asked the Minister of Power what steps he is taking to lower the price of smokeless fuels.

My right hon. Friend does not control prices.

asked the Minister of Power what powers he intends to take to enable him to control the price of pre-packed smokeless fuel.

None.

asked the Minister of Power whether he has yet received the report concerning the future development of the gasification of coal by the Lurgi plant system.

Yes. I would refer the hon. Member to the Reply I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton-le-Spring (Mr. Blyton) on 21st November.

asked the Minister of Power what statistics are available in his health and safety department relating to the number of fires in mines controlled by the National Coal Board arising from conveyor systems for five years prior to 1953, and the number of fires arising from the same cause since that date.

:Seventy-three fires in conveyor systems were reported in the five years 1948 to 1952, inclusive, compared with 58 in the years 1953 to 1957 and 47 in the years 1958 to 1962.

asked the Minister of Power what plans he has to prevent the decline in coal consumption by the gas industry.

The gas industry devotes much of its research to new processes for making gas from coal on an economic basis. Exploitation of any such processes will be assisted by an expansion of the gas market, and this is at present made possible by new oil-using processes which are highly economical in capital and current costs.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will make a statement on the safety aspects of the experiments with robot miners being undertaken in the East Midlands coalfield.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the experiments with automated faces at Newstead and Ormonde Collieries. These systems reduce the number of men exposed to the hazards of work at the face and so constitute a major advance in safety.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development, in view of the dissatisfaction among independent film producers and exhibitors about the existing system of distributing and releasing films, if he will ask the Cinematograph Films Council to hasten their report and recommendations to him on the monopolistic tendencies in the industry.

I have drawn the attention of the Cinematograph Films Council to the need for the speediest possible completion of their report and recommendations.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will introduce legislation to protect shop, distributive and other workers from the effects of trading stamp schemes.

No. I have seen no evidence that such legislation is necessary.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what communications he has received regarding the need for legislation to control stamp trading companies; and if he will make a statement.

Since February of this year my Department has received eighteen communications asking for such legislation, of which nine came through Members of this House. Of the total, nine were from or on behalf of Trade Associations or individual traders, and nine from or on behalf of consumers.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether Her Majesty's Government intend to take steps to control the operations of stamp trading companies.

:I have nothing to add to the Answer which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for the Hartlepools (Commander Kerans) on 21st November.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development in view of the fact that exports to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of fish and fish preparations for the first nine months of 1963 amounted to £243,061 whereas imports were £1,397,382, what steps he is taking to increase British exports more nearly to those of the Soviet; and if he will make a statement.

:We have frequently stressed the importance of achieving a closer balance between Soviet purchases from us and Soviet sales to us. There has been a considerable improvement so far this year in the overall balance.There is however no reason why the inward and outward trade in fish and fish preparations should be in balance taken on their own.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development, what plans he has for reducing unemployment in North West Wales, particularly in South Caernarvonshire.

I shall continue to make full use of my powers under the Local Employment Acts to promote employment in the development districts in North West Wales, including the Pwllheli area in South Caernarvonshire. I am doing everything possible to draw the attention of industrialists both to the advance factory which is due for completion at Portmadoc in the spring and to the further advance factory which is planned for construction at Bethesda.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development for what reasons Her Majesty's Government gave financial support to the North British Locomotive Company Limited, now in liquidation; what assessment was made of its prospects; and whether he will make a statement.

The loan was made in March, 1959, on the recommendation of the Development Areas Treasury Advisory Committee, an independent body, who satisfied themselves after detailed investigations on the future prospects of the company. The purpose of the loan was to maintain employment in Glasgow. These loans are intended to help companies to finance their own projects to provide new jobs in development districts or prevent existing jobs being lost. The loan agreements normally give the Government the right to nominate a director, but the Government have no powers to intervene in management.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether he will place in the Library the report on the North East submitted to the Government by Lord Hailsham.

I would refer the right hon. Member to the Answer my hon. Friend gave the right hon. Member for Battersea, North (Mr. Jay) on 19th November.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what are the duties of the official appointed to lead the special team of civil servants in the North East; and from where these duties will be carried out.

:The Under-Secretary in charge of the Regional Development Division which has been set up in the Board of Trade is based in London, buthe will make frequent visits to the North East so that he may advise me on the implementation of the North East programme. He will also act as Chairman of the inter-departmental North East Development Group in Newcastle.

Ward asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development when he proposes to outline the methods of allocating the additional finance promised under the North East White Paper.

The main items for which additional finance is being allocate dare indicated in the White Paper. If my hon. Friend will let me know of any particular aspect of the matter she has in mind I will do my best to explain it.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what study he has made of the representations which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Tynemouth on the proposals for higher technological education made in the White Paper on the North East.

I have sent a copy of my hon. Friend's representations to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education, who will take them into account in relation to future proposals for the development of technological education in the North East.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether he will initiate conversations in the Council of Association with members of the European Coal and Steel Community on the question of steel exports, in order to ensure that the recent high level British steel exports will not lead to retaliatory increases; and whether, as a first step, he will consider harmonising the British tariff with those of the Common Market countries.

This subject has already been discussed in the Council of Association. Harmonising the British steel tariff with those of members of the Community would not significantly affect the Community's problem.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what steps he proposes to take to deal with the changes in the economic base of the industrial conurbation of South Wales.

:As has already been announced, the Government are undertaking a survey of the general problems of the population and economy of Wales. The problem which the hon. Gentleman has in mind will be among the matters examined.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will now publish the report of his Department's inquiry into resale price maintenance.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he has now reached a conclusion on the official enquiry into all the aspects of Resale Price Maintenance; and if he will make a statement.

I hope to be able to make a statement before long.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he will make a statement on his recent discussions with the United States Under-Secretary of State, and in the Atlantic Council, about the terms of credit for trade with countries of Eastern Europe.

:I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Louth (Sir. C. Osborne) on 21st November about my talks with Mr. Ball. Discussions in the N.A.T.O. Council are confidential.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development, when Her Majesty's Government propose to state their policy on monopolies, mergers and restrictive trade practices.

I hope that it will be posible for me to make a statement on these difficult matters before long.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development what were the amounts spent and number of jobs provided in Scotland under the Local Employment Act in each of the years 1960–61, 1961–62, and 1962–63; what is the estimate for 1963–64; and if he will state in respect of money and jobs in each. of. those years what percentage they bear to the respective totals for the United Kingdom.

In 1960–61 the amount spent in Scotland was £3.4 million, 29 per cent, of the total spent in Great Britain. In the following year it was £18.4 million, or 56 per cent. In 1962–63, it was £14.4 million, or 60 per cent. If expenditure for the remainder of 1963–64 is at the current rate it will amount to £7 million, or 52 per cent. I cannot give the number of jobs actually provided year by year which would in any case have resulted from expenditure in an earlier period. I hope to have available, within the next few weeks, figures of the total number of jobs provided up to March 1963.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development if he is aware of the need for changes in the Hire Purchase Acts; and if he will consult appropriate trade asosciations, as well as finance houses, to obtain their opinions before taking steps to amend the Acts.

:Yes. The hon. Member will shortly see the proposals for changes in these Acts which I consider desirable after studying the views which my Department has received from finance houses, trade associations and others concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development how much money in grants and loans has been made available to each of the development districts in North Wales since the Local Employment Act came into operation.

Grants amounting to £396,000 and loans of £22,000 have been offered for projects in the development districts in North Wales. I cannot give separate figures for each district, since to do so would reveal details of assistance to individual firms.

asked the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development whether his Department has been informed about the proposals by the United. Steal and English Steal. Companies to close down plants in Rotherham and Barrow-in-Furness and to discharge large numbers of employees; and what action he has taken.

I am aware of the proposal to close down the Baker and Bessemer plant near Rotherham. Some 900 jobs at other steelworks are to be offered to the redundant workers. In these circumstances, I consider that no special action is necessary.I know of no proposal to close the United Steel Group plant at Barrow-in-Furness, though the company have announced that there will be some redundancies there. Barrow-in-Furness is a development district, and I shall continue to make every effort to bring the facilities available to the notice of suitable firms.

asked the Minister of Education what arrangements are being made to give additional primary school education facilities in the Tytherington area of Macclesfield to deal with the increase in population resulting from the arrangement whereby Macclesfield takes a considerable proportion of the overspill population from Manchester.

The Cheshire Local Education Authority proposed a new county primary school at Tytherington for the 1964–65 major school building programme in order to meet a prospective shortage of places in the immediate area. I was not able to approve this project because of other more urgent work and the fact that there were spare places in other accessible schools.

asked the Minister of Education what steps are being taken to meet the urgent requirement for improved grammar schools for both boys and girls, at Morpeth, Northumberland.

As the hon. Member is aware, new school buildings for both the girls and the boys were included in the major school building programmes for 1961–62 and 1963–64 respectively. I understand that the local education authority hopes shortly to submit its final plans for the buildings to my Department.

asked the Minister of Education what was the number of new schools requested by the education committee of Bristol for each of the past five years; and what was the number for which permission was granted.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Education what steps are being taken to improve the facilities for grammar school places and playing field services at the Ashington Grammar School, Northumberland.

:I understand that the local education authority will very shortly submit final plans for the extensions to the school which were included in the 1962–63 major school building programme. The authority is trying to find a way of increasing the amount of playing fields.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to release off-licences in Southampton from licensing planning control.

:My right hon. Friend cannot at present say when licensing planning will be brought to an end in Southampton. There is no power to terminate it in respect of off-licences only.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received asking for a revision of legislation affecting the control of hackney carriages and private hire cars; and if he will make a statement.

In recent weeks two local authorities, one being that of a borough in my hon. Friend's constituency, have suggested revision of the provincial hackney carriage law. The hackney carriage provisions of the Town Police Clauses Act, 1847, appear to my right hon. Friend to work satisfactorily in practice, and I am sending replies explaining why my right hon. Friend does not think that new legislation is needed.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that there is need for land for house building in London, if he will relinquish to the local authorities concerned Her Majesty's prisons at Pentonville, Holloway, Wormwood Scrubs, Wandsworth and Brixton and arrange for new detention centres to be built, or ex-Army camps taken over, for this purpose outside the big towns and cities.

My immediate aim is to eliminate overcrowding in prisons. Good progress is being made, but until this has been accomplished it will not be possible to consider relinquishing existing prisons.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the number of complaints alleging fraud which have been made to the Metropolitan Police and the City Fraud Squad since 1958;the number of prosecutions which have resulted; and the number of convictions in respect of such prosecutions.

:There were 814 cases of alleged fraud reported to and investigated by the Metropolitan and City Company Fraud Branch from 1stJanuary, 1959, to 25th November, 1963; 146 of these cases are still under investigation. Prosecutions have been instituted in 333 cases, of which 32 are still before the courts; convictions were obtained in 280 cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the case of Detective Sergeant Challoner was first referred to the chief medical officer of the Metropolitan Police; and whether the reports made by the chief medical officer and the decisions taken thereon will come within the scope of the special inquiry now being conducted.

:I am informed that Detective Sergeant Challoner was first seen by the consulting physician to the Metropolitan police on 16th August 1963. The answer to the second part of the question is: Yes, Sir.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the nature of the administrative failure by which the Metropolitan Police failed to connect the Mr. H. H. Y. Woolfreported missing on 16th November, 1962, with the Mr. Woolf whom the police arrested on 10th November and retained in custody in hospital until 23rd November when he died;(2) why the Metropolitan Police failed to communicate with the relatives of Mr. H. H. Y. Woolf, the names and addresses of whom were known to them on 10th November, 1962, from the time when they arrested him until after he died, in hospital and in police custody, two weeks later.

The Commissioner of Police informs me that there was an omission on the part of several officers to carry out routine measures, which, had they been applied, would have resulted much earlier in Mr. Woolf being identified as the person who had been reported missing. The Commissioner of Police has tendered an apology to Mrs. Woolf.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police instructed counsel to oppose Mrs. Woolf's application to the divisional court for a new inquest on the late Mr. H. H. Y. Woolf.

:The Commissioner of Police was served with the Notice of Application, and he decided that, in order to assist the court, counsel should be available, particularly on the question of the value to be attached to any further evidence not available at the inquest. I understand that counsel pointed out the need for evidence rather than supposition if a new inquest were to be justified.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received a report from the Metropolitan Police on the case of the late Mr. H. H. Y. Woolf; and if he will publish it.

I have received such a report and, as I told my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster (Mr. Berkeley) last week, I asked the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for some further information. I have just received this, 'and when I have considered it I will make a statement.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what machinery exists for the co-ordination of Government pronouncements on long range expenditure proposals involving both current and capital planning; and whether he will publish a White Paper setting out the estimated cost of expenditure programmes announced between 24thOctober and 12th November.

These announcements are co-ordinated by the customary processes of interdepartmental consultation and Ministerial decision. My right hon. Friend has already given the House some estimates of public expenditure in 1967–68 which of course take account of recent announcements in particular fields and we are considering the possibility of publishing a White Paper on certain aspects of public expenditure. This would go far wider than the suggestion made in the hon. Gentleman's Question.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he has placed propellor and axial flow electric fans designed for domestic window mounting on 25 per cent. Purchase Tax, thus discriminating against good ventilation; and what other air-conditioning equipment attracts Purchase Tax.

:Purchase Tax applies to domestic electrical appliances in general. The fans to which my hon. Friend refers were formerly outside the scope of the tax because they were not used domestically, but they are now so used and the tax has been applied to them accordingly.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about accommodation of the Royal Society; and what reply he has made.

Her Majesty's Government have provided rent free accommodation for the Royal Society since 1778, their present premises being in Burlington House. As my predecessor informed the House early last year, the Society approached the Government in 1961 about the possibility of new premises for them in Carlton House Terrace, representing that lack of adequate accommodation in Burlington House was impairing their activities. They asked whether, on surrender of their rent free accommodation in Burlington House, they could hope to receive assistance from public funds towards the costs of new premises.With my agreement the Society entered into negotiations with the Crown Estate Commissioners for a 99-year lease of 6–9 Carlton House Terrace, which they are satisfied will, after internal reconstruction, provide worthy accommodation for the Society. These negotiations have now reached the stage which enables me to tell the House that, subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government have felt able to agree to provide the Society with funds to meet the annual rental and associated maintenance expenditure arising from their lease of 6–9 Carlton House Terrace from the Crown Estate Commissioners. When the Society are in occupation of their new and larger premises the sum needed is expected to be of the order of £45,000 per annum, but this will not be until the reconstruction is completed. Appropriate provision will be made in Estimates to be laid before this House in due course. The value of the free accommodation and services at present provided for the Royal Society by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works is some £18,000 a year.The interior of the new premises will require to be adapted to the Society's particular needs and it is estimated that this internal reconstruction will cost about £500,000. The Royal Society is attempting to raise this sum and I am sure hon. Members will join me in wishing them every success in their appeal. I understand that over £360,000 has already been promised, including a most generous undertaking by the Nuffield Foundation to meet half the cost up to a maximum of £250,000, by the Wellcome Trust to contribute £60,000 towards the cost of two lecture theatres and reception room, and by the Wolfson Foundation to give £50,000 for the library.Her Majesty's Government is glad to be associated with these efforts to provide dignified and appropriate accommodation for the future for the Royal Society, a body to which this country and humanity as a whole owe so much.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he is aware that the policy exercised by the valuation officers in rating small flats higher than houses of moderate size is militating against elderly people moving out of houses where they are over-housed into flats, as they cannot afford the rates; and what action he is taking on this matter.

:The assessments of flats and houses depend, not on any policy pursued by valuation officers, but on the rents which these properties could be expected to command. If flats have the higher assessments—I am assuming that the assessments are correct—it is because people have been prepared to pay more rent for them. As regards the second part of the Question, I would ask my hon. Friend to await the Bill which I hope to present shortly.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs approximately what proportion of the increase in rates collected by Wandsworth Borough Council from the average householder was due to the effects of the revaluation on the distribution of rateable values within Wandsworth compared with the proportion attributable to the increase in the rate call by Wandsworth Borough Council.

I estimate that changes in the distribution of rateable values due to revaluation have added about 10s. to the rates paid by the average householder in Wandsworth this year. The increase in total rate call has added roughly another £7 6s., of which nearly two-thirds is attributable to the needs of the borough council.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether the Regional Controller Quarterly Conference held at Cardiff has produced a co-ordinated plan to govern the economic changes in South Wales, and to relate the basic services to those changes.

No. This is now being worked on by the Departments concerned in Cardiff under the leadership of my Welsh Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that day release or part-time release of students for study is not consistently or generally observed in Aberdeen; which firms and institutions in Aberdeen release students; which do not; and if he will make a statement.

:Although still disappointing, the day-release figures relating to students and firms are increasing steadily in Aberdeen as elsewhere. I shall send the hon. and learned Member details. The education authority and other organisations are to be commended for the steps they have taken to stimulate interest among employers, and I am con- fident that the proposals in the Industrial Training Bill will result in a significant increase in day release.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Uruguay regarding the recent Uruguayan decrees creating flag discrimination in favour of Uruguayan shipping.

Her Majesty's Government are gravely concerned about the Uruguayan measures and Her Majesty's Ambassador at Montevideo has made representations to the Uruguayan authorities on a number of occasions. A reply has recently been received and, in the light of this, Her Majesty's Ambassador has been instructed to take the matter up again urgently.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the frontier between the Yemen and the South Arabian Federation has remained quiet in recent months; and what representations respecting the frontier have been made by either Royalist or Republican authorities controlling respective areas in the Yemen.

Although exchanges of fire initiated from the Yemeni side of the frontier had taken place almost daily in the Beihan area from the beginning of June up to 24th October, I am glad to record relative quiet during the past month. During this period the only significant incident took place on20th November, when Yemeni tribesmen crossed the border and fired on Beihani tribesmen and a military post: the fire was returned and the Yemenis withdrew.Inaccurate Notes of protest from the Yemeni Republican authorities about alleged violations of the frontier were received regularly at one time, but none has been received since the 15th of August. Letters of protest from the Republican authorities were circulated to the Security Council on 24th June and 29th August and these, together with our replies,are in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister of Aviation what steps he is taking to stop the draught in the passenger waiting area on the first floor at the civil airport at Aldergrove in County Antrim; and whether he will make some structural change in the ramp, which acts as a runnel for the cold air from the passenger exits.

I am advised that the draught is caused by doors in the passenger exits not remaining closed in the prevailing wind. The necessary alterations are being made to the doors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the precise terms of the political restrictions placed on immigrants from the Republic of South Africa resident in the High Commission Territories; and how far these apply equally to opponents and to supporters of the Government of the Republic.

No political restrictions are placed on immigrants who satisfy the immigration laws. But these laws are waived in the case of political refugees, subject to the condition that they shall not participate actively in the politics of the territories or of any neighbouring territory. This condition applies without distinction to all persons who are admitted as refugees without complying with the normal immigration regulations.

asked the Minister of Labour how the unemployment figures, as at the middle of November, 1963, for the City of Birmingham and the Midland Region, respectively, compare with similar figures for the middle of February, 1963.

On 11th November there were 10,256 unemployed in the Birmingham area and 48,456 in the Midlands Region. The comparable figures for 11thFebruary were 21,427 and 122,557.

asked the Minister of Labour whether the Court of Inquiry he has appointed to enquire into the problems of the staffing and salaries of the London Transport undertaking will be seeking evidence from honourable Members in whose constituencies the undertaking operates; and if it would welcome written or oral evidence from the travelling public.

The Committee has issued a general invitation to any persons wishing to give evidence to write to Mr. W. R. B. Robinson, one of the joint secretaries of the Committee, at the Ministry of Labour.

asked the Minister of Labour when he is proposing to publish Lord Cameron's Report on his inquiry into the complaint by the National Union of Bank Employees to the Committee on Freedom of Association of the International Labour Organisation; and what action he proposes to take.

Lord Cameron's Report has been published as a Command Paper this afternoon. Lord Cameron has found that the allegations of breaches of the International Labour Convention on the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively were not established. He has also made suggestions for action to improve relations in the banks. I commend these to the organisations concerned for urgent and careful consideration. I sincerely hope that full advantage will be taken of this opportunity to improve relations. Officers of the Ministry will of course be ready to give what help they can to the parties. The Inquiry was suggested by the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation and I am sending a copy of the Report to the Director General of the International Labour Office. I should like to express my gratitude to Lord Cameron for his valuable public service in making this Inquiry.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a short period of training given to men in industrial establishments and on building construction would prevent many accidents; and if he will seek power to ensure such training, especially by small employers.

Powers to require safety training under the Factories Act exist and are used. For example, training must be given to all workers at woodworking machinery and to young persons at a number of other machines. This is reinforced by voluntary training schemes which are an important part of the effort which we are making to develop safety-consciousness throughout industry.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that a large number of industrial accidents which take place are not reported by employers and that accidents on building construction are increasing; and if he will introduce legislation to make it obligatory on all employers to report every accident so that statistics on this subject can be more reliable.

I have informed the House of the efforts I am making to improve the standard of accident reporting and of accident prevention generally. In this I have the full support of both sides of Industry. Section 80 of the Factories Act, 1961, already requires occupiers to report to the Factory Inspectorate every accident which causes loss of life to a person employed, or disables any such person for more than three days from earning full wages at the work on which he was employed. I do not consider that it would be useful to extend this requirement to include all accidents.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what steps he is taking to safeguard the position of federal civil servants displaced as a result of the dissolution of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Sir T. Moore).

asked the Secretary of State for War whether soldiers who purchase their discharge have a liability for service with the Reserve; and whether he will make a statement.

In many cases the circumstances which have led to a soldier purchasing his discharge would not debar him from giving useful service in an emergency. I propose therefore that from 1st April, 1964, trained soldiers with less than 12 years' service (9 years in the case of soldiers enlisted for 22 years before 1st October, 1957), who at present may be granted discharge by purchase, should be transferred to Section "B" of the Regular Reserve by purchase, to serve therein for the balance of their committed Colour service and reserve liability. For example, a man who enlisted for 22 years on or after 1st October, 1957, and leaves by purchase after completing five years' Colour service will be required to serve in the Regular reserve for seven years.I estimate that this scheme will produce 1,000 additional reservists a year with an average of six years' liability each. This will, therefore, increase Section "B" of the reserve by some 6,000 reservists in six years' time. The increased figure is likely to be maintained thereafter.Transfer to the reserve by purchase will be governed by the same rules as discharge by purchase and the same financial rates will apply.The system of discharge by purchase will be retained for those cases where transfer to the reserve would be inappropriate—for instance, where the soldier proposes to live abroad.Men transferred to the reserve by purchase will receive the normal rates of reserve pay and will have the normal liabilities of other Section "B" Regular Reservists