asked the Minister of Defence if he will take steps to abrogate the defence agreement with South Africa.

I have been asked to reply.No. The only form of agreement on defence between us and South Africa is for the use of the facilities at the Simonstown Base and the defence of the sea routes around the Cape of Good Hope, in which we continue to have a mutual interest.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in considering the possibility of a bridge or tunnel crossing for the Channel, he will take into consideration the possibilities of hovercraft travel which is now foreseen to be practicable.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport what action he has taken against the authorised examiner who, in a Birmingham case of which he has been sent details, issued a test certificate in respect of a car which was subsequently found, on examination by a Ministry inspector, to have a badly corroded chassis and other serious faults and to be in such a state that an Automobile Association engineer could not give the vehicle a road test.

The mechanic who issued the test certificate in this case has been struck off the list of nominated testers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken by the Sarawak Government to publicise the concept of Greater Malaysia in Sarawak.

Before the arrival of the Commission of Inquiry under the chairmanship of Lord Cobbold the Government of Sarawak prepared a pamphlet "Malaysia and Sarawak" which was extensively publicised through its information and broadcasting services. In addition residents and district officers were instructed to publicise, explain and promote discussion of the concept of Greater Malaysia in the light of the view of the British, and Malayan Governments that it is a desirable aim, and they travelled widely for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps have been taken by the Government of North Borneo to publicise the concept of Greater Malaysia in North Borneo.

Before the arrival of the Commission of Inquiry under the chairmanship of Lord Cobbold, the Government of North Borneo prepared and distributed a pamphlet "North Borneo and Malaysia" which was extensively publicised through its information and broadcasting services. In addition residents and district officers were instructed to publicise, explain and promote discussion of the concept of Greater Malaysia, in the light of the view of the British and Malayan Governments that it is a desirable aim, and they travelled widely for this purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to make manned street crossings for children a national and not a local responsibility.

I am not aware of any sufficient grounds for contemplating amendment of Section 47 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960. This Section puts the responsibility for providing school crossing patrols in the Metropolitan Police District on the Commissioner of Police; in the City of London, on the Common Council; and elsewhere in England and Wales, on county and county borough councils.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trade workers were unemployed in Scotland on the latest date for which figures are available; and what percentage this figure represents of the total in Great Britain.

12,262 workers whose last employment was in the construction industry were unemployed in Scotland on 9th April. This represents 20·2 per cent. of the corresponding total for Great Britain.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number wholly unemployed in Scotland in March, 1961, and March, 1962; the number of vacancies in each of those months; and the number of jobs lost through industrial closures in the period between those months.

68,462 were registered as wholly unemployed in March, 1961 and 75,186 in March 1962. Unfilled vacancies were 15,769 and 11,154 respectively. It is estimated that during this period about 4,200 workers were discharged as redundant through industrial closures.

asked the Postmaster-General what are his present plans for reducing the charges for telephone calls.

I have announced several reductions in call charges in the last two years, and the extension of Subscriber Trunk Dialling brings with it a lower general scale of call charges. I estimate that the charges to our customers for S.T.D. calls in 1962–63 will be £7 million below what they would be for the same number of calls at the old tariffs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scoltand what progress has been made towards the provision of a jetty and shelter for fishing boats at Brevig, Isle of Lewis.

In December, 1961, I offered the County Council of Ross and Cromarty a 75 per cent. grant on the cost, estimated at £20,000, of providing a slipway for beaching boats and certain related works at Brevig. The county council has accepted this offer, and the work has been authorised in terms of the Harbours, Piers and Ferries (Scotland) Act, 1937. I understand that the county council will take tenders for the work at an early date.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made towards the provision of a jetty in Vatersay, Isle of Barra.

I understand that Inverness County Council is at present considering alternative designs which have been prepared for a jetty at Uidh, the site which the council has selected as the most suitable for the purpose.

asked the Secretary of State for Scoltand what was the total amount of grant aid given towards the cost of seaweed research and seaweed utilisation in Scotland.

Since 1944 grants totalling £437,394 have been paid from the Development Fund for these purposes.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent unemployment in the development districts in Scotland has been reduced since the coming into operation of the Local Employment Act: and how the percentage decrease compares with the reduction for Scotland as a whole in the same period.

There has been a reduction of 5,521, or 8·4 per cent., in the Scottish development districts, compared with a reduction of 6·9 per cent. in Scotland as a whole.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will give the figures of direct private investment overseas, excluding oil and insurance, by United Kingdom companies during 1961, showing the breakdown by countries.

It is provisionally estimated that private direct investment overseas, excluding oil and insurance, by United Kingdom companies during 1961 was £211 million. This estimate was published in Table 12 of United Kingdom Balance of Payments 1959 to 1961 (Cmnd. 1671) and in the Board of Trade Journal of 30th March, 1962. A breakdown by countries is not yet available.

asked the Minister of Education what is the present composition of the United Kingdom Commission to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation; how much is its budget; and what is the composition and nature of the Commission's advisory committees.

The present membership of the Commission is as follows:

• The Minister of Education (Chairman).
• Sir William Alexander, Secretary, Association of Education Committees.
• Mr. C. R. Allison, Headmaster, Brentwood School.
• Sir Maurice Bowra, Warden, Wadham College, Oxford.
• Mr. J. R. Clark, Director of Education, Aberdeen.
• Dr. G. E. R. Deacon, Director, National Institute of Oceanography.
• Mr. H. L. Elvin, Director, Institute of Education, London University.
• Mr. J. S. Fulton, Principal, University College of Sussex.
• Professor M. Ginsberg.
• Sir Ronald Gould, General Secretary, National Union of Teachers.
• Professor C. H. Hamson, Professor of Comparative Law, Cambridge.
• Sir Philip Hendy, Director, National Gallery.
• Mr. R. H. Hill, formerly Director of the National Central Library.
• Sir Julian Huxley, formerly Director General Of UNESCO.
• Sir Allen Lane, Managing Director, Penguin Books.
• Sir Patrick Linstead, Foreign Secretary, Royal Society.
• The Marquess of Lothian.
• Miss M. Miles, Mayfield School, Putney.
• Mr. J. Morris, formerly Controller, Third Programme, B.B.C.
• Sir James Robertson, formerly Rector of Aberdeen Grammar School.
• Sir Lionel Russell, Chief Education Officer Birmingham.
• Mrs. T. C. R. Shepherd.
• Mr. R. Smith, General Secretary, Union of Post Office Workers.
• Mr. D. Stephenson, B.B.C.
• Mr. A. C. Williams, Secretary, Ministry of Education, N. Ireland.
• Sir William Emrys Williams, Secretary General, Arts Council.
• Professor Glanmor Williams, Professor of History, University College, Swansea.
• Dr. Mary Woodall, Director, City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham.
• Professor Esmond Wright, Professor of Modern History, Glasgow University.

In addition, the Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Relations Office, the Scottish Education Department, the Department of Technical Co-operation and the British Council are represented on the Commission by assessors. The Secretariat is provided by the Ministry of Education.The Commission as such does not dispose of any funds but provision is made in the Vote of my Department for paying the United Kingdom's subscription to UNESCO; and for meeting the expenses of meetings of the Commission and its Committees, of any conferences or seminars organised in connection with UNESCO, and of representing the United Kingdom at UNESCO meetings and conferences abroad. The sums included in the Estimates for 1962–63 for these purposes are £394,316 and £10,170, respectively.The Advisory Committees of the National Commission are as follows: