asked the Minister of Labour when an up-to-date edition of the Industrial Relations Handbook will become available.

A new edition is with the printers, and it will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on 17th April.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated increase for 1962 over 1960 in the number of youths under 18 years of age leaving school in Scotland in search of employment; and what special steps are being taken to ensure that they will obtain such employment.

Approximately 9,000. The employment situation for boys in Scotland is improving. I am hopeful that finding employment for these additional boys will not present serious difficulties. Under the Local Employment Act steps are being taken to steer industrial expansion into areas of high and persistent unemployment.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated increase for 1962 over 1960 in the number of youths in Dunbartonshire leaving school in search of employment; and what special steps are being taken to provide such employment.

Approximately 250. On present trends, the great majority of these extra school leavers should be able to obtain employment without serious difficulty. Dunbartonshire is a development district under the Local Employment Act.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the estimated increase for 1962 over 1960 in the number of youths under 18 years of age leaving school in Glasgow in search of employment; and what special steps are being taken to ensure that enough new jobs will be created to provide sufficient employment for all.

Approximately 1,200. Over the past year there has been a marked improvement in the employment situation for boys in Glasgow. On the present trends, I would not expect any widespread employment difficulties for the increased numbers of school leavers in the next two years. Glasgow is a development district under the Local Employment Act.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he proposes to take to find immediate employment for the 1,626 young persons now unemployed in the county of Durham.

On 13th February there were 1,134 young persons compared with 1,626 in January. The Youth Employment Service is helping them to find employment as quickly as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour what immediate prosperts there are for finding employment for the 2,967 persons who have been unemployed in the county of Durham for a period of over three months and up to six months, for the 2.197 who have been unemployed for a period of over six months and up to one year, and for the 4,107 who have been unemployed for over one year.

Although the number of notified vacancies in the county of Durham is low, it is estimated that there are about 14,500 new jobs in prospect, including about 8,000 over the next two years. My local officers will continue to do all they can to find employment for unemployed workers.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the future of the Inter-Departmental Committee to encourage research into the employment problems of older workers.

Yes. The Committee was set up in May 1959 to identify those problems connected with the employment of older workers on which research might be desirable, to foster such research as necessary and to bring the results to the attention of industry.The Committee has met only twice. I have recently reviewed the need for its continuance, and I have come to the conclusion that the necessary collaboration in this field between Government Departments can be equally well secured without the existence of a formal committee. I have, therefore, given instructions that the Committee should be wound up.I wish, however, to make it clear that my Department will continue to take an active interest in research into the employment problems of older workers, and will do all it can to bring the results of such research to the notice of industry.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what has been done to implement Recommendation 12 of the First Report of the Select Committee on Estimates of last Session regarding the machinery to control expenditure in the dockyards, and the whole field of estimating and controlling costs of projects in other material Departments.

In that printed reply to the Report we explained that a review of the procedures for estimating and controlling production expenditure was already in hand as part of a Departmental reorganisation.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what orders have been issued to Her Majesty's ships regarding armed vessels seeking to interfere with British trawlers on the high seas.

Two of Her Majesty's ships are at present patrolling outside twelve miles off Iceland. If the settlement with Iceland to which my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal referred yesterday is ratified, the need for protection within the twelve-mile limit will not arise since our trawlers will be fishing there under agreed arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether, in view of the specialised knowledge of high voltage techniques possessed by 2nd Lieutenant R. M. Bentley, of the 3rd Training Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the urgent representations made by the chairman of Doulton Industrial Porcelain Limited, and the value of this National Service officer to development work connected with the export trade, he is now prepared to release him from national service at the earliest possible date.

No. Many applications are made for the premature release of National Service officers in order that they can return to their previous civilian employment, and it is quite impossible to spare them all. It has been the policy of successive Governments only to give early release to a National Service officer when his retention in the Service would cause undue hardship either to himself or to his dependants.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many men enlisted at Ayr in the month of January, 1961, and during the previous six months.

8 and 56 respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will now consider restoring the village of Imber to civilian occupation in view of the public feeling shown at the recent meeting of 1,500 people on the site of this ruined village.

No. Imber village and the surrounding land has to be retained by the War Department for the training of the Strategic Reserve, the School of Infantry and other military units. The whole of the present Imber training area, in the middle of which the village lies, is essential for this purpose and there is no alternative to it.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement indicating what progress Her Majesty's Government have made during the last year towards reaching identity of interest with the United States of America in combating flag discrimination.

I would refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave on 1st February to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, East (Mr. McMaster). These discussions with United States officials are strictly confidential. I think we have made some progress towards a mutual understanding of our various interests and problems.

asked the Minister of Transport how many tenders he has received for the new Cunard liner; when he will announce the name of the firm to which it has been awarded; and if he will give an assurance that the successful tender was the lowest.

The invitations to tender will be sent out by the Cunard Steam-Ship Company, who hope to issue them at the end of this month. They will go to all appropriate shipyards in the United Kingdom and four months will be allowed for the preparation of tenders.My Department will be associated with the Company in their consideration of the tenders, which will be dealt with in accordance with normal commercial practice. The shipyard which submits the best proposition will receive the order.

asked the Minister of Transport when the necessary legislation will be introduced to authorise the payment of public funds towards the building of the new Cunard liner.

As announced in the Gracious Speech from the Throne, the Government intend to introduce such legislation during the current Session. I regret that it is not yet possible to give a precise date.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now announce the date on which the Committee being set up to inquire into the freight rates between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is likely to start work.

I am sorry that I cannot do so yet. I am still considering the membership of the Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he proposes to take to protect British shipping interests in the United Kingdom-United States Great Lakes trade, resulting from the recent decision by the United States Federal Maritime Board regarding British shipping rights.

I understand that the shipping companies concerned are appealing against the Board's decision in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Certain aspects of this case have been the subject of representations by Her Majesty's Government to the United States Government already but the Board's recent decision is a new development, the implications of which are being carefully examined.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will make a statement on his policy regarding coastwise shipping.

I am still considering this matter

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now make a statement about the award of a contract to construct the machinery and hull of the first nuclear-powered British tanker.

I hope to be able to make a statement in the fairly near future.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has now settled with the Berkshire County Council and the Newbury Borough Council the line of the north-south inner relief road through Newbury; and what is the estimated cost of this scheme; how much will be met by local authorities; and when construction will begin.

I have agreed the line of the relief road. The design of the junctions and the bridge are being discussed with the local authorities. The scheme is estimated to cost about £600,000. I have asked the local authorities to contribute towards the cost. Negotiations are proceeding. I cannot say when construction will begin. Certain statutory procedures must first be complied with.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether he has now finalised the line of the Hatfield Peverel by-pass; and when he anticipates work will start on this improvement to A.12;(2) whether he has now finalised the line of the Witham by-pass; and when he anticipates work will start on this improvement to A.12.

Yes. The original proposals have been modified to take account of objections. The required Orders have now been made and will be published as soon as the necessary printing is completed. It is too early to forecast when construction will be started.

asked the Minister of Transport why he has decided to spend public money on the removal of concrete and wire boundary fences for a distance of 3 feet along the length of the Aeksea road from Dovaston to Farm Hall, Kinnerley, Shropshire; and how much he estimates this expenditure will be.

These fences were put up during the war for security purposes 3 feet inside the boundary of the prewar county road. Now that the War Office depot has been closed the prewar size of the road is being restored at the request of the County Council and in accordance with the general undertaking to County Councils given in 1941. The estimated cost is £1,140.

asked the Minister of Transport, how many road improvement schemes, and to what value, have been submitted by the Glamorganshire County Council, in the current and for the next financial year; and how many, and to what value, were allowed to go forward by his Department.

For the financial years in question the Glamorganshire County Council have submitted 125 schemes to a total value of about £4 million. I hope to approve some 20 schemes to a total value of about £l million.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration has been given to the question of control of pedestrians; whether a speed limit on all roads in the country is being prepared; and if he will make a statement.

I am considering the possibility of experiments in pedestrian control but details are still being worked out. On the second point, I am not at present satisfied that a speed limit on all roads would be suitable for the widely differing standards of roads in this country.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will expedite the extension of the Manor Way by-pass beyond the north of Whitchurch, Glamorgan.

It is too early for me to say when I shall be able to authorise the project, but I hope to publish the necessary Order this year.

asked the Minister of Transport if, to meet the continued expansion of industry in Wales, he will authorise a larger programme of motorway construction in Wales than the 12½ miles involved in the Port Talbot and Newport by-pass schemes; and if he will make a statement

No, because substantial provision is being made for the industrial needs of Wales by construction or reconstruction of the main all-purpose trunk roads as indicated in reply to my hon. Friend on 1st February. Welsh industry will also derive great benefit from such motorway projects as the Ross Spur and the Severn Bridge

asked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce Government-sponsored compulsory tests and special licences for would-be driving instructors before they are eligible to start teaching.

This is one of the matters which I am at present examining for possible inclusion in the forthcoming Road Safety Bill.

asked the Minister of Transport what capital sums he has authorised for expenditure by the British Transport Commission on railway development and modernisation in Wales during the next three years, to meet the expanding industrial needs of the Principality.

The proposals of the British Transport Commission for railway investment in 1961 which I have so far approved include schemes in Wales on which about £800,000 is likely to be spent in that year. The total cost of these schemes will be nearly £5 million. I have not been asked to authorise specific proposals for later years.

asked the Minister of Defence (1) how many German civilians are employed by British Service Units in the Federal Republic;(2) how many German civilians, other than those directly employed, are engaged in providing services for British Service Units in the Federal Republic.

The number of German civilians directly employed as at 1st February, 1961, was 45,620 of which 1,167 were part-time employees. In addition, there were a further 4.273 providing services for British Service Units.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will give the text of the message about nuclear disarmament recently sent to him by Lord Russell: and what was the nature of his reply.

The text of a declaration which was handed to my Department by Lord Russell is reproduced below. No reply was given nor was any called for.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has for the introduction of the subscriber trunk dialling system in the Taunton area.

I am hoping that Taunton will have the new service next month and Wellington in the latter part of this year.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the cases of pilfering parcels mail to the Falkland Islands; and what measures are being taken to prevent theft when mail is transshipped at Montevideo.

Yes, and I am very concerned about them. We have been in touch with the Uruguayan authorities and, although my hon. Friend will not expect me to give details, we are pushing ahead with inquiries which I hope will eliminate this trouble.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why electrical appliances for domestic central heating systems in accord with provisions of Statutory Rules and Orders 2351, 1960, are exempt from Purchase Tax, whereas domestic electrical space and water heaters are not so exempt and pay Purchase Tax at 25 per cent.

The Statutory Instrument extends the established exemptions applicable to domestic central heating plant to take account of recent developments in design and production of electrical plant.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the official proposal that a British Institute of Persian Studies should be set up in Teheran; and whether he will increase the annual grant to the British Academy to enable them to finance the running costs of the institute.

Yes. Her Majesty's Government were pleased to learn of this project, which is being launched at the invitation of the Iranian Government. The Institute, which will follow the general model of the British Institutes at Ankara and elsewhere, will be concerned with the history, art and archaeology of Iran and, it is hoped, with the study of Persian culture in the widest sense. The University of Teheran is generously providing free accommodation. Running costs are estimated at £8,000 a year, and my right hon. and learned Friend has agreed, subject to the approval of Parliament, that the British Academy's grant for 1961–62 should be increased by the same amount to enable them to assume this new commitment. A Supplementary Estimate will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the amount in weight of insecticides with choline-esterase inhibitor properties which have been sold annually in Great Britain in each of the past 12 years; how many accidental deaths from insecticides with such properties have been recorded; and what record he has of murders, attempted murders or suicides resulting from such substances.

Information about the annual sales of such insecticides is not available. In 1960, the accidental death of a scrapyard worker was attributed to the residue of one of these chemicals in used containers; no other accidental deaths from these substances have been recorded in Great Britain in the past 12 years. Nor is there any record of murders, attempted murders or suicides with these substances.

asked the President of the Board of Trade by what date his Department expects to reply to the request from the Ever Ready Tool and Engineering Company of Romford for an industrial development certificate.

A meeting with the Company took place yesterday and I hope it will be possible to give a decision shortly.

asked the Minister of Aviation what recent representations he has received from education authorities in Middlesex concerning aircraft noise interrupting lessons at schools in the south-west Middlesex area.

asked the Minister of Aviation what recent representations he has received from education authorities in Middlesex about the constant interruption and interference experienced by schools due to noise from aircraft using London Airport.

Following representations from the Hayes and Harlington Education Committee, representatives of the Middlesex County Council Education Committee are to meet officials of the Ministry in the near future.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he has now received the report of the independent committee under Mr. Justice Cairns, appointed in November, 1959, to inquire into the law and practice governing the investigation of accidents to civil aircraft and the conditions under which licences of flight crew and maintenance engineers might be suspended; and if he will make a statement.

I have received the Committee's report and I have decided that it should be published. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House and made available to Members in the Vote Office today.The report is a most useful one and I consider the lines of its recommendations to be broadly acceptable.Decisions on the detailed implementation of the report must, however, await the outcome of further detailed study of its recommendations by the Government in consultation with the interests concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments per year on an average are inspected by his inspectors appointed under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876; what proportion this is of the total number of experiments performed; how many of the inspectors are qualified veterinary surgeons; and if he will make a statement on his policy regarding the minimising of suffering of animals Which are subjected to experiments.

The inspectors' function is to ensure, by frequent visits, and in other ways, that licensees understand and fulfil their responsibilities under the Act, rather than to inspect experiments. They see many experiments but do not record the number. None of the inspectors is a veterinary surgeon. The administration of the Act is directed to securing that no unnecessary suffering is caused to animals.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the increasing number of experiments on living animals, be will now receive a deputation from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State explained in answer to a Question by the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) on 16th February, I have not hitherto thought a discussion necessary. But if the Society wish to make further representations to me I shall be glad to consider them.