asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what assurances were given by Her Majesty's Government during the last eighteen months to the Federal Government about the continuance without review of the then existing Northern Rhodesian constitution.

Communications between Commonwealth Governments are confidential, but it was made clear publicly as long ago as March, 1960, that, while Her Majesty's Government had at that time no plans in contemplation for change in the Northern Rhodesia Constitution, changes could not be ruled out in all circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies which chiefs did, and which did not, endorse his constitutional proposals for Northern Rhodesia.

The chiefs have not expressed individual opinions but the Northern Rhodesia Council of Chiefs issued a joint statement on 22nd February. The Council, which represents all the chiefs in Northern Rhodesia, excluding Barotseland, accepted the new proposals as an interim measure which provided some constitutional advance for Africans. They maintained their view that there should be an African majority in the Executive and Legislative Councils and they felt that there should be a lowering of the franchise qualifications as soon as possible to allow the African population to be more fully represented. They re-affirmed their desire to retain the protection of Her Majesty's Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what degree of agreement was reached with the delegates to the Nyasaland Constitutional Conference on the terms, and application, of the Nyasaland (Electoral Provisions) Order in Council, 1960.

There was a wide measure of agreement reached although naturally not on all points. Where I was not able to accept the arguments put by various delegates it was necessary for me to decide the matter in the light of all the relevant considerations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why white, as well as black, Portuguese citizens are not to be enfranchised in Nyasaland.

Because whereas the former can normally be identified as Portuguese citizens the latter cannot and it is therefore administratively impracticable to exclude them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what aliens, other than Portuguese, are to be enfranchised in Nyasaland.

Africans of Portuguese East African origin are not being enfranchised as such. Any African, who though not a British subject or a British protected person by virtue of his connection with Nyasaland, has paid, or is exempt from paying, tax as a "Nyasaland African" under the provisions of the African Tax Ordinance or any rules made under it, or who is the wife or daughter of any such African may qualify for the franchise providing he fulfils the other requirements of the law.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Directors of Education and Medical Services in the Seychelles have been instructed to address minutes relating to their respective Departments to the Administrative Secretary; and why the Estimates of these Departments are described as being administered by the Administrative Secretary.

Under the provisions of the Seychelles Legislative Council Order in Council, 1960, the Director of Medical Services and the Director of Education ceased to be members of the Legislative Council and the Administrative Secretary became an official member. As such he is responsible for dealing with medical and educational matters in the Legislative and Executive Councils. The instructions to which the hon. Member refers were no doubt made necessary by these changes. The Estimates for the Seychelles of 1960 were presented in sections each of which covered the Departments for which an official member of Executive Council was administratively responsible. This no doubt explains the description to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what representations he has received from the Somali community in Kenya about the constitutional future of that Colony and Prtectorate; and what reply he has given.

The only such representations which I have received recently were from the United Ogaden Somali Association and from the Northern Province Peoples Progressive Party of Kenya. The former asked for a large measure of local autonomy and the latter for immediate secession.In reply I have asked the Governor to explain that the position remains as stated by him in his speech at a

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement about the recent out breaks of violence in Kenya.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Oral Answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Newbury (Sir. A. Hurd).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies many public meetings in Malta have been held and prohibited respectively, during the last twelve months; what was the guiding principle on which meetings were permitted and prohibited; and under whose auspices each of those meetings was held.

I have asked for this information and will write to the hon. and learned Member when I have received it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the annual review of farm prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, fisheries and Food whether he will now make a statement on the outcome of the Annual Price Review.

I would refer the hon Gentlemen to the statement I made to day after Questions.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent inquiries he has made into the possibilities of shortening the quarantine periods for dogs or cats coming into this country.

My right hon. Friend receives from time to time proposals for reducing the present quarantine period of six months, but as the incubation stage of rabies may be as long as six months before any signs appear, he is not prepared to reduce the period.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reply he has sent to the communications sent to him by the National Farmers' Union and other bodies by way of protest against the closing down of the Government Research Station in Aberdeen relating to the work there on the accelerated freeze drying of food.

My right hon. Friend has received no communication from the National Farmers' Union or any other body by way of protest against the closing down of the Aberdeen Research Establishment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet reached a decision on the matter of retail price maintenance as a result of his consideration of the views of retailers and manufacturers received by him last October; and what representations he has received on the question of carrying out a survey into consumers' views on retail price maintenance.

The inquiry is not yet complete: with regard to the last part of the hon. Member's Question, I have received representations on this subject from the Consumer Advisory Council of the British Standards Institution, but from no one else.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what jobs have been provided by the expenditure of Government loans to firms setting up industry in the North East during the present financial year.

About 430, according to the estimates of the firms concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is amount of factory space in terms of new industries built in the London area, Midlands area and North East England during the past twelve months.

The Board of Trade control over industrial building operates through Industrial Development Certificates. The amount of factory space covered by I.D.C.s issued in the past twelve months for firms new to the greater London area was none, to the Midlands 36,000 sq. ft. for a special workshop for disabled persons, and to North East England 521,000 sq. ft.

asked the President of the Board of Trade which suggestions reviewed by the Board under Section 16 (2) of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act, 1948, since the operation of that Act, still appear to be within the purview of the Monopolies Commission but have not yet been referred to the Commission.

Following is the information:

The following suggestions, which still appear to be within the purview of the Monopolies Commission but have not been referred to the Commission, were included by the Board of Trade in the reviews incorporated in its Annual Reports on the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Acts, 1948 and 1953, covering the period 30th July, 1948 (when the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices (Inquiry and Control) Act. 1948, came into force) to 31st December, 1960.

Suggestions relating to the alleged prevalence of "monopoly" conditions in the supply or processing of goods:

• aluminium ingots
• aluminium semi-manufactures
• anti-freeze solutions for motor vehicles
• bar fittings
• bicycles
• biscuits
• boot and shoe making machinery
• bottled fuel gas for domestic purposes
• brewing
• carbon rods for primary batteries
• cartridges for sporting guns
• a chemical required by the Atomic Energy Authority
• chemicals (see note 1)
• cigarette lighters
• copper
• diaphragm valves
• electric shavers
• fibre board packing cases
• fish meal and fish manure
• fuel injection equipment for motor vehicles
• furniture (distribution)
• gramophone records
• gypsum plaster
• imported fresh citrus fruits
• margarine
• milk bottles
• milling industry
• mimosa extract for tanning
• molasses
• motor vehicles clutches
• newspapers
• newsprint
• nylon yarn
• petrol, petroleum products (see note 2)
• photographic goods and materials, including colour film
• positioned carbonising machinery
• razor blades
• refining of sugar
• salt glazed earthenware pipes (in Northern Ireland)
• sewing cotton and artificial silks
• sewing machines and parts
• sheet, plate and horticultural glass
• soap
• soap powders and detergents
• soda crystals
• sodium bichromate
• steel tubes
• sugar
• telephone equipment
• textile spinning machinery
• testing of chains and anchors
• wallpaper
• weighing machines and scales
• whisky
• woodscrews
• woven wire
• woolcombing machinery
• zinc.
• Suggestions relating to the alleged existence of restrictive arrangements or agreements not registrable under the Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1956:
• Agricultural machinery
• bicycle parts and accessories
• house service electricity meters
• lubricating oil (see note 2)
• monopolies in retail distribution
• motor cars
• sole agency and exclusive arrangements generally
• the supply of beer, wines, spirits, mineral waters etc. to or through tied houses and off licence premises.
• The fact that particular goods are mentioned in the reviews in the Board's Annual Reports does not mean that monopolistic or restrictive conditions, as defined in the 1948 Act, as amended, necessarily prevail or that, if they do, they are against the public interest. These are the questions the Commission have to determine if a reference is made.

NOTES1. The supply of chemical fertilisers was covered by the Commission's Report published on 16th February, 1960.2. Certain matters relating to the supply and acquisition within the United Kingdom of petrol, petroleum products, lubricating oil etc. fall within the terms of the reference covering the solus sites system made to the Commission on 27th September, 1960. The terms are given in full in Appendix 2 to the Annual Report by the Board of Trade on the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Acts, 1948, and 1953 for the year ending 31st December, 1960.

asked the Chancellor of the Exohequer whether he is aware that a large proportion of animal owners are unaware that certain animal medicines are subject to Purchase Tax and other animal medicines are not; what is the reason for the difference in taxation of such medicines; and whether, at the earliest moment, he will dispose of the anomalies by abolishing the tax on all animal medicines.

The difference arises mainly because certain products have been recommended for exemption by the Government's veterinary advisers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why Purchase Tax at 25 per cent. is applied to certain refrigerators, having regard to the fact that such appliances are essential for prevention of food wastage; and why sufficiently capacious refrigerators for use in catering establishments and large country houses are exempt from tax.

The tax, which is on appliances of a kind used for domestic purposes, is required for revenue reasons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the £ sterling is now fully convertible.

Yes; except for capital transactions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will now consider abolishing restrictions on the amount of sterling which may be taken abroad.

As my noble Friend is aware, the only controls on expenditure on foreign travel now in force are those designed to prevent the illicit export of capital. The limit on the amount of sterling notes which can be taken out is directed to this purpose, but in common with other restrictions of this kind it is kept under review.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what request for Customs facilities at Cairnryan military port, Wigtownshire, has been received by Her Majesty's Commissioners of Customs and Excise since October, 1959, for the use of the port for the transit of goods; and what has been their reply thereto.

One inquiry has been received: but no special Customs approval is necessary for goods in transit in the coastwise trade.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many West Indians have been convicted of frauds against the Post Office in the last three years; what percentage this represents of all convictions for such offences; and how many convictions have been registered for such offences per 1,000 West Indians and other races, respectively.

I regret that this information is not available, since the Criminal Statistics are not kept in such a way as to show the places of origin of offenders unless special arrangements have been made for this to be done in respect of a particular offence.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to make a statement on the case of Timothy John Evans.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now completed his study of the case of Timothy John Evans; and whether he will now make a further statement on the matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has completed his consideration of the case of Timothy John Evans: and what conclusions he has reached.

Several Questions have been put to me on the case of Timothy John Evans following the publication of Mr. Kennedy's book "Ten Rillington Place". I have examined the book with great care, and I am satisfield that its interest lies in its presentation of the case for believing Evans to have been innocent rather than in its addition to the information already available about the death of Mrs. Evans and her child.I know that some people in this House and elsewhere believe that Evans was wrongly convicted of the murder of his child. I know there are others, who. though not convinced of his innocence, have serious doubt about his guilt. There are also others who feel there is no reason to doubt the correctness of the conviction.I have reached the conclusion that a further inquiry could not bring any new information to light, and that witnesses' recollection of the events of 1949 must inevitably have been dimmed by the pest sage of time and may have been confused by the discussion and speculation to which the case has given rise.Before coming to this conclusion, I examined the claim that a suggestion made by Dr. Teare in his evidence in the magistrates' court would, if true, point to Christie as the murderer of Mrs. Evans. This has been the subject of letters in the

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library of the House a transcript of the trial of the case of George Riley.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a transcript of the proceedings in R. v. Riley available in the Library.

In view of the interest taken by hon. Members in this case, I am arranging, exceptionally, for a transcript of the trial to be placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for amending the conditions of service of the Civil Defence Corps in such a way as to enable local authority planners to have more positive information upon which to base their mobilisation plans.

I am at present looking at the structure of the Civil Defence Corps to see whether any

Offence	Annual Average, 1920–1929	Annual Average, 1930–1939	Annual Average 1940 –1949	Annual Average 1950–1959
Murder	149	133	167	145
Manslaughter	125	168	148	149
Infanticide and child destruction	19*	22	41	23
Totals	293	323	356	317
* Average for 6 years only (1924–1929). The Infanticide Act, 1922, came into force on 20th July. 1922, and there were no offences known to the police in 1922 or 1923.

The numbers of these offences known to the police during 1958, 1959 and 1960 were:—

Offence				1958	1959	1960*
Murder	…	…	…	137	149	154
Manslaughter	…	…	…	108	92	106
Infanticide and child destruction	…	…	…	18	26	20
TOTALS	…	…	…	263	267	280
* The figures for 1960 are provisional.

The figures given for murder exclude offences initially recorded by the police as murder but reduced to manslaughter or some other offence during the year in which they were recorded; offences initially recorded by the police as murder but reduced in a later year are included in the figures of murder.The figures for murder and manslaughter for 1957 and onwards are not directly comparable with those for earlier years because of the provisions of Section 8 of the Road Traffic Act, 1956, and the Homicide Act, 1957.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what organisation exists in the Departments or services responsible to him for advising and assisting the civil population on methods of preventing crime; and what study he makes of this matter

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give in comparable form the average annual number of homicides in the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, respectively, and the actual number of homicides in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

The following table shows the average number of offences of murder, of manslaughter, and of infanticide and child destruction, known to the police for the periods 1920–29, 1930–39, 1940–49 and 1950–59:

It is part of the duty of the police to advise and assist the public on methods of preventing crime, and this duty is discharged in various ways: for example, in the Metropolitan Police there is a crime prevention officer in each sub-division. There is frequent consultation between the police and the Home Office about methods of crime prevention, including advice to the public

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of convictions for living on immoral earnings in the Metropolitan Police area for the year 1960; and what were the countries of origin of those convicted.

The number of convictions for living on immoral earnings in the Metropolitan Police District during 1960 was 130. The following table shows the countries of origin of the offenders:

United Kingdom	…	…	…	60
Malta	…	…	…	18
West Indies	…	…	…	23
West Africa	…	…	…	7
East Africa	…	…	…	1
South Africa	…	…	…	1
Cyprus	…	…	…	3
Pakistan	…	…	…	1
Irish Republic	…	…	…	14
Aliens	…	…	…	2

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has had concerning the present practice in the recording and use in evidence of statements made by accused persons when in police stations or in police custody; and if he will make a statement.

I have had representations from several hon. Members and from other sources, and I understand that certain representations have also been made to the Royal Commission on the Police.I am glad to say that the Lord Chief Justice, with whom I have been in touch, has been good enough to agree that the time has come when it would be appropriate for the judges to carry out a review of the scope and operation of the Judges' Rules; and that he is making the necessary arrangements to do so The Chairman of the Royal Commission on the Police, whom I have also consulted, has agreed to make available, for the purpose of this review, any relevant material that comes, or has come, to the Commission's notice.

asked the Minister of Education what proposals he has for a significant increase in the supply of science and mathematics teachers during the next ten years.

The expansion of the universities and colleges of technology should provide more teachers and in the training college expansion programme special emphasis has been laid on the need to increase the output of well qualified science and mathematics teachers. The present campaign to attract more qualified married women teachers back into the schools is designed to draw attention to the present shortage of teachers of these subjects.

asked the Minister of Education what consideration he has given to the petition signed by parents of children attending Henbury Church of England School in Cheshire, concerning the proposed closure of this school; and if he will arrange for it to remain open.

The local education authority will have to give public notice of this proposal and I will consider any objections that may be made before deciding whether or not to approve it.

asked the Minister of Education what progress has been made in the improvement of the youth services consequent on the publication of the Albemarle Report; and whether he will make a statement.

Encouraging progress continues to be made. I gave examples in my replies to the hon. Member for Feltham (Mr. Hunter) on 15th December last and to the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Longden) on 2nd March. I am particularly glad to hear of good co-operation between local authorities and the voluntary organizations.

asked the Minister of Education how many schools are at present over 60 years old; how many of these are under his control; how many are independent schools; and how many of the total are in rural areas.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Education how many primary schools and secondary schools have been remodelled since the issue of circular 10/59; how many of these are independent schools; and how many are in rural areas.

Separate statistics for remodelling projects are now being kept but I regret that information is not available before 1st January this year.

asked the Minister of Education how many teachers applied to teach in other countries in 1960; how many of these applications were approved; and whether he will make a statement showing in which countries they served.

Teachers do not need to seek approval before applying for or accepting teaching posts abroad. It is estimated that about 3,000 teachers leave the United Kingdom each year for service overseas, some 2,500 of them in Commonwealth countries.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will ask local authorities to submit to him details of the loan facilities offered to their employees, and the purposes for which such loans are offered.

I do not know of any use that could be made of such information which would justify the labour and expense involved in collecting it. But if my hon. Friend has any particular purpose in mind, I will consider whether there is any way in which I can help him.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the future of the Kahawa military base in Kenya.

The military cantonment at Kahawa is being built to accommodate units of the Strategic Reserve stationed in Kenya.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he will make a statment about North Atlantic Treaty Organisation storage facilities in the Dunbarton area.

The Admiralty has now awarded the main contract for the construction of a N.A.T.O. ammunition storage depot at Glen Douglas to Messrs. John Howard and Company, Limited, of London. The work is expected to take three years to complete, and the cost to be between £2 million and £3 million.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the average daily figure for the month of February, 1961, of dock workers in the Royal Group of London docks who were surplus to requirements; what percentage this surplus is of the total dock workers on the register for these docks; and how these figures compare with those for October, 1959 and October, 1960.

I am informed by the National Dock Labour Board that the average surplus in February, 1961, was 346 or 4·2 per cent. of the register. The corresponding figures for October, 1959, and October, 1960, were 692 or 8·8 per cent. and 1,501 or 18·3 per cent. The latter figure was largely influenced by the tally clerks' strike.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the average daily figure for the month of February, 1961, of dock workers in the Port of London who were surplus to requirements; what percentage this surplus is of the total dock workers on the register for the port; and how these figures compare with those for October, 1959, and October, 1960.

I am informed by the National Dock Labour Board that the average surplus in February, 1961, was 1,391 or 4·7 per cent. of the register. The corresponding figures for October, 1959, and October, 1960, were 2,881 or 10·1 per cent. and 5,210 or 17·9 per cent. The latter figure was largely influenced by the tally clerks' strike.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has yet received the report of the recent inquiry about Dunbarton County Council rents.

Yes. The report is being published this afternoon and for the convenience of hon. Members I have arranged to make copies available in the Vote Office. Its conclusion is that the County Council has not in good faith and upon a proper exercise of its discretion carried out between 1950 and 1960 any review of rents within the meaning of the relevant statutory provision. I have sent the report to the County Council, telling it that I accept this conclusion, and giving it an opportunity of reconsidering its position within the next month before I take further formal action under the statutory provisions relating to default. I am also sending copies of the report to all Scottish local authorities, because it affords general guidance on the exercise of their statutory duties in relation to rents.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he is giving to the law relating to children and young persons in Scotland.

I have decided to set up a Departmental Committee with the following terms of reference:

"To consider the provisions of the law of Scotland relating to the treatment of juvenile delinquents and juveniles in need of care or protection or beyond parental control and, in particular, the constitution, powers and procedure of the courts dealing with such luveniles, and to report."

Lord Kilbrandon has agreed to act as chairman of the Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the impending strike of teachers in Scotland; and what steps he proposes taking to avert it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware of the impending strike called by the Management Committee of the Glasgow Association of the Educational Institute of Scotland for the week beginning 8th May over demands for an immediate increase of 20 per cent. in teachers' salaries and the dilution of the teaching profession by the introduction of non-graduate men; and what action he proposes to take in the matter.

Yes, I have seen Press reports to this effect. The current salaries regulations which came into operation on 1st January, 1960, give effect to an agreed recommendation of the National Joint Council to deal with teachers' salaries in Scotland and implement most of the recommendations on salaries made by the Knox Committee. I am informed that the Educational Institute of Scotland sent to the National Joint Council on 27th January last a written statement asking for an immediate salary increase and for a shortening of the scales. Before proposing any alterations in salaries regulations, I must have regard to any recommendations of the Council, which consists of equal numbers of representatives of education authorities and of teachers appointed by the Educational Institute of Scotland. It would be quite wrong for the Council, because of outside pressure, to have to take hurried decisions on the complex and difficult questions that arise on a claim of this kind or for me to prejudge the outcome of their consideration of it.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give an estimate of the aggregate revenue arising in the next financial year from charges imposed by the National Health Service Acts, 1951 and 1952 and the National Health Service Bill now before Parliament.

About £18·3 million in England and Wales.