asked the Minister of Education whether he will now permit the scheme for re-modelling St. Mary's Church of England Primary School, Woolwich, to go forward to completion.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Education when he proposes to start building the new modern secondary school at North Sommercotes; and when he anticipates it will be opened.

I cannot say yet, but schools of this kind normally take about two years to build.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now refer the supply of imported fresh citrus fruits to the Monopolies Commission under Section 2 of the Act of 1948.

On the information before me, I do not consider that this is a suitable subject for reference to the Monopolies Commission.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what response there has been to his offer of assistance to an approved firm taking over the Blackness Foundry, Dundee.

So far no application has been made to the Treasury for a loan or grant towards the cost of bringing the premises back into use.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give a list of the articles which are at present price controlled under the powers of Defence Regulation 55AB.

The Board of Trade do not control the prices of any articles under Defence Regulation 55AB, since the Board are not now a competent authority under this Regulation. I understand that the only articles now price controlled under this Regulation are milk and welfare foods.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will call an early meeting of Ministers concerned with employment to meet the Members of Parliament of the city and the Lord Mayor and representatives of the City Council of Hull, to consider the best means for early increased employment in the city during the winter months.

If the representatives of the City of Kingston-upon-Hull have any matters which they wish to discuss with Ministers, we will be pleased to meet them.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent, having designated new development areas outside Hull, it is the Government's intention to encourage development in these areas rather than in Hull, or also in Hull.

The Government are giving priority in their steering policy to those places in the United Kingdom with high and persistent unemployment. But they will continue in all suitable cases to encourage new industry to establish itself in Hull.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he will make a further statement about the negotiations relating to the limitation of cotton imports from Hong Kong;(2) what steps he has taken to deal with the recession in the cotton industry; and with what result.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave this afternoon to the right hon. Member for Battersea, North (Mr. Jay).

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken under the Distribution of Industry Act since it was enacted, or otherwise, to help in the establishment of light industries in the city and county of Aberdeen; and what are his plans for doing so in the near future.

As I have previously told the hon. and learned Member, my Department will maintain its efforts to persuade suitable firms to go to the city and county of Aberdeen.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of his refusal to allow the new factory of British Nylon Spinners Limited to be established in the South of England, if he will now take steps to encourage the establishment of that new factory in the City of Aberdeen where the specified conditions of space, building, clean air, large water and electricity supply and a large unemployed labour force are all present.

The firm has already informed the Lord Provost with regret that Aberdeen is not suitable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in the value of the £ sterling, from one year to another, since 1914, taking the index of 100 for that year.

The table below sets out the estimated changes in the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling for the years since 1914, taking the index as 100 in 1914.

1914	100	1927	60	1946	38
1915	81	1928	60	1947	35
1916	68	1929	61	1948	33
1917	57	1930	63	1949	32
1918	49	1931	68	1950	31
1919	47	1932	69	1951	29
1920	40	1933	71	1952	27
1921	44	1934	71	1953	27
1922	55	1935	70	1954	26
1923	57	1936	68	1955	25
1924	57	1937	65	1956	24
1925	57	1938	64	1957	23
1926	58

The calculation is based on changes in the Cost of Living Index between 1914 and 1938, and changes in the Consumer Price Index since 1946. Figures are not available on a comparable basis for the years 1939 to 1945.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent atmospheric pollution is taken into account in the assessment of rateable values.

To the extent to which it affects the rents which the properties might be expected to fetch.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the severe atmospheric pollution being suffered by the residents of May Bank, Newcastle-under-Lyme; and if he will call for a review of the recent increases in rating assessments, taking this nuisance into account.

The hon. Member has very recently written to my right hon. Friend about this matter and he hopes to send a reply shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the profit or loss incurred in horticultural teaching or training establishments in England and Wales for the year ended March, 1958; and how these results compare with the two previous years;(2) what was the profit or loss incurred on each of the farms run in connection with farm institutes in England and Wales for the year ended March, 1958; and how these results compare with the previous year.

The total loss on horticultural holdings at agricultural and horticultural institutes was £24,240 in 1955–56 and £41,407 in 1956–57. The total loss on institute farms in 1956–57 was £129,121. The figures for 1957–58 are not yet available. I shall send them to the hon. Member as soon as they are. Since the detailed figures for which the hon. Member asks amount to several hundred I shall also send these to him.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the flood prevention scheme for the town of Sandiacre, submitted to his Department in 1956 by the Trent River Board, has now been completed.

I am informed by the River Board that about half the scheme has been completed. Bad weather conditions have delayed operations, but, weather permitting, work will be carried on during the winter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further progress report on the Farm Improvement Scheme.

Up to the end of September, 44,683 applications had been received in England and Wales. Of these, 22,320 had received formal approval. involving 33,346 improvements estimated to cost £15¾ million. Of the rest, 6,300 proposals were ready for approval subject to the applicants providing further information or signing formal documents, and 10,006 had been withdrawn or rejected. Thus, six applications out of seven had been dealt with. Grant of £988,000 had already been paid on completed work. Between 2,500 and 3,000 new applications are being received each month, and there has recently been a marked increase in the claims for grant on completed work. During September one-third of the applications approved in England and Wales were wholly or partly in respect of standard costs, and standard costs covered almost one-quarter of the total cost of approvals. This new provision is obviously proving helpful.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants have been admitted respectively from India, Pakistan and the West Indies during the last convenient period of twelve months.

The net inward movement for the twelve months ended 30th September last is roughly estimated to have been as follows; India, 6,800; Pakistan, 7,100; West Indies, 20,700.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in his consideration of the law relating to attempted suicide; and what proposals he has for introducing amending legislation during this Session.

Before a change in the law is proposed, it is necessary to ensure that persons who attempt suicide and need care but cannot be given it, or will not accept it, unless they are brought before the courts, can be looked after by other means. I am still studying this difficult problem, and I am sorry that I cannot at this stage give an undertaking as to when it will be possible to introduce legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet able to announce the result of his review of existing small statutory fines.

The review is making progress, but merely to survey the existing small statutory fines' is a considerable task, and a good deal of consultation will have to take place before legislation can be introduced. I cannot, therefore, say when I shall be in a position to put forward proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that 126 hon. Members from both sides of the House signed a Notice of Motion in the last Session, asking the Government to set up a committee of inquiry to consider and report what changes, if any, are necessary to bring the law on Sunday observance into line with present day opinion; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

I have no proposal to make for any action in this matter, about which opinion is deeply divided, at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now in a position to make a statement of Government policy concerning the compensation of victims of crimes of violence.

Not yet. This is an important and difficult matter which is still being examined.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the loss of earnings sustained by many citizens who serve on juries; and if he is prepared to bring in legislation to reimburse them to the actual amount of wages lost.

I have recently, with the consent of the Treasury, made Regulations increasing the maximum amounts which may be paid to a juror in respect of loss of earnings, from 30s. to 40s. for a whole day, and from 15s. to 20s. for a period of not more than four hours. I hope that these increases, which came into force on 1st November, will obviate hardship to citizens performing this public duty.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take regarding sales from travelling shops.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Morpeth (Mr. Owen) on 4th November.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he is aware that the Government of the Federation of Malaya are modifying the Immigration Ordinance, 1952, and propose to limit the right of British subjects who are not born in, or ordinarily resident in, Malaya, to move freely in and out of a Commonwealth country and that the only people who will enjoy the right of entry will be citizens of the Federation and of Singapore; and what representations he will make with a view to preserving the rights of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

British subjects not born in or ordinarily resident in Malaya have since 1953 had to be in possession of permits or passes before entering or reentering the Federation. Under Emergency Regulations made on 3rd October, the Government of the Federation have amended the immigration laws so as to provide that persons other than Federation citizens may, in certain circumstances, be declared prohibited immigrants. I am informed that these regulations were introduced mainly for security reasons and that the Government of the Federation have no intention of further restricting the entry or re-entry to Malaya of persons born in the United Kingdom or Singapore who do not fall within the existing categories of prohibited immigrants. The reply to the second part of the Question is "None".

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations where and when it is intended to open a Commonwealth House for meetings of the Commonwealth Economic Consultative Council and its constituent bodies and for other Commonwealth meetings.

These questions are being carefully examined and a statement will be made as soon as the appropriate decisions have been reached.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what recent request Her Majesty's Government have received from the Ghana Government with regard to assistance in the Volta River project.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made in the negotiations on territorial sea limits and fishing, rights; to what extent the Icelandic Government still insist on the 12-mile limit; and if he will take steps to bring about a multilateral agreement either through the United Nations General Assembly or by an international conference of fishing countries.

The only negotiations now proceeding are those with Denmark about Faroese fishery limits. At present, both Governments are studying the recommendations of officials following a meeting on 29th October. There are no negotiations with Iceland, the Icelandic Government having declined to negotiate while persisting in their attempt to assert unilaterally an exclusive fishery limit of twelve miles. Her Majesty's Government are in favour of the proposal, at present before the General Assembly of the United Nations, that a second special conference on the Law of the Sea should be convened and Her Majesty's Government intend at such a conference to do their best to secure agreement on the breadth of the territorial sea and fishing limits.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will state the present rules and general conditions which govern the granting of ordinary leave and compassionate leave, respectively, of Service men serving overseas, particularly those in Cyprus and the Middle East.

The answer is as follows:

LEAVE

A summary of the normal entitlements is as follows:

1. Royal Navy

(i) Foreign Service Commission. A Foreign Service Commission is normally for 18 months, or 2½ years for married personnel accompanied by their families.

Local Leave up to 14 days a year.

Foreign Service Leave (on return to the United Kingdom) at the rate of 2 days for each month spent overseas, or 3 days for each month spent in the Persian Gulf or Red Sea area.

(ii) General Service Commission. A General Service Commission is normally for up to 2 years of which not more than 1 year will be continuous absence from the United Kingdom.

General Service Commission Leave at the rate of 3 days for each completed month of the commission—to be taken in the United Kingdom.

Local Leave at the discretion of the Commanding Officer during periods of refit overseas.

The above also applies to National Service men.

2. Army and R.A.F.

(i) Officers, Senior Army N.C.O.s and Aircrew. 42 days per annum taken locally.

(ii) Other Regulars Other Ranks. 30 days per annum taken locally.

(iii) National Service Other Ranks (except Aircrew). A total leave entitlement of 49 days. In the Army, men take 21 days before leaving the United Kingdom and the remaining 28 while overseas: in the R.A.F., at least 14 days before leaving the United Kingdom and the remainder whilst abroad.

asked the Prime Minister the present policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to a Summit Conference; and what he has done during the last three months, and is now doing, to bring such a conference into being and to fruition.

During the early part of last summer we tried to get preparations for a Summit Conference started in Moscow. Our proposals for overcoming the obstacles which almost immediately arose were ignored by the Soviet Government. In a letter to Mr. Khrushchev of the 1st July I tried to get things moving again. But despite reminders he has never replied to this letter. Later in the summer he first agreed and then refused to attend a meeting of the Security Council at the level of heads of Government to discuss the Middle East.Since then I have not taken any fresh steps. Against such a background it would have been useless to do so.Nevertheless a Summit Conference is not an end in itself. Our end is to negotiate settlements with the Soviet Government. We use whatever means seems best and is generally acceptable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangement his Department entered into with the Industrial Fund for the Advancement of Science Education in Schools in respect of the provision of buildings and equipment for science departments in schools.

No such arrangements have been made, since the object of the Fund is to provide and equip new science buildings in schools which receive no help for this purpose from public funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent students in central institutions are free to form their own political organisations.

This is a matter for the governing bodies concerned, but I understand that no restrictions have been placed on the formation of student political organisations.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent the development and production of the Fairey Rotodyne and Westland Westminster helicopters are going to be retarded by official failure to introduce inter-city helicopter services in this country; and what action he is taking to speed up this development.

Not at all, as I am advised that the further operation of inter-city services with the single-engined equipment available would not contribute to the development of these twin-engined helicopters. As regards the second part of the Question, the Government are considering with the manufacturers the best means of furthering the Rotodyne project. I understand that the development of the Westminster is proceeding satisfactorily as a private venture.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will state the number of certificates of officers of the merchant service and fishing fleet, respectively, which have been cancelled or suspended by courts of formal investigation held under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, during the year 1957; and, in the cases of suspension, the period of such suspension.

During 1957 six officers holding certificates of competency as skipper or second hand of a fishing boat had their certificates suspended, two of them for twelve months and four for six months. No other certificates were suspended and none was cancelled.