asked the Minister of Labour the ratio of boys under 18 years of age registered as wholly unemployed to the number of unfilled notified vacancies in the Gateshead and district area and in Slough, at the latest convenient date.

At 11th April, in the Gateshead area, there were 236 boys registered as wholly unemployed and 64 notified vacancies unfilled. In the Slough area at the same date there were 34 boys registered as wholly unemployed and 297 unfilled vacancies.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will receive a deputation from the Oldham Corporation in connection with his refusal of loan sanction for child welfare centres at Holts Estate and Derker, Oldham.

The position regarding these building projects is as stated in reply to the hon. Member on 13th April, and I do not think it would serve any useful purpose to receive a deputation at present.

asked the Minister of Health what action he has taken to appoint an Economic Advisory Committee as recommended by the Committee on the Cost of Prescribing.

The Central Health Services Council has at my suggestion appointed a Standing Committee under the Chairmanship of Lord Cohen of Birkenhead to advise on operation research in the pharmaceutical services.

asked the Minister of Health the average cost of prescriptions provided under the National Health Service at the latest convenient date.

Approximately 6s. 11d. in February, 1960.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement about the recent epidemic of dysentery, particularly among children. in Essex and elsewhere.

Dysentery has this year been somewhat more prevalent in England and Wales than for several years past. Weekly notifications both in Essex and in the country as a whole began to rise sharply in the week ended 30th January, reached a peak in the week ended 9th April, and have since declined rapidly. It is usual in outbreaks of dysentery in this country for children to be mainly affected. The disease is generally mild.

asked the Minister of Health what restrictions there are on the number of specially made shoes which may be obtained at special prices by one deformed person through the National Health Service; and what is the reason for such restrictions.

Hospital authorities have been advised that where surgical shoes are prescribed, two pairs may, if necessary, be provided. These should be sufficient for a patient's normal requirements. I will write to the hon. and learned Member about the case he has brought to notice.

asked the Minister of Health what steps, other than direct financial contribution, are being taken by the Government to support the global eradication campaign against malaria launched by the World Health Assembly in 1955.

In addition to the annual contribution made through the World Health Organisation's regular budget, Her Majesty's Government make substantial contributions to the United Nations Expanded Technical Assistance Programme and the Children's Fund, both of which allocate large sums to anti-malaria work. They also support this work—including research—in Her Majesty's territories overseas by grants under the Colonial Development and Welfare Acts. Other research concerned with malaria is undertaken by the Medical Research Council and other bodies supported by the Government.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of leprosy were known in the United Kingdom at 31st December, 1959.

Three hundred and twelve.

asked the Minister of Health how many entries have been received in the architectural competition for the new university hospital of Wales; who are to be the judges; when it is expected they will declare the result; and if the designs submitted will be put on public view.

Forty entries have been received. The judges are Sir Percy Thomas, Past President R.I.B.A.; J. H. Forshaw, Esq., C.B., M.C., F.R.I.B.A.; F. R. S. Yorke, Esq., F.R.I.B.A.; Dr. A. Trevor Jones, Provost of the Welsh National School of Medicine; Dr. A. R. Culley, C.B.E., Medical Member of the Welsh Board of Health. It is expected that the judging will be completed in time for the result to be announced by the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the United Cardiff Hospitals and the President of the Welsh National School of Medicine at a Press conference to be held in Cardiff in the week commencing 23rd May. All the designs submitted will be on public view at Maindy Barracks, Cardiff, for seven days from the announcement of the result and the prize winning designs together with a selection of other outstanding entries will also be on public display at the Temple of Peace and Health, Cardiff, from 7th-11th June.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what inquiries he has made since 13th April about the arrest of Miss Blumberg, the South African correspondent of the London Daily Herald.

In accordance with the undertaking which my hon. Friend gave him, the Minister of State informed the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition, by letter on 25th April, that the United Kingdom High Commissioner had been asked to report any information which he could obtain about Miss Blumberg. The High Commissioner had replied that nothing had been published about the reasons for Miss Blumberg's detention and that as she is a national of the Union of South Africa it had not been possible to elicit any additional information from the Union authorities.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is proposed to introduce legislation to amend the law relating to the compensation payable to agricultural tenants whose land is acquired for public purposes.

It is proposed when a suitable opportunity occurs to make provision in a Government Bill to put agricultural occupiers on the same footing as business occupiers under Section 13 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1959. That would enable public authorities which acquire agricultural land for public purposes and serve notice to quit on the tenants to pay allowances at their discretion towards the tenants' losses due to the interruption of their livelihood, in addition to the compensation for disturbance which they are required to pay under the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1948.

asked the Minister of Aviation the amount of financial aid that is required from his Department to bring about improvements required to the Leeds-Bradford-West Riding airport.

The Airport Joint Committee has been asked for further information about its proposals, including an estimate of the extent to which the local authorities would accept the cost as a charge upon local rates. Until this information has been received I cannot say whether financial aid from the Exchequer would be justified.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will consider setting up a national flying trust for the purpose of making fixed-interest loans to suitable bodies for the encouragement and development of club and private flying.

A suggestion on these lines was made recently by the Standing Joint Committee on Private and Club Flying and Gliding, and I understand that it is being considered by those concerned.

asked the Minister of Aviation what progress has been made in preparing the specification for an economical light aircraft.

The specification has been approved by the Standing Joint Committee on Private and Club Flying and Gliding, and is now being circulated to the industry.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he is aware that the surcharge imposed by him on British European Airways Corporation in respect of certain services in Scotland has restricted the use of Aberdeen airfield on certain days when it was previously open, with consequent damage to the tourist traffic between Scotland, England, and the Channel Islands; whether he has considered the letters from the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce and the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North, in this connection; and if he will take immediate steps in rectification.

I have told B.E.A. that it can have Aberdeen aerodrome opened on Sundays provided that it agrees to pay the extra costs involved. I see no reason why this expense should fall on the taxpayer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the future of the Council on Prices, Productivity and Incomes; and when the next report may be expected.

From the time of its establishment up to the summer of last year, when Lord Cohen found it necessary to ask to be relieved of his duties as Chairman, the Council rendered three valuable Reports.The Government consider that these Reports contributed to a greater public awareness of the basic issues involved in the field of prices, productivity and incomes; and they believe that there is continuing scope for further studies and advice in these matters from an authoritative body independent of Government. It has therefore been decided that the Council should be reconstituted, and we have been fortunate in securing the services of Lord Heyworth as the new Chairman. Sir Harold Howitt, who was

a member of the Council from its inception, has informed me that in his view rotation of membership is desirable and he is therefore retiring; his place will be taken by Sir Harold Emmerson. Professor H. Phelps Brown has agreed to continue to serve as a member. The terms of reference will be unchanged. They are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many planning appeals he decided during the six months ended 31st March, 1960; how many of these were decided upon a report from one of his inspectors appointed to hold a public local inquiry; how many involved a hearing of representations by a person appointed by him for that purpose; how many were decided solely upon the written representations of the parties; how many were decided solely upon the written representations of the parties; how many appeals, in each of these categories, were allowed and how many dismissed; and, in the first category, how many decisions were contrary to the recommendations of the inspector holding the inquiry.

In the six months from 1st October, 1959, to 31st March, 1960, 3,255 appeals under Section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, were decided. 2,346 were decided after a public local inquiry or hearing; of these 1,755 were dismissed and 591 allowed. 155 decisions were contrary to the recommendation of the Inspector. 909 were decided on the written representations of the parties; of these, 585 were dismissed and 324 were allowed. Separate figures are not available for cases decided after a hearing, as distinct from a public local inquiry, but very few appeals, if any, were dealt with during this period by way of a hearing.

asked the Minister of Defence if he has yet reached a decision on whether officers and men in the fighting services shall contract out of the new graduated National Insurance pension scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The application of the new scheme to the Services is still being studied. An announcement will be made as soon as possible when a decision has been taken.

asked the Secretary of State for War, in view of the fact that instructions have now been issued to the Royal Ordnance Factory, Fazakerley, Liverpool, to commence closure in June and to complete it by approximately December, whether he will look at the position again in order to ensure that the run-down is geared to recruitment to the new industries now being established on Merseyside.

I sympathise with the hon. Member's suggestion but there will be no work for the factory to do when its present orders have been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many employees at present at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Fazakerley, Liverpool, are over 50 years of age.

Five hundred and seventy-five.

asked the Secretary of State for War, in view of the great difficulties of employees over 50 years of age in obtaining alternative employment, what special arrangements he has made to ensure that employees in this age group at the Royal Ordance Factory, Fazakerley, are not made permanently redundant.

Established employees will be offered other Government employment, subject to the terms of an agreement with the trade unions. I will send a copy of the agreement to the hon. Member. I am afraid that unestablished staff must be discharged as the factory runs down. A temporary office of the Ministry of Labour is being set up in the factory to help them to find other work.