asked the Minister of Defence whether it is still the Government's policy, as laid down in paragraph 12 of the 1958 Defence White Paper, to resort to nuclear weapons first in case of a major attack with conventional arms on a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally.

The paragraph referred to by the hon. Member describes N.A.T.O. strategy. This strategy has not been changed.

asked the Minister of Defence whether, in view of the decision of the United States Government to step up by prompt action their Polaris submarine programme, he will reconsider his decision that none should be built for the Royal Navy.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer given earlier in reply to the hon. Gentleman, the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall).

asked the Lord Privy Seal following upon the recommendation on the co-ordination of European energy policy of the Western European Union Assembly, and the subsequent pronouncements of the High Authority and of the European Economic Community Commission thereon, what steps Her Majesty's Government will take towards securing the implementation of the said recommendation.

Pending a solution of the wider European problem, Her Majesty's Government welcome any opportunities to work more closely with the Six. We already collaborate with the High Authority in the Energy Working Party of the Council of Association's Coal Committee. We participate fully in the work on energy of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation which brings in countries outside the Western European Union as well as representatives of the European Communities.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the result of the Government's discussion of the decision not to include certain coloured ratings in the crew of H.M.S. "Victorious" during her visit to South Africa.

I would refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the Answers given yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister (OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 634, c. 208–210).

asked the Secretary of State for War what alternatives were considered before he decided to close No. 2 Supply Reserve Depot at Barry in 1963; and to what extent he took account of the recent closure of the Boat Stores belonging to his Department which also provided employment in the Barry area.

There are at present two Supply Reserve Depô ts in the United Kingdom, of which one is due to close as part of the rundown of the Army. A careful appreciation was made of the merits of each of them, and it was decided that S.R.D. Taunton was more suitable for retention. I realise that the decision to close this depot is most unwelcome to those who are employed there, but I give my hon. Friend an assurance that the question of employment in the Barry area was given full weight in reaching this decision.

asked the Secretary of State for War what consideration he will give to the special problems of older employees at the No. 2 Supply Reserve Depot at Barry, now threatened with closure during 1963.

Established employees who are over 60 will normally be able to retire on pension. Other established employees will be given the opportunity of transferring to alternative Government employment if they wish. The redundancy procedure to be followed in the case of temporary employees is that agreed with staff associations and trade unions. The local management will co-operate fully with the Ministry of Labour to assist redundant employees in finding suitable work and will not lose sight of the difficulties facing the older man.

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the maximum age for re-enlistment in the Army; and if he will consider increasing the maximum age for re-enlistment in the Royal Army Service Corps.

The normal maximum age for re-enlistment in the Army is the 25th birthday, but in certain of the more static trades and employments it is the 30th birthday. Clerk (General Duties) and Clerk (Shorthand Writer) in the Royal Army Service Corps are included among the trades in the upper age limit of 30. I recognise that useful men should not be lost through a too rigid application of the rules, and therefore all requests for re-enlistment are individually considered. I think that these arrangements are generally satisfactory.

asked the Secretary of State for War if the statements made by Lieut.-General Sir Charles Jones, Commander of British Troops in Germany, at his Press conference on 18th January, were made with his authority.

These statements were made to a party of journalists who were spending a few days with the British Army of the Rhine; some of them were made in the form of question and answer and it would not therefore have been practicable for them to have been cleared with me in advance.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many soldiers died overseas in 1958, 1959, and 1960; and in how many cases the bodies were returned to this country.

The figures are:

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT particulars of recruiting for the Regular Army, male adults only, for the period 1st October to 31st December for the years 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1960, broken down to cover the recruiting centres given in his written reply on 13th May, 1959, to a similar Question from the hon. Member for Dudley.

The following is the information requested:

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps he proposes to take to bring British units in Germany up to full strength.

Some units in the British Army of the Rhine are below establishment at the present time. As the all-Regular Army is built up. this will be rectified. We are taking every opportunity to improve Regular recruiting.

asked the Secretary of State for Air when it is proposed to hand back to the original owners, or otherwise dispose of, the lands at Cluntoe airfield.

The former owners will I understand be approached in the course of this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Air which of the V-bombers can be adapted to use the proposed Skybolt missile.

Either type of the Mark II V-bombers could be adapted to carry Skybolt. We plan to use the Vulcan.

asked the Minister of Transport when the officially-sponsored consortium of shipowners to arrange for the ownership and operation of the first British nuclear-powered ship was formed; whether he will state the names of the members; whether they have met; and with what result.

The consortium has not yet been formed.

asked the Minister of Transport to examine the effectiveness of the inflatable oil boom for preventing the spread of oil in enclosed waters, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Bristol, Central; and if he will invite all port authorities where oil is handled in large quantities to install in their ports these inflatable booms so that any oil falling into the dock area can be easily confined to a particular place and prevented from spreading and doing extensive damage.

My technical advisers have been keeping in touch with the development of inflatable booms and other means of dealing with oil spillages. They are familiar with the boom to which the hon. Member has drawn attention and have been invited to trials which the Admiralty are going to conduct with the manufacturers in the spring. Port authorities and shipowners already have much information about the use of booms of this kind, but I will see that any useful developments are brought to their attention.

asked the Minister of Transport in how many instances Her Majesty's Government have used their powers to counter flag discrimination during each of the last five years.

The action to counter flag discrimination which the Government, with the agreement of the shipping industry, has been taking continuously over the past five years has not entailed the use of specific legal powers.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the unsatisfactory working of the vehicles testing scheme and the possible dangers to road safety arising therefrom, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Exchange, if he will amend his Regulations to enable him to exercise greater control over the issue of test certificates, in particular in connection with the sale of second-hand cars.

The particular case which the hon. Member has in mind does not support the view that the working of the vehicle testing scheme is unsatisfactory or that amendment of the Regulations is required. The decision whether or not a test certificate is justified is in some instances bound to be marginal. In the present case, I am satisfied, from an examination carried out by my technical officers, that I could not take exception to the issue of a test certificate for the car concerned.

asked the Minister of Transport, in the light of information available to him as to the number of accidents caused in recent years by faulty equipment in motor vehicles, what estimate he has made of the reduction the compulsory testing of cars will have upon the road accident rate.

A reliable estimate of this sort cannot be made. In 1959 and the first nine months of 1960 there were respectively 1,897 and 1,534 accidents involving death or serious injury which could be directly attributed to mechanical defect in one of more of the motor vehicles concerned. It is certain also that this is a contributory factor in many more accidents which might otherwise be averted or minimised. Of the quarter million vehicles already tested under the scheme nearly 40 per cent. were found to have defects which might have led to an accident at any time while the vehicle was in use.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of serious accidents caused by lorries loaded with high loads striking obstructions during the last period for which figures are available.

I regret that the information asked for is not available.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has now studied the Report of the Commission that visited Sweden to consider ways and means of dealing with motorists driving under the influence of drink; and whether he will make a statement.

I am taking full account of the report in framing the legislation which I hope to present to Parliament in the near future.

asked the Minister of Transport what are his new proposals for encouraging motorists not to drink and drive; and whether he will make a statement.

Those of my proposals that involve legislation will be presented to Parliament soon. I take every opportunity to warn the public of the dangers of drinking and driving.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of road accidents and casualties between the junction with the Parkway at Cranford and the eastern end of the Colnbrook By-pass in 1960; and what were the comparative figures for 1959.

There were 108 accidents resulting in 140 casualties in 1960, compared with 104 accidents and 138 casualties in 1959.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of road accidents and casualties in High Street, Feltham, in 1960; and what were the comparative figures for 1959.

There were 47 accidents resulting in 53 casualties during 1960, compared with 44 accidents and 46 casualties in 1959.

asked the Minister of Transport if, bearing in mind the number of accidents occurring at the junction of Becontree Avenue and Bennetts Castle Lane, Ilford, it is his intention to install traffic signals at this junction.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Dagenham on 1st February. Since the figures I then gave were compiled, there has been one more fatal accident. In our view, the right course is to alter the junction layout in the way we have suggested to the highway authority.

asked the Minister of Transport to arrange for double white lines to be painted on Rumney Hill, Cardiff, to prevent overtaking, in view of the danger to pedestrians and others caused by passing vehicles on this narrow road.

The Cardiff County Borough Council as highway authority have proposed the use of offset double white lines on Rumney Hill so as to give two lanes for ascending traffic and one for descending, and thus enable slow vehicles going up the hill to be more safely passed. I have let the council know that we agree to this proposal.

asked the Minister of Transport what information he has regarding Callender-Hamilton construction in use for flyovers, with particular reference to the proposed construction at Gants Hill, Ilford.

My Department has technical information on this and on a number of other types of unit bridge construction. There are, however, special difficulties at Gants Hill due to the situation of the underground concourse. These are being investigated, but I cannot yet say whether any form of temporary flyover would be practicable.

asked the Minister of Transport what he estimates is the replacement value of the railway assets represented by the £800 millions which it is proposed, under paragraph 43 of Cmnd. 1248, to place to suspense account.

No such estimate exists and it would be impracticable to make one.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that there is growing concern about the cutting down of facilities for rail travel to and from Leicester and the smaller towns and villages in the adjoining areas; and whether he will refer the curtailment of such facilities and the need to provide alternative means of transport to the appropriate Transport Users' Consultative Committee.

It is always open to users of the Commission's services to make representations to the appropriate Transport Users' Consultative Committees. Furthermore the British Transport Commission refer all proposed closures of facilities to those Committees, who take into account what alternative services are available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evaluation he has made of the wage claims pending, and the effects of granting them, upon the economy; and whether he will make a statement.

I take this opportunity to emphasise once again that general wage and salary increases in excess of increases in national productivity prejudice prospects for stable prices, increasing exports and an expanding economy. In this connection the scale of wage and salary settlements last year was not reassuring. All concerned should bear these points fully in mind in the coming year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the deficit in the balance of payments for the first nine months of the current financial year ended 5th January, 1961, compared with the equivalent period a year earlier; and whether he will make a statement as to the causes of the decline in the position this year.

Figures for the period April-December, 1960, are not yet available. During the period April-September for which figures are available, the overall deficit as measured by the balance of monetary movements was £140 million, as compared with a deficit of £181 million in the same period of 1959, or a deficit of £9 million if special major transactions are excluded. The deterioration is largely due to the increased gap between import and export payments.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the number of women with university degrees who are not gainfully employed or who have restricted their work due to Surtax or aggregation of the earned income of spouses, what steps he is taking to ameliorate this position having regard to the national need for maximum employment of university graduates, males and females, notably doctors, scientists, technologists, teachers, and others.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend's Budget statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Surtax assessments would be eliminated, and what percentage this would represent of the whole, if the commencing level of Surtax were raised to £4,000 income annually; otherwise graduated as at present; how many assessments for Surtax would remain for those earning over £4,000 per annum; and what such Surtax reform would cost the Revenue in a full year.

If the starting point for Surtax had been raised to £4,000 for 1958–59, the latest year for which figures are available, about 280,000 Surtax-payers would have been exempted—some 72 per cent.—leaving 108,000 liable.The estimated cost of the suggested change is £89 million in a full year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new Surtax payers have been created in the present financial year 1960–61.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to estimate the loss of revenue arising from the abolition of Surtax in the Isle of Man, and the prospective removal of domicile of British Surtax payers from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to the Isle of Man, after 1st January, 1961, to avoid assessment to Surtax.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why tax collection costs have nearly doubled since 1950, from £50 million, in that year, to £97 million in 1959; what part of such increase may be attributed, respectively, to Income Tax, Surtax, and Purchase Tax; and what were the costs of collection figures for 1950 and 1959 from Surtax payers.

I cannot accept my hon. Friend's figures, but, at £73· 1 million in 1959–60 against £36· 8 million in 1950–51, tax collection costs had, I agree, nearly doubled, mainly because of increases in pay and superannuation. A small part of the increase in cost was on account of additional staff to deal with increased work, and one must remember that revenue collected also rose substantially. It is not possible to give separate figures for the cost of collection of particular categories of tax.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average value of investment, per man employed, undertaken during each of the last ten years by the nationalised industries and by private industry, respectively; and to what extent production, per man, has increased over the same period in each of these two sectors of the economy.

Figures of average investment per person employed, at constant 1954 prices, are given in the table below. I regret that it is not possible, with the data available, to give corresponding figures of production per man.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the increase in the cost of building repairs since 1951; and to what extent such increase has been reflected in any commensurate increase in statutory allowances for Income Tax Schedule A maintenance relief purposes.

My right hon. and learned Friend has made no such estimate. There has been no increase in the statutory repairs allowance, but actual costs are, of course, taken into account in maintenance relief allowed under Section 101 of the Income Tax Act, 1952.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement about the effects upon overseas trade of the strike of tally clerks at the Port of London.

As my right hon. Friend told his hon. Friend the Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on Monday, 19th December, some export business must have been lost altogether, but it is impossible to estimate how much, or how far late delivery of goods has affected the good will our exports enjoy abroad.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to state the total amount of assistance made available to the motor industry and motor vehicle component manufacturers following the enactment of the Distribution of Industry (Financial Provisions) Act, 1958; and what is the total value of commitments approved to date to these industries under the Local Employment Act, 1960, designed to aid employment and foster extensions in these industries, giving details of the total allocations by regions and areas.

The total amount of assistance so far offered to and accepted by the motor industry and closely associated firms is about £36 million. All this assistance has been offered under the Local Employment Act, 1960, and includes factory building under Section 2 of the Act and financial assistance under Sections 3 and 4. I cannot give the allocation between regions without disclosing details of the assistance given or promised to individual firms.

asked the Minister of Health (1) whether he will extend Table 4 in the Report of the Guillebaud Committee, which demonstrates the cost of the National Health Service in relation to national income for England and Wales, so that comparison may be made for each full year since 1948–49;(2) Whether he will publish in HANSARD an extension of Tables 6 and 7 of the Guillebaud Committee's Report to cover each year from 1948–49 to the last available year;

The cost of the National Health Service as defined in the Guillebaud Committee's Report cannot readily be calculated for later years. The figures in the following table are in terms of the cost of the National Health Service in England and Wales and the Ministry of Health as shown in the Appropriation Accounts. They exclude local health authority services.

asked the Minister of Health what is the estimated saving arising from the abolition of welfare foods subsidies.

The sale of vitamin supplements at cost price will save about £1½ million in a full year in Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Health by what sums in 1959–60 and 1960–61 the Health Service Vote was increased to cover the transfer of hospitals previously administered by the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance; and if he will state the comparable estimated figure for 1961–62.

The cost of these hospitals has been included in the National Health Service Vote since 1953–4.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, what progress the Medical Research Council is making in its full-scale review of mental health research announced on 16th February, 1959; what expert advisory committees it has appointed; who are the members of such committees; and what specific subject they are studying.

The Medical Research Council concluded its full-scale review of mental health research early in 1959, and its proposals for promoting further work in this field were announced by my predecessor in the debate on the Mental Health Bill and reported in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 6th May, 1959 (cols. 406/7). Two new committees were set up, one in clinical psychiatry and the other on the epidemiology of mental disorders; their membership is as follows:

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Minister for Science, what percentage of total funds available to the Medical Research Council for research has been spent on research on mental health in each of the last five years.

Of the total funds available to the Council over the last five years, the percentage spent on mental health research is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will make a statement on the circumstances which led to his communication to certain rating authorities of 26th January last.

This communication related to the transitional receipts and payments under Section 15 of the Local Government Act, 1958. A first provisional calculation, based in the main on data supplied by the local authorities, was made in readiness for the financial year 1959–60. On revised data now received from the local authorities a second provisional calculation has been made; it is not yet possible to make a final calculation.For some areas the second provisional calculation shows marked differences in the results from those of the first calculation. I have therefore decided to postpone the adjustment for the two past years and to have further consultation with the associations of local authorities about the timing and phasing of these adjustments.Whitley Bay in my hon. Friend's constituency is one of the places materially affected; I understand that the council have welcomed my decision to defer the adjustment.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportions of the 1959 crops of barley and oats were retained on farms for livestock feeding and seed.

The following proportions of these crops were either retained on farms for the purposes to which my hon. Friend refers, or were sold to buyers who do not render returns to my Department:—Barley, 40 per cent.; Oats, 79 per cent. I am afraid that we do not have sufficient information to distinguish between these two methods of disposal.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was paid to the agricultural industry in the form of grants and subsidies in each year since 1951; and what was the estimated total wages bill paid in each of those years.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the latest estimates he has made of the agricultural subsidies for the United Kingdom for 1960–61, with comparable figures for the preceding year.

Following are particulars of the latest estimates of the cost of agricultural support in the financial year 1960–61 for which provisions have been made in the Civil Estimates, Class VIII, Votes 2 and 11, as amended by the Supplementary Estimates, available today, with the latest comparable figures for the financial year 1959–60.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) on how many occasions private telephone lines in the Colony of Hong Kong were tapped by the Hong Kong police in 1960; how many recordings of telephone conversations were made by this means; and who is responsible for the custody of these recordings;(2) by what authority the Hong Kong Telephone Company makes the technical arrangements for the tapping of private telephone lines; for how long they have been so employed; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised that the authority under which the Governor of Hong Kong may require the Hong Kong Telephone Company to intercept telephone messages is contained in Section 4 of the Telecommunications Ordinance of 1936. I understand that the arrangements made with the company, which is a public company operating under a franchise granted by the Hong Kong Government, are of long standing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the reasons for the resignation of Mr. K. M. Chittenden from Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service in Northern Rhodesia.

I should not feel at liberty to disclose the reasons which an officer may have offered to his Government in tendering his resignation, without that officer's agreement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to state the number of convictions for manslaughter consequent on the plea of diminished responsibility under Section 2 of the Homicide Act, 1957, being successfully made in the case of persons originally charged with murder in each of the years 1958, 1959, and 1960.

The number of persons convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility under Section 2 of the Homicide Act, 1957, was 25 in 1958, 21 in 1959 and 23 in 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to consider establishing a welfare service for the wives and dependants of people sentenced to terms of imprisonment.

The organisations responsible for the welfare and aftercare of prisoners regard it as an important part of their functions to advise and assist the wives and dependants of prisoners during their imprisonment. They work in close co-operation with the State and local authority welfare services and with other voluntary organisations.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state the number of persons in Pontypridd in receipt of retirement pensions and those receiving National Assistance under the headings of pensioners, non-contributory pensioners, unemployed, persons under pensionable age incapacitated for work and others.

Statistics as to the numbers of retirement pensioners in particular localities do not exist as the payment of retirement pensions is arranged centrally. Figures about national assistance grants relating only to Pontypridd are also not available, as the office there serves an area covering a number of other urban and rural districts including Caerphilly. The numbers of weekly grants current in the whole of that area on 13 th December last, analysed as asked for, were as follows:

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is yet able to make a statement on the steps which his Department is proposing to take to commemorate the centenary of the Post Office Savings Bank.

The arrangements to commemorate the Centenary of the Post Office Savings Bank will extend over a period of some weeks from the anniversary date, the 16th September, 1961. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother has indicated her hopes of being able to honour my Department by visiting the Savings Bank Headquarters during that period. The Lord Mayor of the City of London has generously offered to mark the occasion with a Luncheon at the Mansion House on the 27th September. A short history of the Bank is being produced. Special centenary publicity will be displayed on mail vans and at most of the 20,000 post offices throughout the country which transact Savings Bank business. A souvenir cover for the bank book will be presented to each person who opens a Post Office Savings Bank account during the commemorative period.A commemorative set of postage stamps will be issued, and a postmark with a centenary inscription will be introduced for the period. Functions will be held at selected Head Post Offices.