asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty the original cost of building the destroyer H.M.S. "Hogue"; and how much has been expended in refits and in maintaining her in reserve and in commission since her completion.

The original cost on completion in July, 1945, was £830,000. It has not been possible to find out the exact cost of refits and maintenance during the past fourteen years.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what were the findings of the court of inquiry regarding the collision between H.M.S. "Hogue" and I.N.S. "Mysore" in August, 1959.

The Board of Inquiry attributed blame to H.M.S. "Hogue".

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether compensation has been paid to those members of the crew of H.M.S. "Hogue" injured as a result of the collision with I.N.S. "Mysore" and also to the next of kin of the rating killed.

Compensation is not paid to Service men for injuries received in an incident of service.Eligibility for an award under the War Pensions Instruments in respect of disablement or death due to service is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty the cost of writing-off H.M.S. "Hogue"; and how much is likely to be made from her sale for scrap.

There is no procedure for writing off Her Majesty's ships. Scrap prices fluctuate widely and I cannot give an estimate of likely proceeds from scrap.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how long H.M.S. "Hogue" spent in active commission since her completion.

Over five years.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty the estimated cost of refitting H.M.S. "Hogue" after her collision with I.N.S. "Mysore".

H.M.S. "Hogue" was not refitted after the collision and no estimate was prepared.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many "Algerine" class minesweepers were sold for scrapping within eighteen months of completing major Reserve Fleet refits.

None.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether H.M. destroyers "Cossack" and "Contest," H.M. frigates "Wilton," "Opossum," "Fleetwood" and "Loch Arkaig" and H.M. maintenance ship "Buchan Ness" are among the ships listed for scrapping in the Appendix to the Explanatory Statement on the Navy Estimates.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Education how many boys and girls, respectively, were withdrawn in 1959 from grammar schools in England and Wales before reaching the age of 16 years and before taking the General Certificate of Education ordinary level examination, respectively; and what percentage these premature leavers form of their grammar school age group.

Provisional figures for the educational year ending 31st July, 1959, show that 4,600 boys and 6,200 girls, representing 8·6 per cent. and 12 per cent. of the grammar school age group left maintained grammar schools in England and Wales before reaching the age of 16.No figures are available for those who did not take the G.C.E. examination.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, if he will make a statement on the progress being made with the Dounreay fast breeder reactor; what are its prospects in terms of power output; and what reductions in costs of this new type of station can be expected.

I am informed by the Atomic Energy Authority that the Dounreay fast breeder reactor has been running at low power since 14th November, 1959, and research has been undertaken into certain problems of its psysics and engineering. The reactor is intended primarily for research and development and its power output will never be large. The development of this type of reactor should eventually mean a reduction in the costs of nuclear power but it is too early to evaluate the improvement and the reduction in costs which can be expected.

asked the Minister for Education, as representing the Minister for Science, what consideration has been given to the problem of dismantling used nuclear power installations, such as the Windscale pile; and to what extent future designs will incorporate the siting of the nuclear furnace underground.

I am informed by the Atomic Energy Authority that the concrete vaults of the Windscale reactors have been sealed in such a way as to prevent exterior hazard. The method to be adopted for the power reactors now under construction will depend largely upon the techniques available at the time they are closed down for handling radioactive material. It would be uneconomic to site power reactors underground and this is not at present contemplated.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that an optician in Sidcup, Kent, whose name has been provided by the hon. Member for Hull, East, informed a National Health Service patient, who required only one pair of spectacles, that he must have two pairs or nothing, offered a frame for £2 19s. 6d., and said he was only a technician and would have to send the spectacles to London, and that the patient has waited over two months for his spectacles; and what action he will take to ensure that this optician provides a proper National Health Service, with the range of frames and alternative colours for £1 10s. 3d.

No action on the part of my right hon. and learned Friend seems indicated. I understand that the Kent and Canterbury Ophthalmic Services Committee has heard nothing further from the patient since it wrote to her on 11th February offering to make inquiries. It remains open to her to take advantage of this offer.

asked the Minister of Health the average delay by opticians, in Hull, in forwarding National Health Service prescriptions fox lenses to the executive council, and the maximum delay during the year 1959.

I understand that opticians in Hull normally forward prescriptions within about three days of giving a sight-test. I regret that the information requested in the last part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the doubts which have arisen regarding the safety of the drug Imferon, whether he will ensure that it is not included in Presenters' Notes until further tests have been undertaken.

The manufacturers have now informed me that they have decided to suspend the sale of this drug for general use pending an independent re-examination of all the available evidence.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of sight tests carried out under the Supplementary Ophthalmic Service in Manchester during the months of January and February 1960; how many of such tests were carried out by ophthalmic opticians and ophthalmic medical practitioners,

asked the Minister of Health the gross cost of the whole of the National Health Service for Great Britain as a percentage of the gross national product in 1949, 1951 and in each subsequent year.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health what negotiations there have been between the Management Side of the Whitley Council for Nurses and Mid-wives, and those medical bodies concerned with the nursing of the tuberculous, namely, the British Tuberculosis Association, the Joint Tuberculous Council and the appropriate section of the British Medical Association, with regard to the

The figures are as follows:discontinuation of the allowance of £30 per annum to those engaged in nursing tuberculous patients; and what was the outcome of these negotiations.

I understand there have been no such negotiations.

asked the Minister of Health if he will continue the payment of a special allowance of £30 per annum to nursing staff employed in the nursing of tuberculous patients in view of the recognised risk to the health of such nurses.

This is a matter in the first place for the Nurses and Midwives Whitley Council. The allowance is not, however, given on health risk grounds.

asked the Minister of Power, in view of the fact that the price of uranium fell by 5 per cent, in 1959, and the capital costs of nuclear power installations have been reduced now by 20 per cent., if he will make a statement indicating the trend of comparable installation and running costs between oil-, coal- and nuclear-powered stations; and if he will give an estimate of when nuclear-powered stations will achieve parity.

Costs are likely to fall for both conventional and nuclear power stations, but the trend depends on a great many factors, including future technical advances. Neither installation nor running costs can be precisely forecast. There is reason to hope, however, that within ten years the cost of nuclear power used for base load generation will be equal to the cost of power from coal or oil-fired stations.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that the nuclear power industry which has developed, especially involving a large force of the nation's skilled scientists and engineers, is working under capacity; and whether, in order to give a clear lead to the industry, he will indicate Her Majesty's Government's requirements, particularly in nuclear marine propulsion, nuclear submarine cargo vessels and a package type of reactor, so that the full benefits can be gained from this large technological force.

Her Majesty's Government think it most desirable to maintain a thriving nuclear power industry in this country, but cannot accept the obligation to ensure Chat the industry is always working at full capacity.As regards marine propulsion, I would refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Transport on 27th January and 1st March to the hon. Members for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall), Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin), Tynemouth (Daine Irene Ward) and Dartford (Mr. Sydney Irving). He also answered a Question by the hon. and gallant Member for Arundel and Shoreham (Captain Kerby) on 26th January, about nuclear submarine cargo vessels. There is at present no Government requirement for the package type of reactor.

asked the Prime Minister whether he has considered the memorandum of the Scottish Old Age Pensioners' Association requesting an increase in retirement pensions, sent to him by Councillor R. Selkirk, 9 Terris Place, Cowdenbeath; and what reply he has sent.

I received a duplicated and unsigned document containing a memorandum from the Scottish Old Age Pension Association and have brought this to the notice of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the is aware that a person who has been disqualified from driving for a number of years and whose period of disqualification is at an end is able to begin driving again without taking a driving test; and if he will introduce legislation to ensure that anyone who has not driven for a number of years must pass the test before being given a licence.

Under the Road Traffic Acts, 1930–1956, a person who has either held a full driving licence or passed a driving test in the previous ten years can apply for the renewal of his driving licence without taking a test. For certain motoring offences the courts are empowered to order a driving test to be taken irrespective of whether the driver has previously passed the test. I do not consider that further legislation as suggested by the hon. Member would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) what part the Chemical Defence Research Establishment is playing in the production and testing of nerve gases;(2) which of his departments is mainly responsible for the production of nerve gas; and for how long this production process has been in existence.

The Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment is responsible for all research on defence against chemical warfare agents, including the testing of nerve gases. The production of such gases is in laboratory quantities, sufficient for testing only. The basic production processes date from the last war.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent Her Majesty's Government has produced and tested antidotes to the known nerve gases of other countries.

Antidotes to the known nerve gases have been developed at the Chemical Defence Experimental Establishment, and details have been published in scientific journals.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he has yet finalised arrangements for a number of Members of Parliament to visit the Chemical Defence Research Establishment and other research centres where experiments with nerve gases are being carried out.

I have no such request under consideration.