abandoned fast patrol boats. Those now building are required to fulfil treaty obligations and for trials and training.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether the statement of the First Sea Lord at a recent Press conference that three cruisers of the Tiger class are sufficient to safeguard our carriers against attack from surface vessels was made with his authority; and if he will retain at least some of our existing cruisers such as the "Belfast", "Swiftsure", "Ceylon", "Gambia" and "Bermuda" which have all been, or are in process of being, modernised.

The First Lord held a Press Conference on Tuesday, 18th February, 1958, at which the First Sea Lord was present but no such statement was made by First Sea Lord at that Conference. Of the cruisers mentioned in the second part of the Question those most recently refitted will be retained in reserve to support them.There have been no other Press conferences in recent times.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what areas of Dartmoor National Park come within his control; what are their acreages; and to what extent civilians are excluded from these areas.

Five Royal Observer Corps posts with an average area of 0·06 of an acre; a radio station at Sharpitor with an area of 1·25 acres; and three acres of land at Harrowbeer which were formerly part of the airfield. Members of the public are excluded from all these areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Air when the pylons at the Royal Air Force Station, Poling, Sussex, were last used; what has been the cost of guarding them since that date; what was the cost of the wire fence surrounding the station when last renewed; and when such renewal was last carried out.

Poling was in use until July, 1956. The cost of guarding it since then has been about £5,000; most of this was incurred before the technical equipment was removed in March, 1957, and the size of the guard reduced. The wire fence was renewed in February, 1955, at a cost of £2,000.

asked the Minister of Education the latest date on which a batch of records from his Department was transferred to the Public Record Office.

27th March, 1957.

asked the Minister of Education the date of the last destruction schedule made under the Public Record Office Act, 1877, relating to non-current records in his Department.

The 28th June, 1951, for photographs and sound recordings and 26th May, 1941, for other documents.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Aliens Orders do not apply to immigrants from British possessions overseas entering Great Britain, that the majority of such immigrants, mostly Negro or coloured, have no medical examination either in their country of origin or on arrival here, and that this uncontrolled immigration is dangerous to public health in Great Britain; and if he will now so amend the Aliens Orders as to require all such immigrants to undergo rigorous medical examination at their British port of entry to ensure that they are free before admission from any infectious disease.

The Aliens Order, 1953, does not apply to British subjects, but the Public Health (Ships) and (Aircraft) Regulations, 1952, give wide powers to port medical officers to deal with cases or suspected cases of communicable disease whether in a British subject or an alien arriving in this country. I have at present no evidence of danger to health from immigration of British subjects such as to justify an extension of the existing arrangements.

asked the Minister of Health the average period of a patient's stay in hospital in England and Wales in each full year since the National Health Service began; the approximate average cost of a 24-hour stay in hospital in each of these years; what would have been the total extra cost to the taxpayer had the average time of all patients in hospital in the last year for which figures are available been the same as for the first year; and to what main factors he attributes the large saving to the taxpayers resulting from the rise in the rate of bed turnover.

I am afraid that length of stay and cost per bed varies so widely between different kinds of treat ment that overall average figures would be misleading. The improvement in the use of beds which my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind can, however, be roughly expressed by saying that in 1956, 27 per cent. more patients had their treatment terminated than in 1949, although the increase in available beds was only 6 per cent. A variety of different measures have contributed to this improvement and a number of these are described in a memorandum sent to hospital authorities in 1954, of which I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy.