asked the Minister of Health how many and what percentage of hospitals now provide facilities for mothers to stay with their children who are patients; and what action he is taking to make these facilities more widely available.

At June, 1964, 190 hospitals, or 18 per cent. of hospitals with child patients. A further 284, or 26 per cent., were able to make ad hoc arrangements. All children's wards now being planned will accommodate mothers as recommended in my Department's Building Note.

asked the Minister of Health how many children were being treated in adult wards of hospitals in England and Wales on the latest date for which statistics are available; and if he will make a statement.

3,237 children under 12 in March, 1965. Of these, 878 or fewer than 5 per cent. of all children in hospital were actually with adults; the rest were separated from them in side wards or cubicles.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has to improve the pay and conditions of junior hospital doctors.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 15th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Willesden, West (Mr. Pavitt).

asked the Minister of Health what further steps have been taken or are proposed to reduce the number of amenity and pay beds in the hospitals under his control.

I do not contemplate any steps to reduce the number of amenity beds where there is a demand for them, as they are available on payment only when not required for other patients on medical grounds. On pay beds I would ask my hon. Friend to await the outcome of my review of policy which is nearly complete.

asked the Minister of Health what further progress has been made in respect of unrestricted visiting by parents to children in hospital.

My latest information is that, on the basis of the definitions I have previously given, 694 out of the 878 hospitals now admitting children have adopted the practice of unrestricted visiting by parents, and a further 65 have very generous visiting hours. This represents considerable progress towards my aim of securing general adoption of the practice, but I shall continue to watch the position closely.

asked the Minister of Health what is his policy regarding the manufacture of perfusion fluids by hospitals; what estimate of the possible savings on drug expenditure he has made; and if he will make a statement.

Hospital authorities have been advised that wherever it is safe and practicable and would save money they should make up preparations such as perfusion fluids for themselves; estimates of potential savings depend upon particular circumstances, but where the essential conditions of safety and practicability can be met I expect hospital authorities to have regard to the advantages of making up these fluids.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to ensure that the Leeds Regional Hospital Board shall have administrative contact with the Yorkshire and Humberside Planning Board in order that the social and economic changes envisaged for the relevant part of this planning region shall be borne in mind when hospital policies are planned.

Close contact is maintained through my Department's principal regional officer, who is a member of the planning board.

asked the Minister of Health, when the new hospital at Dorchester will be started.

Until the current review of the hospital building programme is completed, I cannot make a forecast.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is satisfied with the existing procedure for the consideration of complaints by patients or their families about specific shortcomings or errors in the National Health Service treatment of a patient in hospital; whether he proposes to bring such procedures more into line with those available to a person aggrieved by a shortcoming or error on the part of his general medical practitioner under the National Health Service; and whether he will make a statement.

I do not consider that the service committee procedure re-

asked the Minister of Health what is the average length of time for which geriatric patients to be admitted to hospital in North-East Essex.

About six-and-a-half weeks; emergency cases are admitted at once.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number on the waiting list for hospital treatment in North-East Essex; what is the average length of time they have to wait; and how these statistics compare with five and 10 years ago.

Urgent cases are admitted without delay. Numbers on waiting lists by specialists and the average wait (months) are as follows:lating to the general practitioner services would be appropriate for investigating complaints by or on behalf of hospital patients. I am, however, reviewing present procedures and expect shortly to give fresh guidance to hospital authorities.

asked the Minister of Health when the construction of the Cheadle General Hospital will commence.

The priority to be accorded to this scheme is under consideration in the Board's current review of their capital programme.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the concern of those doctors who have pioneered good services and established well-equipped surgeries that any exclusion of them from surgery awards may amount to penalising them for their enterprise; and if he will give an assurance that all surgeries will benefit from any scheme introduced.

Under the scheme for improvement grants which has been agreed with the profession all projects started this year will be considered for grant. I regret that it would be impracticable to make grants for projects started earlier.

asked the Minister of Health, how many requests he has refused, during his first year in office, to receive deputations from county, county borough and local authorities.

About eight, but in two of these instances the deputation was received by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary.

asked the Minister of Health, what increase or decrease there was in the staff of the Department under his control in the period 16th October, 1964 to 15 October, 1965; and what increase or decrease he anticipates in the period up to 15th April, 1966.

An increase of 198 in the period 16th October, 1964, to 15th October, 1965. A further increase is expected to 15th April, 1966; but I cannot yet give a reliable estimate.

asked the Minister of Health, what proposals he has to improve the standards of dental treatment.

I am not aware of any need to improve the standard of treatment given by dentists under the National Health Service. More dentists are needed but the number of dental students in training has been rising steadily.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to improve the conditions of employment of dispensing assistants, and their remuneration.

These are matters in the first instance for the Professional and Technical "B" Whitley Council, who have a claim under consideration.

asked the Minister of Health when the report will be published of the working party set up in September, 1963 to look into the training of ambulance personnel and the equipping of ambulances.

Part I of the Report, which deals with training, will be published in the New Year. I understand that the working party have not yet completed their consideration of equipment.

asked the Minister of Health, if he will give an assurance that his schedule of dental fees is so fixed as to allow for the use of the most modern materials and techniques.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Health what mileage allowance is made to officials of his Department for a 10-mile journey when the official's own car is used; and what is the allowance for the same journey made by a general practitioner visiting an emergency case.

For the official 6s. 5½d., if it were deemed necessary for him to make the journey by private car. There is no specific mileage allowance for general medical practitioners, whose practice expenses, including motoring expenses are allowed for in the capitation and other gross fees they are paid. Rural doctors are entitled to certain additional payments.

asked the Minister of Health what action he proposes to take to ensure that diseased poultry does not reach the market for sale to the public, in view of the fact that the Meat Inspection Regulations of 1963, which placed a legal duty on local authorities to inspect meat at slaughterhouses, did not cover poultry.

Local authorities have power under the Food and Drugs, Act, 1955 to examine poultry carcases for fitness for human consumption. They also enforce the provisions of the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960 at premises where birds are slaughtered. In 1961 my Department advised local authorities on a suitable system of poultry inspection.

asked the Minister of Health what is the estimated number of doctors which will be required in Great Britain in five years time.

The National Plan states that 64,000 doctors are expected to be practising in Great Britain in 1970. While estimates of numbers needed vary according to the assumptions used, this is also the approximate number required if the number of doctors is to keep pace with the anticipated growth of population.

asked the Minister of Health if he will prevent the release of fertility drugs for general circulation until their effects have been investigated more thoroughly.

Any new preparation promoted commercially for treating infertility would be subject to checks by the Committee on Safety of Drugs before marketing and hence before general use.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average period between measurement and fitting of articial limbs and the average time taken for repairs in England and Wales.

The periods vary widely according to clinical and other factors and averages would not be meaningful. Nearly half of all repairs are carried out at artificial limb and appliance centres while the patient waits.

asked the Minister of Health whether his investigation of the status of registration officers has been completed; and when he will make a statement to the House.

I have at present nothing to add to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Wallace) on 30th July.

asked the Minister of Health how many inquiries he has ordered during the last year into complaints by patients or their dependants against the National Health Service.

Table 36 of my Department's Annual Report for 1964 gives the number of appeals heard during that year on my instructions in connection with complaints investigated by Executive Councils. Though I have not had occasion during the last year to order any formal inquiries into complaints about other branches of the service, I have from time to time requested Health Service authorities to investigate complaints brought to my notice.

asked the Minister of Health if he will list the studies which have been made in the United Kingdom of the effect of one part per million of sodium fluoride in the water supply on the health of various groups, stating in each case the age groups concerned, the diseases considered, and the length of time covered by the study.

For over five years in three areas where one part per million of fluoride was added to the water supply all general practitioners were asked to report any case of suspected harm to their patients of any age. In addition, special inquiries were made into the incidence of dental caries and dental mottling in children aged three to seven years, of anæmia of pregnancy, and of peptic ulcer at any age. For full particulars I would refer my hon. Friend to the Report on the Conduct of the Fluoridation Studies in the United Kingdom.

asked the Minister of Health what consideration he has given to Recommendation 57 of the Franks Committee, Command Paper No. 218, that appeals from disciplinary decisions of executive councils should be heard by the National Health Service Tribunal and not by himself; and whether he will now give effect to this recommendation.

The Council on Tribunals in their annual report for 1964 advised that they are unable to support this recommendation.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he proposes to set up a Government training centre within the Highland area.

No. It would not be possible to find in the Highlands any one site for such a centre within daily travelling distance of a sufficient number of potential trainees. Moreover, industry in the Highlands is not in general of the type with substantial need of the skills taught in the Government training centres.

asked the Minister of Labour how many works safety committees are operating in the country.

Exact figures are not available. The latest estimate based on information collected by Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate in the course of their normal visits to factories is that there are about 2,700 works safety committees in operation in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Labour what proposals he has for the provision of retraining facilities in West Durham now made urgent by the number of miners being displaced at Brancepeth, Waterhouses and Esh Winning collieries.

The Government Training Centre at Tursdale, West Durham, which is now being expanded, provides training in a variety of skilled trades, particularly for the construction and engineering industries. In addition, training courses are provided for disabled men at the Finchale Abbey Residential Centre.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make an estimate of the number of workers registered as dilutees in industry.

I regret that information on which to base an estimate is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour, what proposals he has for ensuring that men being retrained in Government training centres have the same chance of attaining acceptance as skilled workers as those who have served a craft apprenticeship.

Placings of men after training in Government Training Centres are made in accordance with agreements with representatives of employers associations and trade unions in the trade concerned. In general they secure that trainees are accepted into jobs where they can use the skills which they have learned at the centre.

asked the Minister of Labour, if he will state the number of textile operatives in the Leigh and Bolton area with continuous service with the same employers for periods of up to 45 years who have been declared redundant between the date of the Second Reading of the Redundancy Payments Bill on 26th April, 1965 and 6th December, 1965, the appointed day under the Act.

I understand that about 1,500 textile operatives in the Leigh and Bolton area have been or will be declared redundant between these dates. I have no information about the length of continuous service which the employees had with their respective employers.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the increase in the number of redundancies in West Cumberland as a result of pit closures, if he will set up a retraining centre in Cumberland as early as possible.

I have considered this carefully but find that the industry and population of the area are insufficient to support a Centre of reasonably economic size.

asked the Minister of Labour on what statistical basis the limit of 7,500 immigrants per annum was arrived at in the White Paper on immigration; and what social and economic surveys were carried out.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. William Hamilton), on 4th November.

asked the Minister of Labour what proposals he has for the development of the Industrial Health Service.

Earlier this month my Industrial Health Advisory Committee approved a report containing proposals for reforming the Appointed Factory Doctor Service. I am arranging for this to be published and, meanwhile, I am considering the recommendations. I am also, in conjunction with the Industrial Health Advisory Committee, reviewing policy on the provision of industrial hygiene services.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that, in spite of a public declaration by the Bakers' Union that bread supplies would be maintained to hospitals and other essential services, hospitals have been kept short during the present strike; and what has been the result of his discussions with the union about this failure to implement this undertaking.

When I saw the officials of the Bakers' Union last week, they assured me that arrangements had been made to secure the maintenance of bread supplies in hospitals. Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health has so far received any report of bread shortages at hospitals.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will make a statement about the work being undertaken by the research unit and advisory panel assisting the Minister of State responsible for disarmament.

The Arms Control and Disarmament Research Unit was set up to conduct research into the problems of arms control and disarmament and to make available the results of this research to those concerned with the day to day conduct of British policy in this respect. To this end it has conducted studies, has maintained contacts with official and unofficial bodies working on disarmament, both here and abroad, and co-operated with members of the Disarmament Advisory Panel. The purpose of the Advisory Panel is, by drawing on a wide range of political, technical and scientific expertise, to give my noble Friend the Minister of State, with special responsibility for disarmament, the benefit of their advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he expects that the 18 Nation Committee on Disarmament will be reconvened.

I expect that the Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee will reassemble soon after the end of the current discussions on disarmament in the United Nations General Assembly. No date has yet been fixed, but consultations to agree on one are in progress.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources, what are the circumstances in which local authorities will pay levy on the development or disposal of land other than on that held for commercial purposes.

None.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources how he calculated the figure of £80 million for the gross annual yield of development levy; and what assumptions he made in the calculations.

The figure, which relates to levy at 40 per cent. was calculated on an estimate of the likely annual amount of development that would take place over the next few years and an estimate of the average cost of land and of the average amount of development value in that cost for each of the main classes of development.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources, what estimate he has made of the annual yield of levy after deduction of the amount which would have been collected under existing taxation provisions.

The levy will cut into the amount which would otherwise be collected under existing taxes. But a close estimate of the extent is not possible because these taxes are assessed on quite a different basis and are subject to different exemptions.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources, if he will take steps to preserve, acquire and develop sufficient places where anglers can enjoy their sport, in view of the fact that it has the biggest following of any sport and that this following is bound to increase.

I sympathise with my hon. Friend's objective, though he will appreciate that there are other ways of using water for recreation which must also be catered for. I have enlisted the help of the associations representing water undertakers and of the river authorities to see if greater access for the public can be arranged without risking the safety of the public water supply; and the Regional Sports Councils will, I hope, be effective in dealing with the problems of competing demand.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources whether he will introduce legislation to establish a countryside commission.

Yes, when the necessary consultations have been completed and Parliamentary time permits.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether, in view of fires costing over £100,000 each in the month of September, he will inquire into the ways in which the risk of such fires could be reduced by the enforcement of the new building regulations.

The new regulations which will come into force on 1st February, 1966, will diminish the fire risk to buildings.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will give the total value of the annual purchases for which his Department is responsible for the last year for which statistics are available.

The total value of purchases of stores for which the Department was responsible in the financial year ending 31st March, 1965, was nearly £37 million.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works why houses in Kayes Close, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Dorset, for housing of naval officers, were built in an inferior style, resulting in criticism by the local authority and the lowering of the value of surrounding property.

I do not regard these houses as having been built in an inferior style. They were designed to fit in with the district as a whole and once they have been landscaped I am sure they will do this.The Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, who were consulted in the usual way during the planning stage, offered only minor criticisms of detail which they did not press although they were given the opportunity to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement about the Fada-Fionn and Laidon Hydro-Electric Schemes.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement which I made this afternoon.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that facilities in Scotland are adequate for the fitting and repair of artificial limbs; and if he will take steps to shorten the time between measurement and fitting and the time taken for repairs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown of the £4,600,000 reduction in local authority borrowing between the second and third quarters of this year, by area and by service.

I give below an analysis by major services. I regret that an analysis by areas could not be given without disproportionate effort. The following is the information:

The facilities existing in Scotland for the fitting and repair of artificial limbs are adequate but I am not satisfied with the waiting period for either the supply of a limb or its repair. Every effort continues to be made to shorten this waiting period.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total sum allocated for Civil Defence in Scotland during 1965–66.

The total provision for Civil Defence expenditure by my departments during 1965–66 amounts to £1,824,000.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representa- tions he has received urging that ambulances within his jurisdiction should be painted a uniform colour for ease of indentification; and what is his policy on this matter.

No representations have been received by me or the Scottish Ambulance Service. All the Service's fleet of vehicles are at present painted a uniform colour of blue, except two older ambulances painted in the colour previously adopted by the Service which are due to be replaced at the end of this year. Then all Scottish ambulances will be a uniform colour.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Highlands and Islands Transport Board will present its report; and whether this report will be published.

In accordance with the terms of their remit the Highlands and Islands Transport Board gives advice from time to time on particular matters. I expect that the Board will present a full report when their period of appointment expires in December, 1966; and the question of publication will be considered then.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the growing practice of prospective owner-occupiers with limited means paying by instalments direct to the builder the price of a house being built for them and that, if in the course of erection of the house the builder goes into liquidation, the purchaser, not being a preferential creditor, often suffers the loss of all his payments; and, in view of the recent increase in the number of such builders going into liquidation, what steps he will take to protect such house purchasers from financial loss.

I am not aware that this practice is growing, but I should be glad to consider any information my hon. Friend cares to give me.

asked the Minister of Technology whether he will make a statement setting out the procedure whereby final decisions are determined in respect of the placing of orders on behalf of other Government Departments for capital equipment supplied by those industries for which his Department has been made sponsor.

Where there are particular reasons for the Ministry of Technology, as sponsoring Department, intervening in the placing of orders by other Departments, as for example in the case of computers, arrangements for prior consultation have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to the Exchequer in the last financial year of the university air squadrons; and how many pilots from this organisation entered service in the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm, respectively, during the period.

The cost of the University Air Squadrons, including flying training, in the financial year 1964–65 is estimated at £1·4 million. In the same period, 51 ex-members of the Squadrons joined the Royal Air Force; none joined the Fleet Air Arm.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what the current re-engagement rate is in the Royal Navy; and if he is satisfied with the present rate of recruitment of Fleet Air Arm aircrew.

The current re-engagement rates for men completing first engagements are about 48 per cent. at 12 years and 24 per cent. at 9 years. Whilst recruitment of pilots is satisfactory at present, we are facing an increasing requirement for observers, and there is still a need to increase the average length of service of all aircrew.

asked the Minister of Transport how many learner drivers in Scotland are awaiting driving tests; and what is the average anticipated delay before a test takes place.

About 30,000. The average waiting period is 16 weeks.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to publish the draft line for the stretch of the South Orbital Road between Godstone and Reigate and the London-Brighton motorway between Hooley and Horley.

I hope to be able to publish these lines during next summer.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on progress on the Dunnings Bridge Road crossing in Bootle, which has been the subject of correspondence between his Department and the County Borough of Bootle Corporation.

We have received no representations about a crossing in Dunnings Bridge Road. Since July this year we have received a further letter from the County Borough of Bootle about their desire for a speed limit on this road. This letter is being considered.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the total amount of compensation paid by British Railways to coal merchants whose businesses at railway depots over the past three years have been closed as a result of reorganisation; and how many firms were involved.

I understand from the British Railways Board that some small amounts have been paid to a total of eight coal merchants in respect of the value of assets made redundant by the transfer of coal handling facilities from one rail depot to another in connection with the Board's schemes for coal concentration. The Board take the view that the amount involved is a commercial matter confidential to the parties concerned.The Board know of no cases over the past three years where coal merchants' businesses have been completely closed solely as a result of railway reorganisation.

asked the Minister of Aviation, how many pilots' licences were lost through medical reasons in 1963, 1964 and 1965 to date, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many autistic children there are in Leeds and the adjacent West Riding districts who are in need of, or awaiting for, specialised schooling.

The Leeds local education authority knows of 16 children who have been diagnosed as autistic and who need and are receiving special educational treatment. No such children are waiting for special educational treatment in Leeds. In adjacent West Riding districts the local education authority have found no children with autistic symptoms who need special educational treatment.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, if he will arrange for a preliminary survey by qualified personnel to be made in the Leeds and surrounding districts with a view to the provision of schools for autistic children.

No. Children who need special educational treatment are identified by qualified staff of the school health, child guidance and school psychological services in collaboration with schools and hospital consultants.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that the work of a school-teacher should be a full-time or part-time occupation.

It is the policy of Her Majesty's Government that as many teachers as possible should be recruited for the schools, both full-time and part-time. The supply of full-time teachers from the rapidly expanding colleges of education and from other sources is increasing every year. Part-time teachers are making a substantial and growing contribution to the staffing of the maintained schools; their numbers have risen by more than 5,000 in the last year to about 32,400, the equivalent of nearly 16,000 full-time teachers. It continues to be my policy to promote this growth of opportunities for part-time teaching service, particularly as a means of facilitating the return to service of married women teachers, many of whom are unable to offer full-time service when they first resume teaching.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings in Great Britain's defence expenditure across the exchanges have so far been made in the current year 1965–66.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many dwellings have been built by private enterprise in the county borough

The figures so far available do not provide an adequate basis for comparison with expenditure in the previous financial year.

asked the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Economic Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will take action to ensure that priority is given to West Cumberland for new industries, in view of the suggested closures of collieries in this area.

The Northern Economic Planning Council are urgently considering the implications of the pit closure programme for the Region as a whole. I am sure that they will take the special problems of West Cumberland fully into account.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will set out in tabular form in the OFFICIAL REPORT his estimate of how the costs of a £1,000 house were made up in 1938, respectively for labour, materials, land and finance, and the same figures for a similar house in 1958, 1964 and 1965.

The only relevant information available to me relates to the cost (exclusive of land) of a local authority 3-bedroom house. The breakdown of costs is approximate:of Bootle since 1946; how many of such dwellings have been built for rental; and how many applications to build such dwellings have been refused since that date by the local authority.

Private enterprise completed 145 houses in the County Borough of Bootle between 1946 and September, 1965. Of these 31 were built for rental. Two applications for planning permission to build dwellings for renting have been refused but one of these was allowed by my right hon. Friend on appeal.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many dwellings in the county borough of Bootle were totally destroyed during the 1939–45 war, and how many were partially damaged; how many applicants have now been re-housed by the Corporation and from clearance areas since 1946; and if he will publish these figures for each succeeding year.

2,107 houses in the County Borough of Bootle were destroyed in the 1939–45 war. The number damaged is not known.Since 1946 12,010 families have been re-housed by the Corporation.The number of families re-housed from slum clearance areas is published each year in the report of the Medical Officer of Health.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many dwellings were available for occupancy, or were occupied, in the County Borough of Bootle in 1946; how many dwellings have been built for rental by Bootle inside or outside the county borough boundary in each year since 1946; and what was the total population of Bootle in 1946 and the figure at the last census.

It is estimated that 15,000 dwellings were available for occupancy or were occupied in the County Borough of Bootle in 1946.The number of houses built by Bootle County Borough for each year since 1946 was:—

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will publish in the Official Report separate percentage figures for the number of houses and flats built for local authorities and for owner-occupiers, where industrialised building methods have been used, which were started in 1964, and similar figures for the period in 1965 for which statistics are available.

The figures below show for local authorities and new towns in England and Wales the number and proportion of dwellings started in 1964 and in the first three quarters of 1965 by industrialised methods. My right hon. Friend has no comparable details of industrialised dwellings built in the private sector; but the numbers are very small.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will arrange an investigation into the effectiveness with which local authorities are administering the law in respect of rights of way.

My right hon. Friend does not think this is necessary; but if the hon. Member would let me know what particular difficulty he has in mind, I would be glad to look into it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many authorities in England included in the list of black areas have still not submitted programmes for the establishment of smoke-control areas; and if he will publish a list of such authorities.

The following 39 local authorities in the list of black areas have not submitted programmes for the establishment of smoke control areas:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many smoke-control orders have now been made by local authorities in England; how many premises are covered by such orders; and whether he is satisfied with the rate of progress towards completion of the programmes published in Command Paper No. 1890, 1962.

Up to 31st October, 1965, 1,981 smoke control orders had been made covering 2,630,819 premises. Changes in the supply of smokeless fuels have made it difficult for authorities to keep to their published programmes. Even so, my right hon. Friend is not satisfied with the progress being made by a number of authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are being made for the supervision and easement of traffic flow at the junction of Jermyn Street with St. James's Street and St. James's Street with Piccadilly consequent upon major road-works outside Green Park underground station.

The Commissioner of Police informs me that action has been taken by the police to maintain a free flow of traffic along Piccadilly during construction work near Green Park underground station. This work is thought not to increase significantly traffic difficulties at the junctions of Jermyn Street with St. James's Street and St. James's Street with Piccadilly, where traffic movement is assisted by police officers in the area.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the causes of the explosion of propane gas cylinders on a lorry in Harrow on Monday, 15th November; and whether he is satisfied with the adequacy of regulations governing the carriage of such gas on lorries, particularly those which are not specially designed for the purpose.

I am informed that the lorry was carrying a container of asphalt which was being heated, while in transit, by a gas burner, fed through a flexible feed pipe from a cylinder of propane gas. It seems possible that this pipe may have fractured; that escaping gas ignited; and that the resulting fire caused the explosion of one of three cylinders of gas. The conveyance by road of propane is not at present subject to any specific controls, but the need for appropriate regulations is being considered by my right hon. and learned Friend's Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances. All lorries are, of course, subject to the general law relating to the construction and use of road vehicles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to control the sale of Schedule 4 poisons, in view of the increase in drug addiction among young people in the Midlands area.

The sale of substances listed in the Fourth Schedule to the Poisons Rules is already closely controlled. They may be sold lawfully at retail only by a registered pharmacist on production of a prescription.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if she will give the comparable figures for the number of working days lost through industrial disputes, industrial injuries and sickness in the past year; and if she will give the amount of time lost with various categories of sickness.

I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour that in the year from June, 1963 to May, 1964 about 2,480,000 work days were lost through industrial disputes. In the same period injury benefit was paid for 21,780,000 days.As regards sickness, I have information only about days of sickness which are notified to the Department for purposes of claiming sickness benefit and contribution credits under the National Insurance Act. The number of days of incapacity recorded in the relevant period is estimated at 287 million. The major groups of illnesses were as follows:

asked the Postmaster-General if he will take steps to set up a viewers' and listeners' council.

I cannot add anything to my Answer of 30th June to the hon. Member for Banff (Mr. Baker).

asked the Minister of Power what requests he has received from the National Coal Board for capital sanction for the extended exploration for coal in the West Cumberland area; and what reply he has sent.

None.

asked the Minister of Power if Her Majesty's Government will undertake a detailed study of the effects of the pit closures proposed in West Cumberland on the economy of the area.

I refer to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Joint Under-Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to my hon. Friends the Members for Durham, North-West (Mr. Armstrong) and Houghton-le-Spring (Mr. Urwin) on 25th November.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give a general direction to the National Coal Board not to authorise the closure of any pits until new firms are established in the area.

No. I explained to the House on 25th November, the measures which the National Coal Board and the Government were taking to provide other jobs for the men affected. The Government will keep the position under review in consultation with the Economic Planning Councils.

asked the Minister of Power, what sums will be paid by way of compensation for the breaking of firm advertising contracts as a result of the agreement of the gas, electricity and coal boards to discontinue advertising, both national and local, for a period of three months from 1st December.

This is a matter for negotiation between the parties concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements exist in his Transport Department for consideration of planning consents for high- way considerations and of planning appeals arising from them.

Before a local planning authority grant permission for a development which would affect a trunk road, they must consult me as highway authority. Any such applications are handled by the Roads Division of the Welsh Office.If an application for development is refused, a developer has a right to appeal to me under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1962. My advice on such appeals is provided by the Planning Division of the Welsh Office. In the case of appeals affecting highway developments, the Roads Division of my office would naturally be consulted.