asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will make a statement on prosecutions against certain road hauliers during the past two years for frauds connected with the agricultural lime subsidy on sea sand;(2) why the farmers who have been involved in frauds connected with the agricultural subsidy on sea sand, for which certain road hauliers have been convicted, have not been prosecuted.

In the last two years there have been three such prosecutions, involving 11 hauliers and one approved supplier. Eleven of the accused were convicted, and the case of one haulier, which includes charges of forgery, has been committed to the Assizes.The prosecutions were brought by the police in Cornwall in conjunction with my Department. The proceedings against the hauliers and the supplier were under the Larceny Act. Any statutory offences which might have been committed by farmers could not be proved within the period laid down in the Magistrates Courts Act. The laying of the charges was determined by the evidence available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will state the number of wharves on the east and west banks of the River Hull, respectively, which, on 20th March, 1961, allowed the river to flood the adjoining sites, by overtopping, seepage, or other cause, respectively; and what remedial action, by permanent work, has been or will be taken, in each case, to prevent further flooding from these wharves;(2) if he will state the difference between the height of the high water of the River Hull, on 20th March, 1961, and the imaginary line of from 16.50 feet above Ordnance datum at the mouth of the river to 15.00 feet at the city boundary, given in the Kingston-upon-Hull Corporation Act, 1925; and whether the tide was above or below this line;(3) what information he has received from the Hull City Corporation, following their discussions with the British Transport Commission, regarding the cause and extent of the recent flooding of the railway dock and the measures to be taken to repair it and prevent a repetition of such flooding.

I am obtaining the information requested and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why his draft regulations on the sale of milk bread do not distinguish between bread made with full cream milk and bread made with skim milk.

There are difficulties about requiring a distinction to be drawn between bread containing whole milk and bread containing skim milk solids. This is one of the points on which I am considering representations before coming to any final decision.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the risk of the spread of fowl pest in Herefordshire, he will revoke the licence granted to the United States Air Force to import uncooked poultry meat into this country.

No. I am satisfied that the responsible American authorities are observing the stringent veterinary precautions laid down for the purpose of these special imports of poultry carcases. I have no evidence that the spread of fowl pest in this country has been in any way attributable to them.

asked the Minister of Power what shortage of manpower exists in the coal-mining industry; and what remedial steps are being taken to stop wastage.

There are vacancies in the industry for juveniles, skilled craftsmen and, especially in the Midlands, Yorkshire and South Wales, for underground workers generally. In order to arrest wastage and encourage recruitment, the Board is taking vigorous steps to inspire confidence in the industry's future.

asked the Minister of Power what were the comparable figures of juvenile recruitment in the coal industry in the first quarter of 1961 and the first quarter of 1960.

The provisional figure for the first quarter of 1961 is 3,400 compared with 2,872 in the first quarter of 1960.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether, in addition to strengthening existing runways at Turn-house Airport, he proposes to extend and make efficient the cross runways to avoid the need for diversions in differing wind conditions.

No. At present the benefit from such a course would be too small to justify the considerable expense.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether, in view of the increasing number of thefts from civil aircraft and at airports, he will issue general instructions to the chairmen of British European Airways and the British Overseas Airways Corporation that improved security measures must be taken; and what consultations he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department and other police authorities about this matter.

The importance of combating this type of crime is fully recognised by the Airline Corporations and the police who work closely together on the matter, and I do not consider that any specific instructions or consultations are called for.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the fact that Chepstow is an unsuitable site for a plastic surgery unit serving South Wales, whether he will direct the Welsh Regional Hospital Board to issue a public statement on the reasons for the delay in transferring the present unit to Cardiff.

No. I would refer the hon. Member to my answer to his Question on the 17th April.

asked the Minister of health if he will state the date on which he anticipates the new University Hospital, Cardiff, will release enough space for the Cardiff Royal Infirmary to absorb the plastic surgery unit now at Chepstow; and whether he will make a statement on the emergency steps he is taking for the treatment of plastic surgery cases in South Wales during the years that will intervene.

It is not yet possible to forecast the date. Meanwhile, patients will continue to receive specialist treatment at Chepstow, with emergency and supporting treatment in local general hospitals. My right hon. Friend does not consider that any special interim measure is called for.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of eye cases now awaiting admission to the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, and the number who have been waiting three months or longer; and whether he will make a statement on progress in reducing for these people the waiting time for admission to hospital.

461 and 275. I anticipate that the new ophthalmic unit of 16 beds, opened at Lansdowne Hospital, Cardiff, on 4th April, will reduce these figures rapidly.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients were waiting for beds in hospitals in Wales and in South-East Glamorgan, respectively, at the latest convenient date; and what progress is being made in shortening the waiting periods.

The waiting lists, which are the only available indication, were 27,453 and 6,912, respectively, in December, 1960. A year earlier the figures were 28,174 and 7,529.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many sets of plans have been produced for the new St. Helen Hospital in Barnsley; for what reasons they were cancelled; and what has been the total cost to date;(2) if he is aware that there are still more than 2,000 people in Barnsley and district awaiting operations, and that Barnsley is urgently in need of a new hospital; and when he now estimates that building on this project will commence.

I fully accept the need for this new hospital. Six development plans have been prepared for different sites that might be available, and the Board are now finally revising their proposals so as to increase the number of beds further. Additional land is expected to be available by 31st March, 1964, and the Board hope to start building soon after. The cost to date is not yet settled.

asked the Minister of Health why the architects responsible for drawing up the latest set of plans for the new St. Helen Hospital in Barnsley have withdrawn their services; and what are the prospects of obtaining the services of another team.

These architects were heavily committed with other major hospital building schemes and could not undertake to give priority to work on the new St. Helen Hospital. They have therefore agreed to relinquish their appointment. The Regional Hospital Board expect to have no difficulty in finding a suitable firm with hospital experience to take over the project without delay.

asked the Minister of Health whether the withdrawal of architects from the production of plans for the new St. Helen Hospital in Barnsley will delay the starting date of building.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of urgent cases of people suffering from burns or scalds who have been treated at Chepstow Hospital during the past two years and the number of these that came from Cardiff, Port Talbot, Swansea or west of Swansea, respectively.

The figures for the two years ended 31st March, 1961, are 701, 119, 11, and 51.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he has taken or pro poses to take to ensure that hospital patients are not required to pay 2s. per item where the cost of the item prescribed is less than 2s.

I have no reason to believe that difficulty is arising, but am considering whether there is any guidance I can usefully give.

asked the Minister of Health if he has fixed any financial limits on drugs prescribed to be observed by general practitioners in the issue of prescriptions to National Health Service patients.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that in many cases the enumerators appointed to collect and scrutinise the census form on 24th April, 1961, are near neighbours of householders and that considerable resentment is felt that such enumerators should have access to the confidential information called for by the census; and if he will take this into account when making arrangements for the next census.

As far as practicable, enumerators have been assigned to districts where they are not personally known, but this has not always been possible, particularly in rural areas. All enumerators are pledged to secrecy and aware that there are heavy penalties for breach of it.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the annual quantities of welfare foods, other than milk, issued in England and Wales for each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

The following are the figures:

asked the Minister of Health what type of computer machines will be used for the compilation of the results of the national census.

Arrangements have been made to process the 1961 census results on the International Business Machines computer, type 705, installed for the Royal Army Pay Corps at Worthy Down, Winchester.

asked the Minister of Health why he requires the information asked for in columns G and H of the census form to be completed on 24th April, 1961.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the explanation given by me in the debate on the draft Census Order on 4th May last, of which I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that because of the lack of institutional treatment for bedridden and sick old people with possibly only a few months to live, the relatives and friends looking after them both day and night are bearing an unfair burden with detrimental effect on their health; and whether he will take immediate steps to increase such institutional treatment so that such old people receive full medical attention during the last months of their lives and their relatives are free from anxiety and danger to their own health.

Regional hospital boards know of this need and will be planning to improve their facilities for meeting it. Where cases are nursed at home, local authorities can and do provide supporting services.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the longevity of protection of diphtheria immunisation.

This varies from person to person. In general, a person who has concluded a primary course or received a reinforcing inoculation within the previous five years can be regarded as well protected and some degree of protection is likely to persist for a longer period.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps are being taken by Her Majesty's Government within the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation to stop the sending of supplies of arms and military personnel to the Boun Oum administration in Laos, pending the calling of a conference and the agreement on a cease-fire.

None. As far as arms are concerned, the Royal Laotian Government is fully entitled, under the Geneva Settlement, to receive supplies as necessary for the defence of Laos. But in view of the decision, about which I made a statement in the House this afternoon that the two co-Chairmen of the Geneva Conference should call for an immediate cease-fire, Her Majesty's Government hope that restraint will be exercised by both sides pending permanent arrangements to cover these matters.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the average percentage of unemployment in the Greenock-Port Glasgow area in 1960; and what is the average percentage so far this year.

asked the Minister of Labour in how many cases during the last twelve months to the most recent date for which figures are available men, discharged from the Regular Forces on payment, have been called up for National Service.

About 80.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men have been called up for National Service since the operation of the call-up expired.

The percentage rate for 1960 was 8·2 and for January to April this year, 7·6.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state, to the latest convenient date, the numbers, by sexes, trades and ages, of persons now unemployed in Aberdeen city and county, respectively.

Following is the answer:

Since call-up ended nine national servicemen, who joined the regular forces and later bought their discharge, have been recalled to complete their national service.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that operatives in the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent have twice been examined by mass X-ray since 1954, except for 20 per cent. who would not volunteer for examination; and, in view of the fact that the second survey has shown that tuberculosis is found three times as often among those who have not yet been X-rayed, whether he will issue a regulation which will enforce X-ray of the chest on all new entrants in the industry.

My right hon. Friend has this matter under consideration.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps have been taken to strengthen British representation in Elizabethville, in view of the importance of Katanga to British interests and territories in Central Africa; and who is to replace Mr. George Evans, transferred to Pretoria.

The staff of Her Majesty's Consulate at Elisabethville are fully competent to carry out the tasks which fall to the Consulate at the present time. Mr. Evans has been succeeded by Mr. Dunnett, a Foreign Service officer of slightly higher seniority.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if Her Majesty's Government will propose to the United Nations the immediate establishment of an international commission of inquiry into the origins of the armed landings in Cuba, which constitute a threat to world peace.

In view of the terms of the Resolution relating to Cuba which was approved by the General Assembly oh 22nd April and for which the United Kingdom Representative voted, Her Majesty's Government do not consider that it would be appropriate to call for any further action at the United Nations at present in this matter.

asked the Minister of Education when he proposes to give his approval for a new primary school at Manod, Blaenau Ffestiniog; and if he will make a statement.

I have not yet been able to approve this project which was not so urgent as those included in the building programme.Local education authorities have been invited to submit proposals for the 1963–64 programme, when this project, if put forward, will be considered on its merits with all other proposals.

asked the Secretary of State for War for what reason and by what authority the Oldham man whose name has been supplied to him was, after being released from National Service, conscripted and sent to Germany in April, 1961.

A National Service man who enlists on a Regular engagement is not thereby exempted from his liability under the National Service Acts. The man in question was called up for National Service last August, and took on a Regular engagement in October, from which he purchased his discharge within three months. He was, however, still liable to complete the balance of his National Service, and rather than leave the Army and be recalled later on, he chose to complete his National Service straight away. He had to be returned to this country because the Acts do not permit a man to be called up or recalled whilst he is outside the country. As soon as these formalities were completed, he was returned to Germany. If it were possible for a young man to escape part of his National Service by signing on as a Regular, and then purchasing his discharge, it might lead to widespread abuse. I must, therefore, continue to watch for this sort of thing most carefully, whether it happens by chance or on purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will arrange for immediate information as to her son's present condition to be supplied to the Oldham mother, whose name and address have been supplied to him, of an Oldham-born soldier who was shot and seriously wounded in the Malayan jungle on or about 10th April, 1961.

I have written to the hon. Member about this case. The soldier's next of kin has been kept informed throughout.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will supply to the Oldham mother, whose name has been supplied to him, and to the hon. Member for Oldham, West, full particulars of the circumstances in which an Oldham-born soldier was seriously and accidently wounded and the nature of the wounds.

My inquiries into this case are not yet complete, but I have a preliminary report stating that the soldier was accidently wounded by a sub-machine gun whilst on jungle training exercise in South Johore. He sustained an injury to the head. I will let the hon. Gentleman have a further report as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will provide transport for the Oldham mother, whose name has been supplied to him, to visit her wounded son in Singapore.

No. Free transport for one person is only provided when the patient is on the very seriously ill list, and when a visit is requested by the medical authority in charge of the case. These conditions do not apply here. Moreover, I am glad to hear that the soldier is improving steadily, and will be returned to this country as soon as he is fit to travel.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of recommendations made to him for corporal punishment for attacks on prison warders, and the number of such recommendations confirmed by him for the years 1955 to 1960, respectively.

The following are the figures:The awards of corporal punishment for gross personal violence to prison

officers made and confirmed in the years in question were:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in the United Kingdom are known to have died during the last five years as a result of playing with polythene bags; and whether he will make it compulsory for manufacturers of these bags to state on them the dangers of their being used as toys.

I regret that this information is available only for the past year, when five children are known to have died from being suffocated by polythene or plastic bags. I have no power at present to require warnings to be printed on these bags, but I understand that the Packaging Films Manufacturers' Association have recently recommended to those concerned that bags which could be misused by children should carry a warning and I hope that this advice will be followed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why British civil defence plans are based on the premise that several days' warring of a nuclear attack will be available in view of the fact that United States plans are based on much shorter warning.

It is important to distinguish between warning of an actual attack and a period of alert at a time of increasing tension which would enable emergency preparations to be made. Information about home defence plans is exchanged with our American Allies, and I have no reason to suppose that there is any fundamental difference between us on this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of his responsibility for civil defence, what estimate he has made of the hazards to human life from short-lived isotopes like iodine 131 and barium 140 resulting from a nuclear explosion; and what instructions he has given to the Civil Defence organisation in this connection.

The attention of Civil Defence volunteers is drawn in the manual "Nuclear Weapons" to the hazards from radio-iodine and other isotopes which are specially dangerous when ingested. Guidance on protective measures is given in the manual.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of his responsibility with regard to civil defence, how many roentgens he estimates would prove fatal to people exposed in the open to the fall-out from a nuclear explosion, if absorbed in a period of 48 hours after a nuclear explosion.

The susceptibility of individuals to radiation varies, but some would die from a dose of 350 roentgens in this period, and only a few would survive a dose of 600 roentgens.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science whether he will initiate medical research into the effects of petrol and diesel fumes upon the human body; and if he will take all possible steps to eliminate or control the harm caused by such fumes.

The Medical Research Council is already undertaking a wide programme of research in this field. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is collaborating with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport in his efforts to reduce the nuisance from this source. But there is no evidence at present to suggest that the fumes constitute a specific health hazard.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the size of the waiting list for telephones in each telephone area in Great Britain and Northern Ireland at 31st March, 1961; and what proportion this bore in each case to the total number of subscribers in the area.

I give the figures below:

asked the Postmaster-General what progress he expects to make in reducing the order list, and the waiting list, for telephones during the year 1961–62; and at what figures he expects the waiting list, and order list, respectively, will stand by 31st March, 1961.

I cannot at present add to what I said on this subject in the White Paper on Post Office Prospects 1961–62 (Cmnd. 1327). If telephone demand continues at its present record level, it will be difficult to prevent the order list and the waiting list from rising, but naturally I shall do my best to avoid this.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction to the Central Electricity Generating Board not to publish any further advertisements in the national Press conditioning the public mind to accept pylons as an acceptable feature of the countryside, in view of their expense.

No. I expect the Boards to exercise reasonable restraint in their advertising, but it is for them to decide what is justified in the circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage grant has been offered by his Department to the Outward Bound Trust to build a school at Clatteringshaws in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

The Outward Bound Trust have been informed that any proposal they might make to establish a new training school in Scotland would be eligible for a grant up to a maximum of 50 per cent. of the capital cost.