asked the Minister of Power if, in view of the fact that the National Coal Board has some 35 million tons of unsold coal, and that it costs 20s. a ton to stock it for one year, 26s. for two years and 32s. for three years, he will give a general direction to the Board to arrange to sell the coal at much lower prices and so give the consumer the benefit.

The stocks are mostly industrial coals, where a sale at bargain prices would not substantially increase consumption. The Board would lose money without achieving any real reduction in stocks, because coal lifted from stock would be replaced by coal from current production. I referred to the costs of stocking during the debate today on the Second Reading of the Coal Industry Bill.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will amend the regulations of the Industrial Injuries Act to permit death benefit to be paid to widows retrospectively to the date of their husbands' deaths.

Three months retrospection is allowed in all cases but the independent adjudicating authorities have power to allow retrospective payment for industrial death benefit without limit of time if they are satisfied that there was "reasonable cause" for delay in claiming.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will consider the proposal that all coroners' verdicts of death due to, or following, industrial injury should be notified automatically to his Department, so that widows do not lose their benefits through failure to claim.

My right hon. Friend has, of course, no authority to issue instructions to coroners. But he is ready to discuss with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary whether any useful results could be obtained by following up the hon. Gentleman's suggestion.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will reconsider his refusal to grant a war widow's pension to Mrs. Cecil Goodwin, 1, Parkside Street, Rosyth, in respect of her late husband who, until his death on 21st July, 1959, was in receipt of 100 per cent. disability pension, and whose own doctor certified that this disability had contributed to the cause of death.

My right hon. Friend is seeking further information and when it is received he will review the matter, and I will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many scheduled airline landings at Manchester airport have been cancelled during the last eighteen months primarily because of strong cross-winds; and what is the equivalent figure for Gatwick.

The airlines do not normally tell us why they cancel services. During the last eighteen months, out of nearly 20,000 scheduled landings, some fourteen aircraft were diverted in flight because of strong cross-winds on the main runway at Manchester airport. The comparable figures at Gatwick were four out of about 7,500.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether his attention has been drawn to complaints of the noise caused by rocket motors being tested at his Department's engine testing station at Spadeadam Waste in Cumberland; what steps he proposes to take to abate such noise; and whether he will ensure that noise is not emitted between dusk and dawn.

Yes. It was made clear before the decision to build the establishment at Spadeadam was taken that the tests will cause intensive but infrequent noise. Our present plans provide for running rocket motors for periods not exceeding three or four minutes at a time and about four times a day. The aim is to carry out firing tests during normal working hours, which end at 5.30 p.m., but for technical reasons it will happen that work must continue into the evening. The management of the establishment is fully alive to the desirability of minimising firings after dark.

asked the Minister of Aviation when he expects a start to be made on the re-development of Prestwick airport terminal buildings.

The present target date for the start of this work is June, 1961.

asked the Minister Health if he is aware of the difficulties experienced by the South Western Regional Hospital Board in maintaining an efficient health service because of insufficient financial grants, rising prices and the greater use of expensive drugs in mental cases; and if he will reconsider the allocation of funds with a view to an increase of grant to this region.

The amount allocated to the South Western Regional Hospital Board for the current financial year was sufficient not only to enable the level of services at the beginning of the year to be maintained but also to provide for further developments and improvements. I am aware that the Board is finding difficulty in containing expenditure within the amount allocated, but the rate of improvement which can be made in the hospital service must of course be conditioned by the funds available. I look to the Board and the hospital management committees in the region to budget accordingly. Prices have remained stable this year but allocations are in any case adjusted as necessary to take account of price variations.

asked the Minister of Health the number of private beds occupied in the northern region for each month, commencing October, 1957, until the latest available date; and what percentage this is of the total number of private beds.

Monthly figures for the number of private beds occupied are not available, but the average for 1957 was 205 or 70 per cent. and for 1958, 204 or 68 per cent.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state, for 1951 and for each year to date, how the northern region compares with other regions concerning waiting lists for hospital beds.

The following is the Answer:

asked the Minister of Health if he will state, for 1951 and for each year to date, how the northern region compares with the other regions in the country with respect to hospital accommodation for mentally defective children under 16 years of age.

Nineteen fifty seven is the earliest year for which separate national figures for children are available. At the end of that year 1·5 mental deficiency beds per 10,000 population were occupied by children under 16 in the Newcastle region, compared with the national average of 1·7. For 1958 the comparable figures were 1·6 and 1·7 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health what reappraisal of Huddersfield hospital needs has been made by the Leeds Regional Hospital Board.

I am considering a proposal from the Board that certain accommodation planned for the new hospital should be placed instead at St. Luke's Hospital.

asked the Minister of Health on what date the Leeds Regional Hospital Board approved the building of a new hospital in Huddersfield; on what date the contractors finished clearing the site and providing service roads; and what other work has been done on the site since that date.

The Board was authorised to plan the first stage of this hospital in July, 1955. Site clearance and service roads and mains were completed on 1st August, 1958, and since then bulk excavation has been carried out.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will provide shelter for the unemployed and the casual labourers who assemble each day outside the Albert Road Employment Exchange, Southampton.

No. The employment exchange is fully able to accommodate unemployed and casual workers attending during normal opening hours to prove unemployment.

asked the Minister of Labour whether, in view of recent and projected changes in industry in the County of Ayr, he will institute an inquiry into the employment prospects and needs of young people in that County over the next seven years.

I am keeping youth employment prospects under the closest review, but I do not think the position in Ayrshire calls for the setting up of a special inquiry.

asked the Minister of Labour the number of men connected with the engineering industry presently registered as unemployed in Ayrshire.

On 12th October, 1959, 919 in the engineering, electrical goods, shipbuilding, marine engineering and vehicle industries.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will arrange for the publication of the list of titles recommended by the Norrington Committee, as, and when, that Committee makes its recommendations, and for the subsequent annual publication of the annual and cumulative totals of the numbers of each individual title published as a result of the Committee's recommendations, grouped conveniently by subject language, and the overseas department sponsoring the publication.

I will keep the House informed about the progress made by the Government in promoting the production of low-priced editions of British books for sale overseas. My hon. Friend and other hon. Members will no doubt wish to put down Questions from time to time about particular aspects of this programme.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make available, in the Vote Office or the Library, copies of all Ministerial speeches and statements on matters of policy made outside Parliament, in sufficient numbers to enable hon. Members to retain copies for their own use.

Copies of all texts issued through the Government's News Distribution Service are sent to the Librarian of the House of Commons. Hon. Members who wish for copies for their own use can readily obtain them from the issuing Department.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that shops axe now rationing butter to customers; and what steps he proposes to take to increase the supplies of butter.

There have been Press reports that some shopkeepers are rationing butter to their customers, but there is no general shortage in the shops. The Government have already taken measures to enable importers to bring in all the butter available. New consignments from Australia and New Zealand are expected in this country shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in view of the shortage of butter this coming winter, what steps he proposes to take to increase the supplies of home-produced butter; and if he will make a statement.

Home production of butter now contributes only a very small part of our total supplies and any increase would be unlikely to have an appreciable effect on the present temporary shortage. In any case, it would be neither economic nor practicable to divert a significant quantity of milk to butter from other uses.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that a cargo of tinned stewed steak, imported into Bristol recently, was found when examined by his Department not to contain steak but only bone, gristle, artery, and liver; and what steps are being taken to prevent it reaching any consumers in this country.

Yes. I have been informed that on examination this consignment was found to be of inferior quality, although fit for human consumption. The importers, at the request of the local authorities, have undertaken that none of the meat will be sold in this country.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that a public inquiry took place in Bristol in December last on the housing conditions in the Kingsdown area; that no decisions or report have been received by the City Council, and that many difficulties have arisen out of this delay; and if he will take steps to make known his decision as quickly as possible.

My hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Robert Cooke), in whose constituency the areas concerned lie, has already made representations to me about the importance of an early decision. My decisions on the three orders in question will in fact be issued within the next few days.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what proportion of the houses built by each of the new town development corporations has been built for old people; and what is the proportion of the houses under construction in each of the new towns which is to be allocated to old people.

The information given in the following table relates to dwellings intended primarily for old people, completed or under construction at 30th September, 1959.The corporations have also built and are building a number of other small dwellings, many of which could be used by old people should the need arise. In some of the towns the local authorities also are helping to meet the housing needs of old people.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what precautions are taken against landlords charging excessive rents for decontrolled houses from people in receipt of National Assistance.

The value of a house does not depend upon the tenant's source of income. The fact that a tenant is in receipt of National Assistance does not enable a landlord to obtain a higher rent than he could otherwise do.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether his attention has been drawn to the shortage of spares for the Beverley aircraft; and what steps he is taking to overcome it.

Yes. Increased orders were placed as the need became apparent, and the position is now much improved.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what request he has received from Mrs. Elizabeth Mafekeng, who recently entered Basutoland to escape the process of the law in the Union of South Africa, to be allowed to remain in Basutoland; and what reply he has made.

No request has been received from Mrs. Mafekeng to remain in Basutoland.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, learning from the easier and safer driving on M.1, he will take immediate steps to reduce the number of road intersections on trunk roads, even where this will involve detours for local traffic.

It is already my policy in constructing new lengths of all-purpose trunk roads to keep to a minimum the number of direct intersections with other roads. On existing trunk roads also, I am endeavouring to eliminate or improve dangerous junctions wherever it is practicable to do so at a reasonable cost and without causing undue inconvenience to users of the side roads.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will improve the road signs indicating the approach to the M.1 from the Watford by-pass; and why he is now relying on a private organisation to provide the only signs easily seen.

A further section of M.1 will be opened at the end of this year to link up with the Watford By-pass near Aldenham, and the approaches to this junction will be fully sign-posted. The temporary signs erected by the Automobile Association will then be replaced.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to keep off the M.1 refuse lorries and other trucks with loose loads of hard objects which fall off at high speeds, causing danger to other vehicles.

The existing regulations require the load carried by a vehicle to

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state for each of the last ten years the number of film quota defaults, the number of prosecutions against defaulters initiated, and the number of prosecutions against defaulters which were successful.

The following table shows for the last ten years the number of defaults and prosecutions. I have also included the average quota achievement, and the average quota prescribed.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, the amount of the contribution by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to the Production Engineering Research Association last year; and what amount it is intended to contribute this year.

The annual grant last year was £89,850 and this year will be on the same terms, i.e. a block grant of £65,000 provided £100,000 is raised from industry, with an additional grant of £50 for every £100 of industrial income in excess of £100,000 up to a maximum additional grant of £25,000. This year in addition contributions will also be made under a maximum offer of £15,000 towards £30,000 required for a three-year scheme for making the results of research better known and encouraging their application; and under a maximum offer of £100,000 towards the capital cost of a new building for demonstration of new production engineering techniques augmenting the advisory services. The amounts given will depend on the support received from industry.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates have been made of the loss or destruction of bank notes and currency notes during the war years, and each year since; and to what extent an appropriate deduction is made from the figures given of notes and currency in circulation.

It has not been found possible to estimate the numbers of bank notes and currency notes which may have been lost or destroyed. Adjustments to the published figures of notes and currency in circulation are made under statutory provisions which permit the Bank of England to write off bank and currency notes which are not presented for payment within a certain number of years after the date of issue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make Premium Bonds eligible for prize drawings within one month of purchase instead of six months as at present.

No. If the qualifying period were reduced, people would be readier to cash their holdings and the scheme would attract shorter-term money, so reducing its value as an inducement to genuine small savings.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider lumping together all unclaimed Premium Bond prize money to form a special prize of at least £10,000.

There is no limit on the time in which Premium Bond prizes can be claimed, and it would therefore be wrong to appropriate the unclaimed prizes for any other purpose.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will repay at purchase price all 3½ per cent. War Loan where it was purchased between 1933 and 1950 and where the holder has less than £1,000 of this stock, in order to help investors who put their money into this stock for patriotic reasons.

No; to do this would be contrary to the terms of issue.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider allowing persons below the appointed age to translate their post-war credits into Premium Bonds, should they so desire.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that the responsibility elements proposed for Scottish head teachers under the Teachers' Salaries (Scotland) Regulations, 1959, fall short of the present elements paid to holders of similar posts in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland; and whether he will make the necessary adjustments to ensure that no Scottish head teacher is at a financial disadvantage as compared to his counterpart in England.

I am aware that there are differences in the responsibility elements. It can hardly be expected that separate and independent salary negotiations conducted in the several countries should have identical results, or results which favour, in all respects, the teachers of one country. When basic and responsibility elements for posts both in primary and in secondary schools are considered, the general position is not unfavourable to Scottish head teachers. Before making final regulations, I shall discuss the point with the National Joint Council whose agreed recommendations are embodied in the draft.