asked the Minister of Power how often he has exercised his statutory duty under Section 44(3) of the Electricity Supply Act 1926 in the past year; and if he will make a statement.

All applications for overhead lines more than 2,000 yards long and for shorter ones where an ancient monument is situated close to the proposed route, are referred to the Ministry of Public Building and Works for comments.Records are not kept of the number of recommendations made, but out of about 1,800 such applications in the year ended 31st March, 1965, recommendations were made in a small number of cases, and all recommendations are acted upon by the Boards.

asked the Minister of Power how many miners were made redundant in 1962, 1963, 1964, and in 1965 to date; and what was the decrease in administrative staff and officials for the same period.

I understand from the National Coal Board that about 3,900, 4,300, 2,200 and 1,500 miners were made redundant in the periods mentioned. Separate figures are not available for administrative staff and officials, but the numbers of non-industrial staff declined in the same periods by about 2,000, 300, 200 and 1,100, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to a recent case, details of which have been sent to him, in which a motor car retailer was obliged to fill in 42 forms before he could fill an export order for a Ugandan subject who wished to order a British car to take back with him to Uganda; and whether, with a view to encouraging motor car exports, he will arrange to simplify this procedure.

There is no foundation for the suggestion that has been made that this number of forms is required in order to secure exemption from Purchase Tax. Apart from the application form and a form to be certified by Customs when the car is actually exported, only two commercial forms are needed to comply with the Purchase Tax requirements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further consideration he has given to the possibility of moving Government Departments, research centres and adjuncts of either to Northern Ireland.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave him on 22nd December, 1964.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the result of the consideration given by Her Majesty's Government to the decision of the Restrictive Practices Court that Richard Thomas and Baldwins have been guilty of price-fixing against the public interest, following their undertaking in 1959 as a member of the Galvanised Tank Manufacturers' Association not to engage in price-fixing

My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary and I have discussed this matter with the Chairman of the Iron and Steel Holding and Realisation Agency. We are satisfied that Richard Thomas and Baldwins have fully investigated the events leading up to the Court's decision and have taken steps designed to prevent further contraventions of the Restrictive Practices Act. At my right hon. Friend's request, Ministers responsible for other publicly owned industries have drawn the attention of these industries to the Restrictive Practices Court's judgment and warnings.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the levying of additional taxation on oil used for the new gas-making processes.

The hon. Member must not expect me to make statements at Question Time about changes in taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the cost of exempting retirement pensions from Income Tax where pensioners' total income, including the pension, does not exceed £10 per week.

About £7 million in a full year, on the assumption that my hon. Friend is referring to National Insurance retirement pensions. This cost would be nearly doubled if marginal relief were also given on the lines of the marginal relief associated with the age exemption provisions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the dates on which the Pension (Increase) Acts of 1956, 1959 and 1952 became effective; what was the percentage increase in the cost of living between each of those dates; and what it has been since the Act of 1962 became effective.

1st April, 1956, 1st August, 1959, and 1st January, 1963; 6·4 per cert. and 10·4 per cent. respectively; 10 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy towards mining companies which seek to transfer their domicile to other Commonwealth countries.

A company is domiciled in the country in which it is incorporated and cannot change its domicile. Companies may, however, change their residence, subject to the provisions of Section 468 of the Income Tax Act, 1952.Applications for a change of residence are examined in the light of the company's own circumstances, balancing, in the national interest, the effect of the transfer on the efficiency and development of the company, against the prospective loss to to the country of revenue or foreign exchange. No special considerations apply to mining companies.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in order to finance the hospital building programme on the scale required, he will initiate a national lottery for this purpose.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations he has received from residents in the areas affected by proposed border changes between Norfolk and the Isle of Ely, and what replies he has sent.

In addition to representations from local authorities and other organisations, my right hon. Friend has had objections from a committee of residents and three individual residents in the parish of West Walton. These have been acknowledged. He has also received through my hon. Friend a further 11 letters of objection from people in West Walton and one from a resident of Emneth. All these local residents will be able to appear in support of their objections at the public local inquiry which will be arranged shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will issue a circular to local authorities urging them to extend the practice of admitting the Press to meetings of council committees.

The essential thing, in my view, is that local authorities should co-operate fully with the Press in bringing their work to the notice of the public—including discussions in committee. As my Department said in their circular No. 21/61 of 17th May, 1961, this may be done either by admitting the Press to committee meetings, by holding Press conferences or by other means. I took the opportunity, at the Association of Municipal Corporations' annual conference in September, of speaking at length on the need to improve relations between local authorities and the Press. My speech is published in this month's issue of the Municipal Review and I hope that all those concerned with local government will read it. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, if he will extend the period allowed to river authorities to deal with applications for licences of right to abstract water, in view of the large number of licences received.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the difficulties which have arisen and he is consulting the interests mainly affected by such an extension.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government, whether he will take action by legislation to prevent hardship to those who have bought houses on mortgages in slum clearance areas and who will after 1st January, 1966, nevertheless have to continue mortgage repayments after demolition with only site value compensation.

Yes. The Bill to which I referred in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, East (Mr. Mapp) on 26th October will give all owner-occupiers of condemned houses the right to apply to the courts for relief from outstanding mortgage payments.

asked the Minister of Transport on what dates each of the two lamp-posts at the roundabout below the M.4 on the branch road leading to London Airport were knocked down; and when it is proposed to repair or remove them.

One column was knocked down on 28th March and another on 2nd May. Replacements are being installed this week.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in the interests of public safety, he will introduce legislation requiring heavy goods vehicles to be equipped with a second braking system for use in emergencies.

Heavy goods vehicles are already required to have a second means of operating the braking system or a second braking system.Draft regulations for improving the braking efficiency of goods vehicles, in particular by imposing specific standards of efficiency for service and emergency brakes, were recently circulated by the Department to interested organisations.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents involving loss of life have been due to the failure of the braking system of heavy goods vehicles in each of the years 1960 to 1964.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement about his negotiations with the Prime Minister of Rhodesia.

asked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his visit to Rhodesia.

I would refer hon. Members to the Statement which I made to the House yesterday.

asked the Prime Minister to what extent it remains the Government's policy to strengthen collective defence in ways which will contribute to easing East-West tension and to reaching agreement on disarmament and arresting the spread of nuclear weapons, and to regard as no longer appropriate a defence policy which has the opposite effect; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's Government's policy is both to achieve progress towards agreement on non-dissemination and disarmament and to work actively with our allies to ensure our effective collective defence.

asked the Prime Minister what are the respective responsibilities of the Ministers concerned to ensure that health and hospital services are increased in time to match the planned expansion of population of towns in the East Anglian region.

The broad allocation of resources for the health and hospital services is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health, and changes in population is one of the factors that he takes into account.

asked the Prime Minister (1) what was the cost of official travel of Ministers, junior Ministers and staff during the period 1st November, 1964, to date; and how it compares with the cost of similar travel during the preceding year;(2) what was the cost to public funds of Ministers' and junior Ministers' wives travelling abroad while their husbands were on official business during the period 1st November 1964 to date; and how this compares with the previous year.

The information is being collected, and I will write to the hon. and gallant Member as soon as it is available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has completed his review of the meat research levy scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The Meat Industry (Scientific Research Levy) Order, 1963 imposed on the industry a levy designed to meet approximately half the capital and current expenses of the Meat Research Institute set up by the Agricultural Research Council. Collection of the levy was linked to the arrangements for making weekly guarantee payments under the Fatstock Guarantee Scheme in such a way that producers and buyers of certified fatstock each contributed one-half of the industry's total contribution.This method of collecting the levy worked very well for so long as it remained possible to determine in advance whether guarantee payments would fall to be made in any week and, if not, to suspend collection of the buyers' share of the levy. The changes which were made in the Fatstock Guarantee Scheme at the time of the 1964 Annual Review had a number of advantages but included abandonment of the system of provisional announcements of the probable level of guarantee payment in each week; this in turn rendered the meat research levy arrangements unworkable in those weeks when in fact no guarantee payments were made. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I took the view that it was nevertheless right to see in the present fatstock year if the system could be made to work but it has become clear that a radical change is required.My right hon. Friend and I have therefore concluded that the Meat Industry (Scientific Research Levy) Order should be revoked and that provision should be included in the legislation, now being prepared, providing for the setting-up of a Meat and Livestock Commission for the imposition of a similar levy. The main difficulty caused by the present method of collecting the levy has been that buyers of fatstock have had collected from them a sum of money which it has not been possible to recover by way of guarantee payments and which has not, therefore, been paid to the Agricultural Research Council. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has agreed, as part of a final settlement with the interests concerned, to make a like sum available to the Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will list those territories or countries for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility through the Colonial Office which have not as yet incorporated in their legal systems the enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction which has been conferred upon the High Court of the United Kingdom by the Administration of Justice Act, 1956; in each case, what progress is being made towards the incorporation of such jurisdiction; and, where this has not been done, what are the reasons.

The following territories for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility through the

Territory
Barbados		…	…	…	…	It is the intention of the Barbados Government to enact local legislation but, for constitutional and administrative reasons, this has not yet been done.
Basutoland		…	…	…	…	Non-maritime.
Bechuanaland		…	…	…	…
Falkland Islands			…	…	…	It is now considered that the Falkland Islands Application of Enactments (Amendment) Ordinance 1962, by which instrument it was intended that the enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction should be incorporated into the legal system of the territory, may be ineffective for the purpose. It is therefore proposed to proceed by United Kingdom Order in Council.
British Antarctic Territory				…	…	No practical purpose would be served by incorporating the enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction into the legal system of the territory.
Swaziland		…	…	…	…	Non-maritime.
Tonga	…	…	…	…	…	The Government of Tonga, without whose agreement no United Kingdom statute can be applied to the Kingdom, have not yet reached a decision in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will list those countries or territories for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility, together with those former colonial countries or territories for which Her Majesty's Government previously exercised such responsibility, which have incorporated in their legal systems the enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction which has been conferred upon the High Court of the United Kingdom by

Territory						Constitutional Instrument
Aden		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Aden) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1634).
Antigua		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Antigua) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1659).
Bahamas		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Bahama Islands) Order in Council 1962 (S.I. 1962/2348).
Bermuda		…	…	…	…	The Supreme Court (Admiralty Jurisdiction) Act 1962, Ordinance No. 31 of 1962.
British Guiana			…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (British Guiana) Order in Council 1962 (S.I. 1962/630).
British Honduras			…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (British Honduras) Order 1965 (S.I. 1965/593).
Cayman Islands			…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Cayman Islands) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/922).
Dominica		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Dominica) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/ 1660).
Fiji	…	…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Fiji) Order in Council 1962 (S.I. 1962/398).
Gibraltar		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Gibraltar) Order in Council 1961 (S.I. 1961/2031).
Grenada		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Grenada) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1661).
Hong Kong		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Hong Kong) Order in Council 1962 (S.I. 1962/1547).
Mauritius		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Mauritius) Order in Council 1962 (S.I. 1962/167).
Montserrat		…	…	…	…	The Admiralty Jurisdiction (Montserrat) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1662).
Pitcairn		…	…	…	…	Judicature Ordinance No. 1 of 1961.
St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla						The Admiralty Jurisdiction (St. Christopher, Nevis and Anguilla) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1663).

The following territories for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility through the Colonial Office have incorporated in their legal systems the enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction by the constitutional instruments noted:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will list those territories or countries for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility through the Colonial Office which have not as yet incorporated in their legal systems the terms of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act, 1958; in each case, what progress is being made towards the incorporation of such terms; and, where this has not been done, what are the reasons.

The list is as follows:

• Aden
• Antigua
• Basutoland
• Bechuanaland
• British Guiana
• Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
• Saint Helena
• Swaziland
• Tonga.

Of these, Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland are non-maritime territories; Antigua, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Helena and Tonga do not wish the International Convention of 1957 relating

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will list those countries or territories for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility, together with those former colonial countries or territories for which Her Majesty's Government previously exercised such responsibility, which have incorporated in their legal systems the terms of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act, 1958; and in each case by what constitutional instrument such jurisdiction was conferred.

The following territories for which Her Majesty's Government exercises responsibility through the Colonial Office have incorporated in their legal systems the terms of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and

Territory						Constitutional Instrument
Bahamas		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
Barbados		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
Bermuda		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
British Antarctic Territory				…	…
British Honduras			…	…	…
British Solomon Islands Protectorate
Cayman Islands			…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
Dominica		…	…	…	…
Falkland Islands and Dependencies						The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
Fiji	…	…	…	…	…
Gibraltar		…	…	…	…	Gibraltar Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Cap. 76) as amended by Gibraltar Ordinance No. 13 of 1960.
Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony					…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
Grenada		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
Hong Kong		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
Mauritius		…	…	…	…
Montserrat		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
New Hebrides			…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (New Hebrides) Order 1965 (S.I. 1965/1307).
Saint Lucia		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
Saint Vincent		…	…	…	…
Seychelles		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
Turks and Caicos Islands				…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
Virgin Islands		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).

2. The following countries for which Her Majesty's Government previously exercised responsibility through the Colonial Office had at the time of Independence

Territory						Constitutional Instrument
The Gambia		…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) (Amendment) Order 1964 (S.I. 1964/1658).
Kenya	…	…	…	…	…	The Shipowners Liability (Colonial Territories) Order in Council 1963 (S.I. 1963/1632).
Sarawak		…	…	…	…	The Merchant Shipping (Implementation of Conventions) Regulations I960, made under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1960 (No. 2 of 1960).
Singapore		…	…	…	…	The Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Cap. 207) as amended by the Merchant Shipping (Amendment No. 2) Ordinance 1959 (No. 74 of 1959).

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the increase in real terms in defence expenditure in 1969–70 over the actual level of defence expenditure in 1964.

The Defence Review target for 1969–70 of £2,000 million at the price level of 1964–65 Estimates corresponds almost exactly with the Estimates

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what credit terms have been arranged to cover the purchase of Phantom and C130 aircraft.

As I indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on 11th February, 1965, our arrangements with the United States Government provide for credit facilities to be made available at an interest rate of 4¾ per cent. to cover dollar costs of purchases of these aircraft.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, following consultations on the future shape of the Territorial Army, he will ensure that surplus buildings and land are not put on the market for sale, but offered first to local authorities for educational or other community purposes.

Once it has been established, following our normal procedure for the disposal of property surplus to Service requirements, that there is no further Government requirement for this property I will certainly arrange to let the local authorities know when it is available for sale.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the number of schoolchildren in King's Lynn this year; what is the estimated number for 1970 and 1975; and how many teachers will be required on each of these dates.

In January, 1965, there were 5,280 pupils in maintained schools in King's Lynn. The Department's long-term estimates are on a national basis only and do not attempt to forecast the prospects for individual local education authorities, or for parts of their areas. I cannot, therefore, answer the two other parts of the Question.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to clarify the possible rôle of thalidomide as an auto-abortive inhibitor, in view of the suggested applications in surgical grafting.

The Medical Research Council are aware of the suggestion in a recent article in the "British Medical Journal" that in certain circumstances thalidomide may somewhat increase the survival time of skin grafts in mice without toxic effects; and of the hypothesis that the drug may have immunosuppresive properties which may have the effect of preventing the abortion of a malformed foetus. The experimental results so far have been inconclusive, but I am advised that they are being followed up by other research workers.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the total amount of grants given to sports clubs since last October; and how much of this has been expended on football clubs in England and Wales and in Scotland, respectively.

In the year ending 30th September, 1965, grants offered to amateur sports clubs and local voluntary sports organisations in England and Wales by my Department totalled £604,176, of which £17,771 was to amateur football clubs. Grants offered in Scotland by the Scottish Education Department totalled £71,000. There was no application for grant from a football club in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what progress has been made in setting up a Social Science Research Council as recommended in the Report of the Committee on Social Studies under Lord Heyworth's chairmanship.

I was pleased to be able to announce on 5th August that Dr. Michael Young had accepted my invitation to become Chairman of a Social Science Research Council. The other members of the Council will be:Mr. W. O. C. Adamson, M.A.Mr. A. L. C. Bullock, M.A.Professor J. Dreyer, M.A., F.R.S.E.Professor R. W. Firth, M.A., Ph.D., F.B.A.Sir William Hart, C.M.G., B.C.L., M.A.Professor Marie Jahoda, Ph.D.Lord James of Rusholme.. M.A., D.Phil., Hon. Ll.D. (McGill).Professor R. G. Lipsey, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.Professor W. J. M. Mackenzie, C.B.E., M.A. (Oxford and Manchester),Ll.B.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what progress has been made in the establishment of an International Agency for Cancer Research under the resolution adopted at the last meeting of the World Health Assembly; and what funds the Agency will have at its disposal.

Following undertakings by the five sponsoring Governments to observe the conditions of participation, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation convened the first meeting of the Governing Council in Lyon on 23rd and 24th September. At this meeting two further States were admitted as participants and the membership is now Australia, France, West Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and the U.S.S.R.Each participating State has agreed to contribute 75,000 dollars for the year ending on 31st December, 1965 and 150,000 dollars annually thereafter for the permanent activities of the Agency. The Agency is also empowered to receive voluntary contributions for special projects from Governments, individuals and bodies, and any such projects adopted by the Governing Council on the recommendation of the Scientific Council of the Agency, additional to the permanent programme, may be financed from such contributions.A Supplementary Estimate will be brought before the House in due course in respect of the United Kingdom contribution for the present calendar year and the first instalment of that for 1966. Meanwhile it is intended to draw upon the Civil Contingencies Fund for payments due in the current financial year.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if he will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes the increases in bus fares recently approved by the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners for certain operators in the Doncaster rural area.

As my right hon. Friend explained in reply to a Question on 22nd July, he and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport are watching the position closely, but take the view that the existing statutory procedures for regulating provincial bus fares ensure that the national interest is taken into account.

asked the Minister of Health how many day hospitals are under the jurisdiction of the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board; where they are; and when such a hospital will be provided at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Nine. Three psychiatric, at Ryhope, Newcastle and Middlesbrough: five geriatric, at Hexham, Sunderland, Hemlington, Guisborough, and Durham; and one spastic, at Middlesbrough. The Newcastle General Hospital provides geriatric day patient facilities in Newcastle

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to improve detection of diabetes, in view of recent suggestions that there are 300,000 undetected cases in the country.

I cannot at present add to the replies given to the hon. Member for Walthamstow, East (Mr. John Harvey) on 14th December and 29th March.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will seek to establish a Royal Commission on Population, in view of the magnitude of the problems being created and the likelihood that they will be increased in future years by the continued rise in the birth rate and the continuation of Commonwealth immigration.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what preparations in advance he has made to implement the new parole scheme so that it may be put into action as soon as legislation has been passed;(2) what type of parole board he intends to be set up under the proposed new legislation; and by what criteria his Department are to select its members.

My right hon. and learned Friend is not at present in a position to make any statement on these matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rate of pay is offered to school crossing attendants; and what additional number of attendants is required to meet the establishments in the Metropolitan Police area.

In the Metropolitan Police District school crossing patrols are paid five shillings an hour, and on 28th October, 1965, the number of patrols was 431 short of requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences concerning the use of firearms were known to the police in England and Wales within the first six months of 1964 and the first six months of 1965, respectively.

This information would not be available without a special return from all police forces, which I think would rot be justified at this stage. I propose to ask chief officers in the New Year for a return covering 1965 as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes of violence were known to the police in 1965 to the latest convenient date; and what were the corresponding figures for each of the last five years.

The number of indictable offences of violence against the person known to the police in the first six months of 1965 was 12,269. The corresponding figures for the first six months of each of the five previous years were 10,971 in 1964, 8,889 in 1963, 8,256 in 1962, 8,481 in 1961 and 7,538 in 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders known to the police took place in 1965 to the latest convenient date; and what were the corresponding figures for each of the five previous years.

The number of deaths known to the police in England and Wales during the period 1st January to 30th September, 1965 and initially recorded as murders was 185; these figures include cases which may be found not to be murder. The figures for the corresponding period in each of the five previous years were 178 in 1964, 162 in 1963, 172 in 1962, 163 in 1961 and 157 in 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps he is taking to accelerate the work of the Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances on the carriage by road of explosive and highly inflammable substances;(2) what was the date of the first meeting of the Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances; and when it will meet again.

The earliest date on which it was possible to arrange the first meeting of the Committee was 13th September 1965. The Committee, whose field is wide and complex, covering many hundreds of dangerous substances, is concentrating first on the control of the carriage by road of some 70 inflammable liquids, under the headings of packaging, loading and labelling, and the operation and construction of vehicles. My Department has prepared certain proposals, and is engaged in preparing others, for consideration by the technical sub-committees to which the detailed work will fall. The Committee will meet again as soon as the technical sub-committees have made sufficient progress.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when regulations concerning the lead content in painted toys are to be introduced; and whether conclusions have now been reached on the hazards of unsafe plastic toys, children's nightdresses and lifejackets at present being considered.

Draft regulations dealing with the lead content of the paint used on toys will be circulated very shortly to the various bodies concerned for their comments. On the other matters, I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend's Question on 13th May, except that the Working Party on Inflammable Clothing has been set up and has held a number of meetings.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take to enable the Timothy Evans Committee to make legal representations in the Timothy Evans inquiry.

It is for Mr. Justice Brabin, who is conducting the inquiry, to decide whether an application for legal representation at the inquiry should be granted.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether, under his proposed legislation, companies dealing in land will be required to pay development levy on transactions in land arising in the course of their business; and whether credit for such payments of development levy will be given in assessing Corporation Tax on such companies.

The Answer to the first part of the Question is "Yes"; the Answer to the second part is that the amount paid in levy will be allowed as an expense in computing their profits for Corporation Tax purposes.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development if she will make a statement on the grant of an interest-free loan to Ethiopia.

It has been agreed that the £2 million loan to Ethiopia which was announced in principle in April, 1964, is to be on interest-free terms. The Emperor of Ethiopia has expressed his appreciation and thanks. The loan will be tied to British goods and services and will be used on development projects to be agreed between the two Governments.

asked the Postmaster-General when the extension of the automatic equipment and the introduction of subscriber trunk dialling at the Chichester exchange will be completed.

The extension of the local automatic equipment will be brought into service next week. The introduction of STD at Chichester is dependent on rearrangement of some existing equipment in the exchange and seems likely to take a little longer than was recently forecast, but it should be available by June of next year.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) if he will publish a map showing the location and height of the 109 Post Office communication towers proposed or erected;(2) how many Post Office communication towers are to be used in the counties of Warwickshire and Staffordshire, and the cities of Birmingham and Coventry; and if he will give their height and exact location.

I regret that no map giving the information requested is available for publication. I am writing to my hon. Friend about the particular areas he has mentioned.

asked the Postmaster-General how many of the 109 Post Office communication towers are, or will be, over 100 feet and over 200 feet in height.

Thirty-four communication towers are over 100 and up to 200 fee: high and, excluding the London and Birmingham towers, thirty-seven will be over 200 feet high.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the estimate for 1965–66 of the employees' contribution, the employers' contribution and the Treasury subsidy to the National Insurance Fund.

About £632 million, £783 million and £288 million respectively

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount of the original estimated costs submitted by the consulting engineers and the estimated costs submitted by the main civil engineering firm for the modernisation of Dalmarnock Sewage Purification Works, Glasgow; and what is the amount of the revised estimated costs in each case.

Glasgow Corporation tells me that the estimate in the consulting engineers' report, dated May 1960, was £3 million comprising £2·25 million for construction and £0·75 million for equipment; that the original tender for the construction works was £2·19 million; and that the latest available estimated cost of the scheme is £3·56 million, £2·35 million of which is in respect of construction.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works, whether he is aware that a number of trees in Hyde Park have perished; and what action he will take to replace them.

Thirteen trees are either dead or in a dangerous condition, and on the recommendation of my Advisory Committee on Forestry, I have arranged for these to be felled to prevent accidents. They will be replaced later this year.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industrial development certificates were granted for factories in the King's Lynn area for the periods November, 1964 to October, 1965, inclusive, and November, 1963 to October 1964, inclusive.

The figures are as follows:

Industrial development certificates issued for the King's Lynn area*
Period	No. of schemes
1st November, 1963 to 31st October, 1964	11
1st November, 1964 to 31st October, 1965	13†
* King's Lynn Municipal Borough, Hunstanton Urban District and the rural districts of Freebridge Lynn, Marshland and Docking.
† Excluding schemes of 5,000 square feet and under approved on and after the operative date of the Town and Country Planning (Industrial Development Certificates: Exemption) Order, 1965.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to receive the report of Sir Harry Benson and City accountants on their investigations into the John Bloom collapse; and what considerations are delaying the publication of this report.

The inspectors appointed by the Board of Trade to investigate the affairs of Rolls Razor Ltd. have made good progress, and I expect to receive their report early in December. A decision about its publication will be made as soon as possible after its receipt.

asked the Minister of Technology what has been the total cost of his Department from 1st November, 1964 to date.

Approximately £64 million.