asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that residents in Stanley Road, Scunthorpe, have to pay drainage rates twice over, to two distinct drainage authorities; what action he will take to rectify this anomaly; and if he will make a statement.

Like other general ratepayers throughout the country, the residents of Stanley Road, Scunthorpe, contribute through the general rates to the land drainage and other work of the river board. In addition, some of these residents pay drainage rates to the Scunthorpe Internal Drainage Board. This

APPLICATIONS FROM PERSONS IN WALES FOR COURSES AT FORESTER TRAINING SCHOOLS
—		1957	1958	1959	Total
Applications received	…	24	53	26	103
Applications allowed	…	3	1	—	4
Applications allowed for entry to Gwydyr School	…	3	1	—	4

One person who applied before 1957 is eligible for entry and is expected to be allocated to Gwydyr School. Three persons who applied in 1957, ten in 1958 and seven in 1959 have still to obtain the necessary practical experience and/or to pass qualifying examinations and, if successful, are expected to be allocated to Gwydyr School.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, when removing restrictions on the import of citrus fruit from the dollar area, he will give an assurance that the existing preferences in respect of citrus fruit produced in Commonwealth countries are fully safeguarded in the event of any change being made in the present rate of duty.

The preference in the United Kingdom tariff in respect of Commonwealth citrus fruit would not be

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications have been received for courses at the Forester Training Schools from persons in Wales for the years 1957, 1958, and 1959; how many have been allowed; how many were for the Gwydr Forestry School, North Wales; and how many applicants are now awaiting entry generally and for Gwydr Forestry School.

The information asked for is given below:affected by the removal of restrictions on imports of citrus fruit from the dollar area.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a statement on the extension of Pressed Steel Ltd., in the North East.

My righ hon. Friend is in close touch with the Pressed Steel Company and understands that they have now acquired a site between Jarrow and South Shields on which a factory will be erected to employ initially some 500 men, rising to 1,000.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the amount and value of bacon imports from Poland in each of the last three years; what percentage of total bacon imports comes from Poland; what special restrictions are imposed on this trade; and to what extent he will permit an increase in 1960 and 1961.

Imports of bacon (except canned bacon) from Poland in the calendar years 1957, 1958 and 1959 were 48,904 tons (value £11,155,533), 47,869 tons (value £11,149,366) and 48,625 tons (value £11,478,164), respectively. These figures represented 14½ per cent., 14 per cent. and 14 per cent., respectively, of the total weight of bacon imported in these three years. Licences are required for the import of bacon from Poland; these licences are issued against fixed quotas negotiated with Poland. Negotiations on trade with Poland in 1960 and thereafter are due to be resumed shortly and I cannot say in advance of these negotiations what level of import quotas will be fixed for bacon.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many quotas for imports from China have been rendered ineffective by allocation of these quotas to firms unable to carry out the particular business concerned.

Importers whose record shows that they have been able to trade with China receive preference in the grant of licences. If experience shows that any firms to whom licences have been issued are unable to do business with China, I shall be prepared to review the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the disturbance caused to householders by salesmen who call on them from door to door by motor car after the normal closing hours for shops, what consultations he has had with local authorities with a view to amending the law relating to hawkers and pedlars, bearing in mind existing legislation with regard to shop hours.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many magistrates' courts in England and Wales have a detention centre available to them when a vacancy exists; and how many such magistrates' courts have no detention centre available for their use.

Out of about 1,000 petty sessional areas in England and Wales, approximately 270 can commit to senior detention centres and 410 to junior detention centres. Some can commit to both. I plan to provide at least twelve detention centres, including the four already in existence, and I hope that these will be sufficient to cover the country. Work on four of the eight further centres needed is already in progress, and I hope that by the end of the year work will have begun on another two.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will use his powers under Section 19 of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907, to refer the case of Alfred Frederick Jackson, who was convicted at the Crown Court at Liverpool on 12th May, 1959, of receiving, and was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment, to the Court of Criminal Appeal for their opinion upon the weight to be given, as affecting the determination of a petition submitted by Jackson, to the circumstance that Jackson was not legally represented at the trial and was unable to obtain a dock brief although able and willing to pay the sum required.

No. Jackson has already put this point before the Court of Criminal Appeal in an application for leave to appeal against his conviction and sentence, and it is not a point which it would be appropriate for me to refer to the Court.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total establishment of the national fire service in the West Riding of Yorkshire; and what is the number now serving.

The following table gives the establishment of whole-time and part-time members of the West

Rank		Whole-time		Part-time
		Establishment	Strength	Establishment	Strength
Chief Officer	…	1	1	—	—
Assistant Chief Officer	…	1	1	—	—
Divisional Officer Grade I	…	4	4	—	—
Divisional Officer Grade II	…	3	3	—	—
Assistant Divisional Officer	…	14	14	—	—
Station Officer	…	42	41	44	40
Assistant Group Officer	…	1	—	—	—
Sub-Officer	…	100	90	78	51
Senior Leading Firewoman	…	l	1	—	—
Leading Fireman	…	95	95	153	89
Leading Firewoman	…	2	1
Fireman	…	482	463	763	460
Firewoman	…	8	2
Total	…	754	715	1,038	640

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a final report on the work of the Anglo-Egyptian Resettlement Board is yet available.

Yes. Copies have been placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to control the use of poisonous substances as colours in the manufacture of lipstick on sale in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Substances included in the Poisons List are subject to appropriate measures of control under the Poisons Rules. If the hon. Lady has evidence that any substance used for colouring lipsticks is poisonous, I shall consider it.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what result has been achieved by the High Commissioner in South Africa in his representations to secure the release from prison of Miss Hannah Stanton, a British subject, warden of the

The High Commissioner has reported that his representative had a private interview with Miss Stanton on 5th April in Pretoria Central Prison.Miss Stanton is in good health, is being well treated, and is allowed to wear her own clothes. She has received some books from Tumelong Mission, and, subject to the normal regulations, she will be allowed others. She will similarly be allowed to have certain of her personal effects and additional food if she requires it.Miss Stanton has not so far been permitted to see her lawyer, but my noble Friend has instructed the High Commissioner to approach the Union authorities with a request that she should be allowed to do so, together with requests for certain other facilities, which it is hoped will be of assistance to her.The High Commissioner has also been asked to obtain urgently from the Union authorities information regarding the nature of the charges on which Miss Stanton is detained.

asked the Minister of Education how many and which of the schools under the control of his Department have swimming pools, indicating the dimensions; how many and which of such schools have no facilities for swimming; and what steps he has taken, is taking or plans to take, to provide swimming facilities in all such schools.

I am sending the hon. and learned Member details of 15 swimming baths provided from public funds at maintained schools since the war, and of 12 other baths now under construction at such schools. In addition, many schools have swimming baths provided by friends, parents, and old scholars, often with assistance from the local education authority.Local education authorities are well aware of the importance of teaching children to swim, and it is open to them to provide baths in new schools where this can be done without exceeding the limit of cost per place or falling below the minimum standards for other accommodation. But in many areas, the only practicable way of providing facilities for swimming is for the schools to make use of public baths; this is already the general practice where public baths are available.

asked the Minister of Education how many schools make use of "The Observer Foreign News Service for Schools"; what assistance and encouragement his Department gives in this respect; and if he will make a statement.

315 schools use this service. It is for the schools to decide whether they wish to do so.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the number of educationally sub-normal pupils being taught in ordinary schools in England and Wales, respectively.

The returns of local education authorities show that at 31st January last 10,812 pupils in England and 1,024 in Wales were awaiting places in special schools for the educationally sub-normal. It would be wrong however to assume that this represents the total of such children at present in ordinary schools. The number who receive in these schools the special educational treatment they need is, I am glad to say, increasing.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the number of teachers that would be required in Wales to reduce the size of classes to the statutory limits in primary and secondary schools, respectively, by 1965.

A total of approximately 21,000 teachers would be needed if classes are not to exceed the statutory limits—about 10,000 for senior classes and 11,000 for juniors.

asked the Minister of Education if the Kenya preliminary school examination is recognised as equivalent to the British eleven plus examination, so that children from Kenya sent to England can be accepted at a grammar school; and if arrangements could be made for eleven plus examinations to be held in Kenya.

The arangements by which children are selected for grammar schools in England and Wales are a matter for local education authorities. In deciding what tests are necessary for a child coming into their area at secondary school age local education authorities normally take into account his previous educational record, including any examinations taken in the area of other authorities or abroad. I am assured by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies that appropriate arrangements could be made if an authority wished to examine a child in Kenya for admission to one of their grammar schools.

asked the Minister of Education if he will furnish details of the number of grant-aided students from the following educational authorities, Bolton, Manchester, Birmingham, Lancashire, Warwickshire, and Essex, who failed their degree courses at universities in the years 1955 to 1958.

The following table gives the total numbers of students holding awards from these local education authorities who failed their degree

Academic years			Bolton	Manchester	Birmingham	Lancashire	Warwickshire	Essex
1955–56	…	…	3	33	35	54	8	48
1956–57	…	…	2	17	44	81	9	58
1957–58	…	…	6	18	50	122	15	70
1958–59	…	…	5	19	49	107	22	55

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, if he is aware that it is desirable that the Atomic Energy Authority should make more use of their resources for research into the peaceful uses of nuclear power; and if he will direct the Authority accordingly.

My noble Friend is satisfied that the Atomic Energy Authority is devoting as much of its resources to researches of the kind indicated by my hon. Friend as is practicable having regard to its other obligations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make an interim statement indicating the appointments made, the subjects discussed, and the decisions taken, at the Second United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea now sitting at Geneva, and the subjects still to be discussed there.

I would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to my answer yesterday. The only subjects being discussed at the Conference are the breadth of the territorial sea and fishery limits. The four proposals which have been tabled at the Conference are contained in United Nations documents A/CONF. 19/C.1/L1 to L.4, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The list of appointments made by the Conference is in United Nations document A/CONF.19.L.2 of 22nd March, 1960, which is also in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how the costs are borne when a person convicted by a colonial court serves his sentence in a jail in the United Kingdom.

In the great majority of cases the costs are borne on the Prison Commission Vote. In a few instances, where the prisoners are indigenous to the territory from which they were removed, the costs are being borne by the territory concerned.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that his lists of buildings of architectural or historic interest, compiled in accordance with Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, are inadequate as regards Grade III buildings, since they are disregarded by owners and local councils alike; and what proposals he has for stopping further waste of public money on such projects.

The supplementary list of Grade III buildings imposes no obligations upon owners. The list is issued for the guidance of local planning authorities, who, I believe, generally take it into account when considering development proposals affecting buildings on the list. The material for both the statutory and the supplementary list is obtained from the same survey and my right hon. Friend is satisfied that the value of the supplementary list justifies the small extra cost of preparing it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs which counties have not yet published definitive or draft maps of their footpaths and bridleways as required by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949; and what steps he proposes to take to compel defaulting county councils to carry out their duties.

The following county councils have not yet published definitive maps for any part of the county:

• Bedford.
• Berkshire.
• Brecknock.
• Caernarvon.
• Cardigan.
• Carmarthen.
• Chester.
• Cornwall.
• Cumberland.
• Denbigh
• Derby.
• Dorset.
• Essex.
• Flint.
• Glamorgan.
• Hereford.
• Huntingdon.
• Isle of Ely.
• Kent.
• Lancaster.
• Lincoln, Parts of Lindsey.
• Merioneth.
• Montgomery.
• Norfolk.
• Northumberland.
• Nottingham.
• Oxford.
• Pembroke.
• Radnor.
• Sussex, West.
• Warwick.
• Westmorland.
• York, East Riding.
• York, North Riding.
• York, West Riding.
• Carmarthen and Montgomery have not yet published draft maps, but the latter expect to do so this week.

My right hon. Friend is reluctant to use his powers under the Act to expedite the preparation of provisional and definitive maps, since this might result in the publication of maps which were incomplete and therefore liable to cause uncertainty. He hopes that county councils will do their best to push on with the task without obliging him to consider this step.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the amount in square feet of new office building in Brentford and Chiswick since 1950; and what is the amount for which planning permission has now been given.

About 103,000. Planning permission has been given for an additional 645,000 square feet of which nearly 300,000 are at present under construction.

asked the Minister of Labour how many July and Christmas, 1959, school leavers were still not placed in employment at the latest convenient date; how many returned to school because no job was available; and whether he will make a statement.

On 14th March, 396 July and 1,734 Christmas, 1959, school leavers had been unemployed since leaving school. No figures are obtainable of the number returning to school because no job was available.

asked the Prime Minister if he will state the names of the delegates from the United Kingdom Parliament to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe will be meeting in Strasbourg from 25th to 29th April and I have appointed eighteen delegates from the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In view of the altered balance of the parties in this House, the delegation this year will consist of ten Members of the Conservative Party, seven Members of the Labour Party, and one representative of the Liberal Party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates.The appointments of the Labour and Liberal representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the Leaders of those parties.The same delegation will represent the United Kingdom Parliament at the Assembly of Western European Union which will meet from 31st May to 3rd June.Representatives from the Government benches will be:

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement in regard to the proposed regulations altering the maximum gross load from 24 to 28 tons for heavy duty bulk liquid vehicles; and whether he is aware that the delay in coming to a conclusion in regard to this matter is causing difficulties to manufacturers and operators.

While I am aware of the considerations to which the hon. Member refers, others, including safety considerations, have to be taken into account. I hope, however, before long to reach a decision on this subject.