asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the undercutting of Canadian and British salmon by similar subsidised Russian products of equivalent grade, if he will impose countervailing duties under the Dumping and Subsidies Act.

The Board of Trade has received no application for a countervailing duty on salmon from the U.S.S.R. Imports from Russia have been running at low levels and we have no evidence that they are subsidised.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what information is now available from the United States of America on the confirmation of contracts, such as the C. A. Parsons' contract, awarded to firms in this country, following the representations made by the Prime Minister during his recent visit to the United States of America.

I have no further information on this matter.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will draw the attention of the local authorities to the need for installing electric wiring of adequate capacity in all schemes for housing development in order to bring about a greater diversity of appliances and hence assist the improvement of the national electrical load factor.

The adequacy of electric wiring is one of the matters to be considered by the Sub-Committee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee at present reviewing housing standards.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the amount of grants paid in respect of coast protection works since the passing of the Coast Protection Act, 1947, to the local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk. respectively, to individual authorities.

The amounts paid by way of grant since the passing of the Coast Protection Act, 1949, to individual local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will circulate a list of those local authorities whose rate charges in respect of coast protection, including loan and redemption charges, exceed 6d. in the £ giving in each case the actual figures.

The only recent information available to my right hon. Friend is that given in the rate demand notes for the year 1958–59. These showed that the authorities listed below included in their rate levies for that year more than sixpence for coast protection. In some cases these figures may need to be abated by contributions from county councils. They take no account of any Exchequer equalisation grant which may have been paid to the county council in respect of the expenditure.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will exercise his powers under Section 15 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, so that the application for permission to develop the site of the Grand Theatre, Croydon, which it is proposed to demolish, shall be referred direct to him in the first instance; and what representations he has received about this matter.

I could not comply with the suggestion in the first part of the hon. Member's Question because the Croydon Council as planning authority has already granted planning permission for redevelopment. I understand that before doing so the council considered buying the theatre—which is some 60 or 70 years old—but concluded that that would not be a sound proposition.Representations have been made to me by the Croydon Theatre Trust that the permission should be revoked, but I think that this is a matter which ought to be left to local decision and I am not prepared to intervene. Revocation would involve compensation and might cost the rate-payers about £50,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the annual levy on Fijians working in a town away from home has been increased from £1 to £3.

An increase in the commutation rate was approved by the Legislative Council on 7th April, but is not expected to become effective until 1960. The proposal is based on the 1957 report by Mr. McDougall on the finances of the Fijian Administration, which recom- mended various measures for improving the financing of Fijian local government and raising more money for Fijian agricultural development and social services. The proposed increase in the commutation rate was approved by the Fijian Council of Chiefs and by all the Provincial Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the reason for the strikes which are now current in Fiji; and whether he will make a statement.

There are no strikes in Fiji at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what, in terms of employment of Fijians, has been the result of the Fiji Government's policy of retrenchment.

The Public Works Department has laid off 871 workers since Christmas on the completion of projects, half of them Fijians: about 10 per cent. of the total have since been re-engaged. The number of men laid off by other Departments is not available at short notice, but the figure is certainly small, and the total employed shows a net increase.Employment in non-Government undertakings employed in building and allied trades, which are those most affected, has risen by 713 since August, 1958, thus absorbing many of those laid off by Government. Only 248 unemployed labourers have registered with the Labour Department, and 42 of them have been placed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what was the number of African students in Kenya who were admitted to Makerere on the school certificate level in 1957 and 1958, respectively; how many it is proposed to admit on the same qualification in 1959; and whether he will make a statement concerning the proposed reduction in numbers.

The figures for 1957, 1958 and 1959, respectively, are 65, 90 and 68. Although fewer Kenya African students will be admitted to Makerere this year, the total number of Kenya students at the College will increase by 59 to a record number of 374. At the same time 50 Kenya African students will enter the Royal Technical College, compared with 28 in 1958. This will help to make full use of the College and its facilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the proceedings of the inquest on Kabugi s/o Njuma;(2) whether he will place in the Library a copy of the proceedings against Samuel Girbu and other African warders at Aguthi Works Camp for assault on Kabugi s/o Njuma and other detainees at this camp.

I will place in the Library a copy of the record of the inquest on Kabugi s/o Njuma. The verdict in the trial of Samuel Githu is not expected until after 20th April. As soon as I can, I will place in the Library a copy of the judgment given in this case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will place in the Library of the House of Commons the draft of the proposed legislation by the Government of Nyasaland for further restrictions on African activities and heavier penalties, including the flogging of children.

I have now done so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many school teachers and how many African graduates have been arrested in Nyasaland under the state of emergency.

I have asked the Governor for the information and I will publish it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what opportunity the Commission of Inquiry under Mr. Justice Devlin will have to examine the persons who provided the information on which the allegations of a plot to massacre Europeans in Nyasaland were based.

The Commission will be given every facility to examine any person they wish to see provided that person is willing to appear before them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what conditions will have to be fulfilled by European and African farmers who take up land in the Kafue River Development Scheme in Northern Rhodesia; what loans will be made available; and whether the farms to be let are on the basis of freehold or leasehold.

I assume that the reference is to a pilot polder scheme on the Kafue River, still in its earliest experimental stage. The conditions under which land in the area might be made available to private individuals for intensive farming in the future has yet to be decided.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what places Mr. Kenneth Kaunda, President of the Zambia African Congress, Mr. M. Sipalo, the secretary, Mr. Simon Kapweke, the treasurer, Mr. Paul Kalichini, the deputy president, and Mr. W. K. Sikalumbi, the deputy secretary, have been rusticated in Northern Rhodesia.

Each of the persons is restricted from being in any district of the Territory except the district administered by the District Commissioner shown against his name in the following list.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies by what authority Mr. D. C. Hill was serving on a probation of indefinite duration which needed no extension, in view of the fact that Section 31 of Colonial Regulations requires the specific extension by the Secretary of State of an officer's probationary appointment if such appointment is not confirmed or terminated.

Mr. Hill's probationary appointment was of indefinite duration only in the sense that, in the absence of formal confirmation or termination of his appointment at the end of the original three-year period he continued to serve on probation. As my hon. and gallant Friend is aware, Mr. Hill's appointment was not formally confirmed or terminated while his representations were being considered; but he was told before the end of the three-year period that it was not proposed to recommend him for confirmation in his appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in view of the fact that nothing in Colonial Regulations required Mr. D. C. Hill to be informed that his probation had been extended, what section requires an officer to be informed that his probationary appointment has been confirmed or terminated.

There is no section of Colonial Regulations which requires an officer to be informed that his probationary appointment has been confirmed or terminated.

asked the Minister of Works if his attention has been drawn to the primitive and laborious method by which poles are erected in The Mall on the occasion of the welcoming of distinguished visitors; and if he will take steps to provide permanent iron sockets, with a removable cap, into which sockets the poles can be fitted whenever the need arises.

Permanent sockets have been in use for some years for the poles which are erected in The Mall on ceremonial occasions.

asked the Minister of Works what arrangements have been made to clear prefabricated houses. which have been standing empty for some time, from sites in Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to enable the local authority to proceed with its redevelopment programme.

Clearance of the first batch of 42 prefabricated bungalows is going on now and should be completed well before the local authority's target date of 30th June. Details of a second batch of 36 bungalows were received by my Department from the local authority on 1st April and tenders for the clearance are being invited.

asked the Minister of Works what action has been taken to preserve the Temple of Mithras found in the Walbrook area, and to display it for the public to see.

In reply to a Question on 19th October, 1954, my predecessor stated that the owners of the site on which the Temple of Mithras was found had undertaken to re-erect the remains in a courtyard of the new building, where they could be seen by the public. I understand that it is hoped to do this next year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what guidance he has given to local authorities about the position and adequacy of signs showing the names of streets in urban areas.

Although I have no formal responsibility for street name plates, recommendations at some length on this subject were contained in a Circular from my Department to local authorities in 1952. I will gladly consider whether a re-issue of this circular would be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the directions being given by his divisional road engineers to local planning authorities to refuse consents for development of land abutting on trunk roads, which has the effect of sterilising such lands; and what is the general policy of Her Majesty's Government in this matter.

As far as is reasonable the construction of new accesses to trunk roads or increases in the use of existing accesses should be kept to the minimum, in order to minimise the effect on traffic using the roads. This is our general policy, but each application has, of course, to be considered on its merits.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to what extent post-war credits repaid to those who have been on public assistance for 12 weeks will be taken into account in future calculation of needs when receiving public assistance.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my right hon. Friend yesterday to the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd).

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission not to buy any more railway wagons which are fitted with a continental screw coupling, in view of the fact that 135 have been standing in sidings off the Hull to Barnsley line for more than 12 months.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission not to purchase wagons unsuitably designed for immediate use, in view of the many new wagons standing idle in sidings gradually deteriorating and in need of many modifications before they can be put to productive use.

The design and purchase of wagons are matters of day-to-day management for which the British Transport Commission is responsible, and I do not think I should issue any direction. The Commission informs me that it is at present negotiating with traders on the future use of the very small number of mineral wagons which are at present not in service.

asked the Paymaster-General whether he will make a statement on the proposed nuclear power station at Earnley.

I understand that the Central Electricity Generating Board proposes to investigate land at Earnley to ascertain whether it is technically suitable for a nuclear power station. If it should prove suitable the Board may in due course apply to my noble Friend for his consent to the construction of a station on the site. At that stage my noble Friend would consider any representations made to him by interested parties and if necessary order a public inquiry before deciding whether or not to give his consent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy regarding the formation of syndicate credits in other counties similar to those started in Hampshire; and if he will give guidance as to the procedure that should be followed to achieve this.

I am encouraging the formation of syndicate credit companies, which are concerned mainly with financing the co-operative purchase and use of farm machinery. This co-operative use makes it possible for farmers to obtain machinery more cheaply and have the advantage of a wider range of machines. The syndicates now operating in Hampshire and elsewhere have shown that the problems of sharing and servicing machines in joint use can be overcome.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the increase in the net output of British agriculture over the past 10 years after deducting all imported raw materials such as feedingstuffs, oil for tractors, and minerals for fertiliser manufacture.

The index of net output covering all agricultural holdings in the United Kingdom was 140 per cent. of pre-war in 1948–49, rose to 162 per cent. in 1957–58, and is forecast at 161 per cent. in 1958–59. This index takes account of feedingstuffs, store livestock and seeds imported from abroad. We have no figures for the increase in net output which would be shown if account were also taken of deductions for imported raw materials used in production such as oil for tractors and minerals for fertiliser manufacture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the dissatisfaction of farmers and local authorities in parts of Suffolk at the inequitable burden of drainage rates whereby marsh farms suffer through the intense drainage of upland farms and are called upon to pay disproportionately high drainage rates; and if he will introduce measures to spread the cost of drainage charges over a wider area, thus relieving many small farms of a charge that is a heavy liability.

I have received a few complaints. The discussions now taking place with the organisations concerned on drainage problems in upland areas may have some bearing on the points the hon. Member has in mind, but I do not envisage any change in the basis of rating by Internal Drainage Boards. Section 21 of the Land Drainage Act, 1930, provides for an application to a river board for a contribution towards expenses arising from the passage of upland water through a drainage district.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why Mr. Thornton, 218 Western Avenue, Dagenham, is being charged £220 for his air evacuation from Iraq during the troubles in 1958.

This is the cost of air passages for Mrs. Thornton and four children by the special air service arranged in the summer of 1958 to enable those British subjects who wished to do so to leave Iraq. In common with other users of this service, Mrs. Thornton gave an undertaking to repay, on demand, the cost of the passages.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that workshops for disabled persons, particularly blind workshops where trade union rates for labour apply, are finding it impossible to compete with products such as mats made in Her Majesty's prisons where these rates are not applicable; and, in view of the difficulty in finding markets for these products owing to undercutting in prices due to lower labour charges, if he will arrange for alternative forms of industrial training to be found for prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons leaving the manufacture of mats, brushes and baskets out of the training schemes.

I am looking into this matter in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour. If the hon. Member has any evidence of particular instances which he wishes to bring to my notice, I shall be glad to receive it.

asked the Prime Minister (1) when he expects the Report, or interim Report, of the Committee set up by the Atomic Energy Authority to advise on training in radiological protection, under the chairmanship of Sir Douglas Veale, to be completed; and whether he will publish that report;

The Veale Committee has made two interim reports on specific aspects of its work, and the Atomic Energy Authority intends to make an announcement about them soon. The final report is not expected until later this year, and I understand that it is the Authority's intention to publish it, after consultation with the appropriate Government Departments.The specific matters referred to by the right hon. Gentleman are under consideration by the Veale Committee, and recommendations will no doubt be included in its final report.

asked the Prime Minister if it is the policy of the Government to train all individuals in connection with safety in nuclear installaton plants at Harwell, or to set up special training establishments elsewhere.

This is one of the questions on which the Veale Committee has been asked to make recommendations. It is still being studied by the Committee, and will be dealt with in its final report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many families have now left the village of Douglas, Lanarkshire, since the forthcoming closure of Douglas Castle Colliery was announced; and how many county council and Scottish Special Housing Association houses, respectively, now stand vacant.

I have no direct information, but I am given to understand that 31 householders have moved from Douglas Village since 2nd December, 1958. Thirty-one houses belonging to the Scottish Special Housing Association are vacant at present. No County Council houses are vacant.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland from what persons or bodies he has had representations, during the past four years, regarding water supplies in the Isle of Barra.

Apart from those made from time to time by the hon. Member, two representations have been received about water supplies in the Isle of Barra during the past four years. The first, which was handed locally on behalf of the district council to the then Secretary of State on 10th August, 1955, took the form of a letter and a petition both of which had been sent to the district council by the Reverend Malcolm MacKinnon, J.P., stressing the need for a public water supply in the south-eastern part of the island. A further letter dated 1st April, 1959, was received from Mr. MacKinnon, asking for certain information about water supply schemes in Barra and again emphasising the urgency of the scheme for South-Eastern Barra.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make all proposed increases in the pensions of Service personnel, civil servants, etc., restrospective to Budget day, in view of the time it will take to complete negotiations with local authorities, etc.

I foresee no need for this: consultations with local authority representatives are well advanced.