asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to make a statement about action being taken in respect of redundant tuberculosis beds in Scotland.

My hon. Friend, in the debate on the Adjournment on 26th November, 1958, described the considerations which must govern the transfer of redundant tuberculosis beds to other purposes. The table which follows shows

asked the Secretary of State for War when safeguards will be provided for owners of land in cases of

When the Land Powers (Defence) Bill was before the House, I made it clear that it is the Government's intention to apply safeguards as proposed in that Bill to all compulsory purchases of land for defence purposes but that to do so by Statute involved amending the Defence Acts. This is a major task and although much work has been done on it we are still only in the preparatory stages. Few cases of compulsory purchase by Defence Departments are likely to arise in the near future but I, my Service colleagues and the Minister of Supply have decided that pending legislation we would provide safeguards forthwith by administrative action in cases outside the ambit of the Land Powers (Defence) Act.Under the new procedure owners, lessees and occupiers of land which it is proposed to acquire will have an opportunity to object to the proposed acquisition and to have their objections heard at an inquiry held by an independent person. As in the case of inquiries held under the Land Powers (Defence) Act, 1958, security considerations may sometimes require that the inquiry shall be held in private but hearings will be in public whenever possible. Details of the procedure, which will be brought into effect at once, are as follows:

asked the Minister of Labour how many railway premises would require inspection in order to implement the Gowers Report, Command Paper No. 7664; what estimate has been made of the additional staff that would be required for such work of inspection and what preliminary study has been made of the problems that would be involved.

I cannot give an accurate estimate of the number of railway premises covered by the recommendations of the Gowers Committee as the recommendations were in general terms and allowed for exemptions. I have made no estimate of the staff needed if statutory effect were given to the

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls who left school at Christmas in Birmingham are still unemployed; how many registered disabled persons in that city are unemployed; how these figures compare with those of 12 months ago; and what steps he will take to assist both these young persons and the disabled.

Forty-two boys and 18 girls in Birmingham who left school at Christmas were unemployed on 9th February. Corresponding figures for last year are not available. On 16th February, 1,177 registered disabled persons were unemployed compared with 722 at 17th February, 1958. Youth employment and disablement resettlement officers will continue to do their best to find suitable work for these unemployed.

asked the Minister of Labour the total number of registered port workers, in Liverpool and Bootle, Garston and Birkenhead, respectively, on 31st January, 1959; and what were the comparable figures for 31st January, 1958, and 31st January, 1957.

Information in the precise form asked for in the Question is not readily available. For statistical purposes, the National Dock Labour Board groups ports under local dock labour hoard areas, and figures compiled on this basis are given in the following table:

asked the Minister of Labour the number of registered port workers on Merseyside signing on the register on the morning of the first Monday in October, 1958, December, 1958, January, 1959, and February, 1959, respectively.

The following Table gives the information desired:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the total number of men and women unemployed, at the nearest convenient date in January, 1959,

asked the Minister of Labour how many men under 40 years of age and how many boys under 18 years of age, are registered as unemployed at the Breeze Hill Employment Exchange,

The following table gives the information desired.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men, women, boys and girls, are registered as unemployed at the Bootle Breeze Hill Employment Exchange and Regent Road Employment Exchange, respectively, at this moment; and how these figures compare with those on the same date in 1957 and 1958.

The following table gives the information desired:Bootle, and at the Regent Road Employment Exchange, respectively; and how these figures compare with those on the same date in 1957 and 1958.

Detailed analyses giving the age of persons registered as unemployed are available only for June

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls who left school in December in the area covered by the

On 9th February, 43 boys and two girls.