asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he has taken, as a result of recommendations from the Air Transport Advisory Council, to enable air charter companies to meet public demand by offering greatly reduced air fares on the London-East African services, thereby materially assisting the further development of the East African Territories.

I am actively considering this matter.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will make a statement about extending the runways at London Airport.

I have decided that No.5 runway shall be extended from 9,576 feet to 11,000 feet. This extension is necessary to meet the requirements of the large turbo-jet aircraft now coming into service in increasing numbers. The work is due to be completed in 1961.

asked the Minister of Health if plans for a new artificial limb and appliance centre at Selly Oak have yet been approved; and when he expects this centre to be completed.

Sketch plans for the new centre have been approved, but at this stage I am not able to say when the work will be completed.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will place in the Upper Waiting Hall detailed drawings of the facade of the new St. Thomas' Hospital as it will be seen from the Terrace.

I am arranging for a model, drawings and photographs of the proposed new St. Thomas' Hospital to be displayed to hon. Members at a convenient place as soon as practicable.

asked the Minister of Health the up-to-date situation with regard to the building of Crawley Hospital; and if a definite date has yet been fixed for phase two to be commenced.

Work began last February on the first stage of this project. The superstructure has been completed and filling-in is now in progress and has reached the second floor. I understand that the regional hospital board expects the work to be finished in November, 1960.No date has yet been fixed for the commencement of the next stage.

asked the Minister of Health if, in view of the large number of people waiting for admission to Doncaster Royal Infirmary for surgical treatment, he will withdraw the privilege which certain specialists have of granting priority to patients who consult them privately, and so make the lack of hospital accommodation in this area fall on all classes of patients equally.

No such privilege has been granted.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken, and what steps it is intended shall be taken in the future, to improve accommodation for general hospital treatment in the Doncaster area.

A start has been made on a major scheme of development and rebuilding at Doncaster Royal Infirmary which over a period of years is planned to increase the number of beds from 330 to 750, and to provide new out-patient and diagnostic services.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the X-ray department at St. Peter's Hospital, Maldon, has been closed; and if he will take all possible steps to have this reopened.

Yes, because of lack of staff. It is expected that the department will be reopened early in the New Year, by which time it is hoped that additional staff will have been recruited.

asked the Minister of Health what action has been taken, or is contemplated, in the public interest with respect to meat found to be unfit for human consumption.

There is nothing I can add to my replies to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Dodds) on 30th November, and by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Rankin) and others on 26th November.

asked the Minister of Health the exact nature of the proposed tests of the effects of fluoridation of the water supply upon the health and teeth of children in Watford; and with what other children the results of the tests are to be compared.

The effect of fluoridation is being assessed by comparing the dental condition of children in Watford with that of children in Sutton before the commencement of the study and at intervals afterwards. I am sending the hon. Member details of the arrangements.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to recruit more radiographers in the National Health Service.

The salaries of radiographers were substantially increased earlier this year. There have also recently been increases in the Exchequer training grants paid to student radiographers.

asked the Minister of Health if he has considered the communication sent to him by the councils which administer the medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and ophthalmic services, asking him to abolish all charges for health services, in view of the fact that the present charges are preventing people from receiving the necessary treatment and are causing hardship; what reply he has sent; and whether he will give an estimate of the total cost of reverting to the free services of the 1948 Act.

The Joint Committee of Associations of Executive Councils has asked me to give careful consideration with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to its memorandum and I will certainly do this and write to the Joint Committee in due course. The estimated annual cost to the Exchequer of abolishing the charges for dental, pharmaceutical and ophthalmic services for England and Wales would be about £24½ million, after taking into account the refunds made in certain cases but without making any allowance for any possible consequential increase in demand.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent he estimates that charges paid for directly by the patient have prevented sick people applying for medicine and other essentials, such as dental treatment and spectacles; and if he will introduce legislation to remove all health charges.

I do not accept the implication of the first part of the Question, and would refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to Questions on 2nd and 30th November.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has noted the appreciable increase in dental decay among children; and what action he is taking on this problem.

I am aware of the position. Dentists are being encouraged to give more time to the conservation of children's teeth and are doing so. Experimental arrangements are being made for training auxiliaries who will help in the care of children's teeth on the preventive side, steps are being taken to improve dental health education and demonstrations of the fluoridation of water supplies as a means of reducing dental decay are in progress in three areas in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, what plans he has for extending the activities of the Medical Research Council: and whether he will make a statement.

The Medical Research Council's sphere of activity covers the whole field of medical research, within which its programme is steadily expanding as medical and scientific staff become increasingly available. The Council envisages a further considerable increase in expenditure in the coming financial year. My noble Friend has asked the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy to advise him on the general balance of the national scientific effort as a whole and its views will of course he carefully considered by the Medical Research Council.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, what progress has been made in his inquiry into the effect of fumes and exhaust from diesel-driven vehicles; and to what extent he has consulted the Minister of Transport in respect of the need to reduce this nuisance and danger to health.

The Medical Research Council is actively engaged in research into the effect of diesel fumes on health. These investigations have so far demonstrated no immediate or longterm deleterious effects from this source. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport is in consultation with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on the measurement and mitigation of this nuisance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he proposes to initiate negotiations with member-countries of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, other than the Benelux countries, for bilateral agreements for passport-free travel.

Instructions were sent on 10th August last to Her Majesty's representatives in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden as well as to the Benelux countries, to invite the respective Governments to open negotiations on the use of identity cards in place of passports.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the United Kingdom delegate to the special committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations considering the operation of race conflict in South Africa voted with France and Portugal against the resolution which was supported by sixty-seven other countries, in view of the fact that all other Commonwealth countries either abstained or voted in favour of the resolution.

Her Majesty's Government's attitude on this matter rests entirely on their consistent regard for the importance of Article II (7) of the Charter, which states that the United Nations does not have the right to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of Member States.It was for this reason that the United Kingdom representative voted against the resolution, which referred to the internal policies of a particular Government.Since this was a vote in defence of the Charter, the United Kingdom representative voted as he did quite independently of considerations such as which countries might be voting the same way.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will propose to the United Nations Organisation the setting-up of a special commission to consider the problem of white minority races in Southern Africa.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now make a statement about the leadership and composition of the British delegation to the United Nations Conference on the law of the sea.

My right hon. and learned Friend is aware of the interest shown by hon. Members and he will make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what decision has been reached at the United Nations to change the date for Somalia to attain independence.

On 27th November, the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a Resolution taking note of statements by the Representatives of Italy and of the Government of Somalia, that independence would be proclaimed on 1st July, 1960, and providing that the date of expiry of the Trusteeship Agreement should be advanced from 2nd December, 1960, to 1st July, 1960.

asked the Secretary Qf State for Foreign Affairs whether he is yet in a position to lay the Order in Council on the Table for the Baltic bonds claim.

The Order in Council to which I presume my hon. Friend refers, namely the Foreign Compensation (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (Registration) Order, 1959, was laid before the House on 26th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) if he will make immediate representations to the Czechoslovak Government regarding the default on interest payments of the Skoda Works First Mortgage Debentures due to British shareholders;(2) if he will make a statement regarding the representations made to the Czechoslovak Government by Her Majesty's Government in respect of the default on interest payments due to British shareholders of the 1922 State loan and the 1922 City of Prague loan.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs with regard to the negotiations with the Czechoslovak Government in this matter, the total value of the Skoda Works first mortgage debentures held by British shareholders; the total payments to British shareholders to date; and what amount is still outstanding;(2) with regard to the negotiations with the Czechoslovak Government in this matter, the total interest of British shareholders in the 1922 Czechoslovak State Loan and the 1922 City of Prague Loan; the total of the amounts repaid in each case; and the rate of interest payable on these loans.

Her Majesty's Ambassador at Prague has made representations to the Czechoslovak Minister of Foreign Affairs about the Czechoslovak Government's default on the State loan of 1922, the City of Prague loan of 1922 and the Skoda Works First Mortgage Debentures. He told the Minister that Her Majesty's Government took a serious view of the Czechoslovak Government's decision and he reserved the rights of British bondholders. I have just learned that the Czechoslovak Government have replied that they are prepared to discuss the matter with us.The following is such information as is available to Her Majesty's Government on the Questions raised by the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Dr. Stross):CZECHOSLOVAK STATE LOAN OF 1922 AND CITY OF PRAGUE LOAN OF 1922. SKODA WORKS 6 PER CENT, FIRST MORTGAGE DEBENTURES.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent the anti-British broadcasts of Cairo Radio have been reduced since the start of negotiationsz leading to the resumption of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Republic.

I do not know precisely what date the hon. Member has in mind: but the output of Cairo Radio has differed in tone and content over recent months. We have frequently had occasion to complain of its broadcasts, especially to Colonial Territories, in the past; but if the Government of the United Arab Republic genuinely want the resumption of relations to lead to an improvement between our two countries, then I hope we shall see a reduction in anti-British broadcasts by Cairo Radio.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were registered as unemployed at his Department's Falmouth and Redruth exchanges, respectively, at the last count, in September 1959, and twelve months ago, and the percentages these figures represent of the numbers insured there.

At Falmouth, 1,015 at 16th November, 1959, 242 in September, 1959, and 808 in November, 1958; the respective unemployment percentages were 9·6, 2·3 and 7·7. At Redruth, 534 at 16th November, 1959, 383 in September, 1959 and 605 in November, 1958. Unemployment rates cannot be computed for Redruth alone. For the combined area of Redruth and Camborne they were 6·5 in November, 1959, 5·0 in September, 1959, and 7·4 in November, 1958.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of disabled persons on the registers of the various exchanges in Durham County who were unemployed in October, 1958, and for each quarter to date.

The numbers were as follows:

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed in the machine-tool industry in the Coventry area at 30th November.

Statistics are available only for a date towards the middle of each month. At 16th November, eighty people who last worked in the machine-tool industry were registered as unemployed in Coventry.

asked the Minister of Labour how many people were registered as unemployed at the Dartford Employment Exchange in each of the last three months, respectively; and how many of these were recent school leavers.

At 16th November, 224 persons were registered as unemployed at the Dartford Employment Exchange and Youth Employment Office compared with 247 at 12th October and 252 at 14th September. No school leavers were registered as unemployed in November; there were 6 in October and 34 in September.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why it is the policy of the Forestry Commission to increase the percentage of thinnings undertaken by merchants rather than by its own employees.

The Commission is increasing the percentage of thinnings sold standing to merchants because this enables it to concentrate its labour force on planting and the maintenance of plantations and helps to maintain a healthy home timber industry.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the Forestry Commission's Report for the year ended 30th September. 1958, was presented on 28th July, 1959; and whether he will take steps to ensure earlier publication in future.

The collection and analysis of information from the Commission's numerous scattered forests inevitably takes some time. But I am glad to say that the Commission is now in a position to modify its arrangements so that the report can be published rather sooner after the end of the forest year than hitherto.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is yet in a position to give the result of trials of hardwood sleepers as arranged by the Forestry Commission.

No. These trials have been arranged by the British Transport Commission in conjunction with the home timber trade. The Commission says that it will be some two or three years before it is possible to reach conclusions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to continue the ban on the import of American chicken, particularly in view of the serious outbreak of fowl pest now being experienced.

The present regulations prohibit the import of uncooked poultry carcases from America and I am not contemplating any alteration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now state what the views of the Government are on the First Report of the Committee on Transactions in Seeds.

The Government accept the general view of the Committee an Transactions in Seeds as to the need for revision of existing seed control arrangements. As regards the detailed recommendations, we intend to proceed as soon as possible to implement those which can, without other action, be given effect by revising the regulations under the present Seeds Act. The others will need to be considered further, after the Committee's Second Report on plant breeders' rights has been submitted.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will indicate to National Insurance officers that where a claimant for Industrial Injuries benefit, particularly in respect of a prescribed disease, submits medical evidence that he is suffering from the disease and its origin, with which his Department's regional officer concurs, benefit should be authorised pending, where necessary, further consideration of the case by the appropriate statutory bodies.

Parliament by the Industrial Injuries Act, 1946, placed decisions on these claims in the hands of independent statutory authorities to whom I have no power to issue such instructions as the hon, and learned Member suggests. If, however, he has in mind any particular case of difficulty, I would be very glad to look into it.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make arrangements for old-age pensioners to receive a gratuity for Christmas.

No. I have no authority to make such payments, which have always been regarded as inappropriate to our contributory insurance scheme.

asked the Minister cf Pensions and National Insurance the numbers of totally disabled pensioners of the 1914–18 war, their average age, the numbers of such men who receive an attendance allowance; the average rate of the allowance, and the numbers of now awards and increases in the rate of the allowance during the past two years to these men.

On 30th September, 1959, there were 14,202 pensioners of the 1914–18 war with assessments of 100 per cent.; their average age is not known but the average age of all 1914 war disablement pensioners is 67. Of these 14,202 pensioners, 3,440 were receiving a constant attendance allowance, the average weekly rate being 27s. 11d. During the preceding two years there were 406 new awards of the allowance and 149 individual increases of rates.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the numbers of 1914–18 war pensioners who are 50 per cent. or more disabled who have not yet attained the normal retiring age of 65, the numbers of such men who receive an unemployability supplement, and the numbers of new awards of the supplement to this group during the past two years.

The precise numbers asked for are not available. It is estimated, however, that on 30th September, 1959, pensioners of the 1914–18 war with assessments of 50 per cent. or more who had not attained the age of 65 numbered about 29,600, of whom 3,070 were receiving the unemployability supplement, and that during the preceding two years about 650 new awards were made to pensioners in this group.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the numbers of 1914–18 war pensioners. who have now been disabled for forty-one years, whose assessments have been increased to a rate higher than their original life award, and the numbers who still receive only their original assessment.

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what representations have been made to him with regard to responsibility for payment for sewer repairs under Section 24 of the Public Health Act, 1936.

None, although my right hon. Friend will, of course, be prepared to consider any which the hon. Lady cares to make to him.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the amounts borrowed by local authorities for advances under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act, and similar provisions in the Housing Acts, during the last three years.

I have issued loan consents to local authorities for the purposes of the Small Dwellings Acquisition Act and similar provisions in the Housing Acts for the following amounts:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will examine the possibility of introducing legislation designed to exclude altogether the import of foreign-produced vegetables, fruit and flowers at times when home production is sufficient to cover the needs of the home market, as is effective in certain continental countries.

No. In the United Kingdom the main instrument of protection is the tariff.

asked the President of of the Board of Trade what periods currently pass between the ascertainment that a patent application is in order for acceptance and its acceptance, between its acceptance and the printed publication of the specification thereof, and, in the case of an unopposed patent application, between the expiry of the opposition period and the grant of the patent; and what steps are being taken to reduce these periods.

The periods which currently pass between the ascertainment that a patent application is in order for acceptance and its acceptance, and between its acceptance and the printed publication of the specification are approximately seven weeks and seventeen weeks respectively. These periods are dependent on the time taken to make printing blocks and print the specifications. Steps are being taken to increase the rate of printing and an improvement is expected.The period between the expiry of the opposition period when the patent application is unopposed and the grant of the patent is three weeks. The period has not changed for many years and is not thought to have caused inconvenience.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what authority an officer of his Department gave instructions to a former member of the Metropolitan Bench, during the period of his magistracy, to refrain from statements which might annoy trade unions; why such instructions were given; and what similar instructions have been given to other magistrates and with regard to other organisations, respectively.

I do not accept the statement that any such instructions were given to a former Metropolitan magistrate; and I can find no record of such instructions having been given by the Home Office to any other magistrate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what constitutional changes are proposed for Trinidad and Tobago; and when they will be introduced.

I have not yet concluded my consultations on this question with the Government and Opposition parties. I will publish a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT as soon as I am in a position to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in what circumstances it was recently decided to close an African secondary school near Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia. for an indefinite period.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 17th November, 1959, Vol.613 c.114] supplied the following information:Following the publication on 24th October last of an essay written by one of the pupils at Munali Secondary School for an international competition, in which the writer advocated co-operation between Africans and Europeans in Central Africa and praised the work of Europeans in the area, the schoolboy concerned and some of his friends were subjected to hostile criticism and demonstrations by other boys who disagreed with the views expressed in the essay. This hostility continued despite warnings given by the principal of the school, the boys personal belongings and school equipment were damaged, and it was made known surreptitiously that the state of unrest would continue until the student left the school.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applicants in the Dartford area are still awaiting telephone service; and how long he anticipates it will be before this can be provided.

Seventy-three. In addition, forty-nine applications are under inquiry or in course of being met. New plant will be in service in about six months' time, and I hope this will enable us to provide telephones for all the applicants who are at present waiting.During the past twelve months, 393 telephones have been installed in Dartford.