asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many bookings for Trafalgar Square have been made for June; and who are the successful applicants.

Four applications have been granted, for meetings by the Scripture Text Carriers' Association on 3rd June, the Open-Air Mission on 15th June, the Connolly Association on 16th June, and the South West London Evangelistic Mobile Unit on 22nd June.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what new titles he has added to his series of advisory leaflets during the last 12 months.

Four new leaflets have been published in the past twelve months. Two on "Timber Sizes for Small Buildings", one on "Making Fixings to Hard Materials", and one on "Woodworking Machinery for Builders".

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what steps he is taking to ensure a better supply of seasoned English oak for the building industry.

I am not aware that there is any shortage of seasoned English oak for building, but if it becomes necessary to take steps to increase supplies I will consider with my colleagues what can be done.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will produce in one publication all the available information and advice on the restoration of historic buildings now in the possession of his Department.

A booklet giving advice on particular aspects of this subject is already available on application to my Ministry. I will consider the suggestion that a more comprehensive publication might be issued.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what proportion of the £3,300,000 to be spent this year on furniture and equipment will be spent in Scotland; and how much was spent last year.

The figure for this year cannot yet be given as purchases will depend on the results of competitive tendering. Something over £300,000 or some 10 per cent. of the total, was spent in Scotland last year.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how much of the £160,000 spent last year on the purchase of vehicles and plant was spent in Scotland; and how much of the estimate of £166,000 for this year will be spent there.

During 1962–63, my Ministry spent £18,250. In 1963–64 it is expected that £8,000 will be spent.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he proposes to add to the number of public buildings to be floodlit in central London during this summer.

Yes. Dover House, Whitehall, is to floodlit for the first time this summer, from about the end of June.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many paintings he has acquired during the last five years for public buildings at home and abroad; and how they have been selected.

339. They were acquired on the recommendation of an advisory committee of experts which was set up in 1957 to advise on the purchase of paintings.

asked the Minister for Public Building and Works what grant from the Historic Buildings Council he has authorised for Kingston Maurward, Dorset; and what progress has been made in the work of restoration.

A grant of £3,000 was offered to the owners of the Old Manor House at Kingston Maurward by the Dorset County Council, in July,1955,and this was increased to £6,000 in May, 1957. Both these offers were refused. At the beginning of 1962 the County Council gave a 99 year lease to Mr. R. S. Sturdy, who without applying for a grant has undertaken the repairs, thus saving this fine house. I understand the work of restoration is proceeding satisfactorily.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he has any proposal for the introduction of recorded lectures in buildings under his care.

I am hoping shortly to introduce, as an experiment, tape-recorded lecture machines at a number of historic buildings and ancient monuments in my care.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he has now taken a decision on the future of the American Camp in Bushy Park.

A contract has now been let for the demolition of the main part of the camp, so that the area can be restored to its former condition as part of the Royal Park. The sports facilities in the camp area will, however, be retained for an experimental period to see whether there is any demand for them as part of the amenities of the Park. Demolition work will start this week.

asked the Postmaster-General what estimate he has made of the percentage of listeners in Northern Ireland who are equipped to receive the British Broadcasting Corporation's very high frequency services.

I am sorry that this information is not available. For the whole country, listeners to VHF sound are estimated to be about 27 per cent. of the total number of listeners to sound broadcasting: but in Northern Ireland the proportion may well be less.

asked the Postmaster-General whether he will introduce legislation to ensure that the British Broadcasting Corporation and the Independent Television Authority produce as far as possible alternative programmes and not merely competing programmes, which often by their timing make alternative viewing impossible.

The detailed views of the Government in this matter are contained in paragraph 40 of the Second White Paper on the Report of the Committee on Broadcasting (Cmnd. 1893). Broadly speaking, the Government's view is that co-ordination of programmes as a whole would undermine the benefits of competition.

asked the Postmaster-General when he expects to start building the new automatic telephone exchange at Bracknell; and when it will he operational.

I am pleased to say that work started on 16th April. The new exchange should be operational towards the end of 1965.

asked the Postmaster-General when he expects the telephone exchange at Crowthorne, Berkshire, to be closed to further subscribers; and what plans he has for its replacement or extension.

Extension of this exchange is planned and should be completed early in 1965. I hope that the question of closing the exchange to further subscribers will not arise.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applications he has received for the installation of modern telephone cords during the past 12 months; how many have been turned down; and what are the conditions imposed before an application is granted.

I am sorry that the information desired in the first two parts of the Question is not available. If there has been fair wear and tear no charge is made: if not, we charge £1. The demand for the new cords is small. and to attach them to all telephones would be very costly.

asked the Postmaster-General how many householders are on the waiting list for telephones in the Borough of Solihull; and how many new telephones have been provided in the last ten years.

There are 497 applications for telephones on the waiting list for the six exchanges serving the Borough of Solihull: a further 634 are under inquiry or being met. Most of these are householders' applications but the precise figure is not readily available.More than 20,000 new telephones have been provided in the last ten years.

asked the Postmaster-General how many applicants are now waiting for telephone service in the Accrington area.

Four are waiting through shortage of cable capacity. A further 63 applications are under inquiry or being met.

asked the Postmaster. General when the Post Office mail agreement with the railways was last reviewed: and, in the diversion of mail to air and road transport and in the event of bad weather or accident, whether any commercial financial provision is made with the railways to meet these contingencies.

Reviews of the payments under the agreements are made jointly by ourselves and the railways each year to cater for variations in the amount of mail carried. Additionally, there are special reviews when changes in the rates of payment are called for.In the financial arrangements with the railways small temporary diversions of mail from rail to air and road and vice versa are ignored: but by mutual agreement special adjustments are usually made for major changes of this kind.

asked the Postmaster-General what considerations have been taken into account for the experiment of using road transport in East Anglia; and whether co-ordination is being carried out with the Railways Board to ensure that planned use is made of available transport.

The main purpose of the experimental reorganisation of parcel post services in East Anglia is to improve the reliability of the service and reduce costs. British Railways are collaborating in the experiment and will be carrying bulk loads of parcel mails between the major concentration centres in the area.

asked the Postmaster-General what estimate he has made of the effect of the Beeching railway proposals, supported by Her Majesty's Government, will have on the rural postal services.

It is too early to say what the precise effects would be but we should expect to be able largely to maintain the present standards of service.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what financial help is being provided by his Department to the Voluntary Societies' Committee for Service Overseas; and what proportion of the cost of sending each volunteer overseas is being met from public funds.

Half the cost of sending each graduate volunteer is being met from public funds, and it is hoped to send 250 such volunteers overseas this year. In addition £40,000 will be paid from Government funds this year to V.S.O. for school leavers. Also £1,000 was provided last financial year for administrative costs of the Committee. No request has been made for this financial year.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what staff is being provided by his Department for the Voluntary Societies' Committee for Service Overseas.

This Committee is a voluntary body and the Secretariat, consisting of three people, is provided by the National Council for Social Service, but my Department works closely with the Committee and much of the time of two senior officials is taken up by this.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will make a statement on the assistance now being given by the Government to the research in progress for oil sources under the seas surrounding Great Britain.

The activities of certain oil companies in the North Sea, to which the hon. and learned Member refers, are exploration rather than research. They are undertaken for commercial purposes and are not receiving Government financial assistance. The Geological Survey and Museum has, however, provided information which may be of assistance to the companies concerned.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will state the amount of public money spent in research during each of the past three years on the cause of rheumatism.

The Medical Research Council's total expenditure on research specifically on rheumatism in the past three years was as follows:

1960–61	…	approx.	£80,000
1961–62	…	approx.	?104,000
1962–63	…	approx.	£87,000

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science when he expects to receive the final report of the Committee appointed in April, 1960, to examine the nature, sources and effects of the problem of noise.

My noble Friend has now received the final report of the Committee. He is arranging for this to be published as a Command Paper. It should be ready for publication soon after the Whitsun Recess.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what consideration Her Majesty's Government are giving to the suggestion to transfer some of the present burden of local expenditure from the ratepayer to the taxpayer; and whether he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend knows, I am setting up a committee to assess the impact of rates on the domestic ratepayer. Until their report is available it would be premature to reach any conclusion on the need for further financial assistance to local government.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what was the rate product of Leighton Buzzard for 1961–62 and 1962–63 and what is the estimated product if the new valuation lists go 'through unamended.

On the latest information available to me, the estimated rate products are about £158,000 for 1961–62, £167,600 for 1962–63 and £204,500, for 1963–64. I do not, however, know what allowance, if any, was made in fixing the 1963–64 rate for the risk of reductions in assessments.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will now announce the names and qualifications of the special appointments he is making in the proposed Welsh Office.

The establishment of the Welsh Office is being strengthened by the addition of the followiing posts:

• One Administrative Principal.
• One Principal Planning Officer.
• One Planning Officer.
• Two Research Officers.
• One Senior Research Officer.

Appropriate action is being taken to appoint suitably qualified officers as quickly as possible.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why a married man's allowance for Income Tax purposes for the year 1963–64 has been refused to Mr. Enoch Ilsley of 33 Cromwell Road, Doncaster.

I am looking into this matter and will write to the hon. Member when my inquiries are completed.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount of each class of hydrocarbon oils retained for home consumption during the year ended 31st March, 1963, and the net amount received in respect of duty thereon, showing, in particular, the amounts received on motor spirit and heavy oils used as fuel in road vehicles.

I regret that these figures are not yet available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of the book Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller, have been confiscated from travellers entering the United Kingdom by Her Majesty's Customs during the last five years; how many prosecutions were initiated; how many convictions were achieved; how many acquittals there were: and how many cases were withdrawn.

124 copies were seized during the five years from 1958 to 1962. No prosecutions were initiated. In one instance, the importer exercised his legal right of appeal against seizure and the Commissioners of Customs and Excise consequently instituted civil proceedings for condemnation of this copy. These proceedings were withdrawn following publication and the general availability of the book in this country.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that Barry and Staines Limited, linoleum manufacturers, are transferring their production of linoleum in Kirkcaldy to their unit in Staines, and that they will require to use 10 of the 47 acres they own in Staines, some of which is in the green belt, for an extension to the works; and whether, in view of the large number of redundancies arising in Kirkcaldy, he will not sanction the expansion in Staines.

The company have informed the Board of Trade that the transfer of production from Kirkcaldy will not make it necessary for them to seek approval for an extension to their premises at Staines.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the financial provisions of the Local Employment Act will be available to shipyards co-operating in the production of building components in shipyards.

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the financial provisions of the Local Employment Act will be available to development teams and shipyards co-operating in the production of building components in shipyards.

Projects of this kind will be eligible for the financial provisions of the Act, provided that they are sound projects and that they will provide jobs for workers in the development districts.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what products which can be exported from Eire into Great Britain free of duty are charged with duty if exported from England to Eire; and whether he will provide particulars of the duty in each case.

Nearly all imports from the Irish Republic enter Britain duty-free. An estimated 17 per cent. of British exports to the Irish Republic are not subject to duty. Other goods are dutiable, in many cases at preferential rates, though in practice a substantial number of items are admitted under various duty-free licensing provisions. A list of dutiable items would be very lengthy. I am arranging for a copy of the Tariff of the Irish Republic to be placed in the Library; but if the hon. Member would write to me I should be glad to give him details of any particular goods in which he may be interested.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking, in conjunction with other Government Departments, to expand the exports of tractors and agricultural machinery.

The Board of Trade are the sponsoring Department for all agricultural machinery and its export services both in this country and through trade commissioners and commercial diplomatic officers overseas are available to assist exporters in this industry as in others. Exports of agricultural machinery have increased progressively in recent years and in the case of agricultural tractors have reached record levels.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many inquiries he has received, since 3rd April, 1963, from firms wishing to establish themselves, or to expand, in Kirkcaldy.

In addition to the four most recent projects, known to the Board of Trade, in the Fife development district, which are expected to provide some 1,500 new jobs, there has been one inquiry since 3rd April from a firm wishing to expand at Kirkcaldy, and another firm will be visiting the town during the next week.

asked the Minister of Education whether he will arrange for the co-operation of his Department in the placing of orders in shipyards where there is production of building components.

My Department does not place orders for building components but I have drawn the attention of the consortia of local authorities which use industrialised methods of construction for educational buildings to the recent report on Production of Building Components in Shipyards.

asked the Minister of Education what is the nature of the arrangement, referred to in paragraph 36 of page 87 of the 1962 Report on Education, on the provision of temporary diploma courses at Usk; when it was made; what are its terms; whether the fact that the Welsh Joint Education Committee acquiesced in the arrangement on the understanding that it would be temporary was agreed to by him; and whether he will now consult the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on this matter.

I would refer the hon. Member to the minutes of the Welsh Joint Education Committee meeting held on 14th December, 1962, a copy of which I am sending to him. The arrangement in question is in accord with an earlier suggestion put to the Committee by my Department, with the concurrence of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and was intended to provide continuity in Wales for the course leading to the National Diploma in Dairying pending the establishment of more permanent arrangements. That is still the position. I can assure the hon. Member that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture and I are in the closest consultation concerning these matters.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give a list of new primary and secondary schools completed in the city and county of Bristol since 1st January, 1952.

The list is as follows:

NEW SCHOOLS COMPLETED BETWEEN 1ST JANUARY, 1952 AND 31sT MARCH, 1963
Primary	Secondary
Blaise	Hengrove
Oldbury Court	St. Thomas More
Avon	Roman Catholic
Glenfrome	Lockleaze
Henleaze	Ashton Park
Sea Mills	Henbury
Whitehouse	Brislington
Headley Park	Bedminster Down
Horfield Church of	Speedwell
England	Monks Park
Dunmail	Withywood
Henbury Court	St. Bernadette Roman
Bank Leaze (Junior)	Catholic
Hareclive	Pen Park
Our Lady of the Rosary	Hartcliffe
Roman Catholic	St. Bede's Roman
Four Acres	Catholic
Bank Leaze (Infants)	Lawrence Weston
Brentry
High Ridge
Redhouse
Elmlea
Broomhill
Gay Elms (Junior)
Teyfant
Gay Elms (Infants)
West Town Lane (Junior)
Burnbush
Lawrence Weston Park
St. Pius X Roman
Catholic
Fair Furlong
West Town Lane (Infants)

asked the Minister of Education how many school classes in Lancashire have more than 30 pupils.

In January, 1962, there were 4,033 primary and 2,088 secondary classes with more than 30 pupils in schools maintained by the Lancashire Local Education Authority. The number of primary classes with more than 40 children, the figure at present laid down in my regulations, was 1,115.

asked the Minister of Health what percentage increase in nursing salaries is represented by the last two awards in the Industrial Court.

About 14 per cent.

asked the Minister of Health how many general practitioner deputising services function in the metropolitan area: and how many doctors are employed by each.

I understand there are six such services. The numbers of doctors employed are not within my knowledge.

asked the Minister of Health if he will state the approximate total expenditure of local health authorities on health and welfare in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, showing maintenance and capital expenditure separately.

The following are the approximate figures of total net expenditure for England and Wales:

Financial year		Maintenance Expenditure	Capital Expenditure
		£million	£million
1952–53	…	52	5
1953–54	…	53	4½
1954–55	…	56	4½
1955–56	…	61	5
1956–57	…	67	5
1957–58	…	73	5
1958–59	…	77	5½
1959–60	…	84	8
1960–61	…	90	10
1961–62	…	101	17 (estimated)

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, what action is being taken to provide employment in the High Commission Territories, particularly Basutoland, in view of the acceptance of the recommendation of the Froneman Commission that all foreign labourers, except those supplied by Mozambique, should be expelled from the Republic of South Africa during the next five years.

In recommending the replacement of foreign Bantu, the Froneman Committee proposed that labour from the High Commission Territories should be accorded preferential treatment over labour from other territories. The South African Government is still studying the recommendations and on 29th April the Minister of Foreign Affairs said in the Assembly "it was the South African Government's desire to disturb the existing friendly and mutually beneficial relationships as little as possible".The aim of successive development plans supported by Colonial Development and Welfare Funds has been to improve employment within the territories by the better utilisation of natural resources and the creation of new industry. This policy has achieved considerable success in Swaziland, which would not be seriously affected by a shrinkage in employment opportunities in the Republic. The outlook for Basutoland and Bechuanaland Protectorate would be less promising. In Basutoland efforts are being made to attract industry by means of a factory estate at Maseru which is being set up with the aid of Colonial Development and Welfare funds, and investigations are being made into the mineral and irrigation possibilities.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the position in the Northern district of Kenya.

Apart from one or two isolated incidents, following the announcement that the predominantly Somali areas of the Northern Frontier District would be formed into a separate region (the North Eastern Region), the security situation throughout the District as a whole is normal.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the Bahamas constitutional conference.

The conference is still sitting and it would therefore be premature to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give the number of Europeans employed by banks in Hong Kong, in particular by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.

This is not a matter within my right hon. Friend's responsibility. I am informed, however, that 136 expatriate Europeans are employed by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in Hong Kong.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is considering further constitutional advances for Seychelles.

Certain minor amendments to the constitutional instruments are now being considered to take account of recommendations of a Select Committee of the Seychelles Legislature.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the imports of non-branded powered milk in each of the last three years, to the nearest convenient date; and how the price of milk to the farmer would have been affected if these quantities had been home-produced.

The quantities of milk powder of all types imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last three years ending 31st March were 58·7 thousand tons, 61·3 thousand tons and 58 thousand tons, respectively. The figures available do not distinguish between branded and non-branded powder. The effect on producers' returns of manufacturing this powder from home-produced milk cannot be precisely calculated, but would be very small.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what duties and powers the Welsh Secretary of his Department has, over and above the duties and powers of a regional controller; and how far, giving the relevant date, the recommendations of the Arton Wilson Report have been implemented in this respect.

In addition to carrying out the normal functions of a regional office, the Welsh Department of my Ministry has Headquarter responsibility on matters of land improvement and land use and for a wide range of grant and subsidy schemes: it also deals with all matters relating solely to Wales.The Welsh Secretary is also responsible for advising on the Welsh aspects of policy and for keeping me abreast of Welsh opinion on agricultural matters. Furthermore he is in close contact with the Ministers responsible for Welsh affairs.It is not possible to give a specific date from which the recommendations of the Arton Wilson Committee were implemented since implementation is a continuing process.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of his talks with Dr. S. L. Mansholt, Vice-President of the European Economic Commission, in so far as they related to a proposed code of good agricultural behaviour; and what this code entails.

I entertained Dr. Mansholt to lunch privately and I have no statement to make on our talks.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, following his discussions with Dr. Mansholt, he will give an assurance that he has no intention of reopening with the European Economic Community negotiations for Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, or designed to prepare the ground for such entry.

The policy of Her Majesty's Government following the breakdown of the Brussels negotiations was explained by my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Lord Privy Seal during the debate on 11th and 12th February.

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) what types and numbers of aero-engines are at present on order under Government defence contracts; and on what dates they are due to be delivered;(2) what future orders are likely to be placed for aero-engines under Government defence contracts; and what are the estimated numbers, types and rates of delivery.

The following types of aero-engines are on order: Avon, Conway, Dart, Gazelle, Gnome, Gyron Junior, Nimbus, Olympus, Orpheus, Spey, Tyne and Viper.There is in addition substantial expenditure on a wide variety of spare parts, conversions, modifications, repairs and auxiliary power plant units.Development contracts, including contracts for continuing support of engines in service, have been placed or are under negotiation for the fallowing types: Avon, B.S.100, Centaurus, Conway, Dart, Double Mamba, Gazelle, Gnome, Griffon, Gyron Junior, Leonides, Nimbus, Olympus, Orpheus, Pegasus, Proteus, R.B.108, R.B.162, Sapphire, Spey, and Viper.No decision has yet been made on the type of engine to be developed for the Hastings-Beverley replacement.Other design studies or development contracts must depend an Service operational requirements as they emerge.

asked the First Secretary of State what action he is now taking to resolve the Southern Rhodesian constitutional deadlock; and if he will make a statement.

The correspondence with the Southern Rhodesia Government, following the letters published in Cmnd. 2000, is continuing and I have no statement to make at the present time.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the ratio between the average wage of women employed in manufacturing industry now and at 1st February 1949; and what is the equivalent figure allowing for the change in the value of the £.

Inquiries into the earnings of manual wage-earners are held each April and October. For women wage-earners employed full-time in manufacturing industry the ratio of average weekly earnings at the latest available date (October, 1962) to the corresponding figure for April, 1949, is 2·08:1. After taking into account the change in the value of the £ as measured by the Index of Retail Prices the equivalent ratio is 1·24:1.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what information he has received from the Organisation for European Cooperation and Development on the total amount of aid allocated by the United States of America, France, Great Britain and West Germany to overseas territories since 1956; what percentage the figures represent of the respective gross national product; and what percentage of the total was contributed from public and private sources.

Organisation for European Co-operation and Development statistics show that in the calendar years 1956 to 1961 the total flow of official assistance to and private investment in developing countries amounted to $22,485 million in the case of the United States of America, $7,378 million in that of France, $3,701 million in that of Germany and $4,880 million in that of the United Kingdom. The following table gives the other information requested for 1961, the most recent year for which firm figures are available.

—	(a) Official aid as per cent. of Gross National Product	(b) Private Investment in developing countries as per cent. of Gross National Product	Total of (a) and (b)
United of America	0·71	0·25	0·97
France	1·82	0·59	2·41
United Kingdom	0·67	0·64	1·32
Germany	0·85	0·31	1·17

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that, while in Scotland fees are charged by his Department for the export inspection of dahlias, in England no such fees are charged, and this places Scottish dahlia exporters at a disadvantage; and whether he will take steps to remedy this.

Fees for export certificates for dahlias are charged on a different basis in England and Wales and are generally less than charges for export inspections in Scotland. The question of export certificate arrangements generally is under examination and it would be inappropriate to deal with the specific item of dahlias in isolation. I shall do all I can to expedite matters.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what projects for school building by the Fife Education Authority are covered by the authority he has given for a total of £630,000 in the year 1963–64.

The following is the information asked for:

Project	Estimated Cost
	£
Glenrothes: New High School	495,000
Cupar; New Occupational Centre	11,000
Ballingry; Extension to St. Kenneth's Roman Catholic Primary School	119,000
Kirkton of Largo; Extension to Primary School	5,000
	630,000

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the proposal to close down the railway stations at Steyning, Henfield and Bramber, Sussex, in what manner, where and when, he has directed that the Railways Board should publish advance notice of their plan, as required by Section 54 of the Transport Act, 1962.

I am at present considering the form and content of directions, relating to their plans for the discontinuance of railway passenger, goods and shipping services, which I may give the Railways Board under Section 54 of the Act.The Board have given advance notice of their plans for discontinuing railway passenger services in

asked the Minister of Transport what information he has had from the Transport Holding Company as to their proposals for providing alternative services for the 122 miles of track, where the railway service is not paralleled by an existing bus service; and if he will identify the 122 miles of track involved.

I am told by the British Railways Board that the 122 miles of routes where, according to the Board's Report, the passenger traffic displaced is less than 1,000 passengers a week and the railway service is not paralleled by an existing bus service, consists of 66½ miles of route in England, 15½ miles in Wales and 40¼ miles in Scotland. The details are as follows:

England
			Miles
Kingsley-Oakamoor	…	…	3
Market Harborough-Seaton	…	…	14
Seaton-Kings Cliffe	…	…	71
Earby-Barnoldswick	…	…	7¾
Haltwhistle-Alston	…	…	13
Selby-Market Weighton	…	…	8
Arthington-Burley	…	…	3
Bream ore-Vcrwood	…	…	7½
Ellesmere-Oswestry	…	…	7½
			66½

Wales
			Miles
Llanarthney-G olden Grove	…	…	4
Llandovery-Llanwrtyd Wells	…	…	11½
			15½

Scotland
			Miles
Canonbie-Riddings Junction	…	…	1¼
Killin-Killin Junction	…	…	4¼
Boat of Garten-Nethy Bridge	…	…	4¾
Connel Ferry-Ballachulish	…	…	27¾
Throsk-Alloa	…	…	2¼
			40¼

Proposals for the provision of alternative bus services, whether by the Companies controlled by the Transport Holding Co. or by other bus operators, will fall to be considered when proposed railway passenger closures are the subject of the statutory processes of the Transport Act 1962 and the Road Traffic Act 1960. The Transport Holding Co. and other bus operators are already considering generally the provision of alternative bus services to replace passenger train services which may be withdrawn.

asked the Minister of Transport why the speed limits on the A.6074 road, Four Lane Ends to Middle-stone Moor, Spennymoor, to which he agreed on 12th March, 1962, have not been put into operation.

I have not received a formal application for my consent from the Durham County Council. I understand the Council intend to include the proposals in orders covering nearly 200 other proposals, and that they will shortly give public notice of all of them.

asked the Minister of Transport when the hon. Member for Wokingham may expect to receive a reply to his letter of 6th February, 1963, on the subject of the Ascot-Bracknell road in view of the fact that the letter was written three months ago.

A reply was sent to my hon. Friend yesterday. It has been necessary to seek information on all the points raised from the highway authority.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will name the six rural areas in which special studies are being made and pilot schemes planned for future improved bus services.

I would refer my hon. Friend to my Answer of 27th November, 1962, to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Speir) of which I am sending him a copy. The area in Devon has been extended by the addition of the parish of North Tawton, and some of the boundaries have been adjusted to facilitate the survey work.

asked the Minister of Defence whether, in view of the loss of the language training facilities associated with National Service, he is satisfied with present arrangements for providing an adequate number of qualified Russian speakers for service in the Armed Forces: and if he will make a statement.

The Russian language is taught at the Army School of Education and at the R.A.F. Joint Applied Language School. I am satisfied that these facilities are adequate for the needs of the armed forces for qualified Russian speakers.