asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a decision will be made in the case of the Doncaster firm, about which there has been correspondence between himself and the hon. Member for the Rother Valley since 14th August, 1961.

I am sorry for the delay in this case which is a most complicated one, but I hope to be in a position to make a decision soon. The hon. Member will appreciate that considerable sums of public money are involved, and I must be fully satisfied that all payments under the Fatstock Guarantee Scheme are properly substantiated and justified.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table of farmers' real net average income year by year for the period 1951 to 1961.

As precise figures of numbers of farmers are not available, it is not possible to give yearly estimates of the average net income per farmer. The following figures show aggregate farming net income in the United Kingdom since 1950–51 adjusted for changes in the prices of consumer goods and services:

June-May years			£ Million
1950–51	…	…	278½
1951–52	…	…	314
1952–53	…	…	312
1953–54	…	…	304½
1954–55	…	…	267
1955–56	…	…	286
1956–57	…	…	268
1957–58	…	…	288½
1958–59	…	…	252½
1959–60	…	…	274
1960–61	…	…	289½
1961–62 (forecast)	…	…	310

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage increase in production of home-grown sugar between 1950 and 1960.

Production increased by 29 per cent. between the crop-years 1950–51 and 1960–61.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for permitting the Pig Industry Development Authority to increase that organisation's income by means of an increased levy.

The Pig Industry Development Authority has submitted to me a scheme under Section 25 of the Agriculture Act, 1957, for increasing the rate of levy from 2d. to 4d. per score deadweight. The proposal is receiving urgent consideration by the Secretary of State for Scotland and myself.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent outbreak of fowl pest in Herefordshire; and how this outbreak was caused.

Between 19th–31st March there have been nineteen confirmed outbreaks of fowl pest in Herefordshire, the first occurring on premises which were already under movement restrictions because of contact, through a Herefordshire poultry slaughterer's vehicle, with an outbreak in Gloucestershire. With one exception, the subsequent eighteen outbreaks appear to be linked directly or indirectly to the slaughterer's premises. The origin of infection in the remaining outbreak is still under investigation.The disease was possibly taken to the slaughterer's premises on 8th–9th March by a consignment of birds from a Gloucestershire farm on which fowl pest was confirmed on 13th March. This consignment was the subject of a veterinary inquiry at the owner's request on 6th March, but no reason was found for suspecting fowl pest at the time. It now seems possible that the consignment was in the earliest stages of infection.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the amount paid out by his Department to owners of poultry suffering from fowl pest and slaughtered in the past twelve months in the county of Herefordshire.

In April, 1961, there were four outbreaks of fowl pest in Herefordshire and £733 was paid to owners whose birds were slaughtered. The county was then free of the disease until 18th March this year but since that date there have been nineteen outbreaks and it is estimated that compensation for these will amount to a total of about £21,000.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, how many of the 1,000 West Indians who recently arrived in Southampton on the Italian liner "Ascaria" were given National Assistance through the office which was set up specially in the Customs' shed to deal with their claims; how many were given free travel vouchers; and if he will make a statement.

The National Assistance Board informs me that travel warrants were provided for twenty West Indians (including nine children) who were unable to pay their fares from Southampton to London and for one to Bristol and one to Birmingham. No assistance was given in cash, or any other form.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many immigrants were in receipt of National Assistance and unemployment benefit, respectively, at the latest convenient date; how much such assistance costs per annum; whether the numbers have increased or decreased over the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

I am afraid that figures in respect of immigrants generally are not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many applicants for National Assistance were required to appear before the area sub-committee of the National Assistance advisory committees during 1960 and 1961; and how many refused to do so.

I am informed by the National Assistance Board that precise figures are not available, but, at a rough estimate, the number of applicants requested to attend for interview before one of the 430 sub-committees in any one year might amount to about 12,000. The Board assures me that relatively few of those so invited fail to attend; when they do, it is usually because they have obtained employment.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will state for the most recent avail able date the number of householders in England and Wales in receipt of a weekly allowance from the National Assistance Board; how many of these were local authority tenants; and whether he will give similar figures in respect of Scotland.

The estimated figures for the end of 1961 are: in England and Wales, 1,297,000 householders including 434,000 local authority tenants; and in Scotland, 142,000 including 72,000 such tenants.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will make a statement on the future of the steel industry.

For a general survey of the industry's future I would refer the hon. Member to the Special Report of the Iron and Steel Board published in April last year.

asked the Minister of Power what, in terms of coal equivalent, was the energy consumption in Great Britain during each of the years 1957 to 1961, and what is his forecast for 1962; and what, for each year, is the break-down between coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power and hydro-electric power.

FUEL CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
(Million tons of coal equivalent)
—			1957	1958	1959	1960	1961
Coal (1)	…	…	207·6	198·6	196·6	195·5	190·0
Oil (2)	…	…	36·7	47·2	56·0	65·6	70·8
Hydro-electricity (3)	…	…	1·5	1·4	1·4	1·6	2·0
Nuclear-electricity (3)	…	…	0·2	0·2	0·6	1·1	1·3
Colliery methane (4)	…	…	0·03	0·1	0·1	0·2	0·2
TOTAL	…	…	246·0	247·5	244·7	263·9	264·3
(1) After adjustment for coke, etc. exported or put to stock. The figures previously published have been slightly amended.
(2) The coal equivalent of oil is taken as 1·7 times its weight. Including 0·2 million tons of imported liquid methane in 1959 and 1960 together, and small quantities of natural gas marketed by the oil industry.
(3) Converted to coal equivalent according to the amount of coal needed to produce electricity at the current efficiency of steam stations.
(4) Converted to coal equivalent at 300 therms per ton.

asked the Minister of Power how many miles of cross-country pipe-line, as defined in the Pipe-Lines Bill (Lords) existed in the United Kingdom on 1st March, 1962; and how the mileage was divided between pipelines owned by public utilities and Government Departments on the one hand and private concerns on the other.

Of the existing cross-country lines to which the Bill applies, about 1,200 miles are owned by the Government and about 220 miles by the oil companies.

asked the Minister of Power how many miles of local pipelines, as defined in the Pipe-Lines Bill (Lords) existed in the United Kingdom on 1st March, 1962.

I am afraid this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Power to what extent the figures for net surplus for the five years to 1966–67

Energy consumption in the United Kingdom was 264·3 million tons of coal equivalent in 1961 and may not be far short of 270 million tons in 1962. Following are the further figures:laid down as the financial objectives of the gas and electricity boards were calculated after providing for additional depreciation to cover the replacement cost of assets; and if he will publish for each board the additional depreciation figures so provided.

The net surpluses agreed with the Electricity Boards in England and Wales and with each of the Area Gas Boards as objectives for the period 1962–63–1966–67 take full account of the criteria laid down in paragraph 19 (b) of Cmnd. 1337. They therefore take account of additional depreciation to cover replacement cost. I have not, however, sought to agree with the boards detailed figures to represent this element.

asked the Minister of Power if, in view of the financial objectives of the electricity and gas boards, set under the White Paper, Command Paper No. 1337, on the financial and economic obligations of the nationalised industries, he will publish a table showing for each of the boards, the total actual surplus for the last five years for which figures are available, and the increase of the surplus for the five years to 1966–67 over these figures.

Following is the table:

ELECTRICITY BOARDS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
£ million
Boards	Total Net Surplus over 5-year periods		Increase
	Out-turn for 1956/57–1960/61	Objectives for 1962/63–1966/67
London	13·2	18·0	4·8
South Eastern	1·5	9·0	7·5
Southern	6·5	17·0	10·5
South Western	2·5	7·5	5·0
Eastern	11·6	20·0	8·4
East Midlands	4·5	15·0	10·5
Midlands	3·7	17·0	13·3
South Wales	1·7	9·5	7·8
Merseyside and North Wales	2·3	10·0	7·7
Yorkshire	3·2	23·0	19·8
North Eastern	5·2	12·0	6·8
North Western	5·5	15·0	9·5
Total Area Boards	61·4	173·0	111·6
Central Electricity Authority/Central Electricity Generating Board	36·7	163·0	126·3
TOTAL	98	336	238

GAS BOARDS
£ million
Boards				Total Net Surplus over 5-year periods		Increase
				Out-turn for 1956/57–1960/61	Objectives for 1962/63–1966/67
Scottish	…	…	…	(−) 0·8	3·5	4·3
Northern	…	…	…	2·1	2·6	0·5
Northwestern	…	…	…	(−) 0·4	6·6	7·0
North Eastern	…	…	…	(−) 0·2	2·5	2·7
East Midlands	…	…	…	1·8	5·0	3·2
West Midlands	…	…	…	3·0	4·9	1·9
Wales	…	…	…	0·4	2·4	2·0
Eastern	…	…	…	(−) 0·4	3·1	3·5
North Thames	…	…	…	1·0	11·8	10·8
South Eastern	…	…	…	(−) 1·9	6·0	7·9
Southern	…	…	…	0·4	2·8	2·4
Southwestern	…	…	…	(−) 0·3	2·8	3·1
TOTAL	…	…	…	5	54	49

asked the Minister of Power what proposals the National Coal Board has for developing opencast coal mining sites in the Dearne Valley area from the end of July this year.

My right hon. Friend has received no proposals and I understand the Board informed the Wath-upon-Dearne Urban District Council last week that it had no plans at present to work sites in this area.

asked the Minister of Power what financial objectives have been set for the National Coal Board under White Paper Command No. 1337 on the Financial and Economic Obligations of the Nationalised Industries.

None yet.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will set out, on a comparative basis, in tabular form the average cost of the production of coal and the average pithead price of coal for each quarter year since 1946 to the end of 1961, inclusive.

The information has been published in the National Coal Board's Statistical Statement of the Costs of Production, Proceeds and Profit or Loss of Collieries. This was issued quarterly between 1947 and 1958 and has since been issued half yearly. Figures for 1946 are contained in the Ministry of Fuel and Power Statistical Statement of the Costs of Production. Proceeds and Profits of the Coal Mining Industry which was published in each quarter of the year.

asked the Minister of Aviation what arrangements he is making for the provision of hotel accommodation at Gatwick Airport.

A site for a hotel has been reserved within the airport. I envisage the hotel being built and operated by private enterprise, and my right hon. Friend hopes to invite tenders later this year.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the length and number of runways to be built at Abbotsinch.

There will be two runways; the main one will be 6,000 ft. long and the subsidiary 3,690 ft.

asked the Minister of Aviation what financial objectives have been set for the nationalised air corporations under the White Paper, Command Paper No. 1337, on the Financial and Economic Obligations of the Nationalised Industries.

None so far, but discussions with the two Airways Corporations are proceeding.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the number of practising midwives in 1960 was 500 fewer than in 1955 and that the Royal College of Midwives relates this reduction in numbers to the inadequate salary paid to midwives; and whether he will make a statement on his proposals to recruit more midwives to the National Health Service.

The number of midwives employed in the hospital and local health services increased during this period by about 680 or 5 per cent. Later information suggests that the upward trend continues.

asked the Minister of Health why the death rate from lung cancer is twice as high in London as in rural areas; and what action he is taking to reduce this disparity.

I understand that the reasons are not known.

asked the Minister of Health what precautions were taken to ensure that Mohammed Aiyzim Rehman, now in Witton Hospital, Birmingham, as a smallpox suspect, and who arrived in Great Britain a week ago, was not in a position to pass on his infection to other people.

He was found, on arrival at London Airport, to have a valid international certificate of vaccination against smallpox. His illness was diagnosed as chickenpox on 24th March.

asked the Minister of Health if he will adopt, following con sultations with the appropriate deaf and hard-of-hearing associations and reputable manufacturers, basic standards of quality for hearing aids.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the conditions of priority in obtaining the Medresco hearing aid through hearing aid clinics; and whether he will ensure that the conditions are widely known throughout the hospital service.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a memorandum sent to all hospital authorities in May, 1960, setting out these conditions.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the long delay in settling the nurses' pay claim, if he will make an early statement on the result of his meeting on 29th March with a deputation from the nursing and midwifery professions.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of the statement issued after this meeting.

asked the Minister of Health what pay claims in connection with the responsibilities of his Department are now awaiting arbitration; and approximately what offers were made by the management side of the appropriate Whitley Council in each case.

Claim	Offer
Fixing of fees for chiropodists under local authority schemes.	6s. per surgery treatment.
	8s. 6d. per domiciliary visit.
Increases for almoners and psychiatric social workers, and revision of almoners' grading structure.	2 ½ per cent. increase.
Increases for hospital pharmacists.	Increases representing approximately 3 per cent. overall.
Increases for Regional Hospital Board catering advisers (6 posts).	£1,285–£1,520 or £1,235–£1,455 as appropriate (present scale £1,215–£1,425).

asked the Minister of Health what was the total amount added to the general practitioners' central pool in respect of expenses for each of the past three years.

The figures for the last three pools calculated are:

			£
1957–58	…	…	26,785,000
1958–59	…	…	28,230,000
1959–60	…	…	29,670,000

asked the Minister of Health how many residential homes for mental after-care have been opened by the responsible authority or authorities since the passing of the Mental Health Act, 1959.

I know of eleven; there may be others.

asked the Minister of Health how many mentally subnormal children are on the hospital waiting lists in the Sheffield region; how long these children have been waiting for hospital places; and what are the possibilities of some immediate extension of hospital accommodation for the treatment of the subnormal in the region.

About 300. I regret that the figures are not analysed by length of time on the list. The Regional Hospital Board expects to have added 206 beds for children and 60 for adults by the end of the year, and 40 more for children by next spring.

asked the Minister of Health how many obstetric cases were admitted to hospitals in Middlesex under emergency bed arrangements during the latest three months for which figures are available; and what percentage this is of the number of such cases in that area.

Two hundred and twenty-two in December, 1961, and January and February, 1962. This was 4 per cent. of all hospital confinements in Middlesex in those months.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will give the figures relating to the Mary Stanley Maternity Home, Bridgwater, for each of the last ten years, of the number of maternity patients, out-patient attendances, and attendances at the Health Centre;

I am sending these details to my hon. Friend.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether negotiations with regard to fishing limits are still proceeding between the Russian Government and his Department.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made in the talks with the Russian Government on fishing limits; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement about the progress of negotiations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on fishery limits.

Grade		*1939	*1946	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961
		£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Clerical Officer	…	175	207	311	335	360	380	393	412
Grade 6 (Employment Officer)	…	200	234	311	335	360	380	393	412
Grade 5 (3rd Class Officer)	…	276	310	439	474	511	540	559	582
Grade 4 (2nd Class Officer)	…	350	384	568	608	653	692	719	749
Grade 3 (1st Class Officer)	…	441	478	694	748	811	874	922	967
*Note.—The Ministry of Labour Special Departmental Class was set up in 1947. Figures for earlier years relate to the grades shown in parentheses.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what effect the forthcoming revaluation will have on rent control.

None. The rateable value for determining whether or not a house remains in control is that shown in the valuation list at 7th November, 1956,

Discussions on this subject with Soviet officials were conducted in Moscow by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and of Her Majesty's Embassy from 23rd February until 6th March, when they were adjourned because a number of problems had arisen on which both delegations wished to consult their Governments. Her Majesty's Government are keeping in touch with the Soviet Government through the diplomatic channel.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the maximum pension in 1939, 1946, 1956 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, and 1961, respectively, for forty years' service in the Ministry of Labour in each of the following grades: clerical officer, grade 6, grade 5, grade 4, and grade 3.

For retirements from Inner London posts on 31st December each year, the figures are the following; they do not include any pensions increase subsequently granted.irrespective of any subsequent revaluation. Similarly the rent limit will continue to be based on the 1956 gross value.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affars what were the total amounts of capital repaid by local authorities in England and Wales in each of the six years 1945–46 to 1950–51.

The repayments of capital by local authorities in England and Wales were as follows:

				£ million
1945–46	…	…	…	74·4
1946–47	…	…	…	65·5
1947–48	…	…	…	64·2
1948–49*	…	…	…	47·0
1949–50*	…	…	…	53·9
1950–51	…	…	…	60·8
Source: "Local Government Financial Statistics—England and Wales"—Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
* The trend of the figures is affected by the nationalisation of electricity undertakings on 1st April, 1948, hospitals on 4th July, 1948, and gas undertakings on 1st May, 1949.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether, taking England and Wales as a whole,

Domestic	Shops and Miscellaneous	Crown	Industrial and freight-transport
Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
48·75	31·27	3·81	16·17

The shares referred to in the second part of the question are as follows:—

—	Houses	Dwellings combined with other properties	Industry and freight-transport	Electricity, gas, water and Crown	Shops, offices and other properties assessed to gross value	Other properties assessed direct to net annual value (sports grounds, etc.)
	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
Share before revaluation	48·10	3·34	10·95	9·97	25·86	1·78
Estimated share after revaluation	48·75	2·88	16·17	7·85	23·16	1·19
The shares quoted in the first table and in the second line of the second table are calculated from rateable values estimated on the basis explained in Cmnd. 1663.

asked the Minister of Education how many children in the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich are in receipt of secondary education; and how many of these children are attending schools in each of the following

I regret that as the estimates were not made under the headings referred to in the first part of the Question, it is not practicable to give precisely the information desired. The figures, which are not directly comparable with those in Cmnd. 9718 because for example electricity hereditaments were not directly rated in 1955–56 and 1956–57 and coal hereditaments are omitted from the Cmnd. 1663 figures, are as follows:areas, namely, the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich, the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich, the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford, and other districts.

Information is not available in precisely the form requested, but the following table shows the number and proportion of pupils living in the Boroughs of Woolwich and Greenwich who are admitted to secondary

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the total value of economic aid in grants or loans given or promised to Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, and the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, respectively, since 1957.

Loans and grants which have been paid over or promised since 1st April, 1957, from Government sources are as follows:N.B.

Federal Government of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
	£
Colonial Development and Welfare grants	225,815
Commonwealth Assistance Loan (from 1st April, 1962)	5,000,000
Colonial Development Corporation Loan (Kariba Dam)	14,250,000
Total	£19,475,815

(1) In addition to the above, Colonial Development and Welfare grants for the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland at Salisbury total £1,745,222 for the period in question out of a commitment of £2,875,000.(2) The Federal Government have also raised since 1957 loans of £20 million on the London Market.

asked the Minister of Power if he will set out in a comparative table, for each year, from 1946 to 1961 inclusive, the total number of units of electricity sold to consumers, the average price charged per unit, the average works cost of generation, fuel per unit, and labour cost at works per unit.

The information for Great Britain is as follows:

asked the Minister of Power if he will set out in a comparative table for each year, from 1946 to 1961 inclusive, the total number of units

Year		Gas sold	Average net selling value per therm of gas sold	Cost of gas and products (net) per therm of gas sold (a)	Fuel used per 1,000 therms of output (b)	Labour cost per therm of gas sold (c)
		Mn. therms	Pence	Pence	Tons of coal equivalent	Pence
1946	…	2,002	—	—	—	—
1947	…	2,094	—	—	—	—
1948	…	2,178	12·20	—	—	5·06
1949	…	2,241	12·55	7·98 (d)	—	5·13
1950	…	2,337	12·98	8·22*	4·56	5·25
1951	…	2,449	13·67	8·66*	4·53	5·61
1952	…	2,453	15·25	9·27*	4·47	6·17
1953	…	2,436	16·18	9·91*	4·42	6·46
1954	…	2,527	16·43	10·00*	4·41	6·59
1955	…	2,581	17·20	10·33*	4·35	6·93
1956	…	2,589	18·90	10·68*	4·32	7·46
1957	…	2,540	19·85	11·21*	4·28	7·77
1958*	…	2,551	20·97	11·58	4·29	7·88
1959*	…	2,540	21·00	11·20	4·28	7·88
1960*	…	2,612	21·51	10·93	4·30	7·91
* 12 months ending 31st March of the following year.
(a) Excluding depreciation and interest charges.
(b) Output of gas, coke, coke breeze and crude tar.
(c) Based on wages and salaries paid to all employees in the gas industry. Details of labour costs at works are not available.
(d) 11 months ended 31st March, 1950.
(—) Not available.

The information is as follows: