asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in his discussions with the delegation led by the Sultan of Brunei on their proposals for a new written constitution for Brunei.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what agreement on political, social and economic issues has been reached, or what progress was made, in respect of the recent delegation from Brunei led by His Highness the Sultan of Brunei.

Complete agreement was reached. His Highness the Sultan is to promulgate a written Constitution for Brunei associating representatives of his people with the running of the State. A new draft Agreement governing the relations between Her Majesty and the Sultan was initialled. The administrative separation of Brunei from Sarawak was also agreed.I am circulating below the announcement that was made at the conclusion of the talks.Talks between His Highness the Sultan of Brunei and a delegation of Members of His Highness's State Council, which began at the Colonial Office with Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, on 23rd March ended today, Monday, 6th April, 1959. Complete agreement was reached on all matters discussed.His Highness is to promulgate a written Constitution for Brunei which will have the effect of associating representatives of his people with the running of the State. The 1905–6 Agreement between Her Majesty and the Sultan is to be replaced by a new Agreement more in line with modern ideas. There will be an administrative separation of Brunei from Sarawak. In particular, the arrangement whereby the Governor of Sarawak is High Commissioner for Brunei will be ended and there will be a High Commissioner in Brunei itself who will deal direct with Her Majesty's Government. Her Majesty's Government will be responsible for defence and external affairs; the High Commissioner will be responsible for advising the Sultan on matters connected with the government of the State except those relating to the Muslim religion and the Custom of the Malays. The post of British Resident in Brunei will disappear and there will be a Mentri Besar (Chief Minister) appointed by the Sultan who will be responsible to the Sultan for the exercise of executive authority in the State. Special consultative arrangements were agreed on for internal security.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what authority the Commissioner for the Southern Cameroons stated at the opening session of the House of Assembly that secession of the territory from the Federation of Nigeria would be effected in 1960, in view of the fact that the United Nations has ruled that a plebiscite on the future of the territory should be held in early 1960.

The Acting Commissioner, speaking for his Government, informed the House of Assembly that it was the intention of his Ministers to work for secession from the Federation of Nigeria before the 1st October, 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the non-viability of the Southern Cameroons, if he will advise that the question in the plebiscite on the future of the territory should clearly indicate that the choice is between continued association with Nigeria and integration with the French Cameroons.

The questions to be put in the plebiscite are to be decided by the United Nations General Assembly next autumn. The Assembly has expressed the hope that all concerned in the territory will reach agreement on the matter before then. This is also the hope of Her Majesty's Government, and at the moment I should prefer to make no statement about our attitude.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the export of toy flick knives from Hong Kong for sale in the United Kingdom to small children; and if he will take steps to control the export of these toys.

No. But if my hon. Friend's concern is whether the sale of these toys should be permitted in the United Kingdom, that is a matter he should take up with the Home Secretary.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Engledow Report; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is at present awaiting the views of a number

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications for grants under the Small Farmers Scheme have been received in the County of Somerset; and if he will make a statement regarding the progress of the vetting of these proposals.

To 3rd April, 382 applications had been received from farmers in Somerset and 118 applicants had sub-

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for requiring manufacturers to state the proportion of such substances as aldrin, dieldrin and boron which are contained in their compound fertilisers.

Investigations are being carried out into the possibility of devising satisfactory methods of analysis for the determination of these substances. Further consideration will be given to the matter when such work is completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the losses of sheep due to liver fluke in the six North Wales counties during 1958.

Details of these losses are not reported to my Ministry, but I am circulating below some particulars of the results of post mortem examinations of ewes from five North Wales counties carried out at the Veterinary Investigation Centre at Bangor last winter. These show that on average the proportion of cases in which liver fluke infestation or black disease was found reached the unusually high level of 70 per cent.mitted farm business plans. Sixteen plans were approved last week and a further 30 are likely to be approved by the end of this week.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will state in greater detail the conditions that must be complied with by farmers to enable them to benefit from the new Small Farmers Scheme.

These conditions are fully described in an explanatory leaflet, Form SSF.1, which farmers can obtain from my Ministry's divisional offices. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent it is his intention to press for compulsory third-party insurance in connection with damage caused by dogs to sheep and cattle.

I doubt whether legislation to impose third party insurance on all dog owners could be justified on the ground that a few do not control their dogs properly so as to prevent them from chasing livestock. I am, however, glad of this opportunity of once again urging all dog owners visiting or living near the country to prevent their dogs from chasing or worrying livestock, particularly sheep. Chasing can do great harm at any time, whether or not sheep are actually attacked, but it is particularly harmful at lambing time.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made on the plan for improving Covent Garden Market.

In my statement last June, I said that the first step was to provide elsewhere facilities for storage of empty containers and bulk produce. I foresaw that, pending the establishment of the statutory Covent Garden Market Authority, arrangements might be made by a local authority. The London County Council and the Corporation of the City of London have now introduced Bills, which have already received their Second Reading in another place, seeking the necessary powers. I am most grateful to them for their ready co-operation.Powers sought by the City would enable temporary use to be made of part of the vacant Caledonian Market site, Islington. In my view, this site is suitable for this purpose and temporary depot facilities could quickly be provided there. Clearly the trade must have a very important voice in planning the detailed arrangements for operating the storage depot, and the Covent Garden Market Tenants' Association are giving active consideration to the many practical problems involved in the establishment of a depot.My Ministry is keeping in close touch with the Association, and has recently conducted, at their request, a detailed survey of the use of returnable containers in the market. The survey has provided information essential for planning the operation of the depot. Considerable progress has therefore been made and no time should be lost in getting the depot going once the local authorities have obtained the necessary powers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when new regulations for meat staining and sterilisation will be made.

Proposals for new regulations are being prepared and will be sent to interested organisations for comment as soon as possible. It is too early to say when the new regulations will be made.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will now state what replies were sent to Commonwealth citizens who made protests and handed in resolutions to United Kingdom High Commission offices in Commonwealth countries regarding the policy of the United Kingdom Government in Nyasaland.

Where appropriate. instructions have been sent to United Kingdom High Commissioners to acknowledge the communications and to inform the senders that they have been brought to my noble Friend's notice.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he has any further statement to make with regard to the situation in the area of Gan atoll in the Maldive Islands.

I am informed by our High Commissioner in Ceylon that according to Press reports the Maldivian Government representative in Colombo has alleged that the Royal Air Force has flown to Ceylon a group of Maldivians shot by the R.A.F. during disturbances on the island. This is a complete fabrication. No disturbances have occurred in the Gan area and no one has been injured.I. have also been informed that on 30th March at 8 o'clock in the morning an armed party landed from a steamer, which was on charter to the Maldivian Government, on Fua Mulaku island some 35 miles to the north of Gan and which forms part of the group of islands which have declared themselves independent of the Maldivian Government at Male. During the attempts by the islanders, who are unarmed, to repel the landing party, which appears to have been despatched under the authority of the Male Government as a punitive expedition, one islander is reported as having been killed and four wounded. Subsequently, the landing party re-embarked and the vessel was last seen steaming away in a northerly direction. Some of the wounded were later brought by islanders from Fua Mulaku to Gan to receive medical attention and one has since been flown to Ceylon for treatment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why financial assistance under the Distribution of Industries Acts, 1945–58, was refused to the firm of Jefferies & Company, electrical engineers, 53, Park Road, Liverpool, 8, who desired to enlarge their premises to enable them to employ at least nine additional employees, six of whom would be apprentices.

Because the Treasury has power to give assistance under these Acts only in accordance with recommendations of the Advisory Committee and the Committee did not, in this case, recommend that assistance should be given.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give consideration to some new method of collecting Income Tax on a more or less graduated scale from farmers whose income is predicated on the changeable weather that is experienced in this country, such as assessing earnings on a three-year average.

My right hon. Friend considered this matter when preparing his Budget, but did not feel able to propose any change in the existing law.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the relief of Income Tax proposed in his Budget statement is estimated to be in respect of earned and unearned income, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available. It is not possible to apportion the relief of mixed incomes between earned and investment income and the greater part of investment income is in such mixed incomes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the relief of Income Tax proposed in his Budget statement will accrue in a full year to people earning less than £750 a year and the number of people involved; how much will accrue to people earning from £750 a year to £1,500 a year and the number of people involved; how much will accrue to people earning over £1,500 a year and the number of people involved; and how much will accrue to companies.

I cannot give figures in this exact form; but the full year cost of Budget Income Tax reliefs by income ranges is given below:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for how much longer he considers it will be necessary to maintain the War Damage Commission in existence; and what provisions will be made for absorbing its remaining staff in other employment.

No date has been yet fixed for winding up the War Damage Commission, for which legislation would be necessary. The completion of outstanding cases does not depend on the Commission but on when the owners of war damage properties are able to carry out the work of reinstatement. Although the work is steadily decreasing, war damage payments in 1958–59 still amounted to £18½ million and the estimated figure for the next two financial years is £17½ million and £15 million.The existing staff numbers just over 400, having been reduced very substantially over recent years. It will be reduced still further in the coming year by retirements, by the termination of temporary appointments and by the transfer of established staff to other departments through the normal inter-departmental arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent international disputes about territorial fishing limits affecting Great Britain and the British fishing industry, indicating what items in dispute have been resolved, and what items are still outstanding; and what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to resolve the outstanding items in a reasonable and peaceful way without the use of force.

The only dispute about fishing limits affecting the United Kingdom is that with Iceland. Her Majesty's Government have repeatedly made clear their readiness to reach an interim arrangement regulating fishing around Iceland pending the outcome of the Second World Conference on the Law of the Sea. They have suggested that the present dispute should be referred to the International Court, in which case the Court could be asked to indicate interim measures to be taken by the parties pending its final decision. Her Majesty's Government have also consistently indicated their willingness to enter into direct negotiations with Iceland for the purpose of reaching a satisfactory interim arrangement. The Government of Iceland have not accepted any of the proposals which have been made.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is satisfied with the present regulations governing the discharge and dumping of radioactive waste; and, in view of the recent experience of three boys inadvertently stumbling upon radioactive waste from a clock factory, if he will consider a review of these regulations with a view to obtaining stricter control.

As my hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland explained in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Motherwell (Mr. Lawson) on 7th April, consultations will shortly be taking place with the local authority associations about proposals for new legislation to govern the disposal of radioactive wastes.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of, and if he will now intervene in, the dispute between the nine craft printing unions with the British Federation of Master Printers and the Newspaper Society, so as to avert a printing stoppage which would affect nearly all types of printing except the national daily newspapers produced in London.

I am aware that the printing unions' claim has not been settled, but no request for my intervention has been made by either side. As I understand the position, there is a procedure agreed by the industry's Joint Industrial Council which is available for dealing with the dispute and which has not yet been used.

asked the Minister of Education how many candidates from secondary modern schools entered for the General Certificate of Education Examination, Ordinary, in 1957, had passes in one, two, three, four, five, or more subjects, or in none, respectively; what was the distribution of passes among subjects; and what was the total number of passes and failures.

The following is the answer:

asked the Minister of Education what has been the expenditure on education by his department and by local education authorities, respectively; and what was the total expenditure in Hertfordshire during each year since 1946–47.

The following table shows the expenditure of all local education authorities and of the Hertfordshire Local Education Authority for the years 1946–47 to 1958–59, and the expenditure of my Department divided between grants paid to local education authorities and other expenditure.

asked the Minister of Education (1) what was the number of school places provided in Hertfordshire during the years 1945 to 1951 and 1952 to 1958;

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the increase in the expenditure on technical assistance under the Bagdad Pact in 1959–60 and on the Pact's nuclear centre, if he will state in which countries this money will mainly be spent in future; and to what extent any already spent in Iraq will be recoverable.

Her Majesty's Government announced at the Sixth Session of the Bagdad Pact Economic Committee in January, 1959, that they intend to make available £850,000 per annum for the provision of technical assistance under the Bagdad Pact. This money will be used for the supply of equipment and technical experts to Turkey, Iran and Pakistan and for the provision of training

The information is as follows:facilities in the United Kingdom for nationals of those countries. Exactly how much will be spent in or for the benefit of any particular country of the three is not yet known, but Her Majesty's Government try as far as possible to spend it on projects which will be of benefit to all.The technical assistance provided by the United Kingdom to Iraq, prior to the latter's withdrawal from the Bagdad Pact, is not of course recoverable. In addition, Her Majesty's Government had contributed the equipment for the Nuclear Training Centre in Bagdad, together with some of the staff and a share of the running costs. Negotiations between the Pact organisation and the Iraqi authorities for the disposal of this equipment have not yet been completed