asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount of benefits paid out for industrial injuries in 1957; and, in view of the fact that more productive time is lost through accidents in industry than through strikes, what steps are being taken to bring these facts to the attention of the workers and to reduce the number of accidents.

The total amount paid out for benefits under the industrial injuries scheme for 1957 was about £34 million, of which it is estimated that about £11 million was for injury benefit in respect of incapacity for work because of accidents.Accident prevention and safety in industry is within the responsibility of my right hon. Friends who fully share the hon. Member's view of the importance of urging these matters on the attention of both workers and employers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent goods packed in hay or straw from countries where foot-and-mouth disease is prevalent are permitted into Great Britain; and what steps are taken to ensure that this packing material does not come into contact with animals in this country and thus spread the disease.

The actual import of goods packed in hay or straw is not restricted on animal health grounds, but the disposal of these packing materials is regulated by the Foot and Mouth Disease (Packing Materials) Orders, 1925 and 1926, which in particular prohibit the materials being brought into contact with ruminating animals and swine. For at least eighteen years no outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been attributed by my Department to these packing materials.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the active interest taken by his Department in negotiations concerning the closing of the Brighton fish market up to the end of last year, and in view of the recent recommendation by the Fisheries Committee of the Brighton Council to close the market next September without offering any economically practical alternative to the fishermen, what steps he is now prepared to take to solve the deadlock.

My right hon. Friend is informed that the Brighton Council has decided to call for a further report on the possibility of providing accommodation for the wholesale fish market on an alternative site. The local officers of my Department and of the White Fish Authority will continue to keep in touch with developments.

asked the Paymaster-General to what extent it is anticipated that energy generated at nuclear power stations will be cheaper than was formerly thought possible.

Experience is being obtained almost continuously in this field. Developments which have taken place up to the present time would not justify any change in the programme, although they do give promise of cheapening the product from nuclear power stations.

asked the Paymaster-General how many local fuel advisory committees appointed in 1939 are still in existence how often they meet; and who bears the cost of them.

These Committees were appointed at the beginning of the war to assist and advise local fuel overseers, their approved costs being met by my Department. Their appointment was actually made by the local authorities, and as in most cases the authorities no longer feel the need for their advice they have generally fallen into disuse.

asked the Paymaster-General what suggestions he has received from the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mineworkers with respect to the switch by industry from coal to oil consumption; and what was his reply.

None.

asked the Minister of Supply if he has now completed his review of the present military aircraft programme, having in mind the necessity to cut the number of projects down to the minimum consistent with security; and if he will make a statement.

The main outlines of the military aircraft programme for the coming years were set out in the Defence White Paper Command No. 363.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent he has now reviewed the prospects of using the present engineering capacity of Royal Ordnance factories, which are being steadily run down owing to reductions in Service requirements, for similar work emanating from overseas orders; to what extent he anticipates using some of this capacity for atomic energy work; how much can be saved by making components for the newer types of weapons; and if he will make a statement.

I am naturally anxious to employ the capacity existing in the Royal Ordnance factories for any of the three purposes to which the hon. Member refers. The prospects of doing so are taken into account in reviewing capacity. Such work, however, is not likely to offset the diminished requirements for conventional equipment except to a limited extent.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is taking to dispose of the 1,250,000 surplus pairs of boots.

The number of boots to be declared surplus has not been finally decided by the War Office but in the meantime my Department is considering how disposal could most profitably be effected.

asked the Minister of Supply how many pairs of men's boots are now on order for any other Government Department; and how many boots it is estimated will be ordered within the next two years.

10,867 pairs, all of which are for special purposes; there are no orders for general service boots. The Service Departments have not yet indicated to me their requirements and therefore their orders for future years.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will consider informing the National Coal Board and other large industrial undertakings of the 1,250,000 pairs of soldiers' boots which appear to be surplus to the Army's requirements, with a view to obtaining some financial recoupment against what appears a complete loss.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will now make a statement about his future policy on aircraft research and development.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make my promised statement, but I shall do so as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he has considered the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Appropriation Account for 1956–57 of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Civil Appropriation Accounts, Class IX, Vote 4, paragraphs 129–133; and whether he is satisfied that the British instrument landing system referred to in these comments has since been successfully developed for military use.

I welcome the opportunity to dispel any possible misunderstanding which may have arisen about this equipment. The Comptroller and Auditor General's comments were directed towards a system required for use in civil aviation; the development of this started in this country in 1945. Since then, and learning from the lessons of that work, there has been developed in this country an improved version for use by the Royal Air Force. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air tells me that this version has been giving satisfactory service in the Royal Air Force and I also understand that the firm which developed, and is now producing, this system has high expectations of substantial export business.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made by the Board of Control in examining the certificates of those certified as mental

asked the Minister of Health if the supply of poliomyelitis vaccine and Salk vaccine is now sufficient to met British requirements; what proportion of school children have so far been inoculated against this disease; and when he expects 100 per cent. to be inoculated.

Purchases of poliomyelitis vaccine, including Salk, are being kept under constant review in the light of the number of registrations for vaccination. Separate figures for school children are not available, but at the end defectives and detained in mental hospitals under Section 1 (d) of the Mental Deficiency Act, 1913, as moral defectives, in view of the ruling of the Lord Chief Justice in the case of Regina v. Head and the comments of the Lord Chief Justice on the possibility of other unlawful detentions; and, in view of the importance of this to the liberty of the subject, how many people are engaged on this task, and how long they have been so employed.

Since this judgment senior officers of the Home Office and the Board of Control have made considerable progress with this review.

asked the Minister of Health the total numbers of consultant physicians, surgeons and psychiatrists in England and Wales; and what is the number of merit awards in each of the three categories, showing A, B and C awards separately.

Following is the information requested:of February 37 per cent. of all the children in Great Britain who had been registered had had two injections and a further 11 per cent. their first injection. It is the Government's aim that vaccination should be available by the summer for those in the priority groups who have registered.

asked the Minister of Health if he will arrange for local authorities which have more anti-poliomyelitis vaccine than they need at the moment to transfer some to those which do not possess enough for their immediate needs.

While no authority has more vaccine than is needed to vaccinate its registered children, I am aware that some authorities which at present have vaccine in hand are giving others temporary assistance by mutual arrangement, and I am encouraging this.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he is aware that a doctor in Wembley, whose name has been sent to him, has nearly 100 children waiting to be inoculated with anti-poliomyelitis vaccine, but has been able to obtain only enough vaccine for 10 children; and if he will arrange for further supplies to be sent to this doctor;(2) the total number of children under school age, and of school age, registered for anti-poliomyelitis inoculation in the county of Middlesex; the total number of children awaiting inoculation at the health clinics within the county; the amount of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine available at clinics for the children to be inoculated; the total number of children awaiting inoculation by their private doctors within the county; and the amount of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine issued to private doctors.

I regret that all the detailed information requested by my hon. Friend is not available, but approximately 246,000 children have been registered in Middlesex, of whom 124,000 were awaiting vaccination at the end of February. Distribution within the county is a matter for the local health authority. I am informed that the county council divides its supplies of vaccine between clinics and general practitioners in the various areas broadly in proportion to the numbers of persons awaiting vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health how many British manufacturers were invited to tender for the supply of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine; how many British manufacturers are supplying anti-poliomyelitis vaccine; and what proportion of the vaccine now being used is supplied by British manufacturers.

So far, two British firms have produced batches of poliomyelitis vaccine and both are supplying it for use in the vaccination programme. Of the total quantity of vaccine issued to date 62 per cent. has been of British manufacture.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to increase the amount of poliomyelitis vaccine for use in the Macclesfield rural district.

Cheshire will receive its share of the next issue of vaccine. Unless there are unforeseen difficulties I hope this will be about the middle of April. Distribution within the county is a matter for the local health authority.

asked the Minister of Health the proportion of children under 16 years of age who have had anti-poliomyelitis vaccination.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery).

asked the Minister of Health how much anti-poliomyelitis vaccine has been purchased from the United States of America; and whether he is satisfied that this quantity is sufficient for the estimated demand in England and Wales.

Salk vaccine is being purchased from both Canada and the United States. So far 2,826 litres have been received and more is on order.As regards the second part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to my reply today to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery).

asked the Minister of Health what number of parents, offered the choice of either anti-poliomyelitis vaccine manufactured in the United States of America or in the United King-don, have opted for the latter only.

No national figures are available, but my information is that in most areas a large majority of parents have made no objection to Salk vaccine.

asked the Minister of Health why the one firm supplying specialised antibiotics is not subject to cost investigation.

Some fifteen firms supply specialised antibiotics to the National Health Service; and, of these, two firms are each the sole supplier of one particular drug. For the supply of these two drugs to hospitals the Ministry of Health negotiates running contracts, which do not provide for cost investigation because the firms have so far been unwilling to accept a costing clause and I have no power to compel its inclusion

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to improve the dental care of children, in view of the Report published in the "Monthly Bulletin" of his Department.

Conservative dental treatment for children has in recent years occupied a growing share of dentists' time and every encouragement is being given to this trend. But the real remedy lies in prevention, by measures such as dental health education and the fluoridation of water, and increasing attention is being devoted to this.

asked the Minister of Health what consideration he has given to planning a long-term campaign of health education with the co-operation of the local authorities and making full use of the services of the Central Council for Health Education.

Local health authorities are given encouragement and practical help including publicity material in developing their preventive services, health education among them, on a long-term basis and in co-operation with other appropriate agencies, including the Central Council for Health Education.

asked the Minister of Health what payment is being made to general practitioners in connection with poliomyelitis immunisation; what is the total estimate of this amount; and whether this sum will be deducted from the central pool available for the payment of general practitioners.

General practitioners receive from the local health authority a fee of 5s. for the record of each course of poliomyelitis vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to receive the Report of the Royal Commission on Doctors' Pay.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 9th December.

asked the Minister of Health how many chiropodists are employed full time in the National Health Service by hospital management committees and local authorities, respectively; and how many are employed on a sessional basis by each of these authorities.

On 31st December, 1956, in England and Wales there were 25 chiropodists employed full-time by hospital management committees and 38 student chiropodists who were taking part in the work of their hospitals, but information is not available as to the number employed on a sessional basis. The number of chiropodists at present employed full-time by local health authorities in England and Wales is 64. and on a sessional basis 19.

asked the Minister of Health, if he will now state the result of the inquiry which has been made into the incidence of poliomyelitis as a result of crude sewage being deposited in rivers and estuaries; to what extent an abnormal number of cases have been discovered in such places; and if he will make it an offence to permit untreated excreta to flow into our streams.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind the Committee of the Public Health Laboratory Service which is concerning itself with bathing beaches. The results of this Committee's investigations are not yet available. With regard to the last part of the Question, the practice mentioned is already an offence under Section 2 of the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Act, 1951.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the doubts about the justification for the sending of Mr. James Mills to Rampton Mental Hospital and his detention there for the past twelve years, as the progress of the patient is being continually reviewed, if he can yet state when he is to be transferred to a mental hospital nearer his home to enable him to receive frequent visits by friends and relatives that for so long have been denied to him.

I have nothing to add to my reply of 17th February.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the action of the lay magistrate in signing certificates for the compulsory removal of a person to mental and mental deficiency hospitals under the Lunacy Act, as amended, and the Mental Deficiency Act, is the only form of judicial action from which there is no appeal; and whether he will introduce legislation not only to provide for tribunals of appeal but also to ensure that any powers of original detention are in the hands of a judicial authority with special experience of the problems.

These matters fall to be considered in conjunction with the new procedures recommended by the Royal Commission.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on the conclusions reached at his meeting with the Joint Consultants Committee on 25th March regarding the senior registrar problem.

I regret that I am not yet able to make a statement as after consideration of their talk with me on 25th March, the Chairman of the Joint Consultants Committee has asked to see me again. I have agreed to see him on 1st April. I consider that a statement on the senior registrar problem should not be further deferred and I propose to make one after this next meeting.

asked the Minister of Health the numbers on the waiting lists for admission to the various hospitals in Bristol; and how these lists compare with those for a year ago.

Following are the figures:

asked the Minister of Health if he will make inquiries as to how it came about that Gordon John Burgess, age 17 years, recently placed on probation as a result of aiding, abetting, and assisting in manslaughter with a stolen car, was served with 10 or 12 whiskies at Banstead Hospital in the early hours of 8th February, 1958.

I am informed that Mr. Burgess obtained unauthorised admission to a staff dance at the hospital and presumably made use of the bar. I am assured that no drinks were served after midnight, the end of the period for which intoxicating liquor was allowed to be provided under the licence obtained for this function.

asked the Minister of Health whether a start is going to be made on the development of St. Helen Hospital, Barnsley, this year; and how long this project will take to complete.

The planning of this large project is in progress, but is not far enough advanced for building to start this year. It is too early to say how long the project will take to complete.

asked the Minister of Health the age of the oldest patient in Rampton Mental Hospital; and how long he has been there.

Eighty-six; and twenty-one years.

asked the Minister of Health the longest period any patient now detained in Rampton Mental Hospital has been there; and the age of the patient.

Thirty-eight years; and seventy-one years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what approaches he has received from the Federal German Government requesting that the British Government should not sign a commercial agreement with Eastern Germany; and what was the nature of his reply.

No such approaches have been made by the Federal German Government. The second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the United Kingdom has not as yet signed the Convention on Maintenance Obligations towards Infants adopted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law on 24th October, 1956.

The purpose of this Convention is to lay down certain rules as to the law applicable in cases where claims for maintenance of a child arising in one country are determined in another.We have not signed the Convention as legislation would be required to enable us to ratify it, and I do not at this moment envisage legislation being introduced for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that until recently, at the instance of the Government of the United States of America, copies of the New York Times and of the New York Herald Tribune were supplied regularly to hon. Members, and that this supply has recently ceased; and, in view of the fact that this supply helped to keep hon. Members well-informed about the United States affairs and thereby helped to promote good will between Great Britain and the United States of America, if he will now request the United States Government to take steps to have that supply resumed.

No. We have all appreciated the value of this generous service but the decision to discontinue it is not a matter upon which Her Majesty's Government could properly address the United States Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made by the Ministers' Deputies at their meeting on 24th March in the implementation of Recommendation 155 of the Council of Europe relating to a European Civil Service.

Before taking further action on this Recommendation, the Ministers' Deputies at their meeting on 25th March decided to await decisions by the Commissions of the European Economic Community and Euratom, whom the Secretary-General has been instructed to approach, on the extent to which they would be able to participate in the Council of Europe's Working Party on the European Civil Service. Meanwhile the question will remain on the agenda of the Ministers' Deputies.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to give the results of the investigations conducted by the Bonn Government since July, 1957, into the allegations that, contrary to the Potsdam Agreement, about 200 persons are now employed in West Germany either as judges or public prosecutors who were personally concerned as judges in the infliction of death and other heavy sentences for offences against the Nuremberg and other Nazi laws; and whether he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add at the moment to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member on 10th March.

asked the Secretary of State for War why two departments of the Central Ordnance Depot at Didcot ordered items of household goods and furniture much surplus to their requirements; to what extent this resulted in a financial loss; whether steps have now been taken to obviate a repetition of this occurrence; and if he will make a statement.

This is one of the subjects dealt with in a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor-General. I should prefer, therefore, not to make a statement about it until the Public Accounts Committee has reported.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total number of battalions stationed in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; how many men this represents; and what is the monthly cost of maintaining these forces.

No British battalions are stationed in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

asked the Secretary of State for War the total number of battalions stationed in the East Africa Command; how many men this represents; and what is the monthly cost of maintaining these forces.

One British battalion is stationed permanently in Kenya. It has some 600 men and the monthly cost is approximately £70,000.

asked the Secretary of State for War the number of battalions stationed in the Middle East; how many men this represents; and the monthly cost of maintaining these forces.

It would not be in the public interest to give more information than is contained in my Memorandum on the Army Estimates (Cmnd. 372).

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will consider the introduction of legislation which will allow non-county residents to stand for a council in an adjacent county, and non-district residents to stand for district councils which are adjacent to their residence.

I do not think this would be desirable.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the increasing distress caused to elderly people who, as a result of the Rent Act, are required to leave this year their present homes or to give them up because they cannot afford the high rents demanded for some decontrolled houses, what has been the response of local authorities to his request that they should provide more accommodation suitable for old people.

New housing for old-people is mostly in one-bedroom dwellings. The proportion of these completed by local authorities in 1957 had already risen to 14 per cent. of their whole programme compared with 10 per cent. in 1956. In tenders approved during the three months following the issue of Circular 55 this proportion further increased to 23 per cent. of the whole programme. Local authorities are also acting on the other suggestions in the Circular, including the conversion of existing houses for old people.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consult the Crofters Commission on ways of helping small farmers and crofters.

I am always ready to consult the Crofters Commission on matters affecting crofters, but schemes of assistance designed to meet crofters' special needs have been in operation for only a comparatively short period—since July, 1956. Assistance for the small full-time farmer, which is referred to in this year's Annual Review White Paper, is a different and more widespread question which does not come within the Commission's statutory remit.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the average net cost per week per prisoner of maintaining prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons in Scotland; and how this figure compares with the cost in England.

The most recent period for which definite figures are available is the year ended 31st March, 1957. In that year the average weekly net cost per prisoner in Scottish prisons was £6 19s. 11d. excluding the cost of new buildings. The corresponding figure for England and Wales was £7 12s. 6d.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that tenants of a number of houses in the village of Woolfords, within the County of Lanark, complain that the water supply is inadequate both as to volume and pressure; and what remedial action he is prepared to take.

I understand that the present supply, a private one, is not satisfactory and that Lanark County Council has under consideration a proposal to replace the existing source by a public supply.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the recommendations of the Food Standards Committee in its report on sausages.

The Committee recommended that there should be a statutory minimum standard of 65 per cent. meat content for sausages made wholly or mainly with pork, and 50 per cent. meat content for all other meat sausages. The Committee was not unanimous as to the meat content to be permitted in "pork" and "beef" sausages. The majority recommended that four-fifths of the meat content should be pork and beef respectively whereas the minority recommendation was that pork or beef sausages should contain the named meat only.There is, I am advised, no known method so far of determining the proportions of pork or beef and other meat in a sausage and the majority recommendation would, therefore, be unenforceable. On the other hand the minority recommendation would conflict with long-established custom and trade practice in Scotland. I have decided, therefore, to take no action on the Committee's Report.

asked the Minister of Defence how many British Service men and their families, and at what total cost, have been flown at public expense to and from the West Indies in the last five years by British Overseas Airways Corporation or by other airlines.

There have been 6,793 air passages to or from the West Indies costing £731,130.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring up to date the figures given in Table XVII and paragraph 219 of Command Paper No. 9333 and provide approximate estimates for 1957–58 and 1958–59 of the cost in tax relief to the Exchequer on the same lines as the estimates given in paragraph 230 of Command Paper No. 9333 indicating, at the same time, the method of computation.

The estimated statistics relating to occupational pension schemes in 1956 are given in the table below.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the estimated cost in tax relief to the Exchequer of the child allowance for the year 1956–57, the child allowance for the year 1958–59, both on the basis of the allowance in 1956–57, and on the basis of the increased allowances now in force, the dependant's allowance of £60 for elderly or infirm relatives in 1956–57, and a dependant's allowance of £60 for elderly or infirm relatives in 1958–59.

In 1956–57 the Income Tax cost of the child allowance was about £240 million and it would have been about £16 million more on the basis of the child allowance now in force; in 1958–59 the cost would be about £320 million—including Surtax—on the basis of the child allowance now in force and would be about £19 million less on the basis of the 1956–57 child allowance. The dependent relative allowance cost about £22½ million in 1956–57 and would cost about £27½ million in 1958–59 on the basis of the present allowance.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the taxed value, as a percentage of annual taxed salary, for male civil servants at age 40 years, of taxed superannuation benefit, including lump sum free of tax, in respect of permanent secretaries, assistant secretaries, principals, and clerical officers, on 1939 and 1957 scales of salaries and tax, respectively, and on the assumption that they have an expectation of life, at 60 years of age of 15 years, and have completed 40 years of service, that they are married men without dependent children, have no other income, and retire on 5th April.

Applying the 1939–40 rates of tax to the 1939 rates of pay and pension and the 1957–58 rates of tax to the 1957 rates of pay and pension, ignoring the value of the widow's pension and including the whole of the lump sum gratuity without abatement for contribution to the widow's pension, the figures are as set out below.Capital value of the taxed superanuation benefits expressed as a percentage of the net salary at 40.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will take steps at an early date to extend to bicycles the provisions of Section 22 of the Finance Act, 1946, which provides for the remission of Purchase Tax on mechanically-propelled vehicles, acquired by persons only temporarily in the United Kingdom and about to be resident outside the United Kingdom;(2) whether he is aware that a London travel agency concerned with arrangements for American students visiting Great Britain and other European countries this summer has been informed that the Purchase Tax involved in the acquisition by them of over 200 new bicycles cannot be refunded despite the fact that these machines will be taken back to the United States of America by the students after the tour; and whether, in view of the indirect value of such a transaction to the dollar export trade, he will take steps to permit such refund;(3) whether he is aware that a prospective dollar purchase of over 200 bicycles by a British tourist agency for the temporary use of American student tourists in this country is being prejudiced by the refusal of the Customs and Excise authorities to agree that Purchase Tax will be repayable when the machines are taken to the United States of America after the tour; and whether, in view of the fact that the outcome may be a decision to obtain the necessary bicycles in another European country, he will make special arrangements to deal with this matter.

Taxable goods can be bought tax-free by overseas visitors for exportation under the Personal Export Scheme. The possibility of going further and allowing goods to be used in this country before exportation has been exhaustively examined on a number of occasions. With the exception of the existing statutory scheme for motor vehicles, it was found that no practicable scheme can be devised which would not be open to serious abuse.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take to support the British Trade Fair which is to be held in Lisbon from 29th May to 14th June with the particular object of increasing British exports to Portugal; and what steps he proposes to take in this connection to provide better facilities for importing Portuguese produce into Great Britain and in particular port wine.

As the Fair does not take place until 1959, plans are still in a preliminary stage, but I can assure my hon. Friend that the full support of my Department will be available to the organisers and exhibitors. There are no quantitative restrictions on the import into the United Kingdom of any of the principal Portuguese products, including port wine.