asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reply he has sent to the recent statement on firewomen's pay sent to him by the National Joint Council for local authorities' fire brigades.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I informed the National Joint Council, on 21st April, that after carefully considering the report which they recently submitted we had decided that a re-assessment of the basis on which the pay of firewomen is calculated should be deferred until a more appropriate time, and that for the present the revision of firewomen's pay should be limited to the consequential increases which they would have received on the basis of the local authority salary scale to which the pay of firewomen has hitherto been related, with coresponding increases for the higher ranks. Regulations to this effect have been laid before Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the present proposals on the part of the Prison Commissioners for the use of H.M.S. "Ceres" and part of the Royal Ordnance factory at Thorp Arch.

The Prison Commissioners are seeking planning consent for the use of H.M.S. "Ceres" as an open borstal institution for boys, and part of the Royal Ordnance Factory at Thorp Arch as an open prison for men.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that accidents have been caused by catapults supplied to Children with bags of sherbet; and if he will take steps to prohibit this practice.

One complaint reached the Home Office two years ago. My right hon. Friend has no power to prohibit such a practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the pay of inspectors and superintendents of the Metropolitan Police on 1st May, 1938; what was the pay of these ranks on 1st May, 1958; and what pay these ranks would have had to receive on 1st May, 1958, in order to have the equivalent purchasing power of the rates of 1st May, 1938.

The salaries payable to inspectors and superintendents of the Metropolitan Police on 1st May, 1938, and the salaries which would now (disregarding the incidence of taxation) have the same purchasing power are:

SALARY AT 1ST MAY, 1938
		Equivalent of 1938 maximum in terms of 1958 values
	£	£
Station inspector	340x10–380	1,064
Inspector	327x13–392	1,097
Sub-divisional Inspector	402x13–454	1,271
Superintendent	650x25–800	2,240

The rank of station inspector no longer exists; the duties that attached to that rank in 1938 are, with added responsibilities, now performed by chief inspectors. In 1938 the officer in charge of a sub-division held the rank of sub-divisional inspector; the post, which now carries increased responsibilities, is now held by officers of the rank of superintendent grade 1. Officers of the rank of superintendent were re-graded chief superintendent in 1949. The salaries of the new ranks on 1st May, 1958, were:

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what arrangements are being made to build a railway in Swaziland, in view of the development of industry and agriculture in that country.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave on 6th February to a Question asked by the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway).

asked the Minister of Education how many senior officers of his Department were born in Wales; what steps he will take to increase the recruitment of persons for senior grades with a particular knowledge of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is not readily available for the Ministry of Education as a whole. The Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Department is a Welshman, and so are almost all the members of the Welsh Inspectorate. Recruitment is in the hands of the Civil Service Commissioners, who maintain a close liaison with the universities, including that of Wales.

asked the Minister of Education what further devolution of the work of his Department in Wales is contemplated in the next year or so; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to give any information on this matter.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will now further consider the letter from the hon. Member for Lambeth, Vauxhall, setting out the bad conditions existing at St. Stephen's School, Dorset Road, and the adverse effect these have on the staff and the children working there, with a view to permitting some of the more serious defects to be remedied.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary replied to the hon. Member's letter on 6th January, explaining that I could not approve the replacement of this school at present. I cannot yet add anything to what he said then.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if the British Standards Institution has yet reached conclusions regarding the flammability rating of clothing textiles; and if consideration will now be given to labelling for danger all textiles and garments that flame upwards 100 inches within one minute and less.

The British Standards Institution is waiting for the completion of technical investigations into a washing treatment to form part of the test to ensure that a flame-resistant finish is durable. I understand that the Standard will define "flame resistant" on a rating of 150. The answer to the second part of the hon. Lady's Question is "No."

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement about the recent trade talks initiated by the Cotton Board with representatives of the cotton industries of India and Pakistan.

I understand that the Lancashire, Indian and Pakistani industries are still in touch with each other. There is nothing further I can say about the discussions at present.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of cigars were imported from Cuba and Jamaica, respectively, in each of the six years from 1952; what increases have been permitted in the quota for Cuban cigars since the trade agreements with Cuba have been in operation; and what has been the total value of United Kingdom exports to Cuba in each of the years covered by these agreements.

The quantities of cigars imported from Cuba and Jamaica for the years 1952–56 are shown in Volume II of the Annual Statement of Trade of the United Kingdom for 1955 and 1956; the total value of United Kingdom exports to Cuba is shown in Account IV of the Trade and Navigation Accounts for December, 1954, and December, 1956. In 1957, 97,000 lb. of cigars were imported from Cuba and 112,000 lb. from Jamaica. United Kingdom exports (including re-exports) to Cuba in 1957 totalled £8·1 million.The quotas for Cuban cigars under our trade agreements with Cuba have been as follows:

			U.S. $		U.S. $
			f.o.b.		f.o.b.
1952	…	…	500,000	1956	1,000,000
1953	…	…	500,000	1957	1,000,000
1954	…	…	750,000	1958	1,150,000
1955	…	…	1,000,000

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he has taken since early April with reference to the complaint made by the honourable Member for the Exchange Division about the bread firms monopoly in Liverpool and their refusal to supply retailers with bread, because a cheaper loaf was available, and supplied by another firm, details of which were sent to him.

None. I am informed by the Registrar of Restrictive Trading Agreements that he is inquiring whether a registerable agreement exists. He will, I am sure, be glad to have any information which the hon. Lady can provide on this subject.

asked the Prime Minister (1) whether he will indicate the districts in Wales where regular sampling of the determination of the deposit of strontium 90 due to fall-out from nuclear weapon trials have taken place; and what are the latest results;(2) whether the investigation into the cause of the situation arising from the apparent higher average of the deposit of strontium 90 due to fall-out from nuclear weapon trials on Welsh hills has been completed; and whether he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.Samples are taken for analysis of the level of strontium 90 derived from fall-out in the Cwmystwyth district of Cardiganshire and at Lake Vyrnwy in Montgomeryshire. In addition, representative samples of milk, potatoes and green vegetables are being taken throughout Wales. To publish isolated data would tend to mislead rather than help as only an annual review of the collected data can give a reliable assessment of the situation. The 1957 figures will be published in a month or two.The investigation into the causes of the relatively higher levels of deposition in Wales has been in progress some months and is continuing, but I am advised that there is no evidence to suggest that these levels constitute a danger to the human population.

asked the Prime Minister whether the withdrawal on 3rd May, 1958, of the notices given to foreign diplomatic missions on 24th April, 1958, that an area of approximately 200 nautical miles square around Christmas Island would be dangerous to ships and aircraft on account of nuclear weapons tests, is a permanent withdrawal.

I have been asked to reply.No. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister informed the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition on 29th April, the test to which these notices applied was one of a series which is not yet completed.

asked the Prime Minister what further nuclear test-explosions it is proposed to have at Christmas Island this summer.

I have been asked to reply.I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition on 29th April last.

asked the Prime Minister if he is now in a position to make a statement about the possibility of this country's entering into some form of relationship with Euratom.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider altering the name of Empire Day to Commonwealth Day.

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend is having the possibility examined in consultation with other Commonwealth Governments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he is aware that, taking the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling at 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 19s. in April, 1952, 18s. 2d. in April, 1954, 16s. 4d. in April, 1956; and what is the comparable figure for April, 1958.

Yes, 15s. 5d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average period which elapses between the 65th birthday of the holder of post-war credits and the date of payment of those post-war credits.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lonsdale (Sir I. Fraser) on 25th March last.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the next Financial Statement, he will show the yields from different taxes in much the same detail as the amounts of estimated expenditure, Table VI.

A good deal of detail is already given in Tables VII and XI of the Financial Statement. If my hon. Friend will let me know what more he suggests, I will consider it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the consumption of liquid milk in April compared with that in April last year; and how the total consumption in the period January to April this year compares with 1957.

Liquid milk consumption in the United Kingdom in April, 1958, is estimated to have been 123 million gallons—about 1¼ million gallons more than in April, 1957. Consumption in the first four months of this year is estimated at 499 million gallons—an increase of about 5 million gallons over that in the corresponding period of 1957.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in talks with the Irish authorities on the safeguards to be applied when Irish cattle are brought into attested areas free from bovine tuberculosis in Great Britain.

Representatives of my Ministry took part in discussions at the Department of Agriculture in Dublin last week on future arrangements for imports of Irish cattle into Great Britain in the light of progress with the eradication of bovine tuberculosis in both countries. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend are considering the reports of these discussions, but I am not at present in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many cases of atrophic rhinitis have occurred in Norfolk in the past two years; how quickly steps are taken to isolate or destroy any pigs so affected; and what advice he gives to owners of pigs who suspect their animals are suffering from this disease;(2) how many cases of atrophic rhinitis amongst pigs have occurred in the United Kingdom during 1957, and up to the latest available date in 1958; and what steps are being taken to eradicate this disease.

During the two years ended 20th May, 1958, five cases of atrophic rhinitis occurred in Norfolk. In the United Kingdom 17 cases were investigated in 1957 and seven up to 20th May, 1958. Under the Atrophic Rhinitis Order, 1954, when a veterinary inspector suspects the presence of the disease, the pigs concerned are detained and isolated to prevent the spread of infection. Further investigations, including post mortem examinations, then take place. If the presence of the disease is confirmed all the affected pigs are slaughtered with payment of compensation; and if there is evidence of spread in the herd, any pigs which may have been exposed to infection may also be slaughtered. Owners and persons in charge of pigs are required by the Order to report to the police the existence or suspected existence of the disease. There is also provision for disinfection of premises and articles that may be contaminated where an outbreak has occurred. My right hon. Friend is making inquiries about the complaint of which the hon. Member has sent him particulars and he will write to him.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why no veterinary surgeon has so far been included amongst the 14 members of the Advisory Council on Rabbit Clearance; and whether, in view of the desirability of having expert guidance available for this body, he will either appoint a veterinary expert as a member of the Council or arrange for one to be appointed as a technical consultant.

The Council has arranged for my Ministry's chief veterinary officer to attend its meetings, when necessary, as an assessor and also to act as chairman of its Scientific Sub-Committee, which includes four other veterinary surgeons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to safeguard the potato-using section of the community from a high price of potatoes at a time of shortage to correspond with the financial safeguards afforded to the potato growers in a time of surplus supply.

In the existing conditions of shortage of home-grown potatoes, the most urgent need is to obtain additional supplies. In December last, the Government decided to admit imports of maincrop potatoes, and I still welcome supplies from all sources which do not involve any risk of bringing in plant disease. But price control in present circumstances would discourage imports of potatoes which might otherwise be attracted to this market, and I do not consider it would be in the interests of potato users generally.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent forest workers were released last summer in Wales for work on adjoining farms in accordance with the recommendations contained in paragraph 18 (d) of Command Paper No. 9809, dealing with the Mid-Wales Investigation Report.

During the period 1st April to 30th September, 1957, the Forestry Commission loaned to farmers in Wales 86 forest workers for a total of 211 man-days. No reasonable demands were refused.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the constitution of the Horticultural Advisory Council.

The Horticultural Marketing Advisory Council will be appointed by me and will consist of 25 members, of whom twenty-one will be nominated by organisations representing producers, wholesalers, retailers, importers, processors and organised labour. The organisations concerned have been invited to make their nominations. There will also be four independent members including the Chairman.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will provide information as to the number of prosecutions which have been instituted by local authorities of England and Wales during the past three years with regard to low meat content of sausages; and whether, in view of his decision that it is not possible for him to fix a definite standard for this purpose, he will take some steps to advise local authorities to adopt reasonably uniform principles in this respect, with a view to facilitating sausage distribution.

Enforcing authorities are not required to notify me of such prosecutions under the Food and Drugs Act, and figures for the past three years are not therefore available. My information is that the practice of the Food and Drugs Authorities is already reasonably uniform and that sausage manufacturers are well aware of the limits below which there is risk of prosecution for low meat content of sausages.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now announce the terms of reference and the membership of the proposed committee on the composition of milk.

The Committee's terms of reference will be as follows:

"To consider the composition of milk sold off farms in the United Kingdom from the standpoint both of human nutrition and of animal husbandry and to recommend any legislative or other changes that may be desirable."

The Chairman will be Dr. J. W. Cook, F.R.S., D.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.I.C., Vice-Chancellor of Exeter University, and the following have agreed to serve as members of the Committee:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister far Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that the limitations of existing legislation make it impossible for local authorities, who do not feel justified in proceeding to compulsory purchase, to acquire land if the district valuer is unable to negotiate a fair price with the owner; and what steps he has in mind to place local authorities in a position to acquire the land they need without inflicting unjustifiable hardship on property owners.

I am aware that the present basis of compensation works hardly in some cases. The Government are considering the whole question, but I cannot say now what the outcome will be.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what protests have been received against the compulsory labour schemes in the Kiambu district of Kenya.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 15th April, 1958; Vol. 586, col. 19], supplied the following information:While no protests specifically against the communal labour schemes in Kiambu district have been received locally, the powers of African District Councils generally in these matters were questioned in the Kenya Legislative Council on the 19th and 20th February. A copy of the proceedings is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations he has received from British Honduras about the most recent Guatemalan claims to sovereignty; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes. When my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary was in British Honduras last week he received a joint petition from the Honduran Independence Party and the National Party, which reads as follows:

"We, the leaders of the National Party and the Honduran Independence Party representing many of the people of British Honduras, have noted with deep concern and resentment the recent actions and pronouncements of the President of the Republic of Guatemala.

While we continue to desire the most friendly relations with our neighbours in Guatemala, we consider that the present attitude of President Ydigoras Fuentes towards our country represents a grave threat to our peaceful political and economical development.

The people of British Honduras reject entirely and absolutely any pretensions to sovereignty over their territory by Guatemala and, on behalf of the people we represent, we urge you to call upon Her Majesty's Government vigorously to resist any claims of this sort which are totally repugnant to the people of British Honduras."

I regret to add that, under the leadership of Mr. Price, the Peoples United Party flatly refused to be associated with the petition. They sent my hon. Friend a letter purporting to explain why they had refrained from making common cause with the other two parties, but Mr. Price, who addressed a special rally, did not reject Guatemalan claims.However, a resolution in terms precisely identical with the last sentence of the petition was passed unanimously by the Governor's Executive Council, which includes the deputy leader and one other representative of the P.U.P., both of whom were present at the time. All this can leave no doubt of where the people of British Honduras stand on this issue.I am informing the petitioners that I share the regret of the people of British Honduras that their relations with the neighbouring country of Guatemala should be disturbed but that, while I still hope the Guatemalan Government will respond to our offer to discuss means for improving economic relations between the two countries, we have not the slightest intention of abandoning our friends in British Honduras.

asked the Minister of Labour what percentage of the insured population was unemployed in each of the six North Wales counties at the latest convenient date.

At 14th April, the figures were 11·2 per cent. for Anglesey, 7·5 per cent. for Caernarvonshire, 3·5 per cent. for Denbighshire, 4·0 per cent. for Flintshire, 4·1 per cent. for Merionethshire and 3·6 per cent. for Montgomeryshire.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that over 25,000 persons are registered as unemployed at the Merseyside employment exchanges; and what action he is taking to find employment for these workers.

I share the hon. Member's concern about the level of unemployment on Merseyside. My local officers are doing everything possible to submit unemployed people to available vacancies.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is prepared to review the requirements of the Factories Act, 1937, concerning the examination of steam boilers, in view of developments since then in the design, construction, and size of the units in use in industry.

Yes. In view of the developments referred to, I have decided to appoint a committee to consider the existing legal provisions concerning the examination of steam boilers in the light of modern developments in design and construction, the size of units installed and the use of nuclear reactors as a source of heat; and to advise me of any changes which appear desirable.The membership of the committee will be as follows:

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty on what dates units of the British fleet visited Lisbon in the last five years; and on what dates they are expected to be there in the immediate future.

During the past five years Lisbon has been visited by Her Majesty's ships as follows:

Name of Ship		From	To
FETLAR	…	23.6.1953	23.6.1953
FETLAR	…	16.7.1953	18.7.1953
CUMBERLAND	…	21.9.1953	23.9.1953
IMPLACABLE	…	2.3.1954	8.3.1954
LINDISFARNE	…	9.12.1954	10.12.1954
TYNE	…	28.1.1955	2.2.1955
APOLLO	…	2.2.1955	2.2.1955
FLEETWOOD	…	24.2.1955	1.3.1955
TRUNCHEON	…	2.10.1955	7.10.1955
SEA SCOUT	…	2.10.1955	6.10.1955
SPRINGER	…	3.10.1955	6.10.1955
URANIA	…	3.10.1955	9.10.1955
URSA	…	3.10.1955	9.10.1955
TAPIR	…	3.10.1955	6.10.1955
APOLLO	…	21.11.1955	25.11.1955
CORUNNA	…	5.5.1956	6.5.1956
TARLTON	…	7.7.1956	8.7.1956
KELLINGTON	…	7.7.1956	8.7.1956
VENUS	…	11.7.1956	18.7.1956
APOLLO	…	19.10.1956	26.10.1956
DALSWINTON	…	1.11.1956	3.11.1956
DINGLEY	…
AVELEY	…
BRENCHLEY	…
CHAILEY	…
ILMINGTON	…
CLARBESTON	…
HIGHBURTON	…
LEDSHAM	…
ALTHAM	…
ASHELDHAM	…
BASSINGHAM	…
CARDINSHAM	…
CHELSHAM	…
COBHAM	…
LUDHAM	…
BRITANNIA	…	18.2.1957	21.2.1957
CHAPLET	…
CHIEFTAIN	…
CHEVRON	…
KENYA	…	14.3.1957	20.3.1957
ARK ROYAL	…	22.10.1957	26.10.1957
ALBION	…	22.10.1957	26.10.1957
PUMA	…	25.10.1957	26.10.1957
SOLEBAY	…	20.3.1958	24.3.1958
UNDINE	…
URSA	…
LAGOS	…
HOGUE	…
SENESCHAL	…
SEA SCOUT	…
BIRMINGHAM	…	17.5.1958	20.5.1958

No further visits to Lisbon are planned in the immediate future.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now announce the membership of the Working Party on the Hospital Medical Staffing Structure.

I have not yet had all the names, but I will make an announcement as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War where the depot of the North Irish Brigade will be.

At Ballymena, in County Antrim.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the maximum total number of recruits, male and female, and of other non-military personnel, to be accommodated at Raniket Camp, Reading, at any time when the camp was under the control of his Department.

In 1939 Raniket Camp was a militia training centre and about 1,000 male recruits were there, living mainly under canvas. We have no record of civilians or women recruits being accommodated in the camp; but squatters were in occupation for a time in 1946.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what study of the improvement in the London traffic flow since the omnibus strike has been carried out by the Road Research Laboratory; and with what result.

Yes, such a study is being made, but as the exercise has not yet been completed it is too early to draw conclusions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he is yet in a position to state whether Her Majesty's Government propose to appoint a scientific attaché at the British Embassy in Moscow.

Yes. His duties will be to advise Her Majesty's Ambassador on scientific matters and to report on scientific and technical research and development in the Soviet Union.