asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Lincoln No. 1 Hospital Management Committee has received reports from its Medical Committee that there has been difficulty in connection with the transporting of school children, who live in isolated areas with inadequate public transport facilities, to receive treatment at hospitals, especially in the case of children suffering from poliomyelitis who need physiotherapy treatment; and what advice he has given to the local authority on this matter.

Yes. I have made inquiries of the local health authority and am writing to my hon. and gallant Friend.

asked the Minister of Health the total cost of the inquiry into the dental treatment received by a patient, the name of whom has been supplied, and whose dental practitioner was fined 12s. 6d. by the Kent and Canterbury Executive Council, and subsequently refunded by his Department; and whether he will issue instructions to committees, in future, not to spend public money on such investigations.

I have written to my hon. Friend about this case and have explained that it involved no direct expense. I am satisfied that, on the information initially before them, the Executive Council was fully justified in making an investigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it was with his authority that a photostat copy of an official document was made available by a British military officer, serving with the Control Commission in Germany, for the purposes of the East German propaganda film, "Operation Teutonic Sword"; and whether he will make a statement.

If the hon. Gentleman will send me details of the document to which he refers and the circumstances in which it is alleged to have been made available, I will look into the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a further statement on the situation in Berlin.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the Russian proposals to make Berlin a free city.

On 27th November the Soviet Government sent Notes about Berlin to Her Majesty's Government and to the Governments of the United States, France and the Federal German Republic. The Soviet Note is being studied and there will have to be further consultations with our Allies.The view of Her Majesty's Government is that the international agreements over Germany and over Berlin in particular cannot be unilaterally repudiated. We intend to stand by our obligations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to accept persons appointed by the authorities in Eastern Germany as agents of the Soviet Government in exercising its authority under the agreements for four-Power control of the City of Berlin.

We hold the Soviet Government responsible for the execution of the four-Power agreements about Berlin. To the extent that persons appointed by the authorities in Eastern Germany exercise minor technical functions on our lines of communication to Berlin, we can be said to accept such persons as the agents of the Soviet Government. But the principal functions of control on these lines of communication are in fact now performed by Soviet officers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what date the Polish Government applied to Her Majesty's Government for the extradition of Kurt Meyer, a convicted war criminal; and what reply he gave.

No such application can be traced.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is now the intention of Her Majesty's Government to apply for membership of the Inter-Governmental Committee for European Migration.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will propose to the other Governments participating in the Geneva Conference on the discontinuance of nuclear tests the joint publication of an authoritative statement on the problems which have emerged in the discussions so far and the attitudes of the respective Governments thereto.

No. The decision that conference documents should not be published and that its proceedings should be private was reaffirmed by the three delegations to the conference recently.

asked the Secretary of State for Foregin Affairs whether the studies and consultations on the statement made by Mr. Rapacki on 4th November have now been completed; and whether he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to these proposals.

Since Mr. Rapacki's proposals have not yet been communicated to the Governments concerned, it is not possible to conclude the studies and consultations to which I referred in my reply on 19th November. I have nothing to add to that reply and to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Members for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) and Ashfield (Mr. Warbey) on 26th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what approaches have been made this year for permission to place orders in this country for naval vessels for the Indonesian Government; and what replies have been given.

It is not the practice to disclose details of negotiations which may be in progress for the sale of arms or military or naval equipment, nor is it the custom to give reasons when requests for such items are met or refused.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government has yet supplied a list of candidates for election to the European Court of Human Rights as requested in Recommendation 183, 1958, of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government have selected their three candidates for election to the Court. Their names, however, have not yet been communicated to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe. Until that happens it would be inappropriate for me to say who the three are.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will take steps to promote the exhibition of the film "Blue Vanguard," produced by the United Nations Film Board, for the purpose of creating a better understanding of the constructive work and achievements of the United Nations Organisation.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foregin Affairs told the House on 26th November, this film has not yet been released. There is no question, therefore, of my taking steps to promote its exhibition.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the national monthly production of iron and steel for each of the months from January, 1951, until December, 1951, compared with January, 1958, until the latest convenient stated monthly date, using as the basis, January, 1951, being equal to 100.

The figures are as follows:

PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
Weekly averages tonnages: January, 1951 = 100
		Pig Iron		Crude Steel
—		1951	1958	1951	1958
January	…	100	148	100	133
February	…	102	149	107	140
March	…	101	146	104	141
April	…	97	140	105	133
May	…	100	136	100	124
June	…	100	133	101	122
July	…	100	124	84	103
August	…	99	121	87	98
September	…	103	126	99	121
October	…	104	132	98	119
November	…	107	—	103	—
December	…	108	—	94	—

asked the Paymaster-General in view of the Government's responsibility for financing the capital requirements and possible deficits of the National Coal Board, whether he will publish an estimate of the Board's net surplus or deficiency during the current year if there was no opencast production, having regard to the performance of deep mines and opencast workings during the first half of 1958.

No. This would be an impossible exercise in view of the hypothetical assumptions that would have to be made about the replacement of the opencast production, particularly of large coal.

asked the Paymaster-General how many opencast sites are at present being operated in the East Midlands Division; where they are situated; and their output during the first ten months of this year.

The following table gives the information asked for:

County		Number of sites	Output from 1st January to 31st October, 1958
			(tons)
Derbyshire	…	28	1,630,474
Nottinghamshire	…	3	205,024
Leicestershire	…	2	423,233
TOTAL	…	33	2,258,731

asked the Paymaster-General how many opencast coal sites for which approval has been given, but which are not yet in operation, are in the East Midlands Division; and where they are situated.

Five in Derbyshire and one in Nottinghamshire.

asked the Paymaster-General how many applications for opencast sites have been made under the Opencast Coal Act; how many of these are in the East Midlands Division; and where they are situated.

None.

asked the Paymaster-General what opencast coal sites are being worked in Warwickshire; what applications have been received for the working of new sites; and which of these applications he proposes to authorise.

Three sites are being worked. One site has been authorised for working but working has not yet begun. No other applications for the working of new sites have been received.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the rise and fall in coal and fuel production for each of the months from January, 1951, until December, 1951, compared with January, 1958, until the latest convenient monthly stated date, using as the basis, January, 1951, being equal to 100.

The following are the figures for coal:

INDEX OF COAL PRODUCTION (JANUARY, 1951=100)
—			1951	1958
January	…	…	100	102
February	…	…	107	109
March	…	…	101	108
April	…	…	109	101
May	…	…	100	105
June	…	…	102	96
July	…	…	94	88
August	…	…	82	70
September	…	…	105	98
October	…	…	107	103
November	…	…	108	105
December	…	…	101	—

Indices of total production of indigenous primary fuels would differ only fractionally from those of coal.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will discuss land drainage problems in Essex, particularly those revealed by recent floods, with the Essex River Board, other authorities and representatives of farming and other interests.

The Essex County Agricultural Executive Committee is calling a meeting to which representatives of the Essex River Board, of the Essex branches of the National Farmers' Union and of the Country Landowners' Association will be invited. The River Board has assured my right hon. Friend that it will be glad of this opportunity to discuss land drainage problems in Essex.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the types and cost of machinery imported into this country from the United States of America for the purpose of opencast coal mining in 1956, 1957, and up to the last available date in 1958.

Machinery intended for opencast mining operations is not separately distinguished in the United Kingdom trade returns and figures of imports from the United States of America are thus not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the effects upon exports of British manufactured carpets, notably those produced in Kidderminster, of the present import restrictions imposed by New Zealand for balance of payment reasons; and, having regard to the desirability of Great Britain purchasing increased and increasing quantities of New Zealand butter, what steps he proposes to take to secure arrangements with New Zealand for removal of import restrictions on British carpets and expansion of reciprocal Anglo-New Zealand trade, also Commonwealth trade generally.

Yes. Imports of carpets in common with many other goods are restricted in New Zealand because of her balance of payments difficulties. At the Montreal Conference we were greatly concerned with ways in which trade between Commonwealth countries might be enlarged and the conclusions which we reached there are being actively followed up.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will provide a list showing what have been the main changes with regard to quotas imposed on imports into Great Britain during each of the last 10 years.

It would not be practicable to list the numerous changes which have taken place in quotas over the last ten years. The position briefly is, however, that while 30 per cent of our imports on private account from O.E.E.C. countries were subject to restriction in 1949 the corresponding figure today is about 5 per cent. There are no similar figures for the dollar area, but it is estimated that about half of our dollar imports on private account were subject to restriction in 1954 compared with one-quarter now.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will supply average value indices for imported food, exclusive of beverages and tobacco, for each of the years 1951 to 1957 and the first six months of 1958, using 1954 as base year.

The following are the figures:

AVERAGE VALUE INDICES OF UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS*
1954=100
Year			Index No.
1951	…	…	96
1952	…	…	100
1953	…	…	97
1954	…	…	100
1955	…	…	102
1956	…	…	100
1957	…	…	99
1958(January-June)	…	…	93
* Class A (exclusive of beverages and tobacco) in the "Accounts Relating to the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom."

asked the Minister of Labour how many young people, who left school last summer, are still out of work in the north-west and nationally.

It is not possible to identify school leavers separately, but on 13th October, 1958, 975 boys and 374 girls, registered as unemployed in the north western region, were recorded as having had no previous employment. The corresponding national figures were 4,342 and 2,549 girls.

asked the Minister of Labour the average and the highest number of Salford's 2,200 dock workers who were without jobs in recent weeks; and by how many the Salford dock register has been reduced this year.

The National Dock Labour Board informs me that during the six weeks ending 22nd November, 1958, the average daily number of dock workers in Salford for whom no work was available was 481; the highest number being 1,064 on 1st November.The Salford register has been reduced from 2,632 at the end of 1957 to 2,331 on 18th November, 1958.

asked the Minister of Labour if his attention has been drawn to Recommendation 171, 1958, of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe and, in particular, to Recommendation 3; what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to implement measures advocated in Recommendation 113, 1957; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the two Recommendations in question are still under consideration by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and they have, therefore, not yet been referred to member Governments.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent the holding of the public inquiry into the Viking aircraft accident at Southall is postponed until the findings of the coroner's inquest on those killed is made available; and how far it is his general policy to hold the inquiry into an air accident after the inquest proceedings are completed.

The timing of the public inquiry depends upon completion by my Chief Inspector of Accidents of his technical investigations and upon the preparation of the material to be laid before the court. The public inquiry will, however, have to stand over while there is any possibility of further proceedings on any aspect of the matter and it is obviously necessary, therefore, to await the verdict of the coroner's court.As regards the second part of the Question, there is no general uniform practice.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of European and African miners, respectively, who are unemployed in the copper mining industry in Northern Rhodesia since the resumption of work after the recent strike of European miners.

The Governor informs me that at present there are virtually no unemployed Africans or Europeans within the mining industry. The recent Copperbelt strike has not affected the position since all African and European employees including those dismissed immediately before the strike have been taken back by the mining companies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the amounts of expenditure on school buildings in Northern Rhodesia in each of the last five years.

Expenditure by the Government of Northern Rhodesia on African school buildings in each of the last five years has been as follows:

	£
1953–54 (18 months' period to June, 1954)	315,203
1954–55	239,422
1955–56	368,097
1956–57	473,913
1957–58 (final figure not yet available)	463,937

In addition there has been expenditure by voluntary agencies and Native Authorities, towards which the Government have contributed, but details of this expenditure are not available. The Government of Northern Rhodesia are not responsible for expenditure on non-African school buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the assistance of Mr. Harry Nkumbula, President of the African National Congress, was refused by the District Commissioner of Gwembe; and when he, or the Congress officials, will be permitted to investigate African complaints of lack of water, inadequate housing and other causes of unrest among those who have been evicted from the Kariba Dam area in Northern Rhodesia.

I understand that Mr. Nkumbula has not made any offer of assistance to the District Commissioner. If one had been made it would have been courteously declined, both because of the past record of the African National Congress in the district and because the body responsible for the administration of the area is the Gwembe Native Authority, which is opposed to Congress activity in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the main considerations on which the figure of £3,000,000 was reached as the amount of the external loan needed by Sierra Leone during 1959–60.

After taking account of the funds which they could expect to obtain from local and other sources and of the recurrent charges which they would have to bear, £3,000,000 was considered to be the amount of external capital which the Sierra Leone Government would require for development up to 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what applications have been made by the Governments of Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, Jamaica, Grenada, and Trinidad for milk powder from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund for the year 1959; and what is the estimated child population and the number of pounds of milk powder per child in each territory.

One new application for 1959 has been received. This is for 180 tons of dried milk per annum for primary and pre-school children in the Bukedi district of Uganda, for two years in the first instance. In addition, two-year schemes including the year 1959 have already been approved for the three East African territories, as mentioned in my reply to the hon. Lady's Question on 30th July, and for Trinidad and Grenada—1,578,000 lb. and 616,200 lb. of dried milk powder respectively. The figures requested in the second part of the Question are not immediately available. I will write to the hon. Lady when I have them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the amounts per child spent on African and European education, respectively, in Kenya, in each of the last three completed financial years.

Since comparable figures are not yet available for 1957–58 the figures below are for the years 1954–55 to 1956–57.Gross recurrent expenditure per head of school population for European primary education as compared with African primary and intermediate education, ignoring pupils in unaided schools and administrative overheads, was

£ p.a.
—		1954–55	1955–56	1956–57
African	…	3·35	3·6	4·1
European	…	82·0	82·0	78·0

For secondary and trade and technical education the figures were

£ p.a.
—		1954–55	1955–56	1956–57
African	…	124	136	134
European	…	188	178	178

asked the Minister of Education under what conditions he now makes grants towards the cost of village halls and community centres; and where the regulations may be found.

These grants are made under Section 3 of the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937. New grants to local authorities will cease from 1st April, 1959, owing to the operation of the Local Government Act, 1958. Grants to voluntary bodies will not be affected by this change. I am sending to the hon. Member details of the information normally required for considering applications.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the cost to the Treasury of the salary and expenses incurred by Her Majesty's Ministers and junior Ministers and those of Ministerial rank, before taxation, from January, 1951, until October, 1951, and from January, 1958, until October, 1958, respectively.

The cost of Ministerial salaries before taxation from January, 1951, until October, 1951, was about £167,000, and from January, 1958, to October, 1958, about £205,000.I regret that the information on Ministerial expenses is not readily available, and cannot be obtained without an unjustifiable expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many beds were under the control of the Board of Manage- ment of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals in 1949 and 1953, and are so at the present time; and where such beds are located.

The following table gives the number of staffed beds at each of the

			Number of Staffed Beds
Hospital			1949–50	At 30th September, 1953	At 31st March, 1958
Hartwood Mental Hospital, Shotts	…	…	1,764	1,910	1,910
Kirklands Institution, Bothwell	…	…	205	220	220
Birkwood Institution, Lesmahagow	…	…	123	206	215
Total	…	…	2,092	2,336	2,345

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many medical staff were employed by the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals in 1949 and in 1953, and are so employed at the present time; how many of such medical staff were, and are, full-time consultants, how many part-time consultants, how many registrars, and how many hospital officers; and how many of such medical officers were and are resident in hospital.

The following table gives the number of medical staff employed in the Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals in the years 1949, 1953 and 1958.

—	1949	1953	1958
Consultants—
full-time	2	2	3
part-time	—	—	—
Senior hospital medical officers	2	3	3
Senior registrars and registrars	—	—	—
Other junior medical staff—
full-time	5	5	5
part-time	—	—	1
Total	9	10	12
Number of medical staff resident	4	4	3

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many administrative staff were employed by the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental

In 1949 the Board of Management employed an administrative and clerical staff of 20, including the staff employed at individual hospitals. The figure at 30th September, 1953, was 23, and at 31st March, 1958, 30.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the extent of the office accommodation for the administrative staff of the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals in 1949, and in 1953, and what is its extent at the present time; and where such office accommodation is located.

Until 1955 the Board of Management's offices were accommodated in four rooms at Kirklands Institution, Bothwell. Since 1955, it has occupied five rooms in the Nurses Home at Hartwood Mental Hospital; in addition other vacant rooms in the Nurses' Home may be used for office purposes on occasion, e.g., during visits by auditors.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what notice was given to the medical staff of Hartwood Hospital by the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals when in the spring of 1958 it was decided that they would lose their dining mess accommodation as part of a scheme for the reorganisation of office accommodation; what are the present dining arrangements for the medical staff at Hartwood Hospital; and what representations were received by the Board of Management in this connection from the medical staff;(2) the present plans for the residual accommodation of the medical staff at Hartwood Hospital; and to what extent such plans are affected by the plans for the reorganisation of office accommodation at present put in hand by the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals.(3) to what extent the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals has granted access to the Medical Staff Committee of Hartwood Hospital in accordance with advice given in the Report of the Sub-Committee on Medical Superintendents and Medical Staff Committees; and what representations, in connection with what matters, were received from the Medical Staff Committee during such time as access was given;(4) why the Board of Management of Lanarkshire Mental Hospitals has withdrawn recognition from the Medical Staff Committee of Hartwood Hospital.

Matters such as these do not normally come directly to my attention since there are no direct dealings between my Department and boards of management, but I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received in the past year from the East Kilbride Development Corporation, from the district council, from tenants' or residents' organisations, or from individuals, about the provision of civic amenities, community centres, and the like; and whether he is now willing to consider such requests sympathetically.

The district council has, in the past year, submitted a number of proposals for the provision of community recreational facilities at a total cost of £22,000. All these proposals have recently been approved. The Development Corporation is aware of the demand for more community centre facilities and proposes to submit proposals after consultation with the local authorities concerned.

asked the Minister of Works what steps he will take to prevent the continued deterioration of Boston Manor House in West London, and to preserve it for the future in view of the historic and artistic importance of this building.

I am informed that an application from the Borough of Brentford and Chiswick for a grant towards the repair of this building is at present being considered by the Historic Buildings Council for England which advises me on the use of my powers under Part I of the Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments Act, 1953, to make grants towards the preservation of buildings of outstanding historic or architectural interest.