asked the Minister of Works what funds he will make available for work at the stone circle at Avebury during the summer months; and if he will make a statement of his intentions with regard to this important site.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind the avenue of stones known as the West Kennet Avenue. Work here is complete and consequently only normal maintenance and grass cutting is envisaged.For Avebury as a whole, the Ancient Monuments Board for England has recently made certain recommendations in its Report for 1958, which will be laid before the House shortly. Limited excavations are recommended for the present, further work depending on the outcome of these and on a fresh review of the results of earlier work.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the cost of maintaining Scottish Special Housing Association houses standing empty at Douglas and Douglas, West, in the county of Lanark.

The normal annual cost of maintaining the Association's houses at Douglas, whether empty or occupied, is between £3 and £4 per year. As stated in my reply of 5th May, the Association does not own any houses at Douglas West.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the increasing value and importance of the work being done by the Scottish Old People's Welfare Committee, he will now consider an increase in their annual grant.

The Committee, whose good work my right hon. Friend is glad to have this opportunity of acknowledging, are, he understands, seeking the additional income they require from other sources.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the present unsatisfactory conditions for the fishing industries at Mallaig Harbour; and what steps is he taking to improve matters.

My right hon. Friend is aware that the fishing industry is faced with certain difficulties at Mallaig and he has asked the Highlands Panel to examine the position in consultation with the interests concerned and to report to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make regulations insisting that all fishing boats should have their registration numbers clearly visible from the air; and if he will take the Royal Air Force to assist the Royal Navy in Fishery Protection work.

The display of registration numbers by fishing boats is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, who is being consulted. The Royal Air Force have on occasion given assistance to the Fishery Protection vessels of the Scottish Home Department and the Royal Navy. My right hon. Friend will keep in mind the possibility of further use of aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many schools in Scotland provide full secondary courses of education for deaf children.

Nine Scottish schools attended by deaf children up to age 16 provide courses on junior secondary lines. As the number of deaf children able to benefit from senior secondary education is not sufficient to justify the establishment of a suitable school in Scotland, such children are provided for at two schools in England approved for the purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about recent acquisitions by the National Galleries of Scotland.

The Trustees for the National Galleries of Scotland recently learned that Mr. Christopher Loyd was willing Ito sell three panels by Gerard David, an early Flemish painter, representing scenes from the life of St. Nicholas. The early Netherlandish section is by far the weakest part of the Scottish national collection and opportunities of strengthening it are very rare; indeed, it is unlikely that the Trustees will ever have another chance of acquiring from a British collection a work of the high quality of these panels. The Trustees therefore decided to seek Exchequer help towards the purchase.The price of the panels is £52,000. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has agreed, subject to the approval of Parliament, to make an Exchequer Grant of £30,000 towards this sum. The National Art Collections Fund have generously offered to contribute £5,000 and the remainder will he contributed by the Trustees from their own resources. A supplementary estimate will be laid before the House in the summer and in The meantime the money will be advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund.

asked the Prime Minister what reply he has forwarded in response to a communication from the borough of Gateshead regarding the growing unemployment in the shipbuilding industry on Tyneside and the building and equipping of the replacement of the "Queen" liners.

The letter from the Town Clerk of Gateshead was acknowledged and he was informed that the views of the Council had been noted.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent it is calculated that the average amount of radiation to which man is exposed from natural sources, from man-made radiations such as X-rays, etc., and from fall-out from nuclear weapon tests, respectively, applies equally to each individual person; and if he will give figures indicating the reasonable range over which radiation from these three sources may vary in individual cases.

The range over which radiation from natural sources and from fall-out from nuclear weapon tests may vary in individual cases in the United Kingdom is of a small order. On the other hand, the doses of radiation from medical diagnostic and therapeutic X-rays given to individuals vary through a range many hundreds of times greater according to individual circumstances.

asked the Prime Minister what is the change in the rate of increase, as against the actual increase, in radiation over the last two years.

Except over a period of many months it is difficult to estimate precisely either the actual change in total radiation experienced by the population or the rate of change. Radiation from natural sources has no doubt been constant. That from medical and other similar uses may even have fallen. That from nuclear tests has doubled. Again, to get the picture of the relative causes of radiation into perspective, I would remind the House that, as regards the genetic dangers, the ratios are still of the order of 100, 22 and between 1 and 2, respectively.

asked the Prime Minister if he is aware that a large increase in caesium 137 has been reported by scientists in dried milk from all areas in Great Britain in June, 1958, associated with larger fall-out; and if he will bring his report up to date.

Paragraph 15 of my statement of 28th April referred to caesium 137. I am aware that its deposition has increased. I will advise the House further as and when more scientific data become available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in his discussions with local authorities and other interests on the proposed improvements in public service pensions, he will include the nationalised industries.

No. Any improvement of pensions of former employees of industries now nationalised is primarily a matter for the Boards concerned.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will restore the value of the tourist allowance to approximately the same purchasing power as it had in France and Switzerland in 1946, when it was fixed at £75, by raising it from £100 to £125 for the year beginning October next.

I cannot yet make a statement about the travel allowance for the next tourist year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he has now considered the letter from the Town Clerk of Newcastle-under-Lyme concerning the promised mineral valuer's report on George Street, sent to him by the honourable Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme on 1st May; and if he will now take steps to assist the council to speed up consideration of the erection of flats on this site.

I am informed that the mineral valuer has now sent a letter to the Town Clerk confirming that he is unable to recommend in favour of the Council's proposals for building flats of nine or more storeys.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what request he has had from the Rugby Rural District Council regarding the purchase of the Admiralty Gunnery Equipment Sub-Depot, Rugby Road, Binley, as a site for light industry; and whether he has yet made a decision in the matter.

The council has inquired whether my right. hon. Friend would be likely to give it consent under Section 40 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, to acquire this site. He is awaiting a reply to a letter sent to the council on 6th March asking for certain additional information about the project.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has yet received an application by or on behalf of the Reading Borough Council for loan sanction for the purpose of providing a swimming pool.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what official investigation Sir Arton Wilson is making into the problems associated with the parking of non-residential caravans in front-gardens and on forecourts.

Sir Arton Wilson's investigation is concerned solely with the problems which arise in connection with caravans used as residential accommodation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware of a proposal to establish a scrap-metal dump and breakers' yard on British Railway property at Warren Hill station. Newmarket, near the Bury road; and if British Railways have as yet applied for permission from the local planning authority.

I was not aware of this proposal. I am making inquiries and will write to my hon. Friend about it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many local authorities received Circular 26/59, dealing with colliery spoil heaps; and what indication, to date, he has received of their response.

734 local authorities received the circular. I have not yet received information from recipients of the circular, but it is a little early to expect any.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action he proposes to take with regard to an inquiry into housing standards, with particular reference to private houses of less than the minimum standard for local authority dwellings.

At my request a subcommittee of the Central Housing Advisory Committee has recently started to make a review of housing standards. This will cover privately-built houses as well as houses provided by public authorities. The task is a large and difficult one, and will take time to complete.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects to publish the annual Digest of Welsh Statistics.

I am arranging for the Digest of Welsh Statistics for 1958 to be published on 14th May. Formerly, the Digest has appeared at about the same time as the Report on Developments and Government Action in Wales and Monmouthshire. The Report is now published much sooner after the end of the review period, and before full statistics for the period are available. In future, therefore, there is bound to be an interval of time between the publication of the two documents, but the Digest will contain a more comprehensive and informative statistical record than hitherto.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what further criminal proceedings are being taken by the Attorney-General of Kenya arising out of the case of Samuel Githu.

No decision in this matter can be taken by the Attorney-General of Kenya until he has studied the transcript of the record of proceedings in the case against Samuel Githu, which is now being prepared.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) how many district officers in the last five years have been appointed as magistrates of the Northern Rhodesian Subordinate Courts of the 3rd class before they have passed their Civil Service law examinations;(2) how many cadets of the provincial administration have been appointed magistrates of the Northern Rhodesian Subordinate Courts of the 4th class before they have passed their law examinations;(3) how many resident magistrates appointed in Northern Rhodesia have passed no language examination in any Northern Rhodesian vernacular.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 28th April, 1959; Vol. 604, c. 107], supplied the following information:All District Officers are entitled to hold third class courts on confirmation of their appointment which is normally after two years' service. They are required to pass the Civil Service law examination within six years of first appointment. Thirty-six have held court before passing the examination.Five cadets were appointed to hold fourth class courts before passing their law examinations: such appointments are normally made between twelve and eighteen months after the cadet's first appointment.Fourteen Resident Magistrates have passed no language examination in an African vernacular.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the qualifications required for the teaching staff at the Natural Resources Training School, Tengeru, Tanganyika; the nature of the courses; the average attendance of students; and the cost of running this establishment.

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 28th April, 1959; Vol. 604, c. 107], supplied the following information:The teaching staff of the Natural Resources Training School comprises a principal, who is required to hold both a degree and a recognised teaching qualification; masters, who are not necessarily graduates but have teaching diplomas; teachers, holding the teachers certificates of the Tanganyika Department of Education; and technical instructors, holding licences to teach handwork subjects. In addition officers from various levels of the Agriculture, Veterinary, Forest and Social Development Departments are seconded for instructional work and these hold the qualifications appropriate to their substantive appointments.The following courses are provided:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations have been made to him or to the Governor of Cyprus regarding the introduction of commercial broadcasting in Cyprus; and what action it is proposed to take.

The Governor has received representations from the Cypriot Newspapers against commercial broadcasting. He has met their delegation and invited them to consider the question of commercial broadcasting against the wider background of the future of broadcasting services in the island. Their representations will be considered by the Joint Council composed of the Executive Council and the Transitional Committee.The Bill establishing the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation was published on 24th July last year, giving the Corporation power to accept commercial advertising. The law was enacted on 13th October and came into force on 1st January this year. Commercial broadcasting started on 26th April, prior announcements having been made that it would do so in the first half of 1959. No adverse comment and no criticism was made when the Bill was published last year, nor when the law was enacted.

asked the Minister of Labour when he expects to be able to make a statement on the control of radiation from industrial sources.

As regards the preparation of Regulations covering industrial uses of ionising radiations, I would refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend's reply of 25th February to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Skeffington). The hon. Member will be aware of the Government proposals for licensing nuclear reactors embodied in the Nuclear Installations (Licensing and Insurance) Bill, the consideration of which has just been completed in Committee. I would also refer the hon. Member to a reply given by my hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Scotland to the hon. Member for Mother-well (Mr. Lawson) on 7th April concerning the handling and disposal of radioactive waste.

asked the Postmaster-General what proposals there are for introducing electronic equipment where possible in the new Station Road post office at Stoke-on-Trent; to what extent underground or overhead electrically-controlled conveyors will be used from the railway into the post office building, and link conveyors be provided where required; and how far it is intended to make the building, equipment and layout as modern as possible.

Detailed planning of the new post office has not yet reached the stage when we can say to what extent electronic equipment and conveyors will be used. The hon. Gentleman may be assured, however, that the building, equipment and layout will be of modern design.

asked the Minister of Supply whether he will now make a statement on the project for using for civilian space research the military missiles being developed for the Royal Air Force.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to Questions on this subject.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty when a decision is likely to be forthcoming from Her Majesty's Government regarding the building of a nuclear-propelled ship as a pilot project to test the efficiency, economics and safety of nuclear marine propulsion units.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the successful development of marine propulsion by nuclear power, as evidenced by British firms at the recent exhibition arranged by the Admiralty, he will now authorise a Government-sponsored prototype ship to be at sea in the interest of United Kingdom trade as soon as possible.

The next step following the presentation of alternative reactor systems arranged by the Admiralty last week is a technical appraisal of the respective merits of the individual systems. This is in hand as a matter of urgency, but until it is completed a decision to build the first British ship cannot be taken. Her Majesty's Government fully recognise the importance of doing everything they can to introduce nuclear propulsion in merchant ships.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make a statement as to the future of No. 23 Maintenance Unit, Aldergrove, County Antrim.

On present plans No. 23 Maintenance Unit will remain at Aldergrove. It will not be affected by any arrangement which may be agreed for the joint use of the airfield by military and civil aircraft.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he is aware that there are now 27,000 people living in the new town of East Kilbride; and when he plans to open a full-time office for conducting National Assistance and pensions business.

The National Assistance Board informs me that it has no immediate plans for the setting up of a full-time office at East Kilbride, which would not, in its view, be justified by the volume of National Assistance business arising there at present, or expected in the next few years.With regard to National Insurance most claimants prefer to conduct their business by post. However, a caller office attended by an officer of the Department is available at the office of the Ministry of Labour and National Service on the afternoons of Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 2.0 p.m. to 4.0 p.m. These arrangements have so far proved completely sufficient, but I will keep an eye on the adequacy of this.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of raw goatskins imported into the United Kingdom in each year from 1925 to 1958, from British Commonwealth and Colonial sources and from foreign sources.

I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the successive issues of Volume II of the "Annual Statement of Trade of the United Kingdom with Commonwealth and Foreign Countries" in which the figures are published.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now say when he proposes to introduce a Weights and Measures Bill, in view of the fact that the necessary legislation is long overdue.

The preparation of this Bill is proceeding, but it cannot be completed until the result of a social survey on certain aspects of the subject are available. I expect to receive this report this summer. Thereafter, the Bill will be introduced as soon as Parliamentary time permits.

asked the Secretary of State for War how the pay of an unmarried lieutenant serving in a cavalry regiment in the United Kingdom in 1930 compares with that of a similar officer serving in the Royal Armoured Corps at the present time after making the necessary adjustments for the changed value of money; and what changes in the perquisites, emoluments, and benefits in kind should be taken into account in making this comparison.

The pay of a lieutenant with three years' service is 32s. a day. His pay in 1930 would now be worth about 34s. Both figures are before tax. For a subaltern living in mess there has been no substantial change in conditions of service, except that in 1930 a lieutenant in the cavalry had the services of two batmen/grooms whereas today he shares a batman with one other officer.