asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to announce a favourable decision on the application by Inch-green Development Company Limited for financial assistance in the construction of the proposed graving dock at Greenock.

Not yet, Sir. However, at a meeting on 9th July with the promoters, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister offered a substantial measure of Government assistance for the project. This offer is at present being urgently considered by the interests concerned.

In view of the Prime Minister's welcome intervention in the matter, may I take it that it is now out-with the normal mechanism of D.A.T.A.C. in view of the large sum of money involved? Also, is there a time limit attached to the offer from the Government? Are the promoters expected to give an answer one way or the other within a certain time?

No, Sir; it is certainly not outwith D.A.T.A.C.; nor for the time being is there any time limit on it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the rise in the cost of maintaining those enterprises assisted by the Arts Council since he informed that Council that its Exchequer grant for 1958–59 would not be increased before 1962–63, he will reconsider his decision in respect of enterprises other than opera, whose claims he has recognised.

No, Sir. The triennium during which my right hon. Friend informed the Arts Council it could rely on the considerably increased annual grant being made available to it ends with the year 1960–61 and not 1961–62.

Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the letter sent out by the Arts Council to various receiving bodies states that the Chancellor had put a ceiling on the grant to the Arts Council for the years 1960–61 and 1961–62 on the basis of the year 1958–59? May we take it from what the hon. and learned Gentleman has just said that the information in the Arts Council letter is incorrect?

I have not seen the Arts Council letter. I can only say that the information that I have given the House is correct.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have since been authorised in the Royal Charter granted to the Arts Council in August, 1946.

None, Sir.

May I take it that the Charter still stands as originally given and that the clause which relates in particular to improving the accessibility of the fine arts to the public is still valid? Does the statement issued by the late Lord Keynes still stand, that

"… the Arts Council would be greatly concerned to decentralise and disperse the dramatic and musical and artistic life of the country and to build up provincial centres".

The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's supplementary question is, "Yes, Sir". The statement which he read from the Charter stands and is unimpaired. I will draw the attention of the Arts Council to what he said in the second part of his supplementary question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that while the grants to the Arts Council have been increased annually, its activities in the provinces have been reduced; and whether he will arrange for an independent inquiry into the work and administration of the Arts Council.

The answer to both parts of the question is "No, Sir." The Arts Council's direct assistance to provincial activities has increased considerably in recent years.

Is not the hon. and learned Member aware that the Arts Council has closed down its regional offices and has reduced the amount of opera touring in the provinces from thirty-six to eighteen weeks in the year, and that the Secretary-General has announced that he proposes to put before the Arts Council the idea of throwing twenty provincial repertory companies—in his own words—to the wolves"? Would the hon. and learned Member cease covering up these reprehensible activities of the Arts Council and take up the matter with the Council so that its scandalous behaviour might be stopped?

I certainly do not accept for a moment the opprobrious epithets in which that supplementary question was clothed. The regional reorganisation was an administrative measure which saved about £20,000, which the Council undertook to apply only to expenditure in the provinces. Answering the second part of the supplementary question, the fact remains that expenditure by the Arts Council in the English provinces alone has increased since 1954–55 by over 50 per cent. Answering the third part of the supplementary question, the statement or the proposal, or whatever one might call it, by the Secretary-General of the Arts Council has not been considered by the Arts Council, according to my information.

Does not the Financial Secretary agree that in so far as the activities of the Arts Council fall below what is required to support the arts in the country, particularly in the provinces, properly, it is not the fault of the Arts Council but is because it receives insufficient funds from the Treasury?

I am satisfied that the Arts Council does good work within the funds which are made available. I am also satisfied that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and his predecessors have treated the Arts Council extremely well in the way of grants. Indeed, apart from special grants for the Festival of Britain, the Arts Council grant this year is double what it was in 1951–52.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what exchange control or other official action was taken by Her Majesty's Government during the recent negotiations for the control of the British Aluminium Company; what directions were given to the Bank of England in this connection; and if he will move for a judicial inquiry into the proceedings in view of the Treasury's interest in the matter.

As the House was then I informed, the Treasury on 20th January I last gave the necessary consents in connection with the transfer of control of the British Aluminium Company Limited to Reynolds-T.I. Aluminium Company t Limited, a United Kingdom company, No directions were given to the Bank of England. The Answer to the third part of the Question is "No, Sir"

Does the hon. Gentleman agree with me that the British I Civil Service has a very high standard? If so, has he seen the very serious allegations made in the publications Life and if Fortune, and, if so, does not this warrant a judicial inquiry? If it was right to treat working men as they were treated during the Lynskey Tribunal when what was at stake was relatively little com-I pared with this, has the hon. Gentleman considered that aspect?

I would certainly agree with the hon. Member about the high standard of the British Civil Service. I have read one of the articles to which he referred, but I do not think that in itself would call for a judicial inquiry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals have been made over allowances against taxable profits of company expenditure on political campaigns.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given on 14th July to the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees (Mr. Chetwynd).

As two days ago the Chancellor stated that expenditure of a political character was prima facie not allowable, will the hon. and learned Gentleman now state definitely whether the vast expenditure of this kind by the steel firms is being allowed or not, since the House and the public have been denied this information for nearly eighteen months?

This matter has been explained to the House many times by my right hon. Friend and myself. In any case, the hon. Member for Stockton-on-Tees has given notice that he proposes to raise the matter on the Adjournment, and if the hon. Gentleman will come along on that occasion I will try to relieve his mind permanently of the misconceptions and prejudices which seem to inform it at the moment.

As I have not yet had your notification, Mr. Speaker, that I may raise the matter on the Adjournment, may I ask whether the Financial Secretary can tell me who comprise the appellate tribunal?

The appellate tribunal here is generally the General Commissioners of Taxation but may in certain cases be the Special Commissioners.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the concern of those citizens from whose post-war credits deductions are being made on account of alleged arrears of Income Tax; and if he will take steps to stop this practice in cases where it can be shown that the Inland Revenue failed to issue revised certificate and to cancel those originally issued or to present the tax demand in subsequent years.

I have noted the hon. Member's views. It was made clear when post-war credit certificates were issued that title to the credit for any year depended on payment of the tax for the year. Where the full tax was not paid the full credit was not earned, and the Exchequer cannot now make a payment in respect of tax which it did not receive.

Is not the Financial Secretary aware that it appears that certain citizens are being informed for the first time of tax arrears dating back sixteen or seventeen years and that sums are being deducted from the amount shown on the post-war credit certificates with which they were issued? Is not this grossly incompetent administration and very unfair on the citizens concerned? Surely, where it can be shown that revised post-war credit certificates were not issued and that the Inland Revenue has not attempted to collect the tax in the intervening fifteen or sixteen years, the Treasury should issue waivers in this kind of case.

We went into this matter very fully when we debated the Income Tax (Repayment of Post-War Credits) Act. It was generally agreed that the Exchequer could not repay the credits in the circumstances which the hon. Member mentions. I do not think that any Amendment was moved, and certainly none was pressed to a Division, after we had discussed the matter. It was by no means invariably the fault of the Inland Revenue in the years concerned that it lost sight of the taxpayer and failed to recover the tax in question.

I welcome the hon. and learned Gentleman's statement that the Revenue cannot pay back tax which it has not received and I hope that he will apply that rule more widely in the case of dividend stripping. Will he answer two supplementary questions? Is there any withholding of the repayment of post-war credits in respect of tax arrears for a date later than the year to which the credit applies? Secondly, in cases such as those mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler)—these are genuine cases—where there has been no previous notification, or no traceable notification of liability, will the Revenue give to the holder of the credit in each case a full statement of the tax position for the year in question so that, if necessary, even at this late date and with great difficulty, it can be challenged?

The answer to the first part of the supplementary question is, "No, Sir". The answer to the second part is, "Yes, Sir". I may add that I realise that it is very disappointing for the person who was expecting a credit not to receive it.

Is it the case that credit certificates were issued by the Inland Revenue which afterwards turned out to be invalid?

I think that "invalid" is the wrong way to put it. Credit certificates were issued in advance of the setting up of the P.A.Y.E. system, as the right hon. Gentleman will remember, but on the back they carried a warning that the right to the post-war credit depended upon the payment of the full amount of Income Tax due for the year.

If the Revenue cannot prove that it sought recovery of this tax at the time, is the Minister prepared to do what my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) suggested and give waivers? Most of these matters are settled within six years or they lapse, and it is a bit thick if sixteen years afterwards the Revenue suddenly produces some claim which is sixteen years old. Where the Revenue fails to prove that it sought recovery of the tax, will the hon. and learned Member issue a waiver?

No, Sir. We went into the matter very fully and discussed it at great length, as I think the right hon. Gentleman remembers, although he was not in charge of the Bill on behalf of the Opposition.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to make further sums available for assisting the improvement of provincial art galleries and museums.

Provincial galleries and museums are primarily the responsibility of the local authorities, which have full statutory powers to support them. But as an earnest of the Government's good will towards local collections, the grants to assist their purchases, which are administered by the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Scottish Museum, were raised this year from £2,000 to £15,000 and from £210 to £1,000, respectively; and they were extended to allow assistance towards purchases of oil paintings.

Would the Minister bear in mind the recommendations of the Committee over which Lord Bridges recently presided, pointing out the necessity of giving much further assistance to provincial galleries and museums? In view of the fact that the Financial Secretary said during the debate on the Finance Bill that he preferred direct grants to tax remissions, will he consider what further assistance could be given to these provincial galleries and museums?

I have seen the very useful and thought-provoking report by Lord Bridges' Committee to the Gulbenkian Trustees. For myself, I think that it is a mistake to believe that it is for the benefit of the arts to have everything done by the central Government. On the contrary, I think that there are great advantages in local initiative and enthusiasm, and it is that, equally, which we should try to foster.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent upon food in 1951 and 1958; and how much of the latter figure is due to increased retail prices.

Consumers' expenditure on food is estimated at £2,949 million in 1951 and £4,672 million in 1958. It is not possible to isolate the effect of price movements with any precision because of changes in the pattern of consumption, but comparison of these figures with the corresponding estimates re-valued at average 1954 prices suggests that roughly a quarter of total expenditure on food in 1958 was attributable to increases in prices since 1951.

Why have retail food prices risen so high, and why have the Government taken no step to keep them down?

Retail prices during this period have risen less than those in other countries.

That statement is quite incorrect and, in any case, does not relate to import prices. The supplementary question I wish to put is not controversial. Will the hon. Gentleman clear up something which was not clear from his Answer? Did he say that a quarter of the 1958 expenditure on food—it sounded like this—was due to increased prices or was a quarter of the increase between 1951 and 1958?

In order to avoid any error I will read that part of my Answer again:

"but comparison of these figures"—

"with the corresponding estimates re-valued at average 1954 prices suggests that roughly a quarter of total expenditure on food in 1958 was attributable to increases in prices since 1951."

That is a meaningless figure. Will the hon. Gentleman, therefore, say what proportion of the increase in food consumption as between 1951 and 1958 was attributable to increased prices and increased consumption respectively?

I shall have to see that question on the Order Paper.

Are we to assume that, so far as the Economic Secretary knows, the whole increase in apparent consumption may have been due to higher prices?

Very much the reverse. This Question is a difficult one to which to give a complete and accurate Answer, as it involves making certain estimates and calculations. We have done our best to provide an accurate comparison, but it would be quite misleading and incorrect to draw the deduction which the right hon. Gentleman has drawn.

Are we to assume also that, so long as the Conservatives remain in power, there will be no return to a weekly meat ration the size of a matchbox?

Although the Economic Secretary wants to see the question on the Order Paper, does it not follow from what he has said that a quarter of the 1958 figure would represent about £1,150 million? Since the total increase is only £1,700 million, would we not be justified in saying that £1,150 million of the £1,700 million increase was due to increased prices?

The right hon. Gentleman is playing with percentages and aggregates in a way which is only too familiar.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the rate of industrial production each year since 1945, taking the year 1945 as 100.

I regret that figures for industrial production in 1945 are not available. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to the figures based on 1946 given in the first column of my reply to a Question from the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Lewis) on 13th July last.

Was the rate of industrial production between 1946 and 1955 much higher than the rate of industrial production from 1951 to the nearest current date? Why has the rate of industrial production in the past nine years slowed down considerably compared with the previous period?

This subject has been argued over and over again, but one reason for the apparently good figures in the early post-war years was the changeover from war-time to peace-time production.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will for the future direct that the £5 note be printed in colours different from those of the present series in order to avoid confusion with the £1 note.

My right hon. Friend does not consider that the change proposed by my hon. Friend is needed.

Will my hon. Friend take note of the warnings issued by members of the Metropolitan bench to the effect that the £5 note in its present form is a dangerous instrument and, in certain lights, can be very readily confused with the £1 note, as has been the experience of many members of the population, including my noble Friend the Member for Aberdeen, South (Lady Tweedsmuir), who handed a £1 note over the counter the other day and received £4 10s. in change? In those circumstances, would it not be for the protection of the Revenue, apart from anything else, to look into this matter more closely than my hon. Friend is prepared to do?

During the last two years there have been very few complaints from the public, but in view of what my hon. Friend has said, and in view of the experience of the noble Lady, my right hon. Friend will certainly look into the matter.

While all of us would like more notes of this denomination, may I ask the hon. Gentleman to take the point, I am sure from both sides of the House, that probably the Bank of England has made a mistake on this occasion without realising it and that it is not necessary to back the Bank of England up to the hilt? Let the mistake be admitted. Remembering also the confusion with the Scottish £1 note, apart altogether from English £1 notes, would it not be wise, as soon as the present printed stock is exhausted, to issue a different colour, which I am sure most people would like to see?

We were going on the very small number of complaints which have been received during the last two years since the subject was last raised. In view of this isolated example of a further complaint, I do not think that it would be justifiable to suggest a complete reprinting, but the Bank of England will certainly take account of what the right hon. Gentleman has just said.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will abolish the 30 per cent. import duty on motor vehicles;

No, Sir.

Will the President of the Board of Trade say why? Why should the motor car industry be in this especially highly protected position, far higher than many other industries? In view of the Monopolies Commission's finding that there is very little competition in the tyre industry, is not this an added reason for reducing the protection on tyres?

As I think that I explained to the hon. Gentleman in a recent debate, the tariff is a bargaining instrument, and to abolish the tariff on motor cars and rubber tyres without receiving anything in return would be wrong. Therefore, I cannot even consider the Question tabled by the hon. Gentleman.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken by his Department concerning the three cases there was a prima facie assumption that a deliberate breach of the law had been committed under the requirements of the Advertisements (Hire Purchase) Act, 1957.

Such information as I have received does not lead me to think prosecutions by the Board would be warranted.

What is the public to do? Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that we would not have learned even this information if I had not raised this subject in the House on 7th May, 14th May, 4th June, 16th June and today? Is the right hon. Gentleman further aware that on 16th June his Parliamentary Secretary told us that, of the nine cases that the Department had actually looked at, three seemed to show a deliberate breach of the Act? Is the right hon. Gentleman now telling the House that none of those three cases showed any breach whatsoever?

On examination, they proved to be trivial. I have tried to find out whether the advertisements complained of have been repeated after we explained to these people that they should not do it. I cannot obtain any information that the advertisements have been repeated.

What happens to the consumers who have bought goods and suffered? What use is it to them that the advertisements may not be repeated? They have already been sold a pup. Why does not the President of the Board of Trade do something about it?

I am sorry, but I do not think that the Board of Trade should prosecute without really good grounds. In these cases, which I looked at very carefully again because the hon. Lady brought them to my attention, I have come to the conclusion that there are not sufficient grounds for prosecution.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement concerning the firm about which the hon. Member for Fife, West, has been in correspondence with him; how many further complaints have been received about its activities; how many of the total complaints have been from Scotland; and to what extent the complaints conform to a uniform pattern.

Seventeen complaints in all have now reached me. Seven of these are from Scotland. They have variously alleged that through bad siting the profits forecast have not materialised, that repair facilities were inadequate, and that machines ordered shortly before the company's collapse were not delivered. I have nothing to add to what I told the hon. Member on 9th July.

Is not the right hon. Gentleman yet convinced that he can do something in this matter? Can he give me any indication of the progress that he has made in his talks with the Home Secretary to bring back to this country the managing director of the firm, who mysteriously disappeared some weeks ago?

I am in touch with the Home Office—and, of course, extradition is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

Has any progress been made?

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new Government-financed factory building schemes, including extensions, and how many private schemes, have been approved in Development Areas in 1959; what were the corresponding figures for 1958; and what was the volume of new employment in each year.

Industrial schemes approved during the first six months of this year were 71 Government-financed and 131 private, estimated to employ 16,800 workers. In the corresponding period last year, 8 and 128 schemes respectively with potential employment for 11,250 workers.

Do not those figures show what a very feeble effort the Government were making last year?

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Government have yet ratified the Havana Charter providing for an international trade organisation; and if he will make a statement.

No, Sir. The Government adhere to the decision taken in February, 1951, not to ratify.

Does the President of the Board of Trade realise that the British delegates to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference to be held next month will be somewhat embarrassed when they discuss the question of the removal of obstacles to international trade, as this Government are not showing an example in this matter?

No, Sir, I did not realise that, because I thought that the G.A.T.T., which is the provisional instrument, had, in fact, done the job.

Were not the principles and provisions of the Havana Charter entirely injurious to the economic interests of the British Commonwealth?

Not entirely.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the large number of complaints about shoddy and unreliable articles sold under hire-purchase or credit-sale agreements which, in a very short time, become almost worthless for their purpose and for which there is no legal redress, as such agreements exclude the provisions of Section 14 of the Sale of Goods Act, 1893 (Implied conditions as to quality or fitness); and whether he will introduce legislation to make void contracting out of the protection afforded to the public by the Sale of Goods Act.

I am not aware that complaints are widespread. The hon. and learned Member may have overlooked the protection given in many cases by Section 8 of the Hire Purchase Act, 1938. If there is evidence that further protection is desirable, the Committee on Consumer Protection may wish to consider this at the appropriate time.

Can the President of the Board of Trade say what evidence he requires to show that this is a pretty general complaint? Unfortunately, most of the unlucky people who pay for, or claim, their goods under hire-purchase agreements are not in a position, until they are in difficulties, to understand that the Act of 1893 has no application?

I have some sympathy with that point, and I think that this question will be looked at by the new Committee.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the need to give greater protection to the consuming public, why he has omitted to appoint to the Committee on Consumer Protection anyone with knowledge of the Co-operative movement, which is a departure from the policy followed in respect of marketing boards.

This Committee of Inquiry is not intended to be composed of representatives of particular bodies. The Co-operative movement will have every opportunity to put its views before the Committee.

But can the right hon. Gentleman explain why four members of the Committee have fifty-seven directorships of private companies, including Bon Marché and Selfridges? Is he not aware that the Committee that had terms of reference most closely representing those of this Committee was the Hodgson Committee on Weights and Measures; and that on that Committee the Co-operative movement had two members—Mrs. Rosa Pearson and Mr. F. W. Warwick? Does he not think that it would have been at least helpful to appoint to this Committee some representative of the 13 million members of this movement, with its unrivalled knowledge?

I suppose that one can compose a Committee in two ways; either by appointing people who are the representatives of particular bodies outside, or by appointing people for their own sake, having regard to their individual experience. It was the second method that I adopted.

But surely it is the case that some of the members of the Committee are associated with private interests? I do not complain about that, but is it not the case that the outstanding representative organisation for the consumers is the Co-operative movement, which has about 13 million members? Can the right hon. Gentleman say why he has deliberately, and of calculation, gone out of his way to boycott representatives of that movement from serving on the Committee?

I must say to the right hon. Gentleman that I have done nothing of the kind. I have gone out of my way not to put on this body a representative of a particular association.

asked the President of the Board of Trade the size of the experiment factory for Coatbridge, the stage of building operations, and the product to be engaged in, with the approximate number of men and women who will be employed therein.

The size of this advance factory will be 45,000 sq. ft. Site preparation is going ahead, and building work should start next month. I have not yet selected the tenant. But I expect employment to be round 250.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the factory will employ fully male or fully female labour?

That depends on the tenant, and we have not yet been able to make a decision.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now give further information in respect of the additional factories discussed at the time of the Parliamentary Secretary's visit to Coatbridge during his tour of the industrial areas of Scotland.

I regret that the smaller of the two firms has quite recently withdrawn. Discussions with the other firm continue, but its plans are not yet complete.

This will be a great disappointment to the people in my constituency. Is it not disappointing that, though the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade comes to Coatbridge and promises two factories, we should find when he returns to London that one of the offers has been withdrawn?

It is disappointing, but I can tell the hon. Lady that the firm that has withdrawn expected to employ 28 persons, while the firm with which we are still in touch, and with which we hope to be successful, hopes to employ 600.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what application he has received from Dundee jute firms for an industrial development certificate in respect of a paper-bag-making factory; and whether he will withhold his consent pending further efforts to persuade the firms to site this factory in the Dundee Development Area.

None, Sir. I shall consider any application I receive on its merits.

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that this is a case, not of trying to bring employment from outside into a Development Area, but of a firm inside a Development Area proposing to develop outside it; and that it is very much a test case of the Government's willingness to act decisively in the distribution-of-industry policy? Will he make every effort, when dealing with the application for an industrial development certificate, to persuade this firm to carry out its developments within the Development Area where, over the years, it has earned the capital that it will use for this present purpose?

We have made that point clear, but we understand that the firm wishes to go to Hull. In Hull there are empty factories, and if the firm takes an empty factory no certificate is required.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage increasing mutual trade in cinematograph films between this country and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Films will be included in the scope of cultural discussions with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which we hope will be held in the autumn under the terms of the annex to the communiqué issued after the Prime Minister's visit to Moscow.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether he had discussions on this subject while he was in Moscow, and what are the prospects of developing this trade?

It was agreed before I went that we should leave films, in which I am very interested, to this particular set of discussions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will inform the British kid industry from where in the British Commonwealth it can obtain supplies of raw goatskins of a quality suitable for the production of glacé kid, to compensate for the continued reduction in the shipments from India.

The decline in imports from India has been made up by extra imports from other Commonwealth countries, especially East and West Africa.

Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that the kidskins from East and West Africa, which are attacked by both fly and thorn, are totally unsuitable for the manufacture of glacé kid; that the only alternative source within the Commonwealth is Aden, where the supplies are trivial; and that the effect of the preference, now that the Indian skins are going to Russia, is that the glacé kid manufacturer here is at a 10 per cent. disadvantage as against his European rival in the export trade?

As I understand it, there has been a slight change in fashion between glacé kid and suede, and if we add together the production figures of the two kinds of leather we find that production has increased.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he is quite wrong about that; that the suede trade and the glacé kid trade are quite different trades, and that it is the glacé kid trade that has been cut off? Is he further aware that his confusion is causing the country considerable losses?

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from Scotland concerning the paper-making trade and the proposed Outer Seven Free Trade Area; and what reply he has made.

A number of Scottish paper mills have made representations. I have replied that their views will be given full consideration in assessing the balance of advantage of a Free Trade Area of the Seven.

Is not the President of the Board of Trade aware that what he has so far said is quite unsatisfactory to the 17,000 men and women employed in the industry, and also to the burghs built up around these mills? What we would really like is some assurance that the Government will take the necessary precautions to safeguard these people's employment.

There are certain safeguards that we can take; for example, to see that the mills have access to pulp at the same price as have Scandinavian mills, and to see that, if they wish, our mills can make investments in Scandinavia. We hope that we will be able to secure those safeguards.

Surely the right hon. Gentleman realises that to invest in Sweden does not provide employment for people in Scotland?

If it secures the pulp, it is worth doing.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further representations he has made to the United States Government, in view of the quantity of British wool cloth caught by the unexpectedly early filling of the tariff quota.

I have been in communication with our Embassy in Washington and it has made further strong representations.

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that answer, may I ask him whether it has been made absolutely clear that the closing of this tariff quota so much earlier than last year—indeed, less than a month after it was announced—has entailed roughly£1½ million in value of wool cloth paying 80 per cent. higher than would otherwise have been the case?

My hon. Friend is right, and this is a severe blow to the Yorkshire industry.

Will the President of the Board of Trade seek to get altered the basis on which this tariff is made? Is he aware that in years to come the time within which this amount is allowed into America will become shorter and shorter as each year goes by and as the Japanese step up their production?

I fear that this is bound to be so, as the hon. Gentleman says. We have brought this point to the notice of the United States Government on several occasions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any statement to make on the provision of industries for the new town of Peterlee and the adjoining district in the Easington Parliamentary division.

Two new projects are due to start soon in Peterlee; these should provide more than 150 additional jobs, rising later to over 350. Other developments within travelling distance of the Easington Parliamentary division are expected to provide nearly 3,000 additional jobs.

May I thank the right hon. Gentleman for what is the first satisfactory reply that I have had from him since he became President of the Board of Trade?

I am very glad to have been able to give that much satisfaction to the right hon. Gentleman.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether, under his regulations, in order to secure remission of duty on imported textile machinery, the importing firm has to satisfy the Board of Trade or the British manufacturers of textile machinery;

Before recommending duty remission, the Board of Trade has to be satisfied that the foreign machine has a marked technical superiority over any comparable and available British machine. In the case of the machines imported by W. T. Taylor Ltd. and John Dugdale Ltd., the evidence on the availability of a similar British machine was unsatisfactory and licences were therefore issued. In the case of Ashton Bros., whose machine is somewhat different, the evidence so far provided is not sufficient to justify duty remission.

On Question No. 40, is the President of the Board of Trade aware that although the matter referred to in Question No. 41 has been proceeding for some sixteen months, and although his officials say that they were satisfied on all the points, they still insist on referring the matter back to the textile machinery manufacturers? Does not that give the impression that it is not the Board of Trade that makes the decision?

The Board of Trade has to make the decision, but it also has to get technical advice. I would assure the hon. Gentleman that there is no discrimination. If further tests should prove the case of Ashton Brothers, whom we know do very well in the export market, of course I shall accept that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what efforts are being made by the Northern Rhodesian Government, and by what methods, to ascertain the opinion of the African population towards the ending of the protectorate status of the territory;

As there is no intention to end the protected status either of Northern Rhodesia or of Nyasaland unless their respective peoples so desire, the question does not arise.

Does the right hon. Gentleman realise the great importance of this question to the 5 million British-protected persons in Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland? How does he intend to honour the pledge in the Preamble to the Federal Constitution? Does he undertake to consult all the people concerned or has he in mind consulting only a few representatives?

I answered a Question on that point about a fortnight ago.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if, in view of his renewed illness, ex-Senior Chief Koinange will now be permitted to return to his home in Kiambu; and if his two sons in Great Britain will be permitted to proceed to Kenya to visit him.

As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member on 30th June, ex-Senior Chief Koinange's illness makes it impossible for him to return to Kiambu, even if the Governor were prepared to allow him to go.

While expressing appreciation of that change in the attitude of the right hon. Gentleman since I put my Question a few days ago, may I ask him whether, on reflection, he does not consider it a terrible tragedy that this old man was not allowed to go home while he was in a condition to be moved there?

I have nothing to add to the Answer which I have given, except to say that it is now open to Mr. Peter Koinange, if he complies with the arrangements, to pay a short visit to see his father.

Having regard to the fact that my right hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield (Mr. Creech Jones) and I wrote to the right hon. Gentleman and asked him if it was at all possible to make arrangements for Mr. Peter Koinange to see his father while there was time, may I say that I am very much obliged to him for the consideration that he and the Government have given to our requests?

I thank the right hon. Gentleman.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what changes are proposed in the electoral laws of Kenya, in view of the finding by the Council of State that they are discriminatory against Africans.

There will be no changes in the electoral law of Kenya until after the forthcoming conference on constitutional matters.

While thanking the right hon. Gentleman for that reply, may I ask him whether it is not the case that the Council of State said that discrimination could be ended either by extending to the Africans the adult suffrage enjoyed by Europeans and Asians or by limiting the Europeans and Asians to the electoral restrictions of the Africans? May we have an assurance that Her Majesty's Government will press for adult suffrage all round when this matter is reconsidered?

The hon. Gentleman's last statement is not a fair inference to draw from the conclusions of the Council of State, which was not concerned with the relative merits of different forms of franchise. It is much better that these should be discussed at the conference of which I have already informed the House.

As one who has always believed that the Council of State was a necessity, may I associate myself with what the right hon. Gentleman said? Will he tell us when the conference is likely to be held?

No. I have nothing to add to the statement that I have already made on that point.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action is being taken following the Report of the tribunal that considered the disciplinary charges against Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Coutts.

I have not yet completed my consideration of the Governor's recommendations on the Report of the disciplinary inquiry, but I expect to be able to publish my conclusions during the course of next week.

Is the Colonial Secretary aware that publication seems to be moving further and further off? He originally promised it for the end of this week. Will he give an assurance that, when the Report is published, he will make a statement to the House so that he may be questioned in the House?

It will be published along with another document which, I think the hon. Gentleman will agree, may well meet his point.

If publication is to be unduly delayed, will the right hon. Gentleman indicate to the House what the conclusions are without waiting for the full details of the Report?

It will not be unduly delayed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many persons have been released from detention in Nyasaland in each month since March; and what compensation has been paid to those discovered to be innocent of any offence.

The monthly figures for detainees released in Nyasaland are not immediately available, but I have asked the Governor for this information, and I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT when I receive it.

As there are, presumably, over 600 Africans who have managed to prove that they ought never to have been detained, and, at the same time, they have been denied the right to any judicial process to remove any smear which has been put upon them by their being detained, are they not entitled to some sort of compensation for the period during which they have been arbitrarily locked up before being released?

In this case, we followed the precedent established by the Labour Government during the Malaya emergency, when no compensation was paid.

Will the Minister give an assuance that all the detainees against whom no charge has been made will be released?

That raises a different question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the composition, constitution, and procedure of the Advisory Committee which hears appeals from Africans under detention in Nyasaland; and if he will publish regular reports of its proceedings.

The advisory Committee consists of three members; Mr. Justice Figgis, acting Puisne Judge; Mr. A. H. Watson, a Government officer with legal qualifications; and Mr. C. E. Snell, O.B.E., a retired tea estate manager.

What are the terms of reference of this Committee? Are those who apply for release from detention compelled to attempt to prove their innocence, or are they released by the Advisory Committee on application, if there is no evidence of their being guilty of something which formed the basis of a charge? Which is the method used?

It is not quite as simple as that. Each detainee, at the time he is detained, is informed of his right of appeal to the Committee and of his right of appeal to the Governor. He has two rights. The detainees then make their appeal to the Committee, the details of which I have described. The Committee makes its recommendations to the Governor. Up to 11th June, fifty-six detainees had appealed to the Committee. Fifty-three of these cases have been considered. Conditional release has been recommended in eighteen cases. The Governor has accepted ten such recommendations, and six are still under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what information has been circulated to the African population in Nyasaland in official Government bulletins concerning the future of the African National Congress and the length of time its leaders are to remain in detention.

My present information is that the future of Congress and its members has been mentioned only in the Nyasaland Information Bulletin of 6th May, 1959.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there have been reports of official bulletins to the African population indicating that it is the Government's intention to keep Congress leaders in detention for a very long time? Further, is he aware that the Governor himself made a similar statement only a few days ago? Is it not most unfortunate that statements of this kind should be made prejudging the conclusions of the Devlin Commission only a few days before their publication?

They do not prejudge the report of the Devlin Commission. It is the responsibility of the Governor to see that law and order are preserved. As I have told the hon.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been or will be taken by his Department or by the Government of Nigeria to implement the recommendation of the Willink Commission that a Federal Board should be appointed to consider the problems of the Niger Delta area.

The 1958 Nigeria Constitutional Conference agreed that a Niger Delta Development Board should be established, and provision for its establishment was made in the Nigeria (Constitution) (Amendment No. 2) Order in Council, 1959. I believe that the Federal Government hope to introduce the necessary Nigerian legislation in August. The Board will be set up as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the citrus trade negotiations with the West Indies.

Certainly: I hope to make a statement very soon but cannot do so today.

Will my right hon. Friend agree—I am sure he will—that the implementation of the dollar trade liberalisation policy will be disastrous to the West Indies citrus industry, and, in order to mitigate its effects, will the Government at least give a preferred position in the United Kingdom market to the West Indies industry as compared, for instance, with Spain or the United States?

I do not dispute that, if it were fully implemented in respect of the citrus trade, it would have very serious consequences; but I would rather not anticipate my fuller Answer later.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received from the General Committee of the World Refugee Year regarding the acceptance by Great Britain of refugees suffering from tuberculosis, either as immigrants with their families, or for treatment pending emigration elsewhere to join their families.

Among the proposals put forward by the Committee is the admission of 150 refugees comprising both families and single persons, some of whom may require treatment or supervision for tubercular infection.

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what is his response to this very modest request of the Committee? Will he give an assurance that it will be favourably considered, and will he give the Committee a prompt reply?

Her Majesty's Government have accepted, in principle, the Committee's proposals, which were submitted on 1st July. I think that that is the answer to the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Departmental Committee appointed to examine all aspects of the work of the probation service, and whether he will propose to the Committee that on the conclusion of its examination of all the other matters involved, but before making its final report, it will also investigate appropriate conditions and scales of salaries for the probation service to ensure an adequate number of new entrants into the service.

The Committee has just begun its inquiry and I cannot forecast when its report will be ready. Its terms of reference, which I announced in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 16th April, include pay and conditions of service and the recruitment of probation officers, and the hon.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider asking for an interim report in respect of salaries and other such matters so that some action could be taken to clear up the present position in which there are so many difficulties in the probation service?

I did reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mr. Body) on 12th June on this subject, when I said that the Committee had newly embarked upon its inquiry and I did not think that it would be right to ask it to make a report about salaries before it had completed its examination of the many other matters embraced in its terms of reference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has examined the working of the diminished responsibility provisions of Section 2 of the Homicide Act, 1957, with relevance in particular to such cases as that of Ernest Campbell, found guilty of manslaughter by strangling a six-year-old boy, and sentenced to ten years imprisonment with a possibility of remission; and if he will make a statement.

I am keeping the operation of Section 2 of the Homicide Act under review. It is too early to reach any firm conclusion about its working. Nearly 40 per cent. of the offenders whose conviction of manslaughter appears to have been based on a plea of diminished responsibility have been given sentences of life imprisonment, which means that they may be detained as long as may be necessary for the protection of the public. There is no close parallel among those sentenced to fixed terms of imprisonment to the case of Ernest Campbell.

I thank my right hon. Friend for his reply. Does he not, nevertheless, agree that a case such as this, which has strong superficial resemblances to that of Straffen, gives a firm basis to the anxieties expressed from time to time on this side of the House? In this case, is it not a fact that there are really no means of detaining this man when his sentence has expired?

I should not like to comment further on this particular case without notice. I know that this man is at present under observation in the hospital at Wormwood Scrubs so that the doctors may have an opportunity to study his mental condition before any further decisions are taken. I will, if my hon. Friend desires it, keep in touch with him.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to inform parents of the danger of suffocation caused to children by the widespread use of polythene bags.

A considerable amount of publicity has already been given in the Press to the danger which may arise through children putting these bags over their heads; and I hope that parents will heed it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will permit an increase in the number of licensed hotels and public houses run by private enterprise in the City of Carlisle.

No, Sir. I do not think a departure from established policy in this respect would be consistent with my present statutory responsibilities for the control of the sales of liquor in the State Management District.

While we appreciate the improvements that have been made in State public houses in recent years, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he is aware that, none the less, there is still basis for the objection that they form a monopoly in the area? Will he look at that side of the matter and agree that they would be still further improved by competition?

That might well be so. I can only tell my hon. Friend that I keep the working of this scheme under constant review and I have an open mind about its future, but I have no more to say today.