asked the Secretary of State for Air whether, in view of the recent disaster in the Isle of Man resulting in the death of six Royal Air Force officers and non-commissioned officers, he will state on what date Avro Anson aircraft were declared obsolete; what steps he is taking to provide the Royal Air Force with modern communication aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

I deeply regret this tragic accident the cause of which is being examined by a board of inquiry. The Avro Anson has not been declared obsolete. Although there are more modern types of communication aircraft in service in the Royal Air Force, the Anson can be expected to give several more years of satisfactory service

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that the Horticultural Improvement Scheme is not functioning as intended, that only one-sixteenth of the total sum available under the scheme has been taken up by growers, and that smaller growers can ill afford the two-thirds they are expected to contribute to qualify for a one-third grant; and if he will increase the grant to 50 per cent., or alternatively introduce a low-interest loan scheme to replace grants.

The Horticulture Improvement Scheme has not yet been in operation for a full year. I think that it has made a promising start. By 31st January, 1961, approval had been given to projects in the United Kingdom attracting grant of about £530,000, which is a little more than one-sixteenth of the total sum available. But the projects which are now under consideration, will, if approved, double this sum. It is too soon to reach any conclusions about the functioning of the Scheme, the use which the industry will make of it during its five-year life, or the need for changes. But I shall watch carefully the progress of the Scheme.

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. 7d. in January, 1953, and to 16s. Id. in January, 1957; and what was the comparable figure for January, 1961.

Yes, on the basis of the retail price index. The comparable figure for January, 1961, was 14s. 11d.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in respect of each of the Colonial Territories in Africa whether the purchase of textbooks for Government schools is made through the Crown Agents; and where this is not so, what alternative arrangements are made.

The arrangements are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health what is the average waiting time mbefore admission for gynaecological patients at the Stockton and Thornaby Hospital; and what action he is taking to reduce the large waiting list of such patients.

The waiting time depends on urgency, but averages about twelve months. The regional hospital board will take this need into account, along with others, in its current planning.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of consultants in each specialty and the relative numbers of A, B and C merit awards on the most recent date for which figures are available, together with comparable figures for the previous year.

The figures for England and Wales are as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what are the transitional receipts under the Local Government Act, 1958, for the years 1959–60, 1960–61, and 1961–62, in respect of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees; and what is the cause of the change in payment.

On the first provisional calculation, the council's receipts were £90,194 for 1959–60 and £81,175 for 1960–61. On the second provisional calculation, they were £45,998 and £41,398, respectively, for those years, and will be £36,798 for 1961–62. The change in amount is due to the more up-to-date information supplied by local authorities for the second calculation.

asked the Postmaster-General whether work will commence on the new Storrington, Sussex, post office in the next financial year commencing in 1961, or during the next calendar year starting in January, 1962: if he is aware that it is now four years since his Department submitted a site plan to the Chanctonbury Rural District Council; and when the council will have an opportunity to see the plans of the new building, as well as being given the name of the proposed architect.

I expect building work to start during the summer of 1962, and the new office to be ready by the end of 1963. I am very sorry about the delay which has occurred since plans showing a general layout were sent to the planning authority in 1958, but the reason has largely been one of priorities. Detailed plans of the new building are are being prepared and will be shown to the Chanctonbury Rural District Council as soon as possible. The council will, of course, be told the name of the architect.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total cost of new road schemes and schemes of major road development put forward by highway authorities in Scotland in the years 1955 to 1960, inclusive; and what proportion of these programmes he has authorised to proceed.

The total cost of the classified road schemes for these years put forward by Scottish highway authorities in 1955 was about £33 million. Since that time there have been some adjustments to the programme and the second Clyde Tunnel and the Forth Road Bridge, which were not included, should be added. This gives a total of about £54 million. I have, so far, authorised schemes costing about 68 per cent. of this amount.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the terms of the agreement which has been reached between Her Majesty's Government and the South African Government under which Her Majesty's Government undertake not to oppose the continued membership of the Republic of South Africa within the Commonwealth and under which the South African Government undertake not to assert a claim to the British High Commission Territories of Basutoland, Swaziland and Bechuanaland.

There is no such agreement.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the amounts of refunds of National Health Service charges other than prescription charges by the National Assistance Board in the last three years, showing separately the totals refunded to regular recipients of National Assistance and to cases of special hardship, and distinguishing as