asked the Minister of Labour what information he has received from Ford's, Dagenham, about the likely effect on its labour forces of its proposals for further modernisation.

I have been informed that the Ford Motor Company is extending its Thames Foundry at Dagenham, but the extension will not be completed until the end of next year. The Company has said it will make every effort to absorb all employees who now work in the Dagenham Foundry.

asked the Minister of Labour what co-operation now exists with the Minister of Education in order that the principles of safety and accident prevention should be taught in schools and technical colleges; and to what extent this is now carried out.

My right hon. Friend keeps closely in touch with his right hon. Friend the Minister of Education who is constantly emphasising to local education authorities and principals of technical colleges the importance of inculcating safety principles in schools and colleges. H.M. Inspectors of Schools advise the heads of schools and colleges who are encouraged to develop a close liaison with H.M. Inspectors of Factories. Their advice and assistance on matters of safety are increasingly being sought.

asked the Minister of Labour what co-operation is taking place with the Minister of Pensions and rational Insurance in order to ascertain the number of persons, subject to the Factory Acts, who claim benefit for industrial injuries; and whether he will obtain such information for 1961 and publish it.

My right hon. Friends are undertaking a survey with a view to obtaining such information, but of course the information will relate to 1962 and not to 1961.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the visit of his Parliamentary Secretary to Newcastle-on-Tyne on 28th March.

Yes. I met the controller and senior officers drawn from throughout the Northern Region; I also had a discussion with members of the North Eastern Development Council and met representatives of both sides of industry.

asked the Minister of Labour in view of the new policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding wages in the period beginning on 1st April, why he issued his recent instructions to wages councils regarding proposals they have already made to him.

I have not issued any instructions to wages councils. I recently wrote to the chairmen of certain councils which had submitted proposals for increases ranging from 3½ per cent. to 8 per cent. I drew attention to the importance of ensuring reasonable price stability and avoiding inflation in the interests of all wage earners especially those who are less well-paid. I asked the chairmen whether on re-examination they did not think the proposals should be revised.

asked the Minister of Labour for what purpose he approached the chairmen of several wages councils on the question of proposed wage increases after the councils had made their recommendations to him; and if, in future, he will permit these councils to arrive at decisions on the merits of the claims submitted to them without advice from persons who are not members of such councils.

I wrote to the chairmen of certain wages councils to draw attention to the importance of ensuring reasonable price stability and avoiding inflation in the interest af the whole community especially the less well paid. For this reason I asked them to consider whether on re-examination they did not think the proposals should be revised. I have in no way interfered with the freedom of wages councils to arrive at their decisions. The hon. Member will know that I have the power under the Wages Councils Act, 1959, to refer proposals back for reconsideration if I think fit.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of persons working short time during February, 1961, and February, 1962, in West Bromwich.

From reports received by my local officers, the number of workers on short time was estimated to be 824 at the end of February, 1961, and 665 at the end of February, 1962.

asked the Minister of Labour, in view of the importance of good employer and employee relationships in all sections of industry, and of the continuing dissatisfaction of British bank staffs over the lack of national negotiation and national arbitration machinery within their own industry, if he will now arrange for further discussions between officials of his Department and the National Union of Bank Employees.

The underlying question is that of recognition of the National Union of Bank Employees by certain banks. My right hon. Friend has no power as Minister of Labour to compel the recognition of any particular union but as he told the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mrs. Castle) on 28th February he has been in touch with the Chairman of the Committee of London Clearing Bankers.Our officers met the General Secretary of the National Union of Bank Employees as recently as 13th March.

(a) ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF INSURED PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT
Region		End-May, 1951	End-May, 1961	Overall-rise
London and South Eastern	…	5,045,000	5,625,000	580,000
Midland	…	2,005,000	2,220,000	215,000
Scotland	…	2,076,000	2,096,000	20,000

(b) NUMBERS REGISTERED AS UNEMPLOYED AND NUMBERS OF UNFILLED VACANCIES
March, 1951
Region	Unemployment					Vacancies
	Men	Women	Boys	Girls	Total	Men	Women	Boys	Girls	Total
London and South Eastern	32,142	15,556	1,052	924	49,674	35,555	32,795	14,880	17,644	100,874
Midland	5,214	2,592	135	154	8,095	26,925	12,815	7,284	6,744	53,768
Scotland	40,619	16,095	1,162	946	58,822	11,230	6,186	4,691	6,426	28,533

asked the Minister of Labour if he will appoint a committee to investigate the possibility of reducing the period of apprenticeship from five years to a shorter period in certain industries.

Both sides of our two major apprentice-employing industries, engineering and construction, are already at my right hon. Friend's request examining this possibility. We do not think that the creation of a new committee would help at this stage, but we shall do all we can to see that all possible ways of improving our traditional apprenticeship system are carefully considered.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will publish in the Official Report the overall rise in employment between 1951 and 1961 in London and the South-East, in the Midlands, and in Scotland, with the numbers of unemployed men, women, boys and girls, and the number of vacancies for each category in each area, in March, 1951, and in March, 1962.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Labour (1) how many unemployed there were in Lanarkshire in March, 1961, and March, 1962;(2) how many people of those unemployed in Lanarkshire have been without work for two weeks, eight weeks, 26 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively.

There were 7,536 unemployed in Lanarkshire on 13th March, 1961, and 10,940 on 12th March, 1962. The following table is a detailed analysis of unemployment by duration at the later date.

Number of workers registered as wholly Unemployed in Lanarkshire*at 12th March, 1962
Period		Number
Up to two weeks	…	1,454
Over two and up to eight weeks	…	2,431
Over eight and up to 26 weeks	…	3,018
Over 26 and up to 52 weeks	…	1,115
Over 52 weeks	…	1,444
*Excluding the County of Glasgow.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the percentage of unemployment in the Greenock-Port Glasgow area at the latest available date; and what steps he proposes to take to help improve employment prospects in this area.

6·8 per cent. at 9th April. This area has been scheduled as a development district and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is doing everything possible to encourage suitable industrial expansion there.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the earnings in money terms on which the indices of average weekly earnings by region on pages 22 to 26 of his Department's publication, "Statistics on Incomes, Prices, Employment and Production." are based.

Regional figures of earnings in money terms by industry could be misleading unless certain statistical difficulties are overcome. I am considering these difficulties in the hope of being able to publish the earnings in money terms in the next issue of this publication.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent employment vacancies registered at employment exchanges cannot be filled owing to the inability of potential or actual applicants for such employment to find accommodation; and to what extent exchange managers are encouraged to assist in the provision of suitable accommodation in those circumstances.

Difficulties in finding accommodation in areas of high labour demand do tend to restrict the mobility of labour but exchanges filled over 175,000 jobs outside their local areas in the twelve months ended 7th March, 1962. Employment exchanges where necessary maintain lists of available lodgings and are encouraged to be as helpful as possible to workers seeking accommodation.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number and percentage of persons unemployed at the April count in the Stornoway area, and the numbers unemployed in the islands of Barra, South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist, respectively.

On 9th April, 1962, 1,425 or 25·5 per cent. and 95, 127, 19 and 68 respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress has been made in the discussions he is having with the Home Secretary concerning abuses of the au pair system; in how many cases instances of abuse have been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement.

The entry and stay of foreign girls coming to this country au pair are matters for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. While we understand from him that the number of specific complaints that he has received is inconsiderable, we are agreed that more specific guidance should be given both the foreign girls coming au pair and to their hosts as to their respective obligations. This will be done.

asked the Minister of Defence what difficulties there are in the way of recruitment for the Services medical services.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for War said in presenting the Army Estimates, the ending of National Service and the departure of many short service commission doctors is creating a shortage of Service medical officers. To counteract this, a wide range of new measures is being introduced which, we hope, will attract young doctors into the Armed Forces. In drawing up these measures the Service Ministers and I have had the benefit of professional advice from inside and outside the Services.In particular, the British Medical Association has advised me that we cannot hope to attract newly qualified young doctors in adequate numbers and of good quality unless we can offer them a substantial lead over the remuneration which they could expect to get as doctors in civilian life. The Government have accepted this advice. They have therefore decided, within the framework of the Grigg procedure for the biennial review of Service pay, to supplement the pay of Service doctors.The details of all these new measures will be announced by the Service Departments in a few days.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty by what authority a lecture was delivered recently in the Lathom Hall, Seaforth, to an audience of sea cadets and their officers by Lieut.-Commander L. A. Wintle, R.N., retired, in which he advocated the unilateral development by Great Britain of a submarine capable of firing nuclear rockets; what official facilities and payments from public funds were provided in connection with this lecture; and how many times this ex-officer has been invited to deliver similar lectures, the cost of which has been borne by his Department's Vote.

This lecture was given under the auspices of the Navy League which is an independent organisation. No official facilities or payments from public funds were provided either on this occasion or on any similar one.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what was the purpose of the recent cruise of H.M.S. "Britannia" in the Mediterranean; what personnel apart from naval crew accompanied the vessel; and what was the estimated total cost.

Her Majesty's yacht "Britannia" conveyed Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on a visit to military units in Gibraltar, Cyprus and Libya. Her Royal Highness was accompanied by two Ladies-in-Waiting, a Gentleman-in-Attendance, her Comptroller and four personal staff. The Commander-in-Chief, Near East, joined the Royal party for the journey from Cyprus to Tripoli. The estimated additional cost of the cruise was about £4,700.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many refits H.M.S. "Britannia" has had; and what was the estimated cost of each refit.

Since first commissioning eight years ago four refits have been undertaken at a cost of £67,000, £69,000, £163,000 and £208,000 respectively.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty on what date he opened negotiations with Leeds Trailways Limited for the purchase of the pier at Holy Loch; and on what date the negotiations were concluded.

Negotiations for the purchase of Ardnadam Pier were opened early in December, 1960, and were concluded on 17th February, 1961.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the present rent received by Greenwich Hospital from the Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich, block of flats and the anticipated rent if the flats are demolished and a restaurant built in their place; and why the flats cannot remain and the restaurant be built on hospital ground on the opposite side of King William Walk.

The reconversion of this building to its original rôle of a riverside restaurant is under consideration by the trustees for Greenwich Hospital as part of the normal process of ensuring that their property is put to the most economical use. It is not the intention to demolish the present building or to build a new restaurant. It is not customary to reveal rents received or expected.

askd the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of Greenwich Hospital headquarters staff accommodated at 13 Devonshire Square, London, E.C.2, the number of rooms occupied, and the annual rent paid; and why this staff is not accommodated in hospital property at Greenwich, so as to save the expense for the benefit of Greenwich Hospital naval pensions.

The headquarters staff of twelve occupy six rooms. It is not customary to reveal the rent paid.The idea of locating the headquarters at Greenwich has been considered in the past, but has been rejected. It would be less convenient and could only be done at the expense of existing tenants.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware of the potentialities of the United States Navy's Subroc weapon, now in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation service; and whether this weapon can be fired from the torpedo tubes of contemporary British submarines.

We are aware of the potentialities of this antisubmarine weapon which is not yet in service. Its progress is being followed with interest by the Royal Navy. H.M. submarines would not be able to fire it without adaptation.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he has yet consulted the Minister of Education and the Minister of Labour with a view to making available the facilities at Brancepeth camp, which are surplus to his requirements, for use as a juvenile pre-industrial training centre.

I am consulting my right hon. Friends and I will keep the hon. Member informed of developments.

asked the Secretary of State for War what are his plans for the future recruitment of Gurkhas.

As I indicated when presenting the Army Estimates on 8th March, the rôle of the Brigade of Gurkhas is now under active consideration. Meanwhile, I am proposing to recruit about 500 Gurkhas this year. If adjustments to the strength of the Brigade have ultimately to be made, any Gurkhas whose services have to be prematurely terminated will receive suitable compensation.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make a statement about the future of the former Royal Air Force depôt at Llanberis, Caernarvonshire.

The pits containing explosives will be retained in Air Ministry ownership. The remainder of the station will be sold as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what encouragement his Department is giving to the aircraft industry to study and develop an aerospace machine for future Royal Air Force uses; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to what I said on this subject in the Air Estimates debate.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total outstanding capital debt of Scottish local authorities in the financial years 1951, 1958, 1959, and 1960, and the amount of interest paid in respect of each of these years.

The total amount of outstanding debt at the end of, and the interest paid in, each of the local authority years 1950–51, 1957–58, 1958–59 and 1959–60, was as follows:

Year		Outstanding Capital Debt	Interest Paid
		£ million	£ million
1950–51	…	310	8·6
1957–58	…	685	27·3
1958–59	…	737	29·8
1959–60	…	787	32·3

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimates he has made for the years 1962–66 of additional financial aid to local authorities to meet capital requirements arising from the provisions of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act, 1960;(2) what estimates he has made for the years 1962–66 of additional financial aid to local authorities to meet the new recurring expenditure arising from the provisions of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act, 1960.

Loan charges arising out of capital expenditure by local authorities on mental health services are included, with their current expenditure on those services, in relevant expenditure for the purposes of general grant. Accordingly no separate figures of financial aid for this purpose are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking regarding the houses built at Langlands Road, Glasgow, by the Scottish Special Housing Association, where major repairs have now been found to be necessary.

I have already asked the association for a full report on the cause of the defects which are at Langlands Road identical with those in other houses of similar type built by the association. The association is putting remedial works in hand and the necessary arrangements have been made known to both the tenants and the corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the lengthy periods out-patients have to wait for treatment at the Royal Alexandria Hospital, Paisley, and that unless additional staff is provided services to outpatients will be curtailed; and if he will take action to ensure that adequate services are provided and the required additional staff appointed.

The Western Regional Hospital Board is at present considering representations on these matters from the Paisley and District Hospitals Board of Management. I shall let the hon. Member know in due course what conclusions it reaches.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about his trunk road plans for the next five years.

LIST OF TRUNK ROAD MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN SCOTLAND COSTING OVER £500,000 SELECTED FOR AUTHORISATION BY MID 1967
Period	Road	Scheme	Nature of construction	Mileage
Mid 1961 to Mid 1962.	A.74 Glasgow-Gretna	(1) South of Millbank-Duneaton	Dual carriageway.	5·7
		(2) Telford Bridge-County Boundary—Part 1.	Dual carriageway.	4·72
		(3) Lockerbie diversion	Dual carriageway.	2·25
	A.8 Edinburgh-Glasgow.	(4) Baillieston-West of Newhouse.	Dual carriageway.	6·00
	A.80 Glasgow-Stirling.	(5) West of Cumbernauld-Castlecary.	Dual carriageway.	2·65
Mid 1962 to Mid 1964.	A.74 Glasgow-Gretna	(6) Hamilton Bypass—South terminal to A.723.	Motorway	8·5
		(7) Hamilton Bypass—A.723 to junction with A.74.	Motorway	6·34
		(8) Telford Bridge-County Boundary—Part 2.	Dual carriageway.	2·2
		(9) Ecclefechan-Kirkpatrick Fleming.	Dual carriageway.	5·5
		(10) Kirkpatrick Fleming-Gretna.	Dual carriageway.	5·6
	A.8 Edinburgh-Glasgow.	(11) Harthill Bypass	Motorway	4·9
	A.73 Abington-Airdrie.	(12) Diversion South of Cumbernauld.	Dual carriageway.	2·87
	A.876 Dennyloanhead-Kincardine.	(13) Bonnybridge and Larbert Diversion.	Dual carriageway.	3·8
	A.9 Edinburgh-Stirling.	(14) Polmont and Falkirk Bypass to Beancross.	Motorway	2·48
Mid 1964 to Mid 1967.	A.74 Glasgow-Gretna	(15) County Boundary-Beattock.	Dual carriageway.	6·0
	A.74/A.80 New Link	(16) Maryville-Mollinsburn	Motorway	6·3
	A.8 Edinburgh-Glasgow.	(17) West of Newhouse-West of Harthill.	Motorway	6·2
		(18) East of Harthill-Dechmont	Probably Motorway.	7·8
	A.8 Glasgow-Port Glasgow.	(19) Renfrew Bypass bridge over White Cart.	Dual carriageway.	6·2
	A.9 Edinburgh-Stirling.	(20) Polmont and Falkirk Bypass, Beancross to Bells-dyke Road.	Motorway	3·32
	A.90 Inverkeithing-Perth.	(21) Cowdenbeath Bypass	Dual carriageway.	7·37
		(22) Kinross and Milnathort Bypass.	Dual carriageway.	4·1
	A.87 Invergarry-Kyle	(23) Cluanie Inn, westwards	18 feet single carriageway.	10·0
NOTES:
1. No final decision as to the nature of construction on schemes (17) and (18) on A.8. has yet been taken.
2. Scheme (19)—Renfrew Bypass—is subject to a decision yet to be taken as to its feasibility.

The table below sets out the major trunk road improvement schemes which, subject to the provision of funds by Parliament, have been selected to be authorised in the three periods:

(a) mid-1961 to mid-1962.

(b) mid-1962 to mid-1964.

(c) mid-1964 to mid-1967.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many youths have been committed to the Perth detention centre during the latest convenient period of twelve months; and what proportion was convicted of crimes of violence against the person.

During the twelve months ending 31st December, 1961, 311 youths were committed to the Perth Detention Centre. Of this number 27 (8·7 per cent.) were convicted of crimes of violence against the person.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that Scottish school children with diabetes who need residential care have to be sent to Manchester or other hostels in England; and what steps he is taking to provide accommodation in Scotland.

CRIMINAL STATISTICS, SCOTLAND
Persons proceeded against and "not proven" verdicts, 1957 to 1961
—			*After full committal for trial on indictment		Summary Trial
			Persons proceeded against	Verdicts of NOT PROVEN	Persons proceeded against	Verdicts of NOT PROVEN
1957	…	…	1,859	56	141,860	873
1958	…	…	2,204	53	152,866	796
1959	…	…	2,289	82	166,239	873
1960	…	…	2,283	61	175,053	907
1961	…	…	2,526	70	169,930	923
* Includes a number of persons who after committal were subsequently tried summarily.

asked the Minister of Transport why, in making the order for the North of Almondsbury to Tormarton, East of Almondsbury-Filton By-pass and Hambrook Spur Special Road Scheme, he did not allow time to implement any alterations which might appear desirable after consideration of such objections without disrupting his programme for the construction of the proposed motorway and its connections with the Severn Bridge.

As all the local authorities concerned agreed in principle to the proposed line in 1959 and again in

Most diabetic children are able to attend ordinary schools, but some require residential care, of whom a few have been sent to England. The needs of diabetic children are being reviewed by a Committee of the Scottish Health Services Council which is at present considering the care of young people suffering from chronic illness; and I shall consider what further provision is required in the light of their advice.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the number of not proven verdicts given by Scottish criminal courts in each of the last five years.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he has given to the representations made to him by the Ipswich Borough Council regarding the dangerous conditions at the junction of Woodbridge Road East and Heath Road; and Whether he will provide traffic control signals at this junction.

I am proposing to provide a roundabout at this junction as soon as the necessary statutory processes and the detailed design can be completed. I have carefully considered the council's request for traffic signals in the meantime but I do not think this would be a satisfactory solution. I intend, however, to carry out immediately a number of temporary improvements, including the provision of a service road and bus bay and better carriageway markings.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the fact that the Dartford Rural District Council contravened Section 128 of the Highways Act, 1959, on 20th January, 1962, by depositing a large number of caravans, lorries and sundry other articles on the verge of the A.2 trunk road near Dart-ford, what has been done to require the local authority to remove them forth-with; and, as they are still there, why he has failed to make complaint to a magistrates' court.

As Section 128 creates no offence, the council did not contravene it. It was asked on 30th January what steps it proposed to take to ensure the removal of these vehicles, but made no proposals. A magistrates' order under subsection (2), if made, would authorise me to remove and dispose of them, recover my expenses and spend any balance on highway maintenance. I do not know whether the magistrates would so order, but I have no desire to deprive the inhabitants of these caravans of their homes, and I would prefer to see the problem salved by the voluntary cooperation of the responsible local authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a description of the machinery that exists to secure effective collaboration, on all matters affecting transport and planning developments, between his own Department, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the planning authorities and the British Transport Commission.

Consultation between my Ministry, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government and the other authorities referred to on matters affecting transport and planning developments is close and continuous. The effectiveness of the consultation is not impaired by the fact that it is not conducted through formal machinery.

asked the Minister of Transport what financial aid is to be given to the Staffordshire County Council to enable the Council to provide and maintain two ambulances, as requested by him, for use on the new Staffordshire motorway.

Provision of ambulances for dealing with incidents on motorways or on other roads, is a matter for the responsible local authority. I have made no request for special provision for the motorway in Staffordshire.

asked the President of the Board of Trade When he expects to receive the Report of the Molony Committee on Consumer Protection.

I understand that the Committee hopes to submit its Report on 25th April. I shall arrange for it to be printed and presented as a Command Paper as soon as possible, but as the Report will apparently be a long one this must take some time.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the amount of cotton goods imported for retention in the home market in each of the years 1953, 1959 and 1961, showing

A. RETAINED IMPORTS OF COTTON CLOTH				MILLION SQUARE YARDS
				1953	1959	1961
Total	…	…	…	37	372	521
of which:
grey	…	…	…	14	308	383
finished	…	…	…	23	64	138

B. COMMONWEALTH PROPORTION OF EACH CATEGORY
—				1953		1959		1961
				Grey	Finished	Grey	Finished	Grey	Finished
				per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
India	…	…	…	57·1	4·3	48·1	12·5	37·1	6·5
Pakistan	…	…	…	—	—	8·4	—	4·7	—
Hong Kong	…	…	…	7·1	4·3	39·0	6·25	16·4	18·8

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total acreage of farming land in England and Wales; and by what percentage this has been reduced in the last five years.

The figures below show a comparison for England and Wales of the areas on holdings of more than one acre under (a) crops and grass, and (b) crops, grass, and rough grazings in sole occupation (i.e. excluding common rough grazings), as at June. 1956, and June, 1961, respectively:

ENGLAND AND WALES
—	Acreage
	June, 1956	June, 1961	Per cent. decrease
(a) Crops and grass	24,485,524	24,393,366	0·38
(b) Crops, grass and rough grazings in sole occupation	28,143,785	27,851,314	1·04

The following is an estimate of cotton cloth imports:

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the amount of liquid milk expressed as a percentage of total liquid milk production in England and Wales, coming from farms between 20–150 acres in Devon and Cornwall, respectively; and how these figures compare with similar production percentages since 1957.

I regret that the information asked for would not be available without an undue expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now announce the membership of the committee of inquiry into the marketing and distribution of fat stock and carcase meat.

Yes. I am pleased to be able to say that, in addition to Sir Reginald Verdon Smith, who will be Chairman, the following have agreed to serve on the Committee:

• D. Basnett, Esq.
• D. M. Borland, Esq., B.A.
• Professor S. R. Dennison, C.B.E., M.A.
• Mrs. G. Wyndham Goldie, O.B.E.
• E. F. Milne, Esq., O.B.E., C.A.
• Professor J. R. Raeburn, B.Sc., M.S., Ph.D., M.A.

asked the Minister of Aviation when he proposes to visit Renfrew, including Abbotsinch and Prestwick airports.

I have no immediate plan to visit these airports, but I went to Prestwick on 24th February this year and visited Renfrew and Abbotsinch in November, 1960.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the total annual pension due, the total amount of commuted pension and the lump sum allowed, and the rate at which benefits would be payable, in respect of past contributions to the Widows' and Orphans Provident Fund if contributions cease on retirement in respect of the former road service foreman employed by East African Railway and Harbours, about whom he has had correspondence with the hon. Member for Ilford, North.

The figures are as follows:

	£	s.	d.
Total unreduced pension	471	4	0
Amount of commuted pension	353	8	0
Lump sum gratuity	1,472	10	0
Amount of registered annual pension in respect of past contributions to the Widows' and Orphans' Provident Fund assuming contributions cease on retirement	180	0	0

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many university teaching posts are at present unfilled; and how many university teachers left their posts during 1960–61.

Universities have no fixed establishment of teaching posts, but appoint such numbers of staff as their funds permit. I regret, therefore, that the information asked for is not available. I understand that a recent survey of eleven university institutions showed that, in June, 1961, 5·6 per cent. of existing posts were vacant.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give details of the number of grant-aided students from Wales now attending English universities and the number of grant-aided students from countries outside Wales attending the University of Wales.

I regret that this information is not available and could not be obtained without a great deal of inquiry.

asked the Minister of Health how many psychiatric beds in general hospitals there are in each region; and what were the relative figures for admissions and discharges for the last twelve months period or shorter period for which figures are available.

Following is the information:

Region	Staffed beds allocated in non-psychiatric hospitals at 31.12.61	1st May to 31st December. 1961
		Admissions	Discharges and deaths
All regions	5,112	16,958	17,195
Newcastle	474	1,181	1,296
Leeds	164	973	976
Sheffield	76	539	552
East Anglian	6	49	49
North West Metropolitan	214	1,601	1,621
North East Metropolitan	130	668	676
South East Metropolitan	507	2,187	2,210
South West Metropolitan	154	846	830
Oxford	39	120	124
South Western	39	159	154
Welsh	40	401	406
Birmingham	188	992	937
Manchester	2,216	4,093	4,188
Liverpool	633	2,727	2,767
Wessex	232	422	409
1. The figures relate to mental illness, and exclude long stay.
2. Teaching hospitals are included.
3. The figures are provisional.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youths have been committed to detention centres in England and Wales during the latest convenient period of twelve months; and what proportion was convicted of crimes of violence against the person.

Provisional figures show that during the twelve months ended 31st December, 1961, 2,334 offenders were committed to detention centres in England and Wales, of whom 256 (approximately 11 per cent.) were committed for crimes of violence against the person.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is yet in a position to make a statement about the accommodation on the Bridge Street site which might be available for the purposes of the House of Commons.

Yes. I think it would be convenient at this stage to seek advice on the allocation of some 40,000 sq. ft. on the Bridge Street site which might be available for permanent accommodation for House of Commons purposes. Accordingly, I have recommended to Mr. Speaker that he should set up an ad hoc Committee of this House to consider this problem with the following terms of reference:

"To consider and recommend how best an area of approximately 40,000 square feet on the Bridge Street site might be used for permanent accommodation for the purposes of the House of Commons."

Mr. Speaker has agreed to this proposal, and the composition of the Committee will be discussed in the usual way and reported to the House.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the estimated amount of pensions that will be paid out under the Government's graduated pension scheme for the years 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973, and the amount of money to be received in income in these years.

I have at present no figures to publish beyond those given in the Report by the Government Actuary on the Financial Provisions of the National Insurance Bill, 1960. Further review of these figures must await the analysis of the experience of the first year's working of the graduated scheme.

asked the Minister of Works what arrangements he has made for a demonstration of a new system for announcing the progress of business in the Chamber.

During the Easter Recess, closed circuit television sets will be placed near the annunciators in Libraries B and C; the Members' Main Dining-Room, Tea and Reading Rooms and the Smoking Room; the corridor outside the Large Ministerial Conference Room and on the Members' Interview Floor. On 1st, 2nd and 3rd May, from 2.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m., messages transmitted on the annunciator system will be duplicated on these television screens. It is important to the success of the demonstration that hon. Members should not adjust the sets. A notice on each set will show how difficulties can be reported.