asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has now received, and from whom, concerning the payroll tax; and what replies he has sent.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received 68 representations direct, apart from those sent to and forwarded by Members of Parliament. More than half of these were from representative organisations and individual concerns in industry and trade; the rest came in small numbers from trade unions, charitable and other non-profit-making organisations, local authorities and private individuals. The replies sent were to the effect that my right hon. and learned Friend had noted the representations and would bear them in mind.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will introduce legislation to compel all firms to give voting rights to their shareholders.

This matter falls within the terms of reference of the Committee under the chairmanship of Lord Jenkins which is reviewing company law. The Committee have received much evidence bearing on it and my right hon. Friend must await the Committee's report before considering whether there should be legislation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the United Kingdom's present balance of payments, the Government have reconsidered their policy of dollar liberalisation; and with what result.

Dollar liberalisation accounts far only a small part of our increased exports. In the view of my right hon. Friend it is by expanding our exports and not by restrictive trade policies that we must improve our trade balance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the statement by Mr. Neville Faulks, Q.C., in his official report that Section 54 of the Companies Act, 1948, is regularly ignored, what action he intends to take to ensure its observance.

My right hon. Friend is always prepared to consider the question of proceedings if evidence is available which would seem to justify a prosecution. He feels, however, that the questions posed by this Section, including the adequacy of the penalty, need to be examined afresh. The Jenkins Committee which is reviewing company law has received evidence on this subject and will no doubt deal with the matter in its report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he now proposes to take regarding the dumping of barley; and whether he will make a statement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if a decision has now been reached on the measures to be taken to stop the dumping of barley on the United Kingdom market; and if these measures will be effective before this year's home crop is marketed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what measures he proposes to adopt to deal with the dumping of barley in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is pressing forward his enquiries into the anti-dumping application made by the National Farmers' Unions, with all possible speed and is continuing his discussions with the interests concerned in this country and overseas. He hopes to make a statement shortly.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of the Industrial Estate, Wrexham.

Wrexham is not a development district under the Local Employment Act. The Board of Trade have therefore decided to dispose of their industrial property there. In accordance with the Government's normal policy, sitting tenants will be offered first refusal of their industrial holdings. The remaining land, which is not leased to industrial tenants, will be offered back to the former owners.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking to find a tenant for the Phoenix Telephone Works, Stockton-on-Tees, which is in the process of closing.

As this is a privately-owned factory which is not in a development district, there is no special action for my right hon. Friend to take. The attention of one possible occupier has already been drawn to the vacancy, but without result.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to introduce new industries into the Stranraer district of Wigtownshire.

Assistance under the Local Employment Act is available to new or expanding undertakings in the Stranraer district and we shall continue to do all we can to encourage industrial development there.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the policy of Her Majesty's Government with reference to the issue of licences for the sale of arms and ammunition to Portugal.

I have nothing to add to the Answer which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave today to the hon. Member's Question on this subject.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many additional jobs he expects to be provided in the central West Fife area in the next year as a result of the Local Employment Act; and how many inquiries from industrialists about development in the area are currently under consideration.

About 640 jobs are in prospect in central West Fife, most of which will arise in the next year. In addition, there have been a dozen or so enquiries for industrialists who have visited sites in the area.

asked the Prime Minister what progress the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the President of the Board of Trade have now made in their examination of the problem of spreading Bank Holidays and annual holidays more evenly throughout the year.

The preliminary inter-departmental examination has been completed, and discussions will shortly begin with the outside interests mainly concerned in order to get their views on this very complicated subject.

asked the Prime Minister whether the speech of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Conservative Teachers' Association, with regard to betting shops and the sale of liquor, represents the policy of Her Majesty's Government.

I have seen the text which my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary used in making his speech and I cannot find any reference to this subject.

asked the Prime Minister if, in the light of the most recent events in Angola, he will now reconsider his decision to permit the export of arms and ammunition to Portugal.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will now give instructions for the cessation of the supply of all arms to Portugal.

As the House knows, the export of arms from this country can take two forms—sales by Her Majesty's Government to foreign governments or sales under licence by manufacturers of arms direct to foreign governments or contractors. In deciding whether to negotiate a sale or to grant a licence for the export of military equipment to Portugal, we have to consider her reasonable military requirements as a N.A.T.O. ally. But supplies of equipment to Portguguese overseas territories are in a different category and applications in these cases are for the time being in suspense.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science to what extent Scottish engineering industries are making use of the facilities available for research at the National Engineering Laboratory, East Kilbride.

I am disappointed at the small use made of these facilities by Scottish industry. Of over 3,000 requests for research reports received last year, under 200 came from Scottish industry; and of a total of £48,000 received for work carried out by the National Engineering Laboratory on a repayment basis, only £2,000 was from firms in Scotland.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science to what extent Scottish local authorities, river purification boards, and industry, are making use of the facilities available at the East Kilbride Pollution Research Laboratory.

A branch of the Water Pollution Research Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was opened at East Kilbride this January. Up to the end of May, four inquiries were made by River Purification Boards, seven by local authorities, six by industry, and there have been many other contacts by outside visits of the staff and by telephone.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what was the total amount spent on cancer research during the last period of 12 months for which figures are available; what proportion of the total amount was provided from public funds; and what proportion came from voluntary contributions.

Complete figures for expenditure on cancer research are not available, but the total amount spent by the Medical Research Council and the two major voluntary organisations, the British Empire Cancer Campaign and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, in 1959–60 was about £1,541,400. Of this sum 37·6 per cent. was provided from public funds, and 62·4 per cent. from voluntary contributions.

asked the Minister of Works how many trees have been removed in Hyde Park as a result of road alterations; how many replacements have been planted; and what steps he has taken to ensure that existing trees are not affected by concrete dust or suffer other adverse effects as a result of the road work.

In the last three years road alterations have caused the loss of 84 trees and natural causes were responsible for a further 33. Replacements in this period have totalled 221 and a further 90 plantings are planned for this year. The contractors are required to take precautions to my satisfaction to prevent damage to trees and these arrangements will be rigidly enforced.

asked the Minister of Works whether he is aware that the housing programmes of local authorities in Monmouthshire are in danger of collapse as a consequence of a shortage of cement, and that at Cwmbran contractors are being compelled to cease work on houses intended for steelworkers at the Spencer works; and what action he intends taking to remedy this.

No. I am assured that while casual orders may be subject to delay orders placed for regular supplies are being met in Monmouthshire. Special attention is being given to the position at Cwmbran.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the reasons which led him to overrule the findings of his inspector in relation to the request of Span Developments Limited for permission to build on the site occupied by No. 44 Blackheath Park, S.E.3.

I will send the hon. Member a copy of the letter conveying my decision; my reasons are fully set out there. Broadly, the arguments were under three heads—that 44 Blackheath Park should not be demolished, that the daylighting and outlook of the adjoining house would be affected, and that the development proposed would spoil the appearance of the adjoining development. I agreed with the Inspector's view that there was no case for preventing demolition. I did not think that there was a sufficient case for refusal because of the effect on the adjoining house. The major consideration was the aesthetic effect of the proposed development on the neighbourhood. There is already contemporary development to the west of the site and, taking account of that, of the evidence submitted by both parties (including the views of some eminent architects), and of my Inspector's conclusions, I decided that I would be right to allow the appeal.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what progress he has made in compiling or approving lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest; and when he expects that this work will be completed.

By 31st May, my right hon. Friend has issued the statutory lists required by Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, for 974 out of the 1,474 local authority areas in England and Wales. A further 257 local authority areas had been partly listed. If the present rate of progress is maintained, the work of survey for listing will take a further five years, and it will be some time thereafter before the issue of the statutory lists is completed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many public and private water undertakings, respectively, there are in Wales; and how many amalgamations have taken place since 1st January, 1957.

There are now 112 public and 7 private statutory water undertakings in Wales. Seven amalgamations have taken place since 1st January, 1957. These have reduced the number of water undertakings by 27. A considerable further reduction will take place if all of the other regrouping proposals at present under discussion come to fruition.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects to receive the Pippard Report on Thames pollution.

Next month.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will ask the Royal Fine Art Commission to hold a special inquiry and issue a report on how industrial cities and towns can as quickly as possible be cleaned, beautified and laid out with trees, shrubs, plants, turf, and on other matters that will improve public amenity and artistic importance, including the cleaning of buildings, the provision of more trees and seats on main roads and shopping centres, suitable music, and an increase in shelters and omnibus shelters.

As I said in reply to a Question by the hon. Member on 6th June, there are current a number of vigorous programmes, trends, and campaigns which all serve to improve the urban environment. My right hon. Friend does not think it appropriate to ask the Royal Fine Art Commission to carry out a special inquiry.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) if he will consider what action should be taken to preserve the beauty and nature of the countryside near industrial cities and towns; if he will take urgent action to preserve for the future the area to the west of the main road through Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, the woods between Newstead, Stoke-on-Trent, and Wedgwoods new factory, Mow Cop, all the land within a reasonable radius of Worsley Court House, Worsley Woods and the woods on Barton Moss;(2) if he will seek the co-operation of the National Forestry Commission in the need for the preservation, planting and improvement of the Trentham, Worsley and Barton Moss Woods.

Preservation of the countryside is an essential planning consideration, which local planning authorities keep well before them; my right hon. Friend does not think any special action on his part is called for. He is not aware that any action which is not already being taken by the local planning and other authorities is needed to preserve the particular areas to which the hon. Member refers. The Forestry Commission are working in close cooperation with the planning authorities in the areas mentioned.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many of the planners and research officers of his Department hold qualifications in the social sciences, excluding geography as a social science.

Nine.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many local government authorities have ceased building houses for general need; and what effect he estimates current land prices are having on rents and general rates.

Authorities do not have to tell me when they cease building for a particular purpose, but at the end of March, out of 1,469 housing authorities, 296 had no houses either under construction or in approved tenders. This figure was almost exactly the same as a year earlier. Land prices account for only a small part of the total cost of a house. Their effect upon rents or rates will depend upon the way in which individual authorities decide to meet their housing costs. Where local authorities find it necessary to build on expensive land, a special subsidy is payable on sites costing more than £4,000 an acre as developed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will now make a statement on the constitutional discussions in Northern Rhodesia.

I have nothing to add to the statement which I made to the House yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will instruct the authorities of the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh not to press a claim to the St. Ninian's Isle treasures, in view of the fact that the University of Aberdeen hold these in trust for Shetland, over which the Crown has no jurisdiction as a feudal superior.

I have nothing to add to the statement made today by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in reply to a Question by the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes).

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a grant to the Scottish National Orchestra to enable them to accept an invitation to tour the United States of America.

The Arts Council and, for Scotland, its Scottish Committee, are the channels through which Government financial assistance is given to the Arts. Accordingly the question of any additional grant to the Scottish National Orchestra is a matter for the Scottish Committee of the Arts Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now received the annual report of the Scottish Council of Physical Recreation; if he is aware of the financial threat to the continuance of Inverclyde recreation centre; and if he will authorise a grant towards its maintenance for Scottish youth.

The Scottish Council of Physical Recreation recently sent me its annual report and applied for a grant towards the upkeep of the Inverclyde centre. As already announced, I am prepared to authorise a grant and I am considering the circumstances put before me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the planners and research officers of his Department hold qualifications in the social sciences, excluding geography as a social service.

Two of my Department's twenty-three planners and research officers hold qualifications in economics. The more usual qualifications are as architects, surveyors or engineers with membership of the Town Planning Institute, while two are qualified in geography.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he now proposes to make an Order extending the timetable for the hearing of valuation appeals.

After informal consultations between my Department and the local authority Associations and the Scottish Branch of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, I have decided that I should not be justified in postponing the last date for lodging appeals and complaints, which is 31st July. Any ratepayer who is aggrieved by his valuation can keep the matter open by lodging a pro forma appeal by that date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of the shipping services to the North Isles of Orkney.

I have asked Colonel H. W. Scarth, the Convener of Orkney County Council, to take the initiative in forming a new company to provide shipping services to the North Isles of Orkney, and he has agreed to do so. The members of the new company will include a strong representation from the North Isles.When the new company is formed it can enter into an agreement with the Government for assistance under the Highlands and Islands Shipping Services Act to maintain and improve the services. The agreement would provide, among other matters, for the appointment of Government Directors as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the new company, and I intend to appoint Sir Douglas Thomson of the Ben Line, who has been advising me on the shipping problems involved, and Colonel Scarth to these posts. I am very grateful to these gentlemen for agreeing to undertake this public service for which they have told me that they do not wish to receive any remuneration.It has already been announced that the Government are prepared to provide vessels for this service and to charter them to a suitable operating company. Designs for suitable ships have been prepared and tenders have been taken and are at present being considered.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will make a statement on the arrest and imprisonment by the civil authority in Malta of men of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, who were charged with the theft of cars.

Eleven soldiers of the Royal Highland Fusiliers were involved in these incidents. Five of them have been dealt with by the civil authorities and awarded sentences of imprisonment of between 30 and 40 days each. The remainder have been remanded in custody.The trial of soldiers by the civil power in Malta is determined by agreement between the civil and military authorities; in this case the offences were predominantly concerned with civilian property. It appears that these soldiers missed the last bus back to their unit and took private cars without the owners' permission to return to barracks.I have read allegations that the soldiers concerned committed these crimes in order to escape harsh discipline within the unit. This is not the case. Incidentally I have myself recently visited this regiment. It is an excellent regiment and well administered. This incident was a case of misbehaviour by a few soldiers who only recently joined the unit in Malta.

asked the Secretary of State for War with what Government Departments General Luis da Camara Pina, the Portuguese Army Chief of Staff, had official discussions during his recent visit to London; and for what purpose they were held.

General Pina paid an ordinary liaison visit of the sort common among N.A.T.O. allies. His programme included some routine discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air and myself.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the net inflow of immigrants into the United Kingdom from Hong Kong for the first five months of 1961 as compared with the same period last year.

About 600, as compared with about 350 last year.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now able to make a statement on the compensation of victims of crimes of violence.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 22nd June to Questions by the hon. Members for East Ham, North (Mr. Prentice) and Lewisham, South (Mr. C. Johnson).

asked the Minister of Power what proportion of the total imports of oil to the United Kingdom is paid for in dollars.

It is not practicable to provide these figures. Since the advent of external convertibility at the end of 1958 many foreign currencies are now freely convertible for current account transactions, and it is no longer possible to identify the payments for oil imports which ultimately involve a dollar liability.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will take powers to provide for the collection of a contribution in addition to the licence from all road users to provide a comprehensive service of patrols, rescue arrangements and communications for use by road users, police, and the public in the interests of safety on the road.

No. The existing arrangements for rescue and communications seem to be in general adequate. Any necessary extension of the patrol system could be better achieved by the further development of mobile police patrols.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the absence of a by-pass at Worksop discourages drivers from using trunk road A.57 to reach A.1 when travelling south from Sheffield, with the result that roads less suitable for through traffic are used; and whether, in view of this, he will include the construction of the by-pass in the road programme at an early date.

I regret that, having regard to other more urgent schemes, I

asked the Minister of Defence if he will give an assurance that the Royal Navy's requirements for the Seacat anti-aircraft missile will be met in full before any are supplied to other powers outside the Commonwealth, such as Western Germany or Sweden; and if he is satisfied that the supplying

asked the Attorney-General if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the extent to which the recommendations in the successive reports of the Law Reform Committee have been implemented by legislation.

The action taken on the various Reports of the Law Reform Committee is shown in the following table:of this missile to foreign powers will in no way prejudice the security of the United Kingdom, in view of the restrictions at present prohibiting the publication of any details of the missile.

There is no reason to think that overseas orders will interfere with planned deliveries to the Royal Navy. No missiles will be supplied to other countries until the security aspects of each case have been fully considered.

asked the Minister of Defence, in view of the fact that the United States Navy now have 19 nuclear submarines in service while the Royal Navy have none, if he will make proposals to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation for a re-arrangement of training programmes for submarine crews, so that the West German and other navies in the organisation can obtain maximum experience of the operating of nuclear submarines.

No. As unit training remains a national responsibility of N.A.T.O., I can see no advantage in putting forward such a proposal.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will make a statement on the future of the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.

Yes. Following consultations with the University of London, the British Postgraduate Medical Federation, and the University Grants Committee, I have agreed in principle that in the interests of teaching and research and of the hospital service generally the special postgraduate hospitals and institutes should as far as possible be brought together in two groups for which the nuclei already exist.Accordingly, I am proposing that the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, the Hospital for Sick Children, the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital and the Eastman Dental Hospital shall remain or be developed with their institutes on their present sites in the Holborn area; and the two branches of Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Institute of Ophthalmology will in due course be brought together and developed on the site of the Royal Free Hospital in Gray's Inn Road.As regards the other group, I am proposing that the Brompton Hospital (with which the London Chest Hospital is to be combined) and the Royal Marsden Hospital will remain and be developed with their respective institutes in their present locations on the Fulham Road. With them will be located the following smaller hospitals, with their institutes, as and when they are rebuilt: St. Peter's, St. Paul's and St. Philip's Hospitals, St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin and also St. Mark's Hospital. Provision will be made for the eventual inclusion of the National Heart Hospital and the Institute of Cardiology. I am still considering the best arrangements to make for the Town Branch of the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital and its institute.Because of their special circumstances, I have agreed that Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital and the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospitals, with their respective institutes, need not be moved into either of the two groups. Apart from the transfer of St. Mark's Hospital the proposals do not affect Hammersmith Hospital nor the Postgraduate Medical School associated with it.The proposals involve redevelopment of the sites now occupied by the Chelsea Hospital for Women and St. Luke's Hospital. The Chelsea Hospital for Women will be rebuilt adjacent to Queen Charlotte's. St. Luke's Hospital urgently needs to be replaced, and I am satisfied that satisfactory alternative geriatric provision can be made for the area: specific proposals will emerge from consideration of the 10-year plan for the South West Metropolitan Region.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what are the present average weekly and annual earnings, respectively, of workpeople employed in industry in Scotland;(2) what are the present average weekly earnings of workpeople employed in each industry in Scotland.

I regret that separate information for Scotland is not available.

asked the Postmaster-General what was the number of persons awaiting telephones in the constituency of Belfast, North and the number of telephones installed, respectively, in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

At the 31st May, 102 persons were awaiting telephones; a further 142 applications were under enquiry or in course of being met. The figures a year ago were 95 and 64 respectively. During the past 12 months 617 telephones were installed. New cables have been laid and more are planned. I hope that about three-quarters of the people at present waiting for telephones will get them by the end of September.