asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what re-assessment has been, or is being, made of the defence and security requirements of the three High Commission Territories in the light of the coming independence of Kenya and the intended dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

The necessary re-assessment has already begun, but it is too soon to say what the outcome will be.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he is taking about the claim of the Seventh Region in Kenya to join the Somali Republic.

The Governor is coming to London in about a week's time for consultations to prepare for the Independence Conference; and my right hon. Friend will take the opportunity of discussing the problem of the North Eastern Region with him. In the meantime I have no statement to make.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies by what means it is proposed that the land resettlement schemes in Kenya, which are largely financed by the British Government, will be administered after independence; and how European land titles and other rights will be protected.

The schemes will continue to be administered by the Government of Kenya. As at present, the programme for the coming year and the amount of assistance to be made available will be discussed annually with the British Government. Existing titles and interests in land are confirmed in the present Constitution, which also provides safeguards with regard to compulsory acquisition of property and other fundamental rights. We do not contemplate making any basic changes in these provisions in the Independence Constitution.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Gambia (Validation of Elections) Order in Council, 1963, was made; and when it was to come into operation.

The Order in Council was made on 30th May and came into force on 6th June.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a further statement on the situation in Swaziland which has required the intervention of British troops.

Since my right hon. Friend reported to the House on 18th June the situation has remained calm and the two main industries affected by the strike are back to normal. The only function of the British troops has been to help the police maintain law and order. I am glad to say that there were no clashes between the troops and any section of the population. In clashes between the police and strikers, very few people were injured and no serious damage to property occurred.

asked the Postmaster-General (1) what he now estimates will be the increase in the number of telephones and exchange connections in 1963–64, 1964–65 and 1965–66 on the basis of present plans, and on the basis of the 4 per cent. investment figures mentioned in the National Economic Development Council's Report, Growth of the United Kingdom Economy to 1966;(2) whether he is revising his plans to meet the requirements of 4 per cent. growth mentioned in the National Economic Development Council's Report, Growth of the United Kingdom Economy to 1966; and whether he is now seeking authorisation for increased capital investment.

I have already revised my plans in view of the Government's adoption of a 4 per cent. growth target. I am now budgeting for capital expenditure on fixed assets in 1963–64 of £164 million, and I am proposing £190 million for 1964–65, and £211 million for 1965–66, all at March, 1963, prices and wages.On the basis of these figures, I should hope for growth of the system broadly as follows:

asked the Postmaster-General what assumptions about growth in national income he made when formulating his present plans for the expansion and modernisation of the telephone service.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Oral Questions today.

asked the Postmaster-General how much he intends to spend on advertising in the present financial year for the recruitment of staff, and for the expansion of the telephone service.

£283,000 and £250,000, respectively.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now reveal all the firms and their groupings who have requested licences for the pay television experiments.

I have nothing to add at present to my reply to the hon. Member's Question of 9th May.

asked the Postmaster-General why he has appointed Lord Hill to the Chairmanship of the Independent Television Authority.

I have appointed Lord Hill because I think he is the best man for the job.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a statement about the use of Band III to improve and extend the coverage of the existing British Broadcasting Corporation and Independent Television Authority programmes.

Yes. I have now given my approval in principle to—1. Proposals made by the B.B.C. to build additional 405-line stations in Band III to serve the following areas:—

asked the Postmaster-General if he will now make a statement about the opening of ultra high frequency stations for the British Broadcasting Corporation's second television programme.

Yes. I have already authorised the B.B.C. to provide a UHF station at their Crystal Palace site to transmit their second television programme on 625-lines to the London area. The B.B.C. plan to start regular programme transmissions from this station at the beginning of April, 1964.I have now approved in principle the building of a further seventeen high-power UHF stations. It is hoped to open the B.B.C. service at the first eight stations by the end of 1965. They will serve—

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation how much money has been voted by Parliament for expenditure under the Commonwealth supply of teachers scheme; and how much so far has been spent.

Expenditure on the Commonwealth Education Scheme is carried on the vote of my Department and this includes provision for the supply of teachers. Her Majesty's Government has undertaken to make available a sum of up to £6 million for the Commonwealth Education Scheme during the five years ending in 1965. About £1 million of this amount may be used for the various schemes relating to the supply of teachers. So far nearly £700,000 has been spent or committed.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation how many overseas pensioners had been paid their supplements under the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1962, by June 1963; and how many are still to be paid.

About 2,500 pensions supplements were in payment by the end of June and some 1,350 more are being put in payment this month. Many returns from pensioners paid overseas have yet to come in, but subject to these returns it is possible that between 4,000 and 4,500 supplements have still to be awarded.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation when he expects that all pension supplements to overseas pensioners under the Pensions (Increase) Act, 1962, will have been paid.

I hope that the payment of arrears of pension supplements will be completed by the end of October, 1963.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what steps he proposes to take to implement the recommendations of the Bridges Committee.

I hope to be able to make a statement before the Summer Recess.

asked the President of the Board of Trade to what extent the terms of reference of the Consumer Council will enable it to inquire into the disposal of tickets for public entertainment, sold at established prices and resold at higher prices, with a view to establishing the facts and making recommendations for action.

If the Consumer Council thought that they ought to enquire

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the marginal into this subject, my right hon. Friend would see no objection.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many university places are expected to be available for new entrants from Wales this autumn.

No estimate can be made, since universities do not select their students by reference to their place of residence.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the Gross National Product was taken by taxation in the United Kingdom and what information he has on this point from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development with regard to France, United States of America, Belgium, West Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

The latest available figures are given in the table below. Social security contributions, both by employers and by employees, are included in view of the wide differences between countries in the extent to which social security benefits are financed by specific contributions or from general taxation. In accordance with the O.E.C.D. practice, death duties are regarded as capital transfers and are excluded from the figures given in the table.rate of tax paid by the average man on earnings of £800, £1,500, £3,000 and £10,000 in 1961, and what information he has on this point from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development with regard to France, the United States, Belgium, West Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The table below gives the margin rates of tax payable for 1961–62 in the United Kingdom on salaries earned by a single man, a married man with no children and a married man

asked the Secretary to the Treasury what is the present average daily sale of HANSARD; how this compares with the average daily sale in the last three months of 1945, in 1946, 1950, 1951, 1955, and 1960; and how many copies of HANSARD, Volume 679, No. 127, have been sold so far.

The present average daily sale of Commons Daily Debates is 2,170 copies. This compared with 8,889 copies for the last 3 months of 1945. For the whole of the year 1946 the figure was 6,608; for 1950, 3,384; for 1951, 3,256; for 1955, 2,678; and for 1960, 2,332. 4,243 copies of HANSARD, Volume 679, No. 127 have been sold.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations he has received from the Soviet Government against the United States proposal for a mixed-manned North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nuclear force in which Western Germany would play a major rôle; if, before accepting this proposal, he will take steps to meet the Soviet concern; and if he will make a statement.

The United States proposal for a mixed-manned North Atlantic Treaty Organisation nuclear force was the subject of a Soviet Note of 8th April, and was mentioned in a further Soviet Note of 20th May. The views of Her Majesty's Government on the Soviet arguments were contained in the replies to the two Notes, handed to the Soviet Government on 18th May and 26th June, respectively, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Lord Privy Seal on what date or dates Mr. H. G. Balfour Paul was questioned in connection with the Philby affair.

At no tune has he been questioned about this. He has had no connection with, nor been in any way privy to, the investigation which preceded Mr. Philby's disappearance.

asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will instruct his permanent representative in the United Nations to raise in the appropriate organ of the United Nations the action of the Government of the United States of America in arresting a member of the United Nations Secretariat on a charge of espionage without prior consultation with the Secretary General and in violation of Articles 100 and 105 of the Charter.

No. Her Majesty's Government have no standing in this matter. The status of employees of the United Nations is governed by United States legislation on privileges and immunities, which is accepted by the United Nations Secretariat. On the evidence available, the action of the United States Government does not appear to be a violation of the Charter.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what instructions are being sent to the British delegation to the United Nations with regard to their vote and comment on the resolution on Malta by the Special Committee of Twenty-four when that resolution comes before the General Assembly.

The resolution in question will not come before the General Assembly until its next regular session, which begins on 17th September. Mean while, a conference has been called in London this month to discuss Malta's independence. It would, therefore, be premature to send instructions to the British delegation at present.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what is the function of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Parliamentarians Conference; how the delegates are elected; and what is the annual cost to the United Kingdom of the delegation and secretariat.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Parliamentarians' Conference provides a valuable link between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the parliamentarians of member countries. There is no uniform procedure for the selection of national delegations. In this country delegates have been selected on the nomination of the leaders of the political parties, in proportion to their parliamentary strength. Her Majesty's Government make an annual grant-in-aid to the conference, and also pay the travelling and subsistence expenses of the United Kingdom delegates. In the last financial year the grant-in-aid amounted to approximately £7,800 and the expenses to £2,800.

asked the Minister of Education what is the average age of the teaching force in England and in Wales.

For qualified teachers employed in maintained primary and secondary schools at the end of March, 1962, the average ages are 38 years and six months in England and 41 years and seven months in Wales.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will move to appoint a tribunal under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921 to inquire into matters concerning Messrs. Philby, Burgess and Maclean.

No.

asked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that following a request to her by Lord Denning to give verbal evidence in his inquiry into the Profumo case, Miss Marilyn Rice-Davies left for a visit to Majorca; and whether he will now take steps to give Lord Denning powers to enable him to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence.

Lord Denning has informed me that he has not so far had any need of power to compel witnesses to attend and give evidence before him.

asked the Minister of Aviation why a Royal Air Force exercise was permitted to hold up certain civil air flights out of, and into, London Airport on Tuesday, 4th June last.

There was a rehearsal on 4th June by the Royal Air Force aircraft which were to lead the ceremonial fly past over central London on the occasion of Her Majesty the Queen's birthday on 8th June. For air safety reasons, a few take-off movements at London (Heathrow) Airport were delayed for a matter of minutes. There was no delay to incoming civil air traffic.

asked the Minister of Health when the joint working party to consider the salaries of clinical psychologists, set up by order of the Industrial Court in March, 1963, is expected to report.

I cannot yet say.

asked the Minister of Health how many established posts for clinical psychologists there are in the hospital services; and how many vacancies there were at the latest convenient date.

The number in post (whole-time equivalent) on 30th September, 1962, was 198: information about vacancies is not collected centrally.

asked the Minister of Health when the report of the Annis Gillie Committee on Genera) Practice will be published.

I have not yet received it.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the cause of the poisonous effluent which has recently been polluting a source of the River Rother, where it has been dumped in the past; and what steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence.

I understand that some creosote-like waste was tipped on land at the head of the river and has been washed into the water. The landowner has taken steps to prevent it spreading by damming the stream in two places. The Kent River Board has asked him to remove the waste from the stream and construct an earth embankment between his land and the stream. It is not known where the waste was tipped previously but I understand that the landowner has told the Board that no more of it will be tipped on his land. I have no doubt that the river board will watch the position carefully.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will estimate what the net additional sum required would be in order to pay old-age pensions at the full rate to all those who do not at present qualify, taking into account the saving on non-contributory old-age pensions, supplements to these, other national insurance benefits received by these people, the increased amounts which would be collected in both direct and indirect taxation, and the reduced expenditure of the National Assistance Board; and if he will set out these calculations in the Official Report for the years 1963–64 and 1964–65, respectively, assuming that taxation rates and National Insurance benefits remain unchanged over these periods.

For each of the years 1963–64 and 1964–65, the amounts involved would be of the following order on the hypothesis that pensions were provided at the standard National Insurance rates, regardless of retirement and contributions, to all those over the minimum pension ages who do not at present qualify:

asked the Minister of Transport what regulations he has issued under the Highways (Provision of Cattle-grids) Act, 1950, as to the construction of cattle-grids.

I have made no regulations. Technical advice was circulated to all highway authorities in 1951, which took account of views expressed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and twenty other interested bodies. I am sending copies of this advice to my hon. Friend.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that the cattle-grids recently installed at Minchinhampton and Selsley Commons, near Stroud, are faultily planned and constructed, are dangerous, and unfit for their purpose; and when he proposes to remedy these defects.

The answer to the first part of the Question is No. Nor am I the highway authority for the roads on which these grids have been placed. The second part, therefore, does not arise.

asked the Minister of Transport, what representations he has received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as to the proper construction of cattle-grids; and to what highway authorities he has made known such representations.

In 1951, when I consulted them about a proposed circular to highway authorities on the provision of cattle-grids the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommended that the gaps between bars should not exceed 4 inches, and the depth of the pits should not exceed 6 inches. Different views were expressed on these points by other bodies consulted. Since then I can trace only one communication from the Society on this subject. It was on a minor point and did not call for a circular to highway authorities.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that cattle-grids with pits underneath the bars more than six inches deep, with angle-iron bars fixed with gaps between the bars more than four inches in width, and with gaps at each side wide enough to tempt men and animals to attempt to pass, such as the cattle-grids at Minchinhampton and Selsley Commons, are dangerous; and whether he accepts legal responsibility for injuries and accidents caused by this type of grid on roads for which he is responsible.

I do not accept that grids designed in accordance with my Department's advice are dangerous. The five inches gap between bars is consistent with the advice given by my hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in a leaflet about cattle-grids on private roads. This recommends a clear space of five inches between round bars or tubes, and of six inches where rolled steel joists are used. It also recommends a depth of pit of not less than ten inches, as there is some reason to think that stock are tempted to escape if the pit is shallower. I agree that a gap at the side of a grid between the grid and the side fence is undesirable. The circular issued in 1951 does not mention this point, but the drawing appended to it, showing the layout of a cattle-grid, clearly indicates that no gap should be left between the sides of the grid and the fences. Legal responsibility for accidents at a cattle-grid must depend upon the circumstances of the case, and I cannot commit myself on hypothetical circumstances. I am not the highway authority for the roads in which the cattle-grids near Stroud have been placed.

asked the Minister of Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that cattle-grids recently installed near Selsley and Minchinhampton Commons are properly lit at night.

Reflectors are installed on the upright posts at all the grids in question. Grant has also been offered to the responsible highway authority towards the installation of artificial lighting at the grid in Market Street, Nailsworth.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the cost of each cattle-grid recently installed, on roads for which he is responsible, near Selsley and Minchinhampton Commons; how many tenders were received; from which firms they came; what prices were quoted; and what pattern of grid was proposed in each case.

The Gloucestershire County Council is the highway authority for the roads on which these grids were placed. They installed seven at a provisional cost of £4,200, towards which I contributed £2,050 grant.The grids were of the standard approved design, except that the metal bars were welded to reduce noise. They were installed by direct labour: I cannot give details of the tenders for the component parts.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for installing more cattle-grids in the Stroud area; of what type they will be; where they will be; how much they will cost; and what steps he is taking to ensure that they will be suitably planned, constructed, sited and lit.

None.

asked the Minister of Transport, in view of the absence of a footway for pedestrians and the nature of the surface, including railway lines, of the swing bridge at Newhaven on the A.259, if he is satisfied that the notice restricting speed to five miles per hour for all traffic crossing the bridge is correctly sited; and what further protection for pedestrians, especially schoolchildren, he will provide to ensure maximum safety whilst crossing the bridge.

asked the Minister of Transport how many pedestrians were involved in fatal, serious and minor accidents whilst crossing the swing bridge at Newhaven, on the A.259, during the last 10 years; and what proposals he has to increase safety at this bridge.

The bridge and the siting of speed limit signs on it are the responsibility of the British Railways Board. Two accidents involving pedestrians have been reported to the police during the last 10 years; both were fatal. The real solution is to provide another bridge and I understand that the county council is considering this, as part of its proposals for a relief road.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will announce the names of the members of the advisory panel, under the chairmanship of Lord Rochdale, to the National Ports Council.

The following gentlemen have agreed to serve on the National Ports Council under the Chairmanship of Lord Rochdale:Mr. F. D. Arney, C.B.E. (ex-General Manager of the Port of Bristol; ex-Chairman of the British Waterways Board).Mr. J. H. Joyce (until recently Chairman of Elder Dempster Lines Ltd.; Chairman of General Council of British Shipping, 1957–58).Mr. Ian W. Macdonald, M.A., C.A. (Chairman of National Commercial Bank of Scotland).