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 May, 1952, 18s. 3d. in May, 1954, and 16s. 5d. in May, 1956; and what is the comparable figure for May, 1958.

Yes; 15s. 5d.

asked the Minister of Health how many death certificates were received in 1957 on which there was mention of vaccination, vaccinia, post-vaccinal encephalitis or other complication of vaccination; and what were the ages of those so certified.

Six; four aged under one year, one aged one year and one aged forty-nine years.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many requests for the postponement of a hearing before a Local Valuation Court set up under the Local Government Act, 1948, have been refused by the tribunal for each area each year since 1948.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the fact that only appellants who appear or are represented before a Local Valuation Court and are aggrieved by its decision can appeal to the Lands Tribunal, what action he proposes to protect anyone unable to appear or whose representative is unable to appear and the Local Valuation Court has refused an application for postponement and given a decision in the appellant's absence.

I have no evidence that applications for postponement are being refused unreasonably. Moreover, an appellant who cannot appear in person can secure the right of appeal to the Lands Tribunal by arranging for any neighbour, friend or relative to make a formal appearance on his behalf.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs which county boroughs in England and Wales have been granted assistance under Section 5, Discretionary Subsidy, of the Housing Subsidies Act, 1956.

Merthyr Tydfil.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs which local authorities, other than county boroughs, in England and Wales have been given assistance under Section 5, Discretionary Subsidy, of the Housing Subsidies Act, 1956; and the total number of dwellings involved.

Aberdare, Bedwas and Machen, Bedwellty, Brynmawr, Gelligaer, Llandilo, Machynlleth, Mynyddislwyn and Pontypridd Urban District Councils and Carmarthen, Llantrisant and Llantwit Fardre, Newcastle Emlyn and Teifiside Rural District Councils have been awarded assistance under this discretionary provision. A total of 1,051 dwellings is involved.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that last year's percentage increase in the United Kingdom in the number of telephones per head of the population was less than in Canada, Eastern Germany, France, Switzerland and the United States of America, and less than half that in the German Federal Republic, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain; and what steps he is taking to ensure a rate of development of telephone facilities in this country comparable with that in other nations.

Comparison by reference to percentages is notoriously unreliable. The United Kingdom has more than doubled its telephone system since 1945, most of it in the last five years, and is second only to the United States in the number of telephones installed. Progress is going on over a wide front and I commend the study of Command Papers 303 and 436.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephone applications there were outstanding in Lincoln and the rest of Lincolnshire, respectively, on 1st June, 1958.

The figures were 180 and 1,261 respectively. About two-thirds of these were under inquiry or in course of being met.