asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many civil servants, established or permanent and temporary, respectively, were employed in Colonial 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.

On 1st April, 1951, there were in the Colonial Office 1,021 established staff and 641 temporary. Salaries and wages in the preceding financial year totalled approximately £840,000. The corresponding figures for staff in 1962 were 543 and 325 respectively; and that for salaries and wages was about £820,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what is the net annual cost to the United Kingdom of administering and defending Hong Kong, taking into account the Colony's contribution to the United Kingdom balance of payments on both visible and invisible accounts and the Hong Kong Government's annual payment to imperial defence and the Admiralty;(2) what contribution the Colony of Hong Kong makes to the United King-

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many civil servants, established or permanent, and temporary, respectively, were employed in Ministry of Works 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 following is the answer:town and not easily accessible; and what proposals he 'has for rehousing this office in a more suitable and centrally situated building.

The office of the National Assistance Board for the Pontefract district is situated in part of a former miners' hostel, on a site laid out with concrete roads and paths, adjoining a main road, about a mile and a half from the centre of Pontefract. I will look into the matter.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he is aware that a meeting of the British Union of Fascists is due to be held in Trafalgar Square on 22nd July; and, as this meeting is liable to cause a breach of the peace, whether he will refuse to grant the use of the Square for the purpose of this meeting.

My predecessor gave permission to this movement to hold a meeting in Trafalgar Square on 22nd July, which will be the seventh such meeting of this organisation in the Square since 1959.

asked the Postmaster-General when he proposes to give formal authorisation to the British Broadcasting Corporation to start the development and production of its second television channel.

As the hon. Member knows, the White Paper on Broadcasting declares the Government's intention to authorise the B.B.C. to put out a second television programme. Discussions with the B.B.C. are now starting, and formal authorisation will follow in due course.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will estimate the cost of adapting television receivers now geared to Band I transmission to reception of Band III transmissions, including the cost of new aerials.

Most viewers nowadays have sets and aerials able to receive programmes on Band I and Band III. This is especially so in areas such as South Wales and West of England which have had B.B.C. and I.T.A. television for a number of years. When the new Welsh service begins, many people will need a new coil unit which, with the cost of installation, could perhaps cost up to £2. Many people may also need a new Band III aerial: this might cost about £7.

asked the Postmaster-General which television channel is to be made available in Band III for the separation of the West of England from Wales; and if he has considered the relative advantage of keeping Wales on the present Band I channel, and using the Band III channel for the West of England.

The Band III channel to be used is at present under consideration. To use a Band III channel for the West of England instead of for Wales would mean that many people in the West of England would need new aerials, while some would lose service altogether. I think the balance of advantage lies in using a Band III channel for Wales.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the British Broadcasting Corporation television reception in the Aysgarth and Leyburn districts is unsatisfactory; and if he will take action to improve the present position.

I agree that reception of B.B.C. television in parts of Yorkshire is unsatisfactory, and this is aggravated during the summer months by interference from television stations on the Continent. The B.B.C. tells me that it will bear in mind the needs of this area, together with those of the many other areas with poor reception, when planning further stages of its satellite station scheme.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that the quality of the reception at Goonhilly Downs of the first pictures from Telstar was inferior to that obtained by tracking stations in France; and what was the reason for this inferiority.

The poor reception at Goonhilly Down of the first television signals from Telstar was due to the reversal of a small component in the aerial feed which determines the rotation of the radio waves received and transmitted by the aerial. This reversal was corrected on 11th July, and the excellent quality of reception and transmission since then has been acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic.

asked the Postmaster-General, in view of the technical facilities made available by his Department, what agreement has been made with the French television authorities regarding live transmissions across the Atlantic through the medium of Telstar; and if he wild make a statement.

A Transatlantic exchange of television programmes via Telstar has been arranged for 23rd July. The exchange will be between the European Broadcasting Union on the European side and a consortium of the American television networks on the United States side. There is an agreement that, prior to this exchange, the only television pictures transmitted should be in the nature of test material.

asked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the success of the United States of America Telstar, instead of adopting the 10-year-old European system of 625 lines 50 cycles, he will consider the adoption of the system of 525 lines 60 cycles, which would give a better picture, capable of direct reception from Telstar; and if he will refer the question to his Television Advisory Committee in the light of the new development.

I have considered this suggestion and I am satisfied that the European 625-line standard, which was developed much later than the American 525-line standard, will make the best use of the 8 Mc/s channels which all European countries have agreed to use in Bands IV and V.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware of the poor reception of British Broadcasting Corporation television programmes in the Hull area; and whether he will take immediate steps to investigate and remedy the matter.

The B.B.C. tells me that, for most of the year, the Hull area has satisfactory television reception from its Holme Moss transmitter provided good outdoor aerials are used. Reception is affected, however, during the summer months by interference from television stations on the Continent. I am discussing the general question of improving reception with the B.B.C. and the I.T.A

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement on the introduction of the Giro system in the Post Office before the House rises for the summer Recess.

I regret that I cannot add to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member on 27th March.

asked the Postmaster-General what consultations he had with the British Transport Commission before the proposals for the closure of the four railway lines to and from Brecon were made as to the delivery and dispatch of letters and parcels along these routes; and whether adequate alternative postal services exist.

The railways gave the Post Office adequate notice of their proposals and appropriate consultations have taken place; if the rail services are withdrawn arrangements will be made to maintain the postal services substantially unchanged apart from some minor adjustments in delivery and collection times.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation whether the forward planning of his Department will be adjusted to the objectives proposed by the Secretary General of the United Nations that a minimum yearly increase of $25 million should be attained in United Nations technical assistance and pre-investment programmes, following a $150 million programme for 1962.

I am unable at this stage to add anything to the reply given to the hon. Gentleman on 10th July by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation when the working party, which he has set up to study the problem of overseas civil servants' pensions, is expected to report to him; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation when the working party, set up by him to consider the problem of overseas civil servants' pensions, will report; and if he will make a statement.

I hope to receive the report of the working party during the Recess. The Government will make a decision on the problem of increases to Overseas Civil Service and Sudan Civil Service pensions in the light of the report.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that collectively the cotton industry has, since 28th June, put in new proposals for spending more than £100 million on modernisation, he will now respond to this lead by the industry by providing the safeguards regarding imports which are necessary for the effective operation of the Cotton Industry Act.

While recognising that applications for re-equipment grant do not commit firms to their implementation, I welcome the fact that they have reached some £115 million. I hope that the safeguards regarding imports which I explained to the House on June 6th and June 28th will encourage the industry to press forward with its much needed re-equipment and modernisation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from the Scottish Hosiery and Knitwear Manufacturers Association about the increased import of knitted garments from Hong Kong; and what reply he has made.

The Association has drawn my attention to the increasing volume of knitwear which is being imported into this country from Hong Kong and has asked for restrictions to be imposed.I am telling the Association that I can hold out no hope of any such action being taken.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he will publish the findings of the town clerks who presided at conferences of Greater London boroughs to consider amalagation problems in the reorganisation of local government in Greater London.

Very soon, I hope.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will list the housing associations to which advances have been made under the Housing Act, 1961; and if he will give separately those co-operative housing associations to which advances have been made.

Actual advances have been made to one association, Housing Partnership (New Maiden) Limited. Some twenty further projects have been approved in principle but have not yet reached the stage at which advances can be made. None of the associations so far concerned is a co-operative housing association.

asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the recently announced statement on the Scottish economy, he will now make a visit to Scotland to meet the Scottish Trades Union General Council.

The Scottish Council (Development and Industry), of which the Scottish Trades Union Congress is a constituent body, made representations to the Government about the Scottish economy on 12th July, the day following the statement to which the hon. Member refers. These representations are now being considered. An undertaking was given that the Govern- ment would suggest a further meeting with the Council if this seemed likely to be helpful.

asked the First Secretary of State (Central African Office), why the Government of Northern Rhodesia has banned the distribution of the United States newsreel, "Today".

The Film Censorship Board of Northern Rhodesia has refused permission for the showing of a film in this series on only one occasion, in February, 1961.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will state the wastage of teachers in maintained primary and secondary schools for the latest available 12-month period,

asked the Minister of Education how many students at technical colleges were enrolled in courses leading to a university first degree in each of the last five years.

This information is now available in Table 12 of "Statistics of Education 1961, Part Two", published last week, of which a copy is in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the delay in the work on the Esher by-pass is of concern to the people of the area; when he will come to a decision in the matter; and if he will make a statement.

The latest available information can be found in Table 40 of Statistics of Education, 1961, Part One. The most notable feature of the year ending 31st March, 1961, was a further increase in the rate at which young women teachers left service.

asked the Minister of Education what were the numbers of men and women, respectively, who were admitted at training colleges to one-year supplementary courses for specialist teaching; and what were the numbers of men and women, respectively, who took courses in science and mathematics in 1961–62.

The information is as follows:

I appreciate fully the importance of this by-pass to the local people. There are, however, serious difficulties about each of the suggested lines and my discussions with the local authorities are still in progress. I intend to publish a draft Order under Section7 of the Highways Act, 1959, as soon as possible after these are completed. A final decision can be made only after considering any objections to the published scheme.

asked the Minister of Transport when he estimates that the continuing increase in traffic will require an improvement in conditions at Gallows Corner on the A.12; and whether plans exist for conversion to a two-level intersection.

No plans exist for the provision of a two-level junction. The need for such treatment will be considered when the dualling of A.12 from Gallows Corner to Brentwood can be included in the trunk road programme.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects construction of the Durham section of the Durham-Dardington Motorway to begin.

It is too soon to say. I hope to announce shortly the making of a scheme under the Highways Act, 1959, fixing the route of the motorway between Aycliffe and north of Chester-le-Street. Further statutory processes to authorise alterations to side roads and private accesses will be completed as

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the absolute figures relating to the percentage graphs which appear on pages 20, 21, 23, 29, and 44 of the publication Britain and the European Communities, in each case showing separately the growth each year and for each country since 1954.

The information is given in the following table:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the absolute figures showing Commonwealth exports and imports in each year from 1954 to 1961, distinguishing the sources and destinations given in the graphs on pages 35 and 36 of the publication Britain and the European Communities.

I refer the hon. Member to statistics of Commonwealth exports and imports published on pages 438-439 of the Board of Trade Journal on 2nd March, 1962. Statistics for 1961, on the same basis, will be published in the Board of Trade Journal in the course of the next few weeks.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the actual totals of expenditure on social security on which the table on page 27 of the publication Britain and the European Communities was based; and whether the totals include expenditure on free education, including grants made through local authorities for free university education, on housing subsidies and on food subsidies.

The source of the table on page 27 of Britain and the European Communities is the publication The Cost of Social Security 1949–1957 (International Labour Office, 1961). The same publication sets out actual totals of expenditure on social security in Table I of Part II, Comparative Tables. It sets out fully the definition of social security adopted for this survey by the International Labour Office, which is

"taken as consisting of compulsory social insurance, certain voluntary social insurance schemes, family allowance schemes, special schemes for public employees, public health services, public assistance and benefits granted to war victims."

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will now give details of the Scottish Mutual Aid Scheme for sharing scientific equipment.

This Scheme was started in 1957 by the D.S.I.R. branch office in Edinburgh in order to encourage the interchange of information and ideas between research laboratories in Scotland. Any interested Scottish firm which becomes a member may avail itself of a wide variety of advice and know-how on laboratory equipment and practices and agrees to assist other members with problems relating to research equipment and laboratory techniques.The Scheme is operated as a free service by the D.S.I.R. by which over 200 inquiries are dealt with annually. This is, however, only a fraction of the total number of inquiries made, since members are encouraged to use the handbook they receive which gives a list of the 99 firms at present members and of the other 200 Government, Government-sponsored, university, and technical college laboratories.A similar scheme has, as I stated in the debate on 12th July, been launched in Wales, based on the D.S.I.R. branch office in Cardiff.