asked the Minister of Labour what progress he has made in his talks with the National Joint Advisory Council concerning the use of cine-films in the campaign to reduce industrial accidents among young people.

The Industrial Safety Sub-Committee of the Council discussed this question last week. Its conclusion, with which I agree, is that in suitable circumstances films can play a useful part in a planned programme of safety training but only as an adjunct to properly organised training on the job.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that the number of school-leavers in the Dearne Valley constituency area who have been unable to obtain employment has increased over the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement of the plans he has prepared so that suitable jobs will be forthcoming for these boys and girls.

Yes. Out of 578 Christmas school-leavers in the constituency, 136 remained registered for employment on 14th January, and the Youth Employment Service is making every effort to find them suitable employment.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications for employment vouchers under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act have been made by citizens of Malta; and how many have been granted.

656 such applications had been made up to 25th January, 1963, and 442 vouchers had been issued.

asked the Minister of Labour how many vouchers issued under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act have lapsed through not being used in the six months validity period.

Up to 25th January, 777 vouchers had been returned to the Minis- try because their validity had expired or because the holders no longer required them.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the number of unemployed young people registered at the three Sunderland employment exchanges in Sunderland, Pallion and Southwick.

Young people do not register at these Employment Exchanges. The final figures for the numbers registered on 14th January at the Sunderland County Borough and Sunderland (N.E.) Youth Employment Bureaux minus Sea-ham are 547 boys and 245 girls.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the percentage of unemployed young people in Sunderland, taking into account only those young people resident in the County Borough of Sunderland.

It is not practicable to calculate unemployment percentage rates for young people separately. This is mainly because it is not possible to obtain sufficiently reliable estimates of the number of employed young people in particular localities. Unemployment percentage rates are therefore calculated for adults and young people combined.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of men in the construction industry in Hull who were unemployed on the last available date; and how many he estimates are unlikely to find a regular job in the city and will seek employment in the south of England.

At 14th January, 1,272 men who were last employed in construction were registered at the Hull Employment Exchange. I cannot make any estimates, but prospects of employment locally for these workers are good.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of men in the shipbuilding and marine engineering industry in Hull who were unemployed on the last available date; and how many he estimates are unlikely to find a regular job in the city and will seek employment in the south of England.

At 14th January, 295 men who were last employed in shipbuilding and repairing and 10 men from marine engineering were registered at the Hull Employment Exchange. I cannot make any estimates, but I am afraid prospects for these workers locally are not good at present.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will consult the Trades Union Congress in an endeavour to set up a tripartite committee of employers, trade unions and representatives of his Department with a view to ascertaining what specific steps should be taken to solve the problems which arise on the floor of the factory or workshop before they cause labour unrest.

My National Joint Advisory Council forms a very effective committee of the sort the hon. Gentleman has in mind in that it includes representatives of the British Employers' Confederation, the Trades Union Congress and the nationalised industries.

asked the Minister of Labour what are the latest unemployment figures for the Dagenham exchange; and how they compare with figures for the same date last year.

1,135 on 14th January, 1963, compared with 728 on 15th January, 1962.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to avoid the threatened strike at Ford's, Dagenham.

Representatives of the unions have been invited to an early meeting with my officers far the purpose of informing me on the latest developments in this dispute. This meeting will be followed by a similar talk with representatives of the company. I will consider what action I can usefully take in the light of these discussions.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the percentages of insured workers registered as unemployed in the employment exchanges of north-west Monmouthshire, including Brynmawr, at the most recent available date, and in the years 1950, 1955 and 1960, respectively; and if he will make a statement on future prospects.

In the Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Newbridge and Tredegar travel-to-work area, the percentage was 5·7 on 14th January, 1963, 7·4 per cent. on 16th January, 1950, 3·4 per cent. on 10th January, 1955, and 4·2 per cent. on 11th January, 1960.I am not aware of any significant forthcoming redundancies in the area which we hope will benefit from the Chancellor's recent measures aimed at stimulating the economy generally. The improvement in the Reads of the Valley Road will also make access easier from the north and east and improve prospects of attracting industry to the area.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons were registering in Coatbridge and Airdrie employment exchanges at the latest convenient date, and at the same date in 1962; and what these figures represent as a percentage of the insurable population.

At 14th January 2,489 at Coatbridge and 1,825 at Airdrie, and at 15th January, 1962, 1,716 and 1,214 respectively. In the North Lanarkshire travel-to-work group of which these exchange areas are part the percentage rates of unemployment at the two dates were 9·7 and 6·5.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of last year's school-leavers in Scotland are still without employment; and what estimate has been made of the number who will leave school at the next leaving date.

Three thousand and ninety-nine out of 74,000 leavers last year were still registered for work on 14th January, 1963. About 19,000 young people are expected to leave school during or at the end of the Easter term.

asked the Minister of Labour how many school-leavers are still without jobs in Clackmannan and East Stirling; and what he estimates the prospects are for those about to leave school in those areas where normal opportunities have shrunk or disappeared.

On 14th January 23 school-leavers were registered at Alloa Youth Employment Bureau. At Stirling Youth Employment Bureau, which covers a wider area than East Stirling, 45 were registered. Good progress has been made in absorbing school leavers, and I am hopeful that this will continue.

asked the Minister of Labour what proposals he has for offering suitable employment in Scotland for young people who will leave school this year.

I expect young people, along with other workers, to benefit from the measures taken by the Government to expand the economy and to promote industrial development in Scotland.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of registered unemployed in the Calders at the latest available date, and the corresponding figure for June, 1962.

565 on 14th January, 1963, compared with 463 on 18th June, 1962.

asked the Minister of Labour what industrial training centres at present exist or are to be set up in Lanarkshire and in Glasgow; and what number of persons in training can be dealt with in each session in both areas, respectively.

I have one Government Training Centre at Hillington, Glasgow, and I am setting up another at Motherwell. There are 130 places at Glasgow and I am adding about 60 more; I expect to provide about 70 places at Motherwell.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of persons registered as unemployed at the employment exchanges of Motherwell and Wishaw on the latest available date; and what percentage increase over the corresponding date in 1961 this represents.

At 14th January there were 1,842 workers registered as unemployed at Motherwell and 1,775 at Wishaw. These figures represent increases of 88·2 per cent. and 102·2 per cent., respectively, over those for January, 1961.

asked the Minister of Labour how many building trade workers are now unemployed in Scotland; and what were the figures in May, 1962, and September, 1962.

On 14th January, 1963, 29,900 persons whose last employment was in the construction industry were registered as unemployed including those temporarily stopped in Scotland, compared with 11,317 on 14th May, 1962, 11,734 on 10th September, 1962, and 16,175 on 10th December, 1962. The number of skilled workers wholly unemployed on those dates was respectively 4,466, 1,274, 1,263 and 2,468.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the nett increase in the number of persons in employment in the City of Glasgow at the latest available date as compared with the corresponding date in 1960.

The number of persons employed fell by about 7,700 between mid-1960 and mid-1961, the latest date for which figures are available.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the unemployment rate, expressed as a percentage of the total insured workers, in the towns of Stanhope, Tow Law, Willington, Brandon, Lanchester and Langley Park.

These towns are in the areas of the Crook, Bishop Auckland, Shildon and Spennymoor travel to work group of employment exchanges, the Durham Employment Exchange and the Stanley Employment Exchange. The percentages of unemployment in these areas at 14th January, 1963, were 9·2, 4·7 and 5·8, respectively.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now give consideration to extending the existing three-mile fishing limit.

Her Majesty's Government are continuing to keep this matter under review.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposed Welsh Agricultural College.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Aberavon (Mr. Morris) on 28th January. My right hon. Friend does not expect to be able to make a statement for some weeks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the Potato Marketing Board regarding the import of potatoes; what tonnage he visualises entering the United Kingdom; and for how long he proposes permitting imports to continue.

The Ministry is in constant touch with the Potato Marketing Board throughout the year and the decision to allow in imports was made after discussing with the Board the results of its census of potato stocks as at the end of December. The amount of imports required will depend on the extent of frost damage to home supplies At present imports are being allowed in freely, but the position will be carefully watched so that if the risk of shortage disappears import controls may be reintroduced.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of some 3,000 acres of sugar beet being still in the ground in the Isle of Ely alone, he will take steps to ensure that the British Sugar Corporation's factories at Ely, Stoke Ferry and Peterborough are kept open or re-opened sufficiently long to enable the beets to thaw out naturally, and so provide the maximum yield of sugar possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are being made for the processing of unharvested sugar beet where factories have been closed down as a consequence of weather conditions before the end of their campaigns.

The British Sugar Beet Corporation has kept in close touch with this problem and we are confident that it will continue to do everything which is commercially practicable to deal with any beet which can be delivered in a condition which makes it worth processing.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, following his decision that members of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement should be compensated for the Sugar Board's increased surcharge imposed at the end of 1961, when a change was made in the pricing arrangements for sugar in the United Kingdom, he will now state the amount of compensation paid to Commonwealth producers under these arrangements during 1962; and who were the recipients.

The negotiated price for 1962 under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement includes an element intended to compensate the members of the Agreement for the lower price they receive on exports of sugar outside the negotiated price quota as a result of the change in the pricing arrangements for sugar made at the end of 1961. The size of this element depends on the actual shipments of such sugar during the year ending 31st December, 1962. Full details of the shipments have not yet been submitted to the Sugar Board. From the information in its possession it estimates that the payments under this arrangement for 1962 are likely to be of the order of £570,000, most of which is related to shipments from Mauritius and Australia and a relatively small amount from British Guiana. In addition payments totalling approximately £1·6 million are being made to Mauritius, Fiji, the West Indies, British Guiana and British Honduras in replacement of the benefits which these countries used to receive from the system of colonial tariff preference certificates which was brought to an end in the 1952 Budget.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will now make a statement on the future of the Scottish airports.

My right hon. Friend hopes to be able to reply within the next few weeks to the proposals put to him by representatives of Scottish local authorities.

asked the Minister of Aviation what is the present position regarding the erection of a new hotel at Prestwick Airport.

In December last, two concerns submitted proposals for building and operating a new hotel at Prestwick. These are now being examined by the Ministry of Aviation. Another concern has intimated that it may also submit proposals.

asked the Minister of Aviation why the decision has been taken to close a stores depot at Old Pocklington, Yorkshire; and, in view of the need to stop the drift of labour to the South, if he will consider changing this decision.

The closing of the stores at Pocklington is part of a plan to economise by centralising the three existing civil aviation stores, two of which are in the South, and a large quantity of defence stores. I have carefully considered whether in present circumstances the central store should be sited in the North; I am satisfied that this would have the effect of using up a large area of premises, valuable for industrial use, while having a negligible effect on the local employment situation.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what instructions he has given to the National Assistance Board to make extraordinary payments to retirement pensioners who have difficulty in paying large heating bills increased during the recent period of exceptionally cold weather.

I understand that the Board has asked its local officers to be especially alert to recognise cases of hardship among pensioners eligible for National Assistance arising from the severe weather. The Board needs no instructions from me to use its powers for the relief of special hardship in appropriate cases.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance why National Assistance benefit was refused, from 21st August, 1962 onwards, to Mr. K. Rosser, 46, Denham House, London, W.12.

This is a matter for the National Assistance Board, but I understand that Mr. Rosser's grant was withdrawn in August, 1962, after due warning because he was unwilling to take any of the recommended training courses designed to fit him for full-time employment. He has since changed his mind and the Assistance grant has been restored.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the maintenance allowance to each of the group management committees for hospitals in the Dartford constituency for the current year, the amounts requested when estimates were prepared, and the percentage increases in monetary and real terms over the allocation for the previous financial year.

Following are the figures:

Hospital Management Committee	Initial allocation, 1962–63	Percentage increase in money terms over initial allocation for 1961–62
	£	Per cent.
Dartford	1,383,420	6·3
Darenth and Stone	1,035,730	7·1

asked the Minster of Health if he will estimate the annual savings accruing from pay deductions in respect of time spent by cadet nurses in attending educational classes; whether he has yet reconsidered his policy in the matter; and if he will be a statement.

asked the Minister of Health whether he has now considered the regulation governing the educational courses attended by cadet nurses; and whether he will amend it in such a way as to ensure that the shorter working week agreed should not be used to deprive those concerned either of part of their salaries or of educational opportunities.

In conformity with normal practice in public and private employment cadets have one day's educational release a week without abatement of pay. The total amount of abatement at present is estimated at about £70,000 a year. I have under consideration what alterations, if any, in cadet employment are called for in the light of changed conditions of entry into nurse training.

asked the Minister of Health how many units of accommodation for resident doctors will be available in the rebuilt St. Thomas's Hospital; and how many of these will be available for married doctors.

There will be 51 single flats in the hospital and two adjacent blocks of flats which married doctors will occupy as available and required.

asked the Minister of Health, whether he will review the methods of payment for the staffs of mental hospitals, with particular reference to those posts whose remuneration is linked to the number of occupied beds.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 28th January to my hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Mr. B. Harrison).

asked the Minister of Health what has been the decision of the Poisons Board on his invitation to it to consider recommending the inclusion of ancoloxin in the Fourth Schedule, Part B to the Poisons Rules.

I have been asked to reply.I understand that the Board will consider this matter at a meeting later this month.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware that the Bristol City Council is endeavouring to carry out its responsibilities under the Mental Health Act, 1959, by treating its mentally ill patients in the community instead of in hospitals, and that as a result the cost is transferred from the hospital boards to the local council; and if he will take steps to provide a specific grant to local authorities for this purpose.

Performance by local authorities of these statutory functions involves no transfer of burden from central to local funds. The general grant takes full account of the continuing development of local authorities' mental health services.

asked the Minister of Health how many psychiatric social workers are employed in the National Health Service in the 13 counties of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Ten.

asked the Minister of Health if he is aware of the shortage of orthoptists in the National Health Service; and what steps are being taken to remedy the shortage.

Yes. The teacher-training course has been shortened, and I am urging further measures to increase training capacity.

asked the Minister of Health how many training and occupation centres for mentally handicapped persons are provided by local authorities and how many by voluntary organisations; and what is the total number of places these centres provide and the numbers of these which are for adults and juniors, respectively.

At the end of 1961 local health authorities and voluntary organisations provided respectively about 480 and 20 training centres, with some 24,000 places, for the mentally subnormal. It is estimated that about 57 per cent. of these places were for children.

asked the Minister of Health how many mentally handicapped persons are on waiting lists for places in occupation centres; what proportion of these are juniors; and how these figures compare with those for the last five years.

The numbers of mentally subnormal awaiting training in local authority training centres were as follows:

Date	Children		Total
31st December, 1961	2,005		5,924
31st December, 1960	2,057		6,081
31st December, 1959	2,600	Estimated	9,800	Estimated
31st December, 1958	2,600		9,200
31st December, 1957	2,600		8,300

The figures for 31st December, 1962, are not yet available.

asked the Minister of Health how many cases of cancer were notified during the period last recorded by his Department; and how much his Department has spent in the last year on research into the cure of this disease.

The General Register Office has recorded 105,000 new cases for 1960. My Department does not allocate money to cancer research.

asked the Minister of Health if the review body for doctors' remuneration has the power to recommend changes in the present remuneration structure and in the differential between general practitioner and consultant.

Yes.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will state the number of new jobs created in the North-East Region during 1962, and the number of new jobs in prospect for the region in 1963.

Industrial Development Certificates approved during 1962 in Northumberland, Durham and the North Riding were estimated to give rise to 7,000 new jobs. About 18,000 new jobs in all are in prospect in the area. I cannot say how many of these will actually accrue in 1963.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many firms have established factories in the Common Market countries since negotiations began with the Six.

This information is not available.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many requests for Industrial Development Certificates have been made and rejected for expansion in congested industrial areas in each year since April, 1960; what was the total factory space involved; and how much of it subsequently went to the development districts.

In the absence of any definition of congested industrial areas, I propose to give the figures for approvals, refusals and the space involved for all areas outside the development districts. They are as follows:

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATES
—	Issued		Rejected
	No. of schemes	Area million sq. ft.	No. of schemes	Area million sq. ft.
1960 (nine months)	2,277	55·8	120	4·2
1961	2,210	48·2	98	4·6
1962	1,731	31·7	109	4·7

In addition to the applications formally refused, many projects were not pursued after discussions with the applicants had shown them that they were unlikely to receive certificates for development outside the development districts. The amount of factory space applied for in development districts following the refusal of industrial development certificates elsewhere is not known.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what was the net Governmental expenditure in the development areas and the development districts in each of the last five years; and what is the estimate for the year 1963–64.

Expenditure up to and including 1959–60 on Services in Development Areas and Financial Assistance in Development and Other Areas is in the Civil Appropriation Accounts under Class VI, Votes 4 and 5. Expenditure in 1960–61 and 1961–62 on the Promotion of Local Employment is under Class VI, Vote 4. The net expenditure in each of the last five years was:

				m.
1957–58	…	…	…	£2 8
1958–59	…	…	…	£3·6
1959–60	…	…	…	£8·6
1960–61	…	…	…	£11·8
1961–62	…	…	…	£32·8

The Estimates for 1963–64 will be shown in the Vote on Account to be published in the middle of February.

asked the First Secretary of State (1) if he will make a statement on his visit to Central Africa; and what decisions he has reached regarding close economic association of the three territories;(2) what new political alignments were discussed during his tour of the Central African Federation; and if he will make a statement on political developments agreed upon by the three territorial governments and the Federal Government.

I hope to make a statement about my visit to Central Africa shortly.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he is aware that 200 workmen are to be dismissed from Dorman Long's Bridge and Engineering Works, Middlesbrough, on 8th February, 1963; and what steps the Government intends to take to stop the growth of unemployment in Middlesbrough.

I am informed that 180 workers from Dorman Long, are to be made redundant on 15th February.My noble Friend will be visiting Middlesbrough on Thursday.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what assistance Her Majesty's Government propose to provide towards making good the damage caused by floods in Zanzibar in April, 1962.

Her Majesty's Government have agreed to contribute £2,000 to the Mayor of Zanzibar's Relief Fund. This sum will be advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund pending the presentation of a Supplementary Estimate to Parliament.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Kenya Government have undertaken to repay the loan of around £200,000 from Her Majesty's Government to buy the European farms in the Nandi Salient.

The money estimated to be needed for purchases this year will be issued as part of a loan under Section 2 of the Colonial Development and Welfare Act towards the general purposes of the Kenya development programme, which provides for this expenditure. These loans are normally repayable over 25 years.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why tax is deducted at source from small maintenance payments made under voluntary agreements, whereas payments made under a court order are gross.

In general under the Income Tax Acts Income Tax is deductible at the source from annual payments, including maintenance payments made by a husband to his divorced or separated wife under deed or agreement. This rule has been relaxed by Statute in the case of small maintenance payments made weekly under court order; the main purpose of the relaxation was to avoid administrative difficulties which had arisen in enforcement proceedings when payment had fallen into arrear. This consideration does not apply to small maintenance payments made under private agreements.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action tax offices will be taking as regards the coding for Pay As You Earn purposes for 1963–64 of persons who at present receive the dependent relative allowance but whose dependants will, as a result of the proposed increase in the National Insurance pension, receive an income above the prescribed limit.

Subject to Parliamentary approval of the National Insurance Bill which is now before the House I propose to introduce legislation in the coming Finance Bill to increase the dependant's income limit for the full dependent relative allowance from £155 to £180, with a consequential increase from £230 to £255 in the income limit at which no allowance is due. P.A.Y.E. codings for 1963–64 reflecting dependent relative allowance which have been fixed on the basis of current rates of retirement pension will therefore not need to be reduced if the retirement pension increases proposed in the National Insurance Bill take effect as proposed.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why a production order for the Wasp anti-submarine helicopter was not placed until last autumn, when two of the frigates designed to carry it had been completed and others were nearly ready.

Initial production steps were taken in 1961 but the full order was not placed until development problems had been sufficiently overcome to justify it. Deliveries can be expected shortly and we plan to embark Wasps later this year after shore trials.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when the Report of the Local Govern- ment Commission for England on the South Western General Review Area will be published.

The Commission's Report and recommendations for this area will be published tomorrow. Copies will be available that day in the Vote Office and copies of the large scale maps will be placed in the Library. I have sent copies of the Report and recommendations to the local authorities and other bodies concerned, informing them that any representations on the Commission's proposals should be sent to me by the end of April. I shall later arrange public inquiries to hear objections as necessary.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will take steps to grant further powers to local authorities to control the provision of adequate means of escape, in case of fire, from unlicensed clubs.

This matter has been under examination by a committee of officials whose recommendations my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and my right hon. Friend are considering.

asked the Postmaster-General if the decision to make all new Post Office buildings of prefabricated units, having as dominant features of their elevations standard metal units illuminated in red across the facade, is to apply to Scotland: and what account is going to be taken of local surroundings and materials.

Yes. Post Office buildings will continue to have regard to the character of the locality; only the facade and interiors of the public part of post offices will use the new standard units.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the limit on the amount that can be spent by a local authority on minor projects for the improvement of classified roads; and when was it fixed;(2) what is the limit on the amount that can be spent by a local authority on major projects for the improvement of classified roads; and when was it fixed;(3) what reply he has sent to the representations made by local authorities regarding the limits placed on expenditure on improvements of classified roads, on both minor and major projects.

The amount of work, major and minor, which can be carried out on classified roads is determined by the Exchequer grant available for approved schemes; and this in turn is determined by the proportion of the national resources which the Govern- ment consider can be devoted to the road programme in Scotland.Replies to representations received from time to time on this subject are on these lines.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will publish the Report of the Highland Transport Inquiry on Transport Services in the Highlands and Islands.

The Report will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office tomorrow. Copies will then be available for hon. Members in the Vote Office.