asked the Minister of Aviation on what grounds he gave permission to British European Airways to spend about £4 million on electronic equipment with the United States firm Remington Rand instead of purchasing similar equipment from Standard Telephones and Cables of England; and if he will make a statement on the effects of his decision on the British aircraft industry.

The decision is for B.E.A. to take and my right hon. Friend was not consulted. I understand that B.E.A. will not be fully committed for the next week or two, and in the meantime he has asked the Ministry to discuss every aspect of the problem with them.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many persons in Scotland at present in receipt of sickness benefit under the National Insurance Acts are being refused National Assistance supplementation, or are having that supplementation reduced because of the application of the National Assistance (Determination of Need) Regulations, 1948.

I regret that information relating to restriction of supplements to sickness benefit is obtained on an annual sample basis only for the country as a whole, and that separate figures for Scotland are not available.

asked the Minister of Health if there is any connection between the outbreak of paratyphoid in the North and East Riding of Yorkshire and the importation of Chinese liquid egg; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, the recent outbreak in Yorkshire was associated with importation of Chinese whole frozen egg in bulk.

asked the Minister of Health what was the total of merit awards paid to consultants in each of the hospital regions for each of the past three years.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour how many youths were registered as unemployed at the Bathgate Employment Exchange in January, February, March and April, 1963.

123 boys in January, 143 in February, 137 in March and 105 in April.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the price of United Kingdom supplies of sugar has risen in the last six months compared with the world price; and what is his current forecast of supplies from each of the main sources and the trend of prices for the coming year.

Our import requirements for home consumption in 1963 are estimated at about 2 million tons. We are expecting about 1-7 million tons to be shipped to us in 1963 from members of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement. Of this, about 1½ million tons will be purchased at a fixed price of about £49 a ton c.i.f. London (about 5s. a ton above the guaranteed price in 1962). We shall also receive about 190,000 tons from South Africa and Swaziland; 150,000 tons of this is purchased at a fixed price of about £40 a ton c.i.f. London under the South African Sugar Agreement—the same price as in 1962. Supplies of sugar from members of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement and South Africa not covered by the fixed price contracts, as well as supplies from other countries, are imported at the world price, which has risen from about £33 a ton c.i.f. London at the beginning of last December to £91 10s. a ton today. The world price of sugar is expected to remain at a rather high level during 1963, but adequate supplies should be available to meet United Kingdom consumption.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) in what way the 67 fork-lift trucks purchased from the United States of America meet the special and limited requirements of the Army that were not met by any fork-lift truck produced in Great Britain;(2) what was done to ascertain from United Kingdom manufacturers whether they could produce fork-lift trucks to meet the special and limited requirements of the Army; and what were the results.

Recent operational experience demonstrated a requirement for a fork-lift truck with certain specific characteristics. Among these it had to be air portable and therefore of acceptable weight. In addition it was required to have a good cross-country capability in bad going. No British firm had a machine possessing all the necessary requirements in production at the time. The Army needed early delivery and an American machine was in production which entirely met the Army's requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there have been of estate agents who carry out speculative property transactions, whether in their own names or through nominees, in respect of such transactions.

Statistics are not available of any offences which may have been committed by estate agents in connection with such transactions.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now announce the name of the new Chairman of the Independent Television Authority.

I regret that I am unable to announce the name of the new Chairman of the Authority at the moment but I expect to do so within the next few weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what benefits the Seychelles will receive from the United State satellite training station to be set up there.

I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the satellite tracking station.About 500 Seychellois will be employed for several months during the period in which the station is being constructed and it is expected that about 100 Seychellois will he subsequently employed. The Seychelles economy will also benefit from the personal expenditure of between 50 and 60 American personnel at the station.Subject to the terms of the agreement, which is not yet concluded, it is expected that certain residual benefits will accrue to the Seychelles economy when, in due course, the station is no longer required.

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the total number of pupils attending schools in Swansea who will leave school at the next leaving date.

The local education authority informs me that about 1,900 pupils mainly aged 15 or 16 are at present expected to leave the 23 secondary and the 4 all-age schools in the borough.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he will make a statement, and lay any necessary Order, as a result of the public local inquiry held in March, 1962, about the proposal to extend the boundary of Coventry.

I am at present considering my decision and hope to make an announcement later this summer.

asked the Minister of Power what modifications to the structure of the gas industry he envisages; what additional powers he proposes should be vested in the Gas Council and area boards; and when these changes will take place.

Some widening of powers and responsibilities at the centre is necessary. I shall soon tell the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries of my proposals for dealing with the questions it raised. but any change in the industry's present structure will need legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of income for each of the direct grant schools in Glasgow, showing the amount derived from grant, fees, and other sources, respectively.

The following table gives details of income in the schools' financial years ending in 1962:

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether Her Majesty's Government will agree to end the preference on bananas to the Southern Cameroons after 30th September, 1963, in order to help the economy of Jamaica and the Windward Islands, and so ensure an adequate standard of living for the peasant growers of bananas there.

The question is being urgently considered and full account is being taken of all relevant factors including the interests of Jamaica and the Windward Islands. My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to make any announcement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will bring to an early end the preference on bananas enjoyed by the Southern Cameroons; and whether his proposals on this matter have been fully discussed with Governments in the West Indies.

The matter is being urgently considered but, as no decision has yet been reached, the second part of the Question does not arise. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations and the Colonies, and I are aware of the views of the Governments of Jamaica and of the Windward Islands. Full account will be taken of them along with all other relevant factors.

asked the Minister of Transport when he intends to start construction of the pedestrian underpass on the North Orbital Road at Denham, Buckinghamshire.

I do not consider the cost of a pedestrian subway at this site to be justified by comparison with the many other demands upon the road programme. But I would be prepared to give grant towards the cost of a pedestrian island. My Divisional Road Engineer is studying this proposal in detail with the Buckinghamshire County Council.