asked the First Secretary of Stare, whether in the case of loans made by the International Bank to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government, the lenders contracted on an implied or written basis that the Federation was a viable political institution.

I have been asked to reply.No doubt the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development had regard to all relevant circumstances, including the fact that their loan was guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government, and their assessment of the prospects of the Federation, in deciding to make their loan.I am not aware of any express terms of the loans of the character suggested.

asked the First Secretary of State whether the £41 million injected into Nyasaland by the Federal Government since Federation will be repaid to the Federation, and by whom; or whether it will form the foundation of an independent Nyasaland National Debt guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government.

I have been asked to reply.This is one of a number of important questions which will need to be considered in the light of Nyasaland's secession from the Federation.

asked the First Secretary of State what is the total of Federal and territorial loans in Central Africa guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government; and whether, in view of the decision to liquidate the Federation, these loans will be paid off by the guarantor.

I have been asked to reply.£52 million, comprising loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to the Federation and the Territories.No final decisions have been taken on the future form of association between the territories comprising the Federation; the second part of the Question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects to publish the local health authorities 10-year plan for the development of health and welfare services.

Later this Session.

asked the Minister of Health how many voluntary sterilisation operations have been carried out in each of the last five years for which figures are available, showing men and women separately.

This information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health if a tender has yet been approved for the new hospital in Bradford to replace the Royal Eye and Ear Hospital; and when he expects the work to commence.

Tenders are due this month; work will start as soon as possible after a tender has been accepted.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations whether he will arrange for the independence gift to Cyprus from this House to be displayed.

Arrangements have been made for the gift to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall during Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week (6th, 7th and 8th February). I will arrange for a photograph of the gift to be placed in the Library in due course.

asked the Minister of Power if he will state the value of byproducts taken from I cwt. of coal.

In 1961 1 cwt. of coal carbonised in the coke ovens of the National Coal Board produced coke to the value of about 5s. and other products to the value of about 2s. 6d.

asked the Minister of Power if he will set out in tabular form the price and relative heat efficiency of 1 cwt. of household coal in grades, and of smokeless fuel, coke, phimax and coalite, respectively.

It is a long time since retail prices were de-controlled and my right hon. Friend no longer has responsibility for, or direct knowledge of, the varying prices charged by retailers in different parts of the country.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether Sunderland shipbuilders will be invited to tender for the tanker and replacement ships being ordered by the Admiralty.

A group of Sunderland firms was included among the shipbuilders invited to tender for the design and building of tankers for which orders will be placed very shortly. As regards the two fleet replenishment ships which are to be ordered, the opportunity to tender will be given to all suitable firms which the Admiralty is satisfied will meet the specialised requirements for these ships.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he will now bring forward his programme for new naval building, replacements and repairs in order to assist the British shipbuilding industry while orders books are low.

I have nothing to add to the statement which my noble Friend made in another place on 23rd January, 1963.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what has been the cost per job provided under the Local Employment Act in England, Wales and Scotland, respectively.

Up to 31st December, 1962, and excluding offers declined:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the insured population is covered by the development districts; and to what extent this percentage has varied in each year of the operation of the Local Employment Act.

The Local Employment Act came into operation in April, 1960. At that date the areas listed as development districts accounted for 12·6 per cent. of all insured employees. On the latest available figures of insured employees, the comparable percentages for development districts as listed at April, 1961, April, 1962, and January, 1963, were 12·6, 11·5 and 12·1.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider applying a much lower rate of interest to Board of Trade factories built in development districts for sale on amortisation terms.

No. I have no reason to think that a lower rate of interest would result in more firms moving to development districts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how much factory space has been provided in the London,

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will indicate the terms of the Order which he pro-the terms of the Order which he proposes to make permitting add-to agreements for furniture under the hire-purchase control.

The Order will provide that, when a customer has paid off 25 per cent. or more of the cash price under an existing hire-purchase or credit-sale agreement, he can acquire furniture and/or bedding without payment of a further deposit, provided that the balance outstanding on the existing agreement plus the cash price of the additional goods does not exceed the cash price of the goods covered by the original agreement. It will further provide that repayments must continue at not less than the original rate and that all monies out-

The figures are as follows:standing must be repaid within 36 months of the date of any additional agreement. There will also be provision that, in cases where such an agreement has been completed within six months prior to the date on which the Order comes into force, a further agreement covering furniture and/or bedding of a cash price not exceeding that of the goods covered by the previous agreement may be entered into without payment of a deposit.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the average gross annual value and the average rent of council houses in the area of each county and burgh in Scotland at the last convenient date; and what would be the effect in each case on the Exchequer equalisation grant under Clause 3 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill if rents were not increased.

The average gross annual value and average rent at 28th November, 1962, are shown for each area in Command Paper 1923 published yesterday. If rents remained unaltered in 1963–64 Clause 3 of the Local Government (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Bill would operate so as to reduce Exchequer equalisation grant in that year by approximately the following amounts:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details and dates of the initiation of all planned major road schemes in the counties of Haddington, Berwickshire and Roxburghshire.

Because of the need to concentrate most of the funds available for trunk road improvements on the main industrial routes in the centre of Scotland and on A.74 to Gretna, I regret that I have been unable to include in my five-year trunk road programme any schemes costing over £100,000 in the counties of East Lothian, Berwick and Roxburgh. Smaller schemes on classified roads at a total cost of £244,000 are included in the programme for the years 1961–64, and I expect to authorise several smaller schemes on trunk roads.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will seek the publication in full of the report now under consideration by the National Economic Development Council, in view of its public importance and the importance of it being public.

The National Economic Development Council is still discussing the end-of-year report, and it must be for it to decide whether, and if so when, it should be published. The hon. Member will not expect my right hon. Friend, as Chairman of the Council, to give at this stage any undertaking in this regard.