asked the Minister of Defence (1) whether, in view of future commitments, he is satisfied with the present means of transporting service personnel and supplies to distant parts of the world at short notice; and if he will consider plans for increasing the transport force, including the ordering of further Belfast aircraft;(2) whether, bearing in mind that the only transport aircraft likely to enter service before 1968 are the Belfasts and VC10's, he is satisfied that there will be sufficient transport capacity for the services; and if he will increase the number of Belfasts beyond the initial 10 which are on order.

It is my intention that Transport Command shall continue to have adequate means to carry out its role. No increase is contemplated in the size of force at present planned.

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, in view of his acceptance in February, 1963, of the need for a site for the establishment of a new town to meet the housing needs of the city of Manchester, whether he will now make specific proposals for the location of such a site or sites.

I cannot yet add to the reply I gave on 17th December to the hon. Member for Manchester, Exchange (Mr. W. Griffiths).

asked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that substantial numbers of Japanese and American walkie-talkie radios operating on a frequency of approximately 28 m/cs. are being imported into the United Kingdom and widely sold, that they are being operated without licence, and that they do not conform to General Post Office specification; and what steps he is taking to enforce his regulations in respect of such transmitters.

I am aware that some equipment of the kind referred to has been coming in. I have no powers to prevent such imports. It is, however, an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act to use radio apparatus without my licence, and offenders are prosecuted when evidence can be obtained.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate how much of the additional public investment expenditure for Central Scotland in 1963–64 has so far been carried out; and if he will give a general breakdown of the investment concerned.

Until expenditure is accounted for after the end of the financial year, no useful figures are available.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Ayrshire local authorities about the development of Prestwick Airport; and if he will make a statement.

:I have received no such representations recently.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he proposes to authorise the next stage of the Prestwick-Ayr bypass.

No date has yet been assigned to this scheme.

asked the Minister of Transport to what extent he is prepared to help uneconomic bus services in the rural areas; and whether the same principle will apply to bus services operating at a loss in other areas.

Now that we have the results of the special studies made last year, I am in consultation with the associations representing local authorities and bus. operators with a view to establishing what practical measures are best calculated to help in solving the rural transport problem.The problems of urban public transport are of an entirely different nature. My Department are already in touch with transport operators on ways of improving services generally. I am considering what guidance I should issue to local authorities about traffic management measures which will make it easier to run urban bus services efficiently. Transport operators are co-operating with the Government and local authorities in the carrying out of transport surveys in the large conurbations: these will provide invaluable guidance for the future.

asked the Minister of Transport whether he will have inquiries made in future road accidents about the use of seat-belts.

At present, sample surveys of the extent to which seat-belts are fitted and worn, and their effect on injuries, are being conducted by the Road Research Laboratory. When next the police statistical return on road accidents is revised I will bear in mind the possibility of providing for it to include information on this matter.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will make a statement on the blockage of the M.1 for about three hours near Luton on 21st January when some 65 vehicles piled up in fog and ice conditions; and what steps he proposes to take to avoid a recurrence.

Until I have received and studied detailed reports, I cannot usefully add to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Mr. Dance) on Wednesday, 22nd January.

asked the Minister of Transport how many certificates of officers of the Merchant Service and fishing fleet, respectively, have been cancelled or suspended by courts of formal investigation under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, during the year 1963; and, in cases of suspension, what was the period of suspension in each case.

During 1963, no officers of the Merchant Service had their certificates cancelled or suspended; one officer of the fishing fleet had his certificate cancelled and five had their certficates suspended, one for three years, one for two years, one for one year, one for nine months and one for three months.

asked the Minister of Transport if he will start such consultations, similar to those which began in September 1963 between his Department and the British shipowners and seafarers, over the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts relating to seafarers, as may be necessary before the preparation of a Bill to consolidate the 65 Acts which make up the present Merchant Shipping Acts.

No. I do not propose to start such consultations at present.

asked the Minister of Education if he will give an estimate of the amount of Purchase Tax paid by local education authorities on their supplies of stationery and teaching aids.

No information is available on which an estimate could be based.

asked the Minister of Education if he will circulate in the Official Report a list of the items of supply on which local education authorities have to pay purchase tax.

No precise information is available, but it is likely that local education authorities purchase a large number of the chargeable items listed in Notice No. 78 issued by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet been informed by Her Majesty's Judges of the outcome of their review of the Judges' Rules.

Yes. I have received from Her Majesty's Judges of the Queen's Bench Division a copy of the new Judges' Rules about interrogation and the taking of statements by the police, which I understand they are promulgating today. These will supersede the Rules previously made by the Judges. I understand that the new Rules will come into force on Monday, 27th January, 1964, and that the admissibility of answers and statements obtained before next Monday will continue to be governed by the old Rules.I have prepared guidance for the police in the form of Administrative Directions; these are in terms approved by the Judges, and are being published together with the Rules.Copies of the Rules and Directions are being sent to the courts and to the police, and are available to hon. Members in the Vote Office.

asked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations what powers the Constitutional Council established under Chapters II and III of the Southern Rhodesia Constitution, Command Paper No. 1400, 1961–62, will exercise over modifications of and adaptations of existing law made by the Government of Southern Rhodesia under Part I of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (Dissolution) Order in Council 1963.

None. Under the Southern Rhodesia Constitution, the Council's functions in relation to statutory instruments are limited to instruments made under an Act of the Southern Rhodesia Legislature.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation what amounts have been spent since March 1962 on Commonwealth scholarships and bursaries, postgraduate scholarships, and bursaries for technical training below the level of the General Certificate of Education, respectively; and in what subjects.

The amounts spent are as follows:Commonwealth Scholarships and Bursaries, 1st April, 1962, to 31st December, 1963—Scholarships £835,035; Bursaries £582,806.Subjects for study under the Scholarship scheme are in arts, pure science, technology, medicine, dentistry, agriculture and forestry, veterinary science and social studies.Commonwealth Bursaries are awarded for teachers for courses on various aspects of education and subjects of the primary and secondary school curriculum.The amount spent on training at postgraduate and comparable levels cannot readily be identified but the total amount spent at this and lower levels under Regional Programmes of Technical Assistance during the period 1st April, 1962, to 30th November, 1963, was £2,049,025. Courses under these programmes cover a wide variety of subjects in the administrative, technical and scientific fields.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation how many bursaries have been provided for Commonwealth students to be trained as technical teachers since March, 1962; from which countries they have come; and what facilities have been provided during their training for gaining experience in industry.

Seventy-five bursaries have been provided for Commonwealth students to be trained in Britain as technical teachers since March, 1962, from the following countries:—

British Guiana	1
British Honduras	1
Ceylon	2
Ghana	4
India	15
Jamaica	1
Kenya	1
Malaya	1
Malta	6
Federal Nigeria	1
Eastern Nigeria	8
Northern Rhodesia	2
Pakistan	7
Sierra Leone	3
Tanganyika	2
Trinidad	16
Uganda	4

These figures include 17 bursars attending a new type of two-year course which includes study in a technical college and industrial experience as well as a session spent in a technical teacher-training college.

asked the Secretary for Technical Co-operation how many of the 2,500 technical experts placed by his Department since its foundation were placed in Commonwealth countries.

Approximately 2,300, including 900 in territories which are still dependent.