asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he gave, when consenting to the closure of the Forth and Clyde canal, to the necessity for the provision of new bridges over it.

An important factor taken into account by my predecessor was that the cost of new opening bridges and desirable replacements would amount to £2½million, of which about 90 per cent, would be saved if the canal were closed to navigation.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in his present departmental review of the Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act, 1949; and whether he will publish a White Paper when the review is complete.

I am not yet ready to make a statement about this. I shall consider, when my investigations have been completed, what may be the best way of informing the House of my conclusions.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to establish co-operation among Scottish local authorities to obtain the maximum advantage of modern techniques in the house building industry.

My Department followed up the report which was circulated to local authorities in February, by meetings with authorities, new town corporations, and the Scottish Special Housing Association. Individual authorities are now providing information about their particular problems and objectives, and on the basis of this information, I shall seek to bring together those groups of authorities who can most usefully co-operate in various aspects of this matter.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications have been received to attend the third general social work training course at the Scottish College of Commerce, Glasgow; and how many were for students seconded by local authorities.

Of the 64 applications received, seven are sponsored by local authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes have recently been made in his plans for the evacuation of the civil population of Scotland from populous areas in the event of war; and if he will make a statement.

Plans for the dispersal of priority classes from certain populous areas are not yet complete and I have no statement to make at present.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the purpose of the underground building associated with Civil Defence near Edinburgh; and what is the cost.

This building forms part of the system of emergency control referred to in the statement by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23rd April. About £39,000 has been spent on the building since it has been used for civil defence purposes.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a general direction, in the national interest, to the South of Scotland Electricity Board to pay particular regard to the recommendations of the National Economic Development Council, in so far as they concern the supply of electrical power necessary to maintain a higher rate of economic growth.

No. The Board assures me that it has already taken these recommendations into account in drawing up its development programme.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a general direction in the national interest to the South of Scotland Electricity Board to take into account general long-term national economic considerations when formulating its policy on whether future power stations should be oil-fired or coal-fired.

No. This would be inappropriate as the Board's duty is to provide electricity as economically as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to provide occupational centres for adults suffering from physical and mental handicaps.

Local health and welfare authorities now have a duty to provide suitable facilities for handicapped and mentally disordered persons. During the last year I have approved schemes put forward by authorities for new senior occupational centres in Edinburgh, Falkirk and Alloa and an extension of the existing centre at Leven, and I will consider favourably any further proposals on these lines.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his present plans for maintaining and heightening the quality of beef production in Scotland.

The recent Annual Review White Paper made it clear that in the Government's view producers should increasingly look to the market to provide the incentive for quality beef production.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will set up a commission of inquiry, composed of members not employed by Government Departments, to investigate the reasons for the delay relating to the report of the Linlithgow Development Inquiry, July 1962, with a view to enabling his Department to reach legal and quasi-legal decisions more rapidly in future.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has now taken as a result of the Annan Report on the teaching of Russian.

Arrangements have been made with the Scottish College of Commerce in Glasgow for an intensive course in Russian for teachers of other subjects; the initial course is due to begin in September and will last for nine months. I shall shortly be sending to education authorities and other school managers a circular dealing with this and certain other aspects of the teaching of Russian, and I shall let the hon. Member have a copy.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the recently announced Government policy for the area, if he will now ask Dunbartonshire Education Committee to press ahead with the new Hermitage Academy and primary schools on the Gareloch.

If, as I take it, the hon. Member is referring to the Faslane base, the information on which to calculate education requirements is not yet available; but, as soon as it is, the education authority will no doubt be making its assessment of requirements and planning accordingly. I shall do what I can to assist.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many nurses in Scotland will, as a result of the recently announced Industrial Court award in respect of pay and board and lodging charges, suffer a decrease in net payment as compared with the payments made under the award of April, 1962.

The recent award, which must be regarded as a deferred part of last year's settlement, will not take effect until it has been considered by the Nurses' and Midwives' Whitley Council. As the award also accepts the management side's proposals for a more generous system of remission of the board and lodging charges for nurses absent from hospital, it is impossible to say what will be the effect of the increase in the amounts of those charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of the educational programme put forward by Edinburgh Education Authority; and what percentage of this was accepted.

The programme proposed £4,924,000 for the three years 1963–66. This included £1,204,000 for 1963–64, of which I have so far approved 68·4 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applications for renewal of tenancies were made under the Tenancy of Shops (Scotland) Act 1949 in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962, respectively.

The numbers of applications were:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will encourage and assist local authorities to provide special accommodation for old people who are frail but ambulant, in addition to eventide homes; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The plans submitted by local authorities for new welfare homes show that the increasing need for special accommodation for frail but ambulant old people is generally well understood.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the annual percentage increase in the salaries of general practitioners in the National Health Service in Scotland in each of the last ten years.

General practitioners in the National Health Service are remunerated, not by salary, but by capitation payments, and payments for certain particular services. Separate figures are not available for Scotland since payment is made from a remuneration pool deter mined on a Great Britain basis, the amount of which is fixed so as to produce a pre-determined average net income. The increases applied through the pool to the average net income of doctors during each of the last ten years were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the accepted ratio of nursing staff to patients in infectious diseases, tuberculosis, geriatric, maternity and general hospitals, respectively.

It is for each hospital authority to determine the nursing complement of the hospitals for which it is responsible and there are no standard ratios between staff and patients. The ratio arrived at in each case is influenced by local circumstances, including the availability of suitable staff and finance.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures showing the number of geriatric wards in each hospital in Lanarkshire waiting to be upgraded; and if he will give a starting date for each project.

The Western Regional Hospital Board proposes to upgrade six existing geriatric wards—one at Cleland Hospital, one at Coathill Hospital, Coat-bridge, and four at Law Hospital, Car-luke. Starting dates for these schemes have not yet been determined.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current estimated increase in the number of geriatric beds to be provided during the next 10 years to meet the needs of the increasingly ageing population in Lanarkshire and Scotland, respectively.

It is not possible to estimate now the number of beds that will be required for this purpose in 10 years' time, but regional hospital boards are fully aware of the current need to increase the facilities for old people and are taking action to meet it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospitals have been closed in the last five years; what were the types of hospitals involved; and what was the location of each hospital.

Seventeen hospitals, mostly small, have been closed since 1st January, 1958. Details are as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the increase in the number of families taking up tenancies in the new town of Cumbernauld between 1st April, 1962, and 1st April, 1963.

Five hundred and thirty-three.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportions of pupils in Scottish schools were allocated to certificate and non-certificate courses, respectively, in each of the last three years.

Of the pupils in their first secondary year in public schools in 1961–62, the last year for which details are at present available centrally, 37·8 per cent, were in the first year of a Certificate course. The corresponding percentages for 1959–60 and 1960–61 were 34·9 per cent, and 34·8 per cent., respectively.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the percentage decrease between 1960 and 1962 in the total uptake of welfare foods in the City of Dundee; and whether he will now reduce the charges for these welfare foods in order to restore the consumption figures.

The uptake of welfare foods from Dundee Corporation's distribution centres fell by 55 per cent, between 1960 and 1962. This figure does not include welfare liquid milk, for which Dundee figures are not available, but the issue of which has increased in Scotland as a whole. I do not propose to reduce the charges.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has studied the letter dated 18th April regarding the Beeching Report on British Railways sent to him by Aberdeen Trades Council; and what answer he has sent.

I have told the Council that I have noted its views and have forwarded its letter to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport, who is primarily responsible for Government action on the Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultation he has had with the Scottish Universities Entrance Board regarding examination arrangements for students of mature age receiving grants under the special recruitment scheme for teachers.

My Department has been in correspondence with the Board on the difficulties which arise in some cases from its ruling that mature students must secure in the Board's own preliminiary examination the passes which they need to satisfy the entrance requirements. The matter is to be considered further at a meeting with representatives of the Board later this month.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received from prisoners in Scottish prisons during the last five years of their desire to be separated in working parties and otherwise from particular fellow prisoners; what were the grounds of complaint in each case; what steps were taken to determine their reasonableness and to resolve the complaint; and to what extent the plan of each prison lends itself to such separations.

I regret that this information is not available. Prisoners ask to be separated from other prisoners for various reasons and their requests, which are relatively infrequent, are normally investigated and dealt with by the governor. Provision for separation—which often takes the form of allowing a prisoner to work in his cell—can be made at all prisons.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the serious shortage of residential accommodation in Scotland for children with severe mental handicaps; and what he is doing to improve the situation.

Yes. A large part of the hospital building programme is being devoted to making good the deficiency of hospital accommodation for mental defective patients including children.

asked the Secretary of State for Air by what date he now expects to complete his consideration of the issue of 30-day weather forecasts.

The matter will be considered by the Meteorological Committee at its meeting in the middle of June and my right hon. Friend will make his decision as soon as possible after receiving its recommendation.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what percentage accuracy is obtained by the Meterological Office in forecasting weather conditions for Northern Ireland.

There is no satisfactory method of making an over-all assessment of the accuracy of weather forecasts and expressing it as a percentage, partly because they are made up of a number of factors such as temperature, wind speed and direction, cloud cover and rainfall, which have to be evaluated separately, and partly because weather effects are frequently quite local.In 1956 the Meteorological Office asked senior schools throughout the United Kingdom to report on the accuracy of the forecasts issued by the B.B.C. Those in Northern Ireland said that about 92 per cent, of the forecasts were mainly correct. About the same time, the Meteorological Office staff at outstations were assessing, with the aid of instruments, B.B.C. forecasts which applied to their particular regions. They gave the Northern Ireland forecasts a score of 61 per cent.

asked the Secretary of State for Air (1) how many times air rescue units have been called out to boats in distress on the North-East coast in the last 12 months; and what steps have been taken to examine the reasons for these accidents happening;(2) what proposals he has for reducing the need for air-sea rescue efforts.

The helicopter detachment at Royal Air Force, Acklington, has been called our five times in the last twelve months to boats in distress off the coasts of Northumberland and Durham. We have ourselves no proposals for reducing the need for these rescues but we do of course send a report on each incident to the Ministry of Transport.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the fact that 11 out of 13 railway stations in West Dorset are recommended for closure under the Beeching Report, what plans he has for improving the roads which will carry the extra traffic, and, in particular, for improving road communications with the two remaining passenger stations, Sherborne and Dorchester.

In considering the Railway Board's formal proposals to close these or any other stations, I shall take full account of the alternative road facilities available and any road improvements that may be necessary.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will publish a map, as an alternative to No. 12 of the Beeching Report, showing only those bus routes which provide several regular services per week-day and are therefore a real alternative to passenger trains.

I understand that the intention of the British Railways Board in publishing their Map No. 12 was to show how extensive was the network over which buses actually run. I am considering my hon. Friend's suggestion, but he will appreciate that the availability and frequency of bus services, and the possible need for their supplementation, are matters which will be considered in connection with individual proposals for railway passenger closures.

asked the Minister of Transport in view of the inconvenience caused by recent reductions in bus services, if he will instruct his Traffic Commissioners to investigate bus communications between Red Street, Chesterton, and Newcastle in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Talke Pits, Butt Lane, Tunstall, Burslem, and Hanley, with a view to action to provide industrial workers and housewives in Red Street with services adequate to their needs.

The Traffic Commissioners assure me that the present services are the best that can be arranged so long as road works prevent the normal through bus route from being used.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will give the names of the persons who have been appointed to sit on the departmental committee to devise a scheme for the fixing of maximum loads that goods vehicles may be permitted to carry.

The committee is composed of officials of my Ministry. Organisations representing vehicle manufacturers and road transport interests have been invited to assist the committee with their views and advice, and have agreed to do so.

asked the Minister of Transport whether, when a death or deaths occur following a road accident, he will publish the full reasons for such an accident with a view to helping motorists to avoid similar occurrences.

All fatal road accidents are already investigated and reported on by the police, but any accident may result from a combination of several factors. It would be impossible to establish and publish the full reasons for each of the more than 6,000 fatal accidents occurring each year. Advice and propaganda to road users, including the Highway Code, are based on information about the circumstances of accidents.

asked the Minister of Transport how many road accident casualties there were in 1962; how many occurred on roads having a speed limit; and how many occurred on unrestricted roads.

341,696, of which 251,576 occurred on roads with a speed limit and 90,120 on other roads.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of road accidents and casualties in High Street, Feltham, in 1962, and in 1961, respectively.

There were 33 accidents resulting in 37 casualties in 1962, compared with 32 accidents and 40 casualties in 1961.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now give his consent to the application of the Cardiff City Council for the imposition of a 40 miles per hour speed limit on Newport Road between Witla Court Lodge and the city boundary at St. Mellons.

I hope to do so very shortly. The council's application was received by my divisional road engineer on 29th April.

asked the Minister of Transport how many road accidents occurred, and how many casualties were caused, between the junction with the Parkway at Cranford, Middlesex, and the eastern end of the Colnbrook bypass in 1962, and in 1961, respectively.

There were 87 accidents resulting in 129 casualties in 1962, compared with 121 accidents and 162 casualties in 1961.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents have been reported on the stretch of the A. 34 road between the centre of Newcastle-under-Lyme and its northern boundary in the last 12 months; and how this figure compares with those for the two previous years.

In the twelve months ended March, 1963, there were 85 personal-injury accidents, compared with 66 in 1961–62 and 74 in 1960–61.

asked the Minister of Transport what evidence he has now obtained on the benefits that would accrue from a re-application of the 50 miles-per-hour speed limit this summer.

In the last two years there was a reduction compared with 1959 of approximately 30 per cent, in fatal and serious casualties on the roads subject to the 50 m.p.h. limit. If the same limit were imposed on the same roads this year I should expect a similar benefit.

asked the Minister of Transport how many accidents have been caused by lorries on the Black Rock portion of the Brynmawr to Abergavenny road within the last two years; how many people have been killed or injured; whether he will state the causes of such accidents; and whether his attention has been drawn to what could have been a serious accident on 22nd April.

In the two years ended March, 1963, there were three accidents involving lorries; four persons were killed, five seriously injured and five slightly injured. A further twelve accidents involving lorries resulted in damage only.In two of the personal-injury accidents the police reported that a lorry got out of control when descending the hill; the third occurred when the road was icy.I understand that on the 22nd April there was a further accident in which a lorry became out of control on this stretch of road. I am relieved that, on this occasion, only minor injuries were sustained by the two lorry drivers involved.As the hon. Member knows, this road will be replaced by the new Heads of the Valley road now under construction.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the amount of damage done to stone walls and fences by bull-dozers used for snow clearance operations on roads in the north of England during recent months; and whether he will discuss arrangements for compensating the owners and occupiers concerned with the appropriate county council.

The only case of such damage in the north of England of which I am aware is that on which my hon. Friend has exchanged correspondence with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary. It is open to anyone who considers that his property has suffered damage through negligence in snow clearing operations to prefer a claim against the appropriate highway authority.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the percentage of unemployment in the following places at the latest convenient date, and which places are scheduled as development areas, namely, Guisborough, Salt-burn, Loftus, Consett, Darlington, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, Haswell, Hordon, Houghton-le-Spring, Prudhoe, Seaham, Seaton Delayal, Stanley, Sunderland, Pallion, Southwick on Wear, Jarrow and Hebburn, South Shields, Whitby, Wingate, Workington, Maryport, Cocker-mouth, Billingham, Stockton and Thornaby, Middlesbrough, Redcar, South Bank, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Wallsend-on-Tyne, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Elswick, Walker, and Gateshead.

The following is the information:

asked the Minister of Labour if he will make a statement on the use currently being made of the training allowances scheme; and if he will publish figures of allowances paid in the most convenient recent period.

In the financial year 1962–63, the average number of young people receiving allowances each week was 947. The average weekly amount paid was about 23s. per head at a total cost of £56,500 in the year.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give details of the expansion of first-year apprenticeship classes in Government training centres, including the estimated total of trainees in the next 12-month period.

In existing centres there are to be twelve new classes, adding 144 places to the existing 408.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the total number of unofficial stoppages in 1962 as compared with 1961; and what was the total number of working days lost as a result of these stoppages in each year.

There are difficulties in defining and classifying strikes as official and unofficial. Two thousand, four hundred and forty-nine strikes were reported to our Department during 1962, of which 78 were stated to be official. About 5¾ million days were lost through these strikes, of which about 4 million were lost through strikes stated to be official. This latter figure includes about 3,785,000 days which were lost through three official National one-day stoppages of engineering, shipbuilding workers and railway workers. In 1961, there were 2,686 strikes reported, of which 60 were said to be official. About 3 million days were lost in all, including about 860,000 days lost in those strikes which were said to be official.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what joint Anglo-American policy has been agreed in relation to an attack by Arab countries on Israel.

We are in close touch with the United States Government about events in the area. However, we have no reason to believe that the Arab States are contemplating an attack on Israel.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any investigations are being undertaken by his Department to discover what adverse effects on fish might result from the disaster of the submarine "Thresher" in the North Atlantic.

No. I am advised that no adverse effects to fish may be expected.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what date the Verdon-Smith Committee on Meat Marketing will publish its report.

I am informed that the Verdon-Smith Committee is making good progress in its examination of the issues which have been referred to it. These cover a very wide field and it is not to be expected that the Committee can complete its programme much before the end of the present year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who will be the Chairman of the White Fish Authority when the appointment of the present Chairman ends.

Sir Louis Chick, who has been Chairman of the Authority since 1954, will be relinquishing his appointment on 30th June next and T should like to thank him publicly for his considerable services to the industry over the past nine years. In his place the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have offered this appointment to Mr. H. L. Roy Matthews, C.B.E., and he has accepted it. He will take up his appointment with the White Fish Authority from 1st July, 1963.

asked the Minister of Defence why he has reduced the Royal Navy's conventional building programme by three hunter-killer submarines.

No decision has been taken to reduce the programme, There will be a temporary interruption while the Polaris submarines are being built.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether, to avoid further delay in the hunter-killer submarine building programme, he will take the necessary steps to equip one of the Royal Dockyards for series construction of SSK type nuclear submarines.

After taking account of all factors—financial, technical and operational—it was decided that it would be best to accept a short term hiatus in the programme of nuclear hunter/killer submarines. As the holding factor is not the shortage of building capacity, the question of equipping a Royal Dockyard for building nuclear boats does not at present arise.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what steps he is taking to protect inhabitants in the area of the Gareloch nuclear submarine base from the dangers associated with radioactivity or other risks arising from the presence of Polaris submarines.

The design of and operating procedures for nuclear submarines are aimed at securing maximum safety. The submarines' nuclear propulsion plant cannot explode: nor is there any risk of an accidental full yield nuclear explosion from the Polaris missiles.Nevertheless, plans which are similar to those for nuclear power stations have been made to guard against the remote possibility of any accident which might affect the public. Standing arrangements have already been worked out by the local naval and civil authorities to ensure, if necessary, immediate and coordinated protective action. These plans, made for the Holy Loch, will cover the submarine base at Faslane.Polaris nuclear submarines have been operating in the Clyde area for the past two years without endangering the local inhabitants.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many of the test firings of the advanced Polaris A3 missile have been successful.

I am informed that thirteen tests have taken place. Three of these have been successful and ten partially successful. Eight of the latter ten firings have provided a substantial quantity of useful data.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the slow progress in finding alternative employment in Malta, he will extend the period of the run-down in Admiralty work.

The start of the naval run-down was delayed and its period extended to 1967 with the object of easing the transition to a forward operating base. This extension was the longest compatible with our world-wide strategic requirements.

asked the Secretary of State for War what consideration he is giving to the payment of overseas allowance to troops stationed in Berlin.

Local Overseas allowance is intended to compensate for essential extra expenditure incurred in living overseas as compared with living in the United Kingdom.In Berlin, unlike the British Army of the Rhine, certain supplies and services are available at concessional rates to troops stationed there, and as a result when the need for local overseas allowance in Berlin was last examined in 1961, it was found that essential expenditure was no greater there than in the United Kingdom. However, I am at present considering whether there are now grounds for paying local overseas allowance to troops stationed in Berlin.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied with the conduct of courts-martial; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave on 24th April, 1963, to the hon. Members for Salford, East (Mr. Frank Allaun) and Brixton (Mr. Lipton) about the case of Major Cory.

asked the Secretary of State for War whether it was with his authority that Lieut.-Colonel Leatham, Commanding Officer of the Welsh Guards, said publicly on 21st April that officers were not being produced by the grammar schools as yet; and whether he will now take steps to permit former grammar school soldiers to obtain commissions in the Welsh Guards.

As Colonel Leatham made clear in the statement he issued on 28th April, the remarks made by him in an earlier Press interview were, I regret, misinterpreted. There is nothing to prevent suitable ex-grammar school boys being commissioned in the Welsh Guards. In the Army as a whole nearly half the students at present going to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, are from grammar schools.

asked the Secretary of State for War why his Department turned down tenders from the Arosa Hosiery Factory on The Hartlepools Trading Estates, in view of the high unemployment locally; and if he will make a statement.

The Arosa Hosiery Manufacturing Co. Ltd. was unsuccessful in obtaining a contract when tenders were recently invited by my Department for the supply of nylon stockings to the Women's Services of the Royal Navy. Army and Royal Air Force, because lower prices were offered by other competitors. Special consideration is always given to tenders received from firms situated within development districts and, in this case, a large share of the order was obtained by such a firm who quoted a lower price than the Arosa Hosiery Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

asked the Secretary of State for War what percentage of the total number of soldiers stationed in Germany failed to return to duty on time in 1962; and what percentage was absent without leave for 21 days or more.

30 per cent, and 06 per cent. Many soldiers in Germany do, of course, return to this country two or three times a year to take leave.

asked the Minister of Aviation what representations he has received from Rolls Royce Ltd. in respect of the employment position at their factories in Derby and district; and whether he will meet a representative deputation to discuss the present situation and the future trend of the industry.

My right hon. Friend is constantly in touch with the company about their aero-engine programmes and employment position, which are affected by home civil and export orders as well as by Ministry contracts. Last July he received a deputation of local members and employees' representatives. He is willing to do so again at any mutually convenient time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the recent discussions between representatives of the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the High Commission Territories on extradition, border control posts, customs, travel documents, the status of protectorate subjects, the movement of labour and related subjects.

Discussions on the replacement of the extradition arrangements which lapsed with South Africa's departure from the Commonwealth have reached an advanced stage at the official level. There will be an increase in the number of control posts on both sides of the frontiers. The Governments concerned are considering the siting of the posts.The Customs Agreement of 1910, between the territories and the Union of South Africa, has not been affected.There have been discussions in South Africa about the introduction, on 1st July, 1963, of a requirement for both European and African residents of the territories to carry travel documents when seeking to enter the Republic. As from the same date all South African citizens entering the High Commission territories will have to be in possession of valid passports or travel documents. These proposals, which were initiated by the Republican Government, are consistent with normal practice in frontier control between foreign countries. The discussions about the administrative arrangements have not yet been concluded.The status of protectorate subjects remains unchanged.The number of residents of the territories working in the Republic will not be affected by the new arrangements.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the letter written by a prisoner in Wandsworth Prison to the hon. Member for Orpington was destroyed by the prison authorities.

It was destroyed shortly after 16th March. But a copy has now come to light, which I have shown to the hon. Member. Having read this myself, I consider that it was an error of judgment to disallow the sending of the letter, and if the hon. Member would wish to accept the invitation it contained I will gladly see that the necessary arrangements are made.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations govern the disposal of letters from prisoners which are disallowed by the governor of the prison.

An instruction of 1st December, 1955, provides that stopped letters shall form part of the prisoner's record. This refers only to a prisoner's personal correspondence. There are no instructions governing the disposal of letters written by a prisoner on behalf of a discussion group and submitted to the governor for approval but not approved for issue.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the matters which may not be included in letters written by prisoners to a Member of Parliament under existing Prison Standing Orders.

A copy of the Standing Order, No. 5(c)-1, governing communications by prisoners with Members of Parliament is in the Library of the House. It relates to the personal correspondence of prisoners and does not apply to letters prepared by a prisoner acting as organiser of a prisoners' discussion group. Correspondence of the latter kind is necessarily subject to the governor's approval in accordance with his general responsibility for the administration of the prison and the supervision of activities within it.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests have been made to date of the persons who took part in the mailbag robbery of 22nd May, 1952, when £250,000 in cash was stolen from a Post Office van in London.

None.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why an assistant secretary has been allocated to his office; what are his duties; and what are the duties of the other officials in the office.

The four staff in the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster are concerned with assisting me to discharge my duties as Leader of the House of Commons. They undertake all secretarial work as well as filing, registry and typing. The officer referred to in the first part of the Question acts as my private secretary: his predecessor was an officer of the principal grade.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the total number of his staff actually operating in the Duchy; what are their functions; what is the total salary bill for the financial year 1963–64; and on which Vote it is borne.

The Duchy is not a Government Department and does not have a Parliamentary Vote. The revenues of the Duchy have been part of the inheritance of successive sovereigns since 1399; on the demise of the Crown these revenues are taken into account when the Civil List is settled for the succeeding reign. The total cumber of staff actually operating in the Duchy is 25 and the total salary bill was £32,250 in the Duchy financial year ending 29th September, 1962. Their functions are to administer the Duchy estates and jurisdiction.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list in the Official Report the offices within his patronage.

Apart from the officers and staff of the Duchy of Lancaster I appoint the Judge of the Salford Hundred Court, as well as the Justices of the Peace in Lancashire. In addition, I make recommendations for the appointment of six County Court judges in Lancashire, the Salford Stipendiary Magistrate, and for appointments to forty-five livings.

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the estimated total value of estates in the Duchy in 1962–63 of persons dying intestate without next of kin; and to whom do such estates revert.

In the year to 30th September, 1962 (the nearest convenient financial year of the Duchy of Lancaster), the estimated total value of estates of persons in Lancashire dying intestate without next of kin was £30,378 19s. 2d. In the rest of the country generally such estates devolve on the Crown, but in the case of persons dying in Lancashire these estates pass to Her Majesty in right of the Duchy.

asked 'the Secretary for Technical Co-operation to what extent the United Kingdom is participating in the recently announced intention of the Government of India to develop the Delhi College of Engineering and Technology into an independent institute of technology.

Some five years ago it was first suggested that the United Kingdom might co-operate with the Government of India in setting up a College of Engineering and Technology as an integral part of Delhi University.In 1958 and 1959 a number of British industrialists agreed to invite contributions from British industrial concerns towards the cost of British manufactured equipment which the College would need. A charitable Trust was formed to which over £250,000 was contributed in donations and covenants. At the same time the British Government agreed to pay from the Colombo Plan Technical Co-operation Scheme the emoluments of a number of British professors who would advise on curricula and start the various Departments at the College. The British Government also agreed to provide such other requirements as reference books and training for librarians. The Government of India undertook to provide land and buildings and to pay for locally domiciled staff and locally manufactured equipment.In January 1959 H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh laid the foundation stone of the college at a site in Delhi. Two years later the college was opened with the first year's intake of 150 students.It later appeared that it would be advantageous to enable the College to award its own degrees instead of training students for Delhi degrees. As stated by the Indian Minister for Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs in the Lok Sabha on the 20th March last, the Government of India proposes to introduce legislation to declare the College an institution of national importance and to raise its status to an Institute of Technology. It will then be independent; will frame its own academic policies and confer degrees; and will be known as "The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi".The Institute is being planned to have a capacity of 1,250 undergraduate and 300 post-graduate students. The British Government and British industry have agreed jointly to provide over the years 1963–67 a further £400,000 worth of British manufactured equipment for the Institute so that the total value of equipment provided from Britain will be £650,000. The British Government has also agreed to meet the emoluments of up to 15 British professors over the same period.The raising of funds for the supply of equipment on this scale and the recruitment of highly qualified British staff are a major undertaking in the technical assistance field and I should like to express my gratitude to British industry and to educational bodies such as the Imperial College of Science and Technology of the University of London for their generous co-operation.

asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether it is now his intention to embody the results of his inquiry into Resale Price Maintenance within the comprehensive review of policy on Monopolies and Restrictive Practices which is still proceeding; and whether the results of this review are likely to be made known during the current year.

I have not yet completed my study of resale price maintenance. As regards the second part of the Question, I cannot say when the review will be completed. In accordance with long-established practice, the report of officials to Ministers will not be published.