asked the Minister of Aviation what representations Her Majesty's Government make to foreign Governments to secure, for independent British airlines, routes approved by the British Air Transport Licensing Board.

We make whatever representations seem most likely to secure

asked the Minister of Aviation what research is proceeding into the qualities and potentiality of ground effect take-off and landing aircraft.

The application to aircraft of take-off and landing techniques using ground effect is being studied at the Royal Aircraft Establishment as part of a wide research programme.

asked the Minister of Aviation how many Britannia aeroplanes are out of service; what further information he has on the Chinese Government's desire to purchase them; and if he will make a statement.

If the Question concerns B.O.A.C.'s Britannias I have nothing to add to the Answer given to my hon. Friend on 23rd January or to the information in the letter which was sent to him on 25th January.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the total annual value of aircraft and aircraft parts exported from Great Britain in the period from the beginning of 1952 to the end of 1962, and their destination.

Following is the Answer:

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will refer the problem of freeing aero engines from radioactivity before they go to factories for repair to the Advisory Panel on Radioactive Contamination of Aircraft, established by the Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Panel is already considering the problem.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will make arrangements for persons who suffer loss of earnings through attending for dental treatment during working hours to receive part compensation in the form of sickness benefit.

No. It has never been thought right that the National Insurance Act should provide sickness benefit for isolated days of incapacity, let alone part of a day.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance for what reasons he does not pay dependency benefits to the unemployed for children over the age of 18 undergoing full-time education, who are not receiving adequate educational maintenance grants, in view of the fact that more prosperous parents with children in the same circumstances qualify for Income Tax allowances for their children.

For the purposes of the family allowances and national insurance schemes there has to be some point at which a young person ceases to be treated as a child, and age 18 was adopted as the highest practical limit that could be fitted into the framework of the schemes. Rights to benefits for children, as to other insurance benefits, are, of course, determined without regard to the parents' means.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to establish health centres, instead of doctors' surgeries, which could be arranged to provide adequate facilities for both doctors and patients.

The powers to do this belong to local health authorities.

asked the Minister of Health if he will make a statement on the effects of thalidomide when administered as a sedative to young children; and if these effects are likely to persist so that girls, when adult, may be in danger of giving birth to deformed babies.

I am advised that the administration of thalidomide in childhood has no effects which could have these consequences.

asked the Minister of Health why there was a delay of five months between the withdrawal of thalidomide by the manufacturers and the letter from his chief medical officer asking doctors to warn women who might have had access to this drug not to take it; if he is aware that warnings through the Press were meaningless to many patients, since containers of prescribed drugs bear plain labels on which their contents are not named; and if, in view of the common habit of hoarding drugs no longer needed for immediate use, he will again request doctors to try to recover supplies of this drug that may still be in the possession of patients for whom it was prescribed.

On withdrawing the drug. the manufacturers informed all doctors, publishing the fact in the professional journals; my chief medical officer's letter called attention to an instance where a patient had not been warned following this action; advice to destroy all old drugs, whether labelled or not, is issued periodically by my Department.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps through the appropriate organisations to provide records of the number of children who are born annually severely handicapped physically and to ascertain as far as possible the cause of the deformities.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Nottingham, Central (Lieut.-Colonel Cordeaux) on 10th December.

asked the Minister of Health what was the original cost of the operating theatre at each mental hospital in England and Wales with over 600 beds; what has been the maintenance cost for the past three years in each case; how many operations were performed in each case in the last 12 months; and what is the proximity in each case of the nearest hospital with a waiting list for general surgery operations.

This information is not available centrally.

asked the Minister of Health what was the average occupancy of Section 4 and Section 5 beds by non-paying patients at the latest date for which figures are available.

38·7 per cent. and 17·6 per cent. during 1961.

asked the Minister of Labour how many Commonwealth immigrants were unemployed at the February, 1963, count.

36,674 on 4th February, 1963.

asked the Minister Labour whether he will consult both parties in the dispute between the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society and the National Union of Bank Employees over retrospective payments, with a view to urging their acceptance of the award made by the independent Chairman of the Conciliation Board.

According to my information the independent Chairman of the Conciliation Board has not made an award. Under the Board's constitution he is not able to do so unless both parties agree that he should do so, and on this occasion the Society did not so agree.I have not been asked to help, but my officers are available should either party wish for their services.

asked the Minister of Labour how many school leavers were unemployed within the Leek constituency, with particular reference to Leek, Cheadle, Biddulph and Kidsgrove.

34 out of 471 Christmas school leavers were still registered for employment on 11th February. Of these, 12 were at Leek, 18 at Cheadle, 1 at Biddulph, and 3 at Kidsgrove.

asked the Minister of Labour what facilities for industrial retraining are available for redundant hosiery and knitwear workers in the Nottinghamshire area; and what are the conditions under which they can qualify for such retraining.

Although there is no Government Training Centre in the Nottinghamshire area there are centres at Leicester and Birmingham; the qualification for Government training is to be in need of and suitable for it.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he will make a statement on the steps taken to overcome the administrative obstacles to the quick commencement of work since 9th January.

I presume that this Question refers to my noble Friend's responsibilities for the North-East. My noble Friend is assisted by a team of officials drawn from all the Departments concerned one of whose main tasks it is to facilitate whatever administrative action is required, both as regards coordination between and within the Departments and business between central government and local bodies. Arrangements for the further strengthening of local contacts by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government will be announced shortly. If the hon. Member has any particular cases in mind, my noble Friend will be grateful to have them drawn to his attention.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what new plans he has for alleviating unemployment in South-West Durham by building Government advance factories west of the A.1.

My noble Friend recognises the value of advance factories as an inducement to attract industry to the North-East. He is therefore considering whether more should be put in hand, in addition to the seven which have already been announced, and he will bear in mind the claims of S.W. Durham.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what measures Her Majesty's Government propose to ensure that the North-East can utilise its resources to the full without causing inflation in the South.

These must include the improvement of basic services, an increase in social investment and encouraging the development and diversification of industry.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science which advisory committee on nuclear marine propulsion advised on the selection of the two reactors from the original five under consideration.

The Working Group on Marine Reactor Research set up jointly by my noble Friend and the Minister of Transport, under the Chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport. The Working Group set up a Panel with Professor Diamond of Manchester University as Chairman to make the technical assess- ment of the various reactors under consideration. Representatives of the Atomic Energy Authority, Lloyd's Register, the British Ship Research Association and the Admiralty served on this panel.

asked the Secretary of State for War why a Press photographer was present at the recent interview at the Guards Depot at Pirbright between Major P. T. Thwaites and Guardsman Barry Clark.

I understand that the circumstances in which this photograph was taken were not entirely as reported. It is true that the Commandant of the Guards Depot gave permission for a photograph to be taken of Guardsman Clark: he did this in view of the considerable public interest in an incident in which Guardsman Clark was involved. The photograph was therefore specially taken in the presence of his company commander. There was no question of an interview taking place at the time between Major Thwaites and Guardsman Clark.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will modify the Warble Fly Order so as to allow farmers to use the new systemic insecticides under the Warble Fly (Dressing of Cattle) Order, 1948, in view of the results obtained with these insecticides.

The Warble Fly (Dressing of Cattle) Order, 1948, and its amending Order of 1960, do not prohibit the use of systemic insecticides. These new insecticides are very effective, when properly applied. But it is impracticable to include them in the Orders as alternatives to derris, because it is not possible to prove whether or not they have been used.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Government scientists are engaged in assessing the new pesticides as they appear; and what is the total annual sum spent on this assessment.

Nineteen scientists of this Ministry spend about half their time assessing pesticides for safety and efficiency. They are supported by about 20 other officers, most of whom are full time on this work. The total annual cost, including overheads, is about £60,000. Advice is also given by doctors, scientists and administrators from other Government Departments. Scientific work on pesticides is also carried out by this Minstry's advisory services and by research stations and universities grant-aided by the Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made by the Hong Kong Government towards implementing the alternative arrangement, announced in June 1962, to the recommendation of the Hong Kong Electricity Supply Commission, made in January 1960, to nationalise the Colony's two privately-owned electric supply companies; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 14th February to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Govan (Mr. Rankin).

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when he expects to be able to reply to the letter to his Department dated 4th January from the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme about Mr. O. C. W. Dennis, of Manzini, Swaziland.

I have written to the hon. Member today.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when plans for reconstructing Bathurst airport will be put in hand.

Certain possibilities are under consideration, but I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what plans he has for increasing the capacity of the deep-water berth at Bathurst.

My right hon. Friend is considering with the Gambia Government the possibility of developing the harbour at Bathurst to provide two berths for ocean-going vessels. I hope it will soon be possible to arrange for an expert survey of the future development of the port.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what improvements are in hand for ports and landing stages on the Gambia river.

The Gambia Government proposes this year to reconstruct the marine dockyard slipway at Half-Die and to improve the ferry terminals at Yellitenda. Other improvements are being considered in the drawing up of a new Development Plan.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made during the last year for which figures are available for the issue of licences to conduct experiments under the Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876; and how many of these applications were refused.

During 1962, 1,407 licences were granted. No formal application reaching the Home Office was refused.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were injured by burning clothing in 1962, giving the sex and age groups.

The only statistics available are for fatal accidents of this kind. Statistics for 1962 are not yet complete. The 1961 figures for deaths from accidents in the home and residential istitu-

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs which local authorities were building new houses by means of direct labour departments during the latest period for which the information is available.

Following are the local authorities in England and Wales with current direct labour schemes (i.e. dwellings under construction or approved but not started) on 31st December, 1962:

asked the Minister of Power if he is satisfied with the available supplies of coal and smokeless fuels in the London area; and whether he will make a statement giving as much detail as possible.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for South Fylde (Colonel Lancaster) on 25th February. As a result of the measures there described, the National Coal Board increased its dispatches of coal from the pits for the domestic market beyond the record levels of earlier weeks to 764,000 tons in the week ended 23rd February, nearly 200,000 tons more than a year ago. A large proportion of the increase was directed to London and the South, where, despite difficulties of distribution and exhaustion of stocks at depots the merchants have maintained deliveries at an abnormally high rate in an endeavour to meet exceptional demands. The high demand for coke and other smokeless fuels is also causing difficulty. Coke is still being brought in from other areas in order to reinforce production in South London. The National Coal Board is increasing its supplies of Sunbrite to the area as a whole.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the public houses owned by the State Management Scheme in Scotland.

The Answer is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average occupancy of section 4 and section 5 beds by non-paying patients at the latest date for which figures are available.

The latest available information is for the financial year 1960–61 and is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his attention has been drawn to the comments of Lord Kilbrandon, when giving judgment in a case in the Court of Session on 19th February, regarding defects in the operation of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act; if he will introduce legislation to remedy these defects; and if he will make a statement.

Lord Kilbrandon's comments related to an informal patient who left Aberdeen Royal Mental Hospital against medical advice.The provisions of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act, 1960, which allow admission to hospital without formality of patients suffering from mental disorder were generally welcomed; in 1961 11,733 patients were so admitted. It is a corollary of informal admission that the patients concerned should normally be free to leave hospital at will.An informal patient who proposes to leave hospital can be detained under compulsory powers, but whether this should be done in a particular case is and must remain a matter for clinical judgment. The Act already provides for the need to protect the community being taken into account when detention is being considered and there is also a simple procedure for emergency detention in circumstances of urgency. I see no reason, therefore, for amending legislation.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the fact that much of the additional expenditure incurred by highway authorities as a result of the exceptionally severe winter relates to class 2 and class 3 roads, to what extent it is intended that the proposed supplementary grants will allow for these roads; and by how much the grants will be increased in respect of this expenditure.

I have said that I am prepared to consider applications by local authorities in county areas for additional allocations of grant, to take account of their unusually heavy expenditure this winter on classified roads, including classes 2 and 3 roads, I cannot say more than that until I know what their expenditure has been.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, as dual carriageways will be available all the way between London and Glasgow by the early 1970s, he will now state his plans in respect of such carriageways in connection with the City of Carlisle; and what is the completion date of these constructions, in view of the fact that the Carlisle City Council has rejected the plans for a dual carriageway along a stretch of London Road.

Roads within the city are the responsibility of the city council. My intention is eventually to provide a dual carriageway bypass of the city for trunk road traffic. The plans for this are still at an early stage of consideration.

asked the Minister of Education on which new schools building operations have begun in the current financial year; and which were started in each of the past three financial years.

About 320 new schools were started in the first nine months of 1962–63; the figures for the three preceding years are as follows:

asked the Minister of Education what was the total of local education authority applications for minor capital works and major capital works in England and Wales for the year 1962–63; how many were agreed to by his Department; and what are the comparable figures for the year 1963–64.

Local education authorities submitted proposals for school and further education major works to the value of £218 million and £177 million for 1962–63 and 1963–64 respectively. The corresponding value of work approved to start in these two years is £81 million and £72 million. Authorities' proposals for minor works amounted to £22 million in 1962–63 and £32 million in 1963–64 The approved level of minor works starts of all kinds is £16 million for each year.

asked the Minister of Education (1) how many local education authorities operate a system whereby the marks earned in the 11-plus examination are adjusted to take account of the age of the children participating in the examination;(2) whether those local education authorities who operate a system under which the marks earned in the 11-plus examination are adjusted to take account of the age of the participants do so with the approval of his Department.

Local education authorities' secondary school selection arrangements do not require my approval; but, so far as I am aware, all authorities make allowances for age.