asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many of the European civil servants in the employment of the Government of Nyasaland are Federal citizens.

The Nyasaland Government has not got this information on record.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the duties of the Nyasaland Government representative in Salisbury.

His duties are to perform the functions provided for in the Migrant Labour Agreement of 1947, for the protection of the interests of Nyasaland Africans working in Southern Rhodesia and to carry out general liaison duties with the Southern Rhodesia and Federal Governments and any other duties of a general representative nature required of him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many schemes of liaison between our universities, and university colleges and hospitals in overseas territories, similar to the one established between Makerere College, Uganda, and the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, have been established.

The only other scheme of liaison similar to that between Great Ormond Street and Mulago Hospital, Makerere, is between the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Orthopaedic Hospital at Kano in Northern Nigeria.The co-operation of the hospital authorities in making these schemes possible is greatly appreciated. Every initiative to foster liaison between teaching hospitals here and overseas has my right hon. Friend's full support.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will enable such experts as are appointed to advise the delegates at the round-table conference on constitutional development in Kenya to visit the Colony; and on what basis such constitutional experts will be chosen.

Yes. I am still considering the form and nature of the expert advice which is to be made available to the forthcoming conference, and have no statement to make at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the aggregate number who at all times have been detained in Hola, Kenya; the number of these who have refused to work on tasks allocated to them; and how many are now refusing such tasks.

I am asking the Acting Governor whether he can supply this information, and I will circulate a further reply in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the reasons for the introduction of an Ordinance in Grenada, empowering the Governor to prohibit in certain circumstances all meetings, gatherings, assemblies and marches; and what are the types of circumstances which he envisages.

I am seeking information from the Acting Governor and will send the hon. Member a full reply as soon as I receive it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why an Order in Council was passed in Grenada to authorise the opening of all shops on Good Friday against the religious sentiments of the people of that territory.

A cruise ship was due to arrive at Grenada on the day in question and in these exceptional circumstances the Grenada Government, after carefully weighing the factors involved, decided as a special measure to permit the opening of shops.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the present position in Uganda in respect of the claims of the Lukiko.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State circulated a very long statement on this on 2nd June and I have nothing to add to it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now announce his intentions for introducing legislation to ensure that the subject has a right of appeal in all cases of habeas corpus.

It would not be possible to introduce legislation on this subject in the current Session, but my right hon. Friend is giving it serious consideration, in consultation with my noble Friend the Lord Chancellor and my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, with a view to legislation when an opportunity occurs. There are a number of subsidiary problems which must be considered before detailed proposals can be formulated, and I am not able to say more at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the present rate of recruitment and the national shortage of probation officers; to what extent the case loads of male probationer officers have risen in recent years; and what further action is now being taken to attract more recruits pending the conclusion of the inquiries by the Departmental Committee.

The establishment of whole-time probation officers increased by 31 persons during the first four months of 1959, and 99 students should complete training and enter the service by the end of the year. There are at present about seventy advertised vacancies, but the shortage is probably somewhat greater. The increase since 1951 in the average case-load of male probation officers was six on 1st August, 1958, the latest date for which figures are available. Recent action to attract more recruits has included a display at the National Education and Careers Exhibition at Olympia, and the publication of a booklet entitled "The Probation Service as a Career", of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motor vehicles have been removed by the Metropolitan Police for obstructing traffic since the introduction of this practice.

My right hon. Friend is informed by the Commissioner of Police that during the period from 1st May, 1957, when The Removal of Vehicles (England and Wales) Regulations, 1957, came into force, to 7th June, 1959, 37,366 vehicles were removed from the roads in the Metropolitan Police District.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what joint migration and trade regional offices have now been opened in the United Kingdom by Her Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of Australia; and what help is being given by Departments and offices of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom.

The Australian Government have opened combined migration and trade offices in Manchester and Belfast and a migration office in Edinburgh. There have been for some time trade offices in Glasgow, Birmingham and Bristol, and one at York which is shortly to be moved to Leeds.The opening of the new migration offices has enabled the close liaison, which has always existed between Australia House and the Ministry of Labour and National Service in the administration of the Assisted Passage Scheme, to be extended to the regional level. Moreover the Northern Ireland Ministry of Labour and National Insurance now has a direct liaison with the new migration office in Belfast.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the British participation in the latest discussions on the Indus waters problem.

The President of the International Bank has informed Her Majesty's Government of the broad outline of certain proposals which he has discussed with the Governments of India and Pakistan for allocation of the waters of the Indus system. Her Majesty's Government did not participate in these discussions, but I should like to take this opportunity of saying that we welcome the initiative taken by the International Bank and wish it every success.

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will call a Commonwealth Conference to discuss problems associated with the European Common Market.

The meeting of Commonwealth senior economic officials, which was held in London from 5th to 8th May, exchanged views on general trade and economic subjects, including problems associated with the European Common Market.

asked the Minister of Education how Commonwealth Day was celebrated in colleges and schools; and whether he will make a statement.

Schools and colleges were free to make their own arrangements. I hope that they found the advice given in the circular about Commonwealth teaching which I have recently issued helpful in planning appropriate ways in celebrating Commonwealth Day, but I have made no special inquiries.

asked the Minister of Education what information he possesses about the number and proportion of children reaching their fifteenth birthdays and staying on at school till the end of the school year in 1958–59, as compared with previous years.

This information is not available in the form suggested. The following table shows the number and proportion of pupils remaining at school in January each year who had reached their fifteenth birthday by the end of the previous December:

asked the Minister of Education what provision has been made by his Department for additional numbers of children staying on at school beyond the terms in which they reach their fifteenth birthdays owing to the lack of jobs for school-leavers.

My plans are designed to encourage as many pupils as possible to stay on at school after the term in which they reach the age of fifteen, and to ensure that they can do so.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now willing to consider using powers under the Distribution of Industry Act, 1945, to attract industry to Douglas, Lanarkshire.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the total amount collected in Income Tax and National Insurance contributions, respectively, in each year from 1950 to 1958 inclusive, and the estimates for the current financial year.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a special grant to the National Library of Wales in order that the purchase of the Gwysaney collection of manuscripts, which are part of the Welsh national heritage, may be facilitated.

Yes. The National Library of Wales has the opportunity to purchase from Colonel Davies Cooke, the owner of the Gwysaney Collection, certain manuscripts including the twelfth century Book of Llandaff, which is the most important surviving mediaeval record of the Welsh Church. The price of this group of manuscripts is £2,000. The Council of the National Library is able to contribute £1,000 with the generous help of the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust.In view of the importance of this acquisition my right hon. Friend has agreed, subject to the approval of Parliament, to make a special grant from the Exchequer of £1,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he proposes to take to prevent the dumping of subsidised foreign new potatoes on the Scottish market.

Applications for the imposition of an anti-dumping duty on new potatoes imported from Greece are under urgent consideration and I expect to reach a decision very shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of the applications for anti-dumping duties since the introduction of the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957, including the reasons for refusal or acceptance.

Thirty-four formal applications have been received for antidumping or countervailing duties under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957.Anti-dumping duties have been imposed in two cases. The first, on polymethylsiloxane fluids from a particular firm in France, was revoked on 2nd June, 1959, because the dumping had ceased. The second, in respect of pearled barley from the Federal Republic of Germany, came into force on 28th May, 1959.An application in 1957 for a countervailing duty on new potatoes from France was settled by the withdrawal of the French subsidy, and an application in 1958 by the New Zealand Government in respect of butter by a limitation of exports on the part of the countries concerned, which was terminated in December, 1958. In the case of an application by the Aluminum Co. of Canada for an anti-dumping duty on Russian aluminium, no action was necessary, in view of an assurance by the Soviet Government about their prospective level of exports.Applications that were advertised in respect of lighter flints and lithopone were withdrawn by the applicants, and those on piperazine and maize starch were rejected because a case was not made out.Of the remaining applications, eleven were settled by agreement or rejected because of lack of evidence. Fourteen are still under consideration, of which two—in respect of pentaerythrithol and tartaric acid—have been advertised.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) what is being done with the redundant rifles that are now being replaced; and whether he will permit bona fide British riflemen, both in this country and parts of the Commonwealth, to have these for rifle practice at an appropriate price;

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what notice he has received from Bristol Corporation of intention to demolish the Mylne Stables at King's Weston, which is a building scheduled as being of architectural interest.

Some surplus rifles are being bought by Commonwealth Governments. Others are being offered to registered rifle dealers. The National Rifle Association has also been given the chance of buying them but I doubt whether the types now surplus will be of interest to amateur riflemen.We have no surplus ammunition.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the number of new houses built in the County Borough of Stockport during the periods ending 30th April, 1950, 30th April, 1955, and 30th April, 1959.

The information is as follows:

My right hon. Friend received from the Bristol Corporation on 14th April last, the notice required by Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, of its intention to demolish these buildings. I understand that it is proposed to preserve the archway, the flanking walls and the facades of the return wings.

asked the Postmaster-General what action he proposes to take to implement the recommendations contained in the Report of the Advisory Committee on the Inland Telegraph Service, 1958.

The time has not yet come to take decisions about changes in the inland telegraph tariff on the lines suggested by the Committee. Meanwhile, I am exploring, in consultation with our staff interests, other possible ways of improving the financial position of the telegraph service. As recommended by the Committee, the range of deluxe greetings telegrams is being extended. A birthday telegram has just been introduced, and a baby greetings telegram will be introduced next month.

asked the Postmaster-General the figures for income and expenditure, number of telegrams and the loss per telegram in the Inland Telegraph Service during 1958–59.

Provisional estimates are: income, £3·1 million; expenditure, £6·7 million. Number of telegrams 15·7 million. The loss on each telegram averages about 55 pence.

asked the Minister of Supply what types of animals have been experimented upon at the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment.

Ten different types of animals have been used in the last six months. The types are those included in the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend on 8th June.

asked the Minister of Supply to what extent it is his policy to support either the Handley Page Dart Herald or the Avro 748.

Her Majesty's Government have had under consideration proposals in respect of both these types of aircraft which have been initiated as private ventures. Interest in both types has been expressed overseas including the Commonwealth.It is considered that their commercial prospects would be improved by an early demonstration of their efficiency in regular operation on normal services in the United Kingdom. Negotiations have therefore been opened—

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a comprehensive statement about the road programme in England and Wales, showing progress up to date, together with information as to further schemes authorised since 27th January, 1959, and giving similar information to that already provided about the Scottish road programme.

The progress of the road programme can be judged from the following figures of authorisation and expenditure on new construction and major improvements in England and Wales:

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the criteria under his administrative arrangements, for deciding when traffic lights may be installed.

The chief criteria are the volume and relative movements of traffic, the accident record and the layout of the junction: police opinion is always sought.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what encouragement is given to local authorities to use "Cross Now" signals at busy junctions on a main road.

We approve the installation of this type of pedestrian signal wherever circumstances justify, and contribute substantially from central funds to the cost of installation. The benefit to pedestrians has to be weighed against the added delays to all other forms of traffic.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the expenditure which has been approved for improving Holderness Road, Hull, and the amounts to be provided by Government grant and the city council. respectively.

The estimated total cost of the two schemes for Holderness Road is £323,140, of which the Government's contribution will be £242,356 and the city council's £80,784.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what other expenditure he has approved, in the current year, for road improvements in Hull, in addition to the Holderness Road scheme; and what amounts are to be provided by Government grant and by the city council, respectively.

Supplementary expenditure on the schemes for Drypool Bridge and Paragon Square has been approved in the current financial year. The estimates are £104,928 and £4,808 respectively. The Government's contribution is expected to be £81,579 and the city council's £28,157.

asked the Secretary of State for War the procedure for bringing to the notice of serving personnel, other than commissioned officers, their right to register for Service votes.

The procedure is set out in a pamphlet "Elections—Registration and Voting Procedures" which is issued to all units. Copies are in the Library. The pamphlet includes instructions for action to be taken each year to remind all concerned of their right to make a Service declaration.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will publish on the Official Report, as at the latest convenient date, the number and percentage of serving personnel, other than commissioned officers, who have made a declaration with a view to registration as Service voters.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the Answers I gave on 18th and 25th March to the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd). The returns prepared by the Registrar General do not distinguish between officers and other ranks.