asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will have further investigation made to ensure that the various manufacturers of agricultural machinery follow the safety provisions under which such machinery should be manufactured for use by British farmers as these are occasionally being ignored.

My Ministry takes all practicable steps to ensure that manufacturers are aware of the requirements on employers for guarding machinery. The manufacturers have assured us through their association that they will continue to co-operate with us in this matter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he is aware that dipping is enforced for curing sheep scab in some counties, and not in others; and if he will arrange for this procedure to be standardised for the whole country.

For the past 20 years, local authorities have been allowed to decide for themselves whether to make sheep dipping regulations with a view to preventing the introduction or spread of sheep scab. My right hon. Friend sees no reason to alter the procedure, particularly as there has been no confirmed case of sheep scab in this country for over six years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether he is satisfied that the export of cattle from this country to Europe is conducted entirely under humane conditions; and if he will give the matter full consideration.

My right hon. Friend has no evidence to the contrary. This matter was fully considered by the Government in the light of the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Export of Live Cattle to the Continent for Slaughter (Cmnd. 154) published last year. The trade is governed by the Exported Cattle Protection Order, 1957, as amended by the Exported Cattle Protection (Amendment) Order, 1957, and by agreements with importing countries.

asked the Attorney-General whether he will introduce legislation to clarify responsibility for the removal of trees or bushes overhanging a highway when they are decayed and in danger of falling for this or any other reason, and for seeing that such removals are undertaken, and to define the perimeter of a road or highway in such circumstances.

I think the law on this subject is already sufficiently clear and no legislation appears to be necessary. If my hon. Friend will inform me of any specific difficulties he has in mind, I will gladly consider them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, having regard to the assurances about free speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of political campaigning given by him at the Nigerian Constitutional Conference in London in October, what arrangements have now been made to implement these promises so far as the whole of Nigeria is concerned; and whether he is satisfied that these arrangements will be adequate to ensure that the undertakings are duly respected during the Federal Congress of the Action Group Party to be held at Kano this weekend.

The hon. Member is no doubt referring to the assurance given by the Governor-General recorded in paragraph 76 of the Report of the Resumed Nigeria Constitutional Conference, Cmnd. 569.The arrangements for implementing this assurance are a matter for local determination in accordance with the particular circumstances in different parts of Nigeria. So far as the North is concerned, the Governor-General has had discussions on the matter with the Governor and political leaders, including the Action Group, and has reached certain understandings. If, as I hope will he the case, these are respected by all concerned, the arrangements at Kano this weekend will accord with the Governor-General's aim of ensuring the widest latitude in freedom of speech and assembly that is consonant with the maintenance of law and order.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of school places available in Hong Kong in each year since 1950; and how many he estimates will be available in the year 1958–59.

I am asking the Governor for this information and will write to the hon. Member when I receive it.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the resolutions passed by the Parliamentarians' Conference of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Paris in November; and whether he will instruct his representative to support these resolutions, particularly the resolution which calls for the setting up by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation of a committee or working party to examine and report how far the infra-structure system of payment can be extended to further items of defence equipment.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received an advance copy of these resolutions, though they have not yet been sent to him officially. He will, of course, give them careful attention.

asked the Minister of Health the number of legal actions in which the National Health Service, or any of its employees, have been defendant in each year since the inception of the service; and the total cost to the Exchequer, year by year, in settling such actions, including both those in which judgment has been given and those settled out of court.

The only statistics centrally available are the total amounts paid in compensation of all kinds by hospital authorities and Executive Councils in England and Wales, whether or not legal action was involved. These are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many local planning authorities have all or part of their area within the West Midlands special review area; how many of them have submitted land use maps to him under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947; and how many of these have so far been accepted by him.

Nine local planning authorities have all or part of their area within the West Midlands special review area. All have sent in land use maps, but these maps are prepared for the survey required in connection with the development plan and do not form part of the plan itself. They are, therefore, not submitted for my right hon. Friend's approval. The development plans of seven of the authorities concerned have been approved.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the present rules relating to the call-up of veterinary surgeons and their assistants deprives the public of services which are badly needed; if he will relax them in the public interest; and if he will apply this relaxation to the case of the Aberdeen veterinary assistant, of which he has notice, and whose application for deferment was postponed on technical grounds.

The rules relating to the call-up and indefinite deferment of qualified veterinary surgeons, including qualified assistants, are aimed at providing the maximum assistance to agricultural veterinary practice, consistent with meeting the requirements of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps for a small number of qualified men holding National Service commissions. I do not feel that I should be justified in relaxing these rules any further.The veterinary assistant referred to by the hon. and learned Member was told that he could apply for postponement of call-up on grounds of hardship, but he informed my Ministry that he did not intend to exercise this right. He has therefore been called up and now holds a National Service commission in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the essential services to agriculture performed by veterinary surgeons and their assistants, if he will now make arrangements to ensure that they will not be called up for National Service.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to a related Question from the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes).

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what decision he has reached in considering the recommendation of the National Insurance Advisory Committee that contributions paid by her husband while they were married should count in favour of a divorced woman for full retirement pension.

This recommendation of the National Insurance Advisory Committee was given effect by regulation 5 of the National Insurance (Married Women) Amendment Regulations, 1957 (S.I. 1957 No. 1322), which came into operation on 2nd August, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the unsatisfactory state of the law in Scotland relating to the estates of persons dying intestate there; and what steps he is taking to improve it; and when those steps will take the form of legislation.

No doubt the hon. and learned Member has in mind the recommendations of the Mackintosh Committee on the Law of Succession. Legislation on this subject is being prepared but I cannot yet say when it will be possible to introduce a Bill.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent local authorities have taken powers under the latest Road Traffic Act to enforce the keeping of dogs on leads in traffic, in view of the desirability of reducing the number of road accidents caused by stray dogs as well as reducing the number of dogs killed and badly hurt in this way.

Up to 30th November, 1958, 121 Orders had been submitted for confirmation; of these I have confirmed or agreed to confirm 112 and rejected 7. The other two Orders, together with 25 draft proposals, are under consideration. Ninety-three Orders are actually in operation and a further 4 come into operation early in 1959.