asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take on the Report of the Committee on Diligence; and when it will be taken.

The Committee's recommendations are being carefully considered, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken during the last four months to extend and develop trade relations between Great Britain and Russia, with particular regard to trade between Scotland and Russia.

The strategic controls on exports to Russia were lifted from a wide range of items in August. Whether this brings us more trade depends in the first place on how interested the Russians are to buy here. For our part, we are always eager to encourage our traders, in Scotland as well as other parts of the United Kingdom, to explore new openings for sales in the Soviet market.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that for a long time obnoxious smells have come from a fish meal factory at Carnkie, near Redruth, Cornwall, to the distress of the inhabitants of the village; and what steps are being taken to remove this nuisance.

I understand that recent alterations at the plant have improved matters, but the Camborne-Redruth Urban District Council is keeping the problem under review. The Council is primarily responsible in cases of this kind, but one of my Alkali Inspectors has been able to offer a number of technical suggestions.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will state the number of old persons' dwellings built by local authorities in Middlesex and the number now under construction.

I am afraid that the information asked for by the hon. Member is not available in the form he desires. The regular returns made by local authorities showing the number of houses they have built do not relate to classes of tenants but to house types, according to the number of bedrooms.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of the Bugisu Co-operative Union and the actions taken by the Uganda Government arising out of its report.

The Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of the Bugisu Co-operative Union made recommendations designed to improve the constitution, working and financial condition of the union. Most of the Commission's recommendations have been accepted by the Uganda Government and legislation on the lines recommended by the Commission has been enacted. A supervising manager has been appointed to administer the affairs of the union.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what protest he has received from the General Workers' Union in Malta against the lack of guarantees to workers concerning the continuity of employment or the provision of alternative work; and what was his reply.

My right hon. Friend has received a statement by the General Workers' Union with a Resolution on this subject, a copy of which I am putting in the Library. My right hon. Friend has also received a request from the union for discussions on economic and employment prospects in Malta. My right hon. Friend has welcomed this suggestion and hopes to meet union representatives in London at the end of this week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will, for their own protection, authorise the arming of British civilians in Cyprus.

This is now being done. Civilians from the United Kingdom who wish to carry guns and are competent in their use are given arms.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that there exists considerable anxiety regarding the plight of refugees in Hong Kong; and what steps his Department are taking to relieve their distress.

Yes. On the second part of the Question, I explained the position of Her Majesty's Government in my reply to the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin) on 20th March. Her Majesty's Government are supporting the World Refugee Year project, which is intended for the benefit of refugees in general, including those in Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the extent to which the recommendations of the Royal Commission on East Africa are being applied since his White Paper following the consideration of the Report by the East African Governments.

The numerous recommendations of the Commission have acted as a stimulus to all the East African Governments in solving their social and economic problems. Financial difficulties have to some extent proposed a check; but it is to be hoped that the proposals announced in the Gracious Speech for continued and new grants under the Colonial Development and Welfare Acts will help to relieve these difficulties.My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, during the debate on 31st May, 1957, gave a general picture of progress at that time; and referred to the official conference at Arusha of those concerned with land tenure. Since that debate both the Tanganyika and Kenya Governments have published proposals for a new tenure policy for land hitherto held under customary tenure. The Kenya proposals include recommendations for the freehold ownership of land by individual Africans. In Uganda, where proposals were published rather earlier, one district has already accepted them and they are being brought into effect there.A number of inquiries have been made on various aspects of urban problems on which recommendations were made by the Royal Commission and a similar conference to consider these recommendations was held at Ndola in February last. The report of the Conference, a copy of which is being placed in the Library of the House, indicated that much progress had been made in implementing some of the more important recommendations of the Royal Commission relating to urban problems.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why, in view of the fact that Mr. Dyke Campbell Hill was serving on extended probation after the end of October, 1953, he was not so informed, in accordance with the requirements of Section 31 of Colonial Regulations; and why he was given no opportunity, having already served on probation for three years, to decide himself whether he wished to serve on extended probation.

The Regulation 31 does not require that an officer be informed that his probationary period has been extended. Mr. Hill was well aware that he had not been confirmed in his appointment and that his representations against the proposal to terminate it were under consideration. He was at liberty, like any other civil servant, to resign his appointment at any time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now extend to rural district councils facilities for voting by post.

I can hold out no prospect of legislation for this purpose at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken by Her Majesty's Government to arrive at an agreed interpretation of Article 2 (7) of the Charter of the United Nations having regard to the fact that the United Kingdom voted with Australia, Belgium, France and Portugal, against the view of the United States of America and 73 other countries, regretting that the Union of South Africa had not responded to appeals of the Assembly to reconsider its apartheid policy.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Ipswich (Mr. Foot) on 5th November.Article 2 (7) of the United Nations Charter is specific and clear. It states that "nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorise the United Nations to intervene in matters essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State". In Her Majesty's Government's view no steps are necesary to interpret the Article.The resolution in question was supported by seventy member nations in the General Assembly on 30th October.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he is aware of the Russian claim to have developed an effective antidote to cope with the effects of radioactive rays on the body; and to what extent research in this field has proved successful in this country.

My noble Friend is not aware of any Russian claims to have developed an effective antidote to radioactive rays, but he is informed that, in a paper presented by a Russian delegate at the recent Geneva Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, reference was made to some substances which were already known to protect animals in special circumstances. In this country the Medical Research Council has for some ten years actively supported work on substances which might give more general protection against the effect of ionising radiations: some progress has been made experimentally, but the results are not yet applicable to the treatment of human beings.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state as fully as possible his plans for the creation and extension of an occupational health service.

The Industrial Health Advisory Committee advises my hon. Friend on measures for the development of industrial health services in workplaces covered by the Factories Acts, and he is at present in consultation with the Committee on these matters in the light of the results of the Halifax and Pottery Surveys and of the practical experiments in this field which are being carried on at the present time.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what response he has received to his recent efforts to persuade more firms in central London to stagger their hours of work.

The "Crush Hour" Committee has recently reported that 200 central London firms employing 25,000 staff have introduced staggered working hours and that the numbers travelling at the peak time of 5.30 p.m. have been reduced by 10,000. An up-to-date survey of the starting and finishing times of some 500,000 workers in Central London is now being prepared. The survey, which covers new office buildings recently brought into use, will assist the planning of the next attack on the most crowded periods of the rush hour.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the total amount of deposits accumulated by his Department and paid by telephone subscribers as a condition precedent to the installation or reconnection of their telephone service; and where, and how, this sum is invested, in whose names, and for whose benefit.

The total amount of deposits held at present is £212,000. This is in effect held in, and for the benefit of, the Exchequer.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that the unsatisfactory conditions of television reception in the Hastings area continue; and what progress has been made in the installation of a satellite transmitter in the locality.

I know that television reception is poor in some low-lying parts of Hastings and that there has been considerable interference recently due to adverse propagation conditions. The B.B.C. are considering plans for the installation over the next two years of a limited number of low-power satellite television stations. Many places have claims for consideration, and I cannot say at this stage what the prospects for the Hastings area will be.