asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent Commonwealth imports will be affected by the liberalisation of dollar imports which will take effect on 1st August; and whether he will make a statement.

I cannot forecast what changes, if any, there may be in the pattern of our imports as a result of these further measures of liberalisation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the extent of the United Kingdom's adverse balance of trade with the primary producing countries outside Europe, in particular Canada, the Argentine and Brazil; and what information he has about the extent to which the same countries are importing manufactured

The balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Canada, Argentine, Brazil and the other primary producing countries outside Europe is given in Table I below for each of the years 1958 to 1960. The figures given in this table are those returned in the monthly trade statistics in which imports are recorded on a c.i.f. valuation, whereas exports are valued on f.o.b. terms; hence the balance of trade with these countries as incorporated in the Balance of Payments White Papers which give imports and exports on a comparable (f.o.b.) basis is less adverse than that given in the table.The value of exports of manufactured goods to the same countries by each member of the European Economic Community is given in Table II for 1958, 1959 and the first nine months of 1960; detailed figures for the fourth quarter of 1960 are not yet available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) in view of the fact that the rate of new industrial building, covered by industrial development certificates issued during 1960, was 10·9 million square feet in the Midland Region and 6·6 million square feet in the Southern Region, as against 4·2 million square feet in the Northern Region, what further policies he has in mind to bring about a more equal distribution of industry in the country;(2) in view of the fact that the rate of new industrial building, covered by industrial development certificates issued to the end of March, 1961, was 1·3 million square feet in the Midland Region and 1·2 million square feet in the Southern Region, as against 1·0 million square feet in the Northern Region, what improvement he expects to take place throughout the rest of 1961 in the rate of new industrial building in the Northern Region.

I am satisfied that the policies embodied in the Local Employ ment Act, 1960, are already securing a more equal distribution of industry. The proportion of potential jobs to be created by new industrial building in the development districts was 39 per cent. of the Great Britain total in 1960 compared with 14 per cent. for the same areas in 1958. In the Northern Region, new industrial building is expected to provide about 15,000 jobs, 10,000 of them in development districts, though only a fraction of these will accrue in 1961.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration has now been given to the reduction of the age for the maturity of post-war credits to 60 years for men and 55 years for women.

The conditions for repayment of post-war credits are kept under review, but I regret that I cannot at present make any statement about reducing the qualifying age.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the approximate number of articles on sale in retail shops in the United Kingdom the prices of which would be affected if he makes use of his now powers to alter by up to 10 per cent. the whole range of Customs and Excise duty, including Purchase Tax.

I have no means of making such an estimate.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present practice with regard to the capital allowances which are permitted in respect of the use of private aeroplanes by business executives; and whether any maximum limit with regard to the cost of such aeroplanes is imposed in connection with such allowances.

A concern which uses a private aeroplane for business purposes, for example, for the transport of directors or employees, may claim the ordinary capital allowances available for machinery or plant. There is no limit on the cost ranking for such relief.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what grades in the Civil Service the principle of equal pay does not apply.

Equal pay in the Civil Service does not apply to cleaners, industrial staff and the Post Office grades of Superintendent Storewomen, Store-women, Stores Assistants and Assistant Telephone Mechanics.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is now in a position to make a statement on his discussions with the London County Council on the proposed national theatre.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has given further consideration to the offer made by the London County Council to build the National Theatre on the South Bank; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend received an L.C.C. deputation on 6th June on the possibility of erecting a new theatre on the South Bank and is considering their proposal.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that safety belts for motor cars are free of Purchase Tax, but if sold fitted into a car pay 50 per cent. Purchase Tax; and, in view of their value in saving life, if he will remedy the situation.

Safety belts are normally fitted to cars only after the point at which tax becomes due; and when this is done no question of tax on the value of the belt arises.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total value of building works in progress during the current year for the Scottish universities.

The total value of Exchequer-financed building work now in progress, or expected to start in this financial year, at the Scottish universities and the Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow is £5·1 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will appoint a small committee to consider the granting of university status to the Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow.

No. I understand that the question of status of the Royal College is at present being considered by the University Grants Committee, who are my right hon. and learned Friend's advisers on such matters.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of how many retirement pensioners on receiving their increased pensions pay more Income Tax because they have lost their marginal age relief allowance, thus making them financially worse off than before the increase.

I am not sure what my hon. Friend has in mind. I do not know of any type of case in which, after receiving a pension increase with no other change in income, a taxpayer's net income, after tax, would be diminished.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to control the import trade in pet tortoises, so that unnecessary cruelty and premature deaths are prevented.

The existing law provides penalties for ill-treatment of animals and also provides for the licensing and inspection of pet shops. My right hon. Friend is not satisfied that legislation to control the importation of tortoises would be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to table a Statutory Instrument, in accordance with the Betting Levy Act, 1961, appointing the day on which the Horserace Betting Levy Board is to be established.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement about the appointment of the Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board and the other appointments he is empowered to make under the Betting Levy Act, 1961; and when the Act will come into force.

I am glad to say that Field Marshal Lord Harding of Petherton has agreed to be Chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board. My right hon. Friend will shortly announce other appointments under the Act. After that he will make an Order setting up the Board so that all necessary preparations can be made for collecting contributions from bookmakers for the levy period beginning on 1st April, 1962.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is made for the compensation of Civil Defence volunteers injured when on duty in peacetime emergencies such as aircraft crashes.

Members of the Civil Defence Corps injured in the course of civil defence duty, including official duty in peacetime emergencies, are eligible for the benefits payable under the provisions of the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Acts and for sick pay under the Civil Defence Corps (Sick Pay) Warrant.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the need to ensure strict compliance with parking meter regulations, he will state his policy with regard to future employment of traffic wardens.

The power to appoint traffic wardens rests with the Commissioner of Police in the Metropolitan Police District and elsewhere with the police authority. The Commissioner is satisfied that the employment of traffic wardens is making an effective contribution to the free flow of traffic in central London, but it must be regarded as still in the experimental stage and its extension must be a gradual matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the approved number of cases which can be handled by a probation officer; and how this figure compares with the position in County Durham.

No precise figure has been fixed for the number of cases which a probation officer should handle. In recent years the Home Office has advised probation committees that the desirable case-load is between 50 and 60 for a man, and between 35 and 45 for a woman, according to the nature of the area. On 31st March, 1961, the average case-load in County Durham was 66·7 for men and 47·7 for women.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what study his civil defence experts have made of the types of air-raid shelters designed in the United States of America for the protection of civilians.

The Home Office keeps in close touch with the United States civil defence authorities and is familiar with American designs of air-raid shelters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he first contacted the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis on the case of Mr. Henry Scudder following the letter of 30th November, 1960, from the hon. Member for Erith and Cray-ford; what are the dates of the subsequent communications with the Commissioner; and what are the dates of the replies he has received from the Commissioner;(2) if he will now make a further statement about the case of Mr. Henry Scudder, now undergoing a sentence of nine years' imprisonment.

My right hon. Friend has written to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will replace the school crossing patrol which operated until recently in Harrow Road, Wembley, at the junction of May-bank Avenue and Elms Lane.

It rests with the Commissioner of Police, who is the school crossing authority for the Metropolitan Police District, to decide where to station the patrols he has available. He tells me that it is not possible to station a patrol at this particular crossing at present, but that it is covered by a police officer as often as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the result of his inquiries into whether the restrictions voluntarily imposed by the Indian and Pakistan Governments on emigration have broken down, in view of the increase this year in immigration into the United Kingdom from those two countries as compared with last year.

While my right hon. Friend is still investigating the increase this year in immigration from India and Pakistan he cannot, on the information available to him, accept the view that the restrictions imposed by the Governments of these countries have broken down.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision will be made from police pension funds for the families of Police Inspector Pawsey and Police Sergeant Hutchins who were killed in the course of their duties in the Metropolis on the afternoon of 3rd June.

I am sure that hon. Members will wish to take this opportunity of expressing their sympathy to Mrs. Pawsey and Mrs. Hutchins, whose husbands were killed while doing then duty. The Police Pensions Regulations provide for the payment of special pensions to the dependants of regular police officers who die as a result of injuries received in the execution of their duty. Mrs. Pawsey's total benefits, including police pension and industrial injuries payments, have been provisionally assessed at £10 1s. 1d. a week, and Mrs. Hutchins' benefits at £10 7s. 0d. a week, They have been so informed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what area the Prison Commission intend to be served by the proposed new women's prison at Hill Hall, Theydon Mount, Essex; what were the reasons for choosing Hill Hall despite the objections to it expressed on behalf of the Prison Commissioners at the Thornwood inquiry; and what sites were considered, other than Thornwood and Hill Hall, inside and outside the Metropolitan Green Belt, respectively.

Most prisoners at the new prison would come from the London area; the remainder from other parts of South and East England. Since a public inquiry is to be held into these proposals, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment on them.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the loss of life that would be likely to occur in Great Britain in twenty-four hours of nuclear war.

The number of people killed would depend upon the number and size of missiles reaching their targets, where they fall, the wind and weather conditions and other factors.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether any United Kingdom protected persons have been arrested during the recent arrests in the Union of South Africa; and if he will make a statement.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to reported arrests of a number of persons in South Africa preceding the declaration of the Republic on 31st May. No reports have been received of arrests of British protected persons in that period. Her Majesty's Ambassador has reported the arrest of one citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, who was remanded on his own recognisances and is to appear in court on 9th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations when it is proposed to resume talks on the future of the Central African Federation.

It was announced in December, 1960 that the Federal Constitutional Review Conference will reconvene on a date to be decided by the five Governments in the light of progress made at the talks on the Constitutions of Southern Rhodesia and Northern Rhodesia. While much progress has been made in regard to these two territories, we have not yet reached the point when a date can be fixed for reconvening the Federal Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations which Commonwealth countries have no extradition treaties with Great Britain.

We have no extradition treaties with Commonwealth countries. These problems are dealt with under the Fugitive Offenders Act or similar procedures.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make a further statement about the implementation of the Morse Report on the development of the High Commission Territories.

I hope to be ready to make a further statement shortly.

asked the Minister of Education what was the rate of increase since 1954–55 of students released by their employers during the day; and what action has been taken to achieve the Government's aim expressed in Technical Education, Command Paper No. 9703 of 1956.

The numbers have in-increased by 33 per cent. since 1955, including an increase of about 8 per cent. this year. Accommodation is being provided under the 1956 White Paper building programme to enable the 1955 number to be doubled, and I hope that the new pattern of courses to be introduced this autumn will encourage the full use of these facilities.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will make a further statement on his campaign to encourage married women teachers to return to teaching.

I have asked local education authorities for their progress reports by the middle of the month. I shall be able to make a further statement when this information is available.

asked the Minister of Education what percentages of teachers are graduates in the various types of secondary schools maintained by the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire education authorities.

The table below gives as at 31st March, 1960, the percentage of teachers in the different kinds of school who were graduates:

asked the Minister of Education what are the pupils per teacher ratios in the various types of secondary schools maintained by the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire education authorities.

The table below gives the pupils per teacher ratios (taking account of the full-time equivalent of part-time teachers) in January 1960.

asked the Minister of Education, what percentages of science masters employed by the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire education authorities are graduates.

The statistics collected by my Department relate to the qualifications which teachers hold and not to the subjects which they teach in school. I am therefore unable to provide this information.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why Mr. J. K. Chuvinga, the President of the Trades Union Congress of Northern Rhodesia, was warned by the police at a public meeting in Northern Rhodesia on 30th April, 1961, that if he shouted the word "freedom" he would be prosecuted.

I assume that the hon. Member refers to Mr. J. K. Chivunga, who attempted to address the meeting, although not included in the advance list of speakers covered by the permit issued for it. I am informed that he was warned of his liability to prosecution if he did so and that the use of the word "freedom" was not mentioned or involved in the warning.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he next expects to visit Malta.

My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to do so.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what re search is being undertaken by his Department into alternative seed dressings which will be non-toxic to bird and animal life.

Development of new agricultural chemicals is not undertaken by the Government. This is a job for the manufacturing industry who are fully aware of the importance of finding less toxic chemicals, including seed dressings, for use in agriculture, and continually engaged on research into new chemicals.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he is aware of the deep boring in Upper Weardale, County Durham, carried out by the Geological Department of Durham University which is concerned with scientific and industrial research; and, in order that this research should not be held up on financial grounds, if Her Majesty's Government will make a grant to the University to assist in this work.

Yes. A grant of £36,050 was made by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to the University of Durham in April, 1960, for the cost of this deep boring at Rook-hope, Weardale, County Durham. The boring has so far reached a depth of 2,000 feet and results of considerable scientific interest have been obtained. The work is not held up for financial or any other reason.

asked the Minister of Defence what consultations there were on defence policy with the United States Government prior to 1st June.

Her Majesty's Government keep in close touch with the U.S. Government on defence matters at all levels, and both bilaterally and within the alliances of which we are both members.

asked the Postmaster-General how long he estimates it will be before a colour television service is introduced, whether on 405 or 625 lines; and how much he estimates the delay in the introduction of colour television will cost his department, the British Broadcasting Corporation and British manufacturers in losing the advantage of being first in producing a coloured television service on 625 lines, having in mind the competition which will ensue for overseas markets.

I cannot give an estimate at this juncture. A decision on line standards should precede the introduction of colour and premature decisions could be very costly without any compensating advantages. As regards exports and imports

asked the Postmaster-General what recent considerations he has given to the future of inter-continental television transmissions both by cable and earth satellites, their relative cost and the estimated date of experimental transmissions; and if he will make a statement.

My engineers are studying these questions closely in consultation with the other interests concerned. I hope that the experimental tests of satellite communications planned to start next year in co-operation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States will include test transmissions of television signals. It is, however, too early to make a statement on the future of inter-continental television transmissions by cable or by satellites and on their relative cost.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state, for each of the major road projects completed since 1st January, 1958, the mileage of road, the total cost of physical construction, including labour, materials and the contractor's profit, the cost of acquiring land and the cost of the consulting engineer's fee.

The information is given below.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state, for each of the major road projects now in course of completion, the mileage, the estimated costs of physical construction, including labour, materials and the contractor's profit, the cost of acquiring the necessary land and the cost of the consulting engineer's fee.

The information is given below.