asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the General Board of Control for Scotland has now considered, with full regard to the differences in the law of the two countries, whether action is called for on its part as a result of the discharge by the Minister of Health of 814 mental-defective patients.

The Board has now asked physician superintendents of mental deficiency institutions to submit a special report on any mental defective detained in circumstances similar to those of the patients to whom the hon. and gallant Member refers. This is in addition to the periodical statutory review of these cases. The number is expected to be small.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the proposed technical college to be built in Kilmarnock.

My right hon. Friend has confirmed the Compulsory Purchase Order relating to the site desired by the Ayrshire Education Authority for the college. The way is now clear for the Authority to submit proposals regarding the accommodation for my right hon. Friend's approval.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in his consideration of possible schemes for a road bridge over the Tay, all thought of a site near Newburgh has been abandoned.

No, but the proposal for a crossing near Newburgh does not seem to be widely supported.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many independent schools have registered under Part V of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1946; and how many of these have been inspected.

One hundred and fifty-eight schools have applied for registration and 116 of them have since been inspected.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the names of 13 independent schools that are to be included among the direct grant-aided schools.

The following is the list of 13 independent schools which at present receive contributions from education authorities under Section 25 (1) of the Education (Scotland) Act, 1946, and which may in certain circumstances qualify for direct grant aid after 16th May, 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which nursery schools are at present grant-aided; what are the sums paid; and how many children are enrolled.

The following table shows, for 1956–57, details of the nursery schools not conducted by education authorities which receive either direct grant from the Education (Scotland) Fund or a contribution from the Education Authority of the area, which is grant-aided:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take to prevent the growth of unemployment and short time in the engineering industry now extending to previously prosperous districts as evidenced by the trend in Slough.

None. Activity continues high in the engineering industry and unemployment in engineering is even lower at Slough than over the country as a whole.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that in recent years credits to the amount of 161,245,000 dollars have been authorised by the Export-Import Bank of Washington to 11 countries to purchase aircraft and aviation equipment from 10 leading United States of America aircraft manufacturers; and what credit facilities are being granted by Her Majesty's Government to these and other countries to purchase aircraft and equipment made by British aircraft, engine and equipment manufacturers.

I am aware of the activities of the United States Export- Import Bank in the field of aircraft exports. Her Majesty's Government does not normally grant credit facilities, which it is the job of the City and the banks to provide. They are supported by the export credit insurance facilities provided by the Exports Credits Guarantee Department, which has, over the period quoted by my hon. Friend, guaranteed credits in respect of the export of aircraft, aircraft engines and aviation equipment to 19 countries to a value of £128 million, that is 352 million dollars.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to grant licences for the export of small cold rolling mill equipment to Hungary, which is prepared to place orders for such plant from Great Britain for prompt delivery, which will assist employment in the engineering industry in the Manchester area.

No, not so long as the embargo on exports to the Soviet bloc continues to apply to this equipment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what investigations have been made by his Department into alleged price rings amongst industrial purchasers of milk.

None. Price rings are the concern of the Registrar of Restrictive Trading Agreements.

asked the Prime Minister Her Majesty's Government's contribution per annum to the budget of the International Atomic Energy Agency, set up by the United Nations Organisation; and what is their contribution to the budget of the European Nuclear Energy Agency.

The first administrative budget of the International Atomic Energy Agency covers a period of fifteen months ending on the 31st of December, 1958. The United Kingdom contribution is £109,000 which is 7½ per cent. of the total; in addition to this contribution, which in future will be on an annual basis, a further £9,000 has been contributed to the Agency Fellowship programme, and £54,000 to the Working Capital Fund of the Agency.The first budget of the European Nuclear Energy Agency is till under consideration and the contributions of the Member States are therefore not yet known.

asked the Prime Minister why the Statute of the European Nuclear Energy Agency empowered this agency to set up an inspectorate to control nuclear disarmament.

The object of the security control established by the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation is to ensure, in advance of any general agreement for nuclear disarmament, that joint undertakings established by the European Nuclear Energy Agency, and assistance provided by it, do not further any military purpose.

asked the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had on the question of the Burns' stamp; and if he will now make a further statement.

As the hon. Gentleman knows, I received last Tuesday a deputation of hon. Members of this House and of another place led by my hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Sir T. Moore), and including officers of the Burns Federation. I said then that I would consider in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General their request that a special stamp should be issued to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Robert Burns. I am doing so, but I have at present no statement to make.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now give a more precise estimate of the revenue he expects to lose by failing to make retrospective his proposals concerning dividend stripping; and of the estimated loss to the Treasury by leaving miners' helmets and protective uniform untaxed.

The answer to the first part of the Question is "No". The estimated reduction in revenue resulting from the restoration of the exemption from Purchase Tax of miners' protective boots and helmets is about £100,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Purchase Tax is charged on protective boots and shoes other than those used by miners, moulders and quarrymen.

Five per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the products Asthma 23-D and Chrysocreme, which are prescribed solely under the National Health Service and which are not advertised to the general public, are subject to Purchase Tax.

Because they do not at present satisfy the conditions for relief under any of the statutory exemptions for drugs and medicines.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will state the strength of the Alkali Inspectorate and annual cost, respectively, at the date the Clean Air Act reached the Statute Book and at 1st May, 1958; and what further increase in strength, establishment, coverage, penetration, and cost he estimates will become necessary to accommodate the added responsibilities of the Inspectorate consequent upon the transfers delineated in the Clean Air Alkali Works Order, 1958.

The figures asked for in the first part of the Question are, respectively, 10 at an annual cost of £17,480, and 19, at an annual cost of £33,730. My right hon. Friend proposes to recruit nine more Inspectors in the next year, at an additional cost of about £14,000.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what consultations took place between his Department and representative local authority organisations before the terms of the Clean Air Alkali Works Order, 1958, were laid before the House, and with what result; and what representations objecting to the terms of the Order he has received, and from whom.

All the local authority associations were invited in the autumn of 1956 to let my right hon. Friend have the views on the desirability of such an Order. One of them raised objections which were developed at the public local inquiry held last summer.Having taken careful account of these and other representations, my right hon. Friend sent the Order in draft form to the associations. No further comment was received at that stage, but since it has been laid objections from some 40 local authorities have been brought to my notice by hon. Members.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what estimate he has made of aggregate coal, oil, and coke consumed annually by all the works delineated in the Clean Air Alkali Works Order, 1958; and, having regard to the proposed responsibility of the Alkali Inspectorate for smoke discharge as well as for noxious or offensive gases, grit, and dust, whether he will publish the figures in aggregate referred to.

Particulars for England and Wales are not readily available, but for the United Kingdom the figures are approximately 110 million tons of coal, 17·5 million tons of coke, and 2·5 million tons of oil.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many local authorities are making advances for house purchase under the terms of the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, and how many are failing to do so; and what steps he has taken to persuade more authorities to grant loans for house purchase under the terms of these Acts.

During the last quarter of 1957, 290 authorities made advances under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts only, 549 made advances under the Housing Act, 1949, only, and a further 125 made advances under both provisions. Others would no doubt have made advances if they had received suitable applications.I lose no opportunity to encourage authorities to make advances under the provisions of the Housing Act, 1949, which are more flexible than those of the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts. Two examples are Circulars Nos. 32/57 and 54/57, in the latter, of which I said I was prepared to consider schemes for variable interest rates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what period per day detainees at Aguthi Works Camp, Kenya, are compelled to do forced labour; what is the nature of the work; and what are the wages paid.

Aguthi is a special detention camp where the work which may be required was described in my reply to the hon. Lady on 29th April.At Aguthi detainees work for 7½ hours, from 6.30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an hour break for a mid-day meal. No work is done on Sundays or public holidays. The work varies from quarrying to forestry and carpentry. Monthly earnings are calculated at 55s., which are the prevailing average local rates for similar work. From this amount deductions are made for the value of rations, clothing and time spent on camp maintenance—for which no payment is due—which are assessed at 30s., 6s. and 11s. a month respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he proposes to take in the case of Mr. Eric Mules, who has been declared a prohibited immigrant by the Kenya Government despite the fact that the Nairobi City Council wishes him to continue as the city town planning officer and architect.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 1st April. Mr. Marles' application for certiorari is now being heard by the Supreme Court of Kenya.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Mauritian Police; and which of the recommendations he is prepared to implement immediately.

The Report, which contained comprehensive recommendations regarding the functions, establishment and pay of the Police Force, was made to the Governor and accepted in principle by the Mauritius Legislative Council on 15th April. I will place a copy of the Report in the Library when received from the Governor.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations he has received for a new constitution in Nyasaland; and, of such representations which have been received, from whom they came, how widespread they are, and how far they are supported by the Chiefs.

I have nothing to add to the replies which I gave to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. J. Johnson) on 15th April and the hon. Member for Cardiff, South-East (Mr. Callaghan) on 6th March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent Government offices in Singapore have been Malayanised; how many heads of Departments have been guaranteed their present positions until they reach the age of retirement; and how many have been repatriated with compensation.

The number of expatriate officers filling posts in divisions 1 and 2 of the Public Service in Singapore was reduced from 512 to 333 between 1st January, 1957, and 1st March of this year. The total number of posts in divisions 1 and 2 is about 4,400.I am asking the Governor for information to answer the second and third parts of the Question and will write to the hon. Member when I get it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action the Government of Northern Rhodesia are taking upon the findings of the Honeyman Commission.

The Northern Rhodesian Government have decided to implement the recommendations of the Commission. Accordingly they have published for public information two Bills, one on 21st February to amend the Industrial Conciliation Ordinance, 1949, and one on 18th April to amend the Trades Unions and Trades Disputes Ordinance, 1949.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply has been made to the telegram sent to him by Mr. Wellington Chirwa, Nyasaland African member of the Rhodesian Federal Parliament, urging that Nyasaland should be declared an African state with an African majority in the legislative and executive councils.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Stonehouse) on 1st May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will publish a list of those Colonial Territories which impose restrictions on the entry of British nationals or have the power to deport such nationals, together with details of the regulations in each case.

Immigration into the various Colonial Territories is regulated by legislation, which usually imposes restrictions on the entry of aliens and the entry of British subjects and British protected persons who do not belong to the territory concerned. Most Colonial Territories have legislation under which persons who do not belong to the territory can be deported in certain circumstances. This legislation is contained in a large number of enactments, and varies in detail from territory to territory. A complete summary would be too lengthy for circulation in the OFFICIAL REPORT, but if the hon. Member would like detailed information regarding any particular territory, I will arrange for it to be sent to him.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if his attention has been drawn to the announcement by the Cunard Company in its annual report that the building of the new liner, s.s. "Britannic", is to be postponed; and what steps he is taking to offset the unemployment that will arise in Clydebank, as a consequence of this postponement.

It is understood that the shipbuilding programme of the firm concerned has been so rearranged that no dislocation of its labour force will occur as a result of the postponement of the building of the new liner.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, in view of the Government's recent offer to assist in the construction of dry docks, what advice he is tendering to those concerned in the proposal to build a large graving dock on the Clyde.

Promoters of dry dock projects in Development Areas are free to apply to the Treasury for assistance under Section 4 of the Distribution of Industry Act, 1945. My Department is prepared as heretofore to advise on the technical aspects of projects if this is desired.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will consider publishing a White Paper explaining in non-technical language how the various types of atomic and hydrogen bombs contribute to our defence.

I do not think that this would be an appropriate subject for a White Paper.

asked the Postmaster-General the cause of the delays in postal deliveries in the London area; and what steps he is taking to speed up delivery.

I would refer the hon. Member to my Answer on 2nd May, 1958, to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. du Cann). Unfortunately, progress has not been so rapid as I had hoped, but intensive efforts are being made by the Post Office and the union to restore normal services as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will arrange to complete the stands on the Horse Guards Parade as soon as possible so that visitors from overseas and particularly the Dominions can enjoy watching the guard-mounting parades, including Trooping the Colour, which battalions of the Brigade of Guards are carrying out each morning until 12th June.

It is planned to complete erection of the stands in time for the first rehearsal of Trooping the Colour on 31st May. It would not be possible to finish the work sooner without incurring additional expense, which I do not consider to be justified.