asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will consult the Secretary of State for the Home Department regarding the future availability for housing purposes of land at present occupied by the Prison Commissioners in the Greater London area.

All Ministers are very well aware of the need in Greater London for additional land for housing; and if there is any which is surplus to requirements, or which becomes surplus, and is suitable for the purpose, it will be made available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what reply he has sent to the Salford Council arising from the town clerk's letter of 5th December, in reference to high interest rates for the financing of council house building, the proposal that there should be a stabilised rate of 3 per cent. interest through the Public Works Loan Board, and the undertaking of an early review of existing subsidies.

I have told the council that the Government do not accept that housing loans should be made available at less than the prevailing rate of interest, which is now below 6 per cent. I have also said that provided subsidies go to those who need them most it should be possible to continue building without having to charge rents beyond what tenants can reasonably be expected to pay. I reminded the council of the pledge I gave in this House on 1st November that the Government considered it their duty to keep subsidy arrangements under continuous review.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how much money has been spent in the last 12 months on new housing in Northumberland and Durham; and what percentage this is of the national total.

I regret that this information is not available. I can however tell my hon. Friend that in 1961–62 capital payments by local authorities for the provision of new houses and for the acquisition of land and existing buildings, conversions and improvements for housing purposes amounted to £9·3 million in the County of Durham and £5·1 million in the County of Northumberland. These figures represent 3·9 per cent. and 2·1 per cent., respectively, of the total for England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many schemes are at present before his Department for proposed clean air zones; and what is the average time taken in dealing with such schemes.

At the end of last week, 126 smoke control orders made by local authorities in England and Wales were before me for confirmation. Unopposed orders, which in recent months have been about 95 per cent. of the total, are on average being con-confirmed within four weeks after the end of the period for lodging objections. Opposed orders necessarily take longer.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the national average percentage figure at the latest convenient date, and the figure for Staffordshire particularly, of the cases of extension of time being requested under the General Development Order 1950, Article 5 (8) (c), by local planning authorities compared with the total number of planning applications.

I have no information either nationally, or for Staffordshire, of the percentage of cases where extensions of time are requested by local planning authorities. This is a matter which is settled between the authorities and individual applicants.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the national average in respect of all local planning authorities, and of his own Department, of planning staff shortages according to establishments.

There are at present six vacancies for planning officers in the Department against a complement of 66. My right hon. Friend is not in possession of the information for which the hon. Member asks in respect of the staffs of local planning authorities who are, of course, independent employers.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the average time elapsing between the rejection of an application for planning permission to build and the subsequent decision on appeal.

I have no figures to show the average time between the planning authority's decision on an application and submission of an appeal; but the average time taken from receipt of an appeal to decision is at present about 32 weeks.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he is taking towards the expedition, by the Lowestoft Borough Council of work in connection with the making-up of private street works.

I have suggested to the Council that as their chief difficulty is staff shortage they might engage private firms of surveyors to prepare additional schemes; and I understand that they are considering this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many requests he has received from local authorities for loan sanction for the provision of community facilities; and how many requests he has received from voluntary organisations for grants for a similar purpose.

Since the beginning of 1961 I have received 56 requests from local authorities for loan sanction for the provision of these facilities under the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937. They may also be provided as part of a housing scheme but I regret I have no figures of such cases. The question of grants to voluntary organisations is one for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what results have been achieved arising from the visits, arranged by him, made by Members of Parliament to firms in the export trade; and whether he intends to continue this practice.

These visits give opportunities for useful exchanges of information, especially about the Government services available to help exporters. To the best of my knowledge the firms visited have been appreciative. The visits are expected to continue.

asked the President of the Board of Trade which local authorities in the North-East of England he consulted when considering the locations of the advance factory buildings to be erected there.

My officials are always in touch with the local authorities, and are well aware of their views on the location of new industry in North-East England.

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the meeting arranged in Great Britain for last week between himself and the Chinese Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade has been postponed; when it will now take place; what aspects of foreign trade will be discussed; and if he will include a reference in the discussions to Scottish shipbuilding and other Scottish industries relevant to trade between the two countries.

As to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Snow) on 27th November. No new date has been arranged for the Chinese Minister's visit, but I hope that it may take place at the earliest suitable moment. As it will be a goodwill visit, no formal agenda for dicussions is planned, but there will be opportunities for informal talks on all aspects of Sino-British trade. I will bear in mind the interests of Scottish industries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with Slough Trading Estates Limited regarding the possibility of developments by that company in the United Kingdom under the Local Employment Act.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what consultations took place between his Department and Slough Estates Limited to persuade this company to build factories for letting in North-East England rather than in Belgium.

None.

asked the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to introduce legislation to carry out the recommendations of the Molony Committee to prevent undesirable pressure on hire-purchase customers.

I cannot yet add anything to the reply given on 27th November to the hon. Member for East Ham, South (Mr. Oram).

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much money has been spent in the last 12 months in Northumberland and Durham under the Local Employment Act and what percentage this is of the national total.

During the twelve months ended 30th November, 1962, assistance under the Local Employment Act to the value of nearly £4 million has been offered for projects in Durham and Northumberland. This is about 28 per cent. of the national total.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a statement on the conclusions reached in discussions between the Board of Trade and the Commission of the European Economic Community on the compatibility of United Kingdom distribution of industry policy with the Treaty of Rome and regulations of the Community.

As my hon. Friend the Minister of State informed the Member for Aberdeen, South on 27th November, discussion on this subject took place earlier this year between members of the British negotiating Delegation and the Commission of the European Economic Community. In the light of these discussions the Government see no reason to suppose that measures taken under our distribution of industry policy would be regarded as incompatible with the Treaty of Rome or any relevant regulations.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider giving a tax concession on funds set aside by industry to meet a future contingency of redundancy.

No. The general position is that payments actually made to employees on redundancy are an admissible expense for tax purposes unless they are connected with the closing down or sale of the business. But I do not think we can go further than this.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the fact that it is now known that more than 2,430 sixth-formers with minimum entrance qualifications for university failed to obtain places this year and that many of these students will increase the competition next year, if, without waiting for the Robbins Report, he will now consult the University Grants Committee on the need to accelerate the programme of expansion next year.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Curran) on 6th December.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he intends to take regarding those firms who are planning to build factories in the Common Market countries and have refused to take their business into the development areas in this country.

Applications for exchange control consent involving the building of factories in the Common Market countries are dealt with in accordance with the normal rules.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the Purchase Tax on motor cycles in order to stimulate the home market and thereby encourage exports.

Motor cycles are now taxed at the same rate as other private passenger vehicles. My right hon. Friend will bear my hon. Friend's suggestion in mind when he reviews indirect taxation; but I cannot, of course, anticipate his decisions.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the total amount of money loaned to Her Majesty's Government in respect of 3½ per cent. War Loan; how many private persons hold 3½ per cent. War Loan stock; and how many of them are men aged 60 years or over, and women aged 55 years or over;(2) what would be the cost to the Exchequer of redeeming at par all 31 per cent. War Loan stock at present held by men aged 60 years or more and women aged 55 years or more.

£1,909 million nominal of 3½ per cent. War Loan is now outstanding. There are about eight hundred thousand accounts, but information is not available as to the number or size of holdings of private persons in general or of particular age groups.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the yield of Purchase Tax for the year 1961–62; and how much was yielded by each of the various rates of tax.

The yield of the Purchase Tax in 1961–62 was £521 million, made up as follows:

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the approximate present internal purchasing power of the £ sterling as compared with 20s. at the time of the issue of 2½ per cent. Treasury Stock at par.

About 11s. 6d. on the basis of the change in the consumer price index up to 1961 projected to October, 1962, by using the index of retail prices.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Her Majesty's Government will prepare a programme of public works, in regard to the installations in Northern Ireland for which Her Majesty's Government are responsible, to be undertaken immediately in order to reduce the unemployment level there; and if he will make a statement.

There are relatively few installations in Northern Ireland for which Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom is responsible. For the greater part, public works are the responsibility of the Government of Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sums were spent on improvements to Horfield Prison, Bristol, in the years 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, and 1961.

Following are the figures:

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the rebuilding and redevelopment of the prison and Borstal accommodation in the Greater London area.

Rebuilding would entail a loss of prison accommodation for a considerable period and this could not be tolerated while the serious shortage of prison accommodation in London and elsewhere continues. The position will be reviewed when, as I hope, the prison building programme begins to overtake the rising prison population.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ensure that all police officers within his jurisdiction are issued with smog masks.

The Commissioner does not consider that there is any case for an official issue of smog masks to the Metropolitan Police.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will make the grant of assistance for the defence of India conditional upon India using her potential to the maximum effect by the withdrawal of troops from the Congo.

No. We support the U.N. operation in the Congo to which the Indian troops make an important contribution. The Indian authorities, however, are known to be anxious to remove their troops from the Congo at the earliest practicable date and have so informed the U.N., making it clear at the same time that they do not wish to embarrass the U.N. by premature withdrawal.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what reply he has made to official representations from the Indian High Commission in London concerning a map published in The Times newspaper, portraying the so-called pre-MacMahon line frontier between India and China.

I have informed the Indian High Comissioner that his representations have been brought to the notice of the editor of The Times.

asked the Minister of Education what further school building projects for the school building programme of 1963–64 submitted by the Sunderland local education authority he will now approve.

My right hon. Friend has already added the second phase of the Thornhill County Secondary School to the 1963/64 Programme. He is not contemplating any further additions.

asked the Minister of Education what the rate of wastage was among students taking the course for a Diploma in Technology in colleges of advanced technology in the years 1959, 1960 and 1961, respectively; and whether he will make a statement on the causes of this wastage.

The only figures available relate to 1960–61. They suggest that 39 per cent. of the students who had entered these courses did not gain a Diploma in Technology. About two-thirds of those who left did so during the first and second years and many of them transferred to other courses of lower standard. The figures require careful investigation before any interpretation is placed upon them, and no doubt the National Council for Technological Awards will be considering this.

asked the Minister of Education what proportion of urinals in British schools are unroofed; what increased assistance he will give to local education authorities for improvements to older school buildings; and when it is proposed to cover in the urinals at Alexander McLeod School, Bostell Lane, S.E.2.

The information asked for in the first part of the Question is not available. My right hon. Friend has recently announced to local education authorities their minor works allocations for 1963–64. The national total of these is at a somewhat higher rate than for the preceding year. Authorities are free to carry out jobs costing less than £2,000 outside their allocations. I understand that the work of covering in the urinals at Alexander McLeod School is in this category and will be put in hand by the London County Council next year.

asked the Minister of Education what were the numbers of boys and girls, respectively, transferred from secondary modern schools to secondary grammar schools for the latest available year.

This information is not available and could be obtained only by a special inquiry to local education authorities. Arrangements for the transfer of pupils from one type of school to another vary significantly between different areas and total national figures would be misleading. Some information about the numbers of pupils leaving secondary modern schools in 1960–61 to transfer to other schools in order to take G.C.E. advanced level courses is given in "Statistics of Education 1961, Part II".

asked the Minister of Education if he will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing, for each education authority in England and Wales, the number of children at school, the number of whole-time school attendance officers, and the number of prosecutions they have brought each year in the last five years, together with the totals.

This information is not readily available. It could be obtained only by a special inquiry to all local education authorities.

asked the Minister of Education how much money has been spent in the last 12 months on new schools in Northumberland and Durham; and what percentage this is of the national total.

In the twelve months ended 30th September last expenditure on major school building projects amounted to £3·6 million in Northumberland and Durham counties and to £1·6 million in the County Boroughs. These figures, which exclude land purchases, professional fees, furniture and equipment, represent 5·8 per cent. and 2·6 per cent., respectively, of the comparable totals for England and Wales.

asked the Minister of Education what courses, suitable to school-leavers who wish to qualify for work in the nuclear energy generation industry in north-west Wales, have been instituted at the technical colleges in Bangor and Wrexham; what are the types and duration of these courses; and how many students have enrolled.

A Higher National Diploma Course in Electrical Engineering, which includes nuclear physics in its syllabus, is offered at the Wrexham Technical College. Nine students have enrolled for the course in the current session.In addition, a wide range of building and engineering courses, both part-time and full-time, suitable for school leavers who might wish to take jobs relating to the construction and operation of nuclear generating stations are available at both the Bangor and Wrexham Colleges. These courses normally extend over two or three years. The number of students currently pursuing these courses is approximately 1,500, but it is not possible to say how many of these are likely to enter the nuclear energy generating industry.A part-time Ordinary National Certificate course in Applied Physics was offered at Wrexham but failed due to lack of support.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation with a view to providing a supplementary fund out of Exchequer resources to enable unemployed persons to receive an addition to their unemployment benefit.

I have no proposals for altering the existing arrangements whereby supplements to unemployment benefit financed directly by the Exchequer are available to those in need by way of National Assistance.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation to ensure that a justice of the peace who is unemployed will not be prevented from claiming unemployment benefits for any day or days that he is carrying out his duties in court.

No. It is one of the fundamental conditions of entitlement to unemployment benefit that a claimant is available for employment on the day or days in question. Under the law as it stands a claimant such as the hon. Member has in mind can get unemployment benefit where the adjudi- Gating authorities are satisfied that in the circumstances of the particular case he fulfils that condition. I do not consider that the change in it which is suggested would be justified.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the damage by animals straying on the highway, he will introduce legislation to amend Section 131 (1) of the Highway Act, 1959, which provides for the imposition of a maximum fine of 5s. on the owners of such animals.

I assume that the hon. Member means Section 135. Amending legislation limited to this particular provision would not be justified, but I agree that the penalties are out of date, and a change will be considered when a suitable opportunity occurs.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will grant subsidies to those local authorities who are contemplating providing floating homes in obsolete liners.

No proposals of this kind have yet been put to me, but under existing legislation housing subsidies could not be paid to local authorities providing accommodation in this way.

asked the Secretary of State far Scotland which administrative, executive and technical officers of his Department with salaries of more than £1,500 per annum, have taken up posts with industrial firms within two years of leaving the Civil Service over the past 10 years in cases requiring the approval of his Department; and what were the firms they joined.

There is in my departments no record of any instance of the kind to which the hon. Member refers.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposal that a national college of agriculture be established in Wales.

I must ask the Hon. Member to await the statement which, as my right hon. Friend explained to the Welsh Grand Committee on 5th December, it is hoped to make before the House rises.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will publish a list of the administrative, executive and technical officers of his Department with salaries of more than £1,500 per annum who on resigning or retiring during 1946–51 took up posts with industrial firms, signifying which of these did so within two years of leaving the Civil Service in cases requiring the approval of his Department, and also naming the firms they joined; and if he will indicate how many of those so affected were specially kept on until the end of the war period.

I can find no record of any such case.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, what progress is being made in the constitutional discussions being continued in British Guiana.

Dr. Jagan and Mr. Burnham met under the Governor's chairmanship on 29th November. There was a frank though inconclusive discussion. Mr. D'Aguiar has not yet returned to British Guiana. The Governor will seek to arrange a further meeting on his return.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps he is taking to prevent the supply of arms and ammunition to the Imam of the Yemen from the Sheik of Beihan.

Our policy is that of non-involvement in the internal affairs of the Yemen. I have no information which would support the allegation contained in the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what recent reports he has received of large-scale oathing in Kenya by the Land Freedom Army; and what counter-measures have been taken.

The Governor is keeping me closely and regularly in touch with the security situation in Kenya, and in particular with the activities of the Kenya Land Freedom Army. The Kenya Government have taken rigorous action against this Organisation from time to time, culminating in the recent drive to disrupt its activities in the Rift Valley and Nyanza Provinces. At 19th November 736 persons had been convicted in Magistrates' courts for offences in connection with the Kenya Land Freedom Army and another 105 cases were pending. In addition, 1,312 persons have been convicted in African courts for similar offences of lesser degree.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the number of married men serving in the Army in Western Germany who have their families with them and are living in caravans.

There are some 250 married men serving in the Army in the British Army of the Rhine who have their families with them living in caravans.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent waiting lists for Service accommodation have risen in the British Army of the Rhine, Germany, during the last 12 months, specifying each garrison town separately.

The extent to which waiting lists for Service acoommodation in each main garrison in the British Army of the Rhine have changed in the last twelve months is shown in the following table.As National Servicemen, who are not entitled to married quarters, leave the British Army of the Rhine, they are being replaced by Regulars, many of whom are married and entitled to married accommodation. This is why there has been an overall rise in the number of soldiers waiting for quarters in Germany in the last twelve months.

asked the Secretary of State for War if, in view of the many unfavourable reports on the shortage of housing in the British Army of the Rhine, Germany, and on the type of housing provided for servicemen, he will institute an inquiry to ascertain the whole picture of private and service accommodation and the steps which can be quickly taken to alleviate the situation.

No. The facts are well known, and every practicable step is being taken to alleviate the situation.

asked the Secretary of State for War to what extent his welfare officers in the British Army of the Rhine, Germany, are meeting resistance from German landlords and hoteliers to housing British Army of the Rhine Service men.

There is a shortage of domestic accommodation in Germany and some landlords and hoteliers show an understandable reluctance to take foreign families before German ones. Apart from this there is no evidence of any resistance by German landlords and hoteliers to housing British Service men. As sometimes happens in this country, there is also a preference for families without children.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many caravans have been introduced into the British Army of the Rhine to house Service men; to what extent this scheme has proved a success; and whether more caravans are to be introduced.

Two hundred have been introduced officially and some 50 under unit sponsorship. As a means of speedily uniting families the scheme has been successful, and the introduction of an additional number is being urgently considered.

asked the Secretary of State for War how much his Department spends per year in assisting British Army of the Rhine Service men with rent and allowances.

In 1962–63 I expect that married accompanied Service men in the British Army of the Rhine will be paid some £3,100,000 in cost of living allowances. Of this amount about £735,000 can be regarded as the contribution towards accommodation expenses for some 2,600 families not provided with married quarters by my Department. A corporal with two children living with his family in a hotel draws £9 6s. 6d. a week tax free over and above the level of his emoluments in the United Kingdom.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the total waiting lists of families in the United Kingdom waiting to join their husbands in the British Army of the Rhine, and the number of families in the British Army of the Rhine waiting to be housed in Service accommodation.

The families of 58 officers and of 2,265 other ranks are waiting in the United Kingdom to join their husbands in the British Army of the Rhine. Fifty-nine officers and 2,572 other ranks are living with their families in Germany while waiting to be housed in official service accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for War (1) if he will give an estimate of the number of houses required to be built to house satisfactorily all British Army of the Rhine Servicemen; where these are to be built; and when he expects to solve this housing problem;(2) whether, in view of delays, the housing programme for the British Army of the Rhine is still estimated to be completed by 1963 as indicated in the reply to the hon. Member for Barnsley on 5th May, 1961.

As I told the House in the debate on the British Army of the Rhine on 5th July of this year, we have had to contend with a general shortage of land for building and the very severe pressure which the German building industry is under at the moment. Building work was also badly hampered by the particularly harsh weather last winter. Because of these difficulties the programme referred to in my answer of 5th May, 1961, will not now be completed until the spring of 1964.Because of the accelerated increase in the regular strength of the British Army of the Rhine and other factors, the current programme is for a higher number of quarters than was planned when I gave my answer to the hon. Gentleman in May, 1961. On the best estimate I can now give, the bulk of the programme should be completed, and the housing question largely solved, by the end of 1964, when some 20,000 quarters should have been provided.The quarters will be spread over about 40 locations in the British Army of the Rhine.

asked the Secretary of State for War what sum of money has in total been spent since the war on housing Servicemen in the British Army of the Rhine; and what further sum he estimates will need to be spent to solve the housing problem.

Almost all new married accommodation is at present provided under the multiple hirings scheme, by which German contractors build housing which my Department then rents from them. The cost of each unit approved to date under this arrangement has worked out at approximately £400 per annum.The married quarters existing before the introduction of the multiple hirings scheme were either taken over as they stood or built from Occupation Costs. I have no record of the capital expenditure on these quarters which were paid for by the Germans.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many Service men's families have returned to the United Kingdom because of unsuitable accommodation, or lack of accommodation, since 5th May, 1961.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 5th May, 1961.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the figures of officers and other ranks, respectively, who are serving in Germany accompanied by their wives but not living in Service accommodation.

In order to unite as many families as possible in the British Army of the Rhine, families live in accommodation owned or hired by my Department, privately rented accommodation, hotels and hostels.59 officers and 2,572 other ranks are serving in the British Army of the Rhine accompanied by their wives but are not living in Service accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will publish a List of the administrative, executive and technical officers of his Department with salaries of more than £1,500 per annum who on resigning or retiring during 1946–1951 took up posts with industrial firms, signifying which of these did so within two years of leaving the Civil Service in cases requiring the approval of his Department, and also naming the firms they joined; and if he will indicate how many of those so affected were specially kept on until the end of the war period.

I have no record of any such cases.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will make a statement on the appointment and constitution of an Advisory Council on commercial television in Wales under the terms of the Television Act, 1954.

The hon. Member will no doubt now have seen that the I.T.A. announced on Monday, 10th December, the appointment of such a Committee and its membership.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will publish a list of the administrative, executive and technical officers of his Department with salaries of more than £1,500 per annum who on resigning or retiring during 1946–51 took up posts with industrial firms. signifying which of these did so within two years of leaving the Civil Service in cases requiring the approval of his department, and also naming the firms they joined; and if he will indicate how many of those so affected were specially kept on until the end of the war period.

I have no records containing this information.