asked the Postmaster-General how many unfulfilled applications there are for telephones in the three counties of Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire and Peebles-shire at the last convenient date.

Ten applications are awaiting the provision of additional plant; 47 are under inquiry or are in course of being met. In the past twelve months 302 telephones were installed.

asked the Postmaster-General why his savings department insist on cheques being endorsed when being paid into a depositor's account.

The rules for the Post Office Savings Bank are in line with those of the Commercial Banks. With few exceptions cheques need not be endorsed if they are credited to the payee's account. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind I shall be glad to look into it.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will restore the post office which used to be in St. Mary's Road, Garston, Liverpool, or, alternatively, establish a sub-post office in this road.

I am sorry, but I should not be justified in taking either of the courses mentioned by my hon. and learned Friend. I understand that the Crown Office recently opened at Speke Road, Garston, is giving good service and the remainder of the area is well served by sub offices.

asked the Postmaster-General why the 3d. stamps especially designed for Wales are not used in the make up of books of stamps for sale in Wales.

The arrangement would mean additional expense which I do not consider would be justified.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that an artificial break was made for advertisements in the play "Parole", screened by Independent Television on Sunday, 19th March, the action being both interrupted and resumed at the climax and during a fight in an inn; that proper breaks in the action could have been used for advertisements a few minutes late; and, as this constitutes a breach of the Television Act, what action he is taking against the Independent Television Authority.

The Independent Television Authority, whose duty it is to secure compliance with the provisions of the Second Schedule of the Television Act, tells me that there was both a significant change of scene and of time between Acts II and III of the play and that in their view the break was a natural one.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that, despite its own rules forbidding advertisements which make medical claims from showing medical, nursing or similar professional people as recommending their product, the Independent Television Authority is screening an advertisement for a particular form of bread recommended for slimming by such a person; and, as the Authority is failing to enforce its own rules in this way, whether he will make regulations under Section 4 (4) of the Television Act to prevent the showing of such advertisements.

Those rules to which the hon. Member refers relate to the advertising of medicines, treatments and products which are claimed to promote health or to be beneficial in illness. The bread in question is not a medicine or treatment. The Authority is, however, already looking into the presentation of this type of advertisement.

asked the Postmaster-General when the British Broadcasting Corporation's plans for very high frequency radio and television for the West Highlands and, particularly, the western seaboard of Ross-shire will be implemented.

The B.B.C.'s plans for extending their VHF sound and television coverages are still being considered. I cannot yet say what will be possible for particular areas or when the plans will be implemented.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many National Service men in any one year, passed as Grade I by a medical board and certified in that grading by the Army medical authorities on beginning their service, have reported sick within one to seven days of the Army medical examination and have later been discharged from the Army as unfit for further service.

The only figures available are those which I gave on 29th April in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Mr. Nabarro).

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Civil Trust, in undertaking the task of removing unsightly structures which disfigure the countryside and for which there is no further use, find it difficult to remove some derelict military buildings without the use of explosives; and whether he will instruct units of the Regular and Territorial Army to assist in this task where practicable.

There is general provision made for the Royal Engineers to help public authorities and others, subject to rules which include safeguards for the public, for the military authorities and for civil firms who might otherwise have been employed.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers fainted at tile recent ceremonial parade at Hamilton Barracks; and what were the reasons.

This was a T.A. ceremony held in severe weather. 140 men were on parade. One fainted and twelve others were allowed to leave the parade because of indisposition.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is now prepared to extend to other parts of the country the experiment begun in the London traffic area of imposing a 40 mile per hour speed limit on defined sections of road.

Before the 40 m.p.h. speed limit can be extended outside the London Traffic Area I am required by the Road Traffic Act, 1956, to report to Parliament the views of the Departmental Road Safety Committee on the results of the London experiment. These results are now being analysed; I cannot yet say when I shall be in a position to report to Parliament.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to give permission for the completion of the inner circuit road, the delay of which is causing loss of revenue to the Bristol City Council; and whether he will give urgent consideration to this matter. as it prevents the development of the central shopping area which was planned some years ago.

I regret that we cannot include the next stage of this road in our programme at present. Our information is that only a small part of the proposed development is affected. This is on the line of a new road, only recently completed, which forms a temporary connection with the first stages of the inner circuit road.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will now announce the starting date for the Tyne Tunnel.

Some aspects of the scheme have still to be settled and I cannot yet say when constructional work will be started.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many varieties of white-line markings will be on the trunk roads after 12th May; and what steps he is taking to ensure that they are recognised and understood.

Under the new marking scheme there will be double lines, warning lines, and lane lines. Some of the old warning and lane lines will remain for the time being. Full publicity has been given to the significance of the new markings.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether all non-standard and unauthorised local markings have now been removed from trunk roads.

The programme for removing non-standard markings from trunk roads under the double white line system is being completed this week.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects work to start on the improvement of the sharp bends in Hatfield, near Doncaster.

Work at Ash Hill Corner will start within the next two months. At the Ingram Arms and Leylands Corner, the time when work can be started depends on when the necessary land can be acquired.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress has been made with the preparations for the trunk road improvement scheme from London Road to Milehouse Lane in Newcastle-under-Lyme; and if he is now in a position to fix a date for starting this scheme.

The agent authority, the Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, has completed its proposals for the side road Orders except in two cases which it is considering further with the local planning authority and the Divisional Road Engineer. This trunk road improvement scheme is bound up with the town planning problems of the Borough and I am not yet able to give a date for its authorisation.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many accidents have occurred at Deadman's Hill, Harrow Road, Wembley, in the last 10 years; how many people have been killed and injured there; and what plans he has for making the road safe at this point.

Since the beginning of 1951, the earliest date for which figures are available, there have been 54 accidents involving personal injury; four people have been killed and 86 injured. The Middlesex County Council are the highway authority for this road and they are responsible for its future planning.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in view of the fact that the need for the south orbital road for London is continually being accentuated by the increase in traffic, he will advance the date when a start will be made on its construction.

I am well aware of the merits of this project, but because of more urgent schemes which must take precedence it is too early to say when it can be authorised. It will, however, be kept in mind as the road programme develops.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what reports have been received by his Department about pollution of the coasts of south-west England by oil in recent weeks; and what evidence there is to show the source of such pollution.

I regret that in the past few weeks there have been some new cases of pollution. Reports have been received of oil pollution of beaches at Teignmouth, Torquay, Bigbury-on-Sea, Port Isaac and Portreath, and the coast from Penzance to Lands End. Samples of the oil are being analysed to see if the source can be traced, but the results are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will state the number of masters or owners of ships fined for offences under the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1955, since it came into operation, and the range of fines.

Between 8th September, 1956, the date the Oil in Navigable Waters Act, 1955, came into force and 31st December, 1958, the latest date at which figures are available, there have been 92 convictions under the Act. The fines imposed ranged from £20 to £900.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what further action he proposes to take to secure ratification by the United States of America of the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954.

I think that this matter can most profitably be pursued by means of informal discussions with the United States authorities. I hope that favourable opportunities for such discussions w ill occur before long.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what reply he has sent to the letter addressed to him by the Secretary of the Tyneside Chamber of Commerce regarding the replacement of the "Queen" liners.

The letter was acknowledged on 27th April and a reply was sent on 29th April informing the Secretary that the terms of the Chamber's resolution would be borne in mind and drawing his attention to the Answer I gave on this subject to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Dame Irene Ward) and the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Cronin) on 21st April.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will consider reducing freight charges on internal routes to a level which will enable more freight traffic to be sent by manufacturers who wish to send their goods by air but are unable to pay the present rates.

No. Sir; this is a matter for the airlines, which have to consider the cost of operating aircraft as well as the potential traffic when fixing freight charges. I understand. however, that the airlines are always prepared to offer reduced charges for specific commodities if there is evidence of a sufficient and regular demand.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that inconvenience and loss are caused to travellers from Aberdeen to London by the unsuitability of the airports at Edinburgh and Glasgow since such travellers are obliged to waste considerable time there waiting for connections; and if he will take steps to rectify this.

Airline schedules are entirely a matter for the operators, but I am not aware of any long delays or of any unsuitability in the facilities at those airports which might tend to create delay on this service.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) why he has curtailed the number of flights from Liverpool to Palma permitted to private operators, in view of the demand for such services over recent years; why he has permitted British European Airways to increase the number of their flights on this route; and whether he will review his decision;(2) why he has curtailed the number of flights from Liverpool to Biarritz permitted to private operators, in view of the demand for such services over recent years; why he has permitted British European Airways to increase the number of their flights on this route; and whether he will review his decision.

Applications for services of this nature from independent operators are decided in the light of the advice of the Air Transport Advisory Council, and if an operator wishes his application to be reconsidered he should resubmit it through the A.T.A.C. In reaching their recommendations the Council must take account of the interests of other parties, including other independent operators as well as B.E.A. It is therefore not always possible to approve applications in full.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what fresh evidence on the Munich crash has become available to him; and if action has been taken in accordance with Annex 13, Chapter V, paragraphs 5 to 9, of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

I have received three letters from Captain Thain and three from the British Airline Pilots Association making representations about the Munich accident. The Chief Inspector of Accidents has also received a letter from Captain Thain requesting that it should be forwarded to the German Authorities. This has been done. Under paragraph 5.9 of Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, it is for the German Authorities to decide whether the new evidence put forward by Captain Thain justifies reopening of their inquiry.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent, in his independent review of the circumstances of the Munich air crash, he will take into account the relevant inquiries conducted by British European Airways.

Until I have finally settled the arrangements for the independent review, I cannot say what matters it may be relevant or proper for it to take into account. I must point out, however, that any inquiries conducted by B.E.A. are the domestic concern of the Corporation.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware that the closing down of rural omnibus services in Lincolnshire is causing great hardship to village people; and if he will set up a committee to investigate all the aspects of rural transport and so help to retard the drift of population from the smaller villages to the towns.

I know that bus operators in Lincolnshire and elsewhere have been forced to withdraw some of their uneconomic services, and I very much hope that the reduction in vehicle tax will help substantially to arrest the decline. I fully realise the difficulties of those who are left without other means of transport, and I will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give figures showing the percentage of each type of motor vehicle involved in road accidents during the past twelve months; and if he will, in future, break down the particulars as he has done in respect of road accidents to show the percentage of private cars, lorries, horses, mail vans, newspaper vans, cyclists and motor cycles involved.

The percentages of types of motor vehicle involved in road accidents resulting in personal injury in 1958 were: mopeds, 1; motor cycles, 21; cars and taxis, 39; buses and coaches, 6; light goods vehicles, 14; heavy goods vehicles, 3. In future, there will be information in greater detail about types of vehicle, but none about particular types of van nor about horses.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what report he has received on the technical and economic studies now in hand on the Channel tunnel project; and if he will make a statement.

I have kept in touch with the work of the Channel Tunnel Study Group and I have seen the reports which it has published from time to time. The British Channel Tunnel Company has a substantial interest in the work of the group and the Government are satisfied that this country will be adequately represented by the company in any projects that may be put forward.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what official investigations are proceeding into the possibility of producing an atomic powered motor vehicle.

I am advised that the technology of atomic power has not yet reached the stage when application to the propulsion of motor vehicles would be a practical or economic proposition. The answer to the hon. Member's Question is, therefore, "None".

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to receive the report of the appropriate Users' Consultative Committee regarding the appeal by local authorities and other bodies against the design of coaches which the British Transpor: Commission propose to introduce on the Metropolitan line service to Amersham.

The London Area Transport Users' Consultative Committee has started its inquiries and is pursuing them as quickly as possible. When they are complete, the Committee's conclusions will be forwarded to the Central Transport Consultative Committee, who can make a recommendation to me.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what recommendation he has received from the Central Transport Consultative Committee regarding the future of the main line between Leeds and Carlisle; and if he will make a statement.

None. I am informed that the British Transport Commission has put no proposals to the Area Transport Users' Consultative Committees regarding the future of this line.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he is aware that long-playing records of speeches and songs of Nazi Germany, carrying pictures of swastikas and a picture of Hitler and other Nazi leaders at a rally, with recorded speeches of Hitler, Goebbels, and Goering, are now circulating freely in Western Germany; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that these records are not sold to British Service men in Germany.

I am aware of this. I do not see that any action is called for.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the present number of unemployed in the Wednesbury constituency, and the comparative number on the corresponding date in 1951.

Nine hundred and ninety-one on 13th April, 1959, including 323 temporarily stopped, and 126, including 9 temporarily stopped, on 16th April, 1951.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of disabled persons registered for employment at his Department's employment exchanges in April of this year; and what were the comparative figures for April, 1958.

The number of unemployed disabled persons registered at employment exchanges on 20th April was 59,671, compared with 52,061 in April, 1958.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of unemployed registered in the radio and aircraft industry in April of this year; and what were the comparative figures for April of 1958.

The Table below gives the information desired.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will make a statement on the proposed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's airbase in the west of Scotland.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Naval Air Station at Machrihanish which my predecessor told the House on 21st November, 1956, was being considered as a N.A.T.O. airfield. It has now been decided to go ahead with development. The preparatory work has now reached the stage where planning clearance has been given and the Admiralty have approached landowners about the land which has to be acquired for the development.The main features of the development will be the extension of the main runway in an easterly direction, the construction of a jetty at Campbeltown, and the construction of a tow road skirting Campbeltown for taking aircraft from the jetty to the airfield.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will give orders that a post mortem examination shall be made and an inquest held in every case following the death of a prisoner in Kenya whether an inmate of a camp for detainees or held in a prison.

Under Section 386 of the Criminal Procedure Code, when any person, whether a prisoner or a detainee, dies while in the custody of a prisons officer, the nearest magistrate is required to hold an inquiry into the cause of death. He is also given discretion to order a post mortem examination to be held.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give a list of the various subsidies paid to sections of the agricultural, horticultural, and forestry industries, with the amount in each case paid during the last complete financial year.

The following are particulars of the latest estimates of subsidies paid during the financial year 1958–59 to agricultural and forestry industries in the United Kingdom for which provisions were made in the Civil Estimates, Class VIII, Votes 2, 10 and 11. No subsidy was paid exclusively to horticulture but a number of the farming grants and subsidies, such as those for water supply, fertilisers and lime, cover horticulture as well as agriculture.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that unusually large quantities of Sicilian concentrated orange juice are currently being imported into this country at prices well below those of comparable products of other Mediterranean countries, and that the price of orange juice in Sicily is twice that of oranges in Israel and Spain; and, in view of widespread doubts as to the purity of such Sicilian juice, whether he will make a statement on its quality.

I am aware that there has been a considerable increase in imports of Sicilian concentrated orange juice and that the average value of imports from Italy is well below that of imports from Spain and Israel. The authorities concerned are investigating the nature and description of the Sicilian juice and we must await the outcome of these enquiries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total amount of grants, subsidies and other financial assistance provided by the Government during the current financial year to privately-owned industry, including agriculture.

Exact figures cannot be obtained without undue expenditure of time and labour; but the figures below give the major items so far provided for in the current year's Estimates. The figures cover assistance by way of actual payment only; and no attempt has been made to evaluate the net benefit to private industry as the result of various Government services, e.g., services in Development Areas and the work of the Research Councils and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

asked the Minister of Education whether, in view of the number of cookery classes in Government-aided schools, he will issue a pamphlet indicating both the cheaper and more expensive joints of meat that can be obtained, and instructions as to how to cook them.

The information is given in "The ABC of Cookery", the fifth edition of which was issued by H.M. Stationery Office in 1954 on behalf of the Ministry of Food and is widely used in schools. I understand that the future of this publication is being considered by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

asked the Minister of Supply what percentage of orders placed by his Department with private enterprise, in the last twelve months to the most convenient date for computation, were placed with firms carrying on business in areas scheduled for industrial assistance.

The form of my Department's records does not enable me to furnish the information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he expects the Foreign Office representative in Cairo to be given the necessary facilities by the Egyptian Government for conducting his mission in order to implement the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian financial Agreement.

The Egyptian Government have stated that they agree to receive a British Mission, to be entitled "Commission for British Property in the Egyptian Region", and that Mr. Crowe may be assisted by a staff of fourteen in order to enable him to carry out his work relating to the financial Agreement. For the rest, the Swiss Government will continue to be in charge of British interests in Egypt and Mr. Crowe will co-operate closely with the Swiss Embassy. The issue of the first batch of visas for the Mission has already been approved and the first party will be leaving for Egypt in the immediate future.