asked the Minister of Works what steps he proposes to take to ensure that sufficient deck chairs will be available to the public this summer in the parks under his administrative control.

I have no reason to think that the contractor responsible for providing deck chairs in the Royal Parks will be unable to meet the normal demand.

asked the Minister of Works when he expects his funds to permit the building of an extension to the Employment Exchange, Prescot, Lancashire.

I am in touch with my right hon. Friend about his office building priorities in this area.

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government will propose to the Commonwealth Economic Conference next September the establishment of a Commonwealth institution similar to the World Bank of International Monetary Fund.

I earnestly hope that, in the problem of increasing capital investment in the Commonwealth, suitable proposals for mobilising additional resources can be agreed.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will give an assurance that full consideration is still being given to the possible siting of a new steel stripmill in North Lincolnshire.

Yes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what contracts for nuclear power stations in Euratom countries have been awarded to British firms; and what Governmental machinery exists to assist British firms in this field of exports.

No contract has yet been awarded to any firm, British or other, but a British firm has secured a letter of intent from an Italian concern. Negotiations now going on in other Euratom countries may also lead to contracts in due course.All Governmental facilities, such as commercial intelligence, help by Her Majesty's representatives overseas and credit insurance are available to this as to other industries, and full advantage is being taken of them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the prospects of light industry being brought into the Sedgefield rural district, particularly in those areas where redundancy is taking place at certain collieries.

As Sedgefield is within reach of centres of manufacturing industry where further expansion is expected, my right hon. Friend is not seeking to introduce light industry into the district.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish as a White Paper the Canadian Trade Mission's report which describes the British recovery in spite of the difficulties that followed the war, the productive achievements of United Kingdom industry, and the expanding Canadian markets for British exports.

This will not be necessary. The Report has been printed in Canada and the Dollar Sterling Trade Council are supplying several thousand copies to the Dollar Exports Council for free distribution to industry in this country. The printed copies are expected to arrive by the middle of May.In the meantime, I am arranging for duplicated copies of the Report to be placed in the Library.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken during the last 12 months towards the development, in the City of Aberdeen, of precision instruments and jewellery.

As the hon. and learned Member knows, the Board of Trade bring the facilities available in the Aberdeen area to the notice of suitable firms looking for new quarters.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent Pye Limited, who opened in Airdrie, have now closed down; and what has prevented this firm from expanding on the scale estimated when they took over the factory last year.

The Board of Trade Controller for Scotland is getting in touch with the firm and I will write to the hon. Lady.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new secondary school places are being made available this year.

The estimated figure for 1958 is 26,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the salary scales for teachers in primary and secondary schools in England and Wales, 1956, recognise the degree of Bachelor of Education of a Scottish university as entitling the holder to the good honours degree addition of £50, that, whereas in Scotland the starting salary of a certificated teacher with this additional qualification is £575 per annum, in England it is £650 per annum; that, whereas in Scotland the minimum salary of such a teacher is £985 per annum, in England it is £1,075, and that, as a result of these differences, the financial loss incurred by teachers in Scotland who hold an ordinary degree and the degree of Bachelor of Education with first or second class honours is considerable; and whether he will take steps to have the Scottish degree recognised for salary purposes in Scotland as it is already recognised in England.

I am aware that a teacher in England and Wales who holds the degree of Bachelor of Education of a Scottish university is entitled to an addition to his salary of £50. In the absence of a recommendation from the National Joint Council for a similar provision in Scotland, I do not regard this particular difference as justifying me in departing from the long-standing principles governing the salary structure of teachers in Scotland to which I referred in the letter which I wrote to the hon. and learned Member on 4th February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what considerations led him to propose that the reduced Purchase Tax on greetings cards, unlike that on other items, shall not take effect immediately but on a date which Parliament has hereafter to prescribe.

Taking into account previous trade representations, I wished to act in the best interests of the manufacturers concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he has thought it necessary to impose a tax on miners' and quarrymen's safety boots.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made on this subject this afternoon at the end of Questions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many retired employees of the Government who have done more than 25 years' service are without superannuation; how many employees are due for retirement this year, after 25 years' service; and how many of these will be entitled to pensions or gratuities.

I regret that this information is not available, but all civil servants who retire with more than 25 years' service normally receive a pension and lump sum if they are established, or a gratuity if they are unestablished.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why pensions for pension and pensions increase for clerical officers, executive officers and senior executive officers after 40 years' service were less on 1st April, 1949, than 1st April, 1939; and why those of higher executive officers and chief executive officers were higher.

These small variations arise from the provisions of the Pensions (Increase) Acts. They could only have been avoided by even more complicated legislation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the percentage increase in pensions of recognisable groups of persons since 1939, including retired professional personnel under the Pensions Increases Act, Royal Warrant pensioners, old-age pensioners, National Assistance non-contributory pensioners, etc., and relate these to increases over the same periods in the cost of living.

Increases for occupational pension schemes of the public services are governed by the Pensions (Increase) Acts. The Acts of 1944, 1947, 1952 and 1956 have been uniform in their application to civil servants, teachers, local government employes, police and firemen, etc. The Acts do not apply to pensioners of the Armed Forces, but similar increases have been provided by Prerogative Instrument.In addition, the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1954, and the corresponding Prerogative Instrument provided increases only for the Civil Service and Armed Forces to implement the policy set out in the White Paper "The Retired Pay and Pensions of Former Forces' Officers and Civil Servants affected by Stabilisation and Consolidation in 1932–35" (Cmd. 9092).For pensions in these classes awarded in 1939 the total pensions increase would be as set out in the following table:

Pension awarded in 1939		Total Pensions Increase		Percentage Increase
		Civil Service and Armed Forces	Others	Civil Service and Armed Forces	Others
£ p.a.		£ p.a.	£ p.a.	per cent.	per cent.
50	…	48/6/8	48/6/8	97	97
100	…	76	76	76	76
200	…	106	106	53	53
300	…	116	116	39	39
400	…	126	126	32	32
500	…	136	136	27	27
600	…	146	146	24	24
700	…	166	156	24	22
800	…	186	166	23	21
900	…	206	176	23	20
1,000	…	226	186	23	19

For benefits under the following State schemes the rates of pension applicable in 1939 and currently, with the percentage increase, are as follow:

—	1939		1958		Percentage increase
1. War Pensions—	s.	d.	s.	d.
Disablement pension at 100 per cent. rates (other ranks):
1914–18	40	0	85	0	112
1939 war	32	6			162
Widows standard rate pensions:
1914–18 war	26	8	66	0	148
1939 war	22	6			193
2. Standard rate of retirement pension compared with contributory old age pension:
Single person	10	0	50	0	400
Married couple	20	0	80	0	300
3. Maximum rate Non-contributory old age pension:
Single person	10	0	28	4	183
Married couple	20	0	46	8	133

On the basis of the Cost-of-Living Index for the period before June, 1947, and the Retail Prices Index since that date, the increase in the cost of living since 1939 has been about 114 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations he has had with the trade unions concerned, and what compensation he proposes to award, in respect of industrial employees who are likely to become redundant because of closure or substantial reduction of Government defence establishments.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which was given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Callaghan) on 28th April, 1958, by my hon. and learned Friend the Financial Secretary. The gratuities payable under the Superannuation Acts will, of course, be awarded to unestablished staff.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what agreement has now been reached with the Federal German Government on support costs for this year and for future payments.

I cannot yet add anything to the reply given on 21st April by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster-General.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent in arriving at his estimate of about £34 million as the revenue for the current fiscal year derived from Income Tax, Schedule A, payable by owner-occupiers of residential property, he has taken into account maintenance claims and claims in respect of use for trade, profession or avocation

Fully.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will make a statement giving the up-to-date information he has received from local authorities and other sources about the likely effect of the Rent Act on disturbing present tenancies; and in what districts this information shows that the problems resulting from this will be large.

I do not think that any such information is a reliable guide to what will in fact happen, particularly now that the Landlord and Tenant (Temporary Provisions) Bill has been introduced.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what progress has been made in the objectives of the Rent Act, 1957.

I would refer the hon. Member to my statement on 2nd April.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, of the houses respectively approved, started, and completed for local housing authorities in England and Wales in the year 1956, in each month after that year, and in the year 1957, as a whole, how many attract, or will attract, subsidy under paragraph (a), how many under paragraph (c), and how many under paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of Section 3 of the Housing Subsidies Act, 1956; how many attract subsidy under other provisions; and how many attract no subsidy.

I regret that the information is not readily available in the form asked for, but the following table shows the numbers of houses approved for the different subsidies to the nearest convenient dates.

Subsidy	3rd Nov., 1955–31st March, 1957	Quarter ending 30th June, 1957	Quarter ending 30th Sept., 1957	Quarter ending 31st Dec, 1957
S. 3(2)	36,485	6,338	4,690	3,487
S. 3 (3) (a)	53,172	15,104	15,261	13,690
S. 3 (3) (b)	1,178	501	906	475
S. 3 (3) (c)	1,549	760	1,245	729
S. 3 (3) (d)	860	386	241	—
S 3(3)(f)	11,766	1,188	1,619	1,396

In addition, at 31st December, 1957, 54,102 houses in tenders approved under the Act had received no subsidy approval. This was largely because the local authorities had not in all cases indicated the purpose for which the houses were to be used, and it was therefore not possible to determine which subsidy, if any, would be appropriate. It is probable that a substantial proportion of this additional number will eventually attract subsidy.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will consult with the authorities concerned in those areas where the evidence shows that evictions on a substantial scale are likely, with a view to the taking of action in good time to requisition church halls, drill halls and any other available accommodation for the temporary housing of the homeless to obviate as much as possible unnecessary suffering.

I do not anticipate that any such action will be needed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many one-bedroomed dwellings have been built by local authorities and private enterprise in the period between 1st April, 1945, and 31st December, 1957; and what proportion this represents of the total number of dwellings built.

So far as local authority houses are concerned, the information asked for is given in detail in Table IV of the quarterly Housing Return. No comparable information is available of one-bedroomed houses built by private enterprise.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether, in view of the confusion which still exists in certain quarters as to the flags which should properly be flown over town halls in England and Wales, he will now issue appropriate advice to local authorities on this matter.

I see no present need to offer particular advice on this subject, except that I am about to issue a circular to Welsh local authorities about the use on flags of the Royal Badge for Wales.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will speed up the issue of loan sanction for road and sewerage works south of Albemarle Road, Cross Heath, in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, as development of this site is urgently required for the Council's slum clearance scheme.

Loan sanction for the cost of these works was given on 23rd April.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the number of schemes undertaken for piped water supplies and sewage disposal in rural areas, and the amounts spent in each year since 1951.

I regret that the figures of amounts actually spent are not available. The number of schemes and the capital cost of works authorised for England and Wales in each of the years in question are set out below:

ENGLAND AND WALES
RURAL SCHEMES
Year		Water		Sewerage
		Number	Value	Number	Value
			£m.		£m.
1951	…	270	6·3	226	5·8
1952	…	233	6·6	149	3·5
1953	…	246	5·9	184	4·9
1954	…	227	8·2	197	7·2
1955	…	210	7·5	267	10·7
1956	…	175	5·4	141	5·6
1957	…	162	5·4	207	7·2

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of Africans and Europeans, respectively, serving on the Lusaka Council and its African Affairs Committee, and the number of Africans directly elected; and what is the policy of the Government of Northern Rhodesia in regard to African participation in local government.

There are 13 Europeans on the Lusaka Council, elected by ratepayers; there are no Africans. There are four European councillors on the African Affairs Committee, and four Africans of whom two were elected by Area Boards and two were nominated by the Council from among the members of those Boards. There is an Area Board for each African Housing Area.The policy of the Northern Rhodesia Government is to associate Africans resident in the municipal and township areas with local government along the lines recommended in the Brown Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of Africans who have applied to the Government of Northern Rhodesia to participate in the Mkushi Tobacco Farming Development Scheme.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what financial aid he proposes to give to the Seychelles Government in its current financial difficulties.

I have agreed that the Seychelles Government may budget for a deficit of £35,000 in 1958, excluding any provision which may be needed for a salaries revision which is now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has now received the report of the special commissioner appointed to examine the financial and fiscal system of the Seychelles; and if he will publish the report.

Yes; the Report was published in Seychelles on 15th March and copies were placed in the House of Commons Library on 17th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many local branches of the Tanganyika African National Union have been banned; and how many of these are in constituencies where elections for the Legislative Council will be held this year.

Altogether 12 applications to open a branch of the Tanganyika African National Union have been refused and 4 other branches previously registered have been declared unlawful. Orders in respect of two of these have now been rescinded and it is open to them to apply for registration again. Two branches still declared unlawful and two refused registration are in constituencies where elections are to be held in September.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether detainees at Manyani Camp, Kenya, are compelled to do forced labour.

No. Detainees in special detention camps such as Manyani can be usefully employed on work which the officer-in-charge is satisfied will assist towards bringing the emergency to an end. In practice, however, the only work required of detainees at Manyani is that which is necessary to keep the camp in a state of good order and cleanliness and for the preparation of food.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the average monthly wage of agricultural workers in the Kiambu area of Kenya; what are the school fees per month for African education; and what penalties are imposed upon parents for non-payment of fees.

On European farms the average monthly wage of male labourers is 62 shillings 50 cents. Those working for African farmers are paid at a daily rate of from 1 shilling 30 cents to 2 shillings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply has been sent to the President of the Afro-Shirazi Party in Zanzibar who asks that Zanzibar and Pemba should be declared an African State.

I am consulting the British Resident and will write to the hon. Member when I have his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the sterling reserves held by the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya at the latest convenient date and in 1938, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1957, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what were the sterling reserves held by the Protectorate of Uganda at the latest convenient date, and in 1938, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1957, respectively.

Detailed figures for individual Colonial territories are not published. There is, nevertheless, a considerable amount of published information about the sterling holdings of separate territories. Information for Kenya and Uganda is being assembled, and I will send it to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many persons are now confined in detention camps in Cyprus without having been tried in a court of law.

Five hundred and sixty-nine.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decisions have now been made by the Legislatures of North Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak on the proposal for the union of the three territories.

No decisions have yet been made. On 10th April, the North Borneo Legislative Council unanimously approved a motion in the following terms

"Whereas in the opinion of this Council, the peoples of North Borneo welcome in principle the proposal for the closer constitutional association of the three territories of North Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak:

Be it resolved that the Council do recommend that the agreement of the Governments of Brunei and Sarawak be sought for the joint examination of the proposal by a body of persons drawn from all three territories with a view to the preparation of detailed proposals, including any necessary safeguards for the individual territories, such as thereafter might be considered by the three Governments severally".

Neither the Council Negri of Sarawak nor the State Council of Brunei have considered this question as yet.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the site acquired by his Department in Havelock Road, Hastings, has not been cleared, and that there are some buildings which have not yet been demolished; and what plans he has for the development of the site.

I am sorry that this site has not been cleared before now. It has been acquired for erection of a new telephone exchange. We shall not be building this for some time, however, and within the last few days agreement in principle has been reached with the local authority for the use of the site as a car park, meanwhile.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that a corner site at the junction of Norman Road and London Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, was acquired by his Department for a new Post Office for St. Leonards in 1947; and what steps he intends to take to develop the area.

Although we acquired a part of this site some years ago, purchase of the remainder has only just been completed. I cannot say when we shall be able to start building the new Post Office, but I will keep my hon. Friend advised of developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what nations have so far refused to contribute the 3 per cent. surcharge to the United Nations for the clearing of the Suez Canal; what were the reasons for refusal; and what steps are being taken to free the canal for the use of Israel on similar lines to other nations.

While the Soviet bloc and Egypt abstained on the United Nations resolution which authorised the Suez Canal surcharge, no nation has yet formally refused to contribute to it. The Secretary General of the United Nations has not yet, however, published his arrangements for collecting the surcharge.As regards the passage of Israel shipping through the Canal, the United Nations is seized of this matter and Her Majesty's Government's position remains as stated by my right hon. and gallant Friend in reply to the right hon. and learned Member for Rowley Regis and Tipton (Mr. A. Henderson) on 20th May last year.

asked the Minister of Health what is the precise date during May when the much larger supplies of Salk vaccine, which he anticipated, are expected to arrive in this country.

A further batch of Canadian vaccine, totalling half a million doses part of the anticipated supplies referred to, arrived in this country today and is being distributed immediately. I cannot yet give precise dates for future batches.

asked the Minister of Health what was the latest date on which the doctor at Ellesmere Port who died of poliomyelitis was vaccinated against smallpox.

The date of the most recently known revaccination against smallpox was ten years before the onset of the poliomyelitis.

asked the Minister of Health how many of the inoculated children developed poliomyelitis in 1957; and how many of the cases were of the paralytic form.

During 1957 32 cases of poliomyelitis, 16 of them paralytic, were reported in England and Wales in children who had had two injections of vaccine since the introduction of the scheme in May, 1956.There is no guarantee of complete protection with any immunising agent, and in the case of poliomyelitis vaccine 70 per cent. is generally accepted as the measure of protection to be expected against paralytic poliomyelitis.

asked the Minister of Health how many specially designated senior registrar posts he intends to approve; what guidance he is giving to regional hospital boards in this matter; and what will be the higher rate of pay attaching to these posts.

The number of posts to be approved will be decided on merits after the Boards' proposals have been received. I am about to discuss with the Joint Committee the guidance to be sent to Boards, and I will send the hon. Member a copy of this guidance as soon as it is settled. Rates of pay will be a matter for negotiation.

asked the Minister of Supply why he is transferring work from Bowhouse Factory, Hurlford, to Bishopton; what consultations he held locally before reaching this decision; and how many people will be affected at Bowhouse as a consequence.

The work is being transferred for reasons of economy. There was prior consultation with the other Government Departments concerned, which included examination of the local employment situation. 144 people will be affected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take on the recommendations of the Food Standards Committee for amending the standard for ice cream.

My right hon. Friends the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have considered the Report of the Food Standards Committee on the Ice Cream Standard and the representations we have received from interested parties. We propose to accept the Committee's recommendations that the use of the term "dairy ice cream" should be restricted to ices made exclusively from dairy products; that provision should be made for "milk ices"; and that a ban on artificial sweeteners should replace the present sugar standard.My right hon. Friends and I welcome the Committee's intention to investigate further the possibilities of a standard based on the volume of the finished product and accept their view that, until this is done, the present minimum standards of fat and of milk solids other than fat should not be altered. Details of the proposed amending regulations will be circulated to interested parties for their comments as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will grant a further period of deferment of call-up to Christopher Stock, of Dorrington, Porthill, Newcastle-under-Lyme, to enable him to be considered for a university place.

Yes. I have written to the hon. Member about this case.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the United Kingdom will be represented on the African Advisory Committee which the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation has just decided to establish; and who will be our representative.

The Government members of this Committee will include a representative of the United Kingdom, but I cannot yet say who our representative will be.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the redundancy which has taken place in the Empire Aluminium Company works, Polmadie, Glasgow; and what action he proposes to take to find employment for the men who have become redundant.

51 workers have been discharged since 11th April and seven of them had found other work by the end of last week. All of them registered for other employment in advance of discharge and my local officers are doing everything possible to submit them to suitable vacancies.