asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the latest available particulars of the numbers of people paying Schedule A tax; and by how many this number has increased since 1951.

I regret that the information is not available to make this comparison.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many owner-occupiers and how many other property owners paid Schedule A tax in 1960; and what was the total amount of such tax paid by each category.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the new valuations for rating in Scotland, effective from 1961–62, will affect valuations for Schedule A Income Tax.

The new rating valuations in Scotland will not affect Schedule A assessments in the absence of Finance Bill legislation providing for a Schedule A revaluation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet decided when he will publish a White Paper on Public Investment in Private Industry to supplement the information contained in Command Paper No. 1203.

Yes. Most Government assistance to industry is borne on Votes. It has therefore been decided that it would be most convenient to publish information on it in the Financial Secretary's Memorandum on the 1961–62 Estimates for the Civil and Revenue Departments, which will appear on Budget Day.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what answer he has sent to the Penarth Branch of the Electrical Association for Women about their proposal to ease financial restrictions on the purchase of labour-saving domestic appliances.

My right hon. Friend cannot trace having received any such proposal from the Penarth Branch of the Association. But the headquarters of the association did write to him about this subject and I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's letter to him of 2nd February.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the light of the statement made by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 15th April, 1960, concerning the need for long-term assessments of Government non-capital expenditure commitments, he will now state his estimates of the expected cost of the educational services, the National Health Service, pensions and National Insurance, and Government contributions to expenditure on roads, for the financial years 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, and 1964–65.

The publication of estimates for some years ahead is bound up with the whole question of control and management of public expenditure, which has been under review for some time. My right hon. and learned Friend is not at this stage prepared to make a change in existing practice, but he has noted the right hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in the interests of simplifying Income Tax, he will introduce legislation to incorporate Schedule B Income Tax in Schedule D.

My right hon. and learned Friend has noted the hon. Member's suggestion.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working wives are paying Surtax on the whole of their incomes; and what yield in taxation this produces.

On the assumption that a wife's earnings are regarded as the top slice of the joint income, there are about 90,000 cases, yielding £4 million Surtax, where the whole of the wife's earnings attracts Surtax liability.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will issue instructions for free copies of the Public General Acts to be promulgated to rural and urban district councils, as is now done for borough and county councils.

No. I regret thai the expense of sending free copies of all statutes to urban and rural district councils would not be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to give his approval for the building of the new fire brigade station in the centre of the City of Lincoln.

In view of the limited amount of capital investment which can be authorised for buildings for the fire service, as for other public services, I cannot give immediate approval to this scheme; but I hope to be able to agree to its inclusion in the programme for the financial year 1963–64

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of new evidence on the case of Timothy Evans, who was hanged for murder, submitted to him by the hon. Member for Bosworth, he will give instructions for a fresh inquiry to be held.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has now completed his further study of the case of Timothy John Evans; whether he is satisfied that Timothy John Evans was not guilty as charged and whether he will advise Her Majesty to grant him a posthumous free pardon upon that ground.

I am not yet in a position to add to my replies to earlier Questions on this subject.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders, known to the police, took place in January, 1960; and how this figure compares with that for January, 1961.

The number of murders recorded as known to the police in January, 1960, was 18. The corresponding figure for January, 1961, is not yet available, but it seems probable that it will be about 21. These figures include some cases that have been or will be found not to be murder.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received from the Northern Ireland Government for the relief of the unemployment situation there; and what action will be taken by the United Kingdom Government.

Communications of this nature between the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Governments are confidential. I am not in a position to make any statement at present.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the results of the investigations of the Social Survey Division of the Central Office of Information into offences of drunkenness among all age groups which he received almost six months ago.

The inquiry was limited to police records and the views of the police; and the report was not designed for publication. The report shows that the general view of the police is that public drunkenness is not a serious or increasing problem. It affords some ground for believing that the increased number of convictions for drunkenness is in part attributable to changes in police practice rather than to an increase in drunkenness itself. These conclusions, however, are tentative and must be treated with some reserve.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now received the report of the departmental committee on the payment of compensation to victims of crimes of violence; and if he will make a statement.

I have received the report of the official working party which has been examining this problem. I am studying the report, but as the subject is one of considerable complexity I cannot say when I shall be in a position to make any further statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were dealt with in magistrates' courts for driving under the influence of drugs or drink, in England and Wales, during the 12 months ended 30th September, 1960; and now many were acquitted.

During 1959, the last period for which figures are available, 4,375 persons were dealt with in magistrates' courts for this offence. Of these, 3,605 were found guilty and 597 were committed for trial. The charges against the remaining 173 were withdrawn or dismissed. These figures do not include persons who were originally charged with this offence but dealt with for some other offence, not those wno were dealt with at the same time for a more serious offence (unless they were acquitted of that offence).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Mr. J. A. Sinclair, of 1, Finn Avenue, Carlisle, who while recently serving eight years' preventive detention in Park-hurst Prison was, in response to repeated applications to commence a claim for damages against the authorities on account of injuries to his hand, informed that he was unable to proceed with his claim and that he should await release before commencing proceedings, has now been advised on his release that his claim is statute barred; what communication he has received from Mr. Sinclair asking him to waive his defence of the Statute of Limitations to such a claim; and if he will make a statement.

I have received letters from Mr. Sinclair about his case. He has been informed that no admission of liability is made, but that if any proceedings are brought the statutory defence under the Law Reform (Limitation of Actions, etc.) Act, 1954, will not be relied on in respect of the time he was in prison.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has received from the Cypriot High Commissioner in London concerning the number of affidavits in support of immigrants from Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

None. As regards the net rate of migration from Cyprus to this country, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 26th January to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Kirkdale (Mr. N. Pannell).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet considered the new scientific information available on the biological and environmental effects of nuclear war, details of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Willesden, West; and if he has decided that civil defence manuals should be rewritten in the light of this new evidence.

I understand that the hon. Member has in mind the report, published in 1959, of a United States congressional sub-committee. This interesting report has been closely studied here. But it does not contain scientific information that was not already known to us. Nor does it make it necessary to revise our civil defence manuals, which are kept under review in the light of the best scientific information available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in increasing the number of acceptable recruits to the Metropolitan Police service; what are the main reasons for rejecting applicants to the force; how many members of the force have been dismissed or prosecuted for serious offences; and what was the approximate average period of service of the offenders before they were so dismissed or charged.

Since the announcement of increased pay for police constables, there has been a substantial increase in the number of applications to join the Metropolitan Police. Of those applicants who have so far attended for examination, rather more than a quarter were found to be below the required medical standards, and nearly one half were rejected as being unsuitable on educational or other grounds.During the three years 1958 to 1960, 58 officers were dismissed or required to resign from the Metropolitan Police, and of these 33 had been convicted of serious offences. The average length of service of these officers was six years.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent charges of outraging public decency have increased in the Metropolitan police area during the past 12 months; how many suspected cases have been reported, but without prosecution; in what proportion of cases a warning is given without resort to prosecution; and what instructions are issued to the police on duty in respect of these cases.

Proceedings for offences involving indecency in public places in the Metropolitan Police District were taken in about 1,900 cases in 1959 and about 2,150 cases in 1960. In 1960, about 1,800 suspected cases were also reported, but for reasons such as insufficiency of evidence proceedings were not taken. Warnings are not given by the police for these offences. The Commissioner's instructions are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been refused visas to visit this country during the past twelve months; whether such persons are informed of the reasons for the refusal; and what opportunities are afforded to them to make representations to himself or to officers of his Department.

The figure for 1960 is not yet available. In 1959, 2,575 United Kingdom visa applications made in foreign countries were refused. Reasons for refusal are normally given by my Department on request and it is open to any unsuccessful applicant, or to any person in this country acting on his behalf, to make representations to the Home Office.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been refused visas to visit this country in each year since the beginning of 1946.

Since 1953 the following numbers of visa applications made in foreign countries have been refused:

1953	3,718
1954	1.683
1955	1,838
1956	2,054
1957	4,222
1958	3,607
1959	2,575

Complete figures for 1960 are not yet available, and those for the period 1946 to 1952 have not been preserved.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government about residence and citizenship of Somali seamen whose home has been in this country for many years and who, since the independence of Somalia, have been resident in this country on the basis of a Seaman's Certificate of Nationality, which will not be valid after 26th June, 1961.

All citizens of the former British Protectorate of Somali-land became aliens on 26th June, 1960, when their country attained independence; but those who were ordinarily resident in this country were exempted from the requirement to register with the police and are not subject to any conditions restricting their length of stay here or their freedom to take employment. They were permitted to retain for one year their former British passports or Seamen's Identity Certificates but if they wish to travel abroad after 26th June, 1961, they will need to obtain travel documents from the Government of the Somali Republic. I am sending the hon. Member a copy of an explanatory leaflet in English and Arabic which has been available since September, 1960, to Somalis in this country.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that experienced and well-qualified probation officers are leaving the service because of the attraction of better appointments elsewhere; and whether he will in consequence ask the departmental committee to hasten the completion of its report or make further interim recommendations with regard to the salaries and salary differentials which affect the prospects of promotion.

I do not think that there is excessive wastage for the reason suggested. I am satisfied that the Departmental Committee on the Probation Service is making all reasonable haste and progressing well with its task, thus I do not think it necessary to ask it to present an interim report on salaries. Probation Officers received a 12½ per cent. salary increase as recently as August, 1960, on the recommendation of the Joint Negotiating Committee for the Probation Service.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what methods are used by the Metropolitan Police to obtain evidence against licensed premises and clubs suspected of selling alcoholic drinks to people under age.

Observation is kept by uniform and plain clothes Metropolitan Police officers in licensed premises and clubs in which breaches of the law are suspected. The age limits applying to public houses do not apply to clubs.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Her Majesty's Government will introduce legislation to outlaw the Irish Republican Army in England and proscribe it as an illegal organisation.

No; I do not think that the activities of the Irish Republican Army in Great Britain are such as to warrant the introduction of legislation of this unprecedented kind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department from how many local authorities he has received resolutions regarding the maintenance of an index of local charities under the Charities Act, 1960; and if he will make a statement.

This is not a matter for which I have any responsibility. Under the Charities Act, the council of a county or borough, and the council of an urban district if it so resolves, may establish an index of local charities and obtain the relevant entries from the Charity Commissioners and the Minister of Education.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children on the Report of the Committee on Children and Young Persons; and what reply he has sent.

The Society let me know their views a few days ago and I have said in reply that I shall take them into account when considering what further action should be taken on the Ingleby Committee's recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the dates between which the compensation amounting to nearly £14,000 was paid from the United Kingdom Exchequer in respect of surrender of, loss of, or damage to, firearms and ammunition handed to the Royal Irish Constabulary.

The first payment was made on 24th May, 1923, and the last in April, 1929.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute an inquiry into the medical and social aspects of abortion and into the wider problems of the conception and birth of unwanted children, in view of the increase of illegal abortion and the 21 years which have elapsed since legislation on this subject was reviewed.

I should prefer to await the discussion on the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Bill which has been introduced by the hon. Member for St. Pancras, North (Mr. K. Robinson).

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the regulations about road transport of dangerous liquids will be published; and if he will include additional safeguards against leaking containers.

Progress has been made in drawing up a scheme for marking tank vehicles carrying dangerous substances in bulk, but it is not yet possible to say when the scheme will be published. The scheme will not prescribe safeguards against leaking containers, but the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, made by the Minister of Transport, include provisions about the safe construction and loading of vehicles.

asked the Attorney-General if he is aware that, as a result of the Rent Act, 1957, there will be 500 or 600 applications for suspension of rent agreements before the Willesden County Court; and what action he proposes to take to relieve the pressure on this court.

I assume the hon. Member has in mind applications under the Landlord and Tenant (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1958, for suspension of orders of eviction. There are no grounds for thinking that there will be a large number of such applications, and no action is. therefore, required.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the progress of the Southern Rhodesian Constitutional Conference.

At its conclusion on Tuesday, the Southern Rhodesian Constitutional Conference approved a detailed report setting out its recommendations. I propose to present this to the House as a white Paper.

asked the Minister of Education if he proposes to include the extension of Ragstone Road Church of England Secondary School, Slough, in the building programme for 1963–64.

I hope soon to reach a decision on this proposal.

asked the Minister of Education when he intends to publish details of the scale of parental contributions in respect of grants to students which will come into force on 1st October, 1961.

I am circulating below a table comparing the contributions required under the present and under the revised scale at various levels of gross income, taking the example of parents with an only child at the university. It also shows the present value at these levels of the Income Tax child allowance. It will be seen that the contributions now required will be less than the value to the parents of the Income Tax child allowance if their gross income is under £1,400.On the present scale, parental contributions are calculated at 14 per cent. of the balance of income in excess of £450 (£420 in Scotland). The revised scale requires a contribution at the rate of 8 per cent. of the balance of income in excess of £600 up to £1,400, no contributions being required from parents whose balance of income is less than £700. The additional contributions required from those whose balance of income exceeds £1,400 will be £10 for each £100 above £1,400.In assessing the balance of income, deductions will be made from gross income on present lines, but I have increased the maximum allowances for each dependent child other than the award-holder from £170 to £200 and I am retaining the allowance for educational expenses for other dependent

Only child at university
		Present Contribution
Gross Income	Balance* of income	England and Wales	Scotland	Revised Contribution	Value of Tax Allowance
£	£	£	£	£	£
400	380	—	—	—	5
500	475	—	8	—	20
600	570	16	23	—	31
700	665	30	37	—	39
800	760	43	48	13	46
900	855	57	62	20	52
1,000	950	70	76	28	57
1,100	1,045	83	90	36	58
1,200	1,140	96	101	43	58
1,300	1,235	110	115	51	58
1,400	1,330	123	129	58	58
1,500	1,425	136	143	66	58
,600	1,520	149	154	76	58
1,700	1,615	163	168	85	58
1,800	1,710	176	182	95	58
1,900	1,805	190	196	104	58
2,000	1,900	203	208	114	58
2,500	2,375	269	275	161	73
3,000	2,850	336	342	209	77
3,500	3,325	403	409	256	84
4,000	3,800	Full cost	Full cost	304	84
5,000	4,750	Full cost	Full cost	399	92
*In assessing the balance of income, the gross income is reduced by allowances for such items as superannuation contributions, life insurance premiums and mortgage interest. For the purpose of this table these items have been assumed to amount to 5 per cent. of gross income.

asked the Minister of Education at what date he last received reports from Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools on the condition of the premises at St. Illtyd's Roman Catholic College, Cardiff, and Llandaff City Church in Wales School, respectively; what was the nature of those reports; and whether he will make a statement.

Full inspection reports are confidential documents, but with the agreement of the governors and mana- children, which I have increased from the present maximum of £180 to £200.The minimum grant of £50 per annum will normally be paid irrespective of parental income.As I told the House on 1st December, the additional cost of these proposals will be approximately £10 million in a full year.

asked the Minister of Education which schools the Cardiff Education Committee included in its proposed building programme for 1961–62; which schools he eliminated from that list; and whether he will make a statement.

The programme proposed for 1961–62 was:New Church in Wales Secondary School at Fairwater;New Roman Catholic Secondary School at Cyntwell;Extensions to Cyntwell County Secondary Boys School;New County Secondary School for Girls at Leckwith.The last two were not included in the Building Programme for 1961–62.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what plans exist for the establishment of a Commonwealth Development Bank, with a view to taking greater advantage of the unused productive capacity which exists in the Commonwealth.

The possibility of establishing such a Bank has been discussed from time to time at meetings of the Commonwealth Economic Consultative Council. My hon. Friend will recognise that the main problem is not the creation of additional financial machinery but the mobilisation of greater investment resources by which alone the production capacity of under-developed Commonwealth countries can be increased.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what representations he has received from Commonwealth countries concerning those provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which are most harmful to the development of inter-Commonwealth trade.

I would be grateful if my hon. Friend would specify the provisions to which he particularly refers.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, what conclusions Her Majesty's Government have reached in considering proposals for a Commonwealth arts festival in 1964; and what contribution Her Majesty's Government will make.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my right hon. Friend's answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Mr. Goodhart) on 26th January

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will consult with Commonwealth Governments with a view to the joint establishment of a department to advise on the development of all forms of co-operative societies.

I have no indication that other Commonwealth Governments desire the joint establishment of a department for this purpose. We already give help in this field when we are asked for it

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps his Department have taken to ensure the success of Commonwealth Technical Training Week, to be held from 29th May to 4th June, 1961, organised by the City and Guilds of London Institute, and supported by the Associated Examining Board, and county and borough councils; and whether he will make a statement.

My Department attaches great importance to the success of Commonwealth Technical Training Week and has from the outset kept in touch with the arrangements being made. It has, where necessary, advised the City and Guilds of London Institute and the departments concerned, and has helped with arrangements for the supply of films, visual material, etc. It will continue to give every assistance in its power to the organisations concerned.Our Information Services overseas have distributed publicity for various media about Commonwealth Technical Training Weeks and will continue to do so.

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, 1962–63, and 1963–64.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Central (Mr. McInnes) on Monday, 6th February, 1961.

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

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Peart) on Monday, 6th February, 1961.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, what progress has been made in establishing the National Lending and Reference Science Libraries; and whether he will make a statement.

Adaptation of buildings at Boston Spa in Yorkshire, to house the National Lending Library for Science and Technology, will be completed in the spring, when transfer of the unit already in existence in London will begin. The library is expected to be fully operational by the end of 1962.As explained in a statement by my noble Friend the Minister for Science in another place on 31st May, last year, it is proposed to house the National Reference Library for Science and Invention in a new building on the South Bank, which it is hoped to complete by the end of 1965.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, if the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research will make an assessment of the progress of automation in British industry as at the end of 1960, and publish the report as a White Paper.

My noble Friend is advised that the detailed assessment of the progress of automation in industry would be most difficult to carry out satisfactorily, because this field is very wide and is not susceptible of precise definition. While such an assessment might not therefore justify the use of the scarce specialists that would be necessary, my noble Friend is considering whether some general review is desirable. He also asks me to say that the views of particular fields of application of automation or of particular processes and techniques are already being made; the British Conference on Automation and Computation provides a forum including all sides of industry for assessing developments.

asked the Minister of Education, as representing the Minister for Science, whether he will make a statement on the merger of the British Cotton Industry Research Association and the British Rayon Research Association.

The two research associations announced last May their intentions to merge into one association, to be called the Cotton, Silk, and Man-Made Fibres Research Association, for the purpose of using more efficiently their scientific and financial resources. It is proposed that the merger will be effective from 1st April this year, and that annual expenditure will rise from about £490,000 to about £580,000 over the next five years. The main source of industrial income will be sought from processers of co'tton and man-made fibres by statutory levy under the Industrial Organisation and Development Act, 1947, together with support from producers of man-made fibres. An application has been made to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research for a grant to replace the existing grants to the separate Associations.The membership of the new Association will be that of the present organisations and its primary responsibility will be to the processers and converters of cotton, silk and man-made fibres. The new Research Association will occupy the present site of the British Cotton Industry Research Association (The Shirley Institute) at Didsbury, Manchester, where the laboratories will be extended to provide for additional staff. The British Rayon Research Association laboratories at Heald Green, Manchester will be sold, and the assets transferred to the new organisation. The research staff of the new Association will be drawn from the existing Associations with adequate provisions for redundancy including retirement pensions, compensation, and placing staff in other employment.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has received the report from his fishing expert who recently visited Malta to inquire into this industry; if he will make the report public; and if he will make a statement.

My Fisheries Adviser visited Malta at the request of the Governor, to whom this report will shortly be submitted. I am asking the Governor to consider the possibility of publication.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give the reason for the deportation of Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Wicks, who are British subjects, from the island of Malta; and if he will hold up the operation of the order until a full inquiry is made into the matter.

Mr. Wicks entered Malta as a visitor on 20th April, 1960, and as such was entitled to stay for three months. Shortly before the expiry of this period he applied for an indefinite extension of his stay, which, after investigation, was not granted. As Mr. Wicks and his wife continued to remain in Malta an order has been made for their removal. The case has been fully investigated and I see no reason to intervene.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements are being made to continue a service of transcription material for schools in view of the decision to discontinue the Colonial Schools Transcription Unit of the British Broadcasting Corporation.

I am glad to say that with the agreement of my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Commonwealth Secretary I have been able to invite the British Council in collaboration with the B.B.C. to arrange for the provision of a new service of recorded educational material. If current negotiations for the use of certain types of material can be satisfactorily concluded I hope that the arrangements so successfully initiated by the Colonial Schools Transcription Unit of the B.B.C. will develop on a broader front and prove of great value in educational development overseas.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when the proposed development of Rootes Motors, Limited, Linwood, is to begin; and how long it is now estimated it will take before the new car factory is in production.

I understand that this development is still at the preliminary stage, but it is for the firm to say when the factory will be in production.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he has considered the letter from the Newcastle-under-Lyme Rural District Council, sent to him by the hon. Member for New-castle-under-Lyme, about the need to introduce light industry into certain areas of North Staffordshire; and what action he proposes to take.

As I explained to the hon. Member in the letter sent to him yesterday. I do not consider that I should be justified in using my powers under the Local Employment Act to steer new industrial development into North Staffordshire, in view of the much greater need of areas of high unemployment.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if Her Majesty's Government will now introduce amending legislation to protect members of the public who are invited to deposit money without security.

I am not yet in a position to add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. du Cann) on 10th November last.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the delay in providing the projected pontoon dock for Aberdeen harbour is causing unemployment and loss there; whether the third meeting of the relevant Joint Working Party has yet been held; and if he will take urgent steps to expedite the provision and completion of this pontoon dock before the coming winter.

I must await the Supplementary Report from the Joint Working Party before decisions can be made about future dock facilities at Aberdeen. I am not aware of any loss of work due to the fact that the pontoon dock has not been replaced. The Working Party have so far held five meetings.

asked the Minister of Transport what are his proposals for increasing the penalities for people found guilty of driving motor cars whilst under the influence of drink; and whether he will make a statement.

Perhaps the hon. Member would await the introduction of the Road Safety Bill.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in the submission and acceptance of local authorities' slaughterhouse reports under Section 3 of the Slaughterhouses Act, 1958; and what information the reports have provided.

1,392 local authorities have submitted their reports. The remaining 37 have been allowed extensions of time, in no case beyond the end of April, 1961. 539 reports have been accepted. 80 per cent. of those so far submitted provide for full compliance with the new standards of hygiene and humane slaughter by the end of 1961 and under 4 per cent. envisage its being reached after 1962. The number of slaughterhouses is likely to fall by over 30 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the future of the Glanllyn Estate, managed on his behalf by the Welsh Agricultural and Sub-Commission.

Yes. Since the Glanllyn Estate was taken over in lieu of death duties in 1946, the Welsh Agricultural Land Sub-Commission, who are managing the Estate on my behalf, have done much to improve the property and I am now satisfied that its retention in State ownership can no longer be justified.I have, therefore, decided after consultation with the Minister of Welsh Affairs that the Estate should be sold as soon as possible with first offer of the area in agriculture to the tenants collectively. On my behalf, a statement in the following terms is being made to the Tenants' Committee this afternoon:—1. "As will be known, it is the Government's policy, with agricultural land owned and managed by it, to offer it for sale, after any necessary improvement, wherever this can suitably be done. Now that very substantial progress has been made in the rehabilitation of the Glanllyn Estate, I have decided that its retention in Government ownership is no longer justified. The Estate will therefore be offered for sale as soon as possible. I have reached this decision in consultation with the Minister for Welsh Affairs and have had the benefit of his views in putting forward the following proposals.2. "In considering the various ways in which the property might be sold, I have been very conscious of my obligations, on the one hand, as a trustee of public funds and, on the other, as a responsible landowner. I have been influenced particularly by the earlier expressed desires of the tenants of Glanllyn to act collectively in the purchase of their holdings and by the thought that they might also appreciate the opportunity of deciding themselves whether they would like to preserve the estate as a unit. Accordingly, I have concluded that my first offer must be in one lot to the tenants, as represented by a properly constituted group of tenants (which I will call a consortium) covering not less than 75 per cent. of the Estate in terms of both the number of tenants and of the rent roll. I hope therefore that, within 6 months of this announcement, you will be able to inform me that such a consortium has been formally established and is ready to negotiate.3. "If, regrettably, it is not found possible to obtain a sufficient measure of agreement to form a legal body with which I can open negotiations—or if, within 6 months from the receipt of my formal offer to such a body, the terms remain unacceptable—I shall then feel free to dispose of the Estate as I think fit.4. "Bearing in mind the character and situation of the Estate and the developments which have taken place in recent years, I propose to exclude the parts of the Estate listed below from the offer to the consortium and to discuss their disposal with the interests concerned:—

asked the Minister of Defence how many North Atlantic Treaty Organisation troops, and of which nationalities, have been sent to the United Kingdom for training during the past three years; and what troops it is proposed to send to the United Kingdom this year.

The following are the figures:

Country	Financial Year
	1958–59	1959–60	1960–61
Belgium	15	35	42
Canada	372	304	330
Denmark	68	58	103
France	22	10	9
Germany	649	355	290
Greece	8	11	18
Iceland	Nil	Nil	Nil
Italy	16	29	23
Luxembourg	Nil	Nil	Nil
Netherlands	213	186	58
Norway	181	153	179
Portugal	42	54	37
Turkey	10	17	8
U.S.A	270	359	371

No detailed figures are available for the coming financial year, but there is no reason to think that the number of N.A.T.O. troops attending training courses in the United Kingdom will differ substantially from previous years. As regards the use by German troops of other training facilities in this country, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to Questions on this subject on 8th February, 1961.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the sum by which the estimated cost of the National Health Service for the current year exceeds the cost for the first full year in which the Service was operating; and if he will give the equivalent figures for the cost to the Treasury in the two years concerned.

The figures for Great Britain (excluding local health services) are:—

	Excess of latest 1960–61 estimate over actual cost in 1949–50 (£m. to nearest million)
Total cost	408
Net cost to Exchequer	299

asked the Minister of Labour how many school leavers are registered at the employment exchanges, in the county of Northumberland and the city of Newcastle, on the latest convenient date; how many are boys and how many are girls; and how long they have been waiting for employment.

On the 16th January, 91 boys and 80 girls were so registered in the Administrative County of Northumberland and 123 boys and 35 girls in the city of Newcastle. Nine of the boys and two of the girls in the Administrative County left school last July. The others in the county and all in the city left school last December.

asked the Minister of Labour what industries have established apprenticeship schemes; and how many employees were enrolled in each scheme at the end of 1960.

The industries, numbering 124, having such schemes are listed below. Few of these schemes provide for a central record of apprentices enrolled under them, but where available the figures (and the dates to which they refer) are included in the list. Information about the total intake of apprentices by different industries in 1959 was published in the Ministry of Labour Gazette for June, 1960. Corresponding information for 1960 will be similarly published in June this year.

asked the Prime Minister what changes are proposed, consequent on the appointment of a Parliamentary Secretary for Science, in the arrangements for answering Questions in the House of Commons about matters within the responsibility of the Minister for Science.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Science will henceforward answer in this House all Questions falling within the responsibility of my noble Friend the Minister for Science. Arrangements will be made to allocate a place to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Science in the Order of Questions

asked the Prime Minister if he is now in a position to announce the membership of the Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education.

Yes. On 20th December last, in reply to the hon. Lady the Member for Flint, East (Mrs. White), I announced the terms of reference of this Committee and said that Lord Robbins had accepted the chairmanship. I am now glad to be able to announce that the following have accepted my invitation to serve on the Committee:Sir David Anderson.Dame Kitty Anderson, D.B.E.Mr. A. Chenevix-Trench.Professor J. M. Drever.Mr. H. L. Elvin.Miss Helen Gardner.Sir Edward Herbert, O.B.E.Sir Patrick Linstead, C.B.E., F.R.S.Sir Philip Morris, K.C.M.G., C.B.E.Mr. H. C. Shearman.Mr. R. B. Southall, C.B.E.