asked the Minister of Labour what further consideration has been given to the suggestion by the hon. Member for Morpeth concerning the use of the facilities of the Ashington Technical College as a training centre for school leavers at present unable to secure employment.

The proposal made by the hon. Member has been carefully considered, but I am informed that the facilities at the Ashington Technical College are already fully used and it would not be practicable to establish a training centre there.

asked The Minister of Labour what progress has been made at the National Joint Advisory Council concerning the suggested redundancy scheme; and whether he will make a statement.

The National Joint Advisory Council discussed redundancy at its meeting on 24th April and appointed a sub-committee of the Council under the chairmanship of my right hon. Friend to help in the preparation of proposals for discussion by the Council in July.

asked the Minister of Labour when it is intended to open the industrial training centre in Greenock; what skills it is intended to teach there; how many trainees it will cater for; and if he will make a statement.

As soon as premises have been found and adapted and training equipment installed. Training will be given in engineering and a number of miscellaneous skills. Training will be provided for about 100 trainees.

asked the Minister of Labour how many persons, male and female, and persons under 18 years of age, male and female, respectively, were registered as unemployed at the May, 1963, count in the Gateshead employment area; what was the total percentage rate together with the percentage rate for male and female, respectively; what were the comparable figures for 12 months earlier; and what was the number of unfilled vacancies at the latest convenient date.

On 13th May, 1963, there were 2,089 men, 219 boys, 376 women and 56 girls unemployed, compared with 1,468 men, 116 boys, 329 women and 42 girls in May, 1962. On 8th May, 1963, there were 225 unfilled vacancies. Gateshead is a part of the Tyneside area for which, as announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 7th May, a single unemployment percentage rate will be given in future. On 13th May, 1963, the total rate for this area was 4·8 per cent., the rate for males 5·6 per cent. and that for females 3 per cent. In May, 1962, the corresponding figures were 3·5 per cent. and 4 per cent. and 2·5 per cent., respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will take action in conjunction with the trade unions to develop an effective training scheme for the clothing industry.

A report on training in the clothing industry was published in April. This was prepared under the auspices of the City and Guilds of London Institute and the Institute is convening a Conference in early June to discuss what action might be taken to follow up the report. Both sides of industry, and representatives of educational and other interests, are being invited and officers of our Department will attend as observers.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the number of toolmakers employed in the engineering and shipbuilding industries of the Clyde Valley in 1957 and at the latest convenient date.

In February, 1957, there were 1,082 fitters and 185 turners employed in shipbuilding and ship-repairing compared with 780 fitters and 100 turners in February, 1963, in the areas covered by the Glasgow, Paisley, Greenock and Dumbarton groups of employment exchanges. Information is not available about other occupations in shipbuilding or ship-repairing or about the numbers employed in different occupations in the engineering industry.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make a statement on the discussions between the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Dean Rusk, on the situation in South Africa, during the recent Central Treaty Organisation talks at Karachi.

No. When my noble Friend saw Mr. Rusk during the recent Central Treaty Organisation talks he naturally took the opportunity to discuss a number of matters of common interest. Such discussions are, of course, confidential.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what reply has been sent to the United Nations Organisation's proposal to send a mission to Aden.

The Committee of Twenty-Four has been informed that Her Majesty's Government are unable to agree to this proposal.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations the United Nations Committee of Twenty-Four has made about Southern Rhodesia and Aden; what replies were given; and whether the Committee has stated its desire to visit any other British territory prior to the 18th General Assembly.

As regards Southern Rhodesia, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State made on 25th April to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Eton and Slough (Mr. F. Brockway). Since then the Sub-committee's report on their visit to London has been presented to the Committee of Twenty-Four but has not yet been discussed. Copies of the report are in the Library of the House.On Aden, the Committee of Twenty-Four have been informed, as I said in my earlier reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Kershaw), that Her Majesty's Government are unable to agree to the proposal that a Subcommittee should visit Aden.The answer to the last part of the Question is "No."

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement on the results of the European Free Trade Association conference in Lisbon; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the tariff and other changes on Britain's trade with the Commonwealth.

I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 15th May. I do not expect the arrangements agreed in Lisbon to have any material effect on Britain's trade with the Commonwealth.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will publish the text of the message from the British Ambassador to Portugal on the occasion of the resumption of British Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts to Portugal on 28th April.

Yes. I have already arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what consideration has been given to the issue of a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation decoration.

I am not aware that any such proposal has been made. Recognition for distinguished service to the Alliance would normally be accorded to the person concerned by his own country in the form of some appropriate national decoration.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the broiler calf industry is expanding in this country; and what steps he has taken to ensure that calves reared in broiler houses are provided with reasonable periods of natural daylight, have reasonable freedom of movement and receive a balanced diet which does not induce anaemia.

I have no evidence that any expansion is taking place in the intensive rearing of calves for veal. As to the second part of the Question, I cannot add anything to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 19th November last.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the temporary world shortage of

The purpose of our arrangements, both with the Commonwealth and with our home farmers, is to assure a steady supply of sugar in this country, regardless of world prices. As a result of these arrangements there is no shortage of sugar in Britain, nor will there be in 1964.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the percentage of agricultural holdings in Wales and Monmouthshire with no workers, with no regular whole-time workers, with no whole-time male workers but one or more other regular workers, and with one regular whole-time male worker, two or four whole-time males and five or more regular whole-time male workers, respectively; and what proportion each of these groups represents of all regular whole-time male workers, and of all workers, in the industry.

The information is as follows

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the conclusions reached at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Conference affecting British agriculture.

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will be making a full statement about the outcome of the Conference. It has been agreed that agriculture should be included in the Kennedy Round discussions. For cereals and meat, it is intended to hold early meetings of special G.A.T.T. groups to consider appropriate arrangements for these commodities and a similar group on dairy products is also to be established.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty under what circumstances officers and men of the Royal Naval frigate "Palliser" immobilised the engines of the British trawler "Milwood" after the vessel had been rammed by an Icelandic gunboat.

Although the "Milwood" and the "Odin" had been in collision it is not clear at this junoture whether the collision was accidental or who was to blame. The engines of "Milwood" were immobilised because the commanding officer of H.M.S. "Palliser" considered that if the trawler tried to escape the Icelandic gunboat "Odin" would have fired on her. The "Odin" was flying the International code signal signifying "Heave to or I shall open fire on you".

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will make a statement on prospective redundancy in the Royal Dockyards.

Our studies of the future load of work for the Royal Dockyards are not yet sufficiently advanced to enable me to make a statement. I hope that we may be able to give the trade unions a general view of the future position before long.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many covered submarine slipways exist at Chatham Royal Navy Dockyard and at Rosyth Royal Navy Dockyard.

There is one used for building submarines at Chatham and none at Rosyth.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many people over 65 are at work in Chatham Dockyard.

About 200 industrials over the age of 65 are now employed in the professional departments of Chatham Yard.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how the number of people at present employed in Her Majesty's dockyard. Chatham, compares with 1951.

In March 1951 the number of industrials employed in the professional departments of Chatham Dockyard was 7,792, and of non-industrials 608. The comparable figures today are 7,375 and 980. Men employed in the Port Auxiliary Service have been excluded from these totals.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the estimated labour cost of building an Oberon class submarine in Chatham Royal Navy Dockyard and a private dockyard. respectively.

It is not possible to compare direct labour costs in this way. But total costs in private yards and in the Royal Navy Dockyard at Chatham are not materially out of line.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what are the outstanding orders for ships being, or to be, built in British shipyards for the South African Navy; what is the value of such orders; and what is the approximate number of men employed, or to be employed, to build these ships.

One frigate is now being built for the South African Navy and should be completed by early next year. The number of men employed on this task will rise to a peak level of about 600. This will complete the naval orders placed by the South African Government under the Simonstown agreement, at a total cost of about £23 millions.

asked the Secretary of State for War why his Department refuses to pay the cost of mattresses ordered from the workshops for the adult blind in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, thereby making it necessary for the ratepayers to subsidise each mattress supplied to the extent of three shillings.

The National Association of Workshops for the Blind is one of a number of non-profit making organisations which are given preference in the allocation of a fair share of suitable Government contracts at fair market prices. Under this scheme my Department has negotiated a contract with the Headquarters of the National Association for the supply of mattresses for the Army. I am not responsible for the financial operation of any particular workshop which has been given work under this contract by the Association.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will arrange for a demonstration of one of the 67 fork-lift trucks purchased from the United States of America.

I should be pleased to make arrangements for the hon. Gentleman to inspect one of these fork-lift trucks, either at a suitable military establishment, or the factory where the trucks are being assembled.

asked the Secretary of State for War in what respect the Clark Ranger fork-lift truck was found to be superior to the Matbro product, of the same type, on the latest date when such equipment was last purchased on behalf of the British Army; what were the dates upon which eligibility tests were conducted, and the decision to purchase made; and if he will make a statement.

With regard to the first part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Erith and Cray-ford (Mr. Dodds) on 20th May, 1963. The various trucks available, including six British models, were all carefully considered at the end of 1961 and the beginning of 1962. The order for the American machine was placed on the 10th August, 1962.

asked the Secretary of State for War what were the secondary schools or equivalents attended by each officer commissioned, other than quartermaster, into each regiment of Guards in the last five years.

Excluding quartermasters, all officers commissioned into the Brigade of Guards during the last five years attended independent schools with the exception of one who attended a direct grant school and was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards, and of one who attended a State secondary school and two who were educated abroad, all of whom were commissioned into the Coldstream Guards.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers, other than quartermasters, commissioned into each regiment of Guards in the last 10 years, received a substantial proportion of their education at State secondary schools.

One who was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards.

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of officers with university degrees commissioned in the last five years, and the number commissioned into each regiment of Guards.

153 university graduates have been granted permanent Regular Army commissions in the last five years. One was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards and two each into the Scots, Trish and Welsh Guards.

asked the Secretary of State for War how many officers commissioned into regiments of the Welsh Brigade in the last 10 years received a substantial proportion of their education at State secondary schools; and at what other types of school the others were educated.

Of the 84 officers commissioned into the Welsh Brigade in the last ten years, 34 were educated at schools which are predominantly State controlled. The remainder received their education at schools which are members of the Headmasters' Conference.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many applicants there were for the recently advertised jobs at the Bishopbriggs depot of the Department of Agriculture; how many of these were found suitable; and how many were engaged.

There were 263 applications or inquiries for the advertised jobs at the Bishopbriggs depot. At least nine of the applicants seemed to be suitable for the work, but none have yet been engaged, since the Department do not yet know how many of their Lanark employees will wish to remain in the Department's service.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the annual costs of the daily conveyance of employees of the Scottish Department of Agriculture from Lanark to the Bishopbriggs depot; and what would be the annual cost of their subsistence if transport facilities were to be withdrawn.

The annual cost of conveying seven employees daily from Lanark to Bishopbriggs would be approximately £1,000. If all seven decided to remain in the Department's employment and to move their homes to Bishopbriggs, the annual cost of their subsistence pending removal, for a maximum of three years, would not exceed £1,350.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many school-leavers are attending pre-industrial courses in technical colleges in Fife; and how many school-leavers have returned to school though registered for work with the Youth Employment Office.

In Fife 761 students are attending pre-employment courses; information on the number of school leavers who may have returned to school is not readily available and could be obtained only by special detailed enquiries which I would not feel justified in having undertaken.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the plans and estimated costs of the extension to the Watt Memorial College, Greenock, have been submitted and approved.

Plans and estimated costs of an extension proposed on a small area of ground at the Boom Defence Depot, Greenock, have now been submitted. I have not yet been able to approve them as I have had to refer a planning aspect of the proposal to Greenock Town Council. as local planning authority. Subject to their reply, I would hope to issue approval without delay.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the town council of Stromness about the conveyance of goods south from Stromness.

I have received a letter from the council urging the retention of the railway services between Inverness and Thurso. 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 Beeching Report.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to ensure that fifth and sixth form pupils at Scottish schools are provided with full information about Voluntary Service Overseas.

My Department has put the Voluntary Service Overseas organisation in touch with Scottish schools through the Association of Directors of Education and advised the organisation on means of making their scheme known in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in view of the opinion of the West Lothian Education Committee that the new bursary regulations will reduce the number of children staying on at school, he will increase bursaries for children of parents in the income group £800–£1,000 per year.

Draft Education Authority Bursarie.3 Regulations incorporating the recommendations of a working party of local authority and Departmental officials were issued last month for the comments of the various educational interests, and I will consider all their views before I decide what to include in the final regulations.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the numbers of maternity beds deficient in each hospital region at present on the basis of the minimum requirements of the Montgomery Report.

The following table gives the information asked for:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT showing the ratio of the number of school children to each full-time dental officer in each local authority area at the nearest convenient date.

The following table shows (to the nearest hundred) the number of school children to each dental officer, in each education authority area in Scotland at 31st July, 1962. Two part-time officers each working half time in the school dental service are reckoned as one

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics he has showing the extent of the overloading of trunk and classified roads, respectively; and whether he will publish them in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

There is a design capacity for each standard of construction: this capacity is not the maximum flow attainable but is one which allows reasonable opportunities for drivers to overtake slower vehicles and maintain their speeds: it allows occasional high peaks of traffic to be carried but with less freedom of movement and at a reduced speed. At the trunk road census in August, 1961, the latest convenient date, traffic on 76 per cent. of the trunk road mileage in Scotland did not exceed the design capacity on the remaining 24 per cent. it did to a lesser or greater degree. I have no comparable up-to-date statistics for classified roads in Scotland.

asked the Secretary of State for Air why ejector seats are provided for the pilot and copilot only and not for all members of the crew of V-bombers.

The rear crew members are provided with an escape hatch. This is inherent in the design of the aircraft and could not be changed without extensive structural alterations.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has, following his discussions with the shipping and shipbuilding industries, for the construction of a nuclear-powered commercial vessel; and when the first such vessel is due to be completed.

The shipping and shipbuilding industries are now considering the matter among themselves, and I hope to have their initial reactions shortly. I think that before the end of the year it should be possible to decide whether the time has come to build a nuclear-powered ship. If it is decided to build, and if all went well, the ship could be at sea in 1967.

asked the Minister of Transport if he has yet completed his counts of pedestrian movements by the railway bridge over the Great West Road by the entrance to the Pyrene and Firestone factories; and whether he is prepared to authorise the construction of a footbridge.

Yes.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the establishment of the line of the bypass at the village of Long Newton, if he will give instructions for it to be included in the trunk roads programme for 1964.

I have nothing at present to add to the reply my hon. and gallant Friend gave to the hon. Member on 15th May. I cannot yet say when it will be possible to include this scheme in my trunk roads programme.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will state the quantity of new and reconstructed trunk roads in terms of length and costs, respectively, which have been executed by, or on behalf of, his Department within each of the last five years to the latest convenient date; and what are his proposals in such terms for the next five years in the following county borough council areas, namely, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Bristol, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Kingston-upon-Hull.

There are trunk roads in only three of the county borough areas mentioned. The total mileage is 17 miles of which 13 miles are in the Leeds area. In the last five years one major trunk road improvement scheme has been completed in Leeds at a cost of about £25,000. I propose within the next five years to start work on the improvement of 2¾ miles of trunk road in Leeds at a cost of about £500,000.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals be has, or have been submitted to him, to widen and reconstruct within the next five years the A.65 trunk road from Leeds to Ilkley via the Guiseley-Horsforth and Kirkstall road, and especially that portion of the road within the Leeds County Borough boundary.

The 12½ miles section of the A.65 between Leeds and Burley-in-Wharfedale is a classified Class I road. I have received no proposals for its improvement within the next five years from the Leeds City Council or the West Riding County Council, who are the responsible highway authorities. I have no plans at present for any major improvement of the 3½ miles trunk road section between Burley-in-Wharfedale and Ilkley for which I am responsible.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals he has under consideration for the improvement of road safety at the junction of Hever Road and the A.20 at West Kings-down; and when he expects to make a decision about this matter.

I propose to widen the A.20 for a length of 350 yards at this junction and to construct a central reservation. This will be sufficiently wide to give turning vehicles a waiting place out of the main traffic stream. It will also he of great assistance to pedestrians wishing to cross here. The work will be done this summer.

asked the Minister of Transport if he can now say when the Report of the Worboys Committee on Traffic Signs will be published.

The Report will be published on 4th July. For the benefit of hon. Members of the House, I am arranging for some of the new signs recommended by the Committee to be shown in the House on that day. The British Road Federation have agreed to arrange an exhibition of the signs in London and, as a practical demonstration of the signs in use, the Birmingham Corporation are installing the appropriate signs on a number of roads in the central area of the city. I am grateful for the co-operation of the Birmingham Corporation and the British Road Federation in making these demonstrations to the public possible.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is yet in a position to make a statement on the Report of the Joint Anglo-French Group on the Channel link.

I regret that I am not yet able to add to the Answer I gave my hon. Friend on 8th May.

asked the Minister of Transport by what authority the Marylebone Borough Council employ traffic wardens in plain clothes to supervise parking meters; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent his regulations permit the employment of plain clothes parking meter inspectors, as recently criticised by Mr. Justice Elam at the London Sessions.

Traffic wardens may be employed only by a police authority and must be in uniform. The St. Marylebone Borough Council employ parking attendants to supervise metered parking places for which they are the local authority. They do so under powers derived from Part IV of the London Government Act, 1939. Within the terms of that statute the manner in which they exercise their powers is for the council alone to determine. I understand that all the parking attendants employed by the St. Marylebone Council are normally in uniform, but that one or two are used occasionally in plain clothes to obtain evidence of persistent and serious breaches of the law relating to the use of parking places.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the existing arrangements for the participation of the Metropolitan Police in the training of child cyclists under the National Cycling Proficiency Scheme are to be brought to an end on 31st December next; and what proposals he has for the future training of child cyclists, having regard to the success of the present scheme in reducing accidents.

I am grateful to the Metropolitan Police for the help they have given in training children under the National Cycling Proficiency Scheme. I understand that while they will be unable to run training sessions after the end of this year, they will continue to test children and to train civilian instructors when required. I hope that the local authorities will be able to make alternative arrangements for the training of children.

asked the Minister of Transport what was the number of driving licences issued for road vehicles at the last available date, showing separately licences issued for drivers of agricultural tractors

At the end of April there were approximately 11½ million substantive and 1½ million provisional driving licences issued for road vehicles. Separate figures for agricultural tractors are not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consult the spending departments, with a view to directing Government work into Coat-bridge and Airdrie, in order to alleviate the high rate of unemployment in this district.

In the placing of contracts, Government Departments continue to give preference to firms in development districts. I hope that the firms in Coatbridge and Airdrie will take full advantage of this preference.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, having regard to the rise in the price of sugar. he will now abolish the tax on sugar confectionery.

No.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what new plans he has to find employment in North Lanarkshire and other parts of Scotland.

In addition to the 26,000 jobs now in prospect for the Scottish development districts, of which about 6,500 are for North Lanarkshire and Shotts, my right hon. Friend is building 17 advance factories in Scotland, including 2 at Shotts and I at Newhouse, and he also proposes to establish a new industrial estate in North Lanarkshire.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Commonwealth immigrants have arrived in the United Kingdom since the coming into force of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act.

In the period 1st July, 1962. to 30th April, 1963. some 262,000 Commonwealth citizens were admitted to the United Kingdom in accordance with the provisions of Part I of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1962. In the same period some 242,000 embarked, the net inward balance being 20,000.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the net inflow of immigrants from the Republic of Eire since 1st July, 1962.

Inquiries are being undertaken and I hope to be in a position to provide some information later in the year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what new plans he has for encouraging a higher rate of improvement of properties owned by private landlords.

I intend to make an early statement which will cover this point.

asked the Minister of Education how many block release courses for young agricultural workers have been organised since the second Lampard-Vachell report; how many students have attended; and how many of these were Forestry Commission employees or from other public departments.

I am collecting this information and will send it to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give a list of all the new schools, and their type, completed in the city of Bradford since 1st January, 1952.

The list is as follows:

asked the Minister of Education when the assessment of the returns of the school building survey will be completed; and if he will, on its completion, publish an analysis of the survey listing the worst school buildings and classifying the most common types of defects.

A summary is being prepared of the survey material, which will include an analysis of the main defects of school buildings. I aim to publish this by the late summer. The summary will be in statistical form.

asked the Minister of Education how many children are now awaiting admission to special schools; and in what categories they are.

The latest information about children awaiting admission to special schools is given in the following table.

asked the Minister of Education how many older students awaiting entry into training colleges have received pre-entry tuition either by correspondence or personally from their training college tutors.

It is a common practice for colleges to advise and encourage older candidates to undertake appropriate further reading or study before the start of their college course, and this is particularly true of the day colleges which cater primarily for such students. But I have no statistical information about these arrangements.