asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take, in view of the repudiation by the Football League of the agreement reached, under the auspices of his Department, with the Professional Footballers' Association.

The Football League has sent to the Professional Footballers' Association a list of the points agreed at the Annual General Meeting of the League on 3rd June, and has informed the Association of the reasons for the clubs refusing to implement in full the terms of the agreement made on 18th January as revised on 16th May. I understand that the players are now considering this communication from the League, and it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to take action at the present time.

asked the Minister of Labour what reply he has sent to the Iron and Steel Trades Employers' Association following its request for an investigation into the negotiating procedure of the industry.

The Association has not requested an investigation into the negotiating procedure. My right hon. Friend was however asked to consider appointing a committee to inquire into a dispute concerning the pay of craftsmen employed by firms in membership of this Association but he has suggested that, at this stage, it would be more appropriate for the employers and the unions to meet again at national level to discuss the dispute. We understand that steps are being taken to arrange a meeting.

asked the Minister of Labour what have been the causes of the rise in the retail prices index in the last twelve months.

There have been some rises in all the groups of items included in the retail prices index during the last twelve months. The most important changes were those for the food, miscellaneous goods, housing, and fuel and light groups.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of foundry employers' complaints in the West Midlands that his Department is unable to find suitable workers to fill vacancies but refuses to issue labour permits for aliens; and if he will take urgent action to deal with the labour shortage in foundries.

I am aware of one case of this kind about which I have been in correspondence with the hon. Member. As I explained in my letter, the local employment exchange will try to meet the firm's requirements for foundry workers from among the unemployed in the area; but if this is not possible, we will be prepared to consider an application for labour permits for foreign workers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider setting up an interdepartmental committee to examine the need for co-ordinating the food market, for limiting imports, by tariffs if necessary, and for operating effective antidumping measures, thus securing for British farmers an increased share of the home food market.

I am not persuaded that the present conditions of the food market are such as to warrant such a fundamental reappraisal of our agricultural support and trading policies as my hon. Friend suggests.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to reduce the number of deer in the Thetford Chase area of the Forestry Commission in Norfolk.

The Forestry Commission keeps the number of deer in Thetford Chase within reasonable bounds in the normal course of management. I do not feel that any special measures are called for.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has completed investigations into reports submitted to him by the Lowestoft trawler "Boston Arrow" concerning an incident at sea.

The Danish authorities has assured us that their fishery protection vessel "Flora" did not observe the "Boston Arrow's" request for medical aid, and that if she had done so, she would have answerd it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the causes of the flooding on the west side of the River Hull, between Sculcoates Bridge and Scott Street Bridge, at the last equinoctial high water spring tide, the number of wharves in this section of the river which have been surveyed and reported to the Hull and East Yorkshire River Board for flood alleviation works, and the number of notices which are to be served on owners in this section requiring them to raise their wharves above flood level.

The flooding of this section of the River Hull appears to have been due to defects at two or possibly three sites. One site is to be attended to and the Hull Corporation is being recommended to serve a notice on the owner of the second site. A third site is being investigated.I understand that the surveying of this length of the River Hull will be completed in time for consideration by the Corporation at its meeting next month when the service of notices will also be considered.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount of free board, above the flood level of the last equinoctial high water spring tide, now required by the Hull and East Yorkishire River Board for the new flood alleviation works on the River Hull, and the number of wharves which have so far been found to be below this requirement.

These questions will doubtless be considered by the river board when the survey by the Hull Corporation has been completed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that a large amount of French barley is being sold for delivery in this country at a price which is less than that received by the French grower; and what he proposes to do about it.

I am aware that imported barley from a number of sources is being offered at low prices in our market. My right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, has already stated, in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir A. Hurd) on 14th June, that he is prepared to consider any application on behalf of British growers under the Customs Duties (Dumping and Subsidies) Act, 1957. I understand that the National Farmers' Union has today submitted an application.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in the case of a man who claims to be unemployed due to a trade dispute in which neither he nor anyone else in his grade or class is participating and where a test claim covering his case has been allowed by the local tribunal, arrangements can be made for the payment of unemployment benefit whilst the relevant test claim is subject to appeal to the National Insurance Commissioner, on the basis, if need be, that there will be a liability for repayment after his resumption of work if the National Insurance Commissioner allows the appeal.

No. To introduce a liability for repayment of insurance benefit paid in accordance with a decision of the statutory authorities, and obtained and received in good faith by the claimant, but which is found on appeal not to be payable, would have far-reaching implications throughout the insurance schemes. The rule governing suspension of unemployment benefit in trade dispute cases is needed to secure uniform treatment of all claims made during the dispute, and like the trade dispute disqualification itself, has stood unchanged for over thirty years.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make provision to add in future to the first payment of retirement pension the sum appropriate to cover the days which intervene between the pensioner's 65th birthday and the date of payment.

No. As retirement pension is paid weekly in advance, there is, provided that the rate of pension payable has been determined in advance in the normal way, nothing to prevent any pensioner, regardless of the particular day on which he retires, receiving a week's pension within a week of retirement.

asked the Minister of Power if he will set up a small committee to examine the possible effects on the coal industry of Great Britain's entry into the Common Market.

No. All the aspects of British membership of the Common Market will be carefully examined before there is any decision to enter into negotiations with the European Economic Community or the European Coal and Steel Community. I do not think that it is necessary to set up a formal committee to consider the effects of membership of the Community upon the coal industry.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage of the people of the North-East who have migrated to other parts of the country in the past ten years are under the age of 30 years.

Census figures analysed by age are not yet available, but advance estimates suggest that about half the total net migration from the Northern Region—Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland, Westmorland and the North Riding—was attributable to persons under 35.

asked the Minister of Health how many foreign immigrants have been referred to clinics for an X-ray test for tuberculosis; how many were proved positive; and how many failed to report for reading.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Defence if, following the recent Western European Union decision about German naval construction, the Government of West Germany is now provided with submarine bases in the east of Scotland; and what further such arrangements are contemplated.

There are no arrangements to provide the Federal German Republic with submarine bases on the east coast of Scotland and none are contemplated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what report he has had from his fisheries research department on the appearance of hump-backed salmon off the north-east coast of Scotland.

In July last year a humpbacked, or pink, salmon was caught in a bag net near Aberdeen, and I am informed that one was caught by rod and line in the Derwent at Workington, Cumberland the following month. Unconfirmed reports have also been received of the capture of four others in Scottish waters. My scientists report that the appearance of these fish in our waters is probably the result of the transfer in recent years of large numbers of Pacific salmon eggs, chiefly pink salmon, to the rivers of the Kola Peninsula of Northern Russia, which flow into the North East Atlantic.

asked the Secreretary of State for Scotland if he will state in respect of each valuation area in Scotland for which figures are available the percentage change in the level of rateable values brought about by the new assessments.

I would refer the hon. Member to my written reply, with its accompanying table, given on 27th April to the hon. Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will instruct his inspector to survey the fire-fighting services in central Scotland, with a view to satisfying himself that there is an adequate proportion of trained men to part-time firemen in each area.

I receive, each year, particulars of the establishments of whole-time and part-time members of all fire brigades in Scotland and also the reports of the visits of inspection made by Her Majesty's Inspector of Fire Services for Scotland. The manning position in central Scotland, and elsewhere, is kept under review in the light of the information so provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he is aware of the continuing losses being incurred by the Scottish middle water fishing fleet; and if he will convene an immediate meeting between his Department and representatives of the trawler owners to discuss future action and policy.

I am aware that Scottish near and middle water trawlers had much less satisfactory results in 1960 than in 1959 primarily because of a scarcity of fish. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I are in consultation with the industry about the issues arising from the Fleck Report; and have also set up a working group on which the trawler owners are represented to advise on the experimental work necessary to enable the industry to adapt itself to new conditions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional married women teachers have been employed as a result of the recent publicity campaign to attract them back to teaching; and whether he is satisfied with the results.

Two hundred and eleven additional married women teachers entered employment in education authorities' schools in Scotland between the beginning of February—when the campaign started—and the end of April. I do not of course claim that all of these were recruited directly as a result of the publicity campaign, but this is a substantial number and I think the result of the campaign can be described so far as satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Transport what proportion of the oil supplies imported during 1960 was carried in ships flying the British flag.

It is estimated that 35 per cent. of the oil imported into this country during 1960 was carried in ships flying the British flag.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many men made application during 1960 to purchase their discharge from the Royal Navy; and how many of them were permitted to do so.

1,896 men, out of about 83,000 United Kingdom ratings, applied for ordinary, non-compassionate discharge by purchase and 844 of them were allowed to go. In addition 321 men were given compassionate discharges by purchase during the same period.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officers in the Chief Inspector of Taxes' Office of the Board of Inland Revenue have retired, other than on grounds of ill-health, in each year since 1945 from

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a further statement about the findings of Lord Munster's Relationships Commission in Uganda.

The Report is about to be published and I expect to lay it before Parliament tomorrow. It is the intention that the Report should be considered at a Constitutional Conference to be held in London in Sep-

The following table gives the figures asked for, except that it is not possible, without undue expenditure of labour, to separate retirements of senior inspectors and inspectors (higher grade) at head office from retirements from those grades as a whole. In addition to the figures shown, there were 37 resignations—3 senior inspectors and 34 inspectors (higher grade).tember. In the meantime the Report will be considered by Her Majesty's Government, the Protectorate Government and, I am sure, by all concerned in Uganda. Whilst I cannot anticipate the decision that may be reached at the Constitutional Conference I feel confident that the Report, which is both clear and constructive offers much promise of an acceptable solution being found to the major constitutional problems confronting Uganda today. I wish to record my gratitude to Lord Munster and his colleagues for the contribution they have made.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much frozen, chilled and fresh killed beef has been imported into the United Kingdom from European Economic Community countries, Jugoslavia and the Argentine, respectively, since the beginning of this year.

The following is the latest available information: