asked the Minister of Power if, in view of the high level and persistency of unemployment in the North-East and the ample supplies of coal available in the area, he will consider authorising capital expenditure by the Central Electricity Authority for the purpose of establishing in the North-East one of the several new generating stations to be constructed in the next few years.

A large new power station is now being built at Blyth, and the Generating Board will no doubt bear in mind the availability of coal and labour in the North-East when considering sites for future stations.

asked the Minister of Power on the basis of the statistics published in his Statistical Digest, how the output per man-shift in the coal mining industry for the last convenient month compares with the same month in 1959 and 1958.

The Answer is 28·2 cwt. in May, 1960, compared with 26·6 cwt. in May, 1959, and 26·0 cwt. in May, 1958.

asked the Minister of Health if he will introduce legislation to amend the National Health Service Act, in order that he shall have power to provide two-seater cars for badly-disabled civilians.

No. I do not think that the hon. Member will expect me to add to what I said on this subject in replying to the debate on 30th June.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is now in a position to announce the results of the investiga- tions undertaken by his Department into the after-effects of the pre-frontal leucotomy operation on those persons who have been subjected to such operation.

I regret that the results of the inquiry cannot yet be announced; but the necessary statistical analyses have now been made and a report is being prepared.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he is aware of the growing need for a helicopter service for conveying passengers to and from airports to the centres of cities; and if he will request local authorities to prepare for this eventuality by reserving and preparing sites to be used as heliports in towns and cities.

It must be expected that helicopter services will, before many years have passed, become one of the normal methods of travel between cities. I have, therefore, advised local authorities to consider earmarking well in advance suitable sites for heliports.

asked the Minister of Aviation on what dates he gave permission for Scandinavian Airlines and Swissair to operate jet aircraft between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. at London Airport.

asked the Minister of Aviation on what dates he gave permission for Scandinavian Airlines and Swissair to operate jet aircraft between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. at London Airport.

On 3rd June.

asked the Minister of Aviation what capital expenditure is required at the Leeds-Bradford Airport to improve it to the required standard; if he is prepared to give substantial financial aid; and of what amount.

I have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member's Question on 20th June, since discussions with the Airport Joint Committee are continuing.

asked the Minister of Aviation what is the percentage increase

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will give the date of re-opening of St. Wulstan's Hospital, Malvern Wells, for its new function; what that is to be; and how many beds for patients will be available;(2) if he will make arrangements to re-open St. Wulstan's Hospital, Malvern Wells, as soon as possible.

Officers of the Department have arranged to visit this hospital on 19th July to consider with representatives of the regional board the medical, architectural and engineering aspects of the board's proposal to accommodate psychiatric patients at this hospital. A decision as to the future of the hospital will be made as soon as possible after this visit.

asked the Minister of Health what reply he has sent to the Manchester consultant who wrote to him

The information is set out in the table below.on 31st May citing cases in which there had been apparent privilege accorded to private patients attending National Health Service out-patients' departments in Manchester hospitals.

The consultant has been asked whether he will agree to the disclosure of the information so that further inquiries can be made.

asked the Minister of Health what consideration has been given to, and what negotiations are taking place, or will shortly be taking place, about the pay and conditions of head porters in hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the rates of pay of head porters were specially revised in October, 1956, since when they have participated in the general wage increases for ancillary staffs agreed by the appropriate Whitley Council. Agreement on a claim for a further special revision last year was not reached, and since then I understand the matter has not been further considered.

asked the Minister of Health what steps were taken to inform the medical staff at Holywell Cottage Hospital that it was proposed to discontinue ear, nose and throat operations from 20th June last.

The consultant surgeon was informed on 6th April of the Welsh Regional Board's intention to discontinue ear, nose and throat operations at the hospital and such operations ceased on 23rd May. I very much regret that no similar information was given at the time to the general practitioners serving the hospital.

asked the Minister of Health if he will examine the difficulties in getting applications for the position of matron at small hospitals in mid-Wales because of the difficulty in getting sanction for inducement by way of increase in salary or abatement of board and lodging charges; and whether he will make recommendations to the appropriate body to enable this to be done.

I am aware that difficulties have recently been experienced at two hospitals in the mid-Wales area, but I understand that matrons have now been appointed at both hospitals. The offering of inducements of the kind suggested would I fear create as many difficulties as it would solve and I do not think it would be desirable to depart from the national conditions of service in this way.

asked the Minister of Health what was the expenditure on land for hospital purposes, and what was the amount of land acquired, in 1951, 1954 and 1959, respectively.

Expenditure on the purchase of land and buildings acquired in England and Wales for hospital purposes was as shown below:

• Year ended 31st March, 1951—£2,494,000.
• Year ended 31st March, 1954—£1,330,000.
• Year ended 31st March, 1959—£553,000.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied with the present price list for repairs to his Department's invalid chairs; what representations he has received from the trade regarding the present prices; and since what date the present price list has been in existence.

My right hon. and learned Friend is satisfied that the present price list which was issued in June, 1959, is fair and reasonable but prices are kept under constant review.A few firms have recently asked for increases.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether Her Majesty's Government have yet decided to join the Inter-governmental Committee for European Migration; and whether he will make a statement;(2) what is the contribution to the administrative expenses of the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration consequent upon British membership.

It is estimated that United Kingdom membership of the Inter-governmental Committee for European Migration would entail an annual contribution of about £76,000.Her Majesty's Government have recently given consideration to the possibility of joining the Committee, but we have many other urgent claims on our resources and have been forced to conclude that we should not be justified in joining I.C.E.M. whose primary activities are the movement of migrants from European countries with surplus population.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the question of the importation of Charollais cattle.

I expect to receive the report of Lord Terrington's Committee shortly.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as representing the Minister for Science, whether he will make a further statement on the work of the Farm Buildings Research Committee.

The Committee is making progress with its survey of farm buildings. The scheme of grants for experimental farm buildings, which I announced in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Sir C. Mott-Radclyffe) on 16th February last,

asked the Minister of Labour the number of unemployed, at the last convenient date, of young persons between 15 and 24 years of age, giving the numbers for the individual categories in their age group, in the Port Talbot and Glyncorrwg area; and if he will specify the number of male and female, and the number unemployed, for two months or more.

Following is the reply:came into operation on 1st July. I am sending details to the hon. Member.In addition, the Committee has published the first two parts of the bibliography of farm buildings research—dealing with buildings for pigs and for potato storage—and further parts are being issued; this material should be of great importance for its work.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will give consideration to the possibility of introducing a differential rate in the basic pension in order to give help to those who need it most.

The giving of help to those who need it most is primarily a function of National Assistance, but if my hon. Friend cares to let me know in detail what he has in mind in respect of National Insurance I shall be happy to go into it with him.

asked the Postmaster-General what complaints he has received of the numbers of telephone call-boxes continually out of order at the Northern Concourse at London Airport; whether he is aware that on 29th June, out of 11 telephone boxes tried at 9.15 and 10.15 a.m., only 2 were working; and if he will take immediate steps to improve the maintenance there.

I am very sorry about this and for the inconvenience caused to my hon. Friend on 29th June. The main cause of the trouble was that the boxes were full and we were not quick enough to arrange more frequent collections. This has now been done, and I hope there will be no further cause for complaints.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that over the last ten years the percentage increase in the number of telephones in this country is smaller than that in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, German Democratic Republic, German Federal Republic, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and what plans he has to increase the number of telephones in this country.

I do not regard the percentages as providing a reliable basis of comparison. The United States is the only country with more telephones than the United Kingdom, and the United Kingdom figures are about 50 per cent. higher than those of any other country except the United States.My plans for expanding and mechanising the telephone service are described in the White Paper on Post Office Capital Expenditure 1960–61 (Cmnd. 973). The pace is determined by the capital resources available, but the number of telephones I expect to provide this year will be considerably greater than in recent years.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in the last ten years the number of telephones in this country has increased by only 53·3 per cent.; and whether the increase in Lincolnshire has been greater or less than the national average.

I do not accept that a percentage is a reliable measure of achievement.During the past decade the number of telephones has increased by 2,684,230. The rate of increase in Lincolnshire is almost identical with the national figure.

asked the Attorney-General whether Her Majesty's Government will support the proposals made in Recommendation 247 of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe designed to secure the conclusion of a multilateral convention for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments.

The Government favour any step which is likely to facilitate the recognition and enforcement in one country of judgments given in another country. A multilateral convention is, however, unlikely to serve any useful purpose because of the difficulty of reconciling the numerous divergences between all the legal systems involved. For this reason the Government consider that the conclusion of bilateral conventions under the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act, 1933, offers the best hope of progress in this field and negotiations are now proceeding with a number of foreign countries.

asked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations whether Her Majesty's Government, in considering the Report made on the Commonwealth Relations Office last year by the Select Committee on Estimates, have reached any decision on the recommendations which dealt specifically with the Trade Commission Service.

My noble Friend, the Secretary of State, will today be letting the Select Committee have the views of Her Majesty's Government on its Report on the Commonwealth Relations Office as a whole. In advance of this full reply, however, he has, with the agreement of my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, informed the Select Committee that the Government accept its recommendation that the work and the structure of the Trade Commission Service should be the subject of an inter-departmental inquiry. A Committee comprising senior officials of the Board of Trade, Commonwealth Relations Office and Treasury has been set up under the chairmanship of Sir Henry Wilson Smith and is seeking the views of Government Departments and nongovernmental bodies concerned with our commercial representation overseas. The Committee will in due course advise the Ministers concerned of its conclusions.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in the development plans approved to date, how many acres of land, in total, have been designated for residential purposes.

I regret that this information is not available. The main county plans do not identify the land to be used for housing; they show the planning authorities' proposals in broad outline only. Town maps are prepared for areas where substantial development is expected—and for all the county boroughs—and these do identify the land to be used for housing; but such maps

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether it is still his expectation that the report of the Royal Commission on London Government will be available by next August.

I now understand that the report should be available in the early autumn.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will give particulars, comparable to those given in Appendix XVI of his Department's Report for 1959 relating to new towns, for the expanded towns of Bletchley and Swindon.

No figures can be given for Swindon and Bletchley which are strictly comparable to those given for new towns. New towns and expanding towns are administered and financed differently, and in the case of expanding towns it is not always possible to distinguish between development and expenditure attributable to town expansion and that undertaken or incurred as part of the ordinary functions of the local authorities. The following tables however indicate as far as possible what development at Swindon and Bletchley is attributable to town development and what grant has been paid to the councils.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the West Riding magistrates sentenced a first offender at Doncaster to two months' imprisonment for stealing a dog kennel, valued at 5s., and of causing damage amounting to 5s. upon the stolen article; why he has refused to consider some remission of this period of imprisonment; and if he will make a statement.

It was for the magistrates, who had the facts of the case and the circumstances of the offender before them, to determine what was the appropriate penalty. The representations which the hon. Member made on the prisoner's behalf were considered, but there are no grounds on which I should be justified in interfering with the sentence which the court saw fit to impose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Ingleby Committee.

The Chairman informs me that the drafting of the Committee's report is well advanced and that he hopes it will be possible to submit it in the autumn.