asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty in view of the fact that it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government to resist a major aggression in Europe with strategic nuclear weapons, what is the purpose of the eighty new, or converted, fast frigates built, or being built, for the Royal Navy.

These ships are required as part of the balanced Fleet needed to fulfil the role of the Navy in peace-time, limited war and in global war, which has been explained in successive Defence White Papers and in my noble Friend's Explanatory Statements on the Navy Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what dates next month he expects to receive the delegations from the Uganda Legislative Council; whether the rulers have accepted his invitation; and when he will receive them.

I expect to see the delegations from the organizations of Representative Members of the Uganda Legislative Council on 22nd June or shortly afterwards. I have not yet received a reply from the Rulers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) the total amount, by way of grant and of loan, respectively, paid to date to applicants in the United Kingdom under the Distribution of Industry (Financial Provisions) Act, 1958;(2) the total amount of grant and of loan aid, respectively, paid out to date, to applicants for assistance under the Distribution of Industry (Financial Provisions) Act, 1958, in the seven crofter counties;

Offers of financial assistance under the Distribution of Industry (Financial Provisions) Act, 1958, have been as follows:

—	Loans	Grants
	£	£
England	3,489,600	69,900
Wales	3,512,700	—
Scotland
(i) Seven Crofter Counties	244,925	8,250
(ii) Rest of Scotland	1,777,220	—
Total, United Kingdom	9,024,445	78,150

It is not possible, without disproportionate labour, to give the amounts actually advanced in respect of these offers. The money is advanced as and when required by the borrowers or recipients of grant, and it is expected that all the amounts offered will ultimately be taken up.

asked the Minister of Health if he will examine the possibility of providing separate wards in hospitals for non-smokers in order to protect bronchitic and asthmatic patients.

It is within the discretion of individual hospital authorities to decide what arrangements should be made regarding smoking and I am sure they will be vigilant to protect patients who find tobacco smoke objectionable. One must however bear in mind that many bronchitic patients are confirmed smokers.

asked the Minister of Health when the report of the working party on hospital staffing may be expected.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson) on 4th April.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many weekly assistance grants were being paid in the Western Isles area as supplements to retirement pensions, as supplements to non-contributory old-age pensions, and in respect of persons other than pensioners, respectively.

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that the numbers of weekly National Assistance grants payable in the Western Isles on 29th March last were as follows:

Supplements to Retirement Pension	438
Supplements to Non-Contributory Old-Age Pension	647
Other weekly grants	3,032

asked the Postmaster-General whether the new phase of television and very high frequency transmission, the expenditure for which has been authorised by him, includes provision of those services to the communities of all the islands of the Outer Hebrides and which areas are still not included in these plans.

The second stage of the B.B.C.'s satellite scheme includes a combined television and V.H.F. sound station for Lewis. The Corporation says that the station will be designed to serve Stornoway and as much of Lewis as possible but that it is too early to predict its coverage accurately. Other islands of the Outer Hebrides are not included.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet received the Report of the Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Guthrie, on Legal Aid in Criminal Proceedings.

Yes. I am arranging to present the Report to Parliament on 30th May and to publish it on 31st. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking Lord Guthrie and the other members of the Committee for their careful study of this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what notification he has received as to the number of men who are likely to become redundant at Aviemore after the dieselisation and subsequent closure of certain railway workshops there; and what plans there are for promoting suitable industries and alternative employment in Badenoch.

I have been asked to reply.I understand that no final decisions have yet been made regarding staff reductions at the Aviemore motive power depot. Badenoch is in a development district and the opportunities offered by the Local Employment Act, 1960, are available to firms wishing to set up or expand in that district.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will authorise improved facilities for pedestrians crossing St. Mary's Road, Garston, Liverpool.

Yes. I am prepared to authorise the installation of traffic light signals at the junction of St. Mary's Road with Church Road and Speke Road, and the Liverpool Corporation is now seeking quotations for the equipment. Besides enabling pedestrians to cross at the lights, the installation will provide breaks in the traffic flow, which will further improve the situation for pedestrians wishing to cross St. Mary's Road elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that, of the 22 miles of the Great North Road which pass through Lincolnshire, only 4½ miles is double-tracked, and that only a further 2½ will be double-tracked by the end of this year; and when he expects the remaining 15 miles to be double-tracked.

Yes. As I indicated in reply to the hon. Member on 13th May, 10 miles of the remaining 15 miles should have dual carriageways by early in 1962. I cannot yet say how soon funds can be made available for the dualling of the other 5 miles.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the many objections to the proposed Broughton, Buckinghamshire, by-pass, including those of local authorities; and whether he will defer proceeding with this relatively expensive scheme until further inquiries have been made.

I understand that the Newport Pagnell Rural District Council has suggested to the Buckinghamshire County Council, which is the highway authority, that a more modest scheme than the one proposed by the County Council, and the subject of a Government grant of £43,000 would be sufficient.The view of the county council is that the by-pass is needed both to relieve Broughton of through traffic and to fit in with the councils plans for improving the road system in the neighbourhood so as to make A50 here an efficient traffic feeder for the motorway. I agree with the county council and I do not propose to suggest to it that the scheme be deferred.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, with regard to the trial of Lieutenant-Colonel H. R. Sandford at Quetta, India, in 1934, by general court-martial, a summary of evidence under the provisions of military law taken by the order of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, India, was completed prior to the accused officer being claimed for trial under military law and while he was still under the protection of the civil court.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer which I gave him on 11th November, 1959.

asked the Minister of Education how many local education authorities are providing maintenance allowances for school children over the age of 15 years below those recommended by him, and how many below those recommended by the Weaver Working Party.

On my present information three authorities pay amounts below those recommended by my Department and 81 have rates at least as generous as those recommended by the Working Party on Educational Maintenance Allowances. Some of the remainder are understood to be considering improvements in their allowances.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will take steps to ensure that university grants are awarded on a uniform basis as between one education authority and another.

This is a matter which will have to be considered in the light of the recommendations in the Anderson Report.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what provision is made in the Commonwealth Educational Co-operation plan for scholarships available to commonwealth students at the Co-operative College, for teachers of co-operation to be used within the Commonwealth, in view of the value of this field of study and practice to the economic life of the community, to the stability of the democratic way of life, and the fulfilment of complete citizenship; and whether he will make a statement.

Under the scheme for the training in the United Kingdom of teachers from the Commonwealth described in the White Paper entitled "Commonwealth Educational Cooperation," to which I assume the hon. Member is referring, the names of the candidates for bursaries, and the courses for which they are proposed, are submitted to the United Kingdom authorities by the sending country. No applications have been received so far for bursaries for the academic year beginning next October from persons wishing to study the teaching of cooperative practice.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations how many teachers have been recruited for overseas appointments in the Commonwealth at the nearest convenient date how many scholarships have been offered to overseas students for the United Kingdom; what are the principal subjects of the overseas teachers; what is the main field of the scholarship for Commonwealth students in the United Kingdom; and whether he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the new schemes set out in the White Paper entitled "Commonwealth Educational Co-operation" (Cmnd. 1032).No teachers have yet been recruited under the scheme described in paragraphs 9–15 of the White Paper, but the United Kingdom authorities are now assessing the needs of the oversea Commonwealth countries in the light of the information so far received from them, and it is hoped that the first teachers will go overseas during the latter part of this year. A wide range of subjects will be covered by these teachers and it would be misleading to single out any particular subject for special emphasis.

asked the Minister of Labour what number and percentage of boys who left school at Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, have been placed in unskilled employment.

I regret that information is not available in the form desired by the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys, seeking apprenticeships since they left school last year in the Stornoway area, have been placed in apprenticeships through the direct agency of his Department; and how many had to go to the mainland.

Sixteen—twelve of them on the mainland.