asked the Paymaster-General what sum was expended in 1958 by the National Coal Board on research into the better use of coal.

In addition to its contribution of £140,000 to the work of the British Coal Utilisation Research Association, the Board incurred an expenditure of between £300,000 and £400,000 on the development of briquetting techniques and by-products from coal.

asked the Paymaster-General the total manpower of the coal mining industry in June, 1958; and the manpower figure prevailing at the moment.

The Answer is 697,400 on 21st June, 1958, and 668,500 on 20th June, 1959.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of the large stocks of coal, what changes he contemplates in his estimate of fuel requirements that, by 1965, this country will need 310 million tons of coal equivalent.

Current stocks of coal have no reference to estimates of future demand.

asked the Paymaster-General what general direction he has given to the National Coal Board to make an especial effort to reduce the mounting stocks of coal either by price reductions, restriction of output, or rapidly to develop means to use it in smokeless fuel products.

None. The National Coal Board needs no direction to tackle this problem of which it is very well aware.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will give the names of the members of the committee recently appointed by the Minister of Power to look into the prospects for a coal based chemical industry; and how many of those members are connected with the coal, oil, and chemical industries, respectively.

The names were given in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Pollock (Mr. George) on 16th April. One member comes from the Coal Industry, two from the oil industry and two from the chemical industry.

asked the Minister of Supply what orders his Department has placed with factories in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire this year, in view of the need to counter depopulation which is encouraged by the sense of ruin following the closure of Douglas Castle Colliery.

It is general Government policy to give preferential consideration to firms in Development Areas and areas of high and persistent unemployment. As my right hon. Friend explained to the hon. Member for Gateshead, West (Mr. Randall) on 20th April last, however, the Department's records are not kept in such a way as to enable me to give information in regard to particular districts.

asked the Minister of Health the result of the inquiries and experiments carried out by the ex-Servicemen's associations into the provision of a second seat in motor tricycles for the disabled.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been reported to him in the testing of two-seater motor vehicles for the disabled.

I would refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mr. McCann) on 22nd June.

asked the Minister of Health in what way and through what agencies, other than voluntary bodies, seaside holiday home accommodation can be provided for mentally deficient patients from hospitals in regions which have no seaboard.

Arrangements may be made by agreement between regional hospital boards for patients from the area of one board to be treated in hospitals administered by another board or in private institutions with which that other board has contractual arrangements, but direct provision by regional hospital boards with no seaboard is inhibited by the provisions of section 12 of the National Health Service Act, 1946.

asked the Minister of Health how many local authorities have submitted schemes for a chiropody service for the aged.

So far seventeen authorities have indicated that they are proposing to provide a service, and four of these have formally submitted schemes for my approval.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of toxin food poisoning caused by infected potato chips have been reported; and, in view of the danger to health arising from the practice of preparing partly-cooked chips some hours before the final boiling, what action he proposes to take to prevent this practice in view of its liability to encourage infection.

A small outbreak of food poisoning occurred in Liverpool in 1957 involving eight persons who had eaten a meal including reheated chips; but the subsequent findings did not conclusively establish that the chips were the cause. Food hygiene publicity regularly emphasises the risks of reheating food without taking adequate hygiene precautions. It will continue to do so.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of poliomyelitis occurred in Islington recently; how many were paralytic; how many were non-paralytic; how many of the cases were fatal; and how many of the cases had been inoculated.

Since the beginning of 1959 there have been 37 confirmed cases: 28 were paralytic and 9 nonparalytic, and 4 were fatal. Three of the 37 had had two doses of poliomyelitis vaccine.

asked the Minister of Health the total number of people in England who have become eligible for injections against poliomyelitis; and what percentage of these has been inoculated.

Sixteen and a half million, of whom by 30th April—the latest date for which detailed information is available—49 per cent. had been vaccinated, 43·5 per cent. with two or more doses and 5·5 per cent. with one only.

asked the Minister of Health during which evening hours patients who are in reasonably good health at the Darenth Park Hospital and the Bexley Hospital are allowed to watch television programmes; and at what time they are required to go to bed during the months of June, July and August.

I am informed that at Darenth Park Hospital television is usually turned off at 8.30 p.m. on three nights a week; on other nights it continues until the end of an appropriate programme and may go on until after 11 p.m. at the discretion of the night nurse. There are no set hours for going to bed, although the lower grade patients generally go by about 8.30 p.m. At Bexley Hospital there are no set hours for switching off television or going to bed.

asked the Minister of Health at what time adult patients employed in the workshops at Rampton Mental Hospital end their daily work; when they have their evening meal; when they are allowed to see television programmes; and at what time men and women patients are required to go to bed during the months of June. July and August.

Employment in the workshops ends for men at about 3.45 p.m. in winter and 4.30 p.m. in summer, and for women at about 4.15 p.m. The last main meal is at 5 p.m. for men and between 4.30 and 5 p.m. for women, light refreshments being provided at 7 p.m and 6.45 p.m. respectively. Television is available generally at weekends and on weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. for men, and for women from 5 p.m. to 6.15 p.m. or 7 p.m. depending on the weather. Arrangements may also be made for the patients to see special afternoon programmes. Bed times are from 7.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and lights out is at 9 p.m.

asked the Minister of Health when he anticipates financial provision will be agreed by his Department for the construction of a children's ward at the Victoria Hospital, Lichfield.

The need for more children's accommodation at this hospital will be considered by the Regional Hospital Board in the light of a survey of facilities in the region now in progress.

asked the Minister of Health the number of beds in the Lansdowne Hospital, Cardiff, kept vacant for outbreaks of infectious diseases.

One hundred and twenty-nine beds are allocated for infectious diseases, of which 41 were occupied on 30th June last.

asked the Minister of Health the number of beds reserved for Service pensioners at Rookwood Hospital, Llandaff; and what is the total number of beds vacant in this hospital at the most convenient recent date.

One hundred and thirty-four beds are reserved for Service pensioners. Seventy-one beds were vacant on 30th June, 1959.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council (1) why the Medical Research Council suppressed certain statistics which showed that smokers in their sample test who inhaled appeared less liable to lung cancer than those who did not;(2) if he will instruct the Medical Research Council to consider the findings of Sir Ronald Fisher in relation to smoking and lung cancer, and report thereon.

The Medical Research Council has suppressed no statistics on the question of smoking and lung cancer. The Council is familiar with Sir Ronald Fisher's views on the relationship between smoking and lung cancer but these have not led it to modify the opinions expressed in its statement on the subject issued in June, 1957, or the conclusion that cigarette smokers—whether or not they inhale—are very much more likely to die of lung cancer than those who do not smoke.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on how many occasions in the last four years his Department has been asked to give advice about the screening of films at home or abroad; what advice was given in each case; and on what grounds.

As far as I can ascertain, the Foreign Office has been asked for advice about two films in this period. The advice given in one case was that it might impair relations with friendly Governments; in the other that it might be misunderstood.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why his Department advised the British Film Producers' Association that the film "Carlton-Browne of the Foreign Office" was unsuitable for screening at the Moscow Film Festival in August.

This film is an excellent satire which British audiences are enjoying. It might, however, make a very different impression on a Soviet audience. When asked for its informal opinion, therefore, the Foreign Office suggested that it was not altogether suitable for the Moscow Film Festival.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many libraries are maintained by the British Council overseas; how many professional librarians are employed in them; and what steps the British Council is taking to encourage its locally-employed library staffs to train as professional librarians.

The British Council maintains ninety-nine libraries overseas. Fourteen of the librarians have professional qualifications and three more are now being recruited. Local librarians and library clerks are brought to this country for periods of service in British libraries; twelve such courses, which can lead to professional qualifications, have been arranged in the last three years.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet reached a decision on the proposal that the British Council should extend its activities to Saigon.

Yes. Money has been provided in the current financial year for the British Council to start work in Vietnam. The Council hopes this will be in the autumn.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent attempts have been made to infiltrate across the frontier from East Germany into West Berlin recently; and if he will make a statement on the activities of our patrols in preventing these attempts.

The flow of refugees, of course, continues. In the three months ending 31st May over 21,000 came to West Berlin.I am not however aware of any recent attempts to infiltrate across the frontier from East Germany. The boundary crossing points are manned by West Berlin police but, since control of the boundary is the ultimate responsibility of the three Western Powers, British military police regularly patrol the boundary of the British Sector of Berlin. My right hon. and learned Friend is satisfied with the arrangements at present in force.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the Philippines concerning the reduction of the foreign exchange quotas of British firms in the Philippines; and what effect these representations have had.

Representations were made to the Philippine authorities on a number of occasions in January and February. As a result the firms concerned were invited to state their case at hearings which began on 2nd March. In April the Central Bank suspended the further cuts which were contemplated. The cuts now stand at 50 per cent. Had it not been for this revision allocations would by now have been reduced by 75 per cent. and would cease altogether at the end of the third quarter of the year.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent it is the Government's policy to initiate discussion of a European zone of arms limitations and control when the conference of Foreign Ministers resumes.

I expect that when the Geneva Conference of Foreign Ministers resumes there will first be further discussion of the Berlin question. It will be a matter for decision during the Conference what other topics can be usefully discussed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if, as a result of their examination of the Territorial Application Clause, Her Majesty's Government will now adhere to the United Nations Convention on the political rights of women in respect of the majority of territories under British rule or protection, and in respect of the remainder of the United Kingdom's overseas territories as and when social conditions permit.

During the negotiation of this Convention, Her Majesty's Government sought the inclusion of a Territorial Application Clause. This was not successful. For this reason, we can adhere to it only when it can be applied in all territories for whose international relations we are responsible.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his attention has been drawn to the hostile tone of broadcasts by Moscow Radio directed towards British territories in Africa, commenting on the situation in those territories; and what steps he is taking to protest.

Yes. No protests have yet been made. We consider it more effective to answer these broadcasts by expanding our own services both within the territories themselves and from the British Broadcasting Corporation. This is being done.

asked the Minister of Labour what is his practice in regard to the calling up for National Service of a person leaving the coal mining industry, whose age is between 18 and 25 years.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) on 2nd July.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish the official unemployment figures for males, females, and boys and girls, in the Burntisland exchange area for the month of May in each of the last five years.

The following table gives the information requested as far as it is available:

NUMBERS OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE REGISTERS OF THE BURNTISLAND EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGE AT THE UNDERMENTIONED DATES
Date		Men aged 18 and over	Women aged 18 and over	Total
16th May, 1955	…	18	30	48
14th May, 1956	…	18	28	46
13th May, 1957	…	30	27	57
12th May, 1958	…	34	43	77
11th May, 1959	…	114	57	171
15th June, 1959	…	83	47	130

Separate statistics of the numbers of unemployed young persons under 18 years of age in the Burntisland area are not available. They register with the Kirkcaldy Youth Employment Office, and are included in the figures for that office.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement on the progress made by Remploy on the development of sponsorship schemes.

There are at present ten sponsorship schemes in operation, providing employment for about 400 severely disabled workers. Two more schemes are expected to come into operation shortly and several other possibilities are being considered. These schemes have proved generally successful, and Remploy is anxious to increase their number. I understand that it would welcome inquiries from interested firms.

asked the Minister of Labour how many mineworkers affected by the recent batch of colliery closures are still unemployed at the moment; and to what extent consultations are taking place between his Department and the National Coal Board on this matter, with a view to obtaining a satisfactory solution.

asked the Minister of Labour how many mineworkers, surface and underground, affected by the recent colliery closures have been found work inside the mining industry; and what percentage this is of all those made unemployed.

Of the 8,800 men displaced by the recent special closures of collieries, about 6,400 or 70 per cent. have been found other work inside the mining industry. About 1,470 are still unemployed. My Department is in constant consultation with the National Coal Board and is making every effort to place those who are still unemployed in suitable employment.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will list the details of each county affected by the thirty-six recent pit closures in respect of numbers of mineworkers affected; how many

County		Number of men displaced	Re-employed in Mining including salvage	Other employment	Retired or disabled	Number remaining unplaced
Scotland	…	2,483	2,168	47	125	143
Northumberland	…	610	*	420	*	190
Cumberland	…	520	*	230	*	290
Durham	…	563	540	—	23	—
Lancashire	…	1,268	1,211	9	34	14
Cannock Chase	…	673	609	21	38	5
South Wales	…	2,280	1,167	312	147	654
Forest of Dean	…	405	143	79	6	177
		8,802	†5,838	†468	†373	1,473
* Numbers included in "Other Employment" total.
† Excluding Northern (Northumberland and Cumberland) re-deployment figure.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the subjects discussed, and the conclusions reached, at his meetings last month with Ministers of the Government of the Republic of Ireland.

I have been asked to reply.There was an exchange of views on the implications for Anglo-Irish Trade of the proposed Free Trade Area between members of the "Stockholm Group" of countries. The desirability of maintaining and strengthening the special and traditional trade relations between the United Kingdom and the Republic was reaffirmed. It was agreed that there should be further discussions between Ministers as soon as practicable.

Of the 36 special colliery closures planned for this year 26 have been closed and two have been partially closed. The final stages of these two and eight further closures will take place before the end of this year. Details of the number of mineworkers affected by the closures which have so far taken place, the numbers re-employed in the mining industry who have obtained other employment, who have retired or are disabled and who remain unemployed respectively are:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further reports he has received on the danger to human health by poisoning and chronic oestrogenisation transmitted through pasturage, soil, and water contaminated by animals and poultry treated with synthetic hormones.

My right hon. Friend is advised by the Agricultural Research Council that the experimental evidence so far indicates that risk to human health from any of the sources mentioned by the hon. Member is unlikely, but the use of synthetic oestrogens in all its aspects is being reviewed by the Council.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that a letter was recently sent by the Chairman of the Egg Marketing Board to all registered producers which many producers had great difficulty in understanding; and whether he will draw the Board's attention to the need for clarity in its circulars.

I am aware that the Chairman of the British Egg Marketing Board sent a letter to registered egg producers in April and that other circulars are issued by the Board from time to time. Producers can be relied upon to tell the Board if the meaning of these communications is not clear to them. It would be inappropriate for me to tender advice to a producers' marketing board on routine matters of this kind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will recommend to the British Broadcasting Corporation that, in the market report for farmers broadcast in the early morning, egg prices should be announced before fatstock prices, as this is the desire of the majority of farmers of this country.

I have no evidence that farmers want a change in the order in which prices are given in these broadcasts, and I understand that the B.B.C, whose responsibility it is to decide the order, has none either. I should not therefore feel justified in supporting a change.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in view of the hardship experienced by retirement pensioners, in seaside resorts and other areas where seasonal work is only available for short periods each year, owing to the fact that their earnings for disregard purposes have to be assessed on a weekly basis, he will receive a deputation of Members interested to discuss the problems arising from this earnings rule.

I am, as I am sure my hon. Friend is aware, at the disposal of hon. Members who wish to discuss any aspect of my Department's work, and I understand it has already been arranged that we meet tomorrow, I should add that I cannot accept the implication contained in the introductory passages of my hon. Friend's Question.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will consider introducing amending legislation to prevent a local authority from excluding the Press on account of an industrial dispute in regard to which the local authority has no jurisdiction, and thereby depriving the public of information regarding the proceedings of their elected representatives by means of emergency editions of newspapers.

I strongly deprecate the action of any local authority which excludes the Press and the public from its meetings for any reason save that the nature of the business requires it to be considered in private. On the general question of the practice to be followed by local authorities in making information available to the Press, discussions have for some time been in progress between my Department and the local authority associations. I indicated to Parliament some months ago that the Government would not hesitate to advise an amendment in the law if necessary, but I would prefer a proper sense of responsibility to the local electors to prevail.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what progress has been made in restoring to agricultural use the land at Duggins Lane, Berkswell, in the County of Warwick, formerly the site of the Tile Hill Hostel and now derelict.

It is not considered that the agricultural value alone justifies restoration, but I am prepared to assist on amenity grounds provided that the cost is not excessive. I am at present awaiting tenders to be obtained by the two owners concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what further action he is taking to mitigate the danger to health from the emission of black exhaust fumes and smoke from the increasing number of diesel-fed omnibuses and heavy vehicles on urban roads in London and elsewhere.

I understand it is not established that these fumes affect health. Nevertheless black smoke is objectionable generally and on grounds of safety and is an offence. Any further measures to reduce exhaust fumes must depend on research which is now being undertaken.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he is aware of the congestion, delays and waste of motorists' petrol that takes place on the approaches to London from the direction of the airport; and if he will have an urgent investigation made as to the additional cost that would be involved if the work of construction were carried out for the full twenty-four hours of the day in three shifts, saving at least one-half the time that will be taken if these delays continue until the work is completed.

Some traffic congestion is inevitable during the construction of the several very important projects for the improvement of the main roads between central London and the airport. Extended hours have been worked at certain stages on some of the schemes, in order to keep the traffic delays to a minimum. It would be neither practicable nor economic to introduce continuous three-shift working and some temporary inconvenience is. therefore, unavoidable. Work on the current schemes for the Cromwell Road Extension, including the Chiswick Flyover, will be completed this autumn as planned

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that the meetings between the United Kingdom and Danish Ministers in London on 22nd and 23rd June were concerned with an exchange of views about the problems of expanding trade in agricultural products between members of the proposed free trade association of the seven countries, what are the principal agricultural products of the United Kingdom, the export of which to these countries it is hoped to expand.

The United Kingdom is predominantly a net importer of agricultural products, but it is our hope that the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the kind discussed at Stockholm woud give opportunities for increased exports of a range of manufactured foodstuffs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will indicate in tabular form for the year 1958 the output of iron and steel, numbers of management and other workers employed, interest and surplus paid to the Agency, and investment in fixed plant and equipment for each of the wholly owned subsidiaries of the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the Accounts of the subsidiaries for the year 1957–58, published by the Agency in accordance with the provisions of the Companies' Act, 1948. Much of the information which he seeks is given in these accounts. While I have asked the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency to consider the possibility of providing further information, there are objections to publication in regard to these companies of detailed information about output, employment and similar matters which is not generally available in respect of other iron and steel companies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which areas projects have now been approved by the Development Areas Treasury Advisory Committee since the Distribution of Industry (Finance) Act, 1958, came into force; and how much new employment is involved in each main area.

The following is the list of areas together with a figure for each area of the new jobs which are expected to be provided:

	Additional jobs
England
North East England	96
North West England	417
East Anglia	191
South and South East England	208
South West England	318
	1,230
Scotland
Highlands and Islands	425
North East Scotland	63
West and South West Scotland	477
	965
Wales
North West Wales	67
South Wales	344
	411
Total	2,606

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Orders in Council relating to any of the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man have been made under Section 11 of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act, 1958.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been charged with obstructing the police in incidents arising out of the printing strike; how many persons have been charged with injuring members of the police force; and how many police are alleged to have been injured in these incidents.

Figures are available for the Metropolitan Police District only. I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that up to 1st July eight persons had been charged with obstructing the police and two others with using threatening behaviour. Three of these persons were charged additionally with assaults on the police. Three police officers received injuries.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he has taken note of the organised trade union picket-raid on I.T.V. House last Friday; and what general plans he has made to ensure the continuance of the national television and radio services, in view of the growing probability of these public services being interfered with and an emergency arising.

The publication of journals giving forthcoming sound and television programmes is not a matter for me; and I am not aware of any threat to the continuance of the national television and radio services.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of foreign and Channel Island tomatoes, respectively, have been landed at Scottish ports, or brought to the Glasgow Market for sale, each week in May and June, 1959.

I regret that the information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state in general terms the import and export trade figures at the end of 1958, between Great Britain, West Germany, East Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.

I would refer the hon. Member to Account IV of the Trade and Navigation Accounts for December, 1958.