asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many houses have been completed in the new town of Peterlee and by the Easington Rural District Council, respectively, in the past twelve months.

In the twelve months to 31st March, 1962, 324 and 116.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether Gateshead is one of the authorities to be visited concerning its slum clearance problem.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether, in the proposed White Paper on local government finances, he will specifically include a review of rating assessments on amenities such as central heating.

My right hon. Friend will bear the point in mind. The basis of rating valuation is the rental value of the property as a whole. Amenities are not separately assessed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what effect the Government's proposals for the reorganisation of London government, and his recent announcements on South-West Middlesex, will have on the education services for South-West Middlesex.

In that part of South-West Middlesex which is to be included in the Greater London system, education will be a borough council responsibility. In Staines and Sunbury, which it is proposed should be excluded from Greater London, the local education authority will be the council of the county to which those districts are attached.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether it is his intention, in accordance with the policy outlined in Water Conservation, Command Paper No. 1693, to designate the Greater London Council as the water authority for the whole of the area within its boundaries.

As stated in paragraph 56 of the White Paper on Water Conservation, consultations are still in progress about the arrangements to be made in Greater London. The area of the Greater London Council would not be a suitable unit for one of the river authorities proposed in the White Paper. But I have suggested that the Council should be given certain of the flood prevention functions which river authorities will exercise elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what are the amounts spent on interest charges in repayment of loans by each of the Glamorgan local government authorities for each of the years 1951 to 1961.

Following are the figures:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the purpose of his official visit to Poland; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend's visit to Poland from 11th to 18th June is a goodwill visit at the invitation of the Polish Government in return for the goodwill visit which two Polish Ministers paid to the United Kingdom last October. He will visit the Trade Fair at Poznan where a record number of British exporters are exhibiting this year. It will also provide an opportunity for an informal exchange of views on Anglo-Polish trade.

asked the President of the Board of Trade in view of the concern being expressed by farmers' organisations at the high price of fertilisers, whether he will now withdraw the anti dumping duty imposed on imports of ammonium sulphate.

No. The right hon. Gentleman will be aware that the prices of certain fertilisers, including ammonium sulphate, have been reduced very recently.

asked the President of the Board of Trade for what reasons Her Majesty's Government advanced a loan to the Pressed Steel Company.

Because we were satisfied, in accordance with the advice of the Board of Trade Advisory Committee, that it was expedient to do so under the Local Employment Act for the purpose of providing employment for the benefit of a development district.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much has been loaned by Her Majesty's Government to the Pressed Steel Company; at what rate of interest the loans have been advanced; and what other conditions have been attached.

The amount of any loan offered under the Local Employment Act and the terms attaching to it are confidential as between the Board of Trade and the individual applicant. I have, therefore, nothing to add to what has been said in the Pressed Steel Company's Report for the year ended 31st December, 1961.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the discrimination against small shop-keepers caused by the Hire Purchase and Control of Hiring Orders, 1960, under which the deposit of 20 per cent. required from hire purchasers of television sets is much heavier than the deposit of three months' rent required from those who hire similar sets; and whether he will take steps to bring these charges into line.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will amend the regulations which require a higher proportionate deposite for the purchase, as compared with that required for the rental, of a television set.

The announcement made by my right hon. Friend in the House yesterday should have the effect of bringing the charges in question roughly into line.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the increase in Purchase Tax on furniture, he will remove the ban on add-to-hire purchase agreements.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Chester-le-Street constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Blaydon constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before. 31st December, 1962, in the Gateshead, East constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Sunderland area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Jarrow constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Gateshead, West, constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the North-West Durham constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Workington constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Newcastle area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Durham constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries inwhich employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Middlesbrough, East, constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Blyth constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Consett constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Houghton-le-Spring constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before the 31st December, 1962, in the Morpeth constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Sedgefield constituency area, for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Wallsend constituency area for males, females and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state the number of jobs in prospect before 31st December, 1962, in the Stockton constituency area for males, females, and juveniles, indicating the industries in which employment will be obtained.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new jobs are likely to be available by 31st December, 1962, in the Bishop Auckland constituency; how many of these will be for men, women and juveniles, respectively; and in what types of employment they will be.

As my right hon. Friend explained in answer to Questions by the hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Grey) and other hon. Members on 14th December last, figures for jobs in prospect cannot be given by constituencies because the employment exchange area is the administrative unit on which our information is based. These exchange areas correspond as far as possible with the local pattern of travel-to-work, whereas constituency boundaries in many cases cut across travel-to-work areas. I cannot, therefore, give the information in the form asked for by hon. Members, but am circulating a statement giving the information classified by employment exchange areas or groups of areas.The jobs in prospect for an area are the aggregate of their labour requirements provided by the firms who have been granted I.C.C.s or have been offered assistance under the Local Employment Act. The date by which the jobs will accrue depends on the rate at which the individual firms concerned proceed with their developments. It is not possible, therefore, to estimate how many of the jobs will be available by 31st December, 1962. Nor is it possible to say how many jobs in prospect are for juveniles.As regards the industries in which these jobs will accrue, I would refer Members to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street (Mr. Pentland) on 28th May. I cannot analyse this information in more detail without the risk of disclosing confidential information.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will curtail the imports of vegetables, including cauliflower, cabbage and leeks, into Northern Ireland from Eire in view of the fact that these imports are arriving in large quantities and are being sold to the public at uneconomic prices at a time when home-grown vegetables are in plentiful supply.

No. This would be contrary to our general commercial policy.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many additional jobs have been provided in the area covered by the Easington Parliamentary division since the operation of the Local Employment Act.

Industrial development certificates issued from 1st April, 1960, for the employment exchange areas most closely related to the constituency area are expected to provide about 330 jobs. None of these was the subject of an application for assistance.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many countries have ratified the long-term agreement drawn up by the Cotton Textiles Committee of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade last January; whether the percentage increases in quotas provided for in Annex A have yet been announced; and whether he will place a copy of these in the Library, together with a copy of the protocol dealing with the special position of the United Kingdom textile industry.

No country has yet accepted the arrangement which is not due to come into effect until 1st October, 1962. Quota increases are due to be announced on acceptance. I am placing in the Library copies of a statement about the agreed procedure under which the United Kingdom will be able to make a reservation with regard to certain provisions of the arrangement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the changed situation caused by the continued rise in the cost of living, whether he will introduce emergency legislation in advance of the review to eliminate restrictive practices which raise prices to the customer.

I assume that the hon. Gentleman is thinking of legislation on resale price maintenance. My right hon. Friend is still studying this matter in the light of the inquiry undertaken last year by his officials and I am not yet able to make a statement about the Government's intentions.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what Scottish industries are now exporting their products to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and what the prospects are for increasing these exports.

Trade figures are not kept separately for Scotland. But goods of a type traditionally made in Scotland are being sold. Competitive Scottish firms should be able to trade with the U.S.S.R.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity and value of pâté de foie gras imported into Great Britain during the last three complete years.

I regret that imports of pâté de foie gras are not separately distinguished in the trade statistics.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the principal changes in tariff made by the United Kingdom Government on Commonwealth goods since the Ottawa Agreement.

There have been no major changes. Imports from the Commonwealth, with few exceptions, were admitted duty-free at the time of the Ottawa agreements and on these goods no new protective duty has since been imposed. The only imports from the Commonwealth now liable to protective duty are goods on which the former Silk and Artificial Silk Duties were imposed and goods liable to the former "McKenna" Duties (motor vehicles, musical instruments, clocks and watches, and certain cinematograph films). The preferential rates of duty on these goods have been reduced to some extent when reductions in the corresponding most-favoured-nation rates of duty have been conceded in G.A.T.T. tariff negotiations since 1947.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to delay the question of the entry of Malta into the Common Market until the island has achieved its independence.

No. Her Majesty's Government have for some time been in consultation with the Maltese Government on the Question of Malta's relationship to the Common Market, in view of our application to join it. These consultations have not yet been completed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he intends to renew his discussions with the Prime Minister of Malta on the economic and political problems of the island; and if he intends to invite the leader of the Maltese opposition to these talks.

The Prime Minister of Malta will no doubt inform me when he is ready to resume discussions. The answer to the second part of the Question is "No."

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what adult education facilities will be left in the Gambia when the British Council close down in Bathurst.

Literacy classes will continue to be held in Bathurst and in a few places in the Protectorate and homecraft classes for women in the Protectorate under domestic science organisers.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give details of the number of passenger and cargo vessels which make regular calls at St. Helena annually.

A passenger ship calls about every 11 to 13 weeks on the northbound route and every 16 weeks on the south-bound route. These calls are interspersed with visits from cargo ships, so that St. Helena is visited about once every six weeks by a north-bound ship and once every eight weeks by a south-bound ship.For the period 1st April, 1962, to 31st March, 1963, there will be calls from eight passenger and nine cargo ships in all.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Hong Kong Government have yet made a decision on the main recommendation of the Hong Kong Electricity Supply Commission's Report, dated January, 1960, to take into public ownership the two electricity supply companies in the Colony; and whether an alternative arrangement involving the merging of the two companies is under discussion or has been concluded.

An alternative arrangement involving the merging of the two companies has been agreed in principle; this is subject to the consent of the shareholders. I am placing in the Library a copy of the Hong Kong Government announcement about this.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the Prime Minister of Singapore.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew had talks with the Prime Minister, the Commonwealth Secretary, the Minister of Defence and myself. There was an exchange of views on a number of subjects arising out of the agreement between the Governments of the Federation of Malaya and the State of Singapore for merger in a Federation of Malaysia.We reaffirmed Her Majesty's Government's support for the aim of creating a Federation of Malaysia and discussed with Mr. Lee its implications for Singapore.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what agreement he reached with the Premier of British Guiana during his recent visit to London, regarding financial assistance and a firm date for the next constitutional conference.

Her Majesty's Government are prepared to make available this year up to a further £650,000 of Exchequer Loans towards British Guiana's development expenditure. On the second part of the Question I have nothing to add to my reply of 8th May, to my hon. Friend the Member for Reading (Mr. Peter Emery).

asked the Minister of Works whether he now proposes to commence the building and alterations above the upper committee corridor of the House of Commons during the forthcoming Summer Recess.

No. No provision for this work has been taken in the 1962–63 Estimates for Houses of Parliament buildings and it is not proposed to make a start this year.

asked the Postmaster-General by what dates he expects that the satellite television and very high frequency sound low-power transmitters, which he has announced, will be operating in Bath.

The B.B.C. tells me that it hopes to have all its Stage III stations, including Bath, in operation by the end of 1964.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now arrange that subscribers served by the Greyabbey, County Down, telephone exchange shall be enabled to make telephone calls to Belfast for local call charges.

I have studied the earlier correspondence with my hon. Friend in this matter and also the more recent approach on behalf of subscribers on the Greyabbey exchange, and I am very sorry to say that I must adhere to the previous decision.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the amounts of the different long-service pensions now paid to chief petty officers after 22 years' service, the authority and date for each of these pensions, what increments are paid, and under what conditions.

The amounts of the different long-service pensions now paid to chief petty officers of 22

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the total number of boys being educated at the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Suffolk, the number who are the sons of officers and ratings, respectively, and the number of each class who have lost both parents, one parent, or have both parents living, respectively.

The total number of boys on the roll at the Royal Hospital School at the beginning of the current term was 665. The answers to the remaining questions are contained in the following table:

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of Greenwich Hospital pensions, and the annual amounts being paid to officers of admiral's rank and the total per year for this rank, as previously given in the Navy List and Appendix.

The number of Greenwich Hospital pensions being paid to officers of admiral's rank is nil. The distribution (by rank) and annual cost of the pensions currently in issue is given in the table annexed to the Answer furnished on 23rd May to the hon. and gallant Member's earlier Question on this subject.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the circumstances that led to the repudiation by the Russian representative of the agreement recently concluded at the Geneva disarmament conference regarding war propaganda; to what extent the recent official statements by West German Ministers regarding their desire for West Germany to be equipped with nuclear weapons were a contributory factor in this breakdown; and if he will publish as a White Paper a summary of the negotiations that led to this breakdown, together with English translations of all relevant documents.

My hon. Friend answered the first part of this Question yesterday, in replying to the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Rowley Regis and Tipton (Mr. A. Henderson) and the hon. Gentleman the Member for Fife, West (Mr. W. Hamilton). As for my hon. Friend's inquiry about statements by West German Ministers, Her Majesty's Government do not consider that any such statements can in any way have contributed to the failure to reach agreement on a declaration against war propaganda.Her Majesty's Government do not consider it appropriate to publish a White Paper specifically devoted to these developments.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the normal accommodation for prisoners at Pentonville Prison, the present daily average numbers of prisoners, and the present ratio of prison officers to the daily average population.

The normal accommodation of Pentonville, excluding that set aside for hospital and other special purposes, is 944. The daily average number of prisoners last week was 1,385. The number of prison officers in post on 1st June was 177 (including 9 on detached duty from other establishments). 150 were basic-grade officers, giving a ratio of one basic-grade officer to just over nine prisoners.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many long-service pensioners from Her Majesty's Forces are now in receipt of National Assistance payments.

I regret that the information asked for is not available, and could only be extracted from individual case records with a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will make a statement giving as much information as possible on the results of Operation Seagull; what other seismological experiments have been carried out since that operation; what were the results; and to what extent, as a result of all these experiments, the detection and identification of nuclear explosions can now be ascertained.

Operation Seagull involved the dropping of a number of depth charges in the English Channel, thus producing shock waves which could be recorded by seismic detection instruments at various points in the United Kingdom. The operation demonstrated the possibility of measuring the depth at which events occur in the earth's crust.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what were the results of the discussions between the Atomic Energy Authority and Eldorado Mining and Refining Limited, Canada, regarding contracts for the supply of uranium; to what extent the United Kingdom is still importing uranium, specifying all the sources; and whether the United Kingdom is importing in excess of requirements owing to previous commitments.

The Atomic Energy Authority has two current uranium contracts with Eldorado Mining and Refining Ltd. and a draft agreement has been drawn up to give effect to an exchange of letters between the Authority and Eldorado in 1957 for the supply of a further 12,000 tons of uranium but at a reduced price and over a longer delivery period. The United Kingdom is importing uranium from South Africa and from Australia as well as from Canada. The contracts were made some time ago and, due to subsequent changes in the nuclear power programme, the rate of imports is considerably in excess of current requirements. A stock is being built up which will not on current estimates of requirements be wholly absorbed for a decade or more.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the results of the special survey carried out by the Atomic Energy Authority of its future requirements as referred to in paragraph 4 of the Seventh Annual Report of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

The survey covered the Authority's work on civil research and development. The conclusion was that the Authority's forward programmes in this field should be maintained at broadly the current level over the next five years. This conclusion was approved by my noble Friend and provides the basis for the planning of the Authority's civil research and development effort.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the number of qualified scientists in this country who are involved in seismological research.

Organisations for which my noble Friend is responsible support research in seismology by twenty-four qualified scientists. Of these, twenty are employed by the Atomic Energy Authority and four are supported by D.S.I.R. research grants.In addition, a further two scientists are employed by the Meteorological Office, and the following universities have departments which take part in seismology research: Aberdeen, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh and Liverpool.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the number of qualified seismologists who are representing this country in the examination of the hydrogen bomb underground tests which are being carried out by the United States of America.

About twenty qualified scientific staff in the Atomic Energy Authority are engaged in seismological research. An important part of their work is concerned with the recording of United States underground explosions.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the estimated distance from the epicentre that a seismographical instrument can record a 20 kiloton hydrogen bomb underground explosion.

The distance over which a seismic instrument can record an underground explosion depends so much on the terrain that it is not possible to give a satisfactory general answer.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the amount of Exchequer equalisation grant and general grant, notified to each county council, and large burgh, and to each of the four cities in Scotland for the years 1961–62 and 1962–63; and if he will express the total grants for each authority for the respective years, as a percentage of its total estimated relevant expenditure.

The amounts of Exchequer equalisation grant and general grant most recently notified to local authorities in Scotland are given in the table below. This shows for the landward area of each county and for each large burgh, including counties of cities:

• in column (2): the amount of the second advance of Exchequer equalisation grant for 1961–62 (including Exchequer transitional grant where payable), based on the distribution of 95 per cent. of the total grant estimated to be available to Scotland;
• in column (3): the general grant (100 per cent.) payable in respect of 1961–62;
• in column (4): the percentage which the total of the grants in columns (2) and (3) represents of the estimated relevant local expenditure for 1961–62;
• in column (5): the amount of the first advance of Exchequer equalisation grant for 1962–63 (including Exchequer transitional grant where payable), based on the distribution of 90 per cent. of the total grant estimated to be available to Scotland;
• in column (6): the advance (96·25 per cent.) of general grant payable in respect of 1962–63;
• in column (7): the percentage which the total of the grants in columns (5) and (6) represents of the estimated relevant expenditure for 1961–62. (Estimates of the expenditure for 1962–63 are not yet available.)