asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the cost to the agricultural and horticultural industries, respectively, of the increase in duties on hydrocarbon oils during the 12 months 1961–62.

The cost to agriculture and horticulture together is estimated to be about £2 million but it is not possible from the information available, to apportion the total between the two industries. There is no clear dividing line between them, and I doubt whether there is any reliable means of making separate estimates.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the report of the Bledisloe Committee.

I received the Report of the Bledisloe Committee last month and it will be published shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) in view of the imminence of 1st May when traditional celebrations in the form of public meetings are held in Malta, if he will take steps to relax the relevant restrictions so that the traditional meetings can be held;(2) if he is aware that the law relating to the holding of public meetings in Malta requires application for a Government permit to hold such meetings and operates so that, when a permit is applied for, the grant of the permit is delayed a long time and so near the date of the meeting as to make impossible the holding of the relevant meeting; and if he will take steps to rectify this.

Public meetings were held in Malta on 1st May last year and in previous years. I have no evidence that the provisions of the law to which the hon. Member refers have the results which he ascribes to them.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what message of good will he has sent the Sierra Leone Government this day.

, pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 27th April, 1961; Vol. 639, c.595], circulated the following:Message delivered by Mr. Duncan Sandys, British Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to the Prime Minister of Sierra Leone, Sir Milton Margai, together with a gift of silver from the British Government on this first day of independence.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give an estimate of the additional cost which would fall on his Department if a payroll tax of 4s. per person were imposed for the 12 months from 1st May, 1961.

Approximately £1,200,000, of which about £1 million would be accounted for by the School Meals Service, £30,000 would be in respect of the Ministry's own staff and the remainder for the staff of institutions and organisations maintained by grant carried on the Department's Vote.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of township roads were constructed and improved in the Highland area during the years 1959–60, and 1960–61.

Schemes for the improvement or construction of 87½ and 70 miles of township roads were completed during the years 1959–60 and 1960–61, respectively. At 31st March, 1961, works affecting a further 52½ miles were either in progress or about to start.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the expenditure by the Government on transport piers and fishery harbours and piers, respec- tively, in the Highland counties during each of the years 1958–59, 1959–60, and 1960–61.

The particulars requested are as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of all Commonwealth assistance loans and Exchequer loans made to Commonwealth countries from 1950 to date, stating in each instance the original amount, the annual rate of interest, the terms of repayment and the amount now outstanding.

Commonwealth assistance loans to independent countries of the Commonwealth are made under Section 3 of the Export Guarantees Act, 1949, as since amended. Table I below gives details of all such loans to these countries in respect of which formal loan agreements had been signed by 31st March, 1961; it does not show loans approved in principle, including substantial amounts for India's Third Five-Year Plan, for which the loan agreements still remained to be signed at that date.Exchequer loans to dependent Territories are made under Section 2 of the Colonial Development and Welfare Act, 1959. Table II below gives details of issues under all such loans made by 31st March, 1961.These tables do not include certain other loans to Commonwealth Territories provided under Departmental Votes, and they exclude all loans to non-Commonwealth countries.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, under his regulations, a British manufacturer who arranges for certain component parts to be made abroad, to his own design and drawings, is liable to pay Customs Duty, not only on the value of the imported components, but also on the value of the design and drawings concerned.

Under the provisions of Section 258 of the Customs and Excise Act, 1952, and the Sixth Schedule thereto, the value of such imported components for Customs Duty purposes is the price they would fetch on a sale in the open market. This would normally reflect the cost of preparation of the design and drawings necessary for manufacture.