asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a further statement on the foot-and-mouth outbreak in the country generally, and in Lincolnshire and adjacent counties in particular.

Up to midnight yesterday, there were 208 outbreaks in the present series.There have been no outbreaks in Lincolnshire and the number of outbreaks in adjacent counties is as follows:

Yorks, E. Riding	2
Nottingham	16
Leicester	2
Norfolk	69

The five outbreaks in Lincolnshire—Lindsey—during the period 5th-15th September, 1960, had no connection, so far as we know, with the present series.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what has been expended by the Government of Hong Kong in the current financial year on public health, primary education, community development and hospitals, respectively; and what increases are proposed in the coming financial year.

During 1959–60, the Hong Kong Government spent about £5 million on medical services, including £3·7 million on hospitals. £4 million was spent on primary education and £1·3 million on community development.During 1960–61, estimated expenditure is £6·2 million on medical services, including £4·7 million on hospitals; £5·5 million on primary education and £1·8 million on community development. These together represent an increase of nearly 25 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what provisions are made by the Government of Hong Kong regarding health, welfare and safety at work, and for the payment of workers in cases of industrial injury.

Industrial health, safety and welfare provisions are enforced by law. A Labour Inspectorate of forty-one carries out frequent inspections to ensure that machinery is fenced, work places are safe and not overcrowded, that ventilation, lighting, drainage and sanitation accord with statutory standards, that the statutory working hours of women and young persons are not exceeded and that children are not employed in any industrial undertaking. The provision of first-aid equipment and drinking water is compulsory in all factories, as are dining or rest rooms in factories where women or young persons are employed on shift work between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Many concerns provide welfare facilities in excess of their statutory obligations. The Industrial Health Officer and his staff investigate hazards and diseases, supervise industrial medical services and organise first aid classes for workers. In addition, all industrial accidents and dangerous occurrences have to be reported to the Labour Department for investigation and preventive action as necessary.The Workmen's Compensation Ordinance provides for compensation for all manual workers and non-manual workers earning less than £525 a year, in the event of injury arising out of and in the course of employment and causing death, permanent incapacity or absence from work in excess of three days.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the rates of tax upon earned annual incomes of single persons of £400, £750, £1,500 and £5,000 or their equivalent in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Inland Revenue Ordinance imposes four separate taxes: Profits Tax, Salaries Tax, Interest Tax, and Property Tax; and it is possible for two single persons, one in business and the other in employment, each earning the same amount of income, to be taxed at different rates. This is due to the fact that the personal allowance and the graduated steps of tax are applicable to Salaries Tax only, although the businessman can obtain the same privilege if he applies to be personally assessed on his total income.A single man earning £400 a year is below the taxable limit. A businessman earning £750, £1,500 or £5,000 a year is charged Business Profits Tax at the standard rate of 12½ per cent. without reliefs. A single man in employment, or one in business who has applied to be personally assessed on his total income, is taxed as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent retirement pensions are provided in Hong Kong.

Pensions or gratuities are payable to employees of the Hong Kong Government and to locally enlisted employees of the Armed Services. Teaching staff in the Hong Kong University and in Government-assisted schools participate in contributory provident fund schemes, as do many overseas employees of the larger commercial concerns. Local staff of such concerns usually receive noncontributory gratuities on retirement normally at the rate of one month's pay, or more, for each year of service. This accords with local preference for lump sum payments rather than retirement pensions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent there is provision in Hong Kong for insurance of workers against unemployment and sickness.

There is no compulsory insurance against unemployment or sickness, but the Hong Kong Government, the Armed Services, public utilities and many well-established commercial concerns provide free medical facilities and grant paid sick leave. Free or subsidised medical attention for families is also provided by many major employers. Trade unions also grant benefits to their workers in cases of sickness, death and unemployment, and many operate clinics and other welfare facilities. The Social Welfare Department of the Government and the many voluntary welfare organisations also play a substantial part in relieving cases of hardship.With regard to unemployment, Government employees receive pensions or gratuities if their services are terminated because of redundancy or reorganisation, and most major employers grant gratuities in similar circumstances. Even in smaller concerns some ex-gratia payment is normally negotiated when discharges result from redundancy.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what minimum wages regulations are in force in Hong Kong.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made to establish liaison between education departments and industry, respectively, in the United Kingdom and the territories under Her Majesty's jurisdiction, with regard to the training of students in technical, scientific and commercial subjects.

The arrangements for attachments to industry, where these are a necessary element of the training in the United Kingdom of students from the dependent territories, form part of the official machinery for placing students recommended by overseas education departments through the Colonial Office or the Students Office in London of the overseas Government concerned. This has now been supplemented under the Commonwealth Educational Co-operation Programme by the setting up of an Advisory Committee on Facilities for Commonwealth Trainees in the United Kingdom, the functions of which were explained by the President of the Board of Trade in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 24th November, 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent the training of students from the dependent territories in technical and scientific subjects is related to the technical and scientific needs of the countries to which they will be returning.

Subject to the availability of suitable candidates, the foreseeable needs of the dependent territories for trained scientists and technicians are fully taken into account by the Governments concerned when recommendations are made for training courses overseas.I intend to explore the possibility, as and when numbers of overseas students at the sub-professional level increase, of arranging special courses for them which might meet their requirements more exactly than the existing courses into which most students are now fitted.

asked the Minister of Health how much money, in addition to that already earmarked within the general medical services central pool, he proposes to make available for group practice loans, following the recommendations of the Pilkington Report.

£88,000 a year for England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Health the average weekly cost of a bed in hospitals generally, and the similar cost in the London teaching hospitals.

For acute hospitals the average weekly costs per patient for the year ended 31st March, 1960, were:

	£	s.	d.
Non-teaching hospitals	25	16	7
Teaching hospitals (London)	36	9	7
Teaching hospitals (Provinces)	30	4	11

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many members are on his Advisory Council on the Employment of Prisoners; and haw many of them are industrialists and trade unionists, respectively.

There are fourteen members on the Advisory Council of whom four are trade unionists and four hold positions on the management side of industry.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why there is no National Assistance Board office in the Borough of Willesden.

Because the Board considers that its offices at Wembley and Hampstead provide adequately for the needs of people living in Willesden.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance haw many persons residing in the Borough of Willesden are receiving National Assistance benefit.

The number of persons in Willesden receiving weekly National Assistance grants is not known, as the borough is served by two offices which between them also serve the whole of two other boroughs and part of a third.

asked the Postmaster-General when the Bill to give the Post Office new status will be introduced.

As soon as possible and as soon as Parliamentary time permits.

asked the Postmaster-General what steps he has taken to ensure users of the car telephone service of privacy in their telephone conversations; how many have been installed; and to what extent this service is proving a success.

I am studying the technical possibilities of reducing casual overhearing. This could not be done without increasing the cost of the equipment, and I doubt whether users would think it worth while. Complete secrecy would cost more still, and I do not think it is really a practicable proposition.Sixty-five vehicles are now equipped with telephones, but it is too soon to reach conclusions about the success of the service.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that people wanting to make calls from kiosks are often kept waiting because the kiosk is occupied by other people making unnecessarily prolonged calls; and whether he will take steps to prevent the public being inconvenienced in this way.

I agree this causes annoyance. I have considered the possibility of cutting off calls after a limited time. But to do this for kiosks connected to automatic telephone exchanges would mean additional equipment at the exchange itself, and a complete re-design of the box, at a cost of about £3 million. To do it at kiosks connected to manual exchanges would also be expensive, and would involve changes in the equipment and more staff. I could not justify all this.This difficulty however should wane with the introduction of the new design of public call offices, as the system of subscriber trunk dialling is extended. With the new box local calls are automatically disconnected after 3 minutes—6 minutes in the cheap rate period—unless another fee is paid. I hope to have 3,000 of these new boxes working within the next twelve months.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a list of the school-building projects originally included in his estimate for 1959–60 which have not yet been begun; and if he will give the value of the project in each case.

Following is the information:

List of school-building projects originally included in approved building programme for 1959–60 which had not started at 30th October, 1960
Name of School and Nature of Project
	Cost (£000)
AYR
Prestwick, St. Ninian's Roman Catholic Primary School—new school	67
Girvan Sacred Heart High School—reconstruction	15
Dundonald Primary School—extension	30
Barr Primary School—extension	10
CAITHNESS
Thurso, Pennyland Primary School—new school	120
DUMFRIES
Dumfries Academy—alterations and additions	50
Locharbriggs Primary School—extension	10
EAST LOTHIAN
North Berwick High School—new kitchen	7
Ormiston Primacy School—new kitchen	8
INVERNESS
Inverness New Girls' Hostel	45
Lochyside Roman Catholic Junior Secondary School—new school	122
LANARK
Rutherglen Roman Catholic Secondary School—remodelling and extension (Phase II)	129
Newarthill Primary School—remodelling and extension	58
Rutherglen, Calderwood Primary School—extension	30
Eastfield Primary School—remodelling	20
Wishaw Coltness Roman Catholic Primary School and Secondary School—new schools	270
Strathaven, Goodsburn Primary School—new school	77
Mossend Roman Catholic School—remodelling	20
Strathaven Roman Catholic Primary School—extension	15

Name of School and Nature of Project
	Cost (£000)
LANARK (cont.)
Muir Street Primary School—school meals accommodation	16
Auchinraith Special School—new gymnasium	15
Coatbridge, St. Augustine's Roman Catholic Primary School—replacement	90
ORKNEY
Papa Westray Primary School—extension	8
PERTH AND KINROSS
St. Dominic's Roman Catholic Primary School—alterations and additions	21
RENFREW
Howwood Primary School—replacement	30
Inverkip Primary School—adaptations and extension	20
Houston, St. Fillan's Roman Catholic Junior Secondary School—kitchen	15
Inchinnan Primary School—kitchen	15
STIRLING
Grangemouth Roman Catholic Primary School—new school	80
WEST LOTHIAN
Linlithgow Primary School—new school	75
WIGTOWN
Drummore Primary School—alterations and additions	12
DUNDEE
St. Michael's Roman Catholic Secondary School—dining hall	13

Name of School and Nature of Project
	Cost (£000)
EDINBURGH
St. Crispin's Special School—new school	35
St. Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School—additions	11
GLASGOW
Springbank Primary School—alterations	15
Renfrew Street Special School—alterations	10
St. Bernadette's Primary School—replacement	60
Stow College of Engineering—extension	60
Maryhill Primary School—extension	80
Whitehall Secondary School—alterations	25

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consult the representatives of other countries with the object of creating an international patent office; and whether he will enter into negotiations with the members of the European Free Trade Association to secure greater unification in the laws relating to patents.

My right hon. Friend has already arranged for the views of experts from countries—members of the European Free Trade Association as well as those of the European Common Market—to be sought on the possibility of creating an International Patent Office, and some preliminary consultation has recently taken place. The establishment of such an office would tend towards greater unification of the patent laws of all countries which recognised it.