asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much of the sum available to implement the Horticulture Improvement Scheme has now been spent or earmarked.

Proposals approved or under consideration in the United Kingdom at 31st January, 1963, would attract grants estimated to total £2,439,000.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science whether all marketed pesticides are studied by the Medical Research Council.

Under the voluntary Notification of Pesticides Scheme all new toxic chemicals are, before marketing, notified to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for clearance by the Government's Advisory Committee on Poisonous Substances used in Agriculture and Food Storage; the Medical Research Council is represented on this Committee.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, if he will now make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's proposals for creating employment on the North-East Coast following the Lord President's visit to the North-East in the week beginning 4th March.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science, as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he will make a statement on the Lord President of the Council's recent visit to the North-East.

This visit enabled my noble Friend to examine and discuss at first hand aspects in the North-East which he had not covered fully in previous visits, and in particular to complete his series of meetings with the larger local authorities. The Government are urgently examining my noble Friend's recommendations arising from these visits. Some measures to alleviate unemployment in the North-East have already been announced and, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House last week, further decisions will be announced shortly, as and when they are arrived at, by the Departments responsible for their execution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider amending the scheme for providing legal aid in criminal cases under the Poor Prisoners' Defence Act, 1930, so that those who are able to make a contribution towards their costs are required to do so on the same basis as under Part I of the Legal Aid and Advice Act, 1949.

My right hon. Friend is not satisfied that a contributory scheme would be practicable in the conditions in which legal aid is granted in criminal cases.

asked the Minister of Education what is the number of grammar school places needed in the County of Herefordshire; and to what extent the actual number falls short of it.

The amended Herefordshire Development Plan provides for about 450 pupils to enter on grammar courses each year. The necessary school places will have been provided when a new school, already approved, has been built in Hereford.

asked the Minister of Education what notices of complaint under Section 71 of the Education Act, 1944, he has received regarding Warwick House School, Hampstead; and what action he has taken.

My right hon. Friend treats as confidential his dealings with individual schools under Part III of the Act.

asked the Minister for Public Building and Works when the present offices at Summer Street, Bridge-

Industry	Date of announcement	Objective
Electricity Boards in England and Wales.	28th March, 1962 (Cols. 123–124)	An average gross return of about 12½ per cent. on average net assets 1962–63 to 1966–67.
South of Scotland Electricity Board.	28th March, 1962 (Cols. 1335–1336)
North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.	30th May, 1962 (Cols. 1356–1358)	To apply such tariff changes as will produce a percentage increase in the income derived from its own consumers similar to that which is to be achieved by the South of Scotland Electricity Board.
Gas Boards	28th March, 1962 (Cols. 123–124)	An average gross return of about 10¼ per cent. on average net assets 1962–63 to 1966–67.
National Coal Board	23rd July, 1962 (Cols. 931–934)	To break even from 1963 after paying interest and making proper provision for depreciation including the provision of £10m. a year to help cover the difference between depreciation at historic and replacement cost.

The surpluses implied by the objectives for the electricity and gas industries as a contribution towards further capital expansion will vary according to the rate of growth of the Boards' net assets. On the basis of known estimates of capital requirements when the financial objectives were announced the surpluses implied were £336 million for the Electricity Boards in England and Wales and £54 million for the Gas Boards over the

The offices at Summer Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, which are occupied by a local office of the National Assistant Board, have been held on lease by my Department since Whitsunday, 1962.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total annual extra amount which it is estimated will be required to be earned by the nationalised industries and boards under the new agreement with Her Majesty's Government to finance new capital developments.

In accordance with the White Paper on the Financial and Economic Obligations of the Nationalised Industries (Cmnd. 1337, April, 1961) the following financial objectives have been agreed with the industries concerned:period 1962–63 to 1966–67. The Electricity Council's latest estimate of the Boards' capital requirements suggest that additional investment of nearly £400 million may be required over the target period. This estimate is still under discussion with the Government but an increase of this order would imply an increase of about £40 million in the industry's cumulative surplus to meet the financial objective.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the equipment referred in Treasury Minute dated 1st March, 1963, Command Paper No. 1959, about the gift of scientific equipment to certain British universities and colleges.

Details of scientific equipment referred to in Treasury Minute dated 1st March, 1963, are as follows.

University	Description of equipment
Aberdeen	X-Ray diffraction apparatus.
Birmingham	100-channel kicksorter, 2 oscilloscopes, digitizer.
Cambridge	Microscopes and accessories, processing plant.
Cardiff	Goniometer, counter, scanner.
Durham	Pulse height analyser and printer.
Edinburgh	Vacuum and electronic equipment.
Exeter	2 spectrometers, 2 pumps, microscope and a magnet.
Glasgow	Pulse height analyser and electronic equipment.
Leeds	X-Ray unit, microscope, oscilloscope and accessories.
Liverpool	Spectrophotometer and accessories.
London:
Imperial College.	Spectrometer, oscillator, air conditioner, cooler, teleprinter and power pack, spectrophotometer and accessories.
Queen Mary College.	X-Ray and pressure measuring equipment.
King's College	X-Ray tube, calculator.
School of Pharmacy.	6 galvanometers, recorder, amplifier.
Leicester College of Science and Technology.	Spectrograph, microscopes and accessories.
Manchester	2 convertors, radiometer, electronic and motorisation equipment, generator, sealed off insert, insert tube.
Oxford	Heavy duty cascade generator, microscope, mass spectrograph and ancillary electronic equipment, furnace, gas handling plant.
Salford Technical College.	Chromatography equipment.
Sheffield	Oscilloscope, solarscope, camera.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the salary of naval chaplains after 7 and 11 years, respectively; what pensions or gratuities are paid to chaplains when they leave the service; and after how short a service a gratuity is payable.

The annual rates of basic pay are as follows:

—	At present	From 1st April, 1963
	£	£
After 7 years	1,113	1,150
After 11 years	1,287	1,332

Marriage and other allowances may also be paid.Rates of retired pay and gratuity vary according to length of service and the cause of retirement. Particulars are given on pages 19 to 24 of the 1962 edition of the Appendix to the Navy List of which a copy is available in the Library.In the case of officers on short-service engagements, a terminal gratuity may be paid if one year's satisfactory service has been completed.

asked the Minister of Health (1) how many vacancies in the hospital service for remedial gymnasts remain unfilled at the present time;(2) how many vacancies in the hospital service for therapeutic dieticians remain unfilled at the present time;(3) how many vacancies in the hospital service for supervisors and assistants in schools remain unfilled at the present time;(4) how many vacancies in the hospital service for speech therapists remain unfilled at the present time;(5) how many vacancies in the hospital service for hearing aid technicians remain unfilled at the present time;(6) how many vacancies in the hospital service for almoners remain unfilled at the present time;(7) how many vacancies in the hospital service for psychiatric social workers remain unfilled at the present time;(8) how many vacancies in the hospital service for orthoptists remain unfilled at the present time;(9) how many vacancies in the hospital service for pharmacists remain unfilled at the present time.

This information is not collated centrally.

Number of staff in post in the hospital service on 30th September, 1962			Index numbers of whole-time equivalents: 1957=100*
Class		(Whole-time equivalent)	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962
Almoners	…	1,022	100	101	102	103	105
Dark room technicians	…	1,001	110	114	121	124	129
Hearing aid technicians and audiometricians	…	228	104	110	115	114	119
Occupational therapists	…	1,714	101	106	109	112	115
Orthoprists	…	203	108	105	97	103	102
Pharmacists	…	1,456	100	103	110	108	111
Physiotherapists	…	3,912	99	99	99	99	99
Psychiatric social workers	…	471	108	109	117	125	128
Radiographers—diagnostic	…	2,997	102	103	105	105	108
Radiographers—therapeutic	…	414	104	105	106	106	108
Remedial gymnasts	…	208	102	99	102	100	100
Speech therapists	…	104	112	119	132	136	142
Supervisors (and assistants) of schools in hospitals for mental subnormality†	…	413	100	120	131	143	154
Therapeutic dietitians	…	182	101	102	104	108	110
* The figures for 1961 and 1962 relate to 30th September; the figures for other years relate to 31st December.
† Figures of supervisors (and assistants) of schools in hospitals for mental subnormality were not collated centrally before 1958. Index numbers of whole-time equivalents for this class are based on 1958=100.

asked the Minister of Health what was the original cost of the operating theatre at the Goodmayes Mental Hospital; what has been its maintenance cost for the past three years; how many operations were performed in the last 12 months; and what is the proximity of the nearest hospital with a waiting list for general surgery operations.

Figures of costs are not available; 10; 2 miles.

asked the Minister of Health how many almoners, dark room technicians, hearing aid technicians and audiometricians, occupational therapists, orthoptists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychiatric social workers, radiographers, remedial gymnasts, speech therapists, supervisors in schools for mental subnormality, and therapeutic dieticians were in post in the hospital service in 1962; and what relationship these figures bear to those in each of the previous five years.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Health what was the original cost of the operating theatre at the Shenley Mental Hospital; what has been its maintenance cost for the past three years; how many operations were performed in the last 12 months; and what is the proximity of the nearest hospital with a waiting list for general surgery operations.

Figures of costs are not available; 36; 4¼miles.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will consider providing lavatory facilities on certain selected lay-bys on trunk or main roads.

This is a matter for the local authorities, which have power to provide public conveniences under the Public Health Act 1936. My right hon. Friend is prepared to consider sympathetically applications for loan sanction for this purpose.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Water Charges Sub-Committee of the Central Advisory Water Board.

I am considering these recommendations, some of which could not be carried out without legislation, and I will make a statement in due course.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will introduce legislation to help those people whose right to unemployment benefit has run out and who are in receipt only of National Assistance, in view of the facts that the increase in the latter does not come into effect until 27th May and that unemployment benefit will be increased on 7th March.

No. Assistance rates were increased less than six months ago, and the people to whom the Question refers will receive the further Assistance increases at the same time as the great majority of other Assistance recipients.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how he decides the allocation of licences for the killing of grey seals; and how he arranges for the supervision of the slaughter of seal pups.

Permits to kill grey seals during the close season were issued in 1962 to salmon netsmen and seal hunters who applied for them, but in the Orkneys, in accordance with a recommendation of the Consultative Committee on Grey Seals and Fisheries, permits were issued only to seal hunters resident in Orkney to kill seals in specified areas. Detailed supervision of the killing of pups was not possible but permit holders were required to, and did, furnish weekly returns of the numbers of seals shot.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will arrange for an agricultural adviser resident in Yell and an experimental farm or croft on the island;(2) what proposals he has received from the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board for electricity for Yell; and what action he is taking to ensure its provision;(3) what proposals he has for reviving fishing in Yell.

These and other matters relating to the island of Yell are being discussed today at a meeting between my Departments and a delegation from the Zetland County Council, to which representatives of other interested organisations, including the Hydro-Electric Board, have been invited.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, with a view to augmenting consultant staff, improving medical staffing, and developing opportunities for medical research and the application of modern mechanical techniques, he will incorporate a teaching hospital in the Lanarkshire hospital building programme.

No. These objectives do not depend on the use of a hospital for the teaching of medical students.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the starting dates for the major and minor projects in the Coatbridge and Motherwell area listed in the Hospital Plan for Scotland.

I cannot add to what is said in the Hospital Plan (Cmnd. 1602). The Western Regional Hospital Board will announce the starting date for each project when the progress of its programme enables it to do so.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the annual

Method of Capture		1958	1959	1960	1961	1962 (Provisional)
Rod and line	…	72,137	51,249	64,469	55,340	49,984
River nets (net and coble)	…	159,100	175,724	167,473	145,633	167,520
Coastal nets (fixed engines)	…	196,286	159,293	154,542	135,171	134,396
Fishing beats in the sea	…	—	—	9,000	28,000	115,000

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospital consultant posts he has approved in the last three years; what are the individual specialties of these posts, the respective dates on which they were approved, and the dates they were advertised; and how many individual posts are still waiting to be filled.

Eighty-two consultant posts in the following specialties have been approved since 1st January, 1960, 24 in 1960, 35 in 1961 and 23 in 1962.

Specialty
General Medicine	4
Dermatology	2
Surgery	5
Orthopædic Surgery	5
Neurosurgery	2
Dental and Oral Surgery	1
Plastic Surgery	1
Urology	1
Ophthalmology	1
Gynæcology and Obstetrics	6
Pædiatrics	1
Pathology	4
Bacteriology	1
Radiology	5
Radiotherapy	3
Psychiatry	6
Anæsthetics	17
Physical Medicine	1
Geriatrics	9
Child Psychiatry	3
Mental Deficiency	1
Biochemistry	3

Three of these posts have not yet been filled. The other information asked for is not readily available.

As the catches fluctuate the table below gives the catches of salmon and grilse for different methods of capture for each of the last five years. The figures for fish caught by fishing boat in the sea are estimates of the number caught by drift net.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants are employed wholly in Lanarkshire hospitals; what are the names of the hospitals; and what are the specialties involved.

Thirty-eight consultants are employed in Lanarkshire hospitals only, as follows:

Specialty	Number of Consultants	Hospital at which based
Anaesthetics	3	Law Hospital
Bacteriology	1	Law Hospital
Gynaecology and Obstetrics.	2	William Smellie Maternity Hospital, Lanark
	1	Bellshill Maternity Hospital
Infectious Diseases.	1	County I.D. Hospital, Motherwell
Medicine	2	Law Hospital
	2	Hairmyres Hospital
	1	Strathclyde Hospital
	1	County Hospital, Cleland
Ophthalmology	1	County Hospital, Stonehouse
Orthopaedic	4	Law Hospital
Surgery.	1	Hairmyres Hospital
Pathology	2	Law Hospital
	1	Hairmyres Hospital
Psychiatry	4	Hartwood Mental Hospital
Radiology	2	Law Hospital
Surgery	2	Law Hospital
	2	Hairmyres Hospital
	1	Stonehouse Hospital
Thoracic Surgery.	2	Hairmyres Hospital
Tuberculosis and	1	Law Hospital
Chest Diseases	1	Hairmyres Hospital

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many consultants are based on Glasgow hospitals what is the nature of their specialty; and how many sessions of each respective specialty are provided in each hospital board of management area in Lanarkshire.

There are 365 consultants based at hospitals under the 12 Glasgow Boards of Management. Their specialties are:

General Medicine	55
Infectious Diseases	5
Venereal Diseases	1
Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases	11
Dermatology	7
Neurology	3
Surgery	45
Orthopædic Surgery	15
Neurosurgery	3
Thoracic Surgery	2
Dental and Oral Surgery	13
Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery	14
Plastic Surgery	2
Urology	7
Ophthalmology	15
Gynæcology and Obstetrics	27
Pædiatrics	16
Pathology	27
Bacteriology	12
Radiodiagnosis	20
Radiotherapy	9
Psychiatry	19
Anæsthetics	34
Geriatrics	3

These consultants give 39 sessions to Boards of Management in Lanarkshire as follows:

Coatbridge, Airdrie and District
Anaesthetics	4
Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery	2
Ophthalmology	1
Paediatrics	1
Radiodiagnosis	4
Urology	4
	16
Motherwell, Hamilton and District
Ophthalmology	2
Paediatrics	2
Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery	11
Radiodiagnosis	2
Urology	1
	18

asked the Minister of Labour how much has been paid out in unemployment benefit at the Sheerness Employment Exchange for the 12 months ending 28th February, or the latest convenient date.

£52,408 for the 12 months ended February, 1963.

asked the Minister of Transport why, as dual carriageways will be available all the way between London and Glasgow by the early 1970s, the Carlisle by-pass is still at an early stage of consideration; and if he will now give a definite date for the commencement of the by-pass.

We are improving the route between London and the Scottish border in stages and, because it has a lower priority on traffic grounds, the Carlisle by-pass will be built towards the end of the period. It would be undesirable to prepare a scheme too far in advance of construction. I am unable to give a definite starting date, but it is still my aim to have the by-pass finished by the early 1970s.