asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to introduce legislation to amend the electoral law; and whether he has considered the recommendation of the Association of Hospital Management Committees that long-term voluntary patients in mental hospitals who have no other address should be registered as electors at the address of the hospital.

While my right hon. Friend can give no undertaking about the introduction of legislation to amend the electoral law, he is keeping in mind the suggestion mentioned in the second part of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the high charges still being made in some hospitals for the completion of Cremation Form C, if he will now expedite his decision to prescribe a unified charge all over the country; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend will endeavour to expedite the review of the Cremation Regulations now in progress, but the question of fees is not the only matter for consideration, and my right hon. Friend regrets that some time must elapse before he will be in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to remove the borstal girls from Cardiff Prison; and whether he will make a statement.

The girls will be removed when the new borstal for girls at Bull-wood in Essex has been completed, that is, about the end of next year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what matters were discussed with the Prime Minister of the Government of Northern Ireland, during his recent official visit to London: and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what subjects he discussed with Lord Brookeborough at their official meeting last week end.

I would ask the hon. Members to await my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's reply to a Question on the same subject by my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast. South (Sir D. Campbell).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the recent decision of the House of Lords in Director of Public Prosecutions versus Smith; and whether he will amend the Homicide Act, 1957, in such a way to confine murder to acts committed with intent to kill.

I am aware of the decision to which the hon. Member refers. I have no proposals for legislation to amend the Homicide Act, 1957, at present in contemplation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds of research into the causes and treatment of crime in 1957–58 and subsequent years.

The approximate cost of research into the causes and treatment of crime, so far as falling on the Home Office Vote, and apart from money spent by universities and other centres, was: £13,000 in 1957–58; £28,000 in 1958–59; £36,000 in 1959–60 and is expected to be about £47,000 in the present financial year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now state his plans for Dartmoor Prison.

I am not yet ready to make a statement, but I hope to do so at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young prisoners between the ages of 17 and 21 are at present in Her Majesty's Prison, Winson Green; and how many of these are awaiting trial.

On 23rd November, 1960, there were 170 boys and 20 girls aged 17 and under 21 in Birmingham prison. Of these, 46 boys and 2 girls were awaiting trial.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long John Charles Butler, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment earlier this year, has been in Her Majesty's Prison, Winson Green, pending the hearing of his case by the Court of Criminal Appeal.

John Charles Butler applied to the Court of Criminal Appeal on 20th July last for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence, and since his application has not yet been determined, he has since that date been treated as an appellant in prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that a young person found guilty of house-breaking and placed on probation by the juvenile court cannot be dealt with for his original offence either by that court or by an adult court if he commits a further offence after reaching the age of 17 years, since neither court can convict a person of that age on a charge of housebreaking; and what legislative action he proposes to take in the matter.

I would refer my hon. Friend to Clause 9 of the Criminal Justice Bill.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number and names, at the latest available date, of county councils which do not operate a system of school crossing patrols.

According to the Home Office records, three county councils have not appointed school crossing patrols; they are Devon, Radnor and Rutland.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a statement about the Government's intentions regarding the Monckton Commission's Report.

I have nothing to add to what I said in the debate in the House on 3rd November.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.

During my passage through the territory of the Union on 10th September, I took the opportunity to call on the South African Prime Minister. We discussed together matters of common concern.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what protest has been made to the South African Government about the expulsion of the Bishop of Johannesburg.

Although the Government of South Africa undoubtedly possessed the legal right to deport the Bishop of Johannesburg, I thought it right to instruct our High Commissioner in Pretoria to make it clear that this action and the way it was taken had created a most unfavourable impression here.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what precautions he has taken to ensure that official telephone calls between the Bechuanaland Protectorate and the Imperial Reserve at Mafeking are confidential.

None. Confidential official messages are normally sent by other means.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether representative African leaders will be invited to the forthcoming Southern Rhodesian constitutional talks.

There are not as yet any plans for formal talks on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he has been advised by the Government of Southern Rhodesia of the delegation chosen by that Government to attend the Federal Review Conference; and if he will give its composition.

I have not yet received this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what consultations were carried on with Commonwealth countries with regard to the size of the Commonwealth joint force operating in Malaya.

The composition of the Commonwealth Brigade group in Malaya, which includes British, Australian, and New Zealand elements, was set up as a result of joint arrangements between the British, Australian, New Zealand and Malayan Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what reply has been given to the request of the Basutoland Civil Service that a deputation be received on the subject of the recommendations of the Surridge Commission.

I asked the High Commissioner to reply on my behalf to the Basutoland Civil Service Association to the effect that I could not accede to the Association's request for an interview as it appeared to be based on a misunderstanding of the proper procedure: that the Association's proper course was to put their views to the High Commissioner through the Resident Commissioner, and that the High Commissioner would consider their views fully and would seek my instructions as necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what results have accrued from the representations made by the United Kingdom Ambassador in Dublin to the Irish Republican authorities concerning the practice of the Irish Republican Judiciary of suspending sentences on Irish Republican citizens provided they leave the Irish Republic and go and live in England.

The British Ambassador has reported to me that, while his representations have been sympathetically received, the Irish Republican Government are reluctant to take any positive action since individual members of the Judiciary in the Republic have acted in this way only in a few isolated cases. The Irish Republican authorities have, however, promised to keep this matter under review. I am sure that they fully realise the harm which any continuance of such incidents can have to the reputation of the Irish community in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, if he will make a statement on the discussions that have taken place with the machine tool industry about the establishment of a Research Association.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, what steps are being taken to form the Research Association for the machine tool industry; and if he will make a statement.

The Machine Tool Trades Associations announced on 13th September the decision of the industry to set up a Research Association, which will be incorporated shortly. A Director of Research is being sought, and an application to the D.S.I.R. for grant-aid is in preparation.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, which universities have made application for a financial grant to cover the whole cost of building a low-power nuclear reactor, so that better facilities can be provided for the training of nuclear engineers and reactor physicists.

Birmingham; Imperial and Queen Mary Colleges, London; Manchester and Liverpool jointly; Southampton; and the Scottish Universities jointly with the Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will consult the British Broadcasting Corporation with a view to arranging for colour films to be taken of educational programmes such as Sketch Club, and for them to be made available for teaching in schools.

I understand that the Educational Foundation for Visual Aids is considering, in consultation with the B.B.C., the possibility of making black and white films from educational television programmes available to schools. Colour films which would have to be made specially from the live performance would be too costly.

asked the Minister of Education how many temporary teachers employed by local education authorities during the school session 1959–60 and desirous of becoming qualified teachers have failed to gain admission to a training college this autumn.

I have asked the training colleges' clearing house for this information and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Education if he will arrange that those teachers who have gained advanced diplomas in education receive allowances for them irrespective of whether they gained them as a result of part-time or whole time study.

This is a matter for the Burnham Committee.

asked the Minister of Education on what grounds he has refused to include St. Illtyd's College, Cardiff, a Catholic boy's grammar school which has 620 pupils, in the building programme for the next two years; and if, in view of the urgent need for rebuilding, he will reverse his decision and give the necessary consent for building to start.

This proposal to replace an existing school has had to give way for the time being to more pressing needs. My right hon. Friend regrets that he is unable to add the project to the programmes for 1961–63.

asked the Minister of Education how long he estimates it will take at the present rates of recruitment of teachers and school building, to reduce the size of all primary and secondary classes in England and Wales to below 30 pupils per class.

My right hon. Friend's present plans allow for secondary school classes of over 30 pupils and primary school classes of over 40 pupils to be eliminated by 1970. The reduction of primary class sizes from 40 to 30 would require about another 50,000 teachers at that time.

asked the Minister of Education if he will publish a table showing the geographical distribution, by counties and county boroughs, in January 1960 of junior and senior classes with more than 40 pupils per class in the North Midland and Midland Region.

The following table shows the distribution, in January 1960, of classes with more than 40 pupils per class, in the North Midland and Midland Regions.

January, 1960
NORTH MIDLAND REGION
Local Education Authority	Junior Classes	Senior Classes
Derbyshire	269	82
Leicestershire	192	27
Lincs. (Holland)	22	5
Lincs. (Kesteven)	23	24
Lincs. (Lindsey)	160	37
Northamptonshire	167	13
Nottinghamshire	378	72
Rutland	4	6
Total Counties	1,215	266
Derby	42	22
Grimsby	106	42
Leicester	34	45
Lincoln	33	7
Northampton	66	7
Nottingham	214	5
Total County Boroughs	495	128
TOTAL	1,710	394

MIDLAND REGION
Local Education Authority	Junior Classes	Senior Classes
Herefordshire	20	4
Shropshire	93	35
Staffordshire	641	148
Warwickshire	283	46
Worcestershire	122	29
Total Counties	1,159	262
Birmingham	774	370
Burton-upon-Trent	34	11
Coventry	132	10
Dudley	14	2
Smethwick	33	8
Stoke-on-Trent	116	33
Walsall	119	12
West Bromwich	129	9
Wolverhampton	82	7
Worcester	36	27
Total County Boroughs	1,469	489
TOTAL	2,628	751

asked the Minister of Education how long it will take at the present rates of recruitment of teachers and school building, to reduce the size of all primary and secondary classes in Newcastle-under-Lyme to below 30 pupils per class.

It is not possible to make a reliable estimate. Newcastle-under-Lyme will share in the improved national supply of teachers. It is impossible to forecast whether oversize classes will be eliminated there earlier than 1970.

asked the Minister of Education if he will set up a committee to survey the experience of comprehensive schools in England and Wales and the different patterns of comprehensive education which are developing, with a view to circulating information about them to local education authorities and making recommendations.

No.

asked the Minister of Education how many of Her Majesty's Inspectors have had their main teaching experience in independent schools, direct grant schools, maintained grammar schools, primary schools, technical colleges, and with responsible bodies, respectively.

I am having the information assembled in the form requested and will let the hon. Member have it.

asked the Minister of Education if he will publish in HANSARD for the latest period for which figures are available, an analysis, by numbers of subjects taken and passes gained, of the General Certificate of Education results of secondary modern pupils.

The latest available figures are those given in the Ministry's Annual Report for 1959 (Table 40). The analysis of entries in the 1960 examinations will be available early in the New Year.

asked the Minister of Education what is the latest information at his disposal about the comparative pupil-teacher ratios in independent schools, direct grant schools, grammar schools, and secondary modern schools, respectively.

The latest information relates to January, 1960, and is given in the following table:

Type of School	Pupil/teacher ratio*	Pupils per full-time teacher
Independent, recognized as efficient—
Primary	12·7	14·1
Secondary	12·2	13·2
Primary and Secondary	14·8	16·3
Independent, not recognised—
Primary	··	18·0
Secondary	··	18·2
Primary and Secondary	··	18·9
Direct Grant Grammar	18·0	18·8
Maintained Grammar	18·5	19·1
Maintained Modern	22·1	22·8
* Including the full-time teaching equivalent of part-time teachers.
·· not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he received from the British Council of Churches their resolutions, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Govan, concerning the Report of the Monckton Commission; what reply he has made; and if he will make a statement.

I received a copy of the resolutions on 31st October. On 14th November a deputation from the British Council of Churches was received by my right hon. Friend the Commonwealth Secretary and my noble Friend the Minister of State, when the Council's views were discussed. The delegation were assured that their views would be fully taken into account by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the membership of the Northern Rhodesian delegation to the conference to review the constitution of the Federation of Central Africa.

The Governor Informs me that the delegation is not yet complete. When it is, the names will be announced without delay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what consideration has been given during the last two years to the introduction of family allowances in Malta; and with what result.

The Government of Malta were considering the introduction of a system of family allowances, coupled with the abolition of subsidies on rationed foodstuffs, when, in June of this year, a substantial wage increase was awarded to Government industrial staff. This award necessitated not only increased taxation in Malta but also a special grant-in-aid from Her Majesty's Government. Bearing in mind the further increase in costs which would be involved, the Government of Malta have deferred a decision on family allowances and the abolition of subsidies.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make a statement on the Terrington Report, in the light of the present disastrous outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in this country.

I am not yet in a position to make a statement on the Terrington Report but hone to be able to do so shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

I have little to add to the replies which were given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir A. Hurd) on 21st November. Up to midnight yesterday, 172 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease had been confirmed since 6th November. Of these 76 were in East Anglia, 24 in the North East of England, and 55 in Scotland. With the exception of the Orkney Islands, the controlled area restrictions in Scotland have been lifted as from today.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total annual amount spent by the Forestry Commission on improving their employees' houses between 1952 and 1959; how these sums were divided between water supplies, improvements to sanitation, the addition of bathrooms and the supply of electricity; and how much has been spent so far this year on these categories of improvements.

The annual amounts spent by the Forestry Commission on improvements are as follows:

				£
1952–53	…	…	…	40,000
1953–54	…	…	…	40,000
1954–55	…	…	…	61,000
1955–56	…	…	…	51,000
1956–57	…	…	…	83,000
1957–58	…	…	…	81,000
1958–59	…	…	…	69,000
1959–60	…	…	…	116,000
				£541,000

Details of the amounts spent on the various types of improvement are not available for the whole period but I will send the hon. Member details for this year and last year in the course of the next few days.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what welfare facilities other than housing and road improvements were provided in Forestry Commission villages between 1952 and 1959; and what was the annual expenditure on each type of improvement.

Between 1952 and 1959 the Forestry Commission and other bodies provided or maintained, or helped with the provision or maintenance of, a variety of facilities including village halls, shops, schools, garages, transport and playing fields. I am obtaining information about the expenditure by the Forestry Commission and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Minister for Science, whether he will make a statement on the Low Temperature Research Establishment at Cambridge.

At the present time the Low Temperature Research Station is engaged on a programme that includes both fundamental and applied studies of the quality of meat (including poultry) and of eggs; investigation into problems connected with the preservation and processing of fruit and vegetables; and more general studies of the biochemistry, biophysics and microbiology of foods.The building occupied by the Station is held on a 10-year lease from the University. The lease expires in 1966, and the University has given notice that it will not then be possible to renew the lease because they need the space. The Agricultural Research Council is considering the future of the work at present being carried on at the Station.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the names of the universities in England and Wales which offer facilities for the training of nuclear engineers and reactor physicists; and if he will state the numbers of such students at each of those universities for the years 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960.

The universities in England and Wales which offer facilities for the training of nuclear engineers and reactor physicists are Birmingham, Durham, London, Manchester and Southampton. In the years in question an average of 90 students took Postgraduate courses and about 100 students chose nuclear engineering or reactor physics as an option in their final year of their undergraduate course. I am sending the detailed figures to the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now announce his plans for extending university accommodation in London; and whether he is prepared to divert additional university facilities to less congested areas.

The question of further university expansion is still being considered.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the present position regarding the proposals for a new Scottish university.

As I informed the House on 10th November, no decision has yet been taken on whether there is a need for further new university institutions, but the University Grants Committee, who advise my right hon. and learned Friend on these matters, would be ready to consider applications from localities in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gun licences were issued in 1938, 1950, and 1959, respectively.

I have been asked to reply.The number of gun licences issued in Great Britain was:

Fin. Year
1938–39	…	…	…	217,769
1950–51	…	…	…	278,461
1959–60	…	…	…	328,251

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if, in view of the requirements of the Noise Abatement Act and a shortage of expert knowledge on noise problems, he will arrange, in conjunction with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to make expert advice available to local authorities and industrial firms as to the causes of noise nuisances and the best means of overcoming them.

Many private consultants advise on noise problems and, subject to its general research commitments, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is ready to advise where appropriate. Industrial noise as affecting the public is being studied by the Committee on the Problem of Noise appointed by the Government earlier this year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what progress has been made with the re-examination of the plans for evacuating the civil population in the event of an emergency.

I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to a Question by the hon. Member for Lanark yesterday.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now introduce legislation to enable local authorities to grant concessionary fares to old-age pensioners on municipal transport services.

No. Under the existing law concessionary fares to old-age pensioners can be granted in certain circumstances by local authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport what progress he has made in his consultations with local authorities' associations with a view to preparing a general circular announcing the revision of the basis for estimating future traffic volumes laid down in Circular 727 of 30th April, 1956.

The general circular on the design of roads in rural areas to which I referred in my reply to the hon. Member on 9th November has now been drafted by a technical panel on which highway authority engineers, the Road Research Laboratory and my Department were represented. I shall be consulting the local authorities associations very shortly.

asked the Minister of Power what general direction he has given to the Central Electricity Generating Board with reward to research into the extraction of fuel from derelict pit heaps: and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Minister of Power whether, in view of the potential success of the Central Electricity Generating Board's efforts to extract fuel from derelict pit heaps, he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board to consider surveying all abandoned heaps with a view to the power-producing industries jointly taking full advantage of this waste, and likewise helping to clear the mining districts of these dirt tips.

No. The reworking of old pit heaps is highly speculative. Action is therefore best left to local initiative.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the membership and what are the functions of the Advisory Committee on Facilities for Commonwealth Trainees in the United Kingdom; if this committee has yet met; and if he will make a statement.

The Commonwealth Education Conference held in July, 1959, suggested increased mutual assistance by Commonwealth countries in providing training and experience in industry. After preliminary discussion with the main industrial organisations, the Board of Trade decided that the first step was to set up the Committee to which the hon. Member refers. It consists of representatives of the Federation of British Industries, the National Union of Manufacturers, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce and the British Council as well as the Board of Trade, the Commonwealth Relations Office, the Colonial Office, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The British Employers' Confederation and the Trades Union Congress agreed to consider the Committee's papers and to attend as necessary.Every year many thousands from other Commonwealth countries spend periods training in United Kingdom industry, as a result of private arrangements made direct with the firms concerned or, alternatively, under various British and international schemes providing for such training. It is not intended that the Committee should interfere with these arrangements but that it should, wherever possible, arrange for these facilities to be increased to meet the special needs of other Commonwealth countries. At its first meeting last March the Committee arranged for inquiries to be sent to other Commonwealth countries as to their precise needs. So far it has been possible to deal with the few requests made by other Commonwealth countries through normal Ministry of Labour machinery and therefore a further meeting of the Committee has not yet been necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to minimise the dangers to pedestrians on that part of the A.80 road at the commencement of Muirhead.

Work is in hand to provide a footpath along the south side of the diversion with a ramped descent to Station Road so that pedestrians from the housing estate may cross into Muir-head by the Station Road underbridge. I also understand that Lanark County Council has made arrangements for a patrol to convey a small number of school children who have to cross at the south-western end of the diversion. It is not considered necessary to make any special provision for the small number of other pedestrians who may wish to cross at that point. The County Council is, I understand, considering an extension of the street lighting eastwards from the south-western end of the diversion.