asked the Minister of Health, in view of Her Majesty's Government's proposals to increase the population of Newton Aycliffe from 20,000 to over 40,000, what consideration he is giving to the provision of hospital facilities for this new town.

The Newcastle Regional Hospital Board is taking the proposed increase into account in its planning.

asked the Minister of Health how many new hospitals have been started in 1963; how many have been substantially remodelled in 1963; and whether he will circulate the names of these hospitals in the Official Report.

In England and Wales nine new hospitals and nine substantially remodelled hospitals have been started this year. One new general hospital and one new dental hospital, and phases of four substantially remodelled hospitals, have been completed and brought into use so far this year.

asked the Minister of Health when he expects work to begin on the Basildon hospital.

March, 1967.

asked the Minister of Health whether he will instruct regional hospital boards to ensure that they do not place insurance business with insurance companies which practise discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or colour.

It is not usual to insure hospital property.

asked the Minister of Health how many radiographers left the hospital service in 1960, 1961 and 1962, respectively; and for what reasons.

I regret that this information is not available.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average time taken, in the building of a new hospital, between the approval by his Department of the provisional cost limit and the actual commencement of building.

The new planning procedures have not been in use long enough to enable this information to be given.

asked the Minister of Health how many State-enrolled nurses, male and female, respectively, were recruited in 1962.

Information about numbers recruited is not available. In the year ending September 1962, the net changes in the number of enrolled nurses—whole-time and part-time—in hospitals were a reduction of 70 male nurses and an increase of 761 female nurses.

asked the Minister of Health if he has studied the recommendation contained in a report of the British Medical Association, a copy of which has been sent to him, regarding the desirability of a doctor examining a body before issuing a death certificate; and if he will introduce legislation on this matter.

The report has not yet been submitted to my right hon. Friend, and is still under consideration by the British Medical Association.

asked the Minister of Health what was the total output of dentists qualified in British dental schools at the beginning of 1963; how many undertook practice overseas; how many dentists with overseas qualifications were added to the British register; and what was the resultant net total.

623 in1962. The answer to the second part of the Question is not known. The number of dentists with overseas qualifications who were added to the British register was 197.

asked the Minister of Health what was the total cost of the National Health Service in England and Wales in the latest available year; and what percentage increase in real terms this figure represents over the cost in 1951–52.

The total cost in 1962–63 was £885 million. The percentage increase in real terms over the cost in 1951–52 is about 27 per cent.

asked the Minister of Health if he will take steps to prohibit the sale of spilt beer in clubs, public houses and hotels in which spillage and overflow is at present being sold; if he will introduce legislation to ensure the installation of modern non-spill pumps and the use of the larger glass as approved by the Weights and Measures authorities; if he will make inquiries from public health inspectors to ascertain how widespread the problem is; and if he will make a statement.

It is an offence under the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations, 1960, for a food handler not to take such steps as may be reasonably necessary to protect food—including beer—from risk of contamination. There have already been successful prosecutions on the sale of spilt beer, and my right hon. Friend therefore does not consider it necessary on public health grounds to require the installation of non-spill pumps or the use of lined glasses or to seek further information from local authorities.

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the conference on the care of the elderly jointly convened by the Manchester Regional Hospital Board and the Lancashire County Council's health committee; and whether similar conferences are to be organised by other regional hospital boards and local health authorities.

Yes. I welcome this and all other arrangements for improving co-operation between hospital authorities, local authorities, and others concerned with the care of the elderly. The importance of joint discussions has repeatedly been emphasised, and particularly so in the preparation and revision of long-term plans.

asked the Minister of Health in what specialities expensive medical apparatus cannot be used up to the medical demand because of the shortages of auxiliary staff.

I am not aware of any specialty where this is happening to any appreciable extent.

asked the Minister of Health if he will set out the admissions of patients suffering from psychopathic disorder during 1962 in the form of Table D, Part 1 of Appendix I of Command Paper No. 2062; and if he will give the numbers resident at 31st December, 1962, in all hospitals in the form of Part 5, and in the special hospitals in the form of Part 7 of the same table.

The figures are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health how many persons diagnosed as suffering from psychopathic disorder, who were not subject to an order restricting discharge under Section 65 of the Mental Health Act 1959, were the subject of applications to Mental Health Review Tribunals during 1962; and in how many cases discharge was directed.

78 and 9 respectively.

asked the Minister of Health how many guardianship orders were made during 1962 in respect of persons diagnosed as suffering from psychopathic disorder.

None.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the working and effects of the various white fish subsidies now in operation.

No. The current arrangements were introduced only a little over a year ago, following the passage of the Sea Fish Industry Act, 1962, and it is too early to assess their effects.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the success of the scheme for the control and eradication of bovine tuberculosis, he will take steps to institute a nation-wide scheme, coupled with the necessary powers for enforcement, for the eradication of warble fly infestation.

No. This would involve very great practical difficulties and disproportionately high expenditure.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made with the preparatory work necessary for the registration of all common land, as proposed by the Royal Commission on Common Land; and when he expects to introduce the legislation required to carry this and the other recommendations of the Royal Commission into effect.

I regret that pressure of Parliamentary time has so far prevented the introduction of legislation on the lines indicated by my right hon. Friend on 6th November, 1961 in reply to a Question from my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Knutsford (Sir W. Bromley-Davenport). The hon. Member may rest assured that we have not overlooked the need to be fully prepared when time becomes available.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department will be continuing with experiments in the use of narcotic baits this winter; and if he will give details of the scale on which, and the localities in which, it is intended to employ them.

Yes, at about 40 sites in eastern and east midland counties, and possibly a few in the south-eastern area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the national poultry flock has been vaccinated to date under the voluntary vaccination scheme.

The scheme has now been in operation for just over a year, and in this time approximately 200 million doses of vaccine have been sold. It is estimated that this is sufficient to have vaccinated between 60 per cent. and 65 per cent. of the national turnover of poultry in this period.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the installation of cow cubicles became eligible for grant under the Farm Improvement Scheme; and whether farmers who installed this innovation before the relevant date are eligible for grant.

Cow cubicles became eligible for farm improvement grant on the 11th September, 1963. Only cubicles included in applications approved on or after that date can qualify for grant. This rules out grant on any cubicles installed earlier, because my right hon. Friend has no power under the Agriculture Act, 1957, to pay grant on work started before approval is given.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce proposals for standard quantities for beef and cereals; if he will establish a workable import policy for all foodstuffs before doing so; and if he will make a statement.

Cereals and meat are the commodities which need attention. I have already announced arrangements covering bacon supplies. Consultations on standard quantities and import controls which taken together form the Government's proposals for other meats and cereals are still in progress. I am not yet able to say when I will be able to make a further announcement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware that 6,000 tons of meat was condemned by food inspectors as unfit for human consumption but was mixed with other meat when being transferred to retailers for sale to the public; what was the cause of this; what ill effects there were upon the public; and what steps are taken to place an irremovable mark upon condemned meat.

I understand that the unfit meat alleged to have been offered for sale for human food consisted, not of 6,000 tons, but 6,000 packages, amounting to some 300 tons. It is an offence to sell unfit meat for human food, but I cannot say more on this case because proceedings have been instituted and the matter is therefore sub judice. There are practical difficulties in placing an irremovable mark on meat.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many statutory smallholdings, whole time and part time, are administered by local authorities in England and Wales; what is the deficiency incurred; and how this charge is divided between local authorities and the central Government.

At 31st March 1963 smallholdings authorities in England and Wales were providing 15,666 statutory smallholdings, of which 8,740 were whole-time and 6,926 part-time. The latest figures of the deficiency incurred relate to the financial year 1961–62.Contributions by my Department to smallholdings authorities in that year amounted to £723,922. I understand that the part of the deficiency borne on local authorities' rates amounted to approximately £420,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce regulations making it compulsory for all imported tinned food to bear both consignment code marks so as to permit identification when complaints from consumers arise; and if he will advise on the specific case submitted to the hon. member for Lichfield and Tamworth, details of which have been sent to him.

Packed food must carry the name of the person by or for whom it was packed. Food and drugs authorities can proceed against anyone selling unsatisfactory food. It is a defence for the seller to show that he used all due diligence to comply with the law, and that some other person was at fault. It is therefore in a trader's own interest to know the source of his supplies.The food and drugs authority did not consult us about this case, but my officials are in touch with them and I have written to the hon. Member about it.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many outbreaks of fowl pest have been reported in the past three months; which parts of the country have been most affected; and if he is satisfied that the present type of vaccine approved by his Department is proving effective in reducing the incidence of this disease.

In September, October and November, 746 outbreaks of fowl pest were confirmed in England and Wales. 429 of these—well over half the total—occurred in Lancashire and there were 76 in adjoining areas in the West Riding of Yorkshire; a further 164 outbreaks occurred in Norfolk and East Suffolk.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken to support the fishermen of Newlyn and Mouse hole in their efforts to secure a light and a fog signal on the south coast of the Land's End peninsula.

This matter is now engaging the attention of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had from the Nature Conservancy about the proposal to drain the Amble Marshes in North Cornwall; and what reply he has sent.

My right hon. Friend recently received representations from the Nature Conservancy which wanted work on this scheme delayed till next summer in order that it might carry out research into the best means of safeguarding the flora in the area. This was not possible because work had already begun on the scheme which the river board considered urgent. After consultation with the river board my right hon. Friend assured the Conservancy that the river board would welcome any reasonable suggestions from them for minimising disturbance to local flora. I understand that the Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society are satisfied with the river board's proposals for safeguarding wild bird life in the area.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that sales are being made of bread in wrapping which is either stale or mouldy when the wrappers are opened; and whether he will take steps to ensure that the date of manufacture or baking is contained on the wrapping material.

Food and drugs authorities have reported finding some stale and mouldy bread on sale, though not in significant quantities. The date of baking may be a misleading guide to the state of bread at the time of sale, since this may be affected also by conditions of transport and storage.

asked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the increase in solicitors' charges for work done in connection with mortgages, and the additional burden this imposes upon people desirous of purchasing their own homes, he will take steps to amend the Solicitors Act, 1957, or institute an inquiry into the effects of that Act.

No. The only recent increase in solicitors' charges has been in relation to building society mortgages where, by agreement between the Law Society and the Building Societies Association, solicitors charge less than the prescribed fees. A small increase in this reduced scale of charges was made last year but it only affects mortgages up to £1,500. The maximum amounts which solicitors may charge are controlled by orders made under the Solicitors Act, 1957, which have to be laid before Parliament. I do not consider that there is any need for an inquiry.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will give particulars of the item which appears in Appendix XXV on page 124 of the Annual Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories, 1962, which reads, "Other official visits and attendances, 37,324."

Detailed particulars are not available. The figure of 37,324 includes visits made by Factory Inspectors, incidental to their duties under the Factories Act, 1961, to such places as magistrates' and coroners' courts, local authority offices, and homes of injured persons, witnesses, and complainants. It also includes attendances at meetings of joint standing committees and accident prevention organisations, and lecturing at training courses.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will state the number of persons by age, sex, and industry, unemployed in the city and county of Aberdeen to the latest convenient date, and also at the corresponding dates in each of the last 10 years.

The tables below contain an analysis by sex, adults and young people separately, of the numbers unemployed in the month of November each year since 1953. For the years 1957–1963 this information is further analysed by industry, but I regret that such an analysis cannot now be made for earlier years.

asked the Minister of Labour how many reports he received in the 12 months ended 31st October, 1963, or latest convenient period from district advisory committees of alleged contraventions of obligations to employ a quota of registered persons under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts.

Responsibility for ensuring that employers observe their obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts, rests with my local offices. During the past year neither they nor my Disablement Advisory Committees have reported to me any instances of a serious infringement of the Acts.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent persons other than registered disabled persons are currently being employed in classes of employment designated by orders under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts.

This information is not available for a date later than 1959 when

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement on the results of his representations, through the Youth Employment Service, to employers and trade unions to implement extra training facilities for Commonwealth immigrant workers.

I have not raised the specific question of training of Commonwealth immigrant workers with employers and trade unions, but young Commonwealth immigrants should benefit along with other young people from the steps the Government are taking to increase training opportunities generally.

asked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that unemployment among young persons in the Doncaster area still forms about 16 per cent. of the total number of unemployed; that this figure is unusually high; and what steps he is taking to improve the chances of employment for young people in the area.

On 11th November the figure was 13 per cent. compared with 18 per cent. a month before and 14 per cent. a year before. Unemployment among young people in the Doncaster area fell by more than a third between October and November and is lower than a year ago. The Youth Employment Service will continue to do all it can to help boys and girls to find suitable employment.

asked the Minister of Labour if he will increase the allowances