asked the Postmaster-General when full Post Office facilities will be provided in Shotts, Lanarkshire.

The full range of service, except for the issue of motor vehicle licences, is already provided at Dyke-head and Stane Sub-Post Offices and there are standard delivery and collection services in the area. We are looking for a site for a Crown Post Office, but it may be some years before this can be built.

asked the Postmaster-General what complaints he has received of confusion over signals and S.O.S. messages being caused by foreign fishing fleets off Shetland.

I have received no complaint, but, if the hon. Member will lot me know of any incident he has in mind, I shall be glad to make inquiries.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement regarding the functions of the Federal Telephone Exchange; and what use is made of it for telephone tapping.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my answer given today to the hon. Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton).

asked the Minister of Transport what action he is taking to improve transport facilities to Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.

During the past two years we have authorised road improvement schemes costing £172,800 in the Mablethorpe area. Apart from two which are under construction at present, work has been completed on all of these schemes. Discussions are taking place with the Lindsey County Council about further improvements.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is satisfied that due consideration has been given to the position of householders and commercial interests in the Pink Zone where rates are very high and where many persons and interests are at a disadvantage compared with equivalent interests immediately outside the Pink Zone; and, notwithstanding the difficulty in defining fairly the Pink Zone, whether he will give an undertaking Chat this matter will be reviewed from time to time, when representations are made.

The Pink Zone has been an interim measure aimed at restoring the streets in this part of the West End to their proper use for passage and access in the area where this is most needed. In due course more permanent schemes of parking control will be incorporated, such as the parking meter scheme which will cover the remainder of Mayfair from the 4th April. Stricter parking control can be of considerable benefit to householders and commercial interests in terms of increased mobility and means of access to premises. I can assure the hon. Member that I shall not hesitate to extend these benefits where necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport how many towns have had no fatal road accidents to children for 10 years; and whether he will consult the road authorities concerned in order to find out and publicise the action taken to prevent such casualties among children.

I regret that the information asked for in the first part of the Question is not readily available, but I know that several local authorities have a very good record in this respect. I have no doubt that these results are largely due to the fine work done in those localities by training children in the use of the roads and to the care and skill exercised by all classes of road users.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents were caused in the last five years by vehicles colliding with the backs of lorries during the period of darkness.

I regret that the precise information asked for by my hon. Friend

—			No rear light		Inadequate rear light		Total
			(1) Light Goods Vehicles	Heavy Goods Vehicles	(1) Light Goods Vehicles	Heavy Goods Vehicles	(1) Light Goods Vehicles	Heavy Goods Vehicles
1956	…	…	94	55	14	5	108	60
1957	…	…	86	59	6	10	92	69
1958	…	…	106	57	15	16	121	73
(1) Not over 3 tons unladen weight.
Figures for 1954, 1955 and 1959 are not available.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has given further consideration to the provision of extra road space either by using abandoned railway lines or covering over existing lines.

There are at present six road schemes which involve the use of abandoned railway lines and one where it is proposed to build on viaduct over a railway line in operation. I shall continue to approve such schemes where they are justified on economic and engineering grounds.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total value of all major improvement works which have been carried out on trunk roads in the borough of Shrewsbury since the passing of the Trunk Roads Act, 1936.

£28,368.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is now in a position to make a statement about the parking of cars outside schools in Westminster and elsewhere.

I am now considering the advice tendered to me by the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee on the most effective ways of dealing with the problem of cars parking outside school entrances in

asked the Minister of Transport what response he has had from the highway authorities regarding road space by reducing unnecessarily wide pavements.

I have recently made grants for improvements of this kind in Earls Court Road at its junction with Cromwell Road and in Great George Street, Westminster, and I expect to authorise shortly a large scheme for widening Wandsworth Road, near Nine Elms station. Smaller widenings are also carried out from time to time by the highway authorities concerned, and I encourage them with grants when I can.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now issue a general direction to the British Transport Commission requiring them to publish the names and salaries of the members of the regional railway boards and to make available all other information, other than that relating to the regional accounts, as is now published by other nationalised industries or given to the shareholders of private firms.

No. The area boards are appointed by the Commision. I do not think that information to be published about the boards is appropriate for a general direction.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the coal mining industry is being seriously impeded by the continued shortage of railway wagons which is being accentuated by an accumulation of loaded wagons awaiting movement by the railways; and if he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission to take immediate steps to increase the number of wagons.

I am aware that difficulties arose recently in the supply of empty wagons to collieries and opencast sites in certain parts of the country, particularly in the West and East Midlands and in Yorkshire. This was not due to any overall shortage of wagons but to difficulties in the movement of both loaded and empty wagons caused by shortages of staff.I am not prepared to give a general direction to the British Transport Commission on this matter. The supply of wagons for general use or for any particular traffic or place is a matter of day-to-day management for which the Commission is responsible. The Commission is in close touch with the National Coal Board at both headquarters and district levels, and I understand from them that the difficulties have been substantially overcome.

asked the Minister of Transport how many applicants for driving tests at Inverurie have been requested to go to Aberdeen for that purpose; what are the addresses of all such applicants, and what is the distance of their residences from Aberdeen; how many of these persons have informed him that they are unable to go to Aberdeen to be tested; and whether he will give instructions to his local representatives to continue to make appointments for driving tests in Inverurie pending a complete investigation into the whole subject, as promised in correspondence with the hon. Member for Aberdeen, West.

Twenty-nine applicants for tests at Inverurie have been offered appointments at Aberdeen. One of these has said that he is unable to accept the particular appointment offered; two others have asked for their tests to be transferred to Ballater.The object of closing Inverurie and certain other centres is, by making a more efficient use of examiners' time, to improve the service to the public and reduce delays. I do not propose to cancel, at this stage, the arrangements already made for the applicants concerned to be tested at Aberdeen, as this would be likely to involve them and other candidates in further delays, but I am looking closely into the whole subject and shall soon write fully to my hon. Friend in response to his letter of 24th February.The following is the information requested about the distances of applicants' residences from Aberdeen:

Number of Candidates	Addresses	Distance from Aberdeen
		miles
1	Whitecairns	8
1	Skene	9
1	Kintore	12
2	Udny	14
2	Kemnay	15
2	Inverurie	16
1	Keithhall	16
1	Sauchen	16
1	Tarves	17
1	Oldmeldrum	18
1	Inveramsay	19
1	Tough	21
1	Arnage	21
1	Methlick	22
1	Oyne	24
2	Alford	25
1	Fyvie	26
1	Kincardine O'Neil	26
1	Old Rayne	27
1	Insch	27
2	Rothienorman	28
1	Cushnie	30
2	Tarland	31
Total 29

asked the Minister of Transport what powers are conferred by his regulations upon a private citizen to initiate a prosecution against motorists and motor cyclists with defective silencers.

Anyone can initiate proceedings of the kind mentioned by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement

—	Licenses Issued				Licenses Cancelled
	United Kingdom		Scotland		United Kingdom		Scotland
	Ships	Gross Tonnage	Ships	Gross Tonnage	Ships	Gross Tonnage	Ships	Gross Tonnage
1950	278	1,635,065	120	626,400	30	68,805	5	14,363
1951	616	4,145,058	249	1,516,170	9	22,325	5	7,063
1952	221	1,490,639	85	508,367	15	81,775	2	9,040
1953	121	422,383	47	166,046	44	233,680	19	118,710
1954	207	479,695	59	116,734	38	327,909	15	139,379
1955	368	2,428,000	133	805,691	19	128,502	6	53,750
1956	321	2,283,736	121	664,708	6	68,020	—	—
1957	249	1,822,898	86	579,609	20	121,163	2	9,175
1958	120	515,313	32	157,475	34	395,850	6	69,200
1959	185	319,209	71	114,461	21	313,630	4	58,950
Comparable figures for ship repair work are not available.

The average tonnages under repair in these years were:—

—			United Kingdom	Scotland
1950	…	…	2,397,000	299,000
1951	…	…	2,281,000	253,000
1952	…	…	2,188,000	234,000
1953	…	…	2,040,000	233,000
1954	…	…	1,925 000	218,000
1955	…	…	2,145,000	212,000
1956	…	…	2,089,000	227,000
1957	…	…	2,083,000	181,000
1958	…	…	2,022,000	166,000
1959	…	…	1,809,000	156,000
Information is not available about the money value of this shipbuilding and shiprepairing work.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will state the number of German officers and other ranks who are already been trained in the United Kingdom, the number it is proposed to bring for training during 1960, and the places to be used as bases for these German troops.

There are at present 31 German Air Force other ranks on

The following figures are derived from the statutory licences issued for building merchant ships:technical courses in this country, training in the use of British equipment in service with the German Air Force. There are 12 German officers, of all three Services, attending military schools in this country, along with officers of other N.A.T.O. countries. The numbers under training in this country during the year are not likely to vary greatly from this. There are no bases for German troops in this country: these officers and men join the normal courses at Service establishments.

asked the Minister of Defence if the basis of comparison for Service pay, described in paragraph 5 of Command Paper No. 945, is the 19 broad groups of industries that comprise the Ministry of Labour six-monthly table of average weekly earnings, or a selection of such industries.

Changes in the pay of ratings, soldiers and airmen will be governed broadly by changes in the, average earnings and wages of men in

OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS OF ADULT WORKERS REGISTERED AS WHOLLY UNEMPLOYED AT EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES IN THE GATESHEAD AREA AT 7TH DECEMBER, 1959
Occupation	Men	Women	Total
Bricklayers	30	—	30
House and ship painters, paperhangers	33	—	33
Constructional fitters and erectors	20	—	20
Platers	38	—	38
Welders, burners and cutters	22	1	23
Stationary engine, etc., drivers, stokers, etc.	36	—	36
Toolmakers, precision fitters	54	—	54
Fitters (not precision), motor mechanics	23	—	23
Domestic workers in private service (excluding chauffeurs, gardeners, grooms, charwomen)	—	23	23
Motor or electric lorry, tractor, van, truck drivers	85	—	85
Packers, stowers, boxers, wrappers, fillers bottlers, canners	3	50	53
Colliery workers underground (excluding road men and haulage men)	31	—	31
Clerks (general and routine), timekeepers	42	33	75
Administrative, executive, professional, technical and scientific occupations	25	4	29
Labourers in building and civil engineering	114	—	114
Labourers: engineering and allied trades	189	—	189
Charwomen, cleaners (non-resident)	1	63	64
General labourers (heavy)	451	—	451
General labourers (light)	414	—	414
Factory workers, factory hands	29	69	98
All other occupations	428	205	633
TOTAL	2,068	448	2,516

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls, respectively, left school at December, 1959, in the Gateshead district; and how many are still without employment.

Of 232 boys and 193 girls who left school at Christmas, 1959, 24 boys and two girls were still without work on 9th March.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the amount paid out in unemployment benefit for men and women, respectively, for the years 1958 and 1959 in the Gateshead district.

Payments of unemployment benefit made in the Gateshead district to men and women age 18 and over

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give an occupational analysis of the present unemployment in Gateshead and district.

The following is the reply:totalled £227,256 in 1958 and £275,637 in 1959. Separate totals for men and women respectively are not available.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps are being taken within the factories for severely disabled persons, operated by Remploy Limited, to improve output; what consultation there is between the management and employees of the factories in introducing new schemes; what is the present number of severely disabled employees of Remploy Limited; and how many are ex-Service war disabled.

Remploy's general policy is to raise standards of efficiency and productivity in its factories in order to improve the working conditions of its disabled employees and to enable their numbers to be increased. This is being done mainly by installing improved machinery and equipment and by introducing better working methods. There is provision for full consultation with the employees or their representatives, and a joint consultative committee exists at each factory for the discussion of matters of this kind. On 26th January, 1960, the total number of severely disabled employees was 6,257 (including homeworkers and Headquarters and other staff); of these, 2,222 were ex-Service war disabled.

asked the Minister of Labour how many workers have had their hours of work reduced, without loss of pay, in the years 1955 to 1959, inclusive.

The following table shows, for each of the years 1955 to 1959, inclusive, the approximate number of workpeople whose normal weekly hours were reported to the Department as having been reduced without loss of pay.

Year	Estimated number of workpeople whose hours were reduced without loss of pay
1955	179,400
1956	20,600
1957	434,100
1958	348,000
1959	357,000

Of these numbers approximately 30,000 workers had a reduction of one hour in 1955 and a further reduction of one hour in 1959. The average reduction was one of nearly 2 hours.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the future of the Reserve Fleet, West Hartlepool; and how many service and non-service men are employed.

In line with the Reserve Fleet plan announced in 1957 and the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Reserve Fleet, we are making economies by concentrating ships in fewer ports and this summer we shall withdraw ships from Barry, Cardiff and Penarth. A further measure of concentration is likely to take place next year and the port or ports involved will be given as much notice as possible, but I cannot say now whether Hartlepool will be affected. In making our plans, we are taking into account employment at the various ports as well as naval considerations. At Hartlepool 190 civilians and 26 naval personnel are employed on Reserve Fleet ships.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present approximate annual revenue from Purchase Tax on toilet preparations liable to Purchase Tax at 50 per cent.; and, in view of the fact that this produces only a modest revenue, why he maintains this rate on a range of products which are in daily use by almost every person in the country.

. I would refer my hon. Friend to the rely my right hon. Friend gave to the second of his Questions on 8th March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the most luxurious type of high fidelity stereophonic radio gramophone equipment can, if the essential items are purchased separately, be largely obtained free of Purchase Tax, whereas a single cabinet with all the constituent parts already fitted, is charged the full rate of Purchase Tax; and whether, in order to reduce the effect of this anomaly, he will greatly reduce the 50 per cent. rate of Purchase Tax on such equipment at the earliest possible opportunity.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the fact that water softeners made to specification for the supply of treated water at a specified degree of hardness for use in such places as breweries, bakeries, laundries, dairies and catering establishments, are not chargeable to Purchase Tax under Group 12, he will consider extending such exemption to water softeners of all kinds with a view to reducing waste expenditure on fuel and soaps.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to enable him to take part of the profits of commercial television to reduce the cost of television licences.

No. I cannot give any specific commitment of this kind; but any review of broadcasting and television would need to take into account finance over the whole field.

asked the Minister of Power what was the tonnage of oil imported into the United Kingdom which passed through the Suez Canal in 1955 and 1959, respectively; and what was the percentage increase in 1959 as compared with that of 1955.

20½ million tons in 1955 and 25½ million tons in 1959, an increase of about a quarter.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will ensure that Government departmental buildings erected in the future, under his control, will have adequate parking facilities.

Yes. I shall, as far as possible, provide adequate car parking facilities at new Government buildings.

asked the Minister of Aviation what observations he has to make on the Report received from the Spanish Director General of Civil Aviation on the accident to the Dakota air- craft G-AMZD, which occurred on 19th August, 1959, on Montseny Peak, Spain; and, in particular, what steps he proposes to take to prevent an occurrence of a similar disaster in the future.

This aircraft departed from the normal route and the Spanish Government inquiry found that, contrary to the regulations, it entered cloud while flying under Visual Flight Rules. Although the exact circumstances immediately before the crash are not known, it appears that observance of the regulations would have prevented this accident.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what was the average tender price of a three-room council house at the latest available date; and what was the total cost of interest and repayment charges in respect of such a house, assuming loans raised respectively over 20, 40 and 60 years at the rate of interest charged by the Public Works Loan Board, at the end of the relevant quarter.

On the assumption that the hon. and learned Member is referring to a three-bedroom house, the answer to the first part of the Question is £1,547 for the fourth quarter of 1959; and to the second part, £2,623, £3,969 and £5,521, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when schemes for the following works in Cyprus will be proceeded with, namely, the new mental hospital at Athlassa, Nicosia, repairs on the Nicosia to Limassol road, improvements to the Kyrenia and Larnaka hospitals, repairs to the Larnaka court house, the new court house and labour office for Famagusta, and the work on the Nicosia to Famagusta road.

I am consulting the Governor on the subject and will communicate with the hon. Member as soon as I have received his reply.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why he has delayed approval of a £500,000 programme for relieving unemployment in Cyprus; and to what extent this delay is connected with the current negotiations about the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus.

There has been no delay. The programme was announced in Cyprus on 8th March. The second part of the Question does not arise.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give a list of the places in which there are classes for the teaching of English to Indian and Pakistani children similar to those held in West Bromwich.

Special lessons are provided in Birmingham, Bradford, Smeth-wick, Derby and Manchester. I have no doubt that similar arrangements are made in other areas according to need, but a complete list could not be provided without a detailed inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is now in a position to state in whose custody the records of the activities of German military and security forces in Lvov in 1941 are now held.

No such records have yet been identified among the various captured documents under Western control. A search is being made to ascertain whether they are contained in the jointly-controlled military documents in Washington. But the work may take several weeks, since not all the documents have yet been sorted and catalogued in detail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regard- ing the establishment of a board of censors for television space; and what answers he has made.

None.

asked the Lord Advocate when he expects to receive the Report of the Law Reform Committee on the question of applying the Variation of Trusts Act, 1958, to Scotland as well as England.

The Law Reform Committee for Scotland is at present considering the law relating to—

(a) the powers of trustees to sell, purchase or otherwise deal with heritable property, and

(b) the variation of trust purposes.

I expect to receive their Report very shortly after Easter.

asked the Secretary of State for War what action he is taking to bring the services provided by the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes into line with the requirements of a much smaller all-Regular Army.

The radical change in the size and shape of the forces which will come about as a result of the abolition of National Service will inevitably create a new situation in the relationships between N.A.A.F.I. and the Services. The First Lord of the Admiralty, the Secretary of State for Air and I have discussed this. We wish to know whether the reversion to all-Regular forces for the first time since 1939 will necessitate any substantial change in these relationships. We have accordingly set up a committee to look into the matter. Its membership has not yet been settled, but the Chairman will be Mr. John Corbett, who is a partner in the firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co.