asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now in a position to report on the adequacy of the resettlement arrangements at Calshot for the Tristan da Cunha islanders.

The Tristan islanders are comfortably resettled in homes at Calshot which have been furnished and equipped for them. Over 90 per cent. of those seeking employment have been placed in jobs and are receiving the full benefits of the health and social services. The children were absorbed into local schools within two days of their arrival at Calshot and have settled down very well.

While welcoming what has been done to overcome the difficult problems of adaptation here, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has noticed reports that some of the islanders appear to want to go back home if possible? Can he give any information on this and will he ensure that everything is done finally to meet their own desires in the matter?

I think that it is true that a number of them feel homesick and want to go back. I believe that running into one of the worst winters for a long time has not helped. I am keeping a close eye on the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware that the annual colonial reports in respect of St. Vincent, Basutoland and Bechuanaland for the year 1959 were published in January 1962; and what steps he is taking to ensure that colonial reports are published more expeditiously.

Every effort is made to publish these reports as soon as possible after the period to which they refer. We depend of course on the Governments concerned for the timely dispatch of their reports to Britain.

Would the right hon. Gentleman do something to try to close this very long gap? Does he not agree that in these days when events move so quickly in independent territories, particularly in High Commission Territories, these reports are rather useless by the time they reach us? Can he do something to speed them up?

I am rather disturbed about the time taken and I will look into the possibility of speeding this up.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that these reports often contain matter which is repeated from one edition to the next? Would he consider embodying this in the annual report of the independent territories and merely issuing a sort of interim report of what has happened since the last annual report? I think that he would then find publication considerably speeded.

I am grateful for that helpful suggestion.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in which territories under his jurisdiction there is in force no legislation analogous to the Riot (Damages) Act, 1886; and what action he takes to draw to the attention of the governments of Colonial Territories about to achieve independence the desirability of passing such legislation.

The Bahamas, British Honduras and Jamaica—and also St. Helena where the United Kingdom Statute is in force—appear to be the only overseas territories for which I am responsible which have Statutes analagous to the Riot (Damages) Act, 1886, of the United Kingdom. However, other territories may have corresponding provisions as part of their general legislation dealing with the maintenance of public order, and I am having inquiries made to ascertain those territories in which such provisions are in force.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the Zanzibar constitutional conference.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. G. M. Thomson) on 12th April. The report of the Conference was published on 17th April (Cmnd. 1699).

I was aware of that earlier. In view of the rather dangerous situation in Zanzibar, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he would not make a further effort to try to reach an agreement between Government and Opposition parties? Whilst it is difficult to get parties to coalesce if they do not want to do so, the right hon. Gentleman succeeded in Kenya. Cannot he make a new effort in Zanzibar?

The British Resident will be continuing his efforts and I am sure that he is the person best placed to bring about success. It was quite impossible at the recent conference to secure agreement, but I very much hope that the parties will find the way to agreement in the near future.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what conclusions have now been reached following consultations with officials and the National Council of Swaziland regarding the future constitution of that territory.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which my hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. G. M. Thomson) on 5th April, except that on 10th April the Resident Commissioner, Swaziland, announced that the people of Swaziland are to be given another two months—i.e. until the end of June—for public study of the constitutional question.

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that Answer. Is it not the case that there is outside the European Advisory Council and the National Council a very strong demand for a democratic constitution in Swaziland, and will the right hon. Gentleman encourage that and co-operate in its realisation?

I will not comment on the strength of demands of particular sections of the community. I think that the processes that we have in operation at the moment will enable us to gauge better and more accurately exactly what the people want.

Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind the very peaceful existence and lack of any disputes or troubles in Swaziland and see that this is not easily overthrown in the new constitution, when the methods of the past have been so successful there?

I do not want to introduce new methods unless they are an improvement on the old.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take steps to see that any new constitution does not lead to control by Afrikanders who are flooding into the country?

I think that is rather a remote possibility, but I should prefer to study it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made in the various agricultural resettlement schemes in Kenya; and to what extent these are being financed from British funds, from the World Bank or from local sources.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) how many African families have been resettled on European-owned farms in Kenya under official schemes since the beginning of 1961;

Twenty-six thousand acres have so far been bought for the economic smallholder schemes and settlement started with some 730 families: and 54 projects involving the purchase of nearly 18,000 acres have been approved under the yeoman schemes. These are the schemes which the International Bank is helping to finance. In addition, 140,000 acres have been bought for the new smallholder schemes for the settlement over the coming months of some 3,200 families.

Would my right hon Friend agree that unless the problem is tackled on a massive scale these schemes will make little impact? What is needed is a really impressive scheme for the purchase of at least 1 million acres for African resettlement and that it should be done by this summer at the latest.

This particular scheme is a substantial one and the difficulty from the time point of view is not so much the availability of money as getting the land and people qualified to take it up. I know that there are claims for much larger land resettlement. I have been approached from Kenya on this and I am not yet in a position to make a reply.

Can my right hon. Friend say when he will be in a position to make some reply to these very modest proposals which are put forward by the settlers in Kenya, because this problem is extremely urgent, and, as my hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) has said, we really must get a move on this year?

As to my hon. Friend's definition of "very modest", when £30 million or £40 million are involved, it seems to be a very substantial degree of modesty.

With regard to the Federal German contribution, is the Minister aware that at the Koenigswinter Conference held recently the West Germans expressed a desire to help more in the under-developed countries of the world, and if he will press that with the Germans I think that he will have a favourable response?

I am grateful to the hon. Member for that. We certainly are pressing the Germans to help in these East African Territories and I am quite hopeful that we shall get substantial assistance.

Can my right hon. Friend assure us that with this resettlement the agricultural advisory services will be extended because resettlement alone, without the knowledge of how to make the best use of the land and raise greater crops, is of little use?

We are in a bit of a dilemma here. Clearly, one wants to get people farming on resettlement land who will farm as efficiently as possible. On the other hand, this tends to slow things up and, as other hon. Members have pointed out, the need for speed is very great.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress is being made with the Africanisation of posts in the public service in Kenya.

On 1st July, 1960, there were 637 Africans in grades higher than clerical scales. By 1st April, 1962, this number had reached 1,243. By the end of July, 1962, the number of African District Officers will rise to approximately 100. The total number of African Administrative Officers of all grades will then be more than 200. Four African District Commissioners are in full charge of Districts and further appointments will be made following completion of training in July of this year. By January, 1963, at least twelve District Commissioner posts will be held by Africans.

This report is definitely encouraging, but will the right hon. Gentleman comment on the very disturbing reports which have appeared recently in, for example, The Times that in many respects progess in Africanisation is deplorably slow? Will be agree that the hold-up and difficulties facing Kenya in achieving a political solution to her problems could be greatly eased if there was acceleration in the Africanisation of the Administration itself?

I think that this is one of the mose difficult problems in Kenya. I am not sure that the cure for it is solely Africanisation. We want to produce a local Civil Service including all races living in Kenya. The problem in connection with Africanisation is mainly that of education, and we hope that the efforts in education which have been made in Kenya recently will bear fruit soon. But it would be a great mistake to Africanise at such a rate as to undermine the efficiency of the service.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that unless and until an adequate scheme for non-designated officers is worked out there is not likely to be a very good atmosphere for co-operation in Africanisation or development of a local Civil Service?

I do not think that will follow. The problem about Africanisation is to find people of sufficient education to handle the task.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what requests for financial assistance Her Majesty's Government have received from the Government of British Guiana to enable claims arising from damage suffered in the recent riots to be met in full.

None, Sir.

While I thank my right hon. Friend for that somewhat foreshortened reply, may I ask my right hon. Friend whether he is confident that the resources available to the Government of British Guiana are sufficient to meet all reasonable claims resulting from the riots?

I do not think that that is a matter for me. British Guiana is now internally self-governing and it is really for them to deal with this matter. The question asked whether any claims had been put to us. None has been put to us.

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has yet set up the commission of inquiry on these riots?

Not yet. I hope to get some names firmly settled in the course of a few days.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I wrote to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations on this matter and that the letter was passed to my right hon. Friend? Can he, therefore, explain his lack of responsibility in this context?

Yes, Sir. British Guiana is a fully internally self-governing Colony.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if qat is now freely imported and sold in Aden Colony and Protectorates; whether any official investigation has been held into the alleged deleterious effect of this drug; and whether the desirability or otherwise of restricting the consumption of qat has ever been debated by the Colony Legislative Council.

There has never been any restriction on the import and sale of qat in Aden Protectorate. In Aden Colony it may now be imported and sold under licence. The Report of the Qat Commission of Inquiry of 1958 stated, on medical evidence, that qat, unless used to excess, is not injurious to health. A United Nations Technical Assistance Mission in Narcotics Control has just visited Aden; its Report has not yet been received. Restriction of qat consumption has been frequently debated by the Aden Colony Legislative Council, both before its import was banned in 1957, and since the ban was lifted in 1958.

Is it not true that any drug taken in excess is deleterious and that qat has a certain deleterious effect? Reports have been made that it has done very great injury to the health of large numbers of people and in fact has led to about £2 million economic loss to the Colony? In these circumstances, cannot this matter be looked at more carefully?

We shall await with interest the report of the United Nations Mission. I must say that if we set about banning the use of everything which if taken in excess is harmful, it would be a pretty dull life.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I personally have spent an entire evening consuming qat with absolutely no effect, good, bad or indifferent?

Is my right hon. Friend aware that I was present when my right hon. Friend chewed qat, and it was for only about ten minutes?

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if conditions in the educational institutions of Aden Colony are now quiet; and whether consideration has been given to the suggested formation of parent-teacher organisations.

All educational institutions are functioning normally except the Girls' College which has not yet been reopened: the Colony Government is considering when it can be reopened. As I stated in reply to the hon. Member's Question on 22nd February, parents' committees exist for boys' schools: for the Aden Girls' College it has now been accepted in principle that the parents' committee should be re-instituted.

Is it not a fact that this school is still closed and has been closed for some time, and that it is not likely to be reopened for some time in the future? In these circumstances, can a report be made on this closed girls' school?

There was a report, which, I believe, was put in the Library, on the previous occurrences there. What is retarding the opening of the school is staffing difficulties. There are no other difficulties. As soon as these have been solved the school will be reopened.

Will the right hon. Gentleman take a personal interest to get this very important school reopened? This report of the troubles there was a very good report which seemed to deal with the problems that have arisen. It is surprising that the school has not been opened by this time.

I certainly will take a personal interest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will amend the Entrance and Residence Proclamations of Bechuanaland and of Basutoland to ensure that bona fide political refugees from the Republic of South Africa are given secure political asylum, and that agents of the South Africa police are refused entrance.

No, Sir. I think we should leave to the inhabitants of Basutoland and the Bechuanaland Protectorate, in accordance with the Constitutions of those territories, the initiative in deciding whether to amend their immigration laws. So far as I am aware these laws are not unsatisfactory

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that the recent case of Mrs. Mafeking underlines the need to amend these declarations in order to give bona fide political refugees greater security than they evidently have at present in these Protectorates?

As far as I can recall offhand, that case is still subject to appeal and it would be wrong for me to comment on it. But it seems to me that in general the provisions are satisfactory.

Is the right hon. Gentleman really satisfied? Is he not aware that many of us are receiving a considerable number of letters, particularly from Basutoland? Is it not the case that refugees from the Republic of South Africa who are there have no security and no guarantee about being allowed to remain there? Is it not often the case that the interference which they suffer is an aristocratic traditional interference rather than something representing the mind of the people of Basutoland?

I do not think I would accept that. If the hon. Member has letters from people. I shall be glad to examine them if he will send them to me.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he proposes to implement the decisions reached by himself and the Prime Minister of Malta concerning alterations in the Malta Constitution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the amendments to the Malta Constitution agreed with Dr. Borg Olivier will come into effect.

An amending Order in Council will be made as soon as possible.

Does my right hon. Friend realise that it will be very difficult for the Prime Minister of Malta to get on with this job, from the economic point of view especially, unless the Constitution is altered? Would it not be possible for my right hon. Friend to make alterations before the Prime Minister calls Parliament together, which will be in a week or ten days' time?

It would be quite impossible. The alterations would have to be drafted and submitted to a meeting of the Privy Council. Frankly, I cannot see that there is the slightest hindrance to the important task of carrying on economic functions in Malta before the changes are made.

Will my right hon. Friend say whether he has in mind further talks on constitutional developments for Malta or, what is more important, financial aid and economic planning?

I have had discussions with the Prime Minister of Malta and we have agreed that at a later date we shall have further talks on both points.

Can my right hon. Friend say that in the light of the proposed amendments there is now every opportunity for Malta to go ahead within the framework of the Constitution and establish herself as a viable State with a future?

Yes, Sir; there is every opportunity and every necessity for that.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the Legal Secretary of Malta is to be given over £10,000 on leaving Malta; why the new Malta Government has been asked to pay this sum; how long he has been employed in Malta; what has been his salary; and whether this sum is free of tax.

Mr. Stephens, who has been a member of the Overseas Civil Service since 1946, had been in the service of the Malta Government since 1957. His pensionable salary was £2,800 a year, subject to Malta income tax. As a result of the introduction of the new Constitution in Malta his post was abolished. Consequently, in accordance with the principles set out in Colonial No. 306, published in 1954, and Command 1193, published in 1960, he became eligible for compensation for loss of career, payable by the Government which employed him. The compensation paid to Mr. Stephens was determined on the advice of the Government Actuary in the United Kingdom.

Does not my right hon. Friend think that this is really rather an excessive sum to pay to a man who has been in Malta only just over three years, all during the time when there was no Malta Government and only what was provided by the Colonial Office? Does not this gentleman also receive a pension from his ordinary job? Also, is he not able to be employed somewhere else?

Mr. Stephens has been treated like every other member of the Overseas Civil Service, and his compensation, according to the principle constantly approved by the House, was determined by the Government Actuary. I think that that is absolutely right and is in accordance with practice generally in the Overseas Civil Service.

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree, although this raises a difficult question, that it is very undesirable that at the present stage in the development of Colonial Territories new colonial Governments should be saddled with the total responsibility for paying compensation on this scale? This is a problem which is as serious in East Africa and other territories as it is in Malta. Will not the right hon. Gentleman have another look at the whole problem and see whether it would not be possible for Her Majesty's Government at least to accept some part of the burden for compensating such personnel?

That is another and wider question but I will certainly consider it. In this case, Mr. Stephens, like other civil servants, has been working on the basis of certain things to which he is entitled, and we must make quite sure that such persons get their entitlements.

Will my right hon. Friend confirm whether the sum actually is tax-free?

Yes, Sir. In all cases these sums are made tax-free by the Finance Act, 1960.

asked the Minister of Education when he proposes to commence the new buildings of the Haverfordwest Grammar School.

Pembrokeshire Local Education Authority hopes to start work on this school in the current financial year.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I welcome what he has said? Is he also aware that there is a proposal—a threat, I might say—that in the intervening period the boys may have to use the Liberal Club in Haverfordwest? Will he give an assurance that no such terrible eventuality will take place?

I share the feelings of the hon. Gentleman on that point.

asked the Minister of Education how many educational psychologists are employed in the county of Cornwall; and what are their rates of pay.

Three. One is paid on a scale rising from £1,810 to £2,170 and the two others—one of whom takes up his duties next month—on a scale rising from £1,510 to £1,810.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that these scales of pay are adequate considering the urgent need to recruit more educational psychologists not only in Cornwall but throughout the country?

I am glad to say that the lower scale has now attracted a psychologist to fill the third place, and I hope that that will help the county.

asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to secure an expansion of day-release arrangements for apprentices and other employees undergoing training; and whether he will introduce legislation to make it compulsory for employers to grant day release in cases where the trainee applies for it and is acceptable to the appropriate college.

I shall shortly have the results of an inquiry into the practical implications of giving young workers under 18 a statutory right to day release. I propose then to have further discussions with the national organisations concerned about this and other possible methods of extending day release, and I will keep the hon. Member's proposal in mind.

While I welcome the indication that this is still under consideration, might I ask whether it has not been under consideration for a very long time? Will the Minister agree to approach this matter with a somewhat greater sense of urgency, bearing in mind that the nation cannot afford the wastage involved and the fact that there is a hard core of employers who will not grant day release and that this is terribly unfair to the boys and girls concerned?

I remitted this study to a committee of officers of my Ministry and representatives of national organisations, including the T.U.C. It held its first meeting in June last, but found that some detailed statistical work was needed. This work is now completed and I hope to have the committee's report next month.

Can my right hon. Friend say what progress he has made in arranging day release in agricultural areas, because I understand that there has been difficulty in the past about farmworkers being granted day release?

I am glad to tell my hon. Friend that day release in agricultural areas is improving rapidly. We need the help of farmers in this.

asked the Minister of Education how it is proposed to spend the sum of £20,000 which he is making available for the promotion of educational research.

I have offered £5,000 a year for three years to the Educational Foundation for Visual Aids towards the running costs of its new experimental development unit; £16,000 over four years to the National Foundation for Educational Research for research into the relative merits of block release and day release; about £12,000 over three years to Sheffield University for research into the logical programming of mathematics syllabuses; and about £9,500 over four years to Manchester University for a sociological study in grammar schools.

Are not these a very small number of projects for such a vast undertaking as our education service? Will the Minister have another look at the whole question which, I realise, we are to debate later today, to see if a good deal more money can be provided?

I would ask the hon. Gentleman to wait for the debate.

Can my right hon. Friend explain how the large sum of money he has just detailed reaches the total of £20,000? If his estimates are to be as much at variance as that, we shall get into trouble with the Ministry of Education Vote.

The reason is that these are projects covering three or four years and in the first year the contribution is not required to be very great. We estimate that for all those projects I detailed only £12,000 will be required out of the £20,000 in the first year.

asked the Minister of Education, in view of the demand from secondary schools for modern language assistants, why more French-speaking Belgian and Swiss assistants are not engaged to assist with French teaching in schools.

Any increase in the number of French-speaking assistants from Belgium and Switzerland would be very welcome and I have made this known to the authorities in those countries.

Does the Minister conduct a recruiting campaign in these countries? Is he allowed to do so? The number at the moment is pitiful—less than two dozen altogether. Is there any financial or foreign exchange difficulty?

I will have to look into the second part of that supplementary question but certainly, through our officers, we make it known that we should like to have these young assistants. I am glad to be able to tell the hon. Gentleman that we have just got two from French-speaking Canada.

asked the Minister of Education how many teachers over the age of 65 are currently teaching in local authority schools; and how this number compares with those on a comparable date in 1959.

In March of last year, 1,048 teachers aged 65 and over were teaching in maintained primary and secondary schools. The corresponding figure for 1959 was 1,429.

This is very unsatisfactory. Cannot the right hon. Gentleman induce his colleagues in the Treasury to provide some financial inducement for teachers over 65—or, perhaps, a substantial pensions inducement—because this is one of the sources, for the time being, anyway, from which we might get people to stay on.

It is not very clear why the numbers have fallen and I am looking into that matter, but I think it is generally recognised in the House that abatement of pensions on account of earnings is a subject on which there is a general principle throughout the public service and we could not make an exception for teachers.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the over crowding in the Frondeg Secondary Modern School, Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire; and what steps he proposes to take to alleviate the position.

Yes, Sir. The rebuilding of the school will be considered for inclusion in the major school building programme for 1964–65.

Is the Minister aware that his Answer will cause disappointment in South Caernarvonshire? This school has been overcrowded for many years and classes have to be taken in the corridors. Was not a new secondary modern school promised to the town for this year? Will the right hon. Gentleman review the position with the intention of providing a new school in next year's list?

I wish I could, but as things stand I have allocated the whole of the money available for next year.

asked the Minister of Education if he is aware of the difficulties that have arisen in Pwllheli, Caernarvonshire, as a result of the recent destruction by fire of Troedyrallt Primary School; and what plans he has to meet the situation.

Yes, Sir. I am waiting for proposals from the local education authority to meet the school's difficulties.

Is not the Minister already aware that an emergency has arisen in this respect and that these primary school children, about 200 of them, have had to be accommodated in various halls scattered all over the town owning to the destruction of their school by fire? Is he aware that these halls are seriously deficient of lavatory and washroom facilities so that the children must seek out the public conveniences in the town? Does this not constitute a case for priority action by his Department?

I am very well aware of these difficulties and I think it is time that the local authority came forward with proposals. It is for the local authority to make proposals, whether for temporary huts or for any other form of accommodation.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman's inspectorate inform his Department of an emergency of this kind, without the local authority having to make an approach?

Naturally my inspectorate told me that the school had been burnt down. I then awaited the local authority's proposals for meeting the emergency.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will now make a further statement on recommendations 16 and 35 of the Albemarle Report.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is discussing with the Ministers concerned the action which should be taken following his reference in his Budget Speech to a modest start in making good the deficiencies pointed out by the Wolfenden Report on Sport.

Will the Minister be a bit more on-coming than that? The Treasury's ban was a serious handicap in implementing the Albemarle Report. Will the right hon. Gentleman celebrate the lifting of the ban by assuring us that every advantage will be taken to provide these facilities for youth?

I am in discussion with my right hon. Friend and I ask the House to wait until we can make a statement.

asked the Minister of Education what was the total value of the school-building projects submitted by local education authorities for 1963–64; how many projects were involved; what total value and how many projects he has approved; and if he will give the detailed figures relating to Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, respectively.

Over England and Wales as a whole about 1,200 projects estimated to cost about £127 million were proposed; actual starts will amount to about 550 projects costing £55 million.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the shocked reaction in the country to the drastic cuts he constantly makes in local authorities' education proposals? He is constantly talking about the need for more invest- ment but is bringing his axe down on the building programme, which is vital to the future expansion of our education system. Will he not reconsider the proposals which the local authorities have put forward because they are really necessary for the future development of education?

This is not a new situation. Every year the local authorities put forward proposals—quite rightly, from their point of view—of what they think they need of approximately two and a half times the investment that is available for school building. This is a good thing because it enables us to sort out the priorities with them from one year to the next. The hon. Gentleman's county and the town which he represents have got more than the national average.

How can the Minister know better than those who are serving on the local education authorities what is necessary to provide a better educational service by way of new school building?

This is not a question of knowing which schools are needed in general but of planning, which I thought the hon. Gentleman supported, namely, bringing the school building programme for any one year within the financial ceiling of the pubic sector of investment.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he is speaking with two voices; he is setting up a survey of old buildings and, at the same time, is making nonsense of that survey if he discourages local authorities when they put forward their proposals based on present knowledge?

Not at all. The survey is for a different purpose which, I thought, we might discuss in the debate after Questions.

asked the Minister of Education what was the total amount of new school building programmes submitted by local education authorities for 1962–63: and how much of this he has decided to permit.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on 13th July, 1961.

Is the Minister aware that that Answer showed that there were cuts in that year of a similar magnitude to the cuts in the current programme? Does he realise that the cuts he made outraged educational opinion throughout the country and that even the loyal Daily Telegraph was worried about them? Will the right hon. Gentleman stand up to the Treasury and fight for education? If he does he will have the support of most hon. Members and the whole of the country.

The hon. Gentleman must realise that it is impossible to plan educational investment unless local authorities ask for more projects than we have money for, which they would do in any case. This is the only sensible way, year by year, to establish the most urgent priorities.

Would not the right hon. Gentleman agree that it would be prudent for the local education authorities to multiply their requests by three in order that the Minister could then divide them by three, so that they would get exactly what they want and he, too, would be satisfied?

It is remarkable how some local authorities, even within a single county, are realistic while others are totally unrealistic. That is why these global figures do not mean very much.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will make a further statement on the school building programme for 1963–64; and whether he will review this programme in view of the representations he has received from local education authorities.

Since my statement of 27th February on the 1963–64 building programme I have informed the local education authorities of their respective allocations. I cannot increase the programme at present but, as I said in my previous statement, this is a possibility if the longer term economic prospects improve and further investment in the public sector can be authorised.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is not a question of unrealistic authorities and that over all he has more than halved the estimates put in by the local education authorities and that that, on top of the cuts in minor works, is thoroughly discouraging to the education authorities? Is he aware that they think that they can do this work and that it is only the right hon. Gentleman who is preventing them?

The hon. Gentleman is quite wrong. A large proportion of education authorities know quite well that they could not carry out a much bigger programme than that which they are given. I repeat that I have an assurance that if the long-term economic conditions improve and it is possible to add to public investment without overloading the building industry, then education has a very high priority.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that what we want is action now and that it is no good to have programmes approved now unless we can have them finalised now? Is he not aware that it is nonsense to say that London County Council could not carry out the work which it wants to do? He knows quite well that it could if it was allowed to do so.

The population of London is dwindling and London needs no new schools for additional child population, so that all its allocation is for replacing existing schools. Replacement is not so urgent as schools which are required in areas where children would not otherwise be in school.

On a point of order. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the right hon. Gentleman's reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the steps he has taken to prohibit the use of certain types of spring seed dressings have proved effective; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, Sir. I am glad to say that, following the agreement not to use certain cereal seed dressings on spring sown cereals, there has been a marked reduction this spring in the deaths of wild birds. A number of suspected incidents have been reported to my Department's Infestation Control Laboratory. Analysis of these has shown that some birds probably died from eating dressed grain, but in about half the bodies so far examined no trace of chemical seed dressing could be found. Investigations are continuing and I intend to publish a report on these as soon as possible. The whole position will then be reviewed with the interests concerned.

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the warning which health officials had to give to members of the public in Norfolk last week, advising them not to touch the carcasses of many hundreds of dead birds which had been found? In view of that, does he think that a voluntary ban will be sufficient for future occasions?

The situation has been infinitely better this year. Only 57 instances were reported this year compared with about 300, involving many thousands of birds, last year. We have had a much more satisfactory coverage this year and I am certain that there has been a great improvement. But I ask my hon. Friend to await the report after we have had full experience of the spring.