asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now able to make a statement about arrangements for the supply of cartridges used for shooting wood pigeons when the general cartridge rebate ends on 31st March, 1960.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I propose to extend the grant to rabbit clearance societies to cover half the cost of cartridges used for shooting wood-pigeons and certain other harmful birds by their own employees and by expert shots, including approved shooting organisations, engaged by them to shoot over members' land when the general cartridge rebate ends on 31st March.

asked the Minister of Education when he now expects to receive the report of the special committee under Sir Colin Anderson which is reviewing the system of grants to university students.

In the course of next month.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the number of children's sight-tests carried out in school-clinics in Hull, in 1959, the number of National Health Service frames dispensed at the clinics, and the number of prescriptions taken to opticians by parents.

4,475 sight tests were carried out at school clinics in Hull during 1959. I am informed that the number of spectacles (including replacements) dispensed at the clinics was 3,088 and that 780 prescriptions were taken to opticians by parents.

asked the Minister of Education when he will be in a position to announce his decision regarding the admission of the National Association of Schoolmasters to the Burnham Committee.

I wrote to the National Association of Schoolmasters on Wednesday, 23rd March, in the following terms informing them of my decision:Dear Mr. Rushworth,I have been thinking very carefully over your Association's request for representation on the Burnham Committee (and also for a seat upon the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers). I was glad to have the opportunity of myself hearing from your deputation the arguments in support of your case and I would like to acknowledge the evident sincerity with which these were put forward. May I say too that, as my predecessor promised, I have examined this issue entirely afresh.You have based your request to me on the numbers of men teachers your Association now represents and who are not as a group of individuals otherwise represented, and on the continued existence of your Association over a long period. As to this, I have felt bound to have regard to the basis on which the Burnham Committee is constituted, namely, that representation in the Teachers' Panel should be by types of school, and to the fact that the large majority of the men teachers in the types of schools with which your Association are concerned are still otherwise represented on the Committee. I wished, however, to reach my decision upon positive grounds, and I have tried to determine it by what I consider would be in the best interests of the profession as a whole. It has seemed to me that unity is at the present time most important to the professional status of the teachers, and that this cause would not best be served by the grant to your Association of separate representation upon such a body as the Burnham Committee. Equal pay is an accomplished fact, and now that both the numbers and quality of the men teachers in the schools are on the increase, nothing should be done which might prejudice a move to close the ranks. I have concluded therefore that the interests of all concerned do not allow me to accede to your request. I believe that the profession will do most good for itself by solidarity and that amongst those who would benefit not least would be the men.Yours sincerely,DAVID ECCLES.

asked the Minister of Health how many full-time, and how many part-time consultants were employed in the Manchester Royal Infirmary, the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital in each of the years from 1950 to 1959.

Year (Position at 31st December)			Manchester Royal Infirmary			St. Mary's Hospital			Manchester Royal Eye Hospital
			Whole-time	Part-time	Hon.	Whole-time	Part-time	Hon.	Whole-time	Part-time	Hon.
1950	…	…	1(1)	37(15)	10 (5)	1(1)	11 (4)	4(1)	—	13(3)	—
1951	…	…	1(1)	35(14)	10 (5)	1(1)	11(4)	4(1)	—	12(3)	—
1952	…	…	2(2)	35(15)	10 (5)	1(1)	12(4)	5(2)	—	12(3)	—
1953	…	…	3(2)	33(14)	12 (6)	1(1)	15(4)	5(2)	—	12(3)	—
1954	…	…	4(2)	31(14)	17 (8)	1(1)	15(4)	5(2)	—	11(2)	1(1)
1955	…	…	4(2)	29(14)	16 (8)	1(1)	15(4)	5(2)	—	11(2)	1(1)
1956	…	…	4(2)	31(14)	16 (8)	1(1)	16(4)	5(2)	1 (1/11)	10(2)	1(1)
1957	…	…	4(2)	31(15)	21(11)	1(1)	16(5)	5(2)	1 (1/11)	10(3)	1(1)
1958	…	…	4(2)	32(15)	20(11)	1(1)	16(5)	5(2)	1 (1/11)	9(3)	1(1)
1959	…	…	4(2)	33(16)	23(13)	1(1)	14(5)	5(2)	—	9(3)	1(1)

NOTE:—The figures in brackets are the approximate equivalent whole-time units of sessions worked by the number of consultants shown. (These figures have generally been rounded to the nearest whole-time unit.) Some of the consultants concerned work in more than one of the hospitals and some also hold appointments with the Regional Hospital Board. Both whole-time and part-time officers have been counted as one in each of the hospitals in which they work. The figures relate to 31st December in each year.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average waiting period for a non-pay bed in hospitals controlled by the North Manchester, West Manchester, South Manchester, and the North and Mid-Cheshire Hospital Management Committees; and what was the average waiting period twelve months ago.

Waiting periods vary according to the degree of urgency of cases and the specialty involved, and between hospitals in a group. Apart from urgent cases—which are given immediate admission—the waiting periods in the four groups referred to vary as follows:

The information asked for is set out below.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of clerical and administrative, maintenance, kitchen, and other non-medical or nursing staff employed by the. Manchester Royal Infirmary, St. Mary's Hospital, and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in each year from 1950 to 1959.

Information for the years 1950–52 is not available in the form requested. Information for the United Manchester Hospitals Group for the years 1953 to 1959 is given in the table below under the groups of staff which most closely approximate to those mentioned. Many of these staff are employed on a group basis and it is not therefore possible to break the figures down into separate figures for individual hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will state the number of clerical and administrative, kitchen, maintenance, and other non-medical or nursing staff employed by the North Manchester, West Manchester, South Manchester, and North and Mid-Cheshire

WHOLE-TIME EQUIVALENTS OF STAFF EMPLOYED AT 31ST DECEMBER
—					Clerical and administrative staff	Catering staff	Works and maintenance staff	Other staff except medical and nursing staff
North Manchester H.M.C.:
1953	…	…	…	…	128	93	67	624
1954	…	…	…	…	132	88	80	662
1955	…	…	…	…	134	90	77	678
1956	…	…	…	…	137	97	79	698
1957	…	…	…	…	138	98	74	676
1958	…	…	…	…	137	105	82	722
1959	…	…	…	…	139 (a)	108	86	694
West Manchester H.M.C.:
1953	…	…	…	…	73	54	29	328
1954	…	…	…	…	69	53	27	325
1955	…	…	…	…	73	56	31	317
1956	…	…	…	…	77	58	32	323
1957	…	…	…	…	78	55	36	363
1958	…	…	…	…	79	56	38	348
1959	…	…	…	…	78(a)	58	38	327
South Manchester H.M.C.:
1953	…	…	…	…	209	98	166	864
1954	…	…	…	…	203	84	139	911
1955	…	…	…	…	212	88	154	1,041
1956	…	…	…	…	232	89	163	1,085
1957	…	…	…	…	231	119	168	1,012
1958	…	…	…	…	237	119	193	1,066
1959	…	…	…	…	232 (a)	117	188	1,040
North and Mid-Cheshire H.M.C.:
1953	…	…	…	…	37	33	17	182
1954	…	…	…	…	36	32	5	188
1955	…	…	…	…	38	30	8	202
1956	…	…	…	…	37	31	9	208
1957	…	…	…	…	41	39	12	243
1958	…	…	…	…	42	41	15	250
1959	…	…	…	…	43(a)	43	16	249
(a) At 30th June.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish the names, qualifications, and date of appointment of the members of the Manchester Regional Hospital Board and the Governors of the United Manchester Hospitals.

The following is the information required:

Manchester Regional Hospital Board
Chairman	Date first appointed
N. M. Agnew, Esq., C.B.E., B.A., who is appointed until 31st March, 1962	1. 4.53

Information for the years 1950–52 is not available in the form requested. Information for the years 1953–59 is given in the table below under the groups of staff which most closely approximate to those mentioned.

Members
Appointed until 3lst March. 1960
Councillor Mrs. N. Beer, O.B.E., J.P	1. 4.54
J. W. Hindley, Esq.	11. 5.56
J. Kilpatrick, Esq., J.P.	2. 6.54
Prof. V. F. Lambert, M.D., Ch.M., F.R.C.S	5. 6.51
R. W. Luxton, Esq., B.Sc., M.D., F.R.C.P.	1. 4.54
Sir James Lythgoe, C.B.E., M.A.	1. 4.51
Dr. Miles Parkes, M.B., Ch.B.	31.12.52
Emeritus Prof. Sir Harry Platt, Bart., M.S., D.M., L.L.D., F.R.C.S., F.A.C.S	24. 6.47
Mrs. L. A. Pratt, M.B.E.	31. 8.53
G. C. Sumner. Esq., O.B.E., J.P.	1. 4.51

asked the Minister of Health what charges to public funds were incurred during the financial year 1958–59 in capital works and maintenance of the Private Patients' Home at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.

£1,052 and about £105,800 gross, respectively. The latter figure is an estimate of the running costs of the Home based on an approximate apportionment of the cost of services used by the Home in common with the rest of the Royal Infirmary.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients there are at the Littlemore Mental Hospital who could go to other accommodation if it were available.

Sixty five.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now state the date on which the Government will have completed their initial study of the Pilkington Report.

Very soon.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of eye hospitals, or hospitals with eye departments, in the London area, in which the hospital clerk discusses spectacle frames with patients and informs the optician that private frames are required; and what action he will take to ensure the optician shows all hospital patients the full appropriate range of National Health Service frames, and the alternative colours, for £1 10s. 3d.

Detailed information in answer to the first part of the Question is not available, but it is usual for the staff to answer any preliminary inquiries made by patients. With regard to the second part of the Question my right hon. and learned Friend is reminding hospital authorities that patients should be made fully aware of the spectacles available under the National Health Service and the appropriate charges.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that an optician in Newark, whose name has been provided by the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, East, informed a National Health Service patient that only one National Health Service frame was available and no others in stock, and then showed private frames ranging in price from £3 to £10; 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 special action on the part of my right hon. and learned Friend seems required. The type of frame worn by the patient is becoming very difficult to obtain, and this will be borne in mind in reviewing the list of National Health Service frames.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of forms O.S.C.2A, for the replacement or repair of glasses, sent in by opticians in Hull in 1959, the number approved by an executive council decision that the loss or damage was not caused by lack of care, and the number of days usually taken by the council in deciding a claim.

457 Forms O.S.C.2A were submitted in 1959. For 307 it was accepted that the loss or damage was not due to lack of care. I understand that the Ophthalmic Services Committee normally decides a claim within about three days.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the rates of interest charged on the United Kingdom Government loans, estimated to amount to £60,400,000, to be made for overseas development during the year 1959–60; and what is the total amount repayable, including interest and any other charges.

The rates of interest on these loans ranged, in general, from 4½ per cent. to 5¾ per cent., according to the date of disbursement and the period agreed for repayment. Some of the lesser amounts lent during the year were at lower rates of interest or interest-free. It is estimated that the total due as repayment and interest on the sums disbursed during 1959–60 will, over the whole life of the loans, amount to roughly £95 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the estimated return to the Treasury if an advertising tax were introduced on all moneys spent on advertising on the following basis, namely, 5 per cent. on all amounts up to the first £500 per annum, 10 per cent. on amounts from £501 to £1,000 per annum, 20 per cent. from £1,001 to £2,000 per annum, and 75 per cent. on all amounts above £2,000 per annum.

The information on which to make such an estimate is not available and it could not be obtained without a disproportionate expenditure of time and effort.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he estimates the Treasury would lose in a given financial year if all persons with a total income of £500 per annum were relieved of Income Tax; and by how much Surtax would have to be increased to ensure to the Treasury enough revenue to compensate for the loss of this Income Tax.

The loss in the current fiscal year would be about £100 million; and to produce this the yield of Surtax would have to be increased by about 60 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, taking the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling as 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 18s. 5d. in February, 1954, and to 16s. 1d. in February, 1957; and what was the comparable figure for February, 1960.

Yes; on the basis of the Index of Retail Prices the comparable figure for February, 1960, was 15s. 3d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to publish the Economic Survey, the Balance of Payments White Paper and the National Income White Paper, respectively.

It is intended to publish the Economic Survey on 30th March, and the Balance of Payments White Paper and National Income White Paper on 31st March.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under 16 and 17 years of age, respectively, were remanded to prison, instead of being sent to remand homes, in England and Wales, during the months of January and February, respectively, in 1960.

In January there were so remanded 19 boys and two girls under sixteen years of age and 38 boys aged sixteen but under seventeen. In February there were 37 boys under sixteen years of age, and 39 boys and four girls aged sixteen but under seventeen.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the total area of office accommodation in Central London envisaged when buildings now planned and under construction are completed; and what is the comparable figure for 1939.

The nearest figures I can give are estimates made by the London County Council that in 1957 there was about 100 million sq. ft. net of office space available in existing buildings in Central London. It is estimated that by mid-1959 buildings providing about 6 million additional sq. ft. had been built, and that others providing about 9 million sq. ft. were in course of erection. From these figures no deduction has been made for the amount of office space demolished to make room for new buildings, as no precise information is available. The only figures available for 1939 are for the City of London, where 376 million sq. ft. of office space was then available, over 6 million sq. ft. of which was subsequently lost through enemy action.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will estimate the number of persons employed in the Central London area at the latest convenient date, and state the comparable figure for 1939.

I regret that it is not possible to provide estimates of employment for particular parts of London. In the Greater London Area it is estimated that in May, 1959, there were 4,547,000 insured employees compared with 4,401,950 at end May, 1952, the earliest date for which comparable figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has yet received the report of the Visiting Committee of Barlinnie Prison on the general situation in the prison as disclosed by the incidents which occurred in January; and whether he will make a statement.

The Visiting Committee met on 25th February: 23 members representing 18 local authorities were present. The Committee having reported to me that they have reviewed the administration of the prison since June last in the light of reports by individual members of the Committee on their visits of inspection and of reports by the Disciplinary Sub-Commitee on prisoners' cases recently heard by them, and after discussion with the Governor, the Chaplain, the Roman Catholic Visiting Clergyman, the Medical Officer and the Welfare Office. The Visiting Committee are satisfied that up to the end of last year the state of discipline in the Prison was entirely satisfactory.As the House is aware, there was interference at the New Year with over 150 cell locks by the insertion of shirt buttons. The Visiting Committee have informed me that in their view this was a New Year prank; but as a result many prisoners had to be transferred for the time being to other cells, and this caused much overcrowding, which gave rise to demonstrations and ill-temper by a few prisoners.In the Committee's opinion the further incidents of unruliness and damage to property which took place from the 25th to the 27th January were due in some degree to greatly exaggerated reports of the New Year incidents in the Press and were inspired by a very small minority of prisoners.The Committee are satisfied that, although during both these short periods certain privileges had to be curtailed as a precautionary measure, the prison remained under full control throughout and they consider that the Governor and staff carried out their duties with commendable restraint and humanity.The Visiting Committee have also expressed concern about over-crowding in the prison, especially as regards the large number of untried prisoners.As I stated in reply to the debate on 17th February, I hope that the position will be improved when a hall at Peterhead Prison, which is being reconditioned, is brought into use towards the end of this year. My Department is also preparing plans for a new institution near Glasgow consisting of a remand centre for young men under 21 and a prison for adult untried prisoners. I hope that the work of erection will begin next year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet made a decision about the quota of British films to be shown by exhibitors during the period beginning 1st October, 1960.

Yes. After consulting the Cinematograph Films Council I have decided not to make any Order to amend the Cinematograph Films (Quotas) Amendment Order, 1950. but to leave the prescribed quotas at 30 per cent. for first feature films and 25 per cent. for the supporting programme for the exhibitors' quota period beginning 1st October, 1960.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the latest figures of the number of C licence vehicles of six tons unladen weight and over.

The latest figures available are for 31st December, 1959. On that date there were 12,756 vehicles of six tons and over unladen weight operating under C licences.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps the Committee on Rural Bus Services is taking to acquaint itself directly with the transport situation in remote rural areas, and to hear from people who are personally affected.

The Committee has set up sub-committees to make visits to five sample areas in England, Wales and Scotland. The sub-committees hope to meet local people. County councils in the areas concerned have been asked to help with the detailed arrangements.