asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on his recent negotiations in Moscow relative to an Anglo-Soviet trade agreement; to what extent these negotiations were hampered by prior restrictions being placed on discussions concerning the strategic lists; and to what extent the question of long-term financial credits by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics caused difficulty in reaching an agreement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on his recent visit to Moscow.

I would refer the hon. Members to the Answer I gave on Tuesday to the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes) and the hon. Member for Salford. East (Mr. Frank Allaun). The outcome of our negotiations was not affected by the position we had made known in advance on the strategic lists and long-term credit.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what inquiries he has received for factory space in the Sunderland area recently.

One application for a Government factory has just been received.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the number of Africans who are employed as labourers on farms in Kiambu; and what schemes are in hand for providing further employment there.

Exact figures are not available, but the Governor calculated that about 34,000 Africans, nearly all from Kiambu, are employed for wages on European and African farms in the Kiambu area. At least 25,000 more are employed on other work in Kiambu and Nairobi; and agricultural development, new building, quarrying and factory projects are creating new opportunities for employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how much money is available for loans to African farmers in Kiambu; and what loans have so far been made.

£67,000 is at present available for loans to African farmers and co-operatives in Kiambu, of which £62,000 has already been issued. £32,000 of this comes from the Emergency Fund and is used for resettlement and rehabilitation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) if he will make a further statement on his inquiries into the Hola camp incident, indicating in particular, whether the persons who used illegal force as a result of which 11 detainees were killed have yet been identified; and what further steps the Attorney-General or the Government of Kenya have taken, or intend to take, in the matter;(2) if he will make a further statement indicating how far the disciplinary proceedings taken against the Hola Camp commandant and his second-in-command have proceeded; if they have been concluded; and with what result.

No further evidence has come to light since the inquiry by the Investigating Magistrate which would lead to the identication of those who used illegal force. Disciplinary charges have since been preferred as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will convey to the Commission investigating recent disturbances in Nyasaland the desirability of publishing their report in time for it to be studied by Parliament before the House rises for the Summer Recess.

I feel sure that the Commission will produce its Report at the earliest possible time and, as I said in the debate on 15th May, I think it would be wrong to give the impression that it was being jolted or hustled.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals he has for constitutional advance in Nyasaland.

I have nothing at present to add to the reply given to the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Stonehouse) on 28th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the banning of the Uganda National Movement and the Uganda Freedom Movement and on recent events in Uganda.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave on 2nd June to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the Colonial Development Corporation's Annual Report for 1958.

The Report contains evidence of progress with many important economic projects, and I should like to congratulate the Corporation on its achievements. It also contains a number of criticisms of the Government's approach to some of its problems. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is fully conscious that the Corporation must operate on commercial lines, and he makes a point of not interfering in its commercial operations. But his responsibilities to this House and to the taxpayer, who has to produce such large sums of money for these projects, are very real. He must be satisfied that funds made available to the Corporation are used far the purposes laid down by Parliament in the Overseas Resources Development Act and in conformity with public policy generally.My right hon. Friend does not consider that his exercise of these responsibilities is incompatible with the Corpora- tion's freedom to conduct its day to day affairs. In any case, my right hon. Friend considers that the Report overstates the frequency and importance of such differences as have arisen. My right hon. Friend and the new Chairman are in complete agreement about the importance of maintaining close and friendly relations between Government Departments and the Corporation and are so proceeding.

asked the Prime Minister on what date he received the communication sent to him from the committee for African organisations concerning the colour question; what was the content of this letter; and what was the nature of his reply thereto.

I received from the Committee on 19th May a letter about the murder of Kelso Cochrane and about the general question of racial discrimination. The Committee also sought an interview with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. The reply pointed out that the police are prosecuting their inquiries into the murder with all possible vigour and that the maintenance of public order in London is the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police, which they will discharge without fear or favour. My right hon. Friend offered to arrange for one of his officials to see a small deputation from the Committee and a meeting took place on 27th May.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that there is growing concern about the exhibition of horror films in cinemas; and whether he will introduce legislation to ban these undesirable exhibitions.

Local licensing authorities already have power to prohibit or restrict the public exhibition of any film which they consider objectionable, and I do not think there is need for further legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue fresh fruit and meat to prisons on the basis of quantity of weight rather than on a monetary basis, in view of price fluctuations.

No. When the prisoners' meat ration was determined in the way suggested by the hon. Member the results were not as satisfactory as they are now. Fresh fruit has been issued to prisoners only comparatively recently, but experience so far suggests that the present system of rationing by cost is satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases of murder involving the death of a police officer on duty, in the last ten years, the Prerogative of Mercy has been exercised.

In the ten years 1949–58 there were only two cases in which the Home Secretary was called upon to consider whether to recommend the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in favour of a prisoner sentenced to death for the murder of a police officer on duty. In neither case was a reprieve recommended. In the period 1920–58 there were ten such cases and a reprieve was recommended in four, including one during the period in 1948 during which all persons sentenced to death were reprieved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many diaries of the late Sir Roger Casement he still retains in his Department; and for what purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department Whether the diaries of the late Sir Roger Casement are to continue to remain in the custody of his Department.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet completed his consideration of the problems relating to the Casement Diaries; and if he will now make a statement as to their future custody and publication.

I regret that I am not yet able to add anything to the reply which I gave on 14th May to Questions by my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. du Cann) and the hon. Member for South Ayrshire (Mr. Emrys Hughes).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the practice of cutting the vocal cords of dogs, or of silencing them by other means, is carried out in Great Britain in respect of animals used for experimentation under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876.

Such practices are not permitted under licences granted under the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments were performed on living animals at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, during the latest year for which figures are available; and what reports he has received under Section 9 of the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, as to the results of such experiments.

Approximately 20,000 experiments under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, were performed at Harwell in 1958. It is not the practice to require reports under Section 9 of the Act.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now state the cost of the civil defence exercise Exodus One in North Staffordshire on 10th May; and what steps were taken to make this exercise realistic.

The exercise cost approximately £725. The assumptions and setting were realistic; and every effort was made, within the compass of a peacetime exercise, to achieve realism in the conduct of the exercise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the circumstances under existing regulations and rules in which costs may be awarded in criminal cases to persons acquitted of offences with which they are charged.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure, by means of legislation or otherwise, that defendants adjudged innocent of a criminal charge shall be awarded costs against the police.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that in two recent cases at London Sessions each defendant in a criminal charge was found not guilty, acquitted and discharged, that each defendant incurred necessarily considerable expense for defence, that each defendant was disallowed costs against the prosecution, that each defendant thereby suffered loss and that injustice was thereby done to innocent citizens; and if he will investigate these injustices and take steps to ensure that in future criminal cases, as at present in civil cases, costs shall follow the event.

Under the Costs in Criminal Cases Act, 1952, courts of assize and quarter sessions, and magistrates' courts dealing with indictable cases, have power, where the accused is acquitted, or the case against him is dismissed, to order the payment of the costs of the defence out of local funds. In summary cases, the courts, on dismissing an information, have power to make such order as to costs to be paid by the prosecutor to the accused as they think just and reasonable. This is a matter which it has always been considered right to leave to the discretion of the courts. For this reason there are no proposals for amending the law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the growing practice of the Metropolitan Police of detaining persons for prolonged periods for questioning without any charges being made.

I cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's suggestion that such a practice is growing or any implication that the Metropolitan Police adopt a practice of detaining persons illegally.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received a request from the Government of the Bahamas for assistance in reopening the investigation into the death of Sir Harry Oakes, who was murdered in Nassau in 1943; and what steps he proposes to take.

I have received no such request.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the Metropolitan Police have considered the difficulties which would arise if a crib is placed in Trafalgar Square at Easter in connection with the World Refugee Year appeal.

The only proposal which the Commissioner of Police has had to consider is that a crib should be placed in Trafalgar Square at Christmas. I am at present in consultation about it with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Works.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the civil defence authorities are provided with devices for detecting nuclear and allied radiations.

Civil defence authorities are provided with radiac instruments suitable for training purposes. As this year's White Paper on the Progress of the Five-Year Defence Plan (Cmnd. 662) indicates, the Government are continuing to acquire stocks of operational instruments for civil defence use in the event of hostilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what period elapsed between the date of hearing of the seven inquiries held under Section 2 of the Police Appeals Act, 1927, and the date of notification of the result to the appellants.

The periods were 28, 62, 108, 107, 37, 25 and 48 days. These periods include the time taken by the person holding the inquiry to reach his conclusion and complete his report and the time taken to prepare the transcript of the proceedings, which may be considerable.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a statement about the development of mineral rights in the Bamangwato reserve.

As a result of discussions which have been in progress over a considerable period between the African authority for the Bamangwato Tribe and the Rhodesian Selection Trust group of companies, an agreement between them was signed at Serowe on 2nd June, providing for the grant by the Tribe to Rhodesian Selection Trust Exploration Limited of rights to conduct prospecting and exploration operations in the Bamangwato Reserve, and contemplating eventual mining operations. All these operations will be subject to the law of the Bechuanaland Protectorate. The parties to the agreement have kept my noble Friend informed of their discussions through the High Commissioner for Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what liaison there has been between his Department and oversea Commonwealth Governments regarding the recent celebration of Commonwealth Day; and whether he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend will know, this was the first occasion on which Commonwealth Day was celebrated in the United Kingdom. Before the new name was decided upon, there was, of course, full consultation with Commonwealth Governments. To mark the day, my noble Friend sent a message of goodwill to all Commonwealth Governments. I will arrange for the text to be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT.The extent to which Commonwealth Day is celebrated within a Commonwealth country is, of course, a matter for the Government concerned. Except for the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, it is not officially observed in other Commonwealth countries, but I understand it is marked by unofficial celebrations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Malaya.

asked the Minister of Education how many letters he has received from Members of Parliament, educational and religious organisations and the general public, respectively, regarding the question of financial assistance for denominational teaching; what was the general nature of these communications; and what was the nature of his replies.

It would require a disproportionate amount of time and effort to answer the first part of the Question, but some of the many letters I have received recently have favoured an increase in grants to voluntary schools, while others, mainly from Free Churchmen, have opposed it. My reply to these letters has been that I have not yet reached any decision.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will advise the education authorities to include in the school syllabus some instruction about race relations, with a view to eradicating colour-prejudice from the minds of the children.

Much as I sympathise with the purpose of the hon. Member's Question, I do not think such advice would be appropriate. In my view, children are most likely to derive a proper attitude to race relations from the general character of their school and from the way teachers handle the subject as it arises in the course of the ordinary curriculum. Teachers are already being most helpful in this matter and they will find particularly valuable opportunities in the study of the Commonwealth, on which I have recently issued a circular.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he will make a statement on the new superannuation scheme for scientific staffs in the grant-aided institutes of the Agricultural Research Council.

The possibility of introducing a new contributory superannuation scheme covering scientific and other staffs in the grant-aided institutes of the Agricultural Research Council is under consideration. The proposed scheme would relate pension and other benefits to an officer's length of service and average salary on retirement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the total sales of milk off farms in Great Britain for each of the eight months from July, 1958, to February, 1959, and for the corresponding eight months between July, 1957, and February, 1958.

The following table shows total sales of milk off farms in Great Britain monthly from July, 1958, to February, 1959, together with the figures for the corresponding eight months of 1957–58:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the total monthly retail sales of liquid milk for each of the eight months between July, 1958, and February, 1959, and for the corresponding eight months between July, 1957, and February, 1958.

The following table gives monthly figures of sales of milk through the Milk Marketing Schemes for liquid consumption in Great Britain from July, 1958, to February, 1959, compared with the previous year:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now announce further measures to assist the reduction in numbers of wood pigeons.

Experiments over the past three years have shown that wood pigeons can be considerably reduced in number by the systematic destruction of their nests over wide areas during specified times between July and September. To encourage the use of this method in an organised and humane manner, the Government have decided that the cost of nest destruction, carried out by rabbit clearance societies, may qualify for the 50 per cent. grant to these societies. This should stimulate concerted action against both rabbits and wood pigeons. Nest destruction is not a substitute for shooting; for best results both methods should be used. A leaflet describing nest destruction is available in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the amount of the Production Grants for each of the years 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58 and 1958–59.

The following are the amounts of farming grants and subsidies for the financial years, 1951–52 to 1958–59:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the proposed Horticultural Marketing Council.

I have received a memorandum from the Horticultural Marketing Advisory Council about the establishment of a permanent Horticultural Marketing Council. It recommends consultation with the interests concerned on certain points connected with the functions, constitution and, particularly, the financing of such a body. Consultations have already begun but, until they have been taken further, I cannot say more. I am, however, arranging for copies of a letter I have received from the Horticultural Marketing Advisory Council, together with a summary of their memorandum, to be made available in the Library tomorrow, and I shall be glad to send a copy to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what negotiations he now has in hand with the Iranian Government for a double taxation relief agreement.

Negotiations are at present in progress with the Iranian Government about a limited double taxation relief agreement relating to air transport business.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why no payments were made by the Government of Greece in the year ended March, 1959, in respect of the annuity guaranteed by the British Government in 1898; and what are the total repayments to the nearest convenient date, and the amount still outstanding.

The hon. Member is no doubt referring to the Greek Guaranteed 2½ per cent. Gold Loan of 1898. The amount paid out by Her Majesty's Government under their guarantee of this Loan was about £2,350,000, and the total repayments received have been slightly less than £350,000. Nothing has been received from the Greek Government since 1940, and the amount outstanding is just over £2 million.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what steps he has taken to publicise the advantages of the Donibristle site, in Fife, for industrial development; and how many firms have shown an active interest in the matter.

The Admiralty and our industrial estate agents have fully publicised the advantages of the Donibristle site for industrial purposes. Full particulars have been given to the Scottish Council (Development and Industry) and to the Fife County Council, who are also doing all they can to advertise the property. In addition, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has brought the facilities to the notice of suitable firms known to be seeking premises. A small number of firms are showing an active interest.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the Government's present policy in the dispute over fishing rights between the United Kingdom and Iceland.

Her Majesty's Government's policy remains as stated in their declaration of 4th June, 1958, and their statement of 1st September, 1958. The right hon. Gentleman will know that since these Declarations were made Her Majesty's Government have, on a number of occasions, made suggestions, which I mentioned in my reply to the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 11th May, for the negotiation of a temporary settlement of the dispute pending the results of the next United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. The Icelandic Government, however, have remained unwilling to negotiate and have left Her Majesty's Government with no alternative but to continue to protect British fishing vessels while engaged on their lawful occasions on the high seas.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what instructions he has given to Her Majesty's diplomatic and consular officers in foreign countries with regard to the issuing of new British passports to Messrs. Maclean and Burgess.

No general instructions have been given to Her Majesty's diplomatic and consular officers in foreign countries with regard to the issuing of new passports to Messrs. Maclean and Burgess and, in the circumstances in which these two men left the country, I am satisfied that none were necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what dates the British passports upon which Messrs. Maclean and Burgess finally left the United Kingdom were originally issued to them; on what date their total period of validity will expire; and on what dates they have been renewed by any of Her Majesty's competent authorities overseas.

The passports in the possession of Messrs. Maclean and Burgess at the time they finally left the United Kingdom were issued on 30th July, 1949, and 20th July, 1950, respectively.As neither passport has been renewed for the further five years permissible under the standing regulations, the validity of the two passports expired respectively on 29th July, 1954, and 19th July, 1955.

asked the Minister of Works why his Department has refused permission to the vicar of St. Martin in the Fields to establish in Trafalgar Square a crib depicting the central doctrine of the established church of this realm, in view of the fact that permission is already given for the exhibition of a yule-tide tree whose symbolism is pagan.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent there is at the present time a shortage of nurses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and what is, approximately, the size and form of this shortage.

No recent estimates are available covering the whole of

As was stated in the letter from my Department to the Vicar of St. Martin in the Fields which was published recently, I was advised that the presence of a crib might provoke controversy and possibly disorder. In this respect a crib differs from a Christmas tree. I therefore told the Vicar that, as I felt sure he would wish to avoid this risk, I thought it wiser not to have a crib and I hoped he would feel that the suggestion need not be taken further.As the Vicar is continuing to press for a crib to be allowed, I am now reconsidering the matter. I have sought the advice of representative leaders of denominational thought and shall not reach a decision until I have received that advice and considered it.

asked the Minister of Defence how many retired officers of the three Armed Services, including retired officers from the Indian Armed Services, are in receipt of pensions under each of the five codes; and how many of these officers are over and under the age of 60 years, respectively.

The approximate numbers are as follows:England and Wales. There is a shortage in some hospitals, but the total number of nursing staff employed has increased substantially in recent years. Re-assessments of hospital establishments on the basis of an 88 hour fortnight are at present in progress. I am informed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, that the same position obtains in Scotland. The staffing position in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Government of Northern Ireland.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if, due to the change in the value of money, he will give consideration to allowing old-age pensioners to earn up to £130 a year, whether at the rate of 50s. a week or in larger amounts, over a shorter period in seasonal or other occupations, before the amount of the pension is affected.

The amount which retirement pensioners can earn without affecting their pensions was increased from 50s. to 60s. a week as from 20th April. The suggestion that pensioner's earnings should be averaged over a longer period than a week for the purpose of the earnings rule has been examined on a number of occasions but has not been found to be practicable. It was fully considered by the National Insurance Advisory Committee in its report on the earnings limits in 1956 of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will impose more stringent standards of cleanliness on mobile shops selling food to bring their practice into line with other food shops.

The new Regulations require that every vehicle selling food shall be kept clean, and the requirements they impose on food handlers apply equally to mobile shops and to food premises. I would prefer to obtain some experience of how this works before considering any amendment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is satisfied that the statutory requirements regarding planning permission for the destruction of George Square, Edinburgh, are being fulfilled; and whether, in view of the fact that it is usual to hold inquiries into matters of this sort, he will reconsider his decision in this respect.

I am satisfied that the statutory requirements in this matter are being observed. It is not usual to hold an inquiry in respect of development not at variance with the approved development plan where there is no conflict between the developer and the responsible local planning authority. As the hon. Member knows, I have had occasion to consider the situation in this case and I should not be justified in seeking to bring the university's proposals under further review.