asked the Paymaster-General what further steps are being taken to increase supplies of smokeless fuels; and if he will make a statement on the progress made in producing new types of smokeless fuels.

There is nothing at present that I can add to what I told the House in the Adjournment debate on 12th February this year.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent the electronics equipment industry in the North-East is receiving contracts from his Department.

I regret that my Department's records are not kept so as to show the amount of work placed on individual industries in separate areas.

asked the Minister of Supply what steps he is taking to ensure that contracts associated with the weapons concept contain a directive as to where the work should be placed.

In all development contracts associated with the weapon system concept major sub-contractors are chosen by the main contractor in agreement with my Department.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage of nurses employed in the hospitals under his direction failed to react to the tuberculin test; what percentage of such nurses have undergone B.C.G. vaccination; and what steps he is taking to impress upon all student nurses the desirability of both test and vaccination when required.

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is not available. In 1949 a scheme was introduced for the B.C.G. vaccination of hospital nursing staff and medical students, and last year this was extended to all the hospital staff at special risk. Explanatory leaflets are provided for issue to the staff concerned, and hospital authorities have recently been reminded of the importance of this scheme.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients are on the waiting lists for admission to hospitals in Lancashire and Cheshire.

70,127 at 31st December, 1958.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients are on the waiting lists for admission to hospitals in the Accrington area.

1,481 at 31st March, 1959.

asked the Minister of Health what provision he has made for increased salary awards in the estimates of hospital expenditure for the current financial year.

The estimates submitted to Parliament include provision for the cost of all awards agreed at the time the estimates were prepared.

asked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the amount of the sum received by the Hospitals Endowment Fund in each year since the inception of the National Health Service; and if he will give particulars of the origin of any sum of more than £100,000 paid to this fund during that time.

I assume that the Question refers to gifts and legacies received by hospital authorities under Sections 59 and 60 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, and not to the investment income of the Hospital Endowments Fund, the assets of which were transferred to the Minister in 1948 under Section 7 (4) of the Act.

asked the Minister of Health what was the combined death rate for influenza and chest diseases during each of the first three months of this year in the London area and in England and Wales generally; and how these figures compare with those for last year.

Death rates per million population from chest diseases (influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia) were as follows:

—	London Administrative County		England and Wales
	1958	1959	1958	1959
January	4,669	3,078	3,124	2,214
February	3,254	8,695	2,466	4,721
March	2,377	3,961	1,880	3,684

These are provisional figures based on registrations of deaths as reported weekly by registrars of births and deaths to the Registrar General.

asked the Minister of Health what recent representations he has received from the British Medical Association reaffirming their opposition to prescription charges, and urging their abolition on the grounds of economy and the avoidance of hardship; and what reply he has sent.

A resolution passed in July of last year by the Representative Body of the British Medical Association was brought to my attention. I have undertaken to bear the Association's views in mind.

asked the Minister of Health what response he has had from local health authorities since he asked them to consider whether any further improvements could be made in the distribution arrangements of welfare foods; and what steps he will now take to ensure that there are a sufficient number of centres available, open at suitable hours.

I am satisfied that local health authorities are fully aware of the importance of adequate distribution facilities for Welfare Foods, and that they make sufficient arrangements to meet the needs of mothers in their areas.

asked the Minister of Health the incidence rate of tuberculosis amongst women in the child-bearing age group of 18 to 40 years.

I regret that exact information in this form is not available. The notification rate of tuberculosis in 1957, the latest year for which full information is available, amongst women aged from 20 to 44 years inclusive was 95·4 per 100,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now state the terms of his reply to the Russian Note of 21st March regarding the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Laos.

We have not yet received the reactions of the Soviet Government to our Note of 7th April. As my right hon. and learned Friend said on 8th April, we are not prepared to disclose its contents until those reactions have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) the administrative costs of issuing a passport and of renewing one, respectively;(2) what was the revenue received in the last financial year, or in the latest available period, from issuing and renewing passports; and by how much this exceeded the administrative costs.

Passport officers are required to deal with all types of passport applications. It is not, therefore, possible to differentiate accurately between the cost of issuing a new passport and renewing an old one. The revenue received in the last financial year from the issue and renewal of passports in the United Kingdom was £1,149,797. This exceeded administrative costs in the United Kingdom by approximately £524,000. These figures refer to the United Kingdom only.Passports are, of course, also issued and renewed abroad as one of the functions of our embassies and consulates.The cost of these cannot be computed exactly. but exceeds the overseas revenue by a considerable sum and has risen sharply in recent years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many of the fees listed in the Foreign Service Fees Order, 1959, are higher than those previously charged; and what is the total additional revenue it is expected will accrue therefrom in a full year.

With the exception of the fees for issuing a new passport and for granting a visa which are unchanged, the Foreign Service fees listed have been raised.The answer to the second part of the Question is £200,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the fact that receipts from consular fees and tines are estimated to increase from £375,000 to £475,000 in the current year, why the consular charges on shipping, seamen and matters relating thereto have since been sharply increased under the Foreign Services Fees Order, 1959. No. 537; what previous consultations took place with the shipping interests involved; what protests he has received; and if he will make a statement.

The figure of £475,000 includes the estimated additional revenue from the increases in fees under the Order. Generally speaking, the fees relating to shipping have been increased in the same proportion as the other fees in the Table.The shipping industry were consulted before the Order was made. No protests have been received.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now in a position to make a further statement on the arrangements made with the Government of Spain for reciprocal abolition of visas.

The Spanish Government have informed Her Majesty's Government of their willingness to conclude a visa abolition agreement and we are accordingly consulting the Governments of those dependent territories which we should normally wish to be associated with us in such an agreement. This process will inevitably take some time.Meanwhile, Her Majesty's Embassy at Madrid have been informed that British subjects in possession of a valid British passport may enter and leave Spain without visas provided that the duration of no single visit exceeds three months.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what arrangements for consultation and coordination exist between the British and United States military authorities in Germany with regard to flights of Allied aeroplanes to Berlin.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what official communications took place between him and the competent United States authorities before the high level flights over Berlin last week.

Her Majesty's Government hold the view that Allied aircraft have the right to fly in to Berlin along the air corridors at any altitude. They consider that this right should be exercised from time to time as necessary. It is the responsibility of the individual Allied Governments to decide what orders should be given to the pilots of their aircraft flying along the corridors.Information about flight plans is filed in advance with the Controllers in the Berlin Air Safety Centre. Therefore, no special machinery is required to enable one of the Allied Governments to notify the others of its intention to send aircraft at an altitude over 10,000 feet. Her Majesty's Government's views on these matters are well known to the United States Government.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will ascertain from the Federal German Government to what extent, in preparing their report to him denying the reemployment of former Nazi judges in Hesse and Saarland, investigations were made into the cases of Chief Public Prosecutor Knobloch, Chief Public Prosecutor Quillue, and Senate President Stoelzel, all of Hesse, Senate President Franz Glazer, Senate President Boemmels, and Judge Emmerich, all of Saarland; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what details were given in the report supplied to him by the Federal German Government on the employment of former Nazi judges in Hesse and Saarland of Dr. Otto Scheinsberger, Senior Public Prosecutor in Frankfurt Upper Provincial Court, Hesse; and whether he will make a statement.

These investigations are being carried out by and for the Federal German Government. They have kept us informed generally. We do not, however, ask them to supply details of all the individual investigations which they have carried out or will carry out. I understand that Dr. Schweinsberger had been suspended from duty pending an investigation which is still in progress.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent the Foreign Service Regulations provide for commuting the entire amount of the pension awarded to an officer of Her Majesty's Foreign Service.

The Foreign Service Regulations do not provide for any superannuation awards. These are made in accordance with the terms of the Superannuation Acts, the relevant Treasury minutes or the terms of an officer's engagement, as was explained to my hon. and gallant Friend on 20th March.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, in view of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation Council's approved budget estimate of $896,860 for the year 1959–60, covering the costs of civil and military headquarters, he will state the British contribution to this sum.

The British contribution to the budget of the South-East Treaty Organisation is assessed at 16 per cent. Our share of the total of $896,860 is, therefore, 5143,49760, which is equivalent approximately to £51,250.

asked the Minister of Labour how many miners are now unemployed in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively; and what are his plans for finding employment for them.

Eight hundred and thirty-six in Scotland, 3,598 in England and 1,946 in Wales at 9th March. Of these, about 80 in Scotland, 700 in England and 1,100 in Wales were displaced from collieries closed this year by the National Coal Board, who hope to re-engage a substantial number of the men.My local officers will do their best to help unemployed miners by submitting them to notified vacancies.

asked the Minister of Labour why, despite the drop in the number of registered unemployed during February, the statistics issued by his Department show that there were 25,000 fewer people in employment at the end of that month than at the end of January.

There is normally a drop in February both in the numbers estimated to be in civil employment and registered as unemployed. The numbers in the working population in any month, both employed and unemployed, are affected by normal wastage due to retirements, deaths, marriage, etc., on the one hand, and by the number of new entrants, mainly school leavers, on the other. February I as a small new intake of school-leavers and wastage is likely to be high.

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF THE BURNTISIAND EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AT THE UNDERMENTIONED DATES
Year				March		June		September		December
							Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
1951	…	…	…	22	28	17	22	16	22	21	44
1952	…	…	…	26	58	18	45	22	49	29	59
1953	…	…	…	27	54	21	35	16	39	20	52
1954	…	…	…	20	47	22	26	20	19	18	33
1955	…	…	…	18	31	13	21	17	29	23	34
1956	…	…	…	20	33	16	19	19	27	24	30
1957	…	…	…	69	28	16	9	31	30	35	32
1958	…	…	…	47	48	113	32	44	44	81	54
1959	…	…	…	111	53	—	—	—	—	—	—

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will publish in HANSARD a table giving the monthly figures of registered unemployed in West Ham for each month from January, 1957, until the latest convenient stated date; how these figures compare with a similar period from January, 1949, to January, 1951; and whether he will give similar details for port and dock workers for the periods mentioned.

In the latter part of this Question the hon. Member pre-

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES IN WEST HAM AT THE UNDERMENTIONED DATES
—		1949	1950	1951	1957	1958	1959
January	…	1,747	1,283	1,053	1,213	1,314	2,250
February	…	1,693	1,372	882	1,419	1,619	2,189
March	…	1,483	1,156	883	1,316	1,708	1,900
April	…	1,353	1,203	—	1,264	1,828	—
May	…	1,236	1,270	—	1,260	1,776	—
June	…	1,131	1,094	—	929	1,998	—
July	…	1,066	1,040	—	692	1,485	—
August	…	918	997	—	969	1,484	—
September	…	916	824	—	899	1,561	—
October	…	1,346	1,158	—	1,026	1,811	—
November	…	1,054	1,088	—	1,189	2,063	—
December	…	1,021	944	—	1,138	1,843	—

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the unemployment figures for Burntisland, Fife, in each of the last eight years.

Following are the figures:sumably has in mind registered dock workers for whom no work was available. These men are not registered as unemployed and therefore are not in the unemployment figures already quoted. The number of them is analysed according to groups of docks and no figures are available for West Ham. If the hon. Member would like to have the figures for London Docks as a whole, or for any particular groups of London docks, I will gladly obtain them for him.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what new factors have come to light during his consideration of the representations he has received on the subject of entitlement to unemployment benefit of those who work a 5½day week as against those who work a 5-day week.

If, as I assume, my hon. Friend has in mind the entitlement to unemployment benefit of five and five-and-a-half day week workers who are in employment for part of the week, I do not think that any new factors have come to light as a result of representations.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what would be the cost during the remainder of the current year, and in a full financial year, respectively, of increasing old age pensions by two shillings per week without additional contributions.

The initial cost of an increase of 2s. in retirement pensions, assuming a proportionate increase in the pensions of wives on their husbands' insurance, would be about £26 million in a full financial year, and proportionately less for a shorter period. If corresponding increases were made in other National Insurance industrial injuries and war pension benefits the cost would be about £40 million a year. The cost of any pensions increase would, of course, grow in future years.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if employers' contributions to the National Insurance Fund had been 5 per cent., employees' 3 per cent., and self-employed 8 per cent. for the year 1958, with income as shown on table 2 of Command Paper No. 712 and Exchequer supplement assumed as one-sixth of total contributions, with prevailing interest of £50 million, what would have been the balance if total benefits as stated in Command Paper No. 712, less Health Service and industrial injuries benefits, had been increased by 30 per cent. giving single pensioners £3 5s., and married pensioners £5 4s., other benefits rising in the same proportion.

About £200 million.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will give an estimate of the average annual cost on the present numbers and expenditure if those who receive unemployment and sickness benefits after receiving four weeks' benefit were given an additional payment from the Exchequer which would increase their incomes by 25 per cent., 50 per cent., 75 per cent.. and 100 per cent., respectively.

It is estimated that the annual cost of increasing unemployment and sickness benefits after the first four weeks in the proportions suggested would be about £30 million, £60 million, £90 million and £120 million respectively. These estimates make no provision for corresponding increases for widow or retirement pensioners who may be sick or unemployed.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, as the Government is anxious to increase the spending power of the people, he will take the necessary action to increase all National Insurance benefits, including unemployment benefit and National Assistance grants.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave on the 13th April to the hon. Member for St. Helens (Mr. Spriggs) in reply to similar Questions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations have been received protesting against the renomination of Mr. Ah-Chuen to the Legislative Council of Mauritius, as a representative of the Chinese community; and what decision has been made.

Various representations were made purporting to show that Mr. Ah-Chuen was not well thought of as a nominated Member of Legislative Council. The Governor considered these most carefully, but as Mr. Ah-Chuen had obtained the highest number of votes cast for a Sino-Mauritian candidate in the recent elections and no good grounds had been produced to show that he was unsuitable for the position in Legislative Council which he had held since 1948, the Governor decided to appoint him again.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what undertakings have been given by the Government of Singapore to the members of the Gurkha unit of the Singapore police force about their position under the new constitution for the State of Singapore; and if he will make a statement.

The Chief Minister of Singapore recently informed me of the wish of his Government to give certain undertakings to members of the Gurkha Unit of the Singapore Police Force concerning their position under the new Constitution of Singapore, and these undertakings are set out in an Exchange of Letters between the Chief Minister and myself on behalf of the Government of Singapore and Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. the terms of which are as follows:

"As you are aware, the Government of Singapore, with the agreement and assistance of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and by arrangement with the Government of the Kingdom of Nepal, recruits Gurkhas in Nepal for service in its Police Force.

2. The Gurkha Unit of the Singapore Police Force forms, and will continue to form, an integral part of the internal security arrangements of Singapore, and my Government has recently given consideration to the best means of ensuring that the services of the members of this Unit shall be retained for the future and the strength of the Unit maintained as necessary by further recruitment.

3. I wish now, on behalf of the Govern-men of Singapore to inform you that, in addition to the guarantees of their terms of service and pension rights accorded under sections 117 and 83 respectively of the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958, the Singapore Government guarantees in respect of all members of the Gurkha police unit that under the new Constitution—

(a) their pensions and gratuities will continue to be payable in Nepal at the rate of two shillings and fourpence for each Malayan dollar;

(b) they will be permitted freely to repatriate their savings to Nepal;

(c) upon leaving the service of the Singapore Government arrangements will be made in accordance with the terms of their engagement for their repatriation to Nepal;

(d) they will continue to he commanded by suitable Gurkhali speaking British officers with Army experience so long as they can be found;

(e) while there is no present intention to disband the Unit, so that individual members of it have the expectation of continuous service for the duration of their engagement, compensation terms will be negotiated if at any time in the future it should be decided to disband it, provided that compensation will not be less than that provided for abolition of office in the 1956 Pensions Ordinance.

4. The Government of Singapore is aware that Gurkhas who accept service in the Singapore Police Unit do so in order to satisfy a wish to take service under the Crown, and it recognises that as the Constitution of the State of Singapore provides for a Yang di-Pertuan Negara to be Her Majesty's Representative in Singapore. the character of service in the Singapore Police Unit as service under the Crown will be in no way affected.

5. In giving this guarantee. the Government of Singapore recognises that the various matters which form the subject of it, together with the other conditions of service applicable to members of the Gurkha Police Unit, are essential terms of the contract between the Government and the individual members of the Unit, under which those individuals have undertaken to give their services to the Government of Singapore, and that subsequent variations in that contract can only he made after negotiation with the individuals concerned. The same considerations will, of course, apply to Gurkhas who may in the future be recruited for service with the Singapore Police.

6. In addition, the Government of Singapore, in seeking the approval of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to the terms of this guarantee, acknowledge Her Majesty's Government's responsibility vis-a-vis the Government of Nepal towards the Gurkhas in the employment of the Singapore Government and under the new Constitution its continuing interest in the maintenance of internal security in Singapore and in the efficiency of all organs of the Government of Singapore which are concerned with internal security. It therefore undertakes that it will consult with and seek the agreement of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom upon any matters arising from this letter.

7. I should be grateful if you would confirm that this letter correctly sets out the understandings of our two Governments in this matter. If so, I would suggest that it and your reply should be regarded as placing those understandings on record."

"Thank you for your letter of 11th February. 1959, about the Gurkha Unit of the Singapore Police Force, the terms of which are as follows:—

"As you are aware, the Government of Singapore, with the agreement and assistance of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and by arrangement with the Government of the Kingdom of Nepal, recruits Gurkhas in Nepal for service in its Police Force.

"The Gurkha Unit of the Singapore Police Force forms, and will continue to form, an integral part of the internal security arrangements of Singapore, and my Government has recently given consideration to the best means of ensuring that the services of the members of this Unit shall be retained for the future and the strength of the Unit maintained as necessary by further recruitment.

"I wish now, on behalf of the Government of Singapore to inform you that, in addition to the guarantees of their terms of service and pension rights accorded under sections 117 and 83 respectively of the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958, the Singapore Government guarantees in respect of all members of the Gurkha police unit that under the new Constitution—

(a) their pensions and gratuities will continue to be payable in Nepal at the rate of two shillings and fourpence for each Malayan dollar;

(b) they will be permitted freely to repatriate their savings to Nepal;

(c) upon leaving the service of the Singapore Government arrangements will be made in accordance with the terms of their engagement for their repatriation to Nepal;

(d)they will continue to be commanded by suitable Gurkhali speaking British officers with Army experience so long as they can be found;

(e)while there is no present intention to disband the Unit, so that individual members of it have the expectation of continuous service for the duration of their engagement, compensation terms will be negotiated if at any time in the future it should be decided to disband it, providing that compensation will not be less than that provided for abolition of office in the 195. Pensions Ordinance.

"The Government of Singapore is aware that Gurkhas who accept service in the Singapore Police Unit do so in order to satisfy a wish to take service under the Crown, and it recognises that as the Constitution of the State of Singapore provides for a Yang di-Pertuan Negara to be Her Majesty's Representative in Singapore, the character of service in the Singapore Police Unit as service under the Crown will be in no way affected.

"In giving this guarantee, the Government of Singapore recognises that the various matters which form the subject of it, together with the other conditions of service applicable to members of the Gurkha Police Unit, are essential terms of the contract between the Government and the individual members of the Unit, under which those individuals have undertaken to give their services to the Government of Singapore, and that subsequent variations in that contract can only be made after negotiation with the individuals concerned. The same considerations will, of course, apply to Gurkhas who may in the future be recruited for service with the Singapore Police.

"In addition, the Government of Singapore, in seeking the approval of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to the terms of this guarantee, acknowledge Her Majesty's Government's responsibility vis-a-vis the Government of Nepal towards the Gurkhas in the employment of the Singapore Government and under the new Constitution its continuing interest in the maintenance of internal security in Singapore and in the efficiency of all organs of the Government of Singapore which are concerned with internal security. It therefore undertakes that it will consult with and seek the agreement of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom upon any matters arising from this letter.

"I should be grateful if you would confirm that this letter correctly sets out the understandings of our two Governments in this matter. If so, I would suggest that it and your reply should be regarded as placing those understandings on record."

In reply, I confirm that that letter correctly sets out the understandings on this matter between our two Governments, and I agree that it and this reply should be regarded as placing those understandings on record."

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a statement about constitutional development in the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

My noble Friend has now considered the High Commissioner's recommendations on the resolution adopted by the Joint Advisory Council for the Bechuanaland Protectorate last year. He has asked the High Commissioner to cause the Joint Advisory Council to be informed that he will be happy to consider proposals for the establishment of a Legislative Council for the Protectorate. To this end the Resident Commissioner is being asked to formulate and submit proposals to the High Commissioner, after consultation with the Joint Advisory Committee and consideration of any views submitted by interested persons in the Protectorate. The High Commissioner's recommendations on these proposals will be submitted to my noble Friend in due course.A statement to this effect is being made to the Joint Advisory Council by the Resident Commissioner today.

asked the Minister of Defence to what extent British forces in West Berlin are being provisioned with the help of United States aeroplanes.

Not at all.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware of reports that there is arsenic in the atmosphere in parts of Alperton, Wembley, near the factory of Messrs. Celotex Limited; what information he has about the nature of the fumes emitted front this factory; and what progress is being made with the erection of a chimney to disperse the fumes.

No reports of arsenic have reached my right hon. Friend. I understand from the District Alkali Inspector, who has been giving informal advice, that the trouble seems to be caused by resinous vapours with an acrid smell. I understand that scrubbing the fumes with oil might well answer better than a tall stack, but that both solutions are still being considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the total amount of Income Tax and Surtax received by the Treasury in each of the financial years from 1951 until 1958–59, respectively, for those in receipt of incomes above £2,000 per annum and the standard and Surtax rates of tax for each of these years; what his estimate of revenue from this source will be in the current financial year under his Budget proposals; and what the amount would be in the current year if Income Tax and Surtax for the year 1959–60 were increased to its 1951 level.

Yes. The following are the figures:

A. YIELD AND STANDARD RATE OF TAX
Financial year	Estimated Income Tax and Surtax received by the Treasury from persons with incomes over £2,000 a year	Standard rate of Income Tax
	£ million	s. d.
1951–52	534	9 6
1952–53	543	9 6
1953–54	537	9 0
1954–55	576	9 0
1955–56	592	8 6
1956–57	634	8 6
1957–58	618	8 6
1958–59	642	8 6
1959–60—
(i) at actual rates	622	7 9
(ii) at 1951–52 rates	797	9 6

NOTES:1. The amounts of tax shown are based on Treasury receipts. A proportion of the amount shown for each year was levied on incomes of earlier years.2. The figures shown for 1959–60 are provisional.

B. SURTAX RATES
Slice of Income	Rate of Surtax per £ of income
£000	s. d.
2–2·5	2 0
2–5·3	2 6
3–4	3 6
4–5	4 6
5–6	5 6
6–8	6 6
8–10	7 6
10–12	8 6
12–15	9 6
Over 15	10 0

NOTE: The surtax rates remained as shown throughout the period 1951–52 to 1958–59. In computing the income subject to surtax for 1956–57 and subsequent years, the excess of certain personal allowances due to the taxpayer over the single personal allowance were deductible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the total yield of Purchase Tax, respectively, during the years 1957–58 and 1958–59 and, in the case of each year, the yield of the tax at each of the rates then applicable, and the anticipated yield of each of the rates, respectively, 5 per cent., 12½ per

ESTIMATED YIELDS FROM PURCHASE TAX IN 1957–58, 1958–59 AND 1959–60
Rate of tax	Estimated yield
	1957–58	1958–59	1959–60
Per cent.	£ million	£ million	£ million
5	51	53½	55
10	4	Not operative	Not operative
15	26	39	(12½ per cent.) 40
30	143	164½	(25 per cent.) 154
50	3	Not operative	Not operative
60	238	232	(50 per cent.) 222
90	30	Not operative	Not operative
At former rates (see Note 1)	—	8½	—
TOTAL	495	497½	471
NOTES:
1. As Purchase Tax is payable quarterly in arrear, receipts for a financial year relate to chargeable transactions in the calendar year to the preceding 31st December and include, where rates have been changed in an April Budget, approximately one quarter's receipts at pre-Budget rates. Thus the total receipts for 1958–59 include estimated amounts of £7 million from the 90 per cent. rate, £4 million from the 50 per cent. rate and £1 million from the 10 per cent. rate.
2. As a result of the reform of the tax in the Budget of 1958, the coverage of the four rates operative in 1958–59 was not the same as in the previous year. The only differences in coverage in the 1959–60 estimate are due to abolition of the tax on (a) commercial vehicle chassis (formerly 30 per cent.) and (b) television viewing tubes (formerly 60 per cent.).

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for assistance have been received from Caernarvonshire under the Distribution of Industry (Industrial Finance) Act, 1958; how many have been rejected; and how many approved.

Six firm and eligible applications have been received from Caernarvonshire, of which three have been rejected and one approved.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is yet able to announce the publication of the report of the Douglas Committee which has been inquiring into the prescribing of doctors in the National Health Service in Scotland.

I have arranged for the Report to be published tomorrow, 21st April, and for a copy to be sent to all cent., 25 per cent., and 50 per cent., to contribute to the total budgeted revenue of £471 million in the year 1959–60.

The figures are as follows:general practitioners and hospital doctors in the National Health Service in Scotland. I have the recommendations under detailed examination and some of them will require consultation with the medical profession and other interested bodies.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much has been paid in subsidies to inshore, near and middle water fishing vessels since the inauguration of the subsidies scheme; and how this money has been allocated as between the main fishing ports.

White fish subsidy has been paid since 31st July, 1950, and herring subsidy since 13th May, 1957. To 31st December, 1958, the latest date for which complete figures are available, a total of £19,039,379 had been expended. Of this amount white fish subsidy accounted for £18,375,907 and herring subsidy for £663,472.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what particular action he now intends to take to secure further consideration by the appropriate International Authority of the British Decca navigation system.

The report of the recent I.C.A.O. meeting on navigational aids at Montreal will come before the Air Navigation Commission of I.C.A.O. during its next session beginning April 28th. Before formulating its own recommendations to the Council of I.C.A.O. the Air Navigation Commission seeks the written views of member States.The basis of the U.K. objections to the recommendations of the Montreal meeting will then be restated and the need reasserted for a more objective and thorough approach to the air traffic control problems in areas of high traffic density. We shall emphasise that all the needs of air traffic control, of aircraft operations of all classes, and of pilots, must be comprehensively defined in order to establish complete and true criteria for selecting a short range navigational aid. We shall restress that the selection of the aid to meet those criteria must be completely objective and I shall ensure that other countries are made fully aware of our views and their supporting arguments.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many applicants for driving tests are at present on his Department's list in the Tunbridge Wells area; and what is the average length of time that these applicants have to wait before being given a test.

There are 886 candidates to be tested at the Tunbridge Wells centre. They have been waiting on the average about eleven weeks.