asked the Minister of Power how many voyages have been completed by the "Methane Pioneer" conveying liquid methane to the United Kingdom; and what was the coal equivalent of each cargo.

Six; the average coal equivalent was about 4,500 tons per cargo.

asked the Minister of Power what preparations have been made to build ships similar in construction to the "Methane Pioneer".

I know of none.

asked the Minister of Power how much coal was mechanically cut and mechanically power loaded in 1959 compared with 1950, on the basis of figures provided for table eight of his Statistical Digest.

Provisional figures for 1959 show that 69 million tons of coal were power loaded compared with eight million tons in 1950. The amount of coal mechanically cut in 1959 is not yet known, but in 1958 it was 210 million tons compared with 176 million tons in 1950. The figures are on a "raised and weighed" basis.

asked the Minister of Power the amount paid by the National Coal Board to the Government in interest on the transferred Coal Commission's liability and give the amount annually since vesting day; and the present outstanding liability.

The amount paid in interest was £23,775,891 to 31st December, 1959, when the outstanding liability was £66,271,798.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware than the township of Huyton-with-Roby, with a population considerably in excess of 60,000, has no hospital; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that an adequate hospital is built.

I am aware of the position; but, having regard to the facilities available at hospitals in adjacent areas, I share the view of the regional board that the need is more urgent in other districts.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the concern felt in West Bromwich at the long waiting list for the removal of tonsils and adenoids in the West Bromwich and District Hospital Group; and what proposals he has for remedying the present situation there.

Yes. I am informed that arrangements have been made for three extra operating sessions a week from the end of this month.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, (1) if he will give the comparative figures for the atomic fall-out for the first half of 1958 and 1959 in terms of radioactive strontium and caesium in Great Britain's water supplies; (2) if he will make a statement on the increasing quantities of strontium and caesium in United Kingdom water supplies.

The figures are published in the Report of the Atomic Energy Authority entitled "Radiostrontium and Radiocaesium in Drinking Water in the United Kingdom", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. They show that in the half year referred to radioactivity in surface drinking water was approximately double that in the corresponding period in 1958. The main reason for the increase was probably the increased fall-out due to the Soviet Arctic tests in October, 1958. The contribution of drinking water to the intake of radioactive fall-out by human beings continues to represent a very small percentage of the total.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he will give an assurance that steps will be taken to ensure that the recruitment of teaching staff for the training school for dental auxiliaries at New Cross does not result in depletion of the teaching staffs of the dental schools.

It is the Government's intention that the expansion of the facilities for training dental students should proceed concurrently with the experimental scheme for the training of dental auxiliaries; but this does not mean that individual members of the teaching staffs of dental schools will be excluded from consideration when the small teaching staff needed at New Cross is being recruited.

asked the Minister of Health what proposals he has for controlled research and testing of new drugs before they are sold without a doctor's prescription.

While there are powers which enable supply to be permitted only on medical advice and pre- scription there is no authority under existing legislation for the requirement the hon. Lady has in mind. The Committee on the Cost of Prescribing has, however, made a recommendation that all new drugs should be subjected to clinical trial, and I hope soon to be able to reach a decision on it.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent he requires opticians under contract with the National Health Scheme to show the wide range of frames for National Health Service dispensing; and what action he will take, by circular or otherwise, to ensure that opticians who have failed to do so will show the range to their patients.

Opticians are not specifically required by their terms of service to show the range of National Health Service frames. My right hon. and learned Friend has, however, given guidance through the handbook issued to all opticians on their responsibilities for informing applicants of the availability of a full range of National Health Service frames.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will arrange for copies of the latest issue of the Scales of Fees and Charges for opticians to be placed in the Vote Office, to enable hon. Members to see the list of the wide range of frames for National Health Service dispensing, and the charges.

I am arranging for copies of this Statement to be placed in the Vote Office.

asked the Minister of Health if he will speed up a decision on the scheme submitted by the Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council through the Staffordshire County Council, pursuant to section 47 (1) of the Local Government Act, 1958, for the delegation of health and welfare functions, so that the scheme, as approved, may come into operation on 1st April, 1960.

My right hon. and learned Friend has asked the two councils for their comments on a number of modifications to the delegation scheme which he proposes. If these are received shortly, I hope it will be possible for the scheme to operate on 1st April.

asked the Minister of Health the number of National Health Service prescriptions for pairs of spectacle lenses accepted by the Doncaster Medical Executive Council during the year, 1959, and the number of National Health Service frames selected by patients on these prescriptions.

Prescriptions for 21,000 pairs of glasses were authorised by Doncaster Executive Council in 1959. It is estimated that 7,000 were dispensed with new National Health Service frames. The number dispensed by fitting lenses to existing National Health Service frames is not known.

—				Number of food poisoning outbreaks where the food concerned was known	Percentage of such outbreaks attributed to—
					Fresh meat	Reheated meat	Canned, processed and made-up meat
1954	…	…	…	250	0·4	16·4	60·8
1955	…	…	…	312	2·6	15·7	61·5
1956	…	…	…	268	2·2	18·0	59·3
1957	…	…	…	200	1·5	20·0	50·0
1958	…	…	…	181	1·7	22·1	51·4
1959	…	…	…	Figures are not available
"Processed and made-up meats" include meat pies, cold and pressed meats, brawn, sausages, mince, and meat sandwiches.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to meet the present shortage of dentists in many parts of Wales.

The shortage of dentists affects the country as a whole My right hon. and learned Friend gave details of the Government's plans to expand dental training facilities in reply to a Question on 16th November, 1959. These plans include a new dental hospital to form part of the new teaching hospital at Cardiff.

asked the Minister of Health the number of National Health Service prescriptions for pairs of spectacle lenses for children accepted by the Doncaster Executive Council during the year 1959, and the number of National Health Service frames selected by the patients on these prescriptions.

It is estimated that 1,350 pairs of glasses were authorised of which about 1,000 were dispensed with new National Health Service frames.

asked the Minister of Health the number of outbreaks of food poisoning for which the causes have been traced in each of the last five years; and if he will give, for each year, the percentages of cases believed to be caused by fresh meat, re-heated meat, and canned, processed or made-up meat, respectively.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Health what undertaking was given by the British Medical Association, in making its representations to him last year about the desirability of supplying drugs under the National Health Service to private patients, to co-operate in the administration of safeguards against over-prescribing on the part of private doctors.

In discussions with officers of my Department on the pos- sibility of making the kind of financial and administrative arrangements which would be required if it should be decided as a matter of policy to introduce legislation, the Association agreed to safeguards on similar lines to those applying under the National Health Service.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of places for mentally-defective children living in Kent; and what action he proposes to remedy the position.

Yes. In addition to 23 additional beds provided last year the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board is shortly to open 40 more and has plans for a further 50.

asked the Minister of Health whether it is intended that there should be trials of Sabin oral poliomyelitis vaccine in this country.

Yes. The Medical Research Council will shortly be carrying out small-scale trials of this vaccine in selected areas and I am asking the local health authorities concerned to give their full co-operation.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made towards the settlement on a just basis of the strike of apprentice jockeys at Newmarket.

The trainers have offered to improve the minimum wage rates of these apprentices, most of whom have now returned to work. The employers are also proposing to close the hostel as soon as suitable accommodation can be found for the boys.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give consideration to the setting up of a local Employment Exchange for the Chilton and Ferryhill parishes.

I consider the present Employment Exchange facilities for the Chilton and Ferryhill parishes to be satisfactory, but I will keep the position under review.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of disabled persons registered at the Employment Exchanges at the latest convenient date.

On 19th October, 1959, the number of registered disabled persons was 695,337. On 18th January, 1960, 59,530 such persons were registered as unemployed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the uncertainty about future egg prices, which is causing farmers to order many fewer day-old chicks this spring, he will state the limits beyond which the egg price guarantee cannot be changed at the coming price review.

At this Price Review the present guaranteed price for hen eggs of 4s. 0·95d. per dozen cannot be reduced by more than 1·9d., apart from any adjustment in either direction which would follow automatically from the feeding-stuffs formula.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the support price for ware potatoes of the 1959 crop, and the average price realised in England and Wales since 1st October, 1959.

The guaranteed price for eligible potatoes of the 1959 crop in the United Kingdom is £12 14s. 0d. per ton. The average price realised by growers in England and Wales for the period 27th September, 1959, to 30th January, 1960, is provisionally estimated at about £13 12s. 0d. per ton.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors have caused the expected saving on grants to small farmers of £1,065,000 as shown in the Supplementary Estimate.

The original provision was made before the Schemes came into operation and was based on the estimated rate of inflow of applications and of the approval of plans. In England and Wales the rate of approval of plans under the main Scheme has been most encouraging and is likely to exceed the estimate. However, the number of applications approved under the Supplementary Scheme in England and Wales, and under both the main Scheme and the Supplementary Scheme in Northern Ireland has been less than expected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors have caused the expected saving on grants for farm improvements and amalgamations of £200,000 as shown in the Supplementary Estimate.

It is not easy to estimate precisely what claims for payment on approved schemes will be made and settled in a given period. The expected saving, which is only 3½ per cent. of the total estimate, would result from claims for grant in Northern Ireland being received and settled more slowly than was anticipated a year ago.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will bring forward amending legislalation to maintain entitlement to family allowances for those citizens temporarily absent on work abroad but continuing to pay insurance contributions and Income Tax in the United Kingdom.

No. Various factors may affect the payment of family allowances in such cases, but I presume that the hon. Member has in mind the circumstances that the whole family is abroad in a country with which we have no reciprocal arrangements. Even in this type of case the allowances can continue for the first six months of the family's temporary absence, and I do not consider that payment for a longer period would be justified.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insur- ance the average earnings of workers in industry at times when the basic retirement pensions have been increased in the post-war period.

Following is the Answer:

Date of increase of Retirement Pension	Average earnings of manual wage earners (a)
	Men		Women		All workers
	s.	d.	s.	d.	s.	d.
October, 1951	166	0	90	1	141	1
October, 1952	178	6	96	4	151	11
April, 1955	217	5	112	5	182	3
January, 1958	251	7(b)	129	6(b)	212	5(b)
(a)As shown by the Ministry of Labour's half-yearly inquiry into the earnings of manual wage earners in manufacturing and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries, published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette.
(b)As at October, 1957.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proposals he now has for increasing the basic retirement pension.

As I informed the hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) in reply to his Question on 16th November, we are keeping the rates of retirement pension and other benefits under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum today would have the same purchasing power as £3,000 in 1914 or £2,000 in 1920.

About £13,260 and £3,550 respectively. These estimates are based on changes in the cost-of-living index and the consumer price index.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will give details of the expenditure incurred in providing protection, additional to the normal requirements, for British fishing vessels in Icelandic waters since 1st September, 1958.

The main identifiable additional cost of protecting British fishing vessels off Iceland has been in extra expenditure on fuel. Some additional expense has also been incurred in maintaining a replenishment tanker continuously in the area. In the period of seventeen months from 1st September, 1958, when the fishery dispute with Iceland began, to 31st January, 1960, the total additional expenditure under these headings was approximately £½ million.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will examine again the application of Lieutenant J. H. S. Gordon to retire voluntarily from the Royal Marines, in view of the fact that it is not in the interests of Her Majesty's service to retain officers against their own will.

I have already explained fully to my hon. and gallant Friend why this officer cannot be immediately released from the Service. I will, however, review the case in about six months' time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of offences known to the police of robbery with violence in 1959 compared with 1948 and 1938.

As I said in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. E. Johnson) on 5th November, I propose in future to quote total figures for offences of robbery under Section 23 of the Larceny Act, 1916, and not to distinguish those for robbery with violence. The numbers of offences of robbery known to the police in the years 1938, 1948 and 1959 were respectively 287, 1,101 and 1,900. The last figure is provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of persons found guilty of violence against the person in 1938, 1948, and 1959, respectively, giving for each year the number in total, the number of males in the age group under 17 years, and the number of males in the age group 17 to 21 years.

I regret that the figures for which my hon. Friend asks are not yet available for 1959. The following table gives the figures for 1938, 1948 and 1958:

NUMBER OF PERSONS FOUND GUILTY OF OFFENCES OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PERSON
—	1938	1948	1958
All ages (males and females)	1,583	3,183	7,895
Males aged under 17	110	225	1,012
Males aged 17 and under 21	147	380	2,051

asked the Minister of Aviation if he is aware that certain officials of the Directorate of Aviation Safety and Licensing, and other branches of his Department, act as freelance pilots to independent aircraft operating companies in their spare time, and in competition with full time freelance airline pilots; and if he will so amend his regulations as to put a stop to this practice.

I am looking into this question.

asked the Minister of Aviation what effect he estimates that the recent mergers in the aircraft industry will have upon the development and supply of aircraft for the Royal Air Force and Allied air forces.

The mergers, by increasing efficiency, should benefit both sides of the industry's work, military as well as civil.

asked the Minister of Aviation how much was paid by Her Majesty's Government and the two Air Corporations to aircraft firms in the last financial year for research and development; and how much was repaid by such firms on sales of products resulting from development contracts.

The bulk of the research contracts placed by my Department with industry are in respect of military projects; and it would not be in accord with established practise to disclose the expenditure involved. I am informed that no payments were made to aircraft firms for research and development by either of the Air Corporations in 1958–59.During that year some £7½ million was paid to my Department in respect of commercial sales of aircraft developed with Government assistance.

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) what plans he has for using for space research missiles, such as Blue Streak, when they are fired during testing in Australia;(2) what design studies are being made to enable the Blue Streak missile to be used for launching satellites for space research.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given earlier today on this subject.

asked the Minister of Aviation his plans for the commercial development of the hovercraft for possible military purposes.

Development of the hovercraft is continuing with the support of the National Research Development Corporation. The Ministry of Aviation is in close touch with progress, and is studying possible military applications with the Service Departments.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what information he has received from the Government of the Union of South Africa regarding that Government's policy with regard to allowing nursing and other students from Swaziland to undertake courses at institutions in the Union of South Africa.

Nursing students from Swaziland are eligible for acceptance as trainee nurses at hospitals in the Union of South Africa if places are available for them. A limited number of non-European medical students may be accepted at the Durban Medical School. European students from Swaziland may be accepted at all appropriate institutions in the Union.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will reconsider the practice whereby deserters discharged from Her Majesty's Services serve their sentences in civil prisons, bearing in mind that only one in seven of them have committed civil crimes, and that they are placed in contact with undesirable influences and carry the stigma attached to prison sentences rather than a spell in detention.

Imprisonment or detention are amongst the punishments which the law provides for desertion. In practice, a Service man convicted of desertion is seldom sentenced to imprisonment unless he is also guilty of other offences or has a bad previous record, and in that case he is usually discharged from the Service as well. In some cases, the balance of advantage lies in sending Service prisoners who have been discharged to civil prisons.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will publish a quarterly statement of recruiting for the quarter ended 31st December, 1959; and if he will continue to publish quarterly statements as heretofore.

I am arranging to re-instate this return.

asked the Minister of Defence which Continental members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation have agreed to adopt the 105 mm. tank gun.

Continental N.A.T.O. countries have shown considerable interest in a weapon of this calibre. The British 105 mm. tank gun has been adopted by the United States and Sweden.

asked the Minister of Defence whether he will make a statement on the military and civilian uses of Blue Streak, which is at present being developed for the Royal Air Force.

Blue Streak is being developed for use as a strategic deterrent. It might also form part of a system for the launching of space satellites.

asked the Minister of Education when he expects to introduce legislation affecting the structure of the public library service in England and Wales.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11th February to the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. de Freitas).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which nations voted in favour of a twelve-mile fisheries limit, and which nations voted against this limit, at the last United Nations Organisation Conference on the Law of the Seas.

The only proposal at the 1958 Conference which specifically and solely provided for a twelve-mile fishery limit was that, sponsored by Canada, which was put forward by the First Committee and which read:

"A State has a fishing zone contiguous to its territorial sea, extending to a limit twelve nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured, in which it has the same rights in respect of fishing and the exploitation of the living resources of the sea as it has in its territorial sea."

The thirty-five nations which voted in favour of this proposal were:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs which nations voted in favour of a six-mile fisheries limit, and which nations voted against this limit, at the last United Nations Organisation Conference on the Law of the Seas.

There was no proposal for a six-mile fisheries limit. The United States proposal, however, would have preserved certain established rights between 6 and 12 miles. It stated, in part:

"The coastal State shall in a zone having a maximum breadth of 12 miles … have the same rights in respect of fishing and the exploitation of the living resources of the sea as it has in its territorial waters; provided that such rights shall be subject to the right of the vessels of any State whose vessels have fished regularly … for the period of five years immediately preceding the signature of this convention, to fish in the outer six miles. …"

The voting on this proposal was given in my right hon. and learned Friend's reply of 8th April, 1959. There were 45 votes for, 33 against and 7 abstentions.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what information he can give about impending changes in Her Majesty's jurisdiction in Kuwait.

In the past the Government of Kuwait and Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom found it mutually convenient that Her Britannic Majesty's jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters should extend over various classes of foreigners in Kuwait.In 1957 His Highness the Ruler of Kuwait and Her Majesty's Government agreed that the time has come for His Highness to assume full jurisdiction over certain of those classes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in cases where local authorities are wishing to sell back to its original owner land formerly compulsorily acquired but no longer needed, on what grounds he refuses permission to sell at the original price.

Local authorities are required by law to sell land at the best price reasonably obtainable unless they get my right hon. Friend's consent to a lower price. Where the sale is to the original owner, he is ready to consider a lower price if the original purchase was made, under compulsory powers, within the last few years.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now list the organisations from whom evidence has been received by his Committee on Consumer Protection.

Evidence has so far been submitted by the following organisations:

• Advertising Association.
• The Assay Office, Birmingham.
• Association of Millers of Proprietary Brown Flour.
• Athletic Clothing Manufacturers Association.
• Bebington Trades Council.
• Board of Trade.
• The Branded Textiles Group.
• British Association of Sewing Machine Manufacturers.
• British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers Association.
• British Electrical Development Association.
• British Standards Institution.
• Canvas Goods and Made-up Textiles Association.
• Coal Utilisation Council.
• Consumer Advisory Council, British Standards Institution.
• Co-operative Union.
• Cotton Board.
• Council of Scientific Management in the Home.
• Drapers Chamber of Trade.
• Electrical Association for Women.
• Electrical Contractors Association.
• Federation of British Hand Tool Manufacturers.
• Federation of British Industries.
• Federation of Soroptomists Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland.
• Fire Protection Association (Fire Offices Committee).
• Good Housekeeping Institute.
• Hardware Manufacturers Association.
• Incorporated Society of British Advertisers.
• Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
• Joint Fire Research Organisation.
• Milk Marketing Board.
• National Association of Goldsmiths.
• National Association of Pram Retailers.
• National Association of Retail Furnishers.
• National Association of Soft Drinks Manufacturers.
• National Citizen's Advice Bureaux Committee.
• National Council of Women.
• National Federation of Bedding and Allied Trades.
• National Federation of Women's Institutes.
• National Hardware Alliance.
• National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting.
• National Scheme of Approvals for Domestic Electrical Equipment.
• National Union of Manufacturers.
• The Newspaper Society.
• Packaging Films Manufacturers Association.
• Poultry Association of Great Britain.
• Retail Distributors Association.
• Retail Trading-Standards Association.
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
• Silk and Rayon Users Association.
• Standing Interdepartmental Committee on Accidents in the Home.
• Stretford and District Trades Council.
• Trades Union Congress.
• Vitreous Enamel Development Council.
• Women's Advisory Committee, British Standards Institution.
• Women's Group on Public Welfare.

asked the Minister of Transport in what year's programme the improvement of Seaforth Road at Seaforth Sands in the Boroughs of Crosby and Bootle is scheduled for commencement.

I regret that I cannot say at present when it will be possible to include this improvement in the road programme.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is yet in a position to make a detailed statement on the progress made towards the construction of British built nuclear merchant ships and fishing trawlers; and when he expects the first of these to be sea-going.

I have nothing to add to the Answers I gave hon. Members on 27th January and 3rd and 5th February.