asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of registered unemployed persons in Wales at the most recent convenient date; and what percentage of insured persons eligible for employment in Wales this represents.

34,815 at 17th March, the latest date for which figures are available. This figure represents 3·7 per cent. of the estimated total number of employees in Wales.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement about the training allowance scheme in the light of the increased number of boys and girls who will be leaving school this year.

Yes. I have decided, after consulting the National Youth Employment Council, that a boy or girl may be submitted under the scheme to an employer in another area through the Youth Employment Service in competition with local boys and girls. If he is engaged he will be eligible for assistance under the scheme. This change abolishes the rule whereby a young person cannot be assisted under the scheme if suitable young people are available locally. Thus, the able boy or girl in a non-industrial area will continue to have a chance to obtain training in, employment away from home which he might otherwise have lost.

asked the Minister of Labour how many copies of "Training for Skill" have been distributed either by sale or by other means.

About 19,000 so far, of which about 15,000 have been by sale.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage rate of unemployment in the Northern Region in March, 1958; and what was the corresponding percentage in Great Britain.

At 17th March the number of unemployed persons on the registers of employment exchanges in the Northern Region represented 2·2 per cent. of the estimated total number of employees in the Region. The corresponding figure for Great Britain was 2·0 per cent.

asked the Postmaster General if he is aware that sudden changes in the Post Office's investment programme have caused serious redundancies at an import factory in the Merseyside area producing telephone and associated equipment; and if he will make a statement on the situation.

The Post Office investment programme has been restricted in conformity with the Government policy of restraint in the public sector. Because of this is was necessary, last October, to inform the manufacturers that expenditure on telephone exchange equipment in 1958–59 would continue at the then existing level, instead of rising as had been expected. There has been no further change in the investment programme. A slowing down of orders for telephone instruments has also been necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will initiate legislation to oblige the British Transport Commission to sell all its assets other than the permanent way and signalling apparatus, and for Her Majesty's Treasury thereafter to maintain the latter upon some basis similar to that applying to trunk roads

No.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will state an estimated apportionment of the assets of the British Transport Comcission between the permanent way with all signalling apparatus, on the one hand, and all its other assets, on the other hand.

If my hon. Friend has British Railways particularly in mind, Table V-4 of the Commission's 1956 Accounts gives in broad terms the book value of permanent way, buildings, etc. at about £903 million, and that of rolling stock, etc. at about £413 million.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what were the total shipments during the periods 1st January to 31st March, 1957, and 1958, respectively, from Cardiff docks to other United Kingdom ports.

Figures supplied by the British Transport Commission show that 41,431 tons of cargo were shipped from Cardiff to other United Kingdom ports during the period 31st December, 1956, to 24th March, 1957, as compared with 40,160 tons in the period 30th December, 1957, to 23rd March, 1958.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware of the nuisance and disturbance caused to residents of Sudbury Court Road, Wembley, by the heavy motor traffic which uses this narrow winding road as a through route; and what steps he will take to alleviate this problem.

I am not aware of any fresh complaints since 1952, when this matter was last examined, but I will make further inquiries and write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress he has made on the proposed Preston—Birmingham motorway.

The difficulties of establishing an acceptable line for the entire length of this motorway are considerable and, to enable work to begin as soon as possible, I have decided to make the scheme for the length extending from Preston to south of Stafford, and to have the remaining portion of the route reinvestigated as a matter of urgency.

asked the Minister of Defence what further withdrawal of troops from Western Germany has been agreed with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further information he has now received from Paris about the attack made there on Lieut.-Colonel Kittoe, of Doddinghurst, Essex, on 31st January, 1958; whether anyone has been charged with the offence, and with what result; and whether he will make a statement.

I am informed that the case has been passed to the Procureur Général and the Parquet Général at the Palais de Justice, in Paris, but that there is not sufficient evidence to warrant a charge being made.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will make inquiries into the working of the Unemployment Benefits Act, as it affects workers on a five-day week and those working a five-and-a-half-day week, respectively, and into the fact that in these cases different employment exchanges are treating these cases in different ways; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the provisions of Section 4 of the National Insurance Act, 1957, governing unemployment benefit for days on which a person does not normally work. I shall, of course, be glad to look into any cases of different treatment by employment exchanges which the hon. Gentleman cares to bring to my attention, but I have at present no reason to believe that the Section is causing any trouble.

asked the Minister of Works whether, in view of the steadily increasing congestion in London, he will expedite such obvious improvements as proper roundabouts at the south-west and north-west gates in Hyde Park.

The temporary roundabout at the north-west corner of Hyde Park, near the Victoria Gate, has now been in operation for more than two years, and I am informed that it has greatly eased the traffic problem there. I do not, however, consider that I should be justified in constructing a permanent roundabout either there or at the Alexandra Gate at the south-west corner of the Park until I have been able to observe what effect the proposed Park Lane improvement scheme has on the traffic at these points.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he has decided to place a Purchase Tax upon miners' safety helmets and miners' safety boots, in view of the fact that these are worn to reduce the number of accidents in the mines of this country.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he is imposing a 5 per cent. Purchase Tax on the protective clothing of quarry workers; and what will be the estimated yield from this new tax.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29th April.

asked the Attorney-General in how many cases during the past three years he has issued a writ of nolle prosequi to end criminal proceedings where the jury was unable to agree on a verdict.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many people are now employed on trading estates in the North-East of England; and how this figure compares with 12 months ago.

Factories administered by the North Eastern Trading Estate Company employed 51,753 at end-March, 1958, and 51,675 a year earlier. The March, 1958, figure excludes employment in two factories sold to tenants during the year.