asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will now state the date when it is intended to publish the Government White Paper on proposals for canals and inland waterways.

A White Paper setting out the Government's proposals following the Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Inland Waterways is being presented to Parliament on Monday next, 23rd February, and is to be published the same day.

asked the Secretary of State for War how much compensation has been paid to relatives of British soldiers murdered in Cyprus.

No compensation as such is paid, but dependent relatives receive pensions when a soldier's death is due to his service.

asked the Secretary of Slate for War how much compensation has been paid to Sergeant Cutliffe for the loss of his wife at the hands of a Cypriot murderer.

I regret that compensation is not payable in such circumstances.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will arrange in the next Budget to repay post-war credits to all disabled ex-Service men;(2) if he will repay post-war credits to all blind people in the next Budget;(3) if he will repay post-war credits to widows over the age of 55 years in the next Budget.

My right hon. Friend has noted my hon. Friend's proposals, but he will not expect him to make any statement at present.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount paid by his Department in fees to private valuers since 1948 in connection with the revaluation of special properties; and to what extent contracts with private valuers for this special work were terminated on 31st March, 1958.

Approximately £2,660,000 up to the end of January, 1959. The contracts all expired on 31st March, 1958, but the private surveyors are obliged to complete any outstanding appeal work.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling has decreased since the 1955 increase in retirement pensions.

Since April, 1955, the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling calculated from the Index of Retail Prices has fallen by 2s. 8d. or a little more than 13 per cent.

asked the Minister of Defence Great Britain's military, naval and air commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and the date and nature of the agreement under which this country has agreed to provide army, navy and air contingents.

The forces which Great Britain contributes to N.A.T.O. are discussed each year in the Annual Review, the conclusions of which are confidential.Under Article 6 of Protocol II, dated 23rd October, 1954, to the revised Brussels Treaty, as amended later in agreement with the Council of Western European Union, Her Majesty's Government have an obligation to maintain the British Army of the Rhine at a strength of 55,000 men and the Second Tactical Air Force at its present strength. The Council of N.A.T.O. has been notified that Her Majesty's Government reserve the right to propose to the Council of the Western European Union some further reductions in the British forces in Germany at the appropriate time.

asked the Minister of Defence the proportion of British army, navy and air contingents, respectively, which are committed exclusively to the North

asked the Minister of Labour how many unemployed were registered in January at the Walsall Employment Exchange; what percentage of the working population this

No British forces are committed to N.A.T.O. exclusively in the sense that they can in no circumstances be withdrawn to meet other commitments.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) how many boys and girls are registered at the Bargoed and Caerphilly employment exchanges; and the comparable figures for February, 1958;(2) how many men and women are registered as unemployed at the Caerphilly and Bargoed employment exchanges; and what were the comparable figures for February, 1958.

The following table gives the information desired.figure forms; and if he will give the comparable figures for January, 1949, and January, 1958.

The following table gives the information desired:

asked the Minister of Labour how many engineering and trade apprenticeships were available to school leavers in Middlesex in 1955 and 1957; and how many are expected in 1959.

The following numbers of boys and girls were placed by the Youth Employment Service in apprenticeships, learnerships and similar openings in Middlesex during the twelve months ending 30th September, 1955, and 30th September, 1957. No figures are available for boys and girls who may have obtained apprenticeships in the area otherwise than through the service.

I cannot say how many apprenticeships will be made available by employers in Middlesex during 1959.

asked the Minister of Labour the expected numbers of school leavers in 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962 in each of the employment exchanges in Middlesex.

No figures are available for individual youth employment offices in Middlesex, but for the county as a whole it is at present estimated that in 1959, 26,000 will leave school; in 1960, 25,500; in 1961, 27,500, and in 1962. 32,500.

asked the Minister of Labour how many disabled persons are registered at each of the employment exchanges in Middlesex; and how many were without work in January, 1959.

The total number of persons registered as disabled at employment exchanges in Middlesex was 29,239 in October, 1958, the last date on which a count was taken. 1,193 of them were registered as unemployed at these exchanges at 19th January, 1959. The following table gives details for each of the employment exchanges concerned, together with the associated youth employment offices, where appropriate:

asked the Paymaster-General by what authority his Department directs the use of the Mineworkers' Pension Fund.

The Minister's authority in regard to the use of the funds of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme is prescribed by Parliament in Section 37 of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946, as amended by Section 4 of the Coal Industry Act, 1949, and the Coal Industry Nationalisation (Superannuation) Regulations, 1950, made thereunder.Under these statutory provisions, any arrangements for the payment of pensions out of the funds of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme must have the Minister's approval.

asked the Paymaster-General what representations have been made to him by the National Coal Board or the National Union of Mineworkers on the disposal of the Mineworkers' Pension Fund.

The Minister has been asked to approve proposals for payment out of the funds of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme of pensions to miners who retired before the Scheme came into force on 1st January, 1952.Though my noble Friend has the greatest sympathy with the motives behind these proposals, he has been unable to approve them as these ex-miners were never members of the Scheme which, it is suggested, should carry the costs.

asked the Paymaster-General whether Her Majesty's Government will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to make available for purchase by private enterprise any collieries which the Board finds is uneconomic to keep open.

No. I am advised that with the exception of small mines licensed under Section 36 (2) (a) of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946, coal mines cannot be legally worked in this country by private enterprise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the further statements on oath by Mr. A. J. S. Williams-Meyrick and Mr. L. S. Bird regarding alleged ill-treatment in Kenya Prisons, he will now institute an inquiry into Kenya prisons and detention camps.

I have asked the Kenya Government to make inquiries into the allegations made in the statements by Mr. Williams-Meyrick and Mr. Bird, given me by the hon. Member. I should prefer to await the facts as revealed by investigation before forming a view on whether a more extensive inquiry is desirable.