asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he has any progress to report in his consultations with the Air Ministry about the clearing up of derelict aerodrome sites.

My right hon. Friend has discussed this with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air. The present practice is that, when an airfield is to be disposed of, buildings that are unlikely to be of any future use are sold by auction for demolition and the purchaser enters into a contract that he will completely remove them to base level. Some derelict buildings may remain on sites disposed of formerly, but the arrangements now in force should ensure that airfields no longer required are left reasonably tidy.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress made to secure a technical collaboration agreement with Euratom.

I have been asked to reply.Discussions were held in Brussels on 14th and 15th July, when good progress was made in the preparation of a draft agreement between the United Kingdom Government and Euratom. This is now being considered further by both sides.

asked the Prime Minister when he expects to meet Mr. Khrushchev.

asked the Prime Minister what reply he has made to Mr. Khrushchev's proposal that the Governments of interested Arab States should be represented at the proposed Summit Conference.

I have been asked to reply.

asked the Prime Minister what official suggestions he has received from Commonwealth Governments towards the solution at the forthcoming Summit Conference of Middle East problems; if amongst them he has now received from Dr. Nkrumah, Prime Minister of Ghana, his suggested solution that the United Nations should be asked to take steps to quarantine the Middle East from foreign interference and to place the oil resources there under international control; and if he will present that suggested solution during the forthcoming summit talks to the Powers engaged in those talks.

I have been asked to reply.In reply to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to a similar Question by the hon. Gentleman the Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 24th July.In reply to the second part of the Question, as indicated by my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in his speech on 22nd July in connection with our reply to Mr. Khrushchev's proposal, views expressed by other Commonwealth Governments are, of course, taken into account in the formulation of our policy.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent it is the intention of the United Kingdom and United States Governments, under the recent atomic energy agreement, to continue with the present method of declassifying atomic energy information with the same committee, including Canadian representation.

I hope that when the new agreement is in force declassification arrangements will continue to follow the existing well established procedures.

asked the Prime Minister when the Dounreay breeder reactor project will be completed; and whether, in view of the recent agreement between the United Kingdom and the United Slates of America for co-operation on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes, it is still the intention to go ahead with the development of a submarine nuclear propulsion plant.

Construction of the Dounreay breeder reactor is expected to be complete towards the end of this year. This will be followed by a period of component and circuit testing, and a chain reaction is expected to start in the reactor in the late spring of 1959.Development of nuclear submarine machinery in the United Kingdom, including the construction of a land-based prototype at Dounreay, will continue. Information obtained under the agreement for co-operation in the use of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes would enable us to make full use of American experience, so that our own development would proceed more certainly and without unnecessary duplication of effort already expended in the United States.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the extent of Press censorship, both as regards local newspapers and the despatches of foreign correspondents in the island, now in operation in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement on the Press strike.

There is at present no censorship of the local Press or of despatches of foreign correspondents. All the Greek and English language newspapers suspended publication for eight days from 12th July, when the editor of the Greek Cypriot newspaper Eleftheria was sent to prison after refusing to sign a bond restraining him from publishing material likely to create grave ill-feeling between the communities. The editor was released on 25th July after associating himself with a resolution passed by his Greek-Cypriot and English colleagues in which they declared their readiness to make every effort to bring an end to communal friction and bloodshed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is satisfied that all Turkish Cypriots who are known to belong to terrorist organisations or to have incited their people to violence are now under arrest; and if he will make a statement.

The Turkish Cypriots recently arrested were all known terrorists or trouble makers. It does not follow, however, that all the Turkish terrorists were known and picked up on this occasion. T.M.T. is a small group operating mainly in Nicosia and a few of the principal towns. It has only recently been actively engaged in terrorism.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what surveys have been made of employment trends in British Guiana; and what is the latest estimate of the numbers of persons likely to be unemployed in 1966.

A comprehensive report was recently prepared by the International Labour Organisation on Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment in British Guiana. In order to give the Government an assessment of the possible magnitude of the problems to be faced in the coming years, the report gave an estimate of what the unemployment might be on two hypotheses.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what request has been made by the Government of British Guiana to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development relative to the guarantee of a loan to that territory by the Swiss Bank Corporation.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what grounds the request by the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Minister of National Resources of British Guiana for an additional allocation of £6 million for productive expansion was rejected during his recent discussions with the delegation from that Colony.

The latest revised estimates of the present development plan showed a shortfall of £5·9 million in the sums available to meet it. Her Majesty's Government agreed to lend British Guiana for this purpose up to £5·5 million, and they believe that this, combined with the fullest use of local resources, will be sufficient to meet practically the whole of the expenditure which proves to be needed for that plan up to the end of 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has studied the recommendations by the Assembly of the Council of Europe that an Investment Statute be promulgated and an Investment Guarantee Fund be established to facilitate the development of colonial and other underdeveloped territories; and what consultations he has had with Colonial Governments about these proposals.

Her Majesty's Government have these recommendations under consideration, and I would refer the right hon. and learned Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 21st July. It would be premature to consult Colonial Governments at this stage.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what projects for the economic development of the Aden Protectorate have been started within the last three years; and to what extent hospital and medical services have improved during that time in that area.

Development schemes involving expenditure of £1,157,000 have been started within the last three years. The following are the details:

£390,000 is being spent on agriculture. £400,000 on road construction, £33,600 on fisheries. £44,060 on co-operation and marketing, £137,900 on education, and £99,900 on health. One hospital in the Eastern Aden Protectorate has been considerably extended, and one new hospital has been built in the Western Aden Protectorate. Twelve new village health units have been established.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what annual subsidy or monetary payment has been made to the Sultan of Lahej; and under what agreement it has been made.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies who is empowered to declare a state of emergency in the Protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Under the existing emergency laws the Governor of Northern Rhodesia or Nyasaland, if satisfied that a public emergency exists, may issue a proclamation bringing those laws into operation in the territory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that 50,000 children in the urban areas of Northern Rhodesia cannot attend school; and what steps he is taking in this matter.

The Government of Northern Rhodesia tell me that this figure is about correct. They spend 2s. 6d. of every £1 available for public services on education of African children. The Copperbelt is getting a fair proportion of the increased educational facilities, but there has been a large rise in the number of children in the district.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Lusaka Medical Aid scheme, Northern Rhodesia, which provides medical services more cheaply to the public, is not available to Indians.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the Lusaka Medical Aid Society, which is a limited liability company.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the estimated figure that illicit diamond dealing added to the invisible income of Sierra Leone in the years 1955, 1956, and 1957, respectively; and what percentage this is of the total Sierra Leone national product in each year.

The extent of the illicit trade cannot be precisely estimated. The Sierra Leone Government using trade figures as a guide, have, however, estimated the illicit trade at £7 million for 1955 and £10 million for 1956 and 1957, which would represent about 20 per cent. of the estimated national product.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what success the Government of Sierra Leone have had in suppressing the illicit trade in diamonds; and what effect such success has had upon the budgetary position of the Sierra Leone Government.

The measures taken have, it is believed, appreciably reduced the illicit trade. It is not possible to calculate how much has been diverted to legitimate channels but in so far as this takes place the revenue should of course benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the current market value of the medium and long dated securities in which the reserves of Sierra Leone have been invested; and at what price they were acquired.

The current market value at 30th June of such securities was:

Maturity date	Reserve Fund	Surplus Funds
	£	£
5 to 15 years	60,611	716,234
Over 15 years	4,477	131,640

Information about the price at which these investments were acquired is not readily available, but I will consult the Governor on this point and write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much since the end of the war Sierra Leone has spent on capital development projects; what proportion has been found from the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone resources, respectively; and what is the amount and respective percentages for the same period for British Guiana.

Between 1947 and the end of 1957 the Sierra Leone Government spent some £21·7 million on development projects, of which 34·5 per cent. came from C.D. & W. funds and loans raised on the London market, and the balance from local sources. Figures for British Guiana are not readily available, but I am consulting the Governor and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what decision has been reached by the Kenya Government with regard to punishing prisoners at Lokitaung Prison for writing to newspapers and to the hon. Member for Wednesbury and other Members; and what punishment will be given.

The Commissioner of Prisons has decided not to take action under the Prisons Ordinance in this instance, but to warn the writers of the letter in question against any future unauthorised communication in breach of the prison regulations.

asked the Attorney-General if he will instruct the Director of Public Prosecutions to institute proceedings as a result of the investigations carried out by Deloitte, Plender and Griffiths on Government instructions into the affairs of the contracting section of the London Electricity Board.

No.

asked the Attorney-General what information has been given to the Director of Public Prosecutions in accordance with Section 3 of the Prosecution of Offences Act, 1884, by the Southampton Police in regard to their investigations into the affairs of the contracting section of the London Electricity Board.

None. The inquiries are not yet complete.

asked the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to codify the privileges and immunities, both absolute and qualified, enjoyed by barristers and solicitors, respectively, in oral proceedings in the courts and in sending written communications to the courts, respectively.

No

asked the Minister of Works if he will arrange for a door to be fitted in the wire netting surrounding Big Ben so that visitors can have the benefit of the view from the parapet, as has been possible in the past.

There are already two doors in this netting, but they are kept locked. My right hon. Friend could not take responsibility for letting parties of visitors on to this narrow parapet. The wall is quite low in places, and anyone in a party overcome by giddiness would find great difficulty in getting back through the door. Furthermore, for six months of the year there is floodlighting equipment on the parapet which would be liable to damage.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now had an opportunity to consider the representations made to him during his visit to Dundee on 23rd May; and, in the light of these, what steps he proposes to take to assist the city.

As explained by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade during the debate on industry and employment in Scotland on 10th July, the Government have done and will continue to do everything possible to diversify employment in Dundee, which is being accorded a concentration of effort not exceeded in any other difficult area in the United Kingdom. In the past year, six Government financed building projects have been approved aggregating half a million sq. ft. of new production space, and industrial development certificates have been issued for two privately financed developments. Over 2,000 new jobs are expected from these eight schemes. I shall, of course, continue to keep in the closest touch with the situation in Dundee

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the nature and results of the investigations by his Home Department into Dee disease among salmon in the river Dee in Scotland; how many fish were affected; what steps he is taking to eliminate the disease; and with what success.

EDUCATIONAL YEAR 1956–57
Students "Released" from Industry—Scotland
Boys and girls aged under 18 years released by their employers to attend courses for part-time education shown as a percentage of the estimated number aged under 18 years who are insured under the National Insurance Acts.
Industry								Estimated number insured at end of May, 1957*	Numbers released by employers during year	Numbers released as per cent. of numbers insured
Mining and Quarrying			…	…	…	…	…	5,980	3,195	53
Public Administration and Local Authority services							…	3,300	1,764	53
Chemicals and allied trades			…	…	…	…	…	1,890	812	43
Building and Contracting			…	…	…	…	…	12,220	2,599	21
Engineering, Metal Manufacture, Metal goods and vehicles								25,200	6,039	24
Other Manufacturing Industries (including Leather, Wood and Cork, Precision Instruments, Treatment of Non-Metalliferous Mining Products)				…	…	…	…	7,300	736	10
Miscellaneous Services			…	…	…	…	…	8,980	696	8
Paper and Printing		…	…	…	…	…	…	7,220	262	4
Distributive Trades		…	…	…	…	…	…	36,880	1,018	3
Textiles and Clothing		…	…	…	…	…	…	21,180	545	3
Food Drink and Tobacco			…	…	…	…	…	9,990	320	3
Transport	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	7,020	52	1
Insurance, Banking and Finance and Professional Services								9,490	57	1
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing				…	…	…	…	8,350	29	—
Total		…	…	…	…	…	…	165,000	18,124	11
* Figures supplied by the Ministry of Labour and National Service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his attention has been drawn to the decision of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland to set up a permanent show ground near Edinburgh; whether he is aware that this society was formed

The research into Dee disease is aimed at isolating the causative organism. Progress is promising, but until the work has been completed I cannot say what measures to eliminate the disease would be appropriate. The number of fish from the river known to be affected this year up to 1st July was 32.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will issue an up-to-date version of Table V of the White Paper on Technical Education, giving full details of part-time day release, industry by industry.

The following table gives details for session 1956–57, the latest for which figures are available.to foster farming in the Highland and Islands, that hitherto it has held its shows in various parts of Scotland, that these shows have fostered trade and business throughout Scotland, and that to hold the shows in future only near Edinburgh constitutes a threat to the trade and business of the North of Scotland where adequate show grounds are available; and if he will take steps to protect the North of Scotland from this threat to its prosperity and to the due balance of its trade, industry and business.

This is a matter for decision by the members of the Society, which is an entirely independent body.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what provision is made in large hospitals for relief doctors to avoid undesirably long stretches of duty up to 36 hours without sleep;(2) whether he is aware that on waiting days house doctors and others may be on continuous duty for 36 hours; and whether he is satisfied that this is not inviting mistakes due to fatigue.

The staffing arrangements in hospitals are such as to make it unnecessary in normal circumstances for any doctor to be on duty for up to 36 hours without sleep. No such cases have been brought to my notice, but if the right hon. Gentleman has any particular instance in mind, I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what limit of hours is laid down for continuous duty in hospital wards for doctors or nurses.

None. This is a matter for individual hospitals. With regard to nurses, hospitals as a rule observe the recommendations in the Reports of the Scottish Nurses Salaries Committee that a continuous period of duty should not exceed 4–4½ hours and, where duty is broken, that the span should not exceed 13 hours by day and 11 by night.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the diversion of the A77 will be completed.

I intend to complete the trunk road bypass of Prestwick as soon as possible, but until the trunk road order laying down its line has been made I cannot forecast the likely date of completion. Certain objections which have been made against the draft order are being investigated urgently.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road accidents and how many fatal and non-fatal injuries have resulted on Kingsway, East Kilbride, during the present year.

During the present year there have been eight accidents on Kings-way, East Kilbride, resulting in one fatal and two non-fatal injuries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that lighting along Kingsway, East Kilbride, is not uniform and, consequently, dazzles motorists with four lit and three dark stretches; and what steps he will take to remedy this situation.

The arrangement of lighting along Kingsway, East Kilbride, is a matter in the first place for Lanarkshire County Council, who are the lighting authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that, as there is no speed limit on Kingsway, East Kilbride, the speed of traffic along it is a safety hazard to pedestrians; and whether he will introduce a speed limit.

As Kingsway, East Kilbride, is a classified road it is for Lanarkshire County Council, as highway authority, to consider in the first place whether a speed limit would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Whitemoss Residents' Association, East Kilbride, about safety hazards at the junction of Kingsway and Maxwellton Avenue, East Kilbride; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no representations from the Whitemoss Residents' Association about this junction. As I explained in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend on the 14th March last, I understand that it is proposed to close this junction as the road pattern in the new town develops.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that the unsatisfactory state of progress of county council schemes for crofting townships, access roads and other minor roads eligible for grants under the Congested Districts (Scotland) Act is causing concern to many cofters and farmers in the north; what representations he has received about this matter from county councils and other responsible bodies in the highlands; and if he will make a statement.

I share the general desire to see this word accelerated. All the county councils concerned have submitted schemes for grant-aid and three councils have made special representations on the subject. Further offers of grant will be made as soon as possible.

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

Two murders made known to the police were reported to me in May, and three in June. These figures include cases which may later be found not to be murders.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to introduce legislation to amend the law of succession, following the Mackintosh Report of 1951.

Year			Lobsters		Other Shellfish		Total
			cwts.	£	cwts.	£	cwts.	£
1954	…	…	1,351	28,222	3,494	11,639	4,845	39,861
1955	…	…	1,483	27,458	3,614	9,634	5,097	37,092
1956	…	…	1,792	37,445	1,199	3,088	2,991	40,533
1957	…	…	1,861	41,425	12	28	1,873	41,453
1958 to 30th June			463	13,545	—	—	463	13,545

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average number of fishing vessels using Mallaig Harbour for landing fish and shell fish and for other purposes during the local herring fishing seasons of the years 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, and 1957–58, respectively.

I am not yet able to say when it will be possible to introduce legislation on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of crans of herring, and their value, landed at Mallaig Harbour during the years 1953–54. 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, and 1957–58, respectively.

The information is given in the table below. As herring fishing is prosecuted locally almost throughout the year, the figures are given for calendar years.

Year	Crans	£
1953	51,497	137,081
1954	56,065	136,061
1955	49,781	153,062
1956	49,512	160,703
1957	31,631	114,654
1958 (to 30th June)	11,719	45,862

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the weight and value of lobsters and other shell fish landed at Mallaig Harbour this year to date and in the preceding four years, respectively.

The information is given in the following table.

The weekly average number of fishing vessels using Mallaig harbour for landing fish and shell fish in recent years is set out below. As herring fishing is prosecuted locally almost throughout the year, the figures are given for calendar years. I have no records of fishing vessels using the harbour for other purposes.

AVERAGE WEEKLY NUMBER OF VESSELS USING MALLAIG HARBOUR
—	Herring Vessels	White Fish Vessels	Shellfish Vessels	Total
1953	6	4	6	16
1954	4	4	7	15
1955	19	8	7	34
1956	20	6	7	33
1957	14	8	7	29
1958 (to 30th June)	19	7	7	33

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost of making good the damage recently caused by fire to the Pig Progeny Testing Station, in course of erection near Stirling; and how it is proposed to meet it.

The cost is estimated at £10,000. As these buildings are the responsibility of Her Majesty's Government until they are taken over by the Pig Progeny Testing Board, the cost of making good the damage will be charged to the Vote of the Department of Agriculture for Scotland. A Supplementary Estimate to cover this expenditure will be submitted to Parliament in due course. In the meantime, payment will be met from the Civil Contingencies Fund.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to allow all Commonwealth goods to enter the United Kingdom free of duty.

No. There is no need for legislation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the main categories of imports into the United Kingdom from North America which are still restricted by quotas.

I am circulating below a statement and I am taking this opportunity of making an announcement about impending liberalisation of most chemicals.

THE MAIN COMMODITY GROUPS SUBJECT TO RESTRICTION WHEN IMPORTED FROM THE DOLLAR AREA ARE SET OUT BELOW, THE HEADINGS BEING THOSE OF THE IMPORT LIST
Class	Imports restricted from the Dollar Area
A. Food, beverages and tobacco.	Live cattle.
	Meat and meat preparations.
	Dairy products, eggs and honey.
	Fish and fish preparations.
	Fruit and vegetables.
	Sugar preparations (most).
	Coffee.
	Miscellaneous food preparations.
	Beverages.
	Tobacco and tobacco manufactures.
B. Basic materials	Synthetic rubber.
	Some textile fibres and waste.
	Grass and other seeds for sowing and flower bulbs.
	Stone (some).
C. Mineral fuels and lubricants.	All.
D. Manufactured goods.	Virtually all except metals, semi-manufactures of metals, paper and board (excluding newsprint).

With effect from 18th August, the import licensing restrictions will be removed from a wide range of chemicals and allied products imported from the dollar area. A detailed announcement is being made indicating the commodities covered. Copies of this are being placed in the Library; the broad effect will be that with certain exceptions, such as dyestuffs and intermediates, import licences will no longer be required for most chemicals used as industrial materials.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state, in respect of machinery imported into the United Kingdom during 1955, 1956, and 1957, the value of the imports of each main group which were free of the tariff normally chargeable, with particular reference to spinning, weaving, and hosiery machinery; and what percentage of total imports of each group these represent.

The figures for total imports in the first table relate to machinery of types eligible for duty-free licence imported in each calendar year. The figures for duty remitted in the second table relate to the licences granted in each year. As a licence may be granted before the machinery is imported or authorise reimbursement of duty paid sometime after it has been imported, the duty-free licence figure for each year in the second table includes some machinery which was imported both before and after that year and excludes some machinery which was imported during that year. Thus the figures in the two tables are not comparable, and no percentages can be deduced from them.

TOTAL IMPORTS
£'000
—	1955	1956	1957
All machinery eligible for licence	86,300	116,600	Not available
Spinning machinery	241	518	544
Weaving machinery	951	559	660
Hosiery machinery	2,941	2,563	2,721

VALUE OF MACHINERY FOR WHICH DUTY FREE LICENCES ISSUED
£'000
—	1955	1956	1957
All machinery	26,300	29,600	31,600
Spinning machinery	108	171	290
Weaving machinery	886	352	245
Hosiery machinery	1,203	1,072	875

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether, in view of the fact that the Dutch bulb imports into this country are subject to a 10 per cent. duty and that producers in Holland are prepared to continue the imposition of a minimum export price in order to protect British producers against dumping, he will take steps to review the matter at any early date, with a view to ending the present import quota system as soon as suitable conditions have been agreed by all concerned;(2) whether he is aware that one of the consequences of the present quota imposed on the total value of Dutch flower bulbs which may be imported annually into this country is that the gardening public and flower growers in Great Britain are deprived of many of the newer, more beautiful and expensive varieties; and whether he will take steps to improve these arrangements at an early date.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the quota imports of Dutch bulbs are not sufficient to meet the demand, with the result that prices are forced up; and, as there is no longer any need for the restrictions of the kind in operation, and in view of the fact that the present imports are below pre-war level, if he will now take steps to abolish these quota restrictions.

I am aware that there are disadvantages inherent in any system of import control, but these like other quota restrictions are being continued for balance of payments reasons. It is our intention to remove them as soon as circumstances permit.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present basis for allocating the quota of imported flower bulbs to growers and distributors in Great Britain; and what steps are taken to prevent any of the bulb quota being left at the disposal of persons who do not require the bulbs for growing or distribution themselves and who, in consequence, are in a position to sell their quota at a substantial profit.

Allocations are, in general, related to imports in 1951 and 1952 when there were no restrictions. It would not be practicable to control the way in which distributors and others sell the bulbs which they are authorised to import.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the negotiations between the Lancashire textile industry and the textile industry of Hong Kong for a reduction in the imports of textiles into the United Kingdom; and if he will use his good offices to expedite the negotiations and agreement.

The position is still as stated in answer to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Knutsford (Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport) on 15th July, My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has throughout given the Cotton Board all the help he can in its efforts to reach an early agreement for the voluntary limitation of these imports.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will use the influence of his Department to attract further industry to Dorset, in view of increasing unemployment there, caused by decreasing defence expenditure and the difficulties of existing industries.

In view of the higher rate of unemployment in other places, special action to attract further industry to Dorset could not be justified.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, before the sale of the Regent Oil Company to United States interests, its indebtedness to its parent companies was nearly £15 million, in addition to borrowings from banks and insurance companies; and, in view of the fact that this position was brought about by the necessity of competing with the major oil companies for tied garages as a means of survival, whether he will refer the whole question of tied garages to the Monopolies Commission as tending to create a monopoly in the oil industry.

My right hon. Friend is considering the question of future references to the Monopolies Commission and will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was Great Britain's percentage share of the world's export trade in 1950, 1954 and the most recent year from which a comparable figure is available.

The United Kingdom's share of the value of the exports of the world (excluding the Soviet bloc and China) was 11·2 per cent in 1950, 10 per cent. in 1954 and 9·7 per cent. in 1957. Figures for Great Britain only are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, taking the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling in December, 1952, at 20s., what were the comparable figures in April, 1956, and today.

On the basis of the Consumer Price Index, adjusted by the monthly Index of Retail Prices, 17s. 11d. in April, 1956, and 16s. 11d. in June, 1958.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the rates of interest in respect of the building of local authority houses.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for reducing the interest charges in respect of local government housing.

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Beswick) on 22nd July.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax relief a man would receive on the 4s. 11d. per week paid towards pensions under the National Insurance Fund if his income entirely earned was £5,000 and he was married with no children; how much the tax relief would be for a married man with no children if his sole income was £5,000 unearned, the annual amount of tax relief and the weekly amount to be given in each case; and how much the tax relief would be in the case of a man with an earned income of £8,000 and of a man with £8,000, unearned, respectively.

The relief from tax at existing rates is as follows:

Income	Annual Relief			Weekly Amount
	£	s.	d.	s.	d.
£5,000 all earned	7	16	8	3	0
£5,000 all investment	8	9	0	3	3
£8,000 all earned	9	2	8	3	6
£8,000 all investment	9	15	0	3	9

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, before his consent was given for the sale of the Regent Oil Company to United States interests, his attention had been drawn to the fact that by May, 1955, the indebtedness of Regent to its parent companies was nearly £15 millions, in addition to borrowings from banks and insurance companies.

I assume that my hon. Friend refers to the sale, in 1956, to the Texas Oil Company of the Trinidad Oil Company which had a 50 per cent. interest in the Regent Oil Company. The factors that influenced Her Majesty's Government in consenting to the sale were fully explained in the House in the statements of my right hon. Friend the then Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14th June, 1056, and 20th June, 1956. The Government were, of course, fully aware at that time of the financial position and prospects of the Trinidad Oil Company.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his attention has been drawn to the case of Mr. Charles G. Brown, Aberdeen, who, in circumstances of which he is aware, was deprived of a gift camera by the Customs and Excise; if he is aware that the Customs and Excise, in the course of subsequent correspondence with the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North, have admitted that there was no suggestion that Mr. Brown knowingly evaded Customs charges legally due on the camera, but that, notwithstanding this, the Customs and Excise continue to deprive Mr. Brown of the camera, whereby injustice is being done to Mr. Brown; and if he will investigate the case.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied that there has been no injustice. The camera was seized by the Customs only after Mr. Brown had declined to pay the Customs charges legally due, and he can still retrieve it by paying them.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will so amend the regulations as to ensure that where imported goods, suspected of being dutiable, are seized by Her Majesty's Customs officers to be submitted to expert valuers, the names of the valuers be disclosed to the person alleged to be liable for the duty and that no duty be payable without that person being given the opportunity of submitting the evidence of a valuer nominated by himself.

No. Responsibility for ensuring that ad valorem duty is correctly charged rests upon the Customs. Independent advice on value is sometimes necessary to assess private importations, but it would be improper for the Customs to expose their advisers to direct controversy with the public. It is open to importers to submit their own evidence and, in the event of an unresolved dispute, to require arbitration by a Referee appointed by the Lord Chancellor.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the arrangements for the meeting on the Middle East of heads of Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made in the arrangements for holding summit talks.

I would refer to the answer given this afternoon by my right hon. Friend on behalf of the Prime Minister.

asked the Minister of Health what communication he has received from the Annual Conference of the British Medical Association about prescription charges; and what progress has been made in his current consultations with the British Medical Association about single charges for prescriptions of more than one item, especially for chronic patients.

So far, I have not received any such communication. Consultations have shown that it is not practicable to introduce new multiple packs other than the dressings pack which I mentioned in my reply of 10th March to the hon. Member. Hardship can, however, be avoided not only through the arrangements for refunds made by the National Assistance Board to persons in need on National Assistance standards, but also by the prescription in suitable chronic cases of quantities sufficient to last for a reasonably long period.

asked the Minister of Health when he proposes to include general facilities for family planning advice and treatment in the National Health Service, in accordance with the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Population.

I have no present intention of encouraging a widening of the existing facilities.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities in England and Wales now have a home help scheme; what proportion of the total have not; approximately what proportion of schemes in the latest convenient period were up to establishment; and approximately what proportion of local authorities are proposing to increase their establishment.

All local health authorities in England and Wales have a home help scheme. I regret that I cannot supply the rest of the information for which my hon. Friend asks as the approved schemes of most authorities empower them to increase their establishment of home helps as they consider necessary. But the total number of home helps employed has greatly increased during recent years.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has reached a decision regarding the future of Charing Cross Hospital; and whether he will make a statement.

On 9th February, 1955, the House was informed by the then Minister that the Government's plans for hospital building expected to start in the next few years included a project for the rebuilding of Charing Cross Hospital at Northwick Park, Harrow. This proposal has had to be abandoned because further consideration by the University of London and the University Grants Committee caused these bodies to decide that it was not in the best interests of medical education to remove the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School to Northwick Park.The existing Charing Cross Hospital building is outmoded and inadequate for hospital purposes, and it cannot be properly redeveloped on the same site. To meet University requirements, the new site must be within reasonable access of all the facilities of the University including the basic sciences and general student activities, and in August last the responsible hospital authorities were asked to consider the possibility of rebuilding on the site of the existing Fulham Hospital, which is in close proximity to these University facilities and which also requires rebuilding. I am glad to say that a large measure of agreement has been reached by the responsible hospital authorities about the practicability of amalgamating Charing Cross Hospital, the West London Hospital, the Fulham Hospital and the Fulham Maternity Hospital, as a first step towards the ultimate replacement of all of them by a new general teaching hospital at Fulham.I have given close and careful consideration to all the representations made to me, including those made by the Committee headed by the Mayor of Fulham, and I am satisfied that the Board of Governors of Charing Cross Hospital, in close co-operation with the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, will provide a service to the locality which will compare favourably with that which might have been provided by the rebuilding of Fulham Hospital as a non-teaching hospital.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he will take to investigate and to improve the reception of radio programmes in the Swindon area.

Provided suitable receiving sets and outdoor aerials are used, reception of sound radio programmes, including the Midland Home Service, in the Swindon area should be reasonably satisfactory. The London Home Service is subject to interference from a foreign station. The B.B.C. assure me that the needs of this area are being borne in mind for future planning, but no definite date for improvement can be quoted. We will, of course, investigate any specific cases of poor reception brought to our notice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is in accordance with the policy of his Department for probation officers to be recruited without training or previous experience from employment exchanges.

It is the policy of my Department that vacancies in the probation service should, so far as possible, be filled by persons with previous experience or trained for the work under arrangements approved by the Probation Advisory and Training Board. Where a vacancy cannot immediately be so filled, it may be desirable to appoint temporarily some other person of suitable calibre, who may, on occasion, be introduced by an employment exchange.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many entrants to the Probation Service in England and Wales there have been for each year since 1952; and how many permanent officers have left the Probation Service in each of these years for reasons other than retirement on the grounds of age or health.

The following table shows the number of entrants for each year from 1953 to 1957, and the number of resignations in each period. The information available to my Department does not enable me to say how many of the resignations were for reasons other than health.

Year	New Appointments	Appointments after a break in service	Total: cols. 2 and 3	Resignations (not including retirements on grounds of age)
1	2	3	4	5
1953	85	8	93	29
1954	76	7	83	36
1955	60	8	68	42
1956	83	6	89	36
1957	91	9	100	53

asked the Minister of Supply what is the estimated cost of producing the N.A.39 for its naval operational rôle; and what is the estimated added cost of modifications to make it suitable for Royal Air Force requirements.

The cost of producing the N.A.39 for the Royal Navy will be a matter for negotiation between my Department and the manufacturers of the aircraft and its equipment. I cannot disclose current estimates of the price of the aircraft or of any particular set of modifications.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress has been made in the introduction of diesel-electric trains to the Highland railway lines under the capital development programme approved by him.

I understand from the British Transport Commission that a scheme for the introduction of diesel traction on certain railways in the Highlands is under study and development.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Avation what are the technical considerations which lead to greater efficiency and economy being achieved if the construction of the Severn Bridge is properly phased with that of the Forth Bridge; and what other bridge schemes can be included in this combined operation.

Because of the magnitude and original character of the work a special organisation, a consortium of three major steel bridge building firms has been created for the sole purpose of building the Forth and the Severn bridges, which are practically identical in structure. Much of the work, such as the erection of the towers, the spinning of cables and the clamping and wrapping of the cables, is highly specialised. This requires the training of skilled men in teams and the use of expensive and specialised plant. It is essential that these teams and the plant be kept intact and transferred at the appropriate times from their operations on the one bridge to the same operations on the other. These considerations apply only to the building of large-span suspension bridges. No other such bridge of similar magnitude is contemplated in the current road programme.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what was the number of fishing vessels registered at Mallaig Harbour for the years 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57 and 1957–58, respectively.

Fishing vessels based on Mallaig are registered at Oban. The numbers of Mallaig based vessels newly registered in the calendar years 1953 to 1958 were none, none, one, four, two and two respectively. The total numbers of such vessels on the register at 30th June in those years were 25, 23, 22, 22, 24 and 25, respectively.