asked the Minister of Labour what were the numbers of unemployed persons in Bradford and Queensbury and Shelf districts, on the latest available date; what were the corresponding figures for the previous year; and what factors caused the increases.

The Queensbury and Shelf urban district is covered partly by Bradford Employment Exchange and partly by Halifax Employment Exchange. In the Bradford area there were 4,405 workers registered as unemployed at 11th February compared with 3,000 in February, 1962; over half of the increase was in construction, most of it due to the exceptionally severe weather; there were also fairly substantial increases in the woollen and worsted sector and in engineering and smaller increases in a variety of other industries. In the Halifax area the corresponding figures were 1,175 and 492; construction accounted for a third of the increase and the rest was widely spread.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of school leavers in Bradford and Queensbury and Shelf districts for 1962, and the number placed in apprenticeships; and bow many were more than three months without employment.

Separate figures are not available for Queensbury and Shelf. In Bradford and in the Calder Youth Employment Bureau area, which includes Queensbury and Shelf, 5,422 school leavers entered employment in 1962. One thousand, two hundred and seventeen or 44 per cent. of the boys and 403 or 15 per cent. of the girls obtained apprenticeships. Nine school leavers were unemployed for more than three months.

asked the Minister of Labour if, in view of the damage to mobility caused by existing non-transferability of private pension schemes, he will introduce legislation for compulsory vesting.

I recognise that loss of rights under non-transferable private pension schemes may restrict mobility. I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind legislation to provide that employees who change their employment should receive a retirement pension related to their pensionable service while covered by such a scheme. I will bear this problem in mind, together with other problems connected with the improvement of redundancy arrangements and will discuss them with my National Joint Advisory Council.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of people, male and female, respectively, registered as unemployed in Ayr and Prestwick.

1,793 males and 498 females on 11th February.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of boys engaged as apprentices in the coal mining industry of Scotland in each of the past three years.

In the coal mining industry 187 boys entered apprenticeships in 1960, 256 in 1961 and 214 in 1962.

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the boys who completed the pre-apprenticeship course at Dundee Trades College at Christmas are still without jobs; and how many of this group have now been found apprenticeships.

Sixteen are registered for work; 29 have commenced apprenticeships.

asked the Minister of Labour what progress is being made in his discussions with the building and engineering industries regarding a reduction in the total period of apprenticeship and allowance for period of full-time further education to count against the period of apprenticeship.

The National Joint Council for the building industry has agreed in principle to a reduction to four years, and the reduction has now been introduced in three regions while a fourth has applied to the Council for agreement to introduce it. Up to two years can be allowed against the apprenticeship period for those who have completed appropriate courses of technical education. The engineering industry has not yet completed its consideration of a shortening of the period of apprenticeship, but I am hoping to hear from them before too long.

asked the Minister of Labour how many vouchers issued under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962, have lapsed; and how many applications for vouchers still await consideration.

Up to 8th March, 1,642 vouchers had been returned to the Ministry because their validity had expired or because the holders no longer required them. At the same date about 32,000 applicants were on the waiting list.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether Her Majesty's Government will now take an early initiative towards concluding a peace treaty with Germany.

Her Majesty's Government stand by the Western Peace Plan of 1959. There is no reason for a fresh British initiative at present.

asked the Lord Privy Seal to what extent the Federal Republic of Germany has furnished to the Armaments Control Agency of Western European Union statements about nuclear weapon stocks required and held in respect of its forces stationed on the mainland of Europe or overseas, in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 13 of Protocol No. 4 of the Revised Brussels Treaty.

The Federal Republic has scrupulously fulfilled this requirement.

asked the Ministez of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about United States plans to import milk from Holland for their service units in the United Kingdom.

I understand that the United States authorities have not yet decided on future arrangements for the supply of milk to their service units here.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what instructions he gives to local veterinary inspectors to test once-attested imported cattle so that the importer may claim the special bonus and not lose it owing to delay in carrying out the test.

None. No once-tested cattle have been imported from the Irish Republic since 31st December, 1962.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the quantity of bull beef imported into this country from Yugoslavia in the last three months; and what was the average price per cwt.

Separate figures are not available for imports or prices of bull beef, but I understand that something like half the beef imported from Yugoslavia may be bull beef. In the three months November, 1962, to January, 1963, imports of Yugoslav beef amounted to 9,500 tons of which more than 90 per cent. was chilled beef with an average c.i.f. price of £9 9s. 0d. per cwt.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that the lower prices British farmers are receiving for beef are being reflected in consumer prices; and if he will make a statement.

No official figures of retail prices are available; but such information as I have suggests that retail beef prices have fallen in many shops since the beginning of the year, although the extent of the fall varies according to the type of shop and the different qualities and cuts of beef.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present rate of beef subsidy.

The provisional rates of subsidy for fat cattle for the week commencing 11th March are 53s. per live cwt. for Grade I and 48s. for Grade II.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost of the beef subsidy over the last two months; and how this compares with June and July, 1961.

Guarantee payments on fat cattle during January and February this year have amounted to £4,828,169: in June and July, 1961, they amounted to £10,944,452.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consultations he has had with the Argentinian and Yugoslavian Governments with a view to reducing United Kingdom imports of beef;(2) what steps he proposes to take to limit imports of Argentinian beef, in view of the low prices ruling in the home market.

My right hon. Friend has drawn the attention of the Argentine and Yugoslav Governments to the current level of prices and has asked them to have special regard to the state of the market in planning their exports to us.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty why court-martial proceedings were not taken against a senior naval officer on the staff of the Admiralty following recent information which indicated unsatisfactory conduct in a youth organisation; and on what date he was permitted the alternative of resigning his commission.

The incident concerned took place when the officer was not on duty. It did not concern other naval personnel and did not take place at any Naval Establishment. When it was reported to the Admiralty, those concerned had already decided not to prefer criminal charges. The Admiralty decided that in the circumstances the officer should not be retained. His "resignation to avoid court-martial" within the terms of the Order in Council of 11th September, 1941, was therefore accepted on 15th February last. This officer's record during 16 years' service, both on the lower deck and as an officer, had been excellent.

asked the Secretary of State for War what punishment was awarded to a number of guardsmen, serving at Pirbright in the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, who elected to be tried summarily on Monday, 11th March, for having been absent without leave on 8th March.

It is not the practice to disclose details of the punishments awarded to soldiers who elect to be tried summarily by their commanding officer. Unlike a court-martial which is, of course, held in public, a summary trial is essentially a matter between the soldier and his commanding officer.I am, therefore, not prepared to disclose the detailed punishments awarded to the 25 guardsmen of the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, who elected to be tried summarily by their commanding officer on Monday, 11th March, for having been absent without leave on 8th March; but I can say that the sentences ranged from five days' restriction of privileges to fourteen days' detention.

asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are taken in the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, to ensure that men excused duty by medical officers are not ordered to do guard duties, training, and fatigues.

It is the practice in the Scots Guards, as in all units in the Army, for a soldier with slight indisposition to undertake light duties; these do not include guards and picquets.Where a soldier has anything more than slight indisposition, he would normally be ordered to bed.

asked the Secretary of State for War what recent complaints were laid before the commanding officer of the Scots Guards by guardsmen at the camp at Pirbright; and whether these complaints included incidents when they were required to perform ceremonial duties at Windsor Castle.

It would not be in the interests of discipline for me to make public the detailed nature of complaints made by guardsmen of the 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, to their commanding officer: such matters are essentially the internal concern of the unit.The commanding officer is investigating all the complaints made to him.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from local authorities requesting subsidies in respect of mobile houses manufactured by a Clyde shipbuilding company; and if he will make a statement.

Burntisland Town Council recently inquired about subsidy for these houses and was told that this was under consideration. Glasgow Corporation has received borrowing consent for the purchase of 34 of these houses as a pilot scheme associated with redevelopment operations, but did not raise the question of subsidy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now sanction the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to carry out the future development of water power to the extent of at least 400 Megowatts, as agreed in the Mackenzie Committee's Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland why the moratorium on new projects for the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board has not been lifted; and if Her Majesty's Government will announce their proposals in conjunction with the Board, to bring electricity to some of the many islands which are without it in Orkney and Shetland.

As I have already explained in reply to previous Questions, consultations with the Board about its future programme are taking place. Ways of financing the provision of electricity in islands at present without supplies are under consideration in the light of the Report of the Mackenzie Committee.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the development of the island of Yell following the report of the Yell conference.

At a meeting held on 11th March between my Departments, Zetland County Council and some of the other organisations principally concerned, provisional agreement was reached on measures that various bodies represented could take. When these have been confirmed I shall be writing to the county council and I shall send the right hon. Member a copy of my letter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many families have been exported from Glasgow to new towns and to local authority areas since 1958 under overspill agreements in accordance with the Act of 1957.

Between January, 1958, and December, 1962, 6,183 Glasgow families were rehoused in overspill receiving areas, 4,274 of them in the new towns and the balance in local authority receiving areas.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many building trade workers were employed by the Scottish Special Housing ssociation in 1953 and 1962.

In 1953 the Scottish Special Housing Association employed directly about 2,000 building trade workers and in 1962 about 900.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the difficulties being encountered with local landowners which are causing a delay in making a start on the Larkhall-Hamilton-Uddingston bypass; and when it is expected that the difficulties will be overcome and work started on the project.

The objections by landowners have been based on grounds of severance and amenity. Additionally, however, delay in making a start to this project has been caused by ground conditions which have made it necessary to adjust the proposed line of the road. Negotiations with the parties concerned are not yet complete, but I hope that all formalities can be carried through in time to allow work to start in the spring of 1964.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the cost for the last four years of local public inquiries under the Town and Country Planning Acts.

In the four years 1959–62 the expenditure of my Department on local public inquiries under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Acts

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to avoid a recurrence of the situation amounted to £24,262. I have no means of knowing the costs of parties to these inquiries.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of appeals made to him under the Town and Country Planning Acts for the last four years; how many were the subject of local public inquiries; how many were allowed outright; how many were allowed subject to conditions by him; and how many were dismissed.

During the four years 1959–1962, 1,231 appeals against the refusal or conditional grant of planning permission were received and 595 inquiries were held. Appeals determined during that time were disposed of as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state, with regard to the three schemes of dual carriageway now under construction on the A.74 in Lanarkshire, the original starting date, when work commenced, the mileage of roadway completed, the original date of completion, and when work on each scheme is now estimated to be completed.

The following is the information:which has led to the closing of beds in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

The South Eastern Regional Hospital Board is setting up an independent committee of inquiry with this object in view.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of classics teachers in Scottish schools; how many of these are principal teachers; and how many are ranked as principal teachers only because their actual hours of teaching are reckoned at double their length.

There are 546 teachers of classics in Scottish education authority schools, of whom 166 are principal teachers. The appointment of 90 of the latter would not be obligatory if the hours of instruction were not reckoned at double their actual length.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will request the Standing Consultative Council of Youth Service to consider the special problems of meeting the needs of young people in the Scottish new towns.

Many of the recommendations which the Council has already made are relevant to circumstances in the Scottish new towns, but I shall be glad to ask the Council to consider whether there are any special youth service needs in the new towns in relation to which further guidance seems desirable.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland on what assumptions the Registrar-General for Scotland bases his recent estimate that 22,000 persons will migrate from Scotland each year from 1963 to 1981.

This figure which has to be prepared for purposes of the population projection published by the Registrar-General each year is a guess based upon experience of the past ten years. It is rather less than the average net migration for that period.

asked the Secretary of State for Air to what extent Service regulations permit men in the Royal Air Force to discuss politics and to write letters to the Press; if he is aware that two men were imprisoned recently and discharged with ignominy for political activities of this sort; and if he will reconsider the case of these two youths with a view to reducing the sentences.

An officer or airman of the Regular Air Force is not allowed to take any active part in the affairs of any political organisation or party. The airmen in question, however, were charged under Section 69 of the Air Force Act with conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline, namely, causing a letter to be published which could have encouraged dissent within the Service. The sentences imposed by the courts-martial are being considered by the Air Council.

asked the Secretary of State for Air if he will make a statement about the future use of the Royal Air Force station at Hemswell.

As already announced locally, the rundown of the Thor units at Hemswell will take place in the second and third quarters of 1963. The possibility of using the station for other tasks is being urgently examined and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether in view of the recent letter about Chalgrove written on behalf of the Martin Baker Aircraft Company, of which he is aware, he will make a further statement.

In view of the evident misunderstanding which has arisen on this matter, I have decided, with the agreement of the Martin Baker Aircraft Company, to publish the correspondence exchanged between the Air Ministry and the Company in July, 1959. The text of the correspondence is as follows:Air Ministry, W.C.I.24th July, 1959.A.323089/59.Dear Mr. Martin,

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the successful enforcement of parking laws without the use of meters in Leicester, and that the use of parking meters has been a failure financially; and whether he will refuse applications for extension of parking meter schemes within those areas for which he is responsible.

I understand that waiting restriction in Leicester are well enforced with the help of traffic wardens and the "ticket" system of fixed penalties for infringement. I do not accept that the use of parking meters has been a failure financially; they are not installed to make money but to regulate parking; most schemes do in fact yield a surplus which must by law be applied to the provision of off-street parking space. I shall continue to deal with applications for parking meter schemes on their merits.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to receive the report of the Traffic Signs Committee presided over by Sir Walter Worboys.

I hope to receive it in April. I will arrange for it to be published as quickly as possible but it will be a fairly complicated report to print because it must show the proposed new signs in full colour. The report may not, therefore, be generally available until July.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the reduced expenditure on M.6 in Lancashire, he will compensate for this reduced spending on a major route carrying long-distance traffic by increasing the expenditure on urgent schemes needed for improving other trunk routes of the county.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given him on 6th March.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the intention of the British Railways Board to close a number of railway lines, he is giving active consideration to the use of these routes for roads.

The possibility of converting disused railway lines into roads will continue to be considered, as hitherto, whenever suitable opportunities present themselves. I am sure that local highway authorities will do likewise. But for technical reasons the scope for such conversions is bound to be limited.

asked the Minister of Transport why he will not institute a 40 miles per hour speed limit between the Cardiff City boundary on the Newport Road and the existing 30 miles per hour limit, in view of the fact that the need for it has been admitted to the Cardiff City Council by the divisional road engineer.

This road is not a trunk road, and the order to impose a speed limit falls to be made by the city council, who have not yet applied for my consent to the making of an order. I have asked them to consider also raising a short length of the existing 30 miles per hour speed limit to 40 miles per hour.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the fact that in 1961 the expenditure on roads per motor vehicle registered was higher in six European countries than in the United Kingdom, what steps he is taking to increase expenditure to a level more in keeping with United Kingdom requirements.

In 1963–64 the Government will be spending twice as much on new construction and major improvement of motorways, trunk roads and classified roads in England and Wales as we spent in 1960–61.

asked the Minister of Transport how many railway super-annuitants will receive supplements under the new scheme; and what will be its total cost.

I understand that some 20,500 superannuitants benefit at an estimated cost of £930,000 in a full year.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will issue a general direction to the Railways Board that they should maintain adequate rail services in areas where companies have established factories under overspill plans.

No.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the view expressed in the Hall Report that the closing of railway lines that serve commuter and other urban traffic hinders the relief of urban traffic congestion; and if he will make a statement on future policy for branch lines in urban areas in the light of this.

The views expressed in the Hall Report are among the matters the Government are taking into account in their consideration of the proposals recently put to them by the Railways Board.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give a general direction to the British Transport Commission to prepare a schedule of all land which is or will become surplus to their requirements as the result of the closure of branch lines, or alongside existing tracks, with a view to its orderly disposal and utilisation.

This is a matter which is within the management responsibility of the new Boards which have succeeded the British Transport Commission, and I do not think it is a suitable subject for a general direction.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he took, when the passenger train service was withdrawn between Tibshelf and Nottingham, to satisfy himself that the proposed bus service would be adequate for the needs of the travelling public.

I accepted the Consultative Committee's recommendation for a direct bus service for work people. I understand that the service began on 4th March and that it corresponds closely with the former train service.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has completed his inquiry into the fraudulent disposal of motor vehicles subject to hire-purchase agreements and what is the outcome of the inquiry.

I am not yet in a position to make a statement on this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport, in what circumstances inspectors of his Department conducting appeals to him under the Road Transport Act are authorised to travel by private car, at higher cost to appellants, when rail transport is both convenient and substantially cheaper.

Those inspectors are required to conform to the normal rules for civil servants. Under these rules travel by private car at the higher mileage rate (7½d., rather than 3d. per mile) is only authorised if overall this will be cheaper than rail travel, or if the advantages of using a car clearly outweigh the additional cost.

asked the Minister of Transport when he expects to receive the report of the interdepartmental working party on traffic, highways urban development which is studying the problem of road traffic in towns.

This working party is part of the normal machinery for interdepartmental consultation. It submits reports to me and to the other Ministers concerned from time to time.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that adequate statistical data are available for the formulation of realistic long-range plans for transport.

In 1960 I initiated a complete review of inland transport statistics. An expanded programme of collection of data was put in hand and the results are now becoming available. Many of them were brought together in the recent report on Transport Needs in the Next Twenty Years. I am considering what further improvements are required.

asked the Minister of Transport what public service transport undertakings afford concessionary fares to retirement pensioners under the Public Service Vehicles (Travel Conoessions) Act, 1955.

I am informed that the following local authorities give various concessionary fares to retirement pensioners under the Public Service Vehicles (Travel Concessions) Act, 1955:

asked the Minister of Transport if he will take immediate steps to facilitate the development of Teesport with the aid of Government funds as envisaged in the recent announcement of Government policy.

I have the needs of the area fully in mind and I shall certainly take into account in this connection the recommendations of the Rochdale Committee.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the amount of merchant shipping at present being built abroad for registration in this country.

I cannot yet add to the information which I gave in answering a similar Question from the hon. Member on 6th February.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to encourage British shipowners to place orders for merchant shipping in British shipyards.

Most British owners already place their orders in British yards. They are engaged in a fiercely competitive international business, and I do not think it would be appropriate for the Government to limit their freedom to buy their ships in the best market.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer haw many applications for permission to extract sand and gravel from the sea bed in the Thames estuary were made during 1962; and how many were granted.

Three applications were received by the Crown Estate Commissioners, but except for permission to two firms to prospect and take away samples of sand and gravel, no dredging licences have so far been granted.

asked the Minister of Education by what authority he compels a county council to increase its expenditure on educational building to a level which the county council considers to be unnecessary in the local circumstances, or to be calculated to cause hardship to the ratepayers concerned; and to what extent these powers have been exercised with regard to Dorset County Council in the last five years.

This has not occurred, either in Dorset or elsewhere.

asked the Minister of Education whether he can now announce his plans for a pilot scheme for foreign language teaching in primary schools.

After consultation with the associations of teachers and local authorities, I am making arrangements to launch, in September of next year, a pilot scheme for the teaching of French in primary schools, designed to carry further the experimental work already begun by a number of schools and local education authorities. Up to nine areas in England and Wales will be invited to take part: they will be chosen so as to provide opportunities for investigating the problems that will arise if foreign language teaching is to become a normal part of the primary school curriculum.At the same time, I am glad to announce that the Nuffield Foundation have generously decided to allocate £100,000 to help forward the development of modern language studies. As part of this programme, they will be responsible for bringing together, under a specially appointed Nuffield Fellow, a team of practising teachers to prepare a full range of teaching resources for an introductory course in French for children aged eight to thirteen: they will make this material available for use in schools taking part in the pilot scheme, and by all other schools who wish to try it out. I am sure that the House will wish me to thank the Foundation most warmly for this further evidence of their desire to assist the schools.The pilot scheme will be planned and managed by the Curriculum Study Group in my Department, in consultation with the participating schools and local education authorities, and with the Nuffield Foundation: there will be close liaison between the Group and the Nuffield language teams. Committees will be appointed by the Foundation and by myself, so that the various interests concerned can share in the work of guiding both the pilot scheme and the Nuffield project.

asked the Minister of Education what progress has been made in the provision of a school dental service for the Hinckley area.

The Ministry's Dental Officer recently inspected the Leicestershire school dental service and his recommendations for its improvement will shortly be sent to the Authority. The Authority hope to provide the Hinckley area with the services of a school dentist as soon as they can recruit the necessary staff.

asked the Minister of Health, hi view of the fact that plans are now proceeding for new hospitals and major extensions to existing hospitals under the Hospital Development Programme, what arrangements are being made to recruit an adequate number of nurses, in the various grades, to staff the additional beds which will become available; and, in view of the concern of many hospital management committees about this matter, if he will give an assurance that finance will be available so that a progressive recruiting policy can be implemented forthwith.

The Hospital Plan does not increase the total number of beds. Numbers of nursing staff in post have been rising and the latest figures are the highest recorded. The additional spending power to be made available to Boards year by year will enable nursing staffs to be increased further where necessary.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what steps he proposes to take to secure the implementation of Recommendation No. 22 of the Report of the Central Advisory Water Committee Sub-Committee on Water Charges.

My right hon. Friend is considering the Report, together with the steps that would be needed to put this and other recommendations into effect, and he will make a statement in due course.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what action he proposes to take in relation to the representations he has received from ratepayers in Chetwynd Road and Chetwynd Drive, Bassett, Southampton, who object to the charges for making up those roads which have been levied by Southampton Corporation, notwithstanding that all the houses in these roads were built prior to 1938.

My right hon. Friend proposes to treat these reprsentations as appeals to him under Section 207 of the Highways Act, 1959.

asked the Minister of Power if he has now received the views of the Domestic Coal Consumers' Council on the Shopper's Guide report on solid smokeless fuels.

Yes. I have placed copies of the Council's Report in the Library. After reviewing the Shopper's Guide report, it stresses the advantages to consumers of dealing with reputable merchants. It also refers to the procedures, which have been adopted by members of the Approved Coal Merchants' Scheme, for handling complaints and for making allowances in cash or in kind, if, for example, there is too much moisture in the fuel.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of visible trade between the United Kingdom and Hong Kong for the period 1959–62 was represented by exports to Hong Kong; and if he will give the corresponding figure for the period 1955–58.

United Kingdom imports and exports on a comparable valuation basis are not available but, on the basis of total exports being valued f.o.b. and imports c.i.f., the proportions are 48·6 per cent. for the period 1959–62 and 59·1 per cent. for the period 1955–58.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has yet received the Report of the Monopolies Commission on the Supply of Electrical Equipment for Motor Vehicles.

Yes. I received the Report on 6th March. It will be laid before Parliament in due course.