asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many aliens are now registered as living in Lincoln; and how many there were 10 years ago.

608 and 469 respectively.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he intends to publish the report of a sample survey carried out by the Social Survey unit of the Central Office of Information on the operation of the Rent Act, 1957.

I hope that this will be published within the next three weeks.

asked the Minister of Power which Government-owned oil pipelines are at present in use by private companies; and what are the terms on which these facilities are made available.

A number of Government-owned pipelines are in use for the transport of oil owned by oil companies, under agreements which provide for a charge based on tonnage and mileage. It would not be in the public interest to disclose the routes of the lines in use.

asked the Minister of Power how many oil pipelines are at present serving the vicinity of London Airport; how many are under construction or planned; what is the daily capacity of each; and how the total capacity is related to the present and prospective needs of London Airport.

Only one line has been built, and I understand that its capacity of 700,000 gallons a day is related to the owners' estimate of their future sales and not to the requirements of London Airport as a whole. These are growing and have already reached 300,000 gallons a day. A second line is being planned under a Private Bill going through Parliament to link the airport with another refining centre; its initial capacity will be 700,000 gallons a day, but it will supply the West London area with refined products as well as the airport. I am afraid I cannot usefully comment at this early stage on a third possible project referred to in the Press, for which a Private Bill is being laid.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes in Government policy have become necessary to safeguard the production and marketing of beef cattle in Scotland, following the present disastrous outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Experience of the present outbreak does not indicate that any changes in policy are necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that as the result of the epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease following a poor harvest, many farmers in areas subject to standstill orders, who have prime fat cattle ready for slaughter, are without bedding straw or fodder for additional keep, with the result that they are losing many hundredweights of live weight and suffering financial loss for which they can obtain no compensation; and whether he will instruct his veterinary officers to grant licences for the immediate removal, under such conditions as may be appropriate of such fat cattle to the nearest slaughterhouse.

The removal, at midnight on 23rd November, of the restrictions in the controlled areas on the Scottish mainland should greatly ease this problem. Licences to permit movement of animals for early slaughter have been issued without interruption since the outbreak began. This will continue, subject to the capacity of available slaughterhouses to deal with the animals coming forward without delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will name those full-time and part-time members of the Crofters Commission who are proficient in the speaking, reading, and writing of Gaelic; and what test of proficiency has been applied by him before appointment.

Mr. John McNaughton, C.B.E., J.P., who is a full-time member of the Crofters Commission, is proficient in the speaking, reading and writing of Gaelic. Mr. James Johnstone, a part-time member, can speak and read Gaelic. These gentlemen were not subjected to any linguistic test before their appointment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will name each member of the Crofters Commission who has been in recent years, or is at present, the working tenant of a croft.

Mr. James A. Johnstone, who is a crofter, is the only member of the Crofters Commission who has been or is the working tenant of a croft.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the by-pass consisting of South Anderson Drive, Anderson Drive, and North Anderson Drive, Aberdeen, has been the scene of many fatal motor accidents, and that in consequence Aberdeen Corporation has recommended the imposition of a speed limit on this by-pass; whether he has received the application from the corporation for his approval of this speed limit; and what reply he has sent.

From 1st October, 1955, up to 31st October, 1960, there have been six fatalities and 144 other injuries on Anderson Drive, Aberdeen.No application has so far been received from the Town Council for consent to the imposition of a speed limit but, as the hon. and learned Member was informed in answer to his Question on 15th November, I am prepared to give favourable consideration to the imposition of a 40 m.p.h. limit on this length of road.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to be in a position to make a statement about the proposed Victoria underground line.

I can make no definite forecast.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will inquire urgently into road safety conditions in Whitton Avenue, on the boundary between Wembley and Ealing, in view of the number of accidents to pedestrians which have occurred there in recent months, and especially into the shortage of pedestrian crossings.

Recent counts show that the numbers of both vehicles and pedestrians are insufficient to justify additional pedestrian crossings. But plans are being prepared for a central refuge near Crossgate. The three fatal accidents to pedestrians during the past year have occurred in this vicinity. I am writing to my hon. Friend about the refuge proposal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what financial aid has been made to Fiji by Her Majesty's Government to assist the islands in the sugar industry crisis and for other purposes; and what is the Government's future policy in this respect.

No financial aid has been given in connection with the sugar crisis which arose solely out of a dispute between the cane growers' associations and the sugar millers in the Colony. Her Majesty's Government are prepared to make available for development in the period to 31st March, 1964, up to £4½ million in grants and loans, on the understanding that the fullest possible use will be made of the territory's local resources including natural resources and particularly land.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Bill to give relief to debtors in circumstances arising from the sugar industry dispute has been withdrawn by the Fiji Government.

The Bill was intended as a measure of protection for those farmers who wanted to harvest their sugar cane crop but were at one time unable to do so for reasons outside their control. As soon as all the farmers agreed to harvest, the Bill became unnecessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will state the names of the citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies and British protected persons arrested in Southern Rhodesia under the Vagrancy Act, and give the details in each case of the efforts he has made to secure release.

The Southern Rhodesia Minister of Labour, Social Welfare and Housing has stated in the Southern Rhodesia Legislature that in the personal interests of those concerned, it is not proposed to publish the names of those arrested, but they will be given confidentially to the Legislative Assembly. I will send the hon. Member the names on the same basis when I receive them.As regards the last part of the Question, no information or representations have been received justifying action by Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, taking the internal purchasing value of the £ sterling as 20s. in October, 1951, it had declined to 18s. 8d. in October, 1952 and to 16s. 4d. in October, 1956; and what was the comparable figure for October, 1960.

Yes, on the basis of the retail price index. The comparable figure for October, 1960, is 15s. 1d.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the approximate purchasing power in September, 1951, and September, 1960, of the £ sterling as at September, 1946.

14s. 8d. and 12s. respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will tabulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT details of the aid given to foreign and Commonwealth countries during the last 12 months for each country, and the general purpose of such aid in each case, and the aid it is proposed to give during the next 12 months.

The White Paper on Assistance from the United Kingdom for overseas development (Cmnd. 974), which appeared in March of this year gave details of the assistance provided in recent years. I am considering how best to present regular and up-to-date information on this subject in the future.Expenditure expected in the current year was shown either in the Civil Estimates for 1960–61 of the appropriate Departments, or in Table VII of the financial statement 1960–61, and similar Estimates for the next financial year will appear at the appropriate time.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the total number of civil servants according to the latest figures available; and the totals for the years 1951, 1955, 1959.

The total number of non-industrial civil servants at the 1st October, 1960, was 641,335.On 1st October, 1951, 1955 and 1959 the numbers were:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of the Civil Service for the years, 1951, 1955, 1959.

The total cost of the salaries and wages of non-industrial civil servants during the years 1951, 1955 and 1955, was: