asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek power to control the use of police dogs and ciné and other cameras on occasions of public protest demonstration's.

No. My right hon. Friend has no reason to think that legislation for this purpose is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what authority a Scotland Yard police inspector used a dead baby to test firearms, as described in a recent London Sessions appeal.

This was a wholly exceptional case, and I understand my hon. Friend's concern. I am discussing it with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and I shall write to my hon. Friend about it as soon as I can.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to publish the report of the committee that is to consider the future of the prison medical service.

This is not a formal committee, but a study of the future of the prison medical service. When the study is completed and I have considered its results, I shall certainly inform the House of my conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the disposal of the documents impounded by the police at the time of the arrest of William John Christopher Vassall.

In view of the setting up of a Tribunal of Inquiry into this case, I do not think that it would be appropriate for me to make such a statement at the present time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to conclude his inquiries into the case of the young man in East Ham about whom he has been in correspondence with the hon. Member for East Ham, South, since 26th August, 1962.

In view of the special features of this case, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, at my right hon. Friend's request, arranged for an experienced officer, not previously connected with the case, to make a full investigation. My right hon. Friend expects to receive this officer's report in the near future and we shall consider it without delay.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to cover those aspects of the law relating to children and young persons not covered by the Bill now before Parliament.

Not at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recommendations for deportation for the offence of living on immoral earnings he has confirmed under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962.

Two.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that, under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962, persons are being recommended for deportation having been convicted of trivial offences, whereas other persons are not being so recommended having been convicted of crimes for which a prison sentence could be imposed; and if he will introduce legislation to remedy this anomaly and to give magistrates less discretion in making recommendations.

The courts may recommend deportation only if the offender is convicted of an offence punishable with imprisonment. I have so far seen no reason to think that it would be desirable to substitute some other criterion. I have entire discretion not to act on a recommendation for deportation, if after full consideration I think fit not to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state, in relation to the area covered by the West Riding Constabulary, for each of the three years 1959, 1960 and 1961, the number of crimes recorded, the number of crimes detected, and the percentage of detections.

The numbers of indictable offences known to the police in 1959, 1960 and 1961 in the area in question were 23,571, 24,641 and 27,307, respec-

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to immigration from the Commonwealth. The figures are shown in the following tables. Such figures as are available for previous years are not comparable.tively. The numbers of indictable offences cleared up were 11,106 or 47·1 per cent. in 1959, 11,720 or 47·6 per cent. in 1960 and 13,485 or 49·4 per cent. in 1961.

asked the First Secretary of State what action he proposes to take to end the political deadlock in Northern Rhodesia following the results of the recent election.

I think we must await the by-elections on 10th December.

asked the First Secretary of State what action he proposes to take following the resolution recently adopted by 81 votes to 2 by the General Assembly of the United Nations on Southern Rhodesia.

asked the First Secretary of State what action Her Majesty's Government intends to take following the United Nations resolutions on Southern Rhodesia.

Since Her Majesty's Government do not recognise that the United Nations is competent to pass resolutions affecting the internal affairs of Southern Rhodesia, they feel under no obligation to take any action in the light of such resolutions.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what requests have now been made by the Indian Government for military and other supplies, respectively; and what has been provided.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what conditions were imposed when arms were supplied to India to help in repelling Chinese aggression.

A gift of small arms has been made; the first batch reached Delhi within a few days. The remainder has been flown and shipped to India. No special conditions were attached. The question of further supplies and the financial and other conditions relating to them is being explored with the Indian Government. We are also in consultation with other supplying Governments on the subject.

asked the Minister of Education when it is hoped to start work on the St. Peter's infants school at Dagenham.

The lowest of the tenders opened last week is, I understand, above the cost limits. If the necessary savings can be made without re-planning, work should start in January; but if re-planning is necessary there will be same further delay.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will give special help to youth clubs in County Durham.

No. My right hon. Friend makes grants to voluntary bodies towards the capital cost of providing new youth clubs or improving existing clubs, and these grants are normally at the rate of 50 per cent. of the approved cost. Local education authorities have power to make additional grants.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give the present number of teachers in the schools in the Dearne Valley constituency area; and if he will state the number of teachers required to ensure that the schools might be fully staffed.

In January, 1962, 130 full-time teachers were employed in maintained primary schools and 90 full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools in the Dearne Valley constituency. The Local Education Authority informs me that in the Dearne District of the Mexborough Educational Division, which largely coincides with the constituency, 2 additional teachers in primary schools and five additional teachers in secondary schools are required to bring the staffing up to the establishment permitted by the Local Education Authority.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will make a statement on his campaign to encourage more teachers to return to teaching.

The following information shows the progress made since February, 1961, when the campaign opened to attract qualified married women teachers to return to teaching. In the last 8-month period there has been an increase of 808 or 23 per cent. on the corresponding figures for the same period last year. My right hon.

asked the Minister of Education what further financial help the Government are giving to the international effort to save from destruction the Abu Simbel Colossi of ancient Egypt.

Her Majesty's Government are not contemplating a contribution from public funds to the appeal for the preservation of the Abu Simbel monuments.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will make a statement on the raising of the school-leaving age.

My right hon. Friend is not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is prepared to license all types of scrap metal for export.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade which industrial site he will enter into negotiations for in order to build an advance factory in the Chester-Ie-Street area; and haw soon he expects work to commence on building following the completion of such negotiations.

Inquiries for a site are already in hand, but I cannot give details until we have reached preliminary agreement. It is too early to forecast when building can be started.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the Report of the Robbins Committee on Higher Education.

It is expected that this Committee will report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister next year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the estimated yield of an annual wealth tax of 1 per cent. on total personal wealth in any case where the later exceeded £20,000; and how many persons would be chargeable to the tax.

About £250 million from about 400,000 persons.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the annual yield of Income Tax and Surtax is reduced by allowances for building society interest paid by owner-occupiers.

The tax allowances in respect of building society interest paid by owner-occupiers are in substitution for the relief they would have obtained if the normal rules had applied and they had been entitled to deduct Income Tax from the interest. The yield of tax is thus not reduced by the allowances to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual cost of life assurance relief for personal Income Tax purposes.

About £60 million for 1962–63.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual cost of the relief for National Insurance contributions and of the deductions allowed for contributions to superannuation schemes, respectively, in terms of the yield of personal Income Tax and Surtax.

In 1962/63 about £100 million in respect of National Insurance contributions of insured persons and about £50 million for contributions by employees to superannuation schemes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many discretionary trusts are currently operating; and what is the estimated annual income of these trusts.

This information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many insurance policies making provision for retirement annuities for the self-employed and controlling directors are now currently ranking for taxation relief under the provisions of the Finance Act, 1956; and what is the annual relief of tax.

In all, there are about 170,000 policies making provision for retirement annuities which rank for tax relief under the Finance Act, 1956; the tax relief involved is about £8 million. Some of these policies relate to employees who do not hold a pensionable office or employment; and it is not possible to say how many of them relate to self-employed persons and controlling directors.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current annual cost of investment allowances in terms of taxation yield, not allowing for the increases in the rates of the allowances recently announced.

About £155 million based on the 1962 levels of expenditure.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer What is the estimated number of deeds of covenant in favour of Charities now current; what is the total annual sum payable under these covenants; and what is the estimated annual remission of tax.

It is estimated that about 1,100,000 deeds of covenant in favour of charities are in operation, covering annual payments of some £20 million on which about £8 million Income Tax is repaid.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated number of deeds of covenant in favour of individuals now current in which there is a taxation advantage; what is the total annual sum paid under these covenants; and what is the estimated annual sum of Income Tax and Surtax foregone.

No comprehensive figures are available, but on a rough estimate the number of covenants between individuals may be of the order of 150,000 involving a transfer of income of the order of £35 million and a reduction of tax of the order of £20 million.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will give figures for the estimated wealth of individuals in Great Britain for the years 1945, 1950, and 1955 in the same form as those given for 1960 in Table 126 of the 104th Inland Revenue Annual Report.

These estimates have not been made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he received a communication from the Emir Saleh bin Husain bin Ahmad al-Habili, Sheikh of Beihan, with reference to the aggression by the Yemen on Aden; and if he will make a statement.

I received no such communication, but the Emir of Beihan has been in touch with the Governor of Aden concerning the attack on his State by Yemeni aircraft.

asked the Minister of Labour if he has studied the report of the Chief Inspector of Factories regarding the detrimental effects on the health of the workers using various new metals and the oxides in their preparation; if special arrangements are being made to bring this to the attention of both employers and workpeople; and if any precautions are being introduced.

Yes; this aspect of the Chief Inspector's report has received wide publicity and is kept before the limited number of firms concerned by H.M. Factory Inspectors in the course of their day-to-day duties; a high standard of precautionary measures is required by existing statutory provisions.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the release of unburnt gas and exhaust carbons from machines fuelled by diesel and heavy oils are having an effect upon workmen, and that ship scalers who clean the exhaust systems suffer from burns, discoloration of the teeth and diseases, including cancer; and if he will hold an inquiry into the incidence of particular diseases among these workmen.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Reply I gave him on 30th May.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to avoid an official strike at Ford's, Dagenham.

My officers have had discussions with representatives of the company and of the unions. The strike has now been postponed in order to permit further discussions between the unions and the company. I am continuing to keep in close touch with developments.

asked the Minister of Defence how many of the seismic events which took place in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics between 30th September, 1961, and 30th September, 1962, could not be positively identified as of nuclear or natural origin, according to the information available to Her Majesty's Government.

Although some seismic events can already be identified as earthquakes there is no known method of positively identifying every seismic event. United Kingdom surveillance of seismic events in the Soviet Union is not comprehensive, but our information supports the view that even with the full international monitoring system which the West has proposed at Geneva there would remain 50–75 unidentified events in the Soviet Union each year.

asked the Minister of Defence how many widows of Regular officers of each rank in the three Armed Services, including the Indian Armed Services, are receiving widows' ordinary pensions; in each case how many lost their husbands before 4th November, 1958; and how many Regular officers' widows are now over 70 and 74 years of age, respectively.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many deer were killed in Richmond Park after dark during 1961 and 1962.

Eleven and four, respectively. In 1961 the Park was open after dark during two winter seasons, and in 1962 only during one.

The answer to my hon. Friend's Question consists of a table of figures which I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Minister of Power what the average price of domestic coal delivered to the householder was prior to nationalisation, and what it is today.

The present average retail price of house coal, which is higher in winter than in summer, is estimated at about £10 10s. 0d. per ton or two-anda-half times as much as it was immediately before nationalisation.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in assessing the volume of traffic on main roads preparatory to allotting priorities for an improvement only, lorry traffic is taken into account; and whether other than lorry traffic was taken into account when assessing the priority of the WragbyLouth Road.

All types of traffic are taken into account in assessing the priorities of road improvement schemes. This applied to the recent improvements of the Wragby-Louth road, which have been carried out to improve road safety and the traffic flow generally.