asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of issuing all forms required by Her Majesty's Customs free of charge.

A precise figure cannot be given but the cost would probably be about£50,000 a year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the hardship caused to farmers in drainage areas by a reassessment for Schedule A, and consequently for drainage rates, of their land solely because of an alteration to their buildings, if he will in future reassess only the buildings in such cases.

I understand that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture hopes to move a new Clause on the recommittal of the Land Drainage Bill to meet this point.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that the commission of ls. 3d. per cent. paid to banks, particularly savings banks, and others on the sale of defence bonds is inadequate to cover the cost of the work entailed; and if he will increase this and similar commissions to more realistic rates.

No.The commission paid for the issue of defence bonds is in line with that for comparable Government market stocks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Treasury Working Group on Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings was appointed; how many meetings it has held; how its inquiries are proceeding; and when a report may be expected.

The Working Group was formally constituted in November, 1960, and is meeting regularly. Its business is proceeding satisfactorily but I cannot at this stage say when its work will be completed. I know that my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary intends it to be completed as speedily as possible.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to control the activities of finance companies seeking deposits from members of the public.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the Question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. du Cann) on 16th February.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that one of the results of the abolition of accepted business practices under the procedure of the Restrictive Trade Practices Act has been a growth of amalgamation and monopoly in the industries affected, he will consider introducing legislation to amend the Restrictive Trade Practices Act to enable the Restrictive Practices Court to take this more effectively into account in deciding whether or not any particular practice is or is not in the public interest.

The assumption underlying my hon. Friend's suggestion, as I understand it, is that the maintenance of a restrictive practice is preferable to a merger. My right hon. Friend does not accept this. In addition, I see serious difficulties of practice and principle in my hon. Friend's proposal.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what recent investigations he has made into the desirability of furthering the metric system.

My right hon. Friend is consulting industry about the conclusions drawn in the recent joint report of the British Association and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action has been taken in Sunderland under Section 2 of the Local Employment Act, 1960.

Since 1st April, 1960, approval has been given under Section 2 of the Local Employment Act for 48,400 sq. ft. of new factory building in the Sunderland area to provide an estimated increase of 485 new jobs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what grants have been made under Section 3 of the Local Employment Act, 1960, to persons carrying on or proposing to carry on undertakings in Sunderland.

Two building grants have been offered under Section 3 of the Act, to provide 560 jobs.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why Mr. Easson has been refused financial assistance under the Local Employment Act, in respect of development of the Royal Hotel, Ullapool.

It is not the practice to give the Advisory Committee's reasons for not recommending assistance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new jobs have been provided in the development district of Carluke, Lanarkshire, since January, 1961.

None, so far as I am aware.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he expects the Registrar of Restrictive Trading Agreements to present a report for 1960.

My right hon. Friend will consult with the Registrar and see when he is likely to be in a position to furnish a further report, and what period it might cover.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will set out in tabular form in the OFFICIAL REPORT the total tonnage per square mile of insoluble deposit, soluble deposit and total solids resulting from air pollution at stations where measurements are taken for the average of three years prior to the Clean Air Act becoming law; what was the same average for the three years since the present Act became law for Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Penzance, Trafford Park, Manchester, Phillips Park, Heaton Park, Stoke-on-Trent, Salford, Stockport, Warrington, Burnley, Eccles, Bolton, and Widnes; and at which three places in the country the measurements were highest and lowest.

Annual records of atmospheric pollution are maintained in terms of years ending on 31st March. The period of three years most nearly ending with the Clean Air Act becoming law is that ending on 31st March, 1957. During this period, the average of the annual mean of the recordings at all sites where deposit gauges were in operation are as follows expressed in tons per square mile:

	Undissolved Deposit	Dissolved Deposit	Total Deposit
	10·4	7·8	18·2

Figures for the individual sites—773 in 1955; 892 in 1956; 993 in 1957—from which these averages were obtained appear in the 28th, 29th and 30th Reports in the series entitled "The Investi- gation of Atmospheric Pollution", published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.For the three year period ending 31st March, 1960, the same averages in tons per square mile for sites in the places detailed in the second part of the Question are as follows:

—	Undissolved Deposit	Dissolved Deposit	Total Deposit
Bournemouth		No readings before February, 1959
Eastbourne		No readings available
Penzanne		No readings available
Trafford Park 1 site	33·9	8·9	42·8
Manchester Average of 6 sites	7·0	6·6	13·6
Phillips Park 1 site	15·5	9·9	25·4
Heaton Park 1 site	6·2	6·1	12·3
Stoke-on-Trent Average of 14 sites	11·3	6·3	17·6
Salford Average of 4 sites	14·4	6·4	20·8
Stockport Average of 3 sites	12·0	7·7	19·7
Warrington Average of 5 sites	10·5	10·8	21·3
Burnley 1 site	5·0	7·7	12·7
Eccles Average of 2 sites	10·7	7·0	17·7
Bolton Average of 7 sites	6·7	8·0	14·7
Widnes Average of 6 sites	10·8	20·3	9·5

The three places in the country at which the measurements averaged over the three year period ending 31st March, 1960, were highest and lowest are as follows:

—	Undissolved Deposit	Dissolved Deposit	Total Deposit
Highest
1	Mountain Ash (Glamorgan)	Belasis Avenue Billingham (Co. Durham)	Belasis Avenue Billingham (Co. Durham)
2	Holmewood (Derbyshire)	West Thurrock (Essex)	Mountain Ash (Glamorgan)
3	Easton Yorkshire)	Nelson Avenue Billingham (Co. Durham)	Holmewood (Derbyshire)
Lowest
1	Boghead (Lanarkshire)	Tulliallan (Fife)	Loch Katrine (Perthshire)
2	Loch Katrine (Perthshire)	Saline (Fife)	Glencorse Reservoir (Edinburgh)
3	Brixham (Devon)	Clackmannan	Boghead (Lanarkshire)

It is now well known that deposited matter is not representative of, nor the most dangerous part of, air pollution. In addition, deposited matter falls near to the source of origin so that measurements at an individual site are representative of a restricted local area and not of a township.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what examination he has made of scientific means whereby the rainfall in Great Britain can be controlled; and whether he will use them to reduce it so that flooding and human depression will be reduced, provided nothing is done to increase international friction.

My noble Friend is informed that the Meteorological Office is keeping the possibility of controlling rainfall under continuing review, but the advice of competent scientists is that no technique of weather control currently in sight holds out prospects of controlling flooding in Great Britain by this means.

asked the Parliamentory Secretary for Science when he will introduce a system of standard markings for containers of radioactive materials so that police and firemen can quickly assess the degree of danger from the radioactive materials following damage by accident or fire.

The packages of all radioactive isotopes supplied by the Atomic Energy Authority are distinctively marked with the word "Radioactive". Standard markings for containers including the trefoil which is now incorporated in a British Standards Institution design circulated for comment preparatory to the introduction of a specification, are under international discussion. The International Atomic Energy Agency has prepared draft recommendations for the transport of radioactive materials upon which it is intended to base regulations in this country to be issued by the Ministry of Transport.

asked the Minister of Works what steps he is taking to destroy the increasing number of woodpigeons in the Royal Parks.

Woodpigeons and feral pigeons are kept under control in the Royal Parks by shooting, trapping and nest-destruction. This is done in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is satisfied that the destruction of pests in the Royal Parks is proceeding satisfactorily; and how the rate of destruction compares with that in the agricultural community.

I am satisfied that the destruction of pests in the Royal Parks is proceeding satisfactorily, but as no statistics of the rate of destruction are collected from the agricultural community

I am satisfied the destruction of pests in the Royal Parks is proceeding satisfactorily, but as no statistics of the rate of destructions are collected from the agricultural community or for the Parks, no comparisons are possible

asked the Minister of Works if he is aware of the unsatisfactory condition of the memorial to the 24th Regiment standing in the grounds of the Royal Hospital; and if he will take early steps to make that monument to the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of that regiment worthy of the sacrifice they made at Chellianwalla on 13th January, 1849.

I am aware that some maintenance work needs to be done and this will be put in hand early this summer.

asked the Minister of Works if he will give a list of the buildings in Africa for which he is responsible.

I am responsible for all services in the following buildings, of which the freehold is vested in my Department or which are held on long lease:

Accra: High Commissioner's Residence. 9 Staff houses or flats.

Addis Ababa: Embassy Compound.

Alexandria: Consulate General Compound.

Beira: Consulate Residence.

Cairo: Embassy Residence and Offices. 6 Staff houses or flats.

Capetown: High Commissioner's Offices. High Commissioner's Residence.

Dar-es-Salaam: 2 Staff houses.

Dakkar: Embassy Residence, Embassy Offices.

Enugu: Deputy High Commissioner's Offices, 6 Staff houses or flats.

Elisabethville: Consulate Offices. Residence and Compound.

Fez: Consulate Offices and Residence.

Harar: Former Consulate.

Hargeisa: Consul General Office and Residence, 8 Staff houses.

Kaduna: Deputy High Commissioner's Residence.

Khartoum: A new Embassy House is under construction.

Lagos: High Commissioner's Residence, Deputy High Commissioner's Residence. 31 Staff flats or houses.

Mega (Ethiopia): Consulate Office and Residence.

Leopoldville: Consul General's Residence.

Lourenco Marques: Consulate General Offices and Staff flat, Consul General's Residence.

Monrovia: Embassy Offices, a new Embassy House is under construction.

Nairobi: 3 Staff houses.

Pretoria: High Commission Offices, Deputy High Commissioner's Residence. Senior Trade Commissioner's Residence.

Port Said: Consulate.

Port Tewfik: Consulate Offices and Residence.

Ramleh: Embassy Summer Residence.

Salisbury: High Commissioner's Residence, Deputy High Commissioner's Residence, 5 Staff houses.

Tananarive: Embassy Residence.

Tangier: Consul General's Offices and Residence.

Tunis: Embassy Offices.

Tetuan: Residence of former Consul General.

In addition I am responsible for certain furnishing and maintenance services in 91 leased office and/or residential premises in the following places:

Accra.	Kaduna.
Asmara.	Khartoum.
Algiers.	Kampala.
Beira.	Lagos.
Brazzaville.	Mogadishu.
Benghazi.	Leopoldville.
Cairo.	Luanda.
Casablanca.	Lome.
Conakry.	Monrovia.
Capetown.	Nairobi.
Durban.	Pretoria.
Dar-es-Salaam	Rabat.
Dakar.	Salisbury.
Duala.	Santa Cruz.
Enugu.	Tananarive.
Freetown.	Tripoli.
Ibadan.	Yaounde.
Johannesburg	Zanzibar.

asked the Minister of Works how many representatives he has in Africa to deal with the maintenance of British Embassies and buildings under his control.

North-East and East Africa are dealt with from my Beirut office, which also covers the Middle East. The office contains four professional and seven supporting staff. A clerk of works is stationed at Cairo.West Africa is dealt with from my Lagos office, which contains three professional and thirteen supporting staff.North Africa is dealt with from London.In the Union of South Africa and in Southern Rhodesia local architects are employed on a fee basis.Visits are made by professional staff from London as necessary.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what further new town development is projected in Wales; and at what place or places are such developments to take place.

No decision has been made to establish a further new town in Wales.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he has now considered the plans for redevelopment proposed by the Gosforth Urban District Council, whether he will make it a condition of his approval that shopkeepers and householders be compensated for the costs of removal to alternative sites which these plans involve; and if he will make a statement on his general policy on such matters.

No such plans are before us. Where a local authority acquires property compulsorily for redevelopment, any owner or tenant on whom notice is served is entitled to compensation for any loss sustained by him on account of the disturbance suffered, including the costs of removal. Other persons displaced by redevelopment may, at the discretion of the local authority, be paid allowances towards such loss, and I have asked authorities to make full and sympathetic use of their powers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will make a further statement on the progress of the measures taken by Messrs. Guest Keen Iron and Steel Co., Cardiff, to lessen the nuisance caused by deposits of grit and dust in the neighbourhood of the works.

A good deal has been done and more will be done to lessen the difficulties in the neighbourhood of these works. As the technical processes involved are complicated I am writing to the hon. Member explaining what is afoot.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many local authorities there are the total of whose receipts under Section 15 of the Local Government Act, 1958, for the years 1959–60 and 1960–61, will be less than two-thirds of the total, for those years, which they had previously been notified they would receive.

Two hundred and seventy-four of the local authorities which were originally thought to be losing authorities under the 1958 Act were found, on the revised calculation based on up-to-date figures, to have their losses eliminated or reduced; 136 of these will, as a result, receive less than two-thirds of the transitional grant originally calculated to be due to them for 1959–60 and 1960–61.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the reason and purpose of the London County Council in acquiring, or proposing to acquire, an area of land, formerly known as the Gun Site, situated at the rear of Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W.12.

I understand that the gun site referred to originally formed part of the open space known as Wormwood Scrubs which is vested in the London County Council. It was taken over by the War Office during the war as a temporary measure. Since the war it has been used in connection with the Army post office, but is now to be relinquished to the County Council, which, I am informed, intend to merge it into the public open space again.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing which local authorities disclose, in their latest available housing revenue accounts, a total of house rents and rate contributions which is less than twice the 1956 gross value of all the dwellings in the account; and, similarly, which local authorities disclose a total which is less than that gross value.

The latest figures are those published by the Institute of Treasurers and Accountants under the title of "Housing Statistics". They are for the year 1959–60 and cover about 1,000 of the 1,469 housing authorities in England and Wales. As the figures are published and readily available, I do not think I need circulate them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.The hon. Member will realise that these figures cannot provide a reliable guide as to the authorities which will qualify for the higher rate of subsidy under the terms of the Housing Bill just introduced, because that will depend on the position of each authority's housing account in a year's time and subsequently as approved houses to which the new rates will apply are completed. Many housing accounts will then be in a quite different position from what they were in a year ago and indeed from what they are in now, as the expenditure on housing increases. In the light of the probable trend of its own income and expenditure as known to it, however, each authority should be able to forecast the rate of subsidy for which it is likely to qualify when the provisions of the Bill come into operation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will arrange that adequate supplies of the Report of the Ashby Committee on Higher Education in Nigeria, the Adu Committee Report on the Civil Service in Nyasaland and similar reports from Colonial Territories are made available to hon. Members of this House.

Copies of both the Reports named are in the Library. Members are also very welcome to consult them in the Library of the Colonial Office. On the more general question, there would be difficulties in the way of making all such reports freely available to individual Members, but since last year the great majority of all Colonial official publications have been sent by Colonial Governments to the House of Commons Library as a matter of routine.Both the Ashby and the Adu Reports, and most official publications of the Governments of Nigeria as well as of Colonial Governments, can be purchased through the Crown Agents.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made in the discussions with Messrs. C. H. Bailey of Malta with reference to the conversion of the docks; and when the work is likely to commence.

While the discussions are proceeding I would prefer not to say more than to promise an announcement when they have been concluded.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Baillieston-Newhouse section of the A.8 Glasgow-Edinburgh road improvement scheme is due to start; when he expects it to be completed; what is the nature of the improvement; and what is the estimated cost.

My intention is that work should start this summer on a two year scheme costing about£1 million. It will provide dual carriageways between these two points—and will incorporate flyovers at the main junctions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland to what extent the increased cost of the National Health Service in the last ten years has been accounted for by increased salaries and wages, and increased costs, respectively.

It is not practicable to analyse the increased cost of the National Health Service as a whole in this way. As between 1949–50 and 1959–60, however, the cost of the hospital and specialist services increased by nearly£26 million of which approximately£14.5 million was accounted for by increased salaries and wages and approximately£6 million by increased prices for supplies and services.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will request the Guest Committee, who are at present examining the Scottish licensing law, to include in their remit the question of the lack of competition in the State-controlled area of Invergordon.

No. In my view the question of State management is not one which it would be useful to refer to a committee of inquiry of this kind since in general the facts relating to it are clear and opinions about it are well known.

asked the Minister of Health what undertaking is required of a dentist who is on the local executive council's list for the National Health Service not to persuade patients to opt out of the National Health Service scheme and have treatment as private fee-paying patients.

Once a dentist has accepted a patient for treatment under the National Health Service he is required to provide all the treatment necessary for dental fitness that the patient is willing to receive and may not charge privately for it; but a dentist on the local dental list is free to engage in private practice.

asked the Minister of Health what reply he has made to the representations of the National Association of Retired Police Officers about the hardship that will be imposed on police widows by increased prescription charges under the National Health Service.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy

asked the Minister of Health how many people are known to be suffering from silicosis; how many of these live away from mining areas; to what extent the incidence of this complaint is growing less; and to what extent advances in modern treatment are helping to reduce the pain and discomfort of the sufferers.

I regret that the figures asked for are not available. Modern treatment can alleviate the discomfort associated with silicosis by controlling secondary infections.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of fresh infections of venereal disease each year since 1954 for England and Wales and Scotland, respectively; and whether he is satisfied there are an adequate number of venereologists and venereal disease nursing orderlies to deal with the number of cases.

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The numbers of cases dealt with for the first time at National Health Service clinics are:

—	England and Wales	Scotland
1954	93,747	6,622
1955	94,698	6,132
1956	98,212	6,559
1957	103,463	6,555
1958	107,501	7,023
1959	116,462	7,342

I have no evidence to suggest that the number of venereologists and nursing orderlies is inadequate.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of new cases of venereal disease recorded in each of the last five years in Glasgow and Leicester, respectively; and how many consulting venereologists there are in each of these centers.

I have consulted my right hon. Friend the Secretary of the state for Scotland.The numbers of cases dealt with for the first time at National Health Service clinics are:

—	Glasgow	Leicester
1955	2,319	819
1956	2,532	925
1957	2,562	814
1958	2,775	865
1959	2,839	916

There is one consultant venereologist in Glasgow and one consultant and one other specialist at the Leicester Centre.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that none of the new tonnage ordered by Norwegian ship owners during the last few months has gone to British shipyards but has all been allocated to other yards in European countries; and whether he will cause an inquiry to 'be made as to why British shipyards are losing orders of this kind.

I am aware of the developments to which the hon. Member refers. The competitive position of the shipbuilding industry in this country is one of the matters under consideration by the Sub-Committee of the Shipbuilding Advisory Committee which is now preparing a report.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what action Her Majesty's Government have taken to ensure that the Security Council of the United Nations immediately undertakes a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Lumumba and the continuing disregard of its authority by Mr. Tshombe; and what assurances the Belgian Government have given of their intention to co-operate with the United Nations in its effort to avert further disturbances in the Congo.

Mr. Hammanskjoeld has proposed in the Security Council that there should be an impartial inquiry into the death of Mr. Lumumba. Her Majesty's Government fully support this and hope that the Congolese authorities concerned will co-operate with the United Nations to establish the true facts of this deplorable incident.As to the second part of the hon. Gentleman's question, the Belgian Government, in a public announcement on 23rd January, reaffirmed their support for the United Nations effort in the Congo.

asked the Lord Privy Seal, in view of the danger to the United Nations arising from the attacks by representatives of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Secretary-General and the attempt to ignore and humiliate him, what proposals Her Majesty's Government intends to make to deal with this situation.

We fully support Mr. Hammarskjoeld who continues to enjoy the confidence of the great majority of the member countries of the United Nations. We have already made this clear on many occasions and will continue to do so.

asked the Postmaster-General how many cases of damage to telephone kiosks were reported in the Borough of Ilford during 1960.

I am sorry that separate figures for the Borough of Ilford are not available, but in the London Telecommunications Region as a whole there were nearly 10,000 cases of wilful damage to kiosk telephones in 1960. I deplore this vandalism and am considering what further steps can be taken to protect the telephone service against it.

asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the conclusion of the Select Committee on Estimates on Historic Buildings and Ancient Monuments in which it was recommended that the listing and scheduling of such national treasures should be completely under the Ministry of Works; and whether he will make an announcement regarding future Government policy in this field.

This suggestion comes within the purview of the Working Group which, under the Chairmanship of my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, is considering questions of Government organisation in this field. An announcement will be made when the Working Group has reached its conclusions.