asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the present system of quarantine for dogs against rabies was instituted; when the last dog developed rabies in quarantine kennels; and how many animals have been infected with rabies in Great Britain inside and outside quarantine kennels, respectively, since the quarantine system was instituted.

Control of imported dogs began in 1897 with an Order imposing a period of 90 days' quarantine at the owner's house. In 1901 a fresh Order imposed a period of six months' quarantine in premises under the control of a veterinary surgeon. This was reduced to four months in 1914, was extended again to six months in 1918, and has so remained since.The last case of rabies in quarantine kennels occurred in 1949.Cases of rabies in dogs have occurred in quarantine kennels as follows. 1915 (1), 1919 (2), 1924 (3), 1927 (1), 1928 (1), 1929 (1), 1930 (1), 1937 (2), 1938 (1), 1939 (2), 1946 (1), 1947 (3), 1948 (3), and 1949 (2).Cases of rabies in dogs have occurred outside quarantine kennels as follows: 1897 (151), 1898 (17), 1899 (9), 1900 (6), 1901 (1), 1902 (13), 1918 (98), 1919 (150), 1920 (41), 1921 (22) and 1922 (1).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many dogs were vaccinated or inoculated against rabies in Malaya from 1st January, 1953, up till the date of independence; and what proportion of these dogs developed rabies after the injection took effect.

This is a matter for the Government of the Federation of Malaya; but according to published material rabies was virtually eradicated in Malaya by the vaccination of over 200,000 dogs during the years 1953–56. Information for 1957 is not available to me. If my hon. Friend requires this or any further details he will no doubt consult the Malayan Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware of the serious financial situation in Zanzibar; and what action he proposes to take.

The opportunity was taken at the time of the recent Constitutional Conference to discuss the position with Zanzibar Ministers. Zanzibar's revenues are heavily dependent on cloves exports and if, as appears likely, import restrictions in the main markets severely curtail the level of exports, Zanzibar will end their current financial year on 30th June, 1962, with a budgetary deficit of about £630,000, which exceeds the reserves available. Zanzibar will also face difficulty in balancing the budget in 1962–63. In these circumstances Her Majesty's Government have agreed to make immediate repayment of the outstanding loan of £200,000 provided at the time of the 1895 Agreement between Great Britain and Zanzibar. This sum will be advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund pending the presentation of a supplementary estimate to Parliament.Her Majesty's Government have also undertaken to assist the Zanzibar Government if necessary with grant-in-aid of the expenses of administration in the period up to 30th June, 1963, When the position will be reviewed. Over that period the finances of Zanzibar will be subject to financial control by Her Majesty's Government. The Zanzibar Government recognise the need to bring the budget into balance at the earliest possible date and accept that this will entail economies in expenditure and measures to increase revenue.

asked the Minister of Education (1) in how many classes in Bristol the number of pupils exceeds 40 in primary, and 30 in secondary modern schools;(2) in how many classes in Bristol primary schools the number of pupils exceeds 45.

In January, 1961, 182 classes in primary schools maintained by the Bristol Authority had more than 40 pupils and 23 of these classes had more than 45. In secondary modern schools there were 149 classes with more than 30 pupils. Information relating to January, 1962, will be available in July or August.

asked the Minister of Health what would be the equivalent, given both in cash and as a percentage of the increase on the salary of a three years' service State-registered nurse of the most recent reductions in hours and increase in holidays.

At the minimum of the scale, £54 and 10¼ per cent., respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour how many manual workers are employed in those industries in which there have been wage settlements this year resulting in increases in the minimum rates above 2½ per cent.; and how many of these are in industries in which the increases have been between 2½ and 4 per cent., over 4 and under 5 per cent., and over 5 per cent. respectively.

About 2¾ million. About 1¾ million; about ½ million; about ½ million.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance in how many cases sickness benefit of £2 17s. 6d. a week has been paid to those chronically sick; and in how many instances during 1961 the 35s. per week paid to dependants of those chronically sick was withdrawn on account of the fact that the earnings of the dependants exceeded 40s. per week.

I regret that the information asked for by my hon. Friend is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General what arrangements he has made to publicise in post offices the withdrawal from currency of old notes, in view of the need to inform old people.

This is a matter for the Bank of England rather than the Post Office. Our counter staffs have been instructed to refer anyone making inquiries on the subject to the Banks.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what assistance is given by Her Majesty's Government to the Scottish Field Studies Association; and whether he has considered providing an adequate money grant in the present financial year to establish at least one full-time field centre in Scotland.

The Association receives an annual grant under the Further Education (Scotland) Regulations, 1959, towards administration expenses. The amount of grant offered this year was £400, the same as last year. I have not considered providing grant in the present financial year towards the establishment of a full-time field centre in Scotland. The present demand in Scotland for facilities for field studies falls considerably short of the level which would justify the establishment of a full-time centre.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consult the authorities of the city of Stoke-on-Trent about the provision of an office of his Department at one of the town halls to be used to facilitate consultations between his officials and local industry, the provision of Telex facilities and the stimulation of exports.

No. Local needs in these matters are adequately met by the Board of Trade Regional Office in Birmingham.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out in tabular form the total imports

IMPORTS OF JAPANESE GOODS INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Values in £ '000 (a)
——			1952	1956	1958	1960	1961
TOTAL IMPORTS	…	…	80,924	191,718	240,877	403,310	384,464
of which:—
Pottery	…	…	4,201	8,722	10,208	14,665	11,309
Cotton Goods	…	…	1,623	14,626	9,915	9,419	9,607
Synthetic Fibres	…	…	76	16	14	139	219
(a) Converted from values recorded in United States dollars in the trade returns of that country. The values are at the prices current in the years shown.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the estimated number of jobs in prospect within the Spennymoor Employment Exchange area, and the nature of the jobs.

I regret that I cannot give the information requested by the hon. Member, as to do so would be likely to disclose information about individual projects given to the Board in confidence by the firms concerned.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the total production, by number and by value, of the boot and shoe industry in 1961; and what percentages, by number and value, of this production were exported.

Total production of footwear, other than rubber footwear, in from Japan at current prices during the years 1952, 1956, 1958, 1960, and 1961; and if he will give the same figures for pottery, cotton goods and synthetic fibres and for Japanese imports into the United States of America.

I regret that information based on 1961 prices is not available. Details of the value of total United Kingdom imparts from Japan in the years concerned are available from Account IV of the appropriate December issues of the Trade and Navigation Accounts. For details of imports of pottery, cotton goods and synthetic fibres I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 5th February, 1962, about imports of manufactured goods from Japan. The values of Japanese imports into the United States of America are as set out in the following table.1961 amounted to 161·2 million pairs; figures are not collected of the value of footwear produced. 8·7 million pairs were produced for export, accounting for 5·4 per cent. of production.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet made a decision about the quota of British films to be shown by exhibitors during the year beginning 1st January, 1963.

Yes. After consulting the Cinematograph Films Council I have decided in accordance with their advice to leave the prescribed quotas at 30 per cent. for first feature films and 25 per cent. for the supporting programme for the exhibitors' quota year beginning 1st January, 1963. No order to amend the Cinematograph Films (Quotas) Amendment Order, 1950. is therefore required.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in tabular form the amount of British investment, grant and loans, respectively, made by the United Kingdom Government to Commonwealth countries and Colonies respectively, from 1946 to 1951, inclusive, and from 1952 to 1961, inclusive; and if he will give separately the figures for loans made by the Export Credits Department and for intergovernmental loans for the same two periods.

The United Kingdom Government have incurred the following expenditure by way of loans and grants provided for economic and technical assistance to Commonwealth countries and Colonial Territories in the periods shown:

—	1945–46 to 1950–51 inclusive	1951–52 to 1960–61inclusive
	£ million	£ million
Independent Commonwealth Countries:
Grants	Nil	26
Loans	Nil	99
Total	Nil	125
Colonial territories:
Grants	76	351
Loans	17	139
Total	93	490

Of the loans to independent Commonwealth countries, £2 million represented funds channelled through the Colonial Development Corporation and technical assistance loans. The remaining £97 million was drawn under loans made through the Export Credits Guarantee Department. All except the Colonial Development Corporation Funds have been provided on a Government to Government basis.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent automatic salary increases on agreed scales operate in the Civil Service, the National Health Service and the teaching profession; and what is the percentage annual average increase in each of these categories of employment.

The system of basic salary scales with regular incremental progression from a minimum to a maximum is in general use in the non-industrial Civil Service at all except the highest levels, in the National Health Service and in the teaching profession. Incremental scales are not a feature of the pay structure of staff in the Civil Service and National Health Service who are employed on industrial conditions of service.The average annual increment is between 3 and 4 per cent. for each of these professions, but this covers wide variations in the absolute and proportionate size of increments. This does not of course represent a steady increase in cost of that order, since membership of a grade is constantly turning over as those who go out at the top of the scale are replaced by those who come in at the bottom.