asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what instructions are given to the Ordnance Survey authorities regarding requests for changes of place names in ordnance survey maps by local landowners.

Surveyors of the Ordnance Survey have instructions to consult competent authorities, e.g. local authorities, societies concerned with place names, prominent local residents, etc. before accepting any changes in the names of localities which are not entirely in private ownership. For the names of areas, objects, and buildings owned by private individuals or by private and public companies or corporations, authority is obtained from the owners, managers or authorised agents of the properties concerned.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes there have been since 1939 in the copyright fees charged to commercial map-making firms for the use of ordnance survey maps.

These fees were increased by about 50 per cent. in 1951 and by about a further 40 per cent. in 1958.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state for each financial year from 1955–56 to 1958–59 the cost of printing and publication of ordnance survey maps.

The cost of printing and publishing ordnance survey maps and plans was £218,200 in 1955–56, £231,100 in 1956–57 and £242,200 in 1957–58. The figures for 1958–59 will not be available until after the close of the financial year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that from November, 1958, until December, 1958, the price of English Cheddar cheese had risen from 2s. 6d. per pound to 2s. 10d. per pound, and is now costing 3s. per pound, and that, similarly, Cheshire cheese was 3s. per pound in November and is now 3s. 2d. per pound, Blue Stilton was 4s. 2d. per pound in November and is now 4s. 10d. per pound; and what action he proposes to take, other than price control, to secure a reduction in the price of cheese.

Cheese has risen in price because imported supplies have fallen and less milk is available for manufacture here.The increase in the North American quota, together with the efforts of the Milk Marketing Boards to maintain home production, is having a steadying effect on prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the improvement of roads which lead to farms and over which there is a public right of way can now be grant aided under the Farm Improvement Scheme.

In cases where a highway authority is already responsible for maintenance of the road for wheeled traffic no grant under the Scheme can be given for its general improvement. Where, however, the highway authority has no such liability Farm Improvement Scheme grant can be given on the cost of the improvement of the road falling on the agricultural interests concerned, provided that the conditions of the Scheme are satisfied and that the highway authority is prepared to adopt the road after improvement. If the highway authority is not prepared to adopt the road, grant cannot be given for its improvement because the future maintenance of the road cannot be assured. I hope, therefore, that highway authorities will be ready, in suitable cases, to improve and take over responsibility for unadopted roads of benefit to agriculture.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many applications have been received for payment of retirement pensions quarterly in arrear; what proportion that number is of all retirement pensions payable; and what saving in administration expenses he estimates there will be, on the basis of the applications so far received.

As this scheme only came into operation yesterday I am afraid that even preliminary figures in respect of applications are not yet available. The question of administrative cost will depend on the numbers involved; if small there will be some extra cost; if substantial, a net saving.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he has considered the communication sent to him by the hon. Member for Kelvingrove, calling attention to the inadequacy of retirement pensions; and the nature of his reply.

The hon. Lady sent me last Wednesday, with a short covering letter, a printed postcard which she had received from an organisation in Glasgow. I have replied to the effect that this postcard's reference to prices and pensions is misleading in view of the fact that the real value of the pension is at present higher than at any date prior to January, 1958.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) what reply he has made to the British Legion, Scotland, representations asking for the right of appeal against the Minister's decision in cases concerning certain categories of widows of 1939 to 1945, Service men 1914–18, war widows 1914–18, ex-Service men, and where claims for certain supplementary allowances have been rejected;(2) what reply he has made to the representations made by the British Legion, Scotland, that equal treatment should be given to pensioners of both wars and the submission that a new Royal Warrant should be introduced counting service in the 1914–18 war and service on or after 3rd September, 1939, with a view to achieving this.

I am afraid it is not possible within the tolerable limits of a Parliamentary Answer to set out the full replies which I sent to the British Legion, Scotland, on these points, but I will gladly send the hon. Member copies of the relevant parts of my letters to the Legion.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what steps he is taking to bring within unemployment insurance the out-worker weavers in the Harris tweed industry, now classed as self-employed, in view of their complete dependence for employment and income upon firms supplying yarn for weaving to a delivery time limit and specification imposed by those firms.

While I have looked sympathetically into this matter, I have come to the conclusion that my predecessors were right in their view that these weavers are self-employed people for the purposes of the National Insurance Acts.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to restrain it from closing coal mines in anthracite areas, in view of the shortage of anthracite to meet our domestic and other commitments, and the need for maintaining our usual markets.

No. There are limits on the extent to which uneconomic short-life collieries can be maintained in production.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to increase the allocation of household coal to merchants as the present supply is insufficient to meet the current needs of the people.

No. Ample supplies of household coal are available to the merchants, though where they insist on particular qualities their demands cannot always be met promptly by the Board. The rush of orders following the cold spell has, of course, resulted in some delay in delivery by merchants to consumers.

asked the Paymaster-General what action he is taking to increase the output of manufactured smokeless fuels.

asked the Paymaster-General if binderless briquettes are now being marketed through normal trade channels; and if he will make a statement.

The manufacturers of smokeless fuels are continually increasing their output to meet the demands for their products. The National Coal Board is working on a number of possible methods of producing new types of smokeless fuels, including the production of binderless briquettes, but there are still a number of problems to be solved.

asked the Paymaster-General why there is a continuing shortage of smokeless fuel in Rochester and Chatham, in view of the Government's clean air policy.

There has been a general increase in demand for solid smokeless fuels, not only in Rochester and Chatham. While certain premium fuels are in limited supply, there is plenty of gasworks and coke oven coke, which burns well when used in the right appliances. Householders who are not used to coke can get advice on how to use it from their local gas boards or coke distributors.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to help local authorities rid their areas of unsightly colliery spoil heaps, both extensions and derelict ones.

No. I have nothing to add to the reply on this subject given on 27th January to the hon. Member by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs.

asked the Paymaster-General what general directions he has given to the Gas Council concerning the importation of liquid methane into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

None. As my noble Friend, the Minister of Power, said in another place on 21st January, only small experimental shipments are to be made to test the technical and economic possibilities of importing liquid methane.

asked the Paymaster-General to what extent it is his policy to include amongst the members of the area gas boards a person qualified as having experience in the organisation of workers; and who is that person in the case of the East Midlands Gas Board.

It is not always practicable to ensure that all eight of the qualifications specified in Section 5 of the Gas Act, 1948, are simultaneously represented on particular area gas boards. Subject to this, it is my noble Friend's policy to include members who have had experience of the organisation of workers, and in the case of the East Midlands Gas Board, Councillor W. Albans is so qualified.

asked the Paymaster-General if his attention has been drawn to the series of gas explosions in the West Midlands area, and particularly to the most recent explosion in Ashley Street, Bilston, Staffordshire, which indicates the urgent need for replacing old gas mains; and if he will refer this matter to the Gas Council.

The particular explosion referred to is, I understand, the only serious town gas explosion which has occurred in the area of the West Midlands Gas Board for a number of years. It was caused by unauthorised procedure used by a fitter in dealing with a blocked service pipe and disciplinary action has been taken. The gas main involved, although fifty years old, is in good condition and there was no leak from it.On the second part of the Question I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Withington (Sir R. Cary) on 26th January.

asked the Paymaster-General how far British steel prices are at present competitive with Japanese. European and United States prices; and what is the effect of this on production and exports.

United Kingdom inland prices are in general above those for Bessemer steel but below those for open hearth steel on the Continent. They are lower than United States prices.Japanese home prices seem on the whole to be a little higher than United Kingdom home prices.In 1958 United States export prices for steel remained relatively stable; European and Japanese prices fell sharply; and British prices fell, though less sharply.Production in all major steel producing countries has been affected by the general recession in demand for steel.

asked the Minister of Supply if he will make a statement about the approximate delivery dates to the Royal Air Force of the twenty Britannia aircraft for Transport Command which were ordered on various dates between December, 1955, and October, 1957; and to what extent there are now any outstanding design and production difficulties.

Deliveries to the Royal Air Force are expected to start in the next two to three months and to be completed in 1960. There are no outstanding design or production difficulties.

asked the Minister of Supply how many empty factories are being held in reserve by his Department and kept on a maintenance basis; the total annual cost of their maintenance: and his policy for their future.

At present thirteen factories, mainly for the manufacture of various explosives and propellants not normally manufactured, are held by my Department on care and maintenance at a total annual cost of about £250,000. In the light of the probable future requirements of the Service Departments, as now foreseen, my policy is to retain eleven of these factories. It is my intention to keep the matter under constant review.

asked the Minister of Supply what stage has been reached in the production or development of the Bristol 192B. the Westland Wessex, the Westland Westminster helicopters and the Fairey Rotodyne, to meet the requirements of the Services; and, in view of the growing importance of vertical lift aircraft to increase military mobility, what orders have so far been placed for any of these aircraft.

Orders have been placed for the Bristol 192B and Westland Wessex helicopters for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, respectively. The Westland Westminster and Fairey Rotodyne are still in the prototype stage and no military requirement has yet been stated: they could both, however, be of interest for Service purposes.

asked the Minister of Supply what is now the Government's policy with regard to the aircraft industry, which is facing the loss of approximately 100,000 personnel.

The industry's difficulties are due to a falling off in demand for its products. My policy is aimed at minimising this decline by promoting civil aeronautical development, e.g. by providing civil aeronautical research, continuing to assist certain development projects and encouraging the re-grouping of the industry into units of greater financial and technical strength which will be better able to capture a significant share of the world market.

asked the Minister of Health what steps have been taken in respect of a review by executive councils of assistantships in general practice in their areas; how many executive councils have already reviewed the assistantships in their areas in the course of this; and how many principals have, in consequence, had permission to employ an assistant refused, or have had their extra list reduced.

Executive Councils are required periodically to review all consents to employ an assistant for a period of three months or over. The detailed arrangements are a matter for the individual council, in consultation with the local medical committee, and I regret that the information requested in the latter part of the question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will indicate the saving to the National Health Service, including the teaching hospitals, resulting from the fall in the prices of corticosteroids between April, 1958, and December, 1958, inclusive.

I regret the information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will institute an inquiry into the rate of profit retained by corticosteroid manufacturers in the United Kingdom on supplies of these products to the National Health Service which was accepted as reasonable by the purchasing authorities of his Department prior to the recent drop in the prices of these drugs.

No. Until July, 1958, corticosteroids were purchased centrally by competitive tender and the prices are considered to have been fair and reasonable.

asked the Minister of Health whether, in the interests of the National Health Service expenditure, he will investigate the price at which raw material supplied to him has been imported from the United States of America by dependent American companies operating in this country; to what extent he is satisfied that these import costs reflect the true industrial costs; and to what extent the prices paid by his Department are proportionate to these industrial costs.

Raw materials are not purchased by my Department, but are imported commercially for manufacturing purposes. The prices of most proprietary preparations used in the National Health Service are already regulated by a scheme agreed with the pharmaceutical industry, under which their reasonableness is assessed according to various alternative formulae.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the activities of certain United States companies in claiming freedom to extract high prices from his Department for research, the cost of which is already included in royalties payable to their mother companies in the United States of America, and where no active research is done in the United Kingdom; whether he is satisfied that the high prices in question are not exorbitant; and if he will make a statement.

I am not sure exactly what my hon. and gallant Friend has in mind but I will, of course, he pleased to study any information he may have bearing on the prices paid for supplies to my Department.

asked the Minister of Health if he will consider raising the age limit for young married mothers requiring poliomyelitis injections now that supplies of the vaccine have substantially increased.

The priority groups for vaccination are kept under frequent review in the light of expert advice. Expectant mothers of any age, and all persons born in or after 1933 are already eligible, and the most pressing need is that more of them should come forward for vaccination.

asked the Minister of Health what action his Department is taking to stimulate competition by suppliers of antibiotics, psycho-active drugs, and corticosteroids to hospitals under his control, with a view to reducing the prices of such drugs.

Practically all antibiotics are supplied to hospitals on central contracts placed by my Department and the manufacturers are constantly being pressed to reduce prices. For the rest hospital authorities are encouraged to extend joint contracting schemes for the purchase of all supplies including drugs with a view to stimulating competition and securing the best value for money.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the prevailing impression that patients will shortly be able to obtain prescriptions on form E.C.10, whether he will make a statement of Government policy on the matter.

I assume that the Question relates to private patients.I have at present nothing to add to my reply of 26th January to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, East (Mr. Blenkinsop).

asked the Minister of Health what caused the fall in prices in the supply of cortisone and cortisone derivatives to purchasing authorities under his control during the last half of 1958, bearing in mind that prior to that date there had been no important variation in prices for two years; to what extent this was due to competition and whether he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Knutsford (Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport) on 26th January.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to enlist people for training as psychiatric social workers, in view of the dearth of such people and the anticipated need for large numbers in the near future.

A special scheme of training allowances for student psychiatric social workers is already in operation. On the recruitment and training of social workers generally, including psychiatric social workers, I expect very shortly to receive the report of the Younghusband Working Party.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of the total turnover of ethical pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom are attributable to American controlled companies operating in the United Kingdom, and to products on the sale of which royalties are paid to the United States of America; and what proportion of exports to countries outside the sterling area of ethical pharmaceuticals is met by these American controlled companies operating in the United Kingdom.

No precise information is available but it is estimated that more than one half, by value, of ethical proprietories prescribed under the National Health Service are supplied by British based subsidiaries of United States firms. The information asked for about royalties and in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether approval has yet been given for the extension of the Maternity Department at Wokingham Hospital.

The list of tenders for this scheme was sent to my right hon. and learned Friend last week and is being examined. He hopes therefore to be able to authorise work to proceed very shortly.

asked the Minister of Health why approval has not yet been given to the additions and alterations at Heatherwood, Ascot.

The latest estimate of cost has risen by 40 per cent., and my right hon. and learned Friend has had to inquire into the reasons for the increase. He hopes, however, to be able to approve a scheme very shortly.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has yet referred to the appropriate Whitley Council the negotiation of a salary scale for the grade of group pharmacist in the hospital service recommended by a committee of the Central Health Services Council; and when the Whitley Council will meet for the purpose.

No. I have not yet completed my consideration of the recommendations of this Committee but hope to do so shortly.

asked the Minister of Health how many urgent eye cases have been waiting more than three weeks for admission to Cardiff hospitals; and whether he will make a statement.

None. Cases deemed by the consultant to be urgent are given priority of admission.

asked the Minister of Health what provision has been made in the financial allocations for 1959–60 for the building of a new accident unit and for the improvement of the general medical and surgical wards at the Newcastle General Hospital.

None, but the Regional Hospital Board is planning a new casualty department which it hopes to begin to build during 1960.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent has the 40-hour week for nurses been implemented in hospitals; and what administrative difficulties have arisen therefrom.

The hon. Member may be under some misapprehension. The Whitley Council recommended that an 88-hour fortnight (equivalent to a 44-hour not 40-hour week) should be brought into national operation

"as soon as conditions permit, having regard to the availability of staff and subject always to the requirements of the service."

asked the Minister of Health how many sanatoria or hospitals for tuberculosis patients have been closed down because of the decline of this disease; in particular, to what extent Black Notley Hospital, Essex, is now used for the accommodation of tuberculosis patients; and how many patients have been transferred to this hospital from other hospitals now closed or no longer accommodating this type of patient.

Since 31st December, 1954, 55 tuberculosis and chest hospitals in England and Wales have been closed or have had their use substantially changed. About 30 tuberculosis patients from one such hospital were transferred to Black Notley Hospital, where 209 of the 450 beds are available for tuberculosis patients, with a present occupancy of 136.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement on his recent discussions and diplomatic consultations with France, Germany and the United States of America concerning the possible acceptance of a confederation of the two Germanys in place of reunification.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further consultations have taken place with the United States and French Governments in respect of the future of Berlin and the pressure of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the withdrawal of all non-German control from that city; and what direct communication on this matter he has received from that Government.

We are now consulting the United States Government and our other N.A.T.O. Allies about the Soviet Note of 10th January concerning Germany. My right hon. and learned Friend has had no further direct communication from the Soviet Government on this subject since that date. A reply will be sent to the Soviet Note as soon as these consultations have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Alfred Krupp has asked for an extension of the allied order that he should dispose of his coal and steel holdings on the ground that it is impossible for him to find purchasers for his holdings and if, instead of granting this extension of time, he will suggest that Her Majesty's Government should purchase these holdings or assist suitable British investors to purchase them.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Alfred Krupp has asked for an extension of the allied order that he should dispose of his coal and steel holdings on the ground that it is impossible for him to find purchasers and if, instead of granting an extension of time, he will suggest to the Federal Government of Germany that they should purchase these holdings, if need be on a joint basis with Her Majesty's Government.

I am aware that an extension of time has been requested. While the Federal Government have a responsibility to ensure completion of deconcentration plans, it would not be appropriate to suggest to them particular methods of doing so, nor do I consider purchase by Her Majesty's Government practical.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent the communication which he received from the Federal Government of Germany last September, concerning the film "Operation Teutonic Sword," constituted a request for his assistance in securing a ban on the public showing of this film in Great Britain; and on what grounds.

I cannot reveal details of a confidential communication from another Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he has taken to increase the use of films about Great Britain and the British people by the information services abroad; and with what results.

During 1958, excluding weekly newsreels, 21,353 prints of information films were dispatched by the Central Office of Information to 130 overseas posts. The corresponding figure for 1956 was 7,851. This considerable increase is due largely to the plan, announced in Cmnd. 225, to develop the supply of film material for use in television overseas. Including a regular weekly newsreel, films with a total running time of over 2,500 minutes were commissioned or acquired for overseas television during 1958. Our posts overseas are thus now in a position to offer an hour a week of new programme material to the television stations in their areas. A catalogue of the 500 films which are available for television has just been published by the Central Office of Information and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.The increase in the amount of film material about Britain which is being seen on television abroad is particularly marked in the United States, Canada, Australia, Latin America, Persia, Finland, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Bermuda and Cyprus.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the estimated number of persons wholly or principally employed in the cotton textile department of the Board of Trade; and what is the annual estimated cost, including overheads, of this department.

Nine officials are employed wholly in the Cotton Textile Branch of the Board of Trade and two others for a large part of their time. The annual cost of their salaries, together with the estimated proportion of overheads is about £20,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportions of films registered for British film quota purposes in each of the last five years, were produced mainly in Commonwealth or Colonial Territories; and in which territories.

The information is not available without a great deal of research, but the particulars of films registered as British produced by Commonwealth or Colonial governments or companies have been recorded separately for the last two years and the figures for films over 3,000 feet long are:

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many cinemas closed in 1958, compared with 1955, 1956 and 1957.

The Answer is:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the minimum period of service before a probation officer is given responsibility for training new entrants to the service; and what has been the shortest period of service of any officer who has been given this responsibility.

in general an officer with less than three years' experience is not given responsibility for any part of the practical training of a probation student, but exceptionally the period may be reduced to two years where the officer is well able to meet the needs of the particular student.

asked the Secretary of State for Air the result of the inquiry into the unidentified flying object sighted by airmen during the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation exercise "Mainbrace" on 19th September, 1952.

No object was identified.

asked the Minister of Works if he will investigate the present system of granting the many permits required for all building work, and ensure that all permits are handled at one time through the co-operation of all the different authorities concerned, so as to save

I have been asked to reply.The present system of granting permits for building work has been thoroughly examined on a number of occasions to see if it could be simplified in the way my hon. Friend has suggested. The difficulty is that different permits are required for different purposes; developers may want them at different times, and some are required for certain types of building only. I do not think that it would be practicable to amalgamate them in the manner suggested, or that in the majority of cases this would make for greater convenience.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the total cost, shown separately, of water schemes and sewerage schemes in England and Wales that were approved for grant under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts from 1st January, 1952, to the latest available date, and the total grant, or capitalised value of grant after April, 1955, payable thereon.

Following is the information asked for:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the fact that many much taller buildings are now being projected than were contemplated when the model byelaws were prepared, if he will set up a committee to give guidance as to the most economic different heights, together with the essential regulations the different heights require, such as have beneficially existed for many years in the United States of America.

It is not for my right hon. Friend to give guidance to developers on the economics of high building generally, but the Department's recent publication "Flats and Houses, 1958" gives local authorities guidance about the economics of high buildings for housing purposes. Work on revising the Department's present model building byelaws will start soon and the much increased height of some building will be borne in mind during the revision.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will list the minor works that have been undertaken to improve the appearance of unsightly spoil heaps.

I regret that it is not possible to compile a complete list, but I will send the hon. Member shortly some examples of such works carried out by the National Coal Board.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what assistance and encouragement is being offered

Under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949, all local authorities are specifically empowered to restore or improve the appearance of any derelict land in their area. If for this purpose any authority seeks my approval to acquisition of land or to the raising of a loan, I will give sympathetic consideration to the application.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if it is still his policy in co-operation with the Minister of Power to proceed with the projected pilot scheme for beautifying colliery spoil heap extensions.

As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary explained in his letter of 2nd May last to the hon. Member, the outline schemes for twelve selected heaps were suggested to illustrate improvements which might be made in suitable cases. I cannot say whether these particular heaps will be chosen for works of improvement when discussions take place between the National Coal Board and local planning authorities.

asked the Minister of Labour the latest figures of unemployment and short-time working in Lincoln and Lincolnshire, respectively; and how these figures compare with a year ago.

The following table gives the information desired:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken, and with what success, during the last ten years to prevent and cure asthma by means of hypnosis.

None. I have no information which suggests that I should take any special steps to develop the use of hypnosis as a possible means of prevention and cure of asthma.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking, in view of the increase in crime, to provide more accommodation for the detention and rehabilitation of offenders.

During the past two and a half years there has been a steep and continuous rise in the number of offenders committed to prisons and Borstals in Scotland, and there is no sign of this trend being halted. To cope with it, and also to enable modern methods of penal treatment to be increasingly applied, more accommodation is urgently needed.Major works already completed or proceeding include:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken, and with what success, during the last ten years to prevent and cure tuberculosis and bronchial diseases, respectively.

There has been a progressive improvement in the control of tuberculosis in recent years as the result of new and improved methods of treatment, more active case-finding measures, and the use of preventive vaccination. Between 1947 and 1957 the death-rate from pulmonary tuberculosis fell from 66 to 33 per 100,000. During the successful two years' mass radiography campaign, which has just been completed, over half the adult population of Scotland were X-rayed, enabling some 5,500 new cases of active tuberculosis to be brought under control. This progress in dealing with tuberculosis is now making it possible for the hospital and general practitioner services to concentrate more on bronchitis and other diseases of the lung which have hitherto had less attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he is making for obtaining independent advice on methods of dealing with offenders against the criminal law.

I am appointing a Scottish Advisory Council on the Treatment of Offenders, whose terms of reference will be:

"To provide the Secretary of State with advice and suggestions on matters relating to the treatment of offenders."

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, whether he will now make a statement about the relief the Government propose to give to the British Transport Commission for its inherited liability for road bridges over railways, and level crossings.

The views put to me by the British Transport Commission on this subject have been carefully considered. Its proposal that is should be relieved of certain liabilities in these respects raised a number of complicated issues, but the Government nevertheless recognises that traffic and road conditions have changed very considerably since most of these bridges and level crossings were built, that the burden of maintaining them has become more onerous in recent years, and that highway authorities now receive assistance from the Exchequer for road works. Further, the present arrangements do not in many cases operate so as to assist in the improvement of roads over railway bridges or of level crossings.To change the present arrangements will, however, require legislation. Meanwhile the Government propose as an interim measure to make a payment of £1 million for the second half of 1958 and £2 million in 1959 as a contribution towards the Commission's expenditure on these liabilities. Parliamentary authority for the payment of £1 million this financial year is being sought by Supplementary Estimate.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics he keeps as to the number of bus passengers travelling in Greater London per year; and what information he has as to the average time wasted in delays, during working hours, from any cause to which these passengers are subjected.

The number of passengers carried by London Transport by road in 1957 was 3,159 million. I have no information about the average time wasted in delays.

asked the Minister of Works if he will request the Royal Fine Art Commission that, when commenting upon designs submitted to it, it should be more complete and constructive in its suggestions than at present, to enable these suggestions to be put into practice without the delay that now frequently occurs.

I have been asked to reply.I will bring my hon. Friend's suggestion to the notice of the Royal Fine Art Commission.