asked the Postmaster-General why he has authorised the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to frank letters with the words "Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament", in view of his refusal of authorisation to other bodies conducting campaigns of a purely political nature.

This particular frank which incorporates the title and symbol of the organisation concerned was supplied to them some years ago by our agents, without reference to the Post Office. It is used by the organisation on its own correspondence only.

asked the Postmaster-General what consideration has been given to the combination of rural mail services with rural bus services, in view of the new importance now given to rural transport by the closure of branch lines.

This matter has been considered on a number of occasions. The needs of rural bus services and those of the mails are not easy to reconcile; but my right hon. Friend can assure my hon. Friend that we use buses for carrying mails whenever this can be done economically and efficiently, and that we shall continue to do so.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the estimated expenditure on the purchase of new Post Office vans; and what proportion of this will be spent in Scotland.

My right hon. Friend expects to spend between £2½ and £3 million on the purchase of motor vehicles in the current financial year. About 10 per cent. of this amount will be spent on components manufactured in Scotland.

asked the Postmaster-General when he intends taking the necessary steps to bring about uniformity in envelopes.

Discussions about a new specification for envelope sizes and other characteristics, designed to facilitate machine handling of letters, are now taking place with the manufacturing trade organisations in this country. My right hon. Friend will make a statement as soon as the position is clear.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the numbers of people on the waiting list for telephones in the Dearne Valley constituency area for the years 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962.

The number of people on the waiting list for the Dearne Valley exchanges have been: 1958, 122; 1959, 58; 1960, 42; 1961 and 1962, 34.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will state the approximate year when all residential subscribers who are compulsorily sharing a telephone line will be able to have a separate telephone service.

The cable system is being expanded but I cannot say when compulsory sharing will be unnecessary. This will depend on many factors, including our capital resources and on the future demand for telephones.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he will make a decision about the public inquiry held at Warwick on 8th June, 1960, in regard to Objections Nos. 144 and 145.

I hope by the end of July to be able to let the Warwickshire County Council have a list of my proposed modifications to the plan which it submitted.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vacancies exist for technicians at the universities.

I regret this information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what conclusions he has reached on the Report on Consumer Protection presented to him; and what action he proposes to take following its receipt;(2) on what date he received the final Report of the Committee on Consumer Protection; and when he will authorise its publication.

The Report was submitted on 25th April and will be published as soon as possible, but I cannot at present forecast the date of publication. My right hon. Friend will require a little time to reach conclusions on the findings of this Report, which is a lengthy document dealing with very complex matters.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has considered the Memorandum by the Swaziland Progressive Party, dated 15th April 1962, a copy of which has been sent to him; and whether he will make a statement.

I have received a copy of the Memorandum to which the hon. Member refers. As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. Brockway) on 22nd February, public discussion in Swaziland of the issues involved in the new Constitution is still continuing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what has been the total cost of all financial assistance given to the British Virgin Islands since the war.

About £1·7 million, including both grants-in-aid of administration and allocations under the Colonial Development and Welfare Acts.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, how many miles of metalled roads there are in the British Virgin Islands.

I am making inquiries and will write to the hon. Member.

asked the Minister of Works what proposals he has for drawing the attention of the building trade to the advantages of large panel construction of houses, with a view to the increase of exports from this country.

It is my policy to bring to the notice of the construction industries new techniques and developments, including the use of large panels where appropriate both for home consumption and for export. There is already a flourishing export trade in prefabricated systems, some of which use large panels, and I am hopeful that this will increase.

asked the Minister of Works whether, in planning future closed circuit television in the House of Commons, he will consider the lower costs of renting sets, rather than purchasing them, that follow from the tax advantages at present enjoyed by rental companies.

Whatever system it is decided to adopt to replace the present annunciator system will, of course, be provided on the most favourable terms available at that time.

asked the Minister of Works what is the estimated expenditure of his Department this year on the elimination of dry rot in the Royal Palaces; and what is the estimate for woodworm treatment.

This information is not separately recorded. Attacks of dry rot or woodworm infestation are dealt with as they are found, as a charge to a general maintenance provision or to the cost of a particular new works project, according to the occasion on which the outbreak is discovered.

asked the Minister of Works if he will itemise the £1,900 required for parks and custody services at 1A, Kensington Palace.

As I said in Answer to the hon. Member's Question on 10th April, this expenditure is for Kensington Palace as a whole and not for Apartment 1A.The details are:

asked the Minister of Works why £3,295 is required for the maintenance of the garage block at Marlborough House.

The garage block at Marlborough House contains ten small residences for Palace staff, as well as a chauffeur's workshop, a workshop used by furniture repair craftsmen, and space for about twelve cars. £3,295 is the sum estimated to be required this year to keep the premises in a proper state of repair, to maintain and run engineering services, and for custody.

asked the Minister of Works if he will itemise the £6,430 required for miscellaneous minor works at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The sum provides for a large number of small items of maintenance and repair, which are too numerous to itemise.

asked the Minister of Works why £650 is to be spent on the purchase of furniture for the Palace of Holyroodhouse; and what is the nature of the purchase.

£400 is for the replacement of an awning. The balance is for the renewal of a carpet runner and linoleum, for new fabric to re-cover chairs, and for other minor items in those parts of the Palace which are open to the public.

asked the Minister of Works What is the nature of the plant at the Palace of Holyroodhouse which necessitates the expenditure of £8,350 on its day-to-day maintenance and operation; and whether he will give a breakdown of that figure.

Of the provision of £8,350, £1,600 is for operating and maintaining plant comprising heating and hot water boilers, electrical equipment, and Lifts, and all but £70 of this sum is for wages. The balance of the £8,350 is for day-to-day maintenance of the fabric of the Palace.

asked the Minister of Works what has been the expenditure by Her Majesty's Government on Holyroodhouse Palace in each of the last three years.

The net expenditure on the Palace of Holyroodhouse, charged to the Royal Palaces Vote, in each of the last three years was:

asked the Minister of Health what was the total cost of the material prepared by local authorities to alert the public of danger levels in fall-out from the Russian nuclear tests; if this cost was borne by the ratepayers or the Government; what is the value of remaining stocks which may still be useable; and if he will make a statement.

This is rate-borne expenditure relevant for general grant. I regret that the other information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the number of prescriptions dispensed during each of the twelve months from 1st March, 1961, and the corresponding figures for the previous year.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Defence whether, in view of the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation discussions, he will introduce legislation to provide for a form of selective conscription.

No decisions reached at the Athens meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation make it necessary to introduce legislation to provide for selective conscription.

asked the Minister of Labour how many men and women, respectively, who were recently dismissed by Rolls Royce Ltd. have now been offered suitable employment within reach of their homes.

I understand that the hon. Member is concerned with the position of workers discharged from the firm's factory at East Kilbride. So far 16 of the men and 5 of the women discharged have been placed by my Department in other employment within daily travelling distance, and another 18 men and 12 women have been submitted for such employment. Other workers are known to have made their own arrangements.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will arrange to place in the Library summaries of laboratory notes issued by the Road Research Laboratory.

Yes. These summaries are issued primarily for the information of road engineers and research workers as a means of keeping them in touch with the progress of investigations at the Road Research Laboratory. Any conclusions which are drawn from current but unfinished experimental work are provisional. The considered findings of research are published from time to time in official reports, mainly in the series of Road Notes and Road Research Technical Papers published by H.M. Stationery Office.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science (1) what progress has been made in research and development programmes undertaken by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in collaboration with the European Atomic Energy Community(2) to what extent future collaboration in research and development programmes between the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the European Atomic Energy Community is being considered by Her Majesty's Government.

Both the Atomic Energy Authority and the European Atomic Energy Community collaborate closely in the Dragon and Halden projects under the auspices of the European Nuclear Energy Agency. Apart from this, collaboration between the two bodies proceeds by way of exchanges of visits, information and materials, and of attachment of staff. The character of future collaboration between them will depend upon the outcome of the application of the United Kingdom to join the Community. Meanwhile, it was agreed at a meeting of the U.K./EURATOM Continuing Committee on 16th April that collaboration should for the time being continue on the present lines. These are described in my reply to the hon. Member for Barnsley (Mr. Mason) on 6th June, 1961.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science how many applications for research grants of under, and over, £100,000, respectively, were received by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research during the last two years; and what proportion of these came from Scotland.

Between 1st January, 1960, and 31st December, 1961, D.S.I.R. received 1,059 applications for research grants of under £100,000, and 11 of £100,000 or over. The proportions of these which came from Scotland were 8·7 per cent. and 18·2 per cent. respectively.