asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when it is expected that the Storr Loch Water Supply Scheme covering Portree and the surrounding region as far as Berniesdale will be completed.

This scheme is expected to be completed by the beginning of July.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of elected members of the Hull City Council, which is the local health authority, who were appointed members of the original Hull Hospital Management Committee in 1948, and the number of elected representatives nominated by the Hull City Council who are now members of this committee.

I understand that seven members of the Council were appointed to the original Hospital Management Committee. Members of hospital management committees are not nominated by outside bodies, but the present Committee includes one member of the Council and one former member as well as the Medical Officer of Health.

asked the Minister of Health if it is with his authority that regional officers have recommended that chairmen of hospital management committees should take a room used for clinical purposes for their private use and spend up to £500 on structural and decorative alterations and furniture; and in how many hospitals this policy has been carried out.

I am not aware that accommodation for the private use of hospital management committee chairmen has been provided on hospital premises, but I see no reason why a room in a hospital should not be provided for a committee chairman to use for official business. This is within the discretion of hospital authorities and I do not know in how many hospitals such provision has been made. I understand that the room made available at the Hull Royal Infirmary to the Chairman of the Hull "A" Hospital Management Committee was not requirel for clinical purposes, and that the cost of adapting and furnishing it was £279.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under what Foreign Service Regulation Mr. Arthur Leslie Nicholson, for four years head of the Visa Section in His Majesty's Legation, Prague, for six-and-a-half years Second Secretary in His Majesty's Legation, Riga, for two years Second Secretary in His Majesty's Embassy, Stockholm, and for two years First Secretary in His Majesty's Embassy, Athens, was made a lump sum payment, in lieu of pension, of £3,369 9s. 5d. in 1954, after 24 years' continuous service in Her Majesty's Foreign Service.

The payment of terminal grants is governed by Statutes and Treasury Minutes or by the terms of the officer's engagement, as explained to my hon. and gallant Friend by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs on 5th December, 1955. No payment is made under Foreign Service Regulations. Mr. Nicholson's award was made in accordance with the terms of his engagement.

asked the Minister of Labour how many factories in Great Britain employ more than 100 persons; and, in respect of such factories, how many, respectively, have works' surgeries, with a fully-qualified nurse or equivalent in attendance throughout working hours, and works' canteens to serve hot meals.

A special inquiry made in 1954 showed there were then 12,368 factories employing more than 100 persons. Another such inquiry is now being made, and the results will be available later in the year. I am afraid I have not the information to enable me to answer the other questions, but I will write to my hon. Friend and give him the information that is available.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the proportion of unemployed persons on his Department's register at East Kilbride, Strathaven, Lesmahagow, Lanark, Law, Carluke, Forth and Douglas, respectively, in the county of Lanark.

The only areas in the list for which separate percentages of unemployment can be computed are Lesmahagow and Lanark for which the figures at 9th March, 1959, were 4·8 per cent. and 3·7 per cent., respectively. East Kilbride, Strathaven, Law and Carluke are in the North Lanarkshire area, for which the unemployment percentage rate was 8·4. Douglas is included in Lesmahagow and Forth in Lanark.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty to what extent Her Majesty's Government will be making a contribution to the pension scheme which Messrs. Bailey will be introducing for their employees in the dockyard in Malta.

In view the the special circumstances and the need to facilitate the transfer of Malta Dockyard to Messrs. Bailey, it is proposed that a contribution of up to £250,000 should be made from Navy Votes to the firm's pension scheme. Approval for this will be sought in due course in a Supplementary Estimate. Without a contribution of this order Messrs. Bailey would not be able to finance the provision of pensions for a number of men who will enter their service at a relatively advanced age, and who will have served with the Admiralty for many years.