asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reduction has lately been achieved in unemployment in Nairobi.

The only reliable figures for unemployment in Nairobi are those provided by the Employment Service and, since not all work-seekers register, it cannot give an accurate return of unemployed. These figures show however that at the end of February, the number of registered unemployed of all races in Nairobi reached a peak of 7,452. By the end of June, this figure had dropped to 2,560, and during the same period nearly 1,175 work-seekers were founds jobs by the Nairobi Employment Office.

asked the Secertary of State for the Colonies when Mr. Achieng Oneko, who has been detained without further trial in Kenya since 1953, after being fully acquitted, will be released from restriction.

Mr. Oneko's case is in process of review by the Appeal Tribunal; an annual review of all cases is required by law and this must be directed to securing the termination of controls as soon as, in the Governor's opinion, that can be done without serious prejudice to public safety and order. The Governor has not yet received or considered the Tribunal's recommendations on Mr. Oneko.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to receive the report by Mr. M. D. ffrench-Mullen on the jute experimental scheme in British Guiana.

A full account by Mr. ffrench-Mullen of the experiments in the cultivation, harvesting and retting of jute in British Guiana is being published in "Tropical Science", the quarterly journal of the Tropical Products Insti- tute. The first half appeared in Volume I, No. 4, 1959, and the concluding part will appear in the next issue, which is to be published shortly. I am arranging for copies of both issues to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a grant from Colonial Development and Welfare funds towards the establishment of the multi-racial Oppenheimer College of Social Service at Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind the College of Social Service which is being planned by the Northern Rhodesia Council of Social Service, with the assistance of the Government, and towards which the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust has made a large grant.The Northern Rhodesia Government is primarily responsible for determining the priority of schemes for development and welfare within the territory. If it applies for a grant from Colonial Development and Welfare funds towards the establishment of a College of Social Service, I will of course be ready to consider the proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations he has now received from organisations in Northern Rhodesia asking for changes in the Constitution to allow for closer African participation; and what action he is taking in this matter.

I have received no new representations since I made the public statement in Lusaka of which I informed the House on 14th April.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the Minister of State's recent visit to Malta.

My noble Friend, who had for some time been anxious to visit Malta, especially during this year which marks the 19th Centenary of St. Paul's landing, spent five days there from 30th June to 5th July.At my request he took the opportunity of obtaining local views on the best way of giving effect to our known desire to return to a more representative system of government. He heard the views of a very wide range of representative bodies and parties and has submitted to me a valuable report of his conclusions.He saw something of the progress being made in the economic life of the island and attended the Malta Trade Fair. He also paid a short visit to Gozo.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total amount given for each of the various farm subsidies and grants to Welsh agriculture in the year 1959–60.

Final accounts for the financial year 1959–60 are not yet available but it is estimated that the farming grants and subsidies paid to farmers in Wales and Monmouthshire will amount to a little over £7¾ millions, as follows:

	£
Fertiliser Subsidy	1,379,000
Lime Subsidy (including spreading contribution)	840,000
Ploughing Grants	901,000
Farm Drainage Grant	146,000
Farm Water Supply Grant	51,000
Livestock Rearing Land Improvement Grant	443,000
Marginal Production Grant	203,000
Attested Herds Scheme—
Head Rate (Capitation) Bonus	273,000
Milk (Gallonage) Bonus	245,000
Livestock Premiums (Bulls)	7,000
Calf Subsidy	1,730,000
Hill Cow Subsidy	756,000
Silo Subsidy	243,000
Farm Improvement Grant	389,000
Small Farmer Scheme	195,000
Small Farmer Supplementary Scheme	10,000

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the group examining the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture and food storage to issue its report.

It is not yet possible to say when the group, which is studying the need for further research into the effects of the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture, will issue its report. Its field is a very wide one, and evidence from a number of organisations that it has consulted is still awaited.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the hot weather prevailing, whether all members of the police force have been issued with the new lightweight trousers and jackets, recommended by the Report submitted to him in February, 1958; whether he is satisfied that the new uniform is the best available for the work of police in such conditions; and whether he will sanction the issue of a dark bush shirt without jacket for wear during the summer months.

Lightweight trousers and jackets have been issued to the members of the Metropolitan Police. My right hon. Friend has also approved the issue of bush shirts, for wear at the Commissioner's discretion, in very hot weather; but supplies will not become available until April, 1961.I cannot say what the position is in police forces outside London.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the concern felt by the courts in Wales, apart from those in Glamorgan and Monmouth, because no detention centre facilities have been notified to them as being available under Section 18 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1948; what action he is taking to expedite the provision of such centres for the areas affected; and how soon they will be made available.

I share the concern of all courts who are at present unable to commit young persons to detention centres and I have given the highest priority to the provision of sufficient centres to cover the whole of England and Wales. Eight more centres are planned and work has already started on many of these. I have not taken a final decision about which courts each of these will serve and which will be junior and which senior centres, but it is hoped that courts in Wales will have a senior centre to which they can commit offenders by the end of 1961.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the future of Her Majesty's Prison, Shrewsbury.

It is not proposed to change the present function of Shrewsbury Prison, which is that of a local prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that lives are being lost by people who endeavour to save from drowning swimmers who have entered the sea on beaches which are clearly marked as dangerous to bathers; and if he will introduce legislation to make it an offence for people to bathe in sections of beaches that are marked in any way by local authorities as dangerous to bathers.

My right hon. Friend is aware that such accidents occur from time to time. Local authorities have power to make byelaws regulating the areas in which public bathing is permitted, and my right hon. Friend has received no representations that these powers are inadequate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that during the twelve months ended 31st May, 1960, 247 male prisoners and eight female prisoners were placed on No. 1 diet at Winson Green Prison, Birmingham, whether he is satisfied that this method of punishment accords with modern methods of penal reform; and what plans he has for changing this system.

I have no proposals to abolish this form of punishment, which was supported by a Departmental Committee which enquired into disciplinary punishments, and was approved by Parliament. Modern constructive penal methods do not mean that there should be no punishment for wilful acts of indiscipline, and this is found to be a useful form of punishment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to a statement made at an inquest held on Monday, 13th June, at Wollescote, that a static water basin in Balds Lane, Lye, Stourbridge, could not be removed without his approval because it was scheduled for possible war-time use; and whether the Worcestershire County Council has asked for permission for the basin to be removed, in view of the fact that four children have lost their lives by drowning in it.

I am informed that water is kept in this basin primarily for peace-time use, since there is a shortage of water for fire-fighting in the area. The basin would also have a potential war-time value. It is for the fire authority to decide whether the basin should be retained, and I understand that it will consider the matter again tomorrow.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases during the last three years the Prison Commissioners have stopped negotiating for the purchase of sites or houses owing to the vendor refusing to accept the district valuer's price.

In no case have negotiations been broken off finally, though in four cases there were temporary suspensions. One case is at present pending.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the need to improve road safety, he will obtain statistics of the offences of driving or being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of drink or a drug where convictions took place in the higher courts, and of cases where the period of disqualification for the above offences were subsequently reduced.

Some statistical information is already available about convictions in the higher courts for the offences of driving or being in charge of a vehicle when under the influence of drink or a drug, and is published in the Criminal Statistics and in the Annual Return of Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles. I think the hon. Member may have in mind information regarding periods of disqualification for driving, which is not now available. I am considering the possibility of obtaining such information and also information regarding the removal of disqualifications imposed in both the magistrates' courts and the higher courts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what figures he has relating to blackmail cases, for the last five years, showing the extent to which heterosexual and homosexual activities, respectively, were a constituent element in these cases.

The numbers of offences of blackmail known to the police in the last five years have been as follows:

1955	…	…	…	…	92
1956	…	…	…	…	119
1957	…	…	…	…	121
1958	…	…	…	…	164
1959	…	…	…	…	160

I regret that the statistics do not show the extent to which sexual activities were a constituent element in these cases, and the information could not be obtained without extensive inquiries which I do not consider justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the action of the Metropolitan Police at the demonstration held in Trafalgar Square on South Africa Freedom Day, 26th June.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that when attempts were made to interrupt a meeting in Trafalgar Square and a poster parade around South Africa House and fighting broke out, fifteen persons were arrested. The meeting and the parade then continued. The police required those taking part in the parade to disperse before the meeting ended so as to prevent further disorder.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations on what grounds a qualified non-graduate teacher is paid £5–£6 a month in Bechuanaland; and how many of these so paid are European and non-European, respectively.

The salaries in question are part of approved scales which are now under review. The recipients are all Africans.

asked the Minister of Education how many mature students have applied for shortened teacher training courses starting next session; and how many have been accepted.

The number of applications for courses of this kind is not readily available but I am glad to say that over 1,000 candidates have already been accepted for shortened courses of general training.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the number of teaching posts, in schools for which he is responsible, which have been advertised in the usual way and for which there have been no applicants; and what steps are being taken to increase the number of mathematics, physics and chemistry mistresses.

I cannot give the hon. Member the precise figures for which he asks but I know that the shortage of women teachers in the subjects named is serious. Last year the maintained secondary schools recruited 500 women graduates in mathematics and science compared with 350 in 1955. The number of students studying these subjects in training colleges is now 1,200 compared with 900 two years ago. As part of a campaign that I am preparing to attract more teachers into the schools, special attention will be paid to this shortage.

asked the Minister of Education what additional measures he is proposing, following his conference on 5th July, to increase the supply of teachers for 1962.

In 1962–63 the main shortage of teachers is likely to be in the primary schools. I am proposing to undertake a national recruitment campaign to attract married women teachers back to the schools, and to modify the quota scheme to make this easier; to encourage the movement of teachers from secondary to primary schools; and to appeal to teachers who are due to retire to give a little extra service to help the schools over this difficult year. At the conference, teachers and the local education authorities gave strong support for measures on these lines.

asked the Minister of Education what was the average cost per acre of school sites purchased by the local education authorities of Durham, Kent, Surrey, and Essex, respectively, in 1951, 1954 and 1959, respectively.

No information is available for 1959 because during that year my Department ceased to approve site purchases. Figures for 1951 and 1954 are as follows:

			Average cost* per acre of land purchased
L.E.A. of Administrative County			1951	1954
			£	£
Durham	…	…	154	534
Kent	…	…	618	647
Surrey	…	…	797	286
Essex	…	…	281	711
* It will be appreciated that the nature of the sites differs so widely that figures of average cost cannot usefully be compared.

asked the Minister of Education what percentage of school building costs was spent on sites, on loan charges and actual building work, respectively, in 1953, 1956 and 1959, respectively.

Information in the form requested about expenditure on sites and building could not be provided without a great deal of work. Loan charges are an item of current expenditure which, in any one year, are determined mainly by capital expenditure incurred in previous years. They cannot be compared with the capital expenditure incurred in particular years on the purchase of sites and on building work.

asked the Minister of Education what grants he now proposes to award to the dependants of mature training college students taking three-year courses.

This matter is being considered in conjunction with the Anderson Report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused by the bank openings during Whit Week in the Manchester area; and whether he will give consideration to the revision of the Bank Holidays Act so that banking hours may be more suitably adjusted to holiday arrangements.

No. I am told that by long-standing custom banks in the Manchester area are open for a limited number of hours during Whit Week. The revision of banking hours in a particular area is not a matter for legislation but for discussion between the banks and their customers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount of each class of hydrocarbon oils retained for home consumption during the year ended 31st March, 1960, and the net amount received in respect of duty thereon, showing, in particular, the amounts received in respect of motor spirit and heavy oils used as fuel in road vehicles.

Class	Quantity	Receipts of Duty
	Gallons	£
Oils chargeable with Customs Duty
Light Oils:	2,405,910,603	*300,791,422
of which motor (including aviation; spirit	(2,347,968,073)	(293,496,745)
Heavy Oils:
For use as road fuel	617,553,550	77,194,192
Other (mainly lubricating oils)	195,144,769	813,097
Oils chargeable with Excise Duty
Light Oils:	96,527,393	6,057,809
of which motor (including aviation) spirit	(33,382,037)	(2,086,903)
Heavy Oils for use as road fuel	23,135,698	1,445,981
Total		386,302,501
Allowance on certain home produced oils used in approved refineries as raw material for chemical synthesis		5,348,284
Net Total		380,954,217
These particulars relate to oil subject to a net liability to Customs or Excise Duty: comparable figures are not available in respect of heavy oils for which the duty is wholly rebated.
* Includes £51,637 in respect of light oils contained in composite goods on which oil duty was charged at a flat rate under the Composite Goods Order, 1958, and for which information as to the quantity of oil is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decision he has reached on the proposals, submitted to the University Grants Committee by the Association of University Teachers, for improving the salaries of clinical teachers in universities.

The University Grants Committee, having received representations from the Association of University Teachers and having ascertained the views of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, have made certain recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. These recommendations are under consideration.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps have been taken since 26th May, 1960, to secure a tenant for the empty factory at Cymmer, Port Talbot.

Since 26th May this factory has been brought to the attention of five further firms seeking factory space

The required particulars are as follows:but none has shown a definite interest in taking it over.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to secure a new tenant for the Government-owned factory of the Bridgend industrial estate which will shortly be vacated by Goldhanger Fruit Farms Limited.

Both the Board of Trade and the company will do their best to find a new tenant as soon as possible. All the Board's regional offices are being advised of the availability of the premises.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the information regarding Russian achievements in automation which has been obtained by the Western experts attending the Moscow exhibition of British scientific instruments organised by the Scientific Instruments Manufacturers of Great Britain, if he will appoint a technical committee to advise Her Majesty's Government why development in this country has fallen behind, and what should be done for Great Britain to catch up the Soviet lead.

No. The information we have about Russian achievements suggests that the U.S.S.R. may be ahead of us in some applications of automation and behind in others. The Moscow exhibition has been a great success and the organisers will be discussing the results of any fresh information they may have gained with my officials.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will give an assurance that, in the fulfilment of Her Majesty's Government's declared policy to increase the supply of land for urban development, full weight will be given to the importance of reducing rather than increasing the acreage of good quality agricultural land set aside for this purpose.

The preservation for agriculture of good agricultural land has been and will continue to be a most important object of planning policy. As far as possible the Government will continue to see that the least good land in any area is allocated for development purposes first.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what reply he has given to the letter from the Royal Fine Art Commission, dated 23rd June, 1960, in which the Royal Fine Art Commission regretted the proposed removal of the Doric Arch, the Great Hall, and the Shareholders' Meeting Room at Euston Station and asked to be consulted on the proposed re-erection of the Doric Arch on a new site between Euston Road and the reconstructed station.

The letter dated 23rd June, was addressed to the London County Council and did not call for a reply from my right hon. Friend. He has, however, just received a letter from the Royal Fine Art Commission on the same subject and is now studying it.

asked the Minister of Health (1) on how many occasions during the month of May the five consultants employed at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital attended clinics in the outpatients' department; what was the total number of hours that each spent in the out-patients' department; and how many patients were seen by them personally;(2) how many new patients attended at the out-patients' clinics at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital during the month of May; in how many cases these new patients were seen by one of the consultants and how many were seen by the registrars.

I understand that consultants attended fifty-six clinics of varying duration in May, 1960, during which month 3,697 new out-patients attended. It is not the practice to require consultants to record hours of attendance. The records kept to do not in all cases indicate which doctors are present when particular patients are seen.

asked the Minister of Health how many domiciliary consultations were carried out by the five consultants employed by the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital during the first five months of 1960.

I understand that four of the five consultants who have contracts also with the regional hospital board have made claims in respect of thirty-three domiciliary consultations in the period.