asked the Minister of Defence what steps are being taken by Her Majesty's Government, in pursuance of paragraph 10 of the recent North Atlantic Treaty Council communiqué, to improve North Atlantic Treaty Organisation co-operation on research, development and production of military equipment.

As was stated in the N.A.T.O. communiqué, a high-level group is being set up to see whether any improvements can be made in the existing machinery for co-operation in research, development and production of military equipment. We shall play our full part in this review. All members of the N.A.T.O. Council were agreed that early decisions must be taken on those projects whose evaluation by the N.A.T.O. Armaments Committee will soon be completed.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will give details of the special procedures mentioned in paragraph 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Council communiqué for exchange of information on the rôle of nuclear weapons in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation defence; and when these procedures will come into operation.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I have given to-day to the hon. Member for Barnsley (Mr. Mason) and the hon. and learned Member for Northampton (Mr. Paget).

asked the Minister of Defence whether, apart from the P1127 project, any armaments project submitted by Her Majesty's Government for joint research and for development has been taken up by other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Apart from the P.1127 aircraft one other British project is the subject of an agreement for shared development. This is the Rolls Royce R.B.162 lightweight lift engine, which was mentioned in the Defence White Paper. The cost of its development is being shared by the French, Federal German, and British Governments. In addition, a number of other British projects have been adopted by N.A.T.O.: for example, British engines and propellers are being fitted in the N.A.T.O. maritime patrol aircraft and the British 105 mm. tank gun is being installed in the German tank.

asked the Minister of Defence what is the total cost to date of the Blue Water missile; and if he will make a statement as to its future.

It would be contrary to the public interest to disclose the cost of an individual project in the military research and development programme. The Army expect to take delivery of Blue Water in 1965.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement on the result of the military inquiry into the cause of the fire at Denbury Camp, Newton Abbot, Devon, on 10th March, which caused the death of two boy soldiers from Oundle and Aberdeen.

As I have informed my hon. Friend, my inquiries have not established the cause of this tragic fire. Nonetheless, I have given instructions that all relevant regulations and procedures for boys' units should be once again thoroughly examined.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will set up a committee to consider the utilisation of War Office property.

No. The proper utilisation, maintenance and safeguarding of War Department property is one of the most important continuing responsibilities of those to whom it is on charge or who are otherwise made responsible for it, and a considerable part of the administrative work of the War Office is devoted to this task. A number of committees already exist, but no single committee could cover the whole field without assuming the responsibilities of the Army Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether a decision has yet been taken about the period of service of the Thor weapon, and the extent to which the present sites and supporting services will be necessary on their present scale.

I have nothing to add to what I said about Thor on 31st January and in the Air Estimates debate.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the protracted traffic delays at Selby Bridge, especially at weekends and bank holidays; and whether he will expedite the plans for building a by-pass and a new bridge.

I have nothing to add at present to the reply which my right hon.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the number of accidents, giving killed and injured separately, on the stretch of A.21 between the derestriction sign at Starts Hill and the Green Street Green roundabout, since the inception of the Farnborough Way experiment; and how these figures compare with a similar period before the experiment was started.

The Answer, which contains a number of figures, is given in the attached table. The experiment, in fact, concerns only two junctions in this stretch, and I include specific figures for them.The following are the figures:Friend gave on 29th November, 1961, to my hon. Friend the Member for Barkston Ash (Sir L. Ropner).

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects work will begin on the construction of a dual carriageway from New Road, Rumney, Cardiff, to Wentloog Road, Rumney, Cardiff.

We have told the Cardiff County Borough Council that we are prepared to consider this scheme for grant in 1964–65.

asked the Minister of Transport, when he expects work to start on the scheme for constructing a dual carriageway from Wentloog Road, Rumney, Cardiff, to St. Mellons, together with additional safeguards for pedestrians.

The Cardiff City Council have been told that we are willing to include a scheme for the improvement of the section of the road from Wentloog Road to Mount Pleasant Avenue in the current year's programme. We are now waiting their revised proposals. This scheme should improve conditions for pedestrians wishing to cross this busy road. No proposals have been made to us by the local highway authority for the widening of the road East of Mount Pleasant Avenue.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will provide figures that will enable comparisons to be made on expenditure on roads during the past 10 years and proposed future expenditure within the city of Stoke-on-Trent and in other similar cities with approximately the same population.

The highway requirements of cities of similar size vary widely according to geographical location, industrial and residential development and pattern of roads, so that a comparison of the kind proposed would be of little value. The road programme is determined on the basis of the requirements of the country as a whole.

asked the Minister of Transport how many pedestrian crossings there are in the City of Stoke-on-Trent; how many others have been asked for and refused during the past 10 years; and if he will give similar figures for other cities with approximately the same population.

There are 94 pedestrian crossings in Stoke-on-Trent. Six others have been asked for and refused in the last ten years.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the present basis for determining whether an existing roundabout should be replaced by a two-level intersection.

It is my aim to replace roundabouts by two-level intersections at major traffic junctions where this is physically practicable and the traffic flow and accident record justify the cost.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to let the contract for the superstructure of the Severn Bridge.

Negotiations with the consortium of bridge building companies which was invited to submit a tender for the supply and erection of the superstructure of this bridge have now been completed. I have accepted the consortium's tender in the sum of £6,057,521.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will now make direction indicators compulsory on all vehicles; and what is the reason for the continued delay in reaching a decision.

As I said in reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Nantwich (Mr. Grant-Ferris) on the 7th February, we are not prepared to make the use of direction indicators compulsory until we have had some experience of the new type in general use. We expect to lay regulations revising the technical requirements for indicators quite shortly; there has been no avoidable delay in their making.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals he has received from the Cunard Company regarding the Government assistance to be given for the building of a new trans-Atlantic passenger liner.

None. The Cunard Company are still considering their plans for the future.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the improved economic position, he will now permit a start to be made on the Victoria line underground extension.

I regret that I can add nothing at this stage to the Answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Edmonton (Mr. Albu) on 3rd May.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of persons over 50 years of age registered as unemployed at the employment exchanges at the latest convenient date; what percentage this forms of the total number of unemployed; and if he will state the comparative figures for the same period in 1961.

110,175 such persons, or 31·6 per cent. of the total, were registered as wholly unemployed on 11th December, 1961, compared with 111,743 or 35·3 per cent, on 12th December, 1960.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the liquid consumption of milk in England and Wales from 1st January, 1962, to 30th April, 1962; and if he will state the comparative figure for the same period in 1961.

471 million gallons of milk were sold for liquid consumption through the Milk Marketing Scheme in England and Wales in the first four months of 1962. The comparable figure for 1961 was 461·5 million gallons.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average price paid per head for stock cockerels, laying hens, and broilers, respectively, in connection with compensation paid for fowls slaughtered in the first quarter of 1962, as fowl pest contacts.

In the first quarter of 1962 the average compensation for healthy broilers slaughtered on account of fowl pest was 3s. 9d. No separate statistics are maintained for stock cockerels and for laying hens, but the average price for all fowls excluding broilers was 16s. 10d.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science whether he is aware that although some recent medical research has shown that some tranquilliser drugs can impair the ability to drive a motor vehicle, very little is known in this country about the influence of such drugs in this respect; and whether, in view of the fact that he is now proposing to alter the law so that it will in future be an offence to have taken drugs to such an extent as to impair the ability to drive properly, he will take steps to ensure that comprehensive research is undertaken with regard to the effect of tranquillisers and other drugs on driving.

It is already an offence to drive or to be in charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drink or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of exercising proper control of that vehicle.The evidence does not suggest that the consumption of tranquilliser drugs is a significant factor in road accidents in the United Kingdom. Research into the general pharmacology of these drugs is already being carried out and the possible need for research into the effect of tranquillisers and other drugs on driving will be borne in mind.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what purpose a lease has been given to the United States Navy on Andros Island in the Bahamas; for how long the lease will run; and approximately how many personnel will be resident on the island.

The United States Government have sought agreement to the building of an under-water test and evaluation centre in the Bahamas with facilities for under-water research and testing, Sonar tracking and communications. Discussions with the United States and Bahamas Governments are still proceeding and the details of the lease and its length have yet to be agreed. It is understood, however, that

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the numbers of students receiving grants from public funds who have failed to obtain a degree at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford, and at universities other than Cambridge and Oxford, respectively, and the proportions of the numbers of such students taking degree examinations for each of the past five years.

The following table gives the information requested by the hon. Member, except that it is not possible to distinguish local education authority awards held at Cambridge and Oxford.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in the Official Report the amount of Treasury Stock issued in exchange for Coal Commission Stock, under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946, to holders in each of the valuation districts established for the purposes of allocating other compensation under that Act.

The amount of 2½ per cent. Treasury Stock, 1986–2016 issued in exchange for Coal Commission Stock was £78,457,089. All the Coal Commission Stock outstanding on the primary vesting date, 1st January, 1947, was held by the National Debt Commissioners. The second part of the question, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of the general practitioner hospitals which it is proposed to eliminate under the Hospital Plan for England and Wales.

I would refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 26 of Command Paper 1604.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many county and borough councils have adopted byelaws for good rule and government under Section 249 of the Local Government Act, 1933; and of these how many adopted these byelaws prior to 1960, and how many after 1960, respectively.

Up to the end of 1960, 442 authorities had made bye-laws which were confirmed by the Secretary of State. Since then 115 of these authorities have made new byelaws which have been confirmed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the area of land which his Department estimate to be used in the construction of buildings and roads this year, or in the latest convenient year.

My right hon. Friend regrets that this information is not available but it is estimated that over the last five years there has been a net annual loss of 29,300 acres of agricultural land to building and other constructional development in England and Wales.

asked the Paymaster-General why he insists on receipted warrants when payments are made direct to banks, in view of the provisions of the Cheques Act; and why he insists upon a signed receipt where payment is made in favour of the account to which it is being credited.

Warrants issued by the Paymaster-General's Office are not cheques and are not subject to the provisions of Section 3 of the Cheques Act, 1957. Because pension payments are dependent on evidence of life, pensions are not normally paid direct to banks. A pensioner's signature on a pension warrant provides evidence of his life and thus makes it unnecessary to trouble him with the completion of separate life certificates.

asked the Minister of Power if he will set out in the OFFICIAL REPORT the amount of compensation paid to former coal owners in each valuation district under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946, including compensation under Sections 17 and 18 of that Act; and if he will state in each case how much of this compensation was in stock and how much in cash

The following are the figures: