asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that the output and productivity of export industries is restricted by the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to the provision of accommodation for, and payment of insurance benefits to, the workers in these industries; and what steps he will take to remedy this situation and to secure a greater mobility of the labour force.

I am aware that some firms engaged in work for the export market are affected by labour shortages, but I do not agree that these are caused by the factors mentioned. There is in fact a good deal of mobility between industries and between different parts of the country. The Employment Exchange service is available to assist workers wishing to change their jobs, and financial help is given to unemployed workers who move away from home to take up employment.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of skilled tradesmen and apprentices, respectively, in the Scottish printing trades in 1957 and 1959; and what percentages of the total labour force in the industry those numbers represented.

The Scottish Master Printers' Alliance informs me that there were 3,700 apprentices and 10,800 skilled tradesmen in 1957 and 3,585 and 10,900 in 1959. These numbers represented 23 per cent. and 67 per cent. respectively in 1957 and 23 per cent. and 68 per cent. respectively in 1959 of the labour force in the industry.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of wholly unemployed boys of 18 years of age and under to the number of notified unfilled vacancies for boys in Lanarkshire and Warwickshire, respectively, at the latest convenient date.

At mid-March this year, for every 100 wholly unemployed boys, 88 vacancies in Lanarkshire and 1,070 in Warwickshire.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the relative worsening rate of wages of pattern-makers and other skilled engineers in relation to all others; and if he will study the statistical evidence supplied by himself and his predecessors with a view to the appointment of a committee to consider and recommend what the relations should be with the payments of salaries received by others, and to suggest action which would make the wages of patternmakers, toolmakers and other skilled engineers commensurate with the knowledge and skill required.

I am aware that there have been many changes in relative wage rates in past years including those referred to by the hon. Member. I do not think that the appointment of a committee on the lines suggested would be a useful step to take.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given to the proposal contained in Cmnd. 1249 to export British agricultural surpluses as a part of Britain's contribution to the relief of poverty in the under-developed countries of the world, and especially to those territories in the Commonwealth where the standard of living is substantially lower than that of the United Kingdom: what action he proposes to take in the matter: and if he will make a statement.

My hon. Friend presumably has in mind the expression of view of the N.F.U. in Command 1249 that the distribution of surpluses of food now available in the Western World should be furthered through support of the United Nations Resolution 1496 of the 15th Session of the General Assembly.This Resolution called on F.A.O. as a first step to study various aspects of the problems involved. In accordance with the Resolution the Director-General of F.A.O. will be making a report to the Economic and Social Council in July when it will be for the consideration of member nations. The United Kingdom is of course a large net importer of foodstuffs.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he is aware of the disappointment of people drawing National Assistance allowance who expected to draw the full pension increases but who will in effect receive less than half the amount; if he will take steps to rectify this; and if he will arrange that in future both the retirement pensions and National Assistance scales are increased at the same time and by the same amount.

I would refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend in her speech on the motion to approve the National Assistance (Determination of Need) Amendment Regulations, 1960, on 1st December last.

asked the Minister of Power why adequate supplies of solid smokeless fuel are not available for Solihull.

There are ample supplies of coke in this part of the country, including good quality gas coke suitable for burning on modern types of improved open fires.

asked the Minister of Power how many representations he has received in the last twelve months concerning mining developments which destroy the natural beauty of certain areas of the country; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that such destruction is avoided.

asked the Minister of Power (1) how many representations he has received from authorities in Scotland during 1960 concerning the destruction of local beauty spots arising from mining development; and what steps he has taken to assist the authorities in the restoration of these areas;(2) if he is aware of the spoliation of beaches as a result of mining activities in various parts of the country; if he has considered the measures necessary to restore such amentities; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received three representations of which one was from Scotland and related to the pollution of beaches in the Kirkcaldy area. The amenity problems associated with coal and mining are best dealt with by discussions between the National Coal Board and the authorities concerned in the light of the general law on town and country planning and river pollution.

asked the Minister of Power what general directions he has given to the National Coal Board to ensure that mining activities do not harm or destroy the natural beauty of areas in which such activities are contemplated.

None. The Board is well aware of its duty to preserve as far as possible the amenities of the countryside, and is subject to town and country planning law like any other developer.

asked the Minister of Power (1) what general direction he has given to the National Coal Board in regard to the steps to be taken to maintain the present level of coal production when Imperial Chemical Industries completes the conversion of its industries, either wholly or in part, from the use of coal for energy purposes to oil;(2) what general direction he has given to the National Coal Board in regard to the steps to be taken to maintain the present level of coal production when the Gas Board completes the conversion of its industry, either wholly or in part, from the use of coal in the production of gas to the use of liquid methane.

None. It is for the National Coal Board to determine what measures should be taken to maintain output in face of competition from other fuels. No decision has yet been taken on the use of liquid methane by the gas industry and my right hon. Friend expects that both industries will, in any event, continue to use coal in very substantial quantities.

asked the Minister of Power if he is aware of the inconvenience caused to electricity consumers in certain areas of Leeds by the low voltage of the current supplied; and if he will take action to improve the supply.

My right hon. Friend is aware of these difficulties, which have been caused partly by an exceptional increase in electricity demand in Leeds during the past year, and partly by the non-standard pattern of the local distribution system at vesting day. The Yorkshire Eelectricity Board has greatly increased its expenditure on reinforcing supplies in Leeds and has a number of major schemes in hand. About half the supplies to consumers have already been converted to standard voltage. The Board will complete this big task as quickly as possible, and aims to relieve the worst difficulties first.

asked the Minister of Power what changes he has made in the membership of the South Wales Electricity Consultative Council; what are the qualifications of the new members; and what considerations led him to dispense with the services of the former members.

Details of the changes in membership are given in the Consultative Council's Annual Report. The numbers of members appointed, re-appointed and retired in the period since 1st April, 1960, are 2, 5 and 1, respectively. The qualifications for membership are laid down in Section 7 of the Electricity Act, 1947, as amended. The main consideration in determining whether a member should be re-appointed is his willingness and ability to continue service.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to ensure that his regulations about maintaining the height of aircraft landing and taking off at Gatwick Airport are being enforced; and how many prosecutions were made in 1960.

Aircraft landing and taking off at Gatwick Airport are under air traffic control instructions, and a close watch is kept to ensure that these instructions are followed.There was no prosecution during 1960 for any breach of the regulations governing the height of aircraft landing or taking off at this airport.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he is aware of the public dissatisfaction with the inadequate facilities for car parking at London Airport for air passengers; and what action he proposes to take to remedy the situation.

No, but my right hon. Friend is well aware of the need to maintain adequate car parking facilities. My right hon. Friend intends shortly to invite tenders for the design and construction of a multi-storey car park in the central terminal. The possibility of providing for long-term parking outside the central terminal is also being examined.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he is taking to increase the number of plastic surgeons; and whether he will now outline the improvements he intends to make in plastic surgery facilities in South Wales.

All requests from regional boards for additional consultant posts in this specialty have been approved. The major improvement intended in plastic surgery facilities in South Wales is the relocation of the centre at Cardiff.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the shortage of accommodation for geriatric patients in West Bromwich hospitals; and what proposals he has for improving the position there.

Yes. The regional hospital Board is considering two new geriatric units for the West Bromwich area. Meanwhile it is its intention to make additional beds available at hospitals outside.

asked the Minister of Health what plans he has for the establishment of an accident service for South Wales; whether he will set up a major accident centre for South-West Wales; and whether, having regard to the heavy industries in the area, he will consider setting up such a centre at Port Talbot staffed with at least one plastic surgeon.

The hospital board has in mind the further development of accident centres at major hospitals, but it is not yet possible to say at which hospital or hospitals in South West Wales a centre will be established.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of patients waiting for admission to all hospitals in Cardiff at the last convenient date; and how this compares with the numbers for 1958, 1959, and 1960.

On the 22nd March, 1961, the number—excluding mentally subnormal—was 6,588. On 31st December, 1958, 1959 and 1960 the figures were 6,250, 7,160 and 6,619 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of beds available in all hospitals in Cardiff at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with 1958 and 1959.

At 31st December in each year the numbers of staffed beds available were 4,001 in 1960, 4,051 in 1959 and 4,127 in 1958.

asked the Minister of Health what guidance he is giving to hospital management committees in regard to the initiation of procedures leading to the establishment of special children's courts in hospitals in cases where the parents of children have refused their consent to urgent operations.

I have advised hospital authorities not to resort to the "care or protection" procedure, but to rely on the clinical judgment of the consultants concerned after full discussion with the parents

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will state the number of spastic children under the age of 14 years who are on the waiting list for a permanent hospital bed in the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board area;

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of hospital patients suffering from burning accidents in each of the past five years where the accident was attributable to the ignition of clothing.

I regret this information is not available, but investigations in 1957 suggested the proportion might be about half.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of patients admitted to hospitals for treatment for burns and scalds in each of the last five years, the average duration of their stay in hospital, and the total cost involved for each year.

The numbers of cases are estimated as follows:

asked the Minister of Health if he will give the number of dental surgeons now being trained in Wales, and the date when the new Welsh dental school in Cardiff will be opened.

None. It is hoped to open the dental school at the new University Hospital of Wales in 1964.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many principals in general practice have informed executive councils, for purposes of superannuation, that they have made retrospective payments to their assistants for the years 1957 to 1960;

The information is not available centrally.

asked the Minister of Health, since the antibiotic drug tetracyline is available in France at the equivalent price of £25 10s. per 1,000 tablets as against the United Kingdom price of £58 per 1,000 tablets, if he will encourage British hospital authorities to buy this drug in France and import it.

I have no knowledge of supplies available in France at this price.

asked the Minister of Health if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to establish a wardens' service for the care of the aged who are not living in local authority housing estates, on similar lines to the services which have been set up in the administrative county of the West Riding for those aged persons who are.

No. The needs of the old living in private housing can best be met through the various domiciliary services, both statutory and voluntary.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will request the Welsh Regional Hospital Board to issue a special report on the steps taken for preventive treatment of migraine; and whether he will make a statement.

No. I see no reason for any special report.

asked the Minister of Health what report he has received from the Medical Research Council concerning the cure and treatment of migraine; and whether he will make a statement.

I am informed that the Medical Research Council has made no such report.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has now given consideration to the desirability of freeing from Purchase Tax all articles which can fairly be regarded as part of the tools of trade of the hotel industry; and whether he will give reasons for not freeing such articles from tax.

Liability of goods to Purchase Tax must depend not on the identity of the user but on the character of the goods. Most of the articles used in the hotel industry are of an ordinary domestic character.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware of the handicap imposed on the export trade in British toilet preparations as a result of 50 per cent. Purchase Tax on a large range of such preparations which are slightly perfumed in order to make them acceptable to the customer; and what steps he has taken to ascertain the extent to which Great Britain's principal competitors in the export market for toilet preparations, that is to say, the United States of America, France, and Western Germany, are equally handicapped, or otherwise, by such tax discrimination in their sales arrangements.

Exports of toilet preparations from this country and from the other countries mentioned by my hon. Friend are treated alike in that they are freed from Purchase Tax and from sales taxes. I do not believe that they are handicapped by such differences in internal taxation.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that many necessities are still subject to Purchase Tax at 50 per cent. and 25 per cent., whereas other goods frequently described as luxuries are chargeable to Purchase Tax only at 12½ per cent. or 5 per cent., respectively; and whether he will undertake to rectify this situation by giving priority to Purchase Tax consolidation and further reduction.

I cannot anticipate my right hon. and learned Friend's Budget decisions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state what approximate rate of tax would be necessary if a uniform rate of Purchase Tax were to be substituted for the present variable rates and still bring in the same amount of revenue from the goods at present chargeable with Purchase Tax.

About 19 per cent.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will authorise the opening of a duty-free shop at London Airport Central and North.

Some facilities for the duty-free purchase of spirits are already available for passengers going abroad from London Airport and consideration is being given to the extension of these facilities to the relief of other goods from Purchaes Tax when the necessary accommodation is available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent medical schools and the pattern of medical education will be considered by the Robbins Committee on Higher Education.

I understand that the Committee has asked the General Medical Council whether it wishes to submit evidence.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a further statement about the situation in Basutoland, following the banning of public meetings and the detention of fifty persons in Maseru.

My inquiries are not yet completed but I hope to be in a position to make an early statement.

asked the Secretary of State for War what facilities he provides for archaeologists to visit the ancient monuments, especially the barrows, in the Imber training area.

Although the Imber Range is closed to the public, it is possible on application to visit parts of the range when firing is not in progress. These facilities are available to archaeologists.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will place copies of the transcript of the spy trial in the Library of the House.

I am aware that my right hon. Friend the Attorney General indicated that favourable consideration would be given to this request but I should prefer to postpone the final decision until any appeals have been determined.

asked the Minister of Education why he proposes in the draft Scheme recently published by him concerning Alleyn's College of God's Gift to reduce from two to one the number of estates governors appointed by the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury, although the right to appoint two governors has existed since the original Act of 1857.

The draft Scheme gives effect to an application made by the estates governors themselves to enable representatives of all the schools benefiting from the endowment to sit on the Body of Estates Governors without increasing its size.

asked the Minister of Education what reply he has made to the representations from Finsbury Borough Council on the proposed re-organisation of the governors of Alleyn's College.

The period allowed for the receipt of representations on the proposed re-organisation does not expire until the middle of April. I will reply to the Finsbury Borough Council after that time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if a mining licence has yet been granted for properties formerly mined by Mountain Lead Mines Limited of Hong Kong; and to whom the licence has been issued.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many murders were committed during each of the last ten years in Scotland; and how many persons were convicted on charges of murder or capital murder during the same period.

The available information is shown in the table below:

asked the President of the Board of Trade under which categories of duty it will be possible to import South African wines on and after 1st June.

The preference given to South African wine under the bilateral Agreement which governs our obligation to South Africa in this matter will be unaffected by the changed status of South Africa.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has now reached a decision on the question of sending a representative to the next meeting at Strasbourg of the Committee of Experts on the Production and Marketing of Vine Products and Spirits; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I am arranging to send representatives.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a further statement regarding the negotiations for the association of Finland with the European Free Trade Association.

An Agreement of Association between the Member States of the European Free Trade Association (E.F.T.A.) and Finland is being signed in Helsinki today. Under it Finland and the members of E.F.T.A. assume broadly the same commercial rights and obligations towards one another as the members of E.F.T.A. have already assumed between themselves. The exception as far as tariffs are concerned is that Finland may reduce her import duties on certain goods in accordance with a retarded timetable (but must catch up again with the standard timetable by 1st January, 1967): the main goods in question are textiles, tyres and a range of iron and steel manufactures. The other exception is that Finland may also retain indefinitely her quantitative restrictions on imports of certain other goods—solid and liquid fuels, tars, bitumen, etc., and certain kinds of fertilisers. The full lists of the excepted products are being placed in the Library.E.F.T.A. retains its own separate Council, but a Joint Council is to be established to administer the new area of eight countries.

asked the Minister of Works what proportion of the country's building resources is devoted to offices, shops and warehouses on the one hand and council houses on the other; and what were the proportions in 1951.

As my right hon. Friend told the hon. Member on 14th March, in 1960 10 per cent. of the resources of the building and civil engineering industries were devoted to council houses and between 2 per cent. and 3 per cent. to offices. Separate figures for shop building have not been collected since 1954; figures for warehouse building have never been collected.The figures for 1951 are estimated at 19 per cent. for council houses, 1 per cent for offices and 1 per cent. for shops.