asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware of the important psychological effects of describing what used to be called tuberculin-tested milk as untreated milk; and whether he will reverse his decision on the use of the latter description.

All milk now comes from attested herds. The term "tuberculin tested" cannot therefore be retained as a special designation for some milk only. "Untreated" is a strictly accurate description and clearly conveys to consumers the essential difference between raw milk and heat-treated milk.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to inform the public that untreated milk means the same as the former description of tuberculin-tested milk.

Announcements about the new special designation "untreated" were made by my Department and the Ministry of Health last July and again in September. A further notice, reminding the public of the impending change, will be issued before the new designation comes into use next October.Producers and dairymen selling raw milk will, no doubt, also take steps to inform their customers that "untreated" is replacing "tuberculin tested." The regulations will specifically permit them to state on the caps of bottles and on cartons of "untreated" milk that the milk has been produced from cows which have passed the tuberculin test.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the need for facilities for further investigations to solve the husbandry problems of the Black Fen area; and what action he proposes to take.

Yes. I have for some time been conscious of the special husbandry problems of this area and the need for extending experimental work there. The Agricultural Advisory Council tells me it favours the establishment of an experimental husbandry farm for this purpose. Recently Alderman A. S. Rickwood, C.B.E., J.P., a prominent fenland farmer, has made an extremely generous offer to my Department of a gift of a farm of about 150 acres—Paradise Farm, near Mepal. He has also undertaken to approach local farmers with a view to securing contributions towards its development, on the understanding that a contribution will also be provided out of the funds available to the Ministry for its experimental husbandry farms. I have been very pleased to accept this generous gift and I hope that contributions from fenland farmers towards the development of the farm, together with funds from the Ministry, will be such as to enable an early start to be made on its use for experimental purposes.The farm will be named "The Arthur Rickwood Experimental Husbandry Farm." Alderman Rickwood has agreed to be the Chairman of the local Advisory Committee.

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the average percentage increase per annum in load ton-miles assumed by him in giving his consent to the British Overseas Airways Corporation's plans for future aircraft fleet requirements; and if he will circulate in the Official Report the estimates he has made, for purposes of examining the Corporation's aircraft requirements, of the load ton-miles which will be carried for each of the Corporation's financial years up to 31st March, 1968, together with the corresponding figures of capacity ton-miles which would be provided, on the assumption that none of the VC10s on order are cancelled and none of the 707s in service are sold.

It is for the Corporation to prepare and present estimates of this character and for my Department to examine them and take them into account when the Corporations seek consent to orders for new aircraft.Consent to B.O.A.C.'s proposals for its future fleet of Boeing and VC10 aircraft was given in stages after examining the Corporation's estimates of seat-mile requirements. The estimate provided at the last stage, namely February, 1961, envisaged an average growth of 13 per cent. a year between 1960–61 and 1967–68.Disclosure of current estimates of future traffic in relation to potential capacity is a matter for the Corporation.

asked the Secretary of State for Air what was the number of free leave warrants for travel by air within the United Kingdom which have been issued for officers and other ranks, respectively, during the past 12 months or other convenient period.

69 and 850 respectively in the 12 months ending 30th September,1963. They were mainly issued to personnel serving in the Scottish islands where travel by steamer may be impracticable. In such cases air travel is permitted to the nearest airport on the mainland.

asked the Minister of Defence whether the Royal Navy is considering the purchase of McDonell Phantom II fighters in place of a developed P1154.

:I would refer the hon. Member to the statement I made about my intentions in respect of the P1154 project on 20th November, 1963 [Hansard, Column 986].

asked the Minister of Education how many boys and girls, respectively aged between 15 and 18 years were released for day study during the last school year; and what were the percentages of those age groups.

The figures are set out in Tables 2 and 19 of Statistics of Education, 1962, Part Two.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will now give assistance to enable the Hertford British Hospital in Paris to continue its work.

:In the light of the continuing need for the services which the hospital provides to British residents and visitors in France, the Government have decided to cancel a debt of £53,000 due to the War Office, and to transfer to the committee of management the adjacent site which was used to house staff during the occupation of the hospital as a British military hospital from 1957 to 1961. The site will be used by the hospital management to provide accommodation for a doctor and for the British nurses, and to secure a regular income from additional accommodation which the management proposes to erect there.This help, together with private benefactions, is expected to make the hospital self-supporting. The Government do not intend to make any further contribution towards the hospital's maintenance.The cost of these services will be borne on the Foreign Service Vote, and Parliament will be asked to vote the amount required in the current financial year by a Supplementary Estimate in due course.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report an analysis of the injuries caused by fireworks which occurred between 15th October and 12th November, 1963, to-together with the comparable figures for 1962 as given in answer to the Question of the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland on 7th February, 1963.

:Hospitals were asked to provide details of accidents involving injuries treated in the period 14th October to 9th November, 1963. The returns are not yet complete. My right hon. Friend will publish an analysis of them as soon as he can.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires were caused by fireworks or bonfires on 4th and 5th November, 1963,in the County of London.

:The London Fire Brigade attended 24 fires caused by bonfires and one caused by a firework on 4th November, and 68 fires caused by bonfires and 25 caused by fireworks on 5th November.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were charged with offences relating to fireworks on 4th and 5th November, 1963,in the Metropolitan Police District.

Two hundred and sixty-seven persons were charged with offences relating to fireworks in the Metropolitan Police District on 4th and 5th November. Ninety-seven of the charges were for discharging fireworks in public places and the remainder for obstructing or assaulting police, obstructing the footway or insulting words and behaviour at places where fireworks were being discharged. In addition 57 persons were reported for summonses.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs when he expects to announce his decision on the recent inquiry into the route of the Hertford relief road.

:The route of the Hertford relief road is shown in the development plan approved in 1958. Further consideration has however been given to the route in the context of proposals for the designation of land for acquisition for the construction of the road. My right hon. Friend's inspector recommended the acceptance of the proposed designation, which implies the retention of the approved route subject to a minor change. He has accepted his inspector's recommendation, and is sending out his decision letter today.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he is aware that 475 women and 195 men will lose their jobs in January, 1964,with the closure of the Fropax frozen food factory in King's Lynn, Norfolk; and what action he proposes to take to ensure that alternative work is available for these workers before this factory closes down.

:Yes. Our local officers are in close touch with the management of the factory and have arranged to register for employment those affected, many of whom are part-time and casual workers, in advance of their discharge. The full facilities of our Department will be available to all those who seek our help.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the expenditure on roads for 1962–63 as given in Table 5 of Appendix 17 to the Scottish Development Department Report for 1962 divided into new construction and major improvement, maintenance and minor improvement, and other expenditure, respectively, by local authorities and the Exchequer, respectively, including payments made by the department to other than local authorities in respect of work on trunk roads.

This information is not yet available in the form requested. An analysis of expenditure on roads in 1962–63 will be published in due course.

asked the Minister of Transport what is the purpose of the road developments at the junction of Neasden Lane and the North Circular Road; how many alternative schemes were available; and what were his reasons for rejecting each.

:Their purpose is to improve this junction in such a way as to eliminate the present congestion and delays there, to provide for the likely forthcoming traffic over the next 20 years and at the same time to preserve the shopping area of Neasden Lane. The consulting engineers considered numerous possibilities before recommending a particular type of lay-out on which we are in consultation with the local authorities concerned.I will write to my hon. Friend explaining why I have in mind to accept this recommendation, with Neasden Lane passing under the North Circular Road. But I emphasise that no final decision can be taken until draft Orders have been published and any objections have been considered.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has considered the Willesden Borough Council's proposals, details of which have been sent to him, suggesting a roundabout at the junction of Neasden Lane and the North Circular Road; and what are his objections thereto.

I have received no recent proposals from the Willesden Borough Council.

asked the Minister of Transport what practicable plans are available which could be carried out without involving a substantial demolition of private property at the junction of Neasden Lane and the North Circular Road.

None which would be capable of dealing with future traffic flows.

asked the Minister of Transport what plans he has for developing other intersections where traffic congestion is likely to occur as a result of the completion of the Neasden bypass.

I do not accept that the proposed underpass would significantly increase traffic congestion elsewhere. Consideration is being given to improvements and traffic engineering measures which will in any case be necessary at other intersections owing to the normal growth of traffic.

asked the Minister of Transport when road works are likely to be undertaken at the Neasden bypass.

I have made provision in my road programme for an improvement of the junction of Neasden Lane and the North Circular Road, but I cannot say when road works would be likely to start.

asked the Minister of Transport (1) if he will give a general direction in the public interest to the Railways Board that, when transport users' consultative committees are considering alternatives to passenger railway services, the Board should show, with its estimates of income and expenditure for passengers, the volume of use of the line for freight and reserve working;(2) if he will give a general direction in the public interest to the Railways Board that, when transport users' consultative committees are considering alternatives to passenger railway services, the Board should include in its estimates of income for the line and show separately other revenue attributable to use of the line by passengers buying tickets elsewhere, credits for passengers travelling beyond the stations to be closed, parcels revenue, credit for Government warrants, credit for use by railway servants and their families, and miscellaneous receipts from advertisements, stalls, etc., on platforms.

No. The consultative committees' function under Section 56 of the Transport Act, 1962,is to consider objections and assess hardship. For this purpose they receive from the Board detailed information about the numbers of passengers carried and the alternative services likely to be available. The other information which they need must be supplied by the users themselves, namely evidence of hardship. Neither the assessment of hardship, nor the need for alternative services if the closure were to take place, is dependent upon railway receipts of one kind or another or the use of the line by other services.The financial information which the Board supplies is primarily for background. It comprises the annual receipts and direct costs attributable to the service. The receipts relate to all passenger travel on the service itself irrespective of where tickets are obtained. In his independent report, to which I referred in my Answer to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. G. Wilson) on 24th October, Sir William Carrington concluded that this information is appropriate for the purpose of the committees in carrying out their duties under Section 56, and that the bases for its compilation are well founded and sound in principle.

asked the Minister of Transport if he is aware of recent criticisms in the courts of the policy of the Railways Board concerning the employment of convicted persons; and whether he will give a general direction in the public interest to the Board to permit the employment of convicted persons where security considerations allow.

I am not aware of any such criticisms of the policy of the British Railways Board, and I have no reason to think that a general direction of this kind is called for.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a further statement about the classified road programme, following his statement last year of a list of schemes for 1964–65 costing over £100,000 each.

Yes. My provisional list of schemes costing over £100,000 each for 1965–68 outside London and the other conurbations is set out below. Under arrangements already agreed with the local authority associations and notified to all highway authorities, I am asking the authorities concerned to confirm that they are ready to start work on the schemes in the years suggested and also that the estimated cost and other details already notified to me still hold good. In addition, provision is being made for a number of road schemes needed in connection with new towns and expandingtowns. I am selecting these in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.Classified road schemes costing under £100,000 each for 1965–68 will be notified to highway authorities as soon as they have been selected.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to further the recruitment of more Commonwealth immigrants, where suitable, to positions of responsibility within all branches of the Civil Service.

The Civil Service Commission considers for permanent posts all suitable qualified candidates and there is no impediment put in the way of those who have immigrated from the Commonwealth.

asked the Minister of Power whether he will make a statement on research in the iron and steel industry.

A report by the Iron and Steel Board on research in the industry will be published on 10th December. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.