asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he is aware that the present advertisement regulations do not permit country hotels to put up, without special authority, an advertisement more than 12 feet square; and whether, in view of the fact that this in insufficiently large in the case of those country hotels which are set back some distance from the roadway, he will amend the regulations so as to permit an advertisement of greater size.

asked the Minister of Local Government and Planning whether he is aware that, under the present advertisement regulations, signs on the front of hotels must not be higher than 12 feet above ground level in an area not of special control or not more than 15 feet above ground level in other areas; and that, in view of the fact that the ground floor of many hotels is often itself of greater height than 15 feet, such signs cannot be erected without cutting right across the ground floor frontage; and whether, when the regulations are next amended, he will take steps to permit hotels to place their signs at least between the ground and first floor or the first and second floor.

Local planning authorities already have power to allow larger advertisements.

Will the right hon. Gentleman pass that information on to the local planning officers so that when the expected visitors come to this country for the Festival of Britain and are on the look-out for rest and food, they will be able to see that these places exist, which they cannot do at present?

There will be no difficulty. Any hotel proprietor can apply to the local planning authority and request larger advertisements than those laid down in the regulations as a free maximum, and I have not doubt that those requests will be reasonably treated.