asked the Minister of Education at what age in each of the new towns of England and Wales children have been admitted to primary schools in each of the last 10 years.

With one exception seven years ago, not later than the beginning of the term following the pupils' fifth birthday.

asked the Minister of Education what is his estimate of the number of boys and girls now at school who will qualify and require university education in Wales by the autumn.

I regret that an estimate of school leavers in 1963 with the minimum qualifications for university entry could not be made for Wales without considerable detailed research and calculations. On the restricted question of Welsh applicants for places at the constituent colleges of the University of Wales and the Welsh School of Medicine, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths) on 27th June.

asked the Minister of Education what reply he has sent to the resolution sent to him by the National Association of Teachers of Wales regarding the effects in Wales of the quota-system of teachers.

I replied to the association on 9th July, informing them that I had noted the terms of their resolution covering the operation in Wales of the teacher quota system, and that the points they have raised would be borne in mind at the appropriate time.

asked the Minister of Education how many day training colleges, providing how many places, are now in operation; and how many new ones are proposed.

Eight day training colleges had nearly 1,700 students in 1962–63 and five more will be opening in 1963–64.

asked the Minister of Education how many places are proposed during the next five years for students taking Diploma of Technology courses in colleges of advanced technology, and in other establishments, respectively.

The plans for the expansion of advanced courses in colleges of advanced technology and other colleges are made in terms not of particular courses but of numbers of students. The number of advanced full-time and sandwich students in the colleges of advanced technology is expected to increase from about 10,500 to 15,000 by the mid-1960s and to 21,000 thereafter. In other colleges there are about 28,000 such students and this figure is also expected to increase considerably. Students taking Diploma in Technology courses account for about one-fifth of the present numbers, in the colleges taken as a whole, though in the colleges of advanced technology alone they account for more than half. No estimate can be made of the proportion of students who will be studying for the Diploma in Technology during the next five years, but it is estimated that places will be available in the colleges of advanced technology in the coming session for some 7,400 Dip. Tech. students, and in the other colleges for some 2,500.

asked the Minister of Education on what date the Summerson Committee Report on the implementation of the National Advisory Council proposals for the new Diploma in Art and Design will be published; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the National Council for Diplomas in Art and Design that it expects to publish a Report on its recent decisions on the approval of courses leading to the diploma during the coming autumn term. For a statement on the diploma I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer given to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) on 27th June.

asked the Minister of Education what new decisions he has taken to assist students who are unable to obtain places for the new Diploma in Art and Design and, in particular, to deal with the anomalies notified to his Department.

I wrote to the hon. Lady on this subject on 9th July, agreeing to her suggestion that the special arrangements communicated to art schools and local education authorities on 3rd January last should no longer be confined to students having the necessary educational qualifications for entry to a Diploma in Art and Design course. Local education authorities and art schools will be informed of this as soon as possible. I have been unable to agree to the hon. Lady's further suggestion that students who have successfully completed one year of the intermediate course and a one year pre-diploma course should be exempted from the intermediate examination and accepted as holders of that award. I have considered this suggestion carefully but I am satisfied that it would give rise to very serious difficulties in practice.

asked the Minister of Education if he will take steps to encourage the establishment of more comprehensive schools so as to enable more local authorities to abolish the eleven-plus examination.

It is for local education authorities in the first place to consider the organisation of their secondary schools. But I would draw the hon. Member's attention to what I said on this subject last week at the annual conference of the Association of Education Committees:"Neither I nor my colleagues in the Government are wedded to any particular pattern of secondary school organisation; none of us believes that children can be sharply differentiated into various types or levels of ability; and I certainly would not wish to advance the view that the bipartite system, as it is often called, should be regarded as the right and usual way of organising secondary education, compared with which everything else must be stigmatisedas experimental. Indeed, a system of completely separate schools is unlikely to be the best answer either in a new housing area where one can plan from the beginning, or in a very scattered country district. All I have said on the other side is that, like my predecessors, I must continue to exercise the right to resist any proposal which seems likely to level down academic standards without any compensating degree of advantage in other ways.I personally think it is still too early to reach any sweeping conclusions as to what kind of pattern will be the best for the future. I think we may be in a much better position to reach something like definitive conclusions about the optimum future pattern of secondary school organisation in two or three years time than we can hope to do at this moment.Meanwhile, where there are separate schools, we need always to remember that wherever the line is drawn, children just on either side of it will be in distinguishable from each other both in ability and potentiality. And it follows that they are likely to need the same kind of education. Opportunities for transfer, though essential, are not of themselves enough. It is important for secondary schools of all kinds to recognise the varying abilities of their pupils—for the modern schools to stretch the abilities of their brighter children, and for the grammar schools not to concentrate only on their high fliers."

asked the Minister of Education if he will now include the replacement of Friarswood School, Newcastle-under-Lyme, in his amended building programme.

I do not expect to be able to include this project, which would involve the provision of a new secondary school, as there are more urgent needs for the improvement of secondary school accommodation. I shall look sympathetically at any project to replace the school which the authority may submit with a high priority for the 1965–66 programme.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what criteria he has established for determining whether land should be retained as part of the Metropolitan Green Belt; and what guidance he has given to his inspectors and to planning authorities in this matter.

I would refer the hon. Member to the section on the Metropolitan Green Belt in the White Paper on London issued earlier this year.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what representations he has received from the Easington Rural District Council on the appointment of a member of the council to the Peterlee Corporation; what reply he has sent; and what action he has taken.

The council has submitted the names of four councillors and I have promised to consider these when I am next reviewing appointments.

The information is as follows:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many prospective Greater London amalgamated boroughs have not as yet determined their title; and if he has himself submitted titles when requested or where there is prolonged indecision.

I have asked the present authorities to let me know by the end of this month what names would be preferred and I am now awaiting their replies.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what proportion of the cost of houses in the borough of Slough and of rent was due to land charges ten years ago, and in the last five years for which figures are available.

The following table gives such information as is readily available:

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the present intention regarding a distribution by the liquidators of Yates Bank, Lichfield, to depositors; and what sum is in hand at present by the liquidators for distribution.

I am informed that the distribution of a dividend is dependent upon the outcome of the civil proceedings which have been initiated by the company; about £130,000 is in hand, from which the cost of the liquidation will have to be paid.

asked the President of the Board of Trade how many new light industries have been established in the seven Crofter Counties, respectively, since 8th October, 1959; where they are located; and how many persons are employed in each of them.

There is no standard definition of light industry. Since the 8th October, 1959, three new projects, known to the Board of Trade, have been started in Caithness, one in Sutherland, two in Zetland, four in Inverness, and three in Ross and Cromarty: together these employ some 350 people.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated number of jobs likely to be created in industries in Scotland supplying components to the British Motor Corporation at Bathgate; and what steps he is taking under the terms of the Local Employment Act to encourage this development.

There are now fourteen firms known to the Board of Trade who have established, or intend to establish, factories in Scotland, from which to supply the motor industry, including B.M.C. These projects are expected to provide some 1,300 new jobs. I shall continue to use my powers under the Local Employment Act to encourage further developments of this kind. My Office for Scotland is already dealing with a further seven inquiries.

asked the President of the Board of Trade what study he has made of the document,"Expansion of East-West Trade, July, 1963,"written by a group of British businessmen, a copy of which has been sent to his Department; and whether he will make a statement.

I have read this pamphlet, and I have also seen the supporting letters from the President and Vice President of the British Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to make known the tax reliefs available to parents whose children are receiving technical training with a view to their joining the family business.

No special steps are being taken, but the report of the case which my hon. and learned Friend no doubt has in mind will be published in the usual way as a leaflet issued by the Stationery Office.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to allow all civil servants who, since 1919, have been employed in an unestablished but quasi-permanent capacity and have subsequently become established, to count their unestablished service as established pensionable service; and what other steps he proposes to take to remedy the anomalies arising from the present position.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the names of those universities which have a highway and traffic engineering course; and what is the number of students taking such courses at each university.

Post-graduate courses are available at the Universities of Birmingham, Durham and London, and at the Royal College of Science and Technology, Glasgow; there is an under-graduate course at Liverpool; and some other universities offer traffic engineering as an option in their civil engineering courses. I regret that the information to answer the second part of the Question is not available.

asked the First Secretary of State if he will make a statement about the decisions of the Victoria Fails Conference.

asked the First Secretary of State to what extent, at the Victoria Falls Conference, the aims of Her Majesty's Government were achieved; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer my hon. Friends to my statement of 9th July, and to the White Paper,"Report of the Central African Conference 1963", Cmnd. 2093, published yesterday. I will also be referring to these matters in the course of the debate on the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Bill later today.

asked the First Secretary of State if he is aware of the incident at Blantyre, Nyasaland, when three Europeans, including two children, were assaulted by eight Malawi Police, members of Dr. Banda's bodyguard; what action to ensure reparation and punishment of the offenders has been taken; and what has been the, result.

Yes. Police investigations into the incidents are still proceeding.

asked the First Secretary of State how many incidents have occurred in Nyasaland which have caused injury and loss of life since Dr. H. Banda became Prime Minister; what were the incidents; and to what extent they were between African, Asian and white residents.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to incidents where there is alleged to have been a political content. There have been eleven such incidents one involved an assault on a coloured person, one on three Europeans and the remainder were assaults on Africans. There was no loss of life, but ten Africans received minor injuries, one coloured received facial injuries and concussion, one European facial injuries and two Africans were more seriously injured.

asked the First Secretary of State if he will inquire into the incident involving a breach of law and order at Lilongwe Hospital, Nyasaland, on 14th June in view of the effect it has had on the staff; and if he will make a statement.

There have been two recent incidents at Lilongwe Hospital. The first case involved the unauthorised removal of posts on hospital property to permit access by the Prime Minister's car. There was no complaint made to the police and the posts were replaced. On the second occasion an attempt to uproot posts was made by five men who were arrested and have been charged in Court with causing malicious damage to property.

asked the First Secretary of State what discussions he has had with the Nyasaland Prime Minister on the maintenance of law and order in Nyasaland.

I have been in touch with the Governor as a result of recent incidents in the territory. I have myself endorsed the assurances given by the Governor and Prime Minister of Nyasaland that law and order will be maintained.

asked the First Secretary of State if he will make a statement about the future of Barotseland.

I shall be having talks next week in London with the Litunga and his advisers on the future of Barotseland in the light of constitutional developments in Central Africa.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations have been made into the allegation that a 16-year-old girl had been placed in solitary confinement for nine weeks at an approved school; and if he will make a statement.

The girl in question was at the time not in an approved school but in a children's home run by a religious order, where she had been placed by the managers of an approved school after she had absconded and other efforts to settle her had failed. Her behaviour in the home was having a bad effect on other girls, and the staff of the home found it necessary to ask for her to be moved elsewhere and to segregate her from the other girls while this was arranged. She was not placed in solitary confinement, and was not locked in; she was forbidden to mix with other girls, but she mixed and worked with members of the staff.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what authority Miss Marilyn Rice-Davies was taken into custody on 16th June and released on bail on 17th June in relation to a suspected offence with which she was not actually charged.

Miss Rice-Davies was taken into custody on 16th June without a warrant as a person reasonably suspected of having committed a felony. She was released on bail on 17th June under Section 38(2) of the Magistrates' Courts Act, 1952.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the estimated value of the television set in respect of which Miss Rice-Davies was held in custody.

£80.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1949, so as to make it an offence for any person to attempt to ascertain how an elector has voted or intends to vote at any election by falsely pretending to be a representative of a non-political opinion survey organisation.

I am not aware of the need for such legislation.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in HANSARD a list of persons who, since October 1951, have been convicted of espionage offences, their crime, sentence, and the positions they held at the time of their convictions.

The Official Secrets Acts do not refer in terms to an offence of espionage. Section 1(1,c) of the Official Secrets Act, 1911, provides that an offence is committed by any person who obtains, collects, records or publishes, or communicates to any other person, any secret official code word, or pass word, or any sketch, plan, model, article, or note, or other document or information which is calculated to be or might be or is in- tended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy. Since 1st October, 1951, the following eleven persons have been

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were made under the

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the possibility of prejudice in the system of public preliminary hearings resulting in partial reporting and in juries entering the final trial having read Press reports; and whether he will study the Scottish system of one trial without prior publicity with a view to introducing amending legislation.

The information is as follows:

As I stated in answer to the hon. and learned Member for Ipswich (Mr. D. Foot) on 30th May, an undertaking was given during proceedings on the Criminal Justice Administration Bill, 1962, that the Government would undertake an inquiry into the whole nature and purpose of committal proceedings. This is in progress, and will certainly include a study of the Scottish procedure.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to enable prisoner Edgecombe and prisoner A. Gordon to give oral evidence to Lord Denning.

I am informed that these two prisoners gave oral evidence to Lord Denning yesterday.

asked the Minister of Power how often he has used his powers under Section 8(1) of the Electricity Act, 1957.

Never.

asked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that British shipbuilders have to pay higher prices for British steel than is charged to competitors on the Continent; and what action he will take, under Section 10(1) of the Iron and Steel Act, 1953, to give help to British shipbuilding.

I am told that the British steel industry does not charge more to shipbuilders in this country than to those abroad. I have no reason to think excessive the maximum home prices which the Iron and Steel Board has determined for the steel products used in shipbuilding.

asked the Minister of Power when the annual report of the Iron and Steel Board for 1962 will be made available.

I hope before the Summer Recess.

asked the Minister of Power if he will have a survey made of the further effects of mining subsidence on house property within the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and particularly in Longton; if he will have a report prepared; and what assistance he will give to those affected so that they can live in better conditions or in new houses away from the effect of mining subsidence.

Anyone who considers that his house has been affected in recent years should approach the National Coal Board, which in certain cases covered by the Coal Mining (Subsidence) Acts is responsible for carrying out remedial works, or meeting the cost, and in certain circumstances for providing or paying for alternative accommodation.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what financial assistance Her Majesty's Government have provided to Ceylon during each of the past four years in the form of grants and loans, respectively; what assistance they are providing during the current year; and what proposals he has to increase the provision.

A loan of £2½ million was made available in 1961 under Section 3 of the Export Guarantees Act for the purchase of telephone equipment. £25,000 was drawn in 1961–62 and £900,000 in 1962–63. It is estimated that the balance of approximately £1½ million will be drawn in the current year. In addition, technical assistance has been given as follows: 1959–60 £89,000, 1960–61 £68,000, 1961–62 £81,000, and 1962–63 £106,000. It is estimated that it will rise to about £130,000 in 1963–64. No other increases are at present contemplated.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations have been made to the Icelandic Government about the arrest and detention of the motor trawler"Dorade", operating from North Shields, with a view to mitigation of the fine imposed upon the vessel.

None.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the criticisms contained in the annual report of the Council on Tribunals, he will seek to strengthen the powers of the Council to protect the rights of the individual against the Administration; and whether he will now give effect to the recommendations of the Whyatt Report.

asked the Attorney-General what consideration Her Majesty's Government have given to the Annual Report of the Council on Tribunals for 1962; and whether they will now introduce legislation to amend the Tribunals and Inquiries Act, 1958, by providing that the Council shall not be confined to consideration of statutory inquiries which Ministers are under a duty to hold but may in future concern itself with statutory inquiries which Ministers in the exercise of their discretion may hold.

The proposal to extend the Council's jurisdiction in regard to statutory inquiries requires careful consideration. My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor is not satisfied that the suggestion made by the Council in its Report would be found satisfactory in practice, but he has told Lord Tenby that he is prepared to consider any further suggestions which the Council may put forward. So far as the recommendations in the Whyatt Report are concerned, I have nothing to add to the statement I made on the 8th November last year.

asked the Lord Privy Seal on what date Her Majesty's Government first knew that Mr. Philby had passed on a warning to Messrs. Burgess and Maclean.

As I told the House on 8th July, it was shortly before Philby's disappearance on 23rd January, 1963, that he admitted that he had warned Maclean through Burgess. News of his admission reached Her Majesty's Government not long after it was made. This was the first admission by Philby of which we had knowledge and the first occasion on which we knew of this fact.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has considered the Report on Aden and the Protectorate submitted by the United Nations Sub-Committee on Colonies, which recommends early elections in the Colony of Aden and the Protectorate, the release of political prisoners and the repeal of laws restricting public freedom; and what action is contemplated arising out of these recommendations.

I have received a copy of this Report, which is being debated in the United Nations Special Committee on Colonialism. The United Kingdom delegate has been instructed to make clear that we consider the Report to be inaccurate and tendentious, and that the recommendations, as they stand, are unacceptable to the British Government.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why, in the new constitution for Swaziland, the four Europeans to be elected to the National Roll are to require the support of 25 European voters.

This provision was made in order to ensure that the four Europeans to be elected to the National Roll will command a fair measure of support from their own community as well as from the African electorate.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of the anxiety caused to residents, especially parents, who live on the Abbey Estate, Wembley, by the volume of traffic which still uses the narrow roads of the estate as a short cut between Ealing Road and the North Circular Road; and if he will take steps to discourage this traffic, especially heavy lorries, from taking this route, which was not designed to be used as a through route.

The Wembley Borough Council has told me it intends to review conditionshere towards the end of this year. If it then makes any proposals I shall consider them carefully.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will now expedite an order to restrict traffic speeds on the A.452 road through Balsall Common to 40 m.p.h.; and what objections have been made to the proposed order.

The county council's recent application for a 40 m.p.h. speed limit will be dealt with as soon as certain additional information which has been asked for has been received. There have been no objections to the proposed order.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has now received the results of the special studies of rural transport which he initiated a year ago; and whether the completion of these studies will enable him to announce a policy for Government aid for rural transport.

I have most of the results of the special studies, and expect to have the remainder in a day or two. I am sure the information which they give will help in my consideration of policy as to rural transport.

asked the Minister of Defence (1) what effect the closure of the Kenya base will have on housing accommodation for Servicemen, particularly in the Aden, British Army of the Rhine, and United Kingdom areas, where large transfers may take place;(2) to what extent the housing programme will be speeded up for Service- men in view of the closure of the Kenya base, distinguishing between new buildings and hirings in the reception stations of Aden, British Army of the Rhine, and the United Kingdom.

By agreement with the Kenya Government, plans are being worked out for the orderly withdrawal of British forces from the Kenya base over a period of up to 12 months from the date of independence, which is expected to be 12th December, 1963. It is too early to say what effect these plans will have on accommodation requirements in other areas.

asked the Postmaster-General why Her Majesty's Government appointed Baron Hill of Luton as chairman of the Independent Television Authority.

As I told the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. A. Lewis) on 9th July, I appointed Lord Hill because I think he is the best man for the job.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty what is the average number of students attending the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, during the year 1962–63; and what is the average cost per student.

The average number of students during the year 1962–63 was 254. Final costings for that year are not yet available