asked the Minister of Aviation what was the estimated financial loss caused by accidents arising from travel by air within the United Kingdom during 1961.

I regret that it is impracticable to make any reliable estimate of this loss.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many people were injured and admitted to hospital as a result of air accidents within the United Kingdom during 1961.

In reported accidents to aircraft and gliders within the United Kingdom during 1961, 15 persons were seriously injured and 16 persons suffered minor injury. All seriously injured cases were given medical treatment or were treated in hospital, but our records do not show how many cases needed hospital treatment as distinct from ordinary medical treatment.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many civil servants, established or permanent and temporary, respectively, were employed in the Ministry of Aviation departments on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or the nearest available dates; and what was the total respectively of their salaries and wages as paid on those dates.

On 1st April, 1962, there were 15,728 established and 7,505 temporary non-industrial civil servants employed in the Ministry of Aviation. The total of the salaries and wages paid in the year 1961–62 was £26,044,000. It is not possible to show separately the cost of established and temporary staff.Because the Ministry was not formed until October, 1959, and because there were substantial changes in the functions of the former Ministry of Supply between 1951 and 1959 it is not possible to give comparable figures for 1951.

asked the Minister of Aviation when he was first approached about the possibility of constructing an automatic garage for cars at London Airport; and why there was delay in reaching a decision on the matter.

The Ministry was first approached by private interests in 1955. Until there was sufficient demand for parking space throughout the year, the expenditure involved in the construction of a multi-storey garage, whether of mechanical or ramp type, was not justifiable.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he has taken to get the British Dectra system included in the forthcoming tests for navigation equipment over the Atlantic in the official project, "Accordion."

None. Project "Accordion" is designed to ascertain whether it is practicable to reduce the present separation standards over the North Atlantic with the aids which are already installed or being installed in a large proportion of the aircraft flying the Atlantic.

asked the Minister of Aviation what increases have been made during the past 12 months in fees for the medical examination and licence renewal of airline pilots.

These renewal fees were increased from £1 5s. 0d. and 7s. 6d. to £2 10s. 0d. and £3 0s. 0d. respectively on the 28th May this year.

asked the Minister of Aviation What steps he is taking to expedite the development of a British aircraft capable of changing its wing geometry.

A design study contract has been placed by the Ministry with the British Aircraft Corporation for a variable geometry aircraft, as my right hon. Friend forecast in the debate on the aircraft industry on March 22nd.

asked the Minister of Aviation what prepresentations he proposes to make to the International Civil Aviation Organisation with regard to improving the utilisation of European air space, having regard to the increasing inadequacy of point-source navigation aids in conditions of heavy traffic and the recent saturation of French airways during the Whitsun holiday.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have given today to the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall).

—	Department	Established or Permanent Staff	Temporary Staff	Total Staff	Cost of Salaries/Wages
1st April, 1951.	Ministry of Pensions	5,436	5,293	10,729 (a)	£4,633,663 in 1950–51
	Ministry of National Insurance.	24,633	10,001 (b)	34,634 (b)	£13,403,451 (c) in 1950–51
	Totals	30,069	15,294(6)	45,363 (a)(b)	£18,037,114 (c) in 1950–51
1st April, 1962.	Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance.	32,330	6,332 (d)	38,662 (d)	£29,334,055 (c) in 1961–62
NOTE: Between 1951 and 1962 staff numbers were affected by the merger of the Ministry of Pensions and the Ministry of National Insurance and by transfers of functions to and from other Ministries, as well as by the assumption of new work.
(a) Includes Hospital staff of 2,948 (Established or Permanent 1,268: Temporary 1,680).
(b) Includes 284 casual staff.
(c) Includes cost of casual staff.
(d) Includes 423 casual staff.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what progress has been made with the investigation into occupational deafness and related problems and when this investigation is likely to be completed.

This complicated and important investigation is, as the hon. Member will be aware, in its early stages.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will make an estimate of the

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many civil servants, established or permanent and temporary, respectively, were employed in Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance departments on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or the nearest available date; and what was the total respectively of their salaries and wages as paid on those dates.

The following is the information:proportion of the cost of National Assistance for 1961–62 which will be returned to the Exchequer through Purchase Tax and excise duties.

No.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what interval there was between the date of the announcement of National Assistance increases and the operative date in the years 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1961.

10, 8, 12, 12 and 22 weeks respectively.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many retirement pensioners in Scotland are today in receipt of a supplement from the National Assistance Board; and how this compares with December, 1961.

The number of National Assistance supplements to retirement pensions payable in Scotland was 82,290 at the end of June, compared with 81,052 in December last.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when he proposes to present a Supplementary Estimate in respect of the new scale of assistance benefits.

Towards the end of the financial year.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many retirement pensioners were in receipt of a supplementary allowance from the National Assistance Board in June, 1961, and in June, 1962, respectively.

1,039,000 and 1,064,000 respectively. Some of the supplements provide for the requirements of more than one pensioner.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what action he is taking in connection with recent National Assistance Board findings that out of 3,516 men drawing financial relief 141 only were unable to work.

I understand that my hon. Friend has in mind the passage beginning at page 32 of the National Assistance Board's Annual Report for 1961 (Cmnd. 1730) relating to the Board's efforts to secure a return to employment of recipients of National Assistance who have been unemployed for a long time. The 3,516 men referred to in his Question were all men registered for work with employment exchanges and drawing National Assistance through those exchanges. As my hon. Friend will see from the passage in the Board's Report to which I have invited his attention, the Board achieved a substantial measure of success as the result of the medical examinations and other measures therein referred to in getting a substantial proportion of these men back into employment despite the fact that many of them were physically or mentally handicapped. The 141 men mentioned by my hon. Friend were men found, on medical examination, to be completely unfit even for light work and therefore previously wrongly classified as fit for work and registered for employment. I think my hon. Friend will find the Board's handling of these difficult oases, as described in its Report, highly encouraging and the only action that I propose to take is to commend the Board for its initiative.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what increases in the retail price index took place between one National Assistance increase and another in 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1961, and the proposed increase for 1962.

The rise in the Index of Retail Prices which had taken place since the operative date of the previous National Assistance increase was in 1955, 6·1 per cent.; in 1956, 5·1 per cent.; in 1958, 8·1 per cent.; in 1959, 0·6 per cent., and in 1961, 4·2 per cent. Since the increases in 1961 took effect, the rise in the index has been 6·0 per cent.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how much would require to be added to the current pension and allowance of a retirement pensioner with an adult dependant to allow for the decreased purchasing power of the £ since the last increase of pension was announced.

6s. 9d.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what sum in aggregate would require to be added to the total weekly payments of National Insurance benefits to bring their value in purchasing power up to that obtaining when the last increase in benefits was announced.

Nothing.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance when he now proposes to raise National Insurance benefits.

I have no statement to make on this matter.

asked the Minister of Power if his attention has been drawn to the fact that smokeless fuels are being sold containing large amounts of moisture; and what steps he intends to take to protect consumers.

The Domestic Coal Consumers' Council set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, is examining the recent Report by the Consumers' Advisory Council on this matter. It will no doubt advise if it considers that any further steps are needed to protect consumers.

asked the Minister of Power what steps have been taken to extend the use of water tamping in the mines as a means of securing greater safety when explosives are used.

The use of water-filled bags in conjunction with solid stemming is common practice in the National Coal Board's East Midland Division. This practice is accepted as being as safe as other recognised methods of stemming but it has not been proved to be safer. It is for the Board to decide how widely it wishes to adopt it.

asked the Minister of Power what proportion of the £25 million the National Coal Board expects to raise from increased prices for coal in 1962 will be raised in Scotland.

About a third.

asked the Minister of Power how many civil servants, established or permanent and temporary, respectively, were employed in the Ministry of Power departments on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or the nearest available dates; and what was the total respectively of their salaries and wages as paid on those dates.

The numbers of civil servants employed in my Department were:

Date	Non-industrial	Industrial
1st April, 1951	2,406 established	30 established
	1,617 temporary	1,229 temporary
1st April, 1962	1,385 established	46 established
	186 temporary	45 temporary

During the financial years 1950–51 and 1961–62 the total amounts expended on salaries and wages were £2,960,000 and £2,179,000 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the practice which has grown up in hospitals of nursing sisters having to supervise and work simultaneously in male and female wards which are adjacent has been found impractical; and if he will have this system investigated and reported on in the interest of the smooth and effective working of those hospitals where it is practised.

I am not aware that this is a common or growing practice.Perhaps the hon. and learned Gentleman will let me know if he has a particular case in mind.

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, how many dental auxiliaries are being trained at the New Cross Hospital; and what is the scope of their training.

117. All work permitted to a dental auxiliary under the Dentists Act, 1957.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will undertake an examination of the use of the sedative phenothiazine for out-patients at Ministry of Health hospitals in order to establish to what extent it produces noxious side effects.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to provide adequate specialist treatment and training within the National Health Service for the 400 babies and young children permanently deformed by the drug thalidomide.

These are already available.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to introduce a national scheme for the fluoridation of water supplies, so as to prevent the high incidence of dental caries in the population.

I am considering the recent Report and the advice on it received from my advisory committees.

asked the Minister of Health what arrangements he has made with medical officers in areas where fluoride has been added to the water supply to safeguard the health of people with a particular sensitivity to fluoride who will otherwise suffer by ingesting excessive amounts of fluoride, through using fluoride toothpaste or other substances to which fluoride has been added.

I am advised there is no such risk.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now introduce amending regulations to enable executive councils to exercise control over deputising services used by general practitioners.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths from smallpox were registered in England and Wales in 1961; and what were the ages of those concerned.

None.

asked the Minister of Health how many deaths from vaccination, vaccinia, post-vaccinal encephalitis, or any other results of vaccination were registered in England and Wales in 1961; and what were the ages of the victims.

Five; 5 months, 6 months, 7 months, 14 months and 27 years.

asked the Minister of Health how many civil servants, established or permanent, and temporary, respectively, were employed in Ministry of Health departments on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or on the nearest available dates; and what were the totals, respectively, of their salaries and wages paid as on those dates.

The total staff was 6,426 on 1st April, 1951, and 5,165 on 1st April, 1962. The cost of salaries and wages was £3,613,055 in the year ending 31st March, 1951, and £5,298,083 in the year ending 31st March, 1962. I regret that it is not possible, without undue labour, to give separate figures for permanent and temporary staff.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science which of the hitherto incurable diseases are now the subject of Governmental research and which by private enterprise or charity with Government assistance; and what are his plans for the future in this field of research.

This is not a question capable of answer. An account of the work of the Medical Research Council is published annually. This work cannot however be divided into studies on curable and incurabe diseases, nor can the latter be described as a field of research. Many private organisations make valuable contributions to medical research, including work on particular conditions or diseases. I would be glad to send the hon. and learned Member further details about any aspect in which he is specially interested.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what was the amount spent in 1961 on medical research into the causes of arthritis and rheumatism; whether this amount represents an increase over the previous year; and what plans he has for increasing this medical research work in the future.

I can only give figures of research financed by the Medical Research Council, which in 1961–62 spent about £104,000 on research into rheumatic diseases compared with £80,000 in 1960–61. It is not now considered feasible to distinguish expenditure on research into the causes of these diseases from expenditure on research on other aspects of the subject, such as treatment. This is the explanation of the difference between the figure for 1960–61 given here and the figure given to the hon. Member on 22nd April, 1961, of £56,000 for that year.Plans for expansion are matters for the Council, which informs me that it has recently reviewed the whole field and will expand its programme whenever opportunity occurs.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the current negotiations with the countries of the Common Market, what studies he has made of possible opportunities for expanding exports of beef from this country to Europe; and whether he will make a statement.

I know from discussion with the trade that a number of organisations are already exploring the possibilities of increasing trade with the Continent. This is essentially a matter for the trade itself, but as the trade knows, my Department and the Board of Trade are ready and willing to give any help that they can.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increased support, financial and otherwise, will be given to the work of the Food and Agriculture Organisation during 1962, in view of Her Majesty's Government's decision to support the United Nations Development Decade; and what increase is planned for future years.

The proposals for the United Nations Development Decade are still under discussion. The F.A.O. budget and the assessed contributions of individual member states for 1962 and 1963 were fixed in November, 1961, and have therefore not been affected by these proposals. Nonetheless, the United Kingdom contribution to F.A.O.'s regular budget for 1962 shows an increase of more than 50 per cent. over our contribution for 1961. How the working out of the proposals for the Development Decade may influence F.A.O.'s expenditure cannot yet be known, and I cannot at the moment say what the United Kingdom contribution to F.A.O. during the remainder of the Decade will be.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of the 660 boys at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, entered from Chatham, Gillingham and Rochester and the remainder of the old Chatham Command, respectively, and the numbers in each of the four areas who are the sons of officers and ratings, respectively.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, if he will state the number of the 660 boys at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, entered from Plymouth, Cornwall and the remainder of the Plymouth Command, respectively, and the numbers in each of the three areas who are the sons of officers and ratings, respectively.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the number of the 660 boys at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, entered from Southampton and Portsmouth and the remainder of the old Portsmouth Command, respectively, and the numbers in each of the three areas who are the sons of officers and ratings, respectively.

It is regretted that the entry records are not maintained in a form readily to provide a reply to these questions.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the age, period of education, and the number of entries and leavers, in the last full year of the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Greenwich, and for the last completed year at Holbrook. Suffolk.

The number of boys entering and leaving the Royal Hospital School in the calendar years 1932 and 1961 were:

				Entries	Leavers
1932	…	…	…	260	271
1961	…	…	…	177	156

It is not practicable to indicate the age and period of education of each leaver, but in 1932 boys entered between the age of 11 and 14 with a view to joining the Royal Navy and generally remained at the school till aged 15½. Today boys are normally entered at 11; they are not obliged to join the Royal Navy; they leave after completing the school course of five years, or on reaching the national school-leaving age of 15 if their parents or guardians so wish. Boys who have obtained their General Certificate of Education at ordinary level, and who are promoted to the VIth Form to take the examination at advanced level or to aim at Service Cadetships, places at the universities, technical colleges, etc., may remain until they are 17 or 18 years old.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the numbers of county and county borough education authorities, respectively, who pay fees for boys at the Royal Navy's seamen's orphanage at Holbrook, Suffolk, the range of the fees and whether the full fees are paid.

Assistance with the fees for boys at the Royal Hospital School is at present received from 23 county and 8 county borough education committees. The full fee of £100 is met by these authorities in some 50 per cent. of cases: contributions in the remaining cases range from £12 to £95 a year, the average being about £50.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will state the estimated costs for the year 1962–63 of Greenwich Hospital pensions to officers, and grants towards the education of their children, respectively, and the names and addresses of the schools.

The total provision made for benefits to officers and their children is £21,720 of which £16,000 is expected to be spent on pensions to officers, the remaining £5,720 being available to meet the cost of grants towards the education and maintenance of children of officers. The children are not required to attend particular schools to qualify for grants. These grants are not payable in respect of boys admitted to the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, which is the only school administered by Greenwich Hospital.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, if he will state the estimated costs for the year 1962–63 of Greenwich Hospital pensions to seamen and marines, pensions to widows, and the education of children, respectively, and the names and addresses of the schools.

The estimated cost for the year is £73,680, the detailed allocation of which is as follows:

	£
Special Pensions to Seamen and Marines	47,200
Canada Pensions	380
Widow's Pensions	19,000
Education and Maintenance of Children—Grants	6,600
Gratuities to parents and dependants, and Miscellaneous Charges	500

The grants made towards the education and maintenance of children of marines and seamen are mostly paid to the parents or guardians of children maintained in their own homes, but five grants are currently in issue in respect of children maintained at:

asked the Minister of Defence if he will issue a White Paper showing all the long-service pension schemes now in force for other ranks in the three defence Services, with the details of actual payments and, in particular, the minimum pensions now being paid to able-seamen, privates and aircraftmen, all the pension schemes for the widows of other ranks of the three defence Services, and, in particular, the minimum pensions now being paid to widows.

			Admiralty	War Office	Air Ministry	Total
Numbers	…	…	18	42	13	73
			£	£	£	£
Typical average annual cost	…	…	14,750	34,750	11,300	60,800

It should be noted that there is no pension office, separately established as such, in the Admiralty or Air Ministry. The figures above are the numbers employed on the assessment, authorisation and commutation of other rank pensions, costed on the basis of typical salaries.There would be no saving if there was one pension rate for each grade for the same period of pensionable service irrespective of the date of discharge. On the contrary such a change of policy would result in increased work and increased costs, owing to the larger number of pensioners whose pensions award would need to be reviewed whenever the code was changed in future.

asked the Minister of Defence what is the total number of wives, children and other relatives of members of the British forces in Germany now living in Germany; and what arrangements have been made for their evacuation in case of emergency.

I do not think this is necessary. Details of all the more recent schemes are available in published documents. If the hon. and gallant Members wants information on the earlier schemes I am sure my right hon. Friends the Service Ministers will be happy to assist him.

asked the Minister of Defence if he will give the numbers employed in the Navy, Army and Air Force pensions offices, respectively, and the total, the annual cost of each of these establishments and the total, and the approximate saving which would be effected if there were one pension rate for each grade for the same period of pensionable service, irrespective of the date of discharge from Navy, Army and Air Force.

The information asked for is as follows:

The three Services are responsible for about 21,000 wives and 33,000 children in Germany. Arrangements exist for their evacuation from exposed areas in case of emergency.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many horse-drawn hackney carriages are now licensed for hire in London.

None.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will publish the amounts spent in interest charges by Salford City Council for each year from 1951 to 1961.

The figures are as follows:^*

Year				Annual interest payments by Salford City Council
				£
1950–51	…	…	…	204,169
1951–52	…	…	…	219,356
1952–53	…	…	…	236,984
1953–54	…	…	…	248,930
1954–55	…	…	…	258,394
1955–56	…	…	…	270,531
1956–57	…	…	…	329,756
1957–58	…	…	…	387,331
1958–59	…	…	…	427,053
1959–60	…	…	…	547,228
1960–61	…	…	…	689,378
* Source: Epitome of Accounts.

asked the Lord Privy Seal how many civil servants, established or permanent and temporary, respectively, were employed in Foreign Office departments on 1st March, 1951, and 1st March, 1962, or the nearest available dates; and what was the total respectively of their salaries and wages as paid on those dates.

The staff employed in Foreign Office Departments on 1st March, 1951, totalled 1,670. Of these, 1,140 were established and 530 temporary. The total annual rate of their salaries and wages was £1,042,000.Corresponding figures for 1st March, 1962, were 1,628 of whom 1,275 were established and 353 temporary. Their salaries and wages were at the total annual rate of £1,970,000.During this period Her Majesty's Government have entered into diplomatic relations with 21 additional countries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will encourage the establishment of new fac- tories in Llanharon, Glamorgan, where the local colliery is ceasing production in August.

I understand that the National Coal Board expects to offer alternative work to nearly all the men affected by this closure at neighbouring pits within reasonable travelling distance of their home. I shall, however, be glad to see further suitable industrial development in this area.

asked the Minister of Transport what stage has been reached in planning the further extension of the Cardiff to Merthyr trunk road; and what progress can 'be expected within the next five years.

The consulting engineers are busy with the detailed preparation of the scheme. This work and the statutory procedures that must precede the acquisition of land will be carried steadily forward. I shall include this scheme in my programme as soon as funds permit.

asked the Minister of Transport what accidents have recently taken place in the vicinity of the bridge over the A.27 at Fareham Railway Station; and what progress he has made towards its widening or by-passing.

During the first six months of this year three accidents were reported to the police. In one there was a fatal injury; in the others no injury occurred.We are still trying to devise a scheme which we can afford for the widening of the bridge and its approaches.The long-term solution is a by-pass. I am considering the best route but there are conflicting views about the line it should take.