asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is his policy for future developments in the green belt area round London and on uncharacterised land in the peripheral authorities of the London review area, in the light of paragraph 106 of the Report of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, Command Paper No. 1164.

Proposals for the development of unallocated land are considered on their merits against the background of the policy of generally maintaining the green belt.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is satisfied that there is adequate coordination between the local authorities concerned and his Department and statutory bodies, for the provision of services on new housing estates; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has no reason to think otherwise.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will grant a final appeal by affected boroughs, once he has made known his grouping plan for the new Greater London local government area.

The pattern of the new boroughs will be included in the legislation on London Government so that Parliament will take the final decision.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware of the danger to children caused by neglected standing waters adjacent to unoccupied mills; and if he will take steps to give local authorities who require them the necessary powers to minimise these dangers and to charge the cost to those responsible for the mills.

Some of these places may no doubt be dangerous to children and the Oldham Corporation have recently obtained powers from Parliament to require them to be fenced by the owner or occupier of the mill if necessary. It is open to other local authorities to ask Parliament for similar powers. I doubt whether the problem calls for general legislation.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware of the difficulties confronting the county borough of West Ham in resolving its housing problem due to the large number of old and slum properties, the large number of houses lost by bombing, the resultant loss of rate income, and the high cost of building and charges for interest rates on borrowed capital; and what action he proposes to take to assist this council to overcome these difficulties.

Though I appreciate that West Ham has a serious slum clearance and housing problem, I do not think the council lacks adequate resources to deal with it. If, as a result of further building, it can satisfy the test for additional assistance as provided for in the Housing Act, 1961, it will be entitled to payment of supplemental subsidy.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will make a statement on the operation of the Rent Act, 1957, giving details to show the effect it has had on rents, on accommodation available for rent, and on the housing problem.

The Social Survey Report showed that, on decontrol, rent increases generally have been reasonable and that the automatic sale of houses by landlords on regaining possession has been checked. The restarting of a free market in rented accommodation has given many families their first opportunity of obtaining a home.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs to give the total number of houses for which the six local authorities in the Dearne Valley constituency have applied for slum clearance for the years 1962 and 1963, and the number of such houses which have received sanction by his Department.

Three local authorities submitted proposals for building 227 houses in 1962; 192 of these were approved immediately and the rest were reserved for consideration at a later date. The other three authorities submitted no proposals for building during 1962 and no proposals of any sort were submitted for 1963.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs in which year he estimates that all slum houses which are over 70 years old will have been demolished.

I have no information that categorises the age of unfit houses remaining to be cleared, but it is my intention to see that all slums, whatever their age, are demolished as quickly as practicable.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will call for early reports by the local authorities on the working of the provisions of the Housing Act, 1961, relating to houses in multiple occupation.

Local authorities have been told that we shall be calling for reports on the operation of the multi-occupation provisions of the Housing Act, 1961, in mid-1964, by which time they should have had reasonable experience of their working.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is his latest information about the number of tourists visiting Wales from overseas; and what additional help he proposes to give to the Welsh Tourist Board in the future.

The British Travel and Holidays Association estimate that the number of overseas tourists visiting Wales in 1961 was of the order of 200,000. The Association, which is responsible for the "Come to Britain" campaign, will continue to co-operate fully with the Welsh Tourist Board on all matters affecting Wales.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of the mobile exhibit at the Stockholm Trade Fair.

This exhibit was arranged by the National Coal Board, to whom inquiries about its cost should be directed.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what supervision he exercises over his Official Receivers in Bankruptcy; and whether he will make a full inquiry into the manner in which the Official Receiver in Bankruptcy for the Liverpool district has conducted his responsibilities, especially in the case of George Henry Wilkie, in Liverpool.

Official Receivers in Bankruptcy are responsible to me in respect of the duties which fall to them as officers of the Board of Trade. As to the second part of the Question I am fully satisfied with the manner in which the Official Receiver carried out his duties in the case in question and I see no occasion for inquiry.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what imports of knitwear from Hong Kong have taken place during the last few months in 1962; and how this compares with imports during the same period last year.

Imports of knitwear from ong Kong amounted to £257 million in the period January-May, 1962. Imports in the comparable period of 1961 were £1·62 million.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what additional employment has arisen from new industrial building, approved in the first two years of the operation of the Local Employment Act, in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively; what these figures represent as a percentage of the total additional employment; and how these percentages compare with the respective percentage proportions of the total unemployment, taking the average monthly figure from April, 1960, to March, 1962.

Industrial development certificates issued in the first two years of the Local Employment Act are estimated by the firms concerned to give rise to an additional employment in Great Britain of 217,000. One hundred and seventy-three thousand, or 80 per cent. of the to"tal are in England; 18,000 or 8 per cent. in Wales and 26,000 or 12 per cent. in Scotland. Of the total average unemployed of 352,000 over the same period, England's percentage was 724, Wales's 7·2 and Scotland's 20·4.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had with the Central Electricity Generating Board regarding the increased industrial energy needs in the vicinity of The Hartlepools, bearing in mind the high unemployment now existing and the policy of attracting new industry into the area.

Consultations with the Central Electricity Generating Board are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power. I have nothing to add to the Answers which he gave last Monday on this subject to my hon. and gallant Friend and other hon. Members.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many new jobs were created in the Blyth, Bedlington and Seaton Valley areas since November, 1960;(2) how many new jobs he expects will be created in the Blyth, Bedlington and Seaton Valley areas in the next 18 months.

The number of new jobs estimated to have been created as a result of industrial development certificates since 1st November, 1960, for the Employment Exchange Areas of Blyth, Bedlington and Seaton Delaval is about 265. Some of these have still to be filled. I am not prepared to estimate the number of further additional jobs likely to be created in the next eighteen months.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will build an advance factory in Aberdeen.

The claims of Aberdeen have not been overlooked, but the case for putting an advance factory there is not as good as in some other areas in Scotland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will acquire a site in the Aberdeen area for industrial development to serve the north-east area of Scotland.

One of the five sites which are to be acquired for industrial development in various parts of Scotland will be in the North-East, but it is likely to be in an area where unemployment is higher than in Aberdeen.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will build an advance factory in the Blackridge, Fauldhouse and Stoneyburn area of West Lothian, which has been scheduled under the Local Employment Act.

The claims of West Lothian will be borne in mind, but I am not yet ready to announce the location of the further advance factories which the Government have decided to build in Scotland.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if, in view of the monopoly which exists in the making of Xylonite for cutlery handles, he will refer this industry to the Monopolies Commission.

I will bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind when considering new references to the Monopolies Commission.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many industrial firms have been declared bankrupt since 1952.

A considerable amount of information about bankruptcy and about the winding up of companies is given each year in the General Annual Reports on Bankruptcy and on Companies respectively which are published by H.M. Stationery Office. Perhaps the right hon. Member would consult the Reports for 1961, particularly Table IV of the Bankruptcy Report and Table VIII of the Companies Report, and then let me know what further information he would like to have.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to give a list of development districts at present scheduled under the Local Employment Act, 1960.

The following is the list of development districts, taking into account the changes which I am announcing today:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what further changes he proposes to make in the list of development districts.

I am satisfied that high and persistent unemployment is no longer to be expected in Filey, Scarborough or Skegness. I am accordingly removing them from the list of development districts under the Local Employment Act, 1960.I have decided to add to the list of development districts Blaydon in County Durham and Kilsyth in Scotland. I hope that this step will help to secure new industrial development in these places. I am also restoring to Prudhoe the facilities available under the Act.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of all new factory building in the United Kingdom came to the northern region during the periods 1945–51 and 1951–61.

The available figures are for Great Britain not the United Kingdom. The northern region's share of new industrial building given location approval was 10·5 per cent. in 1945 to 1951 and 61 per cent. in 1951 to 1961.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware of the expense incurred by blind people on the maintenance of guide dogs; and if he will take steps to relieve them of this burden by granting them relief of Income Tax to the amount they spend.

I would refer the hon. Member to Clause 9 of the Finance Bill, which makes a special allowance of up to £100 available to registered blind persons, subject to conditions. Where this allowance is due it will help the blind person to meet special expenses falling on him such as the cost of keeping a guide dog.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer What is his policy about the financing of Local authority borrowing by foreign deposits on short-term loan; and what is the effect on sterling of such borrowing.

Government policy is that local authorities should borrow in the market wherever they can do so at reasonable rates. Where such borrowing is financed by foreign funds it would, at the time the inflow takes place, tend to improve the rate for sterling and increase our reserves, but would also correspondingly increase our short-term Liabilities.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, taking the internal purchasing power of the £ sterling in 1914 as 20s., he will give the value in shillings and pence for 1961.

4s. 5d., based on Changes in the consumer price index and, for the period up to 1938, the Ministry of Labour's cost of living index.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if be will now state when the Report of the Committee on Decimal Coinage will be published.

It is not yet possible to give a firm date, but present indications are that the Report should be available early next year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of times the Bank Rate has been changed since 1952.

There have been 23 changes since January, 1952.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the powers possessed by the Board of Inland Revenue to examine houses in order to find out if they have been converted into flats are exercised; whether he is satisfied that they are adequate for present purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Certain members of the Valuation Office of the Inland Revenue have powers to enter houses for valuation purposes, but not specifically for the purpose mentioned in the Question. I am satisfied that the existing powers are adequate.

asked the Attorney-General why moneys paid into court as a result of judgment of the court do not bear interest from the date of payment in.

I assume that the hon. Member has in mind money paid into the High Court in satisfaction of a judgment. It is incumbent on the judgment creditor to obtain an order that the money shall be either invested or placed on deposit. In the great majority of cases an order for investment is made, with the result that the money begins to earn interest at once, and, if the creditor's solicitor has acted with reasonable expedition, no substantial benefit would accrue from a provision that the money should earn interest from the date of payment in. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is considering the possibility of amending the rules with a view to reducing the period which elapses before interest is earned in those exceptional oases where an order is made that the money should be placed on deposit.

asked the Attorney-General how many civil servants, established or permanent, and temporary, respectively, were employed in the Law Officers' department 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 numbers of civil servants employed in the Law Officers' Department on the two dates were respectively six (including one temporary) and nine. The totals of wages and salaries paid in the twelve months ending on the two dates were respectively £3,435 (which includes £605 as wages) and £12,623.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of recent statements by Major L. C. Soden, Chairman of the Slough Board of Magistrates, made when considering cases, he will take steps to remove Major Soden's name from the list of magistrates.

No. I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the practice of Major Soden, when presiding over the Slough bench, to require the previous convictions of persons found guilty by the magistrates to be read out in open court. The extent to which such previous convictions are disclosed lies entirely at the discretion of the magistrates hearing the case. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, in whom is vested the power to remove a Justice from the Commission of the Peace, is satisfied that Major Soden has acted within the limits of his discretion and that his removal from the Commission would not be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will instruct the Metropolitan Police to use safety belts on their official vehicles.

The Commissioner of Police informs me that he is keeping the matter under review, but that he is not at present convinced that it would be appropriate to order the fitting and wearing of safety belts in Metropolitan police cars.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to staff the probation service in order to implement the prison aftercare provisions of the Criminal Justice Act, 1961; and how many additional probation officers will be required to implement Part B of the Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on the Business of Criminal Courts.

Intensive efforts to recruit men and women for training as probation officers are achieving results and nearly half as many again were accepted for training in the first six months of 1962, as in the corresponding period of 1961. The Morison Committee estimated that expansion of the probation service by about 150 officers would be required for new duties, of which the main ones would be the two mentioned by the hon. Member.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the continuing number of accidents, if he will take steps to prevent young children from obtaining airguns and shotguns.

It is an offence to sell or hire an airgun or a shotgun to a person under seventeen, and for a person under that age to purchase or hire such a weapon. A Bill which would further restrict the possession of these weapons by young persons received its Third Reading in this House on 4th May, and is now in another place.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the respective salaries of police constables and probation officers at the age of 28 years who have entered the respective services at the minimum age; and what allowances are paid to each of them, respectively.

The salaries for male officers are, in London, £930 and £845 respectively, and £910 and £805 elsewhere. The constable receives a house or quarters free of rent and rates or a tax-free allowance in lieu; and a boot allowance of 3s. a week. The probation officer receives no allowances.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration he has given to the desirability of amending the Public Order Act, 1936, to take account of the danger of breaches of the peace being provoked by threatening, abusive or insulting words; and what further consultations he has had about the granting of permission for meetings in Trafalgar Square.

I have under consideration proposals put to my predecessor last week by the right hon. Member for Smethwick (Mr. Gordon Walker) and the right hon. and learned Member for Newport (Sir F. Soskice) for the amendment of the Public Order Act, 1936. It is however already an offence under this Act to use threatening, abusive or insulting words with intent to provoke a breach of the peace or whereby a breach of the peace is likely to be occasioned. The decision whether or not permission should be granted for a meeting in Trafalgar Square rests with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has studied the evidence sent to him by the hon. Member for West Ham, North, regarding contraventions, within the Metropolitan Police District, of Sections 1 and 2 of the Public Order Act, 1936, by the training of a quasi-military organisation, describing themselves as Nazi storm troopers, who wear uniform to signify their association with a political organisation; whether he will investigate this matter; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that it has so far not been possible to secure evidence sufficient to sustain a prosecution under Section 1 or Section 2 of the Act. The Commissioner has the situation under close review, and if sufficient evidence is obtained the facts will be reported to my hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General for consideration.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost per week for dealing with offenders in a borstal, a detention centre, an approved school and a prison, respectively; and what is the average cost per week for dealing with a probationist.

The average total weekly cost of detaining a boy or girl in an approved school in 1960–61 was £11 0s. 11d. Because of the different methods of financing capital expenditure, comparable figures for the other establishments are not readily available, but the average weekly maintenance costs in 1960–61 were: prisons £8 16s. 5d.; borstals £13 6s. 7d.; and detention centres £13 16s. 0d. The cost of dealing with probationers is obviously less, but cannot be estimated with any precision because expenditure on this part of a probation officer's duties cannot be isolated.

asked the First Secretary of State if he will state the minimum educational standards required to enable Northern Rhodesian students of African and European origin, respectively, to undertake training as district officers; and why he requires students of African origin to reach a higher educational standard than students of European origin.

Students must normally have reached university entrance standard. This requirement applies equally to all races.

asked the First Secretary of State (1) to what extent Her Majesty's Government are committed to cover the expected annual deficit of Nyasaland; for how long they are so committed; and whether any conditions have been laid down regarding the uses of money granted by Her Majesty's Government;

Her Majesty's Government have agreed to assist Nyasaland in meeting the deficit on the recurrent budget for 1962–63 up to a maximum of £1·5 million. The position will be reviewed from year to year, and meanwhile the supervision appropriate to a grant-aided Territory will be applied.Her Majesty's Government have also undertaken in general terms to make available up to the 31st March, 1964, £2·9 million in new Colonial Development and Welfare grants and loans towards expenditure to be approved by themselves on the development budget. The exact purposes to which this add will be put have yet to be decided. This is broadly comparable with the scale of assistance given to Nyasaland's previous development programmes. The Overseas Service Aid Scheme assistance of course follows generally the pattern set for all territories.

asked the Minister of Education, whether he has considered recruiting from abroad teachers qualified to teach in subjects relating to business and management education.

A number of colleges have used the services of teachers from abroad, both as advisers and as visiting lecturers. I am sure that the practice is one which could, with advantage, be developed, and I am bringing my hon. Friend's suggestion to the notice of the United Kingdom Advisory Council on Education for Management, which is at present examining the recruitment of management teachers.

asked the Minister of Education what facilities exist for the training of teachers in subjects relating to business and management education; and how many additional teachers are expected to have qualified by 1965.

The annual output from the one-year courses in technical teacher training colleges of students who have specialised in business studies at the professional level is expected to rise from 50 at present to about 100 by 1965. I should hope that there will also be an increase in the number of graduates in economics and similar subjects taking courses at university departments of education and in the numbers taking the shorter courses regularly organised by my Department and other bodies.

asked the Minister of Education whether he proposes to authorise witnesses from his Department to attend local inquiries under Pant II of the Local Government Act, 1958, to give evidence relevant to grounds of objection to proposals for amalgamation of county councils when the grounds of objection relate to the record of administration of an objecting county council.

No. I am advised by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government that it would not be appropriate for Government Departments to be represented.

asked the Minister of Education to state the number of full-time county school dentists in the West Riding of Yorkshire in each year from 1959 up to the latest available date.

The Yorkshire West Riding Local Education Authority had the equivalent of 449 whole-time school dentists in December, 1959, 41·5 in December, 1960, and 43·3 in December, 1961. I understand that the number of school dentists in the West Riding had risen by March this year to the equivalent of 47 whole-time officers.

asked the Minister of Education what is the number of full-time school dentists employed in the county of Middlesex; and what were the numbers of vacancies for such posts in each of the last five years.

On 31st December, 1961, Middlesex local education authority employed the equivalent of 74 full-time dentists. On the basis of the authority's dental establishment, vacancies in each of the past five years were 42, 48, 47, 49 and 45.

asked the Minister of Education to state the present number of primary school places in the Blackley, Crumpsall, Moston and New Moston sub-districts of the North Manchester School District, respectively; and what

asked the Minister of Education what response he has had to his appeal for teachers to go overseas; and how many British teachers have taken advantage of the Teachers for East Africa Scheme.

It is too early to say. In 1960–61 over 600 teachers left the United Kingdom for service in developing countries of the Commonwealth, but owing to the absence in the past of reliable statistics we do not know whether this represents an increase over previous years. Under the East Africa scheme, eight British teachers were recruited in 1961 and 55 in 1962.

asked the Minister of Education what advice he has given to training colleges regarding their policy about the admission of candidates interested in teaching in secondary modern schools; and whether he will make a statement.

I am sending the hon. Member a copy of a letter about the balance of training which was sent to additional primary school places it is intended to complete by the end of 1962 and the end of 1963.

As the reply to the first part of the Question contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. In reply to the second part of the Question it is expected that 480 additional primary school places will have been provided in the Crumpsall sub-district by 1963, with the possibility of 80 temporary places this autumn.Following is the information:all training colleges on 1st October, 1960. The general guidance then given was confirmed last autumn.

asked the Minister of Education to give the latest available figures showing the total number of young persons released from employment for further education, and the number of young persons in agriculture who are released from employment for further education.

This information is given in "Statistics of Education, Part Two", Table 18, published last week, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, and shows that in November, 1961, 493,827 students were released by their employers during working hours to take part-time day courses at grant-aided establishments. 5,699 of these were employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to publicise the achievements during the past five years of the Colony of Hong Kong.

A continuous flow of material about Hong Kong is included in the output of all media of the British information services available in foreign and Commonwealth countries. In addition, a vigorous and sustained effort is made by the Government of Hong Kong through its information services in Hong Kong and London to make known its policies and achievements.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to receive the Report of the Rochdale Committee; and when it will be published.

I hope to receive the Report in the course of the next few weeks and that it will be published in the autumn.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the probability that the completion of M.2 will greatly increase the use made of the already congested A.2, he will now give favourable consideration to the continuation of the motorway to Dover.

The future development of the trunk road system in Kent will be greatly affected by the decision about the Channel Crossing, and until this has been taken we cannot complete our plans. Meanwhile, consideration is being given to all the main possibilities and traffic factors, including those suggested by my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for the extension of the London to Basingstoke motorway with a view to providing more efficient road communications to Southampton.

The survey now being made for the route of the London to Basingstoke motorway will cover the possibility of taking it as far as Popham Corner, the junction between A.33 and A.30. I have at present no plans for extending the motorway beyond that, but it is my intention to improve the A.33 to a dual carriageway road between Popham Corner and Southampton. Improvements to over half of the 21 mile route are already completed or due to start within the next year or so.

asked the Prime Minister whether, following the recent meeting between British and United States scientists on the question of detecting and verifying nuclear explosions, he will propose that a meeting of British, United States and Soviet scientists be held on this problem.

The American delegate at the Geneva Conference, Mr. Dean, has tabled the Department of Defense statement of 7th July on Vela and has proposed that it should be discussed in the Conference, with experts present. Unfortunately, the Russians have hitherto rejected all suggestions that their scientists should meet those from the United States and from this country to discuss these questions. I hope that they will not turn down this latest suggestion.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms there are in England of under 100 acres, and how many of under 50 acres; and what are the average earnings of both categories.

The number of agricultural holdings in England of under 100 acres of crops and grass at June, 1961, was 219,800 of which 173,800 were holdings under 50 acres.Information on farm incomes in England obtained from a sample survey conducted for 1960 by agricultural economists at the Universities showed an average net income for fulltime farms under 100 acres of £890 per farm, and for farms under 50 acres of £740 per farm.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many retirement pensions are being paid to men, and how many to women, within the area of the Hayes and Harlington Urban District Council; and how many men retirement pensioners, and how many women retirement pensioners, are drawing any form of National Assistance benefit in this area.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in view of the continuing and increasing difficulties of the Scottish economy, he will consider the introduction of regional variations in the present National Insurance employers' contribution.

No.