asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now given further consideration to the recommendation of the Advisory Council on Education that, subject to certain conditions, all retired teachers who desire to re-enter service be paid full salary and full pension in respect of past service: and what is his decision.

As I indicated in the Estimates debate, the difficulties which led to the rejection of this proposal last year still remain, but I am considering whether some other way could be found to offer some increased incentive to retired teachers to return to service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospitals in Scotland have out-patient departments: how many of these have an appointments system; and what steps he is taking to cut down the waiting time of patients.

About 165 hospitals provide regular out-patient services and almost all of these operate appointment systems for the majority of their clinics. At a number of hospitals new and improved departments are being provided. Boards of management have been advised from time to time on arrangements to keep down waiting time and asked to keep their out-patient departments under regular review.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the recommendation of the Advisory Council on Education that graduates and others training for the special certificate should receive during such period an award equal to that already given the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; and if he will make a statement.

I am deferring a decision on this recommendation until I have received the views of the Committee under the chairmanship of Sir Colin Anderson, which is considering the present system of awards to students.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance, by way of grant, will be available to the Burgh of Castle Douglas, in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, towards the cost of its new sewerage works.

Expenditure by the Burgh of Castle Douglas in respect of its proposed sewerage works will be regarded as relevant expenditure for the purposes of Exchequer Equalisation Grant. The Town Council's Exchequer Equalisation Grant for 1958–59 has been provisionally fixed at 30·3 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland the reasons for the delay in confirming the Smoke Control Area Order submitted by Dumbarton Town Council; and if he will now state when it will be confirmed.

This Order gave rise to a number of objections which made it desirable for special investigations to be carried out by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Clean Air Council for Scotland. These investigations have unavoidably taken time and it has, of course, been necessary also to allow the parties concerned an opportunity of commenting on the results. Comments on the results of the last of these are now being sought, and when they are received I hope to be in a position to reach an early decision on the Order.

asked the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been drawn to the trading activities of the firm about which the hon. Member for West Fife has written to him; and what steps he intends to take to protect the public against such activities.

I have received a number of complaints about the trading activities of the firm referred to. These complaints are at present being investigated. Until these investigations are completed I cannot say whether there are grounds for any proceedings being taken.

asked the Lord Advocate what inquiries he has made into the trading activities of the firm, particulars of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Dundee, East; and what action he proposes to take.

Inquiries are at present being made into the trading activities of the firm to which the hon. Member refers. Until these inquiries are completed I cannot say what action, if any, will fall to be taken.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs on what grounds he has refused to make a grant towards the cost of the development of the Wear Street site, Sunderland.

In order to attract grant under Section 3 of the Distribution of Industry Act, 1945, a local authority must be able to show that it could not reasonably meet from its own resources the full cost of providing the services in question. In the present case, out of a total estimated cost of £65,000 for this proposed development, the only part on which my right hon. Friend could give grant is some £6,000 for sewerage. This

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that since 1951 there has been a 14 per cent. reduction in the price of British imports, an increase of 9 per cent. in the price of British exports, an increase of 25 per cent. in the consumer price index, and a reduction of 20 per cent. in the purchasing value of the £ sterling, whether, using July, 1945, as 100, he will give the annual rise and fall in the price of British imports and exports, the consumer price index, and the purchasing value of the £ sterling, up to and including October, 1951.

The following is the Answer:would put a burden on the Corporation of less than one-twentieth of a penny rate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects to publish the Report of the Pritchard Committee.

I received this Report a fortnight ago, and it is being printed as a Command Paper. I shall publish it as soon as it is ready, which despite printing difficulties will I hope be next month.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what are the criteria under his regulations which enable the London County Council to determine whether new building proposals are of sufficient importance for consulting the Royal Fine Art Commission as to their suitability for the neighbourhood.

It is entirely within the discretion of the London County Council to decide whether or not to consult the Royal Fine Art Commission on a particular building proposal. The Commission can also on its own initiative, take up a proposal with the London County Council, because it is empowered by Royal Warrant to call the attention of any Department of State, or of the appropriate public or quasi-public bodies, to any project or development which seems to it likely to affect amenities of a national or public character.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs on how many occasions during the last five years the Royal Fine Art Commission has been consulted on proposed new building within the metropolitan area, in respect of applications which have been referred on appeal to, or called in by, his Department.

I am afraid that no record has been kept of this particular information.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware of public anxiety at the failure of the London County Council to provide opportunity for interested parties to see new building proposals before planning permission is granted; and if he will review the present procedure.

I sense a stronger public desire to see the time taken in reaching planning decisions shortened than, in general, to add to the time by providing for more extensive consultations. Perhaps my hon. Friend will let me know what practical proposals, not involving further delays, he has in mind.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will ensure that the interests of the British fishing industry will be adequately safeguarded in any negotiations on European free trade; and if he will give an assurance that the industry will be consulted before final decisions are made.

The interests of the British fishing industry will be taken into account in any such negotiations and I can readily give the assurance asked for in the second part of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consult with the Secretary of State for Scotland with a view to instituting an inquiry into the disparities between the marriage laws of Scotland and England, and thereafter introducing legislation to harmonise them.

From time to time I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland about differences between the English and Scottish marriage laws and we do not consider that there is need for an inquiry such as the hon. Member suggests.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the names of those courts which have Admiralty jurisdiction in the Colonies.

Admiralty jurisdiction is exercised by courts in all territories for which responsibility is exercised through the Colonial Office, except the following: Aden Protectorate, Brunei, Gambia Protectorate, Sierra Leone Protectorate, the New Hebrides, Tonga, Uganda and Zanzibar.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in regard to the Co-operative movement in Tanganyika in 1958, the number of registered societies, the total membership, the total share capital, reserves and surpluses, the value of fixed assets, investments and working capital, the value of gross overall turnover and the actual turnover to African producers only, respectively.

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

asked the Minister of Education what further expansion of teachers' training colleges in Wales he has in mind; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. As part of the second phase of the teacher training college expansion programme, I have authorised the expansion of Swansea Training College by about 190 places, of St. Mary's Training College, Bangor, by about 100 places, and of Bangor Normal Training College by a further 75 places in addition to the expansion already authorised. The authorities of these colleges have already been notified.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of recent changes in the organisation of the Atomic Energy Authority, he will introduce amending legislation to increase the number of members of the Authority.

Section 1 (2) of the Atomic Energy Authority Act, 1954, provides that there shall be not more than ten members of the Atomic Energy Authority, apart from the Chairman. In consequence of recent changes in the organisation of the Atomic Energy Authority, there would be advantages in an increase in this maximum number. I do not think, however, that there will be an opportunity of presenting the necessary amending legislation during the course of the present Session. It is hoped that it will be possible to do so at the beginning of the next Session.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation the total road expenditure for the financial year 1958–59 by the Exchequer and local authorities, respectively.

The provisional figure of total exchequer expenditure under the Roads, etc., Vote, England and Wales, for 1958–59 is approximately £83,327,000. Information about expenditure by local authorities will not be available until the autumn.

asked the Minister of Works if he will have traffic lanes marked on the east side of the West Carriage Road, Hyde Park, just north of the junction near Alexandra Gate, so that southbound traffic waiting to go out of the park does not inadvertently block traffic turning left when the green arrow appears.

I am advised by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, and by the police that, as the majority of the traffic here is southbound and the width of the road is limited, the nearside lane should not be reserved for the comparatively small amount of traffic turning left.

asked the Minister of Works what attention is to be given to stones numbered 4, 5, 105, and 60 at Stonehenge, in order to secure them for the future and to prevent any danger of collapse.

My Department is at present dealing with these stones, in the way recommended by the Ancient Monuments Board.