asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the recent visit of his Parliamentary Secretary to Sunderland.

While in Sunderland my hon. Friend held discussions with the local authorities and others, inspected a number of sites where factory construction was taking place and generally informed himself on the employment problems of the area. The Board of Trade are well aware of Sunderland's need for new industry and will continue their efforts to encourage firms to go there.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to secure a tenant for the Government-owned factory of the Bridgend Industrial Estate which has been vacant since last summer.

The Board take every opportunity of bringing these premises to the notice of suitable firms, and are continuing to do all they can to find an appropriate tenant.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new jobs have been created in the United Kingdom by the completion of new factories and extensions during each of the last three years; how many have been created since the passing of the Local Employment Act; and how many new jobs are in prospect during 1961.

New factories and extensions known to be completed in 1958, 1959 and 1960 had employment estimated by the firms concerned of 71,635, 48,323 and 48,111, respectively. Comparable figures for the period since the passing of the Local Employment Act are not yet available. It is estimated that 138,275 persons will be employed by schemes now known to be under construction. Some of these will be completed in 1961.Statistics are not available for the United Kingdom as a whole. These figures relate to Great Britain.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for Customs inspections to take place on trains and coaches from ports and airports with a view to facilitating the arrival of travellers from abroad.

This suggestion has been carefully considered many times, but in the circumstances of the United Kingdom the conclusion is that Customs examination on trains and coaches would be inconvenient for travellers and preclude an economical and effective Customs control.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent during 1960 the effects of the restriction on bank advances were diminished by extended trade credit.

No statistics are available to show whether or not there was an increase in trade credit extended during 1960.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent he estimates that rating revaluation of domestic hereditaments will influence and affect assessments of such domestic hereditaments for purposes of Income Tax Schedule A; and whether he will make a statement.

A revaluation for Income Tax Schedule A would require legislation in a Finance Bill. In the absence of such legislation, rating revaluation will not affect Schedule A assessments on houses or other kinds of property.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware than an unoccupied dwelling house, privately owned, is derated for the period of emptiness, whereas no such provision is applicable to Income Tax Schedule A liability; and what steps he proposes to put Schedule A Income Tax on a similar basis to that of the local rates.

Section 107 of the Income Tax Act, 1952, already gives relief from tax under Schedule A in these circumstances, except in so far as rent under a short lease is payable during the period while the house is unoccupied.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the loss of revenue if Surtax rates were changed to those applying in 1938–39.

It would cost about £65 million to charge Surtax at 1937–38 rates, that is, the rates for the Surtax due in 1938–39.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons were liable to Surtax in respect of earned income at the latest convenient date; and what information he has concerning their breakdown between those in receipt of salaries from public funds, those employed privately, and those who were self-employed.

It is estimated that for the year 1958–59 about 350,000 persons with some earned income were liable to Surtax. For about 60 per cent. of these the primary source of earnings was employment, and for the remainder it was self-employment. It is not known how many received salaries from public funds.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied that a payment of £375,000 out of the Crown Nominee Account to the Exchequer in 1959 as compared with the payment of £77,249 in grants represents a fair distribution of estates escheated to the Crown; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, claims for grants from estates falling to the Crown as bona vacantia are made only in a small proportion of cases. I am satisfied that the long established practice which governs the exercise of the Royal Bounty in these cases works fairly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is yet in a position to sell Richard Thomas and Baldwins back to the public.

As my right hon. and learned Friend informed the House on 27th October, 1960, the Government have decided in all the circumstances to defer the sale of Richard Thomas and Baldwins until its present developments are nearer to maturity. I have nothing further to add.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the estimated average rate of Income Tax and Surtax combined payable on dividends, excluding inter-company dividends, received from United Kingdom companies by individuals resident in the United Kingdom in respect of the year ended 31st March, 1960, or the latest year for which figures are available.

I regret that there is not enough information on which to make the required estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the debentures, loans and preference shares at present held on behalf of the public by the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency to be marketed; what estimate he has made of the likely loss to public funds; and whether he will now postpone the operation.

I cannot enter into any discussion about particular aspects of possible future operations by the Agency.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to a phased acceptance over a period of years of the claim for the consideration of unestablished service in the Civil Service to count in full for pension purposes; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has, like his predecessor, given this suggestion careful consideration; but he has reached the same conclusion, namely, that any feasible scheme for the gradual introduction of full reckoning would make very little difference to the total cost. For example, a 10-year phasing would save only about £14 million—less than 5 per cent. of the total burden of about £300 million which it is estimated that full reckoning would impose on the Exchequer over the years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the approximate cost of partial acceptance of the claim for the consideration of unestablished service in the Civil Service to count in full for pension purposes by arranging for pre-1949 service to count to the extent of three-quarters instead of one-half as hitherto; and if he will make a statement.

The cost of three-quarter reckoning would be half as much as that of full reckoning. It is, of course, the latter which is the subject of the present claim.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he refuses Scottish banks the right to issue 10s. notes.

Scottish banks are prohibited from issuing 10s. notes by the Bank Notes (Scotland) Act, 1845.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what loss to public funds he estimates will be incurred by the forthcoming sale of the £40 million First Debenture Stock 1980–85 of the Steel Company of Wales at present held on behalf of the public by the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency.

I cannot enter into any discussion about particular aspects of possible future operations by the Agency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the contribution negligence makes to fire and crime risks; and whether he will consider establishing a service of qualified inspectors to advise owners and occupiers of property as to the best precautions against the dangers involved.

Negligence certainly increases fire and crime risks. It is already part of the duty of fire authorities and of the police to advise owners and occupiers, and I am not persuaded that a special service of inspectors is called for.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the new evidence relating to the Evans case, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Northampton, he will now grant permission for the remains of Timothy John Evans to be removed from prison and reinterred in consecrated ground in accordance with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the facts which have now come to light, he will recommend the granting of a free pardon to Timothy Evans and return his remains to hic family.

I am not yet in a position to add to the reply I gave on 26th January to Questions by the hon. Members for Pontypool (Mr. Abse), Kensington, North (Mr. G. H. R. Rogers), and Nelson and Colne (Mr. S. Silverman).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the estimated nett immigration from the West Indies to the United Kingdom for the year ended 31st December, 1960, as compared with the previous year.

49,700 as compared with 16,400 in 1959.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of variation in practice between one police authority and another, he will introduce legislation laying down a code of conduct designed to protect persons in custody or persons invited to police stations from any unfair use of modern psychological means of interrogation.

The Judges' Rules, supplemented by the recommendations circulated to the police in 1947 and 1948 with the approval of the then Lord Chief Justice, already constitute a code of practice of general application.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that there were 17 murders in the first 23 days of January, what action he proposes to take to deal with the situation.

I have not yet received full information regarding offences committed in this period. The number of murders varies considerably from month to month, and an incidence of murder over a short period of the order specified by my hon. and gallant Friend could not in itself be taken as a final indication of a particular trend. I am arranging, however, for the returns to be analysed in more detail.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take the necessary legislative action to prohibit any publication of the name, detail or address of any person who offers information to the police when they are investigating a murder or serious crime.

My information is that the police exercise great care in this matter, and I think it is best left to their discretion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied that there is sufficient control over the communication of information to the Press by Scotland Yard, and that no injury can be caused to innocent persons as a result of their doing so.

It is a disciplinary offence for a member of a police force to communicate information to the Press without proper authority. When consideration is given, in accordance with the Commissioner's orders, to the grant of such authority in the Metropolitan Police, the possibility of injury to an innocent person is always a primary consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will refer the question of the penal value of the death sentence to the Barry Committee with a view to the early repeal or amendment of Section 5 of the Homicide Act, 1957.

No. I do not consider that such a reference would be appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many European refugees who are physically handicapped have applied to enter Great Britain during the last three months; and how many have been refused admission.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees and their families, whose names were submitted through voluntary agencies in Germany and Austria, are to be interviewed by the official mission now on the Continent; and on what basis they were selected.

The names of 1,863 refugees were submitted. Of these, 1,287 who appeared to be qualified for consideration under the selection criteria, which were announced on 10th March last, were included in the final lists of refugees to be interviewed; 21 other applicants who appeared to be eligible for admission to the United Kingdom under normal immigration policy were invited to submit visa applications in the ordinary way.Of the 1,863 names submitted, 1,123 were of physically handicapped persons or were members of families one of whose members was a physically handicapped person. Of the 575 applicants outside the criteria who were not selected for interview, 284 were in this category.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the recommendation of the Ingleby Committee that the Welfare Officers Service should be allowed to run down gradually is to be implemented this year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 26th January.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take powers to make it obligatory for the police to supply to the legal adviser of an accused person, immediately on request, a copy of any statement alleged to have been made by such person to the police whether or not the matter has been referred by the police force in question to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

No. It is the practice of the police to supply on request to the legal representative of an accused person a copy of any statement that he may have made, except in the rare cases in which, in the opinion of the chief officer of police, there are good reasons for thinking that to comply with the request would impede the course of justice. It is for the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider any such request where he is responsible for the prosecution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of public concern over the victims of murder with rape, he will give fresh consideration to the memoranda submitted to the Royal Commission on Capital Punishment by the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency; whether he is aware that pathological murder is often potentially preventable by early treatment; and whether he will confer with the appropriate authorities with a view to creating a preventive system to combat violent crime by the establishment of an adequate service of child psychiatry for the recognition and treatment of disordered children who may be potential murderers.

The child care, health, welfare and education services are constantly on the alert to identify children in need, for whatever reason, of psychiatric treatment. The services available for dealing specifically with mentally disordered children are developing, and I am considering with my colleagues, in the light of the recommendations of the Ingleby Committee, how to improve the co-ordination of the various local services concerned with the welfare of children. I shall keep in mind the views expressed on this subject by the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that traffic wardens in the provinces have no powers under his recent regulations to demand the name and address of a motorist or to demand to see his licence, and that this prevents them from carrying out their duties effectively; and if he will re-examine the position with a view to assisting them.

As was explained on the Second Reading of the Road Traffic and Roads Improvement Bill, it was not intended that traffic wardens should have power to demand names and addresses, and this applies in London as well as in the provinces. I have no reason to think that the powers of traffic wardens are inadequate for the purpose of carrying out the functions so far prescribed for them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the traffic wardens in the provinces do not have similar powers to those given to the wardens in the Metropolitan Stipendiary Court Area; and whether he will take steps to ensure uniformity in this respect.

I take it that the hon. Member has it in mind that Section 1 of the Road Traffic and Roads Improvement Act, 1960, has so far been extended only to the Metropolitan Stipendiary Court Area. It was made clear to the House that this Section would be applied in the first place in London, and that its extension elsewhere would be considered later in the light of experience.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that three Cardiff youths, sentenced for Borstal training, have already been in Swansea gaol for five weeks; and what steps he intends to take to remove these juveniles from this prison.

Yes. There has recently been a delay in moving boys to borstal reception centres, mainly because of a sharp increase in committals, but these boys and others sentenced in December will be moved to the reception centre by the end of this week.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the amount of compensation paid to those owners of firearms, which had been handed to the Royal Irish Constabulary during the unsettled period immediately after the 1914–18 war, to whom such arms were not returned.

Remaining records indicate that compensation amounting to nearly £14,000 was paid from the United Kingdom Exchequer in respect of surrender of, loss of or damage to firearms, ammunition, etc.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the total number of persons under 21 years of age convicted of drunkenness in Cardiff on each respective day of the week, including Sundays, during the past two years.

Figures showing the number of persons convicted of drunkenness on each day of the week are not available. In 1958 the number of offences of drunkenness in Cardiff for which persons under the age of 21 were convicted was 38. The corresponding figure for 1959 was 34; the figure for 1960 is not yet available.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which Mr. Harry Nkumbula, a British protected person, was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, and detained for 24 hours, before being allowed to proceed to attend the Northern Rhodesia Constitutional Conference in London.

I have been asked to reply.I understand Mr. Nkumbula missed his aircraft at Johannesburg on 19th January and that he was detained until the next flight which was on the following day. When the report of this appeared in the South African Press, the High Commissioner asked the Union Government for an official account of the incident. This is still awaited.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a further statement about the new constitution for the Bechuanaland Protectorate.

I have been asked to reply.The constitutional instruments have been made and were laid before Parliament on 30th December. These give effect to the constitution outlined in Cmnd. 1159, with one modification, namely, that it has been provided that the maximum life of the Legislative Council will be four years, instead of five years. This modification was requested by the Joint Advisory Council in the Protectorate.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what progress has been made in each of the High Commission Territories in implementing the recommendations of the Morse Report on economic development.

I have been asked to reply.The Morse Report on the economic development of the High Commission Territories has been examined by the High Commissioner, in consultation with the territorial authorities. We are now considering in the light of the High Commissioner's recommendations how best it can be implemented and are exploring various ways in which the necessary finance might be obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a statement about the projected development of the mining and export of iron ore in Swaziland.

I have been asked to reply.The iron ore deposit at Bomvu Ridge, the rights to which are held by the Swaziland Iron Ore Development Company, is estimated to contain 40 million tons of ore with a grade of approximately 60–62 per cent. Fe. The construction of a railway line from the Mine to link up with the Portuguese East Africa system at Goba and thus enable the export of the ore through Lourenco Marques is under active consideration.

asked the Minister of Education if, in the light of further information forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Barking, he will reconsider his decision to postpone indefinitely the building of a junior school on the Thames View Estate, Barking, Essex; and if he will make a statement.

This project has not been postponed indefinitely. As I have explained to the hon. Member, it cannot be included in the 1962–63 programme, but I will consider it on its merits for inclusion in the 1963–65 programme if that should be the authority's wish.

asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to encourage the wider use of the Schools Television Programme Service.

Local education authorities and the schools are developing the use of this valuable service as their experience and needs determine. I am following this development with great interest.

asked the Minister of Education what evidence he has that retired women teachers are deterred from returning to teaching by the present system of assessing husband and wife's income jointly for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

I have no direct evidence, but I have been told by some women's organisations that there is a deterrent at Surtax level.

asked the Minister of Education if he will raise the pensions for older retired teachers in line with recent pension increases.

Teachers' pensions are increased under Pensions (Increase) Acts which apply to many kinds of public servants including teachers, and are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The last such Act, which became law in August, 1959, gave the largest increase to the older public service pensioner.

asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to bring the White Paper, Better Opportunities in Technical Education, Command Paper No. 1254, to the attention of industrial organisations and to secure action on its recommendations.

Many industrial organisations were consulted about the proposals contained in the White Paper, and are collaborating with the educational bodies concerned in putting them into effect. Apart from the general publicity, a summary of the proposals was sent to over 400 technical and specialist journals. I hope that everyone interested in technical education will help in putting these reforms into operation.

asked the Minister of Education when he will be able to announce the names of the two working parties which are to discuss library problems; and, in general, how these are to be constituted.

I hope shortly to have completed my consultations and to be able to announce the composition of these working parties.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the petitions submitted to the Governor of Sierra Leone in connection with the alleged monopoly for the purchase of imported rice and other irregularities affecting members of the Government, together with a request for the establishment of a Royal Commission to inquire into these allegations; and what reply has been sent.

The answer to the first part of the Question is, "No". The second part does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what study is being made by Her Majesty's Government of the possibility of devising constitutions, other than on the Westminster parliamentary model, for dependent territories whose peoples may find other forms of constitutional government more suited to their needs and traditions.

Broadly speaking, the representatives of the dependent territories associate self-government with the parliamentary forms which we have striven to develop and do not seek any radical departures from them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give details of the number of detainees at Galole in the Tana River district of Kenya, the payment received for work undertaken, and the rations available.

There are 89 restricted persons at Galole, 46 of whom are tenants on the Tana River Irrigation Scheme. Both tenants and non-tenants are paid a basic cash allowance of 30s. a month, and non-tenants also receive a ration allowance in kind to the value of 35s. a month. The tenants are fully occupied in cultivating their holdings and although all non-tenants do some work, the work available is limited in scope and the rates of pay and the hours worked therefore vary considerably.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many leaders of the United National Independence Party are subject to restriction in Northern Rhodesia; and what other steps are being, taken by the Northern Rhodesian Government to restrict the activities of this party.

The answer to both parts of the Question is none so far as concerns powers exercisable by the Northern Rhodesian Government. Native Authorities may, however, from time to time exercise their powers under the Native Authorities Ordinance to regulate the movement of Africans into or within their areas of jurisdiction.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what were the final accounts for the financial year 1959–60 of all the farming grants, subsidies and deficiency payments paid to farmers in Wales and Monmouthshire, including payments in respect of eggs, fatstock, cereals, and potatoes;(2) if he will make available an estimate of the proportion of the last total agricultural vote which went to farmers in Wales and Monmouthshire.

I regret that I cannot give precise figures for every item requested. It is not therefore possible to make a reliable estimate of the proportion of the total agricultural support going to farmers in Wales and Monmouthshire.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Minister for Science, if he will make a statement about the Zuckerman Report on the scale of enterprise in farming.

The report prepared by the Agricultural Sub-Committee of the Natural Resources (Technical) Committee to which the hon. Member refers was published on 20th January. The summary which it provides of the available facts and figures about farm-size and scale and use of resources will prove of interest and value to everyone concerned with agriculture. I am glad to have this opportunity of repeating in this House the Government's thanks to Sir Solly Zuckerman and the Committee for the valuable and voluntary work involved in preparing their Report.

asked the Minister of Transport how he proposes to implement the financial policies outlined in Command Paper No. 1248, particularly those affecting British Railways.

As I told the House on Monday, 30th January, in the debate on the White Paper, the proposals require legislation, and it is intended to introduce the necessary Bill next Session.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether the recent wage increases granted to workers in the shipbuilding industry will be made available to personnel in Her Majesty's Dockyards; and whether these increases will be dated back to the date of the award in private shipbuilding yards.

A claim for a general increase in wages for the work people employed in Her Majesty's Dockyards is being discussed on the Shipbuilding Trades Joint Council. Negotiations are still in progress.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of psychiatrists of consultant and senior hospital medical officer grade employed in each region, including teaching hospital staff, and the numbers approved in each region for the purposes of Section 28 of the Mental Health Act, 1959.

The numbers employed at 1st July, 1959, are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health how many illegitimate births were recorded to teenage mothers in 1958, 1959, and 1960; and how many gave birth within six months of marriage.

For 1958 and 1959 the numbers of illegitimate maternities among mothers under 20 were 7,409 and 8,121, respectively. The numbers of maternities within six months of marriage among these mothers were 13,616 and 14,407. The information is not yet available for 1960.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of accidents causing injury to workmen in the Llanwern project during the past 12 months; what was the rate per 1,000 of work-people employed that this represents; and how this compares. with the national average of industrial accidents.

Ninety accidents were reported during 1960, making a rate of 20 per 1,000 persons employed. In 1959 the rate of reported accidents in factories was 23 per 1,000 for males and 19 for 1,000 for all workers. A rate covering the construction industries will be published for the first time later this year in the Chief Inspector's Report for 1960.

asked the Minister of Power if he is aware of the shortage of household coal for distribution in many parts of the country; and what immediate steps he intends to take in order to remedy this position.

The National Coal Board is making every effort to meet the present strong demand for house coal. It has increased its output of large coal and special arrangements have been made with the British Transport Commission to speed up the distribution of coal to the domestic market. In the first twelve weeks of this winter the Board has despatched 12½ per cent. more coal to the domestic market than last winter.