asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will give details of the number of appeals by advertising interests dealt with during 1958 under the Control of Advertisements Regulations, 1948; how many of these appeals were dealt with at public hearings and by

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will make a statement on the rating of plant and machinery.

I have received the Report of the Committee which I set up under the chairmanship of Sir Edward Ritson. It incorporates a draft revised statement of rateable plant and machinery. Copies are on sale today, and are available to hon. Members in the Vote Office. I am greatly indebted to the Committee for its careful survey.In its main essentials, its statement follows the same principles as the current Order. But the Committee recommends some limitation in Class 1 (

The total number of appeals decided during 1958 was 1,564. Details are as follows:its statement includes a number of additional items of plant and machinery of both old and new types which the Committee proposes should be rated if they are in the nature of a building or structure, and omits a few other items which appear in the existing list. The Committee presents majority and minority views on proposals to exempt from rating power-operated plant which moves or rotates, and items of plant and machinery which it is the trade practice to transfer as required and which are limited in weight, size and volume.Section 24 of the Rating and Valuation Act, 1925, empowers me to confirm the statement with or without modifications. Any representations on the Committee's recommendations should reach me not later than the end of February. It is my intention, when I have considered them, to make an Order that will take effect from 1st April next.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will appoint a committee, similar to the Noel Hall Committee, to inquire into all the aspects of employment of mental nurses.

No. I am not aware of the need for an inquiry into the employment of mental nurses on the lines of that carried out by Sir Noel Hall in relation to the administrative and clerical grades.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the establishment of a Common Market and the breakdown of negotiations for a Free Trade Area will affect the prospects of the British film industry.

As there is no indication of how films will be treated within the European Economic Community, it is impossible to predict whether there will be any effect on the prospects for British films.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportions of films registered for British film quota purposes in each of the last five years were produced by companies which are mainly or partly American.

No film is registered as British unless it is made by a British subject or a British company. Many British companies contain some degree of American interest and I have not the information for which the hon. Member asks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the return to the Treasury in the last financial year from the proceeds of the 10 per cent. pool betting duty on greyhound racing; and, taking account of the increased revenue he would receive as a result of increased profits tax on track company profits, and of the increased revenue re- sulting from extra taxation on shareholders' dividends, what he estimates the net loss to the Treasury would be in the current year if this 10 per cent. tax were abolished.

The yield from this duty in 1957–58 was £6,050,543. As to the second part of the Question, my right hon. Friend cannot make the estimate since it is conjectural how far the abolition of the duty would result in increased turnover on totalisators at dog tracks and hence in greater profits subject to direct taxation.

asked the Minister of Works if he w ill recommend to all other Ministers whose Departments require buildings to be constructed for them in built-up areas of Great Britain, that they would gain substantially in price and also in time of construction, if they would require that, before inviting competitive tenders, every drawing needed to complete the work, including the full-size drawings, as well as complete specifications, also the complete bill of quantities, so that no prime cost sums are required, should be given to the contractors before submitting their estimates.

It is a part of the Government's policy of fixed-price tendering, which all Departments have operated since April, 1957, that projects should be fully planned before tenders are invited and prime cost items reduced to a minimum. The undoubted benefits of this policy are well-known to Departments and to local authorities. I understand that the great majority of suitable contracts let by Government Departments, local authorities and the nationalised industries are of this character. I hope the advantages of this kind of tendering is becoming more generally recognised by private building owners.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics he has as to the chief causes of the delays now experienced by travellers in Greater London.

I have no statistical analysis of delays to travellers in Greater London. A survey of road traffic conditions on selected main roads in Central London made by the Road Research Laboratory in 1956 showed that 35 per cent. of the journey time of vehicles was spent stopped or queueing at controlled intersections

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics or estimates are possessed by his Department as to how many hours per day are lost to production or industrial work by persons who are prevented by traffic delays in Greater London from doing work of a commercial value.

I have no statistics or estimates of the kind asked for by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics he has as to the average value per hour of the working time of the average passenger travelling in any form of conveyance within the limits of Greater London between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

A survey of travel in Greater London made in 1954 by the Social Survey on behalf of the Road Research Laboratory and London Transport Executive showed that the average income of those who were travelling by road in working time was £580 a year. No figures are available for travel by rail.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics or estimates are possessed by his Department as to the daily, weekly, or yearly financial loss that industrial London suffers due to the delays or hindrances from work experienced by wage or salary earners and those in executive capacities due to traffic holdups in the Greater London area.

I have no statistics or estimates of the kind asked for by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what statistics he has as to man-hours lost due to delays to traffic, now experienced in Greater London through traffic jams and other hold-ups, which are unavoidable.

I have no statistics about man-hours lost due to delays to traffic in Greater London.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what special action he is taking to deal with the back-log of applications for driving tests in the Tees-side area caused by the recent cancellation of tests due to adverse weather conditions.

It is not normally possible to take any special and immediate action to deal with large numbers of candidates whose tests have to be cancelled because of bad weather. In this area, however, two additional examiners from the last competition are now available, and by utilising their services, and the considerable number of cancellations which always occur in other examiners' programmes, we have been able to offer new bookings to most of these candidates within the next month. All will be offered a test before the middle of March.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many accidents are caused by skidding on metal studs, strips, arrows, or letters; and whether he will consider replacing such studs with non-slippery material of the kind used in many European countries.

We have no figures of accidents due to skidding on metal road markings. Accidents in which a slippery road surface of any sort is held to be a contributory factor, for example, smooth asphalt, but excluding trouble due to weather such as ice or snow, amount to one-third of one per cent., or approximately 750 out of the 220,000 accidents per year.The choice of materials for road markings is a matter for highway authorities. Metal is often chosen by the large urban authorities because of the very heavy traffic in their areas and the consequent service wear on road markings.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware of the inconvenience caused to all concerned with future road traffic plans in this country by his delay in announcing further details about his future road programme; and whether he is now in a position to make a more comprehensive and detailed statement on this subject.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Partridge) on 28th January, on the scope of the future road programme as I see it at present.

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will inquire into the circumstances of the loss and damage caused recently to the Aberdeen trawler "Viking Honour", and to members of her crew; and what provision he intends to make for the injured men and their families.

A preliminary inquiry has been held under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894. I do not propose to order a formal investigation.Provision for the injured men and their families is a matter for the National Insurance authorities in accordance with the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Scheme, and I understand that they are dealing with the matter.