asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much land is now owned and managed by the Agricultural Land Commission compared with a year ago; and how much of this land is farmed by the Commission.

The total area under the management of the Agricultural Land Commission on 1st March, 1960, was 152,644 acres, compared with 166,278 acres at 1st March, 1959. Of this area, 4,829 acres are farmed by them.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that there are sufficient National Agricultural Advisory Service officers in England and Wales to perform their functions adequately; and to what extent general advisory work and specialist work is suffering as a result of shortages.

In accordance with the policy laid down in the White Paper "Assistance for Small Farmers" (Cmnd. 553), the National Agricultural Advisory Service is giving priority to requests for advice under the Small Farmers Scheme. Whilst in certain areas this may have meant a little delay in dealing with the less urgent requests of other farmers and a curtailment of the experimental programme, my right hon. Friend is satisfied that the work of the Service as a whole, including that of the specialist branches, has not suffered significantly because of shortage of staff. If enough recruits of the right calibre come forward, the N.A.A.S. will be strengthened as a result of the current competition.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Minister for Science, what success has attended the programme of research on scrapie at the Agricultural Research Council's field station in Berkshire; and whether this work is to be extended with the financial support now offered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The work on scrapie at the Agricultural Research Council's Field Station in Berkshire and at the Animal Diseases Research Institute at Moredun, Edinburgh, has yielded valuable information on the nature of the infective agent, which is in many ways unique, on Che susceptibility of different breeds, and on the mode of transmission. The work is inevitably slow because of the long incubation period which ranges from six months to several years. There has been no offer of financial support from the United States Department of Agriculture. A suggestion by that Department that application for support should be made under U.S. Public Law 480 is being considered, and the conditions under which such a grant could be made are being ascertained.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent it is his policy to place Purchase Tax on tools of trade.

In many instances, tools of trade are altogether outside the scope of Purchase Tax, or have been specially exempted from it. But no general exemption is possible and, in any particular instance, the interests of the trade must be weighed against the interests of the Exchequer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the manuscript paper used by musicians is subject to Purchase Tax at 25 per cent., as are their instruments, whereas gramophone records are subject to tax at 50 per cent. and the specially prepared nibs used by musicians for exists against gramophone records and writing on manuscript paper are free of Purchase Tax; why such discrimination in favour of nibs; and what steps he proposes to take in this matter.

Gramophone records are taxed at the higher rate for revenue reasons. Musical instruments and stationery and office requisites are taxed at the standard rate. The special drawing nibs with which the musical stave can be sketched at one stroke, if they are what my hon. Friend is thinking of, are outside the tax Schedule. I still cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the rate of Purchase Tax chargeable on luxury items such as mink coats, diamond rings, luxury cars, in the financial year 1951–52; what is the comparable rate at present; and how much he estimates would accrue to the Treasury if this Purchase Tax rate was returned to its 1951–52 level.

For most of the financial year 1951–52, mink coats and diamond rings were chargeable with tax at 100 per cent. They are now chargeable at 25 per cent. Motor cars were chargeable at 66⅔ per cent., and are now chargeable at 50 per cent. I could not make the estimate asked for in the last part of the Question because I do not know where the hon. Member would draw his boundary line.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that vellums for drums are subject to Purchase Tax at 25 per cent. if cut to the required circular shape for the drum, but are not so subject when supplied uncut and invoiced by the supplier as uncut skins: and, having regard to the bad influence of this anomaly upon the production of drums, whether he will remedy matters by appropriate action.

I do not regard the position as anomalous and I am not aware that it has a bad influence on production. Manufacturers of drums who are registered for tax purposes can obtain all their materials tax free.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the toy xylophone is subject to Purchase Tax at 25 per cent. whereas a toy piano is free of Purchase Tax; whether a toy piano is classified as a toy or a musical instru- ment; and in what circumstances Customs and Excise re-classify toy xylophones and pianos as musical instruments.

Toy pianos and toy xylophones, if they are designed to be played, are both toys and musical intruments and are therefore within both the appropriate Groups of the tax classification. The exemption in the musical instruments Group is applicable to pianos, whether toys or not.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons an infant's pair of mittens are free of Purchase Tax, whereas an infant's gloves, of the same size, carry Purchase Tax at 5 per cent.; and why special fiscal preference is thus expressed in respect of infant's mittens.

The exemption is for gloves suitable only for babies' wear. I am advised that these are always made in the form of mitts.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what grounds electric moustache curlers are charged to Purchase Tax at the same rate as domestic heating appliances, namely, 25 per cent., whereas all other articles designed for use in bleaching, waving, curling, setting, dye tinting, and in any way dressing or treating the hair are charged to Purchase Tax at 50 per cent.; and whether he will arrange at an early date to reduce the tax on all such apparatus to 25 per cent. or less regardless of the technique involved.

My hon. Friend is in error. Not only electric moustache curlers, but all articles and appliances designed for heating the hair in the process of waving, curling or setting it are taxable at 25 per cent. As to the rest of the Question, I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his present policy with regard to the encouragement of National Savings; and when he intends to review the present position under which children's money boxes, including piggy banks, are chargeable to Purchase Tax at 25 per cent.

Both parts of this Question raise issues appropriate to my right hon. Friend's Budget statement, which I cannot anticipate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his attention has been called to the substantial increase in the export of commercial road vehicles since he abolished Purchase Tax on such vehicles in his last Budget; and what special steps he is taking to ascertain to what extent the export of other motor vehicles would benefit by similar tax treatment.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to his third Question on 10th November, and to that given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Board of Trade, to his second Question of 3rd March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will reconsider the position under which money belts are chargeable to Purchase Tax at 25 per cent., whereas ordinary belts, including uniform belts, are chargeable at 5 per cent.; and whether, in particular, he will now give greater encouragement to the use of money belts by reducing the tax thereon.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in view of the increasing difficulties of the National Coal Board, he will abolish Purchase Tax on all non-smoke-producing appliances, which directly, or indirectly, use home-produced fuel, including gas and electricity space and water heaters for domestic use.

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

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the effect of the 50 per cent. Purchase Tax on television sets is restricting the production of sets with 21-inch screens, with a consequent detrimental effect on United Kingdom competition in the export field with West Germany; and what proposals he is considering for the reduction of this rate of tax, with a view to assisting overseas sales.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply to the third of his Questions of 28th March.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase in the sale of electrical appliances has occurred in the United Kingdom since the Purchase Tax rate was reduced to 25 per cent.; and, having regard to the interests of women and labour-saving in the home, what further reductions in Purchase Tax upon electrical appliances he proposes to make at an early date.

Separate figures for retail sales of electrical appliances are not available, but particulars of manufacturers' deliveries of certain appliances are published in Tables 81 and 85 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics. Sales of these articles have been affected by a number of factors and it is not possible to isolate the effect of reductions in Purchase Tax. As regards the second part of the Question, I cannot anticipate my rt. hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet formed an estimate of the stimulus which would be given to price reductions generally and of the effect on the cost of living, respectively, of making further substantial reductions in Purchase Tax; and with what result.

My right hon. Friend takes account of all relevant factors in his pre-Budget review of taxation; but I cannot anticipate his Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give an assurance that no Budget Resolution which he intends to lay before the House will be intended to restrict discussion upon Purchase Tax and that in drafting such Resolutions he will have regard for the desirability of enabling this House to debate Purchase Tax no less freely than any other tax.

I cannot anticipate the scope of the Budget Resolutions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many articles in the Purchase Tax Schedules have component parts which individually attract Purchase Tax at differing rates, but when combined in a single article are taxed at the highest rate of any component part; as this leads to distortion in the case of many new products, whether he will introduce legislation to provide that articles containing components attracting Purchase Tax at different rates are taxed at the lowest rate of any component part; and what loss of revenue would result from such reform.

As I have already explained to my hon. Friend in correspondence, articles are classified under the tax Schedule by reference to their character as complete articles, not by reference to their components. As classification is under broad headings, not by items, I cannot say how many articles meet the conditions in the first part of the Question. As regards the last part of the Question, since materials in general are taxfree, such legislation would result in the destruction of the purchase tax revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average rent per acre of land owned by Government Departments.

The rent received from agricultural tenants by Government Departments varies according to the nature of the land, restrictions on user, and so forth. As an average figure it amounts to 10s. 9d. an acre.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the outcome of the review by the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation of the European Monetary Agreement of 1955.

Yes. In December, 1959, the Council of the O.E.E.C. agreed that Part II of the Agreement, relating to the Multilateral System of Settlements and due for review after one year, should continue in force without major changes as from 1st January, 1960. At the same time, a number of amendments to the Agreement were decided upon, subject where appropriate to ratification by the Governments concerned. A few amendments had already been made last summer to take account of the accession of Spain to the Agreement.A White Paper containing the text of these amendments is available in the Vote Office. Most of them are of a relatively minor and technical character, designed to improve the working of the Agreement by removing ambiguities or easing administration. But there are two more important changes to which I should like to draw attention.In Article 3, the scale of total contributions to the European Fund by the Contracting Parties has been altered so that the United Kingdom's contribution is reduced from 86,575,000 units of account to 60,575,000 units of account (that is, from just under £31 million to just over £21½ million), while there have been increases in the contributions of Italy, from 15 million to 25 million units of account, and of France and Germany, each from 42 million to 50 million units of account. These changes apply as if they had been made when the Agreement came into force at the end of 1958; and calls on contributions already made have been adjusted accordingly, the United Kingdom having received back just over £1 million in gold.The adjustments I have mentioned are regarded as being justified by the changes which have taken place since 1955 in the relative economic situations of the four countries concerned. They do not exclude the possibility of a new general basis for calculating the contributions being adopted at an appropriate time.The second major change is the addition to the Agreement of a new Article 7 bis enabling the European Fund to obtain special credits from Contracting Parties on conditions to be determined by the O.E.E.C. The object of this is simply to provide a legal basis for the Fund to accept special means of finance contributed voluntarily by one or more Members if this were found to be desirable, rather than having to rely exclusively on its existing assets and on the calling up of contributions under Article 4. A similar purpose was served by Article 10 bis of the European Payments Union Agreement.A special credit under Article 7 bis would require a unanimous decision by the Council of the O.E.E.C. and therefore the assent of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the scale of royalties charged by Her Majesty's Stationery Office under the operation of Crown copyright for reproduction of Statutes and Statutory Instruments, including circulars and memoranda issued by Ministers to local authorities and others to facilitate the working of new Acts and Orders.

No charge is normally made for reproduction of Statutes or Statutory Instruments. For explanatory memoranda, circulars and other non-statutory Crown copyright material, charges vary according to the usage and the amount of material reproduced.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to announce the first list of Development Districts under the Local Employment Act.

Yes. The list comprises all those places which I mentioned in my reply on 9th February to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Sir R. Robinson), and also Anstruther, Dunfermline, Plymouth and the Isle of Wight. The complete list is:

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much public money will be allocated to the Ford Motor Company Limited to help to finance their factory at Halewood.

It would not be proper for me to disclose details of assistance given or promised to individual firms under the new Local Employment Act, and such information has never been given in the past. I am considering what general information about assistance provided under the Act should be included in the Reports which Section 23 requires me to lay before Parliament each year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the total expenditure of public money which will be involved in his proposals for assistance with the building of factories by the motor industry in Wales and Scotland.

No firm estimate can yet be made of the assistance which will be given under the Local Employment Act for the building of factories for the motor car industry in Scotland and Wales. I am considering what information should be given in the Annual Report prescribed under Section 23 of the Act, but I must make it plain that I shall not be able to give information which would enable the sums allocated to any particular firm to be identified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take powers to prevent the giving to, and adoption by, foreign persons of British children before or after birth.

Under Section 52 of the Adoption Act, 1958, it is an offence for any person, except under the authority of a provisional adoption order, to take or send a British child out of Great Britain for adoption, whether in law or in fact, by any person who is not a parent or guardian or relative of the child.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date in 1956 he received a communication from the Lion Stamping Company Limited, Stratford, West Ham, concerning some types of drip-feed oil heaters; what was the nature of this communication; what was his reply; and what action he took as a result of the information contained in this letter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he took no action when his attention had been drawn in December, 1956, by the Lion Stamping Company to the dangers of certain oil heaters catching fire when a slight wind was blowing.

No trace can be found of the receipt by my Department in 1956 of any communication from the Lion Stamping Company Limited. If the right hon. Member for Smethwick and the hon. Member for West Ham, North have in mind a letter about the testing of oil heaters received in December, 1956, from the Chief Fire Officer of West Ham, and the action taken after its receipt, I would refer them to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Dr. D. Johnson) on 10th March last.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special security precautions he intends to take on the occasion of the Conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers.

Any security precautions considered to be necessary will be taken by those responsible. It would not be in the public interest to give particulars.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the consolidated version of Prison Rules, promised in February, 1959, will be issued.

The completion of this task has been delayed by the interpolation of fresh matters and by pressure of other work. I will see that the review proceeds as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider making an ex gratia payment to Mr. Anthony Hogarth Thomas who was imprisoned from 24th January, 1959, to 2nd October, 1959, when his appeal against conviction was allowed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on the ground that the court had misgivings as to the appellant's guilt.

It is not the practice to make an ex gratia payment to a person whose conviction is quashed in the course of the ordinary process of the law, and I cannot find sufficient grounds to justify making an exception in the case of Mr. Thomas.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what inquiry has been instituted into the actions of the Metropolitan Police at Bow Street Police Station, that were said by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on 23rd March last to require investigation.

Following some observations by the Chief Magistrate at Bow Street on 23rd March, an inquiry was made into the circumstances of the arrest of two persons at Bow Street Police Station on the previous night. The Commissioner of Police informs me that he has considered the report of the inquiry and that he does not find that any further action on his part is required.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the request made by the Magistrate of Bow Street County Court for an investigation into matters connected with the arrest of Mr. Martin Ennals and Mrs. Mavis Singleton during disturbances connected with the South Africa boycott campaign; and whether he will take the necessary action to initiate an independent and impartial inquiry.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given today to a Question by the right, hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr. Gordon Walker). I do not think that an independent inquiry is called for.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the unsatisfactory state of affairs arising out of the fact that Borstal girls are accommodated in the same building as male prisoners; and what plans he has for the removal of these girls.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Question by the hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Grey), on 25th February. I have made clear before that I dislike borstal girls having to be temporarily in local prisons but until the new security borstal for girls can be completed we must continue this expedient.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement in connection with the disturbances outside South Africa House on Wednesday, 23rd March, 1960.

Throughout the day persons in varying numbers congregated in the vicinity of South Africa House. Their conduct was generally orderly, but from time to time it was necessary for the police to take action to preserve order and to prevent obstruction, and 23 persons were arrested. There were no reports of personal injury. Two windows were broken.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations by what date applications for Commonwealth scholarships, to be awarded in 1960, must be submitted to the nominating agencies.

The date suggested to the nominating agencies oversea by the Interim Committee for the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan in the United Kingdom was 31st December, 1959. The agencies were, however. left free to choose an earlier or later date provided that applications reached the Scholarship Commission by 31st January.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps have been taken by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission to make known throughout the Commonwealth that adult students who do not hold university degrees might be eligible for Commonwealth scholarships at adult residential colleges in the United Kingdom.

A prospectus giving the terms and conditions of the 1960 competition for the awards offered by the United Kingdom was distributed in October last year to the authorities concerned with the administration of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan in all oversea Commonwealth countries.The prospectus did not mention adult residential colleges specifically but, whilst emphasising that scholarships would be given primarily for postgraduate study and research, it did state that the awards would be tenable not only in colleges of technology and at universities but in other educational institutions also. It also stated that applications from persons without a degree, or similar qualification, would be considered.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations whether, in view of the fact that British-manufactured armoured vehicles are being used against Commonwealth citizens, he will take steps to ensure that no further supplies of such vehicles, or other military weapons, are exported to nations which so use them.

I would refer the hon. Member to my Answers to supplementary questions by the hon. Member for Wednesbury (Mr. Stonehouse) and the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Middlesbrough, East (Mr. Marquand) on 24th March.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations how many primary and secondary schools, respectively, there are in Basutoland and Bechuanaland; how many of these, respectively, are publicly supported in each country; in how many cases in each category and country racial segregation is practised; how many European, African, and coloured schools there are in each category and country; and what is the annual cost per child of the education of European, African and coloured pupils, respectively, in each country.

The following is the answer to the hon. Gentleman's five questions:

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations how many students, who were citizens of the United Kingdom or under British protection, were among those killed or injured at Sharpeville and Langa in the Union of South Africa on 21st March,

So far as the High Commissioner is aware to date, the answer is none, but he is continuing his inquiries.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations whether, as a means of showing to the South African Government the disapproval of the people of the United Kingdom at recent happenings in that country, he will recall the High Commissioner from South Africa leaving a Charge d'Affaires in charge.

No.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he is aware that in Pretoria, South Africa, on 24th March, 1959, four missionary Englishwomen were taken from their beds in the early hours of the morning and were subjected to great inconvenience and personal abuse without having committed any offence; and whether he will protest to the Government of South Africa.

I have seen Press reports about the search of the Tumelong Anglican Mission at Pretoria which was made by the South African police on 24th March. According to these reports the police had a warrant to search the Mission. I have received no information to confirm that any of the ladies in question were subjected to personal abuse, nor has the United Kingdom High Commissioner in the Union of South Africa received any complaint from them.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many Saracen armoured cars have been supplied from this country to the Government of the Union of South Africa during the last three years.

It is not the practice to disclose details of the supply of defence equipment to other Governments, but I can say that none have been sent since 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for War on what dates, and in what areas, shells or canisters containing nerve gas or other toxic chemical products have been dumped in the seas surrounding the British Isles; what quantities are involved; and whether he is satisfied that there is no present or future danger to health through leakage.

In 1955 about 17,000 tons of captured German gas bombs were dumped in the Atlantic Ocean; and in 1956 and 1957 some 8,000 tons of shells and bombs containing phosgene and mustard gas were disposed of in the same way. The areas were selected in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The depth of water was never less than 1,000 fathoms and I am advised that no danger to anyone can arise.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will make a statement about the future of Birmingham Airport.

Birmingham Airport was established by the Birmingham Corporation in 1939; but since September, 1939, it has been held on requisition in exercise of powers which lapse at the end of 1960. As a result of discussions between my Department and the Corporation, an agreement has been signed under which the Corporation will, on 1st April, 1960, take over the responsibility for running the airport. However, the Ministry will provide staff and equipment for technical and navigational services and will contribute 60 per cent. of the cost of future capital works approved by the Government. The cost of capital works carried out since 1st April, 1956. will be shared in the same proportions.

asked the Minister of Education which local authorities include special classes in English for Indians and Pakistanis as part of the normal school curriculum.

To provide this information all local education authorities would have to make inquiries of all the schools in their areas, and I hope the hon. Member will agree that this effort would be disproportionate.

asked the Minister of Education, in view of the fact that his decision to exclude the National Association of Schoolmasters from membership of the Burnham Committee is causing grave concern to a large number of Members on both sides of the House, if he will reconsider his decision.

Very careful consideration was given to the claim that the composition of the Burnham Committee should be altered, and I am not prepared to alter my decision on the matter.

asked the Minister of Education when he expects the composition of the Burnham Committee to be amended so as to ensure that all the major interests vitally concerned in education are adequately represented.

The 1944 Education Act requires me to appoint a Committee consisting of persons appointed by bodies representing local education authorities and teachers respectively. In my judgment, the present composition of the Burnham Committee does this adequately.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action has been taken by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Recommendations 222 and 223 concerning the development of Africa; and whether Her Majesty's Government have yet brought the concrete proposals contained in these recommendations and also in Recommendation 211 to the notice of the eight-power conference on aid to under-developed areas meeting in Washington.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe have decided to transmit all three recommendations to the eight-power conference on aid to underdeveloped areas meeting in Washington and also to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation with the request that the Committee of Ministers be kept informed of further developments.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will refer to the Medical Research Council the claims made for oral contraceptives, and arrange for the Council to conduct tests with adequate safeguards against undue risks to volunteers from side or long term effects.

I do not think this is necessary; I am informed that the Medical Research Council has this whole subject very much in mind, and has for long been sponsoring fundamental research into the factors affecting human fertility and infertility.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when it is proposed to establish the Commission for the New Towns; and what arrangements will be made in regard to staff employed by development corporations.

I expect that the main work of the Crawley Development Corporation to be completed by the spring of 1961, and that of the Hemel Hemp-stead Development Corporation by the spring of the following year. It would in my view be convenient if the Commission were established in the latter part of 1961, with the object of taking over responsibility for these two towns, which will be the first to be ready, early in 1962.The Commission will have to employ staff in the new towns to discharge their estate management, housing management and other continuing local responsibilities. While it must be for the Commission themselves to decide what staff is required, I am clear that they will wish to retain those who are, at the time of transfer, employed by the development corporations on work which must continue under the Commission. This will cover many of the staff still in employment; but there will be some who will no longer be needed. Their circumstances will vary according to their age and pension position. Proposals about the basis for dealing with any specially difficult cases will be put to the New Town Whitley Council for discussion.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the comparative cost of highway repairs and highway building undertaken by local authorities in the years 1939, 1951, and 1959; and if he will give such comparisons in terms of uniform prices.

Expenditure on highway works undertaken by local authorities in Great Britain, including work on trunk roads, is set out below. The purchasing power of the £ in 1950 was 49 per cent. and in 1958 36 per cent. of that in 1938. I have no available means of comparing over this period the cost of the many different types of work involved in building and repairing highways.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the value of school building completed in each of the years 1959, 1958, and 1951.

The figures are as follows: