asked the Minister of Health what proposals he has to encourage experiments in the formal education of mentally subnormal children.

It is the normal practice in junior and adult training centres and in hospitals to teach the use of written words and numbers to mentally subnormal children and adolescents who show sufficient aptitude and comprehension. A number of experiments in different teaching methods and research studies into learning processes are in progress.

asked the Minister of Health why his Department recently purchased 1,000 antibiotic tablets from an American firm for £40 9s. 5d., whereas similar purchases from other firms would have cost £16, 19s. 4d, or only £14; and whether he will cause an investigation to be made into these variations in charges.

No such purchase was made by my Department. These prices appear to refer to oxytetracycline dispensed by chemists under the pharmaceutical services. The price charged by the American firm is the maximum acceptable under the agreed arrangements for regulating drug prices, but since the patent has now expired it is, of course, subject to competition.

asked the Minister of Health if he will review the composition of Whitley Councils to ensure that representation from the trade unions is based on increasing membership.

The composition of the Staff Sides of the Whitley Councils is a matter for them. They have made various changes over the years and I must leave them to take the initiative in any further review of their composition.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has for increasing the number of general practitioners in the Birmingham area.

Introduction of the new contract and system of remuneration which has been proposed for general practitioners should attract more doctors into general practice in all parts of the country including Birmingham.

asked the Minister of Health if he will grant to medical staff at colleges of higher education the right to prescribe drugs at National Health Service expense.

Where colleges of higher education are largely residential and the college medical officer is able to provide full medical care he may seek to contract with the Executive Council to provide this, including the issue of prescriptions for any drugs needed, under the National Health Service. In other cases it is more appropriate for responsibility to remain with the patient's family doctor.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will take steps to encourage research into, and treatment of, agoraphobia.

asked the Minister of Health how many people are known to suffer from agoraphobia; what kind of treatment is given; and what research is being carried out to find the cause and the care required.

asked the Minister of Health what research is being carried out under his auspices into the causes and treatment of agoraphobia.

Clinical research into the causes and treatment of phobic anxieties, including agoraphobia, is being conducted by some university departments associated with teaching hospitals, and a range of psychiatric treatments is available in the National Health Service. There are no reliable figures of the incidence or prevalence of this complaint, but I am advised that it is comparatively rare. A number of hon. Members have sent me inquiries about agoraphobia recently and they will be receiving replies very shortly.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what steps he is taking to encourage members of the medical profession to stay and practise in this country;(2) what was the total number of the medical profession who gave up practice and went abroad during the year 1965.

I have no exact information on the number of doctors who emigrated in 1965; I have every hope that the opportunities for improved general practice provided by the new contract offered to general practitioners and the increased remuneration offered to the profession will encourage doctors to remain in this country.

asked the Minister of Health to what extent there is a shortage of medical personnel, and what efforts are being made to arrest this shortage.

There is a shortage of doctors in many areas, but the output of the medical schools is rising and is expected to increase steadily in future years; 250 further places are to be provided as a result of building work to be started at existing schools this year and next.

asked the Minister of Health how many lifts have been installed in the new Swansea Hospital at Singleton Park; and what estimates have been made of the time which it would take to evacuate the hospital in an emergency.

Four passenger/bed lifts and one goods lift in the present stage of development. Additional lifts will be added in later stages.If my hon. Friend is thinking of an emergency arising through fire, I understand that the plans of the hospital were discussed with the local fire authority and that the fire precautions and means of escape incorporated in the design conformed with their recommendations.

asked the Minister of Health how many staff of all kinds are needed to bring the hospitals covered by the Huddersfield Hospital Management Committee up to the correct establishment.

About 200 at 23rd April, mostly nursing and ancillary. A larger establishment will be needed when the new hospital is commissioned later this year.

asked the Minister of Health how many private pay beds and amenity beds he proposes to allow in the new hospital at Lindley in Huddersfield.

I have authorised 16 private pay beds at the new hospital. These will replace the 16 beds at St. Luke's Hospital. I am still discussing with the Regional Hospital Board the number of amenity beds to be provided.

asked the Minister of Health (1) what relationship there is between the number of paediatric nurses and the number of children's hospital beds in Wales; and how this figure compares with that for England;(2) how the number of paediatric nurses in Wales compares with that in England, in relation to the number of births each year;(3) how many paediatric nurses there are in Wales in relation to population; and how this figure compares with that for England.

As the number of registered sick children's nurses employed in hospitals in England is not centrally know, it is not possible to make these comparisons. But in Wales there were at the end of 1965 41 registered sick children's nurses employed in hospitals and 602 beds under the control of paediatricians. In 1965 there were 36,602 births in hospitals in Wales and the population of Wales is 2,692,760.

asked the Minister of Health how many paediatric nurses are trained each year; and how many of these are trained in Wales.

I am informed by the General Nursing Council that in 1965 600 nurses qualified as registered sick children's nurses; the answer to the second part of the Question is none.

asked the Minister of Health what is the criterion for assessing whether an area can support a training centre for paediatric nurses.

This is a matter for the General Nursing Council but I understand that they require schools training sick children's nurses to give an adequate range of experience and to have at least 150 beds for the care of sick children, with an average daily occupation of 120.

asked the Minister of Health how the distances between the hospitals in the Glantawe Hospital Board compare with the distances between sister hospitals in England which possess a training centre for paediatric nurses.

Distances between hospitals administered by the Glantawe Hospital Management Committee vary between about half a mile and about 30 miles. Training schools for sick children's nurses in England which are not contained within one children's hospital are normally in two or three hospitals fairly close together, though in one case two children's hospitals about 40 miles apart are linked.

asked the Minister of Health how many nurses from Wales trained in England as paediatric nurses in each of the last five years; and how many of these nurses returned to Wales after completing their training.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health how many patients are awaiting admission to the hospitals covered by the Huddersfield Hospital Management Committee.

1,247 on 31st December, 1965.

asked the Minister of Health what are the provisions for hospital care for the young chronic sick in the area served by the South-Western Regional Hospital Board.

The hospital service provides 71 beds in four units for the young chronic sick. Contractual arrangements provide another 13 beds.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that a large number of the medical staff employed in the National Health Service are working very long hours, in cases as many as 70 per week; and if he will look into the matter with a view to curtailing these excessive hours.

I am aware of the long hours often worked, particularly by junior hospital doctors; the very large increases in salaries for such doctors recommended by the Review Body and accepted by the Government were drawn up in the knowledge of this; the eventual solution is to increase the number of doctors.

asked the Minister of Labour what protests he has received from those working in and connected with the dock industry against the Dockworkers (Regulation of Employment) Amendments Order 1966; whether he is aware that workers in the industry were not consulted or informed about this amendment; whether, in view of the unrest in this industry, he will review this question; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has to date received 46 objections to the draft Order proposing amendments to the Dock Labour Scheme. These come in the main from trade unions, employers' organisations and groups of dock workers. In accordance with the Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, he is appointing an independent inquiry to examine these objections. The draft Order was based on principles agreed by the industry's National Modernisation Committee, which is composed of representatives of employers and workers in the industry, together with independent members. I understand that the Committee has sent every registered dock worker a leaflet explaining the main changes proposed.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made in his discussions on wage agreements in the London docks.

Negotiations on the wage structure and the level of pay appropriate to the proposed system of permanent employment have been conducted by the National Modernisation Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Brown. On 6th April, Lord Brown on behalf of the independent members of the Committee reported to my right hon. Friend that the Committee had failed to reach agreement on this question. Following talks with the employers and the trade unions, my right hon. Friend has appointed a Committee under Lord Devlin's chairmanship to inquire into the difference and to make recommendations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if an establishment engaged in film production will be considered a manufacturing industry for purposes of the Selective Employment Tax.

I have been asked to reply.Under the Standard Industrial Classification an establishment engaged wholly or mainly in the manufacture of photographic film is classified to minimum list heading 351 in Order VI (Engineering and Electrical Goods), i.e. in manufacturing industry. On the other hand, a film studio is classified to minimum list heading 881 in Order XXIII (Miscellaneous Services).

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated expected additional staff and expenditure required to provide for the collection of the Selective Employment Tax and the payment of premiums.

After consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance and subject to the outcome of the proposed consultation with industry about the administrative arrangements for the payment of premiums, the best estimate I can give at this stage is that the additional staff required for the collection of the tax and the payment of premiums may be of the order of 500 at an additional expenditure in a full year of the order of £750,000.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent there is a shortage of carpenters and joiners in the West of Scotland; and what steps he is taking to recruit more for essential industry.

At the March count in this area there were 253 notified vacancies for carpenters and joiners as against 71 unemployed. At the present time 202 of the vacancies in the West of Scotland are in circulation to neighbouring offices and 26 throughout the whole of Scotland. The training places in these trades at the Government Training Centres in this area are being increased from 144 to 192. Training within the industry is being encouraged by the Construction Industry Training Board (set up under the Industrial Training Act 1964.)

asked the Minister of Labour if he will extend safety standards in industries which involve men working with molten metal to include protective clothing for such employees, in view of the accident rate in this form of employment.

Protective equipment for the hands and eyes of persons working with molten metal is already required under the Iron and Steel Foundries Regulations 1953 and the Non-Ferrous Metals (Melting and Founding) Regulations 1962. In 1965 my right hon. Friend circulated to interested organisations a draft of regulations requiring protective footwear for foundry workers at risk from molten metal and, in order to assist consideration of the comments on that draft, H.M. Factory Inspectorate are at present carrying out a survey of accidents due to splashes of molten metal in the first six months of 1966.

asked the Minister of Labour what evidence he has that firms in Scotland are not employing their legal quota of disabled persons; and what steps he intends to take to remedy the situation.

At the time of the last review in May 1965, 6,181 firms in Scotland had a statutory obligation to employ 3 per cent. registered disabled persons among their total staff. Of these, 3,307 firms were known to be meeting the requirement. My right hon. Friend does not propose to take any measures beyond those already being taken by our officers to increase the overall level of compliance.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he will take to find jobs for those made redundant by the reduction in output at the Doncaster factory of International Harvesters; and if he will make a statement.

The International Harvester Company announced recently that 315 workers at its Doncaster plant will become redundant on 20th May, but it now expects to be able to offer further employment to some of them. The exact number to be discharged is not yet known. Our local officers are in touch with the firm and are arranging for any workers who are to lose their jobs to register for fresh employment before the termination of their notice.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of the fact that the principle of equal pay for men and women has been accepted by Parliament on a number of occasions and that Her Majesty's Government signed the United Nations Charter in 1945, he will seek to extend equal pay to all workers as has been done for non-industrial civil servants, teachers and local government officers.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Clapham (Mrs. McKay) on 6th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why the British draft resolution tabled in the United Nations Security Council on 8th April declared that the continuance of the Smith régime constituted a threat to peace.

The Resolution submitted to the Security Council on 8th April did not declare that the continuance of Mr. Smith's régime constituted a threat to the peace. A copy of the Resolution is in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is his policy regarding mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia; and how these sanctions will be enforced.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which he was given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 26th April.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what protests he has received from the Portuguese Government regarding alleged interference with shipping off Beira.

None. The Portuguese Government have, however, on four occasions drawn our attention to alleged interference with shipping off Beira.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have taken any action on the resolution passed by the United Nations Special Committee of 24 which called upon the United Kingdom to desist from effecting mass arrests in Aden and to cease all repressive actions there.

Her Majesty's Government have taken no action on the Resolution of 22nd March, against which the British representative voted, since it was misconceived and unrelated to the facts. There were no mass arrests. A total of 38 people suspected of complicity in terrorism were arrested over a period of a fortnight for questioning about their suspected activities. Fifteen of these have since been released.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the financing of the United Nations Force in Cyprus, and its future after 26th June.

The latest estimate of the deficit in respect of the cost of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus up to 26th March 1966 is approximately $2·5 million. The cost of the Force during the current mandate is estimated at approximately $5 million, towards which pledges totalling approximately $3·3 million have so far been made, including $1 million from the United Kingdom. The future of the Force will no doubt be considered by the Security Council before the current mandate expires on 26th June.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what states are giving military and financial or other aid to movements subversive of the South Arabian Federation; and what representations have been made at the United Nations or otherwise on this matter.

The State principally concerned is the United Arab Republic and representations have been made to the Government of that country both in London and in Cairo on a number of occasions. Whenever the question has been under discussion at the United Nations the British representative has called upon the instigators of subversion in South Arabia to give up their destruc- tive activities and to allow those with the real interests of the country at heart to work together to establish a truly independent South Arabia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on what grounds he objected to the proposed design of a stamp to commemorate the World Cup, displaying the flags of 16 nations, including that of North Korea.

Her Majesty's Government do not recognise North Korea as a State and it would therefore have been inappropriate for a Department of Her Majesty's Government to issue a stamp which included a representation of the North Korean flag.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will seek to enter into negotiations to send a trade mission to Indonesia, with a view to negotiating long-term agreements at fair prices.

It is perhaps too soon to decide whether it would be useful to send a Trade Mission to Indonesia. But I welcome the spirit of my hon. Friend's Question and hope that an improvement of our relations with Indonesia will provide trading opportunities which our exporters can seize.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the secrecy attached by Her Majesty's Government to the decision to appoint Mr. M. R. D. Foot as the historian for the Special Operations Executive, why the hon. Member for Tynemouth was permitted over the whole period to meet him and discuss matters relating to the project.

As the hon. Lady will recall, the decision in principle to publish an account of Special Operations Executive's achievements in France was announced to the House by the then Minister of State for Foreign Affairs on the 13th of April 1964. While everyone recognises the very keen interest of the hon. Lady in this enterprise, the question of any contacts which she may have had with Mr. Foot before that date is not one which the present Government can answer.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the total entry to the administrative class of his Department and to the Diplomatic Service in each year since 1945, showing separately the numbers educated at a public school and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Total entry to the Senior Branch of the Foreign Service and to the Administrative Class of the Diplomatic Service in each year since 1945, showing separately the numbers educated at a public school and at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge is as follows:

I. TOTAL ENTRY TO THE SENIOR BRANCH OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE 1945–64*
Year	Number of Entrants	Number who attended Public Schools†	Number who attended Oxford and Cambridge
1945	23	19	20
1946	94	76	72
1947	92	79	74
1948	37	29	25
1949	49	36	36
1950	37	22	29
1951	24	21	20
1952	17	14	14
1953	21	15	18
1954	33	26	29
1955	26	19	20
1956	20	16	15
1957	19	9	12
1958	16	11	12
1959	32	29	24
1960	35	22	25
1961	35	20	30
1962	30	16	23
1963	31	23	26
1964	40	21	23

II. TOTAL ENTRY TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE GRADES OF THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE
Year	Number of Entrants	Number who attended Public Schools†	Number who attended Oxford and Cambridge
1965	50	32	31
* These figures do not include those entrants to the Administrative Class of the Home Civil Service who joined the Commonwealth Relations Office prior to the amalgamation of the Commonwealth Relations Office with the Foreign Service. Many of these officers have exercised their right to join the Diplomatic Service when it was formed. The same applies to former members of the Trade Commissioners Service.
† "Public Schools" have been taken as independent day and boarding schools, excluding direct-grant and maintained schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, following U Thant's visit to London, he will make a statement about the rôle of the United Nations in promoting a peace settlement in Vietnam.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Vietnam with U Thant when he visited London but: they had regretfully to conclude that there is little prospect of negotiations in the immediate future. The North Vietnamese have constantly asserted that the United Nations have no rôle to play in the conflict. The North Vietnamese Prime Minister repeated this publicly last month.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps the Government are taking to support and participate in United Nations Year for Human Rights in 1968.

Her Majesty's Government have frequently stated their support for the project. We have offered to organise in the United Kingdom in 1968 an international human rights seminar under United Nations auspices, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations has accepted our offer. We shall of course take part in the International Conference on Human Rights which is to be the main feature of the year and we are members of the Preparatory Committee established by the General Assembly to complete preparations for the Conference. The United Kingdom voted for General Assembly Resolution 2081 (XX) which makes a number of recommendations to member States in connection with the International Year for Human Rights, and the question of official participation in the activities recommended is now under consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what steps are being taken to obtain the release of the property of British nationals which, whilst subject to the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian Financial Agreement of February, 1959, was re-sequestrated under Egyptian Proclamation 138 of October, 1961.

The United Arab Republic Government have expressed their willingness to begin negotiations on various property matters, including that to which the hon. Member refers, and preliminary discussions are in train.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in implementing the Foreign Compensation (Egypt) (Final Distribution) Order, 1963, and the total payments made to date in respect of Egyptianised property and sequestrated property, respectively.

Up to 30th April, 1966, the totals of claims deal with by the Foreign Compensation Commission under the Foreign Compensation (Egypt) (Determination and Registration of Claims) Order, 1962, were as follows:

Claims awarded	6,672
Claims dismissed	1,182
Claims registered under Article 8 of the Order	2,122
Claims dismissed under Article 8 of the Order	726
	10,702

Payments made in accordance with the percentage rates provided in the Schedule to the 1963 Order in Council, after deductions in repayment of ex gratia loans, for Egyptianised property totalled £19,832,521 in respect of awards totalling £51,585,690 and for Sequestrated property totalled £6,865,913 in respect of awards totalling £11,193,409. In addition £1,080,907 was paid out in respect of registrations made under Article 8 of the Order totalling £1,614,354.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government, having concluded its recent review of the status of women in non-self-governing territories, will now ratify the Convention of Political Rights for Women before United Nations Year for Human Rights in 1968.

Her Majesty's Government are actively tackling the problems in the way of accession to the Convention. Some of these problems are of considerable complexity, but as my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said on 14th February, Her Majesty's Government would, in principle, like the United Kingdom to accede. We hope to announce our decision in the course of the present year.

asked the Minister of Land and Natural Resources what price increases have been made each year in the last five years of the 1/2500 scale ordnance sheets; and how many have been purchased each year.

The prices of the National Grid 1km and 2km 1/2500 sheets were increased from 7s. and 10s. respectively to 8s. 6d. and 12s. 6d. on 1st January, 1964 and to 16s. and 24s. on 1st April, 1966. There has been no change in the price of the old County 1/2500 sheets. The estimated sales of these sheets are as follows: 1961–62—179,000; 1962–63—183,000; 1963–64—189,000; 1964–65—256,000; 1965–66—272,000.

asked the Minister of Public Building and works what further steps he proposes to take to prevent flooding which has now resumed, of Abingdon Street garden.

The cause of the flooding is still being investigated. I am writing to the hon. Gentleman.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether

—									National insurance benefits or earlier equivalent expressed as a percentage of average earnings in Column (1)
		Average weekly earnings of adult men in industries covered by Ministry of Labour half-yearly enquiries		National insurance benefits or earlier equivalent Sickness benefit or					Sickness benefit
				Retirement pension*	first six months	after six months		Unemployment benefit	Retirement pension	first six months	after six months	Unemployment benefit
		(1)		(2)	(3)	(4)		(5)	(6)	(7)	(8)	(9)
		s.	d.	s.	s.	s.	d.	s.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
Single Adult Men
October, 1938	…	69	0	10	15†	7	6†	17†	14	22	11	25
July, 1945	…	121	4	10	18†	10	6†	24†	8	15	9	20
October, 1950	…	150	5	26	26	26	0	26	17	17	17	17
October, 1955	…	222	11	40	40	40	0	40	18	18	18	18
October, 1960	…	290	8	50	50	50	0	50	17	17	17	17
October, 1965‡	…	391	9	80	80	80	0	80	20	20	20	20
Married Couples
October, 1938	…	69	0	20	15	7	6	27	29	22	11	39
July, 1945	…	121	4	20	18	10	6	40	16	15	9	33
October, 1950	…	150	5	42	42	42	0	42	28	28	28	28
October, 1955	…	222	11	65	65	65	0	65	29	29	29	29
October, 1960	…	290	8	80	80	80	0	80	28	28	28	28
October, 1965‡	…	391	9	130	130	130	0	130	33	33	33	33
* The rates quoted for 1938 and 1945 are for contributory old age pension. In 1938 the pension was not payable for women before age 65.
† Before 1948 single women received lower rates of sickness and unemployment benefits than single men i.e.:
October, 1938 Sickness Benefit 12s. (6s. after six months); Unemployment Benefit 15s.
July, 1945 Sickness Benefit 15s. (9s. after six months); Unemployment Benefit 22s.
‡ October, 1965 is the latest date for which average earnings have been published.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether the Government will seek to bring the United Kingdom into line with the United States of America, where indus-

Students whether under or over the age of 21 are not required to pay contributions, except when they work for an employer.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what percentage of the average wage is the National Insurance benefit; and what was the percentage in 1938, 1945, 1950, 1955, and 1960.

The following table gives the information:trial deafness is now scheduled as a disease accepted for workmen's compensation.

In the United States each State has its own scheme of compensation and in only a minority has occupational deafness been recognised as an industrial disease. Compensation under these schemes is, in general, on a loss of earnings basis as distinct from the industrial injuries scheme which is related to loss of faculty whether or not the disability gives rise to a loss of earnings. This difference is so fundamental that it is difficult to make any useful comparison between the provisions made in the two countries. I am at present sponsoring a large-scale research project into the effects of industrial noise on hearing and I cannot come to any conclusion on the question of prescription until the results of this research are available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will state for the year ended 31st March, 1966, in respect of development districts in the North East, the number of applications for grants, for which his Department is responsible, for the improvement of basic services under section 7 of the Local Employment Act, 1960, the number and cost of those approved, rejected and under consideration, respectively.

Grant applications have been made for three sewerage schemes. Two of the schemes, estimated to cost together about £1 million are under consideration. The third, which was to have cost about £6,000, is being revised by the local authority.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what grants for approved sewerage schemes were made in 1965, and for the latest date in 1966; if he is satisfied that he has adequate staff to maintain financial control of these schemes; if he will increase the rights of river authorities' industrial members to criticise the schemes proposed in their areas; and if he will make a statement.

In the period in question grants towards sewerage and sewage disposal schemes have been awarded, under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts, 1944 to 1965, the Town Development Act, 1952, and the Local Employment Act, 1960, to a total of approximately £5·8 million. My right hon. Friend is satisfied that he has adequate staff for financial control. River authority members are free to criticise, subject to the provisions of the Local Government Act, 1933, as applied by the Water Resources Act, 1963, about matters in which they have a pecuniary interest.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what specific steps have been taken since the summer of 1965 to improve the position with regard to the oil pollution of beaches and the discharge of sewage into coastal waters in time for the summer season of 1966.

Enforcement of the law on prevention of oil pollution in navigable waters is a matter for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. I understand that since last summer his officers have intensified their enforcement measures and have appealed to shipping and aircraft authorities to help in the detection of offences.In order that a study may be made of the best means of dealing with oil pollution once it has occurred, my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, has arranged for consultation between the local authority associations and the Institute of Petroleum.Six schemes, estimated to cost in total over £2·5 million, for improving sewage disposal in coastal areas have been submitted by local authorities since August, 1965.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has any further information about the Abingdon Review Town Map; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to send his proposed modifications to the Berkshire County Council for publication within the next few weeks.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government when he will give his decision on the proposed Brighton Marina.

My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to say how long this will take, as the Inspector has not completed his report of the public inquiry. He will need time after receiving the report to study the wide-ranging issues which were raised in the course of a a long inquiry.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will add amphetamine type drugs to the list of drugs controlled by the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Substances cannot be added to the Schedule to the Dangerous Drugs Act 1965 unless the United Nations Narcotic Commission or the World Health Organisation decide or appear likely to decide that they should be controlled under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961. Amphetamine drugs are controlled under different powers and my right hon. Friend is now reviewing the adequacy of the present controls.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is aware of the shortage of doctors in South Wales; what representations he has received for the creation of a further medical college in the Principality; what replies he has sent; and what action he is taking to ensure that Wales will have one of the new medical colleges intended to be established.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Health is fully aware that more doctors would be welcomed in South Wales as elsewhere and will ensure that such considerations will be taken into account when the time comes for decisions to be made about the location of any new medical schools.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money in a year is being spent on psychiatric research.

The Medical Research Council spent approximately £511,000 on research into mental illness in 1965–66 and these studies are supported by a large programme of fundamental research. Further research is undertaken in university Departments and hospitals. Research is also supported by voluntary organisations, notably the Mental Health Research Fund and the Schizophrenia Research Fund.

asked the Minister of Transport what expenditure on trunk road improvements in Hertfordshire is planned for the current and for each of the five subsequent years.

Schemes costing £512,000 are at present programmed to start in 1966–67 £2 million in 1967–68, £345,000 in 1968–69 and £5·67 million in 1969–70. Additional funds will be allocated for maintenance and minor improvements.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will order an inquiry into the future development of minor ports and, in particular, Plymouth.

No. The Regional Economic Planning Councils and Boards can be expected to consider the rôle of the minor ports in regional economic development and the National Ports Council is responsible for formulating national plans.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware of the concern of users of the London to Hastings railway line concerning proposed closures, and that a closure decision would affect the economic stability of the local coastal area; what proposals for closure of this line she has received from the Railways Board; and whether she will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received no proposals for the closure of the London to Hastings railway.The Board included the Tunbridge Wells Central to Hastings line in the modification section of their Reshaping Report and listed the stations at Frant, Wadhurst, Stonegate, Mountfield Halt and Crowhurst for closure to passengers. If the Board wish to bring these proposals forward they will first ask her permission to publish them. She would then consider whether, on a broad view of their implications for regional planning, publication was acceptable. In doing so she would seek the comments of the Economic Planning Council for the South East.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's proposals for the future of British waterways.

We are considering the implications of the British Waterways Board's comprehensive report, "The Facts about the Waterways", and will include a passage about the future of the waterways in the proposed White Paper about transport policy.

asked the Minister of Aviation, in the light of Government policy set out in the Defence White Paper with regard to the agreement offsetting the foreign exchange cost of British purchases of United States aircraft, what representations he has made to the Government of the United States of America regarding the sale of 36 F104 bombers to Jordan.

None.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will again investigate the use of a defective chimney at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Caerphilly Road, Cardiff, which is still causing annoyance to residents despite the action taken in 1964.

Yes. We will again investigate this nuisance. We are aware of the inconvenience and will endeavour to put it right.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the sum spent by his Department at the Polaris submarine school at the Gareloch; and what is his estimate of the total expenditure that will be incurred there.

Excluding costs for which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works is responsible, we have spent £5·5 million out of an estimated total expenditure of £8·5 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilian workers he estimates will be employed at the Polaris base on the Gareloch and at the establishment at Cove, when they are in operation.

We hope to employ over 1,500 civilians, industrial and non-industrial, at Faslane and Coulport when the Clyde Submarine Base is operational.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what action has been taken on the Review of the Pension Commuting Procedures and Terms of Service Personnel, which was begun 18 months ago as a matter of urgency.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to a similar Question by the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire (Mr. Pym) on 28th April, 1966: I agree that this review is taking longer than we expected.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what Government asistance is given to the Royal United Service Institution; why it has been reduced; and whether, in view of the valuable work done by the institute, he will reconsider his decision.

There has been no reduction in assistance. The present five year agreement provides for the payment to the Institution of £4,000 for each of the years 1962–63 to 1966–67 inclusive. The question of the payment of a grant in subsequent years is now the subject of discussion with the Institution.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment will be supplied to Territorial units of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve.

The force will be armed with the No. 4 rifle. Each unit will have, for peace-time transport, 4 Land-Rovers for Headquarters and the Reconnaissance Platoon and one for each Company. In war, vehicles will be requisitioned to make the force more mobile. The unit Signals Platoon will have A41 radio sets, and the sub-Regional Signals Troop will have the more powerful C13 sets.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements will be made for training members of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve III.

Training will consist of an eight-day camp, four training days and 27 training periods in a year. In each Civil Defence sub-region there will be a Territorial officer of Colonel's rank who will be responsible for supervising the training of the units in the sub-region, as well as for liaison with civil authorities; and in each unit there will be a full time Territorial officer as Adjutant, a regular Warrant Officer, who will be mainly concerned with training, and two instructors who will also have administrative duties.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the expected increase in Price Review costs to the agricultural industry arising from the Selective Employment Tax.

The cost to agriculture in a full year is estimated to be about £23 million on all products and about £17½ million on Review products.

asked the Attorney-General to what extent, in considering the report of the committee on the law of succession in relation to illegitimate persons, he will seek to make retrospective their recommendations.

This is one of the matters which can only be considered in the light of the committee's report.

asked the Minister without Portfolio whether he will issue periodically, on standard-sized sheets, printed explanatory notes concerning such matters as social insurance contributions and benefits, rate rebate schemes, housing subsidies, and tax rates and allowances, for the information of hon. Members and other parties concerned in advising on these questions.

Explanatory notes and leaflets are already issued by the Departments concerned. They should serve the purpose my hon. Friend has in mind.

asked the Minister of Overseas Development whether he will make compulsory a two-year minimum period for British volunteers deriving benefit from Government funds.

No. The recruiting societies already encourage volunteers to serve two years whenever possible. The Ministry welcomes this and would be reluctant to introduce compulsion into a voluntary scheme, especially as we think it would seriously reduce the number of volunteers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy with regard to the rating of agricultural buildings in Scotland.

I have no proposals for changing the present statutory position regarding the rating of agricultural buildings.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what the population will be in each of the new towns in 1970, 1975 and 1980, including existing new towns such as East Kilbride, new town projects which are Government sponsored such as Irvine, and privately sponsored schemes, such as Waterside in Ayrshire.

Taking account of present population, the increased building programme which is planned, and natural growth later, the estimated populations of the existing new towns are as follows:

	1970	1975	1980
East Kilbride	67,000	78,000	88,000
Glenrothes	33,000	51,000	63,000
Cumbernauld	36,000	61,000	74,000
Livingston	19,000	44,000	70,000

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the motive in each of the 15 cases of murder which took place in Glasgow in 1965 not involving a relationship between the person murdered and the murderer; and what penalty was imposed on the guilty party.

Of the 15 cases recorded as murder, one is still unsolved, in one case the charge was reduced to assault, three cases resulted in acquittals, and in one case the accused was found unfit to plead to the charge.In the remaining nine cases 15 persons were convicted, of these, 10 were sentenced to imprisonment for life and five, being under 18, were ordered to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.It is impossible to make any definite statements regarding the motives in these nine cases. In one case theft may have been a motive. In five cases the murder appears to have resulted from a fight or quarrel.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the extent of the hurt sustained in each of the 918 crimes of violence against the person which took place in Glasgow in 1965; how long the wound took to heal; what penalties were imposed on the criminals; and what were their ages.

The figure of 918 quoted by the hon. Member relates to crimes of violence made known to the police in Glasgow in 1965.The tables set out below show the penalties imposed on the 316 persons against whom a charge was proved in respect of crimes of violence in Glasgow in 1965, and their ages.It is regretted that information about the hurt sustained is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many crimes and offences were made known to the police

Class								Number made known to Police	Number cleared up	Percentage cleared up
All crimes and offences			…	…	…	…	…	364,401	262,001	71·9
All crimes	…	…	…	…	…	…	…	140,141	50,395	36·0
Class I—Crimes against the person					…	…	…	6,345	5,516	86·9
Class II—Crimes against property with violence							…	64,232	15,047	23·4
Class III—Crimes against property without violence							…	65,155	27,239	41·8
Class IV—Malicious injuries to property					…	…	…	1,496	545	36·4
Class V—Forgery and crimes against the currency							…	1,016	934	91·9
Class VI—Other crimes			…	…	…	…	…	1,897	1,114	58·7
Class VII—Offences		…	…	…	…	…	…	224,260	211,606	94·4

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total strength of the police force in Scotland; and how far this falls below the authorised establishment.

At 30th April. 1966, the total strength of the police in Scotland was 9,988 men and 346 women, which was 693 men and 55 women short of authorised establishment.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many recruits have joined the police in Scotland since 1st January, 1966; and how this compares with the equivalent period of 1965.

Scottish police forces have recruited 255 men in the four months ending on 30th April. The comparable figure for 1965 was 269. The figures for women are not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what analysis he has made of the proposed Selective Employment Tax on the programme for Scottish housing.

Scotland's need for more houses is in no way affected by the tax, which should induce economy in building labour by encouraging the greater use of industrialised methods and the rationalisation of traditional methods.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether details of the way in which the £75,000 grant for tourist research, announced by him on

The following is the information:22nd July, is expended will be laid before the House; and when, and in what form, this will be done.

In accordance with the normal conditions applying to a grant-in-aid of this kind the expenditure will not be accounted for in detail to Parliament, but the relative books and accounts wil be open to inspection by the Comptroller and Auditor General.I expect, however, that the Scottish Tourist Board will itself announce the initiation of projects, as appropriate. The Chairman made the first such announcement on 4th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many youths sentenced to detention in detention centres in 1964 and 1965 were received elsewhere because of shortage of accommodation.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many more places in detention centres will be provided by 1970–71.

About 100 additional places are expected to be available by the end of 1966. Requirements for later years will be reviewed in the light of experience.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he will reply to the letter of 20th January, 1966, from the hon. Member for Sudbury and Woodbridge raising matters in connection with two fraudulent companies, whose names have been supplied to him, and regarding the affairs of one of his constituents.