asked the Secretary of State for War what progress has been made with the programme for disbandment or amalgamation of cavalry regiments.

Phase I of the programme set out in the White Paper (Cmnd. 230) has been completed. The re-organisation of the Household Cavalry should also be completed by next July. No precise date has yet been fixed for the remaining cavalry amalgamation, that of the 9th and 12th Lancers.

asked the Secretary of State for War what consultations take place between his Department and the Royal Fine Art Commission when major projects of building or reconstruction are being undertaken; and at what stage the Commission was consulted when the rebuilding of the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, was being planned.

We consult the Commission over a new building if its design is of artistic importance or a matter of public amenity. Plans for Woolwich barracks were shown to the Commission after they had been approved by the local authorities. Some changes in the scheme were made at the request of the Commission who then agreed to our proceeding.

asked the Secretary of State for War what help he gives to men and women serving in the Army who wish to obtain professional qualifications; and what proposals he has for increasing such help.

It is one of the functions of the Royal Army Educational Corps to help students seeking professional qualifications. In some cases, direct tuition can be given; in others, the student may enrol in the Forces Correspondence Course Scheme, which covers over 600 subjects. About 15,000 men and women in the Army are now studying by correspondence. For subjects not covered by the Scheme, a student may take an independent course and the Army will contribute towards his expenses. Tuition fees at evening classes in this country, with travelling costs, may be paid from Army funds.Arrangements are made for military candidates at home and abroad to sit for the examinations of professional bodies and help is given in paying fees. In 1958, about 1,000 serving soldiers took the examinations of over 30 professional bodies.For the future, we shall continue with these extensive facilities and try to add to the number of professional bodies who already accept certain military training and qualifications as giving exemption from their own examinations. In particular, we hope to correlate some Army trade tests with the examination requirements of civil organisations.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether orders have yet been placed for the Malkara guided missile; and when he expects it to be issued to units of the British Army.

A substantial order has been placed with the Australian Government. I hope that Malkara will be in operational service in about two years.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he can now announce the result of the review which he has been making of possible future issues of special stamps.

Yes. My right hon. Friend intends to issue special 3d. and 1s. 3d. stamps next year to mark the tercentenary of Charles II's Act establishing the "General Letter Office"—now better known as the G.P.O. He also intends to issue special 6d. and 1s. 6d. stamps to mark the first anniversary of the setting up this year of the European Postal and Telecommunications Conference.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will amend the present regulations to enable members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces posted overseas to receive a credit on the unexpired part of a returned radio, television and car radio licence, which could be claimed when a new licence is taken Out.

No.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will so amend the Rules as to Advertisements as to provide for Ministerial representation on the Independent Television Authority's Advertising Advisory Committee.

Under Section 8(2) of the Television Act, 1954, it is the duty of the Independent Television Authority to make the appointments to the Committee. The organisations, authorities and persons to be represented are referred to in Section 8 (2) (b). There is already a representative of the Ministry of Health on the Committee.

asked the Postmaster-General how often there is an appreciable delay in making telephone calls, during business hours, between London and Birmingham owing to all the lines being engaged; what is the maximum normal delay; and what steps is taking to improve this situation.

Normally, calls are connected between London and Birmingham without any appreciable delay, but I regret that on three recent occasions the service has been affected by cable faults. I am arranging for a spare coaxial tube to be put in as a standby; this will be in service next month. This will materially reduce the risk of interruptions to the service.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what progress has been made with the provision of school places for the children of Royal Air Force parents at Khormaksar and Steamer Point, Aden; for how many children his Department is at present paying fees because of the lack of places in service schools; and how soon it will be possible to accommodate all the children requiring places.

250 extra places have recently been provided by temporary measures, and there is now no waiting list. About 200 children of Service families in Aden are attending civilian schools and having their fees refunded. Some use of these schools may remain necessary at least until the completion of the new Service school which is now being built.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what representations he has received about nuisance caused to local residents by the use of Biggin Hill airfield for motor-cycle events; and what steps he has taken, or proposes to take, to prevent such nuisance.

I have received several complaints from local residents, and I have asked the local authority for its views.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that, owing to inadequate dry docking facilities in Aberdeen Harbour, the North of Scotland and Orkney and Shetland Steamship Company, Aberdeen's largest shipping company, have threatened to move to another port; and if he, in conjunction with Aberdeen Harbour Commissioners, will take steps to avert this threatened loss.

The Harbour Commissioners are at present considering arrangements for bringing together all the interests directly concerned with dock facilities at Aberdeen, with a view to determining the financial implications of any replacement. We understand that the North of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Shipping Company will be invited to assist in the examination of the problem.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is now in a position to make a statement concerning Government policy for the replacement of the Cunard liners "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth".

I would refer the hon. Member to the Anwsers I gave to Questions on the same subject by the hon. Member for Jarrow (Mr. Fernyhough) on 4th November and by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne. East (Mr. Montgomery) on 18th November.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the tonnage of tankers and dry cargo vessels now being constructed abroad which will fly the British flag when they are put into commission; and in what countries these ships are being built.

We have no official information, but I understand that 16 tankers totalling 293,000 tons gross, and 15 other ships totalling 70,000 tons gross are under construction abroad for British shipowners. They are being built in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the tonnage of foreign orders placed with the ship-building industry this year to the nearest convenient date, and the tonnage ordered by British shipowners from foreign yards, for the equivalent period.

Foreign orders placed in the United Kingdom this year up to the end of October amounted to some 9,000 tons gross. In addition, orders from the Commonwealth up to the end of September amounted to some 14,000 tons gross. I have no official information about the tonnage ordered by British shipowners from foreign yards, but I understand that to the end of September it totalled about 197,000 tons gross, of which 70 per cent. was tankers.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the rapid progress being made by Western Germany in the field of nuclear marine propulsion, if he is satisfied that sufficient funds are being made available for the experiments which will be necessary to ensure that the United Kingdom is able to compete successfully in this field of development; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport what is his estimate of the effect on the British shipbuilding industry of the development of nuclear powered ships by the German Federal Republic.

There has been no lack of effort in this country on the part of all concerned with the development of this form of propulsion. What we now have to decide is how we can best make further progress, and I am considering this at the present time. I have read recent reports of German plans, but I have no reason to believe they are further ahead than we are.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a further statement on the provision of nuclear propulsion for British merchant ships.

I regret that I am not yet in a position to make a statement, but I will do so as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take action to ensure that when a street is made one way only in order to permit freer movement of traffic, that aim is not frustrated by allowing the parking of cars on both sides.

Action to prevent parking on both sides of one-way streets can take the form of making and enforcing specific local regulations or enforcing the law against obstruction. I support such action.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the fact that one-way working is introduced into several London streets when St. James's Park is closed to traffic on the occasion of certain State ceremonies, he will experiment with the same one-way working during normal conditions to see if it will speed up the flow of traffic.

The London Travel Committee recently investigated this idea, but their conclusion was that, under normal conditions, traffic flow as a whole would suffer rather than benefit.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for relieving the increasing congestion in urban areas.

As I told the House in Answers to Questions on 4th November, apart from physical improvements, I shall do everything I can, in co-operation with the local authorities, to see that the street systems in urban areas are used to the best advantage through the increased application of traffic engineering methods, including the strict control of street parking.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the increasing congestion of traffic in the big cities, including Birmingham, what steps he proposes to take to control the flow of traffic from the trunk roads and motorways to industrial and large urban areas.

The problem is not so much to control the flow of traffic into urban areas as to provide for it by road improvements and by making the best use of the existing road system. A skilful use of traffic engineering methods will help us to bridge the period until the series of road improvements, some of which have already been provided, take on their full shape.

asked the Minister of Transport how soon he expects to be able to authorise constructional work for the trunk road improvement scheme from London Road to Milehouse Lane in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

I am not yet able to give a date for the authorisation of construction. This will depend on how soon the preparatory work is completed and on the availability of funds.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he proposes to take to increase the number of qualified traffic engineers in this country.

Better career prospects and more training facilities are the key to increasing the supply of traffic engineers. I am seeking the co-operation of highway and local authorities in widening the field of employment of these experts. I am glad to observe that the numbers of post-graduate courses and fellowships at universities has recently been notably increased and that professional institutions are offering diplomas in this subject; this should stimulate more courses at technical colleges.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress he has made in his discussions with the Buckinghamshire County Council about the measures to be taken at Bell's Hill, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire; and whether he has yet reached a decision.

The Buckinghamshire County Council has now proposed a 30 m.p.h. speed limit at Bell's Hill; as soon as my right hon. Friend has received the advice of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee on the proposal, which must be advertised, he will be able to announce his decision.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents to motor cars have occurred on motorway M.1 to date; and what conclusions he has drawn regarding the types of cars involved.

There have been thirty-two accidents involving motor cars on M.1 between its opening and 3rd December. It is much too early to draw any conclusions.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress has been made in recent months in widening the carriageways of London streets by narrowing unnecessarily wide pavements; and if he will speed up the process so as to ease the flow of traffic.

Three major road improvement schemes in London have recently included measures of this kind. I have invited the authorities concerned to prepare this year and next year other schemes which include similar features. Minor improvement schemes are a matter for the highway authorities themselves, but I shall continue to encourage them to pay attention to this point.

asked the Minister of Transport if, pending the completion of the Hyde Park Boulevard Scheme, he will experiment by making the centre gateway of the Decimus Burton Screen available for traffic going out of Hyde Park up till 11 a.m., in order to speed up the flow of traffic.

We are not convinced that my hon. Friend's suggestion would improve traffic flow in this area.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the total number of pedestrian subways now under construction, and the approximate number that will be commenced in 1959.

Forty-two pedestrian subways are now under construction and 43 further subways are included in schemes which will start before the end of the Financial Year.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the number of road accidents and casualties during 1959, if, in the interests of road safety, and with the co-operation of the local authorities, he will organise a special national road safety campaign in 1960.

The Ministry of Transport and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, in co-operation, are making arrangements for a major road safety campaign in 1960 designed to bring home to all road users the advice given in the new Highway Code.

asked the Minister of Transport whether a decision has yet been reached about the parking of cars outside schools in Westminster and other areas; and if he will make a statement.

I have not yet received the advice of the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee on this, but I hope to be able to make a statement early in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Transport what matters regarding Underground railway services serving the Chigwell and Epping and Ongar districts of Essex he has referred to the London Transport Users' Consultative Committee: what recommendations thereon he has received from the Central Transport Consultative Committee; and what action he has taken on such recommendations.

The answer to all three parts of the Question is "None".

asked the Minister of Defence how many and what type of helicopters have been delivered to the Army, Navy and Air Forces during the past three years; and how many are on order at the present time.

The following types of helicopters have been delivered during the past three years: to the Royal Navy, Whirlwinds; to the Army, Skeeters; to the R.A.F., Sycamores and Whirlwinds. The following types are on order: Whirlwind and Wessex for the Royal Navy; Bristol 192 for the R.A.F.; and Skeeter for the Army. It would be contrary to practice to disclose the numbers of aircraft delivered to, or on order for the Armed Forces.

asked the Minister of Defence, in view of the increasing acceptance of the advantages of Polaris missiles submarines as against missiles for more normal launching, whether he will make provision for one or more of these submarines in the 1960–61 defence budget.

No, but the various means of maintaining an effective British contribution to the deterrent will be kept under study.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will make a statement on his discussions with the West German Minister of Defence.

I visited Bonn on 2nd and 3rd December, on the invitation of Herr Strauss, the Defence Minister of the Federal Republic, and discussed with him defence problems of common interest. In particular, we reviewed the progress of co-operation between the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic in Defence research, development and production in accordance with Her Majesty's Government's policy of making the most efficient and economic use of the resources of all the members of the N.A.T.O. alliance. We agreed that the strengthening of the N.A.T.O. alliance was of prime importance to both countries.Among the detailed subjects discussed were the possibility of a European tank concept, the standardisation of tank armament, and co-operation on future anti-tank weapons and in devising a system of defence against low flying aircraft. We agreed to recommend to the appropriate international authorities the adoption of agreed military characteristics for a new surface-to-surface guided missile for the support of armies in the field and to co-operate in the development of a new weapon with these characteristics if N.A.T.O. accepted them.

asked the Minister of Defence what proposals have been made to him by the West German Minister of Defence for the further amendment of the Brussels Treaty to permit the German Federal Republic to construct larger warships and submarines.

None.

asked the Minister of Defence to what extent he dis- cussed with the West German Defence Minister in his recent talks the supply to West Germany of weapons of nuclear capability.

I discussed with Herr Strauss the possibility of Anglo-German co-operation in the development and production of a new surface-to-surface missile for the support of armies in the field if such a weapon was acceptable to the appropriate interested authorities. This missile would be equipped with a nuclear warhead.Any nuclear warheads required for missiles in Service with the West German forces would be held in the N.A.T.O. atomic stockpile under the control of SACEUR.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made in reaching a settlement regarding compensation for the burning and looting of the British Embassy in Baghdad.

Since my right hon. Friend answered a similar Question from my hon. and gallant Friend in June, our Ambassador has pursued this matter on numerous occasions in Baghdad. My right hon. and learned Friend himself raised the matter with the Iraqi Foreign Minister in New York in September. I am happy to say that we now seem to be very much closer to a settlement.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government have offered through the French Government to the victims of the flood disaster at Fréjus.

Her Majesty's Government were greatly distressed by this disaster. I am sure that all Members of the House sympathise deeply with the French people.The French Government were informed last Friday that (subject to Parliamentary approval) Her Majesty's Government wished to give £10,000 for the relief of the victims. The offer was gratefully accepted.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of registered unemployed in the aircraft and radio industries at the latest convenient date, and the comparative figures for the same period in 1958.

The reply to the first part of the Question is given in the table below.A change in the classification of these industries, as a result of the application of the revised Standard Industrial Classification to unemployment figures in June this year, makes accurate comparisons with previous years invalid; it is estimated, however, that unemployment in both industries has fallen since November, 1958.The table below gives the information desired:

asked the Minister of Labour what is the present intake of young men called up for National Service; how many of those liable to National Service have been deferred or exempted for any reason from service; and if he will make a further statement in respect of National Service.

About 66,000 men liable for National Service will go into the Armed Forces during the current financial year. I have no powers of exemption, but there are about 300,000 men whose service has been deferred for completion of training or study or because of the nature of their employment.

asked the Minister of Labour how many entrants to the executive class of the Civil Service from the open and limited competitions were appointed to his Department in each of the years 1949 to 1958, inclusive; and how many of these have been promoted to the higher executive grade or equivalent grade.

The table below gives the information desired:

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what arrangements he makes to examine the scripts of proposed speeches by senior officers of the Royal Navy.

Senior officers of the Royal Navy, and all other members of the naval service, are required by the regulations to obtain Admiralty permission before publishing, in a speech or otherwise, any information relating to the naval service; or anything of a controversial nature affecting other departments of the public service or relating to matters of public policy. When the subject demands it, scripts are examined in the Admiralty before permission is given.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what are his plans for the disposal of the former H.M.S. "Hornet" shore establishment at Gosport; and to what other Service Departments it has been offered.

Our plans are to offer it for sale shortly to the best financial advantage. We have divided it into appropriate lots, and several concerns have already shown interest. We notified the other Service Departments that the property was redundant.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the nature of the agreement signed in Malta on 11th September for the transfer of dockyard plant and equipment to Bailey (Malta) Limited.

The agreement covers the sale of the Admiralty-owned machinery, plant, equipment and other goods which were in the Dockyard at the time of its transfer to Bailey (Malta) Ltd. The purchase price is £750,000, of which a first instalment of £230,000 has been paid; six instalments of £76,500 are to be paid in each of the years 1962 to 1967, and a final instalment of £61,000 in 1968.

asked the Minister Education what was the average pupil teacher ratio for grammar schools and for secondary modern schools in 1958 and 1959.

The pupil teacher ratios, including the full-time teaching equivalent of part-time teachers, were as follows:

asked the Minister of Health what expenditure has so far been incurred in work preparatory to the building of the proposed new general hospital at Lindley, Huddersfield.

Approximately £179,200.