asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, what communications he has received wthin the last week from the countries of the Commonwealth about Great Britain's application for entry to the Common Market and its repercussions on the Commonwealth; and what reply he has sent.

There is all the time a continuous flow of messages between us and other Commonwealth Governments over the whole range of trade interests which are the subject of negotiation in Brussels.

asked the Minister of Educaton what steps are being taken to remedy the shortage of accommodation at the comprehensive school, Holyhead.

Provision for extensions to this school at an estimated cost of £92,000 was included in the 1961–62 major building programme. Details of the project are still under discussion, but it is hoped that a start can be made early next year.

asked the Minister of Education which local education authorities provide a comprehensive child guidance service; which have planned such a service; and what increase in provision there has been since the issue of his Circular 347.

Reports made in 1960 by local education authorities in response to Circular 347 showed that most authorities were planning, in consultation with regional hospital boards, a comprehensive child guidance service of the type recommended in the circular. The rate of progress is dependent on the availability of trained staff; few authorities would claim to have a fully comprehensive service.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will make a statement on his recent visits to slum properties; what new action he proposes to take to ensure the speedy removal of slums; and whether this includes encouragement to private builders to build houses to rent at economic rents for the artisan class.

My right hon. Friend visited authorities with big slum problems in South-East Lancashire and on Merseyside last month, and he is at present visiting similar areas in Yorkshire. He hopes very shortly to visit other areas in the North-East of England.He is discussing with the authorities ways of achieving a faster rate of slum clearance.My right hon. Friend has not overlooked the contribution that private builders can make. Housing associations are being encouraged to build houses to let at economic rents, with the assistance of Exchequer loans, and my right hon. Friend hopes that this will help to bring private developers back into this field.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the negotiations for the purchase of land to enlarge the Port Glasgow Industrial Estate have been concluded.

Not yet.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the total volume of trade in meat

UNITED KINGDOM TRADE IN MEAT WITH E.E.C. COUNTRIES
(tons)
—		Year 1961		January-April 1961		January-April 1962
		Imports	U.K. Exports	Imports	U.K. Exports	Imports	U.K. Exports
W. Germany	(a)	179	890	96	436	18	477
	(b)	3,679	2,487	1,649	842	905	762
France	(a)	15	807	1	388	9	110
	(b)	863	207	272	82	294	73
Netherlands	(a)	9,588	734	2,998	195	2,845	452
	(b)	55,406	521	18,723	161	18,216	188
Belgium	(a)	564	1,528	346	407	23	415
	(b)	667	725	219	277	245	224
Luxembourg	(a)	—	—	—	—	—	—
Italy	(a)	26	48	13	32	15	54
	(b)	461	145	127	57	142	37
Total	(a)	10,372	4,007	3,454	1,458	2,910	1,508
	(b)	61,076	4,085	20,990	1,419	19,802	1,284
Grand Total		71,448	8,090	24,444	2,877	22,712	2,792
(a) Meat: fresh, chilled or frozen.				(b) Meat: other including meat preparations.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to encourage specifically the export of meat from this country to the European Economic Community countries.

My Department is in constant touch with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food concerning exports of agricultural and food products, including meat and meat products, and the same services are available for exporters of these as for other exports.

asked the President of the Board of Trade What response there has been from industrial firms to the "Gateway to Britain Weeks" which are being sponsored by his Department, with particular reference to those to be held in Bergen and Stavanger in September.

The "Gateway to Britain Weeks" (19th to 30th September, 1962) in Bergen and Stavanger are being sponsored by municipal and other authorities in the North-East of England, and New- and meat products between this country and European Economic Community countries, respectively.

Following is the information:castle in particular, and not by the Board of Trade. The "Gateway" of their title refers to this area, and I do not know of any other Weeks being organised under this name.So far as I am aware, both British firms and local stores have co-operated well to ensure that the stores will be well stocked with British goods during the Weeks and will make special displays. On this basis the Board of Trade is supporting the organisers by providing display materials and paying for some of the publicity and entertainment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consideration is being given to the construction of a national trade fair.

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the provision of new exhibition buildings. This is in my view a matter where the main responsibility must rest with industry, with whose representatives the Board of Trade will keep in close and sympathetic touch.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the percentage of the national income that is spent in this country on education, including private education and universities.

Estimates of the percentage of the gross national product for the years 1956–57 to 1960–61 represented by public expenditure on education, including the universities, were given in the reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler) on 1st May. Comprehensive statistics are not available for private expenditure an education but it is estimated that such expenditure has recently represented about 0·3 per cent. of the gross national product.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware of the dissatisfaction felt in the watch importing trade concerning the practice of offering for sale to the highest bidder watches confiscated as a result of attempted smuggling; and what action he is taking in this regard.

I am aware of the trade representations that seized watches should be destroyed, but there is no sufficient reason for the Exchequer to forgo the money derived from their sale.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants, established and temporary, respectively, were employed in his Department on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or the nearest available dates; and what were the totals, respectively, of their salaries and wages as paid on those dates.

On 1st April, 1951, there were 1,356 civil servants employed in the Treasury and on 1st April, 1962, there were 1,033 established and 324 temporary civil servants making a total of 1,357.The cost of wages and salaries for the year ending 31st March, 1951, was £915,523 and for the year ending 31st March, 1962, the cost was £1,771,712.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to control the televising of the count at Parliamentary elections and to provide for the disposal of any fees derived therefrom.

My right hon. Friend has asked his Advisory Electoral Conference to consider whether any guidance might usefully be given to the returning officer on the question of admission to the count, including the admission of representatives of the Press and of television, and he is awaiting its recommendations. My right hon. Friend does not think that this is a matter for legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases he has given consent to the demolition of air raid shelters in the borough and rural district of Newcastle-under-Lyme in the last three years; and how many more cases are at present being investigated.

Consent has been given in three cases. No cases are at present being investigated.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy he has adopted concerning the provision of public shelters to protect the population of Great Britain in case of war; and what proportion of the money voted for Civil Defence will be spent on the construction of such shelters.

It is not the Government's intention to construct purpose-built public shelters, the provision of which on a country-wide scale would not be feasible. The second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the reason for the delay in giving a decision on the claim of the Metropolitan Police Branch Board of the Police Federation for an increase in the maximum rent allowance, which was made on 4th November, 1961, in view of the fact that all the necessary information has been in his hands for eight months; and if he will expedite a decision.

An increase in the maximum rent allowance for the Metropolitan Police has now been approved. Before a decision could be reached it was necessary to give detailed consideration to the circumstances affecting the claim, with particular reference to the scale of the increases in rents reported.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants, established and temporary, respectively, were employd in his Department on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or the nearst available dates; and what were the totals, respectively, of their salaries and wages as paid on those dates.

Following are the figures:The numbers of non-industrial and industrial civil servants, established and temporary, employed in the Home Office on 1st April, 1951, and 1st April, 1962, were:

—	Non-industrial	Industrial
1st April, 1951	2,100 established	499 established
	1,220 temporary	1,930 temporary
1st April, 1962	2,930 established	609 established
	791 temporary	1,833 temporary

During the financial years 1950–51 and 1961–62 the total amounts expended on salaries and wages were £2,571,349 and £5,727,383 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware of the danger to children using inflatable air-beds and mattresses in the tidal waters of British holiday resorts; and if he will take steps to prohibit their use in such water.

This suggestion may present practical difficulties, but my right hon. Friend will consider it and write to the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the disturbances in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, 1st July.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the organisers of the meeting in Trafalgar Square on 1st July are declared members of a Nazi party and that the policy they advocate led to breaches of the peace; if he will make a statement on these disturbances; and what action he is taking in the matter.

I would refer the hon. Members to the statement which my right hon. Friend made on Tuesday last.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can yet state what action he proposes to take to limit the danger of accidents from fireworks.

The information which was obtained from hospitals by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health and the inquiries made of the police about accidents which occurred last year did not reveal the causes of the injuries with sufficient exactness to enable remedies to be suggested. My right hon. Friend is arranging to obtain more detailed information from hospitals after next Guy Fawkes Day. In the meantime, my Department is holding some preliminary discussions with the manufacturers.

asked the Minister of Transport what consultations Her Majesty's Government had with those responsible for foreign shipyards before taking their decision to enable grants and loans to be paid in respect of fishing vessels built overseas; and which shipyards were particularly consulted.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Air over what area around Fylingdales station it is expected that bird life will be extinguished.

There will be little danger to birds from radio frequency radiation, even in the immediate vicinity of the radar station.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will now make a statement on the incident which took place at Hastings in the early hours of 14th June, when a low-flying Royal Air Force aircraft caused annoyance and alarm to a number of residents.

No Royal Air Force aircraft was involved. Two Voodoo aircraft of the United States Air Force were on a training flight on 14th June, during which they passed over Hastings at 2,500 feet at about 5.45 a.m.The United States Air Force authorities have expressed their regret for the disturbance caused to local residents.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the reason for the increasing scarcity of local herring; to what extent this can be remedied by the extension of United Kingdom limits from three to 12 or 15 miles; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that the scarcity of herring off the North-East of Scotland is due mainly to natural causes. Most drift net fishing for herring by Scottish fishermen off the north-east coast is carried on much more than 12 or 15 miles away from the coast and I doubt if an extension of fishery limits would make any significant difference in, that area.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to deal with the continuing scarcity of Scottish herring and the consequent difficulties of the shore-based industries, particularly canners, curers and marinators, which depend on regular supplies.

I am advised that the scarcity of herring off the coast of Scotland is due mainly to natural causes. The Government assist the herring fishermen by subsidies, grants and loans and by research. In addition the statutory minimum price rules permit canners, curers and marinators to buy herring, when available, at lower prices than some other users.

asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government, in order to alleviate the difficulties manifest in Germany, will either treat British Army of the Rhine troops as being on foreign service or reduce the tour of duty to one year.

No. This would produce snore difficulties than it would alleviate.

asked the Prime Minister what communications he has had from Commonwealth Prime Ministers since 30th June concerning Great Britain's application for membership of the Common Market.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes) on Tuesday.

asked the Prime Minister how many Commissions and Committees have been set up by Her Majesty's Government since October, 1951; what were the objects of each; to what extent the recommendations of each have been implemented; what plans Her Majesty's Government have either to implement or finally to reject the recommendations of each; which are these recommendations, respectively; for how long each such Commission and Committee sat; what was the average number of members of such Commissions and Committees and the average length of time between inauguration and reporting; and how many such Commissions and Committees have still to make their reports.

To give the information which the hon. Gentleman asks for would clearly be a very large research undertaking, since it covers every Commission and Committee of Inquiry over the last 11 years and asks for every single one of their recommendations to be reprinted together with the action taken on them. I fear that I cannot ask for this work to be undertaken. If, however, there is any specific question in which the hon. Gentleman is interested, perhaps he would let me know.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give details of the number of people who emigrated to the United Kingdom from St. Helena in each of the last 10 years.

The Governor of St. Helena has supplied the following figures of St. Helenians who have emigrated to the United Kingdom:

1952	…	74	1957	…	132
1953	…	87	1958	…	150
1954	…	96	1959	…	186
1955	…	116	1960	…	170
1956	…	132	1961	…	236

asked the Minister of Health how many persons were accidentally drowned in the most recent period of 12 months available for computation in the mill lodges or other areas of open water adjacent to industrial premises; and whether he will make a statement.

In 1961 the records show 35 persons accidentally drowned at mines and quarries and industrial places and premises in England and Wales, but do not distinguish between the different types of place.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many courts-martial of Army personnel have been held in British Army of the Rhine in each of the last five years.

The numbers of soldiers serving with the British Army of the Rhine and convicted at courts-martial during the five years preceding 1962 were as follows:

					Percentage of strength
1957	…	…	…	1,037	1·6
1958	…	…	…	900	1·7
1959	…	…	…	780	1·5
1960	…	…	…	828	1·7
1961	…	…	…	803	1·6