asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the Boythorpe Harvest Store has been refused grant under the Farm Improvement Scheme if it was known that it was to be used for the storage of undried grain.

It was only recently that my right hon. Friend was satisfied that the storage of undried grain in sealed silos was a technique acceptable to the prudent landlord of the 1957 Agriculture Act. Accordingly all makes of sealed silo, not only the Boythorpe, were ineligible for farm improvement grant, unless of course they could justify their installation on a particular holding as a store for dried grain.My right hon. Friend announced on 25th November that grain silos can now be considered for farm improvement grant, whether used for storing dried or undried grain, and this of course includes the Boythorpe.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) to what extent the likely marketing of United Kingdom produced beef and the expected imports of beef from traditional suppliers over the next six months in relation to expected United Kingdom consumption will be affected by the import of beef and veal from France; and if he will make a statement;(2) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the price at which imported French meat will be sold in the United Kingdom.

As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury, (Sir A. Hurd) in a Written Answer on 13th December, the amount of beef to be imported from France on an experimental basis during the period to 31st March, 1964 will be up to 500 tons. I do not expect the marketing of home produced or other imported beef to be affected at all by this relatively small quantity. Arrangements for imports from all supplying countries after 1st April, 1964 are still under discussion. All imported meat is sold for what it will fetch on the market.

asked the Attorney-General what are the terms of reference of the proposed inquiry into the rights of illegitimate children; whether the terms of inquiry will include a review of the working of the Affiliation Proceedings Act 1957, to enable consideration to be given to vesting the right of maintenance in the child, to increasing the present maximum payment of 50s. a week, to ending the present bar to proceedings 12 months after the birth of the child, and to permitting affiliation orders to be enforced against the estate of a deceased putative father; when the inquiry will commence; and what will be its composition.

The committee's terms of reference will be to consider whether any alterations are desirable in the law of succession in England and Wales and in Scotland in relation to illegitimate persons. The committee will not be concerned with the working of the Affiliation Proceedings Act, 1957, or any of the other matters to which the hon. Member for Pont pool (Mr. Abse) refers. I am not yet in a position to announce the composition of the committee, but the intention is that the inquiry should start as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Labour if, in the light of the White Paper on Central Scotland, he will reconsider his decision concerning subsidised transport between the village of Forth and the nearest place of alternative employment for the redundant miners in the village.

Under the Resettlement Transfer Scheme financial assistance, including a free forward fare and lodging allowances, may be given to unemployed workers who obtain work beyond daily travelling distance of their homes. I am afraid that it is not possible for me to provide financial assistance to workers who travel daily to work; there are, of course, very large numbers of such workers in the country.

asked the Minister of Labour (1) what action he is taking or has taken on the general problem of mineral dust in industry as a result of his study of the report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research based on a symposium held by the British Ceramic Research Association at Stoke-on-Trent in December, 1961;(2) what action he has taken or is taking on the particular problem of pneumoconiosis in the pottery industry, coal mines, foundries and asbestos works, as a result of his study of the report from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, based on the British Ceramic Research Association symposium at Stoke-on-Trent in December, 1961.

Legislation requiring safeguards against hazardous dusts is contained in the Factories Act and in Regulations applying to particular processes and industries, including potteries, foundries and the asbestos industry. Further progress largely depends on the development of practical methods of eliminating or controlling dust. Valuable work to this end has been done by the Joint Standing Committees which advises me on health, safety and welfare in potteries and foundries, by Research Associations and by individual firms; the symposium to which the hon. Member refers, provided a valuable exchange of views between the experts working in this field. The Factory Inspectorate is regularly engaged in the investigation of methods of dust suppression and in furthering their application.

asked the Minister of Labour what research he undertook to establish the figure of 40 per cent. as the proportion of cases which are not reported to his Department, following accidents at work; and what bodies he consulted in the course of these investigations.

The figure of 40 per cent. was obtained by a comparison of particulars obtained from an examination of some 6,000 successful claims to injury benefit with the records of reported accidents in the District Offices of the Factory Inspectorate. The results of this Survey have been considered by the Industrial Safety Sub-Committee of the National Joint Advisory Council which also considered and approved proposals for action to improve reporting standards and proposals for a further and larger survey to be carried out next year.

asked the Minister of Labour what steps he is taking to provide work for redundant employees of the Inland Waterways following the proposal of the Inland Waterways to centralise administration in Watford and to close down the Leeds office.

I understand that the steps being taken by the British Waterways Board to reorganise their managerial structure involve some reduction in the staff at present employed in their office in Leeds. The Board expect that they will be able to offer alternative employment to most of those affected. Our local officers will assist any workpeople who become redundant and seek their help.

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls, respectively, in Warrington who left school in July, 1963, have not yet been placed in employment; and what is the nature of the jobs in which those boys and girls who have since then been found employment have been placed.

On 9th December one of the 328 boys and two of the 288 girls who left school in July were still registered for first employment at the Warrington Youth Employment Office. As the remainder of the reply consists of a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the Official Report.

asked the Minister of Labour how many boys and girls, repectively, in Warrington are now unemployed; and what were the relative figures in December, 1962, and July, 1963.

Fourteen boys and 14 girls on 9th December, 1963, compared with 28 boys and 23 girls in December, 1962, and 21 boys and 28 girls in July, 1963.

asked the Minister of Labour what action he is taking to prevent trading stamps being given to employees in lieu of bonuses, as this contravenes the Trucks Acts.

I have no evidence of the practice referred to by the hon. Member. If he has any information to give me on this subject, I shall be happy to consider it.

asked the Minister of Labour how many registered unemployed there are now in the town of Maybole; in what employments and trades there are shortages of jobs; and what action he is taking to find alternative employment for these people.

Maybole lies within the area of the Ayr Employment Exchange where, on 9th December, there were 1,572 registered as unemployed. Nearly half of these were last employed in construction, catering or distribution. Our local officers are doing all they can to find suitable employment for all those who seekour assistance.

asked the Minister of Labour to what extent his Department is studying the application of automation and its effects on production, employment and social life.

My Department collects and studies information about the effects of automation and other technological change on human relations in industry and is at present carrying out a number of case studies in individual firms. As regards the effects on employment, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 18th November to my hon. Friend the Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, South. The effects on production are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry, Trade and Regional Development.

asked the Minister of Labour how many industries, coalmines, foundries, etc., have ceased production in the constituency of West Stirlingshire in the last five years; and how many men and women have lost employment through these closures.

During this period the closure of 13 establishments has been reported to our local officers. They employed at the time they closed 1,195 men and 205 women, but these would not necessarily have become unemployed. For example, out of the 1,020 men affected by coal mining closures, 543 were immediately transferred by the National Coal Board to other employment.

asked the Minister of Labour how many girls from overseas are at present in this country on work permits issued for domestic helps; from which countries they come; and what is the youngest age at which he will issue such a permit.

Information about the total number of foreign women in this country on permits for domestic work is not available, but permits issued for this employment average 20,000 per year. Only about two-thirds of this number remain for more than 12 months. The majority of women come from Western European countries; about two-thirds of the total come from Spain, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. The minimum age for a permit for a foreigner to be employed in domestic work is 18 years.

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will make a statement about the work of the committee of inquiry into the pay and conditions of London busmen.

The Committee has presented an interim Report to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and myself. The Report is being published this afternoon. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.In this Report the Committee, having considered the nature of the work of drivers and conductors employed in the London Transport Board's Road Services, the conditions in which their work is done and the net advantages of other jobs, comes to the conclusion that the pay has not proved high enough recently to attract and retain bus crews and that London bus drivers and conductors now rank too low in the London wage structure. The Committee consider that interim increases ranging from 8s. 6d. to 15s. a week would be appropriate.These proposals are now of course a matter for consideration by the London Transport Board and the Transport and General Workers' Union.The Committee's Report has been sent to the parties and I understand that they are to hold an early joint meeting.The Report draws attention to the special problems connected with the operation of bus services in the London area. It also makes it clear that the Committee regard the suggested increases as not inconsistent with the requirements of incomes policy because of the need to arrest the serious and persistent loss of London bus crews.The Committee will now go on to complete its review. On behalf of my right hon. Friend and myself I would like to thank Professor Phelps Brown and his colleagues for having completed the first stage of their work so expeditiously.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will consult with the Soviest co-chairman regarding a recall of the 1954 Geneva Conference in order to bring about the end of the civil war in Vietnam, the cessation of foreign military intervention, and the full implementation of the Geneva Agreements in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, what request has been made by Cambodia for the Geneva Accord concerning Laos to be extended to that country, and for the convening of a 14-power conference; and what reply Her Majesty's Government has sent to this request.

There can be no advantage in a further international conference on Vietnam so long as the communist insurgents there remain under arms. As regards Laos, the International Control Commission was set up under the Geneva Agreement of 1962 in order to deal with a situation like the present one. The trouble is that the Communists have not allowed the Commission to work properly.As my right hon. Friend told the House on the 2nd December, the Cambodian Government In their message of 24th November proposed an international conference to secure the neutrality of that country. Her Majesty's Government have told the Cambodians that we are giving this proposal urgent and sympathetic consideration and we hope to give a final reply as soon as we have finished consulting the other governments concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is now the policy of Her Majesty's Government regarding proposals coming before the United Nations Disarmament Committee for the establishment of nuclear-free zones in Europe, including the inland seas, in Africa, in the Middle East, in Latin-America, and in the Western and Southern Pacific, including South-East Asia, respectively.

Her Majesty's Government's policy towards any such proposals will be determined by the principles I explained on 25th November in reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Mr. Swingler).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to what extent, in his discussions with the Federal German Foreign Minister, he reached agreement on the terms and conditions for negotiation with the Soviet Union; and whether the aim of self-determination for East Germany was specifically included amongst them.

Details of the discussions are confidential. I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the communiqué issued on 10th December at the end of my right hon. Friend's visit to Bonn.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs how many members of the United Nations made contributions during the past year to the funds of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency and the United Nations Refugee Emergency Fund; which these nations were; and what were the amounts of their contributions.

Table A shows the sums contributed to the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency during the year ending 31st December, 1962, and the sums estimated for the year ending 31st December, 1963. Forty-four member countries and other authorities contributed in 1962; forty-six pledged contributions in 1963. The figures are taken from the Annual Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency covering the period 1st July, 1962–30th June, 1963.United Nations Resolution 1166 (XII) adopted by the General Assembly on 26th November, 1957, requested the Economic and Social Council to establish an Executive Committee of the programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which has taken the place of the United Nations Refugee Fund Executive Committee.In 1962 twenty-eight members of the United Nations made contributions to the Programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. During the period 1st January, 1963, to 15th September, 1963, twenty-nine members contributed to the High Commissioner's Programme. Table B shows which those nations were and the amounts of their contributions. The figures are taken from United Nations documents.As my right hon. Friend informed the hon. Member for Bristol, Central (Mr. Awbery) on 5th December, Her Majesty's Government are prepared this year to double their normal annual contribution and to contribute up to £200,000 subject to certain matching arrangements and to Parliamentary approval.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further assistance is being given to Toplis and Harding (Middle East) Limited towards the expenses incurred by them in helping to secure the rights of British subjects under the Anglo-Egyptian Financial Agreement of 1959.

Her Majesty's Government propose to make available a further loan of up to £35,000 in the current financial year. Parliament will in due course be asked to vote this amount by means of a Supplementary Estimate. In the meantime advances are being ob- tained from the Civil Contingencies Fund as and when required.In view of the substantial financial interest that Her Majesty's Government already have in the company, they have acquired a majority holding in its issued ordinary share-capital. They have also appointed Professor F. Sewell Bray, F.C.A., to be Receiver-Manager of the company; and instalments of the proposed loan will be advanced on his recommendations.This action implies no change in the status or entity of the company. Its sole purpose is to maintain and, if possible, improve the services which the company provides for the many British subjects who are its clients.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if, in implementing the recently announced improvements in the position of widowed mothers, he will make widowed mothers' allowances payable in respect of children in approved schools at least during the periods when they are at home on holiday, in view of the additional expenses involved; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is now considering the point the hon. Member has in mind.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, how many herring fishermen who made claims for unemployment benefit in 1963 had these claims disallowed; and if he will give the corresponding figures for the preceding five years.

Details of claims by herring fishermen are not kept separately from those of other claimants, but my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour has made inquiries which show that the number of herring fishermen whose claims for unemployment benefit have been disallowed under the Seasonal Workers regulations is now considerably smaller than it was a few years ago.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether he will reconsider the classification of herring fishermen as seasonal workers.

Herring fishermen as a class are not treated as seasonal workers for national insurance purposes. Whether a person is treated as a seasonal worker depends on his individual pattern of work in whatever occupation or occupations he follows.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he will take steps to enable women who are discharged early from hospital owing to the shortage of beds to receive the whole or an appropiate proportion of the £6 home confinement grant.

I see no adequate reason for a change in the present provisions. The home confinement grant is a lump sum payment of £6 for mothers who have to meet all but the medical and midwifery expenses of having their babies at home. In the circumstances described in the hon. Member's Question, it can be paid in full if the mother were admitted to hospital as an emergency case. The man benefit for mothers is the maternity grant of £16, which is paid wherever the baby is born.

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance whether, in view of his proposal to increase the allowances for the children of widows under the National Insurance schemes, he proposes to increase the allowances for the children of war widows.

As a part of these improvements I am proposing an increase of. 7s. 6d. in the total weekly amount paid to war widows for each child by way of war pension allowances and family allowances.

asked the Minister of Health (1) to what extent the recruitment of consultants and mid- wives falls short of what is needed to give full personal care and attention to mothers and babies in all maternity hospitals; and how the shortage is to be made good;(2) what are the latest estimates made of consultants, senior obstetric staff and midwives required both for present needs and the expected increase in maternity care in coming years; and whether such estimates have taken account of the higher percentage of mothers now recognised to be in need of hospital delivery.

asked the Minister of Health, in view of the fact that since 1959 the number of births has risen 10·9 per cent. but the number of consultants and other senior obstetric staff or whole time equivalents has risen by only 1·84 per cent., what action he is taking to appoint more obstetric specialists.

The reports of the hospital Boards on medical staffing are now being considered with representatives of the profession. I am considering ways of increasing the number of practising mid-wives.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to make use of the reserve of married midwives to supplement existing resources of midwives available to care for women discharged within 48 hours of childbirth from hospitals owing to the shortage of beds.

Local health authorities are well aware of the advantages of employing married midwives part-time on post-natal work, and are encouraged to do so.

asked the Minister of Health what action he is taking to improve the home health service for women who are discharged from hospital before the customary 10-day lying-in period is over.

As described in the Command Paper on the Development of Community Care, all the home health services of local authorities are being developed. In the provision of domestic help, it is the general practice of authorities to give priority to mothers who have been confined at home or discharged early from hospital.

asked the Minister of Health in what form he proposes to publish the results of the examination of hospital waiting lists for admission as in-patients; and when the publication will be made.

I must await the analysis of the returns, which will record the position on 31st December next before deciding on the form and date of publication.

asked the Minister of Health what is the average period of waiting for admittance to the Roehampton Hospital by ex-Service men requiring a medical overhaul.

The waiting period varies according to specialty. For non-urgent cases in general medicine and surgery it is from one to two weeks, in orthopaedics two to four weeks and in tropical medicine six to seven weeks. A second tropical medicine ward to be opened next month will reduce the waiting period in this specialty.

asked the Minister of Health what steps he proposes to take to provide adequate maternity services in hospitals.

Additional beds and other facilities are being provided.

asked the Minister of Health what is the present average waiting period for children to enter hospital for tonsils extraction in North Staffordshire; and how this compares with the position in Manchester, Birmingham, and London, respectively.

I regret that separate information for children is not available.

asked the Minister of Health how many entirely new hospitals were completed in each year from1952 to 1963, inclusive, and how many additional beds they represented.

The figures for new and substantially remodelled hospitals are as follows:

asked the Minister of Health in view of the inconvenience caused to some egg-processing firms by the lack of a firm decision, whether he will make an early announcement on the use for human consumption of infertile eggs from hatcheries.

Investigations are proceeding as quickly as possible, but I cannot yet say when my right hon. Friends will be in a position to make any statement.

asked the Minister of Health what has been the outcome of his enquiries in the United States of America about the reason for that country's ban on the use of infertile eggs for human consumption.

Full information has not yet been received.

asked the Minister of Health why discussions between officials of his Department and the medical profession are being conducted with the British Medical Association and not with the General Medical Services Committee which also represents doctors belonging to the Medical Practitioners' Union.

The talks are with representatives of the General Medical Services Committee.

asked the Minister of Health if he will now extend the present limited scheme to enable any woman in the country to have a smear test regularly to detect, and so prevent, early cancer of the cervix.

I accept the principle of routine screening for all women at risk. Arrangements are being planned with this in view, but it will take time to achieve a countrywide service.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he will publish in Hansard the texts of all agreements made with the Governments of the territories of Rhodesia and Nyasaland which come within the terms of Section 10(2) of the Draft Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Dissolution) Order in Council 1963.

There are no formal written agreements. The Dissolution Committees have produced a large number of separate reports dealing with particular subjects or functions and the disposal of a great range of movable property has been treated within the context of these reports. The territorial Governments' acceptance of these various reports constitutes their agreement to the allocation of the property in question.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, with reference to his statement of 18th July concerning British aid to Malaysia, what arrangements have been made by Her Majesty's Government to meet their obligations from Malaysia Day until the end of the current financial year.

Certain payments will have to be made before the end of the current financial year and the House will be asked in due course to vote the necessary Supplementary Estimates. Advances totalling about £1·416 million will be made from the Civil Contingencies Fund in respect of the gift offered for the Borneo territories, the grants offered to Singapore, the compensation scheme for Borneo expatriates and a payment to the Ministry of Public Building and Works against the cost of providing alternative facilities where land occupied by this British Services has been released to the Singapore Government. An advance from the Civil Contingencies Fund may also be required in respect of the supply of arms and equipment.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new employment has resulted in the Merseyside area as a result of the transference there of Government offices and of Government offices and of headquarters staffs of nationalised boards.

About 1,000 civil servants are employed in the Merseyside area on headquarters and other nonlocal work. The nationalised boards have no headquarter work there.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many clubs have registered their gaming activities following the Press advertisements of August, 1963, costing £21,920.

To date, 22,719 clubs.

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost of Press advertisements advising 100 per cent. disabled ex-Service men of their entitlement to post-war credits.

About £8,000. This figure relates to advertisements in 1960 which publicised the entitlement of a number of classes, including ex-Service men receiving a 100 per cent. disability pension.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty if he will employ fully qualified almoners in the Royal Naval hospitals, amongst whose duties would be to advise men who are in hospital before being discharged from the Royal Navy.

A wardmaster officer is employed full time at each Royal Naval Hospital on welfare duties. Additional help on the non-medical problems of patients is given by Red Cross and St. John's Ladies and the hospital chaplains. Patients invalided from the service are looked after by a specially organised invaliding and medical survey system, including Ministry of Labour advice on resettlement problems.I consider these arrangements meet the particular circumstances of Naval Hospitals better than would the employment of a civilian almoner.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, if he will give a detailed programme of the work to be done in the Royal Dockyard, Devonport, for the year 1964–65.

The programme includes completing the modernisation of "H.M.S. Eagle", and provides for at least one other aircraft carrier to be in hand throughout the year. It also provides for the refit of a cruiser and a destroyer, as well as the usual refits of frigates, submarines and smaller craft. The construction of a frigate will continue. By hon. Friend will realise, however, that the programme is inevitably liable to change in the light of circumstances during the year.It would not be in the public interest to disclose fuller details of the programme.

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many men, women and apprentices will be employed in the Royal Naval Dockyard, Devonport, during the year 1964–65 as non-industrial and industrial workers, respectively.

The numbers expected to be employed in 1964–65, in the Pro- fessional Departments of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Devonport, are:

asked the Secretary of State for Air whether the Royal Air Force has taken delivery of the equipment "Fire-Brigade"; whether it has been installed; and whether it is proving satisfactory.

Yes. "Fire-Brigade" has been installed and is proving satisfactory.

asked the Minister of Aviation if he will state the method of selecting the design for the air terminal building at the civil airport at Aldergrove in County Antrim; and whether such selection was by competition or other means.

The design for the Aldergrove Airport terminal building was prepared by an eminent Northern Ireland architect, Mr. W. H. McAlister of Belfast. The architect was offered the commission after consultation with the Government of Northern Ireland, the President of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects and the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Civil Aviation Advisory Council.

asked the Minister of Aviation whether he is satisfied with the accommodation provided for the staff canteen for employees at the civil airport at Aldergrove in County Antrim; and if he will make a statement.

As a result of the recent Air Ministry decision to hand over the airport to Ministry of Aviation control, the civil staff has had to be increased and in consequence further catering facilities are needed. A new cafeteria is being built and will be available in a few weeks' time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has studied a letter sent to him by a firm of solicitors acting on behalf of the parents of Paul Sandler, P. 153097/6, requesting the release of the prisoner on compassionate grounds so that he can be at home with his parents in time for Christmas this year; and what was the nature of his reply.

Yes. But my right hon. Friend regrets to say that he can find no sufficient compassionate grounds for the release of this prisoner earlier than in the normal course, and I am so informing the solicitors.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask the Departmental committee on criminal statistics to consider the desirability of maintaining records of convictions for homosexual offences committed in private between consenting adults.

I have no doubt that this will be considered by the committee, to whose notice I am bringing the hon. Member's Question.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs in how many rating authorities the number of persons over the age of 65 exceeds one-tenth of the total population of the authority's area; and if he will publish the names of these authorities in the Official Report.

The latest information which I have at present about the numbers of people over the age of 65 in county districts comes from the 1961 census. Comparing the number enumerated in each borough and county district in England and Wales at the census with the estimated mid-1961 population of all ages, 1,230 rating areas out of 1,467 had more than one-tenth of their population over the age of 65. In view of the length of the list I hardly think that it would be justifiable to include it in the Official Report, but I would be glad to give the hon. Member information about any particular area in which he is interested.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many licensed betting shops there are in the new towns; and what was the total cost of erecting these buildings.

Approximately sixty-eight in England and Wales. They are mostly in shop premises, old and new, or in parts of buildings, and not all are under the control of the development corporation. No reliable estimate can be made of the cost of the premises.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs how many public libraries there are in the new towns; and what was the total cost of erecting these buildings.

Twenty-sevenin England and Wales, excluding mobile libraries but including those built before the towns were designated. Libraries are built by the local authorities and I have no record of the total cost.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he has concluded his review of arrangements for the establishment of smoke control areas; and whether he will make a statement.

In consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power, who is tomorrow presenting to Parliament a White Paper entitled Domestic Fuel Supplies and the Clean Air Policy, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I have decided that certain changes in the existing arrangements relating to the establishment of smoke control areas are desirable. Some of the changes involve amendment of the Clean Air Act, 1956, and the necessary provisions are included in the Housing Bill. Other changes can and should be introduced forthwith, and the necessary guidance is being issued to local authorities tomorrow. These measures together will, we hope, enable local authorities to maintain the momentum of their smoke control programmes.

asked the Minister of Power where exploration for oil is taking place on the mainland of Great Britain; and what is the total quantity of oil produced from these oilfields at the nearest convenient date in 1963.

Licences issued under the Petroleum (Production) Act, 1934, cover the greater part of England and Southern Scotland and parts of Wales. Exploration is proceeding at many places, but the main centres are in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Production of crude oil so far in Great Britain has amounted in all to about 1·6 million tons of which approximately 120,000 tons was produced in the 12 months to 31st October, 1963.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science what he estimates to be the maximum concentration of strontium 90 in bones, expressed in pc/gram of calcium, for any individual in the special areas as defined by the Agricultural Research Council, at the most recent convenient date; and what estimate he has made of the maximum value which will be reached, assuming that no further atmospheric tests take place.

I have already informed the hon. Member in my reply to his Question of 13th December that the next report by the Agricultural Research Council on radioactivity in diet is expected towards the end of February, 1964. When these figures are available, an assessment of their medical significance will be published by an expert committee of the Medical Research Council. I would prefer to await their statement before making any estimate of my own.

asked the Lord President of the Council and Minister for Science what he estimates to be the maximum dose rate in millirems per year resulting from accumulation of caesium 137, strontium 89, and barium 140, respectively, in human tissues for any individual in the special areas as defined by the Agricultural Research Council.

I would prefer to await the publication of the findings of the expert committee of the Medical Research Council—to which I made reference in my previous reply to the hon. Member—before making any estimate in this field.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware that factory space in Donibristle Industrial Estate is available to potential industrialists at a lower rent than can be offered by Kirkcaldy Town Council; and if, in view of his previous assurances to the council that they would not be required to compete unfairly with Donibristle, he will take steps to enable the council to let factory space at a similar rent to that offered at Donibristle.

No general comparison between rents on the Donibristle Industrial Estate and Kirkcaldy is possible because rents at Donibristle, while based on current market value, vary according to the size and the type of building concerned and the facilities which go with it.I do, however, appreciate the possible difficulty with which Kirkcaldy could be faced and I will be ready to consider sympathetically any specific proposal which the Town Council might wish to put to me.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many entirely new hospitals were completed in each year from 1952 to 1963, inclusive, and how many additional beds they represented.

Out of some 2,600 new hospital beds provided in Scotland since 1951, 475 are in four new hospitals completed in the years 1955, 1960, 1961 and 1962.

asked the Minister of Transport on how many occasions alterations have been made to the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, by Statute and Statutory Instrument, respectively; and if he will give a list of such statutes and Statutory Instruments.

The Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, has been altered and supplemented by the following 42 Merchant Shipping Acts and other Acts concerned substantially with merchant shipping:Merchant Shipping Act, 1897.Merchant Shipping (Exemption from Pilotage) Act, 1897.

asked the Minister of Transport what portion of the Government's shipbuilding credit facilities so far allocated are to be spent in shipyards in the North-East, in Scotland and in Northern Ireland, respectively.

The information cannot be given in this form without in some cases revealing confidential information such as the amount of loans to individual borrowers or the price they are paying for their ships. But the approximate total tonnage of ships which it has so far been agreed should be built with the aid of Government credit and which has been allocated to particularyards in these areas is as follows:

asked the Minister of Transport if he will furnish a list of branch lines radiating from Nottingham in respect of which closure proposals for passenger services have been notified by British Railways; and, in each case, what stage of development has been reached, including the dates of hearings by the Transport Users' Consultative Committee.

The Railways Board gave notice under Section 56 of the Transport Act 1962 on 8th July of a proposal to withdraw passenger services between Derby Friargate and Nottingham Victoria. The East Midland Transport Users' Consultative Committee held a meeting to hear objections on 29th October. I expect their report on hardship shortly.The Board gave statutory notice on 14th November of a proposal to withdraw the Nottingham Midland-Worksop passenger service. The last date for receiving objections is 3rd January, 1964. A meeting to hear objections has not yet been fixed.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he has received the preliminary report of the British Waterways Board which he said last July he expected to receive by about the end of the year.

I have just received this Report and am considering it. Arrangements are being made for it to be published about the end of next month.