asked the Minister of Transport what adjustments are made at weekends and other periods of greatly increased traffic density to the time cycle of traffic signals at junctions of major and minor roads.

On holiday routes modified timings provide that, while traffic is heavy, the green period for vehicles on the busier road will be very much longer than the green period given on normal days.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will commence on the Hatfield Peverel by-pass on A.12.

We hope to be able soon to make an order establishing the line of the by-pass, but thereafter there will be much detailed preparatory work to be done. It is too early yet to forecast when it will be possible to start construction.

asked the Minister of Transport what are the causes of the delay in completing the Hanger Lane under-pass on Western Avenue.

s asked the Minister of Transport what was the date of starting work on the Western Avenue under-pass at Hanger Lane; and what were the estimated cost and date of completion then and at the present time.

Work started in June, 1958. The contract price was £761,000 and the completion date March, 1960. Subsequently the contract period was extended for three months to June, 1960. The under-pass should be completed in October, but the pedestrian subways not before the end of the year. I am hoping to arrange for one of the tunnels to be brought into temporary use within the next few weeks for one way traffic, whilst the other tunnel is being completed. I understand that the main cause of delay has been the contractors' difficulty in obtaining suitable labour. The cost of the scheme is now estimated at £830,000.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the proposed direct road from Immingham to Grimsby which has been under Governmental consideration for nearly 40 years; and why it cannot be started.

This road, which would serve the industrial area between Grimsby and Immingham, would be of purely local benefit. It would be a classified road and we have informed the highway authorities that we cannot yet find a place for it in our programme. If, however, those interests which would benefit from the road felt able to contribute to its cost, we should reconsider the matter.

asked the Minister of Transport if, following the traffic survey made at Whitsun, he has now reached a decision on the line of the north-south relief road for Newbury.

The results of the survey are still being analysed. Until this is completed, a decision on the line of the north-south road cannot be made.

asked the Minister of Transport if he can yet state when he expects the motorway, M.1, to be completed as far north as Doncaster.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress he has made in his discussions on the draft scheme with regard to the Leicestershire portion of the London-Yorkshire motorway; when he expects the remaining statutory processes to be completed; and on what date he now expects construction to begin.

It is too early to give dates for the start or completion of the Crick-Doncaster section of the London-Yorkshire Motorway. The draft scheme for this section was published on 8th January last, and the objection period expired on 8th April. As I told the hon. Member for Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner) on 20th June, the objections to the draft scheme are being considered. We hope to come to a decision on them shortly.The next stages would be the publication of the Side Road and Compulsory Purchase Orders. Objections could be lodged and I therefore cannot at this stage say how long it would take to decide them. The starting date for construction would also depend on the availability of funds.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is yet in a position to announce the official starting date of the Birmingham-Yorkshire section of the London-Yorkshire motorway; and whether it will be given before or after a full report is to hand on the investigations being carried out at present by his Department, and others, on the shadow hazards of the completed section of the motorway.

For the reasons I have already given in reply to the hon. Members for Batley and Morley (Dr. Broughton) and Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner), it is too early to forecast a starting, date for this section of the motorway. I expect an early report about the shadows under the bridges on the London-Birmingham section. There is no evidence so far that the construction of the bridges is at fault.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the accident at the intersection of Burnaby Road and Beake Avenue, Coventry, which resulted in the death of a 14-years-old girl; and whether, in view of the fact that this is only one of many accidents which have occurred in cases where a vehicle has infringed the "Halt" sign, he will re-examine the location of the "Halt" signs with a view to introducing improvements in traffic direction, including the possibility of erecting a traffic island, in order to eliminate the hazard to human life at this point;(2) whether he has given consideration to the petition presented to him on behalf of 126 residents at Beake Avenue and Burnaby Road, Coventry, protesting at the danger to human life at the Beake Avenue-Burnaby Road intersection, Coventry, where there have been two fatal accidents and a number of people have been seriously injured; and what action he is taking following these representations.

I was distressed to learn of the recent accident referred to by the hon. Member, and I share the concern of the Coventry people whose petition he sent to my right hon. Friend. Our Divisional Road Engineer will cooperate with the appropriate authorities to see what more can be done to reduce the risk of collision at this intersection.

asked the Minister of Transport how far the erection of the Firth of Forth bridge is in advance of schedule; if there has been any change of previously-stated policy that the building of that bridge would be phased in with the construction of the Severn bridge; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed that the erection of the Forth Road bridge is proceeding on schedule and that the contract date for completion is the end of 1963. There has been no change in policy as to the phasing of the Forth Bridge and Severn Bridge projects. As I have already stated, work cannot begin on the latter until the preliminary statutory processes have been completed and the necessary funds are available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the congested state of traffic in the City of Winchester; and whether he still expects to achieve the target date of August, 1962, for beginning the completion of the northern by-pass of the city.

We are aware of traffic conditions in the city of Winchester. Preparatory work is going ahead on the scheme to link A.34 with the northern end of the Winchester by-pass, but it is too soon yet to give a firm date for the start of construction.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the special dangers to traffic from the narrow carriageways upon main roads in the county of Hampshire; and whether he will approve the five-year scheme for their elimination which has been submitted to him by the Hampshire County Council.

I am at present examining the programmes submitted by highway authorities throughout the country. I will let the Hampshire County Council know as soon as possible what schemes I could consider for grant in the next few years.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will be started on the Stanway by-pass.

Much detailed preparatory work remains to be done, and it is still too soon to forecast when construction will begin. The scheme will be fitted into the programme as soon as funds for it can be made available.

asked the Minister of Transport how much he estimates will be spent on the London-Colchester road in the next three years.

I regret that I cannot forecast the amount which will be spent in the next three years. The sum must depend both on the total which can be made available for trunk road improvements throughout the country, and on the claims of other improvement schemes.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the reason for his continued delay in notifying the Hampshire County Council of the scheme to be adopted at the junction of trunk road A.35 and A.36 at Redbridge, Totton, Hampshire; and whether he will expedite this notification.

This is a complicated project, but we have now decided in principle on the layout to be adopted at and on either side of the Totton junction. We shall shortly be inviting the Hampshire County Council to prepare the scheme in detail.

asked the Minister of Transport when, in order to avoid further traffic congestion in the county borough of Southampton, he will authorise construction of the length of the south coast road from Bassett to Ower.

I have this scheme in mind for my future programme, but it is too soon yet to forecast a date for its construction.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to the construction of the north-south by-pass at Shrewsbury, from Weeping Cross to Belvedere; and whether he will make a statement, in view of the need to alleviate increasing traffic congestion in Shrewsbury.

This scheme is one of several now being examined by our Engineers in the course of a study of the traffic problems of Shrewsbury. This exploratory work will take a little time to complete.

asked the Minister of Transport how many parking meters are now operating in the Metropolitan Police area of London; and what steps he has taken to warn their users against committing a breach of the Metropolitan Police Act, 1839, by cleaning their cars or allowing them to be cleaned whilst so parked.

There are 2,288 parking meters in the Metropolitan Police District. The provisions of the Metropolitan Police Act, 1839, about the cleaning of cars are in no way affected by parking meter orders, and no special steps would therefore seem to be necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport what accidents have taken place so far this year on A.27 in the areas of Paulsgrove and Portchester; and if he will reconsider his refusal to allocate funds for radical alterations to this stream of traffic, notably through Portchester.

There have been seventeen accidents involving injuries and thirty accidents involving damage only. Through traffic will be taken off this section of A.27 when part of the South Coast Road near Portchester is constructed. I cannot however say when it will be possible to include this very large scheme in the road programme.

asked the Minister of Transport which counties in England and Wales have no trunk roads.

The County of London and the Isle of Wight.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will consider classifying as trunk roads the Isle of Wight roads from Yarmouth to Ryde via Newport, A.3054, and Cowes to Newport, A. 3020.

No, I regret we cannot regard these roads as part of the national system of routes for through traffic.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will establish a Roads Board to supervise, co-ordinate and maintain continuity of the roads programme.

No. I believe the present system under which the Minister is responsible to Parliament, is right in principle and, on balance, most efficient in practice.

asked the Minister of Transport for how many years it is intended to continue spending at a rate of about £60 million per annum on new roads and major improvements.

I have nothing at present to acid to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Bolton, West (Mr. Holt) on 26th April, 1960.

asked the Minister of Transport what representations he has received from the Norfolk County Council relating to a new by-pass road at Kings Lynn; and what reply has been sent.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now authorise work to be started on the construction of the Kings Lynn by-pass.

The Norfolk County Council has written to me urging early approval of the Kings Lynn by-pass. The results of a traffic survey taken last year are being studied and a reply will be sent to the county council shortly. The priority to be given to the scheme will have to be related to the need for other such schemes elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the present dangerous state of the Thirsk to Scarborough road, A.170, he will now authorise the construction of the Keldholme diversion.

I do not accept that A.170 the Class I road from Thirsk to Scarborough is in a dangerous state. I agree that the Keldholme diversion is a worthwhile project, but there are other schemes which have a prior claim.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, with a view to eliminating traffic congestion on the York to Scarborough road, he will now construct the eastern arm of the proposed Malton by-pass.

Preparatory work on this scheme is taking rather longer than was expected, but I hope to authorise construction as soon as the statutory processes are completed and the necessary funds can be made available.

asked the Minister of Transport why he has not authorised the county council to accept a tender for the improvement of the A.30 trunk road at Moor Hill, such tender being accepted by the county council on 15th February, 1960.

Complications over land acquisition caused some delay, but the county council was authorised to accept the lowest tender on 13th July and work should start next month.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to be able to send a considered reply to the letter forwarded to him by Middlesex County Council on 8th March urging him to treat the question of major improvements on classified roads in the county as one of much greater urgency, having regard to the continued heavy increase in road traffic in Middlesex, and the many outstanding highway improvements needed to cope with the resultant problems of road safety and the free flow of traffic.

At my request, the Middlesex County Council forwarded on 8th March, with a covering letter, a list of classified road schemes it would wish to carry out over a four-year period. A reply was sent to them on 4th April, saying that these schemes would be considered together with those of other highway authorities, as a basis for the programme for future years. I will let the Middlesex County Council know as soon as possible what schemes I could consider for grant in the next few years.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he has taken to improve trunk road A.30 following upon the closing of Blackbushe Airport; and what the cost of the proposed improvements will be.

No scheme for the improvement of A.30 at Blackbushe Airport has yet been authorised.

asked the Minister of Transport when work will begin on the Emsworth short by-pass, the principle of which was approved in 1956.

It is too early yet to say when construction of this by-pass can be authorised.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the Dorset County Council is unable to give priority to the construction of a by-pass, approved in principle, round the village of Stratton, owing to Government limitation of expenditure; and if he will reconsider the allocation to the Dorset County Council.

If the county council gives the proposed Stratton by-pass priority over the schemes on the list it has already submitted to us we will consider it.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will publish the findings of the public inquiry, in August 1959, concerning the Havant by-pass.

We hope to make the Inspector's findings available shortly, when we announce our decision about the line of the by-pass.

asked the Minister of Transport what sums were asked for by the Cornwall County Highway Authority for maintenance and improvement of classified roads in 1959–60 and 1960–61, respectively; and what sums were authorised.

The sums asked for were £429,800 for 1959–60 and £440,800 for 1960–61. The grants issued for maintenance and minor improvements were £430,000 and £440,800, respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport What schemes in connection with major road improvements in Cornwall were asked for in 1959–60 and 1960–61, respectively; what they were estimated to cost; and what schemes were sanctioned.

The following is the table:

	1959–60		1960–61
	No.	Total Cost	No.	Total Cost
		£		£
Schemes asked for	26	110,000	68	780,000
Schemes authorised	26	110,000	27	217,000 (to date)

asked the Minister of Transport what inquiries he intends to make into the use and provision of pedestrian crossings.

We have asked the Road Research Laboratory whether they will undertake an investigation, on similar lines to that made by them in 1951, into the present day use and value of pedestrian crossings.

asked the Minister of Transport on what date the road signs erected by the Greenwich Borough Council recently in the vicinity of Norman Road, Greenwich, were approved by his Department; and why these signs were erected for inspection before the order was passed.

New traffic signs in Bardsley Lane and Claremont Street, Greenwich, were approved for erection on 23rd June, but the customary instruction to keep them covered until the relevant regulations were made was not immediately observed when the signs were put up on 12th July.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the urgent request from the Glamorgan County Council for approval to build a new road at Godrergraig in the Swansea Valley, necessitated by the effect of the landslide on the present roadway; and whether he will make a statement.

We have told the Glamorgan County Council that we hope to be able to include the scheme in our programme this year.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider the separation of traffic on major roads by providing separate lanes for mopeds and bicycles only, as has been done successfully in Sweden.

Yes, I will certainly consider my hon. Friend's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has yet received a recommendation on the toll charges to be levied on users of the Purfleet-Dartford Tunnel.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. Skeffington) on 22nd July.

asked the Minister of Transport when he will authorise the grant to the Hampshire County Council for the Fordingbridge-Burgate by-pass on A.338.

I cannot say at present when I shall be able to make grants towards either of these two by-pass schemes. There are many other schemes throughout the country which have more urgent claims on the funds at my disposal.

asked the Minister of Transport when a decision may be expected on the proposed experimental fencing along part of A.31 within the perambulation of the New Forest.

I hope to be able to give a decision on this proposed experiment fairly soon.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to authorise the improvements to A.31 at Ashley Treening and in connection with Matchams Lane.

I see little prospect of authorising these improvements to A.31 within the next few years.

asked the Minister of Transport when the grant for the second part of the improvements to B.3053 between Totton and Fawley will be made available to the Hampshire County Council.

I cannot say at present when I shall be able to make a grant towards this scheme.

asked the Minister of Transport what is causing the delay in publishing draft proposals for the line of the A.40 High Wycombe By-Pass.

It has been necessary to investigate a possible extension of the by-pass past Beaconsfield and this extension has affected the proposals for the alignment of the eastern end of the by-pass.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will consider making a small first-aid kit a compulsory fitting on all cars.

Drivers are encouraged to carry first-aid kits in their vehicles. The suggestion that the practice should be made compulsory has been considered on a number of occasions. We will look at it again in connection with the review we are now making of measures to reduce road accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the gross revenue received from the issue of driving licences in each of the last three financial years; and what was the gross expenditure incurred by local taxation authorities in issuing driving and vehicle excise licences in each of the same years.

The gross revenue received from the issue of driving licences in each of the three years ended 30th November was as follows:1957–£3·5 million. 1958–£4·8 million. 1959–£4·4 million. The gross expenditure incurred by Local Taxation Authorities in issuing driving and vehicle excise licences in the last three financial years 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60 was £2·7 million, £3·0 million and £3·1 million, respectively.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress he has made in consultations with the insurance companies about accident-proneness; whether the companies will be able to draw statistical conclusions; and whether he will make a statement.

This matter was discussed at a meeting on 7th July with the Chairman of the British Insurance Association, the Chairman of Lloyds and others. We noted a number of practical difficulties which would arise in trying to use insurance records. A small committee of those concerned will examine this whole question. No quick results can be expected.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to receive the Report of the Jacks Committee on the problem of rural transport; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport whether Professor Jack's Committee on Rural Transport Problems have yet been able to formulate a report; whether he is aware of the importance to rural dwellers of early action being taken to ameliorate these problems; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cornwall, North (Mr. Scott-Hopkins) on Wednesday, 13th July.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that area licensing authorities are issuing licences in cases where the work for which the applications are made is already being carried out; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter.

The issue of carriers' licences is wholly within the statutory responsibility of licensing authorities. We cannot intervene, but we shall, of course, be happy to make inquiries as to the facts of any particular case my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the difficulties which have arisen owing to the withdrawal of the omnibus service between Horncastle and Louth; and, in view of the Government's shareholding in this company, what action he proposes to take to restore this service to the villages involved; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that this service was to be withdrawn on 8th August, but that the bus company are now prepared to continue it on a reduced scale. Local discussions are proceeding.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the successful operation of highway code provisions in some 35 States in the United States of America to the effect that a vehicle shall not be driven at such a low speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, whether he will now introduce a minimum speed limit on all clearways.

I am not at present satisfied that the imposition of a minimum speed limit on clearways would be in the interests of road safety, but I will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind.

asked the Minister of Transport Why he has ruled that members of municipal transport committees are to be debarred from nomination as traffic commissioners or deputies; and if will make a statement of his policy in this matter.

I have asked nominating local authorities to bear in mind that a conflict of interest could sometimes arise from the appointment of a member of a Municipal Transport Committee as a traffic commissioner or deputy. But I have made no ruling against their nomination, and I shall regard any such nominees as available for appointment in suitable cases in future as in the past.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take steps to prohibit the use of mascots and other metal emblems on the bonnets of cars, in view of the needless damage they can cause in an accident.

No mascot likely to cause injury to a person may be carried on a motor vehicle registered on or after 1st October, 1937, in such a position that it is likely to strike anyone with whom the vehicle may collide, and all parts and accessories of a vehicle must at all times be in such a condition that no danger is caused or is likely to be caused to any person on the vehicle or on a road.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the substance of the petition presented to the House of Commons on 23rd June which was organised by the Needy Old-Age Pensioners Coal and Food Fund Society, Manor Park, E.2, asking for cheap travel facilities for retirement pensioners in the London Transport area; and what action he proposes to take in this matter in so far as it concerns his Department.

Yes. The hon. Member wrote to my right hon. Friend recently. I can, however, add nothing to the reply I sent to him on 18th July.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on the results of his request to the Omnibus Stopping Places Advisory Committee to consider the provision of an omnibus stop near St. Stephen's Hall entrance to the Houses of Parliament, in view of the continuing inconvenience to visitors to Parliament and Members of Parliament from the lack of such an omnibus stop.

I am informed that, after studying the question, the Stopping Places Advisory Committee are agreed that it would not be practicable to site a bus stop near the St. Stephen's Entrance because of the interference with traffic movement which would result. I have written to the hon. Member in rather more detail about this.

asked the Minister of Transport to give a general direction to the British Transport Commission that British Road Services employees should not be disciplined over alleged dangerous driving offences if the police have taken no action after investigating such allegations.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to authorising capital expenditure by the British Transport Commission on a new steam surface line from Epping to Broad Street in order to relieve peak travel-hour congestion in this district.

None. My right hon. Friend has received no proposals for such a line from the British Transport Commission.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the continuing congestion in peak travel hours on the Central line between Newbury Park Station, Ilford, and Leytonstone, and between Leytonstone and the city and the West End of London, respectively, what progress the London Travel Committee has made in its campaign for staggering working hours; what improvements are being brought about; and what long-term solution is anticipated to this problem.

Since the end of March, when I last gave an Answer about the staggering of working hours, 34 firms have staggered the hours of more than 16,000 staff, bringing the total up to 274 firms and 48,204 staff. The British Transport Commission have almost completed the lengthening of all the 7-car trains on the Central line to eight cars and, in addition, they are speeding up their train replacement programme. These steps will provide considerable relief to this line.

asked the Minister of Transport whether the terms of reference of the Stedeford Advisory Group will enable them to consider the problem of railway superannuitants who are in receipt of out-of-date pensions; and whether he will ask for early advice from the Group on this urgent question.

The Special Advisory Group have been made aware of this problem and will no doubt bear it in mind in advising me on the matters covered by their terms of reference. I do not however think it would be right for me to ask the Group for early advice on this particular subject in isolation.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to be able to state what modifications will be made in the railway modernisation programme as a result of Her Majesty's Government's review of the programme of public investment for 1961–62.

I regret that I cannot add to the Answer I gave on 1st July to the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson).

asked the Minister of Transport, if he will give an assurance that no action will be taken on the Stedeford Committee's recommendations until Parliament has had an opportunity to discuss them together with the report of its own Select Committee on British Railways; and if he will also give an assurance that, meanwhile, the modernisation programme will be permitted to proceed at the pace previously agreed between him and the British Transport Commission.

Any action arising from the Special Advisory Group's Recommendations which requires legislation will come before Parliament as a matter of course. On matters not requiring legislation, I shall need, before reaching decisions, to have regard to the degree of urgency.With the agreement of the Chairman of the British Transport Commission, a review of certain projects in the modernisation programme is currently in progress, and I should not feel justified in promising that expenditure will necessarily continue on all of them until Parliament reassembles.

asked the Minister of Transport how many cases have been reported to him of tankers discharging oil within the prohibited area off the south-west coast of England during the last 12 months.

Six. All were outside United Kingdom territorial waters and two were in respect of ships to which the International Convention for Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil did not apply. Unfortunately, there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations in respect of the other four.

asked the Minister of Transport what instructions, or advice, are issued to the Merchant Marine with regard to the use of kapok in life-saving equipment.

The Merchant Shipping (Life-saving Appliances) Rules lay down the conditions with which kapok lifejackets must comply. They include covering the kapok by polyvinylchloride sheeting to protect it from loss of buoyancy through contamination by oil. These Rules were supplemented by a notice to the shipping industry, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. There are no other requirements or instructions about the use of kapok in lifesaving equipment.

asked the Minister of Transport if he can now state when a decision on the Chandos Report may be expected.

I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Mr. Short) on 13th July.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has given any further consideration to the position of British shipping; and if he will make a statement.

I am constantly striving to safeguard the interests and particularly the competitive freedom of the British shipping industry. The General Council of British Shipping has given me a comprehensive survey of the current position and problems of the different sections of the industry. I intend to discuss this when the General Council is ready.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the concern in the Channel Islands regarding the long delays which occur in the delivery there of exports from the United Kingdom as a result of shipping difficulties; and whether he will take steps to overcome these difficulties.

We have received no reports of concern in the Channel Islands on this subject. If my hon. Friend has particular examples in mind I should be glad to communicate them to the responsible authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for speeding-up the turn-round of shipping in order to help the export drive.

Arrangements for the speedy turn-round of shipping are primarily matters for the shipowners, the shippers, and the port authorities. I am sure that they are all fully alive to the important part that expeditious handling of ships in port can play in the export drive.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what British subjects there were among the missionaries and nuns molested, or forced to leave their place of ministry. in the Congo; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received no report of any British missionaries or nuns having been molested in the Congo or forced to leave their places of ministry. A number of British missionaries, mostly single women and those with families decided to leave during the disturbances, but many have preferred to remain. We shall continue to give all possible help to the British missionaries in the Congo, both those who wish to leave and those who decide to stay.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will urge on the Security Council the need for sending to the Congo Republic a Russian service mission on the same terms as the United States one.

There is no United, States Service mission in the Congo. The few United States service personnel there are concerned with the American transport aircraft being used by the United Nations. The Security Council have already given the Secretary-General the mandate he needs to carry out the United Nations' task, and I do not propose to put any further suggestions to them now.

asked the Minister of Labour to state the number of skilled and unskilled males, respectively, under 40 years of age who are unemployed in The Hartlepools; and if he will give the latest date at which figures are available.

The total of unemployed males under 40 in The Hartlepools on 13th June was 532. It is not possible to give separate figures for skilled and unskilled.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps are taken to ensure that National Service men presenting themselves for medical examination are made aware of the procedure for appealing for postponement of call-up on grounds of hardship; and whether he is satisfied that these provisions are fully observed in respect of men in the East Ham area.

Information about the procedure is included in the notice sent to every man called to medical examination and also on the notices displayed at the Medical Board premises. This applies in East Ham as elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Labour what has been the response of small employers to his scheme for providing first-year apprenticeship training at Government training centres; and if he will make a statement.

I am hopeful that as a result of approaches now being made to employers, the 96 places in the first 8 engineering apprenticeship classes at G.T.C.s will be taken up in time for the classes to open in August or September.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the loss of earnings due to strike action in the last year for which figures are available.

No information is available as to the earnings lost by those involved in strikes.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty when it is intended to give instructions that kapok be no longer used in naval life-saving equipment, in view of the effect upon it of contact with oil-polluted water.

The standard life-saving equipment for naval personnel is the inflatable rubber life-belt. In the few instances where kapok lifejackets still need to be used we are following a current Ministry of Transport regulation that the individual pads of kapok should be encased in sealed P.V.C. bags to avoid contact with oil.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he has considered a request from the Aberdeen Fishing Vessel Owners' Association, Limited, for naval protection for Aberdeen fishing vessels in the fishing grounds off the Faroe Islands; and if he will specify in detail what steps he has taken, with what result, and what further steps he proposes to take in this matter.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has made representations to the Danish Government about certain aspects of the recent incidents involving Aberdeen fishing vessels off the Faroe Islands, and we are now awaiting their reactions. Our Fishery Protection vessels in the normal course visit the Faroes fishing grounds from time to time and two ships will shortly be passing through the area.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why the ocean minesweepers "Bramble" and "Tanganyika" are for sale on offer to the Dominican Republic.

The ocean minesweepers "Bramble" and "Tanganyika" are not, and never have been, on offer to the Dominican Republic.To reassure my hon. and gallant Friend, I would make it clear that the sale of ocean minesweepers to the Dominican Republic would not be contemplated in the present state of tension in the Caribbean area.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty to make a detailed statement particularising the allocation to various shipyards of the work on the three new Leander Class frigates and also on the auxiliary ships, and also indicating the distribution of the work on components for those ships.

We will shortly be inviting competitive tenders for three new Leander Class frigates and some auxiliary vessels. The allocation of orders will depend upon the tenders submitted and responsibility for obtaining components will rest primarily with the successful tenderers.

asked the Secretary of State for War under what paragraph of Queen's Regulations, or what part of the Manual of Military Law, or what Army Council Instructions, he provides the Bank of England picket.

The disposition of troops is not governed by published Regulations.

asked the Minister of Works to give an assurance that the announcement of cuts in capital expenditure by the Government will not affect the provision of accommodation at Bracknell which is designed to enable the Meteorological Office to concentrate and develop its work of research as well as forecasting.

The building of the new Meteorological Office at Bracknell is well advanced; part is due to be completed by the end of this year and the remainder by July, 1961.

asked the Minister of Health to state the amount of compensation paid by doctors in the National Health Service to patients for medical treatment during 1958 and 1959, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health whether the statement concerning infantile mortality rates in Wales, communicated to the Press by an official of the Welsh Board of Health on 20th July, 1960, was made with his authority; whether he is aware of the inaccuracies contained in it; and if he will make a further statement.

No statement was issued to the Press. One newspaper invited Departmental comment on certain matters discussed in the Welsh debate and this was, very properly, refused. Information was then sought on questions of fact and, in accordance with normal Departmental practice, this was given. On infant mortality rates, the figures supplied were those published in the Registrar General's Statistical Reviews for England and Wales for the years 1948 to 1958. Final figures for 1959 have not yet been published. The infant mortality rate per thousand live births for Wales was 39 in 1948 and 27 in 1958. The comparable figures for the administrative county of Monmouth were 43 and 26.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement about the Government's policy with regard to the recommendations in the Report of the Younghusband Working Party on social workers in the local authority, health and welfare services.

Yes. In the light of the consultations with interested bodies the Government accept generally the main recommendations in this Report. We propose to introduce legislation to establish a National Council for Social Work Training, and so far as England and Wales are concerned this will also provide for the setting up of a separate but associated council for the training of health visitors.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that a general medical practitioner has been fined by an executive council in the area covered by the Manchester Regional Hospital Board for his part in a case where a consultant had accepted a patient privately on the understanding that to wait for the required medical attention through the National Health Service would result in a long delay; whether the matter has been reported to the Manchester Regional Hospital Board; and what action it is proposed to take to investigate the consultant's part in the transaction.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to a case in which, following a failure on the part of the general practitioner to arrange for a patient to secure treatment under the hospital and specialist services, recovery from his remuneration was made of a sum equal to the expenses incurred by the patient in obtaining treatment privately. In connection with this case, which did not concern any hospital in the Manchester Region, the hospital board concerned made inquiries into allegations against a consultant but nothing came to light which would give grounds for action against him.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what contribution the Government are making to the losses incurred by the Potato Marketing Board in their purchasing operations from the 1959 crop in Great Britain.

The Government have agreed to bear two-thirds of the net expenditure incurred by the Board under approved programmes for the purchase of potatoes from the 1959 crop. The exact amount of the Government's contribution to these trading operations cannot yet be finally determined, but it is likely to be of the order of £3·6 million As a result of this assistance to the Board, it is confidently expected that no deficiency will be payable on the 1959 crop.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take to ensure that the standard of rabbit control by occupiers of land who are not members of rabbit clearance societies is as good as that on land of society members.

The rabbit clearance societies in England and Wales now number 540 and continue to increase. They are doing excellent work and the rabbit situation on the land of their members is generally satisfactory. Some 70 per cent. of agricultural land is, however, still outside the societies and it is essential that comparable rabbit control should be exercised on this land.I have therefore recently impressed on county agricultural executive committees the importance of making full use where necessary of the enforcement powers delegated to them to ensure that occupiers who are not members of societies fulfil their statutory obligation to deal with rabbits on their land.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will have issued permanent resident permits to those South African citizens who are now in any of the British South African Protectorates and who ask Her Majesty's Government for political asylum.

Any person who has come to one of the High Commission Territories from the Union of South Africa for political reasons may, if he satisfied the requirements of the laws in force in that Territory, apply for a permanent residence permit. Each application will be considered on its merits.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what is the present level of unemployment in the Bechuanaland Protectorate; and how this compares with unemployment in the years 1950. 1953, 1955, and 1958.

No records of unemployment are kept in the Bechuanaland Protectorate because the inhabitants are mainly self-employed pastoralists and agriculturalists who may take up other forms of employment on a wage basis at such times and for such periods as suit them.

asked the Minister of Defence what reasons prevented him from purchasing a supply of the Polaris missile from the United States of America.

My main task during my recent visit to the United States of America was to arrange for the purchase of Skybolt missiles to maintain the effectiveness of the V-bomber force. It was, and is, too early to decide whether we should seek to buy Polaris missiles.

asked the Minister of Defence how the acreage held by Service Departments in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, respectively, as at 1st July, 1960. compares with the amount so held on 1st July, 1939; and whether he is satisfied that proposed reductions in the present total are adequate.

The answer is as follows:

—	Surrey	Hampshire	Berkshire
	Acres	Acres	Acres
Land held on 1st July, 1939	13,216	32,673	4,779
Land held on 1st July, 1960	13,345	39,448	8,515

The amount of land held by the Service Departments in these counties compares reasonably with that held in 1939. In view of the continuing defence requirements in these counties, I consider that the reductions proposed in the next three years are satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to now state when the Ingleby Report on the treatment of children under the law will be laid before Parliament.

I hope to receive the Report in the autumn, and to present it to Parliament as soon as possible after it reaches me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many flag day collections are now authorised in London by the Metropolitan Police each year.

The number of collections authorised in 1956, 1957, 1958 and 1959 was 22, 19, 18 and 19 respectively, and it is expected that about the same number will be authorised in 1960. In addition, a number of local collections have taken place during the period in each year allotted for this purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many local authorities have borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board in the last twelve months; what were the sums involved; and if he will analyse the number and amount of these loans according to the period of repayment.

Nine hundred and eighty-one local authorities borrowed over £45 million from the Public Works Loan Board during the twelve months ended 31st March, 1960, the latest period for which figures are readily available. The value of the loans advanced for various periods are:

Period for Repayment.	Value of Loans Advanced.
	£
Not more than 5 years	364,859
More than 5 years but not more than 15 years	4,668,319
More than 15 years but not more than 30 years.	21,858,477
More than 30 years	18,422,242
Total	£45,313,897

I regret that the number of loans advanced for the various periods is not readily available.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is satisfied with the progress of the Freefone service; and if he will make a statement.

This service is proving to be a real help to business, and in the six months during which it has been generally available nearly 100 firms have adopted it. I should like to see it more widely used and I am considering how this can best be done.