asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from the enamel hollow-ware industry concerning the importation of vitreous enamel hollow-ware from Hong Kong; and whether he will make a statement.

The Vitreous Enamel Development Council has written to me about the manufacture of enamelled hollow-ware in Hong Kong. I will send the hon. Member a copy of my reply.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to reply to correspondence, concerning football pool companies, from the hon. Member for Cardiff, West, sent to him on 6th November, 1958; and what decision he has reached.

I hope to write to the hon. Member in the near future about this complicated matter.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the "Panorama" programme of the British Broadcasting Corporation television on 26th January, which dealt with the misleading advertising of reconditioned machines at low prices for the purpose of switch selling and which shows the extent of public disquiet regarding these practices; and whether he will ask the British Broadcasting Corporation to make available to his Department the further complaints received from consumers as a result of this programme for the purpose of the inquiry now being conducted.

The answer to both parts of the Question is Yes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the rise in unemployment in Newcastle-under-Lyme to the level of 5·7 per cent., what further steps he will take to attract or direct industrial employment to the North Staffordshire area.

We suggested to a number of firms that they might go to North Staffordshire. Some have visited the area but I regret that so far none has taken a firm decision to set up there.

asked the Prime Minister what conditions are necessary before he is able to announce an acceptance of the Soviet Government's invitation to him to visit the Soviet Union.

I have nothing to add to what I told the hon. Member on 22nd January.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will, at the conclusion of the forthcoming congress of the Soviet Communist Party, extend to Mr. Mikoyan, the first Soviet Deputy Prime Minister, an invitation to visit Great Britain, either as a guest of Her Majesty's Government, or, if he prefers, on the same basis as his recent visit to the United States of America.

As I told the hon. Member on 22nd January, I do not exclude the possibility of such a visit.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates would be the approximate cost of applying the principle of equal pay as it is now being applied in the public service to those women who are public service pensioners and who are not entitled to National Insurance pensions.

I regret that I can give no estimate, as the necessary information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now announce the intention of not making Purchase Tax changes in order to end the seasonal uncertainty which causes some trade to flag.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that traders are limiting stocks of essential consumer goods because of the uncertainty of Government policy concerning Purchase Tax; and whether he will now make a statement to assist the trader and the consumer

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, with a view to assisting sales of textiles, he will consider announcing at an early date if it is his intention to make any alteration in the Purchase Tax on cotton goods.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he has taken since 1st January, 1959, to assess withholding of consumer purchases of manufactured articles subject to the higher rates of Purchase Tax as a result of anticipation of further Purchase Tax changes in his 1959 Budget; what further assessment he has made in the period stated of the effect upon manufacturers' orders and arresting of normal production flow; and whether he proposes to make further Purchase Tax reductions by Treasury orders prior to the Budget in order to remove harmful uncertainties in this sphere as soon as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will announce as soon as possible what steps he proposes to take in respect of rates of Purchase Tax so that the present uncertainty which is holding up the flow of business from factories to shops may be removed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in order to remove present trade uncertainty, what steps he proposes to take this year with regard to making Purchase Tax changes, prior to his Budget statement.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the danger of unemployment amongst retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers of goods subject to Purchase Tax in the months preceding the Budget, about which he has received representations from the hon. Member for Wavertree; and whether he will make a statement on his intentions in this matter.

My right hon. Friend has considered a number of representations on this matter, and I would refer hon. Members to the answer he gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Mr. Gresham Cooke) on Monday.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates the yield of Purchase Tax will produce in 1958–59; and the percentage variation this represents compared with the yield for 1957–58.

My right hon. Friend's Budget estimate was £490 million, approximately 1 per cent. less than the yield in 1957–58.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that a baby's chair, a baby's cot, a baby's playpen and a baby's chamber pot are not subject to Purchase Tax, whereas a baby's bath is Purchase Taxed at 15 per cent. and a baby's food dish is subject to Purchase Tax at 15 per cent.; what is the reason for this; and whether he will review the position of Purchase Tax on babies' baths and dishes at an early date, in the interests of juvenile cleanliness and nutrition.

The reason is that it has never been intended that everything for babies' use should be free of Purchase Tax. All these matters are, of course, subject to review, but lacking as I do my hon. Friend's ingenuity, I can see no way of removing discrimination from the tax in accordance with the so-called Nabarro scheme and simultaneously introducing more discrimination by acceding to his many pleas for new exemptions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that portable lighting units for indoor photography when supplied without holes drilled for camera screw and camera mounting are free from Purchase Tax, whereas this equipment if supplied with holes drilled for camera screw and camera mounting becomes subject to Purchase Tax; what is the reason for this distinction; whether he is aware of the additional labour caused to wholesalers and others by such discrimination; and, as the present state of the law encourages amateur drilling of holes with consequential loss of photographic efficiency in many cases, whether he will remedy matters by appropriate revision to make portable lighting units for indoor photography, irrespective of holing, free of Purchase Tax.

The tax Schedule heading in question charges cameras, lenses, and parts of and accessories to cameras. Portable lighting units designed to be attached to cameras are clearly accessories thereto. I see no reason for upsetting the existing arrangements, which are working smoothly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Income Tax and Profits Tax have been paid in the four nationalised industries, coal, gas, electricity, and transport, respectively, each year since vesting day; how much capital has been employed; and what is the approximate average taxation paid by private industry over the same years employing the same capital.

I cannot give figures from Inland Revenue tax records about tax paid by particular taxpayers, but I would draw my hon. Friend's attention to the published accounts of the industries concerned which contain information about tax liabilities and capital employed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's policy in relation to the purchase of shares of British public companies on the London Stock Exchange by United States or other foreign interests.

The Government regard the non-resident holding of such securities as a useful contribution to the finance of industry and as important evidence of international confidence in sterling. Their policy is to welcome dealings by nonresidents on the stock exchanges of the country on as wide and as free a basis as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he received a letter from the Town Clerk of West Ham concerning the tax on fuel oil; and what was the nature of his reply.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has yet considered a letter from the Town Clerk of West Ham, concerning the tax on fuel oil; what was the gist of this communication; and what is the nature of his reply.

The Town Clerk wrote to the Treasury on 21st January advocating a reduction in the burden on road fuel duty and other taxation borne by the passenger road transport industry: he has been informed that his Council's representations have been noted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the 200 per cent. rate of duty levied on fuel oil involves omnibus companies in the payment of more than £300 in fuel tax alone, for every vehicle licensed; that, added to this heavy burden of tax, these companies have to pay profits tax, raised from 3 to 10 per cent. by the last Budget, and that the total burden of taxation on omnibus companies is now so great that many country districts are now inconvenienced by the inevitable withdrawal of services previously enjoyed, thus being left without any form of public transport; and if he will bear these facts in mind during the preparation of his Budget proposals.

Representations in this sense have been made to my right hon. Friend who will bear them and other relevant considerations in mind in his general review of taxation before the Budget.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Linen Thread Company are disposing of their United States subsidiary company, valued at £6,500,000, for a sum of about £4,250,000; whether, in view of the disturbances caused in connection with the recent British Aluminium Company transfer, his permission has yet been requested for this transaction; and what was the nature of his reply.

The necessary Exchange Control consents have been given for the sale of the subsidiary company to persons resident outside the United Kingdom.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he is at present giving to the possibility of decimal coinage being introduced into this country.

At present, none.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now make a statement about recent allegations concerning the trial of Jomo Kenyatta.

As hon. Members will have seen from reports in the Press, Rawson Macharia has been arrested and charged with swearing falsely that he and six other persons were procured and suborned by the Crown to give false evidence in the trial of Jomo Kenyatta. As the matter is therefore sub-judice, the House will not expect me to make any comment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when elected members of the Kenya Legislative Council will be able to visit the prisons.

I would refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway) on 3rd July, 1958.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the fact that recurrent expenditure per head of school population for European primary education in Kenya greatly exceeds that for African primary education, he will recommend to the Government of Kenya that the amounts allocated to African primary education should be increased.

No. The Kenya Government has to its credit the remarkable feat of increasing the African primary school population from 344,538 in 1955 to 440,918 in 1957, despite the heavy burden of the Emergency and the shortage of capital finance. This is part of a great co-ordinated programme and deserves wider recognition than it has so far had. The limits of expenditure are those set by prudent and skilful management of the Colony's affairs, but even so, 80 per cent. of the boys aged 7 to 11 and 32 per cent. of the girls went to school in 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action is being taken by the Government of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate as a result of the findings of the commission of inquiry into the loss of the Protectorate's ship "Melanesian".

A 24-hour distress listening watch is now being kept by radio on two frequencies and tests continue with a view to finding a third with greater reliability at night. The Protectorate's newest and fastest vessel "Coral Queen" is now in service and is normally available to answer emergency calls. Improved standards in the provision and maintenance of life-saving equipment are being enforced.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representation Africans have in the Legislative Council and town councils of Nyasaland; and what proposals there are for giving them more seats in those bodies.

There are five African Members of the Legislative Council and one African on each of the town Councils of Salima and Zomba; the separate high density area of Soche near Blantyre has two Africans on the local authority. The Governor is at present considering further steps in constitutional development, and I am still consulting with him about them. As regards the town councils, proposals to increase African representation on the Salima and Zomba town councils are under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the suggested withdrawal of the West Indies Federal Government from the work of the Caribbean Commission on financial grounds.

Since the Caribbean Commission was set up in 1946 most of the territories of the Member Governments in the area have advanced in constitutional status. Consideration is therefore being given by the Governments concerned to bringing the existing Commission to an end and the setting up of a successor organisation which will be run by the territories themselves. The Federal Government is anxious to take part in such an organisation, but considers that in view of its limited financial resources it cannot meet the cost involved. The Federal Government has now asked Her Majesty's Government for financial assistance for this purpose and this request is being considered. Meanwhile, in order to safeguard their position in the future Her Majesty's Government have given the required one year's notice of withdrawal from the present Commission at the end of 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further economic development is contemplated for Malta other than a change over from a naval base to a commercial ship-repairing yard; what fiscal incentives or grants or loans are being offered to attract new industries; and what other developments are under consideration for the future.

I invite attention to the latter part of my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 9th December last and to the relevant parts of the statement issued from the Colonial Office on 5th January and the broadcast made on the same day by the Governor of Malta to the Maltese people. I shall give the House further information about our economic plans during the debate on the Second Reading of the Malta (Letters Patent) Bill next week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on his recent visit to Gibraltar.

I was in Gibraltar from 6th to 10th January. It was a great pleasure to me to revisit the Rock, and I had valuable discussions with the Governor and with leading members of the community. The subjects discussed include constitutional development, plans for further housing development and practical questions outstanding with the Spanish Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provision is made in the new constitution of Singapore whereby this House must be consulted before paragraph 106, which allows for the suspension of the constitution, can be put into operation; and with whom rests the responsibility for invoking paragraph 106.

None; Section 106 itself makes it clear that the United Kingdom Government are responsible for invoking it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the anxiety of headmasters and headmistresses of secondary schools in Sierra Leone over the poor standards in the primary schools of this Colony; and what steps he is taking in the matter.

I am aware that there is anxiety in Sierra Leone over primary school standards. A Sierra Leone Government White Paper on Educational Development has just been published, and I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the number of Africans registered on the territorial rolls, respectively, in Northern Rhodesia.

I am informed that 7,625 Africans have registered, 6,833 as special voters and 792 as ordinary voters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the present constitutional advances of British territories in Africa.

On Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland I have nothing to add to my replies to the hon. and learned Member and to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. J. Johnson) of 20th January. I have no new statement to make about other territories.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what position Mr. Ahamed Haji Dualeh was appointed in the British Somaliland administration; and why he was dismissed.

Mr. Ahamed Haji Dualeh was appointed on probation as an Administrative Officer. He was not confirmed in that appointment because he was considered to be unsuitable.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to the International Whaling Convention now that Norway and the Netherlands have given conditional notices of withdrawal.

Her Majesty's Government have reviewed the position arising from the actions of the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands in giving notices of withdrawal from the International Whaling Convention to take effect on 30th June this year for the 1959–60 whaling season if agreement is not previously reached upon the allocation, as recommended by the London Whaling Conference of November last, of the Antarctic catch authorised under the Convention.Her Majesty's Government have considered very seriously in the light of representations from the British whaling industry whether they should take similar action but have decided that the objectives of proper conservation of the whale stocks and the rational conduct of Antarctic whaling would best be served if Her Majesty's Government remain party to the Convention while striving to bring the recommendations of the London Whaling Conference into effect. In their view the Convention is the most satisfactory instrument for ensuring proper conservation, and the recommendations of the London Whaling Conference should provide the best means of securing the rational conduct of Antarctic whaling as between the industries of the several participating countries. These two objectives must be mutually supporting.If unfortunately the recommendations of the London Whaling Conference should not be put into effect Her Majesty's Government would be obliged to consider whether the present International Whaling Convention would remain workable. If the position should be reached that a Convention no longer fully representative of the Antarctic Whaling countries was failing to secure the conservation of the whale stocks, and at the same time the necessary conditions for the rational conduct of the industry could not he provided, there must be serious doubt whether Her Majesty's Government could continue to remain a party to the Convention. Furthermore, their attitude to any alterations in the arrangements for the regulation of whaling under the Convention that may meantime be proposed will necessarily be governed by the need to avoid prejudice to the position of the British whaling fleets in comparison with any others that might be operating free of the Convention.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the average yields of wheat, barley, milk and eggs for the past three years compared with the three-year period to 1951.

In the United Kingdom, the estimated average yields per acre in the three years 1956–57 to 1958–59 were 24·9 cwt. for wheat and 23·2 cwt. for barley, compared with 21·7 cwt. and 20·1 cwt. in the three years 1949–50 to 1951–52.The estimated average yield of milk per cow was 638 gallons in the three years 1955–56 to 1957–58 (the latest period available), compared with 586 gallons in the three years 1949–50 to 1951–52. In the same periods, the estimated average yield of eggs per adult fowl was 171 and 136, respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the changed circumstances since December, 1958, he will take steps to bring about a reduction in the price of meat.

The shortage of beef in the last few months has inevitably led to some rise in price which may persist for some time, but good supplies of mutton and lamb and pork are available.The Government have consistently encouraged meat production both at home and in the Commonwealth while placing no restriction on imports from other countries; and my right hon. Friend sees no reason for altering this policy which has given the consumer the benefit of steadily improving supplies at competitive prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that, since December, 1958, there has been a continuing fall in the world price level of almost all the basic foods; and, as these falling prices have not been passed on to the consumer, what action he proposes to take, otherwise than by price control, to prevent the continuing rise of retail food prices.

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any significant decrease in world food prices over the last four weeks. If a comparison is made over a longer period, the facts are that during 1958 consumers did benefit from lower import prices of a number of foods, although the effect of this has been obscured by higher seasonal prices for some home-produced foods and by increases in processing and distribution costs. My right hon. Friend sees no need for any further action.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the concern at the amount of damage to persons and to property caused by children armed with airguns and similar weapons; and whether he will look into the present state of the law governing the ownership and use of such guns with a view to stricter control and restriction over them.

I am aware that there is some concern, and I am seeking to obtain up-to-date information about the number of accidents which result from the use of air-weapons. The evidence at present available does not suggest, however, that stricter control is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the increase in smoking on the part of boys under 16 years of age; and when he expects to receive the report of Lord Ingleby's committee on the matter.

I am not aware of any reliable statistics by which to measure any increase in smoking by schoolboys. I do not expect to receive the report of Lord Ingleby's Committee for some months; and whether they deal with this issue will no doubt depend upon the evidence put before them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking on the proposals made for the adoption in England and Wales of existing Scottish practice in the investigation and prosecution of homosexual offences.

I am not sure what proposals the right hon. Member has in mind. The Scottish system of prosecution is quite different from the English, and it would no: seem appropriate to introduce it in relation to a particular type of offence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to give effect to the recommendation of the Committee on Homosexual Offences and Prostitution that, except for indecent assaults, the prosecution of any homosexual offence more than 12 months old be barred by statute.

While I do not propose at present to introduce legislation to implement this recommendation, I have no doubt that chief constables have taken note of it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that persons complaining to the police about alleged blackmail in respect of homosexual practices receive adequate protection against prosecution in respect of these practices.

It is a matter for the discretion of chief officers of police, who will have taken note of the Committee's views, whether proceedings should he taken in such cases. I have no reason to think that such proceedings are other than rare.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are in custody awaiting trial; how many have been in custody for three months; and how many for a period exceeding four months.

On 22nd January there were 1,293 persons in custody awaiting trial. Twenty-one had been in custody for three months and of these four had been in custody for over four months.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were convicted in the years 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1958, respectively, in the Metropolitan Police area, for offences under Section 32 of the Sexual Offences Act, 1956.

320, 320, 307 and 284, respectively. Section 32 of the Sexual Offences Act came into force only on 1st January, 1957. The figures for 1955 and 1956 relate to the corresponding offences under Section 1 of the Vagrancy Act, 1898.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps are being taken to draft for the other High Commission territories of Swaziland and Bechuanaland constitutional proposals similar to those now framed for Basutoland.

I have been asked to reply.I have nothing to add to the replies which my hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway) on 31st July, 1958, about Swaziland and on 11th December, 1958, about Bechuanaland.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a further statement on the recent agreement between Ghana and Guinea, indicating what steps he has taken to have this and other constitutional agreements and advances by British territories in Africa considered by the other independent nations in the Commonwealth.

I have been asked to reply.As regards Ghana's relations with Guinea, I have nothing to add to the statement made on 27th November last by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. As for the interest of other Commonwealth Governments in the advance of United Kingdom territories in Africa, I would refer the hon. and learned Member to my statement in reply to the Question he asked yesterday.

asked the Minister of Education what is the number of primary school children in Wales, and the number of these for whom grammar school places will be available in September, 1959.

In January, 1958, there were 287,368 pupils in maintained primary schools, including pupils of primary age in all-age schools. I regret that I do not have information in my Department which would enable me to answer the second part of the question.

asked the Minister of Education (1) what is the number of children in Cardiff primary schools, and the number of these for whom accommodation will be available in Cardiff grammar schools in September, 1959;(2) what is the number of secondary technical places that will be available for Cardiff primary school children who pass the 11-plus examination this year; and what proportion this number is of the total number of children in attendance a: the Cardiff primary schools.

There are 27,554 pupils in maintained primary schools, including those of primary age in all-age schools. The Cardiff local education authority expects to admit about 960 boys

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the proportion

asked the Minister of Education how many secondary modern schools entered pupils in the General Certificate of Education in 1958; what number of pupils were so entered; what was the average number of passes of such candidates; and what was the percentage of passes to subject entries.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) on 22nd January.

asked the Minister of Education how many of the State scholarships, General Certificate of Education and Supplemental, awarded for the first time in 1958 were honorary awards carrying only the £50 merit award, covered the full cost of fees, but not maintenance, covered 50 per cent. of fees and maintenance, and covered the whole cost of the course, respectively.

The number of students taking up State Scholarships in October, 1958, is as follows:of children now attending all-age schools in England and Wales and in Berkshire compared with 1951.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Education if he will instruct technical schools or colleges, including architecture or building in their curriculum, to consider giving their last-year pupils instruction on the preparation of time and progress schedules for the number of operatives and quantity of materials required, which, though employed today with marked success in other countries, are seldom used in Great Britain.

It would not be appropriate for me to issue instructions on this but, as I told my hon. Friend last July, the inclusion in architectural and building courses of the study of time and progress schedules is a development which I welcome.

asked the Minister of Labour when he expects to publish the report of the National Joint Advisory Council on the efficient use of manpower in industry.

The Council expects to publish its report some time in February.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the men declared redundant by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Workshops. Lanark, since July, 1958, are still unemployed.

Twenty-two out of 146.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the men declared redundant by the Rolls-Royce works at East Kilbride since July, 1958, are still unemployed.

Twenty out of 86.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the men declared redundant by the Mayfield Brickworks, Carluke, Lanarkshire, since July, 1958, are still unemployed.

6 out of 19.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of wholly unemployed men registered at the Falkirk Employment Exchange on the latest convenient date; and what were the numbers at the corresponding dates in each of the last five years.

The following Table gives the information desired:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made by the Committee of Experts on the draft convention relating to the liability of innkeepers set up as a result of Recommendation 125 (1957) which was passed by the Council of Europe; and if he will make an interim statement.

At its meeting in December last year the Committee of Experts made further progress in drawing up a draft convention. The final draft is expected to be submitted to the Committee of Ministers towards the end of this year Until the Committee of Experts has completed its work I am not in a position to comment.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is still the policy of Her Majesty's Government that it will not accept any plan for disengagement or for a security system in central Europe which alters the present balance of forces in that area.

It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government not to accept any plan which would change the balance of military security to the disadvantage of the West.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the work of the European Committee on Crime Problems, which is linked with the Council of Europe at Strasbourg.

The European Committee on Crime Problems is a committee of experts on which each member of the Council of Europe, including the United Kingdom, is represented; it was set up by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe with the task of "preparing and putting into effect a Council of Europe programme of action in the field of prevention of crime and treatment of offenders".At the Committee's first meeting—in June-July, 1958—it drew up an initial programme of studies on which work is now in progress.The subjects included in this programme are