asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of houses and flats decontrolled by the Rent Act, 1957, which are now being offered for sale.

It is not possible to estimate this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will take all necessary steps to promote individual ownership of property on the widest possible scale; whether he will frame his policies so as to encourage persons of modest means to acquire such property; whether he will give this highest priority; and whether he will make a statement.

I welcome the hon. Member's rejection of Socialism and his wish to encourage individual ownership of property on the widest scale. I agree with him that this is most desirable. I shall bear it in mind in all my consideration of policies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that the local inquiry into the building scheme at Wheathampstead fixed for 20th May has now been held; whether he is also aware that the contractors, having now completed the construction of the adjoining site, are standing by with men, materials and plant to move into the site which was the subject of the inquiry but cannot proceed until the result of the inquiry is known; and whether, as this second inquiry caused unexpected delay and expense, he will expedite his decision in view of the demand for housing accommodation in the district.

Yes, my right hon. Friend is aware of these matters. He hopes to issue his decision soon.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if, when a planning scheme is awaiting approval by the Minister, he will advise local authorities to refrain from applying for compulsory purchase orders until an inquiry into the planning scheme has been held; and if, in cases where application for a compulsory purchase order has already been made, he will advise the postponement of the compulsory purchase order inquiry until after the holding over of an inquiry into the planning scheme, in order that objectors to the planning scheme are not prejudiced by any compulsory purchase order.

I do not think that it would be practicable to make an invariable rule of this kind, but if the hon. Member cares to let me have particulars of any case where any difficulty has arisen on this account, I will gladly look into it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the national aggregate rateable values at valuations then prevailing for industrial, commercial, and domestic property, respectively, in each of the years 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957; the basis on which valuations were made for each class in each year; and if he will also compute the figures for the latest convenient year on the basis of a reduction of industrial abatement from 75 per cent. to 50 per cent.

The available information nearest to that asked for is set out in the appended table. There was no general revaluation between 1934 (1935 in London), when the statutes required all assessments to be based on current rental values, and 1956 when, in general terms, domestic properties were assessed at 1939 rental values and other properties at current rental values. During that period, hereditaments newly-assessed or reassessed were ordinarily brought into the list at values comparable to those already in the list for similar properties. A reduction of industrial de-rating on 1st April, 1957, from 75 per cent.

AGGREGATE RATEABLE VALUES—ENGLAND AND WALES
—			April, 1952	April, 1953	April, 1954	April, 1955
(1)			(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
			£	£	£	£
Industrial	…	…	13,325,421	14,023,288	14,541,367	14,987,807
Domestic	…	…	327,665,156	333,254,604	339,382,856	346,830,252
"Commercial"	…	…
Other	…	…
TOTAL	…	…	340,990,577	347,277,892	353,924,223	361,818,059

—			December, 1955 (old list)	December, 1955 (new list)	April, 1956	April, 1957
(1)			(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)
			£	£	£	£
Industrial	…	…	15,365,382	39,061,552	39,557,049	39,816,143
Domestic	…	…	219,321,629	307,798,459	589,886,902	314,809,326
"Commercial"	…	…	116,530,527	259,073,843		217,390,635
Other	…	…	15,383,738	17,063,366		29,856,937
TOTAL	…	…	366,601,276	622,997,220	629,443,951	601,873,041

Notes:"Commercial" includes shops, banks, cafes, hotels, boarding houses, licensed premises, entertainment and recreational premises, schools, colleges, museums, town halls and public utilities. The figure in column (9) is after a reduction of £44,605,259 under section 1 of the Rating and Valuation Act, 1957."Other" comprises Crown and freight-transport hereditaments. The figure in column (9) is after the revaluation of Crown properties in 1956–57 and after a reduction of £5,219,642 in "Crown" values to take account of section 1 of the Rating and Valuation Act, 1957.Column (7): The new lists were deposited with rating authorities in December, 1955, and came into force on 1st April, 1956.Column (8): The increase since deposit of the new lists was attributable to, for example, the insertion of new properties.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what consideration he has given to the desirability of taking action to defer the valuation at current rental values of domestic property; and if he will make a statement.

I have no statement to make on revaluation, which is not due to take effect until 1961.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many samples of water were taken in the estuary of the River Dee between the Old Dee Bridge and the mouth of the river in the months of March and April this year; how these samples compared with similar samples taken in previous years; and whether there are any traces, either of pollution or greater density of solids, which were not noted in samples taken in previous years.

This action has been taken by the Dee and Clwyd River Board and the detailed information sought is not in my possession, but the Board will no doubt produce the results of its investigations at the Public Inquiry which will be held later this year into its application for an Order under Section 6 of the Rivers Prevention of Pollution Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the progress, to date, with the implementation of the new constitution in the Southern Cameroons.

All the changes agreed at the 1957 Conference were provided for by an Order in Council, which came into effect on 1st April. Under this Order the office of Premier was established on 15th May and the Executive Council was reconstituted with a Ministerial majority. Elections to the enlarged House of Assembly are due to be held in the next dry season.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will consider starting a hardship fund of two or three million Hong Kong dollars to help the older people likely to be displaced by the closing of the Hong Kong dockyards and who have not been offered equivalent jobs elsewhere, on the lines suggested to him by the Hong Kong Civil Association.

After careful and sympathetic consideration of the Association's suggestion the Governor has decided not to adopt it, because the Social Welfare Department already provides adequate facilities for relieving distress and because revised redundancy terms which were announced on 3rd June will particularly help the older men with long service about whom the Association is most concerned. The main task now is to enlist the support of private employers to supplement the efforts of Government in providing new jobs for redundant dockyard workers. The Governor has invited the Association to co-operate in this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what current steps are being taken by the Hong Kong Government to prevent the dumping of cotton textiles in this country to the detriment of the industry in Lancashire.

There is no evidence to suggest that it is the practice for Hong Kong cotton textiles to be dumped in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement on the situation in Aden.

There have been no significant developments since my reply to the Question by the right hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell) on 19th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to hold a plebiscite in that part of the Cameroons administered by them, to ascertain the wishes of the people as to their future; when it will be held; and what efforts will be made to co-ordinate their arrangements with similar arrangements in that part of the Cameroons administered by France.

As I informed last year's Nigerian Constitutional Conference, before Nigeria becomes independent the peoples of the British Cameroons will have to say freely what their wishes are as to their future. The means of ascertaining their wishes and the timing will be arranged in consultation with the United Nations and will have regard to constitutional developments in Nigeria and the British Cameroons.

asked the Minister of Works when work is to start on the preservation of the Tudor buildings at Gorhambury, St. Albans, Hertfordshire.

Arrangements for taking guardianship of these buildings are in hand and I hope that it will be possible to start preservation work within a few weeks of the completion of the Deed of Guardianship.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will fell and remove all dead trees in Bushy Park.

Yes. About fifteen dead trees in the Canal Plantation are now being taken away.

asked the Minister of Works when further action is to be taken to preserve the London Roman Wall between St. Giles, Cripplegate, and Falcon Square, in view of the recent damage done to it.

As I said on 4th March, in reply to the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. E. Fletcher), the timing of any scheme for preserving this stretch of the Wall is a matter for the City Corporation, although my Ancient Monuments Branch will advise on the work itself. I am keeping in touch with the City Corporation.

asked the Minister of Works what consideration is being given to the purchase for the nation of the site adjoining the National Gallery.

If this site becomes available, the Government will give careful consideration to the matter, but I regret that I am not yet able to make a statement.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what steps he proposes to take in order to increase the scale of Government aid to scientific research for civil purposes, in view of the conclusion to the first Annual Report of the new Council for Scientific and Industrial Research expressing concern that its existing resources are too small.

The Government have been providing funds for scientific research in recent years on a steadily increasing scale. My noble Friend is now awaiting the proposals of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for the quinquennium ending 31st March, 1964, and these will of course receive very careful consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the decision that it will be illegal to use gin traps to catch rabbits or other animals in England and Wales after 31st July next, what date he intends to fix for imposing a similar restriction in Scotland.

Before I can fix a date for the prohibition of unapproved traps in Scotland, I am obliged by Statute to have regard to the availability of approved traps and to other relevant considerations. I have these matters under review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many murders were known to the police during the months of March and April.

No murder made known to the police was reported to me in March, but one was reported in April.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures, using as the ratio 1954 equals 100, the import prices of food, drink, and tobacco, basic materials, fuels and manufactured goods, for each of the months from January, 1957, until April, 1958, or the latest convenient date; on the same basis, the export price of articles wholly or mainly manufactured in metal, engineering products, textiles, and other manufacturing industries; and the index of the terms of trade for each of the stated months.

No. The figures for the year 1957 and the first quarter of 1958 were published in the Report on Overseas Trade for May, 1958 (Table 8), while those for April, 1958, were given in the Board of Trade Journal of 23rd May, 1958 (page 1214), to which I would refer the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many universities will have to curtail their projected developments in building and proposed increases in scientific and technical teaching staff in the academic year 1958–59 due to the inadequacy of the present quinquennial grant; and whether he will adjust the current grant to take account of the changing value of money.

University buildings are financed by capital grants, which are quite separate from the quinquennial settlement of recurrent grant. As regards scientific and technical teaching staff, it may be the case that some universities will not be able to achieve in 1958–59 as much as they would have hoped but, as I said in this House on 20th May, with the best will in the world there must be a limit to the resources that can be made available, even for the excellent purpose of expanding university facilities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take all necessary steps to promote individual ownership of property on the widest possible scale and to arrange his fiscal and other policies so as to encourage persons of modest means to acquire such property; whether, as a means towards this end, he will reduce interest rates to those obtaining in 1951 and make facilities available for house purchasers to purchase houses at low rates of interest as was the case up to 1951; and whether he will make a statement.

I agree with the aims which the hon. Member advocates and have recently given practical encouragement to house ownership by abolishing Stamp Duty on the purchase of less expensive houses. Rates of interest in this field cannot, of course, be insulated from the level of interest rates generally.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many instances of unidentified flying objects have been reported on by the defence services of the United Kingdom during the past twelve months; what steps are taken to co-ordinate such observations; and if he will make a statement.

Reports of fifty-four unidentified flying objects have been received in the last twelve months. Such co-ordination as is necessary is undertaken by the Air Ministry. Most of the objects turn out to be meteors, balloons or aircraft. Satellites have also accounted for a number of recent reports.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now state the names of the members of the Hospital Medical Staffing Working Party.

Yes. The members are:

• Dr. R. R. Bomford, D.M., F.R.C.P.
• Professor John Bruce, C.B.E., T.D., P.R.C.S.(Ed.).
• Dr. J. D. S. Cameron, C.B.E., T.D., M.D., F.R.C.P.
• Professor Andrew Claye, M.D., F.R.C.S., P.R.C.O.G.
• Sir Kenneth Cowan, M.D., F.R.C.P.E., F.R.S.E., D.P.H., Q.H.P.
• H. C. Edwards, Esq., C.B.E., M.S., F.R.C.S.
• Dr. G. E. Godber, D.M., F.R.C.P., D.P.H.
• Norman Graham, Esq.
• Dr. T. Rowland Hill, M.D., F.R.C.P.
• J. E. Pater, Esq, C.B.
• Professor Robert Platt, M.Sc., M.D.. P.R.C.P
• T. Holmes Sellors, Esq., D.M., M.Ch., F.R.C.S.

asked the Minister of Health how far physician superintendents of mental hospitals are entitled under his regulations to charge any fee they choose to nominate when they are asked to swear an affidavit that a patient has been under their care and when that affidavit is essential to divorce proceedings on the ground of insanity.

This is not part of the hospital and specialist services provided under the National Health Service Acts and the question of a fee is one for the parties concerned.

asked the Minister of Education the number of private nursery groups registered in connection with the Nurseries and Child Minders Act.

I have been asked to reply.At the end of December, 1957, the latest date for which figures are available, 90 nurseries in factories, 406 nurseries in other premises and 949 daily minders were registered under the Nurseries and Child Minders Act, 1948. They were providing for 3,733, 8,810 and 7,536 children respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what payments will be made to this country towards support costs of troops in their country by the Federal Republic of Germany.

My hon. Friend will have seen the statement which was issued during the Recess and which answers his Question fully.

asked the Attorney-General how many of the 976 applications for leave to appeal to the House of Lords received since 1st January, 1949, were made by the Director of Public Prosecutions, other prosecutors and defendants, respectively; and how many such applications have been granted in each year since the passing of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907.

Two applications were made by the Director of Public Prosecutions, one by the Board of Trade and 973 by defendants; two applications were granted in 1913, two in 1946 and one in each of the years 1910, 1912, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1945, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders in England and Wales were known to the police during the months of March and April.

The number of murders recorded as known to the police in England and Wales in March was 18, and in April 15. These figures include cases that may later be found not to be murders.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement as to his reasons for making an order for an increase in the pay of workers in the retail food trades.

On 11th April the Retail Food Trades Wages Council (England and Wales) gave notice of its intention to submit proposals for new rates of statutory minimum remuneration for workers covered by the Council. After allowing fourteen days for any written representations with respect to its proposals, the Council met again on 2nd May and considered the representations received. The Council submitted the proposals to me on 5th May and I was informed that the Council had unanimously decided to submit the proposals as published.Wages Councils are statutory bodies established under the Wages Councils Acts, 1945 to 1948. A Council consists of equal numbers of members representing workers and employers in relation to whom the Council operates, together with not more than three independent members. Under the Acts their proposals have to be published and a Council has to consider any representations made. The Council then submits the proposals to me asking that a Wages Regulation Order be made to give effect to them. When I receive proposals I am bound to make an Order unless for some special reasons I think the Council should reconsider the proposals. If nevertheless the Council is not willing to alter them I have no alternative but to make an Order giving effect to the proposals. The making of an Order under this procedure does not therefore imply that the proposals have my approval.