asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will call for an interim report from the committee he set up to examine cases of hardship in the new rating assessments of householders.

:Since the Allen Committee have not yet completed their fact finding an interim report could only be conjectural. They have therefore decided not to submit one and I am sure that their decision is right.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will seek powers to prevent disused railway lines from becoming nurseries for weeds and unsightly.

No. I think the existing statutory powers are adequate.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the present position in the consultations between the Alkali Inspectorate and Ideal Boilers and Radiators Limited with respect to air pollution from their hot-blast cupolas in Hull; and if he will make a statement.

The company has made provision in its budget for next year to meet the cost of a fume arrestment plant to replace the electrical precipitator which was installed last year but failed to give satisfactory results. The company is working on the final design of the plant and the Alkali Inspectorate is keeping in close touch with progress.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what hot-blast cupolas are planned in the new development in progress to extend the works of Ideal Boilers and Radiators Ltd. in Hull; and whether full investigation has been made by the Alkali Inspectorate into the proposals to ensure that there will be no additional air pollution in the area.

I am informed that the company has no plans for installing additional hot-blast cupolas in the foreseeable future or for conversion of the existing cold blast cupola to hot blast, but, as I stated in reply to another Question today by my hon. Friend, the inspectorate are keeping in touch with the company.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs (1) how many appeals against the Horn-church Urban District Council's refusal to allow the building of houses have been successful during the last 18 months; and what was the total number of appeals made during this period;(2) how many applications for building of houses in the urban district of Hornchurch have been made during the last 18 months; and how many have been granted

:Twenty-three appeals concerning housing development in Hornchurch Urban District were made in the period mentioned, but not all have yet been decided. One has been successful. Information about the number of planning applications made and granted is not available.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that agricultural workers and others are being threatened with eviction from tied cottages, in particular as a result of applications which are being made to the High Court; and whether he will take steps to provide security of tenure to the tenants of tied cottages.

My right hon. Friend has no evidence to suggest that widespread use is being made of applications to the High Court for possession or that any injustice has resulted from the practice. The tied cottage system is essential for efficient farm management and the answer to the second part of the Question is "No".

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether the Committee which he has appointed under the Chairmanship of Sir Milner Holland to study the London housing situation will be seeking evidence from the honourable Members representing London constituencies.

:I understand from the Chairman that the Committee are anxious to have any help that London Members can give and proposes to write to them shortly. I am sure the House would welcome this.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will introduce legislation to extend the powers of existing rent tribunals where and when the prospective new boroughs intimate the need for this in their fully-built-up areas.

No.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the effect of increasing immigration from the Commonwealth on the availability of houses and flats; which areas are most affected; and what special steps he is taking no deal with the problems it creates.

Commonwealth immigrants generally go to areas where work is plentiful, such as London and the West Midlands, and tend to occupy the older properties. Their housing needs are part of the general housing situation and the right course is to press on with the Government's plans for increasing the production of new dwellings, and for dealing with bad living conditions on the lines provided for in the Housing Bill.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what loan sanction he has given to a housing association in Ely, Cardiff; what is the amount paid for the land purchased by the association; and what are the anticipated rents of the flats to be built.

Under Section 7 of the Housing Act, 1961, I have approved for Exchequer loans a scheme at Cowbridge Road West, Cardiff, for building at cost rents by the South Wales and Monmouthshire Housing Association. The amount paid for the 4¼ acre site is £31,500. The rents of the flats in the scheme are likely to range from £3 17s. to £4 4s. a week, exclusive.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs which local authorities had to raise their council house rents since 1st January, 1962.

My right hon. Friend regrets that he does not have this information.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will make a statement on his policy with regard to the recommendations in the Council for Wales and Monmouthshire's Report on the Welsh Language Today, Command Paper No. 2198.

Yes. I should like first of all to pay tribute to Professor Richard Aaron, the former Chairman of the Council, and to Members who served under him in preparing this valuable and well-documented report on a subject of such deep interest to the people of Wales. The Government recognise and sympathise with the strong feeling in Wales that the Welsh language should be supported and will continue to make their own contribution to this through the education service and by other means.Most recommendations in the Report are addressed, not to the Government, but to others concerned with the language in Wales, and the Report recognises that the need is not so much for legislation and direction as for the creation of an atmosphere of goodwill in which the language can flourish. I do not doubt that people who care for the language will readily respond to the Council's suggestions since the continuing vitality of the language must largely depend upon their efforts.The question of according official status to the Welsh language, in the terms defined in the report, is to some extent bound up with the investigation into the legal status of the language being carried out by the committee which I have set up under the Chairmanship of Sir David Hughes Parry and I shall look forward to receiving the Committee's Report. I shall then be able to consider with my colleagues any legal disabilities which may be found to exist. As the Council points out, the Welsh language can already be used in administration in Wales in a wide variety of ways and without financial or other obstacles. I shall certainly be prepared to examine any positive hindrances to the use of the Welsh language in administration in appropriate circumstances which are brought to my notice.I have taken note of the Council's observations about the Government grant to assist Welsh language publishing. I have recently explained to the House that the Government's present intention is that the grant should continue up to 1965 and I am very willing to discuss the position with the publishers next year, when there will be a better idea how successful this grant has been in securing its objective.I have no doubt that the Council's observations concerning the use of the Welsh language in education have already been noted by my right hon. Friend.Finally, with regard to the Council's recommendation that a permanent body be set up officially to care for the interests of the language, this clearly needs time for careful reflection and examination and I should like to consider it further in the light of opinion expressed in and outside this House.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in view of the recommendations of the Robbins Report, what immediate increase Her Majesty's Government will make in the universities' capital building programme.

This matter has been referred to the University Grants Committee and their advice, after consultation with the universities, is expected by the end of the year.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax revenue has been derived from parking meters to date.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that since April wholesale food prices have risen by 9d. in the £,that bacon prices have risen by 5s. in the £, ham by 3s. in the £, butter by 1s. 6d. in the £, sugar by 4s. in the £, jams and syrups by 1s. 6d. in the £, canned fruit by 1Od. in the £, and cheese by 5d. in the £and what action he proposes to take to stop this inflationary process.

:Increases have occurred in wholesale prices for some groceries and provisions but these have been more than offset since April by decreases in the prices of other foodstuffs. Since April retail prices of all the foodstuffs covered by the Official Index of Retail prices have fallen by over 5d. in the £.

Cooke asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what proportions the increase in overall national production of 4 per cent, aimed at by Her Majesty's Government will be achieved by increased productivity and by a larger working population, respectively.

Paragraph 154 of the N.E.D.C. report on Growth of the United Kingdom Economy, 1961 to 1966, shows the proportions as 3.2 and 0.8 per cent, respectively.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the proposed alteration in the respective burdens borne by the taxpayer and the ratepayer.

No. I cannot forecast the outcome of the general review of Central and Local Government financial relationships.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the cheque systems and giros operated in various countries, with a view to avoiding the need for drawing large sums of cash for the payment of wages; and if he is proposing to take the necessary steps to introduce some such system here.

:The Payment of Wages Act, 1960, provides that where both worker and employer agree, wages may be paid by direct transfer to the worker's bank account by cheque, postal order or money order. The payment of wages by cheque became lawful under the Act on 1st March, 1963. On the giro system, I would refer my hon. Friend to the speech of my hon. Friend the Assistant Postmaster-General in the Adjournment debate on 4th March, 1963.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will abolish or reduce the Purchase Tax on pedal cycles, mopeds, and other mechanically-assisted cycles.

:My right hon. Friend is considering representations to this effect made by the industry, but I cannot anticipate his decision. I myself saw a deputation from the industry on 23rd October, which was introduced by my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport, North (Sir N. Hulbert). I have reported to my right hon. Friend on the representations they made to me, and he is taking these into account.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to apply the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1913, to all stamp duties so that reductions proposed in the latter in a Budget statement may take provisional effect from the date on which they are proposed.

:No. I am afraid it would not be practicable to apply that Act to stamp duties.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons are employed by the State in 1963 in the Civil Service; and what was the total figure employed in 1951.

:The number of civil servants employed at 1st April, 1951, were 675,400 non-industrial and 399,600 industrial, and at 1st October, 1963, 689,600 non-industrial and 357,700 industrial employees. Excluding the Post Office the numbers were, at 1st April, 1951, 426,600 non-industrial and 328,300 industrial, and at 1st October, 1963, 414,900 non-industrial and 257,800 industrial employees.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will provide the equipment for a central dictation system in the Palace of Westminster for the use of honourable Members.

No. A system of this kind would be expensive and there is no evidence of a general demand for it.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will give an assurance that there will be no general reduction in taxation until all taxes and charges made on health and other welfare benefits, and taxes on sweets and ice-cream, have been abolished.

No.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take steps to authorise the holders of postwar credit certificates to deposit such certificates with building societies or local authorities as a deposit for obtaining mortgages on houses.

No.

asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he will authorise the issue of extra copies of the daily parts of Hansard to those Members who need them in connection with their Parliamentary duties.

At present Members are entitled to receive one copy of each daily issue of Hansard by post and also to obtain one extra copy from the Vote Office. In addition they can obtain up to six copies of a particular portion of a daily part from loose-leaf copies in the Vote Office. These arrangements will continueHowever, to meet the reasonable needs of Members and following advice from the Select Committee on Publications and Debates Reports, for which I am most grateful, I have authorised the provision to the Vote Office of 600 further copies of each daily part of Hansard. Members who need extra copies of particular issues—that is, in addition to the two copies available under the present arrangements described above—will in future be able to obtain up to four extra copies per Member from the Vote Office on the day of issue only, so long as these additional copies last.The additional storage space required will entail a change in the arrangements for maintaining stocks of Parliamentary Papers in the Vote Office. The present rule provides that Members may obtain, on application to the Vote Office, a copy of any Parliamentary Paper of the current or two preceding Sessions. Under the new arrangements, the Vote Office will carry stocks of papers of the current and one preceding Session only. Parliamentary Papers between one and two years old will now be available in the same way as papers more than two years old, i.e. they will not be stocked at the Vote Office but can be obtained through the Vote Office if required, provided that they are still in print or that reprinting is justified. The arrangements for providing these older papers are set out in detail in my predecessor's statement to the House on 17th July, 1956 (Hansard Vol. 556, No. 193, Col. 1048–9). The new procedure operates from the beginning of this Session.I should also like to take the opportunity of reminding Members that they may obtain, on application on the appropriate green form to the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office, one copy of any non-Parliamentary publication reasonably required for the discharge of their Parliamentary duties. From time to time, for the convenience of Members, copies of non-Parliamentary publications which are thought to be of particular interest to Members are put into the Vote Office and Members may then obtain their copy without filling in a green demand form. They are, however, entitled to one copy only. Copies of these publications will also be available in the Library and I would ask Members, in the interests of economy, only to ask the Stationery Office for personal copies when they require them for more than occasional reference.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will announce long-term plans for the financial assistance of Malta prior to any discussions on the independence constitution for the island.

I agreed with the Prime Minister of Malta during his recent visit to London to discuss financial assistance as early as practicable.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will inquire into the finances of British Guiana, in view of the near-insolvency of the Colony.

Such an inquiry was carried out three months ago; and I hope shortly to make a statement.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the results of the constitutional conference on the future of Gambia.

Following an exchange of letters between the British and Gambian Governments during the summer and the visit of the Premier of the Gambia to London in August a new constitution introducing full internal self-government came into effect on 4th October. Under this the Executive Council is replaced by a Ministerial Cabinet and the Premier is styled Prime Minister. Provision is made for delegation of the Governor's responsibilities for internal security and some aspects of external affairs to Gambian Ministers and the Governor's legislative reserved powers are confined to those subjects for which he has special responsibilities. The Public Service Commission is to become executive.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what assistance Her Majesty's Government propose to make available to the Government of the Gambia to meet the latter's share of the cost of the compensation scheme for overseas officers and the commutation of their pensions.

In view of the Gambia's present financial circumstances the British Government have agreed to provide the following assistance:

(a) An interest-free loan to cover the Gambia Government's share of the cost of compensation. After a grace period of six years the loan will be repayable by nineteen equal annual instalments.

(b) A loan on the normal terms for Commonwealth assistance loans to meet the local share of the cost of commutation of pensions. After a grace period of six years, during which interest only will be payable, repayment together with interest will be made by nineteen equal annual instalments.

An early issue of approximately £40,000 will be required for compensation and a sum of this amount will be advanced from the Civil Contingencies Fund for this purpose; provision for repayment to this fund will be sought from Parliament by means of a Supplementary Estimate.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what new franchise proposals have been authorised for the forthcoming general election in Aden.

I understand that no decision on this question has yet been reached by the Council of Ministers in Aden.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies in what countries advertisements for the staff for the new University of Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland on the site of Pius XII College at Maseru have been placed.

Vacancies have been advertised in Britain and South Africa.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works how many bricks have been produced to date this year; and what were the comparable figures for 1960. 1961. and 1962.

During the first ten months of this year 5,897 million bricks were produced in Great Britain. The corresponding figures for 1960, 1961 and 1962 are 6,075, 6,220 and 6,115 million, respectively.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what arrangements he is making to choose an architect for the new building to replace the one accommodating the Foreign Office and Commonwealth Relations Office.

I intend to appoint the architect whom I consider to be the most suitable for this commission and will make an announcement in due course.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works whether he will hold an architects competition for the design of the new building to replace the Foreign Office and Commonwealth Relations Office.

:No. I have come to the conclusion that it would not be appropriate to hold a competition for this building. No design could satisfy the purposes which the building is intended to serve unless planned in close consultation with the future occupants. In my view it would be impossible to combine such consultation with the requirements of either an open or a limited competition.

asked the Minister of Public Building and Works what will be the total cost of the permanent housing scheme at Little Aden; how many housing units it will comprise; how much of the cost is represented by the cost of land for the whole scheme; and what is the cost of a pair of houses and of the land on which they stand.

The permanent housing scheme at Little Aden comprises 314 houses and flats for Army officers and other ranks at an estimated total cost of £2 million. The land was made available without charge by the Aden Government. The average cost of a dwelling will be £6,370.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations were made by other Governments prior to the decision being made to disallow General Delgado of Portugal from landing in Great Britain.

None.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the shipment of arms to South Africa; and what consultations there have been with the United States Government on this matter in the last six months.

On the first part of the Question I have nothing to add to what I said on 25th November in answer to a Question from the hon. Gentleman the Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Mayhew). I cannot disclose the nature of confidential exchanges with other Governments.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will defer his decision regarding the transfer of the Central African Federation Air Force to Southern Rhodesia, until a conference of Commonwealth Prime Ministers has discussed the issues involved.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will make a statement on the discussions with the Government of the Maldives on a revision of the agreement of 14th February 1960.

I hope to make a statement shortly.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is aware that the boroughs of Bexley and Erith and the urban districts of Chislehurst and Sidcup and Crayford, with a population of 246,850, have no precise information about the location of the civil defence area control centre in their area 52B; and if he will make a statement to clarify the situation in view of the danger which would arise in an emergency.

The permanent control for the new London Borough 18, which will be a Civil Defence Corps authority and will cover much the same territory as Civil Defence Area 52B, cannot be provided until the new Borough Authority has decided where its administrative headquarters are to be. If meanwhile an emergency should arise, I understand that the Kent County Council, which is the present Civil Defence Corps authority, would arrange for the use of the underground control centre adjacent to the council offices at Bexley as an area control

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Commonwealth immigrants were

MOVEMENT INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM OF PERSONS SUBJECT TO IMMIGRATION CONTROL
UNDER PART I OF THE COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT 1962*
1ST JULY, 1963–31ST OCTOBER, 1963
Territory which issued passport	Admitted to take up residence			Other incoming passengers e.g. visitors, students, returning residents	Gross Totals †
	With Ministry of Labour vouchers	Other immigrants including dependents	Total [Col. (a) and (b)]		Admitted [Total of Cols, (c) and (d)]	Embarked	Net Balance [Difference of Cols, (e) and (f)]
	(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)	(g)
Aden	10	8	18	563	581	538	+	43
Australia	194	219	413	27,070	27,483	27,765			-282
Barbados	101	353	454	802	1,256	706	+	550
Basutoland etc	7	44	51	316	367	247	+	120
British Guiana	89	677	766	1,370	2,136	1,036	+	1,100
Canada	320	520	840	51,313	52,153	50,817	+	1,336
Ceylon	174	190	364	1,835	2,199	1,615	+	584
Cyprus	261	627	888	3,740	4,628	3,361	+	1,267
Ghana	15	224	239	2,450	2,689	2,097	+	592
Gibraltar	8	25	33	856	889	762	+	127
Hong Kong	362	159	521	2,185	2,706	1,899	+	807
India	4,156	2,579	6,735	13,171	19,906	11,592	+	8,314
Jamaica	439	2,338	2,777	3,717	6,494	4,807	+	1,687
Kenya	39	240	279	3,208	3,487	2,759	+	728
Leewards and Windwards	49	353	402	457	859	635	+	224
Mauritius	75	111	186	1,256	1,442	1,287	+	155
Malta	311	199	510	2,689	3,199	2,486	+	713
Malaysia‡	40	97	137	3,192	3,329	2,869	+	460
New Zealand	44	94	138	9,141	9,279	9,983			-704
Nigeria	782	1,063	1,845	4,153	.5,998	3,624	+	2,374
Pakistan	6,394	1,510	7,904	6,176	14,080	5,594	+	8,486
Rhodesia, and Nyasaland	27	66	93	3,121	3,214	3,002	+	212
Siena Leone	9	38	47	786	833	877			-44
Tanganyika	5	41	46	1,110	1,156	923	+	233
Trinidad and Tobago	62	184	246	2,669	2,915	2,522	+	393
Uganda	3	77	80	1,173	1,253	918	+	335
Zanzibar	2	1	3	239	242	217	+	25
Other territories	81	339	420	2,731	3,151	2,969	+	182
TOTAL	14,059	12,376	26,435	151,489	177,924	147,907	+	30,017
*There is no control on traffic between Ireland and Britain.
†These figures include persons enjoying diplomatic immunity, who are recorded for statistical purposes although exempt from control under section 17 of the Act.
‡Persons holding Singapore passports, including those who arrived in this country before the formation of the Federation of Malaysia, are included under this heading.

The following is the information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the net inflow of Commonwealth immigrants for the period 1st July, 1963, to 31st October, 1963, compares with the figures for the corresponding period of 1962.

It was 30,017 compared with 5,460 in the same period in 1962.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how

NUMBER OF CASES WHEN A MALE POLICE OFFICER WAS ABSENT SICK AS A RESULT OF BEING HURT ON DUTY
Cause		1950		1960		January to October 1963
		Number of cases	Man-days lost	Number of cases	Man-days lost	Number of cases	Man-days lost
Assault by prisoners	…	110	1,583	177	2,151	147	2,050
Assault by other persons	…	20	420	40	510	31	272
Other cases	…	583	12,940	725	13,649	748	14,602
Total	…	713	14,943	942	16,310	926	16,924
Notes:
1. These figures relate to male officers only and include, as separate cases, any second or subsequent periods of absence attributable to injuries received on duty.
2.The majority of the "other cases" arise from road accidents.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will arrange for all official papers and documents connected with the landings at Suez to be published or made available to those who desire to write a history of this event.

I have been asked to reply.No. The general rule is that official documents are not normally open to public inspection until they become fifty years old.

asked the Secretary of State for Air how many boy entrants were admitted into the Royal Air Force this year; how many applicants were refused entry; and whether applicants are interviewed or subjected to any examination.

Separate figures for admissions to hospital as distinct from sick absence as a result of injuries received while on duty are not readily available. The following table sets out the available information:

1,666 and 4,831, respectively.Applicants who are considered from their application forms to be potentially suitable are invited to undergo tests and medical examination at Careers Information Centres. Selected candidates are then invited for interview at the Youth Selection Centre, Cardington.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will publish in the Official Report a complete list of all the aircraft missiles and aero-engines abandoned by Her Majesty's Government since 1951, before going into service; what were the dates of cancellation; and how much public money was spent on each project.

On aircraft and missiles I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Cronin) on 17th June last, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. The following aero-engine projects have also been cancelled:

Name of Engine	Cancellation Date	Estimated Expenditure £m·
Nomad	April, 1955	5·1
Screamer	March, 1956	0·65
Soar	March, 1956	1·2
Turmo	March, 1956	0·1
Big Gyron	March, 1957	3·4
R·B·106	March, 1957	0·1
Super Sprite	October, 1960	0·85

The expenditure figures should be regarded as approximate only. Much of the expenditure represents knowledge and experience which has been used in the development of other engines that have gone into service.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will consider the use of an alternative airport in Northern Ireland when the civil airport at Aldergrove in County Antrim has to shut down because of weather conditions, and so avoid the necessity of passengers having to go to Dublin in the Republic of Eire; and if he will make a statement.

I recognise the inconvenience caused to passengers by diversions to Dublin, and I am looking into the possibility of making arrangements more convenient to the travelling public.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether, in his study of the problem of the congestion in the Baggage Claim Hall at the civil airport in Aldergrove in County Antrim, he will consider installing a circular moving baggage delivery unit similar to those in use at Gloucester Road terminal at London and at certain foreign airports.

Yes; should it prove necessary. But with the minor changes which I referred to in the reply to my hon. Friend's Question of 20th November, I am advised that the existing arrangements should prove satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will provide some accommodation as a rest room for passengers with babies and small children at the civil airport at Aldergrove, County Antrim; and if he will make a statement as to the conditions for receiving such young passengers when they are waiting at the terminal building for a flight which has been delayed.

Yes. A room for nursing mothers and young children will be ready in three weeks' time.

asked the Minister of Health what study his Department has made of the medical conference proceedings held in October, 1963, at Stoke-on-Trent and Eccles; what action will be taken based upon the experience of the doctors in these areas where the incidence of bronchitis is the highest in the world; and what are his plans for the compulsory use of antibiotics as part of preventive treatment.

My right hon. Friend is advised on these matters by his Standing Medical Advisory Committee, who are at present giving special attention to the problems of bronchitis, and he awaits their further recommendations. The prescription of antibiotics is for the individual doctor to decide.

the Minister of Health if he is aware of growing medical opinion that environmental factors increase the danger of bronchitis; and what action he will take, after consultation with other Departments, to reduce the environmental factors to a minimum in areas where the number of those who suffer from bronchitis is greatest.

Yes. I would refer the hon. Member to the full statement I made in the adjournment debate on 15th February last.

the Minister of Health if he will provide figures in tabular form on the comparative cost of providing medicine as preventive treatment for bronchitis in hospital practice compared with domiciliary practice, and similar figures for the provision of tetracycline and ampicillin.

I am advised that tetracycline and ampicillin are the preparations most commonly used for such treatment. The cost of treatment would depend on the quantity required.

asked the Minister of Health if he will give in tabular form the percentage, for the latest comparable period, of those who have suffered from bronchitis and those who have died, respectively, during the past 30 years in England, Scotland, Stoke-on-Trent, Salford, Stockport, Eccles, York, Harro-

—		1932	1937	1942	1947	1952	1957	1961	1962
England	…	50	43	70	75	62	60	68	71
Scotland	…	70	66	51	48	40	39	49	48
Stoke-on-Trent	…	56	46	85	91	83	70	82	79
Salford	…	78	70	156	165	133	137	156	168
Stockport	…	62	44	102	92	116	103	101	96
Eccles	…	*	38	*	153	143	140	123	111
York	…	54	50	59	61	61	70	63	65
Harrrogate	…	*	59	*	72	33	40	53	56
Edinburgh	…	71	66	59	58	39	49	55	45
Lancashire	…	55	52	78	90	72	73	85	81
Staffordshire	…	52	44	56	72	57	58	68	70
Barrow in Furness(a)	…	72	85	89	107	60	42	32	46
Kirkcaldy(a)	…	52	65	56	46	30	42	34	28
Aberdeen(a)	…	63	46	37	38	31	31	35	37
(a) The three county boroughs or burghs of population over 50,000 with the lowest crude rates in 1961.

Figures for the other countries named are not strictly comparable because of international differences in diagnostic nomenclature and in practices regarding certification of cause of death. Such figures as are available are these:
—	1932	1937	1942	1947	1952	1957	1961	1962
Belgium	*	*	*	*	18	20	18	*
Denmark	19	16	11	6	3	6	6	*
Norway	*	*	*	7	5	4	4	*
France	23	*	11	7	5	5	4	*
United States of America	4	3	3	2	2	2	2	*
* Not available.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will state the number of jobs in prospect at the latest convenient date in the Northern Region.

23,000 jobs, of which over two-thirds are for males, are expected to arise in the Northern Region within the next four years from projects known to the Board of Trade. In addition, there are a further eight advance

The numbers of those who have suffered from bronchitis are not known. Crude death rates from bronchitis (taking no account of age differences in the populations) per 100,000 people living have been:factories under construction, totalling 144,000 sq. ft., which should provide some 600 new jobs.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what was the estimated loss of jobs in the Northern Region in each of the last five years; and what was the number of new jobs created in each of those years.

The information is not available in the precise form asked for by the hon. Member. The only reliable and comprehensive figures relating to jobs lost are those derived from changes in the number of employees in employment, and relate to the middle of each calendar year. Statistics for 1963 are not yet available. Statistics for the years 1958 to 1962, inclusive, are as follows:

1958 (mid-year)	…	…	1,273,300
1959 (mid-year)	…	…	1,261,600
1960 (mid-year)	…	…	1,269,100
1961 (mid-year)	…	…	1,276,800
1962 (mid-year)	…	…	1,270,400

Jobs estimated to arise from industrial development certificates issued in the last five years were as follows:

Year to 31st October, 1959	…	3,580
Year to 31st October, 1960	…	7,776
Year to 31st October, 1961	…	10,988
Year to 31st October, 1962	…	9,973
Year to 31st October, 1963	…	7,935

asked the Postmaster-General what was the number of telephones installed during the years 1960, 1961, 1962 in the towns of Pontefract, Castleford and Featherstone; and what is the number still on the waiting list in each of the three towns at the present time.

The figures are:

	Pontefract	Castleford	Featherstone
Telephones installed during:
1960	146	153	33
1961	148	177	49
1962	166	144	33
Present waiting list	16	3	2

A further 48, 25 and 8 applications, respectively, are at present under inquiry or being met.

asked the Postmaster-General if he will give details of the steps he has taken during the current financial year to effect economies within the General Post Office, giving the estimated economies he hopes to achieve.

I and my staff are continuously seeking ways of saving money and increasing productivity. The results do not lend themselves to detailed listing, but in real terms I am expecting to deal with nearly £40 million worth of additional business this year without increasing my expenditure by more than about half that amount.

asked the Postmaster-General why the postcard, a copy of which has been sent to him, correctly addressed with the omission only of the London postal district received by the postal sorting office from Leningrad on 8th April, 1963, was not delivered until over six months later.

Despite a thorough inquiry it has not been possible to find out why this postcard took so long to reach the addressee. I very much regret the delay and am writing to the hon. Member about it.

asked the Minister of Labour when he proposes to introduce legislation to provide payment to workers becoming redundant.

I have nothing at present to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Ham, North (Mr. Prentice) on 18th November.

asked the Minister of Labour how many applications for work vouchers have been received under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act; how many have lapsed; and how many have been issued in each category.

Up to 25th October, 1963, the number of applications received for category Avouchers was 14,966, and 9,572 vouchers had been issued; in category B 14,467 applications had been received and 13,393 vouchers issued; in category C 289,704 applications had been received and 37,084 vouchers had been issued. By the same date 11,986 vouchers had been returned to my Ministry because their validity had expired or because their holders no longer required them. I regret that the figure of returned vouchers cannot be given by categories.

asked the Minister of Labour what is the breakdown by country of origin of the work vouchers

APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AND VOUCHERS ISSUED UNDER PART I OF THE
COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRANTS ACT FROM THE START OF THE SCHEME TO
25TH OCTOBER, 1963
Territory which Issued Passport	Category A		Category B		Category C		Vouchers returned(All categories) unused.
	Applications Received	Vouchers Issued	Applications Received	Vouchers Issued	Applications Received	Vouchers Issued
Aden	31	20	3	3	29	18	3
Antigua	10	6	4	4	39	24	—
Australia	402	371	1,004	990	615	416	133
Bahamas	3	3	3	3	3	1	—
Barbados	773	695	17	16	573	315	46
Basutoland	2	2	—	—	—	—	—
Bermuda	7	4	6	5	28	16	—
Br. Guiana	136	90	100	90	501	192	11
Br. Honduras	1	1	1	1	3	1	—
Br. Solomon Is	—	—	—	—	3	2	—
Brunei	2	2	2	2	—	—	—
Canada	248	206	1,129	1,087	1,017	607	48
Ceylon	98	78	431	417	1,781	750	57
Cyprus	1,515	953	15	15	391	204	39
Dominica	26	18	1	—	30	18	—
Falkland Is	—	—	1	1	10	6	3
Fiji	19	13	14	10	290	123	14
Gambia	2	1	—	—	2	—	—
Ghana	53	32	13	13	126	48	7
Gibraltar	15	12	14	13	74	42	7
Grenada	39	22	2	—	306	180	24
Hong Kong	1,935	1,277	19	18	36	12	95
India	2,211	1,397	4,937	4,572	147,130	15,196	8,832
Jamaica	524	327	99	91	5,287	3,138	485
Kenya	72	52	111	108	260	58	3
Malaysian Fedn	175	149	47	46	81	48	12
Malta	849	731	94	76	1,037	591	61
Mauritius	47	36	139	124	845	280	11
Montserrat	5	3	—	—	17	12	1
New Guinea	1	1	—	—	13	—	1
New Zealand	137	128	292	283	175	109	25
Nigeria	177	136	1,277	1,217	7,360	2,784	318
Pakistan	4,908	2,386	4,446	3,959	120,464	11,222	1,657
Papua	1	1	2	2	1	—	1
Persian Gulf States	2	1	1	1	11	2	—
Rhodesian Fedn	77	68	125	120	205	131	24
St. Helena	97	90	—	—	—	—	2
St. Kitts	13	5	—	—	70	50	6
St. Lucia	38	26	—	—	163	118	9
St. Vincent	45	31	2	2	247	135	14
Seychelles	56	47	—	—	14	4	4
Sierra Leone	9	8	10	9	84	32	5
Swaziland	—	—	8	6	3	1	—
Tanganyika	22	18	3	3	25	11	1
Trinidad and Tobago	151	103	59	56	281	155	20
Uganda	17	9	2	2	22	13	2
Zanzibar	4	4	5	3	16	10	—
Others	11	9	29	25	36	9	5
Total	14,966	9,572	14,467	13,393	289,704	37,084	11,986

The following is the information requested to the latest available date:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish details showing the total school popula-

(1)		(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)
Education Authority		Pupils in Authority Schools January, 1963	Allocation of investment March, 1963	Aggregate value of approved projects	Value of actual starts to 31st October, 1963 (7 months)
Counties			£thousand	£thousand	£thousand
Aberdeen	…	23,464	287	393	362
Angus	…	14,818	620	577	577
Argyll	…	8,800	51	82	78
Ayr	…	57,846	1,000	1,216	211
Banff	…	8,227	80	80	—
Berwick	…	3,544	38	53	—
Bute	…	1,996	79	80	9
Caithness	…	5,080	150	216	66
Clackmannan	…	7,149	266	267	267
Dumfries	…	14,682	212	503	289
Dunbarton	…	34,390	855	1,457	735
East Lothian	…	8,892	100	188	—
Fife	…	55,451	630	869	241
Inverness	…	14,468	354	496	290
Kincardine	…	4,412	212	212	—
Kirkcudbright	…	4,627	20	229	201
Lanark	…	103,993	1,760	1,789	537
Midlothian	…	19,774	602	875	847
Moray and Nairn	…	10,358	149	220	220
Orkney	…	3,037	—	—	—
Peebles	…	1,947	250	293	293
Perth and Kinross	…	20,083	116	415	347
Renfrew	…	57,302	1,035	2,100	1,474
Ross and Cromarty	…	10,137	347	486	117
Roxburgh	…	6,101	—	—	—
Selkirk	…	3,275	13	26	11
Stirling	…	33,035	362	384	242
Sutherland	…	2,259	41	47	—
West Lothian	…	17,145	700	904	193
Wigtown	…	5,260	—	—	—
Zetland	…	2,860	107	107	—
Burghs
Aberdeen	…	29,431	153	316	316
Dundee	…	30,943	424	424	—
Edinburgh	…	63,210	801	941	121
Glasgow	…	175,730	2,525	2,540	799
Total (Scotland)	…	863,726	14,339	18,785	8,843
The amounts shown in Column (4) include the value of projects approved in the previous financial year which did not start until the current year and also of some projects approved this year but now unlikely to be ready to start until 1964–65.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish details showing the amount of national

The following table gives the information requested:dried milk, cod liver oil, and orange juice supplied by Airdrie Town Council, Coatbridge Town Council and Lanark County Council, respectively, in 1957 and in each subsequent year.

This information is not now available for 1957 owing to the normal disposal of old records. The figures for the years 1958 to 1962 inclusive are as follows:

NATIONAL DRIED MILK (TINS)
Year		Airdrie	Coatbridge	Lanark County
1958	…	13,287	36,642	181,326
1959	…	11,590	31,690	157,413
1960	…	11,308	27,972	127,398
1961	…	8,728	19,251	92,367
1962	…	6,286	15,217	79,243

COD LIVER OIL (BOTTLES)
Year		Airdrie	Coatbridge	Lanark County
1958	…	2,859	6,726	27,914
1959	…	3,387	7,063	31,756
1960	…	3,610	6,656	29,570
1961	…	2,286	4,496	19,011
1962	…	1,113	2,756	9,136

ORANGE JUICE (BOTTLES)
Year		Airdrie	Coatbridge	Lanark County
1958	…	12,207	28,095	137,325
1959	…	13,971	29,086	140,573
1960	…	13,325	28,582	136,872
1961	…	7,622	17,458	76,673
1962	…	3,693	11,203	38,352

asked the Minister of Transport what discussions he has had with the Shropshire County Council concerning the dangerous corner on the A.5 between Shrewsbury and Wellington in the area of Overley Hill and the Shamrock Cafe; and what decision he has made about authorising double white lines to be painted on the road.

I am going into this urgently with the county council. In particular, up-to-date speed measurements are being taken to see whether double white lines would now be justified. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Transport why a minimum period of four weeks is required by his Department for amendment or annulment of orders relating to waiting restrictions on the public highway in Stanmore, Middlesex.

The amendment or annulment of these waiting restrictions would have required the making of regulations under Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act, 1960. The necessary processes of preparing, printing, making and laying these regulations would have taken at least four week