asked the Minister of Labour the number of men declared redundant on the closing of the Gateshead Locomotive Works; how many are still unemployed; and what steps are being taken to find them other employment.

Forty-one men were discharged when the works closed in March and 10 of them remain unemployed. My local officers are making every effort to place them in suitable jobs.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of building and civil engineering workers unemployed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Tyneside, respectively, at the latest available date.

The figures for April will soon be available and I will then write to the hon. Member.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty how many shipbuilding orders placed with shipyards in the North-East have been cancelled during the first quarter of 1959.

Three licences totalling approximately 18,000 gross tons.

asked the Postmaster-General how many postmen are employed regularly at Liphook Post Office; how many deliveries there are per day; what is the daily distance covered by each postman; and what means of locomotion is provided for them.

Ten postmen are employed. Except in outlying places which get one delivery a day, there are two deliveries daily Monday to Friday, with one on Saturday.

asked the Postmaster-General the estimated cost to his Department of allowing all old-age pensioners to claim a free radio-television licence on production of their pension book; and whether he will consider adopting this practice.

So far as can be estimated, the cost in licence fees would be from £3 to £6 million a year, depending on how many households included old-age pensioners, and how many of them had television sets. These costs would not fall on the Post Office but would have to be made up by the general body of television licence holders. If the £1 duty payable on the issue of a television licence were also not charged, there would also be a loss to the Exchequer.The Answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will represent to the United States authorities the difficulties of rescuing by helicopter American airmen wrecked in the sea, in view of the fact that such pilots are attached to their dinghies by ropes and consequently the weight is too heavy to allow the helicopter to rise.

Our investigation into the accident which the hon. Member has in mind is not yet complete. Measures to overcome the difficulties which were experienced will need to be considered in the light of the findings.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what special provision he makes for welfare facilities for members of the Royal Air Force stationed at Woomera, South Australia.

We share the facilities which have been provided for the Royal Australian Air Force. These include two cinemas, a competition size swimming pool, a golf course and football and cricket pitches. A new airmen's club is about to be built.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to receive advice from the London Travel Committee on the contribution which the proposed Victoria tube would make to the relief of traffic congestion in London.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what advice he has received from the London Travel Committee regarding the relief of overcrowding and improvement of conditions which the proposed Victoria line would bring to those who travel between Central London and such stations as Hainault, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, Loughton, Debden, Blake Hall, and Ongar.

I cannot at present add to what my right hon. Friend said on 18th March, that the Committee is pressing ahead urgently with its study, but that it must be allowed sufficient time.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what measure of radioactive contamination has been found on the Comet and other high-flying aircraft.

As explained by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal on behalf of the Prime Minister on 24th March, no regular monitoring of aircraft is carried out because the measures taken in the past have suggested that this is unnecessary. Spot checks on Comet 4 aircraft, which are currently the only high-flying British civil aircraft, show no significant indication of radioactivity.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what communication he has addressed to the captain of the aircraft involved in the accident at Munich, with regard to the withdrawal or otherwise of his pilot's licence.

A letter was sent to Captain Thain on 12th March, 1959, saying that in the event of his applying for a renewal of his licence my right hon. Friend had in mind to withhold renewal for a suitable period. The letter also said that before coming to a final decision we would consider any representations he might wish to make.Captain Thain has now made representations in writing. My right hon. Friend has decided that these shall be independently reviewed and he will make his decision in the light of that review.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has yet come to a decision about the type of rest and refreshment facilities that will be available in the service areas on the motorways.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which was given to my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Mr. Gresham Cooke) on 15th April.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent it is his policy to use home-grown timber in the fencing of new motorways built under his auspices.

We have carefully reexamined the matter and in future homegrown timber will be used whenever possible.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what is his policy for licensing solus or multi-brand operation of filling stations on the new motorways.

On the London—Birmingham motorway filling stations will be permitted only at selected service areas, of which two are to be developed initially.We are requiring developers to provide a filling station with not less than 12 pumps on each half-site. Tenderers are asked to state what allocation of pumps they propose as we regard it is most important that drivers should have a reasonable choice of brands.The policy on other motorways will be determined in the light of experience.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what steps he takes to associate experts in landscape treatment with the planning of major road developments in order to achieve the best possible relationship between new highways and the landscape through which they pass.

The Advisory Committee on the Landscape Treatment of Trunk Roads advise us on such matters concerning motorways and trunk roads, and their expert advice is invaluable. In addition, the Royal Fine Art Commission are most helpful, particularly in relation to the design of bridges on these roads.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement about a further provision of pedestrian signals, "Cross Now," and, "Don't Cross," on traffic signals at cross-roads.

We approve the installation of this type of pedestrian signal wherever circumstances justify, but we have to weigh the benefit to pedestrians against the added delays to all other forms of traffic.

asked the Minister of Defence to what extent the reduction of forces overseas has improved the balance of payments position since 1956–57.

I have been asked to reply.The reduction of forces overseas has, to a large extent, offset the increased liability of Her Majesty's Government for the local cost of British forces stationed in Germany.

asked the Minister of Defence how the total of defence expenditure for 1959–60 compares in real terms with that envisaged under the rearmament programme of 1950 equivalent to £4,700 million over three years or about £1,570 million a year, taking into account increases in pay, wages, and prices.

I have been asked to reply.The net Defence Estimates for 1959–60 amount to £1,502 million. This is the equivalent of about £1,000 million, at 1950 prices.

asked the Minister of Defence what percentage of the gross national product is now absorbed by defence; and how this compares with two years ago.

I have been asked to reply.Defence expenditure for 1958–59 is expected to absorb about 7·5 per cent. of the gross national product as compared with about 8·4 per cent. in 1956–57. This represents a reduction of about 11 per cent. during the past two years.

asked the Minister of Defence how many of the landing ships, tanks, which are immediately available for operational use are in the hands of the Royal Navy, the Army and civilian authorities, respectively.

Of the L.S.T.s immediately available for operational use, five are manned and operated by the Royal Navy, and 11, which are civilian manned, are operated by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation on behalf of the War Office.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will add to the forces east of Suez one or more landing ships, tanks, manned by naval personnel and capable of the same speed as the commando carrier, so as to provide a proper balance in the combined striking force.

No L.S.T. would be capable of the same speed as the commando carrier.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the fees charged for passports and their renewal before the war and list all subsequent changes giving the charges and dates of the changes in each case.

The fee for the issue of a new passport was increased on 1st May, 1920, from 5s. to 7s. 6d.: on 9th November, 1931, from 7s. 6d. to 15s.; on 1st April, 1952, from 15s. to £1; and on 2nd July, 1956, from £1 to £1 10s.The fee for the renewal of a passport was increased on 9th November, 1931, from 1s. to 2s. for each year; and on 1st April, 1959, from 10s. to £1 for five years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now reduce the extra charge for new passports imposed in 1957 during a period of temporary financial stringency, in view of the improved financial situation now prevailing.

No.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance under what regulations made by him steel workers, who are employed four days a week and earn £14 a week, are entitled to draw unemployment pay for two days a week; and if he will make a statement.

As Unemployment Benefit is, under the National Insurance Acts, a contributory benefit payable as of right in respect of contributions paid, the workers concerned are, if they satisfy the conditions of eligibility, entitled to benefit in respect of days of unemployment without regard to the other considerations mentioned in my hon. Friend's Question.

the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will now reconsider the complaints he has had about the cement dust and fumes coming from the cement works at Pitstone, Leighton Buzzard; and what are the prospects of this nuisance being abated in the near future.

These works are complying with the requirements of the Alkali Act, but at times there is a tendency for fine dust in the stack gases to form into little blobs and fall out locally. The Alkali Inspectorate is giving close attention to this, but I fear that an immediate improvement is not likely.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total amount of Entertainments Duty collected from cinemas since the inception of the tax.

I regret that the information is not available, since for the first twenty years of the Entertainments Duty receipts were not analysed between the various types of entertainment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what number of outbreaks of brucellosis melitensis have occurred since the Brucellosis Melitensis Order, 1940; in how many cases slaughter was ordered; what was the last occasion such an order was made; and what was the number of animals involved in each of the cases.

Including the one originally discovered in May, 1940, 62 cases of brucellosis melitensis have been con- firmed to date. Compulsory slaughter took place on 41 occasions. On the first two occasions the affected animals, and those that had been in contact with them, were slaughtered. Since early in 1942 the general policy was to slaughter only

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether an effective vaccine is now available in this country for the inoculation of cows against brucellosis melitensis.

There is no vaccine available here, nor do I know of any available abroad, specifically for the protection of cattle against infection with brucellosis melitensis.

asked the Minister of Education (1) in respect of how many of each type of denominational school, primary, secondary, grammar and technical, respectively, and distinguishing Church of England and Roman Catholic schools, permission to build has been granted, but no building has yet, commenced; and how many new places such new schools will, respectively, provide;

Up-to-date returns are now being received and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as the figures are available.

asked the Paymaster General how many appeals have been made to the Midlands Electricity Consultative Council in the past two years to the most convenient date; and in how many cases the Council has given a decision in support of the user against the decision of the Electricty Board.

I am obtaining the information and will write to my hon. Friend.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why four months elapsed before a decision could he made on the case of a former porter in the Medical Department, British Guiana, whose name has already been supplied to him by the hon. Member for Openshaw.

I assume that the Question refers to the memorial, dated the 25th June, 1958, submitted to me on behalf of the person in question by the Federation of Unions of Government Employees, British Guiana. The memorial reached me on the 20th August, 1958, and my reply was sent through the Governor on the 25th November, 1958. Action was not as prompt as I should have liked, but appeals in disciplinary cases take some time to consider owing to the need for careful investigation of the facts and for full consideration of the grounds on which the appeal is based before a decision can be given.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what opportunities were given to a former porter in the Medical Department, British Guiana, whose name has already been supplied to him by the hon. Member for Gateshead, West, to reply to certain charges preferred against him by the Director of Medical Services on 22nd November, 1956.

The person in question was given eight days within which to submit a statement in writing, showing reason why he should not be dismissed from the public service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provisions exist for Government employees in British Guiana who are charged with offences under the disciplinary codes to be informed in writing of the detailed nature of the charges and to reply in writing to such charges.

The British Guiana Regulations provide that if disciplinary action with a view to dismissal is decided upon the Head of Department shall prepare charges which will be communicated in writing to the officer, who will be called upon to state in writing, within a given time, any grounds on which he may rely to exculpate himself; and that if action for dismissal is not decided upon the form of the investigation to be made shall be in accordance with the Governor's directions, but that, generally speaking, the same procedure shall be followed as when dismissal is contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the result of an appeal against her dismissal, lodged on 28th June, 1957, by a former supervisor of the School Feeding Scheme, British Guiana, whose name has already been supplied to him by the hon. Member for Gateshead, West, was not communicated to the appellant until 4th January, 1958.

I assume that the Question refers to a letter, dated the 28th June, 1957, addressed to the Chief Secretary, British Guiana, by the lady in question after she had been given one month's notice of termination of appointment. I am informed that her appeal to the Chief Secretary was unsuccessful, but I do not know the date of his reply. I am consulting the Governor of British Guiana and will write to the hon. Member as soon as I have the information he wants.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will place in the Library a copy of the proceedings at the trial of Miss Grace Kahumbe in Nyasaland last month.

The Governor is providing a copy of the proceedings, and when it arrives I will place it in the Library.