asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that, although the National Health Insurance Acts provide for comprehensive medical treatment for everybody in need of treatment, in many instances National Health Service doctors are unable to prescribe treatment, that people have to go to clinics and other organisations for treatment, and that old age pensioners and those on National Assistance are unable to recover payments made for certificates, medicines and treatment; and whether he will seek to amend the Acts to deal with these anomalies.

No.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will create a central accident unit for research and training.

No.

asked the Minister of Health if the body reviewing hospital medical staffing, following the Platt Committee's Report, has the power to reverse decisions of Whitley Councils which have upgraded posts previously held by senior hospital medical officers to that of consultant.

No.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications for permits under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act have been received, and how many granted, up to the latest convenient date, by the High Commissioner in Kingston, Jamaica; and what special office and staff has been established there for this business.

The Jamaican Government have set up special machinery to handle applications for vouchers and the distribution of vouchers to applicants. The British High Commission in Kingston has certain functions but no special office or staff are required for this. Up to 28th June, 1963, 4,565 applications for vouchers for Jamaicans had been received by my Ministry, and 3,084 vouchers had ben issued.

asked the Minister of Labour what at present is the average interval between receipt and granting of applications for entry vouchers from Commonwealth citizens in the category, under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, of those without special skills or independent means of support; and if he will give figures showing how this interval varies for differing Commonwealth territories.

:Vouchers are at present being issued to persons without special skills or jobs to come to who applied six months ago. The interval between receipt of application and the issue of a voucher will, however, increase substantially in the future because of the large number of persons who have applied since the beginning of this year. Applications are dealt with on the basis of"first come, first served", irrespective of the Commonwealth territory from which they come, and the latter part of the question does not therefore arise.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of wholly unemployed men of 21 years and over to the number of notified unfilled vacancies for men in the London and South-East region and Scottish region, respectively, at the latest available date.

I regret that ratios can only be calculated for men aged 18 years and over. In June these were 2 to 1 and 18 to 1, respectively.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of wholly unemployed boys of under 18 years to the number of notified unfilled vacancies for boys in the London and south-east region and in the Scottish region, respectively, at the latest available date.

At the June count, for every 100 wholly unemployed boys there were 371 notified vacancies in the London and South Eastern region and 32 in Scotland.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of apprentices to time-served coppersmiths employed in Scottish industry at the latest convenient date.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of apprentices to time-served sheet metal workers employed in Scottish industry at the latest convenient date.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of apprentices to time-served boilermakers employed in Scottish industry at the latest convenient date.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of apprentices to craftsmen in Scottish industry at the latest convenient date.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of apprentices to time-served turners employed in Scottish industry at the latest convenient date.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the ratio of apprentices to time-served fitters employed in Scottish industry at the latest convenient date.

Figures are not yet available from the 1961 census. Meanwhile a special inquiry is being made by my Department into the number of craftsmen and apprentices employed in manufacturing industry and the figures should be available towards the end of the year.

asked the Minister of Labour what was the estimated number of technician apprenticeships in force in Great Britain at the latest convenient date; and what proportion of these were in Scotland.

I regret the information is not available. Technician apprenticeships are not classified separately from craft and other apprenticeships. There is no generally accepted definition of a technician.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will undertake a survey of registered unemployed disabled men in Scotland in order to ascertain the full extent to which the present provisions of Remploy factories should be extended.

My local offices already make a monthly return of unemployed disabled people who are eligible for Remploy and other sheltered workshops.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to provide work for those who are registered disabled unemployed but who are not severely enough disabled to be eligible for employment with Remploy.

My disablement resettlement officers endeavour to find employment in ordinary industry for registered disabled persons who are not in need of sheltered employment. The Disabled Persons (Employment) Act, 1944, places an obligation on employers to employ a quota of such persons.

asked the Minister of Labour how many redundancies among workers in Glasgow have been reported to his Department over the year up to the latest convenient date.

In the 12 months ending mid-May, 1963, 176 redundancies were reported affecting 8,255 male and 1,453 female workers.

asked the Minister of Labour how many redundancies among Scottish workers have been reported to his Department over the year up to the latest convenient date.

In the 12 months ending mid-May, 1963, 473 redundancies were reported affecting 23,811 male and 5,456 female workers.

asked the Minister of Labour by what authority the manager of the Government training centre at Cippenham, Slough, has prohibited the distribution of football pool coupons at the trainees' hostel; and if he will make a statement.

Normal postal distribution of football pool coupons to trainees residing in the Cippenham hostel is permitted. What has been stopped is the organised collection of coupons and stake money by a trainee acting as a commission agent. Gambling and betting on Government premises are forbidden by long-established rules, of which every trainee has a copy.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what action has been taken by the British delegate on the Security Council of the United Nations on the request made by the 32 African member States for a meeting of the Council to consider Portuguese policies in its African colonies and the apartheid policy of the Republic of South Africa in the light of the decisions of the conference of heads of African States at Addis Ababa to press for sanctions against these two countries.

None. The Council is empowered to meet at any time and will no doubt do so to consider these matters as soon as members think this appropriate.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what instructions he has now given to the United Kingdom representative in the United Nations regarding new ways by which the United Nations might overcome its present financial difficulties.

On 27th June the General Assembly adopted seven resolutions relat-

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state by trade, age and sex the number of workers in West Cornwall, including the Falmouth and Camborne constituency, registered as unemployed at the last count.

Following is the information required:ing to the financing of United Nations peace-keeping operations. The United Kingdom Delegation were instructed to vote in favour of all seven.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what reports he has received from the United Nations about the use of nerve gas by Egyptian forces in the Yemen; and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he is aware that the owners of the Aberdeen trawler"Milwood" are being inconvenienced by the delay in hearing and deciding the relevant issues in dispute relating to the trawler's capture at sea and detention in Iceland, and are being deprived of her use as a money-making ship; what stage the investigation has reached; and if he will take urgent steps to secure her release and restoration to her owners in Aberdeen.

On 26th June the Icelandic Supreme Court upheld the court of inquiry's ruling under which the"Milwood"is being detained, and stated that the trawler might continue to be detained until the case against her skipper had been heard. The case has been called for 5th September.The Icelandic Government have informed Her Majesty's Ambassador that the Supreme Court's ruling is permissive, not mandatory. The representatives of the trawler's owner are therefore trying to arrange for her release as soon as possible.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what official action was taken on behalf of Mr. James Hunter, a British subject, with regard to the search of his house and his interrogation by the Congolese Sûreté in Elisabethville; what other British subjects have been arrested, imprisoned, molested and interrogated in Katanga since the last United Nations offensive; and what explanations, apologies and reports have been received in these cases.

Mr. Hunter was released shortly after his detention for questioning and no official action was necessary. Full reports have been received of all cases in which British subjects have been interrogated. No British subjects have however been imprisoned or seriously molested. No apologies have been called for.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what steps he has taken to ask for the help of the Imam of the Yemen, and his Government, whom Her Majesty's Government recognise, for the release of the British troops in the hands of the frontier tribes; and if he will make a statement.

None.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations have been made to the United Arab Republic Government about the British Service personnel now imprisoned in the Yemen

Her Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo has asked the United Arab Republic Government to use their good offices with the Yemeni Republican authorities to secure the release of the men. The United Arab Republic authorities said that their representatives on the spot would work for the return of the prisoners to Aden.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what further information he now has about the detention of British subjects captured in Yemen territory.

The United States Chargé ďAffaires has reported that the 16 men arrived in Taiz on 28th June where they are well housed and in good health. Negotiations for their release are continuing.

asked the Lord Privy Seal why his Department refuses to issue visas and travel documents for the wives and families of East German trade representatives in the United Kingdom.

There is no such refusal.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if, following the talks between the Prime Minister and President Kennedy, he will make a further statement on Her Majesty's Government's attitude to proposals for a mixed-manned nuclear force.

My right hon. Friend's discussions with the President of the United States were confidential. The House will have seen the communiquéand I cannot enlarge on it at this stage.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made towards the distribution of the sum made available to relieve comparative hardship among British owners of desequestrated property in the United Arab Republic.

The Egyptian Grants Committee, whose constitution my hon. Friend the then Under-Secretary announced in the House on 7th February has received a number of applications for these grants and has made a preliminary examination of them. It now appears, however, that a number of potential applicants may well have been unable, for various reasons, to complete their applications before the terminal date of 1st July. It has therefore been decided to extend the time limit for applications for grants out of the £2½ million fund up to September 1st, 1963. No application that is not received in completed and definitive form by that date will be considered by the Committee; and no further extension of the time limit is contemplated.This time limit does not apply to applications for grants out of the £500,000 fund allocated for assistance towards the settlement of agents' charges.

asked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will give further assistance to Toplis and Harding (Middle East) Limited towards the expenses incurred by them in helping to secure the rights of British subjects under the Anglo-Egyptian Financial Agreement of 1959.

This matter is being studied urgently and I hope to be able to give a further reply in the near future.

asked the Minister of Aviation what practical results were achieved on his recent visit to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement which I made last Tuesday.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will now make a statement on the terms of the agreement reached with Glasgow Corporation covering the construction, maintenance and operation of Abbotsinch Airport.

At its meeting on 27th June Glasgow Corporation agreed to take over and run the new airport at Abbotsinoh on its completion.I welcome the Corporation's decision which enables us to press ahead with the project. The first tenders will be invited shortly, and I hope that construction work can start this year. We aim to transfer Glasgow's air services from Renfrew to the new airport by the summer of 1966. Following are the terms of the agreement:

asked the Minister of Aviation what plans he has for providing new freight sheds for British European Airways at London Airport.

This month we are rehousing some of the occupants of B.E.A.'s temporary buildings and shall later be providing land for further expansion. In the longer term we have plans for a permanent freight terminal outside the central area. The report of a working party which has been studying the problem of air freight will be published this month. I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he received the letter of Aberdeen Trades Council protesting against his withdrawal from the market of the eggs which were formerly sold as seconds, thereby depriving the public of this basic food; and what reply he has sent.

My right hon. Friend received this letter, which was addressed to the hon. and learned Member, on 20th June. He has now replied to the hon. and learned Member pointing out that the proposal referred to, which I understand has not yet been implemented, was not made by him but by the British Egg Marketing Board.

asked the Attorney-General whether inquiries by the police into the bribing of football players by a syndicate have now been concluded; if a report is now in the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and if he will make a statement.

Police inquiries are still in progress.

asked the Minister of Power if he will give the figures for each of the last ten years of tin miners in West Cornwall, including the Falmouth and Camborne constituency, in whom pneumoconiosis was diagnosed for the first time, and the percentage that these represented of the total number of men employed in Cornish tin mines.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Power what estimate has now been made concerning the effect that the introduction of methane gas will have upon the coal industry of this country and on its manpower requirements.

The net effect on the coal industry and mining employment should be relatively small: the alternative to methane would have been in large part oil.

asked the Minister of Power if he will list in the Official Report the nuclear power stations which are planned, giving the type of

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will give details of the nature of the complaint made to him officially by the Government of Pakistan regarding information contained in a Sunday newspaper of happenings alleged to have taken place at Cliveden; and whether he will make a statement.

In a letter to my Office the Pakistan High Commission put it on record that certain statements which have appeared in the Press are incorrect.

asked the Minister of Defence if, for the convenience of hon. Members and in order to prevent misunderstanding in Parliamentary debate

:This information for nuclear power stations in England and Wales, planned by the Central Electricity Generating Board* is given in the table below. I have asked my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to write to the hon. Member about the Scottish position.and international negotiation, he will circulate in HANSARD a brief glossary defining the words multinational, multilateral, mixed-manned, multi-manned and other such terms used in the context of current discussions on defence, as they are interpreted by Her Majesty's Government.

Yes.Following are the definitions:

asked the First Secretary of State if he is aware of the concern of many Europeans, who are resident in Nyasaland and who have Federal citizenship, regarding their future when Nyasaland finally secedes from the Federation; and, in view of the large number of farmers and property owners who are worried about compensation, what consideration he has given to referring this matter to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for a ruling.

As my right hon. Friend is in Africa, I have been asked to reply.I appreciate the concern of many Europeans who are resident in Nyasaland. The question of citizenship is one of the matters currently under consideration.As regards the second part of the Question, there is no plan for the payment of compensation and consideration has not been given to referring the matter to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now state in respect of what offence Miss Marilyn Rice-Davies was granted bail on 16th June last.

The suspected larceny of a television set.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions now exist to prevent Commonwealth citizens entering the United Kingdom, without permits, via the Irish Republic.

There is no immigration control on traffic between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, but the Government of the Republic control the entry of Commonwealth citizens from overseas into the Republic.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistical information has now been collected about the flow of migrants and temporary workers to the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic through the special checks foreshadowed during discussion of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act; and whether he will summarise in the Official Report the figures up to the latest convenient date, compared with estimates for previous years.

Later in the year I hope to be able to publish information about movements in 1962–63, but no estimates for previous years are practicable.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, in a number of cases where rents of properties are controlled under the Rent Restrictions Acts, these properties are assessed for rates by the valuation officer at a gross value in excess of the controlled rent; whether he is satisfied that this is not inequitable; and whether he will give instructions to valuation officers that; in assessing rent controlled property, the gross rateable value should be based on the rent which the owner can legally charge.

In 1922 the House of Lords upheld the previously held view of the law in England and Wales that in assessing the gross value of property for rating purposes, no account should be taken of any statutory restriction upon the rent obtainable. Were this not so, one of the consequences would be that an owner-occupier or a tenant of an uncontrolled house might find himself paying more rates than the tenant of an identical house next door who was paying a controlled rent. It is, of course, normally the case that where a landlord is in receipt of a controlled rent and is liable for rates he can recover them in full from his tenant. Valuation officers must make their assessments on the basis laid down by the law.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what was the number of successful applicants for commissions in the period 1952–62; how many of these candidates were educated at independent public schools, direct grant schools, and state schools, respectively; and what percentage of the whole these numbers constitute, respectively.

Excluding National Service officers, there were 17,932 successful applicants for commissions in the Royal Air Force during the years 1952–62 inclusive. I regret that I cannot give the information requested about the types of schools they attended. It could only be obtained by examining each officer's personal record which would be a lengthy and disproportionately expensive business. Information is however available about officer cadet-ships awarded during the period 1954–62 when out of a total of 1,214 cadetships, 492, or 40 per cent., went to boys from independent schools, 177, or 15 per cent. to boys from direct grant schools and 545, or 45 per cent., to boys from State schools.

asked the Postmaster-General what consideration he gave to methods of testing public demand for pay-television other than that of selected viewers in selected areas; and whether, in the case of a positive reaction in favour in a test area, he intends automatically to grant a permanent licence.

Since the service is unknown in this country I take the view that nothing short of an experiment in the field would have any real value.The question of a permanent service must be considered in the light of the experiment as a whole.

asked the Postmaster-General whether any code of conduct is to be imposed upon pay television licensees during their experimental period.

Such conditions as I consider necessary will be imposed on pay-television operators by means of my licence.

asked the Postmaster-General what is the expected rental from pay-television licensees for the use of Post Office equipment and wire distribution system.

It is not my present intention that wire distribution networks should be established by the Post Office. In so far as pay-television licensees may require the use of Post Office telecommunication facilities the appropriate charges will be made.

asked the Postmaster-General if he is yet able to announce the appointment of a Chairman of the Independent Television Authority.

In exercise of my powers under Section 1(3) of the Television Act, 1954, I have today appointed the right honourable the Lord Hill of Luton to the post of Chairman of the Independent Television Authority. His appointment will run initially until 29th July, 1964, when the Television Act, 1954, expires; and I intend to extend his appointment for a further period, making five years in all, when the Television Bill has received the Royal Assent. In view of the Chairman's greater responsibilities arising out of the Television Bill the remuneration will be increased to £5,000 a year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has considered the representations made to him by residents in the Woods Avenue and Travellers Lane area of Hatfield about the proposal to bring traffic to Hatfield Town Centre from the Southern Link Road along Woods Avenue and Travellers Lane; and when he expects to reach a decision on their request for a local public inquiry.

Yes. My right hon. Friend is sending an official to Hatfield to hear objections and to listen to suggestions for alternatives.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works if he will list the amount of expenditure proposed in the 1963–64 Estimates for new building and construction, and for repairs and maintenance, respectively, for the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, respectively; and what proportion will be spent abroad and in the United Kingdom in each case.

The figures are given in Votes 4, 5 and 6 of the Civil Estimates, Class IX. They are:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report of the working party on the linkage of secondary and further education will be available.

There will be published tomorrow the report of the working party appointed by my predecessor in 1961 to consider means of improving the arrangements for co-ordination between secondary and further education. The working party's report"From School to Further Education" is the outcome of an exhaustive study not only of the relationship between secondary and further education but also of the kinds of course which should be available and the ways in which they can best be organised. The working party makes many important practical recommendations which I shall be considering further in the light of the comments of education authorities and other interested bodies, and I am commending the report to their attention.

asked the Minister of Transport how he proposes to inform the interested parties and members of the public of the terms of his consent to a passenger closure proposal under Section 56(11) of the Transport Act, 1962, and of any conditions that he may attach to it.

The procedure to be followed will be that established last year under which the Railways Board or the London Board (as the case may be) publishes my consent (of which any conditions would be an essential part) in full in the local newspapers in which it published the statutory notice of closure under Section 56(7) of the Act. The board concerned also posts copies of the consent on all stations affected. The Area Transport Users Consultative Committee send copies to the principal objectors. I have arranged that hon. Members who have interested themselves in a particular proposal shall also be informed.

asked the Minister of Transport what proposals he has for linking the Blackwall Tunnel and Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel with the M.1.

Traffic between the M.1 and the tunnels will be helped by a number of schemes which are in progress or planned for the improvement of A. 13 and other existing roads during the next few years, and also by the construction of new roads, notably the D. Ring Road, the North Orbital Road, the Docks Relief Road and the London-Bishop's Stortford Motorway.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the double white line recently painted on the Inchbrook corner of the Stroud-Nails-worth road appears to make it legally impossible and practically dangerous for the inhabitants of Inchbrook to reach their houses from the Stroud road; and what steps he proposes to rectify this.

The Traffic Signs Regulations permit vehicles to cross the continuous prohibitory line in order to gain access to a side road or to premises flanking the road. It does not, of course, follow that it is always safe for them to do so.In this case, it is in the interests of road safety that there should be no gaps in the double white lines on the Inchbrook corner.

asked the Secretary of State for War what was the number of successful applicants for commissions in the period 1952–62; how many of these candidates were educated at independent public schools, direct grant schools, and state schools, respectively; and what percentage of the whole these numbers constitute, respectively.

I regret that records are not maintained in such a way as to enable all the information asked for to be provided. However, of the 4,728 officer cadets who have entered the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the past ten years, 3,122 or 66 per cent. came from independent public schools and direct grant schools, and 1,606 or 34 per cent. came from other schools.