asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will arrange for refunds of Pay-As-You-Earn Income Tax to be made in uncrossed rather than crossed warrants.

No. It has been the practice for many years, for reasons of security and economy, to make all repayments of Income Tax by crossed cheque, and I have no evidence that this practice has caused any appreciable inconvenience.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage Surtax payers form of the total numbers of taxpayers; what is their average net income per head after paying tax; and what will be their average annual relief per head under his Budget proposals.

For income earned in 1961–62 there are expected to be about 20 million taxpayers, of whom about 2½ per cent. would have been Surtax payers with an average net income of about £2,500 but for my Budget proposals. The average annual relief under the Budget proposals is £170.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the revenue if no Income Tax were levied on incomes of less than £9 a week.

The estimated cost in a full year of exempting incomes up to £9 a week is about £150 million. The estimate has been made on the assumption that for incomes just above £9 a week there would be marginal relief limiting the tax on them to half the excess above £9 a week.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the totals of weekly wages and salaries paid in the United Kingdom on which he has made his calculations in relation to the yield of the proposed payroll tax; and what the proposed 4s. would be, expressed as a percentage of all those weekly wages and salaries.

The estimated yield of the proposed surcharge is related to the numbers of insured persons in respect of whom it might be payable, and is not related to totals of weekly wages and salaries. As I explained in my Budget Statement, at the maximum rate of 4s. per week the surcharge would withdraw from the economy about £200 million in a full year. The total of wages and salaries in 1960 is estimated at £13,570 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what ex-tent trade between the United Kingdom and the Union of South Africa is governed by Imperial Preference agreements; what proposals he has for terminating these agreements; and when he will lay proposals on this subject before Parliament.

About half of South Africa's exports to the United Kingdom, other than gold and uranium, in practice enjoy preferences in the United Kingdom, and most of these are guaranteed under the bilateral Agreement concluded after the Ottawa Conference in 1932. About 20 per cent. of the United Kingdom's exports to South Africa enjoy guaranteed preferences in South Africa under the same Agreement. There is no present intention of terminating this Agreement, and the last part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many applications for Board of Trade Advisory Committee aid in Cornwall have now been received; on how many decisions have been reached; what has been the average interval between receipt of an application and a decision upon it; and what have been the shortest and longest of such intervals.

Thirty-one applications have been received and decisions have been reached on twenty-one of them. The interval between the first submission of an application and the final decision upon it has varied between six and nine months, with an average of about seven months. The interval between receiving from the applicant all the information necessary to enable the Committee to investigate his case and the final decision on it is between two and three months.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will consult shipping companies carrying out school holiday trips or holiday tours, with a view to arranging that these should be combined with sales exhibitions of British goods so as to make every port visited a potential market for exports.

There are probably many practical difficulties about the right hon. Member's suggestion; but if he will give me more details of what he has in mind, I shall be glad to examine it.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many separate brewery companies are now engaged in brewing; and how many were so engaged in April, 1959.

I regret that the information asked for is not available. The most recent figures are those collected in the Census of Production for 1958. In that year the brewing and malting industry consisted of 311 separate enterprises, a holding company together with its subsidiary companies being counted for this purpose as one enterprise.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state, for British first and second feature films, respectively, the extent of the fulfilment of the quotas for the latest period for which figures are available; what were the percentages of British films shown by each of the two major circuits; how many defaults occurred; how many of these were by cinemas belonging to the two major circuits; and what action is being taken against defaulters.

The average quota achievement in the year ended 30th September, 1960, was 40·4 per cent. for first feature and 37·3 per cent. for supporting programme. The corresponding figures for cinemas controlled by A.B.C. were 52 per cent. and 42 per cent., and for cinemas controlled by the Rank Organisation 41 per cent. and 44 per cent.One hundred and twenty-two failed to achieve their prescribed quota on first feature and 207 on the supporting programme. None of these cinemas were controlled by the two major circuits. Investigation of these quota failures is proceeding.

asked the Prime Minister what plans Her Majesty's Government have for the co-ordination of research and development in Government Departments and in British industry in relation to British participation in a world communications satellite system.

As I said in my reply of 31st January to the hon. Member for Bosworth (Mr. Wyatt), there is full Governmental co-operation in this field. My right hon. Friend the Postmaster-General has sought the advice of the Federation of British Industries on the spread of industry that should be consulted to ensure full co-ordination in development, and he expects to arrange early talks with industry.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make a further statement on his talks with President Kennedy, in so far as they related to the prevention of the continued spread of nuclear weapons.

I have nothing to add to what I told the House on 13th April.

asked the Prime Minister what changes of British defence or foreign policy he proposes to make following his recent discussions with the President of the United States of America.

The defence and foreign policy of Her Majesty's Government is designed to match the changing pattern of events. The great benefit to be derived from full and frank discussions like those that I had with President Kennedy is that each side knows the other's point of view and understands the other's problems. In fact, there was a very remarkable degree of agreement between us on almost every important issue.

asked the Prime Minister if he will establish a Space Board or agency to further collaboration between Government Departments and industry on all matters relating to space research and technology.

No. Under present arrangements full consultation and collaboration can take place, as necessary, between the Departments concerned and industry.

asked the Minister of Works what was the cost of building new Government offices in each of the last five years.

The following are the figures:

asked the Minister of Works if he will itemise the proposed expenditure of £2,830 on the Military Knights' Houses, Windsor Castle; and if he will state the purpose of such houses.

There are eighteen houses built in the 16th and early 17th centuries as part of the fabric of the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle for the Foundation of the Military Knights of Windsor. They still provide living accommodation for the Military Knights. The details of the proposed expenditure (less £95 receipts from tenants) are:

asked the Minister of Works if he will itemise the proposed expenditure of £23,100 on repair and maintenance of furniture and equipment at Buckingham Palace in 1961–62.

Details are as follows:

asked the Minister of Works why it is proposed to spend £3,403 in 1961–62 on the Garage Block at Marlborough House; and whether he will give the details of such expenditure.

In addition to garages and workshops, the Garage Block at Marlborough House contains 10 flats occupied by Palace staff. Details are as follows:

asked the Minister of Works how the figure of £50,000, proposed expenditure on works services on Apartment 1A of Kensington Palace, was arrived at; and whether he will itemise the expenditure.

The estimate of £50,000 is a preliminary estimate based on sketch plans. It comprises £25,000 for work necessary anyhow to restore the fabric, and a further £25,000 for the renewal and modernisation of services, decorations and fittings, etc., to make the Apartment habitable. No more detailed breakdown of the estimate can be given at this early stage in the planning.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) if he will state the total number of houses flooded in Hull, on 20th March, 1961, and the number of householders who have applied for compensation for damage done;(2) if he will state the number of houses in the Swan Street and Chapman Street areas in Hull, respectively, which were flooded on 20th March, the number of these houses which have been flooded three times in recent years, and the number which are now sub-standard and not properly fit for human habitation.

I understand that 156 houses were flooded, 6 of them being in the Swan Street area and 94 in the Chapman Street area, and that 159 claims for compensation for flood damage have been received by the Council. I further understand that 24 of these houses have been flooded three times in recent years. All the houses which were flooded in the Swan Street and Chapman Street areas are included in the Council's slum clearance programme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what arrangements are available to ensure that the observations of the Royal Fine Art Commission are considered before planning permission is given for further skyscrapers in the London area.

Normally there is consultation between the London County Council and the Royal Fine Art Commission on proposals for major buildings on important sites in Central London, including very high buildings, and account is taken in these cases of the views of the Commission before planning permission is given.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what building rules at present apply to public swimming pools and to school swimming pools; and to what extent these provisions ensure that adequate standards of hygiene can be maintained.

New public swimming pools must be designed to the standards recommended in the report "The Purification of the Water of Swimming Baths", published in 1951 by the Stationery Office.Local authorities may make byelaws for regulating conditions in swimming baths, whether their own or not. School swimming pools are approved by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education.Medical Officers of Health are responsible for informing themselves of matters affecting, or likely to affect, the public health in their districts.I have no information that adequate standards of hygiene in swimming pools are not being maintained.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that it is now possible for a person to purchase a council house of which he is the tenant and sell it again in a short time making a substantial profit in the transaction; and if he will insert conditions in the sale of such houses to prevent them being sold at a higher price until they have been occupied for a reasonable period after purchase.

The terms of my general consent to the sale of council houses are given in Circular No. 5/60, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. In the case of pre-war houses, I require the local authority to impose conditions limiting the price at which the house may be resold during the following five years, and reserving to themselves a right of pre-emption during that period. I do not think a general requirement of this sort necessary in the case of post-war houses, because my general consent to their sale is subject to the condition that the price must not be less than the all-in cost, so that there is no great likelihood of re-sale at a substantial profit.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what number and what proportion of houses in Wales had a piped water supply at the latest convenient date; and what were the comparable figures and proportions in 1951.

About 749,000 houses in Wales (95 per cent. of the total number) had a piped water supply in June, 1959, the last date for which figures are readily available. In 1951 the comparable figures were about 598,000 and 84 per cent.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many private houses, including farm houses, are without a piped water supply in Merioneth; and what percentage this forms of the total number of houses in the county.

About 1,100. This is about 8 per cent. of the total number.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Report on Kenya for 1959 is likely to be available; and what are the reasons for delay in publication.

I am informed that staff difficulties have caused delay in preparation of the Kenya Annual Report for 1959 and pressure of urgent work on the Government Printer in Nairobi has held up printing. I hope to receive printed copies by the end of May, and publication by Her Majesty's Stationery Office will take place as soon as possible thereafter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made with the long-term planning of hospital building and ser vices in Scotland.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Lady the Member for North Lanarkshire (Miss Herbison) on 1st February last. The most important development since then is that I have given authority for the main works of reconstruction at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Western Infirmary to be planned for building as single stage operations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland in what towns and counties of Scotland the regional hospital boards are examining sites for new hospitals for inclusion in a revised building programme.

Sites are already available at existing hospitals for the great majority of the projects now envisaged. Areas in which possible sites for new hospitals are being examined or sought include Greenock, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Fife.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he is aware of the widespread criticism in Scotland of the appointment by the Registrar of people to undertake duties in connection with the General Census in their own localities; and if he will make a statement on his policy in this matter.

While the Registrar General has received a few complaints from householders whose enumerators were known to them, there is no evidence of widespread criticism. Indeed there have also been cases of householders who were unwilling to accept schedules from strangers.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sheriff substitutes do not reside in their sheriffdom.

Six.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT in respect of each local authority area the number of

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue a list of schemes in the road programme costing over £100,000 which were started in the year ended 31st March, 1961, with the present estimated completion date and total cost of each.

The following is a list of the schemes referred to:young people between the ages of 15 and 18 years engaged in day-release education; how many of them are boys and girls; and if he will state the numbers on each trade course.

I have sent the hon. Member two tables setting out the available information. The tables are too large to be published in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made in reorganising secondary education in sparsely-populated areas by reducing the number of small secondary departments.

Eleven such departments were discontinued between 1956 and 1959, and 10 since the beginning of 1960. A further 11 will be discontinued in the near future and I have agreed in principle that another 16 may be discontinued when proposals for alternative arrangements can be worked out and submitted for my approval.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will give an assurance that, before accepting new proposals for the supply of tactical nuclear weapons to the West German armed forces, he will make a statement to the House of Commons.

There are no such proposals at present before the North Atlantic Council. The equipment of German forces assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is not considered in isolation but as part of the equipment of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces as a whole.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what consultations about a joint space satellite programme have taken place between Her Majesty's Government and the French and United States Governments since the agreement between the two latter Governments was arrived at recently.

Last month the French and United States authorities concluded two separate bilateral understandings on co-operation in space matters. The first deals with a purely scientific programme and the second with joint experiments with communication satellites. Both these agreements are paralleled by similar ones existing between ourselves and the United States, and the three countries will co-operate closely in the experiments with communications satellites.We are in regular contact with both the French and United States Governments on space research and wider international discussions are, of course, in progress. But there have been no specific consultations of the kind referred to by the right hon. Gentleman during recent weeks.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will state the number of prosecutions brought for contravention of Section 1 (1) of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, in each of the last three years to the most recent convenient date; and how many convictions were recorded on indictment and on summary trial, respectively, in each of those years.

Figures for the offences classed together in the Criminal Statistics as "cruelty to or neglect of children", most of which are offences under Section 1 (1) of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of his responsibility with regard to civil defence, how many square miles he estimates would be subject to the local fallout of radioactive particles giving a dose of at least 800 roentgens in the open in the first 48 hours, after the detonation of a 10-megaton bomb.

This would depend on a number of factors such as weapon design and meteorological conditions, but assuming a ground burst weapon and a 50 per cent. fission yield, the area so contaminated might be about 2,000 square miles.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of his responsibility with regard to civil defence, how many million curies of strontium 90 he estimates would be created in the event of an explosion involving 3,950 megatons of nuclear bombs; and what would be the percentages of local fall-out and world-wide fall-out.

The amount of strontium 90 which would be produced would vary greatly with the types of bomb which were used. The percentage of local and world-wide fall-out would vary with the circumstances. This variation would extend from almost nothing up to about two-thirds for local fall-out with world-wide fall-out constituting the remainder.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of his responsibility for civil defence, what estimate he has made of the number of people who would suffer sever, but not fatal, thermal injury if a 10-megaton bomb fell on the following cities, London, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, and Bristol; and what civil defence arrangements have been made to deal with possible mass-burn casualties.

The number of people receiving injuries of this nature would depend on a number of variable factors and no reliable estimate can be given. For example, the simple act of taking cover would greatly reduce the potential casualties from this hazard. The planned medical arrangements take account of the need to deal with casualties from this as well as from the other effects of nuclear weapons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Prisoner No. 1, Dartmoor, is among those who are to be sent at the beginning of May to the experimental block at Brixton; and if he will make a statement on the latest incident in which this prisoner was involved.

On 2nd April this prisoner attacked an officer at Dartmoor with a knife and inflicted three cuts. He has been transferred to Brixton prison where he will be located in the special wing as soon as this is ready.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, since coloured immigrants are likely to reach 150,000 for 1961, what total numbers he estimates the United Kingdom can absorb; and what progress Her Majesty's Government have made in formulating their policy on this problem.

I have nothing to add at present to the Answers given on 20th April to Questions on this subject.

asked the Minister of Labour what were the reasons for the increase in unemployment during the last winter in the Barnard Castle area; and what steps he has initiated to prevent a recurrence next winter.

The increase in unemployment was due to the completion of constructional work on the reservoir at Selset. I have no reason to expect a recurrence next winter as work which should last several years has now started on another reservoir at Balderhead.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will state the height above Ordnance Datum of high water in the River Humber on 20th March, 1961, and the amount of clearance above water of the dock walls and wharves along the north bank of the river, within the city boundary of Kingston-upon-Hull;(2) if he will state the number of sites of the east and west banks of the River Hull, respectively, where the river floods back through drains; and what steps are to be taken to fit these drains with non-return flaps.

I am obtaining the information requested and will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Health what vaccinations and immunisation, both for poliomyelitis and other diseases, the cases of poliomyelitis at Ipswich had previously received.

The following is the information about vaccination and immunisation of poliomyelitis patients in Ipswich

asked the Postmaster-General whether the large unused capacity in the telecommunication equipment industry which existed in July of last year is still unused; and whether he will make a statement.

The output of the telecommunications equipment industry during the last quarter of 1960 was about 35 per cent. more than in the preceding quarter, and was the highest ever recorded. This has been achieved despite the tendency of export orders to decline, as mentioned in my reply of 13th April to the hon. Member. If the hon. Member has in mind the capacity in any particular branch of the industry and will let me know, I shall be glad to make inquiry.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give the number of new telephones installed in Merioneth during the year ended 31st December, 1960; and how many applications are now pending.

Three hundred and eighteen new telephones were installed last year. At present 70 applications are held up by a shortage of plant and a further 107 are under inquiry or in course of being met.