asked the Paymaster-General the factors instrumental in maintaining the present high prices of coke; how many quality grades are now in operation; and whether these can be increased so that the poorer qualities can be reduced in price.

The price of coke is determined by commercial considerations regarding the cost of carbonising coal, the price of gas and by-products, the level of prices of competing fuels, and the fact that one ton of coal carbonised yields just over half a ton of coke and some 70 therms of gas.With minor exceptions there is only one quality grade for gas coke and one for hard coke. Quality considerations do not justify classification into additional grades.

asked the Minister of Education (1) what percentage of all girls leaving the State schools went to universities in each of the years 1951 to 1956;(2) what percentage of all boys leaving the State schools went to universities in each of the years 1951 to 1956.

The percentage of pupils leaving maintained schools and known to be going to the universities was as follows:

	Boys	Girls
1951–52	2·3 per cent.	1·1 per cent.
1952–53	2·6 per cent.	1·0 per cent.
1953–54	2·8 per cent.	1·0 per cent.
1954–55	3·1 per cent.	1·3 per cent.
1955–56	3·5 per cent.	1·4 per cent.
1956–57	3·3 per cent.	1·4 per cent.

The great majority of boys and girls leave school at 15 or 16 and variations in the size of the age groups provide one explanation of the variations in this table; thus in 1956–57 there was a large increase in the number of fifteen-year-old leavers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of contracts approved and the cost to the Exchequer in tax relief in respect of contributions to retirement annuities under Part III of the Finance Act, 1956, for the year 1956–57, and the estimated numbers and costs for the years 1957–58 and 1958–59.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of individual cases in retirement benefit schemes approved by the Board of Inland Revenue which provided lump sum benefits of under £10,000 and lump sum benefits of £10,000 to £40,000, respectively, in the years 1955–56, 1956–57, and 1957–58; and if he will state the estimated total cost in tax relief to the Exchequer of all these lump sum benefits in the years in question, on the assumption that the benefits were paid in those years, and the estimated cost for 1958–59.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the usual restrictions imposed on a male mental defective patient when released on licence; and what is the average length of time that the licence applies.

As in Form L of the Schedule to the Mental Deficiency Regulations, 1948, subject to modification by the superintendent with the concurrence of two members of the committee of management. The information requested in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what is being done to establish small units throughout the country for giving treatment to children who are acutely ill so as to eliminate the need for placing them in mental hospitals primarily devoted to adults, and sending them so far away as to deprive them of visits by relatives and friends.

There are seventeen special units for mentally ill children in England and Wales. Ten of these are administered in association with a mental or neurosis hospital; all these are in buildings separate from those used for adult patients. Nine other units are planned or under consideration. The hon. Member will appreciate that because the number of children who suffer from mental illness (as distinct from mental defect) is fortunately comparatively small admission to a special unit may involve sending them farther from home than would admission to the mental hospital serving the area in which they live.

asked the Minister of Health what is the total number of hospital beds; and what is the percentage occupied by patients with mental and nervous illnesses.

508,228 on 31st December 1956, 482,553 of them staffed. The number occupied at that date by patients with mental and nervous illnesses is not available but of the average daily number of occupied beds in 1956 (423,818) 48·2 per cent. were occupied by patients suffering from mental illness and mental deficiency.

asked the Minister of Health what proposals he has for building mental hospitals which will fulfil the modern concept of the treatment of mental illness and deficiency; and what plans he has to modernise some of the older mental hospitals.

Substantial new building and modernisation is in progress or planned at thirteen mental and mental deficiency hospitals in addition to developments carried out in recent years, and the inclusion of psychiatric units is being considered in several of the new general hospitals now being planned. The requirements of present-day methods of treatment are constantly borne in mind.

asked the Minister of Health what are the necessary qualifications to be a psychiatrist in a mental hospital; what is involved in seeking the qualifications; and how many lectures must be attended in the course in abnormal psychology.

The psychiatrist must satisfy the requirements of the advertisement for the post, and be appointed by the hospital board concerned from doctors selected by an Advisory Appointments Committee set up in accordance with the National Health Service (Appointment of Specialists) Regulations, 1950. It is for the Advisory Appointments Committees to decide whether applicants for posts are adequately qualified.

asked the Minister of Health what was the average overcrowding in mental hospitals at the latest convenient date.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Hale) on 10th March.

asked the Minister of Health what consideration has been given to ending the detention of children at Rampton Mental Hospital.

Alternative arrangements are not available for these children who are of dangerous or violent propensities. They are transferred to other care as soon as this is warranted by improvement in their condition.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in reviewing the cases of mental defective patients with a view to ending compulsory powers, consequent upon the instructions issued on 16th January, 1958; what is the number concerned; how the review is being carried out and by whom; what is the rate of progress; when it is expected that the review will be completed in existing cases; in how many cases compulsory powers have been ended; and what is the number discharged from mental hospitals, or under consideration for discharge, as a result of the review up to the latest convenient date.

The review is being carried out by medical superintendents or appropriate medical officers of hospitals and the Board of Control. At 25th March hospitals had submitted 9,122 recommendations and of these 5,155 patients have been discharged from orders to remain in hospitals on an

—					At 31st December, 1955	At 30th September, 1957	Increase
(a) Total Nursing Staff
Whole time		…	…	…	26,713	28,443	+1,730 (6 per cent.)
Part time	…	…	…	…	9,130	9,953	+ 823 (9 per cent.)
(b) Student Nurses (included in (a))
Whole time—Male			…	…	1,708	2,426	+718 (42 per cent.)
" Female			…	…	2,518	3,277	+759 (30 per cent.)
The rate of recruitment of nursing staff to mental and mental deficiency hospitals has appreciably improved in the last two years with a marked increase in the number of student nurses, both male and female.
* Including Bethlem Royal Hospital and Maudsley Hospital and certain neurosis hospitals which are not designated as mental hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the passengers and crew of the liner "Circassia" had already been vaccinated before they were inoculated with smallpox vaccine during the night of 20th March; and, in view of the fact that it is not claimed that it will prevent development of smallpox in those who are already infected with the disease, what was the purpose of this inoculation.

524 vaccinations were carried out at sea on the 14th March. All the ship's company and the majority of the 291 passengers had clear evidence of previous vaccination. The object of revaccination is to maintain or reinforce the immunity conferred by previous vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health what is now the staff position in mental hospitals as a whole; and what is the recruitment situation.

The numbers of nursing staff employed at *mental and mental deficiency hospitals at 30th September, 1957, the latest date for which figures are available, and, for comparison, the numbers at 31st December, 1955. were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will allow Mrs. Anna Horvat Marcovic, who is a stateless alien at present staying in this country with relatives, willing and able to maintain her, and who has been guaranteed domestic employment in this country, to remain in this country at least until some other country will accept her.

Mrs. Marcovic, who came here from Austria with her son as a visitor, has an Austrian travel document which is valid for return to that country, where she had been settled for many years. She has been here since September, and I am not prepared to agree to a further extension of her stay.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many of the visitors to Great Britain last year entered this country through London Airport; and how many others used the airport who would not come under the category of tourists.

It is estimated that 450,000 visitors to the United Kingdom entered the country through London Airport in 1957. This figure excludes those from the Irish Republic for whom estimates are not available. The number of persons other than these visitors entering the country through London Airport was 937,000. Visitors include tourists and business people domiciled abroad for whom separate figures are not available.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when it is proposed to continue the construction of a dual carriageway on the Great Cambridge Road from Carterhatch Lane to the Hertford border.

I expect the next section from Carterhatch Lane to Bullsmoor Lane close to the Hertfordshire border to be started within the next two years.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of schools in the County of Lanark that still do not have flush toilets.

The number is three. Work on the remodelling and extension of these schools, which will include the provision of flush toilets, is planned to start in the current year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when proper toilets will be provided for the school at Auldhouse in the County of Lanark.

Work on the remodelling and extension of Auldhouse Primary School, which will include the provision of flush toilets, is planned to start in October, 1958, and to finish in August, 1960. The pupils will attend Maxwellton Primary School until the work is completed.