asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to encourage the production of milk with a higher butter fat content than the present average.

My right hon. Friend set up a Committee in May 1958 to consider the composition of milk sold off farms in the United Kingdom from the standpoint of human nutrition and animal husbandry and to recommend any legislative or other changes that may be desirable. The desirability of a higher butter fat content in milk is one of a number of matters on which he looks forward to receiving the advice of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has considered the report of the Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures for the County of Northumberland concerning the quality of canned meats, a copy of which has been sent to him by the hon. Member for Morpeth; and whether he will make a statement.

Yes, my right hon. Friend has considered the statement by the Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures for the County of Northumberland and other representations which have been made to him about the composition of canned meats. He will, in due course, ask the Food Standards Committee to consider and advise him on this matter. The Committee has, however, a number of important problems to deal with.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet come to a decision to prolong Summer Time.

No. My right hon. Friend still awaits the result of the consideration of this matter by the farmers' unions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, arising from his consideration of the need for stronger rules for the control of clubs in the London area, he will initiate discussions with the interested parties concerned with a view to the drafting of future legislation to meet the social situation which is created by the easy way these undesirable clubs can be started, and to bring them under the same kind of controls as are applied to public houses.

My right hon. Friend will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind, but, as he said in reply to his Question on 27th January, he can hold out no prospect at present of Government legislation on this controversial topic.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is now taking to obtain evidence and statistics as to the extent to which children and young people are supplied with intoxicating liquor in registered clubs.

My right hon. Friend is advised that it would not be practicable to obtain reliable statistical evidence on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which counties have now adopted a byelaw approved by him to ban the operation of automatic bird scarers during the hours of darkness.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many county councils have adopted the approved byelaw banning the use of automatic bird scarers during the hours of darkness.

My right hon. Friend has confirmed byelaws on this subject made by the county councils of Bedford, Kent and Norfolk. The county councils of Glamorgan and Stafford have submitted byelaws for confirmation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will indicate an approximate date far the comprehensive statement on civil defence he indicated, on 21st November, 1957, he would make, so soon as he had completed the discussions with local authorities' associations about evacuation that were then proceeding.

The Government's policy on civil defence has been clearly stated in successive White Papers on Defence. While I do not recognise any such specific undertaking as that referred to by the hon. Member, he may be interested to learn that before embarking on discussions with individual local authorities, the Government have thought it desirable to re-examine the proposals far evacuation which were discussed with representatives of the local authority associations, so as to ensure that all the relevant factors are taken fully into consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of prosecutions against juveniles brought by R Division of the Metropolitan Police in each quarter year in 1957 and 1958, respectively.

I regret that the information for which my hon. Friend asks is not available.

asked the Minister of Education what increase he will sanction in expenditure on the building of new schools and on the repair and improvement of existing schools, in those parts of Wales where unemployment is above the average level for the whole of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Repairs and maintenance at schools maintained by local education authorities do not need to be approved by my right hon. Friend's Department. Capital projects are approved primarily on the basis of educational needs. Some minor projects in areas of high unemployment have been specially authorised and the start of others is possible under the arrangements recently announced in paragraph 20 of Circular 342. Local education authorities are being allowed to spend more on minor projects next year and in settling individual allocations my right hon. Friend has had particular regard to those areas of Wales where unemployment is high.

asked the Minister of Education by what methods he makes known to local education authorities experiments which are intended to eliminate selection at 10-plus; and to what extent he makes known to them any tentative conclusions which may be reached.

My right hon. Friend is sure that most local education authorities are well aware of the limited experiment now being conducted in this field, but considers that it is too early to form any conclusions on it.

asked the Minister of Education (1) whether he will state any interim conclusions on the experiments being conducted in the Hinckley and Oadby/Wigston areas of Leicestershire, where progress at no stage depends upon a selective examination;(2) what so far has been the effect upon primary education of the elimination at 10-plus in the Hinckley and Oadby/Wigston areas of Leicestershire.

It is too soon to reach any conclusions on this experiment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that attempts are being made in the United States of America by business interests and politicians to bring pressure to bear on the United States Government to cancel the £4,000,000 contract awarded by the Tennessee Valley Authority to the British firm of C. A. Parsons; and, in view of recent actions taken against British interests by the United States Government in similar circumstances, what further action he proposes to take to safeguard British interests in this matter.

I have no reason to suppose that the award is not firm.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that industrialists establishing factories under the Distribution of Industries Act have cause to complain of lack of co-operation on the part of the Northern Electricity Board; and if he will make representations to the Board to deal with this situation.

I am not aware of any lack of co-operation on the part of the North-Eastern Electricity Board, but if my hon. Friend is referring to a report in the Northern Echo of 3rd February concerning a firm in Hartlepool, I understand that electricity supply was connected to the firm on 15th February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the volume and value of Egyptian cotton bought by the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available; whether these purchases were direct or indirect; and in what currency the Egyptian sellers were paid.

Imports of raw cotton from Egypt were valued at only £31 in the Trade Returns in 1958.I have no knowledge of any indirect purchases.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the value in each of the last 10 years of the export sales of the pharmaceutical industry.

The following is the reply:

United Kingdom Exports of Drugs, Medicines and Medicinal Preparations
Year					£ million
1949	…	…	…	…	18·37
1950	…	…	…	…	23·06
1951	…	…	…	…	34·02
1952	…	…	…	…	31·66
1953	…	…	…	…	28·66
1954	…	…	…	…	32·10
1955	…	…	…	…	35·88
1956	…	…	…	…	35·94
1957	…	…	…	…	39·63
1958	…	…	…	…	37·79

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress he is making in his consultations with the interests concerned about the proposed weights and measures regulations based on the Hodgson Committee's report.

The statutory consultations undertaken in connection with the proposed Regulations have revealed many practical difficulties in framing workable Regulations under existing legislation, as well as gaps in our knowledge about what the consumer really wants. My right hon. Friend has therefore arranged for a Social Survey to explore the habits and needs of consumers in present conditions, which have changed in some ways since the Hodgson Committee collected its evidence. In the light of the Survey, it may prove that the best course is to proceed direct to a Bill which can cover the whole field including enforcement, non-food stuffs and wholesale transactions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will, at an early date, examine the anomalous situation that, whereas the supply of medicines to the public under the National Health Scheme is subsidised by the Government, medicine purchased outside the Scheme by the public is purchase-taxed at 30 per cent.; and whether, in view of the desirability of freeing from tax anything bought to relieve suffering, promote health, or reduce unnecessary expenditure under the National Health Scheme, he will now abolish or reduce the Purchase Tax on medicines and drugs.

My hon. Friend will not expect me to anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that the British tourist industry is estimated to have earned £129 million from overseas tourists last year, he will now treat this industry, generally speaking, like other industries as regards Purchase Tax, and relieve it of the obligation to pay tax on essential items of hotel and restaurant equipment, such as carpets, furniture, and fittings.

All industries pay the appropriate Purchase Tax on goods such as carpets, furniture and fittings for their own use. I have nothing to add to the answer to my hon. Friend's previous Question on this subject on 16th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the total revenue was produced by the Purchase Tax in 1950–51, and for each year since then up to 1957–58; and what is his estimate as to the percentage which it will produce during the current financial year.

The following are the figures:

(a) Financial Year	(b) Purchase Tax Yield	(c) Total Ordinary Revenue	(d) (b) as percentage of (c)
	£m.	£m.
1950–51	303	3,978	7·6
1951–52	338	4,440	7·6
1952–53	314	4,439	7·1
1953–54	299	4,368	6·8
1954–55	342	4,738	7·2
1955–56	419	4,893	8·6
1956–57	458	5,158	8·9
1957–58	494	5,343	9·2
1958–59 (Budget estimate)	490	5,439	9·0

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the Purchase Tax on gramophone records.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget decisions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider the need to resurrect the live theatre, particularly in provincial towns, and in so doing provide a training ground for repertory and variety artistes to maintain a high cultural standard on television; and if he will consider increasing his financial allocation to the Arts Council towards this end.

The Arts Council grant which has been considerably increased in recent years enables the Council to provide an important measure of assistance where necessary to the live theatre. Local authorities also have power to aid the theatre, and I am sure that television programme companies have had the point made by the hon. Gentleman in mind in deciding to make grants to assist the theatre and other arts. As regards the last part of the Question, when the Arts Council grant was increased by £115,000 to £1,100,000 in 1958, my right hon. Friend assured the Arts Council that they could expect this sum also in the two following years. It has in fact been necessary to increase the grant in 1959–60 to £1,218,000 to enable the Arts Council to provide for the specific needs of Covent Garden; but any further increase would be inconsistent with a triennial system.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was received by the United Kingdom through Canadian and United States grants or loans and through the European Recovery Programme between July, 1945, and 31st October, 1951; how much was received through Canadian and United States grants or loans through defence aid, loans from the Import-Export Bank, International Monetary Fund, or other sources, between 31st October, 1951, and 31st December, 1958, respectively; and how much of the indebtedness incurred during the former period was repaid during the latter in capital and interest repayments.

The answer to the first part of the Question is £1,997 million, and to the second part £710 million. Capital and interest payments made between 31st October, 1951, and 31st December, 1958, in respect of debts incurred between July, 1945, and 31st October, 1951, amounted to £385 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that investors who use the totalisator at horse-race meetings pay no tax, whilst investors who use the totalisator at greyhound meetings pay a tax which increases their collective loss by 166⅔ per cent.; and whether he will consider the introduction of a scheme whereby the tax is refunded in any case in which the investor sustains a loss.

I am not sure what the hon. Member has in mind, but I will examine any scheme that he cares to send to me.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the odds against winning a Premium Bond prize today compared with 1956; and what steps have been, or will be, taken to ensure that the amount of prize money increases in rough proportion to the amount invested.

The current odds against any single unit winning a prize are about 10,500: 1, compared with about 2,100: 1 in the first draw in June, 1957. The prize fund is equivalent to interest at 4 per cent. per annum on eligible bonds. While this rate remains unchanged, the amount of prize money does increase in rough proportion to the sum invested, the exact relationship depending on the proportion of "old" to "new" bonds taking part in the draw.A bond must be held for six months before becoming eligible, after which, as a new bond, it contributes six months' interest to the fund. Subsequently, as an old bond, it contributes each month one month's interest. The shortest odds would therefore be produced if all the bonds were new, as they were on the unique occasion of the first draw in June, 1957. The longest odds would be about 12,700: 1, if all the bonds were old.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total of Egypt's sterling balances held in London on 31st October, 1956, 16th May, 1957, 12th November, 1958 and 31st January. 1959, respectively; in what securities these funds were, or are, partly or wholly invested; and what payments have been made from these funds between 31st October, 1956, and the present time.

It is not the practice to reveal details of the sterling balances of individual countries or of transactions affecting these. The last published statement by the National Bank of Egypt, issued on 28th August, 1958, showed that £E43·4 million, £E41·8 million and £E1 million stood to the credit of the No. 1, No. 2 and No. I (Special) Accounts respectively of the National Bank of Egypt.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he has taken to ensure that his representative who initialled the Anglo-Egyptian Financial Agreement, without full and careful scrutiny of the Egyptianised Smouha family holdings, is now informed in detail of the value and extent of British properties and interests in Egypt before he is permitted to sign any compromise agreement on behalf of Her Majesty's Government;(2) whether, in his further negotiations with the Government of Egypt, he will undertake to include in the British delegation at least three former members of the Anglo-Egyptian business community in order to avoid the errors, omissions and misunderstandings which have marred the recent efforts to reach a settlement;(3) how far the figures of value of British property expropriated and sequestrated by the Egyptian Government correspond with the figures given to Mr. Eugene Black as mediator in the recent Anglo-Egyptian financial negotiations, and with the other sets of figures formally submitted to him for consideration during these negotiations;(4) for what specific purpose Sir Denis Rickett flew to Washington to see Mr. Eugene Black; what provision has been made lo prevent the Egyptian Government buying dollars and other hard currency goods with the frozen sterling that will be available after settlement of the British claims; and what undertakings have been given by Colonel Nasser, as part of the present agreement, to cease interfering in the affairs of Iraq, Aden, and Kuwait, and to call off his anti-British propaganda through Radio Cairo.

I am not prepared to discuss these details in advance of the signature and publication of the Financial Agreement with the United Arab Republic.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present value of the Egyptian £ in terms of sterling; and whether, having regard to the hardships inflicted on British citizens evicted from Egypt in 1956, and to the failure to obtain compensation for their losses, he is now prepared forthwith to cancel the £7 million loans made to them and to recover this sum from Egypt's frozen sterling balances.

The official rate for the Egyptian £ is £E1 = £1 0s. 6d. On the other hand, the £1 sterling stands at a premium of about 17·6 per cent. over the Egyptian Export £1 which is used for commerce. In answer to the second part, the question of the repayment of the ex gratia loans is in abeyance pending the signature and implementation of the Financial Agreement with the United Arab Republic.

asked the Chancellor of Exchequer to what extent the financial agreement between the Suez Canal Company and the Egyptian Government for compensation by instalments contained provision for payment from Egypt's frozen sterling balances; and why he sanction the release of £3,300,000 for that purpose in December last, thus reducing the collateral held on behalf of British claimants to compensation by the amount.

Paragraph D of Article 8 of the Agreement between the Suez Finance Company and the United Arab Republic covered the possibility of the release of blocked sterling for payment to the Suez Finance Company, and reads as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will introduce a break clause into the agreements between local authorities and the Public Works Loan Board to permit a lowering of interest charged.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in the methods of catching, handling, and storing of fish, and in the provision and use of efficient fishing boats, with or without sail, amongst the African fishing communities on Lakes Albert and Edward, Uganda.

Over the past ten years catches from Lake Edward have doubled, and from Lake Albert increased five-fold. The Uganda Government advise fishermen an processing and storing of fish, and demonstration salt vats have been built in the Lake Albert area. Lake Edward fishermen sell their catch to two freezing plants. 200 fishermen have modified canoes using outboard engines, and the Uganda Government have given loans to eight boat builders to establish their own boat-yard.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how far it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to secure the implementation of International Labour Organisation Convention No. 105 on Forced Labour, within the territories of Gambia, Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland; and what steps are being taken to this end.

The position is as stated in my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member on 22nd January, regarding Nigeria.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards Colonel Grivas and E.O.K.A. in the light of the visit to Great Britain of Archbishop Makarios and the Zurich Plan for Cyprus; and how far it is still the policy of Her Majesty's Government to bring Colonel Grivas to trial.

I must ask the hon. Member to await the outcome of the present Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals he will make regarding the position of the Maronites and other minority groups in Cyprus under the new arrangements; and whether he will ensure that the Maronites will still receive the money allowed them for building a new church, and that they will be allowed, as under the Radcliffe plan, a seat in the Assembly.

I cannot at this stage say more than that, of course, the interests of the various minorities have been fully borne in mind during the recent negotiations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much work has been done and how much money spent to date on providing a deep-water port in Cyprus.

I am consulting the Governor and will write to my hon. Friend when I have his reply.

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

I visited the Somaliland Protectorate from 5th-10th February. I toured the principal towns in the Protectorate, where I met and had discussions with tribal and political leaders and others. Towards the end of my visit I made a statement on the future development of the territory, the main part of which was circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT on 9th February, 1959, in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Essex, South-East (Mr. Braine).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a further statement about the constitutional proposals for the Aden Colony and Protectorate.

As regards Aden Colony, the proposals referred to in my reply to the right hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Creech Jones) on 26th November, 1957, were implemented in the Aden Colony (Amendment) Order, 1958, which was laid before Parliament on 22nd October, 1958, and in Additional Royal Instructions Signed by Her Majesty on the 4th November, 1958. These instruments were brought into force on 18th November, 1958, and 1st January, 1959, respectively.In Aden Protectorate six States, with the agreement of Her Majesty's Government, formed a federation called the Federation of Arab Amirates of the South on 11th February, 1959. The constitution of the federation which was drawn up and approved by the six States concerned is in Arabic and the text has not been published in this country but I am arranging for a copy of an English translation to be placed in the Library of the House. The English text of the Treaty between the United Kingdom and the Federation was presented to Parliament as Command Paper No. 665 on 12th February, 1959.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of children of school-leaving age seeking employment, and the average length of time before they found work, in the area covered by the Denton and Openshaw Youth Employment Offices, according to the latest available figures; and what

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF THE OPENSHAW AND DENTON EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES AT THE UNDERMENTIONED DATES
Duration of Unemployment	Openshaw					Denton
	Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total	Men	Boys	Women	Girls	Total
14.1.1957:
2 weeks or less	139	12	51	6	208	7	1	11	—	19
2–8 weeks	88	2	29	—	119	2	—	4	—	6
Over 8 weeks	51	—	51	—	102	2	—	2	—	4
Temporarily Stopped	33	—	49	—	82	30	—	25	1	56
Total Unemployed	311	14	180	6	511	41	1	42	1	85
13.1.1958:
2 weeks or less	64	9	45	2	120	13	2	5	—	20
2–8 weeks	54	2	39	2	97	8	3	—	—	11
Over 8 weeks	112	—	24	—	136	4	—	—	—	4
Temporarily Stopped	17	—	45	—	62	33	—	53	2	88
Total Unemployed	247	11	153	4	415	58	5	58	2	123
12.1.1959:
2 weeks or less	159	24	49	3	235	32	8	10	3	53
2–8 weeks	238	55	43	6	342	40	27	9	3	79
Over 8 weeks	359	—	98	—	457	54	—	31	—	85
Temporarily Stopped	75	6	139	3	223	100	7	81	3	191
Total Unemployed	831	85	329	12	1,257	226	42	131	9	408

Of the 240 boys and 260 girls who left school in this area at the end of the Christmas term, 1958. 69 boys and nine girls had not been placed in employment by 12th January. By 9th February these figures had fallen to 20 boys and five girls. Comparable figures for previous years are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of men, women and boys, respectively, registered as unemployed, and the numbers of vacancies notified at Openshaw and Denton Employment Exchanges and Youth Employment Offices, according to the latest available figures; what they were 12 months previously, and 24 months previously; and what was the average length of unemployment for each category at each of these dates.

The tables below Give the information desired.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many men were recruited to the Royal Air Force from Northern Ireland; and how this compares with previous years.

343 regular airmen were recruited in Northern Ireland during 1958. Comparable figures for 1956 and 1957 were 284 and 201.

asked the Minister of Defence what decision or progress has now been made in consultation with the United States Government with the plans to build a radar station in the north of Scotland for tracking intercontinental ballistic missiles; and if he will make a statement, including details of its cost, location and operational control.

The position is still as stated in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 19th November.

asked the Minister of Health what were the causes of the rise in deaths from leukaemia in Lancashire by 22 per cent. between 1950–53 and 1954–57 and by 40 per cent. in Cumberland, compared with 13 per cent. for the whole of England and Wales.

The increases which the hon. Member has in mind illustrate a recent narrowing of the gap between the death rate from leukaemia in the north of England and the higher rate in the south. This trend may well be due in part to greater accuracy in diagnosis.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many improvement grants, and to what total amount have been made by the Todmorden Municipal Borough and the urban districts of Elland, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Royd and Ripponden, respectively, to the latest convenient date.

The figures are:

—	Number of dwellings in applications approved 1st July, 1956		Amount of grant 1st July, 1956 to 31st January, 1959
	to 30th June, 1956	to 31st January, 1959
			£
Todmorden Borough	54	69	10,082
Elland U. D.	60	87	7,537
Sowerby Bridge U. D.	74	Nil	Nil
Hebden Royd U. D.	2	Nil	Nil
Ripponden U. D.	10	5	1,467

In addition, Sowerby Bridge U.D.C. approved an application by a Housing Association in respect of 6 dwellings on which Exchequer assistance amounts to £20 per annum.Information about the amount of grant approved before 1st July 1956, is not available

asked the Postmaster-General what is now the number on the waiting list for telephones in Northern Ireland; and how this compares with previous years.

At the 31st December last there were 2,757 outstanding applications for telephones in Northern Ireland of which about half were under inquiry or in course of being met. This compares with 3,519 in 1957, and 4,766 in 1956. We installed 5,756 new telephones in Northern Ireland in 1958, and hope to be able to install a similar number in 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for War when the Army Pension Special Identification Form was first introduced; how many cases of attempted fraud have been discovered as a result of it, and with what savings of public funds; and what is the annual cost of administering the scheme.

The form was introduced in 1922 on the recommendation of the Public Accounts Committee following cases of fraud by impersonation. There is no record of the savings brought about by this safeguard, nor of its cost since it is an integral part of the administration of Army pensions.