asked the Minister of Health what reply he has given to the Lindsey County Council's request for the conversion of the Eastfield Road School, Louth, into a mental health occupational centre after the new school has been built.

This request is being considered, and I have asked the Council for further information, so that the suitability of the school buildings as an occupational centre can be assessed.

asked the Minister of Health what representations he has received from the County of London Local Medical Committee about the future of the Royal Free Hospital and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital; when these representations were received; and what reply has been sent.

On 29th October last, in reply to a request for its views, the Committee informed my right hon. and learned Friend that it welcomed the proposal to build a new teaching hospital at Hampstead but desired the continuance of the Royal Free Hospitals in Gray's Inn Road and Liverpool Road and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital as non-teaching hospitals. This was noted and acknowledged on 3rd November. In discussions on 19th November last and 1st July about the long-term need for services in central London, representatives of the Committee were assured that they would be consulted before decisions are reached.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he has received from the Federal Government of Germany about the investigations being made by the Land Governments into allegations of the reemployment of more than 600 former Nazi judges in the Federal Government's judiciary system; and, as this information was first requested by his Department over two years ago, whether he will request the Federal Government to expedite their inquiries.

This is, of course, a matter for the German authorities concerned. I am, however, informed by the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs that the Lander authorities are continuing their investigations into the outstanding cases, but because of the difficulty of obtaining the necessary evidence these have not yet been concluded.In a very large number of cases which have been investigated the charges have been found to be unsubstantiated.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he is taking to protest to the French Government about the dangers of radioactive fall-out likely to arise from the testing of a French hydrogen bomb in the Sahara, in view of the consequent dangers of radioactive dust falling out over territories for which Her Majesty's Government are responsible.

The French Government have stated that their test—which will be of an atomic, not a hydrogen, bomb—will be held in such a way as to cause no damage to health in neighbouring territories.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement about the present dispute between Messrs. Harland and Wolff and the foremen and piecework-counters employed at their Govan shipyard, of which he has had official notification.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement on the dispute at Govan shipyard between the Association of Supervisory Staffs Executives and Technicians and Messrs. Harland and Wolff.

The dispute arises from a claim by the Association for an improvement in the salaries of its members employed as deputy head foreman and assistant foremen in the firm. The employers have decided not to enter into negotiations on the claim, and are not prepared to agree to a proposal by the Association that the claim should be referred to arbitration. The men concerned therefore stopped work on 6th May, and from 2nd June the stoppage was extended to members of the Association employed as piecework-counters.I have been kept informed of the circumstances of this dispute, and on 26th May the Association asked my officer in Scotland to assist. The matter has been discussed with the employers' association concerned, but the firm is not prepared to alter its decision.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the rate of interest on loans under the White Fish Industry Schemes now in operation are too high, inflict undue burdens on the industry and defeat their expressed purpose; and if he will take steps to enable those who have borrowed at those high rates to repay and re-borrow the loans at lower rates of interest.

The rates of interest charged compare favourably with those at which the industry could borrow from other sources. I do not accept that they are having the effect suggested.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he is aware that the decision to abolish the import duty on bacon must involve economic difficulties for the British bacon curing industry; and if he will consider supporting that industry in the same way as the cotton industry; (2) what steps it is proposed to take to ensure the well-being of British pig producers in the event of the greatly increased competition from Danish bacon which will result from the abolition of the import duty thereon; and, in view of the fact that the potential market for British pigs in this country will be reduced if bacon factories are obliged to close down or limit their activities, what are his intentions to enable the bacon curing industry to survive.

The bacon-curing industry will lose the advantage of the tariff in relation to Denmark, if it is decided to establish free trade arrangements within the Stockholm group. But I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that the industry will continue to derive considerable benefits from the assistance to the home pig producers under the guarantees and, in particular, from the special quality premiums paid to encourage the production of bacon pigs.As regards producers, their level of profitability depends on the guaranteed price determined at the Annal Review This will be in no way prejudiced by the Anglo-Danish Agreement and the industry has received specific assurances that any increased level of subsidy attributable to this Agreement will not be allowed in any way to influence subsequent price reviews.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider the introduction of statutory national mark grades for apples and pears in place of the recommended grades.

If my hon. Friend is thinking of a compulsory grading scheme, this can at present be introduced only on the initiative of producers under the provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1958.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total sum of money which accrues to the Exchequer through failure of recipients to cash vouchers issued for illness or other benefits at the date shown on the voucher; and whether he will advise the holders of these vouchers one month before the final date for encashment that failure to do so by that date will mean that the voucher is cancelled.

The total sum of money which remains undrawn from the National Insurance Fund each year through failure of National Insurance beneficiaries to cash instruments of payment within the period of six months allowed in the normal case is not known but must be very small, as cases in which such failure is brought to notice are very rare. A warning against delay in encashment is printed on each instrument of payment in the clearest of terms. I am afraid that the procedure suggested in the second half of the Question would be quite impracticable since millions of these instruments are in the hands of beneficiaries at any one time, and they are cashed at Post Offices which have no responsibility for their issue. The position is similar under the Family Allowances Scheme.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of the fact that relative costs for producing electricity from nuclear stations and coal-fired stations have been based on a 75 per cent. load factor for the nuclear stations, what would be the cost of electricity generated from the most efficient coal-fired power station working at the same load factor.

I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester, South (Mr. Corfield), and others, on 15th June.

asked the Paymaster-General, in view of the need for power stations, nuclear or otherwise, and the importance of preserving areas of natural beauty for present and future generations and to encourage visitors from other countries, what provisions exist in his Department to enable these two considerations to be fulfilled without the controversies and delays that now take place when the erection of a power station is proposed.

Both the Central Electricity Generating Board in selecting possible sites, and my noble Friend in deciding whether or not to give his consent to them, are required by Statute to have regard, among other things, to the desirability of preserving natural beauty. Before giving his decision my noble Friend is also required to consider any objections that are made and in some circumstances to hold a public inquiry.The proper consideration of all the interests involved must inevitably take time, and controversy naturally arises where the issues are finely balanced. Subject to this, I can assure my hon. Friend that every effort is made to reach decisions as quickly as possible.

asked the Paymaster-General the cost of residual fuel oil imported into this country so far this year; and what would be the cost of the same quantity of imported crude oil.

In the first five months of 1959, 2·1 million tons of fuel oil were imported but during the same period 2·7 million tons were exported or used to bunker ocean-going ships. The average value of fuel oil imports was £6·9 a ton; that of crude oil imported during the same period was £8·2 a ton.

asked the Paymaster-General if he will state in the OFFICIAL REPORT the present situation with regard to the proposed nuclear power station at Dungeness.

My noble Friend has decided to give his consent to this station and to certain parts of the routes proposed for the associated transmission lines. A decision on other parts of the transmission lines is deferred pending the examination of a possible alternative route. Copies of a letter setting out the Minister's decision and his reasons have been placed in the Library together with copies of the reports of the public inquiries held in connection with the station and the transmission lines.

asked the Paymaster-General the average percentage of sulphur in the principal varieties of smokeless fuel now on sale to the public; and how these percentages compare with those of average samples of coal and coke supplied for domestic consumption.

In the smokeless fuels now on sale to the public the sulphur content is about 1 per cent. by weight in anthracite and from 1·0 per cent. to 2·5 per cent. in coke and other manufactured fuels, varying with the sulphur content of the coal from which they are produced. The average sample of coal or coke contains about 1·6 per cent. of sulphur.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent people from East Germany are allowed to come to this country on holiday; and whether he can give an assurance that no obstacles or delay are caused by Her Majesty's Government in granting the necessary entrance visas and permits.

So far as Her Majesty's Government are concerned, people from East Germany are free to come here on holiday visits, provided they have satisfactory travel documents and valid United Kingdom visas. Visas are granted without difficulty or undue delay provided the applicant is personally acceptable and I am reasonably satisfied that he will be able and willing to leave when the period for which his visit is authorised expires.

asked the Minister of Defence what was the French financial contribution to the provision of the infrastructure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in France; and, in view of the transfer of United States aircraft from that country to this, what compensation will be paid to the British Government.

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is confidential. Since the transfer will involve no cost to Her Majesty's Government the question of compensation does not arise.

asked the Minister of Defence the number of retired officers of the Armed Services, including those from the Indian Armed Services, below and above the age of 60 years, respectively, whose retired pay under the 1919 code was reassessed because of war service between 1939 and 1945.

The approximate numbers are 560 below the age of 60 years and 4,200 above.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the recent two-nation study by the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation and Cambridge University Applied Economics Department to the effect that in 1957 the average American worker's output was more than twice that of his British counterpart.

The study to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers is a valuable piece of research into methods of comparing output in different countries. The results confirm that output per worker in the United States is roughly twice as high on average as in this country. These figures remind us that our standard of living in the long term is dependent on increasing industrial efficiency on the part both of management and labour.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) the amount of money earned by the sale or renting of British films in Europe during 1958;

The available information relates to the overseas earnings of British films actually remitted to the United Kingdom in respect of the rents, royalties and sales of rights analysed according to areas from which the currency was received, which are not necessarily the areas in which it was earned. Figures for 1958 were as follows:

Dollar receipts	£982,000
Receipts from the member countries of the organisation for European Economic Co-operation	£2,008,000

These figures do not include the earnings of films specifically made for television showing, but include the earnings of films made primarily for cinema distribution but sold abroad to television interests.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the scheme initiated by Mr. Kasper, the President of the Associated Merchandising Corporation of New York, and sponsored by the Dollar Exports Council, under which representatives of consumer goods industries are given the opportunity of working in North American department stores; and what steps he is taking to publicise this scheme.

Yes. The Department is helping to bring it to the notice of industry through its regional offices, its Export Services Branch and the Board of Trade Journal. I am grateful to Lord Rootes and his colleagues on the Dollar Exports Council for their wholehearted backing for a scheme which gives promising executives of United Kingdom exporting firms such a unique opportunity of studying at first hand the reactions of the North American consumer to the goods in which they are interested.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he is aware that on 8th July, 1959, the Icelandic coastguard vessels "Aegir" and "Albert" fired live and blank shots on British trawlers at sea off Iceland; and if he will make a statement on the origin and nature of this incident.

The following incidents between Icelandic coastguard vessels and British trawlers took place on 7th and 8th July.On 7th July the Icelandic coastguard vessel "Aegir" fired two blank shots at the trawler "Northern Dawn" off the north coast of Iceland. The "Northern Dawn" was fishing at the time in the vicinity of the 12-mile fishery limit claimed by Iceland.Also on 7th July, the Icelandic coastguard vessel "Albert" fired four blank shots and one solid shot at the trawler "Robert Hewitt." The solid shot landed about one mile astern of the trawler. This incident took place off the south-east coast of Iceland; the trawler skipper stated that at the time he was between 12 and 14 miles from the coast.On 8th July the coastguard vessel "Aegir" fired two blank shots at the trawler "Conan Doyle" which was at the time 12 miles off the north-east coast of Iceland.Her Majesty's Government have protested on several occasions to the Icelandic authorities against the dangerous action taken by Icelandic coastguard vessels in interfering with the legitimate activities of British trawlers. They have made it clear that they will continue to give protection to British vessels on the high seas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the entry of Kenya Africans to Makerere College at post-school certificate stage has been cut from 97 in 1958 to 68 in 1959; what is to happen to the balance of 54 students who passed school certificate in the first division in 1958; and what similar economies have been made in awarding scholarships for higher education to European and Asian students in Kenya.

pursuant to his reply 23rd April, 1959 [OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 604, c. 595], supplied the following further information:On the latest information available, 87 Kenya African students will be admitted to Makerere College in 1959–60. of whom 77 are at school certificate level and 10 are at G.C.E. (A) level. Of the balance of 54 African students who have passed school certificate in the first division but who are not going to Makerere, 41 will be admitted to the Royal Technical College, four will be undertaking teacher training, four will undertake other specialised training, and one will be going to the United States for further study. This leaves only four students whose future is still undecided.All entrants to the Royal Technical College and Makerere College are selected by the Colleges purely on merit in open competition and without regard to race. Any economies therefore apply to all races. It so happens that European and Asian students from Kenya have secured a slight increase in the proportion of entries, but this is not the result of any decision of policy. The majority of Kenya students entering both institutions will continue to be Africans.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what opportunities are afforded by the Government of Kenya for African children over 11 years of age to receive further education where there are no school places available.

Some of the African children who unfortunately have to leave school after the primary stage because there are no places available can obtain further education through schemes for training within industry; others can take advantage of adult literacy classes. It is Kenya Government policy to lay special stress in future on the development of African intermediate and secondary education.I should point out that much of the problem arises from the spectacular achievement of the Kenya Government in improving primary facilities; in a single year, between June, 1957, and June, 1958, the number of Africans at primary schools rose from 440,918 to 530,335.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what number and what percentage of African children in Tanganyika are now in primary and secondary schools; how many are undergoing technical education, other than secondary; and what the estimated numbers of children in the three categories are expected to be at the end of the next 5 and 10 years, respectively.

I am consulting the Governor and will circulate the information in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the reports or opinions of senior officers of other services are sought when an officer on probation in the Colonial Service is working under their orders or in closer contact with them than with officers of his own service; and if he will make this obligatory if the period is of considerable length.

Such a situation does not often arise and there is no approved practice. I consider that it is a matter which should be left to the discretion of overseas Governments having regard to the circumstances of individual cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why Mr. Dyke Campbell Hill was not employed on the duties for which he had been recruited when he ceased performing para-military duties, in view of the fact that such a course is normally followed and that it was not then fully apparent that this officer was unsuitable for confirmation.

Mr. Hill's attitude towards the orders to relinquish his para-military duties and afterwards made it abundantly clear that he was not prepared to conform to the standards of discipline essential in a police force.For this reason and because of his lack of his administrative ability it was decided to terminate his appointment without further extension of his probationary period.

asked the Minister of Supply how many people employed at the Porton Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment, who hold licences under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876, hold certificates A with E, A with F, B with EE, and B with F, respectively.

Twenty-four hold certificates A with E, 4 A with F, 7 B with EE. and 4 B with F.

asked the Minister of Education to what extent, either by the provision of new colleges or the extension of existing colleges, he intends to improve the supply of teachers in those areas of the Midlands where recruitment of teachers is known to be difficult, in accordance with paragraph 8 of chapter 5 of his Ministry's Report for 1958.

—			Index of industrial production (1) 1946 = 100	Index of retail prices (2) 17th June 1947 = 100	Index of import prices (3) 1946=100	Index of export prices (3) 1946 = 100	Numbers in civil employment (4) June 1948 = 100	Numbers registered as unemployed (5) 1946 = 100	Current balance of payments (6) £ million
1946	…	…	100	—	100	100	—	100	−295
1947	…	…	105·4	100	122	114	—	128·4	−442
1948	…	…	114·5	107·7	135	124	100	82·9	+7
1949	…	…	121·2	110·8	138	127	100·8	82·4	+38
1950	…	…	128·0	114·1	156	134	102·0	84·0	+297
1951	…	…	132·3	124·5	208	158	103·0	67·6	−419
1952	…	…	129·3	135·9	204	166	102·5	110·7	+227
1953	…	…	136·7	140·1	186	159	103·1	91·4	+179
1954	…	…	144·9	142·7	184	157	104·8	76·1	+211
1955	…	…	152·3	149·1	190	160	106·3	62·1	−73
1956	…	…	153·0	156·5	194	167	107·3	68·7	+237
1957	…	…	155·7	162·3	197	174	107·8	83·6	+263
1958	…	…	153·9	167·2	182	173	107·0	122·3	+455
(1) The series normally published on the basis 1954=100 has been converted to a 1946 base by simple proportion, without adjustment of the weights.
(2) This series has been obtained by linking the index of retail prices, based on 17th January. 1956=100, to the interim indices based on 15th January, 1952, and 17th June, 1947. A comparable figure for 1946 is not available.
(3) These series have been obtained by linking four separate series each based on the pattern of trade in a different year. The movements over the whole period are therefore only approximate.
(4) Great Britain. The figures are based on the estimated numbers in civil employment at the end of June in each year. Comparable figures for 1946 and 1947 are not available.
(5) Great Britain. The figures are based on the monthly averages of the numbers registered as unemployed
(6) In view of the large fluctuations and changes of sign, this series has been given in value terms and not as an index.

So far over 1,100 additional places are to be provided at existing constituent colleges of the University of Birmingham Institute of Education, and 450 places at an entirely new college.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures showing the percentage rise and fall in each of the financial years from 1945 until 1959 of industrial production, the cost of living, cost of imports, cost of exports, balance of payments, employment and unemployment, respectively, using as the basis April, 1945, being equal to 100.

Figures for financial years, based on April, 1945 = 100, are not available for most of the series mentioned in the Question. The table below therefore gives information for calendar years, based on 1946 or the earliest subsequent year for which comparable figures exist.