asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, whether he will now continue to approve new street byelaws on the old model, until the revised model regulations are ready, in view of the expense to county councils where no byelaws exist at all.

No. My right hon. Friend does not think it would be right to approve new byelaws based on an outdated model.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs to what extent he takes into consideration the factor of noise in determining appeals against refusal of planning permission for the development of land in residential districts for use as helicopter landing sites.

The effect of noise on residential districts is an important factor in considering proposals to use land for helicopter sites and my right hon. Friend has taken it into account in deciding planning appeals relating to such proposals.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action he is taking to control the heavy pollution of the atmosphere in the Woolwich area by cement dust from the concentration of cement-producing plant in the North-West Kent area; and what steps he has taken to ensure that all the firms concerned are equipped with the latest dust precipitation plant.

Since the war the cement companies, at the instigation of the Alkali Inspectorate, have spent a great deal of money on the installation and modernisation of dust precipitators. Only one working kiln in the area is not fitted with a precipitator, and this will soon be remedied. The root cause of the recent outbreak was use of an un- suitable clay raw material. My right hon. Friend is ensuring that there is no avoidable delay in switching to a more suitable clay.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has received the Final Proposals on Local Government Reorganisation in Wales and Monmouthshire from the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales and Monmouthshire; and whether he will make a statement.

I have not yet received the Commission's final proposals, but expect to do so before the end of the year. Publication will be as prompt as possible bearing in mind the map reproduction involved.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps his Department took to ensure that local authorities in Pembrokeshire were aware of the urgency of the supply of water to the proposed oil refinery at Pwllcrochan.

As soon as the need for water for the refinery became known in December, 1961, the responsible local authorities instructed consulting engineers to prepare a water supply scheme forthwith and this work was immediately put in hand.To ensure that the whole situation was thoroughly studied my Welsh Office convened a meeting of all Water Authorities in Pembrokeshire and pressed upon them the need for urgent and concerted action to ensure that water would be available for the refinery in the quantity and at the time required both in the short and in the long term. This meeting was held on 25th January, 1962, and it recommended the appointment of a working party of three eminent consulting engineers to advise the authorities on water supply needs in the county. The Working Party reported in August, 1962. The short-term needs were already being dealt with by the authorities directly concerned. The long-term recommendations are now under consideration by the Pembrokeshire Water Board which took over on 1st October, 1962, responsibility for water supplies in the county.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what stage has now been reached in the proposed amalgamation of Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford; what are the prospective stages; and what consideration has been given to the determination of a name for the new borough.

Provision relating to all these matters will be included in the legislation on London Government which will shortly be presented to Parliament.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will defer giving approval to large-scale schemes for impounding water pending the proposed Government legislation on water conservation.

It must be some time before the legislation, if passed, can be brought fully into effect, and it would not be safe in the meantime to defer schemes which are shown to be needed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if, in his planning study of the south-eastern region, he will take into account the difficulties facing market gardeners in green belt areas round London.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs on what date Benfleet Hall, Green Lane, Cobham, was included in the list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest under Section 30 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947; and why, despite the importance of the building in the architectual history of the last century, planning permission for a redevelopment of the site has been granted.

Benfleet Hall is not listed, although my right hon. Friend proposes to take such action if events warrant it. This house, an early work of Philip Webb, came to his notice at the end of July, 1962. He notified the local authorities early in August, that he was considering listing it and was informed that planning permission had already been given for the erection of 12 houses an the site. He is in touch with the Esher Urban District Council and the local planning authority about the situation because he believes that with the co-operation of the owner the Webb house can be preserved without preventing the satisfactory development of the rest of the site.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many boys and girls, aged 15 to 18, employed by local authorities are currently attending day release classes; and what proportion this forms of the total number of juveniles employed by them.

This information is not available. But the usual conditions of service for local authority employees provide for post-entry training, and for financial assistance towards such training where appropriate. I understand that the day release of young local authority employees is widespread and increasing.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will now make a statement about the Government's intentions regarding the future of the leasehold system.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the hardship being caused to lessees whose leases are currently expiring, if he will introduce legislation on leasehold reform.

As I have already informed the House, I am pledged to report as soon as the Government's study is completed.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is satisfied that there are enough public health inspectors to make possible the implementation of the first stage of his proposed Slum Clearance Programme; and if he will make a statement.

On present information, I do not expect serious difficulty to be experienced in this respect by authorities with big slum clearance problems.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware of the lengthy processes which delay slum clearance; and whether he will take steps to speed up the acquisition of building sites.

Local authorities and I must deal with clearance orders and compulsory purchase orders for slum areas according to the procedure prescribed in the Housing Act, 1957, for the protection of the citizens affected by these orders. I am, however, concerned that the machine should work as quickly as possible and the position is kept continuously under review.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will announce the details of the improved slum clearance programme for Sunderland.

Sunderland County Borough Council have been clearing between 500 and 600 slum dwellings a year. They have submitted revised proposals for clearing the remaining 2,900 slums in four years—an average rate of 725 a year. These proposals have been approved.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of the high rents being charged for housing accommodation in the borough of Leyton and elsewhere, what proposals he has for dealing with the housing problem so as to prevent excessive rents for domestic properties.

If tenants are in danger of being made homeless under threat of exorbitant rents it is open to a local authority to make a compulsory purchase order to protect them. But the only way to solve this problem is to build more houses, and that is the Government's intention.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he is taking to increase the number of houses being built to let at controlled rentals in the county of West Bromwich; and what success these steps are having.

Both the council and private builders are active in building houses in West Bromwich. New houses to let are not subject to rent control, whether provided by public authorities or privately, and I am not aware that there is any need of stimulus or help from me.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what measures he intends to introduce to encourage local authorities to build more houses by using non-traditional methods of building.

I want to see local authorities with urgent needs build as many houses as they can. In many areas, particularly those with a major slum clearance problem, it will be necessary to take advantage of industrialised techniques which make smaller demands on available labour in order to meet this larger programme. My Department are giving close attention to developments in this field, and I have set up an office in Manchester to help local authorities in the drawing up and phasing of firm forward programmes and to encourage the adoption of suitable industrialised systems of building.My Departments are keeping in close touch on developments in this field both at home and abroad and are collaborating with local authorities, contractors, manufacturers, architects and, of course, with the department of my right hon. Friend, the Minister of Public Building and Works, and the Building Research Station. They are also conducting practical building experiments in co-operation with local authorities on a lightweight system for house-building, using mainly factory-produced components.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if a local authority which has completed its slum clearance programme but requires a housing programme for general needs will be eligible for subsidy.

Yes, provided I am satisfied that the local authority need to build for the purposes they have in mind.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in view of the high rate of interest charges which frustrates the necessary expansion of productive industry and social services alike, if he will now take steps to reduce interest rates.

There has been a substantial fall in interest rates over the last fifteen months which the Government have welcomed. I do not think that at their present level interest rates are having the effects suggested by the hon. Member.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what specific duties have been allocated to the members of the two boards set up in connection with the National Theatre; and what salaries are to be paid to them.

The National Theatre Board is charged with the general responsibility of creating and operating the National Theatre Company. The terms of reference of the South Bank Theatre and Opera House Board are more detailed and I am circulating them in the OFFICIAL REPORT. No salary is paid to any member of either Board.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of grants which he has paid for the purpose of inducing British scientists to return from North America; and the total amount to date of such grants.

Grants are not paid to scientists for this purpose, but interview boards in North America are run jointly by the Government and the Atomic Energy Authority. The Exchequer share of the cost totals about £13,000.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Purchase Tax equivalent on motor cars in France, West Germany and Italy is 24 per cent., 13 per cent. and 10 per cent., respectively, of the retail price compared with 38 per cent. in Great Britain, the equivalent of 45 per cent. on the wholesale value; and what action he will take to give the British motor industry a fair chance to compete on equal terms.

The Purchase Tax on motor cars at 25 per cent. of the wholesale value is now equivalent to 21 per cent. of the tax-exclusive retail selling price. As I said in my speech on 5th November, this rate of tax seems reasonable treatment for motor cars in the long term, and I have every confidence that the industry will be fully competitive with Continental manufacturers.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the Treasury receipts from Pool Betting Duty collected on greyhound totalisators for the months of June, July, August, September and October, and similar figures for bookmakers' licence duty for the same months.

The following are the figures:

1962		Pool betting duty	Bookmakers' licence duty
		£	£
June	…	538,942	130,131
July	…	549,997	130,291
August	…	662,718	156,420
September	…	460,194	121,051

The figures for October, 1962, are not yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has studied the letter addressed to him by Mr. L. St. Clare Grondona on the subject of the establishment of a Price Stabilising Corporation as a firm foundation for the national economy; and what reply he has sent.

Yes. I have told Mr. Grondona that I was glad to see the reception which his book had had in the Press and that I thought that his contribution to thought on problems of price stability was valuable and stimulating.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state his plans for increasing the salaries of university staff to keep pace with the increased cost of living, in order to make such posts more attractive than similar posts abroad and so retain trained persons in the United Kingdom.

I have nothing to add to the statements made by my right hon. Friend the present Home Secretary on 14th March and 5th April.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the estimated number of students who have failed to obtain places in universities and colleges of technology for the years 1960, 1961 and 1962.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet discussed with the National Economic Development Council the steps it is proposed to take to ensure that adequate scientific advice is available to them on all appropriate matters which they have under consideration.

Since my hon. Friend raised this matter last March, a scientist has been released from service with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to work on the senior staff of the National Economic Development Office. I see no reason to suggest to the Council that further arrangements are necessary at this stage of its work.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow the Public Works Loan Board to grant loans at a rate of interest not exceeding 4 per cent. to local authorities for the purpose of building houses.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number of new factories opened in Hull in the last 12 months and the number of new jobs provided for unemployed; when the next new factory is likely to be opened; and how many unemployed will then become employed.

My right hon. Friend understands that during the past 12 months six new factories and nine extensions of more than 5,000 sq. ft. have been opened in Hull and Hessle Employment Exchange Areas. The total area is 315,000 sq. ft. The additional employment estimated by the firms concerned to be provided is about 450 males and 400 females. I cannot say when the next factory to provide employment for those now unemployed will open.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make to British firms the same offer as he has made to continental firms to enable them to build, buy or rent factories in Hull, in order to reduce unemployment; and how many British firms have been recommended to Hull in the last 12 months.

As Hull is not a development district under the Local Employment Act, my right hon. Friend has no powers to offer any assistance to firms, whether British or continental, to build, buy or rent factories there. In view of the priority which must be given to steering new industrial development to development districts, he has not taken any special steps to recommend firms to Hull, but industrial development certificates would be given suitable projects which could not go to areas of greater need.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will arrange for his departmental inquiry into resale price maintenance to give full consideration to the judgment of the Restrictive Practices Court approving resale price maintenance in the book trade before concluding their review of this subject; and whether he will consider the implications of this judgment before Her Majesty's Government comes to a decision with regard to the future of resale price maintenance in any trades in this country.

The departmental inquiry to which my hon. Friend refers has been completed. In considering the report, my right hon. Friend will have in mind all relevant factors, including the judgment of all the Restrictive Practices Court on the Net Book Agreement.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that unemployment in the Isle of Sheppey in now 6 per cent. and that the motor cycle factory from Woolwich has not been transferred there, he will now re-list the Isle of Sheppey under the Local Employment Act.

No. As over 1,000 new jobs are expected to accrue from industrial expansion now in progress, my right hon. Friend does not consider that a high rate of unemployment is likely to persist in the Isle of Sheppey.

asked the President of the Board of Trade (1) to what extent he has been approached by firms in Barnsley and district for assistance to help them expand; and what advice and financial assistance has been forthcoming;(2) if he is aware of the growing unemployment problem in Barnsley and district and the urgent need for new industries; and whether he is giving advice and assistance to encourage firms to move into the immediate vicinity.

My right hon. Friend is aware that unemployment in the Barnsley area increased last month, and that the total rate of unemployment, including those temporarily stopped, is now slightly above the national average. But as there are many parts of the country with a much higher rate of unemployment, my right hon. Friend would not be justified in taking special steps to encourage new industry to move into the area. He would however be prepared to see suitable further expansion in Barnsley by firms which are unable to move to areas of higher unemployment. Financial assistance under the Local Employment Act is not available except in development districts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the matters which remain to be clarified before decisions can be taken on the negotiation of co-production film treaties with other countries; and when he expects to be able to respond to the informal approaches of the French and Italian Governments.

These matters involve principally the safeguards of British interests which must be considered in relation to any co-production Agreements. While the outstanding questions are being tackled as quickly as possible, my right hon. Friend would not dike to commit himself on this new and complicated subject to any precise time-table.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now announce a decision to restore Merseyside to the list of areas eligible for the full financial facilities available under the Local Employment Act, 1960.

My right hon. Friend is considering whether, notwithstanding the additional employment which the developments being undertaken in Merseyside, particularly by the motor industry, may be expected to provide, he would be justified in making the facilities of the Local Employment Act again available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of unemployment is taken by him as the percentage justifying the full application of the Local Employment Act to any particular area.

There is no fixed percentage, but broadly my right hon. Friend aims to keep the coverage of development districts down to about 10 per cent. to 12 per cent. of the total insured population in order to concentrate assistance on those areas which need it most.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will restore the Bargoed district to the schedule of the Local Employment Act, 1960, on account of the rate of unemployment being higher than it was when previously scheduled.

No. My right hon. Friend does not consider that high unemployment is likely to persist in the district.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in encouraging new industry to come to Durham and Northumberland during 1962.

During the period from 1st January to 30th September, 1962, we have approved 58 schemes for new industrial building in Northumberland and Durham, for a total area of 1,726,000 sq. ft., to provide about 4,750 jobs, according to the estimates of the firms concerned. As my right hon. Friend announced on the 8th November, the Government has decided to build five further advance factories in the North East, and we are continuing to do all we can to encourage further industrial development.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will prohibit imports of paté de fois gras, in view of the cruelty involved in its manufacture.

No. As my right hon. Friend informed my hon. Friend the Member for Down, North (Mr. Currie) in reply to a similar Question on 4th June, it would not be appropriate to use the powers conferred on the Board of Trade under the Import, Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act, 1939, for this purpose.

asked the President of of the Board of Trade whether there have been any changes in the undertakings given to him by the British Oxygen Company Limited, in March 1958, following the Report of the Monopolies Commission on Industrial and Medical Gases.

Yes. When the Commission reported in 1956, the British Oxygen Company was effectively the sole supplier in this field. Following the Report my predecessor obtained from the company a number of undertakings, details of which were made available to the House on 21st March, 1958. The Board of Trade recognised that the situation as it was when considered by the Monopolies Commission might change and that if there were a material change the company might ask the Board of Trade to review the undertakings. There has since been considerable change in the industry and in its competitive conditions. For technical reasons a substantial part of industrial demand has shifted from oxygen as liquid or in cylinders to direct supply from new tonnage plants located at customers' works. In addition, a new supplier who is free from the limitations accepted by the British Oxygen Company Limited has entered the field in competition with them. In consequence the British Oxygen Company has requested release from certain of the undertakings.I have agreed that so far as the larger consumers are concerned, that is to say, those taking 12,000 cubic feet or more a year of any one gas, the company may be released from the obligations to publish and apply national prices and to limit the duration of contracts to one year, and will be free to negotiate contracts with individual customers for the whole or part of their requirements. These changes are intended to free the company from handicap in competing with other suppliers, without prejudicing the position of the consumers concerned. The other undertakings remain unaltered. For smaller consumers, who are numerically 80 per cent. of the company's customers, the undertakings will be maintained in full.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science what investigations are being made by Her Majesty's Government, and with what results, into causes of and cures for hitherto incurable diseases, with particular regard to cancer; what progress has been made by those investigations; how much has been spent by Her Majesty's Government on those investigations during each of the last 10 years: and if he will make a statement.

As I informed the hon. and learned Member on 9th July, an account of the work of the Medical Research Council is published annually, but this work cannot be divided into studies on curable and incurable diseases. The Council is continually expanding its research programme, which includes investigations on cancer, and every opportunity is taken to promote promising lines of study. The total expenditure by the Council over the last 10 years is as follows:

					£ million
1951–52	…	…	…	…	1·7
1952–53	…	…	…	…	1·9
1953–54	…	…	…	…	1·9
1954–55	…	…	…	…	2·1
1955–56	…	…	…	…	2·4
1956–57	…	…	…	…	2·5
1957–58	…	…	…	…	3·0
1958–59	…	…	…	…	3·4
1959–60	…	…	…	…	3·8
1960–61	…	…	…	…	4·3
1961–62	…	…	…	…	5·6

For the Council's expenditure on cancer research, I would refer the hon. and learned Member to my Answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Collick) on 28th May.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will make a statement on the increase in the estimate for the Dragon high-temperature reactor project at Win-frith Heath from £13,600,000 to between £20 million and £25 million.

The O.E.C.D. Dragon project has so far progressed satisfactorily, but the partners in the project agree that the original five year programme would give insufficient time to observe both the reactor experiment in operation and the behaviour of the fuel. A revision of the project agreement is being negotiated to extend its life to eight years in all at a total estimated cost of £25 million.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now make a statement on the latest information he has received on conditions in Tristan da Cunha; and if he will now say what is the likelihood of its former inhabitants being able to return.

The position is being discussed with the inhabitants today, in the light of the recent report on conditions on the island.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has yet appointed a Chairman of the Kenya Central Land Board; and when he proposes that he will take up his duties in Kenya.

I hope to be able to make an announcement very shortly.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works when it is proposed to set back the stop line at the traffic signals serving traffic entering Hyde Park at Edinburgh Gate.

It was not possible for this work to be carried out as soon as had been hoped, because of pressure of more urgent schemes in central London. The cables were laid some time ago and the rest of the work was completed last week.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will now permit post offices to operate the Giro system.

My right hon. Friend regrets that he cannot add to the answer he gave the hon. Member for Manchester, Openshaw (Mr. W. R. Williams) on 27th March last.

asked the Postmaster-General when he intends to publish the second White Paper on the future of broadcasting and television.

I hope to publish fairly soon, but I am sorry that I cannot give an exact date.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give an undertaking to consult the House on the question of pay television before encouraging manufacturers of pay television equipment, and not to agree to a pilot scheme before the aproval of the House has been given.

The White Paper on Broadcasting, paragraph 85, stated that the Government, for the present, reserved its decision on pay television. That is still the position, and I would ask the hon. Member to await the forthcoming White Paper.

asked the Minister of Transport what additional money Her Majesty's Government are making available for new road construction following the 20 per cent. cut in Purchase Tax on new cars.

Growth of Traffic is, in any case, one of the considerations which is taken into account in our regular reviews of the road programme

asked the Minister of Transport in which areas of Britain detailed studies of the problems and requirements of rural transport have been initiated, in accordance with the undertaking he gave in answer to a Parliamentary Question on 1st August; and what have been the results of these studies.

These studies have needed careful and detailed preparation. I am not quite ready with the final plan. Hon. Members have given me much useful advice about which areas I should look at. I hope soon to say which I have finally chosen.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the material aid so far given to the Indian Government to assist them to meet the emergency in that country; and what aid it is proposed to give in the future.

The Indian requests for arms have so far consisted of an order for small arms and ammunition. We have met this order in full; a substantial part of it was sent at once by air and the remainder has already been shipped. We have offered to supply these items as a gift from the British Government.No new orders are outstanding but we are examining with the Indian Government further enquiries they have made about supplies needed to meet the Chinese threat.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange to have placed in the Library of the House of Commons copies of the proceedings of the trials under the Official Secrets Act of Gordon Arnold Lonsdale and of George Blake.

I have arranged for a transcript of the trial of Lonsdale and others to be placed in the Library; but, for the reasons which required part of Blake's trial to be held in camera, it would not be right to make a full transcript available in this way.

asked the Minister of Labour how many young people who left school last July are still without employment.

There were 362,000 summer school leavers. 10,500 or 2·9 per cent., were registered for employment on 15th October.

asked the Minister of Education how many boys and girls, aged 15 to 18, employed in the mining industry, in the gas, electricity and waiter industry and in the transport and communication industry, distinguishing between railways and other services, are currently attending day release classes; and what proportion those day-released form of the juveniles employed in these industries.

I refer the hon. Member to Table 17 of "Statistics of Education 1961, Part 2." This table gives the information in as much detail as the Department possesses.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made by the Working Party comprising representatives of the Scottish Office and Glasgow Corporation appointed to find new industries for the factories vacated by the closing down of the North British Locomotive Company.

This Working Party, established by the Corporation of Glasgow as Planning Authority, has made a survey of the sites and factories in question to consider their future potential in the context of the redevelopment of the areas in which they lie. The Corporation, who have been in touch with the North British Locomotive Company about the possibility of the land and buildings at Springburn being made available for other uses, are expecting to hear further from them shortly in the light of replies the Company have received to their advertisements for the sale of the property. In Polmadie the Board of Trade have taken over one building and propose to lease it to a German engineering firm.

asked the Minister of Health (1) if he will give the total number of prescriptions and the estimated cost to the National Health Service of meprobamate for each year since 1954;(2) whether he will give an estimate of the use of meprobamate as a proportion of the total quantity of tranquillisers prescribed under the National Health Service for the last year to a convenient date.

I estimate that in 1961 there were about 870,000 prescriptions for meprobamate, with a net ingredient cost of about £320,000. These figures are about 15 per cent. and 13 per cent. respectively, of corresponding estimates for all tranquillisers. I regret that estimates for earlier years are not available.