asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many copies of The Times and the Daily Telegraph are distributed free in India and Asia by the British Council.

The British Council send their own staffs copies of these newspapers. But it is the Official Information Services which present them ovserseas. Over 500 copies of The Times and some 300 of the Daily Telegraph are sent to the Overseas Departments' posts in India and the rest of Asia, for all purposes including presentations.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many of those who are dependent upon National Assistance and at present pay 1s. for each prescription obtain a refund subsequently from the National Assistence Board; and how many he estimates will apply for refunds when the charge is raised to 2s.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many applications were made for refund of National Health prescription charges in the years 1959 and 1960; if he will state the amount of money repaid in each of those years; and what increase he anticipates in 1961 as a result of the proposed increase in prescription charges.

The total sums refunded in respect of prescription charges were about £1,030,000 in 1959 and about £1,100,000 in 1960, representing about 20,600,000 and 22,000,000 prescriptions respectively. Figures are not available as to the number of people to whom such payments were made. It is expected that the amount to be refunded will be approximately doubled as the result of the proposed increase in charges.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance to state the total number of people living in the Borough of Willesden in receipt of National Assistance, giving details of the several categories of people receiving supplementary benefits.

The number of persons in Willesden receiving weekly National Assistance grants is not known, as the borough is served by two offices which between them also serve the whole of two other boroughs and part of a third.

asked the Minister of Aviation what plans are under consideration for the provision of additional airport facilities in the North-East.

The Newcastle Corporation has plans for a new terminal area at its airport at Woolsington which it has discussed with my right hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Aviation to make a statement on the negotiations between his Department and the management of St. Cuthbert's Golf Club for the acquisition by his Department of the land necessary for the building of the new terminal at Prestwick Airport.

Agreement has been reached with the management of the club and the purchase will be completed on 1st April. Although some of the land is not immediately required for the building of the new terminal the whole of the golf course, including the club house, is being bought.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of National Health Service patients are also registered with a private doctor: and to what extent this is taken into account in consideration of the desirability, and cost, of allowing private patients to receive medicines and drugs on the same terms as National Health Service patients.

I have no means of knowing how many National Health Service patients also consult doctors privately.

asked the Minister of Health what measures have been taken to ensure that consultants and, in particular, pathologists and interested general practitioners in appropriate areas, are provided with adequate facilities and opportunity to investigate cases of illness or death the probable cause of which is air pollution.

Adequate facilities for the clinical investigation of these conditions are already available at National Health Service hospitals.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, what progress has been made in the investigations into the relationship between the physical and chemical nature of the constituents of polluted air and morbidity and mortality, with special reference to cancer.

Investigations to date suggest that air pollution is associated with respiratory diseases and lung cancer, but a causal relationship has not been established.

asked the Minister of Health why his Department refuses to supply the hon. Member for Northampton with the name of the garage in Northampton which acts on behalf of his Department for the inspection and delivery of cars to crippled ex-Service men.

Such garages act only as my agents. Any shortcomings on their part ought to be investigated and rectified by me.

asked the Minister of Health how many physiotherapists are employed in the National Health Service; what is the scale of salaries paid to physiotherapists so employed; and whether he proposes to increase the salaries in the near future.

The equivalent of 3,920 whole-time physiotherapists were employed in hospitals on 31st December, 1959. Figures for staff employed by local health authorities are not available. Salaries range from £500 to £1,010. I understand that a claim for increased salaries has recently been submitted to the appropriate Whitley Council.

asked the Minister of Health to authorise a scheme to make anti-influenza vaccine available under the National Health Service similar to that now being operated for protection against poliomyelitis.

Vaccination against influenza is available under the National Health Service to any person whose doctor thinks it desirable. My right hon. Friend does not consider that arrangements for general vaccination are warranted.

asked the Minister of Health what proportion of £876 million, being the total cost in the current financial year of the National Health Service and the health departments, is attributable to the cost of drugs; by what percentage the cost of drugs has risen in comparison with the corresponding previous financial year; and what percentage of the cost of drugs used under the National Health Service is attributable to the advertising of such drugs.

The gross cost of the pharmaceutical services is about 10½ per cent. of the estimated total of £867 million. It is about 9 per cent. more than in 1959–60. As regards the last part of the Question, I have no means of estimating this.

asked the Minister of Health whether the detailed negotiations arising out of the new Voluntary Price Regulation Agreement are yet completed; and what annual savings in the expenditure on drugs for the National Health Service he expects will result therefrom.

The negotiations will be a continuing process. It is too early to assess the first instalment of resultant savings.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present cost of medicines provided under the National Health Service; what was the cost in 1951; and how much of the increase is estimated as due to increased prices of medicines.

The gross cost of the pharmaceutical services in Great Britain is about £92 million in the current year, compared with about £50¾ million in 1951–52. Prices of individual drugs have not generally increased, but many expensive drugs are now prescribed which were not available in 1951–52.

asked the Minister of Health to state the estimated cost in a full year of removing existing charges for dentures for children, expectant mothers, and nursing mothers, and for spectacle lenses for children aged 10 years and over, respectively.

About £100,000 and £170.000 respectively for Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Health if he is satisfied with the number of midwives now in the National Health Service and the number of women now being trained in midwifery; and what further steps he is taking to attract more women to this service.

No. The number of mid-wives in the National Health Service continues to increase, but there are shortages in some areas. The number in training would be adequate if wastage were reduced. I have recently sent another memorandum to hospital authorities suggesting measures to improve the position, and calling for reports on action taken. I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Health on what date he gave approval for the building of a new hospital at Wythenshawe, Manchester, before a site was decided; what was the original estimated cost; what extra costs have been incurred consequent upon the change of site; what is now the estimated cost of the complete hospital; and when it is expected that the whole project will be completed.

A new hospital at Wythenshawe was approved in principle in 1955. The first estimate for the complete project was £2½ million; the present one is just under £3 million. No appreciable extra costs have been incurred consequent upon the change of site. My right hon. Friend hopes that the whole project will be completed by 1967

asked the Minister of Health how many patients at present in the Brockhall Hospital, Langho Whalley, near Blackburn, have been detained there, or in a similar type of hospital elsewhere, for more than 10, 15, and 20 years, respectively.

The cumulative figures are—260, 185 and 89 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health to state the number of amenity beds in hospitals in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and Merthyr, respectively; how much was charged for their use in 1960; and what estimate he has for their cost in 1961.

The answers are respectively: four (in Swansea); nil; and about 10 guineas a week each.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to expedite the retrospective payment due to hospital medical staffs under the recent salary award.

Payment instructions were issued on 12th January. Calculation of the amounts to be paid to individual doctors is a heavy task, but hospital authorities have been asked to make every effort to make payment by the end of March to doctors whose current addresses are known to them.

asked the Minister of Health what subjects are covered in the series of building notes which are in the course of preparation by his Department in order to give guidance on hospital planning and design.

The preparation of a building programme, including assessment of need; the cost of hospital building; the planning of each of the departments of a hospital; and the relationship of departments in a district general hospital. Further subjects will be covered as need arises.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the British representative on the Council of the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation supported the Council's decision to make arrangements for the training of Laotian officers in Malaya; and how many Laotian officers have been trained under these arrangements.

The South-East Asia Treaty Organisation has never considered, either at Council or at any other level, arrangements for the training of Laotian officers in Malaya.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress he has made with the production of a Russian-language periodical for circulation in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The Central Office of Information is to produce the magazine, Anglia, on behalf of the Foreign Office. All preparations for the first issue are in hand.The magazine will contain articles on the social, cultural and scientific life of the British people and will have some illustrations.It is hoped that the first issue will be printed by the end of July and on sale in the Soviet Union within six weeks from (that date.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, as co-chairman of the Geneva Conference and a signatory of the Geneva Declaration and Agreements on Indo-China, will call the attention of the Malayan Government to the fact that its action in supplying war materials to the authorities in South Vietnam is not in conformity with those Agreements.

No. It is for the International Commission in Vietnam to judge whether the import of arms into Vietnam is in accordance with the Geneva Settlement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many men and how many women, respectively, are paying Surtax in the year 1960–61; and how many assessments to Surtax in the year 1960–61 arise from aggregation of the husband's and wife's joint incomes.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the number of Surtax payers today compares with that of 1949, 1937, 1929 and 1922, respectively; what are the reasons for the increase in the numbers of Surtax payers; and if he will state the comparative yields of Surtax in these four years.

The figures are as follows:

Year	Estimated number of Surtax and Supertax payers for the year	Exchequer receipt inthe year of Supertax and Surtax
	(000)	(£m.)
1922–23	90	64
1929–30	110	56
1937–38	107	57
1949–50	230	115
1960–61	430	190
		(Budget Estimate)

The increase in numbers in recent years is largely due to increases in. earned incomes.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much it would cost to abolish the aggregation of the incomes of husbands and wives for Income Tax purposes, and treat the two incomes separately.

This proposal would result in a gain to the Revenue in Income Tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much it would cost to abolish the aggregation of the incomes of husbands and wives for Surtax purposes, and treat the two incomes separately.

I regret that it is not possible to estimate the cost for which the hon. Lady asks.

asked the Minister of Education as representing the Minister for Science, what is his policy with regard to the initiation of basic research and action to be taken in respect of land capability, including soil science and topographical investigations.

These fields of research are an element in the larger problem of research on natural resources, to which the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy is giving further study.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, if he will set up an organisation to conduct basic research into the problems of conservation and long-term utilisation of water supplies.

The Advisory Council on Scientific Policy has discussed this question with the Departments and interests concerned, and it is generally agreed that there is a need for increased basic research into these subjects. A Working Party on Hydrological Research of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is being reconstituted on a wider basis as a Committee on Water Research. An experienced hydrologist is being recruited who will work with the Committee. These revised arrangements will be kept under review.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, what is the estimated increase in Government expenditure in civil research for 1960–61, 1961–62 and 1962–63.

Government financed expenditure on civil research by Ministry of Aviation and Atomic Energy Authority, and in Treasury grants-in-aid to the universities, cannot be separately identified in annual estimates. Identifiable estimated expenditure on civil research amounted to £38· 9 million fox 1960–61; an increase of 12½ per cent. on the figure for 1959–60. Firm estimates on a similar basis for 1961–62 and 1962–63 axe not available, but present indications suggest an increase in certain sectors.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science (1) if he will appoint a research council to be responsible for research into the conservation of natural resources;(2) when he expects to receive a report from the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy concerning research into the conservation of natural resources.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. de Freitas) on Friday, 3rd February, 1961.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why the cruiser H.M.S. "Swiftsure" is for disposal; and at what stage of her reconstruction this decision was taken.

The expenditure necessary to bring H.M.S. "Swiftsure", which was first commissioned in 1944, up to the standard required of the modern Fleet would not have been justified. This decision was taken before any large amount of reconstruction had been undertaken.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how much was spent in preparing H.M.S. "Swiftsure" for an extended refit in the period 1956 to 1959; and how much was spent on new constructional work abroad her.

Expenditure irrevocably committed to the refit of H.M.S. "Swiftsure" amounted to just over £1 million. It is not feasible to divide this precisely between design, drawings, opening up, inspection and subsequent reconstruction. Well under a half fell within the last category.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why the construction of the Type 61 frigate H.M.S. "Coventry" has been abandoned.

INLAND CONSUMPTION OF ENERGY
—			1956	1957	1958	1959	1960
				(Million tons coal equivalent)
Coal*	…	…	214·1	207·7	198·7	186·9	195·6
Oil†	…	…	38·0	37·2	47·6	56·1	65·6
Natural east† ‡	…	…	0·02	0·03	0·06	0·10	(0·1)
Hydro-electricity §	…	…	1·3	1·5	1·4	1·4	1·7
Nuclear electricity§	…	…	0·03	0·2	0·15	0·6	1·0
Total	…	…	253·4	246·6	247·9	245·1	264·0
*After adjustment for coke, etc. exported or put to stock. The figures previously published have been slightly amended. Total inland coal consumption in 1960 was 197–0 million tons.
† The coal equivalent of oil and natural gas is taken as 1·7 times its weight.
‡ Mainly methane from coal mines, but includes about 0·02 million tons coal equivalent of imported methane in 1959. The 1960 figure is not yet available, but is expected to be roughly the same as in 1959.
§ Converted to coal equivalent according to the amount of coal needed to produce electricity at the current efficiency of steam stations.

Inland energy requirements in 1961 may be not far short of 270 million tons of coat equivalent, depending on the level of economic activity, weather conditions and other factors, and may rise to about 300 million tons of coal equivalent in the later 1960s. The shares of the various sources of energy will depend on their competitive ability.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take in 1961 to find employment for unemployed disabled persons in the County of Durham.

This ship is now to be built as a Leander class frigate, and work is proceeding accordingly.

asked the Minister of Power what, in terms of coal equivalent, was the inland consumption of coal, oil, natural gas, hydro-electric energy and nuclear energy, respectively and in total, for each of the years 1956 to 1960; and what, in similar terms, is the estimated consumption for the years 1961 and 1965.

The following is the Answer to the first part of the Question:

In the last twelve months, the number of registered disabled persons unemployed in the County of Durham has dropped from 2,977 to 2,738. My disablement resettlement officers will continue to do their best to find openings for them, and I hope that the Government's action to improve employment opportunities generally in the county will assist their efforts.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take in 1961 to find employment for school leavers in the County of Durham.

The number of school leavers in the County of Durham will be about the same in 1961 as in 1960. The Youth Employment Service will help them to find employment. For girls this should not be difficult. For boys the situation is less satisfactory in some parts of the county, but I am glad to say it is improving.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will indicate the course of employment in the County of Durham by industries, numbers, and percentages

Industry			1958		1959
			Numbers	Per cent.	Numbers	Per cent.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	…	…	5,890	1·0	6,380	1·1
Mining and Quarrying	…	…	113,240	19·1	102,760	17·2
Food Drink and Tobacco	…	…	14,880	2·5	20,710	3·5
Chemicals and Allied Industries	…	…	33,180	5·6	32,790	5·5
Metal Manufacture	…	…	22,160	3·7	21,260	3·6
Engineering, Shipbuilding and Electrical Goods		…	98,720	16·6	—	—
Engineering and Electrical Goods	…	…	—	—	61,000	10·2
Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering	…	…	—	—	34,870	5·8
Vehicles	…	…	17,730	3·0	11,900	2·0
Metal Goods Not Elsewhere Specified	…	…	7,450	1·2	5,580	0·9
Precision Instruments, Jewellery, etc	…	…	300	01	—	—
Textiles	…	…	6,860	1·2	7,610	1·3
Leather, Leather Goods and Fur	…	…	840	0·1	710	0·1
Clothing and Footwear	…	…	18,280	3·1	17,730	3·0
Bricks, Pottery, Glass, etc.	…	…	10,690	1·8	9,080	1·5
Timber, Wood Manufacture, Furniture, etc	…	…	6,320	1·1	6.780	1·1
Paper, Printing and Publishing	…	…	6,250	1·1	6,880	1·2
Other Manufacturing Industries	…	…	3,380	0·6	3,860	0·6
Construction	…	…	36,170	6·1	39,650	6·6
Gas, Electricity and Water	…	…	8,150	1·4	8,550	1·4
Transport and Communication	…	…	34,940	5·9	35,120	5·9
Distributive Trades	…	…	54,150	9·1	59,780	10·0
Insurance, Banking and Finance	…	…	4,580	0·8	4,850	0·8
Professional and Scientific Services	…	…	35,560	6·0	41,530	7·0
Miscellaneous Services	…	…	32,920	5·5	36,770	6·2
Public Administration	…	…	20,480	3·4	20,830	3·2
TOTAL	…	…	593,120	100·0	596,990	100·0

The figures for the two years are not strictly comparable, because of changes in the Standard Industrial Classification.

asked the Minister of Labour to give the figures of the insured population as a percentage of the total population in each of the three local authority districts in the Gower constituency, in Wales, and in the United Kingdom, respectively.

The number of insured employees in these local authority areas is not available. Insured employees are 36 per cent. of the total population in Wales and Monmouthshire, and 43 per cent. in the United Kingdom.

I regret that the figures of employment for 1960 will not be available until next month. The following table gives estimated numbers employed in County Durham, by industries, and the percentage of total numbers employed provided by each industry, for end-May 1958 and end-May 1959:

asked the Secretary of State for War to make a statement on the future of the Army Emergency Reserve.

Yes. The importance of the Army Emergency Reserve will be increased as a result of the ending of National Service, and its reorganisation to meet the changed conditions is complementary to that of the Territorial Army, which was announced by my predecessor on 20th July last year.The Army Emergency Reserve will, as in the past, be divided into three categories. Category I will be composed of volunteers who accept a special liability for service in circumstances which do not necessitate calling out other parts of the Reserves by Proclamation. The number of men in this category will be within the limit of 15,000 laid down in the Army Reserve Act, 1950. In future, this category will be mainly organised in units and its members will, where necessary, carry out a certain amount of training in the evenings or at week-ends, in addition to their annual camp. The rates of annual bounty will be substantially increased from the previous maximum of £25 for the training and pre-proclamation liabilities. Now, in addition to a tax-free bounty of up to £16 for training, members of this category will receive a taxable bounty of £60 in recognition of their pre-proclamation liability.Category II will have the same liability as at present to be called out by Proclamation in case of imminent national danger or of great emergency, There will therefore be no change in the existing terms of service for this category. It will consist largely of specialists for whom training outside annual camp on the Territorial Army pattern is not required. The revised establishment will provide for about 13,000 volunteers, but, for the next few years, those National Service men who carry out their Reserve service in the Army Emergency Reserve will continue to be posted to this category.Category III, which consists of certain highly skilled tradesmen, will continue unchanged.An important feature of the reorganisation is that, so far as possible, units will, in future, be recruited on a regional basis and will be affiliated to units of the Regular and Territorial Armies. This should facilitate training and assist recruiting by encouraging local interest.The Army Emergency Reserve is an essential part of our Reserve Forces, and I take this opportunity of paying tribute to the efforts of those volunteers on whom it has depended in the past. In future, it must be sustained by voluntary recruitment; I trust that, as a result of this reorganisation and of the steps I am taking to make known more fully the importance of this Reserve, those volunteers will come forward.

asked the Secretary of State for War why National Service privates in No. 4 Communications Company of the Intelligence Corps who are on a special language course at Ben Hall, near Cheltenham, and who are billeted in the Milverton Hotel, Cheltenham, have to pay transport charges to and from Ben Hall and the hotel, for the heating of their room and for a supply of hot water.

These men are not required to pay transport charges: the distance between the hotel and their place of duty is 1½ miles, and they are expected to walk it. Like all residents in the hotel, they have the right of full use of the public rooms and they can, of course, use the bathroom. These arrangements have been in force for some years, but I will have them reviewed to see if improvement on the lines of the hon. Gentleman's suggestion is necessary.