asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many of the new Admiralty charts for yachtsmen have been issued; how many copies have so far been sold; and what plans exist for extending the coverage of the series.

So far charts of seven areas extending from Yarmouth to the Medway have been issued. By the summer we expect to add thirteen more charts, extending the cover to include the whole of the Solent area. Later on we hope to add further to the series. These charts retailed at 3s. 6d. have proved to be very popular with yachtsmen and in the two months in which they have been available, 2,300 copies have been sold.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will publish a table showing, in respect of each month from the end of August, 1961, to the latest date for which figures are available, the number of beds available, the average bed occupancy per month and the cost per month of each occupied bed, at the Royal Marine sick quarters, Deal.

The figures for beds and bed occupancy are given in the table below:

—			Number of Beds	Average Occupancy
1961
September	…	…	22	11
October	…	…	22	5
November	…	…	22	9
December	…	…	22	5
1962
January	…	…	44	14
February	…	…	44	24

NOTE: The Sick Quarters did not become fully operative until the end of January, 1962, when the operating theatre and surgical block came into use for the first time.Figures of the cost per month for each occupied bed are not readily available. The number of staffed beds can be reduced or increased as experience may show this to be necessary. There is not as yet sufficient experience of the new arrangements to determine their adequacy or otherwise.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many Service patients received dental treatment in the Royal Marine sick quarters. Deal, during each week from the end of August, 1961, to the latest date for which figures are available.

During the period week ending 2nd September, 1961, to 10th March, 1962, 759 Service patients attended for mouth examination and charting, an average of 27 per week. The dental department was closed for two weeks during the leave period in December. From the week ending 13th January, 1962, only two dental officers were borne, one less than the approved complement.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will name the ships to be scrapped as set out in Appendix II of Command paper No. 1629.

The names of the ships approved during 1961–62 for scrapping are:—

Destroyers—H.M. Ships "Alamein", "Childers", "Cockade" and "Comet".

Frigates—H.M. Ships "St. Brides Bay", "Cardigan Bay", "Pheasant Starling", "Paladin", "Teazer", "Loch Craggie" and "Brecon".

Netlayer—H.M.S. "Guardian".

Submarines—H.M. Submarines "Tudor", "Tactician", "Trespasser", "Trenchant", "Thule", "Scorcher", "Sentinel". "Solent", "Minnow" and "Sprat".

Destroyer Depot Ship—H.M.S. "Woolwich".

Ocean Minesweepers—H.M. Ships "Bramble", "Lennox", "Rinaldo", "Hound", "Orestes", "Pincher", "Plucky", "Wave" and "Welcome".

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a further statement on the future of the Donibristle site in Fife; and whether there is any immediate prospect of sale to an industrial developer.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him last week by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade.I am unable to add at this stage to the information given him then, except to say that there is no immediate prospect of a sale to an industrial developer.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why there has been so long a delay in agreeing an alternative route for that part of the bridleway known as Robin Hood's Bay Road which has to be diverted in connection with the establishment of the early warning station on Fylingdales Moor; and if he will now agree to the alternative route suggested by the North York Moors National Park Planning Committee.

We had first to determine how much land had to be fenced off to provide a safety area and then to consult the North Riding County Council and other interested parties. The line of the alternative route has now been agreed.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of representations he has received regarding toll charges on the Forth Road Bridge; and if he will publish the names of the organisations or authorities concerned.

In the past 12 months I have received 13 representations. Most are from Fife, seven being from town councils in the county in support of a resolution by the county council urging that no tolls should be charged; in addition two town councils, a body calling itself the National Forth Road Bridge Committee, and two private individuals have made similar representations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the considerable number of unfilled vacancies among occupational therapy staff; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that these vacancies are filled and that further wastage is considerably reduced

An additional training school is to be opened in Glasgow in September of this year. Much of the wastage of trained people results from marriage; and we are trying to encourage more married women to return to this work, part-time if necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions there have been in Scotland in the last ten years for selling tobacco to children under the age of 16 years, whether for their own or for another's consumption.

I regret that I do not have this information and that it could be obtained only by extensive local researches.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give the number of physiotherapists employed in the hospitals in the area of each of the regional hospital boards in Scotland and the number of unfilled vacancies for physiotherapists in each area;(2) if he will give the number of almoners employed in the hospitals in the area of each of the regional hospital boards in Scotland, and the number of unfilled vacancies for almoners in each area;(3) if he will give the number of radiographers employed in the hospitals in the area of each of the regional hospital boards in Scotland, and the number of unfilled vacancies for radiographers in each area;(4) if he will give the number of occupational therapists employed in the hospitals in the area of each of the regional hospital boards in Scotland, and the number of unfilled vacancies for occupational therapists in each area.(5) if he will give the number of qualified dieticians employed in the hospitals in the area of each of the regional hospital boards in Scotland, and the number of unfilled vacancies for qualified dieticians in each area.

REGIONAL HOSPITAL BOARDS
—		North		North-Eastern		Eastern
		In Post	Unfilled Vacancies	In Post	Unfilled Vacancies	In Post	Unfilled Vacancies
Physiotherapists	…	21	2	37	11	39	27
Almoners	…	2	1	10	4	7	5
Radiographers	…	17	3	46	—	41	12
Occupational Therapists	…	4	—	15	5	34	4
Dieticians	…	2	—	—	2	7	3

—		South-Eastern		Western		Scotland
		In Post	Unfilled Vacancies	In Post	Unfilled Vacancies	In Post	Unfilled Vacancies
Physiotherapists	…	129	14	305	35	531	89
Almoners	…	32	6	57	14	108	30
Radiographers	…	115	7	255	26	474	48
Occupational Therapists	…	50	6	63	14	166	29
Dieticians	…	14	3	30	13	53	21
NOTE: Unfilled vacancies are vacancies which have been advertised and not yet filled and posts now vacant which are about to be advertised.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to know the views of the local authorities whom he is consulting on the proposals concerning remand homes of the Special Committee of the Scottish Advisory Council on child care.

The local authority associations hope to let me have their views by the end of April.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of trunk roads are subject to speed limits of 30 miles per hour and 40 miles per hour, respectively.

The figures are 212·5 miles and 6·5 miles, respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of level crossings on trunk roads.

Twenty-two, of which six are over mineral lines.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Transport if he will arrange for a pedestrian crossing at the intersections of St. James's Square and Pall Mall.

Yes. An extra pedestrian crossing is to be installed soon at the junction of Pall Mall with the western arm of St. James's Square, roughly halfway between the Regent Street and Marlborough Gate crossings. There will then be three pedestrian crossings not more than 200 yards apart in this length.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will give an assurance that he will make no order with regard to the closure to vehicular traffic of the junction of Woodhurst Park Road with the Maidstone-Guildford Road (A.25) at Oxted without allowing the local residents to express their opinion at a public inquiry.

We will bear my right hon. Friend's suggestion in mind if we are asked again to close the junction to traffic. But in the meantime we have suggested alternative measures to the county council.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has now reached a decision on the proposal made by the Tilehurst Parish Council and the Berkshire County Council last August, that in the interests of road safety a double white line should be painted on the Bath Road (A.4) between the Reading borough boundary and Theale.

This is one of the three-lane roads I am considering for trials in the use of off-set double white line markings, giving two lanes for traffic in one direction and one lane in the other direction. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as we have decided whether this particular road should be included in the trials.

asked the Minister of Transport how many miles of trunk roads are subject to speed limits of 30 miles an hour, and 40 miles an hour, respectively.

In England and Wales there are 1,169 miles of trunk road restricted to 30 miles per hour and 153 miles restricted to 40 miles per hour.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he can give details of National Road Safety Campaigns arranged by his Department, in co-operation with other organisations, for 1962.

My Ministry and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, in co-operation, are making arrangements for a major campaign in 1962 designed to emphasise the importance of training for road users.

asked the Minister of Transport what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs about the rating of public car parks.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the number of workers in the ship-repairing industry in Cardiff declined by 30 per cent. in the three years from 1958 to 1960 inclusive; if he will state the number of insured employees in this industry at the most recent convenient date; and what steps he proposes to take to arrest the continuing decline in this industry.

The number of insured persons in ship-repairing in the Cardiff area fell by 30 per cent. from May, 1958 to May, 1960, from 3,670 to 2,550. The number of unemployed included in these figures fell in the same period by over 20 per cent. from 658 to 510. Later figures of insured persons are not yet available. Employment in ship-repairing in the United Kingdom declined from 1957 to 1959 but has partly recovered now. How much ship-repair work Cardiff can secure depends upon the volume of shipping in the area and the competitive ability of the yards there.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, whether he is aware of the need to establish a meat research centre in Scotland, in order to investigate the development of quality beef; and what action he is taking in this respect.

It is proposed to set up a single meat research centre for the whole of the United Kingdom. This will eventually be concerned with all types of meat. In selecting the site for it, the Agricultural Research Council will take all relevant considerations into account. The choice will probably be made soon.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will give the most recent results of the research being conducted in this country on salt water conversion; and if he will make a statement.

Research on salt water conversion is mainly undertaken by industrial firms, which are not bound to publish their results. The Tropical Products Institute of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is doing a small amount of work on solar distillation, which may find applications in warmer countries. All our information suggests that demineralisation of salt water is unlikely, in normal circumstances, to be economic in this country.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will request the Agricultural Research Council to set up a committee to examine the causes of canary stain in wool.

The discolouration of the fleece known as canary stain was considered, along with other problems of wool production, by the Joint Committee of the Agricultural Research and Improvement Councils early in 1959. The Committee consulted the bodies concerned with sheep breeding and disease in drawing up a comprehensive list of topics needing investigation which was forwarded to the Agricultural Research Council. The Ministry's veterinary staff have since co-operated with the National Agricultural Advisory Service in a study of the downgrading of wool from this cause in the county of Devon. Their report, which is expected shortly, may indicate the lines of further investigation. I am asking the Council to let me know what steps they have in mind for dealing with this difficult problem.

asked the Minister of Aviation what conclusions were reached as a result of the study which he has had made into the relative safety of aviation kerosene and J.P.4 wide-cut gasoline for air transport services; and what action he intends to take on them.

The Report of the Working Party that was set up to make these studies is being published today and copies are available in the Vote Office.The Working Party concluded that statistical evidence based on accident analysis does not show conclusively that either fuel was significantly safer than the other, partly because the number of relevant accidents is small and partly because, among this number, circumstances varied so much that accurate comparisons were seldom practicable. However, when it examined the physical properties of the two fuels, the Working Party concluded that aviation kerosene is, on balance, safer than J.P.4, mainly because the likelihood of ignition and the rate of flame spread are less. The use of kerosene should, therefore, give occupants of a crashed aircraft, who have survived an impact, a better chance of escaping before any subsequent fire made escape or rescue impossible. A high proportion of accidents occur in the landing and take-off phases when the degree of fire risk may largely determine the chance of survival.It is, of course, necessary to preserve a sense of proportion in this matter. In the past about 90 per cent. of air transport fatalities have been caused by impact injuries so that any margin for improvement would only have been within the remaining 10 per cent. or so. The risk inherent in using J.P.4 is comparable with that of using petrol, which has always been used in piston engined aircraft, and will continue to be so.Nevertheless, I accept the conclusion of the Report that on balance kerosene should offer a better chance of survival than J.P.4. I am glad to be able to say that all British operators of turbine-engined aircraft use kerosene except on a few occasions where they are operating through aerodromes overseas where only J.P.4 is available. I am proposing that the conclusions of the Report should be brought to the notice of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

asked the Minister of Education if he will publish the latest figures of percentages of young employees granted day release by industry for England and Wales and for Scotland, and the comparable figures for the last three years.

The table below gives the number of students aged under 18 at the end of May in the last four years released by their employers to attend

STUDENTS AGED UNDER 18 YEARS RELEASED FROM INDUSTRY EDUCATIONAL YEARS 1957–58 TO 1960–61
—	1957–58	1958–59	1959–60	1960–61
England and Wales
Estimated numbers insured at end of May	1,163,000	1,213,000	1,311,000	1,324,000
Numbers released by their employers during the year	171,506	174,679	176,102	193,929
Percentage	14·8	14·4	13·4	14·6
Scotland
Estimated numbers insured at end of May	163,000	162,000	168,000	163,000
Numbers released by their employers during the year	15,002	14,271	13,704	14,745
Percentage	9·2	8·8	8·2	9·0

asked the Minister of Education how many schools there are with excessive glass requiring blinds for the protection of the children's eyes; and how many schools have yet to fit such blinds.

1 do not have detailed information about the fitting of blinds. My hon. Friend has no doubt seen the Eighth Report of the Estimates Committee for the Session 1960–61 and my observations upon it. School windows should be large enough to admit adequate daylight in the winter, with blinds or curtains where these are necessary to reduce glare in the summer.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost falling on public funds for the supply of newspapers and periodicals; and what is the total annual number of such publications so supplied.

The cost borne on H.M.S.O. Vote was £445,520 for 1960–61: in addition a few Departments bear their own costs—details are not readily available. 44,000 periodical subscriptions were ordered together with

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about university salaries and recurrent grants for the next five university years.

The University Grants Committee have made their recommendations to the Government for the recurrent grants for the five-year period covering the university years 1962–63 to 1966–67, and for substantial increases in the salaries of university teaching staffs.The Government have considered these recommendations with the determination to bring about the most rapid possible development of higher education that is consistent both with the other claims upon the nation's prospective economic resources in the next five years and with the Government's policy for incomes set out in the recent White Paper. These considerations of national economic policy, which are of course right outside the scope of the Committee's responsibility, have made it necessary to depart from the Committee's recommendations. This in no way alters the Government's confidence in the Committee's judgment in the whole field of university matters on which they are responsible for giving advice.I have accordingly informed the Committee that, subject to annual approval of the Estimates by Parliament in the normal way, they should plan on the basis of the following recurrent grants for the five university years beginning on 1st August next:

University Year					£ million
1962–63	…	…	…	…	56
1963–64	…	…	…	…	60½
1964–65	…	…	…	…	65½
1965–66	…	…	…	…	70½
1966–67	…	…	…	…	76½
Total					329

The grant for the current university year is £49½ million, so we are contemplating a grant five years hence which will be nearly 55 per cent. higher. The figures exclude provision for rates, which will be financed by special grants outside the quinquennial settlement. The cost for the universities of the Government's recent request for an increase in the intake of medical students has yet to be finally settled, and will also be additional to the figures I have given.In addition, despite economic difficulties I can reaffirm the undertakings given by my right hon. Friend a year ago on the rapidly increasing provision for non-recurrent grants. The awards to university students from public funds, central and local, are also growing in total all the time. In sum, the aggregate cost of the universities to public funds has increased from £50 million to £104 million in the last five years, and may increase by a further £50 million or more in the course of the next five years.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the amount spent, under the National Health Service, on the provision of wigs, postiches, and toupees, for men and women, during the years 1959, 1960 and 1961.

Partial information suggests that the annual expenditure lies somewhere between about £100,000 and £200,000 a year.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what is the average pension paid through the Crown Agents, territory by territory, to the widows of pensioners of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service and former members of the Colonial Service, who retired before any post-war salary increases were granted by the employing Governments.

The following statement relates to widows' pensions which commenced before the grant of any post-war salary increase by the employing Government concerned, except in the case of East and West Africa, where it relates to the pensions of widows of former Colonial Service Officers who retired before the first post-war salary increases.The average figures given in the table are for basic pensions only and do not include pensions increases.There were no widows' and orphans' pension schemes in the following countries prior to the 1st January, 1946:Aden, Bahamas, Gibraltar, Leeward and Windward Islands, St. Helena, Seychelles.I regret that I am not in a position to supply information about the payment of pensions by independent Commonwealth or foreign countries.

Country	Average Widow's Pension£
Barbados	163
Bermuda	30
British Guiana	130
British Honduras	No pensions in payment
East African Railways and Harbours Administration	156

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation, whether he will state in tabular form which Colonial and ex-Colonial Territories pay pensions increases lower than those received under the United Kingdom's Pensions (Increase) Act, 1959; and how many pensioners are involved in the case of each country or territory.

Full information regarding the total number of pensioners in each country receiving pensions increases lower than those paid under the United Kingdom Pensions (Increase) Act, 1959, is not at present available, but I will send my hon. Friend this information in respect of dependent territories as soon as I have obtained it. It will not be possible to supply this information in respect of pensioners of independent Commonwealth or foreign countries.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation if he will state in tabular form, for each Colonial and ex-Colonial Government, the number of pensioners, the number receiving less than United Kingdom rates, and the annual cost of pensions and pension increases to overseas pensioners paid through the Crown Agents; and what would be the annual cost of supplementing these rates so as to bring them into line with the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1959 of the United Kingdom.

The following table shows the number of overseas pensioners of dependent territories paid through the Crown Agents, the total cost of their basic pensions, and the annual cost of bringing all these pensions to the United Kingdom level. I regret that I am not in a position to supply information about the payment of pensions by independent Commonwealth or foreign

Country	Number of Pensioners	Number receiving less than United Kingdom rates	Annual cost of Basic Pensions	Annual cost of supplementing to United Kingdom rates
			£	£
Aden*	22	18	4,500	800
Bahamas	2	—	300	—
Barbados	8	—	2,300	—
Bermuda	10	—	2,700	—
British Guiana	60	10	18,200	220
British Honduras	11	9	1,200	400
Brunei	2	2	150	40
East African Common Services Organisation	190	25	90,000	780
Falkland Islands	14	—	2,800	—
Fiji	26	6	9,800	130
Gambia	25	10	7,000	280
Gibraltar	14	—	1,600	—
Hong Kong	570	—	259,000	—
Jamaica	50	2	9,700	50
Kenya	370	110	161,000	3,300
Leeward Islands	2	—	200	—
Malta	9	3	2,100	70
Mauritius	100	5	25,000	150
North Borneo	40	—	19,000	—
Northern Rhodesia	200	12	90,000	170
Nyasaland	140	15	58,000	470
St. Helena	2	1	300	20
Sarawak	40	—	25,000	—
Seychelles	2	—	300	—
Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland	20	1	5,600	25
Trinidad	50	5	12,300	185
Uganda	280	75	130,000	2,500
Western Pacific High Commission	5	1	1,400	70
Windward Islands	6	3	600	60
Zanzibar	35	15	12,200	540
Mixed Service (East Africa)	270	80	158,000	2,200
Mixed Service (General)	1,920	540	1,228,000	31,600
* Improved rates have recently been authorised and will bring almost all Aden pensioners up to United Kingdom levels.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation, what is the average pension, territory by territory, paid through the Crown Agents to pensioners of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service and former members of the Colonial Service who retired before any post-war salary increases were granted by the employing Governments.

The following statement shows territory by territory the average annual pension paid through the Crown Agents to former overseas officers who retired before the grant of any post-war salary increases by the Governments concerned

asked the Minister of Works how many deer were killed or injured by motor vehicles in Richmond Park after lighting-up time since 4th August, 1960.

Twenty-one.

asked the Minister of Works how many of the five pedestrians injured in Richmond Park during 1960 and 1961 were involved in accidents after lighting-up time.

None.