asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of employees who have registered with his Department after leaving the Whitworth Gloster factory at Brockworth; what notification he has had of the number still to leave; and what is the unemployment rate in the area.

By 22nd June, 832 former employees of the company had registered for employment with the Department and 127 of these were still registered as unemployed. A further 1,100 employees are expected to leave the factory by the end of the year. The unemployment rate in the Gloucester-Cheltenham area at 18th June was 1·7 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour how many civil servants, established or permanent, and temporary, respectively, were employed in Ministry of Labour 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.

On 1st April, 1951, the non-industrial staff of the Ministry of Labour consisted of 21,201 permanent officers, 5,944 full-time temporary officers and 1,172 part-time temporary officers. On 1st April, 1962, the numbers were 16,161, 3,019 and 1,812 respectively. Salaries paid to permanent and temporary officers are not recorded separately. In the year ended 31st March, 1951, the total of salaries, wages and allowances (including overtime) was about £12,357,000. In the year ended 31st March, 1962, it was about £17,208,000.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the practice of certain employers of withholding wages due to workers as lie time, thus compelling them to take legal action in order to recover their legitimate entitlement; and if he will take steps to stop this practice.

I know that this is the practice of some employers, but my own view is that employers should make reasonable advances to workers in cases of need. It is a practice which, in co-operation with the British Employers' Confederation, we seek to minimise. I certainly have not information that workers are compelled to take legal action to recover wages due to them. If the hon. Member will write to me about any such cases I shall be glad to look into them.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware of the continuing run-down of the labour force at the Birmingham Railway and Carriage Works: and what steps he is taking in the matter.

Yes. Our local officers are doing all they can to find alternative employment for the workers affected.

asked the Minister of Labour how many steel erectors are unemployed in Scunthorpe; and how many from outside Scunthorpe are employed in Scunthorpe.

On 18th June four constructional fitters and erectors were registered as unemployed at the Scunthorpe Employment Exchange. I regret that the information asked for in the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the Minister of Labour which countries have so far supplied completed immigration vouchers for his approval; and haw many have been supplied by each country

Up to 3rd July, 2,817 applications for employment vouchers had been received from Commonwealth countries, and 2,471 vouchers had been issued. The table below gives an analysis by countries.

COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT, 1962
Applications received and employment vouchers issued up to and including 3rd July, 1962
Country of Origin	Applications received	vouchers issued
Australia	190	173
Bahamas	2	2
Barbados	12	—
Bechuanaland	1	—
Bermuda	6	5
British Guiana	15	12
British Solomon Islands	2	1
Canada	244	206
Ceylon	84	84
Cyprus	7	7
Falkland Islands	3	2
Fiji	8	8
Ghana	3	—
Gibraltar	1	1
Grenada	26	—
Hong Kong	3	3
India	955	786
Jamaica	98	87
Kenya	4	4
Malaya	11	10
Malta	1	1
Mauritius	10	8
Montserrat	1	1
New Zealand	53	51
Nigeria	809	781
Pakistan	178	161
Rhodesia and Nyasaland	50	48
St. Vincent	8	7
Sierra Leone	4	2
Swaziland	1	—
Trinidad and Tobago	22	18
Uganda	2	1
Zanzibar	1	1
Eire	2	—
TOTAL	2,817	2,471

asked the Minister of Labour what arrangements are being made to absorb the 400 to 500 employees of the de Havilland factory at Christchurch, who will be redundant at the end of this month, in other industries in the travel-to-work area.

My local officers have been registering workpeople at the factory in advance of their discharge and will continue to do all they can to find them alternative employment in the area.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will increase the allowances under his training and transference schemes.

I am proposing to increase the training allowances for men aged 21 and over without dependants at Government Training Centres from £5 10s. per week to £7 10s. For a man with a dependant wife they will go up from £7 0s. 0d. to £8 10s. 0d. For a man with a dependant wife and two or more dependant children the rates will go up from £8 0s. 0d. per week to £9 0s. 0d. a week. Where men have to live away from home during training, lodgings or hostel accommodation are provided by the Ministry and in these cases the new allowances will be £5 per week for men without dependants, £7 5s. 0d. for a man with a dependant wife, £8 5s. 0d. for a man with a dependant wife and two or more dependant children. Increases are also being made in the allowances for young men below 21. These allowances are not liable to Income Tax or deductions for National Insurance contributions. Daily fares are paid where persons have a journey of more than two miles from their homes or lodgings to the training centres and for disabled persons in all cases.I also propose to increase the lodging allowances payable under the Ministry's transfer schemes from 35s. to 42s. a week. This allowance is paid to transferred workers who continue to maintain dependants in the home area.The new rates will come into operation on 6th September.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will list the international obligations associated with the application of the Sea Fish Industry Act.

I understand that the Question has particular reference to Section 3 of the Sea Fish Industry Act. Our main international obligations in this context arise from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Article III of which provides that laws and regulations affecting sale or purchase should not be applied to imported goods so as to afford protection to domestic production. In particular paragraph 4 lays down that imported goods produced by other General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade countries are to have in respect of such laws and regulations treatment no less favourable than that accorded to like products of national origin.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what information he has obtained in the course of his negotiations in Brussels regarding percentages of their total foreign trade represented by export of temperate foodstuffs to the United Kingdom from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, respectively.

The approximate percentage of their total foreign trade represented by exports of temperate foodstuffs to the United Kingdom in 1960 was 4 per cent. for Canada, 11 per cent. for Australia and 41 per cent. for new Zealand.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations with the European Economic Community concerning the fishing industry.

There have not yet been any negotiations on the question of a fisheries policy.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement of progress in his negotiations with the member States of the European Economic Community.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to my statement on 2nd July.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps he is taking regarding the furnishing by the Egyptian Government to their owners of the accounts of properties that government has held under sequestration, in accordance with the terms of the Anglo-Egyptian Financial Agreement.

This is one of a number of points on which negotiations are in progress with the Government of the United Arab Republic.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made through the United Nations Organisation, or otherwise, in reconciling the Governments in Leopoldville and Elisabethville; and what precautions have been taken to prevent a renewal of hostilities in Katanga.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the present position in the Congo.

The talks between Mr. Adoula and Mr. Tshombe remain suspended following Mr. Tshombe's return to Elisabethville on 26th June. Agreement had previously been reached on the terms of reference for the four Commissions which the two leaders had set up to cover military, economic, financial and communications aspects of the reintegration of Katanga with the rest of the Congo.Mr. Tshombe has expressed his readiness to resume negotiations with Mr. Adoula in Leopoldville as soon as possible, and has designated the Katangan members of the Commissions. He has however declined Mr. Adoula's invitation to appoint two members of Mr. Tshombe's own party, the Conakat, to the Central Government until Mr. Adoula has promulgated a new constitution for the Congo. Meanwhile, he has made an offer of 100 million Congolese francs to the Central Government.In North Katanga there has been a minor skirmish between Katanga and A.N.C. forces South-West of Kongolo. The Katangans lost one officer killed and fifteen men wounded. Mr. Munongo, the Katangan Minister of the Interior, said on the 6th of July, however, that the general situation in Katanga was calm.

asked the Lord Privy Seal having regard to the recent Supplementary Estimate for the Foreign Service, what are the arrangements for the reimbursement of Her Majesty's Government for any part of their expenditure on the United Nations forces in the Congo and the Congo air lift.

Reimbursement for expenditure on behalf of the United Nations forces in the Congo is obtained by the submission of claims to the United Nations Cantroller.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is aware that the extension of their territorial fishing limits by North European maritime nations has forced concentrations of British trawlers on nearer British fishing grounds and that this has presented British fishermen with problems of scarcity of fish; and what steps he has taken and proposes to take to reach agreement with those North European maritime nations to solve these problems.

I am aware that there has been same diversion of fishing effort from the Faroes to nearer fishing grounds, but this has been due to a general scarcity of fish at the Faroes rather than to extended fishery limits.We already have agreements with the Northern European states off whose coasts most British vessels fish, in terms at least as favourable as those enjoyed by any third State.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will state the provisional outline of agreement reached in Her Majesty's Government's application for membership of Euratom.

The proposals which I have made to the European Atomic Energy Community are contained in my Opening Statement to the Member States in Brussels on the 3rd of July, which has been published as a White Paper (Cmnd. 1767).

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give a list of persons and organisations, other than ambassadors and high commissioners, whose staffs enjoy diplomatic privileges in this country.

The staffs of the following five organisations having their headquarters in the United Kingdom enjoy varying degrees of judicial immunity and fiscal privilege. The staffs of the three last named organisations are accorded fiscal privilege only.

(1) The Western European Union (Executive Head—M. Goffin).

(2) The Inter-governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (Acting Executive Head—Mr. Graham).

(3) The International Wheat Council (Executive Head—Dr. S. C. Hudson).

(4) International Sugar Council (Executive Head—Dr. R. E. Stedman).

(5) International Tin Council (Executive Head—Mr. Fox).

The staffs of the following six organisations, having their headquarters abroad, and agents or representatives in the United Kingdom, similarly enjoy varying degrees of judicial immunity and fiscal privilege.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many civil servants, established or permanent and temporary, respectively, were employed in departments of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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 number of non-industrial civil servants borne on the votes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministry of Food at 1st April, 1951, and on the vote of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 1st April, 1962, and the cost of their salaries and wages, were as follows:Trade Association and European Economic Community. As a member of the first two of these organisations Her Majesty's Government will join in considering what should be done about the Resolution.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he is making to satisfy European Economic Community slaughtering conditions in order to encourage export of beef on the hook from this country to European Economic Community countries.

The standards of slaughterhouse construction and practice laid down in our 1958 Regulations are equal to the best on the Continent. Slaughterhouses complying with these standards should have little difficulty in meeting the condition's currently required by any country in the European Economic Community.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take as regards those fishing vessel owners who have defaulted on payments due to the White Fish Authority under their loan agreements.

A number of trawler-owning companies have failed to meet in full the payments due under their loan agreements with the White Fish Authority. In the circumstances the Government have agreed to enable the White Fish Authority to defer payments

£ million
Years beginning 1st June			Aggregate Farming Net Income	"Appropriation" Element (i)	Total Farm Expenses	Total Expenditure on Labour (ii)
1947–48	…	…	228	23½	530½	222
1954–55	…	…	311½	18½	1,071½	265½
1955–56	…	…	347½	27	1,099	275½
1956–57	…	…	338	30	1,168	284½
1957–58	…	…	374½	11½	1,190½	293
1958–59	…	…	333	21	1,243	305
1959–60	…	…	362	20½	1,256	300½
1960–61	…	…	389½	29	1,263	300½
1961–62 (forecast)	…	…	431½	25	1,321½	299½
(i) These are the sums which should have been appropriated by farmers from aggregate net income to cover the excess of replacement cost over original cost of certain assets (slaughter stock, cultivations, growing crops etc.) used up in the course of the year's production and trade.
(ii) Expenditure on wages, salaries and employer's share of National Insurance contribution.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what directions he proposes to give to the White Fish Authority under Section 31 of the Sea Fish Industry Act on restrictions on distant water voyages by existing grant-aided vessels.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures for United Kingdom agriculture showing aggregate net farming income, the sums which farmers should have appropriated from net income to cover the excess of replacement cost over original cost of such assets as slaughter stock, cultivations and growing crops etc., total farm expenses and total expenditure on labour, respectively, for the years 1947–48 and 1954–55 to 1961–62 inclusive.

The following table gives the information desired:

At the moment, three distant water voyages a year by vessels grant-aided under the 1953 Scheme are allowed, compared with five voyages by those grant-aided under later schemes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have decided to direct the White Fish Authority forthwith to bring the arrangements for vessels built under the 1953 Scheme into line with those for other vessels. In addition, in response to a proposal made by the British Trawlers Federation, we have decided that as from 1st January, 1963, all restrictions should be removed.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the average weekly earnings of regular whole-time adult male agricultural workers for the 12 months ended September, 1961; and what were the average weekly hours worked by those workers.

The average weekly earnings of regular whole-time adult male workers in England and Wales for the year ended 30th September, 1961, were £10 16s. 3d. The corresponding number of weekly hours worked was 51·2.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the average weekly value of the payments in kind received by adult male farmworkers for the year ended September, 1961, the percentage of their total earnings represented by those payments in kind, the percentage of these workers who receive payments in kind such as cottages, milk, potatoes and board and lodgings, and the percentage of farm workers not in receipt of any premium above the minimum wage.

In the year ended 30th September, 1961, the average weekly value of payments in kind—assessed in accordance with Agricultural Wages Orders—received by hired regular whole-time adult male workers in England and Wales was 6s. 4d., representing 2·9 per cent. of their average total weekly earnings in that year. The proportion of these workers who received such payments were, in round figures: cottages 46 per cent., board and/or lodging 5 per cent., milk 24 per cent., potatoes 5 per cent., other minor payments in kind 5 per cent. Some workers received payment in kind under more than one of these headings. The proportion of workers who in that year did not receive a premium over the minimum wage was 20 per cent.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) which are the home-produced agricultural commodities which British farmers will export increasingly to the Continent in the event of the United Kingdom's entry into the Common Market, subject to the necessary minimum safeguards for agriculture;(2) what estimate he has made of the agricultural products from Europe which will be increasingly sold in British shops, in the event of the entry of the United Kingdom into the Common Market, subject to the necessary minimum safeguards for agriculture.

If we join the Common Market the removal of barriers and restrictions on trade in agricultural products between member States would provide greater opportunities for trade in these commodities between the United Kingdom and the Continent. The 'pattern of our trade in particular commodities with the Six would only take shape gradually over a period of years as the common policy is developed and introduced. As far as exports from United Kingdom are concerned there are likely to be increased opportunities for finding markets on the continent for high quality and specialised products. Membership of the Common Market would not however alter the fact that we should remain 'predominantly an importer of foodstuffs.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty to what extent naval personnel are employed in non-naval vessels; and on what basis they are employed.

Under a standing arrangement with the Shipping Federation a few R.N. officers serve for short periods, in a supernumerary capacity, in merchant ships in order to obtain experience of day-to-day work in the Merchant Navy. In addition, since 1948, an officer appointed to the Royal Yacht has acted part-time as Sailing Master of "Bluebottle" and will now act in a similar capacity in "Bloodhound". Two ratings, also appointed to the Royal Yacht, are at present assisting in the maintenance and running of this vessel.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many men will be made redundant in Malta in consequence of the reduction in the strength of the labour force at the naval base announced on 14th June by the flag officer, Malta; and when this reduction will begin to take place.

The implications of reducing the operational facilities to those required in the future is now being considered. When decisions have been reached an announcement will be made of the extent and timing of the reduction in the numbers.

asked the Minister of Defence what plans he has to reduce staff employed in the Joint Intelligence Bureau.

There are no plans to reduce the staff employed in the Joint Intelligence Bureau; but the numbers are constantly kept under review and adjusted to meet changing circumstances.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the targets, in terms of number of men and dates, which he has authorised in connection with the recruitment of the Territorial Army Emergency Reserve, or "Ever-readies", and the number of men actually enlisted.

The eventual ceiling of the Territorial Army Emergency Reserve is about 15,000 men. As I told the House during the proceedings of the Army Reserve Bill, this is part of a long-term plan, and recruiting should therefore be taken at a steady pace. Although no targets have been set for recruiting, I did initially impose quotas for the first three months, in order to avoid having too many annual engage- ments ending at the same time. The position at the 6th July was that 77 officers and 1,491 other ranks had enlisted, and the enlistment of a further 14 officers and 609 other ranks was in process. Total applications for the force have been almost 8,000; but a number of these may withdraw, or prove not to be eligible or suitable.I hope that recruiting will continue to mount as the concept of this force becomes more widely known. Training for the Territorial Army Emergency Reserve has already been arranged this Summer; but in the early part of next year I am planning to exercise a limited number of "Ever-readies" in their rôle as individual reinforcements in times of tension. This will take the place of annual camp far those concerned, and will involve flying them to Hong Kong or some other appropriate theatre.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will make a statement about the inquiry he is conducting following the production of an I.T.V. programme at Minden.

I have nothing to add to my statement during the course of the debate on B.A.O.R. on 5th July, 1962.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he will reduce the numbers of all ranks engaged on the Bank of England picquet with a view to making good the 30 per cent. reduction made since October, 1959, in the numbers of all ranks guarding Buckingham Palace while Her Majesty is in residence there.

The size of the Bank Picquet is directly related to the number of sentries it is required to furnish, which is governed by the security requirements of the Bank of England. It could only be reduced by posting the guardsmen on sentry for longer periods which I do not consider necessary or desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for War why four young soldiers who were brought before the Shrewsbury borough magistrates on 27th June were dismissed from the Army before any case had been proved against them.

Following their arrest by the civil police, these four young soldiers were interviewed by their commander, to whom they admitted their offence. As a result their records, since they joined the Army, were reviewed and it was decided that none of the four was likely to make an efficient soldier. They were therefore discharged.

asked the Secretary of State for War what consultations he had with the British Transport Commission as to the future conveyance of Service men and equipment to and from Sennybridge Camp before the proposals to close the Brecon to Neath railway line were issued; and if he will make a statement.

Full discussions between my Department and the British Transport Commission were held before the proposals to withdraw services on the Brecon and Neath railway line were issued, and the Commission has given an assurance that our requirements for this year can be met. Future arrangements will be considered in the light of developments.

City				1951–52					1961–62
				Valuation per head of population			Rate levied (including domestic water rate)		Valuation per head of population			Rate levied (including domestic water rate)
				£	s.	d.	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	s.	d.
Aberdeen	…	…	…	10	18	0	16	3	19	3	0	20	9
Dundee	…	…	…	10	1	0	16	11	21	4	0	19	10
Edinburgh	…	…	…	14	4	0	8	11	24	16	0	14	5
Glasgow	…	…	…	11	12	0	17	8	20	10	0	22	6

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state for each year from 1950–51 to date the total amount paid in Government grants to local authorities in Scotland and the percentage that that amount represented of total local authority expenditure.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will

asked the Secretary of State for War what is the number of troop trains which have been required for the conveyance of Service men and equipment to and from Sennybridge Camp during the last 12 months; and what was the number of personnel and the tonnage of equipment carried.

During the last twelve months 31 special trains ran to and from Sennybridge Camp: 17 troop trains carrying 4,923 all ranks and 14 freight trains carrying 949 tons of stores.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give the valuation per head of the population in the year 1951, and in the year 1961, in the following cities, namely, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh;(2) what was the rate poundage levied in the year 1951 and in the year 1961 in the cities of Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh.

The following table gives the information requested:state the total capital expenditure by local authorities in Scotland for each of the years from 1951 to date;(2) if he will state for each of the years from 1950–51 to date for local authorities in Scotland the total revenue expenditure, the total amount paid in interest charges, and the percentage that the second figure represents of the first.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total amount raised by rates by local authorities in Scotland for each of the years from 1950–51 to date, and the amount of rates per head of the population for each year.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will state the total capital debts of local authorities in Scotland at the end of each of the

Local authority expenditure
(from Local Financial Returns)
Year			Revenue Expenditure	Capital Expenditure	Interest Charges	Col. 3 as percentage of Col. 1	Government Grants	Col. 5 as percentage of Col. 1
			(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)
			£m	£m	£m		£m
1950–51	…	…	108·4	47·4	8·6	8·0	39·9	36·8
1951–52	…	…	122·8	58·3	9·7	8·0	44·9	36·6
1952–53	…	…	133·5	69·2	11·5	8·6	48·8	36·6
1953–54	…	…	142·0	74·2	14·7	10·3	54·6	38·5
1954–55	…	…	156·5	73·2	16·8	10·7	60·6	38·7
1955–56	…	…	170·8	72·3	19·7	11·5	66·8	39·1
1956–57	…	…	195·0	70·7	23·6	12·1	74·3	38·1
1957–58	…	…	202·3	71·3	27·3	13·5	84·1	41·6
1958–59	…	…	213·1	71·3	29·8	14·0	91 ·8	43·1
1959–60	…	…	221·2	72·2	32·3	14·6	96·5	43·6
1960–61 (2)	…	…	246·0	78·5	36·8	15·0	105·9	43·0
1961–62(3)	…	…	268·0	—	—	—	—	—

	Gross Capital Debt (at end of year)
Year	Education	Housing	Others	Total	Rate of Interest on net(1) Capital Debt	Rate Income	Rates per head of Population
	(7)	(8)	(9)	(10)	(11)	(12)	(13)
	£m	£m	£m	£m	℅	£m	£	s.
1950–51	15	233	62	310	3·0	32	6	4
1951–52	18	269	66	353	2·9	37	7	5
1952–53	23	318	73	414	3·0	45	8	15
1953–54	27	367	81	475	3·3	49	9	12
1954–55	32	406	89	527	3·4	49	9	13
1955–56	39	445	102	586	3·6	54	10	10
1956–57	47	480	111	638	3·9	63	12	5
1957–58	55	511	119	685	4·1	67	12	19
1958–59	66	542	129	737	4·2	71	13	15
1959–60	78	570	139	787	4·3	75	14	7
1960–61(2)	89	592	156	837	4·5	77	14	17
1961–62(3)	—	—	—	—	—	94	18	1
(1) Gross debt less amount held in Sinking Funds.
(2) Provisional.
(3) Estimates.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many accidents, fatal or otherwise, have occurred on Anderson Drive, Aberdeen,

The following is the Answer:since it was made a by-pass of the City of Aberdeen.

Anderson Drive is a classified road and a recommended ring road. From 1st October, 1955, up to 21st April, 1962, there have been 178 accidents causing personal injury; these involved 6 fatalities and 220 other injuries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that certain of the antiquities entrusted to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland for public exhibition are kept in storage contrary to the donors' intentions; and if he will amend the law so as to prohibit this practice.

I am not aware that any objects donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland have been kept in storage contrary to the donors' intentions. The trustees keep on permanent exhibition a high proportion of their collection, including all objects of outstanding historical or æsthetic interest. But it has long been the policy of the trustees to explain to prospective donors that no guarantee of perpetual exhibition can be given.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, for the guidance of the relevant British industries, he will make a detailed statement on the new plans by the Herring Industry Board to meet and overcome the competition in North Sea fishing of the new fleets of foreign trawlers by sponsoring new British fleets of trawlers; and what consultations he has had with the Herring Industry Board on this matter.

The Herring Industry Board is making arrangements for trials of herring trawling to be carried out by about eight British trawlers on the Fladen and other North Sea fishing grounds in order to assess the advantages of this method of catching herring. The Board has been offered a grant towards the cost of these trials and is working out the details in consultation with interested trawler owners.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the details discussed with him by the Scottish trawler owners in London on 3rd July; and what decision he has reached as a result on his policy and proposals relating to subsidy rates for the fishing industry.

I had no discussions with the Scottish trawler owners on 3rd July. The Government's proposals for subsidies to the fishing industry in the year 1962–63 are contained in the white fish and herring subsidy schemes laid before this House on 4th July.

asked the Secretary of State far Scotland if he is aware of the importance to the owners of, and workers in, British shipyards of knowledge of the procedure to be adopted by them in applications to Her Majesty's Government for grants and loans under legislation relating to the building of fishing vessels; and if he will now issue a detailed statement of the procedure, and of the principles which Her Majesty's Government intend to apply, in granting or refusing such grants and loans.

The grants and loans to which the hon. and learned Member refers are made to the owners of the fishing vessels not the owners of the shipyards. The fishing vessel owners are fully informed through the White Fish Authority and the Herring Industry Board of the procedure to be followed in making applications. As regards the last part of the Question I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the grants schemes which were laid before the House on 4th July.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will state the number and type of aircraft which will be required over the next five, six and seven years, respectively, to meet the tactical and strategic trooping and freight-carrying needs of the Armed Services.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the information in this year's Air Estimates Memorandum and to the speech of my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State in the debate on 12th March. I could not—for reasons of security—give the additional information about our future requirements for transport aircraft in the detailed form requested.

asked the Minister of Transport if, in view of the heavy accident record on the Cardiff-Newport road, he will provide a pedestrian subway at Mount Pleasant Avenue.

This is a matter for the Cardiff City Council as local highway authority. If it applies to me for a grant I will consider it in relation to the many other urgent schemes in South Wales and elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Transport when he proposes to introduce the necessary regulations to make it compulsory for all cars to have safety belts or harnesses; and if he will further consider making it compulsory for drivers to use those belts and harnesses when a vehicle is in motion.

I propose to introduce regulations as soon as possible after the necessary consultations have been completed. With regard to the second part of the Question, I am satisfied that it would not be practicable to make the wearing of belts compulsory.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what information and advice he has given to the poultry industry about the value of exhibiting at the Varese 1962 exhibition and similar European exhibitions.

It is primarily for industry to judge the value of participation in overseas trade fairs, but my right hon. Friend's Department is always ready to give advice and information and can, in certain circumstances, provide material help. No request for information or advice about the Varese Fair or other similar fairs in Europe has been made by the poultry industry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will give the last year's balance of trade figures between the United Kingdom and Hong Kong and indicate also the balance of the main items of United Kingdom exports to and imports from Hong Kong.

Details of the main components of United Kingdom trade and the balance of trade with Hong Kong in 1961 are as follows:

January—December 1961
U.K. Imports c.i.f.
(£'000)
Cotton yarns	1,428
Woven cotton fabrics	9,927
Made-up cotton household goods	1,586
Jewellery	1,481
Clothing	14,745
Footwear	3,479
Toys	2,690
Artificial flowers, etc	1,387
Other imports	8,565
	45,288
U.K. Exports f.o.b.
Chemicals	6,310
Woollen and worsted woven fabrics	2,824
Other textiles	2,022
Iron and steel	3,293
Non-ferrous base metals	1,510
Machinery (other than electric)	5,439
Electric machinery, apparatus and appliances	6,013
Cars—new	1,064
Chassis and parts and accessories for motor vehicles	1,419
Cigarettes	1,066
Other U.K. exports	12,783
	43,743
U.K. Re-exports f.o.b	675
Total Exports f.o.b	44,418
Balance of Trade	-870

asked the Minister of Education if he will state the number of new teachers who were recruited for full-time employment for the latest 12-month period and the numbers recruited from training colleges, university departments of education and other sources, respectively, showing the graduates and non-graduates, respectively.

The system of analysing statistics of teacher entry has been changed and results are not available in the form given to the hon. Member on previous occasions. The 1961–62 figures, on the new basis, will be available in November or December. The difference between the old and the new form of analysis. and the reasons for the change in method, are explained in paragraphs 42 and 43 of the Seventh Report of the National Advisory Council on the Training and Supply of Teachers "The Demand and Supply of Teachers 1960–80", of which a copy is in the library of the House.

asked the Minister of Education what were the pupil-teacher ratios for juniors and seniors, respectively, in maintained and independent schools, respectively, at the latest available date.

I refer the hon. Member to the Answer which I gave him on 21st May. Figures for 1962 are likely to be available in the course of next month.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will add a column to Part II of Appendix D of the Annual Report of the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy showing, under the headings in that Part, Government Expenditure on Civil Research as forecast in the Estimates for 1962–63.

The information is already published in Table VI (Research and Development) of the memorandum to the 1962–63 Estimates published by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 12th March. This table includes items additional to those published in the Report of the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy, namely those in respect of the Ministry of Aviation, War Office, and Admiralty (with the exception of the grant to Oceanography) and Air Ministry Operational Research. If these are excluded the remaining £45·7 million compares with £42·1 million in 1961–62, in the published Table in the A.C.S.P. Report. This figure, as explained in a footnote also excludes Ministry of Aviation civil expenditure (which cannot be precisely distinguished from its defence expenditure), Atomic Energy Authority expenditure, university expenditure, and Post Office expenditure.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will add a column to Part II of Appendix D of Command Paper No. 1592 showing, under the headings of that Part, the expenditure of the research councils as estimated for 1962–63.

The information is given in the following table:

Expenditure and Statistics of the Research Councils, 1962–63
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research—
Expenditure (£000) (a)	21,656
Current	16,556
Capital	5,100
Agricultural Research Council—
Expenditure (£000) (b)	8,236
Current	7,239
Capital	997
Medical Research Council—
Expenditure (£000)	5,842
Current	5,431
Capital	411
Nature Conservancy—
Expenditure (£000)	590
Current	534
Capital	56

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asked the Minister of Health if he will give the annual capital and revenue allocations made to regional hospital boards expressed on a per capita basis since 1948.

The information is in the following tables. For years up to and (including 1960–61 the figures are for actual expenditure, which generally did not differ greatly from allocations. Expenditure by Boards of Governors of teaching hospitals is not included.