asked the Minister of Defence what steps he is taking to protect the interests of Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland against disorders spreading to these three British Protectorate territories from South Africa; and if he will arrange for liaison officers from the 24th Independent Infantry Brigade to be posted to each territory forthwith.

As my hon. Friend explained to the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Donnelly) on 6th April, we are not aware of any threat to the security of these territories.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the letter from Miss Winifred Blake, forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Dunfermline describing the effects of over-heated diesel train compartments on her lungs; and in view of this further evidence of those harmful effects on persons with chest complaints if he will now invite the British Transport Commission to hold joint consultations with him on this matter.

I have considered the letter. As I said in my replies to the hon. Member on 28th March and 4th April, the heating of trains is a matter for the British Transport Commission as a matter of day-to-day administration. He may therefore care to get in touch with the Commission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the nature of the differences between the 1950 International Convention for the Protection of Birds and the Protection of Birds Act, 1954, which have prevented the United Kingdom from signing the Convention.

1. The provisions of the Act of 1954 allowing the taking of eggs of common birds specified in an Order made by the Secretary of State and the taking and sale of gulls' eggs and, up to 15th April in any year, of lapwings' eggs are inconsistent with the Convention.2. The Convention prohibits exports and gifts, imports and the sale of all live birds. The Act does not prohibit exports, and the prohibitions on importing and selling alive only apply to certain species.3. The Convention appears to require the prohibition of certain methods of killing or capture of birds which are not prohibited by the Act.4. The Convention also appears to call for Government action on such matters as publicity and education on bird protection, which in this country are regarded as matters for local or voluntary action.5. The Convention does not provide for ratification in part or with reservations.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he is taking to consult the associations of local authorities about the most appropriate form of legislation to amend the Local Government Act, 1933, to enable the establishment of single parish councils for groups of parishes each having a population of over 300; and whether he will undertake to include such legislation in the forthcoming Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

I intend shortly to seek the views of the associations of local authorities which are concerned with this question. The subject would appear suitable for inclusion in a Bill containing miscellaneous local Government provisions, but the first step is to decide whether amendment of the law is needed, and if so what form it should take.

asked the Minister of Power what inquiries he has made, and with what results, into the availability and suitability of solid smokeless fuels and arrangements for their distribution.

My predecessor appointed a Committee to inquire into the availability and suitability of solid smokeless fuels and the adequacy of distribution arrangements. The Committee's Report, which is published today, reviews the period up to 1965, concludes that in general supplies of fuels suitable for improved open grates and closed stoves should be adequate, and points to a number of steps which may be necessary to bring supplies of specially reactive fuels into balance with demand. The Committee reached a number of important conclusions in regard to the suitability of the various fuels, and its Report stresses the importance of good marketing and distribution arrangements.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will supply a complete list of all the power stations of the Central Electricity Board; which of these are capable of burning oil; and what fuel each station is now burning.

A list of the 238 stations in service on 31st March, 1959, with the type of plant in each case, is given in Appendix I to the First Annual Report of the Central Electricity Generating Board. The following changes have taken place since that date:

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if, in view of the fact that no further reliefs were proposed in the Budget for old-age pensioners, he will arrange for a bonus payment of £5 to be paid to all old-age pensioners on the week ending 7th May, 1960, in order to assist them to celebrate a Royal occasion.

While my right hon. Friend appreciates that on the happy and auspicious occasion to which the hon. Member refers, many bodies and individuals may well wish to give special help to their less fortunate fellow-citizens, he has no power to use the National Insurance scheme for this purpose. Such use would, in any event, be quite inappropriate to a universal system of compulsory insurance covering every section of the community and every level of income.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the total number of persons in Edinburgh at present in receipt of retirement pensions, and the number who are having such pensions supplemented by National Assistance; and what is the average amount of such supplementation.

As I have made clear in reply to a number of earlier Questions, statistics as to the number of retirement pensioners in particular areas, do not exist as payment of retirement pensions is arranged centrally. Nor, as I have also made clear, is it possible to state the average amount of National Assistance grants paid in any particular area. I am informed by the National Assistance Board that on 29th March, 1960, 7,665 weekly grants were being paid to retirement pensioners living in the area served by the Board's offices in Edinburgh. This area extends considerably beyond the city boundaries. Some of the grants provided for a household with more than one pensioner.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland his reason for refusing to hold a public inquiry into the present dispute between the Amenity Societies and the Edinburgh University Authorities on the future of George Square in the City of Edinburgh.

My reasons have been fully explained in published letters of which I am sending copies to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will refer the problem of the overheating of diesel train compartments to the Central Transport Users' Consultative Committee for their consideration.

I am not aware of any large volume of complaints about the heating of diesel trains and I do not, therefore, think that I should be justified in referring this matter to the Central Transport Consultative Committee. It is, of course, open to any users of the railway services provided by the British Transport Commission to make representations to the Consultative Committees if they wish.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the evidence, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Dunfermline, that a cancer-causing element, benz-pyrene, is present in petrol engine exhaust fumes, and in view of the fact that this can easily and cheaply be remedied by making adjustments to exhaust pipes, if he will introduce suitable legislation to protect the public against the dangers involved.

Research into the effects on health of the various pollutants, including small quantities of benzpyrene, which may be found in exhaust fumes and into ways of eliminating them is being carried out by the Medical Research Council and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Contact is being maintained with work in the U.S.A., where much research on the subject is being undertaken, but I understand that it has not yet proved possible to develop an efficient and economical device for the elimination of these fumes.

asked the Minister of Transport why he refused permission to the Fareham Urban District Council to complete its section of the road from Peel Common to Lee-on-the-Solent at the same time as the section built by the Gosport Borough Council; if he is aware of the sharp and unlit transition from a broad straight road to a narrow winding switchback that has resulted; and if he will accelerate permission for this work.

The part of the road already built has been provided, mainly at the Government's expense, as a substitute for two roads closed under Defence Regulations during the war.I have so far been unable to find a place in the programme for the Hampshire County Council's scheme to improve the existing part of the road in Fareham, but I hope to include it at an early date.