asked the Minister of Health the number of gynaecology cases in Cardiff awaiting admission to hospital; and what steps are being taken to reduce the waiting period for these people.

There were 609 gynaecological patients awaiting admission to Cardiff hospitals on 25th April, 1960, compared with 2,586 on 31st December, 1954. Urgent cases are admitted immediately and the average waiting time for others is up to four weeks for major operations and up to three months for minor. The additional facilities provided in this specialty since 1955 have succeeded in reducing waiting time considerably and no further special action seems called for at present.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the mentally deficient patients in the Bristol area have not had dental treatment for several years; what is the reason for this; and what steps are being taken to rectify this state of affairs.

I know there have been difficulties in arranging for the provision of this treatment, though I understand that, when the services of a dentist have not been available locally for these patients, arrangements have been made for emergency dental treatment to be given at other hospitals. A full-time dentist has now been appointed to the Hortham-Brentry Hospital Group and is due to take up his appointment on 1st June.

asked the Minister of Health what action he has now taken to reduce the period during which eye cases have to wait for admission to the Cardiff Royal Infirmary; and whether he will make a statement.

As the hon. Member was informed in reply to his Question of 11th April, the Board of Governors of the United Cardiff Hospitals and the Welsh Regional Hospital Board are together considering the provision of additional facilities in the Cardiff area, and this consideration includes in-patient as well as out-patient facilities. No conclusion has yet been reached.

asked the Minister of Health how many unfilled vacancies for therapeutic dietitians there are in the hospital service.

The latest available information is contained in an interim report by a fact-finding committee of the British Dietetic Association, which indicated that 110 posts for therapeutic dietitians in the National Health Service were unfilled at 1st August, 1959.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the number of mentally deficient children in the County of Essex who are urgently in need of institutional accommodation and care but for whom beds are not available and who are therefore causing distress in their homes, if he will give special attention to this problem in order to assist the Essex County Health Authority speedily to ensure that such children shall be placed in appropriate institutions.

Eighty additional beds for mentally subnormal children have recently been built at South Ockendon Hospital. Patients will be admitted as soon as these have been equipped and staffed.

asked the Minister of Health whether the investigations conducted by his Department into the reasons why 2,500 people in Barnsley and district are awaiting admission to hospital and how best this waiting list can be reduced, have now concluded; what he has found to be the reasons for this waiting list; and what recommendations he has made to the Barnsley Hospital Management Committee to effect its reduotion.

Measures to reduce waiting lists were discussed with the Ministry's officers in Barnsley on 6th April by representatives of the Regional Hospital Board and the Hospital Management Committee. The Committee had already been operating most of the measures suggested, but the Board is arranging to provide more gynaecology beds at St. Helen Hospital by transferring chronic sick patients to Kendray Hospital, and is exploring the possibility of transferring pre-convalescent surgery to Wathwood Hospital, Rotherham. The Board is also seeking the assistance of hospitals in the adjoining Leeds Region. The main reason for the long waiting lists in Barnsley is the Shortage of beds, which the extension of St. Helen Hospital is intended to remedy.

asked the Minister of Health the sum allowed daily for food per patient in hospitals in West Cornwall.

The sum allowed by the West Cornwall Hospital Management Committee for feeding patients and staff in the hospitals under its control is calculated on a basis of 4s. 1d. per day for each person fed, except for Tehidy Hospital where the basis is 4s. 6d. per day.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has considered the memorandum sent him by the Association of Hospital Management Committees on the maternity services; and if he will make a statement on the action he proposes to take.

asked the Minister of Health what proposals he has for increasing the number of practising mid wives.

I am considering in the light of the contents of this memorandum and the information which has recently been collected by officers of my Department in the course of a special survey of areas where the shortage of midwives was known to be most acute, what further action can usefully be undertaken to increase the number of practising midwives.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the special problem associated with the gipsy population, as regards sanitation, water, and health, which arises wherever these people are to be found; and if he will examine the matter as a national rather than a local problem, with a view to finding a solution.

Special health problems must sometimes arise but I think that better results are likely if they are treated as local rather than national. I shall be happy to make inquiries into any particular case if the hon. Member will let me have details. As regards water supply and sanitary facilities, the hon. Member will have noted the further provisions contained in the Caravan Site and Control of Development Bill now before the House.

asked the Minister of Health what steps are being taken to increase the number of ancillary workers for the dental service.

A training course for dental hygienists started in Manchester last autumn. Other training units are expected to be ready this year. The General Dental Council's experimental training scheme for dental auxiliaries is planned to start in the autumn.

asked the Minister of Health what steps have been taken during the current year to increase the taking up of welfare orange juice for young children.

Constant publicity and persuasion are undertaken aimed primarily at those children thought to need this supplement to their diet and there was a further increase in consumption during 1959.

asked the Minister of Health the number of cases of poliomyelitis and paralytic poliomyelitis, respectively, in 1958 and in 1959 in the different age groups, and the state of their previous vaccination.

The information requested regarding cases of poliomyelitis

Year			Number of Cases
			Paralytic		Non-Paralytic		Totals
			Under 15 years of age	15 and over	Under 15 years of age	15 and over
1958	…	…	959	458	428	147	1,992
1959	…	…	512	220	215	74	1,021

Year			Cases reported among those who had had two or more injections of poliomyelitis vaccine
			Paralytic		Non-Paralytic		Totals
			Under 15 years of age	15 and over	Under 15 years of age	15 and over
1958	…	…	88	4	83	3	178
1959	…	…	76	10	56	14	156
NOTE: All figures for 1959 are provisional.

asked the Minister of Health the number of oases of poliomyelitis and paralytic poliomyelitis, respectively, which occurred within 30 days of vaccination in each of the different age groups, in 1958 and in 1959.

Year		—		Number of Cases
				Paralytic		Non-Paralytic		Totals
				Under 15 years of age	15 and over	Under 15 years of age	15 and over
1958	…	After 1 dose	…	36	3	17	0	56
		After 2 doses	…	12	0	10	0	22
		After 3 doses	…	3	0	0	0	3
		Totals	…	51	3	27	0	81
1959	…	After 1 dose	…	16	6	8	0	30
		After 2 doses	…	2	0	3	1	6
		After 3 doses	…	4	1	2	0	7
		Totals	…	22	7	13	1	43
NOTE: The figures for 1959 are not yet complete.

The information requested regarding cases of poliomyelitis occurring within 30 days of vaccination is set out in the following table:

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when Her Majesty's Government proposes to start publishing a Russian-language periodical in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

As soon as possible after agreement about distribution arrangements has been reached between Her Majesty's Embassy in Moscow and the Soviet authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the date and main terms of agreement or treaty with the Government of Venezuela for the demarcation of boundaries between British Guiana and Venezuela.

The Treaty, known as the Pauncefote-Andrade Treaty, was concluded between Great Britain and Venezuela on 2nd February, 1897. It provided for the dispute regarding the western boundary of British Guiana to be submitted to arbitration. Under Article II of the Treaty two United States and two United Kingdom judges were appointed to constitute the arbitral tribunal, under the presidency of a distinguished Russian jurist. By Article XIII of the Treaty both Governments were pledged to accept the Tribunal's award as "a full, perfect and final settlement".

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, to other Communist countries, and to non-Communist countries adjacent to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, are still being jammed by the Soviet Government.

The systematic jamming of British Broadcasting Corporation programmes in Russian ceased on 3rd February. Irregular jamming still occurs for about 5 per cent. of the total programme time. This appears to be irrespective of content.British Broadcasting Corporation transmissions in Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Roumanian and German are being jammed by the countries concerned and also apparently from the territory of the Soviet Union. British Broadcasting Corporation transmissions in Mandarin and Cantonese are jammed by China. British Broadcasting Corporation Polish and Albanian Services are subject to some jamming from neighbouring Communist territory.Broadcasts to non-Communist countries adjacent to the Soviet Union are generally unjammed although there is occasional interference from Soviet and satellite jammers.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is yet in a position to state the policy of Her Majesty's Government with regard to the draft European Social Charter agreed by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.

No. The Committee of Social Experts of the Council of Europe has not yet finished considering its own draft of the European Social Charter in the light of the views expressed by the Assembly in its Opinion No. 32.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what recent report he has received from the United Kingdom member of the United Nations delegation on the Military Armistice Commission in Korea regarding the present situation in Korea; and if he will make a statement.

Neither I nor my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for War has received any report on the present situation in Korea from the United Kingdom representative on the Military Armistice Commission. Indeed, no such report was expected, since that Commission is not authorised to concern itself with political developments.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will give an assurance that it is not the policy of Her Majesty's Government to insist that the signing of a test-ban will be made conditional upon the solution of the Berlin question.

Yes.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will open negotiations with the Government of the United States of America regarding the United States bases on British territories in the Caribbean area on the basis of the proposals forwarded by the United States Government to the United Kingdom in August, 1959.

As was announced on 11th December, 1959, the Governments of the United States and the United Kingdom have, at the request of the Government of the West Indies, agreed to hold a series of talks to discuss the 1941 Leased Bases Agreement. The talks will be tripartite with the participation of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and the West Indies. I understand that the Government of The West Indies have invited interested territorial Governments to a preliminary meeting in order to prepare for the tripartite talks which it is hoped will begin soon after these preliminary discussions are completed.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a detailed statement on the recent Conference on the Law of the Sea at Geneva, defining the present rights, duties and liabilities of British fishermen in the waters around the British coasts and further north which British fishermen have customarily used as fishing grounds.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the failure of the 88-nation conference at Geneva on fishery limits, and of the danger to the lives of United Kingdom txawlermen from incidents between the fishery protection vessels of both countries if he will now open unilateral negotiations with Iceland with a view to arriving at a mutual agreement.

On the recent Conference on the Law of the Sea I have nothing to add to the statement made to the House on 28th April by my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In the absence of any change in international law the rights, duties and liabilities of British fishermen remain unaltered. The practical implications of the absence of agreement on any new rule of law are under urgent consideration.As my right hon. Friend said, we remain ready to negotiate with Iceland, and for this reason I warmly welcome the decision of the Icelandic Government to waive charges for past alleged fishery offences.

asked the Minister of Labour when the repairs to the fourteen youth employment bureaux, reported on between 1956 and 1959 as requiring improvements costing over £100, will be completed.

A move to other premises was recommended for thirteen of these offices. The re-housing of one of these offices is planned to take place this year, and of another by the middle of next year. Suitable alternative accommodation has not yet been found for the other eleven. At the remaining office, alteration of the premises is under consideration.

asked the Minister of Labour how many youths were unemployed and how many vacancies were unfilled in the Glasgow and Birmingham exchange areas, respectively, at the latest date for which figures are available.

In Glasgow there were 862 boys and 189 girls registered as wholly unemployed on 11th April, and youth employment officers were holding 445 unfilled vacancies for boys and 1,323 for girls. In Birmingham, there were 547 boys and 510 girls wholly unemployed, and 1,964 unfilled vacancies for boys, and 2,013 for girls.

asked the Minister of Labour how many youths were unemployed and how many vacancies were

NUMBERS OF YOUNG PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT 11TH APRIL AND NUMBERS OF NOTIFIED UNFILLED VACANCIES AT 6TH APRIL IN THE MIDLANDS, SCOTLAND AND THE COWDENBEATH EXCHANGE AREA
—	Unemployed 11th April			Unfilled Vacancies 6th April
	Boys	Girls	Total	Boys	Girls	Total
Midland Region	1,705	1,574	3,279	7,557	7,986	15,543
Scotland	2,992	1,511	4,503	1,512	3,982	5,494
Cowdenbeath Exchange Area	61	48	109	—	22	22

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state, to the latest convenient date, the figures by sexes and trades of the unemployed persons in the City and County of Aberdeen, respectively; and what percentage these numbers of unemployed is of the total population of Scotland and England, respectively.

The totals of unemployed in Aberdeen and the rest of Aberdeen-

NUMBER OF PERSONS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AT EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OFFICES IN ABERDEEN AND IN THE REST OF ABERDEENSHIRE AT 11TH APRIL, 1960
Industry	Aberdeen			Aberdeen County (excluding Aberdeen)
	Males	Females	Total	Males	Females	Total
Agriculture and Horticulture	124	12	136	179	14	193
Fishing	234	1	235	563	2	565
Bacon curing, fish and meat products	86	80	166	110	219	329
Shipbuilding and ship-repairing	192	1	193	10	—	10
Spinning and doubling of cotton, flax and man-made fibres	27	29	56	2	1	3
Bricks, pottery, glass, cement, etc	55	1	56	8	—	8
Timber	97	4	101	20	—	20
Construction	350	3	353	148	3	151
Road haulage contracting	43	1	44	10	—	10
Sea transport	89	2	91	16	—	16
Port and inland water transport	44	—	44	23	1	24
Distributive trades	344	246	590	104	112	216
Entertainment and sport	57	9	66	2	1	3
Catering, hotels etc	104	85	189	15	32	47
Private domestic service	19	34	53	4	68	72
Local Government service	128	15	143	4	3	7
Other industries and services	676	307	983	153	167	320
Total, all industries and services	2,669	830	3,499	1,371	623	1,994

The following is the reply:shire respectively, expressed as percentages of the total working population of England and Scotland are:

—		Aberdeen	Rest of Aberdeenshire
England	…	·02	·03
Scotland	…	·2	·3

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware that doctors in industry are causing workers to be removed to less remunerative jobs because they are suffering from category one pneumoconiosis, whereas the pneumoconiosis panel of his Department refuses to certify cases of category one pneumoconiosds, thereby depriving the workers concerned of entitlement to hardship allowance; and if he will take steps to ensure that every worker diagnosed as pneumoconiotic is made eligible for hardship allowance.

Any person diagnosed under the Industrial Injuries scheme as disabled by pneumoconiosis

£ millions
—	1948–49*	1949–50	1950–51	1951–52	1952–53	1953–54
Exchequer supplements to contributions	66·6	95·7	95·8	80·5	65·3	70·0
Additional Exchequer payments	26·6	40·0	44·0	24·0	—	—
Total	93·2	135·7	139·8	104·5	65·3	70·0
	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
Total Exchequer payments as percentage of total income of the Fund	25	26	26	20	13	13

—	1954–55	1955–56	1956–57	1957–58	1958–59	1959–60 (estimated)
Exchequer supplements to contributions	71·0	92·0	96·3	100·9	124·2	123·0
Additional Exchequer payments	—	—	—	—	39·0	46·0
Total	71·0	92·0	96·3	100·9	163·2	169·0
	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
Total Exchequer payments as percentage of total income of the Fund	12	14	14	14	18	18
* The period 5th July, 1948 to 31st March, 1949.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the estimated amount of the Exchequer supplement to the National Insurance Fund in each of the years 1961–62, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1976–77, and 1981–82; and what percentage of total income to the Fund this represents in each case.

For the amounts of the Exchequer supplement in the years mentioned in the Question, I would

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount of the Exchequer supplement to the National Insurance Fund in each of the years from 1948.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what percentage of the total annual income of the National Insurance Fund was represented by the Exchequer supplement to the fund in each of the years since 1948.

Following is the Answer:refer the hon. Member to the Report by the Government Actuary on the Financial Provisions of the National Insurance Bill, 1959. For 1961–62 the supplement would represent about 17 per cent. of the total income there stated. I am afraid that precise calculations for the later years are not possible since they would depend inter alia on the extent to which the quinquennial increases in contributions provided for by Section 1 (2) of the National Insurance Act, 1959, are made.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the estimated surplus or deficit of income over expenditure in the National Insurance Fund for the years 1961–62, 1966–67, 1971–72 and 1976–77.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Government Actuary's Report on the Financial Provisions of the National Insurance Bill, 1959.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount of interest payments on the National Insurance Fund made in each of the years since 1948, and the rate of interest paid in each of these years.

For the information asked for in the first part of the Question I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the published accounts of the National Insurance Funds. The answer to the second pant of the Question is given in the following table:

Year		Average rate of interest received on investments of
		(a) The National Insurance Fund	(b) The National Insurance (Reserve) Fund
		Per cent.	Per cent.
1948–49	…	2·1	3·1
1949–50	…	2·2	2·9
1950–51	…	2·0	3·0
1951–52	…	2·3	3·3
1952–53	…	2·6	3·3
1953–54	…	2·5	3·3
1954–55	…	2·5	3·4
1955–56	…	2·7	3·4
1956–57	…	2·8	3·4
1957–58	…	3·3	3·5
1958–59	…	3·4	3·4

NOTE: The rate of interest is calculated on the cost price of the investments of the Fund. In the case of securities transferred from the former schemes of unemployment insurance, National Health Insurance and contributory pensions the current market value on the date of transfer (5th July, 1948) was taken as cost price.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount of the deficit or sur- plus of income over expenditure in the National Insurance Fund for each of the years from 1948.

The amounts were:

Year			Deficits (-) or Surpluses (+) of the National Insurance Fund
			£ Millions
1948–49	…	…	+95·4
1949–50	…	…	+138·2
1950–51	…	…	+145·8
1951–52	…	…	+97·4
1952–53	…	…	+23·2
1953–54	…	…	+36·1
1954–55	…	…	+44·9
1955–56	…	…	+36·6
1956–57	…	…	+33·7
1957–58	…	…	+2·4
1958–59	…	…	-15·8

asked the Minister of Power what general directions he has given to the National Coal Board concerning the necessity of working in concert with local authority planning officers to effect improvements in the appearance of colliery spoil heaps.

None. The Board informs me that it already maintains contact with local planning authorities on this matter.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will give the quarterly output of sheet steel since 1950, with the quarterly imports and exports by tons and values over the same period.

The information asked for is given in the following table which has been compiled from figures provided by the Iron and Steel Board and from the Trade and Navigation Accounts. There have been some changes in definition and coverage during the period but the figures are broadly comparable throughout.

asked the Minister of Works whether he will give instructions for the Whitehall facade of the Treasury to be washed down or, where necessary, repaired as part of the reconstruction scheme to be put in hand.

The Whitehall facade of the Treasury will be fully restored during the forthcoming reconstruction. Until that has been done I cannot say whether it will be necessary to wash it down.

asked the Minister of Works if his attention has been drawn to the fact that several Government buildings in Liverpool did not fly either the Union Jack or St. George's flag on 23rd April, 1960; and if he will ensure that all Government buildings in England will observe the new regulation on future occasions.

Only two of the Government buildings in Liverpool at which I am responsible for flag flying have flag poles and on each of these the Union flag was flown on 23rd April in accordance with the regulations.

asked the Minister of Works the several properties on the north side of the Fullbridge, Maldon, Essex, which have been designated as ancient monuments for preservation, the reasons for designation of each property, and the amount of annual grant paid for each property for preservation.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport the reasons why the height of the soffit of the new Fullbridge, at Maldon, Essex, is to be reduced by 13 inches, instead of the deck being raised by that amount; and to what depth the underpart of the new bridge is expected to be immersed in the river, in the event of another 1928 high tide.

The extra depth in the superstructure is required so as to provide a bridge with modern standards of loading and to cater for a span of 76 feet compared with the 65 feet of the old bridge. This design will allow the abutment faces to be aligned with the river banks and will provide a net increase in the cross-sectional area of the waterway of more than 10 per cent., even if the water were to rise to the soffit level of the old bridge.

asked the Minister of Transport the increase in the incline of the new 60 yards northern approach to Fullbridge, Maldon, Essex, if the deck of the bridge were raised by 13 inches; and whether he will reconsider his decision not to raise the deck and the approach, observing that the approach is frequently flooded at extraordinary high water spring tides.

The increase would vary with the length over which an increase in the deck level would be taken up.Decisions about the construction of the bridge are primarily a matter for the highway authority, the Essex County Council.I have no information to support the hon. and gallant Member's observation about flooding, but I am making further inquiries.

asked the Minister of Transport the working load and breaking load of the temporary Fullbridge, the proposed new Fullbridge, and any Hey, Black and Wane bridges at Maldon, Essex.

In accordance with normal practice both bridges were designed to my Department's standard loading. This loading is derived from an assumed distribution of vehicles over the bridge deck and it would be misleading to attempt to express it in simple quantitative terms as a working loading or as a single breaking load.I am informed that the information the hon. Member has in mind for the Hey, Black and Wave bridges is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the frontages of properties at three corners of Fullbridge, Maldon, Essex, are clear for improved approaches to the bridge; and what frontages would be affected, and to what extent, at the fourth corner, by the raising of the deck of the new bridge by 13 inches.

Yes. To increase the height of the deck by 13 inches would, I understand, leave the floor of the "Welcome Sailor" Inn four feet below the footpath level, two feet more than at present. The "White Hart" Inn would be affected to a lesser extent.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement concerning the future of St. Athan Hospital.

With the reduction in the R.A.F.'s total strength, we shall in future need fewer hospitals of our own in the United Kingdom than we have at present; and we plan to close St. Athan Hospital at the end of next year.

asked 'the Secretary of State for Air the number of Cardiff patients who have been accommodated at St. Athan Hospital during each of the past two years.

About 47 in 1958 and 35 in 1959.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations on what grounds the Paramount Chiefs nominee to the Executive Council of Basutoland has been given a different portfolio from responsibility for chieftainship affairs and local government as required by paragraph 148 of the Constitutional Report.

The Constitution which has been brought into force following the constitutional discussions 1958 (Cmnd. 637) does not provide for individual members of the Executive Council holding portfolios or having responsibility for particular departments of the Administration. My noble Friend in his dispatch of 14th September, 1959 (Cmnd. 897), expressed the wish that encouragement would be given as far as practicable to the idea of associating each Council Member of the Executive Council with some specified section of the administrative field. In pursuance of this wish, the Resident Commissioner asked the Paramount Chief's nominee on the Executive Council to concern himself with the activities of the Administration in the field of Agriculture and Co-operatives. This arrangement was agreeable to all members of the Executive Council, but my noble Friend is asking the High Commissioner to review it.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the recent talks with the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia.

The discussions are still continuing. I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Aviation to what extent, in the discussions on the problem of fare reductions, held at his request between the air corporations and the independent airlines, consideration was given to differences in the wages, salaries and conditions of service of the respective employees.

To the extent necessary to comply with the terms of reference of the Air Transport Advisory Council.

asked the Minister of Education what have been the allocations of teachers to Cornwall for each year since the allocation scheme has been in operation; and what have been the school populations for secondary and primary schools in each of these years.

			Allocation of teachers	Estimated number of pupils on roll			Pupil-teacher ratio
				Juniors	Seniors	Total
January, 1958	…	…	1,926	28,055	19,854	47,909	24·9: 1
January, 1959	…	…	1,940	27,000	20,980	47,980	24·7: 1
January, 1960	…	…	1,959	25,766	21,834	47,600	24·3: 1
January, 1961	…	…	1,945	25,268	21,764	47,032	24·2: 1

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much in the way of securities is still to be disposed of by the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency compared with the cost of the original acquisition.

On 13th July, 1953, the Agency took over securities amounting to £252 million together with loans and obligations to lend of a further £112 million, making a total of £364 million. The corresponding figure at 30th September, 1959, was £213 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement as to the sale of Richard Thomas and Baldwins Ltd.; and what estimate he makes of the value of undertaking.

No. The Government's policy as regards the return to private ownership of its remaining holdings in the steel industry was fully explained

The figures are as follows:in the debates on the Iron and Steel (Financial Provisions) Bill. It is clearly undesirable for the Government to make statements about the value of any individual company in advance of negotiations for sale.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs the average, and the total, price paid for land acquired by local authorities in England and Wales by compulsory purchase and by other methods, respectively, in each of the years from 1945 to 1959, inclusive.

I regret that this information is not available. Figures giving the total expenditure by local authorities on the acquisition of land and buildings have been given in the Department's Annual Reports since 1951 and I am sending a note of these to the hon. Member.