asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish the relevant statistics showing the present and estimated future rates of public investment expenditure for each of the country's main regions, under the same headings as those used in Cmnd. Paper 2177 for the country as a whole, but expressing the figures both as totals for each region and as expenditure per head of population in each region.

The White Papers on Central Scotland and North East England (Cmnd. 2188 and 2206) give information about civil public investment in these two areas. There are also figures for Scotland in Industry and Employment in Scotland, 1962–63 (Cmnd. 2045) and in Public Investment in Great Britain, October, 1963 (Cmnd. 2177). A regional analysis of public investment for the rest of the country as asked for in the Question is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to provide sufficient remand and observation centres to relieve prisons of accused persons awaiting trial.

A remand centre for males under 21 was opened in the London area in 1961. Eight more, sufficient to satisfy the estimated need for males under 21 throughout the country, are under construction and will come into use in 1964 and 1965.At four of these establishments, wings are also being provided for girls and for adult women. At one establishment—Risley in Lancashire—a remand and observation centre for men over 21 is included Three of the other remand centres are so sited and designed as to facilitate the addition of accommodation for adult men if, in the light of experience at Risley, that course is judged appropriate.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if his attention has been drawn to the monopoly position developing in this country which is resulting in the almost total exclusion of the showing of British films on the British cinema network, and to the effect this is having upon the British film industry and employment therein; what action he proposes to take to ensure that a larger percentage of British films will be shown on the British cinema. network; and if he will make a statement.

:The evidence is that the screen quota requiring that 30 per cent, of the films shown by an exhibitor as first features shall be British, is currently being substantially exceeded.

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the complaints of independent film producers about the difficulties and delays in getting releases for their films;and if he will consider raising the British quota to assist them to maintain the flow of production and exhibition of British films.

:My right hon. Friend is awaiting the views of the Cinematograph Films Council which is, he understands, giving early consideration to the situation.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider relaxing some of the obligations of the owners of small slaughterhouses, where a livelihood has been placed in jeopardy as a result of them.

No. The obligations imposed on slaughterhouse occupiers in order to ensure humane and hygienic slaughter and the inspection of all meat are the minimum necessary to achieve these purposes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will increase the sugar beet acreage in Great Britain in 1964, in view of the world sugar situation.

The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have reviewed, in consultation with the Farmers'Unions, the permitted sugar beet acreage for 1964 in the light of recent developments in the world sugar situation. Homegrown sugar is being produced at much less than the current world price which may remain high for some time. We have decided that the acreage for which the British Sugar Corporation may contract in 1964 should be increased by 20,000 acres in England and Wales and 750 acres in Scotland. This increase can be handled by the existing factories. Whether the increased acreage can be continued in subsequent years will depend on developments in the world sugar situation.As a result of our home production and our arrangements with the Commonwealth there is no shortage of sugar available to this country.

asked the Postmaster-General what plans he has for the expansion and modernisation of the telephone service in this country; and if he will make a statement.

I propose to publish a White Paper on this subject next week.

asked the Minister of Health what advice he obtained about the difference between the poisonous effects of sodium fluoride and calcium fluoride before formulating his policy on water fluoridation.

I am advised that neither substance would have any poisonous effects at the concentration used in water fluoridation.

asked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that in the Rutland, Chester, South Shields, Stoke on Trent, Tynemouth, Wigan, and Flint local health authority areas, less than 40 per cent, of the children under two years of age were vaccinated last year against smallpox; and what enquiries he has made of these authorities to find out why the vaccination figures in their areas are below the national average.

Yes. All local health authorities have recently been asked to try to raise the vaccination and immunisation percentages in their areas, and this is being followed up by special inquiries in areas where they are particularly low.

asked the Minister of Health what progress has been made in considering the claim for reduced hours of work for nursing staff.

This claim was discussed at a meeting of the appropriate Whitley Council on 12th November, when an offer of reduced hours was made by the Management Side.Certain accounts of what is supposed to have happened at the meeting have appeared in the Press. No doubt they were printed in good faith, but they were, in fact, incomplete and some were misleading. The negotiations are continuing.

asked the Minister of Education if a decision has been reached upon the problem of helping individual governing bodies and organisations concerned with competition in amateur international sport abroad.

It has been decided that in suitable cases the Government will give financial support to British amateur teams to enable them to take part in international sporting events abroad. A small Committee will be set up, under the chairmanship of the Lord President's principal adviser on sport to consider applications which will have to be sponsored by national amateur sporting organisations, and to make recommendations. The Committee will consist of officials and representatives of the Central Council of Physical Recreation and the British Olympic Association, and, in appropriate cases, the Scottish Council of Physical Recreation will be invited. The question of support for the British teams going to the Olympic or Commonwealth Games will be dealt with separately, in the light of the Government's general policy as represented by the establishment of the new Committee. I would stress that the Government's aim is to supplement and encourage the voluntary contributions which have made possible British sporting achievements abroad, and not to replace them. The popular appeal of the sport in question and the ability of the team to attract substantial support from other sources will be taken into account in assessing applications.No specific annual total for the scheme has been fixed. Advice has been taken on the sum likely to be needed, and this will be taken into account when the Estimates for 1964–65 are prepared. Any expenditure required in the current year will be met by advances from the Civil Contingencies Fund and Parliament will be asked to vote the necessary funds by Supplementary Estimate in due course.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the present rate of unemployment in each of the development districts in Wales.

Following is the information:

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware of the hardship caused to residents at Trevethin, Pontypool, by the refusal of his Department to approve a tender for a shopping centre; and whether he will now expedite the approval, to enable building to commence without further delay.

The tender was approved on 4th November, 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further action Her Majesty's Government propose to take in order to assist the Government of Laos in supporting the economy of that country.

An International Monetary Fund team has recommended that the Laotian Government should implement a programme of internal financial retrenchment, which together with further foreign help is designed to stabilise the free market value of the kip. To this end Her Majesty's Government have agreed to subscribe the equivalent of $1.7 million (about £607,000) to a joint Stabilisation Fund, to which the United States, France and Australia will also contribute. An announcement to this effect was made on 1st November. The Fund will be run by an independent expert. Parliament will in due course be asked to vote by means of a supplementaryestimate the amount required in the current financial year, and meanwhile advances will be obtained from the Civil Contingencies Fund. There may be a continuing liability for a share of the Controller's remuneration and administrative assistance.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government have given, through the Italian Government, to the victims of the Belluno dam disaster.

My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced on 12th October, when he was in Rome, that Her Majesty's Government wished to give £20,000 towards the cost of relief work. This offer has been gratefully accepted. Parliament will in due course be asked to vote that amount by means of a Supplementary Estimate. In the meantime, an advance has been made from the Civil Contingencies Fund as required.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has studied the representations sent to him by the National Union of Seamen for a revision of the Merchant Shipping Act; and what action he is taking.

No formal representations have been received, but I have been aware of the general views of the National Union of Seamen for some time, and I accept that there are respects in which revision is needed.Accordingly I have invited representatives of British shipowners and seafarers to join my Department in a detailed examination of the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts relating to seafarers in the hope that agreed proposals for revision of the Acts in this respect may be worked out. These matters are most complex and the discussions, which began in September, and which are entirely without commitment, will inevitably take some time.

asked the Minister of Transport what consideration he is giving to measures to prevent accidents caused by the unchecked emerging of traffic into Eastern Avenue, Ilford, from the north and from the south at the two junctions with Aldborough Road; and what consultations he is having with the Ilford Borough Council on this problem.

Since Ilford Borough Council asked last May for traffic signals at this junction, my traffic engineers have investigated the problem and in September they put to the council alternative proposals, involving a modified junction layout and some traffic diversion, which they considered more likely to improve conditions.The council has now asked me to receive a deputation but I hope it will agree that a discussion of our proposals by the traffic experts of the council and of the Ministry would be the most useful next step.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent his Department has already acquired the land needed to construct the Potteries D road; and how soon he will acquire the remainder.

An advance purchase of an engineering works has been made. Notices to purchase under Town and Country Planning Acts have been accepted in respect of 9 dwelling houses and negotiations completed for 8 of them. General acquisition cannot begin until all the necessary Statutory Orders fixing the route have been made and detailed designs completed.The hon. Member will know that the scheme has only recently been added to my trunk road programme which now extends to 31st March, 1968.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will indicate the additional number of each type of machine to be made available to the appropriate authorities in Wales and Monmouthshire to deal with falls of snow, as recently announced by him for roads.

The number of additional vehicles finally to be allocated to each agent authority will depend on completion of a detailed review of the needs of the trunk roads on which I aim to improve the service. I am covering the most important 4,000 of the 6,400 miles of the trunk road system in England and Wales. About 500 miles of the trunk roads in Wales and Monmouthshire are included in the plan. The programme will necessarily be phased over a number of years and will be subject to review in the light of experience, but on the basis that there will be one vehicle every ten miles or so, I expectthat we shall allocate up to 50 vehicles to Wales and Monmouthshire within the next five years. Most of these will be 5½ ton salting/gritting machines capable of dealing with moderate falls of snow but some will be of the 11½ ton motorway type to cope with heavy snow.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the proposed Exchequer expenditure on maintenance and minor improvements on trunk roads and grants for classified roads, respectively, for the five years ending 1968–69.

On the maintenance and minor improvement of trunk roads and motorways in England and Wales the Government plans to spend, subject to Parliamentary approval, £88 million in the five years ending in 1968–69. No long-term programme of classified road maintenance and minor improvement has been settled, but on present trends, public expenditure in England and Wales, on this in the same period is likely to amount to about £385 million of which some £160 million would be met by Exchequer grant.