asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now make a statement about the Departmental investigation into the way in which work is allocated to the Royal Ordnance factories.

Yes. The allocation of this work will continue to be governed by the "preferred source policy", under which orders for products in the factories' customary fields are placed with them rather than with outside contractors unless special factors apply, such as price or delivery considerations, the need for an alternative source of supply or the design rights of firms. In order to ensure that the Royal Ordnance factories are given as much defence work as they can undertake, arrangements have also been made to strengthen their association with new equipment requirements at an early stage, and where possible to extend their participation in the design and development work.The possibility has also been examined of increasing the amount of civil work that can appropriately and economically be undertaken by the Royal Ordnance factories without detriment to their defence responsibilities. Contacts have been established or renewed with other Government Departments, the nationalised industries, other public bodies and outside industry which should help to provide a basis for building up the amount of civil work in the factories.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force aircraft were in operation in South Vietnam during 1965; how many have been in operation there during 1966; what has been their rôle; and, in particular, what was the rôle of the Devon VP997 which was at Tan Son Nhat in Vietnam on 26th November 1965.

No aircraft of the Royal Air Force have been directly or indirectly involved in operations in Vietnam. The Devon aircraft which was at Tan Son Nhat airfield, Saigon, last November was the communications aircraft provided for the use of the British Air Attaché, Saigon, in the course of his normal duties. I would also refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Mr. Goodhew) on 10th May.

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what he intends to do with the territorial drill hall in Kettering.

This drill hall is not needed for the new Reserve. If there is no other Government use for it, it will be offered to the local authority at a price assessed by the district valuer; if they do not buy it, it will be sold on the open market.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in the King's Lynn area who took the 11-plus examination this year were allocated to grammar school places; what proportion this represents of those who took the examination; how this compared with grammar school places available; and how these figures compare with those for the last five years.

The statistics collected by the Department do not enable me to provide this information.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made by the National Foundation for Educational Research in its study of comprehensive schooling; and when the various stages of fact finding, definition of objectives and final assessment, respectively, will be completed and made public.

The research is progressing satisfactorily. A factual survey has been conducted and information provided by about 300 schools is now being studied by the National Foundation for Educational Research which hopes to publish results in the late autumn. A more intensive factual survey, based on this first survey, will begin later this year, and the results should be published in the autumn of 1967. Two groups of experts who are working on the definition of objectives have each held several meetings and are likely to reach conclusions later this year. The whole research project will extend over several years but any results likely to be of general use to the schools will be published as they emerge, and information will also be fed back to local education authorities and teachers in less formal ways.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on cost limits for school building.

I am increasing the cost limits by 8½ per cent. There will be an appropriate adjustment in the size of building programmes.

asked the Minister of Health approximately how many adult male employees of the National Health Service at the latest convenient date were earning less gross than £10, £11, £12, £13, and £14 per week, respectively.

I regret that the information is not centrally available.

asked the Minister of Health approximately how many adult male employees of his Department were at the latest convenient date earning less gross than £10, £11, £12, £13 and £14 per week respectively.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health what studies have been made of the administration of fluoride other than by water supplies; and what conclusions he has reached regarding the practicability of the different methods.

The administration of fluoride other than by water supplies has been widely studied both here and abroad. Methods studied include tablets, milk supplies, table sale and toothpaste. But no alternative method has been found to have the advantages of fluoridation of water supplies, which, at the approved dosage, is simple, effective and completely safe.

asked the Minister of Health what is the number of staff in his Department currently compared with the corresponding period in 1965.

4,185 on 1st June, 1965, and 4,410 on 1st June, 1966.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the total number of Section 21 Health Centres now operating, the number projected by the original plan for health and welfare services to be operating by 1972, and the number now planned for completion by 1976.

The original forecast of 52 for 1972 has been revised to a total of 284 for 1976. 35 are already in operation.

asked the Minister of Health how many artificial kidney machines were supplied in 1965 to patients occupying National Health Service beds and to patients occupying private beds in National Health Service hospitals.

At the end of 1965 there were about 70 patients suffering from chronic renal failure being treated on artificial kidney machines in National Health Service hospitals. None of these patients was occupying a private bed.

asked the Minister of Health how many psychiatric and medical social workers, respectively, are employed in London hospitals; what percentage of each are fully qualified; and how many vacancies existed at the last convenient date.

In whole-time equivalents 163 psychiatric social workers (70 per cent, qualified) and 429 medical social workers (87 per cent, qualified) were employed in hospitals within the Greater London Council area on 30th September, 1965. I regret that information about vacancies is not centrally available.

asked the Minister of Health what are the current rates of pay for State registered nurses and for qualified psychiatric social workers, respectively, in the first year of service in a London hospital.

For State registered nurses £765 in general hospitals and £815 in psychiatric hospitals; and for psychiatric social workers £1,070 at the normal age of entry of 27, abated by £35 for each year below that age. These rates include London Weighting.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in drafting an Order in Council under the Administration of Justice Act, 1956, to enable the benefits arising from enlarged Admiralty jurisdiction of the courts to apply to people of Jersey, in view of the fact that these legal rights have been exercised by the people of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for the last 10 years.

I consider, as my predecessors have done, that it is for the Jersey authorities, if they so wish, to take the initative in this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases the driving licence of a person convicted of a third motoring offence has been suspended under the totting-up provisions of Section 5 of the Road Traffic Act, 1962, since that Section came into operation on 29th May, 1963; and if he will make a statement thereon showing the number of convictions for first, second and third offences and showing against such periods of suspension as may be convenient for this purpose the number of suspensions for each such period.

The numbers of persons disqualified under subsections 5(3) and 5(4) of the Road Traffic Act, 1962, during the period 1st January, 1964, to 31st December, 1965, and the periods of disqualification, are shown in the tables below. I regret that the other information requested is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will consult interested bodies in this country about the possibility of introducing safeguards for animals exported for research purposes.

This matter is in the first instance being examined by the various Departments concerned. I cannot at present say when it will be practicable to begin consultations with outside bodies.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what reasons establishments breeding animals for research purposes have given for not keeping records of transactions involving the export of laboratory animals in 1965; and if he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to ensure that such records shall now be kept;(2) to which overseas countries animals bred in Great Britain for research purposes were exported in 1965.

Under existing legislation there is no central control over the breeding of animals for research, and no information is centrally available about the establishments from which or the countries to which such animals have been exported. My right hon. Friend will bear in mind the matter of records when considering the question of safeguards for animals exported for research purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what way he has strengthened the inspectorate as proposed in the Report of the Committee on Experiments on Animals;(2) what proposals he has made for the setting up of a new advisory committee as suggested in the Littlewood Report.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for an increase in the Metropolitan Police Force to combat the rising drug addiction in London.

The establishment of the Dangerous Drugs Squad at New Scotland Yard was increased in March of this year by 1 detective chief inspector, 1 detective sergeant (1st class), and 4 detective sergeants (2nd class), offset by a decrease of 2 detective constables—a net

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler) on 23rd June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the year 1965 how many persons committed for trial pleaded guilty on indictment; how many pleaded not guilty and were convicted; how many pleaded not guilty and were acquitted; what was the percentage of the whole in each category; and how many persons in each of these categories were indicted and/or tried for killing by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, and driving under the influence of drugs or drink respectively.

Information about pleas on indictment is not readily available but research is being carried out on the subject. Meanwhile an estimate suggests that of those tried on indictment in 1965 58 per cent, pleaded guilty, 26 per cent, pleaded not guilty but were convicted and 16 per cent, pleaded not guilty and were acquitted.Statistics of convictions and acquittals on indictment in 1965 are given below. They cannot readily be related to pleas.increase of four officers, making a total establishment of 20 police ranks in all. The Commissioner of Police intends to gain experience of operating with this new estabilshment before making proposals for any further increase.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constables concerned about the circumstances under which detectives pursued investigations at Shivering Sands forts on 22nd June.

I am informed that officers of the Essex police visited Shivering Sands on 22nd June in connection with inquiries which they are making into a case of murder committed in Essex.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will take further measures and seek additional powers to safeguard Great Britain's coastal areas from development, with a view to acquiring them for the nation.

I am satisfied that existing powers of control if exercised effectively by local planning authorities can prevent undesirable development of the coast and I have asked these authorities to produce and publish maps showing coastal areas which they intend to protect in this way. In addition, regional conferences between the National Parks Commission and maritime planning authorities are being held over the next year with a view to formulating, and advising me on, long-term coastal policies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what representations have been made to him since he made the order for Manchester to draw water from the Lake District; and if he will review his decision in view of these representations.

Since the decision letter was sent out there have been no further representations from any public or representative body. There have been 11 letters from private persons. The answer to the second part of the question is "No".

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will take steps to remedy the anomaly whereby pensioners and others providing lodgings for university students during term, and with an income from all sources of under £8 a week, at present receive rate rebates which are only a fraction of those to which they would be entitled under the Rating Act, 1966, if they enjoyed a considerably higher income from other sources without letting rooms to students.

No. Any alternative would bring about other difficulties.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will review the basis on which flats are assessed for rates so as to encourage people living in houses with accommodation in excess of their needs to move into smaller accommodation which is now often more highly rated.

Both houses and flats are now assessed by reference to the rent which the property could be expected to command if let, and my right hon. Friend does not see how discrimination in favour of flats could be justified. Flats are not always smaller than houses, they are often more lavishly equipped and they are expensive to build.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he has received the correspondence from the hon. Member for Kettering concerning Mr. J. M. Worth of 41 Finedon Road, Burton Latimer, Kettering; and why planning permission was refused in this case.

I have received the correspondence and I am writing to my hon. Friend Planning permission was refused to prevent the extension of ribbon development which would increase traffic danger on a trunk road.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he is aware of the downturn in private house building; and whether he will make a statement on the stage reached in the discussions between himself and the Building Societies Association regarding the plan to provide mortgages at reduced rates of interest.

My right hon. Friend is aware of the figures of house-building in the private sector. He does not think that the reduction of activity in recent months is related solely, or even mainly, to the rate of interest charged on mortgage advances. He is making good progress in his discussions with the building societies and other mortgage institutions but is not yet ready to make a statement.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance (1) what was the value in real terms of the retirement pension at 15th June, or at the nearest convenient date, compared with the value in real terms at the date of the last increase in March, 1965;(2) what would be the cost of restoring the value in real terms of the retirement pension to the value in real terms at the date of the last increase.

For a single person about 5s. less than in March, 1965, and for a couple about 8s. 2d. less. The cost to the National Insurance Funds of restoring the value of retirement pensions would be of the order of £80 million a year, with a further £35 million a year for other National Insurance benefits.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what estimate he has made of the cost of cleaning, by the new method already used on Admiralty House, of the other Government offices in Whitehall and the Houses of Parliament, respectively.

As I said in my Answer on 20th June, we are considering extending the new methods of cleaning to other Government buildings in Whitehall. Dover House and 36 Whitehall are possible candidates, but plans are still at a very early stage and realistic estimates are not yet available.There are at present no plans for cleaning the outside of the Palace of Westminster.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the public concern, he will refuse to grant an export licence for the diaries and certain manuscript scores of the late Sir Arthur Sullivan, which were recently auctioned in London.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave yesterday to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East, and Christchurch (Mr. Cordle). The diaries and the manuscript scores, with the exception of a manuscript music book sold to a purchaser in the United Kingdom, are not subject to export licensing control.I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the Notice to Exporters on the Export of Works of Art and Antiques dated 13th February, 1961.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for reducing or eliminating the import duty on almonds; whether he will bear in mind that stocks held in this country are lowest in the months December and January; and whether he will make a statement.

The Board of Trade has been considering an application from the Bakery Allied Traders' Association for the removal of the import duty on almonds not in shell, and the decision will be made known this afternoon.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the threatened contraction of labour by Vauxhall Motors Limited at Luton and Dunstable, and the rapidly expanding population, he will issue industrial development certificates to new industries seeking to come to South Bedfordshire.

The general shortage of labour in Bedfordshire seems likely to continue and I see no justification at this stage for a relaxation in the issue of industrial development certificates.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for further investigation by the Monopolies Commission in the field of services.

Yes. I propose to ask the Monopolies Commission to investigate the arrangements whereby estate agents and others charge commission at standard rates for services in connection with the selling and leasing of house property.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if she is aware of the concern felt by Newcastle-upon-Tyne Traffic Committee at the refusal of her divisional road engineer to allow the installation of a zebra crossing on Kenton Lane, near Halewood Avenue, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and that the Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Police Traffic Department have urged the establishment of a zebra crossing there; and what action she will take;(2) if she is aware that concern exists among constituents of the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West, of the danger existing in crossing Kenton Lane, near Halewood Avenue, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and that there are many police prosecutions for speeding there; and what action she will take;(3) if she is aware of the high accident rate existing on that part of Kenton Lane to the west of Halewood Avenue, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; what action she will take; and if she will authorise the installation of a zebra crossing on Kenton Lane, near Halewood Avenue, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

My right hon. Friend is satisfied, after careful consideration, that the gradient makes the site unsuitable for a crossing. Enforcement of the speed limit is for the police.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she will now give a decision on the proposals for a 30 miles per hour speed limit on the Weatherhill Road-Plough Road, C66, Chapel Road-Redehall Road, C67 at Smallfield, and other roads in the vicinity which were under consideration in her Department on 16th February, 1966.

My right hon. Friend's consent to the imposition of a 30 m.p.h. speed limit was sent to the Surrey County Council on 24th May, 1966.

asked the Minister of Transport when the construction of the north orbital road between Maple Cross and Hunton Bridge in South-West Hertfordshire will begin.

Preparation is proceeding with a view to a start in 1970.

asked the Minister of Transport what signs are erected on the roadside to advise motorists of the proximity of school crossing patrols; whether there is uniformity throughout the country in the use of these signs; and whether she is satisfied that these signs are adequate for their purpose.

The Worboys Committee recommended a new warning sign for general use on roads not subject to a speed limit of 30 m.p.h. or less to advise drivers of the proximity of school crossing patrols. The signs are illustrated in diagrams 545 and 547 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, 1964. In addition a new portable sign with which the patrols can stop traffic at crossings has been introduced; this is prescribed in the Traffic Signs (School Crossing Patrols) (England and Wales) Regulations, 1964, and it is in uniform use throughout the country.All these are much more effective than the previous signs. The warning sign can be made still more conspicuous if it is internally illuminated in such a way as to flash when the patrol is actually operating.

asked the Minister of Transport why, in view of the fact that on numerous occasions the details have been submitted to the appropriate authorities of a trade vehicle No. SRK 351 being driven on the road since before October, 1964, without a current road fund licence, no action has been taken by her Department to prevent this breach of the law.

My right hon. Friend understands from the licensing authority that a successful prosecution was undertaken in respect of this vehicle in March this year.

asked the Minister of Transport why, in view of the fact that on numerous occasions details have been submitted to the appropriate authorities of a trade vehicle No. 007234 being driven on the roads for very many months without a current road fund licence, no action has been taken by her Department to prevent this breach of the law.

My right hon. Friend understands from the licensing authority that a successful prosecution was undertaken in respect of this vehicle in January this year since when a licence has been in force for it.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will state the nature of the mitigated penalties awarded to the 11,500 persons found without road fund licences in the Greater London area during the year ended 31st March, 1966.

Mitigated penalties are pecuniary penalties imposed by a licensing authority instead of taking proceedings in the courts. The amount is fixed by reference to the duty payable had the vehicle been properly licensed.

asked the Minister of Transport whether she is aware that, excluding the Greater London area whose council reported a figure of 95,000 apparent unlicensed vehicles in the year ended 31st March, 1966, there were in the calendar year ended 31st December, 1965, 117,750 reports nationally of actual unlicensed vehicles and that only 62,500 of these were prosecuted; and what was the reason for this discrepancy.

In addition to the 62,500 offenders who were prosecuted, 38,000 paid mitigated penalties and 9,000 were cautioned. On 31st December, 1965, 3,000 cases were still under investigation; in 5,000 cases it had been decided, for various reasons, not to proceed further.

asked the Minister of Transport why in view of the fact that for the 12 months ended 31st March, 1966, there were 95,000 reports of apparent unlicensed vehicles on the roads in the Greater London area only 4,000 of these had been prosecuted by 8th June, 1966; and what action she proposes to take to speed up these prosecutions.

As stated in the OFFICIAL REPORT of 27th May, of the 95,000 reports of apparent unlicensed use of motor vehicles in the Greater London area received during the 12 months ended 31st March, 1966, 36,000 were still under investigation at the end of the period. The remainder were dealt with as follows: in 11,500 cases mitigated penalties were imposed; in 12,000 cases cautions were issued; in 7,000 cases prosecutions were authorised and 28,500 cases were not proceeded with for various reasons. Of the 7,000 prosecution cases, 4,000 had been dealt with by the courts by the end of March and my right hon. Friend understands that hearings of the other 3,000 are likely to be completed by the end of June.Each investigation usually takes a long time and does not always lead to prosecution. Prosecutions are expected in many of the 36,000 cases under investigation on 31st March.

asked the Minister of Transport if she will list the organisations which she has officially addressed in her capacity as Minister of Transport, giving the dates in each case.

• 23rd February—Dock and Harbour Authorities Association.
• 29th April—Institute of Advanced Motorists.
• 5th May—Business International.
• 5th May—Institution of Structural Engineers.
• 10th May—Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors.
• 11th May—Road Haulage Association.
• 12th May—Paternoster Club.
• 16th May—Fleet Street Railway Circle.
• 18th May—Transport Salaried Staffs Association.
• 6th June—International Road Transport Union.
• 9th June—U.S. Chamber of Commerce (United Kingdom).
• 10th June—Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen.
• 23rd June—Women's Press Club of London.

• 18th April—British Railways Board Dinner to mark full electrification of services between Euston and Manchester and Liverpool.
• 22nd April—Ceremonial opening of Chester Inner Ring Road.
• 9th May—Ceremonial opening of new roll on/roll off terminal. King George Dock, Hull.
• 20th June—Presentation of National Trophy for Road Safety for Children.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the average percentage increase in earnings which was obtained in 1965 for each range of income, according to the classification adopted by the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.

Information of this kind is not available.