asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what decision he has taken concerning the future of the Sloper Road allotments, Cardiff.

None. The land in question has been zoned as allotments in the city development plan and the city council has made no approach, either to my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, for an amendment of the plan, or to my right hon. Friend for consent under the Allotments Acts to the sale, appropriation or use of the land for any purpose other than allotments.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to lay in stores of dried milk adequate for an emergency.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton) at Question Time today.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much compensation has been paid to workers who have lost their employment as a result of fowl pest during the past three months.

My right hon. Friend has no power to pay compensation to employees who may lose their employment on account of outbreaks of fowl pest.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Report of the Royal Commission on Common Land will be implemented; and whether legislation will be introduced during the present Session.

Following the announcement by my predecessor on 26th July, 1960, my Department put suggestions to the local authority associations and other interested bodies. These suggestions were concerned with the practicability of a scheme of commons registration broadly on the lines recommended by the Royal Commission but taking considerably less time than the twelve years envisaged by the Royal Commission.I am now satisfied that this could be done and legislation will be prepared for this purpose though it cannot be introduced this Session. I have in mind to allow three years for the registration of claims and two years for the registration of objections.Registration of claims that land is common, and to ownership and common rights, is a desirable step in itself and the establishment of the facts will pave the way for action on the remaining recommendations of the Royal Commission.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many widows are now drawing pensions at the 10s. rate; and what it would cost to put them on the same basis as other widows.

About 90,000 widows are receiving the 10s. widow's pension as a reserved right under the old scheme. The circumstances of age or family under which all these ladies were widowed are those under which widows whose rights depend on the National Insurance scheme receive no pension at all. To put these widows on the same basis as other widows identically circumstanced would consequently result in a saving of the whole cost of their pensions. This amounts to about £ 3 million.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why a decision was taken to exclude a number of men from unemployment benefit who had been made redundant by Messrs. John Laing Limited at the Littlewoods contract in Derby Lane, Liverpool, on its closure by the company; if he is aware that the decision indefinitely to suspend operatives from benefit, in an area where alternative employment in the building industry is unobtainable at this time, has caused unnecessary hardship; and if he will have the decision reviewed.

As the hon. Member will be aware, entitlement to unemployment benefit is decided by independent statutory authorities. I understand that, in the case referred to, the insurance officer decided that the men concerned were disqualified for benefit because they had lost their employment by reason of a stoppage of work due to a trade dispute at their place of employment. My right hon. Friend has no power to interfere in this decision but any claimant who disagrees with it can, of course, appeal to the local tribunal and, from it, to the National Insurance Commissioner.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that people have to pay a charge of 2s. for a prescription when the cost of the items over the counter would be less than this amount; and if he will authorise chemists to charge only the retail price, or take steps to abolish the charges on all prescriptions.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is "No". The second part does not, therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Health when he will make a decision as to any further vaccination of the population of Hull against poliomyelitis; and whether any such further vaccination would be of a vaccine containing strains 1, 2 and 3.

I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of my Department's

asked the Minister of Health what has been the average net profit per prescription made by chemists for dispensing prescriptions under the National Health Service in each year since 1957, inclusive; and what was the estimated average net profit per prescription in 1961 had no alteration been made on 1st November, 1961 in the system of remuneration.

The estimated average net profit per prescription was 40d. in 1957; 43d. in 1958; 4·8d. in 1959; 5·7d. in 1960;and would have been 6·3d. in 1961 if no alteration had been made.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make inquiries into the costs of continental pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide comparison with similar information being obtained officially from pharmaceutical manufacturers in this country.

I have no means of investigating the costs of manufacturers outside this country.

asked the Minister of Health what were the figures for the issue to the public in Dagenham of tins of national dried milk, bottles of cod liver oil, packets of vitamin D tablets and bottles of orange juice for the periods 2nd April to 31st May and 1st June to 31st July.

Following are the figures:recommendations on this matter, which I understand have been accepted by the city council.

asked the Minister of Health what is the infant mortality rate in the United Kingdom; and if he will state, from information available to him through the World Health Organisation, how this compares with the rates in India, Pakistan, the West Indies and former British colonies in Africa.

Following are the figures:The infant mortality rate for the United Kingdom was 23·4 per thousand live births in 1958, 23·1 in 1959 and 22·5 in 1960. The latest rates per 1,000 live births published by the World Health Organisation—in Annual Epidemiological and Vital Statistics, 1958— are:

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of delays in obtaining orthodontic dental treatment under the National Health Service in Wembley; and what plans he has for reducing the delay.

No, but I will look into the matter if my hon. Friend will send me details.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects a code of practice for the packaging of packet soups to be available.

No code of practice for this process is in preparation. Regulations have been made which require all food to be packed in such a way as to avoid contamination.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to remedy the shortage of staff at Storthes Hall Hospital, Huddersfield.

I would refer the hon. Member to what I said in the debate on the Adjournment on 2nd November.

asked the Minister of Health what allowances are paid to the chairmen of regional hospital boards in respect of their duties.

Travelling and subsistence allowances, and payments for loss of earnings and additional expenses. Limited sums are also available for official entertainment.

asked the Minister of Labour what action is being taken to ensure continuity of employment for the members of the National Union of Vehicle Builders and others, in view of the proposal of Messrs. Petbow, Limited, to close their Kirkby, Lancashire, factory and transfer the work to their premises in Kent.

My local officers have been registering the redundant workers in advance of their discharge. Every effort is being made to find them suitable employment.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to promote and extend industrial health schemes similar to the Central Middlesex Health Service.

The Nuffield Foundation, in close consultation with my Department, is taking action to promote group industrial health schemes at Rochdale and Dundee. The fund of £ 250,000 made available last year for these purposes by the Foundation is being used. Assistance has also been given to the Central Middlesex Scheme.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will introduce legislation in the current Session to establish statutory conditions of safety, health and welfare for workers in shops, offices and other premises not covered by the Factories Acts.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull (Mr. Coulson) on 1st November.

asked the Minister of Labour what are his plans as regards the future intake of disabled workers to industrial rehabilitation units.

As I explained in my Answer to the hon. Member for Rutland and Stamford (Mr. K. Lewis) on 1st November, I do not propose to place any limit on the intake of disabled persons to industrial rehabilitation units.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will make a statement on the use of turnstiles in public conveniences.

Returns from 1,454 local authorities—95 per cent. of the total— show that of their 12,000 public lavatories only 670 were equipped with turnstiles; of these, 525 were in women's and 145 in men's lavatories.In the last five years people have been trapped on at least 150 occasions, and on 12 of these people were injured.In the same period turnstiles broke down on something over 2,200 times; nearly all of these were caused by the use of bent pennies.The cost of replacing existing turnstiles would be of the order of £ 150,000. There would also be an appreciable loss of revenue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases the Treasury Valuer has departed from his original assessment of houses attached to hospitals; where these houses are situated; and when the change was made in each case.

I am obtaining this information from the Treasury Valuer and will write to the hon. Lady again as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has made available to the general public regarding the action they should take in the event of a nuclear attack.

Information about the action which could be taken to mitigate the effects of nuclear weapons is contained in two official publications, "The Hydrogen Bomb" and "Nuclear Weapons". Information is also given from time to time in official publicity on Civil Defence. Further detailed guidance would be issued, by all available media, in an emergency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals Her Majesty's Government have for the construction of fall-out shelters.

Much could be done by the average householder to provide protection in or near his home. General advice is included in the Home Office publications, "The Hydrogen Bomb" and "Nuclear Weapons". More detailed advice would be issued to the public in an emergency.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has made regarding telephone and Post Office facilities in the vicinity of Comberford Road, Tamworth, in view of the new building development and the relatively long distances of existing Post Office facilities.

A close watch is being kept on building developments in this area. There are already two telephone kiosks in that part of the Comberford Road which I think the hon. Member has in mind. The need for more will be considered as the development continues. The head postmaster is to meet the local authority on Wednesday, 8th November, and will discuss with them postal delivery and collection services and also the question of providing a sub-post office when the area has developed further.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will bring to the notice of exporters the postal facilities which may be of assistance to them in the promotion of exports.

Yes. I am arranging for 50,000 copies of a booklet called "Exports by Mail" to be sent to firms interested in selling goods abroad. This booklet contains a digest of our overseas postal services and I am sure it will be helpful to exporters. Firms are also being invited to seek any further information they may need from their local head postmasters.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the difficulty that the organisers of hospital football commentaries will have in meeting the recently announced increases in Post Office charges; and whether he will waive the increases in these cases.

I recognise how much these commentaries are valued by hospital patients, and I have now found it possible to make some changes in the method of applying the tariff. The effect of these changes will be to moderate the increases substantially both in the case of hospital commentary circuits and other similar networks. Telephone managers will presently be getting in touch with the renters of these networks to work out with them the cheapest way of providing the facilities they need.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will give an assurance that National Service men and officers who have made arrangements to start or resume studies at universities and other higher educational institutions will not be retained in the Army beyond the date of their proposed commencement of studies.

If these circumstances arise I shall, as in the past, give every consideration to such claims.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the cost of flying a Fiji Islander to the United Kingdom on his enlistment into the British Regular Army.

About £ 200.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will expedite the transfer of wives of soldiers serving in the Staffordshire Regiment who have been detained at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield, because of lack of married quarter accommodation at Colchester, in view of the situation which arises in connection wth one wife concerned who is in delicate health, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth.

Despite the intensive building programme, there is still a shortage of married quarters in Colchester, and the supply must be shared between all units in the garrison. Two-thirds of the families of the Staffordshire Regiment are already accommodated there. The remaining families will be moved from Lichfield when quarters now under construction are available.

asked the Secretary of State for War what preferences as to regiments and corps were expressed by Fiji, Solomon and Seychelle Islanders during his recent drive to recruit men from the Pacific and Indian Oceans for the British Regular Army; how many such recruits he has obtained to date; and what are their islands of origin.

127 men and 23 women have already enlisted in the Seychelles. These recruits have enlisted in regiments and corps as follows:

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the countries from which wattle bark, quebracho extract, and chestnut extract, respectively, were imported for the year 1960 and the first nine months of 1961;and what were the quantities and value from each country.

The following is the information:

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what are the numbers of applicants seeking positions on the books of the Overseas Services Resettlement Bureau; and how many are being found positions month by month.

The total number of officers who have registered with the Bureau since it was set up in July, 1957, is 2,611. Of these 1,580 have found employment, 105 are presumed to have found employment, and 7 have died, making a total of 1,692 and leaving a balance of 919 on the books. The number of those who have found employment in August, September and October, 1961, is 58, 65 and 63 respectively.