asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the work of the Food and Agriculture Organisation Working Party on Afforestation and Re-afforestation of the European Forestry Commission.

The Working Party was set up in 1952 by the European Forestry Commission of F.A.O. to advise on forestry programmes and policy. Its Seventh Session was held in the United Kingdom from 28th May to 6th June, 1958, at the invitation of Her Majesty's Government.The Working Party, which meets annually, receives reports from member countries, reviews progress, studies problems of common interest and makes recommendations to its parent body. The main theme of the last Session, and of the study tour in England and Scotland which accompanied it, was the place of forestry in sound land use.I will arrange for a copy of the report of the Seventh Session to be sent to the hon. Member when it is ready.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the fact that, including the current financial year, provision will have been made for only £640,000 out of the £4 million to be provided under the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads) Act, 1955, it is still the intention of Her Majesty's Government to make available the full amount by the end of 1962.

Unavoidably the restrictions on capital expenditure have slowed the progress which we had hoped to make under the Act. It it becomes clear that the money which can be made available under the Act will not be committed before the end of 1962, Parliament may be asked to extend the Act for a further period.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will issue a guide to the most suitable methods of curing British bacon to avoid the complaints that are now occasionally made.

This is a matter for the Pig Industry Development Authority, and I understand that they are consulting the British Bacon Curers' Federation about it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the fact that individual producers are not permitted to obtain supplies of crystal violet vaccine, what can be obtained that will give an equally satisfactory result.

Crystal violet vaccine produced in my Department's veterinary laboratories is sold only to veterinary surgeons, but I do not control the distribution of any other crystal violet vaccine. Satisfactory results in swine fever vaccination depend not only on the product used, but also on its use in the right way and under the right conditions. Producers wishing to have their herds vaccinated would therefore do well to consult their veterinary advisers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider the extension of the cartridge allowance to the whole year in counties where damage by rabbits, wood pigeons and so forth is making serious inroads into what would otherwise be successful crops.

The cartridge rebate is payable to those taking part in the organised shooting of wood-pigeons and other harmful birds throughout the year. It does not apply to cartridges used for shooting rabbits.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give information as to the success or otherwise of the trials that have taken place to destroy the nests of wood pigeons.

These trials are still going on and it will be some months before the results will be available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will request the authorities in the exporting countries which send liquid eggs to Great Britain to make appropriate hygienic and bacteriological examination during and on completion of packing to ensure freedom from salmonellae organisms existing in these foodstuffs.

I assume my hon. Friend has in mind bulked egg, which is imported frozen. Several countries have been asked to take measures of the kind described, and the Government will continue to make such requests where the circumstances require it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will review again the existing legislation now controlling compensation in the compulsory acquisition of land possessing agricultural value so as to avoid the injustice that now occasionally occurs.

The Government are carrying out a general re-examination of the basis of compensation for the compulsory acquisition of land, and it would be helpful if my hon. Friend would let me know any particular points which he has in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can report any further developments for the calling of a conference of friendly Governments to consider problems arising out of the Icelandic Government's declaration with regard to territorial waters.

The attempts which have been made to bring about a regional conference have not yet met with any response from the Icelandic Government. A number of the Governments concerned have questioned whether there could be a fruitful discussion about the problems of fisheries around Iceland without an Icelandic representative being present. The question of future procedure accordingly continues to be a matter of discussion between these Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for what reasons the United Kingdom delegate to the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations opposed the proposal that a committee should be appointed to study the procedure for handling communications concerning human rights.

The procedure for handling communications in the Human Rights Commission is governed by Resolutions of the Economic and Social Council (adopted in 1947 and 1950) which have, inter alia, affirmed that the Commission "has no power to take any action in regard to any complaints concerning human rights". Her Majesty's Government support this position. The question of modifying the procedure has been discussed many times in the Commission without result and it was not considered, therefore, that further examination by a special Committee of the Commission was now justified.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what administrative economy he estimates there would be if no sickness benefit were payable for sickness of seven days or less, and of 14 days or less duration, respectively.

No precise estimate can be made, but if all periods of sickness had still to be recorded for purposes of crediting contributions and linking broken spells, the administrative economy might be of the order of £¼ million and £¾ million a year, respectively.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the approximate administrative economy resulting from an abolition of the retirement condition, the earnings rule and the increments system, and the substitution for them of an old-age pension similar in amount to the current retirement pension and payable at 60 for women and 65 for men.

Though it is not possible to give a precise estimate, I can say that, after taking account of the administrative cost of paying the larger number of pensioners, any net administrative saving would be very small in relation to the extra pensions expenditure which would be involved.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what he estimates would be the approximate net difference to the cost of retirement pensions in 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990, respectively, if the retirement condition, the earnings rule and the increment system had all been abolished during 1958.

Assuming that the retirement condition were abolished as from 1st April, 1958, and taking into account, on the one hand, the saving on sickness and unemployment benefits paid to people who are over pension age but not retired and, on the other hand, the extra pension cost and the loss of contribution income, the not extra cost would be £87 million in 1960–61, £81 million in 1970–71, £63 million in 1980–81 and £62 million in 1990–91.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the revenue would be of raising the profits tax exemption limit from £2,000 to £5,000 and £10,000, respectively, and secondly raising the abatement to one-third of the difference between £5,000 and £20,000 and between £10,000 and £25,000, respectively.

£3½ million, £14 million, £7½ million and £4½ million, respectively, in a full year. The last cost would be £9 million if the abatement for profit between £10,000 and £25,000 were equal to two-thirds of the difference between £25,000 and the profit, thus fitting the abatement to the suggested exemption limit of £10,000.