asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many applications for clothing and footwear grants received by the National Assistance Board in Glasgow were granted and how many refused in 1960, 1961 and 1962.

The numbers of discretionary lump-sum grants made by the offices of the National Assistance Board in Glasgow to meet exceptional needs, mainly for clothing, were 13,331 in 1960, 12,868 in 1961 and 13,115 in 1962, and the numbers of applications refused were respectively 2,679, 2,583 and 3,062.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance at what date the standard death grant was fixed at £25; and what increase would now be required to bring the real value of the grant to the same level as at that date.

This rate was fixed in legislation passed on 28th November, 1957. Assuming that the hon. Member is considering real value on the basis of the Retail Prices Index, the rate would have to be increased by £3 10s. 6d. to equal the value it had at that time.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance which diseases are held by his Department to be attributable to, or capable of being aggravated by, service in the Armed Forces.

As such matters are not determined in respect of diseases as such, there is no list of diseases held to be attributable to, or capable of being aggravated by, service in the Armed Forces. What has to be determined under the provisions of the Royal Warrants is whether or not, in the particular circumstances of each individual case, the disease from which a man is suffering could, or could not, be held to be attributable to, or aggravated by service.

asked the Minister of Health what plans and proposals he has received for his approval from the Shropshire County Council for the reconstruction or building of a training centre, in Wellington, for the mentally handicapped children in the Wrekin Division.

Outline proposals for a new centre. I will recommend loan sanction in this financial year if the plans are ready.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to ensure that better facilities are provided for the repair and adjustment of artificial limbs and appliances and for fittings for spare limbs.

Yes. These facilities are steadily being improved.

asked the Minister of Health what facilities for acupuncture treatment are available within the National Health Service, in particular for arthritic patients.

I am advised that no special facilities are required.

asked the Minister of Health how many time-expired senior registrars there were in the hospital service at the latest date for which figures are available; if he will state the comparable figures for a year earlier; and how many achieved consultant status and how many left the hospital service in the intervening 12 months.

113 at 30th September, 1962 (including 12 who also held higher posts); 124 at 30th September, 1961 (including 14 who also held higher posts), of whom 34 achieved consultant status and 2 senior hospital medical officer status in the intervening 12 months and 8 were not recorded as in a hospital service post at 30th September, 1962.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give the percentage figures of unemployment within the employment exchanges of Durham and Spennymoor up to the latest available date.

On 13th May, 1963, the rate for Durham was 3·1 per cent., and for the Bishop Auckland travel-to-work group, of which Spennymoor forms part, 6·7 per cent.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that 150 joiners and 50 apprentices have come out on unofficial strike at the Lithgow shipyards in Glasgow, where the company is tendering to build four fish-canning factory ships for Russia; what action he is taking to stop this dispute which threatens exports and creates unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is aware of this unofficial strike and our officers have been in touch with the Clyde Shipbuilders' Association and the local officials of the trade union. The matter is now being dealt with through the shipbuilding industry's agreed arrangements for dealing with disputes. In view of this my right hon. Friend does not propose to intervene but our officers will remain in touch.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that 233 electricians employed by Vickers-Armstrongs at Barrow-in-Furness have been on unofficial strike for over a week over a demarcation dispute with the sheet metal workers; if he will seek to use his good offices to bring this dispute to an end; and if he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend will know the men returned to work on 21st May and the T.U.C. arranged an arbitration hearing on 24th May when an award was made.

asked the Minister of Labour how many firms have ceased production in the North-East during the three years ended April, 1963; and how many workpeople have lost their employment in consequence.

33 and 3,640 respectively, according to reports received by our local offices.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give a list of the countries which have so far made no contribution to the United Nations Emergency Force Special Account and to the Congo Ad Hoc Account, respectively.

The following are the States who, though members of the Organisation at the time of assessment, have so far made no contribution to:(

asked the Lord Privy Seal what military commitments exist between the South East Asia Treaty Organisation and Siam.

Thailand is a member of of the South East Asia Treaty Organisation. The commitments of members of the Organisation to each other are set out in the South East Asia Collective Defence Treaty, signed in Manila on September 8, 1954 [Cmd. 9282].

asked the Minister of Aviation (1) whether he will make a statement about the progress of re-equipment of the fleet of British European Airways aircraft with the Trident, and in particular on the possibility of this re-equipment involving an all-Trident fleet for continental regional operations;(2) what information he has as to when British European Airways is expected to finalise its decision to take up its option on 12 Trident airliners; what will be the value of this order; and which version of this aircraft will be ordered.

B.E.A. has already placed orders for 24 Trident I aircraft.Deliveries are expected to begin about the end of this year and the Trident will be introduced on the Corporation's normal scheduled services in April, 1964.I understand discussions are now in progress between the Corporation and the manufacturers regarding the Corporation's option on further aircraft of this type. Decisions on the number and mark of aircraft to be ordered are of course primarily matters for the Corporation.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will list the firms enjoying concessions at London Airport, and other similar airports under his control, indicating which of them make a payment to his Department based on profits and which on gross turnover, respectively; if he will summarise the financial terms of each concession; and if he will make a statement.

A list of firms holding concessions at airports under my control is not available centrally.I am having a list compiled showing the basis on which payment is made to my Department and will send it to my hon. Friend.It is contrary to established practice to give details of the financial terms of individual concessions.

asked the Minister of Aviation when the Transport Aircraft Requirements Committee will meet to consider proposals on the development of the Skyvan light freighter; and if he will make a statement.

I understand the company is formulating revised proposals for this project which will be submitted to the Department for consideration very soon. In the meantime the Transport Aircraft Requirements Committee is being kept in touch with the progress on the flight test programme.

asked the Secretary of State for War when he expects to release the 700 acres of surplus land in Woolwich Arsenal to the London County Council.

I am at present discussing the future of the 720 acres of surplus land at Woolwich Arsenal with other interested Government Departments, the Central Electricity Generating Board and the London County Council. I regret that it is too early to say when these discussions will be concluded or what their outcome will be.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether, in order to recognise the value put into their own homes for bona fide members of self-build housing societies and to encourage self-help in solving the housing shortage, he will introduce immediate legislation to empower the National Assistance Board to institute a rate supplement scheme on a code basis for members of such societies who are not paying the standard rate of Income Tax, such supplements, as a reduction in their personal liability, to be paid direct to the rating authority by the Board.

No. While their initiative in providing themselves with houses at lower cost is admirable, my right hon. Friend does not regard it as sufficient reason for requiring other taxpayers to pay part of their rates for them. I am sure that before contemplating relief for any group of ratepayers we must wait for the Allen Committee to establish the facts about the impact of rates on different sections of the community and different income groups.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local and Minister for Welsh Affairs why he replied to 13 individual constituency protests about rating, sent to him by the hon. Member for Arundel and Shoreham, with one letter and copy only, dated 16th May, 1963; if he will in future reply individually to each constituency rating case raised with him by hon. Members; and if, in view of the seriousness of all new rating protests, he will instruct his Department to draft his reply in under the five weeks taken in most of these 13 cases in question.

I regret if the comprehensive reply to the 13 letters caused any difficulty to my hon. and gallant

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he will make a statement upon the future housing policy of Her Majesty's Government.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, and I are today presenting to Parliament a White Paper which will be published tomorrow and which gives a comprehensive statement of the Government's housing policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give full details of the out-turn of the agricultural subsidies for 1962–63, as compared with 1961–62.

Following are the latest out-turn figures (subject to final adjustment and audit) of the cost of agricultural support in the financial year 1962–63 (class V, Votes 3, 4, 5 and 6), with comparable figures for the financial year 1961–62.

asked the Minister of Education the numbers of new primary and secondary schools built in the County of Kent since 1st January 1952.

Ninety-eight primary schools and 69 secondary schools have been completed in the administrative County of Kent. In addition one primary school and three secondary schools have been built in the City of Canterbury.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, if he will publish the population figures for each of the proposed constituencies in Kenya.

pursuant to his reply of 12th February [OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 671, c. 173] supplied the following information:The following table shows the populalation of 76 of the 117 constituencies delimited by the Kenya Constituencies Delimitation Commission. The names and numbers of the constituencies correspond with those given in the Report of the Commission (Cmnd. 1921). Precise population figures are not available for 41 constituencies (Marked NA in the table), since the boundaries of those constituencies do not correspond with the boundaries of the population census areas.

asked the Postmaster-General how many telephones have been installed in the City of Worcester during the past 10 years; and how many persons are on the waiting list.

During the past 10 years 4,485 telephones have been installed in aside the City of Worcester. Leaving aside applications under inquiry or being met, at the present time there are 35 people on the waiting list.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the most recent figures of the total number of immigrants from the Commonwealth and from the Irish Republic since the Commonwealth Immigrants Act came into force; what were the corresponding totals in the previous 12 months; and how many immigrants from the Commonwealth and from the Irish Republic have been deported.

The most recent figures in respect of Commonwealth citizens were given in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Kirkdale (Mr. N. Pannell) on 22nd May. No comparable figures for the previous 12 months are available. I hope to be able to provide some information about immigration from the Irish Republic later in the year. Up to 21st May deportation orders had been made in respect of 81 Commonwealth citizens and 156 citizens of the Irish Republic.

asked the Minister of Transport what advice he received from representatives of the bus industry as to the number of particular local cases in Wales and Monmouthshire in which considerable effort will be required to meet passenger needs where rail services are withdrawn.

When I saw them on 9th April, the bus operators' representatives said only in general terms that particular local cases might need a considerable effort. As the hon. Member knows, however, each proposal to withdraw passenger services from any line or station has to follow the procedure laid down in Section 56 of the Transport Act, 1962. Any particular difficulty in providing alternative services can be considered at that stage.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that motor vehicle owners whose vehicles are used during a breakdown of public transport facilities for other than normal purposes may incur liabilities for which they may not be insured; and whether he proposes any action to safeguard their position.

Appropriate arrangements exist. These have been agreed with motor insurers, for whose co-operation I am very grateful. They would entail the acceptance of some additional risks by insurers and of others by the Government. Advice will be given to vehicle owners should circumstances require.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number, and what percentage it represents, of newly-qualified teachers leaving the Scottish colleges of education recruited by each of the education authorities in each of the years from 1958 to the latest convenient date; and what was the annual loss of teachers by these authorities during the same period.

The individual authorities could supply this information only after considerable research and accordingly I regret that I am unable to provide the figures.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if the recent recommendation from the National Joint Council on teachers' salaries and the arbiters to permit Glasgow Education Authority to pay to teachers in their service £50 per annum above the national salary scales was unanimous; and for what reasons the recommendation was made.

The recommendation, which made no mention of a specific sum, was agreed by both sides of the National Joint Council and accordingly was not referred to the panel of arbiters. I understand that it was proposed by the representative of Glasgow Education Authority as a means of counteracting the serious shortage of teachers in the city. I do not know whether each side was unanimous in agreeing to it.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when Glasgow

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many teachers left the service of Glasgow Education Authority in each of the years from 1955 to the most convenient date.

Additional payments averaging £50 each teacher were made from 1919 to 1945, the period during which minimum national scales operated.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect the voluntary restraint on the recruitment of teachers has had in the education authorities of Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire and Glasgow; what was the quota under the scheme for each of these authorities; and how many were actually recruited by them in the years 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963, respectively.

The following table shows for each of these authorities and for each of the years 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963 the number of teachers, exclusive of married women and retired teachers, which they were entitled to employ under the scheme of restraint and with the exception of the year 1963, for which figures are not yet available, the actual number employed. The final column of the table gives the increase or decrease in the number of such teachers employed between 1960 and 1962.

The figures are not available, and accurate figures would be difficult to obtain.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which education autho- rities offer housing accommodation to teachers in their service.

Any education authority may, with my permission, offer houses for the accommodation of teachers occupying particular posts. These are generally posts in rural districts which would otherwise be impossible to fill.