asked the Postmaster-General to what extent he maintains contact with private firms which relay television and very high frequency sound signals by arrangement with local authorities and private subscribers; and how far he is in touch with the two Scottish firms proposing to provide relay services to the Stornoway area.

Once private firms apply to me for licences and I have issued them my Department has contact with them on routine matters provided for in the licence. No firms have applied to me for a licence to provide relay services in the Stornoway area.

asked the Postmaster-General how many outstanding applications there were for telephones in the West Riding of Yorkshire at the last convenient date; and how many there were on the corresponding date in 1955.

At 31st March, 1,964 applications were outstanding and in addition 3,937 were under inquiry or in course of being met. The figures four years ago were 11,933 and 6,478 respectively.During the past twelve months over 18,000 telephones have been installed.

asked the Postmaster-General the average weekly flow of postal mail to Douglas and Douglas, West, in the County of Lanark throughout 1958 and in the latest convenient period in 1959.

Continuous records of delivered mail are not kept, but in October, 1958, the weekly total was approximately 4,500 letters and 90 parcels and in April, 1959, 4,350 letters and 130 parcels. There is scope at the delivery office for dealing with more mail than is handled at present.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation his estimate of the comparative maintenance costs of a diesel engine and a steam engine of comparable motive power.

The British Transport Commission estimates from the limited experience of main line diesel operation so far, that the cost per engine mile of maintaining a diesel locomotive seems likely to be at least 20 per cent. less than for a steam locomotive of comparable power.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many closure proposals have been submitted to the Transport Users' Consultative Committees in the last two years to the most convenient date; and in how many cases the committees have given a decision against the British Transport Commission's proposals.

During 1957 and 1958, 246 closure proposals were submitted to the Transport Users' Consultative Committees. Of these, 12 were rejected, and a further 13 modified at the Committees' request.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent, in the interests of road safety, he has considered the advisability of replacing the letter L, for a year after the passing of the driving test, by a plate with the letters ND, standing for new driver.

I do not think that my hon. Friend's suggestion would further the interests of road safety. We have no evidence that a driver who has just passed the driving test is more likely to be involved in accidents than a driver with more road experience.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether, in view of the recent accidents involving tankers carrying dangerous substances, he will amend the relevant regulations so as to reduce the speed limit for such vehicles from 30 miles per hour to its previous figure of 20 miles per hour.

No. I know of no evidence which would relate accidents to tankers to the 30 miles an hour speed limit.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many vehicle licences and how many driving licences were issued by local authorities during the last financial year; and what was the total sum paid to local authorities to reimburse them for the cost of issuing licences.

The number of vehicle licences issued by local authorities during the financial year ended 31st March, 1959, was 11,620.811 and the number of driving licences (substantive and provisional) was 9,811,894.The total sum paid to local authorities during the financial year in reimbursement for the cost of issuing licences was £3 050,746.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many people he proposes to send from his Department to take a course in traffic management at Yale or elsewhere what other organisations will be participating in this scheme; and how long the courses take.

I have approved the proposed visit of two officers of my Department to Yale University this autumn to enable them to take the Post-Graduate Course in Traffic Engineering which is organised by the university. Traffic engineering is bound to play an increasingly important part in our general traffic planning if the best possible use is to be made of our existing road system and of additions to it.I therefore regard it as essential that my Ministry should have at its disposal up-to-date knowledge of the work being done and of the techniques being developed and employed in the United States of America, where traffic engineering has been studied and employed more intensively than in this country.I am glad to say that the London County Council, the Birmingham City Council and Messrs. Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners have each applied to enter an engineer from their staffs for the course, which lasts for eight months.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to what extent he has been consulted about the proposals to adapt Stornoway Airport for the purposes of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation base; and if he will make a statement about the future of the airfield for civil aviation.

My right hon. Friend has agreed that Stornoway could be considered for development for use by NA.T.O. in war time, and I understand that a report based on a survey of the airfield is now being examined. If any development is carried out, the interests of civil aviation will be safeguarded.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (1) what arrangements are in operation for monitoring wings of high-flying aircraft for radioactivity; and what steps are being taken to provide the necessary safety precautions for aircraft cleaners;(2) what arrangements are in operation for monitoring air-filters in aeroplanes for radioactivity; and what steps are being taken to protect technical staff who attend to the filters.

No regular monitoring of aircraft is carried out because the measurements taken in the past have suggested that this is not required. It has therefore not been deemed necessary to provide special safety precautions against contamination to protect the maintenance staff.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what communications he has had with the employers of Captain Thain about the latter's air transport pilot's licence.

Because the matter was one of direct concern to B.E.A. the Corporation was told informally of the action I had in mind about the renewal of Captain Thains' licence and in confirmation a copy of my letter of 12th March, 1959, was sent to it.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what conclusion has been reached on the evidence forwarded to him by Mrs. Ruby Thain of the means by which ice could have formed on the wings of the aircraft after the accident at Munich carrying the Manchester United football team; and if, in the light of this evidence, and the further inquiry which he is making, he will reconsider the suspension of her husband, Captain James Thain, from pilot duties.

It will be open to Captain Thain or those acting on his behalf to make any representations to the reviewing body to which I have referred in my Answer to the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Remnant).

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what report was made to him about the emergency landing of the Boeing 707 at London Airport on Friday, 8th May, at approximately 9 p.m.; and, in view of the low level approach of this aircraft, and the alarm it caused in the neighbourhood, if he will make a statement.

I received no report because this incident was of minor importance. The aircraft had suffered an hydraulic failure but use of its emergency system enabled it to make a normal approach and landing. I have no evidence that an abnormally low approach was made or that it caused any widespread alarm.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what reply he has forwarded in response to a communication from the Borough of Gates- head regarding the growing unemployment in the shipbuilding industry on Tyneside, and the building and equipping of the replacement of the "Queen" liners.

A reply was sent on 5th May informing the town clerk that the terms of his letter 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 what tonnage of trade passed through the ports of London and Liverpool, on the one hand, and the rest of the major ports of Great Britain, on the other, in 1938, 1948, and 1958.

The tonnages of cargoes in the foreign and coastal trades dealt with at the ports of London and Liverpool and by the United Kingdom as a whole in 1938, 1948 and 1958 were as follows:

Million tons
	1938	1948	1958
London	38	37	51
Liverpool	14	14	16
United Kingdom	180	150	225

1. The tonnages for Liverpool relate to the years ended 30th June. 1938, and the calendar 1948 and 1958 and exclude transhipments.2. The tonnages for Liverpool relate to the years ended 30th June, 1938, and the calendar 1948 and1958 and exclude transshipment.3. The figures for the United Kingdom are estimates, relate to calendar years and include the relatively small amount of import and export traffic carried by air. Coastal cargoes have been counted twice, once for the ports of loading and once for the ports of discharge.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will give favourable consideration to the request made to him by the Bristol City Council to be permitted to complete the Inner Circuit Road in Bristol in order to relieve traffic congestion and to facilitate the development of business properties.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 6th May.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects to be able to give a date to authorise commencement of the trunk road improvement scheme in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Constructional work cannot be authorised until entry on to the necessary land has been secured and this, as I have explained in detail to the hon. Member, is likely to be difficult for this scheme. Authorisation will also depend upon the availability of funds in the year during which a physical start of work becomes possible.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what progress has been made in deciding on the route of the Leicestershire portion of the London-Yorkshire Motorway.

I am sure that the hon. Member is aware that further consideration is being given to the possible routes for this part of the motorway. It is likely to be some time yet before a draft Scheme can be published owing to conflicting local interests.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when work will commence on the improved layout at the junction of Upton Court Road and the A4 at Langley, Slough.

It now appears that this improvement cannot be carried out until a Statutory Order has been made; consequently it may not be possible to start work on this scheme before next year.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware of the abnormal traffic congestion caused by the improvement scheme on the North Circular Road at its junction with Manor Road, N.W.10; how many men are employed on this work and how long it is scheduled to take; what is the extra cost of having the traffic regulated by police officers; and what would be the difference in cost if the work could be completed much more quickly.

I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the scheme on the North Circular Road at its junction with the Harrow Road. Every effort is being made to reduce inconvenience while work is in progress and no charge is made by the police for regulating traffic. Seventeen men are employed on the scheme, which should be completed by the end of August. The adoption of night and weekend working might increase the cost by as much as 17 per cent.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if, in view of the inconvenience caused to both road users and nearby residents and businesses by the undue time taken to complete road-works, and having in mind particularly the thirteen months which have elapsed since work first started on the widening of one section of the Uxbridge Road, A420, he will consider ways and means of ensuring that adequate equipment and labour is available for all road schemes authorised by him so that they may be completed in the shortest possible time.

I am sure that highway authorities in general take steps to ensure that their road schemes are completed as soon as reasonably possible. I am not aware that the scheme mentioned by the hon. Member has been held up by lack of adequate equipment or labour.

asked the Minister of Defence what proportion of National Service recruits entering Her Majesty's Services receive anti-poliomyelitis vaccinations.

As with the rest of the population, vaccination against polio is offered to all National Service recruits up to the age of 26. Acceptance is voluntary and no figures of the numbers of National Service men who are vaccinated are available centrally.

asked the Minister of Defence when he intends to recommend the issue of a new Royal Warrant on pensions.

The Royal Warrant for the Army and the corresponding Prerogative Instruments for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force to give increases in pension to retired members of the Services and their widows, in line with those proposed in the new Pensions (Increase) Bill, will be submitted to the Queen as soon as the Bill becomes law. The increases will be effective from the same date as the appointed day in the Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply has been received from the Icelandic Government to Her Majesty's Government's protest about the shelling of the Hull trawler "Arctic Viking".

No reply has yet been received.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement on the prospects of employment for disabled persons in Cardiff.

The prospects must principally depend on general employment trends in Cardiff. Recently there has been some improvement in unemployment among disabled men, but this has been offset by a rise in the number of unemployed disabled women. My disablement resettlement officers will continue their efforts to find suitable work for the disabled.

asked the Minister of Labour if lie has considered the report on industrial conditions in Western Germany by Sir Will Lawther, a copy of which has been sent to him; if he will draw the attention of both sides of industry in this country to the conclusions of the report; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to an inquiry carried out for the Daily Telegraph by Sir Will Lawther and reported by that newspaper on 27th April. I am sure that both sides of industry will have read this report with as much interest as I have and I do not need to draw their attention to it.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were wholly or partly unemployed in Scotland at the latest available date.

The Answer is 92,290 wholly unemployed and 6,922 temporarily stopped at 13th April, 1959.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were wholly or partly unemployed in the Greenock-Port Glasgow area at the latest available date; and what percentage of the insured population the total figure represents.

There were 3,838 wholly unemployed and 23 temporarily stopped at 13th April. The total of 3,861 represented 8.7 per cent. of the estimated total number of employees in the area.

asked the Minister of Labour how many miners formerly employed in Douglas and Douglas, West, collieries have been provided with work at collieries in Ayrshire.

Eighty-three people previously employed at the Douglas Castle colliery have been re-employed in the coalmining, industry in Ayrshire.

asked the Minister of Labour how many radio officers employed in private air lines and air charter companies have become redundant during the past six months; and what steps are being taken to place these officers in suitable employment.

I regret that statistical information of this kind is not available in my Department, and I have not heard of any special difficulties from my regional controllers. My local officers will do their best to place in suitable employment any radio officers who register at employment exchanges.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he normally takes on receiving a complaint against an employer that he refuses to recognise trade unions.

As I have explained many times previously, the recognition of a trade union by an employer is a matter for agreement between the parties concerned. I have no powers to compel an employer to recognise a union, but when any difficulties in this respect are reported to me, my officers normally have discussions with both sides with a view to reaching a settlement by conciliation if possible.

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers of unemployed registered at the youth employment office in the Medway towns for the months of February, March and April, 1958, and the same months in 1959.

The following table gives the information desired:

	1958	1959
February	100	154
March	71	115
April	168	186

asked the Minister of Labour the figures of unemployment at the Gateshead Youth Employment Office for the months of January, February, March and April, 1958, and for the same months in 1959.

The following table gives the information desired:

	1958	1959
January	76	149
February	29	71
March	29	58
April	83	112

asked the Minister of Labour the figures of the registered labour force in the Gateshead area for the month of March, 1958, and for the months of January, February, March and April, 1959.

Statistics of the total number of employees in local areas are available for the end of May only in each year. At end-May, 1958, the total numbers of employees in the area of the Gateshead Employment Exchange were about 34,230 males and 17,360 females. The numbers registered as unemployed at the Gateshead Employment Exchange and Youth Employment Office were as follows:

	Males	Females	Total
12th January, 1959	1,631	509	2,140
9th February, 1959	1,518	460	1,978
9th March, 1959	1,419	418	1,837
13th April, 1959	1,308	417	1,725

asked the Minister of Labour the numbers and percentage of unemployed at the latest count at Gateshead Employment Exchange; and how these figures compare with those for the previous month and with the figures for the corresponding period last year.

The numbers of unemployed persons on the registers of the Gateshead Employment Exchange and Youth Employment Office were 1,332 at 14th April, 1958, 1,837 at 9th March, 1959, and 1,725 at 13th April, 1959. A separate percentage rate of unemployment is not calculated for Gateshead alone, but for the Gateshead, Blaydon, Felling and Prudhoe area as a whole, the rates were 2.5 per cent., at 14th April, 1958, 3.7 per cent., at 9th March, 1959, and 3.6 per cent., at 13th April, 1959.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will extend deferment for the purpose of taking the Higher National Certificate to include part-time as well as full-time students.

Deferment is already allowed to enable student apprentices to obtain the higher national certificate by part-time study combined with practical training, provided that they maintain satisfactory progress and that they do not pass out of liability for call-up. Craft apprentices may also be allowed up to two years' deferment beyond the end of their apprenticeship to take the higher national certificate examination provided that they have obtained the ordinary national certificate within the period of their apprenticeship.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a further statement in relation to the postponement of call-up of married men with families.

A man cannot have his call-up postponed solely because he is a married man and has children, but it would be postponed if it were shown that his enlistment would cause exceptional hardship to his family. Two years ago I sent special instructions to my officers to consider with the fullest sympathy certain types of case where experience has shown that exceptional hardship is likely to arise from call-up and alternative arrangements are often most difficult to make. These were the cases of the man with a relative physically dependent on him, the man who is the mainstay of an orphaned family, the widower or separated husband with a child or children to look after and the man who is the only adult living with a widowed mother. I have now instructed my officers to give the same special consideration to applications for postponement from married men with families where there are difficult home circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for War the amount of barrack-room damages at D Camp, Donnington, Shropshire, in respect of which a sum of 1s. 6d. a week is being deducted from the rank-and-file of 522 Company, Royal Pioneer Corps; how long such deductions are to continue; and whether the soldiers concerned are informed of the net amount of damages involved.

Each man is being charged, in accordance with Regulations, one shilling a week until damage assessed at a total of £69 5s. 10d. has been paid for, probably by 22nd May. Details of the damage and cost have been published in unit orders.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he is aware that the military prison in the West of England in which the recent trouble took place is four centuries old and was condemned 40 years ago, and that it has an adverse effect upon those running the prison as well as on the prisoners; and if he will take steps to demolish this building and construct one more in accordance with modern ideas of prison reform.

asked the Secretary of State for War what were the improvements made to Shepton Mallet Military Prison to bring it into line with modern standards; and when these improvements were carried out.

I would refer the hon. Members to my Answers about Shepton Mallet on 6th May.

asked the Secretary of State for War why 23378995 Private P. Wilson, 14 Battalion, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, now in the guard room at Didcot, Berkshire, has not been discharged from the Army following a psychiatric report in September, 1958, and a medical recommendation for discharge on 3rd January, 1959; and what was the outcome of the inquiry into this matter held on 28th April, 1959, presided over by Captain W. J. Boreham, M.C., Royal Pioneer Corps.

The medical recommendation for discharge was mislaid. I regret that this should have happened and I am making close inquiries into the cause. Meanwhile, the balance of Wilson's current sentence is being remitted and he will be discharged from the Army.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT particulars of recruiting for the Regular Army, male adults only, for the period 1st January to 31st March in the years 1957, 1958 and 1959, broken down to show the figures for the principal recruiting centres in the British Isles.

REGULAR RECRUITING (MALE ADULTS) DIRECT FROM CIVIL LIFE IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF EACH YEAR
Recruiting Centre		1957	1958	1959	Recruiting Centre		1957	1958	1959
Eastern Command					Southern Command—continued
Brighton	…	163	96	100		…
Cambridge	…	62	30	45	Gloucester	…	91	52	70
Canterbury	…	80	48	72	Oxford	…	41	24	20
Chatham	…	120	61	96	Portsmouth	…	132	75	104
Ipswich	…	80	69	47	Reading	…	137	75	104
Norwich	…	80	57	63	Redruth	…	25	17	28
St. Albans	…	86	73	88	Salisbury	…	47	38	38
Southend	…	105	72	66	Southampton	…	85	79	76
Northern Command					Western Command
Bradford	…	142	86	102	Birmingham	…	276	219	236
Carlisle	…	72	41	54	Blackburn	…	67	48	63
Darlington	…	91	88	120	Cardiff	…	121	103	158
Derby	…	121	117	112	Chester	…	92	107	98
Huddersfield	…	57	78	94	Coventry	…	95	61	72
Hull	…	149	110	114	Kingsway (Stoke)	…	131	113	96
Leeds	…	295	191	268	Liverpool	…	337	276	300
Leicester	…	159	136	99	Manchester	…	304	225	344
Lincoln	…	128	116	122	Pontypridd	…	48	54	67
Middlesbrought	…	97	77	103	Preston	…	90	47	78
Newcastle	…	176	124	179	Shrewsbury	…	35	20	27
Northampton	…	103	55	58	Swansea	…	60	66	52
Nottongham	…	182	163	159	Wolverhampton	…	152	95	122
Shefffield	…	332	227	277	Worcester	…	58	35	54
South Shields	…	79	69	83	Wrexham	…	48	49	71
York	…	82	54	63
					London District
Scottish Command					Central London		247	131	135
Aberdeen	…	89	78	54	Acton	…	147	99	96
Dumfries	…	53	30	48	Blackheath	…	134	84	107
Dundee	…	121	137	155	Croydon	…	155	76	98
Edinburgh	…	324	190	249	Kentish Town	…	103	88	73
Glasgow	…	439	267	378	Surbiton	…	116	66	66
Inverness	…	68	41	39	Wanstead	…	138	72	82
Southern Command					Northern Ireland District
Bournemouth	…	196	109	91
Bristol	…	127	91	90	Belfast	…	127	221	336
Channel Isles	…	20	12	16	Omagh	…	59	72	102
Devonport	…	41	36	49
Exeter	…	88	49	69	Total	…	8,305	6,066	7,157

asked the Minister of Health (1) why there are more than 1,300 people waiting for operations on the Barnsley Becket Hospital waiting list; and what steps are being taken to reduce this figure;(2) why there are more than 600 people on the operations waiting list at Barnsley St. Helen Hospital; and what steps are being taken to reduce this figure.

The reason in both cases is shortage of accommodation,

Following is the information requested: which will be relieved by the expansion of St. Helen Hospital now being planned.

asked the Minister of Health how many pay beds there are in the Barnsley Becket and St. Helen Hospitals.

Three and one respectively.

asked the Minister of Health when one of his Department's officials last visited the old people's home at Luxborough Lodge, London; and the nature of his report.

On 25th September, 1957, to look into complaints made by a resident which were found to be substantially unfounded.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many civilians were employed by his Department in the area comprising the Parliamentary constituency of South Antrim in the month of January in the years 1955 and 1959, respectively; and if he will give similar figures for dates for those employed at Aldergrove Air Station.

The Answer is that 841 civilians were employed at R.A.F. units in the area in January, 1955, and 900 in January, 1959. Of these 695 and 780 respectively were at R.A.F. Station. Aldergrove.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what constitutional changes are proposed for Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Her Majesty the Queen has today made an Order in Council and approved the draft of Royal Instructions conferring internal self-government on Jamaica within the Federation of The West Indies. Her Majesty has also made further Orders in Council and approved further Royal Instructions providing for the separate government of the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Copies of these Instruments will be placed in the Library of the House as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will publish in HANSARD a detailed statement giving the itemised costs to the Exchequer of his recent overseas tour.

pursuant to the reply by his hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State [OFFICIAL. REPORT, 17th March, 1959; Vol. 602, c. 20], supplied the following information:

Fares	£	s.	d.
London—Aden, B.O.A.C. (Secretary of State, Private Secretary, and an Assistant Under-Secretary of State)	565	5	4*
†Aden-London-Aden. R.A.F. aircraft (temporary return to London by Secretary of State and Private Secretary)	435	12	0
†Aden-London via Cyprus, R.A.F. aircraft (Secretary of State, Private Secretary, Assistant Under-Secretary)	363	0	0
‡Flights between and within the Aden and Somaliland Protectorates	914	6	0
Subsistence Allowances
Secretary of State, Private Secretary, Assistant Under-Secretary	190	10	0
Total cost to Exchequer	£2,468	13	4
* Includes excess baggage charges.
†Fares for these journeys were charged at ordinary airline tourist rates.
‡The charges for these flights were assessed for each aircraft used. Regardless of the number of passengers carried on each occasion.

asked the Minister of Education what degree of co-operation his representatives have received from the headmaster and staff of the Worthing Technical High School since its opening in 1955; and how many foreign visitors and local education authorities, other than the West Sussex Education Authority, have visited the school since that date.

The headmaster and staff have been most co-operative. I understand that over 100 foreign visitors and representatives of about 20 local authorities have visited the school since it opened.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the proposals of the West Sussex County Education Authority, made within four years of the opening of the Worthing Technical High School in buildings expressly designed by his own architects, to put these buildings to another purpose, to transfer the personnel to yet another new building a relatively short distance away, and, by changing the name of the school, to change its character and objectives; and if he will reject these proposals as not in the educational interests of West Sussex.

I am aware of these proposals, which my officers expect to discuss shortly with representatives of the West Sussex local education authority and the Worthing Committee for Education.

asked the Minister of Education how many mixed secondary technical, technical high, or grammar/technical schools there are in England and Wales having selective entries of 11 plus and full courses, including sixth-form studies at the General Certificate of Education O and A levels, housed in specially-designed buildings opened during the last five years; and how many of these schools there are south of the Thames.

There are 27 mixed secondary technical or technical high schools, of which the only one south of the Thames is at Worthing. I cannot give the number of grammar schools providing technical courses, since courses are not separately classified in my Department's records.

asked the Minister of Education how many schools have been planned and built under the supervision of the Architectural Development Group of his Department; and how many of these provide grammar/technical facilities.

Seven schools have been completed, of which three provide education of a grammar or technical type. Four more are in the planning stages or under construction, of which two provide education of a grammar or technical type.

asked the Minister of Education what time was spent in planing the Worthing Technical High School; how many of his Department's experts and architects were consulted; what was the total cost of planning to his Department; and what was the amount paid to his Department by the West Sussex local education authority as the architect's fee.

The planning took about twenty months. Seven architects and four quantity surveyors were employed at different times for varying periods. It is not possible to give information about the other, mainly non-professional staff, concerned, or to assess the full cost of planning. The architects' fee was £9,010 11s. 6d.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now announce the membership and terms of reference of the Departmental Committee to examine all aspects of the work of the probation service.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I are glad to say that the following persons have accepted our invitations to serve on this Committee:

• Mr. R. P. Morison, Q.C. (Chairman).
• Mr. A. J. Chislett.
• Mr. G. C. Lightfoot.
• Mrs. L. M. H. MacAdam, M.B., Ch.B., J.P.
• Councillor J. Mains, O.B.E., J.P.
• Alderman E. E. Mole, J.P.
• Mr. T. A. F. Noble.
• Miss R. N. Pearse, O.B.E.
• Mr. N. J. Skelhorn, Q.C.
• Sheriff J. Aikman Smith.
• Alderman P. J. Smith, M.B.E., D.L., J.P.
• Mr. H. F. R. Sturge.
• Dr. T D. Sutherland, Ph.D., M.B., Ch.B., D.P.M.
• Miss Eileen L. Younghusband, C.B.E., J.P.
• Miss W. M. Goode of the Home Office and Mr. A. J. Betts of the Scottish Home Department will act as assessors. Mr. A. J. E. Brennan of the Home Office and Mr. J. E. Fraser of the Scottish Home Department will be respectively Secretary and Assistant Secretary.

For the terms of reference I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave on 16th April to the hon. Member for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been committed for trial by coroners' courts in England and Wales in 1956. 1957 and 1958, respectively; against how many so committed was no evidence offered by the prosecution at the trial; and how many were acquitted after evidence had been offered.

The information is as follows:

Year	Number of persons committed for trial as a result of Coroner's Inquisitions	No evidence offered	Tried and acquitted
1956	7	2	—
1957	4	3*	1
1958	12	8†	2
Notes:
* Including two persons against whom no evidence was offered on the charge on which they were committed, but who were convicted by the court to which they were committed of a lesser offence arising out of the same facts.
†Including one person against whom no evidence was offered on the charge on which he was committed, but who was convicted by the court to which he was committed of a lesser offence arising out of the same facts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that the power of coroners to commit for trial should be retained; and if he will introduce legislation to limit this power.

I can hold out no prospect of introducing legislation on this subject, which raises difficult and complex issues at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the number, ages and sexes of the patients in Caldwell House, Uplamoor, and in Woodlands House, respectively; how long each patient has been in each of these houses; how long each is expected to remain there; and how often and how many vacancies for posts occur in each of these houses.

There are 54 girls and 74 boys in Caldwell House and 44 girls

—			Lobsters		Other Shellfish		Total
			Cwts.	£	Cwts.	£	Cwts.	£
1954	…	…	1,351	28,222	3,494	11,639	4,845	39,861
1955	…	…	1,483	27,458	3,614	9,634	5,097	37,092
1956	…	…	1,792	37,445	1,199	3,088	2,991	40,533
1957	…	…	1,861	41,425	12	28	1,873	41,453
1958	…	…	1,563	39,768	758	1,779	2,321	41,547
1959 Jan-March			43	1,596	—	—	43	1,596

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the average weekly number of fishing vessels using Mallaig Harbour for landing fish and shell fish in 1958 and 1959 to date; and how this compares with the five previous years.

The weekly average number of fishing vessels using Mallaig harbour for landing fish and shell fish in recent years is set out below.

AVERAGE WEEKLY NUMBER OF VESSELS USING MALLAIG HARBOUR
—	Herring Vessels	White Fish Vessels	Shell Fish Vessels	Total
1953	20	6	6	32
1954	20	6	7	33
1955	19	8	7	34
1956	20	6	7	33
1957	14	8	7	29
1958	20	7	8	35
1959 (to 18th April)	18	7	8	33

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the weight and the value of lobsters and other shell fish landed at Mallaig in 1958 and during this year to date; and how this compares with the previous five years.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many crans of herring were landed at Mallaig Harbour in 1958 and during this year to date; what was their value; and how this compares with the five previous years.

The information is given in the table below:

Year	Crans	£
1953	51,497	137,081
1954	56,065	136,061
1955	49,781	153,062
1956	49,512	160,703
1957	31,631	114,654
1958	43,230	171,398
1959	17,092	56,074

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a progress report on the programme of technical education building announced in February, 1956, giving the value of the projects so far completed, the number of extra places provided, and the estimates of completed projects and places by the end of 1959.

Work valued at £9.9 million has been authorised. Projects costing £247,000 and providing 342 places have been completed and others valued at £236,000 providing a further 454 places are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that another road accident occurred at Braidwood Bridge, Lanarkshire, on 25th April; how many accidents involving personal injury have occurred there since the war; how many involved fatalities; and if he will now state when the bridge will be reconstructed.

Since 1st February, 1946, there have been 26 accidents at or near Braidwood Bridge in which 13 persons have been injured, none of them fatally. As regards the reconstruction of the bridge there is still nothing I can add to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend on 20th November, last.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons over 21 years of age have contracted poliomyelitis in Scotland during the last 20 years; how many of the cases have been paralytic; and how many have died from poliomyelitis.

The figures are given for age 25 and over as figures by reference to age 21 are not available. No distinction can be made between paralytic and non-paralytic forms of the disease as separate notifications were only required in Scotland from 1st January, 1959.The following table contains the information for ages 25 and over in Scotland for the years 1939–1958:

Year	Confirmed Notifications of Poliomyelitis (all forms)	Deaths due to Poliomyelitis (all forms)
1939	9	3
1940	2	—
1941	7	7
1942	3	4
1943	5	4
1944	13	3
1945	5	8
1946	6	8
1947	155	30
1948	22	7
1949	25	5
1950	96	24
1951	48	12
1952	26	7
1953	35	1
1954	51	9
1955	62	11
1956	29	6
1957	21	6
1958	71	11

Deaths may occur 'n a year other than that in which the case was notified.